Pepperidge Farm Tim Tam Chocolate Crème

Pepperidge Farm has brought Australia's Tim Tam cookies to America, and I'm sure glad they did. I had never heard of Tim Tams before, but it only took about two cookies for me to understand why they are so popular in Australia. They are among the most delicious cookies I’ve ever eaten. They don’t have anything in them that isn't in countless other cookies, but Tim Tam’s combination of chocolate fudge, chocolate wafers, and chocolate crème is just about perfect. Yet despite their decadence, they are not overly sweet like many cookies are. The only negative thing I can say about them is that the 7 ounce package is much, much too small. I need at least a pound of Tim Tams! You had better hurry If you want to try Tim Tams, mate. They are available exclusively at Target, but only through March 2009. And if you need more encouragement to by some Tim Tams, you can get a $1 coupon on the Tim Tam web site.

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Reese's Peanut Butter Bar

I may be a bit shrewd in saying that you can't take mess with the original. But Reese's did just that, and in doing so, are leaving out perhaps the best part of their original creation. The CUP! That's why Reese's was the best, it took all the complicated, messiness out of candy bars, and re-packaged it in convenient cup-form. That was their selling point, and is more than those losers down at Rolo can say. But now that Reese's has sold out, and joined the ranks of their lower-tiered competitors like, Nestle's Crunch and Hershey's anything, I'm a bit disappointed. But I digress. In all fairness, it's still good, REAL good. But by no means as good as the original, or even as good as some of their other special-edition releases, namely the crunchy cookie cup. You can't go wrong with the peanut butter-chocolate combo, it's timeless, perfection, the apex of culinary achievement, and Reese's knows this. This is why they can mess with the original and still get a "Good" rating from me, but if you're looking for excellence, stick to the original. Because like someone once said, the best things in life, come in cups.

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Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat

Say it with me now, Lei-nen-ku-gels. See, it's not that hard. Saying it correctly is half the challenge, because it flows down the throat easier than it rolls off the tongue. Which is more than I could say about Red Dog. Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat is perhaps one my favorite beers, it's a light, wietbier-style beer with a hint of orange and coriander without a real hoppy flavor. It has a short, white head and is actually quite refreshing unlike some other harsh, bitter beers on the market (with all the breweries out there, I'm sure we can all think of at least five we'd rather not drink). However, unlike those less than memorable beers, Leinkugel's Sunset wheat should leave a desirable mark on the Hippocampus for lifetime. It's cloudy, hazed body leaves a nice, fruity aftertaste on the palette, reminiscent of blueberries. I would suggest drinking it poured in a Pilsner glass and serve it with an orange. Despite it's appealing taste, I would suggest enjoying on it's own, mainly because I can't think if any food it would pair well with, except maybe poured over fruity pebbles (which sounds delicious). So if you're looking for a light, refreshing beer, without a heavy alcohol taste, look no further than Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat at your local pub or your grocer's beer section. And if you botch the name, it's okay, just look for the beer in the blue box.

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Wingers Nacho Chilichanga

Wingers are delicious buffalo wing-shaped crispy potato snacks that come in five unique flavors, each with a different level of spiciness with a "heat index level" of 1 to 5. Number 1 on the heat index is No Bull Barbeque, which are appropriate for for anyone who thinks ketchup is spicy. On the other hand, number 5, Fiery Buffalo Bleu, is probably the hottest snack food you will ever eat. Small children and those with preexisting gastropathy should definitely stay away from them. Between these are number 2, Honey Mustard Horsepower, and number 4, Caribbean Zing. My favorite is number 3, Nacho Chilichanga. It has a great taco/chili/burrito type of flavor with a moderate amount of spiciness. Their flavor kind of reminds me of those mini taco-shaped tortilla chips that I used to eat as a kid (does anyone remember the name of them?). Like all good snacks, I am unable to stop eating them once I open the bag. Health conscious snackers will appreciate that they are all-natural, low-fat, trans-fat and GMO-free. Personally, all I really care about is that they taste great. You may not be able to find them in your local supermarket, so visit the Wingers web site to find retailers in your area. You can also buy them on Amazon.com.

