This week, my Works-for-Me Wednesday post is a selection of product reviews. I love trying new items… but I also get very upset when they aren’t what I expect. Therefore, I want to share a few tidbits about some items I’ve used in the last few weeks.

This spaghetti sauce from Kroger was on sale for $1, which is cheaper than even the Walmart brand! I don’t like pasta, but I cook it occassionally since my boyfriend loves it. I made chicken parmesan with this sauce… and it was amazing!! The sauce has a nice depth to its flavor, and it’s not too sweet like many sauces are. It also really imparts a cheesy flavor. I highly recommend it, especially for $1!

 These are a few of my Oxo Good Grips Pop-Up containers. I know, I said I don’t like pasta… but how could I resist how pretty it looks in these containers?! 😉 I love how they stack. It really makes the pantry look nice, even if I’m the only one who ever sees it. I also like that I know exactly how much of each thing I have.  The negative would be the price. I’ve received most of mine as gifts. On the couple I did buy, I used a 20% off one item coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond. For me, they are definitely worth the price!!

I spotted these cappuccino coolers on the clearance shelf for 25 cents, so I decided to try a box. I think these are regularly $2.50ish per box. I think that is kind of an outrageous price! Granted, however, that it is cheaper than buying something at Starbucks. To make, you open the packet and pour into a cup of milk and stir. Pretty easy and quick! The taste was OK… obviously not a $5 Starbucks drink. 🙂 My final determination is that they are worth 25 cents but not $2.50!

I tried a new type of apple this week – Rome apples. They are, to put it mildly, horrible! My main issue is that the texture is very grainy. It’s like eating couscous! Secondly, the flavor is bland. It’s not sweet or sour. I chopped one up to eat, dividing it into 8 pieces. I ate one piece and was disgusted. So I took it downstairs to my boyfriend. He immediately counted the pieces remaining – 7 – and suspected that I had tried one and hated it. I guess I need to get some tactics. 🙂 Anyway, I chopped up the two apples I had bought and made Pioneer Woman’s Apple Brown Betty… it was much better received in the warm, brown-sugary form. 🙂 

 I’m not really a hairspray girl. This probably stems from fourth grade, when I went through a “phase” in which I would wet my hair, spray it with Aquanet, comb it into a style, and then spray again. It’s painful to even think about!! But, alas, I have had side sweepy bangs for the past couple of years. And unfortunately, I have a natural cowlick-part-sort-of-thingy going on in the front right in between the bangs. This makes hairspray a necessity. I chose this one because it wasn’t Aquanet or Suave… and also wasn’t $5. It was right around $2.89, which I hate to pay, but I think it will last a long time.

The first time I used it, I realized point #1: remember to take off your glasses before spraying. Duh! And point #2: when you have taken off your glasses, close your eyes!! Duh! This stuff is great… light, not too sticky, and frizzy-defeating. It kept my bangs as they should be. I love it!

Lastly, I share with you some delicious Peeps. I love Peeps. I just can’t explain it! But… I really, really, really (!) love them stale. That’s right, open the package and leave on the counter for 4-6 weeks until they are crusty. Admittedly, it concerns me that they have enough preservatives to stay squishy that long out on the counter. I also have a difficult time staying out of them long enough to let them stale, as evidenced by this photo. If you’re not convinced, leave just one Peep out for a few weeks and try it. You’ll never go back!!

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