The South Bay Foodies got their hands on a beverage* that brings these two healthy powerhouses together, with the benefits of juices and whole grains: Juiceology. Read on to see how it fared in our taste test.

The Two Flavors We Tried: Peach Mango and Blueberry Açai.

First off, I was a bit skeptical. Whole grains and juice? I was thinking it would be something like a chalky, powdered fiber supplement mixed into some fruit cocktail syrup. Juiceology was nothing like that. It had an unassuming appearance – very juice-like. The label indicates that Juiceology contains 70% pure juice.

Moving into the taste test, I captured the reactions of the folks around South Bay Foodies HQ. We tried two flavors, Peach Mango and Blueberry Açai.

Overall, we were pleased with the beverage flavors and were surprised by how sweet they were. The ingredients show no added sugar, with the bulk of the 19 grams of carbs coming from the natural juices. Stevia was also listed in the ingredients, though, so that may be part of the sweetness that Nicole picked up on.

The rest of the 22 grams of carbs comes from the fiber; 12% of your daily intake of fiber to be exact. There are two servings in the 450 ml bottle, which means you could down one of these suckers – a caloric steal at only 98 calories per serving – and get a quarter of the fiber you need in a day.

The Nutrition Facts on the Juiceology Label: Low calorie, high fiber, good flavor.

Nicole, the kids, and I enjoyed the two flavors we sampled but there also three other flavors if peach/mango and blueberry/açai don’t inspire you. I’m curious to try the apple and Concord grape.

Right now Juiceology is only available in Southern California. In the South Bay you can find them at Ralphs, Bristol Farms, and Northgate grocery stores. To find Juiceology in your neighborhood, visit their website. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter to socialize with other Juiceology enthusiasts.

• Juiceology, Juices + Whole Grain Extracts
  http://www.purejuiceology.com
  http://www.facebook.com/PureJuiceology
  @purejuiceology

* Samples were provided on a complimentary basis for the purpose of this review.

1. http://www.fruitjuicefacts.org/
2. http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/what-are-the-health-benefits

The formula for their crunchy snack is a family recipe developed by Suzy, the matriarch. The business end is taken care of by offspring Whit and Kelly who have handled marketing and artwork.

Whit describes their granola as “a premium, small batch, specialty granola.  We use 100% all natural ingredients, 90% of which are from California.  We currently offer an Original and a Gluten-Free recipe.”

Thanks to a sample from the McCarthy’s I was able to get my hands on some of their By Hand granola. It was certainly a treat!

By Hand Granola comes in two varities: original and gluten free.

Opening the bag for the first time, I instantly noticed the bright scent of cinnamon and the mellow aroma of maple syrup. The flavor was on point with those scents; eating this granola was like eating a deconstructed oatmeal cookie.

Along with the fresh, oat flavor, my favorite part was the variety of nuts in the mix: coconut, macadamia, and sliced almonds. Each one added a special crunch and flavor to the mix, especially the macadamia which seemed to be the most prominent.

Rounding out the flavor profile was the sweetness of dried cranberries. The sweetness they added was level, not overly sweet or pucker-inducingly tart.

A closer Look at the product. The nuts, dried cranberries, and cinnamony oats make for a tasty, crunchy snack.

Knowing that their recipe is a winner, the McCarthys have grown their business tremendously since starting in late 2010. Starting with a sale to Manhattan Beach grocery store Grow, they have since increased production to at least a dozen local groceries and are expanding rapidly.

Their homepage also invites folks to find them at the El Segundo Famer’s Market on Thursdays. Along with store sales, By Hand granola is also available online.

In November, buying By Hand Granola from their website is a great way to help the company give back to the community. During this month of thanksgiving, a percentage of all sales from their website will be donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

I’m happy to give a round of applause – a hand, perhaps? – to a South Bay business that is making a name for themselves, one batch of granola at a time.

