Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Off The Grid Vanilla Buttermilk Waffles

Marvo 5 Comments

Off The Grid Vanilla Buttermilk Waffles

What are Off The Grid Vanilla Buttermilk Waffles?

From the folks who brought us the Eggo comes Off The Grid which are frozen waffles with 12 grams of complete protein per serving and made with 100% whole grains and cage-free eggs.

I bought the Vanilla Buttermilk ones because it’s the only one my local Target carries. But there are also cinnamon brown sugar and wild blueberry varieties.

How are they?

Although they come from Kellogg’s and look like a tanned version of America’s most popular frozen waffle, they definitely do not taste like an Eggo.

When eaten sans syrup, the vanilla and buttermilk flavor are noticeable, but they’re not potent enough that I can imagine me eating these without some kind of sweet condiment. Toasting them makes the exterior a little crispy and the interior soft. Of course, that’s prior to me giving them a syrup shower.

Off The Grid Vanilla Buttermilk Waffles Tanned

While the whole grains do give these a slightly grainy texture and different flavor compared to an Eggo, I thought they tasted decent. But Eggo Homestyle Waffles do taste a little better to me. Store brand pancake syrup that has been carefully added to the brim of every pocket in the waffle adds a much-needed flavor. (Yup, that’s how I do syrup on waffles.) Thankfully, it doesn’t completely mask the vanilla and buttermilk.

Is there anything else you need to know?

A serving of two waffles has 13 grams of protein (12 grams of complete protein), which is 24 percent of your daily recommended intake. Unfortunately, unlike regular Eggo waffles, they’re not fortified with 20-25% of your RDA of a bunch of vitamins and minerals, like calcium, folic acid, vitamin A, etc, All you’re getting with these is protein, some fiber, and a minuscule amount of vitamin D, iron, calcium, and potassium.

According to the box, complete proteins contain all nine of the special essential amino acids in the right amounts. Our bodies don’t make or store these amino acids so we have to get them through food.

If you’re wondering how these differ from Kodiak Cakes Power Waffles, I have to admit I haven’t had them. But what I do know is that a box of Kodiak Cakes has 10 waffles per box, while Off The Grid has eight. And I also know protein waffles are expensive.

Conclusion:

Off The Grid Vanilla Buttermilk Waffles are fine for what they are — frozen waffles. If you’re looking for a product that provides protein, these are a decent tasting option. But they don’t convince me to completely leggo the Eggo.

Purchased Price: $6.49*
Size: 8 waffles/box
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 waffles) 230 calories, 11 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Del Monte Bubble Fruit

Tiffany 7 Comments

Del Monte Sour Apple Watermelon Bubble Fruit

Del Monte has been quite the busy bee innovating in the fruit cup® aisle. Check that registration symbol – did you know it trademarked something as generic-sounding as “fruit cup”?! You know it means business. The brand has launched two new lines within the past year: Fruit & Oats and Bubble Fruit.

Bubble Fruit is not quite as telegraphic as Fruit & Oats. So, what is it? According to the back panel, “We’ve added popping boba to our tasty fruit cup® snacks for an unexpected burst of flavor! Popular in bubble tea and frozen yogurt shops, popping boba burst and release a blast of fruit flavor when you bite them.” These new cups come in three tasty, seemingly low-risk flavors: Sour Apple Watermelon, Pear Berry Pomegranate, and Peach Strawberry Lemonade.

Del Monte Pear Berry Pomegranate Bubble Fruit

Del Monte Peach Strawberry Lemonade Bubble Fruit

If you haven’t had popping boba at the aforementioned bubble tea and frozen yogurt spots, they’re balls of juice. With food magics, juice is encapsulated in clear edible spheres. It’s inspired by its starchy cousin from Taiwan, which is usually submerged in milk tea. The original’s chewy texture and dark brown/almost-black texture can be off-putting. So, popping boba is like a friendly, colorful version!

Full transparency, I haven’t enjoyed the popping kind as much because I’m a bit of a traditionalist. However, when I see something from the motherland hit mainstream shelves, I can’t help but be compelled to try it and exclaim, “Look Ma, we made it!!”

Del Monte Bubble Fruit Top

When I first lined up all the flavors, I thought they all had really pleasant hues of pinks and oranges. Without the outer packaging, it was tough to discern what the flavors were. Also, they were a nightmare to open.

Del Monte Peach Strawberry Lemonade Bubble Fruit Spill
Del Monte Peach Strawberry Lemonade Bubble Fruit Spill

The first one I opened squirted all over me and let me tell you, it was not pleasant to smell like Del Monte’s interpretation of “pear berry” all day. I thought it was user error the first time, so with the second one I carefully tried to open it. But it still spilled a bit on my table. With the last one, I gave up and decided to puncture the plastic film and carve along the edge with a paring knife. I recognize most people eating this on-the-go would not have a knife handy like this. So, thumbs down for packaging.

