Happy
MealHalloween Eve-Eve! After my midnight Mountain Dew and cup of Death Wish coffee, I treated myself to some extra sleep, which is why today's post is later than normal.Yesterday, after work, I called 12 different McDonalds locations and completed my trio of 2022's Boo-Buckets. Before that, I hadn't eaten anything from McDonalds in years, so it was quite the adventure.
4D Gummies - Dollar TreeI bought these because I wanted to photograph them. I mean, look at them! They're little 3D gummy shapes of fruits and burgers and stuff. It's like, my kryptonite. But, I know what I'm getting into. After my experience with 4D Gummies (which were also from Dollar Tree) I knew these would likely be more of a fun visual novelty than a decent candy.
So I am going into this with a healthy amount of skepticism and very low expectations. (Kind of like dating in your 30's, am I right? Self-burn.)
Let's jump right into it!
I was at Bed Bath and Beyond, probably because I had a coupon or something, and I found myself wandering around the mini World Market section. I grabbed the usual suspects, Tim Tams, some fancy teas, and a bunch of European candy bars, when this caught my eye. I Can't Believe it's Not Hamburger beef jerky. At first, the name made me think it might be a vegetarian product, but it isn't, and then I was curious about how this might actually taste. In my mind, this would taste like beef jerky cured in Big Mac sauce, which sounded really appealing, so I figured it was worth a shot!
So, will I believe that this isn't a Hamburger? Let's find out!~
I cooked up some more salmon burgers, with sriracha mayo and toasted brioche buns, for dinner and I tried another flavor of beer. I got the burger patties at BJ's Wholesale Club (because I had a coupon) and I like them a lot more than I thought I would! They're pretty substantial and they work nicely with the sriracha mayo I have in the fridge. Right now I'm just cooking them up on a griddle inside, since it's so buggy outside, but I'd like to try grilling some up with a sweet chili sauce glaze before the summer is over.
Since I'm a self-proclaimed beer-hater, I'm trying to be more open minded this year and try new flavors to see if there's one out there I like. I went to Wine Works and built my own 6-pack with a few flavors off the shelves (I picked them solely based on cool-labels), but no luck yet. Beer has a flavor profile that just doesn't appeal to me. I very rarely drink alcohol, and when I do, it's sugary mixed drinks that barely taste like booze at all. I've been trying to keep an open mind and try more beers, since all my friends really seem to enjoy them, but I haven't had any luck finding ones I like.
America finally gets some black-themed burger buns! I'm so happy! Like all the other food bloggers out there, I'm super jealous of all of the limited edition burgers available in Japan. They've had red tomato powder burger buns, pink sakura buns, and even all black squid ink buns with black cheese and a black sauce. Our American version isn't that intense, but hey, it's a start!
The HA1LOWEEN burger has black buns, but they aren't squid ink-based like the ones sold in Japan. Instead, these are "infused with A1 steak sauce," which is a popular condiment here in the states, but it actually originated in the UK. The sauce alone doesn't create the intense black colored buns. As far as I can tell, this bun is the result of massive amounts of food coloring, but we'll talk a bit more about that later...totally unrelated, but there will be some...trigger warning-type stuff towards the end of this review. I'll flag it, but be warned: black burger buns come with some...unique side effects.
Man, what a crazy busy weekend. I got so much done, but I didn't really rest or sleep properly, so I'm going back to work (in a few hours) more tired than when I left. I don't have time to finish formatting my original review for tonight, so I thought I'd take some time to mention something I've been eating the last few weeks.
This isn't so much an individual item review as it is an ingredient, but it's something I've been enjoying, so I figured it was post-worthy.
New burger chains have been popping up all over my area. There's Wayback Burger, Bobby's Burger Palace, and now...Smash Burger.
Somehow my mother got some coupons for Smash Burger, I'm guessing some kind of promo since they are new in the area, so she picked a little something up for me to review. (Thanks mom!)
It's nation hamburger month! (Which is apparently a real thing.) Therefore I plan on reviewing a different burger once or twice a week for the rest of May.
To kick things off, I decided to check out The Pop Shop in Collingswood because they have a menu featuring a different burger each day.
I ordered:
- Green River (a soda fountain drink)
Meet my latest junk food addiction.
I rarely eat fast food, but when I do it's either Wendy's or White Castle. I haven't had McDonalds since I saw Supersize Me in the early 2000's, and I haven't had Chick-fil-a since their big anti-gay marriage scandal. Since my beloved White Castle is an hour away in Toms River, Wendy's has become my go-to fast food joint.
Since fast food is typically not much to look at, I'll skip the aesthetics and get right into the review.
I was down the shore with some friends and we stopped by the Route 66 diner on the boardwalk for dinner.
The building has a retro Doo Wop theme, just like the rest of Wildwood, and the servers perform choreographed dances to classic hits like Rockin’ Robin. It’s a cute place, and the atmosphere is fun, but the staff are the stars of the show. They went out of their way to accommodate us, and everyone we interacted with was extremely friendly and helpful.
For my meal I ordered one of the car themed burgers, the Galaxie, which was topped with blue cheese and hot sauce. Basically this is a buffalo burger. (I asked for the cheese sauce to be on the side, also this came with totmatoes, but I gave them to my boyfriend since I can’t really eat them.)
