Food

Review of P. F. Chang’s New Noodle Dinners

We received two new noodle dinner kits from P. F. Chang as part of National Noodle Day on October 6th. In addition to the meals, they also gave us two noodle bowls with wooden chop sticks. The noodle dinners they sent us were: Garlic Chicken with Dan Dan Noodles and Pepper Steak with Chow Fun Noodles.

P.F. Chang has taken their “commitment to providing you with an exceptional dining experience every time you walk through our doors” from their China Bistros and applied it to the line of frozen dinners.

P.F. Chang’s bistros offer a unique environment showcasing influences of Chinese and American cultures. There are currently over 200 locations worldwide.

Check out our video review showing you how easy it is to make the P.F. Chang’s dinner in your own kitchen.

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Here is what they say about the new noodle meals:

“These aren’t just frozen meals. They’re noodles done in a bold new way. Unravel the complex flavors created by these unique combinations of robust sauces, marinated meats, and succulent Asian noodles. Prepare them at home in 13 minutes or less.”

Garlic Chicken with Dan Dan Noodles

This meal consist of: “white meat chicken with a savory garlic sauce, bell peppers, Bok Choy, and Yakisoba noodles”.

This is what we thought of the P.F. Chang’s Chicken Noodle Dinner:

The meal was easy to prepare and the suggested cooking time was about right. The garlic definitely stood out in the sauce and slightly over-powered the other ingredients. It seemed like there was a lot of sauce and not enough noodles in this dinner and definitely not enough Bok Choy. I couldn’t even take the Bok Choy. If they would add more of the chicken, noodles, and Bok Choy it would help offset the sauce.

We love the regular P.F. Chang’s Dinner kits for two and eat them often. We always have one in the freezer. My favorite is General Chang’s chicken. We usually fix white rice with it and that is why the sauce isn’t overwhelming. With the noodle dinner we didn’t add anything and there wasn’t enough noodles in the package for the amount of sauce that is provided, at least in the chicken dinner. If you are making this dinner kit I would suggest you add a little of your own noodles or take some of the sauce blocks out before cooking.

Pepper Steak with Chow Fun Noodles

This meal consists of: “steak with a sweet and peppery sauce, bell peppers, onions, and noodles”.

This is what we thought of the P.F. Chang’s Beef Steak Noodle Dinner:

Just like all of P. F. Chang’s frozen meals, this one was also easy and quick to prepare. The noodles in this meal were wider than those in the Garlic Chicken meal and it gave the dinner more texture. It also seemed that this one was more filling because of the fatter noodles. I could definitely taste the pepper when I bit into the steak. There was just the right amount of sauce. The onions were noticeable, but did not take control of the meal.

Overall I think I favor the Pepper Steak Noodle dinner because there were more noodles and that made it so the sauce wasn’t overwhelming. The sauce also had a “kick” to it, which I really liked.

Other P. F. Chang noodle meals that you may find in your local store’s frozen food section include:

Grilled Chicken Teriyaki with Lo Mein Noodles
Shrimp Lo Mein
Firecracker Shrimp with Yakisoba Noodle

In addition to the noodle meals, P. F. Chang offers the following frozen meals:

General Chang’s Chicken
Beef with Broccoli
Orange Chicken
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Shanghai Style Beef
Ginger Chicken & Broccoli
Shrimp in a Garlic Sauce

Overall, I like the frozen meals from P. F. Chang, especially on nights when I do not feel like cooking. They are easy and quick to prepare. We liked both of them, but the Garlic Chicken would be better with our suggestion. We usually have one or two of the regular dinners in our freezer at any given time.

How to Store Digital Coupons on Free Smartphone Apps

If you have been watching Extreme Couponing on TLC you probably like saving money with coupons at the grocery store. While you do need to clip coupons from the newspaper and print them out online most of the time, there is also another way to get coupons sent directly to your loyalty card, it’s called eCoupons or digital coupons.

