BzzAgent Private Selection Frozen Foods Campaign

Through my involvement with BzzAgent, I've been able to try out several products recently. Anyone can join BzzAgent and also have the opportunity to get products for free to try and "bzz" about. The expectation is that in exchange for your free swag, you'll tell your friends and family all about the product you're trying, whether it's in person, on the phone, in an email, on your blog, or via social media such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also write reviews on the BzzAgent website. The more active you are, the more you'll be rewarded with new campaigns.

One of the campaigns I'm working on right now for BzzAgent is for Private Selection Frozen Foods, which are sold at Kroger and other supermarkets in the Kroger Family of Stores. These are marketed as higher end foods made with premium ingredients. I was able to try one pizza, one appetizer, and one dessert of my choosing.

I had noticed some Private Selection foods in the frozen department of my local Kroger before I started this campaign, but the only thing I had tried was ice cream, which was divine. I knew they sold Private Selection pizzas, but I didn't realize there were also desserts and appetizers. All of the Private Selection frozen foods are packaged nicely and look really appetizing. The prices are on the steep side, to go along with the fancy packaging.

For my pizza selection, I chose the Margherita Napolitana. As you can see, it looks really good. And it didn't disappoint. The flavors are rich. The tomatoes were sweet and juicy, although I think there were far too many of them on our pizza. Those little white balls mozzarella pearls. This pizza cooked quickly and needs to be watched closely because the crust is thin and could easily become burnt. I suggest setting your timer for about five minutes less than the recommended baking time on the box. The crust is nice and crisp and the sauce wasn't overdone. I should mention that it's pretty garlicy. I didn't really mind it, but Chris thought it was too much. I also have to mention that all of the Private Selection pizzas available at my Kroger were loaded with garlic and/or onions. I'm not sure if they make any that aren't, but they should. Not everyone can tolerate that stuff, especially Chris. I can't stomach excess amounts either. The price of the pizza was a little high, but not too out of line with other good frozen pizzas. There's a good chance I would buy this pizza again if it was on sale and/or I had a coupon.

The appetizer I chose to try was the Southwest Style Chicken Trumpets. I forgot to take a picture and I couldn't find one, but these are little wraps rolled into the shape of trumpets and stuffed with chicken, cheese, and you guessed it, onions. I couldn't find a Private Selection appetizer that wasn't loaded with onions and garlic either. I'm really not a big fan of onions, but these looked good so I decided to give them a try. The crunchy outer shell was pretty tasteless, and the filling was rather bland as well. I didn't find the onions offensive. Chris agreed, and I don't think I would buy these again. I would consider trying a different Private Selection frozen appetizer if it was on sale and /or I had a coupon, as these were pretty expensive too.

For dessert, I chose the Private Selection Chocolate Lava Cakes. Again, I don't have a picture, but these are little round chocolate cakes with molten chocolate in the center. Each package contains four single serving cakes. When I got the cakes home and took one out to make for myself, I was disappointed to see only microwave directions. I was afraid of preparing it in the oven and ruining it, so I trudged down to the basement  to use the microwave. I very rarely use the microwave, so I wish there were directions on the box for oven preparation. I topped my lava cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and it was a scrumptious combination. These little cakes are quite rich and dense though, so one box could easily serve eight. I couldn't finish mine and ended up sharing it with Lucy and Mathilda. This dessert was surprisingly good for a microwave cake. My kids all liked them too. I might buy them again if they were on sale and/or I had a coupon, or if one of my kids requested them for a special occasion.

Have you ever tried Private Selection frozen foods? Do you have any favorites?