Raaka Candy Cane Crunch Minis

These are very cute! So well-wrapped for a mini choco niblet. Anyway, even though these aren't a "swirl", the candy cane bits are still focused on the bottom half of the bar, just like the swirls are. But that's almost irrelevant because you can hardly taste the candy cane -- it'soverwhelmingly fruity dark choco that comes through. Just like the peppermint swirl! It's good though, and I do like the mint that is there. The ingredient of "fruit/vegetable concentrate" made (makes?) me nervous because what if it's Pea, but that's silly because why would it be Pea when candy canes are, like, red and white. Right!? Anyway, it's tasty and wee.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets

 I got these for a recipe, but unfortunately it was a savory recipe and not sweet, so these didn't impress me. They were very wet and doughy and had no flavor of their own. I think in a sweet pastry they'd be great. But these were also hard to work with frozen, the sheet snapped even after microwaving it. Better to somehow thaw it I guess. I expected better but it may have just been the particular recipe that threw me! At least they're safe.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Dorot Gardens Crushed Garlic

This is some simply wild stuff. But what's really wild is that my grocery store was Sold Out of Garlic (on a random mid-month day!) and I had to get this instead. It smells very much like garlic, but is not only garlic -- there's oil too. So I think it worked but it kind of weirded me out. I prefer real garlic. Alas.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Raaka Gingerbread Latte Swirl Chocolate Bar

Oh baby! This is one of my favorites. It does have a lovely swirl on the back, maybe a bit thicker than some others, but this time you can actually taste the swirl flavor (coffee!)! I love coffee. The fruity choco does come through heavily, but so does creamy coffee. The gingerbread and cocomilk spices don't really make themselves known, which I am totally fine with. Yay coffee.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

New York Bakery - Bread Sticks (with Real Garlic)

Despite myself, I like these. I always tell my parents I prefer garlic bread or Texas Toast to Bread Sticks, and I do!, but these are also quite tasty, bready, garliccy, etc. Of course, I also like the Olive Garden breadsticks, which some do not. These are less salty and more garlicy. They are also a little too oily/buttery to handle for my preference, but they do taste good. Huzzah.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Marzetti veggie dip singles - ranch

Hrmm. My parents had these for veg, and I usually love a dip for veg, but I didn't love these. I said it was because I'm used to the low-fat version, which I thought was true, but I think I'm just not used to Marzetti -- I get Hidden Valleys at home! Who knew Hidden Valley was my hidden preference. This was too "cream heavy", not enough water or zing or veggie flavor. It was OK, I used it, but it's not my favorite. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Pepperidge Farm Zurich Cookies

A plain sugar cookie doesn't seem too exciting, but these were quite pleasant. Softer than I expected, like a shortbread! Sweet, light and buttery. Would consume again.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

SuperPretzel Soft Pretzel Bites

These were a lot smaller than I expected! But a serving is six of 'em, so it's a decent snack. I always liked Superpretzel (big size), and these are essentially the same product, just small. I do think the texture is worse if you microwave them than the big ones are (chewier, drier), but the taste is the same, and it's very convenient so I never even tried another method. The salt is fun. Overall, fun. I need to try these with cheese dip later! Right now my throat hurts and I'm very sleepy. 

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

Froot Loops with Spooky Marshmallows

These are the same spooky marshmallows as in the spooky apple jacks -- small chewy white ghosts, weird for their texture but fine enough. One thing I don't like about this version of Loops is that they're only orange and purple colored ones. Now I suspect all the colors taste the same, but you still have a sense that Maybe They Don't, and so just two colors is less fun. Plus the orange look like apple jacks, so it's not very unique. They taste just like Froot Loops though. Do they go with marshmallows? Not particularly. But froot loops are good so this is good too, even though it doesn't add anything.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Peppermint Swirl Chocolate Bar

When the chocolate rains, it pours! This is from a limited batch. It has spirulina, which always scares me (but which I've had before) and coconut, which now scares me (but which I've of course had before). I like mint chocolate normally. The spirulina does make for a pretty green swirl on the back (just like the dragonfruit one). It's not actually that minty, though!! I guess the overwhelming fruitiness of the choco just overpowers anything else. The light minty vibe I get is pleasant, but I want way more! Maybe mixed in to the whole bar? It's also quite soft and melty, even the dark choco bit. The green part is a tiny bit gritty, too (I blame cocomilk). If I survive, I think I liked it.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Coconut Milk Chocolate Bar

Ahh. After nearly dying from the Mango bar, I'm side-eyeing all the coconut milk flavors, even this innocent basic cocomilk bar. I'm now an oat milk preferer. This is a smooth bar though, very soft and not too "spicy". Not gritty, but you can still taste whatever the coconut milk does, as well as the fruity choco. It's fine. I'm just scared.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Swanson Unsalted Chicken Broth

The distinction among broths and stocks and etcs is a bit lost on me, but they all serve roughly the same purpose: watering down some noodly meal and infusing a light meat flavor (maybe). I guess I do notice beef vs chicken, but otherwise I don't have much to say. There's no legumes and I didn't get itchy, so I'm sticking with Swanson on these. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10

2022 San Cisalto Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

This is pretty good, at least on first crack. It smells a bit like bread, and has some yeasty notes in the taste as well. Smooth but tart, with berry flavors more than woody/smokey stuff. I enjoy it, even though I'm scared my sniffles (pre-wine) mean I'm sickening! And my neighbor is hammering his entire body into his house right now. Boooo everything! Yay wine.

I did make the pairing of Creamy Tomato Rigatoni, which certainly sounds like I'd like it. And it was decent -- at least they're wet, although nothing really Amazing there, just mildly fine creamy tomato noodle. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Dietz & Watson Gruyere Cheese

This says it's German, but I always assume Gruyere was French only! Huh. Anyway, this is a real company, so that's reassuring. But it was also like 11 dollars, which is not. But it's a good amount of cheese, and fairly soft and easy to shred and cut, so that's good. I enjoyed it, even cold in the car as a weird snack.

Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 7/10

2020 Le Petit de Verre Merlot Pays D'OC

A liter sure is a lot! But I liked this one, it was smooth, not too acidic or tart, and had a pleasant warming vibe. Solid red. 

I made the pairing of French Onion Chicken Pot Pie, which sounds great because I like Chicken Pot Pie more than most other foods, but alas! The French Onion of it all was actually a detraction for me. It was still fine, but just not as good as I hoped. Would be better without cheese on top and beef stock, I think. And it was so much work!!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux Cookies

My dad likes these a lot, but for me, they aren't my favorite. They taste a little bit like something my mom would have made. Very buttery, a bit of a burnt ("caramelized") flavor. Very thin and crispy. A little bit like bready rock candy. I can get into it after a bit of time, but although it is good and dessert-y, I don't yearn for it. Or at least not yet, I only had two! 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

2022 Tucana Sauvignon Blanc

I like the song pairing! The food was a no go. The wine itself was a "huh." My first reaction was honestly "ew!" because the promised notes of asparagus really do come through. And like, what the heck. The website says olives instead, which sounds a little nicer, but is equally gross (and accurate) in reality. Salty, vinegary flavors. Maybe some peach in there? Gooseberry, they say? I don't know what gooseberry tastes like, but if it's this, I don't like it. Very unique though. It also made me stuffy and tingly, as many wines do. After sitting for 2 days, it's much more mellow, both in terms of taste and redfacedness. Still a little veg funk though. Wild stuff.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10

Corte Buona Prosciutto Italiano

I think this one might be better than the Premio Store Brando Prosciutto! At first I thought this was a weird store brand too, but it might be a real Italian company. Nice. Anyway, I thought it was a little bit less salty or more meaty? Or something? Solid stuff. Clear instructions for expiry. Appreciated.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

2022 Buenos Aires Torrontes

I don't think Buenos Aires should be available as a company name, but what do I know. These wines are all fake labels nowadays anyway. Anyway, this is very tropical fruit-y, with a strong "bite". Acidic with a juicy aftertaste, but it made me face itchy at first. Also gets very sour and acidic after a day or so. Not great sounding, but it was fine.

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [15$]
Taste: 6/10

Raaka Bananas Foster Chocolate Bar

OK Raaka, am I being pranked?! This looks, and tastes, like plain dark chocolate. Firm, vegan, choco. Maybe after some time the ol' banana and caramel notes seep in a tiny bit. And I do like them. So that's neat. But it's verrrrry subtle! Maybe I need to eat slower.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Mango Mochi Chocolate Bar

Mine does NOT look this orange! (Woe!) Or this drippy, although that's probably good, and it is quite melty anyway, so it evokes the right idea. Anyway, I do taste the mango, but I also taste the I-guess-coconut-milk white choco base, which is very weird and tastes like the spicy gingerbread men. I wish there were less of that gritty creamy "spiced" vibe and more mango and actual choco. Maybe a dark chocolate mango would have been the move. Maybe I just don't like coconut milk even though I like coconut! Hm.

