The Consumer’s Corner

I fell in love with 5 Flare awhile ago, and the rest of this line of gums from Wrigley’s continues to impress me. The more I fall in love with coffee, the more I fall in love with gum; it’s a sure fire way to eliminate that dreaded coffee breath.

‘Solstice’ is described as ‘…a warm and cool winter.’ I translate that as wintergreen, and the shoe fits, so that’s what I’m going with. Regardless, it’s quite tasty. Not so over-powering as to hurt your teeth, but intense enough to achieve that ‘chill’ in your nose and throat as you breathe.

Like 5 Flare, the flavor of 5 Solstice just seems to go on forever. If anyone ever asks me to recommend a gum to them, I always recommend the ‘5′ series for that reason; I haven’t yet found anything else that can compete. The texture stays nice as well, sticking together without getting too firm.

5 Solstice can be purchased in single, 15 stick packs, or in multi-packs of 3 – 15 stick packs. Prices will vary by store, but don’t expect to break the bank. It’s gum. 5 Solstice gets a solid ‘Win!’ all the way around.

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–Jeremy Hobbs

‘Mousse Temptations’ are a line of new products brought to you by Jell-O that put a decidedly refined spin on the idea of the classic pudding cup snack. The idea of mousse in a cup intrigued me, so I gave each of the three flavors (Caramel Creme, Chocolate Indulgence, and Dark Chocolate Decadence) a chance.

The consistency was uniform across all the flavors; light, and fluffy. It’s not the prettiest stuff to look at, which is why I’m assuming they used solid color cups, but taste is what matters. And, especially for only 60 calories, it has ‘flavor’ locked up; very yummy.

Caramel was my favorite, with dark chocolate being my ‘least’ liked, but I’ll eat all of them again. They make a nice addition to you brown bag lunches at work, or a late night snack. Also, seeing as it’s so light and airy, I could even grab one of these in a morning rush. My only real complaint is actually a compliment; I wish the servings were bigger! Jell-O scores a ‘Win!’ with ‘Mousse Temptations.’

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–Jeremy Hobbs

A product title that truly reflects what is in the bag; ‘Buttery Garlic Goodness’ indeed! During these last couple years writing consumer reviews, I have had dozens of food product samples arrive on my doorstep. Most are decent, a few found their way to my garbage can with a quickness, but I don’t think any were ever as well loved as Twisted Grandma pretzels.

I’ve always enjoyed a good bag of pretzels; they’re kind of a secret ‘diet’ food. Low in calorie, fibrous, very little if any fat, very filling. Relatively guilt free, I think. Being the simple fellow that I am, I’ve never steered far away from your basic ’salted’ variety. The flavored versions of my favorite brands haven’t did anything for me, except make my fingers feels gross. I was expecting the same out of ‘Twisted Grandma,’ but I was oh-so-pleasantly surprised.

Everything was just perfect. The garlic was just zingy enough, but not over powering. The salt and butter simple made my mouth water. Delicious, every which way you look at it. One of the most addicting snacks that I’ve ever tried. The ten ounce bag wag devoured in relatively short order. When I reorder, I’ll definitely be picking up the ‘Pounder!’

Hits you in the tummy a bit (well a lot), more than the average twist. A one ounce serving, or a good handful, nets you 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 380 mg of sodium. Health food they ain’t, but if you’re going to ‘cheat’ on a diet, you can’t really go wrong here.

The price is bit steep, but this is a product that could be considered a ’boutique’ item. The quality and flavor is just heads and shoulders above what can be purchased on the mass market. I wholeheartedly recommend these. I certainly can’t wait to get my hands on another bag or two!

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–Jeremy Hobbs

Today I bring you a new twist on the energy mint idea, and that is Buzz Bites Chocolate Energy chews. All of the other energy mints I’ve brought to you have been, more or less, caffeinated breath mints. Vroom Foods, who also produce the previously reviewed Foosh mints, are breaking the mold a bit, and sending out something a bit different.

Are these for the hardcore chocolate connoisseur? Nah. Never going to replace your specialized confections. This is a functional food, designed with a goal in mind, and a hope that it tastes satisfactory in the process. I think Buzz Bites accomplish that, and maybe a little more. It wont replace my Hershey bars, but it can earn a spot in my energy mint rotation.