Every grocery store has a loyalty card. Just go to your store’s customer service desk and sign up. Make sure you use the card when you check out. That is another way to save money because some stores actually load coupons and bonus cash onto the cards.

Here are some Free apps that will help you create a grocery shopping list and also put eCoupons on your grocery store loyalty cards.

CellFire

Never clip a coupon again with Cellfire. With Cellfire you save online grocery coupons directly to your supermarket loyalty card. No clipping, no printing, no forgetting. Just use your loyalty card when you check out and the coupons you have uploaded will be taken off your order. Use Cellfire.com to track what coupons you have in your account so you can compare them to your shopping list and use them for items that are on sale to save even more.

Visit www.cellfire.com to setup a Free account and add your grocery store loyalty card.

SavingStar

SavingStar’s eCoupons are totally paperless. There’s nothing to clip or print since they are 100% digital! They work at over 100 chains in 24,000 stores nationwide.

Here’s how it works:

1. Setup a Free account at www.savingsstar.com and add your store loyalty cards.

2. Select the eCoupons you want to use from the SavingsStar website or the Free SavingStar Smartphone mobile app. They are automatically linked to your store loyalty card.

3. Use your grocery store’s loyalty card when you checkout and the money you save with the coupons is added to your SavingStar account. The savings don’t change your bill at the register and the savings are not printed on the receipt. Instead, they get deposited into your SavingStar account within 7-30 days depending upon where you shop.

4. Once your SavingStar account reaches $5 in savings, you can pick your payout and have the money sent to a bank account deposit, a PayPal account deposit, an Amazon gift card, or you can donate it to a charity.

There’s over 30 coupons on SavingStar now worth over $50!

Coupon Sherpa

The Coupon Sherpa is a Smartphone mobile app that brings hundreds of store coupons to your wallet. Coupons are updated daily and displayed as a number or scannable bar code to be shown at checkout. Coupon Sherpa not only has grocery store coupons but they have discount coupons for other stores as well so you can save on apparel, shoes, home decor, toys, and more.

The free iPhone app hosts a variety of features, including a daily rotation of fresh coupons and codes displayed as a number or scannable bar. The location function uses your phone’s GPS to instantly recognize nearby establishments and pull up the most suitable coupon.

WOWPONS

WOWPONS combines manufacturers coupons, in-store coupons and store loyalty cards into one easy, Free Smartphone mobile app.

Available for the iPhone and Android Smartphone.

Download WOWPONS to your smart phone
Use your phone to scan and add grocery and drugstore items to your custom WOWPONS list
WOWPONS searches for all the coupons to save you money.

You don’t have to be an Extreme Couponer to want to save money and using a coupon Smartphone app to store digital coupons is convenient and will help you save even if you don’t have the time to spend cutting and clipping newspaper coupons.

Dinner at Legal Seafoods Boston at Long Wharf

Recently, while in Boston, Massachusetts attending a Ford event, we decided to eat dinner at a Legal Seafoods restaurant. We have never eaten at a Legal Seafoods so this was going to be a new experience for us. The decision to eat there was also driven by the fact that we had won $200 in gift certificates for Legal Seafoods from a sweepstakes that Wendy entered as part of her sweepstakes hobby.

Prior to our trip, I was researching Legal Seafoods locations in Boston trying to decide which one was closes to our hotel and had the best reviews. I decided upon the one located at Long Wharf. The actual address is: 255 State Street, Boston, MA. I picked this one because it was a short “T” ride from the hotel and was located on the water. I thought it would be nice to have a good meal why enjoying a pleasant mid-summer evening near the water. Legal Seafoods has restaurants in most of the states along the East Coast.

While looking at their website, I noticed that I could make reservations online. I find that interesting and thought it is an excellent way to use technology. I am not sure how many other restaurants offer that capability. So, I went ahead and made our reservations using their site. Even though we had reservations, we still had to wait about 10 minutes to get a table, but that was probably due to the fact that we decided to sit outside as it was a nice evening. Luckily, the predicted rain held off and did not damper the evening. We would have kept dry as the outside dining area is covered.

