Sometimes you feel like a Nut - or Two?

Another seasonal de-stash. 

I grabbed these from Lidl thinking I could incorporate them into my baking, but my cookie boxes were crowded already, so they were relegated to snacking. 

Problem is, I rarely eat nuts. (That's what she said!) I'm not allergic, and I love nut-flavored things like, marzipan, Reese's cups, and pistachio ice cream, or even chopped peanuts scattered over a savory pad Thai. But snacking on a handful of plain almonds? Not going to happen. 

But, these are fairly healthy (especially when compared to all the Doritos currently on top of my fridge), so I took them into work so I could eat them as a desk-snack. Maybe they'll surprise me and I'll be converted...but I doubt it. 

Garlic Bread Flavored Almonds with Croutons? (And Honey Citron Flavor, too!)

Garlic Bread and Lemon Citron Almonds - Hung Vuong Food Market 

The last two Gilim Tom's flavors I reviewed were a lot of fun, and after learning about how many variations they have to offer, I was looking forward to trying even more. On my most recent trip to Hung Vuong Food Market, I grabbed Honey Citron and Garlicbread. Let's see how these compare!

Punch Line is a Welcome Break from the Hype Machine. -UPDATE

Ben & Jerry's X Netflix Punch Line - Shop Rite

Food and flavors are subjective. I know that, you know that, but we all love to hop online and compare tastebuds with strangers. (Hi!) Why do we do it?

Whether it's to find out if a product is worth your money (which is my main goal), or for validation in your opinions, or just to see how your taste-buds compare to others. We feel compelled to try new and potentially gross food, then turn to our friends and say, "You gotta' try this!" It's just human nature. But, in doing so, we fall victim to the hype of new-ness and extra-ness. 

I've been blogging for a long time, I think 7 years (I keep forgetting how long exactly) and from what I can tell, I'm an oddball.

Tiramisu and Strawberry Almonds - Gilim Tom's Farm

Tiramisu and Strawberry Almonds - Hung Vuong Food Market 

Nuts are my least favorite part of trail mix. I don't have anything against them, I'm not allergic and I don't mind the flavor, in fact I love things flavored with nuts, I just don't want to eat them as-is, for some reason. The idea of someone just snacking on almonds absolutely blows my mind. Yet, it's a booming industry. Look at the snack aisles. They're covered in different flavors of mixed nuts, everything from sweet to savory, and the Hung Vuong Food Market is no exception. 

There was an end cap absolutely filled with different flavors of Gilim Tom's Almonds. From what I can tell, they're the Bertie Bott's of snacking nuts. They offer all kinds of varieties but the store I was in seemed to focus on almonds. 

Here is a quick run down of the flavors I have seen:

Amaretti Cookie Nougat from Lidl - It's like it was made for me

Amaretti Cookie Italian Nougat - Lidl 

I'm weird. If you've ever been to this blog before you probably know that already. I am not a picky eater, but like many people I do have a few weird food hang-ups. One of which revolves around nuts. I love smooth peanut butter, marzipan, and pretty much everything almond flavored...but when it comes to actual nuts? Not a fan. I don't hate them, but I just don't see the appeal. I could never be one of those people who just eat a tin of almonds at their desk or buy nut-heavy trail mixes, or who sit at Five Guys eating the bottomless salted peanuts. It just doesn't appeal to me. 

That said, I do love absolutely everything related to almonds. In case you can't tell (because on a blog you're reading typed words and not watching me talk with my hands) I'm Italian, and Italians love almond everything. For Christmas we would get a big box of individually wrapped Ferrara's Torrone and slowly eat them as the holiday approached. (Turning the boxes backwards as they were eaten so there wasn't any sliding around. Does anyone else do that?) My mother and I love Italian nougat so much we even went on a tour through a factory in Italy to taste some fresh off the line. 

Long story short, it's been such a weird and difficult year, and I have such happy and positive associations with nougat, that I decided to treat myself. 

Who Asked For These? - Snickers Creamy (3 Different Flavors)

Snickers Creamy Squares  - Walmart

More items from my unexpected, "I just want to Walmart for Command Hooks," junkfood haul!

It's been well documented on my blog, and our defunct podcast, Candyology 101, that I I'm a MilkyWay kind of girl, but now-a-days I live in a Snickers household. My fiance and his daughter both love Snickers bars, it's their go-to candy bar and the first one to disappear in our candy drawer. (Does every home have a candy drawer? Or is that just a me-thing?) So I grabbed these thinking that I may not be a fan, but my family could potentially love them. Oh, how wrong I was...

Coconut Almond Flavor of Hawaii Kisses - CVS

Coconut Almond Flavor of Hawaii Kisses - CVS 

I know that a decent chunk of the foodie community was hype about these "Flavor of..." items, but I'm not entirely sure why.

This new location-based series includes: California Strawberry Kit-Kats, Honey Roasted Reeses Cups, Texas BBQ PayDay bars, New York Cherry Cheesecake Cookies & Creme bars, and last, but not least, these Hawaiian themed Coconut Almond Kisses.

With the exception of the BBQ PayDay Bar (which I sadly couldn't find), this new series feels unimaginative. After all, Japan has had strawberry flavored Kit-Kats for years and honey roasted Reeses were out in 2003. Hershey Kisses previously released a coconut creme filled Kiss in 2007, and again in 2014, but those were milk chocolate based with a coconut center, so admittedly this is a new product, but it's not a new flavor for the brand,  and so far I've never had a cheese cake flavored candy that I could stand...so I'm left with maybe 3/5 that are truly new, and only 2/5 that I find worth checking out.

In spite of my Scrooge-like views on this line, my love of coconut flavored sweets won out and I decided to try these Kisses anyway. Just because I think they're unimaginative, doesn't mean they won't taste good!

Quickie Review: Hershey Snack Mix -BJ's

Hershey Snack Mix -BJ's

Back in June of 2016 I reviewed the Reese's version of this snack Mix and now, EIGHT months later, I've finally gotten around to the Hershey's version. (At this rate I'll review the other candy-bar-themed mixes within the next 5 years.) Anyway, when I reviewed the Reese's version I wasn't sure if I'd ever buy it again and nearly a year later, and I haven't!

Maybe the Hershey's version will be a better flavor for me. Let's hope so, because I foolishly bought a big ol' box of this from BJ's because I had a coupon. (And I'm a sucker for a bargain.)

Chocolate Meringue & Almond Creme Cookies - Aldi

Specially Selected Cookies (Chocolate Meringue & Almond Creme) - Aldi

Three Aldi reviews in a row? Repetitive, I know, but I'm about to buy a house, so the food blog budget is tight! I swear I have something non-Aldi lined up next, but be prepared to see a lot more budget food in the following months as I hopefully finish the home buying process and get settled.

Winter is right around the corner here in New Jersey, and that means it's cookie season!
I just wrapped up my 6th annual cookie swap, and even through my kitchen is filled to the brim with homemade cookies, I just couldn't resist some fancy Specially Selected seasonal offerings.

LOOK Peko Chan & Hello Kitty Halloween Chocolates - H-Mart (tbt)

LOOK Peko Chan & Hello Kitty Halloween Chocolates - H-Mart (tbt)  

While everyone else is obsessing over the sudden influx of all things pumpkin (and pumpkin spice), I'm freaking out over all the spooky Halloween craft store goods. Don't get me wrong, I love summer, and I wish this heatwave would never end, but I'm also really excited about Halloween, so I thought I'd revisit these seasonal sweets for today's #tbt.

Japanese Matcha Almond Video Review (YouTube)

New video is up! This was the last one I filmed while wearing my awesomely comfy pizza shirt, so expect a new outfit next time!

Assorted Macarons (revisited) - Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

Assorted Macarons (revisited) - Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

Let's get fancy! (But not really, because these are from the freezer section.)

Nearly two years ago I reviewed Trader Joe's frozen assorted macarons, which were really yummy and very affordable, but since then most of the flavors have changed, so I thought I'd give these another try.

Good & Delish Dark & Sinful Pear & Almond - Walgreen's: Pennsauken, NJ

Good & Delish Dark & Sinful Pear & Almond  - Walgreen's: Pennsauken, NJ

If you've listened to our most recent Candyology101 podcast, you'll recognize this bar from my rants and ramblings about store-branded candy. Way back in July, I bought and reviewed THIS pear and almond bar from whole foods, which was a store-branded item, and I thought it was really delicious. Even though I liked it a lot, I rarely shop at Whole Foods because things can get pretty expensive, and it's a bit out of my way, so I hadn't had another bar since.

Flash forward to winter's ever awesome cold and flu season. I was at Walgreens picking up my cold medication and I noticed the same flavor combination was being offered in their Good & Delish candy bar line. Could these be the same bars? The Walgreen's version was really affordable, and I figured I deserved a little treat since I was sick, so I picked it up. Oddly enough we decided that our theme for the most recent podcast would be store brands, so this worked out awesomely. I know I already talked about it in the podcast, but I figured this item was worthy of it's own post.

Cranberry Almond Thins - BJ's: Marlton, NJ

Cranberry Almond Thins - BJ's: Marlton, NJ

I took a chance, and bought the big box of the Pistachio Thin Addictives from Nonni's a while ago, and I loved them so much, I thought I should grab this bis ol' box of Cranberry ones too. Cranberry seems like a winter-y flavor, so I might as well review this now before Valentine's candies start taking over my blog.

Pistachio Cherry Meltaways- Pinterest Recipe Review

 Pistachio Cherry Meltaways- Pinterest Recipe Review : The PIN The RECIPE

Happy Holidays! It's been a really long time since I've done a Pinterest recipe review, I think my last one was back in April, but I'd like to start doing them a bit more often.

My annual holiday cookie party/swap was this weekend, and we had a really great turn out! I made my gingerbread bats, like I do every year, and I picked another random cookie recipe from my cookie board to try out, this time I went with these festive little Pistachio Cherry Meltaways.

Coffee and Almond Chocolate Crush Pocky - Philadelphia's Chinatown, PA

Coffee and Almond Chocolate Crush Pocky - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

It's been a while since I've reviewed Pocky, I think the last time was back in September when I found that Rare Cheesecake flavor in Chinatown, but I haven't seen any new flavors in my area. I'm not sure if they just aren't being imported like they used to, or if there haven't been that many new flavors released in Asia (which I doubt), but I got my hands on two new boxes to review.

Let's start with this coffee and chocolate Almond Crush Pocky!

Dark Chocolate Pear & Almond Bar - Whole Foods: Marlton, NJ

Dark Chocolate Pear & Almond Bar - Whole Foods: Marlton, NJ

Unlike my last post, this was a food item that I was really looking forward to.

Pears are one of my favorite fruits and it's very rare to see them used in American candies, let alone mixed up in a dark chocolate bar. (Which is my favorite type of chocolate. The darker the better!)  Even though all of the the ingredients sounded really appealing, my track record with items from Whole Foods has been very hit or miss. Maybe this item will tip the scales in their favor?

Pistachio Almond Thins - Sam's Club: Cinnaminson, NJ

Pistachio Almond Thins - BJ's: Voorhees, NJ

Buying new items at wholesale clubs can be risky. It's one thing to buy something you already enjoy in bulk, but it's another to totally take a risk buying large amount of potentially gross food. (I have been burned before.) Normally BJ's and other wholesale clubs hand out samples to let you know about new products before you buy them, which is really helpful, but that wasn't the case for this item.

My curiosity, and love of pistachios, lead me to this huge box of biscotti-like crisps and even though I knew nothing about this product...I bought it.

Let's hope that these almond thins are delicious, or else I'm stuck with 14 more packages of them.

Victoria's Kitchen Sweet Almond Water - Whole Foods: Mt Laurel, NJ

Victoria's Kitchen Sweet Almond Water - Whole Foods: Mt Laurel, NJ

Return of the black background! Some of you might recognize this bottle from yesterday's video.

I don't shop at Whole Foods. It's not that I'm opposed to the company, or organic foods, it's just really inconvenient. The closest location is on a very busy highway filled with traffic (and the parking lot is a deathtrap). Driving all that way just doesn't make sense when I have 6 different grocery stores close to home with organic options. (Some are even walking distance.) So when I went to Whole Foods for a lunch date I took advantage of the situation and explored the entire store.
There weren't any food items that caught my eye. (Although I did find more flavors of Brad's RAW Kale chips!)I feel like a lot of the foods I have been reviewing lately have been mediocre, and I really wanted to try something new and different, so I picked up a few beverages that I had never seen before. One of them was this Sweet Almond Water.

Sweet is the perfect way to describe this design. Just look at it! The product looks simple, inviting, and a bit rustic.

Planters Pumpkin Spice Almonds - Target - Riverside, NJ

Planters Pumpkin Spice Almonds  - Target - Riverside, NJ

Although these have already been reviewed by quite a few food blogs, I really wanted to try these for myself. To be honest, I originally went shopping to find the Blue Diamond version, but I could only find the Planters variety. (Blue Diamond has a bit of paprika in their spice blend, so I really wanted to give those a try, but these Planters Almonds are just as interesting.)

I have to say, this packaging is creepy, and not in the good Halloween way. The computer generated Mr. Peanut's expression is just...not right. Look at that face! That expression! He looks like he just hid a body. (Check under the pumpkins in that wagon.) I understand that a CG Mr. Peanut fits in with the CG background, but I think a classic cartoon illustration would have gone over a lot better. If I had these out at a party, I'd probably hide the container. (Or leave it out and let my friends laugh at how creepy it is.) Other than the seasonal design, this is just a normal container of nuts.

I peeled back the foiled top to reveal deliciously seasoned almonds and a lovely spicy aroma. I'm not sure how, but the scent actually creates an mild warming sensation. It's like smelling warm pumpkin baked goods that just came out of the oven! (It smells kind of like a pumpkin spiced cinnamon roll.)

I popped an almond into my mouth and I could actually taste pumpkin! Not just cinnamon, or nutmeg, or cloves, but legit pumpkin! There is pumpkin powder on the ingredients list, so I am guessing that is the magical ingredient that took these from a generically spiced nut to a pseudo baked good.

The coating for these is sweet, without being too sweet, and just a little salty. Everything works very nicely with the crunchy almonds, and these can be quite addicting.
If you're having a family get together this season these would make a great addition to the snack/dessert table. (Plus I could see these working as a great ingredient for cookies, cakes, candies, and other recipes.)

On a Pumpkin Scale of 1-5 (5 being the most pumpkin-y) I’d give this a 4.

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

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