Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Nestle Coffee mate New Fall 2021 Coffee Creamer Flavors

Marvo

Nestle Coffee mate Natural Bliss Cinnamon Swirl Latte

If you don’t follow the coffee creamer universe, fall is one of the seasons when we see new varieties from Nestle Coffee mate. This year, the brand brings us two of them — Natural Bliss Cinnamon Swirl Latte and Natural Bliss Pumpkin Spice Oat Milk Creamer.

Oh, you were hoping for pecan pie a la mode or candied yams with marshmallows? That’s not happening this year.

Natural Bliss Cinnamon Swirl Latte

When I see “cinnamon” it a coffee creamer’s name, I automatically think of the bold Big Red gum-like flavor I’ve tasted with previous cinnamon-heavy creamers. But when I took a sip of cold brew coffee with several splashes of this, the cinnamon wasn’t like that at all. It’s milder than I was expecting. I don’t know if this will make sense, but the milk and cream do more of the magic of hiding the coffee than the cinnamon. Actually, on second thought, that makes sense since this has “latte” in its name.

Being part of the “Natural Bliss” line means no artificial colors or flavors, no rBST treated cows, and an ingredients list that I can quickly type right now, and it won’t have one-word ingredients with double-digit letters — nonfat milk, heavy cream, cane sugar, and natural flavor. Yup, that’s it. Oh, according to the bottle, that natural cinnamon flavor comes from real cinnamon sticks.

This isn’t a unique variety, but it’s an enjoyable refrigerated cinnamon coffee creamer that’s all-natural. It’s something that’s been lacking from the Natural Bliss line, although I’m disappointed it’s not permanent.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 32 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Received from Nestle
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tbsp) 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 5 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of sugar, 4 grams of added sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

Natural Bliss Pumpkin Spice Oat Milk Creamer

Nestle Coffee mate Natural Bliss Pumpkin Spice Oat Milk Creamer

If you’ve had Coffee mate’s Natural Bliss Pumpkin Spice dairy creamer, which has been out for several years now, you’ll have an idea of what this tastes like.

It has the pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg flavors that you’d expect. When I drink it straight, like any normal human being would when faced with a new creamer, it reminds me of pumpkin pie. Also, this may be my taste buds’ wishful tasting, but when consuming it on its own, they think the oat milk kind of adds a flavor that could be described as pie crust-like.

When added to my cold brew, the usual seasonal flavors come through (although not the pie crust), but does it in a way that’s vegan, cholesterol-free, lactose-free, carrageenan-free, and gluten-free with no artificial colors or flavors too. If you’re looking for a non-dairy pumpkin spice creamer, this is a darn tasty choice.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 32 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Received from Nestle
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tbsp) 30 calories, 1 gram of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of sugar, 4 grams of added sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the products. Thanks, Nestle! Doing so did not influence my review.

REVIEW: Skittles Shriekers

Mark 4 Comments

Skittles Shriekers Bag

What are Skittles Shriekers?

There are five Skittles flavors in this mix: shocking lime (light green), ghoulish green apple (darker green), rattled raspberry (purple), citrus scream (light orange), and spine-tingling tangerine (darker orange). Most of them are normal, but “some are so sour they will make you shriek!”

Skittles Shriekers Fun Size

It’s the same idea as the Zombie Skittles I reviewed two years ago, but without the repulsive rotten flavor.

How are they?

I like all the flavors! Tangerine is the most sophisticated flavor, but lime and green apple are also fantastic. Raspberry and citrus are less interesting, but I still like them.

The sour ones have the same flavors as the non-sour ones, but they get more sour the more you chew (unlike regular Sour Skittles, which have a sour coating on the outside). They’re less sour than Warheads, more similar to Sour Patch Kids. They didn’t make me shriek, but my eyelids twitched!

Skittles Shriekers Skull

These trick-or-treat fun-size packages have about fifteen Skittles each, but only two or three are sour. That’s a shame, because they’re a lot of fun! With the Zombie variety, you didn’t want too many gross ones, but this variety would benefit from more sour.

Anything else you need to know?

Aesthetically, both the packaging and the candy itself are more Halloweeny than previous varieties. I dig it!

Skittles Shriekers Skeleton

But that skeleton made me have a nightmare that I took corpses and skeletons from a mausoleum to Carrie Underwood’s house.

Conclusion:

Skittles Shriekers Spoons

I am so happy Skittles didn’t merely change the flavors for Halloween; instead, the candy is an experience. It’s definitely an improvement on the intentionally disgusting Zombie packs.

I just wish there were more sour ones.

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: 10.72 oz. bag (20 fun-size packs)
Purchased at: Dan’s
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 pack/15 grams) 60 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 11 grams of total sugar, 11 grams of added sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Chewy Chips Ahoy Hershey’s Fudge Filled Cookies

Vin 9 Comments

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Package

What are Chewy Chips Ahoy Hershey’s Fudge Filled Cookies?

Love Chewy Chips Ahoy but wish they were like 7% better? Well, have I got a cookie for you!

How are they?

I guess the main problem – if you wanna call it a problem – is that these are essentially just Chewy Chips Ahoy with a bit more chocolate.

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Filling

As the name suggests, there’s a thin layer of Hershey’s chocolate fudge in the center of each cookie. While it tastes distinctly Hershey in isolation, the cookie really wasn’t much different than normal.

I think my main hang-up is that I still have no clue if the chips were also Hershey’s or the same chocolate Nabisco has always used.

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Sleeves

While I definitely tasted Hershey, there wasn’t much variance from the fudge center to the chips. Either they were also Hershey without the bag mentioning it, or my brain was playing tricks on me. Or maybe its regular chocolate just isn’t that far off from Hershey, making this release kinda pointless?

Either way, I like Chewy Chips Ahoy, and I like Hershey’s chocolate, so I can’t really complain.

Anything else you need to know?

Ok, just a little…

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Gooey

I don’t necessarily know what I expected from that word “fudge” here, but it’s just a gritty, chocolate layer of mush. I suppose that passes as “fudge” in a mass-produced cookie. It just felt like they took five or six more chips and smushed them in the middle of the cookie. The package gave me the impression it would be gooier.

The package also recommended eating these with ice cream, but I went the other way and popped a few in the microwave. It “gooed” up the center a bit, but unfortunately didn’t change the experience too much.

Conclusion:

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Split

Look, I like Chewy Chips Ahoy, so I liked these. I also like saying, “Chewy Chips Ahoy,” and think it should replace “cellar door” as the most beautiful combination of words.

In the end, the Hershey of it all didn’t make these unique. By the time I was five cookies in, I just thought I was eating “Extra Chocolatey” Chewy Chips Ahoy, but I guess the keywords there are “five cookies in.” These went down ridiculously fast. They’re two biters at most. I ate the entire package in a single night. Take that how you will.

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Empty

Purchased Price: $2.69
Size: 9.6 oz.
Purchased at: Shop Rite
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 Cookies) 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 11 grams of total sugars, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Apple Cider Donut Oreo Cookies

Mark 6 Comments

Limited Edition Apple Cider Donut Oreo Package

I think the junk food gods wanted me to have a good experience sampling the new Apple Cider Donut Oreo Cookies, which are a standard Golden Oreo cookie with a tan-colored creme that tastes like apple cider donuts.

I had been actively (obsessively) searching for several days, and finally found them the fourth day in a random local grocery store, when it just happened to be twenty-five degrees cooler than average. So even though it’s August, it totally felt like fall, making a perfect atmosphere to review these new cookies that totally taste like fall.

Limited Edition Apple Cider Donut Oreo Fall

When I first heard about these, I was intrigued and excited but also skeptical. I hoped for three elements from cookies with “Apple Cider Donut” in the name: apple, donut, and spices (specifically cinnamon). Would they deliver? Let’s find out!

Apple: Check!

Donut: Check!

Spices: Check?

OK, so I don’t really taste the spices, even though the ingredients list says “spices (includes cinnamon).” But the rest of it is so good that I don’t mind!

I don’t know how Nabisco’s food scientists did it, but these cookies really taste like donuts, like there’s been dough fried in oil.

The most prominent flavor, though, is apple. It’s not an authentic flavor, but it’s also not like an artificial candy flavor. It’s somewhere in the middle. And even though I don’t always like apple flavors, I don’t mind it at all here!

