Gigi-Reviews

Skip's Candy Corner Fudge: Assorted Flavors

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 23:21:00 +0000

I just returned home from a couple of weeks in New York, and while I wasn't able to get out as much as I would have liked -- 'cause, y'know, lupus is the gift that keeps on giving -- I did manage to see Net, my "Sister from Another Mother" in New Jersey. And I can't thank her enough for taking me out to Peddler's Village, just over the New Jersey border in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. We had a fantastic day overall, but certainly one of the highlights was a visit to Skip's Candy Corner.

You know that expression "kid in a candy store?" Yup, that was me. Actually, think "overly hyper and caffeinated-up food blogger with a debit card" -- that would be more accurate. But good grief, Skip's (and to be honest, Peddler's Village overall) has so much stuff that I'm lucky that I didn't see it all. As it was, I was debating whether or not I really had to pay the rent...and that's not because the prices were tourist-trap outrageous (which, by the way, they were not), but because I literally could have taken 90% of the store home.

So I decided to think about the things I had to have, and then come back before we returned to New Jersey (and sadly, we dawdled so long elsewhere that they closed before I got back). Hmmmmm, hard decisions! Just feast your eyes on the yumminess pictured below....

Drooling yet? If you aren't, don't complain to me -- complain to a psychiatrist!

Once again I have Net to thank: she knew she had to take some fudge home and made her purchase in advance -- and we ended up talking to the fantastic woman who was manning the store at that time (I am so sorry I didn't get her name -- honestly, I was so overwhelmed by the all the sugary goodness surrounding me that I wasn't paying as close attention as I should have). Well, as she explained to me, all of Skip's fudge is made in house. And to make a long story only somewhat less long, she ended up sending me home with some fudge for review!

As you can see below, she gave me five different varieties to sample.

So, without further ado, I shall start the review with...

Salted Caramel Fudge:

This is the one I thought was going to be my favorite, as you all know about my current obsession with anything salted caramel. This one has a layer of caramel sandwiched between two layers of chocolate fudge, and is topped with large flakes of salt. And yes, I was right, it is my favorite. The fudge is rich with just a little bit of grain to it. The caramel is of the more solid varity, and while it pulls apart easily with some some stringing, there certainly no oozing -- and I think thats really the only way it could be done in this instance. I don't imagine a caramel that was fluid would work well here. The caramel has a nice buttery note to it, and I would have happily eaten it all by itself. Probably the best fudge I will ever have! The only thing I would have changed is salt flakes on top. Mind you, I liked them -- but I think a sprinkling on the caramel as well would have pushed this square to the point where its goodness would be outlawed. Hell, it's pretty close to that point now!

Amaretto:

I always think of this flavor as being one of those classic fudge flavors. I don't care how many times I have had it before; I am having it again. This one has a thin layer of chocolate fudge atop a thicker layer of the amaretto flavored fudge. The chocolate is top notch...but it's the amaretto layer that's the star for me. It has a cool, smooth melt on the tongue, and it is easy to imagine it is this close (*holds thumb and index finger a hair's breath apart*) to being poured from a liquor bottle.

The only thing I didn't love about this square was that it is dusted with cinnamon. While it makes the fudge look pretty, I just do not care for the combination of the flavors. No problems, though -- the cinnamon is only on the very top, so it was easy to work around.

Peanut Butter:

Okay, whenever I get fudge at Disneyland it is always the Tiger Butter (which is what they call peanut butter). Not surprisingly, Skip's has outdone this flavor as well. It has equal layers of chocolate and peanut butter fudge. The chocolate is fab, but it's the peanut butter that I loooooo-o-o-oove. It tastes as if the nuts are fresh and just roasted. It's perfectly smooth with just enough salty tang. Fantastic!

Rocky Road:

Yes. it has marshmallows...which pretty much means Enough Said! Well, all right, I have to say more than that. The thing about Rocky Road that I always seem to forget until it's too late is that it also has nuts. I know that sounds stupid, but I usually just eat the marshmallows and work around the nuts. In this case, I forgot to ask which kind they used -- but I am pretty sure it's walnuts. And once again Skip's used chocolate fudge, folded into which are mini marshmallows and huge chunks of nuts.

This fudge is so fresh, and the marshmallows are still perfectly moist and gooey! Marshmallow heaven! And though I don't usually like them, I also tried the nuts (oh, what I will do for a review!). They are quite crunchy and taste as fresh as the marshmallows -- if you like nuts in your fudge, you will surely love these. So, my own personal nut caveat aside, this one is yet another winner.

Maple Nut:

Last but not least, I am once again digging into a nut fudge. I absolutely love pretty much any maple candy. Unfortunately (at least at the time of my visit) the only maple fudge they had with it was this one...and it also contains walnuts. But thats OK, because I know that a lot of people love nut candy, so here you guys go...

If you are looking for a chocolate-free fudge, look right here. The maple flavor is bright and sweet. It reminded me of the topping on maple doughnuts or those maple syrup candies you can get in New England (talk about things I love). It was absolutely, incredibly good. Even with the nuts, I didn't want to share this one with anybody else. (The nuts by the way are huge and crisp. Walnuts lovers should go crazy over this.)

All in all, there is no shortage of great things I could say about Skip's and their fudge. But don't think I am just torturing you guys with things only locals can get hold of. Skip's will ship their goodies to you anywhere in the U.S. -- and perhaps even outside the U.S. as well. Check out Skip's website for more info.

I cannot wait to go back in few months!

iSee: Lobster Claw Machine

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:16:00 +0000

First, let me apologize for the crappy "Cops" style camera work. I am still getting used to my iPhone, and it shows. With that in mind, if I had the opportunity to re-shoot this, I would. But I don't, and I thought it was really unique, so therefore we will all just have to deal with my crappy camera work.

At the Andretti Indoor Kart Racing & Games in Roswell, Georgia, they have the most unique claw machine since "Toy Story." For $2.00, you have the chance to win yourself a live lobster! The tank didn't have any info on it as to the weight of the lobsters -- but based on entirely too many years of being a server at Red Lobster, I would say that they're about 1.5 lbs. I asked the server how often people really won, and she said that the lobsters often end up meeting the claw.

So, if you're in the Roswell area and feel like catching your dinner without actually having to brave sun, bugs, and lack of air conditioning...this is definitely something to check out!

New feature!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:10:00 +0000

First, my thanks to you once again for my having to take a break. It has been a hard time for the family because the loss of my aunt was sudden and unexpected.

Regardless of what happens in life, the Web still sails on and there are posts to write. A new feature that I am trying out is called iSee. iSee is going to be short Youtube videos featuring food, or interesting food-related items or places that I see in my wanderings. All videos will be safe for work and I hope you like them. Please let me know what you guys think!

Yet another hiatus due to family matters...

noreply@blogger.com (socalcontrarian) — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:21:00 +0000

I know, it seems as if every time I try to make a comeback something bad happens. And once again, yes, something bad has happened.

