To Graham, or not to Graham - Aldi Key Lime Creme Cookies

My dogs made writing tonight's post nearly impossible. Between them wanting to be on my lap, off my lap, pawing at my hands while typing, randomly licking my feet, running around my chair, and generally begging for attention at all times...I nearly gave up. I love them to death. They're my babies, but they're not the teeny tiny lap dogs they think they are. Typing over their fluffy 12-14lb bodies as they practically vibrate in my lap is no easy task. I finally got the dog stroller out, popped Pepper inside (the worst offender) and parked him next to me like you would a baby in a bassinette. 

If this post makes little to no sense, just know, I tried. 

Once a loyal Aldi-shopper, I've since turned to the Lidl-side. It's just more convenient. Lidl opened a new location that is on my way home from work without having to deal with any highways or traffic, so I can quickly run my post-work-errands, and get back home to walk my needy pups. It's great, but there are a few Aldi staples that make it worth the trip. 

Like the knock-off novelty Oreos. (I also think Aldi's milk, heavy cream, and butter are better, for the record.) I just picked these up, and already there is a newer flavor available, Pink Lemonade, which I also grabbed. So expect to see them next week. (I wanted to post them together, but I am barely making it through typing this post, so Pink Lemonade will get it's own write-up.) 

Oreo released a few lime variations in the past, Limeade, Shure Bert, and Key Lime Pie...and these are looking pretty Key-Lime-Pie-y. I'd say that's the cookie they were looking to dupe, and so far, it seems spot on. 

Rabbit Season! Duck Season! Girl Scout Season!

This year I don't have a friend or family member participating in Girl Scouts, which is how I would normally end up buying a box or two. (Gotta support your friends!) So I thought I was in the clear, after all I still have a ton of other food to review, but they still got me! 

Every Friday night, a troop camped out at the train station and I could only resist for so long. It was a long week, the kids are there at the table trying to sell cookies, and everyone else is walking on by ignoring them...and they got me. I picked up two boxes of flavors I haven't had before. 

Adventurefuls and Toast-Yay!

Triple Snaps - A Cookie Trilogy

Ginger Snaps, both the movie and the cookie, are underrated. 

If you've never seen the movies, they're a female-lead, body-horror, werewolf trilogy from the early 2000's. If that sentence alone doesn't excite you, here is a very brief synopsis: Ginger and Bridgette are teenage sisters who have a morbid sensibility, making them social outcasts at school, but they don't really care because they have each other. One night, while out, Ginger experiences her first period, a milestone she has been dreading, and the blood attracts a werewolf. Though Ginger survives, Bridgette notices her sister behaves a bit differently after the attack, is it just puberty? Or something more sinister? 

I've seen all three, but the first one is the strongest in the series. (Although 2 isn't that bad.)

As for the cookies, they're a classic that has been around for ages, but, with more popular (and heavily advertised) competition like: Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Keebler, and Pepperidge Farms...Ginger Snaps are going to be the last one picked for the kickball team. They have staying power because they're a classic, they're well executed, and there's no one else out there quite like them. In fact, we even get seasonal variations now! 

I decided to pick them up and give them a try to see if the old-school Snap is still my favorite, or if one of these variants can steal my heart away. Will it be like the movies where the OG is the best of the bunch? We shall see. 

I've Created A MONSTER in Cookie -Form - Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

Monsters Cookies - Walmart

Count Chocula and Franken Berry were busy this year, we got the the KAWS designed cereal boxes (plus Boo Berry and Fruit Brute), some themed yogurt, the Monster Mash fruit snacks, and now these take-and-bake cookies. 

Normally these kinds of cookies aren't my thing, but they're Halloween-y, and cereal monster themed! Plus those weird little extruded faces have a certain charm to them. It's like these were made for me.

What do you say? Let's bake up some monsters! 

Seasonally Accurate, but still Late

Remember in my last post when I told you being late was very on brand for me? Well these are fall related, but from LAST YEAR. (I may be awful, but at least I'm consistent about it.)  

Why do I still have them in my pantry, completely unopened? I couldn't even begin to tell you. Will I still open them, eat them, and review them? You bet your sweet bippy I am! 

