Sol Cuisine - Crispy Chik'n - Plant Based Bites

pic from site - not my image

Last night I was craving something to eat, but I didn't want to cook something too time-consuming. 

Since I like trying out new things, I have the habit of going to the store with a list but then seeing something that interests me... and into the cart it goes. I wouldn't necessarily call it impulse-buying completely since I do read and review the item to see if it's something that I will like. (Yeah, I don't put EVERYTHING in my cart that catches my eye.)

Bubbies Hawaii - Cookie Dough [Brownie Batter with Peanut Butter Ice Cream Inside]

Hello and welcome to another PMS inspired purchase.

Back in the day when "powerloss" entered my life, my cravings would be on the sweet side. As I got older, it was a coin toss of sweet versus salty. There are even days where I craved spicy (which if you knew me, you'd know spicy and I have had an odd relationship - but I have been known to go through a Del Taco drive-thru and order deep-fried jalapeno slices... and nearly finished them every time save for the fact I'd get full and could eat no more).

Golden Bonbon - Green Tea Nougat

One could say I was introduced to nougat when I was little by way of candy bars. Nougat candy, however, wasn't until about the early 2000's. I was working as an office manager for a small manufacturing company, Our company was growing at the time, and we were hiring a few engineers to help with the expansion. We were moving from the smaller office I had started into the bigger building across the street... where the engineers were working mainly - occasionally coming to the smaller building where I had to buzz them in. I had made friends with one of the engineers (Russ) who at one point when I was working and didn't see him approach the floor to ceiling glass window and door. He knocked. I folded my arms in mock protest asking what was in it for me. He reached into his coat pocket and brought out some candy. I then relented and let him in.

AIZA'S SWEETS Pastillas de Ube

I think I've already spoken about my love of ube. It's just so tasty. And if it's a flavor option - especially for a dessert - I'm most likely going to try it.

A friend at work (another Filipina) and often have conversations about food, and we both excited about Filipino food A LOT. One day when she got into the office, she stopped by my desk and handed me a bag of treats. When I saw the purple, I immediately got excited.

Chewy milk candy with purple yam.

Chocolove - Ruby Cacao Bar

I'm not as big of a chocolate fanatic like when I was a kid. I would see that bag of Hershey miniatures or would be excited to go through my Halloween stash when my brother and I got back from trick-or-treating... but back then, it was your basic chocolate tried and trues.

Snickers. Twix. Milky Way. And a slew of others. (I really liked Mars Bars and Oh Henrys - I think mainly since they weren't as widely available as the other mainstream treats.

But even though I still love the staples from my youth, I have discovered other chocolate goodies.

Saffron Road Crunchy Chickpeas - Honey Roasted

Every Thursday, a number of my friends and I get together just to be social. It started off as a Stephen King marathon of sorts since a lot of his work was coming out as movies and mini-series, but then we started also watching other horror movies from our childhood to now.

And sometimes we just drank.

Siren Protein Bites - Lemon Poppyseed

While out running errands, I started to get a little hungry, but I didn't want to stop and eat a full meal since I had planned on cooking when I got home. So I opted for a snack I could eat while driving around.

Chobani Coffee Creamer - Sweet Cream

In my last post, I mentioned a little bit about my coffee journey. I have a need for creamer in my coffee. I think it stems from starting doing what I'd seen from others in real life as well as TV and movies - some cream and sugar. Nowadays for me is a splash of cream and maybe some sugar-free syrup if I'm feeling fancy (my favorite as of late is Torani Sugar-Free Almond Roca). Most of the time it's just creamer. (I've also been known to add a splash in my tea.)

Creamer takes the place of "milk and sugar" since there's usually some kind of sweetness involved since I like flavored creamers. I usually use Silk Sweet and Creamy Almond Creamer, Since I'm using the creamer for coffee and tea, I don't want something that will alter the flavor profile of the drink. Like if I'm drinking Earl Grey tea, I wouldn't want a hazelnut creamer or something like that - I'd want something with a neutral flavor profile that would go with any choice.

While at an Asian market recently (I was mainly there looking for apricot kernel powder for something), I needed to buy milk but couldn't find a dairy section anywhere in the store. So after getting the things I needed from that store, I went next door-ish to another grocery store to grab a few things, and while getting some milk, I saw that Chobani had new coffee creamers out. (I will admit, the colors, artwork, and packaging caught my eye first.) I was also looking for my usual creamer - but guess what? They were out. So I checked out the Chobani brand, and they had a Sweet Cream which made me happy (since usually, I don't find "sweet cream" in most brands so I end up getting vanilla or something).

And it was yummy!

The side of the bottle says "Simple Ingredients" and underneath... "We keep our creamer simple and delicious. Starting from fresh cream from our yogurt-making process, we add only milk, cane sugar, and a touch of natural flavoring. Stirred into your coffee, our creamer makes every sip sweeter than the last."

Now of course after reading this, I went in search of the official list of ingredients that can be found with the "nutritional information" - and is listed as follows: milk, cream, cane sugar, natural flavors.

Can someone tell me what "natural flavors" they used? Not really sure what that means. I get the gist of course, but it just seems rather vague to me.

Regardless of the mysterious "natural flavors" - I would buy this again. It's nice to have a backup alternative for coffee and tea needs.

The bottle is 24oz and lists one serving size to be a tablespoon - which is 30 calories per serving, the bottle yielding about 47 servings.

https://www.chobani.com/products/coffee-creamer/creamer/sweet-cream/
https://www.chobani.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Chameleon Cold-Brew with Organic Oat Milk [Dark Chocolate]

I make my own cold brew. It's pretty easy - coffee grounds, cold water, leave to steep overnight and voila! Coffee!!!

I didn't use to be a coffee drinker. I grew up a Kool-Aid Queen consuming mass quantities of oversugared Tropical Fruit Punch (thanks Mom), and staining my upper lip with a Kool-Aid mustache (which really only looked like evil vaudevillians since the red usually curled at the corners of my mouth.

Or perhaps maybe a little Joker-like?

Cadbury Creme Egg Cookies (Limited Edition)

When I was little, I was a bit obsessed with the Cadbury Egg.

I blame the commercials.

They usually played around Easter every year. I'd see a big fluffy bunny rabbit twitching its little nose, and clucking like a chicken laying an egg. But this bunny was different - this bunny laid Cadbury eggs.

In the commercial, someone would unwrap an egg, tear it in two, and show off the ooey-gooey insides (which were the color of an actual egg - yellow center with white around it).

I was fascinated. Plus - the bunny was adorable, and the fact it "bok-bok'd" like a chicken made me laugh.

I can't remember how long it was after seeing those commercials that I actually had one of the eggs - but I do remember my reaction though, and it was a little less than favorable. I was super excited to try one, but when I did, the inside wasn't 100% appealing. The flavor and consistency of the creme were not what I expected. But for some reason every time I saw a Cadbury Egg, I had to get one and try it out. (Now, I feel the need to say here that they were a rather popular item so actually acquiring one when I wanted one wasn't always a success so I didn't have TONS of them.)

