Review: Hamilton Beach Handheld Mixer from CSN Stores

I was given a fantastic opportunity from CSN Stores to review a product and I chose the Hamilton Beach handheld mixer. I needed a mixer very desperately after my last one broke in the middle of mixing a cake. I was sad because #1 it was garbage and #2 I had mix BY HAND! Yuck!



I thought this one seemed like a good fit for me as it has the snap on case that holds the attachments (the two beaters and I loved the WHISK!) and you can easily tuck away the cord and keep everything all nice and tidy without losing the pieces! The shipping was lightening fast, fast shipping creates a happy customer!

I decided to test this new mixer out with a new recipe, Gluten Free Crepes. I used the whisk attachment and on the lowest speed setting, the speed was there and you can definitely feel the power of the mixer and that tells me, the next time I bake a cake, this bad boy isn't falling apart! Definitely check out the CSN store websites!. Highly recommended! A huge thank you to CSN for the review opportunity!

Now on to the crepes.

What a freaking disaster! Seriously! I used to make the classic version and have never had an issue but now I need to have them gluten free thus attempting to make a gluten free version. I know this is going to take some tweaking and getting used to but wowza! This, I believe, is my worst cooking disaster to date! I planned to make a pomegranate cream cheese sauce with this, but glad I didn't waste making it. Well, I might still as I purchased some of Bob's Red Mill mixes at Sprout's at 25% off and will make gluten free pancakes in the morning.


Here's the recipe and the disastrous photos:

Ingredients:
2/3 cup milk (I used rice milk)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 egg
2 teaspoons olive oil or melted butter (I used Olive oil)
pinch of salt

Directions:

1.Mix all ingredients until very well blended.

2.Spritz a pan (small, nonstick) with olive oil (I used butter). Preheat the pan over medium-high heat.

3.Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter into the pan while swirling the pan.

4.Continue to swirl the pan – OFF the heat! – until the batter begins to bubble and there is no longer excess batter to swirl.

5.Cook for 20-40 seconds (the first crepe takes the longest… this time is for the quicker crepes) or until steam is puffing out the sides.

6.Quickly and with some care, flip the crepe and cook and additional 15-20 seconds.

7.Continue until all the batter is used. (Depending upon your pan, you may not have to spritz it with oil between crepes.)

Bust. Enjoy the photos:




Ugly #1


Ugly #2


And the least ugly of them all:


Hope you get a kick out of this disaster as much as I did!

disclaimer: CSN provided me with a product to review however they did not pay me. My opinion is mine and mine alone.

So proud!

St Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix Arizona is well known for being a leader in the field of neurological disorders, injuries, etc with thanks to Barrow Neurological Institute. My opinion however, is not as praising. I adore Phoenix Children's Hospital. I will ALWAYS have a huge place in my heart because without the doctors, nurses, and staff, Emma would not be alive today. Now, due to insurance and I am sure, convenience to the Rehab Services clinic, Emma's imaging studies are done at St. Joe's. Not a fan. Frankly, neither is my daughter. Last month she had an ABR test (An Auditory Brain Stem Response test, which came back NORMAL, thank the gods!) under sedation. She was, understandbly upset. She despises the mask, the way she feels afterward and feels like I betrayed her. She is starting to get to where she shakes when she gets to the hospital and starts getting extremely anxious. Her parting words the last time, slurred from the after effects of the sedation, were "I HATE that hospital". Honestly, I can't blame her. I do too.

The last time she had a CT scan there (routine, not when she has come by the ambulance after a surgery), the CT techs were rushed and didn't really want to try. The copped out and she had to go under sedation. I was pissed. I know she can lay still. Well, on Wednesday of this past week, she needed another routine CT Scan and Shunt series (to look at her shunt that is on her brain and goes to her stomach to keep the fluid off of her brain) and I told the nurse and techs that I demand they give her the extra time she needs to feel comfortable and not rush her. If that means SCHEDULING her longer than 20 minutes, SO BE IT. I promised Emma she will not see the doctor with the gas mask. And I held up my promise and I am so so so proud of her! She did need extra time to get on the CT Scanner. The tech was AWESOME and allowed her to play with the buttons and move table. She put her doll through the scanner and even me too! She was such a big girl and laid so still and didn't cry! I wanted to cry just out of seeing her being such a big girl! She was so proud of herself, rightly so! and walked around telling everybody she "Is a Good Job!". Then she got her Xrays and saw her skeleton and was so excited! Heck, I was so excited to see it. I haven't seen her skull since surgery and it's beautiful. I am so beyond proud of my sweet, beautiful daughter.

