Torani Syrups Review: A Sponsored Post for SheSpeaks & Torani

I was recently sent two 750ml bottles of Torani syrups, a recipe booklet to suggest ways to enjoy the syrups and coupons for $1 off Torani syrups to share, from Torani and SheSpeaks.  This is a sponsored post but all of the opinions are my own. 

I love coffee but I'm not a coffee connoisseur; my 2 coffee drinks per morning need to be sweet, light and creamy and only have a hint of coffee flavor with a nice kick of caffeine to get me through the day.  I usually achieve this by brewing the coffee then dumping a bunch of creamer into my cup.  But I'm not into weird ingredients (seriously...look at the list on some flavored creamers) and I knew that was exactly what I was getting myself into with most flavored creamers.  The natural versions made me happy for a while but there was just something off about the taste.  I sometimes just go with regular cream and sugar but then I crave the flavors I love so much and my local grocery store doesn't carry the cream I use so I often end up with regular creamers anyway.  I knew there had to be something better out there, but where the heck was it?  I don't buy Starbucks anymore because I can't stomach their prices but I love the way their coffee drinks taste.  So sweet, but with no funky aftertaste.  So...wonderful. 

Then I get this opportunity to try Torani and I'm like, "There's something else- something I can buy in stores- to maybe make my coffee taste like the heaven I've been searching for every morning?  I'm SO in!"  I waited patiently for my Torani to arrive and when it did I had already had my two cups for the day.  So I did what any sane person who shouldn't have more caffeine would do and I started making another cup.  And I found it!  I found the coffee I've been searching for.  In MY house.  Awesome!

So, I received the Torani regular Peppermint and regular Salted Caramel syrups.  My heart kind of sank when I saw the Salted Caramel and lifted a little when I saw the Peppermint.  One of my favorite coffee drinks involves peppermint and mocha.  About a month ago I tried a salted caramel creamer and it was one of the most disgusting things I ever drank.  And I was so sure I'd love it because I love caramel, but it was reason enough for me to be afraid of this bottle. 
I decided to suck it up and try the salted caramel in case I really hated it so that I could maybe trick some people into coming over to drink the rest of it so I wouldn't have to throw it away.  That is how damaged I was by the last time I tried that flavor.  I read the directions: 1oz (2 Tbsp) to a cup of coffee.  Going for some equally simple I added a shot of milk, took a deep breath and drank.  And it was really, really good!  You can imagine how shocked I was to like this...a lot, after hating the other version so much. 
In the following days I alternated between the Salted Caramel and the Peppermint for my 2 cups.  While I do love peppermint flavor I prefer it to include chocolate, so most days I added half the recommended syrup with a shot of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup to my coffee and I've been oh-so happy making my coffee every morning since.  I didn't try any other recipes; I was enjoying my delicious coffee too much to "waste" it on anything else!  I would be curious to see what these would taste like in other foods and drinks.  It seems like you could add these to anything sweet.  Maybe I'll add a little to some vanilla ice cream or cake mix.  I've seen some good ideas in the recipe book they provided and from other bloggers that have tried Torani syrups.  I can't wait to try more flavors!



My Peppermint Mocha daily indulgence.

What I like best is the lack of freaky ingredients:  Pure cane sugar, water, natural flavors, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness), citric acid [and] caramel color in the Salted Caramel syrup.  It may not be perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better than what you might see if you look at what's readily available in the grocery store. 
Another plus: Made in the US.  That's tough to find! 

There are more than 60 regular flavors and more than 30 sugar-free (Splenda) flavors of syrup.  Some look fabulous and some look a little strange (chicken and waffles...what?).  But it's just amazing the selection they have, and amazing that I never knew about these before. 

What I don't like:

I seem to have some trouble locating these in the grocery store. 

The price seems scary at first.  About $8 for a 750ml bottle.  That's about the size of one of the bigger bottles of creamer, so when I thought about that I was a little bothered.  But after almost finishing two bottles I know now- there is no comparison between the two products.  For one: I use significantly less of the Torani than I do the creamer because a little goes a long way, and I can use less milk or cream because of the saturated flavors in the syrup.  It's worth it. 



Rather than dreading making a cup of coffee everyday (yes, I needed it but I dreaded it) I woke up excited every morning.

What's your favorite way to drink coffee?  Do you have a favorite creamer or syrup?  Which flavor of Torani syrup would you most like to try? 

Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search for the next Tv Star

Getting a sneak peak of the premiere episode of Oprah's new show (on her new network OWN) Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search for the next Tv Star, from SheSpeaks was a real treat. 
It's a typical contest-type show with eliminations, competitions and teams.  If you like reality competitions then this is definitely one to tune in to!  The show starts with 10 very different contestants, chosen from thousands of entries.  They are placed in two teams that have to compete to create the best talk show.  They are assigned (by their teammates) roles of producer, host, etc.  During each show they will have a special guest star who is also their mentor. 


Check out http://www.oprah.com/own/channel_finder.html to find OWN on your network.  The premiere of Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search for the next Tv Star is on totnight, FRIDAY, January 7, 2011 at 9/8C.

The sneak preview of the show ended right before the first elimination.  Of course I have to see who gets cut!  I already have a few favorites but I'm pretty sure they are all safe this week. 


Thank you to She Speaks for this great opportunity (and a new addiction!)!



Update February 2:
After watching a few episodes (though not the most recent- it's DVRed!) I almost wish they had two episodes before they cut someone. I know most elimination contests elimate once per week but with only 10 contestants to begin with I think they should be given more time.
Maybe I feel that way because last week I didn't want to see EITHER go home and was so sad to see Aunt Flora leave. I thought she had some promise. Next time they should allow each contestant their chance to shine at what they do best before slinging them into unknown territory.