Snack Time {Volume 1}

One thing my family loves is snacks, especially with two teens in the house! Our house is always stocked with chips, cookies, candy, desserts and more. We are always on the lookout for new, seasonal, international and limited edition snacks. Snack Time is our monthly showcase of recent snack tries and buys. What were some of your favorite snacks this month?

Cookies, Cakes and Baked Goods:

Entenmann's pumpkin doughnuts

Entenmann’s Pumpkin Donuts – We are not frequent packaged donut eaters. However, my husband was at the grocery store when our daughter called him, craving donuts. These donuts have an unnatural orange color to them and you don’t really get the flavor of pumpkin. But, they have a light glaze, are moist and fill that craving when you are looking for something sweet. Plus, they come in a package of 8, which works out nicely for a family of 4.

JHL Thai Coconut Roll – My sister bought these Thai Coconut Rolls at HMart and gave us a bag. They are super crunchy and break apart into a million crumbs, often in the bag before you can get a hand on one. But they have a nice mild coconut and sesame flavor.

Jules Destrooper Butter WafflesJules Destrooper is a Belgian cookie company that has been in business since 1886. They only use 100% natural ingredients with no preservatives, artificial colors or artificial flavors. These butter waffles (aka lukken) are one of their best sellers. These were buttery and delicious.

Candy:

Mocati Hard Candy Assortment – (c/o Aprati and American Licorice Company) Aprati, a division of the American Licorice Company, kindly sent us a variety of their candies to sample. This included these Mocati Hard Candy Assortment. These are hard candies that come in three different coffee flavored blends: espresso, caramel macchiato and mocha mint. These are a nice after lunch treat when you want a little something sweet. All of the flavors are great!

The Frutati Hard Candy Assortment are also hard candies that come in three flavors: Blueberry-Yuzu, Pineapple-Passionfruit and Green Apple Mango. These flavors are inspired by the culture and flavors of Cambodia, where the candy is sourced and supplied from.

The American Licorice Company was founded in 1914. Red Vines Made Simple are licorice made without artificial flavors, colors, high fructose corn syrup or GMO ingredients. While I’m generally not a fan of licorice of any flavor, my son and husband have been enjoying these. Especially the blueberry pomegranate flavor. Red Vines come in a variety of flavors including the original red and black licorice.

Chips:

Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Truffle & Sea Salt – Our family loves a good potato chip and we are fans of Kettle Brand chips. My chip preference is a kettle chip, which are sturdy and crunchy. However, these Krinkle Cut chips were surprisingly thick. As soon as you open the bag the truffle scent hits you in the face. This is a good thing, of course.

Orion O!Karto – My husband picked these up on a visit to HMart. We are always trying new Asian snacks and Hmart carries a ton of them! These potato snacks are similar in shape and texture to veggie straws. They have a mild cream & cheese flavor and the chip melts in your mouth.

Wholesome Pantry Organic Korean BBQ Popcorn – This popcorn is addicting! It’s part of Shoprite stores private label food brand, Wholesome Pantry. This popcorn checks the sweet, salty and spicy boxes, creating an addicting snack that we all enjoy. Be warned: it does have a little heat.

Frozen:

My Mochi – For those that are unfamiliar with mochi, they are Japanese rice cakes made of glutinous rice. My Mochi are ice cream-filled mochi. They are found in the freezer section of the grocery store and come in 15 different flavors, though our grocery store only carried three. We’ve sampled both the strawberry and mint chocolate chip. Although I am not a mochi fan, mostly due to the chewy texture, both my husband and kids love it. This is perfect since they come in a box of six. They have enjoyed both flavors they have tried.

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Food Buys & Tries {Volume 3}

It’s been a couple of months since I wrote a Food Buys and Tries post.  As much as our family loves to eat out, we also love trying new food products that we find in the supermarket or that companies are kind enough to send us to sample.  Here are some of our recent food buys and tries winners:

Coolhaus Awesome Ice Cream: Dirty Mint Chip – Coolhaus Awesome Ice Cream has shops in California and Texas.  For those of us not lucky enough to live in these areas, we can now buy pints of their ice cream at our local grocery store!  My husband loves mint ice cream so I got the Dirty Mint Chip.  This flavor is fresh mint ice cream with brown sugar and dark chocolate chips.  The fresh mint flavor is very evident and my husband loved this ice cream.  While I’m not a huge mint ice cream fan, I am excited to try some of their other flavors like Milkshake & Fries, Balsamic Fig and Mascarpone and Campfire S’mores.

