Kellogg’s Limited Edition Pop-Tarts: Soft and Chewy Gingerbread

Acquired by: retail purchase at local supermarket

Price: $2.50 on sale for a box of 12 Pop-Tarts

Rating: 1 out of 5

Nowadays, every major brand on the market feels a need to make limited editions of their products. We get short-lived, special editions of candy bars, cereals, soft drinks, and even winter-themed snack crackers.

Now, the folks at Kellogg’s have decided that their plain old Pop-Tarts aren’t good enough to get us through winter. No, we need special, winter-themed Pop-Tarts. And so they’ve introduced these Limited Edition Pop-Tarts in the Soft and Chewy Gingerbread flavor.

Winter-themed, I said. Seems no one is bold enough to attempt a Christmas-themed, or even a generic “holiday” themed, product. Kellogg’s, in their infinite wisdom, has chosen to take a flavor inextricably associated with Christmas - gingerbread - and use it, and the image of gingerbread men and women, in an attempt to create a Pop-Tart theme that offends no one.

As always, please click on any image to see a larger version.

On opening the interior packages (each housing two Pop-Tarts), I found pasty-looking rectangles. If these are gingerbread, they used a very light recipe - I normally expect more color. For the festive element on these limited edition pastries, images of gingerbread men or women engaging in some winter activity have been applied with a printing process that uses FD & C approved food colorings.

The images are inoffensive enough, but so crudely printed that it’s hard to tell what they are. The bumpy pastry surface, and the dusting of sugar over all, don’t help. I stared at the picture of a gingerbread woman on the right for the longest time and still can’t figure out what she is supposed to be carrying, or what those curvy green lines behind her are supposed to be.

Kellogg’s claims on the box that there are “50 possible images!” to be found within. Maybe it’s just me - maybe I just coincidentally got the lamest ones in the bunch. But the first Pop-Tart I ate? A picture of a gingerbread man operating a snowblower. How festive!

A key component of any Pop-Tart is the filling. A key element for any gingerbread man is the icing defining his clothing and facial features. Kellogg’s, then, naturally put the icing inside the Pop-Tarts as the filling.

Ultimately, the proof in any food, whether a limited edition or not, is in the eating. Pop-Tarts have always been meant to be edible either unheated, or toasted.

I tried a “raw” Pop-Tart first. And immediately regretted it. Granted, on the box itself they’d told me to expect “Soft and Chewy Gingerbread”. What I didn’t expect was something that felt like half-baked cookie dough in my mouth. Where the icing filling came into play, it only enhanced the gummy nature of the raw Pop-Tart.

Following the instructions on the box (”Warm pastry in toasting appliance at lowest or lightest heat setting for one heating cycle only.”), I prepared a pair of toasted Pop-Tarts. The result? They now tasted like warm, half-baked cookie dough.

Once upon a time, in a less litigious world, Pop-Tarts was okay with people actually getting their product truly toasted in their “toasting appliances”. That’s how I’ve always preferred my Pop-Tarts - with a little crispiness added by using toasters for the purpose for which they were intended - to toast.

Since crispiness was distinctly lacking here, I decided to take a chance that Kellogg’s hadn’t included any surveillance equipment in the Pop-Tarts box, or that they weren’t going to send their Toasting Appliance Police to arrest me for defying the official instructions. I put a pair of Gingerbread Pop-Tarts into my toaster oven, turned the dial to Medium, and pushed the button.

A minute or so later, I had two nicely crisped Pop-Tarts. One, though, had cracked across one end, and the smaller piece was starting to fall through the rack in my oven. I pulled everything out with my toaster tongs, allowed the tarts to cool briefly, and took a bite.

Here, finally, we’d gotten past the half-baked cookie dough texture. What I had in my mouth instead felt like a lightly crispy cookie, properly baked, and with the interesting addition of a layer of icing sandwiched inside.

The recipe that Kellogg’s used for their gingerbread pastry has enough spices in it to have a tiny, almost unnoticeable but definitely there, bite. Unfortunately, it didn’t have enough spices to truly taste like gingerbread. I also couldn’t detect the flavor of molasses anywhere in the mix, which is an essential ingredient in most gingerbread recipes I’ve seen.

The entire assembly of flavors and textures failed to come together to make a pastry that I would ever buy again. To make these Gingerbread Pop-Tarts work, they should have had the texture of a crisp gingerbread cookie. Instead, they came up with a recipe that tasted half-baked, with an unpleasant chewy texture - and then tried to sell it as “Soft and Chewy Gingerbread”. Sorry, Kellogg’s - this is one time you can’t turn a bug into a feature.

Even when I defied the instructions and toasted the tarts until crispy, the flavors didn’t come up to reasonable standards for gingerbread cookies - rich, spicy flavors, with the cool sweetness of icing on top.

In the final analysis, I wouldn’t buy these again - and I wouldn’t recommend them to my readers. Unless you actually like under-spiced, half-baked gingerbread dough.

