TheSnackHound

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dimplex North America Limited. All opinions are 100% mine.

Lately, I have been adding a sparing amount of chicken to my diet. I had been trying to go vegetarian plus fish lately but chicken is so gosh darn convenient when I am cooking for others and they don’t like fish. Typically, my mom notices my eating trends and when I am over decides to buy similar items. Instead of antibiotic-free chicken breast, however, she bought a bag of chicken strips that were painted with grill marks. I knew that it wasn’t really grilled because of the chicken nugget-like interiors. I was polite as I could be, but I am really hoping that it sinks in that they will feel so much better without all the sodium. There was no time savings as you still had to prepare the chicken. Maybe you didn’t have to cut it, but you couldn’t exactly eat it raw.

If you desire the sear marks on meat or veggies but don’t want to fire up the barbecue because its raining, winter, or you live in an apartment, never fear….Dimplex PowerChef Electric Grills are here. Well, its not HERE in my lap, but they’re here in this wonderful world. The grill is electric and safe for your apartment balcony or indoor applications and creates the gas grill-like stripes on the food. Instead of being just a Toast R Oven, the heat actually comes from the grates. You can view the rocking video of it HERE.

Maybe the “indoor grill” seemed gimmicky at first, but there health benefits to grilling food instead of frying it, and there are all sorts of pre-programmed settings for folks who absentmindedly tend to be authoring a book and not watching the food.  That wouldn’t be me, of course unless I ignore the kitchen timer.

Have you tried the gentle art of indoor-outdoor cookery? If so, tell me how you did.

It’s time to go through the little painted decorative tin with “MAIL” embossed on it.  A reader submitted a question:

Mark writes:

I want those Salt and Pepper Shakers!

I assume he is talking about the photo of the dachshund salt and pepper shakers in the bottom left corner of my blog design template.   At least, I hope he is talking about the dachshund salt and pepper shakers in the bottom left corner of my blog design template. I placed them at left for those of you who don’t want to bend down that far.

If he isn’t, then I guess he just likes to send random and incomprehensible phrases to random people on the ‘net.  Perhaps he ascribes to the chaos theory and it just so happened that he randomly sent a phrase that actually meant something to the sender.  Amazing.

For the rest of you, the doxies are the Kikkerland Dachshund Salt and Peper Shakers. This pair is not for sale, as I my dachshunds would be mad if I parted with their little friends. However, you can own a pair that looks just like mine. on the internet at Quincy Shipping used to have them, but no longer do. If you don’t want to hunt, Click Here to buy them right now!

Dear Readers,

Sometimes a product comes a long that compels the mind to go in a bit of megalomaniacal hysteria. It fuels it to think, “SOMEONE STOLE MY IDEA.” Of course, when that happens, the product is usually nothing that could have been produced by me. I would not have had the follow through to completely figure out the mechanics of making the item. I would not have the budget to produce a prototype. It may not have been a rip roaring success, as my package design skills are lacking. Sure, it would have some sort of a box, or at least wrapping paper around it, but I would have failed to psychologically analyze what package colors trigger a “buying” response in potential purchasers.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the product probably is nothing like I thought either.  Oh, but other than that it is JUST like it.

What went on in my mind that constitutes a “Hey, I thought of that first?” Well, it is quite simple. I probably said,”Hey, wouldn’t it be neat if refrigerators had locks on them?” Five seconds later I completely forgot that I thought of it. That’s hardly a stroke of “eureka” that would give me a claim to any patent.

What is the inspiration for this meandering announcement? I just have become acquainted with the Fridge Locker. If you don’t believe me that one exists, go to www.FridgeLocker.com. Truth be told, it is not exactly what I had envisioned. It is not a big padlock on a Frigidaire. Rather, it is like a little jail cell inside of your fridge. Maybe you could call it a pop play pen.

I hear you chuckling.  This is a legitimate product that could potentially save your life, so don’t scoff, Bucko.  In fact, there is a testimonial from Howard L., from Pacific Beach, California.  He writes, “My friend’s Girlfriend can’t eat all the Multigrain Bars anymore.”  Well, Howard, firstly, what is your friend’s girlfriend doing over there ransacking your fridge?  If she is the girlfriend of your roommate, then maybe I could understand, but if she is dating just a random friend of yours, then I think your random friend needs to be given a talking to.  Maybe he told her that he rents a shelf in your fridge or that your place is really a hipster theme restaurant.

The inventor, Kevin Alan Tussy, was having a similar life drama.

