OTHER THINGS I CONSUMED: 1/23/2026

/ / Other Things I Consumed, Reviews / 1 Comment

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: Baskin-Robbins The Grahammy Ice Cream

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Baskin-Robbins The Grahammy Ice Cream scoop

I don’t remember the last time I watched The Grammys. Heck, I can’t remember the last time I sat through the hours of nominee reading, pharmaceutical commercials, musical performances, car commercials, speeches, cell phone plan commercials, walking on and off stages, and cutaways to celebrities in the audience of any awards show.

However, I do remember the last time I ate The Grammys, I mean, Baskin-Robbins’ January 2026 Flavor of the Month, The Grahammys. And I don’t think I’ll ever forget the moment or its wonderful name.

As you might guess by its name, it leans heavily into graham. Its base is a graham cracker-flavored ice cream, and floating in it are chocolate-covered honeycomb pieces and honey graham cracker swirls. It sounds so grahnd, and it’s a wonderful flavor to break your only eating healthy New Year’s Resolution with.

Baskin-Robbins The Grahammy Ice Cream honeycomb

Think of The Grahammy as s’mores adjacent, but unlike actual s’mores, the chocolate and marshmallow play second and tenth fiddle to the graham crackers, respectively. While the ice cream base has a mild flavor, the honeycomb pieces and graham swirls enhance it and push the honey flavor forward. They also provide outstanding textures to the scoop. The honeycomb has a hearty crunch, while the gritty honey graham cracker bits in the swirl offer smaller bursts of crispness.

However, this scoop isn’t perfect. While the chocolate on the honeycomb pieces cuts through the graham and honey flavors, making the ice cream a bit more complex, its taste and waxy texture remind me more of confections that are labeled “chocolatey.” It’s not a complete dealbreaker, though. I still thoroughly enjoyed this ice cream because of the other ingredients that make up for the less pleasing chocolate, and because it’s something unique to my taste buds. It’s delightful enough that I want it to come back every year for Grammy season, but it’s rare for Baskin-Robbins to rerelease flavors.

If you’re into honey graham, you grahave to grahb this Baskin-Robbins flavor while it’s still around. You won’t be disappointed, unlike all the nominees who didn’t win a Grammy.

Purchased Price: $5.09
Size: Single Scoop
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 310 calories, 16 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 28 grams of sugar (including 23 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Oreo Snowdrift Blizzard

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Dairy Queen Oreo Snowdrift Blizzard cup

I’ve always had a bone to pick with Dairy Queen in that it usually gives its Blizzards boring, unimaginative names, and most new flavors look the same with some shade of brown populated by chunks of a similar hue. But after the new Oreo Snowdrift Blizzard, I consider that bone to be sufficiently picked, whatever that means. And even better, this tastes as good—or perhaps even better—than it looks. I do have a smaller bone to pick with DQ, however, and that’s the lack of proofreading that goes into their website, as the included screenshot from January 5 shows the wrong name for this Blizzard when you select the Mini size.

Dairy Queen Oreo Snowdrift Blizzard website mistake

But what really matters is how this thing tastes, and I can tell you it tastes wonderful and unlike any Blizzard I’ve had. I know it’s my job to describe to you what to expect when a spoonful hits your mouth, but this one is tricky. Obviously, it includes Oreo cookies, along with sky-blue cake batter (the same was used in the briefly available Superman Blizzard to promote the movie this past summer) and a marshmallow swirl.

Dairy Queen Oreo Snowdrift Blizzard blue is so pretty

The cake batter is where I’m going to struggle. My taste buds didn’t get anything that had them thinking about batter, and yet they were still quite pleased. My best attempt to explain the flavor is somewhere between a sugar cookie and angel food cake. What makes this spectacular is the marshmallow swirl, which makes this taste how I imagine a sugar cookie-infused angel food cake would taste with marshmallow creme frosting. And then for an added bonus, there’s the beautiful chocolate crunch and a bit more creme from the Oreos. It’s really one of the best of the Blizzards I’ve tasted.

Dairy Queen Oreo Snowdrift Blizzard mix-ins

As an extra added bonus, you get to consume what I believe to be two of the best-named ingredients known to humankind. This includes something called “Brilliant blue FCF,” which sounds awesome until I learned it’s derived from petroleum and is “generally considered safe” by the FDA as long as you don’t exceed a certain amount per day. Luckily, I got a small Blizzard.

The other component is called “Superman base” on the DQ website. I was disappointed yet again because this has nothing to do with the Fortress of Solitude, where Superman hides out somewhere in the Arctic. Rather, it’s something that, as far as I can tell, DQ just made up and consists of various sugars, flavors, and dyes, including the aforementioned Brilliant blue FCF. I’m sure it’s all fine.

That minor concern about the ingredients notwithstanding, this one is definitely worth a trip to DQ, even if you do have to drive through a snowdrift or two.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: Small
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 670 calories, 22 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 340 milligrams of sodium, 107 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 82 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Bars

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Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars box

For as long as I have consistently perused the mainstream frozen foods aisle at grocery stores, two things have always stayed true: Ben & Jerry’s makes the best widely available pints, and Häagen-Dazs has the best bars. But that gap may be closing. To kick off the new year, Ben & Jerry’s has an all-new line of ice cream bars, in an array that pays homage to some of your favorite Ben & Jerry’s pints, which include Cookie Dough and Strawberry Cheesecake.

Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars exterior

If there is any flavor that is now ubiquitous with Ben & Jerry’s, it has to be Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (I know Cherry Garcia is great too, but, c’mon!). As the first company to put dough into their pints it makes sense that this is the one it is pushing forward with the hardest, as it will be available in both grocery four packs and single servings in convenience stores like 7-Eleven. Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough bar is vanilla ice cream with gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough, dipped in chocolatey coating with cookie pieces.

Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars interior with vanilla ice cream and cookie dough

Ben & Jerry’s has a good, solid vanilla base that comes through in this bar. The decently-sized cookie dough chunks pop up a respectable amount, about four per bar, which gives every other bite a hefty helping of gritty brown sugar flavor and texture. While the base and mix-in are solid, the real surprise element that brings the experience together is the cookie pieces mixed into the chocolate. The little extra bit of grit and nuanced cookie flavor, along with the melty cocoa taste, really elevates it to something more than your typical frozen confection, and it’s great.

Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars box

On another band of the flavor spectrum, we have the Strawberry Cheesecake bar, which is cheesecake ice cream with strawberry swirls, dipped in white chocolatey coating with graham cracker pieces. I have never personally been a fan of the Strawberry Cheesecake pint, but this bar iteration is absolutely fantastic. The cheesecake ice cream is smooth and only subtly tangy, while the swirls provide a sweet acidity with a sugary finish that truly is a match made in heaven.

Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars exterior with white creme and graham pieces

Yet again, what really makes this bar shine is the coating. Not only is the white chocolate delightfully sugary and decadent, but the graham pieces bring a bolder crunch and saltiness that make for one of the better ice cream bars from any company I have had in years.

Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars interior with cheesecake ice cream and strawberry swirls

The concept with these new novelties is simple, but they are executed wonderfully. The Ben & Jerry’s ice cream bars serve as a snapshot of what digging into one of their more storied pints can be in a fraction of the time and calories. And if you’re feeling generous, they’re easy to share, too.

DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples from Ben & Jerry’s. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 4 2.5-ounce bars
Purchased at: Received from Ben & Jerry’s
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Cookie Dough), 9 out of 10 (Strawberry Cheesecake)
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) Cookie Dough – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of total sugars, and 3 grams of protein. Strawberry Cheesecake – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 21 grams of total sugars, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion

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Wendy's Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion sign

What better way to celebrate the chilly holidays than with a cold, refreshing treat? While that may be a controversial statement to those who think frozen desserts are only for when it’s hot outside, my love for ice cream knows no winter break. That’s why I was thrilled to hear that Wendy’s has released a new limited-edition Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty, a flavor that balances the chilliness of the beloved dairy dessert with the cozy, toasty vibe of the classic cinnamon-sugar cookie.

Wendy's Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion cup

Wendy's Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion top

Anyone who is overwhelmed by choices might want to sit this one out, because on top of selecting either chocolate or vanilla for your ice cream base, this Frosty also requires you to pick from two additional options: the Swirl, which is more of a loose pile of soft serve and snickerdoodle sauce (try saying that five times fast!), and the Fusion, which doesn’t just throw on cookie pieces but blends them in, making the whole treat more dense and Blizzard-esque. I’m well-acquainted with this difference because I ordered a Fusion but the Wendy’s employee originally made me a Swirl; frankly, either one sounded delicious, so I was prepared to just happily accept my fate, but then he realized his mistake with a charmingly enormous Kevin-from-Home-Alone “OH NO” face and, a few moments later, my Frosty was looking a lot more compact and cookie-y.

Wendy's Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion cookies

The first thing I noticed was that the cookie pieces (which ranged in size from what I’d describe as “bits” to what were undeniably “chunks”) were way crunchier than I had expected. I’d assumed that they either would have been from a cakier soft-baked cookie or would have just become soggy in the ice cream, so the crispness was a pleasant surprise.

I chose the vanilla base, and I liked how the plainer flavor emphasized the ice cream’s creaminess in contrast to those cookie pieces. The thick swirls of snickerdoodle sauce added extra, slightly caramel-tinged sweetness without being too over-the-top. While each on its own was fairly simple, the combination of these three elements felt—and tasted—downright decadent.

Wendy's Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion syrup

Each ingredient had a distinct flavor, but they mixed well. I particularly appreciated the dynamic drama of the eating experience—some bites were creamy and others more cookie-filled, certain spoonfuls let the sauce shine, and then there were meltier mouthfuls… though I had expected to consume my Frosty ravenously, the smorgasbord of different tastes and textures encouraged me to slow down and be more mindful of each separation sensation, which was stimulating and satisfying.

Whether you’re a Swirler or a Fusionist, the Snickerdoodle Frosty is a luxurious treat. While you may not be able to use it to warm up after playing in the snow or leave it by the fireplace for Santa, its high-quality execution of an appealing premise still makes it a gift I’d love to find under my Christmas tree.

Purchased Price: $4.99

Size: Medium

Rating: 9 out of 10

Nutrition Facts: 580 calories, 16 grams of fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 440 milligrams of sodium, 96 grams of carbohydrates, 76 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.

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