Sometimes Foodie

Ranting & Retail Therapy - Halloween Clearance 2023

2023-11-03T07:30:00.083-04:00

I trick-or-treated-myself to clearance candy. A LOT of clearance candy. Even by my standards.

Originally I wanted to find some pillows and décor, but it was slim pickin's. That's what you get when Christmas items roll out on October 1st. (RIP Thanksgiving, you're problematic, but I love your food.)

Upon reflection, Christmas isn't to blame. (Although I will make angry Instagram Reels about winter products encroaching upon my spooky season.) No matter what seasonal-flavor you subscribe to, it's all the same consumerism, and our consumer-clock is completely out of whack.

Back to school sales were popping up as early as June, when some kids were still in school. Halloween was rolling out in July. Christmas by the end of September. Forget Daylight Savings, this is what needs adjusting! Sticking with a Christmas metaphor, we're opening our gifts too early. By the time the actual event rolls around, we're celebration-fatigued and the magic is gone.

How do we get it back? At some point, will we skew so far that we loop back into appropriate seasonal time frames? Like when something is so lame it's cool? Probably not. And I definitely can't control when the Pumpkin Spice Lattes or Mariah Carey anthems hit the masses.

Spotting skeletons on shelves in July is bittersweet. I'm spooky-season through-and-through but I also love summer, and if I want the "good" Halloween stuff, I need to grab it before the end of August or I'll have nothing come October! The justified fear of missing out because I didn't conform to accelerated consumption stops me from attempting a more appropriate self-imposed timeline.

I am but one little blogger in a sea of nonsense on the internet, and I am screaming into the void, "let us savor our seasons!" But I don't know how to make it stop.

Dramatics aside...here's what I bought on the clearance racks this year.

Nearly all of the candy is from Walmart, where it was 50% off the day after Halloween, but there is some Target sprinkled in there as well. (Which was only 30% off.)

Fruity Candy: I grabbed another bag of the Favorite Day Gumballs that I loved. (Highly recommend getting these!) And I got 3 of the same fruity variety bag from Walmart. I also grabbed another Cotton Candy flight to bring with me to Thanksgiving, and a big pack of Skittles and Starbursts for 50% off for absolutely no reason at all. At that point I was a woman posessed by sugar.

The fruity variety bags contain: Chewy SweeTarts, Laffy Taffy, Mini Gummi Bears, and Big Chewy Nerds. I love using Laffy Taffy as a little bonus gift for my Etsy Shop orders, so I scoop it up whenever I can. Plus, you don't see Chewy SweeTarts too often, which are vastly superior to classic SweeTarts, so that was a bonus for me. The other two items I could probably do without. Normally I am a gummi bear fan, but the lack of strawberry or lime in the mini Black Forest variation leaves me wanting, and the Big Chewy Nerds are just okay in my book. I prefer classic Nerds in boxes.

Chocolate Candy: This is where I went off the deep end. My rationale is that I plan on using a lot of this in my Christmas baking and cookie boxes this year. Here's what I got...

2 Variety Bags of: Reese's, Kit-Kat, Heath Bars and Whoppers - the latter two are great additions to chocolate chip cookies! Which is what I mainly plan on using them for. The Kit-Kat bars I'm pretty meh about. Classic Kit-Kat has gone downhill, maybe I'll find a way to use it in my baking as well. As for Reese's, they're top tier. What I don't devour, could possibly end up in fudge or in peanut butter cookies come Christmas.

A Mid-size Variety bag of: Reese's Pumpkins, Hershey's Bars, Classic Reese's, Kit-Kat, and Almond Joy. Half the bag are repeats of the other mix. Hershey's bars make for good baking fodder, and the Almond Joys? They're going right in my mouth. Coconut in general deserves a lot more love!

A Jumbo Variety Bag with: Reese's Pumpkins, Kit-Kat Bars, Reese's Miniatures, Hershey Bars, Rolos, and Whoppers. Again, a lot of repeats, but mainly of winners. Kit-Kat is the only meh item in the bag for me.

Then I got stand alone bags of 100 Grand and Butterfingers for my personal snacking. (Love them!) And two bags of Milk Chocolate Dove Promises in the shape of pumpkins. More chopped up cookie additions!

Cereals: Halloween cereal was also on sale, so I grabbed a few boxes. I grabbed two that I know I like, which was the Chocolate Lucky Charms and Halloween Crunch, but I did take a risk and get Carmella Creeper.

She's a pretty big deal. The first female monster to be added to the line-up! Sadly, I'm not in love with her character design and I'm pretty sure I'm going to hate her cereal. It's caramel apple flavored, and bright green. Green apple is my least favorite flavor, so I was going to skip this one but I can't resist a clearance box.

As for the design, she's cute, very Monster-High-looking, but she doesn't fit in with the other characters. The core trio are very cartoony, simplistic, and they each have a unique shape. (Count is very angular, Boo is rounded and blobby, Frank is big and square...) Carmella is very humanoid, and her outfit has a lot of textures and details. Plus she has like, a job? She's a DJ? None of the other monsters have an obvious hobby or a job. An easy fix would be for everyone's box to have a music-themed design this year. Imagine Frank in a furry light pink bucket hat with thick gold chains and sunglasses. Or the Count going all Elvis. That would tie in with the musical Monster Mash branding and help Carmella fit in. It doesn't have to be canon forever, just a one-off. Stay tuned for when I crack into this and see if all my hesitation was warranted!

I got some seasonal swag for my fur-children too. There is a tombstone scratcher for my girls, along with some Halloween themed mice, and a bunch of dog treats for the boys. We already cracked into them and survey says...the Boo Bars are a no-go. They smell like cinnamon graham crackers to me, but neither pup will touch them. Bummer. The Greenies are a winner, but inside the pumpkin package they're just normal greenies.

The only non-food or pet items I purchased were this stack of Mugs from Walmart (which I broke my "no more mugs"-rule for), and these two décor items from Target. I actually bought two of the bat lanterns whole price earlier this season, so I happily scooped up a third for 50% off (even though it is slightly damaged), and I got a third Jack-o-lantern light. I grabbed two of these last year and they're really stinking cute. I just wish it was remote operated instead of a switch.

Did you buy any clearance goodies? If so, what was your best find? And how do you think we can fix our consumerist clock? 'Cause I'm stumped.

Fans of this would also like: Last Year's Haul

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A River of Candy Corn Runs Through It - Fall Festival Candy Corn

2023-10-31T07:30:00.029-04:00

Happy Halloween! What better way to wrap things up than with some novelty candy corn!
Brach's Fall Festival Candy Corn has 6 distinct flavors:

Kettle Corn - White top, yellow bottom - pretty sure I've seen this exact flavor in the same coloring in another Brach's Mix. It's fondant-y sweet, with a savory artificial butter flavoring. The slightly salty and tangy artificial butter actually helps to cut through the ultra-sweetness of the candy corn, making this...enjoyable? I'm a bit shocked. I normally hate popcorn flavored sweets, like the Jelly Belly bean, but this is actually quite nice. I could see it fitting in nicely with a popcorn snack mix.
Caramel Apple - red top, caramel-colored bottom - another familiar color combination, and I'm pretty sure I've had this flavor in candy-corn-form before, but I can't remember it. Taste-wise, it's ultra sweet, has a slightly realistic apple cider flavoring, with a caramel-chaser. I am not a fan of apple flavored sweets, so I found this one to be really cloying, but if you really love apple cider and apple juice, you'd probably be into it. At least, more into it than normal candy corn.

Cotton Candy -light blue top, light pink bottom - Cotton candy is one of my favorites, so I was really looking forward to this one, but it's just kind of okay. It's sweet, like all candy corn, but the burnt sugar notes don't really come through until the very end. Like an aftertaste. Before that it's mainly just sweetness. If you savor it the flavoring shines through a bit better. I don't love it as much as I thought I would, but I do like it a lot. (Plus it's so cute!)

Baby-Werewolf Break! For some reason my not-so-little-anymore Zelda kept hopping into the photo set-up to swat at my arrangements. (She's actually named after Aunt Zelda from Sabrina the Teenage Witch!) It was so cute I had to include it. Okay, back to blogging...
Lemonade Shake Up - pale yellow top, pale pink bottom - Again, ultra sweet, but lemon-y. It kind of reminds me of the center of a Lemonhead. It's very mildly citrusy, but it's a nice change of pace from the rest of the bag and a fairly distinct flavor.
Strawberry Funnel Cake - tan top, pale pink bottom - I've had strawberry funnels cakes, which is just normal funnel cake with a scoop of canned strawberry pie filling on top, but I don't think they're all that common. Or, fall-specific, so I found this flavor to be the biggest stretch in terms of theme. I also think I might have seen this flavor/color combo in another brunch or donut themed candy corn mix in the past. (But I don't feel like digging through my log to double check.) The baked good flavoring they're going for leans candle-y and reminds me of a scented knock-off Play-dough I had as a kid. It's got a really fake baked-good flavoring that is followed by a creamy artificial strawberry. Think Nesquik. Whatever they used to execute this left my mouth watering, in a bad way. This one is easily the most artificial and grossest one in the bunch.

Lemon-Lime Snowcone - white-ish top, light green bottom - Another stretch for me in terms of theme. (When it comes to Snowcones, it's rainbow or GTFO.) I don't think I've ever had a lemon-lime flavored cone, BUT I do love citrus flavors, so I'm not disappointed. This one is another mild take. You get the sugary sweetness of candy corn, and just a subtle touch of lime more-so than lemon. It makes me think of sherbet, but like, really sweet sherbet. It might not be on-theme, but I'll take it!
This mix is fun, and there are some stand outs, like Kettle Corn, but it might take me until next Halloween to get through it. That said, it's still a fun novelty and one of the better mixes of themed candy corn I can remember reviewing. If you happen to be scoping out the clearance racks today and tomorrow and stumble upon it, I'd say it's worth trying at least once. I hope you all have a SPOOK-TACULAR Halloween!

FYI: I pulled today's post-title from one of my favorite episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, season 2's Halloween episode. (It's currently on Hulu if you're looking for something to watch today.)
I'm going to try and keep the posting momentum going for a bit longer, I have plenty of fall stuff I can keep writing up, so let's see how long I can keep the posts going!

Fans of this would also like these other Candy Corn Varieties: Nerds, Caramel Macchiato, Apple Pie, or Brunch!

