Bowl & Basket Shop Rite Seltzer Party! 6 different flavors!

6 Flavors of Shop Rite Bowl & Basket Seltzer

When compared to Aldi and La Croix, Bowl & Basket finds itself somewhere in the middle in terms of variety. La Croix opts for fancier, more exotic offerings, like Limoncello and Hibiscus, where Aldi sticks to citrus fruits for the most part. But what Aldi lacks in variety, they make up for in consistency. Of their main flavors, I don't think there is a dud in the bunch. I decided to grab a bottle of Bowl & Basket lemon lime, to have a better basis of comparison to my go-to Aldi seltzers, but otherwise grabbed new flavors I have yet to experience in seltzer form. I'm pretty excited to see how these taste (and to add a bit of variety to my bubbly sipping.)  

Punch Line is a Welcome Break from the Hype Machine. -UPDATE

Ben & Jerry's X Netflix Punch Line - Shop Rite

Food and flavors are subjective. I know that, you know that, but we all love to hop online and compare tastebuds with strangers. (Hi!) Why do we do it?

Whether it's to find out if a product is worth your money (which is my main goal), or for validation in your opinions, or just to see how your taste-buds compare to others. We feel compelled to try new and potentially gross food, then turn to our friends and say, "You gotta' try this!" It's just human nature. But, in doing so, we fall victim to the hype of new-ness and extra-ness. 

I've been blogging for a long time, I think 7 years (I keep forgetting how long exactly) and from what I can tell, I'm an oddball.

Birthday Cake Cool Whip Mix-Ins

Birthday Cake Cool Whip - Shop Rite

This has been in my freezer FOREVER. Well, not literally, but this was an impulse buy I made right around the time quarantine first began. I braved the stores to buy ice cream for my then ex and his daughter (who were obsessed with Turkey Hill vanilla bean and it was on sale), and I spotted this. My judgement wasn't the best, being in panic-mode, and I hadn't had Cool Whip in forever, so I grabbed it. 

Several months of quarantine, a cancelled wedding, 2 new hair colors, and about 5 mental health crisis later, here we are. So, is this still edible? And, if so, is it good? 

Is It Fall Yet? - Pumpkin Whipped Topping

Pumpkin Whipped Topping  - Shop Rite

No, we haven't traveled back in time and no, the Pumpkin Invasion of 2019 hasn't started early. I'm just a hoarder.

I bought this last fall thinking it would be an easy item to review that would get me back into the habit of blogging. We both know that didn't happen, but it has been in my fridge ever since.

Back in my blogging heyday, I used to go all out each fall and review pumpkin-flavored everything. We're not just talking Pumpkin spiced lattes. I've reviewed teas, pasta sauces, ravioli, pumpkin salsas...pretty much anything I could get my hands on. And you know what it did? It burnt me out. Big time. After three years I went from big ol' basic pumpkin-lover to a hater.  

After all this time off I've started to become interested in a few pumpkin products, but I've never fully recovered. Still, I saw this and found the idea intriguing. I mean, nothing goes better with pumpkin pie than whipped cream, and this would up the pie factor by at least 1000%. (I totally used real math skills there. It's a legit number.)

My FAVORITE Oreo of 2018! (& Why I Love Oreo Thins)

Pistachio Oreo Thins - Shop Rite $2.50 ea.

I am kicking myself. I have a jar filled with real pistachios sitting right on my kitchen counter that would have made these photos look fantastic...but I completely forgot about them until I was editing this post. I flirted with the idea of re-shooting just to satisfy my perfectionist nature....but we both know I barely blog as it is. If I buy another brand new unopened package just to re-shoot these pics...this is never getting written up. 

So, for my sake, imagine delicious pistachios, both shelled and un-shelled, sprinkled about these photos making me look like a domestic foodie goddess I aspire to be, not the frazzled sometimes-foodie I actually am. (Really living up to the name the past 2 years...)

With today's review, the title completely gives my opinion away, so there's no use dancing around it now. These are the best Oreo I have eaten all year.

Mike & Ike Sweet Paradise (Limited Edition) - Shop Rite: Berlin, NJ

Mike & Ike Sweet Paradise (Limited Edition)  - Shop Rite: Berlin, NJ

This Shop Rite seems to be trapped in a magical time warp of some kind. I found limited edition products well after their release dates, like this Jelly Bean chewing gum, and I've also seen products that I've never heard any other food blogger mention. Like these "Special Limited Edition" Sweet Paradise Mike and Ikes. I haven't seen this special edition flavor listed or reviewed on any other food sites. Is this new? Is it super old? I guess I'll open the box and find out.

Pumpkin Spice Cream Puffs - Shop Rite

Pumpkin Spice Cream Puffs - Shop Rite

Okay, I'm going to try and do a few posts tonight, let's see how many more pumpkin items I can get through.

To kick things off, Pumpkin Spiced Cream puffs!

Trident Layers Jelly Bean Gum - Shop Rite: Berlin, NJ

Trident Layers Jelly Bean Gum - Shop Rite: Berlin, NJ

Last month, my rear passenger-side tire tore apart completely on my way into work. The tire wasn't more than 2 years old, so it was most likely something in the road, but there was no repairing it. I could fit my entire hand inside it! Thankfully I have AAA, so I got some road side assistance so that I could get a replacement put on after work. What does this have to do with food? While I waited for my new tire to be put on, I wandered around a Shop Rite that was close by and found a few (admittedly older) limited edition food items to review. (Yay for foodie retail therapy!)