Archive for the ‘food’ Category
02/17/2017
February 17, 2017
Andy Warhol would be proud!
Here we have another two mundane food items up for review. It’s a chicken noodle soup-off between ALDI’s Chef”s Cupboard Chicken Noodle Soup and America’s sweetheart Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. And while the ties are still in the dry cleaner for spot removal, the winner is Andy Warhol’s poster child, Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup, with the one exception of price. Campbell’s costs significantly more. But I’m guessing you knew that already. So click the “read more” button below to further unravel the noodles.
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Tags:aldi, calories, chef's cupboard, chicken noodle soup, compare, food, nutrition, price, review
Posted in ALDI, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items | 16 Comments »
02/11/2017
February 11, 2017
Today we fudge off three “no sugar added” frozen chocolate pops. Having only 35-40 calories per fudge pop and total carbohydrates per pop under 10 g, these are a quick pop of chocolate for people wanting to watch their carbohydrate consumption. There are also “sugar added” versions of these pops, so look at the label carefully if you want to avoid the extra sugar.
As you may have guessed, with no added sugar, artificial sweeteners including sugar alcohols help to sweeten the deal. So do check out the ingredient labels just in case you have an aversion to any of the ingredients. As a matter of truth in testing, two testers (with totally different tastes) fudged off for this review.
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Tags:aldi, calories, compare, food, fudge pops, fudgsicle, market pantry, no sugar added, price, review, target
Posted in ALDI, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items | Leave a Comment »
02/06/2017
February 6, 2017
I’ve been drinking this for a couple of weeks now as my daily coffee fix. I’ve got nothing bad to say about it. It’s a pretty decent coffee, and for a little less money than my usual brew (TJ Tarrazu).
This is not a very dark, dark roast. Trader Joe does a pretty good job on their dark roasts. They manage to leave out most of the bitterness that some other dark roasts have. There is some bitterness in the coffee, making this coffee less smooth than my normal coffee. But it’s still not objectionable. If you’re looking for a Starbucks-like dark roast, this ain’t it.
The beans come from Ethiopia and Brazil which may explain the difference in size of the beans in the can. The coffee is not listed as organic or fair trade, if those things are important to you.
Price $4.99 (13 ounce can)
Tags:Brazil, coffee, Ethiopia, food, price, review, tj, tj's, trader joe's
Posted in food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items, Trader Joe's | 1 Comment »
01/31/2017
January 31, 2017
These are so similar I can’t tell the difference right down to the 9 pinhole sized depressions in each cracker. To highlight the differences first, without using a strain gauge the Wheat Thins seem to be a very slightly stronger cracker. The ingredients are slightly different. ALDI also lists a few precautions for people who are very sensitive to certain trace allergens which may come from the production facility. If you are sensitive to trace amounts of allergens, be sure to read the labels on both products.
The taste and texture are so similar between the two products that I have no preference for either. Depending on the store I was in at the time and how much change was in my pocket, I’d purchase either one if I was in need of a wheat cracker like these. Personally, that need only comes up about once every 10 years.
Wheat Crisp – Calories 140 (31g, about 16 crackers) – Price $1.29
Wheat Thins – Calories 140 (31g, about 16 crackers) – Price $2.50
Tags:aldi, calories, compare, crackers, food, nabisco, price, review, wheat crisp, wheat thins
Posted in ALDI, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items | Leave a Comment »
01/25/2017
January 25, 2017
With only minor differences in color and taste, both are great comfort foods – warm and mushy. The major difference is the price, with the Kraft product costing $1.00 on sale and the ALDI product 29 cents on sale. To my tastes the Kraft product was very slightly tastier and cheesier. But there wasn’t much difference at all. Perhaps as an adult my taste buds have dulled some, but neither product tasted as cheesy as I remember from way back when.
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Tags:aldi, calories, Cheese Club, compare, food, Kraft, Mac & Cheese, price, review
Posted in ALDI, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items | 4 Comments »
01/25/2017
January 25, 2017
If your expectations are a Philly cheese steak, you’ll be disappointed. If your expectations are a tasty hot snack, you’ll be happier. In fact these are good enough that I could easily eat two or three or four. So you’d better be fit and active, emphasis on active, because the modest 310 calories in one may quickly draw a crowd.
This is a frozen entrée that is microwave cooked in a cardboard browning sleeve. This sleeve, as well as others I’ve tried, do a good job of producing a crisp crust. While the crust came out fine, some of the filling blew out of each end. So keep it on a plate or paper towel while cooking to help avoid cleaning your microwave. The filling appears to be mostly cheese with tiny pieces of meat and green peppers. Green pepper is the most prominent flavor. The overall texture is firmly mushy. The shell has a nice taste and texture. Oven cooking directions are also provided.
Calories 310 per serving – 2 servings per box Price ??? (lost the receipt)
Tags:aldi, calories, fit and active, food, philly cheese steak, price, review, snack
Posted in ALDI, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items | 1 Comment »
01/14/2017
January 14, 2017
These are very elegant mild dark chocolate truffles with a delicate amaretto flavor. Many many small pieces of nuts and Amoretti cookies inside the truffles give these a surprising, unique and good mouthfeel and taste.
One downside is that the very small pieces tend to stick between teeth and even between tooth and gum. That may leave a desire to brush or floss soon after eating. A second downside is that these are a seasonal item. It may not be until next December when we see them again.
The packaging is as elegant as the chocolate. Each truffle is individually wrapped in a shiny paper with a twisty flourish above the truffle. If put out on a tray, the wrapping helps reduce any concerns about how many people picked up and then put down the truffle.
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Tags:amaretto, calories, candy, chocolate, confection, food, italy, nuts, price, review, tj, tj's, trader joe's, truffles
Posted in cooking and related items, food, Trader Joe's | Leave a Comment »
01/14/2017
January 14, 2017
These are good without being overly exceptional. That’s an odd statement even for me.
There’s a nice bit of chocolate that lives somewhere between a milk and a dark chocolate at the heart of each truffle. There’s no WOW factor to them. They’re relatively inexpensive for the amount of chocolate in the box. And for that price should we expect a WOW factor? The texture in the mouth is smooth and melty. The dusting of cocoa powder adds a bit of taste contrast to the milder chocolate center. Overall these are a very competent chocolate if your chocolate tastes lean towards the milder side of dark chocolate. One won’t, but two or three should help satisfy your chocolate craving. Price $2.49 per box Calories 240 (1.41 oz/40 g serving size)
Tags:aldi, belgium, calories, candy, choceur, chocolate truffles, confection, food, price, review
Posted in ALDI, cooking and related items, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items | 6 Comments »
01/07/2017
January 7, 2016
Brandy, I knew her from the old neighborhood. That’s right Brandy Beans. She and Ben, her brother, lived with their parents in the apartment building down the street on the second floor. Right above them on the 3rd floor were the Shaws. You remember Charlie, now old Charles Shaw, don’t you?
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Tags:alcohol, brandy, calories, candy, confection, dark chocolate, food, price, review, tj, tj's, trader joe's
Posted in cooking and related items, food, Trader Joe's | 4 Comments »
12/31/2016
December 31, 2016
Lets just say, your local Italian restaurant would be quickly out of business if it served this dish. The concept sounded good, the ingredients were there, but the execution didn’t work out – just like some Sunday NFL games. The tortelloni came out unevenly cooked, ranging between tough to mushy. The cheese filling was just okay. Read that as not very flavorful. The tomatoes varied from okay to mushy. The red pesto including bits of red pepper, zucchini and whatnot was the best part. There was very little liquid to the sauce, if that’s what you’re expecting.
However, considering the price of $1.99, it’s competitive in quality with other frozen entrées in this range. If the pasta and tomatoes could be cooked more evenly, this would be a much better dish. Maybe all it needs is a quick stir in the middle of cooking?
Calories: 460, Serving: Size 1 container Price: $1.99
Tags:calories, food, frozen box lunches, price, review, reviews, ricotta spinach tortelloni, tj, tj's, trader joe's
Posted in food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items, Trader Joe's | 8 Comments »
February 17, 2017
Ain't Found A Good Title Blog 