new years eve '23

 another year come & gone. 

if you had a nice one, i hope next year is just as good. if not, i hope the next one is better.

please don't drink and drive tonight. and that "buzzed" driving can be just as bad.

christmas '23

 that time of year again.

hope you got something nice today, or can find it in the after christmas sales tomorrow.

PLANTERS Holiday Nut Crunch

 the third and last of the holiday nut mixes we got from wal-mart. this was the most me of the three.

the peanuts were not even dry roasted (the best way to have peanuts, other than peanut butter). and because peanuts are the cheapest thing in the mix, that's what it has the most of.

bolthouse farms smoothies

 went to aldi not long ago and got a couple of things from boldhouse farms.

first is a "holiday nog" A.K.A egg nog. had some kind of odd spice, beyond the typical egg nog spice. not anything we'll get again. we haven't had egg nog in years, but my brother wanted to get this. hopefully it's out of his system now.

the other is chocolate cherry fudge (an aldi exclusive). it tastes like a cherry cough drop covered in cheap chocolate. yuck!

PLANTERS Winter Spiced Mix

 the second of planters holiday nut mixes we picked up from Wal-Mart.

not too bad, not really "spicy" though. but that's a good thing.

PLANTERS Brittle Nut Medley

 there's 3 different holiday ones we picked up from Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago.

this is fairly sweet, but not overly so. i'm not sure we've had peanut brittle before. or perhaps only once. this had small chunks, which is probably the best way to have it.

wild weather

 it has been cold with some snow, or icy mix, for the past few days, but this weekend it will warm up with rain again. then it will get colder over the the rest of the week.

i don't recall of this roller coaster nonsense in years past.

thanksgiving '23

 

hope you have a nice time, watching football, eating & spending time with family/friends. 

careful on the roads; thanksgiving is a big time for drunk driving accidents. and remember; "buzzed" driving is just as bad as drunk driving.

if you're going to hit the black friday sales be careful, it can get crazy sometimes.

wal-mart cookies

 decided to get the wal-mart cookies (except for one) that are like girl scout cookies. some things we had before.

Fudge-Covered Peanut Butter-filled (GC equalivant; Tagalongs/Peanut Butter Patties) very good gainst the GC version (the best of the GC cookies). have had before, will get again.
Lemon Dipped Shortbread Cookies (GC equalivant; Lemonades) never had the GC version, so we don't know how it measures up. but very light lemon taste, which is good. having more than once at once may increase the lemon perception.
kebler grasshopper (GC equalivant; Thin Mints) never had the GC version, so we don't know how it measures up. but it has a light mint taste & like for the above that's good.

what we had before, but not this time;
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies (GC equalivant; Do-si-dos/Peanut Butter Sandwich) the GC version is dry and not that good. for the wal-mart one; nice, medium PB taste & not too dry.
Caramel Coconut & Fudge Cookies (GC equalivant; Caramel deLites/Samoas)better then the GC version. the keebler version taste burnt.

my brother wants to get the wal-mart cococnut things next time, i have to remeber to ask for the PB sandwich cookies.

the weather

 it's warm again. high 60s & low 70s with rain. not really right for november, although there have been "indian summer" days before.

but weather the world over is changing, and not for the better.

halloween '23

 the trick or treat stuff was over the weekend but if you're looking for discount candy, hopefully you find some & it's not all christmas stuff.

now is probably the time to plan for thanksgiving though.

fall weather?

 it's in the 70s today and will be the rest of the week, then into the weekend.

it's been fall (autumn) for a month now. we had some cooler weather for a few days last week and the week before. i hate to be one of those people where say it was different when i was a kid. but i just don't know any more.

of course i switched my spring/summer stuff for my fall/winter stuff this past weekend and have to drag out shorts & short-sleeved t-shirts as needed.

Great Value Butter Seasoned Pretzel Twists

 got these from wal-mart the other day. they are very zesty.

kind of like dot's seasoned pretzels (i can't recall mentioning we had them), but a lot cheaper.

dot's is currently $6.94 for 16oz at wal-mart. these were $3.98 for the same amount.

nothing to get again.

chuck e. cheese brand pizza

 found it in the freezer section of wal-mart last week & cooked it up for dinner. they hd cheese & pepperoni, we got the pepperoni.

kind of tastes like tony's frozen pizza. 

i'm reminded that people have said that no one went to chuck e. cheese's for the pizza & if it tasted like this, i can see why.

the weather

 it is too warm for october.

we had a few days of cooler weather, then it go warm, and then too warm.

it's supposed to cool off later this week, but i don't know if it will stay that way.

little debbie pumpkin spice doughnuts

 mini doughnuts, if you want to be technical.

more spice then the the tastykake ones we had. plus, the cake was an orange color. and they were actually doughnut shaped. nothing to get again, if we remember next year.

mom's birthday 2023

from horoscope.com

You may wake up to a cloudy brain fog, Virgo. Emotionally, you may find it hard to make decisions about anything even though you're feeling called to do so. There are so many choices and you want them all. The good news is that you should feel much more clearheaded and stable by evening. Hang in there.

tarot card of the day;

Wheel of Fortune Are you ready for a shakeup? The Wheel of Fortune indicates that one is coming. But don't be too worried. This card sends the message that nothing is permanent. Good luck, bad luck, love, and loss… All things change at the pace that they should.

Regardless of the deck you use, the Wheel of Fortune's art makes one thing clear: The wheel is always moving. A period of good fortune may follow bad, and vice versa. Enjoy the good times, learn from the bad. You never know when your luck will change.

another meatless thing

discovered Legendary Burger plant-based burger patties several days ago at target. not that great. kind of smelled like cheap cat food (probably because of the pea protein) & tasted a little bit like beef jerky.

kind of expensive at 2 refrigerated patties for $5.49. you can get 2 beyond meat refrigerated patties at wal-mart for $3.98 (prices may vary by location). LB patties are a bit bigger & thicker though.

not so tastykake

got 3 flavors of tastykake mini doughnuts. we (mostly my brother) went a bit crazy when we saw they had seasonal flavors.

orange--less doughnut shape & more lumps of cake with powder. acidic, but not orange flavor. maybe they should've had a orange glaze to impart better flavor.

pumpkin spice--not much spice with & powder that didn't help. more doughnut shaped.

caramel apple--no apple flavor & some kind of caramel-ish flavor. coated in some kind of crumbs, maybe toasted apple? also more doughnut shaped.

it's been years since we had tastykake & had forgotten that we were not impressed. hostess & little debbie are better, in our opinions. not as bad as mrs. freshly's though. and drakes cake is just mediocre.

sonic (frozen) tater tots

 discovered these at wal-mart several days ago.

not horrible, but not that good. the oil they fry them in must have been off.

ore-ida is much better. even the wal-mart brand is better (well, that last time we had it).

dad's birthday 2023

from horiscopes.com

Issues regarding love and romance may be confusing today, Virgo. You should be aware that strong forces are at work to tangle the current situation. Try not to get too discouraged by whatever transpires as a result of this energy. Keep in mind that this, too, shall pass, and things will become clear again. Right now you should just sit back and take things with a grain of salt.

tarot card of the day;
Wheel of Fortune

Are you ready for a shakeup? The Wheel of Fortune indicates that one is coming. But don't be too worried. This card sends the message that nothing is permanent. Good luck, bad luck, love, and loss… All things change at the pace that they should. Regardless of the deck you use, the Wheel of Fortune's art makes one thing clear: The wheel is always moving. A period of good fortune may follow bad, and vice versa. Enjoy the good times, learn from the bad. You never know when your luck will change.

Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce

 something we picked up after seeing it in the condiments isle of wal-mart.

the label says smoked & they're not kidding. overall, i think it's better to stick to the original tabasco sauce. or even the sweet & spicy sauce.

vanilla spice cheerios

 a new cerecal we discovered at wal-mart a few days ago.

sadly there was no vanilla or any spice. we don't need a lot of either, but some would've been nice.

and the size of the cereal pieces got smaller since the last time we had cheerios.

new hostess stuff

 discovered 2 new (most likely limited time stuff) at wal-mart.

chocolate lovers twinkies; chocolaty cake with chocolaty filling. not too bad.

ding dong & twinkie mash up; typical twinkie cake & filing in a ding dong shape with a chocolaty coating.  ok taste wise, bu the cake was very dense. almost like eating a sponge.

would not get either again.

the weather

 continues to be too hot for my tastes.

and now there is a sizable amount of rain. and, as always, i wish i could send it to places that need it.

wee needed it too for a while in the end of june/beginning of july, but i think we're good now.

mt dew voltage

 i don't know if it's new, but we (brother & i) had never seen it before picking it up in a local gas station convince store the other day.

smells & tastes raspberry-ish and is not something to get again.

and i think they missed out on not calling it mt dew electric blue (or blu).

the heat

 it's the same complaint every year; but i hat the summer heat.

and it is getting worse for some parts of the world every year. with no improvement in sight

brother's birthday 2023

from horiscope.com

Today isn't a day to stay inside and sulk, Cancer. Put the past behind you and move on. Grab opportunities with both hands and rev your engine into high gear. Stop looking at what lies behind and focus on the wide-open horizon in front of you. This is an excellent day to turn up the heat and start brewing some new adventures. Transform your life into an action movie with you as the star.

tarot card of the day;
The Chariot
Are you ready to move forward? If the Chariot shows up in your reading, it's no time to start slacking. Congratulate yourself for your hard work, but also continue riding the wave of victory to the finish line.
Take a close look at the card. The three horses come at us with steadfast persistence and bravery; together they are a force. They mirror the three moon phases that float above them, symbolic of keeping strong full cycle—from start to finish. Glistening above it all, the glyph of Cancer shines. It suggests that if you can balance conflicting emotions with life's daily obstacles, there's no limit to what you can achieve.

churro kit kat

 one of those random limited time flavors that they put out. 

kind of cinnamon-y. not really bad. mostly meh.

fourth of july 2023

 hope you have fun this holiday.

if you went to any sales this week, hope you fund something good.

if you're using firecrackers tonight, be careful & use a lot of bug repellent.

miyoko's (me-yo-ko) non-dairy cream cheese

 we had seen something in the non-meat freezer area that was some kind of scallion (or onion?) non-dairy cream cheese on everything bagels. but we don't like everything bagels, so we looked at the cream cheese section and found this cashew stuff with scallions & thomas' plain bagels to put it on.

it's ok. the scallion cover up whatever taste there is from the cashew stuff. it is nothing to get again.

joyba bubble tea

bubble tea has been a popular thing for awhile now, but we have never tried it.

my brother discovered this brand at wal-mart the other day, so we picked it up.

it's a 4-pack, each cup comes with a straw that you extend, it has a pointed end to puncture the sealed top. they had mango passion fruit green tea & strawberry lemonade green tea, we got the mango passion fruit.

it's really not that good and i don't understand why it is so popular. too bad it was a 4-pack.

wal-mart also had cans of bubble milk tea, but i thought; if we don't like this, we might not like that. but i think the "bubbles" are different, so they still have it we will probably get some the next time we go.

more hot sauce things

 a couple of years ago i posted about some hot sauces we (brother & i) tried, since then ther's been a few more.

great value (wal-mart) sweet chili sauce--more spicy than sweet.

tabasco sweet & spicy sauce--unlike the above, a good balance of sweet & spice. but like all hot sauces, can be too much if you get heavy handed with it.

melinda's sweet & spicy sticky asian wing sauce--i thought it had worcestershire sauce, but one of the ingredients is soy sauce. so i guess that's it. meant for wings or meat, it is not a good condiment on most things. might be good as a dip for chicken nuggets.

little debbie cookies & cream brownies

 not an ice cream this time, but a limited time only snack cake.

it was OK, nothing special & noting to get again. 

at least it was a different kind of product (sort of). and not memorial/independence day/summer brownies with white frosting & red and blue sprinkles/decorations on top they have now.

my birthday 2023

from horoscope.com

Your energy is high and your stamina particularly strong today. Working out or playing sports could appeal to you now. Running or aerobics could offer valuable exercise and clear your head to allow for new ideas. You also should feel particularly passionate. If you're involved with someone, Gemini, expect a great evening. If not, don't be surprised if you get some admiring glances.

