Carnival Magic - Days 2 and 3 at Sea - 2025/03/09-10

It's Day 2 of our 8 day Carnival Magic Cruise. And today is a Day at Sea. We're sailing down to Aruba and it's going to take a couple days to get there. That means we're spending the day on the boat and enjoying all that it has to offer! 

Our first night in our cruise ship cabin went well. Being an inside cabin, it's super dark, and no one was in a rush to get up. Luckily on "Days at Sea" they offer a sit down brunch that goes until 11:30am or so. And from what our family, who have done this cruise before, tells us, it's one of the best meals on the boat! 

Blue Raspberry Icee Peeps and Peeps flavored Icee - taste test comparison

Today we're trying the last of our collection of Peeps flavors we've gathered this Easter. We found Dr Pepper Peeps (which were delicious), Rice Krispies Treats Peeps (which were unremarkable), and Churro Peeps (which were also unremarkable). For our last flavor, we are trying Peeps Blue Raspberry Icee! 

And so, we headed to the store to find Icees that we could compare them to! "But wait," I hear you say, "haven't you already tried Blue Raspberry Peeps?" Wow, what an amazing memory you have. I'm impressed. We have indeed tried Blue Raspberry Peeps, but those were a little different.  

Back in 2020, right as the pandemic started, we found Blue Raspberry Peeps, but they weren't branded as Icee at that time. Despite that, I was trying to think of things to compare it to that were blue raspberry flavored. Even back then I chose Blue Raspberry Icees and Blue Raspberry Sour Punch Straws! 

Happy Easter! 2025/04/20

Happy Easter!

The Easter Bunny came with treats for the kids. He must have remembered that Alli liked Blue Raspberry Peeps and Ian liked Cotton Candy Peeps from our taste test years ago. And that Alli likes Dove chocolate, while Ian likes Hershey's chocolate. 

Carnival Magic - Our first family cruise together! - Day 1 - 2025/03/07-08

It's time for another Flowers family adventure! 
Theresa's family just love love love going on cruises. The warm weather, the food, the entertainment. We see them when they come through Florida on their way to a cruise and they always have great things to say about it. The kids were wondering when/if we're ever going to go on a cruise ourselves? 

Well kids, it's time! After getting a deal in her inbox, Theresa found one that worked out great for our schedule and would visit some fun places too. And so, on a Friday afternoon, we all piled into the car and drove down to Miami! It's going to be a fun one! 

Peeps Cinnamon Churro - taste test comparison

It's time for another Peeps taste test! So far this season we've had Dr Pepper Peeps and Rice Krispies Treats Peeps. Today it's Peeps Cinnamon Churro! 

I've made my own churros at home a few times when we made Disney Treats at home, tasted Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros, and Chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros. Today though, we'll give someone else a chance. I found these Goya Churros with chocolate dipping sauce at our local Target. 

Peeps Rice Krispy Treats - taste test comparison

Happy Easter! We're trying out lots of the new Peeps flavors that came out this year and today we're trying Rice Krispy Treat flavored Peeps! And even better than trying Peeps alone is hanging out and doing things with friends! We're going to make Rice Krispy Treats together and see how the Peeps Compare! 

Let's make some Rice Krispies! 

Making Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies at Home!

It's nearly Easter and the stores are filled with tasty Easter treats! One of my favorites happens to be Cadbury Mini Eggs. Recently, while visiting Canada, I found Chips Ahoy! Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies! Cadbury Eggs and cookies! Could be delicious right? 

Well, they were a bit disappointing. I wrote about it on the blog and a commenter suggested that we should make our own cookies.  

Great idea! I love it! So, we did! 

Dr Pepper flavored Peeps - taste test comparison

It's Easter time which means it's time for Easter treats! And one of our favorite treats is Peeps! 

We've tasted a whole bunch of different flavored Peeps, including back in 2020 when we tried 9 unique flavors! This year, I noticed that Peeps has added quite a few new flavors to the line-up, so we'll be trying them along with the item they're supposed to represent! 

Today we've got a really special one. Based on the best soda out there (arguably) it's the Dr Pepper Peep! We've tried Dr Pepper Cotton Candy, Dr Pepper Baked Beans, and lots of flavors of Dr Pepper. Growing up I even remember a Dr Pepper gum that had a liquid center. How will these Peeps compare? 

