REVIEW: Doritos Mountain Dew (Australia)

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Mountain Dew Doritos Australia Package

What are Doritos Mountain Dew?

Mountain-Dew-flavored Doritos from Australia – the land of megabats, and well, mega everything. Now they’re doing America in a big way, rolling an iconic snack combo into one product best enjoyed wearing a sleeveless flannel and cutoff shorts, in a monster truck speeding down a 2-lane road surrounded by wheat fields.

Mountain Dew Doritos Australia Soda 2

How are they?

These were far better than I expected. I figured the citrus would work – there’s already lime-flavored chips in stores that are excellent. The sweetness was the question mark – Mountain Dew is SO sweet – could they pull off the right sweet/savory combo?

It ended up working really well because of the lemon-lime, I think. It gives it the tang and mouth-puckering quality that keeps it from being ALL sweet. It also gave it a bit of the sparkle of a carbonated beverage. Not exactly the bubbly sensation, but the light, bright citric acid that’s in nearly every soda.

These were just as addictive as any chip, but the novelty of the sweet are tart flavors was extra and I loved it.

Mountain Dew Doritos Australia Chips 3

Anything else you need to know?

I’ve been told these chips DID exist in the US, back in 2008 as “Doritos Quest” mystery flavor. I completely missed those, but I would’ve paid more attention if they were called Doritos Mountain Dew. My head whipped right around this time, but “Doritos Quest” does nothing for me.

Apparently, there was also Doritos-flavored Mountain Dew called DEWitos in 2014 – tested in select colleges in the country. Comment below if you tried it!

WHY has no one here in the US of A thought to release a combo pack of Doritos Mountain Dew AND Dewitos? COME ON, AMERICA! Let’s get our heads in the junk food game here!

Mountain Dew Doritos Australia Zesty 4

Conclusion:

Try them! They’re fun, they’re weird, they taste good, and they’re AMERICA. Frito-Lay, we need these in every store here in the US!

Purchased Price: $25.00 plus shipping
Size: 80g bag
Purchased at: Desert Drinks & Exotics
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (27g) 139 calories, 6.9 grams of fat, 0.7grams of saturated fat, 0.1 gram of trans fat, 41 milligrams of sodium, 16.9 grams of carbohydrates, 2.1 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream

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Nick s Swedish Style Light Ice Cream All

I am very open-minded when it comes to ice cream. There is merit to be found in premium, value-oriented, full-fat, and light varieties. I find myself purchasing light versions on occasion to help offset the sheer volume of ice cream I consume.

There are numerous healthier ice creams available now that allow one to consume an entire pint with a fraction of traditional ice cream’s fat, sugar, and calories. I have always seen the texture of these light ice creams as an area that needed improving. Oftentimes they are not as smooth and creamy as their full-fat counterparts. They can come across as overly icy.

Enter Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream. The company manufactures light ice cream using sugar alcohols and a variety of plant-based sweeteners and fat. It says that because of its plant-based fat, “only Nick’s creates the unmistakable melt-in-your-mouth creaminess of full-fat ice cream, but with way fewer calories.” This is quite the lofty claim that I was eager to investigate upon receiving six pints directly from Nick’s.

Peanöt Butter Cup

Nick s PB Cup Swedish Style Light Ice Cream

I started with one of the more difficult flavors for light ice creams to nail. This ice cream is a peanut butter ice cream with tiny peanut butter cups. It has a nice, mild, and delightfully creamy peanut butter flavored base. The miniature peanut butter cups are adorable and delicious, but I could have gone for a few more of them mixed in.

Nick s PB Cup Swedish Style Light Ice Cream Spoon

Not mentioned in the description were a couple surprises in this one. There is a chocolate swirl that helps to pull the whole thing together. Oddly enough, there are also little bits of brownie dough. The chewy brownie pieces really help to elevate the experience as a whole.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 90 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 mg of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, 6 grams of sugar alcohols and 4 grams of protein.