Unfortunately, there has been an unexpected death in my family (my step-aunt, to be specific). I will be away from home for a while, probably a little over a week, to attend her funeral and be with the family. But I will return to this blog as soon as possible, I promise.

Thank you all for your patience with me.

Gigi

Dole Real Fruit Bites: Apple Chunks

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:39:00 +0000

Yogurt covered fruit snacks are one of those things I really like, yet never remember to buy. So when the nice PR people behind these Dole snacks sent me a box containing three new varieties, I was pretty excited.

I decided to start with the Apple Chunks because I don't think there are enough apple snacks out there. (The other flavors coming up are Pineapple and Mango) The Apple Chunks Real Fruit Bites are sold in bags of six individually wrapped packets with 90 calories each. (Although if you look at the website, it is listed as 80 calories per packet -- so I don't know what happened there.)

There are roughly a dozen individual bites in a packet. The bites are nicely sized -- about the dimensions (and shape) of chocolate covered peanuts. They're lightly coated in vanilla yogurt, with little speckles of whole grain oats.

Their aroma isn't strong, but it is pleasant. Think of sweet and floral apples, and just a little hint of the vanilla yogurt. (It would make a pretty good Yankee Candle!)

As for the taste? The yogurt gives a slightly tart bite that pairs well with ripe, sweet apple. A truly good combination!

The oat flavor was a lot stronger in some chunks than others. On the strongest pieces, it was like having a mouth full of uncooked, solid apple-flavored oatmeal. I much preferred the pieces that had less oats in them (as I am not a huge fan of oatmeal to begin with). But if you love oatmeal, this would be a definite selling point.

The texture is interesting. While not hard or crunchy at all, at the same time it was not mushy or like a jelly candy. I think the best way to describe it would be to say that the texture is firm and almost papery. Imagine an apple that had been cut and left out long enough that the surface moisture was gone, but had not yet turned brown (and thus mushy). I realize that probably sounds strange -- but it's one of those things where the more you eat them, the more you want to eat them. I could see these being tasty in cereals (hot or cold) and even over ice cream.

Yep, these are really good. If you see them, you ought to give them a try.

PURCHASED FROM: Sample from company

CALORIES: 90 calories per packet

ADDITIONAL INFO: Contains sulfites, milk and soy. Ingredients processed in a facility that handles tree nuts, wheat, and other cereal grains.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: dole.com

Freeze Dried Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:14:00 +0000

This review is admittedly aimed at my eight-year-old self who would have thought freeze dried ice cream was just the shiznit. Well, I am no longer eight, but I still picked up this package of freeze dried ice cream in a NASA-themed gift shop at Houston's George Bush International Airport. Sadly, the shop was almost entirely aimed at kids -- and not big kids like me --- but hey, never let it be said that I let pouting get in the way of a possible review! Doing research on the history of freeze dried ice cream (AKA what can I learn from Wikipedia in three minutes or less), it was interesting to note that all these fantastic little packs of ice cream that can be found at gift shops the world over -- and that all proclaim their contents to be genuine astronaut ice cream -- are really only about as accurate as I am when I tell my nephew that I am in fact cool.

Freeze dried ice cream as we know it was developed for the Apollo missions, but actually it ended up flying only on Apollo 7 in 1968. It apparently wasn't very popular, and by the 1970s they were able to send real ice cream up. So yeah, this is "space ice cream" in the sense that it made one single voyage. Kinda in the same sense that I was considered cool once back in 1996, and that for about five minutes. Obviously, this is not filling me with hope. Is it sad to admit, pre-tasting, that I wish the gift shop hadn't been sold out of the ice cream sandwich? The thing is I never, ever eat Neapolitan ice cream in real life. Blame my parents for being too cheap and/or lazy to buy actual good flavors. It's not that I don't like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry alone; I just don't like them together.

So how was my space treat?

The little brick was surprisingly thick. If you have a small group interested in trying it, there's plenty to be shared. It is also surprisingly lightweight for its size -- and surprisingly fragile. As you can see, it shatters like glass quite easily. The texture reminded me of a very dry, very dense meringue that sort of liquefies on your tongue...and yeah, that effect was kind of cool (although the novelty quickly fades). Obviously the "ice cream" is not as creamy as even the lowest of the bargain brands of ice cream, but it does have a vaguely dairy-like mouthfeel. The three flavors varied, so we will talk about them individually:

Strawberry: Had a pleasant berry flavor that actually came off as natural. However, the dairy notes were just plain funky. It reminded me of milk that had been left out too long but had not quite turned yet.

Vanilla: I think this tasted more like "residue of chocolate" than vanilla. Again, the dairy was just funktastic -- even more noticeably than it was with the strawberry. That's probably because there was no real flavor to mask it.

Chocolate: It tastes like freebasing cheap chocolate syrup. Not bad -- but only in the sense that it was the most edible of the three flavors. The chocolate was strong enough to hide the nasty dairy taste.

Yeah, I think I know why the astronauts held out for the real thing. It was fun to try, although I certainly won't be rushing to try more (or even finish this package).

PURCHASED FROM: Random gift shop at George Bush International Airport, Houston, Texas

PRICE: $3.99

CALORIES: 110 calories per 3/4 ounce package

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: luvyduvy.com

Pepsi Next

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Pepsi's new soda for 2012 -- Pepsi Next -- actually makes me feel like I'm time traveling back to roughly 2004; way back in the earlyish days of the turn of the century. (And now I am making us all feel old...sorry.) Back then both Pepsi and Coke debuted products that were not quite "diet" colas, yet not quite full calorie colas either. Remember those? Their lack of specific gender, if you will, made them strangely androgynous and hermaphroditic in a way -- kind of like what Justin Bieber would be if he were a beverage.

Well, the Pepsi Edge of yesteryear has evolved to become this decade's Pepsi Next. Pepsi Edge had 70 calories per can (or 12 ounces). and was sweetened with a blend of high fructose corn syrup and Sucralose. Its "benefit" was that it was supposed to taste more like regular Pepsi while not having all of the calories and carbs of the regular version. Pepsi Edge was discontinued in 2005 (as was Coke's competing soda, C2 -- and later that year both Pepsi Max and Coke Zero were launched, and are still going strong today). Apparently, sales were sluggish, and the most common comment I remember hearing at the time was "If I wanted a diet soda I would just drink one."

Anyway, here we are in 2012 with Pepsi Next. It has 60 calories per can (or 12 ounces) and has what could be a boy band worth of sweeteners -- four total. HFCS, Sucralose, Aspartame & acesulfame potassium are all combined in the hopes of making it taste more like a full calorie soda, but with less calories and carbs.

At least as far as the numbers go, it succeeds. A 12 ounce serving of regular Pepsi has 150 calories and 41 grams of carbs. The issue is -- how many people will this really appeal to? I am admittedly a diet soda drinker (and when I drink regular Pepsi, it is the Pepsi Throwback...sooo worth the calories!), so I don't mind the flavor of diet sodas. But I have noticed that my friends who only drink "regular" tend to dislike the artificial flavor that sweeteners give. If it gets past the "why?" factor, it will of course be the taste that makes or breaks it.

