Birds Eye Steamfresh Fresh Frozen Mixed Vegetables Review

I can be frugal about some things. There are just some things I don’t pay extra for. I buy many foods on sale and store it in the freezer. I had actually never made steamed vegetables in the microwave until today.

I tried the Mixed Vegetables. All I had to do to cook them was put the bag in the microwave for 5 minutes and they were done. I loved the convenience of not having to boil water, add vegetables and boil again. This was much quicker. I do not feel we lost anything in taste. The mixed vegetables were just as tasty as if I’d boiled the ones I usually get, although they were a tiny bit firmer. the Mixed Vegetables have no fat and no cholesterol. There are four 2/3 cup servings in the bag, each having 60 calories.

The 12 ounce bag of Birds Eye Steamfresh Mixed Vegetables that I bought was on sale for $0.59. I will buy them again if on sale, as well as try other varieties. I don’t think I would buy them at full price.

I purchased this item. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self.

Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Fillings Review And The Lucky Leaf Taste Of New York Giveaway

Before the holidays I was contacted by Lucky Leaf asking me if I’d be willing to try their new and improved fillings. Having never made a pie of my own and wanting to do so, I accepted.

About Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Fillings

Since 1949 Lucky Leaf has stayed true to its mission of providing simple, delicious dessert products for families across the United States by constantly improving our products to meet the changing needs of our customers.

At first, Lucky Leaf was solely dedicated to fresh applesauce. But as the American woman became too busy to make her delicious homemade pies from scratch, we took care of the hard part and started making ready-to-use apple pie filling. In no time, Lucky Leaf Ready-To-Use Apple Pie Filling hit the shelves and those delicious apple pies were back on windowsills across America.

With the success of our apple pie filling, America’s appetite for Lucky Leaf grew. We responded to America’s hunger by expanding our line of flavors. That’s why today you have a number of delicious varieties like our line of Premium Cherry, Apple, Blueberry, Lemon, Red Raspberry, Lite, and Crème in your grocery stores — so you can make whichever type of pie you want quickly and easily.

I received two cans of Premium Pie Filling - Apple and Strawberry, as well as a pie pan, a can opener and a copy of the Made With Love And Lucky Leaf Recipe Book which contains contest-winning recipes that were tested and approved by the Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen. I wanted to start out as simple as possible so I decided to make an apple pie. I had temporarily misplaced the pie pan so I used another one I had. This may sound funny but I wasn’t 100% sure if any special steps were needed because there aren’t directions on the pie filling can. I realized after the fact that this was probably because there are so many ways to use pie filling.

I laid an uncooked pie crust into the pan, poured the filling into that and then placed another uncooked pie crust on top and pierced it. I baked it until it looked done, very scientific huh?

Upon removing it from the oven my suspicions were confirmed - I should have used more pie filling in my pan or just used a smaller pan. That’s about when the glass pie pan that they’d sent to me turned up. Ironic, huh? The pie was good, as good or better than the premade ones and boxed ones from the grocery store. The filling tasted fresh and delicious. What impressed us the most about the filling is that it was almost all fruit, rather than almost all juice and water with a little fruit.

Given courage by the fact that the pie hadn’t burnt, my house hadn’t caught fire and noone needed to go to the hospital I decided to continue my quest to bake things using some recipes from the book. My favorites so far are the Easy Apple Cheese Danish and the Strawberries & Cream Chocolate Muffins. I liked the fillings and picked up some more. I used Strawberry Filling over pound cake with whipped cream, as well as over waffles. The next thing I want to make is the Sweet & Hot Apple Slow Cooker Pork, I think it’d be awesome on a cold evening. The book is easy to read and understand and full of pictures. I was really surprised at all of the ways you can use a can of pie filling. I was pleased to learn that many of the Lucky Leaf pie fillings are now sweetened with natural sugar and have no high fructose corn syrup.

Lucky Leaf products are available in grocery stores nationwide, just use the Lucky Leaf store locator to help you find the location nearest to you.  They offer regular, lite and creme pie fillings, as well as apple sauce, apple juice, apple butter and a few other specialty products. I absolutely adore apple butter and have had a hard time finding a good one in the grocery store. I’ll be on the lookout for the Lucky Leaf Apple Butter so I can check that out.

Lucky Leaf is currently holding a cool contest called the Taste Of New York Giveaway. In this contest one (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive two (2) tickets to the Rachael Ray show in New York City, a $1,000 spending allowance for airfare/train fare/cab fare/hotel/overnight accommodations, lunch for two at one of Rachael Ray’s favorite New York City restaurants, a guided tour of the Every Day with Rachael Ray and Taste of Home offices in New York City, a Lucky Leaf gift basket valued at $50 and a gift basket containing Every Day with Rachael Ray and Taste of Home cookbooks, tools and cookware valued at $500.  Thirteen (13) weekly winners will receive a Lucky Leaf cookbook valued at $10.00 each. To enter all you need to do is complete the entry form. The contest ends 01/30/10 so hurry!

