REVIEW: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Cowabunga Cinnamon Apple Cereal

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Cowabunga Cinnamon Apple Cereal Box

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Cowabunga Cinnamon Apple Cereal from General Mills looks like it might have the longest name in breakfast cereal history. It also appears the Cookie Crisp-making and Lucky Charms marshmallow-making machines were used to create it.

While the sweetened corn cereal pieces’ shape could be turtle shells, there’s no questioning what the marshmallow pieces are. They feature the faces of all four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael – with their eyes closed.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Cowabunga Cinnamon Apple Cereal Marshmallows

When it comes to cereals that have movie tie-ins, most of them have had marshmallows, and almost all of them have been forgettable. Although none have come to mind that have been memorable, so I guess they all have been forgettable. But after trying the cereal with possibly the longest name in breakfast cereal history, I can say that I’ve tasted a movie tie-in cereal that I probably won’t forget. Although, my first taste of it didn’t impress me.

When I ate one, the flavor was almost none. When I ate two, to get any flavor, it was still too few. When I ate three, the taste screamed slightly softer than a banshee. When I ate four, the flavor really began to soar. Apple cinnamon oatmeal comes to mind when I eat this, and when eating spoonfuls with milk, the fruit and warm spices come through a bit more.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Cowabunga Cinnamon Apple Cereal Closeup

I was surprised by how much flavor these had, maybe because of my past experiences with bland movie tie-in cereals. The marshmallows add pops of sweetness that enhance the cereal, and a second look at them makes me think of bow ties and bikini tops. As for the milk at the bottom of my bowl, unfortunately, I didn’t taste the cinnamon apple goodness in it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Cowabunga Cinnamon Apple Cereal is surprisingly good. If there’s a sequel to the TMNT movie, I’d be fine with reusing this cereal flavor for it.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from General Mills. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 17.8 oz box
Purchased at: Received from General Mills
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup w/o milk) 140 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Swedish Fish Blue Raspberry Lemonade

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What are they?

We just got Sour Patch Kids Lemonade Fest, and one of the flavors, blue raspberry lemonade, is spotlighted in Swedish Fish, the Kids’ confectionary cousin.

How are they?

Of the four flavors in the Sour Patch Kids Lemonade Fest, I’m not sure why blue raspberry lemonade got the Swedish Fish treatment. In the SPK mix, I thought it didn’t have a strong flavor, but at least it was sour, so it evoked lemonade.

Here, though, it really doesn’t taste like anything. It’s just sweet. I can maybe taste lemon if I squint. But I’m not going to squint because there’s no tartness to make my eyes do funny things.

In my junk food drawer, I have a bag of red, white, and blue Swedish Fish Mini, which includes both blue raspberry (blue) and lemon (white). Each of those has a more discernible flavor. But for some reason, the flavors just get diluted when they’re mixed together.

And there’s another thing: I think these would work better in the mini format. The full size is just too big, and it’s not worth chewing that much for a mediocre flavor.

Anything else you need to know?

Sometimes if you eat too many Sour Patch Kids, your mouth starts to hurt. So at least that’s one thing these Fish have going for them that the SPK mix doesn’t: they won’t hurt your mouth.

Conclusion:

Unfortunately, Swedish Fish Blue Raspberry Lemonade are a forgettable candy that doesn’t evoke either blue raspberries or lemonade.

Purchased Price: $2.75
Size: 8.04 oz bag
Purchased at: Dollar General
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (5 pieces) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 15 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 23 grams of sugar (including 23 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Jack Wraps

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How my Jack in the Box Crispy Jack Wraps were made can’t be right, right? From above, they look like ghost burritos with the way the tortillas are folded. There is something inside the tortilla, but less than half of it being used.

I checked YouTube and saw Jack Wraps folded in various ways. One video showed one just like mine, another looked like a burrito, and another was made with the excess tortilla folded over the other half, which allowed the ingredients to pop out of the top.

I picked up both Crispy Jack Wrap varieties — Classic and Spicy. The Classic comes with one chicken strip, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar, pickles, Good Good Sauce, and buttermilk ranch dressing in a warm, oversized tortilla. The Spicy version has jalapeños instead of pickles and swaps the Good Good Sauce with the spicy version. Either one is also available with grilled chicken, which I unintentionally tried. I’ll explain later.

With the way my Classic Crispy and Spicy Crispy Jack Wraps were made, the first bites would’ve been ALL tortilla, so I rewrapped them into burritos. Unfortunately, that didn’t prevent my jaw from getting a little workout, thanks to the tough tortilla, which felt like it wasn’t warmed up to soften it. But I did some microwave magic to make everything less chewy.

The Classic Crispy Jack Wrap has a lot of flavor, thanks to the Good Good Sauce and ranch. The pickles added a tasty pungent kick. The chicken strip inside was a bit dry and had little crispiness, but the sauces and vegetables mostly compensated for those issues. As for the Spicy one, the jalapeños overwhelmed the whole thing, and after eating a third of it, I took them out. For something so small, there were a lot of jalapeños in it. But even with them out, their flavor lingered a bit too much.

Unsatisfied with my experience, I went to a different Jack in the Box location for another Crispy Jack Wrap. This time, I ended up with one wrapped like a burrito. But, despite my receipt saying I ordered a Crispy version, I had grilled chicken in mine. This time, the tortilla was much easier to chew and had some crispiness, and overall I liked grilled chicken Jack Wrap as much as the Crispy version.

