Taste Test - Koia Vanilla Bean Protein Drink

After a short hiatus, due to the start of the new school year and all that entails I am back with a new review of an items that might be a little bit more relevant considering the time period. This is the time of year when bottled protein drinks and smoothies are life. Considering our household, with one growing teen and a high school athlete we are always willing to try out something else to help supplement appetites, and if it can help be more balanced or to balance out their diets overall theb it's a plus. So with that we decided to give the Koia Vanilla Bean Protein Drink a try.

I spotted this in Wegmans which has a nice sized selection of these kinds of drinks as well as cold soups in the dairy case adjacent to the milk. While I'm not a cold soup and bone broth person so I highly doubt I'll be trying those, looking at the plant based smoothies and milk alternatives and trying them out is something that we can do in my house hold. The thing about Koia is of course the health benefits. Their drinks are Vegan with plant based protein and and almond milk. For people who can't have Soy, none of that here so it's definitely a sort of niche product. The Vanilla Bean flavor also has 18g of protein.

If you're like me and not the biggest fan of these types of drinks you might have some trepidation about drinking the Koia protein drink, but opening it up, it smells like a regular vanilla milkshake which is a good thing. One of the things that can turn you off of a specialized drink like this is that they can smell like a petri dish almost. Koia avoids this easily and both of my kids dived right in without pausing like they normally do. The texture is smooth and while it does have a slight powdery protein feel to it, it is nowhere near as bad as some of the drinks and mixes I've had in the past.

Now the color isn't the best but it's not going to turn you off of it. I mean it's a vanilla bean smoothie. The chocolate does look much more appealing however. The one negative I had was the pure cane sugar/monkfruit sweetener combination. I pretty much can say I hate pure cane sugar and this one has a serious after taste with it. If it weren't for that I would have polished it off. That's unfortunate because at 4.99 for one 12 ounce single serving bottle, this isn't cheap. However, if you do suffer from some food allergies this might be a viable protein drink option for you.

No protein drink is going to give you everything that you want so there are plenty of options out there to cover what your specific needs are. I've never had a truly "healthy" one that I felt like tasted so awesome I didn't notice the ingredients that gave benefits or weren't included for health reasons, but this one could have been very close. If you don't mind pure cane sugar, this could be a go-to for you, especially if you're trying to avoid Soy. If you don't like it though, this probably won't make the cut for you unfortunately so I will be giving two ratings.

Rating: If you like Pure Cane Sugar 4/5
            If you don't like Pure Cane Sugar 2/5

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Taste Test - The Toasted Oat Bakehouse Granola

Not gonna lie, I get on and off the granola bandwagon rather often. I try to get on it and make parfaits and also eat it as snacks instead of oatmeal or cereal in order to be a little bit more healthy. My biggest issue with granola is that it's too hard by itself and in order to use milk or something you need to heat it or let it sit overnight, which is an option worth trying for me. However, when I see something like The Toasted Oat Bakehouse Granola I get interested because much like the Woats! granola this is soft baked.



While they have several varieties, I chose the Macadamia chunk. They also make Blueberry cobbler, Cherry streusel, and Apricot Shortbread flavors. This granola is made with simple ingredients which is on the front of the package so you can see it clearly. I will also say, compared to some of the larger brands, the packaging is cleaner and looks like the nicer, more premium product that it is.

As for the taste, it's pretty darn good. You really taste the honey and vanilla. It's not a stale type of softness either. It also smells just great. I will admit, my first few tastes I thought it might be too sweet but after waiting and coming back to it, I felt as though the sweetness was actually right on point. These are almost like cookies that are from the older lady who bakes the best on the block.

These are a little bit on the pricey side for Granola and thus I think it's more of a dessert addition or a special indulgent snack, not for every day eating. For some the soft granola might be off putting and it might be a tad bit too sweet but at the end of the day I totally enjoyed it. I will say, I would have maybe liked a piece of fruit or something tart to bring slightly more diversity to the taste however. If you catch it you should give it a try.


Rating: 4/5

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Taste Test - Calbee Whole Cuts

You remember potato sticks? I do. There were small strips of potatoes cut in a shoestring style mimicking the fries you sometimes see, or used to in some restaurants. They were small and only in regular salted varieties. I saw these snacks and it brought back nostalgia since I haven't seen those in a while. These aren't in a can but I feel like it is the same main idea.

