Nestlé Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate

I am a cocoa addict!

I would love to tell you that drinking this took me back to a simpler time, sipping cocoa at the tables of my friends' grandmothers. But for all of my Hispanic friends whose mothers or grandmothers would dote over them or cook for them (and, when I was lucky, me), not a one of them made home made hot chocolate; Mexican or otherwise. What was up with that? (To be fair, my grandmother never did either.)

So that brings us to the Abuelita.

It is going to be hard to ever look the Swiss Miss in the eye again. Abuelita just brings so much more to the table. Now, I am sure that "real" Mexican hot chocolate is worlds above the powdered version -- but, as I have never had it, and I don't know anyone who makes it, I am just going to have to make do.

I made mine with milk. Even just mixing it with a spoon, the first thing you notice is that it is frothy. The texture is light and silky. The flavors of the cinnamon and spices come right through. The chocolate itself is strong and nice.

I loved everything about this. It really made me want to hunt down a more authentic version.

Little Debbie 100 Calorie Nutty Buddy Bars

A new take on an old favorite
I Have said before that I love the idea of the 100 calorie products. Yes, I know that it is really not all that hard to proportion your own low calorie servings but lets be honest. Sometimes you just don't want to have to actually think about it and that is when the 100 calorie snacks come in especially handy.

My thanks to Leigh Anne with Little Debbie for bringing these to my attention and for sending out samples to try.

Being a fan of the regular version I was excited to see a lower calorie option.
The 100 calorie versions come in individually wrapped single fingers. The sugar wafers are crisp. The peanut butter is smooth, it is on the sweet side but with this product it works. And the whole thing is enrobed in whats described as a fudge topping. It is a very thin layer, but it has a good flavor and I would rather have a thin layer of real cocoa then a thicker coating of mocklate any day.

I really like this as a 100 calorie option. Honestly I prefer these over the "full" version. I like the proportion of the layers more (it seems less sweet to me, which I consider a plus.) Yum!

PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli

Frou Frou ravioli? why of course I can have them- they're lean!
Do you not want to slap the women in those commercials?.
Anyway, the dish is according to the box:
Butternut squash ravioli in a creamy sauce with walnuts,snap peas and carrots

In real life the thing is also teeming with red peppers a.k.a. pimentos. I HATE pimentos! does anyone out there really like them? either they are really cheap or more people like them then I give credit for. Yeah, they are pretty but...

The julienned strips of carrot, what I think was more squash and snow peas unfortunately tasted more of the pimentos then of their own flavors. Let's not talk of the walnuts. Great idea but the microwave is not a friend of the walnut (unless you like chewy, stale nuts)

The ravioli themselves... say something nice... they were square. And that's all I got. The pasta is doughy and over cooked and the filling is just enough like butternut squash to legally be called butternut squash but I couldn't tell you what it really is.

For all of the good options Lean Cuisine has this is just not one of them. Eating paste would be better.

Orange 3 Musketeer's- Limited Edition

I have mentioned a time or seven before that I love orange and chocolate together right?
Oh let's go for eight!: I LOVE ORANGE AND CHOCOLATE!!!

As you can tell by now I am a mild fan of the combination. I hunted down my bag at the local Wal*Mart the way some women will look for the perfect shoe.

The candies are mini bites of milk chocolate enrobing and orange fluff.
The only remotely quasi negative thing I have to say is that I wish they had used the dark chocolate that they have used for the Mint, Cherry and Raspberry versions it really would have set the orange off.

Even as it is with the milk chocolate it is pretty damn good!
The orange is sweet but it still have a tart edge. The fluff is soft.
Really if you have had any other orange creme filled candy you have had these but 3 Musketeer's did a good version of a classic.

PURCHASED FROM:
Wal*Mart

Lemon & Honey Pretz

Pretz is Pocky's savory cousin and you would think by proxy it would have to be good
Well like any other family, some members are pretty cool and some members you put up with because you have to.
From my tone so far can you guess where this Pretz stand?

