I want to take this opportunity to tell you about my friends, Nathan and Ellen Melson.  Nathan and Ellen operate Sloans Creek Farm in Dodd City, Texas.  I met them back in March 2009 when the Sulphur Springs Farmers Market bloomed in its first season.  They are a very cool couple raising and selling grass-fed meats and marketing their hard work around the Dallas/East Texas area.

Nathan and Ellen raise heritage animal breeds such as Red Poll Cattle, Irish Dexter Cattle, Murray Grey Cattle, St. Croix Hair Sheep, Myotonic Meat Goats, and Red Wattle Hogs.  Their animals eat grass and forage freely on the farm.  Their hogs are pastured on soil and grass where they can root around, wallow in the mud, and compliment there grain based diet as they see fit with grass, roots, bugs, and worms. This is just as swine were intended to be raised.  The animals are not injected with hormones or subtherapeutic antibiotics.  Sloan Creek Farm is a non-certified organic, family farm.  And family farms care more about their animals, the environment, and the local economy.

Do you think organic foods and grass fed meats are expensive?  For someone like me, a consumer accustomed to low meat prices, at first it was difficult to agree on paying a higher price for grass-fed meats.  I wanted my family to eat healthy foods; I just wasn't ready to pay the price.  That was until we TASTED the difference.  I kid you not.  There is a distinctive difference in the aroma and flavors of grass-fed meats compared to large feed lot finished meats.  For example, fresh ground beef from grass-fed cattle actually smells clean and fragrant.  There's very little fat and I don't feel compelled to cover it with spices so it can taste like something else.  And let me tell you about the pork!  Oh wait.  I told you about the pork chops when I wrote, Grilled Boneless Pork Chops. Well, I feel the same way about pastured raised chickens.  I stopped buying grocery store chickens last year and there's no way I'm turning back.

I've learned something about myself and paying more for higher quality.  I don't waste food.  I use just what I need and save & stretch the good stuff out as long as I can.  I've learned, and still learning, how to preserve higher quality foods in the freezer and by canning.  Delicious fresh food raised by family farms is the way to go, my friends.  I'm not saying the grocery store is a bad place.  I still need the grocery store, but not for everything.

Farmers' markets are fantastic places to meet and get to know where your next meal is coming from.  I realize that as I write this article, it is the end of October.  Most farmers' market are closed and the growing season is over.  We still need the grocery store to get us through until next spring.  But not all is lost.  Fresh meats are still available!

Sloans Creek Farm is prepared for the holidays and has plenty of meats on stock.  Take a few minutes to read through their website, and download their Price List.  Then, call and order so you can taste the difference like I have.

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I'll be completely honest with you.  I haven't been a fan of sun-dried tomatoes. I'm not even sure I've grown to the level of "fan", yet.  For years now, I've read restaurant menus carry on about sun-dried tomatoes in their dishes.  And for years now, I haven't met a sun-dried tomato dish I liked.

You already know I'm slow on picking up on the latest fads.  But you gotta know something else about me.

Even when I try a new food or dish for the first time and I don't like it, it's not enough for me to declare, "I don't like it."  I will continue trying that fruit, vegetable, dinner recipe - cooked at different times by different people/restaurants/myself, before I'm completely convinced that I don't like it.

Foods that I didn't like as a teen-ager, I have grown to love them cooked differently from the way they were introduced to me.  All the legumes - grossed me out as a kid.  Now, I can't go a week without making a batch.

SWEET POTATOES- could not stand the texture as a kid through adulthood.  I was 30 before I started to appreciate sweet potatoes.  But every Thanksgiving meal, every year, I always took a bite to see if I still didn't like them.

Ok so now you know.  You understand that I don't get the sun-dried tomato thing, but I'm searching out, trying different ways to enjoy them.  I'm trying to figure what all the hub-bub is about.  If they're SO good, why don't I like them?

Well I finally broke down and bought Classico's Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (SDTP).  I already keep their Basil pesto on my frig door and completely love it.  How did I like the sun-dried?  IT'S PRETTY GOOD!  It's rich and I like the strong tomato flavor.  I also like the tomatoes being pureed.  The dried skins have always messed with me.  I don't always want chewy bits with my pasta, you know?

HERE'S WHAT I DIG SO FAR

• SDTP generously slathered on a pizza crust, topped with grilled chicken, sliced onion, large shavings of Romano & mozzarella cheese, and chopped fresh tomatoes, salt & pepper.

• SDTP loosened up with a little tomato sauce and poured over cheese ravioli, topped with crumbled goat cheese.

I don't have a photo for the next idea, you'll have to take my word for it.

• Goat cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto mixed together and spread on crackers or toasted baguette slices.

