Skinny Pop Popcorn

Update Review, November 2020

I've reviewed Skinny Pop popcorn before (original review, update review), generally kinda lackluster for me, because, although I adore popcorn, and have a serious obsession to be honest, Skinny Pop trends too boring for me, because, well, it is trying to be healthier than the style I prefer.  Gulp.

But when the holidays rolled around in 2020, and I didn't have access to my precious favorite decadent kettle corns due to COVID ... I gave them another try, as the seasonal flavors were all over the grocery stores.

Seasonal Gingerbread Cookie Kettle Corn.

For the holidays, Skinny Pop, like most brands, introduced some seasonal varieties, but, of course, a healthier slant on them.

Skinny Pop went for a White Chocolate Peppermint variety, and Gingerbread Cookie.  I was interested in the White Chocolate Peppermint, but so many other brands were offering it, I decided to get a different brand White Chocolate Peppermint (Hammonds, and it was MEH!), and opted for the more unique Gingerbread Cookie from Skinny Pop.

Seasonal Gingerbread Cookie Kettle Corn.

"Guilt-free snacking that’s merry & bright."

It was decent. 

Like other varieties, the popcorn tasted fresh, large fluffy kernels.  While marketed as kettle corn, I didn't get much "kettle corn" essence to it, not really caramelized nor salty, but, it did have a sweetness.  It was well spiced, tasting vaguely of gingerbread actually, some cinnamon, some other "warm" spices - ginger, allspice, cloves.

It was definitely interesting, a nice change, but as expected, not the more decadent style I normally go for (not that it is bad for me to have a lighter style on hand, and I did pick "Skinny Pop" after all!)  You certainly need to be in the mood for gingerbread flavors, which is not common for me, but when the mood hits, this does really hit the spot.

***+.

Update Review 2019

As I mentioned in my review of the chocolate variety, Skinny Pop is really not my style of popcorn, as, uh, its too healthy.  But I had a chance to try a few more flavors, so I gave it another chance.

Conclusion?  Yup, still bo-ring.

Original.

First up, the "Original", just salted popcorn.  This was as basic as popcorn gets, but, nicely popped, good salt level?  Not sure why anyone would feel the need to actually purchase this though.

White Cheddar.

"Guilt-free snacking with a dairy-free white cheddar flavor."

Next I tried to get some flavor by opting for a cheesy variety.

Skinny Pop makes two different cheddar popcorn flavors.  One is "Aged White Cheddar", with a "Real Cheese" label prominently displayed on the bag.  The other is "White Cheddar".  It ... is dairy free.  Dairy free cheese?

A quick glance at the ingredients doesn't help that much ... "non-dairy cheddar flavor" and rice flour are added, along with the expected oil and salt, but, what is that, exactly?

It turns out to be, well, vaguely very mild cheddar flavored something.  The salt flavor was stronger than the cheddar, and I'm pretty sure that if you didn't tell me the popcorn was supposed to be cheddar, I likely would have not suspected it.

It was fine, light popcorn, but I go for cheesier varieties.

Original Review, March 2017

Healthy snacks?  Yup, something I'm always in the market for, given how much I like to snack.  And popcorn?  My favorite.  So I basically try any new popcorn I discover.

Skinny Pop is another line of healthy popcorn, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, preservative free, no artificial flavors, etc, etc.  They use sunflower oil.  They produce 6 flavors of popcorn, savory original, sea salt & pepper, white cheddar, and jalapeño, and sweet "naturally sweet" and dusted dark chocolate.

Dusted Dark Chocolate.

"Guilt-free snacking with just the right amount of dark chocolate flavor."

I went for the dark chocolate flavor, and was pretty disappointed when I opened the bag.  It was ... well, dusted with cocoa powder, not covered in chocolate.  Which, to be fair, is exactly what they said it would be.  But I wanted dessert popcorn, not healthy snack popcorn.

