What are you, chicken?

Just try this new smoked sausage. C’mon. I dare you.

Hillshire Farms Smoked Chicken Sausage 

Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $2.00 on sale (Regular $3.99)
Overall rating: 4.5/5

I guess I should warn you that I’m a fan of precooked sausages. I find them tasty and incredibly convenient. So if you are generally turned off by them and find them unnatural I guess take this review with a grain of salt.

I think these smoked chicken sausages are delicious. They are very flavorful, not at all dry, and relatively low in fat and calories. Hillshire Farms does a great job with the seasoning, bringing out a smoky and not too salty flavor. I could see these smoked sausages working in many types of dishes (soups, gumbos, casseroles, etc), although they are also great on their own.

I usually buy the turkey variety when I purchase smoked sausage, but I think these chicken ones turned out a little better. Not a significant distinction, I just found I enjoyed these a little more. Maybe it was just the fact that they were something different. I compared the two at the store and they are nearly identical in nutrition info – 5 g of fat, 90 calories, and similar in protein and sodium (yes, these do pack 440 mg of sodium, as you might expect from a prepackaged meat). So, if you have a recipe calling for smoked sausage or turkey smoked sausage, I’d give these guys a try.

I’m giving these a 4.5 out of 5, as they exceeded my expectations for a lighter smoked sausage. Plus, I was able to pick them up for two bucks – you can’t beat that!

Stick to ice cream

Sometimes you just gotta know what you’re good at, and stick to it. Yeah Breyers, I’m talking to you.

Breyers Inspirations Yogurt – Chocolate Chip

Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $2.49 (pack of 4)
Overall rating: 1.5/5

I was actually really excited to try this product. Cream and chocolate chips in my yogurt? Sounds delicious! Not so much. I detected no hint of cream or even chocolate in this yogurt. The whole thing just blended together into one uninspired, articial-tasting 4 oz cup. Blah.

I was hoping this would make a fufilling snack or quick breakfast, with 140 calories, 3.5 g of fat, and 4 grams of protein. Instead, I found a product far less sweet and delicious than most yogurts, and nothing that would fulfill a chocolate craving. Very unlike what I would expect from Breyers, as I have never been disappointed in their ice cream.

I’m giving this product a 1.5 out of 5 for disappointing in taste and value - I honestly don't even know if I'll  finish the other two cups sitting in my fridge. And at $.63 for only a 4 oz cup (most yogurts that price would be 6 oz) and an overall artificial taste, I would recommend you find better ways to spend your money. I haven’t tried the other flavors, but certainly don’t intend to either. I can’t imagine Mint Chocolate Chip, Strawberry, or Vanilla would be any better. Unless of course you plan to get them from the freezer aisle.

Opening Day

It’s officially grillin’ season!

McCormick Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple Seasoning

Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $2.36
Overall rating: 4/5

Ok, so after trying this I realized there’s really not much you can say about seasoning. So this will be short and sweet.

If you are anything like us, we take every opportunity we have to grill out. Chicken, burgers, pork chops, fish, steaks – you name it, we grill it. So we are always looking for new ways to make our grillables just a little different from the last time. We might try one seasoning mix this time, next time try a marinade, make it spicy, make it cheesy, add some bbq… ok now I’m hungry. The point is – ya gotta keep it interesting.

That’s why I never mind finding a good grill seasoning mix. I thought this McCormick seasoning had a great smoky flavor, and just brought out the natural flavor of the pork chops we put it on (would also be great with chicken). Not too strong, not too spicy, just a good overall flavor. I also like these seasoning mixes because they are simple, allowing you to just sprinkle them on your meat of choice. No need for marinating or measuring.

I’m giving this product a 4 out of 5 – good taste, good value, and worth actually buying the seasoning blend. Sometimes I feel like I could just as easily have made the blend with about 3 of the seasonings already in my cupboard, but this one is pretty unique and a welcome addition to our collection.

“You like sugar, huh?”

If Buddy the Elf taught us anything, it’s that everything is better with syrup.

Stonyfield Organic Yogurt – Maple Vanilla Seasonal Flavor

Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $.69 on sale (Regular $.99)
Overall rating: 4/5

I typically find vanilla yogurt pretty dull. I mean, it’s good and all, but why choose vanilla when you can have something like strawberry pomegranate or key lime pie? But, just add some maple flavor to your boring vanilla and you’ve got an exciting new flavor experience.

This yogurt is a “limited edition” flavor, so I thought it might be fun to review if you haven’t had a chance to try it yet. I’ve recently become a big fan of Stonyfield Organic yogurts. I was on a search to find a brand that did not have any artificial sweeteners, but also weren’t quite as sugary as the regular Dannon and Yoplait. I found a pretty good balance with Stonyfield Organic, which I’ve been lucky enough to pick up for $.69 for 3 weeks straight at Meijer. With the amount of yogurt I consume, I just can’t get myself to pay the regular $.99/piece for a cup of yogurt when they have plenty that are half that price.

Although the color of this maple vanilla flavor is a bit off-putting, the taste is great. The maple flavor really comes through, and it works great as a breakfast with some granola mixed in. And, for those who don’t like “stuff” or chunks of fruit in your yogurt, this one is nice and smooth and creamy.

I’m giving this yogurt a 4 out of 5 for just the right amount of sweetness in a 1.5 g of fat, 130 calorie, 6 oz yogurt with organic ingredients (that’s right – no high fructose corn syrup!). I still think even the $.69 sale price is high for yogurt, but it could be worse. I also like that Stonyfield Organic comes out with seasonal flavors like this to try, adding some variety to the usual flavors. I can’t wait to try the next one!

A delightful surprise

Healthy food marketers must love the word  “delight.” A positive feeling with the word “light” built right into it. Perfect.

Quaker True Delights Multigrain Fiber Crisps – Wild Blueberry

Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $1.99
Overall rating: 3.5/5

I picked up these “delightful” little crisps upon recommendation from my sister, Jackie. New to Quaker’s line of cereals, rice cakes, and granola bars, these snacks boast 17 grams of whole grain per serving, with only 110 calories, 1.5 g of fat, and 6 g of sugar.

I didn’t know exactly what to expect from a “fiber crisp,” but when I put it in my mouth I was a bit surprised by the texture. I think I was expecting one of those light and airy mini rice cakes, but these are denser and actually remind me more of a cereal texture or a crunchy granola bar. The flavor is tasty: pleasantly  sweet and non-grainy, but nothing outstanding. My first bite reminded me exactly of something I have had before, although I still haven’t been able to figure out exactly what it was. Maybe some sort of blueberry granola? In any case, that might give you an idea. It kinda tastes like you are munching on dry cereal or a granola bar.

What I like about these, however, is that they aren’t as messy as dry cereal, and they aren’t as “restricting” as a granola bar (which are portioned out for you). You can munch on these freely like you would chips or pretzels, but know you are eating a healthier snack. I could see these being a nice car trip snack, or something to keep in the office for mid-morning or afternoon munchies.

I am giving these a 3.5 out of 5 for good, but nothing super special. $1.99 for a 3-serving bag seems like a fair price, and these could serve as a nice alternative to some of your regular snacks. I might try these or another flavor again if I see them on sale, but I don’t see them becoming something I put on my grocery list.