Sometimes Spicy - CinnaFuego Toast Crunch

CinnaFuego is old news, so I wasn't going to blog about it...until I found out how unpopular it was. I knew I had to post something to clear it's good name.

What is CinnaFuego? 

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. 

Have Candy Cane Oreos been dethroned by Doodles?

Snickerdoodle is having a moment right now. We have these Oreos, a limited edition Pop-Tart, and a those new Little Debbie's Snack cake. 

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but Snickerdoodles are just sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon, right? (It's how I've always made them.) If true, are these items just cinnamon flavored?

I guess we'll find out. 

Fall-bucha - Apple, Cinnamon, Vanilla and Clove flavored Kombucha

The blog has accidently turned into mostly-Lidl reviews. It makes sense, since I've been shopping there a lot lately, and they really went all-in with interesting fall themed products, but for the sake of variety, I promise my next review will be non-Lidl. 

Today we are still Lidl-ing it up, this time with a a seasonal kombucha: apple, cinnamon, vanilla and clove.

I love kombucha, and have tried a lot of flavors over the years, but my preferences typically lean into berry based flavors like cherry, raspberry, or cranberry. So this apple, cinnamon, vanilla, and clove option is pretty different for me. 

Will it be a good-different? I guess we'll see. 

Rice Cakes: Food or Packing Material? - Two Seasonal Lidl Flavors

Did anyone else go through a rice cake phase in the late 90's to early 2000's? I remember eating chocolate flavored ones with mini chocolate chips all the time. I also remember eating them with little pods of apple cinnamon flavored peanut butter. After searching online for ages, I found it! It was Jif Smooth Sensations in Apple Cinnamon. Specifically the sample versions seen in this photo! My mom got a bunch of free samples but due to peanut allergies, she couldn't give them away to kids, so we were drowning in these things at home. (According to the 1999 commercial, I guess it was a fully realized product in jars?) 

Were rice cakes a universally popular snack in the late 90's? Or was this a personal quirk?

Anyway, Lidl released some seasonal rice cakes in their fall line up and I thought, why not?

Popcorn Meets Doughnuts

Smartfood Popcorn: Krispy Kreme Glazed Donut vs Cinnamon Sugar Donut

I love Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts, and I am lucky enough to have one relatively close to where I live, so I am very familiar with how they taste, but I find that they are more of a textural experience than a flavor one. They're sweet, doughy, and when they're warm, they melt in your mouth. I could eat a full dozen right now and not think twice. But, can popcorn deliver the same experience?

Churro Cotton Candy - Sounds like Disney but actually it's Dollar Tree

Cinnamon Churro Cotton Candy - Dollar Tree 

Doesn't this sound like something you'd get at Disneyworld? Even though it's just a bag of pre-made cotton candy you buy at Dollar Tree, it does sound deceptively delicious. Fingers crossed it's as yummy as I expect! 

Better than Oreo - Benton's Carrot Cake Creme Filled Cookies

Carrot Cake Creme Filled Cookies - Aldi

Easter is literally this weekend. How did that happen? Where does the time go? I think munching on clearance Valentine's Day candy post-holiday has messed with my perception of seasonal snacking time. Spring is officially here! To celebrate, I have another seasonal Aldi cookie. 

You know, after how bad the Hot Cocoa Cremes were (I ultimately threw them out) I thought I would be done with Benton's seasonal cookies, but the Red Velvet Cake flavor really did win me over.  Let's hope that Carrot Cake is just as awesome. 

Fierce Cinnamon Flavor? Don't be Chicken!

Hot Tamales Peeps - CVS

I haven't had Hot Tamales in ages, but you know what I have had? Red Hots. And no offense to Tamales fans, but I think they are the superior cinnamon-based candy.  

Red Hots are tiny dot-shaped candies with a glossy exterior and crunchy, sugary, interior, both packed with bold cinnamon flavoring. Think Big Red, but with a crunch. 

This might just be a me-thing, but my favorite way to eat them is when they are stale. When Red Hots have been sitting in your pantry for a while the first layer of candy softens and gets kind of chewy, while the interior stays crisp and crunchy. It's the best. I like to add them to holiday baking, so I always have some on hand and the older they get, the better they are for snacking. Just like Peeps! When those little bunnies and chicks get old, and a little shriveled, that's when Peeps are at their prime. (Bunny shape is vastly superior thanks to it's ears! Why can't fancy flavors come in bunny-shape?) In my opinion they get more similar to Mar-bits aka freeze dried marshmallows. I used to stab a bunch of holes in the clear window of the Peeps package and leave them on the counter for a while.  

So, when I saw these new Hot Tamales Peeps, I was excited because it's the best of both worlds, but skeptical about how "fierce" they would actually be. 

Let's get (hopefully) spicy! 

Let's Get Cozy - Lidl Pumpkin Spice Tea Review

Pumpkin Tea - Lidl

I normally like to be detached and light hearted in food posts, and I know this has been a difficult time for everyone, but somedays I'm able to take it in stride, and other days it just sucker-punches me in the gut. This month was filled with a lot of sucker-punch-days. 

But in the end, my little food blog here is one of my happy places on the internet. So let's all take a breath, get cozy, and have a cup of tea to forget about all the hard stuff for a minute.

I'm certainly no stranger when it comes to pumpkin teas. Over the years I have had three different varieties: Celestial Seasonings, Trader Joe's, and HT, and while that is but a mere scratch on the pumpkin-themed-tea surface, I still feel like I have a pretty good base to judge this new contender.   

