REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Chance Ice Cream

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Ben Jerry s Mint Chocolate Chance Ice Cream Pint

I know what some of you are thinking. The combination of mint ice cream and fudge brownies in Ben & Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Chance seems a bit simple, and I’m not going to disagree.

My first thought about it was similar to what I initially felt when I learned about the McDonald’s J Balvin Meal, which was just a Big Mac, medium fries with ketchup, and an Oreo McFlurry. It’s stuff we’ve already had, but in a slightly different way. Okay, actually, my earliest thought about the J Balvin Meal was, “Who’s J Balvin?” I’m so uncool.

It would’ve been neat if Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Gurus took advantage of the name “Chance” and added something like fudge question marks and a crunchy chocolate cookie swirl so that when I dip my spoon into a pint, there’s a CHANCE I’ll get brownies, fudge question marks, a cookie swirl, or any combination of the three.

But maybe Chance the Rapper wanted it with just mint ice cream and brownies? You know how some celebrities are. Or perhaps because the name is a play on mint chocolate chip, Ben & Jerry’s wanted to keep it as straightforward as the classic flavor.

Ben Jerry s Mint Chocolate Chance Ice Cream Closeup

That said, with mint-flavored ice cream that’s been the base of other varieties and the same fudge brownies that have been in many different Ben & Jerry’s flavors, I knew there was a good chance that I’d enjoy this flavor, which I did. I think the brownies are a step up from chocolate chips because I love their rich chocolatey flavor and chewiness, but the ice cream’s flavor as a whole reminds me of mint chocolate chip.

Oooh, mid-pint texture update. My teeth have bitten into something in the brownies that snaps like chocolate chips. Oh, there’s another one. Wait. After a closer inspection, it’s just hardened brownie pieces. Oooh, maybe they were end pieces! Those are the best! Also, although the photo above makes it seem there were not a lot of brownies, they were more plentiful as I ate my way down into the pint.

Ben Jerry s Mint Chocolate Chance Non Dairy Closeup

There’s also a non-dairy, certified vegan version of Mint Chocolate Chance with a base made from sunflower butter. It’s less minty and chocolatey than the dairy one, but I found it to be satisfying enough.

Ben Jerry s Mint Chocolate Chance Ice Cream Pints

Yes, Ben & Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Chance is basic, and that gives me the same less thrilled feeling I get when I pull the Advance to the Nearest Railroad Chance card while playing Monopoly and going to a railroad I already own. Can’t buy it, but at least I don’t owe anyone money. With this ice cream, it tastes like something I’ve had before, but at least it’s tasty.

DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples from Ben & Jerry’s. Doing so did not influence my review.

Mint Chocolate Chance is hitting shelves in January. A portion of the proceeds from Mint Chocolate Chance will go to the rapper’s non-profit, SocialWorks, which empowers the youth through the arts, education, and civil engagement.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Received from Ben & Jerry’s
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 340 calories, 19 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 33 grams of sugar (including 27 grams of added sugar), and 6 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Papa John’s NY Style Pizza

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Papa John s NY Style Crust Pizza Whole

Papa John’s has been busy lately with a bunch of new offerings, including the Triple Bacon, Shaq-a-Roni, and Epic Stuffed Crust pizzas, all of which earned generally positive reviews from my esteemed colleagues of culinary critique. Now comes the NY Style Pizza, which launched nationwide on December 27 and will be available through March 13, 2022.

I’m sure this will shock you to your core, but no, Papa John’s did not successfully replicate true New York-style pizza. Yes, these are foldable and (somewhat) oversized as Papa John’s advertises, and I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt that it is also hand-stretched as the website claims, even though I was not there to witness that. But if you tried serving this at a pizzeria in New York City, then a brouhaha, fracas and/or kerfuffle would probably ensue. Perhaps even all three.

Usually, my main qualification to do a review on this site is simply that I have a functioning mouth, but in this case, I do bring some pizza credentials. I grew up in New York (actually New Jersey, but we decided long ago as a state that it’s better to just say New York), so I’ve had my share of authentic New York pizza. And now, as a resident of Texas, I’m used to be being both disappointed and amused when I try New York pizza around here. Truthfully, some local joints come reasonably close, and maybe even closer than I give them credit, but I do deduct authenticity points when someone says, “Here’s y’alls pizza.”

Papa John s NY Style Crust Pizza Slice

With that said, this isn’t bad — it is still pizza after all — and it’s a bit better than I thought it would be, especially considering it’s made using the standard Papa John’s crust, sauce, and cheese. To me, the two things that define New York pizza are the crust being both chewy and crispy with a few of those big air bubbles and the cheese having some stretch and snap along with an unhealthy amount of grease/oil.

Papa John’s fared well on the first requirement, and I think they probably did as well as they could using their regular crust, which I’ve always found to be a little too thick and chewy. This pizza fixed both of those issues, and it comes close to the overall thinness of New York pizza. The outer crust doesn’t quite hit the mark as far as the right balance of crisp and chewy, but it did contain a few modest-size air bubbles and faintly reminded me of New York crust.

Papa John s NY Style Crust Pizza Crust

The shortcoming here is the standard Papa John’s cheese, which has very little of the stretchiness, snap, or general oiliness you might get with a New York pizza. The toppings (I went with pepperoni) were plentiful, so bonus points for that, and even though the slices were a little smaller than most New York pizza I’ve had, they did fold quite well.

Papa John s NY Style Crust Pizza Fold

I didn’t expect to get anything close to real New York-style pizza when I ordered this — and I didn’t — but if you temper your expectations based on what a big chain can deliver using its standard ingredients, and you don’t have many other options in your area, then this is a serviceable pie.

Purchased Price: $13 with one topping
Size: Extra-large (16”)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Detailed nutritional information not available on the Papa John’s website, but it does say each cheese slice has 310 calories.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Wendy’s Frosty Chocolatey Cereal

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Kellogg s Wendy s Frosty Chocolatey Cereal Box

I love Wendy’s Classic Chocolate Frosty, but I have no idea how to explain the treat to the uninitiated. With its mild flavor and a texture that will make you doubt your choice of a spoon, try a straw, then realize that’s somehow even worse than the spoon, it almost seems intentionally ambiguous. So, when I saw someone tried to capture its essence in a cereal, I thought I may finally have some answers.

Kellogg’s Wendy’s Frosty Chocolatey Cereal is described on the box as a “chocolate flavored multi-grain cereal with marshmallows.” Hmm, none of Dave Thomas’ secrets revealed there. I opened it up and gave the cereal a whiff. It smelled like a packet of instant hot chocolate, but there was something indescribably Frosty-like about it. There’s that ambiguousness again.

Kellogg s Wendy s Frosty Chocolatey Cereal Dry

I needed to crack this code, so it was time to try each component separately without milk. The cereal had a pleasant cocoa taste, but it was very light on the corn-forward puff. The marshmallow was where things started to get interesting. A bit more cocoa, but notably some vanilla and… some malty goodness? My mind began to race. Have Frostys been malted this whole time?! A quick check of the ingredients on the Wendy’s website showed no mention of malt. Wait, there was no malt in the marshmallow ingredients, either. What the heck was going on?

Kellogg s Wendy s Frosty Chocolatey Cereal Milk

I poured a bowl, added some whole milk, and took a bite. It was exactly what you want from a chocolate cereal but was lacking in Frostyness. I finished the bowl and I took a sip of the leftover milk. I’ll be darned, the milk tasted like a Frosty! How? The marshmallows! I investigated the bag of remaining cereal and noticed many of the little mallows had fallen to the bottom, not making it into my bowl.

I tried again. Marshmallow by marshmallow, I made a more evenly distributed serving (the first time I’ve ever eaten what could be called a balanced breakfast) and followed the box’s advice I had previously ignored. I froze the bowl of cereal for five minutes and ate it with mittens. Well, gloves, because mittens are the worst. Sure enough, it started to taste a little like a Frosty!

Kellogg s Wendy s Frosty Chocolatey Cereal Mittens

Despite the exciting development, it didn’t taste enough like a Frosty and I was left with more questions than answers. If you’re less concerned about such things, it was a somewhat basic but extremely eatable cereal. Chocolatey, a little vanilla-y, a perfectly crunchy yet puffy textured cereal, and just the right amount of sweetness from the marshmallows.

Kellogg s Wendy s Frosty Chocolatey Cereal Box Back

If you’re more concerned about such things, well, I found that a quick internet search will give you the answers to your Frosty questions. But, having done both, I can say eating a whole bunch of Kellogg’s Wendy’s Frosty Chocolatey Cereal in the hopes of finding them is a lot more fun.

Purchased Price: $4.29 (on sale, originally $4.49)
Size: 8.3 oz box
Purchased at: Shaw’s
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 1/2 cups without milk) 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, 17 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: CinnaGraham Toast Crunch Cereal

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CinnaGraham Toast Crunch Cereal Box

Fresh off the success of Apple Pie Toast Crunch, General Mills brings us another variant in the TC family, CinnaGraham Toast Crunch.