So that's as far as I've gone.

What's up your sun-dried tomato sleeves?  What can you share with me that will help me grow to appreciate them more?

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Amazing Taste Foods

In case you didn't know, Amazing Taste Foods seasonings work to make less expensive meats juicy and tender.  Amazing Taste packets cost only $0.99 and season 2-4 pounds of meat at a time.

They offer 5 basic protein specific packets (Beef, Pork, Burger, Poultry, and Seafood) and 4 packets for delicious, basic meals including Chili, Fajita, all purpose Malibu and a very zesty Staek House.  Amazing Taste is all-natural, low in sodium, only 1 gram of carbohydrates per serving and contains NO MSG.

Before I even opened them, I had my friend Kim, a licensed dietitian, take a look at them.  She was very impressed with the list of healthy ingredients used in the seasonings.
Yeah! Let’s get cooking then!

HERE’S WHAT I DID
I used chicken breasts, a shoulder steak, and shrimp (it was on sale) and divided them enough to go into the different marinades.

Following the instructions on the packets, I created marinades by mixing olive oil with the contents of the packets.  I allowed the meats to marinate for about 30 minutes or so, then proceeded to grill them on my stove top grill pan.

HERE’S WHAT WE DISCOVERED

The Malibu seasoning was very good.  It gave the chicken, steak and shrimp a good smokey flavor that made me think it was grilled outside.  We could taste the onion seasoning followed with a nice peppery taste that was not spicy.  This seasoning packet would be delicious on tilapia or any fish for that matter.

The Staek House seasoning was definitely bold and spicy.  This one comes with a heat for the front of your mouth and down your throat, but MAN! It’s good, too.  We appreciated this one on the steak and shrimp, more so than on the chicken.

The Poultry seasoning carries the Kid Friendly vote for sure.  I naturally only used it on chicken and sprinkled it directly on the breasts before grilling.  The kids totally enjoyed eating this one.  We all thought it was cool how it made the chicken taste like it was breaded, but there was no breading.  This one is mild when it comes to the spices, but carries with it a familiar comfort taste.  Perfect for the kiddos.

I used my favorite lean ground beef for the Burgers and Chili seasonings.  Here, I simply followed the instructions on the packets.  I mixed the Burgers seasonings into the raw ground beef, shaped into patties and cooked on the grill pan.  With a name like Chili, I had to make chili, right?  I cooked the ground beef, added a little water, seasonings, fresh tomato, a can of kidney beans, simmered for 10 to 15 minutes and it was ready to eat.

The Burgers seasoning has a mild onion and garlic flavor.  It’s just enough that the adults noticed but the kids didn’t pick it up.  It also gave our patties a smokey flavor that made us think we had grilled them outdoors.  I would use this over the typical onion soup mix, because it does not have the dehydrated onion bits my kids can see.

And finally, the Chili seasoning was good, too.  It wasn’t too spicy at all.  In fact, it simply made a good bowl of chili.  Adding the fresh tomato was a nice touch.  This packet already has salt included, so I was careful not to salt my ground meat while I was browning it.  We topped our chili with a little cheddar cheese and saltine crackers on the side.  It was a very hardy meal that made me look forward to colder days.

Amazing Taste seasonings can be found in the meat and seafood departments of grocery stores nationwide, including A&P, Albertson’s, Basha’s Market, Food 4 Less, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, H.E.B., Meijer, Publix, Save Mart, Schnucks, Smith’s, Stater Bros., and Stop & Shop.

Or save your gas and buy Amazing Taste seasonings directly online here.

We completely enjoyed the experience of sampling Amazing Taste seasonings.  It felt good knowing they were healthy for us, economical, and they tasted good, too!

Thanks Anna!

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My kids have been begging me to make Sloppy Joes. It's been SO long since I've made them, how could I say no? This time, I had something new to add to the sauce that made my family go back for seconds.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 pound of fresh, lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup ketchup
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce
• whole wheat buns

Brown meat and season with salt and pepper. Add ketchup and all purpose sauce, then simmer over medium heat until it thickens. Toast buns in a toaster or in an oven at 300F degrees for 5 to 7 minutes.

IT'S TIME TO EAT!

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce tastes like a steak sauce with a little kick. It totally works next to steak, basted on grilled chicken and added to pick up Sloppy Joes. It's not so spicy that the kids noticed any heat in the Joes, they just kept on eating.

If you haven't had a chance to try Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce go over through the link. When you sign up for their newsletter, they send you a FREE BOTTLE!

Go get your FREE BOTTLE and come back here and tell me what you think of it. I'm curious to know how many folks claim a bottle and actually try it. Aren't you?

