Product Review: Herr's Classic American Hot Dog Chips

I have not blogged for a few weeks.  We started watching the show "Lost," and discovered it is called "Lost" because I lost all my free time, and I lost all motivation to do things other than watch "Lost."  I actually have a long history of watching shows and movies long after they are culturally relevant.  The next thing I'm going to see is some movie about a boat.  I think it's called something like "Ty-tanick?"  I have no idea how it's going to end, so please... no spoilers!

The good folks at Herr's have done it again!  Just in time for the 4th of July comes Classic American Hot Dog potato chips.  I can feel the tension in the air, so I'll cut right to the chase: Do they really taste like hot dogs?

Yes.  Yes they do.  I don't know how they did it, but there is a smokey, meaty-garlic taste, like a hot dog, followed by the flavors of ketchup and mustard on the finish.

Ok, so they do taste like hot dogs.  But, having said that, do they actually taste good?

Again, yes.  Yes they do.  I really like them.  And apparently I'm not alone in this.  I have a friend who is quite a well-known hot dog enthusiast, so I went back to the store to buy him a bag for his birthday.  To my chagrin, they had completely sold out in a matter of a few days.  Doh!  I have not seen them since, either.

Bottom line: I really liked the flavor.  If you come across them, I recommend you pounce on that bag like a ravening wolf.  A wolf draped in an American flag.  These colors don't run baby!  Aw-roooooooh! U.S.A.!  U.S.A.!  U.S.A.!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 ghosts.

Product Review: Chili Cheese Dog Hot Pockets

My beautiful and talented wife surprised me with these goodies a few days ago.  She knows me so well, yet she continues to keep hanging around.  A word of advice for any single, male readers out there: A girl who surprises you with chili cheese dog Hot Pockets is what's known as a keeper.  Put a ring on it.  Immediately.

The first thing I noticed was the conspicuous lack of a crisping sleeve.  I couldn't believe Hot Pocket technology had advanced this far!  All I had to do was take off the plastic and chuck it in the microwave.  Talk about a great first impression!  Plus, it probably shaved a few seconds off my prep time.  Winning.

The bread shell, or "bun," was soft and chewy.  The hot dogs and chili had a nice flavor as well.  The box describes the chili sauce as containing "pork and beef patties."  Doesn't sound too appetizing, but the important thing is that it tastes delicious.

If I have one minor complaint, it is the picture on the box is a little misleading.  The pockets there seem to be near bursting with cheesy dog goodness.  However, my pocket had about an inch of space between the filling and the top of the bun. 

These are definitely my new favorite Hot Pockets flavor!

Rating: 5 out of 5 ghosts.

Product Review: Hot Buffalo Bugles

I encountered this confection at one of my favorite sources for unusual snacks: The Dollar Tree.  Yes, I shop at the Tree.   Like a boss!

I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor.  The corn flavor of the Bugle paired nicely with the spice, which was the traditional cayenne and vinegar of buffalo wings.  Decent afterburn on the finish too.

People seem to have a love-hate relationship with Bugles. Having said that, if you like Bugles, and you like spicy buffalo sauce, then this is a good snack for you.  I liked 'em, but I wouldn't pay more than a dollar for them

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 ghosts.

And yes, I put them my fingertips of course.  Duh!

(not my actual fingers. or face or hair.)

Product Review: Snyder's of Hanover Bacon Cheddar Pretzel Pieces

Is it OK to say "Happy Memorial Day" on Memorial Day?  Because, if you think about it, the point of today is to remember people who have died, so I'm not sure if I should say "happy."  But then, what should be the appropriate greeting for Memorial Day?  "Are you remembering?" or "Be sure to think on today with reverence?"  Kinda catchy.  I have a year to prepare for the next one, so I'll come up with something.

They had a few sample bags of these Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Pieces today for $.99, so we grabbed a couple for research purposes.  The flavor wasn't bad, but... to paraphrase that old Wendy's commercial, "Where's the bacon?"

Neither my wife nor I could taste any bacon flavor.  We taste cheese, a little onion and garlic, and of course the pretzel, but no bacon.  Unfortunately for the folks at S.O.H., the only reason I purchased this product was for the bacon.

Unless we happened to catch a batch that wasn't seasoned correctly, we probably won't buy these again.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 ghosts.

Product Review: Ruffles Ultimate Kickin' Jalapeno Ranch

These chips have deeper ridges than normal Ruffles.  I guess that's what makes them "ultimate?"  It forced me to only eat them only one at a time, which makes the bag last longer.  Which is a good feature in my opinion.

The main flavor that hits my tongue is actually just potato, which is disappointing.  After that, they taste a lot like sour cream and onion chips.  Finally, near the end is a little bit of the jalapeno heat, but very subtle.  Too subtle for me, actually.

Disappointing is the word of the day.  I guess I saw the words "ultimate," "kickin'," and "jalapeno," and expected to be blown away by the awesomeness.  Come on, there's a picture on the bag of the chip breaking through steel plating!  Steel plating people!

I wanted to fall in love with these chips, but... alas!  My wife likes them, though.  She says they have a "grassy" smell she likes.  She doesn't do spicy, and these aren't too hot for her.  I probably won't buy them again, unless she really wants them.

Rating:  2.5 out of 5 ghosts.

Product Review: Lays Classic BLT Potato Chips

I was totally stoked when I learned of the existence of this product.  BLT?  I knew I had to get my hands on these ASAP.  But, going into it, I had 2 concerns: 1) I don't like the taste of raw tomatoes.  If these turned out to be too "tomatoey" I wouldn't like them.  2) It is allergy season here in FL.  I'm beginning to be perpetually stuffed up, which affects my sense of smell and taste.  Thankfully, my oh-so-lovely wife is always willing to lend me her taste buds.  Teamwork, kids.  It's what marriage is all about.

The main flavor I get is sort of a smokey bacon.  Very salty, which I always like.  Julie describes it as more of a ham flavor.  The more she ate, the more she picked up subtle tomato flavors.  They definitely earned her seal of approval.  She was willing to give them at least 4 ghosts.

Even though my taster and sniffer are not 100%, I definitely liked what I was tasting.

Rating: 4 out of 5 ghosts.

Product Review: Krunchers! Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper Potato Chips

I feel like I've been in a little bit of a rut lately, with my last few product reviews being cheese based.  So, I'm switching it up a little bit with Krunchers Sea Salt & Black Pepper chips.

If you've never tried kettle-style chips before, they are very crunchy (hence the name.)

From the first bite, I really enjoyed the flavor.  The salt and pepper really go well together, and there is also a hint of sweetness under the dominant pepper flavor.  So good!

I can only seem to find these at the "off-the-beaten-path" stores, which makes me worry that this is a limited time deal.  So I'm going to stock up on these bad boys like a doomsday prepper!

In summary:  I liked them.  I liked them a lot.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 ghosts.