Let's start with the packaging, these ain't ya momma's potato sticks. These come in a nice new foil bag and on the front you will notice the bevy of 'health' information such as the fact that these are Gluten free. This is a big deal because instead of having to fight for space in the aisle with chips and cheetos, these stand out when worked in with the other Gluten Free items. Opening it up you can see it's a little less than half filled, and while I could punish an entire bag easily, it's actually not a bad size. Break them up into baggies or eat a few at a time and it works just fine, and that's almost certainly because these are pretty much regular sized fries.

That's a good thing about these. You get a really good crunch and bite. It's almost like the best part of a kettle cooked chip with less difficulty eating them. I know several people who aren't fans of kettle chips because they find them hard to eat, harsh on the teeth and inside of the mouth. These are really satisfying in a lot of ways.

As for flavors, we tried Salt and Vinegar and Bacon Cheddar varieties. I have to say we all preferred the salt and vinegar because they had more flavor. It's a real balancing act with a product like this that seems to be trying to be somewhat healthy for you in some ways and since they are doing that, the flavor powder has to be managed carefully. With that the bacon cheddar has the faintest hint of smokiness and maybe a little bit of cheese taste. It's too muted for my liking. The salt and vinegar isn't as imposing as some salt and vinegar can be but provides more of what you want and works well with the potato.


At almost 3 bucks for regular price, these aren't the worst deal you can get in the category but on sale for 2 bucks it works out fine. The original sea salt is probably a good flavor because salt works in general. If you're a decent enough fan of salt and vinegar you shouldn't be disappointed by that either. The Bacon and Cheddar overall is a miss for me and that brings the grade down somewhat.


Rating: 4/5

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Taste Test - Biena Chickpea Snacks - Honey Roasted

Healthy snacking is the thing we are all looking for right, less salt, more protein, different flavors right? What's more unique than chickpeas which are a staple of today's snack world with the massive varieties of hummus that are in your local store's cases these days. You can even get hummus in the snack aisle with small sets of Pita chips perfect for lunches. Why not try a new snack that seems to be bridging the gap for people as they move into healthier and more varied lifestyles. To that end, these Chickpea snacks caught my attention and the flavor varieties made me interested enough to give them a try.


Now, I'm not a guy who eats chickpeas on any regular basis, or ever at this point so this is an entirely new experience for me to try these. For nutrition, a serving contains 5 grams of protein which means as a snack it will fill you up for a little bit longer than say chips. It also includes some fiber and the package says they have less fat than peanuts. It would be easy to blow through the entire bag because they are very poppable and crunchy. The honey roasted flavor is very good and present in every single bite. These aren't just drizzled with honey and roasted, they are fully covered and that is a tremendous positive.

Now for the one negative that I have before I wrap up, these chickpeas are a little bit gritty as you chew them up. Now when you eat them, I think the issue is that they do have less fat than comparable peanuts or cashews. Those fats aren't necessarily a bad thing and I feel like the chickpeas could benefit from them slightly which would make them a little bit smoother to eat. With that said, I haven't stopped eating them since I picked up the bag so something is working. With a large variety of flavors from Honey Roasted, Barbecue, Habanero, Cinnamon Crunch, and Ranch, there is something for everyone. They are also releasing chocolate covered varieties soon. I think they are worth a try.


Rating: 3/5

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Taste Test - Ice and Pan Rolled Ice Cream

I'm a little bit late on this trend but I was in the area and there was a place that makes one of the new hot trends of the dessert world, rolled ice cream. Rolled ice cream is cool mainly because of the way it looks both as its made and as you take it and eat it. I wondered if there was any noticeable difference in taste and I will say not particularly.

Ice and Pan is in Town town center locally and they also have smoothies and bubble tea. I was there for one reason and chose to get strawberry cheesecake flavored ice cream. The biggest fun is watching them spread and mix the cream and items together on the cold drum. My daughter got a birthday cake flavor and they mixed in vanilla base and sprinkles. The proces takes about 5 minutes and then you're allowed three toppings from the bar. I got strawberries and frosted flakes.

The ice cream itself is fine. It's nothing great and it's not bad. It's just regular ice cream and while the products may be somewhat freshly made, the freezing process makes a lot of that not matter. At the end of the day, it was a decent cup of ice cream, it looks cool and it's not too expensive at 5 bucks.

