Favorite Day Caramel Macchiato Trail Mix

If a person who makes alcoholic beverages is a bartender (or mixologist) and a person who makes coffee beverages is a barista, then what would you call a person who makes trail mixes? It's every bit as much an art form if you ask me. I think that person needs a fancy title. Hmmm. Let's go with "trailblazer." Trailmixblazer? Nah. Too clunky. Mixblazer? Maybe.

At any rate, this caramel macchiato offering takes the art of trail mix creation to a whole 'nother level. This is some fancy, tasty shizzle right here. The opened bag actually smells like fresh-brewed coffee. Maybe it's the coffee-glazed pecans. Maybe it's the coffee-dusted white chocolate coffee beans. I'll have the "coffee, coffee, pecans, white chocolate coffee beans, and coffee" please. In case you forgot to have your morning cuppa Joe, you can get caffeinated with this product for sure. And it's VERY tasty...

Chocolate pretzel balls: They're not really balls. More like oblate spheroids. But if you like chocolate pretzels, you won't be disappointed. It's kind of a dark-ish chocolate, fyi.

Coffee-glazed pecans: Sweet and full of rich coffee flavor. Also nutty. Who'd have guessed?

Coffee-dusted white chocolate coffee beans: These are literally coffee beans dusted with more coffee. Coffee-lovers, rejoice. Also, there's some white chocolate in there for sweetness.

Salted caramel praline almonds: They're not whole almonds. They're like miniature almond shards coated in some delicious caramel candy stuff. I wish they were way bigger.

Peanuts: Self-explanatory

Caramel cashews: They're salted cashews slathered in a thin candy glaze which actually does taste like caramel.

All together these ingredients make a fabulous indulgent pick-me-up. I'm honestly shocked how much I like it, considering I'm no coffee connoisseur. The wife concurs this is astoundingly good. I think we'll bestow it with only the second perfect score EVER on this blog.

I give this caramel macchiato trail mix a perfect 10 stars.

Archer Farms Cheesecake Bites Collection

I had seen these at multiple Target stores on many different occasions. I'm not sure why I never tried them up until now. It might have been the $5.99 price tag or the fact that I've never been thoroughly wowed by pre-packaged grocery store cheesecake before. There was just something that always scared me away.

But I've made it through a good many of Target's desserts and reviewed them all here on this blog. So it was only a matter of time until I broke down, splurged, and bought this pack of what turned out to be a variety of really amazing cheesecakes.

Each of these flavors was excellent. However, my wife and I both agree that raspberry swirl was best. I thought the New York style was a very close second, but Sonia liked the turtle a little better.

I thawed them according to the directions. I assumed they would be a little harder and colder in the middle, but miraculously, they were evenly thawed the whole way through. Everything from the crust to the creamy cheesecake was incredible. Both taste and texture were just about perfect. I'd call these things restaurant-quality. And not like day-old cheesecake from a dumpy diner quality...like pretty close to Cheesecake Factory quality.

If I wanted to nitpick, I could dock some points for fat content, but hey, it's cheesecake. It's not supposed to be good for you, it's just supposed to taste really good. And it does. I would seriously consider serving these at a fancy shindig, or even a wedding. And finally, I think it's time to give out my first perfect score.

10 out of 10 stars.