Del Monte Pear Berry Pomegranate Bubble Fruit Topless
Del Monte Pear Berry Pomegranate Bubble Fruit

So now that it was all over my shirt and I was slurpin’, poppin’, and eatin’, I concluded that neither of the three delivered on the more complex fruit fusion promised in the flavor names. For the peach, I didn’t get the strawberry lemonade at all. For the sour apple watermelon, there was no tang or melon. It tasted mostly like pear, even down to the texture. For the pear one, there was a slightly sour edge which could be reminiscent of a pomegranate, but if I had to get one flavor again, it would be the Pear Berry Pomegranate.

I also decided to try all three cold AND at room temperature. The cold version seemed to balance the somewhat squishy texture of a fruit cup better. It was also like drinking cold juice, which is always better than drinking room temperature juice!

Del Monte Bubble Fruit Popping Boba

I also found the popping boba was less of a “burst of flavor” than I was used to. I think it’s because it’s submerged in all this sweet juice, so it subdued the impact.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard not to like fruit in sugar water, but it overpromised and underdelivered on flavor for me. Overall, it’s different from everything else that’s out there, so try it for the novelty at least!

Purchased Price: $2.29
Size: 4 oz. cup 4-pack
Purchased at: Walmart (Pear Berry Pomegranate and Peach Strawberry Lemonade) and Target (Sour Apple Watermelon)
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Peach Strawberry Lemonade)
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Sour Apple Watermelon)
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Pear Berry Pomegranate)
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 60 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 5 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 grams of dietary fiber, 12 grams of total sugars, 6 grams of added sugars, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Baskin-Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

Marvo 3 Comments

Limited Edition Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

Baskin-Robbins Stranger Things Mind Flayer Mint Ice Cream recently popped up at Target, along with three other Stranger Things-branded pints. I bought them all, but, sadly, only one was a new flavor.

If only I hadn’t ignored the description on the pint like it was instructions for IKEA furniture. Then I would’ve realized Mind Flayer Mint was Baskin-Robbins’ regular ol’ mint chocolate chip ice cream in Stranger Things clothing.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Well, I have been fooled again within a month by a Baskin-Robbins branded product — Limited Edition Baskin-Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies.

Shame on me.

Limited Edition Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies Creme

The snack features chocolate Oreo wafers with two layers of creme — chocolate and mint with chocolate chip bits in it. This is Oreo’s second cookie collaboration with Dunkin’ Brands, the first being 2017’s Dunkin’ Donuts Mocha Oreo Cookies. Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Baskin-Robbins and Oreo in the same product name. The iconic cookie has been an ingredient in 75% of Baskin-Robbins’ Flavors of the Month. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but doesn’t it seem like it’s in three out of four flavors.

Twisting off a wafer reveals an image that looks like what I saw when I peeled back the lid of Mind Flayer Mint – a light green staring back at me with dark specks of chocolate.

And, this is where I got fooled a second time by a Baskin-Robbins-branded product. Even though there’s a layer of chocolate creme and there are chocolate chip bits in the mint creme, this cookie tastes like something that already exists — regular Mint Oreo. Sure, there might be some slight difference in the level of chocolate because of the other creme, but, bite after bite, all that comes to mind is a Mint Oreo. I mean, that isn’t bad, but I was hoping for a bit more.

Limited Edition Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies Top

Well, there might be a bit more. Is it my imagination, or is there an extra cooling sensation with these cookies? Perhaps to make it feel more like ice cream? I dunno. Maybe it’s my strong desire for these to be something more than a Mint Oreo in green cheetah print. Oh, speaking of textures, the chocolate chip bits add some when eating just the creme, but they’re not noticeable when eating a cookie whole.

Before limited edition flavors became the norm back in the early 2000s, Mint Oreo was one of my favorites. So it’s hard for me to knock Limited Edition Baskin-Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo hard for tasting like it. But I still feel a little disappointed this variety is like Baskin-Robbins’ Mind Flayer Mint Ice Cream in that it looks different on the outside, but doesn’t taste different than what already exists.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 10.7 oz.
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: International Delight French Toast Swirl Creamer

Marvo 5 Comments

International Delight French Toast Swirl Creamer

I’m so glad I started drinking coffee years ago.

If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be experiencing the one-upscreamership between International Delight and the popular creamer brand from Nestle that sometimes has a hyphen in its name and sometimes doesn’t. Both do collaborations with other brands. Both do unique flavors that the other doesn’t have.

