5 Other Things I Consumed This Week: 10/24/2025

7-Eleven Hawaii Pickle Juice Slurpee

7-Eleven Hawaii Pickle Juice Slurpee

This one came out at the same time as the Cinnamon Toast one I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. Oddly, I was more curious about this one because I’ve been enjoying all the pickle-flavored products that have crossed my taste buds. However, I will not be purchasing this Slurpee ever again, and I regret getting a medium size instead of a small.

Look, it tasted like sweet pickle juice. It was, as the kids I totally made up like to say, sou-weet. But I wish that sweetness was a bit stronger to tame that sourness, much like with the pickle mochi ice cream I had a few years ago. Even though I got a medium Slurpee, I did end up finishing it, but not in one sitting or two. After my initial tasting, I put it in the freezer and ate chunks over the next couple of days. But that cup was all I’ll be sticking into my mouth.

Slate Mocha Latte High Protein Iced Coffee

Slate Mocha Latte High Protein Iced Coffee

Protein plus calcium plus caffeine? That sounds like my kind of drink to give me a shortcut to reach my protein and calcium goals while still drinking my usual amount of caffeine. However, I’m not too high on this high-protein coffee’s flavor and texture.

Its consistency when I swirl it around in a glass doesn’t match what it feels like in my mouth. In a glass, it’s creamy, but in my mouth, it’s almost like water. The can states that there is no carrageenan, which explains how it feels in my mouth. As for its flavor, it doesn’t have a punch like other coffee drinks. I guess “flat” would be the best way to describe it, and I assume the stevia and monk fruit sweeteners are the reason for that.

However, it tastes okay and thankfully its texture isn’t gritty, so I could turn a blind tongue to its lacking taste and texture because of the 20 grams of protein, 550 milligrams of calcium, and 175 milligrams of caffeine.

Celsius Spritz Vibe Snowball Frost Energy Drink

Celsius Spritz Vibe Snowball Frost Energy Drink

This is the second Celsius flavor I’ve ever had. I don’t even remember the first one I had. With that said, I’m not saying Celsius Energy Drinks are unmemorable, because I do remember that first one was tasty.

I will not forget this Snowball Frost seasonal flavor because I’m writing about it here for posterity. But I also won’t forget about it because this flavor seems weird to me. With a name like “Snowball Frost,” I expected it to have a wintery flavor or a taste that matches the colors of winter, like a blue raspberry or blueberry to convey cold weather. Instead, it’s citrusy, which I do not associate with winter. I usually think of anything citrus as a summer flavor. However, I’m not quite sure what citrus fruit I’m tasting. I’m thinking possibly tangerine. It’s not OMG delicious, and I won’t cry tears of sadness when it disappears in spring. If you do see me tearing up, it’s because of my allergies.

Joyride Sour Blue Raspberry Strips

Joyride Sour Blue Raspberry Strips

I’ve been rolling my eyes at Joyride candies ever since they came out because of how little sugar they contain. How can CANDY with little sugar taste good? But after tasting these sour strips, I’m going to have to eat my words, which I’ll substitute with more Joyride candy. 

Because I didn’t give this candy the time of day, I didn’t know it had fiber. This package, which has just six sour strips, has 12 grams of fiber, which is 40 percent of your daily recommended amount. DANG! Yes, it’s much better to get fiber from actual food, but it feels like magic to get it from candy.

But the candy doesn’t taste like it has much fiber. It’s one or two levels of sourness below Sour Patch Kids, but it has a flavor that’s almost as good. And it does it with only 5 grams of sugar. As someone who’s trying to sneak more fiber in my diet, I think I’ll be taking more Joyride flavors for a joyride.

Cove Smurfberry Probiotic Soda

Cove Smurfberry Soda

Bacillus subtilis DE111 is a probiotic. It’s also now in my search engine history with “bison vs buffalo,” “Jason Statham catchphrases,” and “[REDACTED].”

