QUICK REVIEW: Quaker Life Strawberry Cereal

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Quaker Life Strawberry Cereal

What is it?

Quaker has added a new member of the Life family, joining Original, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread, and (discontinued?) Maple and Brown Sugar. Strawberry Life is the only fruit-flavored version out there currently. Cinnamon Life is my all-time favorite cereal, so I was interested to see how this variation would stack up.

How is it?

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When I tried a piece dry, it reminded me of Berry Berry Kix, a cereal I haven’t had in decades. But who eats Life dry?

As I ate the cereal doused in milk, I got the true experience, but it’s not much of an experience. For some of the bites, I could hardly taste the strawberry. It was just like Original Life. On other bites, I could taste the berry, but it had an artificial, almost chemical flavor, which is odd since it only uses natural flavors.

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I was happy to finish my bowl(s) of this cereal, but only because of the standard flavor and texture of Life. The strawberry doesn’t do anything for me.

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I did try real strawberries in the cereal, but personally I didn’t care for the combination.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I have a few lingering questions. Why do they use yellow food coloring for a strawberry-inspired cereal that is drab anyway? Like, what’s the point? And why is this new product being marketed with a minor character from a threequel that I predict will be forgettable?

Conclusion:

I doubt I will ever buy this cereal again —- not because it’s terrible, but just because it doesn’t match its predecessors. When I go to the cereal aisle and see my beloved Cinnamon Life smiling at me, I have no need for Strawberry. Even Original is better than this version.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 18 oz. box
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup (32 grams) – 120 calories, 15 calories from fat, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 85 milligrams of potassium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Post Peanut Butter & Cocoa Pebbles Cereal

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Post Peanut Butter Cocoa Pebbles Cereal

Conclusion: Post’s Peanut Butter & Cocoa Pebbles could be your new favorite cereal. In law school, I was taught a way of legal writing that begins with the conclusion, follows with supporting evidence, and then restates the conclusion.

There’s my conclusion. Now, here’s my supporting evidence…

Over the past few months, I transitioned to a vegan diet for various reasons. Many assume that a vegan diet is a “healthy” one, but those of us who enjoy junk food know there’s a lot of food that people think is “healthy,” but isn’t.

Potato chips, hard candy, popsicles, soda, beer…often, these are vegan. One of my thrills of eating junk food, however, is finding that stereotypical “junk food” that is closer to “healthy” than many of its so-called “healthy” competitors. Turns out Post’s Peanut Butter & Cocoa Pebbles is a boxful of vegan joy and it’s actually not too bad for you either. Vegans don’t have to be stuck with granola unless they want to be.

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Right out of the box, the Pebbles smelled like cocoa butter with a hint of nuts, not clearly peanuts, but nutty. I snacked on a handful while I waited for my unsweetened almond milk to soak into the pebbles. In their dry state, they are crispy and taste like what I imagine a freeze-dried Reese’s Cup Rice Krispie treat would taste like. After waiting about 30 seconds, I dug in.

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Each spoonful was a delight. The peanut butter and cocoa flavors were balanced, but notable, in each bite. The peanut butter flavor was authentic, not artificial tasting. The cocoa flavor was light and reminiscent of chocolate milk. I poured myself another bowl. Bowl 2 was equally as satisfying as Bowl 1. Rinse and repeat.

The next morning, I tried the cereal with unsweetened oat milk to test whether the nuttiness of the almond milk made a difference in the overall flavor. There was little difference between the cereal with the almond milk and the cereal with the oat milk. The cereal held up well in both and I suspect it would do equally well in any milk. It also held up well after three minutes of unintentional soak time, only slightly less crispy, but definitely not soggy.

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I’m not a fan of drinking milk, so I rarely drink the leftover milk from cereal. With this cereal, I just kept adding more cereal to my milk until there was no more milk left. However, the last sip of milk remaining was slurp-worthy, not too sweet, nor with too much disintegrated cereal debris.

Conclusion: Go ahead, eat five bowlsful while watching cartoons on Netflix (Inspector Gadget, anyone?) Or, try topping your (vegan) yogurt or ice cream with the leftover cereal that always manages to end up at the bottom of the box. Any way you eat this, I’m sure you will enjoy it.

(Editor’s Note: A Post Cereals representative tells me that this currently is not gluten-free.)

(Nutrition Facts – 3/4 cup serving – 120 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of sugars, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.48
Size: 20 oz. box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 10 out of 10
Pros: Vegan. Low sugar for a “sugary” cereal. Versatile snack. Real peanut butter and cocoa ingredients.
Cons: Cartoons aren’t the same as they used to be.

QUICK REVIEW: Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Premium Mug Brownie Mix

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Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix

What is it?

This is Ghirardelli’s entry into the single serve mug mix category that already has Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, and Mrs. Butterworth’s as members. It’s a dark chocolate brownie mix that you make in the microwave with just four teaspoons of water.

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Mix. Nuke. Done!

It doesn’t have a topping like the Betty Crocker ones but it does tout as being premium and made with REAL CHOCOLATE chips.

How is it?

For such a simple process and so few ingredients, this is a tasty dessert. It has a rich dark chocolate flavor that didn’t become too intense and I love that the chocolate chips were nearly liquified after cooking making them like ooey-gooey pockets of joy.

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The actual brownie part did seem to be a little dried out even though I followed the directions accordingly, but having the melted chips in there definitely offset the texture that I wished was a bit softer and more moist.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I’ve tried nearly all the other mug mixes and thought most of them were nauseating sugar bombs so I was definitely hesitant for this one. Even though the sugar content is similar to the others it doesn’t come across that way on your tongue.

Also, it doesn’t say it on the box but I tried replacing the water with milk and the results were much improved. The brownie part turned out a lot better with a more pillow-like texture. In addition, if dark chocolate isn’t your thing then there are three other versions at the moment to try – Double Chocolate, Salted Caramel, and Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Conclusion:

A quick, easy, and decadent mug brownie that I would choose over the other brands any day of the week. Just don’t over nuke it and maybe replace the water with milk. Otherwise, cheers!

Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 2.3 oz single serve pouch (4 pack)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 packet) 300 calories, 11 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 49 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 32 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s It’s Dough Time Cinn-DOUGH-rella Ice Cream

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Ben Jerry s Cinn DOUGH rella Ice Cream

As much as I love being able to spoon an entire Ben & Jerry’s pint into my mouth while watching Netflix, there’s something to be said about the magical nature of eating Ben & Jerry’s in an actual Scoop Shop.

See, whereas the whole pint/couch combination has convenience, the Scoop Shop has atmosphere. There’s the sweet fragrance of perfectly tempered ice cream circulating in the air, a seemingly endless buffet of delicious choices in the cooler, and a smiling ice cream scooper eagerly awaiting your decision.

Plus, Scoop Shops have exclusive flavors like Ben & Jerry’s new Cinn-DOUGH-rella, which continues Ben & Jerry’s tradition of including everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink by featuring, “Cinnamon and Caramel Ice Creams with Cinnamon Bun Dough, Shortbread Cookies, & Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookie Swirls.”

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Unlike other ice creams that try to tame cinnamon’s natural spiciness to please delicate palates, this variety brought it out right from the get-go. The two ice creams came together in a way that allowed them to shine and complement one another, and the resulting combination was reminiscent of pouring icing onto fresh cinnamon rolls.

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Ben & Jerry’s handled the cinnamon bun dough pieces nicely, too. They were abundant in my scoop, and they provided an extra-strong cinnamon hit that made me want to keep digging through my bowl to find more.

The swirl, while not particularly impressive looking, more than made up for its lackluster appearance in the taste department! It added even more flavor into what was already a Cinna-Bonanza, and the oat cookie swirls brought a subtle grittiness that helped to shake up the texture of the entire experience.

To be honest, the mix-ins are what I enjoyed the most about this variety. In fact, I liked the flavor of the cinnamon bun dough and oatmeal cookie swirl so much that I actually forgot about the shortbread cookie pieces, which were M.I.A. in my scoop. Not that it needed them anyway, because this flavor was busy enough.

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One thing’s for sure: this is a flavor for the Cinna-Maniacs out there. Fans of Ben & Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns would love this. In fact, I’d go as far to say that this new flavor is everything the classic flavor wishes it could be. It’s almost as though the Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Gurus decided to dress up Cinnamon Buns to attend a Scoop Shop Ball, turning it into a cinnamon lover’s ultimate dream.

I only hope that Ben & Jerry’s decides to extend their Scoop-Shop-Exclusive party to the grocery store because I don’t think that downing a pint of Cinnamon Buns is going to satisfy my cravings for the sweet spice after getting a taste of such extravagant ice cream royalty!

(Nutrition Facts – 1 Scoop – 240 calories, 14 grams of total fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 21 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 1 scoop
Purchased at: Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Getting to enjoy that Scoop Shop atmosphere. Not being afraid to show off bold cinnamon flavor. Worthy of being ice cream royalty in both flavor and name.
Cons: Missing shortbread cookie pieces. Exclusive only to Scoop Shops. Me not living anywhere close to a Scoop Shop. Not being able to inhale by the pint while watching Netflix.

REVIEW: Pistachio Creme Oreo Thins Cookies

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Pistachio Creme Oreo Thins Cookies

Since their inception in 2015, Oreo Thins have come in predominantly safe flavors. Original, Chocolate, Mint, Lemon, and even Coconut are far cries from the wild limited editions Nabisco have rolled out with their full-sized breadwinner in recent years.

The craziest Thins have gotten prior to the #MyOreoCreation contest’s Pina Colada is Salted Caramel, and even that is a pretty common and very popular profile among sweet tooth cookie hunters.

But for 2018, three years into their snack life, Thins are coming hard with a new flavor that’s sort of safe but also brand new and to me, pretty exciting – Pistachio.

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The light green crème is sandwiched between two wafer-thin chocolate cookies, boasting the 66 percent thinner size of all its prior incarnations. The cookies carry a gentle nutty and sweet aroma rounded out by a kiss of cocoa.

I’m not sure what the general consensus is on Thins versus the full sized real deal, but I enjoy their soft crumbly texture and mild sweetness, and the Pistachio version is no exception.

The sweet somewhat floral notes of the crème work surprisingly well with the chocolate cookie, with neither flavor being too dominant over the other. The overall taste reminds me of pistachio ice cream, both in flavor and texture, with hints of almond-y marzipan and creamy vanilla.

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I find them incredibly easy to put back in succession with a unique but very snack-able flavor that’s very tasty. It’s a much truer representation of sweet pistachio than the coconut ones were of coconut, and much like with the also delicious Pina Colada, the smaller amount of crème works well to deliver the right amount of flavor without being too intense.

There’s something old school and comforting about pistachio that feels like a cozy day at grandma’s house or grabbing a cone at the oldest scoop shop in town. It’s classic but new, and as a result, it’s a wonderful change from more bizarre Nabisco attempts, like Swedish Fish and Root Beer Float.

Keep in mind these aren’t for everyone, but as someone who thinks Pistachio Pistachio is one of the more underrated Ben & Jerry’s pints, I think these Thins are a smashing success. Or at least a success that’s going to find me smashing six in a row without blinking an eye.

(Nutrition Facts – 4 cookies – 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 10.1 oz. package
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Great balanced ice cream-y pistachio flavor. Soft crumbly texture. Simply smash-able.
Cons: Floral pistachio flavor could be off putting, but, not for me!

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