Pretty pretty please....

With a cherry on top? Yep... I gave in. I told you I would!

Nestle Cherry Raisinets

Where purchased: Target
Price: $2.89
Overall rating: 4/5


I'll be honest - I don't have much to add since the last time I posted on the Cranberry Raisinets. But, on my last trip to Target I did finally decide to give these cherry dark chocolate bites a try. As you would expect, they are delicious. More importantly, they ARE a little different from the traditional raisinets. Yes, they still have the same general flavor, but each chocolate-covered cherry is much larger, and the dark chocolate provides a slightly richer flavor. It is a very subtle difference, but it's there!

Really, when choosing any of the Raisinet flavors, you can't go wrong. I personally have a small preference for the dark chocolate varieties. And, on their own, I think I like the big cherry raisinets, but mixed into a trail mix or something I think I would prefer the smaller dark chocolate raisinets.

So, just in case you thought you were missing something exciting and unique... you really aren't. Something tasty? Of course! But I won't insist that your life is incomplete without trying them.

Don't butter me up

Ever wonder what the differences are between all the jellies, jams, fruit butters, and other spreads out there? The specifics are still a bit confusing to me, but I do know they are all yummy on some toast.

Braswell's Mango Fruit Butter

Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $3.19
Overall rating: 3/5

I found this site, which has some helpful information and links to determine the differences among the various fruit spreads. http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/fruits/a/fruitbutters.htm.  Basically, fruit butters are made by cooking whole or halved unpeeled fruit until tender, putting it through a sieve or foodmill, and adding sugar and spices and cooking it down until thick. There isn't any actual butter in it - its name comes from the fact that it is smooth and spreads like softened butter.

One of the benefits of fruit butter is that it usually has much less sugar than jams, jellies, and preserves. I think this has something to do with the sugar acting as a preservative in those methods, and also serving as a gelling agent, requiring it to be present in higher quantities. Fruit butter can also be used in baking - much like you might use applesauce - as a substitute for sugar and oil to add sweetness and moisture.

The mango butter I tried was surprisingly sweet, and I really like the way it spreads. I did find this particular flavor a little weird, though. It isn't off-putting, it just doesn't taste like mango or anything tropical at all. Maybe more like apricot. I'm really not sure, but it isn't my favorite. I think I will try fruit butter again (I have had apple butter, although I usually use that for baking), but probably a different flavor. The mango just sounded so interesting to me that I had to give it a whirl!

This product receives an overall rating of 3. It's not bad, it just isn't my favorite flavor of fruit spread. I do like that it has a bit less sugar, carbs, and calories (6g, 6g, 25) than the Smucker's Simply Fruit (8g, 10g, 40) that I usually buy, and runs pretty close in price. I am also interested  in trying it as a baking substitute... maybe some sort of mango muffins are in my future?

Wrap it up

I have been on a mission to find a delicious and preferably healthy sandwich wrap. I keep thinking that surely they must exist, but so far I have had no luck. This is my latest major fail.

La Tortilla Factory
EVOO MultiGrain SmartWrap

 








Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $3.29 on salle (regular $3.99)
Overall rating: 1/5

Don't let anything the package tells you fool you. It is neither smart nor delicious. The only thing it's got going for it is that it is healthy. The texture is terrible - really grainy and almost gritty. And it just does not taste good at all. I really thought we had made a lot of progress in whole wheat products in the past several years, but this goes back to the day of when they first came out and everyone was turned off by their taste and texture.

Overall rating is a 1. And the only reason it gets that is because it boasts a lot of nutrition in a large tortilla for  only 100 calories. But everything else about it (including the price - hefty for only 6 wraps) is disappointing.  Don't waste your money.

And so the search continues...

Savory delight

Ok, this is getting ridiculous. Should we start making a list of products with some form of "Delight" in their name?

Jimmy Dean D-lights Turkey Sausagae Whole Grain Bagel

Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $5.99
Overall rating: 3/5

I picked these up by recommendation of one of my readers. She told me about the english muffin sandwiches, but I decided to try these whole wheat bagel sandwiches instead. I was a little against the idea at first, as I'm really not into buying frozen convenience foods. They are typically overpriced and loaded with salt and preservatives, so I'd rather just make my own fresh version. But, I do think this product fills a need in the market for a quick, well-balanced, and low fat/calorie breakfast with plenty of protein. I can easily see grabbing this sandwich "to go" and eating it on the way to work, or just taking it out of the fridge or freezer and heating it up in the office microwave.

