Showing posts with label From the rut buster.... Show all posts
Showing posts with label From the rut buster.... Show all posts

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Time to bust my own rut

Ok readers - yes, I'm talking to all 8 of you :)

I'm struggling here. When I started my blog, I figured there were plenty of products out there to keep me busy. But the sad truth is... I live in Champaign-Urbana. Even when I read about new products online or get suggestions from readers in larger areas, I often have a hard time finding them in my local grocery stores. Also, I figured new products would be easy to spot due to a clear "New!" burst on the packaging. But, I am starting to wonder whether some companies don't bother putting a burst on their packages. Or, if the companies have simply eliminated the burst by the time the products reach our area. It seems I find plenty of products that I have never seen before, yet see no indication that they are "new."

I need your help! I think it is necessary to to open up my blog a bit, by coming up with more relaxed rules about what I should review. Here are a few ideas I have tossed around:

  1. New to me products. Any products that I have not tried before would be fair game. I, of course, would try to choose products that aren't incredibly mainstream either. 
  2. New to you products. I would get a weekly "shopping list" from readers (and maybe solicit suggestions from Facebook friends if needed) on which products they wanted me to try. These would not have to be new, they could simply be something they have been curious about but haven't yet purchased.
  3. Expand the rut-buster scope. This would allow me to talk about new recipes, new ways of preparing food, etc. For example, tonight we tried pre-made turkey garden burgers from the fresh meat counter. Last week I clipped out a few recipes from Cooking Light that I want to make. Edy's makes a fantastic Butterfinger ice cream that even blizzard-enthusiasts would enjoy. All of these topics would be fair game for the blog.
What ideas do you like? What wouldn't you want to read about? What other suggestions do you have?

Saturday, May 1, 2010

April recap

Thought it might be fun to do a little recap of this month (and March since I started halfway through)...

Top picks:
1. Blue Bunny Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
2. Kraft Sandwich Shop Chipotle Flavored Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
3. Hillshire Farms Smoked Chicken Sausage

Still a huge fan of the ice cream sandwiches. They have become one of my favorite week night desserts. The chipotle mayo has brought a whole new level to my sandwiches. I was definitely getting in a rut with those, but this mayo really helped bring my sandwiches to a new level of great taste again for me. And the smoked chicken sausage just makes a great easy, quick meal. Can't wait to try them in some new recipes.

Top flops:
1. Breyers Inspirations Yogurt - Chocolate Chip
2. Jif Natural Peanut Butter
3. Kraft Deli Deluxe Bacon Cheddar Cheese Slices

Please don't waste your money. I've already done it for you.

New products coming in May! Don't forget to e-mail me with suggestions!