Best of 2013

Before we say goodbye to 2013 I thought I should pick out some of my favorite foodie items from the last 12 months.

What makes these items the best? These were products that not only got a good review, but I repurchased them. I'm no fancy food blogger, I don't get this stuff for free, so if I go and re-buy a product that means I really liked it.

So let's get started. I'm going to try and pick one item for each month, so let's kick things off with January 2013!

  JANUARY 2013

Ling Ling Potstickers

I know that you can buy this brand at a lot of normal grocery stores, but I get it from a whole sale club (BJ's), so this bag is freaking HUGE and I still go through them fairly quickly. I have bought these not once, not twice, but 3 times since I originally reviewed them! These little frozen potstickers are super simple to cook up and they are well priced, so this is a great appetizer to serve at a party. I highly recommend these potstickers, and I have a 4th bag unopened in my freezer at this very moment.

2013: A Look Back and Thank You

Here is a little blast from the (somewhat recent) past. A look back at the items I reviewed in 2013! Check out last year's collage HERE.


I want to take a moment to thank all of you who visit my blog and support my foodie obsession. Thank you for every like, reblog, or favorite. It seems silly, but it really means a lot to me. The occasional message or comment from you, the readers, always makes me a little giddy, because I get to talk with awesome people who are as obsessed with food as I am. I look forward to more communication with you like minded foodies in 2014.

As someone who has always been obsessed with food in one way or another, I started this blog as a hobby. When I left college and finished my teaching degree I really missed the creativity that came along with design and branding. Although I do have my own shop and design brand, I wanted to practice taking product-quality photos and writing. Admittedly, I had terrible writing skills all throughout my academic career. I saw my writing assignments as putting a mess of words on a page to meet a requirement. Writing this little food blog, and having something that I actually wanted to communicate to others, has made me a much better writer and blogger. (At least I think so. You should have seen my writing before!)

Without getting too sappy, I really love working on this blog and I am looking forward to 2014 and the years ahead.

Thank you for following me so far, and I hope you'll stick with me for the years to come.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Peach Cobbler Extra Dessert Delights Gum - ???

Peach Cobbler Extra Dessert Delights Gum - ???

Finally! A new flavor of Dessert Delights gum that might actually work!
The original flavors (Key Lime Pie, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Strawberry Shortcake) were amazing, and I was really excited to see how Extra planned on expanding the line, but the new flavors have been a real let down.

Click on the flavor for photos and a review:

• Orange Creme Pop
• Rainbow Sherbet
• Root Beer Float
• Lemon Square

With the exception of Root Beer Float and Lemon Square, I ultimately regretted buying each one of the new releases. Apple Pie, Orange Creme Pop, Rainbow Sherbet, and Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake all missed the mark. Unlike the originals, they tasted like cheap imitations of their namesakes, and some of the flavors even had textural issues. Maybe I got a bad batch, but the orange flavor became really hard to chew after just a few minutes. I bought that flavor almost a year ago and I still haven't finished it! It's still sitting around here somewhere.

Although this brand has let me down quite a bit, I was still keeping up to date with their new flavors and releases hoping that a new delicious flavor would be announced. Secretly, I was hoping that Bananas Foster, which was in their flavor contest about a year ago, was going to be the newest flavor, but it turned out to be Peach Cobbler. I had tried to find this flavor at my local Target, but they didn't even have it on the shelves yet. Thankfully, my boyfriend surprised me with a pack of this Peach Cobbler gum in my x-mas stocking this year (thank you Pumpkin).

Strawberry Koala no March- ???

Strawberry Koala no March- ???

This is a little treat from my boyfriend.

I’m no stranger to Koala no March (also called Koala’s March). I’ve had panda’s, koala’s, and bears. (I even wrote an article on this very subject.)

Although I have had this brand before, I haven’t had this flavor.

