Reviews by AnnaBanana

AnnaBanana says "Beautiful glassware that you don't have to worry about." about Libbey Charisma Hoops 24-Piece Tumbler Set

AnnaBanana — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:52:37 GMT

This all started last year when Linens 'N Things announced that they would be going out of business during the first part of 2009. Their store here in Oak Park was quickly picked to the bare bones but clearance fever (with all sales final) ratcheted on up at the LNT website as I grabbed new towels, a roasting pan which proved to be a lemon, and lastly, a set of 24 Libbey Glass Charisma Hoops Tumblers for $7.95. The glassware was the last thing I ordered on clearance from LNT and when they arrived, I signed for them, took them in, shoved the box to one side in my hallway, and there they have sat ever since until a couple days ago! That box was the last thing I saw when I left for the West Coast in May and the first thing I saw upon my return. Meanwhile, I continued to make do with the weird assortment of glassware remnants composed of survivors from other matched sets and garage sale finds from the old days.

Recently, I finally worked up the ambition to clean out my kitchen cabinets...

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AnnaBanana says "A nice breakfast that provides energy all day." about Starbucks Sunrise Lowfat Red Raspberry Muffin

AnnaBanana — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:38:44 GMT

There I was in that "new" Starbuck's at 711 Lake Street, clutching my Fruit and Cheese Plate and waiting for my beverage order. I've got to admit that nobody held me down and made me check out the pastries but I wanted to take something home for breakfast the next day ... a Sunrise Lowfat Red Raspberry Muffin.

This is a lovely, medium-sized muffin made of basic yellow batter. It looked like the baker had put a little batter in the bottom of the muffin pan, topped it with a generous helping of fresh raspberries, another spoonful of batter and a little streusel topping. The fresh berries provided a nice tart flavor which complemented and enhanced the muffin's sweetness.

STATS:

Each muffin is a single serving containing 340 calories with 50 calories from fat. There are 6 grams Total Fat, 1.5 gram Saturated Fat, zero Trans Fat, 50 mg. Cholesterol, 500 mg. Sodium, 65 Total Carbs, 2 grams Fiber, 37 grams Sugars, and 7 grams Protein along with 2% (D.V.) Vitamin A, 25% Vitamin C, 8% Calcium...

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AnnaBanana says "Very refreshing!" about Starbucks Fruit and Cheese Plate

AnnaBanana — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:03:38 GMT

The other day I shopped a little at our Trader Joe's in Oak Park and walked back home, only to discover along the way a Starbuck's I had somehow been overlooking. Good grief! I had never realized there was a Starbuck's at 711 Lake Street and was frankly a bit surprised since there is ANOTHER Starbuck's on the other side of Lake Street down near the Lake Theatre. Having two such shops that close together is unusual and I couldn't resist entering this "new" one to have a look at what they were offering.

After ordering a beverage, I peeked at their chilled food selections and was a bit disappointed. What they had to offer in the line of salads and sandwiches was somewhat less than an overflowing cornucopia (on the other hand, it was late in the afternoon which may have made a difference). I did see something I hadn't tried before ... the Starbucks Fruit and Cheese Plate.

This is a rectangular covered dish containing 220 grams of apple wedges, green and purple grapes, a package...

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AnnaBanana says "Part of the same family, but a different character altogether." about Campbell's Select Harvest Garden Recipes Zesty Tomato Bisque

AnnaBanana — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:19:09 GMT

A few days ago, I did a review of Campbell's Select Harvest Chicken Noodle Soup. There were some good things about that product but basically I was underwhelmed. Imagine my chagrin then to discover more of the same family of products on my shelf. Yes, not only had I bought two of the chicken noodle microwaveable bowls but in a weak moment I had also been suckered into buying a couple cans of Campbell's Select Harvest Garden Recipes Zesty Tomato Bisque Soup. (What some people won't do to save a dollar when something goes on sale!)

At first, I was going to craftily save it to donate to a holiday food drive but curiosity got the better of me and I tried this soup. I'm glad that I bought this (and I will be giving something ELSE to the food drive). I like the flavor of this soup which is basically a bisque which gains character from chunks of tomato. It has a lot of body to it and did not seem to be a bit bland (one of the major complaints in the reviews about the Select Harvest...

