Saturday, April 21st, 2012 |
- 3 play modes: Learning, Music and Imagination
- Includes 2 teacups, a shapesorting cookie tray, 3 teethable cookies, and 3 songs
- Teaches baby about numbers, shapes, opposites, manners, greetings and more
- Tip the teapot to hear fun sound effects
- Press the teabag to hear a song
Time to share a pot of tea-with two pretty cups, three tasty treats, and plenty of songs, sounds and fun phrases to go around! Introduce the delights of pretend play while helping baby learn about counting, shapes, opposites, manners and more. Open the lid for magical interaction and a peek-a-boo pal inside. Press the teabag for songs!
Requires 2 AA batteries.
- For Ages: 6-36 months.
- Product Dimensions: 6.5″ x 4.25″ x 5.25″ (Teapot)
- Product Dimensions: 3.125 x 2.75″ x 2.125″ (Teacups)
- Product Dimensions: 1.72″ x 1.72″ x 1.67″ (Square Treat)
- Product Dimensions: 1.86″ x 1.75″ x 1.75″ (Triangle Treat)
- Product Dimensions: 1.92″ x 1.92″ x 1.95″ (Circle Treat)
Children love to have tea parties with siblings, parents, friends, and their favorite dolls or stuffed animal companions. This Say Please tea set is a delightful way to introduce babies and toddlers aged 6-36 months to pretend play and sharing, while helping them learn important skills like counting, shapes, opposites, good manners, and more!
Silly sounds, fun songs, and surprising discoveries help make teatime memorable!
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Encourages problem-solving, counting, sharing, and good manners, like saying, “Please” and “Thank you!”
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Musical Surprises & Learning Fun
Chunky styling and smiling faces make the Say Please Tea Set especially baby-friendly. And it’s full of musical surprises that every age will appreciate. The magic starts when the teapot lid opens to play silly sounds and share special greetings. Tip the pot and the fun “bubbles over,” sounding as if you’re really pouring tea! Pressing on the teabag produces more sound effects and charming sing-along songs, encouraging baby to take turns and even learning to say “please” and “thank you.” There are three different modes to enjoy: Learning mode encourages counting and opposites; Music mode has fun sing-a-longs; and Imagination mode focuses on role play.
Imaginative Play, With Developmental Benefits
The Say Please Tea Set’s classic theme introduces baby to early role play and social skills. Sing-along songs & phrases help baby learn about manners and sharing. Tea Set comes with three teatime treats shaped like a circle, triangle and square, which fit perfectly on matching sections of the serving plate. This encourages shape sorting and problem-solving play. To help make the most of your teatime together, try talking to your baby as you play, to help her associate words with actions. “I’m pouring tea into the cup. Can you open the lid?” Or count the treats as you show your child how to place them on the tray. Then let her give it a try. Best of all, invite friends (like dolls) to share in the fun of a tea party. Be sure to use extra-nice manners, and make sure to say, “Please!”
Other Ways to Laugh & Learn
Babies learn more when they feel at home. Combining familiar objects, everyday discoveries, and your baby’s never-ending sense of wonder are the basis of the Laugh & Learn collection of toys. Make learning more fun with Laugh & Learn favorites like the Dance & Play Puppy, the Sweet Sounds Picnic, and the Smilin’ Smart Phone.
What’s In The Box?