So yeah, as previously stated, these are from Aldi's fall collection, last year. I bought them hoping to compare them to the previous Oreo version and just never did. So, better late than never?

Coconut with a Side of Play-Dough

Coconut & Chocolate Crunch Gelato

Teeth are stupid, we get baby teeth and those last us like, 12 years (or whatever), only to be replaced with something that needs to last us another 70+ and even then they might not grow in "right." It made sense when life expectancy was like, 35, but this is 2022. George Jetson was (supposedly) born this year, shouldn't we GATTACA this stuff up by now to genetically ensure our collective dental future? Or is there a big dental conspiracy so they charge us a fortune? 

Long story short, I went in for my normal cleaning and ended up getting dental surgery. It was expensive, and it sucked. On a positive note, I get to eat a bunch of soft, cool, foods. Like ice cream, or gelato while I heal, so I grabbed a bunch of stuff to try. Including this gelato. 

Neapolitan vs. Neapolitan

Name Brand vs. Generic: Neapolitan Edition

This new Oreo came out, I bought it, and then I went to put it away and found this box of cookies from Aldi that were a different take on the same thing. In fact, they're an Aldi twist on a Neapolitan Trader Joe-Joe's item that's been around since at least 2018. 

I figured I'd take this opportunity to compare the two and see who did it better. Oreo? Or Aldi? 

I've got a Pint of Dirt - Ben & Jerry's Topped Dirt Cake

 Topped Dirt Cake

I wasn't super interested in this flavor until I saw that it had a "vanilla pudding ice cream" base. Not too-too long ago, I used to love Jello vanilla pudding pops. They were the best flavor in the box, but they have since been discontinued. While lots of non-name brands have released chocolate pudding pop or fudgsicle dupes, vanilla? Not so much. So I was really excited for this ice cream hoping it would satisfy my tastebuds' Jello-based core memory. 

April Showers? How about a Sprinkle? - Chocolate Confetti Cake Oreos

Happy (belated) Birthday, Oreo!

Birthday Cake Oreos were released in 2012 for their 100th anniversary and it was kind of a big deal. This was back when the bags had roll-down and twist-tied tops, instead our modern front--peel packaging. (Which I hate.) It was also before we were all burnt out on fancy new Oreo flavors. (Or is that just me?) 

Upon their original release, this flavor was limited edition, but since then it has become a staple of the line-up, with a Mickey-themed Disney release added in for good measure. 

So, for their 110th anniversary, they rereleased their centennial product and added a layer of chocolate creme. That's it. Same classic chocolate cookie, same "birthday cake" creme, but with added chocolate. I didn't feel like that was anything special, and with my irrational annoyance at "Birthday Cake" themed products and marketing, I was going to skip this...but then I was given a package as a gift. So, here we are. Happy Birthday! 

Chocolate? For Oreos? Groundbreaking. - Ultimate Chocolate Oreos

Triple Chocolate Oreos

Here we have the legit, Oreo-branded, limited edition Ultimate Chocolate cookie. I was going to skip this one, because it's just chocolate, how different from the normal, year-round, chocolate could it really be? But then I had a rough day at work and went to Walmart for cat litter and next thing I knew, my cart was full of junk-food. Oops. Then it ended up in the blog back-log pile with all my other cookies. So, was this worth buying and is it different than normal?

Aldi is Snatching Oreo's Wig - Latte Crème Cookies

Latte Crème Cookies - Aldi 

I hope you like cookies, because I have a LOT of cookies.

 

There are currently 12 different flavors of cookies in my stash, which is strange, because I always say I don't like store bought cookies. After this I might have to change my tune.

 

Why do I keep buying them? It's the blog's fault. There was this unspoken competition amongst junk food bloggers years ago to see who would announce new Oreo flavors, or be the first to find them on the shelves or to review them. And even though cookie posts are no where near my most popular, my brain feels compelled to buy flavored cookies. Even off-brand ones. My blogger-brain is like, "This is what the people want." But really, looking at my views, you guys would rather read about various forms of octopus and really basic Aldi products.   

