Review of Aldi Specially Selected Italian Loaf

 

As I get older, I have strayed away from the soft doughy breads when packing sandwiches for lunch. Back in the day, my lunchtime mainstays included cold cuts with cheese, peanut butter, and jelly, and even marshmallow creme “fluffer-nutters”. I would serve up these creations on usually ultra soft Wonderbread or Butternut; sometimes with the crust still on, other times they had to be removed. I have since moved on to more artisan types of breads whether it be oat based, sour dough or a good French or Italian bread. Aldi carries several artisan breads including Specially Selected Italian Loaf. At just about any Aldi the bread section is easy to locate at these items are displayed in plastic pallets packed floor to just about the ceiling. Buns, bread, danish, rolls……. they are all in that same section of the store. I have learned from experience that if you visit the store late in the weekend some of the more premium breads can be scarce. Now, let us dive a little deeper into this bread to see if it measures up.

Packaging

The Aldi Italian bread weighs in at twenty-four ounces and is sold in clear packaging with the black specialty labeling on the front with smaller label indicating the product is non-GMO verified. The black label indicates the bread consists of the main three ingredients of flour, water, and salt. The transparent packaging reveals a golden-brown crust covering this sliced bread which makes it appear very appealing.

Price

The cost of the package of Specialty Selected Italian Loaf is $3.99. In comparison, a sixteen-ounce loaf of sliced Turano Italian bread purchased at the local Jewel is priced $6.99.

 

Convenience

I have purchased Italian bread before and had to slice it myself. My bread cutting is not very straight so I find pre-sliced bread the way to go. What is better than sliced bread? Right? The bread slices or cuts in the package are decent size until you get to the ends or heels. For some reason, the factory cuts the ends to0 thick which makes for some large end pieces that be waste. For situations like this I hand cut the heel to get another slice out of it or diced it up for home made croutons. This loaf of Specialty Selected Italian bread comes with small plastic clip to seal bread package when done using. The expiration is stamped on it also which warrants close attention if your household does not eat sandwiches frequently and keeping bread at room temperature. If using the bread sparingly, you can place it in freezer storage bag for later use.

 

Taste/Texture

If you want to eat this bread straight out of the package, it will hold its own for the first day or two. The bread has a quality Italian bread like semblance as it is flaky, not too yeasty, or doughy in bite, in general a very tasty bread.  However, after day two, the bread does dry up quite a bit and requires the assistance of the toaster or even a grill top to maintain its tastiness. Interestingly, toasting this bread at a light toast setting takes this bread to another level. I enjoy this bread slightly toasted with herb butter or honey butter to accompany a salad or bowl of soup.

 

Overall Result 

If you enjoy a rustic, shiny golden brown crusted Italian bread, then the Specialty Selected Italian loaf is your answer. The bread will get you a few days of good fresh bread; after that you can make incredible toast, grilled cheeses, or paninis. This bread will also save you two to three dollars from the name brand labels. I recommend this one a strong buy.

Clancy’s White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn – A Review

 

My latest review includes a snack food that most of us enjoy, popcorn. I am not referring to just any popcorn, but delectable cheddar cheese popcorn. There are a few common labels out there that sell white cheddar popcorn such as Smartfood, Skinnypop, and Utz.  Then there is also the Aldi version under the label of Clancy’s White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn. Popcorn really hits the spot when craving a light snack or desire something savory and salty to go with a cold beverage and a movie. When time is of no concern, I prefer to pop my own popcorn over the stove top to enjoy the sounds of the kernels going crazy in the hot oil. While that is the preferred route for tasty popcorn; there are times when you crave the simplicity of already prepared popcorn purchased from the store. I do enjoy the Smartfood brand and find it convenient to have a bag on standby for a quick salty snack. Being a frequent Aldi shopper, I thought it would be great to try the Clancy’s brand out.  

Packaging

The white cheddar popcorn by Clancy’s is sold in a large black bag with a yellow square in the middle and band of white at the top. The labeling is pretty darn close to the labeling and colors used by the Smartfood packaging. Coincidence? I think not. The total weight of a package of popcorn is eight and a half ounces. Upon opening the package, the popped popcorn is about two thirds full to the top.

 

Price

The cost of this decent size bag of popcorn is $2.99 (as of February 2024). The neighboring Smartfood at Meijer runs $4.49.

 

Convenience

Pre-popped package popcorn is the bees knees. This popcorn is ready set and go once you open the bag. When I tried this popcorn, I just opened the bag and poured some in a small plastic cup and munched away. Be prepared to have a bag clip though because the large package of popcorn is not resealable (no zip lock). The other convenient trait of Clancy’s popcorn is it is a relatively low-calorie snack at 150 calories for two and a half cups serving.

 

Taste/Texture

The popcorn has a fair amount of salt and cheddar dust on each popped kernel casting an off white or yellow hue. The taste does not come off too salty nor too cheesy. One needs a napkin or paper towel to wipe your hands as the cheese dust is just enough to make a slight mess. Overall, this popcorn has a tasty finish and does not come off with a generic feel whatsoever. The texture of this snack does not have the same crunchy bite as freshly popped popcorn, but it was fine for a store-bought popcorn and mirrored the Smartfood quality. The unfortunate part of this popcorn quality was the last cup or two of popcorn found at the bottom of the bag was ground up into tiny unusable pieces too small to pick up. Not sure if the ground up pieces were a result of this product getting moved several times or if these tiny pieces were a result of processing.

