Try it Tuesday......Burger King Potato Snacks

Check your nearest vending machine! Or head to Walgreens. You have to try these. I went to Walgreens and stumbled upon these BK potato snacks. They were selling Ketchup & Fries flavor and Flame Broiled flavor potato snacks. The price was 2 for $3.00. Not too bad, but how would they taste? I was cautious to say the least. I always seem to get excited about a product only to be let down after tasting it.

Not this time! We tried the Ketchup & Fries first. I might add that we didn't even get the bag home before ripping it open for a taste test.

The BK snacks are a little thicker than a potato chip. The texture of these potato snacks are like Keebler Tato Skins. Remember those? I believe Meijer here in Michigan still sells them. The BK snacks are shaped like a flat french fry with a bit of red powdery season (ketchup) on them.

As for the taste? They kind of DO taste a bit like a french fry with ketchup! Shocker. It's not like actually eating a french fry, but it's close. My family really liked them. I had to hide the bag.

Next we tried the Flame Broiled potato snack.
We didn't jump up and down for this one. I could tell that they tried to make it taste flame broiled, but it didn't measure up to the ketchup one. It didn't have a meat taste, but the bag never implied that it did. I've never had a flame broiled french fry, so I'm not too sure what BK was trying to do. It almost tastes like a barbecue chip in a way. I doubt we will buy that one again. We will stick with the Ketchup & Fries and call it good. :)

By the way, each bag was 5.5 oz and are trans fat free. Not fat free, but I did hear they might market some 100 calorie versions soon. They also make a small bagged version for vending machines.

Sorry I missed Try it Tuesday last week. Christmas is a very busy time as you all know. I will be more diligent in the future.

Macie's a teenager now!

What am I going to do with ~*2*~ teenagers now?! Yikes!

My sweet little Macie Boosies is now an official teenager having turned 13 today. She has grown up a lot in the last 6 months. She does NOT like Hannah Montana any longer. Oh no, she is beyond her. Now she is into top 40 music and IM'ing with her friends. No more cartoons...just bring on the telephone. -sigh-

I'll miss my little girl, but I'll now enjoy the young woman she is becoming.

*~*~Happy Birthday Macie~*~*

EDIT***One more thing I forgot to add about Macie turning 13....she is super excited that she can now sit in the FRONT SEAT of our van! She is old enough and weighs 2 pounds over the recommended weight. Weeeeeee!

New Nephew!

I have a new nephew!

Denver William Bertram was born last Wednesday, December 10th. Isn't he just adorable? He is my brother Kim and his wife Amber's 3rd child. Kim also has 3 other fabulous older children including this handsome guy.

Denver was born on my grandmother's birthday. She has been gone since 1991. For some reason, I thought about her all day on Wednesday. I guess she didn't want me to forget that the new baby was going to share her birthday. She would be 102!

Having Denver here is awesome, but it's also a little sad knowing he will be the last niece or nephew on my side to be born. Sure, there will be plenty more great-nieces and nephews, but no more kids from me or any of my 7 siblings. We are all old and so I guess it's time to be finished with our procreation. :)

Aroma Glow Lamps

Not a food review this time.

In case you didn't read in my previous Try It Tuesday post, I am a Bzz Agent. I receive free samples of products to try and then I give them my opinion. These Aroma Glow lamps were my latest freebie. I received one lamp....
this one below...

It came with a vanilla fragrance cartridge. You can buy these lamps here. Or you can find them at Wal-mart, Ace Hardware or Meijer (plus other stores...check out the website). I believe they are priced between $10-$15. You can also buy fragrance cartridges separately.

Ok, so here is some info about these lamps from their official website, Lamplight Farms:
• Effective fragrancing
• Longlasting fragrance
- burns up to 25 hours
• Sootless and smokeless • No wax mess
• No need to trim wick
• Pre-set wick with a constant
flame height
• No waste – burns 99%
complete
• Economical/refillable
• Decorative and giftable

Soooo....my thoughts on this lamp? Honestly, I don't really like it all that much. First of all, they have several designs to choose from, but there aren't many that I actually like. The one they sent me is ok, but not something I would have chosen. I might have chosen this one though:


...as a Christmas gift that is. Check out the website to see the other styles. Each one is only available at certain stores.

I liked how the oil is supposed to last a long time and also that there is no soot or wick to trim. The vanilla fragrance was ok at first, but after awhile the smell got to me. Even this kids kept asking when they could blow it out because it was, "stinking" up the house. My kids usually love it when I light candles. Maybe I could try another fragrance using the coupons they sent me. I think I should give it one more shot. I'll check them out at Meijer next time I'm there.

Now let me jump back a bit...before I even lit the thing, I had to read the instructions on how to put the fragrance jar in the lamp. It wasn't too hard, but I couldn't understand why I had a round piece of metal sitting in the box. It seemed to have no use. Then I finally realized that it had a bit of glue on it. It had fallen off the main part of the lamp. Ok, problem fixed. I just didn't use it which makes me wonder what the purpose was for that piece to begin with.

The biggest problem that I don't care for with this lamp, is that the oil can't be stored with the lamp. A person would have to take it out and put the original plastic cap on to store it. I'm lazy. I don't like to worry about things like that. First of all, I'd have to put the cap somewhere while the lamp is in use. Then to screw it back on and store it away from the lamp is just a hassle to me. Boy, I sound like a whiner don't I? Sorry. I'm just so used to my Yankee Candles or Woodwick which only have tops to place back on when I'm finished.

The next big problem I have with these lamps is that the oil can be harmful to children. Yes, any candle can burn someone, but oil can be fatal.

I hate to give bad reviews, but if this company would do the following things.....I might like their product a bit better......

#1: Make their lamps in more desirable styles. Have better designs and even better shapes to their lamps. The shape seems a bit outdated.

#2: Not make a lazy person like me have to take the oil cartridge out of the lamp every single time I'm done with it. Plus, I got my fingers a bit oily while doing it. I'm a lazy and messy person I guess.


I will update when I try another fragrance, but until then, I say thumbs down to this wannabe Yankee Candle lamp. On the plus side...I do think the price which seems to be about $10-$15 isn't so bad for what it is. Especially when compared to pricey candles from specialty shops.

Has anyone else tried these? Do you have a positive review to share? Let me know :)

P.S....I know I haven't done any personal blog posts lately. I will try when I can. I've been sick and also busy with the holidays looming ever so close. Plus, my camera is still broke and I am still using Rick's laptop which means I lost my usual programs that I like to use when I'm blogging. *sigh*

Try it Tuesday.....Smuckers Uncrustables ~A KIDS REVIEW~

This post is a little late because the kids had school today and then we went to Molly's Christmas choir concert. She played a cute mouse in the Nutcracker. She did an awesome job. Dad missed it because he is snow plowing, so we bought a dvd that was made so he could see it at home.

Anyway, I waited for the kids so that they could do this review. Why not? Smuckers Uncrustables are meant for kids anyway right?

Before I let them take over, let me say that we were able to try these Uncrustables for free. Weeee! I am a Bzz Agent, so I try products and services and then give my feedback on them (www.bzzagent.com).

Uncrustables come in these flavors:

-PB & Grape Jelly
-PB & Strawberry Jam
-Cheese
-PB & Honey on Wheat (couldn't find this one in Meijer or Wal-mart)
-Peanut Butter

I also saw at the Uncrustables For School area that they will have a soy one coming out (might already be out somewhere).

Ok...enough of me...now for the kids review!

*Jillian* says:
(age 15)
Hey, since I get up for seminary. I pull the Uncrustable from the freezer, and it's unfrozen by lunch. Which is 12:04pm eek. I tryed the Strawberry and PB one when my mom first found them. [Which is my favorite!] Then I had a PB&Grape one today. I thought they were gonna be soggy but, there not :] The sides of the Uncrustable are harder than I would like though. :[ The bread is soft also :D I think that being a teenager, I'd love to have a PB&Marshmellow Fluff one.

*Brycen* says:
(age 10)
I like hockey and when I eat it, I get strength to play hockey and football. My favorite kind is strawberry. I like how they are frozen and you just take them and put them in my totebag and just go on the bus and wait until lunch time. And then it will be all thawed out and ready to eat. And I always want to take 2, but I take one because my Mom tells me to. I wish they were bigger so if I want to take 2, I would have one big one instead of taking 2. I want them to make one that has bacon in it or a BLT.

*Molly* says:
(age 11)
I like the Uncrustables. I like the grape one. I wish they had a smores one. I like the grape one because it's the same taste as the regular PB and J sandwich I can make at home. I like when I go to school, I can just heat it up. I like it hot. I want to try the grilled cheese one. I wish they had more flavors in a box, so I could just bring one to school and then when I come home, eat a different one.

*Macie* says:
(age 12)
They're good. I like the edges of the thing cuz it's squishy and hard at the same time. It doesn't let the insides out. It's easy to carry around. I like the PB and grape one. There is too much pb though in it. I want them to try and make a cotton candy or bubble gum one. They can also make, if they want, a chocolate one or snickers one so that it's a snack and a sandwich at the same time.

So there you have it. A kids review of Uncrustables. Boy, my kids want some strange concoctions don't they?! But hey, it's their opinion :)

Try it Tuesday.....Pillsbury Savorings Flaky Pastry Bites...Cheese and Spinach flavor

I had a coupon, so I was just waiting to spy these little appetizers at one of the local grocery stores. I didn't see them for a long time. Finally I found them, but had lost the coupon by then. They are kind of expensive at almost $4 a box, so I passed on them when I did see them. And,THEN, my local Meijer gave me a coupon to try them for FREE! Woot!

Pillsbury is always making products to tempt me. I'm a big, big carb eater (emphasis on BIG...big behind that is), so I really wanted to try the new Savorings Flaky Pastry Bites. They come in 3 flavors: Buffalo Style Chicken, Mozzarella-Pepperoni, and Cheese and Spinach. I figured the Cheese & Spinach would be my best bet. Don't get me wrong, I love anything made with puff pastry, but I'm not a big fan of buffalo flavored anything and I figured the mozzarella and pepperoni would taste too much like pizza. The cheese & spinach one sounds more like an appetizer-ish combo doesn't it?

There are 12 of these little cuties in a box. Individually, they aren't very big, but appetizers aren't supposed to be monsters. If I were to bring this appetizer to a party though, I'm sure I would need 2-3 boxes. So to me, the price is a little high. Bring it down Pillsbury and I will buy these more often! They are truly TASTY!

They are plump with just the right amounts of cheese and spinach. I can also really taste garlic, so if you like garlic, you will love these. If you aren't a fan, then you had better stay clear because like I said, I could definitely taste garlic.
Even my picky-eater kids tried these and liked them. We were all fighting over them, so we ended up having to split them up. Of course they wanted more. 12 small-ish appetizers don't go far with 5 people.

I bet I could get these cheaper at Wal-mart. I also wonder if they come in a larger size at say, Sam's Club or Costco?

I think I will try the mozzarella & pepperoni next time. Someone else can weigh in on the buffalo.
Now let me think....what other flavors would be tasty in these little puff pastries? How about crab & cream cheese? Artichoke? Bacon? Mushrooms? Oh the possibilities. And I wouldn't have to make them! Just knowing that I could buy something tasty to satisfy us all at a party, makes my cheese bubble! :)

As for the calories and fat....I didn't even look on the box before I threw it out...but something tells me I really didn't want to see it anyway. Hello? It's puff pastry and cheese.

Oh, if you would like a coupon for $1 off, visit the website here.

Next week, I hope to review the new Hershey Kisses....milk chocolate with MARSHMALLOW. Mmmm...those sound devilishly yummo. Something tells me I will find them at Target. Are they actually new? Or am I just behind on the times? Anyway, I've been a bad girl in the calorie and fat department lately and it shows.....but I have a feeling I won't find the willpower to get back to my normal routine until after Christmas. Bad, bad, bad.

Last but certainly not least....today is my niece Kara's birthday!

Happy Birthday to YOU Kara! Enjoy your day and be a little selfish by eating some chocolate and not sharing! Weeeee. Oh, and check your Facebook, I sent you some, "gifts". Luv you.