• By Hand Granola
  http://www.byhandgranola.com
  Twitter: @ByHandGranola
  

What's left of my bottle of KC Masterpiece Southern Style Barbecue Sauce.

Working with the Foodbuzz Tastemaker’s program, I received a sample of KC Masterpiece Southern Style Barbecue Sauce for a taste test and headed straight to the grill.

I decided to cook some chicken thighs and apply a three step combo with the sauce: first marinating them for about 10 hours, then basting them over the coals, and finally dressing them with the sauce after cooking.

Marinating

Upon opening the sauce, I was surprised to see it was so thin, with just a touch of thickness to it. This was perfect for marinating, though. I dumped about half of the bottle into a gallon sized Ziploc bag along with a pound of thawed chicken thighs. I didn’t add any other seasonings to make sure the full flavor of the sauce came through.

Basting

Trying to be as authentic as I could with a Southern style barbecue, I cooked the chicken over low, indirect heat for about two hours. Your cooking time might vary but just know that indirect heat is best to keep from burning marinated meats. I basted the chicken with the sauce a few times during the cooking process, making sure all surfaces were covered nicely.

Dressing

Just off the grill, chicken thighs marinated and basted with KC Masterpiece Southern Style BBQ sauce.

Maybe soaking is a better term to use for this step but dressing sounds right to me. Immediately after getting the thighs off the grill, I place them in a ceramic bowl and doused them with the last of the sauce. This was the final step in flavoring with the new sauce.

Tasting!

Plating for dinner, I ended up with a sort of California-Carolina fusion. The arugula salad with balsamic dressing seemed perfect for LA while the potato salad was the perfect match for a plate of barbecue.

Plated for dinner: Grilled chicken with arugula and potato salad.

Tasting the chicken, I noticed the vinegary-ness of the sauce right away. It did have a bit of heat to it, but ti was far from spicy. The label mentions “the heat of red and black pepper” but only lists “spices” under ingredients. Much more prevalent was the tang of the tomato based and a bit of sweetness from the molasses.

With so many styles of barbecue having roots in the South, I wondered how and why KC Masterpiece decided to classify this sauce as Southern. If I had to give it a proper home, I would definitely say it was the cousin of a Carolina sauce. If I had chopped my chicken and served it on buns along with this sauce, I’d say it was a Carolina sauce for sure.

In the end I’d say this Southern Style sauce is a nice addition to the KC Masterpiece line. It has plenty of merit as a marinade with its thin texture but also works for basting while the meats are cooking and for dressing when the meat comes off the grill.

I’ve got the sauce covered; now all we need to do is find a tail gate party and get some barbecuing started. Go team!

Serving a Fresh Salad with Newman's Own Four Cheese and Pepperoni Pizzas.

As a participant in the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program, I was parterned with Newman’s Own to whip up a meal in 30 minutes or less using Neman’s pizza, salad dressings, and pasta sauces.  To make the experience even more immersive, the folks at Newman’s threw in a Flip video camera so I could record everything from start to finish.

I decided to cook a couple of the pizzas — Four Cheese and Pepperoni — and pair them with a ready-made salad from the grocery store.  To kick the salad upa notch, I added fresh cilantro, cucumbers, and a few other fresh ingredients.  Even though I was in a rush of sorts, the salad was a breeze to prep while I waited on the pizzas to cook.

Want to see how it all came together?  Check out the video below!

Thanks again to Foodbuzz and Newman’s own for partnering with me to put this video together.

Its really a treat working with Newman’s Own because they donate all royalties and after tax profits — as in 100% — to charities and education. How cool is that!?

If you’re looking for their products at your local grocery, make sure you print a coupon from this link first.  That way, you’re saving a little bit for yourself and helping others at the same time.  Cheers!

Please.  Let me explain.

I received an email a while ago from the representatives of Cost Plus World Market.  Their message was an announcement for the upcoming Royal Wedding and the snacks that the Brits would be noshing on while they watched. Among them were Bisto Gravy Granules, Heinz Baked Beans, and Marmite Yeast Extract.  WTF!?