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Sometimes I go to the grocery store without my kids. That's a real treat for me because it gives a chance to actually read food labels and compare prices.

This week, I wanted to share with you my take on these three honey brands.

Now, I normally just put honey in my hot tea at night. Occasionally, I drizzle it over my bagels. I don't consume it enough to know one from the other and why their cost varies. What difference does it really make, honey is honey, right?

HERE'S WHAT I'VE LEARNED

Cost Comparison

• Food Club $2.69
• Burleson's $2.90
• Goya $3.45

Color Comparison

Burleson's has the lightest golden color. Food Club has the typical golden honey shade. Goya has a orangey-golden color. It's harder to tell from my photo, but there is a noticeable color difference.

Honey Thickness

Burleson's runs faster and thinner out of the bottle. Food Club is thicker. Goya is the Slowest AND Thickest that I've ever watched pour out onto a spoon.

TASTE (The Most Important Factor)

I'm not going to say one was better than another, because they each had their own distinct flavor.

Food Club was the sweetest. I would use it in baking or sweetening up a banana, pouring over sopapillas or French Toast.

Burleson's was mild, not too sweet at all, more of a earthy honey flavor. I would definitely use it in my hot tea or somewhere where I needed sweet but not a overpowering "honey" flavor.

Goya was completely different! It's still honey, but from orange blossoms. It's not sugar sweet at all. It has a deep earthy flavor. I can definitely see why barbecue enthusiasts use it in their sauces. I would think to use it as a cooking honey, before I would add it to my hot tea.

Why are they so different? I don't know. I'm not a honey expert.

I am a consumer; a budget minded Mom looking to understand which products deliver the best flavor and quality for the money. If there's no difference in quality and flavor between the store brand and big name brand, just the price. I'll pick the money saver every time.

Heck, and sometimes it's just good to know the difference.

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I wasn't a bread pudding fan until I ate Blue Magnolia's Cinnamon Bread Pudding. Oh mercy, was it GOOD!
I was over shopping in my favorite little town of Winnsboro, Texas. Winnsboro is such a cool little place with great live music, awesome restaurants and fun shopping. Oh, and the spa! (pause for a moment of daydreaming)

ANYHOO! This bread pudding is AWESOME! EASY! and anyone can bake it, even me. All it takes is one normal size loaf of french bread, some milk, a little butter, and a bag of Blue Magnolia's Cinnamon Bread Pudding.

I haven't made the Lemon-Chiffon, yet. But I will soon and post it.

Here's what it looks like straight from the oven.

Being the first time to make bread pudding, I baked the simplest version offered and topped it with homemade whipped cream leftover from the Strawberry dessert I made days ago. (I told you in that post that you would have extra whipped cream for other desserts. I wasn't just making that up.)

Oh and just so you know: I'm not getting paid to talk about this product. I sampled it in a tasting at Ladles to Linens, bought a couple of bags for myself, and baked it up. Now, I'm sharing my experience with you. It's good stuff, Maynerd. You ought to pick up a few bags for yourself online and see for yourself.

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I was in the grocer the other day, shopping for ingredients to make Mimi's Gouda Mac and Cheese.  I naturally needed elbow macaroni and found myself wondering which one do I buy.  Should I get the healthy pasta or the inexpensive pasta?  There's so many to choose from, that I had to read the back labels to decide which one was better.  I ended up buying three different pastas; a healthy brand, a regular name brand, and a generic store brand.  I'm gonna let you decide which one is better.

CAN YOU TELL WHICH PASTA IS HEALTHY, REGULAR, AND GENERIC ?
Let's look at the actual pasta first, shall we? See any big differences?

Not really, the middle noodle is slightly darker.  Let's go another angle.
Anything different?

Let's study their NUTRITION FACTS and see if you can find anything there.

PLEASE NOTICE, the one on the bottom shows more calories but look at the grams in their 1/2 cup serving size, compared to the two above.  There's a difference of 9 grams, so naturally the numbers will be slightly higher.

Let's move onto the INGREDIENTS, surely there will be big differences there.

What is Modified Wheat Starch and Calcium Phosphate? The only two ingredients that separate one pasta from the other two.  I don't see anything that's impressive, do you?

Let's just compare their pretty packaging and finally see which brand belongs which pasta.

Ronzoni Smart Taste is the pasta on the left, Skinner in the middle, HyTop on the right.

Three different pastas, let's see where they're made.

That's funny, Ronzoni and Skinner have the same address?

Let's look at how much they cost?

The price difference must be because I get so much MORE from Ronzoni than HyTop.  Let's see that too.

Well, I'm STUMPED!  Which one is better? 

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