Monthly Archives: January 2018

Buying shoes online – don’t do it to yourself

I have been banned from buying shoes online by the resident Frenchman. Why? Because I have had to return 5 pairs over the years, because they NEVER EVER FIT. And then I end up paying extra for postage and more recently, experience anxiety because I worry that they won’t fit.

Continue reading Buying shoes online – don’t do it to yourself

KitchenAid Food Chopper: This really should be called the “Pestomancer 3000”

Product: KitchenAid Food Chopper

A stock picture of a KitchenAid Food Chopper

I basically wanted something that made pesto but without the bulk of a food processor, mostly due to not wanting to lug something giant out of the cupboard every time I needed it. I came across the food chopper and thought I’d try it and for $139, it was more affordable than a lot of the bigger food processors.

Anyway, it does a great job with pesto, though, you should probably buy pre-grated Parmesan, and it wasn’t overly happy with the giant chunk that I put in there to begin with. I also tried grating cheddar in it, and it kind of turned it into a gross paste that might come out of a can in the US.

Update 2020-04-12: Despite great success using this device while it lasted, the blade’s socket, made of plastic, ultimately wore out, and started slipping in the driving socket. Or maybe it was the engine that lost its grunt. Anyway, it didn’t last the distance as much as we’d hoped. Removing the post from the “Good experience” category…

Continue reading KitchenAid Food Chopper: This really should be called the “Pestomancer 3000”

Book Depository: too much security, not enough communication

Christmas time. I decided to order books as presents from the Book Depository, and have them delivered to my son and his family in Australia. It has always worked in the past, with any other provider. Probably even with the Book Depository, but not this time.

When the parcel was not showing up much after the stated delivery date, I started enquiring, but nothing helpful was forthcoming. “[D]ue to security reasons [they] are unable to disclose”, the order was cancelled. No notice was ever sent that this had happened, and particularly not why.

Continue reading Book Depository: too much security, not enough communication