JELL-O Strawberry Sundae Pudding

So here I am again, poised over the old laptop with a pudding cup in my hand. The last one was kind of like a Gigi Scooby Snack. I did not have to be asked twice to scarf that puppy. But this one...



Part of it is that, honestly, I am not a huge fan of most things strawberry. But that's only part of it. The other part is that the top layer is color that I could see my eleven-year-old nephew loving simply because it resembles nothing in nature. Still I do like sundaes, and this flavor is supposed to have a bottom layer that tastes like strawberry ice cream, with the top layer like strawberry ice cream topping.



It's the top layer that is a lurid shade of pink most often found in lower budget nail polishes...and what I imagine it would look like if Barbie could bleed. This cup, much like on the S'more cup, also features different textures in the different layers. In this case the top layer is very fluid--like ice cream topping can be. It's very smooth, and texture-wise I liked it.

Flavorwise, it has that super-exaggerated strawberry flavor that kids seem to love. I got through it, but it reminded me of kids' vitamins (I did in fact have strawberry-shaped vitamins as a child, and this made me think of them. So if nothing else it gets a nostalgia point.)



The bottom layer is a paler (and less terrifying) pink shade that does in fact resemble strawberry ice cream. The texture was super thick and smooth. Also, the flavor was much, much closer to real strawberry. I know it is supposed to be like strawberry ice cream, but it reminded me more of strawberry yogurt, though without the yogurty tang. On its own it was actually pretty tasty.

So what happens when you mix the two layers? Like a speech I twice got from my parents, sometimes people (or foods in this case) can still love each other, but they just can't live together anymore. Seriously, I could see kids knocking each other down to get to these cups. Me...not so much. I couldn't get over that super strong first layer. I think it completely overpowers the "ice cream" layer. Which is too bad, because I ended up loving the texture of that layer, and I even got to like the flavor the more I ate. It's just together...well, as I said, not so much.

Granted, this flavor really is geared more towards kids, and maybe I am just too old of a cranky cat lady to appreciate it. But I will be sticking with the S'mores.



Be sure to check our Marvo's reviews at:
The Impulsive Buy

PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

CALORIES:
110 Calories per cup

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
kraftbrands.com

JELL-O S'more Pudding Snack

I may have said this a million times or two, but there will never be enough products with marshmallow in this world for me. I love everything about them. I love them "raw" (a.k.a just out of the bag), I love them roasted, and I especially love them burned to a post-eruption lava like crisp.

When the kind folks at JELL-O offered to let me try a pudding with marshmallow, I just about erupted myself. And just in case the FTC is reading this--while yes, I did get this pudding for free, I am not so shallow as to allow myself to be bribed by things with free marshmallows in them. It takes slightly more than that buy my allegiance. (Note to people who may want to bribe me: I only said SLIGHTLY more than that.) So why do I have the feeling that now the FTC is going to sic their own version of Men in Black on me? Anyway, on to the review...



The JELL-O S'more pudding cup consists of two layers. The bottom portion is a chocolate flavored with graham cracker, and the top is marshmallow flavored. The two layers are also differently textured.



The marshmallow layer: OH EM GEE! First, I love that they made this layer with the "mousse" texture, à la the Temptations line. Yes, I love that entire line...and having a marshmallow version only makes it better. The flavor is close to that of a toasted marshmallow. It seemed a little malty to me (but I liked that). Here's what's kinda odd, though: even though the graham crackers are in the chocolate layer, you can actually taste them more in the marshmallow layer. Go figure, huh? But it was still a very nice flavor, so that's not a complaint. As far as I am concerned, I could skip the chocolate and just have an entire cup (or vat) of this.



But there is still that chocolate graham layer waiting below for me, like a sea of dense, dark water--you know that sounds kind of scary--like a bad Shark Week trailer--oh, wait! Let's run with that! Maybe we can somehow work in a cross-promo with the Discovery Channel, where I talk about sharks while reviewing the pudding by eating it off of...oops, duh, I meant eating it with, yes with, Mike Rowe. Silly readers, how dare you think I had my mind in the gutter! Granted, I am mayor of the gutter, but I hardly see where that matters. We are supposed to be talking about pudding here, right? And sadly, it is Mike Rowe-free pudding. What did you say? Okay, fine, have it your way, I will get back to work on this review. Sheesh.

