Krusteaz - Key Lime Bars

On a scale of 1 - 10 this product receives a 10 from me.  It's one of the quickest desserts I've found that requires only 2 ingredients - 3 eggs and water.  The taste is great and the preparation is simple.  You mix the eggs with water and let them sit while the crust, which requires no added ingredients, bakes.  Add the egg mixture and bake another 25 minutes.  That's it!  It also gives you directions for making this into a Key Lime Pie by using whipping cream instead of the eggs.  I took it to another level by adding a few chopped pecans to mine before baking but these can be mixed into the crust before baking.  You can also add one of my favorites - coconut!  This is one I plan on keeping on my shelf for emergency desserts.

Peet's Coffee

I've tried 2 of this company's coffees.  The first,Cafe Solano, which is a medium roast.  The beans are a blend of vibrant and aromatic beans from Africa, the Americas and the Indo Pacific.  When they say this coffee is Lively and Aromatic - they weren't kidding.  This coffee was very pleasing.  On a scale of 1 - 10 I give this coffee an 8.  I don't know if I've ever drank a 10.

The second coffee was Cafe Domingo which is also a medium roast.  This coffee come from three Latin American beans giving it a smooth taste with a hint of toffee sweetness and a clean crisp finish.  They described this one perfectly!  I love my flavored coffees but sometimes the flavor is simply too strong.  To correct this I mix my flavored coffee 1/4 to 3/4 with regular.  This gives me just a touch of flavor.  With the Cafe Domingo, the hint of toffee is so light and delicate that there is no need to dilute. This is a great morning as well as evening coffee. On a scale of 1 - 10 I give this one an 8. 

I will continue to buy both.

Shark Ninja Express Chop

On a scale of 1 - 10 this product receives a 10+ from me.  It is simply wonderful!

Target had the 'Magic Bullet' on sale just before Christmas and I had wanted one for some time so off I went to buy this product.  A friend was with me and had said they wanted to buy the Bullet for me as a Christmas gift.  I didn't want them to spend that much money so I looked at the Shark Ninja Express Chop which was on sale for $16.00.  I made a big deal over how neat this little chopper was and convinced my friend that I wanted that instead.  I actually thought I'd slip back over and buy the Bullet later. 

Well, I took the Ninja home and that night I decided to make some chicken salad.  What better way to test my newest gadget than with chicken.  I broke the chicken up into big chunks, dropped it in the Ninja, pushed the bar about 5 times and I had the most perfectly chopped chicken ever. 

Other choppers I've bought have the blades at the bottom.  The Ninja has 2 sets of blades making a more perfect chop.  And clean up is a breeze. 

Tonight I made a casserole that called for chopped onion, bell peppers and celery.  I had each chopped to the perfect size in just a few seconds.  This thing is great! 

Perdue Simply Smart Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks

On a scale of 1 - 10 I give this chicken a 10+.

I've tried many brands of chicken nuggets/strips, etc. but this has to be the best.  For one thing, it's actual pieces of chicken, not chopped and pressed.  It's fully cooked and lightly breaded cutting the calories down 40% and the fat down 50%.  It has no preservatives or fillers and uses white meat only. And preparation is so easy.  I placed what I needed into my toaster oven and they were ready in about 10 minutes - crispy, hot and delicious.  These are a must try!

Fryar's Poppy Seed Dressing

On a scale of 1 - 10 I give this product a 10+

I bought this dressing while at the Southern Christmas Show here in Charlotte, NC.  I love poppy seed anything so this looked and sounded perfect.  It's made with Olive Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar and just enough sugar to give it a touch of sweetness.  Today I decided to give it a try over an Oriental style salad.  I can describe it with one word - Wonderful!  This is a must try dressing.

Fryar's Poppy Seed Dressing

(The opinion above is in no way solicited nor paid for.  It consists of my own feelings regarding the product.)

Larry the Cable Guy Chicken Batter

On a scale of 1 to 10 I have to give this product a 10!  It's delicious!

I know it says 'Chicken Batter' but I wasn't making fried chicken, I was making cube steak.  For 4 pieces of steak I put about 1/2 cup in a shallow bowl and coated the meat well pressing the batter into the meat as I went.  I heated the oven to 400 degrees and put a light coat of oil in a cast iron frying pan.  This I placed in the oven while it preheated.  When the oven was hot I placed the battered meat into the hot oil and placed the pan back into the oven.  After about 5 minutes I turned the meat and cooked the other side for about 5 minutes. 

After removing the meat from the pan I poured off all but about 1 Tbsp. of oil and added a couple of Larry's batter to make gravy.  Another great move!  This batter has the perfect balance of seasonings, including salt and pepper.  I added nothing other than the batter to my meat.  Now I can't wait to try this with what it was made for - chicken.

Willie's Hog Dust Spicy BBQ Pork Rind Pellets Willie's Hog Dust

Willie's Hog Dust Spicy BBQ Pork Rind Pellets

On a scale of 1 - 10 I give this product an 8.

I've never seen anything like these pork rind pellets!  If you look at the picture on the left you will see the pellets on the left side of the plate and the cooked rinds on the right side.  They are already seasoned and all you do is put a few on a plate or napkin and microwave for about 90 seconds.  It's fun to watch them pop up as they cook.



Now why an 8 and not a 10.  The spice is good but a touch hot for some people.  I would like to see them in an unseasoned flavor.  Other than that, they are great.



Now I'll tell you about the Willie's Hog Dust.

On a scale of 1 - 10 I also give this product an 8.

The blends of the spices/herbs are perfect for BBQ.  To make mine I used Boston Butt 'ribs.'  I gave them a good coating of Willie's Hog Dust, wrapped them in plastic wrap and then in a good coating of foil.  They were then placed in a 325 degree oven for about 4 hours.  They were not only flavorful but also juicy and tender.  Again, why an 8 and not a 10?  A little too hot for some tastes.