Krogers Private Selection Belgian Chocolate Lava Cakes

As a bzzagent participating in the current Kroger Private Selection Frozen Foods Bzz Campaign I also had a chance to try one of their frozen desserts. My nearest Kroger store (Frys Food) had the Belgian Chocolate Lava cakes, Mini Vanilla Cream Puffs, Mini Eclairs and Northern Spy Apple Crisps just to name a few. I opted to purchase both the Belgian Chocolate Lava Cakes and the Northern Spy Apple Crisps.  Both looked delicious.

Being the chocolate lover I am, I couldn't wait to try the Belgian Chocolate Lava cake. There are 4 individual servings, which makes it an extremely convenient dessert option for a mid week dinner with friends. The portion size is perfect.

Preparation is easy, no baking involved. Keep them frozen until you're ready to prepare in the microwave, on high - 30 to 40 seconds/until you see the chocolate ganache bubble up in the middle.  It took about 35 seconds in my Microwave. Let set for 1-2 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges and then invert onto dessert plate. It's tastes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just add a nice hot cup of coffee and it's a great end to any meal, casual or semi formal or a special treat anytime. Next time I'll be adding whipped cream and drizzle some hot fudge or chocolate sauce on top. I've also considered just a sprinkle of powdered sugar instead of ice cream and chocolate sauce, the options are limitless.

I can't wait to try the Northern Spy Apple Crisp. The question at hand is add Ice Cream , Whipped Cream or both! 

I Have A Dream Foundation

BzzAgent is donating $5000 to charity this holiday season, and I get to help decide where it goes. I'm voting for the I Have A Dream Foundation because it's important to me. The charity with the most votes at the end of the campaign gets the check! 

CARMD - more money in your pocket!

I've joined another BZZ Campaign - this time for CarMD and I'm interested (and really excited) to see what this tool will tell me about my car when I receive it. I'll be sure to post an update. 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Check Engine light on? Plug the handheld device into your car, and it will access your vehicle's computer system. If you get a yellow or red light, then you're supposed to connect the device to your home computer.  This is where you'll learn what the problem is (in terms you can understand easily), how to fix it, and the approximate cost of repairs in YOUR own area. If the system doesn't have the information you need, their technicians will research and provide answers within 72 hours.

It will also show you any important safety recalls or service bulletins for your car, which often lead to low- or no-cost repairs.

Searching for that perfect holiday gift for your Dad, Brother or Uncle?  CarMD® would make a great gift, check out carmd.com/bzz for $30 off the device - It's the lowest price on the web. :)

Update to this thread is posted above "Check Engine light on? Plug in CarMD!! "

Private Selection Frozen Pepperoni/Roasted Garlic Pizza

I received a coupon for a free Private Selection Pizza as part of a current BzzAgent Campaign. My closest Kroger affiliate store, Frys Food didn't have much of a variety of pizza's available, so we opted for the Pepperoni and Roasted Garlic pizza.

The box is rectangular and smaller versus the square box other frozen pizzas come in. The packaging is pretty generic, black and gold. Prep and cooking time was about 10 minutes. I placed the Pizza directly on the rack in the middle of the oven and it took about 9 minutes as stated on the cooking directions. The crust cooked evenly and browned nicely. The cheese, pepperoni, garlic all cooked up nicely. The middle of the pizza was cooked to the same level as the outer edges,meaning no soggy middle, half cooked toppings and cheese that hadn't melted like I've experienced with other frozen pizzas. 

The pizza reminded me more of an Artisan style pizza that is currently being offered by one of the major pizza delivery chains. Compared to those artisan pizzas, the Private Selection Pepperoni and Roasted Garlic had more toppings than the ones I've tried from a major Pizza chain.

The crust is on the thin side, but not too thin. The amount of toppings was adequate. There was plenty of Pepperoni and just the right amount of cheese. There were also garlic pieces, not minced garlic but actual pieces of roasted pepperoni, garlic and cheese. Some of the pieces of garlic were quite large. While I am a fan of roasted garlic the larger pieces were a bit overwhelming, so I would make sure to check and perhaps consider cutting up any larger pieces before placing the Pizza in the over or serving. You'll notice the large "chunks" of roasted garlic to the left side of the pizza.

The sauce was fantastic and fresh tasting. I found the fresh made taste quite refreshing and unique. The only thing I missed was oregano and perhaps a few other Italian seasonings and herbs, but that is just a personal preference.

The price of the Private Selection pizzas was higher than anticipated vs the servings, but in comparison to the prices of Artisan pizzas offered by some pizza delivery chains, the  Private Selection cost is a few dollars less and without giving up taste and one might say the Private Selection pizza had a generous amount of toppings and cheese.

It would be a great meal for 2 if paired with a generous sized salad. I may purchase the pizza again in the future, especially if it was on sale and/or I had a coupon.

I'm also looking forward to the upcoming  in-store sampling event for Private Selection™ Pizza and Ice Cream. I've marked my calendar and I'm checking to see which store in my area will be holding the event.

Couponing

I'm a couponer. I'm not as good as those "extreme" coupon folks you see on Extreme Couponers on TLC, but I don't do too bad. Most likely because my cart not only has my great coupon deals, but also contains regular shopping such as fresh meats, fruits and veggies. :))

Generally I save between 60-75% using my shopper card perks and coupons.  Since my daughters and grandkids live with me, coupons have been a life saver. One of the grandsons is in diapers still, he's 18 mo. My best deal this week was Luv's diapers at CVS, but the deal would have been sweeter if I had a coupon. <wink>.

If you have any coupon secrets or tricks, please feel free to share them. :)