And of course, to compare, we'll have a cold can of Dr Pepper to see how close Peeps really get to the flavor of Dr Pepper. 

Trader Joe's Pizza Party Potato Chips Taste Test Comparison

Almost every Sunday for at least the past 5 years has always been pizza day at the Flowers' house. Originally we'd buy it, but then I got really into making it myself. I've spent countless hours mixing dough, cutting toppings, and making my own sauces. But why go through all that work when Trader Joe's has us covered? It's Pizza Party Potato Chips!

Well we're definitely going to have to try these out. And just like we always do, we'll make our own and compare the two to see how close these chips are to the real thing. 

Cadbury Mini Eggs - Canadian versus American taste test comparison, plus Cadbury Mini Eggs Chips Ahoy cookies

Today we've got a fun taste test with one of the best Easter treats around!

Cadbury Mini Eggs! I have to limit myself every year these come out because I seem to have no willpower when it comes to refusing them. These crunchy shelled chocolate candies are difficult to resist and I can go through an entire bag of them in no time. 

And as a special treat, as a family, we just returned from Canada where I was able to find Cadbury Mini Eggs too! And in the cookie section, I found even more Cadbury Mini Eggs inside Chips Ahoy! cookies. This should be a good one!

Cookies on top with Mini Eggs plus loads of chocolate chips. The American Cadbury Mini Eggs are on the Left, while the Canadian Cadbury Mini Eggs are on the Right. 

Ben and Jerry's Factory Tour on April Fool's Day - 2025/04/01

You might recall that back in the summer of 2024, we visited Vermont and were able to go on our very first Ben and Jerry's Factory Tour! At the end, when we came to the tasting room, they joked and said the flavor we'd be trying was going to be Broccoli Cheddar Chunk. Then they were kidding, that's an April Fools Day flavor. They always do a weird flavor for April 1st. I joked with Theresa that I'd like to come back here for it... Except I wasn't really joking. I really do want to come back for their April Fools Day ice cream flavor! 

Luckily Maple Sugar Season is around the same time as April Fools Day, so we were able to visit our friends in Vermont with the Maple Farm and see how real maple syrup is made, plus combine it with this trip to Ben and Jerry's to try some weird ice cream! Perfect! 

Visiting the Couture Maple Farm during Maple Sugaring Season! Pt 2 - 2025/03/31

We're in Vermont visiting our friends, Pauline and Jake Couture! They own a Maple Farm along with a Bed and Breakfast in Vermont! And it's Maple Sugaring season! It's the time of year where the temperature at night goes below freezing and then during the day things thaw back out. That only happens for about 6 weeks each year, so during that time, things are especially busy if you're a maple sugar farmer! 

Visiting the Couture Maple Farm during Maple Sugaring Season! - 2025/03/30

Today we're in for an extra special treat! We are in Vermont during the maple sugaring season! And even better, we're with our friends, Jake and Pauline Couture! 

How we met them is an interesting story. Way back in 2021, in our first year of full-time RVing, I was still very new to driving the truck and RV and was having a hard time backing into our site since the way was lined with trees. Jake came and asked if we'd like help and I gladly took it. To say thank you, I baked them a rustic loaf of bread and took it over to them. Turns out they were celebrating their 52nd wedding anniversary and the bread would go great with the ribeyes they were cooking for dinner to celebrate. From there we just started talking and they asked the kids if they've ever had real maple syrup, then brought out a jug to sample it. Turns out, they're maple syrup farmers, along with dairy farmers, and they've got a place a few hours north. They invited us to come visit them and see how it all works! 

Well, it was September and the maple sap wouldn't be flowing, but we took them up on that offer and drove up later that week! We kept in touch over the years and when our travels brought us back out that way in 2024, we stayed with them again, this time in August. "But you've got to come back when it's sugaring season," said Jake. "The air smells amazing." 

And so, Theresa and I made it a point to clear our calendar around the end of March when the maple sap should be flowing well. Let's go on another adventure! 

2024 Summer Road Trip - Maryland Day 2 - 2024/08/14

It's our second day after a very short stay in Maryland, but it marks a very important occasion for us!

It's been just over 3 years since we started this whole crazy full-time RV adventure. 3 years of memories, adventure, friends, and family. Theresa has been an awesome planner, keeping us booked in different parks in all the different places. We've been keeping track of all the states we've visited on a map on the side of the RV. With last night's stay, we can check Maryland off the list. 

