As with any gluten free snack, it's important to take into account the limitations of creating a healthy, yet satisfying product. Urban Foods' Superfood Bites in Tart Cherry/Apple contains quinoa, chia, flax, oats, etc. 

Pros: Attractive, compact packaging. Gluten free. Heart-healthy. Low sugar. Low GI (glycemic index) I'm sure. Sodium free (a pro only if you are watching your sodium intake). Guilt free. Contains 4g of protein per serving, which is excellent for the serving size.

Cons: Deleting the sodium means this product is missing a vital component: taste. (Did no focus groups give feedback before this went to market?) Urban Foods Superfood Bites are excruciatingly bland. The smallish, bite-sized pieces are fine if you have no jaw or dental issues. Can be expensive, depending on your retailer, just like all the other GF foods out there.

Only a few "bites" were in the bag; the rest were smashed down to the consistency of loose oats. This isn't the fault of the manufacturer, I imagine that pouches like these go through some punishment before and after they get to the grocery store, then endure more jostling on the way home.

Even though the product has almost zero taste, does the flavor that remains actually taste good, you ask? Yes, it does, although as stated, the intensity is dialed waaay down. Does the product taste like "tart cherry," as stated on the label? Not at all. Calling it standard "cherry" would have been more accurate. The apple flavor is also pretty undetectable.

Would I buy it again? Yes, in a pinch, if the other GF products were all gone or I wanted something different: no gluten, no sodium, low sugar, low flavor. What did I end up doing with the Superfood Bites? I poured some of the "dust" into my morning oatmeal, to which I also added lots of other flavorful things. It worked out. 3 stars.

Triscuit Wheat Berry Clusters are curious and interesting snacks. I tried a 5 oz. pouch, and at least at my local grocery store, these are located with other crackers, including Triscuit crackers.

Pros: Pleasant taste, great sweet/salty balance, nice crunch, a little fruity, healthy, satisfies sugar craving without going overboard. Plant-based, non-GMO, a great idea, convenient, portable, attractive on-trend packaging.

Cons: Depending on your dental situation, for some people the snack might be somewhat difficult to chew, because some of the wheat berries are harder than others. Also these remind me of "people dog biscuits." In addition, they can be addicting and it's easy to eat most of the 5-serving bag. So watch out.

Overall, Mondelez Global, Inc., I like your product. Please figure out a way to make it a bit easier to chew, for more of the people, more of the time – and soon you'll have a larger, more loyal client base. 4 stars.​

When frozen pizza is required, usually Freschetta or DiGiorno fill the bill. I saw Oprah's O, That's Good! pizza and was instantly intrigued. After all, it boasts crusts that are one-third cauliflower, "baked to a delicious, golden brown ... so good, you'd never know the difference!" Flavors: five cheese, uncured pepperoni, supreme and fire-roasted veggie. I bought 3 (everything except pepperoni). 

Pros: Price was within average range for frozen pizza. Celebrity ownership/endorsement. Attempts to be healthy.

Cons: Like the cheap-level supermarket pizzas, this one unfortunately comes with a dry, cardboardy crust and skimpy ingredients. I was NOT impressed and will not buy it again. Huge waste of money.

I figured, if Oprah – a celebrity who has wrestled with weight issues for years and has plenty of money to eat out (and must be a foodie) – approved the recipes, the product HAS to be good, right? (Well, that line of thinking works with most Newman's Own products.)

Evidently, no rigorous taste-testing or focus groups were used. Maybe there was a tight deadline, perhaps the test kitchen cooked these on pizza stones and added fresh parsley, possibly there was special lighting, or it could be that Oprah was on a tight schedule, so only had time to take a bite of each flavor before signing off.  

People will buy anything once, and you can fool some of the people some of the time, but I won't be fooled again – unless a "new and improved" version comes out and online reviews rave about the update. The pizza is not inedible. It's not horrible. I didn't throw it away. However, it was a major disappointment. Back to take-n-bake and Freschetta!

2 stars.

Hot Shot MaxAttrax Ant Bait stations come in handy when ants appear in your home or office. I am surprised how well they work, because usually I use the ant baits provided by a pest control service. I recommend putting 2 per small room or problem area. The ants don't die immediately, but most die after about 2-4 days. You can see them start to get stomach aches and slow down, then they start to disappear. A few little scout ants might stick around, so leave the bait in place for a while. Try to leave all or most of the ants alone; don't kill a bunch of them or wipe away their "invisible" ant tracks, because they leave messages for each other. It also takes a while for them to walk into the bait and enjoy the "party." Once they discover the "feast," they invite their little friends. Once you've used the baits for a few days, if ants appear in another spot, you can move the baits as needed. The product is supposed to last 6 months, according to the packaging. If desired, you could put the stations in a zipper bag until needed again. 

Pros: Effective – eradicates within 2-4 days (at least in my experience), but for sure by a week they should be gone. Easy to use. No mess, gel or sprays to deal with. Most of the ants leave on their own so there's not much "cleanup." There is no odor. Inexpensive for a non-professional product that actually works.

Cons: Doesn't kill immediately, just like other baits. However, it's worth the short wait, as this (according to the packaging) kills the queen (at some point). The only way to kill immediately is to spray ants directly. 

A rare 5 stars.