DIY Donuts - Aldi Donut Sticks Review

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Sticks - Aldi

Aldi announced they were going to be selling donut sticks and the internet freaked out a little bit (in the good way) but all those articles and hype posts used the same user-submitted instagram photos. None of them actually bought and made these things themselves, and none of them showed us what the finished product actually looked like. So all this talk of hype and speculation on what they would do with them...is kinda pointless, right? 

Never fear! Sometimes Foodie is here, donut-sticks in hand, with before, process, and after photos to let you know if they're worth checking out. 

"It's even better when it's with ice cream" - Peaches and Cream

Peaches and Cream Cinnamon Rolls - ShopRite

About a year ago I reviewed the Strawberries and Cream version of these Pillsbury Grands rolls, and (spoiler alert) they were super disappointing. Why did I buy this new Peach version? I blame pandemic panic at the grocery store for my lapse in judgement. But there's a silver lining, I have something to blog about, and trying some new weird foods can be fun for the family. Plus, who know, maybe these will taste great too! (I doubt it, but a girl can dream...)

Christmas vs. Halloween : Kit-Kat Edition

Pumpkin Pie vs. Sweet Cinnamon Kit-Kats 

I know I said I wasn't going to jump into the winter stuff...but these were ALSO on clearance, so let's pit Halloween against Christmas and see who comes out on top! 

I'll let Halloween go first, because it's my favorite, and it's obviously the superior holiday.

I'm A Dry-Cereal Advocate - Don't @ Me

Apple Cinnamon Toast Crunch - Target

 

I'm a dry-cereal advocate, but only for certain brands/lines. Take Cinnamon Toast Crunch for example. 

When in milk, all the granulated sugar and flavor-dust washes away to create a coveted cereal milk concoction mimicked by fancy foodies, but to get to it, you need to power through a lackluster soggy cereal situation. Now, I can appreciate some delicious cinnamon-infused cereal milk, but have you ever tried...just eating the cereal? I am now a 30+ year old future corpse adult, and I eat Ziploc baggies of dry cereal at work, and it's amazing. 

So far I have found the dry cereal rule to be true for both classic Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch, but what about Apple? Will this cereal will be the exception to the rule?

Sizzlin' Cinnamon Oreos?

Hot & Spicy Cinnamon Oreos - Target 2-for-$5.00

This combo may sound strange to  some, but I'm no stranger to cinnamon Red Hot candy in cookies. Whenever Christmas rolled around my mom would make a bunch of cookies, and one of my favorites was her almond press-cookies with cinnamon red-hot candies mixed in. When baked, they melted into stained-glass-looking ornaments and added a wonderful crunch as well as cinnamon-y flavor. 

That being said, I'm kind of shocked that there aren't actual candies mixed into the cream for added texture. Part of the cinnamon-candy experience is the texture...but I'm excited for these nonetheless. 

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!

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...

Ch-Ch-Churro Project 7 Gum: Here We Go Again!

Ch-Ch-Churro Project 7 Gum - Target  58¢

Project 7 offers unique sugar-free sweets in well designed packaging, all while donating proceeds to worthy causes. What's not to like? Sadly, their product. They're just too inconsistent! 

There are a handful of their chewing gums that I truly enjoy and would recommend to everyone, but for every product I adore, there are easily twice as many disappointments. Fool me seven times, shame on you, fool me eight-or more times, shame on me.   

I talk a big game, but I have used this Futurama meme before, in ANOTHER Project 7 review. Even after being burned time and time again, I keep coming back for more...when they're on sale. Wise man say, forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for roulette chewing gum. 

Cookie Spread Flavored Cookies, How META

Cookie Butter Oreo -  Walmart 2.98

Sorry for the radio (or blog?) silence. Things are changing up with my day job and it's pretty much turned my brain into mush. Speaking of mush, how about we eat some cookies that are supposed to taste like a product that tastes like mashed up cookies? How meta. 

Actually, we've already had a more "meta" Oreo, when they released the slap-in-the-face that is Cookies n' Creme. Which is the new Walmart-exclusive flavor that somehow won the popular vote against Caramel Apple and Jelly Donut. (Urge to make political jokes rising...) At the time, I was outraged that Cookies n' Creme won, but now that Jelly Donut got it's disappointing moment in the sun, I gotta say...maybe the popular vote going to Cookies n' Cream is a good thing after all. It's a safer, more marketable, flavor and would likely sell more easily. Still, why did a cookie-flavored-cookie like that cause outrage, while this cookie-flavored-cookie was celebrated?

Cinnamon Flavored Pepsi: Delicious? Or Medicinal Nightmare?

Pepsi FIRE (Cinnamon Soda) -  Wawa

Pepsi is finally bringing some wacky limited-run flavors state-side and, while I'm normally all for trying Wacky Pepsi products, I just don't know about this one. 

Normally, I love cinnamon. I use cinnamon sticks to infuse my water (with apple slices), I bury homemade pancakes in a spicy dust-storm's-worth, and I completely coat apple slices for my mid-day desk snack (which is the best and only way to eat apples.) So yeah, I love eating stuff with cinnamon, but I pretty much hate it everywhere else. Cinnamon mouthwash or toothpaste? No thanks! Big Red Gum? I'm more of a DoubleMint girl. Those decorative cinnamon pinecones? Too intense. 

Knowing that, I'm not sure how this review it going to go. I guess we'll find out...