Time For A Change

So, instead of just doing a review today, I was going to change things up and also post a recipe.  Unfortunately, I brought the recipe to work to make a copy of it for my friends and then forgot it there.  What that means for you is that today all you get  is some photos and tomorrow you'll get the recipe.
Until then...
-Kami

I'm Sweet on Sweet Pea Apple Wine

I'm guessing both non-wine drinkers and beginning wine sippers (like myself) will find this Wine Wednesday selection to pleasing to their palates, especially because Sweet Pea apple wine is flavored with natural blackberry flavors!  It's bottled at the Sweet Pea Winery in Mattawa, WA, and they use local, Washington apples.  

According to the Sweet Pea website (read more), this wine tastes as, "pleasing as cobbler and refreshing as a cool glass of Riesling on a warm summer evening, Sweet Pea is ripe with golden delicious apple flavors, hints of fruit sweetness and a crisp, clean finish."  That's also where I learned that this company makes a strawberry apple wine and a peach apple wine...that sounds all sorts of yummy and summery!  

Anyway, I was surprised to read that the alcohol content for this wine is only 7.8%, compared to 12% or 13% for your typical bottle of wine.  Overall this was a fun wine to try, especially for only $2.99!

Cheers!

-Kami

Thumbs Down!

These R.W. Garcia 5 Seed Crackers look tasty, but they're not.  Do not be fooled by their sleek and clean packaging!  As my 3-year old niece might say, "These are yucka!" 

Actually, the flavors of the rosemary & garlic and onion & chive R.W. Garcia 5 Seed Crackers were okay, but the crackers themselves lacked crunch and almost seemed stale.  I had bought them to put out as an appetizer when my girlfriends came over for a "fancy," home cooked meal, but needless to say, after one bite of those crummy crackers, I don't think anyone went back for seconds!  (Which explains why there are two opened boxes still sitting in my cupboard!)  

-Kami

Another White Wine To Try

I picked up this bottle of white wine a few weeks ago and opened it when my friend and her family came over for dinner.  It's a white wine blend called Ensemble, and it comes from California.

Overall we found Emsemble to be a refreshing and tasty choice.  It was quite drinkable, and we could taste the apples in it.  I also liked the simple, yet visually pleasing graphic on the front.  We decided it would be a good wine to keep on hand for unexpected dinner guests since its flavors will not interfere with the flavors of your meal. 
-Kami

Who Knew?!?

Who knew Grocery Outlet would ever carry a gluten, wheat, casein, milk, soy, and nut free macaroni and cheese?  And for only $1.49?!?  (I've only seen one other frozen mac n' cheese like this and it cost over $4.00!)  

But last week I spotted this Ian's Mac & No Cheese in my Crown Hill Grocery Outlet's frozen food section and put a few in my cart to take home.  I bought one for myself and a couple for my friends with food sensitivities.  

Reviews for this product ended up being lukewarm.  The mac n' cheese had an okay taste, kind of like tuna noodle casserole without the tuna.  Or better yet, like that canned chicken noodle soup they used to make years ago, the one with the thick noodles.  

But the consistency of Ian's Mac & No Cheese was little mushy for me, and it didn't cook evenly in the microwave.  I suppose if you didn't know what real mac n' cheese tasted like or you've been on a restrictive diet for quite awhile, you would think it's pretty tasty.  Otherwise, I'd probably pass on this item next time I see it in the freezer section.  

-Kami

M.I.A....The Final Excuse

Okay, so I meant to blog last Sunday.  Really, I did!  I had it all planned out.  I'd get home for my overnight trip to Portland in the early evening, have a little dinner, and still have time blog.  But I got home late from my trip and everything else just fell apart after that

Lame-O, I know.

But I promise this will be the last Sunday I miss for at least the next two months or I owe my friend Amy her pick of wine from Grocery Outlet (which I will then blog about!).

Speaking of wine, today is the first day of Grocery Outlet's 5-day, 20% off, wine sale.  I'm going to use my winnings from the Grocery Outlet "Win What You Save" drawing I won in February to stock up on wine for a special get together I'm in the process of planning, a sort of budget wine and cheese soiree for my family and friends.  I bet that will give me lots of fun things to write about!

Until Sunday...
-Kami  

M.I.A. Part Two

Opps.  I missed day of blogging...again.  How lame-o of me!  To make up for it, today I'll do both a Wine Wednesday review and a Grocery Outlet product review.  

First, the wine.

Today's selection is a white wine from Spain called Triana.  According to the label on the back, "Triana is the name of the neighborhood in the city of Seville, Spain.  Triana means 'three river' as in that area the river is dividing itself in three sections."

My good friend T. and I shared a couple glasses of this wine and here's what we thought about Triana:  This $2.99 bottle of wine is sweet at first and dry on the finish.  It is non offensive and won't overpower your meal.  We thought it was fruity, but we couldn't decide what type of fruit.  Overall we found it to be an acceptable bottle of white wine.

Now for the product review.

I decided to pick a product that you can find pretty consistently at your local Grocery Outlet.  It's the Organic Broccoli Florets.  It's a great deal at only $2.99, especially considering it's 32 oz. of organic goodness!  I like the fact that the broccoli comes packaged as two smaller, more manageable bags inside the larger bag (Less spillage in the freezer is always a good thing!).  The next time you need broccoli, consider trying Grocery Outlet's Organic Broccoli Florets.  If you do, let me know what you think!

Cheers!
Kami

P.S.  Below is a link to the current Grocery Outlet ad.  There's a coupon for $5 off a $20 minimum frozen food purchase.  Grocery Outlet Coupon