So, before my mind took its perv detour, we were starting to talk about the chocolate layer. And so we shall.

Unlike its best friend the marshmallow layer, which is mousse textured, the chocolate layer is the classic smooth and creamy style of pudding. On its own the chocolate seems to be not quite as infused with graham cracker flavor as the marshmallow layer, but you can tell it's there. I actually think it works better that the chocolate is the stronger flavor in this layer. It keeps things from being too sweet, and I like the contrast in textures. That said, I do think it would have been even better to have a layer of actual graham cracker crumbs in the cup. That would have been pretty tasty.

Now that I have talked about the layers separate, how are they together?

I have no idea how this is even possible, but the layers together reminded me more of a rum ball then of a S'more. I doubt kids would ever pick that up, but it may be an extra selling point for the grown ups (and right now the JELL-O people are probably wondering why the hell they ever let me near a sample). It's a delicious combo either way. And again, I would love to see the marshmallow layer get its own dedicated cup.



Also check out reviews by:
The Impulsive Buy
Foodette Reviews

PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

CALORIES:
110 Calories per cup

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
kraftbrands.com

Temptations by Jell-O: French Silk Pie

There are many three-word phrases that get me excited. Examples include:

New Droid Phone
New York City
Gerard Butler Naked

-and-

French Silk Pie.

In an ideal world I could have all of those things simultaneously. In this one, sometimes you have to settle for whatever is doled out one at a time. And somewhere along the line in the last couple years, I have started to like pie a lot more than I used to. As a rule I prefer fruit pies to cream pies, but I have always had a soft spot for French Silk Pie.

Need I thus explain how happy I was when the generous folks at Jell-O sent me a package of their French Silk Pie Temptations to review? I didn't think so!



To keep calories down -- as with their Lemon Meringue Pie entry -- there is no pie crust to be found here. But that's OK, because the pudding (or filling, if you will) is so good that you won't miss it. (Though I can't say that the addition of a chocolate cookie crust wouldn't have been worth the extra naughtiness.)

The main portion of the cup is a dense, rich chocolate. I loved the texture. In fact, I liked it more than I did any of the actual French Silk Pies I have ever had. The reason is that actual pie filling tends to be a little too runny for my liking. But the Jell-O Temptations were thicker than standard pudding, and at the same time seemed to have a slightly whipped, mousse quality to it. It just held up really well and gave you the best of both worlds.

The flavor reminded me a lot of an actual slice of French Silk Pie. The large bottom layer is a really rich chocolate. It's like classic Jell-O pudding, but with a stronger cocoa flavor.



It is also topped with a smooth creamy layer, which was terrific. The texture holds its own, and is silky smooth with a slightly sweet, chocolate/vanilla flavor.

I loved this cup! It's up there with either of the chocolate Mousse Temptations for me.



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company.

PRICE:
MSRP is $2.89.

CALORIES:
140 calories per 1 cup serving (3.9 oz)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
jello.com

Temptations by Jell-O: Lemon Meringue Pie

If you have read even a handful of my reviews, you probably know that if something is made with lemon -- in even the most remote sense -- then that is something I will line up to try. Well, Jell-O has added a new line of low-calorie treats based on different desserts, and they were nice enough to send out samples of all six of them to me!

And naturally, I had to start with Lemon Meringue pie.



Jell-O's Temptations products come in sleek packages of three individual cups (rather than the six cups that come in the various pudding packs), but they are a slightly larger serving size than the pudding cups (size varies depending on flavor). The Lemon Meringue Pie features a larger lemon base layer, and is then topped off by the meringue.

So how is this cup of wonderful?

First, I like the texture of the lemon base -- it is actually pretty close to lemon curd. Not quite as smooth, though. It reminded me almost of the whipped texture of the Jell-O Mousse line, only not quite as "moussy." The flavor is tangy but still sweet, and -- if you don't think about it for too long -- it does strongly resemble an actual lemon meringue pie. Unfortunately, it has a very chemical aftertaste. It's not a terribly strong aftertaste, and it doesn't last long, but it is undeniably there.