She is amazing! Each and every day she amazes me with her spunk, spark and happiness! I told the tech, Emma isn't stupid and oblivious, speak to her and explain to HER what we are doing. Do not talk over my daughter. It will make her upset.

Le sigh. She is growing up. I am getting old. She is getting to where she doesn't want to hold my hand anymore. Thankfully she still loves hugs and kisses and saying I love you. I cherish each day. Each hug. Each kiss. Each I Love You. and Each moment.

Absolutely, positively beyond...

My daughter is nearing her seventh birthday. Huge!!! However, out of all the years of parenting her, I am at my peak of frustrationg. I never had those sleepless nights or frustration that I have now. Maybe I am expecting too much from her but jeez-Louise, help me help me help whatever deities are out there! She is at the stage of not wanting to listen, she is very vocal and very intuitive, and she is not potty trained. I sat down last night and cried for two hours. I am about ready to start crying again. I feel like maybe this is ME. My inability to parent. Maybe I am not meant to be a mother? Why in the world is my child who is very smart but is nearly 7 still not potty trained? I have been trying for nearly 5 years to get her potty trained! What am I doing wrong? I am wondering if there is something deeper going on with her. Two days in a row she has gone number two and it's all over the place. She either can't feel this or she doesn't care. She is on a potty schedule, she gets praised, rewarded and all the things we are told to do but not working! She RARELY voids on the potty! I know that potty training is one of the hardest things to do but nearly FIVE years and we are doing no better now than it was five years ago.

Blah. I just need to vent. Maybe I need a glass of Chocovine after Emma's asleep tonight. Watch a movie. Bawl. Whatever. Poo.

Oh and off to yell at the Children's Rehab Services Referrals person for scheduling my daughter's CT with SEDATION WITHOUT consulting me. This pisses me off. The nurse knows I don't want her sedated and if I can't make head way with referrals, then I will call the nurse. The nurse who works in the neurosurgeon and physical rehab department is wonderful and will help me. ALSO, I left several messages with radiology and with referrals without a return call as I have been trying to get this scheduled because I need to be able to request time off with enough notice to my supervisor. I work in Radiology myself. I know protocols and so on but honestly, if you are in Phoenix and need medical care for your child, don't use St. Joseph's Hospital. They really really really suck. The last time she had CT imaging there, the techs were just asses and pretty much refused to really TRY taking her images. Then said "Whoops! Already radiated her three times, send her to the ER and let them sedate her!" So every time it turns in to a flipping debacle. EVERY FLIPPING TIME. The issue is that that hospital is not dedicated to children so the techs aren't dedicated to any one department. The last time we had a CT for her, she was willing and ready but they pulled the bed through the gantry while she was answering me when I was explaining that she has to hold still. Three times they did that. However, I guess this boils down to an insurance issue as to why we have to go to that piece of shit hospital. I like the doctors we see at the CRS clinic but St. Joe's flat out SUCKS. Skip the bullshit and take your child to Phoenix Children's Hospital. They rock. Except when we were there the last time for her surgery, I thought General Pediatrics looked ghetto and dirty. Big difference in 5 years time. Medical care was great. Had a nurse though on the General Peds floor that only wanted to talking about becoming a Nurse Practitioner while Emma was vomiting from pain from her vein blowing out. Oh and the secretaries were a little pissy. But much better than St. Joe's. Maybe I am just in a bad mood and just want to complain. Boooo!

It's been a bad week.

My stomach is killing me every day. My hips hurt. My back hurts. I am fatigued. I am depressed. I am irritable. My blood work is coming up normal. No h. pylori. No signs of infection. My imaging studies are all normal. Boo. My doctor. No. Change that. My doctor sucks. The PA that works with my doctor thinks I need to go gluten free. I have been working on limiting the gluten in our diet for Emma and already don't use cow's milk, rather we drink Almond, Rice or Coconut milk (not the kind you cook with!). So, I am ridding my cabinets of all items that contain gluten. I need to get wheat/gluten free soy sauce. I can't imagine life without soy sauce. Good thing I love rice and all kinds of Asian food (I make most of ours! big pat on my own back!) and not a huge Italian food fan, huh?

