Review of Banquet's Chicken and Broccoli Pot Pie

Yesterday, while at the Silver Spring, Maryland Dollar Tree store, I decided to buy a Banquet Chicken and Broccoli Pot Pie. I like pot pies. They microwavable, healthy and tasty. In the case of Dollar Tree, they're cheap ($1) but small. This pie was just 7 ounces. Calorie wise, you're talking 330 calories for 1 pie. Cooking time was just 4 to 5 minutes (I split the difference and set my microwave for 4 and a half minutes). Banquet does recommend you use a cooking thermometer to make sure the pie reaches 165 degrees so, it's fully cooked.

Overall, I thought Banquet's pot pie was ok. I wasn't pleased with the size but, you get what you pay for. The pie is typical of the cheap and small portions you can get at Dollar Tree. I wouldn't go out of my way to get one of these but, I would buy a few for some cheap eats. Bon Appétit all!

Review of Wai Lana's Cassava Pops

While visiting Dollar Tree's Jessup, Maryland store, I stumbled upon 3 different types of Wai Lana's Cassava Pops. They're like potato chips but, they're made with cassava (yuca root) which is native to Central and South America. Wai Lana turns the root into a paste and then applies a little heat and pressure to make the chip like pops. The advantage of doing this is there aren't any added calories from frying or baking.

The pops come in 3 flavors: sea salt (125 calories per serving). luau bar-b-que (120 calories per serving) and volcano (110 calories per serving). Volcano is the hot and spicy flavor though I didn't find it that hot. The luau bar-b-que is supposed to sweet & tangy. As I haven't tried this flavor yet, I don't know if that's true or not. On the sea salt flavor, I found the chips tasty.

Each flavor comes in 3 ounce (3 servings) bags at Dollar Tree and cost $1 (of course).

Wai Lana states the pops don't have any gluten (certainly true as they're not made with wheat), are GMO and trans fats free, don't have anything artificial, are suitable for vegetarians and are kosher.

Allergy wise, Wai Lana warns that the pops are made in a factory that may contain soy, wheat and dairy though no peanuts or tree nuts.

The pops are made in the United States of America which is a little plus to me and are distributed by Wai Lana Snacks out of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Overall, I was very pleased with this product. I thought the 2 flavors I tried were tasty and, I look forward to having some more of this product. This product gets a thumbs up from me. Happy munching all!

Source of information on the product: the 3 bags I bought from the Jessup, Maryland Dollar Tree store with my own money. I'm not in any way affiliated with Wai Lana Snacks and all opinions stated in this review are my own.

Review of Arizona's Sweet Tea

While at the Jessup, Maryland Dollar Tree about a month ago, I wanted a cheap caffeine fix. I decided to try their Arizona Sweet Tea. It costs only a $1, comes in a 42 ounce plastic bottle and, they had it in the refrigerated section so, it was already cold.

In my opinion, the tea turned out to be pretty lacklustre i.e. it wasn't terribly good. For starters, it didn't seem very sweet. This may be because they used high fructose corn syrup instead of real sugar to sweeten it. Sweet tea is supposed to be so sweet that you would get a huge sugar high from drinking it. I didn't get that from this product.

One slight plus to the product is they add ascorbic acid so you get 100% of the vitamin C you need in an 8 ounce glass of the tea.

Arizona claims the tea is real brewed. Maybe but, the tea itself isn't noteworthy either. Some teas have particularly nice flavors depending on what you like example: Russian Caravan tea has a nice smoky taste to it. This tea didn't have any noteworthy flavor to it. I would guess they used plain black tea.

Overall, the best thing I can say about this tea is it's cheap. As I mentioned previously, a 42 ounce bottle cost just a $1 at Dollar Tree. I don't know how caffeine it has in it so, I can't say how much of a charge you'll get from drinking some of this tea. As far as thumb scores go, I give this tea 2 thumbs down. I'd recommend you drink some other kind of tea. Happy drinking all!

