Kroger Skillet Meals - Chicken Alfredo

I am a Bzz Agent. My family got to try Kroger Skillet Meal (Any variety). There were many varieties to choose from. Tuscan Style Penne, Chicken Fajitas, Sorrento Style Gnocchi, Shrimp Lo Mein, Sausage Rigatoni, Chicken Alfredo... I got a coupon to try one Kroger Skillet Meal, one Kroger Garlic Bread, and one Fresh Selections Salad Kit for free. I chose Chicken Alfredo, it was a hard choice, because the other varieties sound good too. Each Kroger Skillet has 3 servings. The Chicken Alfredo variety has; 20 grams protein, 330 Calories, 8 grams fat, 590 Sodium, 1 gram sugars. For my family of 4 I need 2 packages. Directions are super easy. Takes 12 minutes to prepare. Cook on the stove in a skillet, thaw sauce packet under warm running water, set aside. Heat up some butter or vegetable oil. Add chicken, pasta and vegetables, add 1/4 cup of water, saute for 10 minutes covered. Add thawed sauce packet, saute 30 seconds, until hot and serve. What I like is that it tastes very fresh, the pasta, the sauce and the chicken. The chicken isn't chewy or fatty, it's lean and tender. The Kroger Garlic Bread is found in the freezer section. I love this product. I buy it weekly to go with meals. It cooks up easily, tastes good, doesn't burn easily like other frozen garlic bread can. Doesn't taste like plastic like some other brands can. The Fresh Selections Salad Kits are great too. I bought Caesar Salad Kit. It's so good, my family loves it. One bag is perfect for my family of 4, no leftovers which I like since it can get mushy leftover. This is just as good as named brand and costs less. The meal in total would cost less than $10, much better than fast food and healthier in my opinion. It tastes like home cooked but doesn't take much effort at all. This is perfect for those busy days when you don't have time or energy to make a meal from scratch. Kroger has proven time and again that they have excellent standards of quality, I've tried many Kroger products with Bzz Agent, never been disappointed.

Hormel REV Wraps

I am a bzzagent and I got to try Hormel REV Wraps for free.  I got 1 REV wrap for free and several coupons to try them at a discount.  I wanted to try as many of the varieties as I could.  I found these easily at Fry's Food Store, right next to the lunch meats, cheeses.  I loved the idea of a simple wrap that offers up real meats and real cheeses.  That is just what these are.  They don't have any sauces or anything else, just a wrap with meats and cheeses.  I think my favorite is #3 Peppered Turkey.  But I also like #1 Pepperoni Pizza.  They also have Ham and Cheese, Meat Lovers Pizza, Hot Pepper Ham, Italian Style, and Spicy Italian Style.  All are good.  I have since bought these even after my coupons have  run out.  For one thing its an easy quick breakfast, snack and also wonderful to put in my daughter's lunchbox:

 

As you can see it's the perfect addition to a lunch and it's the perfect size for my kids.  My husband also likes these.  He's a truck driver and often has to eat while on the road.  So this he can grab and eat easily.  My daughter who is in high school also likes these, she doesn't want a huge lunch, just something that fills her tummy and gives her energy to get through the rest of her day.  

Reading the literature on these and I didn't know I could do this, but it says you can heat these up!  So I'm definitely going to try that, it says microwave for 15 seconds.  

Each REV wrap has at least 15 grams protein.  This is awesome.  I often see these for 3/$5 at my Fry's grocer.  That is a fair price for the convenience.  I hope these take off because I will continue to buy them long after the campaign is over.  

Kashi Hummus Crisps

I am a bzzagent and got to try Kashi Hummus Crisps for free.  I got the Sea Salt and Olive Oil Flavor.  It is a 4 Oz bag and contains 3.5 servings.  My daughter came home from school today and we opened them up.  About 20 minutes later the bag was empty.  We enjoyed them very much.  They were not greasy or too salty.  But had incredible crunch, a perfect balance of salt and a tiny sweetness from the chickpea.  I ate a lot of them but didn't feel sick.  Each serving of these contains; 4 G Fiber, 3 G. Protein, 6 G. Whole Grains and 3.5 G fat (poly and mono, not sat or trans), each serving is 120 calories.  The first ingredient is Chickpeas, the second is tapioca starch, the 3rd is KASHI Cracked Seven Whole Grain Blend.  I really don't see anything bad here.  No partially hydrogenated Oils, no HFCS, nothing artificial.  You can feel good about serving these to your friends and family.

