February 17, 2010 by Marianne

February 17, 2010 • Filed Under: Bacon Reviews , Bacon, Carl's Jr., Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger

Now, Naseem and I have each been on our own version of a health kick. We talk a lot about salads and calorie counts and Naseem actually exercises. Regularly. She’s crazy like that. But for this free burger we decided to have a “cheat” day. A SERIOUS cheat day including fast food lunch and a 4 pm margarita & tapas happy hour. Heady, no?

So Naseem picks me up last Friday and we head to the nearest Carl’s Jr. There are giant images of burgers all over that restaurant, and by the time we had placed our order, we were starving. The Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger comes in a single, a double and a “six dollar” version. I don’t really know the difference between the three, as we went for the biggest and baddest burger we could get. We decided to split the one burger and top it with large fries because, you know…saving room for happy hour. Of course it didn’t look like the coupon, but I wasn’t fazed. Marketing images are always over-glossed

My past experience with so-called grilled burgers has been kind of gross. The buns are usually super greasy, more like deep-fried toast, but I think I’m thinking of Jack-in-the-Box. Anyway, the flat sourdough-type bread was not greasy. One point for Carl’s. There really was a ton of cheese. Another big point. The burger was flame-broiled and there were three slices of tasty, albeit thin, bacon. Point and point. I mean, if you’re going to eat fast food, these are all good things. This burger has no condiments of any sort, just bread, cheese, bacon and burger.

Now to address the claim of being anything like a grilled cheese. First of all, though I like that it wasn’t greasy, that’s exactly what a grilled cheese would be. And really, with the sparse construction, it reminded me mostly of Jack-in-the-Box’s Ultimate Cheeseburger, but with better bread and a tastier, flame-broiled burger. I did love that there were four slices of cheese; it was so rich that I was really glad we were splitting it. Add a bunch of fries to that and we were both stuffed.

So my overall opinion was that this IS a tasty burger. The next time I find myself at a Carl’s on a road trip, there’s a good chance this will be the burger I order. (Farewell, Western Bacon Cheeseburger…it’s been nice knowing you.)

*Interesting side note: the Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger was created when the food inventors at CKE decided to make something for the vegetarians. Why not a really killer grilled cheese? Who doesn’t love it? Unsurprisingly, during the testing phase someone said, “This is good, but you know what would make it better? A burger and bacon.” And that was that. For those vegetarians out there, if you order a grilled cheese, they’ll gladly make you one.

February 3, 2010 by Marianne

February 3, 2010 • Filed Under: Bacon Gifts, Bacon Reviews , B More Nutz, Bacon, nutterz

I don’t know what it is, but lately I’ve received a number of product offers from people making innovative, bacon-flavored snacks. Anyone who’s known me any length of time will tell you that I love free stuff. In fact, you probably don’t want to accidentally leave a cool t-shirt, jacket or pair of shoes at my house because, hey! Free stuff! And that garden that I was so excited about last year? Free food! All it cost was hundreds of dollars in tools, fertilizer, a worm farm composter, seeds and seedlings, and dozens of hours of back-breaking labor! Best 3 months of my life. And now it’s a driveway.

But I digress. Not long ago I heard from Dick Taylor at B More Nutz. His is an inspiring story. He was a traveling salesman of sorts, and while in Scandinavia selling stuff and drinking (which is what you do in Scandinavia, right?) he discovered a type of peanut he’d never had before. It was wrapped in a potato chip. Strangest thing I’ve ever heard, but apparently it really sparked something in Dick. When he found he couldn’t find this intriguing snack in the U.S., he decided to make them himself. And that’s what he’s doing to this day. He calls them Nutterz and they come in four fun flavors.