Jot Ballpoint Pen Review

Among the good size selection of pens you'll find at Dollar Tree stores, the cheapest are the Jot Ballpoint Pens. The pens come in packs of 10 (at a $1 a pack, this breaks out to 10 cents a pen) with a choice of 2 different type of pen bodies (white and clear) and 3 choices of ink color (Black, Blue and, I think Red). All pens as far as I know have a .7 millimeter nib.

I bought 2 packs of the pens myself to test them and, I found they write well especially for such cheap pens. One down side to them is their stick pens meaning they don't retract and, you have to use a pen cap each pen comes with to keep the ink on the pen from drying out. I suspect the pens use a standard oil based ink which doesn't dry out for a long time though they will eventually.

Of the 2 pen bodies, I'd recommend the clear body pens as you can see how much ink the cartridge has left. With the white bodies, you'd have to pull the ink cartridge out of the pen to see how much there is.

Overall, these are decent cheap pens that write well enough. At 10 cents each, I don't think it's worth going through all the hassle of replacing the ink cartridge when you've used it up. Also, I'm not wiped out by the extremely basic ink color selection. However, for most business writing, I think you're supposed to use black or blue ink any way so, this shouldn't matter to most folks. As with many things at Dollar Tree stores, the selection of these pens may vary from store to store. If you want to get a specific pack of them, you might want to see about ordering them on their website.

That's all for this post. Happy writing all!

Review of Progresso's Southwestern Style Corn With Potatoes and Peppers Soup

A while back, I bought 3 or 4 cans of Progresso's Southwestern Style Corn With Potatoes and Peppers soup at the Jessup, Maryland Dollar Tree. For a $1 a can, the soup was worth trying in my opinion and, Progresso makes some very good and easy to prepare soups (see my previous review on Progresso soup).

As this soup is in the Southwestern United States of America (USA) style, I knew it was going to have some zing i.e. be a little hot. That's typical as far as I know of with foods from the Southwestern USA. This one does though I found it to be a good all vegetable soup. According to the can I opened, you'll get 1/2 a cup of vegetables per serving (2 servings per can). Calorie wise, each serving serves up 110 calories which isn't bad in my opinion. The soup doesn't have any Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and is low in fat (just 15 calories of fat in a serving per one of the cans I bought). Each serving has 680 milligrams of sodium for those who are watching their salt intake. 2 grams of sugar per serving are also included in each serving for those watching their sugar intake..

Like all Progresso soups, the soup is very each to prepare. You can place it in a covered dish in the microwave and heat it between 2 and 4 minutes or heat it up on a stove.

Each can comes with a 10 cent coupon for Box Tops for Education which you can give to whatever deserving school so, they can get needed school supplies. I sent a bunch of the coupons to St. Joseph's Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota to help them out though you my reader are welcome to send them to whoever you like or throw them out with the can.

Overall, I was pleased with this soup and give it 2 thumbs up. I was particularly pleased with the price I paid at Dollar Tree for it though it can be hit and miss finding this soup there. I visited their store at Springfield, Virginia and didn't see a single can of any of their soups there. If you like a vegetable soup with a little zing in it, this could be the soup for you. Bon Appetit!

Note: the soup does contain milk and wheat ingredients in it for those concerned about such things (Source: one of the cans of the soup I bought).

Review of Dollar Tree's Peruvian Hat

I believe this was a very lucky find on my part. I don't remember which Dollar Tree store I found the hat in. One annoying thing about the Dollar Tree chain is the inventory can vary from store to store. I remember this being true with a waiter's cork screw I searched for. You couldn't find one in the Laurel or Jessup, Maryland stores but, they had them at their South Lyon, Michigan store (I was visiting my Dad at the time).

The hat as far as I know, it does have a Peruvian design. A label on the hat says it's made in China. Annoyingly, I can't find a label saying what it's made out of. A true Peruvian (as far as I know) would be made out of baby alpaca or alpaca wool with baby alpaca being softer. I know this from when I did an absolutely awesome tour of the country years ago. I very much doubt the hat is made of alpaca wool though I can't prove that.