Here is my bzzkit below, bag is already empty.  Isn't it cool?  I am looking forward to trying the other 2 varieties.  Sundried Tomato, Basil and Feta and Caramelized Onion.   Don't those sounds amazing?  I got coupons in my bzzkit so I plan on passing them out to friends and keeping 1 for myself so I can try the other 2 flavors.  These would be perfect for picnics, school lunches, car trips, beach days, after school snacks, late night munchies, beside a sandwich, or as a crunchy snack for company. 

Frontera de Concha y Toro

I am a Bzzagent and got to try Frontera with the offer of a discount of $5 rebate off 2 bottles, I had the choice of Pinot Noir or Moscato.  I tried Moscato.  I couldn't find Pinot Noir, otherwise I would have tried both.  I just cracked it open:

My husband and I shared the bottle before dinner.  I have tried several different Moscato wines.  This is my favorite.  It's light, has a fruity, sweet (not too sweet) and light.  It would be good with cheese and grapes.  It would also be good with a spicy dish.  The best thing is not only do you get a good solid bottle of wine, you get it for about $5 a bottle!  So I will be trying the Pinot Noir when I find it.  I had trouble finding Frontera in my area.  I ended up finding it at Fry's in the refrigerator section, not on the shelf. 

Kroger Deli Fried Chicken

I am a bzzagent so I got this product free.  I was so excited because I love fried chicken and I love Kroger products.  This chicken is fresh, not soggy, the meat is juicy, the seasoning is perfect. Serve it piping hot from the deli, or let it get cold and take on a picnic. We served it with cheesy mashed potatoes and broccoli, we also got some Kroger Kettle Chips in this campaign which were great, and a Coke product 1.5 Liter. This was the perfect meal for us on a hot summer night. My girls were swimming all day so when they saw Kroger Deli Fried Chicken being served they were excited. Why? I never make fried chicken myself or usually never think of picking it up. But now I'm hooked. It's really easy to pick up from Kroger stores and it's reasonable. I can see picking some up for July 4th celebration and for picnics or just for when I don't want to cook. The price was right even without the free coupon. It was $7.99 for 8 pieces, enough for our family of four. We actually had 5 of us eating and it was plenty. Very pleased. I also think it's way better than KFC.

Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I'm a Bzzagent for Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil. In my bzzkit I got a 8.4 oz bottle, a substitution chart to show hot to replace butter, margarine and other oils to make things healthier and some coupons. The first thing I made with this was chicken. I baked it the way I always do with a little olive oil and lemon pepper. Now I normally use a generic olive oil. I am always on a budget. Anyway, what I wasn't expecting was a big difference in flavor! Hands down the Filippo blew away the generic olive oil. The chicken was so yummy, fresh tasting. I am seriously in love with the flavor. I mean it took my chicken up a notch from ok to spectacular. I love to make air popped popcorn and drizzle with olive oil, parmesan cheese and salt, so instead of generic I tried Filippo Berio Extra Virin. So good. I am replacing my generic with Filippo from now on. Not only is it a rich luxurious tasting oil, but it's good for you. Heart healthy. It'll be great for salad dressings, dipping bread and other recipes. I am going to use the chart to find new ways to incorporate it into my diet.

Pennington Smart Feed System

I am a Bzzagent for Pennington Smart Feed System. I was very excited to try this product. This is an easy way to fertilize your garden. There's an all-purpose, tomato and vegetable and flowers and blooms. I tried all purpose and flowers and blooms. I sprayed cucumbers, cantaloupe, tomatoes and zucchinis. Sprayer was easy to attach and it's all pre-measured and ready to go, I liked this a lot, no mixing, no measuring. It was easy to work and does cover about 300 sq feet of area per canister. So that is quite a bit. If you want it to come out slower turn the hose down. Easy! My yield on the tomatoes and zucchini was incredible after the first application. Cantaloupe leaves turned yellow around the edges so I think I put on too much fertilizer on them. But overall I really liked this product! I will use it again. I want to try the flowers and blooms one next.

