Ballreich's All Occasion Gift Basket Review 10/30/2011
It is evident that, with the snow already falling in the Northeast and the considerably cooler temperatures here in East Tennessee, summer is long gone for this year. For us, that means that our outdoor activities after work has all but stopped and we have been staying in for the most part over the past couple of weeks. And, since my husband’s favorite holiday is Halloween (for the horror movies that are shown almost every night of the week), this great opportunity for us came at the perfect time. We got the chance to review different varieties of potato chips from a company called Ballreich, out of Ohio. This family owned and operated company (since the early 1900’s) specializes in great tasting snacks, such as several varieties of potato chips, pretzels, popcorn, smoked meat sticks and more. They graciously sent us a special all occasion gift basket (valued at an extremely reasonable $15.00) to try out in our home. And, as I mentioned above, since we were going to be watching scary movies each night, we now had something to munch on! As you can see in the unboxing video that my husband made above or the photo below, Ballreich’s gift baskets are very eye appealing. In this spotted basket, we received the following chips to sample: 1.5 oz. bags of BBQ, salt & vinegar, smokey sweet mesquite, sour cream & onion and cheese popcorn…plus an 8 oz. bag of pretzels, a 1 pound bag of original marcell (more on what “marcell” is in a moment) and a 1.25 oz. bag of baked regular chips. We had no idea what “marcell” meant, so, after a little digging through their web site, we found out that “marcelled” was their term for the wavy looking chips. All varieties of snacks that were sent to us tasted great, but two bags stood out to us. The first snack we tried was the cheese popcorn…this was the best tasting flavored popcorn we had ever eaten. That is not just a nice-sounding line for this review; it was the truth and my exact words as soon as I swallowed the first bite. Number two in our list of favorites was the original marcelled chips. You can call them plain if you like, but these chips were very fresh and were not greasy like most that you will put in your mouth. Plus, they were great for dip during our movies. If your favorite grocery store does not carry Ballreich’s snacks, you can order them straight from their web site. Order one of their fresh & tasty baskets (they have several to choose from) for your family. Or, have one sent to a relative or friend for a nice, fresh surprise. Visit them at www.ballreich.com to see all that they have to offer. We encourage you to “like” them on facebook & follow them on twitter as well. ***Please note that we received no form of monetary compensation for this post. We did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are our own and were not influenced in any way. Add Comment Gluten-Free, Low Glycemic Cookbook 02/21/2011
In today's society many people have food allergies and difficulty eating certain foods. Those who are in this situation often find it hard to prepare those delicious meals they were once used to. Well, now there is a cookbook that makes it all possible. Debbie Johnson, former owner and executive chef of The Golden Chalice Restaurant and Gallery, has created this cookbook filling it full of delicious, gourmet tasting dishes. Thanks to Debbie you can now create gourmet tasting gluten-free and low-glycemic meals quickly and easily. She has also included scrumptious desserts as well. Visit http://tinyurl.com/4jgpxfl to order yours today. Elimination Diet Cookbook 02/21/2011
The Elimination Diet Cookbook is full of well over 150 easy to prepare, extremely simple yet highly nutritious and delicious recipes for vegetarians and vegans who are stuck for meal ideas. If you're looking for simple instructions on meals that are easy to prepare and taste great you'll love the elimination diet cookbook. Visit http://tinyurl.com/4rtb2p2 to find out how you can own this incredible cookbook today. 20 Cookbooks for $20.00 02/20/2011
