Hormel Natural Review

This month I was lucky enough to win some great products from Hormel, at another blogger's giveaway.  I won a Wii bundle, a game, and an assortment of meats from the Hormel Natural line.   Everything came separately in various packages, and the last to arrive were the Hormel meats.  I was so excited to open the package of Hormel from FedEx, and  It was packed nicely in a Styrofoam container, kept nice and cold for the trip to my house.  I think that we tore open the box and everything felt like Christmas all over again.

All together I think there were twelve different varieties of ham, turkey, and various sausages.   I suspect that our favorites were the sausages.  There were Jalapeno and Cheese, Apple Asiago, and original smoked.  Of the sausages that we had received, the Jalapeno and Cheese hardly made it to the table.  It was almost eaten completely after we took it out of the oven.  I swear to you all It was just that good.  If you like a like cheesy sausages with an extra kick, then this is the one for you.  I found that the Apple Asiago was a bit sweet but still good.  I tried to put it into a homemade Alfredo sauce;  However, I feel that it would go better with a red sauce instead of cream.  One last note about Hormel Natural Choice.  It does not contain any preservatives and 100% all Natural.  This is directly from their package:

• No Nitrates or Nitries added
• No artificial Ingredients
• Minimally Processed
• No MSG added
• Gluten Free.

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How I played tourist in New Orleans

Have you seen New Orleans during the day?  Well, it has been awhile since I had played tourist in my own city, and so I noticed how pretty and quaint it really is.  I have gone to all the parades during Mardi Gras and so it is rather a normal thing to watch the city get really trashed.  However, the beauty of the old buildings still captivates me.  These pictures were taken during a recent errand run downtown, and yet I had never notice the movie theater that was converted to a CVS.  The police officer in this photo must have thought that I was rather strange.  If you look carefully, you will notice long mural of Louis Armstrong in the window with his trumpet.  Music is so endeared to the people of New Orleans, and if you love the series, “Treme”, you will understand why.  It is a part of our heritage. 

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How to eat Vietnamese Food

If you know anything about Vietnamese cooking, you will realize that overall we do not put many herbs into our dishes while it is cooking.  Rather, most herbs are eaten or garnished at the table.  Soups like Pho, Bun Bo Hue, and other hot soups will have basil, cilantro, mung beans, and lime garnishments in another dish.  Simply, the reason is that fresh herbs impart more flavors to the soup before they start to wilt.  Here is a picture of my mother with her usual favorite herbs grown from our backyard.  She will accompany any dish with the garnishments, and sometimes I feel as if the herbs are really the main and the dish is the side.  LOL!

Ciao Kit Kat

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