Update: After I ate this (the second time) I had a scary allergic reaction and pounded some benadryl. Maybe a fluke but now I'm scared :(

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

88 Acres Banana Bread Protein Bar

The name 88 Acres weirds me out. Also, most of these guys' bars have sunflower seeds or other legumes I'm unable to consume, so this is the first safe one! The ingredients are pretty simple -- pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, banana. So I like that. The actual texture was sticky and dense -- it's pretty filling -- and the pumpkin seeds are very obvious, they're the main note although surrounded by smooshy banana fruit-snack-ish goo. I wish it had a few less seeds, but it's OK. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Sargento Fiesta Pepper Jack

All cheeses are good cheeses, but I'm particularly a fan of Pepper Jack. And this was on sale, woo hoo. It was tasty and it was spicy. Thanks, Pepper Jack! 

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 8/10

On the Border Medium Salsa

I'm still a little bit losing it, but here I am to tell you that this salsa is OK. It was certainly a change of pace from Tosititos (or even Pace) which are all I usually get. This actually smells like Mexicorn. Something about it bring to mind refried beans, even though there aren't beans in it (thank god). It has a very thick texture, like a salsa smoothie with a few chunks of tomato. A little bit weirdly sweet, but with a good spicyness. I don't know what I think -- it's different! Edible, but I don't know if I prefer it. A fun change of pace though.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Pepperidge Farm Holiday Nog Cookies

Humm. I wonder if 'nog' and 'holiday' have the same vowel for New Yorkers. Does nog rhyme with blog? It does for me. I'm very tired today, nog blog, so I apologize in advance. I keep talking about Christmas Break to my non-Christian class and it's not a great time to do that, AND I'm not even Christian nor do I have any Christmassy plans so IDK why I've been conditioned thus vis a vis winter break. Whew. Anyway, these cookies. They ain't great. I think I also smell bad even though I showered. What is wrong with me?! 

Well, whatever's wrong, these cookies didn't fix it. My first reaction upon opening was "Smells.....interesting..." which isn't a good sign. They have a weird sweetness to them. Like the overpowering coconut milk Raaka Chocco. I don't love it. Maybe it's just sour milk? But fruity? Just a weird artificial-ish sweetness that I don't like. I much prefer the other pep farms. All of the cookies they make are superior to these, probably even the nut ones. They're edible, but not super enjoyable. Maybe I'd call it banana custard? I also admit I've only had eggnog like once so I don't really know what they're targeitng, either. But I did have the egglog latte at Dunkin, which I loved, and that doesn't taste a thing like these! So there!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10
Apologies, Blog Readers: 9/10

Raaka Ginger Snap Chocolate Bar

Aha! Unlike many Raakas I've Raak'd, this flavor looks different: there's brown sugar(y stuff) on the bottom! That's fun! Like a margarita or something. The sugar is the main note added to the usual dark choco fare -- not so much ginger -- but it's definitely pleasant. Fruity as always. Messy though!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Pasta Roni Heat & Eat Rotini Marinara

Eek. The unbelievably horrible alfredo flavor definitely colored my interactions with this flavor, which was, I am relieved to say, not as horrible as that one. But even so, some of the noodles were almost black (and not burnt or sauce-covered -- a different, scary black) while some were normal noodle colored, and I'm not sure why. The sauce is basically tomato sauce and the noodles are basically noodles. Therefore it's OK, but I'll never get it again because the memory of the alfredo one haunts me still.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10

Skinny Pop Kettle Corn - Sweet & Salty

I gotta stop buying Angie's Kettle Corn when something like this (and a few other companies I think) is available and explicitly nut and peanut free! Thank you, Skinny Pop! The name is a little "ehhh" but I guess I do also want to be skinny (and pop-ular) , so whatever. This tastes like kettle corn. Sweet, a little salty, good crunch, no complaints. Solid stuff and a nice sweet snack.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Wholly Avocado - Chunky Avocado Minis

Guacamole is a strong word, since the only ingredo here is avocado, but I use it the same way anyhow. The texture is certainly still Mushy Guac. It's oddly vinegary and wet, but good on salad anyway or fine with chips. Could add seasoning to it I guess! Most importantly, it's a convenient single-serve veg.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Andes Cherry Jubilee Thins

I thought these were surprisingly good! They taste like the Healthy Choice Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream! (rip to a real one). The real cherries really help. Fun! No mint flavor here, just choco and cherry. Yay!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 8/10

Lay's Salt & Vinegar Chips

Do I like Lay's chips? Not really. Do I like salt and vinegar? Not really. But somehow the badnesses cancel out, making this basically a fine snack. I got it from a vending machine, so it was also expired (lol) but that didn't seem to have a negative effect. For all I know, it had a positive effect. These are pretty thin, you can't really taste the cat litter vibe, and it's more vinegary than salty. It's not terrible.

