Football and Foliage

Maybe I'm crazy, but it seems like there are a whole lot more football specific candy/baked goods than ever before.  Have you seen these babies?  Football Oreos:

Look at all the different designs!  Gotta love "lick the competition."  Do these do anything for me?  While I admire the different shapes and the many designs, I have to say - not really.  There seems to be more cookie and less cream and I am so NOT about that.  I was born for Double Stuff.

Little Debbie (LD) has some football shaped brownies (oddly these are the same shape as their Easter egg brownies, but the shape is better for footballs, so you go, LD!)  They taste pretty good - the same as all the other Little Debbie brownies I've reviewed.  A new shape is just a good excuse to buy more.  Cheap and pretty chocolately - while not a touch down, I'd say definitely a field goal.

Look pretty good, huh?  Always moist - Little Debbie has the cheap, mass produced brownie down cold.

And look at these!  Reese's Footballs!

These are totally the Reese's eggs repackaged as footballs.  But they are still that delicious Reese's peanut butter, so I'm not complainin'!  And the bag weighs like a ton!  (2 pounds!)

Since football is a fall sport, I'm going to include some other fall flavors.  (Yeah, yeah I know it's January - give a girl a break!  I've been busy!)  Harry and David has these Red Apple Caramel balls:

And while you guys know I love most of Harry and David's stuff, I did not love these.  They had some kind of funky aftertaste.  Boo!  If Hershey can get the exact taste of caramel apples in their Kisses (reviewed on September 5th), Harry and David can do better than this.  Flag on the play!

Godiva also has a caramel apple Gem:

Now it's just pathetic when Hershey does better than Godiva.  Once again I rant at how damn expensive Godiva is and how not so great.  (Just like some pro football players we could name.)

Not to be limited by football, LD also had these for the Fall and their usual brownie trees for Christmas:

A solid performer.

Marshmallow Treats again - this time for Fall.  Nothing wrong with them - they are basically second rate Rice Krispy treats in fall colors.  A little less crispy, a little less sweet, just not quite as good as the original. 

But you gotta give LD credit for those colors.  I like a little originality and flash.  (Just like some pro football players we could name.)

My favorite decorated sugar cookies from Harry and David:

Good tasting, not rock hard like some of these decorated cookies can be.  They are VERY hard to stop eating.  And they are in adorable little designs.  I'm glad to see they have remained politically correct and not included an Indian head dress.

These little marzipan works of art were in World Market:

You know they are from Europe when you see the toadstool.  We would have never included that in the good ol' US of A.  Leaves yes, fungi no.  They come from Germany.  Land of the fairy tale (and the fungi).

Really pretty, aren't they?

The taste isn't bad - they have a good, strong almond flavor.  I would like it if the chocolate coating was thicker.  Marzipan can be so sweet - I like it best with paired with heavy chocolate.  But I really like the artistry of these - very nice.

If you are intrigued by any of these - Harry and David stores are having a great sale right now.  I got the cookies for half price.  Little Debbie's never stay around for long - I have to grab them as soon as I see them.  The Reese's footballs I found in Wal-Mart.  But two pounds is a lot - be ready. 

Go Team Chocolate!!  Coming up next - my other beloved - pumpkin!!!!!

The Most Artistic Halloween Chocolates

The big night fast approaches!!!  And while I hate to have Palmer, Godiva and John & Kira's in the same blog - I gotta do what I gotta do.

Palmer is one of the few companies that actually came up with something NEW this Halloween.  Chocolate zombies:

Notice the coffin shaped base and the detailed creepy zombie!  For a buck you get a whole bag!  And there are multiple foil colors and designs - one zombie is actually holding a brain.  I give Palmer so much credit for crazy concepts and great execution (although it's damn hard to execute a zombie - bwah, ha, ha!).  The detail, the use of two colors of chocolate - bravo!  The taste - GROSS!  Can't have everything - cheap price, great design and great taste.  Two outta three ain't bad.

Palmer also has these screaming skullsl:

Look at the colors!  Look at the precision - green band-aid, creepy red eyeballs - still taste like Hell, but bravo, bravo for artistry!!!  And cheapness.

Godiva charges an arm and a leg (mention of severed limbs intentional) for its Halloween creations.  These cost $2.00 each:

This is a white chocolate tombstone with a caramel apple filling.  And it's only okay.  At some point I just need to give up on Godiva - overpriced, disappointing, so over rated.  Creative, yes.  Better than Palmer.  But not worth $2.00.