The meringue layer's texture is exactly like the texture of the Jell-O Mousse cups. It has the slightly sweet, vanilla-like taste of real meringue down pat. It was really good. I could have eaten an entire cup of just this layer alone.

All in all, not bad. Even with the aftertaste I would still eat more of them (though mostly to get at the meringue layer). I wish there had been at least a little bit of pie crust...but then again, crust adds calories. So I guess it's a trade-off. Oh well.




PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company.

PRICE:
MSRP is $2.89.

CALORIES:
100 calories per 1 cup serving (3.9 oz)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
jello.com

Winner of the JELL-O Pudding Contest!!

Well, the exciting moment of truth has finally come for one lucky reader!

While it may not exactly merit the same amount of excitement that young Jackie Chavez felt when she won a contest and was chosen -- by the King of all JELL-O products himself, Bill Cosby -- to be the new official giggle of JELL-O in an upcoming TV ad, my winner is going to receive a rather enormous amount of pudding that they can eat while hunkered down and watching Cosby Show reruns. And that's almost as good, right?

People who took part in (or at least read the outcomes of my previous contests) may know that I tend to choose a winner based on rather elaborate methods, usually involving my cats.

This contest was going to be no different. And since my cat George has been involved in the last couple of contests, I figured it was time for my other cat, Stephanie, to get a chance to be the emcee. One thing you should know about Stephanie is that she loooooovvvves marshmallows. Yes, I know there are many obvious reasons why cats shouldn't eat marshmallows (the least of which is you end up with a really hyper cat). But my idea was that I would write the names of those who entered onto little slips of paper, and then I would attach a tiny bit of marshmallow to each...and whichever slip Stephanie licked first would be our winner!



Yeah, it seemed like a good idea.

The problem was that when actually faced with a field of marshmallow happiness, Stephanie decided that instead of licking any of it, it would be even more fun simply to roll around in it so that it all stuck to her fur. And then rocket through the apartment chasing each and every piece like a mouse. And then roll around some more, and chase some more, and...well, need I say more? Yeah.

Have you ever tried to clean marshmallow bits and strips of paper off a really hyper cat? All I can say is that it was not one of the best ideas ever. (The picture below is of course photoshopped. She wouldn't hold still long enough for a picture to be taken, but I thought I'd give you an idea of how she looked.)



Anyway, I was a bit exhausted after that adventure, so I opted to go the route I probably should have gone in the first place: the Random Sequence Generator. I omitted my own responses, and out of the remaining 25 posts the first integer the generator came up with was 16. Which means that the winner is...

(*insert imaginary fanfare here*)

... Ashley!

Congratulations, Ashley! All you have to do at this point is leave a comment (which I won't publish) with your email address, and I will contact you for mailing info -- and then your pudding will be on the way!

Everyone, join in and say nice things to Ashley!

Mousse Temptations by JELL-O: Chocolate Mint Pudding...AND A JELL-O MOUSSE CONTEST!!

Is there anything better than pudding? OK, yes, there may be a few things better than pudding...but you'd really have to do some serious thinking to come up with them.

Last year when JELL-O launched the Mousse Temptations line, I was lucky enough to be among the first to get a sneak taste. This year, JELL-O has added a new flavor to the line-up: Chocolate Mint Sensation. And once again, they were awesome enough to send me some to try.



I love the texture of the Mousse Temptations puddings. As you've probably noticed, texture is where sugar-free/fat-free puddings often fail, even when the taste is acceptable. But that's not a problem here at at all. They're whipped and airy, and just all around smooth. Maybe this is what eating a chocolate flavored cloud would be like...

OK, we know the texture is good. But how does it taste?

Well, first the aroma: I like that the scent is mostly chocolate with just a hint of mint. I was worried it would be overwhelmingly minty...but I need not have been concerned.

As for the taste, it's terrific. JELL-O has also perfected the flavor of their sugar- and fat-free puddings to the point that it's hard to tell them by flavor alone from their sugar sweetened, full-fat counterparts.