 

Dole Acai Bowls – I have to fully disclose that I have never tried an acai bowl before trying this Dole one.  I found this bowl in the frozen fruit section of the grocery store.  The directions state that it should thaw for 45 minutes or you can microwave it.  We opted to thaw it but even after an hour it didn’t defrost all the way.  The original has acai, bananas and honey topped with strawberries, blueberries, coconut and honey oat granola.  It also comes in protein and tropical varieties. My son loved this bowl and has asked for more.  This makes a convenient quick and easy breakfast, if we go the microwave defrost route.

Emerald Glazed Walnuts – I’ve been taking nuts with me to work as a snack.  I tried these glazed walnuts for the first time and they taste like candy. And they are very addicting!  It definitely satisfies a sweet and crunchy craving.  I will be buying these again.  I just have to watch how often I eat these!

       

Jimmy Dean Delights Egg’wich – My usual morning routine involves eating breakfast in the car during my commute to work.  I cannot eat first thing in the morning and I hate eating at my desk.  So, I have gotten used to eating while driving.  It’s not horrible, but I am limited to portable foods.  Often, I eat a sandwich (PB&J, cold cuts, etc.).  Sometimes I eat a frozen breakfast item liked this Jimmy Dean Delights Egg’wich.  This is turkey sausage and cheese sandwiched between two bacon, spinach, caramelized onion and parmesan egg frittatas.  I heat it up and then wrap it in foil until I’m ready to eat it.  This sandwich has decent flavor, but I must say that I found it to be a little on the salty side.  While I don’t recommend eating these everyday, I’ve found it to be a good portable breakfast.  I haven’t tried the other flavors – broccoli and cheese and ham, bell peppers, mushroom, bacon and onion.

Setton Farms Pistachio Chewy Bites – (c/o Setton Farms)  Setton Farms kindly sent me samples of their Pistachio Chewy Bites.  I tried the pistachios + plums variety.  I like that they are individually wrapped and can take a couple of them to work with me as a snack.  They are all-natural and make a great snack for the kids, who enjoy these bites as well.  Just a note, that these are a bit sticky and I do have to wash my hands after enjoying them at work. However, getting to enjoy the pistachio and fruit combo is worth it!

Shoprite Trading Company Pre-cooked Basmati White Rice – Shoprite Trading Company is the grocery store’s private label line of artisanal international foods.  I usually cook rice in a rice cooker, which takes about 20+ minutes to cook.  I was using a simmer sauce and wanted a quick and easy Indian-inspired meal and purchased this rice to try.  It only takes 90 seconds to heat up in the microwave.  While it doesn’t taste as fresh and authentic as what you get at an Indian restaurant, it was surprisingly not bad.

 

I have also become a fan of the Shoprite Trading Company Naan as well.  These are frozen and come with 3 in a package.  I usually make two and cut them in half for our family of four.

Food Buys and Tries {March 2018}

A review of some of the newer foods on the market.

There are so many new food and beverage products out there it gets pretty overwhelming.  I love trying new food products and the latest varieties of favorite snacks.  Variety is the spice of life, right?!  Expect to find all kinds of food products from beverages and snacks to more healthier food choices as well.  Here’s a look at some of this month’s food buys and tries.

Winners:

Pillsbury Caramel & Coconut Blondie Mix – Who doesn’t love Girl Scout cookies? And I have to admit, Samoas are my favorites.  When I saw this Blondie mix on sale at the grocery store, I had to try it.  My son actually  made these, with some supervision from me.  The bars were soft with lots of pieces of chocolate, caramel and coconut flakes.  Different and nice for an occasional treat.

