Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Have you heard of Lay’s Do Us A Flavor Chip Contest?  Lays may someday pay YOU for coming up with a great Chip idea.  This time the finalists’ flavors are… West Coast Truffle Fries, Southern Biscuits and Gravy, and Greektown Gyro and New York Reuben Sandwich flavors. Different.  I like that and was excited to try each, but… hhmmm… some aren’t executed that well. Bummer. The Reuben and Gyro Chips just taste weird.  Some of the respective Sandwich components can be tasted in each, but neither come together in a positive tasty manner.  And the Truffle Fries Chips don’t have enough Truffle flavor.  They taste more like Sour Cream and Onion Chips.  The best of the (4) in a collective opinion of five are the Southern Biscuits and Gravy Chips.  They have a good, peppery Biscuits and Gravy flavor and might be purchased by us post review.  Lays should pick my Chip idea next time — TBA if it happens.  In any event, it’s a fun contest that I hope continues.

What would you do for a Klondike Bar?  Uh, how about just buy one if you want it?!

Peaches & Berry Bramble Natural Gourmet Oatmeal was what I wanted to try most, but nooooooooo, the dog ate it, I swear — This time it was true.  It was too close to the end of the counter and got snatched over to the sneaky place, like too many casualties before it.

I was glad to still have the Cranberry O’ Nut Natural Gourmet Oatmeal to sample.

And was completely impressed with the clear tops — For that reason I’d want to buy it.

It’s great quality too — A little Hot Water in the Cranberry O’ Nut made an excellent breakfast.

Also had to try the Bourbon Salted Pecan Pancake & Waffle Mix — Sounds so interesting.

I made Waffles with the mix and they cooked up nicely, despite overfilling the Waffle Iron, but ultimately I wanted a lot more flavor from them.  Overall it was fun sampling (and almost sampling) a few of the products sold on Snazzy Gourmet — They offer some cool food stuff.

I may have tasted this one April Fool’s afternoon.  In any event SoulmateFood.com catches the attention of the hopeful and untaken, but only promises ingredients that provide the best quality nutrition to enhance performance.  That sounds good, but all is brilliant here thank you very much.  Is Buckwheat in the UK?  It’s where SoulmateFood is based.  Excuse the inside references, don’t have the inside scoop to declare more than… Cute name.  I know nub tho!

The last Strawberry one was stolen from the fridge — Okay, I know who did it and you’re busted.  I guess that means you like them, but next time ask, as I still had study to do.  I mean, I wanted it.  Heading to the conference room for a meeting, I found it satisfying and timely this day, with a pad of paper and Coffee in the other hand.  It’s a Kraft Milk Bite Bar that’s the subject here.  A group of us recently got to try them.  They’re of interest because I LOVE Milk, like Granola, and I’m always looking for a good, quick breakfast bite.  Thanks!

View from my new office on an overcast day, with a Snack Like Nothing Else, they report.

Voting on the office favorite, another points to the Strawberry Milk Bite, though all liked all.

We also tried the Chocolate Milk Bite with nothing bad to say about it.  I liked the Strawberry better too, but found it a tad rich towards the last bite, thus think I’d really like the Mixed Berry or Oatmeal Raisin one best.  You can learn about the nutritional information from them at MILKBITE.com, or at the top link.  It’s back to work with much awaiting review.

Two more days to enter the Karo Corn Syrup Dessert Challenge — Do you have a recipe?

If so, enter now on Recipe Riot or check out other assignments there.  I entered the above.

I submitted a recipe (and video) for Tangerine Fruit Bursts — Since the recipe cannot be previously published, only excerpts (freeze frames) of the video are posted here now, and because I’m bashful about creating a novice recipe video, a funny learning experience.  You’ll have to find it.  All Karo Corn Syrup Dessert Challenge submissions can be viewed here.

Good luck all!  Required product branding photo — By me, only for fine products.  Karo is one.

Food styling at the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! “Toast to the Red Carpet – Live” event.

Behind the scenes with Food Bloggers on Oscar day at Siren Studios in Hollywood —  Cool stuff.  I had the pleasure of meeting the talented and nice people behind Food Flirt, The Duo Dishes, In Erika’s Kitchen, Run Eat Repeat, Rockin’ Mama, Romy Raves and ICBINB!

All dishes on set were made with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! and the RECIPES are HERE.

A Toast to the Red Carpet by ICBINB! with Molly Sims, Carson Kressley and Brooke Burke.

