I heard Reese's had a contest to win Batman memorabilia, with game pieces in specially marked packages. So I bought the Dark Chocolate Batman Reese's at Winn Dixie last weekend because of that contest.
Hershey has a Bat Signal shaped candy on the website. What I bought was not shaped like that at all. [The Batman candies are sold in packs of one instead of the usual 2 cups]. Depending on how you turned it, the candy either resembles (1) a chocolate version of Yoda's head or (2) the imprint of very tiny shoes that stepped in *ahem* animal by-products.
Oh, right, you want to know about the flavor ? The Reese's didn't taste like dark chocolate. It was darker in color, but no different in flavor, than a milk chocolate Reese's. [I bought a Batman milk chocolate Reese's for comparison] There was a faint texture difference between the two chocolates. But I think that difference was psychosomatic. I won't be buying dark chocolate Reese's again.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Wild Cherry M&Ms
I bought a bag of Wild Cherry M&Ms at Food Lion on a whim. I'm not usually a fan of artificial cherry flavoring. But it was Wild Cherry, so I thought that must taste better. After all, I enjoy wild cherry flavored sodas. Big mistake. Wild Cherry M&Ms are equivalent to eating a chocolate bar and cherry cough syrup in one mouthful : X
Nobody in my house liked them. Even my dad, who loves all things cherry flavored, said "Um, they're...alright : P Okay, they're gross..." My mother offered the remaining candy to her co-workers. All of them found the candies disgusting, too. So a big thumbs down for this product.
Nobody in my house liked them. Even my dad, who loves all things cherry flavored, said "Um, they're...alright : P Okay, they're gross..." My mother offered the remaining candy to her co-workers. All of them found the candies disgusting, too. So a big thumbs down for this product.
Mint Crisp M&Ms
If you love Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies, you're in for a treat. Mint Crisp M&Ms are the candy answer to the scout's best seller. Each one has a mint candy shell, a layer of chocolate and a crispy center. The candies are light green, dark green and white. Heaven, I tell you : D I bought 12 bags at Walgreen's the other day. We're already down to 6 bags. Yeah, they're that good.
Greek-Style Bread
My poor bread maker has been neglected and ignored for one year. I dusted it off last night, scrubbed the bread pan and insides clean, etc. Then I made this delicious loaf of bread:
Greek-Style Bread
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil [I used olive oil]
1 tsp salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups crumbled feta cheese, drained and patted dry is necessary
1/4 cup sliced pitted black olives, drained [I left these out. We're not an olive family]
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp bread machine yeast
Add ingredients to bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer,
adding cheese and olives with flour.
Recommended cycle: basic/white bread cycle: medium/normal colour setting.
Credit: Bread Machine Recipes: Great Recipes from Gold Medal and Fleischmann's Bread Machine Yeast
Greek-Style Bread
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil [I used olive oil]
1 tsp salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups crumbled feta cheese, drained and patted dry is necessary
1/4 cup sliced pitted black olives, drained [I left these out. We're not an olive family]
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp bread machine yeast
Add ingredients to bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer,
adding cheese and olives with flour.
Recommended cycle: basic/white bread cycle: medium/normal colour setting.
Credit: Bread Machine Recipes: Great Recipes from Gold Medal and Fleischmann's Bread Machine Yeast
Maggiano's Little Italy, Jacksonville, Florida
Maggiano's Little Italy
10367 Midtown Parkway
St. Johns Town Center
Jacksonville, FL, 32246
(904)642-8339
I heard about Maggiano's via a trade show coupon book. I decided to sign up for their email list, but never got around to visiting. I finally took my parents and my sisters to Maggiano's on Mother's Day this month.
The menu was rather expensive, so we quickly decided on the family style meal. It came with a choice of 2 appetizers, 2 salads, 2 pastas, 2 entrees and 2 desserts. [Your table can get seconds or thirds [no charge] when you run out of whichever dish you've chosen.] It was $25 per person. With tax, tip and drinks, the bill was $157 for five of us. So yeah, it cost a lot. And I won't be eating there every week. But it was definitely worth the price. I've listed our menu choices below and my opinion of them:
Calamari Fritte
Crispy calamari coated in egg whites and seasoned flour, deep fried and served with our marinara sauce.
4 of us found the calamari too chewy. One sister, who absolutely loves calamari, swears it was cooked perfectly.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Jumbo mushroom caps stuffed with spinach and topped with our seasoned breadcrumbs and house cheese; served in a white wine chicken broth.
This appetizer came with 8 large mushrooms and 1/2 a lemon. These were magnificent ! Someone lost a finger reaching for the last one :D We ordered seconds.
Caesar Salad
A traditional Caesar salad of romaine lettuce tossed with Caesar dressing, croutons and shaved Parmesan cheese.
It was very good. The salad had slices of Parmesan instead of the usual grated variety [a huge improvement, in my book]The Caesar dressing had a very pleasant, creamy flavor.
Spinach Salad
Tender leaf spinach tossed with roasted red peppers, sweet roasted onions, Gorgonzola cheese, apple cider vinaigrette and topped with smoked bacon and toasted pine nuts.