So I received a box that contained three flavors: Nuclear, Mild Chili, and of course Bacon Cheddar. I don’t know what the Scandinavian version of this snack is like. I was imagining a peanut with an actual potato chip wrapped around it. In fact, it’s a peanut coated in a thick potato chip batter…like what they make Pringles from. So if you like dry-roasted peanuts and Pringles, you probably want to try this snack. They have a great crunch to them; I can see why Dick calls them the perfect beer nut. I opened a couple bags while some friends were over for drinks and they proved addictive.

Now for the flavors. The Nuclear was actually pretty spicy for a snack/chip. It wasn’t my favorite because it wasn’t as salty as I like my peanuts to be. But keep in mind that I LOVE SALT, so you’ll have to take my opinion with a grain of…you know. The mild chili was great, a bit saltier, not what I would call spicy at all. The Bacon Cheddar was my favorite by far. Very salty, very crunchy and lots of smoky cheddar flavor. And someone commented that they don’t leave any cheese dust or other residue on your fingers because they’re not flavor-coated. The flavor is INSIDE the chip. Genius.

The one type of Nutterz I didn’t receive was the CRAB NUTZ! Seriously, how great is that name? And although I love crab and am intrigued the name (CRAB NUTZ!) I had my fair share of seafood-flavored snacks in Thailand. I’m probably glad to pass on this one.

If you’re interested in trying this unique snack for yourself, you can go to B More Nutz online store and pick up a 6-pack, a case, or even a tub! Mmm…tub o’ nuts. Need I say more?

January 25, 2010 by Marianne

January 25, 2010 • Filed Under: Bacon Gifts, Bacon Reviews , Bacon, Pop's Authentic Snack Sticks

Just before the holidays, we were fortunate to be contacted by the good folks at Pop’s Authentic, a company that makes artisan jerky and meat snack in New Franklin, Missouri. They asked if we’d like to try their product (specifically their Bacon Snack Stick) and I enthusiastically accepted. When the package arrived, I was thrilled to find a sampling of their snack stick flavors, including original, peppered, habanero and of course bacon.

It took my husband all of 5 seconds to tear into one. They look similar to a Slim Jim, which had me wary, but believe me, looks are where the comparison ends. We started with the original. It tastes like a nice smoked summer sausage, and has a nice, firm texture. It’s like having a small reminder of summer BBQs in the dead of winter. The peppered stick had a tiny bit of spice to it, and the habanero a bit more, but neither would really fit my description of “spicy.” We just eat things really hot at our house.

And then we tried the bacon. This was our favorite by far. Again, it had the flavor of  a smoked sausage, but it was a bit sweeter, like there was a hint of maple to it. I’m definitely ordering these to keep around the house because they’re a great carb-free snack. Low in fat and high in protein, each stick has 80 calories and zero carbs. The sodium is a bit high at 280 mg, but when you’re a salt freak like me, it comes with the territory.

All of Pop’s snack sticks come in boxes of 12 for $13.80. As a special offer to our readers, when you order two boxes you’ll get a third free! To place an order, just go here and enter the promo code POPS. And tell them RBS sent you!

January 20, 2010 by Marianne

January 20, 2010 • Filed Under: Bacon Recipes, Bacon Reviews , Bacon, Oscar Mayer, Super Thick Cut Bacon

We were recently contacted by Oscar Mayer, asking us if we’d like to try out their new product, Super Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon. Because we are no fools, we said, “yes please!” You may have seen this new bacon mentioned on, oh, EVERY OTHER BACON BLOG by now, but we here at RBS really like to take our time to savor a new experience. Look at it from every angle. Meet its mom and dad before we make a commitment.

First let’s talk about the term “Super Thick Cut.” I tried really hard to take a photo that would emphasize the thickness of these slices, but I just couldn’t do them justice. I will say this: there are only 9 slices to a pound. I’d say they’re just slightly thicker than your average slice of Canadian bacon. They’re like something from the Flintstones. Wilma would serve this brontobacon with a side of pterodactyl eggs. And Fred would love it.

