Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate

 PB and C? Even if it's bad, it's never that bad

Yes, I know. I've been away for awhile. There's been some changes going on in my non-snack life that's been taking up much of my time, but alas, like two star-crossed lovers, snacks and I will always find a way to make it work, but enough about me. On to the snacks....

The Attraction

The company I work for is still generous enough to offer it's employee snacks throughout the week. The catch being that the snacks they offer are of the healthier variety. A small price to pay for comped snacks, I say. Well, it also depends what kind of snacks we are talking about. One can only consume so many dried apricots before finding a small queue forming at the restroom stalls.

In this case, they try to find something "healthier", but not mind-numbingly bland. In this week's case, thy name be Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate. (That sounds about as healthy as a reduced fat pork rinds)

The Review:
I've had a few Kind snack bars in my day. Almost always because that's what my office offers, but I'm happy to say that they have almost all have been great. I have nothing but high hopes between my past experience with their products and with the headliners on listed on marque in bright orange letters, "Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate". In a perfect world, I would have opted to not have the "dark" kind of chocolate in there, but one does have to try to make these products sound somewhat healthy.

It's like Richard Simmons came in and threw a bunch of healthy
stuff over Paula Dean's Rice Krispy Treats

I undress this sexy sounding bar to reveal a darker looking Rice Krispy Treat with bits of oats, seeds and dark chocolate mixed in. To me it's like watching Margo Robbie in The Legend of Tarzan. You can put all these things and try to ugly up Margot Robbie, but its still Margo Robbie. The core will always shine through, but will the taste follow the appearance?

I think they are on to something

I take a nibble of the bar, (so the photo I take of the bar after doesn't look like a bear attacked it) and find that the oats, seeds and miscellaneous healthy items in the bar doesn't distract from the delicious peanut better and chocolate flavor. I swear, if you were to change the wrapping on this thing, you would have no idea that this product was geared for a more health conscious crowd.

The bar isn't too sweet or too much anything. It doesn't overpower you with the pb flavor and the dark chocolate actually helps keep the sweetness reigned in. I also enjoy that the bar isn't to dry or crunchy because overall I just prefer chewy bars like these.

Then all of sudden in dawns on me.....this doesn't taste delicious in spite of all those healthier ingredients....it takes good because of it! (mind blown)

The Sweet:
Taste good and better for you than the status quo.

The Bitter:
Costlier than your typical Rice Krispy Treat

Conclusion:
Frankly, I might have to stop reviewing Kind products. I have yet to encounter one of their items that I haven't enjoyed. Even if the initial offering and listing of ingredients don't turn me on, I give it a try and always end up liking it. Now, I can't vouch for how "healthy" they are cause they just taste too good to me to be totally convinced that it's all good for you, but it's got to be better for you than the conventional commercial candy bars and sugary snacks on the market.

Maybe that says all in the end; Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate is so delicious that you begin to even doubt how healthy it is because it's so tasty.

Video of the Week

I wonder if I can retrofit the robot that
does my floors to do my windows?

What have I been up to you may ask? Well, I'll get into that on my next post, but as of late, when I have to time to surf, I've been obsessing with these "Cool Stuff you can get on Amazon" videos. Some are ridiculous, but some are actually cool. Now, will I ever buy them? Probably not, but maybe I just have a weird thing for watching infomercials.

Newtons Blueberry

"Highway to the Danger Zone"

The Attraction

A few months ago I reviewed Newtons Strawberry, to mixed results, but to my surprise, it has become one of most viewed snack critiques on my humble snack blog. Was it because people also wanted to try it, but were afraid to commit to a whole package? Did they disagree? Hopefully some readers will comment and let me know why that may be the case, but in the meantime, let's try another variation in the Nabisco Newton family....Newtons Blueberry.

The Review:
I tried to approach this with as much of an open mind as possible, but I wasn't really sure what was in store for me with this blueberry flavor variation. I adore the original Newtons Fig flavor and was very disappointed with the strawberry version. With time, I grew to accept the strawberry flavored one and it was "OK", after awhile, but the original version would always be the first choice. Where would this blueberry deviation take me? OK, OK, I've come to grips with it; I was expecting this would be a strawberry like experience...and that was not a great place to be starting from.

Please don't destroy all that I've loved

I tug at the resealable package tab and I eventually get the wrapper to acquiesce to the inevitable. There they are in all their glory. Maybe it's a bit of the OCD in me, but I love to see how perfectly lined up they are in the packaging...essentially just waiting for me to devour them. All snacks should parade around me in such a fashion, but it would probably impact my waistline in a very negative way.

