Deep River Zesty Jalapeno Chips

I got these as a snack from Bryn Mawr's cafe, because I'm scared of all their other food and my office hours make my non-eating hours way too long. This is a big bag (300 cals = 2 normal mini chip bags) which I definitely appreciate. I remember liking this brand, but I guess this particular flavor didn't really do it for me. They are super super firm chips, very crispy, but awkward to eat in public because they're so firm. I also didn't love the taste; they're definitely spicy but it's mainly just spice and no sweetness or other fun flavors to match that. I'll have to try another flavor next time.




Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 5/10

Lean Cuisine Margherita Pizza

This was all I had to eat today and it was so not enough; I feel like my stomach is eating itself but my parents are here judging me so I can't eat anything else. Therefore I don't recommend this. But it was super quick to cook, the cheese did manage to melt fully, and I don't have any heartburn (so far), so that's good. It didn't crisp up at all, so really we're looking at a bit of soggy cheesy bread with bits of tomato, which could surely be worse but was a bit lacking in flavor (no basil or real mozzo flavor). Also, mine was square and the picture is round, so that's a bit odd. This was on sale, so maybe they're about to change it up. I hope so, because some of LC's other pizzas aren't too bad.

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10

2018 Balance Chenin Blanc

Look at how cute this bottle is! It's a balloon and an elephant! I love it. If all South African wines have such cute labels, I don't know what the online ratings are about (they seem like they're low). Anyway, I was happy to have some white wine, since it goes down much easier for me. This seemed like a pretty standard white in that sense; I put two grapes in the bottom of each glass for a fun sangria-like experience. Bad news, though, I drank the whole bottle in one night and woke up feeling like hot garbage, ready to vom at any moment. Whoopsy. So that put me off a bit, I was between 6 and 7 in rating and the bad hangover is pulling me to 6. Sorry for my lack of self-control, Balance.


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

Brothers All Natural Fruit Crisps - Strawberries

These were nice! Unlike the previous Brothers fruit crisps, this bag felt a little bigger (2 whole servings of fruit, they say) and therefore a bit more satisfying. The only ingredient is strawberry, which is cool. I like strawberries so I like this, even though freeze drying takes away the best best of fruit (the juice!). It's something sweet and pleasant to eat, and tastes like dry strawberry. The pieces were pretty small, but I think that's because strawberries are small. No real complaints about the product, it just has a maximum goodness level and they basically hit it here.




Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Bagel Bites - Three Cheese

Bagel bites! What could be greater, than playing a game of golf with a bagel?

These are truly classic, although they really aren't that good, they are certainly better than pizza rolls. I think one flaw in my process is that I make them in the microwave, so they are chewy and sometimes cold, which obviously is not great. Otherwise, they have a nice mild flavor and are cutely bite sized, so you can eat 9 whole pizzas if you want to (I usually do). The ones with meat are really bad because the meat tastes weird, but the plain cheese is alright. A crowd pleaser for picky eaters.

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [4$]
Taste: 7/10

Mighty Spark Jalapeno & Honey Chicken Snack Stick

This was pretty good! My biggest issue with snacky meat sticks is usually the texture, but I thought the texture of these was great - not too chewy or dry (or wet) or anything like that, just a nice pliable meat bite. It did contain some kind of odd crisp bits (I guess bits of jalepeno?) that threw me off, but I still liked the texture overall. The taste was also pleasant; it's a little sweet and a little spicy, and tastes kind of like a chicken street taco. So, a good experience, and overall satisfying especially for only 60 cals. Plus, very portable and also nut-free!




Overall
Cost: 5/10 [About 1.70 per stick]
Taste: 8/10

2015 Elicio Red Blend

Generally, I prefer white wine (or rosé or sparkling or beer or liquor...) to red wine, because red is So Tannin-y (or acidic/bitter/heavy however you want to say it). Plus it stains your teeth. But it's generally thought to be better for your health, and also less sweet and more classy, so I still drink it. Also this is supposed to pair well with a nice cottage pie I'm gonna make shortly, so we'll see. Enough blather, friends! This is from Rhoneland in France, and it even has a twist-off cap, which I love to see. The first sip was pleasantly fruity, and yes, still bitter, but it came along with a pleasant sweetness and zero bits of cork. The bottle also looks classy, so I'm a fan.



Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 7/10