Target's Vindaloo Archer Farms Meal Kit is being Discontinued

Target's Vindaloo Archer Farms Meal Kit is being Discontinued!

Finding food in the clearance section is a mixed blessing. On one hand it's cheap, so you save money, on the other, it might be discontinued. So if you really enjoy it, you might never find it again.

On that note, the meal kit that I just reviewed is on it's way out. It was the last box at my local target and the rest of the Targets in my area have already stopped carrying it. (I think all of the Indian inspired flavors are being phased out actually, but I'm 100% not sure.) I really enjoyed this meal kit so I'm pretty disappointed.

I had no idea it was going to be so delicious!  I wish I could have stocked up, but I missed my opportunity.

If you like spicy Indian inspired flavors, check your Target's clearance section for this cheap and delicious meal. (Or send it to me if you want to be awesome.) It's a pity this stuff won't be around anymore.

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

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Strawberry Banana Twisted Fruit Rope - Aldi : Moorestown, NJ

Strawberry Banana Twisted Fruit Rope - Aldi : Moorestown, NJ

I may be an adult, but I still enjoy fruit snacks, and the plus side of being grown up is I can buy them whenever I want.

This was another Aldi find, it comes from their Simply Nature Line, which I don't remember trying before. (At least I don't think I have. I think it's new.)

Vindaloo Archer Farms Meal Kit - Target: Cherry Hill, NJ

Vindaloo Archer Farms Meal Kit - Target: Cherry Hill, NJ

Some of you might remember this kit from my Target Mini-haul video. I picked it up about a month ago when I saw it in the clearance section. The box was dented, so I'm not too sure if it was discounted because of the damage, or because it's being discontinued. (It was the only box in the store so I had nothing to compare it to.) I was really interested in this kit because it looks similar to go go-to order from IndeBlue, so if this turns out to be really tasty and it's discontinued, that'll be a real shame.

Grilled Doughnut Chips - A Pop Sugar Foods Recipe Review

Grilled Doughnut Chips - A Pop Sugar Foods Recipe Review

That's right, doughnut chips. Obviously, this is NOT a diet food, but it's not as bad for you as you might think.

Quickie Review: Red Velvet Cake Yogurt - Aldi : Moorestown, NJ

Red Velvet Cake Yogurt - Aldi : Moorestown, NJ

It's no secret that I love shopping at Aldi, and if you've been reading my posts for a while, this yogurt cup should look pretty familiar.

I picked up this flavor, which I had never seen before, during my last grocery run, and it was separate from all of the other yogurts, so I'm not sure if this is a permanent addition, a special buy, or a seasonal item. That's the problem with Aldi. Products always come and go never to be seen again. (I call these elusive items "unicorns.")

Enough babbling, let's get to the yogurt review.

Honey Teriyaki Hot Wings - Pinterest Recipe Review

Honey Teriyaki Hot Wings - Pinterest Recipe Review : The PIN The RECIPE

If any of you are on Pinterest, you know how easy it is to get carried away and pack your boards with fancy recipes you never end up using. (Or is that just me?) My Food & Recipe board is out of control! I want to clean house and make sure that all of the recipes I'm hoarding are keepers, so there are going to be more Pinterest Recipe Reviews posted in the future.

To kick things off, one of my favorite foods ever, hot wings! These aren't your typical take-out buffalo wings either, these are Teriyaki style.

Creme & Cookie Dough Filled Heart Shaped Doughnuts - Dunkin' Donuts

Creme & Cookie Dough Filled Heart Shaped Doughnuts - Dunkin' Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts brought back their festive, heart-shaped, doughnuts for Valentine's Day and they've added a new filling, chocolate chip cookie dough! (First Oreos AND now a doughnut filling? 2014 has just begun and it's already looking like a big year for cookie dough.)

I don't pre-made baked goods very often, so when I do splurge on something sugary I want it to be interesting. (Or at the very least photogenic.) We'll see which category these heart-shaped doughnuts fall into.

Final Thoughts on The NEW Peeps...

Super artificial, obnoxious, and bright. These Peeps were a lot of fun to photograph, but this is a candy, and I'm supposed to eat it. But, I really don't want to.

Since my original review I have eaten three of the watermelon Peeps and only two of the blue raspberry ones. I wanted to see if I just had to get used to them or give them another chance, but they were just as awful as when I first tried them.

