WinAntiRansom Security Software

I was so excited when I came across the opportunity to try and review some AntiRansom software by WinPatrol.

This is such a cool product and I am still working on testing it. The problem I'm running into is totally on my side of the firewall. Husband is a programmer and he is also very ill. My main computer is one of our servers which means I have to be extremely careful of what gets installed. So, what I have done is kind of a pre-review with my thoughts on the software and impressions I can honestly make. This is something I want to test further, but I also want to get the word out about this type of software. I do recommend looking into this for your own personal computer.

WinAntiRansom Security Software is a different type of security software than most people have used. It is not a replacement for virus protection or a firewall. From what I understand this keeps your files from being locked and ransomed by malware that threatens to delete if the ransom is not paid.

You may not think ransoming files to be a lucrative industry, but just imagine if the only copy of the video of your teenager's first steps, first words, first anything was threatened to be deleted. The only thing you would want to do is pay the ransom and then back up those files in several places. Here's the kicker, they can still delete the files after you pay. Is a pretty clean crime because the only thing that happens is data being deleted. But it can still be devastating to those affected, whether they lose data, money or both.

Please, before going further in this post, make sure your files are secured by backups in different locations and on different types of media. And, once backed up, PLEASE OPEN THE FILES TO CHECK THE BACKUP WAS SUCCESSFUL! 

Anyway, if this software works the way it is supposed to, you shouldn't find yourself in the ransom situation thus saving the money, headache and the video of your 3 year-old with a shampoo Mohawk streaking around the house while being chased by a drenched parent trying to get him or her back in the tub to finish the bath. You know, the perfect video to show to a prospective fiance 20 years down the line.

Fine Naturals has a Fine Product!

Playing Ketchup with Chocolate...punny, no?

I am still catching up on product reviews and the next one is for the Premium Dark Organic Cacao Powder from Fine Naturals. I really do feel bad about how long this has taken for me to review. I received the product back in September 2015, used it, then got really sick and had to focus on surviving. Yes, that is an excuse, but it does the company no good. I have good intentions when I agree to do something, like test and review a product, but I also have a dismal sense of how long something will take for me to complete. Add in the inconsistencies of life, my ADHD brain, mix well and wait... Okay, enough of my little pity party and onto the review!

I have to say that the interactions I had with the company showed them to posses not only patience for dealing with me, but integrity and the pride in a good product.

Cacao powder is not something you will readily find in local grocery stores, well known recipes or everyday life. It is on its way to the mainstream and I am glad. Cacao powder is different from Cocoa powder in more ways than just spelling. According to iquitsugar.com the main difference is how the fruit is treated.

Raw cacao is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cocoa and removes the fat (cacao butter). Cocoa looks the same but it's not. Cocoa powder is raw cacao that's been roasted at high temperatures.

You'll find parallel situations when looking at olive oil (cold pressed, extra virgin, etc.), other nut and grain oils, coffee and more. So, why should you care? Well, I care because of the flavor. In my "oh-so-not-scientific" testing, I conclude that there is more flavor that my tongue can taste when using Cacao Powder vs Cocoa Powder. I like making hot chocolate with Cacao, but hot Cocoa (made with the same amount of hot water and stevia based sweetner) leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. I have not had the time to bake with Cacao vs Cocoa powders, but I'm pretty sure the same would happen.

My next conquest is using it in savory applications like a mole or a bbq dry rub. I wonder if ketchup can be made with a chocolate ingredient. Mole styled meatloaf? Yummm!

Disclaimer: I received this product at a discount in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Chef Rimer's Instant Read Thermometer

Review posted on amazon.com

Chef Rimer #MeatThermometer product review coming soon!

A photo posted by Kate Jensen (@thechefkate) on Jan 30, 2016 at 3:43pm PST

UnProduct Review

I have been working on reviewing products for the past 6 months. It's a great way to try out products that I think are interesting especially when I don't have the cash to spend.

There was a small flaw in my plan, however, because I did not have a process in place to make sure I followed up with the websites where I had procured products to be reviewed. Some sites are very user friendly and have processes in place for the reviewers, and I did pretty well with those. Then you have the sites that have nothing in place and I know I missed out on verifying my reviews for the sellers. And there are sites that are quite diligent in verifying the reviews are published by people like me. I like these types of sites because I am able to show the seller that their trust in me to honestly review a product they sent me for a huge discount was worth it.

Now, I have a bit of a problem. A site that verifies has locked my account until I publish and verify what I agreed in exchange for the products. I think that is great because it keeps me honest! What I don't appreciate is when I have a product that is essentially counting against me that I can't review. Why am I unable to review the product? Well, its because I never received it!

Back in September I was approved by Bomber & Company to receive their Premium Paracord Type 3 9-Strand. They requested I fill out a form online and then they would send a promotion code to me so I could get the agreed upon discount and purchase through amazon.com. I filled out the form, emailed them to confirm that I had filled out the form, and then never heard from them again. As I am going through the reviews I owe to this site I came across this and emailed the site to see if it could be removed from my log. No dice. So, I decided to review the company's lack of customer service.

So, here is my review:
I was supposed to receive Bomber & Company's Premium Paracord Type 3 9-Strand (seen here) but they did not follow through. I suggest not purchasing from this company.

I will not disclose the name of the promotion website because, other than not being able to remove the promotion from my log, they really didn't do anything wrong.


And in accordance with FTC.com Disclosure Guidelines, I should have, but did not receive any product at a discount from this company in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.