Product review: Amy's Organic Thai Coconut Soup / Whole foods grocery home delivery

This my first order of Amy's Thai Coconut Soup. I like the flavor of this soup, but it did not have a lot of vegetables in it. It has a tasty broth with a couple of slices of carrots and beans.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Cinnamon Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal - Home groceries delivery from Amazon DURING COVID-19

Oatmeal Cinnamon Squares Cereal is one of my favorite cereals.  It is just right: not too sweet, a nice amount of cinnamon (not too much, not too little).

This listing has four 14.5 oz boxes. These boxes are smaller than the one I typically get in the supermarket but the price is fairly reasonable (4 boxes for around $11).  The cereal tasted fresh and it was nice to be able to avoid a trip to a supermarket during COVID-19 pandemic and get it delivered at no extra cost.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

    

Product review: Amy's Butternut Squash Soup - Home groceries delivery from WholeFoods DURING COVID-19

I purchased Amy's butternut soup as part of my first home delivery from Whole Foods during COVID-19. It is fairly pricey for one (1) can of soup ($3.39) compared to Progresso or Cambell soup, but I do like its flavor.  It has a nice balance of flavors, not too much salt, and does not feel artificially flavored. It is not as thick as I expected but tasted pretty good. Make sure to stir it well before heating as it separated when I opened the can.



One can of soup contains one serving, 180 calories, 6g of sugars.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆
 

Product review: all Mighty Pacs Laundry Detergent, Free Clear for Sensitive Skin

Two main reasons I like All Free and clear is that it has no scent while cleaning well.  I use it both on whites and colors, it works well on both. I do all my washes in cold water to save on energy. 

I like that the detergent comes in pre-measured packs that do not need to be opened, the entire neat little bundle goes into the washer.  This is really handy when my husband gets the laundry duty.  For some reason when he does the laundry and we were using liquid detergent there would always be leaks from the bottle.  The packs work much better. As long as these little guys are touched with dry hands there is no chance of a mess on the floor!


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Libby's Vienna Sausage in Chicken Broth / Amazon groceries / Home deliviry during COVID-19

I purchased a pack of 24 Vienna Sausages at the start of COVID-19 when almost everything was out of stock.  Getting 24 packs for 10 dollars sounded like one of those things that are too good to be true and got a lot of ribbing from my spouse for ordering these sausages. 

Surprisingly, the flavor was not as bad as he expected and they did not send us straight to the bathroom as he predicted.  They are basically pork sausages, very soft, and with a very mild flavor.  Each can has seven mini sausages. The entire can is counted as one serving and has 190 calories, 16 grams of fat.  It has 820 mg of sodium, they do not taste overly salty.

None of the 24 cans were damaged, they have easy to open tops.

Will I be ordering them again? No because we did not love the flavor. But they were okay at a desperate time.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: When Pigs Fly, Bread Tuscan Wheat / Whole foods grocery home delivery

I like When Pigs Fly Tuscan Wheat Bread. It has a nice flavor and a good crust. This is a repeat purchase for me.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Sir Kensingtons, Mayonnaise Classic, 16 Fl Oz - Home groceries delivery from WholeFoods DURING COVID-19

This is my first purchase of Kennington Mayo, as part of home delivery from WholeFoods.  It has a strong eggy flavor and black pepper to add a bit of spice.  I thought it was not bad, I would not consider it to be my favorite as the flavor was a little too eggy for me.

This mayo was part of my first on-line delivery from Whole Foods, and the ordering and delivery worked well.  6 of the 12 items were out due to COVID-19 and I got texts with substitutions, which I could accept or reject.  The delivery occurred within a promised two-hour period, with the substitution messages happening one hour before.  WholeFoods, of course, is not a bargain. The price of the items and the delivery tip did make it pretty expensive. However, in the current situation, it is a very helpful option to have.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Quaker Popped Rice Crisp Snacks, Gluten Free, Apple Cinnamon / Amazon pantry / Groceries home delivery during COVID-19 pandemic

I like how Apple Cinnamon Crisps taste - not too sweet, not too much cinnamon.  They are subtle yet tasty.  Most of the crips to not look like the idealized photo on the bag. Majority of crisps are not circles, they are oddly shaped pieces, see my photo to see typical shapes.  They are not pretty but tasty, and that matters to me a lot more.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Thai Kitchen Pad Thai Noodles / Amazon groceries / Home delivery during COVID-19 pandemic

I bought a couple of boxes of Thai Kitchen Pad Thai noodles.  The photo on the box is a bit deceiving, the package includes ONLY rice noodles and a package of sauce. It has no mix-ins included.  So you are only buying noodles and sauce, everything else you have to buy separately. I love Pad Thai in the restaurants, but the source in this box was not as good. It was edible, but the flavor fell short of what you get at a restaurant. The misleading picture that shows shrimp added to my disappointment. I can't rank it better than just OK (3 stars).  I will not be buying this package again.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Chocolates "Ptichye Moloko" Bird's Milk - Chocolate covered zefir / groceries home delivery