This is a Blood Orange Bat (bwah, ha, ha - BLOOD orange):

And as much as I hate to admit it, I like this one.  It has a rich, delicious orange taste - not that awful fake orange.  And the design and coloring is truly a work of art.  I have to say, this one is excellent.  Guess I won't be giving up on Godiva after all!

Now look at these beauties from John & Kira's:

Aren't they the cutest?  But they are small - about the size of a nickle.  And they are not cheap - about $3.00 each (yep the box is $36!)

Do you remember the Harry and David's pumpkin butter I reviewed?  These are filled with something very similar - it says it's pumpkin pie caramel, but it tastes just like pumpkin butter to me in a thin chocolate shell.  They are good, but I still think the best pumpkin chocolate confection is Knipschildt Chocolatier pumpkin truffles - sooo creamy and great.

Here's to the all the chocolate makers who take the time to design something fun and or beautiful!  And when it's delicious too - Happy Halloween to us!!

The Way the Cookie Crumbles

I guess I should have known it wouldn't last.  The New Guy sounded pretty good, right? I thought so - hey - he treated me great, even read my book, I thought we had fun together.  I guess I was the only one having fun.

Last time I saw him, he told me I didn't drink enough and it was an issue for him.  Oh, I'm sure there are a myriad of other things wrong with me, but that was the one he mentioned.  I didn't think it was a deal breaker, I mean - look how fun I am!  Surely I bring some other things to the table (or I guess I should say, to the bar).  I hadn't said anything about his drinking or objected to any of the places we went.  But I might nurse just a glass of wine or two all night - apparently my latest downfall.

We were supposed to go out tonight, but he's been acting different lately, a little distant. One of my GFs suggested I check and see if he had reposted his dating profile - and - yep - he had.

I have to say, I was surprised.  Not about him changing his mind about me - he told me my not drinking was an issue - but I really didn't think he would repost his profile after we agreed to take them down.  I thought he would end things with me first.  Certainly not continue to go out with me until he found someone better.  I even told him about Afghanistan Man doing that exact same thing to me and how much it hurt.  It just takes an e-mail to set someone free before you start looking for someone else.

It's okay - I never, ever want to be with someone who doesn't want to be with me.  And I'm never going to be much of a drinker.  But what bothers me is that I can't tell the good guys from the bad guys anymore.   And that makes me sad.

But enough of that!  I reposted my profile and I've already had a dozen or so contacts.  Sooner or later someone will like me for exactly who I am.  Until then, there's aways chocolate!!

Look at these beauties!!  I love Chips Ahoy and adding chunks of Reese's could only make them better:

Damn good - only wish I had a glass of milk to dunk them in.  A match made in heaven.  Why it hasn't been done before, I have no idea.

I LOVE soft cookies and hadn't seen these before:

They are really good, although I think the bag I got was a little overdone.

But if you like soft cookies like me - these are fab!

I told you about the new Bugles - here are caramel:

These are okay - really taste just like sweet Bugles.  (Mike - you were right!)

But THESE - chocolate peanut butter Bugles - these bring it!!! 

Okay, they don't look like much, but they are amazing!  You will be addicted and will be unable to stop eating these.  Don't say I didn't warn you.


I really shouldn't be allowed to leave the house.  This is what I found at Target yesterday:

That's Reese's no bake peanut butter bar mix in the background.  Dear God - how amazing does that sound?  And, the fall candy is starting to hit the shelves!!!  Those are Pumpkin Spice, Candy Corn and Caramel Apple Kisses - yahoo!!!  I've reviewed the first two, but I've never seen Caramel Apple before.

I don't know how the hell they did it, but these taste JUST LIKE caramel apples!  They are really good!  They make me totally ready for fall.  (And it looks like they'll be the only Kisses I'm going to get for a while, so I'm glad they're so damn good.  And, as far as I know, Hershey's Kisses think I rock!)

Motivational takeaways?

There are worse things than being alone.  Being with someone who wants you to be someone else is one of them.

If you have someone in your life who loves you, don't take them for granted!!!  It's so easy to do - we always think the grass is greener and it seldom is.

As long as peanut butter and chocolate are around, we can't be sad!

Here's to fall, the great new products coming out and all my beloved friends who like me just the way I am!  Thank you guys!!!!