bai antioxidant infusions

Bai Antioxidant Infused Beverages

While at my local Dippin' Donuts I came across some bai drinks. My youngest sister works at Dippin and the bai waters just keep staring me in the face, so Sunday I was thirsty and I jumped in the ice bin. I asked an older gentleman if I should go with the Sumatra Dragonfruit or the Jamaican Blueberry and he said Dragonfruit. I actually ended up buying and drinking both flavors. Blueberry was my favorite, but @ngocvnguyen preferred the Dragonfruit. Their claim to fame is the Coffee Fruit, the fruit that actually surrounds the coffee bean. Why coffee fruit? Well there is a method for measuring the antioxidant potency in foods. "Utilizing this method, coffee fruit is often found to provide 30-40 times the benefit of fruits like acai and pomegranate per gram." - BevNet.com. If you know me, I am a big fan of POM Wonderful and the antioxidant powers of pomegranates. What threw me off on the label of the drink is that it only contained 6% juice. How can it be good for you if only 6% is juice? Maybe bai can help me out here. All of their flavors are exotic, like the coffee fruit. I would like to see some less exotic, more popular flavors, but then again they are breaking into a new market and exotic flavors paired with the coffee fruit might just be the perfect combination. I just like drinking things that I know what they are. I guess I am just going to have to drink more bai so that I know what coffee fruit is. Upon further review, I am looking for a little more substance in my drinks. This was more like flavored water and I busted through two of them very quickly.

WAT-AAH!

WAT-AAH!

I haven't had a chance to try these yet, but I did see them at the Carousel Mall in Syracuse, NY. What flavors have you tried?

Searching for "Substance"

Naked Juice Blue Machine

On my way to work this morning I went to 7 different beverage retailers to find a drink with "substance". What do I mean by "substance"? Well, it is any food or drink that tastes real, is not watered down, and packs a healthy punch. A good example of a drink with substance is the Naked Juice line of drinks. POM Wonderful is another drink with some serious substance. These drinks are sold for around $3.50 - $4 for a personal size bottle, but it is totally worth it. After being sick for 6 months I am trying to eat and drink brands that are good for me. How am I testing that? If a food or drink gives me stomach ache it goes on the DO NOT EAT LIST and so far my favorite brands with substance are Naked Juice and POM Wonderful. Yesterday I was extremely thirsty, and I stopped at a convenience store on my way to work. I ended up getting a .99 cent 20 oz Raspberry Nestea. This drink looked and sounded tasty, but it had no substance and I was disappointed. Everyday consumers are faced with this dilemma: purchase what is healthy and good for you, "substance", or purchase what is affordable. I have no choice. I don't want to be sick ever again, so when I am offered food or beverage that is on the DO NOT EAT LIST, I nicely say "No Thank You" because I know how I will feel after eating it. Don't get me wrong, I did have a couple Oreos yesterday and we are all just humans. If you are having trouble with your health, start making a DO NOT EAT LIST and make super small, tiny little baby steps towards introducing healthier brands for yourself. Eventually I will get more into organic and locally made products, but you have to go slow. Keyword - slow. My body has 24 years of eating and drinking whatever was available, and whatever it craved. Now that I have noticed that I am what I eat, and I haven't had a severe stomach ache in about 2 weeks. I literally do not even crave cheeseburgers anymore because I know how it will make me feel and if the feeling after is worst than the joy of eating, than it is just not for me. Your body is worth the $3.50 for a Naked Juice instead of .99 cents for zero substance. Good luck in your daily food and beverage choices. I will still try wacky and unique products, but trying is different than daily consumption.
If only products like Naked Juice and POM Wonderful had the distribution that Coke and Pepsi Products have. Prices would drop, and people would actually have a choice for a healthy beverage. I think the healthiest beverage that is widely available now is Honest Tea, but I am not a huge tea fan and I look for something to drink about every other day.