To enjoy this sandwich, you'll have to be a fan of breakfast sausage. The sausage tastes just like the real pork version - full of seasonings and flavor. The only thing you will "miss" from the full fat version is the grease. I personally like the flavor; though I would prefer a larger presence from the egg and cheese. They did not seem to contribute much to the overall taste. The bagel was good, but the microwave made it a little chewy. I imagine the english muffin would hold up a little better.

Overall, I found this product to be good, filling, convenient, and well-balanced when paired with some fruit. It is nothing special, but it definitely beats the fast food sandwich in fat and calorie content, and certainly beats an on-the-go granola bar in balance and satiety. I thought $6 was too much to pay for four sandwiches, so be on the lookout for sales and coupons if you think these might be a good option for you. And hey, maybe most of the time you are able to make a good breakfast, but you can always keep these in your freezer for those crazy mornings where you just have to grab and go!

An informal post

This is an post on my quest to find the perfect yogurt.

Stonyfield Organic is currently my favorite, but when it is not on sale it is way too pricey (.99 each). So, on my last trip to the grocery store I picked up the Meijer brand organic yogurt because it was the only one on sale. I'd recommend not trying it. It was way too runny - I bet kids would make an absolute mess of it. It was also overly sweet, especially for being an organic yogurt, which I always thought were supposed to be less sweet (no high fructose corn syrup). But upon closer inspection of the label, I found the Blueberry flavor had 160 calories and 27 grams of sugar, while the Stonyfield Organic has 120 calories and about 20 grams of sugar.

So, that's another fail. I also recently tried just mixing the plain Dannon yogurt with some Pomegranate juice and fresh raspberries. It was ok... but still had the plain yogurt bitterness. Plus, it was a little more work than I want to put into yogurt.

And so the quest continues...

All kinds of nutty

Spread it on some toast, apples, celery... go  nutty!

Maranatha Almond Butter

Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $7.59 (yikes!)
Overall rating: 3.5/5

We all know about the health benefits of almonds. They are a great source of monounsaturated fats, high in protein, low in sugar, and packed full of calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients. Even though I know all of these things and really enjoy almonds, I don't regularly incorporate them into my diet. That's why finding them in a "butter" form was perfect for me. I eat peanut butter toast for breakfast at least 3 or 4 times a week, so why not switch to almond butter every now and then?

I was excited to find this "no stir" version at the grocery store, since that is the characteristic I hate most about natural peanut butter. Upon opening the jar, I don't know if I would call it "no stir" - I'd call it "lightly stir." In any case, there was some separation, but not as much as you will find in some of the nut butters. The texture is a bit grainy, but it doesn't bother me in the almond butter like it does for peanut butter. I imagine it has to do with the fact that I didn't grow up eating smooth and creamy almond butter sandwiches. :)

I am delighted with the taste - a mild roasted almond flavor that is perfectly sweet. I love it on my whole wheat toast and english muffins, and I've seen recipes that call for it in anything from smoothies to asian stir-fry. My biggest complaint about this product is the price - $7.59 for a 12 oz jar?? Yikes! I was expecting to pay twice the price of peanut butter, but not 3 or 4 times! This is a wonderful change to keep me out of my peanut butter rut, but I doubt I'll be using it in large quantities for recipes.

Has anyone tried any other nut or seed butters? Sunflower seed, macadamia nut, or cashew?

Exploring the produce section

Per request of one of my loyal readers...

Jicama

Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $1.29/lb
Overall rating: Can you really rate a root vegetable?

Using jicama was a completely new experience for me. I had seen it in recipes before, but never really knew what its purpose was. If you are unfamiliar with it, read up on Jicama here on the Cooking Light Web site.

I decided to make this Mexican Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Salad to showcase the jicama's crisp texture and ability to "soak up" the flavors it is paired with. I actually think the salad turned out pretty well - it had a lot of different flavors going on, and all together they somehow worked. I substituted spinach for the arugula and had to use bottled pomegranate juice because there were no fresh ones available. I really think the jicama was my favorite part of the whole salad though. It has a mild, but somewhat sweet flavor, and is perfect eaten raw. Cut into thin slices, it adds great texture to a salad. I'm thinking about using the leftovers in some sort of slaw. It could also be thrown into a stir fry, where it would easily soak up the flavor of the sauce and add some crunch (much like a water chestnut).

My biggest complaint with the jicama is that it is tough to peel. It has a thick skin and odd shape, and it took me about twice as long as a potato of the same size would have taken to peel. It is a good source of vitamin C and potassium, but fairly high in carbohydrates.

So overall, probably  not something I will use regularly, but certainly something I'll try again. If anyone comes across another good recipe using jicama, make sure to share it with me!

Relish the possibilities

It's Giardiniera! It's relish! No, it's both!

