tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91403892790513989382024-02-21T01:03:06.851-05:00Chow Down With MeRembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-11489986288754129942017-09-12T06:40:00.000-04:002017-09-12T06:40:51.624-04:00Taste Test - Koia Vanilla Bean Protein Drink<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWaEcTXl0ykJMNByB0FuM1Gm8VHFjf3LaugzTH98uwCMk1vYt1MW8cdVtqvRgHG9ynsvlR6rpte_W71YAkrU29_uJPgSNtqUnd2-vQiRMyWBYi_2IUBf8-gEzA5ZH179KiHI0_A0VntY/s1600/bottles.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWaEcTXl0ykJMNByB0FuM1Gm8VHFjf3LaugzTH98uwCMk1vYt1MW8cdVtqvRgHG9ynsvlR6rpte_W71YAkrU29_uJPgSNtqUnd2-vQiRMyWBYi_2IUBf8-gEzA5ZH179KiHI0_A0VntY/s320/bottles.png" width="293" /></a></div>
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After a short hiatus, due to the start of the new school year and all that entails I am back with a new review of an items that might be a little bit more relevant considering the time period. This is the time of year when bottled protein drinks and smoothies are life. Considering our household, with one growing teen and a high school athlete we are always willing to try out something else to help supplement appetites, and if it can help be more balanced or to balance out their diets overall theb it's a plus. So with that we decided to give the Koia Vanilla Bean Protein Drink a try.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBsTDgf2XzPBa0EbZ2k9GFy5Xyl6Np3qy5lR37npb_Vohlta8ao9LavBRwr5G-VVOhiTNCzBFxU2h-mv39r8nQi9y5Eo_LDkijmtHKU6_n1QeWV6ItE5p2yhtzu4kgV5BfrdsRcQI3Pg/s1600/koia-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBsTDgf2XzPBa0EbZ2k9GFy5Xyl6Np3qy5lR37npb_Vohlta8ao9LavBRwr5G-VVOhiTNCzBFxU2h-mv39r8nQi9y5Eo_LDkijmtHKU6_n1QeWV6ItE5p2yhtzu4kgV5BfrdsRcQI3Pg/s320/koia-3.jpg" width="180" /></a>I spotted this in Wegmans which has a nice sized selection of these kinds of drinks as well as cold soups in the dairy case adjacent to the milk. While I'm not a cold soup and bone broth person so I highly doubt I'll be trying those, looking at the plant based smoothies and milk alternatives and trying them out is something that we can do in my house hold. The thing about Koia is of course the health benefits. Their drinks are Vegan with plant based protein and and almond milk. For people who can't have Soy, none of that here so it's definitely a sort of niche product. The Vanilla Bean flavor also has 18g of protein.<br />
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If you're like me and not the biggest fan of these types of drinks you might have some trepidation about drinking the Koia protein drink, but opening it up, it smells like a regular vanilla milkshake which is a good thing. One of the things that can turn you off of a specialized drink like this is that they can smell like a petri dish almost. Koia avoids this easily and both of my kids dived right in without pausing like they normally do. The texture is smooth and while it does have a slight powdery protein feel to it, it is nowhere near as bad as some of the drinks and mixes I've had in the past.<br />
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Now the color isn't the best but it's not going to turn you off of it. I mean it's a vanilla bean smoothie. The chocolate does look much more appealing however. The one negative I had was the pure cane sugar/monkfruit sweetener combination. I pretty much can say I hate pure cane sugar and this one has a serious after taste with it. If it weren't for that I would have polished it off. That's unfortunate because at 4.99 for one 12 ounce single serving bottle, this isn't cheap. However, if you do suffer from some food allergies this might be a viable protein drink option for you.<br />
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No protein drink is going to give you everything that you want so there are plenty of options out there to cover what your specific needs are. I've never had a truly "healthy" one that I felt like tasted so awesome I didn't notice the ingredients that gave benefits or weren't included for health reasons, but this one could have been very close. If you don't mind pure cane sugar, this could be a go-to for you, especially if you're trying to avoid Soy. If you don't like it though, this probably won't make the cut for you unfortunately so I will be giving two ratings.<br />
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<b>Rating: If you like Pure Cane Sugar 4/5</b><br />
<b> If you don't like Pure Cane Sugar 2/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-58601566542931667402017-08-29T07:36:00.000-04:002017-08-29T07:36:00.168-04:00Taste Test - Fractured Prune Milkshakes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7FUHIL0lwQXwkc4Wfz1yCoIWFgVFbIIyCsLnlDhy0oG-e-PN4CfDrz5fjg3JnxB0FcEcxbvm-3OC07ZuR9EbvGcmuk8pXyJhi9Nb9cxB2qahG2CfUBm-VFUqD0MWUDtpm372mttCjEM/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="324" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7FUHIL0lwQXwkc4Wfz1yCoIWFgVFbIIyCsLnlDhy0oG-e-PN4CfDrz5fjg3JnxB0FcEcxbvm-3OC07ZuR9EbvGcmuk8pXyJhi9Nb9cxB2qahG2CfUBm-VFUqD0MWUDtpm372mttCjEM/s320/logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnEnPMrfHovtfUmzllwXzDO8EZXXYOSBKLMsFkvxw0Yno6HTcE2RHVlUIC_5WARX2i45oI7oM-5iZ84u-s0VPNDhdaZfRDwald6_3WDZhXFGNPBFn42OyLiOINvRqznFlADVILshZ1dk/s1600/20170826_154621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnEnPMrfHovtfUmzllwXzDO8EZXXYOSBKLMsFkvxw0Yno6HTcE2RHVlUIC_5WARX2i45oI7oM-5iZ84u-s0VPNDhdaZfRDwald6_3WDZhXFGNPBFn42OyLiOINvRqznFlADVILshZ1dk/s200/20170826_154621.jpg" width="112" /></a><br />
If you only sell one thing, no matter how good or unique that item might be, at some point you will need to start branching out and adding complimentary items to your menu. This is especially important as you franchise and build out your locations because you need new operators to see a plan for growing their revenue year after year. For the Fractured Prune, a Maryland based doughnut chain, they have added coffee and of course when doing that you're going to naturally expand to iced and blended coffee beverages. Once you do that, it's pretty simple to add smoothies, I mean hell, the blender is right there. It's not too much of a leap thereafter to add milkshakes and that is what took us into our local location after seeing the ads on instagram and facebook recently.<br />
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Much like the other items at FP, you use a card to place your order, circling the flavors that you want to try. There are about a dozen possibilities but none are too far out there as to make them a signature flavor. My son got a cookies and cream, my daughter a strawberry shortcake, while I had a banana cream pie shake. Now, these shakes are a bit pricey at just about 5 bucks apiece, but they are also a large size which mitigates that sticker shock a little bit.The process wasn't the fastest because they only have a couple of blenders so I could see there being a back up if the place gets exceptionally busy and people are ordering donuts as well.<br />
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My daughter thought her shake was just fine, though not great. It just tasted strawberry to her without a real hint of shortcake. It could have used some whole or larger pieces to drive that point home. The cookies and cream was cookies indeed and was also just fine. my experience was probably the worst. The banana cream pie shake had a gritty feel to it and tasted flat. There wasn't a bright banana pop nor a particularly whipped cream flavor. I'm not sure what happened but the kids agreed it wasn't hitting on all cylinders.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdzKs51rg_wjICjlBSJI3_clVvZzTN5qAF1fZ-pZG02IQ1Y_QbRqlo14522BINJtl2jIP0nbv-YaaiRJF5aeNfjUvwmT_syW5cKQRAhkAF34qAmiexEFP7T6yTe198YTFCUWac8f6rBM/s1600/20170826_155011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdzKs51rg_wjICjlBSJI3_clVvZzTN5qAF1fZ-pZG02IQ1Y_QbRqlo14522BINJtl2jIP0nbv-YaaiRJF5aeNfjUvwmT_syW5cKQRAhkAF34qAmiexEFP7T6yTe198YTFCUWac8f6rBM/s320/20170826_155011.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
For five bucks I expect a better shake honestly, and I can't get beyond that. Just fine doesn't cut it and the size is overwhelming just because it isn't "great". I get the idea to tie in something that you already have supplies for, I'm sure they use some of the donut toppings for the shakes but I don't think it works out that well for me.<br />
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<b>Rating: 2/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-88131583746479714452017-08-24T07:21:00.001-04:002017-08-24T07:23:42.079-04:00Taste Test - Hostess "Fried" Banana Twinkies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJb8PLytFOkJC6qhZdQIyrhqPlllBjI2QY6RiqvKmiy1bwsdOwROTqWVIzgo7T5DN-xIXjdV-VCDP4Iq4oj18fXtrZs_3l7sVmy6d54VtNiYAjNQ9xrK00QMdhk3Nl_pRocJq02LXi9pg/s1600/hostess-deep-fried-banana-filled-twinkies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="640" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJb8PLytFOkJC6qhZdQIyrhqPlllBjI2QY6RiqvKmiy1bwsdOwROTqWVIzgo7T5DN-xIXjdV-VCDP4Iq4oj18fXtrZs_3l7sVmy6d54VtNiYAjNQ9xrK00QMdhk3Nl_pRocJq02LXi9pg/s320/hostess-deep-fried-banana-filled-twinkies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfIkLdJdQ-_Xjn_xVZPxkS-LKMrGgbl7Xv0f2YcG6pcOH1bn3sM220xqn2fiRW_xtkOTLUdHW8ZSU3tk2t1LG-hSQduawY3fsVzsCQwWnqEP0a4OLDV-TrViAX2tBqAikUOrgNSVpvvc/s1600/twinkie-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
State fair season is upon us and with that the myriad of fried items designed to gross us out and tantalize our tongues. From fried oreos (which are awesome) to poptarts and of course Twinkies. This time of the year is a race to throw the oddest item that we can into pancake batter and grease, but if you can't make it to the fair in your state, Hostess has you covered with their Fried Twinkies which you can find in your local grocer's freezer section.<br />
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So the first thing is that I think for an item like this, you get a good quantity of product. Often I see something like this and you're only going to get about four servings for 6-7 dollars. Each of the twinkies is a nice size as well. To me, each seems to be a little bit larger than than a normal twinkie and that may be true because of the topping process for these treats. Each of the banana flavored twinkies is covered with some sort of graham cracker crumb concoction. There are three ways to heat, oven, toaster oven or deep fry (of course). We chose to bake them in the oven at 350 degrees.<br />