Overall
Cost: 5/10 
Taste: 6/10

Mangia Mangia Italian Grill

I was scared to go to this place because they definitely have nuts on the menu, but the waitress was nice and helpful and checked with the chef for me, so I got a vegetable pizza and it was solid, lots of fun veg and no gross veg. They don't have alc, but otherwise I have no complaints. The decor is fun and my family seemed to like it decently well.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Cassel Vineyards of Hershey

Ah, family wanted a vineyard to go to, so I googled up this one because it has good reviews. It was nice! An enclosed big porch with firepits and windows out on to the horsies. The staff were nice and they had a good selection of wines to sample (and no weird nuts to my eye). Nothing earth-shattering, but reasonable, cozy, and good to go to with family.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Hershey's Miniature Chocolate Bars

Ah, my parents got these for Trick or Treaters but then they didn't have Trick or Treaters, so in practice, they got them for MEEEE. And I mean, it's not high quality, but it's tasty enough to eat them all in a few days. Creamy, melty, a good size, good partitions. Whee!

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10

Apple Jacks Cereal Bars

Bad news: I have a very large quantity of these and they are not good. They taste quite similar to the nasty apple jacks poptarts. At least these are smaller. Very sweet, typical cereal bar texture, not great. Do I even like Apple Jacks?! I just don't know anymore.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10

Raaka Dragon Fruit Swirl

Look at that pink swirl! It's beautiful, and the real thing is just like the picture. Definitely the prettiest bar so far.... at least from the bottom! Unfortunately the swirl doesn't permeate the bar, it's just on the bottom side. But we can eat upside-down. Anyway, I like the idea of a part white-choco (aka the gritty melty coconut milk stuff, I'm an old hat at Raaka now) and part dark-choco choco. Unfortunately the dark choco is so strong that you hardly notice it. I tried to isolate the pink stuff, and I didn't get a strong flavor -- just more vaguely spicy cocomilk. But there was a hint of fruitiness (and not dark choco fruitiness, actual fruit fruitiness)....I think. It was subtle, let's say. I do like this one, but I'm starting to think I want the Ben and Jerry's of choco: more mix-ins! Don't skimp on the mix-ins! (Unless they're legumes, then skimp real hard.) A top flavor though, it's fun. Intriguingly, the label says nut free even though there's coconut! Maybe it was an accident, or maybe they're finally branding as nut free even though the FDA considers coconut a nut (erroneously!) :D

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Gingerbread Family Limited Edition Box

I don't usually buy extra chocos just for me, but the box is so darn cute! And it wasn't insanely priced, so I thought, hey, why not. The box is indeed very cute and festive. The gingerbread chocos, though, are just placed right in there, on top of some messy paper grass!! (I know that's how it is in the photos, but I was still surprised.) This is bad because they are VERY melty, in your hand, not your mouth, and so it was a little messy to try to pick one up and pick off all the grass bits that were attached. Maybe this was user error. Anyway, they are indeed spicy, but also gritty, creamy, and not chocolatey or coconutty in the least (which is weird). They're tasty, but in a spiced-hot-choco-mix way, not in a gingerbread-man way or even a chocolate way. Still fun and very cute. But also small! And melty! Also, the guys are different sizes, so some are small and thin, but some are Thicc. I guess that's family for you!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Apple Jacks (with Spooky Marshmallows)

Months of horrible experiences with Apple Jacks Pop Tarts (terrible) and Apple Jacks Cereal Bars (not great) have made me wary of Apple Jacks cereal (fine). But worry not, me, this is fine, and doesn't have the offensive cinnamon non-foodstuff flavor of those other Apple Jack products! This is just normal ol' frootloopy Apple Jacks, with a few bat and ghost shaped (I think) marshmallows thrown in. Does Apple Jacks go with marshmallows? Not really. But they don't detract, it's just kind of like "OK, you guys are here too". Weirdly, these marshmallows are not the normal Chomp Chomp Lucky Charms firmbois, but instead have the bite and chew of a hot chocolate marshmallow! I've never had a cereal marshmallow with "give" before. It's interesting but I don't have a strong preference either way. This cereal doesn't need to exist, but it's a lot better than some of the limited edition cereals I've been trying.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

OneTang Yellow Peaches

I would say these do have one (small) tang. They've got a less crumbly texture than other freeze dried fruits, more solid to bite into, which I guess is fun. The taste isn't super sweet, and there's a bit of sourness (aka tang). Not a huge peach flavor, but I do see it. It's fine, but we all know by now that I'm not a huge fan of this company for allergy and transparency reasons!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Andes Mint Cookie Crunch

