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

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Quickie Review - Sparkling Fresh Cider

Sparkling Cider - Aldi

I came home from work last Thursday, made dinner, ate in front of the TV, and took an unscheduled three hour nap on the couch. (Livin' the dream.) Let me tell you, couch naps at 30 aren't what I thought they'd be, because I destroyed my neck. 

When I woke up I discovered that I could only turn my head, slightly, to the left. I've been taking pain medicine, propping myself with pillows at night, and using heat to loosen my muscles. It's getting better, but it's still not great. I actually hurt myself more when I sneezed earlier...When did I turn into a glass-banana? I should be reviewing milk or something to try and boost my calcium to fix my brittle little bird-bones, but I'm going to have this sparkling cider instead.

#TBT Remember Starbuck's Unicorn Frappe?

This was a post I started writing a LONG time ago, 

thought it'd be fun to clean it up, add pics, and post it for today's #tbt  

To celebrate (finally) having hot water in my home, I took a break from home repair last week to pop into Starbucks. (Something I never do.) Why? Because of unicorns. 

That's right. I went against my better judgement and bought into the fancy unicorn drink craze along with all the other food bloggers and Instagramers. What can I say? It's pretty, and I'm a sucker. 

So, how was it?

It's Always Tea Time - Pomegranate & White Tea Gummy Pandas

Pomegranate & White Tea Gummy Pandas - Gift from Work

Another tea-themed candy! This time it's a gummy candy, which is my favorite kind of candy, so I'm pretty excited. 

The packaging is really simple, it's another gusseted plastic bag, but this time it has a shiny finish and it's resealable. Instead of the faux vintage look of the hard Tea Candies I reviewed yesterday, this product is going for a  crisp, but colorful, design that lets the product do all the foot work. (Along with some nice fruity imagery.) The outside is really appealing, but there's something inside that I wasn't prepared for...

Hello, is it Tea You're Looking For? - Iced Tea Flavored Candy

Tea Candy, Classic Iced Tea - Gift from Work

I actually found an awesome Lionel Richie mug with that exact saying at the thrift store. 

Most of you know that I got a new job a few months ago, I'm still a graphic designer, but instead of making business cards and custom invites, I'm working with food! Right before the holidays I received a big gift basket filled with different specialty products, like these tea-flavored candies. They sound really refreshing, so let's get this review started! 

I Mint to Post This Earlier - Dark Chocolate Mint Fudge Stripes

Dark Chocolate Mint Fudge Stripe Cookies - Ollie's $1.29

Good o'l Ollie's. Where all limited edition food goes to die. 

If you're not familiar with Ollie's, it's a bargain shop that gets closeout goods and off-season products and sells them are lower price points. I was there buying last minute Christmas ornaments (because all I own are Halloween decorations) and couldn't resist picking up a few snacks.

If you search the blog you'll see that in all my years of blogging, I've never reviewed a Fudge Stripe cookie, and that isn't an oversight. I'm not a fan, but I love the combination of chocolate with mint, and I love a bargain, so maybe these will win me over? 

Sweet Heat Round 2: Skittles Edition

Sweet Heat Skittles - Wawa

I really enjoyed the Sweet Heat Starbursts, so when my friend Melissa mentioned that she saw the Skittles version at Wawa, I drove over there (got some gas) and grabbed a bag. Now we shall see is these items are unique enough to stand on their own, or if one should reign supreme.

Strange Things Are Afoot At The Special K - Limited Edition Apple Cinnamon Special K

Special K Apple Cinnamon Crunch - Aldi

You guys already know I have a newfound appreciation for breakfast cereal. (See this post for details.)  

I keep the staples, like (Aldi-branded) Frosted Flakes, Special K, and Frosted Mini Wheats stocked at all times, but I figure my family might appreciate some variety, so I've been buying these limited edition releases to keep things interesting...but that hasn't really worked out. 

These seasonal cereals are the last ones picked for the breakfast-kickball team. My family just doesn't want to eat them. After one bowl the novelty has worn off and they rather go back to a tried and true favorite. (Except for those seasonal Lucky Charms, they were decimated in less than a week.) As I type this I have two boxes of seasonal pumpkin spiced cereals in our pantry, practically untouched, but since my boyfriend and his daughter like apples I thought this flavor might be a winner. Was I right? I guess we'll find out!

Tempted By The Fruit of a Pocky! (Grape & Mango Pocky?)

Pocky Squeeze (Grape & Mango) - Asian Food Market

(Made it in! Just before Midnight EST!) I am 100% sure I've used this song lyric as a title before, but this was too perfect to pass up. I mean, this is "Squeeze" Pocky, and it's fruit flavored! It's a match made in pop-culture-foodie heaven. (Or Dad-joke level hell, depending on your sense of humor.) 

When did I buy these? I have no idea. My foodie backlog is way out of control. I've joked about it in the past but due to my failure as a blogger in 2017, it overflowed big time. I'm just going to write this off as a foodie gift from my past self and leave it at that. (Yay!)  

It might be hard to tell in photos, but these are half sized boxes that contain mini Pocky sticks. For something so small, the packaging sure is stylish! The cardboard boxes have a high gloss finish, beautiful food imagery, and a fairly luxe feel. They even photographed beautifully! So far, this packaging as me falling in love with Pocky all over again, but what about the flavors? 

Thanks to the context clues on the packaging, I'm guessing these chocolate coated bread sticks are flavored with 70% real fruit, which wounds great...if these were gummies, but they're chocolate coated bread sticks. That being the case, mango was more of a safe bet for me, since I've had a decent amount of mango flavored chocolates from Japan, but grape flavored chocolate? I sense a red flag...

Skittles Brightside - Wawa (Quickie Review)

Skittles Brightside - Wawa

What exactly are they going for here? Are they bright colors? Light and refreshing flavors? A simple counter-product to their equally confusing Darkside mix? Or are they just fans of The Killers? (When You Were Young is my favorite song, and for the record, I belt it out in the car like a champ!)

I don't really understand the thought process behind this mix, but I am intrigued by some of the flavors. So, without further delay, let's jump into the review!

Better Late Than Never? Seasonal Salsas from Aldi

Seasonal Salsas - Aldi

I posted these on Instagram and they got a moderate amount of attention, so I picked all three up to review...and then didn't review anything for, like, a month. (Or two.) What can I say, I sucked at blogging in 2017. I debated on saving these for a #tbt post, but they're still available at my local Aldi, so I might as well share my thought in case any of you have been wanting to check these out before they disappear. 

Like A Boss - Canned Coffee?

Premium Boss Black - Asian Food Market

(Remember when, "like a boss," was a thing?)

I think it's common knowledge that Japan loves their vending machines. You can buy hot and cold drinks, snacks, canned soups and even mystery boxes covered in ghost stories. (Okay, that last one isn't as widely known as the others.) 

I've have friends that have been to japan and told me that Boss coffee was the best vending machine coffees they've ever had. I've been waiting for a can/bottle to make it's way to the Asian Food Market every since, and it's finally here!

Aldi's Take on Ben & Jerry's Phish Food (Only $2.00!)

Turtley Awesome Ice Cream Pint - Aldi $1.99 ($1.79 on sale!) 

Living with a food blogger isn't as glamorous as it may seem. First of all, my home is a dieters worst nightmare. I have candy and snacks in pretty much every room of the house. (Except the bathrooms because that's gross. They have food scented bath products and soaps instead #foodieforlife.) I have a freezer full of junk food and ice cream, and a pantry packed with limited edition cookies and chips. Which leads me to the other problem, which has plagued everyone I've ever lived with, "Is this safe to eat?"

I get the frustration, you see something yummy and you want to eat it. That's what any sane person would do, but we food bloggers are insane different. We need to photograph, write up, and post on social media. It's just what we do...when we have time to do it. 

So, the story is: I've had these Aldi pints in the fridge for a while, I didn't have much time to blog, and my family had been anxious to eat them..so this got eaten, a little bit. Normally I'm adamant about the food items I photograph being brand new and untouched, but we're just going to have to roll with it...

Again, we have so ugly packaging. It's not all that different from the others, and I've already said everything I have to say about it's looks, so let's get right into how this tastes.

Come On Baby, Light my Fire - Sweet Heat Starbursts

Sweet Heat Starburst - Target

Sometimes gimmicky things are done for gimmicky reasons, like when companies release obviously bad flavors in order to generate hype and publicity. After all, we all know there's some sadistic joy in sharing knowingly bad food with friends, otherwise those Beanboozled and Bertie Botts beans wouldn't be as popular as they are. The real question is, are these Starbursts one of those items? I'm not sure. Sweet and spicy is one of my favorite combinations, like honey-hot-wings. (Oh man, I really want some wings right now...) These could either be great, and fill an area that's lacky on USA's candy shelves, or they could be disgusting flops. We won't know until we try!

Foreign-Food-Friday? Pokka Sapporo Yuzu Lemon

Pokka Sapporo Yuzu Lemon - Asian Food Market

It's not limited edition, holiday-themed, or "on-trend," but this yuzu and lemon drink sounded so light and refreshing! I had to have it. Into my cart it went, along with some other bottled beverages, way too much candy, and some Pop'n Cookin' kits that have been done-to-death on YouTube. (That won't stop me from trying them for myself!) 

I'm really excited to drink this, so let's (very briefly) cover the packaging and get right into the review! 

Bubble-less Bubbly Bubblegum - Project 7 Champagne Dreams

Project 7 Champagne Dreams Gum - Target

Visually speaking, this would have been the ideal product for my big New Year comeback review, but given Project 7's history of disappointing products wrapped in pretty packaging...I opted for Oreos instead. 

I don't know what it is about Project 7 chewing gums. Even though they let me down time and time again, I can't stay away. 

While checking myself out in Target's self-service-lane, I spotted this flavor in the totally-effective impulse-buy section. I managed to ignore it, rung myself up, and was about to leave...and then turned back and made a separate transaction just to buy this gum. Why? I have no idea. I think I'm just a sucker for pretty packaging. Even though I hate chewing these flavored gums, I really do love photographing them. I mean, look at this! I have little twinkly lights in the background! Plus, Project 7 was a company I really liked, and their original line of mints were really fantastic. I want to love you Project 7!

Maybe this flavor will be the one to re-ignite the spark in our food-blogger-product romance...

Aldi Dupes Ben & Jerry's The Tonight Dough! (For Less than $2.00 a Pint!)

For Real Dough Ice Cream - Aldi $1.79! (Dupe of The Tonight Dough)

A while back, Aldi introduced a new premium ice cream line that looked suspiciously like Ben & Jerry's. In fact, each Aldi flavor corresponded to a popular Ben & Jerry's flavor, making them nearly identical...except the Aldi-version is LESS THAN $2.00 USD per pint! 

That's right, you can buy two of these pints for the price of a Ben & Jerry's one, and the best part? Not only is it cheap, but it tastes nearly identical!

I've reviewed five different Aldi flavors so far: (Click the links below for it's review) 

Brookie Dough*

Make Fudge Not War*

My Peanut Butter Half

Swirlin' Strawberry

Thank You Cherry Much *

(Spoiler alert!) They're all awesome! Seriously! The only one I didn't care for was My Peanut Butter Half, but that's because peanut butter ice cream just isn't my cup of tea.

The original trio of flavors (Marked with an *) have become permanent Aldi items, available year-round,  but every now and again they expand the line with seasonal releases which just so happen to be MORE Ben and Jerry's dupes! Last time we got two new flavors, Swirlin' Strawberry and My Peanut Butter Half, and this time we get three more! 

Currently on the shelves are: For Real Dough, Turtley Awesome, and Banana Bonanza. Which dupe Ben and Jerry's The Tonight Dough, Phish Food and Chunky Monkey respectively. Since all the other flavors were fantastic, I couldn't wait to try these three, so here we go! 

Ongoing Winter Theme: Cinnamon Vanilla Lucky Charms

Cinnamon Vanilla Lucky Charms - Aldi

See what I mean about Aldi getting all the name-brand seasonal breakfast stuff? And it's not even off-season! (I know I'm posting this in January, but I bought it back in early December, so it's legit!)

Like Pop-Tarts, I have a whole new appreciation for breakfast cereal. 

Everyone in our household works full time and even though I try my best to be all Susie-homemaker (keeping up with the laundry, cooking all our meals at home, buying groceries, and cleaning), I also like to maintain my sanity. I pride myself on making a home-cooked dinner each night, but waking up early and making a Pleasantville-style breakfast spread before work?

Also, The First Wives Club is a highly underrated movie!

So, yeah. Breakfast cereal is awesome, and it gives me something to blog about! Win-Win-Win! With that being said, is this cereal going to be drastically different from the normal, year round, Lucky Charms? We shall see...

Sugar Cookie Pop-Tarts, Surprisingly Delicious?

Sugar Cookie Pop-Tarts - Aldi

A few years back, Aldi (as a company) bought out a rival low-budget grocery chain, Bottom Dollar Food. Both businesses were known for their low prices, but Bottom Dollar was known for having name brand items, while Aldi was no-frills and store-brand. Since the buy-out, brand-name products have slowly been popping up at Aldi, but...it's mostly breakfast stuff. Even weirder, Aldi gets all the holiday-specific releases, like these Pop-Tarts. 

I used to buy a box of Pop-Tarts here or there when new flavors were released just for my own curiosity/blogging purposes, but now? I have a whole new appreciation for them.

Happy New Year - Hot Cocoa Oreo Review and DAILY REVIEWS ARE BACK! (For Real This Time)

Hot Cocoa Oreos - Target $3.99

Happy New Year everyone! 

A lot happened in 2017: I got a new job, bought my first house, my boyfriend, his daughter, and I moved in together, we got a chinchilla, and I de-mosquitoed our above-ground swimming pool. (There is hilarious footage of me with trash bags duct taped to my legs, wading into the water to drain it.) One thing that didn't happen....was blogging. 

2017 was my worst blogging-year to-date and I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to keep up with it, but there's no better time to get my blogging-butt in gear than today. My goal for 2018 is to get back into daily blogging, and to jump-start that goal I have several reviews scheduled for this week! (Hooray for planning ahead!)  

It's official! Daily reviews are back starting today, and there's no better way to start than with a food-blogging staple, "new" Oreos! (I put "new" in quotes because, like always, I'm late to the party, but they're still new, so it counts.)