Smashburger opens in New Hyde Park

smashburger - New Hyde Park, NY

Here is my Smashburger story (what, doesn't everyone have one?)... In July, E. and I visited my parents in CO. We arrived very very late at night, got up early to go to church then went to Smashburger! My parents were soooo excited to introduce it to me. And yes, my burger was delicious! (There is a picture of it at that link)

I didn't think there were any on Long Island (but did I check no.... of course not!) but there are - Smashburger just opened its 4th Long Island location. This Smashburger is at 1600 Marcus Ave in New Hyde Park.

Hidden deliciousness

Menu is posted outside

Situated in a strip mall, the Smashburger looks like an ordinary burger joint. Once you step inside, you can tell right away that it is not ordinary! First, they have color changing panels to separate the dining room from the line, and the decor is chrome and wood. The menu board is a screen, And the menu choices include different fare such as veggie frites, Haagen-Dazs shakes and malts and an avaocado burger. They also sell beer!

menu board

the seating area is to the left, behind the color changing wall

Unfortunately Jeff is crazy busy at work so it was just me and the kiddo. (I did promise Jeff that we would go after things slowed down!). It did not take me long to decide on the BBQ, bacon & cheddar burger with sweet potato fries. I wasn't sure about E - he wanted a grilled cheese, but the kids menu did not mention grilled cheese. However, one of the signs on the menu board was aimed at kids and mentioned grilled cheese. I just got him a hot dog, though. It came with fries, and I did not see a healthier alternative. The drink was extra, which seemed a little ridiculous to me. I'd rather the meal cost more and include the drink. The prices themselves seems comparable to other burger places, and as I mentioned they go have a very big and unique menu.

food is brought to your table

mmmm, milk!

haystack onions, BBQ sauce. bacon...  Yes please!!

hot dog grilled on the grill!!

I did not get to see the smash part of Smashburger's claim to fame - they take a ball of raw hamburger and smash it on the grill. It makes a thin patty with the yummy crispiness of the grill. My burger was delicious - ther patty itself has a great taste, and the bbq sauce added some sweet and sour taste. Both types of fries were delicious. In fact, E., who does not like fries, gobbled his up! I also liked that his hot dog was split down the middle and grilled. My only complaint was that my fries were WAY too salty. You can see in the picture below how much salt was left after I ate the fries.

the paper says it all...

TONS of salt!

The restaurant was very clean. I saw several employees making sure the condiment area was stocked and the tea jug filled. They were all very nice a friend;y with my 2 year old - and did not seem to mind him running around the store like a crazy person when we were trying to leave!

free refills and several types of tea. Like the hand sanitizer too.

seating area

I remember how amazing the burger I had in CO was, and I am so glad that my memory actually served me right!I can't wait to introduce Jeff to the Smashburger scrumptiousness.






Disclaimer: I was given coupons for Smashburger in exchange for my honest review.

Radical Review Wednesday: Smoogy Frozen Cheesecake Cookie Sandwich

The Smoogy in Original Lemon

My husband and I are suckers for just about any food competition program on TV. So when we heard about Supermarket Superstar - where home cooks competed to get their product onto supermarket store shelves - we had to watch! It was a pretty good show, and the winner was the Smoogy, an ice cream sandwich made with a flavored cheesecake filling instead of ice cream.

When I saw it in this week's Waldbaum's ad, I knew we had to try it!

Smoogy is a good size with a lot of filling

The first thing I noticed was the size. I thought it was comparable to to other ice cream sandwiches. It also had a lot of filling. I also noticed that the filling was off  center, with a lot more on one side than the other. They are individually wrapped in the plastic you can see in the picture above.

A bite of Smoogy-ness

The is a definite cheesecake taste, with a good lemon aftertaste. However, they also taste a little bit chemically. The cookie is the best part -  a good size that tastes like a spice cookie. I did find the Smoogy difficult to eat, though, because where the cookie touches the cheesecake filling, it hardens, thus making it difficult to bite then chew tthe cookie. The edges stay nice and soft. I have not had that problem with other ice cream sandwiches.

