As you may or may not know, I was surprised with a Kindle for Christmas.  It had been on my wish list forever, but I never thought I’d actually get one.  I was giddy when I held it in my hand.  It’s a little odd being an eBook author and NOT having an eReader.  I hate reading on the computer!

All that aside, I probably never would have bought one for myself.  The price is steep at $250.  If you can afford one, however, I highly recommend getting one.  I have no experience with other readers like the Sony or the Nook, so this won’t be a review that compares these devices.

To start, the case for the Kindle is about $30 for a good one.  It’s actually very resilient and sturdy enough to withstand abuse.  I’ve dropped my Kindle and the case protected it perfectly.  Also, I bend the front cover behind the device as I read.  So far, I’ve had no issues.  This particular case is very well-made.

The Kindle boasts long battery life, and boy does it have it.  The only time it uses power is when you change pages.  Once the page is displayed, it doesn’t take any more power to display the text.  I’ve literally left it on my shelf for days untouched only to turn it on and be pleasantly surprised it still had plenty of charge.  And everything Amazon has boasted about their e-ink is true.  This device is not backlit.  If you’re going to read in bed, you’ll need the light on to see the display.

You can change pages with either hand, and you can flip to the previous page if you like.  It’s so thin and light, that it’s a dream to hold.  In fact, if you curl up somewhere, you don’t have to move to turn pages or adjust the book to prop it open.  I love this, personally, because it’s hard for me to hold a normal paperback these days.

The display has 16 shades of gray.  But even though it’s not in color, book covers still look really good.

Amazon’s Whispernet is just awesome.  You can shop Kindle’s bookstore either on the device, or directly from your computer.  If you buy books on your computer, they’re downloaded to your Kindle automatically.  Go pick up your eReader and the book you just bought is already there.  And this is done with no subscription, no monthly fee, no tethering to a computer, it’s merely a service of Amazon.  It also works anywhere, using cell phone relays to download books rather than sometimes-sketchy wi-fi.

Almost more than the device, I love Amazon’s Whispernet. 

The Kindle makes me want to buy all the paperbacks in my to-be-read pile in eBook instead.  I’ve seriously had the thought that I’d rather read on my Kindle than pick up a paperback these days.  I have mad love for this device.

In fact, one of the only dings I have is the fact it’s not a touch screen.  I’ve been spoiled by my iPhone.  You mean I gotta use buttons?!?  LOL  I’ve heard one of the eReaders out there is a touch screen, but a friend of mine mentioned it’s not as fluid as the iPhone.  I think that would probably drive me batty too.

While it’s expensive and not a touch screen, I would recommend it to anyone thinking of getting one.  It’s got the capacity to hold 1500 books.  WOW.  Can’t pack that many in a suitcase!

All in all, I give the Kindle 4 1/2 stars, dinging it for price and no touch screen.  Good job, Amazon.  You’ve become a pioneer in making eBooks cool, and that makes this eBook author rejoice.  Suddenly, with eReaders like this, it makes us justified in what we do.  EBooks are no longer a chore to read on the computer, and are only gaining in popularity.  Win/win for everyone!!

~~Becka

So this past week, my hubby had a pot-luck at his work.  He had the awesome idea of bringing chicken enchiladas.  But he didn’t want to bring them cold and not warm, nor did he want to make them early in the morning and bring them to work hot as they would still be cold by lunch time.  So he needed a way to keep them warm and/or warm them up.

His brilliant idea was an electric skillet.

But the one we had was old and sad.  It was this little 12″x 12″ deal, that looks like it has seen it’s fair share of world wars.  Most of the “non-stick” coating is scratched off, not to mention it just wasn’t big enough for the shindig at DH’s office.  This thing is literally a dinosaur; a gift from DH’s grandparents on the occasion of our wedding nigh 15 years ago.  It was well used, but now, we needed an upgrade.

I got out of the habit of using an electric skillet because my family is so huge and I didn’t have a big one.  My pans were good enough, as I have a jumbo iron skillet I use all the time.  But, we needed the skillet to do the enchiladas, so off to Target I go.

I found a couple in their selection of bigger skillets, one a $30, the other $60.  Seems a no brainer, right?  Quick giant skillet for a one-time pot-luck, right?  Well, I stood there and weighed my options.  The $30 was indeed the size I needed, but there was some assembly required.  The $60 one was already ready already.  It had rubber feet so it wouldn’t slide on the counter.  And it had a lid that is held down with buckles.  AND a pour spout on one of the corners.

Okay, sold!  Here it was, already nearing 8pm, and we still needed to make the enchiladas!  I don’t want to put together the fricken’ skillet with a screwdriver while browning the chicken.  But it was indeed the pour spout that ultimately sold me.  Browning beef?  No prob, merely lock the lid down and drain.  Awesome Sauce.

So I brought it home, we made the enchiladas, put them in the fridge overnight, DH took the entire skillet to work the next day, plugged it in on 300 degrees an hour before the pot-luck and voila! Perfect hot, melty enchiladas.

That night, it was so easy to clean, just wipe out with a sponge, the non-stick coating is so super-sweet.

So last night, I decided to make frozen burgers for the family.  The thing held 6 big ol’ patties from Costco with no problem, enough to feed everyone without having to do a second batch!

I’m thinking I’m in love with this thing.  It’s definitely the best $60 I’ve spent recently, and I cannot stress how happy I am I didn’t get the less expensive skillet.  With the lovely coating, the lid, the spout and the sheer size of it, this bad boy is now going to be a staple of my kitchen for many years to come.

I love it when you buy something you thought you didn’t really need and it turns into something you can no longer live without. 

Five stars from Becka, for the $60 (Okay, $59.99) 16″ electric skillet by Hamilton Beach.  Well done, guys!

http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/skillets-premiere-cookware-electric-skillet.html

~~Becka