Is there a product you absolutely LOVE? How about sharing it with the rest of us? Not necessarily food or food related, but that's fine too.

On the other hand, have you considered investing in a pricey gadget but just can't make up your mind to part with the money? Ask LBT members for their experiences. Did it live up to its promise? Was it worth the money? Inquiring (and cheap) minds want to know!

Here's a little list to get you started....

GREAT DISCOVERIES:

Kozy Shack SF Tapioca pudding cups - 90 calories (sweetened with Splenda) that taste like 190.

Reddi Wip FF real dairy whipped topping - 5 calories per serving and so much tastier than Cool Whip

Adidas Body Wash for Women - smells CLEAN (not flowery) and rinses off easily

Any resale shop - bargains you won't believe, especially when you are changing sizes on a regular basis

chicken broth - use it when you make mashed potatoes (instead of butter or margarine), and as the base for your homemade chili, chunky soups/stews, etc

Yogurt covered Cheerios - a tasty little snack, right out of the box

Now for a question....

Has anyone bought one of those expensive Barista espresso machines like they sell at Starbucks? I am so tempted, but it's a lot of money. Do you use yours regularly, or is it too much hassle?

Bamix mixer. It's Swiss and I had one when I lived in England. When I got back here all I could find were Braun stick mixers which were pretty pathetic. I finally found another Bamix at a trade show. I don't need a blender or mixer, I can do everything with it.

Kyolic brand garlic supplements. I could do a commercial for these guys. I never get ill. Every time a feel a little something coming on I take a handful and it gets stopped in it's tracks.

Oral B Hummingbird flosser. I use the green pick. Totally great for my gums.

Superfloss, you know, the kind with the stiff end. They're handy for all kinds of things besides flossing, in that you can thread them through little holes.

Buzzbox. This is an ambient sound machine that we use when we sleep. It totally cuts out all noise except very low flying planes.

Eye mask. I cut a strip off the bottom of large size black T-shirts and sort of double loop them. Having my eyes darkened and cradled softly makes me sleep well.

Snake light. One of those flashlights with a long and flexible shaft. I've tried every possible book light made and they're all crap. The snake light I can wrap around my neck and aim perfectly at the book or even curl it up on my pillow and aim it.

My necessities:

- My sportbike. I can't live without it. It's my stress-reliever.

- Either Muscle Milk or SlimFast Low Carb shakes.

- Obviously, my laptop

I'm sure I'm missing something else, but at the moment, it's very late at night and my brain is on some sort of autopilot... I'll update as needed.

Oh, and I need to pluck my eyebrows. Yes, I pluck my eyebrows, and yes, I'm a complete wuss about it, too. :clap2:

Hmmm - microwave, (reg) coffee maker, personal blender (WalMart - less than $20 - great for my smoothies), Vidalia chopper (as seen on TV - it works!), cats & dogs, computer, books ... I have DirecTV satellite with TiVo @ home - I find I try to pause the car radio or TV at work (I just hear or see the end of something, and reach for the remote to back it up play again - I think it's giving me ADD :phanvan )

I tried the Pasta Maker thing, too - cr*p - either undercooked, or gummy and nasty

Oh - try the "Tweeze-ease" (or whatever it's called - As Seen on TV) - battery powered tweezer that you just rub over your chin - or wherever - and it gets those straggler hairs off -much easier than trying to tweeze one at a time. A little harder to do the brows, tho - I completely ripped out one brow and had to rip out the other to balance it a couple of months ago. Ouch

Things I can't live without?

- My Blackberry

- Molskine notebooks

- The New York Times

- Cuisinart

- Breville electric kettle (I LOVE THIS)

- Kiehl's

(oh yeah, and my wonderful husband)

As for the Barista question, I would say that the quality of the coffee is good, but I don't necessarily think you will have *better* coffee from an expensive machine. I've always been a fan of the french press and you can get one of those for $10 - $20

I don't mean to be rude, but is Pasta really so difficult to prepare that one would require a pasta cooker? It's just boiling Water, salt, and pasta -- it's not like you're whipping up a pot au feu...

How did I forget this? WIRELESS NETWORKING!

