Saturday, December 27, 2025

Giant brand Taco Blend Shredded Cheese

I never put cheese on my tacos, but since I was searching for something to review, I did it with this cheese. I always liked Giant the grocery store (and therefore Giant the brand), but the idea of a shredded taco blend cheese (cheddar, a bottom tier cheese, plus MJ, a good cheese) that has taco seasoning (garlic, onion, paprika, salt) built in is like... a little unnerving. But you know what? It was good. Probably more delicious than without the cheese. Shows what I know. Plus I read that cheese is good for staving off dementia, so all things considered, cheese me up.


Overall
Cost: ?/10
Taste: 7/10 

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Prego Meat Sauce

My parents only eat Prego sauce, which now that I'm 20 years removed from eating, I find bafflingly sweet, like when international students eat our bread and go "ugh, why is it like that?????". Well, it's because sugar is delicious and makes you happy. But I get where they're coming from because it's a completely different flavor profile. It's fine, I'm not disgusted by it or anything, but I don't like it on noodle. Like me, though, my parents are extremely set in their branded ways, so I'll save my complaints for this blog. No soy in the "meat" at least. Also no veg. Frankly, this is almost like a completely different product from the pastes and tinctures that I'm used to. Also it gave me a massive stomachache (and I only ate a little bit)!!! But what doesn't, tbh.

Overall
Cost: ?/10, hopefully cheap
Taste: 5/10 

Monday, December 22, 2025

Kellogg's Cocoa Loops

Who wanted this!? Then again, I bought it, so joke's on me. I can't resist a cartoon bird mascot with a rainbow beak. I guess I was expecting/fearing some Froot taste, but luckily there isn't any, these are a totally different thing. Aesthetically I approve; the box is a nice dark purple and the loops are much darker in color than I would have guessed. True cocoa in these loops. Taste-wise they're a miss. Not horrifying, but like a denser cocoa puff with a strange, hard-to-place aftertaste. Paper? I dunno. It does make the milk chocolatey, and they do have a crunchy Froot Loop texture, so I guess I see why these are getting decent reviews. But maybe I don't miss chocolate all that much because I hardly yearn for more (of these). 

Overall
Cost: 4/10 [5.59$]
Taste: 6/10 

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Wandering Bear Cold Brew - Straight Black

Some of my best friends are straight black! OK so I was really hoping to love this because it came in my veg box, the packaging is cute, and they purportedly don't use allergens in their cold brews (which I doubt a little since I just saw an ad for their "amaretto flavor" but whatever). This is just plain, so it's fine. The taste was mid, though. There's also not that much in there (32oz); it's supposedly 5 servings but to me it's more like 3 servings. It's also really hard to tell how much you're using unless you measure it out, which is wild. Tastes like bottled cold brew. Dunkin is superior. The bear is cute though.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10 

Friday, December 19, 2025

DeCecco Fusilli no 34 (monocolor edition)

I was not expecting to like this much, since fusilli is only for pasta salad in my world (and fusilli jerrys, rip seinfeld being unembarrassing to have watched). But I used this for a lasagna bake (broadly construed) and it was surprisingly suitable there. Good texture, fun, goes good with your meat and your sauce and your cheesers. IDK if I'd like it plain, but either way, it exceeded my expectations. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10 

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Stouffer's French Bread Pizzas - Three Meat

Did I eat these because I'm getting sick, or am I getting sick because I ate these? The age old question. But these were good. I mean, "three meat" is probably the pizza type I'm least interested in, but my store didn't have any other options, and stouffer's are the only soy-free pizzas now. Freakin' soy protein. Somehow these guys made 3 meats without it! Why can't you [Red Baron, Tony, etc]?! So, the three meats are: roni pieces, snausage, and.. bacon?? I definitely did not taste any bacon. But that's good, because bacon sounds bad on pizza. Also, it's Hanukkah. Do not ask me the contents of the other meats please. These cook in the oven for 21 minutes, which is long but not that long when you have a billion things to do. I will buy them, or whatever flavor there is, again. Thank you sweet soy-free frozen meal of bread pizza.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10 

Monday, December 15, 2025

Pepperidge Farm Milano - Mint Chocolate

The prodigal blogger returns! Things have been pretty fraught in my life so I took a wee hiatus, but, when it is time to seek comfort, we all may look to the cookie. Especially mint choco cookies! These are lovely. I thought I had them before, but that was just 8 million other milano flavors crossed with 5 million other peppermint chocolate cookies, I guess! Anyway, the milano formula is lit, and the peppermint choco is fairly subtle since it's just the innards. Andes-ish innards, which isn't as good as the big round peppermint cocoa cookies, but the milano shell is pretty hard to pass up. Basically these are a refreshing delight. The bag also says "Crafted by our bakers... for you." Me??? Maybe I should buy more of those snoopy goldfish since they seem less indulgent. But sometimes it's OK to indulge. 


Overall

Cost: 6/10
Taste: 7/10