A ban on Carrots for me!!!

Ouch, Yeash, Ooopsy! Which ever expletive you prefer the meaning is the same. I have been slacking a bit lately and those show if I'm honest that I don't really have an excuse. It's been almost three weeks since my last post. I'd like to say I've been super busy, but in honesty that would be a lie. If I took the honesty further I'd have to say I think my one post a day challenge burned me out.

Also the fact that I am no longer limiting my blog to just sweets has meant I in theory do have more topics open to me. So what does one talk about when they have the entirety of the cosmos to talk about. Well I think considering this blogs history the obvious answer is food. It's on my mind much of the time and as of recently rather on my body too. No don't worry I've not got into weird food fetishes over the festive period (that would just be plain odd). Nope, according to some however my latest obsession (snacking on carrots) has taken an amusing and worrying turn.

It was noticed the other day by a "friend" (a true friend may have let me enjoy my blissful ignorance perhaps) that my hands had taken up a bit of an Orange hue. Of course like a good chum they didn't pull me to one side let me know subtly and let me go dignity in tact. No, they chose the true friend fashion of telling everyone in the vicinity and embarrassing the hell out of me. To be honest that's a true sign of love right there. Better still was this was during another friends birthday celebration meaning my whole group could revel in my strangeness.

So there I stood for about ten minutes with my hands upheld for inspection by all. The outcome was several speculations and helpful hints. Followed by a ruling from my girlfriend telling all to watch my carrot intake and from now on. I felt a bit like a drug addict at rehab, except my habits not quite as cool. Although it does mean I too see things in the dark.

At the time of writing I feel my obsession with the orange "sin sticks" is passing and hopefully I will return to "normal" soon. But I am also weirdly concerned and intrigued as to what my next food craving could be. It also brings up a cool discussion point please comment below about your food ravings that seemed odd or had a colorful affect on your life. I look forward to seeing the craziness put forward. In the mean time I will be playing with the blog and the layout as I still haven't updated it since being truthful about myself at New Years.

Carrots gotta love em'

Yo! Sushi coated Edame beans

Okay so I admit yesterdays review may have been a bit lazy. For starters I didn't pay for it, then factor in the fact that it concerned yet another ginger biscuit. If I'm not careful you guys and girls might stop reading. Hell if I keep boring myself I might stop writing. What a travesty for the world that would be right?

Anyway I thought I'd push the boat out a bit and get out there. The boat n question landed somewhere on the oriental shoreline it would seem judging by today's products. Added to this and to really spice things up one of today's items is a savoury snacking item. Wasabi peas to be precise (now go back re-read the spice it up comment and chuckle at my genius.) The other item is a bag of coated Edema beans another snacking bag but these are chocolate and yogurt coated and provide the usual sweetness to my post.

They don't look like much but really pack a punch!

So lets start with the savoury and talk about your P's and Q's. For those out of the know wasabi is a Japanese mustard like sauce, very hot and very spicy. Peas are small round vegetation that some people say is better for you than sugar! I love hot products so was rather excited hen I saw these for sale in my local cafe. Opening the bag I was struck by a very pungent mustard aroma, a sure fire sign for a heatwave ahead.

I popped one on my tongue and allowed the dusting to do its work. Wow are these spicy! With a definite taste of English mustard not too much to be overpowering and cause the familiar problem of mustard blowout leading to pain in the nasal cavities. The pea underneath is nicely roasted its got a great crunch to it and enough flavour on its own to curb boredom. I risked eating three at once and immediately regretted it. Too hot even for me and the result was a rather painful sneezing fit.

To recover and recuperate we shall move on to the sweet. These are roasted Edama beans coated in yogurt, milk chocolate and dark chocolate. This on the base of it seems like a very odd concept. Whenever I've seen Edama beans before they are at most in a salad coated in a soy sauce. They are very nice but not really for the realms of dessertery.

All bases covered here

First up the yoghurt coating, I let it melt on my tongue as per usual. It tastes subtly sweet with a nice plain milky flavour. Not to bad, may have worked better had it been coated in white chocolate. The bean underneath does add to the combination well, it's surprising how nice the combination is. There is a nice crunch and roasted flavour to these very similar to the peas.