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Trick or Treat: Favorite Day Filled Gumballs

2023-10-30T07:30:00.004-04:00

Normally I try to go in and write these with a first-taste experience, but I cracked into these the second I bought them, they're great! Probably my favorite Favorite Day product I've ever had.
You get three flavors, and each have a unique filling.

Banana - a smooth, glossy, yellow gumball with a pinkish-red gel filling.
Probably the most divisive flavor, since consumers have a love/hate relationship with artificial banana, but I'm really into it! It's tangier than I expected to start, which makes it feel a little under ripe and unique, but it has a classic Runts-like finish. For a gumball the size of a dime, it has a decent amount of flavor! I'm impressed. After a minute, it's a shadow of it's former self, BUT the texture is still really satisfying. There's a nice snap and it makes small bubbles well, but it's also the kind of gum where if your bubble gets too big, and bursts, it'll definitely stick and make for a messy clean-up.

Citrus - a textured bright green gumball with a white tennis-ball stripe and a yellow-colored gel filling.
The Tennis-ball look is something that I both really enjoy, and find confusing. As a tiny tennis ball, it looks adorable. But in a bag where banana is a smooth classic yellow gumball, and the watermelon looks like a watermelon...why is this a tennis-ball?
A thicker gumball-layer to this one, which gives it a tougher bite and a bit more chew. I like the textural difference and it adds to the variety of the bag. Although it starts out tangy and a little tart from the yellow-lemon-lime flavored gel, kind of like the outer coating of a Lemonhead, it mellows out faster than the banana. It goes from bright and tangy to a very sweet, but flat, Sprite. I also felt like this flavor faded a bit faster and it's less bubble friendly, but more snappy.

Watermelon - a green gumball with dark green stripes, filled with pink flavored sugar crystals.
I assumed this would be gel like the others, but these sugar crystals are unlike any other gumball filling I've ever had. At first I couldn't figure out what was going on, there was some crunchiness, a burst of artificial watermelon, and it made me wonder if there was like, a honey-comb style filling of some kind. But it's actually a fine, pink, sanding-sugar. I've had seedlings before, which had tiny seed-like sprinkles inside fruit-shaped candies, and those are great, but this was better. The sugar gives starts out crispy and crunchy, but dissolves quickly into a tangy, artificial, watermelon flavor. Think Trolli sour watermelon slices, but less sour. The flavor is great, but the texture is what kept bringing me back for more. I really loved all three flavors, but this is my #1 of the bag.
Although I haven't tried all of the Favorite Day Halloween candy offerings, I feel pretty confident declaring this to be the best one. Perfect portioned sizes, distinct flavors, great texture, they certainly blow the candy bars out of the water.

If you happen to be scooping up last minute candy for Trick-or-Treaters, I highly recommend these gumballs. (I think they're pretty allergy-friendly too! No nuts, no gluten, no dairy!) I think I will try and grab a second bag just for myself!

Fans of this would also like: Pumpkin Spice Gum, Jelly Bean Gum, or Hubba Bubba Hot Cocoa Gum

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Trick of Treat - Minecraft Edition: Suspicious Stew Pringles

2023-10-29T17:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's not-really-Halloween-but-kind-of-Trick-or-Treat-adjacent theme continues! Today I have these Suspicious Stew flavored Pringles.
Minecraft is something beyond my elder-millennial scope, so I asked my younger cousin to explain it's, "Suspicious Stew," item to me. She said it is kind of like poison, it makes your screen get all wiggly. Makes sense to me as an in-game item, but when there are other more positive foods in the game they could have gone with, I do think it's a strange choice for a limited run flavor. (A "sus" choice?)
Sadly, I bought these for whatever normal price they were going for at Walmart, but if you do want to try these for yourself, they seem to be popping up at Dollar Trees already for a lower price, which does not bode well for my snacking experience.

Opened, the aroma is quite salty and savory. The first thing that comes to mind is the extra salty seasoning packets that come with chicken flavored instant ramen, but there's something else in there that I find really appealing. I think it might be paprika? Paprika Pringles are a European-exclusive flavor that is probably my favorite Pringle of all time. Looking at the ingredient list, Paprika is on there, so that bodes well for me!
The chips inside are a light yellow coloring, with little specs of red-brown seasoning.
Taking a bite...they're so salty! Oddly enough, it does kind if taste like concentrated chicken ramen seasoning, but also beef-seasoning? And it's so salty that it hard to tell if it's also slightly spicy, or so salty that it almost feels like it's spicy.

After a few chips I do think there is some mild heat here, along the lines of a chili powder, but I think the salt makes it seems a lot spicier than it actually is.
Are they good? I mean, kind of? (At least my vision isn't getting all in-game wiggly.) The flavor honestly does have a bit of potential, it's meaty, savory, and complex. I kind of get hints of corn and peppers towards the end, but that salt-level has got to be cut in half. At least. How do 14 of these chips only have 9% of your daily sodium intake? I only ate 3 and I feel like I am good for the rest of the day, if not the week.
If your kids love Minecraft and eat way too much instant ramen, they might really like these, but I think they're more of a novelty flavor than anything else. Another "Trick" product, but this time I feel like the product was in on the joke from the start.

Fans of this would also like: Wasabi & Soy Sauce, Pecan Pie Pringles, Franks RedHot Pringles, or Hot Diggity Dog Pringles

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It's ALIVE - Trick or Treat: Mushroom-based Sodas?

2023-10-28T06:51:00.003-04:00

While these are not overtly Halloween-themed, in my mind, they're Trick-or-Treat-adjacent. Stick with me and you'll see.

I don't drink booze, I rarely drink coffee, and I don't do artificial sweeteners or diet beverages. What I DO drink is a lot of water, seltzers, and soda. Soda is my coffee. (Soda is a god. Soda is the breeze in my hair on the weekend.)

Soda is my go-to caffeine boost, but we all know soda is not good for you, and I do like to make healthier choices when I can, so when I spotted these "healthy" sodas at Lidl I thought this could be a great alternative. That is, if they actually taste good.

So, healthy mushroom-based sodas, a trick? Or a treat?

I mean, they kind of look witchy, right? We have dark brown glass bottles, labels that are made to look like aged paper with faux tattered-edging, and illustrations of mushrooms done in red ink. All of these traits help me cram this mushroom-soda-shaped peg into my Halloween-shaped hole. (Not the best choice of words, but I think it's funny and I'm sticking with it.) I like reusing bottles when I can, and thanks to their thick glass, brown coloring, and wide mouth (that's what she said, I'm on a roll tonight), I plan on washing and reusing these this winter to make more homemade vanilla extract. An extra on-theme witchy bonus!

They look great, but what about it's execution? I've been burned by "healthy" Whole Foods sodas in the past, so my expectations are quite low. I mainly wanted the bottles.

Let's go with Cola first.

Classic cola, like Coke or Pepsi, is brown in color and depending on the brand, has notes of caramel, lemon, vanilla, and spices like cinnamon.

When opened, I was immediately impressed! This smells pretty cola-like. It leans citrusy, and a little flat, kind of like cola flavored Haribo Gummy bottles, and there's a slight tangy hint of fermentation in there, but it seems...good? Perhaps these will be better than I thought they'd be.

Taking a sip...NOPE. Nu-Uh. Bad. Like I actually shuddered a little bit after I swallowed.

Going in for a second take to better describe this to you guys was not fun. My main descriptor would be, medicinal. It's sweet, moderately carbonated, and tangy. I can taste citrus and spices, it even leaves a ginger-like spicy tingle on to tongue, all of these descriptors make it sound great, but it's not. At least, not for me. This tastes medicinal to me, in the worst way possible. Like I'm drinking a cola-themed cleaning product. Safe to say, it's a no from me. Will root beer flavoring be better? (I doubt it.)

Root beer seems to be a divisive flavoring, you either love it or hate it. I am one of those people who like root beer, and grew up having root beer floats, so right away I find the aroma very appealing. Way more convincing than the cola.

Taking a sip...bleh.

It's more tolerable than the cola, that's for sure, but does it pass for actual soda? No. Root beer being a more natural occurring flavor, this does taste like root beer, but instead of a sweet syrupy soda base we have a tangy watery one. No shuddering this time, but I definitely don't want to drink the rest of this.

Kids get sick all the time, and when I was little, I preferred the "root beer medicine," and that is what this is like. Root beer-like enough to be enjoyable compared to say, a gross non-root beer flavored medicine. This is tolerable, not enjoyable.

Are these ALIVE drinks more cola-like than any kombucha product I've ever had? Sure! Do I want to actually drink it? No.

Maybe if you never had actual soda ever before in your life, you'd think these were great. I can't imagine many other scenario where someone would reach for this over alternatives, or even normal kombucha, but someone must like these, right?

Actually, let me take a moment to do a related PSA:
To all the beer and wine people out there who tell us non-boozy-drinkers that, "this tastes just like ___." Let me tell you, no. It doesn't. Are your taste buds broken? The burning alcohol flavor overpowers everything. Making things insanely sweet, does not fix the problem, or even mask it enough to make it tolerable. (I find that making things sour actually helps me tolerate the booze-y burn in social situations. But if you ever see me eating straight-up almonds and drinking a glass of wine, know that I have been replaced by a pod person.)

If anyone ever hands you one of these drinks and says, "It tastes just like soda," they're either: lying, have never had soda, or it's been so long that they don't remember what soda tastes like. Cause this ain't it.

Trick, not treat. I do not like them and I won't be buying them again, BUT I will be washing and reusing the bottles for vanilla extract, so it's not a total loss.

Fans of this would also like: Sadness, Beer that "tastes like chocolate", and these Fentiman's Curiosity "Colas"

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Confectionary Fright-Flight? - Seasonal Sampler of Cotton Candy

2023-10-27T02:17:00.001-04:00

Fun Sweets Seasonal Sampler - Walmart

A flight of seasonal cotton candy! What a great concept!
Years of blogging has taught me that less is more. (As long as the price is right.) Buying entire packages of wacky flavored chips or cookies can be so wasteful. If limited edition flavors are released in smaller serving sizes, that's the way to go. That said, tiny tubs of novelty flavored cotton candy sounds absolutely perfect to me!
Even though I've already tried and reviewed two of these flavors, the S'more and Candy Corn, I couldn't resist the idea of cranberry cotton candy. I pretty much bought this entire set just for that flavor alone. A wise decision? We'll see...

Cranberry - Opened, it smells sweet, fruity, and a little tangy. Popping a tuft into my mouth, it melts away quickly but allows for some chew as it breaks down. Initially, it tastes like classic pink-cotton candy, but the fruity flavoring reveals itself as it melts. Once it's broken down you get a fruity flavoring reminiscent of canned cranberry sauce with tons of confectioners sugar. It's got a more complex flavor than your classic pink-cotton candy, and I really like it. Easily my favorite of the bunch and I hope we see this come back in larger tubs next year.

Pumpkin Pie - I could have sworn that I already reviewed this flavor, but nothing came up on the blog when I searched it, so maybe it's new? Opened, it doesn't exactly smell spiced, but it does have a warmer aroma than standard cotton candy. I was worried this would cross into candle-territory like so many other pumpkin themed products, but it's flavoring is quite subtle! So subtle it's hard to put a finger on it. Once you get through the sweetness there is a cozy warm vanilla and spice blend that just so slightly creeps in. Not enough where I would ever say this tastes like pumpkin pie, or even cinnamon, or pumpkin spice, but just enough to make this stand out from classic cotton candy and give me "fall vibes." Another winner here! It you're looking for a really dramatic flavor, you'll be disappointed, but I really like it's subtle approach. I would even buy this again in a stand alone larger tub!

Caramel Apple - Here is where the personal bias creeps in. I like actual apples, I love caramel, but I don't like apple flavored candies. The only exception are these caramel-apple themed lollipops and even then, only the green ones. This was the one I was looking forward to the least. Opened I can smell spun sugar, caramel, but more-so the liquid caramel flavoring you'd see in a coffee shop than actual caramel, and that fake "green" apple flavoring most candies gravitate towards. I hate that fake apple flavor. Taking a bite, it's the boldest flavor so far, but that's a negative for me. The caramel flavoring comes through first, but it's a little over the top. Like the aforementioned coffee flavoring syrup. You know, that clear super liquid-y stuff that is caramel-flavored? That's what this tastes like, with an apple chaser. The apple flavoring does taste a bit more realistic than I expected, but it's overripe, like an apple with a few brown spots that kicked around your lunch bag a little too long. Mix that with intensely sweet over the top caramel flavoring, and you have this. If you love green apple flavored sweets, like the Caramel Apple Oreos (which I hated), you'll love this. But for my personal tastes, this is a dud.

The flavors are well executed, the packaging is either recyclable or reusable (I like using the tubs for art supplies), and the portions are just enough to leave me wanting more. This was so much fun! I hope to see more seasonal packs like this for other holidays.
What flavors would you want to see in a winter line-up? Right off the bat, I'd say EggNog and Hot Cocoa. If you're looking for a sweet seasonal treat, I would definitely pick this up before it disappears.

Fans of this would also like: S'More Cotton Candy, Candy Corn Cotton Candy, Jelly Bean Cotton Candy, Cupcake Cotton Candy, or Candy Cane Cotton Candy

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Baby's First Liquid Death - Berry it Alive

2023-10-26T07:30:00.004-04:00

Liquid Death canned water sounds like it's ripped from an episode of Metalocalypse, but it's legit! And it's actually been around for a while.

You'd think I would have gotten into this stuff a lot sooner, what with it being covered in skulls and having the tag line, "murder your thirst." Completely my aesthetic, and yet, I never got around to it.

Then, last night, I was at Walmart grabbing seasonal cat treats (because I'm that kind of pet-mom), when I spotted an 8-pack of "Berry It Alive," on the discounted food end-cap. I figured, what better time to drink Liquid Death than in the midst of Spooky Season? Plus, it's discounted! (Not sure why, but it was only $7.00, a bad omen?)

So, let's find out if this is...to die for?

Branding-wise, I love everything about this. From the skull artwork to the metal-typefaces, it gives me life, which is funny, considering this is, "Liquid Death."

"This ruthless tallboy of flavored sparkling water has a twisted plan to use natural agave and exploding bubbles to murder your thirst and recycle your soul."
How can you read this and NOT hear Brendon Small's Nathan Explosion-voice in your head?

After seeing my friend, Jared, drink these from time to time, my current understanding of Liquid Death is:
It has awesome spooky branding.
They opt for aluminum cans instead of plastic bottles.
It's water, but like, cool goth water.
And...that's about it.

Opened, it smells sweet and fruity. Right away I detect blackberry, and maybe cherry, but that's about all I can pin-point. Sweeter than I expected.

Taking a sip, to my surprise, it's sweetened! I avoided looking at the ingredients because I didn't want to spoil my, "going in blind," sipping experience, but there's agave in this. So, unlike the stuff I buy from Aldi which tends to be "flavored"-in an air-quotes-worthy way, this is actually flavored AND sweetened. I can taste cherry, blackberry, the sweetener, and something tart to finish. Looking at the ingredients, I am guessing that tartness might be coming from the hibiscus. As much as I love the branding, and the overall concept, I don't really care for this flavor. The citric acid and tartness just aren't sitting right with me, it's making me think of artificial sweeteners, which I am never a fan of.

Flavoring is all about personal preferences. I'm not a hibiscus lover, or an agave-person, had I looked at the ingredients I probably wouldn't have bought these after all, but that's what I get for going in blind and getting caught up in awesome branding.

I did not enjoy this particular brush with Liquid Death, but it hasn't put me off their products entirely. Maybe I should just stick to their OG Mountain Water, which is agave-less. Have you had a brush with Liquid Death? If so, what were your thoughts?

Fans of this would also like: Polar Unicorn Kisses and Dragon Whispers, Bowl & Basket Seltzers, or Aldi Sparkling Water

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Halloween Candy Showdown: Name-Brand vs Target vs Trader Joes

2023-10-25T07:30:00.001-04:00

No-frills products are the way to go, especially when it comes to pantry staples, but there are some exceptions to the rule, like candy bars. It's really tempting to grab store branded sweets when filling your candy bowl, but are they worth it?
I grabbed candy from Target's house brand, Trader Joe's house brand, and the real deal, who will come out on top?

SNICKERS

Visuals: How do they compare to the real bar?

Favorite Day (Target): Close in size to the Fun Size Snickers, two uniform squiggle-shapes on the surface, and very similar looking chocolate coating but slightly less saturated in color.
Wicked Good (Trader Joe's): Right away I can see that it's smaller, and it's bloomed. "Blooming" is when chocolate gets exposed to warm temperatures causing the cocoa butter to come to the surface. This gives it an ashy appearance, but isn't an indicator of the candy being bad or unable to be consumed. But if I gave a kid this, they (or their parents) might not understand that. It also has two arrow shapes on top, again fairly uniform, but of the three, this is definitely odd man out. This is also the only Wicked Good Trader Joe's bar to be consistently bloomed throughout the bag. All the other Wicked Good items seem fine.

Taste:

Original Snickers: A soft dense bite, nice chew from the nougat, slight pull from the caramel, saltiness from the diced peanuts, and sweet creamy milk chocolate. I like the level of salt and how that balances all the sweetness of the other ingredients, but I still prefer MilkyWay as my candybar of choice.

Favorite Day (Target): It looked the part, but it is a completely different experience. Right away I want to say it's not bad, but it is definitely not going to pass for a Snickers. The bite is much lighter, more like a 3 Musketeers than the density of a Snickers. Probably because the nougat is more airy and dry, kind of like the filling of a Reese's cup. (In terms of texture, not flavor.) I can see a thin layer of caramel, but it tastes more like a Cow Tale than the soft, stringy, caramel I would expect. There isn't as much salt present either, and the peanuts are finely diced. More like the peanuts that you find on the outside of a Drumstick ice cream in size, and in texture. Actually, I would liken this more so to a Drumstick Ice Cream Cone in terms of overall flavor, than a Snickers Bar. Not bad, but if it's a Snickers you're craving, this will definitely leave you wanting.
Wicked Good (Trader Joe's): Much better caramel this time, and the flavor is more similar to the Snickers than the Favorite Day attempt, but it's still a drastically different experience overall. The caramel has a nice pull, the nougat is denser than Favorite Day but not as dense as the real deal, the peanut have that same ice cream topping-like chew, but the flavor is very peanut-forward, followed by milk chocolate and caramel, with a noticeable lack of salt.

Verdict: Original reigns supreme, I wouldn't buy either store option again.

MilkyWay

Visuals:

Favorite Day (Target): Quite similar is size, and color. There is an irregular top more similar to the original this time, and if I saw these unwrapped, I would definitely mistake it for the real thing.
Wicked Good (Trader Joe's): Smaller than the other two, and instead of a more natural looking top, this had 2-3 'S' shapes.

Taste:

Original MilkyWay: Soft bite, decent caramel pull, bouncy chew from the fluffy nougat and overall a lovely burnt sugar caramel flavor. My favorite, although I prefer the Midnight version with dark chocolate to the original. But when it comes to classic candy bars, I'm a MilkyWay girl through-and-through.

Favorite Day (Target): A much lighter bite, more like 3 Musketeers, and a slightly sugary grain to the nougat, the overall flavoring leans a lot sweeter with less prominence on the caramel. The main take away is sugary nougat, kind of like Circus Peanuts, but with a more neutral flavor and a milk chocolate coating. It's edible, but as a MilkyWay lover, I am very underwhelmed.
Wicked Good (Trader Joe's): Much better texture this time around, the nougat is a bit denser than Favorite Day, but it practically melts in your mouth with little to no chew, and the flavor leans very sweet again, almost candy corn-levels of sweetness, with a visual amount of caramel that lacks flavor pay off. I like this more than the Target version, but neither holds a candle to the original.

Verdict: Again, Original takes the top spot.

3 Musketeers

Visuals:

Favorite Day (Target): Surprisingly, this time the Target bar is the biggest of the bunch. It also looks like the milk chocolate coating is less saturated in color than the original, and it has 2 'x'-shapes on the surface.
Wicked Good (Trader Joe's): And this time the Trader Joe's bar is larger than the original too! It's surface has zig-zag shapes, and it's a similar color to the Target version. Kind surprising that this time both knock-offs are actually bigger than the original

Taste:

Original 3 Musketeers: Very soft and sugary, the fluffy nougat allows for some texture but quickly dissolves into a sweet almost fudge-like experience mixed with the milk chocolate. It's lack of texture and cloying level of sweetness is why it ranks so low on my personal snacking list. If it had darker chocolate and a bit more salt, it might be more my speed, but as-is, this is the first bar I will trade away.

Favorite Day (Target): Similar texture, maybe slightly denser, and a kind of malted milk or caramel flavoring is present with a bit more salt. I'm shocked. I like the Target version more than the original! It's also strange that this has caramel notes, when the other bars that were supposed to have caramel lacked in that department. But I'll take it.

Wicked Good (Trader Joe's): Densest texture of the three, more of a pronounced chocolate flavoring, but much closer to the original than any other Wicked Good bar has come so far. I do think I like this more than the original as well, but the added saltiness from the Favorite Day Bar puts it in the lead.

Verdict: Both Store-Brands held up well, but Favorite Day (Target) came out on top!

Wild Card

The last bars don't allow for a perfect 1-to-1 comparison, the Trader Joe's option is totally different, but I wanted to round out the review by including them, so here we go!

Twix: Chocolate, caramel, cookie and milk chocolate: It's my #2 after MilkyWay. I love the crispy shortbread-like texture, warm buttery caramel, and sweet milk chocolate coating. A classic.

Favorite Day (Target): Cookie, caramel and milk chocolate bar: This is the more comparable bar. It's significantly longer than the Fun Sized Twix, and the listed ingredients make this sound like it should be exactly the same, but it tastes completely different. It's sweeter, the cookie is more crumbly, more like store brand sandwich cookies tend to be, and the caramel lacks the buttery flavoring I love. It's not inedible by any means, but it's probably my least favorite candy bar in this entire experience. Which caught me off guard.
Wicked Good (Trader Joe's): Caramel and wafer chocolate bar. What is this a comparison to? A bar I'm not familiar with? Because it looks like 100 Grand, but the inside is a wafer, similar to Kit-Kat. Taking a bite, if you inserted a Kit-Kat bar into a 100 Grand bar, you'd get this. But with a slightly more hazelnutty-leaning European-style chocolate flavoring than the standard milk chocolate in America. It's pretty darn good! I love the texture and all the crispiness, I just wish the caramel had a deeper flavor and a bit more salt. But I wouldn't kick it out of my candy bucket.

Verdict: Twix beats Favorite Day (Target) hands down, but the Wicked Good Bar is in a League of it's own and well worth trying.

Final Thoughts?

No frills works great for grocery staples, but not for Halloween candy. While there were some stand outs, like the Wicked Good caramel wafer bar, the majority of the store-branded candy left me wanting.
Store branded sweets are tempting, but I'll stick to using coupons at the wholesale clubs to stock up on the big name brand candy bags for my Trick-or-Treat buckets. Check out a sneak peek at my chocolate candy bowl contents below!

Fans of this would also like: Nestle Crunch Girl Scout Bars or my 2022 Halloween Clearance Haul

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Grim is back! - Voo-Dew Year 5 (+ Actual Flavor Reveal)

2023-10-24T07:30:00.042-04:00

Voo-Dew 2023

Mystery Voo-Dew has once again graced us with it's ghastly presence, and I could not be happier.

In a world where McDonald's releases sub-par Boo-Buckets with mock-lids, Burger King releases a spooky bucket only available in 5 locations, and stores roll out their Christmas wares on October 1st... Mtn Dew is a spooky-season beacon of hope. This year marks it's 5th anniversary, and I hope it stays a seasonal tradition for years to come.

So, what has the reaper bottled for us this year? Previously, the labels and their coloring offered us a hint.

Year One - Orange, Yellow, White, Purple = "Candy Corn"
Year Two - Red, Purple, Green Yellow = "Fruity Candy" non-branded Skittles
Year Three - Light Blue, Dark Blue, Yellow Green = "Chewy Fruit Candy" non-branded Starbursts
Year Four - Orange, Red, Pink, Blue = "Sour Candy"

This year we have pink, green, dark blue, and red. Off the top of my head, visually, it's making me think of Sweet-Tarts. Could that be this year's reveal?

When opened, the liquid inside smells sweet, tangy, and familiar. It's definitely not Sweet-Tarts, but it's fruity in an artificial way. Candy-like and very appealing.

Taking a sip, it's giving me Laffy Taffy. The pink-wrapped flavors in particular, which are Cherry and Strawberry. I buy a lot of Laffy Taffy and use it as freebies for sales in my Etsy shop (it travels well) so I nearly always have it on hand, and the pink-colored flavors are my favorite. (Although banana isn't bad either. Honestly, I just hate green apple.)

My official guess? Laffy Taffy. But, given that past flavors were non-branded, maybe this will just be "taffy," flavored? Or "Chewy taffy." Maybe even, "Fruity taffy."

Well, Dew's Reaper revealed the answer early this year, turns out I was wrong. Again.

(But I was so close!)

MTN Dew revealed it's flavor early and they actually did it on my birthday! The real flavor? Cherry Air Heads! Now, knowing what the true flavor really is, I can definitely taste the inspiration. It's sweet, tart, and tangy. Not bad, Voo-Dew, not bad!
I find it interesting that this was a name-brand partnership, and a highly specific flavored one at that. Could this be a trend moving forward? I guess I'll have to wait until year 6 to see!

Fans of this would also like: Voo-Dew 2022, Voo-Dew 2020, Voo-Dew 2019

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Macro-ron - Lidl Brownie Macaron Sandwich

2023-07-17T07:30:00.016-04:00

Took a bit of a break, but I'm back, baby.

Macarons are a lot of work. They're made with (expensive) almond flour, they need to be piped in uniform puddles, then you need to let them rest before tapping the tray on the counter to create the perfect "foot," all before baking and assembling. I sadly don't have the time, or the budget, to perfect a macaron in my kitchen. (Although I would love to one day.) So, for now, I buy them. Even when they come from Lidl. they still feel like a luxurious treat.

Lately, I've noticed that macarons are getting Big-Mac-ified. Meaning, they are getting bigger, and more outrageous. Like those Milkshakes that were all the rage a few years ago. The ones that were topped with full-sized separate desserts and have glass vessels covered in chocolate. It's a spectacle more than anything else. (I mean, how are you supposed to eat the chocolate off the glass? It's such a waste.) It appears to be Macaron's turn. I've seen huge ones stuffed with ice cream and fillings, like ice cream sandwiches, or giant cake-sized ones meant to be cut up and served at parties. Then there's this smaller scale one I saw at Lidl.

It's a macaron, filled with brownie chunks, vanilla bean crème, and salted caramel. In theory, it all sounds great, but will it be too much?

Compared to a normal macaron, these almond shells are easily three times larger, and I'd say there is 5x the filling.

Opening up the clamshell, the top of "sandwich" came off easily. The square chunks of brownie kept it hovering above all the crème fillings like little edible bricks. It looks like there is a very small amount of salted caramel, which is odd because this is a "salted caramel brownie," not a "vanilla-bean," brownie. The ratios look-off, but everything here does look appealing.

Putting everything back together and taking a bite, the macaron shell is soft and chewy, not light and crispy. Given all the fillings and the fact that this is a refrigerated item, that's to be expected. The most prominent flavor is the brownie, which is like a softer version of a Cosmic Brownie, or like a baked version of the brownie batter bits you find in ice cream. It's dense and fudgy, but more-so in texture than it is in flavor. As if it were slightly undercooked. It's decent, on-par with a high-end box mix brownie, but the real problem is the brownie flavoring overpowers everything else. I didn't get much salted caramel to begin with, so I didn't taste much of that at all. and the vanilla crème added a custardy texture, but it more-so added to the brownie batter feel of everything.

This is decent, and enjoyable, but it's more of a brownie product than anything else, and since the macaron lacks texture, and it's delicate flavor is lost in the fillings, it makes it kind of pointless that this is a macaron at all. Might as well be some kind of brownie bite. Or a brownie sandwich. (Is that a thing?)

Frozen or refrigerated macarons are not the same as bakery-fresh. If you want pinkies-out level cookies, you'll be better off getting them from your local bakery. Most of the time, grocery store macarons will do in a pinch, but this is more-so a brownie than anything else. If you want a chocolatey pick-me-up, this little treat will do the trick, but if you're after a macaron, this missed the mark. I ate it no problem, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Fans of this would also like: Wegman-Roons, Aldi Spring Macarons, Trader Joe's Watermelon & Peach Macarons, or Trader Joe's Pumpkin Macarons

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Give me strawberry-scented armpits, or give me sweat! (A Food-Adjacent Rant + Review)

2023-07-11T07:30:00.001-04:00

A bonus post with photos from my private stash and an illustration!

Give me strawberry-scented armpits, or give me sweat!

I love food smells, whether it's cupcake perfume, pumpkin body butter, or Thanksgiving Dinner scented candles, but I also love practicality. Two things that (typically) don't go together. Since items like this are usually for children, or novelty collectibles, the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

With millennial fashion coming back in a big way, (low rise jeans and lace camis as far as the eye could see), why not scents?

The early 2000's blessed me with things like Bath & Body Works Temptations, Jessica Simpson's Dessert Treats, and Strawberry Teen Spirit deodorant. Fantastic, functional, foodie products but, slowly, everything I loved was taken from me. Maybe it's time we brought them back.

Dessert Treats was the first to go. It was created by Jessica Simpson and the gimmick was that all of these cosmetic items were "edible." Story goes that her husband (at the time) kissed her neck and got a mouth full of perfume, so she wanted to make beauty products that would taste good in such a scenario. Perfumes, lotions, shimmer body dust, and lip-gloss, all food themed, scented, and flavored. Sadly, they tasted awful, BUT they smelled amazing. My favorite item was the cupcake perfume. It smelled like maraschino cherries and I went through several bottles. It was the best! So, what happened? To quote this Bustle article, "Lawsuits, apparently." Whoops. Well, there go my hopes of Jessica Simpson cashing in on millennial nostalgia with a limited edition re-release. Boo.

I have the cupcake-shaped cap to a perfume bottle kicking around my house somewhere, and only a few years ago did I finally throw away my banana split scented body shimmer that had turned a completely different color. (Which I now regret.) If it could come back, the main product I would want, and stock up on, would be the perfumes. They lasted all day and smelled like actual cherries and candy, 100/10, would recommend.

While I'm on the subject of food scented perfumes, Juice Bar deserves a shout out. More pre-teen fragrances with a focus on sweets. They had scents like lemonade, cotton candy, and gummy bear. (I can still hear the commercial in my head!) They were good, but the Jessica Simpsons scents were great.

Then, Temptations bit the dust.

The Bath and Body Works line was massive, everything from cinnamon buns to seasonal scents, to boozy beverages, and they always smelled eerily accurate, like some kind of Willy Wonka witchcraft. They were really popular and used to take up an entire wall of the store.

My top three are:

Simply Devine Cherry Pie - Buttery pie crust with jammy sweet cherries
Frosting Forever - Really warm and buttery vanilla that is intensely sweet
Iced Tea Twist - Smells exactly like lemon iced tea mix

Temptations scents were available in lotions, lip-glosses, body sprays, and a 3-in-one shower product. (Shampoo, bubble bath AND body wash? Triple threat.) I mainly used the 3-in-ones as bubble bath since I have curly hair and need to use specialty shampoo, but the lotions were my favorite product overall. Forget Cucumber Melon, if they do another throwback scent sale, I want to see Temptations front and center. I grabbed these on eBay ages ago. They still smell amazing, but I don't actually use them on my body anymore.

Teen Spirit held out the longest. When I was younger, there were several scents, coconut, berry, strawberry, and Pink Crush. Strawberry was my go-to. Despite it's gimmicky premise, it was actually a great deodorant, and this scent smelled exactly like strawberry Bubblicious bubble gum. My high school had gym class every single day and this candy scented deodorant got me through it. Slowly, scents were fazed out, only strawberry and Pink Crush remained for several years. Then, just Pink Crush. But that was only in America, Canada still had the good stuff, so I would pay the big bucks to have a three pack of strawberry deodorant shipped to my house. Eventually the Canadian deodorant market dried up. Only Pink Crush remains, but it just doesn't compare. I have one stick left, and I save it for nostalgic sniffing.

Since the discontinuation of these items, I have found other perfumes and lotions to fill the void, but I never found a replacement deodorant. Secret had a Macaron-scent that I liked for a while, but it too was discontinued. I guess there just isn't a market for food scented armpits anymore. (A lot of things say they're fruity or foodie, but they are NOT. It's always floral-musky-lies!)

I watch a LOT of YouTube, so my feed was bombarding me with Native deodorant sponsorships, and it worked. Various influencer pitches left me feeling like Native was healthier, more eco-friendly AND they supported creators I loved. The final nail in the consumer coffin was that they had a food-themed line! Sign Me up! I clicked on the affiliate links....and a single stick is $13-14!?! That is insanity. I can get 2-3 "normal" deodorant sticks for that price, AND I was taking a risk buying online stick-un-sniffed! No way. Turns out you can buy these in-person at Target, were I have a Red Card discount, and I can see what they smell like before taking the plunge.

I checked them out, and they smelled great. Dammit.

I picked up 3 sticks: Fresh Peach Cupcake, Mint Cookie Cupcake, and Sugar Cookie. Easily the most expensive deodorants I have ever purchased, but I thought they'd be worth it.

They weren't.

Positive: they smell amazing. Peach cupcake had a bright, juicy, accurate peach aroma. It was my favorite of the three. I used it up first, and fairly quickly I might add.

Negative: Everything else.

The deodorant leaves my armpits feeling greasy, like coconut oil, and you go through it a lot faster than I expected because it's so soft, but you have to be careful. If you put on too much you end up with clumpy, oily, pit-bits that can pick up lint from your shirt. It's not cute.

Also not cute? Sweat. Lots of sweat. I guess all the "bad stuff," just so happen to be the antiperspirant parts, because I have never sweat this much in my life. The only change I made was switching to these deodorants, so they are definitely to blame for my pit-dicament.

Reapplying throughout the day was never something I had to do before. It's very annoying, because I have to completely wipe my armpits clean before reapplying otherwise the smells didn't get masked, they just layered on top of one another. If I skipped this step, I smelled like a bunch of peaches had been forced to run the mile. The absolute kicker? The edges of applicator hurt my skin. I have to roll the deodorant up higher to prevent the container from making any contact, but that makes me over apply leading to pit-bits AND going through the stick that much faster. Otherwise it feels like my arm pits have sunburn. That's how chaffed and stingy they feel. I don't even have sensitive skin! It's bad in every way it possibly could be, especially for something so pricey!

I thought that I might have to adjust to it, since it's a more natural option but I am a stick and a half into this change, and it just isn't working out.

Quick run down of the other scents: Mint Cookie Cupcake, amazing girl-scout goodness, but the same problems as the peach version. Sweaty cookies are not the vibe I was going for, and my pits were both chalky and soaking wet at the same time. No thanks. Sugar Cookie is the best of the three endurance wise, I smell fresh for nearly 5 hours, but by the end of the work day my sweet vanilla cookie scent was replaced by sweaty teenager.

Maybe these work for other people, but they definitely don't work for me. Native body washes or something else would be a better fit for me to still enjoy these scents, but these products are also stupidly expensive. I mean, thirteen freaking dollars for one single deodorant that doesn't even de-odor-me? What's next? The body wash smells great but has literal dirt in it? I just can't rationalize it away. I like the idea of Native, but it just isn't for me.

We all know how frugal I am and how I hate wasting food, well the same goes for expensive underperforming deodorant. I finished peach already, sugar cookie is on it's last legs, and mint is next on my completionist deck. After that, I'll be on the lookout for a new food-themed deodorant to try, and it can only go up from here. Right?

Help a sweaty girl out! Send me some leads or leave a comment with your favorite deodorant recommendation, ideally ones with food themed options if at all possible. Or maybe someone has an underground Strawberry Teen Spirit supplier they are willing to share? A girl can dream.

In the meantime if you think you smell some sweaty girl scout cookies nearby, it probably just me. #definitelynotsponsored

I had a lot of fun writing this, and showing off my stash, and making the little illustration. I hope you guys liked it too! Now, back to actual, edible, food posts.

Fans of this would also like: My post about Food Scented Candles

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PINK, it's like red but not quite - Pink Lemonade Creme Cookies

2023-07-10T07:30:00.001-04:00

Pink Lemonade Creme Cookies - Aldi

How will they compare to the Lime? Let's jump right in and find out!

When it comes the describing the aroma, I want to say that this smells, "pink." I know, that doesn't make sense to some of you, but if you'd ever described things as tasting, "red," you get it.

This smells like vanilla cookies, sweet frosting, and pink lemonade drink mix. It is not a bold, bright, or zesty aroma, it's more mild and sugary. Think cotton candy, with a hint of lemon.

On it's own, the cookie is stiff and a little stale. But these are brand new, right out of the package. Not a good sign. They're really dry and flour-heavy, like a sweeter version of Pop-Tart crusts, and it absorbs a little of the sugary lemon flavor from the creme which is the best thing about it. Flavor-wise, they are acceptable, but far from great. The lime-cookie was way better.

Twisted apart, the filling is dry and crumbly. It either dried too fast in production, or the cookies weren't pressed together as tightly as it should have been, because the icing blob in the center is thicker than usual and not well distributed. The filling crumbles into bits if you try to remove it or eat it on it's own. Kind of like dried toothpaste.

It tastes tart, tangy, and familiar. Like the lemon raspberry Laffy Taffy I reviewed a few years ago. ON it's own, it's pretty decent. I like the tangy kick, which is similar to Lemon Coolers, but it's very messy to eat on it's own, you end up with pink bits everywhere.

Taking a bite of the cookie combined, it shattered in my hands. I figured it was a fluke and grabbed another cookie so I could try and get a bite shot. Cookie number two shattered the same way. These are a one-biter, or will definitely need to be softened in milk to get a clean bite-through.

Combined, the flavors work nicely, it's like a crunchier cookie version of the Pink Lemonade Pop-Tart. It's an enjoyable experience, but there are better lemon flavored cookies on the market. So I wouldn't say these are worth your time. Especially after having just had the lime flavor. From the cookie to the filling, the lime version is significantly better.

Fans of this would also like: Sprite Lymonade, Lemon Raspberry Laffy Taffy, or Pink Lemonade Pop-Tarts

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To Graham, or not to Graham - Aldi Key Lime Creme Cookies

2023-07-07T07:30:00.010-04:00

My dogs made writing tonight's post nearly impossible. Between them wanting to be on my lap, off my lap, pawing at my hands while typing, randomly licking my feet, running around my chair, and generally begging for attention at all times...I nearly gave up. I love them to death. They're my babies, but they're not the teeny tiny lap dogs they think they are. Typing over their fluffy 12-14lb bodies as they practically vibrate in my lap is no easy task. I finally got the dog stroller out, popped Pepper inside (the worst offender) and parked him next to me like you would a baby in a bassinette.

If this post makes little to no sense, just know, I tried.

Once a loyal Aldi-shopper, I've since turned to the Lidl-side. It's just more convenient. Lidl opened a new location that is on my way home from work without having to deal with any highways or traffic, so I can quickly run my post-work-errands, and get back home to walk my needy pups. It's great, but there are a few Aldi staples that make it worth the trip.

Like the knock-off novelty Oreos. (I also think Aldi's milk, heavy cream, and butter are better, for the record.) I just picked these up, and already there is a newer flavor available, Pink Lemonade, which I also grabbed. So expect to see them next week. (I wanted to post them together, but I am barely making it through typing this post, so Pink Lemonade will get it's own write-up.)

Oreo released a few lime variations in the past, Limeade, Shure Bert, and Key Lime Pie...and these are looking pretty Key-Lime-Pie-y. I'd say that's the cookie they were looking to dupe, and so far, it seems spot on.

Opened, the cookies look graham-like, just like Oreo's version, which is on-theme, but the bag and flavor-name don't mention that at all. The only descriptor we get is "Key Lime Creme."

Trying the cookie on it's own, it tastes more like animal crackers than actual graham crackers, but it never promised to be, so I can't hold that against it. They're actually really tasty with a delightful crunch, I think I actually like this more than the golden Oreo or Graham Oreo options.

The filling is super bright, nearly neon, and it smells zesty and sweet. Kind of like a lime flavored Jello, or sherbet. It's more mellow than I expected. On it's own, the creme has a tangy lime flavor that comes through as you chew, and mildly tart after taste. Kind of like a touch of citric acid, but lime-ier. I love Key Lime Pie, and have eaten several, completely solo, in my lifetime. This ain't it. It's creamy, and sweet, but it just isn't lime-y enough for me.

Normally the creme filling is better on it's own, but this is a case where it's better together. Eaten like a normal cookie, I feel like the key lime pie illusion is at it's strongest. You have sweet graham-like cookies, tangy sweet creme, and somehow the tart lime aftertaste seems bolder when everything is eaten together at once.

Would I rather have an actual key lime pie? Sure, no contest, but this is a decent cookie. It's pretty great for summer too! I could see these making a fun addition to some lime-flavored blondies or other baked goods, or just eaten as is. If you liked the lime Oreos, you'll probably dig these too, better stock up while you can! Aldi is already moving on to the next new thing!

Fans of this would also like: Shure, Bert Oreos, 5 Minutes Peace, or my Blurred Limes Post with 3 different lime themed products!

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Purple -Bag Doritos have a new Cheetos-cousin

2023-07-05T07:30:00.001-04:00

Tangy Chili Fusion Cheetos - Walmart

Flamin' Hot Cheetos have a cult following, and recently got their own origin film. (I think it's available on both Hulu and Disney+.) Although I enjoy spicy snacking, I've never been a fan. I am uncharacteristically picky when it comes to cheese-flavored snack food. If I'm reaching for Cheetos, it's the classic crunchy bags or Mexican Street Corn, but that may change after this.

Looking at the bag, the "chili" and hint of purple makes this feel like a Cheeto-variant of Dorito's Spicy Sweet Chili. (Which I love.) But it also looks a lot like the current Instagram branding. An interesting choice.

Everyone I know love the "purple bag" Doritos, so it would make sense for Cheetos to try and make a similar chili option, but the bag says "tangy," not, "sweet." So it could be completely unique, but if it turns out to be a Cheeto version of the Dorito flavor, I won't be mad at it.

Opened, I don't have a bag of Doritos on hand to do a side by side comparison, but I feel pretty safe in saying, it's practically the same as Spicy Sweet Chili. The sweetness is front and center smell-wise, along with a tangy lime-juice- like aroma, and chili-heat. I'm very into it and excited!

Grabbing a handful, I noticed a lot of the pieces inside are pretty small, which is a little annoying. I prefer the big ol' Fred Flintstone-club-pieces, but this'll do.

Giving them a try, they do live up to the tangy name, and I would say they're hotter than Doritos as well!

I can taste saltiness, classic orange-cheese, tangy concentrated lime-juice, and a sweet almost BBQ-sauce-like chili seasoning. All of that is followed up with the corn-y goodness of classic Cheetos and a healthy amount of sweet and spicy dry-heat. It's a dry pepper-y heat, and it builds up on the sides of your tongue as you snack. I would say it gets to medium-high level, so if you can't handle heat at all, these won't be for you. But if you like the Doritos chili chips, this will be a step up spicy wise, as long as you consistently snack on them and build it up.

Once in a while I feel like these take on a sriracha-ketchup kind of flavor, which I'm also into.

These is the first Flamin' Hot product I'm into! I'd still probably leave classic Crunchy Cheetos as my number one, but this steals the number two slot from Mexican Street Corn (which is still my #3.) I would definitely buy these again, and recommend them to anyone wishing Dorito's would kick it up a notch.

Hope you all had a great long weekend, and I'll see you again on Friday with another post!

Fans of this would also like: Honey and Cheese Cheetos, 2 Korean Cheeto Flavors, Mexican Street Corn Cheetos, Black Bean Paste Cheetos, or Crack Pepper Chicken Doritos

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What's cooler than being cool? - m&m's Caramel Cold Brew

2023-06-30T07:30:00.001-04:00

Caramel Cold Brew m&m's - Walmart

What makes a non-coffee product "cold brew,"-flavored vs. normal "coffee"-flavored?

Is it a more concentrated coffee flavor? Was actual cold brew involved at all? I doubt it.

I think this product is guilty of trend-chasing but, that doesn't mean that it sounds bad. Caramel and coffee go together like peanut butter and jelly! (Side note: it's nice to see brands releasing more grounded flavors. I love wacky stuff, but I have written 1800+ food reviews. Enough that you could read one of my posts every single day for 5 years. I have a pretty good gauge for what will work, vs. what won't, so wacky stuff can be fun, but after years of throwing away half eaten novelty items, it just feels wasteful. If I can tell I won't like it, I try not to buy it.)

Specialty flavors usually have a unique color palette, but these are the same red, yellow, orange, green, brown and blue as the year-round m&m's. Is this a permanent addition? If so, I feel like the line-up is getting cluttered, but maybe this will be worthy of it's spot. Let's see!

Popping a few into my mouth, I get the same Rolo-but-better experience, but this time there is a deep, almost chocolate syrup-like, coffee flavoring. As well as a distinct coffee after-taste. As suspected, this is definitely coffee flavored, but cold-brew? I feel like that was a bit of a flourish. It's good, similar to the Coffee Time syrup I reviewed all those years ago, but as a rarely-ever coffee drinker, I found the concentrated flavoring to be a bit much after just a handful of snacking.

Coffee lovers, your mileage may vary. If your go-to coffee order involves lots of syrup pumps, you'll adore this. Black coffee drinkers, or anyone who grinds their own beans and do fancy coffee-people-stuff, this definitely isn't for you.

Since it's so hot, what with it being summer and all, I keep most of my chocolate candies in the fridge, and these were no exception. Chilled, the caramel gets pretty hard, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with delicate dental work, but being cold does make the "cold brew" flavor much more believable.

These are enjoyable, but I feel more than satisfied after a handful. I think I'll use the rest of my bag as a mix-in for cookies or brownies in baking. What about you? Do you drink more coffee than I do? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below.

Fans of this would also like: Espresso m&m's, Birthday Cake m&m's, or Australian Banana m&m's

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Ben & Jerry's vs. The Girl Scouts - Chewy Gooey Cookie

2023-06-28T07:30:00.001-04:00

Chewy Gooey Cookie Ben & Jerry's - Target

Samoa ice cream?

This has milk chocolate and coconut ice creams, shortbread pieces, fudge flakes, and a caramel swirl. All the ingredients of top-tier Girl Scout cookie, Samoa (aka Caramel deLites.) Since this is as subtle as a baseball bat to the face, I'm far from the first person to make the connection. Which makes me wonder, why isn't this a collaboration?

Ben & Jerry's previously released, "Thick Mint," a clear parody of Girl Scout's, "Thin Mint," so maybe there's some bad blood between the two junkfood giants? Someone more versed in brand politics can fill me in down in the comments. I'm sure I'm missing something.

Whatever the reason, I love Samoas, and I love ice cream, so I have high hopes for this pint!

Opened, the surface is looking pretty milk-chocolate heavy, which is a bummer. I have always liked coconut, but the past few months I have been borderline obsessed. I've bought coconut ice cream bars, several of those handy coconut pouches you can see in the produce section at Aldi and Lidl, and I've made a bunch of coquito (even though it's more of a winter drink and we are officially in summer.) Visually, right off the bat, I'm going to say, this doesn't have enough coconut. And I'm bummed.

Scratching the surface, the white swirls, of what I am assuming to be coconut ice cream are there, but they're pretty heavily diluted with milk chocolate. I tried my best to get a spoonful of everything so I could get the full pint-experience.

I really thought I would love this ice cream, but it's just okay.

The milk chocolate base reminds me of Yoo-hoo, which is a plus! But when the pint described this flavor as being milk chocolate AND coconut ice creams, I assumed the balance between the two would have been more of a 50-50. This is more like 75% chocolate to 25% coconut, not bad by any means, this is still an enjoyable ice cream, but if you love coconut like I do, this just doesn't deliver.

In terms of mix-ins, the fudge flakes and shortbread pieces were present, but not overly plentiful. I like the added texture they provided, but I found that even with the mix-ins, the pink didn't live up to it's name. It wasn't ooey, or gooey, and even that cookie-focused.

This is a serviceable pint, and I will have no trouble finishing it, but it's a one-and-done for me. I still prefer Phish Food, Banana Split, or Cherry Garcia.

Fans of this would also like these other ICE CREAM flavors: Topped Dirt Cake, Salted Caramel Brown-ie Ale, Punch Line, Boots on the Mooon, or Brewed to Matter

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Ultimate Mystery - Coke Creations: Ultimate

2023-06-26T07:30:00.001-04:00

"Ultimate," the newest flavor in Coke's Creations line, has been released, and the novelty of these whimsical concept-based soda flavors still draws me in like a moth to the flame.

This flavor is branded with a video game theme, more specifically, League of Legends (abbreviated as, "LoL." No joke.)

Arcane, the Netflix series, is loosely based on the characters from LoL, and I really liked it, but from what I understand, the plot of the show has nothing at all to do with the gameplay, and from the looks of it, neither does this soda.

We have an implied-gold label that fades to black with some subtle line art in the background. The background pattern isn't anything I recognize from the show, and since I don't play the game, I would describe it as sorta of steam-punk-y. The shapes look vaguely mechanical, but they certainly aren't gears or anything like that. There's also a mid-sized LoL logo to the far left of the bottle, which is an interesting choice to me. Why not front and center? Everything about this collab feels really subtle, and understated, which is great for non-gamers so they don't feel put-off and will remain interested in the product, but I imagine fans of the game are wondering, why even have the tie-in at all?

Opened, it seems less carbonated than usual, and the aroma is sweet, and obscurely fruity. I know there is some kind of flavoring in here, but I have no idea what it could be based on scent alone.

Taking a sip, I'm still pretty stumped. It's fruity for sure, which is a safe bet seeing as how the majority of this line has been fruit-focused, but...what fruit is this?

Pear? I would say Pear would be my first guess after initial sipping, but as I continued I started to question it. Maybe it could be melon? This is enjoyable, whatever it is, and it seems far less carbonated than other Coke flavors I have had in the past, but I have a really hard time trying to pinpoint whatever flavor it's going for.

It's probably easier to list what I think this isn't. Apple? No. Strawberry? No. Definitely not. It's not tart or zesty enough to be a citrus fruit, so there goes lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit. Cherry? No way. Definitely not blueberry either,, or any tropical fruit like coconut or pineapple.

So, what does that leave? Pears, peaches, plums, melon...

According to a quick Google search, general consensus is leaning towards peaches, but I just ate fresh peaches for breakfast and I would say this isn't even close. The official Coke Website describes this as:

"The limited-edition flavor, made in co-creation with Riot Games, takes the recognizable Coca-Cola® taste and adds the electrifying taste of +XP."

"Electrifying," is quite the overstatement. This is really mild and sweet. Whatever this is meant to be, it's vaguely fruity enough to be up for interpretation, but it's still enjoyable. I won't have any trouble finishing these bottles, but my biggest complaint would be the lack of carbonation. These are brand new sealed bottles, and they taste like they have already been open for a few hours and lost their fizz. Which is certainly not living up to their, "electrifying" claims.