FAGE Total 0% Greek Yogurt

I love FAGE Total 0% Greek Yogurt.  I am a Bzz Agent and one of my activities is to share my recipe using FAGE.  This Exotic Fruit Sunday would be my choice because I love the simplicity of it. 

http://www.fageusa.com/recipes/exotic-fruit-sundae/

Ingredients:

• FAGE Total Yogurt or FAGE Total 0% Yogurt
• Selection of chopped fresh fruits, such as mango, strawberry, banana.
• Greek Honey (could use FAGE Total Honey Yogurt)
• Pecan nuts (chopped)

Preparation Directions:

1. Spoon the honey into the bottom of a sundae glass or wide-necked glass.
2. Add half of the selection of chopped fruits.
3. Spoon over FAGE Total Yogurt.
4. Place the rest of fruit on top of the yogurt.
5. Top with chopped pecan nuts.

I made mine with cut up strawberries and added raw almonds because that is what I had on hand.  I also didn't use Greek Honey because I haven't seen it at my store.  So I used regular honey.  I also add a sprinkle of cinnamon, it adds so much.  This is the perfect snack for after a workout.  A healthier alternative to that bowl of ice cream you want as a late night snack.  A perfect afternoon snack when you need a pick me up, all that protein gives you an perfect energy lift and sustenance to last until dinner.  I also love this for breakfast of course.  The best thing of all it is HEALTHY.   

Here's a picture of mine:

  

Warm, Flip and Serve!

I am a Bzzagent for Private Selection Upside Down Cakes.  It took several weeks for my Fry's (Kroger store) to stock them.  I was going every week looking for them.  Finally yesterday there they were!  I was so excited.  I knew ahead of time I was going to try the German Chocolate Upside Down Cake.  Not that I don't want to try the others, but I happen to really enjoy German Chocolate the best.  I love the coconut, caramel, pecan frosting! 

This was super easy to prepare.  Take cake out of the box, put on cookie sheet, 325 for 15 minutes,  let cool 1-2 minutes, flip on a plate and serve.  It came out clean from the pan.  It's great served warm with ice cream.  Add a few fresh strawberries or nothing at all.  The cake itself is moist and not too sweet, rich fudge flavor, the frosting is sweet and gooey goodness, buttery, crunchy from the coconut and pecan.  The pecans are not soggy.  Overall, this was really tasty.  We had leftovers and my daughter just had a piece cold and she said she liked it even better cold.  I know I will love it that way too. 

This cake is large, serves 8 people easily.  The price at my Fry's was 9.99, with a suggested price of 12.99.  If you look at it from the perspective of making this yourself, it would probably cost that much to make with all the ingredients, coconut and pecans aren't cheap and also the time you save is worth a few dollars as well.  This doesn't disappoint with it's homemade taste and freshness factor.  Heating it yourself makes it seem even more homemade.  It would be perfect for a BBQ, potluck or a nice dinner at home with friends and family.  They also have Amber Honey Apple Spice and Double Chocolate Molten, which sound great and I want to try them soon.

Garnier Fructis Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream

I am a Bzzagent for Garnier Fructis Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream. I tried it for the first time yesterday. Here is my scary before picture:



Here's my after picture with B.B. cream and my usual full make up, hair fixed a little bit too:


The product does what it says it will do. It smooths out, evens your complexion, minimizes pores, makes oily skin matte and adds a little moisture. I have combination skin, oily in the t-zone. I feel like this minimized some of my fine lines. I was worried that it would emphasize fine lines since it's oil free. But no, it isn't a heavy product at all. I could barely tell a difference in how my skin felt with full make up, it didn't feel all gunky and gooey. I am overall happy with what I've seen so far. Plus, and this is a biggie, it has a 20 SPF sunscreen protection. So if for nothing else, this is a GREAT non irritating sunscreen. I find that most sunscreens for face are too thick and greasy. This one isn't. Oh and I have a couple overly large pores that bother the heck out of me. This smooths them over and minimized them nicely. They don't go away completely but don't look like the Grand Canyon anymore.

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Oil

My newest bzz campaign I'm working on is for Granier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Oil.  I got my full sized product two days ago.  I have really dry skin and my hair is dull.  So I was excited to try this.  I love the ease of application.  Putting on lotion is a chore and I always hate that greasy feeling that you have after.  But this oil is a spray, you take a shower or bath and then spritz it on all over, even the face!  It absorbs right into the skin, makes it soft and relieves dry itchy skin.  On the hair you are supposed to just spray lightly from 8 inches away.  A little goes a long way on the hair, don't do too much or it can look greasy.  But a light mist gives you shine.  The scent is fruity and clean, not artificial.  It's light and pleasant.  I love it.  One of the best things though is the price, it's about $5.99 on average and 1 bottle will last you at least a couple of months I think.  Here's a coupon for $1.25 off too.  Pamper yourself and give this a try!

Simple Truth

I'm a Bzzagent for Simple Truth organic products, it's a Kroger line and found at my local Fry's Food.  I tried the Blackberry Pomegranate Natural Soda, the Exotic Vegetable Chips and the Fudge Graham Nutrition Bar so far.  I also purchased the frozen blueberries.  I had a free coupon for Almond Milk but they were out, they had everything else but Almond Milk, so I will go back for that.

Here's my bzzkit, isn't it fantastic?

Blackberry Pomegranate Natural Soda - I loved this.  Yes it's soda, it still has sugar and not a "health" food.  But it's not jacked up with chemicals and corn syrup like other sodas have. They have other flavors like cucumber melon, blood orange and pear peach.  I'm intrigued to try the other flavors, these are a step up from boring regular soda.  It's a new experience, tangy, crisp, not too sweet or heavy.  Here's a picture of my daughter taking a sip from my soda, she LOVED it and she's not a soda drinker at all.



The next product we tried were the Exotic Vegetable Chips.  These were very crispy, not greasy at all, sweet with a light salty flavor.  I loved the colors and the different flavors, it's subtle differences in the vegetables, but overall mostly sweet from the sweet potato.  These are the perfect pairing for a nice sandwich, we enjoyed them.  The bag was gone in an afternoon.  However you only need a handful and you are satisfied.  These make you feel a little better about chips.  I don't know about you but I need something crunchy in my lunch sometimes, these are perfect for that.

I also tried the Simple Truth Nutrition Bar in Fudge Graham.  I liked it, it was like a candy bar.  I'd like to try the other flavors and explore these further.  They have protein bars, trail mix, and I'd love to try them as well. 

I am looking forward to trying the almond milk, the only thing I couldn't find and they were out of stock of.  I'm a fan of almond milk as are my girls so I have a feeling we will enjoy it.  As I was shopping yesterday I saw so many Simple Truth Products I want to try.  I like Kroger all around, they do good quality products anyway, but the organics are top notch so far.  So my recommendation is next time you are at a Kroger store, notice the elegantly packaged Simply Truth and consider adding a few of them to your basket, give them a try! 

Morningstar Farms Veggie Burgers

I get to bzz about Morningstar Farms Veggie Burgers.  I just made griller's prime for my daughter and myself.  I wasn't expecting much, maybe a weird textured flavorless thing.  But boy was I wrong!  I cooked this much like I would a regular burger.  I added some olive oil to the pan because there is virtually no fat in this burger.  It cooked up nicely in about 7 minutes, turned it over a few times to make sure it was browned.  I added some cheddar cheese (not lowfat), toasted some sourdough bread, added mayo, mustard and tomato.  This was the best burger I've had in a long time!  I'm not kidding!  I could hardly tell it wasn't real meat.  I didn't feel deprived at all.  I feel good afterwards too, not bogged down from a greasy meal.  I am a convert!  I will be buying these again.  My daughter who is 9 LOVED it too, she ate the entire thing and oohed and awed the entire time.  She put some pickled jalepenos on hers.  :) 

I want to try to fool my husband this weekend and give him one of these.  He's a burger guy.  I bet he won't notice the difference! 

Here's my burger from my phone camera, not the best picture, but notice how good this looks, with some orange and apples, I can feel my body thanking me now: