After Easter Candy Bonanza

After Easter sales at Target. This cost me only 2.69

Jalapeno Jack Sun Chips

Though chips may come in many shapes, they are often made of the same things. Most chips are made of either potatoes or corn. However, there is one kind of chip that is made of something other than corn and potatoes. That chip line is the Sun Chips line. Claiming to be made of whole wheat, and also claiming to be "better" for you, Sun Chips are delicious.

Because of they are delicious, I found myself buying this bag on impulse at 7-11. The label states that this flavor is new and I certainly have not seen it anywhere else. Then again, I don't really pay that much attention to Sun Chips. Even though I like them a lot, I've probably only tasted the three original flavors which are Original, Cheddar, and, my favorite, French Onion. I haven't even tasted the ones that come in the loud bags like Harvest...something or another. However, this one came in a handy "big" bag and I decided it wouldn't hurt to give this a go.

A Jalapeno Jack Sun Chip

To be frank, I didn't taste any difference between this and French Onion. If there was some sort of jalapeno heat that was supposed to come off, I didn't feel it at all. Even though I was a bit disappointed that this flavor wasn't that much different from the other Sun Chip flavors I remember, that doesn't it was bad. Like I said before, French Onion is my favorite flavor of Sun Chips, so I still really liked this. However, I feel like I have to deduct at the very least 1/2 a point or maybe even a full point just because I expected something cheesy and spicy, but instead got something I already knew. From a flavor perspective this chip was still great though, so don't hesitate to give them a try for yourself.

Jalapeno Jack Sun Chips: 8.5/10

Diet Big Red Soda

My beverage of choice wherever I go is usually a diet soda. Among my favorites are Diet A&W Root Beer, Pepsi Max, and, of course, good old Diet Coke. However, sometimes, like with all good things, when you have too much of a certain diet soda, you grow tired of it. It doesn't mean that the soda isn't good anymore, it just means you've grown too accustomed to it, so you don't appreciate as much as you once did. That is why, for better or for worse, I'm always willing to try different diet sodas that I've never tasted before.

Enter Diet Big Red. I've read about Big Red soda before, but I've never tasted it. Wal-Mart sold non-diet versions of Big Red, but I would rather save my 150 or so calories for solid food. However, the other day, Wal-Mart did in-fact start selling the diet version of Big Red, so into the unknown I go!

Diet Big Red in my Christmas cat glass

There aren't many red colored sodas, so who knows what this was going to taste like. When most people think of Big Red, they think of Wrigley's Big Red gum, and I was almost certain that they wouldn't flavor a soda with cinnamon. Well, the best way to describe the flavor of this soda would be that it tastes like bubblegum. That's right, think about the flavors of Bazooka Joe or Big League Chew, and this soda tastes pretty much like what you're imagining. According to Wikipedia, the flavors are derived from mixing lemon oil, orange oil, and vanilla. Also according to Wikipedia, this soda is a favorite of several celebrities, including Karl Malone.

I can't say that I liked this soda, nor can I say I disliked it. It was refreshing at first, but after a while, I can see how it can turn disgusting. My friends did not seem to like the soda, with one of them describing it as tasting like cough syrup. I wouldn't go THAT far, but this soda is definitely not for everyone. I guess it's a soda that you would like if you grew up drinking it, but for the rest of us, it's a hit or miss.

Diet Big Red Soda: 5/10

Red Ninja Umeboshi flavored candy

I pretty much made the name up on the fly. There's no English label on the back, so I had to make up a name based on the packaging. Anyway, sometimes there are candies that are seen as "acquired tastes". One of the most popular candies that have an "acquired taste" is licorice. Some people love it, others despise it. Some people don't like sour candy. This is why candy comes in all sorts of different variations of sweet and sour. However, there are some candies that are seen as, "Why would they ever make a candy that tastes like this?" This is one of those candies.

It seems as if Japan took my image and decided use it as a mascot for a candy. I'm fine with that as long as I get some royalties. There's a grape variation of this candy, which has a stockier ninja on it I've never been a fan of umeboshi; having never tried it, how could I? I've seen several umeboshi flavored candies in Japanese markets, but the idea of eating a pickled plum in candy form never appealed to me. However, you know what does appeal to me? Great packaging. I bought this candy, not knowing what umeboshi tastes like, based off of the fact that the bag was interesting. I could only pray that this would taste good, or at the very least, decent.

An umeboshi gummy

Let me give it to you straight: Don't get this candy. That is, unless you like your candy to have a salty-sour flavor, akin to, as one of my friends described, "fish sauce". The taste gets worse the longer you keep it in your mouth. I thought my students were overreacting when they said this tasted terrible. I don't think I've had a candy that tasted this wretched since the double salt licorice I wrote about some months back. The smell is that of fermented something, which is never good with candy, and the taste is salty and sour and just wrong. The grape flavor tastes infinitely better when compared with this. Most candies would taste infinitely better compared to this.

Red Ninja Umeboshi flavored candy: 0/10

Godiva Gems: Ice Cream Parlor Dark Mint Chocolate Chip Truffles

Alright, so the title may be the longest title I've posted so far. At Target there was a stand with Godiva products separate from the other candy, so I wondered why this was. The items on this rack were a bit pricier than the other candy items, which was understandable, since it's from Godiva. I argue that they could have put these products next to the Lindt and Ghiradelli products, but I'm not in charge. Anyway, seeing a new line of candy at Target, I figured I had to try it.

I decided that the first product I would try would be these. Chocolate and mint is almost always a good combination, or at the very least, never a bad combination. This bag is a bit bigger than a bag of Lindt truffles, so I assume that's why they're a bit more expensive. Speaking of Lindt truffles, this bag reminds me of Lindt truffles, as does the candy depicted on the front. No matter, Skittles and M&Ms have the same packaging and shape, and they're worlds apart.

A wrapped Godiva Gem

A gem cut in half

The filling was not what I expected. I was expecting a rich, buttery taste, but what I got was something a bit fancier than a Junior Mint. The chocolate was solid, but as stated before, the filling was lacking. As time went on, I could see how the candy SORT OF resembled mint chocolate chip ice cream, but it wasn't close enough of a resemblance for me. However, I recall Lindt's attempt at making a dark chocolate and mint filling truffle, which I didn't like too much either. Perhaps, the epitome of dark chocolate and mint is found in an Andes chocolate thin mint.

Godiva Gems: Ice Cream Parlor Dark Mint Chocolate Chip Truffles: 7/10

Frito Lay Pizza Flavored Snack Mix

One of my favorite lines of snacks is the Munchies line. The concept behind Munchies is combining chips such as Doritos, Cheetos, and other Frito Lay products and mixing them all together in one bag. They come in various flavors. The only downside is that sometimes there are pretzels in them, which is a no go for me. The other chips have a crisp, light texture, whereas the pretzels are kind of a hard road block. The other day, I found that snack mixes like Munchies aren't found just in the U.S.

That's right, Japan has its own line too. I recognize Doritos and Cheetos, but I have no idea what Mike Popcorn is. Anyway, in my previous post I mentioned that pizza flavored chips are hard to come by, well the Frito Lay company has decided to shove the opposite in my face once again. The pizza on the bag looks quite nice and artisanal.

Cheeto, Dorito, Mike's Popcorn

The pizza smell and flavor were there, but the flavor was a bit lacking. It was a bit underpowered flavor wise, which is hard to do with Doritos or Cheetos. I can't speak for Mike's Popcorn. The texture of the Cheeto and Dorito were the same as the ones found in the States, but the popcorn was a bit stale. This is why I don't like to buy pre-packaged and pre-popped popcorn unless it's drizzled with all kinds of stuff. There was a divide among my students as to whether this was good or bad. The younger students seemed to like it, but the older students didn't like it at all. To sum it up, it had a good smell and initial flavor, but it was a bit under flavored and the popcorn was stale.

Frito Lay Pizza Flavored Snack Mix: 7/10

Doritoes Pizza Supreme

Previously, I had written about a new flavor of Ruffles. In the same entry, I stated that Doritos were among my favorite chips. It's always exciting when Doritos comes out with a new flavor. Doritos Tailgate BBQ earned a 10/10 rating from me. Unfortunately, I haven't seen it since writing the review. Hopefully, the next flavor would be able to fill the void

Pizza, now there's a flavor one seldom sees when it comes to chips outside of Pringles. What does pizza taste like in chip form? Maybe it tastes terrible, maybe it tastes good. I wouldn't know unless I tried this flavor.

A Pizza Supreme flavored Dorito

As my students put it, "This tastes like Goldfish", and I'm sort of inclined to agree. For those that don't know, there are pizza flavored Goldfish. For those that do know, imagine the flavor coating on the pizza flavored Goldfish on a Dorito. That's basically it. It was good, but not great. The flavor didn't seem to be as intense to me as their original flavors such as Nacho or Ranch. A solid flavor on a good chip.

Doritos Pizza Supreme: 8/10