Popcornopolis Organic Nearly Naked Popcorn – (popcorn sample provided by Popcornopolis) I am a big popcorn lover and was excited when Popcornopolis sent me their Organic Nearly Naked Popcorn.  The 14-oz. bags are being sold in Costco stores for $5.39 each.  But from April 19 – May 13, they will be specially priced at $3.49.  The popcorn is lightly salted and tastes great.  This has been a favorite family snack!

Sabra Mediterranean Black Bean Dip –  I found this dip next to the hummus at the grocery store.  The texture and taste is very similar to hummus.  The roasted tomato & smoked paprika flavor was tasty and was great for dipping veggies and pretzel thins (basically anything you’d dip in hummus!).  Other flavors in the bean dip line include Mediterranean Red Bean with Sundried Tomato & Basil and Mediterranean White Bean with Spinach & Roasted Garlic.

Snyder’s “Wholey Cheese!” Crispy Baked Crackers (Swiss &  Black Pepper) – These crackers are light, puffed, crunchy squares baked with real cheese.  I found them in the chip aisle, next to the Snyder’s pretzels.   I debated whether to put these crackers on the loser list.  Flavor-wise, these crackers are tasty and fill that salty, crunchy craving.  However, they are super fragile.  I don’t think that we were overly rough with the bag but when we opened it, it was mostly crumbs.  So, very disappointing in that respect.  I’d try these crackers again, but know to be super careful with the bag! Other flavors in the “Wholey Cheese!” line include Mild Cheddar and Smoked Gouda.

Losers:

Alexia Crispy Truffle Fries – I had such high hopes for these fries because truffle fries are my fave.  Unfortunately, these were a big disappointment.  They crisped up nicely in the oven.  However, there was absolutely no noticeable truffle flavor.

Baru Swirly Hot Chocolate PowderBaru is a Belgian chocolate company.  We were excited to try this chocolate powder, which we received as part of a Christmas gift.  However, we recently tried it and were a bit disappointed.  Believe me, it’s not bad.  However, we weren’t wowed, like we thought we’d be by the chocolate-y taste.  The company makes other chocolate products like chocolate marshmallow bars and chocolate hippos that I’d like to try.  So not giving up on them yet.

Nestle Coffeemate The Cheesecake Factory Strawberry Cheesecake creamer – I am a flavored coffee creamer user.  I love trying new flavors so of course had to try the recently released  The Cheesecake Factory Strawberry Cheesecake flavor.  Let’s just say strawberry is not a flavor that you normally associate with coffee and there’s a reason why.  It just doesn’t go.  It’s unexpected and not necessarily in a good way.  I’m glad I tried it, but will not be buying this flavor anymore.

Tiki Gold (Hazelnut and Coconut Craze) – These chocolate bars come from Trinidad & Tobago. However, I found them in my local Shoprite.  These are wafer bars, similar to the texture of a Kit Kat.  However, the chocolate is “eh” and the coconut and hazelnut flavor tastes artificial (because it is).  If I’m going to eat chocolate, I want it to be good chocolate!

What new food products have you tried recently?

Soukup Farms Coffee Infused Maple Syrup {Made in New York}

I recently visited the new Mohegan Lake Farmer’s Market in northern Westchester County.  While the farmer’s market itself was disappointing and almost nonexistent, I didn’t leave empty handed.  One of the few vendors at the market was Soukup Farms, selling their maple syrup.  Their coffee infused maple syrup caught my eye and after sampling a taste I knew that I had to bring some home.

The syrup is a delicious combination of  locally roasted Irving Farm Coffee Roasters Gotham Dark Roast and the farm’s Dark Amber maple syrup. Our weekday frozen waffles have become elevated to another level!  And on the weekends when we get the chance to have have homemade pancakes or french toast, this syrup is the finishing touch.  When I purchased the bottle, I was told that this syrup also tastes really good on yogurt or ice cream.  We have’t tried either of these combos…….yet!