Ok. I am done bitching.

Upcoming review!

I am super excited about my upcoming review for a product from CSN Stores. I am definitely pleasantly surprised at the diverse selection of products that CSN carries! I was already aware of their furniture and office supplies, they carry everything from corner tv stands to cookware to children's items! I didn't realize that they actually are a group of over 200 stores! Holy cow! How cool is that?

I decided that I want to review a hand mixer and I picked this Hamilton Beach hand mixer with clip on case. I am super excited especially since the last one I owned was so cheap it broke in the middle of mixing a cake! Hopefully this one goes above and beyond and does what I need it to do!




So keep your eyes peeled and I will give you all my feedback!

Pivotal, Inaugural, and IMPORTANT!!!

This morning Emma and I had the honor of being amongst many wonderful people this morning at the Phoenix Zoo. Why was this an honor? It was the FIRST ANNUAL CHILDREN'S MARCH AGAINST CHILD ABUSE for Phoenix Children's Hospital. The turnout was phenomonal and I can't wait for many more marches to come. The entire month of April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. Please make a promise, any promise for Child Abuse Prevention. What promise will you make? I promise to continue reminding all people that it's NEVER ok to shake a baby. NEVER.

It was a glorious morning, a little chilly at first, but as the sun rose it turned into quite a fantastic morning for such an event and then we spent the day enjoying the Zoo.

The first photo is from the press conference on March 3 at Phoenix Children's Hospital and the second is from this morning!

Happy New Year's!!!

My goodness, another year has passed. Not only that, we have passed a full decade in to the Millennium. How many of you remember the Y2K fears? I do. I remember December 31, 1999 going to downtown Tempe for the Fiesta Bowl Block Party and if I remember correctly, University of Nebraska was playing at the Fiesta Bowl. I also remember it being the first New Year's in which I could legally drink alcohol but my friends weren't quite there yet. We went down to wait for the clock to hit midnight and welcome the insanity that was to happen at that point. Pop! Boom! Fizz... seriously? That's it? Oh well, it's always exciting to wonder about the unknown. I guess that's why I like dystopian, speculative, paranormal, urban fantasies, scifi, fantasy and mysteries sooo much. Ahh, though, to be young and 21 again..

As I am sitting at home, running a fever due to a stomach virus I caught from my daughter, I am looking back over the last decade. CRAZY! I can not believe how much two people have been able to take and survive! Looking back... I see life, death, births, happiness, heartache, disappointments, goals, let downs, child abuse, trials, heart attacks, cancer, job losses, job gains, losses again, finding old friends, making new friends, family, homelessness, recovery, Iraq war, and this list can go on. These things listed have been happening in my personal life (whether to me personally or my family) but some didn't survive (my first two daughters didn't survive long after their births and my mother lost her life to cancer) but the rest of us did. We haven't come out of this first part of 2000s unscathed but I refuse to let the last 10 years dictate the next 10 of my life. I am turning 32 in 10 days and am not getting younger.

I like New Year's Resolutions. They are goals that you write and hope to keep. They are a positive motivator to want to better ourselves.

10 years and how about 10 resolutions???

1. Being more stable with employment, education and health. No gaps.

2. Work on my patience levels.

3. Be a kinder person.

4. Lead a healthier lifestyle- eat healthier, exercise more, phase out caffeine completely, go to my doctor for a healthy lifestyle plan, staying positive being a BETTER FRIEND and being open to have healthier interpersonal relationships. Also, being more accepting of all the things in the past and give it up that I can NOT change what has happened but to continue to better myself for it!

5. Reading more, having a faster turn around for reviews, and keeping up with my blog more. Maybe even start a book club? I love Dog-eared used books (dogearedusedbooks.com), a local independent used book store, and may hook up with them for a club! I want to though, feature them on my blog and take some photos!