One Laugh & Learn musical teapot, two plastic cups (not for real liquids), three treat/shapes, one plate. Requires 2 AA alkaline batteries, not included
List Price: $ 18.99
Price: $ 15.90
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Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 |
![KitchenAid KP26M1XER Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer, Empire Red]()
- All-metal 10-speed stand mixer with powerful 575-watt motor
- 6-quart stainless-steel mixing bowl; direct-drive transmission
- Electronic speed sensor; auto shut-off; Soft Start minimizes splatter
- Wire whip, burnished flat beater, spiral dough hook, and pouring shield included
- Measurements H: 16.5, W:11.3, D:14.6
The Professional 600 TM has a powerful motor that is crafted for commercial-style performance, the direct drive, all-steel gear transmission delivers unyielding power for professional results. The Professional 600 Stand Mixer can effectively mix up to 14 cups of all-purpose flour per recipe and produce up to 8 pounds of mashed potatoes. The Soft Start mixing feature helps minimize ingredient splatter and flour puff with gentle acceleration to selected speed after start-up. Electronic Speed Sensor monitors operation to maintain precise mixer speed. Commercial-style motor protection automatically shuts off the mixer when overload is sensed to protect the motor. Durable all-steel gears provide reliable service. The mixer includes a 6-quart-capacity stainless-steel mixing bowl with a contoured handle, as well as a professional wire whip, a burnished flat beater, a spiral dough hook, and a one piece pouring shield. Its multipurpose attachment hub with a hinged hub cover flips open to allow for easy installation of attachments. The Professional 600 Series bowl-lift design raises the bowl into the mixing position, and its solid, truly seamless one-piece motor head design is easy to clean and comes in a variety of fashionable colors.
List Price: $ 499.99
Price: $ 319.00
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Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 |
- 5 Trays – 15″ x 15″ – 8 Sq. Ft. of Drying Area
- Adjustable Thermostat – 85 to 155 Degrees
- 5″ Fan – 400 Watts, 110 Volts, 60 Hz.
- 5 Year Limited Warranty
- Free 24 Page Recipe Booklet Included
Why Dehydrate?
Save Money- Buy food on sale, in bulk, or in season and save 50%or more
Great taste- All Excalibur models are a “flavor concentrators” each bite is a mouth watering burst of flavor
Easy- Wash, slice and dry. Much easier than canning or freezing
Quick- Excalibur dries from 2 to 10 times faster than most other dehydrators
Space Saving- Dried Foods Reduce in size and store easier than canned or frozen
Healthy- Drying preserves nutrients and enzymes/ no additive or preservatives
Why Excalibur?
Only Excalibur offers the Turbo Charge Parallexx® Drying System. Millions have re-discovered the benefits of food dehydration. Healthy, nutritious and tasty food at a huge savings. Excalibur makes drying easy. For centuries food has been dried in the sun or open air- a lengthy, messy and difficult process inviting contamination and spoilage. With the introduction of electric dehydrators the drying process was improved. But most manufactures offered round stackable models with a heating unit in the bottom. Excalibur pioneered a rear-mounted equipment package allowing horizontal or parallel air flow…The Parallexx System– and Continues to be the worldwide leader in dehydration technology and innovation. Every Excalibur Model has a combined knowledge of over 35 years of dehydration research and development, making Excalibur Dehydrators the Best in the World.
List Price: $ 189.95
Price: $ 163.99
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Sunday, April 15th, 2012 |
- Made in the USA. Assembly Required.
- Overall Dimensions Assembled: 38 in. wide by 26.5 in. deep by 34.5 in. high.
- Table Top Dimensions with Drop Leaf Up: 38 in. wide by 26.5 in. deep. Table Top Dimensions with Drop Leaf Down: 38 in. wide by 16.5 in. deep.
- Cabinet Dimensions: 34.25 in. wide by 12.25 in. deep by 22.25 in. high.
- Interior Drawer Dimensions: 30.25 in. wide by 12.25 in. deep by 3.5 in. high.
Catskill Craftsmen has become the nation’s leading manufacturer of ready-to-assemble domestic hardwood kitchen islands, carts, and work-centers. Catskill Craftsmen manufactured items are made from naturally self-sustaining, non-endangered North American hardwoods, primarily Northern Yellow Birch. Lumber is purchased from area sawmills, then dried, manufactured, and packaged on site. All sawdust, shavings and waste materials generated during the manufacturing process is converted into wood pellet fuel, and used to heat homes. This Island is a conveniently sized super island featuring a butcher block top, knife rack, towel bar, drop leaf, large drawer, adjustable interior shelf, nickel plated hardware, locking caster wheels and an oil finish. The drop leaf adds ten inches of depth to this 38 inch wide island. The tops, legs, braces, drawer and doors are all made from Northeastern Hardwood. The side and back panels are made from warp-resistant, hardwood veneer which allows for more precise machining and eases the assembly process.
