Keurig

Let's take a coffee break, shall we?  

For Christmas this year, The Pink Mixer found their very own Keurig Elite 40 Brewing System sitting under the tree.  An admitted skeptic before ("How lazy can people be?  What's wrong with a good old fashioned coffee pot?") we are writing to tell you that after the first few initial brews we were singing a very different tune.  ("How fabulous that I can brew myself a single cup of coffee in minutes whenever I want!  I hit a button, I pop in a pod, and voila!")

Oh, wait. You want tea?  hot chocolate instead?  Easy-peasy. 

I like my coffee strong, so I go with the "medium" option when brewing -- it took a little bit of trial and error to figure that out, and I'm still trying to decide what my favorite coffee K-Cup is (top contender these days is Newman's Own Extra Bold) but wow, all in all, I gotta say I'm a fan, particularly since it's made brewing for one so darn easy.  No more feeling guilty if I brewed too much coffee from the get-go and have to pour it all down the drain, virtually no clean up at all either.

When I opened my gift I never, ever anticipated putting away my cute little 4-cup Mr. Coffee brewer.  Honest, I didn't.  Fast forward to now, when Mr. Coffee sits all stacked away in my pantry, ready for the day when I'm brewing for more than just me.  Turns out, maybe you can teach The Pink Mixer a new trick now and then...

Average Price: $119   

Rating: 4 out of 5

Ocean Spray Sparkling Cranberry

Seltzer, Sparkling Water, Soda Water, Club Soda, The Stuff with Bubbles...

Call it what you will, we have a thing for the stuff 'round these parts. It just so happens that we are also quite fond of cranberry juice. Imagine our surprise and delight when we recently discovered Ocean Spray's Sparking Cranberry drink! Yes, of course, one could easily make this combination of seltzer water and a splash of cranberry juice on their own. But when you're craving something that's a little different but is still quick and easy to grab on the go? A can of Sparkling Cranberry totally hits the spot. It's refreshing, thirst quenching, and way better for you than that sugar loaded soda one aisle over.

Average price: $1.13 a can (usually found in packs of 4 in stores)
rating: 4 out of 5

365 Frozen Fruit Bars

One word: HEATWAVE.

Three words: FROZEN FRUIT BARS.

Three more: PERFECT SUMMER TREAT.

Sold at Whole Foods, these frozen fruit bars are nothing short of a blessing on the hottest summer days and nights. They will cool you down and quench your thirst with a lot less sugar then regular Popsicles. The actual chunks of fruit are a pleasant surprise and while we're partial to the Strawberry flavor, the Mango fruit bars run a close second in our freezer as well.

Ah, summertime....

Average Price: $3.99/box of 4
Rating: 5 out of 5!

Seventh Generation Dish Liquid

We all know that green is the new black these days and here at The Pink Mixer we do try to always at least consider the green, more environmentally safe options when scouting out new products.

After vetoing Method’s dishwashing liquid because of its poorly designed bottle, we decided to give Seventh Generations’ Lavender Floral and Mint Dish Liquid a go. Bottle design? A winner. Scent? Subtle and the mint kick is a nice touch. Cleansing ability? Solid. The fact that we can understand all ingredients on the label? Comforting. The fact that after the dishes and glasses dry they tend to have white soapy, water spots on them? Eh, not so much.

I’d really like to blame the water in my area on this one, but seeing how I’ve never had spots on my glasses before using this detergent I can’t. While we’re not at all against the product, the Martha Stewart buried inside us *does* want spot-free kitchen ware. And so we’ll keep on keeping on with the hunt for all things going green…while muttering ‘out damn spot, out’ under our breath.

Average Price: $3.69
Rating: 3 out of 5

Dud of the Month: Method Dish Soap (Pink Grapefruit)

We've talked about Method products before. As much as I am dying to tell you that I'm head over heels for Method's Pink Grapefruit Dish Soap, I can't. It's not the actual soap, nor the scent, nor even the color (who doesn't like pink soap?!) that we have issues with. No, instead, it's the darn bottle the stuff comes in!