I lean in and give a gentle inhale to see if I catch hint of the blueberry essence that awaits me and it does not disappoint. There is a scent that fills the air ever so much. I pinch a lucky Newton out from the package and take a bite.

"Did I grab the wrong flavor?" I think to myself. "This tastes like fig."

However as I a draw closer to the midpoint of my mouthful, the blueberry flavor jumps out from behind the curtain and makes it's appearance. There it is...and it's so well done.

Unlike the Newtons Strawberry, these do not have that tartness to them that I alluded to in my previous review. This was far closer to what I had hoped it would taste like; a Fig Newton with blueberry flavor versus a strawberry filling surrounded by a Newton shell. It sounds like similiar things, but I can assure you that they are not. 

Hey, that was a surprise!

The Sweet:
Much like the original fig and strawberry variation, these Newtons are soft and chewy. However this time around, the flavor seems familiar with enough of a subtle blueberry twist.

The Bitter:
I don't think there is one.

Conclusion:
I love reviews like this. Although it doesn't redeem the concoction that is the Newton Strawberry, it gives me hope that if Newton chose to try other flavor varieties, they could potentially pull it off. I'm not sure if it's because blueberries are in some way closer to figs that strawberries, but these just taste close enough to the original so it feels like home, yet different enough to notice a difference.

If Newtons were like TV, the Newtons Strawberry is like your favorite TV show going on hiatus and coming back with a different person playing one of the characters. It makes you say, "Who the heck is that? That's not Aunt Viv?!" Whereas Newtons Blueberry is more like your TV show going on hiatus and coming back with your main character with a new haircut. It's familiar, but slightly different. (but not in a Felicity kind of way.)

Video of the Week

From Mongolia's Got Talent. Yes, Mongolia

Anyone that dances seriously knows how important timing is. This is especially true when you dance with a partner and even more so if that dance partner is a giant video screen with cool graphics and animations on it designed for you to seemingly interact with it. I have a hard enough time keeping in rhythm with a 2-step, forget about this routine by Canion Shijirbat from Mongolia's Got Talent. 

Odwalla Chocolate Chip Peanut

You guys are here again?

The Attraction

Recently, I reviewed Odwalla's Berries GoMega and then compared it against Kind's Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate bar. I received some grief about that as some readers felt that it was not a fair comparison because I wasn't comparing like products. Yes, they are both "healthier" snacks, but one is fruit based and the other, chocolate based. OK people, you win. Let's do it again, but this time let's see if Odwalla can step up their snack game and make something I would want to eat on purpose.

The Review:
There are two ways that I could have conducted this test; either review a fruit based product of Kind's or a chocolate based snack of Odwalla's. After some debating (not really), I thought I would go the chocolate route (what a surprise). Actually, I think it was the better way to go as I had some serious doubt as to if Odwalla would be able to produce a snack that I would recommend, even if chocolate was a primary ingredient. If they could not make chocolate and peanut taste good, I don't think they would be able to make anything that would.

Hmm...Could this be better?

I unwrap the chocolate chip peanut bar and take a peer inside. Much like their Berries GoMega, the bar itself looked like it was compressed with oats, bran and other things that are good for you. Granted the physical appearance isn't quite as sexy as the Kind bar, but in the end, this review is really about how the Odwalla bar stands on it's own, not how it compares to other similar products.

I take a bite from the bar and I notice the texture isn't as mealy as their other bar. It's not that the Berries GoMega was dry, but the texture seems different. This go around, the bar was more reminiscent of a drier brownie or cake. When I sink my teeth into a chocolate chip on the same chew, it dawns on me that this bar taste like a chocolate chip cookie. OK, not like the world's most decadent, rich or moist cookie, but like a chocolate chip cookie with maybe a third of the chocolate chips a cookie would have. The peanuts aren't as prominent as I'm accustomed to (perhaps because they are actually peanuts, not peanut butter), but you will harldy notice as you polish off the rest of the bar.

This was a little different

The Sweet:
Comparable in flavor to some "non-healthy" snacks.

The Bitter:
Not a replacement for some of the more high end / decadent snacks.