This was a very satisfying meal. The fries were crispy, the hot sauce was tangy, and the burger was well cooked. The cheese sauce tasted a lot like blue cheese dressing, so I just left it on the side. I usually eat my wings without any blue cheese anyway. (I’m a wing purist.) Everything down the shore is a little pricey, I got this meal for about $12.00, so the pricing at the Route 66 diner isn’t too bad.
I’d definitely eat there again, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is visiting the Jersey Shore.
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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Happy Memorial Day!
This year my family had a lot going on, so we weren’t able to get together for a Memorial Day celebration. Instead, I made a little spread for my immediate family to enjoy.
I made:
I originally pinned this slider recipe because these are supposed to be almost identical to White Castle burgers, and I have to say, these are pretty darn close. (I have actually used this slider recipe twice before.)
- Grilled Hotdogs
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Grilled Zucchini Coins
- A Mini Veggie Pizza
- Strawberry-Lime Smoothies
- And these Sliders
If you want your burgers to taste just like White Castle’s I suggest using a potato roll for the bun, Velveeta singles for the cheese, and only using diced white onions, a pickle, and ketchup for the garnish. (Like the burger to the right.)
The burger to the left uses a whole grain slider bun from Wegman’s. This was my first time tying these buns and I am not too happy with their overall flavor or texture. They are a little dry and have a strong wheat flavor to them that overpowers the burger. I think I’ll stick to potato rolls in the future, but this recipe is definitely a winner.
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.netLike me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!
Sorry I missed today’s update! I’ll make up for it by posting something awesome tomorrow.
In the meantime, here are some photos from my last trip to White Castle in Tom’s River NJ. It’s over an hour away, so I go all out and buy a LOT of burgers. Everything in that first photo was just for me. (The freezer kind just aren’t the same.)
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.netLike me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!
I am finally feeling better! So, I opted for some take out food. Odyssey Pizza, where I normally order my take out, has been renamed Eddie’s by new owners. So I figured I’d order something to see if the food was still the same.
My friends and I made a trip to White Castle! There are none in our area, so we drove over an hour away to get some of these itty bitty burgers.
I love White Castle. I have bought a lot of the frozen burgers they have in the grocery store, but I very rarely get to have a little burger from the actual establishment. So I went a little crazy.
They have directions for how to freeze the burgers you buy to store them for later.
Lots of White Castle photos and reviews coming up.
PS: Right now there is also a coupon available where you can get 2 free sliders!
- Cheeseburger
- Pulled Pork Slider
- Bacon Cheeseburger
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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I was craving a cheese burger late night so my buddy Jared and I went to the Wendy’s near my house to get some late night noms.
I got the #2, a double cheese burger, with fries and a HI-C.
I have to say, the new “hot and juicy” burger patties really made a difference in their burgers. The patties are thicker and, in fact, juicier. This makes for a better tasting burger overall.
The fries I am not so keen on, but in my opinion it is really hard to make a terrible french fry.
The meat has gotten better, but I am still fully aware that I am eating a fast food burger. I’ll get it again if I am craving a late night burger run.
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.netLike me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!
This place is next to where I work so I decided to check it out. I thought they just had ice cream but they have a full diner menu and really classic foods.
The first major plus was that they serve a little cup of homemade potato salad instead of coleslaw with every meal. I HATE coleslaw so this was fantastic for me!
I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger Deluxe (without tomato) and it came with fries.
This was the best burger I have ever had in my life. No exaggeration, no lie… best burger I have ever had. The fries were crisp and my sister got the thickest vanilla malt they offer and it was like stepping back in time. If any of you are local please come check this place out. It is worth a little trip!
Photos© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.netLike me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!
Another stop at the new Sonic on my way home from the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival in Philadelphia. I decided to get one of the Wacky Packs (kids’ meal). I got a cheeseburger, fries and a Route 44 Watermelon Slush.
This slush was HUGE. Bigger than my head and it was only $2.15! 2pm-4pm they are half off! That is insane! Only 1/6th of the way in and I already had 4 brain freezes!
The kids meal was very yummy and filling. Ordering off of the child menu helps with portion control. If I do eat out I always try and order kids meal sizes, even though my boyfriend teases me horribly. (Plus I get a toy!)
Photos© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.netLike me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!
These are shots from 2 weeks ago when my boyfriend and I ate at Elevation Burger.
I love french fries, I always eat them before my burger, so I have become a bit of a french fry expert over the years. Although I have eaten fries at tons of establishments, the ones here at Elevation Burger are in a league of their own. They are cooked in 100% Olive Oil. This sounds like a great idea, because it is supposed to be a healthier option, but they were insanely oily. EXTREMELY oily.
I am not one of those people who pats their food with a napkin before eating, but there was no other alternative. After going through several napkins, I just couldn't salvage these fires. Although they looked absolutely delicious, I didn’t care for them at all.
On the other-hand, the burger was very good! They advertise that the burgers are made to taste like burgers from home and they really did! This tastes like a classic mom-and-pop burger from a diner, which is a fantastic feat for a fast food joint.
I may have liked the burgers, but so far it has been two years and I have never returned. Those greasy fries were a major turn off.
I could blog about food forever.© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.netLike me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!
