Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Golden Foods Fruti Rolls Bubble Gum Cereal

Vin 6 Comments

Golden Foods Fruti Rolls Bubble Gum Cereal Box

What is it?

If you’ve ever wondered what gum-flavored cereal might taste like, Dollar Tree has got you covered with Golden Foods’ Fruti Rolls Bubble Gum Cereal.

Well, actually, it’s a Dollar and a Quarter Tree now “thanks to inflation.”

Hey, speaking of inflation – Bubble Gum! It’s back… in cereal form!

How are they?

Not to sound like a classist big shot, but I’ve never bought cereal from a dollar store. That’s not to say I went into this review with any preconceived notions or biases. I actually love the premise of bubble gum-flavored cereal and was pretty pumped to try it.

I’m not mad I did or anything, but this certainly isn’t a quality cereal. Well, for a millisecond it was. I thought I found a diamond in the rough.

Unfortunately, “diamond” went bye-bye almost instantly, and it basically just became “rough.”

Golden Foods Fruti Rolls Bubble Gum Cereal Bowl

It starts with a really pleasant bubble gum aroma and a very authentic generic bubble gum flavor that works well in cereal form.

That being said, it turns to pure cardboard before you can say “Golden Foods Fruti Rolls.”

Big League Chew can’t hold a candle to this flavor loss. Even Fruit Stripe Gum’s flavor lasts an eternity in comparison.

This cereal sets records for gum AND cereal flavor loss at the same time. Ripley’s can back me up.

Golden Foods Fruti Rolls Bubble Gum Cereal Closeup

Anything else you need to know?

The flavor doesn’t really hold much longer as a dry snack, and it didn’t transform the milk at all – no flavor, not even much color runoff from the rings that are basically pink and blue Apple Jacks. If you were so inclined, you could buy a box, split the colors, re-seal it and have the cheapest gender reveal party of all time.

Golden Foods Fruti Rolls Bubble Gum Cereal Warning

With that said, maybe don’t eat this cereal if you’re in the process of creating human life because there’s a rather ominous warning on the box. Luckily for me, I don’t live in California, so I guess I’m just immune to the effects of acrylamide.

Conclusion:

I hate wasting food, but these are worth picking up even if you try ’em once and then toss the massive box. It’s a buck (and a quarter.)

One of the big dogs in the cereal world should take notes and release a bubble gum-flavored cereal with at least four seconds of flavor. I’d be down.

Purchased Price: $1.25
Size: 17 oz
Purchased at: Dollar Tree
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 160 calories, 1 gram of fat, 150 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of total carbohydrates, 12 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Homestyle French Toast Sticks

Karen 11 Comments

Wendy s Homestyle French Toast Sticks Sleeve

French toast occupies a nebulous space in the breakfast continuum. On the one side, you’ve got muffins, doughnuts, and pancakes as sweet breakfasts, then you have eggs, hash browns, and bacon/sausage over on the savory breakfast side. Then you have French toast in this kind of no-man’s-land, some kind of breakfast purgatory, where it’s sort of savory because of the egg flavor, but then you drown it in syrup, and it becomes sweet. Make up your mind, French toast!

Obviously, as a French toast skeptic, I had concerns going into Homestyle French Toast Sticks, the new breakfast item from Wendy’s. However, Wendy’s got around this identity crisis by frying the crap out of these things to the point where classifications like “sweet” and “savory” become lost in an oily confection that makes deep-fried Oreo cookies look healthy. Harsh words? Perhaps, but notice I did not say that I didn’t enjoy it.

According to Wendy’s, this new menu item “delivers a mouthful of flavor, striking the perfect texture balance of a soft custardy interior and crisp, golden-brown crust.” Okay, I will give them that: the texture contrast is really nice. The very deep-fried tasting sticks have lovely little caramelized edges that clash wonderfully with the lightly egg-flavored bread. However, texture and flavor are two different things, and flavor balance is where Wendy’s might have stumbled a little.

When I ordered these, Wendy’s staff told us to move aside from the drive-through line so they could make them to order. Now, I have faith in the Wendy’s work ethic, but I’m pretty sure this did not mean cracking eggs and cooking the sticks in the pan. They are likely fried to order, which is why the overall feeling of “fried” is so strong. Four or six piece sizes are available; I got the six because of course I got the six.

Wendy s Homestyle French Toast Sticks Closeup

When I dipped my nose into the bag containing these little guys, as one does, the smell actually reminded me of carnival funnel cake, which is weird because I don’t think I’ve had funnel cake in a decade. These treats are a good size too, more like long wedges as opposed to sticks. When I bit into one, the decadent flavor of carbs fried in oil went to work on my tongue while my brain tried to remember that I was still looking for other flavors. There is an egg flavor in there, but it’s a little subtle; this likely does not taste like your grandma’s French toast because it’s just not eggy enough. When you dip these sticks into the syrup provided, the sweetness overrides everything, and the egg flavor is no longer discernible.

That said, these things are hella addictive. I had been planning to save the last strip for my husband, except I got lost in a kind of sugary breakfast haze and inhaled every single one. I was left looking at an empty plate with a few dots of syrup on it, wondering how I got here. It was quite enjoyable, but I think I’ve used up my allowance for fried foods for the rest of the month.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 6 sticks
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 490 calories, 25 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 175 milligrams of cholesterol, 550 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 16 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Coffee mate Nestle Toll House Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Creamer

Marvo 4 Comments

Coffee mate Nestle Toll House Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Creamer Bottle

I haven’t watched any of the nine films from the Fast & Furious movie franchise. But I have now tried all three coffee creamers from the Coffee mate Nestle Toll House Cookie Creamer franchise. The latest release is the Nestle Coffee mate Nestle Toll House Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Creamer. Oh, that name rolls off the tongue and keeps rolling like a bottle of Coffee mate on a hill.

I’m pretty sure I’ve eaten multiple foods with brown butter in or on them, but I didn’t know what it actually was until now. At the time, I was more concerned with eating those foods than knowing what brown butter was. Hunger can cause that sometimes. Pardon my ignorance, foodies.

But now I’m a few credits shy of a BA in brown butter. It turns out it’s simple to make (melt butter slowly over low heat, wait for it to foam, and then let that white foam turn brown).

Coffee mate Nestle Toll House Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Creamer Closeup

When I added the creamer to my usual daily caffeine vehicle cold brew coffee, I noticed some of the same chocolate flavors in Coffee mate’s Nestle Toll House Cookies’ N Cocoa, the second in the series. However, the similarities end there because this creamer has a noticeable brown sugar cookie flavor, which the previous one lacked. I don’t know if the brown butter flavors are the cause, but I’m happy they’re there. Also, this creamer smells so delightful that I want a candle with its aroma.

But here’s the thing, I remember the original Coffee mate Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Creamer, which was the catalyst for my daily coffee consumption, had a delightful cookie flavor too. So it makes me wonder if this one differs from the original, which came out in 2014.

Overall, Coffee mate’s Nestle Toll House Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Creamer is a delicious addition to the seasonal Coffee mate line. It’s tasty enough that I’d like to see it become a regular flavor, or at least a regular seasonal flavor that joins Pumpkin Spice and Peppermint Mocha.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary product sample from Coffee mate. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 32 fl oz
Purchased at: Received from Coffee mate
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tbsp) 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of sugar (including 5 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Twix Cookie Dough

Marvo 9 Comments

Twix Cookie Dough Wrapper

I have no substantial evidence, but I have a feeling the new Twix Cookie Dough might be a Twix Cookies & Creme but with a classic Twix cookie bar instead of a chocolate one. One piece of proof I have is that it’s not beneath Mars to slightly tweak a Twix to generate a new variety. See: Twix Salted Caramel.

But that’s circumstantial evidence, and I might be watching too much Law & Order.

The product’s press release says the new candy bar combines the classic Twix cookie bars with a cookie dough-flavored layer sprinkled with chocolate cookie bits, all of which are coated with milk chocolate.

The use of chocolate cookie bits instead of tiny chocolate chips is what initially made me question the cookie dough layer and wonder if it’s the same one from the older Twix variety. Because when it comes to cookie dough-flavored products, it’s usually the combination of something that replicates the sugary dough and bits of chocolate or something that tries to emulate the taste AND feel of chocolate, and that’s not what the cookie dough layer in this Twix has.

Twix Cookie Dough Closeup

When I eat the layer on its own, I don’t think of cookie dough. Although, to be fair, I don’t immediately think of cookies and creme either. It does have a sugary, vanilla-ish flavor with bursts of chocolate from the dark bits, which you could convince a jury via taste or appearance that it’s either cookie dough or cookies and creme.

But the bar, when eaten whole and not layer by layer, does convince me that it’s cookie dough-flavored. However, it’s not the black and off-white layer that makes me think that way. It’s the crunchy cookie bar, and because it tastes like it provides all the dough flavor, I feel Mars reused its cookies and creme layer for this candy.

I rest my case, Your Honor.

My verdict: Twix Cookie Dough is a delicious candy bar with a noticeable cookie dough flavor. Although I have my suspicions about it, they shouldn’t prevent anyone from trying it.

(NOTE: Twix Cookie Dough will be available nationwide in December 2022. Samples were sent to 1,000 Twix fans who entered a drawing in June to try the candy bar early. And some of those folks sold their samples on eBay, which is how I got my hands on some. And because I got them from a seller on eBay who had to ship it across the country, they look like they might’ve stared for a moment at the Ark of the Covenant after it opened.)

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 1.36 oz bar
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 pack/2 cookies) 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar (including 16 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Brach’s Funfetti Candy Corn

Mark 10 Comments

Brach s Funfetti Candy Corn Package

What is it?

Brach’s has brought us Funfetti Candy Corn to join the seasonal counterparts of Funfetti Jelly Beans and Funfetti Candy Canes.

Brach’s is the best brand of candy corn (at least that I have tried), so I’m happy it’s the one taking on this challenge.

How is it?

Honestly, I’m not sure if I’ve ever had an officially licensed Funfetti cake. But I have eaten plenty of cake.

And this candy corn really does taste like cake!

Or rather, it takes like frosting. But haven’t we all wanted to eat frosting by the spoonful out of a can? This candy corn allows us to do that without the shame.

Brach s Funfetti Candy Corn Closeup

Of course, frosting is just intense sweetness without a particularly strong flavor. The same could be said about candy corn. So Funfetti candy corn isn’t that different than regular candy corn.

Anything else you need to know?

Candy corn is usually known for its vibrant colors, so it’s a bit surprising they opted for drab shades of yellow and pink for the Funfetti variety. That’s not fun! But the edible confetti pieces help out.

Conclusion:

Funfetti Candy Corn tastes like cake icing. But if you snuck some of this flavor in with regular candy corn, the eater probably wouldn’t notice much of a difference. I enjoy eating Funfetti Candy Corn, but it is not better or worse than its ordinary Brach’s counterpart.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 8 oz. bag
Purchased at: Walgreens
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (15 pieces) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 22 grams of sugar (including 22 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.