Rob's Review: Coffee-Mate Pop-tart Brown Sugar Cinnamon

While I'm still waiting for Coffee-Mate to resume production on my favorite Creme Brule flavor, I've been trying different flavors, and even tried creating my own version of Creme Brule. Currently my default flavor is Coffee-Mate's Kahlua, which I reviewed a few months ago. Coffee-Mate just released a new "Pop-Tarts" inspired Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavor, and I got my hands on a bottle at our local Walmart yesterday.

I was very excited by this as Brown Sugar Cinnamon is my favorite Pop-Tarts flavor, and it's pretty awesome everywhere else, so I had high hopes for this combo, in spite of the fact that it's being touted as a limited time only offering. And I do have to say that it's pretty good, if maybe not the best ever flavor. The flavor of the creamer alone is quite good, but it doesn't compliment the coffee flavor as well as it might. I'm thinking it might need a stronger brown sugar flavoring or something. Maybe I just need to get used to it. It's not bad, though, and I'll definitely be adding it to my rotation until I can restock on Creme Brule, and maybe keep it for a change-of-pace flavor as long as it's being offered. 

Overall grade: A-

Donuts are my Kryptonite

I've often bemoaned the fact that there are no Krispy Kreme stores in the upper Midwest. The closest one is down in Iowa, a couple hundred miles away. It's probably a good thing for my waistline, because donuts are my kryptonite when it comes to eating healthy. It's incredibly difficult for me to resist a good donut, and Krispy Kreme has some of the best.

But I've got another donut that gives Krispy Kreme a run for its money, and it's available all over the upper Midwest at any Kwik Trip. It's their Persian donut with cinnamon roll frosting. These are incredible. I'd highly recommend them if you live near a Kwik Trip. 

Fortunately (for my waistline), we don't have any Kwik Trips in Pine City... yet. I'm hopeful that we'll get some someday, because these are better than any other place I know for great fresh donuts. For now they remain special treats for Rosalie and myself when we travel or for a particular celebration. They get my highest recommendation.

The Great Root Beer Barrel Saga of 2022

If you know me at all, you know that I am a big fan of root beer barrels. 

I first began to consume them about five years ago when I started running a losing a lot of weight. They are great for helping curb your appetite while also giving a little bit of a sugar boost to keep you from crashing. I often kid that I should write a book called The Root Beer Barrel Diet Book. 

Because I would always carry some with me, I began to share with friends. It wasn't long before I got to be known for sharing root beer barrels with students on my cross country team or at school.

I would always stock up on root beer barrels at Fleet Farm, but a few months ago they ran out of stock of the good Dad's brand. Then a week or so ago they began to sell their own brand of root beer barrels. I was hopeful that they would be as good as the Dad's brand, but they were a major disappointment. (You can see the comparison in the above picture.) They have a less pleasant taste, and they tend to come out of their wrappers in your pocket.

A couple months ago I bought some from Amazon, but the prices went way up recently, so I spent several hours the other day researching different places to purchase them in bulk. I finally stumbled upon Nuts.com, which had them at a decent price with shipping included. Plus, they were running a Black Friday sale when you could buy one, get one half off. Needless to say, I am well stocked for a while now and able to share. (And maybe drop a few pounds again!)

Retro Cereal Frute Brute is Back

I picked up a box of Frute Brute cereal the other day at Aldi. I used to love Frute Brute as a kid, along with Boo Berry and Franken Berry cereals, but they discontinued it in 1982. Frute Brute made a return as a seasonal cereal last year, although I didn't get a chance to check it out then. 

This year I did get my hands on a box and it's not bad. The original Frute Brute cereal had lime marshmallows instead of cherry flavored ones, but to tell you the truth, I don't really remember the taste as much as I remember the experience. 

This new one is pretty good if you like cherry flavored cereals or are just looking for something different for breakfast. My usual breakfast consists of a bagel, but every now and then I like a change of pace. I'm guessing it won't be around much longer now that Halloween is over, but you might be able to get it cheaper!

The Great Creamer Saga Continues

I saw this at our local Walmart the other day and I was so excited because I love the flavor of Kahlua, but obviously you don't want to add it to your morning coffee! (Well, you might want to, especially first thing in the morning, but you really shouldn't.) I was so hopeful that this would be my replacement creamer until Coffee-Mate finally gets their act together and is able to resume production on their all-time best flavor, Creme Brulee. 

Unfortunately, I was not impressed with the flavor. It certainly doesn't taste like Kahlua. Instead, this has an almost chocolaty flavor to it, which I'm not a big fan of in my creamers. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, and I'll certainly finish the bottle and may even end up buying it again, but it's definitely not Kahlua, and it won't be replacing Creme Brulee. 

And so the search continues. Please, Coffee-Mate, bring back Creme Brulee!!

My grade: B+

Best French Toast

Our local diner, Nicoll's Cafe in Pine City, has some amazing homemade oatmeal raisin bread made on site by their owner, Butch. I've been purchasing loaves of this bread to make toast for breakfast, but Dawn (our wonderful regular waitress at Nicoll's) suggested trying using it to make french toast.

Oh. My. Goodness.

This is sooo good. We added homemade maple syrup from some good friends to top it off.

You can also get this french toast at Nicoll's, so if you're in the area I'd highly recommend it. Or pick up a loaf of their oatmeal raisin bread and try it yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Rob's Recommendations: Casey's New Orleans Style Kettle Potato Chips

My preferred way of eating potato chips is plain ripple chips (Aldi has great ones) dipped in Top The Tater dip (see my earlier blog post on this awesome treat). But every once in a while I enjoy changing it up with some flavored chips.

When I won some free potato chips on the Casey's app, I thought I would grab some flavored chips and figured I'd probably choose the salt and vinegar ones or perhaps barbecue. But then I came across a flavor I didn't recognize: New Orleans Style. The packaging described it as "a tangy combination of salt and vinegar, sweet smoky BBQ, and a hint of spice." I'm always up for a new flavor combo, so I grabbed a pack.

Wow. These are great chips. They have the tangy-ness of salt and vinegar with the barbecue kind of tones down the aftertaste. I never would have thought to combine those flavors, but it really works. I wish some other big brand names made this flavor as I'd buy it all the time and a larger size might be a little cheaper. A little googling shows that Zapps chips have a Voodoo flavor with a similar combination with a jalapeño kick, but I can't speak to how similar they might be. My guess is that Casey's copied the flavor or was at least inspired by it.

If you have a Casey's near you and are looking for a fun snack, give them a shot. 

My grade: A

Rob's Recommendation: Top the Tater

I like to highlight products that I love that other people might not have heard of. None of these are paid sponsorships (not that there's anything wrong with that!), but simply ads for things I like.

Now, if you don't live in the upper Midwest you're out of luck on this one, but if you do, you likely have at least heard of Top the Tater. According to their website, "it's more than a sour cream dip, it's a way of life." I would have to agree, as it is the best dip that I have ever had. It started out as a topping for baked potatoes, but we use it for chips. You can also dip pretzels, veggies, or whatever in it. I've even dipped kernels of popcorn in it. (Don't judge me.)

Most grocery stores around here carry it, but I like to get the extra-large size at Sam's Club. If you haven't tried it and it's available near you, give it a try. 

Rob's Reviews: Cinnamon Roll Centers Blizzard

I had the opportunity the other day to try Dairy Queen's new limited-time offering, the Cinnamon-Roll Centers Blizzard Treat. It supposedly has "soft cinnamon roll center pieces and brown butter cinnamon topping" blended with their soft service ice cream.

I went into this one somewhat apprehensive, as I had read a bad review of this flavor online. So the bar was low, but I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. I liked the "brown butter cinnamon topping" flavoring which was pretty well mixed through the vanilla giving the whole thing a cinnamon brown sugar flavor. I'm not sure that I would describe the pieces of cinnamon roll centers soft, exactly. And there were crunchy bits of brown sugar or something there too. I feel like it could have used another iteration or two in the development of the flavor, but it wasn't bad - just not as good as I think it might have been. 

Would I get it again? Sure. It's was pretty good. Was it the best flavor of Blizzard ever? No. Cookie-dough still reigns supreme in my book. But this one was a nice change of pace. I would actually like to try the cookie-dough pieces in with the cinnamon flavored ice cream here.

Overall grade: B+

Rob's Review: Eggo Frosted Maple Flavor Pop-Tarts

Okay, I was extremely skeptical about this when I first saw them in the store. Maybe it's the idea of something with "egg" in the name in my Pop-tart that was unappealing, or the yellow color on the box, but I was initially a little repulsed by the idea at first. After thinking about "frosted maple flavor" and knowing how much I like maple syrup, I thought I'd give them a shot.

I sometimes heat up my Pop-Tarts in the microwave, but thought I'd try these straight out of the box. I was pleasantly surprised by how great these are. Typically I default to the brown sugar cinnamon flavor Pop-tarts which are still unsurpassed, but these are a strong contender for second place, if not a tie for first! I don't know what makes it "Eggo" other than the branding, but the flavor is great. It's got a nice maple flavor without being overpowering.

One of the things I enjoy about Pop-tarts is that they are relatively weather-proof. In other words, I can take some in my backpack to a cross country meet and not worry about them melting. If they get hot, great! If they freeze, no problem. They are nice and portable, if a little fragile for riding around in a backpack. Maybe I can find a Tupperware sandwich carrier or something to keep them in.

If you're a Pop-Tarts kind of person, you should definitely check these out. They're a winner.

Mad Food Science Creations

At the beginning of last month I blogged about Nestle's Coffee-Mate Creme Brulee flavored creamer and my continuing frustration at finding my favorite flavor in stock anywhere. I contacted Nestle and they kindly gave me some coupons while telling me that it was not in stock. Here's exactly what they said: 

With tightening labor market conditions and increased demand we are seeing ingredients, packaging and transportation shortages which are impacting our ability to keep up with demand. We are working hard to improve our supply while we work to keep our people safe.

Which, while nice, is kind of hard to believe. Is everything a supply-chain issue now, or is that just a handy scapegoat to blame for pretty much everything? And they talk about working "to keep our people safe." I mean, I don't want them putting their people in danger getting Creme Brulee creamer into stores or anything! It seems like the rest of the flavors are in stock, so there must be something about Creme Brulee that is especially dangerous to manufacture or transport.

Nevertheless, I have been on a quest to recreate the Creme Brulee flavor in the meantime. I've searched all over the internet for some type of recipe, but the ones I've tried have resulted in a watery, sub-optimal product. So I have begun doing my own experimentation, using the Coffee-Mate Original as the base. I've come close by adding brown sugar and vanilla, but it wasn't quite there. Now I've procured a Creme Brulee flavoring that, combined with my own concoction, is getting much closer. I have only a few ounces of the genuine CM Creme Brulee flavor to compare it with. 

I'll keep you apprised of my work in this important area of food flavor research as I am sure you are anxiously awaiting the result. In the meantime, if you would happen to see any of the real Creme Brulee flavor at a grocery store, I'd love a heads-up. Thanks!

Some Things Are Just a "No"

A few days ago I made the case for trying the Hawaiian pizza at Pizza Pub in Pine City, arguing that in this one case, at least, the sweetness of the pineapple makes a wonderful counterpoint to the tangy spiciness of the pizza sauce. I urged people not to knock it until they've tried it.

But then Pizza Pub came out with this pizza of the month:

Pickle roll up pizza! (Midwestern sushi)

This pizza starts off with cream cheese for sauce, followed by canadian bacon, pickle, and a sprinkle of dill on top!

I just need to say this: no. 

 

As much as I am a sucker for new and different tastes, I'm going to let this one pass. Maybe if I was a pickle-lover instead of a sometimes pickle-tolerator I could get behind the concept, but this one's a no-go for me. 

 

Then today they are running a news story about mustard donuts. 

 

Oh, the humanity.

Pineapple on Pizza?

I grew up on pizza. We would go out to (the late, lamented) Demetrio's Pizzaria just about every Sunday after church and we'd always order the same thing: a large bacon and pepperoni pizza and a small cheese (for my sister who was kind of a picky eater as a kid). 

I've never been a big fan of any toppings other than meat on pizza, although I have recently begun to tolerate some black olives, peppers, etc. Not mushrooms, though. And certainly never pineapple. Who ever heard of pineapple on pizza? It's become a recurring joke on various TV shows where the nerdy person will want pizza with pineapple but the hip, cool people will always agree: pineapple doesn't belong on pizza. And I always agreed with them. 

Until recently. 

The local pizza restaurant in our town, Pizza Pub, used to have a buffet on Wednesday nights (pre-COVID). It was there that I sampled a number of different types of pizza. Their chicken alfredo pizza is excellent, and I've even learned to enjoy the Pub Special (pretty much every topping on the pizza) in small doses. 

But then I tried their Hawaiian pizza. Pineapple and Canadian Bacon on a pizza seems like an unlikely combination. I'm sure you could Google who first invented it and where (My guess is that neither Hawaii nor Canada had a hand in it, but that's just a hunch.) I tried it, not really realizing what it was, as Pizza Pub puts the cheese on last, often disguising the pizza toppings.

I have to say, it was amazing. More than that - it was pretty phenomenal and has become my go-to favorite at the Pub. Pizza Pub has a spicy pizza sauce anyway, and the sweetness of the pineapple really counterbalances it nicely. Plus they have a decent amount of pineapple, but they don't go overboard.

I'm certainly not saying all Hawaiian pizza is good. I tried a slice once at Pizza Hut. Uh, no. Just, no. It was gross. And I can't speak for any other pizza place. I think I did try a Brew Pub Lozza Mozza frozen Hawaiian pizza and it wasn't bad, but probably wouldn't be my first choice. 

My point is, if you're around Pine City and visit Pizza Pub, I'd suggest giving it a shot. Their Hawaiian pizza might just change your mind.

Another Sad Goodbye

The whole world is mourning another huge loss this week - the Choco Taco is being discontinued. (Okay, maybe not the whole world, but the civilized world, for sure.)

I remember enjoying these during my summers as a camp counselor at Lake Lundgren Bible Camp. They were perfect for carrying around because they never seemed to get drippy the way other ice cream treats did. Of course, they never lasted long enough in my hands for that to be a concern.

Unfortunately, they are really difficult to find around here, so I haven't had one in years. If they could have just gotten Walmart to carry them, the story may have turned out differently.

One senator suggested using the Defense Production Act to mandate the continued manufacture of Choco Tacos. Turns out he was kidding. Bummer.

Come on, Klondike. Rethink this decision! Change.org petition, anyone?

Rob's Review: DQ A.1. Steakhouse Signature Stackburger

Diary Queen rolled out some new premium hamburgers a few months ago that looked quite tasty, but our local DQ doesn't have a grill so I have been unable to try them out. Today I was in the Cities shopping around lunchtime and I thought I'd give one of them a shot.

I've liked DQ's burgers in the past when I have been able to enjoy them, and so I was looking forward to sampling their new offering. I tried the "Loaded A.1.^®Steakhouse 1/3 lb. double Signature Stackburger" which, according to the description on their website, "features two 100% seasoned real beef burger patties, topped with A.1.^® Thick & Hearty Steak Sauce, creamy peppercorn sauce, Applewood smoked bacon, perfectly melted Sharp American and crunchy onion rings. Served on a soft and toasted bun." 