Rating:3/5

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Taste Test - Cool Haus Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sandwich

Coolhaus is one of the hippest new craft ice cream companies and as they grow, items that have been maybe in other locations are starting to make their way here. Enter the Coolhaus Ice cream sandwich, which I must say is a pricey summer treat if you can find it. In my area, they are only at Harris Teeter and regular price for a single one is over 5 dollars! Catching it on sale I had to grab one and give it the once over and see what it tastes like.


The Ice cream sandwich is actually a nice size upon further reflection on it. It is packed with more ice cream than a traditional chipwich. The ice cream layer is nice and thick and it is high quality vanilla bean ice cream. The cookie is thin and chewy, which is good. Some of the cookie ice cream sandwiches can be too hard and thick to be useful. However, it's not all good. The cookie is pretty much flavorless as are the chocolate chips which means you don't get anything to enhance, or balance the vanilla ice cream. That leaves me with a treat that is 85% of the way there but missing one thing that would make it really stand out and that's a little bit unfortunate. Truthfully for the price, the cookie needs to be a little bit more special, with some chunks and sea salt to enhance the ice cream.

Rating: 3/5

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Taste Test - Sunset Raw Acai Bowl and Smoothies

This is a sort of an odd review. It is a hybrid restaurant review, a little bit, and a taste test of the products at this new entry to the eateries in Owings Mills, Maryland's Foundry Row development. Unlike a lot of the shops over at Foundry Row, this is a smaller business that isn't a huge corporation. I was excited to be able to come in and try these bowls because I have seen them on instagram but never had a place to go and actually try one until now.

Sunset Raw is sparse on the interior but it also seems to fit with the healthy concept. There is a bar seating area for ordering and enjoying as well as a few tables and chairs both inside and outside. They also have a cooler for their prepared juices which you can buy to go and looking at their social media pages, they have been successful with that part of the business for sure. Ordering was quick and painless and I chose to try the sunshine acai bowl while my kids both went with mango smoothies.

My son for some reason had a problem with his drink, I wouldn't put much stock in it however because he still drank it. I think it was the idea that dates are in it and he doesn't know what they actually are. My daughter who is the smoothie expert said the smoothie was filling and good, however she still prefers Tropical smoothie cafe and another local place, The Flying Avocado better. I ordered the sunshine acai bowl which comes with bananas, blueberries, strawberries, coconut flakes and granola. I passed on the coconut but had everything else.

It's always a big question when trying something you have never had when you don't know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised by this. The acai berry mixture reminds me of a slightly "grape" flavored strawberry concoction. It tastes good, and just very normal. The granola settled in just underneath the layer of fruit and you get some with every spoonful of acai. It's weird, just because this is pretty much a smoothie, but you're using a spoon. The fruit was fresh and blended well with the 'smoothie' mixture. That's the biggest rub for me, it's kind of hard to eat, especially in this large container. I live maybe 5 minutes away and the melt by the time I got home was a little bit much. There is also no way to really save it for later, I have it in the freezer, but I don't want it to completely freeze. This might be a good item to share with another, especially when coupled with the prices which are a bit high for a smoothie concoction. Acai bowls are about $10-$12 and smoothies are close to 9 bucks starting out. It's not a budget friendly item. However, other than that, everything was solid overall.


Rating: 4/5

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Taste Test - DRINKmaple Pure Maple Water

So I heard about this on a food marketing podcast and filed it away to take a look around and taste it if possible. I first tried some of the stores more known for the organic and varied selections like Harris Teeter and Wegmans. I also checked shoppers which surprisingly has a lot of new items almost as soon as they hit the shelves. No luck until i happened to amble down the organic section at my local Giant food and well, score one for the hometown leader. I grabbed the bottle and figured I'll get everyone to try it or just use it around a day at the track.

We didn't get that far. My wife tried a Core watermelon juice or something and didn't like it. It was the Stevia. My son ended up drinking it...because juice. So after that I grabbed the maple water out of the fridge and passed it around for a taste. Now, it is interesting. I mean it's water, so there isn't a lot of flavor to it and there is only one ingredient, pure maple water. You know what you're getting. It does taste fresh...like fresh tree, with a hint of maple. It's just odd. Now we didn't drink it all, and I still plan to go and try it during a workout and see what it does but just as a beverage....I don't see it. It's just too odd, and maybe thats double for me because I dislike flavored water in general but I could see how when thirsty, the maple in this could be helpful to when trying to recharge the muscles. Otherwise, I couldn't see myself using this in any other context.


