Random Culinary Finds

Lately we've been introduced to some good eats.  Here is a random non-exhaustive collection of said  
Good Eats:

1 - Best Milk Chocolate Chips:  Kroger brand.
Rob and I did a taste test of every brand there is, and this included the SO good Ghiradelli brand.  Kroger topped them all.

2 - Vanilla/Cardamom Bread.
Seriously, if you haven't tried it, TRY IT NOW.  Or sign up for me to make you some.  I'll even deliver it to you fresh out of the oven.  ...  I've made a loaf for about 8 people now.  Of the people who have tried the bread, 1 wasn't that impressed with it, but I think she was having a bad day.  Everyone else is addicted.  One person even dreamed about it.  It's that good.

3 - Gouda Cheese.
Make yourself a grilled cheese sandwich.  Yummy bread, gouda cheese.  Can't go wrong.  (And if you like the smoked flavor, try smoked gouda.) 

4 - Best Store-Bought Apple Butter:  Kroger Brand.
It took me a long time to even try the Kroger brand.  Apple Butter and Biscuits is almost a religious experience for me, and I couldn't taint it with store brand apple butter!  But, in a moment of desperation, when I couldn't find my prized but hard-to-acquire Musselman's brand, I bought the Kroger brand.  And what do you know, it's better.  Figures.  ...  It's now the only kind I'll buy.

 (Here's where Kroger pays me $50 for plugging their products on my blog.)

5. Chavrie

My brother called and told me I HAD TO TRY Chavrie.  It's goat's milk cheese.  I wasn't convinced.  But, I love my brother, so I tried it.  And, Oh, my goodness, it's so good!  Pull yourself out some Wheat Thins, and that's all you need!  ...  Truth be told, I have even purchased Chavrie and Wheat Thins when we only had $10 left in our food budget for the month.  Chavrie is addicting.  (If you're wondering what it tastes like, it's sort of like cream cheese, only smoother and yummier.  Go try some for yourself!)

6.  Banana Bread, to perfection
Not a huge fan of banana bread.  But Rob happened to have a lovely recipe for it, and since discovering it, I've made banana bread on an almost monthly basis.  This has been going on for years.  I learned that chocolate chips make anything better, but in banana bread, they tend to sink to the bottom.  Which is sad.  ...  The solution?  Mix it all together, put the banana bread in the pan, and then sprinkle the chocolate chips on the top.  They'll stay on the top that way.  Genius.

7.  Buttermilk Syrup.
I know you haven't tried it yet, because you haven't written me and told me how absolutely addictingly yummy it is.  So TRY IT!

8.  Ross Pizza
We tried their veggie pizza, and it was yummy!  I kept saying, "There's actually cheese on this pizza!"  If you're used to eating Pizza Hut/Domino's/Little Ceasar's pizza, then this is a huge step up (and I LIKE Little Ceasar's pizza.  We have one about once a week).  So next time you're looking to pay about $12 for a pizza, try out a Ross's Pizza.  Corner of North Bend and Cheviot.

That's all I've got for you.  Go ahead, try one or all of these for yourself.  You'll thank me later.