Fast forward to now! At the store, minding my own business, checking out the candy section (like I do - don't judge!) and what do I see? Cadbury Cookies!

And they're Limited Edition - so I just had to have them.

Visually, they remind me of Thin Mints all covered in chocolate, and when you bite into them, they have crispy crunchy cookies, but in the middle of those cookies is the infamous creme that - as a child - I did not enjoy or remember fondly. But a lot of my tastes and flavors changed since I was little so I bought them and tried them at home.

And I like them!

I don't know. Maybe it's a different creme-filling (I get more caramel notes than I did before), but they are quite yummy. They are also very sweet. I highly suggest only one or two as well as a glass of milk or water as a palate cleanser.

The 4.9 oz package housed 8 cookies.

A serving is 2 cookies which leave 4 servings per package - and each serving is 170 calories.

I hope "Limited Edition" means they were just testing them out to see if people liked them... and they bring them back. It also makes me want to try Cadbury Eggs again.

https://www.cadburyusa.com/en_us/home.html
https://www.mondelezinternational.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Garoto Chocolate Bon Bon Assortment

I like to go to Cost Plus World Market. They have lots of neat things. I've gotten some gifts for friends and family there.

For me?

I usually go home with a number of items from the food and drink area. And I usually leave with more than I really should.

I live alone for frak sakes. Me? In an apartment full of snacks and booze? Gee, what could possibly go wrong?

One of the things that caught my eye was a little box of chocolates, and just like Forrest Gump's Mama always said - you never know what you're gonna get.

To be fair, I've rarely met a chocolate I didn't like or at least was okay enough to chew and not spit out - so this assortment had that going for them at least. I do remember thinking the coloring of the box made me think of Charleston Chew - but when I eventually opened the box up, I then thought this would be candy I'd have grabbed from a cracked open pinata. (And yes, I've been to many a party with many a pinata so I'm speaking from experience.

Without further ado - the chocolates!

In order of how they appear on the back of the box.

Baton Extra Milk (Extra Milk)

The packaging of this chocolate reminds me of a small pack of Smarties or Rolaids, but when I unwrapped it, it was a solid tiny rolling pin of chocolate. When I bit into it, the insides look like there was some white chocolate in there.

It looked and smelled like sweet milk chocolate.

Baton AO Leite (Milk)

Wrapped the same as the previous "baton" but when I bit into this one, it was all chocolate though a darker milk chocolate than the first one.

Opereta Creme (Cashew Nut)

This one was wrapped like a Hershey Nugget. It looked and smelled like white chocolate. It tasted fine, but I didn't really taste any cashew nut... which was disappointing since I love cashews.

Pacoca (Peanut Butter)

This candy was packed like a pull/twist hard candy... or Tootsie Roll. The chocolate itself looked like a mini-Butterfinger. The bite was soft and definitely tasted like peanut butter and also had a strong peanut butter scent. 

Caribe (Banana)

This was the same twist-type packaging and look like the previous candy. The smell was faintly of banana, but the taste was VERY banana. It also had the color of over-ripe bananas and was chewy like molasses.

Talente Duo Caramelo Salgado (50% Cocoa & Salted Caramel)

This one was packaged like a Ghiradelli chocolate square but a little smaller. It smelled sweet like chocolate, and I could taste the cocoa and caramel. It also had a bit of crunch to it.

It Coco (Coconut)

This was another twist candy that unwrapped looked like a mini Butterfinger. Ohhh, I could smell the coconut - which made me happy - but it was denser in texture than an Almond Joy or Mounds bar. Tasty!

AO Leite (28% cocoa)

This was another Hershey nugget size candy. It definitely smelled like chocolate - a little deeper than milk chocolate but softer than a dark chocolate. The initial bite is a bit hard, but after a while, it gets chewy as you chew it. 

Crocante (Peanut Crunch)

Another Tootsie roll wrap-type. Also mini Butterfinger size. This one had the crunch consistency in the ballpark of an actual Butterfinger though it leaned a little toward a peanut brittle consistency - like if a Butterfinger and peanut brittle had a baby

Talento Duo Maracuja (50% Cocoa & Passion Fruit)

This last one is packaged like a smaller Ghiradelli square, but the top layer smelled lovely and quite "passion-fruity." I could smell more chocolate than fruit, and the fruity top half looked more like milk chocolate with black dots in it (most likely the passionfruit seeds). The fruit flavor wasn't bitter but significantly different from the other chocolates.

1 box is 10.5oz, and the infamous "they" say a serving is 2 pieces (which results in 11 servings per box).

Overall, not a bad box of chocolate. My favorites would be (in order they were reviewed): Pacoca (Peanut Butter), Caribe (Banana), Talente Duo Caramelo Salgado (50% Cocoa & Salted Caramel), It Coco (Coconut), and Crocante (Peanut Crunch),

The rest can tie for second place.

I think I'd much prefer a bulk bin I can grab my preferred flavors from as opposed to getting a box and only eating perhaps half the chocolates in said box. But overall - not a disappointing box of chocolates.

https://www.worldmarket.com/product/garoto+chocolate+bon+bon+assortment.do?sortby=ourPicks

https://www.garoto.com.br/#1

https://www.garoto.com.br/produtos/lista/caixas#1

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

ZAZUBEAN - Pomegranate & Hazelnut with Coconut Sugar

One day after work on my way to my friend's house for a weekly friend get together, I stopped by a store for some wine (like you do), and as an impulse buy, I got a chocolate bar that looked promising. (To be fair and totally honest, the pomegranate caught my eye first... and then there was the coconut aspect. It being chocolate was just a bonus at that point.)

The front label also says that it's chocolate with coconut milk which sounds extra yummy and promising.

Opening the bar makes me think of when Charlie opened his Wonka bar and found his Golden Ticket... but I wasn't expecting anything but chocolate in this case.

Removing the bar from the foil wrapper, the chocolate is sectioned in small rectangles like a Hershey bar. Right away, I can smell the fruit mixed with the chocolate which is happy-making on its own. Breaking off a section, I can see the hazelnuts mixed into the chocolate, and as I chew it, everything blends well together. I get a little bit of everything - nothing overpowers the taste. I can't taste any of the coconut, but that's most likely because it wasn't an ingredient per se - the sugar and milk mixed together with everything else results in a great final chocolate bar. I think the only obvious way I could taste the coconut would be if there were shredded bits in it, but I feel the milk at least helped with the smooth and creamy texture.taste.

Tasty tasty chocolate of the Underworld!

The bar is 3oz and 55% cacao. One serving is half a bar (or 1.5oz) and is 240 calories.

In checking out the website, they have other chocolate bars with fun-sounding names that I'm curious to try. But first, I need to finish this bar.

https://www.zazubean.com/coconut-sugar-chocolate
https://www.zazubean.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi

I was that random kid that liked her vegetables.

Granted I wasn't open to ALL veggies and fruits - that was more my brother - but I liked most.

But when I think back on my childhood, I had been presented with the basics: apples, pears, bananas, oranges, lettuce, carrots, etc. There were more exotic types of things when I was older - such as mango and rhubarb - but there were so many more fruits and vegetables that I didn't know of (or try) until I was older... or had dinner at a friends house.