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Betty Crocker Cookie Brownie Bars Mix

When I want quick and easy brownies at home, boxed mixes are the way I go. The few times I’ve made brownies from scratch, they didn’t taste as good as when I use a mix. So, the pantry has at least one box of brownie mix in it at all times for those sudden brownie cravings. My current favorite brownie mix is definitely Betty Crocker Cookie Brownie Bars. Yes, you can satisfy your cookie and brownie cravings in the same bite. It’s brilliant! They take a little more work to make compared to ordinary brownies, but the effort is well worth it. The finished product resembles the collision of a pan of brownies with a plate of cookies. I guess you could debate whether it is a cookie brownie or a brownie cookie, but all that really matters is that it is seriously delicious. Get a couple boxes for your pantry and enjoy the beautiful marriage of cookies and brownies.

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Kellogg's Keebler Cookie Cruch Cereal

To most, a moment of clarity ensues upon discovery of Kellogg's Keebler Cookie Crunch. I've heard testimony stating that, "...the box emitted a guiding light unto my feet, a lamp unto my path." I unfortunately, didn't feel this spiritual high, and approached the box quite skeptical, because Kellogg's never fails to let me down. This being said, Kellogg's Keebler Cookie Crunch, like many of its limited-release predecessors, fall short in so many different ways.

Keebler Cookie Crunch is mundane at best, and its attempt to re-create a classic cereal (whose name should go without mentioning), is just as futile an attempt as trying to re-invent the wheel. I don't know how they could screw it up, the formula is so simple; take two classic snacks, cereal and cookies, and package them in one box. How much simpler does it get? I don't know, but I guess you'll have to ask the folks down at Kellogg's how they managed to botch this one, because they pulled it off yet again. Kellogg's Cookie Crunch is bland, soggy and tastes more like over-refined pretzels than cookies. Its originality lacks (in the fact that their is already another cookie-cereal combo on the market that's quite good), its taste is forgettable (what was I saying?) and as far as cereal mascots go, let's just say their are three elves out there who have been doing it right for over 50 years. Maybe those tiny Keebler elves need to keep doing what they do best, making cookies, and leave cereal making to the over-zealous Tiger's and ship-wrecked Cap'n's of the world.

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Kraft Easy Mac Cup

I picked up a Kraft Easy Mac cup on sale for a buck recently at Safeway. It’s about as easy as it gets – just add water, microwave for three minutes, and stir in the cheese powder. The result is pretty much what you would expect from microwaved macaroni and cheese made with cheese powder. Kids, the extremely lazy, and easy-to-please eaters will probably like it just fine but those with more “refined” palates will undoubtedly turn their noses up at it. You won’t mistake if for some fancy-schmantzy six-cheese baked macaroni with shaved truffles but hey, it only cost a dollar and three minutes of your time. I was worried that macaroni would either be cooked too much or too little, but it was cooked just right. I must warn you about the misleading size of the cup. The finished product only fills up about half the cup, which means you may need to eat two or three of them to make a meal. For this packaging deception, Easy Mac cups receive a slightly lower rating.

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Malt-O-Meal Blueberry Muffin Tops Cereal

Do yourself a favor, drop whatever your doing right now, and go get a bag of Blueberry Muffin Tops. You'll thank me later.

Blueberry muffin tops is Malt-o-meal's magnum opus, and can just as well be eaten with or without milk. Eat them out of the bag, pour them over your face, or dump them on Ice cream, whatever creation you can dream up, I promise you that you won't be let down. Versatile, delicious and layered in sugar, what more could you ask for? I don't know, but If you ask me, Blueberry Muffin Tops should be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, because they are quite literally, Rockin!. Imagine if you can a cereal that uses REAL blueberry muffins in every delicious morsel and you've come close to the magnificence that is Blueberry Muffin Tops. A bowl full of Blueberry Muffin Tops will keep those stomach pangs at bay, and should keep you snaking happy throughout the day. Despite this, the only real pitfall I can think of is it's lack of availability, but like a diamond in the rough, you can't keep a good thing hidden forever. So even it takes a few phone calls to your local grocers, believe me, it's worth the search.

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