This semester has been a rough one, and I needed a serious holiday pick-me-up. What better way to get into the fall mood than to try all the limited-edition snacks from your local grocery store?!
- Apple Pie Flavored Apple Cider
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This one may be on me for even thinking this would be good in the first place. The artificiality hit me with such force I nearly spat the drink out. What I thought was going to be a slightly sweeter cider turned out to be so far from the original that I would legally argue they cannot even call it “apple cider.”
- Maple Creme Soda
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Yet another extremely artificial drink! This was super disappointing to me, as I am a big fan of cream soda. The maple taste threw me off immediately. It tasted like someone accidentally elbowed the worker pouring in the flavoring, and they just went with it. Fire that hypothetical worker!
- White Cheddar & Brown Sugar Caramel Popcorn Mix
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This one was…interesting. My one roommate bought a bag for us to try, and we all shared a similar expression of confusion after busting it open. Apparently, the flavors are separated into a white cheddar popcorn and a brown sugar caramel popcorn. To get the full experience, you need to constantly search for, find, and eat the two variations together. That is doing way too much, and none of us were big fans of the method.
- Caramel Apple Clusters
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This product has the opposite problem as the one above- the flavors need to be separated! It was almost uneasing to bite into the cluster, searching for apple bits, only to realize the caramel IS the apple flavor. I will say I am always a sucker for a sweet and salty combination, and the pretzels and chocolate delivered on that pretty well.
- Pumpkin Butter
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I am a sucker for a good Spread™. Unfortunately, fruit-butters tend to have a sort of unappetizing Midas touch; everything it touches turns…soggy? Still, give me a jar and a spoon, and I’m absolutely tearing this up.
- Scarecrow Crunch Trail Mix
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This trail mix variation is easily the best Giant Eagle has released. The bag is packed with honey-roasted peanuts, peanut butter M&M’s, milk chocolate marshmallow truffles, and puppy chow. I won’t lie: there are absolutely no health benefits and I only bought this for the puppy chow, but my god, it’s delicious. If I am not eating it straight from the bag, I love pairing the blend with some yogurt!
- Cinnamon Roll Popped Cakes
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Seeing this product on the shelves made me literally jump for joy. The cinnamon drizzle was delightfully sweet, and the cakes themselves were fresh and crunchy. For only 45 calories a pop, this sweet treat is an absolute must-have in my cabinet.
- Pumpkin Roll
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The fluffy pumpkin cake…the thick cream cheese frosting…the delicate touch of powdered sugar on top…wrapped into one delicious roll…I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. I have tried both Walmart and Giant Eagle’s Pumpkin Roll; GE takes the cake (*wink*). Somehow, it retains both its moisture and shape, without becoming too mushy where the cream cheese meets the cake. Unfortunately, pumpkin rolls always came off a little too bland for me, but I think I am discovering a new favorite.