CityMama's™ Stuff People Send Me

[St]uff Links for 3/25/10

Here's some good stuff people have sent me recently:

Chef's Choice 679 Electric Gas Kettle—I'm a tea drinker and we've had a hot water dispenser for over 10 years, ever since a trip to Tokyo in the late 90's where I feel in love with the insta-hot water from the dispenser in our room. Lately I've wanted something that takes up a little less counter real estate and along came this pretty (and it is) kettle.

What I like about it: It's nice looking with a small foot print and it heats water to a rolling boil. The pitcher is cordless.

What I don't like about it: Hot water isn't instantly available like with our other dispenser. That took some getting used to, but still, it's ready in about 4-5 minutes.

Cost to you: about $70

Cost to me: FREE

Me and Goji Cereal—Create your own custom granola mix, name it, and put your own picture on the cool canister? What's not to love?

What I like about it: The girls and I had an awesome time making our custom blend. We had fun naming it and putting their photo on the canister (which is like a tall, skinny oatmeal can). They ask to go to the site every day to play on it and make up new blends, and that's pretty incredible for a non-game site.

What I don't like about it: I wish the base cereals had some lower calorie-per-serving options. And, the most crushing part: once the cereal arrived, my kids didn't like it. Something about the cocoa nibs, I think. (I like it, though.)

Cost to you: about $12 per canister (which weighs about 2 lbs according to my food scale)

Cost to me: FREE

(St)uff Links for 12/18/09—Tasty Holiday Food Edition

Recently, I was sent some good, free stuff that would be perfect for making your holiday entertaining easier and tastier.

Beemster Cheese--The Beemster Dutch gourmet cheeses I was sent were nutty and full-flavored, especially the extra-aged variety.  If you like robust, assertive, medium-hard cheeses, these are for you.  They were delicious as a snack with crackers, and even better with wine.  Highly recommend for a fun addition to your holiday appetizer menu.

Cost to you: prices vary, around $15-$17 per pound.

Cost to me: FREE

Président Brie Log--I was sent three of Président's new brie logs to try just before Thanksgiving. I have to say, these are brilliant. For those who are not a fan of brie rind, the outside of the log is just lightly coated so you can stop digging brie out of the wedge at parties and leaving the floppy rind behind for the rest of us! The other nice thing about brie in a log is that it slices up nicely and is the perfect shape for topping water crackers or rounds of baguette. Another winner.

Cost to you: (couldn't find a price online, let me know if you can.)

Cost to me: FREE

The foodloop lace--More brilliance abounds. I use twine for trussing chickens and for holding stuffed boneless legs of lamb or pork tenderloins together, but no more.  This handy-dandy gadget is my  go-to trusser and holder now. It's 15 inches of silicone and is heat- and food-safe. There are tons of way to use this tool--just use your imagination! This would make a great stocking stuffer for anyone who loves to cook!

Cost to you: set of four runs about $10

Cost to me: FREE

Stonemill Kitchens dips--Artichoke. Parmesan. Dip. Need I say more?  I received a sampler of four different Stonemills Kitchens dips just before Thanksgiving and they've been a hit at potlucks ever since. I brought to Thanksgiving and served one as an appetizer at our Thanksgiving a couple of days later.  They make great football snacks along with plain bagel or pretzel crisps, and best of all they can be served warm or cold. One thing I like about these dips is you can see the ingredients in them--there are shreds of parmesan, big chunks of artichoke hearts, spinach leaves, peppers.  They're in there because you can see them and they look fresh and tasty. I'm partial to the spicy Three Cheese Peperoncini flavor. (Click the link and download a $1 coupon!)

Cost to you: $3-$4 each

Cost to me: FREE

Safeway in Hawaii is just like my local Safeway except...

I am working with Safeway's PR firm on a series of posts about shopping at Safeway, a store I already patronize and have for years.  I participated in a giftcard giveaway and received a giftcard so I could shop the everyday low priced items for myself. 

While I was in Hawaii, I stopped into the brand new Safeway in Honolulu (on Kapahulu) to check things out. While my mom had stocked the fridge for us, I needed to pick up more of the things the girls like to eat (McCann's Irish oatmeal, Annie's Mac and Cheese) and needed to get some sunscreen. When I first walked in, I could have sworn I was in my local Safeway in Menlo Park, Calif.  It looked exactly the same. I mean exactly:

But upon further inspection, I noticed some things that are only available in the islands.  Things like:

Ahi poke, all different kinds. All delish.

