July 25, 2005

Snyder's Old Tyme Pretzels

snyders.jpgSometimes, I work quite long hours and find myself hitting up the trusty vending machine down the hallway. You'd be surprised at what sort of new goodies you can find in vending machines. So I saw this new item -- Snyder's Old Tyme Pretzels. I didn't have any change with me, but luckily, our vending machine takes dollar bills. I have to say these pretzels are quite different from your run-of-the mill pretzel -- for most pretzels, the salt overpowers the dough. But for these, there was a perfect balance between the salt and the dough ... i.e. you could taste the dough of the pretzel and yet still get the salty taste to go with it. Overall, a great snack!

Phoood rating: Good.gif

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July 24, 2005

Jif Peanut Butter & Honey (Creamy)

jifpbrhoney.jpgYesterday, I tried Jif's newest creation: Peanut Butter and Honey (Creamy Style). I remember enjoying peanut butter and honey sandwiches as a kid, so I thought I'd grab a jar. Of course, a straight spoonful had to be sampled first. The peanut butter taste hit me first. Then this pleasantly sweet taste came forward as I savored the bite. The honey was not overpowering. It took a back seat to the peanut butter flavor. It was a little bit too sweet with jelly, so I would recommend it be eaten without, unless you like sweet. This peanut butter would be GREAT on toast! I would definitely give it a Good rating.

Phoood rating: Good.gif

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July 19, 2005

Fritos Lime & Chile Corn Chips

fritoslime.jpgI’m not sure if Fritos Lime & Chile Corn Chips are available everywhere, as I think the product is targeted mainly at Hispanic customers. I’ve seen them here in Northern California for a while, and finally bought a bag to try. They have a very unique taste that I suspect won’t appeal to everyone. The chips have a very strong lime flavor and a little bit of heat from the chile flavoring. Personally, I think the lime flavor is a little too strong and the chile flavor could be more pronounced. Nonetheless, I like the chips and recommend them to those of you who like corn chips and want to try something a little different than usual.

Phoood rating: Good.gif

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July 17, 2005

Tropicana Twister Diet Orange Soda

No-Image.jpgI only drink diet sodas, and I’m always looking for a better tasting one. PepsiCo has introduced a new line of Tropicana Twister Sodas, and the Diet Orange is not only the best diet orange soda I’ve ever had, but it’s one of the best tasting diet sodas too. It has a great orange flavor and little (if any) “diet” aftertaste. I’ve found that the newer better-tasting diet sodas are usually sweetened with Splenda, but this uses old-fashioned aspartame. I haven’t tried the regular, sugar-sweetened variety, but I have to believe it would be very good also. Orange soda can be a refreshing alternative to colas, root beers, and lemon-lime sodas. I highly recommend trying new Tropicana Twister Diet Orange.

Phoood rating: Outstanding!

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July 13, 2005

Diet Coke with Splenda

cokesplenda.jpgOnly a few weeks ago, I reviewed new Coke Zero, which was introduced recently. I was kind of surprised to see another new diet cola drink from Coke in the supermarket – Diet Coke with Splenda. Coke may be confusing the consumer by introducing two new diet colas at the same time, but another topic. Diet Coke with Spenda tastes better than both regular Diet Coke and Coke Zero. But, I still am not impressed with the flavor. It reminds me of many of the private-label diet sodas I have tried – weak and generic. There is some “Coke” flavor, but it is not nearly as strong as it should be. Until something better comes along, I’ll be sticking with the best diet cola I’ve found so far, Pepsi One.

Phoood rating: So-so

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July 11, 2005

Häagen-Dazs Light S’mores Ice Cream

hdsmores.jpgI recently reviewed Häagen-Dazs Light Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and awarded it a “Good” rating, noting that Häagen-Dazs did a good job of making a very tasty reduced-fat ice cream. Today, I bought a pint of the s’mores variety and eagerly hurried home to try it. Wow! It is rich and creamy with a great chocolate flavor and a decent amount of marshmallow and chocolate-covered graham pieces. Like the vanilla variety, you will not be able to tell that it has 50% less fat than their regular ice cream. I’m going to try the other varieties of Häagen-Dazs’ Light Ice Cream, but I can’t imagine them tasting any better than this. It earns the highest rating – “Outstanding!”


Phoood rating: Outstanding!

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July 5, 2005

Phoood Hall of Fame: Mother’s Circus Animal Cookies

mothers.jpgEvery since I can remember, my favorite cookies have been Mother’s Circus Animal Cookies. To this day, my mouth still waters every time I see a bag of them as I walk down the cookie and cracker aisle. These pink and white-frosted cookies with sprinkles are probably aimed at the 10-and-under market, but I don’t care – I love them anyway. I’m don’t know if Mother’s cookies are available in all states. If they’re not, then I feel sorry for those of you that can’t get them. You are really missing out. Keebler makes a similar cookie, and I’m sure other cookie makers do to. But I’ve never tried these others – it would be like cheating on a girlfriend. Did you know that you can improve the taste of these cookies by putting them in the freezer? It’s the only way I eat them. For some reason (maybe a scientist could explain in to me…), they just taste better when frozen. Try it and I bet you’ll agree.

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