Limited Edition Apple Cider Donut Oreo Milk

The Oreo is known as a dunking cookie. So I dunked these in milk, and the result surprised me: the milk neither enhanced nor detracted from the experience. It brought the apple flavor forward, but not overwhelmingly so.

Limited Edition Apple Cider Donut Oreo Cider

And since it’s apple cider donut, I dunked these in apple cider as well. I worried the authentic cider would make the creme taste too artificial, but nope, it was still enjoyable. Neither better nor worse.

No matter how I tried them (eating normally, separating the creme, dunking in milk, dunking in cider), I liked them equally. You know those people who are friends with everyone? These Oreo cookies are the junk food equivalent.

For more than a decade, we have had lots of candies and treats flavored like candy corn, caramel apple, and of course, pumpkin spice. I love them all, but I’m so glad to see another iconic fall food get some recognition.

There are other Oreo flavors that I like more, but these just make me happy. Like any good Oreo should do.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 12.2 oz. package
Purchased at: Dan’s Fresh Market
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugars), and less than 1 percent protein. (Neither the website nor the label gives an actual protein gram amount.)

REVIEW: Monster Mash Cereal

Julie 9 Comments

Monster Mash Cereal Box

I was browsing store shelves one summer day
and found a new cereal along the way
On the box were five monsters I’ve missed
Obviously, I couldn’t resist
I bought the Mash!
I bought the Monster Mash!

Although some consumers balk at seasonal products creeping into stores early, I love catching fall finds in late summer. Like a child watching the first fun size candy bar grace his trick or treat bag, I see these seasonal products as harbingers of more greatness to come. (Also like that child, I’m probably regretting not wearing a light jacket like my mom told me to.)

Monster Mash Cereal Characters

Monster Mash Cereal feels especially exciting because it celebrates the 50th anniversary of the monster cereals that have haunted our seasonal breakfast tables. Not willing to rival Dr. Frankenstein, General Mills didn’t create Monster Mash from the spare parts of Boo Berry, Franken Berry, Count Chocula, Frute Brute, and Yummy Mummy cereals. Rather, this limited edition offering is an artificially berry-flavored cereal with marshmallows. Essentially, it is a mixture of Boo Berry and Franken Berry cereals, along with marbits shaped like ghosts, bats, and monster heads to pay homage to the other mascots.

Monster Mash Cereal Closeup

Monster Mash Cereal Band

Take a moment to set aside your disappointment at the Count Chocula erasure. Instead, admire the work of art that is the Monster Mash cereal box, where our band of ghoulish mascots celebrates its half-century milestone by playing a cover of “Monster Mash.” The QR code on the back of the box leads you to a page where you can view a “behind the music” video and listen to a snippet of the cover. Spotify subscribers have access to the full song, which has no business sounding so good.

You’re probably thinking, Get to the point already. Should I trick or treat myself to this cereal or not? Unfortunately, the fun aesthetic and novelty of Monster Mash contribute heavily to its appeal, because the cereal itself is passable. The crisp cereal has a generic mixed berry flavor, with the blueberry pieces dominating. The multi-colored marbits all deliver a mild marshmallow taste. I always welcome marbits in cereal, so I wouldn’t have minded a few more per serving.

Monster Mash Cereal Bowl

Unlike the oat-based monster cereals of the past, Monster Mash is corn-based, which I always find less pleasing in milk. That trend holds true here:

Out of the carton, some milk I poured
so I could taste just a little more
I lifted my spoon, prepared to savor
and said, “What happened to all the flavor?”

As expected, the cereal grew soggy quickly, but I was surprised that the milk made the berry flavor disappear faster than a ghost through a wall.

For such a fun concept, Monster Mash Cereal sadly underwhelms. It’s definitely good enough to snack on during a horror movie marathon or to keep up your energy if you get lost in a corn maze. Happy to have found a smaller box (versus the family size common to so many limited edition cereals), I will enjoy Monster Mash until the novelty wears off, but I won’t be howling for more.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 9.6 oz (272 g) box
Purchased at: Giant Eagle
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 1/3 cup) 160 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein