Ben & Jerry's vs. The Girl Scouts - Chewy Gooey Cookie

Chewy Gooey Cookie Ben & Jerry's - Target

Samoa ice cream? 

This has milk chocolate and coconut ice creams, shortbread pieces, fudge flakes, and a caramel swirl. All the ingredients of top-tier Girl Scout cookie, Samoa (aka Caramel deLites.) Since this is as subtle as a baseball bat to the face, I'm far from the first person to make the connection. Which makes me wonder, why isn't this a collaboration? 

Ben & Jerry's previously released, "Thick Mint," a clear parody of Girl Scout's, "Thin Mint," so maybe there's some bad blood between the two junkfood giants? Someone more versed in brand politics can fill me in down in the comments. I'm sure I'm missing something. 

Whatever the reason, I love Samoas, and I love ice cream, so I have high hopes for this pint! 

MOVE Peeps, Get out tha' Way! - Coke MOVE

I am VERY tired. It's been a really long week with me working overtime and I want nothing more than to just crawl right into bed, but I really want to get back into posting consistently, so here's a quickie.

Coke Creations is back again with another intangibly themed soda, this time we have "Move." A "transformation flavored" soda. What does that mean? Your guess is as good as mine! 

A Frugal Indulgence for a Millennial Marie Antoinette - Aldi Spring Assortment Macarons

Aldi Spring Macarons

There is a clear difference between freshly-made bakery macarons and mass produced frozen ones BUT that doesn't mean frozen macarons are bad. They're just different. 

Pros of frozen macarons: more affordable, are readily available in stores like Aldi, Walmart, Lidl, etc., keep for a long time but are quick to thaw for snacking.

Cons of frozen macarons: Their stability means they aren't as decadent or delicate as freshly made, and they tend to come in boring flavors. If you'd seen one box of frozen macrons, you've  seen them all. 

Until now that is. Aldi is opening their frozen macaron section up to seasonal flavors, like this spring box. I hope this is the start of a trend and we see more, maybe even limited edition, flavors in the future. So, what's in this spring mix and how does it compare to the normal year-round one? 

Two Tantalizingly Tangy Tropical Taffys! - Pineapple & Guava Laffy Taffy

Pineapple and Guava Laffy Taffy - Dollar Tree

First those Laff Bites last week, and now these? 

Turns out I've been doing this for long enough that I have finally forgotten what items I've reviewed and what I haven't. In my mind I thought I had already written up a bunch of flavors of Laffy Taffy, so I searched for them on my own blog and ended up finding only one post, the fall themed Pumpkin Donut and Apple Crisp flavors they released in 2016. (And last week's Laff Bites of course.)

That's it. How is that possible? I know for a fact I have eaten a ton of Laffy Taffy in my lifetime, maybe not so much in the last 3-years, but still! This is something I should remedy, and thankfully Dollar Tree had this fun tropical peg-bag at the ready. 

Oh, and when can peanuts laugh? 

Mallo Cups - Give Vintage D-List Candy Some Love

Mallo Cup - JoAnn Fabrics 

Are any of you watching The Boys on Amazon Prime? (It's pretty popular, so I bet some of you are.) Anyway, episode 4 has a segment where Annie and Hughie are talking about their top 3 favorite candy-bars of all time, and (spoiler alert) Annie's got some pretty odd-ball picks: Charleston Chew, Bit-o-Honey, and Mounds. Hughie instantly picks on her for liking, what he calls, the worst candy bars of all time, but whomever wrote that scene...you have a special place in my heart. I haven't felt that connected to a food-related moment in television since the anti-red-velvet rant on Orange is the New Black. It was just...perfect. 

All three of those candy bars, especially Charleston Chew, are my guilty pleasure candy picks. You know, the ones the other food blogs will make fun of you for so you don't post them on social media. Something all three of those candies have in common is they're all pretty retro, and speaking of disrespected retro candy...ever have a Mallo Cup?

Taste The Travel - Internationally Inspired m&m's

Internationally Inspired m&m's  - Walgreens $1.11 each

The most interesting thing about these new flavors is their lack of uniqueness. I'm getting flashbacks to the Chili Nut, Coffee Nut, and Honey Nut m&m's that were released back in ...2016?! Wow, it honestly feels like that was just last year, but (apparently) it's been a while.

Here we are again, in 2019, with a new trio of flavors to vote for, but are they really that "new?" Mexican Jalapeno is a call back to 2016's Chili Nut, We've had Coconut m&m's back in 2012, and Toffee? Okay, I'll admit, that one is pretty "new," but if it turns out that this is just caramel-flavored (which I suspect it is) we've already seen that before as well. 

So, will anything here impress me?

You Put The Lemon in the Coconut? - Coconut Lemonade

LemonCocco  - McFarlan's Market $2.29

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to accompany my mom on a trip to Rome. We saw coliseums, churches, and museums. You know what we didn't see? LemonCocco. 

Now, I'm not calling this beverage a liar, but...it's a liar. The text on the can claims that LemonCocco is THE drink in Rome with coconut and lemon vendors lining the streets, and unless this is some kind of recent development, I call BS declare shenanigans. 

To be fair, pretty much all food items puff up their chests and make these bold declarations to drum up buzz and business, so I can't really fault them for that. (Just like every pizza place claims they have the "best pizza in <insert area here>," or were "voted best in <random publication>.") I can't exactly fly out to Rome and search for street vendors to see if their claims are true, but what I CAN do is see if this drink is any good.

Lime, Coconut, and Sunscreen?

Project 7 Coconut Lime Gum - Target

What can I say? Project 7 and I are in an unhealthy relationship. They keep burning me with bad flavors, and yet, I keep coming back for more. Since my blogging hiatus I've bought 5 new flavors. I just keep hoping that things will be different...and maybe they will be this time?

The packaging is sleek, the company tries to do some good in the world, and yet...the flavors rarely delivers on their yummy promises. (Then again I'm a blogger who doesn't blog, so maybe I shouldn't be throwing too many stones from my glass house.) 

Fueling My End of Summer Denial with Watermelon Juices

Tsamma Watermelon Juice & Tsamma Watermelon Juice with Coconut Water - Aldi

Pumpkin spicers will have to pry summer out of my cold, dead, hands. (Says the girl who reviews 20+ pumpkin spice items each fall. #hypocrite)

Don't get me wrong, I am hype for all the Halloween goodies lining the shelves, but August is (almost) over and the only tan I have is on my left arm, courtesy of my long rides to and from work each day. This cannot be! I refuse to let summer disappear without having some fun and adventure. Or, at the very least, evening out my trucker tan.

Sadly, I don't think I'll find the time to even out my tan, but I did find some watermelon juices to prolong my summertime sadness.

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!

New Oreo Thin Flavors: Coconut & Salted Caramel

Coconut & Salted Caramel Oreo Thins- Walmart 

It's been a minute since my last post, and since then my household has gained: a chalkboard wall, an 18" deep trench around the pool, a friendly baby chinchilla, and a thriving cherry tomato plant. I've also (unfortunately) discovered and destroyed a bunch of poison ivy in the yard (after kneeling in it, oops.), and I've managed to dismantle a small chunk of my cardboard-castle-filled living room. Who knew I had so much stuff?! (And so few chinchillas.) 

So yeah, it's been quite the adventure, but it's a fun adventure, so let's celebrate some slim victories with some slim cookies!

7 Different Dark Chocolate Aldi Chocolate Bars!

Choceur 70% Dark Chocolate Collection  - Aldi

Did you know that Aldi and Trader Joe's are related? YUP! They're sister companies owned by the same German family. For the most part, each store releases their own items catering to different niche markets and trending flavors, but once in a while both stores will release the same product, with different packaging and price points. (Like these pumpkin scone cookies I compared and reviewed.)

Years ago, I picked up THIS beautiful dark chocolate passport gift item from Trader Joe's, and I completely lost it over the gorgeous packaging. Flash forward to now, when I see Aldi trying to release their own dark chocolate themed gift pack for the holidays. It's no-where near as cute as the Trader Joe's one, but this has something the Trader Joe's version lacked. Variety.

The Trader Joe's bars were all dark chocolates from various locations around the world, but they were just dark chocolate. No toppings, not mix ins, no nothing. They were pretty, but by the third bar I was bored and my palette was exhausted. I don't think I ever finished reviewing the box set, mainly because...my tongue just didn't care. I was craving some flavor, and (hopefully) Aldi will deliver.

Hello My Name is Coconut Love - Target ($1.92)

Lindt Hello My Name is Coconut Love - Target ($1.92)

Another product I picked up at Target ages ago and never got around to reviewing, but hey, better late than never and at least this was on clearance. (Although it really wasn't that much cheaper.) 

It's a tropical flavor, perfect for summer, and despite what all the grocery stores say it's STILL summer, so there's no better time to review it. (Well maybe when I first bought it, but that's just insanity.) Join me in me summer-ding-denial as I binge on tropical white chocolate. 

Snackbusters - 3 Flavors of Organic Brownie Brittle

If there's something weird
And it don't look good
Who you gonna call
Snackbusters!