I think cauliflower was always on my radar. I've always been a curious person, and I'd see a lot of things during my many trips to the grocery store with my mother - most we never bought since my mother usually stuck to staple vegetables like carrots, onions, etc. I remember seeing cauliflower which I thought looked rather similar to broccoli.

It wasn't until I was older that I had cauliflower - mostly as a side vegetable dish or mixed in with other vegetables. By now, I've tried cauliflower rice, cauliflower crust for pizza... I've even made veggie tacos with seasoned and roasted cauliflower florets. Cauliflower is like tofu where it alone doesn't have a lot of flavor, but you can mix it with other things, and it'll soak up the flavor of the dish.

So as mentioned in my Kale Gnocchi post, I first found out about Cauliflower Gnocchi via YouTube. The gnocchi looked like white tater tots and was good on its own, but I added seasonings and cheese to mine... so it was extra yummy.

It's quite a versatile item. I have since bought more from Trader Joe's and have plans for different ways to prep it. Thinking about it now though - I'm leaning toward cheese... maybe an alfredo sauce or something... or some cut up chicken or sausage.

The bag is 12oz and contains 2.5 servings - each serving being about a cup and 140 calories. (Again, my math reminds me that a cup is 8oz, right? I'm assuming they mean the cooked result is more?)

https://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/cauliflower-gnocchi

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Cupcakes & Co. - Ube Coconut Macaroons

My love of ube didn't start until I got older... like at least after I graduated high school. And I came across it all on my own.

Being Filipino (my mom), I would have thought (knowing as many Filipinos as I do), ube would have been something I would've been introduced to when I was younger, but nope. Not sure why. It's delicious.

To be totally honest, I don't care for ALL ube treats, but I do love ube in general.

Something else I like - well, love - is coconut. I had A LOT of that growing up. Tasty, tasty goodness! And when I found macaroons? I mean, it's a ball of coconut. What's not to love?

So one day while perusing a Filipino market, I found UBE COCONUT MACAROONS!!!

As you can tell by the ALL CAPS, I was very excited.

They only came in a pack of six but lasted a long time since they were so yummy yet so sweet, I could only really eat one at a time (and by "at a time" - I mean that I was usually good for at least a few days).

They look like mini ice cream scoops and by looking at them, you'd think you could fit a whole one in your mouth - which you might, but to be fair, you wouldn't be able to talk... or chew... or breathe, probably. The macaroons are quite dense and need to be eaten (and savored) in smaller bites.

Ohhh, I just had a thought. They'd go really good with ice cream.

In one 6oz pack of six, a serving size is two and calories per serving are 130 calories. (One is really enough for me since they're so sweet and dense, but that's okay. That just means the six-pack will last me longer.)

https://cupcakesnco.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Bumbles Dark Chocolate Honey Comb

Years ago I became aware of a candy called "seafoam" courtesy of my friend Novim who loved the stuff, and the only place I could find it was from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory - which at their stores (of which I haven't been to any of their locations in quite a while) they only offered white, milk chocolate or dark chocolate covered seafoam (though per their website - it looks like they have other flavors now).

Seafoam... how to explain it. It has a Butterfinger-sponge-like texture? Man, I suck at this.

Basically, it's delicious.

I found a different brand at Trader Joe's but now I can't seem to find it there anymore. (And also, it goes by a variety of names. Why Rocky Mountain calls is seafoam is beyond me. (When doing a Google search, you can't just type in "seafoam" else you'll get anything BUT candy.)

While perusing Cost Plus one day, I came across a bag called "Bumbles - Dark Candy Honeycomb."

Yeah, I got excited.

It was really good. It's sweet and crispy, and the pieces are decent bite-sized squares. And dark chocolate? Hells yeah!

Now, in full transparency, I rarely stick to the "serving size" bullshit on food packages since if I did, I'd eat maybe two M&M's a day, and no one does that. That's just crazy! But with the honeycomb? It's an extremely rich treat so it was easier to just have one... maybe two. And I was a good girl and didn't reach for them every day - though at times it was tempting.

I recently finished the bag I had... which only means I need to get more. It's a good treat for myself when I've accomplished some serious adulting. (YAY ME!!!)

The bag is 11oz and claims a serving size is two pieces which are 120 calories per serving and leaves about twelve servings per bag.

https://robernmenz.com.au/product/view/127?cat=26
https://robernmenz.com.au/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Not Your Mother's - Curl Talk - Curl Activating Mousse

I have curly hair.

It's a pain in the ass - as anyone that has curly hair can probably attest to.

Since I didn't really have anyone with my hair type (I have 3b/3c curls - depending on their mood) or any sort of knowledge of curly hair when I was growing up, I had to figure things out on my own.

Early on, the only things I had available to me were things my mother could by me at the store. So I had basic shampoo and conditioner (2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner does NOT work for my hair - that I learned early on).

When it came to styling products, I had tried a variety of gels and mousses which had different effects on my hair, and neither of them I really liked.

Now as an adult, I can try more things since I'm able to get them myself, but A LOT of things for my hair type cost A LOT of money. I'm fine getting said pricey-ish things, but they have to actually work. (Love me some samples.)

In my recent research and hair experimentation, I have come across the brand NOT YOUR MOTHER'S which I have seen before, but they have come out with a Curl Talk line of products that intrigued me. Also in embracing the "silicone/sulfate/paraben-free" curl way of life, this product line fits right into that as well as my pocketbook.

Recently I found Bianca Renee on YouTube, and she mentioned the Curl Talk line and how she loves the mousse and gel. Having not so happy times with mousse in the past, I was hesitant to try it out, but I've liked (and have been interested in) the brand from afar, and her hair always looks good (I still have not been able to embrace "big hair"), so I thought - Why not?!

I bought the mousse from Target and used it the next time I washed my hair (which is usually twice a week). First off, the mousse smells good and doesn't go everywhere like other mousses I have tried (which could be partly the formula as well as the nozzle on the bottle). Also, it doesn't keep coming out of the bottle like an alien trying to escape the small container. I find I don't have to use a lot, and even after I diffuse, there is a little crunch, but it's not like previous mousse experiences where it's so crunchy you can hear it or when you touch it, it feels like it can cut you. And one can lasts a long time.

The bottle says "Lasting shine and definition. Humidity protection for frizz-free curls." The weather is starting to transition to warmer temperatures so we shall truly test that humidity claim sure enough. But it has been helping with frizz. Also, the bottle says "soft-touchable hold for all curl types" and that hold is a 2 out of 5 on the scale listed - which is just fine by me.

I really like this product. It works on my hair and is affordable (about $7-$8). I will definitely be repurchasing this when the bottle I have finally runs out. I'm also interested in getting other items in the same line.

https://nymbrands.com/product/curl-talk-mousse/
https://nymbrands.com/

Available at Target
Available at Ulta

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream - Honeycomb

Whenever I get a hankering for ice cream - unless it's an extremely specific hankering - I look for something new that I've never had before.