I found the burger to be really tasty and something I would definitely order again. The patties don't reach the state of awesomeness found in the burgers at Culvers or Shake Shack (two of my favorites), but they are really good. The creamy peppercorn sauce gives a nice flavor and nicely balances against the tang of the A.1. sauce. I actually would have been good with a little more of the peppercorn sauce as they weren't quite as generous as the promotional picture might imply. There was also a little less A.1., but that was okay because a little goes a long way. The bacon and onion rings on top were a great way to finish the burger. 

Is it gourmet? No, but that's okay. It's a good, solid offering in the burger category - a cut above most fast food out there - and something I would definitely order again.

My grade: A

Now, For a Limited Time...

This came through my inbox today from Taco John's. According to the description: "The Honey BBQ Fried Chicken Taco is made with crunchy chicken tenders, fresh, crisp lettuce and cheddar cheese, topped with a Honey BBQ sauce that starts out with a sweet flavor from honey accompanied by smoky notes of hickory." Apparently it's a variation on a plain chicken 'taco' that they've had on the menu for a while, just with honey barbecue sauce.

My first thought was, "Really, Taco John's? Really? Anywhere else and this would be called a wrap." But my second thought was, "Hey, that looks pretty good. And you can get Potato Ole's to go with it!" Because, let's be honest, that's the best thing about Taco John's. And sometimes you feel like some Potato Ole's but aren't necessarily in the mood for regular Mexican fast food. But we'll call it a taco because that's more "on brand". Nevertheless, it looks pretty good.

That's the appeal of these limited-time offerings from places like this. We don't have a Taco John's near us, and when I'm down in the Cities I'll often opt for my favorites like Culver's or Chick-fil-a. But something like this may entice me to visit Taco John's when I otherwise might not. And then, beyond the quick sale, I might build a new habit and visit more often, which is the ultimate goal - loyal returning customers.

Which got me thinking about businesses in general and churches in particular. What is it about your organization that is "special" enough to get people to give it a shot? Anything you can do as a "limited time offering"? And then do you have enough other stuff to help them to return and become loyal to your organization?

Rob's Review: Snickerdoodle Pop-Tarts

I'm a sucker for new and different flavors of things I already like, so when I saw that Pop-Tarts was coming out with a Snickerdoodle flavor, I knew I had to give it a shot. I've enjoyed some of their other recent offerings like Lemon Creme Pie, Peach Cobbler, and even Frosted Confetti Cupcake.

For one thing, I love snickerdoodle cookies, especially the ones my Aunt Mary Jo used to make - all soft and chewy! For another thing, I mean, look at the picture on the box (above). They look great! 

If I'm eating a Pop-Tart at home, I like them microwaved for about 15 seconds with a little butter on it, so that's how I made the first ones. Pictured below is how it turned out.

The verdict? Ehh. It was... fine. There was nothing bad or off-putting about it, except they are very fragile and fall apart easily. The filling is goey. It kind of reminded me of my favorite Pop-Tart flavor, frosted brown sugar cinnamon, except without the, you know, frosting. Or the good flavor. I am normally adamant about only eating Pop-Tarts that are frosted, but this looked particularly tasty, so I thought I would make an exception.Turns out my initial instincts were correct.

I haven't tried it unwarmed. I often will take a couple to a cross country meet or something for a quick meal when I know we won't get back to the school until later. Or I'll share with a student - there's invariably one who is "starving" but didn't think to pack anything to eat. I imagine it will be perfectly average. 

Again, nothing bad about them, but I probably wouldn't buy them again as there are much better flavors. 

Overall grade: C

Cutting Down Pizza

I consider myself to be a bit of a pizza afficianado. I mean, you can't spend thirty-five years in youth ministry and not know a little about pizza. 

As I've gotten older, I've gotten a little more picky about pizza. It seems it's hard to find a good pizza anymore. So many are just mediocre

For example, when it comes to frozen pizzas, there are some that are edible, but I have yet to find a frozen pizza that I really enjoy (other than some deep dish restaurant pizzas that are occasionally available, but not widely marketed). Again, some are okay, but they hardly satisfy your craving for good pizza. 