Stop wasting time searching for generic recipes on the net! You can save this amazing collection of cookbooks to your computer and instantly access thousands of delicious homemade recipes whenever you want. These recipes have been tested by 100's of home cooks. Here is what you will get for $20.00: 1. Secret Sauces Exposed!: The Savory Sauces of 5-Star Restaurants 2. The Best Darn BBQ Recipes Ever - Vol 1 3. Healthy Heart Low Cholesterol Cookbook 4. Fix & Forget It Crockpot Recipes 5. Foodies Favorite 229 Pie Recipes 6. Global Kitchen Homemade Soup Recipes 7. Good Ole Comfort Foods: The Go-to Recipes They're Sure to Love 8. The Grill Master's Guide to Grilling 9. 55 Quick & Easy Pumpkin Recipes 10. Special Occasion Cookbook: The Special Recipes for Special Times 11. Diabetic Delights: The Healthier Version of Your Favorite Foods 12. Kid Approved Cookbook: Delicious Dishes the Kids Will Love 13. 300 Chicken Recipes 14. Easy Chinese Style Cooking 15. Chocolate Recipes for Chocolate Lovers 16. Authentic & Old-Fashioned Mother's Recipes 17. Summertime Grill Recipes 18. Tasty Fat Loss & Muscle Gaining Recipes 19. Smoothies for Athletes 20. A Guide to 365 Foreign Dishes I bought my brother-in-law (Mark) a set of these for Christmas. He loves to cook and try new foods, as does most of this family. He has taken the time to sit down and look through all of these books and he's thoroughly impressed with what he received. Where else will you ever be able to get 20 electronic cookbooks for just $1 per book? Click on the link below, which will take you to the order page (which also contains a more detailed description of each book that is listed above). http://tinyurl.com/5wu8s6n John WM Macy's CheeseSticks Product Review 02/14/2011
We have had the tasty opportunity to sample John Wm Macy’s Cheese Sticks and Sweet Sticks. The flavors that we sampled were Melting Parmesan, Sesame Gruyere, Original Cheddar, Bourbon Vanilla Dessert Twists, and Java Cinnamon Dessert Twists. I can tell you that you definitely will want to stock your pantry with these delightful snacks. I am going to give you the description of each flavor from John Wm Macy’s website, and then I will give you a personal review. We had several people try these snacks, as we often like to do. I always feel that it is better to get opinions from different pallets in order to have a truly good review of a food product. Melting Parmesan: “Made from mounds of shredded Parmesan cheese, layered between thin sheets of fresh sourdough and unsalted creamery butter, then cut into strips, twisted into shape and baked twice to "...the perfect crunch!" Great with cocktails, pasta, soups and salads or right out of the box for a quick snack. Try them with your favorite dip or spread!” This was a hit with everyone. The taste group all thought it would be a great snack, but also would probably taste great with soup or salad. The texture was excellent, not to hard or crunchy. You really need to try them. I personally thought they would be great to serve during a party or gathering where you are serving finger foods. Place them nicely around your dip because they have a pleasing look to them so it would make for a great looking dish. Sesame Gruyere: “Sesame Gruyere CheeseCrisps are made from freshly mixed sourdough and generous quantities of aged Swiss and Gruyere cheeses, delightfully accented by sesame seeds. A delightful mate for your favorite beverage, they are also great to snack on right out of the box.” These are cute little crisps that have a powerful taste. Michael loved them, and he is a hard one to please. I served them with and without little cheddar cheese squares. They were excellent both ways, but I really recommend you try them with the cheese squares because it was mouth watering. I think these would be excellent alongside a salad or served as a party tray with different cheeses. But, they are also great to just enjoy as a quick snack. Original Cheddar: “Made from mounds of shredded sharp Cheddar and Asiago cheeses, layered between thin sheets of fresh sourdough and seasoned with cayenne butter, then cut into strips, twisted into shape and baked twice to "...the perfect crunch!" Great with cocktails, soups and salads or right out of the box for a quick snack. Try them warned up or serve with your favorite dip or spread!” These were excellent as well. I know I’m being a little repetitive, but these cheese sticks and crisps are excellent and would be great served in so many different ways. They can be part of dinner or just as a snack. You can’t ask for a better food. Bourbon Vanilla Dessert Twists: “These classic dessert treats are made from sweetened sourdough, layered with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sugared butter and Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, cut in strips and twisted into shape, then baked twice to crispy perfection. Bourbon Vanilla SweetSticks are ideal as a side to almost any dessert, by themselves as a light dessert or as a quick "not-too-sweet" snack. Reheat and serve out of the oven with ice cream for a special treat. Crush or break