While the Classic Crispy and Grilled Jack Wraps were tasty, I’m not completely impressed. Their price seems a bit high for something with ONE chicken strip in them, even at the advertised price of three dollars, and those tortillas were comically too big. Jack in the Box knows there are smaller tortillas, right?

Purchased Price: $3.29 each*
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Classic Crispy), 5 out of 10 (Spicy Crispy), 6 out of 10 (Classic Grilled)
Nutrition Facts: 380 calories each for the Classic Crispy and Spicy Crispy Jack Wraps. Other nutritional info is not available.

*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: Coca-Cola Limited Edition Ultimate

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Video games partnering with soda brands to cross-promote is such a natural partnership. It’s a synergy of two things that already tend to be consumed by the same people and often allows for a bump in sales/game play. This summer, Coca-Cola partnered with Riot Games’ massive game League of Legends to release a new limited edition drink under their Creations banner: Coca-Cola Ultimate. Described as being +XP (experience point) flavored, the sixth addition to the Creations line is just as odd and unique as the other offerings.

+XP is often earned in games through tasks/challenges that contribute to you gaining a level, so I was extremely interested to see how they would interpret that concept into a flavor. Its smell was that of a sweet berry that almost gave me the vaguest hint of Pepsi Blue. Don’t worry, to all that hated that drink; the initial aroma was the only thing that reminded me of the divisive blue beverage.

The first sip was overwhelming to my pallet as it didn’t match the berry smell. I should have known better with the Creation line than to assume it would taste how it smelled. Taking my time to savor the soda, I tasted peach on the front with a hint of citrus on the back. The tried and true Coca-Cola flavor isn’t really present. The sweetness you expect from a Coke is absolutely there, but the signature “cola” taste is barely there.

The lack of a strong cola flavor didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. While I am sure that will turn some off, I genuinely enjoyed that this tasted like a whole new concoction because other Creations varieties drank like “Coke with added flavor.”

When researching the connection between the drink and League of Legends, I was a little bummed to find it wasn’t inspired by anything directly from the game. However, you can access some interesting benefits by scanning the QR code on the bottle or can. It will take you to the Coca-Cola Creations page, where you can access different activities tied to the game. It’s worth noting you don’t have to buy the drink to access these benefits: in-game missions can yield you an exclusive emote, AR lenses can turn your likeness into an LoL emote, and you can add your face into a video to share.

While I cannot speak to whether or not I gained XP drinking Coca-Cola Ultimate, it was an overall enjoyable drink. The connection to League of Legends doesn’t seem as deep as other soda x game collabs have been, but I think it will work in Coke’s favor: LoL fans can enjoy in-game rewards and limited edition soda fans can enjoy a new offering.

Purchased Price: $2.29
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 240 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 65 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Raspberry Watermelon Refresher

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If you need a refresher on Refreshers, they are Dunkin’s line of caffeinated, fruit-flavored cold drinks. They were first introduced in 2020 with a green tea base that remains a steadfast option, but over the years, coconut milk and lemonade variants have been rolled out as well, and all three are available to accompany this summer’s newest flavor, Raspberry Watermelon.

I’ve loyally tried every Refresher so far, and typically if I order one without explicitly specifying the base I’d like, it comes with green tea by default. I was planning to leave the base for this review up to fate but was pleasantly surprised when the Dunkin’ employee asked me which base I’d like. While I’m a huge fan of milky drinks, the coconut milk can be overpowering even for me, and the green tea can be a bit too mild (probably because I’m a slow drinker and the flavor doesn’t hold up great when melted ice cubes water it down, which may not be a problem for most people), so lemonade struck me as the perfect option here. Plus, what could be more fitting to celebrate some overdue warm and sunny weather in my city?

My drink was a gorgeous deep reddish pink, a trait that I assume the green tea variant shares, though coconut milk Refreshers are inevitably cloudier and white-tinged. The pretty color seemed like a positive sign, and my first sip proved me right; this Refresher was as fruity and vibrant as I would expect from its vivid hue. The flavor was impressively cohesive. I find that sometimes when a drink is made up of two different flavors, one dominates the foreground while the other just appears in the aftertaste. But I couldn’t pick the raspberry and watermelon apart here, and I really enjoyed the way they mingled. Both fruits are sweet and juicy, and so is this drink. Yet, like a raspberry, it also had an identifiable tartness, which was evened out by the smooth mellowness of watermelon. The end result was an appealing candy-esque quality that never veered too sharply into overly sour territory.

The lemonade bolstered the tartness, of course, but it did so in a wonderfully balanced way. This may seem like a small difference, but I was glad that this definitively tasted like a lemonade-flavored raspberry watermelon drink rather than a raspberry watermelon-flavored lemonade. The only element of its flavor that I can’t speak to is how it tastes once the ice cubes start to melt because this was just so tasty that, for once, I gulped it down too quickly to find out! And, in case anyone was doubting this drink’s energy boosting powers, I can confirm that I was feeling quite sluggish before my purchase but left the sipping session feeling refreshed indeed.

If you appreciate jewel tone colors, zippy fruit flavors, or feeling like you’re slurping down the essence of summer no matter the weather, “water” you waiting for? Don’t blow this flavor a raspberry; it would make a fine choice for your next refreshment.

Purchased Price: $3.89
Size: Small
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 160 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 38 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

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