OTHER THINGS I CONSUMED: 1/23/2026

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Liquid IV Hot Chocolate

Liquid IV Hot Chocolate

It’s cold here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I’m talking high 60s to low 70s. BRRRRR. Fortunately, I had this hot chocolate mix to warm me up, which was on the clearance shelf for 50 percent off or five dollars.

Unfortunately, I used only one of the six packets in the box to keep me warm and gave the rest away because this hot drink mix is a hot mess. It smells and tastes like I’m drinking watered down hot cocoa next to a busy perfume section at Macy’s. Is that hard to believe? Yeah, it is hard to believe Macy’s is busy nowadays. There’s also a slight sourness in the aftertaste, which is what I expect from fruity Liquid I.V. flavors, but not from a hot chocolate-flavored one.

Maybe Liquid I.V. should stick with only cold drink flavors?

Swoop Peanut Butter Chip Blitz High Protein Dessert

Swoop Peanut Butter Chip Blitz High Protein Dessert

After opening the top, I saw a shimmer that made it look icy, but once I started scraping away at the top, a regular ice cream-looking level appeared.

I’ve never been a fanboy of high protein ice creams, like Halo Top and Enlightened. They were okay tasting, but didn’t wow me. However, this pint of Swoop did wow me. Not just because it’s a high protein ice cream, but it’s an ice cream that has a decent texture despite not having milk, skim milk, or cream. The only “dairy” listed is from whey protein isolate, and the first ingredient is water. It’s also made with avocado oil, and dates sweeten the chocolate. I know, all that sounds like it should be an awful product, but it’s not.

Swoop Peanut Butter Chip Blitz High Protein Dessert close up

The pint features peanut butter swirls, dark chocolate flakes, and a maybe-vanilla base. While there are some peanut butter swirls going through the middle of the pint, they were mainly on the outer rim of the dessert. But with every scoop, there was a pronounced peanut butter flavor. The chocolate flakes were plentiful, and it’s hard to believe Swoop used unsweetened chocolate, dates, and coconut oil to make them.

Like any great ice cream pint, I could’ve eaten this in one sitting.

Alani Nu Cherry Bomb Energy Drink

Alani Nu Cherry Bomb Energy Drink

I didn’t have high hopes for this zero sugar energy drink because when I searched the Target website to see if the nearest store had it in stock, I noticed its product page had an overall 3-star rating from shoppers. However, like other Alani Nu products I’ve tried, this one is great as well.

According to the brand, this energy drink is a “twist of cherry, vanilla, and cola flavors.” But it really should be rearranged to cherry, cola, and vanilla because the cherry is definitely the most prominent, followed by the cola, and somewhere there’s vanilla. However, my tongue didn’t notice it. Think of it as Cherry Coke or Wild Cherry Pepsi, but the cherry initially dominates the taste buds, then the cola comes through for a bit, and then the cherry fully rushes back in, which might be too much for some.

The Cherry Bomb name is definitely fitting. Also, I think it’s The Bomb. And with 200 milligrams, it’s also a caffeine bomb.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal

Our reviewer, Tiffany, covered this cereal earlier this week, and gave it a glowing review. After trying the sample General Mills sent me, I have to agree with a lot of what she said.

This cereal has a better balance between the chocolate and peanut butter flavors. It definitely makes the original Reese’s Puffs taste too peanut butter-y. I also agree with her that this should be the default Reese’s Puffs cereal. I don’t think General Mills would lose any money by doing that. Also, we don’t have to get rid of the original completely. General Mills could bring it back every so often with a graphic that calls it the “Retro Recipe.”

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REVIEW: Taco Bell Luxe Value Menu

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Taco Bell Luxe Value Menu

Taco Bell has gotten expensive.

I’ve seen your comments complaining, and I completely agree with you because I hear the voices in my head yelling profanities in between statements like, “SEVEN DOLLAR DIPPING BURRITOS!? Back in my day, you could spend seven dollars at Taco Bell and eat for seven days! Now get off my lawn!”

Those days of a few dollars getting you a lot of food are long gone, but Taco Bell has heard your grumbling and my mind’s cursing because there’s now a new Luxe Value Menu that features ten items that are advertised for three dollars or less. While that’s not like the days of yore quiero Taco Bell, it’s a start.

Of those ten menu items, five are new-ish: Beefy Potato Loaded Griller, Salted Caramel Churros, Mini Taco Salad, Chips and Nacho Supreme Dip, and Avocado Ranch Chicken Stacker. The not-new-ish are the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito, 3-Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt, and Cheesy Roll Up. I’ll be reviewing the five new-ish ones here.

