It's that time of year, everyone around me has a cold, the flu, or one of those oh-so-fun viruses. Even though I'm surrounded by sick people, I'm still going strong, well not really. I have a bit of congestion and raspy throat, but so far that's it, and I intend to keep it that way.
This is another item that's been sitting in my review pile for a while, and what better time to try it out? Honey is perfect for raspy throats, so let's give these spoons a try.
Here's another post that is a bit different than my typical product reviews. A funnel cake making kit!
My family bought this kit a few years ago and never used it. In an effort to clean house and get rid of things we aren't using, we decided to finally crack this kit open and give it a try. (If it's an absolute fail, off to the goodwill you go!)
Funnel cake holds a special place in my heart. My grandfather used to own a small hotel in Wildwood, so my entire family would pack up and stay there for a few weeks in the summer. I would go to the beach with my cousins, eat boardwalk food, and we'd go swimming in the hotel pool. Sadly, as my grandpa got older it was harder and harder to keep the hotel up and running, so it was sold just as I entered high school.
I'm all grown up now, and the hotel has been turned into condos (like everything else in WIldwood), but I still drive down a few times every summer with friends. It's bittersweet, but when I am in Wildwood I indulge in all sorts of terrible junk food from my childhood. Which means funnel cake.
Home Goods is more than fancy throw pillows and lamps, they get some of the most interesting foodie items! In the last two years I have bought jams that came in reusable European glassware, raw vegan kale chips, various seasonal coffees, and "vintage" sodas. What's next?
Buffalo wing flavored rice chips.
How does this seemingly normal home-themed store get a hold of this stuff? (Not that I am complaining. The kitchen supplies and foodie items are the only reason I even shop here.)
The bag's bold "blood orange" color is what initially caught my attention. Maybe this is a bit pretentious of me, but I thought the color was really sophisticated. (Anyone else watch Project Runway?)
Okay, on a more serious note, the color and faux crosshatching texture really did draw me in. Just look at this bag! The overall design is simple but playful. My only complaint was that I was a bit confused by the little chip accent. I wasn't sure if it really was an apostrophe, or if it was a stylized dot for the 'i." Not that that was really a problem, a 15 second Google search was all it took to find the site and see that it's an accent. (Also it showed me that there are other flavors out there.)
Remember how I went a little overboard with the seasonal (fall) coffees? I bought two of these Fall in Love themed packages and one "Sweetie Pie" during a trip to Home Goods. (Which is the source of my most random foodie review items. Like nutritional yeast covered, raw, vegan kale-chips.) I am finally getting to review them!
Next Saturday is the first official day of winter, so this is still technically fall, even though there is snow on the ground in New Jersey. (I'm totally not trying to make excuses for posting this so late. I totally am.)
Why did I buy so much coffee! I hardly ever drink coffee, so this is going to last forever! Bah! I blame the beautiful packaging. The font reminds me a lot of "Lucidity," which is my favorite font ever, and I love the cutesy pun-like names. I'm such a sucker for pretty food items. That being said, I obviously love the packaging. This bag is functional, simple, and bold. (Side note: Ignore that little hole in the front of the bag. I accidentally stabbed it with my long nails while picking it up, so no worries. It wasn't opened when I bought it.)
We're in the pumpkin-y home stretch! Only k-cups left!
I kind of went a little crazy at the Home Goods in Moorestown and bought three seasonal coffees. That might not seem like much to avid coffee drinkers, but I rarely drink the stuff. It's not that I dislike coffee, I make a pot whenever I have company, or when my coffee addicted boyfriend is over, but I am not in the habit of drinking it alone. That being the case, these bags are going to last me a while.
Why did I buy so many coffees when I don't really drink it? Because the package designs were really pretty. I admit it, I am a total sucker for pretty packaging and these roped me right in. Look at this bag! It's a bold, but simple, design with a gorgeous color and font. How could I resist? (The font reminds me of Lucidity, one of my favorite fonts ever!) Looks alone didn't seal the deal, the coffees smelled really yummy too. (So they are pretty and they don't smell bad. I'm sold!)
A bit of a seasonal stretch, but I thought I would add these Kale chips to my October reviews. Why? Because this specific flavor is called, "Vampire Killer" of course. (Yummier than a stake to the heart.)
I think this might be first time I have ever bought kale chips. Prior to this my family has always made our own at home using sea salt and our oven. While similar, these chips are a little different from mine. First of all they are raw, which means they are not dried using heat (like my oven method). Instead, these are crisped using a dehydrator that never goes above 115 degrees. Secondly, these are flavored with garlic and vegan cheese. I never though to flavor mine with cheese before. I definitely have to try that next time we make a batch.
The packaging is simple and clean. It's a clear clam shell container with a wrap-around label. I like the earthy brown color and faux texture on the label, but I feel like it's typography could be a little cleaner. For example, look at the 'B' in 'Brad." It seems so far away from the rest of the letters. Little things like proper kerning can really make a product look finished.
Another item from my Home Goods haul.
Unlike the oogave soda, which is very modern, this brand has a classic look reminiscent of Stewart’s. (Stewart’s is the older of the two sodas since Sioux City wasn’t created until 1987.) There are only two colors of ink on the label, a creamy off-white and a grassy green, so the design is a little hard to make out. In case you can’t see it, there are two rugged men inside a canoe against a mountainous background. Personally, I think the color choices and imagery are a little confusing, but the overall design isn’t bad. (The green photographs really nicely.)
Like a lot of the bottled sodas I review, you actually need a bottle opener to get the cap off. (Which I like. I think it’s fun and adds to the experience.) Once you open it there is a lovely oranges and cream scent which is very similar to the Stewart’s version.
I took a break from these for a while, but now I’m back with the last 3 flavors. Today’s is Strawberry Splash.
The packaging is typical for lollipops, so I’ll skip right to the candy itself.
This lollipop is marbled with a berry red and a lighter, pinkish, color. There have been a lot of red flavors in this mix, so it’s a little tricky to purposefully pick this flavor out of the bag. Like the other marbled flavors, the marbling is very inconsistent, so no two strawberry splash lollipops look alike.
This is my first post from my Home Goods Haul. I love window shopping for furniture, but the Home Goods foodie section has interesting stuff too. (Like this strawberry sugar.) During my last trip I picked up a few bottled sodas and jams.
I feel like this brand has a minimalistic design, even though the logo is a bit elaborate. (Since is has those little bushes/leaves above the ‘oo.’) Logo aside, the text and images are kept to a minimum.
With a green gradient background and crisp text the cardboard tote has a very refreshing design. Just looking at it makes me feel calm, which is a good thing. Not all beverages need to be so in-your-face with their design elements. Even the bottles are minimally designed. They are crystal clear and the only major design element on them is the logo itself.
Okay, this post is going to be a little different…
I’m going to do my typical review, but I totally bought this without knowing what I should do with it, so I am going to ask all of you for suggestions.
What should I make with this?
I was drawn to this product because of the packaging. The sugar is inside a thick glass jar with metallic detailing, which gives this product an industrial look, but the typography feels a little off. The lowercase font that is used for “strawberry” looks out of place when mixed with the distressed information in all caps. I like the look of either font on it’s own, but something about mixing the two just doesn’t work.
The only ingredients listed are raw sugar, dried strawberries, beets and red cabbage (the latter two were for coloring purposes only), so this is pretty good stuff. This smells exactly like I expected. I can smell delicious cane sugar mixed with tangy, ground up, dried strawberries.
I love the smell and taste of this fruity sugar, but I have no idea on what to make with it.
PLEASE SEND ANY SUGGESTIONS MY WAY!
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.netLike me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!
Next up, Pomegranate Pucker.
In my last Yummy Earth post I mentioned that there are 4 different “red” flavors (raspberry, cherry, strawberry, and pomegranate) and how that can be a little confusing/frustrating. Here is a perfect example of what I meant, this Pomegranate Pucker looks JUST like Razzmatazz Berry. Both flavors are the same exact shade of red, and the wrappers are both printed in the same red ink.
Since it is literally the exact same color as the previous flavor I reviewed, my photo looked the same as last weeks. (Which is why I left it out.) So if you were seeking out a specific flavor… the similarities could be a bit annoying.
This time the candy has a tangier, sour, smell. The scent reminds me of cranberry juice more than pomegranates, but it was still very appealing.
From the smell I was expecting the candy to be sour, but it was actually very sweet. The candy tastes more like a sweetened pomegranate cocktail than real pomegranates, but it is a very sophisticated. There are deep berry notes that actually make this taste more like a jam than a lollipop, and overall I was really impressed with the flavor.
So far this is my favorite of the bunch. This pomegranate lollipop has a deep, rich, flavor that I think a lot of adults would really enjoy.
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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This is the last flavor of soft eating licorice I have in my stash. While all of them have been good, I did like some flavors more than others. Let’s see how mango ranks.
So far I have tried: (Starting with my favorite)
- Strawberry
- Green Apple
- Blueberry Pomegranate
I’ve already talked about the packaging, so I’ll skip over that.
The mango licorice has an appealing color. (Unlike the green apple, which had the color of canned green beans.)
The licorice pieces don’t really smell like mango, the first thing this scent brings to mind is fruit punch.
When I popped one into my mouth the mango flavor is there, but it isn’t very strong. There is a tangy sweetness that reminds me of pineapple, or nectarines. The taste is a lot like the nectar drinks made by Goya. If you’ve never had one of those, they are really syrupy and sweet.
While the flavor wasn’t bad, I think that this was actually my least favorite of the Darrell Lea flavors I have tried. I’d much rather buy more strawberry or green apple. Even though I didn’t LOVE the flavor, this brand is still better than most of the flavored licorices I have had in the past.
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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Another flavor of Darrell Lea’s soft eating licorice, this time I have green apple.
I loved the strawberry, and the blueberry pomegrante was really nice, but how will green apple rank?
The packaging is just as nice as ever. Since it is so consistent I don’t think I really have to get into that.
Let’s get straight to the candy! Opening the bag, I was shocked by the color. This is NOT a very attractive color for candy and it looks nothing like the image on the package. If I had to name this color, it’s would be canned-green-beans.