Conclusion:
Even though I got some grief for comparing two very different types of healthy snacks, I'm glad I did. Odwalla got a chance to redeem itself with their Chocolate Chip Peanut bar and redeem it did. If you are looking to keep on the "healthier" snack side of the pool, this bar is a reminder that although all healthy snack options are not created equal, going to a healthier snack option doesn't necessarily mean a death sentence for your taste buds. In the case of Odwalla's Chocolate Chip Peanut, it actually means a reprieve.

Video of the Week

"It's always about porn"

VR is getting more and more exposure these days. From gaming to business applications, it seems like there are new and interesting ways to incorporate VR into the fold. Conan O'Brien recently headed over to You Tube's VR Lab to see exactly how far they have taken VR. The results are somewhere between funny and like being in a giant video game.

Wheat Thins Popped Sour Cream and Onion

Why mess with perfection?

The Attraction

Another month and it's another batch of new snacks from the office.One of these are these, Wheat Thins Popped Sour Cream and Onion. Did some say Wheat Thins? I know a little something about Wheat Thins.

The Review:
It's a badly kept secret about my fondness for Wheat Thins snacks, (see here and here), so when I saw these babies sprawled out on the kitchen counter at the office, I was excited yet surprised that I never saw these previously. I was a bit skeptical as many of the "popped" items I've sampled in my day didn't win me over. Can they possibly improve upon the already proven Wheat Thin formula?

I open the bag and go in for the sniff test. There is a hint of the flavor advertised, but subtly so. I then take a peek inside and see what I already imagined; what looks very much like a traditional Wheat Thin, puffed up almost like a pork rind.

Looks like perfectly cut chicharrones!

I stick my hand in the bag and pull out a popped chip. I take a bite and it has that popped characteristic that I was expecting. It's puffed up, but not in that guilty fried-in-oil kind of a way. On the taste-front, it's well, not there, sort of. I have a chips or two and it didn't seem to convey any specific flavor, some were saltier than others, but that happens from time to time with any savory snack, but in this case, some "thins" didn't have any sour cream and onion flavor at all.

The times it did have some, it wasn't all that clear that was the flavor they were going for. That only left me wanting a snack that could provide a more potent flavor. Besides, lovers of sour cream and onion don't enjoy that flavor for all the subtleties it brings; they love it because of the bold and powerful taste it imparts onto your taste buds. That was rather frustrating.

Pleasantly, there was a still a touch of that Wheat Thins sweetness, although I don't now if that is also what dilutes or confuses the taste of the intended savory flavor.

Better, worse or the same?

The Sweet:
Airy crispy crunch with some of that Wheat Thin taste.

The Bitter:
The flavor was not consistent with each chip and when it was, it wasn't convincingly sour cream and onion enough.

Conclusion:
Some things are better off left undone. I usually don't feel that way about well-known snack variations, but this product missed on several levels; the flavor profile of sour cream and onion wasn't obvious or was very faint with many of the chips. In addition, the "popped" variation didn't necessarily add a lot to the snack party. Yes, it was airy and crisp, but I also enjoy the traditional denser version, so on that front, it's a wash.

In the end, Wheat Thins Popped Sour Cream and Onion was better off left on the drawing board. It's one variation that didn't need to see the light of day.

Video of the Week

Is it a prosthetic or an enhancement?

As the evolution of prosthetic limbs continues with technological advances, there is an interesting question that has arisen; just how close can they get these limbs to the real thing and even more interestingly, given the chance, should we make these limbs not just replacements, but enhancements for people. (Queue The Terminator theme)

Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate

Can this possibly be "good" for you?

The Attraction

After my last review of Odwalla Berries GoMega, I received some emails questioning what was a good healthy snack bar since in my assessment was less than stellar about the Odwalla bar. I didn't have an answer off-hand, but I thought it was fine time to start testing a few so I can recommend some to try as opposed to just give you ones to avoid.

The Review:
I've seen these Kind bars around for a bit. I can't say I was necessarily excited at the idea of trying another "health" bar, but I also think we can't just eat milk chocolate bar and potato chips everyday (although I would probably try). I will say that just by the looks of the transparent wrapper, it looks more appetizing already than some other bars in this "healthy"arena. This bar was not a compressed bar, but it does advertise a bunch of almonds, peanuts and chocolate! However far looks can get you, this was a good start, but as in life, it can only get you so far for so long. Let's see what lies beneath the surface, shall we?