The cardboard packaging is hexagonal, which a fairly unique shape, and it is covered in pink. Pink backgrounds, pink accents, pink signs…pink everything! Scattered about are cookies with various koala prints, a little koala with a baby on it’s back, and plenty of strawberries. There is no way you could every mistake this flavor for something else, they make the flavor differentiation VERY clear.

Cookie Swap 3 : The Return of the Crumb

I hosted my annual cookie swap last week! It's year three and the cookies just keep getting better and better. As usual I made my gingerbread bats (and x-mas trees for those who don't want to explain bats at their Christmas party), and my friends and family each brought their own cookies and recipes.

I'm going to try a little something new this year, by photographing and posting links to all the recipes made this year. I thought this might be an easy way to record each year's recipes, so here we go....

2013's Cookie Swap Gallery & Recipe List!

Kabaya KariPori (Mystery) - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ (PHOTO HEAVY)

Kabaya KariPori (Mystery) - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Let's wrap up this package of KariPori!

This box contained two fruity flavors, apple and strawberry, and one mystery flavor in a purple package. Being purple, I assume that this "mystery flavor" will be grape, but it turns out that there is more than one surprise in this box. When you mix the strawberry and apple candies together you're supposed to create a 4th mystery flavor.

Like I said in my first post, the idea of combining two flavors into a third is pretty popular with Japanese candies. A lot of candy kits and snacks use this concept, and it isn't always successful. (Meaning the stuff doesn't always taste like a specific flavor.) I'm excited to give this a try to see if this will be a success or a fail. 

First, let's see what's inside this purple wrapper!

Kabaya KariPori (Apple) - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ (PHOTO HEAVY)

Kabaya KariPori (Apple) - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

For those of you who celebrated, I hope you had a lovely Christmas!
Now that all the hectic holiday madness is over, it's time to finish up my KariPori candy reviews. This post will cover the apple candy sticks, while my next one will discuss the mystery flavors. (That means there is a double post today!)

3 Winter Foodie Items That Should NOT Have Returned This Season

Sometimes Foodie is barely 2 years old and I am already running into foodie repeat problems!

A lot of the holiday/winter themed items that came out this year are repeats of last year! When a product is delicious, having it return the next year is great, but that isn't always the case. Here are 3 items I reviewed last winter that should NOT have returned this year.

 

# 1. Candy Cane Pop Rocks

Why Pop Rocks? Why? This was such a good idea! Peppermint Pop Rocks would be amazing...but these are not peppermint. This is a mixture of artificial fruity flavoring and a hint of mint. It's as if you just made the fatal candy mistake of eating something fruity after brushing your teeth. The candy doesn't taste awful, but it was really disappointing.

Impulsive Buy Spotted on the Shelves Entries - 6 (Target Edition)

A seasonal sweet from Wild Ophelia. A brand I have reviewed twice before!

There is a really awesome foodie site called The Impulsive Buy (Go check it out!)
One of my favorite posts on the site is called "Spotted on the Shelves." It is a viewer-fueled inventory of new items that have been released in various stores. I already made five posts of my submissions, found HERE, so here is round 6!

Here is the stuff I found at Target!

Hot Buffalo Wing Chip'ins - Home Goods: Moorestown, NJ

Hot Buffalo Wing Chip'ins - Home Goods: Moorestown, NJ

Home Goods is more than fancy throw pillows and lamps, they get some of the most interesting foodie items! In the last two years I have bought jams that came in reusable European glassware, raw vegan kale chips, various seasonal coffees, and "vintage" sodas. What's next?

Buffalo wing flavored rice chips.

How does this seemingly normal home-themed store get a hold of this stuff? (Not that I am complaining. The kitchen supplies and foodie items are the only reason I even shop here.)

The bag's bold "blood orange" color is what initially caught my attention. Maybe this is a bit pretentious of me, but I thought the color was really sophisticated. (Anyone else watch Project Runway?)

