Category Archives: reviews

menu plan Monday, partner campaign, reviews

Eastern Spice Co. makes Indian cuisine easy

03/10/2014 Nichole

I love trying to make foods from different cuisines at home, so I was quick to say yes when Eastern Spice Company offered to send me one of their products to try out and review. The idea behind the fledgling company is to “make Eastern cuisines much more accessible to the average Western kitchen” by supplying tins of pre-blended spices. Each tin contains enough spice to make one complete recipe, and Eastern Spice Company has a recipe for each blend on their web site.

They currently offer four spice blends — Indian Chicken Curry, or Tamatur Murghi; Indian Tangy Curry, which makes chicken or beef vindaloo; Indian Coconut Curry, or Kaari Chawal; and Indian Vegetable Stir Fry, or Aloo Subji — all of which I’d like to try because I have yet to meet a curry dish that I don’t like. They sent me the vindaloo blend, and Rockford said he’d rather try it with beef than with chicken. So that’s what we did.

Our beef vindaloo was delicious and much spicier than I’d expected it to be, which was fine by me but too much for Poppy. Pete, Rockford and Rockford’s parents didn’t have a problem with the heat level, either. We all chomped it up while Poppy feasted on rice. (We served the vindaloo with a little yogurt on the side to cut the heat.)

The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the recipe format. The vindaloo blend is meant to be made with either chicken of beef, and the proteins require slightly different preparations. The recipe on the Eastern Spice Company web site co-mingles the instructions, which made it a little bit confusing. It would’ve been easier to navigate if they’d had separate recipes for beef and chicken.

A set of four spice blends would make a really nice housewarming or hostess gift, and at $4 a tin I think they’re definitely worth the price. The guys at Eastern Spice Company gave me a coupon code to share with you, too, to make them even more affordable! The code, ESC10, will take 10 percent off your order and is good until Friday (03/14/14).

Rockford and I will both be enjoying leftover beef vindaloo for lunch today, and let me tell you: I am really looking forward to lunchtime.

Here’s what we’re having for dinner the rest of the week:

Monday: Sweet Spicy Chicken Tenders

Tuesday: Chilaquiles Verdes

Wednesday: Rosemary Chicken

Thursday: Spicy Taco Soup

Friday: Pizza

I’m linking this up with OrgJunkie.com’s weekly Menu Plan Monday thing.

reviews

How Slushy Magic taught my children the truth about advertising

07/03/2013 Nichole

“Yay! Slushy Magic!”

“Are the ice cubes frozen yet?”

“The ice cubes are frozen! Let’s make some Slushy Magic!”

“That doesn’t look like it did in the commercial at all.”

“Maybe if we shake it some more.”

“OK, well maybe if we shake it a little more.”

“Daddy, that is not a slushy, and it is not magic.”

“Alright, one more shake.”

“Daddy! Everything in that commercial was a lie!”

In conclusion, Slushy Magic does not work as magically as advertised.

These children are living a lie. (photo courtesy AsSeenOnTVwebstore.com).

Music, reviews, sponsored

Have I told you lately that I love a classic crooner?

05/08/2013 Nichole

“So I’m going to review a Michael Bublé album,” I said.

“Excuse me, you’re what?”

“I’m going to review a Michael Bublé album,” I said. “So I need to listen to it. A lot.”

“Um, okay. Right now?”

“Right now.”

And Rockford rolled his eyes and humored me, as usual.

I’ve listened to Michael Bublé’s “To Be Loved” roughly 524 times since that conversation, and it has been a completely pleasant addition to our sonic landscape. Rockford is more on the Rush side of the Canadian musical spectrum, but even he’s cut out the eye-rolling when I put “To Be Loved” on. The first single, “It’s a Beautiful Day,” is a deceptively pop-boppy breakup song that’s positively Taylor Swift-ian in its put-downs:

Baby, it’s fine, you said that we should just be friends
Well, I came up with that line and I’m sure
That it’s for the best
If you ever change your mind, don’t hold your breath.

That’s sassy, Mike. (Can I call you Mike?) I like it.

My favorite parts of the album, though, are the covers. “You Make Me Feel So Young” and “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” rarely fail to put a smile on my face, and Bublé’s version of “Have I Told You Lately that I Love You” is pretty much swoon-worthy.

You can croon to me anytime, Bublé.

“To Be Loved” is available at Amazon and iTunes (and undoubtedly many other fine retailers as well).

Nichole received a free copy of “To Be Loved” for review. She is eligible for incentives for her participation in this One2One Network campaign. All opinions expressed are solely her own.