Bachelor on the Cheap

By Mike Thayer

Blended and flavored whiskeys continue to be red hot in popularity, consumer demand for brown spirits continues to rise with American Whiskey in particular seeing some phenomenal sales growth.

Regular readers know that I am a fan of flavored whiskey, I've always got a bottle of something in my freezer for a chilled shot or flavored specialty in the liquor cabinet to enjoy on the rocks.  My favorite in all this tasting fun so far, has been Skrewball.

Today's tasting:  Jim Beam Orange Whiskey

I've sampled Jim Beam Apple, Jim Beam Red Stag, Jim Beam Honey,  Jim Beam Maple, and Jim Beam Peach.  Of the Jim Beam lot, my favorite so far has been the apple, with the others not really being repeat buys.

The description from the bottle:   Jim Beam Orange contains all the pride of the Beam family's 220-year history with a refreshing take on family tradition.  Our distillers have infused bright, flavorful Orange Liqueur with fine Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.  The perfect mix of orange and bourbon with hints of vanilla and oak.  Enjoy straight, or mix with soda water or enjoy straight. 

So how good is it you ask?

As usual, I served this up in a straight shot and on the rocks. I have to say based on my reviews of the other Jim Beam flavors, I wasn't expecting much, but the orange is pretty good.  You get a pleasant hint of orange in the nose, it hits you in the swallow but it's not overpowering, with the notes of vanilla and oak on the back end followed nicely by the warmth of the classic Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finish.  I can see this being the main pour in making an Old Fashioned and I'm looking forward to trying that.  I did try a chilled shot with a squeeze of lime, which I recommend - very nice!  

Jim Beam Peach Whiskey gets 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  It's an good flavored whiskey.  Priced at about $17 for a 750ml bottle, Jim Beam Orange is a repeat buy.   

$pend Wisely My Friends.....

By Mike Thayer

While out and about running some errands yesterday, I decided to pull into a Chick-fil-A and get a peach shake.  I've never had a peach shake before and I've heard about how good the Chick-fil-A shakes are, so it was time to find out just how good.

Here's the description from the Chick-fil-A website: Hand-spun the old-fashioned way, this refreshing milkshake features Chick-fil-A® Icedream® dessert and peaches, topped with whipped cream and a cherry (except when served via delivery). Available seasonally for a limited time.

Suffering through the Chick-fil-A drive through, have you ever been in their drive through when their tablets go down?  It was hurry up and wait.....  But the wait was worth it!

The shake was quite tasty!  A perfect blend of ice cream, milk and oh my that peach!  The shake was LOADED with chunks of peach, Chick-fil-A doesn't hold back on this seasonal treat.  Topped with the whipped cream and cherry, the frothy goodness really hits the spot! 

Costing me $4.25, it is a bit pricey compared to other fast food shake offerings, but it is a very good shake.  I'm giving the Chick-fil-A Peach Milkshake 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars.  The price holds it back from being a 5 star shake and it's worthy of being a repeat buy but perhaps not as often as I'd like while it's available.

Peach shake minus the cherry which was inhaled pre-pic

By Mike Thayer

Some people are coffee drinkers.  Some people are tea drinkers.  Some people are both.  I fall into the latter category.  I'll have two cups of hazelnut coffee to get me jump started in the morning before work.  Then come mid-morning, I make the switch to tea.

I've been a coffee drinker for years, I only started to get into a daily tea regimen - and just green tea mind you - about six months ago or so.  I started doing the green tea thing for the many health benefits, to include but is not limited to reduced blood pressure, reduce the risk of stroke, it lowers blood sugar, stabilizes cholesterol and reduces body weight.  Just look at all those benefits, I'd be drinking the stuff even if it tasted bad, but that's not a problem!  Bigelow makes some GOOD tea.   

There are A LOT of great green tea flavors out there and I've tried several, but my go-to is Bigelow's Green Tea with Pomegranate.  From the box:  Delicate green tea with the added touch of sweet pomegranate.  True statement!  I really do enjoy this tea, especially with a splash of Italian Sweet Cream (Kudos to Vicki S. for introducing me to that!).  So although the health benefits is why I initially started drinking green tea, it flat out tastes good!

I'm drinking 3 - 4 cups of tea a day and I'm experiencing the health benefits.  Combined with a better diet and exercise, I've lost weight, my cholesterol levels are doctor 'thumbs up' approved, my blood pressure is under control and my blood sugar is in check.  I honestly believe green tea has played a role in a healthier me.

A 20 count box of Bigelow Green Tea with Pomegranate costs me $3.49 at my local grocery store.  That's about 17.5 cents per bag and SO much better for you than that soda and it costs far less too!  I'm giving Bigelow Green Tea 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars and it continues to be a repeat buy!

$pend Wisely My Friends.....

By Mike Thayer

Looking for some quick meals I can pop in the microwave when I don't feel like cooking, I came across a box of Grande Ricotta Cheese Cannelloni made by Realgood Italian while making my last shopping trip to Costco.

I love Italian food, I mean who doesn't, right!?  But what made me reach for the box was the protein and carb stats big and bold on the front.  Those are good numbers, 17 grams of protein and just 5 net carbs!  How Realgood Italian gets there is by making the 'pasta' out of chicken and Parmesan cheese instead of flour, they call it a 'shell', but it's much like a cheese wrap.

Prepared in the microwave

I fixed that first tray in the microwave per the box instructions and they came out perfectly heated up, no microwave adjustments required.  In taking that first bite 'as is', these things didn't disappoint.  The Ricotta cheese filling was creamy and seasoned nicely, providing that nice 'tangy-sweet' cheese flavor that sheep's milk delivers.  The 'shell' was also quite tasty, you definitely pick up the chicken and Parmesan notes, but the 'shells' as prepared in the microwave were a bit too al dente, not quite having a pasta texture to it.  The marinara sauce was good, not all that thick but surprisingly rich in flavor with little chunks of tomato like a good marinara should have.

In a second meal I prepared the cannelloni per the oven directions on the box.  Like most all foods, this product comes out better looking and tastes better done in the oven.  The sauce thickened up a bit in the oven heat and the shells were much more like a pasta.  Although I bought the cannelloni with the intent of nuking these for quick lunches, the oven preparation is convenient too.  It's low maintenance, just take the film off the tray and place on a sheet pan in the oven.  In 35 minutes, you've got a tasty meal that requires very little effort, I added a bit of Mozzarella per the serving suggestion on the box.

The third meal I had was the best, I doctored the cannelloni up a bit, placing them on a bed of sausage and a little onion, topping it all with Mozzarella cheese and a bit of parsley.  It was another dose of YUM!

Costing me $12.49 at Costco, that's $2.08 per cannelloni, or $4.16 per meal (2 cannelloni) making it Bachelor on the Cheap wallet friendly.  It's filling, it's satisfying, it's good prepared in the microwave, it's delicious prepared in the oven.  I'm giving Realgood Italian Grande Ricotta Cheese Cannelloni with Marinara Sauce 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars and it's definitely worthy of a repeat buy.  Bonus points - It's low carb!

$pend Wisely My Friends.....