Product Review: Potato Express

Good Monday Morning to you all!  I trust you are ready for a wonderful new week ahead.  Chuck, my husband and I were out and about one day not long ago.  I, all of a sudden decided it was time to stop off at the fabric store.  He was game for it he had just gotten his cup of Krispy Kreme Coffee.  That made him, a retired cop, very happy!

I thought I'd kept him busy taking bolt after bolt after bolt to the cutting table to be cut.  He was so precious that day and had a good time talking to the ladies about sewing and such.

Then it happened!  There was a lull in the cutting and he walked over to the rack you know the rack that says As Seen On TV!  That rack!  He found the above item.  He debated in between trips to the cutting table about this one particular item.  Potato Express Microwave Potato Cooker! 

I said well honey you buy it if you want it of course..he just couldn't make up his mind.  I guess it took such a long time for the clerk to check me out (I had tons of fabric and notions).  Just enough time for him to throw this thing on the counter!  What can I say?  $10 Chuck Big $ Dolly.

Later I saw a commercial on TV for this same item and he could have gotten another plus some other item for FREE....just pay separate shipping and handling....Bummer! (yeah right).

REVIEW

Grandma Cora always said, "Honey, if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all."

Sweet sentiment, but this has to be shared for the good of others.

I do buy extra large baking potatoes from our Sam's Club.  I do know how long it takes to quickly bake one in the microwave.  I compared that cooking time  to the cooking time using the Potato Express.  I've done this more than once. This is what I noticed.

Major Cons!

It takes two to two and a half times longer using this Potato Express. 

More energy use!
You can't cook on High! 

 Pros!

The bag is pretty and padded so it kept the microwave clean. 

You don't have to prick the potatoes.

You can store delicate china in this bag!

You might pack something hot in a container and place in this bag to keep it warm?

You can store your stockings etc in this bag.

You could even store your valuables in this bag provided you place back in the box and store in the kitchen somewhere...(NO I won't be doing that).

It does have a money back note on the back. 

My Advice:

**the following is my own personal opinion***

Would I buy it?  NO

Is it worth the $10?  NO

I'm sure I'll find another use for the bag.  Oh, I'll try other things in it to see if it works well for them.  Who knows there may be something that this bag does really well and if so I'll share with you.

Have a great week!

This and all recipes are for personal use only and are copyrighted.  Public use is prohibited. Publication is forbidden without prior written consent from me © Dolly Is Cooking

Penelope Says: Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

 

Today Penelope is reviewing a desert that she found at Barefoot Contessa

 Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups creamy peanut butter, such as Skippy (18 ounces)
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1½ cups raspberry jam or other jam (18 ounces)
2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until well combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread two thirds of the dough in the prepared pan, using a knife to spread it evenly. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don’t worry if all the jam isn’t covered; the dough will spread when it bakes. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into small squares.

Penelope says:  This is rich and delicious.  I use strawberry jam and more than is called for in the recipe to cover the bottom.  The men in my family really love this!

Looks like a big 

This and all recipes are for personal use only and are copyrighted.  Public use is prohibited. Publication is forbidden without prior written consent from me © Dolly Is Cooking

Lone Star Tomato Pie

 I have for a few post now featured the Lone Star Barbecue & Mercantile over at the main blog

Hibiscus House.  The last of which was today. You can read all about this interesting place

HERE

I really liked their Tomato Pie and found this wonderful recipe over at South Carolina Living

They have a great interview with the Lone Star Owners, and this recipe comes from that site.

They are where the credit goes to for the following recipe.  I haven't made it yet but do intend too!

LONE STAR TOMATO PIE

SERVES 15

10 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, washed, cored and sliced

1 cup mayonnaise

1¼ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 onion, grated or minced fine

15 slices day-old white bread

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare cheese spread by combining mayonnaise, cheese and grated onion. Salt and pepper to taste. Grease a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish with butter or pan spray. Cut seven slices of bread into medium-sized cubes and layer bottom of pan evenly. Layer tomato slices, shingle style, over the bread, reserving the neatest slices. Trim crust from remaining eight bread slices and arrange on top of tomatoes. Cover the top layer of bread slices with a little more than half of the cheese mixture. Arrange remaining tomato slices in shingle style as before. Season again with salt and pepper. Dollop remaining cheese spread in rows across the top. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until cheese spread turns golden brown. Serve immediately.

“There’s nothing fancy about it. It’s just simple and tasty,” chef Chris Williams says of Lone Star Tomato Pie. Don’t scrimp on the main ingredient if you decide to make it at home. “Fresh, local tomatoes. That’s key.

Enjoy and let me know how it turns out for you.
Fresh home grown tomatoes are coming in now and are oh so delicious!

 

Photo and Recipe credit

Chris Williams (left) came home to South Carolina in 2002 to run the Lone Star restaurant with his father, Pat.


This and all recipes are for personal use only and are copyrighted.  Public use is prohibited. Publication is forbidden without prior written consent from me © Dolly Is Cooking

Little Southern Almond Joys or Mounds Candy

photo credit

This is a simple recipe that I thought I would share with you today.  I haven't made it in years but it was a hit at parties and showers!

It is one of my old recipes before you could so readily buy chocolate cooking bars or coatings to use.  Wow now that I think about it times have changed and some things are much easier to do.

A word of warning though you should be very careful when using paraffin wax.

Little Southern Almond Joy or Mounds Candy Bar

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter
• Carnation Evaporated Milk
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 12 oz. chocolate chips
• 1 block paraffin wax

**I guess this was the Southern Almond Joy because it used to be hard to find Almonds.

**To make this a true Almond Joy add an almond on top before coating with chocolate and leave pecans out.

**To make a Mounds leave all nuts out. 

Filling:

Mix coconut and butter

Add sugar mix

Add just enough Carnation Milk to make it stick together

Shape into small rounded rectangles

Topping 

Melt 12 oz. chocolate chips with 1 block paraffin was over a double broiler

Dip candy with fork or toothpick

Place on wax paper or buttered dish 

**Optional

Top with pecan halves or almond

**To make it even easier buy some chocolate coating bars, preferably real chocolate and forget about the paraffin wax and chips 

Enjoy!

 

 Yesterday I had a sweet tooth and saw the fresh strawberries.  That usually would do it but no I needed a little something more so what did I do.
Melt some chocolate and dip them of course.  

Do you see how much easier
it is to coat something now 
with the chocolate bars?
I sure do had my chocolate dipped strawberry in minutes instead of hours.

Sharing with:

From the Farm Blog Hop

This and all recipes are for personal use only and are copyrighted.  Public use is prohibited. Publication is forbidden without prior written consent from me © Dolly Is Cooking

Phillip's Recipe for Mimi's Heart Brownie

 Today's recipe has been made from a Brownie Mix
(Recipe see note***)
with love from my Phillip

 You can see from the picture that we loved his Heart Brownie

 This is too cute not to share


 Phillip's Heart Brownie Made For Mimi
(in his own words)

Put whole cup water in and pour 1/2 out
(half a cup of water)

1-4 cups of vegetable oil

2 eggs

Stir about 15 minutes

and then

Cook it for 30 minutes

We put it in heart shape pan because we're making it for

 "Mimi"

 Thank you so much Phillip for sharing your wonderful recipe!

( ***NOTE*** Don't try this at home!  It is a made for Mimi Cake ONLY!)

 I hope you enjoyed this cute little recipe!

 
This and all recipes are for personal use only and are copyrighted.  Public use is prohibited. Publication is forbidden without prior written consent from me © Dolly Is Cooking

Hamburger Vegetable One Pan Meal