I loved the idea; lemon is good. Honey is good. The two of them together is good as a rule right?- so what what wrong here?

The first taste is a sweet honey. It's not sticky but it is there none the less. Then the lemon hits. It's a fake lemon from hell. this lovely concoction is on a wheat cracker base that on it's own is basically an animal cracker.

If you have ever wondered what a honey-lemon cough drop flavored animal cracker would taste like then this is your dream come true. For everyone else... um, well the box is pretty cute. That's about the nicest thing I can say.

PURCHASED FROM:
Amazon.Com

Recoil Portable- Samantha Lyle Energy Bars

Once again my thanks to Adam with Lyle for sending me out this bar to review
I have had this since I had the recoil drink but for one reason or another I hadn't reviewed it.

Honestly I am sorry I waited so long! I hate to sound like I am being overly posative because the company sent the samples to me but I REALLY liked this bar! (and I would like to think you guys know if I didn't I would have said it)

It's a chocolate enrobed bar that has crispies, more chocolate and strawberry flavor.
First points in it's favor- it's texture is more like a candy bar then an energy bar. Now I like energy bars as a rule. But what I hate is when they have that sticky, chewy Abba Zabba like texture. The enrobed chocolate is REAL milk chocolate and not the mocklate you tend to get with most bars. The crispy's are indeed crispy (and made of soy!) and the strawberry tastes like a real berry! (because it IS real strawberry!)

The best way to describe the taste would be to tell you to imagine a Nestle Crunch bar with crushed up dry Cocoa Puffs and strawberry. Again, I just really liked it.
Here is the blub from Whylyle.com:
Imagine strawberries picked at the peak of freshness resting on a bed of delectable crisps and smothered in succulent, milk chocolate. Congratulations! You have just experienced the wonderful world of RECOIL PORTABLE. Samantha and her team tasted over 100 different candidates before picking the perfect recipe for RECOIL PORTABLE. At 15 grams of protein, RECOIL PORTABLE is sure to satisfy, while watching your waistline with only 180 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 20 grams of carbs. Experience RECOIL PORTABLE today! It's an integral part of the Samantha Lyle Fitness Plan. RECOIL PORTABLE is a cholesterol free food. RECOIL PORTABLE is a kosher food. Each RECOIL PORTABLE is 48 grams total weight.

Best energy bar EVER!


PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company
Visit Whylyle.com for ordering information

Review was edited to update ingredient information

Haagen-Dazs Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

If anyone could do justice to yet another classic it would be Haagen Dazs

The thing with cookies and cream ice cream tends to be with the exception of Coldstone Creamery's version you tend to get stuck with something where either the ice cream or the cookies are good but it is always one or the other. Examples- Oreo ice cream. The cookies as expected are great- it's an Oreo how could it be bad?!. The ice cream not so much. On the other side Edy's/Dreyer's decent ice cream, mediocre cookies.

How did the Haagen-Dazs stand up?
The ice cream it's self was good. A nice strong vanilla. Bonus point's to Haagen-Dazs for using REAL vanilla. What seemed weird is that this particular ice cream seems to be more aerated then Haagen-Dazs is as a rule. I could have skipped that, but it was not a total deal breaker.
The cookies were eh. I wonder if they are Hydrox knock offs. They don't taste exactly like an Oreo (the palm oil stands out more) but the visable markings are damn close. The cookies in my pint were on the smaller side but they were nice and soft.

I liked this Cookies & Cream but to be honest I didn't notice much if any differance between this version and the Edy's/Dreyers. Honestly if I were feeling cheap I would just get the Edy's/Dreyers.

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

Edible Easter Grass

This is one of those things that leaped off the Wal*Mart shelf at me


And it probably should have stayed there!
It is very cute, little poofy shreds of grass. The candy is made out of potato starch and "natural flavorings". If by natural flavorings they meant that it would taste like stale air then they hit it on the head.
There really is no taste and once it's in your mouth it melts down to a gummy paste like texture.