Once I got over my initial visual disappointment, I tried a bite.  It was a bit strange, really.  Just a touch of cocoa flavor on otherwise buttery popcorn.  Salty, but not sweet.  And chocolately?  It was ok, but, the flavors just were not very intense.  Meh.  I threw it in the freezer.

The freezer did manage to crisp it up a bit, but, the flavor still never intensified.  If you want a very light, very subtle, chocolate experience, then perhaps this is for you, but for me, it just wasn't enough.

Blue Bunny / Blue Ribbon Classics Ice Cream

Blue Bunny, and Blue Ribbon Classics, are two ice cream/frozen novelty lines owed by Wells Enterprises.  Wells is the largest family-owned ice cream manufacturer in the US, and third largest US producer (after the Nestlé and Unilever conglomerates).  They have a few other product lines as well, including Bomb Pop popsicles, but, the ice cream was certainly the item that caught my eye.

The story goes that they started in 1925 by Fred. H. Wells Jr, a milk route operator, who started making ice cream, but was then bought out 3 years later.  But 7 years after that, he tried again, and let the product get named through a "Name That Ice Cream" contest (so says Wikipedia ...  The more you know!) Anyway, many other family members came along, took over, expanded production, etc, etc.  It was still mostly regional until 1992 when they started expanding nationally, and well, the rest is history?

Now they make a large array of ice cream flavors and treats.  Unlike many "frozen novelties", even the novelty items are made with actual ice cream, not frozen dairy products.  Blue Bunny is the flagship line, and Blue Ribbon Classics is the lower end.  I've tried products from both lines, and, I assure you, the difference is noticeable.

Blue Bunny

"Blue Bunny, the flagship brand of Wells Enterprises, Inc., includes a delicious variety of ice cream, frozen desserts, and frozen novelties, Wells is proud to produce, market, and sell Blue Bunny branded products across the United States in places like your grocer's freezer, your favorite restaurant, your corner convenience store, on ice cream trucks and in event venues. Today more than 400 ice cream treats are produced under the Blue Bunny brand name."

Blue Bunny makes a lot of ice cream products, as, in, >400.  They offer a wide assortment of flavors of ice cream sold in tubs, pints, and personal cups, with fun names, like "Peanut Butter Party" rather than just "Peanut Butter Cup", and also have frozen yogurt, low-fat, and lower sugar options.

The line of novelties is particularly impressive, ranging from a large variety of packaged ice cream cones, ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, all sorts of branded items with gumball eyes (Batman, Tweety, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Powerfuff Girls, Pink Panther, Minions, Bugs Bunny, Bratz), and "Bunny Snacks", which are chocolate coated ice cream bites in a bunch of flavors.

I've only tried a few of their items, but, one in particular I enjoy far more than comparable products from competitors.

Chips Galore! Sandwich. (2016)

"Creamy vanilla flavored ice cream layered between two chocolate chip cookies rolled in mini chocolate chips."

Since I don't really like cookies, I can't say that I was very excited about an ice cream sandwich.  An improvement on just a cookie, for sure, but, not really my dessert nor ice cream of choice.

However, I was visiting another Google office, and they had an ice cream freezer, with rather meager offerings.  This was the best of the bunch, so, I went for it.

My first bite confirmed what I expected.  It wasn't great.  The cookies were soggy, and certainly nothing like homemade.  They were like large size Chips Ahoy.  The ice cream wasn't particularly creamy, nor vanilla-y.  Even when I let it melt, it never got particularly creamy.

But as I ate more, I did like the plentiful little chocolate chips around the outside though, and quickly set about licking all the little chips off.  And then biting a little cookie off.  And them more ice cream.  Before I knew it, I had finished nearly the entire thing, a bit remarkable given its size and the fact that I didn't actually like it very much.

This was a case of the whole being greater than sum of the parts.  Were the cookies good?  No.  Was the ice cream good?  No.  But somehow, it all worked together.

I wouldn't rush out to get another, but, I did enjoy it.

Update: A year or so later, when visiting the same office, I had another.  I think I liked it even more, and this time, the ice cream did seem to melt a bit more nicely.  Now, I'd gladly get another!

