Planters Brittle Nut Medley

With the holidays almost over, I’ve been mulling over what is undoubtedly the most important question of the holiday season: What was my favorite holiday snack of 2013?

Though there were many tough contenders this year, and countless calories that had to be consumed in the name of research, it was pretty clear that my favorite holiday snack this time around was Planters Brittle Nut Medley.

Just look at Mr. Peanut up there! Lookin’ all dapper and debonair for the holiday season. And just as his monocle and top hat would suggest, this peanut mix means business.

In Brittle Nut Medley, you’ve got lots of good stuff in here: honey roasted peanuts, peanut brittle, yogurt covered raisins, pretzel sticks, and cashews. None of those hoity-toity exotic nuts, and only the classics. It’s actually surprising that they’re packaging it like a “limited edition” holiday snack, because there’s nothing in here that you’d typically associate with the holidays. No cinnamon, no eggnog, no gingerbread, no pumpkin-something-or-other. Just plain old-fashioned deliciousness.

Instead of the holiday-flavored gimmicks, you can always make a snowman face out of the various pieces:

This nut mix truly is a perfect blend of sweet + salty + crunch, and that always makes for a great snack. Nothing in here tastes too sweet or artificial, and the saltiness makes it ever so addictive. The honey roasted peanuts are the staple of this mix, and they give a subtly sweet crunch to every bite. Even the plain pretzel sticks, which I normally don’t like, seem to go perfectly with everything else. They bring a dry, salty contrast to the cool, smooth yogurt covered raisins.

The only thing that I wasn’t too impressed by was the peanut brittle. It just didn’t have enough peanuts within the brittle, but that’s forgivable because of all the other peanuts you have in the mix. I also found the brittle a little too hard. On its own, I don’t think the peanut brittle would be that great, and I definitely prefer the Trader Joe’s Peanut Brittle way more than this one. Fortunately though, there actually isn’t too much peanut brittle in this mix, and so I won’t hold that against Mr. Peanut.

The Verdict: Planters Brittle Nut Medley is hands-down my favorite holiday snack of 2013, and it doesn’t even have any of the typical “holiday” flavors in it! It just has lots of plain old-fashioned deliciousness, and that’s what holiday snacking should be about, right?

Planters also has a few other limited edition mixes, but none of the ones I’ve tried so far match the deliciousness that is Brittle Nut Medley.

Lay’s Pico de Gallo Chips

Is it just me, or does it seem like Lay’s is coming out with new potato chip flavors like every few weeks lately? According to their website, there are now over 50 different varieties of Lay’s potato chips. You can get a different kind every week of the year and never get the same one twice!

In my latest trip to Target, I snagged a bag of these Lay’s Pico de Gallo flavored chips.

One of my guilty pleasures is munching on chips and salsa while watching baseball on TV. The saltiness, the spiciness, the crunch, the texture — it’s just a perfect snack to accompany a ball game. The only thing I hate about chips and salsa is that I ALWAYS manage to spill some salsa on myself. That transition from salsa bowl to mouth is a tricky one — a task I have yet to master. The beauty of these Lay’s Pico de Gallo chips is that there’s no salsa to be spilled! Yay for less effort and less spillage 🙂

While I’m kinda digging these chips, I don’t know if I would identify the flavor as “pico de gallo” though. If I just started eating these chips without looking at the bag, I think I’d describe the flavor as “tomato soup with a little kick.” If you love tomato soup, you’d probably love these chips. There’s also a pretty strong presence of cilantro, paprika, and lime in here, which all join forces to give it that extra “kick.”

So does it beat eating some regular ol’ chips and salsa? Not at all. But I’m glad I tried it, and I have yet to spill a chip on myself, even after several servings.

The Verdict: Give it a try if you like chips and salsa (or tomato soup with a kick), but I have a feeling it’ll be just another one of those quirky flavors that we’ll soon forget months from now. Get it while you can.

Lucky Charms Treats

When it comes to snacks, it’s not just about the taste. It’s also about convenience. Sure, I’d love a chargrilled burger with a side of chili fries now, but it’d probably take me over an hour to prepare (not to mention all the cleaning afterwards, ugh!). The great thing about a snack is that you can just pick it up and get your munch on, even when you’re short on time—or just lazy.

With that in mind, let’s have a look at our latest snack: Lucky Charms Treats. They’re just like Rice Krispy Treats, but with—surprise, surprise—Lucky Charms.

They basically taste just like Lucky Charms cereal without the milk. Some folks might ask, “Why not just have some actual Lucky Charms cereal with a bowl of milk?” Well, sometimes you just don’t have time for that, people! Sometimes you’re out of milk and you’re too busy to do a grocery run. In times like these, you’ll be thanking that good ‘ol leprechaun for preparing you some Lucky Charms Treats.

It’s chewy like a Rice Krispy treat, but not as gooey. It’s got some crunch to it, which gives it an edge over a regular Rice Krispy treat. The dried-up marshmallows don’t really taste or feel like marshmallows (just like the cereal!), but there’s something about eating those little rainbow-colored gems that’ll make you feel like a kid again. Maybe it’s just all that sugar and artificial coloring 🙂

It won’t blow your mind or your tastebuds, but if you’re a fan of Lucky Charms cereal, it’s everything you’d hope for. Plus, as an added bonus, there’s a marshmallow-flavored coating on the bottom to give it a little extra magic.

And they’re only 100 calories a bar, which ain’t too shabby for a sweet snack like this.

The Verdict: I wasn’t too impressed with my first bite, but after munching on ’em for a few days, it’s growing on me. They’re pretty cheap (under $3 if I remember correctly), so I’ll probably end up getting another box someday when I wanna feel like a kid again.

Rold Gold Peanut Butter Dipped Pretzels

You know it and I know it: Plain hard pretzels are disappointing. They’re just so bland, dry, and boring. That’s why they give ’em away for free at bars. Yeah, their twisty shape is kinda cool, but don’t let that sultry shape fool you. Once you pop a plain hard pretzel in your mouth, you always need something to wash it down.

But then the other day, I came across this magical concoction:

Rold Gold Peanut Butter Dipped Pretzels. Finally! Someone found a way to take a plain dry pretzel and make it interesting. Several companies make peanut butter filled pretzels, but this is the first time I’ve seen a pretzel dipped in peanut butter. This allows them to keep the fun shape and still make it taste like peanut butter.

So how does it taste? Since I love peanut butter, I had really high hopes for this. Unfortunately, it just didn’t wow me. The main problem is that it’s not actually real peanut butter. It’s just artificially flavored peanut butter. The taste kinda reminded me of Peanut Pocky, if you’ve ever had that — but saltier and drier. I think I’d prefer just eating regular Rold Gold pretzels and dipping them in peanut butter myself.

But hey, at least it’s got no cholesterol!

The Verdict: Worth a try if you really love peanut butter, but just know that these pretzels won’t taste like real peanut butter. With its fun shape, at least you can play around with them and build some pretzel art.

Angie’s Holidrizzle Iced Gingerbread Kettle Corn

With Thanksgiving over, that means the holiday season is now officially in full swing — and that means more holiday snack reviews! This time around, let’s have a look at Angie’s Holidrizzle Iced Gingerbread Kettle Corn.

Did someone say “iced gingerbread” and “kettle corn” in one sentence? Heck yeah! I came across this gem in the holiday snack section at Target and couldn’t resist picking up a bag.

The first thing I noticed after opening the bag was that love-it-or-hate-it “holiday spice” smell. If you’re a fan of the holidays, you probably know that smell — that cinnamon/nutmeg aroma that makes you feel all warm, toasty, and giddy inside.

As for its looks, I admit it didn’t really look that appetizing at first though. If you didn’t know what it was, you might think someone just sprinkled some dirt and soap on your popcorn as a practical joke.

After taking a closer look, you can see it’s just spices and icing. Don’t worry, nobody’s messing with your popcorn. It’s just got a “dirty” look that I guess they call “holidrizzle.”

After having a handful, I thought it had a great balance of spices and sweetness. With regular kettle corn, you get a nice blend of salty and sweet, but with this kettle corn, it’s more of a savory and sweet taste. It’s definitely worth a try if you love holiday flavors, but I found myself stopping after a few handfuls — maybe because it’s not too salty and salt is what makes popcorn super addictive.