tarot card of the day
Death
First: You're not going to die! While it may look intense, the Death card isn't suggesting that you're headed on the road to your demise. Instead, the primary lesson to learn from this card is that change is inevitable. Things begin, and things end. Then things begin again. Absent of fear, be ready for sudden change. Letting go can lead to a powerful transformation.
While the depiction of a human skull may be unsettling, it's a reminder that none of us—not kings nor any others in power—can truly control what comes next. But we can choose how we respond to it. In the card we don't just see a skull, we also see blooming flowers. So, Death isn't just the end; it's also the beginning. A rebirth. The sooner we accept that, the faster we'll grow.

the weather

 ....is warming up now. it is spring, just in time for summer.

i dread summer. i'm just not made for a the sun and heat.

chicken nacho pizza

 it was a flatbread pizza from the wal-mart deli case.

it didn't have nacho pieces, but was just stuff you put on chicken nachos; chicken, onions, jalapenos & cheese sauce.

not too bad, but spicy because of the jalapenos.

chicken alfredo pizza

 it was from the deli case at wal-mart.

it was just ok. too many tomato pieces and cooked onions. it's nothing to get again.

weather

 it's been more like fall than spring here lately.

we had some warm temperatures for a few days, then it got cold & rainy for awhile. now it looks like it might warm up again, but with some rain.

takis intense nacho chips

 it's from that company that puts out the spicy, rolled tortilla chips things. but as the package says they're not spicy.

they also don't have any flavor. "intense nacho" my foot! 

if you blindfolded me & gave me one to eat, i would not be able to tell you the flavor of these at all. me and my brother are thinking of getting dip or something to eat them with.

AMC popcorn

 the movie theater chain put out what they claim is their popcorn in stores to purchase.

there's lightly salted, classic butter & extra butter. you can get a bag already popped or microwave bags. we got the already popped in lightly salted & classic butter.

neither were good. they both tasted kind of stale & the bag suggests that you warm it up in the microwave for 20-20 on high. but not sure that would help.

we haven't been to the movies since 1999 & didn't get the popcorn very often, but this tastes like the stuff that was popped a hour ago & has been sitting in the bottom of of the popper just drying out.

hudsonville ice cream

 this is the company that makes the little debbie ice cream. discovered some of the larger containers (sadly, no longer a half gallon) at wal-mart.

blue moon- A creamy and smooth, mysterious flavor that was born in the state of Michigan. looks like blue play dough & kind of tastes like i remember it smelling. used the following one in the same bowl to kill the taste.

deer traxx- Creamy vanilla ice cream with mini peanut butter cups, finished with swirls of chocolate fudge. a lot of companies have something simmilar (moose tracks, bunny tracks) not bad, nothing special.

mackinac (pronounced mac-in-naw, i think) island fudge- Creamy vanilla ice cream with rich, chocolate fudge pieces, finished with a butter fudge swirl. not bad.

triple peanut butter cup- Rich peanut butter ice cream mixed with peanut butter cups, finished with a peanut butter swirl. fairly good, the PB swirl was oddly bitter at times.

nothing to get again, but will most likely continue to try whatever little debbie flavor ice cream that comes along.

topped ben & jerry's ice cream

 got two of the ben & jerry's topped ice cream. meaning that they got a layer of stuff on top.

dirt cake--Vanilla Pudding Ice Cream with Chocolate Sandwich Cookies & Chocolate Cookie Swirls Topped with Milk Chocolatey Ganache & Chocolate Cookie Crumble. not too bad. the chocolate cookie crumble seemed cheap.

pb over the top--Chocolate Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Swirls & Peanut Butter Cups Topped with Mini Peanut Butter Cups & Chocolatey Ganache. just ok. something tasted a bit bitter. maybe the peanut butter swirls.

easter 2023

 

hope you had a nice holiday & got to have easter dinner, or at least some candy.

and hope you find some good candy sales tomorrow. although that's getting harder to do.

the weather

 since it just turned to spring, the weather as been a bit all over the palace.