The hat does a good job of keeping my head warm and, it has flaps that come over my ears covering them as well. It had cords on the side that if need be, you could tie though you should't have to. The hat looks nice in my opinion.

Overall, I consider this hat to be a great find at whatever Dollar Tree I found it at. Sadly, I've been to 8 or 9 different Dollar Tree stores and, I only found this hat at 1 forgotten store. I wish this hat was more widely available as I think it's a really good deal for folks who want a good hat to keep their head warm during the winter. For a $1, it's an absolute steal. I give this product 2 big thumbs up! Stay warm all!

Review of Dollar Tree's Battery Powered Tooth Brush

I saw one of these at Dollar Tree's Laurel, Maryland store and decided to try it. After all, it only costs a $1 so, if it turned out to be junk, no big deal.

I found out the tooth brush vibrates vice having the brush head swivel. I don't think that'll do as good a job cleaning your teeth vice if the brush head swiveled. I ran into a problem with the battery compartment. It kept coming out while I tried to brush my teeth with the brush causing it stop working. The last straw with this item was when bristles came out of the brush head while I was brushing. To me, this says the item is very poorly made.

Overall, I was very unimpressed with this item and definitely wouldn't recommend it. I give it 2 thumbs DOWN! The only consolation I can take is it cost me just a $1 which is very cheap in my opinion. In this case, I suspect I got what I paid for. Cheers all!

Dollar Tree Four Pack Paring Knife Set Review

One product that Dollar Tree sells that I've been very pleased with is their Four Pack Color Paring Knife Set which they sell for $1. The stainless steel 5.9 inch knives are made by Royal Norfolk Cutlery in China. The blade part of the knives is approximately 2 inches long with the rest being a plastic handle that you may find in black or blue (like the set I bought). Royal Norfolk puts a really good edge on these knives so, they do a fine job of cutting. Being stainless steel, I don't know if you'd be able to sharpen these knives if they get dull. The only thing I can knock about this product is the fact they come in sets of 4. How many paring knives do you think you're going to need? More so since from using the knives, these knives seem to hold up. I've been using one for over a year and, it's still going strong so, the other 3 sit in storage.

Overall, I give this product a thumbs up. These are good knives at a great price. The only problem any of my readers may encounter is that not all Dollar Tree stores may carry them. Each stores inventory can vary as I've seen from personal experience. Still, if you seen them, you might want to pick up a pack of them. For a $1, they're a great deal. Happy shopping all!

Jot Brush Pens Product Review

While checking out the Dollar Tree store at 2653 Annapolis Rd in Hanover, Maryland (not the one close to Arundel Mills Mall), I came upon some Jot Brush Pens. As I'd never heard of a "brush pen" before and, they're only a $1 like everything at Dollar Tree, I decided to buy a pack of them and try them out.

The pens come in 4 colors - blue, green, red and yellow. They do look something like a brush (from the long handle) though they have a long felt tip at the ink end (vice some brush bristles). The tip gives a very wide stroke which in my opinion causes this item to be misnamed. I think they should be called "Brush Markers" as you can't really write with these like you could with a pen except in very large script.

The "pens" would be good for use in making some kind of large signs but wouldn't be good for every day writing. As far as I know, the pens are available only in the 4 colors I found.

Overall, I wasn't really impressed with these so called pens though I'm not very disappointed as they only cost me a $1. If you want something to help make a large sign, you might find them useful. However, I give them a thumbs down as I'm not really impressed with them and feel they are misnamed. They really should be called "Brush Markers." Happy writing all!

South Lyon Dollar Tree Store Review

This is the store that started me liking the Dollar Tree chain. My Filipino step-mother Geroncia (also known as Jane) loves this place. To help my Dad who doesn't like to drive for various reasons, I always offer to take Geroncia where ever she wants to go when I visit. This past Labor Day weekend was one such occasion. One of the places she always wants to go was the South Lyon, Michigan Dollar Tree store.