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8 minutes after putting them in the oven they are ready to come out. Our first set had some of the filling overflowing and bubbling out. It wasn't too bad though. It takes a couple of minutes to cool down and then it's time to dig in. There was a decent shell crack but I can tell that if you deep fry it would be even more crispy on the outside, although you would have to watch it very closely to ensure the filling doesn't leak all of the way out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqP8BjAV5AXFpSOrJTFKdySpKC1Z1zSF497k0N6Hd75mB7gg2o1QOsYOsaI4UsiAxdZfPEPe9UonqiaSOeJ-0F2QIpuOLq7f7nFwm41zG2UeX19IFCGpcOUp4lyQ_WLXP8DfM7pUDY3nc/s1600/twinkie-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqP8BjAV5AXFpSOrJTFKdySpKC1Z1zSF497k0N6Hd75mB7gg2o1QOsYOsaI4UsiAxdZfPEPe9UonqiaSOeJ-0F2QIpuOLq7f7nFwm41zG2UeX19IFCGpcOUp4lyQ_WLXP8DfM7pUDY3nc/s320/twinkie-3.jpg" width="320" /></a>The inside seemed a bit overly mushy to me, even considering that this is a sweet banana creme filling inside of a sponge cake. It wasn't too off-putting but I noticed it. The flavor was crazy sweet when I tasted the creme by itself. The banana flavoring was there, but you know this isn't a natural product. You can't even pretend that you don't know this these are bad for you. When you eat all the components together the sweetness is cut slightly with the graham cracker crust providing a slight contrast in flavor and texture. I was pleasantly surprised that it tasted as good as it did considering just what it is that I'm eating.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCrU7ToAXL82N1JB308O5FmaMvVa-hO1Fm4wFZJ9j3WzW3jjeZtCVm0TqqLiDCEMKHoPgEWU7l6FDy0zPe-bGPnngbauR3_JsZZ-YnWga8-TDIvM9UXe69_RTKu4gS_s5jzDnFIxbOCE/s1600/twinkie-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCrU7ToAXL82N1JB308O5FmaMvVa-hO1Fm4wFZJ9j3WzW3jjeZtCVm0TqqLiDCEMKHoPgEWU7l6FDy0zPe-bGPnngbauR3_JsZZ-YnWga8-TDIvM9UXe69_RTKu4gS_s5jzDnFIxbOCE/s320/twinkie-5.jpg" width="320" /></a>If you can't get to the fair, grabbing a box of these for the family to eat once or twice isn't the worst idea ever. You will have enough for everyone to have one or maybe two and be able to have something a little bit different. However, I wouldn't have these in the freezer regularly. They just aren't that great and are really sweet and you're asking for trouble if you indulge in these too often. One idea could be to add some actual fruit like strawberries to this and make it an actual full desert. The key is to add complimentary flavors that don't add sweetness because it has more than enough on its own.<br />
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<b>Rating: 2.5/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-19278003292832445222017-08-22T06:38:00.000-04:002017-08-22T06:52:06.743-04:00Restaurant Review - Belcibo Cafe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3_GZGi8kP9GC9yHXjN3sgG0LG_mzFg7PPq2t77V3ToXc1skFbrcAIl8GAFpXNfpHBAdcley6ZxRZBzPwbJKDticLfXFxxw7gClFXkLODKgA-Bv_Caw2nhCf-EzWF-BLH9mPSouIcD3k/s1600/belcibo-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3_GZGi8kP9GC9yHXjN3sgG0LG_mzFg7PPq2t77V3ToXc1skFbrcAIl8GAFpXNfpHBAdcley6ZxRZBzPwbJKDticLfXFxxw7gClFXkLODKgA-Bv_Caw2nhCf-EzWF-BLH9mPSouIcD3k/s320/belcibo-4.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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One thing you have to do, is keep your eye out for the new local places when they pop up. A great way to do this is using your friends on facebook and instagram. IG is especially good because once you identify something that you like, they help you to discover more things just like it and since I love new food and to eat, getting the suggestion of new restaurants is always great. That is where I first got a glimpse at this new place located in Reisterstown Road Plaza, Belcibo Cafe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdl1Bje7JkM33DU7VWzHB7ZcHFfdEWspFi0A5hkKBYHlpdWHeXyC7Tw1_bha7YUF_S0v9-bA6hA_0EEJiC-xbWAMCyNbPxM5MeN7NqXj40VR3MGicwoPuX9BZO2aw6YQvPbSWGQ5w3ZE/s1600/belcibo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-dEH1IWNt80bJacKssdvMoODSOPc4xFx5YroQWtLd6tVX0OSgfdaAlWD9PtJUo-RRYAvA198hENCMKYldYnP9Tz4p2W84NzNc0_0x0fL6KZ-6Zb37Xv2Bh776-QguNQeTVJ9Q54ScpI/s1600/belcibo-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-dEH1IWNt80bJacKssdvMoODSOPc4xFx5YroQWtLd6tVX0OSgfdaAlWD9PtJUo-RRYAvA198hENCMKYldYnP9Tz4p2W84NzNc0_0x0fL6KZ-6Zb37Xv2Bh776-QguNQeTVJ9Q54ScpI/s320/belcibo-3.jpg" width="180" /></a>Though they have been open for a couple of weeks, they just recently had their grand opening and for me, I'd rather not do one with the festivities if only to try and avoid a crowd, lines and wait times where possible. So I took the kids down on a Saturday morning in order to finally get a shot at the chicken beignets which had caught my eye via their ig page. The location itself isn't all that big but it's cozy enough and you have a seating area for eating or your wait (more on that later). The staff is more than pleasant and I witnessed them speaking to people walking by to draw attention to the restaurant. They also came and checked up on us and acknowledged our presence during our time there and it was appreciated.<br />
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The menu is simple enough, there is a nice variety of breakfast items which are available all day which include a variety of waffles, breakfast sandwiches and biscuits. The lunch menu has a nice list of sandwiches several of which I want to try. There was also a special of the day and they had something I haven't seen before, the "lemonade bar" where they can add one (or maybe more) additional flavors to their lemonade. I ordered the chicken beignets, a chicken biscuit and my daughter ordered a sausage egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. She tried a pina colada lemonade while I had original.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdl1Bje7JkM33DU7VWzHB7ZcHFfdEWspFi0A5hkKBYHlpdWHeXyC7Tw1_bha7YUF_S0v9-bA6hA_0EEJiC-xbWAMCyNbPxM5MeN7NqXj40VR3MGicwoPuX9BZO2aw6YQvPbSWGQ5w3ZE/s1600/belcibo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdl1Bje7JkM33DU7VWzHB7ZcHFfdEWspFi0A5hkKBYHlpdWHeXyC7Tw1_bha7YUF_S0v9-bA6hA_0EEJiC-xbWAMCyNbPxM5MeN7NqXj40VR3MGicwoPuX9BZO2aw6YQvPbSWGQ5w3ZE/s320/belcibo-1.jpg" width="180" /></a>Now what you're waiting for the taste test. The chicken biscuit was solid. I'm not sure if the maple butter was on it, I didn't taste any but the chicken is almost perfect, though I felt like overall it needed a touch of salt. Subtle thing that made it better, they use thigh meat which means it stays moist and doesn't dry out like breast meat tends to do. The portion size was also great for the price. The Beignets have the same thing, nice, moist chicken that needs a touch more salt, however, the breading has a nice mixture of sweetness and savory flavor. Dipped into the syrup, it's the best part of chicken and waffles together in a bite sized package. My daughter liked her sausage, egg and cheese sandwich and everything is very fresh. Note, the sausage is turkey and they don't have any pork items on the menu, only turkey bacon on some of the sandwiches. The lemonade....man they are betaing chick-fil-a with this. I only got a medium but I should have just said give me all of it. Balanced, sweet but not overly so, I can't give it enough accolades. I didn't try my daughter's pina colada but I can imagine those flavors pair exceptionally well given what the base lemonade tastes like.<br />
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Look if you are in the area, you need to stop by Belcibo and give it a try. I said the chicken is slightly under salted however it is still tasty, cooked well and tender. Using thighs is a great choice that most places won't make. The lemonade is great and the staff is friendly. the only issue was it seemed to be confusion in the back of the house. Our order took kind of long to come out as well as another couple who was waiting. While they were nice about it, I do have to ding them a little bit because of it, I mean that's kind of important. Hopefully, this was an anomaly and going forward they will be a bit quicker. But if you have some time, don't let that deter you from going over and grabbing a bite.<br />
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<b>Rating:4/5 </b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-49578749874169010652017-08-17T07:20:00.000-04:002017-08-17T07:20:09.671-04:00Taste Test - The Toasted Oat Bakehouse Granola<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnkSoj8e1dhgW0hTHLeGMB54R5oyjmkyvYn-te945P23ul9GbnJ8DbwmNJzHuhsXEhVl8PpLenWiaJFF-iSqZaHLUQ9YVKYhxSeJb75LJ-JcXIAfL-lLpt6Yt_XEy6q50EoDVznAGoPI/s1600/Macadamia_No66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1596" data-original-width="1600" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnkSoj8e1dhgW0hTHLeGMB54R5oyjmkyvYn-te945P23ul9GbnJ8DbwmNJzHuhsXEhVl8PpLenWiaJFF-iSqZaHLUQ9YVKYhxSeJb75LJ-JcXIAfL-lLpt6Yt_XEy6q50EoDVznAGoPI/s320/Macadamia_No66.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not gonna lie, I get on and off the granola bandwagon rather often. I try to get on it and make parfaits and also eat it as snacks instead of oatmeal or cereal in order to be a little bit more healthy. My biggest issue with granola is that it's too hard by itself and in order to use milk or something you need to heat it or let it sit overnight, which is an option worth trying for me. However, when I see something like The Toasted Oat Bakehouse Granola I get interested because much like the Woats! granola this is soft baked.<br />
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While they have several varieties, I chose the Macadamia chunk. They also make Blueberry cobbler, Cherry streusel, and Apricot Shortbread flavors. This granola is made with simple ingredients which is on the front of the package so you can see it clearly. I will also say, compared to some of the larger brands, the packaging is cleaner and looks like the nicer, more premium product that it is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9o4R9xQjMNnk7cS-cv3dsa1vDqOgEcnBhU2KLEhc99eOezxgSxfPsAMrtjHHz73CoG8Z_MWyWSoinQTGjbfXVbxQIbqtbAOZt1tFxEoP8JvnQMM1hh0K3FUfhlVO4w2NI8sI6eDEBZM0/s1600/granola-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9o4R9xQjMNnk7cS-cv3dsa1vDqOgEcnBhU2KLEhc99eOezxgSxfPsAMrtjHHz73CoG8Z_MWyWSoinQTGjbfXVbxQIbqtbAOZt1tFxEoP8JvnQMM1hh0K3FUfhlVO4w2NI8sI6eDEBZM0/s320/granola-4.jpg" width="180" /></a>As for the taste, it's pretty darn good. You really taste the honey and vanilla. It's not a stale type of softness either. It also smells just great. I will admit, my first few tastes I thought it might be too sweet but after waiting and coming back to it, I felt as though the sweetness was actually right on point. These are almost like cookies that are from the older lady who bakes the best on the block.<br />
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These are a little bit on the pricey side for Granola and thus I think it's more of a dessert addition or a special indulgent snack, not for every day eating. For some the soft granola might be off putting and it might be a tad bit too sweet but at the end of the day I totally enjoyed it. I will say, I would have maybe liked a piece of fruit or something tart to bring slightly more diversity to the taste however. If you catch it you should give it a try.<br />
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Rating: 4/5Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-80011676787436275632017-08-15T09:26:00.000-04:002017-08-15T09:26:07.325-04:00Taste Test - Calbee Whole Cuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJDekcNcS-Ht_LSJNnyRP90ndH09KT_VwbGVQ7oDRkwSxX71LcKOpCygDg7noIWcVYDkhGoTHlaRA-90xktoUhge6Me8P7F7quzHWgfDrxca9E4xQl45KRIq51stZqZOgBlJPSRbUPbQ/s1600/usa_can_prod15_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJDekcNcS-Ht_LSJNnyRP90ndH09KT_VwbGVQ7oDRkwSxX71LcKOpCygDg7noIWcVYDkhGoTHlaRA-90xktoUhge6Me8P7F7quzHWgfDrxca9E4xQl45KRIq51stZqZOgBlJPSRbUPbQ/s320/usa_can_prod15_1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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You remember potato sticks? I do. There were small strips of potatoes cut in a shoestring style mimicking the fries you sometimes see, or used to in some restaurants. They were small and only in regular salted varieties. I saw these snacks and it brought back nostalgia since I haven't seen those in a while. These aren't in a can but I feel like it is the same main idea.<br />
