Nature's Promise Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I'm always fascinated by the products at my parents' house. They never bought this stuff when I was a kid! What's happening?? In 20 years, will I be so different? Will I stop mainlining Dunkin and start being a Peet's fan?! I doubt it, but check back in 2046 to find out (if blog still exists... woe).

Used this on my pasta + broc, as one does, and I didn't like it as much as my normie FB olive oil. Is that because it's (organic) EVOO and not just OO? Probably, actually. But it had a very strong flavor. I don't want a strong flavor! I want the most neutral fatty liquid possible. Shoulda gone for butter, maybe. But I wasn't allergic, so it was fine. I think is the Giant store brand, but the organic one. Isn't it weird that store brands have bifurcated in this way? Yes. OK... bye!

Overall
Cost: ??/10
Taste: 5/10 

Orange La Croix

I thought I had already tried this one, but no, that was tangerine! My parents clearly have a type. Like the tandʒo, this was pretty good. Like an orange seltzer ought to taste like. Not too artificial/candy vibe; refreshing. Made me miss the ocean.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10 

Carolina Whole Grain Brown Rice

Hey, a solid!! Stomachs everywhere rejoice. 

So, I usually buy "Ben's Original" for brown rice, but as is often the case with things I want, my store seems to no longer carry it. Instead they have only "CAROLINA" rice (n.b. neither grown or packaged in Carolina). Never heard of it, but it contains the single ingredient "rice" so seems OK as allergens go. Some people online even say this is their go-to rice brand! Well, I guess those people are looking for something different than me, because I used this in a soup and cooked it like 2x the normal time (i.e. over an hour) and the hull was still extremely.... hully. Very digestion-intensive rice. I guess if you want a quinoa/bulgur/ancient grain vibe, this could be good, especially since I can't usually eat that kind of stuff... but idk. I like a simple carb I guess. Still, it worked OK for soup, 'cause there's a lot of liquid surrounding it. Filling stuff. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10

Canada Dry - Cherry Fruit Spash (Cherry Ginger Ale)

The fizzy drinks are escalating!! Somehow every day I gain 10-20 new obligations, so I am pounding sugar in exciting new forms so I don't pass out and die. This has no caffeine so it is truly just fizzy wet sugar. With a splash of cherry juice! Supposedly there is real ginger in this, but it definitely leans more ginger ale than ginger beer. Actually, it leans more cherry 7UP than anything (not that I've ever had cherry 7up, but it's the type of thing I'd be making in those Freestyle soda machines back in my resto days). One upshot is that even though this is 1% juice and 99% sugar, it doesn't have any artificial flavors or colors, so the redness is presumably all cherry, which is wholesome. A pleasant, very sweet, cherry flavored sodey pop. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [8-9$ for a case... which seems insane but apparently soda costs this now]
Taste: 6/10 

Raspberry Lime Polar Seltzer

This is another good seltz. Very crisp, clean taste. Bubbly, almost bitter.  The raspberry and lime are present but very subtle. Not a strong scent either (although my sniffer's a bit degraded presently). Makes me feel like I am on vacation. I don't have maladaptive daydreaming (let alone daydreaming), but I do have maladaptive consumption delusions.... maybe one more seltzer will fix me....

Overall
Cost: 6/10 [1.20$]
Taste: 7/10 

Polar Seltzer - Cranberry Clementine

Bears are cute. I wanted Polar seltzer today for unknown reasons, and was almost convinced my store didn't have it (amongst the bubly, spindrift, LC, waterloo, and store brand) until I thought to check the mixer aisle. Behold! What makes a seltzer a mixer and not a seltzer? Is it bottle v. can? Anyway, here she is in all her glory. Very carbonated, very strong scent, very mild taste. I guess I can pretend I'm pounding some vodka, which is a top interest of mine. 

Overall
Cost: 6/10 [1.20$]
Taste: 6/10 

La Banderita White Corn Tortillas

A non-Goya corn tortilla option has appeared at my grocery store! (Nothing against Goya as product, only Goya as politics). You wouldn't think there could be much variation in cooked small corn tortillas, but these have noticeably less structural integrity - they fall apart much more, and are thinner. I think that's actually good though, because I don't like the taste of corn tortilla that much, so it feels like you're eating less of it. Much better heated (naturally); a good vessel for cheese (naturally). (I tried adding a little of that jalepeno ranch to see if that'd be good, but it was horrible, ranch sucks). 

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10