Related Links:

• Kellogg’s - www2.kelloggs.com
  

Posted: October 29th, 2007 under Snacks.
Comments: 2

Everyone’s always very ready to bitch and moan about things that are bad. Granted, customer service is frequently less than stellar at many businesses, especially the big boxes, so it’s not entirely surprising when we hear a lot about what’s wrong with retail.

What about what’s right? More flies with honey and all that, after all. I hope that I’ll find moments now and then when something in a shopping experience seems to work, when an associate somewhere goes the extra mile, and when I do, I’ll make a point of telling you about it here.

Today, for instance, Gryphon and I went on our weekly errands to the local Target store. And we experienced a moment of customer service gold that was worthy of, well - I can’t say I shop at any high-end, classy establishments, but I’ll bet the good ones are like this.

A couple of weeks ago on our Target stop, 12-packs of Pepsi products were on sale. We wanted to get one of my favorite flavor, Pepsi Jazz in the Black Cherry and Vanilla flavor, but the spot on the shelf was empty.

An associate happened to walk by right about then, and we asked if there was a chance there was any extra stock out back. She gladly went off to look for us, but came back a few moments later, very apologetic about the absence of my flavor.

Fair enough. We thanked her for looking, grabbed a 12-pack of the Strawberries and Creme Jazz (my second choice), and went about our way.

So there we are today, walking through Target. We’ve finished our shopping, and are heading past DVDs, books, stationery, towards the checkout lines at the front of the store. And there, coming down the main aisle towards us, was the same associate who had helped us with the Pepsi.

She saw us coming, and called out, “Are you the woman who liked that Pepsi flavor?” Yes, I replied, that’s me. “Oh, good - there’s some in stock right now. The merchandiser from Pepsi is here, putting product on the shelves right now, and I told him how much you liked it.”

Wow. She remembered us two weeks later. Not only that, but not even knowing we were in the store, she talked to the Pepsi merchandiser about the stock levels for that flavor! Then, she even recognized us, and made a point of telling us about it.

Because there was a new special on the Pepsi today, we also made a purchase that we hadn’t planned on when we walked in the door - all because this one associate went the extra mile.

It’s a shame that she wasn’t wearing a name tag, because I’d love to give her specific recognition for a level of customer service you just don’t expect at a discount store - even at Target, who tries to pride itself for not being like the other discount department stores.

You can bet, though, that I’ll try to find a way to identify her to management when I can, and see that they know they have a gem in her.

Posted: October 24th, 2007 under Raves.
Comments: 2

3 Musketeers Minis Mix

Acquired by: retail purchase at local Walgreens

Price: $3.59 for 9 oz. bag

Rating: 4 out of 5

Oops! I blew through these 3 Musketeers Minis so quickly that I never got a picture of the full bag, or of the individual pieces. So for a product shot, you’ll have to settle for this photo of the empty bag posing on my computer keyboard.

Yes, they’re that good. But let’s rewind first, shall we, and see what we know about the 3 Musketeers Minis Mix.

What we have in this bag are three flavors of mini-sized 3 Musketeers candies - French Vanilla, Strawberry, and Mocha Cappucino. None of these flavors are offered in a full-size bar. It’s worth noting, however, that the flavor mix is reminiscent of the original version of the 3 Musketeers bar, as introduced in 1932. At the time, the wrapper contained three separate pieces of chocolate-enrobed candy - one with vanilla nougat, one with chocolate, and one strawberry. It was from this trio of flavors that the candy got it’s name - 3 Musketeers.

I first learned about the 3 Musketeers Minis Mix through a review Cybele posted at Candy Blog on August 21, 2007. Later, on October 4th, David at Candy Addict posted about them as well. Oddly, David only reviewed the Strawberry flavor at that time, because he’d previously reviewed the Mocha Cappucino and French Vanilla flavors as part of a Limited Edition Mix that 3 Musketeers put out in Spring 2006!

All this time, I searched the aisles of my local drugstores, supermarkets and discount department stores trying to find them myself. The 3 Musketeers official website was of little help - I looked through the product listings as best I could, and found no mention of the Minis Mix anywhere.

It was about two weeks ago that I finally came across this mysterious item at a local Walgreens here in New Hampshire. Feeling a rush of success, and the anticipation of finally tasting the candies that had been so well reviewed by others, I pounced.

“Mini” size is small - smaller than the so-called “Fun” size. Looking at the pieces as I took them out of their individual wrappers, I was reminded most of candies in a Whitman’s Sampler. The three flavors were somewhat unevenly distributed in the bag I purchased, with somewhat more of the Mocha Cappucino flavor than either the Vanilla or Strawberry.

The bag lived next to my television chair for a few days, and I’d munch a few while watching. Interestingly, at first I didn’t like the Minis. They seemed mushy in my mouth, and the flavors didn’t feel like they had any depth to them. Over a short time, however, they grew on me.

