This is a confusing name for a cereal. But other than the name, this isn't very exciting -- it's just your basic corn flakes, with some sweet oat clusters. I guess it's an accurate name after all. Solid, just not exciting.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
I haven't had San Giorgio in a while, I guess because De Cecco is better about allergy stuff, but I've always seen it as a high quality pasta type. They were the only brand to have lasagna noodles at the store, though, so cheers to them for that. These were both longer and skinnier than I expected, as an eater but not-often-maker of lasagna. They mostly cooked fine, although it was difficult to take them out of the pot without breaking them and then in a skillet lasagna form I had to break them up and they still didn't quite cook fully. So, maybe I need bigger pots and better tongs, but I don't see myself cooking too much lasagna in the future -- only for wine recipes, really. The taste was "noodle" so I have no real complaints on that front. And 1lb of lasagna noodle feels like more than 1lb of other shapes, dang.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
Like many a wine, this was fine. Warm, not too acidic or sweet, and with a pineapple and melon vibe.
Overall
Cost: 5/10 [16$]
Taste: 7/10
It was fine! At first a little weird/grassy, but ultimately OK. (Sorry, no strong memory of this one).
Overall
Cost: 5/10 [16$]
Taste: 6/10
Now for another edition of things that are cute but not very good! Alas. All of the starbucks (et al) frap-type drinks taste the same! Just a milky calorie bomb. Not much mocha flavor here. I guess a bit of a white chocolate vibe is present. A stylish can, and not too strong of a "can" flavor (though there is some), but it's like, they don't even list the caffiene content, so I can only assume there's like 1mL of cofe content in this!
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
O! Natura! How iridescent you are! Inside my glass!
This wine has disappeared from the internet, I think it's the same as their "red blend" if I'm honest (since it is a blend). I found it to be so smooth, but also grippy. Tastes like thick cherries; a red woodsy vibe. Warming and pleasant!
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
I didn't realise Frito Lay owned Jack Links! No wonder they have these weird Doritos flavors. Anyway, this IS hot, it's got a tingly afterburn but otherwise tastes like normal jerky. I'd rather have normal or teriyaki (or sweet and hot) flavors, I think, since the heat kind of hides the meat. Luckily it's just "hot" and not "dorito" or "cheese" or "corn chip" or anything gross like that. As always, this is crazy expensive for what you get, but it is a nice snack (for rich kids!!!).
Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 7/10
Ooh, limited edition. I'm a dumb sucker for holiday versions of things that taste exactly the same as regular versions of things, apparently. These are cute, although they are MUCH smaller than the package made me think. About the size of a wheatable (rip), although they're a bit crumbly, which makes it seem like they wouldn't be very good for dipping. Also, dipping them in ranch dip(?) like the picture seems disgusting. Maybe cheese dip? Otherwise, they taste like a nice buttery club cracker. No other notes, which is just fine.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
God, I hate pickles. I used one (one!!) of these in a recipe that served 8 and it was all I could taste. The texture is fine, but the taste is just like -- a pink necco? and pickle? and vinegar? all at once!? So overpowering. Augh. I wish I liked them because they're very cute and remind me of my cousin at holidays, who clearly got a pickle gene I did not. I will keep them in case another recipe comes up (please no!) but I really can't handle snacking on them. Because they are bad. Worse than non-sweet pickles for sure.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 3/10
I am unconvinced that this is different from the "vanilla sweet cream" flavor, but since Starbucks doesn't have a website for their at home products (unlike Dunkin!) I can't be sure. These are miles above the stupid canned frapps, anyway. More coffee flavor; just a little milkiness (and a tiny bit of foamy froth from the "nitro"). These are good for travelling. I do miss the pumpkin flavor, but this is probably my favorite of the OG lineup. (I don't think I tried the purple one though?).
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
Pro: Cute label, or at least, noteworthy label. I liked the taste too -- it smelled like I wouldn't like it, but tasted very sweet. Pear/citrus vibes. L didn't like it though!
Overall
Cost: 5/10 [15$]
Taste: 7/10
You know what, this is the fattiest ground turkey I've ever had in terms of the percentage, but when I cooked it (with oil!!) there was still like no drippings left over (and my recipe assumed there'd be drippings)! I guess it's good that it tasted lean even if it wasn't. This was also weirdly goopy compared to ground beef -- I guess I'm a little bit of a raw meat noob since I only use it for wine recipes. Anyway, this cooked fine, was tasty enough (jk it tasted like nothing, but that's tasty enough), and best of all, the website is very clear that there's no nuts in the facility and the flavorings are just spices (no legumes). So I like the company and will pivot from Jenny-Os posthaste.
