The Ghost with the Toast

It's officially spooky season! 

I'm going all out to make it extra fun and special this year. I'm decorating my house, eating lots of seasonal snacks, and I decided to watch at least one horror/Halloween movie a day.

So far I've watched:

1. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - (Theaters) 8/10 - saw it twice! Flawed, but fun.  
2. Immaculate (Hulu) - 6/10
3. Ready or Not (Hulu) - 10/10
4. I Saw the TV Glow (Max) - 6.5/10 - I would rate it higher outside the horror label
5. From Hell (Hulu) - 8/10
6. Hellraiser, 2022 (Hulu) - 8/10

With the movies I'm way ahead of my goal, but snacking? Not so much. So let's get started with some Ghost Toast. 

Whatchamacallit VS Whozeewhatzit Battle of the Bars

Battle of the Bars 

The peanut buttery candy bar with a silly name, Whatchamacallit, now has a sibling, the Whozeewhatzit. Together they make for a cohesive pair branding and name-wise, but will the new chocolate-focused bar be strong enough to stand on it's own? 

I know for a fact that I have eaten a Whatchamacallit before in my life, but I honestly can't remember when, or if I even liked it, so I picked up both to refresh my memory and see how they compare.  

So, who's on first? 

Why Does Everyone Like These? (Am I Missing Something?)

Milka Oreo Chocolate Bar  - Don't Remember

Oreo must be stopped. I get it, they're "Milk's favorite cookie." (Debatable.) But things are just getting out of hand. Adding less than a dollar's worth of Oreo pieces to pretty much everything does not magically turn it into a premium product. It's a waste of money is what it is! Sprinkle one or maybe two cookie's worth on top of a doughnut, all of a sudden that plain doughnut is twice the price. Mix a cookie or two into cream cheese? BOOM! Fancy! I get it, but, I don't get it.

Oh, Fudge! It's Back! - Milky Way Fudge

Milky Way Fudge - CVS

Milky Way Fudge is back!

I live in a Snickers household, (I'm outnumbered, 2-to-1), so I don't buy Milky Way very often, but in my eyes, they are the superior candy bar. I'm just not a fan of peanuts in my candy. Peanut butter? Sure. Actual peanuts? It's like trail mix masquerading as candy. No thanks. 

That being said, a new flavor is a great excuse to grab some MilkyWays, and I was really excited that this flavor in particular. Milky Way Fudge had a limited run in 2018, but I missed out on it. But now it's back! (New candy is the best candy consumption excuse!)

Also, I found these at CVS when I was buying a bag of stress-Cheetos after a long, and rainy, work-week, and who doesn't want a bit of chocolate when they're in full melt-down mode? Let's see if this new flavor can usurp Midnight as my number one!

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...

Chocolate Coated Sugar Bombs - Birthday Cake 3 Musketeers

Birthday Cake 3 Musketeers  - Walmart

You know the old, "stopped in for milk left with new bedding, a blender, and seasonal guest towels that are for looking, not touching," memes that gets tossed around online? Well, I just did that. With Walmart. And junk-food. 

I went in to grab some command hooks and left with 3 different kinds of Pop-Tarts, Honey BBQ Frito Twists (the BEST), 3 different boxes of novelty cereal, Reese's Thins, and Brach's Marshmallow Easter Hunt Eggs. Oh, and Command Hooks. 

To rationalize my junk-food shopping spree, I decided to review it all, starting with the candy bars.

Twix, Two for Me - Where's the screw?

Twix Spread - Bed Bath & Beyond (Mini World Market) 

I picked this up at the mini World Market inside of our local Bed Bath and Beyond. I know I don't get out much, but when did that happen? (Not that I'm complaining.) I walked in to get a new bathmat and walked out with all kinds of neat snacks! I grabbed some mint Tim-Tams, some green tea, and this Twix spread. We have plenty of sweet spreads here in the USA, but I haven't seen this particular one, so I'm pretty excited. 

First off, the container threw me for a bit of a loop. I removed the plastic to open it and the cap instantly flipped right off and landed on the floor. There is nothing holding it on. No screw-style threading. It's just a simple plastic pop-top, like a can of Pringles or peanuts. It doesn't mess with the functionality of the product at all, but it's not something I am used to. The slight change in packaging made this feel like some kind of candle more than a food item, and the smell didn't help.