 

Overall Result

 

While Clancy’s White Cheddar popcorn has higher calorie, higher sodium and fat compared to the plain or salted varieties, this popcorn truly stands up to the competition for flavor. The Aldi label cheddar popcorn is as good if not better than the Smartfood label at a much lower price. I would love it if Clancy’s would also sell the smaller snack size bags like the common labels do. Overall, I rate the Aldi White Cheddar popcorn a strong buy.

Review of Margies Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

 

Occasionally, we will prepare a salad as a main course for dinner. Usually it is the Caesar, cobb, or the family favorite, strawberry spinach salad with grilled chicken. That salad includes baby spinach, sliced strawberries, gorgonzola cheese crumbles, and finely chopped pecans. The dressing that ties it together is typically a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. For years, our “go-to” dressing has been the Aldi label Specialty Select brand. Unfortunately, that product at our local Aldi has disappeared and has not returned. Finding an acceptable replacement has not been easy. While my search at Meijer was useless, I did manage to find a bottle of Margies Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing at Jewel.

 

Packaging/Nutrition

The twelve-ounce sized salad dressing is in a clear small glass bottle with red and white label through the middle. I have seen this label before as it has a popular line of other syrups and marinades. The dressing has stamped expiration date and there is nutritional information printed on backside. Ingredients include water, grape juice concentrate, vinegar, raspberry puree, onion, oil and various seasonings and flavors. A serving size is two tablespoons that yield a low 30 calories.

 

Price

The cost of this bottle of Margies Vinaigrette dressing was $5.49 when I purchased it as Jewel. A higher price then some of the mainstream salad dressing and vinaigrette brands that hover in the four-dollar range.

 

Convenience

The salad dressing is the most convenient part of the whole dinner or lunch salad building process. Once the salad is assembled, I opened the lid, opened the seal, and poured away onto the leafy greens. Once the bottle is started, you must store in the refrigerator. The dressing does last quite a long time before the expiration date rolls.

 

Taste/Texture

The consistency of the dressing was pretty good. The dressing did not come off runny like a juice or too thick like a syrup. For some reason, I associate Margies brand with syrups, so I half expected this to pour like a fruit syrup. I was glad that did not happen.

The dressing yielded a fruity taste, but I struggled a little bit to pick up on the true raspberry flavor. Maybe it was slightly hidden in the grape concentrate. It did not hit the same home run as the previous Aldi Specialty Select raspberry vinaigrette I yearned for.

 

Overall Result

 

The whole point of the experiment with this purchase was finding a decent substitute to measure up to the discontinued Aldi label raspberry dressing; (at least it is discontinued at my local Aldi). I thought the price was a little high and found the flavor decent but not quite the same raspberry flavor as I was accustomed to. In fairness, I have tried other raspberry vinaigrettes that from the likes of Kens, Wishbone, and the Target label. This one has been the closest to replacing the Aldi label, but I will continue my search. I would rate this a fair buy.

Ambiano Single Serve Coffee Maker Review

 

 So, every other trip I make it out to Aldi I feel compelled to take a stroll down the specialty or seasonal aisle which is coined by the Aldi frequent customers as the “Aisle of Shame”. This aisle has everything from exercise equipment, to gardening or garage tools, to knock off crocs or Tevas. Store it, wear it, or decorate with it and you will find it in this aisle. It is a trap as just about everyone can find something in that aisle that intrigues them and fall into a trance to make a purchase. I will consider myself much more disciplined in this temptation than my wife. I would consider her purchase rate in the aisle of shame to be about 30% of her visits. (I am more in the 10% range).

 

One interesting item I did manage to purchase awhile back was the Ambiano Single Service Coffee Maker. This machine is the Aldi answer to the Single Cup Keurig. Ambiano is one of many Keurig imitators out there. Other Keurig knock off brands include Black and Decker, Hamilton Beach, Bonsenkitchen, Royalcraft and several others. The old saying of “do not shop on an empty stomach” applied here as I happened to be shopping in Aldi on a cloudy and cold afternoon while craving a caffeine jolt. Seemed like this was a no brainer to put this tiny coffee maker in my cart and escape the aisle of shame before I spent more. It was a justified purchase as my old Keurig was defunct due to many years of use and abuse and it was finally put to rest; and I was left with several unused k cups left behind.

Characteristics of Ambiano Coffee Maker

The machine is all black like my previous Keurig maker. The water reservoir is in the back of machine with see through water level indicators to gauge how much water you want add. The front has a slotted drip tray at its base that is removable and allows for washing. The main k-cup assembly is in the front or top that has a flip top that opens to permit inserting a pod or “k-cup”. If you don’t want to use premade k-cups, there is a fine mesh basket to add your own ground coffee if so desired. At the bottom right of the machine are three small button displays in front that includes the power button at very bottom with buttons showing brew options at eight or fifteen ounces. The buttons light up when desired option is chosen.

