Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Archer Farms, how I love thee

I have always been the type of person to turn my nose up at store brands. Even when I was poor, I refused to buy the generic version of my favorite foods. I tried to buy them a few times and was always disappointed in the quality. Target's "Archer Farms" brand, however, has become the exception to my snobbery.

Perhaps the packaging caught my attention or the word Organic; whatever it was, I took a chance and it certainly paid off. I think. My waist and hips might tell a different story. The first thing I remember trying was a huge container of Asian mix. Crunchy, salty things are my weakness and this doesn't disappoint. Filled with peas, rice crackers, sesame sticks, walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts, this is one of my favorite snacks. If I could customize it, I would remove everything but the peas and rice crackers, as they are my favorites, but having the other crunchy companions does give it variety.

After that delightful experience I wanted to try more crunchy, salty offerings by Archer Farms. Wasabi has been on my radar for a while, so when a bright green bag of Archer Farms' Wasabi Mustard potato chips caught my eye, I had to try it. Oh. My. Can I just say mouth orgasm? Well, I did, so there. The problem is, when I open the bag, I can hardly control myself. From the crunch to the perfect blend of mustard and wasabi flavor, I am a goner every time. Recently, I refrained from buying them due to my lack of self-control, but caved and bought a bag on Sunday. When I finally allowed myself to open the bag yesterday I was all "Oh, Wasabi Mustard chips, where have you been? I've missed you so", and proceeded to commit one of the seven deadly sins, demolishing half a bag in one sitting. I could have easily eaten the entire bag, but I do still have a smidgeon of self-respect left.

Double D has also caught onto Archer Farms' delectable delights. His favorite is the Party Mix which contains pretzels, honey roasted peanuts, and sesame sticks. He would like to do away with the pretzels, though. He eats them reluctantly, and/or gives some to the dogs. The dogs are very grateful to partake in Archer Farms' snackage. Izzy has even started to drool when Archer Farms is in her presence.

Getting brave in my quest of all things Archer Farms, I branched out and discovered Pineapple-Peach salsa. YUM! I am very picky about salsa in a jar, so the fact that I buy this every week is a testament to its goodness. The heat is mild with the fruit taming it down even more, adding a unique combination of flavors. I adore sweet and hot together and this is a marriage made in heaven. I first bought the small jar, still not quite trusting the "store brand", and now the large jar is a staple on my weekly grocery list.

My waist line is proud to show off all this snacking, but right now, I just don't care. I am freaking, fracking smitten with Archer Farms.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gail - I too have always avoided store brands. I figured it was just a way for the store to make extra money - by selling their own brand of food. Good to know there's some good stuff out there. I might have to try the salsa!!
BTW - loved the photo of the "fire" on your previous post. It DOES give a visual message! Ha! Do we love Dallas or what?

Gail Dixon said...

Thanks, Mickey. I'm sure you'll enjoy just about anything AF makes. Good luck. Stay cool!

Autumn said...

You beat me to it! I was seriously planning a product crush post this week to gush about Archer Farms. Everything they make is unbelievably good, and you gotta love the short ingredient lists! Nothing fake or chemical about these snacks. You MUST try their chocolate-drizzled snack mix with cayenne. Sweet and hot is one of my favorite combos, too. Yum!

Gail Dixon said...

Autumn, I would love to hear your thoughts on Archer Farms! Will definitely be picking up the chocolate snack mix with cayenne. Sounds devine. We are getting more alike all the time!

Glen said...

During our tour this summer of the Western States, ran across the Pineapple & Peach Salsa at Target. (It was addictive!) Came in handy as a snack in between motels and such.
Also tasted great thousands of feet up, at one of the Fire Lookout Towers we rented in Oregon - Mt. Shasta off in the distance.
Of course you can't get the stuff in Canada.
Very mouth watering - the Archer Brand.

Nice Site...

Glen

Gail Dixon said...

Thanks, Glen. Appreciate you dropping by.