Safeway $50 giftcard giveaway for NorCal and Western Nevada readers

Safeway is reducing prices across thousands of items in Northern California and Western Nevada and as part of their promotion, they are giving me FIVE $50 giftcards to give away to "local-ish" CityMama readers so you can experience the savings yourself.  (See below for details on how to win.)

And, for a chance at an even bigger prize, Safeway is giving away a $1000 giftcards to lucky shoppers who pick up a yellow "I play tag and save at Safeway" decal from check out or customer service (starting Wednesday July 29) and put it on their car's back window.  Spotters will out in force, and customers have to tune in to their participating local radio station (KFOG, KKIQ, KEZR, KYMX, and KRNO) to know where to be for their chance to win. Gift cards will be given away between August 1 and August 8.

I am thrilled to be working with Safeway on this promotion because I am a Safeway shopper.  I have been known to Tweet, "Barilla pasta is 10 for $10!" while standing in the pasta aisle, and I hear from friends that when they see those Tweets, they run to Safeway to stock up. Why do I shop Safeway?  I love that I can find what I need there without breaking the bank.  As you know, I am a huge advocate of shopping local. I cook with locally-sourced, organic ingredients as much as I possibly can, and whenever possible, I patronize locally-owned businesses.

Like most global citizens, we've had to cut back this year, and that means when I shop, I look for the best quality at the best price.  We may not go to the farmer's market or my local, independently-owned natural foods store every week like we used to, but I still want the best for my family.  I love that I can find a wide selection of organic produce, dairy, meat and poultry at my local Safeway (Menlo Park, Calif.) and that it also has large a natural foods section where I can find pantry staples like peanut butter, rice, cereal, flour,  and canned beans and tomatoes.

Safeway recently sent me a giftcard of my own so I could shop and experience the value for myself. I found that many of things I already buy (cereal, yogurt, pasta) were part of the price reduction, and I ended up spending less than I normally would have. That makes me, my husband, and my budget very happy.

Want to know more about the price reductions?  Here's the skinny:

By offering thousands of new everyday low prices across the store at the company’s 253 Northern California and Western Nevada locations, Safeway furthers its commitment to providing customers with a more affordable and convenient one-stop-shopping experience.

 These new low prices are part of Safeway’s continued promise to provide its customers with quality products at competitive prices, friendly and helpful customer service and an outstanding store shopping experience. Safeway will continue to offer customers the added values they’ve come to trust such as great weekly Club Card savings, and the finest quality perishables.  Safeway is so confident in the quality of its fresh produce and tender Rancher’s Reserve beef that they will refund a customer’s money and replace the item for free if the customer is not completely satisfied.

Shoppers can easily find items in store with the new everyday low prices through Safeway’s redesigned yellow shelf “Tags” which show customers the old price crossed out and the new everyday low price. The new yellow tags also display the Safeway Club Card price.

The new everyday low price program is featured in all 253 stores across Northern California and Western Nevada markets. Prices will drop on a variety of product categories throughout the store including: Ice Cream, Cereal, Frozen Snacks, Cat Food, Pizza, Refrigerated Cheese, Salad Dressing, Yogurt, Pasta, and Frozen Novelties.

Now for the $50 gift card contest!!

I will be giving away the five gift cards on Twitter so make sure you are following @CityMama for details on how to win.

I will give out one card per day starting on Friday, July 31. The only requirement is that you have to live in Northern California or Western Nevada.  Good luck!

 

 

Uncle Ben's Rice [$100 giveaway + chance to win grand prize: a chef for a week! + support a worthy cause]

Hey, readers!  Please see below to enter the contest. Not only do you have a chance to win $100 worth of Uncle Ben's products, and one of ten grand prizes of a chef for a week, the company will donate $1 PER ENTRY to Feeding America, the nation's food bank network and the largest charitable hunger relief organization in the country.  It's a fun contest for a great cause.

[Update: Congrats to #25, contest winner, Rachael!  And thanks for raising $58 for a very worthy cause!]

Uncle Ben's recently sent me samples of their microwave Basmati and Jasmine rices to try. I have a rice cooker so rice is generally not a food item that I take short-cuts on. It's easy enough for me to put whatever kind of rice I'm cooking into my trust Zojirushi, and 20 or so minutes later (longer for brown) it's ready to eat and it will be kept warm until we're ready to eat.