Rating: 2/5

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Taste Test - Quaker Overnight Oats

If you have any semi-health conscious friends you most likely have heard or seen something about overnight oats somewhere. One of the latest trends in health and nutrition, you will see plenty of options and recipes on pinterest for add-ins and methods. Why not, it's simple, takes little work and on the surface makes a lot of sense. Not content to just sell you regular oatmeal, the Quaker company has decided to make it even easier for you by packaging their oatmeal and some toppings for you. For those of us who are skeptical, this might make some sense, especially if you don't normally keep oatmeal around, so here is a review of Quaker overnight oats, Raisin, Walnut, & Honey Heaven.


These small Quaker cups will be found in the cereal aisle and tied in somewhere around the dairy at a lot of stores. There are four flavor combinations, Orchard Peach Pecan perfection, Blueberry Banana and Vanilla Bliss, Toasted Coconut and Almond Crunch, and the aforementioned Raisin Walnut & Honey Heaven. None of these is too crazy and should fit into the mass market of the health conscious pretty easily. I do wonder what the need is for the adjectives at the end of each flavor set.




At 2.61 ounces, each cup is a single serving of 300 calories (before dairy). Instructions are simple, add your choice of milk or yogurt, let sit overnight, at least 6 hours and enjoy at your leisure. I must admit, cold oats is an odd sensation at first when your mind has you used to warm/hot oatmeal. Now, you can warm this up in the microwave if you want to take some of the chill off but you don't want to 'cook' it by heating it too much. Here is why, after trying these I realize that you get a firmer texture when you haven't cooked the oats and broken them down. It is a very satisfying feeling to chew on and once you get past the temperature it's actually very good. After trying it I get it. Now as for the flavor of this particular brand, maybe I didn't mix it well but it seemed a little bit dull for the most part. The bottom seemed to have more taste to it and the raisins and walnuts bring something to it but are a little bit skimpy. It also isn't going to fill you up at this size.


I never really thought that I would like overnight oats but Quaker has managed to bring me into the folkd with an easy way to give it a try without too much work. While it isn't enough to replace a breakfast, as a meal combination of some sort, or to have a few sitting around as a mid-day snack if you take them to work, these cups aren't a bad idea, even if the value probably isn't the highest. I do wonder how they will taste with maybe yogurt, I don't really do soy or almond milk but they can probably bring something else to the table. I might not fill it up to the line the next time either because it was slightly more watery than I would have liked but that was fine in the end. If you're scared to try overnight oats, maybe give Quaker a try.


Rating: 3.5/5

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Taste Test - Jeni's Splendid Ice cream

It's been way too long but I'm back and with a good one. The small batch ice cream wars are in full effect. Much like the boom in micro-brews in the beer space, small artisan ice cream manufacturers are around in a great abundance. Using better, more local ingredients, they often have more unique flavors and less of the 'bad' things in them. I mean it is ice cream so it isn't going to be 'healhy' per se, but their size allows them to focus more on each container. Jeni's is a brand from Ohio I have always wanted to order but haven't just because of the logistics and timing of an ice cream delivery. Thus i was incredibly excited when I saw it in my local Wegmans.

Now the flavor selection of course is smaller in Wegmans than if I went directly to the site and ordered it but that's fine. Now the one thing that I might have done is chosen a flavor that seemed to be the hardest one to really rate, Vanilla. See for the most part vanilla is kind of the same everywhere and somewhat plain, however, as a base you can learn a lot about a brand with this one simple flavor. No one dislikes vanilla and some of the other flavors can sometimes lead to decisions based on that set of flavors and  I wanted to get a feel for how Jeni's just tastes on it's own. Also, be clear, this isn't just plain vanilla, this is Ndali Estate Vanilla.