The nougat in the Minis mix is softer and fluffier than in a regular 3 Musketeers bar, which probably contributed to my impression of these as mushy. After a while, though, they seemed less mushy to me, and more like a nice buttercream-filled bonbon.

The Mocha Cappucino flavor didn’t taste so much like coffee to me, but like a darker chocolate with a bit of an edge. It was okay, but not my favorite of the trio.

Strawberry was actually pretty good. Which is saying a lot for me, because Strawberry is not one of my favorite flavors as a rule. In the case of the Minis, however, I found that the light berry flavor had a bright note to it that was quite pleasant.

French Vanilla wound up being my favorite of the three, even though I’m not sure this really counted as French Vanilla. True French Vanilla would have had a strong eggy richness, and the vanilla itself would have been somewhat more intense from the presence of actual vanilla seeds. Even though mis-named, however, this was a nice, strong vanilla flavor, without seeming artificial.

I was quite pleased with the mix as a whole, and would happily buy these again. My rating, therefore, is a 4 out of 5.

3 Musketeers Minis Mix may be a little hard to find, and we have no clue how long they’ll be around. Based on the experience of other bloggers and their readers, it seems your best bet is to check at national drugstore chains like Rite Aid and Walgreens, in the seasonal or Halloween candy aisle. If you find them, do give them a try - they’re worth it!

Related Links

• 3 Musketeers - Official website, which somehow completely fails to mention the existence of the Minis Mix
• May 24, 2006 review of French Vanilla and Mocha Cappucino Minis at Candy Addict
• August 21, 2007 review of current full Minis Mix at Candy Blog
• October 4, 2007 review of Strawberry Minis at Candy Addict

Posted: October 22nd, 2007 under Candy.
Comments: none

Archer Farms Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips
New Reclosable Bag

Acquired by: retail purchase at local Target store

Price: $2.29 for 9 oz. bag

Rating: Salt & Vinegar chips, 2 out of 5

Rating: New Reclosable Bag, 4 out of 5

I reviewed Archer Farms Wasabi Mustard Potato Chips about a month ago. They were quite tasty, and though I don’t normally like kettle-cooked potato chips because of the overly hard crunch, they were easy to eat. I gave them a 4 out of 5 rating.

I spotted the Archer Farms Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips on the shelf at our local Target last week. Salt & Vinegar chips are one of those tastes I got from my father - they’re a big favorite of his, and mine. Having liked the Wasabi Mustard chips so much, I thought I’d try the Salt & Vinegar variety.

As a bonus, the chips come in a new style of bag - Reclosable. Pull the little tab at the top of the package, and you open a slit. Inside is a zipper-type plastic bag closure. Good and sturdy, I found that the zipper was easy to use, closing readily when I wanted to put the chips away, and opening just as nicely when I was ready for more. A squeeze test of the sealed bag showed it to be fairly airtight, so I think we can expect an opened bag of chips to stay fresh even if stored for a while.

The Reclosable Bags are so new that not every Archer Farms flavor on the shelf at Target had them yet. If you don’t see them at your local Target, be patient - they’ll roll out as stock turns over.

Based on its good performance, I give the Archer Farms Potato Chips Reclosable Bag a 4 out of 5 on my new Gizmos, Gadgets, and Thingamabobs ratings scale. Sadly, the Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips inside were nowhere near as good.

I expect kettle-cooked chips to have a hard crunch, and be somewhat wrinkled and folded from the cooking process. I found the Salt & Vinegar chips to be so hard as to be difficult to break apart, even with my teeth. They were very badly folded and contorted, too, sometimes making it necessary to bite through at least four layers of chip at once. Or more - I frequently found that more than one chip had been folded together.

As for the vinegar flavor, it was weak and uninspiring. Vinegar flavored potato chips should have a fairly strong, acidic bite to them. The Archer Farms Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips were weak in flavor, barely giving my tongue a tingle.

Ultimately, the issue is clear - Archer Farms Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips failed me in two areas. For crunch, they had far too much bite. For flavor, they had far too little.

I’d eat them if they were put in front of me at a party, so long as there were no other chips offered. I almost certainly won’t buy them again, unless they improve the recipe. Archer Farms Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips only rate a 2 out of 5 on my scale.

Related Links:

• Archer Farms (Warning - plays video and sound.) This is a minimally informative promotional site at Target Online, but it appears to be the only one they offer. Archer Farms foods are not available for purchase at Target Online - only in brick-and-mortar Target stores.

Posted: October 19th, 2007 under Packaging Innovations, Chips and Crackers.
Comments: none

Maltesers

Acquired by: Retail purchase at local supermarket, in the imported British food aisle

Price: $1.49 for 37g

Rating: 4 out of 5

One of my favorite candies is malted milk balls. Here in America, we most often find these in the form of Whoppers or Mighty Malts in our supermarkets and drugstores.