Tastewise, it's a nice deep cocoa flavor. (I am pretty sure it uses the Dark Chocolate flavor as a base). The mint flavor is pleasantly mild. You certainly taste it -- it's brisk and clean and leaves your mouth feeling cool. But at the same time there's no sense that it's toothpastey or medicinal.



Overall, it was quite good. The Dark Chocolate Decadence is still my favorite, but this flavor is definitely comes in next!

AND NOW FOR THE REALLY EXCITING PART...THE CONTEST!!

Yep, YOU can win some yummy JELL-O Mousse...and not just a teeny little taste, but a whole happy lot of it! The good folks over at JELL-O are so nice that they want one of my lucky readers to try not only this new flavor...but also the Dark Chocolate Decadence, the Chocolate Indulgence, and the sugar free Chocolate and Chocolate-Vanilla puddings as well!

Yep, that is a whopping five packs of pudding! And with six individual cups per pack, that's a total of 30 servings of JELL-O Mousse Temptations joy! Really, what more could one want? I dunno about you...but personally if it's a choice between world peace and winning 30 servings of über-delicious JELL-O mousse, I'd be seriously torn.



So what do you have to do to enter and win? Good question!

All you have to do is leave a comment in this post telling about your favorite JELL-O pudding flavor. (It doesn't matter which variety, nor whether it's the kind you make yourself or one of the snack pack flavors). The contest will be open until midnight PST, October 9th, 2010, and the winner will be announced Monday October 11th 2010. See the rules below!

The winner will be asked to submit their email address via a comment (don't worry, it will NOT be published), so that I can contact them for mailing information. Your information will be shared ONLY with Hunter P.R., which will be shipping the winner their prize directly.

Rules and other important contest info:

* The contest is open to U.S. residents only. (My apologies to my Canadian and overseas friends.)

* Only one entry per person.

* The winner will be chosen by me at random by whatever means I find amusing at the moment -- quite likely by some method involving cats.

* The winner will have until October 19th to contact me, or a new winner will be picked.

* Again, the winner's shipping information will NOT be posted, and will be shared ONLY with Hunter P.R, which will be shipping the prize package directly to the winner.

Good luck!!



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

CALORIES:
60 calories per cup.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Sugar free.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
kraftfoods.com

Mousse Temptations by JELL-O: Chocolate Indulgence

I like indulging myself.

I like chocolate.

I really like indulging myself with chocolate.

With that logic, there is no way I could possibly dislike Jell-O Mousse Temptations Chocolate Indulgence. And you know what? I LOVE IT!



Once again, Jell-O has rocked my world. (Need I mention the new Mousse Temptations line comes in at a mere 60 calories per cup, and it's sugar free? All the better!)

Chocolate Indulgence is a less deep and dark version of the Dark Chocolate Decadence version, but it is no less good. It's more of a traditional chocolate mousse flavor. Actually, to be completely fair, in terms of taste it reminds me exactly of the full fat, full calorie classic Jell-O chocolate pudding. And who doesn't love chocolate pudding? It's milky. It's sweet, but there is a mild cocoa essence.



The texture, however, is all light, airy and moussey. I've said it in my other reviews of the Mousse Temptations line, and I'll say it again: the whipped texture is the best thing that has ever happened to sugar-free pudding type products. Granted, this is not a pudding, but to put that comment in context, the texture of the sugar-free products tends to feel oily and leave your mouth feeling slightly coated. But the mousse texture completely averts that from ever even happening.

I love both of the chocolate versions of the Mousse Temptations. Whether you are watching calories or not, these treats are just the bomb.

Yes, you DO need to try these!



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

Mousse Temptations by JELL-O: Caramel Crème

In case you missed it last week, I reviewed the first in the new line of Jell-O Mousse Temptations: the Dark Chocolate Decadence flavor. And it is no exaggeration to say I would officially do very bad things for just one more cup.

Next in the line up is the Caramel Crème.



Just like its Dark Chocolate Decadence sibling, the mousse is sugar-free and comes in at only 60 calories. The texture is just as light and fluffy -- actually, I think the caramel version is even a little more airy. And once again, I have to give hats off to the good folks at Jell-O for coming up with the mousse idea. The texture of the mousse perfectly covers (or actually rids) the dessert of the waxy, weird mouthfeel that can haunt sugar-free, low fat puddings.



