Review of BROOKSIDE Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters.

BROOKSIDE has an awesome product out called Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters.  It's made up of dark chocolate, crispy multigrains, cranberries, and juices of pomegranate, raspberry, and blueberry (to name a few).  They are Kosher but not gluten free.  I decided to make up little sample packs to distribute to my co-workers, as long as they provided me with some feedback!

Here's the feedback I received from others:

• Jackie: "These taste great! I like the crunch that it has with the berry flavor. I would like it in milk chocolate."
• Brandon: "Very tasty!"
• Jessica: "Very good! Tastes like Raisinets."
• Larry: "These were a treat. I especially liked the berries. Rich tasting. Thanks!" Then he added later, "They taste expensive."
• Jared (Who I was advised only eats healthy things.): "Excellent! Très bon!" 

Apparently these were SO popular that 3 of my sample packs were taken when I left them overnight.  Unfortunately, with no feedback left.  :(

My thoughts?  You can't just try it and not want more.  They taste great and are addicting!  Juice is infused into the chocolate making it very decadent and rich.  When you bite in you get a crispy crunch, also a soft chew from the cranberries and chocolate.  I left these out on the coffee table and Chris took a handful and was hooked.  He stated more than once, "These are REALLY good!"  They are great alone or paired up with something.  My pairing was as a topper for ice cream!  A MUST try!

The only thing that might be a problem for some people who calorie count is the serving size.  It does state that 40g, about 22 pieces, are 190 calories, but the pieces really range from large to small.  So unless you have a scale, you might go over your limit.  I got a 5oz bag which states there's about 3.5 servings per container, and I was able to give most of it away and enjoy a lot for myself.  So as long as you have self control (which can be hard with this because it's so tasty) you'll do fine!

This is a really good product to indulge.  I haven't seen it in my local stores yet but if you do, you should pick one up and give it a try!  You can also buy them on Amazon.com where they range from $4.12 to $43.74, depending on how much you want to indulge in!

This is a sponsored post. I received this as a free sample from Crowdtap & BROOKSIDE to try, review, and supply my honest opinion.

Review of Neutrogena® Rapid Dark Circle Repair eye cream.

I have awful dark circles under my eyes.  I've had them for a long time and have been told it's due to allergies, not sleeping enough, diet, and most recently, possibly due to my thyroid condition.  Whatever the reason, I've learned to live with it and also learned to spend a lot of money trying to cover them up.  So when I received this Neutrogena® Rapid Dark Circle Repair eye cream, I was excited to give it a go.

• Retails $20.99 for 0.13oz.
• About the product: Wake up fatigued eyes & visibly reduce the look of dark circles in just one week.  This nourishing, ophthalmologist-tested eye cream is formulated with Accelerated Brightening Complex to make under-eye skin tone more even and diffuse the look of dark circles while light reflecting minerals brighten eyes.
  
  Ophthalmologist
  Ophthalmologist-tested
  Ophthalmologist-tested
  

  Ophthalmologist-tested
  

  Ophthalmologist-tested
  

  Ophthalmologist-tested
  Ophthalmologist-tested
  Ophthalmologist-tested
• How to use: Twist the bottom of the package until the product appears on the brush, approximately 10 twists.  Apply to eye area alone or under makeup.  To clean, wipe brush with dry cloth or tissue.  Do not wet, or allow water to pass through brush.

• What I thought: First off it took just over 50 twists to get the product to come out onto the brush.  Yes, I counted!  The wording on the package, "Visibly reduces the look of dark circles in just one week," makes it sound like after a week you could either stop using the product or use less, but after a week I noticed no difference in my dark circles.  I also wasn't sure how much of it I should use so I ended up using it 2 times a day.  Once in the morning before I applied my makeup, and once in the afternoon after removing my makeup and washing my face.  It reminds me of a Clean & Clear Under Eye Brightening stick I used to like that has since been discontinued.  How it helps diminish the circles is by reflecting light and you can see the shimmer in the product when applied.  The brush was soft, the product was definitely moisturizing.  Unfortunately, it left the skin around my eye looking dewy and feeling oily on its own and I ended up using the same amount of concealer as I had in the past.  One thing I wish it would have done is left a cooling effect on my skin.  Something I had loved about the Clean & Clear product.
• I wouldn't buy this.

