Javascript

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

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. 

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Lay's Honey Butter Chips taste test comparison - from Canada - flavours from Korea

During our trip to Canada earlier this year, I found so many fun things I wanted to bring back home for a taste test. When I saw these chips, I knew we'd have to give them a try. Who doesn't love Honey Butter? 


And what does Honey Butter go great on? Definitely fresh bread rolls. We're excited to try these all today!

Sunday, January 26, 2025

2024 Summer Road Trip - Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey Day 1 - 2024/08/09

Well, yesterday we weren't able to make it to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey before they closed (an unscheduled 2 hours early), but today we're back and ready to see it all! 

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

A Cabot Popcorn Taste Test - Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese Popcorn, Pepper Jack Popcorn, Maple Cheddar Popcorn, and Sea Salt Caramel Cheddar Popcorn

On our recent travels to Vermont, we visited Enticement Alley, a section in Waterbury Vermont that's filled with lots of fun, food themed shops to visit. One of those shops is the Cabot Creamery, where the Cabot Cheese company sells a whole bunch of their different cheeses and cheese products! 

We've previously done a sharp cheddar cheese taste test that included 9 of their cheeses, so on this visit, I was looking for something a little different. And I think I found something that we'll all love! Popcorn!  


There's 4 different popcorn flavors to choose from: 2 savory and 2 sweet! 
Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese Popcorn, based on their best selling cheddar cheese. 
Pepper Jack Seasoned Cheese Popcorn, a spicier alternative. 
Maple Cheddar Popcorn. Combine sweet and savory? Oh yes, definitely looking forward to this one. 
Sea Salt Caramel Cheddar Popcorn. Caramel and cheese? Let's try it!  

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

2024 Summer Road Trip - New Jersey Pt 1 - 2024/08/08

It's been a lot of fun hanging out in Connecticut (and going to the nearby Six Flags New England in Massachusetts) but it's time to go to the next stop. We're just missing a few more states before we will have traveled to all of the 48 lower states! Our next stop is... New Jersey. Hmm. 


Theresa told me that my drive that morning would take us through New York, and I'd be driving the RV through the Bronx. Lovely. 

Saturday, January 18, 2025

A Giant Doritos Taste Test - 23 Unique Flavors including International Flavors

It's time for a Mega Doritos Taste Test! 

"Another one?" I hear you say. Yes, another one. I was a little disappointed with the first one, only having 11 different flavors when I knew there were a whole lot more! 

So today, I have found 23 different Doritos flavors for all of us to try including unique flavors from Japan and Mexico!  


With the whole family together, it's a great time to have these giant taste tests to get lots of different opinions on all the flavors. 

That's a whole lot of chips. 

Friday, January 17, 2025

Six Flags New England Pt 2 - Connecticut - 2024/08/07

Let's continue on with our summer travel from 2024. 

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Six Flags New England - Connecticut - 2024/08/06

Jumping back a little bit to continue the write-up from our summer travels. 

We're leaving Rhode Island and headed to our next stop in Connecticut! 

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

A Nerds Gummy Cluster taste test - 6 unique flavors - Rainbow, Grape Strawberry Blitz, Very Berry, Berry Punch Rush, Spooky, and Frosty

A few years ago, the family decided to do a giant Fruity Candy taste test to determine our very favorite fruit candy treat. We tasted 17 unique items with 53 different flavors to come up with our favorite. The winner of that taste test, with 44% of the overall votes, went to Nerds Gummy Clusters! Who doesn't love those tiny tangy and tart candies. 

Well did you know that there are more than just 1 flavor of Nerds Gummy Clusters? After collecting a few versions over a couple months, I finally had enough to have a taste test with 6 different kinds of Nerds Gummy Clusters! 


In our test today we'll try Very Berry, Rainbow, Berry Punch Rush, Frosty (Christmas), Grape Strawberry Blitz, and Spooky (Halloween). 

Saturday, January 11, 2025

Barebells Protein Bar taste test - 2023/05/22

It's a new year and it's time to get healthy! When you can't get in a healthy meal, why not substitute a meal replacement protein bar! These bars from Barebells have 200 calories and 20 grams of protein each! Barebells makes quite a few different flavors, so we figured we'd buy a whole bunch of them and see which would be our new favorites. 


Today we will be trying six different flavors of Barebells Protein Bars. 
Barebells Chocolate Dough, Barebells Cookies & Cream, Barebells Salty Peanut, Barebells Caramel Cashew, Barebells Creamy Crisp, Barebells White Chocolate Almond

Friday, January 10, 2025

Queen Anne Cordial Cherry taste test - all 6 flavors!

It wouldn't be a family get together if we didn't have some big taste test together, now would it? 

A few weeks before Christmas, Patrick let me know that he'd found something that showed potential as a group taste test. Cordial Cherries! There's so many different flavors now! I'm in! Whenever there's a box of mixed chocolates, I'm always looking for the one that looks like a chocolate covered cherry. 


There's 6 exciting flavors to try! Classic Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate with Coconut flavor, Cherry Cola, French Vanilla, and Blueberry. Blueberry?!? What are you doing here Blueberry, this is a Cherry taste test! Hmm, you complete the set huh? That's all the Cordial products that Queen Anne makes. I suppose we'll allow it. 

Thursday, January 9, 2025

A Washington Family Christmas Visit - 2024/12/23-29

Well everyone made it to Washington safe and sound! We're all together at my brother and his wife's house in Washington to celebrate Christmas and hang out together. 

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Getting to Washington for Christmas! - 2024/12/22

We've had a lot of fun in Michigan celebrating Ethan and his graduation from college, but this season it's supposed to be Christmas with my family, so we've got to get going! 

Monday, January 6, 2025

Peppermint Candy Cane Peeps and Brachs Candy Cane Taste Test Comparison

Time for more holiday treats! This time it's from the makers of all those Easter marshmallows, Peeps! For Christmas, they have come out with Candy Cane Peeps 


Alli and Ian bought these for me and said that we should do a taste test. I agree! 
But these Peeps we're trying today are Candy Cane Peeps. I love the packaging with its red and white stripes. We all think it's pretty hilarious that they can't seem to put the eyes in the proper place on the Peeps. These ones all seem to be looking to one side (or have an "eye" on the top of their heads). 

Joe - They're all leaning to one side, like a dog going "huh?"

For our comparison today you've got to go with the delicious Brach's candy cane. I know there's lots of different candy cane makers out there, including Spangler, but we think Brach's makes the best hard candy.  

Friday, January 3, 2025

Holiday Challenge - Making Peppermint Butter Mints

Happy Holidays! Every year since 2014 I've challenged myself to do something creative and make something I've never done before for the holiday season. 

It started when my friend Ariel shared Disneyland's recipe for Gingerbread Cookies, and I thought to myself "I've never made homemade gingerbread. I should try it!" Since then, I've been making different treats every holiday season that I've never attempted before! Things like Homemade Candy Canes (2015), Fudge (2016), Peppermint Marshmallows (2017), Figgy Pudding (2018), Eggnog (2019), A Holiday Yule Log (2020), English Toffee (2021), and Pepperidge Farm Cookies (2022). In 2023, I branched out and instead of making something to eat, I made something to wear. With some help from my mother, I learned how to sew a Santa Hat (2023), so I made a few for me and even more for the rest of the family.

This year, we're back to the tasty treats. While I was pondering what I would attempt this year, my Facebook feed must have known what I was thinking about, and showed me recipes for butter mints. Hmm. I know some butter mints are peppermint flavored, and my Dad loves (and seeks out) the soft peppermint candies.