{Chicken Fajita Ore-Ida Totchos}

If you follow me on Instagram, or are my friend on Facebook, you may have seen me post pictures of my original Ore-Ida Totchos creation over the past two weeks. I promised to follow up with a recipe, and after cooking this dish two times, I think I know which elements worked best and which could be omitted, so here I am with my final recipe for my Chicken Fajita Ore-Ida Totchos! It's a really easy and surprisingly delicious and fun meal that both adults and children will love! (And, as an added bonus, it makes for good leftovers, too!)

Chicken Fajita Ore-Ida Totchos       

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 2-pound bag of Ore-Ida Tater Tots, prepared to your preference (I prefer deep-fried!)
• 1 can of black beans
• 2 tbsp of Olive oil
• 3-4 fresh chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 onion, cut into slices
• 1 bell pepper, cut into slices
• 1 package of fajita mix (Or, you can make your own fajita mix, to taste, if you have sensitive palates that don't like spicy food. If you buy a premade mix, I would recommend a powder mix as opposed to a liquid mix, as the powder mix has a better flavor.)
• 1/4 cup of water if you use a power-based fajita mix
  
  
  Cheese Dip Ingredients:
• 1 block of Velveeta cheese
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• 1/4 tsp of red pepper
  
  
  Additional Toppings:
• 1 package of Mexican blend cheese
• 1 container of sour cream
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1 jar of salsa

Directions:

If you prefer extra crispy tots, like I do, you'll need to go ahead and preheat your deep fryer (or oven)! Assuming that your chicken, onion, bell pepper, tomato, and jalepeno are all cut up, open your black beans and start heating them up on a low heat setting. They should be precooked, so you really just need to warm them up. 

Next, put your olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat and add the chicken. As the chicken is cooking, mix your fajita powder and 1/4th cup of water in a separate container. 

Put your tater tots in the deep fryer or oven, and continue to keep an eye on them!

Once the chicken is mostly cooked (see: completely white, but not yet browned), mix in your bell pepper and onion and cook for another minute or two. Add most of the fajita mix, reserving about two teaspoons for the cheese dip. Turn the heat down to simmer/low, and place a lid on the pan.

Now, it's time to make the cheese dip! Dice the Velveeta and add it in a bowl with the diced tomato, 1/2 cup of milk, and (if you like some heat) 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper. Heat in the microwave in 30-second increments until completely melted and mixed, stirring between each turn in the microwave.

At this point, your tots should be ready! I prefer to eat mine in a bowl: layer the tots, then chicken/vegetables, black beans, cheese dip, sour cream, cheese, and any other toppings (jalepenos and salsa would go great on these Totchos!) that you prefer, and you're ready to enjoy!

For more Ore-Ida Totchos recipes, check out the Kraft Recipes Totchos hub!

**As I mentioned in my {Influenster's #JingleVoxBox} post, I received my bag of Ore-Ida Tater Tots complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.**

{Influenster's #JingleVoxBox}

In my Introduction post, I mentioned a website called Influenster that extends beyond being a typical product review site by encouraging social media interaction and allowing its users to earn virtual badges and chances to receive their themed Vox Boxes that are filled with free products to sample and review. I decided that it was a good little hobby for me to pick up, so I signed up!

Before opening my first Vox Box!

I was lucky enough to be selected to receive my first Vox Box-- the Jingle Vox Box-- within a week or two of signing up! Originally, I was going to film my unboxing, but I got too impatient and ended up using everything before I got around to it! Oops! Instead, I'll just post stock photos of the items that were included in my box, along with a little review of each item. Here we go! But first, a picture of Finn posing with my Vox Box when I first opened it...

Finn being nosy!

This Vox Box features a hodgepodge of items that really helped to make the holidays a little brighter including: Biscoff Cookies, KISS True Volume Lashes (and adhesive), a coupon for a free bag of Ore-Ida Tater Tots, a bottle of Pure Ice nail polish, NYC New York Color City Proof 24HR Waterproof Eyeliner, an Olaf Hallmark itty bitty, and a 1oz sample of  Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. Here's what I thought about each item:

Biscoff CookiesOverall Rating: 4.5/5

I had never tried Biscoff Cookies before getting them in this Vox Box, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that (to me) they taste like ginger snaps, only softer! I love ginger snaps, but sometimes they gross me out because you pretty much have to soak them in milk for them to be of an edible consistency, and crumbs in my milk is just unsettling. I know that these cookies are made to be soaked in coffee, but honestly, I think they're good enough to stand alone. I'm taking half a point away because out of the three 2-cookie packs I received, two packs had broken cookies that made a little mess.

KISS True Volume Lashes in Chic (and adhesive)
Overall Rating: 3/5

I've only ever tried false eyelashes once before, and that time, I didn't get past trying to take the lashes off of the holder they were on because they broke. This time was infinitely more successful, but I can't say that I will be using false eyelashes on a regular basis. The directions on both the lashes and the separate adhesive were sparse, so I had to watch a YouTube video to get a better idea of what to do, and there were no directions at all on removal. Once I got the lashes on (~30 minutes of trial and error), I had to add some liquid eyeliner to hide the little open patches between the lashes. This style of lash, Chic, provides a long-lash look, but doesn't add much volume, and I prefer both length and volume when I put mascara on. These lashes gave a more natural look than I usually go for.

Ore-Ida Tater Tots
Overall Rating: 4.5/5

With the coupon for a free bag of Ore-Ida Tater Tots, I chose to redeem their Mini Tater Tots because everything is better in miniature form, right!? Well, not so much with these tots. Don't get me wrong, they're still really great, especially when you deep fry them! I'm not sure how, but the minis taste a little different than the regular-sized tots. I think it's got to do with the surface area of crispy, fried tot-to-soft potato inside ratio, meaning that I think there's just a little too much crispy and not enough softness to the mini tots. I made an original Ore-Ida Totchos recipe using my mini tots and inspiration from Ore-Ida's recipe site. It was surprisingly delicious. I mean, I thought it was going to be pretty good, but I wan't expecting it to be THAT good! I will be posting my recipe on here in a few days, so be on the lookout if you're looking for an easy and fun meal for your family!

Pure Ice Nail Polish in Deja Vu
Overall Rating: 4.5/5

I think that this nail polish might be my favorite thing that came in my Jingle Vox Box! I've never tried Pure Ice's nail polish because I just assumed that, at its low price point (less than $2 a bottle at my local Walmart), it would be really low quality. I just need to say that I've been missing out! I've since gone out and bought two more bottles! The color I received, Deja Vu, is gorgeous! It's a blue-purple iridescent glitter that looks like I've got tiny little galaxies on my fingernails and I love it! I used a black base coat before I used the Deja Vu, and it turned out beautifully! The three biggest qualities that I look for in a nail polish are: longevity, quick dry time, and ease of removal. Pure Ice lasts about as long as Sally Hansen's Extreme Wear, but I've found (using a different color) that longevity really depends on how well you put the polish on, and how much you use your hands. Pure Ice's polishes have what I consider to be a quick dry time. I usually do my nails while I'm watching a movie so that I can sit still and give them plenty of time to air dry. Pure Ice's polish dries within that time period. Finally, I look for ease of removal. Glitter-based polishes are usually much more difficult to remove, but this one wasn't any more difficult than removing standard polish. I deducted half of a point for the polish chipping within a few days of application, but overall, I would most definitely recommend this polish for anyone looking for a great value!

NYC New York Color City Proof 24HR Waterproof Eyeliner
Overall Rating: 4/5

Normally, I don't use pencil eyeliners because I prefer the sleek, defined look of liquid-based eyeliners. When I use a pencil liner, I go for a thin pencil, as I only want the liner on a very small area that a regular-sized pencil can't reach properly. I wasn't really looking forward to trying this eyeliner because of that reason. Then, I discovered that I can use this eyeliner on the lower portion of my upper eyelid to make my eyes pop. NYC's City Proof 24HR Waterproof Eyeliner is a creamy, gel-based liner that glides on smoothly and provides a bold color, which I really like. The downside is that I will have to sharpen this frequently, as it is very difficult to line that portion of my eye with a dull pencil. Though it claims to be waterproof, this liner will smudge, with or without water, and transfers itself to my lower lash line. 

Olaf Hallmark itty bitty
Overall Rating: 4/5

Olaf was the most confusing thing that came in my Jingle Vox Box... This Hallmark itty bitty is super cute-- even cuter than the real Olaf-- but I just don't really know how I am supposed to rate/review a tiny stuffed toy when there's not really much I can do with it. Originally, I thought it was an ornament, so I was planning on hanging it up somewhere or putting it on our Christmas tree, but it's just a cute little toy. The best use for it then, I decided, was to give it to my little sisters, who are 3 and 5 years old, and still love Frozen very much. They both thought Olaf was cute, though Soleil (my 5 year old sister) asked me why he didn't have legs. 

Cetaphil Cream Moisturizing Cream
Overall Rating: 4/5

I want to like Cetaphil... I really do. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work well with my oily skin. That being said, it works exceedingly well in areas where I have dry skin (like the tip of my nose), and it is great to use during these cold months where the wind is constantly drying out and chapping your skin. The reason I am giving Cetaphil a 4 out of 5 rating is because I know that it works well for normal-to-dry skin types, so if you have skin in this range, and are looking for a good moisturizer-- give Cetaphil a try, especially if your skin is also sensitive! If you have oily skin, you can try their line that is made for oily skin (it doesn't work for me, but it might for you)! 

That's all for now! Check back in a few days for more reviews, including my Ore-Ida Totchos recipe! Yum! :)

--Rani

**Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.**

Introduction

Where to begin...?

 I've been putting off making this initial blog post because I didn't know where to start. I have things to say-- hence deciding to start a new blog in which I review {things}-- but the thing that makes this blog different from the other blogs I've made is that I don't yet have a definite target audience. I guess my target audience would be anyone who is interested in whatever {things} I intend on blogging about. So we can start there! Why am I using curly brackets when I refer to the "things" that I'm going to review? What is a curly bracket? Am I even using it/them correctly?

I'm going to answer those questions out of order, starting with
 
What is a curly bracket?
A curly bracket is a symbol that is most commonly used in mathematics to delimit, or to mark the limits or boundaries, of a set of numbers. Less commonly, it is used in writing to a similar effect of uniting similar objects, lines, or words. This is what a curly bracket looks like: {  }

Why am I using curly brackets when I refer to the "things" that I'm going to review? 
Honestly... it's because I think they're more visually appealing than my other options (quotation marks, parenthesis, etc.), and because I wanted a unifying symbol to use for everything that I review to highlight each "thing" in the title of whatever post/video/review I make. You'll see what I mean as I actually start reviewing {things}. :)

Am I even using it/them correctly?
Sure, in an abstract sort of way! From what I understand, curly brackets are usually used to group actual things within the two brackets. For example: {fish, shark, dolphin} I, however; am using them in a less restrictive manner in which each set of brackets only contains one {thing}, but all of the {things} are unified in that they are things that are being put under the spotlight in my reviews. I've always had fun playing with words and using them beyond their typical definitions, so I guess it's no surprise that I've taken to using symbols in the same manner!

And I guess I should answer a few other questions, too, like

Who are you?
My name is Rani! It's pronounced like the weather, "rainy". I'm a 25-year old Registered Dental Hygienist who decided to take up a new hobby of reviewing {things} on various social media platforms! I've always loved writing, and while product reviews aren't necessarily my passion, I do have a passion for helping people, which is usually the goal of posting a review. I plan on making both video blogs and traditional blog posts, as well as posting on other social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Influenster.

Woah, what's Influenster!?
So Influenster is the site that actually inspired me to start a blog for reviews! I tend to get verbose when I try to explain things, as I have always been a train-of-thought writer, but I will try to keep this part short... Influenster is a site that is aimed at providing helpful reviews on various products, though it seems to focus mostly on health and beauty items. They also host these fun little campaigns where they will send you a little box-- called a Vox Box-- of samples for you to try for FREE in exchange for providing an honest review of the products after you have tried them. I got my first Vox Box right before Christmas, and have had a lot of fun trying out its contents and doing little activities to earn badges on my Influenster profile. If you would like to join, you can click here to get started!

Anything else I should know?
I guess the only other thing I really should mention is that I would love to get feedback if/when you find your way to this blog! Please feel free to comment, subscribe, and/or follow me if you like what I'm doing!

One more thing! What types of {things} are you going to review?
When I was trying to think up a blog title/URL, I realized that I don't want to do reviews solely on tangible products, like most review blogs do. I want to review whatever I want to review, even things that aren't "things"! What do I mean by that? Well, I'm glad you were wondering, because I've been making a little list, and while I want to keep some of the {things} a secret until I post about them, you need examples! So maybe one day I'll review a philosophical concept, or a quote, or my day, or a person. I don't want to limit myself to reviewing makeup, cat litter, books/movies/TV shows, etc. I want to promote conversations and thinking. I want my readers to come to their own conclusions about any of the {things} I review, but I would like to help along the way if I can!


Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for future posts!:)

 --Rani