Product Review and GIVEAWAY!!! Kraft Sizzling Salads

Thanks to all the spam I've been getting since I opened up my blog to anonymous posts, I have decided to close the contest a little early. Winner will be announced tomorrow! Good luck everyone!

Kraft Canada asked me to review their new Sizzling Salads product as well as do a giveaway for coupons to my Canadian readers (excluding Quebec, sorry!)... How exciting! I love the idea of this product, it was made for someone who likes sauce like me.

(A note my American friends, I have a BIG Christmas giveaway that will be coming up on my blog open to you too. If you want to hear about it first, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter.)



It comes in a kit with two bottles of dressing: one to use while you are cooking and the other to dress the salad. I decided to try out the Chicken Caesar Salad on a day that was crazy busy with no time to make food from scratch.



First I cooked the chicken which had cut up into bite-sized pieces.



Then I added the black peppercorn cooking sauce. I also decided to add some cooked pasta which was another part of my test. Usually when I add pasta to a salad the sauce seems to vanish.



The second bottle is for the salad which you dress and then top with the cooked chicken:



I made this salad after coming home from an appointment so famished I could barely see straight. It was not difficult to make and fed me when I was too tired and hungry to cook from scratch.

Now is it as good as My Version of Jamie Oliver's Proper Chicken Caesar Salad? Absolutely not! My flavours are much more bold. I checked the ingredients, no anchovies or even Parmesan was listed! Still, it did have a very light Caesar flavour to it. Much more subtle than a traditional Caesar, it was surprising how good it was. I was impressed and loved that even though it is winter, a warm salad like this was very comforting.



I tested the Greek Chicken Sizzling Salad out on my friends and we all sat there, shocked at how much we loved it. Light, refreshing, not too harsh like a lot of bottled dressings are... we all loved it! I am not a huge fan of chicken, as you know, but this product really gave it some zing!

The big test though was my husband. He hates vinaigrettes and vinegar in general so when I gave him this salad he confessed later that he was prepared to hate it. He was shocked, he loved it. I think he even used the word, "Fantastic!" I could not believe it. It even passed my husband's taste test!

I was also amazed at how many times I made large salads for people with these two tiny bottles. I really thought I would make three salads and be done but no, this product really lasts. 

I wish this was available when I was first teaching myself how to cook! It is perfect for the novice foodie. I personally will keep these around for those days I just do not have time or energy to make a meal myself. Usually I would prefer to make food from scratch but there are days that doing so just is not possible. For those days, I will be turning to my pantry for these mixes. I give this product four and a half out of five wooden spoons. 

Want to try these yourself? Well just leave a comment to enter my giveaway for a coupon so you can try this product for free! I have FIVE coupons to give away so if you are in Canada (but not Quebec) you just need to leave a comment with your email to enter. Great way to try something new for free the next time you do your groceries! Contest closes Friday.

Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens' Irish Potato Cakes & Cookbook Review

A few days ago at the beginning of Hanukkah I really wanted to make latkas/potato pancakes in honour of the holiday. I was going through Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens and came across Irish Potato Cakes that were kind of similar to the latkas I made last year. Well I just had to make them and see how they compared!



You need two cups of mashed potatoes which I made fresh the way I like them with some herbed cream cheese. To them add 1 beaten egg, 2 tbsp of butter (I used softened) and 1 tsp of caraway seeds. Beat until fluffy.



Sift in 1 cup of flour, 3 tsp of baking powder and 1/2 tsp of salt. Knead lightly until well mixed.



Roll out on a lightly floured board to 1/4" thickness. Cut into wedges.



The recipe says to fry in a greased pan over low heat until golden brown, five minutes per side. With my stove, that means at least medium heat, no way these would brown on low heat.



Sprinkle generously with sugar as the Irish do and serve at once with plenty of butter. No butter for me, sour cream all the way and bliss! This is seriously one of the best dishes I have come across in a long, long time. I absolutely love the caraways seeds inside and my husband agreed too, this dish was fantastic! I give this recipe five out of five wooden spoons.