Okay, on a more serious note, the color and faux crosshatching texture really did draw me in. Just look at this bag! The overall design is simple but playful. My only complaint was that I was a bit confused by the little chip accent. I wasn't sure if it really was an apostrophe, or if it was a stylized dot for the 'i." Not that that was really a problem, a 15 second Google search was all it took to find the site and see that it's an accent. (Also it showed me that there are other flavors out there.)

bai 5, Congo Pear - Wegman's: Cherry Hill, NJ

bai 5, Congo Pear - Wegman's: Cherry Hill, NJ

Why did I do this to myself?

After finally working my way though all of those sugar free Sparkiling Ice drinks a few months ago, and suffering from vertigo for the first time ever in my life (I am fairly sure the drinks were involved although I can't prove anything), I buy another sugar free beverage. In this case, this beverage uses erythritol, which is supposedly better for me than sucralose, but on top of that this is made with the fruit from the coffee plant. Coffee and me are not best friends.

I'm so sorry body. I don't why I am doing this to you. (I don't want to waste money and I'm cheap.)

Crunch 'Mallows - ???

Crunch 'Mallows - ??? 

This was a birthday present I received back in October. I wanted to get through all my pumpkin posts before starting anything new, and then I just kind of forgot about it. (Whoopsie.) Although this was a gift and I can't say with 100% certainty where is came from, I am pretty sure it's from ThinkGeek. My boyfriend loves that site and he ends up doing a lot of his shopping there. (If you like nerdy stuff that is THE site to buy from.)

There is something about the crispy, styrofoam-y, texture of these dehydrated marshmallows that I absolutely can't get enough of. Thankfully there are tons of ways to satisfy my marshmallow-y cravings. I can buy these bags from ThinkGeek, Mallow Bits at the grocery store, and HUGE bags off Amazon. I am 26 years old and I can have a bowl marshmallows as a meal whenever I please! (Ah the joys of being an adult.)

Kabaya KariPori (Strawberry) - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ (PHOTO HEAVY)

Kabaya KariPori (Strawberry) - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

A new variety pack of Kabaya's candy sticks? Awesome!
I really liked the texture of the soda variety, so I am looking forward to trying some new fruity flavors.

Since these are visually very busy, there are going to be a LOT of photos. To prevent things from getting TOO photo heavy, I am breaking this review up into 3 flavor-related posts. (Today will be strawberry!)
When looking at the box, it is pretty obvious that they were going for a magic theme. There are playing cards, top hats, white doves, and lots of question marks. Sadly, I can't read any of the text. (Can anyone translate?) The only translation I was able to find was this description from TofuCute:

"The word "karipori" is a Japanese onomatopoeia, for the sound the candy makes when it's eaten - "kari" when you snap it in half with your teeth, and "pori" when you crunch down on it."

That doesn't help me too much with this specific package, but at least the candy's name makes a lot more sense!

Check out my buddy Far Beyond Sippin

SUPER SOURVEIN

When your drive time to band practice is 3 hours round trip and you leave right after work, sometimes you need something to help you not drive off the road. So it’s not uncommon for me to grab a few drinks for the ride. Uncommon? More like a necessity.

If you have read previous posts, you know I was a Rockstar man, until Monster expanded their sugarfree line. Then I jumped ship. Rockstar had a wider variety of sugar free drinks and seemed to keep making new lines on a regular basis. Eventually, Rockstar followed suit and made new flavors. This is where we enter Super Sours.

Now, who doesn’t love a good sour candy, right? First comes the wave of lip-puckering sour which eventually gives way to a delightfully sweet reprieve. But how exactly does that work in liquid form?... CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you guys are craving more drink reviews, check out my buddy farbeyondsippin. He is a diabetic, straight edge metalhead who lives right here in Jersey. He is in a band, so he reviews all kind of drinks while he is on the road going to gigs. (Plus he just happens to be one of my best friends irl. I can't believe I just typed irl.)