Rustik Bakery sourdough bread (from Bimbo Bakeries USA) was just introduced in my local grocery store. I was not able to find an image of the two flavors available where I shop. But the variety I have tried so far is Nuts & Seeds.

When you lightly toast this bread and add butter, the effect is slightly crispy on the edges and soft on the inside. The very first bite tasted slightly rye, but soon the other flavors took over. Cut a slice in half to toast. It's not a full loaf, so in theory, it stays fresher longer. (I wonder what they're doing with the rest of the slices, because this isn't a half-loaf, it's about 2/3rds. Who knows? They could be making croutons with the other slices, or they bake these loaves in special pans and only cut off one slice on one end to get this look.) 

Pros: Delicious flavor! Pre-sliced for convenience. Not tough on your jaw, like some artisan breads or commercial sourdoughs. Just the right number/amount of seeds, so there is less mess. Packaging is nice because you can see what the slices look like. The bread is slightly more moist than typical commercial sourdough, which is great. Store-bought sourdough can be really dry and leave a lot of crumbs. This one isn't as messy. 
Cons: Not very filling because it has a light texture. (Some people like a light texture.) Not very chewy. (Again, which might be a plus for some people. I like heavier, chewier sourdough.) 

​Everyone in the family likes it, which is a plus. 4.5 stars. (If it had been slightly more moist and slightly more chewy, it would have received 5 stars, but we're close!)

Kleenex Slim Packs are wallet style, portable, multi-use packets for anyone to use. They fit in purse, pocket, car, backpack, gym bag, office desk, etc. 

Pros: Perfect size tissues. Sheets are larger, softer and overall preferable to little Kleenex Go Packs. Easier to remove due to wallet-style design. Nicer packaging utilizes thicker, higher quality plastic. Available in groups of 3 or 6 packets.
Cons: Kleenex Slim Packs can be hard to find at local large chain stores, such as Target and Walmart. Often stores stock Kleenex Go Packs, but not always these. If the store does carry these, they are often not placed in the expected location, so there could be a need to ask store personnel.

These are just great! If there wasn't the hassle factor of obtaining them locally, they would receive 5 stars. I know they're available online. But I'd rather pick them up from a local retailer. 4.5 stars.

Pros: Consistent quality and purity
Cons: Softgels can be hard to swallow for some

Fish Oil offers lots of potential, sometimes unproven health benefits (heart, brain health/mood, lower blood pressure), and Nature Made is a trusted company that's been around since 1971. Nature Made Fish Oil 1000 mg/300 mg Omega-3 has been one of my go-tos for many years, ever since I departed from another superior company, GNLD. Nature Made Fish Oil seems to be an excellent product with good, consistent quality. Because I have found the size of these softgels to be harder and harder to swallow recently, I've decided to try one of the company's smaller-sized offerings, Nature Made Fish Oil Pearls, which are more concentrated. I called Nature Made and explained the situation. They suggested the pearls and treated me beautifully! Their excellent customer service means they're a keeper in my book! Do I believe this product actually benefits me by helping my heart and mood? Yes. 4 stars.

Pros: Strong, absorbent, convenient size
Cons: Can be expensive, rough texture

Brawny Giant pick-a-size paper towels are truly excellent! I used to trade off between these and Target's Up & Up paper towels, but Target's paper towel quality changed recently. Their two-ply paper towels became much thinner, like a one-ply – a big disappointment. So now I purchase Brawny exclusively. The pick-a-size option is very convenient, and helps you feel like you're stretching your money a bit, since you can often use a small towel size. I go through a ton of paper towels, so it's important that they be a brand that consistently performs well. These really deliver! 4 stars.

After purchasing a preowned car, we learned that it had been inhabited by a smoker. I've aired the vehicle out and purchased an industrial-strength scent "bomb," but so far, the weather has been too hot to use it. In the meantime, I've bought a few Febreeze Car Smoke Odor Eliminators. Why? They don't last long, unfortunately – maybe 2-1/2 weeks each. Procter & Gamble doesn't put very much liquid product in the device, and it evaporates quickly in hot weather. The contraption works reasonably well, but does not eliminate the smoke smell. Rather, it fools your brain into thinking that you don't smell the smoke. It masks most of the odor. It's a decent temporary fix, but the product seems to me to be mislabeled or deceptive, since does not address, reduce or fix the problem. No, I have not tried other scents, because I figured this would be the strongest. I'll let you know if I do. 2 stars.

Watch out, Simply Balanced Dark Chocolate Almond Butter is super creamy! At first glance, it appears dreamy, but in reality, it's drippy – it'll leak from the edges of your sandwich, English muffin or celery stick. The taste is rich and consistency is thin but luxurious. What else could an almond butter lover want? Well, the taste of dark chocolate, for starters! Although the label calls it dark chocolate almond butter, and the color is a bit darker than its regular almond butter friends on the shelf, this product *barely hints* at a chocolate taste. You have to imagine the taste of chocolate if you want it. Or, you have to go and get some dark chocolate to satisfy your craving. This almond butter is an unfortunate waste of money for a dark chocolate aficionado. It's highly edible, if you're looking for standard almond butter. I'm sure it would be superior in certain types of cookies and other recipes. It's just basically false advertising. A letdown. 2 stars.