Now, this one pint is a bit expensive at 7.99, but it is a premium brand and needs to be compared as such. To compare, the same size container goes for $12 on Jeni's website, which has an absolute smorgasboard of flavors. So with this I'm comparing Jeni's to Ben and Jerrys and Haagen Daz's for example. This is a good vanilla ice cream. It's not overly "vanilla beaned" where you see beans all over the place. It is strong in the beginning yet it fades nicely and gets really subtle at the end with a hint of nuttiness. It has a nice texture as well. Let me compare to Haagen Daz which can be slightly overwhelming and too sweet and strong. They are overly rich, while Jeni's gives you a nicer balance. Now trust me, I wasn't born knowing the difference, but just tasting Jeni's, some haagen daz recently, and my old mainstream favorite Green's ice cream you start to be able to pick out some things.


For myself, this is one of the better premium ice creams out there. I think it would pair well in a cherry coke float (yeah I don't drink root beer) and some kinds of apple pie. I was impressed at how it didn't coat my tongue over like some other premium brands do with extra richness. There was a good balance of flavors here which leads me to be sure I'm going to try the other flavors that are available locally.


Rating: 4.5/5

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Taste Test - Southern Culture Artisan Foods Pancakes

In my internet travels I happened upon this company one day and was immediately intrigued by the items that they sell. I first saw their southern grits on a website but not long after, came upon their wide variety of pancake mix flavors. The site was amazing looking so I decided to give them an order and check them out. (Let that be a lesson, presentation matters). I realized later that the founder had been on Shark Tank and the Sunday I tried my first two varieties, the episode with the founder came on CNBC, it must be destiny!

So this week, I tried the Banana pudding and strawberry shortcake flavors. I also have in my cabinet, regular Vanilla and Bourbon Salted Pecan which I have to try. Now I mention these four flavors because the line of pre-made pancake and waffle mixes that Southern Culture offers is pretty large. Check out their shop and just see how many they have, you could be trying them out for months, I will have a link to them below.

The canisters that I received were the smaller sizes and each is good for about 12 pancakes which means a family of four can each have a short stack for sunday breakfast. Now compared to the Aunt Jemima's of the world, it seems to be a bit pricey. These were each about 8 bucks before shipping. However, that would be cheaper than IHOP or most other chains and restaurants that have flavored pancakes. The other positive is that many of the flavors can also be made in an acceptable manner for Vegans.

After all of that, let's talk about the pancakes themselves, the formula is pretty simple, add eggs, butter, and milk if you choose to go the traditional route and drop them onto your griddle. The one thing that I didn't expect was the little bits and pieces that are in the mix. The strawberry shortcake pancakes show you little pieces of strawberries that you taste once you bite into them. The banana pudding variety has little pieces of vanilla wafers maybe, or something that gives you a slight little flavor kick. Unfortunately, I do mean 'slight'. The one issue that I have with these pancakes is that the flavor profile is very subtle. Now some of that can be attributed to the natural ingredients, sure, they don't come through as prominently as artificial ones, but it just seemed to lack a little bit of punch on their own. Now I could see a scenario where one would take the Banana Pudding pancakes, make them and then top with some sliced bananas and whipped cream and have something really special, but just for myself I did expect it to stand out a little more.


In the end I didn't think that the Shortstacks Pancake and Waffle Mix was bad, it did let me down somewhat and maybe that was my own faulty expectations. With two down and two to go I have a better frame of what to expect even if I would still like a larger hit of flavor and ability to really taste something different. I also still have a desire to try the other southern favorites like grits and fried chicken batter. If you are bringing the family together with some toppings and some time, it can be a great party where the pancakes are the center of the family. However, just eating them they didn't bring the quite what I was expecting and that's unfortunate.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Restaurant Review - Chicken Shak

So There is a nice little location in Reisterstown that has been home to several small restaurants over the past few years. I couldn't tell you why so many don't last other than the fact that most restaurants in general fail. However, I have high hopes for the latest tenant in the space, Chicken Shak, a mix of Peruvian style charcoal chicken, and local style "pit" meat sandwiches. My wife and I went in recently to check it out.

First of all Chicken Shak is not to be confused with a small Michigan based chain called Chicken Shack. This is a brand new idea that mixes one of the new hot sensations at least in this area, of Peruvian charbroiled chicken and a Maryland staple of pit beef, turkey, and pulled chicken. The menu is a little bit large and includes Whole, Quarter, and Half chickens, chicken tacos, salads, salmon, and the aforementioned pit beef and turkey. Then there are the sides which are pretty numerous with cole slaw, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and different kinds of rice.