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Let's start with the packaging, these ain't ya momma's potato sticks. These come in a nice new foil bag and on the front you will notice the bevy of 'health' information such as the fact that these are Gluten free. This is a big deal because instead of having to fight for space in the aisle with chips and cheetos, these stand out when worked in with the other Gluten Free items. Opening it up you can see it's a little less than half filled, and while I could punish an entire bag easily, it's actually not a bad size. Break them up into baggies or eat a few at a time and it works just fine, and that's almost certainly because these are pretty much regular sized fries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq6gru1fOMjaBPNaZp8NVaoRyPh2clPcEsJ3vsdaOGY2THbAGgg9BDEIwjG0Fiit53kzCDb74nVlswFIQfK7fTQDNtoOo3sLieo3sDy_SPkbh9qsOX7Kx6SUECagAC5vQCR8WzzTEZfg/s1600/calbee-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq6gru1fOMjaBPNaZp8NVaoRyPh2clPcEsJ3vsdaOGY2THbAGgg9BDEIwjG0Fiit53kzCDb74nVlswFIQfK7fTQDNtoOo3sLieo3sDy_SPkbh9qsOX7Kx6SUECagAC5vQCR8WzzTEZfg/s320/calbee-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's a good thing about these. You get a really good crunch and bite. It's almost like the best part of a kettle cooked chip with less difficulty eating them. I know several people who aren't fans of kettle chips because they find them hard to eat, harsh on the teeth and inside of the mouth. These are really satisfying in a lot of ways.<br />
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As for flavors, we tried Salt and Vinegar and Bacon Cheddar varieties. I have to say we all preferred the salt and vinegar because they had more flavor. It's a real balancing act with a product like this that seems to be trying to be somewhat healthy for you in some ways and since they are doing that, the flavor powder has to be managed carefully. With that the bacon cheddar has the faintest hint of smokiness and maybe a little bit of cheese taste. It's too muted for my liking. The salt and vinegar isn't as imposing as some salt and vinegar can be but provides more of what you want and works well with the potato.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKjQcxa8hXwMLjN32PjC6xLNIJ6a-ouCpZwlDzLeP0pRJ233ECS8sheNxQoDlbXSIC17J7sd1OwAEhrLngsJHlkPaR1lGguHwfgGR4R9alnLNo1ZOTd9tsaSFwC81quUYdrwMYDQq5vk/s1600/calbee-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKjQcxa8hXwMLjN32PjC6xLNIJ6a-ouCpZwlDzLeP0pRJ233ECS8sheNxQoDlbXSIC17J7sd1OwAEhrLngsJHlkPaR1lGguHwfgGR4R9alnLNo1ZOTd9tsaSFwC81quUYdrwMYDQq5vk/s320/calbee-3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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At almost 3 bucks for regular price, these aren't the worst deal you can get in the category but on sale for 2 bucks it works out fine. The original sea salt is probably a good flavor because salt works in general. If you're a decent enough fan of salt and vinegar you shouldn't be disappointed by that either. The Bacon and Cheddar overall is a miss for me and that brings the grade down somewhat.<br />
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<b>Rating: 4/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-63893307790482664222017-08-10T09:32:00.000-04:002017-08-10T09:32:00.874-04:00Taste Test - Yoplait 'Oui' French Style Yogurt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUNrPh5AQAZ0nXIcSceWL42K5SnH-gJ2pRJi96zrp3D9jC5_3J-dfwXk-Sn-4eaaCGaWznEmtVqKeEi2d09OYl_AkPeaebWOp0EMZx9AYhUPYUOd4OkcTYp815N7ge1Y1va4dxsK602k/s1600/vanilla_jar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUNrPh5AQAZ0nXIcSceWL42K5SnH-gJ2pRJi96zrp3D9jC5_3J-dfwXk-Sn-4eaaCGaWznEmtVqKeEi2d09OYl_AkPeaebWOp0EMZx9AYhUPYUOd4OkcTYp815N7ge1Y1va4dxsK602k/s320/vanilla_jar.png" width="313" /></a></div>
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Yoplait is trying to step up and not get beat anymore in the Yogurt wars. They were late to the party on the Greek train and it has been rolling along for some time now. Since us Americans apparently act like we like food from other places, they have dropped French style yogurt on us to try and get some attention and thunder from the other brands like Chobani that have been kicking their butt.<br />
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The first thing that you notice is the glass jar that the yogurt comes in with it's unique foil label. It is designed to stand out and get your attention immediately. Like some of the new plastic cups you can see the fruit mix-ins if those are the varieties that you choose to try.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdiSlNARRtfNCKIIUwBXzgQO6Tf2q3Xr07YrfZZVLctdiSsMFUnAMD4PVpQ_cBeGKbENOgBC9FoOmiI-JwOBstR01BboLc4K34Ze4dYNLz-pTwCWM_jSBfpRzC3c2LEFYgrC7Yqo9XCc/s1600/20170806_104746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdiSlNARRtfNCKIIUwBXzgQO6Tf2q3Xr07YrfZZVLctdiSsMFUnAMD4PVpQ_cBeGKbENOgBC9FoOmiI-JwOBstR01BboLc4K34Ze4dYNLz-pTwCWM_jSBfpRzC3c2LEFYgrC7Yqo9XCc/s320/20170806_104746.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Opening it up, the yogurt itself is slightly different than a normal Yoplait cup. It's almost like there is a touch of the whipped style that they also sell, but it isn't all of the way there. It's a 'heartier' consistency for those who aren't fond of whipped yogurt. The taste is also a little bit different. I feel as though it straddles the line between our "American" style and Greek yogurt. It's not as sweet as the normal Yoplait and not as tangy as Greek and that is a good thing to me. I dislike Greek yogurt because I don't like the taste although I think that people like the benefit of less sugar and higher protein from it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JFeB8ZlZhfTnRHdpPUgjudSREzKLFPxQqOzrgvodw-17nOSQZNjwlF_LEsB6nlyWRecLLFiQftDPubR_xdZY2GglqUsvIRq7muo63Cl0SNKzKNbzNtRgHBqhq-w9msubGWb2iA5NpA0/s1600/blackberry_jar.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JFeB8ZlZhfTnRHdpPUgjudSREzKLFPxQqOzrgvodw-17nOSQZNjwlF_LEsB6nlyWRecLLFiQftDPubR_xdZY2GglqUsvIRq7muo63Cl0SNKzKNbzNtRgHBqhq-w9msubGWb2iA5NpA0/s200/blackberry_jar.png" width="196" /></a>As something different, it fits the bill and seems like it could be a good move in direction, but maybe for all the traditional Yoplait, not as it's own category. I'm not sure how well this will go over especially when looking at the fact it also seems to be less friendly to the environment because it comes in the glass jar. I am already saving mine to recycle somehow because it seems like a waste of material. The taste is fine if for some reason you don't like regular yogurt or Greek. Try it while you have coupons and the offers are out there to get one for free if you're really interested.<br />
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<b>Rating: 2.5/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-16654381889742200602017-08-08T09:22:00.000-04:002017-08-08T09:22:03.046-04:00Taste Test - Biena Chickpea Snacks - Honey Roasted<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxp-uk3D2Kguy_atHAYhxDTl6QF7_qW3jxOkYp_q373BxbKzwC5xtZhIbtYoPVfhVprMi2OSUY6wz7yW81ieXL-OLMz5Fcvs2K1I42ODha7zslIjpFsTmRgY-6fqr4CTteCKtbFCgnjk/s1600/biena-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxp-uk3D2Kguy_atHAYhxDTl6QF7_qW3jxOkYp_q373BxbKzwC5xtZhIbtYoPVfhVprMi2OSUY6wz7yW81ieXL-OLMz5Fcvs2K1I42ODha7zslIjpFsTmRgY-6fqr4CTteCKtbFCgnjk/s320/biena-3.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Healthy snacking is the thing we are all looking for right, less salt, more protein, different flavors right? What's more unique than chickpeas which are a staple of today's snack world with the massive varieties of hummus that are in your local store's cases these days. You can even get hummus in the snack aisle with small sets of Pita chips perfect for lunches. Why not try a new snack that seems to be bridging the gap for people as they move into healthier and more varied lifestyles. To that end, these Chickpea snacks caught my attention and the flavor varieties made me interested enough to give them a try.<br />
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Now, I'm not a guy who eats chickpeas on any regular basis, or ever at this point so this is an entirely new experience for me to try these. For nutrition, a serving contains 5 grams of protein which means as a snack it will fill you up for a little bit longer than say chips. It also includes some fiber and the package says they have less fat than peanuts. It would be easy to blow through the entire bag because they are very poppable and crunchy. The honey roasted flavor is very good and present in every single bite. These aren't just drizzled with honey and roasted, they are fully covered and that is a tremendous positive.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWeMu1uiXpaxeQDXYO8Jt2tbhPBSHcLx__iHXZv8Ct37KflsVsR-xM6F_MSiibMDTyerYZnT1O3iPD8b0dwys_g6YwV2S5SVZznqG4s-r7WUEkKS7S87PFeEpOHfmOKrS8LNrMum1zIw/s1600/biena-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWeMu1uiXpaxeQDXYO8Jt2tbhPBSHcLx__iHXZv8Ct37KflsVsR-xM6F_MSiibMDTyerYZnT1O3iPD8b0dwys_g6YwV2S5SVZznqG4s-r7WUEkKS7S87PFeEpOHfmOKrS8LNrMum1zIw/s320/biena-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Now for the one negative that I have before I wrap up, these chickpeas are a little bit gritty as you chew them up. Now when you eat them, I think the issue is that they do have less fat than comparable peanuts or cashews. Those fats aren't necessarily a bad thing and I feel like the chickpeas could benefit from them slightly which would make them a little bit smoother to eat. With that said, I haven't stopped eating them since I picked up the bag so something is working. With a large variety of flavors from Honey Roasted, Barbecue, Habanero, Cinnamon Crunch, and Ranch, there is something for everyone. They are also releasing chocolate covered varieties soon. I think they are worth a try.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-31875603191174827522017-08-03T09:40:00.000-04:002017-08-03T09:40:04.054-04:00Taste Test - Ice and Pan Rolled Ice Cream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmII-f5kOys_5fFGtC01EvLnYx8ariw5ENJSNCWARnbe1OWHi_Tb-OAdgPU5tDvmRnF5BWZpkdSGTFBX0MBybjMm_GcWO1d5ELBwGeqFefXEhN6dMdPGNPfXQLu_QF_OPg87wRQCd3OFk/s1600/iceandpan-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmII-f5kOys_5fFGtC01EvLnYx8ariw5ENJSNCWARnbe1OWHi_Tb-OAdgPU5tDvmRnF5BWZpkdSGTFBX0MBybjMm_GcWO1d5ELBwGeqFefXEhN6dMdPGNPfXQLu_QF_OPg87wRQCd3OFk/s320/iceandpan-4.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRzC7kqu499isYZdU5KBmw1MS8QiWUW2hKECs0hOeGJKxG7X6GLaXGMpRUg4M5Qw1rreGhp-b08xDS0oKd6I6PQIon2dB0wIfJ_VZxhK0sIMaA72URZCYfeRyfu5dmf2eaTrDgawCFxk/s1600/iceandpan-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRzC7kqu499isYZdU5KBmw1MS8QiWUW2hKECs0hOeGJKxG7X6GLaXGMpRUg4M5Qw1rreGhp-b08xDS0oKd6I6PQIon2dB0wIfJ_VZxhK0sIMaA72URZCYfeRyfu5dmf2eaTrDgawCFxk/s200/iceandpan-1.jpg" width="112" /></a>I'm a little bit late on this trend but I was in the area and there was a place that makes one of the new hot trends of the dessert world, rolled ice cream. Rolled ice cream is cool mainly because of the way it looks both as its made and as you take it and eat it. I wondered if there was any noticeable difference in taste and I will say not particularly.<br />
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Ice and Pan is in Town town center locally and they also have smoothies and bubble tea. I was there for one reason and chose to get strawberry cheesecake flavored ice cream. The biggest fun is watching them spread and mix the cream and items together on the cold drum. My daughter got a birthday cake flavor and they mixed in vanilla base and sprinkles. The proces takes about 5 minutes and then you're allowed three toppings from the bar. I got strawberries and frosted flakes.<br />
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The ice cream itself is fine. It's nothing great and it's not bad. It's just regular ice cream and while the products may be somewhat freshly made, the freezing process makes a lot of that not matter. At the end of the day, it was a decent cup of ice cream, it looks cool and it's not too expensive at 5 bucks.<br />
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<b>Rating:3/5</b><br />
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<br />Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-60118104112347122322017-07-31T09:32:00.000-04:002017-07-31T09:32:01.566-04:00Taste Test - Cool Haus Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sandwich<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIez8bGXglW5MSAWAuQiZ3SOBtuCcawxL_-jr9y6qdxV0O4u0P7GzMTjvEpqT-KOSu0X8Gr0dLPUK5NBeefTi8BxFjxIus4TvoTlQK_Mz9GLJCLgdOIc_aXpL7zt_BUN3LHxqXRqtexUc/s1600/Tahitian-VanillaChoc-Chip-sammie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIez8bGXglW5MSAWAuQiZ3SOBtuCcawxL_-jr9y6qdxV0O4u0P7GzMTjvEpqT-KOSu0X8Gr0dLPUK5NBeefTi8BxFjxIus4TvoTlQK_Mz9GLJCLgdOIc_aXpL7zt_BUN3LHxqXRqtexUc/s320/Tahitian-VanillaChoc-Chip-sammie.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UDxzNKRoUGw2m8MXWplfq40iczVacWNhffRzkwZ4hyfV6IcYqlIo2_WCPx4GBeSufcRGu0S4UpH9hVdqG-fns23MQhre8VQNpadMwiRG_Hq60QgxsOAwOKGGEP4HVpHV3tudYZH4Lro/s1600/coolhaus-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UDxzNKRoUGw2m8MXWplfq40iczVacWNhffRzkwZ4hyfV6IcYqlIo2_WCPx4GBeSufcRGu0S4UpH9hVdqG-fns23MQhre8VQNpadMwiRG_Hq60QgxsOAwOKGGEP4HVpHV3tudYZH4Lro/s200/coolhaus-1-2.jpg" width="112" /></a>Coolhaus is one of the hippest new craft ice cream companies and as they grow, items that have been maybe in other locations are starting to make their way here. Enter the Coolhaus Ice cream sandwich, which I must say is a pricey summer treat if you can find it. In my area, they are only at Harris Teeter and regular price for a single one is over 5 dollars! Catching it on sale I had to grab one and give it the once over and see what it tastes like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYY_1NuqrF33IpAfW8L4ngvttY90tidPXBPcBNXwPYpy2jxm9hiUVoBcF6GjwP-r-CWIw7Ycf8D_vBSYLYGd2gUyU3gk-U7Eq4CvXtwgFNclPTvMNBa6l1r6rENlPH8195VdyATe4NwhM/s1600/coolhaus-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYY_1NuqrF33IpAfW8L4ngvttY90tidPXBPcBNXwPYpy2jxm9hiUVoBcF6GjwP-r-CWIw7Ycf8D_vBSYLYGd2gUyU3gk-U7Eq4CvXtwgFNclPTvMNBa6l1r6rENlPH8195VdyATe4NwhM/s200/coolhaus-1.jpg" width="112" /></a>The Ice cream sandwich is actually a nice size upon further reflection on it. It is packed with more ice cream than a traditional chipwich. The ice cream layer is nice and thick and it is high quality vanilla bean ice cream. The cookie is thin and chewy, which is good. Some of the cookie ice cream sandwiches can be too hard and thick to be useful. However, it's not all good. The cookie is pretty much flavorless as are the chocolate chips which means you don't get anything to enhance, or balance the vanilla ice cream. That leaves me with a treat that is 85% of the way there but missing one thing that would make it really stand out and that's a little bit unfortunate. Truthfully for the price, the cookie needs to be a little bit more special, with some chunks and sea salt to enhance the ice cream.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3/5</b><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIWDh4gx9sHWqdmhCRR6hk84eq4t6BQcsTo0LgtXlZ9Nu9foTUHilzw4jyEHJxlnVSdGuF-R3kWNTXHrLnUVoaKRZmKb0tnqpGvi0mIn2EAygSeqkLkMUZjUsbB0Ju7icc6URMrHIfeA/s1600/coolhaus-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIWDh4gx9sHWqdmhCRR6hk84eq4t6BQcsTo0LgtXlZ9Nu9foTUHilzw4jyEHJxlnVSdGuF-R3kWNTXHrLnUVoaKRZmKb0tnqpGvi0mIn2EAygSeqkLkMUZjUsbB0Ju7icc6URMrHIfeA/s320/coolhaus-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<br />Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-50390959069272932632017-07-27T12:58:00.000-04:002017-07-27T12:58:03.206-04:00Taste Test - Sunset Raw Acai Bowl and Smoothies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV-djk4Jjy3-YvUotuSA1R_J-osxPgDJ2H_-QeZI5T1pdcItDqy2qhRU5_vIwh9sVFIp-v6J7oaS7I88tEVk7QlkGYinUt6vjGOFGs1DHJ2tPzvoZbDI8NeC-0X3iba-7KGwxqdzAjmQ/s1600/20170722_102503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV-djk4Jjy3-YvUotuSA1R_J-osxPgDJ2H_-QeZI5T1pdcItDqy2qhRU5_vIwh9sVFIp-v6J7oaS7I88tEVk7QlkGYinUt6vjGOFGs1DHJ2tPzvoZbDI8NeC-0X3iba-7KGwxqdzAjmQ/s320/20170722_102503.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5Yk_Cnd24GhyOrPs_GUY1PQfbWti7CJL3v64gdU0FMA3vMkmN-0N14tU9-J_QVyWN1GwcChYVTFSNseHqeKQqq4pmahRNfXjnJAzwONnOfbzQ7VZGvyVpxkGALvM7_GbNQi9xI6zcYg/s1600/20170722_102206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5Yk_Cnd24GhyOrPs_GUY1PQfbWti7CJL3v64gdU0FMA3vMkmN-0N14tU9-J_QVyWN1GwcChYVTFSNseHqeKQqq4pmahRNfXjnJAzwONnOfbzQ7VZGvyVpxkGALvM7_GbNQi9xI6zcYg/s200/20170722_102206.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
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This is a sort of an odd review. It is a hybrid restaurant review, a little bit, and a taste test of the products at this new entry to the eateries in Owings Mills, Maryland's Foundry Row development. Unlike a lot of the shops over at Foundry Row, this is a smaller business that isn't a huge corporation. I was excited to be able to come in and try these bowls because I have seen them on instagram but never had a place to go and actually try one until now.<br />
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Sunset Raw is sparse on the interior but it also seems to fit with the healthy concept. There is a bar seating area for ordering and enjoying as well as a few tables and chairs both inside and outside. They also have a cooler for their prepared juices which you can buy to go and looking at their social media pages, they have been successful with that part of the business for sure. Ordering was quick and painless and I chose to try the sunshine acai bowl while my kids both went with mango smoothies.<br />
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My son for some reason had a problem with his drink, I wouldn't put much stock in it however because he still drank it. I think it was the idea that dates are in it and he doesn't know what they actually are. My daughter who is the smoothie expert said the smoothie was filling and good, however she still prefers Tropical smoothie cafe and another local place, The Flying Avocado better. I ordered the sunshine acai bowl which comes with bananas, blueberries, strawberries, coconut flakes and granola. I passed on the coconut but had everything else.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthVLNpaQ9k5neKKbrbricYrU1Fy4-iiDMkZol7wCY0Ug1Io2SVuMiV0qWAu3pYfB-NenlskBRq1Xs_tL3XwYy_wzCwNqg7qUcGBj6OT67QmP3ZxjCESTqjzjYq4h8HVWkqTyZPzZ9fTk/s1600/20170722_102449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthVLNpaQ9k5neKKbrbricYrU1Fy4-iiDMkZol7wCY0Ug1Io2SVuMiV0qWAu3pYfB-NenlskBRq1Xs_tL3XwYy_wzCwNqg7qUcGBj6OT67QmP3ZxjCESTqjzjYq4h8HVWkqTyZPzZ9fTk/s200/20170722_102449.jpg" width="112" /></a>It's always a big question when trying something you have never had when you don't know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised by this. The acai berry mixture reminds me of a slightly "grape" flavored strawberry concoction. It tastes good, and just very normal. The granola settled in just underneath the layer of fruit and you get some with every spoonful of acai. It's weird, just because this is pretty much a smoothie, but you're using a spoon. The fruit was fresh and blended well with the 'smoothie' mixture. That's the biggest rub for me, it's kind of hard to eat, especially in this large container. I live maybe 5 minutes away and the melt by the time I got home was a little bit much. There is also no way to really save it for later, I have it in the freezer, but I don't want it to completely freeze. This might be a good item to share with another, especially when coupled with the prices which are a bit high for a smoothie concoction. Acai bowls are about $10-$12 and smoothies are close to 9 bucks starting out. It's not a budget friendly item. However, other than that, everything was solid overall.<br />
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<b>Rating: 4/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-50150715312328950902017-07-25T09:39:00.000-04:002017-07-25T09:39:13.415-04:00Taste Test - Store brand Lava Cake<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9La2-Qy0gGvXwHU-3Y1d4d2lEQoeXDkTkneIX6XsWxfMYMXa0mbhQxb3u6LZZ8XySqO1qdGE9OkbxTcp74opEiZ1AJbP0PDRyOhlNSocr1zS57V5zrS-a5ObZKKlYxSj1c1tJV1yl7c/s1600/lava-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9La2-Qy0gGvXwHU-3Y1d4d2lEQoeXDkTkneIX6XsWxfMYMXa0mbhQxb3u6LZZ8XySqO1qdGE9OkbxTcp74opEiZ1AJbP0PDRyOhlNSocr1zS57V5zrS-a5ObZKKlYxSj1c1tJV1yl7c/s320/lava-1-2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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I picked this product up just wandering through the aisles of Giant food, however it isn't unique to this chain. There are also variations on this every from Harris Teeter to Safeway. It's a smart move by the stores to get a simple version of popular desserts for those who aren't the most inclined to break out the cookbook and a mixer. Just grab one of these bags, pour and bake and by the time your favorite show goes onto their first commercial break, you have dessert.<br />
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Now aside from Salted Caramel Lava cakes, there is a chocolate lava cake option available but I haven't seen it in stock at my local Giant recently. A third variety, your basic chocolate brownie also exists though I haven't ever tried that. As for the chocolate lava cake and the salted caramel variety, they are incredibly simple to use. Preheat your oven, grease your muffin pan and cut open the bag and pour, but only after squeezing it for a little while to make sure the ingredients haven't settled. In ten minutes, you have a nice dessert that might normally take an hour or so to mix and bake altogether. Now I have made chocolate lava cakes before and the chocolate variety from this bag is decent, if not completely as 'fresh' and bright as from scratch is. Also, making them from scratch gives you a slightly more molten core than these do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemvywFWRq_-gahBK1dNro4_74c6QLdiXGSz6A3r0Q83fawVO9q7O1K0Ya7Q1aKggkrWyp5CI-jRdyUeH_-PisNkj9Dergcf3Ktqk9ALAr8wmzPAIJuMlYO1_mJFxY8Zv9ca0iVpwbr8I/s1600/lava-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemvywFWRq_-gahBK1dNro4_74c6QLdiXGSz6A3r0Q83fawVO9q7O1K0Ya7Q1aKggkrWyp5CI-jRdyUeH_-PisNkj9Dergcf3Ktqk9ALAr8wmzPAIJuMlYO1_mJFxY8Zv9ca0iVpwbr8I/s320/lava-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWNT5w5wGE_sJWJo4jpAYahx-qr5pKOvFf0q2YZ-PPOE1hQrZSuXh0BaH_gjuRIhMNJ1lmgGspeTDVDQFTpo1FOoXWrBDmWS-lppldXxHTc3F0IAd0lg68OHxjt1Xw40W4ofciceYg1g/s1600/lava-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWNT5w5wGE_sJWJo4jpAYahx-qr5pKOvFf0q2YZ-PPOE1hQrZSuXh0BaH_gjuRIhMNJ1lmgGspeTDVDQFTpo1FOoXWrBDmWS-lppldXxHTc3F0IAd0lg68OHxjt1Xw40W4ofciceYg1g/s200/lava-1.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><br />