MATEUS Rose Wine

Mateus Rose Wine

When someone asks me to get wine, I am going to find the most unique wine in the entire liquor store. That's how I discovered MATEUS. It's brilliant and unique bottle + name of MATEUS = Beck's Brands Purchase.  It is a Rose wine that was quite bubbly, but not too bubbly where we didn't like it. MATEUS was semi-sweet and @33Cait88, @dirtyjerzimages, and @jillydukez all enjoyed the taste as well. An overall great product, with the bottle being worth saving and displaying. I will definitely purchase this product in the future. Thanks MATEUS! I couldn't find a website, so you can check Wikipedia for more info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mateus_(wine)

GT Vodka

GT Vodka

It all started out with searching for "Vodka" on twitter. I wanted to try something new and unique, and also find a brand that interacts with their customers. GT Vodka caught my eye on the first page. The name GT instantly makes you think of GT muscle cars and race cars. AKA an upgrade from stock. @33Cait88 said that it reminded her of Jersey Shore, so "Gym, Tan, Vodka?" It's made in the USA and has ZERO impurities under a verified scientific test. During the taste test we discovered that it went very well with mixers like tonic, cola, and red bull. I also heard online that it tastes good with @SPEED_ENERGY. The GT logo with wings is my favorite part of the bottle. GT Vodka is Headquartered in Winter Park, FL and is made with ingredients from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. They sponsor NASCAR drivers and JR Motorsports. You can follow them @gtvodka on twitter or like their facebook fan page here - https://www.facebook.com/GrandTouringVodka. For more information visit http://www.grandtouringvodka.com/.

Product Flashback - Mentos Fruit

Mentos Fruit

Every once in a while I remember a product that had a huge impact on me at some point in my life. Mentos has recently come out with the UP2U gum, which I will be blogging about in the near future. This product then reminded me of Mentos Fruit that all of the girls in High School would eat. I am pretty sure the only flavor I liked in the wrapper was the purple / pink colored one that tasted somewhat like blue raspberry? I probably only bought Mentos Fruit once in my life because I only liked one flavor in the pack. This is why I would just steal them from the girls. Anyways, I am going to have to pick up some Mentos Fruit soon so I can relive some good memories of the past. Isn't it amazing how a product can take you back to a specific period in time? I think that is amazing. Where were you when you ate Mentos Fruit?

Cheribundi

Cheribundi

My friend Nick who is in the Beverage Industry told me about Cheribundi. It's a Tart Cherry Juice drink that Nick says "tastes just like cherry pie". I am not a fan of cherries or cherry pie, so I will not be tasting this product. If you love cherries you should check out Cheribundi and let me know what you think of it. I do really enjoy their logo below:

Cheribundi Logo

Metromint

Guest Taste Testers - @AShort315, @33Cait88, and Murray

Metromint

Reese's White PB Cups

Special thanks to B. Ryan for the product donation. 

Guest appearances by @AShort315, @33Cait88, and Murray.

White Chocolate

SEI Water and Fred Water

SEI Water

Nothing was special about the water inside SEI. Just good old fashioned spring water from the Catskill Mountains. I just had to have the brilliantly designed SEI bottle. It's simple, bold, and flask like. This water bottle design reminded me of Fred Water, which has the same sort of shape, but if I was to recommend one based on taste it would be Fred Water. Fred Water has a very distinct and unique velvety taste unlike any water I've ever had. SEI water just looks good. The water is good and natural, but you have to try Fred Water! Below is what Fred looks like. All this talk about Fred Water is making me want to get a bottle right meow.

Fred Water

Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water

Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water

When grabbing lunch at a locally owned cafe in Rome, NY I decided to try Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water. I was immediately drawn towards the cobalt blue bottle, and I had to have it for my collection of awesome packaging. About a week prior, someone had me try a generic brand lime flavored sparkling spring water. I was really intrigued with the flavor because it tasted like Sprite, but minus all the sugary chemicals and additives. The Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water was light and refreshing, but I was craving a little more flavor so I went to the counter and grabbed two lemon slices to mix in. The lemon slices just hit the spot. I then did some research to see if Saratoga makes any of the flavored Sparkling Spring Water. I found out on http://www.saratogaspringwater.com/ that they make an Essence label that includes a Lemon Lime flavor:

Saratoga Essence

I am going to have to try and locate where I can purchase Essence Lemon Lime. They also have Orange-Tangerine and Wildberry flavors under the Essence label. The funny thing is, is that I went to LAVA the night after trying the Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water and noticed that they now carry it. LAVA has now replaced Voss Water with the Saratoga which angered me a little because I wanted to get a Voss Water bottle for the collection. Let me know where I can find Essence in Central New York!