So how does Pepsi Next taste?

It does seem to have a cola taste that is closer to regular Pepsi than Diet Pepsi. (I haven't had Pepsi Max in so long I can't remember it sizes up). There is also a distinct lemony note, even though no such thing is listed on the label. It's more noticeable than that of Pepsi/Diet Pepsi as a rule, but not as strong a lemon as Pepsi Twist had. (And where can I sign a petition to bring that back?!) On one hand, I like the idea of a lemony cola. What I don't like here is that the lemon note is pleasant at first, and then dissolves into a nasty chemical aftertaste.

The carbonation is also dialed down. (It does make an impressive head when poured into a glass, but that head collapses in literally three seconds.) I know a lot of people will like that, because it makes it easier to guzzle without thunderous elephantine belching like I imagine Kim Kardashian does when the cameras are turned off. (Cease and Desist letter in 3...2...1...) For me this is neither a breaking nor a selling point. It's not a bad soda; it just doesn't rock my world. I could be wrong, but I'll give this a year, tops, on the shelf. I just don't see there being enough of a market for a half-cal option. Personally, I would rather just have a smaller portion of Pepsi Throwback.

Be sure to check out these reviews from The Impulsive Buy and Grub Grade.

PURCHASED FROM: CVS

PRICE: $1.25

CALORIES: 100 calories per 20 ounce bottle.

ADDITIONAL INFO: Contains phenylalanine.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: pepsiusa.com

Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Nougat Crunch

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:04:00 +0000

Ben & Jerry's is on fire lately. I swear they must be reading my mind, because when it comes to this year's batch of new flavors, absolutely everything has sounded good to me.

Chocolate Nougat Crunch is a sweet cream based ice cream with fudge-covered wafer cookies and a chocolate nougat swirl. I am one of those people who loves nougat; be it the soft, fluffy style that you find in candy bars, or the harder Italian-style that has nuts and/or fruit in it. Admittedly, I like the softer style more (and once again, with my recent jaw surgery, soft is all I can have for a while). So I lucked out, because the soft kind is what is used in this ice cream.

Digging into this pint you'll notice that the sweet cream base is indeed both sweet and creamy (imagine that!), and I like the nice, mellow vanilla-ish flavor it leaves in your mouth. What I don't like about it is that once you have had a few spoonfuls, it gets lost in the stronger nougat flavor. I would have liked the base to have been stronger, but it is still tasty.

What I really loved about this pint was the swirl. The day Ben & Jerry's can't make a kickass swirl is the day I stop eating ice cream...but it looks like that ain't happening anytime soon! The swirl is almost like eating a fluid version of a Milky Way bar. It's chocolately, and not surprisingly, it has a nice sweet thing going on. I think On Second Scoop nailed it perfectly when they said it was sort of like chocolate marshmallow (read their review here). Best of all, out of the several pints I have had, all of them had generous pools of swirl!

As for the fudge covered wafers: First, if you are expecting, say, a 'Nilla wafer -- don't. The cute little fudge covered wafer squares reminded me more of sugar wafers, minus the creme filling. I actually think I prefer this type of wafer over something more cookie-like. The texture of the wafers seemed to vary from really crispy, to some that had softened a bit -- kind of like a cake-style ice cream cone does when you get down to the bottom. The wafers are slightly sweet, but don't really have much flavor of their own.

The fudge: if you've ever read one of my reviews where Ben & Jerry's fudge covered anything, then you know that I am not a fan. I regard it as a necessary evil. I know most people don't mind it, but it has yet to win me over. Apart from that, however, no worries -- this is a really good ice cream overall.

So far this really is a great year for Ben & Jerry. I am really loving the lineup! Be sure to also check out The Impulsive Buy's review here.

PURCHASED FROM: Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE: $3.49

CALORIES: 250 calories per 1/2 cup serving.

ADDITIONAL INFO: Allergy information: fudge covered wafer pieces have been manufactured on shared equipment that also processes peanuts and tree nuts.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: benjerry.com

Oreo Birthday Cake Cookie: Limited Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:22:00 +0000

I have to thank Jim for his review of the Oreo Birthday Cake cookies, which sent me out on a multi-store hunt to find my own bag. I finally found them at CVS when picking up my prescriptions. Yeah, drugs and cookies...I feel like I should be watching an episode of Weeds. Once I finally had my cookies in hand, I had one other hurdle to jump: the fact that I am still unable to eat anything other than soft food. But I am a trouper! By golly, I was not about to let a little thing like a messed-up jaw keep me away from cake batter flavored Oreos.

OK, so I cheated a little. I don't like to phone in reviews, even if it is only a small portion -- but in this case I decided there was a loophole I could exploit. You see, it is only the creme of the cookie that is flavored with cake batter...and that's pretty soft, right? The actual wafer of the cookie is the classic chocolate Oreo we all know and love. Yes, the cookie is crispy, chocolaty and just like every other Oreo cookie you have ever eaten in your life. (Except that while one side has the classic Oreo design, the other has a birthday candle and the legend "OREO 100" on it.)

Once you have the bag open, out wafts the wonderful sweet scent of yellow cake batter. Even my cats wanted in that package after they smelled the cookies. (No, I didn't let them!) The inner creme, as mentioned, is the real star here. I opted to try it with both a dry and a milk-soaked run. For the dry run, I twisted the top cookie off and did the classic Oreo cookie lick.

When you twist off the top cookie, you are treated to the sight of the sprinkle dappled cream. I was worried that this was going to be one of those things that smelled better than it tastes -- but once again, Oreo delivered. I loved the slight crunch that the sprinkled added. The sweetness of the hint of vanilla tasted even better to me when I dunked the cookie. (I am one of those people who soak Oreos to soggy deliciousness.) So how was it, you ask?

Well, this is possibly the best Oreo ever! Don't take my word for it; this is a limited edition. Go out and get your own bag while it's still available! (Be sure also to check out reviews 0f these cookies at The Impulsive Buy and Foodette Reviews.)

PURCHASED FROM: CVS

Happy Easter!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 02:20:00 +0000

Dole Shakers: Mixed Berry Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:05:00 +0000

I have to admit that I'm the first one to say I don't especially like smoothies. I like the idea of smoothies, but basically it stops there. Of course, as I also feel the need to say for around the four millionth time, I am currently stuck with soft foods only. And since I need to eat/drink things other than just ice cream (oh, don't I wish that could be a full diet!), I have to keep looking for new things. Hence...

The Dole Shakers in Mixed Berry. The Shakers are cool in that you don't need to pull out a blender. (Very helpful if you don't own a blender to start with.) You simply add the juice of your choice--the label suggests apple, orange, or don't-listen-to-us-use-whatever-the-hell-you-want. All right, I made that last part up; they used the far less witty "or your favorite juice." But let's actually follow the instructions in "real time" and disregard my need to ignore authority (AKA I do not feel like repeating myself).

So, first you open the cap. Then you're supposed to shake or break up the contents before adding the juice. Inside the container you will find frozen yogurt pellets and red chunks that I assume are the fruit...that, or the yogurt has Ebola Zaire. Either way, it's not pretty to look at (not that this matters).