One Saturday I was thinking about how I really wanted to start eating better at the office.  I was always eating out and spending a lot of money on some pretty unhealthy food.  Not to mention that I always seemed to be on the brink of starvation before I would actually go eat.  Some healthy snacks would definitely be a great thing to have around.  I went to the grocery store and every morning I packed up my brown bag, but after a few days I started forgetting.  In my morning rush it would slip my mind and I was back to eating out…  If only I could bring in a weeks supply of snacks to work all at once, then I would never go hungry…  But I knew that wouldn’t work. My food would be eaten by all the employees in the office. People just weren’t very respectful.

Do you see a theme here? There is no nonsense about beer or chips. Perhaps Howard and Kevin should just realize that there coworkers, relatives, and girlfriends of friends only steal multigrain bars. They should stop eating them and get a little monosodium glutamate in their diets. That will fix the wagons of all of these pilferers.

Until at least tomorrow, I think this is the Best Invention Ever. If only I would have had something like this years ago, I would have not been accused of eating all the chocolate in the house.  I could show people that it was all locked up so I couldn’t possibly have done it.  Of course, if I am the only one with the key, then that would have solved that. Like all of the best products, the Fridge Locker is available for the paltry sum of $19.95. That is a magical number.  It is so much cheaper than any of those $20 products.  I don’t have that kind of money.  Do you think I am rich?  But I do have $19.95.  But I am going to hope that my readers buy it for me for Christmas instead, right?

This little Mountie plate is available for sale on Etsy.  It is a souvenir of Canada, yet it is English china.  In other words, it is made in England. It may seem more appropriate than you think, as in Canada, the royals and other English accoutrements are well regarded, even when during some historical errors, it was not the same in the States. We just had too many bad memories of that business.

Despite this info, it still had me wondering what I would use a tiny plate like this for.  Would I get a tiny plate holder and display it?  Knowing me I would probably use it to put my wasabi and soy sauce.   I may even use it for change on a dresser.  What about for a salt plate?  I never seem to use things for their intended use.   In this case, I am not really sure what the intended use is.    Maybe all of the above is the intended use.  Maybe it is for someone who wants to buy every china pattern, but can’t afford to buy every single one, so they just get a tiny plate of each.

What about you?  What would you use this tiny plate thing for if you were to buy it, or if you do decide to buy it?

I am not a morning person, especially if I have to get up at a time my brother so delicately calls “the butt crack of dawn.” Luckily, that I can rest easy and wake up after the sun is shining. A few mornings this week, however, I have had some early appointments. I’ll rise but I won’t shine. That’s what I say.

These mugs are enough to wake anyone up in the morning. Their bright mod-ness dares anyone to pour their orange juice or coffee in the cup, not on the counter. They are a true remedy for zombiedom. Maybe they are the long awaited cure for seasonal affective disorder. Two actually match as a pair. Ah, young cups in love. The other two don’t, but they sort of coordinate in a bizarre way, picking up a little yellow or green from the figure 8 handled china mugs.

Add a little mod into your morning, and snap these up on Etsy while they last. For only $10 plus shipping, you can have all four. Look at them again…are you awake yet?

These monolithic bamboo cups are currently for sale on Etsy.   They come to you live from about 45 or more years ago.

My question of the day is:  What makes you a cup?  Well, I would normally call these glasses, because of the taller, more serious shape, but they are not made out of glass.   So, they are cups, right?  Well, I picture a cup as sort of shorter and squattier.    I don’t imagine a tall porcelain pilsner, if there is such a thing, would be called a “cup.”

According to Websters:

cup

–noun

1.a small, open container made of china, glass, metal, etc., usually having a handle and used chiefly as a receptable** from which to drink tea, soup, etc.

Technically, a GLASS can be a cup, but can a cup be a glass?

Let’s see.  Under the definition for GLASS, we find:

4.a tumbler or other comparatively tall, handleless drinking container.

In otherwords, if I called these glasses, even though they are not glass, I would be completely correct as well.

Don’t worry about anyone chopping down bamboo and taking it away from pandas. As I have stated before, these are vintage. The tree might have croaked 50 years ago. Also, do you know how fast bamboo shoots up? It is invasive and you can never get rid of it if you tried.

There are six of these babies…plus a bonus cup (or glass or drinking receptacle) just in case you have a freeloader crash your dinner party. They are priced at $16.00 for the entire set!

Find them right here.  Now that you found them, you just MIGHT want to buy them. They are really that cool.

** Yes, I copied this from Dictionary.com, and that is a typo.  IN the dictionary! 

*****
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