durhamonthecheap

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

bzzcampaign: Taste of México at Kroger

Thanks to bzzagent I got an early sample of the Taste of México campaign at Kroger. This is a celebration of the cuisine from our neighbors to the South. Every weekend for the next couple of weeks, Kroger stores will showcase their products inspired by Mexican cooking with free samples around lunch time. I stopped by my local Kroger last Saturday and was able to sample a great smoothie that was made with Jumex Mango nectar, some Danoon Oikos Zvanilla Greek yogurt and Kroger Private Selection Classic Frozen Fruit Medley. It was tasty, but still healthy.

In addition to the smoothie, Kroger staff was also getting ready to prepare some hot meal, but I was in a rush and could not stay. But they have the sampling going on again this weekend and I will stop by again. Normally I do my shopping on the weekends in the early AM, before 9AM. But with sampling occurring around Noon, I gladly delay my shopping until later in the day and see what Kroger has to offer in terms of Mexican cuisine.

I loved the festive atmosphere, the great decoration when you entered the store and all staff was wearing green t-shirts celebrating Mexican cuisine.
From bzzagent, I also got a nice bzzkit that contained a metal citrus press for my limes to add some sourness to the fish tacos I plan on prepping. I also got a bottle of caramel sauce that will go well with vanilla ice cream. Lastly, I got two free product coupons for prepared meat dishes, one ready made, the other marinated and perfect for grilling. I cannot wait to sample Mexican-inspired beef and mix it with some fresh salad and wash it down with some Corona! Sounds like the perfect dish to cool down with the summer temperatures we have now in North Carolina.

One of the new items that I hope become regularly available at Kroger are Churros. These are yeasty pockets of goodness filled with Dulce de Leche or Chocolate and they are available in the Donut area. If you look for a nice treat that does not bust the bank account, but tastes like a million bucks, the chocolate filled churros from Kroger are a must!

Disclaimer: I received products and coupons in exchange for an honest review and WOM. As always, all opinions expressed in this blogpost are solely my own and have not been influenced by bzzagent, Kroger or any third party.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Product review: Woolite Everyday - Woolite is definitely not just for delicates anymore!

Through ExpoTV I received two bottles of Woolite Everyday in exchange for a video review. I had previously samples other new products from the Woolite Line, including Woolite Dark for dark clothes, especially jeans. I loved the Woolite Dark because the colors did not fade and the the detergent was obviously gentle on my everyday clothes. So when given the opportunity to sample this new product by Woolite I was hoping to be selected again and I was so happy when I got my package with two bottles of Woolite in the mail.

I wear a lot of dark clothes at work, including black skirts and dark brown skirts as well as a lot of black t-shirts on weekends. I have noticed that some of my older t-shirts really are now more gray than black and I hate that among my t-shirts that have really suffered over the years is one that I bought as a freshman in college (still fits though!) that shows that various food-borne pathogens associated with pork. I know what a lovely topic for a t-shirt, but I was thinking about studying microbiology and was interested in food safety, so this T-shirt is still one of my favorites.

I have had now an opportunity to try out the Woolite Everyday for about 3 weeks and have wash some of my clothes more than three times in the new detergent. I have not seen any fading, granted it is only a very limited trial, but for now, I am very happy with Woolite. The scent is not too strong and the clothes definitely get cleaned, but not at the expense of the colors all fading, especially dark colors.

So for now, I am using up my two bottles of Woolite Everyday, enjoying the fact that I can wash my clothes regularly and not risk that dark colors fade.

Disclaimer: I received two bottles of Woolite Everyday in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this blog are solely my own and have not been influenced by ExpoTv or any other third party.

