Old Croc Cheese?

I saw something unusual at the grocery store. It was a small brick of smoked sharp cheddar and sharp cheddar by Old Croc Cheese. There was two types at the store; smoked sharp cheddar and sharp cheddar. There seems to be another variety at their web site. The smoked sharp cheddar comes in a 6 oz package and the sharp cheddar comes in a 7 oz package.

The sharp cheddar has a nice flavor to it. It was also good on crackers. It is described as having a bold bite. It is not to the point it overwhelms the flavor. It is a firm cheese but it wasn't too difficult to slice yet firm enough so one could grate it onto other foods or part of a recipe. 

The smoked sharp cheddar has a nice 'smokey' taste to it. It was distinctive enough from the sharp cheddar. It was a firm cheese but not so hard to make it difficult to slice. It was firm enough that one could grate it onto other foods or as an ingredient in a recipe. The package describes it as having a bold bite. It is a bold but also pleasant. 

It is a product that is made in Australia. The price was quite affordable, especially since it was imported. One would expect to be higher priced. 

BigGoofyGuy

Kaukauna Port Wine Cheese Ball

I bought a Kaukauna port wine cheese ball. It is spreadable cheese with almonds. The ball was 10 oz in weight. With a small 'flap' in the packaging, it was easy to open. The package is not resealable but one can put it in a container or put plastic wrap on it. If one took out the cheese from the package, put it on a plate with crackers, it is a nice appetizer at parties or dinners.

I tried it on Ritz crackers and by itself. It was delicious. The taste wasn't too strong. The almonds ads some crunch to the cheese. It is good enough for special occasions yet affordable enough to have at any time for any reason. 

I think it is worth trying their other flavors.

BigGoofyGuy.

Ronzoni Garden Delight Tri-Color Rotini

I bought a box of Ronzoni Garden Delight tri-color rotini. It indicates it is enriched pasta with carrot, tomato and spinach. I like the different colors. It gives it variety. I like the shape of the pasta. I like that it has a serving of vegetables with every serving of vegetables.

I tried it with just some butter and a little bit of salt and with butter without any salt. It tasted pretty good. I tried it with some no-sugar-added spaghetti sauce Hunts. It was really good. I think it is a tasteful way to get people to eat their vegetables without having to eat vegetables or the taste some vegetables seem to have (especially if one is young). 

As a diabetic, I like using this no-sugar-added spaghetti sauce. It helps give me flavor while helping to control the amount of sugar / carbs that I eat. 

BigGoofyGuy

Aidells Jalapeno & Tomatillo with Queso Fresco

I bought a package of Aidells jalapeno and tomatillo with quieso fresco smoked chicken sausage. I bought it at McKinnon's Markets grocery store. It was reasonably priced. One received four sausage in the package. The label indicates it is 'all natural', 'gluten free' and 'no nitrates'. It indicates the chicken was raised without 'added hormones'.

It indicates that has jalapeno's in it. One can taste it but it is not very noticeable - at least not by me. It did have a nice flavor. There are times the spicy heat comes after eating it but one only notices a slight increase in heat. I tried them on a small bun. It indicates it has a tomatillo in it. It indicates it also has queso fresco. I think the combination of the three works really well. 

There are even recipes that one can use with their products. The recipes do look good. It would be great to try them. 

BigGoofyGuy

West Newbury and Clam Chowder at Port City Sandwich in Newburyport MA

I had a late lunch at Port City Sandwich in Newburyport MA. Here is the lunch menu. It is a nice little restaurant with good food, good prices and good service. It is open for breakfast and lunch. It is a really nice place to eat.

I had the West Newbury and a small clam chowder. The West Newbury is a Reuben style sandwich but made with turkey. One can chose between mayonnaise or French dressing. It was really good. I enjoyed the clam chowder. It was on the specials board. It was way better than I have ever had. I have had many since I really enjoyed seafood.

Normally I would take photos of the food but I had forgotten my cell phone. I usually use the Camera 360 app since it seems to perform better than the camera app that came with my Samsung Note 4 cellular phone.

BigGoofyGuy

Port City Pretzels

I was at a grocery store and came across Port City Pretzels. The store was McKinnon's. It is flavored pretzels. I bought the feisty hot pretzels and the cinnamon sugar pretzels. The pretzels are bite size (either that or I have a big mouth). They are a great snack or as part of an appetizer. Each pretzel is about an inch long. It is twisted instead of straight. It is like getting two pretzels in one.

