REVIEW: Khloud Olive Oil and Sea Salt Protein Popcorn (Video)

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The video of the sky in this video is not stock video that I purchased. Nope, I waited for a nice sunny day with white clouds and a blue sky and went outside and spent 15 minutes shooting video of the sky. My neighbors must’ve thought I was crazy or spying on them. I did the spying AFTER I took the video of the clouds. Anyhoo, enjoy the video.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 4 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Nutrition Facts: (3 cups – 30 grams) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 3 gram of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Daily Double

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McDonald’s Daily Double is not the burger I wanted the fast food chain to bring back. That pedestal belongs to the Big ‘N Tasty, which, for those of you who are too young to remember, was a short-lived Whopper competitor rolled out at the turn of the century. While not as ancient as the Big ‘N Tasty, the Daily Double made its debut in 2012, and it’s been available occasionally in specific US markets. However, it’s now available nationwide again.

The well-topping-endowed burger features two beef patties, two slices of Roma tomatoes, slivered onions, shredded lettuce, mayonnaise, and American cheese on a regular bun. I imagine it’s called Daily Double because Grimace wanted to remember the fond memories of watching the game show Jeopardy with The Professor, who grew Grimace from a petri dish and taught the purple blob love and compassion. I’m fairly certain that’s part of the McDonaldland canon.

Speaking of the McDonald’s universe (McDU), the Daily Double is one of the few burgers in Golden Arches history that, by default, comes topped with only mayonnaise and doesn’t come with pickles. But despite the lack of strong condiments like ketchup and mustard, it does have a flavor that I find to be good enough to convince me to order it again.

When I took my first bite, I had to double-check that there wasn’t a new sauce with the burger. It turned out to be the combination of mayonnaise and onion that created that pleasing flavor. The absence of pickles, mustard, and ketchup allowed the two beef patties to stand out with a strong meaty flavor and saltiness. I’m not sure I noticed the single cheese slice, so maybe a second slice should’ve been added for a stronger cheesiness, increased profit margins, and to really hit home the “double” in the Daily Double.

The lettuce and tomato bring a bit of freshness and something to cut through some of the saltiness of the beef patties. They also make the burger look as if there’s a salad on top of it. As someone who is trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet in any way I can, I appreciate the double tomato slices. The shredded lettuce also gives this a certain quality equal to McDonald’s signature Big Mac — its messiness.

Despite not being the Big’ N Tasty, I’m glad McDonald’s Daily Double has returned. Although it’s basically a heavily customized McDouble, so I guess I could have had it all this time, which is a good thing because when it disappears again, I can continue to enjoy it.

Purchased Price: $4.19*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 400 calories, 31 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 810 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar (including 3 grams of added sugar), and 22 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: McDonald’s Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg

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Do you know what’s a great way to get out of a sleepy morning state?

Caffeine? Nah.

Multiple alarms? Beep, no!

A firm face slap? You’re getting closer.

After taking my first bite from McDonald’s Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg, I realized I’d been getting awake the wrong way. I don’t need coffee or multiple alarms set for 6:45, 6:50, 6:54, 6:57, 6:59, 7:00, 7:01, 7:02, 7:03 am. All I need is to make the inside of my mouth experience a slightly stabby pain. I figured this out thanks to this McDonald’s breakfast sandwich that features the chain’s Spicy Pepper Sauce, which debuted with the Spicy McCrispy Chicken Sandwich.

Now, pulling out the Spicy Pepper Sauce for the breakfast crowd begs the question: Why not bring out the Big Mac Sauce, too? I’m 100 percent sure it would make a McMuffin McBetter.

Anyhoo, the orangey condiment brings a spiciness that I’d put at a 4-5 on my heat scale. It’s not enough to make me sweat or wish I’d ordered orange juice with it, but I did find myself suddenly more alert with a burn circulating inside my mouth, and that peppery burn lingered on my lips and tongue well after finishing the sandwich.

Beyond the heat, I enjoyed the added flavor. Standard McMuffins aren’t completely bland, but after eating Grimace’s weight of McMuffins over my lifetime, it’s wonderful to be able to taste something different. The sauce’s pepperiness negates the egg and cheese’s flavor, but the savory sausage still comes through. However, I do think the egg and cheese slightly dampens the topping’s heat.

I’m not sure if it’s just because it’s the new hotness, but I think I’m going to order all my McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches with this sauce for as long as I can. Yeah, even the McGriddles for a swicy twist.

McDonald’s Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg was a great tasting way to start my morning. The sauce’s pepperiness awakened my taste buds, and the sauce’s heat awakened the rest of my head. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to place a bag of Flamin’ Hot chips next to my bed.

Purchased Price: $5.79*
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Unavailable at time of publication.

