This what you really need, Snickers
Have you tried pre-chopped garlic in oil? I know come cooks distain it, but I find it to be really useful.
The best thing you can do with your shinny new mandoline and a head of garlic is to slice the garlic real thin. Then put the garlic in a baggie with a mixture of salt/pepper/cinnamon in a 1/2/3 ratio and shake. When all have a good dusting of spice, fry till crisp in hot oil. Drain on paper towels and eat. mmmmmmm!
I have to say that I have never been disappointed in any of the Swiffer products. They’re awesome.
The thing that I really love right now though is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Holy mackerel! Is there anything that thing can’t clean? I have used it to clean my sneakers, polich metal, take scuff marks off of walls, clean soap scum, and on and on and on. Damn thing probably even tastes good with ketchup. Haven’t tried that yet though 
Hmm, I think I’ll try that.
:takes notes:
I’ve heard great stuff about that Magic Eraser, too. There was a coupon in Sunday’s paper for it, so I clipped it to give it a try.
You can use those to clean sneakkers? I didn’t know that! I gotta get myself some, my hightops are looking beat up. Oh, and ketchup makes anything taste good.
As for me, I’d recommend sleep. Easiest thing in the world to do, though so many go without it. Go on and get to bed early tonight. It is SO nice.
Music:
Wilco’s Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, Summerteeth, and A Ghost is Born albums. I listen to these CDs over and over thinking “Goddamn! Nothing could be this perfect! There must be a flaw!” But there’s never a flaw. Just absolute perfection.
The Rio Carbon MP3 player. You can find it cheaper than a 4-gig Ipod, it’s a gig larger (5 gigs), and it’s smaller than a pack of cigarettes and extremely lightweight. I love my Rio Carbon. I want to have its mp3 babies. If you’re in the market for an MP3 player, I can’t recommend this one enough.
Food/Drink:
Tofu gets a bad rap. It’s very versatile and yummy.
Crystal light lemonade and raspberry ice. Not the powdered kind. The liquid kind. It’s sweetened with splenda, there’s only 5 calories per bottle, and it’s very, very good. I prefer it over my diet coke now, but unfortunately, it’s a little bit too expensive for me to buy on a regular basis.
The GE hand blender with the chopping accessory. Oh my god, I got this for Christmas, and it’s just about the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
Music. If you’re a geek-rock fan like me then check out Ozma (unfortunately they split up this year) and **The Pettit Project ** (IMO the new Ozma)
ALso, I’m an idiot and it’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
You may be an idiot (if you say so) but you somehow recommended everything I came in here to recommend. Except I have a Rio Karma. But Wilco was pretty much it, otherwise. I only finally bought Summerteeth the other day, having been put off by seeing them live at Glastonbury when it came out, and Jeff Tweedy called the audience “cocksuckers” the entire gig. But I’ve had YHF and A Ghost is Born since they came out and adore them. Guess I’ll have to go out and get a GE hand chopper doodad. If only they sold them in the UK.
So, since I’ve been trumped, I think I’ll recommend Iron and Wine’s “Our Endless Numbered Days”, because it’s great. You people have too many good songwriters. Americans, that is. Also Soile Isokoski’s performance of Strauss’s Vier Letzte Lieder is just about one of the most gorgeous things I have on CD.
Second to TiVo. I thought it was excessive, wasteful, I watch too much TV as it is, etc. etc. I actually ended up watching less TV (which is a good thing), and only what I really wanted to watch. Great thing to have.
V-8 Splash. I don’t like regular V-8, I generally don’t like carrot juice, I generally don’t like juice at all. But this is good stuff. Can’t say how genuinely healthy it is, but I’ve got a general feeling it’s better for me than all the Coke I usually drink.
I consider myself to be the “grill master”. Period. I thought I knew everything about barbecue grills; Until I discovered the HollandGrill. I am completely blown away. This grill produces some of the finest meals I have ever enjoyed. It is truly amazing. After using one a few times, I ponied up the $500 bucks and bought one. We’re cooking our turkey on it this weekend.
Trust me on this one.
Fried green tomatoes. Had a beautiful fried green tomato napoleon today with a crab meat inter-layer and stuff. Taaasty.
Also, pickled garlic. Eat it right out of the jar. Mmm.
For those of you who are fortunate enough to have your state invaded by Tim Horton’s I highly recommend this place as an alternative to Fast Food.
The wait is probably longer, but the food is fresh, better for you and the coffee is excellent.
For any kind of tummy ailment: Zantac
For cleaning the tub/shower: Clorox Clean-up (strong stuff though, be careful)
Diet Coke with lemon or lime. I never cared for Diet Coke until these new versions came out, yummy.
Dollar Store: Go there before your regular grocery to get various household items much cheaper.
Ice Cream: Marble Slab Creamery: http://www.marbleslab.com/ Oh my, this stuff is wonderful.
Yaktrax are one of the best inventions ever - I read about them on these boards a month or so ago and bought some right away. I can walk in the snow and ice with them without worrying about slipping and I tell everyone about how great they are!
Doh! Just saw this, Shirley. Thanks for the thought! I’m sure I can just order 'em from the link you provided, though.
Well, for the chocolate lovers in the audience, I recommend Endangered Species Chocolate.
I had the Smooth Dark Chimpanzee Bar over Christmas. It was really good. I don’t know a lot about the charities they support, but I think that most of them are “good”.
I know that the chocolate is good.
For those of you recommending TiVo: are you recommending that particular, specific brand, or just using “TiVo” as a generic term for all DVRs?
I chose not to get TiVo because I didn’t want to pay their monthly fee. My satellite provider has a DVR you can purchase, and as long as you have the 2nd-tier satellite service, there’s no monthly fee for the DVR itself. I understand quite a few cable companies are doing the same thing. Some are name-brand TiVo inside, and some aren’t. I checked out a friend’s TiVo and didn’t see anything it did that my “generic” unit didn’t.
Tiger Balm, for aching joints and muscles. They just came out with patches, which I have some of but have yet to use.