I’m also a fan of British sitcoms. Over the past year, I have, on at least two occasions, heard characters on different “Britcoms” talk about a type of candy named Maltesers. Malt - hmm? Could these be another variety of malted milk ball from the UK? The level of casual, cultural reference in the television shows suggested something as commonly known in its country as a Hershey’s chocolate bar would be here. I was intrigued - that’s a level of fame that neither Whoppers or Mighty Malts can lay claim to. What made Maltesers so special, and how could I find out?

Then, one day, while buying groceries at the local Stop & Shop, I spotted Maltesers on the shelf in the section for British imports. There they were - little bags of red, with a bold splash of the name, Maltesers, in white, and a few round, brown balls dancing around. Now was my chance - but they were not cheap. $1.49 for a single, 37g bag - that’s only about one and one-third ounces. As much as I wanted to try a potentially delicious, exotic new variation on my beloved malt balls, I couldn’t justify the cost for a casual snack.

Along came this blog, though, and a perfect excuse to go to the expense - to tell you about Maltesers, and whether they’re as good as the Brits seem to think. So I bought a bag - and then, to be fair, I bought a box of Whoppers for a side-by-side comparison.

For the purpose of this article, I’m only reviewing the Maltesers. It’s a given that Whoppers are good - they’re my go-to choice for a malted milk ball craving, being not only tasty, but more readily available than Mighty Malts.

For all pictures that follow, the Whoppers will be on the left hand side, and the Maltesers on the right. For better detail, click on the photos for a larger image.

Appearance

The Whoppers and the Maltesers are both similar in size. Whoppers are darker in chocolate color, though both are within the range of milk chocolate shades. The Maltesers have a glossier finish to the surface than the Whoppers.

Internal Structure

Malted milk balls are made from a round, crunchy, malt center, coated with a layer of chocolate. The Whoppers have a dense center with very small air pockets. The Maltesers have a light, almost fluffy, center, with large air pockets. The coating of chocolate on the Maltesers is thinner than that of the Whoppers.

Mouthfeel

Mouthfeel is the term for the way a food feels in your mouth as you eat it. Does it melt? Is it crunchy or chewy? Does it slide on your tongue, or get caught in your teeth? The fullness of the concept is much more complex than these few words can convey.

The Whoppers had a distinct, almost hard, crunch. The chocolate coating was slight waxy, and a little gritty, as it melted on my tongue. The inside of the malt ball itself tended to feel sharp, almost like sandpaper, on the inside of my mouth.

The Maltesers were a very different experience. The chocolate coating was smooth and light, and melted more quickly than that of the Whoppers. The malt ball inside had a light, crispy crunch. There was also, however, a very interesting and enjoyable sensation of the malt center melting in the moisture in my mouth, and collapsing into a light, tasty, almost creamy substance that spread the flavor of the Malteser throughout.

Flavor

Whoppers are made by Hershey’s, and the milk chocolate coating tastes very Hershey-like. Hershey’s is not my favorite brand of chocolate - I much prefer the smoother, lighter milk chocolate flavor of a Nestlé or Cadbury milk chocolate.

This may explain why I liked the milk chocolate coating on the Malteser better - it’s a more European take on milk chocolate. That makes sense, since Maltesers are a British product. If anything, I usually like my milk chocolate a little more chocolate tasting than the Maltesers, but then it might have overwhelmed the lightly-flavored malt center.

The malt ball in the Whoppers had a very strong, distinct, malt flavor. In the Maltesers, the malt flavor is subtler, smoother. But the way that the malt center melts in your mouth spreads the flavor more than the harder center of the Whoppers does.

In the end, it’s hard to compare the flavors, because they’re so different. Whoppers are a strong, in-your-face flavor, while Maltesers are, well, like their name - they tease you with the malt flavor.

My Preference?

Hands down, I find that I prefer the Maltesers. I’ve always liked subtle layers of flavor, and the way the Maltesers melt in your mouth makes for a more interesting nibble than the Whoppers. If all things were equal, I’d be eating Maltesers when I get that malted milk ball craving.

But, alas, the only way Maltesers can get here is via specialty importers, and they therefore sell at a premium price. For the same $1.49 I spent for a 37 g bag of Maltesers - barely a decent serving - I can buy a much larger dose of Whoppers.

That makes Maltesers a bit too pricey for my budget. So, even though I am rating them a 4 out of 5, in actual practice they’ll be more like a 3 out of 5 - in the regular rotation when I can, but not something I can afford to make a point of.

The Cult of Maltesers

A Google search for “Maltesers” turns up 239,000 hits. “Whoppers ‘Malted Milk’” brings only 14,600 hits, and “Mighty Malts” (a product of NECCO) a mere 364. Clearly, there are a lot more people out there with an interest in the British candy.

Among the interesting sites I turned up for Maltesers:

• Guardian Unlimited, the online version of the Manchester, England newspaper The Guardian, hosted a discussion among readers. The subject was “How are Maltesers made?” Several readers had answers that seem quite possible, but many spun elaborate flights of fancy describing the process.
  
