Hey hey HAAAAAAY!
So I know I’m just randomly popping in on a Friday afternoon with this post, but after rounding up my collection of foodie goodies that I’ve accumulated over the last few days, I just couldn’t wait any longer to share…especially after I stumbled over a Trader Joe’s yesterday while I was road-tripping to visit some family! Woop WOOP!
But don’t let me get ahead of myself, because the first bit of excitement started with these babies which I spotted at Kroger while prowling the cereal aisle for sales (hey, this cereal killer has a lifestyle to maintain!)…
Praise be to the cookie gods!!
Seriously? Kroger knocked it out of the park with these guys! Totally blows the vanilla cookie and almond cookie spreads out of the water! In ranking order of deliciousness: crispy chocolate, cookies & creme, and coconut macaroon (which I knew would bring me to my knees before even breaking the seal!). Do yourself a favor and grab up one or ALL THREE of these….and then hide them in strategic locations. Like your car? Your locker/desk at work? Your pants pocket?? 😉
Believe it or not, when I ventured out to the grocery stores (yes, that would be plural), I did have a mission. After Melissa used Snapchat-teased me without end of her glorious Greek yogurt finds earlier this week, I knew I needed to get my hands on some of those flavors…
Behold the Three Pillars of Yo!
While I didn’t manage to track down the Chobani green tea or the Yoplait vanilla chai (I know, WHAT?!) flavors, I did come home with all of these: Chobani Blended concord grape, Yoplait Greek cinnamon roll and Greek 100 Whips strawberry cheesecake, Siggi’s blood orange, Oikos Triple Zero coconut creme, Oikos Traditional apple pie and caramel macchiato, and two Oikos Caramel on Top (bananas foster and caramel macchiato) which are not new per se, but I’ve been eyeing them for a while and finally decided to break down and get ’em.
I haven’t tried any of the flavors just yet because I seriously can’t decide which one to try first! Also, and I say this with a very bashful sideways glance to the floor, I still have a couple of pumpkin flavors to try from my last hoard!
I know, I can’t help it…it’s like, what if it’s the best thing ever and I’ll never be able to find it again?! #foodieproblems
Anyway, moving on to things I HAVE tried…
Remember these guys?
Well, I toted a Combat Crunch Bar and that GNC Lean Bar with me for yesterday’s road trip and oh my god you guys, the cookie dough Combat bar tastes like CANDY! I got more of a caramel than a cookie dough flavor, but believe me, I’m not complaining. The consistency reminds me of the crunch layer inside a Pure Protein Crunch bar if you’ve ever tried it…if not, kinda like a cross between Rice Krispies and Grape Nuts cereals. As for the Lean Bar, I was a tad disappointed. At first, it had that blueberry muffin flavor I was imagining, but then it kinda turned into, “did I just like a Yankee candle?” A little waxy and with an aftertaste of something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
I also tried the cheddar and sour cream Quest Chips a couple of days ago. The flavor is pretty good, but the texture is definitely “different”. Unlike air popped/baked chips I’ve had in the past, these are SUPER thin and almost could dissolve on your tongue…kinda like rice paper. I dipped them in some hummus to up the satiety factor and called it done. Definitely more of a combination food than a stand alone snack. That being said, I’ll give you two guesses as to how I’m gonna use those BBQ chips!
I’m bringing sexy strange back! 😉
Now, let’s talk about my boyfriend Joe!
I didn’t think we’d have time to pop in with our schedule running a bit tight, but with a fifteen minute window of opportunity AND a chance to use the bathroom (because even with being in the car all day, I still managed THREE of my camelbak bottles of water!), I practically jumped out of the car before it was in park!
After consulting the running Trader Joe’s list on my phone (what, you don’t have one of those? See it on Instagram, drool over it, add it to the list!) and noting that I didn’t need any of my TJ’s essentials, I knew what I needed to do. First, I grabbed up a package of Turkish Smyrna figs (the BEST dried figs they sell and were out of the last time I visited). Then I went back for another while I contemplated wiping the entire shelf clean. I spotted the cookies & creme cookie butter but since Kroger already fulfilled my cookie fantasies for the month, I decided to hold off. I looked for peanut butter baking chips, but sadly they were out of those. So next, I made my way over to the refrigerated section…but only after I got “squirreled” by those Kumato tomatoes. They’re brown you guys. Brown tomatoes. I couldn’t help my curiosity…even if they were four bucks.