into pieces for out of this world toppings!” WOW, what can I say? Excellent snack or dessert. Beautiful flavor and the appearance is rather lovely as well. If you don’t listen to anything else I say in this review, please do yourself a favor and try these sweetsticks. They truly do have an excellent taste that will simply leave you wanting more. Java Cinnamon Dessert Twists: “These classic dessert treats are made from sweetened sourdough, layered with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and sugared cinnamon butter, cut in strips and twisted into shape, then baked twice to crispy perfection. Java Cinnamon SweetSticks are ideal as a side to almost any dessert, by themselves as a light dessert or as a quick "not-too-sweet" snack. Reheat and serve warm for a special treat. Crush or break into pieces for out of this world toppings!” Now this one was not my favorite, it had more of a coffee taste in my opinion. But, others really like it. One of our tasters thought they would be great to eat along with a cup of coffee. One commented that they though it might be good to crush up and sprinkle over vanilla ice cream as the website suggested. There are several other flavors to try, so please visit their website at http://www.cheesesticks.com/. They have very good pricing and they also sell gift tins so that you can give these great snacks as a gift. Be sure to follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook. The other day Michael and I went to Sagebrush for dinner. Well, I was excited to see a new dish called Chili-Lime Chicken Bites. I thougth they would taste great, so I decided to try them. Let me give you the description from the menu. "Tender marinated chicken breast hand-breaded with our chili-lime breading, deep fried and served with our honey chipotle lime cream sauce." Well, I was horribly disappointed. They tasted burnt. Well, I thought perhaps the cook simply overcooked them. So I asked the waitress, not complaining, but asked if this is the way they always came out. She said it was. She told me that everytime they cook them the breading comes out like that and she did not understand why. So that made me even more disappointed. I had hoped that it was just the cook and this little dish still had a chance of being delicious. Well, perhaps that was just an excuse or maybe it is the truth. Either way, I think it would make a great dish if they could perfect it a little. Now the sauce they served with it was excellent. On a side note, they had these new biscuits that they served and they were excellent. I hope they keep those little guys. Happy eating! Granola Gourmet Energy Snacks Review 02/02/2011
Recently, we had the pleasure of sampling Granola Gourmet’s Ultimate Energy Bars. During this review, I want to give you information about the energy bars as well as give you our own opinion about the taste of the bars. We sampled the following bars: Ultimate Berry, Ultimate Fudge Brownie, Ultimate Mocha Fudge, and Ultimate Cran-Orange. Granola Gourmet was founded by Jeff Cohen, who is a diabetic, and his family. Granola Gourmet Energy Bars are made with 100% natural ingredients. Mr. Cohen wanted a product that was healthy and tasty while at the same time meeting the needs of those who had diabetes. These energy bars contain no wheat or dairy. They do contain Omega-3’s and whole grains. The Ultimate Energy Bars are low in sodium and non-GMO. These bars will also meet other dietary needs because they are kosher and vegan. They are made with all natural products and seem much healthier than some energy bars on the market. Our two favorite bars were Ultimate Mocha and Ultimate Cran-Orange. But, all the bars had great texture and a pleasant taste. We had a family member, who is a nurse and always on the go, to take part in the taste test. He said Granola Gourmet Energy Bars would make a better alternative to some of the more sugary and fattening snacks that he has been used to. He plans to switch to these granola bars. These energy bars are great for everyone. Society is fast paced and so many people skip a meal because they are in a rush. Don’t skip eating a meal all together, turn to Granola Gourmet Energy Bars when in a rush. Remember that healthy eating is healthy living. Be sure to stop by their website to learn more about Granola Gourmet Energy Bars. While you're there, be sure to sign up on their newsletter. Just click on the above logo and you will be sent to Granola Gourmet's website. Be sure to follow Granola Gourmet on Twitter and like them on Facebook. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure. We recently had the opportunity to sample products from Granola Snacks. Not only did we taste these delicious products, but also had family members and friends do a taste test as well. We received a lot of great feedback on the taste and quality of the granola snacks. Pumpkin Spice Granola: Freshly ground spices of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon cover buttery pecans, dates, and oats. This snack also contains pumpkins, of course. There is a very pleasing aroma to the snack. It instantly made me think of Thanksgiving. I do not generally like eating anything with pumpkin, but the taste for me was not too bad. I would definitely put this snack in a dish for my Thanksgiving guests to snack on. Others, who tried it, absolutely loved it. They loved the aroma and great taste. Everyone agreed that this type of snack would be much healthier than sitting down to a bag of chips. Those pumpkin eaters who tried the snack agreed this is a great way to get that flavor all year round. Caramel Nut Granola: This snack is saturated with creamy smooth homemade caramel, pecans, almonds, golden raisins, bananas, dates, butter, honey, and the finest grains. My husband enjoyed the snack, but it was not my favorite because I do not eat caramel. My brother, who loves caramel, loved it. He said it was the best caramel snack he had ever eaten. The snack has a rich caramel taste and the nuts and other ingredients blend well together. Rocky Road Granola: Marshmallows and crunchy almonds are coated with cacao chocolate. Some said this snack would become very addictive because of the excellent taste. You think you are eating an ever so fattening dessert, but really you are enjoying a wonderfully tasting and healthier snack. Exceptional ingredients and an exceptional taste. If you are a chocolate fan, you definitely don’t want to miss out on this snack. Buckeye Granola: Chunks of granola covered in peanut butter and chocolate. But, the greatness doesn’t stop there because they toss in roasted walnuts and peanuts. This was by far the favorite of most everyone who tried it. Pure excellence describes this granola snack best. It is the granola snack of all granola snacks. It has an excellent taste and texture. Each of these granola snacks had great quality and great taste. These snacks are very pleasing to the pallet and you won’t go wrong by trying them. Granola Snacks would be excellent to take on camping or hunting trips. Take a bag to the ballgame. Serve them at a party. Or you can simply sit down in your home and enjoy a healthy and tasty snack anytime of the day. Each 9 oz bag cost $5.95, which is a great price for such great quality. Please visit www.granolasnacks.com to find more information on these snacks. You can find the ingredients and nutritional information for each snack while visiting their website. Happy snacking! ![]() POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice is a little bit sweet, a little bit tart and a whole lotta healthy. That statement is directly from their website and is 100% true. POM Wonderful pomegranate juice will make your taste buds dance the tango. Research has suggested that pomegranate juice can provide great health benefits as well. I will list a few benefits of pomegranate juice that I have read about. Keep in mind that some of these benefits are preliminary and more tests need to be done to evaluate the true benefits of the fruit. · Lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol while raising good (HDL) cholesterol. · Lowers blood pressure. · Fights breast cancer. · May inhibit the development of lung cancer. · Slows progression of prostate cancer. · May prevent cartilage deterioration. · Prevents plaque from building up in the arteries and helps clean plaque from arteries. · Prevents and slows down Alzheimer’s disease. · Protects the neonatal brain. · Beneficial for those suffering from erectile dysfunction. Pomegranate fruits contain polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins, which are all beneficial antioxidants. Pomegranate juice also provides you with fiber, potassium and vitamin C. POM Wonderful juices contain no added sugars, preservatives, or colors. They are gluten-free, and they are certified kosher. There are several flavors of Pom Wonderful juices: 100% Pomegranate, POM Blueberry, POM Cranberry, POM Cherry, POM Mango, POM Kiwi, POM Nectarine. Juices are available in different sizes of 8, 16, 24, 48, and 60 oz bottles. POM Wonderful sent us a case of 10 bottles of pomegranate juice for this review. Not only was this a healthy drink for us