Subscription box review: Julep box June 2014 - nailpolish, topcoat protector and mystery grab bag

I had gotten my first Julep box last month and since it was free and I was very happy with the selection. So I decided to give one more box a try. As a bonus, the Julep Maven box also offered a mystery grab bag for an additional fee. I was interested in sampling somethings besides nail polish, which is what I selected in my June box and so signed up for the grab bag as well.
For my June box I ordered two nail polishes, one in a grey blue color, the other in a sparkling purple. I also ordered a top coat because I ran out of my old top coat and wanted to give the Julep version a try.
In my mystery box I got three pixie sticks, which are a fun item to include. Then I got another two nail polishes (Yay!) in two lovely colors - a deep dark red and a salmon color. I love both colors and while I normally do not go for red colors, this dark red is rich enough and not too bright, just the right color for someone like me who does not like bright reds! I also got a great lip gloss in a fuchsia pink and then kajal eye glider - all three items are really high quality products and so I am very happy with this mystery assortment.

My recommendation, if you like make up, give Julep a try. Your first box is free and the mail polishes are really high quality and come in wonderful colors that last long!

Food Review: Luisa's Layered Fiesta Dip from Kroger and Delicioso it is!

copyright Durhamonthecheap - Delicioso is correct, this dip is great for parties or just as treat for a lazy dinner or snack!

I love Mexican Food and a friend of mine makes a killer 7 layer dip. I have never attempted to make this fantastic concoction, but I always love to indulge in the creamy goodness that is guacamole, sour cream, refried beans, cheese and salsa + whatever you can find in the fridge. So I was happy to find a new brand of this dip at Kroger. I had plenty of tortilla chips at home, so I decided to give this dip a try. I am normally hesitant to buy pre-made dip because I do not like anything that tastes too strongly of garlic, but with this one I lucked out. The dip is just the right mix of spicy and creamy flavors and goes well with flavored tortilla chips as well as plain chips.

Once I started dipping, I had a hard time stopping. But the good thing is, this dip is filling. The beans are creamy and the guacamole is not overly spicy or has too much garlic added - it is just nice creamy and refreshing. The salsa is on the spicy side and so it is great to have this layer in the middle because it is balanced with the beans and the guacamole. If you like more cheese, you can easily add additional cheese on top. For me the top layer of finely shredded cheese was fine because I really liked the sour cream and bean layers.

So if you are hosting a party and look for a easy appetizer, try this dip. Or even if you are just in the mood for some south of the border comfort food.

Summer Food Review: Menchies Frozen Yogurt - perfect refreshment for a hot summer day

As a rare treat, a stop at Menchies was in order today. If you are not familiar with Menchies, it is located in SW Durham in the Woodcroft shopping center and like many frozen yogurt places offers a variety of flavors, toppings and sauces. In addition, Menchies is known and famous for its tart yogurt. So if you are like me and you are not looking for really sweet desserts, the tart flavors of Menchies may be what you prefer!
The above is about $5 worth of dessert and I selected Mandarin sorbet, Lemon yogurt and tart green apple yogurt. The green apple ws by far my favorite, tart and refreshing, but very flavorful at the same time. I mixed in three topping, maraschino cherries and tapioca pearls in mango and strawberry flavor - love the texture of tapioca and getting them in fruit flavor was a very enjoyable treat.

Disclaimer: No reimbursement was received for this blog post - I just loved refreshing desserts that are not overly sweet!

Monday, June 2, 2014

bzzagent: Summer Favorites at Kroger

As part of my ongoing relationship with bzzagent, I am currently participating in a Kroger campaign that highlights some of the summer favorites available at all local Kroger stores.

As part of the campaign I received a Summer Favorites kit of my choice and I went for the spicy variety and let me tell you - they were not kidding. The tortilla chips, while not inducing tears, are definitely true to their word and spicy! The pretzel pieces are great also, they finally came up with pretzels that have a true Buffalo Chicken flavor. And then came the rolled tortilla chips - they end up looking like small cannoli, but their flavor is nothing like the Italian dessert. These chips have definitely a bite and will wake you up! I enjoyed both flavor samples and similar to the summer heat now holding on to North Carolina, these two snacks also pack some heat.

