Smart Made Rosemary Grilled Beef and Vegetables Smart Ones Frozen Entree - Review

I purchased this product at Meijer when it was on sale at 2 for $5 (regular price $3.65) the packaging looked enticing with colorful grilled Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes with a white background that boasted it was only 270 calories with 17 grams of protein.  

This brand, in general, advertises that it is more back to basics and selects "real" foods and prepares them the same way a "real" home cooking techniques, like grilling and roasting, but with a twist to switch out unhealthier ingredients for healthier ones, but without sacrificing taste.

Prep is easy, you take it out of the package and it looks like this.  You pull up the cover on the corner to vent, the microwave it on high for 2:30.

After you have nuked it for the allotted time, you pull off the plastic and it looks like this.  I hate to say it, but it did not look appetizing at all at this point.  Although the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes have been charred, everything looks watery and limp and the sauce looks like a crime scene on the left-hand side of the dish.

On major ingredient that it has that it not advertised on the front is onion; while I am fine with it, I have family members where that much onion in a dish would be a deal-breaker and they would refuse to eat it, so I think it should be prominently displayed so you know what you are getting before you purchase the product.

Also, the picture on the front has a sprig of Rosemary, but I did not see any spices in the dish; mostly tasted the onions and there was some garlic in the sauce.

You then mix it up, but the plastic back over the top and put it back in the microwave for another 2 minutes.

At this point, it looks much better, but not at all like what is on the front of the package (below).

Of course, the real test is the taste and for under 300 calories, it was more flavorful than I expected and was not bad.  It as a tomato-wine based sauce with some spices (guessing that is it had Rosemary from the outside packaging, but if so was subtle, but did not specifically detect it in the taste).

This is a product that if it is on sale and/or I had a coupon for, I might pick it up again for the low calories, high protein, quick prep, and adequate taste, but I would not pay full retail price for.



Pros:

• Low calories
• High in Protein
• Quick and easy preparation
• Overall adequate flavor
• No artificial flavors or preservatives

Cons:

• Finished product does not look like what is advertised on package
• One of the major ingredients, onions, is not represented at all on the package
• Has Rosemary on the package, but not visible on the finished product.
• Expensive for a frozen dinner at the retail non-sale/coupon price of $3.69.

Earth Day Project - Bathroom Recycling Bin from a 2 Liter Bottle

I subscribe to an email newsletter for  Do Something.org and they challenge readers to create their own recycle bin to recycle empty cosmetic and beauty items and it could be anything and you could decorate it in any way you like.  They called the promotion "Rinse, Cycle, Repeat".

As I live in a small apartment, I chose an empty 2-liter bottle that I had on hand. I chose not to decorate it as I have the option when it is full to put the entire container in the recycle bin and make another one if I choose, but I will probably just empty it out.

So far I have the top of a lid off a product, toilet paper tubes, bobby pins, tags off of products, washed out plastic lids and an old plastic toothbrush cover.  

I cut the label off with with a pair of scissors and carefully peeled off the label.  I also washed off what was left of the label with dish soap and water with a scrubber. 

I used a pen because I couldn't find a Sharpie and drew and an elongated  semi-circle with the flat part at the top where the opening would be.

You could use an Xacto Knife or box cutter to cut, but I like using an old pair of scissors as I think it give me better control.  I pinched the bottle and a horizontal cut to get started.

I then cut vertically from the center up to the lines I had drawn on the bottle.

I then cut near the lines and removed the center for the opening and I had the completed recycle bin for my bathroom above.

Ulta Be Beautiful Color Essential Collection - $120 Value For $19.99

Ulta currently has a great deal on their Ulta Be Beautiful Color Essentials Collection where you can get the above collection, at $120 value, for $19.99.

The kit contains:

• Eyeshadow Palette in 24 Limited Edition Shades (0.59 oz)
• Cheek Palette with 4 Limited Edition Shades (Matte Bronzer: 0.12 oz, Highlighter: 0.12 oz, Blush: 0.12 oz, Setting Powder: 0.12 oz)
• Dewy Makeup Setting Spray (coconut scented) (1.0 oz)
• 2 Matte Lip Creams in Tender (medium warm nude matte) and Bombshell (medium muted mauve) (0.1 oz)
• 2 Color Rush Lip Glosses in Jackie (medium bright peach with shimmer) and Serena (medium raspberry with shimmer) (0.1 oz)
• Dual-Ended Eyeliner in Blackout (deep black matte) and Mink (deep brown matte) (0.039 oz)
• Dual-Ended Lip Liner in Flesh (light pinkish nude matte) and Rose (medium rosy pink matte) (0.039 oz)
• Eyeshadow Brush
• Crease Brush
• Blush Brush
• 2 Dual-Ended Sponge Tip Applicators

I also love the box that contains the product as it is pale pink with a white overlay; it has a Jackie-O look to it but with a modern edge that zips up.

One downside is they will not accept their $3.50 coupon on this product, but if you don't have their charge card and apply for one, you can get 20% your first purchase.

 

Little Debbie Spring Nutty Bars - Review

I purchased a box of 10 Little Debbie "Spring Nutty Bars" on sale for $1.99.  

I had originally taken more pictures; however, the SD card became corrupted and I was not able to retrieve them, but at you can see from the front of the package, it is not the standard Nutty Bar with Dark Chocolate coating and Peanut Butter.   It has the same formulas of an outer coating, in this case, White Chocolate with a green decoration on top, and contains layers of wafers and a Vanilla Cream filling.   

The bars are significantly smaller than the standard Nutty Bar, but it is good if you like Vanilla more than Chocolate, but if you like them you may want to stock up as they will disappear from the shelves after Easter.