Jeremiah Weed Malt Beverages

Jeremiah Weed Malt Beverages

I was in Springfield, MA this past weekend and at the local "package store" was a taste testing for Jeremiah Weed Malt Beverages, so of course I had to participate. The first flavor I tried was the Spiked Cola because I was drinking a Coca-Cola on the way there and I wanted to compare the tastes. The Spiked Cola had a very good cola taste and you could not recognize any alcohol in the drink, which is good or bad depending on your point-of-view. This "can't taste the alcohol" theme continued with the other flavors as well. The Spiked Cola tastes great, but I would not purchase it because I would not want to ruin drinking an actual cola. When I make mix drinks, I never use my favorite sodas or juices because I don't want to ruin them for future thirst situations. I could see myself using the Spiked Cola as a mixer with Vodka though. Next I tried a combination of the Lightning Lemonade and the Roadhouse Tea, which is the same concept as a Arnold Palmer. This combination I would highly recommend to people who enjoy Arnold Palmer. I am not the biggest fan of it because I don't enjoy really sweet things like the Lemonade. For the third taste test I removed the Lightning Lemonade and went with the Roadhouse Tea by itself. This was my absolute favorite because it tasted like real Ice Tea, and not like sugary, gross tea drinks on the market (Twisted Tea). I wanted to purchase a 6 pack of Roadhouse Tea, but they only had cold ones and I had to make a 3 hour trip back to New York. So next time you are looking for great flavor and taste, check out the line of Jeremiah Weed Malt Beverages. The 4.5% alcohol is completely masked and the flavor is fantastic. Jeremiah Weed also makes Vodkas and Bourbons, and you can find out more about these on http://www.jeremiahweed.com/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JeremiahWeed.

Bossa Nova

Bossa Nova

I was craving a POM Wonderful last night, but I decided to try something new. This is where I came across Bossa Nova in the same section. I have been wanting to try an acai berry drink because the acai berry has similar antioxidants like the pomegranate. We purchased one of the original, and one of the mango flavors (2 for $5). The bottle packaging, design, and color of the drink are impressive, but I was less than impressed with this drink. I was hoping for some real substance and flavor, but it truthfully drank like water. It tasted like naturally flavored water and I didn't crave more after the first few sample tastes. I did end up drinking the whole thing, but I think I will stick to POM Wonderful. POM has much more substance, taste, and after taste that just screams healthy and tasty. Overall Bossa Nova is a pretty sub-par drink. Might just be because the acai berry is a sub-par fruit. Either way I am not buying it again.

Perky Jerky

Thanks Perky Jerky for allowing us to try your product. We love the Turkey the best! For more infomation you can visit http://www.perkyjerky.com/. Follow them on facebook http://www.facebook.com/perkyjerky and also on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/perkyjerky
One thing I would recommend is resealable bags. I know. I know. It's so tasty you should finish the bag all at once, and maybe with your friends, but their may be that one time where you have to save some jerk for later.

Twitter peoples in the video - @ngocvnguyen @AShort315 @LightningMcQ

Turkey Perky Jerky

Naked Juiceventure: The 64 OZ Holy Grail

Naked Juice 64 OZ

The ever mysterious 64 OZ Naked Juice bottle will be in my possesion soon enough. I just have to find a friend or family member who has a BJ's Wholesale card. I feel like I am missing out on lots of brands & products in that place. This is like the Holy Grail of Naked Juices, and I just heard about it today via Twitter. Thanks @Naked_Juice for filling me in on this. Most consumers have probably seen the 15.2 ounce bottles in Grocery Stores or Local Shops:

Naked Juice 15.2 OZ

The other day I purchased a 32 OZ Green Machine (Not scary at all, actually wicked tasty) thinking it was the biggest size. I also have a little 10 OZ bottle on my Brand HOF Shelf that someone picked up for me. My cousin @Life_BECKons was asking if Naked Juice was available in bulk cases because we buy it so often that we would like to get it cheaper than $3.50 for a 15.2 OZ bottle. They are not available in bulk cases yet, but you can buy them in large volume (64 OZ) at your local BJ's, Sams Club and Costco. Good luck on your Juiceventures everyone, and let me know how it goes!

