This and That

Lately I've been using coupons on sale items to try some new things. Here are a few of my favorites.


Stevia is an all-natural zero calorie sweetener as opposed to artificial (read chemical) sweeteners like aspartame. In this form it can be used cup-for-cup instead of sugar, and is sold next to similar bags of Splenda at a comparable price. My mom has been extolling the virtues of Stevia for quite some time, but she has been purchasing it in another form and cutting it with equal parts sugar to eliminate the bitter aftertaste. This product, though, has no bitterness. In fact, it is a good deal sweeter than Splenda (or sugar, I think). When I added the same amount of Stevia in the Raw instead of Splenda to a gallon of iced tea, the result was much sweeter. I'm thinking I can use about third less Stevia and achieve the same level of sweetness. So in the long run, this product will actually be cheaper than Splenda.

Here's another product my mom told me about. I have always like Pringles, but the multi-grain version is even better than the traditional one. These chips have a more organic flavor that is reminiscent of an excellent whole wheat cracker, yet they maintain the normal Pringles texture and lightness.

We sampled these little beauties at the grocery today, and I was picking up a box as soon as I took the first bite. (Though, to be honest, Jeff wasn't crazy about this snack.) The crackers are made from ground nuts (almonds in this incarnation, but there were other varieties made from pecans as well.) and rice flower. In the first crunch, the rice is evident, but the nuts come through in the aftertaste. We sampled a cheese flavored version in the store, but I opted for the smokehouse flavor since I love smokehouse almonds.



Jeff and I recently discovered these little meals for lunch. We first purchased them at Big Lots where they are about half the price of the grocery store. Today we picked up a couple at Fry's because they were on sale and we had a coupon. The beauty of these is that they create a nice dish in a jiffy. Under the lid is a small bag of sauce which is removed before cooking. Water is added to the base and the lid is replaced before putting the dish (which contains pasta or rice depending on the variety) into the microwave for several minutes. Once the staple is cooked, the sauce packet is emptied and mixed into the base making a tasty lunch. The advantage is that the pasta or rice is not sticky and heavy from being reheated. While Jeff opted for this Asian chicken flavor, my favorite is a chicken and kidney bean chili with rice.



Being a chip fiend means I am susceptible to the siren call of every flavor that comes along, and this is no exception. I already love Kettle chips for their home style texture and interesting flavors, so it is only natural that I enjoy the flavors of cheddar cheese, garlic, sour cream, and green onion all rolled into one chip. After all, I never met a potato I didn't like.