June 27, 2008

Baked Ruffles

bakedruffles.jpgI’m I big fan of low fat and baked snacks – but only if they taste good. If eating a low-fat snack reminds you of eating particleboard, then what’s the point? Baked Ruffles don’t just taste good, they taste great. Like regular (fried) potato chips, once I start eating them it’s hard to stop and before I know it, the bag is almost gone. You might think that a chip would need to be fried in order to be crispy, but the geniuses at Frito-Lay have found a way to make Baked Ruffles very crispy without submersing them in oil. They have a great crunch and I think they are even crispier than most regular chips. They also have plenty of saltiness, which really helps to enhance their flavor. Baked Ruffles should be near the top of your list of Baked Snack Foods that Don’t Taste Like Particleboard. Not only do they taste great, but you also won’t feel so guilty if you eat the whole bag.

Phoood rating: Outstanding!

Posted by Jim | Comments (1)

June 25, 2008

Mountain Dew Revolution

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Mountain Dew Revolution is one of three new Mountain Dew flavors (along with “Supernova” and “Voltage”) that you can vote on to determine which one will become a permanent Mountain Dew flavor. Revolution is described as being infused with berry fruit flavor and ginseng. It has a nice flavor, with a mild berry flavor that is pretty tame. Hardly a revolution going on here, folks. There’s also a hint of the Mountain Dew citrus flavor in the background, but it blends well with the berry flavor. Also, it isn’t overly sweet as some sodas can be. Overall, I found Mountain Dew Revolution to be pleasant to drink, but a little on the boring side. I can’t say if it deserves to win the contest because I haven’t tried the other two flavors. If you are so inclined, you can try all three an vote for your favorite at www.dewmocracy.com.

Phoood rating: Good.gif

Posted by Jim | Comments (5)

June 22, 2008

Carl's Jr. Prime Rib Burger

primeribburger.jpgI went to Carl's Jr. today with my wife and daughter for lunch. We see a big sign "The New Prime Rib Burger!" It looked absolutely delicious in the picture! My wife and I both ordered one. It's a burger, of course, topped with thinly sliced (a la Arby's) Prime Rib, Grilled Onions, Swiss cheese, and Horseradish sauce, all on a ciabatta bun. I bit into it, and was immediately disappointed. The sandwich was very bland, almost tasteless. The ciabatta bread was so "bready" that it overpowered everything else. The Horseradish sauce was so mild it might as well have been mayonnaise. I could not taste the grilled onions at all. I had mine without cheese, but my wife, who loves cheese, disliked this burger as much as I did. Sorry Carl's, but this one's got to go.

Phoood rating: Don't Waste Your Money

Posted by Ed | Comments (33)

June 20, 2008

Fast Food Feedbag


There's not much to say. Just watch the video and laugh.

Phoood rating: Outstanding!

Posted by Jim | Comments (8)

June 14, 2008

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Crackers

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I did a double-take in the supermarket when I saw Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Crackers on the shelf. My first thought was “wow, that’s a big box of mac & cheese.” When I realized that it was actually a box of crackers, my next thought was “whose stupid idea was this?” Nevertheless, I was intrigued and bought a box. The cheese-flavored crackers are – big surprise – shaped like elbow macaroni. Wow, it must have been really difficult coming up with that idea. Eating them does not really remind me of eating Kraft macaroni & cheese, although the cheese flavor is slightly reminiscent of the childhood favorite. Their cheese flavor is a bit different than other cheese crackers on the market, but it doesn’t do much for me. It’s too one-dimensional (and that dimension is cheddar) and boring. The crackers may be great for little children because of their small size and softly rounded edges, but I think they are too small for adult fingers. With all the other great cheese crackers in the supermarket shelves, I don’t think there is a good reason to buy Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Crackers – perhaps unless you are buying them for your toddler.

Phoood rating: So-so

Posted by Jim | Comments (19)

June 11, 2008

DiGiorno For One – Pepperoni

digiornoforone.jpgWhen it comes to frozen pizza, DiGiorno has always been my favorite. For times when a smaller portion size is desired, DiGiorno offers their “For One” pizzas. The box says that it has “fresh baked taste from the microwave,” so I put it to the test. After only four minutes in the microwave, sitting on it’s special cooking tray, the pizza was done. It sure looked like the DiGiorno pizza I love so much, but the important question is whether it would taste as good. This is where it falls a bit short. The sauce and toppings were good, but the crust didn’t have the same flavor or texture that a DiGiorno pizza cooked in the oven has. I was surprised that the crust did get a crunchy exterior. However, it was also overcooked in places, making it dry, crumbly, and not very tasty. This may not be the pizza’s fault - I might have just nuked it for too long. It’s clear that when cooked in a microwave, the pizza is not quite as good as you would get from the oven. However, when you consider the time savings and convenience, the pizza is well worth considering for lunch or a quick snack.

Phoood rating: Good.gif

Posted by Jim | Comments (2)

June 8, 2008

Sierra Mist Free Undercover Orange

undercoverorange.jpgI was compelled to write this review primarily to warn others of this horrible soda. It is one of the worst diet sodas I have ever drank, a perfect storm of nasty artificial flavors. Even if the idea of a lemon, lime, and mandarin orange-flavored diet soda is intriguing to you, please heed my warning and do not buy it. You will likely be very disappointed. In fact, I’ll bet that you don’t even finish drinking the can or bottle. Yes, it’s that bad. Thankfully, it is a “limited-edition” soda, released as cross promotion with the movie Get Smart. Hopefully, it will be gone from the marketplace soon so that other unsuspecting consumers can’t waste their money on it. Undercover Orange is also available in a regular (non diet) version, which I haven’t tried.

Phoood rating: Don't Waste Your Money

Posted by Jim | Comments (14)

June 4, 2008

Strawberry Chex

strawberrychex.jpgFinding a good breakfast cereal can be very difficult. The ones that taste the best are full of sugar, which may be alright to eat every once in a while but I don’t want to start each day by eating sugar by the spoonful. On the other end of the spectrum are the cereals that are low in sugar and low in flavor. Strawberry Chex occupies that cherished middle ground between sugar-saturated and flavorless. They have a real nice strawberry flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. Thankfully, there are no dried strawberries here, as some other cereals use. Instead, the tasty strawberry flavoring coats about half of the cereal pieces. And yes, they leave strawberry-flavored milk at the bottom of the bowl – yum!. For those of us who are sometimes too lazy to even put the cereal in a bowl with milk, you’ll be glad to know that they also taste great eaten straight from the box.

Phoood rating: Good.gif

Posted by Jim | Comments (2)