Abe's Cornbread

CornBREAD isn't really accurate for this. It's Corn CAKE. Muffin in square form. The first ingredient is sugar. Although I love sweets, I don't want a sweet corn bread. I want a corn corn bread. Ah well. I still like Abe's and I will still eat this (nut/soy/pea/sesame free!!) cake product as a dessert while wishing it were any number of other desserts and/or corn products! Very sweet, moist, light corn notes. 12 servings which is frankly a big commitment. Gonna have to freeze it. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10 

Buffalo Wing Pringles

Jesus. These are something. OK, first of all, I don't even LIKE pringles, but they're often a Survivor reward and so I often end up buying them for school and then eating them myself because I get hungry. And then I get in the habit of eating Pringle and so I am more likely to buy additional Pringle. All that to say: these showed up in my store's SUPER CLEARANCE section (which is like 2 selves - it's rare to have food in there, usually seasonal paper plates and ant killer etc) and I was in Pringles-mode so I bought 'em. The trouble with the super clearance section is that the things in there are usually seasonal/discontinued, broken/damaged, or Really Really Bad. I actually think these might be discontinued (because now there is a "buffalo ranch" flavor), but they are also really really bad. "Bursting with flavor" is right. But the instant smell& flavor is burnt plastic. Like a really strong, bad, chemical smell and flavor. Like someone melted the little wax papers they pick up donuts with and then you ate one of those. Oh, it's bad. But then after you mentally process that, there is a strong, spicy (hardly medium! or I guess I'm extra cayenne-sensitive) buffalo wing flavor. Both the sauce (hot, vinegary, scary in how much it burns me) and, weirdly, the chicken wing (no chicken or meat ingredos here though). Like even the burnt bird fat (excuse my language) comes through. The accuracy is actually shocking, like the first time I had BLT chips and was like "woah??". I don't really like buffalo wings in themselves, so that's nothing to write blogs about, but it is still crazy how they did it from a food science perspective. I wonder if the burnt plastic chaser is the only way to make it happen. Or if I had a weird can (happens more often than you'd think). Part of me is so curious that I want to get more just for research. But it's very off-putting at the front. But very intriguing at the back. And pringles win: both flavors are so powerful that the underlying yucky chip flavor doesn't even play a role here at all. Using advanced licking technology, I can confirm that both the chemical flavor and the accurate flavor are contained within the powdered seasoning and not the chip itself. It's wild. Like the apple jack poptart, this is an experience that will stay with me for a long time. And what is a life well-lived if not a series of notable experiences? 

Overall
Cost: 8/10 [1$]
Taste: 4/10 

Hershey's Nuggets - Pumpkin Spice Latte

These have an orange wrapper, which is dangerous for a chocolate (because it indexes PEANUT / REESE'S). But these guys actually only "may contain almonds" (which has never caused me a problem, knock on wood). I was gonna bring 'em to school but I discovered that they don't taste that good. I have a certain standard to uphold, after all. Anyway, pumpkin season is over, which is honestly A-OK with me. These have a cute little wrapper and taste very similar to the inner creme of a pumpkin spice milano, but the quality is a lil worse and it's artificial flavor and not natural flavor. The appearance and texture are basically akin to a normal, somewhat melted nugget. The chocolate is, as you know, not that great (typical non-creamy non-bitter Hershey's fare). But the "spice" flavor is pretty strong. Not much latte (coffee/milk) vibe, honestly. If you're a PS-head, you'll probably like these, but it seems I really am not. So it goes. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10 
Taste: 5/10 

GNC Carrots

Another Canadian carrot! And finally, one that supports my gender expression. These taste just like carrots do. No complaints. My bag only had 4 carrots in, which is a little less than I'm used to, but which is honestly fine for my purposes (maybe even a bit too much carrot). Big 'n fine. The website says,

"Interesting fact: When we eat raw carrots, we increase the assimilation of all nutritive elements that it abounds."

which I hope is a French translation, but either way, is hilarious (and true). Merci, carrottes!

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10 

Village Farms Sinfully Sweet Campari

Unintentionally trying the entire village farm here. These are good. I am so tired but I still enjoyed them. Big, Sweet, Round tomato. Good. Not sinful per se but whatever, branding is as branding does. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10 

Spice World Garlic Bulbs (3 pack)

More like HELL WORLD. Maybe it's just because I buy a lot of it, but of all the things my grocery store most often is out of, garlic is #1. Given no single-serve normal bulbs, the only other (fresh) option was this suspicious pre-bagged 3 pack of verrrry small cloves. I popped into it at home and discovered every bulb was 80% green shoot inside. Horrible experience. Sprouted, small, AND too many per purchase. Maybe I just had some bad luck in buying, but I think I'd rather suffer a garlicless dish than return to this poison well. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 3/10 

DeCecco Penne Lisce (no. 40)

I do like that so many companies number their foods. Good for neurotics like myself. These are classic penne; diagonal cut, skinny, un-ribbed (lisce is Italian for smooth). I didn't think I liked penne that much, but for a sauce dish or even heavy oil, they're pretty good. Would eat again. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10