Go Phillies, Go Sports! - Big League Chew Triple Treat

I had a bizarre craving for grape Big League Chew out of nowhere. Super weird, since I've only had it maybe twice before in my life, ever. My 30+-year old body just decided that we needed it. I could only find original at Five Below, my least favorite flavor, but the foodie gods shined upon me. Because Lidl had a cardboard display at checkout with tons of flavors. I guess they have really expanded since I was like, 9. I grabbed grape, strawberry and the new-to-me blue raspberry. (I left original and sour apple on the cardboard stand where they belong. Apparently there is also watermelon, cotton candy, and hot cocoa versions?!) 

Time for a jaw workout! 

Ghu-Ghu-Ghu-GHOST Dots - 12 Days to Halloween

Ghost Dots - Target 

Dots are a classic, but they still know how to have fun with seasonal and limited edition flavors. They've done candy corn dots, black-batty blood orange flavored dots, and these Ghost dots. Three different Halloween-specific flavors? Not too shabby for a retro candy. They even added a new flavor, Watermelon Dots just this year! (Pretty sure they are Dollar Tree exclusive?) Somehow in all my years of blogging, and snacking, I've never actually posted a Dots review. And there's no better way to start than with the original...with a spOoky twist!

 

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? 

When Did I Buy This? - Shiranui Citrus Puccho

Puccho Shiranui Citrus

While doing more of my obsessive New Year's cleaning, I found these! And I have no idea when I bought them. Whoops, first world food blogging/hoarding problems, am I right? 

We all know I am not above eating ancient candy, my Spice Girls Lollipop review is all the proof you need, so let's give this a try!

Tiny Burgers, Fries, and Fruits, Oh MY! - 4D Gummies

4D Gummies - Dollar Tree

I bought these because I wanted to photograph them. I mean, look at them! They're little 3D gummy shapes of fruits and burgers and stuff. It's like, my kryptonite. But, I know what I'm getting into. After my experience with 4D Gummies (which were also from Dollar Tree) I knew these would likely be more of a fun visual novelty than a decent candy. 

So I am going into this with a healthy amount of skepticism and very low expectations. (Kind of like dating in your 30's, am I right? Self-burn.) 

Let's jump right into it!

Moving Dum-Dums out of the foodie-friend-zone & Limited Edition Hawaiian Punch Review

Limited Edition Hawaiian Punch Dum-Dums - Dollar Tree

We take Dum-Dums for granted. They are affordable, offer tons of variety, and they don't just play it safe, they have seasonal/limited edition flavors, like pizza, gingerbread, funnel cake, bacon, and banana split. Plus their long standing "mystery" flavor  is a master class in marketing and preventing food waste. (Turn those lemons into lemonade-lollipops.) Overall, a really solid candy, but no one talks about them. 

The Power of VOODEW 2, Electric-Boogaloo

VooDew 2 - 7-Eleven

Mountain Dew is keeping the Halloween spirit alive with their second Halloween Mystery Flavor, MTN DEW VOO-DEW TWO (electric Boogaloo), and it's just what the Witch-Doctor ordered. (And it's a lot of fun to say out loud.)

I was a huge fan of last year's version. Everything from the label design to the flavor itself was so well done, and now it's back again, this time with a new mystery to solve.

Halloween-Themed Fruit Roll-Ups for Dinner

Franken Berry and Boo Berry Fruit Roll-Ups  - CVS

I'm alive! My day job opened it's doors a few weeks ago, and although things aren't quite the same as they once were, I'm adjusting to my "new normal," rather well.  

During my quarantine at home I made tons of fancy meals, 7 loaves of bread, at least a dozen batches of cookies, 3 pot roasts, and a lackluster copycat recipe of Auntie Anne's cinnamon sugar pretzels. Plus, I wrote, like, two food reviews. Whoops.

I thought having all that time at home would have allowed me to be more productive on this blog, but when everyone was trying to work from home, and do their college courses/exams from home, and the dogs were antagonized by the insane amount of delivery men outside...I had a really hard time sitting down and thinking clearly. I baked, wrangled the dogs, or did laundry and stuff around the house instead. Like cleaning out our snack cabinets, and low and behold, the very last of the Halloween-themed Fruit Roll-ups were there, waiting to be uncovered. 

Let's eat them for dinner.

Taste The Rainbow of Nostalgia

Mentos Rainbow- Five BelowThe 

When was the last time you bought Mentos? At one point, back when their catchy theme song ruled the world, they were one of my favorite candies. If Tic-Tacs and Starbursts combined to create a crunchy, chewy, minty baby, it would be Mentos. One day I just stopped buying them. No rhyme or reason really, but they seem to be doing just fine without me. I see them in every checkout aisle, and they keep releasing cool new flavors overseas (which make me incredibly jealous.) Why not jump into the wacky flavor market here in the States? 

Anyway, I saw this fruity rainbow variety pack at Five Below, and I thought this might be fun to check out to get a little taste of what we've all been missing.

Want to Pavlov-Yourself into Hating Skittles?

Rotten Zombie Skittles 

I've been putting a lot of overtime and odd-hours in at work, and it's left me feeling like the "Working Dead." (A must-listen for anyone working a 9-5.) Long story short, I may not be an actual zombie, but I certainly feel like one, so it's the perfect time to give these Rotten Zombie Skittles a try. (Against my better judgement.)   

My first impression of this item is that it's a lot of fun. Instead of using only spooky colors (like Sour Patch Kids), or re-releasing the same ol' product in spooky shapes (like Reese's), or even just changing the wrapping to a Halloween theme (like m&m's), Skittles' seasonal offering actually tries to put the "trick" back into "trick or treat." 

As a Halloween enthusiast, and food blogger I have to point out that the concept is certainly not original. Skittles took the Beanboozled concept, gave it a Halloween-themed coat of paint, and offered it in shareable portions as well as snack-sized Halloween giveaway baggies. But is giving away trickster, potentially inedible, candy for Trick or Treaters a good idea? I guess it all depends on how rotten this flavor truly is...it's time to find out.

How can something wet, be so dry? (I thought only alcohol could do that?)

Dry Sparkling Soda  - Aldi

I spotted these in the aisle at Aldi and my first thought was, "Ooh, pretty bottles!" Upon further inspection, these bottles aren't directly printed upon, they're covered in these shrink-plastic sleeves covered in delightful watercolor illustrations. Cute, and practical as far as production is concerned, but up-close they're pretty beat up. There are scuffs, nicks, and slashes all over them peeling back the wrapping and exposiing the glass bottle underneath. For something with such a lovely design, it's presentation gets lost in all the imperfections that come with shipping and displaying their item. Still, the concept of a potentially dry naturally flavored fruity soda is intriguing, so I picked the two prettiest bottles to review.   

Then, at the check-out, they rang up for almost five freaking dollars a bottle! A pretty steep price for a beverage, especially at Aldi, but I already committed to giving these a shot so I stuck with it. Now knowing the price, I'll be holding these up to a pretty high standard. Will these deliver? 

Starburst on Steroids

Sweet & Sour Hi-Chew  - H-Mart

If you've never experienced a Hi-Chew, you're missing out. These are Starburst on steroids. I introduced my fiancee to these candies when we started dating, and since he loves all things chewy, they quickly became one of his favorite candies. 

Thankfully they are getting more traction here in America. A few years ago I could only find them in Asian markets, but now big chains like Target, Walmart, and 7-Eleven regularly keep them in stock. It's beautiful. Still, for the more unique flavors and mixes, the Asian markets can't be beat. I grabbed these at H-Mart and I'm excited to give them a try since I have NEVER had a bad flavor of Hi-Chew, but you know what they say? Never say never.

What's The Difference? - 3 Kinds of Apples

Pine Brand Apple Candy (3 Kinds) - Asian Food Market

Another item from my Asian Food Markets farewell-haul. (I miss them.) Last I heard, they were scouting new locations for a South Jersey store, but things have been pretty quiet. I hope for the best, but I fear that this might have been goodbye, for good. 

Contextually, this is easy to figure out. These are hard candies with different apple flavors, a pink, a red, and a gold. And since my hiatus, I still haven't learned to read Japanese, so we're going to be winging it a little in this one. I mean, I can tell it is three different varieties of apples, but I am not sure which ones and if these are region-specific.  Thanks to the almighty-Google, I was able to find this, which looks almost exactly the same, but the golden apple in the center (on the right) is replaced with a green one. Pretty sneaky, sis. I guess apple variety packs are this brand's thing? 

Since the top and bottom apple image are the same as the one found online, I can assume they are Johnathan Gold and Fuji. The gold is still a mystery, but I am going into this with some healthy skepticism. Will these actually taste any different? 

Blueberries, Butts & Bubblegum

Lotte Fruity Bubble Gum Dispensers - Asian Food Markets 

Sometimes it's the subtle things that win me over. Sure this has cool packaging, but one little detail is all it took for me to toss this into my cart. Notice anything different between these two flavors?  

On the right, we have little gum-ghosts blowing bubbles shaped like blueberries, which just so happens to match the flavor of the candy inside. The peach gum-ghosts? They're blowing normal balloon-shaped bubbles. Why is that? Because if they were blowing up peaches it'd look like they were blowing up pink-hued bubble-butts...or worse. Part of me wishes they hadn't of caught that (the evil part), but my graphic design background wants to commend their design-team and their foresight. 

As it turns out, everything about this packaging is incredibly thoughtful. 

Sippin' on Some Snow Pear, Banging on a Street Light! - Quickie Review

Tropicana Snow Pear Juice - Asian Food Markets

After going to the doctor for the first time in five years....I've been trying to get a little healthier. Don't worry, if I ever do get back to regular blogging (which I really really want to do), I won't be getting all health-foodie on you guys. I just need to start taking better care of myself. Ah, the joys of adulthood. 

I lost 14 lbs. of body weight...and gained 14 lbs. of Pomeranian. Meet Pepper! Jack-Jack's new little brother who we adopted a few weeks ago! 

So, all of my pants don't fit, I have a new pup, my day job has been crazy busy, my tomato plants are sprouting, our Chinchilla is getting more and more snuggly, and I bought a butt-load of cool drinks from the Asian Food Market. That pretty much catches you up on my life, so let's crack open some of these bottles and do some quickie reviews!

This Flavor of Oreo Doesn't Pump It's Own Gas - Piña Colada Oreo Thins

Piña Colada Oreo Thins - Target $2.99

That's right, this flavor suggestion came from a teacher who resides in, you guessed it, New Jersey! Who else is from America's lovable-armpit? Me! So that's it, this is the winner. Everyone else can go home now. 

I kid, but of the three flavors announced, this one did seem the most palatable. Kettle Corn had the potential to be the buttered popcorn bean of cookies, and Cherry Cola could have ended up a medicinal nightmare, but piña colada? It's pretty hard to get that wrong, so it was the safest bet of all three flavors. However, playing it safe doesn't make for a guaranteed win, so let's see if these Oreo Thins are a slice of paradise, or if they taste like the floor of a Rupert Holmes concert.

Quickie Review - Sparkling Fresh Cider

Sparkling Cider - Aldi

I came home from work last Thursday, made dinner, ate in front of the TV, and took an unscheduled three hour nap on the couch. (Livin' the dream.) Let me tell you, couch naps at 30 aren't what I thought they'd be, because I destroyed my neck. 

When I woke up I discovered that I could only turn my head, slightly, to the left. I've been taking pain medicine, propping myself with pillows at night, and using heat to loosen my muscles. It's getting better, but it's still not great. I actually hurt myself more when I sneezed earlier...When did I turn into a glass-banana? I should be reviewing milk or something to try and boost my calcium to fix my brittle little bird-bones, but I'm going to have this sparkling cider instead.

Tempted By The Fruit of a Pocky! (Grape & Mango Pocky?)

Pocky Squeeze (Grape & Mango) - Asian Food Market

(Made it in! Just before Midnight EST!) I am 100% sure I've used this song lyric as a title before, but this was too perfect to pass up. I mean, this is "Squeeze" Pocky, and it's fruit flavored! It's a match made in pop-culture-foodie heaven. (Or Dad-joke level hell, depending on your sense of humor.) 

When did I buy these? I have no idea. My foodie backlog is way out of control. I've joked about it in the past but due to my failure as a blogger in 2017, it overflowed big time. I'm just going to write this off as a foodie gift from my past self and leave it at that. (Yay!)  

It might be hard to tell in photos, but these are half sized boxes that contain mini Pocky sticks. For something so small, the packaging sure is stylish! The cardboard boxes have a high gloss finish, beautiful food imagery, and a fairly luxe feel. They even photographed beautifully! So far, this packaging as me falling in love with Pocky all over again, but what about the flavors? 

Thanks to the context clues on the packaging, I'm guessing these chocolate coated bread sticks are flavored with 70% real fruit, which wounds great...if these were gummies, but they're chocolate coated bread sticks. That being the case, mango was more of a safe bet for me, since I've had a decent amount of mango flavored chocolates from Japan, but grape flavored chocolate? I sense a red flag...

Skittles Brightside - Wawa (Quickie Review)

Skittles Brightside - Wawa

What exactly are they going for here? Are they bright colors? Light and refreshing flavors? A simple counter-product to their equally confusing Darkside mix? Or are they just fans of The Killers? (When You Were Young is my favorite song, and for the record, I belt it out in the car like a champ!)

I don't really understand the thought process behind this mix, but I am intrigued by some of the flavors. So, without further delay, let's jump into the review!

Better Late Than Never? Seasonal Salsas from Aldi

Seasonal Salsas - Aldi

I posted these on Instagram and they got a moderate amount of attention, so I picked all three up to review...and then didn't review anything for, like, a month. (Or two.) What can I say, I sucked at blogging in 2017. I debated on saving these for a #tbt post, but they're still available at my local Aldi, so I might as well share my thought in case any of you have been wanting to check these out before they disappear.