Now that things have been loosened up, in comes the juice. I used orange juice because it was what I had on hand. You are supposed to add enough juice to reach the handy-dandy little window in the cup (helpfully shown below).

Next up is the "vigorous shaking for 30-45 seconds."

LIARS! PANTS NOT ONLY ON FIRE, BUT HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE AND SHOULD BE BURIED DEEP BENEATH THE NEVADA DESERT FOR THE NEXT 75,000 YEARS! YES, CAPS LOCK AND MULTIPLE EXCLAMATION POINTS NECESSARY HERE, SO SHUDDUP!!!!!

All right, maybe that was a little harsh, but I am grumpy and the above instructions were an epic fail. You see, despite the pre-juice-addition break up, it took more than five full minutes of vigorous shaking to get things fully mixed. (Yes, I did time it.) A decent aerobic workout undoubtedly, but hardly what the instructions indicated. To be fair, I am willing to admit that maybe my smoothie had partially defrosted on the way home from the supermarket and thus turned into something a little more solid than intended upon being re-frozen at home. Entirely possible. But the recommended 30 to 45 seconds just didn't begin to cut it, and I suspect they wouldn't have in any case.

Eventually, after the aforementioned workout, it did thicken up/mix properly and was ready to be put into a glass for your viewing pleasure:

Looks kinda like pink faux-marble, doesn't it? Like that stuff they make bathroom countertops in Florida retirement communities out of, only in liquid form. In any case, the smell was pleasant--just like strawberry yogurt. And regardless of my complaints on the mixing time, I do have to give it points for being pretty darn close to the thickness of a real juice shop smoothie. It was a just a little thinner than a professionally made one...but that was a selling point for me, as I prefer a thinner smoothie anyway.

So how did it taste?

Well, I liked the tangy zing of the yogurt. What I wasn't loving was the berries. Maybe OJ wasn't the best choice to use for a mixed berry smoothie, but it was all I had on hand. (And the label did suggest it, so...) The OJ quickly became the strongest flavor and drowned out the berries until they were merely an aftertaste. Still okay, mind -- but not what I was expecting.

Honestly, this smoothie was better than what I was expecting, and I think that with a different juice it could have actually tasted like berries. I may retry it using a cranberry or cranberry juice blend just to test that theory. (If anyone out there has tried that, what did you think?)

Not bad overall. Just expect to do a lot more shaking than the label tells you.

PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$1.99

CALORIES:
100 calories for the contents alone; 190 calories for the contents plus 6.5 oz of orange juice.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Made on equipment shared with products containing eggs, wheat & soy.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
dole.com

Ben & Jerry's Rocky Road-ish (Limited Batch)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Sometimes I wonder if the Universe just likes to screw with me. Why must I be tortured with a flavor like this and have it be only a limited edition? I only have an apartment-sized freezer; there is only so much pint hoarding I can do. (Or, wait...maybe I could rent freezer space from my scary redneck neighbors. I'm sure there must be a little space in between the severed human heads or whatever it is they store in there...well, it's something to consider.) In any event, I am getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about the ice cream before I run off begging. Long-time readers will know what had sent me over the edge in a moment.

Rocky Road-ish is a toasted marshmallow ice cream, with a toasted marshmallow swirl and fudge covered almonds. (Insert fan girl screaming here.) Hey, my love of marshmallow is legendary! If marshmallow is placed in a product, I will go to the ends of the earth to hunt it down. So, as you might have guessed, that combination makes this flavor like my ultimate wet dream. It's like the frozen version of Julian McMahon showing up at my door wearing only a smile. (Ben & Jerry's was the only ice cream he was ever seen eating on Nip/Tuck.) Even though the character of Dr. Troy was a Cherry Garcia man, Julian is welcome to come and partake of my...okay, enough! This review is running off track, even for me. Just give me a minute and some fresh batteries and I will be right back...

*looks around sheepishly...*

Well, I feel better, where was I? Yeah, the ice cream. In what has become the least embarrassing admission in this review--once again, because of dental work recently done, crunchy/hard foods are off the menu--I could not actually partake in the fudge-covered almonds myself. I can tell you that in classic Ben & Jerry chunk form, they were pretty sizable. (Look people, I am already taking the high road by not making any jokes using the words; hard, mouth, nuts or sizable!) They range from pea-sized to what looked like half of an almond. I outsourced the tasting and was told that the fudge is chocolaty and sweet with that slight grainy texture, and the almonds themselves were very crunchy and fresh.

As for the parts I did try: My first suggestion is to do yourself a favor and leave this pint out of the freezer for five or ten minutes (or maybe do a super fast microwave) before eating. Having eaten more pints of this than I am going to admit to, I can tell you that this flavor is 100X more awesome when slightly melty. Once the texture gets soft, the pint almost becomes like the richest, creamiest soft-serve you have ever had. The flavor of the base is indeed toasty (um, duh! the word is in the flavor description twice for a reason). It reminded me of marshmallows just browned over a fire. It's more about the burnt sugar notes, but it is not overly strong or sweet.

The marshmallow swirl: In the past, I have said I would like to die in a vat of the caramel used in Americone Dream. Well, now I would like to revise that statement and die in a vat of the marshmallow swirl instead. If the ice cream tasted like marshmallows toasted on in open fire, the swirl is all about marshmallows just out of the bag. It's sweeter, and there is a nice mellow (mallow?) vanilla note wafting through. But what just cements it for me is that it is like liquid marshmallow. (Dare I to dream?) I know, from top view, it looks as if the swirl is merely a weird darker patch of ice cream--but as you dig into the pint, everything changes. Think of rich, flowing rivers of marshmallow, instead of, say, the sticky gooeyiness of marshmallow fluff or the spongy cloud of one from a freshly opened bag.

Here's the most important thing: This flavor really MUST MUST MUST go from being a limited edition to a full-time flavor...because my life may truly be meaningless otherwise. (Well, that is just kinda sad...)

Be sure to check out what other bloggers said:
The Impulsive Buy
On Second Scoop
And a blog that is new to me that I am really enjoying:
Ben & Jerry's Fanatic

PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$3.99

CALORIES:
250 Calories per 1/2 cup serving

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains nuts & tree nuts, kosher, awesome

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
benjerry.com

Dreyers/Edys Fruit Bars: Mango

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:32:00 +0000

I should probably admit up front that I have nothing but love for practically the entire line of Dreyers/Edy's Fruit Bars. They are additively refreshing and they are almost always my bedtime snack of choice.

Mango is the newest bar to join the family. Much like the strawberry, blueberry-açaí and the elusive (but irresistible) peach bar, the mango is made up of what I believe is frozen puree--rather than the flavors which are more like simple frozen juice (like the grape bar, etc).