Lucky Leaf can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

Coombs Family Farm Maple Syrup Review

In the winter we eat more hot breakfasts than cold. One of TJ’s favorite breakfast foods is pancakes. I like both pancakes and waffles. RB’s a waffle guy and CJ loves his gluten-free waffles. While some of like a little butter and some don’t, there is one thing we all like - syrup. Recently we got to try some products from Coombs Family Farms, including their Maple Syrup.

About Coombs Family Farms

Pure maple has been a way of life at Coombs Family Farms for seven generations. Coombs Family Farms has produced 100% pure maple since 1840. Since 1988, Coombs Family Farms has produced certified organic maple syrup. A champion of small family farming, Coombs Family Farms also sources 100% pure organic certified maple from other small, independent farmers who share the Coombs commitment to quality, environmental stewardship, and sustainable forestry management.

Coombs Family Farm specializes in all things maple. Our products include 100% pure maple syrup various grades, pure maple candies, pure maple sugar, and pancake mixes. While all our maple products are made without artificial flavors, preservatives, or thickeners, our organic maple syrup is certified by the Quality Assurance International (QAI) and carries the USDA organic seal. We are also certified kosher by K of K.

All Coombs Family Farms maple syrups are available in the following grades:

• Grade A light amber maple syrup
• Grade A medium amber maple syrup
• Grade A dark amber maple syrup
• Grade B maple syrup
• Commercial grade maple syrup for our restaurant and food company friends.

I received a bottle of Grade B 100% Pure and Organic Maple Syrup. I really expected this to taste like pancake syrup but it didn’t. It’s thinner and not as sweet. It also seems a little less sticky to me.  It’s got a very tasty and distinct flavor that we all enjoyed. I received recipe cards from Coombs featuring dishes I wouldn’t have thought to add maple syrup to. I’m planning on trying making some muffins with it. I also want to try making my meatloaf with it too, I’m very curious about that. I also received a piece or 100% pure maple candy. I was surprised at the candy. I expected it to taste like candy made of pancake syrup  but it didn’t. It has a thick texture and is sweet but it has an after taste that I’m not even sure how to describe. It’s a very interesting flavor. Try it if you get a chance and let me know what you think.

To learn more about Coombs Family Farms maple, please visit www.coombsfamilyfarms.com. They’re also on Twitter and on Facebook.

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

Entertaining Made Easy - Farm Rich Snacks And Appetizers Review

One type of food that always goes over well with family and friends is appetizers and snack sized foods. People always gobble them up. I recently got to try some of the new appetizers from Farm Rich and they were a hit.

About Farm Rich Snacks And Appetizers

Farm Rich products have been setting the standard for delicious, easy-to-prepare food the whole family loves. Farm Rich foods taste like nothing else because they’re made like nothing else – with 100% real ingredients like real cheese, high-quality meats and fresh vegetables. Our snacks, appetizers, and breakfast foods are quick-frozen and carefully packaged so busy families can prepare great tasting food within minutes.

I received a couple of coupons for Farm Rich frozen appetizers so I picked out the ones that sounded yummiest to me. This was difficult, it would have been much easier if I’d had more coupons because they all sounded so yummy. The line of hot appetizers includes cheese sticks, pizza slices, mozzarella bites, mushrooms, meatballs, quesadillas, paninis, peppers, pizzeria bites and french toast sticks.

Farm Rich Appetizers are frozen and super easy to make. Most of the product, if not all, can be cooked in less than twenty minutes in the oven or microwave. Some can also be deep fried. We cooked ours in the oven so that we had room to cook more than one thing at a time. This was the perfect week for me to try these snacks because we were all home and on more relaxed schedules. We had appetizers for dinner one night and with a movie another night.

I decided to get two new items, the mini quesadillas and the mini stuffed paninis, as well as the Farm Rich cheese sticks because we all love mozzarella sticks.

The mozzarella sticks came in a 2 pound resealable bag, which was very handy since we had them on two different nights. The quesadilla slices came in a 1.5 pound resealable bag that contained 12 slices. The quesadilla slices have Mozzarella, Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, grilled all white meat chicken, and salsa all wrapped in a little tortilla. The paninis came in a 1.25 pound bag that contained 10 paninis. The paninis have Mozzarella, Romano and Parmesan cheeses, all white meat chicken, bacon and pesto sauce on a little flatbread sandwich. Each and every snack was gone within ten minutes of taking them out of the oven. They were all warm, gooey inside and really tasty. We can’t wait to try the other varieties out soon.

