Prego Roasted Garlic & Herb (2024)

This had a very savory/dark smell. I guess it's just the garlic! So it smells like the name. It has sugar in, and also GMOs, but supposedly nothing I'm allergic to. Huzzah! The taste was a little nostalgic, because my parents always get Prego, but it's also really sweet and not texturally interesting. Like a pureed tomato soup! It's sweet garlicy tomato, and I enjoyed it in a small portion, but I don't know that this would ever be my go-to sauce. Better than I thought it might be, though. Also lol I apparently already reviewed this in college, and I guess I got Less Picky over time. But the label art is also nicer now, so there!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

DeLallo Shellbows

 

OK, the shape isn't really doing it for me, but the name is top-tier. I'd say these are more akin to shells than elbows -- they feel big and kinda cumbersome. But I guess it's true that they would be great in a thick sauce, it's just that I tend to have sauceless pastas. Anyway, a pretty long cook time but they taste good and are definitely unique!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Taco Bell Original Taco Seasoning Mix

This came inside the crunchwrap kit, but since it seems they sell the seasoning 'a la carte', I'll review it on its own merits. It's good! Definitely more "mild" than the usual one I use (old el paso, I think?) and a darker color as well. But no stated cumin or anything else sus, plus I already eat taco bell taco meat, so I felt very allergy-safe with it. And it's good, and covered up any "turkey" flavor in my turkey. I was gonna make tacos for my seminar students who are coming over 'til I found one was veg, so I endorse it for your friends and loved ones!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey 93/7

This is really good. Their website reassures there's no nuts or soy etc in the ground turkey, it's just turkey. It cooks easily and tastes good. There's a little fat, but not very much (though weirdly less dry than the 85/15 which is why I bothered to review this separately). This one also has way higher reviews online, so it's not just me! This is the king of ground meats! I got worried because it puffed up in the freezer, but apparently that's normal and due to the packaging or whatever. Also, defrosting it was a total fail, but it cooked from half-frozen just fine so all was well.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme Cravings Kit

Oh Taco Bell. These kits are so silly! This one is just two types of taco shell (hard and soft), taco seasoning, and a velveeta cheese pack. And it's 8$!! And you gotta spend like 20$ counting the meat/lettuce/tomato/sour cream! But you're paying for the experience of Taco Bell, and that's fair enough. What wasn't fair enough is that the big tortillas were super stale and hard and so I couldn't fold my crunchwraps and they looked disastrous. But, they tasted pretty good. All in all I enjoyed it, even though 2 days later I'm scared I'm getting flu and I blame my crappy diet. But I still enjoyed it.

Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 7/10

International Delight Cold Foam Creamer

Wah! I was so excited for my store to finally carry a type of cold foam, but it's WEIRD :( Nothing like the coffee shop foam. Maybe it's the flavor, and if they had a non-vanilla one it would be different. But this has a weird chemical/artificial flavor that pervades the entire coffee. So if it had a nice flavor of cream, then it'd be awesome. The can and texture are fine. The taste is weird and moderately bad. Will try on an iced coffee next but I expect the same result. Woe. (My store only has this and caramel, no other flavors or brands. Woe woe.)

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 4/10

Haribo Berry Clouds

Haribo! I always complain about them being too firm (which they ARE) and yet these softer clouds were, how can I put this, too soft. I'm a fool. But they're still fun. And the even better news is, I emailed them to ask if the "vegetable juice" was peas or beans and they said it's not (mostly beets and carrots, although that mostly is doing some work). So, I feel very safe. There is sorbitol in these, though, which I do not like or really understand since there's also regular sugar, and plenty of it. Whatever, I'm still a haribo-stan. The flavors are:

Blueberry: These are so soft and so weird for haribo. They are like the blue dolphin gummies I coveted in 2nd grade. 7/10

Wildberry: Is this....grape? Not as good as blue. 5/10

Strawberry: Medium good. 6/10

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10