~ Sometimes Foodie (Maria)

Fall in Love Ground Coffee - Home Goods: Moorestown, NJ

Fall in Love Ground Coffee - Home Goods: Moorestown, NJ

Remember how I went a little overboard with the seasonal (fall) coffees? I bought two of these Fall in Love themed packages and one "Sweetie Pie" during a trip to Home Goods. (Which is the source of my most random foodie review items. Like nutritional yeast covered, raw, vegan kale-chips.) I am finally getting to review them!

Next Saturday is the first official day of winter, so this is still technically fall, even though there is snow on the ground in New Jersey. (I'm totally not trying to make excuses for posting this so late. I totally am.)

Why did I buy so much coffee! I hardly ever drink coffee, so this is going to last forever! Bah! I blame the beautiful packaging. The font reminds me a lot of "Lucidity," which is my favorite font ever, and I love the cutesy pun-like names. I'm such a sucker for pretty food items. That being said, I obviously love the packaging. This bag is functional, simple, and bold. (Side note: Ignore that little hole in the front of the bag. I accidentally stabbed it with my long nails while picking it up, so no worries. It wasn't opened when I bought it.)

Lay's Stax Seaweed Sushi - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Lay's Stax Seaweed Sushi - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

My student teaching position is now over. I am really sad and already missing my students, but I am looking forward to getting back to work and earning some money. Things were getting really tight since I was unable to work for the last 3-4 months, but I'll find something soon.

Time to get back to my daily foodie reviews! (I'll be queuing stuff up on both my blog and tumblr this week, so no more missed days!)

To be honest, I walked right past these at first and didn't notice them at all. One of my friends (hi Jess!) brought them to my attention and I thought they'd be worth a review. At a glance, the packaging was interesting, but not very well designed. This little box combines the worst traits of both bagged potato chips and Pringles. As soon as you open the box there is a tall package that is half-filled with air, and most of my chips were broken into bits. Then, after the immediate disappointment from your delicious bag of chip-shrapnel, you notice that the container is way too narrow to fit your hands inside. Remember those Tomato flavored Potato Wish chips I reviewed in August? That packaging used a very similar concept, but the execution was infinitely better. (Although those chips were NOT tasty, I'd love to see more of that packaging.) As far as this item's design, I say it's a fail on functionality as well as aesthetics. (Your product needs to be noticed!)

Tohato Nameko, Chocolate Mushroom Snack - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Tohato Nameko, Chocolate Mushroom Snack - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Is this mascot cute? Or creepy? I can't decide.

These mushroom shaped biscuits were a new item at my local Asian market, and they were on sale. (Three boxes for $2.00.) The packaging was really detailed and interesting, but I was a little afraid to commit to three boxes of a product I've never tried before. I really wanted to photograph the packaging, so I decided to take the plunge and buy the cookies. (Pretty packaging always suckers me in.)
After a quick internet search I found out THIS awesome video.
(WARNING: This song is incredibly addicting.)

Nameko even has it's own Youtube Channel!

Nameko mushrooms, also called Pholiota nameko, are a popular mushroom in Japan which is commonly used in miso soup. This sweet snack resembles it's mushroom namesake (it totally doesn't look like a penis), and comes in a few different flavors. My shop only had the chocolate variety, but I have seen strawberry versions available online. Have any of you seen other versions?

Similar to Hello Panda or Golden Bear, the packaging is 6-sided and it is made of cardboard. The packages shape comes in pretty handy, it can be stacked and displayed vertically as well as horizontally, plus the shape prevents the items from rolling off a shelf or counter. At first glance this design is really busy. The large image on the "front" takes up two panels and features a bunch of different mushroom characters. Some of the characters are freaking adorable (just look at the little hydrangea mushroom), while others are creepy (that purple one with the little growths/tentacles? No thanks). Although I can't read the packaging, there are enough context clues to tell me that these are chocolate snacks shaped like a mushroom with a surprise sticker inside. It might be a little busy, but I like this packaging a lot! (Plus, free sticker!)

