Kettle Classic Review & Giveaway -- Ends 10/1/11

My family is filled with self-proclaimed Chip connoisseurs! We all have our favourites: I like very crisp chips and the spicier the better. Lizz loves the Bar-B-Que, and Mike has developed a taste for the Cracked Black Pepper and Sea Salt!

Kettle Chips are a particular favourite of ours. We do love the crispy, crunchieness uhm... crunchy-ness of Kettle-cooked chips!

We have been buying Kettle Classics for quite a while. They have some of the most amazing flavours:

*Natural: “The Original Crunch” It doesn’t getting any simpler – our Natural chips have nothing but potatoes and sea salt.

*Mesquite Barbecue: “Backyard Crunch”: All the flavors you’d expect from a smoky barbecue – sweet brown sugar, tomato, onion, and garlic, paprika, annatto, tumeric and other spices.

*Spicy Jalapeno: “Fiery Crunch”: Yes, that’s a spicy chip. Made with pure jalapeno peppers, onion and garlic, natural flavors, paprika, and vinegar.

*Sea Salt and Vinegar: “The British Crunch”: Inspired by the Brits who favor these flavors over ketchup. These chips are made with sea salt, vinegar and natural flavors.

*Sundried Tomato Basil: “The Gourmet Crunch” Garden-fresh taste. Made with sundried tomatoes, basil, onion and garlic, parsley, paprika and natural flavors.

*Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt: “Perfect Combo Crunch” So zesty, so peppery. Coated with sea salt, black pepper, onion, garlic, and natural spices.

*Honey Dijon Mustard: “Sophisticated Sweet Crunch” This chip takes the sharp taste of Dijon mustard and the smooth, sweet taste of honey to create a one of a kind blend that really gets your taste buds dancing.

*African Red Devil Pepper™: “Exotic Crunch” This spicy-yet-citrusy chip was inspired by the Piri Piri pepper found in Africa and its heavenly taste is mouth-watering.

*Wasabi Ranch: “Cool Samurai Crunch” Wasabi is elegant spiciness that’s warm, not hot. Then, quickly fades to a slightly sweet, lingering finish. The perfect segway for ranch,a classic flavor that’s rich and smooth.

Those of you who've been reading here a while will know that my choice from this fantastic list is the African Red Devil Pepper™ !  How do I describe the taste? HHHmmm. It's warm -- the heat hits the back of your throat for a very pleasant momentary burn and then it's gone. Your mouth waters and you crave another chip. I love it. I finished the bag in very short order. Luckily, I didn't have to share! :D

My 2nd favourite was, surprisingly, the Sea Salt and Vinegar. It's very reminiscent of English Fish and Chips. Open the bag and the slightly pungent smell of vinegar wafts by but doesn't over-power. Same with the flavour. It's a lovely mild salty / vinegary taste. We actually shared these chips when we had a fried fish dinner. Perfection.
I can tell you -- I've tried brand after brand of the Salt and Vinegar chips -- generally, I can't eat much because the strong vinegar flavour wreaks havoc with my lips and my taste buds. Not these. Nothing about these chips is "too much" or overdone. Love them!

Mike, as I said earlier, just loved the Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt. That's rather unusual for Mike as he's not a big "pepper" guy. He says the dark sweetness of the black pepper is "killer".

He called a tie between the Mesquite Barbecue and Sundried Tomato Basil. I, too, really liked the smoky bite of the Mesquite Barbecue. That wee touch of brown sugar is an amazing touch of BBQ brilliance!

I'd love to tell you more about the Sundried Tomato Basil but after we opened it, I got a few chips, Mike got a few, and my Mom scampered away with the rest. Needless to say, they were a BIG hit with Mom! She tells me the tomato flavour was very mild and gently spiced -- I think that's why she really liked them.

We also received some samples of Baked Classics. We sampled both the
Vanilla Frosting and the Mesquite BBQ.

The Vanilla Frosting is so... sweet and melt-in-your mouth delicious. The heady scent of vanilla is so inviting... and so yummy. That bag went fast. LOL! The Mesquite BBQ was fabulous. Sweet, smoky, and crispy. I managed to steal a few from Mike as he scarfed them down.

