Review: Gingerbread M&Ms, The Spoonable Contest Winner Is…, & The Importance of a Backup QB
Junk Food Nation, no delays! Let’s get right to the winner of the six Spoonable Caramel Sauces. Thanks to all who participated and entered! You guys made this my most popular contest yet, with over 450 entries!!! Honestly, I almost stopped counting once I got to 400, but whatevs. Using the random number generator at Random.org, I assigned every entry a number, clicked the button, and found my winner:
*** @JMSuschak ***
Congratulations, @JMSuschak! E-mail your contact info to junkfoodguy@junkfoodguy.com and Spoonable will mail you your prize as soon as they can! Enjoy!
Also, wanted to talk about the NFL very quickly, and the importance of a backup QB. I felt awful seeing Aaron Rodgers break his collarbone in Monday night’s game, and I’m not a GB fan. After receiving texts from my Packers-fan co-worker that were basically a string of expletives, I turned on the game to see Seneca Wallace throwing 1-yard passes everywhere as the Packers lost to the Bears. YIKES.
For some reason, I previously felt like there were TOO many QBs lying around the league. All these guys coming out of college each year, and not enough starting jobs? OVERSATURATION, I thought. Why is a team with an already proven starter drafting another QB in the third round? STUPID, I thought.
But this year, a number of starting QBs have fallen – Vick. Cutler. Rodgers. Locker. Bradford. Manuel. Hoyer. And GEEZ you look around and you’re like, “Ugh….are the best free agents REALLY Matt Flynn and Vince Young? And Matt Leinart??? Where’s Tebow when you need him?”
How is this possible? I guess it just goes to show how hard it is to play QB in the NFL, and why QBs go so high in the draft, even if they aren’t the “best overall talent.” So, I’ve come around on the whole backup QB thing, and I give huge props to the starting QBs in the league, even the ones who I think “stink.” So the next time you’re frustrated with Phillip Rivers or Joe Flacco…just think of how much WORSE it could be.
Today’s junk food: Gingerbread M&Ms!
Gingerbread M&Ms: The Money Shot
Gingerbread M&Ms huh? I’m hesitant about these, after the let down from the Pumpkin Spice M&Ms…but, my friend Dana over on Eat Up, Albany! liked these, so I was willing to give them a go…
I have to say, the sly looking M&M character looking at me seductively as he points to a gingerbread cookie on a plate…not working for me. You’re weirding me out, dude.
Gingerbread M&Ms: Recipe?
Gingerbread M&Ms come with a nice sugar cookie recipe on the back, which is nice. Although part of the recipe is to BUY A ROLL OF STORE-MADE COOKIE DOUGH. Way to dumb it down, M&Ms.
Gingerbread M&Ms: No ginger…
Gingerbread M&Ms hide the gingerbread flavor in the “Artificial and Natural Flavors” portion of the ingredient list, I know they do…and I’m still gonna eat these.
Gingerbread M&Ms: XMAS COLORS!
Opening up this bag of Gingerbread M&Ms, they at least got the colors right. I mean, if these were blue, yellow, and orange? Gross. Although I’d prefer my Gingerbread M&Ms to be ALL brown, to keep with the theme of what gingerbread looks, like…or maybe brown and an off-white for contrast.
When I opened the bag and put it to my nose, the smell was still the standard M&Ms chocolate and candy shell smell – very sweet and pervasive. So I took a couple out in my hand, and sniffed fewer pieces. They smelled SORT of like gingerbread. Not a great sign, but I did get that molasses smell, not so much ginger. So the aromatics are KIND OF there…
Gingerbread M&Ms: pfffft
I popped the 4-5 Gingerbread M&Ms into my mouth, chewed…and no. No. NOOOOOOO.
My honest assessment: the gingerbread flavor was sort of there, but BARELY. Now look. I know that this chocolate is NOT going to taste EXACTLY like gingerbread, because it is NOT gingerbread. So when I taste these things, I tend to think of the flavors like the flavors of a Starbucks coffee. I know what the syrups they pump into a heavy flavored backdrop like coffee taste like, so I’m comfortable sorting out the gingerbread flavor from the dominant flavor.
In this case, yes, the chocolate was the strongest flavor. I’d like to think my palette is decent enough to pick out the gingerbread flavor…but it took a while. Honestly, I ate M&M after M&M until finally my brain tuned into the gingerbread flavor. And then yes I could taste it. The tiny twinge of ginger. The small bit of molasses. The taste of my mouth when I drink a gingerbread latte. I SORT of got it. But you know what? I SHOULDN’T HAVE TO EAT HALF THE BAG TO GET THE FLAVOR I’M LOOKING FOR.
And that’s the thing – I really don’t think people who are only eating a couple are going to like these, because they are not going to get that buildup of discernible flavor. So, I’m sorry M&Ms but what the hell are you doing? Why is your product designed this way? C’mon now…
Did it taste bad? I mean, it’s chocolate, you answer that question. But did it taste like gingerbread? The key words are eventually and barely.
PURCHASED AT: Walmart
COST: $2.88
Thoughts? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. Let’s hang out.
Sincerely,
Junk Food Guy
Discuss - 11 Comments
Too bad…I also wasn’t a fan of the pumpkin m&m’s but I was surprised how much I liked the candy corn ones.
@Lynn: Yeah, I might be done with flavored M&Ms for a while.
Bingo – you really have to let it build up…and by that point you’re sort of sick of eating them. I’ve been eating through the bag about 6 or 7 at a time, which is about what I can handle. And I can see how if you’re not a big fan of the ginger/cinnamon mix they’d be a serious turn off. I’m thinking a lot of people hate these (so I’m going to enjoy what is shaping up to be a very gingerbready junk food season while it lasts).