Chips Galore! Ice Cream Sandwich. (July 2017).

I was eager to have another one of these, on a hot day (90 degrees!), but, it didn't quite live up.  I'm not sure why.

The cookies were still soft, a bit buttery.  The ice cream was still decent, for a frozen novelty item.  Most shocking to me is that I didn't like the mini chocolate chips on the outside very much.  And that the ice cream didn't seem to melt that nicely, even in the extreme heat.

I had about half of it, and just wasn't into it, so I set it aside (in a bowl), and sat in the sun a while longer.  And then ... I decided to have the rest, but, I used a spoon, and mushed up the cookie into the ice cream, basically making a cookies and cream sort of flavor.  That I did kinda like, strangely.  Mushy cookies in ice cream hit the spot differently.  I can't explain it.

Chips Galore! Ice Cream Sandwich (perfectly melty!) (July 2019).

A couple years later, I gave one another try.  I followed my own advice, letting it get nicely melty, by pulling it out before lunch.  I really do like it this way.

And ... I liked it.  Yes, the cookies were soft and kinda mush.  But they were buttery and sweet, and I liked them like that. The ice cream melted quite nicely.  And I adored the chips again, so many of them, great crunch.

These continue to be better than I expect.

Strawberry Shortcake Bar. (2020)

"Thick strawberry flavored center surrounded with smooth vanilla flavored reduced fat ice cream rolled in cake crunch."

Sometimes, the only item in the ice cream freezer is a strawberry shortcake bar.  Or maybe you actually like these things?  But for me, the only time I'd ever try this was extreme desperation.  I don't like strawberry ice cream, let alone "strawberry flavored center", and the chocolate counterpart to these, the chocolate eclair, was always only a tiny step above.

But, one day, after ... 15? years of not having one, I gave it another try.  The verdict? Meh.  Why?  I know everyone has their own tastes, but I just can't imagine actually wanting this.

The inside was just icy strawberry stuff, the vanilla reduced fat ice cream around it wasn't creamy nor actually vanilla flavored, and the cake crunch ... the most exciting part, but, not particularly flavorful.

Cookies 'N Cream Sandwich. (2020).

"Creamy Cookies 'N Cream ice cream layered between two chocolate flavored cookie wafers."
Another ... meh Blue Bunny item for me.

The cookies were soft, but pretty boring, just, lightly chocolate flavored.  The ice cream was decently creamy, and did have some cookie/cream bits, but, it wasn't particularly notable.

Overall, nothing bad about this, but nothing really good either.

Blue Ribbon Classics

"Wells turns everyday moments into special celebrations with the classic flavors, generous offerings, and surprising value of Blue Ribbon Classics.
Made for family and fun, it’s the ice cream that appeals to everyone."

"At Blue Ribbon Classics, we don’t just make frozen treats. We make days better. Moods brighter. Traditions stronger. Occasions more fun. We make memories to last a lifetime. One delicious, ice creamy bite at a time."

The lower end line made by Wells is "Blue Ribbon Classics".  They too offer ice cream/frozen yogurt/sherbet in tubs, ice cream cones and bars, and popsicles, but have only about 50 products total, and represent more, well, "classics".  No bubble gum eyes, or co-branding, here.

I tried several of these as well, and, it was clear the ice cream quality was lower than Blue Bunny.

Ice Cream Freezer!

Yes, I was of course visiting another office, and found another ice cream freezer.

The first few days I went for the high end Three Twins items, but, eventually, I decided to try the Blue Ribbon classics, mostly for research sake.

Orange Dream Bar. (2016)

"Vanilla flavored reduced fat ice cream in an orange sherbet shell. It's a dream!"

One day, I wanted something less decadent.  In full disclosure, this is because I stumbled upon the ice cream freezer after already having soft serve ice cream at lunch.  And uh, a second soft serve sundae a little later.  So I didn't want to go all out and get another huge ice cream.  Hence, the reasonable choice, the Orange Dream Bar.

