Review of Arizona Iced Tea with Natural Lemon Flavor

So I recently picked up the twenty three ounce tall can of Arizona Iced tea with natural lemon flavor. The enticement of paying a buck for almost a double sized portion beverage made this an easy choice.

Here is my quick breakdown on this beverage:

Positives:

•  The price. At ninety nine cents this is a steal of price that can be beat by other beverages. Even a twenty ounce soda is more expensive.
•   Less heavy than soda. This is a sweetened beverage but has only slightly fewer calories than a soda. The tea comes off lighter due to the absence of carbonation and thus is more refreshing.
•   Quantity – This tall can will easily pour over two to three glasses of ice and serve more than one person. While it is a large can, it still magically fits in my car cup holder.

Negatives

• Too much citrus flavor. Though the first ingredient is tea, I felt like the strongest element of this beverage was lemon flavor. I really only refer to this as iced tea because that is what the label shows.
•  Corn syrup is the sweetener. Arizona does not hold back on its use of corn syrup in this drink. I would have preferred cane sugar for a lighter finish. I wish more beverage companies would resort to using cane sugar instead of syrups.
•  Calories – Though this drink is only slightly lighter than calories of a coca cola or sprite, I still think the calories are way too high for an iced tea beverage.

Overall

The return on one dollar spent is good considering you get almost three servings in this tall can. The quality leaves a bit to be desired since I really enjoy true iced tea, and the tea flavor is definitely lacking here. This drink could be more passable with more tea flavor and less lemon and syrup. Still I would consider this 23 ounce drink much more refreshing up against a soda. A Lipton Pure leaf or Snapple tea beverage has Arizona beat in flavor, but they are also way more expensive. I would consider this drink an average buy at best.  

Review of L’Oven Fresh Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

For years I have been a huge fan of the King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls as they were a huge hit when it comes time to get a side kick for fried chicken dinner or a great bread accompaniment to the Thanksgiving meal. These little sweet bread rolls also are fantastic for making miniature sandwiches or “Sliders” as we refer to them.  Our most common uses of Hawaiian rolls include using ham and swiss sliders and occasional sweet, savory stuffing.

For years, Kings bakery has had a monopoly on this sweet type of dinner roll as no lower cost competition existed anywhere, that is until my last trip to Aldi. I found these gems immediately tucked away to the side of the bread case in their tropical floral packaging. I could not believe with my own eyes I found a substitute. The packaging is outlined in turquoise and orange that includes the transparent “window” in the middle showing the actual rolls much like that of the rolls sold by Kings.

These Aldi rolls are sold a dozen to a package for $1.99 compared to $3.25 price of King. That is serious savings, but does the quality measure up?

Absolutely! Not sure I could tell the difference if I was given a blind taste test. We recently used the L’oven fresh rolls to make four dozen sliders last weekend for a party and they were delicious; at more than $1.25 savings per package!

I am already considering working these into holiday menus in some way. This is a definite recommended purchase.

Review of Benton’s Fudge Mint Cookies

Aldi does a pretty good job of offering their brand of knock offs of most popular style cookies and the girl scouts thin mint cookies are no exception. My last trip down the entry aisle at Aldi revealed that this great store carried fudge mint cookies. I felt it was a calling to try this one out and see if they even came close the name brand treat sold by the scouts.

Appearance

The cookies are sold in a glossy green plastic package with a plastic tray holding two rows of thin mints. There is approximately 10 ounces of cookies in one package. The packaging hypes up the fact that these are “minty” and made with “real cocoa”.

Taste

The first sample of the thin mint was tried at room temperature.  I like to point that out, because I prefer my Girl Scout thin mints in a frozen state, but wanted to taste at least one cookie before subjected them all to the freezer. I think sometimes some chocolate coatings lose their flavor when frozen. (This actually happens with Keebler grasshoppers). So the first taste of the Aldi thin mint revealed decent hints of chocolate and mint flavor but a very bland lifeless cookie at the base. Was that really a cookie or a tasteless cracker hidden in there? The cookie layer also lacked the firmness that one is accustomed to when eating a thin mint or grasshopper. The frozen state sampler was no better and probably worse as the chocolate flavor sort of went away, though I could still taste the cool mint. The mint was really the only strong performer.

Price

The price of a package of Benton’s Fudge mint cookies is only $1.29. Much lower than $3.00 grasshoppers or the $2.00 Meijer fudge treasures mint cookie.