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AnnaBanana says "At last, a bran muffin for people who don't like bran muffins!" about Starbucks Apple Bran Muffin with Omega 3's & 7 g Fiber

AnnaBanana — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:16:54 GMT

I must confess that as a rule I tend to look askance at cereals, muffins or breads which contain BRAN. It's not that bran tastes BAD as much as overwhelmingly nutritious, virtuous and BORing! When I do eat bran foods, I usually do so grimly and feeling rather proud of myself for choking down something which is good for me. In case you feel that way about bran, I have good news. Now there is a bran muffin for people who don't think they like bran muffins -- namely, the Starbucks Apple Bran Muffin with Omega 3's & 7 g Fiber.

This medium-sized muffin contains many ingredients, including: whole wheat flour, brown sugar, water, whole eggs, apples, wheat bran, honey, dried cherries, soybean oil, dried cranberries, raisins, rolled oats, unsalted butter, quick oats, molasses, nonfat milk powder, salt, baking powder, calcium carbonate, ground cinnamon, sodium bicarbonate, natural flavor, vanilla extract, ground ginger, ground nutmeg and rosemary extract. This muffin is so moist and...

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AnnaBanana says "Waking up with an old friend again!" about Lavoris Mouthwash - Original

AnnaBanana — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:51:51 GMT

While it may not be true that "everything old is new again," it still seemed exciting to me to revisit the spicy refreshing flavor of Lavoris Original Cinnamon Flavor Mouthwash this week. Yes, they still sell this stuff ($3.92 for 32 ounces at Drugstore.com and other places). For more than a hundred years, people have been rinsing their mouths with this bright mixture of its signature ingredient, Zantrate (a combination of zinc oxide, sodium hydroxide, and citric acid) flavored and empowered with cinnamon and cloves (spices which have been used fror thousands of years in Chinese herbal medicines to combat bad breath). Most of us who grew up in the 40's and 50's remember the dentist giving us a small paper cup of Lavoris to "rinse with" after dental cleanings.

With the passage of time and a more sophisticated point of view, many of us came to believe that anything which didn't taste horrible couldn't possibly be doing a good job as a mouthwash. In the intervening years, I have...

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AnnaBanana says "It was the house brand, but HEY THERE!" about Safeway Select Raspberry Sorbet

AnnaBanana — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:32:15 GMT

There I was again, at Dominick's the other day, ready to spend down a $50 gift card. What a great feeling and God forbid that I should blow the whole thing on useful, nutritious stuff which explains why I ended up in the frozen desserts aisle, staring through a window at premium ice creams, yogurts and sorbets which still cost a King's ransom even if they were on sale. As it turned out, there WAS something there which cost "only" $3 a pint ... Safeway Select Raspberry Sorbet. With a furtive glance to the right and left, making sure that no one noticed me lowering my standards and going for the "house brand", I grabbed two pints ... the Raspberry flavor and also Tropical Fruit.

Upon my arrival home and hasty stowing away of my gift groceries, I tried a scoop of Safeway Select Tropical Fruit Sorbet. It was okay but alas, it tasted like the house brand. I felt that it contained way too much sugar but this is my complaint about most sorbets.

It wasn't until later on, after dinner,...

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AnnaBanana says "Not my favorite tuna salad, but very good and convenient too!" about StarKist Tuna Salad

AnnaBanana — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:51:59 GMT

One of the more intriguing subjects to surface over on the discussion boards this week was "Tuna Sandwich" in which the writer wanted to know about our individual preferences for tuna salad. This odd topic rang a bell as many people have perked up and responded. Apparently tuna salad is something a lot of us get pretty passionate about. Alas, it does require a certain amount of work which isn't difficult but may not always be convenient. For times like that, someone has invented StarKist Tuna Salad which is "Sandwich-Ready" chunk light tuna mixed with other ingredients including water chestnuts, celery, dill pickle relish, onion powder and egg yolks and packed in one of the familiar blue foil pouches. This is not like the tuna salad I make (which is my favorite, naturally) but it's pretty good and very convenient. A person could easily take this to work, along with a couple slices of bread, and throw together a fresh sandwich in the office kitchen at lunch time.