Before show on set (above), and during the show in the Fantastic Suite at the W Hollywood.

Siren Studios wait area or S for Shelly — Hhhmmmm.

Leaving studio on the way to the W, just a couple blocks away.

The W Hollywood — I love its style.  More about it by Bonnie, after the Giveaway (below).

In the Fantastic Suite with Lifestyle and Food Bloggers — Thanks to ICBINB!

A Champagne toast in the mirror and the option of Toast with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

I enjoyed Toast and all dishes developed by Katie Lee using ICBINB!

More information about the dishes and RECIPES are HERE.

My favorite was the Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes pictured above.

Added to all from the W were Kobe Beef Sliders (above).

Off the Fantastic Suite was an outdoor lounge set with Beer, Wine, Champagne and Sodas.

And Celebrity Makeup Artist, Terri Apanasewicz was there to give expert advice — Thanks!

And beyond the outdoor lounge was another patio across the street from the Pantages.

GIVEAWAY:

If you got through all that and still want to be entered into a DRAWING to WIN a classy Ralph Lauren Serving Tray, (4) Champagne Glasses, Wine Charms and decorative Butter Knife, do (1) of these things before March 8th ends PST.

• Like Nibbles of Tidbits on Facebook
• Leave a Comment on this Post
• Follow @FoodBlog on Twitter

We’ll draw (1) name from all entries and notify him/her/you on March 9th with a CONGRATULATIONS!  You may enter once a day via any means noted above.  If you already Like Nibbles of Tidbits on Facebook (and probably don’t, hahaha), a subsequent comment there or here will count as an entry.  Good luck and thanks ICBINB! Peeps.

A Bedazzled I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! is the real star here — It wore more than Toast.

What are you wearing I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!?  These Fashion Experts want to know.

It’s an appetizing MENU designed by Katie Lee I’m wearing, replied ICBINB!.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! is going places, and Nibbles of Tidbits will soon offer a GIVEAWAY and report about the happenings this Oscar day in Hollywood at Siren Studios.

Who, what, where and when showing soon — And related blog report(s) to be linked.

Spread your mind after Toast.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and taste of Gorton’s Grilled Tilapia.

It’s not something I usually eat, but it was on special and cooked up fast.  I had yet to prepare pre-cooked frozen Fish in the microwave.  After seeing and eating Gorton’s Signature Grilled Tilapia, I wanted to do it again.  The Tilapia was all white and flakey, mandatory to me.  It really doesn’t have that much of a grilled flavor, but it’s more than all right for a quick bite.

It looked like a frozen block out of the freezer and turned into an enjoyable lunch.

Happy with the results, I tried Gorton’s Grilled Fillets Garlic Butter, but they didn’t measure up.

It appeared to be made of Fish pieces pressed together and had way too many dark strains running throughout — Opposite of the Grilled Tilapia, it was sadly inedible.  No bueno.

What’s up Gorton?  I’m told to trust you — Quality consistency is important.  Who likes a hodge podge of this kind of dark meat?  Not I, but still glad you’re around.  It’s 50/50 for now.

When asked if I wanted to sample Wheat Thins Stix, my first thought was no thanks.  To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of Wheat Thins, but know my Mom is.  She’s been snacking on them ever since I was a kid.  Since they’re always in her cupboard, I asked if she wanted to try the Wheat Thins Stix.  She agreed and here we are — Lexi from Kids in the Kitchen (pictured) loved them, especially the Cinnamon Kick.  And my Mom liked both.  Okay, I sampled a few too and have no complaints.  Thanks for the opportunity Nabisco, as I’m now partially converted.

Update:  Apologies, the post title was changed due to formatting issues.

When I only purchased Pickles and Ice Cream, the grocery checker asked if an announcement was going to be taking place.  I’m glad she didn’t ask when I was due, hahaha.  Funny, but both were picked up for a purpose during a recent lunch break.  The reason for the Pickles was a debate over the best — And the justification for the Ice Cream is that it’s reported to be outstanding.  A co-worker brought in a baggie of Famous Dave’s Pickle Chips claiming they’re the finest around.  After one bite, I knew it wasn’t true.  They’re too sweet and not what I want in a Pickle.  Sorry for spitting it back into the bag so no one else could eat them.  Ooops, my bad.  In my opinion, the best Pickles are Bubbies, pictured above.

And with respect to Graeter’s Ice Cream — It is pretty darn good.  Mike got this one right.  Over the years he’s paid hundreds of dollars to have it shipped to California from Ohio and now it’s available here.  He recommended the Black Raspberry Chip, which is fabulous and made up for the Pickles.  None of us ate both together.  We’re not pregnant.

It was an unexpected treat to receive all this Yogurt in the mail.  They were still well chilled when transferred to the fridge.  Thank you Voskos — I apologize for not thanking YOU sooner for the chance to run wild with your Greek Yogurt.  Already a Yogurt and Granola fan, I agreed to try it, but didn’t expect all this and cannot complain.  I like the flavors and variety.

I was a little skeptical about the Granola remaining crunchy after being in the fridge, but DAMN, it’s the crunchiest Granola I’ve ever had and its packaging works well.  I now buy it.

It’s fun to try a variety of new food items in one sitting — A bite (or more) of each, from savory to sweet, to see what you go back to the most and finish first.  In this instance, the favorite of the basket was the Sofiato Cream Filled Crepe Bites aka Cafe Mocha Pillows.  I’m still missing them.  And the California Pantry Rosemary & Olive Oil Baked Crackers were excellent too, super crispy and flavorful.

All else was fine, except for the Cheese Straws — Yuck, none could finish one.  The taste and texture was bad.  And surprisingly the Godiva Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel wasn’t good either, as the Pretzel was too fat, thick and dry for the Chocolate that crumbled off it after the first bite.  Overall, I appreciate the gift and the basket is a keeper for attractive organization.

Nibbles of Tidbits is asked to try a lot of products — Some immediately interest us and others we’re not so sure about.  Since we can’t, nor want to try ’em all, we choose to try food products we’re curious about, that are unique, that we think we’ll like, or because it’s offered/provided at the right time.  If we report about a product, it’s guaranteed to be honest, good or bad, rain or shine, although good, shiny days are preferred. 😉

In this instance, I wasn’t quite sure about trying Blue Diamond’s Almond Breeze, a Non-Dairy Beverage made from real Almonds — I’m a hard core Milk drinker and the thought of Almond Breeze as a drink scared me.  I thought it would taste too sweet, but it’s not.

This product arrived timely in that I’d been wanting homemade Hot Chocolate and Almond Breeze came with an Almond Hot Chocolate recipe.  The stars aligned.  In addition, I love nuts (all kinds) and have purchased many Blue Diamond products over the years.  Their quality has been consistent.

I prepared the Almond Hot Chocolate by pouring hot (microwaved) Almond Breeze over Milk Chocolate Chips and powdered Cocoa (approx. 2 cups Almond Breeze, 6oz. Chocolate and 1 tsp. Cocoa) — Their official recipe is linked here.

Pour the hot Almond Breeze (or Milk) over the Chocolate Chips and Cocoa.

Prepare in individual cups with desired amount of Chocolate or in bulk to fill many cups.

Stir until Chocolate Chips are melted and Cocoa is blended.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first Almond Hot Chocolate in a cup from my Great Grandma Moore.

The combination of ingredients makes a rich, luxurious Hot Chocolate and the hint of Almond puts it over the top — It adds a nice, toasted flavor.  Cheers to all my loving Grandmas!

Almond Breeze makes an excellent Hot Chocolate.  The taste of it alone was surprisingly good, as it’s not sweet — I actually liked it.

It’s noted that Almond Breeze can be substituted, cup for cup in many recipes, which sounds exciting, but it appears it’s not true when it comes to the basic Minute Tapioca recipe.  Its preparation with Almond Breeze didn’t work, as it never firmed up properly and remained too runny.  The Almond garnish sank — Bummer!  It tasted good warm and perhaps cold it could be served as a boba drink, not.

Overall, we’re nutty about this product discovery.

I like the way this new style Whisk works, I like the way this new style Whisk works, I like the way this new style Whisk works — That’s hard to say outloud three times fast, or is it just me.  Regardless, the Whisk is by WMF.  Could it be that I put less effort into stirring this mix?  It kinda seemed like it and it worked well.  I liked using it. 

A few pros and cons include… The batter is less apt to get trapped in the Whisk, it’s comfortable and easy to use, but it may be a little louder, as the balls bounce off the edges of the bowl, and it’s harder to scrape the sides of the bowl with the Whisk, since the ball tips are wider than the prongs.  Overall, I love it as an acceptable, fun, useful kitchen tool option.

I received the Whisk (and other goodies) at the Foodbuzz Bloggers Festival in San Francisco, then graffiti’ed the above photo before re-posting it here.

With little time to spare, I was recently tasked with bringing dessert on a camping trip.  After scouting out potential mixes at the local grocery store, I chose Krusteaz Cinnamon Crumb Cake & Muffin Mix and a Ghiradelli Fudge Brownie Mix.  The Brownies were good, but the Crumb Cake was amazing — Yes, amazing.  The Cake was moist and the Crumb Topping stayed crisp.  We wrestled over who got the last piece and it wasn’t me.

I’ve since gone back to the store to purchase several boxes — A couple boxes will be tacked on to Christmas gifts (hopefully the recipients don’t read this), a few others are reserved for future preparation, and one box was prepared for co-workers.  Seven out of seven co-workers fell in love with it this morning.  And again, I missed out on the last piece.  It went fast.  I’m telling ya, it’s good stuff.

And since it’s soooo good, we’re anxious to try other Krusteaz products.  I currently have my eye on the Raspberry Bars, Key Lime Bars and the Berry Cobbler mixes.  The results of those tastings will soon be reported here.  One co-worker says their Pancake mixes are first-rate too, but we’ve yet to try ’em.  FYI:  If you’re too fabulous to prepare a simple mix, recipes using the pictured product (and others) are available on Krusteaz website.

Who doesn’t love Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce?  I haven’t met anyone.  And after countless years of Steak marination and mixing it into Sauces, for the life of me I still can’t pronounce it, and need to assess its spelling over and over — We all know what I’m talking about, right!?  Regardless, the mysterious concoction of flavors is the best!  And right now Lea & Perrins is asking YOU to Shine at Dinnertime with a Video Recipe Challenge.  You could WIN $10,000 and more.  Just create and submit a home video (under 4 minutes long) showing how easy it is to make a flavorful dish using Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce.  Submit a video today through November 14th.  Unwrap the possibilities, get filming (and editing), then upload your video here.  Voting begins in December.  More will be reported here when it’s happening.  GOOD LUCK!  Hhhmmm, perhaps I should start thinking about this one too.  I invented The Kiwi Game* in my first video and too shy to link my second — Will the third be a charm?  We’ll see.

* Thanks to Zespri and The Kiwi Game, I’m a lucky Semi-finalist in their fabulous contest you can enter here.  Not sure if I can actually call The Kiwi Game an invention. 😉

It’s time to submit a video to become the next Chef Ambassador in The Tonnino Tuna Chef Challange.  Tonnino, known for its high quality, hand filleted/packed Tuna is looking for the Next Tonnino Chef.  In addition to the title, the PRIZE is $5,000 towards the advancement of culinary education and a one-year supply of Tonnino Tuna.  I created an amazing recipe and now workin’ on a video (yikes) for a chance to win dinero towards future dinner-O’s.  I hope to fund my varied culinary education through classes, books, events, and all things food related to report on Nibbles of Tidbits — And I’d surely come up with a lot more Tuna recipes.

* The above photo doesn’t do the flavor of our entry/recipe justice — We’ll post more about [it] once our video is submitted.  Good luck all!

I’ve had the pictured kitchen tool (Pastry/Pizza Roller) for several years now.  I don’t remember where I got it, but just found the same one online for less than $5 — Not too shabby, since it’s come in handy many times over the years.  Its size is great for kids and it’s useful when trying to roll or smooth out Dough in baking dishes or tight spots.  A typical Rolling Pin couldn’t do the same.  The above Crust turned out nicely, but unfortunately this tool couldn’t have saved the Filling.  The final results of this dish are pictured here. 🙂

Playing “Quarters” probably isn’t the most mature way of handling the receipt of a (12) pack of Blue Moon Belgian White, Belgian-Style Wheat Ale, but it was 4th of July weekend and we were ready to have some fun.  And it appears that I was the only one who hadn’t tried it before.  When I told others (friends, co-workers and family) about the brew, all already knew about it.  They knew (and I now know) that it’s made with Orange Peel and Coriander, then garnished with an Orange Slice.  Where have I been, especially since I seek out everything Orange flavored?!

And no, we really didn’t play Quarters with this tall glass on a leather surface, as they’re not the most ideal conditions for the game, ha.  We just tested it out without success.  After that, we enjoyed the Blue Moon in a semi-mature fashion. 🙂

The consensus is… We hope to have this amazing brew more than once in a Blue Moon.  We’re not standing alone without a dream in our heart.  Okay, that’s enough of the song and word play — It’s time to go get more Beer.  This is a good one!

A Food Blogger who suffers from occasional heartburn is not a good thing.  Well, it happens and over the past (10) years or so I’ve tried many over the counter medicines to help remedy the situation.  It’s why I agreed to try Zegerid OTC, one of the newer related medications to the market.  I also found their offered tips (below) to be helpful and thus wanted to share them with you here.  Dr. Michael Rahmin, a Gastroenterologist at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey recommends the following TIPS for a healthier, happier BBQ season:

· Don’t Overdo It.  Smaller, more frequent meals help optimize the digestive process.  Eating big portions can put more pressure on your stomach and lead to heartburn.  Remember that the next BBQ is probably around the corner so be reasonable about portion sizes.

· Watch Out for Triggers.  If you are prone to heartburn, be cautious when considering certain foods that are known to cause problems, including caffeinated drinks, alcohol, chocolate and spicy, fatty foods.  Barbecue alternatives to consider include lower-fat dogs instead of traditional beef hot dogs, or make your burgers withlean ground turkey.  With the right condiments it’s hard to tell the difference.  Since all stomachs are not created equal, also be aware of your own personal triggers and try to cut back or at least avoid them late in the evening.

· Let Gravity Help.  Although that hammock may be calling your name, keep away after a big meal.  To help your food digest properly, stay in an upright position rather than lying down after you eat.  The natural force of gravity helps with the digestive process.

· Keep your Medicine Cabinet Stocked.  If you are a frequent heartburn sufferer, try an over-the-counter (OTC) medication like Zegerid OTCTM, an OTC proton pump inhibitor (PPI).  PPIs work by deactivating acid-producing pumps in the stomach, offering 24-hour relief of frequent heartburn with one dose per day.  For more information and tips to avoid heartburn, visit http://www.zegeridotc.com/.

Review NOTE:  I tried this product for a month.  It appears to work well, but I’m unable to say if it’s better than all the other OTC heartburn medications out there.  We certainly appreciate the opportunity to try it and will be adding it to our repertoire of digestive remedies.  Although I only suffer from occasional heartburn, Zegerid OTC is indicated for frequent heartburn sufferers with issues 2 or more times a week.

Cost Plus is so worldly.  It’s been one of my favorite stores for over 20 years.  I recently took a trip to England, Australia, Thailand, India, Italy, Japan, Sweden, China and a few other stops along the way at Cost Plus World Market.  Did you know that it’s a food lover’s paradise?  It truly is!  Many travel far and wide for the Wine deals at Cost Plus, which are impressive alone, but you’ve got to check out the large food section.  It offers hundreds of sought after treats from all around the world.  If you’re looking for something in particular and haven’t found it elsewhere, give Cost Plus a call.  If they don’t have it and there’s a demand, they may consider offering it in the future — They strive to satisfy their customer’s needs.

Since there is so much FOOD to try and report about at Cost Plus, Nibbles of Tidbits will be posting a series of articles highlighting many of them.  We’ll be calling it our Cost Plus World Series.  For starters, we are planning a Chip Taste-Off, whereas we’ll be sampling several of the numerous bags of Chips available.  After that, we’ll be going on a Gourmet Picnic bringing only Cost Plus goodies (it can easily be done), and then we’ll be touring several regions for dinner, etc.  The possibilities are literally endless.

Note:  The first honorable mention goes to Nyakers Gingersnap Cookies from Sweden (above).  They’re Sweden’s Best Cookie and Cost Plus built a facility to have them made especially for you.  They are phenomenally crispy, thin and tasty.  We’re hooked.  Be sure to follow our Cost Plus World Series to learn a lot more.

As a Tastemaker for Foodbuzz, we got to try the newest SoyJoy Baked Whole Soy & Fruit Bar.  It’s Blueberry, one of our favorite flavors — Good start.  And we generally appreciate a tasty and healthy breakfast bar.  It was our first time (4 of us) trying a SoyJoy product.  Unwrapped we all like how they look — Baked, fruity, easy to eat and toasted.  After that we dueled over their taste.  Two liked their flavor and texture and the other two found them a little too dense to finish and more bland than anticipated.  Overall, no one here considers them bad, one might buy them, and Holly the Dog was hoping to catch a bite.  Thanks SoyJoy and Foodbuzz.  It’s always fun to try new high quality products.

* Bars have 0 Grams Trans Fat, No Hydrogenated Oils, 140 Calories, B Vitamins, etc.  Go to SoyJoy for the rest.