Overall Result

Though this is a heck of a lot cheaper than other brands, the flavor is meh and the texture or crunchy bite is severely lacking. This cookie is lifeless. Spend at least a little more and go with the Meijer brand or better yet help out your local Girl Scout troop and buy a box of thin mints from them.

Review of Aldi Specially Selected Ciabatta Sandwich Rolls

The breads and rolls sold at Aldi can be hit or miss. We recently tried a package of the Specialty Select Ciabatta rolls. Ciabatta is a great base for serving a grilled chicken, steak or veggie sandwich.  This type of bread is also not always an easy find when browsing the supermarkets. Aldi has it! Now let’s get to the review.

Appearance

The bread is sold in clear packaging of six (6) three ounce rolls which pre split. No cutting required! The rolls are fresh and pull apart fairly easily. These Specially select rolls resemble a top tier product one would expect to find at a cozy lunch eatery.

Preparation

It is up to you how you want to prepare these. We like our ciabatta slightly warmed so drizzle the underside with a tad of olive oil and warm them in an oven for about five to ten minutes at 300 degrees, until lightly toasted and crisp. From there we add a spread of herb mayo underside of top slice and close it over grilled chicken with melted cheese.

Taste

First bite reveals crisp crunch and a delicious flavor. The bread is airy and flavorful, not to yeasty or doughy. Every “nook and cranny” of this roll is superb. I suppose one could eat this at room temperature and it would still be good. I am so stuck in my ways of lightly toasting Ciabatta as I like it better that way.

Price

The price of the Ciabatta is $2.79 for package of six. Much pricier than your normal hamburger buns, but they taste way better and a much better option when you are making a grilled chicken or steak sandwich. Keep the hamburger buns for hamburgers.

Overall Result

The Aldi Ciabatta rolls are a solid buy for fewer than three dollars. This fun rectangular shaped flavorful bread makes your grilled offering look much more palatable. I highly recommend.

Review of Aldi Deutsche Kuche Apple Strudel

Apple season is finally here. I made a late afternoon stop at Aldi to pick up a jug of cider and something additional of apple origin to serve as a Sunday evening dessert. Low and behold in the frozen food section, I stumbled upon the Aldi version of apple strudel. One box contains two miniature “loaves” or strudels which in frozen state (pictured) weigh in at approximately 19.2 ounces (544 grams) as indicated on the box. 

I understand that pastry has a tendency to rise during the heating process so I was optimistic that these two strudels would feed our household of five as the product information label on the  packaging indicates this package provides six servings.

Preparation

Getting this strudel from frozen state to serving at the table is fairly easy. No need to thaw pastry. Process is really simple. Place frozen strudels on sheet pan and bake at 425 between 35 to 40 minutes…or so I thought! I placed these strudels on parchment paper before placing on sheet tray on center rack. The baking times will vary depending on oven and sheet tray. My sheet tray is dark metal and probably would have fared better using my higher end no stick cookie sheets. The time I chose was right down the middle of the manufacturers recommendations, at 37 minutes, which was still too long as the pastry was slightly blackened on the bottom. Despite that slight charring, I was able to scrape the blackened crust off the bottom with a knife. Lesson learned. Next time, bake with a better quality pan and decrease cooking time a few minutes. Note to self, always pick the lowest time suggested.

Taste

There are not a whole lot of comparisons to make when tasting strudel. Most strudels I have sampled have been at German restaurants of which no frozen product can compare. The stores I shop at don’t have any brand name or generic equivalents. Anyway, this strudel was pretty darn good in spite of my over baking mishap. The outer crust had a nice golden flaky and buttery finish. The dense filling of sweet apples came out in every bite with hint of cinnamon. The box advertised that there were raisins but I did not find one in my particular bite. The only thing missing with this dessert was the a la mode.

Price

The price of the Deutsche Kuche Apple Strudel was only $2.69. Is that a fair price? Well that all depends on your appetite. I think for a family of five or six, one definitely needs to buy two boxes. I consider one box of strudels to be approximately four servings.

Overall Result

This dessert is a winner.  Again, I would suggest purchasing two boxes for groups greater than four people. Apple strudel is a great break from the all too common apple pie and makes a great autumn dessert especially when preparing a festive Oktoberfest meal. I recommend this dessert