I can see where this would be great to decorate with it's just sort of pointless to eat.

I think I will stick to Peeps!

PURCHASED FROM:
Wal*Mart

Dolfin Chocolat- Hot Masala Bar

Could my love of all things Indian and my love of chocolate finally become one?!
Can this "hot" bar possibly be as hot as my favorite curry babe Jimi Mistry?:

These and other questions are about to be answered!

Masala it's self is a blend of spices- you may for example be familiar with Tikka Masala, which is one of the most popular Indian dishes. To be honest I couldn't tell you what the actual difference is spice wise. The point being that this would be a garam masala (warm or hot) and it can be made with such warm spices as black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, dried chiles, fennel, mace, nutmeg etc.
Personally I think any one of those spices alone with chocolate would be great so I would expect nothing less from any combination of them.

I like the bars packaging. It's in a pretty pack sealed in glossy plastic pouch. It takes a little more effort to open and that added to the fun- and it makes it somewhat resealable if you choose to leave some for later.

When you open the pack containing the chocolate the heady smell of the spices comes right out. The clove and cinnamon hot you right away. The coriander and the cardamom are there. It was like a tiny visit to my favorite restaurant.

Once again lets cut to the taste.
I may not have smelled ginger but I sure did taste it! (I love ginger so for me it's a good thing) Fiery and clean. While masala may be a complex taste I can sum this up for you in three words: chocolate covered gingerbread. There is even a little burn that hits the back of your mouth as you finish!
The chocolate is milky and smooth. Just dark enough that it holds it's own with the spices but also light enough that it is still on the sweet side. It had a good even melt to it. There is a slightly sandy texture going on but I think that is from the spices rather then the chocolate. Either way it works in it's favor.

If I ever get my damn ratings system in place folks this bar would go to 11 it is just that good! In fact I think the only way to make it better would be getting to lick it off of Jimi Mistry... was that TMI?


PURCHASED FROM:
Whole Foods

Raspberry 3 Musketeers Mini Bars

Just in time for Easter another special edition!

Once again Mars is using the dark chocolate (which I love) to surround a raspberry fluff center.

The smell is mostly the dark chocolate but you also get a good whiff of the raspberry. If you have ever smelled a raspberry creme center Whitmans or Russell Stover's candy then you have smelled this. The fluff it's self is a pretty spiffy shade of lavender. I liked that. There is not enough lavender shaded food.

I am beating around the bush, what you really want to know about is the taste. So what does it taste like?
Remember those creme centered candies we were just talking about?- well once again if you have had one of them you have basically had this. BUT that is not a bad thing!
The raspberry is all about the sweet side of berries. There is no bite or tartness to them. But at the same time they also kept it from being medicinal.

If you are a fan of creme centered chocolate I could see this being a few favorite for you. Personally I liked them but I hope the Easter Bunny brings me more Pocky instead!!

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Chocolate Chocolate Chip is another of those classic flavors that I have over looked for too long.
But since being sick once I could taste again I found myself craving familiar comfort foods and there was just something that sounded so- well soothing as weird as that sounds about this flavor.

This is another great example of how good a classic can be in the hands of master's. It's wonderful in it's simplicity. The base ice cream is a dutch chocolate. Rich and just the tiniest bit on t bitter side. It keeps it from being cloyingly sweet like store brands can be.

The chocolate chips are the star of the show though. Bitter sweet chips of chocolate that are so fresh they still have a fantastic satisfying snap to them when you bite in. I loved this!
I could go on but it would be over kill. Just get a pint, sit back and enjoy.

PURCHASED FROM:
Kroger (Ralph's depending on your location)

Ritter Sport- Cornflake bar

Does this mean it's part of a balanced breakfast?