As for the salted caramel, they taste just fine if maybe slightly dull. You would expect the salt to pop a little more and the caramel to be a little bit 'lighter' but we are looking at a prepackaged dessert here. I have never made a salted caramel cake, though I have made salted caramel to go on top of cupcakes and for icing so I can't say whether or not the cake itself should have more or less flavor but the filling I feel like could have had more differentiation and taste to it. As it stands these are a nice quick stand in for people who aren't cooks or who want something that is extremely quick. You can't beat ten minutes and one pan getting dirty when it comes to opportunity cost. Pair with some ice cream and you are good to go. If you have some cherries and whipped cream and you have just capped off a great meal with minimal work and that raises the rating on this.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3.5/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-11722703596568914402017-07-21T10:46:00.000-04:002017-07-21T10:46:09.844-04:00Taste Test - DRINKmaple Pure Maple Water<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagRPWiDBDCep0o_SLg22_DXez7PCor4j37LaA5_tn4x38-aTlWFPKiUZLunnS7YaQGF-z6_C8F9IZFzRobE7w8vSef3nlV07foQEE3zlNZ-EVhRYBBTykLk8fmFw-G5gIkbIIhkRzQmI/s1600/For-TechCo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagRPWiDBDCep0o_SLg22_DXez7PCor4j37LaA5_tn4x38-aTlWFPKiUZLunnS7YaQGF-z6_C8F9IZFzRobE7w8vSef3nlV07foQEE3zlNZ-EVhRYBBTykLk8fmFw-G5gIkbIIhkRzQmI/s320/For-TechCo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So I heard about this on a food marketing podcast and filed it away to take a look around and taste it if possible. I first tried some of the stores more known for the organic and varied selections like Harris Teeter and Wegmans. I also checked shoppers which surprisingly has a lot of new items almost as soon as they hit the shelves. No luck until i happened to amble down the organic section at my local Giant food and well, score one for the hometown leader. I grabbed the bottle and figured I'll get everyone to try it or just use it around a day at the track.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k-N2BJLJO6kW-URFAvkHq9vMi1EV2GdCErzSY246qw9LrT_BWy48UdUMxFMmmvT2YMJwLneOAWrox8bdTvxt6vexv9E3OrzIbCZPjGAbLI_GL-nEse2aXqFOhv0Ic1IucyyGqc9QiYc/s1600/jenis-2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k-N2BJLJO6kW-URFAvkHq9vMi1EV2GdCErzSY246qw9LrT_BWy48UdUMxFMmmvT2YMJwLneOAWrox8bdTvxt6vexv9E3OrzIbCZPjGAbLI_GL-nEse2aXqFOhv0Ic1IucyyGqc9QiYc/s320/jenis-2-2.jpg" width="180" /></a>We didn't get that far. My wife tried a Core watermelon juice or something and didn't like it. It was the Stevia. My son ended up drinking it...because juice. So after that I grabbed the maple water out of the fridge and passed it around for a taste. Now, it is interesting. I mean it's water, so there isn't a lot of flavor to it and there is only one ingredient, pure maple water. You know what you're getting. It does taste fresh...like fresh tree, with a hint of maple. It's just odd. Now we didn't drink it all, and I still plan to go and try it during a workout and see what it does but just as a beverage....I don't see it. It's just too odd, and maybe thats double for me because I dislike flavored water in general but I could see how when thirsty, the maple in this could be helpful to when trying to recharge the muscles. Otherwise, I couldn't see myself using this in any other context.<br />
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<b>Rating: 2/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-75528795414537694982017-07-18T20:43:00.001-04:002017-07-18T20:43:10.374-04:00Taste Test - Quaker Overnight Oats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-8vCHHGtkuPJ10ookLnMDu3JcpeN0LJ6uvY3MuYUFo6JYASy63PRocw1tUfsv1-K65FdNKKI7yIaxvYtmJyZjMjCjx2uFi0C4rNjtd0s95W-uF8QgdQToVxPOIUfLEIK9961O_Zanuk/s1600/ono-raisin-walnut-3d_hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-8vCHHGtkuPJ10ookLnMDu3JcpeN0LJ6uvY3MuYUFo6JYASy63PRocw1tUfsv1-K65FdNKKI7yIaxvYtmJyZjMjCjx2uFi0C4rNjtd0s95W-uF8QgdQToVxPOIUfLEIK9961O_Zanuk/s200/ono-raisin-walnut-3d_hero.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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If you have any semi-health conscious friends you most likely have heard or seen something about overnight oats somewhere. One of the latest trends in health and nutrition, you will see plenty of options and recipes on pinterest for add-ins and methods. Why not, it's simple, takes little work and on the surface makes a lot of sense. Not content to just sell you regular oatmeal, the Quaker company has decided to make it even easier for you by packaging their oatmeal and some toppings for you. For those of us who are skeptical, this might make some sense, especially if you don't normally keep oatmeal around, so here is a review of Quaker overnight oats, Raisin, Walnut, & Honey Heaven.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoebjOHjKqY9LsTmROtG0fQm-fKTh7BNRwybCIEXmyxHdafRU8Y3qVbsl38c2L58KhSbDqvrBxqQ5Ya0RDLcFyzQqbaFs3CypFZuCWZp8oTpUTqrc55u-mqBojNAn2_nkHgkAUexQm8A/s1600/jenis-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoebjOHjKqY9LsTmROtG0fQm-fKTh7BNRwybCIEXmyxHdafRU8Y3qVbsl38c2L58KhSbDqvrBxqQ5Ya0RDLcFyzQqbaFs3CypFZuCWZp8oTpUTqrc55u-mqBojNAn2_nkHgkAUexQm8A/s200/jenis-1-2.jpg" width="112" /></a>These small Quaker cups will be found in the cereal aisle and tied in somewhere around the dairy at a lot of stores. There are four flavor combinations, Orchard Peach Pecan perfection, Blueberry Banana and Vanilla Bliss, Toasted Coconut and Almond Crunch, and the aforementioned Raisin Walnut & Honey Heaven. None of these is too crazy and should fit into the mass market of the health conscious pretty easily. I do wonder what the need is for the adjectives at the end of each flavor set.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmD-LT4Ve6L1Bgoi183gpL26VWHJYBPuIK3cqm-aLM0G7khTvHXhPayJcMJWTqY6NlhkyPpxr0NDFlFfT6wAaOdepsL7VSELaHMgB4DvHyYPpsgHnnHpMKknFcse6qwKNtugv7pRqmoA/s1600/jenis-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmD-LT4Ve6L1Bgoi183gpL26VWHJYBPuIK3cqm-aLM0G7khTvHXhPayJcMJWTqY6NlhkyPpxr0NDFlFfT6wAaOdepsL7VSELaHMgB4DvHyYPpsgHnnHpMKknFcse6qwKNtugv7pRqmoA/s200/jenis-3.jpg" width="112" /></a>At 2.61 ounces, each cup is a single serving of 300 calories (before dairy). Instructions are simple, add your choice of milk or yogurt, let sit overnight, at least 6 hours and enjoy at your leisure. I must admit, cold oats is an odd sensation at first when your mind has you used to warm/hot oatmeal. Now, you can warm this up in the microwave if you want to take some of the chill off but you don't want to 'cook' it by heating it too much. Here is why, after trying these I realize that you get a firmer texture when you haven't cooked the oats and broken them down. It is a very satisfying feeling to chew on and once you get past the temperature it's actually very good. After trying it I get it. Now as for the flavor of this particular brand, maybe I didn't mix it well but it seemed a little bit dull for the most part. The bottom seemed to have more taste to it and the raisins and walnuts bring something to it but are a little bit skimpy. It also isn't going to fill you up at this size.<br />
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I never really thought that I would like overnight oats but Quaker has managed to bring me into the folkd with an easy way to give it a try without too much work. While it isn't enough to replace a breakfast, as a meal combination of some sort, or to have a few sitting around as a mid-day snack if you take them to work, these cups aren't a bad idea, even if the value probably isn't the highest. I do wonder how they will taste with maybe yogurt, I don't really do soy or almond milk but they can probably bring something else to the table. I might not fill it up to the line the next time either because it was slightly more watery than I would have liked but that was fine in the end. If you're scared to try overnight oats, maybe give Quaker a try.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3.5/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-18222224364811762072017-07-14T16:38:00.000-04:002017-07-14T16:38:09.859-04:00Taste Test - Dooby's Donuts<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupTUS2NCGeJ6FKwgmBxhbKi8f3v7MAGGLHzf6flvXuSRjDcEKBvLJvrBmckuH5VYeD3O8MRfUOBeF2o8Vp2diXxld60Ht97QX6hFgWtR8A59WqxoC7_udp8Jd7_OTx-ENJrntdHXL2N0/s1600/static1.squarespace.com.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="66" data-original-width="475" height="44" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupTUS2NCGeJ6FKwgmBxhbKi8f3v7MAGGLHzf6flvXuSRjDcEKBvLJvrBmckuH5VYeD3O8MRfUOBeF2o8Vp2diXxld60Ht97QX6hFgWtR8A59WqxoC7_udp8Jd7_OTx-ENJrntdHXL2N0/s320/static1.squarespace.com.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Local restaurant Dooby's is a local Korean inspired breakfast place in central Baltimore. Now I haven't been to experience the full menu but there is one thing that they have started that has had me running to their stand at the Farmer's Market on Sundays in downtown Baltimore, their special donuts. They call it "Sunday's bakehouse" and they create sweets that are limited for the restaurant. One trend that I am loving, is these new independent donut makers so I had to make sure I got a chance to try these out.<br />
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Overall all of Dooby's donuts start with the same base, a yeast donut with some filling and at times an iced topping. The first variety that I had the pleasure of tasting was French Toast. This was a donut with simple sugar and cinnamon on the top and a sweet pastry cream filling that was excellent. They also had a Dirty Chai tea flavor which my sister and mother both said were excellent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Tuo3E-OsgmU0AwYqWJ1nO7B_PEbXndOCplO48DtIAf-Rtzl70QEznIkYL6NVoxuToWh6TyXWsC25WbfSEDgWdE0C6mpPrtde5OVZ7LBCC53YG07nssYlDfi6n2zkHi9F6bs03a5iXoc/s1600/sundaysbakehouse-1499631389524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1080" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Tuo3E-OsgmU0AwYqWJ1nO7B_PEbXndOCplO48DtIAf-Rtzl70QEznIkYL6NVoxuToWh6TyXWsC25WbfSEDgWdE0C6mpPrtde5OVZ7LBCC53YG07nssYlDfi6n2zkHi9F6bs03a5iXoc/s200/sundaysbakehouse-1499631389524.jpg" width="200" /></a>This past week I was looking forward to trying their oatmeal cream pie variety but they weren't available at the farmer's market (it might behoove me to actually head to the restaurant). However I was able to get the Dunkaroos and Cosmic Brownie varieties as the theme this week was a visit to the childhood of a kid who grew up in the 90's. The dunkaroos donut was pretty good, a cinnamon and sugar donut with cream that was to be just like the frosting from the kid's snack. Now, for me the cream was a little bit off. This was more cream cheese and the dunkaroos I remember was more Duncan and Hines cake frosting taste. It wasn't bad but it was off just slightly. The Cosmic Brownie was good especially if you like chocolate, and I was especially fond of the milk chocolate mousse-like filling. It paired well with the other flavors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAq65dGCftPEcr2aHRYHVcVivVH9lQVQF8gRRl_E7Dd9RUb87s-gewOifRIdg159pBhPi7EV_E8fCmGHEdHseIevMHPeOFzjTXOWxZ58qpKgFjqkK4Hi9_mDylcVEeleTXzGwU-j8nis/s1600/sundaysbakehouse-1499631503586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAq65dGCftPEcr2aHRYHVcVivVH9lQVQF8gRRl_E7Dd9RUb87s-gewOifRIdg159pBhPi7EV_E8fCmGHEdHseIevMHPeOFzjTXOWxZ58qpKgFjqkK4Hi9_mDylcVEeleTXzGwU-j8nis/s200/sundaysbakehouse-1499631503586.jpg" width="199" /></a>Now I don't want to forget the actual donut itself. The donuts are fluffy and springy. They have a nice bite to them and just a hint of both doughiness and flavor. It's really hard to describe and quantify, but it serves as a good base for whatever flavor they want to throw onto them.<br />