Just another minty Monday - Hershey's Mint Cookie Crunch Bar

Mint Cookie Layer Crunch Bar - Walmart

It's just another minty Monday...

Hershey's Layer Crunch bars have been out for a while and even though they're a new product, they're not very innovative. All three of the flavors are safe bets. Chocolate and vanilla? Classic. Chocolate and caramel? Been there, done that. Chocolate mint? The Girl Scouts called, they want their cookie back.

So yeah, these are new, but they're not new-new.

Even so, this candy bar sounded delicious, so I grabbed one at Walmart to munch on. I don't think there is any way for this product to be a failure, but you never know...

Bakeable Mini Sweet Potato Kit-Kat - Asian Food Market

Bakeable Mini Sweet Potato Kit-Kat - Asian Food Market 

I hope you guys had a great weekend. Mine was filled with permits, variances, and car shopping, with a little Fruit Ninja VR mixed in for good measure, but there is a light at the end of my short sale home-buying tunnel! It's so close I can taste it! Or maybe that's just the Kit-Kat's...

Pigs N' Taters Chocolate Bar by Hammond's

Pigs N' Taters Bar - Target

There were a bunch of Hammond's bars in the Christmas section at Target and they just so happened to have a sale on buying three bars, and since I only had 2 stockings to fill this year, I treated myself to a little something sweet. And savory.

That's right! Not just a bacon and chocolate bar, but a bacon, chocolate and POTATO CHIP bar! And with a name like "Pigs N' Taters," how could I resist?

BEST. IMPULSE. BUY. EVER. - Nestle Crunch Mini Girl Scout Candy Bars

Nestle Crunch Mini Girl Scout Candy Bars - BJ's Wholesale Club ($5.00!!!)

Normally I'm a rational consumer. I buy the things I need with a few new items tossed in for the blog, which keeps my stomach and my wallet happy, but every once and a while there's a deal that's too good to pass up. I was walking through BJ's with all my clipped out coupons, because I don't buy anything from BJ's without a coupon, when I saw a sign. The little paper sign was only a foot off the floor and it said, "clipless coupon" and it had $10 crossed out, and $5.00 written underneath. Five freaking dollars for 44 mini-chocolate-bars? That's like, .12 cents a bar! 

Girl Scout cookies and candy bars? Yes, please! It was a great deal, and it's been a really tough couple of weeks for me so, completely rationally, I bought three boxes. (One per trip of course over the next few days, in accordance to BJ's policy.) Now that I have 132 mini chocolate bars in my possession, fingers crossed that they taste as good as I think they will!

How's this for a #TBT ?

#tbt it's little me at Hershey Park! I think I was 7-8 years old here. #candyloverforlife 🍬🍫🍭 #sometimesfoodie #throwback #barnone #hersheypark #sweet #twizzlers #reeses #hershey #90s #candy #candybar #sugar

A photo posted by Sometimes Foodie (@sometimesfoodie) on Aug 25, 2016 at 7:30am PDT

Candyology 101 Episode 36: Kit-Kat Bar!

Candyology 101 - Kit-Kat Bar

On today's Candyology 101 Cybele and I are having a break with the classic Kit-Kat Bar! This is one of my childhood favorites and I eat it in a very particular way! Tune in to find out how and be sure to share your preferred method of Kit-Kat munching in the comments below.

Subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, or RSS.

Plus, we're now available in the Google Play Music Store!

Or you can download today's MP3 file HERE. 

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

Like Sometimes Foodie's Facebook page to keep up with all my foodie adventures!

Candyology 101 Episode 33: Snickers vs. Milky Way, who's the better bar?

Which is your favorite?

On today's episode of Candyology 101 we decided to have a little debate, inspired by the upcoming election here in America.

I am a Milky Way fanatic. It's my favorite American candy bar and I love it to pieces. (Especially when it's frozen.) Cybele prefers Snickers, which is pretty much a Milky Way with peanuts tossed into the mix, and thinks they are the superior candy bar. I disagree. Peanuts ruin it! Which candy bar will come out on top? Will I win Cybele over to the peanut-free side? Tune in to find out, and be sure to share your preferred candy bar below!

Have you been liking Candyology101 so far? 

Please head on over to itunes and give us a little review to let us know how we're doing.

