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For an always perfect hostess gift, bring a bottle of bubbly as it's always a welcome addition to any holiday get together. Consider Moët Impérial dressed up in a golden sparkly bottle (SRP $39.99). This Moët & Chandon champagne — in a gold bottle —adds a touch of glamour to all holiday celebrations.The bubbly has bright fruitiness and elegant maturity with a seductive palate.
What should you do with leftover cheese? Wrap in plastic? Wax paper? Aluminum foil? Cloth? I generally use waxed paper -- as it breathes a bit more than the others. The inexpensive ($10) yellow-plastic Hutzler Cheese Saver is worth a try, especially if you're a cheese lover, like me. I found that for the most part, my cheeses stayed fresh longer, as it also allows them to breathe. To use it, place a moist paper towel beneath the perforated plastic shelf and put the cheese on it. The cheese does stay fresh longer, whether hard or soft.
Dole expanded its Organic Salad Mixes to six different varieties including baby spinach, spring mix, 50/50 salad mix, kale, super spinach, and baby spinach and arugula. All mixes are available in 5-ounce containers serving two - the baby spinach and spring mix are also available in 16-ounce containers serving five. Save Save
Philadelphia Cheesecake Cups come in a ready-to-eat snack cup with cheesecake on one side and one of four toppings on the other side. The cheesecake cups are free of artificial flavors or dyes. Each 3.25-ounce serving contains 170 to 220 calories, 6 to 7 grams saturated fat (of 10 to 12 grams total), 190 to 310 milligrams sodium and 2 to 3 grams protein. Kristine James, intern at Bite of the Best: My kids love these and they make a great addition to their lunch box for a special treat. They are about 40% lower in total fat than a regular piece of cheesecake with 10 to 12 grams per [...]
Planet Fuel Organic Juices, available with Cherry Lemonade, Apple Grape or Pear Lime flavors, are made without refined sugars, preservatives and artificial flavors. The juices are mixed with water to lower the sugar content and are offered in 10-ounce aluminum cans, which are bigger than usual juice boxes/pouches. Each 10-ounce serving contains 80 to 100 calories and 17 to 24 grams sugar. Kristine James, intern at Bite of the Best: My kids really enjoyed the juices. They are bigger than usual juice boxes/pouches, 10 ounces compared to 6 ounces, which makes them just the right size for my 7- and 10-year-old and they do not contain any high fructose corn [...]
Sabatier Edgekeeper Forged Knives come with Self-Sharpening Sheaths, offering a solution to the top consumer complaint about cutlery: dull knives. Each knife features a built-in sharpener that, not only protects the blade during storage, but also hones the blade’s edge every time it's used. Save Save
Dave’s Killer Bread introduced a new line of organic bagels that are vegan, Non-GMO verified and available in three varieties: Plain Awesome, Epic Everything and Cinnamon Raisin Remix. Each bagel contains 260 to 270 calories, 0 to 0.5 grams saturated fat (of 2.5 to 6 grams total), 380 to 400 milligrams sodium and 11 grams protein. The Epic Everything is a good source of fiber with 3 grams a serving and together with the Plain Awesome a good source of iron with 10%. - bonnie: Sorry Dave, these are not bagels, other than their shape, at least not to anyone who's had a New York bagel. As breadstuff, these are [...]
Those of us who like the 100% Sauvignon Blancs from the Marlborough region of New Zealand will like the new Invivo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014. Like the others, it has a tropical nose with a minerality classic to that region. The reasonably priced Invivo Sparkling does display all the classic Marlborough Sauvignon blanc characters of tropical fruits and sweet herbs with a great finish.
Bellion Specialty Vodka is created with "NTX Technology", a patented blend of natural, FDA approved ingredients including glycyrrhizin - licorice root extract, manna sugar and potassium sorbate; when infused into alcohol, it protects the liver and DNA. The Vodka is six times distilled, carbon filtered and tastes slightly sweet, smooth and silky. - bonnie: Although it's purportedly better for me, as vodka drinker I find this libation to have an off flavor. BonnieBOTB Follow @BonnieBOTB Save
Bananawave bananamilk is a plant-based, non-dairy beverage made from bananas and soy beans. It is derived from an African recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. Each cup contains 150 calories, 1 grams saturated fat (of 5 grams total), 125 milligrams sodium and 4 grams protein. It is a good source of vitamin A with 10% and an excellent source of calcium, riboflavin and vitamins C, D, E and B12. Kristine James, intern at Bite of the Best: My daughter loves the banana milk, especially on cereal. It is a great alternative to cow's milk with a rich banana flavor and additional vitamins. Save
Philadelphia Bagel Chips & Cream Cheese Dips are on-the-go cream cheese cups with mini bagel chips for dipping, available in two sweet and two savory flavors: Strawberry, Garden Vegetable, Chive & Onion, Brown Sugar & Cinnamon. Each 2.5-ounce serving contains 200 to 220 calories, 6 grams saturated fat (of 11 to 12 grams total), 380 to 490 milligrams sodium and 6 grams protein. They are a good to excellent source of vitamin A with 15 to 20% of the daily recommended intake. Kristine James, intern at Bite of the Best: These make a great, tasty although high-sodium mid-day snack.