Dell Alpe Mild Giardiniera Relish

Where purchased: Meijer

Price: $2.69 on sale (regular $3.09)

Overall rating: 4.5/5

So it's the start of the grilling season, and a hot dog, brat, or sausage of some sort (including turkey and chicken varieties, of course) all taste fantastic. A little mustard, maybe some ketchup, some pickles or relish, and you're good to go. A month or two later... it's just another meal. You can only eat so many meats on buns with ketchup, mustard, and pickle relish before it starts getting a little old.

Enter giardiniera relish. It really is a cross between the two, as it spreads and looks like relish, but has the taste of a mild giardiniera mix. Because of this variety's mild spice level, it doesn't overtake a sandwich like a lot of regular giardiniera does. It adds a little bit of heat, a lot of flavor, and complements almost anything from a chicken sausage to a roast beef sandwich. In fact, the label even suggests you put it in salads (oooh potato salad anyone?), soups, or re-heated leftovers. It even brought some taste to the otherwise flavorless turkey hot dog I ate tonight!

This relish will set you back a little more in fat and calories than you might expect from the otherwise simple list of natural ingredients because of the oil. With 37 calories and 3.5 grams of fat per tablespoon, it's not quite the same as just using mustard, pickles, or hot sauce which have virtually no caloric value. But, in my opinion, the flavor is definitely worth it. This product receives a 4.5 out of 5 rating, with its main flaw being its secret location in the grocery store. Meijer is the only place I have seen it, and it is hidden in the international food aisle mixed in with the fancy pestos and other overpriced condiments.

Search for it at your local grocery store, and post a comment if you can direct others on where to find it!

Picnic lunch

Mayo and I have now made friends.

Subway Orchard Chicken Salad Sub

Where purchased: University Drive, Urbana Subway

Price: $5 for 12" sub

Overall rating: 4/5

In general, I am not a fan of deli chicken salad. There is something about a huge unhealthy glob of mayo-covered chicken that I have never found appealing. Subway's new orchard chicken salad sub caught my attention, however, because they put it on their fresh fit menu - which I knew meant it had to be 8 grams of fat or less. And really, how nasty and mayonnaisey can you make a chicken salad for 8 grams of fat or less?

So I picked up a $5 foot-long for my friend Katie and I to try for lunch, and I was very impressed. It had great flavor, and I loved the chunks of apple in it. There are also some golden raisins, cranberries, and celery  bits thrown in there, mixed together in a light mayo. I was actually surprised at how moist it was - I thought it might be a little dry, but there was no need to add extra mayo or sauce at all.

So, in case those commercials grab you like they do me... go ahead and try it! It's delicious. And really, you can't beat those $5 foot-longs. So plan a little picnic, grab a friend or spouse, some veggies and sun chips, and bust out of the turkey and ham rut!

Going back to my Panera roots

Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen. It is summer salad time. So head to Panera and pay $8.00 or some ridiculous amount of money for their delicious Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad. Or... just go ahead and make your own at home.

Panera Bread Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

Price: $4.49 for 12 oz bottle
Where purchased: Schnucks
Overall rating: 4/5

On a recent trip to Schnucks, I discovered that they actually carry the entire line of Panera Bread salad dressings. I had tried a poppy seed dressing from Kraft a while ago that I really did not care for, so I was pretty excited to find this dressing that would sweeten up my summer salad experience. I was also excited to see how healthy the dressing is - 15 calories per serving, 0 grams of fat, and very little sugar or "junk" in the ingredients. I did spot some sucrulose at the very end of the ingredients, but I'm thinking it must be a pretty tiny amount.

On the bottle itself, Panera gives you the "recipe" to duplicate their Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad: Romaine lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, and toasted pecans. I didn't have all of those things, so instead I first tried it with red romaine, strawberries, cucumbers, and 2 of my latest salad obsessions: Athenos Basil and Tomato Feta Cheese and Almond Accents - Honey Roasted flavor. Deeee-licious. The next time I tried it with some walnuts and craisins thrown in there. Also delicious. I have also seen recipes that suggest using the poppy seed dressing for fruit salads, spinach salads, and even chicken salads and wraps.

At $4.50 a bottle, this dressing is fairly pricey, but I think it is worth it to find a healthy, tasty, and versatile dressing that will keep me from getting tired of my daily salad. And with its healthy nutrition label and pleasantly sweet and not-too-tangy flavor, I'm giving this product a 4 out of 5 rating. Schnucks is the only grocery store where I have seen it sold, but I'm pretty sure you can purchase it at any Panera Bread bakery location as well.

Happy summer salad eating!