But how does it taste?

It's a very milky, sweet caramel. It reminded me most of flan; especially the crème caramel version of flan (read the Wikipedia entry, wonderfully HERE). There is sort of a custardy quality to it (though sadly, not that great thick topping flan has). But at the same time it reminded me of a lighter -- in terms of flavor -- version of the classic butterscotch.

I'm not going to lie; it didn't come anywhere near equaling, let alone topping, the Dark Chocolate Decadence. But that would be pretty hard to do, because the Dark Chocolate Decadence kicks some serious butt. It's still pretty good, though.


PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

Mousse Temptations by JELL-O: Dark Chocolate Decadence

WOOHOO! There are new Jell-O products out!

Is it sad that this fact may prove to be the highlight of my week? Well, you know what? I don't care! It's not chocolate pudding, it's chocolate mousse!



And I think we all know that mousse is the dessert of the gods. The Jell-O version is also sugar free and comes in at only 60 calories. You know what else? I wouldn't care if it came in at six hundred calories; it is just that good!

Dark Chocolate Decadence has a deep flavor that is best described as raw devil's food cake batter (the other food of the gods). It's a strong cocoa flavor that has a little milky essence to it. Yet, because the dark chocolate holds its own so well, it's nearly impossible to tell that this is a sugar free dessert.



The texture is very light, whipped and airy. It is a bit denser than a true mousse would be...but ignore that. The whipped texture may be the best thing that has ever happened to sugar free dessert. I say that because while I happen to like the "regular" sugar-free chocolate Jell-O pudding, there is difference in the mouthfeel compared to "normal" sugar-sweetened, full fat pudding (the regular is not as creamy, and tends to make your mouth feel a little oily). But all you get with the whipped version is angelic, fluffy happiness.

I liked these so much that I did something I never do over the course of writing a review: I ate two containers in a row! (Which kinda makes the low calorie count a moot point, but I can live with that. I can live very happily with it, thank you very much!)

Just go to the store and get yourself a box right now, then come back here and thank me...I'll wait. Because I know that once you taste it, you won't take long.

This is so good, in fact, that I am bringing back the rating that started it all!:




PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

Cold Stone Creamery Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Ice Cream

If there are two things I love in life, they are Cold Stone Creamery ice cream and Jell-O pudding.



Well, it's as if the fine people at Cold Stone read my mind and made my own little food fantasies come true! Cold Stone and Jell-O pudding in one cup?! That phrase is almost as dear to my flinty little heart as "New Barry Manilow Album!"

Cold Stone offers two Jell-O pudding flavors: Butterscotch and Chocolate. Maybe it was just lazy of me, but I went with the chocolate (although I did have a taste spoon of the Butterscotch, and I will get a real portion and review it soon).



I decided to get the signature creation that was made for this flavor: it's called "Chocolate-y Goodness," and it is made with peanut butter, caramel and fudge.

The problem with most fantasies is that if they do come true, they tend to let you down...kinda the way most new Manilow albums turn out to be covers rather than new material. (Barry, I swear, if your next album is "Songs of the 90s," I will do something horrible enough to make the tabloids.) And sadly, this isn't an exception.

Just for a moment, let's forget the mix-ins and focus only on the ice cream itself. I loved the flavor. It does taste exactly like frozen chocolate Jell-O pudding. There is a very strong dairy flavor, and it's sweet. It's everything you would want a Jell-O ice cream to be. Good so far, right?

Wrong.



But, Gigi -- I hear you say -- if it tastes so good, then what is the problem?

The problem, my friends, is the texture. Of all the things I will go to my grave believing, high on the list will be the firm conviction that ice cream should NOT be chewy. And by chewy, I mean should not have the texture and consistency of an especially sticky booger. Laying in wait, hidden in the chocolaty depths, is something evil and unholy that causes the ice cream to have this bizarre, almost gelatinous texture. No real pudding, not even Jell-O brand, contains gelatin. So, unless Cold Stone altered the recipe and added gelatin, I can't begin to explain what could possibly account for the chewy, lumpy, snotty texture.