But, lately we've been really busy. My work is busier than ever, and in order to keep the girls occupied in the afternoons (so they don't end up bored and wanting to kill each other in hours before dinner), we've been filling the time with activities.  An hour of cheerleading on Mondays falls right at dinner time.  Swimming on Tuesday is in the afternoon which leaves me time for cooking, but two back-to-back gym classes on Wednesday fills up the afternoon quickly. Yoga on Thursdays ends right and dinner time. And so on.  There are times when I am either too pressed for time to cook or don't want to eat carbs with my meal or simply just don't feel like making a big dinner. That's where I can see a product like the Uncle Ben's Basmati and Jasmine microwave rices coming in handy.

Microwave rice is nothing new.  It's something I've been seeing in Asian markets for at least 7-8 years. Bowls of pre-cooked rice are usually stacked on the end caps awaiting purchase.  I've bought them at the Korean market before, especially when the girls were little and wanted a quick snack. I never quite felt the flavor was on par with fresh-cooked rice, but they didn't seem to mind. I have to admit, though, that the Uncle Ben's Basmati and Jasmine rices were very tasty.

What I liked about it: Hot, tasty rice in 90 seconds.  There's something to be said for that.  The flavors were yummy and my girls gobbled it up. It really made dinner prep easier on the nights we were busy and I was too tired to cook. I have to admit, it was nice to have the product to fall back on. I also think it's a great "gateway" product to get folks to try a new style of rice. If people aren't comfortable going to their local Asian or Indian market (or don't have a Trader Joe's nearby) it's a way to try something exotic. My hope is they will then want to venture out of their normal shopping comfort zones.

What I didn't: As someone who cooks a lot from scratch, it felt a little like cheating. I think it's just as easy to cook up a big batch of rice and freeze it into portions that can be microwaved later. The rices were not as fluffy as when I cook basmati or jasmine in my rice cooker and I didn't think the texture was "authentic." Would I purchase the product? Probably not, but after trying it and seeing how absolutely convenient it was, I am leaving that door open a crack. If it makes your life simpler, that convenience counts for a lot in my book.

Cost to you: around $2 per 8 ounce bag

Cost to me: Free

Now for the fun part: your chance to win $100 worth of Uncle Ben's products and a chance to win one of 10 grand prizes, all for a very worthy cause.

How do you ‘Simplify Your Life’?" Share tips and have a chance to win $100 worth of Uncle Ben's products (chosen by me), and if you win you are automatically entered to win one of 10 grand prizes: a chef for a week! (chosen by Uncle Ben's). All you have to do is leave a comment on how you simplify your life. For example, do you prep a week’s worth of meals on Sunday to make weekday dinners a cinch? Beyond the kitchen, do you assign a weekly rotation of household chores to get the kids involved?

 Once all the tips are submitted, I will choose one winner to receive $100 worth of Uncle Ben’s products. To sweeten the deal, the winner will be up for the chance with nine other winners to receive a grand prize selected by Uncle Ben’s – a chef for a week! Pretty good odds.

AND It’s all for a good cause. For each tip submitted Uncle Ben’s will donate $1 to Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network and the largest charitable hunger-relief organization in the country.

So go ahead leave your tips!  Every tip is a chance to win AND get Uncle Ben's to donate to a worthy cause!

Contest ends on June 1, 2009.

The complete rules are available after the jump.

FAGE Greek Yogurt: I won't eat any other kind of yogurt

 “This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Fage.”

First of all, it's pronounced "Fa-yeh".

I know you've seen FAGE Greek Yogurt in the markets at places like Trader Joe's (where I first discovered it) or Whole Foods.  It is hands-down my favorite yogurt and it's made its way into my grocery basket in some form or another since 2004. Yes, I've been a FAGE fan for going on five years. How do I know it was 2004? Because that's when my second daughter was born. I craved yogurt like crazy during that pregnancy and I'm pretty sure she's made mostly out of 100% natural FAGE Greek Yogurt. That and maybe a marionberry pie or three. (Which goes great with FAGE Greek Yogurt, by the way.)

I have never been much of a yogurt eater, because my mom, the health food freak, always bought the mouth-puckeringly-tangy all-natural stuff when all I wanted was creamy, sugary Yoplait.  Once I moved out of the house, I vowed never to buy yogurt again except for the times when I needed it for tzatziki or smoothies.

