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