The Cold Stoner who made my pint for me told me he'd heard that if you let the ice cream warm to room temperature, it will become more like actual Jell-O pudding. Being the little amateur Alton Brown that I am, I could not resist performing that experiment in the name of pure science...and I can tell you he was right! If you do allow the ice cream to come to room temp, it does in fact seem more like pudding, and the texture evens out a bit. Of course, by that point, why would you go through the trouble when you could buy or make pudding a lot easier and cheaper than seeking out and buying the Cold Stone version? Kinda defeats the purpose.

I do want to say that the mix-ins in the Chocolate-Y Goodness were in fact pretty good with this flavor. Admittedly, I may be biased because I have recently fallen in love with "fresh" peanut butter in ice cream. But all three toppings, simple as they were, tasted pretty darn good. It's just not good enough to make up for that hideous garden slug texture.

This is another of those items that was initially hard to rate, because the flavor was just so good, despite the shortcomings otherwise. But in the end, it's impossible to ignore that nauseating mucus-like consistency, and that is what ultimately killed any chance for a decent rating.



Edited to add that Marvo reviewed both flavors and seemed to like them much more then I did- and he took the Alton Brown angle to a much cooler extreme!

PURCHASED FROM:
Cold Stone Creamery

Sugar-Free Jell-o With Antioxidants Raspberry Goji

The good people over at Jell-O couldn't have had better timing coming out with this flavor
I won't lie- my favorite way of having Jell-O is still in the forms of Jell-O shots... which is not exactly the healthiest way to enjoy it (wait- vodka is part of a balanced diet right?). I have been looking for low- cal, low fat snacks. It's pretty hard to get lower then 10 calories a serving!- and once again it's antioxilisius!

The Raspberry Goji, has a nice bright raspberry flavor. It's not quite as rich as say a raspberry jam would be but it is a nice floral berry flavor. There is also a taste that the easiest way to describe would be to say that it's sort of like Hawaiian Punch only not. I am not too familiar with the way Goji Berry tastes so there is a very good chance that could be the Goji.

This was a satisfying snack. Sweet enough to curb a sugar craving and perfectly diet friendly. I think I have to start giving a deeper look into Jell-O gelatin.

PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company

Jell-O Sugar Free Pudding- Cinnamon Roll

Even here in SoCal where we seem to have had a never ending summer I think I will have to pull out my finest Cosby sweater to snack on some Jell-o pudding.
I love the thought of cinnamon pudding. Why isn't it a popular flavor?

The Jell-o Cinnamon Roll pudding has two layers. The first is supposed to be like the icing and the bottom is of course the cinnamon part. The top layer is sweet and does vaguely remind me of the icing off a Cinnabon.
What I really liked was the cinnamon layer. It actually reminded me of a really smooth and creamy version of the cinnamon sugar cream of wheat. It has the same mellow, sweet cinnamon- rather then a hot and spicy cinnamon. For a sugar-free fat-free snack it was pretty good!

I made pretty quick work of these!

Jell-O Instand Pudding- Pistachio

Now it is time to ask one of the great questions in life...
No, it is not why did they ever stop making Pudding Pop's (and yes, I know they did bring them back but they are not the same, these new ones are glorified fudgecicles)
The question is why is everything that is supposed to be pistachio flavored actually almond flavored? I don't get it. It would taste just as good if it was called almond flavor instead.

This pudding is (as you probably guessed) no exception to that rule. The flavor is best described as an edible version of Jergens Cherry-Almond hand cream... and oddly enough that is not a bad thing. The flavor is predominately a strong cherry-like almond with a bit of vanilla. There are surprisingly crunchy tiny pieces of almond.
I am not sure there is a natural flavor to be found in the bright minty green colored mix but it's probably as good as it is because of that. There is something comforting about this pudding. I think it's so good because it's so bad.

There is nothing redeeming about this pudding on some levels, it's not novel in any way. It certainly won't win you any Foodie bragging points (actually admitting to eating it may take some away) but it's one of those things that is so bad it's kind of good.

PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket