Wonka's Sour Puckerooms Gummies

Long time no hear from me. Yeah I know the countless number of you out there that actually read this thing is close to nil, but still, it's been a while since I've had access to the grand old internets to post anything here... or anywhere for that matter.

But now I'm here stealing time on a friend's laptop to update you on the lovely things that I have partaken in and have not yet told you about. In my bag of empty boxes, labels and assorted tricks, I have first grabbed Wonka's Sour Puckerooms Gummies.

Stopping off at a candy shop while on the way to a friend's birthday gathering, I had browsed the store for new and tasty treats... and came across some sour candy goodness that I just had to try. (Sour gummies being a weakness of mine and sour candy, overall, being a curiosity, I bought several candies that promised via their labels to be 'sour'.

Now let me state right off the bat that I'm a selfish connoisseur of sour candy. I'm very particular of how much sour is needed to make me happy, but I have disappointingly found that just because the package says 'sour', the contents of said package are not as advertised.

Case in point? - the Puckerooms.

Of the three candies that I bought that day, I had tried the Puckerooms second and found them more enjoyable than the first candies (which I'll post about next). The Puckerooms were slightly more sour but still not pleasantly pucker-worthy, but the consistency of the candy was softier and gummier than the first I had tried. (Plus the little shrooms are so cute.)

The candies themselves are yummy enough to enjoy on their own and will sate that 'I want something sweet but not necessarily too sweet' craving. But as far as sour? Eh. It was like perhaps a three or four sour on a scale of ten, ten being my mouth looking more puckered than a cat's anus... um, but in a more pleasant way. *grin*

Would I try it again?: Of course. They were still yummy and happy-making for me, even though they weren't as sour-riffic as I would have liked.

http://www.wonka.com
http://mybrands.com/Product.aspx?pid=9038

SoBe lifewater - Yumberry Pomegranate

So the other day while out at the store sating a craving for cookies or just something sweet, I came across a bottle of SoBe. Now SoBe is something that I generally enjoy, but the 'lifewater' was something that I had been holding off on for a while due to the fact that 1) the commercials sort of annoyed me, and 2) various healthy water drinks have either let me down or just left me with a funny taste in my mouth.

Why did I pick up this beverage at this particular time? I have to admit that the word "pomegranate" caught my eye (I have a soft spot for trying things pomegrante) and the scales were tipped to curiosity's favor... so I purchased myself a bottle of SoBe lifewater, yumberry pomegranate flavor.

What did I think? I thought it was yummy!

Most healthy water drinks I have had have a variety of flavors and boast about how delicious they are and all that sort of nonsense. Also out of all the offered flavors, I usually only end up liking a handful or less since they all just taste like tainted water. Now I know this is pretty much what they're going for, but water has no flavor - it's not sweet or sour (depending on the source of the water you're drinking) - it's just water. So what am I going to find special about water that's supposed to taste like berries but ends up just tasting weird?

I was on my way to pick up one of my roommates from her work and had grabbed my bottle of lifewater for the drive. At a red light, I popped the top and took a sip expecting the worst (or what I usually get) and ended up being pleasantly surprised.

The water was sweet. It actually tasted like the flavor it said on the label. Then I thought of the sugar content and the calories. (I mean, come on, let's face it... normally when something is supposed to be good for you, it tastes like crap. And things that are 'naturally sweetened' also end up, at least to me, tasting like crap as well.) So I looked at the bottle and on the label, it said "0 calories, naturally sweetenend". I looked to read the nutrition facts, and it said the serving size was 8 fl oz (240 ml) and servings per container were 2.5. Now... calories per serving? Zero.

Now I have to admit, reading the ingredients, it doesn't look like there's any artificial sweeteners in it... unless some of the big words listed in the ingredients that I honestly can't pronounce to save my life are actual artificial sweeteners... then this drink has actually found a way to make something actually taste sweet and make it actually good for you.

Would I try it again?: Hell yeah! I'm also curious to try the other flavors according to the website.

http://www.sobeworld.com/0_cal_lifewater.php
http://www.sobeworld.com/

Full Throttle Unleaded

Oh for the love of NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

So, like I've mentioned in recent posts on this blog, I went to Fresno to meet up with my mother and her husband to travel to Glendale to visit my brother, his wife, and their newborn daughter.

Now, my plan was to do laundry, clean house, etc, to prepare for being away from home for a few days. I wanted to pack up stuff and then Friday morning, pack up the car, head out to work, and then leave straight from work for Fresno (stopping here and there for gas, bathroom breaks, etc).

Always - ALWAYS - in these plans for trips, I always mean to get as MUCH sleep as I possibly can. (And needless to say I always - ALWAYS - fail.)

So in the end, I stayed up later than I wanted to, and mix that with my already self-diagnosed insomnia, and you have the formula for disaster.

