Category: Reviews

REVIEW: KFC Apple Pie Poppers

Mark 5 Comments

One institution of Americana, Kentucky Fried Chicken, has added another icon of Americana, apple pie, to its menu.

These new KFC Apple Pie Poppers feature apple pie filling inside a crust, available in orders of four or ten. They are roughly two inches long, with a seam on one side and slits on the other.

The filling is pretty standard for canned or mass-produced apple pie: small apple chunks in a thick syrup with a noticeable quantity of cinnamon. It’s nowhere near as good as a pie made with fresh apples, but of course, I don’t expect that from a fast food restaurant. I like the way some of the syrupy filling caramelizes as it oozes out of the crust.

And speaking of crust, the pastry is really the star here. It is soft, chewy, and even a little bit stretchy. I know that sounds weird and possibly gross, but I don’t know how else to describe it. It has a wonderful texture! And the flavor is satisfying and buttery.

Taken together, the filling and the crust are similar to apple pies or turnovers from other fast food joints. If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably eaten something nearly identical at some point.

There is nothing groundbreaking about these KFC Apple Pie Poppers, and I don’t know if I’ll go out of my way to have them again, especially since Kentucky Fried Chicken is not in my regular fast food rotation. However, they are still a tasty dessert option, and they seem like the kind of thing KFC really ought to have on its menu.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 4-piece order
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 piece) 80 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Old El Paso Cinnamon Toast Crunch Dessert Taco Shells

Brandon 5 Comments

I’m a Cinnamon Toast Crunch guy, through and through. In my pantry right this second, for example, I have Cinnamon Toast Crunch Soft Baked Oatmeal Bars, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake Mix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Icing for said cake mix (or just for finger-dipping, like a garden variety unhinged lunatic), and a double-box of the namesake cereal from Costco.

Now, I can’t attest to the cake mix, as I haven’t had it, but I don’t like the oatmeal bars, the “Loaded” cereal I had a few months ago was pretty bad, and the less said about the Stuffed Puffs Marshmallow Filled bites, the better. Point being, while CTC’s PR people are great at selling their product as a desirable collaborator, the actual execution of the experimentations leaves a lot to be desired.

So the big question, then, regarding the new Old El Paso Stand ‘n Stuff Cinnamon Toast Crunch Dessert Taco Shells, is, will these finally buck the trend?

I’ve enjoyed Old El Paso’s flavored Stand ‘n Stuff shells before — specifically the Bold Nacho Cheese and Zesty Ranch varieties — so I had high hopes. This was further encouraged when I pulled the Cinnamon Toast version out of its packaging. The shell itself was heavily dusted, which was a good sign. This was where the good things ended, sadly.

The box instructs you to heat the shells in the oven or the microwave, further noting that “unheated shells will be chewy.” Because things are generally better coming from the oven, I opted to do that. Here’s the thing — heating these shells in the oven made them incredibly brittle and unforgiving. They cracked into pieces upon the first bite, and the texture was a little like chewing on drywall. Because I was so put off by the texture, I actually tried one unheated, and, what do you know, it was much improved. The cinnamon taste, which was almost completely absent on the heated shells, was mildly more noticeable (still not saying much, I know) on the unheated kind. (I didn’t try the microwave; I was completely over these things by my third shell.)

Basically, these shells are regular Old El Paso taco shells that have been sprayed with cinnamon dust. So, due to the very mild cinnamon taste, it mostly tastes like you’re eating ice cream in a regular crunchy corn taco shell. If you think that sounds good, then, by all means, have the rest of mine.

I filled one with regular vanilla ice cream as a benchmark of sorts and one with Blue Bell’s Cinnamon Twist, a newer ice cream I love. Due to vanilla’s plainness, it tasted as mentioned in the above paragraph — as though I was eating an ice cream taco (and not a Choco Taco, which is an immensely better thing to eat). The shell filled with the Cinnamon Twist ice cream was much better; the strong cinnamon from the ice cream overpowered the shell’s salty corn flavor, rendering it into nothing more than a wall-textured ice cream delivery vehicle.

As much as it pains me to say it, these things were a flop. But fear not, brilliant Cinnamon Toast Crunch PR people! It’s pretty obvious I’ll buy whatever weird crossover you put in front of me. Once, anyway.

Purchased Price: $3.18
Size: 10 shells
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 3 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 shells) 160 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (including 2 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Lavender Oatmilk Chill

Marvo Leave a comment

Starbucks’ new Lavender Oatmilk Chill looks so relaxing. The top of it in the photo above makes me feel like I’m hovering above light purple clouds and I’m going to meet the Care Bears. I’m getting sleepy just by looking at it. Heck, if you attach the cup to a necklace or something, you could probably hypnotize me.

The shaken drink features oatmilk, lavender powder, ice, and a scoop of freeze-dried dragonfruit pieces. It’s caffeine-free, so this might do the trick if you want a beverage to help you chill.

My experience with lavender food extends from lavender ice cream in Japan that was totemo oishii (very delicious) to lavender-flavored teas to help me sleep. But something about the Lavender Oatmilk Chill doesn’t have me singing its praises from lavender-covered hilltops.

Its aroma smells very similar to the lavender sleep spray I use, which I’m not sure is good or bad. It’s relaxing but also concerning because it reminds me of a product I’m not supposed to consume. But I consumed this Starbucks drink anyway, and the first couple of sips tasted like fruity cereal milk, but that faded and was replaced with the expected lavender flavor. The oatmilk adds a pleasant creaminess I don’t think I’d get with other non-dairy milk options. While I couldn’t get the scent of the lavender spray entirely out of my mind, I thought the floral flavor was nice and definitely drinkable.

As for the freeze-dried dragonfruit pieces, I’m pretty sure they’re just there to make the drink look even prettier for social media, adding dark purple spots to contrast the light purple drink. Although edible, I’m not sure they’re meant to be consumed because they can’t come out from the sipping lid’s opening. While the drink was shaken vigorously, it didn’t taste like the dragonfruit’s flavor got mixed in with the lavender. But dragonfruit can taste so mild that I’m not surprised it doesn’t come through. They also didn’t do anything for me when I removed the lid and chewed on a few pieces while sipping the drink.

Overall, I like this drink, but I don’t lovender it. But if you’ve been eyeing Starbucks’ Lavender Crème Frappuccino for its lavender flavor and lack of caffeine but don’t want the calories, fat, and sugar the blended beverage has, relax, my friend. The chain’s Lavender Oatmilk Chill is here for you.

Purchased Price: $4.95
Size: Grande
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 230 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 22 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Rehab Monster Green Tea

Marvo Leave a comment

Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey is a beverage I pick up when I want something big, cheap, and sweet, but not too sweet. I usually drink it when I want to relax after a long day of yard work or being in the sun all day. This Rehab Monster Green Tea, with its 160 milligrams of caffeine, might be the drink that I consume if I’m getting ready for a day of pulling weeds, cutting grass, and trimming trees.

Along with the caffeine from Monster’s energy blend, Rehab Monster Green Tea also contains electrolytes, B vitamins, coconut water, milk thistle, and quercetin. What’s quercetin? That’s a good querstion. It’s a food supplement that helps boost immunity.

Before trying Rehab Monster Green Tea, I expected it to taste like an Arizona Green Tea but with a noticeable bitterness from Monster’s energy blend. And that was what popped into my head as the amber-colored beverage went down my gullet. If Arizona decided to make a green tea energy drink, I imagine it would taste similar. But since that doesn’t exist yet, if I have a hankering for a caffeinated iced green tea drink, this would be it. It’s sweet and tasty, but I wish its bitterness was less noticeable. I guess it’s hard to hide it when green tea has a light flavor.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 15.5 fl oz can
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 15 calories, 0 grams of fat, 70 milligrams of sodium, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of sugar (including 3 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 160 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Party Blizzard

Denis Leave a comment

Once you reach a certain age, the word “party” takes on a different meaning. As a kid, the parties were non-stop: frequent birthday parties at school, pizza parties after your T-ball team finished last in the league, and a party just because the ice cream truck was in the neighborhood and all your friends got together. In high school and college, some people just needed a time and a place, and the party was on.

But after that, things change, especially if you have kids. Who’s going to babysit, what’s the parking situation like, is the party location more than 10 minutes from my house? If you’ve reached that stage in your life in terms of parties, the good news is that the new Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Party Blizzard has arrived, and there’s no need to have someone watch the kids, unless you don’t want them to get a sugar high.

This creation, a party of the Summer Blizzard Menu, is loaded with sugar in the form of chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter topping, peanut brittle crunch, and sprinkles. I’m going to assume you are familiar with the first two components, as cookie dough and peanut butter topping are mainstays of the Blizzard family. They both do a solid job here. The cookie dough is soft and chewy with a hint of chocolate, and the peanut butter topping adds some extra creaminess to the vanilla soft serve base.

As for the peanut brittle, it’s a nice addition but not exactly mind-blowing. The pieces are quite small, sometimes even smaller than the sprinkles, and as such, they deliver more crunch than flavor, especially in a mixture that already has peanut butter topping. If you do zero in on a piece of peanut brittle, there is a slightly different peanut buttery flavor compared to the topping, but it really doesn’t stand apart. The sprinkles add some color and crunch, but they also don’t bring much in terms of flavor.

With a nice mix of chewy cookie dough, crunchy peanut brittle, and sprinkles, this Blizzard delivers some nice texture variation and a solid peanut butter flavor with a hint of chocolate. It would have been better if the peanut brittle pieces were larger, but this Blizzard still delivers a satisfying party for your tastebuds without things getting out of hand.

Purchased Price: $4.19
Size: Small
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 880 calories, 39 grams of fat, 18 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 490 milligrams of sodium, 120 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 87 grams of sugar, and 17 grams of protein.