Any excuse for chocolate is good enough for me. So how weird is corn flakes in chocolate really?
If I didn't know it were corn flakes I would assume it was your run of the mill rice crispy type bar. Don't get me wrong if you are a fan of rice bars then you would probably love this bar because honestly I couldn't tell the difference for good or for bad. The corn flakes are crispy (krispy?) and airy but to me nothing about them screamed "CORNFLAKES!"

The chocolate. It is a VERY sweet milk chocolate. If you are a fan of Nestle chocolate bars then you would be a fan of this.

It was an interesting bar to try but it didn't wow me.
For another opinion Cybele from Candy Blog LOVED this bar- check out her review HERE

Simply Orange Juice

My taste buds are back!
More or less. I won't be tackling anything too complex for a few more days but I have a few things in the works.

Anyway, since Ye Olde Publix was out of my normal OJ (I like the single serving bottles) but they did have the new single serving Simply Orange I gave it a try.

Simply Orange has been around for a few years now but I am really picky about my OJ and tend not to go out side of my stand by. Don't get me wrong I LOOOOVE freshly squeezed juice. Tat is just a taste you tend not to find in ready made products. Concentrate is ok (I am partial to Tropicana Pure Premium) but it can't hold a candle to fresh.

Simply Orange hook is that it is fresh squeezed not concentrated juice. It also comes in varying levels of pulp. I for one can't hang with the pulp and I went pulp free.
The first thing that I noticed is the smell. It has that same fresh smell of cutting into a juicy orange.

I have got to give Simply Orange major points. It is the closest to fresh squeezed I have ever had from a bottle. It's not overly sweet but at the same time not sour enough that your lips get puckered into the always attractive CBF. It has a smooth texture that avoids the thick syrupy quality you sometimes get (think Sunny D).

This is hands down my new official juice.
There are other Simply juices and I look forward to trying the Apple because I love apple juice.

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

Update On Updates II

I am writing this from my death bed...

Alright that's just a touch dramatic!- but I do have a nasty case of pneumonia that got to the point it gave me vertigo and I am on bed rest for the next few days. If only I could taste anything this would be a great excuse to sit around eating candy!

But since I can't and I am only awake about 2 1/2 hours a day you guys are going to have to bear with me for a few days until I get my taste buds back (and can stay out of my medicine coma longer then 15 minutes at a time)

Until then be sure to check out some of the great sites I have linked up here like:
Cybeles Candyblog
Marvo's The Impulse Buy
Tanya's I Ate A Pie
and the newly remodeled Sugarhog.Net

Yorkie Biscuit & Raisin Bar

"It's not for girls!"- we'll see about that!
You've got to love a bar that's slogan and logo screams of sexism. Personally since I have a dark and perverse sense of humor I see it as more of a challenge then a warning.
According to the Wikipedia entry for the candy both Norwegian and UK customers found the slogan and ad campaign offensive. People need to lighten up- it's just chocolate!

So how good is the chocolate?
The bar is a Nestles milk chocolate with chunks of biscuits and raisins. I love raisins and think they are under used in candy in general. The chocolate is sweet- really sweet as most Brit chocolate seems to be, but it is creamy and does not have the grit that some of the Brit chocolate has.
The raisins are plump and moist. They bring to mind the only REALLLLY popular raisin candy Raisinettes (and yes, I do love them).
The biscuits are crispy and buttery. I found myself wishing they were salty (think Ritz crackers) but it was still satisfying.

I ended up liking this bar very much. Since I am not the biggest Nestle fan in the world I was pleasantly surprised. I see myself stocking up on these during my next trip to Whole Foods.


PURCHASED FROM:
Whole Foods

Stouffers Vegetable Lasagna

I am like Garfield when it comes to this stuff!
As a card carrying full blooded Italian I should probably not admit to liking frozen lasagna
And a vegetable lasagna at that. But I have loved it since the first one I ate.

I love that they use a bechamel sauce rather then a tomato base. The veggies are crisp and it has that great crumbly topping. And the cheese has a satisfying rich tang.