If you're a fan of the rest of the Creations line, I would say this is definitely worth trying. It's just not a flavor I will be stocking up on, or missing once it's gone.

Fans of this would also like these other COKE flavors: Move, Marshmello's collab, Starlight, Dreamworld, or Georgia Peach

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The "New Coke" of Reese's

2023-06-21T07:30:00.001-04:00

Creamy & Crunchy Reese's Cups - Walmart

I want to share one of my favorite College Humor/DropOut videos of all time, Oreo CEO.

Please binge the rest of the CEO videos, Brennan Lee Mulligan is an absolute gift.

Painfully accurate, right? Especially for junkfood people like me who remember the limited-edition-Oreo-hunting-days, but you know who else might be equally guilty? Reese's.

They, "done did the good peanut butter cup," and instead of "resting on their laurels," they are back at it again with a smooth and a crunchy version of their classic peanut butter cup. Are these improvements? Or completely unnecessary?

Quick thing to address, the photos look melty and unappealing, because it was really hot on photo-day and I didn't feel like retaking them. For the record, I have eaten them in their normal, solid state as well melty-mess, so no melty-snap judgements here.

Since I am a smooth peanut butter kind of girl, I am going with that options first.

Is it different than normal Reese's? Yes. Is it better? No.

This has that off-brand peanut butter cup taste. It's chocolate, it's peanut butter, but it's not as satisfying as a normal Reese's. It's crazy that removing the iconic crumbly filling texture changes the experience this drastically. They're acceptable, but I'd never pick this over normal Reese's. And that's coming from a smooth PB-person.

Crunchy wasn't something I was looking forward to, because I only like actual peanuts in savory applications, like in Thai food. Peanuts in my cookies or candy is normally a, "hell-no,"-for me, and this is no different.

Again, it's chocolate, it's peanut butter, and this time we have peanut bits. It's acceptable, but I like it even less than the creamy version. It has the same knock-off taste, but with a crunch, and even though I'm normally a texture-person, this isn't for me. Reese's Pieces? Yes! Actual Peanuts? No.

I don't think Reese's could make a truly bad, universally hated, product if they tried. Chocolate and peanut butter is just too perfect a pairing, and their classic cup is absolute perfection. Improving it is a nearly impossible task, but they can easily make it more mediocre...and that's what they did here. These are the, "New Coke," of Reese's.

Maybe the peanut-butter-loving crowd feels differently, but I wouldn't purchase either option again.

Fans of this would also like: Pretzel Reese's, Potato Chip Reese's, Reese's Puffs Reese's, Reese's Thins, or Ultimate Peanut Lovers

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Condiment Chip Consumption Craze

2023-06-19T07:30:00.002-04:00

Hot Mustard & Tangy Ketchup Doritos

What is up with condiment themed chips?

Herr's was the first brand I noticed, they announced a line of boldly flavored chips meant to be added to sandwiches, "Sandwichips." They are currently available and come in four flavors: mustard, ketchup, spicy pickle, and sweet onion. As someone who likes adding chips to their sandwiches, I like the idea, but I am skeptical about their flavor pay off. If you have the mustard chips, do you still add actual mustard? Normally I find adding chips to my sandwiches is more-so a texture thing than a flavor one. And what about ketchup? Is that meant to go on Burgers? What other "sandwich" do you eat with ketchup? Hot dogs? Are hot dogs a sandwich? (I say no. Also, ketchup on hot dogs after the age of 12 is a crime.)

Then Doritos got in on the action with a ketchup and mustard duo of their own. No application gimmick, just condiment flavors for chippy consumption. Mustard, I get. Especially with a name like "hot mustard." It makes me think the the spicy mustard packets that came with our Chinese take-out. Which could be great in tortilla-chip-form. But...ketchup?

Ketchup chips are very popular in Canada, but I have never been a fan. The closest I come is All Dressed, which is a combination of Ketchup, Salt & Vinegar, and BBQ. Normal ketchup chips are too sweet for my personal snacking preference, but Doritos aren't known for being sweet. They named these "tangy ketchup," for a reason, and the "tangy"-aspect has me intrigued.

Time to jump in and see if buying these was a terrible mistake.

First up, Hot Mustard.

Opened, I smell corn tortillas, salt, and a bright vinegar-y tang that reminds me of bright yellow mustard.

They looks so pale! Practically like a plain tortilla chip, but they're not.

Taking a bite, I get salt, tortilla chip, and a bright, tangy, yellow mustard. It's vinegar-heavy, and certainly tangy, but hot? I wouldn't say so. I've had brown mustards spicier than this. Which isn't to say it's bad. I love mustard, I have at least 5 different types in my fridge as a type this (my fridge is 45% condiments), and these are definitely yummy, and very snackable, I just take issue with the "hot," aspect of the name.

Yellow mustard? Sure. Brown mustard? Maybe. But Hot Mustard? This is not. I like these a lot, but even after several chips-worth, I would categorize these as tangy more than anything else. In the same sense that salt and vinegar chips are tangy. I would definitely buy these again, and they are very enjoyable, but if you were hoping for a hot and spicy mustard, this isn't it. (Shocking for a brand as bold as Doritos to play it safe with the heat!)

Ketchup time!

This flavor promised to be tangy, but I found mustard to be tangy, not hot, so what will this one have in store?

Opened, they don't smell like much. You really have to get in there, and once you do they kind of remind me of beloved, discontinued, pizza-flavored Doritos. Tomato-y, and a little zesty, but mainly salty corn tortilla.

Visually, they look a lot like Nacho Cheesier, but a bit more red-tinged.

Taking a bite, they're definitely Ketchup-y. I made myself home fries today using the air fryer, and I ate them with ketchup (of course), so the flavor is fresh in my mind, and this is definitely recognizable as ketchup. But, to me, it kind of reminds me of cafeteria pizza sauce. Where it's ketchup-y, but with a little kick.

I taste tomatoes, vinegar, sweet onion, salt, and corn tortilla chips. As you eat, the tanginess build up, again in a similar way to Salt & Vinegar style chips, I could see this leaving the corners of your mouth a little raw after prolonged snacking, but I find the saltiness is the main after taste. After several chips I am craving water because I feel like I've been at a salt-lick. I like these way more than traditional potato-based ketchup chips, but this just isn't the flavor for me.

Both flavors seem to have a naming issue. If I were in charge I would change it to, "Tangy Mustard," and "Zesty Ketchup." Which probably wouldn't test well with consumers, but I think it would be way more accurate to what you're actually buying into.

That said, I would definitely recommend buying the Mustard before they disappear. I find myself reaching for them way more than I do the Ketchup, but if you're an OG ketchup-chip person, you may feel differently.

What condiment should be made into chips, but isn't? I would say Thousand Island. I love using it on Turkey sandwiches, and think it would make for a very interesting chip flavor. What about you?

Fans of this would also like: My Honey Mustard Chicken Bacon Panini recipe, Hot Diggidy Dog Pringles, Cuban Sandwich Lays, or the Rock n Roll Weiner

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Too Much of a Good Thing?

2023-06-16T07:30:00.001-04:00

A quickie, since I've been burnt out at work but I wanted to keep my posting streak up.

Pink is the best Starburst flavor. I thought this was universally agreed upon, so I was shocked when several friends, and even my own mother, confessed that they didn't like pink at all! (Blasphemy! They don't like red Skittles either!) Since there are no all-lemon or orange packs hitting the shelves, I am pretty sure they're on the wrong side of the flavor-wars.

My Starburst ranking (of just the original line-up) would be

Pink
Yellow
Red
Orange

And I think that's a fairly common take. (Let me know your order in the comments)

So, given that pink is my favorite, I thought this, "Oops, All Pink,"-version would be the best pack of Starburst ever, sadly, it wasn't.

The wrapper claims this is, "limited edition," and yet, I've seen it consistently at the Dollar Tree check out for months. Old stock? Or is this not-so-limited?

I am pretty sure all of you reading this have had a pink Starburst before, they're available all over the world, but the US version does vary slightly from other global versions, so here's a brief description.

Pink Starburst, are strawberry flavored, but it's a creamy, artificial, cotton-candy-like, air-quotes-worthy "strawberry." Nothing at all like it's fruity namesake. Which sounds negative, but I absolutely love it.

In normal packs, I would save the pinks until the very end, a few pieces in to this? I found myself craving variety in a way I hadn't expected.

I really wish this was paired with lemon. They could have packaged it with a strawberry-lemonade theme, and adding one additional item to the mix would keep things interesting. You could eat strawberry, or lemon, or mix the two for a lemonade vibe. Or double up lemon with 1 strawberry or vice versa. As is, it's just all cotton candy pink...and The first two pieces give me a serotonin boost, but after that, it all blurs together.

I really thought I would love this, because I still believe pink is the best flavor, but it turned out to be too much of a good thing. Like in the Incredibles. "When everyone's super, no one will be."

Fans of this would also like: Starburst Fruit by the Foot, Starburst Swirlers, or Sweet Heat Starburst (RIP ;_;)

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Spicy Toddler Food

2023-06-14T07:30:00.001-04:00

Frank's RedHot Goldfish

Nostalgia plays a pretty big part in my adult snacking. I'll go out of my way to buy things like Pizza Lunchables, Yoo-Hoo, and Totino's Party Pizzas. All objectively bad products, (Gordon Ramsey would never!), but to me, they were my childhood staples and therefore, perfect. I just happened to miss the Goldfish-boat.

As a childless, 35-year-old lady, with no fuzzy memories tied to the tiny orange fish, I tend to look at them as toddler food. Until Old Bay entered the chat. The Old Bay seasoned Goldfish were the best version I'd ever had, but this gives them a run for their money.

The bag design looks so mature, especially when you compare it to the other offering on the shelf. It's redder than usual, with a simple radial burst, and a big bottle of Frank's front and center. The side-panel implies that these have a medium-to-high heat level, accompanied by the following text, "If you can take the heat, then get into the bag!" A bold statement for smiley-faced fish.

Opened, the crackers inside have a dusting of red-orange seasoning, and a slightly more tangy aroma than usual, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Right away I can see that some fish are more heavily dusted than others.