Meet the cast:

Cybele from Candy Blog

Maria (Me) from Sometimes Foodie

Listen to the player above, check us out on Stitcher, or you can download the MP3 file. If you want to subscribe to the show, it’s available on iTunes and via RSS.

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

Like Sometimes Foodie's Facebook page to keep up with all my foodie adventures!

Milkyway French Vanilla and Caramel - Walmart: Berlin, NJ

Milkyway French Vanilla and Caramel - Walmart: Berlin, NJ

I was at Walmart, buying a bunch of stuff for the next Candyology 101 recording, when this candy bar caught my eye. Is this old? Or new? I tend to find some really old products in this store, and the Shop Rite that's close by (I call them the stores time forgot), but is this truly an old product that's been sitting around for a while, or a brand new re-release? (The expiration date says 2016, so it's gotta be new. I think, how long are candy bars good for?)

Back in 2012 The Impulsive Buy spotted this bar and reviewed it, and Cybele had it in 2013, but both times the wrapper said "limited edition." This wrapper says nothing about this being new, or limited, or even a re-release. I checked the official Facebook page as well as the Mar's website, and there's no mention of this bar at all. Which is really weird.

Trader Joe's PB & J Bar - Trader Joe's: Voorhees, NJ

Trader Joe's PB & J Bar - Trader Joe's: Voorhees, NJ

We just wrapped up recording for episode 2 of Candyology 101, which was peanut butter themed, and one of the candies we discussed was this sandwich inspired candy bar from Trader Joe's.

In case some of you have never heard of Trader Joe's, it's a privately owned grocery chain that offers products under it's own label, has a selection of fresh produce, and offers a lot of organic and natural products. It's kind of like Whole Foods, but the prices are better, and this place practically has a cult following. (There's even an awesome blog dedicated to reviewing only Trader Joe's products.)  People go crazy for their cookie butter (speculoos) and specialty products, admittedly, I do love Trader Joe's, but I don't think I've achieved cult member status. (I usually go there in the fall because Trader Joe's is the one grocery store that loves pumpkin products more than I do.)

Since I rarely go to Trader Joe's, I really go overboard when I'm there, so to kick off my (very unnecessary) food haul, let's see how this PB&J bar tastes!

Mini Green Tea Crunch Bars- Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Mini Green Tea Crunch Bars- Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Remember those Vanilla Bean Kit-Kat bars I reviewed a few weeks ago? They were in the same endcap as these and I just couldn't resist. Sure, fancy flavored Kit-Kat bars are all the rage on the internet (and the foodie community), but I've never seen a flavored Crunch bar before, so I had to have it.

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. 

Peppermint Roca - Target - Cherry Hill, NJ

Peppermint Roca  - Target - Cherry Hill, NJ

Some of you might have noticed, but I haven't been posting any winter and holiday themed candy. Truth is, I'm a bit of a Scrooge. Right after Thanksgiving the stores become insane, radio stations play nonstop Christmas music, and lawns are covered in giant inflatable snowmen. It's just not my cup of tea. (Plus I hate winter and cold weather.) Don't get me wrong, I love baking sweets and giving gifts to my loved ones, but I'm more of a Halloween kinda girl.

Although I have been avoiding stores and holiday candies, I just had to pick this up. Apparently I have been living under a rock, because I had no idea that Almond Roca came in new flavors. (It seems like I've been under this rock a long time, since this flavor came out in 2003. Whoops.)

The packaging is very shiny, so it catches your eye easily, but that made it difficult to photograph. (So. Much. Glare.) Simple, but retro, the design is a mixture of white, silver, and red. I feel like the stripes give me more of a mint-y feeling than a Christmas-y one, but I'm not sure if this the standard packaging, or a seasonal one. (Does anyone know?) Either way, I like that it is festive while being nostalgic and classy.

Lindt Caramel with Sea Salt - Target : Moorestown, NJ

Lindt Caramel with Sea Salt - Target : Moorestown,  NJ 

This is the last of my Target chocolate haul. All of the brands and flavors I have reviewed were very satisfying, and I thought I had saved the best for last, but I was wrong.

Like my last Lindt post, I’ll skip the packaging. If you want to see my thoughts on the design you can check it out HERE with the coconut chocolate bar.

I don’t know about any of you, but when I think of salted caramel (or in this case, caramel with a touch of sea salt) I imagine soft ribbons of chewy, buttery, filling with a hint of saltiness. Makes sense right? Well I guess Lindt thought differently.