After a short bus (the first two stops on our route were under construction) and “T” ride, we arrived at Long Wharf. Not knowing exactly where the restaurant was located, we started walking towards the wharf trying to locate it. After a few minutes and past our reservations time, I asked for directions from a vendor at the wharf. She advised me to turn around and she pointed to a building behind us with a big Legal Seafoods sign about the entrance. Duh, if we have simply looked behind us as we walked towards the wharf, we would have seen the restaurant.

As we were waiting on our table, Wendy was busy taking pictures for your viewing pleasure. As I mentioned earlier, we waited no more than 10 minutes before our table was ready. The outside dining area has approximately 25 tables, evenly slit between 2-person and 4-person tables. I assume if you have 5 or more people in your party and want to sit outside that they would combine tables for you. It’s not a fancy atmosphere in the restaurant or outside but more casual so there is really no dress code.

Our waiter arrived shortly after we were seated and take our drink order. The menu was extensive and the waiter was very helpful in answering our questions and offering suggestions. Wendy decided to try the Legal’s Signature Crab Cakes dinner. She ordered the Combo version which had one crab cake, grilled shrimp, and scallops. In place of the salad she order rice pilaf. I ordered the Wood Grilled Assortment that comes with three portions of fish (Chef’s selection), shrimp, scallops, and choice of two sides. For sides, I choose sautéed fresh vegetables and mashed potatoes. While we waited on our dinners, we enjoyed warm dinner rolls, light conversation, and mid-summer evening in Boston.

After 10 to 15 minutes, our dinners arrived and they looked good. Because Wendy and I are not heavy eaters and we did not want leftovers since we were staying at a hotel so we were pleased to see that the meals were the size that we could eat without leftovers and feeling totally stuffed afterwards. They forgot to substitute the rice for the seasonal salad that came with Wendy’s dinner, so they quickly brought out her rice with no hesitation.

Time to taste the food and past judgment. The three fish with my meal were: salmon, tuna, and swordfish. Each of the fish were cooked exceptionally well, neither to rare nor over done. The same way with the scallops and shrimp. They had a slight woody taste combined with a touch of heat. The mashed potatoes and veggies were okay. A little garlic and blue cheese would make the potatoes pop more. The veggies had a crunch to them, which was what I was expecting for being lightly sautéed. The portions were just the right size fro me.

Wendy enjoyed most of her meal except for the crab cake. It had a spicy / heat taste to it that she did not like. I was not able to pin point what was giving it that taste but I believe it was a combination of hot sauce and Dijon mustard. Other than the crab cakes, she enjoyed the rest of her meal.

As we were not pressed for time, we decided we would partake in dessert and coffee. Usually, we are too full from the meal to eat dessert, but when the waiter described the Boston Crème Pie that they offered, we figured we would give it a try. When the pie arrived, it was definitely not your typical Boston Crème Pie and it looked just like he waiter described it.

They start out with a round cake about 4 inches in diameter that is filled with crème and soaked in coffee. Then a light crust is baked around the cake. The top is then layered with a rich chocolate. Once we tasted it, we realized that it is not your standard Boston Crème Pie, it is by far the best one we have ever had. I thought it would be too moist being that it is soaked in coffee, but soaked is probably the wrong word to use, maybe dipped is better, because it was moist but not soggy. It is something you definitely should try if you are eating at Legal Seafoods.

Overall, it was a good meal at the prices I expected. The portions were the right size that did not leave you wanting more nor over stuffed. The Boston Crème Pie was the best we ever had. The service was excellent and very helpful, while not giving you the feeling of being rushed so they can turn the table. They gladly and quickly resolved the issue of not bringing out the correct item with Wendy’s dinner. The atmosphere was relaxing and enjoyable, especially outside (inside may be a touch loud). The only down side was the coffee, it was okay, but tasted like it had been sitting for awhile. They offered to get fresh coffee, but we said that we to go, so they did not charge us for the coffee.

Boston Vacations

Hungry Jack Premium Hashbrown Potatoes Review and Recipes

Hungry Jack has a new hash brown potato product I want to tell you about. The Hungry Jack people sent us some to try out. They come in a convenient container that makes it easy.

Here’s How:

Just open and pour in hot tap water inside the carton.
Let stand for 12 minutes and drain off excess water.
Preheat skillet with 2 tablespoons or oil over medium heat
Pan fry in your skillet until golden brown.

Each carton is enough for six servings and retails for around $1.79 and they are available nationwide at major grocery store retailers such as Walmart, Safeway, Albertsons, Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, and Super target. To find out where you can buy them visit their website at hungryjackpotatoes.com

The container is also good for taking on camping trips because of how easy it is to use and store. Hashbrowns are great for breakfast or a side dish.

Hungry Jack Hashbrown Potatoes Nutrition Facts:

Contains 100% Idaho^® Potatoes that are gluten free

Hungry Jack hash brown potatoes are great with ketchup on top and eggs or an omelet on the side.

Here is an omelet recipe you can try using Hungry Jack Hash Brown Potatoes.

Hashbrown Omelet

Ingredients:

1 carton (4.2 oz) Hungry® Jack Premium Hashbrown Potatoes
3 large eggs
Canola oil as needed

Preparation Directions:

Fill hashbrown potato carton to fill line with hottest tap water. Let stand 12 minutes. Drain any excess water.
Heat an 8-inch non-stick skillet, or a griddle, over medium heat. Coat with about 2 teaspoons oil; add 1/2 cup hashbrown mixture and spread to a 6-inch circle.
Add choice of filling on one side. Cook until top is set and bottom is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Fold unfilled side over filling and remove from pan.
Serve warm. Repeat to make five omelets.

Filling suggestions:

Greek Style Omelet (shown in photo): Add 1 teaspoon dry Greek herb seasoning or 1/4 teaspoon each oregano, basil and mint to carton before adding hot water to hashbrown potatoes. Fill each omelet with 1-2 tablespoons each chopped fresh spinach, diced tomatoes and feta cheese.
Southwest Omelet: Add 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder to carton before adding hot water to hashbrown potatoes. Add 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese to potato-egg mixture. Fill each omelet with 1-2 tablespoons each salsa, diced ham, and green onions. Garnish omelet with cilantro and sour cream.

You can find more Hungry Jack Hashbrown recipes at hungryjackpotatoes.com/recipes

Follow Hungry Jack on Facebook for more recipes and too find out about new products and promotions.

Disclosure: This post was written for Family Review Network & Hungry Jack who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest opinions

Musselman’s Apple Sauce Recipes

I bet you never thought of using Musselman’s apple sauce in a recipe. We have been eating Musselman’s apple sauce for years and I never thought of using it either. The Musselman’s company sent us some of their apple sauce to try out and along with it they sent some recipes.

When it’s hot outside you don’t want to cook so making fruit treats and drinks you can enjoy that are also good for you is perfect for hot Summer months

We decided to try the Smoothie recipe and it was quick, easy, and delicious.

Creamy Peach Berry Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

mussellmans fruit smoothie recipe

1 cup of any flavor MUSSELMAN’S ® Apple Sauce
2 cups peaches
1/2 cup raspberries or strawberries
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 cup milk

Preparation instructions:

Puree ingredients in a blend for a refreshing smoothie. Add puree to ice pop molds for a frozen treat.

Simple!

musselmans fruit smoothie recipe

Check out some of the other Mussellman’s recipes you can make with apple cause. You can get them on their website and print them out.

Musselman’s Apple Sauce products come in single serving sizes to make it easy to put in lunches and take in your purse for a quick treat.

Here are some other recipes from Musselman’s you won’t find on their website.

Musselmans recipe apple butter bbq sauce

Musselmans recipe salad dressing

Musselmans recipe apple butter bbq sauce

Musselmans recipe ginger yogurt smoothie

Disclosure: Musselman’s sent us a basket of their products and recipes to try out. We decided to share the recipes with our recipes and our opinions are our own.