The cinnamon sugar pretzel was very tasty. It was not too sweet. It had a nice coating of cinnamon sugar. It had a nice crunch to it. 

The feisty hot pretzel was tasty. The heat was not excessive, at least not to me but some might find it too much. It had a nice bite to it but also nice flavor. The flavor was in the pretzel and not a coating on it. 

They can be ordered online. They have three flavors but the feisty hot was not among them (perhaps a new flavor not added to the website?). 

Port City Pretzel - Facebook.

BigGoofyGuy

Banana Bread French Toast and Banana Nut Muffin at Wilbur's Family Dining in Hampton NH

I sometimes like to eat breakfast away from home. I had breakfast at Wilbur's Family Dining in Hampton NH. It is a nice little restaurant with a 'down home' feel to it. The people who work there are friendly. The decor has a nice atmosphere to it, like a diner would have.

I had the banana nut muffin. It was grilled for me. I put on the butter that melted from the warmth. It had a nice crunch to it. The flavor was really good. The melted butter added to its taste. It was the right size for a muffin. 

I had the banana bread French toast. It came with bacon and eggs which I had over easy. It came with butter. It melted nicely on the banana bread French toast. It was delicious. It did not need syrup (which is good since I forgot to add any). It did not really neat it.

Here is the outside of Wilbur's Family Dining. It is neat the Hampton Health Center, part of the same parking lot. 

It is not fancy but it is welcoming. It has a nice family restaurant feel to it.

Skinny Me Belgian Chocolates Variety Pack

I bought a variety pack from Skinny Me Belgian chocolates. It came in a clear bag with five different chocolates with two of each one. It is a great way to try different ones without having to buy more than one wanted and end up with some that one does not like.

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt -   It has a smooth chocolate taste with a slight taste of sea salt that ads to the taste instead taking away from it.

Dark Chocolate Strawberry - It has a nice taste of strawberry and dark chocolate. It is a nice combination. One does not over whelm the other.

Truffles Sea Salt Dark Chocolate - It has a nice dark chocolate taste with a slight taste of sea salt blended with the truffle.

Truffles Raspberry Dark Chocolate - It has a nice taste of raspberry with dark chocolate. One flavor does not over whelm the other.

Truffles Velvety Mocha Dark Chocolate - It has a nice mocha flavor combined with dark chocolate flavor. One does not over whelm the other.

All of these are sweetened with stevia (Wikipedia - stevia). It did not have an after taste (like some say other no calorie sweeteners have but I have not tasted except in saccharin). It gives the Skinny Me chocolate the sweetness without all the calories and sugars of normal chocolates but without taking away from the taste. 

There was a delay due to the great in demand than supply of what I had ordered. It was worth the wait. 

BigGoofyGuy

Cowboy Up Wrap and Turkey Chili at Port City Sandwich

I went to Port City Sandwich in Newburyport MA. The small restaurant is near the pier. It is not a large restaurant. It is a very friendly one with good prices and a nice variety of sandwiches and soups. It is near a bigger restaurant with food that costs more.

Here is the cowboy up wrap. It was really good. It was not easy to eat since it fell apart but I did not mind since it exceeded my expectations in flavor. The price was good. The sandwich was very filling. I think it is a 'he man' sandwich since it would take a mans appetite to finish it. 

This is before it opened up. One can not really see how big it is per the photo but it is definitely a two handed wrap. It did not take long before I received the sandwich after ordering it.

Here is the description of what is inside it. As one can see, it was stuffed. This could be why it came apart. I did not mind it being a little messy. The chicken was cooked right, moist and not over done. The sauce was delicious. It was filled with flavor.

I also ordered the turkey chili. It had some bite to it but not too much. This is the small. It was really good. 

Here is the outside of the Port City Sandwich. It is open for breakfast and lunch. It closes at 3:00 pm.

Here is the inside of the Port City Sandwich. It was a warm and comfortable feeling. The people who work there are friendly and welcoming. I think it is a place where the locals like to eat; which makes it a good place for everyone. 

Currently they are collecting gloves, scarfs and hats for veterans. I think this is a good cause. I donated three hats - that are for winter wear. One of the hats I donated was one that belonged to my dad who was a World War 2 veterans. I think he would have approved of me donating it. 

BigGoofyGuy.

Skinny Me Belgian Chocolate Squares Bold Dark Chocolate

I ordered a box of Skinny Me Belgian chocolate squares bold dark chocolate. Since the company did not expect the volume of orders, I waited longer than expected. As the phrase 'worth the wait' goes, this shows it to be true. I also ordered a variety pack that arrived with my box of bold dark chocolates but that will be a separate blog / post.