Overall
Cost: 5/10 [5$]
Taste: 7/10
I just saw that this company has shut down their popcorn operation! Well, that's probably a good thing, because I didn't like it very much. I thought it had a weird herbal flavor more than garlic (garlic isn't even listed as an ingredient, so that tracks), and because they don't use oil (you're supposed to add your own, but c'mon), it was very dry as well. Just too bland to enjoy, really, even though I like the idea of a healthier popcorn.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10
Cheese is always good. Sadly I didn't even get a chance to finish this, but it was good for burgers, melted nicely, and I have no complaints.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
This is one of the cute Aussie wines, and I always like that vibe. They seem chill about allergies as a nation, and the label is cute. This one was sour, acidic, and fruity. A little pineapple vibe? It was decent, though, just quite intense.
Overall
Cost: 4/10 [20$]
Taste: 7/10
I got this to put in a thermos on a drive too early for Dunkin to be open, because I need cofe in the morning if I'm about to do a long drive (commuting to work has trained me thus). I guess it was fine. Starbucks is no Dunkin, and fridge is no fresh. It tastes like the Starbucks (black) cans, which are also fine, but weird and too smooth and strong. I didn't finish the bottle because other cofes were more appealing when I didn't need this one.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
This was a weird one. To me, it tasted "off". A really strong flavor. Sure, grape, and sweet, but also notes of "log". Smokey. Maybe tamarind, like sweet jerky or something. Just a very specific, weird taste. Kind of like BBQ chip powder fell in in the bottling process. This vibe is less intense when it's cold, but still there.
Overall
Cost: 5/10 [16$]
Taste: 6/10
I'm a huuuuge soup fan, but even if a soup doesn't have beans/peas/fish in it, it has soy protein in 99% of the time. But this one didn't! So I bought it! (Yes, I do check every new soup I see, just like Chinese food.) And it was better than I feared it might be, but not amazing. Probably a very standard soup, but I'm still looking forward to buying it again because it was a standard soup! It really was spicy, too. And decently filling for the calos. Noodles, broth, a few carrot/spinach bits, and some spicy meatballs (not very sausagey, more like meatbally). Thanks, Progresso.
Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10
This isn't really good enough to deserve a 6, because it doesn't taste that good, but honestly most beer doesn't taste that good (especially to non-alkies). It's kind of like water -- easy to drink, but not something special. The upside is, it's very cheap. And I guess I'm not allergic to them as I've had them many times before. I do like cans over bottles, anyway.
Overall
Cost: 7/10
Taste: 6/10
I had this on a Wednesday(-Friday) but it was still good. I hadn't had wine for a wine (well, like a few weeks), so that probably gave this one a boost. But it was nice to have after a long gap. A little spicy! Solid red, not really too complex, as advertised. Smooth and pleasant.
I paired it with the recommended Double Cheeseburgers with Caramelized Onions, although as always the burgers were raw on the inside because they were so huge, so I had to cook 'em much longer than the recipe said. Therefore they were only single cheeseburgers because of how tall they were! But, pretty solid apart from the inherent burger annoyances.
Overall
Cost: 5/10 [15$]
Taste: 7/10
Which is the original Milano? Is it milk or dark choco? I have the feeling it's dark, but maybe that's just because my dad preferred it when I was a kiddo. [Update: it's dark!] Anyway, I usually like milk choco better on things, but for these, I'm not sure. Obviously they're delicious and I went through the bag in a record time, but the dark choco feel a little firmer somehow. Anyway, these are good, and I didn't realise they were milk choco til halfway through, so they can't be THAT different either way!
