COMPLETE Pumpkin Gallery 2013

Pumpkin Bites

Pumpkin Spice Fudge

Pumpkin Macarons

Pumpkin Spice m&m's

Target Cookies

Pumpkin Kashi Bars

Pumpkin Spice Chai

Pumpkin Noodles

Pepperidge Farm

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup Mix

Pumpkin Pie Fudge

Pumpkin TastyKake

Pumpkin Spice Nuts

Panera Harvest Soup

Target Pumpkin Bar

Pumpkin Mallows

Pumpkin Ravioli

Trader Joe's Granola

Harvest Salsa

Trader Joe's Soup

Pumpkin Latte

Pumpkin Spiced Jello

Pumpkin Pie Coffee

Spiced Waffles

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Pumpkin Croissants

CHECK OUT MY 2012 GALLERY FOR MORE PUMPKIN GOODNESS

I never review the same item!

Sweetie Pie Ground Coffee - Home Goods: Moorestown, NJ

Sweetie Pie Ground Coffee - Home Goods: Moorestown, NJ

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!)

Pumpkin Spice Jello - ???

Pumpkin Spice Jello - ???

So... I totally forgot where I bought this. Maybe Wegman's? Target? I'm not sure, but I think this is a grocery store staple, so you should be able to find it at a lot of locations this season.

We're finally at the end of my pumpkin haul! I will be posting some pumpkin coffees over the next two days, but that's it! Honestly, I am a bit excited to move on to other foods. I never thought it'd be possible, but I think I may have pumpkin-ed myself out.

(*Gasp!*) Then again I have reviewed 26+ pumpkin items this season, which is even more than last year's haul.

Moving on to today's post...

Pumpkin Spiced Jello! At first the name doesn't sound too appealing, but you have to remember that Jello likes to make puddings that can double as pie fillings. (This is basically insta-pumpkin-pie!)

The box is pretty boring. Actually, it looks a lot like Jello's butterscotch pudding. Since it's just a standard instant pudding box with a limited edition label, I won't discuss the design. I saw other boxes with scattered fall leaves, which were more festive, but I somehow missed the seasonal package.

Pumpkin Teaser

Pumpkin Teasers

I have even more Pumpkin items than I did last year!

All of the pumpkin items I have will be finished up this week, so here is a little teaser of the next two items in my queue. The Jello will be posted later today and the coffee will be up on Tuesday. (I also have a few different pumpkin spice K-cups that I want to review, but I might lump all of those together on Wednesday.)

Check back later this afternoon for some pumpkin spiced pudding!

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

Like me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!

Pumpkin Croissants- Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

Pumpkin Croissants- Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

If you aren't familiar with Trader Joe's, it's a grocery shop where you can buy a lot of natural, organic, and unique items. (It's kind of like a mini Whole Foods.) This place has a HUGE fan base and there are several food blogs that exclusively review items from this chain. Do I share their devotion? Not really. I have bought a few things from them over the years, and while some were unique and really delicious, others are just as disappointing as any traditional grocery store. I think you can find awesome stuff anywhere, you just need to look hard enough. This year I tried a few of Trader Joe's pumpkin items, and so far the only item I would recommend is the pumpkin macarons. Everything else was pretty mediocre.

Okay Trader Joe's, you have one more chance to make me a believer. Let's have some croissants!

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal - Target - Riverside, NJ

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal  - Target - Riverside, NJ

I am almost through with student teaching! With all my classes, papers, and lesson plans, it’s been hard to keep up with my daily posts. Don’t worry, this won’t be an issue for much longer. My teaching position ends in early December. It’ll be great to get a job and earn money again (FYI: my program doesn’t allow you to work during student teaching, so you have no income), but I am going to miss my students so much. They are all awesome people and I’ll most likely cry my eyes out when I have to say goodbye. Enough sappy stuff, let the pumpkin-ing continue!

