Food and Drink Reviews + Dining Out!
Photos By Gail
Waiting in line to get into Trader Joe’s: It is a thing that we do now. While standing in a recent TJ’s queue, I had a moment to snap a pic of the nearby sidewalk fruit stand, where a vibrantly-hued box of Pink Limes was clearly on display. These Limes with the brand name Pink come from a produce supplier called JadeProduce, and the limes are not actually pink inside, just to clear up any confusion. Wouldn’t it be cool though, if they were?
All Photos By Gail Worley
The simple pleasures of enjoying a bowl of cereal with milk has returned to my life recently, thanks to a line of shelf-stable, plant-based milks from Koita, a natural foods company based in Italy (check out my review of Koita’s Organic Coconut Milk at This Link). This week I am reviewing Koita Oat Milk, made from Italian oats and water, and fortified with vitamins and calcium. I’ve reviewed oat milk-based beverages on the blog before and found them to be quite delicious, and ideal as a milk-substitute in smoothies and shakes, thanks to its creamy texture that’s very similar to dairy milk.
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All Photos By Gail
Do you like Ketchup? I sure do. Ketchup is one of my top-three favorite condiments of all time — up there with Mayonnaise, and Trader Joe’s Green Tomatillo Chili Salsa, which is just insane — and if we are talking about Specialty Ketchups, don’t even get me started. If you can’t get your head around the thought of digging into a plate of crispy French fries without a generous side of ketchup for dipping, then let me introduce you to your new favorite thing: Vodka & Italian Tomato Ketchup from Spirit & Co.
Spirit & Co. is the first company worldwide to exclusively use premium liquor in each of its products. If you are a fan of Penne with Vodka Sauce, you already know that tomato and vodka is a distinctive pairing that delivers an umami flavor comparable to, say, adding truffle oil to almost anything. The flavor is unique and instantly recognizable, and even if you can’t pinpoint how the vodka makes the tomato sauce taste better, you understand that the result is crazy delicious. That said, I am willing to defend myself against accusations of being overly hyperbolic when I say that Spirit & Co.’s Vodka & Italian Tomato Ketchup will ruin you for all other ketchups: because it is absolutely the best ketchup I have eaten in my life.
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Continue reading Product Review: Vodka & Italian Tomato Ketchup From Spirit & Co.
All Photos By Gail
When Covid dictated a shift from working at an office to working from home, my daily routine changed in many ways. One small but significant shift involved what I regularly enjoyed eating for breakfast each morning while sitting at my desk. The office pantry always stocked fresh milk in the fridge for our coffee or cereal, so it was super convenient (and saved me a few bucks) to keep a box of my favorite cereal — Barbara’s Peanut Butter Puffins, available at Trader Joe’s — at work. At home, I rarely purchase dairy milk because it basically starts to go bad as soon as it’s packaged, and it’s easy to forget to use it up before the expiration date hits. Needless to say (but you can see I am about to) when I started working from home — one year ago — I stopped eating packaged breakfast cereal entirely. That changed recently, when I found out about Koita, a line of shelf-stable, plant-based milks from Italy! Today I’m going to review Koita Organic Coconut Milk, which has brought the joy of breakfast cereal back into my life.
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All Photos By Gail
File Under: Yes, It Exists! I’m not one to worry much about counting calories, so I would likely never have even looked for something called Skinny Syrups, but this was a gift — and what a gift at that! The friend who gifted this pretty pink bottle of Jordan’s Birthday Cake-flavored Syrup to me knows that I adore anything that has to do with Birthday Cake (or the flavor thereof) and the fact that it is my favorite color is, as they say, the icing on the cake!
I have started sweetening my morning coffee with two teaspoons of this stuff and, man, is it ever scrumptious. And it has zero calories! Anyway, you can put this syrup on or in anything that you want to sweeten without adding any additional calories but instead adding the flavor of Birthday Cake. Win Win!
All Photos By Gail
Did you overindulge a bit more that usual during the holiday season? Join the club. It would be nice if Holidays-in-lockdown meant that there are no rules, and you can eat whatever you want, but if you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to curb your consumption of sweets treats, there’s a new candy in town called Pink Panda that can help you snack guilt-free.
Pink Panda is a line of gummy candy that lets you give in to the sweet desires of your inner child while also satisfying your responsible adult brain that says snacks should be healthy whenever possible. Made with 90% less sugar than regular candy (only 2g per bag), there is no sacrifice made the it comes to quality and taste. We received bags of both the Treasure Chews and Astro Blasters varieties for review. Read on for our findings!
Review Continues, After the Jump!
Image Source (All Other Photos By Gail Except Where Noted)
Some of our favorite Halloween traditions may be off-the-table for this year’s scariest night, but there’s still time to create your own delicious festivities with a treat from Gourmet Gift Baskets that can be delivered direct to your door! Honored by Newsweek earlier in 2020 as a Top Food Site, Gourmet Gift Baskets has a few new offerings for Halloween that are scary good ways to treat yourself, or someone you love! Check out the Boo Baked Good Gift Box, packed with tasty sweets that I am currently enjoying here in the Chickpad.
Before we take a peak at what’s inside, can I just say that anyone would love this adorable, lidded-box that lets the gift keep on giving as it can be re-used to store whatever strikes your fancy once the enclosed treats have been gobbled up! So cute!
Brand new this season, the Boo Baked Good Gift Box, ($29.99) is stuffed with nearly dozen fresh-baked goods, including delectable, chewy chocolate chip cookies, fudge brownie cookies and a novelty crispy rice treat shaped like a giant Candy Corn. You need to see this to be sure your eyes aren’t tricking you! This very affordable gift will make anyone’s Halloween feel special.
The baked goods are individually wrapped to stay fresh, and each gift box arrives with its own greeting card, so your recipient knows it came from you.
Rice Crispy Treats are a favorite of mine since I was a wee lass and used to bake them with my Mom. I’m happy report that the Gourmet Gift Baskets bakers’ version of this classic is just as soft and chewy as I remember, and the candy coating takes it to the next level. This oversized treat is so rich that you might want share it with a friend, or wrap half of it to save for later!
Also brand new, for those looking for a more Adult-geared gift, is the Eat, Drink & Be Scary Beer Bucket ($69.99) which features delicious treats like handcrafted Kettle popcorn, peanut butter cups, and Halloween Junior Mints — packed in a fun and functional black cauldron pail — plus 6 assorted Beers that provide a perfect pairing.
Find the perfect Halloween Treats for your scary celebration now at Gourmet Gift Baskets!