The coffee infused maple syrup is available in three different size bottles, 2-oz ($4.50), half pint ($8.00) , or a pint ($14.00). Currently, Soukup Farms does not sell their products in stores in Putnam or Westchester counties.  However, besides the Mohegan Lake Farmer’s Market, they are also a drop-in vendor at the Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Farmer’s Market.  The syrup is available in many Dutchess County locations including the Taste of NY Store  at the Todd Hill location, Zoe’s Ice Cream Barn in LaGrange, McEnroe’s Organic Market in Millerton and JSK Cattle Company in Millbrook.  You can also order this coffee infused syrup, as well as their classic maple syrup and other maple products online or find them as a vendor at several local events!

Soukup Farms is a third generation family farm located in Dover Plains, NY, tapping tree since 1955.   The farm has over 2,000 taps and is continuing to expand.   They are a member of the NY State Maple Association and a participant in NYS Maple Weekends in March. Don’t miss their Harvest Festival this October where you can visit the farm and enjoy some family fun!

The Details:
Soukup Farms
271 Halls Corner Road
Dover Plains, NY 12522
(845) 264-3137

Check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest news!

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Korilla BBQ inspired Korean Barbeque Potato Chips

I was super excited when I found these Wise Korean Barbeque flavored chips on a recent shopping trip at Shoprite. These potato chips were inspired by NYC’s Korilla BBQ food truck.  The Korilla BBQ food truck was started in 2010 serving items like burritos, rice bowls and salads topped with bulgogi, Korean BBQ pork, chicken or organic tofu.  The Korilla BBQ truck was even a contestant on Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race.  Owner Edward Song created such a popular following that he is about to open his second brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Brooklyn later this spring.   The new Brooklyn eatery will differ from his East Village restaurant in that it will also serve breakfast dishes like breakfast burritos and congee.  Unfortunately, I’ve never had the opportunity to try Korilla BBQ.  However, “a burrito with bulgogi and bacon kimchi fried rice” has my mouth watering just thinking about it.

Wise Korean Barbeque flavored potato chips combine two of my favorite foods, Korean BBQ and potato chips.  So, I had high hopes for these chips! These chips are tangy and sweet with a hint of smokiness and a bit of spice. However, if you tried one of these chips without looking at the bag, “Korean Barbeque” is not what would come to mind.We all enjoyed these chips but the spiciness may be a bit too much for some children.

These Korean Barbeque chips are part of Wise’s Food Truck Favorites line. The Food Truck Favorite line of chips was introduced in April 2016, creating chip flavors inspired by actual food trucks.  Other chips in this line include Beef Barbacoa Tacos inspired by Boston’s North East of the Border truck and Loaded Chili Cheese Dog which is inspired by NYC’s Papaya King Truck.

Verdict:  Give these chips a try!

Kombucha….We Tried It!

Kombucha

Kombucha.  I’m sure you’ve heard the word, though you may not know what it is.  Although around for centuries, Kombucha has started really trending over the past couple of years.  But what exactly is it you ask?  Kombucha is a sweetened tea fermented by a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY).   The beverage is available at health food stores like Mrs. Green’s and Whole Foods and I even spotted it at my local Shoprite.  Many people even homebrew kombucha.  So why the popularity?  Kombucha is alleged to have many health benefits.  As with other fermented foods, kombucha has probiotics, which help to increase good bacteria in the digestive tract.   However, according to the Mayo Clinic, there is no scientific evidence to support the alleged health benefits of kombucha.  As a result of the fermentation process, alcohol is a natural by-product of kombucha.  A University of Maine test sampling of several different kombucha brands found alcohol amounts ranging from 0.5% to 2.5% by volume.  The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) considers anything greater than 0.5% to be an alcoholic beverage, and regulated and taxed as so.  This of course has created controversy with kombucha producers who are altering formulas to attempt to adhere to regulations while regulators continue to crackdown on kombucha producers.

Eager to try Kombucha I took a trip to my local Mrs. Green’s to buy a bottle.  They had several different brands and varieties of kombucha for sale.  I picked out GT’s Synergy Organic Kombucha in Cosmic Cranberry.  A 16 ounce bottle cost $3.99.  I brought it home and had the family try it and here are the reviews:

I first smelled the beverage and was hit with a strong, vinegary smell.  I found the flavor of the kombucha to be tart and vinegary.  The tartness could be from the cranberry flavor that I had chosen. The taste wasn’t horrible, but I didn’t enjoy it and would not be able to drink an entire bottle of the stuff.