My Favorite Muffin - Marcy, NY

My Favorite Muffin - Marcy, NY

My Favorite Muffin is the forgotten food place in my area. This was only the second time in my life that I have been there, and I happen to drive past it everyday to work. I started asking myself - Why do I forget that My Favorite Muffin exists? It is in a high traffic location, but the location itself is not very good. Their signs are generic and they don't use a consistent logo on them. Some of the signs just have words on them. Branding is not coordinated on all touch points. My Favorite Muffin does have great muffins, and their bagels are "lack luster" as a co-worker of mine said. They do sell Naked Juice, but it was for $4.23. Naked Juice usually goes for $3.50. Dunkin' Donuts moved in across the street and of course their store is beautiful and noticeable. If I live in the area and never go to your store, where will people stop if they are just passing through? Fun Fact: I worked at Dunkin' Donuts from age 15 to 19 so I grew a passion for bagels and muffins. Shout out to Bagel Grove Bagels (Utica, NY)! They are tasty, homemade, and no preservatives. My Favorite Muffin is a chain store based out of Deerfield, IL. It is a clean and comfortable atmosphere on the inside of the store, but if you have never stopped in you would never know this. What do I want to see happen at the My Favorite Muffin in Marcy, NY? Make your curb appeal as nice as the inside of your store. Another suggestion would be to put signs before the bridge that is next to your store because people driving under the bridge totally miss your store because they have to pay attention to the intersection ahead. They have lost my business as for now, but I am willing to try again if they improve. My Favorite Muffin - I am available for freelance marketing and branding consultations. If you are interested please contact Mike Beck at becksbrands@gmail.com.

Snapz Apple Crisps - Subway

Snapz Apple Crisps - Subway

While out on some foodventures with @ngocvnguyen we ended up going to a local Subway that neither of us has ever been to. Subway locations are everywhere, hence them surpassing McDonald's on the most restaurant locations in the world. While ordering a $5 dollar foot long of Turkey and Black Forest Ham I noticed the new product called Snapz. Snapz are crunchy, premium apple crisps. I had to try these things! Snapz has a great concept: A full apple sliced up and turned into a chip-like snack. They are all natural and healthy for you, but they made one mistake. They added lemon drops to them which totally over powered them. @ngocvnguyen said that the Snapz "kicked him in the mouth". That was the type of flavor that the lemon drops gave off. I would like to see them without the lemon drops. I am sure they would taste just fine. Maybe add some cinnamon and potentially some Splenda to sweeten them up. @33cait88 didn't like the taste of them either. I tried to do some research on them and find a website but the only thing I could find was some old packaging. I am going to assume this is the same company. Prove me wrong:

Snapz Old Packaging

@charlieryczek says that we should try the Seneca Crispy Apple Chips below. (Notice the Beck's Brands site in the background!)

Seneca Apple Chips

New Clif Bar Flavor, Recipes

Clif BAR

Today I was fortunate enough to sample new Clif BAR products: Coconut Chocolate Chip (New Flavor), Apricot (New Recipe), and Peanut Toffee Buzz (New Recipe). The Coconut Chocolate Chip smelled and tasted just like Samoa Girl Scout cookies, and they were the only flavor out of the 3 that I would purchase again.

Samoas Girl Scout Cookies

The Apricot tasted exactly like Fruit Loops, and it kinda freaked me out a little. The smell, taste, and after taste just screamed Fruit Loops, but this might be a great thing if you love Fruit Loops. I will stick to the kind served in a bowl with milk.

Retro Fruit Loops

The third and final flavor was Peanut Toffee Buzz with caffeine in it. Toffee lovers would enjoy this one, but me and other people who tried this would like to taste more of the Peanut than the Toffee. For more information on Clif Bar products, and nutritional facts visit http://www.clifbar.com/

Everybody's Nuts, Wonderful Pistachios

everybody's NUTS!