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The flavors can vary wildly at times but I think that most of the time there is something for everyone at Dooby's when they decide to make donuts. If you're ever at the Farmer's Market on a Sunday be sure to stop by and pick up a couple and maybe even be better than me and actually head over to Dooby's for a full meal.<br />
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<b>Rating: 4/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-3996499707906090012017-07-13T10:52:00.000-04:002017-07-13T10:52:03.574-04:00Restaurant Review - Matchbox American Kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzjSWWncNqUeirCcevVNzPEQ4FjhRA0TJVivhjmousYKfzccd7ZWTojDWpFDAUaSsW8FDN9DdidxOHLKP4pj1p4Cx26cUuhsNJBFB1-mBp009eZkWYE_yANM1mzYXi1DXcNK6TEvUeh8/s1600/20170617_165238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzjSWWncNqUeirCcevVNzPEQ4FjhRA0TJVivhjmousYKfzccd7ZWTojDWpFDAUaSsW8FDN9DdidxOHLKP4pj1p4Cx26cUuhsNJBFB1-mBp009eZkWYE_yANM1mzYXi1DXcNK6TEvUeh8/s200/20170617_165238.jpg" width="112" /></a><br />
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There are a lot of smaller local chains that are around these days. Restauranteurs are getting much better with getting a concept up and running and having the process worked out much more quickly in the past. This allows them to try and stay around with economies of scale and to return some of the money to investor much more quickly. Matchbox American kitchen fits into that mold. With not more than a handful of locations, they are prevalent enough to be accessible, yet somewhat special. At least that's the goal.<br />
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Matchbox fits right into the mold of too many new restaurants. Exposed steel, reclaimed wood, very hipster chic. I get why, it looks clean and nice, and is less expensive than other designs. However, at this point, it's not a really good way to separate yourself visually from the swaths of other restaurants selling new age 'pub fare' or bar food. This particular location located in Rockville, MD was fine, but it didn't seem too inviting overall. For comparison, I would look to Iron Rooster which is very similar but has more down home colors that bring it some warmth as opposed to the red of Matchbox.<br />
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Outside of the decor, the menu is standard fare and my wife started with cream of crab soup. The soup was nice in it's flavor and the amount of crab. No complaints. However it did come out lukewarm, for her that's fine but if I had ordered it I would want it to be actually a hot bowl. I ordered a double pepperoni brick oven pizza. My wife ordered a burger which came with a ridiculous mountain of onion straws. The onions were good though, nice flavor and texture but in my mind the presentation was crazy overdone. I don't need that many onion straws, it seems like it could be very wasteful. They also put a little bit too much arugula on the burger itself. My pizza was somewhat disappointing. The pepperoni was very good. It definitely was the star of the show because the sauce was boring and the crust was bland as well. Regarding the preparation, the crust wasn't as crispy as I would like it to be in the middle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFw_a47X5KjAbEj0zEX-UMpPtPqCWPlyTzEwg4EZBTkvUqHFe8mIVUkq1EGFmoXd_8JV3Xrd49PKKdP3XTTBBYe1Ba3aEzY_zTG2bUTdWATZPv7FBrrEK_zYeR0EcdW0YoAdNywybc48/s1600/20170617_165251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFw_a47X5KjAbEj0zEX-UMpPtPqCWPlyTzEwg4EZBTkvUqHFe8mIVUkq1EGFmoXd_8JV3Xrd49PKKdP3XTTBBYe1Ba3aEzY_zTG2bUTdWATZPv7FBrrEK_zYeR0EcdW0YoAdNywybc48/s320/20170617_165251.jpg" width="180" /></a>Matchbox might have had an off day in terms of preparation. That happens. However I don't know if the food itself warrants giving them a second chance. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't groundbreaking either. For my pizza I would prefer to go to Blaze or somewhere like that which is less expensive but tastes better to me. The soup was good, but lukewarm and the burger, while presented nice, and decent flavor, doesn't do enough to warrant a repeated visit. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and other times...it just is. This was one of those times. The one thing that does still interest me, is the opportunity to try their short ribs....I am there for that.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-59429965904657903672017-07-09T14:15:00.002-04:002017-07-09T14:15:57.985-04:00Taste Test - Jeni's Splendid Ice cream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5J907aVK4l14k_I6tazyvuN9arJRbzW65W8NsDM_WOrvl6nhKK84ourIjQWTG7oksIUN1ZxOCB5hYDs_k472RAHMO-ub_qQSh8h1p15UZ6qRYnY0LCPmGozt_goo0MbOraV_HNhd2TsU/s1600/jenis-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5J907aVK4l14k_I6tazyvuN9arJRbzW65W8NsDM_WOrvl6nhKK84ourIjQWTG7oksIUN1ZxOCB5hYDs_k472RAHMO-ub_qQSh8h1p15UZ6qRYnY0LCPmGozt_goo0MbOraV_HNhd2TsU/s320/jenis-1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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It's been way too long but I'm back and with a good one. The small batch ice cream wars are in full effect. Much like the boom in micro-brews in the beer space, small artisan ice cream manufacturers are around in a great abundance. Using better, more local ingredients, they often have more unique flavors and less of the 'bad' things in them. I mean it is ice cream so it isn't going to be 'healhy' per se, but their size allows them to focus more on each container. Jeni's is a brand from Ohio I have always wanted to order but haven't just because of the logistics and timing of an ice cream delivery. Thus i was incredibly excited when I saw it in my local Wegmans.<br />
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Now the flavor selection of course is smaller in Wegmans than if I went directly to the site and ordered it but that's fine. Now the one thing that I might have done is chosen a flavor that seemed to be the hardest one to really rate, Vanilla. See for the most part vanilla is kind of the same everywhere and somewhat plain, however, as a base you can learn a lot about a brand with this one simple flavor. No one dislikes vanilla and some of the other flavors can sometimes lead to decisions based on that set of flavors and I wanted to get a feel for how Jeni's just tastes on it's own. Also, be clear, this isn't just plain vanilla, this is Ndali Estate Vanilla.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0VmgcmlD2wMvBvCPXDZ4JgReQJQUqXNKz64z3FO6HnqA2zu_WjPJRLVr_jH4uu9_JtYJi9RGwZUXNbs3HAFZsvjQoEhd_52u0_A7ktX9kvaaeTN5h60v-mHNJEaXhF9h3O5FJacYyFE/s1600/jenis-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0VmgcmlD2wMvBvCPXDZ4JgReQJQUqXNKz64z3FO6HnqA2zu_WjPJRLVr_jH4uu9_JtYJi9RGwZUXNbs3HAFZsvjQoEhd_52u0_A7ktX9kvaaeTN5h60v-mHNJEaXhF9h3O5FJacYyFE/s320/jenis-2.jpg" width="180" /></a>Now, this one pint is a bit expensive at 7.99, but it is a premium brand and needs to be compared as such. To compare, the same size container goes for $12 on Jeni's website, which has an absolute smorgasboard of flavors. So with this I'm comparing Jeni's to Ben and Jerrys and Haagen Daz's for example. This is a good vanilla ice cream. It's not overly "vanilla beaned" where you see beans all over the place. It is strong in the beginning yet it fades nicely and gets really subtle at the end with a hint of nuttiness. It has a nice texture as well. Let me compare to Haagen Daz which can be slightly overwhelming and too sweet and strong. They are overly rich, while Jeni's gives you a nicer balance. Now trust me, I wasn't born knowing the difference, but just tasting Jeni's, some haagen daz recently, and my old mainstream favorite Green's ice cream you start to be able to pick out some things.<br />
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For myself, this is one of the better premium ice creams out there. I think it would pair well in a cherry coke float (yeah I don't drink root beer) and some kinds of apple pie. I was impressed at how it didn't coat my tongue over like some other premium brands do with extra richness. There was a good balance of flavors here which leads me to be sure I'm going to try the other flavors that are available locally.<br />
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<b>Rating: 4.5/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-60356403125226160082017-03-06T19:27:00.001-05:002017-03-06T19:27:18.212-05:00Taste Test - Southern Culture Artisan Foods Pancakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwX2jndpEB-szpPIwP4KpYJryVprGyDj10amUf5zWfFPWj3T0Xxu1mK3vdlS5-K6ndSQiAMuOfEKNFDHwIoby9Z7qBMgyeTpyKWhdxGDC1AT6AHVbBWYeOm3Mgmc-IbsJF-dJ1VrYmMU/s1600/southernculturepancakes-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwX2jndpEB-szpPIwP4KpYJryVprGyDj10amUf5zWfFPWj3T0Xxu1mK3vdlS5-K6ndSQiAMuOfEKNFDHwIoby9Z7qBMgyeTpyKWhdxGDC1AT6AHVbBWYeOm3Mgmc-IbsJF-dJ1VrYmMU/s200/southernculturepancakes-2.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
In my internet travels I happened upon this company one day and was immediately intrigued by the items that they sell. I first saw their southern grits on a website but not long after, came upon their wide variety of pancake mix flavors. The site was amazing looking so I decided to give them an order and check them out. (Let that be a lesson, presentation matters). I realized later that the founder had been on Shark Tank and the Sunday I tried my first two varieties, the episode with the founder came on CNBC, it must be destiny!<br />
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So this week, I tried the Banana pudding and strawberry shortcake flavors. I also have in my cabinet, regular Vanilla and Bourbon Salted Pecan which I have to try. Now I mention these four flavors because the line of pre-made pancake and waffle mixes that Southern Culture offers is pretty large. Check out their shop and just see how many they have, you could be trying them out for months, I will have a link to them below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOWJAx78JO9orIq7mPR-qhnSEMSyua7LAMYfzZ1HAaKkczkG6MmghWQ2OwXqs_oliBdXGNYhkj-BgAPRW2icP7fk55bhe0SRfk-k5FM1F02zPH1pEftiDBR15zVqnQuYu0s-W6EswqpE/s1600/southernculturepancakes-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOWJAx78JO9orIq7mPR-qhnSEMSyua7LAMYfzZ1HAaKkczkG6MmghWQ2OwXqs_oliBdXGNYhkj-BgAPRW2icP7fk55bhe0SRfk-k5FM1F02zPH1pEftiDBR15zVqnQuYu0s-W6EswqpE/s320/southernculturepancakes-6.jpg" width="320" /></a>The canisters that I received were the smaller sizes and each is good for about 12 pancakes which means a family of four can each have a short stack for sunday breakfast. Now compared to the Aunt Jemima's of the world, it seems to be a bit pricey. These were each about 8 bucks before shipping. However, that would be cheaper than IHOP or most other chains and restaurants that have flavored pancakes. The other positive is that many of the flavors can also be made in an acceptable manner for Vegans.<br />
