Best Boy and Co. Fudge and Caramel Sauces Review!

Dear Friends,

I have the pleasure of reviewing Best Boy and Co's Hot Fudge and Caramel Sauces. Wayne Shive, President of Best Boy and Co, generously mailed me four tempting sauces: balsamic hot fudge, bourbon caramel, classic hot fudge sauce and chili hot fudge. In addition to fudge and caramel sauces, they also make and sell BBQ sauces and spice blends.

Best Boy and Co is dedicated to making the best sauces (and believe me, they are) using the best available all natural ingredients without any additives or preservatives. All of their profits are given to charitable causes, as their saying goes: "Great Taste for a Greater Good."  Each batch is made from scratch and must pass a panel of taste testers before production.

I was immediately blown away with the taste and texture of each sauce. You are able to tell right away that these fudge and caramel sauces are carefully created (in small batches) with the finest ingredients. It would be almost impossible to choose a favorite jar. Once I indulged in my first spoonful of the bourbon caramel, I was hooked. It was divine, beyond that in fact. The smooth hint of bourbon immediately awakened my taste buds. I could not wait to enjoy it on vanilla bean ice cream or with fruit: bananas and cool whip sounds incredible!

Their classic hot fudge sauce has a hint of bourbon vanilla and mellowed with cream and pure cocoa. This velvety, rich fudge sauce has endless possibilities; s'mores, hot fudge sundaes, cakes, pastries and more.

I had never tried the pairing of chili with hot fudge sauce before. The ribbon of chili streamed through the back of my mouth after savoring the first few seconds of fudge. Without a question, it is genius, simply the best! I would recommend these sauces to anyone! The infused chili hot fudge sauce is best paired with fried bananas, cinnamon ice cream, dark chocolate ice cream and more. They also offer an espresso hot fudge sauce! The balsamic hot fudge sauce is very unique, with a light pinch of balsamic flavor. You can get very creative with this sauce, I would say paired with fruits with a high water content or on whole wheat crackers perhaps!

According to their website, each fudge sauce is the perfect balance of cocoa, vanilla, cream and butter, sweetened with just enough cane sugar to soften the earthy brilliance of the cocoa. I would certainly agree, you can't beat it!

Best Boy's Four Featured Sauces

You may purchases their sauces here. Wayne also sells his Best Boy sauces at specialty food stores across the Mid West and East Coast. Charities he often donates to include Doctors Without Borders, The International Medical Corp., The Enough Project and The Red Cross. 

Be sure to Like Best Boy and Co. on Facebook.

For more information and to purchase their incredible sauces, please visit bestboyandco.com.

Have a Lovely Day,

Rigoni di Asiago Review and Giveaway

*GIVEAWAY CLOSED. WILL ANNOUNCE WINNER SOON.

Dear Readers,

I am hosting a giveaway for Rigoni di Asiago. One winner will receive 1 Raspberry, 1 Wild Berry and 1 Pomegranate Fiordifrutta (organic fruit spread).

I was sent three products for review: two Fiordifrutta organic fruit spreads: Lemon and Fig in addition to Organic Raw Italian honey.


I especially love that each of the organic fruit spreads are not too sweet, but are each bursting with flavor. The fig jam, as well as each of their fifteen fruit spreads,  are sweetened with apple juice, which is very clever. It is rare to find fruit spreads that do not contain added sugar and it is especially difficult to find fruit spreads sweetened with natural fruit juices. I love the ribbon of apple flavor throughout the texture of the fig jam. I enjoyed both the lemon and fig fruit spread on top of an English muffin. The fig jam would also pair well with soft, runny cheeses as well as topped on a toasted crostini with a salad.


The lemon fruit spread was very tasty. I always love the taste of lemons, whether as an ingredient in baked goods, spritzed on salad or on breakfast food items. The lemon fruit spread had smooth texture, which just the right amount of tangy flavor, and of course, not too sweet. 