SAVORY SNACKS WITHOUT AN OUNCE OF GUILT.
Baked Classics® popped potato and multigrain crisps are packed with flavor, not fat. These oh-so-satisfying crisps are made with all natural potatoes, whole grains and seasonings, then popped. The result? A snack that’s just what you’ve been craving and a healthy alternative that won’t leave your palate feeling the least bit deprived.

Classic Foods is always to eager to hear from their friends and fans and you can connect with them on their Social Media Pages:
Kettle Classics on Facebook and @ClassicFoodsInc on Twitter

Classic Foods has generously offered one of my readers the chance to win a sample case of their fabulous chips! Just follow the entry instructions below!

Open to USA only. One entry per household, please. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. Saturday October 1, 2011. Prize will be mailed to the winner directly by the sponsor (Classic Foods). *All Entries WILL Be Confirmed*

DISCLOSURE: I received a case of Classic Foods Kettle Chips for the purpose of review. I was under no obligation to write this review. I received no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed herein are my own and are based on my own use of and experience with the item(s).

Mediterranean Snack Foods -- Review & Giveaway -- Ends 9/16/11

As you know, I've been trying to eat healthier and lost some weight. Its not always easy. In fact, for me, it's often very hard as I'm a snacker, a hold-over from my college days, I suppose.

I've been actively searching for healthier snack foods and I do believe I've struck gold!

I discovered Mediterranean Snack Foods! These snack chips and crackers are truly unique and absolutely delicious. Not to mention a very healthy alternative to the fried snacks I often buy.

Mediterranean Snack Foods make their Baked Chips and Crackers from Lentils.

Lentils are an ancient grain and are among the world’s healthiest foods. They are high in protein, vitamin B1, and essential minerals for a healthy diet.

I love the taste of the baked Lentil chips and crackers: it's light, crunchy, and definitely very flavourful. (Mike and I finished off a bag of Cracked Pepper Chips in one night. (We were watching a Braves game -- you understand!)

When I can get Mike to eat a chip or cracker that isn't fried... you KNOW it must be good! When I catch him making off with another bag... That my friends is a testimonial!

Mediterranean Snack Foods makes all of their oven-baked Lentil Chips and Crackers with all-natural ingredients. They are gluten-free, low-fat, a good source of protein, and Kosher!

I love dipping the chips into hummus -- it's so yummy! Plus, it's the added advantage that I'm eating a healthier snack. A snack that also tastes so good.

Needless to say, the chips are going fast! We are savouring the crackers. We're spreading the light, flavourful crackers with soft cheese (brie especially) or adding slices of baby Swiss and munching away!

The Mediterranean Snack Food Company is an entrepreneurial, privately-held company founded in 2005. Our mission is innovation to produce great tasting, nutritionally superior snacks.
Using the superfood benefits of lentils in combination with whole grains and legumes, we create unique healthy and delicious snacks.
We use only the highest quality, non-GMO, and gluten-free ingredients, creating snacks to satisfy even the most health-conscious food enthusiast.
But our commitment to nutritional excellence never causes us to lose sight of the most important feature of good snacking – Great Taste!

Our Values
*We are committed to providing the best natural snack products for our customers who we consider part of our family.
*Our products are grown naturally, free from any additives, chemicals and genetic modification.
*We are long term partners with our customers and retailers, and value our relationship with them.
*We are committed to supporting the local communities we serve and the longevity of all our partners, employees and suppliers that work with us.

You can connect with The Mediterranean Snack Food Company on their
Blog, Facebook, and Twitter pages and also on their YouTube Channel.

The wonderful folks at Mediterranean Snack Foods have generously offered one of our readers an amazing sampler package similar to the one I received!

Just follow the instructions below for your chance to enter to win!

Open to USA only. One entry per household, please. All entries will be confirmed. Contest will close 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 16, 2011. Prize will be mailed directly to the winner by the Sponsor.

Disclosure: I received a sampling of Lentil Chips and Crackers from Mediterranean Snack Food Company for the purpose of review. I received no monetary Compensation. I was under no obligation to write this review. The opinions expressed herein are my own and based on my own use of and experience with the item(s).

PopChips! Review & Flash Giveaway! Ends 8/23/11

Do you snack? I do. I shouldn't as I'm trying to lose weight, but I do.

When I was introduced to PopChips, I was extremely skeptical. A chip that was not fried and greasy? Not loaded with fat? Low calorie? C'mon -- no way.