I'm back again with another stash busting post, this time I have three different flavors of Brownie Brittle, and they're all Organic! Will being organic make it less addicting and flavorful than normal Brownie Brittle? Can healthier junkfood still taste good? Time to find out! 

The packaging for all three bags in the same, so there's not much ground for me to cover there, so I'm going to focus on taste for this trio of crispy crunchy brownie goodness.

Coco-Loco-Lili-Nut - 7-Eleven

Coco-Loco-Lili-Nut - 7-Eleven

Apparently Jones Sodas are kind of back? They made a deal with 7-Eleven to release 5 exclusive flavors of soda that will only be available in their stores. I was absolutely in love with Jones Soda as a teen, so I'm thrilled to check these out! Jones is one of those brands I've loved since day one, but it's never fully clicked with the general population. I don't get it. What's not to love? The indie customer-supplied-photo-labels, the wacky names, and the variety of flavors were amazing! I used to treat myself to a glass bottle of Jone's soda when I was eating at Panera bread, and Pei Wei, but sadly, I guess they didn't sell well enough, or their contracts expired, because it became harder and harder to find. For a while you could buy them at Old Navy, which was a totally bizarre place to get glass bottled soda, and now you can get cans (which are less fun than bottles) at Target, but the flavor variety is really limited. 

For today's #tbt post, why not grab a bottle of this new Jones soda, kick back, and pretend I'm back in high school? (Only now I have less acne, and more anxiety. Yay adulting!)  

Vita Cocoa Cafe in Original & Vanilla - Aldi

Vita Cocoa Cafe in Original & Vanilla - Aldi

Coconut water is so three years ago! Seriously, this stuff was everywhere and it was ungodly popular. Why? I have no idea. Sure it's all super hydrating and stuff, but it's only beneficial to people who are seriously into physical activity or sports, like marathon running.

You tell 'em Ann! (You beautiful sunfish!) 

The average person simply doesn't need coconut water, so why were they all drinking it? Was it the taste? When this stuff was at the height of it's popularity, I tried the Rhianna-endorsed tropical fruit flavored coconut water that was really popular at the time. I mean, if it's good enough for Rihanna, it's gotta be tasty, right? It tasted like I was drinking Hawaiian Punch that had been filtered through a week-old gym sock. I thought something might have been wrong with my package, so I gave a few other coconut water products a try, but it was always the same. No fruity flavor could mask the sweat-sock-y-ness.

Flash forward to now, when the trend is (finally) dying, and the product has become so unpopular it finally ended up on Aldi's discounted shelves. I saw these two products, and that they were pretty cheap, so I figured, why not give it one last go? If it's awful, I'll at least get a funny review out of it.

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.

Irish Potato Cupcakes - My Recipe

Irish Potato Cupcakes - My Recipe

Want something sweet instead? Check out last year's post where I shared my own recipe for Irish Potato Cupcakes

This is a recipe I have been making since 2009. I originally whipped these up for an Art Students League bake-sale, and they were such a hit that I've been making them every year since. I think I might have been the first person to make Irish Potato themed cupcakes and post them to the web, since I couldn't find any other recipe for these online in 2009, but I could be wrong.

Check out my recipe HERE

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

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Roasted Coconut Chips - Trader Joe's: Marlton, NJ

Roasted Coconut Chips - Trader Joe's: Marlton, NJ

Vegan foods have a pretty bad reputation amongst non-vegans. We've all heard jokes about tofurkey and kale, but really, I've had some pretty yummy vegan foods. (Although, to be fair I haven't found a vegan cupcake that isn't a oily pile of colorful regret, at least not yet.) When shopping, I don't purposely seek out vegetarian or vegan foods, I look for yummy food in general that catches my eye, and these vegan coconut chips happened to be one of them.

Limited Edition Yoplait Coconut Caramel Yogurt - Walmart: Berlin,NJ

Limited Edition Yoplait Coconut Caramel Yogurt - Walmart: Berlin,NJ

Another fancy limited edition yogurt review? Don't worry, I'm not going to start pimping yogurt like Jamie Lee Curtis (or Shakira?), I bought this because this flavor combination sounded suspiciously like the Samoa/Caramel deLites cookie sold by the Girl Scouts.

I'm kind of a cookie snob, and I usually prefer homemade, but whatever name they go by, those caramel and coconut cookies sold outside of grocery stores are really delicious and they are the only flavor I will buy once cookie season starts up. With that being said, I saw this yogurt, thought of the cookie, and wanted to see if this could be a healthy way to satisfy a cookie craving.