Combos 7 Layer Dip Tortilla

No more referencing Combos!

The Attraction

After all my talk recently of other snacks that resemble Combos (see here and here), I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to go out and buy some Combos! Here's the catch, I could just get the flavors I grew up on like Cheddar and Pizza, but how would that fit into my snack blog? Well, I actual could have, but I thought it might be more interesting to try one of their new offerings.....7 Layer Dip!

The Review:
I was pretty excited to get a pack of Combos, even though I haven't had this flavor before. It's been about 4-5 years since I had any. I don't know why exactly I stopped eating them, I just did. Well, those days are gone. The drought is over!

I open the bag and immediately the smell of tacos come rushing out like a parade for my nose. I know it says "7 Layer Dip" and I'm not sure how different that smell is to tacos, but I smell tacos! I pick a Combo up and exam it. No salt on the shell of these. The original ones have a pretzel shell, while these don't. After looking at the packaging again, I see the word "Tortilla" on the bag. OK, Combos, this better still be good.

"Welcome home my little friends!"

I pop one nugget in my mouth and the saltiness of the dusting on the outside of the Combo presents itself. Then as I crunch into the "tortilla" shell, I encounter the creamy filling that brings on the 7 layer dip flavor. I can't exactly taste all 7 layers or even know what they are, but I keep coming back to a taco. A taco with some salsa on in that could use a little more cheese, but don't worry about the pretzel element being missing here 'cause the filling really jacks up the sodium level in this little snack parade. Maybe I should have another for good measure. 

It's like the good old days, sorta

The Sweet:
Taste like a taco in a half an inch cylinder

The Bitter:
Could use a little more cheese flavor and a shade less salt.

Conclusion:
I still miss the pretzel shell that I grew up eating, but these Combos 7 Layer Dip Tortilla are plenty salty enough on their own. They don't need the extra help. Although I will always be loyal to the flavors of my youth, I enjoyed this new flavor more than I expected. Truthfully, I begrudgingly grabbed these instead of the Combo Cheddar flavor I so craved at that time, but in the end I can see these Combos make a return to my snack library.....that is if Combos Cheddar and Pizza were sold out.

Video of the Week 

These E-cigs are so much safer.

I've never been a smoker, thankfully, but if I were, I can see how there might be a draw towards E-Cigarettes. They are easy to carry around, you can smoke them indoors without people being as offended and no open flame...well, maybe only in your pants pocket.

Snyder's of Hanover Hot Buffalo Wing

Rest in Pieces

The Attraction:

I don't hit Walmarts very often, but when I do, I usually see snacks there that I don't see in my usual supermarket. Last week, I came across a few products that I have never seen, like this one. I recently reviewed another Snyder's of Hanover product, Peanut Butter Pretzel Sandwich and was so pleased with that item, I was receptive to try another snack of theirs.

The Review:
As of late, I've been snacking my way through a bunch of products that have tried to emulate "animal" based foods such as Pringles Tangy Buffalo Wing, Kettle Brand Maple Bacon Chips, and Lay's Cheddar Bacon Mac and Cheese. Some did a better job than others, but I was convinced that these snacks would never be able to get over the texture chasm of eating an animal based protein no matter how crunchy or thick the chip was. That feeling is just too hard to emulate. With that said, I went into this with an open mind, but with low expectations.

I tear open the bag and a stand back for the scent to hit me...and it eventually does. The smell of a vinegar-based spice is very buffalo-wingesque to me, and these certainly deliver that much. I take a look into the bag and see the pieces in which these pretzels come in. After pulling several pieces out and examining them closely, it's obvious why these are in pieces; the seasoning that are applied won't stick to the pretzels outer shell, but will stick to the interior, non-baked sides of the pretzel. Brilliant idea and it makes total sense, but it takes some getting used to. You can't help but feel like someone has stomped on your bag of pretzels and you are left to literally pick up the pieces. I digress; enough of the science of this snack, we need to know how does it taste!

I pop in a few pretzel shards into my mouth and suddenly things get very familiar. The saltiness of the pretzel, the spice and alkaline flavor from the buffalo wing seasoning all bring to mind a night out with friends at the local watering hole with your favorite beverage in hand. The flavor is unmistakable and remarkably on target. What is even more astonishing is how well it works with pretzels. The hard multiple crunches needed to polish off a pretzel does a good job of tricking your mind into thinking it's chewing something more than just a carbohydrate with seasoning to make it taste like something else. The pretzel just makes it far more satisfying somehow.