I've been wanting to try these pistachios ever since I saw this package a few months ago. I think I actually blogged about them on Beck's Brands version 2.0. The product display was located directly next to the Wonderful Pistachios, and I had a funny feeling that they were owned by the same company. Turns out I was correct. Paramount farms does own both - Everybody's Nuts! and Wonderful Pistachios (http://www.roll.com/paramount-farms.php). Paramount Farms is a subsidiary of Roll Global. I am a HUGE fan of Roll Global because of their brilliant and effective marketing tactics, and their products back the marketing up. Roll Global owns companies like: Teleflora, POM Wonderful, and Fiji Water. To get back on topic, these Pistachios are so tasty. I like Wonderful Pistachios the best because there was a little too much pepper for me on the Salt and Pepper Everybody's Nuts. Other people that like pepper really enjoyed them. I was supposed to blog about Wonderful Pistachios before, but I ate them so quickly that I forget to post about them! Talk about delicious. Everybody's Nuts! "Comes in four unique and delicious flavors - Salt & Pepper, South of the Border, European Roast and Roasted No Salt. 100% open, guaranteed." - From their website. I am trying to find their other flavors soon. Healthy, Delicious, and Nutritious. Grab some for yourself and Get Crackin'!

Wonderful Pistachios

Moo Thunder & Beer Cloud App

Butternuts Beer & Ale

I was at the Uptown Theatre in Utica, NY where I came across a beer can with a goofy cow getting struck by lightning on it. Of course I had to try this "Moo Thunder" craziness. I love milk and anything that tastes like milk, so I went for it. Moo Thunder is a Stout beer an the first brand that comes to my mind when I hear stout is Guiness. I'm pretty sure I do not like Guiness, but I sure did LOVE Moo Thunder. It was thick and smooth, and I drank it slow because of it's dessert-like taste. Moo Thunder is made by Butternuts Beer and Ale in Garrattsville, NY and is currently available in NY and MA only. Garratsville is close to places like Cooperstown and Oneonta. After going to http://www.butternutsbeerandale.com/ they linked me to http://greatbrewers.com/ and the Beer Cloud app below. I have been to the Great Brewers website before while I was checking out Tri-Valley Beverage, a local beverage distribution company. I just downloaded the Beer Cloud app, and I can't wait to find unique brands and cans that will sit on my brand Hall-of-Fame shelves. Have you tried their 3 other beers? Let me know.

Beer Cloud

Plus they had very cool 6-pack holders:

Gold Peak Tea

Gold Peak Tea

I saw this product in my local Walmart and I purchased it because of the bottle design, and the fact that it was a new brand to me. The product pictured above is their large bottle size (59 FL OZ) for multiple people or servings. I bought the 18.5 FL OZ one. Gold Peak Tea is bottled by the Coca-Cola Company. Lemon was the flavor I picked. The best way to describe the taste is to create a scale in your head. On one side is your super sugary fake teas and on the other side of the scale is your 100% real and all natural teas. Gold Peak Tea Lemon flavor sits right in the middle of that scale. It's not too sugary sweet where you can't drink the whole thing, and then it does not have that potent real tea kick. At the end of the drink you walk away satisfied because of this balance. Gold Peak Tea is a great brand for people who want to get a balanced tea flavor experience.

Kanon Vodka

Kanon Vodka

I was interested in this Vodka mainly because of it's beautiful website, and the bottle design. Kanon Vodka is an organic vodka made in Sweeden. It all starts with Organic Wheat, which is then hinted in the smell and taste of the final product. The circular Kanon emblem that you see on the bottle is actually made out of metal, which I like to see in a brand. The unique bottle shape creates a spout that reminds you of the old school glasses that they pour water out of at restaurants. Kanon has been producing their organic vodka since 1580, which  enables you to feel like you are drinking vodka that is all natural and experienced. I'm not a connoisseur of alcohol or vodka, but I enjoyed the taste. It had the typical vodka kick when taking a shot, and mixed well with cola and red bull. We did have one problem though. After storing the vodka in the freezer overnight the top was very difficult to open because of its spherical design. We had to use a cloth around it to get grip. It might actually have to do with the top semi-freezing to the bottle. A very classy and beautiful bottle. I am going to keep this one for the shelves. For more information vist Kanon Vodka's Website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Hershey's Air Delight

Hershey's Air Delight

This product was introduced to my by B. Ryan and I finally got my hands on one. It's Hershey's Chocolate that is Aerated (pumped with tiny little air bubbles). It's a very mysterious product because it is hard to dream up what they would taste like. I heard aerated chocolate is a very popular delicacy over seas. I was warned to keep it stored in a cool location otherwise the chocolate would melt together, thus getting rid of the air pockets. Hershey's Original chocolate bars are my favorite. I actually enjoyed the Air Delight more than the original. The best way to describe it is that the chocolate is a lot easier to bite into. Instead of the bar snapping, your teeth sink right into it. The chocolate is lighter (like air!). Melts better in your mouth. Very unique experience and I recommend that you go out there and try it. Click on the image above to see the detail of the air bubbles embedded in the milk chocolate. Air Delights also come in Kisses form:

UPDATE: Thanks to a comment by @bense27, I was introduced to Nestle Aero from the United Kingdom:

Nestle Aero

WhoNu?