Hang on, IS this in the Toast Crunch family?

According to the front of the box, yes. According to me and the ingredients section of the Nutrition Facts, this is Golden Grahams’ kin. I guess the inclusion of cinnamon and the extreme popularity of Cinnamon Toast Crunch make marketing this as a TC spinoff the right call but let’s give Golden Grahams some credit! It’s an excellent cereal and deserves to crawl out from beneath the rug it’s been swept under long enough to introduce its sibling, CinnaGraham. Hi CinnaGraham, the pleasure is all mine.

I’m a big fan of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Golden Grahams and vastly prefer cinnamon graham crackers to regular (unless I’m making s’mores, in which case I prefer the traditional route because some things shouldn’t be messed with – get your peanut butter cups away from my campfire) so the announcement of this variety had me pretty excited.

CinnaGraham Toast Crunch Cereal Closeup

Opening the bag, I noticed the traditional cinnamon swirl on each square. But there is a darker appearance to these pieces, and the aroma is surprisingly deep and rich, smelling a whole lot like a cinnamon bun. I’m not sure if this is because I was expecting the pieces to taste closer to regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but I was bemused by how much these actually seemed texturally similar to graham crackers, both eaten plain and once doused in milk.

Comparing the ingredients, CinnaGraham uses corn meal where the original uses rice flour, and CG contains baking soda and brown sugar syrup. Golden Grahams also utilizes this corn meal, baking soda, and brown sugar syrup formula, which apparently does a great job mimicking graham crackers even though real graham crackers have no corn in them.

CinnaGraham Toast Crunch Cereal Dry

This cereal feels denser and richer than a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, even though the serving size and caloric content are the same. I think if I had any self-control, I’d be inclined to consume a smaller bowl of this just because it feels more indulgent and filling than the lighter rice flour type. It tastes like a bowl of dessert, and I could see that being too much for some people. Since I’ve already eaten half the box in the course of one session, I am clearly not one of those people.

The brown sugar/molasses notes really come through here and a hint of honey is present also, further reinforcing the graham cracker flavor. The cereal behaves in milk as your typical Toast Crunch or Golden Grahams would and it’s too tasty to eat slowly, so getting soggy isn’t an issue.

CinnaGraham Toast Crunch Cereal Milk

The milk left behind is a deeper shade than with your classic Cinnamon Toast Crunch and with a more intense flavor to match. I saw this as a positive and have really high praises for this cereal overall. I think General Mills aced both the texture and flavor profile, and I hope this stays on shelves because it’d definitely go into my regular rotation.

Purchased Price: $5.29 (This seems too expensive but is probably just because it’s new)
Size: 12 oz box
Purchased at: Jewel-Osco
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup without milk) 170 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 12 grams of sugar including 12 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Froot Loops Gummies

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Froot Loops Gummies Pouch

What are Froot Loops Gummies?

Discontent with your child’s sole exposure to sugary fruit rings occurring only at breakfast, Kellogg’s is pleased to announce the birth of Froot Loops Gummies, small, chewy rings of a gelatinous nature meant to fill in the afternoon “sweet-snack” slot.

How are they?

Have you ever been chewing a big spoonful of Froot Loops cereal when you had the thought, “I know what would make these better— if they were chewier and grittier”?

No?

Froot Loops Gummies Colors

Well, there’s a reason for that. No one needs Froot Loops in a gummy form. Texturally, these come across like a stale version of your standard gummy peach ring. There’s less gum and more grit, though, giving you an experience akin to dropping your gummy snack in the sand before imbibing.

At first bite, there is the unmistakable artificial fruit taste associated with the namesake cereal, but it dissipates quickly, leaving you with the disappointing ordeal of chewing on a mouthful of rubbery newspaper.

Froot Loops Gummies Size

Anything else you need to know?

In 1994, Kellogg’s introduced the world to Puey, Susey, and Louis, Toucan Sam’s nephews. It feels like maybe they should have told Uncle Sam to stay away from the fruit snack market.

Conclusion:

My seven-year-old daughter ate these with me, lest you think this is solely the opinion of a snobby adult. She declared, “I’d give these about a three. Out of 100.” I said, “Wow, you think they’re THAT bad?” And she said, “Well, maybe like a three out of five.”

The thing is, she’s seven, and numbers are still a bit conceptual to her in a lot of ways. She was right with the three, though. Just, you know, out of 10.

Purchased Price: $1.00
Size: 4 oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 3 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (10 pieces) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 5 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.

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