OTHER THINGS I CONSUMED: 1/23/2026

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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: Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal

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Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal box

Every so often, an innovation comes along that doesn’t just tweak the original but completely upstages the OG. The new Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal does exactly that.

Apparently, this is the first new Reese’s Puffs flavor combination since the cereal debuted in 1994?! That feels wild, considering there have been limited-edition shapes (bats, bunnies), Minis (which I loved), and other variations like Big Puffs and Peanut Butter Lovers. But flavor-wise, Reese’s Puffs has always stuck with milk chocolate…until now.

And honestly? I am obsessed. General Mills tried to position this as a “midnight snacking” cereal – something clever about dark chocolate and late-night eating – but let’s be real: I ate this all day. I had it as a snack. I had it for dinner. No regrets because this is what Reese’s Puffs should be.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal dry closeup

This version uses real Hershey’s cocoa, and you can actually see the dark chocolate cereal pieces as well as taste them. Not just “cereal chocolate” flavor. The chocolate finally pulls its weight and does the Reese’s candy justice. After eating this, the original Reese’s Puffs just taste like peanut butter puffs to me.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal and regular Reese's Puffs Cereal comparison

Texture-wise, it matches the original, meaning it doesn’t completely pulverize the roof of your mouth. From a flavor perspective, General Mills describes it as a richer, deeper take on the peanut butter and chocolate combo, and that description holds up. The cocoa-forward chocolate balances the peanut butter perfectly, and the cereal finally honors the candy. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are my all-time favorite, for the record.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal in milk closeup

I tried it both dry and with milk, and enjoyed it both ways. It doesn’t really turn the milk into peanut butter chocolate milk, but I’ll let that slide because the cereal itself tastes so good.

At first, I felt annoyed that I had to buy a giant family-size box of this new flavor. But, this is the Reese’s Puffs glow-up we didn’t know we’d been waiting nearly 30 years for.

They’ve reassured fans that the current classic isn’t going anywhere, but I’m officially petitioning for this dark chocolate version to become the new classic.

Purchased Price: $4.93
Size: 19.7 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 10 out of 10

Nutrition Facts: (1 cup / 39g) 160 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 1 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 polyunsaturated fat, 2g of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Puffs Peanut Butter Lovers Cereal

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There once was a Nutter Butter Cereal from Post.
Being so peanut butter-y nutty, it could boast.
But it disappeared from shelves like a ghost.
And for a bit, my PB cereal choices were toast.

But now there’s Reese’s Puffs Peanut Butter Lovers Cereal, and it’s made me forget about the Nutter Butter one, which, by the way, should’ve returned this year with the rereleased Chips Ahoy Cereal. So if Post doesn’t want my money, I’ll happily give it to General Mills with its cereal that’s as great as Post’s discontinued offering.

Reese’s Puffs Peanut Butter Lovers Cereal is influenced by Reese’s Peanut Butter Lovers Cups. General Mills could’ve just pulled the chocolate pieces from its regular Reese’s Puffs, brushed off the cereal dust from its hands, and offered the tan peanut butter pieces as a brand new product, but it didn’t. There seems to be a thin peanut buttery coating that gives the puffs an added oomph of nutty goodness, and oh my goodness, that makes a difference.

They have a strong peanut butter taste but without the jaw-slowing texture of the spread. And that flavor shined whether I ate it dry from my hands or in milk from my hands. I think the coating will also help the pieces stay crunchy in milk for a bit longer. I wrote “I think” because this cereal is so good that my taste buds won’t let it stay in milk for long. The dairy (or non-dairy) at the bottom of the bowl does have a slightly nutty flavor. It might’ve had a more robust flavor if the cereal was allowed to soak a little longer, but, again, my taste buds won’t allow that.

Peanut Butter Lovers Cereal should be a permanent member of the Reese’s Puffs line. But if not, it’s so tasty that I’d love to see it come back yearly in the same seasonal shapes as the original Reese’s Puffs — Bunnies, Hearts, and Bats.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from General Mills. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 11.5 oz box
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup – cereal only) 160 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 2 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Reese’s Puffs, and Trix Minis Cereals

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I’ll be the first to admit I’m enchanted by the “tiny” versions of normal things. Travel-sized toiletries are charming. I marvel at the itty-bitty individual glass Heinz ketchup jars accompanying room service trays, even if I’m usually not the person ordering room service. My friend got me a Bonne Maman advent calendar this year, and to my absolute joy, I now have a collection of TEENTSY JARS OF JAM. Maybe some of you are nodding along, thinking, “Yes. Of course. DUH.” While other readers out there are already rolling their eyes. Well, ROLL right along, haters, because General Mills has made three of its Big G cereals MINIATURE: Trix Minis, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Minis, and Reese’s Puffs Minis.

These minis do live up to their name. They’re so smol. The first thing I notice is that their size makes snacking on these cereals hard. Attempting to taste these as a “dry” snack, I feel like a giant ogre trying to cram lentil-shaped noms into my ogre face. They scatter everywhere. I freak out that my dog might eat them. I clean up the kitchen and revert to standard cereal bowls.