Unfortunately at 390 calories and 160 of those from fat this is not an everyday indulgence but every now and then I give in.

Mayfield Birthday Cake Ice Cream

I feel like celebrating my un-birthday!
I have to give full credit for my addiction to cake flavored ice creams to Cold Stone Creamery. I would be far too willing to do bad things for even the smallest amount of they're cake batter ice cream with crushed Oreo's. Since sadly my closet Cold Stone closed so I have had to look around for the quick fix I need now and then.

Mayfield's Birthday Cake ice cream caught my eye a couple years ago. To be honest I am not a big Mayfield fan. It's not that it is bad ice cream, it's just sort of mediocre. There's too much air. It doesn't have that heavy cream mouth feel that your super premium ice creams have. But to be fair flavor wise they do some interesting things and for an ice cream in the same league as store brand it is decent.

The Birthday Cake flavor is a sugar cookie flavored base with a blue buttercream frosting swirl and a generous portion of sprinkles. It does indeed taste like sugar cookies- specifically those wonderful soft sugar cookies with frosting like you can get at your local supermarket. The frosting swirl tastes just like vanilla frosting from the can!
The sprinkles add a nice little crunch.

For those days when you would do obscene things for canned frosting (and ladies I know those days exist) this is one of my favorite options!


PURCHASED FROM:
Kroger (Ralph's depending on your location)

Lean Cuisine 4 Cheese Pizza

MMMMMM Low cal pizza!
For a lower calorie pizza option this really isn't bad.
The package blurb:


Pizzeria-style pizza with a crispy crust from the microwave,topped with mozzarella,Asiago,Parmesan and Romano cheeses over a zesty tomato sauce.

Fat - 8g
Calories - 360
Vitamin A - 10%DV
Calcium - 30%DV
Vitamin C - 6%DV
Dietary Fiber - 8%DV
Weight Watchers® Points® 8

The portion size is that of any standard issue personal pizza. While there are four cheeses the pizza doesn't look of taste like it's drowning in cheese. I liked the addition of asiago. It's under used if you ask me (and since your reading this review I assume you would). What I didn't like is the Parmesan

The sauce is indeed zesty. Oregano is what comes to mind- as in a lot of it was used. It's a bit strong- which I like. And it keeps the sauce from tasting too sweet.

The crust, while it does get crispy even in the microwave, it is bland.
If your a crust fan you will probably be left disappointed.

Again as a low cal option even with the bland crust it's a tasty option. Would it be my first choice?- not likely. But all in all it's not bad.


PURCHASED FROM:
Kroger (Ralph's depending on your location)

Blogger Gremlins

URG! Blogger is acting up and it is reeking havoc on my page!!
A thank you to Tanya over at iateapie.com for letting me know that the side bar is not appearing. I use Mozilla Firefox as my browser and everything looks as it should but if using Explorer the side bar has indeed disappeared. I am trying to figure out what's going on but in the meantime if you click on any of the posts you will see the page appear as it should.

If anyone out there has any suggestions- or can't see it on any other browser I would appreciate the heads up. Thank you!

Dagoba Chocolate- Chai

OMMMMMM will this chocolate help bring me inner peace?

I've liked the other Dagoba bars that I have tried so I had high hopes for the the Chai bar.

Chai is an organic milk chocolate bar with crystallized ginger and a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. I made that part up but it does claim to have a secret spice blend.

And spicy it is. the ginger comes through load and clear (and I love the little bits sprinkled through the bar) but I can also make out the clove, anise, cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper that the bar contains. I liked it but it did remind me a little too much like potpourri. Even that being said it was still a pretty good taste.

What I didn't like is the chocolate it's self. It's grainy and dry. There is no creamy melt. Actually it's kind of chalky as it melts. I kept wanting it to be more like the Frey Cinnamon Coriander bar that I really liked.

Great idea, great spice the chocolate is just a let down.

