Everyone loves free! I love going to my mailbox and finding a box of goodies waiting for me. Last week, I received my sample box sent to me by the good people at SampleSource. Twice a year they send out a box of goodies and then follow up with a questionnaire via email a few weeks later to get your opinions. I don't mind answering a few questions in order to get to try out some new products, or to re-visit some familiar ones. Without further ado, here is what I received in my fall sampler: Seven samples in all, three edibles, three beauty related and one for the home. Needless to say, the edibles disappeared pronto! Hubby was working from home the day these arrived, so we shared a bite before the kids made it home from school! We'll start with the Brookside Dark Chocolate Acai with Blueberry candies. I was a little apprehensive to try these. I am not a big fan of 'jellies', and covered in chocolate kinda made me even more put off. However, these were delicious! David and I had to fight over the last few. Not too sweet, with a thin coating of dark chocolate that adds just the right hint of cocoa. These are definitely a buy! A 2 lb bag goes for $15.50 on Amazon.ca Brookside's website is found here. Kelloggs sent a sample of their Special K Cookies & Creme Pastry crisps along with a coupon. Coupons are great to find in these sample kits, because if you enjoy your sample, it's really nice to also get a discount when you go out to buy the product. I was not too fond of this. The flavor was okay, it tries to mimic an Oreo cookie, but something in the texture is off. It's soft and crispy at the same time, which seems just wrong. Although it was chocolatey and sweet, I just couldn't get over the mouthfeel, and so this item is a pass for me. A box of 10 pouches (2 per pouch) sells for under $3 at Walmart. Kelloggs' website is found here. Hershey's contribution was a full size milk chocolate with almonds bar. Can you say yum? This is a chocolate bar that has been on the market for quite some time, but I'm guessing they're sending these samples out because they're trying to promote their new 'Bar & a Half' size. Whatever the reason, I was happy to get this, and it was as delicious as ever! Smooth and creamy, with just the right amount of whole roasted almonds in the bar, this is a classic that never gets old. I have purchased this item in the past and I will continue to do so in the future. A regular sized bar will cost you about $2.00. Hershey's website can be found here. Next item is the Finish Power and Free with Hydrogen Peroxide dishtab sample. I received one tab (good for one load of dishes) along with a $2.00 coupon. I have received Finish samples before, and they do give you a good clean on your dishes. However, I recently tried out Cascade Platinum and so far, nothing else comes close to the clean I get from them. So thank you for the sample, but it's not good enough to switch. A 60 count box will run you about $20.00. Visit the Finish site here. No sample box is complete without some shampoo and conditioner samples. Usually it's Pantene or Dove, so it's nice to see something I haven't actually tried yet. John Frieda Luxurious Volume Touchably Full. I swear, the names for these products get longer and longer every year! This is something I need! I'll be trying this out and see how it stacks up against the others - I've tried out a lot of hair products! Each bottle will run you about $9, so you're looking at just under $20 for the shampoo (250ml) and conditioner (250ml). Visit the John Frieda site here. Also received a Biore Nose strip. Although I do really enjoy the mystery of trying out a new product, it is nice when you get a box of samples and there are old favorites mixed in with the new. This is one of those products. I have been using Biore strips for my chin and nose for years, and will continue to do so. Although a little painful when it comes time to peel them off, they're easy to use and I feel good about my weekly 'deep clean' with Biore. I have purchased this product, and I will continue to do so. They're not cheap, though. A box of 8 costs around $8. Visit Biore's site to learn more. And last, but definitely not least, Jergens Ultra Care Moisturizer, or hand cream to us laypeople. They also sent a $1 off coupon, which is really nice. I am always on the lookout for good cream, especially withe the winter looming - we Canadians know just how dry our skin gets during the long winter here. I'll try this one out and let you know in a future post whether it's worth your money. Cost is about $4.50 for 100ml bottle. See Jergens' website here. All told - a great sample box! I received a really good mix of old and new, food, beauty and home. SampleSource is a great site to sign up at if you enjoy getting samples. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own, unbiased after testing the product(s). All product was offered free of charge with an expectation of a review within this blog, favorable or otherwise.