This is my first time trying "Ptichye Moloko" (i.e. Bird's Milk) chocolate candy. I was attracted to it because the description said it is similar to chocolate-covered zefir that I love.  The texture of the candy is a little different from zefir (smoother and less sweet), but I liked this candy.  The price of this item was $6.69, but the description did not mention how many candies you would get.  I got a bag with 33 candies.  They bulk packed, no box.  This was fine, I rather get a better price!  The price on RussianTable.com is better then the price on Amazon even if you take into account the shipping cost (which is $15.75 for two-day shipping from New York to New England). The candies tasted fresh.

I fell in love with while visiting Russia.  I was introduced to zefir by Russian friends on my trips to Moscow.  Russian zefir can only be described as an American marshmallow as an approximation.  Zefir is made by whipping fruit and berry purée (apple puree or strawberry puree) with sugar and egg whites. It is less chewy than a marshmallow and has a lot more flavor, not just sugar.  Even thought what is inside of this candy has a slightly different texture and taste, I suspect the filling is made in a similar way to zefir.  If you like zefir it is worth a try.



You can find it on RussianTable.com by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Annie's Gluten Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar / Amazon groceries / Home grocery delivery during COVID-19

This package contains five individual packets of pasta and five individual packets of cheese.  Preparation is simple: boil water, add pasta, let it stand, mix in cheese.  The flavor is good and does not taste artificial like Kraft mac and cheese.  Rice pasta is good, similar to what you would get in a Thai restaurant when you order rice noodles.  The individual portions are pretty small, but you can always double them up if one is not enough.  I will be purchasing these again.  Good food to have on hand during COVID-19 pandemic!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Idahoan mashed potatos large carton / Amazon groceries / groceries home delivery during COVID-19 pandemic

Idahoan mashed potatoes come in a carton (similar to a milk carton) that is 8" tall and has a good number of portions.  I purchased this carton in April of 2020, and the expiration date on the carton is January 5, 2021.
This is a good item to have at home during a COVID-19 pandemic.  It tastes good, it is filling, and it is reasonably priced.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Finn Crisp Crispbread, Original, 7 Ounce / Amazon groceries / Home delivery of groceries during COVID-19

I ordered the Original flavor of Finn Crisps (this listing also orders Caraway, which I do not like).  The original Finn Crisps are crispy and delicious, sourdough rye flavor with well-balanced flavor of ingredients.  There are 30 crackers in each box (in a plastic sealed bag) and a total of 9 boxes in one order. Each slice contains 8 calories, 3.7g carbs, of which sugars are 0.1   My box had expiration date a year in the future.  I bought them over a month ago, opened the second box today and it is just as good as the first one, it keeps well.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: AHJ CR123A Lithium Batteries - not compatible with Arlo Security Video Camera

I bought these batteries for the Arlo security camera.  Arlo is notoriously finicky about batteries, and not every 123a battery works well.  Since AHJ mentioned Arlo is the title, I had high hopes. But this battery is not compatible with the Arlo video camera.  The Arlo status showed a 0% charge level from the first moment the battery was inserted. The camera took three videos before it died. Very disappointing!

I owned the Arlo camera for a few years, so I had a chance to compare the longevity of several different batteries (Panasonic, Duracell, Energizer, and generic rechargeable batteries).  Every time I change the battery, I write down the date to compare the longevity I get from each set of batteries.   AHJ battery is the worst battery I have tried.  I never had a battery die after three 10 second videos.

* Cold weather (i.e., usage spans winter): Panasonic 4 months, Duracell 2 months, Energizer 2 weeks.
* Warm weather: Panasonic 6 months,  Duracell 4 months

Another data point I have is a comparison with rechargeable CR123A Lithium batteries.

* Cold weather: Panasonic  4 months, rechargeable 123A  2 weeks
* Warm weather: Panasonic 6 months, rechargeable 123A one month

I do not recommend these batteries for Arlo Cameras.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: GoGo squeeZ YogurtZ, Strawberry, 3 Ounce (4 Pouches), Low Fat Yogurt / grocery home delivery during COVID-19

Each box has 4 pouches.  Each pouch has 3 oz and  90 calories.  I like that they are shelf-stable and don't need refrigeration, easy to take them along when you need a snack on the run.  I like the taste so they are not just for kids.
Each box has 4 pouches. Each pouch has 3 oz and 90 calories. I like that they are shelf-stable and don't need refrigeration, easy to take them along when you need a snack on the run. I like the taste so they are not just for kids.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