REVIEW: Limited Edition PB&J Oreo & I Need A Better Game Plan When I Meet People For The First Time
JFG Nation, I think I’m a pretty nice person. No, that sounds douche-y. Ok…I generally think that in my every day life, I tend to be a pleasant person. That sounds qualified enough. I’m amiable, I like to root for people around me, I tend to take things in stride. But I do have one area of social fail: I am horrible when caught off guard.
Case in point: yesterday I’m shopping at my favorite grocery store, Wegmans. I’m looking down at my phone / grocery list, when I hear someone say, “Are you Junk Food Guy?” I turn to see a really tall guy (counterpoint: I’m really short) looking at me. Now, usually when someone asks if I’m the Junk Food Guy, I’m half expecting it to be a friend of mine – because I don’t think anyone would recognize me otherwise. After all, there are 2.6 billion Asians in the world 😉
Anyways, I’m looking at this guy, who is super polite, and I’m trying to figure out, “Do I know you….do I know you….?” I’m not placing the face, and at this point there’s definitely a good 3-4 seconds of silence. I am standing there, nodding, smiling, not saying anything. Say something, Eric. SAY SOMETHING THE SILENCE IS BUILDING HE ASKED YOU A QUESTION SAY SOMETHING.
“I, uh, yeah I write that blog.” WHAT. Did you just stammer??
“Cool, I’m a big fan,” and he sticks out his hand to shake mine. I shake it and stammer/mutter, again, “I, uh…thanks. I’m Eric.” Wow.
I WANT to say something like, “Thanks for reading!” but that seems oddly silly at that moment. I should ask the guy his name, I think? WHY AM I SO BAD AT THIS.
“Nice to meet you” I half-mutter-stammer-spit out as he walks away. The guy’s mom (I think) says cheerfully, “You’re the reason we go in circles in this store looking for things!” Which is an awesome comment. That’s the sort of thing I love to hear! I wanted to high five her. I wanted to say SOMETHING witty.
Instead, I think I said (BECAUSE I WAS IN A FOG): “It’s probably because I tag this store so many times in my pictures!” Which is a sort-of nonsensical response, because it presumes that they follow my IG, not the blog, or something. What am I even typing right now? I have NO IDEA what I was saying. They were two awesome people, and I was a babbling moron.
And then the interaction ended. The JFGal walked up and asked, “Did that guy recognize you?”
“uh…yeah. That was cool.”
“Do you get recognized often?” my wife asks.
And the truth is, obviously no! It’s a big world, and it’s a rarity, right? So, to the guy out there who said hello yesterday, thanks man! You made my day, I was super flattered, and you and your mom seemed really nice. I hope you find all the greatest junk foods in this world…or at least in Germantown, MD.
I need a better game plan when I get caught off guard like that. I’m not talking about just in relation to this blog – the other day at work, I was caught off caught because someone was asking for me WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ASKING FOR ME and I completely blew this person off because I didn’t recognize them. Picture the above interaction, but more rude. That was me. Because I didn’t know how to react to the question, “Hey, are you Eric?” NO GO AWAY I’M CALLING THE POLICE.
In one situation, I become a wide eyed not-able-to-speak grown adult, in the other situation, I became a complete jerk. Who knows what’ll happen when I get caught off guard next??
Some of the best people I know KNOW how to roll with situations like this – super patient, but also able to react without 3-4 seconds of silent nodding. How do you handle situations like this? Do you get flustered? Are you able to respond to situations quickly without looking like a weirdo? Let me know in the comments below.
Today’s junk food: Limited Edition PB&J Oreo!!
I just want to say, I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly. I love peanut butter and jelly.
I’ve eaten PB&J for breakfast probably 1/3 of my days on this planet. I know what I want, I know what flavor I’m going for. I’ve reviewed plenty of peanut butters on this blog, some jellies, I’ve reviewed lots of PB&J snacks, so I’m hopeful for these Oreos. A long time coming, no?
DO THESE TASTE GOOD? In one sense, YES, but in another sense, just yes.
WHY OR WHY NOT? I opened the package and sniffed and got a weird combo of Golden Oreo and sweet peanut powder and fake berry smell. The aroma wasn’t the strong point of these cookies, I’ll just say.
I took a bite, and I’ll give the first reaction: these tasted good! The Golden Oreo was sweet, crunchy, tasty. The peanut butter creme, when I sampled it alone, was very sweet – sweeter than the normal PB creme Oreo uses, with some added salt. The berry creme was fine; it was essentially the raspberry creme found in the Jelly Donut Oreos.
All combined, these tasted good. A bit of berry, a bit of salty peanut, a lot of sweet crunchy Golden Oreo – like the Jelly Donut Oreos, these were an Oreo capturing the essence of PB&J. Tasty tasty tasty. Everything I expected Oreo to deliver. Really good. Golf clap, Oreo. Golf clap.
ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW? Ok, so that was the YES review. Here is the just “yes” review: While I liked these, I wanted a mouth orgasm and I didn’t have it. Look, it’s a great cookie and I’ll chomp the whole package. But when we talk execution, there’s one thing that can’t be ignored: the Golden Oreo fights the flavor of the PB&J. It’s sweet and crunchy and good. But it ain’t bread. While white bread can be sorta sweet, it still allows the PB&J to come through. Here the PB&J flavor took a few chews to come through once it was able to emerge from behind the Golden Oreo.
I KNOW you can make a saltier peanut creme, Mondelez/Nabisco! I’ve seen you do it in Nutter Butters! And I know you can amp up the berry fruit flavor BECAUSE YOU MAKE SOUR PATCH KIDS. I know you have the capability. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO BLOW THE DOORS OF THIS COOKIE, but chose to keep it safe. Look, you came up with a tasty tasty cookie. But you hit home runs with the Reese’s Oreos and the Marshmallow Crispy Oreos because you weren’t afraid of taking a risk – why not now? WHY NOT NOW?
I’m being nitpicky, but it’s only because I’ve eaten a billion PB&Js and I know what I’m looking for. I wanted that distinct intersection between the peanut butter and the jelly that happens on my tongue and that we’re all familiar with. I didn’t get that here. I got a great Oreo with the perfect essence of PB&J…but I wanted more.
PURCHASED AT: Harris Teeter, Rockville Pike, MD.
WHERE FOUND IN STORE? Big cardboard display as soon as you walk into the entrance.
COST? $3 on sale.
Sincerely,
The JFG
Discuss - 10 Comments
Oh yeah I got flustered when I met you at the SFFS! I was like NO WAY! It funny that sometimes I am at the Capitol Hill for meetings/tours and I see a senator/rep walking by and I get flustered because they look different in person. On TV they put on make-up or the lighting changes their tone. Same idea with celebrities you get all star-struck.
I don’t get flustered very easily, I’m usually pretty on point when it comes to random interactions. I’m one of those guys where if you put me in a room full of strangers, I’ll know half of their life stories in a hour and they will definitely all know mine. My wife hates it because she is shy, but I strike up conversations with EVERYONE.
One thing I am TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE with are names. I meet someone, they introduce themselves, and literally 2 seconds later I can’t tell you their name. It’s like when they say their name their voice shifts into the grown-ups voices on Charlie Brown cartoons.
when I am visiting Buffalo people approach me all the time. They are always my old students who grew up. I couldn’t tell you their name for a million dollars. Fake it all the way with a huge smile! I have two packages of these Oreos that I haven’t opened. I mean….is anything better than a P & J sandwiched between two Ritz crackers??….no….why do I need a cookie messing the whole thing up!
The package — They seem unduly proud of the fact that these cookies are ARTIFICIALLY FLAVORED. Is there some regulation that requires them run that notice in a larger typeface than everything except the name of the cookie?
I’ve gotten the fortunate opportunity to get to know a few local celebrities and some of them when you first meet them seem like the biggest jackasses. Get to know them and you learn that they just don’t have the people skills.
I do have to say that as my social media presence grows, I’m getting recognized around my gym more often.
im sort of on the radio out here in california and the 2 best questions i always ask listeners when i meet them are “how long have you been listening?” and “how did you find out about the show?”
this will lead them to begin talking about the show (the 1 thing we right away have in common) and what they love about it and the conversation flows from there.
so just customize it to your deal: “how long have you been reading the blog?” and “how did you find out about it?”
easy peezy. they obviously have affection for you. so make them feel comfy and the conversation will flow. =)
im sort of on the radio out here in california and the 2 best questions i always ask listeners when i meet them are “how long have you been listening?” and “how did you find out about the show?”
this will lead them to begin talking about the show (the 1 thing we right away have in common) and what they love about it and the conversation flows from there.
so just customize it to your deal: “how long have you been reading the blog?” and “how did you find out about it?”
easy peezy. they obviously have affection for you. so make them feel comfy and the conversation will flow. =)
Funny, a few weeks ago my friends and I were just talking about combos Oreo could do like PB&J. From the looks of the cream it might be better to take the wafers and add your own peanut butter and jelly.
I know if someone approached me and I didn’t recognize them, I would be nervously edging away with a smile plastered on my face, gauging whether or not they would be a threat and trying to remember if I met them before but forgot.
It’s happened a few times where I don’t immediately recognize someone I haven’t seen in a while or only met a few times but remember AFTER they’ve left. Thanks brain, where were you when I was freezing over?!
I just need to not be nervous and get my bearings together quicker.
This seems like the best advice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAXnikgHTK0
Just tried them. I liked it, but extra crunchy peanut butter would have been better.