I could keep on recipe testing from Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens the rest of my life. There are recipes for candies, wines, cures and tonics... not to mention sharing the food history of the different people who have lived in Nova Scotia. I can see why author Marie Nightingale is known as Nova Scotia's best-known food writer. Her two decades of writing for The Chronicle Herald as their food columnist is apparent in every page while keeping the authenticity of the original recipes' spirit.



She even included the story as well as the recipe of Sally Lunns, the girl who peddled hot buns through the streets of Bath in England. Apparently this bread is a tradition in Nova Scotia as well, made into loaves as well as rolls. It was the first time I made a loaf of bread in a bundt pan!



As much as I would love to give this book five wooden spoons, I must hold back a little. This book will drive a new baker or cook crazy! Even though I have embraced the life of a foodie, even I found some of the recipes' lack of instruction ridiculously frustrating. That said, I still adore this book.

Even if you do not have one single root from the Maritimes, you could learn a lot from Nimbus Publishing's Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens. I am absolutely fascinated with old recipes like rosehip jam, spiced gooseberries and rhubarb wine. This book is a gold mine when it comes to recipes of old. There is still so much to explore, I will hold on to this book as one of my kitchen treasures.

Making these fantastic Nova Scotia recipes has helped me connect a little more with this province through the universal ritual of food. I give this cookbook four and a half out of five wooden spoons. 

Product Review: President's Choice Dark Chocolate with Cranberry and Almonds

It was as though PC Dark Chocolate with Cranberry and Almonds was made for me. I have often made my own chocolate bark by melting dark chocolate and pouring it over my favourite dried fruit and nuts. Now, I don't have to!



I am not a huge dark chocolate fan but when you pair it with dried fruit and nuts, foodie magic happens. Something about the bitterness combined with the sweet, followed by the crunch... Heaven! You can tell when eating this chocolate bar (which I have eaten more than I care to admit) that high quality ingredients are utilized (the chocolate is from France) and perfectly executed.

If you had asked me to guess the price I was going to say at least $10. I was shocked to look it up and see that these bars are being sold for only $4! What a perfect impressive gift and massive stocking stuffer for the holidays. For those of you who will never enjoy dark chocolate, you can also get a milk chocolate version of this chocolate bar. It shocks me that once again I have to give this PC product five out of five wooden spoons!

Product Review: President's Choice Chocolate Fruit Fancies

Yesterday's PC holiday treat of the day was more chocolate! President's Choice Chocolate Fruit Fancies in fact.



Wow, these are perhaps the coolest looking chocolates I have ever seen! They do make me think I should be playing pool with them more than eating them but that did not stop us from trying these gleaming candies. Belgian chocolate, chocolate ganache and fruit puree made with all natural flavours and colours... too bad this treat is only available for a short period of time.



Nobody loves the combination of fruit and chocolate more than I do so I was excited to try each of the different flavours. The blue one was bilberry, a flavour that was new to me that was very powerful and fabulous, definitely my favourite. I gave it five out of five wooden spoons. 



The mango was delicious, subtle and tropical, not too strong. I gave it four and a half out of five wooden spoons. Overall, my husband gave everything four and a half wooden spoons except for the apricot, he thought that one was perfect. You could really taste the apricot and it went perfectly with the hazelnuts in a white chocolate shell.



For me the two that were a little disappointing that I gave three and a half wooden spoons out of five were the kiwi and strawberry. The kiwi seem non-existence to me and the strawberry was not as strong as I would have liked. Also, when I sliced them open the did not seem quite as full of fruit filling as the photo on the box would indicate.

Still, I am so impressed. The price for the quality of this PC product is amazing. You get a 200 g box of 25 chocolates for only $8! What I love about this gift is it is so original. This is the perfect gift for the non-traditional hard-to-buy-for friend or family member. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed these chocolates and even though some of the flavours did not sing as much as others, I love the concept of this product so much I give it five out of five wooden spoons.

Why a perfect rating? This may not be THE treat for everyone but for that challenging person with a unique foodie perspective and personality, this will bring them much joy for under $10.

Product Review: President's Choice Gourmet Belgian Chocolate Collection

Yesterday's holiday treat from President's Choice was not difficult to test in my kitchen at all! PC Gourmet Belgian Chocolate Collection? Twist my rubber arm! First test? Are they as pretty as they are on the cover of the box?



