Tag: Frozen Food

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: White Castle Desserts On-A-Stick

Marvo 9 Comments

White Castle has had a line of frozen tiny sliders for years. But now there are White Castle Desserts to help you complete your White Castle meal from the freezer aisle.

I know it says “mini” on the boxes, but I didn’t realize how so until I opened one. They fit comfortably in the palm of my hand. They’re super adorbs! I just want to cup them in my hands and tell them how cute they are, like a pet mouse.

There are four White Castle Desserts to choose from: Fudge-Dipped Brownie, Fudge-Dipped Peanut Butter Pie, Fudge-Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake, and Gooey Butter Cake.

Fudge-Dipped Brownie

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Brownie On A Stick

This is similar to the Fudge-Dipped Brownie offered at White Castle restaurants. I’ve never had one, so I can’t compare the two, but the freezer aisle version is mostly like biting into a pie shaped piece of fudge. I know it’s fudge dipped, but the whole thing feels and tastes like I’m eating fudge. Look at the cross section photo below; it looks more like fudge than a brownie.

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Brownie On A Stick 3

The section closest to the stick, the unfudged part, does taste more like a box mix brownie, than fudge. There are chocolate chips, but with my taste buds overloaded with fudge flavor, it’s impossible to distinguish them. So they’re there more for show.

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Brownie On A Stick 2

It may be tiny, but it’s dense. How dense is it? It’s more so than the number of times I used the word “fudge” in the last two paragraphs. It’s so much so that there’s no way I could eat another right after eating one.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 240 calories, 100 calories from fat, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 26 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Fudge-Dipped Peanut Butter Pie

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Peanut Butter Pie On A Stick

Before trying any of them, I thought this variety would end up being my favorite because the chocolate and peanut butter combo has almost always made my lips emit an “MMMM.” But with this mini dessert, my mouth thought about letting out a “meh.”

The peanut butter part of the pie tastes similar to a PB cookie. It’s dense, much like the brownie one. It’s also gritty and has a noticeable saltiness to it. The fudge coating also seems to have gained some of that nutty flavor. There’s also a cocoa cookie crust on the bottom that enhances the fudge flavor.

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Peanut Butter Pie On A Stick 2

The dessert as a whole tastes like a generic peanut butter cup, which sounds like a good thing. But much like the Fudge-Dipped Brownie, it’s also bit too dense and rich for me, which makes it less appealing. Also, its saltiness is a little more than I’d like.

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Peanut Butter Pie On A Stick 3

Surprisingly, this ended up being my least favorite. It’s far from terrible, but when I compare it with the others, I prefer the others more.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 280 calories, 190 calories from fat, 21 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Fudge-Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake On A Stick

This is the one that stood out for me. It’s the one where I said to myself, “Sugar count, be damned! I want another.”

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake On A Stick 2

The flavors come in waves. The strawberry hits first, which reminds me of strawberry ice cream, then a cheesecake tanginess comes across my taste buds. The graham cracker-like crust adds a bit of saltiness to the dessert that enhances the other flavors. But it also adds a texture that’s like compacted wet sand falling apart. I thought the fudge would make this more like a chocolate dipped strawberry, but the coating doesn’t play a strong role with the dessert’s flavor.

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake On A Stick 3

There are darker bits in the strawberry filling and a few streaks that are strawberry jam-like, which help make the fruit flavor stand out and lessen the fudge’s impact. Those streaks are under the coating, so in real life it doesn’t quite look like what’s on the box.

Also, being lighter than the brownie and peanut butter pie varieties helped make me enjoy this more.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 180 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Gooey Butter Cake

White Castle Desserts Gooey Butter Cake On A Stick

Gooey is not the most accurate adjective to describe this frozen Butter Cake. Dry and crumbly are probably more correct. Even after letting it sit for the recommended 5-10 minutes, its lack of gooey-ness didn’t change.

I’ve never had a butter cake, but as I chewed my way through this dessert, all I could think about was pound cake, which I very much enjoy. According to the ingredients list, there also a cream cheese component to it, but I didn’t taste it.

White Castle Desserts Gooey Butter Cake On A Stick 2

It’s not as dense as the other White Castle Dessert because there’s cake involved, which is the reason why the whole thing is dry and crumbly. The top layer is dense and drier than the lower tier and gives the dessert a cookie-like crunch. Both layers need to eaten together to get the optimum flavor because individually they taste just okay.