If only all healthy things looked this good

After liberating the Kind bar from the wrapper, it's difficult not to take a second and admire the overall beauty of this bar; from the glistening shine off the assorted nuts to the drizzle of dark chocolate across the bar. As if that wasn't enough, the whole underside is coated in dark chocolate. If looks could kill, I would be in for some serious trouble.

I finally take a bite and it's...every bit as tasty as it looks. Dare I say the abundance of nuts and chocolate in some regards can stand right up there against your perennial snack bar favorites. Think a nuttier Snickers bar. In fact, it's so nutty, it reminds me of another nutty chocolate bar, the Nuggle. Forget about tasty for a "healthy" snack, it's just plain tasty. I will say that although it advertises peanut butter, I don't really detect any. It could be that the bar itself is so full of nuts that it gets lost in the shuffle, but frankly, I forgot about it because I was so surprised at how good it tasted.

I could get used to this!

The Sweet:
Deliciously comparable to many commercially available chocolate snack bars

The Bitter:
Exactly how "healthy" is this?

Conclusion:
I get it, I'm not exactly comparing apples to apples here if I'm putting this up against the Odwalla bar. Most people in the world would probably prefer dark chocolate and nuts vs. compressed oats and cranberries (duh, really?), but let's just let this snack stand on it's own. I can't vouch for how "healthy" this particular Kind bar is, but compared to a standard Snickers bar I would hope it's better for you. In fact, maybe that should be the approach here; maybe in the future when you have a hankering for a "guilty" chocolate snack, instead of reaching for the standard candy store variety, reach for one of these.

Are you going to turn into a supermodel from eating these instead of the customary assortment of chocolate goodies? Not likely, but if you can shave off a few calories along with a few grams of sugar and get some protein in the process as well, what's the harm? Your taste buds certainly won't be upset with this compromise.

Video of the Week

Hope you packed a lunch

Over the course of time, I've come to accept that some people work at their own pace; some a little faster, some a little slower. However in this case, I can't tell if this woman is working at this pace deliberately or she is just a super methodical mover. Whatever it may be, I don't think she would last very long as a bank teller in NYC. Either she would get constantly get yelled at by customers and quit or tons of customers would catch heart attacks from their blood pressure boiling over waiting. (Have you seen how we react to just slow walkers on the street?) 

Odwalla Berries GoMega

Oh no, I feel healthier already

The Attraction

Part of the beauty of snacks provided by my office is the opportunity to try new and different snacks that I normally wouldn't buy on my own. This week's snack definitely falls in that category. I'm not sure if it's the color of the packaging, the "superfood" tag or the pictures of fruits and oats on the outside. It all normally points to a strong pass for me, but this is a snack blog. I never said specifically I would only review guilty pleasure snacks, so here I find myself looking down the barrel of a "healthy" snack bar.

"Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt."

The Review:
Free is a strong consideration when you are going to eat something. Well, at least for me. God knows there has been many things I didn't want or need, but because it was "free", it made me think twice about it. Even with "free", I was not excited about this product. I don't mind eating "healthy" snacks, I really don't, but this item failed to even excite my "free" radar.

I tear open the superfood bar wrapper and unveiled what appears to be a compressed snack bar. You can see the flax seeds already from the outside. In addition, there was a scent of preserved berries that was released when the wrapper gave way to the actual bar. Perhaps it was like raisins or dried cranberries, but the artwork on the outside seems to indicate it was either blueberry, strawberry or raspberry (is that a cherry on the wrapper as well?)

If only this was covered in chocolate

I take a bite and sure enough, it's as I suspected; a compressed healthy snack bar ( a bar made of various ingredients like oats, bran, seeds that are sometimes ground up and "compressed" back together along with some dried fruit to form a bar). Although it's not dry, I wish there was more moisture to it, so it didn't feel quite as crumbly when I took a bite. Think along the lines of a dried-out outer shell of a Fig Newton. Taste-wise, it's pretty much what you would expect from a healthy snack bar; much of the dried fruit provides natural sugar and flavor to the snack as well as some contrast against the otherwise homogeneously-textured product.

OK, I didn't die, but I'm sure not in heaven with this snack.

...and only if these were chocolate chips

The Sweet:
Healthy alternative to quick grab-and-go snacks.

The Bitter:
Other healthy snack bars are tastier.

Conclusion:
Look, I get it. These snacks aren't made purely for pleasure. They are made for the health-conscious crowd. Even at that, I've had other snacks targeting this specific audience deliver treats that one would not mind eating on a regular basis. I'm not going to get into which one has more fat, sugars, etc, because that's not what this blog is about. For me it's about the pleasure of eating snacks, but as far as a snack in this category goes, there are tastier ways to go while minding your heart and figure.

Video of the Week

There's going to be some trouble.

I think the screenshot says it all. This week, another trailer for, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" was released. In it, you get to see some more familiar imagery, like the dark masked man above. December can't come fast enough. They should release a new iPhone that day too so we can just have endless lines of people that have too much time on their hands.

Newton's Strawberry

I always called these Fig Newtons, even when not fig-flavored.

The Attraction

I love Fig Newtons. Granted they aren't as sexy and exciting as some other snacks, but they are certainly tasty. These Newtons Strawberry's have been around for awhile, but for some reason I always went with the default original. Well, not this week...

The Review:
I've been "ruining" my dinner (according to my Mom)  for years by snacking on Fig Newtons frequently throughout my life. As much as I've loved them, I've been wanting to try the strawberry variation since they've hit the supermarket shelves, so I was really excited to take these home to finally sample.

I open the package and the scent of strawberries attack my olfactory nerves immediately. "Boy, this is going to be good!", I think to myself. I admire the rows of Newtons waiting for me to pounce on them for a second...and then I indulge.

Please stand at attention, so that I may devour you.

The bite is familiar; their signature soft and chewy exterior is in full effect. As the chew progresses, the strawberry filling hits my tongue and it's not overly sweet. There's no mistaking it for strawberry, but what is unfamiliar is the slight tartness that comes along with the filling. It's something that doesn't exist in the original fig flavor, so it's unexpected. I'm guessing that the fig flavor didn't seem as sweet overall, but the strawberry version needs a limiter or a spoil to counteract some of the sweetness in the filling. In theory, yes it makes sense, the results however make one yearn for the classic flavor that brought you to this dance to begin with.

 

Can you call these Fig Newtons Strawberry?

The Sweet:
Soft and chewy, just like the delicious original Fig Newtons

The Bitter:
I think there's a reason why it's been figs all these years

Conclusion:
These Newtons Strawberry are everything that you have come to love about the original fig Newtons...all but for one important difference.That one variation from fig to strawberry flavor changes much more than I imagined. Somehow the figs aren't as sweet and ground the snack where the sugar level doesn't seem to soar and need some tartness to tame it, unlike the strawberry filling. With the fig flavor, I could polish off a row in one setting. With the strawberry flavor, maybe 2-3 pieces.

Before having one, I was certain I was going to love these because I love Fig Newtons and I love strawberries. 1 and 1 should equal 2 right? It's not always that simple. In the case of these Newtons Strawberry, the math just doesn't add up.

Video of the Week

I've been waiting for this!

You got to hand it to the folks over at Marvel; first they were able to slowly bring the comic book world to a boil with the way they released individual superhero movies and then have it culminate into The Avengers movies. Now they are doing the same on the small screen first with Daredevil, then Jessica Jones, after Luke Cake and now Iron Fist. I can't wait to see how they handle The Defenders!

Sun Chips Garden Salsa

Sun Chips, they are like the
healthier evil twin of Doritos

The Attraction

I'm a big fan of Sun Chips Harvest Cheddar. I almost exclusively only eat that flavor of Sun Chips. Recently my office bought a variety pack which contained....Garden Salsa! I've been eyeing that flavor for awhile. No time like the present to try a new flavor!

The Review:
I wasn't too sure what to expect when I opened the bag of Garden Salsa. Yes, I know what Garden Salsa means, but what does that specifically mean in chip form? Will they somehow try to capture the onion, pepper, tomato essence in a prepackaged process product? If so, how effectively will they be able to do it? Based on the packaging, they were not shying away from the tomato and pepper aspects of a garden salsa.

I carefully open the bag of chips and dip my face into the bag. There is a scent there, but I can't quite put my finger on it. It smells vaguely familiar. Perhaps it's an oniony / slightly peppery smell.

If I were to make a dollhouse out of chips,
I would use these for the shingles

I go ahead a pick up a wavy-square Sun Chip from the bag and take a bite. The crunch is familiar and the taste, surprisingly was as well. It starts off very much like a mild version of a Doritos Cool Ranch chip at first. As the bite progresses, it lightens up even more from there and dissipates. That seems very much like a "Sun Chip" signature; a light flavor in comparison to most other chips.

