Review: Yoplait Light Boston Cream Pie

Yet another yogurt review. These Yoplait cups seem to cyclically go on sale at my store every few weeks, so I decided to pick up a flavor I hadn't seen before. Ive never had a real boston cream pie, but Ben & Jerry's BCP is one of my favorite flavors of ice cream, and anything cake related usually peaks my interest. Seaking of which, is boston cream pie actually more like a cake? From the picture they display on the front it sure looks like it...but I digress.

Upon opening the foil lid I was greeted by a standard white yogurt. No frills here with artifical coloring or anything mixed in. I gave it a nice stir regardless just to even up the texture and then dug in. Unfortunately the taste was just mediocre at best. I didnt detect any real pie or cake flavors, and it was more of just a variant of vanilla. All of the yoplait flavors I've tried always sound better in theory. I realize with a mere 90 calories, its not going to be some decadent cake dessert, but Im always hopeful of that. It's not a bad snack by any means, and it is still quite tasty, but to me I didnt detect anything that would warrant it being called boston cream pie.

At just 90 calories, this makes a nice snack or accouterment to your lunch. despite not being much of a BCP flavor, it is still tasty and quite sweet and can curb a sweet tooth without any guilt. I will probably try to make my way through the rest of the line before picking this one up again but its certainly worth a try.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Monster Rehab Rojo Tea + Energy

Another day, another energy drink. Seeing as its the end of the weekend and my perpetual hangover is at its peak I figured trying one of these "rehab" drinks might be beneficial. I have a ton of homework to get done and this seemed like the perfect thing to get myself going. This is my first time trying this line of monster but Im a big fan of the rest of their products so I had high expectations.

As you can see it looks pretty much like a standard tea, with just a hint of red to it as the name implies. After the first sip I was hooked. This stuff tastes awesome. It reminds me of a sweeter version of an arizona iced tea with the slightest bit of a berry after taste. I imagine the berry component is probably what makes this "rojo"tea. There is a bit of a lemon/citrus flavor to it as well and the two flavors work well together. The lack of carbonation makes this a real smooth beverage, and it was extremely easy to slam it down in just a few minutes.

The "Rehab energy blend" is a bit different than most energy drinks and contains a few tea extracts, as well as coconut water, among others. Ive read coconut water is great for hangover cures so thats a nice inclusion. After doing a bit of research I also found it contains 170mg of caffeine, which is a solid dose. Not too high, but it still gave me a hell of a jolt. I drank this on an empty stomach and it was almost too much for me, but assuming you have it with a meal or at least with something in your stomach you should be fine. A few hours after drinking it I felt no crash and my hangover is all but subsided. Major props Monster, major props. This is definitely a nice change from other energy drinks I've had and it seriously is one of the best tasting. I will certainly buy this one again and will give the other flavors from this line a try. Next time you need that hangover cure give this one a shot. Just make sure you follow the warning below!

Gotta love a beverage that has a warning on it!

Rating: 9/10

Review: Rockstar Sugar free PerfectBerry

As I mentioned in my last Rockstar review, Ive recently become somewhat of an energy drink junkie, specifically low carb/sugarfree options. I picked this one up on a whim because I had never seen it before and it sounded different. Sure, the can is somewhat emasculating, but that cant deter me! 

As you can see, there isn't that much carbonation, especially when compared to its big brother Rockstar Zero Carb. Whether or not it is "perfectly carbonated" as the can states will be a personal preference, but to me I like more, rather than less. This lack of carbonation does lead to an extremely "smooth" drink though, which makes this one easy to slam down. The taste is really quite good as well. Its similar to the zero carb, but a little sweeter and has more of a berry taste. All in all, its very good and a nice change from standard energy drinks.

The "energy blend" is pretty standard here and contains all the usual suspects.It packed a decent punch, but didn't leave me overly "stimmed"...120mg of caffeine is kind of low for me, but I still felt a nice burst of energy and it was enough to get me through my workout. I prefer larger cans, due to a prolonged "beverage experience" as well as a larger dose of energy inducing compounds, but I think this drink is clearly aimed at the female market. Still, I will give this a thumbs up and would definitely buy it again if I run into it. If you want a nice change from the standard energy drink give this one a shot

Rating: 8/10

Review: Talenti Sea Salt Caramel Gelato

I had always heard great things about this flavor, but always passed it up due to it's steep price tag. At my supermarket it's usually about 5 bucks for a pint, which is more than a half gallon of blue bunny! Well, last week while I was doing some grocery shopping, I stumbled upon the back freezer that houses the Talenti and other "premium" frozen treats and realized they were on sale. 2 pints for $6 (I also picked up tahitian Vanilla. will try to review as well) which is still a little more expensive than it's main competitors, but I decided to pull the trigger anyway...And boy am I glad I did! 