Reduced fat ice cream and sherbet made this a pretty light offering, only 90 calories for the bar.  But, they also made it just not very interesting.  The orange sherbet was pretty icy and a very thick layer, and the ice cream wasn't very creamy.

I guess if you like a classic orange creamsicle this was fine, but, I really wanted it to be more like a Pine-Lime Splice, the only "lighter" ice cream novelty I really ever enjoy ...

Vanilla Crunch. (2020).

"Vanilla flavored frozen dairy dessert dipped in chocolate flavored coating and crisp rice. A tasty treat to bring on the go!"

One day I was craving a fairly simple treat, just some vanilla ice cream, a snappy chocolate shell, and a bit of crunch.  The vanilla crunch bar seemed perfect.

I was not thrilled when I opened it, to see the coating.  Where was all the crunch?!

Vanilla Crunch: Other side?

Did the other side have more crunch?  Nope.

Let's just say, in the crunch department, this namesake bar did not deliver.  I didn't really taste the crunch at all.

And the shell?  Thin, not snappy, and not very chocolately.  It added very little.  *+ for the shell, which is, um, generous.

Vanilla Crunch: Inside.

The "vanilla flavored frozen dairy dessert" inside wasn't very creamy, wasn't very vanilla, wasn't very good.

* for the filling, so, uh, a generous *+ overall.

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Sundae Cone.

"Creamy vanilla flavored reduced fat ice cream dipped in chocolate flavored coating, topped with peanuts and cone pieces, all inside a crunchy sugar cone. One for everyone!"

Not sure where my photo went of this one, but, there isn't much to say.  It was a pretty standard packaged sundae cone.  No better nor worse than any other.

Update review (June 2017): I had another, at a company picnic.  It was ... well, what it was.  The ice cream was better than average ice cream novelties actually, but wasn't particularly good.  The cone was a generic sugar cone, but at least it wasn't soggy.  The chocolate coating was good, but the nuts actually had a hint of staleness to them.  So, better than average I suppose, but still just a packaged sundae cone.

The Moment, Sydney

The Moment is another trendy tea shop in Sydney, one I've walked by, and peeked in at, many times over the two years since it opened.

I finally visited.

Setting

The Moment is located in Haymarket, on a street with a slew of other bubble tea shops.  The entire several block radius is filled with bubble tea shops.

The curb appeal of The Moment is different from many others though, and is something that drew me in (as a spectator previously) many times.  It looks really ... pleasant.  If that makes sense.

Teas.

The front counter has these glass domes showcasing all the different teas.  I'm not really into tea itself, but, I think this convinced me at least that they care about having quality tea, rather than just powder?

It looked good at least.

Inside.

The interior space is incredibly modern, white/marble tones, classy decor.   I appreciated the standing high white bar running through the shop, perfect to stand and drink, or, high chairs were also available.

It was calm, soothing, and really just quite pleasant.

Drinks

Menu.

The Moment, like many of this style of shop, has a menu broken down into different "Series", ranging from fresh teas (hot or iced), to fruit infused iced teas, to classic bubble teas, to sparkling "mojitos", to slush and smoothies.  And ... what drew me in, yogurt drinks (or, "yoghourt" as they spell it).

The menu showed examples of each, which was helpful.

Passion Fruit & Mango Smoothie + Mango Sago Pomelo Milk Cap. $7.20 + 1.50.

My companion opted for this creation, from the Slush & Smoothie range.  It was a layered drink, a mango base and passionfruit smoothie above that, and she added a "cap" on top of that.  Some of the others in this series are fairly stunning, brilliant colors separated into layers, but hers was a bit muted, given the two orange tones.  Her drink came in a tall clear cup, not a bubble tea style with a sealed top, but more like a plastic coffee cup, just, super tall.

I didn't try it, but she seemed pretty pleased.

The most interesting thing about this drink to me was the cap.  While I went for the more common one (more on that soon), she got the mango sago pomelo milk cap.  I was super interested in this, but, I knew it would not go with my drink.  With her fruity creation though, it was a match.  And yes, they have innovated beyond just the milk foam topping, beyond just making it fruity, and ... added tiny little sago.  Super fascinating.  I'd love to try this topping sometime on a drink more appropriate for it.

Purple Rice Yoghourt
+ Fresh Taro + Rock Salt Cheese Milk Cap.
$6.30 + $1 + 1.

I of course went for my newfound favorite thing, a yoghourt drink (yes, they pick #allTheExtraLetters for their spelling).  I knew I wanted purple rice (as, it seems, yogurt and rice are the magic recipe), but I also wanted my favorite ingredient: taro.  Both are available as yogurt drinks.

I opted to just get the purple rice one, and add fresh taro.  Best of both worlds, and fresh taro can be added to any drink.  Sweetness cannot be modified.  And of course, I wanted cheese foam, called "rock salt cheese milk cap" here.

When I ordered the cheese topping, I was told they don't recommend it on the yogurt, since the drink only comes in a certain cup, and I would not have enough space for my regular ingredients if I did that.  I asked if I could have the foam on the side, but that was met with a perplexed look (I've easily done this other places!).  I suggested that I could just have less yogurt, and that was fine with me.  She agreed to this.  #problemSolving.

The yogurt drinks come in glass jars, slightly shorter than the smoothie cups, and much wider.  They have screw top lids, and are sealed with a branded sticker, which, actually turned out to be very useful, as it held the lid when I had it unscrewed.  I loved my jar, and was quite pleased to have this "souvenir" to use throughout my trip.

Now, the creation.  I ended up enjoying it, but ... some caveats.

I was a little surprised when I took my first sip.  It ... wasn't cold.  Kinda lukewarm.  Which just is odd for yogurt.  And a bit off putting.  Same with the foam topping.  Lukewarm was just not right for this.  I think the taro mash, or the black sticky rice, were warm, and warmed the whole thing up?

I tried a few sips, and a few bites, but the temperature just was really ruining it for me.  I brought it back to my hotel, stashed it in the fridge, and went to get ice cream instead.  When I returned to it later, it was chilled, and *much* better.  When I polished it off the next morning (I mean, its yogurt, breakfast appropriate right?), I adored it.

The purple sticky rice was a generous amount, even more than Koomi, more than a cup.  It had a great chew to it, a bit sticky.  Definitely a good component.  And again, it is amazing how well purple rice goes with yogurt, but, it really does.  I'd get this again.

The fresh taro was plentiful as well, really, too much almost.  It seemed like more than a cup of taro mash as well.  It was a very smooth style, no chunks or bits like other places (e.g. Koomi), and the taro flavor somehow wasn't all that pronounced.  It was slightly sweetened.  I like taro, obviously, but this didn't work great in the yogurt.  The smooth mash just didn't add the right kind of contrast to the thick yogurt.  The Koomi version with chunks was more successful.  I wouldn't get taro mash in a yogurt drink again.

The yogurt was good, fairly thick, rich, tart.  Considerably better than the runnier style from Bengong Black, but I think I preferred Koomi slightly, it was less sweet, and more "natural" tasting somehow.   Still, good base, particular when it mixed with the foam.

And finally, the rock salt cheese milk cap.  I love my cheese foam toppings, and this was no exception.  Not quite as salty as I was hoping for, but still good, fluffy, and I liked it contrasting with the yogurt.  They added quite a bit of it too.

Overall, once properly chilled, I enjoyed this, the purple rice + yogurt + foam is a combo I continue to really enjoy.  I found that I liked to mostly eat it with a spoon however, probably due to my multiple mix-ins, as the taro + sticky rice added 2-3 cups of more solid components, and it wasn't quite as drinkable as it probably should be.

I did rather wish it had a fruit component to it as well, and interestingly, The Moment only does yogurt with rice or red bean or taro or cranberry ... no more fruity flavors, even though they have them for the smoothies.

I'd consider getting this again (leaving out taro), but in a city with so many rice drink options, I would rather try somewhere else.