 

Enough rambling, I have a lot of cookies to eat, and Coffee is a good place to start. Let's check out this knock off coffee Oreo from Aldi.

Oops, I did have something after all! - Lucky Charms Cookies

Limited Edition Lucky Charms Pillsbury Cookies - Aldi

I lied, and I'm a food hoarder (but we already knew that). I DO have something for St. Patrick's Day so you're getting a bonus review this week!

I was going through my fridge when I found this green St. Patrick's Day themed package of Lucky Charms cookies...and another non-holiday themed package of the exact same thing from almost a year ago.(Almost!) I completely forgot about them, but the red package is probably still good...right? I figure I'll bake both up and we'll find out! 

Apple Cider Donut Oreos - A taste of Fall in the dead of winter

Playing catch-up before we are bombarded by a slew of new Oreos. 

Are apple cider donuts a universal fall item? I always thought it was a niche east-coast-thing, so I was surprised this flavor had such a wide release. Growing up we always associated cider donuts with local farms and pumpkin patches, and as a kid I just thought they were stale cake donuts dipped in cider and sugar to give them a refresh and apple flavoring, but that is obviously not the case (otherwise they would be soggy.) 

These were released fall 2021 and while I do have a fondness for cider donuts, I usually hate Oreos take on apple flavoring. (I find it chemically and gross.) I wasn't going to go out of my way to find these flavor, and then they popped up at Aldi of all places. With it being right there I thought, why not?

Hurts, Don't-it? - Strawberry Frosted Donut Oreos

Strawberry Frosted Donut Oreos - Gift

Another Oreo I was going to skip, because I was pretty sure this was more gimmick than anything else, but a friend bought these and demanded I try them, so here we are. Was my assumption correct? Or will these blow my mind?

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. 

2020 Cookie Tray and Recipes

2020 Cookie Trays

For nearly a decade, I have hosted a holiday cookie swap, and every year was themed around a movie title. Like year three was Return of the Crumb (LOTR: Return of the King), or The New Batch (Gremlins 2: The New Batch), but due to...everything, that didn't get to happen this year and I'm pretty bummed out about it. As someone who is usually a Grinch during the holidays, I am having an extra hard time getting into a happy festive mood this year, but one things that helps is baking. I didn't put up a tree, or decorate the house, but I did bake a butt-load of cookies. (And fudge!) 

So here's everything I made, links to all the recipes, and what I think about it or would change next time.

#TBT 90's Marketing was No Joke - DunkAroos

DunkAroos - 7-Eleven 

Looking back, the 90's were pretty damn indulgent. I remember eating lunchables, canned Spiderman Chef Boyardee, Pringles, DunkAroos, String-Thing, SqueezIt, Toaster Strudels, Pizza Bagels and all kinds of junk...and even if I didn't eat it very often, I can still remember the commercials vividly in my head. (Especially String Thing.)

I don't know if that's a testament to my memory, or if advertising companies in the 90's were just that intent on marketing to children. (It's evil, but it totally worked.)  

Chocolate and Mint for Cookies? Groundbreaking.

Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo  - Target

Are you even a food blogger anymore if you don't try weird new Oreos? What was once fun, rare, and unique has now become a monotonous status quo. A food blogger blinks, and Oreo releases three more flavors. Can you keep up with it? And more importantly, are they even worth it? 

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? 

A Mystery Not Worth Solving (Mystery Oreos)

Mystery Oreos - Walmart $2.98

Oreo is on to me. They know that the rapid-fire nature of their limited edition flavor releases has left me de-sensitized, and I am guessing I'm not the only one. 

The Oreo hype train isn't what it used to be. Most likely, this decline in interest comes from the food-blogger market being over-saturated by lack-luster Limited Edition Oreo releases as it is. I feel as if there's a new Oreo every single week! Which would be a good thing, if they were mostly delicious, but when you try a string of duds one after the other the novelty wears off real fast. 

Being the brilliant company they are, they knew the way to win us back would be to change things up, slightly, and to offer a cash prize rewarding people for re-joining the hype train. It worked. Going against my better judgement, I bought 2 packs at Walmart. Is this a mystery worth solving? I hope so...