The taste was not too sweet. I did not notice any kind of aftertaste that one associates with something that is sweetened by a no-calories sweetener. I tasted the smooth dark chocolate. It was delicious. It comes in small squares. One can enjoy it without the guilt of sugar or calories. 

The sweetener is stevia. One can find it sold at organic stores and most grocery stores. Wikipedia - stevia; the site that explains it. It is sweeter than sugar 

The Huffington Post has an interesting post / article on stevia.

BigGoofyGuy

Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls and Caribean Chicken Stir Fry at Bradford Tavern

I was with a group who had their Christmas party at the Bradford Tavern in Rowley MA. I ordered the Buffalo chicken egg rolls and the Caribbean chicken stir fry. Both was really good. The egg rolls was unusual but an unusually good taste. It has some nice bite to it. The stir fry was good but the chicken was a little on the dry side but not too dry.

There was six of them but I ate a couple before taking a photo of them. It was cut lengthwise. One can see the inside. it was crunchy and delicious. One dipped it into ranch sauce. It made it even better. 

Here it is on the menu. It shows what is in the egg roll.

Here is the Caribbean chicken stir fry. The sauce made the vegetables delicious. The chicken had just the right amount of sauce. It was very filling. 

Here is the menu for the Caribbean chicken stir fry. It shows what is in it. 

Here is the cover for the Bradford Tavern.

I found the inside to be warm and inviting. The service was friendly. I think it is a great place to eat.

BigGoofyGuy.

Hunts No Added Sugar Pasta Sauce

While I was looking for pasta, I also looked for pasta sauce i could use with it. While most spaghetti sauce has much sugar, I found one with no added sugar. It is from Hunts. It states it has 35 calories, 0 grams of saturated fat, 600 milligrams of sodium and 4 grams of sugar per 1/2 cup of serving. I think it is good alternatives for diabetics who want to have spaghetti sauce on their pasta.

I tried a spoonful of it. While not as thick as other spaghetti sauce, it was really tasty. I tried it on some cooked rotini. It was very good. It was not too sweet and not too salty. It has a good flavor. I will try it with other styles of pasta and see how it tastes with it.

One time I tried spaghetti sauce on rice noodles. It was the type of rice pasta that I found at the Asian grocery store that comes in sheets. I cooked it like pasta and added the sauce after I drained the water from it. It had a neat texture that was totally different from normal / traditional pasta. I have tried it with other non-pasta noodles. It was fun to experiment. 

Ronzoni Super Greens Rotini

I was looking for pasta and came across this - Ronzoni SuperGreens rotini - at the grocery store. It indicates it is 'enriched pasta with spinach, zucchini, broccoli, parsley and kale'. It sounds healthy. The package indicates it has '3 servings of vegetables per 3.5 oz (100 g) portion', a 'good source of fiber', and a 'good source of 5 vitamins and minerals'. I like the green color. It looks healthy. I will be trying other shapes and varieties of the 'super greens'.

I cooked it up and tried it. It is pretty good. If one has thing about not eating vegetables, this is a good way to get your vegetables without actually having to eat them. It tried it by itself. It is very tasty. I tried it with spaghetti sauce (Hunts no added sugar). It was very good. 

I like to cook pasta in the microwave. I have a special technique that makes it tastes like it was cooked in the more traditional way; IMO. 

BigGoofyGuy.

Appetizers Too Big? - My Rant

I have a problem with restaurants that serve appetizers that are the size of a main entree. I think the appetizer should be smaller than a main entree and should 'wet the appetite' of the person who eats it. I have been to restaurants where I had to take half to most of the main entree home because the appetizer was way too big.  Appetizer defined by Merriam-Webster. I agree with the definition of appetizer by Dictionary.com.
'1.

a small portion of a food or drink served before or at the beginning ofa meal to stimulate the desire to eat.

2.

any small portion that stimulates a desire for more or that indicatesmore is to follow:

'

I also like the definition of appetizer by The Free Dictionary.

'

appetizer

 (ˈæpɪˌtaɪzə) or 

appetiser

n

1. (Cookery) a small amount of food or drink taken to stimulate the appetite

2. any stimulating foretast

'

BigGoofyGuy.

Lobster Benedict at Hebert's in Portsmouth NH

I had breakfast at Hebert's Restaurant in Portsmouth NH. It is a nice little place along Route 1 / Lafayette Road in Portsmouth NH. I had the lobster Benedict. It was really good. It comes with hash browns. It was part of the specials that they list on a white board as one enters the restaurant.