If I had to recommend one of these flavors it'd be the watermelon, but I honestly didn't care for either of them. If you want a deliciously flavored Peep, go for the lemonade. The lemonade variety are delicious!

Edit: 2/24/14

Since I was, obviously, not a fan of these Peeps, I gave them to my boyfriend and he actually enjoyed them quite a bit. I think he enjoyed the novelty more than the flavoring to be honest, but I wanted to make it known that he did enjoy these. (They made his mouth very blue too, which was fun for me.)

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

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Blue Raspberry Peeps - Walmart: Cinnaminson, NJ

Blue Raspberry Peeps - Walmart: Cinnaminson, NJ

The Sour Watermelon version, reviewed here, were okay, but I didn't really want to eat more than one. Will these Blue Raspberry Peeps be any better?

Sour Watermelon Peeps - Walmart: Cinnaminson, NJ

Sour Watermelon Peeps - Walmart: Cinnaminson, NJ

We're only two months into the new year and Peeps have already released several new flavors. There were some chocolate dipped strawberry ones released on Valentine's day (as well as chocolate cherry but I don't think those were new), and now we have sour watermelon and blue raspberry.

(More) Homemade Pizza!

Tonight's Dinner - Homemade Pizza

Surprise, surprise...I made more pizza! I have used this pizza dough recipe over 20 times, and it is definitely a keeper. All of you should really give it a try. (It's a lot easier to make your own pizza dough than you'd think!)

Tonight's pizza toppings included

• Pepperoni 
• Ham and Pineapple
• Garlic, Tomato, and Mozzarella (with basil)
• Plain/Cheese

I have used this pizza dough recipe to make tons of pizzas and garlic bread. I can't recommend it enough. Seriously, give it a try and tell me what you think.

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

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Sometimes Foodie goes to the Barcade in Philadelphia!

Barcade - Philadelphia, PA 

I was staying over my boyfriend's place last weekend when he and his roommate were invited to a last minute birthday party at the Barcade in Philadelphia. Both of them are rather fond of this place and, although I am not into "the bar scene", I tagged along.

As if the name wasn't enough of a hint, my little teaser image tells you exactly what this place is.

Double Chocolate Hello Panda - Target: Cherry Hill, NJ

Double Chocolate Hello Panda - Target: Cherry Hill, NJ

These cookies are made by Meiji, which is a Japanese company, but in the last five years this product has become quite popular in America. You can buy boxes of Hello Panda at gas stations, grocery stores, and even Target. (Which is where I bought mine. Some of you might recognize this from my mini Target haul video.)

Out of all the creme-filled, animal-themed, cookies available, Hello Panda has to be my favorite. That may sound oddly specific, but there are more of these out there than you think. Over the years I have tried a few different flavors, but they always used a vanilla cookie as the base. Will a chocolate cookie really make a significant difference?

My beloved Sriracha Chips are back!

Image from Lay's official facebook

That's right, Lay's are re-releasing the previous finalists from last year's Do Us a Flavor contest for Valentine's Day.

I know it's a few days late, but I just found out and I am way more excited than I should be. I loved the sriracha chips, you can read my review here, and I never got the chance to review the Chicken and Waffles version. I don't know if I'll be reviewing them during this re-release, I think that ship has sailed, but I will be buying more of the sriracha ones.

Is this a marketing ploy? Sure! Will that stop me from stocking up on the sriracha chips like a crazy person? No way.

Are any of you excited to see these flavors return?

Shrimp Scampi Flatbread - Pinterest Recipe Review

Shrimp Scampi Flatbread - Pinterest Recipe Review : The PIN The RECIPE

As stated in my last post, I spent Valentine's Day cooking and watching Netflix with my boyfriend. I usually cook something when I'm over his place, but I wanted to make something fancy, it was a holiday after all. My solution was for my boyfriend and I to each pick a fancy recipe from my Pinterest Board and cook it as part of our Valentine's Day dinner.

• He picked this Shrimp Scampi Flat Bread
• I chose the PF Chang's Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

As usual, I had to alter the recipe,

PF Chang's Style Lettuce Wraps: Pinterest Recipe Review

PF Chang's Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps - Pinterest Recipe Review : The PIN The RECIPE

Instead of spending Valentine's Day at a restaurant, or exchanging gifts, I wanted to stay in, make yummy food, and watch Netflix with my boyfriend. I'm a homebody (a nice way to say hermit), and my favorite date nights are the ones where we stay in, spend quality time together, and cook for ourselves.

I may have wanted a low-key kind of night, but I still wanted to make something fancy for dinner. Like most Pinterest users, I have a HUGE board filled with recipes, so I figured the best thing to do was for each of us to pick one for our Valentine's Day dinner.

• He picked the Shrimp Scampi Flat Bread
• I chose these PF Chang's Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

Gobstoppers Heartbreakers- Target: Cherry Hill, NJ

Gobstoppers Heartbreakers- Target: Cherry Hill, NJ

Happy Valentine's Day! (I hope all of you have a lovely day and don't forget to grab yourself some clearance candy tomorrow!) 

Remember this package from last year's review? Gobstopper Heartbreakers may be seasonal, but they are one of my favorite candies of all time. Normally I buy several bags of these to satisfy my craving until next year, but there's been a slight change. This year there are only three colors!

Appetitos Buffalo Style Chicken Dip - Aldi: Cherry Hill, NJ

Appetitos Buffalo Style Chicken Dip - Aldi: Cherry Hill, NJ

With all the snow that we've been getting in Jersey, I've been going to Aldi more frequently. Like most people, I like to stock up on basics before bad weather hits, but during my last trip I found this frozen container of buffalo dip in the Specialty Buy section. (Home to all things random.) It isn't like I needed to buy this dip, but I was kind of curious, so into the cart it went!

New Look: Blogception!

A photo of my blog on my blog...blogception! (How old is that joke? I still haven't seen that movie.)

In all seriousness, I spent most of my time the last few days trying to tweak the overall look and design for this page. Admittedly it isn't a complete overhaul, but I like it. It's a good start.

I hope to add a few more things in the future, like a little photo of me and a short bio, but I am weird when it comes to taking "selfies." (The word alone makes me cringe.)

I know it isn't 100% done yet, and there are a few things to tweak here and there, but what do you think?

Quickie Review: Cheeseburger Pizza - Papa John's: NJ

Cheeseburger Pizza - Papa John's: NJ

Some of you might have seen Papa John's new cheeseburger pizza advertized a few days before the Superbowl. (I don't know if all Papa John's locations are advertizing it the same way, but our flyer says "It's the one with pickles!") That's right, it's pizza with pickles that is supposed to taste like a cheeseburger.

Impulsive Buy Spotted on the Shelves Entries - 9 (Target Edition)

I love Panera's balsamic vinaigrette, and now I can have it at home anytime I want!
(Poppy Seed is also really yummy.)

I am obsessed with this foodie site called The Impulsive Buy, and my favorite posts are called "Spotted on the Shelves." It is a viewer-fueled inventory of new items that have been released in various stores. I've already made several submissions, found HERE, so here is round 9!

Jin + Ja - Whole Foods: Mt Laurel, NJ

Jin + Ja - Whole Foods: Mt Laurel, NJ

This is the last beverage I picked up at Whole Foods and, since I don't get up there too often, I'm not sure when I'll be picking up a new 100% Raw Tea to re-review. (It's a really inconvenient location, but I'm still interested in the product.)

As for this beverage, I like ginger, but only in small doses. So, why did I buy a ginger-based drink? Needless to say, the little award sticker suckered me in. Apparently this won Cold Beverage of the Year! (Which I honestly didn't know that was a thing. Is that a thing? Does that make me a bad foodie?) Ultimately I wanted to see what an award winning beverage tasted like, so I picked up a bottle. Although, the packaging also won me over.

This curvy bottle is pretty small, about the size of a classic Coke bottle, and it's made of clear glass. There's no texture or engraving on the glass itself and all of the design work has been printed on clear labels. I really like the bold logo and subtle swirls that decorate the bottle, but the bottle's neck seems a little empty. If it wasn't for the award winning sticker, the deign might look a little sparse and unfinished. Is there normally a design that goes up there? I tried looking for information online but there was very little to be found. 

Other than the official site and Bevnet, I couldn't find any product reviews, so I might be one of the first foodies to do so. (Boldly going where no blogger has gone before.)

Limited Edition Cookie Dough Oreos -Shop Rite Delran, NJ

Limited Edition Cookie Dough Oreos -Shop Rite Delran, NJ

Again, if you watched my first impressions video, you already know how I feel about this product. Even if I cover an item in a video, I still like making written posts, so I'll continue to do both in the future. (I really like taking pretty product photos.)

You guys know the drill. First, I'm going to talk about the packaging.

I already touched on this in my Marshmallow Crispy Oreo review, but these packages do not stand out. Oreo likes to stay consistent with their color coded bags (blue = chocolate and yellow = vanilla), so the colors blend right in with the rest of the Oreo line. With that being the case, the imagery on the front of the package is what really makes each flavor stand out.

In the grocery store I found these in, they were stacked one on top of another so only the side of the package was visible. (Seen above.) As you can see, other than the chocolate chip cookie in the corner, it's pretty easy to walk past these and assume it's the same as the rest of the flavors. Again, as I mentioned in my last review, this is good for food bloggers like me. If the average customer doesn't know to look for them, the product is less likely to be sold out, and foodies like me are more likely to find them. Still, I wish Oreo would get a little more creative with this limited edition packaging.

Okay, so it isn't stellar to look at, but how does it taste? 

Limited Edition Marshmallow Crispy Oreos -Shop Rite Delran, NJ

Limited Edition Marshmallow Crispy Oreos -Shop Rite Delran, NJ

If you watched my first impressions video, posted yesterday, most of you already know how I feel about this product. (You also saw me awkwardly eating cookies, spoiling my dog, and chewing with my mouth open. I'm so sorry.) Although I practically reviewed this item already, I like doing written review with photos so I can get a bit more detailed.

As always, I'm going to start with the packaging. 

Using my lemon Oreo package as a comparison, this design is very generic and bland. If you swapped the lemons out for Marshmallow squares it looks exactly the same.

Due to all vanilla Oreos using the same yellow packaging, these limited edition flavors don't stand out from the rest of the Oreo line. In fact, when I finally found these at the grocery store they were on a shelf with the rest of the Oreos mid-way down the aisle. These weren't advertized as new, or on an endcap, and they were stacked so that you could only see the side of the packaging and not the face. (Side is pictured above.) Unless you were looking really closely and noticed the marshmallow square in the corner, you might walk right by these and never knowing they were there. (Plus the shelf was child level, not adult.) As a food blogger, this can be a good thing, because the normal every day consumer might walk right by these and I am more likely to find them for myself, but as far as getting noticed by the everyday consumer, this is a fail. Why not go all out with the packaging and make it into something different? Or at the very least a different color. I get it. Yellow is vanilla and blue is chocolate, but when these limited flavors come out why not do something different?  

Safe to say, the packaging isn't what people are excited about. Let's check out how this cookie tastes (although if you watched my video you already know). 

Impulsive Buy Spotted on the Shelves Entries - 8 (Target Valentine's Day Edition)

Target totally missed the opportunity to ask, "Will you be my player 2?"

 I am obsessed with this foodie site called The Impulsive Buy, and my favorite posts are called "Spotted on the Shelves." It is a viewer-fueled inventory of new items that have been released in various stores. I've already made several submissions, found HERE, so here is round 8! 

First Impressions: Limited Edition Oreos

New video with my first impressions and reviews of the new Limited Edition Oreos.

Watch me awkwardly eat on camera and give my dog a cookie!

This thing took forever to process, over 3 hours,but it might still be processing a bit. I hope this link works. (Let me know if it’s not.)

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

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Impulsive Buy Spotted on the Shelves Entries - 7 (Aldi Edition)

Spicy pretzel coated pickles?

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've already made several submissions, found HERE, so here is round 7! 

Here is the stuff I found at Aldi!

Herr's Limited Edition Baked Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potato Chips - Gift

Herr's Limited Edition Baked Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potato Chips - Gift

These limited edition chips were a gift from my buddy Nate. (Thanks Nate!) 

Some of you might not recognize this brand. I recently found out that Herr's are only sold on the Eastern half of the United States and Canada, but this is a (somewhat) local company that I grew up with. All of the grocery stores in New Jersey carry Herr's snack foods, so growing up I assumed they were available nationwide.

When compared to big, bold, companies like Lay's or Doritos, Herr's designs seem rather bland, but their products are very satisfying. Until now they have released pretty generic potato chip flavors, but I must have missed the memo, because I didn't know that Herr's had jumped onto the limited edition flavor wagon.

