Went to Olive Garden this week to use my free birthday dessert coupon.  First, I want to say that the coupon terms are not simple to comply with.  To get the free dessert, you must buy two entrees.  Pizza and garden salad do not count as entrees for the purpose of the coupon.  So, I decided to try the never ending pasta bowl, and hubby got the tour of Italy.  The pasta I got was penne with alfredo, and I added the chicken frita for extra cost.  It was very good, but the problem I had was that I felt like I had to stuff myself with as much as I could eat to get my money’s worth.  So-unless you can comfortably eat a lot I don’t recommend ordering this entrée or you may find yourself overeating as well.  I ordered the Pumpkin “Cheesecake” to go as my free dessert.  I put the word cheesecake in quotes because this is nothing like any pumpkin cheesecake I have ever had.  It tasted like pumpkin pie…and not very good pumpkin pie at that!  There was no creaminess to it at all, with the exception of the thin layer of white stuff on top.  The texture was somewhat grainy as well.  As well, there was no caramel sauce on my piece as had been advertised.  I am glad I didn’t pay for this pie since I don’t think it was worth the retail price I would have been charged.  I will NOT be buying their pumpkin “cheesecake” again.

What are your favorite pumpkin flavored foods?  Tell me in the comments!

It’s fall, and that means apple cider season!  I love apple cider, however all ciders are NOT created equal.  Many have strange preservatives and/or funny aftertastes.  Often, I have had to buy cider from local places like roadside stands in order to get something decent.  Of course those are still great options-but I thought I’d try giant brand since it is easy to find.  Turns out, it was a great idea!  It has great flavor and no aftertaste!  Hubby and I demolished the half gallon that we bought in less than 48 hours.  He agrees that it was really good.  I am definitely going to be buying more!  You can find their cider in the refrigerated produce section.  Enjoy!

What experiences have you had with giant brand products (good or bad)?  Tell me in the comments!