In this case, I had never tried the brand Van Leeuwen so I thought I'd check it out. Of the flavors in the cold case, the only one that stood out to me was "honeycomb." So I snatched that one up and took it home.

When I cracked open the pint, I was hit the ever-so-familiar cold ice cream smell. (I know you know it, so don't look at me like I'm weird... well, I am weird, but you know what I mean.)

It looked like vanilla with maybe a tinge of yellow in color - I'm assuming that was due to the honeycomb.

OMFG! It's SO good! Each bite is this perfect taste of honey which was sweet but not TOO sweet. (I had to calm myself so I didn't finish the pint all in one sitting... and I mean if I had no self-control, and I could fit the whole container in my mouth, I would.) Also in reading the side of the container, there is no honey in the ice cream whatsoever. It's just honeycomb they make in-house, break into bits and fold into the ice cream.

Ohhh, this would make an AWESOME milkshake... or ice cream sandwich. OMFG! To use this in an affogato? Dear gawd, that'd be fabulous!

Needless to say, I think you get the gist that I love this ice cream.

The info on the carton says it's 14oz, and 1 serving is 1/2 cup (yielding 3.5oz per container). And each serving is 240 calories.

The ingredients are simple, and the end result is yumscious and happymaking. And they make dairy-free options - so I'm curious to give them a try.

https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/pint/honeycomb/
https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Ruby Jewel Handmade Ice Cream Sandwich - Lemon & Honey Lavender

Was browsing the ice cream aisle at a nearby market. Was wanting either mochi or a flavor/type of ice cream I hadn't tried before.

Enter "Ruby Jewel."

To be honest, I didn't realize this was a regular ice cream sandwich. My brain was set to macaron ice cream sandwiches (and I've seen them in large-ish packaging before) so the main part that caught my eye was the flavor profile - lemon and honey lavender.

When opening the bag, you're greeted to that cool "ice cream that's been in the freezer" scent with just a touch of sweet... which I assume comes from the lemon cookies.

Taking the ice cream sandwich out of the package, the cookies are soft and slightly crumbly in your hands (that kind of soft that you may have cookie crumb residue stuck to your fingers... which I just had to lick off... so no biggie).

The first thing I did was take a nice big bite and was immediately in my happy place. The flavors were so well balanced and melted together seamlessly, and it was just SOOOO GOOOOOD!!! The cookies on their own were sweet and lemony. The ice cream I could eat solo as well. Ugh!!! (I just thought if there was a bag of tiny versions of this ice cream sandwich. Dear gawd! I'd eat them up like bonbons.)

There are other flavors I want to try (Brown Sugar and Oregon Strawberry piques my interest the most, followed closely by Double Chocolate and Peanut Butter), but they'll have to wait... for now.

And the packaging... so cute. On the front, there's a "seal of approval" kind of mark that says "CERTIFIABLY 1000% AWESOME" - the back says "Best if eaten by you / today" as well as "Keep frozen. Stay Cool. For maximum enjoyment, let soften for approximately 3 minutes and 47 seconds at 72 F (22.2 C) before eating." At the top of the front of the bag, it says "All natural. All good."

Per the back of the package, this item is 5oz (5.25oz per the front of the package) and is 400 calories a serving - but thankfully the package is one serving. Woot! I don't feel like a cow anymore? - though I will keep how quickly I polished that sucker off to myself.

[tiniest of moos]

http://www.rubyjewel.com/ice-cream-sandwich-flavors/lemon-cookie-with-honey-lavender/
http://www.rubyjewel.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Sinbad Baklava Chocolat

I can't remember the first time I had baklava. I may have been out of high school. Maybe during college?

Regardless of when I had it, I love it and get it whenever I can.

It's quite a dense treat and also rather sticky (due to the honey), so it's something I occasionally partake in and usually only one piece (since really one piece is enough).

While at a smaller market with yummy treats in their bakery section (and me with one of my random sweet cravings), I spotted some baklava, but this was special baklava because it was CHOCOLATE!!!

In all the times I have ever had baklava, it's either cut into squares or triangles, with or without decoration of chopped nuts on top (depending on what nut was used to make the type you're eating),  and almost always with a slight drizzle of honey.

But I've never seen CHOCOLATE baklava! It looks like the pastry sheets were made or mixed with chocolate - which is AMAZING!

In any case, the four-pack was fine with me. They were all chocolate - two of which had white chocolate drizzle on top, and they were divine. Opening the container, you're immediately hit with the chocolate sweetness. The smell is undeniable. The pieces are still sticky and crumbly as with the regular kind, and the size of each piece can fit comfortably in my palm.

They're crumbly and sweet and crunchy and gooey... and just happy-making.

One container is 7oz - stating there are four servings in each container (which makes sense really given the richness of the treat), and that each serving is 200 calories.

And I had two in one sitting.

Moo? LOL!

I wonder if there are other flavors of baklava. Like how there are different flavors of madeleines. Ohhh, that would be so awesome!!!

https://sinbadfoods.com/products/baklava-chocolate/
https://sinbadspecialtyfoods.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Trader Joe's Creamy Polenta (with Spinach & Carrots)

The first time I had polenta was at Chevy's. They had them as a side with their plates. The polenta was this corn mash that still had corn kernels in it. And it was lightly sweet.

[That random factoid about how corn doesn't break down in your stomach just came to mind. Does that apply to the mashed stuff, too? Or is it just kernels?]

Okay - back to the creamy polenta.

When I went to Trader Joe's to get something else, I found this as well, and since I like polenta (and haven't had much luck with a couple other kinds/brands), I thought I'd give this one a try.

The bag gives you the option to cook the contents either in a microwave or saucepan. (I chose saucepan.)

The bag itself feels relatively light, and when I poured the contents into the pan, the carrots looked like carrots and the spinach looked like spinach, but the polenta... looked like meringue cookies. They were like little dollops of whipped cream with stiff peaks. (Yeah, I watch a lot of cooking shows.)

I cooked the polenta as the package said to - for about five to seven minutes - and after a few minutes, the little "meringue-like" polenta pieces started to soften, and then everything started mixing together. This time I only ate about half of the polenta and save the rest for later. The first taste was just perfect - I think however they seasoned it was just fine since all I added was a bit of was salt and pepper. It's light and tasty and pleasantly filling. Later I had the leftovers with a couple fried eggs on top. Not bad at all.

I liked it so much, I went back to the store to get more.

The bag is 16oz. It says that a serving size is one cup, and there are about three servings in this bag. (Isn't one cup equal to eight ounces?)

I can't find this polenta on the Trader Joe's website so it's either being discontinued or their site person hasn't put it up... so I just added the store's website to this post.

https://www.traderjoes.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Trader Joe's Kale Gnocchi

Yes. I am one of those people that actually likes kale.

It's been around for a while since it's a leafy green of the mustard family (and I like mustard, so...). There are various strains - of which I've tried whatever I can get my hands on at stores - but overall, I enjoy kale.

I've mixed it in smoothies, in salads, in pasta... and Whole Foods has brought back Garlicky Kale! Color me ECSTATIC!