STATS:

The contents...

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AnnaBanana says "I was a bad girl, and it was fun!" about Pub Cheese Cheddar with Jalapenos Cheese Spread

AnnaBanana — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:34:20 GMT

The other night, as I shopped at Trader Joe's, I felt a little guilty even reaching for Pub Cheese Cheddar with Jalapenos Cheese Spread. I may have felt guilty but I was a bad girl just the same and lofted the tub of spread into my bright red shopping cart with reckless abandon. Sanity had returned by the time I got home and it was a while before I actually got around to using this wonderful product. Now all I can say is that this is one occasion when I didn't regret being a bad girl.

Pub Cheese Cheddar with Jalapenos Cheese Spread is distributed by an outfit I had never heard of before ... Lactalis USA Commercial, Inc. It is rather like Kaukauna Cheese Spread except that it has a lighter, more whipped quality and is also vested with juicy hunks of real jalapeno peppers. To me, this was pleasantly warm and spicy but then I like things spicy. If you prefer milder foods, this may not be for you.

STATS:

Two tablespoons are considered to be a single serving which contains 70...

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AnnaBanana says "Ya gotta watch that fine print!" about Campbell's Select Harvest Chicken w/Egg Noodles Soup

AnnaBanana — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:07:17 GMT

I have fallen into the habit of making my soup which means that I pretty much know what goes into what I have been eating. Perhaps this is why I got a little careless about label information. At any rate, I haven't totally given up on commercially prepared and canned soups and had become interested in the new Campbell soups I had been hearing about. When Peapod put them on sale for $1.67 each, I went for them faster than a dog lunging for a Pupperoni snack. In my haste and exuberance, I didn't even spare a glance at the nutritional information which Peapod conscientiously posts for all the products they sell.

Yesterday for lunch I tried Campbell's Select Harvest Chicken with Egg Noodles Soup. With no small difficulty, I pried the metal lid back, replaced the plastic cover, and microwaved for two popping, banging minutes. I don't know what other eager soup-eaters' experience has been like, but I enjoyed this soup. In my bowl at least, there were impressive chunks of...

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AnnaBanana says "Just in time for Halloween ... a Monster which we can all love!" about Odwalla Blueberry B Monster Smoothie

AnnaBanana — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:44:19 GMT

Tucked down inside my Peapod delivery the other day was an Odwalla Blueberry B Monster Smoothie. Now that the price had been marked down from $3.79 to $2.50 on sale, I was willing to give it a try and was rewarded for my daring sense of adventure. Even though I am fussy about "smoothies," I have to say that this one was delicious, This thick dark purple beverage is a blend of ingredients including orange, apple, and concord grape juices along with blueberry, mango and banana purees which produces a flavor both a little more tart and fruitlike and also a tad sweeter than a Starbucks Strawberry Banana Vivanno.

STATS:

Because of the rich density of this product, there really are two servings in a 15.2 fl. oz. bottle, with each serving containing 140 calories with none from fat. There is zero each Total and Trans Fats, 10 mg. Sodium, 34 gramsTotal Carbs, 23 grams Sugars and zero Protein. Now comes the exciting part: 4% (D.V.) Folate, 25% Vitamin C, 45% Niacin, 60% each Pantothenic...

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AnnaBanana says "It is what it is, and I like it." about Tropicana - Trop 50

AnnaBanana — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:40:47 GMT

This week Peapod had a $1.00 off deal on something new which ... combined with my own $1 manufacturing coupon ... meant that I could try Tropicana Trop50 for only $1.99. I went for it and am glad I did. As I had guessed from reading about it and checking out the label, this is NOT really orange juice but rather an orange juice beverage which has been compared by some people to the taste of Tang. As it so happens, I like the taste of Tang and so this product worked out beautifully for me.

STATS:

Eight fluid ounces is considered to be a single serving packing 50 calories with zero calories from fat. In addition to zero fat, there is zero mg. Cholesterol, 10 mg. Sodium, 450 mg. Potassium, 13 grams Total Carbs, zero Dietary Fiber, 10 grams Sugars and less than 1 gram Protein. In addition, there are 10% (D.V.) each Vitamins A, E, and Thiamin, 4% each Riboflavin and Niacin, 6% each Vitamins B6, Magnesium and Folic Acid, and 120% Vitamin C.