• The Falcon’s Malteser - First in a series of mystery books for pre-teens, this has a plot that centers around a mysterious box of Maltesers.
  
• www.playchocolateball.com - this appears to be a Swedish - or some other Scandinavian language - promotional site for Maltesers. Though it’s called “play chocolate ball”, and the initial screen has little bowling pins and Maltesers that move in response to your cursor, nothing seems to actually happen to them - the pins don’t fall over.
  
  From the front page, though, click on “Alle filmer” at the bottom left of the screen. You’ll have a selection of short films to choose from. These mostly seem to be amateur videos extolling fan’s love of Maltesers. But if you go to the far right of the second row, choose the film called “Godt for magen”. This is actually a television commercial for Maltesers that stars Charlie Sheen!
  
• YouTube - a search for Maltesers at this video site turns up 462 films that have that as a tag. I haven’t watched any, but judging from some of the descriptions, you might want to be careful if you’re at work or the kids are around.

Bottom Line

Maltesers have a cult following for a reason - they’re that good! I have to admit, though, that I’m not sure they’d catch on as well here in America. Subtlety is lost on most Americans, and what I like so much about Maltesers is their subtlety.

I’ll still be buying Whoppers, because they’re tasty enough, and much more cost-effective for me. But I’ll be thinking about Maltesers when I eat them!

Related Links:

• Maltesers homepage at Mars UK
• Whoppers at Hersheys.com
• Mighty Malts at NECCO.com
• Wikipedia entries - Maltesers, Whoppers (no individual entry listed for Mighty Malts)
• Maltesers review at Taquitos.Net

Posted: October 18th, 2007 under British Imports, Candy.
Comments: 2

The Knitter’s Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes

Published by: Potter Craft (Random House)

Acquired by: Free copy from Publisher

List Price: $30.00

Available: Oct. 16, 2007

Every time I sit down to examine a book or product for review, it’s my profound hope that I’m about to make a great discovery. Sometimes, I am at least delighted with the find. Occasionally, I am bitterly disappointed.

I am very pleased to say that today’s review is about a great discovery. If you are a knitter, and you want to better understand what your yarn is, why it behaves the way it does, and how best to show it off, The Knitter’s Book of Yarn is a must-have for your library.

Disclaimer

First, though, a disclaimer - though I have been a knitter for almost 40 years; and have been reading (and writing) knit blogs for nearly 3 years; and likewise, have been using online resources for knitting information over those same 3 years; still, I was completely ignorant of the resource created by Clara Parkes known as Knitter’s Review.

If Knitter’s Review is new to you, briefly put, it’s a weekly, online magazine format, which presents how-to articles, as well as reviews and news about knitting books, tools, and especially, yarns. I don’t think there’s anywhere else on the web that offers such in-depth examinations of different yarns, including swatching results, blocking data, how they hold up to washing, and more.

The Book

Now, Clara has taken the passion for yarn that is apparent in her online yarn reviews, and put it all into The Knitter’s Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn. This is the reference book we knitter’s have needed for years.

The knitter is taught everything about yarn, from what the properties of fibers from the different sources (protein, cellulose, etc.) might be, to how they are used in a yarn, to what the knitted results tend to be like. Clara explains how we should evaluate a yarn before buying - what qualities to look for, and how to see them. For instance, I never knew about guard hairs in cashmere. Clara not only explains their presence, but tells us how to see them in the finished yarn, and what it means for the quality of the yarn.

I’ve only read word for word up to page 35, and I think I know more about yarn now than I’ve managed to learn by trial and error in 40 years of knitting.

Section 1 covers Fiber Foundations - the sources and types of fiber. In Section 2, Clara explains the various things that happen to those fibers as they become yarn - from being processed in Mills and Microspinneries, to various methods of dyeing. We’re also taught about some of the ways we can find some of the rare, one-of-a-kind yarns, by seeking out local fiber farms and festivals.

The largest part of the book is devoted to Section 3, Ply Me a River. Here, we not only learn about the properties of different plies of yarn - single, two-ply, chenilles. We are also offered 40 patterns for knitting, each one designed carefully to make the best use of the yarn it’s paired with.

The final section is called Putting It All Together. Here, we find even more valuable information. How to care for and wash all the fiber types discussed in the book. How to remove odors from yarn. What WPI (wraps per inch) means, and how to apply that number, complete with a chart for converting it to a meaningful understanding of the weight of the yarn. An explanation of the Craft Yarn Council of America’s Standard Yarn Weight System. A guide to abbreviations and techniques; a list of online resources for yarn and notions.

If you want to learn more, Clara has included a guide to Recommended Reading that is more than just a simple list of book titles - she discusses each book in brief, including why she will turn to it and what it can teach us.

The Patterns

Although the patterns aren’t the sole reason for buying this book, they don’t hurt its quality a bit. Aside from Clara herself, there were sixteen other designers who contributed to The Knitter’s Book of Yarn. Among them are such instantly recognizable names as Norah Gaughan, Cat Bordhi, and Teva Durham. Other names may be known more from their blogs - for instance, SABLE stasher Amy King of www.spunkyeclectic.com.

I mean that last statement. While I might not be interested in knitting every one of these forty patterns, I didn’t find a single Ugh in the book. Not one. When was the last time we could say that?

The projects run the gamut from home decor, to pet toys, to garments and bags. There is lace, cables, colorwork, felting, and even plain old stockinette. There are items both simple and complex here, so knitters of every skill level should feel satisfied.

Each pattern begins with a listing of materials, measurements, and gauge. Specific yarns were used, and are called out by brand and color number. Because this is The Knitter’s Book of Yarn, we are also told exact fiber content, length, and weight of the skeins, as well as specific information as to what to choose if we want to substitute.

Artyarns Silk Rhapsody (70% mohair, 30% silk; 260 yards [238m]/100g) 1 skein #RH123. If substituting, use 260 yds (238m) of 2-ply worsted-weight yarn, preferably a yarn with shimmer and drape.

Even the visual properties and the hand of the yarn are mentioned, making for a great chance of success for the knitter who picks an alternative yarn.

A paragraph or two at the start of the instructions explains the choice of yarn, and what properties in that yarn influenced the design of the pattern. The instructions themselves are to the point, but inclusive of everything a knitter needs to be told to complete the object.

If you’ve read my other book reviews, you probably know that by now, I’ve usually mentioned the issue of garment sizes. Not this time, though! That’s how good this book is - I like it a lot, and don’t care if the sweaters will fit me as written. And with the patterns including so many items that aren’t fitted garments, there’s a lot to work with here regardless.

It’s All Good

Seriously. Still, here are a few of my favorite projects from the book. As always, click through the picture to see a larger image.

Cabled Tea Cozy designed by Jennifer Hagan

Knit from Malabrigo, you could also use any single-ply worsted-weight yarn. The quality of the Malabrigo being displayed here is how a single-ply yarn will show a sculptural knit such as cables with good definition and stich clarity, yet still have a soft look.

Rhinebeck Hat and Mitts by Shelia January

Knit with a three-ply yarn (Spirit Trail Fiberworks Bluefaced Leicester), this project shows the effective use of a solid color together with a variegated yarn in Fair Isle knitting.

Cabled Swing Cardi by Norah Gaughan

I love the lines of this sweater - I can imagine it would flatter almost any figure. It’s designed for bust sizes up to 54″ closed, but there’s enough overlap there I believe I could make it work for me with very little modification. Just one change I think I’d make - I’d add a second button, at the top of that collar end on the right front.

The original model shown here was knit from Berroco Ultra Alpaca, though you could use any 3-ply worsted weight yarn.

Wavy Socks by Amy King

I like the soft waves of cabling in these socks. I can imagine these moving through the knit blog world like a tidal wave. Expect to see lots of Wavy Socks online in the coming months. The yarn used for the book was Karabella Aurora 4, but it’s suggested you could use any multistrand DK-weight yarn instead.

A Sturdy Book

The Knitter’s Book of Yarn is destined to be a staple in every knitter’s library. The designers of the book knew this, and planned for a book that will be pulled off the shelf and referred to frequently. The covers are sturdy hardbound, with a matte finish. The pages are made of a heavy matte paperstock, just shy of cardstock. Though not spiral bound, the book lies fairly flat when opened on a table.

A lot of thought went into the creation of this book, and it shows. Clara Parkes has clearly, through her work at Knitter’s Review and her own knitting, been preparing to write this book for many years. The designers she’s gathered together have put their hearts and souls into creating beautiful projects that make full use of the yarns’ best qualities.

I am honored to have The Knitter’s Book of Yarn in my library. I hope it stays in print for a long, long time!

Related Links:

• Publisher’s site: The Knitter’s Book of Yarn at Random House
• Purchase at Amazon: The Knitter’s Book of Yarn
• Author’s site: Knitter’s Review
• Designer’s blog: Jennifer Hagan, figknits
• Designer’s blog: Shelia January, Let’s Talk Stash
• Designer’s site: Amy King, Spunky Eclectic

Posted: October 16th, 2007 under Crafts.
Comments: none

Nabisco Wheat Thins - Sundried Tomato & Basil

Acquired by: retail purchase at local supermarket

Price: unrecorded, but under $3

Rating: 4 out of 5

Back in the early days of this blog - a whole month ago! - I posted a review of another Nabisco product, the Garden Harvest Toasted Chips. Among the flavors they came in was Tomato & Basil, which prompted a comment from Sara recommending the Sundried Tomato & Basil flavor of Wheat Thins as a worthy snack.

I’ve been a fan of Wheat Thins since childhood. Of course, for most of my life the only variety offered was good ol’ plain and tasty Wheat Thins - no adjectives, modifiers, or flavors involved.

I have a habit, which I’m trying to break for Shopping Jen, of being cynical about tried-and-true brands that suddenly decide that “original” and “traditional” flavors aren’t good enough. My suspicions get aroused - is it just a gimmick? Are they selling out just to make money? Will they abandon what has worked perfectly well for decades? So, although the various flavors of Wheat Thins have been on the market for a while now, I had avoided them.

Until now. Thanks to Sara’s prodding, I decided to pick up a box of the Sundried Tomato & Basil flavor. And I don’t regret it for a moment!

Opening the box, the aroma of the tomato and basil wafted out and tempted me. This was promising. I tipped out a pile of the crackers onto a plate.

Clearly, at least part of the flavor is achieved by dusting the basic Wheat Thins with powders and seasonings. As you can see in this photo, the distribution was pretty uneven - there were some superloaded crackers. Most, though, just had a light dusting.

I attempted to lick the dust off one of the more lightly coated crackers - I wanted to see if the base Wheat Thin underneath was a plain original, or if there was a change in the recipe for this flavor. Using a few sips of water as a palette cleanser first, I chewed carefully, examining the taste. The classic Wheat Thin flavor was there, surely, but there was still a good note of the tomato and basil. Whether it was baked into the cracker, or merely absorbed thoroughly by long contact with the seasonings, I can’t be sure. But I was pleased that the flavor permeated the entire piece, instead of just being layered on top.

I snacked on several crackers, enjoying the rich flavor. The over-dusted crackers were not over-flavored, which suggests that the balance of tastes in the seasoning mix was well formulated. Then I had an idea - these would taste great with some tuna salad on top. (Tuna salad on crackers is a favorite mini-meal for me - Original Wheat Thins are one variety of cracker I commonly use.)

Near mealtime, then, I mixed up a bowl of tuna salad. A small forkful on a Sundried Tomato & Basil Wheat Thin, and pop! into my mouth.

Yum!

I’ll admit it, I’m a convert. I will try not to automatically write off new flavors of classic favorites as gimmicky. I will, instead, embrace them as an opportunity to discover new variants that can enrich my snacking repertoire!

Sundried Tomato & Basil Wheat Thins are going into the regular rotation - and I may make a point of specifically having them rather than the Original. That gives them a 4 out of 5 rating. Thanks, Sara, for turning me on to a new favorite!

Related Links:

• Nabisco Wheat Thins
  

Posted: October 11th, 2007 under Chips and Crackers.
Comments: 2

Everybody’s Nuts! Pistachios
Roasted & Salted Flavor
European Roast Flavor

Acquired by: Retail purchase at local supermarket

Price: $2.99 per 7 oz. box
- $1.00 coupon attached to package
Final Price: $1.99 per box

Rating: 4 out of 5

Pistachios have long been a favorite of mine, but I seldom indulge. There are a few reasons for this - the overall cost of nuts as a snack, and the fussiness of eating pistachios in the shell.

Eating pistachios in the shell depends on the little crack between the halves. In most cases, you find that a number of the shells in a bag of pistachios aren’t very open, or have never opened at all. You’re left with a tiny little rock of a nut, that you don’t want to throw away because there is, after all, a pistachio in there. But it’s nearly impossible to crack - too small for a nutcracker, and a hammer would destroy the contents. In the end, I usually wind up with a little pile of hopeful, closed pistachios that sits around, being tried now and then, before finally tossing them as a lost cause.

Yes, it’s possible to buy jars of shelled pistachios, but they seldom taste quite as good. There’s just something about sitting there, a bowl of pistachios in front of you, picking the shells open and popping the tasty nugget into your mouth as you set aside the empties.

Enter the folks at Everybody’s Nuts! (note - links plays animations and sound), purveyors of fine, jumbo, California pistachios. These folks have, with great style, attitude, and humor, made it their mission to eliminate the closed pistachio. Their guarantee, pictured at left, declares the presence of closed nuts in their package an event as unlikely as discovering Bigfoot exists.

I found Everybody’s Nuts! in a cardboard merchandiser at a local supermarket. There was apparently a marketing push to get the product out into people’s hands - there were coupons for $1 off the product stuck to every box.

The attitude presented on the box - especially as exemplified by the Guarantee printed on the back of the Roasted & Salted flavor - was the first attraction.

But attitude can only take a snack product so far - ultimately, if it doesn’t taste good, or deliver on the promises of a wacky guarantee, it will fail. I decided to see if the pistachios in the Everybody’s Nuts! packages lived up to the claims.

I surveyed the three flavors presented - Roasted & Salted, European Roast, and Salt & Pepper. (Missing was the company’s fourth flavor, Roasted No Salt.) Not being a fan of pepper, I decided to bring home the Roasted & Salted, and the European Roast.

Starting with the basics, I opened the interior bag of nuts in the Roasted & Salted flavor, and dumped them out into a bowl. These were absolutely the most open pistachios I can ever remember seeing in my life - in fact, many shells were so open they sat empty, having already lost their nut into the bag.