Where the heck did you see those Gingerbread bagels? I’m needing me some of them. And a starting QB for my team this week. Has it really come to this, Jake Locker?
@Dana: Agree – I ate a LOT of gingerbread M&Ms and felt kind of sick after. Ick.
Gingerbread bagels I saw at Wegmans. And re fantasy football QB, I hear you. Colin Kaepernick, this is NOT how you win the division. WAKE UP!
@junkfoodguy: Hey Junkfoodguy! I’ve been commenting up a storm- or was- in the baseball posts, but never heard back. Thoughts on the end of the season??
Anyway, I feel your pain on the backup QB thing. The tragic irony for the Packers is of course this happens the week after the trade deadline…leaving them screwed. And if you ever need to be convinced of the true value of a backup QB, I have two words for ya’- Tom. Brady. End of story, haha.
Hope to hear from you soon!
@John C: Yeah, sorry man. I think in the end, I wasn’t in love with the World Series, but the teams obviously got there for a reason. I was a little down with the lack of leadership on the Cardinals side. The constant revolving door of players they have sometimes is good and keeps the talent young, but someone needed to step up and be a veteran presence like Ortiz was for Boston. Chris Carpenter I think could do it, but he was hurt. Molina or Holliday needed to be more vocal. SWING YOUR BATS, PEOPLE!! ugh.
What do you think of the Braves moving to a new stadium? That stadium they are in is only like 7 years old, isn’t it?
As far as my fantasy football team, I went from having a decent team to my team sucks now. 1st rd pick: Ray Rice (ugh). 2nd pick: Steven Jackson (ugh). 3rd pick: Demaryius Thomas, who is good once every three weeks. 4th pick: Danny Amendola, who is unreliable. 5th pick: Hakeem Nicks. WHAT WAS I THINKING?????
@junkfoodguy: He lives!! I was worried about you there for a while- yea, the posts have kept coming, but it’s the sports banter in the comments that I really enjoy. Glad you’re back.
Definitely was one of the more boring World Series matches in recent years. You’re definitely right- the Cardinals needed an Ortiz-like figure to step up and rally the team on his back. I thought it was going to be Beltran, and from all the post-game interviews he team definitely was playing for him, but after he slammed into the wall, the whole dynamic changed.
As for the Braves new stadium, I think it’s one of the dumber things I’ve heard about in recent years. It got built in 1996 I believe, and the Braves moved in in ’97. My big problem with it- actually two- are 1) If ANY locale should be getting a new stadium, it should be Oakland, not Atlanta. Or if not Oakland, then at least the Rays… On to problem number two: apparently the suburb the Braves are going to be moving into and accepting government handouts from are in the midst of drastic budget cutting reducing the number of teachers and other government officials due to lack of funding. So we can fund an MLB ballpark, but aren’t willing to shell out to get our children a proper education? And we wonder why things are going downhill… (Keep in mind, I myself am only in my 20’s, not some preachy parent. But I still find the skewed priorities obscene).
Oof! Sounds like your fantasy team isn’t doing too well. Out of curiosity, what’s the team’s name?? I’m still hanging in the middle of the pack in my league, although I’ve had a few down weeks due to picking the wrong QB to start.
Speaking of fantasy sports, you ever hear of Out of The Park?? It’s some baseball sim-type game available on Macs (and PCs I believe). Looks very cool. It’s put out by OOTP Developments, and is supposed to be the best baseball game available. Check it out, lemme know if you’re interested. We could totally start a league! Would be a hell of a lot of fun.
On that note, any thoughts headed into this week’s MLB meetings? I’m bummed Puig missed out on winning ROY- I thought he was more deserving and a better representation of the award. As for the Yankees, what in the world do you think we do this offseason? I’d love for them to get Peralta (even though he spells his first name funny….). He’d be a great backup to Jeter and insurance in the event our third base remains vacant next season- which I’m hoping for!
Hope to hear from you soon!! And as always, thanks for getting back to me!
-John C.
@John C: yeah, I always get nervous about new stadium builds. People sometimes argue that a new stadium can revitalize the neighborhood, but SO MANY times this DOESN’T happen.
My fantasy football name is What Would Ndamokung Suh?
I have NOT heard of OOTP, but I’m going to check into it now 🙂
@junkfoodguy: Awesome, sounds great! Let me know what you think, and like I said, if you’re down, we can totally start a league! Could be a great, fun way to get our baseball fix even during the long winter months.
So is the team name in reference to your job as a lawyer?? (As in “What Would Ndamokung SUE, legally speaking?” If not, clever nonetheless. Speaking of which, what kind of law is it that you practice?
Talk to you soon!
-John C.
@John C: I’m a former prosecutor, current labor attorney. As far as the team name – it’s more just that it rhymes with the whole WWJD thing. I’m not particularly religious, but I liked the rhythm of the words 🙂
What was your fantasy football team name?
@junkfoodguy: My team name is The Nothings. Care to guess the reference?
So, what are your thoughts on all this A-Rod hilarity? Being outside the East Coast, perhaps you’ve missed some of the madness transpiring daily on the radio, but it’s priceless- one white Ford Bronco away from being better drama than the O.J. scandal.
Also, word is just coming in that we got Brian McCann! Whaddya think? Good move, bad, indifferent??
Btw, you have to let me know about that Outside the Park Baseball idea!
Talk to you soon.
-John C.