Starting with Cinnamon Toast Crunch Minis, I prepare the serving suggestion of one cup cereal + 3/4 cup milk. It does look like a lot more food when they’re this miniature. I was also surprised that General Mills didn’t try to make CTC tiny little squares. It might have been harder, but it would have taken the wow factor up a notch. Still, these little CTCminis taste very similar to their toast-shaped brethren with, dare I say it, even more cinnamon flavor? Maybe it’s a surface ratio thing? They stay crunchy SLIGHTLY longer than standard CTC, but not by much. And, of course, the characteristic cinnamilk is still present. Hello old friend.

The mini Trix sort of look like what would happen if all of the berry fruit flavor Trix fell apart into their own individual spheres. These Trix Minis are not fruit-shaped, but have artificial colors and are visually the most exciting of the three mini flavors. Can you even get the Trix cereal in full-sized spheres, or was that a temporary thing from about five years ago when they made Trix with natural colors until enough consumers demanded the vibrant original be brought back? Regardless, the Trix Minis pack that same sugary punch of flavor. They stay crunchier in the milk longer than the CTCMinis, and I’m guessing a sugar coating drives that. They also don’t hurt your teeth nearly as much to crunch into because the mini-sized spheres crunch completely under your bite.

I saved Reese’s Puffs Minis for last. Reese’s Puffs were the cereal my mom NEVER let me have growing up, which only drove my desperation and adoration deeper into my heart. My favorite way to enjoy Reese’s Puffs is as a dry cereal snack which, as mentioned earlier, is super difficult and extra messy in this miniature form. However, these mini little guys are great. The ratio of flavor coating to inner cereal puff seems to have been perfected here, and the puffs reach optimum saturation level faster and sustain it longer than with the larger version. There are also WAY more pieces in every bite which adds, I think, to the flavor experience and overall satisfaction.

The final bit of fun offered with these new Minis is the kitchen play set you can build yourself from cut-outs in the back of each box which entertained this adult for a solid hour or so in the afternoon I picked these up. Overall I admire the simplicity of this innovation. The flavors are established favorites, offered in a unique format that makes your already beloved cereal treat even more enjoyable.

Or, you know, it’s just the same thing but tiny. Dealer’s Choice.

Purchased Price: $4.89 each
Size: 12.3 oz box (Cinnamon Toast Crunch), 10.8 oz box (Trix), 11.7 oz box (Reese’s Puffs)
Purchased at: Mariano’s
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Cinnamon Toast Crunch), 7 out of 10 (Trix), 9 out of 10 (Reese’s Puffs)
Nutrition Facts: Cinnamon Toast Crunch (1 cup cereal) 170 calories, 5 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Trix (1.25 cup cereal) 150 Calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Reese’s Puffs (1 cup cereal) 160 Calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Big Cup with Reese’s Puffs

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Reese s Big Cup with Reese s Puffs Wrapper

When I first heard about Reese’s Big Cup with Reese’s Puffs, I had to do some mental measurements. Because as someone who has stuffed his face with the popular chocolate and peanut butter-flavored cereal enough times to be familiar with its size, I wondered if several Reese’s Puffs could fit in a Reese’s Big Cup.

Well, all that mental math was for naught because what’s inside these big peanut butter cups is not the cereal we’ve been eating as part of a complete breakfast or the only thing in the house so it ended up being dinner. What’s stuffed in these cups is less puffy and more pellet-y.

Reese s Big Cup with Reese s Puffs Top

The Reese’s cereal pieces suspended in the peanut butter are a tiny 3/16ths of an inch in diameter, and although it may not look like it in the photo below, they are plentiful. They seem to be primarily concentrated in the middle of the cup, hence the bulges in the center. But a few cereal pieces have found their way to the edges.

Reese s Big Cup with Reese s Puffs Split

Reese s Big Cup with Reese s Puffs Mini Cereal

But after eating several of these, I can’t say the mini cereal pieces enhance the flavor of the Big Cup. I’m not surprised because I assumed chocolate and peanut butter-flavored cereal would get lost in actual peanut butter and chocolate. But I’m okay with that because the mini cereal pieces provide a satisfying crunch to go along with the irresistible Reese’s flavor.

Think of that texture as what you’d get with a Crun…oh wait, this is a Hershey product, and the fine folks there sent me samples, so I mean, think of that texture as what you’d get with a Krackle bar but with a Reese’s Cup. As someone who steals is lucky enough to end up with all the Krackle miniature bars from a mini bar assortment, I love the crispy cereal pieces within the gritty, salty peanut butter.

Reese’s Big Cup with Reese’s Puffs isn’t as earth-shattering as the peanut butter cup being stuffed with Reese’s Pieces or potato chips (or maybe someday with bacon bits…just an idea, Hershey’s). Also, I can understand how this might be ho-hum to some, but I find it delightful.

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

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1.2 oz bar
Purchased at: Received from Hershey’s
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 package) 170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar (including 16 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein.

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