Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Pretzels

As I mentioned on my other blog, it seems like the whole pumpkin thing has peaked. There's even a strong adverse reaction to pumpkin products now from some vocal consumers.

I admit, I've reviewed obscure products like Pumpkin Pie Mochi and loved every bite. But I certainly don't think it's a bad thing if pumpkin spice slows down a bit and makes way for things like apple cinnamon, apple cider, and butternut squash products.

"There's room for all the delicious flavors of fall," he said in a forced, dreamy announcer voice.

And there are some products that are simple and basic enough that it's a wonder they didn't exist sooner. Take these pretzels, for example. I know they're not brand new, but they also haven't been around for more than a few years, either. They just possess a classic essence—like something that your grandparents might have enjoyed long ago.

It makes me think of those Werther's commercials where the old dude is like, "After walking home 18 miles in a snowstorm, we used to sit by the fire and eat Werther's Originals for dinner back in 1908." And then the kid eats one and nods agreeably and acknowledges that maybe pappy isn't quite as bat-crap crazy as he had originally thought, because the candy doesn't taste as awful as he'd assumed.

These pretzels have that vibe. Except maybe I'll be the old dude in 2060 trying to get my descendants to eat some of these pumpkin pretzels.

"Man, what is it with old geezers and pumpkin spice stuff?" they'll wonder.

They're just normal crunchy salted pretzels with a white fudge coating and some pumpkin spices thrown in. They're sweet, salty, and definitely spicy. I'm actually surprised they have as much nutmeggy kick as they do. I would think that would drive away as many people as it would attract...but at least we know they're not just calling it "pumpkin spice" and then not delivering.

I think I'll tire of this flavor pretty soon and be perfectly happy with regular white fudge pretzels for the rest of the year—but just for seasonal consumption, this flavor is perfect.

Sonia and I both liked these a lot. I'd buy them again. $2.99 for the bag. Not bad.

I give these 8 out of 10 stars.

Simply Balanced Organic Cranberry Chocolate Flax Granola

It's been quite a while since we've reviewed any granola on this blog, though at one point, it was a very regular occurrence. I thought "cranberry chocolate" sounded kind of tasty, so I picked up this bag on my last Target run.

The base is the same style of granola we've seen in other Archer Farms and Simply Balanced products, but this particular flavor offers...you guessed it: chocolate and cranberries. It's fairly generous in the chocolate department, but extraordinarily stingy when it comes to the berries.

That's by far my biggest complaint about this product: a decided lack of cranberries. In fact, just look at the picture above. There's not a single cranberry in there. And I promise I didn't pick through the granola and remove the cranberries to prove my point. That picture is exactly the way the cereal poured into the bowl. There might be one or two bits of crantastic goodness hiding near the bottom, but that still isn't enough.

I've had two full bowls of the stuff and have only come across three dried cranberry halves in all that granola. I must admit that those three bites that contained cranberry were exceptional, but they're way too far and few between to enhance the cereal the way they should. Simply Balanced should either find a way to pack more cranberries into this product, or they should end the charade altogether and simply call this "chocolate flax granola."

All the many bites that don't contain cranberry are just fine, in fact, I'd consider this an above-average granola selection. But it's the principle of the thing. It's almost like a "bait and switch" tactic. They get you all pumped up for cranberries and chocolate and then make you settle for chocolate alone.

I'm torn between 6 and 7 stars. I guess I'll go with 7 since this product really is good with or without cranberries—and the bites that do contain cranberries...I'd give those a solid 8.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.