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
Ahoy! This was much better than the grated version for two reasons: one, it didn't give me a stomach ache (at least not yet), and two, it tasted good, like actual cheese. Solid stuff. Is it worth 5$, probably not, since it only lasts 3 days, but if I need to fill my cart, there are worse things.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
Even though I didn't really like the strawberry flavor of these, I can't resist a new type of nut-free dessert, so I had to try 'em. Fortunately these were better than the strawberry version, but still not as good as the basic chocolate/vanilla. They're sweet but not very complex.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
Bad news, besties. The filling in these tastes like a christmas candle. Or potpourri, maybe. I guess it's very cinnamon heavy, but not in a good way. Also, they are too fragile to toast properly (but that's a general pop tart complaint these days). Not my favorite pop tart or apple jacks related thing, that's for sure.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10
You know, it turns out I don't love mint green tea. But the lemon is nice (I think they have lemon in?). Regardless, I like the vibe! I would definitely try other flavors. Canned drink, low cal, normal ingredos, these are all good qualities.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
Your girl is staving off lactose intolerance by eating cereal for every meal, I guess. I like lucky charms and I like s'mores, but alas, the combination was the minus of its parts, or something. Not that this was bad, just that it didn't improve on either concept at all. As a mixture it was kinda weird. The lucky charms were chocolate flavored, which I guess is fine, and that with the marshmallows would be OK. But adding in golden grahams(?) is very different, vibe-wise, and it just doesn't mesh for me. Hurts 'em both in the end. Still. fine, especially if you segregate your bowl into grahams and other.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
These are surely very cute and bright, so they win on aesthetics. The taste was a little bit weird to me, though -- dare I say nutty!? I don't know if I was just nervous because it was my first bowl (and I lived, so I guess so) or if they actually tasted a little off. They do smell like trix and the texture is fairly soft but not mushy. OK but not great.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
I have pretty bad associations with snack packs, mainly from being sick or/and hiding pills inside them. So my expectations were pretty low here, especially as these arrived smashed and sticky and I had to toss a few cups out. Luckily, they did exceed my very low expectations: they're kinda fun. Basically like a very sweet watermelon flavored jello.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10
I like the regular fruit chews, especially the vanilla and a little bit the green and red ones. But these sour ones are sadly less good. For one thing, there's no vanilla, it's blue raspberry! And the main flavor note you get on 'em is just "sour". Plus, they hurt my lil teethies (and I'm due for two fillings)! Anyway, here's my tentative flavor ranking:
1. Red (cherry)
2. Yellow (lemon)
3. Orange (orange)
4. Blue (blue razz)
5. Pink (watermelon)
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
The oat crunch here does add a certain "heft", a certain "fillingness". So that's good. It smells just like berry flavored oatmeal, though, which isn't particularly tempting. And it has the mystery "vegetable juice" ingredient as well. For something that feels like a bit of a chore, I think it should have fewer carbs, but alas. It's filling and fine but not great.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
At first chomp, these taste a lot like BBQ fritos, which I sure don't love. The powder here is indeed very BBQ-y, like a BBQ sauce, and I like that aspect. It smells pretty good and has a strong flavor, but of course isn't cheesy at all which is what Doritos usually are. Kinda weird vibes, although ultimately, I think I do like it, although I'm not sure how much.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
Oh, no. What was I thinking buying this? Years later, the gummy burger from when I was 9 still haunts me and my digestive system. Yes, this is safe, but it tastes just like the gummy burger. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the same company, actually. Just bad, cheap gummy. It's no haribo, and I don't even love Haribo!
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10
Some of my best friends are Fruity 2 in 1s. This is cute, but kind of a weird choice for JR, since it's literally just the existing flavors smooshed together (plus orange?). And one of the flavors in each pairing completely overpowers the other. In order of my preference, there's:
Orange/Cherry: Here, orange is overwhelming, which is too bad because cherry is my favorite normal rancher. It's still the best combo, though. The orange tastes exactly like an orange popsicle does.
Grape/Apple: Here, grape is overwhelming. I like it OK.
Watermelon/Blue Raspberry: Here, watermelon is overwhelming, which is less tasty than blue raspberry, so that's a shame.
On the whole, they all are tasty, although I was a little scared I'd choke on them, lol. Still, might as well buy the typical jolly ranchers unless you really love orange (or hate cherry/apple/blue).
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
According to the package, this cheese and I have a lot in common. Anyway, I got it for my big lasagna, and it did the job there. I'd rate it as "good", at least in ease of grating compared to the parm brick. Very soft, creamy texture. Tastes like cheese. Not a super strong flavor.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10
These are super weird! The taste is not like a dorito at all, and honestly, not flamin' hot, either! They taste like Trix-lime but with a weirdly sour aftertaste. I love the idea of roulette chips, but I wasn't even sure which ones were the sour ones here -- they just had more powder on them, it seemed. I don't know. I just don't know.
Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10