MY VIEWPOINT:

Usually, I make it a point not...

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AnnaBanana says "Sometimes it's not just WHAT you eat but HOW YOU EAT IT!" about Hormel Slow Simmered Beef Tips and Gravy

AnnaBanana — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:25:22 GMT

Autumn leaves carpet the ground, there is a pleasant chill in the air and everyone is shopping for Halloween costumes and candy. To a real gourmand, the advent of Fall means (among other things) that it is time to eat POT ROAST again. If you live alone and usually cook for one (sometimes two), you may not always feel like making a big production out of dinner, however delicious the outcome might be. For those of us whose Julia Child days may be slacking off, there are convenience products like Hormel Slow Simmered Beef Tips and Gravy.

I had tried refrigerated convenience-packed meat dinners before with mixed reactions -- sometimes the meat seemed tough, there wasn't much of it and these dishes tend to be a tad high in sodium. But this week, a sale at Dominick's coupled with a manufacturer's coupon (and that bracing autumn air) tempted me to try this product by Hormel. In my opinion, it was delicious. The meat was incredibly tender and I enjoyed the flavor. Hormel delivered...

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AnnaBanana says "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a TIE for first place!" about Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice

AnnaBanana — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:15:12 GMT

Until a couple days ago, I thought that I had tasted the best when I had enjoyed (and later reviewed) Trader Joe's Organic Jasmine Rice. I still think that but am happy to report to my audience that now we have a tie for first place -- Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice. which is grown in the Sacramento Valley of northern California. Simply put, this is the best brown rice, in fact it may be the FIRST real brown rice I have ever tried. According to label information: "Brown Rice is the entire grain of rice with only the inedible outer husk removed. The nutritious,high-fiber bran coating gives brown rice its nutty flavor and chewy texture."

Each box contains three two-cup pouches which are cooked to perfection. All you have to do is make a quarter inch slit in a pouch, place it in the microwave seam-side up and heat for three minutes. (Instructions are also given for stove-top heating.)

STATS:

One cup (half a pouch) is considered to be a serving which contains 160 calories with...

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AnnaBanana says "Another way to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). " about Atenolol Oral Blood Pressure Medicine

AnnaBanana — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:01:16 GMT

I have already reviewed Diovan, the other medication I take to alleviate and control high blood pressure. Another drug I take is Atenolol which is the common name for Tenormin manufactured by Astra-Zeneca. This medicine is in the form of a pill which is taken once a day. I can buy a 90-day supply from CVS Caremark Prescription Plan mail order service for only $10 (or a little more than $3 a month).

Atenolol is a beta-blocker which works by blocking the action of certain natural chemicals in your body such as epinephrine on the heart and blood vessels, thereby having a beneficial effect on blood pressure. This medicine should be taken only if prescribed by a physician who knows your medical history and also what other medications you are taking. If you are pregnant, Atenolol should be taken only if really needed and after discussion with your doctor.

Certain side effects may occur, such as dizziness, lightheadedness, and drowsiness. Atenolol may also reduce circulation to your...

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AnnaBanana says "Does the job but not a casual medication." about Diovan Oral Blood Pressure Medicine

AnnaBanana — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:07:16 GMT

As most of you may have guessed by now, I really like to eat. In fact, I spent decades eating a lot of the wrong things and salting them liberally so it is not surprising that I have been coping with high blood pressure for a long time. I have made a lot of changes in my diet and general lifestyle plan and this has helped but also of vital importance are the medications I take to alleviate my symptoms. One of the most important of these is Diovan manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Diovan is the brand name for Valsartan which belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers which means that it works by blocking the hormone angiotensin thereby relaxing the blood vessels and causing them to widen.

When I buy Diovan from Caremark CVS Prescription Insurance mail order service, it costs $20 a month (90-day supply). The pill is easy to take and mine only requires one dose a day. This is not a casual medication, however, and should be taken only under the supervision...

