Cookie-bucha - Health-ade Holiday Cheers

Happy Almost New Year! I'm back! 

After my last post, I tested positive for COVID, and the symptoms hit me hard and fast. Much worse than when I had it before. Luckily, I had bought my cats a heating pad on Black Friday, because it came in clutch for the body aches. By day three, I lost my sense of smell and taste. (Which took all the fun out of my scented candle advent calendar.) 

It took five days for my sense of smell to return, but it was pretty weak, and my taste was definitely off. Garlic, something I cook with and eat all the time, tasted unnaturally sweet, almost like a caramel. And in every form! I tried powdered seasoning, fresh garlic, and some garlic infused olive oil just to make sure something didn't expire on me, but it was me. ("I'm the problem, it's me.") It took two and a half weeks for my body to bounce back.

So, I'm here to celebrate with some seasonal kombucha! 

When I spotted this, the gold and white made me think this was a New Years' item. So, I assumed this was like, champagne-themed or something. But, if I had bothered to read the label, this is vanilla, allspice, and cacao flavored? So, cookies? Cookie-bucha? I don't know about that...

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. 

A Scoop of Seasonal Flavors - Thanksgiving Ice Cream

Salt & Straw Friendsgiving Ice Cream Pack

I have been super into Thanksgiving flavors this year, more than ever before. Normally I try and restrict my food purchases to in-person only, but these flavors sounded so perfect and fed right into my cravings. So I made an exception. 

This is the first time I have ever bought fancy ice cream from the internet. (They're available locally as a normal shop, but no where near me.) There were five different flavors in this release, and they came packaged in a recyclable cardboard box, with insulation that I am using in one of my winter cat shelters, and dry ice. Dry ice is so cool, and I have never gotten to play with it before, so I tossed some into a bowl full of water and added food dye to make fun videos on Instagram. 

 

I haven't had a spoonful yet, and I am already getting my money's worth out of this purchase. Let's jump right in. 

Aldi's Journey to Japan - Take 2 - Ponzu Ginger

Journey to Japan Ponzu Ginger Chips -Aldi

Aldi likes to release "around the world" products, with a particular recurring focus on India, Germany, Italy, and Japan. These were the flavor companion to the Wasabi flavored chips I reviewed a little while ago, and the newest addition to the "Journey to Japan" line.

If you haven't already read my wasabi review, spoiler alert, they're good, but not great. I am on a mid to high tolerance range for wasabi/horseradish, it takes a lot for me to feel the burn, and I wanted those chips to pack a punch. They didn't. Here's hoping that this flavor is a bit more unique and flavorful.

A Moscow Mule you Can Chew - Aldi Moscow Mule Chips

Crinkle Cut Moscow Mule Chips - Aldi

Moscow Mules are a Christmas-thing, right? I feel like I always see the copper mugs around the holidays, but I'm not 100% sure. I've never had one, no particular reason why or anything, I'm just not a big drinker. Boozy beverages taste kind of off or medicinal to me. (Which, fun fact, is why I have only ever been drunk once in my life. I just don't like the taste of anything to drink more than one of them.) I'm always open to trying new things, like the beer my friends bring to parties or fancy cocktails, so why not try it in chip form? 

A few months ago Aldi released these, and a bloody Mary version, as part of a boozy brunch/happy hour line of snacks. The bloody Mary flavor made sense to me, since it contains such savory elements, but with a Moscow Mule, I wasn't so sure.

Familiar, Yet Different - Green Tea Ginger Ale

Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale - ShopRite 

Another April impulse buy. I normally don't go to ShopRite, because I'm cheap and prefer Aldi, but during the early days of home quarantine I had a hard time getting groceries delivered to the house, and my ex and his daughter were into things like Mountain Dew and Mio water enhancers, so I sewed a few masks and braved the stores to make a massive grocery run for the household. 

