All the Fun, Without the Trauma - Skittles Shriekers!

Skittles Shriekers!

Zombie Skittles embodied the impish nature of Halloween. Each candy you consumed may be a treat, or a vile, rotten-zombie-flavored trick. That said, the concept was fantastic, but the end result was that I felt hesitation, and a mild fear, while eating Skittles. Think of the episode of the Simpson's where Lisa tests Bart to see if he is smarter than a hamster using an electrified cupcake. After a few vile, onion-y, rotten zombie flavored Skittles I found myself not wanting to eat the rest of the bag. I ended up taking them to work where a coworker or two gave them a shot, and then, once the novelty had worn off, into the trash they went. 

Did I love them? Yes, but more-so in theory than in practice. I mean, no one is buying Bean Boozled boxes for casual snacking consumption, it's a fun game, and gross novelty, not a yummy snack. Same goes for Zombie Skittles. When I heard that Shriekers would be replacing them this year, I was intrigued. Same concept, but (hopefully) slightly more edible and less miserable. 

I'm in! 

Double Dose of Melon Goodness - Haribo Watermelon and Major Melon MTN Dew

Watermelon Haribo & Major Melon MTN Dew

Spring has sprung, literally yesterday, but I'm already craving summer, and nothing says "summer" like watermelon. I have two different products today, one a candy, the other essentially humming bird nectar, who wants to take bets that I'll be bouncing off the walls later? 

Lidl's take on Skittles - Worth the Buy?

Sweet & Sour Crunchy & Chewy Candy - Lidl

Chocolates are easy to copy. I have seen variations of peanut butter cups from pretty much every store out there from big chains to mom and pop's, tons of candy bars that look an awful lot like Snickers, but aren't, and I have even seen plenty of takes on m&m's, but fruity candy? That's harder to dupe. 

There are a few exceptions, like gummy bears, which are available from tons of brands, but how often do you see a knock-off Skittles? 

I have seen a few faux Starburst over the years, but something that this closely matches Skittles is so rare. They even have 3 of the same flavors as Original Skittles, and it comes in normal and sour flavors. How will these compare? 

MEGA Smarties

Mega Smarties  - Dollar Tree

Things I have learned during quarantine: Vol 2

1. Leggings are not pants, but they are superior to pants in every possible way 
2. Potatoes are the unsung heroes of thrown-together dinners
3. Gossip Girl holds up fabulously, and it's what Riverdale wishes it could be

Smarties, in the US, are compressed tablet-style candies that come in eye-pleasing pastel colors. I have been eating these for years, and they are one of my favorite candies, but do they really taste like they say they should? I know the company says each color corresponds to a flavor, but...do they really? 

According the the company, the flavors are: white-orange cream, yellow-pineapple, pink-cherry, green-strawberry, purple-grape, and orange-orange. 

I find this a little mind blowing, because as a kid, I swore the white ones tasted disgusting, and refused to eat them, but now as an adult I think the white and classic orange are nearly indistinguishable. Was I really discerning as a kid? Or did the white ones just look like medicine so I simply refused to eat them? Who knows! 

Classic Smarties are so small, and delicate, that I never felt like I could get a firm grasp on each individual flavor. Maybe MEGA Smarties will shed some light on this life-long flavor dilemma.

Strap in, It's Time For Nihilistic Mystery Gummy Worm Reviews

Sour Brite Mystery Nightcrawlers - Walmart? (I think...) 

What can I say? I just couldn't resist another mystery product. It's the J.B. Fletcher in me. These are the very first "mystery" product Trolli has ever produced, and to further fuel my curiosity, they've released the following statement: "To add to the intrigue, we do not plan to release any flavor details, so we know Trolli fans will enjoy guessing the flavor combinations in our unique Mystery Night Crawlers."

So there is no way to confirm if any of my guesses are even correct. Then again, there's a chance that they flavored these worms to taste like something incredibly specific, but didn't execute it well. 

Let's take a look at my favorite example, Oreo. For every winner, like Cotton Candy and Kettle Corn, but there are also misses, like Cookie Dough, which was still delicious, but definitely tasted more like coffee than a cookie. 

Now that solving flavor mysteries has lost all it's meaning...let's eat worms!

Starburst on Steroids

Sweet & Sour Hi-Chew  - H-Mart

If you've never experienced a Hi-Chew, you're missing out. These are Starburst on steroids. I introduced my fiancee to these candies when we started dating, and since he loves all things chewy, they quickly became one of his favorite candies. 