My eight-year-old son gave it a taste and said, “this tastes like the stuff you put on the cucumbers.”  He’s referring to the rice vinegar that I marinate cucumbers in.  This made me laugh since the vinegar flavor was spot-on.  He did not like the kombucha at all.

My ten-year-old  daughter tried it and thought it smelled like beer.  Could she smell the alcohol in it?!!  I couldn’t!  She thought it tasted like cranberry and was very strong tasting but okay.  She didn’t have more than a sip though or ask for more!

So, that left my husband to drink the kombucha!  And he liked it!  He liked the sour flavor of the beverage and the tartness from the cranberry.  He liked that the drink was fizzy, but not super carbonated like soda.   He would drink kombucha again and would like to.

Kombucha

I wasn’t a fan of kombucha.  Since there are no proven health benefits of drinking the stuff, I’m going to pass.  I can’t see forcing myself to drink something that I don’t really like the taste of.  I’ll get my probiotics through other fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut, which I actually enjoy eating!  My husband on the other hand will continue to drink kombucha because he enjoys it!

September Six-Pack

Build Your Own Six-Pack

On a recent visit to my local Acme I noticed that they offered a build your own six-pack.  While I know that Trader Joe’s also offers a build your own six-pack, the closest TJ’s is over thirty minutes away.  I’m usually very hesitant to buy new ciders or craft beers because I fear that I won’t like them after shelling $9+ for a six-pack. So I was very excited to be able to take advantage of building my own six-pack and trying some new beers and ciders!   Each month I’m looking forward to highlighting some new beers and ciders that we’ve tried, thus the monthly “Six-Pack.” Here is a review of September’s six-pack :

1911 Hard Cider

1911 Hard Cider – This cider is produced at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in Lafayette, New York where the first apple tree was planted in 1911.  I tried the original flavor of this cider.  The cider was light but dry.  It’s definitely not as sweet as I like.  According to the company website, this cider is semi-dry.  I’m curious to try the 1911 Blueberry Hard Cider and Grapefruit Hard Cider.

Angry Orchard Summer Honey

Angry Orchard Summer Honey Cider (Seasonal) – Angry Orchard is one of my favorite hard cider brands.  While this isn’t a new cider to me, I just had to grab one for my six-pack since it’s one of my favorites and it’s seasonal!

Badass One Bad Apple

Badass Hard Cider: One Bad Apple – Badass Hard Cider has an interesting label and fun cider names.  However, my kids weren’t a fan of the “badass” name!  This was the most recent cider that we tried and I have to say that this was my least favorite.  The cider’s name is “One Bad Apple” and I thought it tasted like bad apples and had an off taste.  My husband thought it had a wine-like flavor.  We won’t be getting this one again!

Badass Quite a Pear

Badass Hard Cider: Quite A Pear – We preferred this pear cider over the other Badass selection.  We really didn’t taste pear in particular, but the flavor was good overall. So far, we won’t be rushing out to buy either of the two existing Badass flavors that they produce.

Bud Light Lime-arita

Bud Light Lime-A-Rita Splash – I had been wanting to try these Bud Light -Ritas for awhile now, so I was excited to see this one in the build your own six-pack section.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this Lime-A-Rita.  I found it light and refreshing and something new that I can add to my preferred drink rotation.  There are a bunch of different flavors in the -Rita line, both in bottles and cans.   Bud Light recently introduced a limited edition Cherry-Ahh-Rita as well.

Effortless Grapefruit Session IPA

Effortless Grapefruit Session IPA – This was the only beer that we tried this month.  I didn’t realize that this beer is produced by Captain Lawrence, a local Westchester County brewery.    While I’m not a big beer drinker, my husband enjoys a good beer. While he appreciated the distinct grapefruit flavor of Effortless Grapefruit IPA, the overpowering  taste is from the bitterness of the peel. This pale ale wasn’t a favorite of his.

Strongbow Honey

Strongbow Hard Apple Cider Honey – This was my first time trying Strongbow cider.  I’m usually confident that I’ll like any cider with “honey” in the name and this one didn’t disappoint.  This was a fruity and sweet cider, which is just what I like.  Strongbow also makes Gold Apple, Cherry Blossom and Ginger varieties.

 

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5 Packaged Foods to Make Dinner a Breeze

5 Packaged Foods

In case you couldn’t tell by my blog name, I love to eat…..and cook.  Some nights both kids have different activities and there’s not a lot of time to cook or sometimes I’m just too tired to feel like cooking (c’mon, tell me I’m not the only one!).  It’s so easy to want to pick up the phone and call for a pizza or some Chinese takeout.  Not only does that get old after awhile (….and expensive!), but it’s also not the healthiest of options.  In the time it would take to call for takeout and wait for it to be cooked and delivered, you can make some of these packaged foods and have dinner on the table in no time.  When I don’t have time or just don’t feel like cooking a homemade, from scratch dinner these are some of our go-to packaged foods:

Simply Potatoes

1.Simply Potatoes – Traditional Mashed Potatoes – My mom first introduced me to these potatoes several years ago when I had my wisdom teeth pulled and couldn’t chew. Well, let me tell you, these potatoes are amazing!  The first ingredients are potatoes, half and half, whole milk, and butter.  These potatoes can be microwaved and ready in about 5 minutes.  I buy these for convenience, so even though you can cook these in the oven or on the stove top we don’t go that route for the sake of speed.  These potatoes are super creamy and delicious.  Both my kids LOVE these.  Even my son who doesn’t usually like mashed potatoes (or maybe MY mashed potatoes!) asks for seconds when we have these.  Simply Potatoes also makes a variety of other types of potatoes including shredded hash browns, potato wedges and even macaroni & cheese.  However, we love the Traditional Mashed Potatoes the best.  These potatoes are found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store and normally retail for approximately $3.99 a package.  They are often on sale though, which is when I usually stock up on them!

Dole Chopped Salad

2. Dole Chopped Salad Kits – In the past couple of years our kids have become salad fans.  Especially Caesar salad.  And as much as I love salad, I really dislike all of the chopping necessary to make a good salad.  This is where I pick up Dole Chopped Salad Kits or Caesar Salad mix.  I love how everything is already prepared and just has to be put in a bowl and mixed.  Plus, the kids can help mix everything and have become quite the expert “salad makers.”

Mrs. T's Pierogies

3. Pierogies –  Growing up in my house, pierogies were a weeknight dinner staple.  While I don’t make these often, I do usually have a couple of packages in the freezer for when we are in need of a quick and easy dinner.  For those that aren’t familiar with pierogies, they are an Eastern European filled dumpling.  The frozen ones that I have found in the supermarket usually contain some type of potato and cheese filling.  However, traditionally, pierogies can be filled with sauerkraut, ground meat, or even fruit.  When I make them, I boil a pot of water, throw the pierogies in, when they float to the top in approximately 5-7 minutes I drain the water and eat them.  When I have extra time, I will saute some onions in a frying pan and then add the pierogies to the pan, after they are boiled, to brown them up a bit and give them some extra flavor.  This is my preferred method of cooking.  If you want to keep the meal vegetarian, you can cook up some veggies or make a salad to go with.  Otherwise, you can heat up some kielbasa to go with the pierogies.   I grew up on Mrs. T’s Pierogies that only came in one flavor, Potato and Cheddar Cheese.  Mrs. T’s now makes a huge variety of pierogies including their newest flavor Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil which we recently tried.  These were great served with marinara sauce!  Pierogies can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store and can range in price based on brand.  I prefer to buy Mrs. T’s Pierogies, and can often buy them on sale for $2.50 a box.  

Gorton's Smart & Crunchy Fish Fillets

4. Gorton’s Smart & Crunchy Fish Fillets – We recently tried these new fish fillets from Gorton’s and I was pleasantly surprised.  I baked them for twenty minutes, flipping them half-way and they ended up with a nice crunch.  I like that they have 50% less fat than Gorton’s regular fish fillets.  Pair these with the mashed potatoes and salad kit and you have a meal! I purchased this bag with 8 fillets, on sale for under $5.