Gravy, OK I can see that.  Baked beans, yeah I eat them all the time.  But yeast!?  I was immediately curious.  As for everyone else at South Bay Foodies HQ, not so much.  I requested a sample right away.

When it arrived, I was intrigued by the cute little pot-shaped jar that contained what looked like a dark, creamy essence.  What would it taste like?  How would I use it!?

A jar of Marmite Yeast Extract, waiting to be sampled.

A bit of Internet research led me to find that there are plenty of ways to use Marmite.  Along with random websites with recipes and suggestions, I also found an interactive “Sandwich Planner” that lets visitors build their own Marmite sandwich and then share their creation with friends.

Pick your sandwich planner! A hip B-Boy, a French poodle hugger, or a sassy, business minded Brit.

The website is engaging and fun, offering plenty of breads and toppings (pineapple?) for Marmite sandwiches.  I just went simple though:  Marmite, wheat bread, and provolone cheese.

Opening the jar I didn’t get too much of a scent.  The contents smelled a bit earthy and bready.  Dipping in with a spoon, I got a better feel for the texture of the stuff.  It was like a dark brown caramel, smooth and sticky.  I would soon find out it was far, far, far from sweet.

Going in! Sampling Marmite for the very first time.

I took a big taste from the spoon.  Rookie mistake!  The intense savoriness of the thick sauce was enough to suck my saliva glands dry.  Its hard to say what it tastes like exactly but after the flavor sensation came down a few notches I was able to actually enjoy it a bit.

Even though Marmite is vegetarian — made from yeast, spices, salt, and vegetables — the closest flavor I can think of is the the taste of highly concentrated and reduced drippings from a well done roast beef.

With that in mind, I headed to the kitchen to get cooking.

Just a drizzle of Marmite was the perfect addition to my grilled cheese sandwich.

I used a drizzle of Marmite to flavor a simple grilled cheese sandwich of wheat bread and provolone.  Most of the recipes I’d seen called for a strong cheddar but I wanted a milder cheese to highlight the flavor of the yeast.

The sandwich turned out brilliantly (as the British would say) and I enjoyed it.  For the sake of my virgin tongue, I wish I had spread the sauce a bit thinner in a few places, but I liked the way it brought a saltiness and earthiness to the otherwise lightly flavored provolone cheese.

If you’re lucky enough to hang out with the Royals, don’t turn down the  Marmite; ask for it by name!

They’ll appreciate your knack for British cuisine and might event consider introducing you to Harry or whoever else is next in line for the throne.

For the rest of us, we’ll have to swing by Cost Plus World Market where they sell Marmite along with the other British delicacies mentioned earlier.  You can find Cost Plus in Torrance and El Segundo.

Enjoy your yeast!

I’m always open for something new, though, so I was happy to sample a few flavors from Zevia, a “natural” soda sweetened with stevia.  Stevia is an herb known for some time as a sugar substitute in other countries but has only recently gained traction in the US.

The complimentary batch of Zevia that I received for tasting had some familiar sounding names and flavors so Nicole and I — along with the kids — were eager to get guzzling.  The table below lists each flavor along with our thoughts after tasting them.

After tasting each flavor, I asked Nicole and the girls to pick their favorite.  Shania went with the one she thought was most “delicioso” and picked the Cola flavor.  Nicole picked Black Cherry, the one that fooled her into thinking she wasn’t drinking a diet soda.  Katia piggy backed on Nicole’s choice and picked the Black Cherry too.  I was glad to go with Dr. Zevia which I thought was the most complex and interesting of all the flavors.

Zevia’s website lists eight other flavors all sweetened with Stevia so if you’re a diet soda drinker looking for something new, its likely you’ll find something there to please your palate.

The Zevia Family Tree. Images courtesy of Zevia.

I’m curious to try their Cream Soda, Grapefruit, and Mountain Zevia.  Specifically, I’m wondering how they keep with the all natural theme and use coffee and tea to produce the caffeine in what I’m guessing is a taste-alike to the original Mountain Dew.

Zevia is available online and in Whole Foods and Bristol Farms grocery stores around the South Bay.

Have you tried Zevia or other foods sweetened with Stevia?  Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager.

I poured all 12 ounces into a glass and was pleased with the color and head on the beer.  The color tones were orange and coppery —  about the same color as the can — and the minimal head thinned out quickly.

The short blurb on the can calls out the beer’s flavor as a result of the double hopping.  They might be right!  The flavor was much more distinct than your average beer but not as strong as even the lightest of stouts.  It had a nice balance of hoppiness and flavor.

The aroma and flavor had hints of citrus leaning towards grapefruit.  The carbonation was just enough to keep the beer crisp without being too much to handle.

In all, Black Star was a pleasant and easy beer to drink, pairing nicely with my California rolls and pickled ginger.

I was glad I found this can in my fridge; I’m sure I bought it intending to do a review.  My regret is that I only picked up one can!

http://blackstarbeer.com

http://www.greatnorthernbrewing.com

Fortunately, Alexia Foods has provided a fail safe solution for cooking sweet potato fries at home.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program, I received a sample of Alexia’s frozen sweet potato fries.  OK, they didn’t send me frozen food in the mail; although, how cool would that be?!  They did send a coupon for me to pick up a free sample from my local grocery store.

At $3.99 per 5 serving bag, I felt the price was reasonable given the time and effort it would take for me to peel and slice enough sweet potatoes to feed the four hungry people in my home.

Back at home, the fries were a snap to cook: heat the oven to 400 degrees, dump the fries on a cookie sheet, and bake ‘em for 20 minutes or so.  The instructions say to “stir them once or twice” while cooking but I did a complete fire and forget.

They turned out perfectly!

Hot, Crispy Sweet Potato Fries Just Out of the Oven.

The fries were crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside, and the perfect blend of sweet and salty.  We paired the fries with grilled pork chops and a simple, homemade dipping sauce — thanks to Nicole.  She insisted that it was only proper to serve this fries with a sauce that would compliment them (recipe below).

Dipping the Fries in the Dashing Sauce!

In the end, I have to say thanks, Alexia, for opening my eyes to the wonders of easily making sweet potato fries in my home.

For more information, follow this  link for a  handy PDF document with product and nutrition details.

Dashing French Fry Dip

I call this the “dashing” French fry dip because it has a dash of this and a dash of that.  Taste as you go when you make it, adding more of what ever you feel is missing!  Makes about two servings.

½ Cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Dash of Cracked Black Pepper
Dash of Ground Cayenne Pepper
Dash of Powdered Garlic
Dash of Powdered Onion
Dash of Ground Thyme
Dash of Paprika

Mix ingredients together until thoroughly blended.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with french fries or anything else you’d like to dip!

Truvia is crystalline like sugar, not powdered.

Well, Truvia is not that new.  Its been around since 2008.  Based on stevia extracts, its billed as a natural sweetener that looks and tastes like sugar but with zero calories.  Like other non-sugar sweetners — be they artificial or natural — there’s plenty of controversy over whether its good for you, makes you crazy, etc.

For this simple test I didn’t focus too much on the hype.  I just wanted to know how many packs it would take to make a nice glass of sweet tea.

Yes, sometimes I use chopsticks to stir my tea!

