Places - Blaze Pizza

There are so many new Quick Service Fast Casual Restaurants popping up all over the place it can be hard to keep up. One of the newest concepts you will see popping up everywhere is the on demand pizza model. I previously visited Pie 5 as one is close to me and the family enjoys it. For lunch this past week I visited another version of the idea, Blaze Pizza which is similar but it does definitely have some major differences.


First off the Blaze Pizza is bigger than the Pie 5 and where Pie 5 uses a dough that they have lined up in pans for baking in their conveyor belt oven, Blaze keeps the dough balls waiting until you arrive and press them right there. The ordering is little bit different as well, they have a variety of specialty pizzas and a make your own option which for the price and the variety can be beneficial if you can't make up your mind like me.  So you pick your toppings and they write them on the menu sheet which sits in front of them, which has to be helpful for prep, and put it into their more traditional style oven and it gets turned and cooked in under 5 minutes.

The one thing I have to say is that when it's crowded this area has to get hectic as the cook has to keep up and rotate the pizzas, this particular location in laurel could probably use more space between the oven and register from what I saw. Onto the pizza itself, I got two specialties put together, the Meat Lovers and White Pizza.

The ingredients are very fresh and it's amazing how much of that you can taste and tell. I did read reviews that the pepperonis didn't quite have enough spice to them and they were a bit mild maybe, but it could be from not aging and being processed as much as some other places. The sauce, while fresh had a lack of flavor, I mean it wasn't very tomato tasting nor was it really flavorful. They do offer a spicy red sauce as well so you might want to give that a try. The Meatballs on the meat lovers side were pretty good though.

The white pizza side the sauce was still slightly underwhelming. It could have used a little bit more salt and they sprinkle garlic over the top instead of having more of it in the sauce itself which would have been better so that it gets distributed more. It also has bacon on it which is cool but my preparer left off my arugula which I'm sure would have added some more contrast. it was fine though. My big issue is with a place like this the crust needs to be a star and it wasn't. It was very underwhelming and plain. I contrast with Pie 5 whose crust is very distinctive and worth eating on it's own this was the biggest disappointment for me.

Overall it wasn't a bad experience and the pizza isn't bad, it just doesn't make me scream out we have to go back. There are little tweaks they could make and the size and value are there for the price compared to pie 5 and so that is what makes it a more difficult decision, but if it's based on taste alone I'd choose Pie 5 personally. I almost forgot, I did get a heated SMore's cookie and it was good. I mean the cookie/cracker wasn't overly sweet but the entire composition was still tasty.






Rating: 3/5

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Taste Test- Cheetos Sweetos

In the push to always grow a brand, the Frito Lay company has decided to take its Cheetos brand and expand the other way, from all of the spicy, explosive, and cheesy flavors into the sweet and indulgent space with it's new Limited edition Sweetos variety.

It seems odd and yet obvious at the same time, a cinnamon and sugar puff with shapes reminiscent of Cheetos Paws. It's odd because the name Cheetos just brings up thoughts of cheese, it's pretty much in the name. On the other hand the actual corn puff part of a cheeto has no discernible flavor so it is a good base for pretty much anything.

These cheetos themselves have a more Hispanic or Latino tinge of flavor to them. The cinnamon is a bit strong compared to the sugar and it reminds me strongly of a sort of churro which then makes even more sense. That is one of the largest growth markets currently so finding a way to siphon some of those dollars is huge for any company. As for my family, my daughter liked them a little bit but wasn't clamoring for more and she and I both felt like there was an odd after taste from these. My son ate it and didn't say much which leads me to believe he doesn't really care for them. If you're looking for something different, give these a try especially if you like churros.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Taste Test- Sprite Lebron Mix

I'll tell you what, you can say what you want about Lebron whether or not he is or isn't the most imposing basketball figure these days and whether or not he lives up to his hype, skills, and potential on the court, but as a marketing machine he is unparalleled. He has many of the same types of endorsements that Michael Jordan had and with many of the same companies but MJ never had his own beverage flavor. This isn't the first year for Lebron mix, nor do I think for this particular variety but this is the first time I have ever had it.

