Review and Giveaway: Old School Favorites

I have always been an avid label-reader. This is a habit that was ingrained into me since childhood by my mother, who read the ingredients on every single package that she considered purchasing to check for various evils. Her pet loathed substances were BHT and aspartame; to this day she actually expresses guilt for buying my brother and I the occasional Lunchables as children, unwittingly exposing us to nitrates and other additive horrors. (I routinely assure her that I survived the ordeal without too much trauma, to little effect.)

Anyway. Once you start, it is impossible to kick the habit of being aware of the garbage you are putting into your body. While healthier and more organic choices are becoming more readily available these days, there is still So. Much. Crap.

I mean, think about it. There is stuff out there in boxes and bags that is saturated so heavily in chemical preservatives that even bugs refuse to eat it. That’s pretty gross. I will not cram that fake stuff in my facehole. (On a side note: once you start eating actual food, eating junk food will taste gross. And possibly make you feel ill.)

You don’t have to worry about any of that with Old SchoolFavorites. The concept behind Old School Favorites’ gourmet nuts and chocolate sauces is one of taking it slow, using fresh, quality ingredients in small batches, “the old school way”. The ingredients are pretty simple: fresh cream, butter, Madagascar vanilla, sea salt, cocoa, stoneground Taza chocolate. No artificial additives or preservatives. And, most of all, you can actually taste how exponentially better the real thing is.

I received a package that included one bag of the Nutsz Maple Walnuts, an 8 oz jar of original Chocolate Szauce, and a 4 oz jar of each the Peppermint Chocolate Szauce and Cayenne Chocolate Szauce. (The also carry a Caramel Chocolate Szauce)

The chocolate is dark and very “real”. If you’re accustomed to Hershey’s chocolate flavored corn syrup, this blows it right out of the water. The flavor was very subtle in the peppermint variety, and the cayenne had a kick, but wasn’t too spicy, for me, anyway. If you’re an absolute wuss in the spice department, consider the other flavors.

The Nutsz are maple-walnut crack. Sweet and slightly salty, you can sprinkle them on ice cream, eat them in yogurt, or shovel them down right out of the bag.

 The Szauce itself is very thick and frosting-like in texture, so if you intend to serve it over ice cream or use it to a pourable effect, you should heat it briefly in the microwave -- not too long or it may burn. However, if you’re going to shamelessly eat it out of the jar like myself, dig right in.

One warning: the products will disappear quickly, so it’s perhaps better suited to gifting purposes unless you intend on buying it by thecase. Old School Favorites makes custom gift baskets and personalized labeling.

My package arrived right before the big East Coast snow storm a couple of weeks ago, and between members of the household and guests, the Szauce(s) and Nutsz disappeared literally overnight, save for a bit of the cayenne that I saved for a delicious cup of my Winter Warmer:

Winter Warmer -- 
Cayenne Hot Chocolate

1 heaping tablespoon of Old School Favorites Cayenne Chocolate Szauce

6 oz milk

1.5 oz brandy or cognac

.5 oz chocolate liqueur

whipped cream

chili flakes

Heat milk. Stir in Szauce until thoroughly mixed. Add booze, and top with whipped cream and chili flakes. More chocolate and/or booze may be added to taste.

I do realize that by this point, oh readership, it’s closing in on springtime. But there are probably a few cold nights left in the Midatlantic, and no reasons not to drink booze-laden cayenne hot chocolate. I think my logic is sound, and once you try it, you'll agree.

Old School Favorites is generously offering one of our US readers a gift basket that includes one of each of their products, plus an apron or hat (your choice) as a giveaway for you, Dear Readers. You won’t be disappointed!  Read on to see how you can enter.

http://oldschoolfavorites.com

https://www.facebook.com/oldschoolfavorites/

https://www.pinterest.com/oldschoolfavs/

https://www.instagram.com/oldschoolfavorites/

https://twitter.com/oldschoolfavs

One winner in the US will win one gift set from Old School Favorites to include 1 each of their 4 Chocolate Szauce flavors, 1 package Nutz Maple Walnuts, and winners choice of either an Old School Favorites hat or apron.

To enter the giveaway, you must leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Giveaway Tools Entry Form below. This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY and will end just before midnight ET on 3-21. 

The winner will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Once the winner has responded and confirmed, their first name will be posted on our Giveaways  page.

Good luck!

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