Pizza Dough

5. Store-bought Pizza Dough – Friday night at our house is usually pizza night.  Homemade pizza, that is.  We prefer the frozen pizza dough found in the bakery section of our local Shoprite.  If they don’t have any there we’ll get the refrigerated variety found by the shredded cheese.  Yes, you can make homemade pizza dough, but this store-bought dough is just so cheap and easy to cook!  We defrost the dough the night before in the refrigerator.  Then, a couple of hours before we plan to make the pizza we take it out of the refrigerator.  The dough is a blank canvas for whatever type of pizza we are craving.  The kids usually prefer plain, but my husband and I are always trying out new pizza recipes including Onion, Pear & Gorgonzola Pizza with Balsamic Glaze and Olive Potato Pizza.

What packaged foods make your dinner time easier? 

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Food Finds #2

Food Finds

Here’s a look at some recent food finds that we’ve tried.  I have to admit, most of them are junk food and snacks, as most of these were bought and tried before I decided that I needed to start eating healthier.  Be on the lookout for some “healthier” selections in the next Food Finds post!

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three twins organic ice cream:  sea salted caramel – Founded in 2005, three twins ice cream is a California-based ice cream company that uses only certified organic ingredients.  I love all things salted caramel, so when I saw this flavor in the freezer case of my local Shoprite I knew I had to try it.  This ice cream was super creamy and smooth.  It wasn’t overly sweet and had a hint of salty caramel.  The Weekend Chef and I were both fans of this!  Other interesting three twins ice cream flavors include Chocolate Orange Confetti and Dad’s Cardamom. For additional information, check out the three twins site here.

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Alpina Café  Selections:  Vanilla Latte yogurt – Oh, how I had high hopes for this yogurt.  This line of Greek yogurts is the first to be infused with real coffee.  The cup of yogurt has 30-50 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to approximately a half a cup of coffee.  I can’t eat dairy first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, so having this for breakfast was out.  The Weekend Chef and I decided to share it for dessert one night, though I was a bit hesitant, since I can be sensitive to caffeine and didn’t want to be up all night!  Well, after one bite of this yogurt I didn’t need to worry, since I really didn’t like it.  The yogurt itself was creamy and the coffee taste evident.   However, both the Weekend Chef and I found the taste to be bitter and unenjoyable.  There are too many other yogurts that we enjoy out there.  For additional information, check out the Alpina US site here.

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Mighty Leaf Chocolate Mint Truffle Tea – I don’t remember where I received a free sample of this tea from.  I much prefer coffee over tea.  However, this tea is caffeine free and was perfect for a recent relaxing night of Netflix viewing.  While I normally add sugar to my tea, I didn’t with my mug of this.  The chocolate and mint flavor was very mild and barely noticeable.  I was hoping for a more pronounced flavor.  For additional information, check out the Mighty Leaf website.

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Canada Dry Blackberry Ginger Ale – I have really tried to cut back on my soda consumption.  However, when I see something new I have to give it a try.  We only let the kids drink caffeine free, regular soda on special occasions or when we go out to eat.  They both have started liking ginger ale so we all tried this blackberry ginger ale.  We all liked it, though it had more of a grape taste than a blackberry taste.  I would definitely pick this up again. For more information check out the Canada Dry website.

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Lay’s Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro Potato Chips – Our daughter had us enter the Lay’s flavor contest.  We didn’t win, but these Greektown Gyro flavored chips were a finalist, along with Southern Biscuits and Gravy, New York Reuben, and West Coast Truffle Fries.  So far, we’ve only tried these and weren’t impressed.  They had a weird, lab-dill flavor that wasn’t very appealing.  Definitely not a fave.  Still have some other flavors to try though!

Have you tried any of these?  Do you have any recent food finds that we should try?!

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Foodie Finds #1

We are always on the look-out for and love trying new food products.  Whether it’s a new flavor of an old favorite or a brand new food product, we are always game for trying and thought we’d share some of our recent eats and reviews!