LOL Lucy---I agree, and she (my DD) does cook it that way---she was wanting it last Christmas, and didn't get it, and now you find them everywhere...much cheaper, so I thought what the heck---if it worked....but now we know it doesn't!!!

Last Fall, one of her best friends, daughters was burned seriously when she hit a pan on the stove, and dumped hot grease on herself. She was 2, and had picked up a grocery bag (plastic) up off of the floor, where it had fallen out of one of the fabric tube things that hold the used bags. Her Mama had been frying chicken, and had filled a plate to take to the table, and the little girl flipped the bag up like a parachute, and just as her Mama yelled, she did it again, and the handle caught the pan, even though it was turned away, it had a rubber coating on the handle, and the bag just grabbed it and stuck, and pulled the grease down on her, burning her head, and down one side of her face, shoulder and arm. She has had several grafts, and surgeries, and is healing pretty well for the severity of her injury. My DD went through a phase with that, that she only cooked on the back burners, pots with no handles, super scared of what could happen. She had this idea, she could use her kettle (which was closed) to boil water, and keep the pasta cooker back on the counter. She has since mellowed, but is still VERY cautious. Scared more than lazy!

But I too ask her, how hard is it to cook pasta????

Kat

I just LOVE my Dyson and my lap top!

These are a few of my favorite things:

*coffee bean grinder

*Temperpedic Bed...OMG...the best Money I've ever spent (besides LB)

*1000 count sheets

*my cleaning lady ( my friends make fun of me because I live alone, and I may be viewed as lazy, but my house is perfect and clean all the time)

*Hazelnut SF creamer

*my nephew (makes me laugh)

*cottage cheese (such a staple)

*dried minced onions (I put in everything; eggs, Soups, Beans, etc)

*my recliner

*TIVO (and All My Children, been watchin it since I was 5)

*Saturdays!!!

*My beautiful partner, my great dog, my wonderful family and friends!!!

*Oh yeah, I've become quite hooked on LBT

OMG, Kat, that is horrifying! I really hope that she is okay. That must have been so difficult for them. It's understandable that they would be afraid to cook things on the stove. However, maybe the Pasta machine needs some more R&D before it's considered a real hit like, say, the bread machine.

Mal, my husband drools every time we see a Dyson commercial. Seriously. He loves to vacuum, which is great, but I can't justify dropping that much cash on a vacuum cleaner. Is it worth the cost?

I don't mean to be rude, but is pasta really so difficult to prepare that one would require a pasta cooker? It's just boiling water, salt, and pasta -- it's not like you're whipping up a pot au feu...

For my dad (aka - The Gadget King) it's more a matter of "wow - that's cool, let's try it!" I know the shopping networks love him -- he's probably one of their best customers. I think he sets his alarm for 2 am when all the infomercials are on and then sits there with his phone just waiting to find something new to buy! :faint:

These are a few of my favorite things:

*Temperpedic Bed...OMG...the best Money I've ever spent (besides LB)

I am so glad you mentioned this....another purchase I have been pondering. Is the "memory foam" worth the money? Does it pack down at all?

I just LOVE my Dyson and my lap top!

A recent Consumer Report digest rated vacuums and Dyson didn't do that well. Neither did my Oreck (number 9). If anyone wants the list, I will post it. Rainbow, BTW, was dead last - and the most expensive.

For my dad (aka - The Gadget King) it's more a matter of "wow - that's cool, let's try it!" I know the shopping networks love him -- he's probably one of their best customers. I think he sets his alarm for 2 am when all the infomercials are on and then sits there with his phone just waiting to find something new to buy! :faint:

My DIL's dad was forced into medical retirement, so he has lots of time on his hands. Plus, he lives with his 90 year old mother. They live for infomercials. He bought something called a "Flavor Wave" and loved it so much, he ordered a second one....just in case they stop selling the things.

A recent Consumer Report digest rated vacuums and Dyson didn't do that well. Neither did my Oreck (number 9). If anyone wants the list, I will post it. Rainbow, BTW, was dead last - and the most expensive.

Carlene, I'd like to see that list. I've been looking and looking at vacuums and just cannot decide which one would be best for me....I was looking pretty hard at the Dyson's, too, but maybe after reading that, I'll look at something else....

I can't live wthout my MAC cosmetics!!

Be blessed!