The label failed to indicate the inclusion of milk protein. It was only sold in some Stop & Shop stores in New Jersey.

According to Stop & Shop:

The recalled product has a “use by” date of May 7, 2008 (printed as 05 07 08) and a UPC code of 2529360028. Upon hearing of the announcement by WhiteWave Foods, Stop & Shop immediately removed the item for sale from its shelves.

If you have purchased this product, you may return it to Stop & Shop for a full refund or call Stop & Shop Customer Service Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM — 5:00 PM at (800) 767-7772 for more information. Customers can also visit the Stop & Shop website at http://www.stopandshop.com/.

Photo from Silk Soymilk.

On weekdays, I like a strong cup with a little flavored non-dairy creamer - fat free, if possible. But on weekends, I like to treat myself for making it through the hectic week. Enter Senseo Barista Blends. These packets add a punch of flavor to your coffee. The blends come in Vanilla Latte, Caramel Macchiato and Cafe Mocha.

Overall, I found that the directions of making one pod of coffee but hitting the two pod button and adding the packet was too weak for my taste. Using a 1:1:1 for the coffee, water and blend created a much better drink that’s very satisfying. It can get a little pricey to be making these blends often though, so save them for a special time or a treat. My husband, on the other hand, followed the 1:2:1 ratio and enjoyed it … to each his own, I suppose.

Caramel Macchiato

Taste: As directed, this is weak with a light, almost indistinguishable flavor. But using the 1:1:1 ratio, this makes the coffee very much like a Starbucks Caramel Macchiato. I can taste the tendrils of caramel in the coffee and it’s just the right amount of sweetness (when made 1:1:1).
Savorability Factor: Awesome. This could be my Saturday morning coffee for a long time to come.

Cafe Mocha

Taste: Delicious. The husband called this one “very good” and said that it tastes a lot like his favorite Cafe Mochas at Starbucks. He said he could distinguish the flavor easily with the prescribed ratio.
Savorability Factor: I think I might have to hide these so that the husband doesn’t use them up too quickly. He liked them that much.

Vanilla Latte

Taste: Very vanilla-y. I rarely order Vanilla Lattes because I think the taste can be somewhat lacking, but this is actually really good.
Savorability Factor: This is a nice once in a while treat. I wouldn’t want to have it too often though.

Photo from The Senseo Store.

You whip up a fresh cuppa joe for me in seconds without the mess of grinding, measuring and pressing. You leave a thick head of foam that brings a smile to my face every time. You have a small profile, so you don’t take up the whole counter or take over the kitchen. And perhaps best of all, your flavorful cups require little cleanup (just tossing the little pod of coffee and rinsing two small parts) - how much easier can you get?

Seriously. When I found out that Well Fed was getting a Senseo coffee maker to review, I couldn’t say “I’ll DO IT!” fast enough. My husband has been dying for a single serving coffee maker and I love a fresh, hot cup now and again too . . . but I hate making too much. I either feel compelled to drink it all (not good for the tummy) or wasteful for tossing the excess.

With the Senseo, there is no excess problem.

It was hard to tell who was more excited when it arrived on our doorstep. I ripped open the plain brown box to check out the product box. It was my husband, though, who actually got it out, set it up and insisted we try it right away (after doing the requisite cleaning process Senseo prescribes before its first usage). We were both enthralled. And when the coffee spouted out shortly after, we shared the first cup with equal glee.

  

 

I was honestly surprised at the amount of coffee foam the machine produces with each cup. But it’s a happy surprise. And the taste? Smooth - it is really deliciously smooth. As my husband said, it goes down easy. And an even better testament to our appreciation of this brewer is that I ordered refill pods the same night from Amazon (which are a pretty good buy, coincidentally).

So, the downsides of this machine: According to the manufacturer, you should use one pod per 4 ounces. That can get pricey. However, in our testing of this product, we found that there was a negligible difference in taste when you used one pod for 4 or 8 ounces. A single pod can definitely brew an acceptable double. Also, you are somewhat limited by the blends that Senseo offers at the moment. There are refillable pods available on the market, but in my research it seems that most weren’t that great (there were huge complaints about all of them that I saw - anyone know of a reusable pod that works really well?).

All in all though, I love this product. I have already recommended it to several people and am also considering smuggling it into my office. I’ve found that 4 ounces is the perfect amount of coffee for me too (though others might find that to be too small a cup), and I really like the taste of the dark roast coffee that came with the machine.

Now, I cannot wait for my other flavors to arrive …

When I received a bottle of Starbucks new Sugar-Free Syrup (Mocha flavor) to try out at home, I was pretty darn excited. I love Starbucks, but don’t love the calories I expend on a cup of their delicious (and addictive) coffee drinks. So, if there’s a way to cut on calories without sacrificing taste, I am all for it.

Now, Mocha isn’t really my taste of choice. That’s more up my husband’s alley, but if it could taste as good as a real full calorie Mocha Latte, then I would be sold (and move on to flavors I do love — like caramel).

So, in short, I really wanted to like this syrup.

Unfortunately, I didn’t. At all. It was too sweet in that faux sweetener sort of way. Worse yet, I could taste the artificial sweetness. It outweighed the taste of the good coffee I used to make my drink. And then there was the aftertaste … all in all, this was just a blech for me.

But I wanted to be sure that it wasn’t just a problem with my home brewing skills. So, I dropped by a local Starbucks and ordered a Skinny Tall Caramel Latte. Plat, pluck, plat! It was the blandest coffee I have ever had. The syrup barely gave a hint of caramel goodness and then there was that darned aftertaste again.

For me, it’s going to be regular syrups from now on — I am just not into these new sugar-free varieties. Talk about ruining an experience.