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Sahale Snacks:  Sing Buri Cashews – I found these at Home Goods and was so intrigued I had to buy them!  These came in a 5 ounce bag and cost $2.99.  From the Sahale Snacks website you can purchase a 6 pack of these cashews for $29.65.   The Sahale website describes these snacks as “Lemongrass, soy-glazed cashews, pineapple, peanuts, and sesame seeds, lightly dusted with mild Chinese chili, in an aromatic blend, reminiscent of a great Thai dish.”  With a description like that how could I pass these up?  The cashews were lightly glazed and came in small clusters of cashews, dried pineapple and peanuts.  They had a hint of spice that wasn’t too strong, as both kids ate these.  Each bite packed a mouthful of flavor.  While I’m not a huge fan of lemongrass, the flavor was evident, but not overwhelming.  Our family practically devoured this bag after first opening.  We recommend this snack if you are a cashew lover who enjoys big flavors!  This is one of the more interesting flavors of snacks that we’ve seen and tried.  These cashews are certified gluten-free, kosher and non GMO verified.  For more information, check out the Sahale Snacks site here.

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Annie’s Naturals:  Goddess dressing – The Weekend Chef picked this salad dressing up at our local Shoprite.  The description from the Annie’s Naturals websites notes “In the 1920’s, the Palace Hotel in San Francisco honored actor George Arliss, who was opening in a play called “The Green Goddess,” with a salad dressing. But Annie’s Goddess dressing – a creamy tahini and lemon dressing with chives and parsley – is the real showstopper.”  This was not a favorite of mine or the kids, but the Weekend Chef likes it.  It is thick and the tahini flavor is strong, which would probably make for a good dip, as well as a salad dressing.  He likes the short and sweet list of all natural ingredients.  He also thinks it has an Asian flavor to it, which I disagree with.  There are no artificial flavors, no synthetic colors or preservatives and Annie’s Naturals only sources ingredients stated to be GMO free.   For more information, check out the Annie’s Naturals site here.

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Haagen-Dazs Artisan Collection:  Tres Leches Brigadeiro – You will see a LOT of ice cream reviews here.  We LOVE the stuff and are always on the look out for new brands and flavors!  While Haagen-Dazs is definitely not a new ice cream brand, their artisan collection is fairly new.   The Weekend Chef picked out the Tres Leches Brigadeiro flavor.  We both found this flavor to be extremely sweet with only a hint of tres leches flavor and didn’t care for it as much as we had hoped.  While we applaud Haagen-Dazs’ attempt at collaboration with Paula Barbosa for this artisan collection flavor, for us, this one sounded much better on the package.  For additional information, check out the official Haagen-Dazs site.

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Snyder’s of Hanover:  Parmesan and Garlic Bowties –  These new Bowties from Snyder’s of Hanover come in three flavors – Parmesan and Garlic, which we tried, Original and Everything.  These are flat, crispy pretzels, which are perfect for dipping into hummus or your favorite dip.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have dip or hummus and ate these as is.  The parmesan and garlic flavor was evident but not overpowering.  While the rest of us enjoyed them, our daughter wasn’t a fan.  I think it was the flavoring and if I end up buying these again, I’ll probably buy the original flavor to have with hummus or dip.  These are comparable to Snack Factory’s Pretzel Crisps, though these bowties are thicker and crunchier.  While these retail for $3.49 at our Shoprite, I bought them on sale for $2.50.  Check out the Snyder’s official site for more information.

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Chobani Greek Yogurt:  Limited Batch Blended Concord Grape –  You will also be seeing a lot of yogurt reviews here as well.  While I’m not a big yogurt eater, the Weekend Chef and the kids love the stuff!  They are always trying out new yogurts and flavors.  Blended Concord Grape is a limited batch flavor.  Overall, the Weekend Chef enjoys most Chobani yogurts.  However, he was not a fan of this flavor.  He compared the taste of this grape yogurt to sweet Passover wine.  He understands why there has been no marketed grape yogurt to this point.  While the yogurt itself was smooth and creamy, the Grape flavor was a fail.  For more information on this yogurt, check out the official Chobani site.

*Please note, all products mentioned above were purchased by NY Foodie Family.

Stay tuned for next week’s review of other foodie finds!