As far as the chain restaurants go, some are okay and even pretty good. I enjoy Little Caesar's pan pizza quite a bit, and Papa John's is decent, and I enjoy Sbarro, and really like the pizza at Rocky Rococo, as well. Pizza Ranch is decent, but pricey. However none of these are anywhere near me. 

Casey's, which it turns out it the country's fifth largest pizza chain, has really good pizza most of the time, and fortunately we have one in Pine City now. We also have a Pizza Hut but either their quality has declined or I've just gotten burned out on their pizza over the years. It's not bad, but not a top choice. Don't even get me started on Domino's. 

I enjoy some of the local pizza places, as well. We have a pretty good one in Pine City, Pizza Pub, but they are a little pricier. I enjoy visiting other towns an finding good local joints there, too. (I could be like the Guy Fieri of pizza places and go town to town finding the best one!) One of my favorite is about an hour away, Donatelli Bros. in White Bear Lake (which, coincidentally enough, was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.) Their Heartstopper pizza is to die for (not literally... probably). And of course I can't help but mention the late, lamented Demetrio's Pizza House in Bradenton. I don't know if I'll ever find a pizza I enjoy more (but certainly not for a lack of trying).

But here's my big question for the day: when did cutting pizza into little squares become a thing? It seems like a lot of local places do this. (I'm looking at you, Pizza Pub.) It's sometimes called a party cut and I guess some people like it, but frankly, I'm not a fan.

So what's your vote: the traditional and beloved pie cut, or the stupid square cut?

Rob's Recommendations: Creme Brulee Coffee-Mate Creamer

This post may turn out to be a recommendation or a requiem - time will tell.

When I first started drinking coffee it was in college. I tried it mixed with some milk and honey because I had read in a Star Trek novel that this was the way Jim Kirk learned to drink coffee as a boy. It was pretty good and I soon learned to enjoy coffee, but always with cream and sweetener of some sort.

Fast forward a few years to 1989 when Nestle introduced Coffee-Mate flavored liquid non-dairy creamer. International Delights launched a version a couple of years earlier, but I would argue that Coffee-Mate perfected it. To this day I will only rarely use International Delights as most of their flavors leave a bit of an unpleasant aftertaste. The same goes for most other brands.

Over the years I have enjoyed most all of their flavors, especially Toffee Nut (since discontinued) and Creme Brulee. A few years ago Walmart stopped carrying the Creme Brulee flavor and I've had to stock up in the Twin Cities, buying 6 to 8 large containers at a time and enjoying them over the weeks. Recently, however, the locations that have reliably carried this flavor have come up empty. They are still on the shelf tags, but no product. 

I'm afraid that it may be discontinued soon, however it still is listed on the Coffee-Mate web site, so I hope it's just a supply chain issue that will be resolved soon. Otherwise I may have to begin experimenting with online recipes for this flavor.

So if you happen to come across the Creme Brulee flavor, let me recommend you try it. And if you do, please let me know so I can go stock up again!

Rob's Recommendations: Just Say No to This One

I like to post about things I enjoy and help people discover fun or tasty things. But today I have to post a warning. Rosalie and I tried the DiGiorno Stuffed Crust Five Cheese frozen pizza last night and if you're thinking about giving it a shot, let me just say, in the words of Nancy Reagan, "Just Say No!"

I'm not a huge fan of frozen pizza anyway, but once in a while it's okay, and occasionally you can find a decent brand. DiGiorno is usually okay, if a little overpriced, but I would never buy this one again. It wasn't inedible, but it was far from tasty. The sauce was skimpy and flavorless and the cheese fairly tasteless. I ended up dipping it in some ranch dressing to give it some flavor.

At a premium price I expected more. For a couple bucks more, I could have ordered out from Casey's or something. This tasted like something you get in the school cafeteria, except not as good.

As far as recommendations go, this is a no.

Do you have a favorite frozen pizza? Let me know in the comments.