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REVIEW: Nestle Coffee-mate The Cheesecake Factory At Home Strawberry Cheesecake Creamer

October 5, 2018January 22, 2021 Marvo 3 Comments

Nestle Coffee mate The Cheesecake Factory At Home Strawberry Cheesecake Creamer

Like beer and Brussels sprouts, strawberry milk is an acquired taste.

For me, the artificial fruit flavor that flings itself across my taste buds isn’t my first choice for flavored milk. But after being stuck with a container of strawberry Nestle Quik in the 1980s (yes, it used to be called Quik, I’m old, get off my lawn), and not being able to get my usual chocolate Quik until I used up the strawberry one, I grew to enjoy its flavor. I like it to the point where I buy a bottle of Strawberry Nesquik from time to time for nostalgia’s sake.

I bring that up because Nestle’s Coffee-mate The Cheesecake Factory Strawberry Cheesecake Creamer reminds me of the month I spent slowly going through the Strawberry Quik tin. They both have a similar flavor that won’t appeal to everyone.

Case in point, I liked it in my medium roast iced coffee but taking her first (and only) sip of what I was drinking caused my wife to grimace so hard that I didn’t recognize her for a moment. While my wife is my only sample size, that look on her face makes me think I might be the ONLY person on Earth who enjoys this creamer.

By itself, the white-colored creamer tastes excellent. It has a flavor that’s part-natural (thanks to the strawberry juice concentrate) and part-artificial (thanks to food scientists). It reminds me of strawberry ice cream that’s heavy on the dairy.

But what I don’t get is the cheesecake. It’s there in the aftertaste, lingering like a cheesecake ghost. However, it’s so faint that I’m not sure the word “cheesecake” should be attached to this. But, let’s be honest, having cheesecake’s tang in a coffee would be weird. Then again, some folks mix butter and salt with their cup of joe.

To be honest, I’m surprised I liked it in coffee. I’ve tried many creamers, but none have been fruit flavored. They’ve all come from the three primary coffee creamer groups — chocolate, vanilla, and caramel. I thought this would give off a weird fruity flavor, but it didn’t. Okay, some of you will find it odd. Also, any hint of cheesecake tang is gone.

While I enjoyed Nestle’s Coffee-mate The Cheesecake Factory Strawberry Cheesecake Creamer, I can understand how folks, like my wife, won’t. I guess it’s an acquired taste. But if you also thought it was tasty, tell me in the comments so I know I’m not the only person on Earth who liked this.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 tbsp – 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 5 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.29
Size: 32 fl. oz. bottle
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Surprisingly tasty with coffee. It reminds me of Strawberry Quik. Missing the cheesecake’s tang might be a good thing.
Cons: Strawberry-flavored coffee won’t be everyones’ cup of tea, I mean, coffee. Missing the cheesecake part (although that might be a good thing). Seeing your wife grimace to the point where you don’t recognizer her.

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Blue Cheese & Bacon Ribeye Burger

October 5, 2018January 22, 2021 Marvo 3 Comments

Jack in the Box Blue Cheese Bacon Ribeye Burger

Blue cheese is known for its funk. But for those of you in the “Ow, we want the funk. Give up the funk. Ow, we need the funk. We gotta have that funk” crowd when it comes to blue cheese, Jack in the Box’s Blue Cheese & Bacon Ribeye Burger might not satisfy your funkadelic taste buds.

The burger features blue cheese crumbles, a blue cheese sauce, grilled onions, hickory-smoked bacon, and a 100 percent ribeye beef patty on a soft potato bun.

Jack in the Box Blue Cheese Bacon Ribeye Burger 2

I’m not in the plentifunk group because I’ve had burgers and salads that had so much blue cheese that, to make them palatable, I had to do some fast food surgery to extract some. But that’s not the case with the burger I received, which had the right amount of funk that allows the other ingredients to come through.

The white crumbles add a noticeable creaminess and saltiness but don’t add an overpowering blue cheese flavor. Because of the lack of a strong funk, the bacon and blue cheese make a wonderful couple, but not because the two headlining ingredients start with the letter B and not because both can make people smile. Their different flavors and saltiness meld together to create a pleasantly balanced savoriness that I like eating.

The grilled onions also enhance the burger’s flavor and add a slight vegetable snap to go along with the cheese’s creaminess, the bun’s fluffiness, the patty’s soft chew, and the bacon’s, um, I can’t say crispiness because it wasn’t. Um, I’ll say well doneness.

Jack in the Box Blue Cheese Bacon Ribeye Burger 3

I know it’s a premium burger with a premium price. But when I took it out of its clamshell box and paper wrapper, I couldn’t help but think I overpaid for it because it’s on the small side. Also, to be honest, I don’t know what’s so special about these Ribeye patties. I had a Ribeye Burger when it debuted last year, and I felt the beef wasn’t better than the usual meat Jack in the Box uses for its Jumbo Jack. The patty in this burger didn’t change my feelings. Maybe it’s just me.

Overall, Jack in the Box’s Blue Cheese & Bacon Ribeye Burger is tasty. Of course, your results with the blue cheese may vary. You may get one made by someone who’s a little overzealous with the distribution of the crumbled cheese, making the funk freaky. But, of course, you can fix that with some fast food surgery.

(Nutrition Facts – 650 calories, 40 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 gram of trans fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, 1220 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 35 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $6.89*
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: My burger had a nice savoriness thanks to the one-two punch of blue cheese and bacon. Not overly funky. Soft bun.
Cons: Well done bacon. Kind of small for the price.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Halo Top Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream

October 5, 2018January 22, 2021 Mike 1 Comment

Halo Top Peanut Butter Jelly Ice Cream

The existence of high-protein, low-calorie ice cream is a point of dispute in my family. I mean, no one thinks that the pint sitting in the freezer is a mere illusion, only that it shouldn’t exist.

The entire point of ice cream is that it’s an indulgent calorie-bomb. The most thought one should give to an ice cream’s caloric content is to purposefully turn the nutrition facts away as you scoop out a second serving, some say.

Back when these healthy ice creams more resembled frozen protein shakes than real ice cream, I tended to agree. Then Halo Top came along and introduced a product that made me say, “Hey, this isn’t that bad.” That may seem like faint praise, but Halo Top has been a regular part of my diet ever since, so I was excited to taste the new Peanut Butter & Jelly flavor.

The people at Halo Top recommend letting the pint soften a bit by letting it sit out a few minutes before eating. As a practiced hand at eating these pints, I can confirm these instructions should be followed; otherwise you’ll need an ice pick. By which I mean you should toss it in the microwave for a few seconds (remove the foil top first). I’m hungry now, and if I had any self-control I wouldn’t need to stock my freezer with this stuff!

Halo Top Peanut Butter Jelly Ice Cream 2

A fairly uniform white surface presents itself upon uncovering. I was hoping for some distinct ribbons of peanut butter and jelly to swirl themselves throughout the pint, but at most there are some vaguely brownish areas. This is disappointing, and it doesn’t get any better as I dig through the container. I’m willing to forgive this and still have high hopes. Some may eat with their eyes first, but I mostly eat with my mouth. How does it taste?

Halo Top Peanut Butter Jelly Ice Cream 3

I scoop a measured, sensible portion into a bowl, cover the rest, and place it back in the freezer for a later time.

This is a lie.

I ate the entire pint! That’s the entire point of Halo Top. Remember: no self-control.

Readers shouldn’t take my weakness of character as a statement of unrestrained endorsement. I like it because there’s a strong peanut flavor, and the jelly has enough tartness to make it interesting.

Halo Top Peanut Butter Jelly Ice Cream 4

There are some shortcomings, however. The flavor immediately reminds me of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but in an indistinct way. There’s jelly, but I have no idea what kind. There’s not really peanut butter in it, but more of a peanut butter essence throughout. It’s peanutbutterandjelly flavored. The gritty texture is an issue as well, and it doesn’t go away no matter how soft it gets.

Is Halo Top as good as Haagen-Dazs? No, of course not. It’s as good as that ice cream that comes in the giant gallon bucket. Generally speaking, that’s good enough for me. This flavor succeeds by tasting as it should but is one of Halo Top’s lesser attempts. Try it if you’re already a fan, but it won’t change anyone’s mind.

(Nutrition Facts – 1/2 cup – 90 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 130 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, 4 grams of sugar alcohol, and 5 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $4.59
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at:
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Tastes like a peanut and butter sandwich.
Cons: Indistinct flavor. Gritty texture.

QUICK REVIEW: Kit Kat Snack Mix

October 4, 2018January 22, 2021 Denis

Kit Kat Snack Mix

What is the Kit Kat Snack Mix?

The latest in the lineup of snack mixes from The Hershey Company; the Kit Kit Snack Mix contains pretzel balls, chocolate wafer bites, honey roasted almonds and of course, Kit Kat minis.

Kit Kat Snack Mix 3

How is it?

Quite tasty! I’ve tried just about all the snack mixes in the Hershey’s family, including M&M’s, Reese’s, Almond Joy, and regular Hershey’s (and there’s also a Take 5 version). Those all contain plain peanuts or plain almonds, but this one features honey roasted almonds, which makes it feel a little extra special and adds a more complex flavor to the entire sweet and salty mix.

At first, I thought the inclusion of chocolate wafer bites was a bit redundant because that’s basically what Kit Kats are, but the two chocolate varieties here worked well together.

Kit Kat Snack Mix 4

The Kit Kat minis have a fair amount of wafer, while the chocolate wafer bites seemed to be mostly chocolate, as you can see in the cross-sections. That gave them each a different texture and taste, so both were tasty on their own or in combination with the rest of the mix.

Is there anything else I need to know?

If I had to guess, I’d say almonds are the priciest of the ingredients in here, so it’s no surprise that there appear to be more pretzels than nuts in the mix. So if you want an almond or two in every bite, you might have to do a little digging and not get greedy with any three almond mouthfuls.

Kit Kat Snack Mix 2

In my particular canister, I found a pair of almonds and a pair of pretzels apparently making an attempt to procreate, so perhaps the pretzel couple was more successful and that explains the population disparity inside.

Conclusion:

None of these snack mix products are going to blow your mind, and with a price that works out to nearly $10 per pound, it would be much more economical to buy the components separately and mix it yourself. Of course, I’m too lazy to do that — and I trust you are too. So if you are looking to mix up your snacking, the Kit Kat Snack Mix is one of the best options out there.

Purchased Price: $3.58
Size: 5.7 oz. canister
Purchased at: H-E-B
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz. serving) 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 129 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Monster Pacific Punch Energy Juice

October 3, 2018January 22, 2021 Marvo 4 Comments

Monster Pacific Punch Energy Juice

What is the Monster Pacific Punch Energy Juice?

It’s a tropical fruit punch-flavored Monster Energy Juice that comes in a can that looks like the textbook margins of that person in the back of the class who’s great at drawing, but not good at paying attention in class.

It has more fruit than a Carmen Miranda hat (Google her). There’s orange juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, raspberry juice concentrate, guava puree, cherry juice concentrate, pineapple juice concentrate, and passionfruit juice concentrate.