Mexican Coca-Cola

Remember back in April, 1985 (yes, I know, you weren't even born then; bear with me) when the Coca-Cola company released "New Coke?" The "New" was partly a switch from using cane sugar as a sweetener to using high fructose corn syrup—the first change to the basic "secret recipe" since 1886. The idea, spurred by the popularity of Diet Coke, and of Pepsi, was to create a Coke that was closer to the taste of Diet Coke and Pepsi. There were cries of outrage, and eventually, even Coca-cola heard them, and in July of 1985 released "Classic Coke" which was, ostensibly a restoration of the "old" recipe (not the really old recipe that had cocaine . . . that stopped being produced in 1903). The truth is that Coca-Cola, well before the introduction of New Coke, had already started cutting the cane sugar with high fructose corn syrup. By the time New Coke was released, they'd already stopped using cane sugar.

One of the things that I miss about Los Angeles is that between small Mexican grocery stores and Jewish grocery stores it's pretty easy to find Mexican Coca-cola made with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. I'm not alone in my preference for Coke make with cane (or beet sugar) instead of high fructose corn syrup; there's a veritable cult of cane sugar Coca-cola fiends, enough to have our very own Facebook page, even, not to mention the huge popularity of the Mexican Coca-cola Facebook page.

If you're not near a Costco (they frequently have Mexican Coca-cola, by the case,

at a price that's less than 1.00 for a green-glass 12 ounce bottle) or a Mexican grocery store, there's still hope for you. There's kosher parve Coca-cola for Passover. The Coca-cola produced exclusively for Passover, is available only in the spring, during the season of Passover, and is marked by a yellow cap with either an OU-P, standing for the Orthodox Jewish Union, as certifying the beverage Kosher for Passover, or a white cap with CRC-P standing for the Chicago Rabbinical Council as Kosher for Passover. You will also probably see Parve somewhere on the bottle. Ashenazi Jews do not consume Kitniyot during Passover, which means hight fructose corn syrup is not acceptable, because it's made from corn, a grain which many Jews believe should be associated with the ban on leavening during Passover. You can also find it in specially marked cans; they'll say "Kosher for Passover" on the top, and the 12-pack box is clearly marked as well.

I don't know about you, but next spring, I'm planning on scoring a case or three of Parve Coca-cola; I hear Costco is a good source.

3 Pasta Pronta Deluxe Cooking Sets with Bonuses - $15.99 Shipped

Okay so to be perfectly clear I am not sure how great of a deal this actually is (I will explain in a bit) but for $9.99 and $6 shipping you can get three Pasta & Vegetable Deluxe Cooking Sets with Bonuses (electric Hand Blender, nylon Spoon & nylon Pasta Fork). That is three complete sets - not just one with the included bonuses for around $16! That price is certainly tempting and I am sure these would make interesting gifts... but I am not convinced this is the best deal ever - yet.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the important part of the deal: you need to use coupon code pasta20 to take an extra $20.00 off the $29.99 price.

To get started in on this deal you need to understand what is included. Each of the complete sets includes: 1 - Large Size Cooker, 1 - Small Size Cooker, 2 - Heat Seal Lids With Built-in Strainers, 1 - Neoprene Heat Grip Pad, 1 - Pasta Counter, 1 - Recipe Booklet, and instructions for use. The instructions for this are really not all that complicated, however - all you need to do is put the items you want to cook into the "cooker" (pasta, vegetables, hot dogs, anything that requires boiling water really), boil some water and dump it in the heat safe plastic container. After that you wait the time indicated until your meal is complete.

Okay so the reason this might not be the BEST deal out there is due to the product more than the price. If you are already boiling water in a pan - why not just cook whatever you are making in said pan instead of dumping the water into another container? I really do not see the logic behind this but hey maybe the marketing has other people convinced? Secondly, the reviews for this product all over the internet are horrible - just BAD - apparently the product doesn't even cook the pasta correctly in some instances (but I bet the majority of the people are really dumb - a lot of the internet "reviewers" are on the slower side and it would not surprise me if they did not know how to work this).

So I suppose the jury is out on how great this is - but for the price you could likely give this as a crappy office/mailman/acquaintance gift - if you do let me know how it goes. This might actually not be that bad - and the infomercial is pretty classic!

Sears Presto 10-1/2'' x 20-1/2'' Cool Touch Griddle - $17.09

Sears is offering the Presto Cool Touch 20-Inch Electric Griddle in Black for only $17.09 for a limited time. You can choose in store pick up to save on the shipping costs or have it shipped right to home for a reasonable free. This is a savings of a little over 40% and the griddle real estate space of 10-1/2" x 20-1/2 makes this a great value!

This griddle features Control Master heat control which maintains proper cooking temperature automatically, has a premium nonstick cooking surface with built-in backstop ledge for easy food handling, a Cool-touch base with slide-out drip tray, utilizes a low-profile design, and even doubles as a buffet server!

Especially convenient around the holidays or other family gatherings, this electric griddle provides a generous 10-1/2-by-20-1/2-inch cooking surface that can accommodate up to nine grilled-cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, or pancakes at a time. The unit's Control Master heat control maintains the proper cooking temperature automatically, while its premium nonstick cooking surface ensures effortless food release. The appliance comes equipped with a built-in backstop ledge for simple food handling, a cool-touch base that surrounds the cooking surface on the front and both sides, and a slide-out drip tray for easy emptying. Thanks to its low-profile design, the griddle also works great as a buffet server for keeping side dishes at a perfect serving temperature. The griddle can be fully immersed (with the heat control removed) for quick cleanup. Great for cooking up breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the 1500-watt griddle will be able to feed a small (very small) army. Get yours today!

Snapfish: 50 COMPLETELY FREE 4X6 Photos

That is right folks - 50 free prints from Snapfish - including free standard shipping with coupon code FREELDSHIP (limited to one use per account, expires September 11, 2010). It is pretty hard to believe they will ship all of these prints to you free - but they will! I just placed an order myself to try it out and the total came to $0.00 - which is really such a lovely price. You do not even need to provide any credit card information, just upload your pics (from a new account) go through the check out process and you are good as gold!

There was a little confusion at first when I signed up because the page initially said "20 Free Prints", but after uploading my images and going through checkout it did indicate "50 Free Prints" - so don't let the numbers alarm you. If you are getting the deal they will not even ask for credit card information. I am not sure how long this great offer will last and I can imagine they are going to be swarmed with people - so I say get on it ASAP.

I was a little worried about the company at first, because how on earth can they make any money doing this? So I checked them out and everything is all good to go on that end too. They even have a really great privacy policy so you can trust your information (and photos) are safe. It struck me as a great marketing tool though - this is one of those "try before you buy" things and if everything goes well - they can certainly expect me to come back. The regular prices on the prints are actually pretty reasonable - although I can probably print them at home for less, well, maybe not, I guess if I factor in the printer ink, photo paper, electricity, cutting, all that - I would probably break even so if they offer free shipping often this would be a great new relationship! In all honesty though the shipping is not bad - I just can not make up my mind I guess!

In any case if you have a few digital photos you would like to see on paper - check out this great deal! It is totally worth a free look at what thye offer if nothing else - and there is no obligation to purchase anything in the future. What are you waiting for? Get on this rad Snapfish deal!

 

USA Museum Day FREE Admission September 25, 2010

Are you feeling like you need a little more sophistication in your life - but perhaps you are a little short on the funds? It must be your lucky month then! The sixth annual Museum Day (a part of Smithsonian magazine) is offering FREE Admission to many theaters across America later this month (September 25, 2010). This promotion will entitle you and a guest to enjoy a museum absolutely free (on 9/25/10 only)!

This is awesome - but it is worth mentioning there are a few things to keep in mind when enjoying this offer: 1) A ticket will gain entry in only one museum and only participating museums 2) Only an official Museum Day ticket is eligible for free entry. Official tickets can be found here on the Museum Day website and 3) The offer is valid for only one ticket per household - other than those this amazing! There is even a place right on the site to help you locate a museum near you that is a part of the promotion. There is over 1000 museums that are participating so chances are you will find a close one nearby.

What is Museum Day you ask? Museum Day is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian Media in which participating museums across the country open their doors for free to anyone presenting a Museum Day Ticket. All you need to do is sign up for a ticket and it will be emailed to you (really fast I might mention), then you just print it out and take it to the participating museum of your choice! It is so simple - almost too simple - but there are no strings attached! I guess they just want everyone to enjoy some culture in this great land of ours.

So who should we thank for this great opportunity? Well - Smithsonian magazine for starters, Microsoft Office, Toyota, and Citgo all play a big part of this fantastic promotion. What a mish mash of companies, huh? I suppose Toyota and Citgo go together pretty well but how random is Microsoft Office? Whatever, though - thank you guys! I suppose we should follow them on Twitter and Like them on Facebook as well - all of them - it's the new "hip thing", all the kids are doin', that every company wants!

So remember - go to the site here, sign up and print your ticket, and then enjoy a free good time at a participating museum on September 25, 2010. Easy as pie - or some cleaver museum easy thing!

 

Clam Chowder With Bacon!

A few weeks ago, I made my usual trip to Costco and purchased two ginormous cans of clams. I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but I was thinking that I'd like to try making clam chowder, so I did.

Luckily, there was a clam chowder recipe already on the back of the large can, so I didn't have to search too far in order to  find what I was looking for.

Once I had the recipe in front of me, I set the clams aside, and began dicing some rather large russet potatoes into shapes that sort of resembled cubes. I also diced some onions, minced some garlic (without a garlic press I'll have you know), and went to the store to get some half-and-half. (The recipe called for either milk or half-and-half, but I like creamier chowders so opted for the latter.)

I also fried up some hickory-smoked bacon (MMMMMMMMMMMM....can you smell it from here?), somwwhat clumsily reserved the grease,  and chopped the bacon into bits. (SPOILER ALERT: This is where I went wrong in the recipe- I didn't make the bacon crispy enough, so it was a little wilty in the chowder.)

Then, I boiled the diced potatoes and drained the water and added flour and reserved bacon juice. I also added in the onions and garlic which I had secretly sauteed before. I also poured the clams, the clam juice, and everything else that the recipe called for into the 5-gallon pot and put it on low, so I could watch it simmer.

The results, with the exception of the soggy bacon, were stupendous. It was my first time to cook clam chowder, so I was pretty excited. Of course, I had to add the requisite crackers and Tobasco sauce into the clam chowder to enjoy my meal more. (For some reason, I can't seem to eat anything without some kind of hot sauce on it unless it is a really unique and/or subtly-flavored dish.)

And, like chili, one of the best things about cooking clam chowder is that there is usually a lot of left-over chowder that can be eaten for either lunch or dinner.

I do have some questions about how I could have fried the bacon better for the chowder? Also, what do you think is the best method for reserving bacon grease? I tried calling the Bacon Hotline-hello, I'd like to reserve some bacon grease- but they were absolutely no help.

12-Piece Food Saver Storage Set - $9.98

Is it just me or does it seem like food storage containers are constantly disappearing? It is like every 3 months that they have all left me - or I can't find the right top -  and because of this I like to get them on the cheap now as much as possible. So today I was able to find a great deal on a set of 12 - for less than $10 shipped at Tanga. Let your food saving imagination run wild with the 12-Piece Food Saver Storage Set.

These multi-purpose containers are great for organizing trinkets as well as keeping food fresh. Constructed with made-to-last plastic materials, this airtight storage set is spill-proof, easy to clean, and comes in six sizes to fill all of your storage needs. Even though they are 100% airtight,  these durable containers are easy to open with the built in latches! Stop wasting food by saving it securely and safely in these easy to use containers! The largest container is 6 1/2 by 9 inches and the smaller ones will fit snuggly inside . These containers are also microwave, freezer, and top rack dishwasher safe - so your modern world does not interfere with your old school way to store food - although there really isn't a new way to store it, I guess.

If you do any sort of grocery shopping you have likely got a ton of other small plastic containers that have been piling up - you know the ones - sour cream, cottage cheese, and the like. While these are great to use (especially because of the reduced, reuse, recycle thing) - and essentially free - they are not the best type of material to be used in microwaves and freezers - they are just not designed for that type of use, which is one of the reasons why these cheap containers are a must have!

This deal will last until all of the products have been sold - so there is likely about 24 hours or so to get in on this great deal. In dealing with Tanga in the past I can tell you they are really customer centric and all about letting you know whats up with your order - great communication. I would give them major thumbs up, and hopefully you would too.

So what do you say? Why not pick up the 12-Piece Food Saver Storage Set at $5.99 with 3,99 shipping ($9.98 total) today? You will be glad you did.

 

6 Apple Pie Secrets

Fall is creeping in, and with it: apple season!  This is the time to brush up on your apple pie skillz.  Impress your friends!  Amaze your enemies!  Make THE BEST PIE EVER!  

Forthwith, six hard-won lessons from the pie frontier:

1.    Neatness Counts
Take the time to slice your apples thinly, and to stack them nicely inside the pie.  Don't just give them a quick chop, then dump them into the crust.

If you don't have one of those clever spiral slicing gizmos, plan to spend 15-30 minutes slicing.  Turn on the radio, listen to a podcast, or watch the news - whatever it takes to make sure you won't get bored or frustrated and take a shortcut.  

When layering the slices into the crust, get as Martha Stewart as you can about it.  Layering the slices nicely is what makes the difference between a real pie, and a collection of chunks sitting high and dry with the delicious goop all puddle at the bottom.  Fitting the slices together properly is key to aesthetic considerations, taste, and structural integrity.

2.    Gadgets Aren't Necessary
The aforementioned spiral apple slicing gizmo is neat, but completely unnecessary.  The same goes for pie whistles, crust protectors, and everything else.  The only thing you need is a pie pan.  Keep Pie Simple!

3.    Leave The Skin On!
I doubt it's true that "all the nutrients are in the skin."  But I do know that peeling apples is completely unnecessary.  The skin is delicious, and adds a nice bit of color.  It's part of what makes the difference between a bland, pale, store-bought pie and a delicious, flavorful homemade pie.

4.    Simple Is Better
There are an awful lot of recipes out there that have you add everything from sour cream to cracker crumbs.  That's all well and good, but I believe that pie should be pie.  The basic apple pie recipe is as simple as it gets:


7 cups sliced apples
½ cup sugar (more or less, depending on your mood and the apples themselves)
¼ cup flour (more or less, depending on how juicy the apples are)
1 T cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
Pinch salt

Toss, then layer in pie crusts and bake!

5.    Mix It Up, Apple-Wise
When I was a kid, your apple choices at the store were basically limited to red or green.  Thankfully, that's no longer the case!  Choose a variety of apples for a truly exceptional pie.  I like to use 2-3 crisp tart apples as a taste platform, then choose another 2-3 of whichever varieties look best at the store.

Of course, the best pie is made with fresh apples from your yard, or a neighbor's.  Keep an eye out, because ripe apples - one of the most widely-planted fruit trees in the country - are everywhere!  Any apple can be made into a pretty tasty pie.

6.    Always Cut Slits in the Top Crust
Just trust me on this one.  And I recommend putting your pie pan atop a cookie sheet in the oven to catch any drips even still.

Photo credit: Flickr/edwardkimuk

10 Ways to Celebrate National Mushroom Month

If you didn’t already know, mushrooms are a pretty decent food—aside from how they taste, I mean, which can be awesome in its own right. Pennsylvania makes the most mushrooms in the United States, and should be proud of it, considering that they are chock full of selenium, potassium, vitamin D, niacin, and many other nutrients. They’re fat and cholesterol free and low in calories, making them a great snack for dieters. They also make a great substitute for meat. With all of these reasons, how could you go wrong with mushrooms? Try adding them to your life throughout September, National Mushroom Month, by…

10. Ordering mushrooms on a pizza. When I was a kid, that’s all I would eat on it (aside from cheese). My mom would get so angry when I picked all of the mushrooms off her supreme pizza to eat them. I got burned out on them and hated them for years before I finally started liking them again within the last few years—during my pregnancy, in fact!

9. Layer them on a sandwich instead of meat. Then add all of your favorite toppings for a healthier version of your most loved sandwich (or burger).

8. Make something you’ve never tried before. Use this recipe search engine to find ideas specific to the type of dish or type of mushroom you want to cook.

7. Try growing your own. I once researched and wrote about mushroom cultivation and found it to be extremely interesting and simple, for the most part.

6. Fry some mushrooms in batter. Serve them with marinara sauce for a wickedly yummy treat.

5. Search for mushrooms. We get them popping up in our yard all of the time. In fact, this summer we had our first “fairy ring” where they circled one of our trees. Try to identify them, but remember not to eat any mushrooms if you don’t know if they are poisonous or not.

4. Research the different types of mushrooms. If you’re really interested in the fungi, become an expert and find out what each type is best used for.

3. Implement mushrooms in art. I’ve been seeing them everywhere, from stickers to folders to furniture, and am absolutely in love with them. Perhaps my favorite mushroom pieces were a set of chairs at the Magic House that I’ve since begged my husband to build for us. His reply? Maybe. Which, of course, means eventually.

2. Heat up a bowl of cream of mushroom soup on a cool fall evening. Use it for cooking if you like.

1. Play a Mario Brothers game. Every time you jump on a mushroom, you have to yell, “Shroom!”

Filling the American food fight gap

SUMMER MADNESS

America, not to be out done by the Europeans, specifically, by the people of Spain and their annual La Tomatina, a food fight festival held for decades on the last Wednesday in August, during which tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown by people in the streets at each other for exactly one hour, that great American city, Reno, Nevada, has begun La Tomatina in Reno, an annual festival where America is given the opportunity to demonstrate that American young people know how to tomato fight too. This past Sunday, Reno hosted the second annual tomato fight, with about 2,500 people showing that American young people knows what to do with a 150,000-pound pile of Roma tomatoes. Yes, these tomatoes become missiles that young Americans began to launch at each other -- so reported the Associated Press. See the video.

Yes, it look like madness. It is summer madness, and is something to do with a tomato besides putting it on a sandwich or in a salad.

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