I saw this commercial on TV and it was advertising healthy cookies that were not bad for you. WhoNu? Right? Well of course I had to try them because I like Oreos and why not have a healthier cookie. They tasted great and maybe even better than the Golden Oreos, but WhoCares? Cookies are not supposed to be healthy. I think it freaked me out more that they were supposed to be good for you. My mind thought I was eating a genetically mutated, radio active substance that they called a cookie. I know that Oreos are not great for you, but at least you know that when you are eating them. WhoNu? kind of just scared me and made me feel uncomfortable. What are your thoughts on "healthy" cookies?

Triple Double Oreos

Triple Double Oreos

Oreo introduced the "Big Mac" of cookies, so I had to check them out because I love Oreos and ridiculous products. They are pretty obnoxious and intimidating in size when you first grab one out of the bag. I wasn't a big fan of them because you are adding a layer of chocolate creme and another chocolate wafer. I like my Oreos to have a little more creme than cookie, hence the Double Stuf Oreo is my favorite. Adding more cookie was not for me. If you prefer more cookie and more chocolate, then this Triple Double Oreo might be for you, but try not to indulge in these. They pack 100 calories per cookie, and after having a few you might have to through down a Triple Double of your own on the basketball courts. What would I like to see from Oreo? How about a Limited Edition Triple Stuf Oreo. Yea, it may sound gross and over-the-top, but that's why I said Limited Edition. Try it out Oreo. You never know. They also come in Neapolitan:

Neapolitan Triple Double Oreo

Extra Dessert Delights

Strawberry Shortcake

Ideas expressed in Willy Wonka movies are now happening in real life. That is the first thing we thought of while trying the Extra Dessert Delights Strawberry Shortcake flavor. It tastes EXACTLY like strawberry shortcake. You can literally distinguish the strawberries, the cake, and the whipped cream. Well done Wrigley's! This is, however, a very rich flavor and should be treated like an actual dessert. We have also tried the Mint Chocolate Chip flavor and @33Cait88 loved it. I am not a big fan of mint flavored ice cream, but I know a few of my friends would love it like @AShort315. I would like to try the following flavors. What have you tried and liked?

Apple Pie

Orange Creme Pop

Stacy's Pita Chips

Stacy's pita chips

Here's the scenario. You are starving at work. It's not lunchtime and you absolutely need a snack to hold you over. You didn't bring anything today and the vending machine is your last resort. Ours is filled with Frito Lay products like Doritos and Cheetos etc, but then to my surprise I saw the words "pita chips". Sounds kinda good for you right? Over the past few weeks I have had one bag of Parmesan and one Simply Naked. The result: no stomach aches or gross feelings. I guess part of this blog is discovering foods that pass the stomach ache test. For those of you that don't know, I have severe acid reflux and I have to watch what I eat. It's a really hard thing to do for a 24 year old who has never thought twice about eating pizza every Friday night. So part of my eating transformation is finding out which brands literally don't give me stomach problems and that is a good indicator that they are healthier for you. I tried jumping into fruits and veggies, but like everything else, it takes time to adjust. So if you are stuck with vending machine food and you are starving, look for Stacy's pita chips because they are a little bit better for you than your typical vending machine snacks. Packaged goods might never be as healthy as organic, all natural foods, but we can at least try to indicate brands that are the least bad. Catch my drift?