Absolutely! These are stunning chocolates. There might not be as much safflower sprinkled on top of the Chilli Mousse Chocolate but overall, visually speaking, you get a stunning box of chocolates for only $14! Now, how do they taste?



Almond Praline: "Creamy milk chocolate filled with an airy almond praline and decorated with white chocolate striping."

When my husband ate it all he said was, "Mmmmmmm." What I liked is I could taste the nuttiness. I was surprised at how smooth it was considering it was called a praline which are caramelized almonds. I think having some inside would have made these more interesting. My husband gave this chocolate four out of five, I gave it four and a half out of five wooden spoons. Had there been actual pralines inside, it would have gotten top marks from me!



Chili Mousse: "Smooth mousse infused with chilli powder, enrobed in dark chocolate and topped with safflower."

For me, this fell completely flat. I do not usually mix savoury with sweet for a reason. I literally could not taste the chilli powder at all. I had to sample it three times to feel the heat. I persisted because my husband insisted that it was there and I wanted to experience it. When I did, it was so subtle. I found this one non-descript which is shocking considering I figured it would be the strongest chocolate of all of them. My husband on the other hand, because he could taste the chilli and feel the heat, said this one was his favourite. He gave it four and a half and I gave it three out of five wooden spoons.



Speculoos: "Traditional Belgian Speculoos biscuit enrobed in creamy milk chocolate and topped with caramel hazelnut pieces."

Now you're talking! Love the crunch. I adore hazelnuts. Milky but dense good chocolate. This one was a winner for me. My husband felt this tasted more like an old fashioned chocolate, a little more sweet than the others and for some reason, reminded him of donuts. He only gave it three and a half out of five but I gave it four out of five wooden spoons. 



Cappuccino: "Coffee mousse filled milk chocolate decorated with dark chocolate stripping."

Both my husband and I immediately picked up on the coffee flavour, which we also both adore. We found it nice and smooth, airy, rich... He gave this one four out of five wooden spoons. I gave it five out of five!!! Love this one. By far my favourite.



Stragiatelli: "Airy Stragiatelli creme with dark chocolate bits, enrobed in white chocolate and decorated with double dark chocolate striping."

We both immediately took note that this was high quality white chocolate. Not too sweet like a lot of white chocolate can be, this balanced very well with the dark chocolate inside. We loved the texture and found it nice and smooth. We both gave this one four out of five wooden spoons. 



Chocomousse: "Gently whipped chocolate mousse enrobed in white chocolate decorated with dark chocolate striping."

Again, excellent white chocolate and the filling was super creamy, light and fantastic. My husband felt this was a very good traditional chocolate and for some reason reminded him of those chocolate Easter bunnies you got as a kid. He gave this four out of five, I gave it four and a half out of five wooden spoons. 



The PC Gourmet Belgian Chocolate Collection is ridiculously impressive. Any other company would probably charge twice as much for this generous box of chocolates. I can happily recommend this product for either gift giving or for having around the house for when guests comes over. I do wish they had varied the fillings just a little. After a while I did feel as though they were a little too similar. More texture would also have been appreciated. Where is the caramel? How about essence of raspberry? Irish Cream...

I suppose in a way, this is a gift for the chocolate purist. Very traditional, good quality... this box is all about the chocolate. Are they as good as Godiva chocolates? No. But! They are very, very good. Overall I give this box of chocolates four out of five wooden spoons. A total bargain and a pretty treat for the holidays.

Product Testing & Tutorial: How to bake and decorate a two-tier cake from scratch

It is not every day that I make a cake. I have issues with cake making thanks to a particular disturbing class I took out west that left me not liking cake very much but I had a dilemma.



Yesterday began the third phase of the President's Choice Insider's Report product testing and it began with.... coffee. For most this product testing would be a no-brainer. Brew a cup of joe, right? Well I couldn't. See, me and caffeine do not have a very good relationship. I am really, REALLY sensitive to caffeine that comes from coffee and tea (thankfully chocolate is good to go) so I spent a ton of time yesterday figuring out what to make.

