Food review: Back to the Roots Oyster Mushroom Kit

These mushroom are fun to watch and tasty to eat! I just cut the package, sprayed twice a day with a provided mister, and in about 10 days got the mushrooms! I got 4 crops out of one package, with each successive crop being a little smaller than the previous one. Note that the mushrooms don't like drafts, so keep them away from fans and air conditioners.

Oyster mushrooms are mild in flavor, have a slightly nutty taste. The oyster mushroom absorbs other flavors well and change their flavor to go well with whatever you are cooking. You can use the whole mushroom the cap and the stem. They are easy to use in many different ways. They taste great just sauteed in butter. I saute and then add them to pasta. I also add them to stews or as ingredient for any sauce I make for cooking chicken. I also found they go great with any Indian sauce, like Pataks: Pataks Vindaloo Curry Paste 10 Oz

In this order you will receive 1 package of mushrooms (even though three packages are shown in a photo). However the product description does say that the total weight of the package is 2.6 pounds, and the title says that each kit is 3-pounds. So the info is there, but could have been more clear.

 The photo show the mushrooms from day #1 when the package is cut to day #10.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: GLOVES NITRILE P/F

I purchased these gloves on Amazon.com. I am very grateful to other reviewers for indicating that these gloves run small. I want to confirm this recommendation.

I have small hands and normally always wear small gloves. However this time I ordered medium and I was glad I did. I am attaching several photos to show how the glove fits my hand.

The glove is tight in the palm area (you can see the photo shows it stretched and taught). When I make a fist I feel resistance. The finger tips of this medium size glove are bit too long, the second picture shows me holding my hand in the glove against the box so you can see the extra material folding over at the tips. This is not too bad, and will not interfere with the kind of work I plan to use them for.

The glove material is thicker than the gloves I used before, which is good. I did not detect strong ordor either on the gloves or on my hands after I removed them. I was able to put the gloves on and off a few times for the photo, they became a little harder to put on with each use (less slippery). Even though these gloves are powder free there was something on the inside of the glove that made it easier to put on the first time.

Overall, I am pleased with the gloves and so glad there were reviews that helped me pick the right size!


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Refresh Tears Lubricant Eye Drops

I have dry eyes that require me to put drops in several times a day. At its worse my eyes were so dry that I had trouble opening my eyelids in the morning, they were stuck to my eyes. I have tried a large number of eye drops, which helped me with various degrees.

My favorite eye drop is Refresh Tears Lubricant Eye drops in a bottle. It does not irritate my eyes, it provides a long lasting effect, it does not blur my vision when it is applied. It works equally well during the day and night. I buy these smaller bottle for travel, and use the larger bottles at home/work. Both small and large containers are great - they dispense the same perfect drop size every time. Whether the container is full or nearly empty the drops come out easily and always the same size. I only can guess that the container is empty by weight or when I get nothing but air bubbles :-)

Refresh Tears Drops for Sensitive eyes single use vials work very well. They have no preservatives and are better for sensitive eyes, however they are more expensive the Refresh Tears in a bottle. Each vial has 4 drops. So I feel I am wasting the money if I use it just once. It is possible to re-close the vial for a second use the same day, but only if you can place the container somewhere it will not be disturbed, since the closure is pretty loose. I use these when my eyes are particular sensitive.

Refresh Liquigel blurs my vision, and when I wake up my eyes a covered with crusty residue of the gell. I don't like it. The packaging of Liquigel looks very similar to Lubricant drops, and at least on one occasion I bought the Liquigel by mistake after I already knew it did not work well for me. I hope this warning helps someone to avoid the same mistake.

Systane lubricant drops irritate my eyes, they become hot and itchy and the eyes need almost constant lubrication. I don't understand why this happens, I don't have any allergies. I have tried this lubricant several times, because my doctor likes it and offers me samples at every visit.

GenTeal Librican Oitment blurs my vision after application, so I can only use it at night. When I wake up my eyes are crusty with the residue of the lubrication.

Genteal Lubricant Gen Aqua does not irritate my eyes, but the effect of the drop seem not to last. I need to reapply these drops much more frequently than Refresh Tears.

Murine Lubricant Drops do not irritate my eyes, but the effect of the drop seem not to last. I need to reapply these drops much more frequently than Refresh Tears.

Visine drops are very inexpensive and work well in my eyes, but my eye doctor told me not to use any lubricant that has `get the red out' in the name. He said it has extra medication to constrict blood vessels in the eye, and he said such drops should not be used for every day use.