PURCHASED FROM:
Whole Foods

Lean Cuisine- Chicken Fettucini Alfredo

How can pasta and cheese be bad?
Well, that was the question I asked myself. I like Stouffers regular fettucini Alfredo. The sauce is peppery, creamy and cheesy. The pasta while normally a little soft for my taste at the very least isn't over cooked.

This however does not translate over well to the Lean Cuisine version.

Let's start with the sauce. It's watery and thin- yes, I expected it to be less rich then the regular version. But there is no reason that it still could not have been as peppery or have a stronger cheese taste.
The Pasta is just plain not good. It was gummy. I still haven't figured that one out. I have never had this happen with any of the Stouffers regular version so I am wondering if this was just an over cooked batch.
The chicken isn't bad. The breast meat stays moist and there is a generous portion. The broccoli is standard issue frozen broccoli- but that works for me. In this type of pasta I like my broccoli soft.

If not for the blandness of the sauce this would be a perfectly do able Mac and Cheese option. But as it stands there is just not enough flavor to make it worth the while.

Recoil Energy Drink

I'd like to give a thank you to Adam from Samantha Lyle Fitness for getting in touch with me and sending me out the sample I am reviewing

Thanks Adam!

That done lets talk about the drink.
Here is the website blurb:
How are you going to get through a long day of work, soccer practices, and bedtime stories? Samantha's RECOIL ENERGY is specifically formulated to give that needed boost. RECOIL ENERGY reinvigorates you with L-Carnitine, Taurine, Ginseng, and B Vitamins with only five calories per can (8.3 FL OZ). RECOIL ENERGY gives you that extra boost without the diet busting sugar. At the office or on-the-go, RECOIL ENERGY will help you outlast the competition. RECOIL ENERGY is an integral part of the Samantha Lyle Fitness Plan.

I got this in the mail the other day but I waited to try it until today because I have an unbelievably long day that is split up and I only got 4 hours of sleep yesterday- if I ever needed an energy boost today's the day.

What does it taste like you ask?-
Pretty good. It reminded me an awful lot like Red Bull only sweeter and with a soft carbonation. I liked it, what I never liked about Red Bull was not the flavor it's self (and let's be honest it tastes kinda like baby Tylenol and I have always liked that taste) but the bitter after taste. Recoil has a sweet aftertaste that is best described as Inca Cola (which is a fruity almost bubble gum taste) and I for one am an Inca Cola fan.
Ok, you caught me I scarfed the can pretty fast.

The big question is really did it work?, did I feel a boost of energy?
Actually yes, I did. Normally by 7:30 pm (or 9 hours into my shift that doesn't end until midnight more or less) I would be starting to slug and lag but even by 9:00 pm I was still feeling relatively perky, I should probably say I made that up. Perky is not a word associated with me pretty much EVER but I did feel a lot more "with it" then I normally do-and I had drank the can around 3:45. I wouldn't mind having a stash of these on hand for those long days.

I wanted a second opinion on this one because I don't drink many energy drinks so I turned to my friend and co-worker who for the record has asked to be referred to as Ultra Mega Chicken for his take. Ultra Mega Chicken is a certified energy drink addict. I have seen him drink as many as 3 Rockstars in one shift (oh to be young and impervious to caffeine!) his verdict:
He loved the can!- gee shocking a busty chick and a big gun are indeed good selling points with early 20's men!. Taste wise while he liked it he does prefer Rockstar more. But he was really impressed by how quickly he felt perked up. In fact he said that it happened faster and with drinking less then it normally would with Rockstar- coming from him I would say that's pretty spiffy.

PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company. Visit the website for more products and information at Whylyle.com

¡Hola Fruta!- Pomegranate & Blueberry Sherbet

When I figure out my 1-10 ratings scale this one is going to be an 11!
Pomegranate and blueberry are two of my favorite flavors and I love them even more together.

Just like with the Margarita lime the texture is rich, creamy. Again, almost like soft serve ice cream.