Aw, these are individually wrapped like candy bars, in red and green! Very cute and festive (and of course, nut free, which is why we love Tootsie & Andes). This mint crunch flavor is not as good as the old Hershey Cookies and Mint bar, but the vibe evokes it. We have a normal andes mint, but bigger, with the top white part containing some "cookie crunch" bits. Alas, those bits are smaller and firmer than in Cookies And Mint, and the overall flavor is a much stronger "peppermint oil" than "chocolate". It's basically an andes mint but bigger and with a more interesting texture. However, I do love an andes mint, and it takes me down memory lane, so it is fun. If only there were a little bit less mint and a little bit more chocolate!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Sargento Shredded Off the Block Mozzarella & Provolone

Again I was looking for shredded provolone, and this is the closest I could find. Lucky for me, I actually like mozz much more than provolone, so it probably worked in my favor. Very melty, as desired, and the taste was decent, even though I'd probably rather just have pure mozz. I do like the size and shape of the shreds, anyway. Thick yet delicate. The ideal cheese shred (and body type?).

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Pasta Roni Heat & Eat Penne Alfredo

Yikes yikes yikes. This is so bad. Even for "bomb shelter" food, you can do so much better. I thought it would be a goopier version of easy mac or something, but it's like a goopier version of Spaghettio infused wheat noodle with bonus chemical residue. The pasta is wheat, which is actually nice, but it's brown and the sauce is vaguely pink, so it doesn't look anything like the picture. It also doesn't taste like alfredo (or "alfredo flavor"), even though there is supposedly cheese in here. It tastes like weird tomato chemical paste. I literally couldn't finish it. Booo.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 2/10

Carmella Creeper Cereal

I mean, wow. This sure is a bright green cereal! It has Red 40 in it, though, which my dad was quick to point out. It also smells like potpourri, as I was quick to point out. The taste, though, is exactly like waffle crisp. A weird, somewhat cloying sweetness that I didn't hate but that just felt a bit much. Also, this is supposed to be caramel apple flavor, but apart from the smell, there are no apple notes here for me, only caramel. The texture is also slightly off-putting and very dry. I do like the marshmallows. It's a kid's cereal, that's for sure.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Tuttorosso Peeled Plum Tomatoes

Last time I had the "no salt added" version, and I said I couldn't taste the difference. Now I've had the regular version (I didn't see any other choices at the store, actually), and I can confirm -- they taste the same. Still good, fresh, plump tomatoes. And the can has a cute "nut free" (and other allergen free) logo on it, which I love! 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Idahoan Mashed Potatoes - Hidden Valley Ranch

There sure are a lot of Ranch flavored things. As a noted Ranch disliker, it's weird that I keep buying them, I know. But they usually don't taste that much like ranch! Anyway, these smelled a bit bad in the package, which made me nervous, but they smelled more normal once mixed with the hot water. This makes a generous amount, and it's quite tedious to eat it plain, but I wanted to get a true sense of the flavor. Which is: vaguely ranchy, I suppose. Mostly tastes like cream and typical onion/garlic potato seasoning. Salty. It's fine, but not noticeably distinct from most of the other Idahoan flavors I've had. 

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10

Signature Select White Corn Tortilla Chips

I got these for free so I can't be too mad at them. In fact, they actually taste decent (I say "actually" because some of this store brand stuff is dire)! A little bit different than Tostitos -- maybe more "burnt" flavor? Slightly thicker, with less salt? Not a radical difference from other chips, but something. They hold up well to a brief cheese-melting microwave, too.

Overall
Cost: 8/10
Taste: 6/10

Sargento Creamery Sliced Provolone Natural Cheese

So it turns out this is actually a distinct product from the normal Sargento provolone slices, which I didn't realise when I bought it or when I ate it! That explains why there's 10 instead of 12, sort of. This has got cream added, so it's meltier. Well, it did melt nicely on a bagel, so I can't argue with the main claim. Tasted like typical provo fare, though. Decent, but not my top cheese. A little bit of that weird smoky/bagged cheese vibe which I don't love. But at least it's safe!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Superseedz Cinnamon & Sugar

These are fine! Uh-oh, am I suffering pumpkin seed burnout? I'm not sure that the cinnamon sugar really "goes", especially without salt or shells. It's a very savory inside with a breakfasty outside. It's not bad, but it's not excellent either. Also 160 cals seems high comparatively. Anyway, these are a fine snack, but unlike the other flavors I didn't like them more as I got going, they just stayed "fine". 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10