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AnnaBanana says "A lovely cup of tea but not quite what I expected!" about Stash - Orange Spice Tea

AnnaBanana — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:32:36 GMT

A few days ago, someone gave me a box of Stash Orange Spice Tea manufactured by the Stash Tea Company (a/k/a Universal Tea Co., Inc.) The box contained 20 attractive foil packets each protecting a single tea bag. According to the information on the orange front label of each packet, this beverage is a combination of black teas, orange peel, cinnamon and natural flavors of clove and orange. (A little discreet Internet research has revealed that a 20-packet box costs about $4 each with special deals available for those who want to buy six-packs of the boxes from Amazon. The Stash Tea Company sells most of its merchandise through a catalog which can be obtained by writing to P.O. Box 610R, Portland, OR 97207 or accessing Stashtea.com.

NOT QUITE WHAT I EXPECTED:

Call me a dreamer, but I expected to be able to actually taste the orange and spice flavors. If they are there at all, they are pretty darned SUBTLE. That said, I must admit that this was a VERY nice cup of tea and the...

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AnnaBanana says "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's SUPER SCRABBLE!" about Winning Moves Super Scrabble Game

AnnaBanana — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:06:42 GMT

If you love to play Scrabble with friends as much as I do, you've probably noticed that if you play with at least three other people, you barely get into the hilarity and momentum of the game before you begin running out of tiles and spaces on the board. YIKES! Now, a hero has come to our rescue -- Winning Moves Games who have invented Super Scrabble.

Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun

Essentially, this is the same Scrabble we know and love, just bigger. The board is 21 x 21 inches or 441 squares (as opposed to 15 x 15 inches or 225 squares for the regular game) with more premium squares (including quadruple letter and word scores) and twice as many (200) tiles. Thanks to the wonders of Super Scrabble, we now have two each 10-point "Q" and "Z" tiles. At last, players can create words like "fuzzy", "buzz" and "jazz" without employing the use of a precious blank tile.

Super Scrabble comes in two versions, with prices ranging from $20 something for Standard up to more than $35...

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AnnaBanana says "Simplicity is the essence of good taste!" about Trader Joe's Sliced Roast Chicken Breast

AnnaBanana — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:14:31 GMT

So many people have said: "Simplicity is the essence of good taste!" that no one can agree on who first made that observation, the truth of which has been proven again and again, especially in Trader Joe's Sliced Roast Chicken Breast. This product is labeled "Simply Trader Joe's" and simple it is -- no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives nor does this meat appear to be "processed" in any way. Its ingredient list consists of carefully carved slices of boneless, skinless chicken breast white meat roasted under a coating of olive oil, salt and pepper ... all of that combines to create nothing but good taste. The meat is fully cooked and refrigerated, perfect for serving either cold (for sandwiches, salads or snacks) or heated up as part of a quick meal.

STATS:

The package holds five generous servings, each of which contains 120 calories with 15 calories from fat. There are 1.5 grams Total Fat, .5 gram Saturated Fat, zero Trans Fat, 60 mg. Cholesterol, 25 mg. Sodium,...

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AnnaBanana says "Meat may be missing but taste is there, these are GOOD!" about Trader Ming's Stir Fried Vegetable Egg Rolls

AnnaBanana — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:51:46 GMT

In a last-minute campaign to use up as many offers as we can before our Entertainment Books expire, my friends and I dined at The Golden Wok the other night. I ordered some sort of scrumptious dish which was like Oriental pot roast loaded with cooked green pepper, tomatoes, and rich brown gravy served with rice. We couldn't finish our dinners off (even after sharing a little with each other) so we emerged triumphant with sacks of leftovers. Afterward, we stopped off at the new Trader Joe's in Oak Park on the way home.

As usual, I hardly knew what to grab first at that wonderful store but I was still thinking in an Oriental mode as I snatched packages of frozen Jasmine and also Brown Organic Rices, following up with taking a chance on Trader Ming's Stir Fry Vegetable Egg Rolls. This product consisted of five apparently hand-made full-sized rolls which cost $2.99 and they were worth every penny.

These look like regular egg rolls but instead of meat, they sport a filling of shredded...

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