Target released a ton of pumpkin themed items this year and, although the majority turned out to be disappointing, there were a few shining stars. (Like these cookies. Ditch the filling! The pumpkin spiced ginger-snap-like cookies were amazing on their own.)  It’s oatmeal weather here in Jersey, so it’s the perfect time to give this item a try.
Looking at the box…. Wait a minute! Does this package finally deviate from the Archer
Farms formula? Do any of you notice the change?

I’ll give you a minute to try and figure it out

Pumpkin Spice Waffles - Aldi - Moorestown, NJ

Pumpkin Spice Waffles - Aldi - Moorestown, NJ

Last year I bought one of those huge boxes of pumpkin spiced Eggo waffles from Sam's club and, although I didn't formally review them, I really liked them. I couldn't find the big box at Sam's this year, so I picked up this little Aldi version.

When compared to other seasonal Aldi items, this design just isn't up to par. Most, if not all, of the pumpkin items are under Aldi's Selected label, which has a classic black and white layout, while this is more of a no-frills brand. It's the typography that is holding this design back. It could be so much more cohesive with a different font! Looking past the text, the images are really crisp and appealing. When compared to the Eggo waffle box, this is the weaker design, but I have seen much worse.

Frozen, the waffles look a bit darker than I'm used to, which could be due to spices, and they don't have any smell.

Pumpkin Soup- Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

Pumpkin Soup- Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

Sorry for the delay, but here is today's pumpkin post!

My mini pumpkin haul from Trader Joe's hasn't really lived up to my expectations. I absolutely loved the pumpkin macarons, but the granola was nothing to write home about. With Trader Joe's having such a huge following, I might have set the bar a little too high. Let's see if this pumpkin soup will make a difference.

My first thoughts were that this box is pretty small. When I picked it up it felt like I was holding a box of Pop-Tarts, but it actually contains about three servings of soup. For $1.79, that's not too shabby. The price may be right (ha) and the portioning is decent, but the design is a little lacking. This box is stuck in between modern packaging and vintage design, neither one is fully realized and the whole box suffers from the same monotone color issues as the pumpkin macarons. It's safe to say, I don't care for the package design, but as far as functionality, this was super easy to open and pour. 

I read the ingredients list in the store before I purchased the soup and I saw onions, pumpkin, and various spices. I assumed that this was going to be deliciously savory, but it wasn't. When I opened the container I could smell pureed pumpkin, and that was it. The aroma was sweet and nutty, which was enjoyable, but it was definitely not what I was expecting.

Bolthouse Farms Pumpkin Spice Latte - Aldi - Moorestown, NJ

Bolthouse Farms Pumpkin Spice Latte - Aldi - Moorestown, NJ

I'm back! Thank you so much for your patience and understanding! My two student teaching observations went really well! If any of you are interested, you can see bits and pieces of my presentations, lessons, and resources HERE.

Time to get back to my pumpkin reviews! (I only have a few items left.)

I have reviewed Bolthouse Farms in the past and, although I wasn't too impressed with their chai, I am a big fan of their fruit smoothies. I really hope that Bolthouse can do coffee better than tea, but I am going into this with pretty low expectations.

Pumpkin Harvest Salsa - Target - Riverside, NJ

Pumpkin Harvest Salsa  - Target - Riverside, NJ

Sorry I missed yesterday's review. Student teaching is kicking my butt, but I am giving lectures on various artists the rest of this week! (Check out part of a lesson here.) I'm excited, but having to write lesson plans in my college's format, preparing presentations, and getting observed is a lot of work. Updates might get a little wonky for the rest of this week, but I'll keep up as best as I can. 

Back to the food!

Last year Aldi had THIS Harvest Salsa, and it was amazingly pumpkin-y. I loved it so much that I bought another jar this year! Although it tastes great, my only complaint is that the Aldi's salsas are very mild. I always have to add extra seasoning or peppers to spice it up, so when Target released it's own seasonal salsa with the promise of a pepper-y kick, I had to see if it could satisfy my spicy needs.