Then came my second pregnancy and my discovery of the FAGE.  I bought a container of the plain 2% yogurt, took it home, and promptly devoured it. It was super-thick, creamy and not-at-all tangy.  I think it's the tang that turns many people off about yogurt, including me. I just want my yogurt to be fresh, creamy, and smooth, with just a bare hint of sweetness.  FAGE is all that and more. During that pregnancy, I bought containers of FAGE 4 at a time.  If I only had one left, I'd promptly run out and buy three more. That summer, I made gazpacho almost every day and swirled in the yogurt, sometimes flavored with cumin and lime, sometimes plain, I would cut up cucumbers and chopped up some garlic and fresh dill and slurp it up with a spoon. It was so thick it stood up to anything I put into it and never got watery as yogurt can do.  I put dollops atop cut-up bananas or in my muesli, I could not get enough.  And that is why, when the opportunity came along to review the FAGE yogurt, I said, "Yes! Oh, yes!"

I've always bought the plain FAGE yogurt, usually the 2% which my whole family adores, but my girls also love the FAGE with honey. My mom buys it, too, and it's the first thing they look for in her fridge when they visit her.  The honey is in a separate container and the girls can drizzle it into the plain yogurt as they wish.  FAGE sent us some plain and honey yogurt but they also sent their (new to me) fruited flavors. The fruit is on the side, just as with the honey, and comes in fantastic, fresh-tasting flavors like peach, cherry (always my fave), and strawberry.  The kids have been fighting over who gets to take what flavor in their lunch. It really is that delicious, and it's still all-natural, unsweetened, and preservative-free.

As a mom, I never have to worry about my kids getting calcium or protein because they love their FAGE yogurt so much.  I won't eat any other kind. I use it in everything, and in case you think I'm kidding, here are some of my own favorite recipes for using FAGE Greek Yogurt.  (You can subsitute FAGE Greek Yogurt for any recipe that calls for plain yogurt.)

• CityMama's Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Tzatziki
• Tortilla Roll-ups with Lime-Cilantro Yogurt Dip
• Yogurt Parfaits
• Yogurt-marinated roasted chicken

What I like about it: Everything. It's luscious, creamy, ridiculously thick, and best of all—versatile. I also like that my kids love it.  It's a healthy and tasty treat that I feel good about serving.
What I don't: I wish it came in bigger containers.  Like vats.  Vats would be good.

Cost to you: Around $2-$2.50, but depends on where you buy an size of container
Cost to me: Free, plus I accepted payment for this review because it's a product I believe in, love, and use anyway.

Am I preaching to the Fage Greek yogurt choir here? Do you already love it? How do you eat FAGE? What is your favorite flavor? Why do you love the pure, creamy, ridiculously thick goodness of FAGE yogurt? Leave a comment on this post, sharing your thoughts about FAGE and you could win a free case of FAGE!

There will be a new winner every day!

Daregal Fresh Frozen Herbs

I don't know what else to say except that these products are genius.

Daregal is a French company introducing their line of fresh frozen herbs to the US market. When they contacted me I was skeptical, after all, I don't use dried herbs in my cooking and I have a patio pot garden full of herbs that won't die no matter how much I forget to water them.

 

These are different.  One sprinkle of the dill into tuna salad and the taste is so fresh you'd think you chopped it yourself. The same goes for the Italian herb blend in tomato sauce or the oregano into salad dressing. The flash frozen herbs add incredible flavor to your food just as fresh ones would. (The Daregal folks sent me the whole line. Lucky me!)

Each package contains the herbs which have been chopped and quick-frozen. They must be stored in the freezer but thaw in seconds. You have to remember to put the box directly back into the freezer when you are done with it. The herbs smell amazing and retain their bright, green color.

Do you need fresh frozen herbs when fresh herbs are so readily available in most any supermarket? No, but on those nights where cooking dinner is already a hassle and chopping herbs is the one thing that will send you over the edge? You'll be happy to have these in your freezer.

What I like about them: The incredibly you'd-swear-it-was-fresh taste, the beautiful green color, the convenience.

What I don't: Compared to fresh herbs they are a little pricey. They aren't sold near me (buy them online), and, let's face it, the convenience. Not exactly "green." It's a double-edged sword.

Cost to you: $28.15 for a set of 8 herbs and blends

Cost to me: Free

(St)uff Links: A quick dose of Stuff

Cascadian Farm Organic Dark Chocolate Granola is delicious  and "can we have it again tomorrow" according to the kidlets. Same goes for their Sweet & Salty Peanut and Pretzel bars, although we'd like 'em better if they were crunchy not chewy.  We're a crunchy granola bar family. Cost to you: Cereal and bars each around $5/box. Cost to me: Free.

