Trying out my T-fal Easy to Clean Deep Fryer

I’m not a big fan of fried foods. I typically avoid them. However, this past Friday, I saw that the T-fal Deep fryer, Stainless Steel, Easy to Clean Deep Fryer was on sale! The reviews that I’ve seen for this T-fal were excellent, and so I made the purchase. Since I purchased the fryer on Black Friday, I received 40% off the original price. But, looking at it now, it’s back at its actual price. I thought this would be a great device to have when I make the occasional fried side for my daughter or others.

Fried Cauliflower

The fryer arrived yesterday, and today, I set it up. What did I make? I made Cauliflower balls! My daughter loved them. Me? Not so much. There wasn’t anything wrong with the taste; I believe I would have preferred them baked. I rarely eat fried foods, so these weren’t appealing to me at all. Does that make sense? I did make enough so that my daughter has at least three meal-sized portions. If I know my daughter, she will most likely eat these as a side dish. While she fills her plate full of vegetables or fruit.

 

Oil drained completely from this deep fryer.

This evening I waited three hours after using the unit and drained the oil out of the fryer. What remains are a few bits of the cauliflower batter!

The oil was drained from Deep Fryer.

Looking at the above picture, you can see that the oil was drained from the deep fryer basin. Since I’d waited those three hours the cooking oil was warm enough to drain into the plastic reservoir without any issues. Awesome! Once the oil started draining, it took about 15 minutes for this bin to fill.

This basin has a knob on the far left that you can unscrew and drain the oil. Which is exactly what i did.

Oil drained from T-fal deep fryer.

Where did I place all that oil? I drained the filtered oil into the mason jars, as seen above. As you can see, this drained oil is clean and free of debris. Perfect! Afterwards, I took the basin apart and clean it thoroughly. Of course, I cleaned all the other removable parts also. I then dried all the pieces and and placed the fryer in a cabinet for storage.

What are my initial thoughts about the T-fal Deep fryer, Stainless Steel, Easy to Clean Deep Fryer?

Pros

  1. I like its size, and the basket that holds the fryer is similar to the fryers that I see in restaurants.
  2. A detachable cord, and it’s magnetic!
  3. Oil can be filtered/drained from the base into a reservoir that collects the oil.
  4. The base that holds oil can be taken apart and washed.
  5. Parts break down so you can wash everything easily.
  6. Parts can be placed in the dishwasher.

 

Cons

  1. This deep fryer is made of stainless steel, and it’s lightweight. I was surprised by how light this was when I lifted the box.
  2. Short cord. I would have preferred a longer cord. You cannot have this too far from an outlet, and perhaps that was done by design. Maybe they were concerned that if the cord was too long, it could cause accidents if the long cord caused the unit to be turned over while frying food. Ouch

Overall I’m happy with my purchase.

In other news

My father is continuing to progress and should be returning to his home tomorrow. I’d already spoken to my boss about working a flex schedule so that I’m able to assist my mother in caring for my father. He will have a home health nurse, speech, and a physical therapist attend to him from his home.

I bought the Cricket Maker 3

This evening, after my daughter and I, dropped off my mother, I stopped by Target and picked up the Cricket Maker 3. I used Target’s Drive-Up feature. I love this option. The Cricket Maker 3 has been out since earlier this year. I have a lot of upcoming projects that would benefit from a die-cutting machine. I’m eager to explore cardmaking, stencils, labels for organization, and many other avenues with my Cricut. I’m ready.

I’m not new to die-cutting machines. I have the Brother Scan N Cut. Searching my website, I purchased that in 2014! I enjoyed the device; however, my daughter loved it also, and I gifted her with the item when she was twelve years old.  I’d still occasionally use the machine; however, she’s the main one using it, and she created a lot of items (mainly iron-on for teeshirts) with the device.

I finally got around to opening my Cricket a few hours after being home; however, I honestly have no desire to try it out at the moment. Who knows? Perhaps I’ll feel differently later this evening? Most likely, I’ll continue watching Cricket tutorials this evening. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll get around to creating with the machine. Even though I’m not actively using my Cricut tonight, I turned it on to ensure it was working correctly. Also, I was able to pair my iPad to the Cricket using Bluetooth and download updates directly to the machine.

Currently, I’m listening to the above video while I’m writing this post. I only purchased a few items for my Cricket. I’ve decided to hold off on some of the accessories until I review the options a bit more since I know that you don’t have to use Cricket-only products with my machine.

I’m learning a lot from the videos and genuinely appreciate the content makers sharing their knowledge with people like myself who are new to Cricket machines. They’re beneficial and have given me better guidance on some of my first projects until I gain confidence working with the device.

 

Decently and in order

Recently I mentioned that my daughter and I had reorganized our refrigerator. Shown below is a picture that my daughter took earlier this evening. I wish I had a before and after photo. The before was not bad at all. However, the clear stackable bins make everything neater. I still might swap a few items around. I’m thinking I’ll move the jars behind the pitcher somewhere else; however, that’s just me being picky.

 

In the above picture, the lower bin on the right is bothering me. It cracked over a year ago. I need to find a replacement bin.

Staying organized always brings to mind the following Bible verse…

Let all things be done decently and in order.

I Corinthians 14:40

We like to keep the refrigerator clean, and she or I go through it at least once weekly. We wipe it down if we see any spills. Weekly checks are also a great way to stay on top of expired food items. In addition, those checks inform us of what’s needed when we go to the grocery store, which eliminates unnecessary purchases since we know what’s required.

The stackable bins were my daughter’s idea. She saw the tip on some websites she visited about refrigerator organization. She mentioned it to me. I told her to send me a picture. I looked at the photo that she had sent. I loved the idea since I could see that it would take our organization to the next level. I promptly told her to look for some on Amazon, and I would buy them.

Stacking Bins for our Refrigerator

The above picture is what she sent to me, and later that day, they arrived at our home. While purchasing those refrigerator bins, I also purchased Rubbermaid Leak-Proof Brilliance Food Storage containers.

Rubbermaid Leak-Proof Brilliance Food Containers

The above picture is a sample of the food storage containers that I bought. I bought several, and they have replaced all the storage containers that we were using. I love the fact that they are clear, just like the storage bins. Bonus points that they all match. I still need to purchase stackable bins for our deep freezer, and I’ll most likely take care of that this weekend. If I remember, I’ll get my daughter to take “before” pictures. The deep freezer still looks neat; however, the sectional bins will make it where item organization is better instead of just stacking foods items neatly on the deep freezer floor. All the food in the deep freezer has been vacuum sealed. So everything is already neater, and there’s so much more room since I used my VacMaster 215!

We didn’t stop at “renovating” our refrigerator.

Smyrna Turkish Throw Blanket

We’ve done some more renovations in our home. This lovely Smyrna, Turkish Throw Blanket, arrived yesterday. It’s displayed on one of our maple (wood) rocking chairs.

Faux Wolf Fur Sherpa Fleece

And the above faux fur throw will be arriving at the end of this week. It’s machine washable! So that will be placed on our Papason chair located in the entrance room of our home.

And we’ll be replacing our kitchen chairs with four of the above chairs.

Perhaps I’ll take pictures of the inside of our home at some point.

 

In other news

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and yes, we are thankful!

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
I Thessalonians 5:18

My father is doing much better, and I do believe he’ll be coming home either Friday or shortly after that time.  This is truly a blessing since we thought we were going to lose him. The hospital bed arrived at my mom’s house today. I helped set it up. My father will be rehabilitating at his home. A home health nurse and his therapists will be done at their home to assist him in rehabilitation.

 

Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

I make my noodles. I find it therapeutic to create them, and in many cases, they’re much more flavorful than many of the noodles purchased in the larger grocery stores.

One of the most challenging types of noodles I’ve made have been ramen noodles; however, this evening, I wanted something quick, and so I grabbed some of the plain ramen noodles that I’d purchased from our local Korean grocery store.

Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

Earlier that evening, I’d purchased spinach and portobello mushrooms from our local store. I had yellow onions, garlic, and bell peppers on hand, so I decided to add those to the dish. It didn’t take long to prepare the meal, and my daughter loved it! Since my daughter loves ramen noodles and eats them a few times each week, I meal-prepped a large batch of ramen noodles. I kept the noodles separate from the stir-fry vegetables. Next week if she wants a quick meal, she can use some of the noodles that I prepared and add whatever else she wants to create her meal.

I work 100% remotely; however, I don’t always have time to prepare food during my office hours. That’s why I love to meal prep. It gives us healthy and delicious options.

Refrigerator Organization

Several weeks ago, my daughter and I organized our refrigerator. My daughter selected clear/stackable bins designed for the refrigerator/freezer, and I purchased them from Amazon. Although we did a great job keeping our refrigerator neat, those bins make our refrigerator even more awesome. Because of that, I decided that the small freezer above the fridge would benefit from a similar makeover.

Thanks to Amazon, I should be receiving those stackable bins between 7:00 – 11:00 AM tomorrow.

 

 

Shark Air Purifier 4; I purchased two today

As much as I love our Benge-Nerg (one of my many nicknames for Bengie), that little boy can stink up a room fast when he uses the litter box. While the smell does dissipate in a bit, it’s never enough time to suit me. So today, after testing out the Westinghouse Powerwasher (it did well,) I decided that I would purchase an air purifier for the room that he occupies the most, my daughter’s bedroom. Also, her three guinea pigs are in her room; however, they’re not the stinkers. That’s all Bengie. Benge-Boy is the one dropping those stink bombs.

Shark Air Purifier 4

Initially, I was looking at a few other air purifiers; however, I liked the reviews for the Shark 4; its appearance was also appealing. It’s slim, streamlined, and fits quite nicely with the decor within many of the rooms in our home, and the reviews stated that it was quiet! Perfect!