I was wrong. PopChips are not fried (they are air-popped!), not greasy, not loaded with fat, and lower in calories than most other chips. They are delicious, too!

I received a selection of PopChips to try and I loved each and every flavour that I tried! The Barbeque was my favourite, Mike loved the Salt & Pepper.

PopChips offers 8 amazing flavours: Original, Barbeque, Sour Cream & Onion, Cheddar, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Salt & Pepper, Parmesan & Garlic, and Jalapeno!

If you'd like to try a sampling of PopChips, just follow the instructions below for your chance to enter to win!

Contest open to USA only. One entry per household, please. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT on 8/23/11.

Disclosure: I received a sample box of PopChips for the purpose of review. I was under no obligation to write this review. I received no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed herein are my own and based on my own use of and experience with the item.

A Taste from Home with Frito-Lay: Southern Style Review and Giveaway, CLOSED!

CLOSED!



There is something very special about being a Southern girl -- Georgia born and bred.

We grow up with amazing foods down here: Hoppin' John, Fried Okra, Grits and Red-eye Gravy, Crawfish, Bar-B-Que, Hot buttered Biscuits, Sweet iced tea...(Great. Now I'm hungry.)

There are always things that take you "back home". Food is probably at the top of the list.

For me, it's hamburgers. Yes, burgers! My Pop and Nan always had a grill in our backyard. In the summer, their 8 kids (me included) and numerous grandkids (and great-grand kids) made a bee-line for the beach and there were people all over our house!

Burgers were ALWAYS on the menu and I can't tell you how many bags of Lay's Potato Chips got devoured each summer! (Or the number of potato chip sandwiches we made!)

When Frito-Lay asked me to share their new regional Chip flavours, I jumped at the chance. When asked to share the recipe that really takes me home, I was even more happy to participate!



These new chips were inspired by popular American Regional Cuisine and include:

**Northeastern U.S. – Lay’s Honey Mustard
**Midwestern U.S. – Lay’s Creamy Garden Ranch
**Northwestern U.S. – Lay’s Balsamic Sweet Onion
**Southwestern U.S. – Lay’s Chipotle Ranch
**Southeastern U.S. – Lay’s Cajun Herb and Spice

All of the Lay’s Regional Flavored potato chips are made with all natural ingredients, and are cooked in healthier oils so they contain 0 grams of trans fats per serving! There’s also less sodium in them than you might think – a 1-oz serving of our Lay’s Regional Flavored potato chips contains less salt than a plain bagel!



The two new Southeastern-inspired flavours are Cajun Herb and Spice and Tangy Carolina BBQ! WOW! Those are two flavours... two aromas... that really take me back to happy memories.



I wanted to share a recipe with you that brought me back to the island where I grew up and lived for almost all of my life.

This is my Pop's burger recipe. He was a wonderful Southern Gentleman and he could really cook!

Pop's Burgers

2 pounds ground chuck
1 small red onion, diced fine
1 small jalapeno, seeded, de-veined, and diced fine
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 cup crushed Lays Chips (I like using the new Cajun Herb and Spice)
2 eggs

Combine ALL ingredients thoroughly in a glass bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (For a milder burger forego the jalapeno).
Form mixture into palm-sized balls and flatten slightly (don't mash them)

Place on grill for about 5 minutes each side for a medium-well burger.
Serve on a good sturdy bun such as an onion roll. Enjoy!

Frito-Lay is generously offering one of my readers the chance to win the amazing new Regionally Inspired Flavours!

Just follow the instructions below for your chance to enter and win!

Contest open to USA only, please.

***Please leave your email address in the body of your comment. If I can't contact you, you can't win!***

Apparently, Rafflecopter does NOT like this post. Please do the following to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRIES:

1. Which regionally-inspired Frito-Lay Chip do you most want to try and why?

2. Leave a recipe inspired by your home region!

Additional Entries:

1. Follow @FritoLay on Twitter

2. Tweet this:@GeorgiaMist @FritoLay Win a selection of regionally inspired #FritoFlavors! Ends 8/27/11 http://bit.ly/pnd25r

3. Follow @GeorgiaMist on Twitter

4. Follow me via Google Friend Connect.

5. Follow me via Networked Blogs

DISCLOSURE:
Frito-Lay provided me with Potato Chips for the purpose of review. This review enters me into the *Tastes from Home with Frito-Lay* Contest. I received no monetary compensation.