We ordered three helpings of the spinach salad. It was just off the charts amazing. The Gorgonzola and apple cider vinaigrette were an excellent pairing.
Four Cheese Ravioli
Ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella, and provolone filling sprinkled with house cheese, then browned in the oven and served in pesto-Alfredo cream sauce with a touch of marinara.
The ravioli was well received. The sauce was thick, creamy and rich.
Mom's Lasagna
Whipped ricotta cheese layered with pasta sheets, crumbled meatballs, Italian sausage and marinara sauce. Topped with provolone cheese and your choice of our meat or marinara sauce
The one disappointment was this lasagna. None of us noticed sausage on the menu listing; otherwise we wouldn't have ordered this. To be blunt, it tasted cheap and gross.
Chicken Parmesan
Lightly breaded chicken breasts fried and topped with provolone cheese and marinara sauce. Served with Parmesan chips.
This was the best chicken Parmesan any of us had ever tasted. This was not the nasty kind made of chicken parm made from spaghetti noodles and a cheap, breaded, frozen patty.
Chicken Marsala
Chicken breasts sauteed with Marsala wine, veal sauce, mushrooms, onions and basil.
The wine sauce and mushrooms were heaven X D We ordered seconds on this, too.
Tiramisu
Ladyfinger cookies soaked in espresso and coffee liqueur layered with mascarpone cheese;dusted with cocoa powder and served with chocolate
The tiramisu merited a second and then third order. Yum!
N.Y. Style Cheesecake, Seasonal Fruit
New York style ricotta cheesecake topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.
Normally I won't order cheesecake in a restaurant. It usually doesn't taste as good as my homemade version. But this ? Totally worth a second order.
10367 Midtown Parkway
St. Johns Town Center
Jacksonville, FL, 32246
(904)642-8339
I heard about Maggiano's via a trade show coupon book. I decided to sign up for their email list, but never got around to visiting. I finally took my parents and my sisters to Maggiano's on Mother's Day this month.
The menu was rather expensive, so we quickly decided on the family style meal. It came with a choice of 2 appetizers, 2 salads, 2 pastas, 2 entrees and 2 desserts. [Your table can get seconds or thirds [no charge] when you run out of whichever dish you've chosen.] It was $25 per person. With tax, tip and drinks, the bill was $157 for five of us. So yeah, it cost a lot. And I won't be eating there every week. But it was definitely worth the price. I've listed our menu choices below and my opinion of them:
Calamari Fritte
Crispy calamari coated in egg whites and seasoned flour, deep fried and served with our marinara sauce.
4 of us found the calamari too chewy. One sister, who absolutely loves calamari, swears it was cooked perfectly.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Jumbo mushroom caps stuffed with spinach and topped with our seasoned breadcrumbs and house cheese; served in a white wine chicken broth.
This appetizer came with 8 large mushrooms and 1/2 a lemon. These were magnificent ! Someone lost a finger reaching for the last one :D We ordered seconds.
Caesar Salad
A traditional Caesar salad of romaine lettuce tossed with Caesar dressing, croutons and shaved Parmesan cheese.
It was very good. The salad had slices of Parmesan instead of the usual grated variety [a huge improvement, in my book]The Caesar dressing had a very pleasant, creamy flavor.
Spinach Salad
Tender leaf spinach tossed with roasted red peppers, sweet roasted onions, Gorgonzola cheese, apple cider vinaigrette and topped with smoked bacon and toasted pine nuts.
We ordered three helpings of the spinach salad. It was just off the charts amazing. The Gorgonzola and apple cider vinaigrette were an excellent pairing.
Four Cheese Ravioli
Ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella, and provolone filling sprinkled with house cheese, then browned in the oven and served in pesto-Alfredo cream sauce with a touch of marinara.
The ravioli was well received. The sauce was thick, creamy and rich.
Mom's Lasagna
Whipped ricotta cheese layered with pasta sheets, crumbled meatballs, Italian sausage and marinara sauce. Topped with provolone cheese and your choice of our meat or marinara sauce
The one disappointment was this lasagna. None of us noticed sausage on the menu listing; otherwise we wouldn't have ordered this. To be blunt, it tasted cheap and gross.
Chicken Parmesan
Lightly breaded chicken breasts fried and topped with provolone cheese and marinara sauce. Served with Parmesan chips.
This was the best chicken Parmesan any of us had ever tasted. This was not the nasty kind made of chicken parm made from spaghetti noodles and a cheap, breaded, frozen patty.
Chicken Marsala
Chicken breasts sauteed with Marsala wine, veal sauce, mushrooms, onions and basil.
The wine sauce and mushrooms were heaven X D We ordered seconds on this, too.
Tiramisu
Ladyfinger cookies soaked in espresso and coffee liqueur layered with mascarpone cheese;dusted with cocoa powder and served with chocolate
The tiramisu merited a second and then third order. Yum!
N.Y. Style Cheesecake, Seasonal Fruit
New York style ricotta cheesecake topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.
Normally I won't order cheesecake in a restaurant. It usually doesn't taste as good as my homemade version. But this ? Totally worth a second order.
