Cascade Platinum Leaves Each and Every Dishwasher Load Clean and Spotless #DDDivas #CascadeShiningReviews #sponsored @MyCascade

Disclosure: This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Cascade. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.

This past weekend, I took advantage of having family and friends over for our annual "Say Goodbye to Summer" cookout, by also introduced many of them to Cascade Platinum, as I was sent samples to host an in-house party.  :-)  Last week, I shared a post about a great gift idea for a mom would be a dishwasher, and many of my guests over the weekend couldn't agree more.  And, for those who didn't own a dishwasher, I know what they will be asking for at Christmas time.

Prior to having kids, I rarely used the dishwasher, except for when we had dinner parties and cookouts, where there were a lot of dishes and utensils to wash.  But, when the girls arrived, and I found myself washing and trying to sterilize bottles, pacifiers, etc. a couple times a day, my dishwasher became my best friend.  I loved being able to fill it up at night time with used bottles and sippy cups the day, and run it through the night.  Then, when I got up the next day, I would have all the clean and sterilized baby supplies I needed to take care of my girls.  I tried doing it by hand, but after remembering one night that I was up all night with a colicky baby that I owned a dishwasher, I threw away those lousy bottle brushes, and began enjoying a little bit of cleaning help thanks to my dishwasher.

Right now, Bella is the only one left using a bottle (which hopefully will not be long), but the girls still seem to produce a lot of dishes and things that need to be cleaned, from snack cups, sippy cups, training cups, utensils, etc., I still rely on my dishwasher to make cleaning kitchen items a breeze.  And, now that they are getting older and love to help out in the kitchen, I love rolling up my sleeves and baking with them -- even it it is just box mixes. And, prior to our cookout this past weekend, the girls helped me prepare a box of fudge brownies with a new glass baking dish I was sent along with the Cascade Platinum samples, as well as a new favorite mac and cheese recipe, which I also made an extra batch for the cookout. Come on, everyone loves a good old bowl of creamy mac and cheese -- but, if you are like me you hate the messy cleanup.  Here is the mac and cheese recipe, in case you want to try this tasty comfort food dish with your family, and then throw the dishes in the dishwasher afterwards with a Cascade Platinum actionpac and see for yourself how powerful a cleaner Cascade is. :-)

Mac n’ Cheese (courtesy of The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients

 4 cups Dried Macaroni

 1 whole Egg Beaten

 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter

 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour

 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk

 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired

 1 pound Cheese, Grated

 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste

 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste

 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

 Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Directions

1.  Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

2. In a small bowl, beat egg. In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn. 

3. Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low. 

4. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

5. Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. 

6. Add in cheese and stir to melt. Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! 

7. Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Source: Recipe and photo courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

---

In addition to making the above mac and cheese recipe, I was also asked to prepare the brownies and leave the dirty baking dish sitting out for 24 hrs., with stuck on brownie debris for the party, so that I could do a before and after with my guests.  

It was so hard for me to look at this dirty baking dish, as I like to make a point to have the dishes cleaned and put away, or at least on a rinse cycle in the dishwasher at night time. Oh, how I couldn't wait for the guests arrive the next day to clean this dish out.  But, then when I started preparing the other food and had dishes, bowls, utensils, etc. dropped into the double kitchen sinks, I couldn't wait to throw everything into the dishwasher and walk away and let my dishwasher and Cascade Platinum go to work, cleaning the stuck on messes of everything.  

Before I turned the dishwasher on, I called everyone in and showed them the amount of dishes, etc. we dirtied while enjoying the cookout.  I know I could have used throw away plates and things, but I love to pull out the good china when people come, as it is usually stored away now that the girls are here.  All I could hear from everyone was, "I hope she has a dishwasher" or "I will help with washing and drying if you need me to."  This is when I gave my spiel about the need for a dishwasher and how this item should be added to every new or expectant mom's baby registry as it really does come in handy and make life easier. 

I also talked about how it helps now with the girls and all the dishes and mess we making baking and having fun in the kitchen.  I was happy to hear other guests with dishwashers talk about how their kids, especially the teenagers don't like to help with the dishes after meals, but they sure like to make a mess and have the plates, cups, etc. accumulate in a pile in the sink like I had, and how their dishwasher is a godsend.  But, as we all got to talking about dishwashers and how much we love them, I was surprised to hear how guests can't seem to find a dishwasher cleaner and rinse aid that truly gets their dishes, cups, etc. clean.  Yes, food is usually removed after 1-2 cleaning cycles, but the spots left behind and stuck on food debris is a pain to have to tackle afterwards.  You just want to be able to open the dishwasher door and put away the cleaned items, not worrying about if there are streaks or stuck on food that needs to be removed by washing again by hand in the sink.  

