Gourmet Jelly Belly Tropical Mix

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Usually, when I get Jelly Belly, I get the bag with thirty flavors. Occasionally, the store that I go to is out of them. Rather than go all over town, I’ll just get another variety. I usually only see the Tropical Mix and Smoothie Blend bags, although they do occasionally have sours. Yes, there are other bagged varieties, but I’m not here to write about them. I’m here to write about what I get when my first choice is out, which is the Tropical Mix.

The Tropical Mix is what you’d expect. Jelly Belly has taken their tropical flavors and put them in one bag. I can identify most of the flavors, such as orange and lemon-lime. Banana and green apple are in there, as well. They also have tangerine and pink grapefruit, I believe. I could go on, but I fear it would be an obvious attempt to pad my review. (Come on… Not even the Jelly Belly site lists all the flavors in the bag.)

One thing that I do like about this bag is that it has a higher proportion of flavors I like to beans I don’t like. Lemon-lime is my favorite and lemon and orange are high on the list, as well. It’s kind of fun to not have to eat through flavors that I don’t like a much. There is also one flavor in this bag that I can’t get in the 30-flavor bag. You’re probably asking at this point why this isn’t my first choice. There are certain flavors you can only get in the bigger mix, like peanut butter and I don’t want to have to do without for too long.

They’re pretty easy to eat and tend to be true to the flavors that they’re supposed to be. These are flavors that you might associate with the tropics. So, maybe I won’t instantly be transported to a tropical island, but I don’t expect that. I want candy. (Specifically, I want sugar.) This gives me sugar in an easy-to-eat form. It is nice to have something different once in a while. Sometimes, I will get this one even if the 30-variety bag is available. I’ll sometimes even get one or two of each, just to mix it up.

Just like the other flavors, they’re four calories per bean and fat free. Yes, I’m sure my dentist doesn’t approve. (My parents certainly don’t, as I don‘t have the best dental history.) I give this mix four of five stars. The only thing I could really ask for is for them to come in a resealable bag.

Entenmann's Rich Frosted Donuts

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

I have a thing for sugar. Put me in front of a desert buffet and I'll probably try everything. When I saw that there were candies and deserts, like jelly beans and candy bars, on Epinions, I knew that I had something I could write about.

One product that I'm fond of is Entenmann's Rich Frosted Donuts. You're probably wondering why I'd buy these donuts out of all the donuts out there. After all, I've already said that I have a thing for Krispy Kreme. Dunkin' Donuts isn't that bad and I have one by where I work. So why buy a box of these?

Sometimes I don't want to go that far, so it helps to have a box handy. Yes, I could buy a box from the two aforementioned locations, but those are generally meant to be eaten right away. Their shelf life isn't always that long. (I realize that this isn't always a good thing, but who eats donuts for heath reasons?) Also, these donuts have chocolate frosting with a soft center. I can't get donuts like this at Krispy Kreme or Dunkin' Donuts. I like chocolate and I like soft food. Put the two together and you have something that I will at least try, if not probably like.

As I said, these donuts aren't meant to be health food, which is why I haven't eaten them in a while. Take a look at the nutritional information on a box or online and you'll notice that they have 31% of your total fat and 65% of your saturated fat for the day...per donut. That's not including the 17g of sugar.

That brings up my biggest complaint, which is that they come in a box of 8 full-sized donuts or in a box of 12 miniature donuts. Would it kill them to make a single-serving package? I don't want to buy a box and have it sitting around just waiting for me to eat another. Yes, I could share, but not everyone likes snacks like I do. They'd probably still sit there.

Despite the one big complaint, the donuts get four stars. I do like them, even if I don't always want to eat them. I'd definitely recommend them to anyone that's looking to bring a desert or snack to a meeting or just wants something for the kids. If you ever find them in single servings, please let me know.

Cheez - It Baked Snack Crackers

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

I love snacks. (Who doesn’t?) Sometimes, I go for the sugary stuff like donuts and jelly beans. I have been trying to cut back, so I usually get something like Cheez-Its. Normally, I don’t go for crunchy stuff, but there aren’t a lot of non-sugary snacks that aren’t crunchy. Cheez-Its are baked, which I think usually means that they’re lower in fat, although I’ve never done any sort of comparison.

In any event, I do like cheese and Cheez-Its are cheese flavored. As the back of the box once suggested, they’re big on cheese taste. For those that haven’t seen them, Cheez-Its are small, yellow squares that are lightly salted. They also have a small hole in the middle, which is about the size you’d make with a needle or something. They have different varieties, like spicy or sour cream, but I’m reviewing the classic version here. This is the kind that’s just cheese flavored.

They’re made by Kellogg's under the Sunshine label, which it acquired a few years ago. I like going with a major brand, although a major brand doesn’t always ensure a good product. I have noticed that Cheez-Its will vary on occasion. Some look like they’re a little burnt while others are saltier than normal. The box I’m working on now may have been a little overcooked.

Given the chance, I could probably go through a box in two or three sittings, even though I shouldn’t. Each serving is supposed to be 27 crackers, which works out to be 15 servings per box. I occasionally keep a box at work so that when I’m hungry and can’t go out for lunch, I can grab a few to eat. It cuts down on the hunger without my having to eat a lot.

Boxes usually go for $2.59 each. I usually get them when it’s buy one get one free since I know I’ll be eating them. If $2.59 is too much for you, you can get single-serving bags for 99?. This will at least give you the opportunity to see what they’re like without having to risk wasting an entire box. I have to warn you, though: If you like cheese, you will most likely like Cheez-Its. 

Cheez-It Web site