Im a huge fan of the salty/sweet combo, so I knew this was going to be a hit. I also had not had gelato since my trip to Italy about 10 years ago. Needless to say I didn't quite remember what distinguished it from regular ice cream. Well after some quick googling it seems like gelato has slightly less fat, and is also churned differently which doesn't allow nearly as much air into the mixture. This results in a denser product, and the lower fat changes the mouthfeel....Okay after that quick debriefing I was ready to jump right in. I dug my spoon into the pint and I immediately noted the difference in texture just from how the scooping felt. Ben&Jerry's has nearly broken my spoons from how hard it is to scoop, but this stuff was like butter in comparison. It scooped out so easily and cleanly and to my surprise, there were chocolate candies plentifully buried within the pint. I went ahead and took my first bite, which included one of these truffles, and OH.MY.GOD! Heaven in a pint. The saltiness is very very subtle, but perfectly contrasts the rich caramel flavor from the gelato. The base really coats your mouth in a foreign way and leaves the flavor lingering. Then the little truffles turned out to be carmel filled, almost like mini rolos. The combo is perfect. I cant think of a bad thing to say about this. I was in pure bliss while eating this, and savored every bite. I had to exercise extreme self control to not go and kill the rest of the pint. This may very well have dethroned BnJs cinnamon buns as my favorite frozen treat, which is a feat I never could have foreseen. The only change I could possibly think to make to this product is to maybe add a bit more salt. I really like the contrast, and like I mentioned it is very slight here. Still it will appeal to the masses with the current ratio, and I cant stress enough how great this was. Go buy this now.

Nutrition facts:
serving size: 105g
cals: 240
fat: 11g
carbs: 38g
pro: 4g

Rating: 9.9/10

Review: Pumpkin Pie Pop-tarts

The words limited edition, combined with my newest obsession of pumpkin, made this one an easy decision to pick up. The fact I have been binging on pop tarts lately only fed the desire to sample all of their seasonal offering. 

I tore open the package and mustered up enough self control to only eat one of these (a mortal sin? possibly) I prefer my pop-tarts lightly toasted and the slightest bit above setting 1 is perfect for me. It leaves the pastry just golden brown and the filling perfectly warmed. There is probably no wrong way to eat a pop tart though, I've even heard of people freezing them (any of you guys try this? let me know in the comments if so). Anyway, as I took my first bite I was extremely underwhelmed. I suppose this is the case with most pop tarts, you are always expecting them to be much better than they truly are, and this was no different. The taste was slightly reminiscent to a crappy pumpkin pie, but really, it was just a generic sweetness that overwhelmed it. Now im wishing these came in a smaller pack, as the bulk of these will most likely collect dust in my cupboard until next fall. Dont get me wrong, they weren't "gross" or anything, but I can think of one hundred better ways to consume 200 calories. If I want a pop tart ill probably stick to Brown sugar cinnamon, confetti cupcake, or possibly a fruit flavored one. I think after being let down time and time again by these crazy flavors I have finally learned my lesson. Stick with the classic. 

These sadists at Kellogg's have the serving size as 1 pop-tart. How many people only eat just 1 (besides me)? Probably not many. If they were packaged in a resealable bag or just single wrapped this would make sense, but as it is now most people probably scarf down the two cookies in just a few bites. YIKES!

Rating: 6.5/10

these were just very "meh." Nothing special about them, wont buy again.

Review: Nabisco Mallomars

I had never heard of these things until a few weeks ago. After some googling it seems they have somewhat of a cult following and they are only available seasonally starting in September. The legend goes that they cant be carried year round because the outer chocolate shell would melt during transportation in the warmer months. I think this is just a marketing scheme, but I digress.  Anyway it seems that supermarkets make a huge fuss the first week they are back. My local Shoprite had a 10 foot tower of these badboys in the front as well as smaller stacks at the end of seemingly every aisle...well I hate to admit it, but the marketing got to me and I tossed a box in my cart. The fact they were on sale for a mere $1.50 per box makes me less ashamed.

