Product review: Knorr Parmesan Pasta Kit - Amazon groceries - Home groceries during COVID-19

Over the last two months, I ordered a variety of pasta and cheese products to have in the pantry during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Knorr Parmesan Pasta was one that I liked least.   The flavor was somewhat artificial, cooking instructions required adjustments (I had to add a bit more water and cook a bit longer than the package indicated).  I added my own vegetables and overall the pasta was edible, just not great.  Out of the pasta and cheese kits I have tried so far, Annie's pasta kits have been the closest to homemade from scratch.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: CovidClaw Deluxe Keychain Tool – 22” Expandable Hook Clip and Stylus

The claw works for flushing toilets, pulling doors, pushing buttons.  It is less convenient to use than your own hand and you need to clean it after use, but sometimes I feel better using it.  It is too long for me to wear on a keychain (7" in the contracted state), but it clips to a ring on my purse. It has a retractable wire which gives me enough length to use the claw without unclipping from my purse.  The claw is made out of aluminum painted black. The edges are smooth and not sharp.  It is not flimsy and not light (1.8 oz).

The claw itself cannot be used on the LCD screen of ATM machines, but the included stylus works well for that purpose.  I was not able to find a pen, I am guessing something in the stylus unscrews.  I did not try too hard to find a pen, because I have several pens in my purse and don't need another one.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.
Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Olangda Disposable Face Masks, 3 Layers Breathable and Comfortable Elastic Ear Loop,

Three days after I received Olangda Face Masks that particular listing was removed from Amazon.  When I contacted Amazon to find out if the product was fake they told me the issue was with the seller, not the product, but I was still worried that my masks were fake.  Fortunately, I found five tests to tell apart fake surgical masks and real surgical masks and performed three of the tests.  Since the masks passed those tests, I did not do the burn test so I would have to destroy the mask.

Here are the five tests to tell part real surgical masks from fake ones:
1. Light penetration
 the real mask does not let the light through, fake mask lets the light through

2. Blow out a flame
 you cannot blow out a flame through a real mask, you can flow out a flame through a fake face mask

3. Hold water
 the real mask holds water, fake mask leaks

4. Burn test
 the filter in the real mask melts but does not burn, the filter in the fake mask burns with a flame

5. Electrostatic attraction test
 real mask attracts particles, a fake mask does not


Olanga masks are three-ply masks with a nose clip. They fit comfortably over my face, do not pull on ears too much, and breathing in them is very easy. I have a couple of real N95 masks I bought 10 years ago, so I can compare the two types of masks and the N95 masks feel much different. 

These dust masks are a tool to prevent the wearer from spreading infections by sneezing or coughing (very important!), however, it provides only a small amount of protection to the wearer. 

As another experiment, I wore this mask when I sprayed garden fertilizer which has a distinct smell.  I hoped I would smell it less with the mask on, however, I could smell it just as well as without it. 

On the positive side, I took the mask on and off a number of times while testing it and the loops stayed attached and did not snap off which appears to be a common issue with some of these masks.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: GreenPig Solutions 60 Accelarator Compost Accelerator

I am using this accelerator in the tumbling large Envirocycle composter. I am not sure this accelerator made any difference compared to just adding a gallon of water on a regular basis.  I did not see the super-fast breakdown I was hoping for.

This package contains 12 packets.  Instructions say to dissolve each packet in 1 to 2 gallons of water.  The packets are sealed (i.e. you cannot split them in half) and dissolve in water.  The mixture needs to be used within 15 minutes to keep bacteria alive.  Instructions recommend using the liquid weekly or when a large amount of the new material was added to the compost pile.

The description states that 12 packets treat 108 cubic feet. One packet treats 9 cubic feet.  1 cubic foot is 7.5 gallons. This means one packet treats 67.5 gallons. The large Envirocycle that I use is 35 gallons, this means one packet is more than enough to treat its content.  In fact, I wish I could split each packet in half to make it more cost-effective. 

To manufacture: I would have preferred a non-dissolvable bag with a zip closure so I can control how much I use for each treatment. 

concentrate

Product review: Chocolate covered zefir, Russian Marshmallow Classic

This item includes three boxes, each box has 10 chocolate covered zefirs.  I was introduced zefir by Russian friends on my trips to Moscow.  Zefir in this product has the right texture, the chocolate is very good, but the flavor of the zefir itself has a flavor that was not quite right from the desert I had in Moscow version of this dessert. It is not bad, just not as good as the ones I had in the past (it is not the traditional apple flavor).

Russian zefir can only be described as an American marshmallow as an approximation.  Zefir is a type is made by whipping fruit and berry purée ( apple puree or strawberry puree) with sugar and egg whites. It is less chewy than a marshmallow and has a lot more flavor, not just sugar.

The price of this item fluctuates widely. I purchased it for around 20 dollars about a month ago, next time I looked it was almost 30 dollars.  I might have considered another order for 20 dollars, but not for 30 dollars. Instead, I found another zefir (HolanDeli) that had the flavor I remembered, although it is not chocolate covered.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: VAN CAMP'S Pork and Beans, 15 oz can / Amazon deliveries / groceries deliery during COVID-19

This is good pandemic food! Very reasonably priced, stores for a long time, and tastes just fine.  The cans do not have easy to open tops, so it is important that they come undented so they are easy to open.  Mine came with slight dents so I could only open it in two semi-moons, but it was enough to get the content out with a spoon. I added some hot dogs and it made for a good dinner.

The label says that one can is 3.5 services.  This is not realistic, the attached photo shows the entire content of the can.  For us, it made two modest servings.  Each official portion is 120 calories, which means 420 calories per can.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: REOTEMP Backyard Compost Thermometer, 20" Thick Stem

I fairly new to composting, so having a thermometer has been very helpful to me to see that my compost pile is not heating up as it should be.  Adding more water got the temperature up.  Without the thermometer I probably would not have spotted the problem as quickly as it felt a little warm when I just put my hand over it.

The thermometer has a thick 20 inches stem and feels sturdy.  When it showed for several days that my pile has the same temperature as ambient temperature I put the thermometer into hot water just to make sure it works, and sure enough, it works perfectly.  The problem was with my compost not the thermometer.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★