On my last visit, my doctor suggested that I try taking 2 triple omega oil pills a day, as he found it really helps eye dryness. I was skeptical, but figured I would give it a try since fish oil has other positive effects. 2 weeks later I really began feeling a difference, my eyelids are no longer stuck to my eyes in the morning. I still use eye drops, it just does not feel as urgent when I wake up.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Mobility aid Long Reach Comfort Wipe

After a serious back surgery twisting became practically impossible.  Luckily there are various tools that aid personal hygiene for people who have this mobility limitation. When I was in rehabilitation facility they recommended Self-Wipe Bathroom Toilet Aid which I purchased.
That tool worked but it was not ideal.  Then I decided to get a second aid so I would have one in each bathroom and purchased this product.

Long Reach Comfort Wipe works much better! It grips the paper better the other one, the rubbery head (rather than smooth plastic) gives you a better wipe, it uses less toilet paper, you never get your hands dirty because of how the ejection button works.

This is a simpler, cheaper option, that is engineered better!

Almost a year later this tool still works well. I even take it with me when I travel.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Organize It All Metro Towel Rack Bathroom

This a simple modern looking towel rack which is sized 11.6" depth x 24.4" width x 29.5" height.

I am attaching several photos showing an empty rack as well as a rack with a bath towel. The stock photo has a small towel which might make it appear larger than it is. I am also attaching a photo of a unpackaged box, as the box surprised me by its small size. The box shows the weight of the box and that the product was made in Taiwan.

The rack is chrome colored, some parts of it are plastic (like end caps) silver in color. The rack is very light, lighter than other chrome items I have in my bathroom. The parts do make metal noise when they clank so it is not all plastic, but rather very thin tubing of chrome. Never the less when it was put together it felt reasonably sturdy. I could make it flex if I pushed on one corner, but it did not warble in regular use.

The rack went together amazingly easy. I needed no tools. I just twisted all the parts together as shown on instructions and everything fit easily and perfectly. It took me less than 10 minutes. I am attaching a photo of instruction page as it gives a good idea of what is involved.

I liked

1) I liked the style
2) I liked the depth and the fact that the bars are even (I can use it as a "shelve" when I need a flat surface in the bathroom)
3) I was very impressed with how easy it was put to together and how well everything fit together

I did not like

1) Nothing really, other than I cannot speak to longevity of materials as I only had it for a few days.

Overall, good looking towel rack that makes my bathroom look better than the old one. I recommend it.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: simplehuman Slim Sink Caddy, Stainless Steel

It has been over a year since the purchase. I am still very pleased with it. Though this entire year I had to re-stick it only once. The suction cups hold really well. 

This sink caddy is very well designed. It is roomy (I am attaching a photo showing that it holds 4 of my cleaning "instruments" - two pads and two brushes) yet slim enough not to be in the way. It has holes in the bottom of the caddy so the cleaning pads drain into sink. The hanging mechanism is very good. The hanger rests on the lip of the sink, and the suction caps on the back get stuck to the side of the sink. The instruction say that the hanger is adjustable and can be squeezed to change its height, but I did not have to do it (it was perfect with height it arrived). The caddy is made out of rust-proof material, but of course, I have not had a chance to verify that since I only had it for a few weeks.

Dimensions:
6.5" width x 2" depth x 3.25" height
The caddy extends away from the side of the sink depth+suction cups, which is 2.5 inches.
The lip of the hanger is 2". The height of the hanger is adjustable, set to 2" on arrival.

The caddy is convenient, my kitchen sink is more organized, and it has not been in my way once. I placed it at the far right corner (I am right-handed) as shown on the attached photo. This is a nice little gadget and I recommend it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Book review: Prescriptive Stretching by Kristian Berg

I recently had a serious back surgery and after 4 months of physical therapy was looking for a book that would help me to continue with a stretching protocol on my own. Unfortunately this book was not as helpful to me as I hoped.

What I liked:
1) The book has nice diagrams
2) Does not require special equipment

What I did not like:
1) I found some diagrams and explanations hard to follow, even when I read them many times
2) I would have liked to see more options for each exercise
3) There were not a lot exercises specificity for the back

To help you make the decision about the book here are a bit more details about the content of the book:
* The first 24 pages go over the basics of why you need to stretch, muscular system, joints, general principles of stretching.
* Pages 25 to 39 cover neck stretches
* Pages 40 to 67 cover upper body stretches
* Pages 49 to 77 cover lower body stretches
* Pages 78 to 82 cover obliques
* Pages 83 to 107 more lower body stretches
* Pages 108 to 117 more upper body stretches
* Pages 119-132 diagnosis of pain and symptoms that require professional help

Bottom line: By reading other reviews it feels that this books fits a professional in the field of physical therapy best. But as a beginner with a back problem I did not find this book to be a good fit. I do my best to follow it for the general stretches, but had to get another book for the lower back.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