It was creamy and delicious. It has a nice amount of lobster on it. The English muffin was cooked just right. The eggs were cooked just right. It came with a nice portion of tasty home fries / potatoes that was flavored and one could eat without putting on them. I wish I had take a photograph of it. It was very photogenic.

There is a back room that looks more like a diner than just a restaurant. There is a section off area that is a bar. It has a very comfy feel to it and the staff are very friendly. 

Bisquick Complete; Simply Buttermilk with Whole Grain, pancake and waffle mix

I bought a box of Bisquick Complete buttermilk with whole grain pancake and waffle mix. I bought it since I wanted something easy to put together. There was nothing one had to ad besides water. A benefit is that it is with whole grain which makes it healthier and less likely to make one feel guilty about how good it tastes.

Since a portion size is 1/2 cup. I also added a 1/2 cup of water. It mixed quite well. I cooked three pancakes, perhaps my mix was on the thin side but it still was very good. Normally one used a cup of mix with 2/3 cup water but I was going for portion control since I am diabetic. It came out thinner than what it shows on the package but I like my pancakes thinner, more crepe like. i also fried two eggs and a couple of slices of Spam turkey. It was a great breakfast meal.

I will using it again but different added ingredients. One time I added a small can of mushrooms to the pancake mix. It was good. Another time I added part of a small can of spinach. It was delicious. One time I layered pepper jack cheese between the layers of the pancakes with fried bologna. The heat of the pancakes and the fried bologna melted the cheese. It was delicious. 

There are recipes at the Bisquick site. I will be trying those too. There are a lot of recipes to chose from. There are many sites with Bisquick recipes. 

BigGoofyGuy

Irish Breakfast Tea by Barry's Tea

I bought a box of Irish breakfast tea by Barry's Tea. I bought it at a shop in Newburyport MA called Best of British. It has a nice taste to it. I have found that it does not need to be sweetened or have milk added. I think the flavor stands on its own. The price is good, especially considering how many bags one gets in the box. I think it is a great way to start the day, especially if one does not like coffee.

I used the Mr Coffee 4 cup machine. I put two tea bags in where the ground coffee would normally be. 

BigGoofyGuy

Wild Maine Blueberry Tea by The Republic of Tea

I bought a canister of wild Maine blueberry tea by The Republican of Tea and sold at Stonewall Kitchen store. I think it is delicious. The blueberry flavor is not overbearing. It is not weak. One can taste the blueberries. I have tried it with and without a sweetener. I prefer it without. It has a 'comfort food' appeal. Some people prefer their hot beverages to be really hot. I am not one of them. I think this tastes good when it is tepid or near room temperature. I think the price is very good, especially when one considers how many bags one gets with what one pays for it.

I have a Mr Coffee machine. It is good for one cup to four cups of coffee. In my case, I used it to heat the water for tea and instant soups and for making gelatin and other things that need hot water and one does not want to boil water on the stove. 

Smucker's Sugar Free Blackberry Jam

I bought and tried the sugar free seedless blackberry jam by Smucker's. Even thought it is sugar free, it does not influence the taste but sweetens it like one would with sugar.

I found the flavor to be really nice. It tastes great by itself, on crackers, with peanut butter on bread, and with peanut butter on crackers. It is not a strong blueberry taste and it does not taste too sweet. It has a nice balance. 

There are times the sugar alternative alters the taste of what it was added to but not in this situation. Smucker's uses Splenda to sweeten it. I find it to be a better sugar-alternative than most. While I have not noticed a taste difference, others have. 

Stonewall Kitchen Maple Bacon Onion Jam

I bought the maple bacon onion jam by Stonewall Kitchen. I have tried it by itself, on crackers, on crackers with peanut butter and with cottage cheese. I have found it to be delicious. It has a nice bacon and maple flavor that isn't overwhelming. The bacon flavor is subtle as is the maple flavor. I don't really taste the onion but it could be really subtle but it does not take away from it.

I bought it at the Stonewall Kitchen in the downtown Newburyport MA area. 

I tried it on a Ritz cracker. It tastes great but doesn't overwhelm whatever one puts on it. 

The cottage cheese I used is by Breakstones cottage cheese. I like the package of single serving. It is good when one wants to try a little when trying things with it. The regular does not change the flavor of what I eat with it yet it is still good. 

I found the store to be small but filled with some really nice cooking accessories and other cooking related items as well as foods / mixes. 

The people who work there are very friendly and courteous.