Not really 'disaster' but... well, not much sleep.

After work, I stopped off at a drugstore to get snacks and drinks for the road, and I thought I'd check out the energy drink section. I mean, I was already drifting off during the day so I thought WHY NOT? Well, I opted for a FULL THROTTLE... since the other energy drinks they had there were ones that I've had before and didn't like.

While driving down the 101 freeway out of San Jose, I decide to crack open my can of Full Throttle and down some. Now let me tell you, if you ever come up against this decision, do yourself a favor and DON'T DO IT!!!

Now, I've never tasted ass, but I have a strong feeling that this drink is close to it. It's gross and nasty and all sorts of other bad adjectives that aren't complimentary in the slightest. And the suckiest bit about the whole thing? It didn't keep me up! I thought perhaps that the sheer disgusting taste would keep me up for the duration of the trip seeing as no matter what I ate or drank afterwards, I could not get that heavily 'never in my wildest dreams would I wish this on my worst enemy' taste out of my mouth.

Okay... what did it taste like. Well, I'm not too keen on diet sodas... they always have that saccharine sugar-substitute taste. And energy drinks usually have that strong caffine aftertaste. Combine those two flavors with the nastiness of taking medicine as a child... and I think that's as close as I can get to it to descriving my experience.

Would I try it again?: Hell no!

http://www.fullthrottleenergy.com/fullthrottle/main.jsp

Pringles Extreme - Kickin' Cheddar

Ah, here I am again with another one of those snacks that tests my self-control and common sense.

Within a span of a few weeks, I can only recall walking through a parking lot back to my car when I happened to glance into a car that I was passing and saw a long slender can that made me think "Pringles", and then I saw that the can was indeed what I thought it was, but it said, "Pringles Extreme". I slowed a bit, thinking Extreme, but so as not to look like a stalker or someone thinking about stealing the car, I kept walking thinking "What the hell is an EXTREME Pringle?"

Well, recently on my trek to Fresno for the recent eventual trip to Glendale to visit family, at one of my pit stops was a can of Pringles Extreme Kickin' Cheddar chips.

Oh yes, I bought a tin.

I had water, Gatorade, energy drink and various other beverages in the car to help me not die while driving in case either 1) the jalapenos got me or 2) the chips were so nasty, they killed me on the spot.

Neither happened... well, okay, I started snacking on them quickly seeing as I really hadn't eaten that day, and (like the Cheetos) were quite yummy... so the gradual build up of heat almost killed me as some point, but that was due to my own stupidity.

These chips have a similar 'kick' as the Cheetos did... but I think they might have just a little more of one - not much, but a little more.

The texture is different than the roughness of a Cheeto. It's a Pringle, after all, usually smooth and less rough and hard than a Cheeto is known to be. Still, it tasted fabulous, but eventually I showed some restraint and put the lid on the tin.

Yes, a definite recommendation from me... if you like the slightly spicy snacks.

Would I try it again?: If I can find them again, hell yeah. According to the website, they have two other flavors, one of which is Screamin' Dill Pickle... I SO want to try that one. I LOVE dill pickle chips.

http://www.pringles.com/pages/products/extreme.shtml

Cheetos - Crunchy Cheddar Jalapeno

I don't like hot foods, but I like slightly hot food. See I'm a heat-woosie. My brother was born with the "I can eat volcanic spewage and not wince" gene whereas I was born with "too much mild sauce from Taco Bell does me in" gene.

Sad, I know.

I've been trying, over the years, to learn to eat 'hot' foods by way of incorporating hot stuff little by little into my food experiences. By doing so - as well as trying odd snacks, etc, here and there - I have found that I can eat SLIGHTLY hot things, just in small quantities so as to give my mouth time to settle before burning it again. Sometimes this doesn't work, however, seeing as if something is particularly yummy, I will (as most people are wont to do) eat a lot of it at once... which eventually causes me to incinerate my mouth, tastebuds and throat in the process.

Damn you tasty food... damn you.

So, going forward, during the days where I was picking up my best friend from work... he was working a little later than usual so I had some time to kill. I stopped by a 7-Eleven for a drink and a snack to kill time while I waited in the car and read. I bought their fountain drink Rice Horchata (yummy, thanks Mom for turning me on to that), and near the register were some chips... and one of them was Crunchy Cheddar Jalapeno Cheetos. Feeling like taking a risk, I grabbed a bag and headed for the counter.

Now, for me, this turned out to be one of those snacks that was yummy and addictive so I ate it at a rather fast pace, burning my mouth a bit in the process. I had to stop reaching into the bag and let my mouth cool down before snacking some more.

The taste? Well, you at first get the cheesey goodness of the Cheetos we've all grown to love. (For the record, I prefer the crunchy to the puffs.) It's not until a few chews in that you really realize "Oh wait, didn't the bag say jalapeno?" For me, I tasted the difference with the first Cheeto (is that the correct singular spelling?), but it wasn't so strong that it bothered me much. I just know that it was tasty.

The best way I can describe it is... people who like hot wings. I mean REALLY like hot wings. You eat one - you're fine. You eat two - something's happening that you're not really aware of. By the third one, you're thinking, "These taste great!" And then... the first one hits you... then the second... and eventually the third.

Now I'm not saying by any means that these Cheetos are as evil as hot wings can be... I'm just giving an example of how the 'heat/hotness' can creep up on you - well, me.

So if you want crunchy, cheesey, slightly hot snack goodness... this is a treat for you.

Would I try it again?: Yup... and still do. They're too yummy for me not to try again.

http://www.fritolay.com/

Kagome - Live True

In one of my many late night trips to the supermarket, I usually peruse the health food section since I'm trying to be healthier in my food intake and snacking habits, and in the cooler (as is ALWAYS when I pass by) were these Kagome drinks. They are sort of like a V8 Splash or whatever, a healthy drink mixed with veggies and fruits.

Now I was put off by these drinks before. Not exactly sure why though. I think it had something to do with the combinations of which fruits and vegetables they had in the drinks themselves.

This one particular evening, I walked up to the open cooler and looked at each of the bottles carefully. Most of what was in each drink was pictured on the bottle. By process of elimination, I narrowed it down to a few drinks and the one by one read the ingredients on the back of the bottles.

Just for the record, I'm not a huge 'beets' fan, but reading the rest of the ingredients, I reasoned, "I won't taste it with all this other stuff with it, right?"

So the two flavors I chose were "Burgundy Berry-Blossom" and "Golden Peach Garden". Both were quite yummy, very rich in texture and taste. Not too sweet. Just right. And Kagome boasts "100% real juice" and on the side of the bottle, they also claim "1.9 vegetable/fruit servings".

On the website, they have recipes in which to use the drinks in. Perhaps I shall try one sometime.

Would I try it again?: Yup, but this time I think I'll try one of the other flavors... like Ruby Pomegranate Harmony.

http://www.kagome.us/

Skittles - NEW! Chocolate Mix

WOW! I haven't been around here for a while, have I? My life's been really weird as of late so my internet time has been close to minimal, but let me play catch-up, shall I?

All righty...

Recently I drove to my mother's in Fresno after work last week Friday. From there she, her husband, and I trekked to Glendale to see my brother, his wife, and their new baby girl (my niece - that I hadn't met until that weekend). It was a short but all right visit, and Sunday we trekked back to Fresno where I picked up my car and set off for home.

On the way out of town, I stopped off at a gas station (a Johnny Quick to be exact) to top of my tank and get snacks/beverages for the ride home. In coming back inside to get my change (I over-guessed my gas payment), I saw at the register a brown bag of Skittles.

This intrigued me, so while in line, I picked one up. It was indeed a brown bag of Skittles... NEW! CHOCOLATE MIX SKITTLES!

Curiosity getting the better of me, when it was my turn I said, "I'm here for my change and these," plopping down a bag of new chocolate Skittles.

It wasn't until about halfway home that I ripped open the bag and tried some... but let me tell you, it wasn't all that great of an experience.

Now now... I'm not saying they were gross or anything... not like the Clamato Tortilla Chip experience I had. It just wasn't all that great. I mean, it tasted just like regular Skittles - except this time, there was chocolate... but it wasn't "hey this is yummy chocolate" chocolate... more like "I think this is trying to taste like chocolate" chocolate.

The flavors that the candy was trying to accomplish were: S'mores, Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate Caramel, Vanilla (which isn't a chocolate at all... I wonder why they didn't just say White Chocolate?), and Brownie Batter.

Now, all of these flavors are wonderful in general, but this is a perfect example of "Why the hell do companies name flavors for things when the item doesn't even taste remotely like what they're trying to sell it as?"

As for my overall enjoyment of the candy?

You know when you eat regular Skittles and the inside tastes very soft and chewy but the candy coating has this sugary taste... sort of the aftertaste you experience in an energy drink due to the caffine? Well, the chocolate Skittles tasted fine - well, the inside of the Skittle did, the chewy part. Reminded me of a Milky Way or a Three Musketeers by way of flavor (although much lighter) and consistency. The candy coating, however, wasn't all that wonderful. It tasted like there was a hint of regular fruity Skittles in there for me.

Or maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me since Skittles are standardly fruity and not chocolatey.

When looking for the link to add to this post, I couldn't find any trace of the chocolate Skittles. Not sure why. Perhaps the item is too new, and they have yet to add it to the site. (Or maybe they know it's not that great and don't plan to add it at all.)