After a few more chips, I begin to feel the pepper or jalapeno aspect of the "Garden Salsa". It's a slow mild burn that happens at the back of your throat. It's not a "the house is on fire" burn, it's more of a "hmm...did you feel something?", kind of a subtle burn. That's not very "Sun Chips" ish...and I like it.

You can see all the salsa goodness fried in there

The Sweet:
A healthier, yet tasty version of a corn chip. It's a win-win!

The Bitter:
It doesn't feel as guilty as most snacks do.

Conclusion:
Sun Chips aren't the brand of snacks that are looking to overpower your taste buds with it's flavor. They don't try to wine and dine you and shower you with lavish gifts so you can fall in love with it. They are more like that person you meet and becomes friends with at first and as you spend more time with them, you begin to realize how great they are. I'm still at the early phase with my "relationship" with Sun Chips Garden Salsa, but if history is any indication of what's to come, there could be a long term commitment ahead of me.

Video of the Week

Save the world, discover a cure for a disease;
why would I want to do that when I can mess with this all day?

Do you feel restless? Like you can't sit still? Peer at your mobile phone endlessly just to find something to do on it just for the sake of it? Well put down your cell phone, there's a new distraction in town! I introduce to you....the Fidget Cube! This is ridiculous....and I can't wait to get my hands on one. (Did you see that switch thingy? Man, I'll be flipping that thing all day)

Lay's Szechuan Chicken

Here they go again...

The Attraction

Lay's has been doing this new flavor thang for awhile...and I've been buying it hook, line and sinker

The Review:
Part of the fun of these new flavor experiment is waiting to see what new and interesting flavors Lays releases. In this wave, one of the flavors they release is Chinese Szechuan Chicken, along with Indian Tikka Masala and Brazilian Picanha and Greek Tzaziki. Being that I've had my fair share of Chinese food in my day, I was curious as to what exactly Szechuan anything taste like in snack form.

As I tear open into the bag, I can smell some "spice" emanating from the bag. One thing I do know about Szechuan cuisine is that is it very aromatic and has many strong flavors. It is anything but bland. So far, so good.

Who knew all those spices
had so many different colors?

I dip my hand in and pull out a chip. I take a good look at a chip and I see the various colored spices in the chip. OK, it looks and smells legit, but what does it taste like? I take a big bite and immediately a wave of flavors comes flying at me; pepper, salt, some five-spice? and I swear even some MSG. At first, it almost taste like potato chips that have been sprinkled directly with the flavor packs that you get with your packages of instant noodles (ramen), but after a few seconds, the flavor deviates and never quite hits that exact level of saltiness, but rather it leaves you with a spicy finish. As for the chicken component...what chicken component? I only even mention it because it's in the flavor name, but otherwise, it's completely meaningless.

This piece looks like an upside-down taco

The Sweet:
It's a new flavor, which always means the potential for something exciting

The Bitter:
In this case it's booooorrring. It's a new flavor, but really nothing to write home about.

Conclusion:
I'll always support Lays and their great idea to release new and experimental flavors. It just so happens that this flavor, Chinese Szechuan Chicken, falls flat. I'm not even totally sure it taste like anything "Szechuan" to me. Either way, it doesn't strike enough of a cord to make me want to add this into my snack rotation.

Video of the Week

"Hey Ma, my tattoo not only says something
about who I am, but I can also play video games with it"

 

Ever see people with those temporary metallic tattoos? Well imagine one day being able to use those types of tattoos to control things like a video game or use it to show your mood or even better yet, store information on it! Well, the folks over at Duoskin are working on it.





Goldfish Grahams Vanilla Cupcake

These aren't your daddy's Goldfish

The Attraction

With a brand that has as much recognition as it does here in the States, it was difficult to pass up the chance to sample a "Goldfish" branded item that touted the flavor, "Vanilla Cupcake". Internal fat kids of the world rejoice!

The Review:
I remember first sampling Goldfish waaay back when in 1997 when I was working in a bar in Atlanta called MJQ. In lieu of standard peanuts, George elected to put some Cheddar flavored Goldfish for the bar patrons to enjoy. I can't tell you how many Goldfish I ate when I was there on beer delivery day waiting for the truck to arrive, but my love for Goldfish still continues to this day.

Sure, I've occasionally dabbled with some of the other flavor offerings since then. Maybe a bag of Pizza here and a snack pack of Nacho Cheese there, but the good ol' original Cheddar was always my "center"....and I always return to center. Up to now, even with some of the sweet flavor options Goldfish has, I've never felt compelled to try it...until now. It also didn't hurt that it was a non-obligation snack size pack either.