This new Lebron mix is cherry and tropical flavors and the traditional lemon-lime flavor of Sprite. The drink itself is still clear which I thought was odd because I expected a slight tint of some sort. I didn't care for the flavor as much, it was subtle and cherry at first which went away and was kind of syrupy afterward. Both of my kids loved it however so it didn't go to waste. The one thing I don't like is that it's in a can which is an odd size so it's more than you may want to drink at once but no way to save it so if you're trying to cut back on what you give the kids then you will want to split it. Overall it's a cool drink but not my personal favorite.

Rating: 3/5

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Taste Test - Tastefully Simple Smokey Bacon BBQ Sauce

Tastefully simple is a brand of at-home business in the vein of Tupperware or Avon. (If you need some new Tupperware by the way go ahead and click the link to the right side of the page here and check it out.) They sell seasonings, sauces, mixes, pretty much everything but the meat chicken or fish that you would put the products on. I am a BBQ sauce fanatic and will try several brands and flavors every year and I will say this one does hold up with some of the best.

 I made up some chicken wings and used them for a quick sample and taste test. I will say this is everything advertised, it is smokey but not overly done and extra artificial like some I have tasted from big brands like Kraft and Bullseye whose Mesquite varieties I can't stand because of it. This sauce also has bacon and bacon is in right now. it manages to have a good bacon flavor that isn't too overwhelming, in fact, the sauce has a good balance on the hole and has a nice consistency, which as you can see in the pictures, sticks to something like chicken wings easily. The taste of this would definitely make me consider their other flavors. The downside for my family is they tend to like sweeter sauces and flavors and this had a bit less of that then they would like although I enjoyed it.

Now remember you can't get these in stores so look up your nearest Tastefully Simple rep and see what else they have to offer.

Rating: 4/5

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Taste Test- Reese's Snacksters

Some of you may have noticed that the Hershey company is in the 'spread' business these days, joining the makers of peanut butter and hazelnut style spreads in the bread aisle, fighting for your sandwich and desert dollar. These spreads have multiple applications from sweet sandwiches to added dips for fruits or even as crepe fillings. Most of the Hershey's flavors have almonds or some 'nut' flavor added to them. In order to continue to drive that brand, they have brought out these portable snack boxes which are great ideas for lunches or just quick snacks when you're grabbing something from a local market or convenience store.

This is once again something my son and I both enjoyed. The graham cracker stick was solid with a good snap and flavor to it. It wasn't crazy bland but it didn't have too much flavor and odd artificial additions that would make it a bad mix for the chocolate-peanut butter spread that came for dipping. That itself was a good mix and managed to balance both flavors very good. I enjoyed it and will definitely try it again.

Rating: 5/5

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Taste Test- Campbells Oven Sauce

I normally do not ever buy these pre-packaged quick meal solutions because for whatever reason they never really quite taste right but the Campbell's brand is pretty reliable and I had coupons which made this pretty much free. I figured it wouldn't hurt on a day where my wife and I had to work late and I needed to throw together a quick dinner. So of course after a couple of weeks of these sitting around I ended up with an occasion to use this and I had everything needed in the building already.

Prep is simple, some chicken, frozen vegetables and the sauce. Throw it into a casserole dish and let it cook for about 45 minutes or so and you have a dinner for the family. The suggestion is that you also make some quick biscuits and serve on top which I did.

As for the taste of this, I wasn't fond of it and neither were my wife and son. my son especially because he pretty much eats any and everything with no problems and this is something he was vocal about not caring for. My daughter however, liked it tremendously. As for my tastes there is definitely something off with this. The seasoning is a little off or maybe it's the sodium or the the stabilizers that give it an off putting taste. it's slightly sour and bitter to me, not overwhelmingly so, but it is an odd taste that I couldn't really get past.

As a dish, it should be easy because you could easily get this type of meal set up with an extra 10 minutes using a few more ingredients such as cream of chicken soup and some simple seasonings and get a better tasting dinner than using this single packet if you have some discerning tastes. If you aren't as picky then this could work out for you in a pinch.

Rating: 2/5

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Taste Test - The Cookie Dough Cafe - Cookie Dough

So I'm not sure where I saw this product at but I did and I had to go on their website and find out where I could get it and luckily Harris Teeter carries it in Maryland. Now people have asked why would I need to buy special cookie dough for eating, and one of the main reasons is a big warning that is normally on traditional cookie dough that tells you it is expressly not for eating raw. I'm pretty sure there are some other things in conventional store bought cookie dough you might not want to eat raw and a lot of people aren't going to make some expressly to eat, and apparently that is indeed a thing that people do.

It's not cheap, but it is pretty good, though you can tell something isn't quite there all of the way which is why you can't use this for baking. It is identical to any other cookie dough you're going to eat whether you make it yourself, by it from pillsbury, or get it in your ice cream. A good sweetness is in the dough as well as a little bit of salt to offset. This version I tried also had bits of Oreo cookies mixed in. Overall this is a cool little product and one that might be nice to eat with your ice cream as a treat to step things up a little bit.

Rating: 4.5/5

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Recipe Review - French Toast Bake

My wife loves breakfast, I mean she can eat it twice a week at night in addition to what I normally do for Sunday mornings. Me, I'm not as big of a fan by any means, I mean I can do pancakes and some french toast if it isn't completely soggy. The other thing is she sometimes asks for a casserole or something for her fellow teachers when they do a potluck. This one she thought looked simple enough to make and take.

This dish is a little more  difficult to 'set up' but in the end it's a pretty good dish. Not too heavy not too light and can easily be sliced up for a crowd. The main instructions can be found right here at Julies Eats and Treats. A couple of changes, I used Italian bread and not sourdough, although sourdough is probably pretty good and could offer up some different depth of flavor. I also used actual butter instead of the substitute but whichever you have could work easily. I topped it with some strawberries and some vanilla cream.

This is a really good recipe and would be great for upcoming holidays. This is one that will stay in the arsenal.

Rating: 5/5

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Recipe Review - Shrimp Fried Rice

In the interest of trying to do something different I have been all over pinterest and one recipe I found that seemed to be kind of simple yet different for our family is Shrimp Fried Rice. I took several recipes together but the mian one that I found was here on the blog Damn Delicious. I also looked at some other recipes and decided to use regular full size shrimp instead of the smaller ones that you normally get.

The shrimp I seasoned simply, and those aren't on the recipe I linked to above, but it was some salt, pepper, ginger, flour and a tiny bit of corn starch. Take the shrimp, peel and de-vein of course and  toss in the flour and seasoning and then remove so it can set up a little bit. It only takes a few minutes to cook the shrimp in a skillet with oil really quickly.

As for the fried rice, I made some white rice a little earlier and fried it but most recipes say to try and have it done earlier so that it can cool and have a slightly more 'fried' texture. It was pretty good but having rice done before hand would have saved a lot of time and probably improved this just so slightly. Overall this is a good recipe though.

Rating: 5/5

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Recipe Review - White Chocolate Mousse

So Valentine's day was around the corner and my wife doesn't care for chocolate covered strawberries unless it's white chocolate covered, and apparently it's ridiculously hard to get only those the week of valentine's day. I mean you can get them striped with regular chocolate or mixed with regular chocolate, but the simple white chocolate is a no-go for the most part. Even High end Wegman's at the godiva counter couldn't guarantee them so I had to improvise.

What I did was I had a recipe for chocolate mousse from Food Network Magazine All Access which I adapted using another recipe which I found in Sugar Rush: Master Tips, Techniques, and Recipes for Sweet Baking , which is a great book with a lot of good baking ideas. The mousse was really good and I topped it with some fresh strawberries which i topped with sugar and let sit for a while and a piece of puff pastry for texture. The recipe might be even better with a salted caramel perhaps, or a graham cracker layer to break up the texture, although the flavors with the berries and mousse are just perfect.

 First step was taking 9 ounces of white chocolate and melt it using the double boiler method. In my case I don't own a double boiler because using a bowl and a small pot works just fine.