Taste: It's sweet the way real ripe berries would be and it also has a hint of that tartness that a good pom has. The sherbet is also studded with bits and pieces of the blueberry's and what I assume is the pom pieces (honestly I couldn't tell)
I loved this!
Oh and it's also low fat and cholesterol (does that mean I can have more?)


PURCHASED FROM:
Kroger (Ralph's depending on your location)

Lean Cuisine Santa Fe-Style Rice & Beans

Should have made a run for Taco Bell's border

After one of my long work days I was feeling too tired to drive to the 2 fast food places that were still open in my neck of the woods at 12:30 am. Instead I ended up cruising the frozen aisle at Kroger. Since the Santa-Fe Style Rice & Beans was a meatless option it caught my eye. Here's the the from the box:
A Mexican-style rice medley made with long grain white rice, black and pinto beans, whole kernel corn,hand-picked green poblano and red chiles, topped with a creamy sour cream sauce with Mexican tomatillos, and cheese.

Sounded ok to me!... well it did sound good.
Let's start with the texture. I am not sure how something can be both somewhat creamy and crunchy at the same time but some how this is. Personally I think the beans and the corn are undercooked which accounts for crunch.

Taste wise. It's not bad but it is bland. The chilies are the best part, they have no heat (by my standards anyway) but they have great flavor and they retain they're texture really well. The sour cream sauce (where I am assuming the creamy texture came from) is surprisingly rich for a low cal dish. The cheese is there- and that's really all I can say about it, beyond seeing the cheese I can't tell you that I actually tasted it one way or the other. The rice is could have been so much better had they used anything besides plain old long grain white rice.

If you like the idea of Mexican food but not the spice you may just love this. Again it's not bad but it is bland. And even with that said I have to compliment Lean Cuisine for making some tasty "diet" products, it is impressive how much the flavor has improved in the last few years.

PURCHASED FROM:
Kroger (Ralph's depending on your location)

Diet Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cherry Soda- Limited Edition

I have to admit it has taken me 3 bottles of this soda to decide what I thought about it.

I've said this a few times about other chocolate items. Sometimes the idea of the product is better then the product it's self. That is how I tend to feel about chocolate soda's.

The smell is the first thing that hits you. It is like a grenadine covered tootsie pop was left out in the sun- and oddly enough that's not a bad thing.

If you were expecting any type of a Dr. Pepper type taste, give that up now. That is one of the reason's it took me so many times to get a handle on if I liked this or not. The first few sips it tastes like liquid Tootsie Roll mixed with flat Cherry Coke. The interesting thing is that the more you drink as you get used to the taste it really does start to taste like a chocolate covered cherry!
Specially one of those liquid filled Cella cherries- which I happen to love. The chocolate taste is strong enough that this would even satisfy a chocolate craving.
It's lightly carbonated which works well for this flavor and personally I did not notice a strong taste from the artificial sweetener.

I ended up really liking this soda the more I drank (even though I do admit it was not love at first taste) I have not tried it but I bet it would be wonderful with ice cream (which kinda makes the whole purpose of diet soda redundant but...)

PURCHASED FROM:
Kroger

Site Updates!

I have a few new things in the works!

COMMENTS
I wanted to take a moment and apologize that there were comments that were left that I had not responded to until today. To be completely honest I had not seen them on the older posts. But as of now I responded- and even Googled a recipe!

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
The most common question I get asked is where I purchased something so I am going to start adding that information to the reviews.

Rating Scale
All of the cool kids have rating scales so it is time I got one too!
That is going to take me a little bit to add in because I haven't decided what it will be yet. Any suggestions?

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
Is there something you would like to see added or changed? let me know!

And last but not least...
I know this is going to sound cheesy but I wanted to say thank you to you guys out there for reading (and commenting!). I can't begin to tell you how much I love writing this blog and I would be lying if I didn't say I actually get a little excited when I realize that other people are actually reading it. Thank you again!

