Review: Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips & Sports Heart Update / Grumpy Grumpity Grump / Ask JFG
Well, Junk Food Nation, where am I at on the sports-enthusiasm scale, out of 10? I’d say a 3 right now. I’ve lost my zeal for hockey of late, so the fact that the first puck drops tomorrow or something has zippy impact on me. The Nats implosion left me feeling empty, and no, I’m not just going to switch my allegiances to the O’s. Football is in full swing, and my Bills are bound to crush my heart sometime this season. Not a college football fan, really. Right now, all of my sports zeal is on the Wizards…who don’t really start playing until the end of this month. So….yeah. What else is going on?
Awh, forget it. I can’t pretend I’m not super bummed by last night’s result, leaving me pretty much not enthused to discuss anything in particular. How about we just make today’s post an “Ask JFG” segment? Ask me a question in the comments below, and I’ll answer it – anything you want. You might get a really grumpy answer, but you’ll get an answer. So ….let ’em rip!
In the meantime – today’s junk food: Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips!
Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips: The Money Shot
Junk Food Nation, there was a good stretch over the summer where I was eating pita chips ALL THE TIME. Dipping them in hummus? Yum yum yum. And I kept rationalizing that it was healthy – “it’s HUMMUS!” I’d exclaim, as I went in for my fourteenth handful. Turns our, these pita chips turn directly into fat just fine, thank you. Eventually I had to have an intervention with myself and put the pita chips down.
And then came Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips. Damn you, Stacy’s.
Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips: SALTED
Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips are the first limited edition pita chip I’ve eaten since their Simply Gingerbread edition I tried almost three years ago. Took you long enough, Stacy’s.
Still, I’m not QUITE sure these are new – but they’re new to me. So let’s do this.
Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips: 130 per serving
Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips: Molasses!
Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips contain all the things I like – brown sugar, sugar, organic cane sugar, molasses and….rosemary??? INTERESTING, Stacy’s. Interesting.
Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips: Lots of air bubbles
Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips smelled great – like their normal pita chips, I immediately got that nice and yeasty, bread-y smell. Lots of butter-y notes, and this bag also had a distinctly sugar-y smell as well. Sort of like smelling pancakes, or waffles, or sugar cookies – that sweet dough aroma. It’s awesome.
Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips: MMMMMM toasty
I popped a bunch of these Limited Edition Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips and was in love. Not QUITE the Auntie Anne’s pretzel taste I got from the Salted Caramel Snyder’s Sweet and Salty Pretzel Pieces, but similarly delicious.
The pita chip itself is nice and light and plenty crunchy, like standard Stacy’s pita chips. There’s plenty of air bubbles in the dough which helps keep these chips light, and they are toasted to a crisp so the dough gives a nice toasted flavor. Everyone loves white bread toast because it just has that distinct toast flavor – these did too.
As for the salted caramel flavor? I wouldn’t characterize this QUITE like caramel, but there was just a great sweet/salty flavor. The sweet was almost buttery sweet, like I was eating a flattened sugar cookie, or like one of these sugar cookie Pringles Stix – It was sweet without being TOO sweet. If caramel = burnt sugar, then I do this this chip accomplished that flavor.
The sweetness was perfectly balanced/curbed by the presence of salt, which helped bring out the best savory/sweet notes possible. Sort of like kettle corn flavor, but on a pita chip. With lots of butter. Sort of like eating flat, crunchy pancakes.
And that’s basically it – a really nice combo of sweet and salty. And put it all on an enriched wheat flour chip? Excellent. I have to hide these somewhere.
PURCHASED AT: Safeway, Waterfront Metro, DC.
COST: $3.00
Thoughts? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. I also have Google+!! Let’s hang out.
Sincerely,
Junk Food Guy
Discuss - 20 Comments
My question for JFG is why Matt Williams is such an idiot when managing his bullpen. WHY?????
@Lindemann: Yeah I don’t know why you don’t pull Thornton in that spot. Then again, I don’t understand why Barrett can’t keep the ball up in the zone, or why Ramos can’t get his body in front of the ball either. Some questions remain a mystery,
Have you tried the Cheetos white cheddar Bag of Bones yet?
THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!
@Brit: I haven’t – I see those gimmicky shapes and I’m turned off, although I shouldn’t because white cheddar Cheetos sound like the bomb. I may need to pick these up – thanks for reminding me.
Here’s a curveball, Eric… Not sure if you’ve answered this before (you probably have), but what are your thoughts on reviewing alcoholic beverages? I ask this now because you’re obviously big on trying seasonal/pumpkin products and, as with many food products, the booze market rolls out a ton of seasonal/pumpkin varieties.
While I’m not a beer fan at all, I’m a huge hard cider drinker and hard cider makers get very much into the seasonal/limited/hard to find game this time of the year, as well.
Just curious. Think it could be interesting.
@John R. – Oh, I have no problem reviewing alcoholic beverages! Heck I drink plenty of them – the reason I don’t is mainly because I feel like there are a bunch of blogs already out there covering specifically booze, and since I do very few drink reviews on this blog to begin with, just trying to keep the content consistent. I’m not opposed to it, however, and if there is a good crazy pumpkin flavor out there, I’d have no problem slapping a review up here.
JFG, what’s your favorite sandwich?
@CannedWalrus: Christ where do I even begin? In terms of ones I make myself, I tend to be a kitchen-sink guy. Always on toasted pumpernickel bread, always with mustard and mayo and red onion. But other than that? Load it up – meats, cheeses, veggies, eggs, imitation meats. Go nuts.
As for favorite sandwich OUT, if its a good lunch spot, I tend to ALWAYS go for the fried chicken. Fried chicken is one of those things I don’t make at home which I ALWAYS try to get on a sandwich. My friend gets on me for always ordering fried chicken sandwiches, even at places like Fuddruckers. Whatever.
Among my favorite types of sandwiches are good-ole-Turkey club (lots of bacon), a nice Cuban sandwich (with the pickle and mustard), and cheesesteaks (my favorite being from Hoagei Haven in Princeton, NJ).
@JFG: Good stuff. You guys should do a “fave type of sandwich” segment on the Nosh Show. You could talk about your favorite types as well as your favorite fast food sandwiches or what you get when you go out
@Canned Walrus – what about you? Fave sandwich?
@ John R. – Have you tried the Pumpkin Cider yet? The first drink is not so good but then you get the feel for it and it is all down hill. Good stuff.
@JFG – Why don’t you jump on the feelgood story of the playoffs bandwagon and be a Royals fan for the next week? They probably won’t make it past the O’s, but if they do – oh boy. That what speed do.
Ask JFG: Best new TV show worth DVRing? I have to go with Gotham which I just caught up on yesterday when home sick. That and Brooklyn 99 seem to be money in the bank.
And being a junkie of dips and as you know, cereals.. what is your favorite homemade or store bought dip?
Agree with you on the scale for sports right now, I have been spoiled in the past with the Yankees being a playoff stalwart. And who knows what to expect from one week to the next with the Dolphins.
(For the review, wasn’t chocolate a limited variety same time as gingerbread)
@Marc P: AAAHHH, sorry! I don’t know how I missed this one! Sorry man.
Best new show for me is How to Get Away with Murder. It’s more like a trashy teen show than anything else, but I have to admit, I’m sort of hooked. The law element helps.
I’m still lukewarm on Gotham. The surrounding characters are good, it’s actually Gordon and Wayne which are the most boring to me right now.
Favorite Dip – homemade salsa that my girlfriend makes is the best. As far as store-bought – hmmmmm. That’s a tough call….I actually rarely buy dips. In general, however, I like veggie dip for carrots and celery. I know that’s a boring answer.
Like you, I’m down to rooting for the Royals. Sigh.
And yes, I do think chocolate pita chips existed at some point…
I couldn’t resist busting chops my man. I will have to give that show a chance, the wife was also interested in giving it a try.
Gotham I really like except for any scene with Jada Smith. She is not an Oscar winner to say the least. By far the best part is the development of key characters.
Just hope they do Joker justice with two of the best cinematic performances of all time with the movie Jokers.
@Marc P: HTGAWM is definitely trash, to be sure – it’s no True Detective, etc. But its enjoyable trash nonetheless.
After the Balloon Man episode, Gotham is on the uptick. Yeah not a fan of Fish Mooney. My main problem is that the show keeps on shifting what it is….maybe this new Arkham wrinkle will help add some intrigue.
JFG – were you in Pizza Hut’s Book It?
What’s your favorite burger toppings?
Who has the best french fries excluding McDonald’s?
How tall are you?
What are your favorite sports to play?
What team do you despise the most?
Do you swear as much on your blog as you do in real life? 😛
@MP:
Definitely part of Book-It. I was a Personal Pan Pizza champion
I like various TYPES of burgers, but in general I just like onion/pickle/ketchup/mustard/cheese. I’ve really stopped doing lettuce/tomato on burgers.
Best fries…hmmm….I’m partial to Arby’s Curly Fries. Or really, their potato cakes, which I’m not sure if that’s on the menu anymore.
5’10”! haha, I wish…I’m shorter than 5’10”
Fav sports to PLAY = soccer. And poker 😉
It’s hard to say I REALLY hate any team, since I understand the overall picture of most sports. It’s like, yeah, as a Yankees fan, I’m not a fan of the Red Sox, but do I actually hate the team itself? Most people I think just get annoyed by the opposing fan base, but I don’t put that on the teams. I think for the longest time I disliked the Patriots – divisional rival and always winning. But whenever they are bad, I’m not, like, thrilled, bc I don’t really care about them that much.
I swear WAY more in real life.
I’m not a fan of them at all.
@K: MORE FOR ME! lol – jk. Yeah, to each their own 🙂
left me hanging brother. go royals as well.