Even though its textures aren’t optimal, its flavor almost wholly makes up for it. It’s not overly sweet like some of the others, and I could see myself double fisting this.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 220 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 22 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Other Things

White Castle Desserts On A Stick

  • Except for the Gooey Butter Cake, they’re quite solid when pulled out of sub-zero temperatures. So if you do try to take a bite out of them at that point, pulling a piece away is going to make it feel as if any teeth aligning work you’ve gotten done has just gone to waste.
  • The long-winded instructions on most of the boxes say to let them thaw for 5-10 minutes before eating. But, for some reason, the brownie one says to wait 15 to 30 minutes. Fortunately, I found all of them to be soft enough after three minutes.
  • The White Castle logo is on the sticks, but with half of the dessert I’ve eaten the logo is face down. It’s a minor thing, but I guess I’m a sucker for consistency.

REVIEW: Oreo Chocolate Crunch State Fair Cookies

Mike 4 Comments

Oreo Chocolate Crunch State Fair Cookie

I was watching the Food Network recently, and one of the dozens of “Best of…” programs was featuring State Fair food. I hadn’t been to so much as a county fair in a long time, so I was not mentally prepared for the monuments to gluttony that I saw.

The last time I checked, funnel cake with powdered sugar or maybe an extra long churro was peak-indulgence. I’m not complaining, but we’re living in a world with fried cheesecake hot fudge sundaes topped with caramel, pralines, brownie pieces, and whipped cream, so I needed to reorient my worldview.

When I saw Oreo’s new Chocolate Crunch State Fair Cookies at Walmart, I knew I had to try to try them. Can the State Fair experience be recreated at home?

Oreo Chocolate Crunch State Fair Cookie 2

There are two cooking instructions on the box, conventional and microwave oven, so in the interest of experiencing everything these cookies had to offer, I tried both methods. The conventional oven preparation is pictured on the left and microwave on the right. I’m pleased that neither preparation has resulted in Oreo Crème leaking out the sides. I get inordinately angry at burst filling.

Right out of the oven, the scent immediately reminds me of french toast sticks. That’s a bit…strange, but not too off-putting. As I bite into it, my first impression is of chicken nuggets.

What?

No, the sharp chocolaty sweetness is quickly apparent, followed by the filling’s mild creaminess. So, they taste like Oreo cookies, but what’s going on here? Both the conventional and microwave oven samples share the same aroma, and I realize that what I’m detecting the ubiquitous essence that all deep fried and frozen snacks share, like fryer oil that should’ve been changed sooner. These also have the soggy breading that is the fate of so many other freezer-to-oven items.

Oreo Chocolate Crunch State Fair Cookie 3

These are not the little morsels of bliss that I was hoping for, so I decide to deconstruct them in an effort to see where everything went wrong. The crème is ordinary Oreo filling that thankfully never gets too hot or melty. (Imagine burning your tongue on molten crème filling.) The Oreo cookie is plain Oreo cookie that’s a bit soggy. The breading is plain breading that, despite the name, doesn’t taste like chocolate and never gets very crunchy. Combine all this and you get something that’s edible, but doesn’t even surpass common Oreo cookies, much less something you could get at a State Fair.

In the end, these State Fair Oreo Cookies are a bit disappointing. Perhaps Food Network programming has set my expectations for decadence too high. Will normal deserts now turn to ash in my mouth, forcing me to seek ever-loftier sensual delights until the line between pleasure and pain, virtue and vice are blurred? I dunno, but normal Oreo still taste pretty good, so I’m probably safe.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 cookies – 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 10 oz. box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Warm Oreo Crème doesn’t leak out the sides and is very tasty.
Cons: Odd-yet-familiar deep-fried frozen item scent and flavor. Doesn’t get very crisp even in a very hot oven.

REVIEW: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites

Rachel 2 Comments

1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites

Ah, the end of summer. A magical time when sleeves appear on clothes again, Halloween candy starts popping up in store aisles and I can finally turn the oven on and bake again (without feeling like I’m living inside it). Thankfully, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites hit shelves in near-autumn, when I could truly enjoy them.

2 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites

On first look, the sparkling sugar coating promised on the package was nowhere to be found. I guess sugar crystals would likely dissolve after just a short thaw, but still – bummer. When tempted with glitter/twinkle/shine/sequins/shimmer, I take it hard when real life comes up short.

3 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites

After the suggested eight-minute oven bake, the aroma was subtle – enveloping the stove area with a “something’s baking” cinnamony scent. The bites looked exactly the same after baking – I photographed them with my oven mitt in the frame to tell the before & after shots apart.

4 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites

The cinnamon coating gave the bites a density and a flavor kick, but it was more like a crust than crunch. Flavor and texture-wise, the outer shell of the bites screamed “Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls” with that familiar doughy feel. The tops even looked like those cinnamon shards that get half-stuck to the roll below it when you separate them from the exploding cardboard tube. I am a huge fan of the rolls, so I was happy with this development.

5 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites

Inside, the warm cinnamon filling stayed put and didn’t ooze out when cracked open. (I’ll let you decide if that’s a good thing or not.) It was slightly thicker than pudding and had a lovely cream cheese-like flavor taking second billing behind the star of the show, cinnamon.