Upon arriving home I cracked the box open to see what all the hype was about. I snatched out a couple of these cookies and my first impression was how light they felt. I guess since the bulk of the volume is the marshmallow interior this makes sense, but it was still a bit odd. Oh well, I'll just have to eat more of these suckers to be satisfied! After watching this tutorial on how to eat Mallomars, I was ready to dive in.

The food blogger faux pas: bite shot.

I went ahead and broke the first rule of food blogging; Posting the bite shot. For this type of cookie I deemed it necessary so you could see the distinct layers. From the box picture I wasnt sure what exactly the base cookie was, but it turns out it is a graham like. So this is basically a cold, inside out smore. The outer chocolate layer has a nice snap to it and is somewhat of a dark variety if my pallet is correct. It's nothing special but for a cheap box of cookies its solid. The marshmallow is very soft, and lacks that sort of outer "skin" a regular marshmallow has. Taste wise its just like a standard 'mallow though. Lastly, the graham base is really lackluster in my opinion. It is very soft and has no crunch. When I have smores the nice snap of the graham cracker really brings it all together but with this you don't seem to get that. The flavor is there but I really which it was more of a cookie rather than what I would call pressed graham crumbs. 

For how un-filling these are, the calories are pretty high. To be fair, they are cookies and not some health food so you really cant expect much, but if you are looking for a decent snack expect to eat 6 or more of these. The calories definitely add up quickly with these. Overall these were really very average to me. I can see now why Nabisco has to come up with a gimmick to get these to sell, they aren't anything special! Anyway I will finish the box but will probably never buy them again. If I want a smore Ill go ahead and go for the real deal. As always guys, I appreciate any comments. Let me know if you are still reading and enjoying or if you have any products you would like to see reviewed!

Rating: 7/10

Review: Rockstar Zero Carb Energy Drink

Well, you may have noticed I haven't been keeping up on the blog as of late. School has been an absolute killer lately and I've had almost no free time. I finally have a bit today and figured I'd toss a new review up while I can. With my hectic schedule, and being in college in general, I often find myself exhausted and sleep deprived. Being that I'm not a fan of coffee, Ive become somewhat of an energy drink junkie. In particular I tend to opt for the sugar free or diet versions. They taste great, have almost no calories, and still give me a good boost. I ran into this particular product a few weeks ago at walmart and after cracking open my first can, I was hooked. I had previously been a Monster lo-carb and absolutely zero junkie, but this may become my new go-to.                                                                               

Its pink!!!!

Unlike most other energy drinks, which are usually some variant of a citrus flavor, this one is actually berry flavored. As expected it doesn't have that classic radioactive green color, but instead it's pink! The taste is delicious. It doesn't have much, if any of the chemical taste some artificial sweeteners impart which is always a plus and the flavor itself is awesome. very crisp and refreshing with a nice berry-ish flavor. It reminds me of Seagrams raspberry ginger-ale but with a way more intense flavor.

                                                            

The supp. facts and "energy blend" are the real kicker for this drink. Zero carbs (as the name suggest) and only 10 cals per serving (there are 2 servings per can remember). I still don't know where the calories are coming from since there are no carbs. perhaps they are counting the cals from the amino acids? who knows, but regardless its only 20 cals for the can so its pretty much nothing. It seems to have all the usual suspects present in the "energy blend" like a slew of vitamin B variants, Yerba mate, Taurine, and of course, the most effective, Caffeine. a whopping 240mg's per can is considerably more than any other energy drink ive personally tried and you can feel it. After slamming my first can I felt some jitters and a total rush of energy. I had it before a workout and I had myself a great session. I was instantly sold. All in all this is a great drink and I would highly recommend it if you already drink energy supplements (don't start...its an addiction!). Its a great change of pace from the other energy drinks offered and its "energy blend" packs quite a wallop. 

Rating: 9/10

Review: Post Good Morening Waffle Crunch

While perusing the cereal aisle in my local Wal-Mart I noticed a few unfamiliar offerings. It looks like Post has come out with a new bargain sub-brand called "good morening" that may possibly be exclusive to the big W. I have not been able to find much info on the internet about these, so if you have any more info please feel free to let me know in the comment section...anyways, the boxes are very generic, devoid of any mascots and are extremely large. All of these new products are also competitively priced at around $2.75. Being a huge fan of all waffle/maple/french toast flavored cereals this was a no brainer to pick it up. The fact that it was made by the same company that fathered the now extinct waffle crunch gave me hope that they have reincarnated it under a different name.

