Zambia Smokehouse Amazing Place at Busch Gardens

Zambia Smokehouse

(317/2017) --- OMG! I need to try much of the menu of this place in Busch Gardens, is probably one of the best ones in the park. It is just nice to enjoy some smoke meat around the rides and just watch people have fun.

One aspect whenever you live in an area where you can find theme parks and you don't go as a tourist, you have enough time to go and explore every single little detail of each theme park. I guess my next goal when I am more in depth with Busch Gardens Tampa, is to go and finally explore the main parks of Walt Disney World.

Many years ago, I had an idea into creating a blog, where not only I would talk about the rides or the theme park events, but also about the food you can find. Yes, theme park food has a fame of being "bland" or bad, but whenever you have the time to try the menu's you can find some fascinating stuff as well different options to enjoy while you visit the parks.

Another aspect that I always find fascinating is that whenever you go to the theme parks as a local, you can enjoy and see what people are doing. Is kind of odd to say it, but to sit down while enjoying a coffee, snack or something to eat is just fascinating to see what people are doing. I enjoy watching the large groups of tourist or the families that go and spend the day in one section of the park, the teenagers who are riding the coasters for a first time or the elderly who sit and enjoy.

Beverage Menu

Is such a different feeling to go as someone who has no limited set amount of time to know the park in depth. The Zambia Smokehouse, is one of those places that is worth when you live in the area and you like theme parks, to go and eat different items of the menu.

Zambia, offers some of the stuff that can be found around the park such as the pudding's and other sweets, but is the only place in Bush Gardens that offers a smoke option to the food. The brisket from what I heard I know is nice, but I went for the smoked chicken, it was one of those situations I wanted to play safe.

Smoked Chicken with Fries and Bun

The smoked chicken wasn't bad, but I feel it was finished cook on the oven rather than to be smoked; but I won't deny the next time I go I will try the brisket because it looked amazing when I was in line but I already made my mind.

One of the things I enjoy about eating outside is to see the different options, but I do not enjoy where there are some misleading product placement and people are "hooked" into the restaurant by observing an idea that doesn't probably apply fully, in this case having some smoked products outside which they look amazing but the real deal fails on some extent.

Entrees 

The kid menu doesn't seem that bad, it offer some nuggets and smoked turkey, which it doesn't sound bad to try it also. If you go, try to find the meal program that you pay US$20 (aprox) per person and you can eat all day, is per person but is not bad if you are in large groups, but if you are by yourself and spending an afternoon is not worth it, mostly if you are going to eat lunch or dinner without no one else.

Peanut Butter vs. Hazelnut Butter

Justin's

(03/06/2017) --- I probably like hazelnut better than peanut butter, I always enjoy the flavor of something sweeter, while a good friend of mine that we know each other for a long time and my hubby, just to name two of many people they enjoy peanut butter better than hazelnut, I even scream at people the word "Infidels" whenever they say to me they enjoy P.B. better that Nutella or any of the spin-off that are in the hazelnut butter spreads market.

Yet, some other people had called me a heretic for not having the soul of enjoying peanut butter, but to be honest I can't, is just dry, dry as the love my mother had to me. I do enjoy eating, I won't deny that but sometimes certain products are just way too expensive because of the labels they contain, albeit not for the nutritional value they "supposedly contain" because if we analyze it, "organic", "fair trade" "humanly raised" etc... are just labels that rise the price of the product and they don't contain anything that concrete about the product itself, it just gives the idea that is better for the consumers.

I won't deny, the flavor from Justin's is actually quite decent, even if it contains some of the pseudo-scientific elements that I hate seeing in food, such as fear mongering on biotechnology, but then if a small squeeze bag is on sale I would give it a go; and is probably one of the reasons I know the flavor of the Justin's brand because to be honest I am not paying US$15 for a jar peanut or hazelnut butter, is just way too much and coming from a brand that the parent company is Hormel, which sells products less than a dollar each.

Once Again

I love the logo and the typography from Once Again, is just cute, really adorable. Also I fear raccoons in real life and I wouldn't feel tempted to get close to any trash panda if I see one, I won't deny it I do love them on illustrations as I think they are cute like fluffy kittens.

I am going to do a marketing analysis about this brand on my other site guscalvo.com because it's odd to see a gorgeous logo that emulates children books' illustrations. I wasn't to keen of the flavor, but I will say it was quite crunchy and that is always a winner with me; even when I contacted their customer service online, they replied really quickly (within a 12 hour margin) and they explain what other products they sell and where to find them.

As a marketer, I always appreciate when a company takes their time to reply inquiries, especially with mobile media as I send my questions through Instagram. They replied that on Florida their products can be found on Whole Foods, Richard's Emporium and the Fresh Market; besides, obviously online.

Some of their other products involve peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, tahini and cashew butter. Tahini, has been in my head lately, I feel that I need to go out and find one brand I enjoy, maybe next weekend.

Thank you for reading me,

References:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin's
2. https://www.onceagainnutbutter.com/ 

Chia Pods Product Review

Chia Pods

(03-06-17) --- OMG! This things are actually quite interesting, I have to confess I never had one of these things until last week and now I have a small obsession that  I consume at least twice per week.

I get this little things on the supermarket that I work at, of course I am not going to make a reference because I have no contractual obligations to mention them in any of my blogs. Yet, is quite refreshing to find some novelty products here and there in Florida, because as a consumer there is not too much variety for products here in this State.

Chia Pods, where I work and purchase them on some occasions they cost US$2.99 plus taxes which is not bad, because I've seen some other "snacks" that cost twice the most and have more sugar than Oreo Cookies filled with cocaine; but, still the Pod's can be quite fulfilling and flavor wise they aren't that bad.

On a cooking group that I am a member, as well is run by family, I posted the photo that I am using over here on this this entry, and a member said the most amazing way to describe chia seeds covered in gel "I feel I am eating tadpoles" and is not far away from having an overactive imagination. As, after I ate the chocolate one, I started to gaze at the vanilla pod and thought "OMG, she was right, this looks like little tadpoles" probably, at this moment that's what I would think whenever I see chia seeds everywhere.

The company that produces this little cool snacks is located in Australia, it was founded in 2003 by a wheat farmer named John Foss, who wanted to introduce chia into a more commercial enviroment. What is cool about the Chia Pods as a product is that is vegan, kosher and low in sugar and it has different flavors such as the ones you seen on the photo which are vanilla and dark cacao, there are also apple, banana (which is the other flavor I'd seen in real life), coconut and mango.

There are more products which they seem to be quite interesting albeit I haven't seen them here in Florida but I wouldn't hesitate to try them, is something about food if I know I am not allergic too (only things I am allergic are fishes, craw-fish, shrimps, lobsters, you just name it is all the delicacies of the sea).

I would totally recommend this product, it was such an interesting experience and I enjoy it, also it was cheap which is something that I would recommend even more, because it's budget friendly.

References:

1. The Chia Co (03/06/2017) - Products: https://thechiaco.com/au/products/