Next I try the milk chocolate coated beans, I think these are going to be my favourite of the three. Allowing it to melt I get a pleasant sweet milk chocolate taste that is cheap but quite nice regardless. Not quite advent calender chocolate so no sickly sweetener aftertaste. The bean underneath again gives a nice savoury kick to the occasion that blends well. Lastly the dark chocolate, perhaps we should have the "dark" in quotes as it tastes more sweet than bitter. Clearly not a high cocoa content dark chocolate, rather just a slightly bitter plain chocolate.

Overall these are all nice in their own rights. Definitely the change from biscuits that I was aiming for too.   

Score

Wasabi Peas - 8 out of 11

Edama Beans - 7 out of 11

Found

The Wasabi peas in my local cafe and chocolate Edame from Yo! Sushi

Final Thought

Today has been very different, two whole types of vegetation in one review!

Pringles - festive varieties!

Tastes  funny thing, apparently you can't account for it. That's what "they" say anyway, although, I'm not quite sure who "they" are. "They" do say a lot I must say and not all of it's so true or insightful. It seems on this occasion whats said is correct, especially in the case of today's review items. Thinking on it a bit more if we did all have the same taste, the world would be a dull place really.

Whats made me all philosophical and sage like? Well today's product, which seem to have a rather polarizing effect on people. Much like how Marmite often comes down to love it or hate it. These seem to be the same, if that is people make it past the first hurdle which is the concept of the items themselves. Those I offered them to often stared at me perplexed as though they needed a moment to figure out if what I was extending there way was real. They are believe me. These are the two limited edition flavoured Pringles available

this festive season. One is sweet cinnamon and the other is mint chocolate.

They look the same from the outside, it's only the dusting that's different!

Sounds weird doesn't it? Why should it though, think about it. The only reason people immediately disregard these as Yack, is because we are used to savory Pringles. That is how I viewed it and was much more open minded to the experience than most who I prof erred them to. I tried them both and didn't think too hard as I ate them, through this I hope you'll see me as unbiased in my reviews. Check me out being all professional right?

First we will tackle the one most people had trouble with, the mint chocolate. Now don't get me wrong the idea is odd even to me. However remember that the flavour of mint choc has been a firm favorite in many other forms for years. I must admit that I don't like the combination myself but I didn't let that stop me. It's the crisp format that is throwing people but hey I just think that gives them a nice crisp crunch! So without too much hesitation I tried one. It was odd at first, I noticed a weird powdery dusting that you don't usually get, perhaps more seasoning has to be added to achieve the taste. Which is rather minty, and quite chocolatey too. The taste lingers for a bit before being replaced by the Pringle/crispy aftertaste of potato product. It certainly is odd thought not unpleasant to me.

Seems this sight put people off even trying

The experience is a bit akin to having dessert quickly followed by savory. OK well not really but you get the idea. Both the initial minty chocolate and the potato taste are nice... just a bit odd when combined. I think a lot of people had trouble with this as out of about fifteen people brave enough to try these only me and one other liked them. Not good odds then. The second, sweet cinnamon, weirdly had more favourability. Not sure why people are more open about the flavour they just are.

I have to say of the two these are my favorite, the initial taste is much weaker but blends much better with the fried aftertaste. The combination here ends up tasting rather like a sugar and cinnamon doughnut. Really quite nice and much more moreish than the others. If anything more of the sweet cinnamon flavouring is needed as it's rather subtle and quickly replaced by the aftertaste.

This one appeared more pleasing

Overall the mint choc is ok but the sweet cinnamon shines brighter. I think the real story is that people need to be more open minded about new tastes... Or as mad as me!

Score
Mint Choc - 3 out of 11
Sweet Cinnamon - 6 out of 11

Found
Sainsbury's conveniently on offer when bought together!

Final Thoughts
Next up perhaps we will have bakewell tart! Bring it on!