6. Volunteer in the community more with Emma and getting her into Girl Scouts. I feel so much of her time outside the home is school and therapies, she needs more, I don't want to see productive because school and therapies are productive, socially productive time. This also includes doing more for Child Abuse prevention right here in my community.

7. Do more activities with my daughter. Library, parks, crafts, etc.

8. Getting Emma potty trained and out of her wheelchair!

9. Fix myself up more. I rarely wear makeup, style my hair or get dressed up. I need to do that more. Just for me.

10. Last but not least.. no more slacking on housework!

Oh wait, one more.

11. Get out more. I spend so much time at home, work and school is starting up later in January, I need more social time. Seriously. Also, included will be getting back home to visit family and friends more. I also add in the Shaken Baby Conference in September as part of my resolution.

Fundraising site for Emma's bike!

This is the widget that will connect over to paypal in which any funds that come in will go DIRECTLY to Freedom Concepts, the manufacturer of the bike. I will not see a penny, it goes right in to Emma's bike account. Once the full amount is raised, then the bike will be built and shipped to Emma. I love the Widget, it shows the progress. You can also remain anonymous. It's GREAT!




Below is the link to the site, just copy and paste to your browser so you can read more!
http://freedomconcepts.chipin.com/emma

Thank you! We know times are tough for everybody, even if you can forward to link to your readers, family, friends, and such, that would help so much. I am starting a new job on Monday, the 30th, so I won't be able to contribute for a few weeks and then not again until my tax refund has been sent to me. Then whatever is left at that time on the balance towards the bike, my tax refund should cover it! Will make a great Spring time gift for Emma!

Take the Pledge to Help Stop the Spread of Germs

Take the Pledge to Help Stop the Spread of Germs: "Pledge today at wetones.com to help keep your family and community healthy this cold and flu season. You'll get a valuable coupon and we'll provide a donation to The Kids In Need Foundation for the first 100,000 pledges submitted!"

Bikes!

Too make a long story short, Emma was born a happy, healthy normal baby until she suffered a horrific act of child abuse called "Shaken Baby Syndrome" (SBS). Emma suffered SBS with a blunt force trauma. She was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for one month following major brain surgery in which a portion of her brain had to be removed, part of her skull removed, a shunt placed to keep fluid off of her brain, and just overall recovery. After the month long stay, she was moved to the Neurological Rehabilitation Unit for another month in which she endured grueling physical, occupation and speech therapies. She had to learn to eat again, to sit up again, to smile, and regain all she had lost. She ended up being put on a feeding tube as she wasn't intaking enough calories and she was inhaling most of her fluids which put her at risk for pneumonia and other lung issues. She wore a helmet, a leg brace, an arm brace and had issues with her vision due to the brain damage.

Now 5 years later, she is just starting to walk, she has cerebral palsy on the left side of her body, she is cognitively delayed, speech delayed, and no longer wears a helmet after having major surgery this last July.

One issue we have is that due to her Cerebral Palsy, she can not walk very fast. Which means not enough cardio. The best way to get that heart beating is riding a bicycle! Today we were fitted for a bicycle along with several other special needs kids. These bikes are adapted for each child's different disabilities. These bikes, however, are not covered by insurance and are very expensive. We are going to do some fundraising activities so that all the children can own a bike and lead independent lives. These bikes, as I said, are expensive. However, they will last many years, to adulthood with changing a few things (seat, handle bars, etc) in the future. I am also going to call on those in the Blogosphere for help! This is going to be Emma's Christmas gift. Since I have been unemployed, I just don't have the money. I start a job at the end of November and hope I can come up with $500.

$1 will go soooo far in this quest. Let's say through the internet we raise enough to buy Emma's bike and THEN some, the left over money will go to the pot for other kids. I am brainstorming right now.

The company that makes the bikes is going to email me the estimate and a link to set up a page for Emma for donations. I am so excited. If I can get her this bike, it will be such an AMAZING gift for her. Hours upon hours of happiness. The chance to join other kids outside, to be independent, and just be happy. Most of the kids with disabilities don't get a chance to play with other kids because their free time is spent on therapies (Physical, speech, occupational), doctors, and just to do a normal activity takes much longer. They spend so much of their time working.

I just hope that when I get the link that I can ask you all to pass it around. Like I said, $1 will be sooo huge!!!!

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