2024 Summer Road Trip - Maryland - 2024/08/13

Continuing with our Summer 2024 Road Trip, it's time to travel into Maryland! 

Tangy Ketchup Doritos and Hot Mustard Doritos Taste Test Comparison

I love finding different Doritos flavors! My family even did a taste test with 23 different flavors! 

So, I was thrilled to find another version of that tasty corn tortilla chip. We've got some interesting flavors to try here today. 

Doritos Tangy Ketchup and Doritos Hot Mustard! 

And along with the Doritos chips, we're going to compare it to the real thing by dipping plain tortilla chips in ketchup and mustard. Will they get the flavor right? 

Both chips are in appropriately colored bags. 

Thank you Patrick for finding these and picking them up. 

Japanese Hi-Chew Taste Test

One of our favorite candies in the United States are Starbursts. Originally made in the UK in 1959, they're a delicious chewy taffy with a great flavor. 

In 1975, Hi-Chew fruit candies were made in Japan, as an edible kind of chewing gum, since spitting out gum is bad manners. Since then, over 170 different flavors have been created. During a visit to Japan, we picked up 5 different flavors we found and brought them home to try! 

There's Green Apple, Asian Pean, Grape, Strawberry, and Lemon. 

Japanese Curry Pringles - taste test comparison

One of the best parts about traveling is all the unique snacks that you can find! While we were in Japan in Fall 2023, we found a special treat by Pringles! Japanese Curry! 

These Pringles came in a pack with three snack size containers of Pringles in a fancy embossed black box. Of course when we tried them, we had to make our own curry to see how it all compared! 

Grape Milkis Taste Test - A New Flavor!

On a recent trip, after finding a Korean restaurant for dinner, we were shocked and delighted to see a brand new Milkis flavor that we've never tried before! Grape! 

We tried all of the 6 previously released flavors, including comparing the bottled Milkis to the canned Milkis, and we've even tried a Milkis knock-off called Milky Pop! How will this new one compare?

The can has a purple color to it, indicating grape I suppose. Previous cans we've seen have a woman in a dress with an umbrella being lifted away. This can design has two people on it. A man holding onto a heart balloon with a wand, and a woman in a skirt being blown away with an umbrella. 

2024 Summer Road Trip - Delaware - 2024/08/12

It's another travel day as we continue our trip across the US and try to close out our RV map. We're almost done! 

Delicious Sticks from Japan taste test

While visiting Japan, I loved looking through the shops and grocery stores for all the different treats! 

I'm relying on Google Translate to help me with the name on the package. Near as I an tell, it's something like Delicious Stick. 

These snacks are like giant puffy Cheetos! Except there's only one giant one in the package. The other thing I thought that was wild was the price! It was something like 18 Japanese Yen for one package, which is equivalent to about $0.12 each. There were four different flavors I found while I was looking. Corn Potage, Cheese, Mentai, and Vegetable Salad. 

2024 Summer Road Trip - Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari in New Jersey Day 3 and 4 - 2024/08/11-12

It's Day 3 for us going to the Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey! We've had a lot of fun so far at this park going on all the big rides. Today, we'll start with the rides and then head over to the 2nd park that's included here in New Jersey. The Six Flags Safari! 

Every Diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero flavor taste test

We already know that Dr. Pepper is one of the best sodas there is. We know this. But what if you want that great Dr. Pepper flavor but not all the calories that go with it?

Today, we're trying to figure out, which version of zero calorie Dr. Pepper is the best. We've done something similar with Diet Mountain Dew, but that only had Diet Dew and Dew Zero. Today we're trying 7 different varieties! (correction: 8 varieties!)

We'll be trying, Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper caffeine free, Dr Pepper Zero, Dr Pepper Cherry Zero, Dr Pepper Cream Soda Zero, Dr Pepper Strawberries & Creme Zero, and Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut Zero (plus Dr Pepper Zero Blackberry at the end). 

We love seeing friends and family when they visit Florida!

It's really nice living in a climate that doesn't get freezing cold in the winter. That means that all of our cold-weather friends who are looking to escape come to Florida! And if we're lucky, we get to hang out together!

