#FoodSafety #PSA: #Sargento #Cheese #Recall Due to Potential #Listeria Contamination

Sargento Foods, Inc. is voluntarily recalling several cheese products due to potential Listeria (Listeria monocytogenes) contamination.

The recalled products:

• Sargento Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby, 6.84 oz., UPC 4610000228, with "Sell By" dates of "12APR17B" and "10MAY17B"
• Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Nacho & Taco Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040041, with "Sell By" dates of "H14JUN17" and "H12JUL17"
• Sargento Sliced Colby-Jack Cheese, 12 oz., UPC 4610000109 with "Sell By" date of "11JUN17B"
• Sargento Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese, 12 oz., UPC 4610000108 with "Sell By" dates of "12JUN17B", "09JUL17B" and "10JUL17B"
• Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Taco Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040002 with "Sell By" dates of "H14JUN17" and "F28JUN17"
• Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Colby-Jack Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040014 with "Sell By" date of "F05JUL17"
• Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Cheddar Jack Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040076 with "Sell By" date of "F05JUL17"

Concerned consumers should call 1-800-CHEESES (1-800-243-3737) or email the company via the "Contact Us" page on Sargento.com.

For the full company notice, go here:
https://info.sargento.com/?gclid=Cj0KEQiAifvEBRCVx5up6Ojgr5oBEiQALHw1TiseW-kei-Uh0yaI_E7MR_Bg1_KWIPbf2KCxkd0jnwkaAiEX8P8HAQ

UPDATE: As of 17-Feb17, this product recall has been expanded. Please visit the above link for the full updated list of affected products and the most complete information from Sargento.

#NationalPizzaDay: May I Have Some More Please? #Cheese #Quikly #GiftCard

Pizza is one of my four main food groups, along with potatoes (preferably in the form of pomme frites or French fries), rice and ice cream. Hey, this is kosher for a lacto-ovo vegetarian like me. I LOVE cheese! I LOVE bread! Cheese pizza is like "manna from heaven." (I believe this means pizza is very, very delicious.) Take-out, frozen or homemade.

Today is National Pizza Day. In spite of the fact that I think that all of these "holidays" are mere marketing gimmicks, on a day like today where the celebration coincides with my personal tastes, I'll willingly give in and play along. I'll probably have pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Maybe for a snack, too. Like Oliver Twist, I ask, "May I have some more, please?" You can't have too much pizza, right? That's impossible!

I scored a promotional gift card from Domino's in its Quikly giveaway yesterday and I've also got a couple of frozen pies stashed in the freezer. So I have options. I expect it to be a fun day.

UPDATE: It's also apparently National Bagel Day. So now I'm making bagel pizzas (like those Bagel Bites thingies). I admit it, I love a good bagel and schmear, too. (Bagels are bread.)

#SuperBowl #Party #Snacks & #Beverages @BraziBites @Popcorners @DrinkCheerwine #Rebelicious #ProductReview

Had a great time at my Super Bowl party in spite of the Falcons' losing. It was an intense game and I like the Patriots, too (was merely hoping for a new dynasty to emerge and rooting for a Georgia team, in addition to enjoying being able to joke with my "twin" BFF who is a Pats fan). Besides the good company with whom I enjoyed watching the game, there were some tasty nibbles on offer --- if I do say so myself. I had the opportunity to try some new products and enjoy some longtime favorites. The revelry carried on 'til quite late... or early.

One of the new items I picked up to serve at the party is Brazi Bites, a Brazilian Cheese Bread. I'd participated in a manufacturer's promotion online recently and received a free product coupon in the mail. When the coupon first arrived, I'd used the store locator on the product's website and discovered that in the metro Atlanta area, Brazi Bites can be found at Sprouts Farmers Market and Whole Foods stores. As I planned to go to Sprouts for a few party provisions anyway, I took my coupon along to look for this new product, too. (As an extra bonus, the Sprouts app had a mobile coupon available to load for a free bag of Popcorners chips.)

Brazi Bites are found in the freezer aisle [Keep Frozen] and come in several flavor varieties, though the Sprouts to which I ventured only had "Cheddar & Parmesan" or "Garlic & Asiago". I selected the "Cheddar & Parmesan." The product comes is a re-sealable plastic pouch containing 18 pieces [Net Wt 11.5oz (330g)]. It's naturally Gluten Free (uses a tapioca flour base), but also Trans-Fat Free, Sugar Free and Soy Free. It's ready to bake (goes from freezer to oven) and done in approximately 20 minutes. So quick and easy!

I cooked mine in a toaster oven, that's setup on the Carnival-themed concession stand in my home entertainment center. A serving size is considered 3 pieces (6 servings per pouch) and packs 126 calories (53 calories from fat). Personally, I don't count calories; I'm passing the information along for edification. To cook, place the bites about an inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake until golden brown. And boom, cheesy, toasty goodness in your face! These were quite tasty and completely no fuss. I'll definitely buy them again. (These were on sale for $5.49 at Sprouts with a regular price of $6.00, I believe.)

Using my Sprouts app mobile coupon for a free bag, I chose "Smokin' Jalapeno White Cheddar" Popcorners popped corn chips. I'd had tried a plain buttered Popcorners variety a few months ago, but had thought those meh. This flavor variety, however, turned out to be very good. Crispy, crunchy, fresh and spicy cheesy. A great snack for watching television. (Will buy these again.) I simply poured them out of the bag and into a bowl to serve.

And of course, I used a few of my Free 12-Pack coupons to pickup some Cheerwine soda at my local Kroger store on the way back home. Love me some Cheerwine! I definitely wanted some on hand to offer my guests. This was but a last minute store run. I'd been planning a menu and gathering various ingredients & ready-made foodstuffs for about two weeks. Once everything was done and set out, it made for quite a delicious spread. I'm still stuffed.

The Postman Delivers... #MailCall Fun + Online #Rewards = A Good Day in the Neighborhood

The day before yesterday was a good day. As detailed in my earlier post, the postman delivered my Authentic Soda Society reward, One Year of Free Cheerwine (soda) and that was a win, but it wasn't the only thing I got in the mail. I also received a sample packet of Zuma Green Juice (healthy shake mix), a bottle of KFC 30 SPF Novelty Sunscreen (smells like chicken), a coupon for a Free Organic Valley Organic Balance Milk Protein Shake, a sample packet of Truvia Nectar and a coupon for $25.00 Off Mobil Oil (5 individual quarts or a 5-quart jug) at Advance Auto Parts. What a haul! I'm looking forward to trying out everything. Well, except the motor oil and the sunscreen, neither of which are intended for me, but are meant for my "twin" who will get a kick out of both, undoubtedly.

I was in such a good mood from receiving all this fun stuff in the mail, that I also cashed out some Kellogg's Family Rewards (KFR) points for a $5.00 Papa John's eGift Card and used it to buy myself dinner. I decided to try one of the new sides, the Wisconsin Cheese Stuffed Cheesesticks which are currently 5 bucks on promotion. Thus, I only paid a total of 35-cents, or the tax, OOP. (The cheesesticks were very tasty.) After dinner, pup and I took a nice stroll around the neighborhood and then sat in the front yard and watched the sunset. As it has been hitting 70 odd degrees the last several days, and we're now in the middle of January, supposedly Winter but more like Spring, we were quite comfortable. Turned out to be a wonderful day.