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After all of that, let's talk about the pancakes themselves, the formula is pretty simple, add eggs, butter, and milk if you choose to go the traditional route and drop them onto your griddle. The one thing that I didn't expect was the little bits and pieces that are in the mix. The strawberry shortcake pancakes show you little pieces of strawberries that you taste once you bite into them. The banana pudding variety has little pieces of vanilla wafers maybe, or something that gives you a slight little flavor kick. Unfortunately, I do mean 'slight'. The one issue that I have with these pancakes is that the flavor profile is very subtle. Now some of that can be attributed to the natural ingredients, sure, they don't come through as prominently as artificial ones, but it just seemed to lack a little bit of punch on their own. Now I could see a scenario where one would take the Banana Pudding pancakes, make them and then top with some sliced bananas and whipped cream and have something really special, but just for myself I did expect it to stand out a little more.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojl-YNOK0z9PAbpa9KrKdt6yt9bUPdhgxuX4ybO4HIfZVsAp8ld-Mif1smeYXwmfMMn2A2CH-35it9i1csT0VSfMeH4UfAVdnqDARLrY9578oV6W9500-_qGp9Uo6dfnboDswuZUuMy4/s1600/southernculturepancakes-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojl-YNOK0z9PAbpa9KrKdt6yt9bUPdhgxuX4ybO4HIfZVsAp8ld-Mif1smeYXwmfMMn2A2CH-35it9i1csT0VSfMeH4UfAVdnqDARLrY9578oV6W9500-_qGp9Uo6dfnboDswuZUuMy4/s320/southernculturepancakes-8.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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In the end I didn't think that the Shortstacks Pancake and Waffle Mix was bad, it did let me down somewhat and maybe that was my own faulty expectations. With two down and two to go I have a better frame of what to expect even if I would still like a larger hit of flavor and ability to really taste something different. I also still have a desire to try the other southern favorites like grits and fried chicken batter. If you are bringing the family together with some toppings and some time, it can be a great party where the pancakes are the center of the family. However, just eating them they didn't bring the quite what I was expecting and that's unfortunate.<br />
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<b>Rating: 2.5/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-21271587378943733412017-03-04T09:47:00.000-05:002017-03-04T09:47:54.096-05:00Restaurant Review - Chicken Shak<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEslhFtNSo-7V_X3pllarsi5XzYkJtQYm4leO6hQzSKxlbhJ_iVk6ngimfmcIIfqLYbhR7Lg-HmsmfjPWd27f-O5BsFAbyPx-WawKvissXYQig9XLV1qhLdoo6KU-6Ek8J25gtVvfOKo/s1600/Chicken-Shak-Menu-Cover-e1487692580124.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEslhFtNSo-7V_X3pllarsi5XzYkJtQYm4leO6hQzSKxlbhJ_iVk6ngimfmcIIfqLYbhR7Lg-HmsmfjPWd27f-O5BsFAbyPx-WawKvissXYQig9XLV1qhLdoo6KU-6Ek8J25gtVvfOKo/s320/Chicken-Shak-Menu-Cover-e1487692580124.png" width="260" /></a></div>
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So There is a nice little location in Reisterstown that has been home to several small restaurants over the past few years. I couldn't tell you why so many don't last other than the fact that most restaurants in general fail. However, I have high hopes for the latest tenant in the space, Chicken Shak, a mix of Peruvian style charcoal chicken, and local style "pit" meat sandwiches. My wife and I went in recently to check it out.<br />
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First of all Chicken Shak is not to be confused with a small Michigan based chain called Chicken Shack. This is a brand new idea that mixes one of the new hot sensations at least in this area, of Peruvian charbroiled chicken and a Maryland staple of pit beef, turkey, and pulled chicken. The menu is a little bit large and includes Whole, Quarter, and Half chickens, chicken tacos, salads, salmon, and the aforementioned pit beef and turkey. Then there are the sides which are pretty numerous with cole slaw, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and different kinds of rice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7q3h536STXId3jBrwGoy0hBWR9Xx5zgxZBXtCnevgbd58Y39jM_LiT0A4Wrge8MBDy3S0n0bffhJU0vO2CSL7LD8FlMub-kLN1KssWcftgZ3BFVeT86CO2nCh6V7bwW9nG3b75d4cbE/s1600/bbunny-1-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7q3h536STXId3jBrwGoy0hBWR9Xx5zgxZBXtCnevgbd58Y39jM_LiT0A4Wrge8MBDy3S0n0bffhJU0vO2CSL7LD8FlMub-kLN1KssWcftgZ3BFVeT86CO2nCh6V7bwW9nG3b75d4cbE/s200/bbunny-1-3.jpg" width="111" /></a>For our meal My wife and I split a chicken which is cooked nicely, it has great charcoal and smoke flavor through the meat and the white meat is moist which can be tricky with chicken. My wife was especially impressed with the seasoning blend on the skin of the chicken. My chicken had some extra sauce on it which I dipped my chicken in and it was good and enhanced the flavor. It tastes like the seasoning blend from the chicken in a liquid form. I like the broccoli as well which wasn't mushy and did have some flavor to it. The cole slaw wasn't my wife's favorite, it was a bit tart for her.<br />
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For the kids they had BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. The chicken was the same as the charbroil chicken that I had but pulled apart and put together like a traditional pulled chicken sandwich. The sauce is sweet and reminds of something like Sweet Baby Ray's. But mixed with the good flavor of the chicken it works really well. it is served with home made kettle style chips. They are thick cut and a little on the burnt side, which I like, but they weren't even mine and I might have eaten too many. They could cut back on how many they give, and maybe cook a little lighter, but it wasn't bad.<br />
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Chicken Shak is a nice new restaurant with a good product. I will be going back to give the pit sandwiches a try and to see what they do with the Salmon. They are just getting started so there are some service kinks, however when they get over that hump things should be good for them. The food I tasted was good and unique and a worthy competitor to the places already in the market. The restaurant has a nice clean design and incorporates a lot of the modern design that is going on in the market place.<br />
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<b>Rating: 4/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-53061000052895510962017-02-20T13:18:00.001-05:002017-02-20T13:18:46.939-05:00Taste Test - Blue Bunny Bunny Snacks<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7gz00hPHSDlDFU14fjTj8LxVd025MAOvNMDNkD4yQNj82NU0XHC2DaxTSZ0CWMDRXJuallSOcyImxCX-SRjH4tM1bDL0MLElIXGinuvrKfhJ6dLXz55CIf_FGzUNGH6hEHSA5PXN_40/s1600/bbunny-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7gz00hPHSDlDFU14fjTj8LxVd025MAOvNMDNkD4yQNj82NU0XHC2DaxTSZ0CWMDRXJuallSOcyImxCX-SRjH4tM1bDL0MLElIXGinuvrKfhJ6dLXz55CIf_FGzUNGH6hEHSA5PXN_40/s320/bbunny-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbh3H-SJCZyCEsBe0AWrH5t0wPSF-BuLhew87EBLuNcCPDjQi_Wxlex_bAYRndXyapHAdoOFYEbz1DFKkBrNj1JDT2p4kPBhVxTlXI9mp3bjritRZfCU5ATa0AETjSENdWsPrB0xu57c/s1600/bbunny-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbh3H-SJCZyCEsBe0AWrH5t0wPSF-BuLhew87EBLuNcCPDjQi_Wxlex_bAYRndXyapHAdoOFYEbz1DFKkBrNj1JDT2p4kPBhVxTlXI9mp3bjritRZfCU5ATa0AETjSENdWsPrB0xu57c/s200/bbunny-2.jpg" width="112" /></a>With Spring right around the corner, Blue Bunny has brought out their latest creation, a set of ice cream treats perfectly made as individual servings for parties or just to hang out and chow down on as a little treat now and then. Blue Bunny mixes their high quality ice cream with hard shell toppings and cookies for a sundae experience within a couple of bites.<br />
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The two varieties I grabbed this week were salty caramel pretzel cookies and cream. Let's talk about the cookies and cream first, the shell that is on the outside of the snacks is pretty good. It has a nice taste to it as well as crunch. it also doesn't melt really fast which is an excellent thing in a snack like this. The one issue that I do have is that the cookie portion over shadows the cookies and cream ice cream. It feels overdone and the balance is slightly off.<br />
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The Salted Caramel Pretzel is also pretty good. It reminds me of the older Snickers Ice Cream bars a lot. The pretzels and salted caramel do a good job of replacing the peanuts in those. In this snack the balance is a lot better to me. The ice cream fills out the snack and has a nice smoothness and flavor to it. It's nothing that's great and overwhelming but it's a solid product.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirD0pfflNi07UI8mbvx094TBabpBMvG-08EkVrxeXENdT55WHtUWuUg5i1VU4nf6a-94l2Aa3_CWmfZmVa1ASDXpvHRSBlVINAV4VgEw3qwEJU4Ef843SYXFj8Jx9_loepNTgo_HtcKxM/s1600/bbunny-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirD0pfflNi07UI8mbvx094TBabpBMvG-08EkVrxeXENdT55WHtUWuUg5i1VU4nf6a-94l2Aa3_CWmfZmVa1ASDXpvHRSBlVINAV4VgEw3qwEJU4Ef843SYXFj8Jx9_loepNTgo_HtcKxM/s200/bbunny-3.jpg" width="112" /></a>The packaging is unique as well and it is worth noting. The bags stand up in the freezer and have a zipper to close them for simple portion control snacking. that makes them good for single adults, couples, and people with kids whom they are monitoring. They could be good for a party as well as they come individually wrapped, and at about $1,25 each, it's not too bad of a price per each.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3.5/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-26697041714279585202017-02-19T17:03:00.001-05:002017-02-19T17:03:26.663-05:00Taste Test - Snyders Wholey Cheese Crackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Casual snacking is always going to be competitive, with that said Snyders of Hanover, an East Coast brand that primarily focuses on pretzels has started to move a bit further out of their niche. To that end they have developed a new competitor for Cheez-its with this new snack cracker.<br />
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The snyder's wholey cheese has three varieties Cheddar, smoked gouda, and what has to be my favorite of any chip varieties in years, swiss and black pepper. The crackers are light and airy (and somewhat fragile). They are also full of flavor. The smoked Gouda are pretty good, with solid flavor, although it is slightly a bit salty and should be slightly more smoky for my tastes. Each cracker gets covered in dust unlike a lot of snacks these days. They offer up a satisfying crunch and encourage more eating.<br />
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The crackers are pretty much the size as advertised on the bag, and I would have pictures but I absolutely inhaled the Swiss and Black pepper. The cheese flavor is good and the black pepper sets it off so well. One of the things I look for in a good flavored cracker or chip, is dust on the fingertips. For me it shows there is a lot of flavor packed in and I'm not being robbed. These crackers fit the bill.<br />
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There isn't really much to talk about when describing a chip most of the time, especially one when it is good and as perfect as theses. All I can say is that the Swiss and Black pepper will be in my cart almost every week from now on until I get sick of eating them and even afterward I will keep a bag on hand just in case. Snyders has a win with this one. Oh yes, they are also Gluten-free if you're into that thing.<br />
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<b>Rating: 5/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-74631341068983444382017-01-02T16:38:00.000-05:002017-01-02T16:38:41.060-05:00Taste Test - Moonstruck Hot Chocolate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVttXWFur5_a4STBgUGIA_TurWlji3D9shU8DOAtbpyXR9qj602GQ-pb8NpsiEGC48K2ATEJEJz-DECljghq2HZ8xn_S05TwBYENY-M_3LptD2LiGBNo1WGJQnkVQPBXSH23C25ihy59Q/s1600/ClassicCocoa_tin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVttXWFur5_a4STBgUGIA_TurWlji3D9shU8DOAtbpyXR9qj602GQ-pb8NpsiEGC48K2ATEJEJz-DECljghq2HZ8xn_S05TwBYENY-M_3LptD2LiGBNo1WGJQnkVQPBXSH23C25ihy59Q/s320/ClassicCocoa_tin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Winter time, bad weather, sitting in the house on the couch and eventually shoveling snow, then drinking some hot chocolate. I was initially looking for some high quality white chocolate for Christmas gifts, which isn't that easy to find and I get it, it's not actually made from cacao. But I did find a few brands of high quality chocolate mixes and I put a few on my own list. I was gifted two of the three Moonstruck flavors, Classic and Dark Hot Cocoa. The third was one I was most interested in trying, the Mayan variety. However, let me give you the review of the flavors I did receive.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYC71gWPaT_wPSQEAneHC0X988oXVzk5_eQRcWKX-1oRIgARWNxm91BRjA-ei9-EKUhD4CI8S4uKbTLr-1UJaT-rgfI9iBWv2R_3ZL2gvntS-nGf1AB6yQFxEgCDctjgjn_AASksD88Y/s1600/DarkCocoa_tin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYC71gWPaT_wPSQEAneHC0X988oXVzk5_eQRcWKX-1oRIgARWNxm91BRjA-ei9-EKUhD4CI8S4uKbTLr-1UJaT-rgfI9iBWv2R_3ZL2gvntS-nGf1AB6yQFxEgCDctjgjn_AASksD88Y/s320/DarkCocoa_tin.jpg" width="320" /></a>Both recipes are to be made with milk first of all and that's fine. I'm sure the fat content and consistency are important when comparing to making some swiss miss with water. Moonstruck is a highly rated brand by a lot of folks so I was intrigued. They come in a nice tin as well with a metal cap. The instructions are to heat 8 ounces of milk to just under scalding and then mix in 4 Tablespoons of the cocoa itself. Maybe it's me but the mug never really looks completely absorbed and mixed together. It isn't the prettiest cup of cocoa for sure.<br />
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Out of the two varieties, the Classic Cocoa has the better taste to me but it still isn't very strong and chocolatey. It is smooth, and creamy, but I need the burst of chocolate flavor and I don't get it. The Dark Cocoa fares even worse to me. The chocolate flavor is even less than the classic and there is a lack of slight bitterness that I have come to associate with Dark cocoa. None of the floral notes either. It just doesn't seem to get there where my pallet can truly enjoy it as a hot chocolate.<br />
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I know that making a hot cocoa mix isn't the easiest thing and that there is a slight limit of what to expect from this type of product. With that said, I still find that these fall far short of what I expect from a high end cocoa mix. I want to taste a lot of flavor and these lack that, although the classic mix does have a decent texture and smoothness to it. The Dark Cocoa was a real let down however.<br />
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<b>Classic Cocoa 2.5/5</b><br />
<b> Dark Cocoa 2/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-88802431479504812562016-12-14T22:52:00.000-05:002016-12-14T22:52:02.917-05:00Taste Test - Chuao Chocolatier - Cinnamon Ceral Smooch<br />
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With the Holidays around the corner, folks are looking for stocking stuffers, impressive small gifts, and making gift baskets. One of the common things you will find when it comes to that, is chocolates. There are a dazzling array of chocolatiers and small batch candy makers vying for your attention. One that I found in my local Wegmans was this brand, Chuao, and they have a lot of interesting flavors that you're not going to find everywhere.<br />
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This particular bar, is a milk chocolate bar that has cinnamon toast crunch style cereal in it. Much like the candy bars with the rice krispy bits in it, there is a delightful crunch with these, only it has a bit of sweetened cinnamon. I would think that it might be a slightly more bitter chocolate, but this bar is a good mix of milk and slightly more bitter dark chocolate. It is smooth at the beginning with a slightly stronger finish. With most chocolates, the cinnamon would be used so much more as a spice to add bite, but it's so different with the cereal pieces.<br />
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This is a nice little bar for someone who wants to be somewhat adventurous with their tastes but not step out there too far.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-36030104722143367762016-12-11T21:47:00.000-05:002016-12-11T21:47:00.052-05:00Taste Test - Woats Granola<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Shopping in Safeway I saw a tidy little display of this Granola product in the front of the store in the area where I rarely shop unless I'm trying to find something they don't have on the shelf. I was drawn in by some Planter's nut mix but I was drawn to this nice and neat little pouch. There were three flavors I saw, Cookies and Dreams, Peanut Butter Graham Slam, and my choice, Jammin' Strawberry Shortbread.<br />
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So I decided on the Strawberry Shortbread flavor because it was different, yet not too out there where I thought I might not like the flavors. Also, I wasn't in the mood for the chocolate cream cookies and reading the package, it seemed as if these fit the bill and idea behind the brand. Looking at the idea of it being a softer granola that my daughter who is currently in braces might want to try also was a strong reason for me to try these. I gave her some but she didn't actually want to taste it, it was fine I almost devoured the entire thing by myself anyway.<br />
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Woats Granola is indeed, soft baked which I like. I'm a fan of soft baked cookies for instance and the problem I have with a lot of granola is that it is time consuming to<br />
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chew and it's hard and tiring. I was hopeful that this wouldn't be too chewy where it becomes work. It wasn't. This is some of the easiest granola to snack on, which could be to your detriment when looking at serving sizes, and possibly your bank account. There aren't too many of any one portion from what i tried, good balance of berries, granola, and yes shortbread pieces. The one thing I think it could use however, is a sprinkle of salt for contrast. The berries do provide bursts of flavor at times, but maybe there could be a few smaller pieces sprinkle in as well.<br />
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I feel like this is a specific product that not everyone will like because it is intentionally made soft. However for me that is the great appeal. It retains it's fresh taste and has a great consistency while not giving your jaw a work out. This is a product that I will be buying in the future I just enjoy it so much.<br />
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<b>Rating: 5/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140389279051398938.post-17046767174459442552016-11-22T19:45:00.000-05:002016-11-22T19:45:08.055-05:00Restaurant Review- Andy Nelson's BBQ<br />
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If you don't know anything else from the things I post on this blog about what I like to eat, you would learn that I just love BBQ. The smoke, the charcoal, the beef, the sauce, all of it. Andy Nelson's is one of the most lauded places in the Baltimore area to get some Q. Always on the list, I finally had a reason to be in the area to stop in and get a taste of it.<br />
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So Andy Nelson's is a quaint place with an outdoor shed set up that was bustling in the nice fall air that existed in the morning, an indoor seating area near where you order, a drive through - which my daughter and I were impressed by, and a separate area for catering orders. It's obvious that it's a popular spot. The decor is quaint and southern roadside, not what you would expect to find in this area at all. In comparison Mission BBQ is a corporate version of that style while Urban BBQ is a hipster version of the same concept. This is the real deal. They sell their sauces and some other items inside and ordering was quick and easy. The staff was warm and the food came out quickly.<br />
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Now in order to provide a comparison between all of these places, I try to make sure I order the same or at least similar items. So today it was a brisket sandwich for me with greens and Macaroni and cheese. I also ordered a half pound of rib tips. my daughter had the pulled pork sandwich with macaroni and potato salad. I am glad I got some sauce on the side because it's not on the sandwich, nor given on the side unless you grab it.<br />
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For my food, the brisket on the sandwich was from the lean part of the brisket, which is the worst part to give-on it's own. I have come to believe that if you don't ask me which part I would like it from, you should be giving me a mixture of both because you need some fat for tenderness. The rib tips were pretty good. Some pieces were more tender than others, but it also felt like it wasn't quite as slow cooked or smoked. it was marinated well and the flavor was well infused, but it didn't have a rub or anything on it. I did dip it in some of the classic red Andy Nelson's sauce, which was fine. It wasn't overly sweet or overly tangy. It was a good balance of flavors.<br />
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The sides were only so-so to me. I was told the potato salad was a bit salty, I didn't try it myself unfortunately. The Greens that I had weren't bad. They were seasoned alright but some more salt might have been good. They pale in comparison to those from Urban BBQ though which are some of the best you can get from a restaurant period. The macaroni and cheese was realer than say Boston Market, but also when compared to the BBQ places in the area which are chains of some kind, it doesn't keep up. Mission BBQ and Urban are way better with more love and time spent on their Mac and Cheese sides.<br />
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Andy Nelson's may have been crowned by the local media and magazines but it doesn't make it for me. While the place itself is a character, the food lacks the same charm. it's a bit sparse and bare and when I see these kinds of accolades given to a place I expect the flavors to stand out a little more and be bolder and stronger. I can't give Andy Nelson's the same accolades as others, it's alright to me but I wouldn't rush out to try it again.<br />
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<b>Rating: 2.5/5</b>Rembrandt18http://www.blogger.com/profile/01384834037855222986noreply@blogger.com0