Back to the star of this post...

I surf a lot of YouTube as well as watch videos from people I subscribe to.

With that said, this is where I heard/saw Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi. I kept meaning to go and get some but work and life kept getting in the way so I didn't get any until recently. When I found the cauliflower gnocchi, next to it was the kale gnocchi.

I got both.

One night for dinner I decided to make some gnocchi. I had originally intended to grab the cauliflower bag since it was the first one I knew about, but I ended up grabbing the kale instead.

The directions are quite simple - you can choose from the saute or boiling water method. I sauteed since I was hungry.

When I opened the bag, the gnocchi looked like little green tater tots to me. Also, there was no pasta-type covering. (Being a fan of pasta - my favorite being tortellini - I was expecting either a pasta outer shell of some kind or maybe some faux, veggie version. The ingredients on the back list as: kale, potato starch, chickpea flour, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil. [May contain soy.]) I'm guessing it's the flour that helped bind everything together into their tater tot form.

The sauteeing directions were to heat a couple tablespoons of butter, oil or ghee (I have yet to work with ghee. Anyone use ghee? What's it like?) over medium heat, add the gnocchi, heat for 7-10 minutes, and season to taste.

I made my gnocchi with Trader Joe's seasoning - perhaps a little 21 Seasoning Salute and Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend - as well as some sweet chili sauce and some shredded cheese. (And yes, it may have been an odd blend of flavors, but it was yummy and made me and my tummy happy.)

One 12oz bag contains about 2.5 servings... leaving on serving to be a cup. (Yeah - I ate the whole bag. I hadn't really eaten that day, but I don't really need to justify this to anyone so... there's that.)

Did I like it? Hell, I went back and got two more bags!

https://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/kale-gnocchi

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

happi foodi - Buffalo Style Chicken Avocado Egg Rolls

"happi foodi" is a brand that I've recently come across that I'm really liking.

Recently I was craving egg rolls, and when I checked the freezer section at the store, I found these. To be honest, I didn't check the quantity and only saw "chicken" and "avocado" so I was pleasantly surprised when I took them out of my freezer recently to see it said "Buffalo Style" and there were only four in the box.

When I opened the box, the four to be packaged in two pouches of two. I had only intended to cook up one pouch, but then I remembered I didn't have a lot to eat during the rest of the day so I had all four for dinner. (Moo!)

Now the box gives you options on how to cook them: Microwave, Oven, or Fryer.

I cheated and fried them up in a pan on the stove (but I followed the instructions for the fryer that says "for best results, partially thaw the eggrolls first"). When they were "partially thawed," I pan-friend them...

And they were DELICIOUS!!!

The front of the box says "Buffalo style white meat chicken, avocado, red peppers, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, cotija cheese, jalapenos, green onions, cilantro, and garlic. I didn't realize there was even in the egg rolls until I saw some of the cheese dripping a bit out of one of the rolls when I picked it up and took it out.

Am I the only one that hates waiting for food to cool down before you can eat it?

I let the four egg rolls sit on paper towels while I made a dipping sauce of soy sauce and a lot of garlic. (I ran out of sweet chili sauce, but my new mix suited me just fine.)

The egg rolls alone were delicious, but my dipping sauce wasn't too bad either. I was completely unaware of any of the vegetables in the rolls since I mainly tasted cheese, chicken, and avocado, but that was fine.

I ate only three of them and wrapped the remaining one in foil for later (which was enjoyed the next day as a snack).

Per the website, there's at least one more flavor, but I'd definitely eat these again.

Per the box, two rolls are one serving (which results to two servings a box). I technically ate one and a half servings for dinner that night... and half a serving as a snack the next day.

Did I mention "Moo?" But it's a quite happy "moo."

https://www.happifoodi.com/buffalochickeneggrolls
https://www.happifoodi.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

OREO - The Most Stuf (Limited Edition)

Who doesn't love an OREO?

I remember having them when I was little. They are not a compulsory item for me. I don't NEED to have them all the time, but I do partake in them from time to time.

When they started coming out with different flavors, I tried the ones that I was curious about. I do check out the cookie aisle once in a while to see if there's anything new from the OREO people, and recently while at the store, I saw the Limited Editions "The Most Stuf."

I was more curious as to the "why" of this cookie than the "I really want to try this." Right away, my first thought was "that is WAY too much filling,"

For me, I'm all about the perfect bite. If there is a food that is comprised of various things (not like side dishes, but actual parts of the same food item), I'd like them to be balanced in one perfect bite. And this right away looks to me like the cream center will overpower the cookie.

The regular Oreos are good, and the new flavors they put out are usually made in that size. They also have the thins which have new flavors as well. I do like the thins (and the minis) but not as much as the original since the portions feel off.

I bought a bag of The Most Stuf while at the store to share with my team at work. Most of the team partook in the cookies. I myself didn't have very many since it was just a lot of cookie for me as well as not my cup of tea.

The bag I bought was 13.4oz (which is roughly the same size as the regular Oreos more or less) and are 110 calories per serving. A serving is 1 cookie (and there are 18 servings per bag - which means 18 cookies in a bag).

Now I'm not saying these cookies are bad. There are people out there that would really love these. I mean, my work team snatched them up quick. I'm just saying they're not for me.

Now that I'm thinking about it - I wonder if there are people that just like the cream. If so, I wonder if OREO is planning on putting out tubs of just the cream. I wouldn't be surprised. It's a thought anyway.

https://shop.oreo.com/oreo-the-most-stuf-cookies-13-57-oz
https://shop.oreo.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Coca-Cola Energy

The things you find at an Asian Market... and later see at Target. LOL!

While at one of the main Asian markets I go to - though not often since it's an Asian shopping center, and parking is always chaotic and ridiculous - I thought about getting a drink that I could sip while out on the rest of my errands. I had bought all the main things I had gone there for that I could find, and when looking for a drink, I found in the midst of all the more Asian branded/type drinks, I saw the bright familiar red can. I knew right away it was a Coke product, but then they also had a sign saying it was a limited item, etc.

Coca-Cola Energy Drink. The tagline from the can? The only energy drink with a great Coca-Cola taste. (Catchy, eh?) And it also says "high caffeine - guarana extract - B vitamins.

The can size is about the same as the average can of Red Bull (8oz).

At the Asian market, there was a sign showing limited stock - a "get it while you can" kind of thing. Not sure if the advertising was to get people to buy them or quite literally they didn't have a lot and possibly weren't going to get anymore.

When at Target recently, I saw the same can as well as a few other flavor options.

So one weekend after having purchased this can I thought "Why not?" and drank it while getting ready to leave home and run errands. And it tasted... like Coke. Okay, it tasted like Coke but with that energy drink aftertaste.

Now, I have had a lot of energy drinks in my time. I used to be a Mountain Dew Amp girl... then transitioned to Red Bull... and now I'm a toss-up between a Rockstar or "bang" girl. (Reading that last bit activated my "that reads/sounds wrong" alert, but that is the brand name so I'm leaving it.