The flavor is a smidge on the bitter side, but that is going to happen when you squeeze the equivalent of a cup of coffee into a half inch cube. Are Buzz Bites overly bitter? I don’t think so. The texture is also nice;  soft, dare I say creamy? Didn’t stick in my teeth either, a major plus for me.

Buzz Bites provide a noticeable energy boost, and as of this writing, I wish I had waited until morning to write this review; I feel a restless night coming on. Certainly enough to get you moving in the morning.

These are perfect to keep in your pocket, purse, desk, etc for when you need that extra pick-me-up, and can’t get to your usual fix. Nice change of pace too, if your usual fix happens to be energy mints. I feel comfortable giving them my all important recommendation!

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–Jeremy Hobbs

Operating a moderately successful website sometimes has it’s perks, my favorite of which is getting to sample new products before they hit the retail shelves. I’ll be bringing you a few product reviews/previews this week, all from the Jell-O brand line of ready to eat snacks.

Pudding cups were a favorite of mine, all the way through high school. They’re just a great way to top off a school lunch. I still grab a pack now and then; they look especially tasty when I break the golden rule of grocery shopping: ‘Thou shalt not shop while hungry.’ A new flavor of the Sugar-Free variety is going to be released in the next few weeks; Cinnamon Roll.

Jello-O, gelatin and pudding, has long been a trail blazer for great tasting, sugar free desserts. Cinnamon Roll is certainly no exception, offering a wonderfully flavored dessert treat with minimal caloric impact (60 per cup). The flavor isn’t ridiculously sweet like many ‘cinnamon bun’ flavored treats, but it catches the essence quite well, especially for a consumer-friendly priced product.

The pudding is very creamy, the same consistency as ever. No lumps! Wish I had that much luck with the homemade stuff. Available in 6-pack sleeves at a store near you (soon, anyway), for three Washington’s and some coins. I recommend you give these a shot. Pudding cups are not just for kids anymore!

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–Jeremy Hobbs

Vroom Foods produces a line of energy enhanced candies, including mints. Foosh Mints. Unlike other energy mints I have reviewed, Foosh mints deliver all the goods in just one (slightly over-sized) piece.

Each mint contains approximately the same amount of caffeine as the average cup of coffee. Not bad at all. At the same time. You get other energy drink staples such as taurine and B-vitamins.

Foosh Mints are peppermint flavored, and quite strong. ‘Altoids’ like. Very little chemical aftertaste, so long as you suck on them (as intended). Should you decide to bite into one though, expect a flavor resembling that of a mint flavored aspirin. Also, the texture is just a bit… odd? They dissolve into a bit of a ‘grit.’ maybe a poor choice words, it wasn’t unpleasant, just kind of different.

Quite potent for the purposes of energy enhancement, they are a suitable replacement for a cup of coffee. In my caffeine addicted opinion, it’s an excellent finisher to your morning java. Completely eradicated that nasty coffee breath as well! Amen for that!!!

Availability will be a bit spotty; I had never actually heard of Foosh before a company spokesperson contacted me. So, if you’re interested in trying them out, an online retailer is going to be your best bet.

Do I recommend them? They are in the upper tier of products in this category. I’d like to see more packaging options, but that stuff comes with time as the product gains traction. Give them a shot, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

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–Jeremy Hobbs

I’m seeing energy mints with an increasing regularity, and now that my day job requires me to wake up at 5:30 every day, I no longer pretend to NOT be a chronic caffeine junky. This sleepy soul would try anything to get going in the morning; if Red Bull started marketing an intravenously delivered product line, I’d be lining up to get my fix.

Jolt Energy Mints have been my favorite thus far. They work, taste great, freshen up my ‘coffee breath,’ and come in a cool package. Ice Breakers Energy does all of the above, just not quite as well, but they’re not missing by much. And what they lack, they make up for in simple availability.

VoJo Energy Mints seem even more toned down to me, don’t taste quite as good, and the packaging seems cheap. Cheap! That is this product’s strongest asset, it can be had for 5 quarters. Jolt’s can’t even be purchased in a large chain store, and Ice Breakers can be a bit pricey. VoJo’s can be bought at any Wal-Mart. Tell me where the heck you’re going to go where you wont be ten minutes away from a Wally World!