popchips first encounter

I started gaining interest in popchips a couple weeks ago when I was in my local grocery store and I noticed their reflective logo. I took a picture with my cell phone and asked a couple of my friends if they have tried them. Hearing nothing but good reviews about popchips, I had to get popped myself. popchips are not your typical snack. They are not baked or fried. They are made with heat and pressure and literally pop out of the machine when they are made. Rice cakes are the most similar product to popchips, but do not confuse these with rice cakes. Rice Cakes are boring, flavorless, and easily forgotten. I jumped right into the cheddar potato flavor first. My mouth was delivered with the perfect amount of texture, flavor, and crunch. The cheddar flavor is perfect. Not too little flavor where they are insignificant, and not too much flavor where you get grossed out half way through the bag and stop eating them. The cool thing about popchips is that you don't have to feel bad about snacking. Dig right in to these scrumptious little chips! I will allow it. Out of the 6 different flavors in the picture above, I enjoyed the cheddar the most with sour cream coming in a close second. Sea salt and vinegar was awesome as well. The barbeque and salt & pepper flavors where a little too intense for my liking, but I shared with other people that loved them. Oh, I forgot to mention that I love the texture of the bags. Sounds weird, but the bags felt of higher quality and I really enjoyed the strength of them. The logo and bag design is simplistic and to the point. The negative space works well in the logo and is actually shiny, and grabs your attention down the isle. Well I've gotten popped, and now it is your turn to do so as well. Let me know about your experience!

Distribution and "Choices"

Pepsi Vending Machine

There are multiple Pepsi vending machines like this one where I work and at the bottom it says "Thanks for choosing Pepsi", which makes you feel good about your purchase. Pepsi is pretty much the ONLY choice available at work, and at my University Coke was the only choice. So maybe they could say something like "Thank you for not drinking coffee or water on your break." If it was a true choice I would have had many options and the power to make a decision based on my current thirst situation. I didn't want to drink water, and I am not a coffee or tea drinker either. I was really craving something with real substance like POM Wonderful or Naked Juice. I ended up finding a Snapple which is a little bit better than a soda I guess. So next time you are anywhere and you are thirsty, just realize that your "choice" can just be based on what is available through distribution and contracts. When you think about it, it is really hard to predict what you are going to be craving at any certain time in the future.

Starbucks doubleshot ENERGY + COFFEE

Starbucks doubleshot ENERGY + COFFEE

For those of you that know me, know that I don't drink coffee, nor do I really enjoy the effects of caffeine on my body. When I was young I worked at Dunkin' Donuts for about 4 years and I still never could get into the coffee thing. After have a gigantic Fiji water at Barnes and Noble, I was still thirsty. This time around I wanted something with a little more substance. While roaming through Walmart I came across some Starbucks Frappuccinos (Vanilla is my favorite). They didn't have vanilla, so we went to the closest gas station to try our luck there. They didn't have Vanilla there either, just Coffee and Mocha flavors. This was one of those times where you really want one product and you will go to great lengths to obtain it. I ended up getting a Starbucks doubleshot + Vanilla flavor. When looking at a product I try to envision what it would taste like. So I envisioned what Vanilla Coffee would taste like and then I took a sip. It was exactly what I was thinking about. They absolutely nailed it on the head. It was so delicious, and hit the spot. I am going to stick to the Vanilla Frappuccinos to satisfy my vanilla coffee cravings because they have less energy, but this is a good alternative to it. I really wanted to try the Seattle's Best Iced Latté, but every single can at the gas station was dented, which is not a good thing if you are trying to keep the beautifully designed can. Here is what they look like. I will have to try them in the future!

Seattle's Best Coffe - Iced Lattes

Old Packaging Design

New Campbell's Slow Kettle Soups

Campbell's Slow Kettle Soup

I was in Target the other day when I came across this beautiful new packaging from Campbell's. It's their new line of Slow Kettle Style Soups. I wanted to try the Southwest-Style Chicken Chili very badly. Don't get confused though, these containers are plastic and do not microwave like some of their other bowls. This deterred me from purchasing. I think if it comes in a bowl like this, you should be able to microwave it. I am just used to the current line of bowls that look quite similar, but are microwave safe. Everyone I have shown this picture thinks that it looks like ice cream. I can understand that, but when you come across these NOT in the freezer isle, I think you will actually read the label and notice that Campbell's doesn't make ice cream...for now. Check out their 5 flavors here - http://www.campbellsoup.com/Products/Slow-Kettle

Jello Pudding In-Store Ad

Jello Pudding

I just thought this was really funny and totally got my attention. Great job Jello!