To keep things somewhat scientific, I used two of my favorite pre-brewed teas:  Tejava black tea and Trader Joe’s Green Tea.  Both are unsweetened and I love ‘em right out of the bottle.  Here’s the run down as I added Truvia one pack at a time:

1. One pack wasn’t enough.  I could taste some of the sweetness coming through but it wasn’t enough to give me that “sweet tea” taste.  Growing up in the South has spoiled me when it comes to sweet tea.
2. Two packs was just about right.  Contrary to my Southern upbringing, living in California has gotten me used to sweet tea that’s on the milder side of sweetness.  With that sense of taste, I could have stopped at two packs.  But why play it safe!?
3. Ahhhh!  Three packs did it.  Pretty darn close to a sugar-ized sweet tea taste.  I almost felt guilty knowing it was calorie free.

OK, so now I’m going to keep Truvia in mind when I’m considering non-sugar sweeteners.   More guilt-free sweet tea please!

I put out a call for taste buds to my friends Kelvin, Margaret, and Annalise, and the sweetest GF ever Nicole.  Little did they know I was enlisting them to taste some Honest Tea and give me their honest opinions.

Similar to the PomX Tea taste test I did not too long, this would also be a blind taste test with the tasters not knowing anything about the beverage.

With a selection of two teas and two “ades” in hand — some provided by Honest Tea and a couple bottles purchased by me at Ralph’s —  I gathered the tasters in a secluded El Segundo conference room and recorded their opinions.  For reference, the teas are true teas and the “ades” are more like a fruit punch.  Let’s go!

#1 Orange Mango with Mangosteen Honest Ade

Margaret — Yum!  Its sweet but sweeter in the beginning.  Is this peach?

Kelvin —  This is good.  Its mango or something.  I wish it had a little more flavor.  It seems Gatorade-ish.

Nicole — I like it!

Annalise – Note: Annalise didn’t get to try this one because Nicole took the rest of the bottle!

#2 Honey Green Tea

Margaret — This tastes like a traditional tea.  I would drink it.

Kelvin — This is a greeen tea…with some kinda fruit.

Nicole — This dosen’t smell as good as #1.  It has something in the back of the throat.  Some “yuck”.

Annalise — I don’t like the after taste…it taste like “diet” something.  Is this peach?

#3 Peach White Tea

Margaret — It’s OK but I’d drink this quickly.

Kelvin — Hmmmmmm.  This is not good.  Taste like it took on the flavor of the bottle.  It tastes sort of “plasticky”.  How long did you have this before you served it to us? Note:  I had the bottle for just a couple days before serving it to the panel of tasters.  It was also well within the expiration date.

Nicole — No comment. Note:  Really, she said “No comment”.

Annalise — Hmmmm.  OK this is a peach tea.  Better than #2 but really sweet.

#4 Pomegranate Blue Honest Ade

Margaret — GRAPE! This taste a bit more than “just a tad sweet”.  But its good!

Kelvin — This is refreshing.

Nicole — Tastes like communion wine (Note: grape juice!) but without the sweetness.

Annalise — Tastes like grape juice.  Its a little sweet but its better than the others.

Wrapping Up

Wow!  Once again, tastes and opinions were all over the place.  But that just goes to show, ask four people’s opinion and you’ll get four different answers.  That might explain the guesses on peach flavor that were all over the place!

The other thing we discussed were the calories and price.  The tasters that were taking a closer look at their caloric intake — no names! — were pleased with the calorie count for the beverages.  The Honest Ades topped out at a waist-line-friendly 100 calories for a whole bottle (2 servings) while the teas were 85 calories or less for the same amount.

The tasters were a little surprised at the price per bottle, though, when I told them the bottles retailed for about $2.50 at Ralph’s.  However, I bought them on sale for $1 each.  I’ll have to check Whole Foods to comparison shop because the last time I checked there, Honest Teas were going for around $1.50.  I also found out later that Honest Tea offers coupons online.

As for taste, the Ades captured the popular vote.  In the end the clear winner was the grape-forward flavor of the Pomegranate Blue Honest Ade.  All of us agreed that this was one of the best out of the four we tried.  And with a nod from Nicole, the second best in show went to the Orange Mango Ade.

For more information including coupons and nutritional information, check out Honest Tea’s website, http://www.honesttea.com.