List Price: $ 619.00
Price: $ 487.29
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Friday, April 13th, 2012 |
When a white servant girl violates the order of plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family.
Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master’s illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin.
Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, where the master is absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. Lavinia finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds. When she is forced to make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are laid bare, and lives are put at risk.
The Kitchen House is a tragic story of page-turning suspense, exploring the meaning of family, where love and loyalty prevail.
When a white servant girl violates the order of plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family.
Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master’s illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin.
Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, where the master is absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. Lavinia finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds. When she is forced to make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are laid bare, and lives are put at risk.
The Kitchen House is a tragic story of page-turning suspense, exploring the meaning of family, where love and loyalty prevail.
Explore the reading group guide for The Kitchen House.
A Conversation with Author Kathleen Grissom
Q: What information surprised you while doing research on white indentured servants?
A: When I first began my research I was astonished to discover the great numbers of Irish that were brought over as indentured servants. Then, when I saw advertisements for runaway Irish indentured servants, I realized that some of them, too, must have suffered under intolerable conditions.
Q: Why did you chose not to go into detail about some of the most dramatic plot points in the novel, for example, the death of Waters or the abuse of young Marshall?
A: For the most part, Lavinia and Belle dictated the story to me. From the beginning, it became quite clear that if I tried to embellish or change their story, their narration would stop. When I withdrew, the story would continue. Their voices were quite distinct. Belle, who always felt grounded to me, certainly did not hold back with description, particularly of the rape. Lavinia, on the other hand, felt less stable, less able to cope; and at times it felt as though she was scarcely able to relate her horror.
Q: It is interesting that your novel has two narrators–Lavinia and Belle. Do you have any plans to continue the story into the next generation–perhaps from the perspectives of Jaime and Elly?
A: In 1830, Jamie is a well-respected ornithologist in Philadelphia and Sukey is enslaved by the Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. Theirs are the two voices I hear. In time I will know if I am meant to tell their story. Presently I am writing Crow Mary, another work of historical fiction. A few years ago I was visiting Fort Walsh in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan. As I listened to an interpreter tell of Mary, who, in 1872, at the age of sixteen, was traded in marriage to a well-known fur trader, a familiar deep chill went thorough me. I knew then that I would return to write about this Crow woman. Some of her complex life is documented, and what fascinates me are her acts of bravery, equal, in my estimation, to those of Mama Mae.
Q: This is your first novel after diverse careers in retail, agriculture, and the arts. How have each of these experiences contributed to your writing style?
A: I don’t know that any endeavor specifically contributed to my writing style, but I do know that every phase of my life helped prepare me to write this book.
Q: The dialogue of the slaves in this novel is very believable. It must have been a difficult thing to achieve. How did you go about creating authentic voices from two hundred years ago?
A: At the very beginning of my research I read two books of slave narratives: Bullwhip Days: The Slaves Remember and Weevils in the Wheat: Interviews with Virginia Ex-Slaves. Soon after, the voices from The Kitchen House began to come to me. My original draft included such heavy dialect that it made the story very difficult to read. In time I modified the style so the story could be more easily read.
Q: You said you wrote the prologue in one sitting after being inspired by a map you found while renovating an old plantation tavern. Since this is your first novel, do you think you were “guided” by residents of the past?
A: Not only do I feel I was guided but also that I was gifted with their trust. However, I am not alone in this. In Alice Walker’s book The Color Purple, she writes: “I thank everybody in this book for coming. A.W., author and medium.” Unless I misread that, I’d say, in this experience, I’m in good company.
Q: Your book has been described as “Gone with the Wind turned upside down.” Are you a fan of Margaret Mitchell’s novel? Which writers have inspired you through the years?