I see some specks of red in there

I crack open the bag and see the familiar Goldfish "smile", but instead of the orange puffy body I've gotten used to seeing that smirk on, this time it was on a cookie-like biscuit. The sweet smell emanating from the cookie felt foreign too in that context, but after a few seconds, I was able to identify the smell of vanilla. Will this thing taste like a Nilla? Maybe it's a rip off of an Animal Cracker? Is it really so far fetched that the way Goldfish taste like a not-as-salty version of a Cheez-It, that these Vanilla Cupcake Goldfish could taste like a Animal Cracker? I peer in to take a closer look and I swear some of the Goldfish has red specks. Could this be something totally different?

I pop a fish into my mouth and as I took a few steps I thought to myself, "Yep, just an Animal Cracker knock off.", but then there was a moment I thought it tasted like a Nilla wafer. What was that? I take a couple of more fishes and it's clear that it's more than just a Animal Cracker. Sure the vanilla flavor was clear, but there were more complex flavors thrown in the mix...dare I say a little strawberry even? Let's "sample" a few more..

I'd recognize that smirk anywhere

The Sweet:
Take your animal cracker and evolve it about 20 years.

The Bitter:
With so many years as a savory snack, can these Goldfish also make a dent in the sweet snack world?

Conclusion:
I was pretty much prepared to write these Goldfish off as a knockoff of something that you can readily get now, but I must hand it to the folks over at Pepperidge Farm, they put in the time and research to develop a recipe for these Goldfish that offer something different. Now, it's not every week I go to the market to pick up a box of Animal Crackers, but these give me some pause. If I had to give a kid a "sweet" snack, I might pick these up for them, but secretly it would be just so I can "shotgun" a bag of these when no one was looking.

Thanks George for hooking me up with Goldfish all those years ago. Actually, thank you for everything.

Video of the Week

"Oooh, me next, me next!"

With Comic-Con San Diego just wrapping up this weekend, there were a bunch of new trailers that were released. One for Suicide Squad, Justice League and Doctor Strange. Another one that continued with the "dark" vibe for DCs Superhero movies was this one for Wonder Woman. I'm still not totally sold on all of DCs movies just yet, however, I would be OK staring at Gal Gadot for 90 minutes. 

Insomnia Cookies Oatmeal Raisin / Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

The things I must do for this blog

The Attraction

I've been hearing a lot about these cookies, so when I was finally within striking distance to try some, it was time to see if it lived up to all the hype.

The Review:
One of the many wonderful things of living in NYC is having access to all these varieties of food at a given time. Due to the large population here, it always makes us an attractive area for new and upcoming food-related companies to consider opening a new location at. This is also the case with Insomnia Cookies.

Although they have a bunch of locations here, I came across one within walking distance from my office. First I heard about how their company came to be and then I ran into a very excited women going down the elevator to pickup a order she placed. After that run-in, I thought to myself, "Can it really be that good?"

Come to daddy

When I walked into the very small storefront and placed my order after peering at the menu, the woman taking my order opened a warming drawer at the front counter and pulled my requested cookies out. Whoa...that's a nice touch. Previous to that, I had only been to a place that would warm up cookies for you, after they had been out for a bit.

I decided to go with my favorite cookie, an oatmeal raisin cookie and a "deluxe" cookie; the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup cookie, as the second course. I really planned to only get one, but I love peanut butter, so I couldn't resist. What made this cookie a "deluxe" was the size. It's about double the size of their standard cookie (also about double the cost), but both sat nice and warm in my hand as I took them back to my office to have a "private moment" with.

Mmbrrmr

I take the oatmeal raisin cookie out first and I could already tell it was going to be good; in addition to being warm, it was nice and soft. I've never really been a fan of crispy cookies, so they really had my attention now. I take a bite and it's reminds me of the type of cookie that has a homemade recipe, but executed by professionals. It's a good cookie with just the right ratio of plump raisins to cookie dough. What I love about oatmeal raisin cookies is it's simplicity. There's no flash, no fancy ingredients to take your eyes or taste buds off of. It's just you and the cookie. It doesn't overwhelm you with sweetness and doesn't take you on a flavor roller coaster. Which interestingly, is a direct contrast to my second cookie course.

