A friend indeed.

Okay! I have a confession to make. I do not like raw apples. I know what you are thinking. What an odd ball I am. I can explain. It’s the sour factor. I can’t handle sour fruit. On the rare occasion, when I have bitten into an apple, I shiver and cringe as the sour juices attack my palate. And the texture – it reminds me of a raw potato. Apples, in a pie or a strudel with cinnamon and brown sugar, on the other hand – bring it on!!

Despite my aversion to apples, I still challenge myself by eating them every now and then. I have tried many varieties of apples and my favourite has got to be the humble McIntosh apple: proudly Canadian!

Here’s why I like it: It’s small. Not too sour. Crispy on the outside. Juicy on the inside. Fresh flavour. Done in three bites.

My husband on the other hand, loves apples. We always have an abundance of them in the refrigerator. A couple of times while searching for a piece of fruit to take with me to work, I have reluctantly grabbed an apple. Very reluctantly. At work while eating an apple, I have often imagined and daydreamed about how this apple would taste better - dipped in caramel sauce or chocolate sauce. Hey – I’m always thinking…

This year, I am making a conscious effort to eat more apples. *gasp*

You know what they say: “An apple a day...”

But seriously now. What factor (or tool) made me change my apple aversion? Maybe, just maybe, I can change my aversion to apples by making it ‘effortless’ to eat an apple. You know, getting rid of the yuck factor, i.e. seeds, core, stem, slicing it into uniform pieces...Eureka!!!

One day - not too long ago, while I was browsing at Canadian Tire, I came to linger - somewhat obsessively - over this tool:

An apple cutter and corer. Now I ask you…who owns this tool? Does anyone actually feel the need to shell out $6 for this instrument?

Well, I did. And I love it! If you bake or cook with apples a lot, you too will enjoy this kitchen tool.

After washing the apple, I whip out this tool and ha-ching!! Apple cored and sectioned lickety-split. I throw the wedges into a small container pop it in the fridge and it’s ready for work the next day.

Yes - a knife can certainly do what this apple cutter/corer can - but it’s not the same. The safety issue is foremost in my mind. Knives cut fingers. The apple cutter/corer doesn’t. What about the efficiency of this tool? A flawless execution folks!! One downward movement with the apple cutter/corer takes care of several movements with a traditional knife. Brilliant!

Despite the use of this kitchen tool, the apple is still not my favourite fruit. Having this little "tool" however, brings an element of fun into the arena. It's clean and simple design makes it easy to use and to understand it's intended purpose. The symmetry of the apple cutter/corer and it's combination of simple curves and lines, combined with it's high chrome finish lends a simple, aesthetic appeal.

For more information about apple cutter/corers - follow this link:

http://recipes.suite101.com/blog.cfm/apple_corers_peelers_and_cutters


I'm giving this product a 5 out of 5 based on the following criteria:

• Convenience
• Easy to Use/Functional
• Durable
• Safe
• Aesthetic

This product review is based on the following criteria:
Usability/Functional
Safety/Comfort
Aesthetics
Convenience
Durability

A Good Product.

Well folks, it's that time of year again. Back to a fitness regime. I signed up at a local fitness club recently, really keen on getting back into an aqua fitness program, as I really came to enjoy it in the past. It's the perfect form of exercise for me and my ailing back.

While in the process of purchasing the required pool necessities: bathrobe, combination lock, mini shampoo/conditioner bottles and other fitness club regalia, I came across this product by Speedo.


It's basically a chamois and boy-o-boy does it soak up water. After my first swim class, I used the chamois to absorb the residual water from my hair and I was amazed at it's absorbent ability. It's better than a towel because you can actually wring it out and re-use it, whereas a bath towel remains wet and heavy until you throw it in the dryer.

I've also seen this chamois at MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op / www.mec.ca) and the great thing is that MEC carries these in various sizes and colours. I purchased my chamois from New Balance (www.newbalance.com) and it comes in a variety of colours: pink, yellow, white, green, purple and blue but alas, it was only available in one size: the size of a face towel (12.5" x 16.5").

Nevertheless, I highly recommend this product to those individuals that dread having to carry bulky towels to the gym and wet, heavy towels back home. And for those individuals - like myself - who do not want to pay an extra fee for towel service.

I'm giving this product 4 out of 5 based on the following: usability/functional, convenience, safety, and durability.

In terms of aesthetics I found this product lacking - which is totally okay. I don't feel that this product necessarily needs to be aesthetic. Despite the various colours avaliable - I found the appearance of this chamois reminiscent of an auto chamois and not a body towel.


Product review is based on the following criteria:

• Usability/Functional
• Safety/Comfort
• Aesthetics
• Convenience
• Durability