For our meal My wife and I split a chicken which is cooked nicely, it has great charcoal and smoke flavor through the meat and the white meat is moist which can be tricky with chicken. My wife was especially impressed with the seasoning blend on the skin of the chicken. My chicken had some extra sauce on it which I dipped my chicken in and it was good and enhanced the flavor. It tastes like the seasoning blend from the chicken in a liquid form. I like the broccoli as well which wasn't mushy and did have some flavor to it. The cole slaw wasn't my wife's favorite, it was a bit tart for her.

For the kids they had BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. The chicken was the same as the charbroil chicken that I had but pulled apart and put together like a traditional pulled chicken sandwich. The sauce is sweet and reminds of something like Sweet Baby Ray's. But mixed with the good flavor of the chicken it works really well. it is served with home made kettle style chips. They are thick cut and a little on the burnt side, which I like, but they weren't even mine and I might have eaten too many. They could cut back on how many they give, and maybe cook a little lighter, but it wasn't bad.

Chicken Shak is a nice new restaurant with a good product. I will be going back to give the pit sandwiches a try and to see what they do with the Salmon. They are just getting started so there are some service kinks, however when they get over that hump things should be good for them. The food I tasted was good and unique and a worthy competitor to the places already in the market. The restaurant has a nice clean design and incorporates a lot of the modern design that is going on in the market place.


Rating: 4/5

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Taste Test - Blue Bunny Bunny Snacks

With Spring right around the corner, Blue Bunny has brought out their latest creation, a set of ice cream treats perfectly made as individual servings for parties or just to hang out and chow down on as a little treat now and then. Blue Bunny mixes their high quality ice cream with hard shell toppings and cookies for a sundae experience within a couple of bites.

The two varieties I grabbed this week were salty caramel pretzel cookies and cream. Let's talk about the cookies and cream first, the shell that is on the outside of the snacks is pretty good. It has a nice taste to it as well as crunch. it also doesn't melt really fast which is an excellent thing in a snack like this. The one issue that I do have is that the cookie portion over shadows the cookies and cream ice cream. It feels overdone and the balance is slightly off.

The Salted Caramel Pretzel is also pretty good. It reminds me of the older Snickers Ice Cream bars a lot. The pretzels and salted caramel do a good job of replacing the peanuts in those. In this snack the balance is a lot better to me. The ice cream fills out the snack and has a nice smoothness and flavor to it. It's nothing that's great and overwhelming but it's a solid product.

The packaging is unique as well and it is worth noting. The bags stand up in the freezer and have a zipper to close them for simple portion control snacking. that makes them good for single adults, couples, and people with kids whom they are monitoring. They could be good for a party as well as they come individually wrapped, and at about $1,25 each, it's not too bad of a price per each.


Rating: 3.5/5

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Taste Test - Moonstruck Hot Chocolate

Winter time, bad weather, sitting in the house on the couch and eventually shoveling snow, then drinking some hot chocolate. I was initially looking for some high quality white chocolate for Christmas gifts, which isn't that easy to find and I get it, it's not actually made from cacao. But I did find a few brands of high quality chocolate mixes and I put a few on my own list. I was gifted two of the three Moonstruck flavors, Classic and Dark Hot Cocoa. The third was one I was most interested in trying, the Mayan variety. However, let me give you the review of the flavors I did receive.

Both recipes are to be made with milk first of all and that's fine. I'm sure the fat content and consistency are important when comparing to making some swiss miss with water. Moonstruck is a highly rated brand by a lot of folks so I was intrigued. They come in a nice tin as well with a metal cap. The instructions are to heat 8 ounces of milk to just under scalding and then mix in 4 Tablespoons of the cocoa itself. Maybe it's me but the mug never really looks completely absorbed and mixed together. It isn't the prettiest cup of cocoa for sure.

Out of the two varieties, the Classic Cocoa has the better taste to me but it still isn't very strong and chocolatey. It is smooth, and creamy, but I need the burst of chocolate flavor and I don't get it. The Dark Cocoa fares even worse to me. The chocolate flavor is even less than the classic and there is a lack of slight bitterness that I have come to associate with Dark cocoa. None of the floral notes either. It just doesn't seem to get there where my pallet can truly enjoy it as a hot chocolate.

