Simply Balanced Cajun-Style Rice & Beans Lunch Bowl

This is the first lunch bowl I've reviewed that's got the new Simply Balanced packaging going on. I guess that's because it's low-ish in calories and fat but high in fiber.

I think my favorite lunch bowl is still the Sesame Teriyaki one. It had by far the best taste of all, but this one might be a close second. I was skeptical of it at first, mainly because "rice and beans" don't sound as exotic as Kung Pao Noodles or Bacon Carbonara, and both of those turned out to be disappointing. With 430mg of sodium, I'm not sure if you can call this health food, but one gram of fat ain't bad if you're looking to lose some weight.

The cajun spice was fine. Nothing to complain about. It was mildly hot. Nothing earth-shattering here, but not bad for a $2.49 lunch bowl. The product was a bit soupy after adding water right up to the fill line. When I first opened the packaging, the bean and rice packet looked very small and almost empty, but everything plumped up in the hot water. The serving size still appeared diminutive, but after I ate it, I felt plenty full...and I'm a gluttonous eating machine. Must have been all that dietary fiber and salt.

Overall, this product is worthy of 7 out of 10 stars.

Archer Farms Cinnamon Vanilla Nut Coffee

At the beginning of every coffee review I do, I feel the need to insert a disclaimer that I'm not much of a coffee expert, because I'm not. I've never been "a coffee guy." But I'm hoping there's some value in my opinion since I've tried and shared my thoughts about a number of Archer Farms coffee products, including the Vanilla Caramel Latte and Candy Cane Coffee. Hopefully Target won't discontinue all of their coffees the way they did their yogurt line after I unofficially crowned myself the world's leading expert on Archer Farms yogurts. (For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, I use that lofty title in the MOST tongue-in-cheek manner possible).

There was just a bit more bitterness in this coffee than I would have liked. But

I always want my coffee to taste like candy, especially when it has a dessert-like name like this one does. There are subtle hints of cinnamon and vanilla, and perhaps a smidge more than a hint of nuttiness. It's a light roast, so the overall flavor is fairly mild.

Another way I measure the success of a coffee is how much sugar and cream I have to put in it to make it palatable to my kid-like tongue. This flavor required very little of both, and thus, I'll go ahead and declare it a success in that department. My wife enjoyed it, too.

So I'll give it 7 out of 10 stars.