Would I try it again?: No. This was a one-time deal. It didn't stand out enough to make me want it again.

http://www.skittles.com/

Cinnabon Lattes - Mocha Latte

I'm a bit of an insomniac and just started a job that gets me up really early. Now in previous posts, I've mentioned my saving-energy-grace known as Redline, and aside from one passing Chevron gas station/mini-mart, I've only been able to find them in 7-Elevens. So in my ever-tired weekday mornings, I've tried to stop by a 7-Eleven on the way to work to grab a breakfast bar and a Redline.

On one morning, I walked in the door and immediately headed down the first aisle to the wall of cooler doors and low and behold I pass the coffee drinks... and there looking at me through the glass door within its taunting can is the lovely drink this post is about.

The folks at Cinnabon have created drinks (which I believe they sell at their kiosk wherever you happen to find them). Now, like Starbucks, they seem to have broadened their horizons, creating goodies you can buy in the grocery store (or in this case, 7-Eleven) instead of trekking to their place to buy their yummy drinks.

I bought one (they had only two flavors available: Mocha Latte and Espresso Cream... I went for the Mocha!) and with my Redline and breakfast bar, headed on out to work. Between getting their and lunch, I tried my Cinnabon Mocha Latte.

Quite yummy, must I say. It was tasty and pleasant. In all honesty, it reminded me of the Starbucks fair of Frappucino goodness, but there was something slightly different tasting about Cinnabon mocha versus Starbucks mocha. I think I would have to say that I like them both... I favor the Cinnabon mocha. From what I can recall, it was sweet without being too sweet. It just tasted better.

The drink went down smooth, it didn't upset my stomach, and was (as I have previously stated) tasty.

Would I try it again?: Oh yeah, I think so. Besides, there are three other yummy flavors out there that I'm curious about trying.

http://www.cinnabonlattes.com/

Clamato Tortilla Chips

Oh yes... yes... the foulness of the world has reached new heights, ladies and gentlemen.

So a month or so ago, I was headed out of town to spend the day with friends. I stopped off at a gas station mini-mart to grab an energy drink, some water, and some snacks for the road (I think I was PMS'ing and craving salty goodness). I usually pick up some of the TGIFridays chips, but this little blue bag in the midst of other plain white ones... well, curiosity got the better of me so I bought it (not without buying other snacks since there is always a chance of non-enjoyment of other snacks... so that's what you do - or *I* do - I get at least ONE snack I know I'll enjoy and get something else as well that I might like... nothing wrong with extra snacks, my friend).

Well, I went on my friend excursion and ended up not eating the chips. I took them home and after a few days, I saw them in the kitchen on the snacks shelf and thought, "Hey, I might as well try these."

My friends... listen to me... JUST SAY NO TO CLAMATO TORTILLA CHIPS!

I held the bag... I opened the bag... and I picked a chip... I put that chip in my mouth... and I made myself finish chewing and swallowed. Oh goodness. Not good. Admittedly I ate a total of two chips to make sure, but really... one was enough. How the FUCK can you make a chip taste exactly like the drink? I think the only time I've had Clamato was mixed with Puccin (did I spell that right?), and for some reason my tastebuds didn't gag. The chips, however... after the two, I tossed the bag in the trash.

They don't even LOOK a tasty color. YUCK!

Would I try it again?: Hell no!

http://www.taquitos.net/snacks.php?snack_code=3328

Bossa Nova Acai Juice

Now I'm strictly a pomegranate gal, myself, but like this blog states, I like trying new things.

In all honesty, I have tried acai-fruit juice before... but as I had observed before about how pomegranate becoming the next IN-fruit (before it was the cranberry I believe with its anti-oxidant madness), now... it's the acai berry.

And this post brings to you... BOSSA NOVA ACAI FRUIT JUICE.

What is açai? Açai (ah-sci-ee) is a rainforest berry - a small, dark purple fruit that grows on palm trees on the floodplains of the Amazon basin. Recent scientific study has earned it the enviable title of “world’s healthiest fruit” in part, because it is likely to be the world’s highest antioxidant fruit.
~courtesy of the Bossa Nova website - FAQ section

Now, in looking at the bottles, I'm forced to think of POM (pomegranate juice, straight and mixed with other flavors). Bossa Nova is doing the same thing. There is straight up acai-juice... then there are mixes (I only tried mango and raspberry). I have to say that even though I enjoy me some acai-juice, I love me my POM better. (And you get to keep the snazzy glass the drinks come in... I have a nice collection.)

Acai-juice is tart... and purple... and yummy... but I still like pomegranate more.

Would I try it again?: Yeah, of course. It's still good juice, but it just wouldn't be my first choice.

http://www.bossausa.com/