I know that making a hot cocoa mix isn't the easiest thing and that there is a slight limit of what to expect from this type of product. With that said, I still find that these fall far short of what I expect from a high end cocoa mix. I want to taste a lot of flavor and these lack that, although the classic mix does have a decent texture and smoothness to it. The Dark Cocoa was a real let down however.


Rating:

Classic Cocoa 2.5/5
             Dark Cocoa 2/5

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Taste Test - Chuao Chocolatier - Cinnamon Ceral Smooch

With the Holidays around the corner, folks are looking for stocking stuffers, impressive small gifts, and making gift baskets. One of the common things you will find when it comes to that, is chocolates. There are a dazzling array of chocolatiers and small batch candy makers vying for your attention. One that I found in my local Wegmans was this brand, Chuao, and they have a lot of interesting flavors that you're not going to find everywhere.

This particular bar, is a milk chocolate bar that has cinnamon toast crunch style cereal in it. Much like the candy bars with the rice krispy bits in it, there is a delightful crunch with these, only it has a bit of sweetened cinnamon. I would think that it might be a slightly more bitter chocolate, but this bar is a good mix of milk and slightly more bitter dark chocolate. It is smooth at the beginning with a slightly stronger finish. With most chocolates, the cinnamon would be used so much more as a spice to add bite, but it's so different with the cereal pieces.

This is a nice little bar for someone who wants to be somewhat adventurous with their tastes but not step out there too far.

Rating: 3/5

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Taste Test - Woats Granola

 Shopping in Safeway I saw a tidy little display of this Granola product in the front of the store in the area where I rarely shop unless I'm trying to find something they don't have on the shelf. I was drawn in by some Planter's nut mix but I was drawn to this nice and neat little pouch. There were three flavors I saw, Cookies and Dreams, Peanut Butter Graham Slam, and my choice, Jammin' Strawberry Shortbread.

So I decided on the Strawberry Shortbread flavor because it was different, yet not too out there where I thought I might not like the flavors. Also, I wasn't in the mood for the chocolate cream cookies and reading the package, it seemed as if these fit the bill and idea behind the brand. Looking at the idea of it being a softer granola that my daughter who is currently in braces might want to try also was a strong reason for me to try these. I gave her some but she didn't actually want to taste it, it was fine I almost devoured the entire thing by myself anyway.



Woats Granola is indeed, soft baked which I like. I'm a fan of soft baked cookies for instance and the problem I have with a lot of granola is that it is time consuming to

chew and it's hard and tiring. I was hopeful that this wouldn't be too chewy where it becomes work. It wasn't. This is some of the easiest granola to snack on, which could be to your detriment when looking at serving sizes, and possibly your bank account. There aren't too many of any one portion from what i tried, good balance of berries, granola, and yes shortbread pieces. The one thing I think it could use however, is a sprinkle of salt for contrast. The berries do provide bursts of flavor at times, but maybe there could be a few smaller pieces sprinkle in as well.

I feel like this is a specific product that not everyone will like because it is intentionally made soft. However for me that is the great appeal. It retains it's fresh taste and has a great consistency while not giving your jaw a work out. This is a product that I will be buying in the future I just enjoy it so much.


Rating: 5/5

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Taste Test - Ramenburger

If you're into food and the latest trends in what's hot, you probably have seen the original Ramen Burger, a beef patty with sauce and some greens between two patties made up of ramen noodles. Now like any successful fad, there are copycats and you can find them in a few more places as other chefs of course pick up on it and remake it. That's life, but as far as I know, there is no where near me that actually sells a similar burger unless you go to DC and catch the original Ramen burger at a pop up shop.


This weekend, at the Emporiyum in DC I had my opportunity and you cold tell it was a hot commodity. There was a nice long line for the Ramen burger, but it moved quickly as the process is well oiled by now. Grilled burgers and pre-made ramen buns are prepped assembly style for your consumption.


The bun is just regular ramen, but the thing is, it can be hard to eat because ramen isn't prone to sticking to anything. When you add in the generous slathering of a teriyaki/soy sauce combination that isn't too wild or far out there. It is actually much more tame than I was expecting honestly. The beef patty is just that. It wasn't the best one I have ever had and I guess I expected the entire thing to have some sort of new or slick innovation. I sort of imagine a Five guys patty being much better in it's place and adding a little depth to it.