and our mothers (who helped in the review process), it was a tasty one, too. We have added a bottle of pomegranate juice on our next grocery list. Visit www.pomwonderful.com to find out more information about all of their juices, as well as recipes incorporating POM Cranberry juice. Find out how you can win your own case of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice below our unboxing video. ~~ GIVEAWAY ~~Want a case of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice for your family? The fine folks at POM Wonderful has graciously agreed to send one just like what we received to one of our loyal subscribers. Gain an entry by doing the following (1 entry per task): Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Comment on this video Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/SoutherlandPro Become a fan on Facebook - search Southerland Promotions Subscribe to our RSS feed on www.southerlandpromtions.com Repost this giveaway on your own blog for 3 extra entries (must provide the link). Please leave comments by clicking the blue comment link at the top of this post (1 per task) for your entries. Entries close at 11:59 pm on Satruday, February 5th. The winner will be picked on Sunday, February 6, 2010. We will use random.org to pick the winner. Good luck!!! After taking an extended break from our blog postings, we are back with some new content that we think you will find beneficial. Make sure you "like" Southerland Promotions on Facebook and follow us on Twitter so you will know when we update our websites. Over the past couple of years, it has become the norm for restaurants and fast food chains to want their customers and potential customers to sign up to receive their free e-newsletter. Many will entice their patrons to sign up by offering some sort of free meal, appetizer or dessert...plus something extra for your birthday. Below, you will find a list of restaurants that offer such just for subscribing to their email newsletters. Click on the logos to be directed to the sign up page. Just in the past week, Elizabeth and I signed up for three that we didn't already know about and we can now eat supper twice and breakfast once for just opening an email every now and then. That's a pretty good deal. If you know of more, email us and and I'll add to the list. ![]() Join the IHOP Pancake Revolution (on their Facebook page, click on the "e club" tab) & get a FREE meal just for signing up. You’ll also receive another free meal on your birthday & another one on the 1st year anniversary of signing up! ![]() Receive a complimentary appetizer for joining. You'll also be the first to receive the latest news and exclusive offers delivered straight to your inbox. ![]() Each new member will first receive a welcome email with a coupon good for a FREE Fish & Fries or a FREE Chicken & Fries, just for joining! ![]() Each new member will receive a complementary rib appetizer for joining and a free gift on your birthday! ![]() Be the first to know about what’s going on at Red Lobster. We know what you’re getting for your birthday – a surprise from us to help you celebrate. Plus all the extras we’re cooking up, so join in the fun! ![]() When you join Arby's Extras, you'll receive special offers, coupons and member's only specials, like the one that will be sent straight to your inbox the moment you complete the sign up process. ![]() Sign up and receive news and coupons right to your inbox. Plus receive a coupon for a free small fry and small drink with the purchase of any 1/3 lb. Thickburger just for signing up. ![]() Join Chili's E-mail Club for the latest happenings and exclusive offers, including your welcome gift of free order of chips and queso within 48 hours of signing up! ![]() When you sign up to receive email from Papa John's you will receive weekly email offers delivered straight to your email inbox. Get great online pizza and sides offers such as Free Cheesesticks and Free Pizza. ![]() By joining the Zax Mail Club, you will receive exciting news & more straight to your inbox! And to show our appreciation for joining the club, we will mail you your members-only FREE Meal Deal coupon to the address you provide within 6 weeks of joining. ![]() Join the Bojangles e Club and receive your choice of a FREE Sausage, Steak, Country Ham or Cajun Filet Biscuit coupon delivered to your inbox within 24 hours. | Food & Restaurant ReviewsOur food review blog is reserved to critique a variety of foods that we eat at home or restaurants. Subscribe to our RSS feed to get our updates. ArchivesOctober 2011 CategoriesAll |