The Verdict: I enjoyed my first few handfuls, but its novelty wore off quickly. Definitely worth a try, but only if you really love holiday spices.

Safeway Select Spiced Apple Pie ice cream

I’m a sucker for them holiday flavors. When I see the words “pumpkin,” “spice,” “gingerbread,” “egg nog”, or “cinnamon,” I start to get weak in the knees. And that’s why I get excited when the holidays come around, because that means holiday-flavored yumminess is everywhere — even at the grocery store.

Safeway now has their holiday ice cream lineup in the freezer, and that includes flavors like Egg Nog, Gingerbread Cookie, and Peppermint. This time around though, I picked up their Spiced Apple Pie ice cream.

I mean, everyone knows that apple pie with vanilla ice cream on top is pure bliss, so how could this be bad? This magical concoction appeals to the laziness in me by combining those two wonderful things into one ice cream flavor. And adding the word “Spiced” in there somehow adds a bit more mystery and intrigue, making me want to try it even more.

Well, after trying a few scoops, I’m happy to report it’s not too bad. It’s nowhere near as good as having a slice of warm apple pie à la mode, but it’s a decent compromise for a quick dessert. It really does taste like apples, and it doesn’t taste artificially sweet like some ice cream flavors. It’s got small chunks of apples and pie crust in there, but sadly not enough. I only came across a chunk of pie crust every few bites. What a tease. I would’ve loved this ice cream way more if it had more chunks of pie crust.

Look at that picture above. Geez, you can’t even see any chunks in there! C’mon, Safeway! Give the people what they want: More pie chunks please.

The Verdict: With a real apple flavor that’s not too sweet, this Spiced Apple Pie ice cream got me in the holiday spirits. Needs way more chunks of pie crust though.

Southern Style Nuts Nomadic Blend

No offense to all the wandering nomads out there, but I gotta say “Nomadic Blend” doesn’t really sound like the most appetizing of names. Hey, but don’t let the weird name stop you from giving this trail mix a try. I found this li’l bag of salty sweet deliciousness on a recent trip to Molly Stone’s.

Southern Style Nuts Nomadic Blend is a yummy mix of cashews, glazed walnuts, raisins, and cranberries — sprinkled with just the right amount of salt and sugar throughout. It’s not too salty, not too sweet, yet every bite packs a punch of flavor. The problem with most trail mixes is that there are always some pieces in there that I really love and some that I hate. Nomadic Blend doesn’t have that problem. Every bite is a good one.

The only glaring problem I have is that the bag is way too small. I emptied out the whole bag into a tiny bowl, smaller than the size of my fist. I could easily finish off the whole bag in a single sitting. Oh well, maybe the wandering nomadic tribes of the south weren’t accustomed to sharing.

Can’t wait to hit up Molly Stone’s again someday to try out the other flavors they have, like the Milk & Honey Blend with honey-glazed peanuts and yogurt-covered raisins — yum! Thankfully, not all of the flavors have such nebulous names like “Nomadic Blend.”

The Verdict: Though it may not have the greatest of names, Nomadic Blend might just be one of the tastiest trail mixes I’ve had in a long time.

Mrs. Fields cranberry white chunk cookies

Yep, the holidays are around the corner, and that means all sorts of holiday snacks are poppin’ up on store shelves everywhere. But are any of them good?

Grocery Outlet is the closest grocery store to me, and they had an amazing deal on some holiday snacks that I couldn’t pass up. $1.99 for a pack of eight Mrs. Fields cookies! I’m a sucker for white chocolate, so I picked up the cranberry white chunk cookies:

They’re soft, chewy, and individually wrapped — to remind you to stop eating more than one at a time. Here’s what they look like up close:

So how do these store-bought cookies stack up against the real Mrs. Fields? Sadly, these cookies are pretty crappy. They’re too soft and flat, taste really artificial, and lack any sort of cranberry taste. Don’t waste your money on these guys and just head to the mall to get a real Mrs. Fields cookie straight out of the oven.

I tried microwaving them to make my cookie experience a little more magical, but that didn’t help at all. The box says to microwave for 15-20 seconds, but I think that’s too long. 15 seconds in the microwave killed my cookie 😦

The Verdict: Cheap cookies, cheap taste. Avoid these and get a real Mrs. Fields cookie instead.