Looks like a delicious chocolate growth

As simple as the oatmeal raisin cookie was, the peanut butter cup cookie was like it's bigger, brasher bolder, meth-addicted cousin. It's physically larger then the standard size cookie and it has a larger grouping of it's ingredients, in this case, peanut butter cup, in it. All of which, I assume, made it a "deluxe" cookie on Insomnias's menu. I break off a piece of the cookie and I was greeted with smooth peanut butter flavor incorporated into the dough. That on it's own was very good. Where it goes off the rails in a meth-filled frenzy is when you get to the pb cup portion.

The chunks are so big and poorly distributed that it completely wipes out the the smoothness of the peanut butter in the cookie dough and you are greeted with a raunchy intermission act between the first and second half of Shrek. It's like eating a peanut butter cookie and then picking up a peanut butter cup and then taking a bite; sounds good on paper, but the reality isn't nearly as subtle as one might think. I wish Insomnia made a plain peanut butter cookie, but be it as it may, they don't and if their oatmeal raisin cookie was Ohio, this peanut butter cup cookie was Las Vegas.

I had to take this quick before gravity
broke this cookie....again

The Sweet:
These are delivered deliciously warm from a "warming counter".

The Bitter:
Their deluxe cookies are decadent to the max.

Conclusion:
Now, decadence isn't necessarily a bad thing, but for me, I think what a makes a snack great is the ability to ride that fine line between being satisfying, yet leaving you wanting for more. If you like to leave your snack exchange without feeling like you overdid it, I would try to limit your selection to something in the standard cookie category. Having that deluxe cookie, as much as I enjoyed the peanut butter portion, it left that, I-think-I-had-too-many-Krispy-Kremes-feeling (somewhere between piggish and insulin shotville).

Keep it to the standard and you will be rewarded with a cookie that brings the great homemade fresh out of the oven feel without the mess.

Video of the Week 

They are back! (Sorta)

I'm a little late to the game, but I recently discovered this new track by Johnny Gill. As cool as Johnny is, the real draw is the reunion of New Edition with him on this single after no new material by them since 2004. If you are a fan of NE like I am, this is great news. The song is old school awesome and they still have their dance moves. Somehow I don't look as good them when I do the steps in the shower.

Lays Wasabi Ginger

Darn you, Lays, you got me again.

The Attraction

I didn't really think much of wanting to review this new flavor offering from Lays, but my snack buddy G, swore that these were tasty. Was she just trying to josh me? Let's find out.

The Review:
After going through quite a few of Lays newer flavor chip offerings, both locally and abroad ( Mac and Cheese, Greektown Gyro and Thai Spicy Crab) I was content to take a break for awhile. I also didn't see any new products of their's that really called out to be tested. After an endorsement from a trusted snacking companion, I knew it was time to get back into those Lays waters.

Upon opening the bag, the smell of wasabi was very evident. I wasn't sure if the wasabi flavor would be sinus-clearing, but that initial smell certainly raised that possibility. In addition, would the ginger be too strong? I don't always eat the gari or pickled ginger when I have sushi, so would I enjoy the flavor of it? Will one overpower the other? Did I really just buy a bag of this?

Looks like the standard fare

No more time to stall, it was time to taste. Because these were Lays Kettle Cooked line, the crunch of the chips were great, as to be expected, however the wasabi was the first flavor that greeted me. It was obvious, but not over the top and was quickly followed by the ginger chaser. Hmm...did this chip really capture the taste of eating sushi? I have another and it confirmed by first thought; Lays does an excellent job of capturing the wasabi-ginger aspect of having sushi. I still can't quite believe how accurate it taste even after several chips. They also do a great job of balancing the two sometimes unwieldly flavors to strike just the right balance to recreate the famous Japanese staple.

Didn't see that coming

The Sweet:
Surprisingly reminiscence of actually having sushi.

The Bitter:
Doesn't sound like the most obvious flavor choice

Conclusion:
It was a bit of a tough sell for me at first, but after a few chips, I was sold. I'm still amazed how accurately Lays was able to capture the wasabi-ginger flavor. It's truly astounding. Will I go on a scavenger hunt at midnight to go find the grocery store that has a bag of it? Probably not, but it will certainly be on my list of approved and surprisingly tasty snacks of 2016

Video of the Week 

No, it's not album art for a group called "Insider"

Doesn't a 4-story roller coaster sound exciting to you thrill seekers? Yes, well what if I told you it was a pedal coaster in Japan? Oh...and there weren't any guardrails....safely, shmafety. Let's go!