The store is located in the Glenwood Plaza at 21835 Pontiac Trail in South Lyon. It's open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays and 9 a.m to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There is plenty of parking at this shopping center. As Pontiac Trail is the main drag/street in South Lyon, it's easy enough to get to.

The store is of good size, has a refrigerated section (a plus in my book), is well stocked and well kept up. The store's staff do an excellent job maintaining and running this store.

Overall, I've visited and shopped at a number of Dollar Tree stores since I first visited this store 3 or 4 years ago so, I tell if a store is a good one or a bad one. This one is a very good one for the reasons I've mentioned. If you like Dollar Tree in general, you'll like this store if you live in this area. I give it a 2 thumbs up. Happy shopping all!

Silver Spring Dollar Tree Store Review

Last Sunday, a friend at the Extended Stay where I live asked me to get him some hand sanitizer. Dollar Tree Stores are one of the best places I know to get cheap hand sanitizer lotion. They sell it in 8 ounce bottles or slightly smaller bottles if you want it with aloe vera or they have multi-pack 2 ounce bottles. Per the Dollar Tree name, they all cost $1. I've bought a number of bottles of the stuff myself there and, it's worked fine. I promised to get my friend some while my friend Kathryn and I did some shopping.

After we'd finished our shopping at the Kings Contrivance Harris Teeter supermarket, I remembered my promise and called up the various nearby Dollar Tree stores on my Garmin Global Positioning System (GPS). The closest Dollar Tree store was the one in Columbia, but as my readers know, I'm very unimpressed with that store. It doesn't have refrigerated or freezer sections and, it's very small which means it has a limited selection of merchandise. While it might've had hand sanitizer, I wanted to try some place else. I saw on the list of stores there was one in Silver Spring, Maryland that I'd never been to. I asked Kathryn if she'd mind checking that one out. She said she didn't so off we went. The store isn't far from Maryland Route 29 and, it's address is 13837 Outlet Drive (phone number 301-847-7865). It's located in the corner of what I'd call your standard strip mall. The only problem I had with its location is it is in the corner and, you have look for it to find it. Interestingly, there's a Family Dollar store within 40 feet or less of it. Kathryn and I thought initially the Dollar Tree might've been bought out by Family Dollar and so, we checked that store out first. We were UNIMPRESSED by Family Dollar and, we're delighted when a shopper there told there was a Dollar Tree store further down.

The Silver Spring, Maryland Dollar Tree store is large which means it has a lot of merchandise - give them 1 point for that. They score points for also having refrigerated and frozen sections. Lastly, they have decent parking. Kathryn and I found ourselves very pleased with this store vice some others I've been to.

Overall, I was really pleased with this store and would happily shop here again except for the fact that it's a bit far from where I live. However, for those who live in Silver Spring or close by, this is a Dollar Tree store worth checking out. I'd happily give this store 2 thumbs up! It's an excellent store with some very good Dollar Tree bargains (they had some cans of soup where I thought were particularly good price wise though I haven't tried them yet). Happy Shopping all!

Woodbine Maryland Dollar Tree Store Review

Today, I visited the Dollar Tree store at 712 Lisbon Center Drive in Woodbine, Maryland. I thought I'd write a store review on it. Here goes:

The store has ample parking and is of good size. The size is important as some Dollar Tree stores can be pretty small like the one in Columbia, Maryland. Having plenty of good priced merchandise can make them worth the trip. This one does though it does have one drawback in my opinion - it doesn't have a refrigerated section like other Dollar Tree stores do. This is important me as Dollar Tree offers some nice deals that way like Sunny Acres Swiss Slices or Bar S Bun Length Franks which Dollar Tree sells for a $1 at the stores that have a refrigerated section.

Note: If you do a search for this store on your smart phone and find it's mobile page, you may see it has the symbol for a refrigerated section. This is wrong. The main web page shows correctly that it doesn't have one though I wish it did.

