5 new to me products I have tried and my opinion on them.

The first item is that new Ka-Boom cleaner.

It is a foaming cleaner that changes color from blue to white once the cleaning is done. I have spent years, literally trying to get  the neglected gunk off my tub and shower walls. I mean I have bleached, cleansered, oxycleaned and Mr. Cleaned it and never seemed to make head way.  I have used this can on my tub for the last 3 weeks. The tub is nearly presentable. No scrubbing, I just sprayed it down let it set for about 30 minutes then rinsed. It has done more in 3 weeks on the old gunk than I have been able to do for all my elbow grease in 6 years. The tub to me is still not hot bath worthy, but the tub is also about 60 years old and probably just needs to be refinished. It however looks much better than it ever did since we moved in! I only use this on the tub and this can is still at least 1/2 full. 

On a scale of 1 to 5 this stuff is a 4, the can tends to dribble and makes a bit of a mess and wastes a bit of cleaner.

Next is Special K Blueberry. 

I LOVE Blueberries.  I liked it ok., It really did not have enough blueberry taste to warrant the big letters on the box. I do not think I could handle the 21 day challenge though.  This cereal does have corn syrup (corn sugar) in it. However it is less than most sweetened cereals. I tend to shy away from corn sweetening. I know supposedly it is harmless and in very small doses it can be, but since it is in almost all prepackaged foods, from ketchup to crackers to meat, unless you cook mostly from scratch you get more than a little bit of it.

 On a scale of 1 to 5 it rates a 2.

Go Lean Crisp Berry.

I am a member of  VocalPoint. They send me things to try. They sent me a 1 serving box of the Go Lean Crunch. Think Grapenuts but sweeter. I did not like it, it felt like eating gravel, though it did taste better.  In the box was a coupon for the crisp version. It made the cereal free so I decided to try that. I do like it better, it has dried berries in it, I think blueberries and cranberries. I can not really taste them. This cereal just is. I do not taste the flavors of the items in it. I am a person who likes vibrant flavors. if some thing says it is banana or garlic or blueberry then I want to taste those things. I find some times foods mix such a mish mash of flavors that you really do not get a flavor.  Just as if you mix a lot of colors you end up with a garish brown color. It just is. This cereal is like that, no individual flavor stands out. Plus, if you have delicate teeth, be careful. The crunchy bits are hard!

On a scale of 1 to 5 this also rates a 2.

Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta

This I liked, It did not claim to be flavored, it did claim to have added vitamins and fiber. It tasted for all that added nutrition, like regular pasta. I love Pasta, I specifically love Penne Rigate.  I had decent coupons for several styles of the Ronzoni brand. Had I not over cooked it it would have been a really good meal. 

This one rates a 5 out of 5.

Challenge Tuscan style butter

It cooks fine, I sauteed my chicken in it. It claims to be made of butter, olive oil, canola oil, garlic and Italian herbs. I saw the specks so I know there was something dark in it. I however did not taste any of it. It did not even smell garlicky. This is one I would not buy if I had to pay for it. I would not use it on my garlic bread (one of the uses it claims on the label) Even my Beloved said there was no flavor to it. I have 4 tubs of it and since it sautees nicely they will save my other butter for baking and such. 

There you have it, my take on 5 things I had not tried before. Looking at this, I guess I am very picky when buying prepackaged foods. I think eating should be exciting. I do not think salt is a flavor nor do I think hot and spicy are synonyms. Spicy is full bodied with a hint of heat. Hot is when it makes your lips numb. If I get a food, other than say fries, which I like decently salted, and all I can taste is salt I won't eat it. I do not use the food network chef's rule of a pinch either. a pinch is by definition 1/8th or less of a teaspoon. (Online conversion actually lists it as 1/16) Not enough to wave dribbling into a dish then clap your hands to remove the last bit. This is a big pet peeve of mine. When a chef says they can not taste the salt.  THAT is how it should be! Salt should be tasted in things like pickles, because it is used to preserve them. It should not be the leading flavor in all other dishes.

Now off to do my daily work!

hugs y'all!