I've tried many brands and flavors and types. I even have tried the little energy shots. All in all, I'm familiar with the energy drink flavor profile. It would be nice if companies could make an energy drink not taste like an energy drink, but it is what it is. You get used to it. Like now - I'm a diet soda drinker. Mainly because I'm not a picky eater by trade so I'm more than willing to accommodate friends that have dietary preferences, etc, and some of my close homies drank diet. But when drinking soda, you can totally taste the difference between regular and diet... but after drinking it for a while, you start to not care or notice anymore.

I'm like that with energy drinks (though the "bang" brand tastes REALLY sweet to me - more so than any other non-diet energy drink out there). So I noticed that flavor in this one by Coke. I've had cola-flavored energy drinks before, but this one has he distinct Coca-Cola taste... plus the energy drink taste.

I remember as a kid back in the day of the Pepsi versus Coke soda war, I was a Coke girl. (To be completely honest, I started as an RC Cola girl, but you can't find Royal Crown anymore. Not on the regular at least. I usually find them randomly at a liquor store or whatever and always get one for nostalgia's sake.) But I always like Coke a little more than Pepsi - especially back then - due to the advertising. From what I can recall, Coke was just... Coke. It had its ads, and basically was like "Hey, drink our soda if you want." But Pepsi did the politician thing and seemed to always insult or make fun of Coke in their ads which annoyed me. (I don't like bullies or assholes.) Plus, Pepsi was too sweet. Coke was just right. You know, like Baby Bear's porridge.

In the end, I finished off the can and wasn't too impressed. Maybe I'm just immune to energy drinks. In general, they all taste the same to me. Mountain Dew's AMP tastes different since Mountain Dew has its own flavor.

Coca-Cola Energy is not bad or good. It's just one of the many.

https://us.coca-cola.com/energy/
https://us.coca-cola.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

My/Mo Green Tea Ice Cream (with Mochi Bits)

During one of my cake cravings, I stopped by a market near my home on my way back from IKEA. I thought for sure they would have something, but all their desserts were either not was I was looking for or not in the portion I was looking for. I just wanted a single serving for me - just me - but it was either "buy this giant cake for several people" or "buy these cookies for a few people" and I already have sweet treats at home (mostly from baking things I'd made for potlucks and had stuff left over).

I will say the first thing I saw when I walked in was a cooler at the end of the ice cream aisle full of small pints of ice cream and some gelato tubs inside. (One of these days I'll grab some gelato, but they always have them in giant tubs. I just want a tiny pint for little ol' me.)

So I went to the bakery area to check out the desserts with the notion that if I didn't find anything there that I liked or struck my fancy, I would go back to that cooler.

Eventually returning to the cooler, I saw a lot of different brands and flavors that I had tried before, but there were a couple items that caught my eye.

The brand My/Mo makes yummy mochi ice cream that I've had before - probably every single flavor I could find in fact. But this case had pints of My/Mo ice cream with mochi bits in it. Of course, I was immediately curious and of the three in the case, I chose green tea.

When I popped the top off, I first smelled "freezing cold" - I can't be the only one that has experienced this when opening something that has been living in the freezer for a long time - and then I got hints of ice cream though not the actual flavor yet. (Again, I can't be the only one that has experienced the smell of ice cream. If you were blindfolded and someone put a pint of ice cream, I think you'd be able to say with certainty that it was ice cream.)

The taste of the matcha was delightful. Matcha on its own is bitter, and when translated into various drinks and foods, some people sweeten it up - some a lot, some a little. This was just fine. And when I eventually hit mochi? Yum! (I LOVE mochi. I always get it on my frozen yogurt and love the ice cream... and I've bought it on its own to snack on.)

I will say that a part of me was hoping for green tea mochi bits, but I suppose that was asking for a bit much. The combo of the mochi ice cream and the plain mochi bits was nice... and I ended up eating the whole thing in one sitting (which is not like me at all - my habit is usually to eat a portion and then cap and return it to freezer for future indulgence, but I guess it was just too damn good.

Also - I never understand portion notations on food containers - ESPECIALLY when they're super tiny containers. Like this pint? Half a cup is considered a single serving which means there are four supposed serving in this pint. And each serving is 200 calories.

So either the portions are trash (which I'm a firm believer of), or I'm a cow for eating the whole damn thing in one sitting.

I am cow. Hear me MOOOOOOO!!!

https://www.mymomochi.com/

https://www.mymomochi.com/ice-cream-with-mochi-bits/

https://www.mymomochi.com/our-flavors/green-tea-ice-cream/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!

Rae

Calbee Baked Shrimp Chips - Yuzu and Black Pepper

The first time I had shrimp chips was back during my single-digit years. I even remember having them at school as part of my lunch when my mom forgot to send me off with my lunchbox. Back then I didn't realize it was an Asian thing - meaning something found mostly if not exclusively in Asian stores. I just thought it was something I had from time to time - just like potato chips.

Also back then I didn't really fully realize I was Asian. I just thought I was a kid... going to school... eating (mostly) whatever my mother put on my plate.

I never bought the chips myself. Usually, my mother or my aunt had them, and back then there was only one flavor... at least one that anyone ever gave me.

But now as an adult, there is not only more than one flavor but many brands of shrimp chips. I've tried other types - there was one that looks like puffed chicharrones - but I guess you can say I'm a Calbee girl at heart. I've also tried another Calbee flavor - Hot Garlic - which I'm blogged about back in 2014. (So yeah, I revisit my beloved Shrimp Chips often.)

They have since changed the packaging - the original having some kind of red and white gingham pattern as a border to the bag - but they've modernized the packaging since then (though the Calbee logo is still quite the same).

I saw these at an Asian Market I go to, and felt like snacking on something and found shrimp chips which I naturally gravitated toward. I wanted something light and would tide me over during the rest of my errands since I knew I'd be cooking dinner when I got home. I had naturally assumed that they were the original flavor but nope - to my surprise, the only flavor they had was Yuzu and Black Pepper.

Initially, I thought the combo was odd, but then I realized it wasn't. Yuzu is lemon, and I love lemon pepper tuna or chicken. I think I've even had it as a kind of soup. I think it was the yuzu that confused me, but when I remembered what yuzu was, I was fine. LOL.

I opened the bag when I got back to my car, and all I could smell was the pepper. I didn't get any of the lemon by scent, but I did get it when I ate it. The black pepper (and some salt) is what stands out, and then you get the lemon as more of an aftertaste. I basically ate them like I do fries (which is convenient since they're a chip that is shaped like a fry) - I started off with one trying to be good, but then I would grab two or more and shove them in my mouth as I drove.

I finished the bag when I got to Target.

The bag is 3.3oz, and according to the bag, there are 140 calories per serving... and the bag has three servings. (Who makes these portions? Chip bags are never filled to capacity so the amount in the bag that can comfortably feed 3-4 people usually will say something as silly - like a single portion is two chips. And if that were true, you'd be able to feed a whole classroom full of people.)

Can you tell I have an issue with portion notations on food? They just seem so strange. I mean, take candy - those portions are unrealistic.

In any case, I love shrimp chips and will continue to eat them as they continue to make them. But they are a sometimes food. In reality, I think I have some once every few months.