Trying just one, moderately seasoned, fish on it's own...it's pretty darn good! That powdery coating has a medium level of dry pepper-based heat, and a bold vinegary twang. I am not too familiar with Frank's RedHot, since I buy the Aldi knock-off, but I guess the knock off I have is pretty good because this is dang close to what I have in the fridge! Sadly, due to the inconsistent seasoning, your snacking experience may vary. Medium-to-heavy dusted fish deliver on that medium heat warning, but under seasoned fish leave my taste-buds dead in the water. I'm normally a one-at-a-time-snacker, but I find myself pairing under seasoned fish with more heavily seasoned ones, so I can balance the snacking scales. (Get it? Scales? Like Fish!?)

I see a lot of people add hot sauce to their dry snacks, like popcorn, or chips, and I love the idea flavor-wise, but I hate that it makes things so soggy and messy. This fixes all that! All the flavor and crispiness, none of the mess! It's a shame these are limited edition, I might have to stock up!

Fans of this would also like: Old Bay Goldfish, Honey Mustard Pretzel Goldfish, Vanilla Cupcake Goldfish, or Parmesan Goldfish

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Sprite Lymonade Legacy

2023-06-12T07:30:00.006-04:00

Sprite Lymonade Legacy - Walgreens

Sprite has released a new limited edition soda celebrating 50 years of Hip-Hop. It's Lemon-Lime, Strawberry, and Lemonade flavored, which is a little tricky to say, and awkward to type, but it sounds great for summer. I'm excited to get sippin'!

First, a little packaging-love.

The label is text-focused with a halftone pattern in the background. A nice throwback to press-based printing techniques, but the pattern also reminds me of sound waves, which ties in to the music theme really nicely. I'm a sucker for texture, even when it's just implied. The pink and yellow color combo stands out in the beverage case, and caught my eye right away. On the side, there is a QR code made to look like a vinyl record sleeve, again, very on-theme, and scanning it gives you access to music-related contests and benefits. Most of them seem to be Drake-focused (for now), so if you're into that, be sure to check it out. But it says that "drops" will be happening all summer long, so maybe there will be more artists and opportunities in the coming months. I have no Hip-Hop knowledge, so I won't be speaking to any of that from here on out. I'll just be focusing on the flavor.

Since the bottle is transparent, you can see that instead of crystal clear soda, this looks like lemonade. Visually, that makes complete sense because this is essentially a carbonated, strawbnerry-lemon-lime-ade, right?

Not really. Take a closer look, there's no hint of pink in sight, and only 1% juice listed on the label.

So it looks like lemonade, opened, it smells like lemonade, but it isn't actual lemonade at all. It's like, food science witchcraft. Delicious smelling witchcraft, but witchcraft none-the-less.

Opened, it smells sweet, tangy, and fruity. Very recognizable as lemonade, but more-so in the powdered drink mix sense of things. Think pink-colored Country Time lemonade mix, not the real deal. Only this isn't pink at all. (Smells pink, looks yellow.)

Taking a sip, it's lightly carbonated, sweet, yet tart, and for something that doesn't look pink AT ALL, it tastes pretty pink. The flavoring is more authentic strawberry than I expected it to be too! I'm really impressed!

I can't tell you the last time I reached for a Sprite. Lemon-Lime soda is something I gravitated towards as a kid. As an adult, I find it too sweet for my sipping needs, so I normally only buy it as an ingredient in making something else. But this is very different from normal Sprite. The tartness from the lemonade flavoring, though artificial, makes it much more drinkable for me, and it's really refreshing. Especially for a soda.

I don't know how they made it taste so lemonade-like without more actual fruit being involved, but I fine with that being a mystery. This is perfect for summer, and probably my favorite Sprite flavor of all time. Definitely check it out before it's gone!

Fans of this would also like: Mtn Dew Lemonade Game Fuel, Bolthouse Farms Watermelon Mint Lemonade, or Front Porch Lemonade Gum

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Another Mexican Street Corn Product!

2023-06-09T07:30:00.003-04:00

There was a huge bag of this stuff at Costco and since I love Elotes, it was really tempting. But they weren't sampling it in-store, and I had never tried this brand before, so I didn't want to overcommit. I've been burned by jumping into wholesale-club sizes of new products in the past, so walking away was the right move at the time. Thankfully, Dollar Tree had this mini bag!

Let's check it out and see if I should take the plunge.

Opened, the bag smells savory, like corn chips, and tangy, like Tajín. A good sign.

The mix is comprised of: Double Cheese Crunchy Corn, Elote Honey Roasted Sesame Chips, Elote Corn Sticks, Fiery hot Corn Churritos, and Elote Corn Jacks

Double Cheese Crunchy Corn - looks a lot like Corn Nuts, but I found these to be significantly less hard on your teeth. They have a dry, smoky, corny, flavor with a dusting of artificial Cheeto-cheese-dust. They're noticeably tangy, but I think that is flavor transfer from rubbing against other items in the bag and not something intentional for this particular mix-in. Overall very enjoyable, but I think "double cheese," is overselling it. They are a moderately cheesy at best.

Elote Honey Roasted Sesame Chips - I love the combination of sweet and spicy, so this was my favorite item in the mix. At a glance, they look like a piece of breakfast cereal, covered in a darkly colored glaze. Kind of like candied nuts. But they don't just taste sweet, they're also salty, tangy, and have a medium-level of dry pepper-based heat. It's like making Puppy Chow using sesame crackers, honey, and Tajín. Unfortunately there weren't that many in this mix, but if you seek them out and snack on them consecutively, the salt builds up. If there were more, I would need a drink handy for the salt aspect, not the spice level. Still it's my favorite item in the mix, salt be damned.

Elote Corn Sticks - Probably my least favorite item in the mix. You know those little bread sticks in Chex Mix? It's like a corn version of that. Mainly crispy corn flavoring here, not so much elote. They taste perfectly fine, but when you compare it to the other items this is clearly the dud.

Fiery hot Corn Churritos - These bring a decent amount of heat to the table, but there weren't that many in the bag. I'm not a heat-seeker, so I'm fine with that. The few that were there added just the right amount of heat for my snacking needs. These are pretty much a better version of the Elote Corn Sticks.

Elote Corn Jacks - I am not sure if the shape just grabbed seasoning better than other shapes, or if this mix-in is where the citrus flavoring was concentrated, but I felt like these were extra lime-y. As if you squeezed lime juice onto a bag of corn chips. (But they stayed dry and crispy.) Tangy, salty, corn-y, and delicious. Another hit.

Verdict is in! This is delicious! But it's quite salty. I would be snacking on this solo, so if I bought the giant Costco bag, I don't think I could get through it before it got stale, BUT I will gladly buy this little one again, or a medium-sized one.

If you like lime flavoring, Corn Nuts, and elotes, this is the snack for you.

Fans of this would also like: Elote Pringles, Aldi Mexican Street Corn Corn Chips, or Mexican Street Corn Cheetos

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One from the Vaults

2023-06-07T07:30:00.015-04:00

Do the photos look weird? Because they're from 2018, when Caramel m&m's were first released. In typical me-fashion, I took the photos and never finished writing up the accompanying post. Rather than scrap it, I figure I'd make a new mini-post, because in spite of the "share-sized" labeling, I have polished off countless bags completely solo.

Once opened, you can see that the candies are larger than normal m&m's but not as large as the peanut variety. They have a very soft caramel center, a layer of milk chocolate, and are sealed with a candy shell. As a product, these aren't revolutionizing the candy world, or even m&m's as a brand, and it's such a basic combination, that it's borderline embarrassing that it took them until 2018 to release it. Plus, the chocolate-caramel market is over saturated already. Right off the top of my head we already have: MilkyWay, Rolos, 100 Grand Bar, Caramello, Milk Duds...and so many others. And yet? These are absolutely addicting.

They remind me of Rolos, but better. (Sorry, Rolos.)

Why? Their candy shell. It's why the Reese's Piece cup is better to me than the original. It's why I prefer coated tablet-style gum to sticks. It's the added texture and ease of snackability that has me reaching into the bag for more. They are bite sized, no wrappers or foil to remove, and have just the right amount of crunch.

Could the chocolate quality be a bit better? Sure. I would say it's mid-level at best, but the ease of snacking, combined with a crunchy sugary shell and soft almost creamy caramel makes this a top-tier m&m for me.

Even if it was the gateway m&m for the very disappointing Chocolate Hazelnut flavor, it's near perfect in my book. And as long as they keep making it, I'll keep on buying it.

Fans of this would also like: Espresso m&m's, Birthday Cake m&m's, or Australian Banana m&m's

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Caramel Corn Curls - 2 Flavors! : Peach Nectar & Honey Lemon

2023-06-05T07:30:00.001-04:00

Tohato Caramel Corn, 2 Flavors - Hung Vuong Food Market

Tohato Caramel Corn is not at all like American Caramel corn.
In America, "caramel corn" refers to popped popcorn kernels covered in a thin shell of caramel. They retain their popped-corn shape, and typically only come in one flavor, caramel.
Tohato Caramel Corn is more like a corn-based snack with a sweet flavored coating. Think dessert-Cheetos, or like, giant curl-shaped breakfast cereal. It's corn-based, and sweet, but just because it says "caramel" doesn't necessarily mean that the overall flavor has anything to do with caramel.
I've had a few flavors, but only one one has ever made it to the blog. Why not check out some more?
Today I have Honey Lemon, and Peach Nectar.

Peach Nectar: Corn curls with a very light pink coloring and a frosted appearance, like Frosted Flakes. If you've ever had a Nectar drink, they are super sweet and syrupy, I only really buy them to use as mixers for other drinks because they are so intense. By comparison, this is quite light. The outside is sweet and sugary, the corn puff melts away in your mouth similar to a Cheeto Puff, and you're left with a light Peach flavoring that reminds me of a jam or concentrate. It isn't intense or in your face, but the peach flavoring is definitely recognizable. It's refreshing, unique, and peach is fairly uncommon in American snack foods, so I would definitely recommend this one and buy it again. 4/5

Honey Lemon: Pale yellow puffed corn curls with a slight frosted appearance. These. Are. So. Good. They're like big, sweet, puffy lemony, breakfast cereal. Reminiscent of Froot Loops, thanks to the lemon, but the honey aftertaste and melt in your mouth texture elevates it. Honey lemon is my go-to drink order, so I may be biased, but these are so delicious and addicting. I am destroying this bag in record time and I will be very sad when it's gone because I'm not sure if and when I will find it again. If you love sweet, lemony, snacks, this is a must-try. 100/5, highly recommend

Fans of this would also like: Honey Lemon Paw Print Candies, Carolina Honey Argo Tea, Vita Honey Lemon, Georgia Peach Coke, or Peach Hibiscus Kombucha

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