175 Best Multifunction Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes by Marilyn Haugen (cookbook review)

I have a lot of cookbooks. At last count — which was just before sitting down to write this review — there are 54 cookbooks on my kitchen bookshelf. And that doesn't even include the literally hundreds of cooking magazines I've collected throughout the years.

In addition to learning techniques and tasty treats from all those cookbooks, I've also learned that it's rare to find a cookbook in which every recipe turns out fabulous. 175 Best Multifunction Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes by Marilyn Haugen, which I recently received free for review, just might be one of the rare ones. 

Click to read the review

Retro '90s games your '80s and '90s kids will get a kick out of

Long, long ago, in what now seems an alternate universe, I had three daughters living at home, three daughters attending elementary school. Computers in the classroom were new, our home computer even newer. Games on both were DOS-based. And they. were. awesome. Especially in the pixel-dazzled eyes of my daughters.

At school, my girls and their friends clamored for computer time. Oregon Trail time, in particular. They so enjoyed attempting to survive the oft-deadly challenges of the trail west at school that we purchased the game — on 3.5-inch disk... or perhaps it was a 5.25-inch floppy — to play at home.

My girls (and my husband) spent hours at the screen hunting, scavenging, escaping bears, and crossing rivers as they traversed the seemingly never-ending Oregon Trail. Sometimes successfully, sometimes...

Continue reading the review in Grandma's Back Room...

Muppets, hot flashes and more: My movie trailer roundup

I am a huge fan of books. I'm fortunate to get a lot of books to review here on Grandma's Briefs — primarily cookbooks and children's books — and I share most of them in the Back Room.

I'm also a huge fan of movies, and I get a lot of press releases — sometimes even full releases — of movies to share with you, too. Back before I chose to take weekends off from blogging, I often shared movie trailers with you in my The Saturday Post posts. Because I've not been posting The Saturday Post posts, though, I have a long list of films I've wanted to share but have not yet gotten around to doing so.

Well today I'm doing so! Today I'm sharing with you some film trailers I recently received, from the upcoming Muppets Most Wanted to the now-available and not-to-be-missed Hot Flash Havoc plus a few in between that you and your family might enjoy, too.

Sit back and enjoy the show(s)!

MUPPETS MOST WANTED (rating TBD, in theaters March 21, 2014):

HOME RUN (rated PG-13, now available on DVD and Blu-ray)

THÉRÈSE (French, limited USA release August 23, 2013)

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (rating TBD, in theaters November 8, 2013)

AUSTENLAND (PG-13, limited release August 16, 2013)

HOT FLASH HAVOC (documentary, available now on DVD and online streaming) — I recently watched this one. It's brilliant, humorous, eye-opening, entertaining and jam-packed with vital information for women and those who love them. Bonus: My #GenFab friend Haralee Weintraub, owner of Haralee Sleepwear, is featured in the film. (Disclosure: I saw this film for free, courtesy the film company, but opinions are my own.)

Click this link to get a 20 percent discount on the streaming version of Hot Flash Havoc courtesy the film makers, making it $3.99 for a seven-day rental — and worth every penny.

Want more trailers? In the Back Room, you'll find trailers for Disney's FROZEN, PLANES, and SAVING MR. BANKS plus Dreamworks' THE FIFTH ESTATE.

Today's question:

What movie did you most recently see, in theaters or at home?

Grandmother Power, Jared and the GRAND Social

Wow! Lots to share today, so I'll dive right in.

First, there's still time to write a post to share in the Grandmother Power Blogging Campaign, a collaborative effort of hundreds of bloggers — grandmothers, non-grandmothers, folks from all walks of life — writing about the powerful force of grandmothers. Linking your post to the campaign is yet another super way we can all join together to support grandmothers across the globe.

My contribution to the campaign is a second publication of the post I originally wrote after I had the privilege of spending the day with Paola Gianturco, the photojournalist and author of Grandmother Power — the inspiration for the Grandmother Power Blogging Campaign. I hope you'll join us, either by sharing your link there (click on the graphic to the right) or by reading the links of others.

Next, in celebration of Mother's Day, Jared The Galleria of Jewelry is celebrating the stages of motherhood and giving away jewelry. I was chosen to represent the grandma stage (woot!) and would love for Grandma's Briefs readers to win some of the prizes in the Mom Moments sweepstakes. Read all about it — including my grandma tips and a glimpse of the Jared jewelry I had the pleasure of recommending for grandmas — in my post on the Mom Moments sweepstakes.

And finally, the GRAND Social! I appreciate you sharing your links and sharing the visits and comment love with one another. Cheers!

How it works:

• All grandparent bloggers are invited to add a link. You don't have to blog specifically about grandparenting, but you must be a grandparent who blogs.

• To link up, copy the direct URL to the specific post — new or old — that you want to share, not the link to your blog's home page. Then click the blue "Click here to enter" text below and follow the directions to add your post and graphic to the list.

• You can add up to three posts, but no duplicates, please, and none you have promoted on a previous GRAND Social linky. And no contests, giveaways, or Etsy sites, please.

• Adding a mention at the bottom of your linked posts, such as This post has been linked to the GRAND Social linky, is appreciated. Or, you can post the GRAND Social button anywhere on your page using the following code:

<a href="/" target="_blank"><img src="http://grandmasbriefs.squarespace.com/storage/GRANDsocialbutton.jpg " alt="Grandma’sBriefs.com" width="125" height="125" /></a>

• The GRAND Social linky is open for new posts through Wednesday evening, so please come back to see those added after your first visit.

• If you're not a blogger, you have the pleasure of being a reader. Bloggers who link up would be honored to have one and all — bloggers and readers — visit, read and, if so moved, comment, even if just a "Hey, stopping by from the GRAND Social."

• Looking for another grandparent linky? Be sure to visit Connie's Grandparent's Say It Saturday Link Party each Saturday.

Thank you for participating in the GRAND Social!