Author: Holly

REVIEW: Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot Limon Potato Chips

Holly

Lay s Kettle Cooked Flamin Hot Limon Potato Chips Bag

What are Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot Limón?

The newest item to get the Flamin’ Hot Limón treatment, these thicker than your average chip are dusted with that special blend of intense spices and a hint of lime. Lay’s released a plain Flamin’ Hot version of the kettle chips last year.

How is it?

While it had been a while since I tried anything “Flamin’ Hot” branded, these were enticing enough that I had to try them. The addition of the lime flavor as well as kettle chips seemed interesting and would hopefully add some layers to the Flamin’ Hot spice other than just “hot.”

Lay s Kettle Cooked Flamin Hot Limon Potato Chips Inside Bag

I opened the bag expecting an overpowering smell of chili powder, but was greeted with that earthy kettle chip smell instead. The bright red chips warned me to not underestimate them. Its spicy chili flavor hits first and hard, but then is complemented by the citrusy lime. It’s almost like a tequila shot in a chip from the way the lime comes in at the end to mellow everything. The satisfying crunch from the kettle chip makes it an all around delicious snack.

Anything else you need to know?

Lay s Kettle Cooked Flamin Hot Limon Potato Chips Closeup

Because of the spicy flavoring, these are more of a casual grazing chip for me versus my normal style of pouring a “portion” three or four times. The flavor is great, but my tolerance for spice sits somewhere between Franks Red Hot and Huy Fong brand Sriracha. After two handfuls, good as they may be, I had to give my mouth a break.

Conclusion:

Flamin’ Hot purists may not care much for the addition of the lime, but I think it makes the flavor profile much more rounded and enjoyable for the casual Flamin’ Hot consumer. I also imagine paired with a corn elote dip, these would be a major hit.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: Winn-Dixie
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 18 chips) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 1 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal

Holly 5 Comments

General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal Box

What is General Mills Pokémon Berry Bolt Cereal?

As part of the Pokémon franchise’s 25th anniversary, General Mills has created a cereal to mark the occasion. The Berry Bolt flavored cereal is themed around everyone’s sparky little favorite yellow Pokémon, Pikachu. Berry-flavored, sweetened corn puffs with Pikachu and lightning bolt-shaped marshmallows make up this limited offering.

How is it?

General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal Dry

Much like many special tie-in cereals, this one doesn’t bring anything new or innovative to the table. The puffs themselves, a vibrant red and blue color, have that truly generic “berry” flavor you find in a lot of cereals that merely say the taste is “berry.” I got a heavy blueberry flavor whereas my husband swears it was cherry. Also, no, the red and blue puffs don’t taste different.

General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal Wet

The marshmallows add a small texture difference and more sweetness to an already sweet cereal. It is a cereal that will absolutely satisfy what a kid wants: sugar, sugar, and more sugar.

Anything else you need to know?

General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal Box Back

I found it odd that there was no toy or card tie-in. After some recon on the Pokémon message boards, apparently, there will be a card tie-in promotion in late February to coincide with the 25th anniversary. The boxes out now have no 25th branding, but there are three different ones based on the three different starter types in the game.

Conclusion:

Unless you or your kids are die-hard Pokémon fans/collectors, I’d pass on this. While the cereal is perfectly serviceable, we live in an age where you have whole aisles dedicated to cereal and offer almost endless choices. I’d also say if you are curious, wait until at least the 25th branded boxes with cards come out.

Purchase Priced: $3.50
Size: 17 oz box
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 ¼ cup) 150 calories, 1 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal

Holly 1 Comment

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal Box

The speed at which retail stores remove Christmas to put up Valentine’s Day merchandise manages to shock me every year. Wednesday, it was aisles of dreamy snowscape mini villages. Thursday, it’s giant stuffed bears, boxes of cards, and food dyed in vibrant red and pink. Peppermint is out and chocolate strawberry is in.

This year, General Mills decided to take a run at the Valentine’s Day market by releasing the Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios cereal. It is described as a “blissful pairing” of “delectable strawberries dipped in rich, chocolatey sauce.” I was beyond excited to give this a try.

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal Back

For you see, dear readers, I don’t think I’m being too dramatic when I say chocolate strawberry is the absolute best flavor combination we humans have ever discovered. Okay, maybe a little dramatic, but chocolate strawberry flavor is easily my all-time favorite. Chocolate covered strawberries themselves can be difficult to eat, but with the onslaught of chocolate strawberry flavored foods in the past few years, I’m able to enjoy my favorite pairing with a less awkward mess.

The first thing I noticed just by looking at the box was that the flavor would be coming from the cereal itself. Normally it seems companies will just add a handful of chocolate chunks and strawberry bits to their regular product (looking at you, Special K Chocolate Strawberry).

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal Dry

In this case, General Mills blended its Chocolate Cheerios and Strawberry Cheerios to create this treat. The smell of the strawberry cereal was extremely strong upon opening the plastic. I tossed a handful of dry cereal back and found it to be kind of boring. The strawberry was there, but muted. The chocolate was almost nonexistent.

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal In Milk

I wasn’t going to let my hopes be dashed. Surely it would get better once I added the milk. It had to, right? RIGHT?! Lucky milk gave it the glow up it needed. The first thing I noticed as I added milk to the cereal was the pinkish hue of strawberry flavor was coming off the O shapes. The chocolate pieces also began to change the milk from white to chocolatey brown. With my first bite of the milk and cereal, I was met with the flavors I had expected. Bright, juicy strawberry and rich, deep chocolate came through with each spoonful.

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal Milk

After finishing the cereal, I was left with a chocolatey milk. Now, normally I’m not a big fan of the milk after I finish the cereal. I know, you can drag me in the comments, but this might have changed my mind. For the sake of getting a thorough review, I gingerly took a sip. The cereal’s flavors soaked deeply into the milk, leaving an absolutely delicious chocolate strawberry flavored milk beverage. I ended up finishing the milk, which is something I never do.

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal Heart

The high expectations I had for this cereal were (thankfully) met. They in no way replace the authentic taste and experience of eating a chocolate-covered strawberry, but this delivered the flavors I was looking for. In the same way Pumpkin Spice Cheerios add a seasonal fall twist to your morning breakfast routine, these will get you in the mood for love, spring, and 50% off candy on February 15th.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 10.9 oz box
Purchased at: Publix
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 140 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Brookie-O Oreo Cookies

Holly 10 Comments

Limited Edition Brookie O Oreo Cookies Package

Oreo cookies are iconic. The sweet cream snuggled between two crunchy chocolate wafers is one of the (if not the) most recognizable cookies on the market. Yet, in the past decade, we’ve seen Nabisco move out of its comfort zone into a new world of unique offerings. Two of those discontinued varieties, Cookie Dough and Brownie Batter, have joined forces to return in a new form: Brookie-O.

For those unfamiliar with what a brookie is, it is when you layer brownie batter and cookie dough to create an extra decadent treat. I love fresh chocolate chip cookies and I love ooey-gooey brownies, but not usually together. They almost always end up competing against one another for flavor dominance in a Highlander-like fight where the brownie layer will scream, “THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!”

The Brookie-O Oreo is described as “Brownie, Original Creme, & Cookie Dough Triple Layered Creme between two chocolate wafer cookies.” I was worried that having three creme layers were going to be too much. Luckily, the food research and development department managed to deliver an enjoyable and balanced flavor experience.

Limited Edition Brookie O Oreo Cookies Open

The first thing I noticed upon opening the packaging was the cookies’ size seemed to be equivalent to the Double Stuf. At first bite, the overwhelming flavor is that of the original Oreo. The sweet cream and chocolate cookies almost seem aggressively loud, but then magic happened. As I continued to chew, the cookie dough flavor started to chime in. Another bite saw the entrance of the brownie batter. Nabisco managed to layer the creme flavors in a way that blended perfectly.