I decided to do two tests in one recipe. Since my gingerbread from Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens ended up being such a disaster because I screwed up, I decided to redeem myself by making its 1, 2, 3, 4 Cake and use the PC 100% Hawaiian Medium Roast Coffee to make a mocha frosting for the cake. I figured there are many people who have not made a basic two-tiered cake before so I wrapped it all in a tutorial, just for you! Here we go!



The recipe gets its name because of the different numeric quantities of ingredients used in this recipe. For the sake of clarity, I have written out the recipe the way I made it. Cream 1 cup of butter with 2 cups of sugar until light and creamy. Add four egg yolks one at a time. Sift together 3 cups of flour with 3 tsp of baking powder. Alternate adding dry ingredients with...



... one cup of milk. (Suzie Note: always finish with dry ingredients.)



I added one tsp of Pure Vanilla Bean Paste to the batter but you can just add vanilla extract. I wanted to see the little seeds throughout the batter.



Whip up for the four egg whites and fold into the batter. I like to start with combining a third of the egg whites, combine and then add the rest.



The recipe just says to, "Bake in a 350F oven for 1 hour. This can either be baked in a loaf pan or in layers." Well the timing will be different depending on the vessel. I greased two 9" circle cake pans and had them in the oven for around 40 minutes. I realized I could smell them which means they were done (since I have a non-existent sense of smell). Sure enough, I saw they had pulled from the side, risen in the middle, bounced back to touch and the toothpick came out clean. I let them cool on the cooling racks and got to work on the mocha frosting.



First, I brewed up some PC 100% Hawaiian Medium Roast Coffee and made it pretty strong. Then I let it cool for a little while. The cakes had to cool down too.



In a mixer I creamed 1/2 cup of butter then I added 3-4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of sifted cocoa, 1/4 cup of the coffee and 2 tsp of vanilla extract. When it comes to the powdered sugar, how much I used was a bit of a guess. I like to just add as I go, making sure that the frosting is spreadable:



Get out of your plate, add a little frosting on the bottom and then put one of the cakes down on top of the frosting bumpy side up. If you want to get fancy, you can slice the top layer off with a knife so it is perfectly levelled. Me, I just invert the cake. Add some frosting to the lower layer of the cake until it meets the ridge. Top with the second cake layer upside down again. Make sure it is aligned well and push it down to adhere. Top with the rest of the frosting.

I am not usually a huge fan of frosting so I make just enough for the two layers. If you want to cover the entire cake I would suggest doubling the recipe. To make a nice decorative top, swoosh your spatula side to side in a wave when you are done:



That is a very easy way to decorate your first cake and people will be impressed not only with the appearance but that you made the whole thing from scratch. And it really was not that hard!



The big question is of course, how did it taste? The cake itself was a bit over-baked and dry for my liking. I wish the instructions had been more clear about baking times. Thank goodness I checked in on the cakes when I did otherwise it would have been inedible. Even with taking them out early, the edge of the cake was quite hard and dry. Thankfully the inside of the cake was quite lovely. A very nice basic cake, perfect for the beginner cake maker. One thing I do love about this cake is the use of egg whites. Folding in lots of egg whites is the way they used to leaven cakes in the olden days so I appreciated that. Just make sure to not bake for an hour! Check doneness after 30 minutes.  I give this cake recipe four out of five wooden spoons.

The mocha frosting with the PC 100% Hawaiian Medium Roast Coffee??? Out of this world!!! For the first time I wish I had slathered a cake with frosting. It was so delicious, the coffee so present and aromatic and fabulous, I would have just sat there eating the whole bowl of frosting if I let myself. Which I didn't! I was so happy to discover that the fantastic aromatic body of the coffee was there in the taste of the frosting. And so far, no migraine!  I give the PC 100% Hawaiian Medium Roast Coffee five out of five wooden spoons. 

And the winner is...!!!

I got our my marble mortar and pestle and put all the names inside...



The winner is a a bit of a mystery but thankfully they left their email address so I just wrote them and let them know they won my copy of No Bake Gingerbread Houses for Kids!

Congratulations goes out to the mystery winner!!!!

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