Strawbär Swirl

Nick s Strawberry Swedish Style Light Ice Cream

This is a classic strawberry ice cream. The vanilla base in this is mellow and, again, quite creamy. It serves its purpose well and allows the strawberry to shine. The strawberry ribbons are bright and fresh with abundant natural sweetness. The taste reminds me of preparing homemade ice cream with my parents when I was a child. It is on-par with most of the strawberry ice creams I have had.

Nick s Strawberry Swedish Style Light Ice Cream Spoon

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 70 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, 6 grams of sugar alcohols and 4 grams of protein.

Swedish Cookie Dough

Nick s Cookie Dough Swedish Style Light Ice Cream

I was most excited to try this one. It has a vanilla base, swirled with chocolate and pieces of sugar cookie dough. Unsurprisingly, this is just as smooth as the other flavors. The base is embedded with the taste of the buttery sugar cookie dough, even in a spoonful without a piece.

Nick s Cookie Dough Swedish Style Light Ice Cream Spoon

I also get a hint of cinnamon throughout, which gives the pint a borderline snickerdoodle vibe. The cookie dough pieces add a welcome and familiar grit. The chocolate swirl is mild and compliments the dough well. Overall, this was more complex than I was expecting, and it is incredibly tasty.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 70 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, 5 grams of sugar alcohols and 3 grams of protein.

Cherry Choka-Fläka

Nick s Cherry Swedish Style Light Ice Cream

This flavor is a vanilla ice cream with chocolate flakes and cherry bits. The base tastes more like cherry ice cream than vanilla, as the cherry pieces have imparted their flavor upon the whole pint. It is not at all artificial, which is wonderful.

Nick s Cherry Swedish Style Light Ice Cream Spoon

The abundant dark chocolate flakes add a touch of richness and a satisfying snap in each spoonful. The best parts are the chewy cherry chunks. They bring a pleasant texture and a realistic tartness to the mix. When getting a bite with both components, this ice cream reminds me of a cherry cordial.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 70 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 3 grams of sugar, 5 grams of sugar alcohols and 3 grams of protein.

Swedish Lemon Bar

Nick s Lemon Bar Swedish Style Light Ice Cream

This ice cream is a little airier than the others but still feels just as creamy. Nick’s says that it is a cheesecake ice cream with ribbons of lemon. I get a little bit of cheesecake flavor in the base, but it ultimately reminds me of a lemon bar, as the name would indicate. There is also a subtle buttery taste in the base that makes me think of the shortbread crust in lemon bars.

Nick s Lemon Bar Swedish Style Light Ice Cream Spoon

The lemon ribbon here is the star of the show. It is bright, fresh, tart, and amazing. There are small, chewy lemon rind pieces incorporated throughout, and overall, it reminds me of candied lemon rind. This refreshing flavor is the most innovative of the bunch, and I have never had anything quite like it.

Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 60 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, 4 grams of sugar alcohols and 4 grams of protein.

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Triple Choklad

Nick s Triple Chocolate Swedish Style Light Ice Cream Pint

As a chocolate ice cream with brownie bits and a fudge swirl, this one seemed like it would be the most decadent. The chocolate base appears to be of the dark variety. It is slightly less sweet than I was expecting, with a touch of pleasant bitterness.

Nick s Triple Chocolate Swedish Style Light Ice Cream Spoon

The fudge swirl tends to be overpowered by the base and does not make much of an impact. The brownie bits are chewy and enjoyable. It is a decent flavor, but much more subdued than I was expecting. As a fan of all things chocolate, I expected to like this one the most, but it’s actually my least favorite of the six.

Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 80 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, 5 grams of sugar alcohols and 4 grams of protein.

