Russ & Sue's World

Author: David Crawfor
Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Halffast Publishing (December 10, 2010)

I really enjoyed this book it is a well written novel that grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let go till the last page. In the survival genre of novels, I’ve come to expect a glut of survival information poorly integrated into a so-so story. This novel is different. It has an entertaining plot and characters with surprising depth. This book doesn’t vacillate between a story and a survival gear catalog as so many of the survival novels do. In most instances it seamlessly integrates the survival tips and tricks into the overall story. It also doesn’t trade entertainment for realism. The story is credible but you probably won’t be as fortunate as these characters if a scenario like this ever occurs. My anticipation level was high from beginning to end. Although I didn’t want to, I did have to put the book down on occasion because it is a long story, but I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. Don’t expect a survival guide. This might make it a disappointing read for some, but for the average person looking for a great ‘end of the world as we know it’ novel, you will not be disappointed. I look forward to the next installment by this author. If his follow on books are as good as his debut novel he should have a long and successful career as a novelist.

While some of the stuff is glossed over like the endless supply of propane or what they are doing for a sewer. It is a great read and worth your time

We have been using an electric NON-Stick griddle for years. They work great but we had to replace them at least one a year. No matter what I did – spray with cooking spray, use lower heat, use higher heat, boil water in it after cooking I could not get them clean. After a few months of use the NON-Stick would fail, I don’t care to have that stuff in my system.

So I went looking for some sort of replacement for the NON-Stick type of griddle.

I came across Lodge Logic Cast Iron Reversible Grid.

Lodge Double Play Seasoned Cast Iron Reversible Griddle:

• Large enough to fit over 2 burners on the standard stove top or range
• Ribbed on one side and flat on the other side
• Handles for carrying or hanging when not in use
• Lodge’s cast iron is electrostatic ally coated with a proprietary vegetable oil and cured at high temperatures to allow the oil to deeply penetrate the surface of the cast iron; griddle is ready to use right out of the box
• 16-3/4″L x 9-1/2″W x 9/16″D

We use it almost everyday.

Every once in awhile you come across a product that really does excel one’s expectations. Whether grilling steaks on one side to hash browns eggs and pancakes on the other we were amazed at how the heat is even and the surface easy to work with. This covers 2 burners on a regular sized stove. Heats up nicely.

CONS

One of the cons with this griddle is the lip around the edge is not tall enough. If your not careful your scrambled eggs will run over the side.

Our old Cuisinart Automatic Grind and Brew Coffee Maker finally had more issues than we could do with. We loved that coffeepot. We used every day and twice a day on the weekends for the last five years. So is going to be kind of hard to find a replacement to we liked.

I spent a week looking online reading reviews and I finally came to the conclusion that a single cup Brewer is what we wanted. I decided that The Scoop was the coffee brewer for us.

Simply scoop your favorite coffee and place it to brew – no pods or special filters required. Two metal scoops included for precise measuring ensuring the perfect cup of coffee. Can brew up to 14-ounces in as little as 1.5 minutes; fits a travel size or regular mug. Brews hotter than the leading competitors per SCAA standards
Durable stainless steel construction

THE GOOD
Small footprint.
Easy cleanup.
Use your favorite flavored coffee grounds.
Best of all it can be used for tea and hot chocolate!