I wonder what other flavors they'll come out with.

https://calbeena.com/
https://calbeena.com/shrimp-chips/
https://calbeena.com/shrimp-chips-nutrition-facts/#yuzu-black-pepper

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

The Queen of Tartes - Raspberry Pecan Coffee Cake

Every once in awhile, I crave something cake-like, but I can never find anything that is the right "cake" thing that I want. Or when I do, it's a huge cake thing that can feed several, and all I'm trying to do is feed myself.

In an attempt to sate this random craving when it reared its head recently, I stopped by a small market on the way home from IKEA. The main goal was cake and coffee, but since they didn't carry the coffee I was looking for, I set my sights for cake.

To my luck, they had a bakery area near the back. Around the bakery, they had little treats here and there, but the one that caught my eye was a dessert bar which I thought was lovely since I'm one person - that was a one-person serving - huzzah!

The brand name was "The Queen of Tartes" which immediately drew me to the treat even more. In the basket were several different flavors, but the one that instantly caught my eye was the Raspberry Pecan Coffee Cake.

I love pecans! So yes, that the winning factor out of all of the ones in the basket. Also, I thought the coffee cake would sate the proper cake craving I was feeling. So I snatched it up and headed to the cashier.

The portion size was your standard coffee house variety - you know, when you look in the case to get something to go with your tea or coffee. (The sticker on the wrapping looks to say 4.7oz - which upon a Google search, looks to be the equivalent to a single boxed soap.)

Unwrapped, the cake was sweet-smelling - but not overly sweet which was nice. And it tasted delicious. I believe on the website, it's described as "Tender buttery cake with a raspberry ribbon and pecan crumble on top. A guaranteed new addiction."

Oddly there are no nutritional facts listed on the cake, but I'm going to at least assume I ate a single serving. The label does list the ingredients: Gluten Free flour blend (rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, sorghum flour, arrowroot, guar gum, rice bran), eggs, butter (cream), flour, sugar, buttermilk, raspberry jam (raspberries, sugar, pectin), cinnamon, pecans, vanilla, baking powder, salt.

I hope all of that was correct because it didn't look like there were many visible commas.

Now truth be told the cake consistency I was looking for was a little denser than a coffee cake, but this tasty treat did me good in a pinch. I definitely need to go back to that market and try the other flavors they have.

https://thequeenoftartes.com/
https://thequeenoftartes.com/shop?olsPage=products%2Fraspberry-pecan-coffee-cake

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Seitenbacher Natural Cereal - Honey Chia Musli

Recently after running errands after work and heading home after an IKEA stop, I decided I would finally visit this shopping plaza I pass by ALL the time but never stop at... until now.

To be honest, I was craving cake or a cakey dessert of some kind, and I thought the store I'd driven by so many times would have a bakery area... surely, right? I was also looking for a specific cold brew coffee I had while out of town for the holidays. (Spoiler Alert - they didn't have it.)

In my browsing of this lovely little market, I came across a lot of things that piqued my "ohhh that looks interesting... I'd like to try that" - and one of those things was a bagged cereal.

They had a lot that I wanted to get, but I reigned myself in and only got a couple. One of them was a Honey Chia Musli.

I love cereal. I have a few boxes at home in various states of consumption, and in knowing this, I debated if I should get anything new. But the cereals are of the Cheerios, Special K, or Chex variety. You know - the mainstream stuff most any grocery store carries. (I'm also pretty basic in my cereal choices - like I usually get multigrain Cheerios, Special K with berries or yogurt and fruit, and honey-nut Chex. I also like Cracklin' Oat Bran - so yeah, from my cereal choices, you can see I'm the righteous party animal.)

I've seen "musli" cereals around, but upon my best recollection, I don't think I've tried any of them but have wanted to try them. So I went through the bags and came across a few that intrigued me, but I chose the honey chia since those are two things that I like.

When I opened the bag, it smelled like - I guess the best way I can describe it is your basic granola smell (it had oats, fruits, nuts... so kinda like a crumbled up granola bar). I poured myself a bowl, added my oat milk (I used to use almond milk, but I tried oat milk out of curiosity, and I like it - I get the same as almond milk - unsweetened original flavor).

Anyway - back to the cereal.

One of the pluses to this cereal is that there's really no worry about it getting soggy. Granted, I like pouring enough milk into my bowl to where I see the milk in the cereal. I'm not one of those "drink the milk after all the cereal is gone" people - and I don't want to be wasteful, so I pour just enough.

I really liked this cereal. Part of me doesn't want to constantly eat it since I don't want it to be gone. Yes, I can always go to the store and get more, but you know what I mean.

In reading the bag, it says "Musli is a ready mix of whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds, eaten with yogurt, milk or juice." Now... that last part... juice? I have heard of people barely awake in the morning sometimes accidentally pouring orange juice into their cereal instead of milk, but I've never personally tried it myself. I'm assuming it mean to combine them since I would totally eat cereal with yogurt or milk, but the idea of subbing out juice is a curious one. Or do they mean eat it dry like trail mix and wash it down with a glass of juice? And will any juice do?

Oh, the questions and curiosities.

Also, the bag says to refrigerate after opening.

Now one bag is 16oz ounces with half a cup being the serving size (leaving 10 servings per bag). The calorie count is 170 per serving.

I'll be honest. I don't measure out my cereal per the "serving size" malarky. I tried it once, and it's most often a puny serving size. I once tried a cereal a long time ago where they had a suggested amount of milk in some kind of direction. Who doesn't know how to make cereal?

Needless to say, I think I'll be getting more of this when this bag is done... and perhaps I'll get another flavor while I'm at it.

https://seitenbacher.com/WPSHOP/

https://seitenbacher.com/WPSHOP/product-category/muesli/

https://seitenbacher.com/WPSHOP/product/muesli-cereal-honey-chia/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Shiitake Mushroom Harvest Chips - BBQ Flavor

I have had mushroom chips before, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if they were these.

I'd first heard about them in conversation with some friends, and then I had them later at a Halloween party.

So as you can tell, my knowledge of this topic is vast.

When I open the bag, I don't really smell anything - no mushroom or BBQ - nothing.

The chips themselves look like mushroom caps, but the stems are still there so from the drying out/baking process (not sure how they're prepped)...

[reads back of package]

Oh! "We lightly cook our BBQ flavored Shiitake Mushroom Chips using a vacuum frying process which uses a lower temperature to preserve the natural flavor and provide a crunchy texture making them ready for a snack or salad topper."

Guess that answers that then.

They feel like they're coated in some kind of seasoning, but the touch isn't too dusty or leave any mess. I don't really taste any BBQ flavor, but there is a slight sodium content - not a lot, but enough to taste.

They are quite crunchy, and for someone who likes mushrooms, they are quite tasty. I can't imagine adding them to a salad unless I crumpled them up a bit, but overall I like them a lot. I just wish they came in a bigger bag.

Speaking of the bag...

The bag is 1.7oz with 170 calories per serving. (A serving is half a cup which leaves two servings per bag.) That's why there need to be bigger bags dammit.