The flavor of this bar is like that of a perfectly ripe mango. Sweet, with that vaguely pine-like flavor and none of that "green" taste that under-ripe fruit can have. The bar finishes with that slightly apricot/peachy aftertaste that seems to be found less when eating an actual ripe mango on its own, and more from products made with mango. I am not sure how much sense that last made--but it tastes good either way. I know a lot of people like to sprinkle a mixture of salt and chili powder on fresh mangos, and I don't see why that couldn't also be done to the bars. I personally don't really like mango that way, so I didn't experiment with it.

The texture of the bar starts melting in your mouth instantly. I know that must sound redundant, but the texture is velvety smooth to the point it reminds me of a chunk-free frozen smoothie. Unlike the juice bars, or even a kids style ice pop that stays reasonably solid as you eat it, these bars go just shy of actual liquid in your mouth. Again, it is one of the best treats on a hot day (or night).

I am even going to so far as to say this flavor is second only to the pineapple, it's just that good!

PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$3.99

CALORIES:
80 calories per bar

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Fat free, kosher, gluten free, does not contain nuts.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
dreyers.com

Extra Dessert Delights Apple Pie Gum

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:15:00 +0000

NOTE:
THIS REVIEW WAS ACTUALLY WRITTEN ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO. I JUST HAD NO PICTURES SO, I DIDN'T PUBLISH IT. I APOLOGIZE FOR LACK OF BETTER SHOTS, BUT LETS BE REAL-- GUM ALL PRETTY MUCH LOOKS ALIKE. AND SADLY, I CAN'T CHEW ANY FOR AT LEAST 3 MORE MONTHS.

If there is a flavor of gum you don't see all that much of, it is apple- and that is normally a good thing, because when you do find it, it tends to be sour apple flavored. And as much as I love an actual Granny Smith, I am not a huge fan of fake sour apple. What greatly adds to this gum's appeal (get it?--a PEEL?--yeah, I really haven't blogged in a while...) is that is a warm, sweet apple flavor. (And yes, I see that there are green apples pictured on the packaging.)

I mean, who doesn't like apple pie?

The stick has a mellow cinnamon halo that sits in back of the almost floral taste of the sweetened apple flavor. Extra even managed to get a taste that could almost be called "buttery" in there...almost. I know that all sounds weird taken separately, but as a whole it is actually pretty tasty.

My only real complaint is that the flavor fades fast. As in, under five minutes. This I do not understand, as Wrigley's produces other gums whose flavors lasts far beyond my desire to chew them, and yet this one practically sits in your mouth apologizing for coming (and going) so fast. Kind of reminds me of some dates I had back in the day. But never mind.

My only other issue--and it's a small one--is also for some odd reason the gum seems a bit tougher than most of the other Extra flavors. I was willing to blame poor storage/weird shipping, etc. on the first batch. But I am on pack number three, and they were all purchased from different retail outlets--in three different states, no less--so that leads me to think it's the gum itself. (Obviously, it is not so tough that the texture is keeping me away.)

A nice flavor for those times when you aren't in the mood for mint.

Be sure to check out these other reviews from:
The Impulsive Buy

&

Gum Alert
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

PRICE
$0.97

CALORIES:
5 Calories per stick

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains phenylalanine

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
extra.com

JELL-O Strawberry Sundae Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:22:00 +0000

So here I am again, poised over the old laptop with a pudding cup in my hand. The last one was kind of like a Gigi Scooby Snack. I did not have to be asked twice to scarf that puppy. But this one...

Part of it is that, honestly, I am not a huge fan of most things strawberry. But that's only part of it. The other part is that the top layer is color that I could see my eleven-year-old nephew loving simply because it resembles nothing in nature. Still I do like sundaes, and this flavor is supposed to have a bottom layer that tastes like strawberry ice cream, with the top layer like strawberry ice cream topping.

It's the top layer that is a lurid shade of pink most often found in lower budget nail polishes...and what I imagine it would look like if Barbie could bleed. This cup, much like on the S'more cup, also features different textures in the different layers. In this case the top layer is very fluid--like ice cream topping can be. It's very smooth, and texture-wise I liked it.

Flavorwise, it has that super-exaggerated strawberry flavor that kids seem to love. I got through it, but it reminded me of kids' vitamins (I did in fact have strawberry-shaped vitamins as a child, and this made me think of them. So if nothing else it gets a nostalgia point.)

The bottom layer is a paler (and less terrifying) pink shade that does in fact resemble strawberry ice cream. The texture was super thick and smooth. Also, the flavor was much, much closer to real strawberry. I know it is supposed to be like strawberry ice cream, but it reminded me more of strawberry yogurt, though without the yogurty tang. On its own it was actually pretty tasty.

So what happens when you mix the two layers? Like a speech I twice got from my parents, sometimes people (or foods in this case) can still love each other, but they just can't live together anymore. Seriously, I could see kids knocking each other down to get to these cups. Me...not so much. I couldn't get over that super strong first layer. I think it completely overpowers the "ice cream" layer. Which is too bad, because I ended up loving the texture of that layer, and I even got to like the flavor the more I ate. It's just together...well, as I said, not so much.

Granted, this flavor really is geared more towards kids, and maybe I am just too old of a cranky cat lady to appreciate it. But I will be sticking with the S'mores.

Be sure to check our Marvo's reviews at:
The Impulsive Buy

PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

CALORIES:
110 Calories per cup

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
kraftbrands.com

JELL-O S'more Pudding Snack

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:21:00 +0000

I may have said this a million times or two, but there will never be enough products with marshmallow in this world for me. I love everything about them. I love them "raw" (a.k.a just out of the bag), I love them roasted, and I especially love them burned to a post-eruption lava like crisp.

When the kind folks at JELL-O offered to let me try a pudding with marshmallow, I just about erupted myself. And just in case the FTC is reading this--while yes, I did get this pudding for free, I am not so shallow as to allow myself to be bribed by things with free marshmallows in them. It takes slightly more than that buy my allegiance. (Note to people who may want to bribe me: I only said SLIGHTLY more than that.) So why do I have the feeling that now the FTC is going to sic their own version of Men in Black on me? Anyway, on to the review...

The JELL-O S'more pudding cup consists of two layers. The bottom portion is a chocolate flavored with graham cracker, and the top is marshmallow flavored. The two layers are also differently textured.

The marshmallow layer: OH EM GEE! First, I love that they made this layer with the "mousse" texture, à la the Temptations line. Yes, I love that entire line...and having a marshmallow version only makes it better. The flavor is close to that of a toasted marshmallow. It seemed a little malty to me (but I liked that). Here's what's kinda odd, though: even though the graham crackers are in the chocolate layer, you can actually taste them more in the marshmallow layer. Go figure, huh? But it was still a very nice flavor, so that's not a complaint. As far as I am concerned, I could skip the chocolate and just have an entire cup (or vat) of this.

But there is still that chocolate graham layer waiting below for me, like a sea of dense, dark water--you know that sounds kind of scary--like a bad Shark Week trailer--oh, wait! Let's run with that! Maybe we can somehow work in a cross-promo with the Discovery Channel, where I talk about sharks while reviewing the pudding by eating it off of...oops, duh, I meant eating it with, yes with, Mike Rowe. Silly readers, how dare you think I had my mind in the gutter! Granted, I am mayor of the gutter, but I hardly see where that matters. We are supposed to be talking about pudding here, right? And sadly, it is Mike Rowe-free pudding. What did you say? Okay, fine, have it your way, I will get back to work on this review. Sheesh.