Smoogy nutrition info

Looking at the nutrition facts, Smoogy is slightly worse than the tubs of ice cream I had in my freezer - however, ice cream's serving size is 1/2 cup, and I know that I have more than that at one time! So it seems more of less like a wash to me. But, $3.99 (on sale) for three servings makes these expensive, and I just don't think the taste justifies the price. I would not buy these again.

If you want more information, there is a Web site - smoogycookie.com/ but that doesn't really have too much info on it!

Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal+ Review

Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal+ Peach Almond

 I am an oatmeal fiend! I love it in every way possible. I eat it several times a week and E. does too. I was excited to see Quaker Real Medleys Oatneal+ in my VoxBox.

Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal+ - chunks of fruit and nuts

I loved this oatmeal. The peaches were plentiful and big AND they tasted just like peaches. No freeze dried bits that taste like nothing. Lots of almonds too, plenty of taste. The portion size was just right, and it filled me up. This would be great for traveling or just when you are on vacation and need a quick and filling breakfast.

Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal+ Peach Almond - delicious!

My only issue is that 45 seconds was not long enough to cook it in the microwave. It was still really runny, even after I stirred it (and waited). I had to cook it for 45 seconds more, and it was perfect.

For more information, visit the Quaker Web Site.




*I received this product complimentary from Influenster*

Radical Review Wednesday - Unreal Candy

Get UNREAL!

Hello, my name is LB, and I am a sugar junkie. I know it is a little uncouth to love candy these day, but I can't help out. I have loved it since I was young. As an adult, I don't buy too much candy, usually only for holidays. But now that I have discovered UNREAL candy, I might just have to buy candy more often!

Candy that has no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no high corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated oils, no GMOs, no preservatives, and even a low glycemic index... Say what?!?! You KNOW I HAD to try every kind they make! And the taste...

unreal candy coated chocolates - look at those cool colors,

candy coated chocolates -  these have a really nice chocolate flavor, very silky. Jeff said the ones with peanuts had a cherry taste? but I thought they were good. The peanuts tasted fresh.

chocolate caramel peanut nougat bar - very subtle flavor. The nougat didn't really have flavor, but the caramel was chewy and the whole bar came together nicely. Very filling. I would choose this over others.

peanut butter cups -these were good. The peanut butter had a good peanut flavor but wasn't quite peanut buttery enough for me. They were also pretty thin.

chocolate caramel bar - I saved the best for last! This was EXCELLENT!!! The nougat was flavorful - it was soft and chewy.  I did not want to share it with Jeff! I will DEFINITELY get this bar again!

chocolate caramel bar - the best unjunked candy ever!

This might have been my most favorite taste test yet! I recommend this candy, especially if you are jonesing for a sugar rush but want something that isn't quite as bad for you! Junk food that isn't junk. :) For more information, visit http://getunreal.com/ or visit UNREAL on Facebook


 

I am a bzzagent and received coupons to help facilitate my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Brew Over Ice K-Cup Review

 

I have a slight K-Cup addiction. I bought a Keurig last November as an early Christmas preset. And boy did Jeff present me with K-Cup presents... 6 boxes! (Get the humor there? ;)) I still have some left! I have gotten used to having a hot cup of coffee almost every morning, to wake me up when E. doesn't sleep well. But sometimes I need a little pick me up in the afternoon too, but I prefer iced coffee. So I was really stoked when I heard about Brew Over Ice K-Cups and was so excited to  try them! they are specially blended to brew directly over ice.

My mocha creation... note the dabble of homemade chocolate syrup

My favorite cold coffee drink is an iced mocha, so I found a recipe (yes I need  recipe for everything!) but that didn't work out. So I found another one, modified it a bit, and it is so good!!! All you do is add as much chocolate syrup as you want to your plastic cup, add the ice, brew (6 or 8 oz) then add a little creamer, milk and sugar if desired! Mmmm.

My favorite of the ones I tried

So, how were the flavors I got to try?
Green Mountain Nantucket Blend: this was a good solid coffee. I used a mocha creamer with it, and it was so good!
Green Mountain Hazelnut: You can taste the nutty flavor. I added less chocolate and a sweet cream creamer
Celestial Seasonings Southern Sweet Tea: It just tasted like regular tea. Very refreshing
Celestial Seasonings  Half and Half: This is half tea and half lemonade. It was ok. I have never had this combo before - it tasted a little off to me.

You can find all of the varieties they offer on the Brew Over Ice Web site. The sweet & creamy ones sound so good!

Watching the coffee come out - this is my son's favorite part!

Don't forgot to sign up for the Brew Over Ice Tumbler Nation - you can get free stuff and be entered to win a year's supply of K Cups and a Keurig!


*I received products from Bzzagent for this review. I received no other compensation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Radical Review Wednesday: Nabisco MilkBite Bars

 Have you guys seen the commercials starring this little guy? His name is Mel ,and he is the Nabisco MilkBite bar.  He is so adorable!!! I love the commercial with him on a blind date. :) The commercials worked for me!  I eat granola bars every day, so I like trying all of the new varieties that come out, and granola bars that need to be refrigerated intrigued me.

What a MilkBite bar really looks like

Being a huge peanut butter fan, I chose the peanut butter variety. And they were DELICIOUS!! So creamy - you can tell that they are made with milk. The taste was similar to those no bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies. It seemed very indulgent. The downside is that thy are very hard to find, and for the same price as granola bars that have 8 bars in them, the MilkBite bars only have include 5 bars in a box. and 5 bars makes it more difficult to share with 2 people!

Nutrition info:
• Made with real milk
• 30% daily value of Calcium
• 5g of Protein
• Good source of Fiber and Vitamin D
• No artificial flavor, colors or preservatives
• 7g of Whole Grains per bar

For more information, check out the MilkBite Web site http://www.kraftbrands.com/milkbite/ and friend Mel on Faebook!

All of the MilkBite flavors

Over the Moon Milk - Review and Giveaway

We are a  big milk family! Jeff has milk every day, several times a day, and of course I love it on my cereal! Now that E. is one, we are going to start him on milk this week.  I was very excited to learn about Over the Moon milk.

Over the Moon milk is available in Fat Free, Low Fat and Chocolate, Over the Moon Milk is creamy and delicious and has 34% more bone-building calcium and 37% more protein than regular milk. Plus, it’s an excellent source of Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin. In short, Over the Moon Milk is a delicious way to take care of  yourself!

I tried the fat free milk, and it really was delicious! It is a little more expensive than other milk, but the benefits make the cost worth it. I am trying to feed E. lots of healthy items, fruits and veggies and finding a milk that is so good for him makes me feel over the moon!

You can follow Over the Moon milks on Facebook. While you are there, you can download a $1 off coupon. you can also enter right here to win a Over the Moon sipper cup. I have three to giveaway! Just use the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway








*I was provided monetary compensation as well as products in exchange for this review. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are all my own*

Radical Review Wednesday: Teddy Grahams Soft Paws

Yup another new product I just had to try! I saw these Soft Paws by Teddy Grahams on the shelf (on sale, no coupon) and they looked really interesting. Being individually wrapped, they seemed more like a granola bar than a cookie, even though they were on the shelf with the cookies.

Teddy Graham Soft Paws come in two flavors - Oatmeal Raisin and Apple Cinnamon. I tried Apple Cinnamon, since Jeff does not like raisins. These cookies were all right.They are small, but they are thick. There was also a little bit of a dark line in them - like they weren't fully baked. The taste was mild.

I did like that  8 come in in a package, rather than 6 or 5 bars that come in a lot of granola bar packages.

I would buy these again, if they were on sale and I had a coupon!

Dr. Oetker Pizza Ristorante Review

Apologies for the quick review with no pictures from me... I was told BzzAgent was not going to give you credit for blog posts anymore, so I didn't eat it thinking about the blog. Then when I logged on today, the last day of the campaign, I saw there was a spot for a blog review! So here you go!




Jeff and I tried these two pizzas:

• Quattro Formaggi: 4 premium cheeses: edam, mozzarella, emmental, blue cheese, basil seasoning
• Speciale: Pepperoni, cooked ham, spicy herbs

Both were very good and enough for two people. However, one pizza would not be enough for three. The Speciale was good, crisp, and I enjoyed having two types of meat. The toppings were plenty, but it wasn't spicy (as the descriptions mentions spicy herbs). The quattro formaggi was delicious. The blue cheese was runny but gave it a bit of a bite that you don't usually find on a frozen pizza.

Pizza Ristorante comes in six varieties, and you can find in in most supermarkets. For more information, visit http://oetker.us or http://ristorante.us


*As a member of BzzAgent, I received 2 free product coupons. No other compensation was received, and all thoughts and opinions are my own*

Radical Review Wednesday: belVita Breakfast Biscuits

When I first the saw the commercial for belVita breakfast biscuits from Nabisco, I knew I had to try them. Cookies for breakfast? Sign me up!! And I am glad I tried them. I tried the Apple Cinnamon and Golden Oat flavors.

Apple Cinnamon belVita was delicious! It tasted like a thin oatmeal cookie, with bits of real dried apples in it. (If you look closely at my pictures, you might just see that apple). My husband, who is NOT a dried fruit fan, barely noticed the apple bits.Which stinks because that meant I had to share them with him!!

Golden Oat belVita was pretty good. It is defintely more cracker-like than the apple cinnamon and tastes and feels a bit more healthier. They are still very tasty and a nice alternative to the usual breakfast foods.

I really don;t have much negative to say about belVita breakfast biscuits. They are a good size and 4 to pack makes you think you are indulging. They are tasty and healthy.  BTW at my grocery store they are sold with the cookies... that should tell you something!!






*Disclaimer: I bought these myself to try and review*

Fiber One 80 Calories Cereal Review and Giveaway

They Say: The wait is over - brand new Fiber One 80 Calories cereal is on store shelves now! Each crunchy wheat and corn puff square in every bowl of Fiber One 80 Calories cereal has a light honey flavor.

* With 40 percent of the Daily Value of fiber in one 80 calorie serving, Fiber One 80 Calories cereal can help curb your hunger, which can help you stick to your weight loss plan.

* With great-tasting Fiber One 80 Calories cereal, there is a new breakfast option that helps you feel satisfied without sacrificing flavor!

Look for new Fiber One 80 Calories cereal on grocer’s shelves now! Visit http://www.fiberone.com/ for great information on healthy living and coupons for new products.

I say:  This cereal was really good! I wasn't sure how an 80 calorie cereal would taste, but it did live up to the Fiber One slogan of "Fiber, yes, Cardboard, no" It is not too sweet, and you can definitely taste the wheat and corn. I was also surprised that the fiber One 80 calories cereal kept me full for quite awhile. It didn't get soggy in my yogurt either!

Fiber One on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/F180Cal

Want to win the Fiber One prize pack seen above? It contains one box of Fiber One 80 calories cereal, one sensor pedometer with USB connector to chart walking progress and one neoprene iPod/smartphone holder with arm strap. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below (note that it might take a moment for it to load). If you have any questions, LMK.

Please note that the mandatory entry to to post a comment on this post answering this question: What is your current breakfast, and does it keep you full until lunch time? If the mandatory entry is not done, none of your other entries will count.










 
Disclosure: Fiber One 80 Calories cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.