There it is. I've finished the whole bag. Two whole servings to myself. Sheesh!

https://paradisegreenfood.com/products/bbq-shiitake-mushroom-50g
https://paradisegreenfood.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Tunnock's Snowballs

I like going to Cost Plus World Market.

I especially like the food section.

One day, I came across some lovely marshmallows. (I LOVE me some marshmallows.) There are usually a lot of marshmallowy treats there, but the ones that caught my eye had funny faces on them and then said "coconut covered marshmallows" - so yeah, I had to get them since I also love coconut.

Now I was a little surprised when the package said there were only four inside. I'm used to getting a higher count of marshmallows than that.

But when I opened up the box, that's when I realized WHY it was only four.

Each marshmallow is individually wrapped and roughly the size of a York Peppermint Patty... only puffed up and covered in coconut.

And there are happy faces on the wrappers. They're so cute.

The bottom of the marshmallows are a little inverted like a contact lens, but that's okay. They're still pretty big.

When opening the package, the only smell I get is the coconut - which I ain't mad at. Upon closer inspection, you can see there's a brown color the coconut is sticking to, but then when you bite into it, you can see that the marshmallow is coated in chocolate. Then when it breaks apart, the marshmallow oozes on out.

This treat kinda reminds me of a Snoball from Hostess, but those are not as pleasing. Well - those have cake in them as well as marshmallow and coconut, but I feel it's not the right mix. I've tried the marshmallow with coconut topping, and it's good, but not great. This little Tunnock's marshmallow is similar with the chocolate-coating, but if there was a tiny bit of chocolate cake in it, it might make a mini-Snoball.

The box is 4.2oz. As you could probably guess, the serving size is 1 and that there are 4 servings per the box size I got. 130 calories per each of those servings. I kinda want to make s'mores with these.\, but that might get a little pricey. Ha!

http://www.tunnock.co.uk/products/snowballs/
http://www.tunnock.co.uk/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Combos Stuffed Snacks - Honey Sriracha Baked Pretzel

For every road trip, I stop by a gas station with a decent mini-mart and grab some drinks and snacks for the road as I fill the tank.

The recent holidays were no exception.

Usually, I grab some of the usual things I know I'll enjoy, but I usually end up grabbing one thing I haven't tried before just to try.

Enter "Honey Sriracha Combos."

I'm not the best when it comes to heat. Back in the day, I wasn't able to eat anything with any modicum of spice, but as I got older, cravings changed, and during "powerloss" I started to crave spicy food. Now - not SPICY like the devil's ass or something, but spicy enough. (I remember hitting the local Del Taco and getting an order of deep-fried jalapeno slices with ranch dressing. I would get pretty far into finishing them and then either reach my limit or be full.)

My spice-tolerance has been PRETTY random. Like there are things that I never thought I'd be able to tolerate but end up enjoying. Or things friends can't eat because they think it's too spicy, and I think it's just fine. Or the worst is that I taste something and the first bite is fine, but I think it's so tasty, I eat it too fast and eventually the spice peaks catch up with each other and then it's wave after wave after wave... well, you get the idea.

Case in point - these combos.

Sriracha is a sauce that I eat, and I like, but I prefer it mixed with sour cream to make a nice orange sauce. It just spreads out the flavor better for me. When I saw these snacks at the convenience store over the holidays, I thought "Why not?" since it's honey AND sriracha. What's the worse that could happen?

The smell of the combos is salty to me, but I definitely get the spice hint here and there.

The tiny Vienna sausages of the chip world (described so by me due to their shape and crunch factor) look like your standard Combo - in this case, mini pretzel tubes filled with cheese with a faint dusting of sriracha-colored powder within the cheese.

Immediately I can taste the spice factor of this snack, but it's not too bad, and I can also taste the honey which is nice. You get the salt first, then the spice, and then the honey.

But here's my mishap - since the heat wasn't too bad after one, I started eating them at a faster pace than I usually do. There's small so it's easy to grab a few and shove them in your face (kinda like popcorn), but then the heat of each dose to my mouth has an eventual heat that hits, and shoving them in my mouth at such a fast rate, those hits build one after the other until they eventually all meet up to say "You really should have slowed down a bit, dear."

I'm not saying the heat was overwhelming, but it made me pause and sip my ginger ale.

Overall for me, the taste was okay but not my favorite - I'd probably prefer them in a Chex Mix situation with a few flavors mixed into together so then when I grab a few to eat, I get a mish-mash of a few flavors and not just the sriracha one, and I won't be overwhelmed (in a sense) by the build-up of spice.

The bag is 6.3oz with 130 calories per serving. And guess how many servings the bag says there are in it.

Go ahead - guess. I'll wait.

[insert Jeopardy theme here]

6. Really, Combos? 6? That's like... 1oz per serving. WTF with the portions, yo?

That's it. I'm done.

https://combos.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Sinbad Specialty Foods - Roasted Beet Hummus

I think the first time I had hummus was after college. And since then, I was hooked.

My favorite hummus is garlic - though any ol' hummus will do. My hummus love is not biased at all.

Sometime after my initial taste of hummus, I found some edamame hummus during a late-night grocery run, and I was intrigued. I love edamame, and it looked appealing, and my curiosity getting the better of me, I bought it. And guess what? IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!

Since then I've noticed a variety of hummuses not made with chickpeas, and I've liked them all. (Once I brought up in conversation with a friend if you made hummus and replaced the chickpeas with something else, would you still call it "hummus". They said no since hummus is made with chickpeas. I had used milk as an example since we have non-dairy milk but they still say "milk" - like almond milk, oat milk, etc - but nope, my friend didn't budge on the hummus-name-thing. Me, however, I'm fine with calling it hummus - chickpeas or no.

Recently while at a grocery store, I saw some hummus in their deli cold case. All of them were hummus color - until I saw a vibrant pink one - Roasted Beet Hummus.

SOLD!

To be honest, I'm not the biggest beet fan. I know people that will have it solo - roasted or however they wish to cook it - but I'm not a fan. I do like shredded beet in salads, but a la carte? I'll pass.

But still - this was HUMMUS!!! So I was open to trying it.

Looking at the label when I got home, the first ingredient listed is chickpeas (the edamame hummus I had before didn't have chickpeas in them), so that was a surprise.

Ingredients: Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Roasted Beets, Tahini, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Sea Salt.

Perhaps it's a consistency thing? Or a preference? Both chickpeas and edamame are "beans" - but I'm not going to think that much into it.

I can smell the garlic right away, and the consistency is of your standard hummus variety. But the taste? It's pretty good. I didn't really think I was going to like it one way or the other, but this turns out to be another way for me to eat some beets.

The package is 6oz, and doesn't offer any nutritional information, but the label states that it's vegan and gluten-free... and all the ingredients seem okay, so I could finish off the whole container if I so chose to... but I think I'll be a good girl and save some for later.

Okay, I'll leave here with a question: If YOU made hummus and replaced the chickpeas with something else, would you still call it "hummus"?

https://sinbadspecialtyfoods.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae