10/18/2016 by steveo
October 18, 2016
The very bottom line on both these drinks is, they’re very similar sparkling sucralose sweetened flavored water with a few vitamins thrown in. For me ICE has a slightly better flavor. However there’s not enough difference between the two that I buy one over the other. When in ALDI I’ll throw a few Frost bottles in my basket and when in another store I’ll throw a few ICE bottles in my basket.
There is a considerable difference in price per bottle, 49 cents for Frost and generally around $1 for ICE. While that’s a 100% difference, the relatively low cost for either and the few bottles I purchase doesn’t break or make my food budget either way. Sparkling Frost, I assume, is ALDI’s store brand under the PurAqua product line. Sparkling ICE is a national brand available in many retail outlets.
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Tags: aldi, beverage, calories, drinks, food, price, review, sparkling frost, sparkling ice, sucralose
Posted in ALDI, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items | 2 Comments »
10/18/2016 by steveo
October 18, 2016
This is surprisingly good for $2.89. But there are better out there for a few dollars more. A weak red color for a Cab, leads to a slightly fruity aroma in the glass changing to an aroma of a rough red table wine. Nothing bad so far. The first sip is a little fruity and slightly sweet. In subsequent sips the sweetness is gone. There are no tannins to speak of which is consistent with the semi-dry description on the label. Maybe some oak, or something close to oak in the taste. The only negative is a somewhat strange type of astringency causing excessive cheek puckering. Don’t ask for pictures. I’m not sure it’s a Cab, if you’re expecting what’s commonly expected of a Cab.
Pairing with some leftover restaurant grilled chicken and chorizo (think spicy), it was not the best companion. The spicy food added to that cheek pucker.
The problem I’ve had in the past with very inexpensive wines (like $2 Chuck) is that the quality varies widely from bottle to bottle. I don’t know if that’s the case here, I’ve only had this one bottle. Would I buy it again? If I did it would only be to see how the next bottle changes from this one. For 3 or 4 dollars more it’s possible to get a much better red wine that’s consistently good – think Italian, think Tuscany, think DOCG, think sangiovese grapes. If you’re on a tight budget or think puckered cheeks are cute or just say one day, what the heck, give this a try. Otherwise pop for the extra few dollars. On the other hand if you’re at a major retailer that “also sells wine”, looking for a $10 bottle of wine, save yourself a few dollars and buy this one. Chances are this will be just as good. Price $2.89.
Tags: aldi, cabernet sauvignon, california, cheap wine, price, review, reviews, wine, winking owl
Posted in ALDI, Wine | Leave a Comment »
10/09/2016 by steveo
October 9. 2016
For the mildly adventurous this is the more flavorful cousin to Trader Joe’s Steak & Ale Pies. Similarly, this pie heats up nicely in the microwave. While a little chewy, the crust is not soggy after heating. Considering it was heated in a microwave, the nicely flavored crust is fairly crispy. Instructions for oven heating are also included.
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Tags: calories, chicken balti pie, curry, food, price, review, tj, tj's, trader joe's
Posted in cooking and related items, food, Trader Joe's | 9 Comments »
10/09/2016 by steveo
October 9, 2016
For a Cab, the color is a medium-red. This one tastes like a Cab. Mild tannins, a little bit of oak and the grapes add the character and the dryness of a Cab. There are no off-tastes unlike this recently reviewed wine. This is a fairly good wine, but not a very good or great Cab. There’s still quite a bit of roughness about this one. It’s not as smooth as a better Cab.
Cabs are on the stronger side of the wine taste scale. If your preferences run towards milder wines, this one is probably not for you. It would be hard to find an everyday food that would overpower this wine. On the other hand, this wine would overpower most milder foods. This was a September ALDI’s Wine Of The Month. However, it also seems to be a regular on the ALDI wine shelves. At $6.99 a bottle, this is a value price compared to a similar quality California Cab elsewhere.
Tags: aldi, cabernet, cabernet sauvignon, california, central coast, price, review, wine
Posted in ALDI, Wine | 2 Comments »
10/01/2016 by steveo
Click any image to open full screen.
Tags: 1966, car, e-type, jaguar, nostalgia, photography, photos, postaday, postaweek, quest, weekly photo challenge, xke
Posted in Photos | 1 Comment »
10/01/2016 by steveo
September 30, 2016
The large dark brown oily beans produce a bitter and somewhat watery cup of coffee. The bitterness has a short delay before hitting the sensory input of the brain. The initial bitterness subsides quickly after the first sip or two. However that’s replaced by a less noticeable lingering general bitterness in the whole mouth. It’s not a horrible coffee, it’s just not my cup of tea.
Of note is the new packaging. At least this is new to Trader Joe’s. The outside of the bag is a semi shiny paper. At the top is a resealable “zipper” style slot which allows access to the beans inside. However the zipper isn’t located on the top seam so the bag can’t be opened wide. The zipper placement makes it more difficult to get a scoop in and out to extract the beans. As the bag empties, the difficulty increases. Small hands are an asset here. Inside, the bag is lined with the usual plastic coated shiny foil. The bag is larger than a “normal” 12 ounce coffee bag. It’s somewhat surprising that TJ didn’t take some space on the bag to describe in their usual flowery language the new bag. Price $7.99 (12 ounce bag).
Tags: coffee, dark roast, food, price, review, tanzania coffee, tj, tj's, trader joe's
Posted in coffee, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items, Trader Joe's | 4 Comments »
10/01/2016 by steveo
September 30, 2016
There’s nothing very special going on here. These were on the shelf for what used to be ALDI’s Oktoberfest, but in September. That generally means they won’t be around until next spring (Mayfest?) and next autumn. As stated on the label these are shortbread cookies. They’re a little on the sweetish side for shortbread. Additionally, as you can see, they’re half coated with coconut sprinkled milk chocolate. If you like shortbread cookies, and shortbread crumbs on your shirt, blouse or sweater, these will suffice just as well as any.
Price $1.99 per box (12 cookies) Calories 140 per cookie
Tags: aldi, calories, coconut spritz, cookies, food, price, review, shortbread
Posted in ALDI, cooking and related items, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items | 19 Comments »
10/01/2016 by steveo
September 30, 2016
I’m not sure how I acquired this wine (probably a gift), but I wish I hadn’t. With a medicinal taste that forced a face scrunch, there wasn’t much enjoyment in this wine.
Comparing to a fair amount of reviews on the net, my experience is surprising. The general reviews for this wine are quite good. That was not my experience from first opening, after exposure to air, and after a couple of days in the frig. Perhaps the wine is too young or I had a bad bottle but, unless you receive it as a gift, I’d pass on giving it a second chance. Based on the net, the wine is priced in the $10 to $20 range.
Tags: california, daryl rex groom, drg, Pinot Noir, red wine, review, russian river valley, sonoma, wine, wine review
Posted in food, Wine | 7 Comments »
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