6 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites

The biggest issue here was the lack of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in these Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites. They didn’t have the eggy undertones of the cereal or the grit of the cinnamon sugar. We need Maury to run a DNA test!

The box has oven and microwave directions, so I nuked a batch too. This only takes 30 seconds and while the taste is the same, the texture changes. The al dente feel is instead a soft bite and moist top.

7 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites

I tried to turn that into a positive, however. With Halloween right around the corner, I deployed my collection of candy eyeballs and edible whatnots. The sticky surface was perfect for grabbing and holding decorations. They also add a crunch that the bite itself doesn’t have.

Overall, I thought these were fun, easy and delicious – a great treat to make with kids. If you want them as-is, take the time to bake them. If you want to glam them up, put ‘em in the blaster.

(Nutrition Facts – 4 bites – 180 calories, 50 calories from fat, 6 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 380 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 13 grams of sugars and 3 grams of protein..)

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 8.8 oz. box (18 bites)
Purchased at: ShopRite
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: More like Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll Bites, amiright? Fun size & shape, nice cream-cheesy filling. Oven and microwave options. Begging for H’ween decorations.
Cons: Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, you are NOT the father! Don’t ever promise a glitter girl sparkle and not deliver.

REVIEW: Mac n’ Cheetos Mac & Cheese Snacks (Creamy Cheddar & Flamin’ Hot)

Leonard 6 Comments

Mac n Cheetos Mac Cheese Snacks Creamy Cheddar Flamin Hot

The Cheetos brand has been on fire recently (pun intended, of course.) Its Mac & Cheese snacks have been rolled out at Burger King twice. There have been bizarre genius marketing tactics, like Cheetos-branded toilet paper and most recently a pop-up restaurant in New York. Since the restaurant is only a three-day event and I live hours away, though, I have to settle for the next best thing, Mac n’ Cheetos Mac & Cheese Snacks from the freezer aisle!

I tried them when they first launched at BK so I was excited to indulge again, especially with a new flavor. The shape is still a chunkily shaped cylinder with a slight curve and when preparing these snacks Frito-Lay really wants you to work for them as there are no microwave instructions. This does mean, though, that the outsides continue to be crispy and crunchy without being too greasy, which I was expecting.

Mac n Cheetos Mac Cheese Snacks Creamy Cheddar Flamin Hot 2

The insides are full of mac and cheese creamy goodness and I mean that in every sense of the word. It’s an intense cheddar cheese flavor, very rich actually, and with the pasta it does somewhat reach into being quite heavy for a small bite.

However, when it’s bordering on too much, the outside breading always counteracts to save it. They work together really well and I always got a little jolt of excitement when seeing the round end of a macaroni piece unearth itself. The Flamin’ Hot ones have the same cheesy flavor on the inside but with a nice, albeit small, kick of heat from the outside breading.

Now, you’re probably thinking, ”Wow, Leonard is really digging these. I need to stop everything and run out to find these immediately!!!!” There’s no bones about it, these are great mac and cheese snacks and if that’s all they were I would be a very satisfied repeat customer.

Mac n Cheetos Mac Cheese Snacks Creamy Cheddar Flamin Hot 3

However, Chester Cheetah is on the packaging and that’s when everything starts to crumble. The shape and even coloration are very uniform, which is a stark contrast from the original Cheetos snacks. The Flamin’ Hot do get some points for being closer, though, in appearance, with an almost glowing red hue. However, they also get points docked for the spice level. They should almost be called simmering ember instead as the heat is nowhere near the level of their bagged counterpart.

Sure, these are “dangerously cheesy” on the inside but not on the outside where I really wanted them to be. In fact, I couldn’t even find any Cheetle dust on my hands after eating these, which is a signature trait of the Cheetos eating experience. Instead there were just breading particles.

On a scale of 1 to 10 for how dirty my hands were with 1 being I just laid out china for a dinner on a yacht and 10 being I just finished finger painting with a toddler, my hands were maybe only a 5. I even tried licking the breading and got no cheese flavor. I was dangerously disappointed and sad. I don’t even have orange paw-printed toilet paper to wipe away my tears.

(Nutrition Facts – About 3 pieces – Creamy Cheddar – 260 calories, 13 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 520 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein. Flamin’ Hot – 240 calories, 11 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 650 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $4.98 each
Size: 14.4 oz. box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 4 out of 10 (Creamy Cheddar)
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Flamin’ Hot)
Pros: Great generic mac & cheese snacks. Crispy outsides and creamy insides really working together. Macaroni noodles occasionally making an appearance.
Cons: No Cheetle Dust. Dangerously small resemblance to actual Cheetos snacks. NO CHEETLE DUST. Temporary pop-up restaurants that aren’t local.