I must say this might be a better product for someone who doesn't have dramatic racoon eyes like I do.  So my search will continue to find something that will help save me from my awful dark circles. 

This is a sponsored post. I received this as a free sample from Crowdtap & Neutrogena® to try, review, and supply my honest opinion.

Discover what's new with Campbell's®!

Crowdtap and Campbell's sent me a bunch of products to try and give my honest opinion about.  Below are the products I received.

 

• Swanson^® Traditional Cream Starter™
• SpaghettiOs® Micros
• Campbell's® Chunky Beer-n-Cheese with Beef & Bacon Soup 
• Prego® Homestyle Alfredo (Light) 
• Campbell's® Creamy Poblano and Queso Soup 
• Campbell's® Creamy Parmesean Chicken Skillet Sauces
• Campbell's® Savory Portobello Soups for Easy Cooking
• Campbell's® Slow Kettle® Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup with Herbs and White Meat Chicken

In addition, I received a cutting board, wooden spoon, tote, shaker, and recipe book with coupons.  Here are some of the highlights of recipes we made with our new ingredients!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Swanson^® Traditional Cream Starter™

The 1st recipe we tried was for the Loaded Baked Potato soup & it was YUMMY!  Here's Campbell's Recipe and below is our version of ingredients.

• 1/2 package Morningstar Veggie bacon strips
• 1 pound russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carton (26.1 ounces) Swanson® Cream Starter Traditional or Swanson® Cream Starter 25% Reduced Fat
• 1/2 cup shredded GoVeggies Cheddar cheese
• 3 green onions or fresh chives, chopped

We didn't change the recipe too much but made it vegetarian friendly by using fake bacon.  Also we're glad we used 1/2 of what it called for on the onion or I think it would have been overdoing it.  The only other thing we probably would have done differently was boiled the potatoes to soften them up a bit more.  It turned out very hearty and flavorful!  We'll definitely be making this again!

Creamy Parmesan Chicken

Campbell's® Creamy Parmesean Chicken Skillet Sauces

 

I can't even begin to say how ridiculously quick and easy this was.  We followed the recipe exactly and, even though it suggested it was "Great served with pasta!" we just had it on its own with a side of vegetable and potatoes.  There was a lot of sauce when it finished cooking, so it probably would have been a lot more awesome over a bed of linguine or fettuccine.  The sauce was pretty mild as far as flavor but it complimented the chicken well.  We'll be trying it over pasta next time.

Milton is a chicken fiend!

Creamy Poblano Mac & Cheese

Campbell's® Creamy Poblano and Queso Soup

This one took a bit more preparation with the ingredients.  We cooked this up but without the cilantro (because I HATE cilantro) and accidentally used monterey jack cheese instead of cheddar jack.  We made those Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits to go as a side with it which ended up being a really good choice, but I think those biscuits are addicting and would go with absolutely anything you pair them with.

This was a great meal with lots of flavors.  It was very filling and it made a lot for 2 people so this would be great for a family meal.  I thought it was a tad on the soupy side and would have had a better kick if we used the right cheese, we are going to be making this again, and probably soon!

Additional Items

Before I wrap this up, just a few additional thoughts on some of the other products we ate.

The SpaghettiOs® Micros made me realize how old I'm getting as I got terrible heartburn after eating them.  Still has the same fantastic taste as they have always had and it was very quick and easy to heat up in the microwave, but I think I've outgrown my Uh Oh SpaghettiOs days.

Chris ate the Campbell's® Chunky Beer-n-Cheese with Beef & Bacon Soup.  He thought it was a little on the salty side, but was surprised at low calorie content for the whole can (190), considering what it is.  He wished it would have had a bit more meat in it too.

I ate the Campbell's® Slow Kettle® Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup with Herbs and White Meat Chicken.  It was very delicious and head hearty chunks of veggies, meat and pasta. It's a really good portion also so I felt full after eating it.  The mix of the herbs & saltiness was perfect and it gave off more of a homemade taste.  Plus the whole container had only 100 calories!

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We don't make meals like this as often as we should.  Campbell's Kitchen is full of information, awesome recipes to fit your budget or needs, and coupons!  Check out their site and try one of their recipes.  I'm really looking forward to even more new things I can discover with Campbell's! 

This is a sponsored post. I received free samples from Crowdtap & Campbell's® brand to try, review, and supply my honest opinion.