*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: Awesome Sauce Goldfish Crackers

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If there are two things the internet loves, it’s tier lists and sauces. That’s it – just those two things. Nothing more.

Don’t act like you’ve never glared at a fifteen-minute YouTube video of some dork ranking their favorite… I don’t know, band-aid shapes and raged out when they put “butterfly” in the C-tier. That’s a great functional shape! Who is this hypothetical fool I’m inventing out of thin air?!

Then you’ve got the social media sauce epidemic we’ve been living in for the past decade. Every “viral” sandwich, burger, burrito, etc, looks delicious… until it’s smothered with a waterfall of multi-colored sauces. Who’s eating these wet disasters?! A little dab’ll do ya!

So, in honor of the internet’s two biggest (fact-checked) obsessions, I decided to make my own sauce tier list. Rapid fire, ready:

S-Tier – None.

Yeah, that’s as far as I got. I don’t have a favorite sauce. I’m desperately seeking a favorite sauce to fill my S(auce)-tier. If only there were a new sauce out there to knock my socks off, a great sauce, maybe even an… oh, hey, Goldfish has a new “AWESOME Sauce” flavor. Let’s do it.

If you’re like me, seek help, but also, you’re probably wondering what “awesome sauce” is. I ate two handfuls, and I’m still curious.

Pepperidge Farm doesn’t even know, as the bag reads, “Sweet, smoky, tangy… Awesome. The taste that’s hard to describe and impossible to resist.”

I agree with half of that statement. They’re hard to describe but quite easy to resist.

My initial assumption was that these would be a generic “burger sauce.” I think I was hoping for that because deep down, I feared what was coming, and let’s just say it’s a flavor that would probably land on my C tier – Chick-fil-A sauce.

I know people swear by it, but you can keep Chick-fil-A sauce. I think it’s a strange concoction that isn’t better than the individual sum of its parts. I’m pretty sure that’s what they’re going for.

Initially, these taste like a sweet-ish BBQ sauce, and right when you start to enjoy that, the tang gets a bit vinegary, and if you start to enjoy that, the flavor flat-out dies in a time span shorter than a real goldfish’s memory.

This is one of the worst Goldfish crackers I’ve ever had, even beyond the flavor itself. The cracker is so bland and… crackery. As dumb as it sounds, it’s the first time I’ve ever been cognizant of the cracker. I’ve never gotten that from other varieties because the flavors persist.

I mean, I can’t argue with the bag; these are sweet, smokey, and tangy. They would’ve been quite good if they were also a little spicy. They could’ve been saltier too.

I can’t say these are awesome. They’re not awe-ful, but I’m not a big fan. If you love Chick-fil-A sauce, you’ll probably wanna catch ’em all, but again, it’s one of the quickest flavor drop-offs I can remember in a savory snack like this. These probably should’ve been “Flavor Blasted.”

D-tier confirmed.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 6.1 oz.
Purchased at: Shop Rite
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (53 pieces) 140 calories, 5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 300 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of total sugars, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Mountain Dew Dragon Fruit

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Despite its namesake, dragon fruit isn’t exactly the boldest of flavors. Now, don’t get me wrong, I \*like\* dragon fruit, especially the yellow kind. However, I really find that it adds more in the way of color and texture than flavor, which is why I was honestly kind of surprised when I heard that Mountain Dew, a brand known for bold flavors like Flamin’ Hot and Code Red, had decided to add a dragon fruit flavor to its lineup.

I do have to give them credit where credit is due (or Dew, haha): this stuff DOES really taste like dragon fruit. The flavor is mild, but it is present, and it does evoke the actual namesake fruit. There is a hint of that trademark vaguely citrusy taste most varieties of Mountain Dew share as a background note and a slight aftertaste, and that Dew scent remains present. However, there is a sort of mild, earthy hint of kiwi-like sweetness from dragon fruit that ties it all together.

Even the color looks close. If you’ve ever blended a few chunks of red dragon fruit into an otherwise pale smoothie, topped some Greek yogurt with it, or even just picked up a piece with your bare fingers, you know that bright pink shade it imparts, and I daresay this Dew nails it.

All that being said, the flavor is still really weak. If I’m taking in as much sugar as two servings of Skittles (there’s no zero sugar variety), I want to TASTE something! This almost feels like a sweetened La Croix with the fruit-like whisper of flavor the dragon fruit lends. So, if you’re looking for a bold new Dew to celebrate the summer with, I might suggest Baja Cabo Citrus, 7-Eleven’s exclusive Infinite Swirl, or the returning Summer Freeze. Because sadly, this one just misses the mark and the flavor I have come to expect from one of my favorite soft drink brands.

Purchased Price: $2.38
Size: 20 fl oz bottle (also available in cans)
Purchased at: Walmart (Exclusive)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 280 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 73 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 73 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

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