Apple Sidra - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

 Apple Sidra - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

It has been a long time since I have reviewed anything from my beloved Asian Food Market. One of my friends wanted to get phở for his birthday, and since the restaurant and grocery store are in the same shopping center, I couldn't resist a little shopping trip.

I only bought a few items, so it wasn't haul worthy, but they all seemed really interesting.
In the beverage aisle there are tons of different items to choose from. Some of the products are American, some are Mexican, and others come from all over Asia. You can buy a variety of bottled sodas and ramunes, canned coffees and juices. It's awesome.

My sister was actually the one who picked out this can of soda, she really liked the design and it's colors, and I'd have to agree. The bold yellows, greens, and reds are simple but eye catching. This can really stood out from the others with it's bright yellow color and simple imagery. If I had to be nit-picky I'd suggest that the text for "Apple Sidra" in both languages needs a little work to better fit into the curved cut outs of the apple, but that is pushing it.

Pecan Pie Pringles - Target - Riverside, NJ

Pecan Pie Pringles  - Target - Riverside, NJ

Last year the Pringles company decided to change things up and they released three different dessert flavored chips: White Chocolate Peppermint, Pumpkin Pie, and Cinnamon Sugar. I was really excited that the company tried something new, but it turned out to be a big disaster. I was only able to get my hands on the cinnamon and white chocolate varieties last year, and both were disappointing. All the company did was take normal, salty, Pringles and coat them in a light dusting of cinnamon or mint. It was like eating Pringles after brushing your teeth or eating something cinnamon-y.
I noticed that the dessert flavors quickly disappeared from the shelves, so I figured the company decided to scrap the idea, but they are back! What else? Pringles released a new Pecan Pie variety. (With a really weird ad to boot. Is it just me? Or is this really creepy?)

I was going to ignore this culinary innovation due to being burned in the past, but other foodies said that these were worth trying, and they actually got some good reviews. I caved in and bought a container when I casually saw them on a Target end-cap. Let's hope I wasn't tricked into another foodie fail. I put the last two sweet Pringles flavors I bought out at a party with over 20 people and NO ONE liked them. There were a few half eaten chips on napkins, but I was stuck with those tubes until the snow thawed and they could be given to the birds and squirrels. I hate wasting money on foodie fails, so I really hope these are at least tolerable.

Food Porn Pileup

Here is a pile of food porn from my hiatus.

From top to bottom:

That’s Amore - Collingswood, NJ
- Garlic Bread
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Caesar Salad
- Fried Pizzas
- Garlic Bread (again)
- Balsamic Vinegar and Chicken Wrap
Homemade
- Pepperoni Pizza
- Cheese and Minced Garlic Pizza

I think I have a bit of a pizza addiction.

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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Assorted Macarons Part 2 - Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

Assorted Macarons Part 2 - Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

Sorry for the long hiatus, I just finished my last observation for student teaching so I had several papers and lessons to complete. I only have five days of student teaching left, and I am going to miss my students like crazy, but my posting schedule will return to normal.
Enough talking, let's finish up these macaron reviews!

See part 1 HERE.

Want to know the difference between a Macaroon and a Macaron? Check out the nifty little breakdown in this post.

I already discussed the packaging in part 1, so let's get right into the next three flavors.
The flavors in this assortment are:

• Coffee
• Pistachio
• Salted Caramel
• Raspberry Reviewed
  
• Orange Reviewed
  
• Cassis (AKA Black Currant) Reviewed
  

Chicken Quesadillas - Recipe

They are super simple, yummy, and a great way to use up left over chicken and veggies. (It's a great way to use up little bits of leftover meats and veggies in the fridge. I made one last night using leftover turkey, corn, and other veggies from Thanksgiving.)

For the record, traditional quesadillas are made using one tortilla folded in half, similar to an omelet,  but mine uses two whole tortillas to make one large round order that can be cut into fourths. I find this to be easier when serving this dish as an appetizer or a meal.