I took my first taste, prying open a gaping shell. The meat of the pistachio was large. Popping it into my mouth, I tasted a fresh, chewy, lovely pistachio, with just enough salt to count. I was hooked.

The European Roast flavor was next. I’d never had pistachios in any flavor other than plain salted before - how would these be different? The website describes European Roast as “A darker roast, with the taste combination of salt and malt vinegar.” Sort of like English fish ‘n chips, with the malt vinegar to sprinkle over the thick cut pieces of fried potato, then.

The ingredients for European Roast list, after the pistachios and salt, “Fructose, Modified Food Starch, Natural Flavor, Malt Vinegar, Spice, Apple Cider Vinegar.” As those ingredients would suggest, the flavor of the European Roasted nuts was slightly sweet, slightly salty, and a bit darker than the Roasted & Salted. I’d be happier without the Fructose and the vague “Natural Flavor” listings. But overall, I rather liked the flavor. The difference from the plain Roasted & Salted was subtle, but distinct.

In the end, I was very satisfied with both flavors of Everybody’s Nuts! Pistachios. Fresh and tasty, and true to their Guarantee, not a single closed nut in either package. If these stay available, I may find that pistachios are back on my regular rotation of snacks, giving these a 4 out of 5 rating. I may even find myself trying the Salt & Pepper flavor - I have to admit, the experience with the European Roast flavor has emboldened me in regards to flavored pistachios.

I should note that this product was also tested by the four-footed members of our family, the Rattie Sisters, Lola and Sable. They give a hearty “two paws greedily reaching to grab the nut as quick as they can” as their rating! Pistachios were a big hit with both girls, and the nicely opened shells made it easy for them to get their treats.

Related Links:

• Company Website: Everybody’s Nuts! (Note - site plays animations and sound)
• Wikipedia: Pistachio

Posted: October 9th, 2007 under Snacks.
Comments: none

Whew! I’ve been busy at this blog over the month since it began. Five days a week, posting reviews of anything that caught my fancy.

That’s a lot of writing, which takes a fair amount of time. I’ve decided, now that I’ve established a good starting body of work here, that I’m going to pull back the schedule a bit. Maybe not posting every day Monday through Friday, but a couple of times a week.

This frees up my time enough that I can do a better job examining products for review, then writing up my findings to share with you. So, content frequency will be down a bit, but I promise, the quality won’t suffer - and will probably even improve.

I’m also considering adding writers to the staff, people who can produce the sort of reviews that we’ve already been doing. I need a little time to formulate what I’d be looking for, and what I’d be asking them to do. I’ll be sure to post when I have a better idea of that. Meanwhile, if you think you have an idea that would fit the Shopping Jen style, feel free to contact me with a proposal. You can find the e-mail address under the “Contact” link on the sidebar.

Posted: October 8th, 2007 under Admin.
Comments: 1

On Wednesday, I wrote about the Hot Deal I’d just picked up on a Series 2, Dual-Tuner TiVo at Big Lots. I had learned about it from the Unofficial TiVo Blog. Word was spreading like wildfire around the blogiverse about the opportunity to spend $69.99 on a TiVo unit, then cash in a rebate for $150 - making an $80.01 profit.

Today, an even faster fire is spreading - flames against the TiVo company. Seems that a paid staff member of TiVo’s marketing division posted to a discussion thread about this bargain at the TiVoCommunity Forums, with a simple one-line comment intended to squelch the enthusiasm: ” To be very clear…these boxes thru Big Lots do NOT qualify for rebates.”

No explanation. Nothing to say why these units, which appear to be an authorised retailer selling brand-new, mint-in-the-box units, might be refused the rebate.

Studying the fine-print on the rebate form reveals nothing that would suggest these purchases aren’t eligible. The only vague area is a stipulation that the TiVo’s must be purchased from an “authorised retailer”. But TiVo doesn’t offer anywhere a list of those authorised retailers, and Big Lots did nothing to suggest that they weren’t an authorised retailer.

It’s reported, too, that people who use TiVo’s online Rebate Center and enter a Service Number associated with a Big Lots purchased TiVo aren’t being turned away - their registration of the rebate goes through, with no hint of trouble.

Only time will tell if this one little statement from a Marketing guy at TiVo is true. The Big Lots deal is too new to see any rebates come back - your service must be activated for a full month before you qualify. So unless someone digs up some details soon, we may have to wait to see if TiVo will be turning down these rebates or not.

Meanwhile, the price of $69.99 for an 80-hr, Series 2, Dual-Tuner TiVo is still not a bad one, especially when you can walk out of a store with it that day and hook it up immediately. Last time I looked at TiVo’s online store, the best deal I found to get the same unit required $119.99 up front, including the first month’s service. Even after discounting for the one month service, though, that’s still over $100 for the same TiVo.

If TiVo denies this rebate for me, I’ll push back. But I have to confess, I still got a good price, and likely would have gone for the purchase even without the promise of a rebate.

Posted: October 5th, 2007 under Hot Deals.
Comments: 1