Quickie Pez Post

My massive peelable gummy post got a little out of hand, so it will be finished up and posted on Monday. 

In the meantime, here is a quickie post I never got around to finishing. 

I've always liked Pez candy, but their appeal comes from it's novelty dispenser, not it's actual taste. Dispensers are highly collectable and have cemented their place in pop culture history (the proto-Funko Pop) but the candy has always been mid. I enjoy it for what it is, and will buy it once every few years, but I've never thought it's flavors were so iconic that it should be used in other products, and especially not ice cream, but here we are. 

Will these actually taste like Pez? Or is this a case of branding being used to sell a generic fruity-bar? I kind of hope it's the latter. 

Disgusting Sleepover Rejects

No one, ever, expected these to taste good. That's why they're a novelty. I bought these for a fun sleepover with my little cousins, because trying gross things together is 7fun. I don't know how to explain it, but it just is.

As you can see, not too long after opening, the candy inside compressed into a puck. The compressed form makes it look like we consumed a lot, but I was actually the only one brave enough to give these a try. (After we gave them a smell.)

So it's not a question of "if" these are bad, the question is "how bad are they?"

Creations Y3000: A future worth ranting for?

Even when I wasn't completely in love with a particular flavor, Creations' themes kept me coming back for more. It's all fun and games, until now. 

Y3000. A name that evokes Y2K nostalgia while promising the future. It's fun, it's colorful, it's made with AI. That's right! Artificial Intelligence collaborated with humans to create what might be the most pretentious descriptor of all time. 

This is taken verbatim from their website: 

Coca‑Cola® Y3000 [Zero Sugar] was co-created with human and artificial intelligence by understanding how fans envision the future through emotions, aspirations, colors, flavors and more. Fans’ perspectives from around the world, combined with insights gathered from artificial intelligence, helped inspire Coca‑Cola to create the unique taste of Y3000.  

Wait, it gets better! (Or worse?)

Old New Coke - Stranger Things Food Items Part 1

Stranger Things has the WORST product tie ins.

I fell in love with the show's first season, watching it through twice before it really took off and became the phenomenon we all know today. I loved the hair (except for Will's, hasn't he been through enough?), the costumes, the attention to details, the soundtracks, and all the homages to other movies and media I grew up with. What I don't love? The merch.

For something that is so popular, so beloved, created with so much passion and skilled craftsmanship...the merch is cheap as hell. But...I keep buying it. Well, the food stuff, anyway. 

For example, during the mall season, Netflix and Coke brought back NEW Coke as an online exclusive purchase with Stranger Things branding. 

An Aldi Girl Shops at Lidl - Chocolate Pistachio Ice Cream

Chocolate & Pistachio Cones - Lidl

If you're looking through the novelty ice cream freezer at Aldi, you're likely to see a lot of chocolate and vanilla, maybe the occasional seasonal item shaped like a snowman or whatever with a hint of fruit, but for the most part they play it safe. Lidl's offerings seem to lean more towards their European roots, and they don't shy away from nutty offerings like hazelnut or pistachio. They actually offer two different pistachio themed items, an ice cream bar covered in a layer of chocolate, and white chocolate, with pistachio pieces, and these chocolate pistachio cones. As a pistachio-lover, I had to give these a try. You know, for science. 

Frieza is Cool, but His brother is Cooler, Just Saiyan - Dragon Ball Beverages

Dragon Ball Beverages

I love Dragonball, especially Dragonball Z, but you know what I don't love? Their novelty products. I've had a few in the past, both snacks and beverages, and they were mediocre at best and inedible at their worst. One of these days I'll finally wise up and ignore the nostalgia pangs in my heart when I see these characters on the grocery store shelves, but that day is not today!

Carbonated Matcha Soda?

Matcha Ramune - Rocket Fizz

We went to brunch the other day (which is the preppiest white-girl thing I have probably ever typed), and right next-door to our hipster brunch-oasis was a Rocket Fizz. In case you don't have them in your area, Rocket Fizz is a quirky candy and novelty product franchise that has all kinds of sodas, sweets, and squirrel underpants? Yeah, it's like the Spencer's gifts of snacks. All those crazy Chicken Wing flavored sodas and stuff you'd seen the guys on Wreckless Eating and Cult Moo drink? (Which are two of my favorite Youtube-foodie channels.) They've got it!

I wasn't too adventurous with my selections, so if you want to see some gross sodas, check out these videos, but I did pick up this matcha ramune. I've had tons of match flavored sweets over the years, but I've never had a matcha soda. This could be interesting...

Finally, Banana Minions!

Banana Minion Tic-Tacs - Gift

Everything is right with the world. Novelty Minion Tic-Tacs are now banana flavored. We can all go on with the rest of our lives.

Sarcasm aside, it did bother me that Minion Tic-Tacs were banana flavored everywhere else in the world, except for America. It was one of the biggest talking points in my 2015 review. For some reason, we got passion fruit, and they were awful. It seems that Tic-Tac got the message. Behold, banana Tic-Tacs! 

Campfire Ghostbusters Marshmallows - Walmart

 Campfire Ghostbusters Marshmallows - Walmart

Being an adult sucks. It's Saturday, and instead of sleeping in and being a bum in my PJ's I woke up early to take a 2-hour state-regulated standardized test on art making and content knowledge. Then I came home  and cleaned out my car (because I dropped my license under the seat and couldn't find it), made lunch, did three loads of laundry, folded all three loads of laundry and dusted. After all that adulting...I deserve a treat. 

I picked up these special Ghostbusters themed marshmallows a while back and I really wanted to review them...but they're just normal marshmallows in wacky shapes and colors, so I didn't think the review would be all that interesting.

Instead, I'll just give you a close up look at the shapes and show you what I made with them.  

TERRIBLE Tuesday - Super Mario 3D Fruit Gummies

Super Mario 3D Fruit Gummies - Dollar Tree ($1.00)  

Two years ago I reviewed 3-D Nintendo gummies, and I really liked them. The flavors were enjoyable, and the bite was soft like a gumdrop, but it was the attention to detail in the candy molds that really blew me away. I was sad that none of the Nintendo ladies were represented (did we really need Diddy Kong if we already had DK?), but overall I really liked this product and wanted to re-purchase it for some off-the-blog snacking. Apparently it's gone through some changes and...well, I nearly called this post "Abomination Tuesday." It lacked alliteration, so I opted for Terrible, which in my opinion is a bit of an understatement. Something's gone horribly, horribly wrong...

Limited Edition (Ghostbusters) White Fudge Marshmallow Twinkies - Walmart

Limited Edition (Ghostbusters) White Fudge Marshmallow Twinkies - Walmart

Get ready for a nostalgic, fan-girl-ish, ranting-style review with tons of nostalgia! I know this meme has been done to death but...

Robin Williams ;_;

Having all this novelty Ghostbsuters stuff on the grocery shelves has made me so irrationally happy. I was just a kid in the late 80's, so the adult humor in the live action films was lost on me (although I still enjoyed them). It was The Real Ghostbusters animated series with silly side-kick Slimer, bizarre blonde-pompadour Egon, and Garfield-the-cat sounding Peter Venkman that sucked me into the fandom. I still have some of my action figures and ghastly plastic ghoulies in a storage bin in my attic.

I love this franchise and I happily purchased all the novelty Ghostbusters snacks I could find. I bought a 10-pack of the Ecto-Cooler juice boxes, some Key Lime Slime Twinkies, some Slimer and Marshmallow-man-shaped 'mallows and these Stay Puft-themed Twinkies. That's right, Twinkies released 2 novelty limited edition flavors! Why? Well...

Bacon Candy - YouTube Video Review (2 different candies)

Part 2 of my Peep Haul is on the way, in the meantime let's enjoy some bacon-y goodness!

efrutti Gummi Candy Pizza - Five Below

efrutti Gummi Candy Pizza - Five Below

I hope you had an awesome weekend, because I did!

I hosted a BBQ for my friends on Saturday, spent some time with my family and filmed a few more YouTube video reviews on Sunday, and I even found a little time to relax on Monday. (Which was glorious!)

My idea of relaxing involved playing a LOT of Rogue Legacy, a nap, and enjoying a cotton candy scented bubble bath. I haven't felt this rested in ages, and rather than jump into a healthy or long-winded food review, I thought I would take it easy and write up something fun and short. So here's a tiny gummy pizza pie!

Limited Edition Minion Tic-Tacs - Five Below - Marlton, NJ

Limited Edition Minion Tic-Tacs - Five Below - Marlton, NJ

Minion candy makes sense. We've had Minion Peeps, Minion Mike & Ike's, and now Minion Tic-Tacs, but a Minion Swiffer duster? That's where I draw the line. Seriously, this is getting out of hand. Why is there a cleaning product tie-in with this movie? I brought this up to Cybele during our last Candyology101 recording and she thought it might be a way to trick kids into cleaning, maybe that's their angle, but I don't understand who at marketing was like, "Yep, that's brilliant! Pack 'em up and ship 'em out!"

I may not be behind every Minion product that's available, but these Tic-Tacs are something special.

Yoshi Island Gummy Egg - J-Box

Yoshi Island Gummy Egg - J-Box

I posted a little teaser of this over on my Instagram a few days ago. I said it once and I'll say it again, I freaking love Yoshi's Island. I grew up with the original NES, which my mother and grandmother played while I was a baby (That's right, they're that cool.), and when I was older, I had my own SNES with a handful of games. I had Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario World, and Super Mario World 2, also known as Yoshi's Island. That's it. I would play these games over and over trying to get everything on each level, I'm a total completionist, and I couldn't of been happier.

Duff Energy Drink - Five Below: Philadelphia, PA

Duff Energy Drink - Five Below: Philadelphia, PA

Normally I avoid energy drinks, but I'm a sucker for nostalgic novelty products, and surprisingly, the last three video game and Nintendo themed novelty energy drinks I reviewed from Five Below were quite tasty! Why not give Duff a try? (It's Duffman approved! Oh yeah!)

Swedish Fish Candy Canes - Wegman's: Cherry Hill, NJ

Swedish Fish Candy Canes - Wegman's: Cherry Hill, NJ

I actually bought this on a whim and hadn't planned on reviewing it, but they were so interesting, I decided to cobble together a review anyway. I have a big bottle of Swedish Fish "Gummy" vodka, so when I saw these in the seasonal aisle at Wegman's I thought this might make a fun, and edible, garnish/stir-stick for some mixed drinks. I tossed the box into my cart and off I went.

Merry MEGA Buttons (Holiday Flavors) - Wegman's: Cherry Hill, NJ

Merry MEGA Buttons (Holiday Flavors) - Wegman's: Cherry Hill, NJ

Sometimes you see a candy and you know it's going to be bad, but for some reason, you buy it anyway. This is one of those candies.

This was one of those cheap novelty holiday candies that was piled up in the seasonal aisle, and if it weren't for the sugar cookie flavored button, there was no way I was going to buy this. If memory serves, I think this was a dollar, so I figured, why not review it and have a laugh? So into the cart it went.

Jelly Belly Holiday Favorites (Pumpkin Pie) - Target: Marlton, NJ

Jelly Belly Holiday Favorites - Target: Marlton, NJ

Back to pumpkin posts! (Kinda.) There's a pumpkin pie bean in here, but I figured I would just review the entire bag and get it posted before the holidays are over. Let's see if any of these beans can live up to the real thing!

Sparkling Frozen "Icicle" Jelly Belly Mix- Old Navy (Gift)

Sparkling Frozen "Icicle" Jelly Belly Mix - Old Navy (Gift)

My boss saw this little bag of Frozen themed jelly beans while she was shopping and she was kind enough to buy a bag to share with me. While the flavors in this mix are all from the normal Jelly Belly line, so there are no new flavors in this mix, I still wanted to write up a little review because, well, they're gorgeous!