A: I have only recently read Gone with the Wind. Although I did enjoy it, a few of the writers that have truly inspired me are Robert Morgan, Alice Randall, Susan Fromberg Schaeffer, Edward P. Jones, Nuala O’Faolain, Alexandra Fuller, Susan Howatch, Rick Bragg, Breena Clarke, Beryl Markham, Alice Walker, Joan Didion . . . this list could go on forever. I love to read.
Q: There are many characters in this novel. How did you go about choosing their names?
A: They were all taken from different lists of slaves that I found in my research.
Q: What advice do you have for writers working on their first novels?
A: If you feel called to write a book, consider it a gift. Look around you. What assistance is the universe offering you as support? I was given an amazing mentor, a poet, Eleanor Drewry Dolan, who taught me the importance of every word. To my utter amazement, there were times she found it necessary to consult three dictionaries to evaluate one word! Take the time you need to learn the craft. Then sit down and write. When you hand over your completed manuscript to a trusted reader, keep an open mind. Edit, edit, and edit again. And, of course, never give up! Q: At times in the novel, you can almost smell the hearty foods being prepared by Mama and others. In your research, did you find any specific notes or recipes from kitchen houses that you can share with your readers?
A: In 1737, William Byrd, founder of Richmond, wrote of the many types of fruits and vegetables available in Virginia. Watermelons, pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers, artichokes, asparagus, green beans, and cauliflower were all being cultivated. I discovered that many of these were preserved by pickling. For those interested in how this was done and for recipes from that time, an excellent resource is Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery and Booke of Sweetmeats, transcribed by Karen Hess.
While in Williamsburg, I watched re enactors roast beef over a spit in a kitchen fireplace. Small potatoes in a pan beneath the meat were browning in the drippings, and I cannot tell you how I longed for a taste. That was my inspiration for the Christmas meal. For basics, such as the chicken soup, I built a recipe around what I knew would have been available for use in the kitchen house at that time.
Whenever Belle baked a molasses cake, I craved a taste. I did try several old recipes that I found, but I was unsatisfied with the results. So, using the old recipes as a baseline, my daughter, Erin, and I created our own version of a simple yet moist and tasty molasses cake. I am happy to share it with the readers:
Simple Molasses Cake
½ cup butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 cup molasses
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 dashes ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inchsquare baking pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg. In a separate bowl, combine the milk and the molasses. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add each of these alternately to the butter mixture, beating well between additions. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
List Price: $ 16.00
Price: $ 6.93
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Wednesday, April 11th, 2012 |
- Includes 12 spice dispensers
- Patented Auto-Measure dial
- Shakes and pours
- Mounting base
- Safe to use in the dishwasher
The KitchenArt Select-A-Spice Carousel is the ultimate in spice organizing holding 12 spice dispensers on a rotating base. Each dispenser has a shaker port, large mouth port and an Auto-Measure dial which dispenses a quarter teaspoon of spices with each turn of the patented dial. It comes with a mounting adapter for mounting under the cabinet or for double stacking two carousels. Spices not included!Install this plastic spice/herb storage-and-dispensing unit under a cabinet (mount included) or place it in a cupboard or on your countertop. The carousel holds 12 dispensers and rotates 360 degrees, providing instant access to a whole shelf of spices and dried herbs. Buy two carousels and stack them with an adaptor (included) so 24 spices and herbs can be stored compactly. Each dispenser offers three methods of dispensing contents. First, an automatic measurer operates by turning a dial; with each click of the dial, 1/4 teaspoon of the selected spice or herb cascades from the dispenser’s bottom. Second, each dispenser has a shaker top. Finally, each dispenser has an opening large enough to accommodate measuring spoons. (This is also the opening through which you fill the dispensers.) Forty-four stick-on labels are included; most are printed with the names of common spices and herbs, but there are six blank labels as well. –Fred Brack
List Price: $ 0.00
Price: $ 16.78
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