Each mint carries with it 10 mg of caffeine. So it’d take about 8 of them to equal the potency of an 8 ounce sparkling energy enhancing beverage. So, you can do the math; these are much better suited to maintain your coffee buzz, rather than getting you all jazzed up in the first place. Sugar free, caloric values aren’t even worth mentioning.

Overall, I recommend these. In fact, I recommend buying stock in their company; I will keep them in business all by my lonesome until I get fired!

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–Jeremy Hobbs

Frankenfood! Been eying these for awhile, but I had always managed to find something else I wanted to try just a little bit more. But, I was shopping in a c-store, and the goober at the cash register wouldn’t let me use my debit card unless my total purchase was over $5 (he obviously doesn’t know how important I am). Sitting squarely at $4, and needing nothing else, I grabbed these for $1.19. Cheaper than the $2.50 ATM fee.

Didn’t have a great experience with the other energy gum I sampled, and Mad-Croc lived down to my expectations. The flavor all but evaporated after thirty seconds or so, though it did taste pretty good while it lasted. Mad-Croc is not very pleasant to chew. The texture is odd; chewy (even for a gum). The ‘jumbo pieces’ are a bit big; a serving is two pieces, and that is a good mouthful of gum if you chew them at the same time.

Energy boost was noticeable, but nothing profound. Two pieces = an 8 ounce energy drink (Red Bull, etc), or 1 cup of coffee, but the label provided me with no hard numbers. Comes with a warning; ‘Not recommended for young children, pregnant women, or caffeine-sensitive persons.’ Why do they always say pregnant ‘women?’ It’s a bit redundant, if you’re pregnant you’re obviously female. Anyways, consider yourself warned.

10 calories, 50% riboflavin, 100% niacin, B6, and B12. Can’t recommend this with a good conscience, I really didn’t care for it. I’ll be junking or giving away the remaining servings, and certainly wont be buying again. Pass.

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–Jeremy Hobbs

Been a huge Combos fan since I was a little kid, they bring back a lot of good memories for me. Fun for a child to play with, almost like a savory Oreo; try to get the outer part off and get to the good stuff inside. Yum! The Pizzeria Style Pizza was always my favorite (not the pretzel version, but they’d do in a pinch).

Found these today, and they jive well with my new fascination with Mexican food; these are ‘Zesty Salsa’ flavored. The outer shell is supposed to taste like a tortilla chip, but that didn’t come across to me too well. If I hadn’t read the label, I’d have just figured it was the same cracker crust as the Pizzeria version I cherish so dearly.

Inside, the paste is delicious! Has a very authentic (mild) salsa flavor, with none of the stuff I don’t care for in real salsa (chunks of veggies). They have just the slightest bit of a kick to them; with a touch of vinegar ‘twang.’ Superb!

Not very diet friendly; 140 calories per ounce serving. It’s not difficult to eat the entire 6 ounce bag, so you do the math. That’s half of some people’s calorie allowances. 7 grams of fat, 3 of them being saturated, but no trans fat. Empty calories; no ‘good’ nutritional value to speak of.

If ‘Zesty Salsa’ Combos sound interesting to you, I highly recommend them. Mine cost me $2.19 in a fairly expensive convenience store, but I don’t regret the purchase what so ever. Eat up!

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–Jeremy Hobbs

Jolt Energy Mints started it, then Icebreakers kept my obsession rolling with ‘Restore,’ and ‘Energy.’ Now, I can go nowhere without a package of mints, or go into a store without looking for a new variety. Found these at the neighborhood convenience store.

Tasty, but nothing special. No vitamins, no caffeine, no particular strong and/or orginal flavor. These fall very much in line with TicTacs, just a wee bit bigger.

The ‘creme’ flavor is the only thing that distinguishes them from a number of other products, but you have to suck on them to even notice it. If you’re like me, you’re chomping down on your hard candies, mints included, within 5 seconds of inserting them in the pie hole.

Mild recommendation; they taste good and offer some breath freshening benefits, but at the end of the day, they’re not anything all that special. Price point is decent, $0.79 for 9 servings. Not enough calories to mention. Comment back with your opinions!

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–Jeremy Hobbs