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The wonderful people at Sawmill Creek Wines and BzzAgent sent me a new campaign a couple of weeks ago to try out their wines. Awesome, right? They sent me a $25 gift card to buy some wine at the Wine Rack and let you all know what I thought. To see my Welcome Kit for this campaign, click here. First of all, the selection Sawmill Creek offers is pretty amazing. I went to the Wine Rack website to figure out which one I'd like to try, thinking it would most likely be a Chardonnay or Merlot. Once I saw the selection, my mind started working. What if I not only drank it, but made something with it also? So I looked further than the usual and settled on a bottle of Autumn Blush and one of Riesling. The Autumn Blush has a regular price of $14.95 and the Riesling of $16.00 for 1500ml. I was kicking myself a little when I went in on Friday because I had missed the sale last week where the Riesling was only $13.95. 1500ml is no small bottle, either, so I ended up paying $5.95 out of pocket for both after using the $25 gift card BzzAgent sent me. Sawmill Creek offers not only multiple varieties of wine for you to enjoy (along with the ones I've already mentioned, they also offer Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Select White and Shiraz), they also offer multiple sizes. Many varieties come in sizes ranging from 1000ml in a bottle or tetra, a 1500ml bottle and a 4000ml cask (or box, to us laypeople). Their prices are excellent, considering a 1500ml bottle of Riesling will only cost you $16.00. Now that I've given you the details, we're going to get to the good stuff. I hear you ask, what did you make with your wine? Well, the first thing I wanted to make was a sangria. I had some friends over on Saturday and was excited to make something pretty. I got my inspiration from Gimme Some Oven, a website I have bookmarked so I can return to frequently for inspiration, because she has some really great ideas. For my sangria recipe, click here. I got the 5L glass dispenser at Kitchen Stuff Plus on sale for $14.99! I decided to use the Riesling as part of a vinaigrette for a lovely apple and fennel salad we had with seared scallops. The inspiration for that recipe came from the Wine Rack website. For my Seared Scallops recipe, click here. Now to the actual wine tasting! I did drink some of the actual wine straight from the bottle without embellishments (unless you count my glass as an embellishment!). I am no sommelier, so I won't be able to tell you about subtle citrus undertones or flowery accents with oak aftertastes. I can tell you that the Autumn Blush was delicious. It had a lovely slight fruity flavour. It was light and very easy to drink with no dry mouth aftertaste. I enjoy drinking blush for all of these reasons. This campaign would have been great in the summer months, as this would be a terrific wine for an outdoor bbq. Shrimp, mint & grapefruit skewers come to mind as a perfect meal to have with this wine. I think this is a great value for a nice light wine that pairs well with fresh foods and is delicious in a sangria. I had really high expectations for the Riesling. It is really one of my favorite wines and the good ones have a fantastic full bodied fruity flavor. Sawmill Creek did not disappoint me. As I was making dinner I poured myself a glass to enjoy. I admit that I chill all my wine, be it red, white or somewhere in between. Usually I add some gingerale also because warm wine out of the bottle just doesn't do it for me. In this case I had taken the bottle out of the cupboard for the vinaigrette and poured my glass as it was. You know, it was delicious even at room temperature. I was so surprised. After I chilled it overnight and had another glass after work today it was even better. Truly light, refreshing with a slight citrus flavor, this wine is definitely easy to drink. All told, I'm extremely happy to have had the opportunity to try out Sawmill Creek wines. It's not a brand I would have tried on my own because I generally shop at the LCBO, whereas this brand is only available at Wine Rack. Now that I've tried the Autumn Blush and Riesling, I can tell you that I am willing to make the trip to Wine Rack to purchase this wine more often. Between the satisfying flavors and the excellent price point, not to mention how beautiful the new labeling is and the excellent choice in sizes, Sawmill Creek has found a new fan! Sorry folks, no coupons came with this campaign! Product Rating: 5 smiles out of 5 Product Website: www.sawmillcreekwines.com Product Type: wine Would I purchase?: absolutely Would I recommend?: absolutely Sawmill Creek Autumn Blush and Riesling were purchased using a $25.00 giftcard sent free by the good people at BzzAgent and Sawmill Creek. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own, unbiased after testing the product. The product was offered free of charge with the expectation of an honest review within this blog, favorable or otherwise
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AuthorHi! I'm Sonja and I'm glad you're here! I'm happy to share some recipes and gardening tips with you while I let you know about great (or not so great) products, services, and media I encounter. Visit my online shop at MysteriousDragonfyre.com
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