So, before my mind took its perv detour, we were starting to talk about the chocolate layer. And so we shall.

Unlike its best friend the marshmallow layer, which is mousse textured, the chocolate layer is the classic smooth and creamy style of pudding. On its own the chocolate seems to be not quite as infused with graham cracker flavor as the marshmallow layer, but you can tell it's there. I actually think it works better that the chocolate is the stronger flavor in this layer. It keeps things from being too sweet, and I like the contrast in textures. That said, I do think it would have been even better to have a layer of actual graham cracker crumbs in the cup. That would have been pretty tasty.

Now that I have talked about the layers separate, how are they together?

I have no idea how this is even possible, but the layers together reminded me more of a rum ball then of a S'more. I doubt kids would ever pick that up, but it may be an extra selling point for the grown ups (and right now the JELL-O people are probably wondering why the hell they ever let me near a sample). It's a delicious combo either way. And again, I would love to see the marshmallow layer get its own dedicated cup.

Also check out reviews by:
The Impulsive Buy
Foodette Reviews

PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

CALORIES:
110 Calories per cup

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
kraftbrands.com

I'm BAAAAAACK!!! and programming notes.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:41:00 +0000

First, a million thank you's to everyone.

To those of you who helped with the burial of my father -- you will never know how much it was appreciated and how much it helped. To those of you who sent well wishes, again I will never be able to say thank you enough. And to those of you who were patient with me...again, thank you.

Some day I might go into why it has taken me so long to get back in the saddle. But I can't take another depressing post right now, and I am sure you guys probably feel the same.

My current plan for the new schedule is going to be new reviews on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I may start picking up the slack and doing more, but I at least wanted to have some sort of plan.

Also for the next few months, other than some reviews that I had started months ago and have just recently done my best to finish, there is going to be a ton of soft food. I had to have emergency oral surgery last month, and I am still on soft foods only for a few more months. I had actually planned to do all of this great stuff when I was New York City in mid February. Instead, I spent the entire trip sick in bed. And that's not even to mention I have pretty much every pack of gum released in the last six months, and I can't touch it. SOOO unfair! I figured, however, that soft food items still leaves us a pretty wide arena, so it should be interesting.

I am also going to work on the enormous backlog of comments and emails. And I will be tweeting and re-tweeting other bloggers' great reviews.

Something new I that am starting--completely unrelated to food--is a nail art blog. Nail art is one of my favorite things. I am still learning all the terms, but hey- there will be pretty pictures! I will tweet when it goes live, but it is called Gigi Nails It.

Again, thank you and it's good to be back.

Thank you all!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:27:00 +0000

Once more, I want to tell everyone how much your support has meant to me. I have gotten more comments and emails than I may ever get to respond to, though I promise I will do my best. Some of you have even been so generous as to help with the funeral fund raising. Mere words cannot express my gratitude.

I will never be able to thank you all enough, but please know that I think about it all the time.

Your humble blogger,

Gigi

R.I.P. Gigi's Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:24:00 +0000

I know it has been a long time since last post. As my last few entries have stated, we were nearly at the end of my father's life -- and to be blunt, I just didn't have it in me to write about chocolaty goodness. Hell, I haven't even been up to moderating comments (which are all still waiting for me, and I promise they will be published eventually).

I am still somewhat in shock that I even have to type these words, but my father passed away on June 24th at the age of 65.

I really wish I could tell you that in the couple of months while he was in the hospital leading up to his death, that we had some major breakthrough in our relationship, or that I at least got some window of understanding into the reasons he did the things he did. But that didn't happen, so I can't. I probably don't even have the right to feel the numbness and surprise that he has actually died. After all, we've known that this day was coming since his first night in the hospital when we found out how far things had already gone.

What I can tell you is that even when you know it's coming; even if you were so mad at the person that, had they been in good health, you would have killed them yourself for what they had put you through; even when you know that death was a mercy because the suffering was far crueler than what was deserved -- it still socks you in the gut.

And in his case death was a mercy. No one, his doctors especially, have any idea how he lived with the sheer amount of cancer he had for as long as he did, and without pain medications at that. But by the last week of his life, he would have sucked morphine out of the bag with a straw if they'd have let him. And no one, regardless of their age, should have one of the last memories of their father's voice be his literal screams of pain as he begs for someone, anyone, to help him because he can't take it any more. I know he is no longer in pain and I am glad for that. I hope that I can someday say the same for my siblings and I.

In some ways it is almost easier to hold on to the anger that became the main feeling I had towards him over the last year. Anger for things he had done in the past. Anger for the way we were treated, and for the way he treated himself. Maybe even anger that there was no Hallmark-like deathbed moment. That feeling was the main one that resonated with both us and him. He was mad at us for making him go to the hospital. In denial to the very end, he swore until his final day that if he could just go back home, if we would just stop getting in his way, he'd be able to get his strength back and be fine again. That he would have been puttering around his apartment chain smoking, watching his conspiracy TV shows, and bitching about the neighbors whose cooking odors always wafted into his apartment and irritated the hell out of him. And we were angry in turn, because all we were trying to do was take care of him and he wouldn't let us. And that back in the days when he was in better shape, before the cancer went supernova and invaded his entire body, it seemed as if we weren't important enough to him to stay healthy for.

Maybe it's also because there were no last I love yous, there were no parting hugs, and because no one really knew how to say it, no goodbyes. But then again, that's how he always was. He was an emotionally remote man, mostly unapproachable, both in life...and in death.

The day he died he'd had a really bad time of it. It had gotten to where we had to decide how medicated to keep him (answer being, make sure he is not in pain even if it meant staying "asleep"), but he kept waking up. His nurses would hold his hand when my sister could not be present to do it herself. And at some point in the early evening, he went to sleep for what would be the last time. At around 11:30 PM the hospital called to tell us he had stopped breathing. By the time my sister arrived, just minutes later, he was gone.

Even though we'd all known that phone call was inevitable, and even though we knew it really was for the best, it still hurt -- and it still has altered the rest of our lives. He will never see my brother get married, he will never see his only grandson grow up, nor will he know any other grandchildren that may eventually come to be. He won't be there to make his chestnut stuffing at Thanksgiving, nor even to just drive us all insane with his wacky (but firmly believed and endlessly repeated) conspiracy theories.

He may have been a lot of things, both for good and for bad, but he will always be the one who let me watch Star Trek for the first time (for which my mother stills holds a grudge). He took my brother to his first baseball game, and he spent hours watching Disney cartoons with my sister. And no matter how old you are, or how far you think you have moved on, how do you ever really move away from those moments? You don't.

I would further like to tell you that he has at least had a nice service and has been laid to rest. Except there has been no service, and he has not been laid to rest.

Unfortunately, his three adult children were basically supporting him financially, and he hadn't put anything away for when this day would come. But the three of us live from check to check, and everything extra that we had is long gone, having been paid towards his medical care. Funeral services -- even absolute bare bones, pardon the pun -- are incredibly expensive. If you have ever seen a local family doing a car wash or other fundraising for one, I completely understand why, because that is pretty much what we are having to do now. My father died penniless and deeply in debt, with no cash, no savings, no property, and no insurance.

My sister has worked tirelessly since his death, and has singlehandedly raised roughly half the cost via various Catholic church groups and organizations. But we are still nowhere near being able to lay him to rest. I normally would not have a Paypal button on the site, as I think the cost of my vittle reviews are mine and mine alone. But I am putting pride aside now. If anyone out there would like to help and is able to donate even so much as a penny, we would all be eternally grateful. I hate to resort to begging, but anything that can be sold has been sold, and every other stone has been turned...hell, even the sofa cushions have been overturned (and have yielded only cat fuzz). You are thanked for even reading this, and I swear we WILL get back to food reviews one of these days.

Thank you again for bearing with me all this time.

Thank you all! And an update...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:45:00 +0000

I know it has been a really long time since my last post, and I wanted to apologize for that yet again.

But more importantly, I wanted to thank the many of you who have left comments wishing well to both me and my father. It truly means a lot and the fact that you guys took time out of your own lives to take concern for mine is important to me, and I do not want anyone to think I have taken it for granted.

It looks like we are in the home stretch of my father's illness. Cancer is not exactly known for playing fair. But in his case, it gave him more than ample warning before it decided to just take over. That may sound harsh -- but the sad truth is that what he has now started out as localized bladder cancer; which, if you must get a type of cancer at all, is one of the better ones to get. I say "better" only because in most cases it is extremely slow-growing and non-aggressive. (Please keep in mind that I am NOT a doctor; I am merely repeating what has been explained to me. So don't take my word as gospel on this. If you have any questions regarding that matter, or any health matter -- you should take them to your doctor and heed actual medical advice and not mine).

The oncologists have estimated that my father has been living with this for perhaps as long as 25 years -- which is absolutely staggering to everyone who has examined his case. The main tumor has grown so large, and is taking up so much of his abdominal cavity, that it has literally crushed his kidneys to the point they can no longer function on their own. It has also spread to multiple organs and the lymph nodes. Moreover, it didn't just "sneak up" on him without warning, as some cancers are known to do. He has had symptoms since at least 1987.

Yes, you read that correctly. 1987.

How has he lived with the pain all this time? I couldn't tell you. Don't think that the rest of us sat passively by all that time, either. He was urged to see a specialist for decades -- and not only by family, but several GP's have also told him over the years to seek out further testing and treatment. But he refused to go. Why? I have no idea. He wouldn't tell us why then, and he still won't tell us now. So sadly, the moral of the story is that an ounce of prevention -- for which he had a very, very long period of opportunity -- would have kept him from dying the way he is going to, and at the young age (by modern standards) of 65.

I would be lying if I told you there's not anger on the part of my siblings and I. It hurts that we were not enough to make him want to stay healthy back when he had the chance. The things we have had to do and the choices we have had to make on his behalf have not been easy ones. And at times during the last month, he has made a point of telling us he was mad at us, he has blamed us for his being in the bed he is lying in because we forced the issue and sent him to the hospital. We hope that these statements are mostly out of his understandable fears -- but knowing him, the answer is "who the hell knows?" We all know that sometimes it is easier to blame others than to admit you screwed up. He insists that had it not been for us, he would still be at home, same as always -- when in reality he would have died from kidney failure somewhere around the first week of May had we not physically forced him to go to the hospital. (In fact, when he was admitted, his blood was so toxic that the doctors warned us he might die within hours, even with the emergency treatment they were giving him.) And all things considered, looking at what he is having to go through now, we do sometimes lie awake at night asking ourselves if we did the right thing.

I wish I had gotten to spend the past months as I have for the past few years -- blissfully reviewing the various goodies I love and sneaking in snarky comments about how hot Ryan Reynolds' abs are. Instead, I have spent the time learning first hand how screwed up the medical system is when it comes to being the family of the patient. From plenty of personal experience I already know the ins and outs from the patient's side -- and let me tell you, I far prefer being the patient and being in control of the situation, or should it call for my advance directive determining my shots. Anyone who has also been there can tell you it is an exhausting, seemingly never-ending fight with insurance companies, hospital administration, keeping the independent hospice agents who roam the hospital corridors off your back, and yes, even the hospital staff themselves sometimes.

There are a lot of wonderful, caring Doctors, RNs, LVNs and other support staff members out there, and he has been lucky to have them taking care of him. There are also some who you have to ask yourself why they ever chose medicine in the first place (money, no doubt). I could tell you enough horror stories from the past month alone to keep us here another month -- at least.

I wish I could tell you guys that this will at least end in some sort of closure for him and for us. And I think if I could tell you that it would probably give the story more of a bad made-for-basic-cable movie feel -- but that wouldn't be true. In the end, because of the nature of my father's personality, we are going to be left with more questions than answers.

I am not going to end this post with some sappy urgings to go tell a relative or a friend how much you love them, or to go randomly hug people. There are enough other blogs out in the world you can get that from -- and that's just not me. Glurge has never been one of my strengths.

But I will tell you that I cannot stress enough how important it is for the sake of those you love, or if you just have strong beliefs on what you want done in the event of a serious medical condition. So many things, even horrible things like cancer, have so many more options the sooner they are caught. And in the event of a serious situation, one of the best tools to have on your side (besides a good doctor) is an advance directive or a living will (and heads-up, fellow Californians -- you can fill out an advance directive form for free. All you need are two witnesses who are not related to you, nor are your caregivers, to watch you sign the form) or again, depending on your personal situation, maybe granting power of attorney to someone. These documents map out whatever it is that YOU want done during a time when you may no longer be able to make those decisions. Without something in place, your family or partner or whomever, even if they know your wishes may not legally be allowed to speak for you. In those cases, it is up to whatever your state's protocol/laws dictate happens to you. From someone who is going through the end of a parent's life with no very little say in anything because he had nothing in place, I think that one of the kindest last things you can leave your loved ones with is the knowledge that your last wishes -- even if they did not agree with them -- are being fulfilled. Please don't make them go through the process of having to watch you go endure things they know you didn't want -- or worse, be asked to make the choice as to whether you live or die (unless, of course, they are the power of attorney; in which case they have agreed to take those choices on). I am probably doing a horrible job of putting this experience into words, but if this makes sense to just one person and they take my advice to heart and it helps their loved ones when the time comes, then I will feel like something good came out of this.

Once again, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, and I vow that there will come reviews once again.

Xo,
Gigi

Sorry for the hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 06 May 2011 10:53:00 +0000

Guys, I know it has been forever since my last review. And I want to say that yes, I will be back in the saddle eventually. Unfortunately my health has not been the best lately, and food has been the last thing on my mind.

But sadly, it is going to be a bit longer before anything goes up. I can't believe that I am even having to type this out...but I am not the only one in the family with health problems. My father is in the hospital. He is terminally ill and very close to the end of his life. So needless to say, I will be out of the loop for a while yet.

In the meantime, please check out the Tasty Links section for a list of blogs that will keep you drooling.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

Jala Vanilla Pomegranate Swirl Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:45:00 +0000

I happen to really like yogurt. I like most styles, I like it in smoothies or those yogurt drinks, and it goes without saying that I like it frozen. So, being the spoiled brat that I am, my mother -- knowing that I like both vanilla frozen yogurt and pomegranate -- got me this box of bars.

I have never seen Jala local to me at home (as I write this I am in Atlanta), but according to their website, each bar has only 110 calories, contains antioxidants and probiotics, is low fat and might make me less grouchy... OK, it doesn't claim that last part, but my mother was hoping.

Anyway, so I have this rather generously sized bar in front of me (I am kind of a size queen with my frozen goodies) and so far, so good. It's a snowy white and the pomegranate swirl in the center adds a nice esthetic touch. I let it soften a bit before trying it.

And, well...honestly, I was kinda underwhelmed. It's not that the bar tasted bad -- it's just that it really didn't taste of much at all. It was as if I tried really really hard, I could kinda maybe sorta pick up a hint of vanilla, but the main flavor was simply "cold." The pomegranate swirl was somewhat pleasant, but it tasted more like pom-flavored syrup than the actual fruit -- and looking at the ingredient list for the swirl confirmed that pom-flavored syrup is pretty much what it was.

The texture was reasonably smooth but a little grainy. But that seems to be the typical way of the yogurt bar, so I would place the Jala bar at about average on texture.

I really wanted to like the bar, and it's not that I disliked it -- I just felt like I'd eaten 110 calories of "cold air" flavored stuff. But I would love to give their Lemon Sweet Tea Swirl flavor a go, so I will defiantly be giving Jala a second chance. This one, however, was a big disappointment.

PURCHASED FROM:
Found in my mother's freezer, where it will probably remain.

CALORIES:
110 calories per bar

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains milk and soy. Processed in a facility that uses tree nuts & peanuts.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
jalabars.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 02:42:00 +0000

Snickers: Peanut Butter Squared

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:51:00 +0000

This is one of those cases where I have been woefully slow on the uptake getting to my review. I've been dying to try these since Cybele got the first scoop on them on Candy Blog back in July, and once I heard they could be found "in the wild" I proceeded to drive my mother insane scouring every store we went to for weeks until they showed up at CVS.

And I don't normally do this, but I love the commercial for them so much I have to share it:

I will grant you it is completely possible that some of my glee with that ad comes from the fact that I have a close family member named Steve, and it is safe to say there have been occasions when feeding each other to sharks sounded like a good idea.

Snickers Peanut Butter Squared comes in both the "fun size" bags and the bar version. I got my hand on a bar. In a departure from the normal single bar, the Peanut Butter Squared is broken up into two generously sized squares. I like it; it's cute, and if I feel like sharing or saving the second piece, this makes it super easy. I realize I could achieve the same thing by just getting the "fun size" bag to start with -- but admittedly if it is something that I end up really liking, I find it harder to control my personal portion because it makes it so easy to tell yourself "just one more..."

The bar is enrobed in the classic Snickers milk chocolate. Let's face it -- if you have ever had a single American Mars candy bar, you have had the smooth, slightly sweet milk chocolate that's on this bar. There's nothing even remotely noteworthy about it.

What makes this bar different is everything else. It has a much thinner layer of nougat. That's my favorite part of the classic bar, but then again, they had to make room for the peanut butter somewhere.

The peanut butter takes up the bulk of the filling. It's a smooth, creamy style peanut butter. There's not much to say about it except that it's on the salty side. I couldn't tell if that was from the peanut butter itself or the actual peanuts in the bar.

Speaking of the peanuts, while they were crunchy and fresh, there didn't seem to be as many of them as there are in a comparable portion of a normal Snickers. The caramel is also nothing to write home about. It's not bad; it's just the same stuff that's found on all the other Snickers.

In the end it's tasty, and I like it enough to scarf it down, but I really missed the nougat layer. It's certainly not my favorite variation of the Snickers bar. (I think that would be the Almond Snickers, although Snickers Dark is up there too).

Rod also reviewed it, so check out his opinion here.

PURCHASED FROM:
CVS

PRICE:
$1.69

CALORIES:
250 Calories per pack (2 squares)

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains peanuts and soy. May contain almonds.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
snickers.com

365: Cherry Vanilla Creme Soda

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:23:00 +0000

I admit that I tend to not go too far off the mainstream, well-beaten path for soda that I drink in my normal day to day life. This is mostly because, apart from review purposes, I just don't drink much soda to start with -- and when I do, I have two staples that I prefer not to stray from.

That said, I occasionally like a little variety tossed in. And when I can actually get to a Whole Foods, I really like this particular soda.

365 is Whole Foods' house brand, and they make pretty much everything you can think of. I first tried the Cherry Vanilla Creme because I was hoping that it would taste like the Hansen's Cherry Vanilla Creme soda. There are very few companies out there that are on my banned list and sadly, Hansen's is one of them. But I will be honest here: I really liked and still miss drinking their Cherry Vanilla Creme. I realize that Whole Foods does not actually produce the soda themselves, and that Hansen's very well could be making this product for them under contract, but really...there is only so far I can go, and dammit, I want my freaking soda!

Okay, before I start to sound too much like Charlie Sheen, how did the soda actually taste?

Really good, actually! The balance is heavy on the cherry side, with the vanilla rounding out the aftertaste. The cherry tastes sort of like a cross between maraschino cherries and a Luden's cough drop -- but the vanilla keeps it from picking up that medicinal aftertaste that cherry flavored items lean towards.

The vanilla really is more of an aftertaste then a full partner. But I think that works well in this case. I am a fan of cream (or "creme") soda in general, so it is kind of hard for vanilla to go wrong for me. I wouldn't mind if the vanilla were stronger, but it is so good that I am happy with it just as is.

The carbonation is on the low side. But we all know I prefer my soda gently bubbly (which sounds prettier than saying "flat"), so again, this is a selling point for me.

And the extra cherry on top of everything else is that the drink is sweetened with real cane sugar! Yes, this does push it into the realm of full-calorie soda (I am a diet soda drinker as a rule) but if you are going to go with full-calorie soda, real sugar is the way! It manages to be sweet but not too sweet -- and because it's real sugar, there is no cloying HFCS aftertaste.

I love this soda. I even like the spare look of the can. It's plain and clean, it's not flashy, and it doesn't need to be because the insides are so good!

One of my favorite soda treats. If there's a Whole Foods near you, do not miss this one.

PURCHASED FROM:
Whole Foods

PRICE:
$2.99 a six pack

CALORIES:
180 calories per can (12 fluid ounces)

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Sodium free, caffeine free, preservative free, real cane sugar!

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
wholefoodsmarket.com