Thankfully they are getting more traction here in America. A few years ago I could only find them in Asian markets, but now big chains like Target, Walmart, and 7-Eleven regularly keep them in stock. It's beautiful. Still, for the more unique flavors and mixes, the Asian markets can't be beat. I grabbed these at H-Mart and I'm excited to give them a try since I have NEVER had a bad flavor of Hi-Chew, but you know what they say? Never say never.

10 Dollar Skull Suckers and Fizzy Brains (Skull Chupa Chups from Japan)

Skull Chupa Chups from Japan -  eBay 9.99

$10 for a tiny bag of imported lollipops? What can I say? My frugal foodie nature was thrown out the window the second I laid eyes on this packaging.  

I nearly talked myself out of them, but it was the last bag on eBay, so I quickly rationalized this purchase as being a little treat to celebrate my birthday (last Friday) and my new job (starting Tuesday.) Turns out, they were worth every penny...

Are You PURERAL? Sour Watermelon Gummies from Kabaya

Pureral Sour Gummy Candy (Watermelon flavor) -  H-Mart

Pureral? Sounds like an off-brand hand sanitizer, and as I type this my web browser keeps trying to autocorrect it into "Puberal," which, is hilarious. It's not a name that easily rolls off the tongue, but hopefully the candy inside is more appetizing. 

A week ago I planned on making DIY Poke/Sushi bowls for dinner, so I stopped at H-Mart to grab a few last-minute ingredients and one does not simply go to H-Mart without checking out the candy section. (You can't see it, but I am doing the Sean Bean hand thing. #oldmemeisold) Surprisingly, I didn't see anything new or interesting. Have I finally exhausted all that the H-Mart candy aisle has to offer? 

It took a bit of digging, but I spotted a few flavors of these Pureral gummies on a lower shelf which look like a variation of the PURE gummy candies I've had before, but now they're sour, and cube-shaped, with a filling! Of the flavors available (which were grape and some other safe-fruit flavoring I can't remember), watermelon sounded the most appealing, so...here we are!

Japanese Screaming Intense Super Sour Plum Candy

Japanese Screaming Intense Super Sour Plum Candy - Asian Food Market $1.79

Sorry for the hiccups in posting. House-buying and moving stuff has my after-work hours pretty tied up these days, but we're closing THIS FRIDAY! I'll finally get the keys and the place will be mine! Hooray!! It still needs a lot of repairs, and cleaning, before I can move in, but I'm a home owner! Which is definitely something worth screaming about.

So, let's celebrate with some Screaming Intense candy! (Will I be able to handle it?)

Tropical Sour Patch Kids - Walmart

 Tropical Sour Patch Kids - Walmart

Look out guys, they're are some new kids on the block! Sour Patch Kids came out with a new mix. Will it be just as good as the original version? Or is it a flop? We shall see!

Cola Fettuccine Gummi - Asian Food Markets

Cola Fettuccine Gummi - Asian Food Markets

Think last week sugared me out? Think again! Gummi candy is my absolute favorite! When I was in high school I would go to the mall every weekend, not to hang out and get cool clothes like the rest of my peers, but to stuff a plastic bag with various gummi creatures at the (now closed) bulk candy store. Back then I may or may not have "freed" some large gummi sharks into the food court water fountain. Ah, those were good times. (Especially for my dentist. Pretty sure my teenage cavities personally paid for his kid to go to college. You're welcome! Also, yes, I'm still stuck in a Maui-hole. Send help.)

Let's rack up more dental bills and munch on some cola candy!

Sour Kiwi Ramune - Video Review

I've got a Halloween Video coming up next!

NEW Sour Patch Kids Strawberries - Walmart

 Sour Patch Strawberry - Walmart 

Sorry for the long pause between written posts. I mentioned this before, but I'm currently house hunting, so talking to mortgage companies and looking at homes is taking up a LOT of my time. Once I find a place and settle in things will back to normal. In the meantime, don't be fooled! This bag says "new" but these have been out for months, maybe even half a year at this point. Still, "new" or not, I was intrigued.

Fleche White Peach Gummies - Asian Food Market

Fleche White Peach Gummies - Asian Food Market 

It's good to be back! 