I immediately ripped open the box when I got home and poured myself a bowl...OH. MY. GOD! It's waffle crisp! Sure, the box  doesn't have the wacky smiling waffle on the front, and the packaging is a little drab, but other than that these are identical. The shape, the texture, the taste. SPOT ON! Best of all, since post went the "generic" route on these they are extremely cheap. This may have just jumped to the top of my list of favorite cereals. It has a buttery maple syrupy flavor and a great crunch. They also stayed nice and crisp in milk for the duration of my indulgence, another plus. Then just as you think you are done, the left over milk takes on the delicious maple flavor and is a highlight in itself.

Like all "kiddie cereals" the nutrition facts are standard. low fat, moderate carbs(with a decent chunk of sugar and little fiber), and then a meager 2 grams of trace protein. Oh well, Its not like I picked up something called "waffle crunch" to get my micronutrients in, I got them as a delicious treat, and that they are. I reiterate the fact that if you even somewhat enjoyed french toast crunch or waffle crisp, or are a fan of anything maple, then you must pick these up. The fact that these are so cheap is just another plus. The only con I can think of is that they may be exclusive to Walmart (some people wont have access to them). If you see these pick them up immediately. Better yet get a few boxes and stockpile them or ship one to me.

Rating: 9.5/10

Review: Ben & Jerry's Cake Batter

I was approaching the one month mark off the sauce. I thought I had finally beaten my Ben & Jerry's addiction....but I relapsed today. The 85 degree sunny day coupled with a sale on BnJs made the urge impossible to resist. As noted many times by now, I'm a fiend for anything cake flavored. I had tried this offering once before, but it had been too long to recall my thoughts on it, so I scooped it up. Described as "yellow cake batter ice cream with a chocolate frosting swirl." Simple enough. Knowing this brands' quality, I had high expectations.

After digging in you can see a a distinct frosting pocket tucked within the cake flavored ice cream. The cake base itself is quite authentic. You really get that batter taste of uncooked flour/sugar (eggs?), not the overly artificial "birthday flavor" some ice creams use. The chocolate frosting ribbon is generously distributed through the pint, and is just that, real frosting. Not some frosting flavored ice cream like other brands. Nice touch. It retained its distinct texture within the super dense ice cream which is a feat in itself. It tastes almost identical to the canned frosting you can buy in the supermarket (and subsequently sneak a spoonful of) and seems as if half of a container was injected into the ice cream. The combo makes for a really authentic cake batter flavor, but the lack of real mix ins really left me wanting. Cake pieces and sprinkles would have complimented this flavor beautifully, but without them this flavor left me bored.

Like all Ben & Jerry's offerings, the nutrition facts are quite unfriendly. High fat and sugar, and a whopping 260 calories for the minuscule 1/2 cup serving. This is a rare indulgence for me, but tonight I threw caution to the wind and killed the entire pint (the best way to eat BnJs in my opinion). Overall this satisfied my sweet tooth and curbed my ice cream craving for the time being, but it certainly isn't their best offering by a long shot. If there were more substantial mix ins, I think this could be one of my favorite flavors, but since it is devoid of them, I have to give this a mediocre grade. If you are a cake batter junkie, or on the quest to try all their flavors go ahead and pick this up. If not, its probably not worth your time.

Rating: 6.8/10 

Review: Yoplait Light Red Velvet Cake

Well as I noted in the last post, yogurt has since become my current addiction. you may also recall I'm a junkie for anything cake or cake batter flavored, so this seemed like a perfect match. I picked up a ton of these yoplait cups(in various flavors, expect more reviews soon) since they were on sale for 50 cents a piece and they make a nice light/portable snack. 

It had been quite a while since I had regular yogurt, as I have been on a greek yogurt kick ever since trying it. Upon peeling back the lid, I quickly remembered why I made the switch. This stuff is quite a bit thinner and almost watery. A plus was that it required no stirring though and was quite well mixed, something you don't often encounter in the greek variety. The color was a bit off-putting, and reminded me of pepto bismol. No bother, some of the most delicious things I've tried looked gross, and down the hatch this went. At first bit I tried to savor the flavor and detect the "red velvet cake" flavor...nothing. just an unplaceable sweetness. It was not bad, but certainly didn't remind me of any sort of cake. I glumly finished the 6oz cup and was somewhat disappointed.

The nutritional panel on this (and all the yoplait lights) are quite friendly with no fat, only 90 calories, and 5g protein. It certainly doesn't pack the same protein punch greek yogurt does, but this stuff is also quite a bit cheaper. If you are a die hard red velvet fan, stay away from this. there is nothing reminiscent about real RVC and will just let you down. If you just want to switch from the classic vanilla or strawberry though, you may want to check it out. I don't think it will blow anybodies socks off, but it also isn't the worst flavored yogurt I've tried.

Rating: 6/10

Review: Fage Total Greek Yogurt

Sorry for the hiatus everyone (anyone still reading? comment if you are!) I just moved into a new apartment and school just started back up. I've been extremely busy, so that means food I can take on the go or eat in a hurry has become a staple. Various yogurts have fit the bill perfectly so expect a slew of yogurt reviews in the near future...

Anyway onto the review. The first time I tried Greek yogurt last year, I was immediately hooked. I started off with the fat free pre flavored cups, but gradually worked my way into the unflavored offerings. I have tried most all brands (both flavored and unflavored) that are offered near me and in my opinion Fage is unmatched. Their 2% plain has become my go-to staple and has the perfect balance of tang and creaminess. I tend to mix in fruit, jam and/or pudding mix, and then eat as is, or top with cereal/granola (totally delicious BTW, give it a shot). I had long been on the lookout for the full fat offering however, to see if it was as decadent as I had imagined.

One dreary afternoon I decided to check out a local "health food" store, and low and behold there was Fage total in all its glory in the small fridge in the corner. I quickly scooped up the single serve cup despite the ridiculous price tag ($2.50) and rushed home to give it a shot. I had planned to mix in some strawberry jam, but luckily I decided to test it plain first. OH. MY. GOD. did I just crack into a thing of cream cheese? That is almost exactly what this reminded me of but a hair thinner, and a bit more creamy. This could be an awesome replacement in any dish calling for cream/whole milk/cream cheese etc. I immediately thought it could make a bomb mac and cheese or some kind of lasagna/baked ziti. It is certainly a unique flavor though and if you haven't become a greek yogurt aficionado you may very well be repulsed. For me, however, it was pure bliss and I quickly gobbled it up without mixing anything in (a first for me).

The downside of this delectable treat is that is is fairly high in fat and calories. It still packs a ton of protein, but not as much as the 2% or fat free, and has a whopping 10g fat in the small cup. For this reason (and the the price/ rare availability) This won't be a staple in my fridge, but rather a rare indulgence. If you come across this, however, I highly recommend giving it a shot, especially if you are already a fan of other greek yogurt offerings. For now, 2% Fage will remain my go-to yogurt, but again, if you want a treat or need yogurt to cook with, this is the yogurt to get.

Rating: 8.8/10

Review: Lovin' Scoopful Cha Cha Churro

I bought this partially on a whim and also because it was on sale. I had high hopes for this flavor and thought it might somehow be a lower calorie replacement to Ben and Jerrys cinnamon buns ice cream.

Their descriptions are quite similar. In fact, they are almost identical. Cinnamon ice cream, a pastry mix in, and a cinnamon sugar swirl. So far so good. It seems like I may have just struck gold. That is, until I dug in.

 The first thing that you notice with this "ice cream" is that it doesn't seem to really freeze. Initially I thought it was soft because I had just come home from the store, but days later it hadn't hardened one bit. Frozen cool whip honestly becomes harder and more frozen than this. I went ahead and scooped a few servings anyway and figured it still might hold an amazing flavor. WRONG. All I really taste is sweet, with a hit of cinnamon. I detected little to no caramel flavor in the base. The churro pieces were plentiful but were bland and just offered a change of texture and little else. The brown sugar swirl was also quite prominent, but it just added to the already overwhelming sweetness. On top of all that, this ice cream is extremely "gummy". I had seen other reviewers use this term before and never really knew what they meant, but now I know and its not pretty. This stuff is clearly loaded with various gums that attempt to thicken this ice cream impostor and it is not pleasant. Its stretchy and reminds me of silly putty or something. I just seems fake. 

