TACO BELL Chicken Ranch Gordita

PROS: 89¢ gordita!
CONS: the ranch sauce is a hit or miss.

When I go to Taco Bell, I usually get a chalupa and a few items from the Value Menu but this new item really caught my eye. I love chicken, I love ranch sauce, put it together in a gordita shell and it should be all good right? This one was a tough one to decide. I would really give this a 3.5 but since I'm feeling generous, I am rounding up to a 4.

The big big plus is that this gordita goes for 89¢, while the usual gorditas on the menu can range from anywhere between $1-$2. Also, chicken in replace of beef usually cost more (I asked for a chicken hard shell taco and they charged me 50¢, maybe a bit much? well that's another story). If you do not know what a gordita shell is, it's like (or is) a flatbread; soft, chewy, and "pillowy."

The hit or miss on this is the ranch sauce. Most will ether love it or hate it. Personally, I was a bit confused. It just didn't seem to mix well with the gordita shell and Taco Bell ambiance. Maybe sour cream or some sort of cheese sauce would have been better.

I suggest you try this atleast once and you decide. If this was a regular priced gordita, I probably wouldn't get it again but for 89¢, I may give it a second thought. The price value really saved the rating.

TACO BELL Black Jack Taco

PROS: only 89¢
CONS: nothing really except that its a juiced up regular taco.

I saw the commercial for this and I ended up trying it out the next night. They were advertised to have a black hard taco shell and pepperjack cheese.

The taste was a step up from a regular beef taco. I was neither shocked or disappointed because it was what I expected and exactly tasted as advertised. The black taco shell taste no different from the original color but I already expected that. The pepperjack sauce is pretty good. It gives a nice smooth heat taste to the taco without being too overwhelming.

The best part is that it is only 89¢! i bought three and it was well worth it. This taco has a great value and an awesome way to satisfy the midnight munchies.

PALMER Mini Peanut Butter Cups

PROS: peanut butter and chocolate goodness.
CONS: maybe a bit too sweet?

I received this as a gift. I love Reese's or anything similar and since these are mini's, I can have handfuls at a time.

They really do taste like Reese's or any other peanut butter cup brand. I love the taste but maybe its a bit too sweet? I can only eat a few a a time because two handfuls are a bit too much. I was warned though, as they advertise "Tiny Cups with a BIG Peanut Butter Taste!" I know some people will love these.

I recommend this product to peanut butter cup lovers.

Kashi Cereal Honey Puffed - 10.75oz

PROS: a healthier cereal.
CONS: taste like cardboard.

I saw a commercial on TV for a free sample of this. I tried it out and received the sample pretty fast.

The shape of the honey puffs resemble that of Cap'n Crunch cereal, almost exactly. The box advertised them having a "sweet kiss of honey." I immediately thought that it would taste like Honey Nut Cheerios. Well that kiss of honey must have been from a frog or something because I barely tasted any honey flavor and was overwhelmed with the taste of cardboard.

I was very disappointed. Honey Nut Cheerios has an aftertaste of cardboard also but the honey taste makes you forget about that. The honey puffs also had an almost-stale-like texture. I don't know if it was the "good-for-you" ingredients or if the box was sitting at the back of a shelf of a warehouse for a few months.

This was a free sample after all so maybe that's why it tasted so horrible. Maybe the large boxes taste better but after this experience, I don't think I will ever buy it.

BIC Brite Liner Liquid Highlighter

PROS: visible ink supply.
CONS: ink supply runs out fast.

This highlighter writes decently and dries quickly as advertised. However, the ink supply seems to run out fast. I went through a whole pen with minimal highlighting. Also, I always recapped the pen but the ink seems to evaporate away. The chiseled tip is a plus because you can highlight whole lines or just underline words. The grip is a nice touch too.

The visible ink supply is great but who want's to see the ink run out after minimal use?

PAPERMATE Pink Pearl Eraser

PROS: gets the job done
CONS: none really, but what does Pink Pearl mean?

I originally bought this cause it was on sale. The eraser is pretty good. It get's the job done and erases pencil marks 95-100% of the way.

It leaves eraser debris but most erasers that erase cleanly do that. I've used cheap erasers that feel like they're made out of plastic and all they do is smudge the pencil marks.

It's a great eraser and the angled edges help with precision erasing. I don't get why its named Pink Pearl though..