Avocado Ranch Chicken Stacker

Avocado Ranch Chicken Stacker

Let’s start with my least favorite of the bunch, which features grilled all-white-meat chicken, avocado ranch, creamy chipotle sauce, a three-cheese blend, lettuce, and tomatoes, all wrapped in a folded tortilla.

Yeah, it’s my least favorite of the bunch, but it’s still decent. Although I’m not sure mine was made correctly, I could definitely taste the avocado ranch sauce, but not the creamy chipotle. Whatever I got, it’s pretty basic tasting with just the chicken and ranch sauce coming through. The poultry is tender, and the lettuce adds a little crunch, but the tomatoes aren’t noticeable at all, despite my order having several chunks.

The Avocado Ranch Chicken Stacker is a limited time offering, but it’s so mid that it’s okay to skip it. Also, it’s the priciest of the bunch.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 430 calories. No other nutritional information is available at the time of publication.

Beefy Potato Loaded Griller

Let’s follow up my least favorite of the bunch with my favorite: a grilled roll-up filled with seasoned beef, crispy potato bites, chipotle sauce, nacho cheese sauce, and reduced-fat sour cream. Those of you who edit the Taco Bell Wiki probably realize that this is awfully similar to Taco Bell’s Beefy Potato-rito from 2017. The only ingredient difference between this and that is the addition of sour cream in this one.

I gave the Beefy Potato-rito a 7 out of 10, and I’m going to give this one a slightly better score because it’s bigger, making it beefier and potato-ier. There’s a chili cheese fries vibe with these, and I love the seasoned beef and potato combo. The nacho cheese is the most noticeable of the sauces, and there’s also a slight kick that might be coming from the chipotle sauce, but it doesn’t build to anything beyond smoldering. The Beefy Potato Loaded Griller is terrific, and it makes me wonder why more Taco Bell items don’t have potatoes in them. Will definitely be repurchasing this.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 490 calories, 25 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 1120 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (including 2 grams of added sugar), and 12 grams of protein.

Mini Taco Salad

Mini Taco Salad

Let me start by saying this Mini Taco Salad is super adorable. That adorable mini tortilla bowl is filled with seasoned beef, chipotle sauce, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and refried beans. I want to call it a Taco Side Salad.

Despite having “salad” in its name, it’s more meaty than salad-y. Actually, if it didn’t have the lettuce, it looks like the dip from the chips & dip you’ll read about next. With the lettuce and tortilla bowl, it has that familiar taco salad taste. So it’s almost everything you’d taste from a regular taco salad, but in a cuter form.

However, I think the best thing about the Mini Taco Salad is the fact that I didn’t need a fork to eat it. Sure, I was given one, but I took one look at the mini tortilla bowl and thought, “Yeah, not gonna need utensils with this one.” Then I picked it up with my hands and started chomping away. Surprisingly, I didn’t make a mess. Your cleanliness may vary.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 280 calories, 16 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 490 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of protein.

Chips & Nacho Supreme Dip

Chips & Nacho Supreme Dip

I’m a little surprised this wasn’t called Chips & Six-Layer Dip. Okay, “six” doesn’t EXACTLY rhyme with “chips” and “dip,” but it kind of does. Those six layers include seasoned beef, beans, nacho cheese sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, pico de gallo, and a three-cheese blend, which is served with a sleeve of tortilla chips.

As I looked at the Luxe Value Menu on my table, I had thoughts about dumping the Nacho Supreme Dip into the Mini Taco Salad’s tortilla bowl and eating them as a combined menu item. Maybe I’ll spend five dollars to do that during my next Taco Bell run.

The dip is plentiful, and there’s enough for all the chips given. Much like the Beefy Potato Loaded Griller, the nacho cheese sauce is the most noticeable condiment. With my order, there was a slight bitterness, which might’ve been from the pico de gallo. The dip overall had a familiar flavor, which isn’t surprising since it’s made with common ingredients in the Taco Bell Universe. I guess you could think of this as a burrito filling that doesn’t have a flour tortilla to go home to.

The chips and dip were enjoyable, and I would spend another $2.50 to eat them again.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 360 calories. No other nutritional information is available at the time of publication.

Salted Caramel Churros

Salted Caramel Churros

I ended my Luxe meal with the only dessert on the menu. An order comes with three pieces featuring a creamy filling and a crispy exterior dusted with salted caramel-flavored sugar. That crystalline substance on the crispy fried dough is definitely sweet and definitely salty, but perhaps a bit more salty than I was expecting.

The creamy filling adds a modest amount of sweetness, but I kind of question whether it was necessary if all the salted caramel flavor comes from the sugary coating. I also wondered whether the filling wanted to be involved with this dessert, because when I bit into a piece on one end, the filling would escape from the other, as if it were trying to run away from being associated with these churros.

Other than being saltier than I expected, I think these churros were worth it. For $1.99, you don’t have to fork over much.

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 3 pieces
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 230 calories, 16 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

With Taco Bell’s Luxe Value Menu, you won’t be able to stretch five dollars as much as you could a decade or so ago. However, you can get two or three of these items for five, six, or seven dollars. I paid under $13 for all five, which isn’t enough to quiet the voices in my head. Although they’re whispering, “That’s not too bad.”

REVIEW: Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal

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Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal box

Every so often, an innovation comes along that doesn’t just tweak the original but completely upstages the OG. The new Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal does exactly that.

Apparently, this is the first new Reese’s Puffs flavor combination since the cereal debuted in 1994?! That feels wild, considering there have been limited-edition shapes (bats, bunnies), Minis (which I loved), and other variations like Big Puffs and Peanut Butter Lovers. But flavor-wise, Reese’s Puffs has always stuck with milk chocolate…until now.

And honestly? I am obsessed. General Mills tried to position this as a “midnight snacking” cereal – something clever about dark chocolate and late-night eating – but let’s be real: I ate this all day. I had it as a snack. I had it for dinner. No regrets because this is what Reese’s Puffs should be.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal dry closeup

This version uses real Hershey’s cocoa, and you can actually see the dark chocolate cereal pieces as well as taste them. Not just “cereal chocolate” flavor. The chocolate finally pulls its weight and does the Reese’s candy justice. After eating this, the original Reese’s Puffs just taste like peanut butter puffs to me.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal and regular Reese's Puffs Cereal comparison

Texture-wise, it matches the original, meaning it doesn’t completely pulverize the roof of your mouth. From a flavor perspective, General Mills describes it as a richer, deeper take on the peanut butter and chocolate combo, and that description holds up. The cocoa-forward chocolate balances the peanut butter perfectly, and the cereal finally honors the candy. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are my all-time favorite, for the record.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal in milk closeup

I tried it both dry and with milk, and enjoyed it both ways. It doesn’t really turn the milk into peanut butter chocolate milk, but I’ll let that slide because the cereal itself tastes so good.

At first, I felt annoyed that I had to buy a giant family-size box of this new flavor. But, this is the Reese’s Puffs glow-up we didn’t know we’d been waiting nearly 30 years for.

They’ve reassured fans that the current classic isn’t going anywhere, but I’m officially petitioning for this dark chocolate version to become the new classic.

Purchased Price: $4.93
Size: 19.7 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 10 out of 10

Nutrition Facts: (1 cup / 39g) 160 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 1 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 polyunsaturated fat, 2g of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

OTHER THINGS I CONSUMED: 1/16/26

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Unwell Cherry Lime Energy Drink

Unwell Cherry Lime Energy Drink

This energy drink is um, well, unawesome. While it has a strong cherry aroma, its cherry lime flavor doesn’t pop. Its flavor is muted, which is surprising because that wasn’t the case when I tried Unwell’s Frosted Cranberry Energy Drink several weeks ago.

But that’s not all that’s disappointing. There’s something mid-sip that I can only describe as a somewhat thick texture that’s similar to what I experience with protein beverages. That would be fine if this had protein, but it has none. It’s not a deal breaker, but again, I don’t recall Unwell’s Frosted Cranberry having it.

The beverage has 150 milligrams of caffeine from natural sources, 745 milligrams of electrolytes, doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners, and is made with real fruit juice (although the can says just 4 percent). Also, the can brings Airheads candy to mind.

Barebells Wild Strawberry Protein Soda

Barebells Wild Strawberry Protein Soda

While Barebells, known for its protein bars, calls this a “soda” with 200 milligrams of caffeine, the can should really say “Protein Energy Drink.” Along with Wild Strawberry, there are also Sweet Cherry and Pineapple Sunrise varieties.

The “soda” has a pleasant strawberry aroma and a mild strawberry flavor. There’s also a slight creaminess, which I guess could be from the whey protein isolate, which provides 10 grams of protein. It contains no strawberry juice but does have artificial sweeteners. Not surprisingly, because it’s a protein “soda” with whey protein isolate, it has the same slightly thick texture as other protein beverages.

It’s an okay-tasting drink with a high caffeine content and a decent amount of protein. It’s tasty and caffeinated enough that I might try the other flavors.

A&W Ice Cream Sundae Soda

A&W Ice Cream Sundae Soda

Yes, this came out more than half a year ago, but I came across it during a visit to 7-Eleven. Actually, I passed by it a few times during previous 7-Eleven visits. However, I finally decided to pick it up because of FOMO and YOLO, and because the bottle and soda colors reminded me of Chewbacca and Han Solo.

Back in August, our reviewer, Amber, gave it a 5 rating because of its artificial chocolate aroma and the way it mostly tasted like a cream soda, with no chocolate flavor. While I could definitely smell its artificial chocolate aroma, I thought it had a pronounced chocolate syrup flavor with a bit of cream soda behind it. That artificial chocolate flavor is not for everyone, but I liked it a lot. Since it’s a limited edition flavor, I might have to pick it up again the next time I’m at 7-Eleven.

H-E-B Limited Edition Bread and Butter Pickle Sweet & Spicy Wavy Potato Chips

H-E-B Limited Edition Bread and Butter Pickle Sweet & Spicy Wavy Potato Chips

Reigning Spotted Photo Champion, Robbie, sent me a box of stuff from H-E-B to try because he knows I’m so enamored with the grocery store. He asked me what I would like to try, and I told him H-E-B’s limited edition potato chips. So he delivered with this flavor and a Korean BBQ, which unfortunately did not survive the USPS.

Having tried those Lay’s Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle chips from a few years ago, I expected these to be as potent and fiery as those. However, I was surprised to find that these chips were neither potent nor fiery. They have a pleasant pickle flavor that’s not overpowering and a “spiciness” that’s almost nonexistent. I loved them so much that I ate more than half the bag while watching a Korean drama episode on Netflix.

REVIEW: Goldfish Seasoned Pretzels

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Goldfish Seasoned Pretzels packaging

Sweet, salty, spicy, or seasoned, there is a school of Goldfish for every snacker. Its latest endeavor: Seasoned Pretzels, available in Honey Mustard and Hot Buffalo varieties.

The pretzels are a little larger than standard Goldfish crackers, with seasoning uniformly coating their golden pretzel surface. The seasoning looked thorough without being heavy, and I wondered if the seasoning could a) coat my fingers like Cheeto dust or b) be enough to stand up to the pretzel.

The answers to my questions are no and yes, respectively. While the seasoning looks light, the flavor is—as the packaging promises—bold.

Goldfish Seasoned Pretzels Honey Mustard close up

The Honey Mustard variety achieves the perfect balance of sweet and savory, which pairs perfectly with its pretzel base. The seasoning has the slight bite of Dijon mustard, but it isn’t overly pungent. As a honey mustard lover, I found these fish dangerously easy to eat.

Goldfish Seasoned Pretzels Hot Buffalo close up

Hot Buffalo is a little tangy and a little hot. It mixes vinegar with cayenne flavor that results in a tingly, slow-building heat that never scorches. Even after munching more fish than a hungry sea lion, I found that the flavor remained palatable and didn’t cause a bothersome aftertaste. The flavor was similar to Goldfish Frank’s Red Hot crackers, but without the cheesy cracker base.

Goldfish Seasoned Pretzels crunchy

The texture of both flavors is also wonderful. Even though the oven-baked pretzels are light and snackable, they are satisfyingly crunchy. Their centers are dense without being a threat to your dental work.

Goldfish Seasoned Pretzels remind me of another pretzel product: Snyder’s Pieces, specifically the Honey Mustard & Onion and Hot Buffalo Wing varieties. Snyder’s Pieces are irregularly-shaped bits of pretzel, seasoned so that the flavor can coat and seep into the non-crusty bits. I remember the Snyder’s product as somewhat oily or buttery-tasting, with a richness that feels heavy even after a small serving. Even though both products offer bold flavor, I would choose Goldfish next time.

Goldfish Seasoned Pretzels many fish in the sea, I mean, on the paper towel

There may be plenty of fish in the sea, but Goldfish Seasoned Pretzels are a catch. The light, crunchy snack is like the pretzel version of Flavor Blasted Goldfish: generously seasoned and a little more exciting than your usual lunchbox fare. If these fish swim to your grocery store shelves, reel them in.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Size: 8 oz bag (227 g)
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 9 out of 10 (both flavors)
Nutrition Facts: (per 23 pieces) 140 calories, 5 grams of fat, 0.5 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 350 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

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