Hours for the store are: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
                                      Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

I think the store hours are convenient. Also, the store is easy to get to. I exited Interstate 70 heading west (exit 32 I think) , took a right turn toward Woodbine, took the 2nd exit on the roundabout and first right after that. You'll see it on your right and a supermarket on your left.

The store can be reached at phone number 410-489-2653.

Overall, I thought it a nice Dollar Tree store. The staff were helpful and courteous, parking was ample, they have convenient hours but, they don't have a refrigerated section. Because of that, if you could, I recommend you find one that does have a refrigerated section. I think I saw they have a store in Eldersburg that does. I'll have to check that one out some time and get back to my readers and let them know what I think of it. Happy shopping all!

Review of Dollar Tree's Anti-gravity Ballpoint Pen

One semi good deal you can find at Dollar Tree stores is it's anti-gravity ballpoint pen. By anti-gravity, they mean you can write at any angle like you can with a Fisher Space Pen. Both pens use the same technology i.e. a pressurized ink cartridge. The pen doesn't state what it's temperature ranges are like the Fisher Space pen but, I would think it would still work in very cold and very hot temperatures because of the pressurization forcing the ink out. The pen comes at a significant savings compared to a Fisher Space pen. Dollar Tree sells the pen for $1 whereas the cartridge for the Fisher Space pen costs $5 alone.

One downside to the pen and why I call this a semi good deal is you can't get new cartridges for the pen as far as I know though I plan to keep looking. Nor can you put a Fisher Space pen cartridge in the pen to replace the spent cartridge it came with. The Fisher Space pen cartridge isn't long enough even with the extender it comes with for certain click pens like Parker pens.

The cartridge in the pen comes in standard black ink. The pen comes in 2 designs apparently and 2 different colors - gray and black. Advertising on the box can be a little over the top as there isn't any cruise control with the pen.

Overall, the pen is a pretty good deal BUT, I'd really like to be able to get cartridges that would work with the pen. I hate throwing away a perfectly good pen just because the cartridge is used up. I still hope to find replacement cartridges for it. Happy writing all!

Harborside Raspberry Iced Tea Review

While shopping at the Laurel, Maryland Dollar Tree store, I stumbled upon some Harborside Raspberry Iced Tea. As I like iced tea, I decided to try it. Like most things at Dollar Tree, the 2 liter bottles sell for a $1. The iced tea uses black tea, natural flavoring, high fructose corn syrup to sweeten it, potassium sorbate and potassium benzoate to preserve it and some other chemicals whose purpose I don't know.

Taste wise, it's ok. I suspect the main thing with this ice tea is it's cheap. It's a decent iced tea that can be had for a very reasonable price.

Overall, I think I would prefer Arizona Iced Tea over this because it doesn't have all the chemicals including the preservatives. However, you will pay more for Arizona Iced Tea. I think a gallon of it was $2.29 at a base commissary close by (I'll find out the specific price and correct this later). If you want a cheap iced tea, Harborside Raspberry Iced Tea might be for you. Lastly, I believe it does come in another flavor though I don't remember what that flavor is (will find out later and correct that too). Happy drinking all.

Breckenridge Farms Kosher Baby Bills Pickles Review

Dollar Tree Stores offer a number of Breckenridge Farms products. One of them is their kosher baby dills pickles. The pickles come in a 17 ounce glass jar and have approximately 15 pickles per jar. Calorie wise, they are low in calories coming at 5 calories a piece for every 1 and a half pickles. Taste wise, these are pretty good pickles. They do have a nice kosher dill taste to them. Price wise, like the majority of items at Dollar Tree, they cost $1 per jar which I think is a pretty good deal.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with these pickles and plan to buy more of them. I'd definitely recommend them to people who like pickles. Unlike other products at Dollar Tree, you should be able to find these at most of their stores. Bon Appetit!

Minute Maid Soft Frozen Orangeade Review

While looking around Laurel, Maryland Dollar Tree store, I noticed they had Minute Maid frozen orangeade cups for sale. As I'd never tried these before, I thought I'd give them a try.

The cups come in 12 fluid ounces, have 320 calories per cup and impressively are 28% juice. Like almost everything at Dollar Tree, they sell for $1.

The taste of these cups is very good. I think they would be particularly refreshing on a hot day and since they're 28% juice, I suspect they're good for you.

Strangely, when I checked Minute Maid's website, they didn't say anything about a frozen orangeade product. I don't know if the cup I tried is a product they're phasing out or what their availability might be. So, you might not be able to find them at your local Dollar Tree store.

Overall, I found this to be an excellent product worthy of the Minute Maid name. If you can find them, I'd definitely recommend them. Minute Maid makes a frozen lemonade cup which also may not be available widely. I plan to review that later. For now, happy scooping this frozen treat!

Bar S Chicken Franks Review

One of the cheap food items you can find at Dollar Tree Stores are Bar S Chicken Franks i.e. hot dogs. The stores sell the 12 ounce/8 hot dogs packs for $1.

The hot dogs are decent tasting, easily microwavable and not super fattening (110 calories per hot dog with 80 coming from fat). They must be refrigerated and, they have a shelf life of about 3 months (guesstimating based on one of the packs I bought).

Per the pack I bought, each hot dog has 440 milligrams of salt (18% of your daily requirement), 50 milligrams of cholesterol and 3 grams of saturated fat.

Overall, I think Bar S chicken franks are ok. The big thing with them in this case is their CHEAP. Like I said, Dollar Tree Stores sells them for $1 per pack which I think is a good deal. If you want some CHEAP hot dogs, these are worth checking out. Bon Appetit!

Hoover's Barrel Root Beer Review

While shopping recently at the Laurel, Maryland Dollar Tree store, I noticed they had 3 liter plastic bottles of various Stars & Stripes (made by Cott Beverages Inc in Tampa, Florida) soda for sale. Stars & Stripes calls their root beer Hoover's Barrel root beer. They claim it has "Great Taste!". I decided to try it for myself and see.

I found the root beer does taste good and isn't loaded with calories (each 8 ounce glass has 60 calories). It has another plus in that it doesn't have any caffeine unlike Barq's root beer. Also, it has a price plus. Like everything at Dollar Tree, the 3 liter bottles sell for $1. That said, I did discover some negatives in my opinion.

The soda has a fair amount of chemicals in it including potassium benzoate which it uses at a preservative and aspartame i.e. nutrasweet. One reason I suspect the soda tastes good is because they give you a double dose of sweetener in each glass. The soda also use high fructose corn syrup which is another negative in my book. I prefer cane sugar.

Overall, Hoover's Barrel root beer is decent tasting root beer at a great price though I am leery of the various chemicals they use in it. Personally, I'd prefer Virgil's root beer which is all natural over this even though you will pay a LOT more for Virgil's (a 12 ounce bottle will cost you a $1 or more). Still, if you want to save money, you might want to give this soda a try. It is good tasting stuff.

Source: information on this soda used in this blog entry came from the bottle of the soda I bought. I didn't receive any kind of remuneration for this article and don't have any connection with Cott Beverages.

Breckenridge Farms Kosher Sandwich Slices Review

Until I visited the Jessup, Maryland Dollar Tree store, I'd never heard of Breckenridge Farms or their products. As everything in the Dollar Tree stores is $1, I decided to try their Kosher Sandwich Slices. Their sandwiches slices are long slices of kosher pickles. The slices are ideal for putting on top of a sandwich giving it a bit of crunch. The slices come in 17 ounce jars which have to be refrigerated after opening. The pickles surprisingly come from India and are imported into the United States by a company called Greenbrier International Incorporated. Presumably, that company in turns supplies them to the Dollar Tree Store chain though I don't know if they're available at all Dollar Tree stores.

Overall, the slices are decent pickles which are handy for sandwiches. The biggest plus of these pickle slices is their price - $1. For that alone, if you like pickles, you might find these worth trying if they're in your local Dollar Tree store. I don't know if other store chains sell this brand or not though if they do, I haven't noticed them. Bon Appetit!