As far as the bag's design is concerned, this is a big step up for Herr's. Their classic bags, which can be seen here, are simple and recognizable, but not especially appealing. That is why I was so impressed by this specific design, it has tons of bells and whistles. There are stripes, a gradient, a slightly more modern illustration, and even little sparklies! I know a lot of you are looking at this and thinking it's nothing special, which it isn't, but this is very different from the bags I grew up with. Typically, Herr's would pick just one color, print it on a foiled bag, and slap a picture on it. The colors and bags haven't changed since I was a kid, so I know all of the flavors and colors off the top of my head. (Blue means normal, green is sour cream and onion, red is ridges....I can go on and on.) I know it isn't made of gold or anything, and I shouldn't be gushing over it, but it's a big step forward for this local company and I think it's nicely done.

Unreal 5, Chocolate Caramel Nougat Bar - GIFT

 Unreal 5, Chocolate Caramel Nougat Bar - GIFT

Due to their redesign, I thought it  was time to revisit Unreal candy. If you check out my other reviews you can still see some the older packaging, which I really liked. 

Other UNREAL reviews:

• Unreal 8 (Snickers)
• Unreal 77 (Peanut Butter Cup)
• Unreal 54 (Chocolate Covered Peanuts)

If you look at my older photos you can see that the only thing that was changed was the company's logo, which sounds minor, but it has completely changed the packaging in my eyes. The original stylized logo is what drew me to this line in the first place.

The graphic designer inside me is crying over such a change, the packaging was so creative and interesting with the older logo, but I understand why changes had to be made. From a marketing standpoint, the enigmatic logo might have confused some customers as to what the product actually was, which can damage sales. By having a more legible label it can appeal to the masses. Personally I think the enigmatic logo would have worked well in a different market, such as graphic designers, museums, and specialty supermarkets, but with this economy I am guessing a change had to be made so that this product could do well at the local everyday grocery store. What a pity.

As far as the candy itself, nothing has changed. Unreal still delivers real chocolate and candy ingredients, so let's see how this specific flavor tastes. 

100% Raw Tea - Whole Foods: Mt Laurel, NJ

100% Raw Tea - Whole Foods: Mt Laurel, NJ

I have been feeling sick this whole week, and what is better to battle a cold than tea?

To be honest, I picked this up because I am obsessed with Laura Miller. She is a cook, and Youtube personality, who creates recipes that adhere to a raw diet. The raw food movement is something that has been popularized as of late, but it has been around for quite a long time. I really like the concept, but I could never fully commit to such a lifestyle. (I like cheeseburgers and all sorts of cooked foods way too much.) However, I do like her recipes and I plan on making some (and reviewing them) in the near future. 

In the meantime, I saw the word "raw" on this bottle of tea and thought it was worth checking out. Like all raw foods, this was created without heat. (Although raw foods can use very low heat, 110 degrees F or below.) These tea leaves were picked and blended up in chilled water. Sounds like an interesting concept, and I'm excited to see how this tastes.

The design is really bold and eye catching, and I love the earthy color palette, but turn the bottle around you're hit with a wall of text. So the packaging is a bit wordy, but that can be a good thing. I can see myself reading this during a lunch break, a bus ride, or as I sit here writing this review. It looks busy, but it is informative and pretty interesting. Everything from the tea's story, to the raw diet, to packaging is discussed. I like it.

J&D's Bacon Popcorn - Gift

J&D's Bacon Popcorn - Gift

I love bacon, but that doesn't mean I'm crazy enough to brush my teeth or bathe in it.

Like most delicious bad for you foods, this edible item has a cult following. In fact, bacon has practically become a novelty! You can buy bacon EVERYTHING! Don't get me wrong, I see the fun in all these novelty bacon items, and I am guilty of loving food scented candles and perfumes, but I'll stick to the real, edible, stuff. 

Knowing my love for bacon, and that I have a this food blog, my boyfriend who is more of a sausage person (Pfft, I swear I'm a mature 20+ year old) bought me this box of bacon flavored popcorn.

A lot of novelty products skimp on decent graphic design and aim for a more cartoon-y look, and this is the perfect example of that. The box art makes this look like more of a gag gift than a legitimately marketable product, but that may be the company's goal. It does catch the eye, which is a good thing, but it does so for all the wrong reasons. I mean bacon with a face on it? Actually it kind of looks like a bacon bow-tie... either way, it is pretty unappealing as far as a food item goes.

Something that makes this product a bit more interesting is the company's background. If you read the back of the box, or the popcorn bag, it tells you that the creators actually won money from America's Funniest Home Videos and used their winnings to create edible products, like Bacon Popcorn. 

Enough talk, is this stuff actually edible?