Ok, onto the cold stuffs! The beet hummus and a LONG time fave, chicken dogs were the last things on my list so after that, I was left with five minutes to loiter in the cheese section. You guys need to be proud of me right now. Like for reals. Because I wanted FIVE but only came home with two: caramelized onion cheddar and Italian truffle cheddar…because I can never say no to truffle…NEVER!
Disclaimer: I was not paid to review any of the products mentioned in this post. Hell, half of the companies don’t even know me.
What foodie goodies have surprised you this week?
Where did you go on your last road trip?
I want those spreads SO BAD!!! 8 weeks… grrrr…
What spreads? I have no idea what you’re talking about…because I would never thoughtlessly tease you with creamy sugar-filled goodness! 😉 You got this girl! *insert muscle flexing emoji here* Lol
Oh my gosh, YUMMM!!!!!:)
I was dissapointed with the chips too- I used them in burgers instead of breadcrumbs lol! I swear you’ve tried every bar out there- Love it. You’re like my personal guinea pig.
Hahaha! I swear I have too! I can’t help myself…though most of the time my expectations are not even close to being met. One of these days I’ll start my OWN bar company. Plenty of protein, crisp and chewy without pulling your teeth out…no chemical aftertaste…and a good kind of fiber that doesn’t make your belly swell up like a PIG! Lol
How do you like the up bars? I’ve seen them around lately. Also the chobani green tea I just mentioned on my blog-I was disappointed. The pumpkin chobani is amazing. I also love the siggis and noosa for a less sweet more pumpkin not pumpkin pie flavor. Those cookie spreads, though?!
I was pretty unimpressed with the B Up bars…couldn’t get over the weird “gummy” texture…even after popping them in the oven. Definitely didn’t hold a candle to Quest bats. And yeah, the green tea yogurt was very…different. Not bad, just weird. Though I’m not a huge green tea dessert kind of person. If I want green tea, I’ll drink it. Ha! As for the cookie spreads, I’ve hidden them for the time being. Must.pace.myself! Lol
I need to make a stop at Ralph’s/Kroger’s. I haven’t been to one in awhile but must make a trip if they have those spreads!
Oh yeah, definitely worth a trip! Just don’t hate me once you try that coconut one! Lol
I’m loving the Greek Whips, they have been my after dinner treat all week long. So good!
Yes! I’ve been having them as a stand-alone dessert too! Amazing how satisfying they are. Honestly, I think it’s the texture that just forces you to slow down and savor each bite that much longer! Ha
Man you are stocked up on Greek yogurt! I wish we had that variety here. Also that triple zero Oikos sounds interesting. I like how it is still flavoured, but without sugar or artificial sweeteners. I prefer my Greek yogurt to be 2% though. Also I’ve never tried stevia sweetened yogurt – you’ll have to tell me what it’s like!
I honestly haven’t picked up any interesting foods lately. I’m trying to be a bit more minimalist for the time being since I already have so many foods to use up in my fridge and pantry!!
It’s actually really good! I say “actually” because I’m more sensitive to most when it comes to sweeteners. I kills me how some people can put a whole packet (or sometimes more) into one serving of something. I can maybe use like 1/4? But in the yogurt, I really don’t think I taste it at all. It’s funny, it wasn’t until I got home with it that I looked at the entire label and saw that they added chickory root fiber! At first I thought it was crazy and then was nervously waiting tummy troubles, but all was good and I guess it helps balance out the stevia? I know the consistency was impressive for a zero fat yogurt so I’m sure that helped thicken it up a bit.
Girl, I know the story! Believe it or not, I have been making my way through a lot of my pantry items lately…even with the massive overstock of Greek yogurt! Haha!
Guess what Heather? !
I Googled searched “combat crunch bar reviews” and surprise surprise–your Website came up! I swear, I just should have checked your website FIRST. Lol.
So…… between the peanut butter cup and cookie dough flavor, which one is better?
Thanks!
No WAY! That’s awesome! Too bad I’m not getting any kickbacks from the company, huh? Lol. If I had to choose, I’d have to go with the cookie dough flavor over the peanut butter cup…but now that I’ve tried a more of their flavors, I’d have to say the cinnamon roll is my favorite.