The Halloween Hat-trick or treat!

Happy Halloween everyone! Tonight’s the night when the spirits are most restless, rise and seek revenge on the living. So sit back, relax (though not too much don’t want to be grabbed by the ghoulies!) and read these devilishly delectable treats I have assembled for you. Before you begin to wonder yes I may have a trick or two in store for you lucky mortals!

The items before you are possibly the last we will see on here of creepy candy before we bury the dead for another year. By the look of some of the half-arsed attempts this may not be totally bad. I say possibly, because in pursuit of this challenge I may have gone a bit over the top in Halloween prep. I half expect to open my cupboard to be greeted by a goblin chocolate I’ve forgotten about. Hell it’s still sweet so I’ll just eat it and tell you all.

Gloriously green goop a plenty

First up today we have a Cadbury’s cream… sorry SCREAM egg. Hoho Cadbury’s I see what you did there! Basically we have the good old crème egg from Easter but dyed green. I’ve got to admit when they did this for the first time I thought it was pretty clever. Also I get another opportunity to “enjoy” their eggs. Why quotes you ask? I have an odd relationship with Crème eggs I think I like them and find that once I start eating them I regret it immediately. As usual I don’t keep this in mind as I unwrap, and bite off the top. Initially as usual all I get is a nice large chunk of Dairy Milk goodness as the great green goo has slimed its way into the bottom half.

I peer inside and see the green goo in all its gory glory, got to admit it is rather off putting and unsettling seeing the luminous gunge before me. I dig a finger in regardless and try some. Yep the regular rich and overly sweet crème I’ve come to know and love/hate. It’s not bad on its own but when I eat it with the chocolate as intended I feel rather sickly and in need of a lie down. Hopefully I haven’t been poisoned and Cadbury’s charged with murder most foul!

Eeeeewwww it's like some kind of plant thing!

I feel the effects waning and prepare myself for the next item and I have to admit I am not looking forward to this one. Weirdly it’s an item I’ve always wanted to try but in the example I have before me I have little confidence. I found this chocolate coated apple in a petrol station, cause enough for health concerns when it comes to food alone. However this item also doesn’t have any information on the packaging… Not even an expiry date, which technically is illegal.

 

                                                         Look at the scaredey cat

Remember folks if this kills me take solace that I died on this day of all days and that I did it for you. Well not entirely my compulsion with candy spurred me on a little but if it gets you through the grief I did it for you! I take a bite and wow was I right! The chocolate is cheap and tasteless with a greasy texture, and the apple beneath is worse! It’s clearly been beaten and abused prior to dipping as it’s so soft and mulchy I wouldn’t be surprised to find a maggot or two in my mouth now. Worst of all I think is the fact that underneath all this chocolate is something that could have been considered healthy. That is something that definitely has no place here on this blog. Or does it?

                                                    What kind of Witches hat is... healthy

Here it is folks then, the trick in this tales tail. The last item of the Halloween challenge! What could it be? It’s a cabbage, A CABBAGE! Surely some curse has befallen me, nope it’s a cabbage. To be precise it’s called a Witch’s hat cabbage. Basically a purple conical cabbage, now I don’t go near veg often so have no idea how to approach this … thing. I break a leaf of and try, with its weird earthy taste I screw my face up in disgust. I did boil it as you are supposed to and got an interesting result.

The cabbage turned the water a cool bluey purple hue which was great except it also changed the colour of the pasta I had included. The result was a rather appropriate for Halloween dinner of pumpkin pasta. I still had almost a whole head left so decided to try dipping it in random assortments. My favourites were good old fashioned sugar and the old reliable peanut butter. Rely on Roy to take the healthy and put it on its head… of cabbage. Hope you enjoyed my Halloween trials now their over I can continue my quest to try weird candies and not the usual stuff with a scary theme.

Score
Scream Egg- 4 out of 11
Apple- 2 out of 11
Cabbage- 7 out of 11

Found
Sainsbury's supermarket and a random petrol station!

Final Thoughts
Only on Halloween could a vegetable come out on top on this blog!