I bought this soda for the probiotics and the Smurfs, but was a little smurfed at the lack of fiber since, as you’ve read above, I’m trying to find ways to sneak the nutrient into my body. I’m also extremely smurfed that this beverage is clear, with no hint of Smurf color. What the smurf is up with that?

According to the can, Smurfberry is supposed to taste like blue raspberry, and it does give me Louie-Bloo Raspberry Otter Pop vibes, but it’s subdued like it’s been watered down a little. It tastes good enough that I’m slightly curious about the other flavors in Cove’s cove. 

REVIEW: Taco Bell Frank’s RedHot Diablo Crispy Chicken Soft Taco

Taco Bell Frank's RedHot Diablo Crispy Chicken Soft Taco barfing vegetables

What is up with Taco Bell’s double dose of collaborations at the same time? Currently on the menu, there’s the Flamin’ Hot Grilled Cheese Burrito and this Frank’s RedHot Diablo Crispy Chicken Soft Taco (there’s also a burrito version). Taco Bell should’ve gone for a Flamin’ Hot Frank’s RedHot collab in one product. That would’ve been hot and one long product name.

The highlight of the limited-time menu item is the sauce, which is a combination of Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Sauce, Taco Bell’s Diablo Sauce, and tangy ranch. Looking at that lineup makes me think this could’ve been a crazy collaboration between Frank’s RedHot and Hidden Valley Ranch. Two words: sauce synergy!

But there’s a more critical issue I must focus on.

Yes, my order looks like the flour tortilla is throwing up cheese, pico de gallo, purple cabbage, and lettuce, with Frank’s RedHot Diablo Sauce drooling out of the side of it. I guess the crispy chicken strip would be the tongue? I’m not sure if the person who made my order was being loosey goosey with the ingredients because of the lunch rush, but my taco was thiccco. And, as expected, with the unusual amount of taco roughage, a lot of it lost to gravity.

Despite the Sizzler salad bar in my taco, the Buffalo flavor stands out. However, it’s hard to determine how the folks at Taco Bell Diablo-fied it because it tastes like a standard vinegary and smoky Buffalo sauce, and it’s not noticeably hotter. There’s a spicy kick to it that I’d rate a three or four on my personal heat scale, but I don’t think adding the Diablo sauce turns up the fire. Finally, I don’t taste any tanginess from the ranch, although its creaminess is evident.

Taco Bell Frank's RedHot Diablo Crispy Chicken Soft Taco a closer look at the mess.

But I’m fine with the condiment not tasting like a unique mashup because I enjoyed the Buffalo flavor. But what I also liked was the vegetable smorgasbord. The acidic bursts from the tomatoes complement the spicy orange sauce, and I liked the crunch of the purple cabbage that enhanced the chicken strip’s texture. Although a little dry, the chicken strip was meaty and went the entire length of the tortilla. But its flavor was blocked by the Buffalo, which I didn’t mind.

Overall, Taco Bell’s Frank’s RedHot Diablo Crispy Chicken Soft Taco is delicious, and I enjoyed it enough to order it again during a subsequent visit. While the second one wasn’t as stuffed as my first one, it was just as tasty.

Purchased Price: $3.79*
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 250 calories, 11 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 710 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 11 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Stranger Things Demogorgon Crunch Cereal

Kellogg's Stranger Things Demogorgon Crunch Cereal Box

Stranger Things is in the midst of a generational run when it comes to brand collabs months before a show or movie releases. The fifth and final season of the popular Netflix show begins its three-part rollout on Thanksgiving, but branded products began popping up on shelves as early as July and August. I’m looking at you, God-awful Chocolate Strawberry Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies that were so bad we didn’t even review them here — yuck. From Cake Bites to Klondike Ice Cream Cones to frozen pizzas and endless amounts of clothing, candy, and candles, the Stranger Things finale is not coming or going quietly.

Fortunately for the cereal-lovers (me), whereas most brands phone it in with a generic-flavored colorful puff cereal to promote their movie or show (Wednesday, Wicked, Bluey, etc), the brand new Stranger Things Demogorgon Crunch is not only an under-utilized flavor, but perfectly on theme for the show. Demogorgon Crunch is a syrup-flavored cereal with Upside Down marshmallows, in the shape of a flashlight, a demogorgon, and a d20 die.

Kellogg's Stranger Things Demogorgon Crunch Cereal close up

If you are wondering where Eggo Cereal went, I have your answer: right here. Eggo cereal has never been as punchy, intense, and downright delicious as Post’s Waffle Crisp, and the same remains true for this “new” spin by Kellogg’s. But it makes perfect sense. In the show, Eleven eats tons of Eggo waffles, and there is already a new line of Eggo waffles out for the show’s final season. I can’t be mad at a company for doing an obvious slam dunk move and pulling it off. The hefty cereal pieces bear a nice, slightly mild maple flavor with a touch of butteriness that works well as a dry snack and holds their own in milk perfectly.

Kellogg's Stranger Things Demogorgon Crunch Cereal in a bowl

Generally speaking, marshmallows make every cereal better, and this is no exception. The marshmallows have a very sweet, vanilla-leaning flavor that is more pronounced than most cereal marshmallows and stands out well against the maple notes. My one major complaint is that, compared to Lucky Charms or my beloved Monster Cereals, the marshmallow-to-cereal-ratio is a bit lacking. To be fair, the cereal pieces here have a lot more flavor than most marshmallow-laden breakfast boxes, but I still could use more with this otherwise really satisfying release.

Kellogg's Stranger Things Demogorgon Crunch Cereal back of box

The box design and theming of Demogorgon Crunch is a 10 out of 10. I love the retro look and feel of the entire presentation, and the product is good enough to keep around on shelves beyond just a promotional item, too. This is the first time I have tried a maple cereal with marshmallows, and I am in favor of bringing this one back once it inevitably vanishes into the Upside Down after the promo cycle ends.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Size: 12.1 ounces
Purchased at: Target.com
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 1/3 cup. 40g) 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 150 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 14 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Candy Bar Signature Latte

Dunkin’s Candy Bar Signature Latte Hot Cup

Dunkin’ ain’t messing around this Halloween. It *knows* that this time of year, you have to go big or go home. We’re at a point where excessive isn’t excessive enough anymore. Pretty much anybody can walk into an executive board room meeting at any major restaurant chain in America, describe the most outlandish and preposterous menu item imaginable and there’s at least a 50/50 chance they’ll actually mass release it.

In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s how the Candy Bar Signature Latte came into existence.

Dunkin’s Candy Bar Signature Latte toppings

The gimmick of the latte is pretty obvious. When it says “candy bar,” it MEANS it. You’ve got the requisite whipped topping, and atop that, you’ve got a purée of all kinds of name-brand candies I don’t think Dunkin’ is legally allowed to mention in its advertising materials. But as soon as you taste it, you know what you’re chomping into. It’s pretty much an edible Where’s Waldo painting of various ice cream toppings — M&Ms (or “multi-color chocolate candies,” if you’re trying to avert a lawsuit), bits of pretzel, some little toffee chunks and pulped chips of what I’m pretty sure are supposed to be bite-size Heath bars. Basically, if you turned a trick-or-treat bag upside down and dumped it into a cup of hot cocoa, it would look a lot like this latte from Dunkin.’

Now, there are two varieties of Candy Bar Signature Latte. The iced version is obviously the more Instagrammable version. But I went with the standard hot latte iteration … which was a mistake on my part.

Dunkin’s Candy Bar Signature Latte topping melting

It’s thermodynamics 101. If you put something really cold on top of something really hot, it’s only a matter of time until one of ‘em gives. By the time I pulled out of the Dunkin’ drive-thru lane and made it back to my place, that beautiful, Willy Wonka-like tapestry had melted into a puddle resembling the atmosphere of Jupiter, complete with melted chocolate husks and soggy, shriveled pretzel pieces bobbing up and down like condemned souls in the river Styx. I used the Where’s Waldo reference earlier — give it about three minutes and you’ll have your own Hieronymus Bosch painting in the same cup.

Dunkin’s Candy Bar Signature Latte candy bits

So yeah, word to the wise — definitely go with the iced latte version here.

Dunkin’s Candy Bar Signature Latte bottom of the cup

Ultimately, it’s not a bad beverage, just sort of a surprisingly muted one. With all of the ingredients in the cup, you’d think it would have a really distinct taste, but the hot chocolate flavor kinda dominates everything else. So it’s more like a slightly souped-up hot chocolate with pieces of toffee you get to occasionally chew on. That might be some people’s idea of a good time, but yeah, it’s not for me.

This is another example of fast food aesthetics over fast food quality. It looks cool and the novelty is appealing, but as something you actually consume, it’s surprisingly mundane. How a beverage with THIS much stuff in it tastes so much like an ordinary, run of the mill mocha latte is almost inspiring; but I guess no matter how much whipped cream and M&M’s you put on top of something, a Dunkin’ latte is still just a Dunkin’ latte.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: Large
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 560 calories, 18 grams of total fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 83 grams of total carbohydrates, 75 grams of sugars, 16 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Doritos Collisions Stranger Things Stranger Pizza & Cool Ranch

Doritos Collisions Stranger Things bag with my hand in the picture.

To be honest, I know little about the Netflix show Stranger Things, which is strange because the Netflix algorithm has been suggesting it to me for years, and my wife has watched every episode. I can’t name any of the characters. I have referenced Demogorgon several times on this site, but that’s only because I worship Satan.

Is one of them named Friday? Or am I somehow getting confused with the main character of Netflix’s Wednesday? Or maybe I’m thinking of Monday from the Netflix movie What Happened to Monday? Or I’m misremembering Tuesday from Tuesday, another movie on Netflix. Or perhaps I’m thinking of Miss All Sunday (Nico Robin) from the live-action One Piece show on Netflix.

Netflix has been on a Stranger Things marketing rampage, getting the Stranger Things logo slapped on almost every type of product in a grocery store. I’d make a list, but going through it would take as long as fans have had to wait for new seasons of the show. One of the latest collaborations is this Doritos Collisions Stranger Things with Stranger Pizza and Cool Ranch flavors.

I’m not one of those diehard ranch-on-pizza kind of people. But I understand the appeal. If you are one of those folks, these chips may disappoint you.

Stranger Pizza Doritos on the left and Cool Ranch on the right.

The chips smell like every pizza-flavored snack I’ve ever had. However, my nose couldn’t detect the equally familiar scent of Cool Ranch Doritos. Though visually, it’s easy to determine which chip is which. The darker ones are pizza-flavored, while the lighter chip is Cool Ranch.

Pizza-flavored Doritos have been a thing, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever had them. My memories might be mistaking them for all the other pizza-flavored snacks I’ve munched on over the years, all of which remind me of Totino’s Party Pizzas. However, there is something a little different about these from all those other snacks. There’s a very light spiciness, as if Doritos was aiming for a spicy pepperoni flavor. It was surprising, and I totally dig it.

Doritos Collisions Stranger Things in the bag.

With the two flavors being in the same bag, I thought there would be some cross-pollination, but that didn’t happen. The Cool Ranch chips tasted like Cool Ranch, while the pizza-flavored ones tasted like pizza without a hint of Cool Ranch. Combining the two flavors in one bite also doesn’t make a difference in creating more of a mashup flavor because the stronger pizza flavor overwhelms the Cool Ranch seasoning. I’m not going to complain about that because I love pizza-flavored products, and I’ve been loving these chips.

However, if you’re hoping for a unique flavor that combines the two chips, you won’t taste it.

Purchased Price: $5.19*
Size: 9 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 11 chips – 28 grams) 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

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