Muir Glen 2008 Reserve: Halley Thirty-One-Fifty-Five Tomato (diced, in cans) sent as part of their Muir Glen Tomato Connoisseur's Club was MUCH appreciated by this tomato lover. From the site: This summer, on a two-acre plot in the Sacramento Valley, one of Muir Glen's partner growers planted         the seeds of the Halley Thirty-One Fifty-Five tomato. The Halley, vine-ripened under certified         organic practices, was hand-harvested and packed the same day creating Muir Glen's limited edition         2008 Reserve. It is sweeter than most, with an outstanding, robust flavor. Yes it is. It is delish--so good you can eat it straight from the can. This would make a unique holiday gift for anyone who loves to cook. Cost to you: $3ish per 14 oz. can (x 4 cans). Cost to me: Free.

Speaking of veggies My Drinkable Veggies from Lane Labs is a powdered blend of USA-certified organic vegetables (tomatoes, broccoli, carrots) that contains 2 full servings of vegetables. It can be eaten alone in hot water (as a soup) or can be added you meals to up the nutritional ante. I tried it as a soup and instantly added salt, pepper, and a sprinkling of garlic powder. Probably not what they had in mind, but it wasn't bad after that.  Without flavoring it kinda tasted like cut grass. But, if you have a picky eater, I can see how this would be a useful item to have around the house. You can sprinkle it into pasta sauce, smoothies, etc. Cost to you: $19.95/box of 14 packets. Cost to me: Free

Cook! SF Dinner

My four-year-old's plate. Doesn't it look yummy?!

The folks at Cook! SF recently sent me one of their dinners to try.  It's different from other meal services in that part of the meal is uncooked, but it's delivered "ready to cook." It's prepped and ready to go into the pan or oven, but you still have to cook it.  The meal I was sent was the Tandoori Chicken dinner with an Indian-scented basmati rice, fresh mango salsa (or chutney), and fruit tarts with homemade whipped cream.  It was packed on ice in a cooler bag and delivered right to my front door. This is the perfect service for people who love to cook but don't always love prepping each and every meal. The food tasted like something I would make--it was "gourmet" without being fussy. If we could afford it, I would sign up for this service once a week.  As it stands, I may use it once or twice a month for when I need to catch a break. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, I highly recommend this service. Thank you, Cook! SF!

What I liked about it: The items are fresh, locally-sourced and organic. The chicken was wonderfully-flavored, the rice was delicious, and the mango salsa was perfectly spiced. I also liked that it was plenty of food for the price. It fed my family of four for two meals, dinner and then lunch the next day. It was a great value. My kids loved it.
What I didn't like about it: Nit-picky stuff: Directions for cooking the chicken and reheating the items normally included with every order were absent with mine. I am an experienced cook so it wasn't hard for me to figure out, but less-experienced cooks may have been a little lost without the instructions. When I emailed Cook! SF to let them know, they were very responsive and emailed the directions to me. You do have to cook, so if you are looking for a straight heat-eat meal, this may not be the service for you.

Cost to you: $50 (includes generous portions of main dish, side dishes and dessert)
Cost to me: FREE

For more photos of what the meal looked like before and after, click the "read more" link below.

Turducken from Cajun Grocer

cross-section of our turducken

I love Cajun food. Whenever we have people visit us from outside the U.S. I always cook up a big Cajun meal because it's such a uniquely American style of cooking. Usually my menu includes: seafood gumbo, andouille sausage jambalaya, fried chicken, blackened catfish, cornbread, and garlicky collard greens. And beer. Plenty of ice cold beer. I have cooked this meal for people from all over the world to rave reviews.

But I have never cooked a turducken.

Until now.

The fine folks at Cajun Grocer sent one to me and while I could have stuck it in the freezer and saved it for a special occasion, I decided to make my own special occasion and cooked it up for friends. I served it alongside broccoli-bacon salad and potato salad on one of the hottest days of they year, but the beer and sangria helped.

What I liked about it: Although a turducken is a duck (breast) inside a chicken inside a turkey, because everything was boned, it wasn't huge. It had a deliciously seasoned cornbread dressing in between the layers. It cooked up beautifully, just as the directions said it would.  It was carefully packed on ice and was cold when it arrived at my house.

What I didn't like about it: This is a small nit-pick. Even though it was cajun, I thought it could have been more seasoned. It was flavorful, but I was expecting lots more kick. Next time (and there will definitely be a next time) I will salt and pepper it before roasting it.

Cost to me: Free
Cost to you: $64.95

My turducken set on flickr.