Then, I did a mini drum roll and pulled out the Cascade Platinum products and showed them.  

Experience our best clean. So powerful, it leaves your 

silverware and dishwasher sparkling.

• Delivers the premium, advanced triple action formula that helps prevent residue on your dishes and filming in your dishwasher.
• Has the Grease Fighting Power of Dawn.
• Scrubs away tough 24-hour stuck-on food.
• No need to pre-wash dishes.
• AVAILABLE IN: Fresh and Lemon Burst scents

Unbeatable Shine, Drying Action, and Etch Protection*

• Outstanding spot and film protection.
• Helps rinse away food particles and residues that can cause spots on dishes.
• Great drying action.
• Etch protection helps prevent further damage to your dishes. 
• AVAILABLE IN: Original scent

*vs. detergent alone.

Some guests were familiar with Cascade, but had not tried the Cascade Platinum products yet.  Everyone wanted to see how these products from Cascade stacked up against what they have been using, and if this was the product they have been looking for.  After I piled all the dishes from the sink into the dishwasher -- ended up taking two loads -- I poured the miracle dishwasher actionpac as my guests named it, into the dishwasher tray and started the wash, rinse and dry cycle.  

While we waited, we enjoyed the brownies that I had made the night before, as well as other tasty treats the girls and I had made and others had brought.  

Once the dishwasher was done, we all gathered back in the kitchen to see the results.   Funny how you can go from a loud house to being able to hear a pin drops, as everyone held their breath to see how the Cascade Platinum fresh scent actionpac worked.  The guests took turns pulling out and showing off the sparkling dishes, glasses, with the baking dish used for the brownies being pulled out last, everyone could help but smile and give a little cheer, as they were impressed with how well Cascade Platinum worked.  

Not only were the items clean and free of debris, but they sparkled and didn't have any spots or streaks.  I was finally able to pull items from the dishwasher and put in the cupboards, without having to manually re-wash.  And, the baking dish which I used to make the fudge brownies and that had stuck on brownie crust and cooking spray looked brand new, like it hadn't been baked in yet.

Before the guests left for the day, I surprised everyone with Cascade Platinum samples to take how with them, so that they could see the same results they saw at my house with their own dishwasher loads.  It has only been a few days since the cookout, but my phone doesn't stop ringing, with guests calling up to thank me again for introducing them to Cascade Platinum, and raving about the cleaning power of this product line.  They, like me, love it, and can't live without Cascade.  

I can't wait until I host a girls' night in the end of this month with my girlfriends.  Not only will be enjoying wine, movies and great conversation, I plan to get everyone in the kitchen to do some baking and cooking, and will demo the Cascade products again.  All my guests are busy moms like myself, who don't have the time to worry about scrubbing their lives away in the kitchen after meals, or having to manually re-wash dishes and glasses that come out of the dishwasher spotty or dirty.  I know they will be impressed like my Labor Day cookout guests were, when they see the before and after of our fun evening together, and how Cascade makes cleaning up after parties or gathering a breeze. 

Visit the Cascade website to learn more about their current product offering, including Cascade Platinum.  You will also be able to print a mail-in rebate form here to save $5 on your next Cascade purchase, for a limited time.  This will let you try out a small bag of Cascade Platinum Actionpacs FREE OF CHARGE!!!! :-)

Don't forget to follow Cascade on their social media channels to stay up-to-date on special offers, new product additions and more...

• Cascade on Twitter
• Cascade Facebook

-- Want a chance to win a Kitchen Aid Dishwasher? --

Have an opinion to share? Head to the Cascade website to leave a short review of Cascade Platinum (http://www.cascadeclean.com/us/cascade/review) including #CascadeShiningReviews. One reviewer will win a Kitchen Aid Dishwasher!

--GIVEAWAY--

I am excited to offer one lucky reader a chance to win a fun Cascade Prize Pack, which will include all that you see the picture below...

Your kit includes:

·       Cascade Platinum

·       Cascade Platinum Rinse Aid

·       Whisk

·       Spatula

·       Cheese grater

·       Oven mitts

To enter this fun giveaway, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Cascade. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.