 

Of course, the most significant selling point was the numerous reviews that raved about it eliminating odor! No more cat odor. Oh yeah, you got my attention! I was willing to try it out if it could remove the slight smell that would linger in her room after he used his litter box. The Shark Air Purifier comes in two colors; white and black. My daughter chose black since it matches her room decor. I purchased a unit for my bedroom also and chose the same color. ?

Let’s be honest; the actual test is in the performance, right? At least for me. When we picked them up from Wal-Mart, I was a bit taken aback by their size. It’s tall. Yes, I knew it was a tall unit, but seeing it in person was different. That’s ok, it still can fit into the rooms selected without an issue, and while I was on board from the initial shock, it took my daughter a bit longer to adjust. I showed her where she should place the unit in her room, so it would not be an issue. Nope, she still had some reservations. However, within minutes after setting up the purifier in her room, it removed Bengie’s lingering odor, and that’s what convinced her. Regarding how quickly the smell vanished, initially, I thought it might have been my wishful thinking that I wasn’t smelling anything. I did not say anything; however, my daughter commented on how “much cleaner her room smelled” after placing it in her room.

On the top and side of the unit is a digital readout/menu in which you can track your air quality and the intensity of the fans that are used. These units have four small fans located inside. I do find the info that it tracks to be interesting. Scrolling through the “Air Info” menu screens for the filter located in my bedroom, I see that I

currently have 4,394 hours before I need to replace the filter,

 

I will say that after burning incense in my room, that number plummeted to 22%,

 

and then it dropped to down 9%, before bottoming out at 0!

 


It will take 90 minutes to clean my bedroom.

 

And a few moments ago, I took another obligatory photo; I see there’s hope! The air quality within my bedroom has climbed to 30%! Glancing over at my Shark, I see it’s now at 61%. My air quality is still in the red zone; however, there’s hope as my numbers continue to soar.

Initial thoughts

I love pets and welcome them in our home; however, I don’t want to SMELL them in our house, and before Bengie, we did not have this issue. Although he stays in the upper levels of the home, the fact that there was still an occasional odor within the rooms that he frequented was an annoyance for me. After turning the unit on, I found it odd that her room was at 100% clean air. I still smelled a faint odor of Bengie in her room when I placed the unit in there. I’m unsure what to think of that. I’ll have to do a bit more research on that topic.  I’ll be curious to see how the Shark Air Purifier performs within a few months; however, thus far, I’m impressed. It removed any lingering pet odor that I smelled after a few minutes of running. If it’s anything like my Shark Vacuum, which is still working as well as it did when I purchased it a few years ago, I believe I’ll still be impressed.

Edited to add

Fast forward thirty minutes later, and the Shark Air Purifier is almost back to 100%.

Adding extra duties while my dad is in a nursing home; Power Washing their home

A few weeks ago my mother mentioned that she wanted to powerwash her home. I remembered a while ago that she had bought a joke of a powerwasher for under $40. I told her at the time, that was not going to do what she’d envisioned, and promptly forgot about that. However, recently she brought up power washing again. I guess she realized what I said about her purchase was accurate? My mother was leaning towards an electric power washer, which I shot down almost instantly. I’ve used them in the past, and while they are fine, I much prefer gas-powered power washers, and so that’s where I began my research.

After a few weeks of watching videos and reading numerous reviews, I’ve finally settled on the WestinghouseWPX Max 3400 PSI 2.6 GPM Cold Water Gas Pressure Washer with Soap Tank and 5. The reviews on the 3400 and the 3200 were great.

It should be here on Friday, and it’s forecasted to be a warm weekend. I pray it stays that way because if that’s the case my parent’s home is getting power washed.

 

Video: Winterizing Your Pressure Washer

 

My father is now in a nursing home, we’re planning to bring him home soon, I’ve been stepping into the role of doing a lot of the “manly” things that he used to do. Grass cutting has been taken care of by me, maintaining my mother’s vehicle, adding air to her tire when it was low. She had mentioned calling the local auto mechanic and having them come out to her house. I told her, “No need mom, I got this!” I learned car maintenance and a lot of other “masculine chores” from my father. I decided at a very young age, that my gender should not automatically mean that I was exempt from any of these things since if something needed to be done, I should know how to take care of that. So yeah… you can add power washing the house to the list.

In other news: Testing out WpDiscuz

I’m testing out a new comment system; wpDiscuz 5. Upon activating, it didn’t appear that the person commenting could leave their URL? Hmm, that can make it a bit of a challenge if you or someone visiting your virtual home wants to check out the person commenting on your website, right? However, after a quick search, I discovered that the feature is there, it’s “hidden” however you can “extend” so the name/url automatically displays. Since I’m used to seeing the name/URL automatically displayed when leaving a comment I opted for “extended.”