Sometimes Foodie

Biscoff Cookies - Aldi : Moorestown, NJ

Biscoff spread was one of the first items I ever reviewed on Sometimes Foodie. It tastes delicious, and I absolutely loved it, but I had never had the actual cookie it was based on. During a recent trip to Aldi, I saw that both were in stock and I couldn’t resist.

The design is classic with a hint of European flair. (Which makes sense, since this is a European company.) The sophisticated color palette of red, gold, white and black is very clean and it gives the package a mature look that appeals to adults. My only gripe is that the packaging is made of very thin plastic which made it difficult to open without tearing it apart.

Inside, there are delicious oval-shaped cookies that smell like molasses and cinnamon. (The aroma is slightly similar to graham crackers.)

These are delicious! I can taste some molasses, which must come from the brown sugar, and a nice spicy cinnamon. The cinnamon flavoring is just light enough to make this taste like a spiced cookie, but not a graham cracker.

This may be the perfect cookie to accompany a cup of tea or coffee. I really love these cookies, and I see myself buying more in the future.

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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Savoritz Garden Vegetable Crackers- Aldi : Cherry Hill, NJ

I love Aldi. If you’ve been following me for a while you saw that almost all my pumpkin items for Sometimes Foodie’s Pumpkin ~~Week~~ Month came from Aldi.

If you’ve never heard of Aldi, it’s a small grocery store chain that originated in Eastern Europe. (I actually went to an “Aldi” in Austria when I went to Eastern Europe about 2 years ago. There it has a different name, but it’s the same logo and store.) The chain has no-frills products for low prices, as well as some name brands, produce, and occasionally random gadgets. When I say random, I mean random. I’ve bought a pressure washer, electric kettle, and kiddie pools from Aldi over the years.

Recently, the no frills products have gotten kind of…frilly. I mean look at this box! It actually has a very sophisticated design (for a no-frills product). There is a bright green, eye catching, back ground and a beautiful photo of the crackers inside. Even the typography is very well done. Aldi is really stepping it up!

Inside the box is a plastic sleeve containing the product. The crackers are a bit larger than a traditional Ritz cracker, but slightly thinner.

These smell delicious, like buttery crackers and spinach dip.

Taking a bite, the crackers have a flake-y crunch (again, a lot like a Ritz cracker) with a nice buttery taste. As you chew, you start to taste a bit of the vegetable flavor. The flavor isn’t overwhelming, and it blends very nicely with the buttery cracker.

These taste rich and delicious, and don’t cost a pretty penny. I paid 1.50 for the box and it has already survived a week of my snacking. I still have 1/4 of a sleeve left. If you want something yummy, or something that looks fancy for a party, try checking these out at your local Aldi.

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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Pumpkin Supreme Pie - Aldi : Medford, NJ

THIS IS THE LAST CONSECUTIVE PUMPKIN POST! (It is also my boyfriend’s Birthday! <3)

I still have a few lingering pumpkin items around, but they’ll be mixed in with Halloween and other fall-treats.

I decided to save this pie for last to sort of celebrate the past 3 weeks of pumpkin goodness.

The images on the box make this seem like a normal sized pie, but it definitely feels much heavier and denser than any pie I have ever made, then again this supreme pie is basically a pumpkin pie topped with a pumpkin cheesecake and whipped cream. This pie is not for those who are counting their calories.

Opening it up, I can already see that there isn’t much pecan topping at all, at least not as much as in the box’s photo. I am not a huge fan on pecans in my pumpkin pie, so this wasn’t a loss for me, It just didn’t look quite like the photo (then again, what ever does?)

Being a ready-made chilled dessert, there really isn’t any smell.

This is definitely a decadent dessert, when I took the first bite the pumpkin cheesecake layer took over. It is rich, creamy, and pumpkin-y! The pumpkin pie layer enhanced the cream cheese pumpkin flavor and made it even stronger, while the pecans on top added a nice crunchy texture.

I was surprised how strong the pumpkin flavor was in this pie, and I enjoyed it, but I would prefer a warm home made pumpkin pie any day. (I am not a big cheesecake fan, so maybe those of you who are would like this more.)

On a pumpkin-y scale of 1-5 (5 being extremely pumpkin-y) I would rate this a 4.5.

