Plain chips have never really been my thing, so it's no surprise that this is one of the last flavors of Deep River Chip I'm trying. For plain chips, they're on the good end of the scale -- good crunch, thick, not too greasy or weird. But they're still just plain chips. I'd like a little flavor, a little excitement, you know? A solid company nevertheless, and a decently filling salty snack.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
This was a dinner classic growing up. I'm not crazy for pig meat in general, but honestly this is a convenient and affordable piece of meat. Cooks in like 5min, no safety issues since it's pre-cooked, expiry date is months out, makes 2 servings (but if you eat it all it's not madness), and the taste is decent -- a little weird flavor in parts, possibly due to my pan, but mostly just "ham" flavor. Good texture, hard to mess it up. Goes with cheesy noodles and sweet potatoes, 2 of my most common foods. Basically I like it more than I thought I would.
Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10
Hmm. Eggnog spice, eh? These tasted very similar to the holiday cinnamon spice ones in the red box that I'd had the previous year. They are noticeably distinct from plain coffee, so it's exciting at first, but I must say that I looked forward to them less and less and I went though the box. By the end I was happy to be done. They're nice as an occasional treat, though, and not insanely artificial tasting (though a bit). Mostly cinnamon flavor. Better with milk added, of course.
Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10
This cheese is...dare I say...Good-a. Really tasty, creamy as promised. I like the idea of a snack cheese. This one isn't too strongly flavored, which is a plus in my book. Just unadulterated Cheese. I appreciate that they're pre-portioned, because they sure leave you wanting more. Also good in pasta, but totally good as a solo snack too. And easy to peel! Nice!
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 8/10
This cheese is super mysterious -- I can't find info about "Homestead Meadows" cheese anywhere online. I THINK it's just a different packaging for LaClare's goat cheese, but I'm not sure. I don't like food mysteries. Ignoring this: the cheese is good. It's very herby, to the point where I was getting bleu cheese vibes partially on color alone (I think). But the taste is like goat cheese with some basil/garlic/rosemary/??? mixed in. It's good especially when it softens/warms up a bit, then you can spread it on a bagel. Goes well with red wine. Solid cheeser, but maybe a little intense for me (although better than a flavorless cheeser!).
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
This is a big open warehousey space on the south side of Newark with lots of creative beers (mainly sours). Sounds amazing, right? Except one of their brews has PEANUTS in it, so I can't actually drink any of them. But that's a personal problem for your girl, so I still end up going here with friends pretty often. Luckily they have local wines (chardonnay, cabernet) too and I drink those with no issue. I do like that you go to the counter to order because it avoids the awkwardness of trying to get a bartender's attention, so if it weren't for the nut thing I'd be very into this joint. Indoor and outdoor seating, dog-friendly, cute. Servers are nice but not "too" nice. Good vibes, just bad for allergy girls.
Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 5/10
This was pretty solid for me. A little bit sweeter and thinner than my preferred Merlot, and maybe a little bit tarter too, but not terrible. I like reds now!
Overall
Cost: 5/10 [17$]
Taste: 7/10
Nut free cookies! I love to see it. These are OK. I generally like ginger snaps, but I gotta say, my mom does it better. (And maybe so does Pepperidge Farm). These are very firm/crunchy, even though the outside is weirdly crumbly. No real "snap" to speak of -- they have the texture of a Chips Ahoy. The taste is quite gingery, which is nice, although maybe a little overwhelming? Or too savory somehow, rather than the sugar/butter vibes I might like. More molasses might help? Anyway they're definitely pleasant, and I love to have a "real dessert", so thank you, Fancypants! Only major downside -- I couldn't find an expiry date anywhere, so I hope they aren't super old. Oh well.
Overall
Cost: 4/10 [5$]
Taste: 7/10
Apparently I haven't had the 30 flavor mix, only the 20! Exciting! Most of the flavors are winners, and it's very easy to overdo it on eating these. The noticeable new flavors were some soda ones (fun) and banana (gross), plus my old favorites like cinnamon and pear. Below's the revised list ranking, although it might be a little incomplete (I think I'm missing one of the new flavors!)
Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10
~
Strawberry Cheesecake - accurate! xxx
Sunkist® Lemon - tastes like lemon chuckles!
Sunkist® Tangerine - tastes like orange soda! x
Lemon Lime x
Blueberry - tastes like pie filling!
A+W Root Beer xx
Bubble Gum x
Toasted Marshmallow x
Sizzling Cinnamon xx
Orange Sherbet xx
Cotton Candy - Very sweet
Red Apple (?) x
Juicy Pear x
A + W Cream Soda x
Watermelon xx
Chocolate Pudding x
Pomegranate xx
French Vanilla x
Dr Pepper(?) xxxx
Piña Colada
Tutti Frutti - Tastes like Bubble Gum??
Peach x
Caramel Corn xx
Very Cherry xx - a lil medicinal
Coconut x
Buttered Popcorn x
Green Apple - weird. x
Top Banana xx - burnt flavor, a lil nutty!
Licorice - don't know, I'm allergic to licorice! x
I'm not a huge fan of plain tortilla chips, but I had leftover salsa, so I figured a flavored tortilla chip might be a little tastier. And it was! These have a little dusting of cheese/salsa flavor coating, which went well with... salsa. Probably would also go with queso, come to think of it. They did have a little spice to them, which is also fun. Made me a little bit depressed because "weird flavored chips" remind me of my ex-boyf, lol. RIP me. But I'd get these again anyway!
Overall
Cost: 4/10 [5$!]
Taste: 6/10
I really enjoyed this one! Maybe I really do prefer reds to whites after all. I thought the first sip was very tasty -- just a classic warm tingly red. Cherry notes. Nothing too acidic or smoky. Nice stuff.
Overall
Cost: 5/10 [17$]
Taste: 7/10
Mmm, bread. Mmm, cheese. Mmm, garlic. You can't go wrong with a cheesy garlic bread. This one is pretty delicious, and I like that it comes in a sealable inside baggy, because then I can make 2 slices at a time and get 4 servings of toast outta the box! Convenient. The time they suggest (5-8 minutes) is actually on the low side, 10 minutes is more optimal for me, but that's because I don't preheat (hehe). The taste is very much "cheesy butter bread and garlic too", and the texture is great if you cook long enough, crispy but not burnt and hard. Good stuff.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 8/10
Gotta love this cute lil racoon mascot. As with the other flavors, these are a pleasant texture -- not too chewy or sticky. They are a little bit too sweet for my preference, and they taste more like apple/grape than blueberry, perhaps, but they're still pretty darn good/satisfying for a fruit snack. Plus, mild veggie content!
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
This is a pretty rare Pringle flavor for my variety-pack buying life! So that was fun to have something new. Ultimately, I guess it basically tastes like a combo of the Cheddar pringle and the Sour Cream pringle, so that's truth in advertising. I'd say it leans more to the Cheddar side. It's fine because I like both of those flavors, but I don't think it's an additive effect, so they're all a bit interchangeable to me. Definitely better than "Original", though!
Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10
Alas! This was also not good. Sorry, Mac and Freak, I think our time together is at an end. I cooked this pasta for 11 minutes and it was still super firm! The sauce was also not cheesy or flavorful, although it was a little bit hot (spicy), and I was like "huh", but now I see it's actually "Kickin' Kale" and there's jalepeno in it. So, mystery solved. I like the little bit of heat but I wish there were flavor, softer noodles, and more cheese.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10
Is most cream cheese probiotic? I actually have no idea, but this tasted a lot more sour & "yogurt-y" than I was expecting when I smeared it on my bagel, so maybe it's a special thing. I like that if so, because yogurt is good for your GUT BIOME and I'm all about that. Overall it tasted fine, was pretty thick and slightly wet and sour, but no ill effects and it comes in 8 easily gloopable servings. So, I'm down for a re-buy.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
First I macced, then I freaked, because the maccing wasn't very good. Sorry mac 'n freak, there's just a weird chemical taste that I don't like to these. The noodles were also very firm. I added lots of milk this time, in hopes of gooping it up, but it wasn't great. Lots of calories for minimal satisfaction. Sorry, Mac and Freak. :(
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10
I like the idea of a personal pizza, because I am an only child and want things to be just for me. And although I don't like DiGiorno typically, I guess I liked the full size version of this pizza. But the little one was less good, mainly because the stuffed crust was so firm and dried out that you couldn't even tell it was stuffed crust at all. The pizza also didn't have that "buttery" crust vibe I like, or any seasoning at all. It was very bland! Soft and tasteless pizza still isn't terrible, and it's soy free and a good size, so I'm thinking maybe cooking this in the oven instead of the microwave might at least solve the texture issue. I should give it another chance simply because I adore stuffed crust and Pizza Hut is nut city.
Update: I tried it in the oven! It did make the crust-cheese a more normal texture, but it still wasn't good. The sauce is just too sweet and gross, the crust cheese tastes like nothing, and I just wish it were better than it is. Oh well.
Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10