Limited Edition Brookie O Oreo Cookies Top Off

Upon taking the Oreo apart, you can see the distinct layers even more clearly. I attempted to separate them (there was a whole thing with tweezers and trying to freeze them), but they are fairly well stuck together. Going the old fashioned route (licking them), I was able to taste each. Brownie had that taste of when you sneak a lick of the batter off the spoon. Fudgey and rich, it worked really well in the context of this variety, but I could see it being too much on its own.

Limited Edition Brookie O Oreo Cookies Creme Only

The middle layer was that of the original creme. I had questioned why this would be included at all as I assumed the brownie and cookie dough would be more than enough, but I’m glad it was there. As mentioned previously, brookies tend to feel like they have two strong flavors competing for your attention. The original creme acts like a great equalizer to the two flavors.

Finally reaching the cookie dough layer, I was greeted with the familiar flavor of cookie dough you’d find in ice cream. It is not quite the flavor of homemade stuff, but a pretty good approximation. Of the three layers, it was my least favorite on its own.

Limited Edition Brookie O Oreo Cookies Side

Overall this Oreo was like a good chorus: each voice on its own can shine, but together they make beautiful music. As they are marketing them as a limited edition, I’d encourage you to grab them while you can. I’m debating if I should get a second package so that I can make the most meta baked good ever: Oreo Brookies made with Brookie-O Oreo.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 13.2 oz
Purchased at: Walgreens
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 180 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Multi Grain Cheerios with Real Strawberries Cereal

Holly 6 Comments

Multi Grain Cheerios with Real Strawberries Cereal Box

What is Multi Grain Cheerios with Real Strawberries Cereal?

As we gear up for New Year Resolution season, General Mills is coming in hot with a new version of the popular Multi Grain Cheerios. This variety of the 5 grain, lightly sweetened cereal includes bits of real (freeze-dried) strawberries.

Multi Grain Cheerios with Real Strawberries Cereal Back of Box

How is it?

As a larger person who grew up in the 90s, I am no stranger to the boom that happened in the category of “diet cereal.” I vaguely remember when General Mills introduced Multi Grain Cheerios, but we weren’t a cereal family, so I don’t recall ever having it. That being said, I was interested in trying this variety. I’m a fan of Special K with Red Berries (strawberries) and was curious how this would stand up to that.

Multi Grain Cheerios with Real Strawberries Cereal Bowl

Upon the first sniff, it smelled like…well, really nothing. However, the overall taste was quite good. The oat and grain flavor of the cereal itself is perfectly serviceable (albeit a little bland), but the added fruity sweetness of the strawberry pieces made the flavor far less boring.

Multi Grain Cheerios with Real Strawberries Cereal Pieces

Speaking of the strawberry pieces, they were small enough to blend well with the familiar O-shaped cereal that allowed for an even distribution of flavor in each spoonful. Oftentimes with cereals that have extra elements, the ratio tends to be off. But in this case, they were perfectly balanced; just enough strawberry in every bite.

Multi Grain Cheerios with Real Strawberries Cereal Milk

My only real complaint would be that, by the time the strawberries rehydrated, the cereal itself was far soggier than I personally care for. Letting the strawberries rehydrate in the milk certainly makes their flavor much more pronounced, so it was almost worth the trade-off.

Anything else you need to know?

According to the General Mills website, these are a permanent addition to the Multi Grain Cheerios line. The nutritional stats of this and the original Multi Grain Cheerios are almost exactly the same.

Conclusion:

Multi Grain Cheerios with Real Strawberries Cereal Spoon

If you are looking for a new cereal to add to your morning rotation or possibly to get a kick start on those resolutions, this feels like a good option. It’s nice to see a little variety with this line. If this sells well, it could potentially lead to more Multi Grain Cheerios flavors. Fingers crossed for the return of the Berry Burst Triple Berry Cheerios under the Multi Grain brand.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 11.5 oz box
Purchased at: Winn-Dixie
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 1/3 cup) 140 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.