Sure, it looks cool. The sleek design is fun and it holds a lot of dish soap. But. That funky aero-dynamic looking top? Well, it's just the pits. It clogs with soap left and right no matter how careful you are to wipe it down from time to time. And, if say, you have a friend who is kind enough to wash the dishes in your apartment while you're in the other room entertaining guests? They might accidentally break the whole darn top just in an effort to get a dollop or two of soap out of the bottle.

This time around The Pink Mixer has no issue with the actual product. But color us frustrated in that we can't actually access that product and we'll quickly label you Dud of the Month.

Average Price: $4/bottle
Rating: 3 out of 5.

Cuisinart Handy Prep 3 Cup Food Processor

I did not grow up in a house with a food processor. For a very long time, in fact, I was under the impression that the only thing a processor would be good for was puréeing carrots. And, really, once you’ve passed the 8 month old mark, who wants purred carrots?

A few years back though, I was dating a fella whose mother swore by her food processor and used it almost daily. The more I watched her use it, the more I realized how much I’d under estimated the power of a processor. After relaying this turn of events to my own mother, she surprised me by wrapping up my very own Cuisinart Handy Prep 3 Cup Food Processor and leaving it under the Christmas tree.

We are no Julia Child over here at The Pink Mixer, but this food processor has come in handy for more than a few dishes. Even a novice chef like me will find it super easy to use (no matter that I haven’t yet used all the different slicing and dicing contraptions it comes with!)

My only complaint is the 3 cup size can be a tad limiting. If you’re planning on chopping, slicing, dicing, and puréeing family sized portions I’d opt for a bigger (say, 7 cup?) size.

Oh, and if you’re wondering? Of all the times I’ve used this Cuisinart I’ve never once purred carrots.

Average price: $110
Rating: 4 out of 5

Method All Purpose Cleaner

Here’s my take on Method’s All Purpose Cleaner. It’s naturally derived and is not supposed to be filled to the brim with harmful, toxic chemicals. This is good. I’ve used both the Lavender scented spray as well as the Unscented one. And they work. To a point. If you want a chemical free, does the “over all” wipe down, clean up job? Look no further. However, if you are tackling mold, mildew, or some dreadful stain or spill? You either need something a bit more powerful or a heck of a lot of Method Cleaner.

Still, I’ve kept a bottle of the stuff in my cleaning supplies bucket for the past three years, so it’s doing something right. It helps that after I use it on my kitchen counters I feel it’s still safe to set down my dinner as I won’t be ingesting bleach. Nice comforts all around.

Average price: $4.99/28oz
Rating: 4 out of 5

Kitchen Aid Mixer

I suppose it’s not quite right to run a blog named after your favorite kitchen appliance ever (!) and not actually review said kitchen appliance.

I’m sure the majority of readers are familiar with the Kitchen Aid Mixer phenomenon if for no other reason than the fact that these mixers appear – in various colors – on almost every single wedding registry one is bound to0 stumble across during the rite of passage I like to call “the decade in which so many friends are tying the knot.”

My own mixer happens to be a lovely shade of girly pink, which I was able to get away with because this mixer was a birthday present instead of being a part of the wedding registry I do not have. (But, hey, maybe some fiancé’s are into it when their bride-to-be wants a pink mixer! Real men dig pink, right?)

Eye pleasing color options aside, this mixer is worth every penny. As someone who isn’t ever going to be the next Julia Child, I’m very happy to report that the Kitchen Aid Mixer actually makes whipping up concoctions and edible potions a breeze. This mixer really allows you to just dump everything into its’ big ol’ silver mixing bowl and then goes to town on whatever speed your heart (or recipe) desires. Mashed potatoes have never tasted more fluffy, banana bread blends together smoothly, chocolate chip cookie dough can be whipped up in a snap, and if you’re after a light tasty homemade whipped cream to top a slice of pie? This mixer can do it with its eyes shut – and then some. Even clean up is a relatively pain-less process!

These mixers are heavy, so don’t expect to be moving them to various spots in your kitchen all that often. But that’s where those eye catching shades come in anyhow. Who wouldn’t want to display a mixer that’s diva-fied itself enough to show up all pretty in pink?

Average Price: $349

Rating 5 out of 5!