Along with essentials, I grabbed this, and a few other random items thinking they'd be fun to review, after all I'd have so much free time at home that I could get back into blogging again...(poor, naïve, past-me had such good intentions.) Now here I am, 5 months later, fingers crossed it's good! 

All Caps Worthy?

Canada Dry BOLD Ginger Ale  - Shop Rite

I bought this a while ago, so it's not all that "NEW" anymore, but still, I was excited to see just how bold this ginger ale could be. 

Something about the label design puts me at unease. It looks aged, but in a bad way. It isn't as if they were attempting a vintage-vibe, it's more like this looks like a 2-Liter of soda your grandma had hoarded away in the basement for too long and finally decided it's time to bring it up for a family party. Does that make sense to anyone else? That's what the color choices and labeling says to me, basement-grandma-soda, and while that isn't a terrible thing, it certainly isn't all that great either. 

Safe to say, I definitely didn't buy this for the packaging or the aesthetics. I bought this because, as an adult, I have a newfound appreciation for bold, spicy, ginger beverages. Jamaican ginger beer? Spicy Jin+Ja? Yes, please! That said, I had high hopes that this was going to be as bold as the all CAPS label promised.  

Sometimes Tipsy? Hard Ginger Ale Review

 Not Your Father's Ginger Ale - WineWorks

Last week was insanely busy, and this week is shaping up to be more of the same, so I've been doing a lot of things I wouldn't normally do in order to survive. I'm drinking coffee to keep me going during the day and now I'm having a boozy beverage as the sun goes down? Who am I? What is happening to my life?

This has actually been in my fridge for quite a while and I figured it might be a good way for me to wind down tonight before going back to the grind tomorrow, so let's see if this boozy soda is worth the extra calories!

Pepsi's 1893 Ginger Cola - Rastelli's Market

Pepsi's 1893 Ginger Cola  - Rastelli's Market

A few days ago I reviewed the 1893 Original soda, and today I have the ginger version.

Ginger is a flavor I used to hate. I remember thinking that it tasted like a cleaning product and avoided it whenever possible, but after several years of food blogging I've changed my tune. In fact, I prefer my ginger snacks and sweets to be on the extremely spicy side these days. Will Pepsi's 1893 throwback make the cut? Let's find out!

Asian Pear & Ginger Kombucha - Aldi

Asian Pear & Ginger Kombucha - Aldi

Has it really been a few weeks since I've reviewed an Aldi item? Time to fix that! 

A year ago Aldi sold these Kombucha Wonder Drinks and I reviewed the black cherry version. It was pretty good, not great, but much better than I was expecting a fermented tea to taste and I easily finished off the bottle. Since then, kombucha's popularity has grown and it's become pretty mainstream. You can now buy several flavors of kombucha at one-stop convenience stores like Walmart and Target! Since I didn't quite fall in love with my first bottle I decided to grab another to see if a different flavor could win me over. (And see if I can better understand the overall appeal of this fermented food and beverage trend.)  

Project 7 Gingerbread Snap Gum - Target

Project 7 Gingerbread Snap Gum - Target

I may be all Scrooge-y about Christmas, but I have to admit...Project 7's seasonal gum is really cute. This smiling gingerbread man has melted my icy Christmas-hating heart with his adorable little cookie face, so into my cart he went.

Chimes Ginger Chews - Peppermint, Peanut Butter & Orange

Chimes Ginger Chews - Summer Fancy Food Show Samples

I bought that bag of Chimes classic ginger chews well before the Fancy Food Show, because I loved the packaging. So when I saw them at the Fancy Food Show, I had to stop by and tell them how much I loved their designs.

While I was at their table I grabbed a few samples of their other flavors to try, so here's a handy, dandy, little sampler review!

Chimes Ginger Chews - Marshall's - Marlton, NJ

Chimes Ginger Chews - Marshall's - Marlton, NJ

One of the things Cybele and I mentioned on Candyology101 this year was trying to overcome our dislike of certain flavored sweets. She is trying to overcome her dislike of cherry, and I've been trying to warm up to ginger. So far, it's been going pretty well. I really liked Super Ginger, and I've been drinking more ginger-based beverages and sodas. I used to feel like the strong flavoring was similar to a cleaning product, but now I've come to really appreciate it's unique spiciness.

Since I'm trying more ginger products, and I'm a sucker for a pretty package, I couldn't resist picking these up when I was at Marshall's. (Where I still can't find any jeans that fit me and aren't flares. I swear, I will burn the women's clothing section to the ground.)

Trader Joe-Joe's (Ginger) - Trader Joe's: Marlton, NJ

Trader Joe-Joe's (Ginger) - Trader Joe's: Marlton, NJ

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! I'll be posting a few things later tonight when I get home from work, including this year's foodie collage, so I hope you all have a fun night and stay safe! (Those of you who are shut-ins antisocial homebody's like me, can look forward to some fun foodie posts to ring in the new year.)

I mentioned buying these Joe-Joe's during our last Candyology101 podcast, and Cybele from Candyblog warned me that they were going to be VERY decadent and coated in chocolate, and boy, was she right. 

Mini Ginger Pumpkin Ice Cream Mouthfuls - Trader Joe's: Marlton, NJ

Mini Ginger Pumpkin Ice Cream Mouthfuls - Trader Joe's: Marlton, NJ

Okay, we're going to see how many pumpkin items I can get through today. To kick things off, a pumpkin product with (possibly) the longest name ever!

Wasabi Ginger Chips (Lay's Do Us A Flavor) - Wawa

Wasabi Ginger Chips (Lay's Do Us A Flavor) - Wawa

Last time I reviewed the flavor finalist that I was least excited about (which you can read here) so, instead turning my posts into a count down of least to best, I decided to jump right to my favorite of the four, the Wasabi Ginger kettle chips.

Lay's Do Us a Flavor Finalists: First Impressions

I'll be posting a detailed written review later this weekend, but for now, you can see my initial reactions to these new flavors. (And watch me make faces and feed chips to my dog.)  

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

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Super Ginger - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Super Ginger - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Oh boy, I've kind of been avoiding these and reviewing other items, but it's finally time to try Super Ginger. About two years ago I bought a bag of Super Lemon from the same grocery store and I instantly fell in love with the brand's Pop Art packaging and lemon flavored candy. Since I liked it so much I was really excited when I saw a different flavor on the grocery store shelves. The packaging looked orange from a distance, so I assumed it was another citrus flavor, but it was ginger. Only recently have I started to warm up to intense ginger flavoring, and I am scared this might be too much for me. Growing up I always liked gingerbread and spiced cookies, but anything with actual grated ginger in it make me feel like I am eating Pine Sol. (Although I do like it in beverage form.)

Recently I've been warming up to grated ginger by using it in my cooking, but I am still far from loving this intensely flavored mandrake-looking root. Maybe this candy won't be so bad?

Fresh Ginger, Ginger Ale (with Pomegranate and Hibiscus) - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Fresh Ginger, Ginger Ale (with Pomegranate and Hibiscus) - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

I am taking a break from the Sakuma Drops Candy because they are tearing the roof of my mouth apart. ;_; I’ll post the last two flavors tomorrow.

I have seen this beverage line at other stores, and around the web, and I was pretty curious about how this flavor would taste, so I decided to pick it up during my last trip to the Asian Food Market. (I might try to film my next trip there and make a video post, but my camera doesn’t do HD video.)

Overall the packaging is very simple with a natural, organic, feel. The clear glass bottle it topped with a plain metal cap without any image or text, and the label is a creamy off-white with a black typewriter-esque font. These vintage-y fonts can look a bit awkward or forced at times, but I think it matches the aesthetics that the brand was going for.

Since this is a natural, unfiltered, beverage there are some separation issues and the label suggests a gentle shake to mix everything back up. I’m just not comfortable shaking a soda. (I don’t want it to explode!) So I gently rolled the beverage back and forth to combine the flavors.