On the heat-o-meter, this rates pretty mild. You won't be pouring water on your face to put out the flames, but it moves the needle.

Looks like the USPS handled these

The Sweet:

Great hot buffalo wing flavor. As close as the real thing I've had.

The Bitter:
Still takes some getting used to eating pieces of pretzels. It's almost like eating discounted snacks.

They got the color just about right

Conclusion:
One of my biggest gripes with these savory snacks that try to mimic actual "meat" products is the texture issue. It doesn't quite seem right because typically it's difficult to capture that mouth-feel of an animal product, but when you toss in the flavor you usually associate with such a dish and the texture and density of a pretzel, it is the surprising convincing. Short of carrying a buffalo wing in your pocket, this is as close as you are going to get to having the real thing in a snack form.

Video Rant of the Week
Usually I like to share an interesting video that I've come across that perhaps my readers would be interested in watching. This week, I'm doing the opposite. I'm posting a video that I absolutely hate. (and I hope my readers avoid)

Last week, there was a new trailer released for the upcoming "Superman Vs Batman: Dawn of Justice" movie. I was really excited to check it out, but when I did, I was extremely disappointed.

Why you may ask?

They reveal too much in the damn trailer!

Now, if you haven't seen the trailer, please avoid it if you plan to see the movie next year, cause I sure wish I did. Actually, I hate this trailer so much, I might avoid seeing the movie altogether to spite it.

Without going into too much detail, from the trailer you can sort out parts of the battle between Superman and Batman, why and approximately when they stop fighting each other, the origin of one of the villains, and when another superhero officially makes an appearance with them. I feel like I've actually seen the movie already. Arghh! I'm so angry just writing this.

If you must.....youtube it. I won't link it here.

Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Dips Peanut Butter Pretzel Sandwich

How could I NOT resist?

The Attraction:

I saw these at a Target a few weeks back, but was too much of a slacker to wait in line for 15 minutes to pay for a bag of these, so recently on my way home from work when I stopped at the drug store and saw these on the shelf again, I knew it was snack kismet. (That and I was hungry)

The Review:
In case you missed a few of my reviews, I have a thing going with peanut butter and chocolate snacks. (please see here, here and here). Its pretty hard to mess it up, in my opinion, so with this combination, it's a bit more like, how great can they make this snack?

I get home, peel open the bag and peer inside. For what I paid, it's not too bad, but I wouldn't have complained from the bag being "too heavy".

I pick up a sandwich and although it's not as pretty as the picture on the outside of the bag, the coverage and layer of chocolate on the sandwich is more than I expected. I was expecting a light coating, but from the appearance, you wouldn't necessarily have been able to tell what was under the chocolate.

Finally, it's time to dig in. I take a bite and the smooth chocolate texture gives way to a firm pretzel hidden under the coating of chocolate. The flavor waves follow the same sequence; the sweetness of the chocolate followed by the saltiness of the pretzel. Hmm..I know the bag said "peanut butter" on the outside...oh, there it is. As you can imagine, when you are dealing with these kind of strong flavors, something has to play the third fiddle and in this case it's the peanut butter. It's in there, but it gets lost in the shuffle with the shot of saltiness from the pretzel masking the salty nutty flavor of the peanut butter. It's not a salty and crunchy Reese's Peanut Butter cup, like I wished it would be like, but how many things in the world can be?

I could of used a couple of more of these

The Sweet:

Chocolate and pretzel is a great classic combo. Throw in some peanut butter for good measure.

The Bitter:
A little pricey at $3.50 a bag. The peanut butter flavor gets lost in the mix somewhere

In case you were wondering where the pretzel was

Conclusion:
These are a delicious snack. I would have liked the pb to come across a bit stronger, but I think the original configuration without the chocolate allowed the peanut butter flavor to be more pronounced. With the chocolate bath, the subtleties of the nut flavor get lost, but even at that, I cleared out the bag without much help. The next time I can scrape together a few bucks, I'll be fine with letting this little keeper join the snack party in my pantry.

Video of the Week
If you are a geek like me, then you actually watched the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer a few times. If you were a uber geek (possibly like me), then you stepped it up a notch and watched the Japanese version of the trailer to get a peek at some additional scenes.

I don't know, I might see this. (haha!)