Caesar Salad and Apple Dijon are the new organic salad kits from Dole. The Caesar kit includes romaine lettuce, pita chips, parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing; the Apple Dijon kit, spring mix, dried cranberries, walnuts, cheddar cheese and apple Dijon vinaigrette. Each 3-cup serving contains 200 to 230 calories, 3.5 to 4.5 grams saturated fat (of 15 to 19 grams total), 300 to 490 milligrams sodium and 4 to 6 grams protein. The salads are good to excellent sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin K, folate and manganese. Save Save
Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur is the 2016 winner of the World's Best Cream Liqueur Award. It's blend of natural Irish cream, real chocolate and aged Irish whiskey. Once opened, The liqueur does not need to be refrigerated once it's been opened. It has a 6-month shelf life.
FAWEN Ready-To-Drink Soup, available in three unique flavors Beet & Cabbage with Cumin, Broccoli & Cauliflower with Turmeric and Sweet Potato & Lentil with Cinnamon, are free of artificial preservatives, sweeteners and added sugars. The soup comes in a resealable, recyclable TetraPak for an easy on-the-go snack. Each 8-ounce serving contains 60 to 100 calories, 2 grams saturated fat (of 2 to 2.5 grams total), 220 to 360 milligrams sodium and 2 to 4 grams protein. It is a good source of fiber with 3 grams per serving and a good to excellent source of several vitamins and minerals. Kristine James, intern at Bite of the Best: I really like [...]
Here's another way to make carbonated drinks — unlike other systems DrinkMate let's you carbonate many drinks, not just water. It features a patented detachable Fizz Infuser and dual-stage valve system for better control on release of CO2. The system comes with a starter food-grade CO2 carbonator and BPA-free bottles, fizzing everything from fruit juice, lemonade, tea, wine, and beer to cocktails.
Why not start my dinner parties with a tequila tasting, I thought, as I received a bottle each of Don Sebastini & Sons Contigo, El Fumador and El Macho. The tequilas are made from the fermented juice of the Blue Weber agave plant, grown and bottled in Mexico. We started by sampling the newest (blanco) and ended at the oldest (añejo). Like a wine tasting, we checked the color and the aroma, let the liquid coat our tongues before swallowing, and then breathed out. We found the Contigo (blanco) to be smooth with fruit flavors. The wood-aged El Fumador (resposado) was our least favorit; it burnt the tongue. Everyone liked [...]
Tonnino tin tuna cans use 100% yellowfin tuna available in spring water and 100% olive oil. Tonnino Tuna is dolphin-safe, contains lowest levels of mercury and comes in stackable, on-the-go cans. Each 3-ounce serving contains 90 to 130 calories, 0 to 2 grams saturated fat (of 0.5 to 5 grams total), 214 to 270 milligrams sodium and 20 grams protein. The tuna is a good to excellent source of iron with 11 to 35 percent of the daily recommended intake. Save
Tio Gazpacho introduced "drinkable soup" in 2014 and recently added two new flavors, Maiz and Fresa, to their core line. Maiz is made with corn, roasted poblano and lime; Fresa with strawberry, basil and romaine. Each 10-ounce bottle contains 150 to 160 calories, 0.5 to 1 grams saturated fat (of 5 to 9 grams total), 280 to 590 milligrams sodium and 3-4 grams protein. Fresa is a good source of iron and potassium with 10% of the daily recommended intake. Save
These organic heat--and-eat brown rice bowls are available in six different flavors: Fried Style, Coconut, Chicken, Chicken Chipotle, Spanish Style and Turmeric and are prepared with GMO-free ingredients. Each contains 160 to 170 calories, 0.5 grams saturated fat (of 1.5 grams total), 80 to 200 milligrams sodium and 3 to 4 grams protein. They are a good to excellent source of fiber with 3 to 5 grams per serving. Save
Blount Fine Foods introduced eight organic soup varieties available in 16-ounce microwaveable cups and their signature Cool Grip Rim, which makes the cups easy to handle after heating. Each 16-ounce serving contains 130 to 200 calories, 0 to 7 grams saturated fat (of 1.5 to 10 grams total), 510 to 720 milligrams sodium and 4 to 12 grams protein. Several soups are good to excellent sources of fiber, vitamin A and C, calcium and iron. - bonnie : From those I tried, I would recommend the organic hearty and flavorful, fiber (10 grams) and protein rich (12 grams) Coconut Lentil Soup and the nicely flavored high fiber, low fat Vegetarian [...]