Overall I can say that I have experienced the Ramen Burger. Was it worth it? Sure why not, you only live once. Would I run to go and find one now if they were popping up again? I doubt it. It just didn't taste that good in order to justify it for me. It's an interesting thing to do but it wasn't wowing in the way I expected. Some of that is my own fault for build-up for sure, but at the end of the day it was just a decent burger...on ramen noodles.


Rating: 2.5/5

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The Emporiyum DC

The second Emporiyum festival/event was held this past weekend at the Union Kitchen in DC. Once again, it was a definite showcase for some local restauranteurs, artisans, and food creatives to display their independent brands and build awareness. The first Emporiyum was really eye opening with the array of vendors that were there building new interesting food businesses.

The location of the DC Emporiyum was really tight and compared to the Baltimore event was severely lacking in parking space. I get it, all areas are not built the same and hopefully for Union Kitchen, some of the new construction going on in the area will have some parking but it doesn't seem that way. Maybe a normal weekend isn't that bad but for us, it was a bit of an issue, although we did get lucky and find a 'spot' there was a fear of getting towed possibly. The signage in the area was definitely confusing.

Inside the event, the first area which was outside in a tent was a bit condensed, with tables for sitting and eating at either end but crammed together. The crowd I would say wasn't as overwhelming, but I will say that the crowd itself was one where people either were not aware of their surroundings or didn't care. Being bumped into or crossed in front of rudely was the norm, now it's not the fault of the Emporiyum and it's organizers itself but it's worth noting it took away from the experience
a bit.

The selection of vendors wasn't bad, there were several I was looking forward to seeing such as Ramen Burger and Jeni's Ice Cream. I also was glad to get to try out Prescription Chicken, Bushwick Kitchen, and an official slice of the infamous "crack pie" from Momofuku Milk Bar. I also ended up being surprised by the Crab roll from Luke's Lobster which was smaller than I expected, but damn good and tasty. It was so good my wife went back for a second helping.


I have a lot of people who say I should have let them know about it and next time I will put out the APB before I get my tickets. The Emporiyum events have been great to attend even though this second one wasn't as exciting as the first, and maybe it was the drive and parking situation, or the fact it wasn't brand new anymore, but I still had a good time and will be going to the next one to see what gems can be unearthed.

My next post will be more specific about some of the food that I tried, but the small bites I had from Route 11 chips - I will be looking for them in stores locally. They had a great crunch and good flavor to the varieties that I tried. Bushwick kitchen has a unique set of honey and syrups that they make. The honey is exceptionally fresh and has subtle hints of flavor in it. I'm looking to order some of their items to try them out further. They would probably be great on some wings.

Be sure to check out the Emporiyum page for their next event.

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Taste Test - Granola Bundles Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites

One of the things I am working on is eating better and when snacking, incorporating more whole grains and protein. Cookies are one of the areas where a lot of companies feel they can slide in some extra nutrition along with the goodies that we crave. Why not, just a few small ingredient changes and you can have something that is a treat and is good for you at the same time.

So I was in the store and I decided to give these Chocolatey Chip Cookie Bites flavor of Granola Bundles from Revolution Foods.  It seemed like it had potential, I like soft baked items and it has no artificial flavors, 17g of whole grains and it says it has the natural ingredients that will help provide your body with energy over a long day when used as a snack. Now I don't consider this a red bull or coffee replacement, bust something to supplement the potential hunger pains in the afternoon.

First thing is these cookies are pretty small. I know a normal chips ahoy type cookie isn't very large but these were a little surprising, considering the size of the box. I felt like it would be a little more substantial. Now it is a soft cookie, but also as the name states a granola bar as well. It does have that distinct taste that these type of products have, and it's a 'lack of artificial ingredients' taste. It's not bad, but it does take getting used to if you aren't someone who regularly eats this type of product. The chocolate drizzle on the top is good tasting but at the end of the day, the cookie is the main thing and we have to get used to it to enjoy these.

Of all of the organic, "clean" new products that combine both health and a treat, this one isn't bad. The taste at the beginning takes a little bit of getting used to but almost immediately, the other flavors bring it sort of out of the healthy realm. The other positive is that though small, the two cookies do provide a decent amount of protein and benefits to be a good snack for even adults along with their lunch. Kids would benefit from these immensely with their smaller stomachs, as long as you get them to actually eat them.



Rating: 2.5/5

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