You can discover which products are available in your area by using the Farm Rich product locator tool. Also be sure to check out the Farm Rich coupons page.

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE - MUST HAVES - Excalibur Food Dehydrator Review

I was introduced to fresh homemade jerky about twelve years ago. My friend’s husband used to make it and she brought it in for me. Eventually I was gifted an inexpensive little round dehydrator that I could make jerky and fruit leather with. I made my own jerky for a while. The round trays were a pain in the butt - things didn’t always cook the same and the trays seemed like an inefficient use of space. After a while the plastic spokes on the trays started to break and the meat would fall through. Finally the plastic on the outside of the round trays started separating. The whole dehydrator was falling apart and wasn’t even close to being air tight. Making jerky took so long that it was more trouble then it was worth so I stopped using it. We really missed having jerky for a long time, which is the main reason I was so excited when I received the opportunity to review an Excalibur Food Dehydrator.

Until a few weeks before my review I was not familiar with Excalibur. I had never seen them in stores. What a treat I was in for!

I received a 9 tray Large Excalibur, model #3900. This dehydrator has 9 large trays combining to offer 15 square feet of tray area! I know, wow! I have a room barely that big, seriously. It operates at 600 watts and has a built-in on/off switch, a 7″ fan and an adjustable thermostat. Unit dimensions are 12 1/2″H x 17″W x 19″D.

To use the Excalibur you simply place the items you’re dehydrating on the trays, set the temperature setting you want and turn it on. I set the oven timer so I know when to turn it off. I try not to open it to peek too often but my curiosity usually gets the better of me. The Excalibur is big and square, and is the size of some microwaves. Now if you’re like me, you may have only seen round dehydrators. I was curious why Excalibur’s food dehydrator was square.

About the Excalibur

The Excalibur is just about the only SQUARE dehydrator. Round dehydrators have significant design flaws that make them inefficient and slow. They’re designed for low cost, not high performance as the Excalibur is. They’re made to stack up in sections. They have a heating element in the bottom that can collect drips and spilled food. They usually have no fan or thermostat to regulate or circulate heat so temperatures can vary 50º from top to bottom. That means you have to constantly re-stack trays and “babysit” the machine. Each tray has limited headroom so you can’t dry tall items. And each tray has a “donut hole” which severely limits your ability to dry large items. It can take 10 times longer to dry foods in a round dehydrator as in the Excalibur!

When I first opened it I was surprised to see that the top, bottom and sides are solid and fixed, leaving the trays which slide in through the front like drawers. I love this. It makes the food so easy to load, unlike the round trays that stack on top of each other. Speaking of the trays, I love the large slide out square trays. They hold so much more than the round trays I’d used previously. They were so easy to work with (especially when I was peeking in there to see how things were doing) and seem much sturdier than the round ones.

What I love the most about the Excalibur is that it works quickly and reliably. I love the large family size. With nine trays it’s possible for me to dehydrate lots of one thing or several different things all at once, rather than having to make numerous different batches. Another great feature is the adjustable thermostat. With every round dehydrator I’d seen in the past there was no thermostat. Different foods should be dehydrated at different temperatures to ensure freshness and quality.

I have learned so much since receiving the Excalibur. I used to think that dehydrators were basically only for making jerky and drying fruit. I had no idea how many things you can do with a good dehydrator. My new knowledge came courtesy of a copy of a food dehydration book called Preserve It Naturally. This book is amazing - it contains everything you could ever want to know about food dehydration. It has chapters on fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, herbs, nuts, grains, dairy products, crafts, potpourri and more. Everything is explained clearly. I never really thought about some of the “quick” foods that we buy and eat. Since surgery one of the instant foods that we always have in the house is mashed potatoes. I can actually make these myself now. I think that’s cool. I can also make something my family (especially TJ) loves - potato chips. I can make my own instant soup and sauce mixes too. That’ll save me money at the store and they’ll have no preservatives either. The dehydrator turns out to be an extremely versatile appliance.

If you’re interested in learning more about Excalibur or their products visit the Excalibur website. Excalibur products are all made in the USA. The family run company has been in business for over 35 years and prides itself on producing green products and sets aside a portion of all profits to fund global outreach & education programs.

Excalibur offers consumer dehydrators starting at about $119.99. They also carry commercial dehydrators, spices, accessories and books on dehydrating. Products may be purchased online at www.excaliburdehydrator.com.  Excalibur has graciously offered to provide any of my readers that place an order an additional 10% off . Just use coupon code MB09 in the discount coupon box when you check out. When the order is completed, it will reflect your 10% off. They’ve also got some specials going on now where you can get some free items and free shipping.

You can also visit Excalibur Food Dehydrators on Facebook.

Check back soon for my homemade jerky recipe!

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.