2024 Summer Road Trip - Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey Day 2 - 2024/08/10

It's our 2024 Summer of Traveling to all different Six Flags parks! We're in New Jersey visiting one of the best at Six Flags Great Adventure! We were here yesterday, but there was one big coaster, the biggest one in the world, that wasn't running. If we're going to call ourselves REAL roller coaster fans, we HAVE to ride it! That's it in the background. Kingda Ka stretches 456 feet into the air. It's the tallest roller coaster in the world.  

Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps - All 8 flavors - taste test comparison

It's time for another pretzel taste test! We're doing this one with Nicole and Alfredo specifically because we do so many "sweet" taste tests and Nicole thinks we should do more savory ones. 

So today we're trying one of Theresa's favorite pretzels to snack on, the Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps. We have all 8 flavors available, not counting the chocolate covered ones or the Pop'ums which are a different thing all-together. 

The 8 flavors we'll be tasting today are: Honey Mustard & Onion, Garlic Parmesan, Buffalo Wing, Original, Cheddar Cheese, Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper, Everything, and Cinnamon Sugar. 

Milkis versus Milky Pop taste taste comparison - Milk sodas from Korea

Over the summer, while visiting California, the family and I were walking through the local Korean grocer and found something we just had to try! 
A year before, we had taste tested all 6 flavors of Milkis (by Lotte), Korea's Number 1 Cream Soda. But this is something new! A competitor! 

Sitting on the same shelves beside our favorite Milkis is Milky Pop from Ilhwa. How will it taste? Will it be better? We must know! 

And since it's always fun to do these sorts of things with friends, I brought them along as we were invited to Scott and Karla's for dinner! The Flowers family might be biased, having tasted Milkis before, but everyone else is going into this with no prior preferences. 

Happy Valentines Day 2025 - 2025/02/14

Happy Valentines Day! It's a day where we get to show our love and affection to the people we care about in our lives! 

In years past, we've gone to Disney World to pass out valentines treats to all the cast members we saw, but this year we've let our annual passes expire and can't do that. We've got some other fun plans though. 

Alli and Ian are all dressed up for the day. The night before, they put together valentines treats bags for all their school classmates with Nerds, Gummy Bears, Skittles and more. 

Dots BBQ Pretzel Taste Test

 A little while ago, I posted a Dots Pretzel Taste Test, where we tried Original Dots Pretzels, Honey Mustard Dots Pretzels, Cinnamon Sugar Dots Pretzels, and Southwest Dots Pretzels. A short time later, I had to update it because Dots released a new flavor, Garlic Parmesan, which we all enjoyed. 

As I was walking through the store, I saw a brand new offering by Dots.

Dots BBQ seasoned pretzel twists! 
I'm surprised they've got a new flavor already. 

Nicole - Well Dot doesn't own the company anymore. More power to her, she's a millionaire now. It's Hershey and they are probably trying to make a whole line of flavors, like a chip company. 

I was waiting for them to go on sale, but Nicole went ahead to Publix and bought them. 

Nicole - The world is crazy! Buy the pretzels when you can!

Six Flags Magic Mountain - 2025/02/03

Well, it was a great race weekend at Disneyland in California. But we're not flying back to Florida until Tuesday. What should we do with our extra day here...? Well, we've got these Six Flags passes from the summer that are good at any Six Flags in the world. And I've been telling the kids how one of the best coaster parks that had some of my favorite coasters anywhere was out in California so...

Let's go to Magic Mountain! 

2025 Disneyland Half Marathon - 2025/02/02

It's so early... The Disneyland Half Marathon starts before the world wakes up to ensure the parks and roads are cleared before guests arrive for their day of fun. 

I had my alarm set for 3am, but was awake and not going back to sleep at 2:15am. Despite that, this year I'm not feeling nervous at all. My training has been solid for a year now. I'm healthy and I don't have any nagging injuries to speak of. 13.1 miles, especially 13.1 Disney miles, should be a walk in the park! 

Like the sweatshirt? I visited Goodwill a week before to pick up some clothes I could wear to keep warm and then toss before the race begins. All those clothes get collected and donated again. 

By 3:20am, I was out the door with all my gear. 

Preparing for the 2025 Disneyland Half Marathon - 2025/01/30

It's that time of year again! The beginning of January and it's time for the Disneyland Half Marathon! I've run it all the years they've held it, so of course I'll be running it again this year. One small problem is that when I started running it back in 2006, I lived in California. Now, we've moved all the way across the country to Florida! It's a bit of travel to get back!

But, bright and early on Thursday morning, we headed to the Orlando Airport.