Final Observations

Nick’s was not exaggerating the creaminess of its ice cream at all. These do not quite measure up to the most premium, velvety, full-fat ice creams, but one would be hard-pressed to identify these as light flavors in a blind taste test. Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream is not just “good for light ice cream.” It is good, period. It will stack up well against many standard ice cream varieties.

I did some quick research on Swedish ice cream, and the search results predominantly bring up content about Nick’s. From what I can tell, there are not any distinctly Swedish methods of ice cream preparation. The “Swedish” moniker seems to refer to the brand’s creator.

According to its website, Nick’s has 14 patents, two in-house food scientists, and has performed over 100 flavor tests. This makes perfect sense because Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream is an exemplary product. When deciding to purchase light ice cream in the future, I do not see myself buying any brand besides Nick’s from now on.

DISCLOSURE: I received free pints from Nick’s. (Thanks Nick’s!) Doing so did not influence my review.

REVIEW: Yoplait Go-Gurt Slushie

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Yoplait Go Gurt Slushie Box

What is Yoplait Go-Gurt Slushie?

It’s Yoplait’s kid-targeted yogurt, Go-Gurt, in its signature squeeze tubes, but this time in a slushie variation with yogurt that’s charged up with some carbon dioxide to make it fizzy.

How is it?

Yoplait Go Gurt Slushie Closeup

I’m not sure what exactly happened here.

There are fun graphics on the front of a delicious red-flavored ice beverage like we just hit up the nearest 7-Eleven. The yogurt flavors have descriptors to drive home this new yogurt experience. This isn’t just cherry Go-Gurt, this is FIZZY cherry Go-Gurt! Heck, there is even carbon dioxide listed in the ingredients!

Yoplait Go Gurt Slushie Ingredients

However, I’m baffled as I don’t get a lick of fizz in these. Core Go-Gurt-wise these are tasty, don’t get me wrong. They have a touch of fun corresponding color and good berry and cherry flavor. They are a little sweet but probably perfect for a kid’s taste buds. However, there is nothing remotely fizzy, even if I close my eyes and try to imagine it. Nothing!

Anything else you need to know?

I was so saddened and perplexed by the lack of fizz that I went out and bought regular ol’ Go-Gurt to compare, thinking that I was missing something. Upon further examination, these slushie ones do have a lighter consistency, almost as if they were aerated slightly. They just don’t feel as heavy as the regular, so I guess they do have that going for them.

Conclusion:

If you were hoping for the popping sensation of Pop Rocks or even the tingling mouth feel of a freshly opened soda, prepare to be let down.

This is a neat concept with fun graphics to boot, but I’m not sure what happened on the execution. The yogurt seems to be aerated a bit, but it’s minuscule if that. An A for effort, but these need to go back to the drawing board as they are just solid kid’s yogurt in grab-and-go tubes.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 1 lb box/8 tubes
Purchased at: Harris Teeter
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 tubes) 150 calories, 1 gram of fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 22 grams of sugar and 6 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Del Taco Crispy Chicken Tacos

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Del Taco Crispy Chicken Tacos Sign

What are the Del Taco Crispy Chicken Tacos?

The latest addition to Del Taco’s Del’s Dollar Deals value menu, this pollo-friendly concoction features ostensibly a small-ish crispy chicken strip, slathered in creamy ranch sauce and blanketed in shredded cheddar cheese and lettuce and then thankfully wrapped in a soft flour tortilla.

And, as tasty as that sounds, for those of us that need a bit more spice in our sad lives, there’s a hot ‘n ready habanero variation, one that dutifully replaces the regular ranch sauce with an arousing habanero-flavored sauce, also best described as “creamy.”

Del Taco Crispy Chicken Tacos 2

How are they?

The unleaded Crispy Chicken Taco delivers so much more taste than I expected from a dollar item. Though somewhat small, this cut of chicken packs a mighty peck, doing more faux-Mexican flavor-ready damage than even the greenback-friendly McChicken Sandwich from McDonald’s.