cold or cool nights, warm days. a little rain and then days with a lot of rain.

ben & jerry's ice cream

 it's been awhile since when had ben & jerry's, so we got a couple to try.

milk & cookies--vanillia ice cream with a chocolate cookie swirl, chocolate chip & chocolate cholate chip cookies. not too bad. some nice cookie pieces.

gimme s'more--Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream with Chocolate Cookie Swirls, Graham Cracker Swirls & Fudge Flakes. a bit of gram cracker flavor (which is good), over all not too bad.

little debbie fudge rounds ice cream

 the lasted in the little debbie ice cream series.

nice, like chocolate ice cream flavor & big chunks of the fudge cake pieces.

over all not too bad.

st. patricks day 2023

 

if you're going to a party try not to drink too much beer. green or otherwise. 

and watch out for those that do.

coke move

 it's a new, limited time thing that we (me & brother) saw at wal-mart & decided to try it (well, half each).

kind of fruity/coconut-y flavor. i think someone said it tasted like a perfume of some sort. it was kind of like i inhaled as some young woman walked past with too much body spray on or something.

not as bad as coke dreamworld & not as interesting as coke starlight. we will stick with the original flavor.

good catch plant based salmon

 it is a frozen thing found at target.

it was OK. it kind of tasted like tuna. it's nothing to get again.

if you want a break from fake chicken & beef patties, this could be the thing to get.

little debbie nutty buddy cereal

got little debbie nutty buddy cereal from wal-mart. 

not much peanut butter taste. the cereal pieces are not too crunchy, which i like.

the pieces look like small lego-type blocks, so my brother called them bran bricks. 

little debbie birthday cake ice cream

 yet another little debbie ice cream flavor from wal-mart.

actually kind of tasted like birthday cake. probably one of their better ones.

valentine's day 2023

hope you have a nice holiday. 

and you can maybe get come discount candy today or tomorrow.

the weather is wild

 the weather is very weird.

first it is seasonably cold for awhile with a little snow. then it is way too cold for a few days. then it is unseasonably warm with rain for a few days or a week. and then it starts again. or there's a week with a mix of  seasonably cold & then unseasonably warm days.

it is too much.

trying meatless stuff

 this is from something called tabitha brown for target.

the product is plant-based sausage with mango & basil.

it's not bad. can't taste any mango. kind of spicy, to cover up the fact that it is plant-based.

they also make one with mushrooms and a jalapeno & cilantro one.

entenmann's cake truffles

 something new we picked up from wal-mart.

there's a cookies & cream and a choclate delight. we got the cookies & cream.

pretty good. so much better than any cake pop I've ever had. i've only had 2; one from wal-mart & one from starbucks, but i'd say this is better than any cake pop.

cake pops sound good in theory, but not in practice. in my experience anyway.

back to burger king

 we haven't been to burger king in several years, but they brought back the original italian chicken sandwich for a limited time, so we decided to go.

it was OK. not quite as flavorful as i remember. much smaller though. we split it & my brother got the chicken fries. which he said were shorter & had less chicken in them. but well coated, so it didn't look like it. until you bit into it.

i also got onion rings, which were (again) not quite as good as i remember. i'd probably get them again, because most places have those onion rings with big, thick slices of onion that kind of limply flop out of the coating when you eat them. which i hate. BK has nice one with chopped up onions in them, so that doesn't happen.

cookie dough milky way

 saw this in the same valentine's candy section as the cookie dough twix.

we got one and it was really not much of anything. the usual milky way components overwhelm the tase of the cookie dough. not that there was much to start with.

cookie dough twix

 some new thing wal-mart had in the valtine's day candy area.

we got one to try & it was OK. nothing special.

not as good as the original or the peanut butter ones. and better than the cookies & cream one, which they got rid of awhile ago. 

i saw they brought back the cookies & cream for a time there, but i didn't want to take the chance that it was still not good.

wild weather

 it was just during the week of chrismas that it was below freezing with snow. some of the coldest temperatures in years.

then it warmed up into the 60s with rain & then it will get cold again, but not as cold as before.

wild stuff.