 

How it Works

The manual is easy to follow and definitely take the time to review it instead of trying to wing it. There is a sequence of steps that must be followed to get that cup brewed. I will summarize the process. When brewing a pod or kcup, the first step is to remove the little basket (for grounds) and set aside. Next, the pod is inserted into the little pod holder until the little steel spike pokes a hole in bottom of kcup. The little kcup holder is then placed into the brew basket and you then close the machine. The water reservoir is then filled to desire amount. At this time, the power button is selected which will also show the two coffee size buttons also lighting up (or flashing). At this point, the brewing system is heating the water. When all three buttons stay lit continuously with power button being green, the water is heated. Place your cup on the base and pick the desired size (eight ounce or fifteen ounce) and brew.

 

Is the Ambiano Single Serve Coffee Maker Legit?

So now that I have my sample size (which was 8 ounces), I gave the coffee pod a taste test. The coffee came out just fine. That cup did not have any grinds in it, but on occasion some cups did have a few; though that also happened with the predecessor Keurig maker I owned. After repeated use, the machine may have a tendency to brew a complete cup which may require a little cleaning by running (brewing) a small amount vinegar through the system a few times. Overall, I am pleased with this little Aldi knock off. It is much cheaper than the Keurig model and has lasted quite a long time. I do not use it every day but find it very practical when I want that afternoon cup of Joe and do not want to commit to brewing a whole pot. This is a recommended purchase.

Review of Dole Sunflower Crunch Chopped Salad

A month into the new year, I have hit the ground running with trying to get fit and cut down on daily caloric intake. I have not done anything too drastic but tried to find areas of the day where I can offset weekend and occasional indulgences. That time of day to right the ship is my lunch. I have recently gotten into the habit of packing a salad with protein (usually grilled chicken). I typically go with salad kits by Taylor Farms (Meijer or Jewel), Little Salad bar series (Aldi), or the Dole line of salad kits sold at most grocers.

 

This review will discuss the Dole Chopped Sunflower Crunch Salad. Dole like the other brands mentioned above has a decent variety of salad kits that include a variety of twists and turns whether you crave Asian, Latino, Ranch, barbecue……the list goes on and on. I was intrigued by the Sunflower option as I really enjoy sunflower seeds in foods and was inspired by the advertised sweet onion and citrus dressing.

Packaging

The salad kit is sold in the nine and a half generous size clear package with the trademark Dole label at the top with pink Sunflower crunch label in front showing icons of every veggie and flavor expected in this kit. A good portion of the bag is transparent so you can get a pretty good idea what is inside the kit (more on that later). There are smaller packages tucked inside the salad kit. One package contains the dressing. The second package contains the sunflower seeds. The last small package includes bacon bits. Finding the Dole kits is no mystery at my local Meijer or Jewel as they are positioned in back walls of produce aisle next to bulk lettuces and greens.

Price

The price of this salad kit is $4.49 (as of February 2024). The nutrition labeling on the back assessed this kit to contain 3 and a half servings which comes out to about a $1.28 per serving. Since this is my lunch or meal replacement, I portion his kit out into two lunches for the week which makes each portion about $2.25 (not including the grilled chicken that I purchase separately and add in for my protein).

                                       

Convenience

There is a pretty good abundance of items in this salad kit that includes finely chopped leaf lettuce, cabbage, and kale, along with bacon, seeds, carrots, and dressing. You just tear apart the packages and place everything in a bowl and toss or shake it up! My method was slightly different as I portion out half of the dry ingredients into a Tupperware bowl and place half the dressing in small sealable container, then refrigerate when I get to work. Once I get to the lunch hour, I mix them all up in a bowl and add the diced chicken. All in, the meal is about 400 to 425 calories. Not bad, but I do add a small portion of Italian or French bread to partner up with this chopped salad.

 

Taste/Texture

Crunch, crunch, crunch away! The chopped salad has a very crunchy texture given the multitude of cabbages and sunflower seeds. This New Years chopped salad plan is my battle of the bulge, so I should not complain about the cabbage. The sweet onion citrus dressing hits pretty darn good and I would consider this dressing one of the better ones amongst the salad kits out there. The bacon bits are trivial and while they add some flavor the salad would be okay even without it.  

 

Overall Result

 

The Dole Sunflower crunch salad mix proved to be a decent lunch as it provides plenty of good flavor and keeps the waistline honest too, although I had two strikes against this salad. One was the large cabbage core that was included in my bagged salad mix. Did not expect that, nor did I spy that “roughage” through the see-through packaging. The second strike was the dressing was scarce after mixing up the salad mix. Not sure if the cabbage and chicken absorbed it all or there maybe just wasn’t enough. I really liked this dressing and craved more. Would I buy this salad again? Of course, given the price point, decent flavor, and convenience of it all.  I would also like to explore making these kinds of salads from scratch at the beginning of the week to maybe save a little more money and keep the core out of the mix. The most difficult part will be trying to find a copy cat for the salad dressing. Here’s to healthy eating; at least one part of the day!