Hagen Marina Betta Kit, Zen Theme

PROS: attractive design
CONS: pebbles, top opening is too large

I bought this tank for my betta a year ago. It has a very simple and modern design that is very attractive. The kit comes with the tank, lid, background, pebbles, food, water conditioner, and "zen rocks." Other kits may have have plants instead of the zen rocks.

Though it is very attractive to the eye, the ideal home for a betta should be in a larger tank. The small pebbles that came with the kit are very cheap, so cheap that they are very prone to floating; they almost feel hallow. I ended up putting in my own colored rocks along with small bamboo plants.

Some other pluses are the water conditioner which is a must, and a wall mount if you want to hang the tank on the wall. The main concern I had was the large opened top because betta fish can literally "jump" out of the tank. (In case you didn't know, betta fish originally spent their time in rice patties and would jump from location to location)

SUPERPRETZEL Softstix

PROS: cheese.
CONS: cheese is rather pasty than melty.

I love dipping warm soft pretzels in cheese so what can be better? How about cheese-stuffed pretzels? I gave these a shot and I was a bit disappointed.

I followed the microwave directions and the pretzels always seem to cook unevenly. Sometimes a portion will still be cool while another side is warm. More than half the time, the cheese would pop out and ooze out of the pretzel, leaving the center with little cheese.

My immediate thought was that when the pretzels were ready to eat, warming gooey cheese would ooze out. Turns out, the cheese filling is more like a peanut butter consistency so its more like a "cheese paste." The picture on the box is also misleading because there is barely any cheese in the center, just a coating on the inner walls.

All in all, they're "average" and I guess that is what you expect from frozen foods. Regardless of the small amount of cheese and consistency, they taste pretty decent. I suggest to sticking with buying warm soft pretzels and then dipping them in melted cheese yourself. That way, you can have the cheese-to-pretzel ratio you want.

THE NORTH FACE Neutron 32 Backpack

PROS: plenty of room and pockets, accessory compartment for hydration bladder or laptop
CONS: shoulder straps back strain

The North Face brand delivers great quality in all their backpacks. I received this one as a gift (red) and it was great to carry around campus with all my books and laptop even though it is more of a camping/hiking backpack.

The thing I like best about this backpack is that there is a zippered compartment in the back which can fit either a 15" or so laptop or a hydration bladder. There are side meshes to carry water bottles and sorts. This pack also came with a waterproof covering that can be tucked in the bottom hidden zipper compartment. The mesh pocket in the front is great for quickly stashing things like loose papers and such. The back is lined comfortably with padded material.

The only real flaw of this backpack were the shoulder straps. They are comfortable at first but after awhile, the extra "handle attachment" at the top starts to put strain on your upperback/lower neck. Because of that extra "handle" the pack does not really lay flush on your back, thus minimizing the effect of the back-saver feature that is common in most North Face backpacks.

White Laminated Drafting Table - Coaster 2456

PROS: simple clean design, adjustable angle surface
CONS: could use more cubby space

I am currently using this table. It has a nice simple design and it is pretty sturdy. It was very easy to put together (I was able to put it together without the directions). There's not much to say about it, except that there could be some more cubby space somehow.

HEADPHONES MONKEY POSTER STEEZ 24" X 36" #ST4155

PROS: It's a monkey... with headphones.
CONS: Won't like if you're afraid of monkeys.

I bought this poster three years ago coming into my freshman year of college. This poster is just awesome. Its a monkey wearing a pair of headphones facing you. The monkey has has his chin resting on his palm in a thinking posture, resembling "The Thinker" sculpture.

Everyone I knew in college noticed and loved this poster when they went by my room. Buy it.

North Face Surge Pack - S09

PROS: comfortable, plenty of space, dedicated laptop pocket
CONS: pricey

I've had this bag for a week now to replace my old one of many years. I trust The North Face brand and quality. This bag is especially comfortable on the back and I barely feel the weight of my books (as compared to my old bag).

I managed to get this bag for a great deal which sealed the deal to finally purchase this back. There are so many features like a dedicated laptop pocket (17"), another pocket, a smaller pocket, a small accessory pocket, side pockets, side compressors, etc.

George Foreman GR20BWWHT Indoor Grill

PROS: cook grilled foods indoor
CONS: one heat setting

I bought a similar silver George Foreman Grill many years ago, around the time when it first came out. It can be used to cook many things including a variety of meats and vegetables. My favorite use for it is to make panini or grilled cheese sandwiches.

It is as advertised, a "lean mean fat reducing machine." I never had the incident where too much fat was taken out that the food was dry. The only bad side to this early model is that it only has one heat setting (on). However, newer models have different heat settings.