Del Taco Crispy Chicken Taco Open

The warm ranch cradles the chicken and provides a nice flavor. The mainly useless lettuce and cheese do add some hefty girth to the proceedings. Though not all that crispy, the chicken does it’s clucking job, providing a hearty taste far better than most other corporate taco-competitors.

Del Taco Habanero Crispy Chicken Taco

On the other hand, the habanero variety outshines the previous one, delivering a far spicier kick that surprised even my tastebuds. With the selected ingredients utilized much of the same way as the regular crispy taco, the smooth habanero sauce’s addition is a much-needed presence. It provides a controlled flavor, one that I’d like to really see more of on the Del Taco menu.

Anything else you need to know?

In addition to these crispy chicken eats, Del Taco also has other crispy chicken menu items — the Epic Crispy Chicken and Guac Burrito and a three-piece Crispy Chicken and Fries Box, which is not really all that Mexican.

Conclusion:

Since the addition of its Beyond Meat items, we haven’t really heard too much from Del Taco lately. With these Crispy Chicken Tacos, however, that will hopefully change. And, with both tacos part of Del Taco’s value menu — each one costing only a measly dollar — it’s more than worth a summer sampling.

Purchased Price: $1.00 each
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Del Taco
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Regular), 8 out of 10 (Habanero)
Nutrition Facts: Regular – 230 calories, 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 540 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Habanero – 240 calories, 15 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 550 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Special Edition Cookies & Creme Krispies Cereal

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Kellogg s Special Edition Cookies Creme Krispies Cereal Box

What is Kellogg’s Special Edition Cookies & Creme Krispies?

It’s a flavor I didn’t see coming. I thought Rice Krispies was now all about making colorful seasonal versions, like its Spring Colors and Red & Blue varieties, because they would look cool in a Rice Krispies Treat. I expected an orange and brown fall-colored cereal to appear before any new flavor. But here we are with a cereal made rice, sugar, salt, rice flour, malt flavor, cocoa processed with alkali, and natural flavor.

How is it?

While Rice Krispies snap, crackle, and pop, its flavor, no matter the variety, has never popped, and that’s the case with this cereal. It’s probably the reason why I’ve preferred Cocoa Pebbles over Cocoa Rice Krispies.

Kellogg s Special Edition Cookies Creme Krispies Cereal Closeup

It’s been a while since I’ve had Cocoa Rice Krispies because, you know, the whole Cocoa-Pebbles-being-better-thing. So I can’t say how or if this differs from Cocoa Rice Krispies. But I’ve eaten through three-fourths of this box of Cookies & Creme Krispies, which smells like Cocoa Pebbles Lite, and found myself being fine with the mild cocoa flavor. That’s something I can’t say about Cocoa Krispies.

But I don’t taste the creme part.

Which makes me wonder if we have to include our own creme, i.e., milk. I use Silk Vanilla Soy Milk, so pouring it into this cereal adds a creme flavor. But I don’t taste it when I eat it dry, which, by the way, is still quite good.

Anything else you need to know?

Kellogg s Special Edition Cookies Creme Krispies Cereal Super Closeup

The cereal isn’t as sprinkled with cocoa cookies specks as what’s shown on the box. It’s a bit more sparse.

I would’ve turned this into Rice Krispies Treats, and there’s even a recipe on the back of the box, so I don’t have to Google one and then have every ad I see from then on be about baking. But then I thought about the last time I made Rice Krispies Treats and how I ate the entire sheet. I didn’t even cut it into pieces. My fingers pecked at the marshmallow and cereal treat slab like a bird.

Conclusion:

I’ve found most Rice Krispies varieties to be underwhelming, so I’m surprised I enjoyed Kellogg’s Cookies & Creme Krispies. Maybe I should buy another box and make a Rice Krispies Treats slab that my fingers can peck at.

Purchased Price: Way too much on eBay
Size: 12 oz box
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 1/4 cup without milk) 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

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