Twix- Java Limited Edition

I have been wanting to try this for months, ever since the always fab Cybele at Candy Blog mentioned it months ago (read her review HERE
I love the idea of coffee flavored chocolate I just haven't found one I love.
The Twix is a coffee flavored caramel on a chocolate cookie coated in milk chocolate.

I liked the smell. It's deep and when the bar is still on broken you get just the slightest hint of coffee. Once you bite or break the bar the coffee aroma is more intense.

I loved this bar!
The coffee being in the caramel keeps it from being over bearing or bitter - and at the same time that balances the sweetness of both the chocolate and the caramel. The caramel is what makes this bar.
The chocolate is smooth and creamy. The cookie was crisp and crumbly. I can't say I tasted a real chocolate flavor to it but it was good none the less.

I would love to see them make this a regular part of the Twix line because it is that good.

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket
But also seen locally at: Kroger and Walgreens

¡Hola Fruta!- Margarita flavor Sherbet

I was kinda hoping that because it was supposed to be margarita flavored it would be salty, just a little bitter with a tad orange flavor to it.
Sadly for obvious reasons there is no salt. It's not bitter and there is no orange.

But, that being said it's a pretty decent lime sherbet. The word that most comes to mind to describe the lime taste is "sunny". It's bright, not too sweet with no bitter edge.

The mouth feel is excellent, very smooth and creamy without the course, icy grain that you sometimes get in cheap sherbets.
Texture wise it's, well sticky comes to mind. Vaguely like soft serve ice cream.

I think if you wanted an interesting desert keeping with the margarita theme, I would serve it in salt rimmed cups and topped with just a touch of freshly grated orange zest.

Very refreshing!

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket

Dark Mayan Chocolate International Coffee

So I was sitting around with my girlfriend's reminiscing about Jean-Luc and damn if we didn't get the urge for some delicious powdery International Coffee goodness!

Alright so none of that really happened, but bonus points to you if you get the Jean-Luc reference. On a serious note as a young lass back in the day I did have quite the love affair with the International Coffee's line (Swiss Chocolate Mocha especially). My mother and Grandmother went through a ton of the stuff and I would sneak some every chance I got (and that includes eating the sweet powder all by it's self)

As I got older and started drinking good coffee I honestly just forgot about the stuff. My local Mega Mart keeps cereal and coffee in the same aisle and on my last shopping trip the Dark Mayan Chocolate caught my eye. It sounded interesting so I grabbed some.

The tin says the coffee can be made with water or milk, I opted for the milk. It does indeed having a rich, dark cocoa flavor which is combined with cinnamon and of course coffee. As a coffee it's so-so- but as a hot chocolate drink it is outstanding!
The combination of the dark chocolate, the cinnamon and the coffee gives a deep and complex flavor. It's well balanced, not too sweet, not too bitter and just a touch spicy. AND if you were to make this with water (rather then milk as I did) it would come it at only 50 calories a serving!

I was surprised how much I ended up liking this. If you are a fan of hot chocolate definitely try this (just remember there is caffeine because of the coffee)

PURCHASED FROM:
Publix Supermarket
But also seen locally at:
Kroger and Wal*Mart

Lean Cuisine Flatbread Melt- Pesto Chicken

The Pesto Chicken version has:
Grilled white meat chicken, sun dried tomatoes, red peppers, cheese and creamy pesto sauce in a soft flatbread.

I liked the flat bread it's self. It's fluffy and moist. It reminded me of a Taco Bell Gordita. It stays soft but not mushy or doughy.

The chicken is juicy and lean. The peppers taste fresh roasted and the cheese is surprisingly good. The pesto sauce isn't bad but it is nothing special. The only thing I really didn't care for is the sun dried tomato's. Somehow they sort of rehydrate and the texture is just weird. More like a tomato that had been sliced and forgotten about for a few days then a real sun dried tomato.

I did like the Panini better over all but the flat bread melt is tasty and I will be trying the other versions.

PURCHASED FROM:
Wal*Mart