Simply Balanced Sparkling Peach Mango Juice Beverage

I think the only reason I didn't enjoy this drink quite as much as the Cranberry Cherry and Grapefruit Juice drinks is because it's just a bit unfamiliar to me. The grapefruit version was not just similar to, but an improvement upon, Wink, Squirt, Fresca, or any other citrus soda. The cranberry version was vaguely reminiscent of cranberry ginger ale to me. A comparison doesn't immediately pop into mind for this juice-sweetened beverage.

I like peach in pretty much any context. I like chunks of actual mango fruit with chili powder, but mango-flavored products are hit or miss. Although I think this drink might have been stronger had Target just aimed for a "peach" flavor, it's definitely not bad the way it is. Plus, adding "mango" to the title of a product makes it sound so much more exotic, don't you think?

As is the case with all of these new Simply Balanced drinks, I think the really brilliant thing about this product is that it's totally juice-sweetened. I'm really not sure why this trend hasn't caught on on a much bigger scale than it has. I'm sure it's a tad more expensive to use juice than high fructose corn syrup, but I think most people would be willing to shell out a tiny bit more money if they knew how much better it was for them.

I'm gonna give this product 7 stars, because I definitely liked the other flavors a little better, but it's really probably more like 7 and a half. Definitely worth a purchase.

Archer Farms Sriracha Potato Chips

In a previous post, I mentioned that I'm a big fan of Sriracha. And fortunately for these chips, they taste a lot more like the tangy Thai condiment than the Garlic, Ginger & Sriracha Wontons did.

These chips are spicy, like a product with the word "Sriracha" in its title should be. They have all the great qualities of kettle-cooked homestyle chips, but with a massive extra kick of flavor. They're very crispy, and if you pay attention, you can taste that traditional kettley, potato-y taste underneath the fermented zest of Sriracha.

It leaves your tongue tingling for a few minutes after consumption. And I mean that in the best way possible. I'm looking forward to trying that new Subway Sriracha Melt with these chips on the side. I'm pretty sure I've seen a Lay's brand Sriracha chip, which I haven't tried yet, but I can't imagine them being much better than these.

If you like spicy foods, but you're not familiar with Sriracha sauce, this might be a good "gateway" food for you. It's definitely not like Mexican chili powder or Indian curry spice. It is its own flavor. But the familiarity of the potato chips might help with the transition into unknown territory.

Although this whole Sriracha craze is fairly new, I'm hoping products like this are here to stay. My wife was a fan as well.

I give this product 8 out of 10 stars.