With over 4 lbs of fruits in every jar, they're made only with 100% organic fruit. Rigoni di Asiago fruit spreads are organic, Macrobiotic, Vegan, Kosher, Gluten-Free.

My cat Abby wants to have a look!

The raw honey was the most elegant honey I have ever tasted, and I am HUGE fan of honey! I love the notes of orange and the hint of almond. I used the honey to top my oatmeal in the morning and to sweeten my black and red tea in the evening. This honey is produced on organic farms.

Rigoni di Asiago, based in Europe, has been selling organic food products, starting with honey, for over 15 years. Rigoni di Asiago features and sells jarred food items including organic honey including squeezable honey, Fiordifrutta (organic jams and marmalade), DolceDì* (a sugar derived from organic apples), Nocciolata (a chocolate and hazelnut cream spread), Fruttosa (an organic fruit preserve), and gift baskets that are perfect all occasions.

*Please note that DolceDì is currently not available for purchase in the United States.

Fig Organic Fruit Spread, Organic Raw Honey and Lemon Organic Fruit Spread

Purchase their products online here. Their products are also available at Whole Foods Market, ACME Fresh Market, Kings, Mrs. Green's Natural Market, Jimbo's, and Island Naturals, among many other fine retailers.

Like Rigoni di Asiago on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rigoni-di-Asiago-USA/79281485746

ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!
Mandatory (1) entry: Follow my blog publicly Google Friend Connect and tell me in a comment which product of theirs you would like to try. BE SURE TO LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!

1 entry - Become a Facebook fan of Rigoni di Asiago

Additional entries:

5 entries - Blog about this giveaway. Link back to this post and leave the link to your blog post in your comment.

2 entries - Become a fan of Vanessa's Soda Fountain. Please comment TWICE for this entry.

1 entry - Follow my blog via Network Blogs

1 entry - Follow me on Twitter @HamptonsFoodie

1 entry -  Like Nocciolata on Facebook

1 entry (1x daily)- Tweet this giveaway: #win Rigoni di Asiago #giveaway @HamptonsFoodie http://oldfashionedsodafountain.blogspot.com/

GIVEAWAY ENDS AUGUST 18. ONE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN VIA RANDOM.ORG

Specialty Food: Gorgonzola–Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

Gorgonzola–Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

Yield: 4 (7½-ounce) main-course portions or 6 (5-ounce) side portions • Preparation time: 45 minutes plus baking time • Shelf life: 3 days

This rustic, robust bread pudding will satisfy a wide range of customers, including vegetarians. Ingredients can be substituted with a variety of items that may be on hand: different cheeses, varieties of stale bread and a mixture of mushrooms.

½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
¾ cup vegetable stock
½ cup heavy cream
2 large eggs, beaten
½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups (4½ ounces) stale, firm, white country bread cut into ¾-inch
cubes (lightly toasted if soft)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
5 ounces finely chopped onions
12 ounces mushrooms, such as crimini, shiitake or chanterelle,
wiped and sliced
¼ cup medium-dry Madeira
5 ounces Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled

1. Brush an 8 x 8–inch glass dish with olive oil. In enough hot water to cover, soak the porcini for 20 minutes; drain, clean and coarsely chop. Reserve the liquid. In a microwave container or small saucepan, reduce the liquid to 1 tablespoon. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat together the stock, cream, eggs, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the bread, turning to cover well, and soak until the liquid is absorbed, about 20minutes.

3. Heat the oven to 350 F.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining oil and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are wilted, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the Madeira and reserved porciniand liquid and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid evaporates, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

5. Let the mushroom mixture cool briefly, and then scrape into the bread mixture, stirring to blend. Add the cheese and turn gentlyto mix.

6. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Bake until golden brown and set, 45 to 50 minutes. Cut into four squares and serve.

NUTRITIONAL DATA (per 5-ounce serving): Calories: 340; Cholesterol: 110 mg; Sodium: 930 mg; Fat: 22 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g