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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Pumpkin Spice Pancakes - Aldi : Medford, NJ

Tomorrow is out last day of pumpkin! After that, I’ll be posting some Fall/Halloween treats. For now, here are some pumpkin pancakes.

The box is a nice size and color, I can easily find it in my cabinet, but the overall design feels dated. That isn’t a bad thing, but the box feels like it is an older products (and I know it isn’t.)

I bought the same pancake mix last year, and followed the directions on the back of the box to make them. They weren’t very pumpkin-y at all. So when I bought the mix this year I tried to experiment.

This time, instead of following the directions (which said to add 1 cup of milk, 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of oil) I replaced the milk with pumpkin milk. I was hoping it would make the overall pumpkin taste stronger and richer.

With the addition of the pumpkin milk, I also served them with my homemade pumpkin syrup. This year, the pancakes tasted more pumpkin-y, but I am not truly satisfied with the flavor. I think I might play around with the recipe more. Maybe I’ll add applesauce instead of oil and see how that goes.

On a pumpkin-y scale of 1-5 (5 being extremely pumpkin-y) I would rate this a 1 on it’s own. A 2 if it is made with pumpkin milk and served with pumpkin syrup.

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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Pumpkin Ravioli - Aldi : Medford, NJ

We’re almost at the end of my pumpkin stash, only 2 more items to go!

I have had pumpkin based pasta before, but not ravioli. Reading the bag I wasn’t sure if these were meant to be a sweet, or savory item. The bag mentions has a recipe on the back for a brown sugar pecan sauce to serve them with, so I think this might be on the sweet side.

The picture on the bag is….well…gross. I am sorry, but that sauce on top looks disgusting! I think it is supposed to be the suggest brown sugar pecan topping.

The ravioli are frozen, so they really had no smell, even when cooked the aroma was hidden inside the little pockets of pasta.

When I cut the ravioli open, the inside looked like ricotta cheese mixed with pumpkin pie filling.

What little smell the filling did have, was quite sweet. I don’t think any additional sugars were added, but ricotta cheese has a sweet flavor on it’s own. So my adding the sweet, nutty, pumpkin and spices…these turned into a mild dessert treat.

I might see if these can be paired with tomato sauce later tonight, since I love the pumpkin salsa.

These ravioli are interesting, and quite different, but I don’t think this is something I would buy again next year.

On a pumpkin-y scale of 1-5 (5 being extremely pumpkin-y) I would rate this a 2.5.

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream - Aldi : Medford, NJ

Now, I have had the popular Edy’s pumpkin ice cream before, and it IS delicious, but very rich. If you like Coldstone’s ice cream you’d love Edy’s version of pumpkin. Personally, it was too much for me. I was hoping this version from Aldi would be a little lighter.

Compared to Edy’s, this container is nothing fancy. It’s your standard tub of ice cream with a picture of pumpkin pie on it. Personally, I am not a fan of the bright blue lid, but I think that was meant to tie in with the brand’s logo. Maybe the ice cream inside will be more impressive.

Peeling back the lid, I could smell the pumpkin pie spices right away. This smells like a real slice of pie with whipped cream on top. It has a really nice balance of the spices. I couldn’t sense one being stronger than the others, which has been a problem with the other products. (They either went really heavy on the cinnamon or nutmeg.)

Visually, I really like that the product isn’t strongly colored. For those of you who haven’t seen it, the Edy’s variety is a really pigmented orange color, which I was not a fan of. This brand of ice cream has a frothy peachy color to it, which feels a lot more natural. You can see little flecks of the various spices everywhere.
As far as taste goes, this one is a LOT lighter than the Edy’s, but you can still taste a very good amount of pumpkin pie flavorings. The overall taste is a lot like the Pumpkin Milk I reviewed (which is practically pumpkin eggnog). This ice cream is flavorful, but it isn’t overwhelmingly sweet or rich.

I definitely prefer this ice cream over the Edy’s variety.

On a pumpkin-y scale of 1-5 (5 being extremely pumpkin-y) I would rate this a 4.

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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Spiced Pumpkin Fall Harvest Salsa - Aldi : Medford, NJ

Finally! Something savory with REAL pumpkin in it. Pumpkin salsa is something I had never had before, but I was very eager to try it.

The jar is really sturdy, I was surprised how heavy it was when I first picked it up. The glass is quite thick, so this would be a good jar to save for crafting projects or (in my case) to wash paint brushed out in. (Lightweight containers always fall over, so I like using heavier ones to hold water during my painting sessions.)

The label design is very similar to the pumpkin spiced bark box I reviewed a days weeks ago, because the same no-frills brand made both. (Both products are under the Specially Selected label.)

Opening the jar, inside you find a orange-tinged salsa. The product is a little bit watery than the salsas I am used to, but it’s consistency is really nice for pouring onto tacos and other dishes.

The salsa smells very earthy. I can smell the pumpkin immediately! (It is listed second on the ingredients list, right after tomatoes.) The ingredients are all real foods, no chemicals or concoctions, and I can smell the onions, pumpkin, and tomatoes.

Taking a taste, this is NOT a spicy salsa. The pumpkin taste makes this salsa sweet, and I can’t detect any heat or spiciness in the flavor. What I DO taste is a mild salsa with a complex harvest flavor.

As most of you can see in the photos, the jar is already half empty. That is because I have been eating this quite a bit since I purchased it a week an a half ago. I usually enjoy spicier salsas, but the addition of pumpkin makes this salsa a really nice addition to tacos, nachos, and other dishes.

This salsa really tastes like pumpkin, not nutmeg, or cinnamon, but REAL pumpkin! PLUS, the fall flavor palette isn’t a novelty in this salsa. The addition of pumpkin was not added just because it’s fall and companies want to make money off pumpkin-addicts like me, but because it really enhances the salsa flavor.

On a pumpkin-y scale of 1-5 (5 being extremely pumpkin-y) I would rate this a 5, the highest score anything has gotten so far!

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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Sparkling Spiced Pumpkin Cider - Aldi : Medford, NJ

Today marks my one year anniversary with my boyfriend, so I wanted to post something a little special. He and I have deemed this anniversary the PUMPKIN anniversary. We went pumpkin picking at a local farm and now here is some sparkling cider for us to toast with!

The bottle is a amber brown color and has a resealable plastic cap. It is so beautiful and interesting looking, when all this cider is gone I plan on washing the bottles out and keeping them for crafts! The labels are simple and in aged fall colors that compliment the look and feel of the bottle.

Popping the cap for the first time is kind of exciting! Similar to a bottle of champagne, a nice fog rolls out of the bottle neck and you do get a nice POP as the lid is released.

The liquid inside smells like apple cider mixed with pumpkin pie spices. (It actually smells like it says it should!)

There is an overall sense of apple at first, then you start to taste all the spices. I can taste cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and even pumpkin! Towards the end, you can really taste the pumpkin and spices.

This is a fantastic seasonal beverage. I really recommend this to EVERYONE. This would be fun to have at a kid’s table for the little ones to enjoy as well as the adults. You could spike it with something alcoholic, or add ice cream and enjoy it on a hayride.

I plan on stocking up and buying some more to experiment with. Sparkling pumpkin spiced cider floats anyone?

On a pumpkin-y scale of 1-5 (5 being extremely pumpkin-y) I would rate this a 4.5!

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese - Aldi : Medford, NJ

I am hoping this cream cheese will have a really nice flavor. I hope to use it to make icing for some pumpkin-spiced cinnamon rolls. (Doesn’t that sound amazing?)

The container is very basic. There is only a photo of a pumpkin with cinnamon sticks and nutritional information on the main package. The same image is repeated on the top of the container. Being no frills, the package serves it’s purpose, but I kind of wish they made the container a Halloween or fall color. That might have spiced it up a little instead of this silvery gray.

Peeling back the foil, the cream cheese is a very strong pumpkin-y orange color. I can see bits of the spices mixed throughout the product. As far as smell goes, this smells strongly of cream cheese, but there is a slight pumpkin pie aroma. I can even smell some actual pumpkin notes.

This is definitely not a whipped cream cheese. The product is nice and dense. It tastes, like I took a large spoonful of pumpkin pie filling and mixed it with cream cheese. I can taste cinnamon, nutmeg, a bit of cloves, and a hint of pumpkin. I am really happy with the overall flavor of this spread and I think it’ll make a really nice icing, or bagel topping.

On a pumpkin-y scale of 1-5 (5 being extremely pumpkin-y) I would rate this a 2.5. This is a lot like pumpkin pie filling, and I can actually taste pumpkin in it!

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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Pumpkin Spice Bark - Aldi : Medford, NJ

I have been craving some good white chocolate lately, so I grabbed this seasonal item to add to Pumpkin Week (month?)

The box is a bit unique. It isn’t rectangular, but more like a rhombus. I really like that. When stacked, the boxes reminded me of a bee hive. On the front of the box you can see an image of the product, cinnamon sticks and a tiny pumpkin. I love when they include a nice photo on the box. The overall design is rather nice too. Aldi’s no-frills brand is getting quite frilly!

When I open the plastic bag, I can smell nutmeg. The bow wasn’t kidding when it said it was sprinkled with it, I think the dusting is rather generous and more nutmeg than cinnamon. While the nutmeg is a very strong smell, I can still smell a few sweet confectionery notes. Sadly, it doesn’t smell like coco-butter or real white chocolate. I am guessing this is a ‘confection’ and not a white chocolate bark.

As my teeth bit into the bark, I was surprised by how soft it was, the second it hits my tongue it melts almost like butter. I like the melty mouth feel, but it was way too sweet. The nutmeg cut through some of the sweetness, but I can barely taste any cinnamon at all.

While the nutmeg taste reminds me a lot of pumpkin, this is really just white candy with nutmeg on it. Not very pumpkin-y at all.

On a pumpkin-y scale of 1-5 (5 being extremely pumpkin-y) I would rate this a .5,

Honestly, this was the most disappointing pumpkin item I have tasted so far. ;_;

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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Pumpkin Spice Milk - Aldi : Medford, NJ

That’s right! Pumpkin. Spice. Milk. This is something I had never seen before! I have seen plenty of pumpkin spiced coffee creamers, but this is meant to be a beverage on it’s own!

The carton is a step above no frills, three of the sides are the same and one side has the nutritional information. Once I saw the amount of calories per serving I knew….this is a pumpkin version of eggnog!

The liquid is thick, when you pour it you can see that it is the same consistency as eggnog, but the scent is just like pumpkin pie. The color is pretty spot-on for pumpkin pie filling as well.

It smells…like pumpkin pie filling. What I really like is that this doesn’t just smell like pumpkin spice, this smells like an actual pie. Which is something unlike any of the other pumpkin items I have had so far.

The drink is very rich and creamy. I can taste pumpkin, spices, and sweet cream. This is literally like drinking a slice of pie with whipped cream on top. This is amazing and I HIGHLY recommend it for pumpkin lovers!

I think this is an amazing product, the perfect eggnog equivalent for October and November. (This would be great to have with Thanksgiving dinner!)

On a pumpkin-y scale of 1-5 (5 being extremely pumpkin-y) I would rate this a 4.5! That makes this the highest rated pumpkin item so far!

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows - Aldi : Medford, NJ

Pumpkin spiced marshmallows are an ingredient in a lot of the holiday recipes I have been seeing on pinterest. (Personally I plan of roasting some up with sweet potatoes, or make pumpkin spiced rice crispy treats with them.)

Baker’s Corner is an Aldi baking goods brand, I have used their mixes and baking ingredients in the past and I have always been very happy with the results. So I had high hopes for their marshmallows.

The bag is a typical marshmallow bag, and like most marshmallows, there is a recipe for crispy rice bars on the back. Nothing spectacular that I would leave out on display, but there is no doubt that the bag serves it’s purpose. Now the marshmallows are nice round pumpkin shapes. Some are more shaped than others, but they are quite cute to look at.

Opening the bag, the spice smell is very strong. Stronger than I thought it would be for marshmallows. I can smell cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The cloves seems to be the strongest scent and really stands out.

These are definitely pumpkin pie spiced, I could taste it right away. The taste of cloves is pretty strong, so if you enjoy cloves you’ll really like these. (I like them a lot and have been eating them casually ever since I bought them.)

There is no mistaking these for normal marshmallows, but the strong cloves taste could put some people off. (My sister was super excited for these, but she can’t get past the cloves.)

On a pumpkin-y scale of 1-5 (5 being extremely pumpkin-y) I would rate this a 2

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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