The nutrition facts are pretty standard for a light ice cream and quite diet friendly. The serving size was quite small though, especially compared to other light ice creams which at least appear to have a lot of volume. This stuff, however, was surprisingly heavy and 2 servings yielded quite a small dish of ice cream. Not the least bit satisfying. Now I'm sitting here writing this mediocre review craving some real ice cream. I would not recommend this flavor at all and don't think I will try any of this brands other flavors. Their descriptions all seem great, but after this lackluster experience I think they are all talk and no substance. In the end, this wasn't repulsive, but all I could taste was bland sweetness. It was a total waste of calories and I'm even debating chucking the rest of the container (an act i've never done before). This is a total bastardization of BnJs Cinnamon Buns and I'm embarrassed to have thought it could even come close.

Rating: 4/10

Review: Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns

Ahh, yet another ice cream review. I didn't intend for this blog to become predominately about reviewing ice cream, but lately I've really been on a frozen treat kick. Couple that with the fact there have been weekly ice cream sales and my will power to pass up this gem was nonexistent. This flavor is described as  "caramel ice cream with cinnamon bun dough & a cinnamon streusel swirl." Believe it or not, I was not sold by the description initially and had passed this up many times, opting for "safer" flavors like Chocololate Chip Cookie Dough and Milk & Cookies. After reading countless stellar reviews on this flavor, however, I finally stepped out of my comfort zone and picked up a pint.

Halfway down, AKA the point of no return

I rushed straight home and threw this bad boy in the freezer to harden up. The rest of the day I was anxiously awaiting my dessert and I almost caved to the temptation multiple times....My will held strong though and I was able to make it until after dinner. The pint was nice and frozen and as hard as a rock. That is the beauty of super premium ice creams like BnJ's. Due to their extreme density and milk fat content they freeze solid and remain frozen for the duration of your indulgence. None of that melting in 5 minutes, like some other brands...Anyway onto the review! The base flavor, caramel, is exquisite and immediately became my favorite base ice cream of all time. The cinnamon bun dough chunks are extremely prevalent and perfectly compliment the caramel ice cream. Their texture is perfect. they are somewhat doughy and despite being frozen in the depths of the super premium ice cream, remain soft and chewy. The cinnamon streusel swirl ties it all together with its sugary, cinnamon-y, gritty (in the best possible way) goodness. It is a snaking vein throughout the entire pint and you can be guaranteed to get all 3 elements of this flavor in every spoonful.

The nutrition facts on this flavor, however, are not the most friendly. Due to its high fat content and premium nature, the calories are obviously quite high. The mix-ins used also contribute to a large amount of carbs (most of which are sugar). The fact this is quite possibly the best/most addicting ice cream in existence won't help your cause if you are watching your calories. Good luck putting this away after a mere serving. More than likely you will end up killing at least half, and possibly the entire pint, in one sitting. For this reason, use extreme caution when eating ; )
Again, I can't say enough good things about this flavor. Since first trying it, I knew I had struck gold. I have probably killed 15+ pints of this by now, and almost always have one tucked away in my freezer for a "rainy day" (or any day for that matter). The texture, mouthfeel, flavor, and prevalent mix ins make this the seemingly perfect ice cream. I have yet to find something that dethrones it and I base all my ice cream reviews on this flavor. Pick this up ASAP.


Rating: 9.9/10


Fellow bloggers takes on it: 
Ice Cream Informant
Crazy Food Dude
On Second Scoop

Review: Walden Farms Pancake Syrup

Once again, Bodybuilding.com forums have done me solid by awaring me of this gems existence. You can find it in the diabetic/specialty food section of most supermarkets and its runs for about $3.50 per bottle. Since discovering this I have ripped through multiple bottles, and have bee using it for oats, and french toast almost daily. 

Getting a solid picture of this was tough, but this shows the color alright, which is similar to real syrup.

The taste is quite authentic, especially for something that boasts 0 calories. A lot of other sugar free syrups are loaded with sugar alcohols which I avoid like the plague (and also carry calories), but this has none and is sweetened with splenda. You can detect a slight artificial taste if you taste it by itself, but when used to top dishes that traditionally have syrup on them, the taste is almost indistinguishable from the real deal. The texture is the one fall back however, as it is quite watery. This stuff really likes to slide right off whatever you pour it on and flood your plate. This is a very minor setback however, as I will gladly mop it up with my french toast/pancakes/waffles/ etc. (you get the idea)

Not much to be said about the nutrition facts. Zeroes across the board with a trace of sodium. In reality, if you were to drink the entire bottle there are probably like 20-30 calories, but when used in reasonable quantities its negligible and can be considered 0 cals. This is clearly the biggest selling point of this product and the fact that it tastes awesome is nothing short of incredible. This can save you a ton of calories and would make a great tool to a serious dieter. Or if you are like me and just like to have extra cals to play with, its definitely worth checking out. FYI they have a full line of products that are zero calories that I am slowly working my way though. So far this is the best of the bunch though.

Rating: 8.5/10

Review: Soy Slender Chocolate Soy Milk

Soy milk, you may be asking yourself? I was the same way before purchasing this. Im not lactose intolerant and enjoy at least 1 glass of real milk a day. I never saw the need to try any of the "non dairy" milk alternatives, but decided it was time to go to the dark side and see what the hype was all about. 

I know you like the fact I drink my chocolate milk out of a Stella chalice.

Upon pouring,  I was immediately able to detect a difference between this and real chocolate milk. seems thinner and doesn't stick to the glass. That wasn't going to deter me though and I gladly slugged down the small glass...Hmmm interesting, verrrry interesting. As I had expected the consistency is quite watery, however it also has a creamy taste and has a silky mouthfeel (most likely due to the fat content).  The taste is quite pleasant as well. The chocolate flavor isn't going to knock your socks off, but it is certainly something I could see myself sipping with breakfast or after a workout. There is a slight aftertaste, but Im assuming that is just how soy milk tastes. If you didn't really bask in the flavor you might not even notice it.

The nutrition facts are actually one of the things that inspired me to buy this product. The carbs (and sugar most importantly) are much lower than regular milk, and its even more impressive when compared to chocolate milk. The protein and fat content are both pretty much the same as a standard glass of 2% milk, and this even packs 4 grams of fiber per glass. When you account for all these factors this seems like a really solid alternative to good old cows milk. The taste is good and now Im curious about their two other flavors (vanilla and cappuccino). If you are looking for a low cal chocolate milk fix, or just want to switch things up I'd go ahead a give this a shot.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Blue Bunny Birthday Party

Well as you can see, I'm a bit of an ice cream/junkfood addict and as I've proclaimed before, I love cake flavored ice cream. When I saw this half gallon on sale for $2.50 I just couldn't pass it up. I had high hopes after my great experience with their Red Velvet Cake flavor, and couldn't wait to dig in. The carton description reads: "white cake flavored ice cream with confetti shaped candy pieces and a blue frosting ribbon". My mouth was watering as I read that and I quickly scooped myself 2 servings.

The base "white cake" flavor is quite authentic, although it seems to lack that grainy/doughy texture some cake ice creams tend to have. It is very sweet; possibly too sweet for some, but for me it was quite enjoyable. The confetti candy pieces were fairly plentiful but didn't really add much to the flavor. They are similar to the large sprinkle things you would put on sugar cookies so they add little flavor/texture and just a bit of extra color. The blue ribbon swirl was absolutely delicious and reminded me of that cheap cotton candy flavored ice cream I was raised on. Unfortunately in my small bowl I didn't get much of the ribbon. I'm sure there will be a large network of it within the depths of this half gallon, however, and I will gladly excavate it! Again, this ribbon adds nothing in terms of texture and is extremely sweet. If you don't have a huge sweet tooth, I can see this being too much for you. The one thing this flavor really lacked in my opinion is any real cake pieces mixed in. Im not aware of any cake ice cream that incorporates sprinkles and cake pieces (please inform me if you are) and that could have brought this flavor to top tier. Unfortunately the lack of mix ins leaves you wanting and leaves it in the middle of the pack.

As far as nutrition facts go, they are decent on this flavor. Mid level in terms of fat, but A LOT of sugar. If you only care about calories though, this shouldn't be too hard to fit into any diet. My two serving bowl was quite enough to fulfill my ice cream craving and it only clocked in at 300 calories. This is a decent lighter choice if you are getting bored of the other options available and I could see this being really good for making your own sundaes. Then you can incorporate real mix-ins and  I believe this flavor will really shine. Overall I'm not upset I bought this at only $2.50 but most likely won't re-visit it any time soon. I think I'll stick with their red velvet cake flavor and keep exploring the other Duff Goldman offerings.

Rating: 6.8/10