 Melt the chocolate down until just melted and slightly above 95 degrees.

 Take 1.5 cups of heavy whipping cream and heat until just bubbled and warm then turn off. Mix into white chocolate a little bit at a time until completely mixed until it looks glossy.

 Take another 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream and beat until it forms soft peaks. Once that is done, fold it into the white chocolate mixture carefully.

 Put into vessels and cool off in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

 While the mousse cools take out some puff pastry and follow the directions for it to allow it to thaw. Then use a cookie cutter or a knife and cut out your shapes and bake in the oven at 425 for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Slice some strawberries and sprinkle with sugar and put in the fridge until ready to put things together.

 Take some cut strawberries and puff pastry to top your mousse and serve. Enjoy.

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Taste Test - Wonka Peel a Pop

So my family saw these and we were very intrigued by this new product that is using the 'Wonka' branding. That's good because in the movie the Wonka company had unique and exciting treats and this popsicle/ice cream pop hybrid is a unique combination to say the least.

Let's start with the outer since that is what makes this pop so unique and different, it tastes and smells just like a regular banana's inside does. Looking at it you can see the areas where you are supposed to pull down and peel and it is suggested that you bite first to make space for your fingers. the texture is very similar to that of biting into a regular banana but it is also somewhat disconcerting. It's obvious that there is some sort of gelatin product in this part of the pop.

Inside there is a vanilla ice cream that doesn't quite taste right. Maybe it's light and I don't know it because I don't eat light ice cream but it isn't full of flavor. It has the right taste at the start but it goes away and this odd nothingness comes after. Put together things don't get that much better because the banana is overpowering the weak vanilla. Then to top it off, as the 'banana' melts it shows it's rubbery gelatinous structure and looks really creepy.

This isn't a product we will be buying any more honestly. It's novel but the flavors weren't there to compensate for the weird texture that was needed to make this pop. It's alright to take a little try on if it's on sale and you have a coupon but it's not worth the regular price.

Rating: 1/5

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Taste Test- WaffleNuts (Waffle Donuts)

So we are in the era when any and every simple dish and meal can be turned into something extravagant that testst the boundaries of it's definition. Donuts, are next up. After the hype around the "Cronut" which is a Donut and Croissant I know the big wigs all across the country were searching for something new that they could come up with to get the same excitement. Enter Safeway, a supermarket which can be somewhat innovative with a new creation, The Wafflenut.

The wafflenut was very dense yet it was still moist. It had more weight than maybe it should have had and this may end up being a sort of flaw. I tried both the honey-dipped or glazed and cinnamon covered varieties. The Cinnamon reminded me of a churro a lot and it had a good consistency  but maybe slightly heavy and should be more airy. The Glazed version was much of the same though slightly heavier. Most of the time I could eat a couple of donuts and not be sluggish because they are light and airy, these were both heavy and just sat on my stomach.


While this seems like a good idea or attempt, I think maybe it's a bit much to combine the two entities to make something new. A regular small waffle would be good enough to treat with a variety of flavors and toppings as is, and would be lighter which would enable more to be sold and eaten. The more I think about it, this is an attempt to do too much where it wasn't needed.

Rating: 2/5

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Recipe - Cinnamon Roll Cake

Facebook always has an abundant number of recipes and my wife sill always tag me when she's something that she likes. that's where this recipe came from as something that is a hybrid cinnamon roll/cake. The idea is to bring you that great flavor with a lot less work because you don't have to roll and do as much to make dough.

For the recipe, (since I can't take credit for it) go over to Chef in Training  to get it and print out a copy for your recipe book at home.

My Assistant Concentrating

Mix Ingredients and then add melted butter on top

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan then begin to mix your cinnamon mixture

Drop in the cinnamon and swirl with a knife

Bake and add icing made of powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk and voila.

This recipe was a cinch to make and it turns out pretty good. I do think it might need a little tweaking to get maybe a little bit more 'chew' to it and I haven't perfected the art of making a good icing using only powdered sugar, vanilla and milk because the sugar never seems to dissolve properly to me.

Rating: 3.5/5

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