Pantry Raid! - Strawberry Cupcake Mix from Aldi

Strawberry Cupcake Mix - Aldi

Put in the pantry with your cupcakes,
It's a little secret, just the Robinson's affair.

Let's bake something! It'll be a nice change of pace from all the ready-to-eat snack foods I've been posting. (Plus I got some really cute cupcake wrappers that came with matching toothpick flags that I've been dying to use.) Also, I want an excuse to link a ton of Cake songs into a review...so, here we go!

Limited Edition Trolls Cotton Candy Jello & Strawberry Cupcake Pudding - Walmart

Being a late 80's baby, I caught the tail-end of the Trolls phenomenon. I had a few treasure trolls and a musical VHS tape that taught me that, "Trollies come from acorns, and that's how Trollies are born." Seriously, I didn't even have to look that up. It's a repetitive song that has been stuck in the back of my mind over 2 decades later out-surviving the troll dolls themselves whose glued-on hair and jewels popped off over time dooming them to yard sales and flea markets. (If you want to suffer along, here's a link. It's even worse than I remember.) Looking back, Trolls were are pretty weird concept and I didn't think it could be modernized to appeal to children today, and yet, here we are. 

I haven't seen the new movie, even though it's already on Netflix! (That was fast.) From what I've gathered from Cinema Sins take on it, Trolls have ditched their bejeweled belly buttons in favor of magical hair and glitter, but they still sing. Other than their hair, the characters don't really look like their retro-ancestors at all. (I think that they look like the Fraggles and Trolls franchises were mashed together with a sprinkling of Eureka's Castle.) Even though they don't appeal to me as a near 30-year old, kids are eating them up! We just went to a family event and a seven year old reenacted the whole fist-bump-gear-shift scene for me line for line.

I may not be all that interested in the movie, but these two limited edition Trolls items at Walmart caught my eye. (Plus they were cheap.) So, are these more universally appealing than the movie? 

#tbt Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes - Walmart

#tbt Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes - Walmart

Are you ready for another pumpkin spice throw back Thursday? I know I am!

Actually, this might be the last pumpkin spiced product in my stash. I don't see anything else hiding in my cabinet, but knowing my food hoarder ways...something might pop up in a week or two.

First world food blogger problems, am I right? Oh well, let's eat some 6 month old Cupcakes!

#tbt Caramel Apple Cup Cakes - Walmart

#tbt Caramel Apple Cup Cakes - Walmart

Yesterday's Christmas post was a throwback, but these limited edition fall Cupcakes take the CAKE! (Lame joke was lame, and lame meme reference is even lamer.) I took these photos and wrote down some snacking notes back in SEPTEMBER, so it's been a while, but I still have one caramel cupcake left in my snack drawer. So let's dig it out and get this review started with a fresh (but  possibly stale?) perspective!

White Cookie Cupcake Kisses & Anti-Cake flavored Candy Rant

White Cookie Cupcake Kisses - Target Exclusive

Cupcake Kisses. Sounds adorable, but what are we really getting here? White chocolate kisses with crunchy vanilla cookie bits inside. How is that at all like a cupcake?

I'm calling Hershey's out on this hyped up nonsense.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes - Walmart

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes - Walmart $2.97

Even though Christmas feels like it was just yesterday, the world keeps on spinning, and stores have already moved on to Valentine's Day and Easter. Seriously, Easter. There are already pastel and Easter Bunny shaped sweets on the shelves as I huddle here clutching a cup of tea in my blanket cocoon for warmth.

While I was out taking advantage of Christmas stuff being 50-75% off (or more), I picked up a few of the more interesting Valentine's Day sweets to review. FYI, you guys should really shop clearance Christmas stuff. It's a great way to get holiday placemats, napkins, dishware, decor and non-edible stocking stuffers for next year dirt cheap. It pays to plan ahead!

Okay, enough frugality, let's munch on some cupcakes!

Jones Birthday Cake Soda - Rastelli Market

Jones Birthday Cake Soda - Rastelli Market 

Monday was my boyfriend's Birthday! (Yay!) 

I stopped by the Rastelli Market on my way home from work (which is a nifty higher-end grocery store, kind of like Whole Foods, but less pretentious) to get some fancy cupcakes from their bakery when this caught my eye.  

Just like Airhead's, who released a Birthday Cake flavored candy earlier this year, this was done to celebrate Jone's 20th anniversary. The timing couldn't have been more perfect! I grabbed a bottle of this stuff, along with my cupcakes, and excitedly drove home to celebrate.  

Filled Cupcake Oreos - Walmart

Filled Cupcake Oreos - Walmart 

These new Oreo flavors are fun to track down, but I'm starting to get a little burned out. I reviewed the Peppermint ones in January, and since then we've already had the Cinnamon Bun Oreos (review coming soon), a re-release of Red Velvet, and now Filled Cupcake? We're only 39 days into the new year! Oreo is really cranking these things out!

When this flavor was first teased months ago, I really wasn't interested. I figured it was the normal chocolate filling, or maybe the Brownie Batter Oreo filling, with a touch of the traditional white sandwich cookie creme in the center. So it's chocolate, chocolate cookies, and creme. Sounds pretty normal to me. How is this different from Oreo products we've already had? I guess I"ll find out!

Hammond's Cupcake Caramel Marshmallow - Target

Hammond's Cupcake Caramel Marshmallow - Target

I'm a food blogger on a mission. The challenge: to review ALL of the Valentine's Day themed products in my stash BEFORE February 14th. Can I do it? (I sure hope so!)

To make things even more intense, and to (hopefully) put a massive dent in my overwhelming food stash, ALL of my PINK candies and sweets count as "Valentine's Day Candy." Which ups the ante quite a bit since I have a bunch of pink toned sweets from Japan, but I have faith in myself. Serves me right for hoarding stockpiling so much stuff. For today's seasonal sweet, I have two cupcake flavored Hammond's Caramel Marshmallows!

Pumpkin Spice Tastykake Cupkakes - Gift

Pumpkin Spice Tastykake Cupkakes - Gift

Foodie confession time! I hate Tastykakes. There, I said it. They're an iconic product, and east coast staple, but I've never understood the obsession. I hate their dense texture, the oily residue they leave on your fingers, and their artificial flavorings. As a kid I would sometimes eat the sponge cakes with the jam filling, but I only ate them because Tastykakes were the only sweets my grandpa would keep in his house.
 

With that being said, I did not buy these for myself. These were a gift from one of my awesome friends, and while I totally appreciate the gesture (he's a super awesome guy), I am not going into this review with high hopes. I'm actually dreading it to be honest. Well, no more stalling. Let's get this over with started!

Taffy Town Assorted Flavors (Part 1) - NY Summer Fancy Food Show

Taffy Town Assorted Flavors (PART 1) - NY Summer Fancy Food Show

Summer is slipping through my fingers! Pumpkin spice items are already taking over the shelves, and I've only gone to the shore once! (For the record, I'm all about the pumpkin flavored stuff, but it's too soon!) I'm currently fighting tooth and nail to pack as much summery goodness into these last few days as I can, and since I was raised here on the east coast, nothing says summer like salt water taffy.

(Today's flavors: Chicken & Waffles, Maple Bacon, Chili Mango, Frosted Cupcake and Lemon Meringue)

Cupcake Cotton Candy - Five Below (Quickie Review)

Cupcake Cotton Candy - Five Below

Welp, if my sleep schedule wasn't messed up enough before...it certainly is now.

I came home from work, made dinner, took my dog for a walk, and fell asleep for almost 5 hours. Now it's 3 in the morning and here I am writing a cotton candy review. I've got something fun and slightly horrible ready to go for tomorrow, but for now, this is going to be a quickie review. (So I can get my butt back to bed before I hate myself too much in the morning.)

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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Irish Potato Cupcakes - My Recipe : Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Irish Potato Cupcakes - My Recipe

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone!

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. Anyway, there seem to be a few variations out there now, but mine is still a bit different.

So, here it (finally) is! My Irish Potato Cupcake Recipe.

Impulsive Buy Spotted on the Shelves Entries - 2 (Pumpkin Edition)

Spooky, scary, Lunchables?

There is a really awesome foodie site called The Impulsive Buy (Go check it out!)

One of my favorite posts on the site is called "Spotted on the Shelves." It is a viewer-fueled inventory of new items that have been released in various stores. I already made one post of my submissions, found HERE, so here is a fall-themed round 2! 

With October swiftly approaching, it is almost time for my plethora of pumpkin themed posts, so I was out looking for some new fall items to enjoy.

Here's what I found at Target...

Apple Cobbler Cupcake - Crumbs Bakery : Cherry Hill, NJ

Apple Cobbler Cupcake - Crumbs Bakery : Cherry Hill,  NJ

This is the last Crumbs Bake Shop cupcake review!
I bought…

• Banana Cream Pie (Limited Edition) REVIEWEDVanilla cake filled with banana custard topped with vanilla buttercream and a dollup of banana custard. *Available in stores 8/1-8/14.
• Apple Cobbler
  Apple cinnamon cake with apple preserves filling topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and covered in streusel crumbs.
• Cookie Dough REVIEWED
  Vanilla cake with chocolate fudge filling covered in vanilla cream cheese frosting mixed with soft chocolate chip cookie pieces and topped with a chocolate chip cookie.

(This cupcake is the same size as the disappointing banana cream pie one.)

I blame this flavor for my current cupcake disappointments. It was this cupcake that made me take a chance on this bake shop in the first place. Unlike the others, I actually got to try it before I bought it. (Does that count as cheating?) The employees were handing out samples of this flavor and it was yummy enough that I took a chance and ordered three full sized cupcakes.

What a disappointment. So far none of these treats have been worth the hefty price tag. (Although the cookie dough’s icing was delicious.) At least I know the sample version of this cupcake was pretty yummy, the big cupcake has to taste the same, right?

Let’s get started…

Cookie Dough (Classic sized) Cupcake - Crumbs Bakery : Cherry Hill, NJ

Cookie Dough (Classic sized) Cupcake - Crumbs Bakery : Cherry Hill,  NJ

Another cupcake I bought from the Crumbs Bake shop in the mall last week.
I bought…

• Banana Cream Pie (Limited Edition) REVIEWEDVanilla cake filled with banana custard topped with vanilla buttercream and a dollup of banana custard. *Available in stores 8/1-8/14.
• Apple Cobbler
  Apple cinnamon cake with apple preserves filling topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and covered in streusel crumbs.
• Cookie Dough
  Vanilla cake with chocolate fudge filling covered in vanilla cream cheese frosting mixed with soft chocolate chip cookie pieces and topped with a chocolate chip cookie.

(This time I took a size comparison photo. Look how big that cobbler cupcake is!! The banana pie cupcake was the same size.)

Crumbs Bake Shop has a few different sizes available. This cookie dough cupcake is the “classic,” which is a standard muffin-pan-sized cupcake. The traditional Crumbs cupcake is significantly larger, and they even offer a large cake-sized cupcake for Birthday parties. It seems a little silly to have a giant cupcake. I mean, at that point it’s just a normal cake, isn’t it?

The banana cream pie cupcake was extremely disappointing. I really hope this one tastes better. (Otherwise it is like $14 wasted on pretty, but lackluster, cupcakes.) 
Thankfully we’re off to a good start. This cupcake actually smells like it’s namesake! I can smell vanilla butter cream and brown sugar. (Which reminds me of the wet ingredients in chocolate chip cookie dough.)

Banana Cream Pie Cupcake - Crumbs Bakery : Cherry Hill, NJ

 

Banana Cream Pie Cupcake - Crumbs Bakery

While I was at the Cherry Hill Mall I noticed that there was a new cupcake kiosk. (To be honest it might not be that “new.” I haven’t been to the mall in a while.) I couldn’t resist, I had to get a few different flavors.

I bought…

• Banana Cream Pie (Limited Edition)Vanilla cake filled with banana custard topped with vanilla buttercream and a dollup of banana custard. *Available in stores 8/1-8/14.
• Apple Cobbler
  Apple cinnamon cake with apple preserves filling topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and covered in streusel crumbs.
• Cookie Dough
  Vanilla cake with chocolate fudge filling covered in vanilla cream cheese frosting mixed with soft chocolate chip cookie pieces and topped with a chocolate chip cookie.

Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake Extra Dessert Delights - Target : Moorestown, NJ

Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake Extra Dessert Delights - Target : Moorestown, NJ

As of right now, I have had every flavor in the Dessert Delights line. (Although I’ve only posted reviews for about half of them.)

Click on the flavor for photos and a review:

• Orange Creme Pop
• Rainbow Sherbet
• Root Beer Float
• Lemon Square

Today I’ll be reviewing Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake, the newest flavor. I’ve been a fan of this gum since the beginning. Key lime pie (which is now retired) was my absolute favorite! I’m not 100% sure, but this flavor might replace Strawberry Shortcake. (They seem to be making some changes to the flavor lineup.)
The packaging follows the same guidelines as the other flavors. There are flowing stripes of color that coordinate with the flavor, and there is a photo of the real dessert the gum is based on.

When it was announced, I wasn’t too sure about this flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I love raspberries. It’s just that Raspberry flavored foods can come off as candle-y or perfume-y. With that being said, this gum definitely smells like something from Bath and Body Works. This smells like a really nice raspberry lotion, not like a yummy candy or gum.

Palmer’s Giant Cake Batter Cup - Dollar General: Cinnaminson, NJ

Palmer’s Giant Cake Batter Cup - Dollar General: Cinnaminson, NJ

I knew this was going to be a risky treat. It could either be really yummy… or just as disgusting as those Cupcake Bites.

The packaging is a soft lavender color which is actually quite lovely, but the art is pretty bad. I am not a fan of those creepy children in the bottom corner, the design would have been much stronger without them.