Kid Tested and Kid Approved (but what about Mom?) Red Baron Brick Oven Pizzas

Let me start out by saying I absolutely love BzzAgent. There are so many "free-sample" sites out there, some of them scams, some are just ... eh. But I find BzzAgent to be one of the top sites. Thanks to being a member, I have been able to try some great products. We are converts to Opal© Apples & Hemisfares© Pasta thanks to BzzAgent. Savannah still loves & plays with her Ever After High Thronecoming. I am always excited when I qualify for a new mission through BzzAgent. 

The latest mission I qualified for is the Red Baron Brink Oven Pizza. Who doesn't love pizza? When we went to the store to get it, we were very limited on what toppings we could get. And when I say limited, I really mean the only one they had was Pepperoni. Ok, Pepperoni it is.  

Pre-heat oven to 400*

Instructions are easy ... place tin foil and place directly on middle rack for 16-18 minutes at pre-heated 400*. When it came out of the oven, it was golden brown and looked delicious.   

After cutting it, we noticed that the crust was brown and crunchy, but the inside didn't seem to be cooked all the way through.  This is our biggest complaint with store bought frozen pizza - it always seems like the outer edges cook & brown, yet the middle doesn't cook all the way through. We were hoping the Red Baron Brick Oven pizza would be different, but it wasn't. However, it might be because we were also cooking chicken wings at the same time with the pizza. So we will definitely have to try again, cooking the pizza alone. 

Now came the taste test ... the kids thought it was really good. But all pizza to them is good. 

Pizza & Buffalo Wings
Yummm!

My husband & I are a little more picky. I will be honest and say that it wasn't great. The cheese was good and there was plenty of it. The pepperoni was also good. For us (and this is just a personal preference) there was too much sauce and it had somewhat of a sweetness to it. I prefer pizza with less sauce and I do not like sweet sauces at all. It wasn't too sweet, as some pizzas I have tried have been. But there was a hint of it in the sauce. 

Overall, Red Baron Brick Oven Pizza is good. Not great, but good. Had it cooked differently, my opinion may have been slightly better. I gave this rating a 4 star rating, but it is more like a 3½. Now, if you asked my kids, they would probably give it a 4 or 5. 

I would like to try a different topping and prepare the pizza alone in the oven. This may change my review and if it does, I will be back to update. 

Other toppings available:

Cheese, Pepperoni, Meat Trio (pepperoni, sausage and ham), 

and Sausage Supreme (sausage, green pepper and onion)

*If you are interested in trying products like I do, check out BzzAgent:

http://u.bzz.com/pmpef
(Please use the above link so that they know I sent you!)

An Apple A Day ...

Thanks to BzzAgent and OPAL apples, I was able to try OPAL Apples ... a NON-GMO apple that is sweet & crisp! But the most amazing thing about OPAL apples is the fact that they don't "brown"! I would cut apples and put them in my kids lunch boxes for school and I don't know how many times they came home telling me that they threw the apples away because they got "yucky" - they turned brown and mushy. I was unsure of the claims from OPAL Apples about not browning. So I set out to test the apples. I got one out before I went to bed one night and cut it up. I left it out on the counter. The next morning (8 hours later!) I got up and found the apple was still crisp and only a very slight area near the seeds had started to get a little darker. But it wasn't brown! And the apple still tasted sweet & crisp. I was sold! Now for the kids test! I packed their lunched with Opal Apples and sent them off to school. When they came home I asked my usual question ... "How was lunch? Did you eat everything?" Both kids replied that they ate everything, "even the apples!" Wow. Ok, they were sold too!! 

Only a slight darkening around the seed area.
This is hours after cutting the apple open!

Opal Apples are a bit more pricey than other apples. And they are also a little harder to find. They are not available in all stores. I am lucky that my Vons carries them. So even though they are a little more pricey, for me they are worth it because they are actually being eaten and not thrown out! I hate wasting food.

A perfect, healthy after-school snack! 

So OPAL Apples are a hit with this mom. And better yet ... they are a hit with the kids too! They have even asked for OPAL apples as a snack when they get home from school! Can't complains about that! 

For a list of stores near you that carry OPAL apples, please check out their website:
http://www.opalapples.com/

Thank you Opal and BzzAgent for the yummy opportunity to try these delicious apples! 

A BIG thumbs up from both the kids
for OPAL Apples!! 

Who's ready for the Ever After High Thronecoming?

My daughter and I were fortunate enough to receive (free of charge) the Ever After High Thronecoming Briar Beauty Doll and Furniture Set from Mattel to test out and give our opinions*. My daughter (9 years old) is a huge fan of the Monster High and Ever After dolls. She is actually on a mission to collect as many of the dolls as she can and is currently at over 80 dolls. I consider her to be an 'expert' in this field. 

Briar Beauty fits in the
binding of the book.
How cleaver! 

So excited!! 

When the box arrived my daughter was so excited. It comes in a big box.  My 1st thought when I saw the product was how clever the design was - the book opening up to make a playset. I love how the doll can be stored in the binding of the "book". It all folds down & opens up for 2 rooms of play and an outside. 

It was very easy to get out of the box and assemble. The pieces all fit and worked well. The directions could have been a little more detailed, but it was easy enough to figure out. The Briar Beauty doll (who is the daughter of Aurora, or better known as Sleeping Beauty) is very pretty and very detailed. Her mask fits in her hand well and can easily be used to hold up against her face. 

We love the holes for
the items to sit on the table
without falling off!

One of my favorite features that sets this apart from other playsets is that it has holes in the tables for the items (cups, cake, etc) to be placed in. This is a big plus. With all our other playsets where things are placed on tables, etc., the slightest movements usually send the items scattering. I love that you can snap the items into the holes and they stay put. I hope they continue to make playsets with this feature. 

Another plus is that all the pieces can be broken down and stored into the bottom of the bed with all the pieces fitting well inside for easy, compact storage. As a mother who is constantly picking up toys and pieces o playsets, this is definitely a nice touch! 

My only complaint is the cardboard "furniture" like the turntable and the flower piece that pops out on the top in the bedroom. 

Turntable made of cardboard. One of my only complaints

While my daughter is extremely careful with her dolls and playsets, I can see these items tearing/ripping/falling apart with others who are not as careful. I think these could have been made of plastic that folded, rather than the cardboard. Aside from that, it is a wonderfully designed playset.

The price tag of $50 is a little much, but I realize you get the doll, the book & playset with furniture. I think around the $35-$40 range would be more appropriate. However, my daughter absolutely loves the Ever After Thronecoming. As soon as it was put together, she got her other Ever After High dolls and started playing with it for hours. All in all it is a very fun & well designed playset and a great addition to the Ever After High line.

hours of Ever After High fun!

*While I was given a free product, all opinions are truthful and my own