Good old Oscar also sent us a handful of creative recipes to try, but I really wanted to put the bacon to everyday uses and see how it fit. I’m here to tell you, it fits like a glove. First I made the classic: bacon and eggs. It takes me about 20 minutes to make bacon of average thickness, frying it on low heat and making sure it’s cooked evenly. Drives my husband crazy. I figured this bacon would take at least 30 minutes, but on the contrary it took only 15! This was because the larger slices (in my usual small frying pan) made more grease, decreasing overall cooking time and aiding in even doneness. And 2 slices each was more than enough…we both ended up giving Brutus a bite or two.

On to what I use bacon for most: enhancing the joy of vegetables. My husband was making seared Ahi the other night and wanted to try those cool Chinese long beans we always see at the Asian market. He used a few slices of the Super Thick Cut and seasoned it with hot chili powder. It was absolutely delicious and added a nice toothsome feature to the lightly blanched beans.

A couple nights later, I decided to try roasting some cauliflower, something I had eaten at a friend’s house. I chopped up the last two slices of bacon and tossed them with raw cauliflower chunks, then roasted it all at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. I probably should have half-cooked the bacon before adding it to the pan…it didn’t reach quite the crispiness I was looking for, but I didn’t want to over-cook the veggies. All in all, though, it was good. The bacon grease helped brown the cauliflower and of course lended it a delicious, salty flavor.

Naseem said she ate her bacon almost immediately after I delivered it to her, so I’d say she’s giving this product 2 thumbs up. And I’m with her…I’ve not typically been a thick-cut fan, but Super Thick Cut is a whole different story. I’m backing this bacon 100%.

And now for the best news. Oscar Mayer has given us 10 FREE SUPER THICK CUT BACON COUPONS to do with what we will, and of course we’d love to share this product with our readers. All you have to do is send us an email with your address, and one of them will be on its way to you. But act fast, these will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. We’d love for you to try the bacon yourself and tell us what you think!

December 17, 2009 by Marianne

December 17, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon Reviews , 52 teas, Bacon, maple bacon tea

So my maple bacon black tea arrived this week, and I was so excited to try it! First of all, it came loose, giving me an excuse to use that teaball spoon I’ve had sitting in a drawer for the past 3 years. I loves me some kitchen gadgets, but don’t always use them as often as my husband considers to be “justification for ownership.” FYI husband, I used the tea spoon AND those cute 4 ounce ramekins this winter, so see? I totally deserve that ebelskiver pan.

Anyway, when I opened the tea pouch, the first thing I did was take a big whiff. Hm. Smells like black tea. Maybe a little maple syrup, but mostly just…gross. Okay, no problem, smells and tastes don’t always match. Next, I poured some tea into my hand to investigate. There were definitely some bacon bits in there, but I couldn’t smell them at all. I have to say, I give 52 Teas props for not just throwing some liquid smoke in the mix to get the effect. That’s my biggest beef with “bacon flavored” novelties; they’re usually just regular food/candy with some smoke attached.

Okay, well on to the taste test. I put a teaspoon of tea in my tea spoon. How many times are you allowed to say tea in one sentence? (Ooh, check out that huge bacon nug in the spoon!) Anyway, I steeped it for 5 minutes as recommended and added one packet of Splenda, because I supposedly don’t do sugar these days. I thought honey might help boost the maple flavor, but I didn’t want to taint the results. On my first sip, I thought perhaps I tasted a little maple, but it was faint. I kept drinking and a few sips in I thought perhaps I was just imagining any flavors beyond black tea…the power of suggestion.

I’m a cream-in-my-tea type, so about halfway through the cup I added a little. And that was the end of that. No bacon, no maple, but it reminded me of good English breakfast tea. So I enjoyed the rest of the cup and will be very happy to drink the rest of the tea as well. The black tea itself seems to be of very high quality, so I can still recommend 52 Teas without reserve, regardless of any novelty flavors. I would much prefer the flavors be too subtle than see a whole bag of tea ruined by artificial smoke and mirrors.