In addition to the snacks, don't forget that Kroger has always phenomenal deals on ice creams - my personal favorite is the butter pecan from the Kroger store brand - as well as BigK soda, which is available in both cans as well as 2 liter bottles. Both sizes are much cheaper than name brands, but taste almost the same. My personal favorite in the BigK soda is the Pineapply Passionfruit and the more traditional Citrus Drop, which tastes like Mountain Dew.

Disclaimer: I was provided this bzzkit free of charge in return for an honest review and WOM marketing. As always, the opinions expressed in this blog are solely my own and have not been influenced by Kroger or bzzagent or any third party.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Music Review and GIVEAWAY!! David Gray and his new studio album ‘Mutineers’ (drops June 17th)

David Gray, the GRAMMY nominated singer-songwriter from the U.K, will release his new studio album called Mutineers on June 17, 2014. In advance of the release, David has released a new video for the first track from his album. The video for Gulls can be streamed ahead of the release through this website.

In his first release under the Kobalt Label Series, David had challenged himself and adopted a different tone in his tunes.Compared to prior works, David sounds excited about expanding into new territories, free from restraint and positive about what the future will bring. This becomes clear in the song "Back in the world", in which the joy that David brings to his work is evident.

If you were lucky enough to get a ticket to one of his concerts, you were able to enjoy David on his eight city studio tour that started April 24 in Los Angeles, and ended May 4th in Toronto. Of course, the tour was sold out because David, after all, is one of U.K.'s leading artists. To learn about the earlier works by David, you can go to his website here. On his website is also the official video for "Back in the world".

I was able to listen to an advanced copy of the whole album and I think my favorite is indeed Back in the world; the upbeat rhythm and the lyrics express at time pure joy and certainly an affirmation of life, starting with the wonderful "Every day when I open my eyes now it feels like a Saturday ...". Other songs that speak to me on the album are "Snow in Vegas" and "The Incredible". The album certainly underscores the versatility of David as an artist.

I believe that is the reason why for years he has won so much critical praise, such as for his 2009 release of Draw the Line, which led to two sold out tours of the US. His next album, a studio album called Foundling, also garnered critical praise; Entertainment Weekly said it contained "warm arrangements and real emotion". These recent works now lead up to his new studio album "Mutineers". If you are not familiar with his style, I encourage you to use the links to his videos, so you can get to know him. And even if you are a fan of David, but have not listened to his new songs, enjoy Back in the World and Gulls and enjoy the new sound of David.

UPDATE: Due to the overwhelming response and his sold out earlier tour, David Gray has added a bunch of additional tour dates for the USA and Canada. The complete list is posted below, so plenty of opportunity to see and enjoy David live! Ticket information is available here.

Aug 01 - Boston
Aug 04 - NYC
Aug 05 - Philadelphia
Aug 07 - Columbia, MD
Aug 08 - Charlotte, NC
Aug 09 - Nashville
Aug 11 - Raleigh, NC
Aug 12 - Atlanta
Aug 13 - Indianapolis
Aug 15 - Cleveland
Aug 16 - Cincinnati
Aug 17 - Detroit
Aug 18 - Chicago
Aug 20 - Denver
Aug 21 - Salt Lake City
Aug 22 - Boise
Aug 23 - Troutdale (Portland), OR
Aug 25 - Redmond, WA
Aug 26 - Vancouver, BC
Aug 28 - Oakland, CA
Aug 29 - Reno, NV
Aug 30 - Las Vegas
Aug 31 - San Diego
Sep 03 - Los Angeles

If you do not want to wait until the tour, you can pre-order the album from Amazon or iTunes; the links are indicated below:

iTunes- http://bit.ly/DavidGrayMutineersiTunes
Amazon- http://bit.ly/DGMutineersAmazon

And now for the Giveaway:
I will be giving away one Mutineers CD (ARV $14.99) and all you have to do is complete the Rafflecopter entry below. The Giveaway will end on June 10th at Noon and is open to residents of the USA and Canada!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received a free download of the album to review from One2One Network. All opinions in this blog post are my and have not been influenced by One2One Network or any third party.