Who’s winning? I don’t care. I’ll fork over my hard-earned cash for whatever either brand is peddling. The latest from International Delight is the limited time only French Toast Swirl, which promises “swirls of maple and cinnamon flavor.”

I taste cinnamon. I taste maple. I taste cream. I taste…egg?

I mean, it’s not as if there’s the taste of scrambled eggs is in my coffee, but it’s kind of like an eggy bread flavor. That combined with strong cinnamon and maple does equal to something that tastes like French toast, and it’s potent when poured into a cup of coffee. This creamer is délicieux.

International Delight French Toast Swirl Creamer Mug

Yes, eggy flavor sounds weird and it might turn some of you off, but it’s what makes this creamer stand out. Without it, it would be more of a run-of-the-mill variety. Actually, the more I think about it, and the more I drink, I realize it also reminds me of bread pudding I’ve had.

But, as someone who has tried almost every big brand and store brand creamer I can get my hands on, this coffee additive’s flavor tastes similar to another one I’ve had in the past. But after doing some thinking while sipping on a mug of coffee lightened with a healthy dose of this creamer, I couldn’t pinpoint which creamer it tastes like.

I don’t know if it’s the caffeine in my French toast-flavored coffee that’s doing the talking, but International Delight’s French Toast Swirl Creamer is tre magnifique. I enjoyed it as much as the Reese’s one, which is a variety I’ve bought numerous times since its debut in 2017.

I don’t know if my taste buds are just tired from all the different chocolate-flavored creamers recently, but this one stands out among all the varieties that have come out with the past two years from International Delight and the creamer brand from Nestle that sometimes has a hyphen in its name and sometimes doesn’t.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample of the product. (Thanks, International Delight!) Doing so did not influence my review in any way. Although, I can understand why you might think so with a 9 out of 10 rating. But I assure you it did not.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 32 fl. oz.
Purchased at: Received from ID
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Tbsp) 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Panda Express Sichuan Hot Chicken

Marvo 3 Comments

Panda Express Sichuan Hot Chicken

Panda Express’ Sichuan Hot Chicken is its take on crispy chicken strips, which seem to be all the rage with fast food chains nowadays. The entree is breaded all-white meat chicken tossed in a spicy Sichuan peppercorn sauce and dusted with a secret spice blend.

It’s easily the crunchiest chicken item on the menu, although that texture is on the edges of the pieces where the coating is a bit thicker. The chicken within the breading of the strips I received was juicy. Of course, your results may vary because of someone who was overzealous with the wok tossing.

The sauce isn’t sticky like Orange Chicken or gloopy like what’s on mushroom chicken. Instead, it’s an oil-based sauce with the spices swimming in it. Panda’s Sichuan peppercorn sauce with the secret spice blend is savory, peppery, spicy, a smidge citrusy, and pretty darn good.

Panda Express Sichuan Hot Chicken Make it Spicy

But it’s even better when you “Make it Spicy,” which is an option you have while ordering. If you do, your chicken will get sprinkled with an extra dose of the secret spice blend, which gives the breading an ominous look and amps up the heat AND flavor. To me, the added seasoning makes the standard Sichuan Hot Chicken pieces seem kind of bland. When I order this again, I’ll definitely “Make it Spicy.”

While the word “hot” is in its name, the regular Sichuan Hot Chicken isn’t what I would call “hot.” There’s a burn that slowly builds up to a mild level, but it doesn’t have me reaching for a soothing beverage. The “Make it Spicy” pieces are noticeably hotter, but it’s still not enough to make me want to shovel Panda’s fried rice into my mouth to relieve the burning. Also, whatever heat there is doesn’t linger for long.

Panda Express Sichuan Hot Chicken Side by Side

My biggest issue with this entree deals with size. The pieces aren’t uniform. As you can see in the photo above, the ones on the left, which is a three-piece order of the standard Sichuan Hot Chicken, are dramatically smaller than the ones on the right, which is a three-piece order of the ones made spicy. Looking at those three small pieces on my styrofoam plate, I can’t help but think I’m getting ripped off a little. But if I got three of the ones on the right or more of the smaller pieces, I’d feel a bit better.

Panda Express Sichuan Hot Chicken Innard

Sichuan Hot Chicken is another yummy sauced chicken selection from Panda Express. The Sichuan peppercorn sauce and secret spice blend are tasty, but they’re not quite good enough to make this limited-time menu item Orange Chicken-tastic or Beijing Beef-abulous.

Purchased Price: $9.20 (2-entree plate)
Size: 3-piece serving
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 pieces) 400 calories 26 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 910 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 19 grams of protein.

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