Rothbury Farms Cheese Garlic Croutons

To go along with my salad theme, I have to tell you about my crouton obsession! Every good salad needs them.

I love croutons. They're like crack for me. I can eat them straight out of the bag all day. I know a lot of people like to get fancy and make their own homemade ones, but let's be honest... it's just so much easier to buy them.

I've tried all sorts of crouton brands and wasn't really impressed with any of them. That is, until I found Rothbury Farms Cheese Garlic Croutons. These bad boys are like super power crack. I have literally chowed down half a bag in one sitting without realizing it.

Because I'm a garlic lover, I, of course, prefer the Cheese Garlic flavored version. I haven't even tried any of the other flavors. You can definitely taste the cheese, garlic, and herbs in each tasty morsel. My favorite part about these is the texture. They're harder and crunchier than most other crouton brands. They don't crumble in your salad or get soggy.

I have a tough time finding this product in grocery stores, but fortunately the manufacturer's website has a listing of what stores carry this product. When you do find them in stores, you'll realize that you're getting a real bargain... they're just $2 a bag!

Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar Salad Dressing

When I think of summertime, I think of big salads with all the fresh seasonal produce. They're delicious and filling, but still allow you to keep that beach body that you've worked so hard for.

To top off my salads, I've been really into vinaigrette style dressings lately. My favorite of those is Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar. It has everything I love - it's light, a little garlicky, and full of flavor. A little goes a long way, and only a tablespoon or two is needed on a medium-sized salad. Because it's made with all natural ingredients, the good stuff normally settles at the bottom. Make sure you shake the bottle well before using to mix up the contents. The only negative is that it's a full fat dressing, so use it sparingly if you're watching your weight.

I'm able to find this salad dressing at most grocery stores in the condiments aisle. It's normally around $3-4 per bottle. You can check out all the nutritional information and some recipe ideas using this product on the Newman's Own website, or even purchase it online if you can't find it in stores. 

Stone-Ground Express Mustard

Wowza. I found this product during a regular trip to Whole Foods. It was a sampling day, and they had a sampling station set up with Local Folks products. I think I sampled one of everything, but it was the Stone-Ground Express Mustard on a pretzel rod that totally won me over.

This is the best mustard you'll ever have. Hands down. If you're a fan of brown, Dijon, or other fancy mustards, you'll love it. The consistency is not like your typical mustard; instead of being smooth and spreadable, it is thousands of little mustard seeds in a nice mustard base. This stuff feels homemade. You can actually recognize the simple ingredients that go into it (mustard seed, honey, rice wine vinegar, bell peppers, jalapeños, salt, cilantro, lemon juice).... no weird chemicals here.

Stone-Ground Express Mustard is so delicious that I find excuses to put it on anything... sandwiches, meats, or just for dipping with pretzels. My hubby makes a killer brussel sprouts dish with this mustard... it's a must try!

Jason's Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:
2 servings fresh brussel sprouts, halved
2 TBSP Local Folks Stone-Ground Express Mustard
1 TBSP maple syrup
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
optional: 2 strips bacon, diced
salt & pepper to taste

If using bacon, cook up bacon pieces in a hot skillet. When cooked fully, add all other ingredients to the pan and sautee over medium heat until sprouts are cooked through. It's delicious and serves 2.

Overall, so good! It's a must try!

Faygo Rock & Rye

Oh Rock & Rye, how I love you! You've been a favorite my entire life, though now I usually go for your diet version instead of the original.

Whenever I'm drinking a Rock & Rye, the first thing people ask me is "What does Rock & Rye taste like?" .... well let me tell you. It's like a fruity cola soda. Not quite a cream soda, though it does have some hints of creamy flavor. Definitely not a cola either. With undertones of cherry and vanilla, it's a unique flavor all its own.

I grew up in Michigan, so Faygo brand sodas were everywhere. They were always cheaper than Coke or Pepsi, and came in crazy flavors like Pineapple and Black Cherry. It's really a kid's dream! Faygo's headquarters are in Detroit, so they mostly have distribution in the Midwest. I live in Chicago now, and it's extremely difficult to find Faygo here. It's a real treat when my family and friends from Michigan visit me and bring me a case of Rock & Rye!

Rock & Rye comes both in original and diet versions. The diet version only comes in 20 oz bottles. It's tough to locate around Chicago, but in Michigan, you can find it at most grocery and convenience stores. The 20 oz bottles normally go for around 99 cents. You can also purchase cases of a limited selection of Faygo flavors in 12 oz cans on their website for $7 each.

 

Heluva Good Dip

Oh how I love my guilty pleasures. Chips and dip is definitely one of them. You can set me down with a bag of chips and container of dip, and I will hoover it all until it's gone or someone takes it away from me.

If I'm going to splurge on a tasty snack like this, I like to do it right. Heluva Good Dip is the best french onion chip dip I've found so far. It's creamy and delicious. The consistency is so much better than that of other dips out there.

I found it on sale at the grocery store today for $2.50 in the dairy section. Pair it with some Kettle brand Sea Salt potato chips for a truly awesome snack.

Splurge Worthy: Truffle Salt

Generally speaking, I'm pretty cheap when it comes to food. But there comes a time when you have something so fabulous that you're willing to buy it, regardless of price. That's what truffle salt has become to me.

On a recent vacation to Sonoma County, California, my husband and I wandered into Williamson Wines for a wine tasting. The unique part about this place is that they pair small bites of food with their tastings. Paired with a pinot noir was a piece of cheese with a small pinch of truffle salt on top. Whoa, it was AMAZING. It's sea salt that's been flavored with black truffle oil, with some small pieces of dehydrated truffles mixed in. I couldn't even tell you what type of cheese was served, but I can remember the explosion of flavor from the truffle salt. My small bite wasn't enough and I craved more. I think I ended up talking to the lady in the tasting room more about her truffle salt than the wines.

After finally realizing that I wasn't that interested in her wines, the irritated woman finally mentioned to me that I could buy the truffle salt there just to shut me up. I practically ran over to the shelf to grab one. What I saw next stopped me in my tracks, with a tight fist clenched around my jar of salt.... $30... for 3.5 ounces!!! GULP. Seriously?!? Salt is always so cheap. I knew there'd be markup on it because I was at a boutique wine tasting room, but I thought that meant it'd be around $5 at most for a small container. Ouch. I was not ready for this.

I mulled it over for awhile, but finally convinced myself that I should splurge and buy it. I was on vacation, and was allowed to treat myself. There may have been some gentle peer pressure from my hubby as well, who also loves to splurge on gourmet food. The stuff was SO GOOD, so I just went ahead and bought it without thinking about the cost too much more.

Now that I have it at home, I have to say that I don't regret the purchase one bit. I now put a pinch of the truffle salt in a pot of boiling pasta for an awesome flavor that my pasta never had before. I've tried to replicate my wine tasting experience by putting just a small sprinkle of it on cheese, but I haven't quite found the right cheese to pair it with. (If anyone knows what Williamson Wines uses, please let me know!) Now that the weather's getting nice, I'd like to try it on top of a grilled steak. It's just so good, I could eat it on about anything.

I've tried to find a less expensive version so that the purchase will be less painful when my current supply is gone, but the cheapest I've found so far is $14.62 on Amazon. Please let me know if you know of a less expensive version that's still high quality.

So if you're ready for a life changing splurge, try truffle salt. It's great on pastas, cheeses, meats, and anywhere else that goes well with mushroom flavors. The cost is painful, but it is oh so worth it.

Frontera Taco Skillet Sauce

I'm a sucker for Mexican food. I could eat it every day. It's usually pretty easy to make, inexpensive to get the ingredients, and the simple flavors are amazing. The last time I was at the grocery store to get the fixings for my Mexican feast, I came across Frontera's Taco Skillet Sauce. It's a pre-made taco meat seasoning sauce. Since I already think of Frontera's founder, Chef Rick Bayless, as a culinary god, I figured I had to give it a try. There were several different flavors available, like chicken enchilada, key lime cilantro, and chipotle garlic. I opted for the classic Texas original flavor.

In a word, yum! While tacos are very easy to make in the first place, this cut the time down even more. First brown your mean, drain the fat, then pour in the sauce and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until warm. That's it! Build your taco from there. The taco sauce gives your restaurant quality taco flavor without much effort.

     

The taco sauce packets were reasonably priced, at about $3.50 each. This is a little more than the traditional dry taco seasoning mix, but it tastes waaaay better. I found it in the Mexican section of my local grocery store. Thank you Rick Bayless!

Now, if you're looking to save a few bucks and go the homemade route, I have a killer taco seasoning mix recipe for you that you can easily make out the the spices you already have in your cabinet. This is my normal go-to recipe for Mexican fiesta nights:

1 tbsp. chili powder

1.5 tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder or minced onions

1 tsp. paprika

.5 tsp. red pepper flakes

.5 tsp. cayenne pepper

.5 tsp. oregano

pinch of salt to taste

pinch of pepper to taste 

To really kick it up a notch, add a handful of diced fresh cilantro to the skillet. Enjoy your fiesta!

Detention

The name alone sold me! It's a sweet red wine produced by Peninsula Cellars in Traverse City, MI. If you're ever in Traverse City, you'll have to visit the winery. The tasting room is in an old white school house, hence the name Detention. I've visited it a couple of times and always walk away with several bottles of goodness.

The wine itself has a bright berry flavor with a tangy aftertaste. It's a blend of Baco Noir, Lemberger, and Cab Franc grapes. This easy-drinking wine is the perfect thing to bring for a dinner out with friends at a BYOB restaurant because it pairs nicely with most foods. It's delicious when slightly chilled, so pop it in the fridge for a little while before you enjoy it.

Detention can be purchased online at the Peninsula Cellars website, at the Peninsula Cellars tasting room in Traverse City, or at specialty stores around Michigan. I found my bottle at Horrock's Farm Market in Lansing, MI for $12.99. What a steal!

Donkey Chips

Yes, the donkey face on the bag is a little scary looking, but the tortilla chips inside the bag are pure bliss.

Donkey Chips are thinner and lighter than many other tortilla chips, so you feel less guilty eating a ton of them. They come in two flavors: salted and unsalted. I personally think salted is the way to go because they have just the right amount of saltiness and are not overpowering. I view tortilla chips as simply the vessel for carrying my salsa, guacamole, or other dip, so these chips achieve that perfect balance of crunch and strength for the job. They're also made with all natural ingredients, so you know what you're getting.

Right now, Donkey Chips are only distributed in the Midwest. They can be found at specialty grocery stores, including Whole Foods. Check here for a complete list of store locations. You can also buy them online. They sell for under $3.50 per bag, and I've gotten them on sale several times. Try them for yourself and let me know what you think!

Welcome!

I'm a wannabe foodie... I admit it. I appreciate fancy gourmet food, but I'm not always willing to pay the hefty price tag that goes along with it. I'm the annoying girl that you'll find in the wine aisle, asking to speak to the wine expert so I can find the best wine in the store... under $15. There are tons of yummy foods out there with big flavor and a low price, but they're difficult to find. That's why I created Cheapo Gourmet.

My tastes are a little eclectic, so you'll see everything here from classic budget basics to splurge-worthy gourmet treats. Great foods come in all shapes and sizes. So read on, and I hope to help you live the champagne life on a beer budget.