Visually there is no contest between the two jars. The no-frills Aldi brand looks the best, hands down. Archer Farms likes to stick to a consistent design and all of their products look the same, which is not a bad thing, but the brand's identity doesn't really work for this salsa. Aldi's Selected label is a lot more sophisticated and festive, so I like leaving the jar out at parties because it looks fancy. The Target jar? Not so much.

Pumpkin Spice Granola- Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

Pumpkin Spice Granola- Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

Okay, so the pumpkin macarons set the bar pretty high for Trader Joe's. Let's see if this Pumpkin Spice Granola can top it.

I reviewed a similar product last year, the Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Granola, which might have been discontinued. (I haven't seen it on the shelves in a long time. Is it still available in your area?) I really liked the Target version, but it was more cinnamon-y then pumpkin spiced, so it got a really low rating on my pumpkin scale. This time I have high hopes for this granola, and I hope it doesn't disappoint. (Secretly I am hoping that this will taste more like the Kashi bars in cereal form. THAT would be amazing!)

Unlike the packaging for the macarons, which was bland and monotone, this is much more interesting. We have a bold photo of the granola, which has a little bit too much contrast, with some vintage looking typography. I love that the text was kept to a minimum on the packaging, because this photo of gorgeous.

Jet-Puffed Pumpkin Spice Mallows - Target - Riverside, NJ

Jet-Puffed Pumpkin Spice Mallows  - Target - Riverside, NJ

Last year I reviewed these seasonal marshmallows from Aldi and, although they were a bit heavy handed with the cloves, they made an awesome seasonal snack. I saw the Jet-Puffed version at Target and wanted to see if the name-brand was as good if not better than the Aldi variety.

Design-wise, this packaging features illustrated cinnamon sticks, puffy pumpkin marshmallows, bold white text, and seasonal colors. All of these elements are present in the Aldi version, and they are pretty standard for pumpkin spiced seasonal items. What sets the Jet-Puffed bag apart is the striped background and the little slice of pumpkin pie. Admittedly the name-brand bag has a lot more attention to detail, so it definitely has the better design. I have been burned by pretty packaging before, so let's see how the actual marshmallows measure up.

Pumpkin Squash Ravioli - Aldi - Moorestown, NJ

Pumpkin Squash Ravioli - Aldi - Moorestown, NJ

Remember those sweet pumpkin raviolis that Aldi released last year? I wasn't a fan, but they weren't that bad. Pumpkin season can get a bit frustrating for foodies and food bloggers because every year we get  flooded with pumpkin flavored and pumpkin spiced sweets, which are great, but I want something savory to snack on. This year Aldi delivered. I saw this new, frozen, ravioli dinner in the special buy section and I thought it would be worth a try.

The packaging is very bright while still maintaining a seasonal color palette, and the photo of the ravioli looks very appealing. The Fit and Active brand at Aldi has really come a long way, and I like the layout choices they have been making. (This honestly puts Trader Joe's orange blah-packaging to shame.)

Pumpkin Macarons - Trader Joe's - Marlton, NJ

Pumpkin Macarons - Trader Joe's - Marlton, NJ

I love Trader Joe's, but the location closest to me is surrounded by tons of traffic, the highway is always under construction, and their parking lot is an absolute nightmare. It is quite a journey, but I braved it all to get my hands on some unique pumpkin goodies.
I originally made the trek to Trader Joe's trying to find their version of a Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tart, but they were sold out. (Boo!) Instead, I picked up a few other items that I never knew exsisted:

• Frozen Pumpkin Macarons
• Frozen Pumpkin Croissants
• Pumpkin Spice Granola
• Pumpkin Soup

Just a quick little Macaron vs. Macaroon tip:

• Macaroons are those chewy, coconut-y, sweets that are shaped like cookies. Macarons are little delicate cookies made with almond meal and meringue. Macarons are typically made into sandwich-style cookies with a rich ganache, while Macaroons are often coated in chocolate.

As far as packaging, Trader Joe's usually puts a decent amount of effort into their designs to create something with an earthy, but hipster-y, feel. When compared to their products I have had in the past, this design falls a little flat. Everything is orange! There is absolutely no contrast in the design, which makes it look a little cheap. (Although these were a bit on the cheap side for macarons. It was $4.99 for a dozen.) The photograph is orange toned, the background is orange, and the text is either a creamy off-colored white or burnt sienna. It's just too much orange! This looks like a product I could have picked up at Aldi. (No offense Aldi, you know I love you.).

Planters Pumpkin Spice Almonds - Target - Riverside, NJ

Planters Pumpkin Spice Almonds  - Target - Riverside, NJ

Although these have already been reviewed by quite a few food blogs, I really wanted to try these for myself. To be honest, I originally went shopping to find the Blue Diamond version, but I could only find the Planters variety. (Blue Diamond has a bit of paprika in their spice blend, so I really wanted to give those a try, but these Planters Almonds are just as interesting.)

I have to say, this packaging is creepy, and not in the good Halloween way. The computer generated Mr. Peanut's expression is just...not right. Look at that face! That expression! He looks like he just hid a body. (Check under the pumpkins in that wagon.) I understand that a CG Mr. Peanut fits in with the CG background, but I think a classic cartoon illustration would have gone over a lot better. If I had these out at a party, I'd probably hide the container. (Or leave it out and let my friends laugh at how creepy it is.) Other than the seasonal design, this is just a normal container of nuts.

I peeled back the foiled top to reveal deliciously seasoned almonds and a lovely spicy aroma. I'm not sure how, but the scent actually creates an mild warming sensation. It's like smelling warm pumpkin baked goods that just came out of the oven! (It smells kind of like a pumpkin spiced cinnamon roll.)

I popped an almond into my mouth and I could actually taste pumpkin! Not just cinnamon, or nutmeg, or cloves, but legit pumpkin! There is pumpkin powder on the ingredients list, so I am guessing that is the magical ingredient that took these from a generically spiced nut to a pseudo baked good.

The coating for these is sweet, without being too sweet, and just a little salty. Everything works very nicely with the crunchy almonds, and these can be quite addicting.
If you're having a family get together this season these would make a great addition to the snack/dessert table. (Plus I could see these working as a great ingredient for cookies, cakes, candies, and other recipes.)

On a Pumpkin Scale of 1-5 (5 being the most pumpkin-y) I’d give this a 4.

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

Like me on facebook to keep up with all my adventures!

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Cheese Bites - Aldi - Moorestown, NJ

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Cheese Bites - Aldi - Moorestown, NJ

And we're back with more pumpkin 2013 posts!

These little cheese bites are one of the new pumpkin items Aldi released this year. (A lot of the things I previously reviewed returned, which is awesome, but there weren't many new items this season.)

My first impression in the store was that this package is tiny. The photo in Aldi's ad was really small, so I wasn't sure how big the container would be, but I never thought it'd be this compact. The entire package is about the size of my hand! (For the record, I have fairly large hands.) Other than the label, there are no other design elements to critique, so I'll just say that I love the typography! The font choices and simple black and white color scheme creates a very sophisticated look for this no-frills product. (The typography is similar to the seasonal labels and designs used last year for Aldi's brand.)

Inside the plastic clam-shell container there are 11, chocolate truffle-sized, cheese balls. It's a little odd that the container is tapered to only allow 11, why not a full dozen? Oh well, time to open this thing up.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge - ???

Pumpkin Pie Fudge - ???

This was a little gift from my mother, who likes to read my foodie posts. (Hi mom!) I'm not sure where she bought it, I'm guessing it was somewhere near the Jersey Shore, but a lot of places are peddling pumpkin fudge these days. At this point I have already reviewed a pumpkin fudge, but this one is packaged so cutely! How could I not photograph it?

There isn't much packaging to review. This is just a mini pie tin with some saran-wrap and a sticker. I don't even see any nutritional information posted anywhere. (Which is a little odd, but the last fudge I reviewed didn't have any information either.) There really isn't much for me to talk about. I mean, I like the pie tin, but I feel like this packaging is more for show than function or convenience. It was easy to remove the fudge from the tin, but it is difficult to keep it fresh.