I rely so heavily on my computer that when something goes wrong it feels like my whole life falls apart. I need it for my design work, for blogging, for video editing, for emails...it practically IS my life. (Is that sad?) I may or may not have had a mini-crisis over it this weekend. Thankfully, my PC is back in working order, all my programs are functioning, and I re-made all my custom Photoshop brushes. Now, let's get back to business and celebrate this awesome news with some beautifully packaged gummy candies! 

Now & Later Quickie Review

Now & Later Quickie Review

A while ago, Cybele and I recorded a Now & Later themed episode of Candyology 101. To prepare for the recording, I went out and grabbed a few flavors to photograph and munch on, and they've been sitting on my desk ever since. The photos are all finished and edited, so I figured I might as well finish off the bag and type up a formal review!

Phyzix Tropical Energy Drink - Phyzix

Phyzix Tropical Energy Drink - Phyzix (Gift)

Print Consultant and Graphic designer during the day, etsy shop runner, food blogger, amateur podcaster, novice YouTuber, needy-pomeranian-mommy, and freelance artist by night. My typical state of being is a zen-like zombie-mode where I get shit done and take names all while wearing industrial under-eye concealer and tricking everyone around me into thinking I'm still a human being.

All of this zombie-ness is fueled by nothing more than copious amounts of candy and water from my giant moonshine-sized mason jar. (It's huge so I don't have to refill it very often. It's all about function, not hipster aesthetic.) A lot of my friends and family rely on coffee and caffeine to get them through the day, and back in college I was right there with them with my daily iced espresso that was the size of a wiener dog, but I gave that up when my stomach issues began.

Now I'm a caffeine light weight.

I rarely drink energy drinks and coffee because the taurine and other energy packed chemical goodies tear my stomach apart and aren't worth the temporary boost they give me, but the people over at Phyzix contacted me with this healthier juice-based alternative and I thought I might give it a try to see if I can get all the pep without needing Pepto.

Trolli Sour Brite Blasts - Walmart

Trolli Sour Brite Blasts - Walmart

Thankfully I've (slowly) worked my way through some of my massive food backlog and I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. Great! So, what do I do to celebrate? I buy a bunch of candy that I don't need from the impulse buy area of Walmart of course. I just can't help myself.

One of the peg-bags I grabbed was this new Trolli product that looked a lot like the Warheads cubes I reviewed a few years ago. If you haven't noticed by now, I like building little candy pyramids for my photo sessions, so when I saw a brightly colored cube-shaped candy within my reach...I had to have it.

Sour Patch Fruits - Walmart

Sour Patch Fruits - Walmart

We have a lot of candy around the office (surprisingly it's not my doing) and one of the sweets we always have in stock are Brach's fruit slices. They're big, citrus-segment-looking gum drops with a sweet sanding sugar coating that come in a big plastic tub...and I hate them. They're one of those candies that look way more appealing than they actually are. I don't hate ALL of the flavors, the orange and lemon ones are pleasant enough, but the rest taste like sugary petroleum jelly. Bland and unsatisfying. I usually eat them as a last resort and they're barely worth the tooth-decay. 

I was buying the new Sour Patch Strawberries at Walmart and spotted this. I had never noticed it before, but they seem like Sour Patch's answer to the bland Brach's slices. Will sourness save these colorful fruit jellies? Or will these be another candy that looks better than it tastes? 

Mike and Ike Shredders - Dollar Tree

Mike and Ike Shredders - Dollar Tree

For the record, this product has been sitting in my to-be-reviewed pile for half a year, but I swear it ALWAYS looked like this! (It did, I promise!)

I saw these "Shredders" at the Dollar Tree when they were first introduced and I thought they looked interesting, sort of like mini Sour Straws. Each bag had a little plastic window so your could see the product inside and they all looked kinda...icky. There were two flavors available, this Sour Wildberry one and some pink colored bag with another flavor variety. This flavor looked like it had less sour sugar coating and it also looked kind of oily, while the other had a sour-sugar overload! I grabbed the best looking one of each and tossed them into my cart because I'm a food and candy blogger and I can't resist trying new stuff. Then they sat in the giant back-logged food-valanche pile of products I've been meaning to review for over half a year! (So much for being "New.") I'm slowly but surely working my way through the backlog and since we just recorded a Mike and Ike themed episode of Candyology 101, what better time to tear into these bags? First up, the less sugary-looking of the two, Sour Wildberry!

Toxic Waste (YouTube Video Review)

Watch me eat some Toxic Waste! 

(After that not-so-sour Ramune, I hope this stuff lives up to it's name!)