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!