Pounding Santa Claus - Reese's Newest Peanut Butter Cup

Greetings! It's been awhile since I blogged here, but I'm hoping to fix that in the New Year. 2017 will mark a return to writing for me. Since I put in a special effort on my Christmas video on my YouTube channel, it seemed appropriate to get an early start on things.

So, anyone who does any grocery shopping around Christmas time will notice that all sorts of crazy products show up on the shelves to entice people to buy them. Sellers have that motivation - to create new things to justify getting ahold of our money. There's no time like a holiday for all sorts of interesting things to hit the shelves.

Reese's is no stranger to giant peanut butter cups. They've made them for years. What's new is making these giant 1 lb peanut butter cups in the shape of particular things, and not just the usual flying saucers. I enjoyed the peanut butter-filled rabbit they whipped up at Easter. I wondered if the company might try trotting out similar giant peanut-butter filled chocolate objects at other times of year.

Enter the giant 1 lb Santa. As a product, it is a no-brainer. Chocolate Santas have been a thing for years. Ever since I was a little kid, I've seen big chocolate Santas hit the store shelves every year. I've eaten a few, for purposes of full disclosure. I consider it a rite of passage for anyone who grew up in this country. Not a wholesome rite of passage, maybe, but a rite nonetheless.

It looks pretty. Shiny. And very dense. It feels like a brick in the palm of your hand. And sadly, the peanut butter to chocolate ratio on these giant peanut butter cups never matches the brilliance of the original normally-sized products. There's way too much peanut butter, and because there's so much of it, it feels exceptionally dry and powdery inside. The chocolate on the outer edges is ridiculously thick too. In some ways, it's not a pleasant eating experience. Chocolate will dry your mouth out quickly. Don't be like me - keep a drink handy. Your mouth and throat will thank you.

Is it worth $10? The food adventurer in me thinks so, but it's definitely not something you eat everyday (or see everyday) so I'd say it was worth a one-time go. We will have to see if Reese's brings it back next year. Can't say yet if I'd buy it again, but my dentist would be thrilled if I skipped out.

Any thoughts? Make sure to drop your comments in the discussion section! Everyone have a great rest of the week and I'll talk to you soon.

Farrell's 2012 Professional Eater's Contest

On July 15, Farrell's Ice Cream Parlours will bring back its annual Ice Cream Challenge for the third time. The event will be staged in Downtown Brea, along Birch Street. It will last all day and include community events.

For eaters, the actual event should be described as a contest. There will be a stage and several divisions in contention. The winner of each division will win a trophy and a year's supply of ice cream.

However, things are a little bit different when it comes to the brand new professional eaters' division. I discussed different ideas with Farrell's marketing team for months and, along with Matt Cohen, we finally came up with the current format.

Left: I hold all 3 ribbons signifying my prior completion of all 3 "Bellybuster" sundaes, making me a Triple Crown Champion. Right: Matt Cohen hoists the 2011 Men's Trophy

To qualify as a professional eater you'd need to consume a Pig's Trough (6-scoop sundae) in the fastest time possible. The 8 quickest qualifier times would then take on the 6 lb, 30 scoop Zoo Sundae at the final. Whoever finishes their Zoo first will win $500 and a year's worth of free ice cream.

So far, three people have qualified for the professional eater's division: Damon Wells, Kevin Ross, and myself. Matt Cohen (last year's men's champion) will qualify this Thursday night at a special event in the Mission Viejo location. Anyone else who wants to play has until July 5 to qualify for any division. You can stop by any location in Southern California to do so.

A Freak will also be appearing at the special event Thursday night in Mission Viejo. Cohen and I will be participating in a special radio broadcast with Tim Conway. My role is part of a donation fundraiser, in which donors give cash and guess my finish times on all 3 Bellybuster sundaes (basically all 6-scoop sundaes). The donors who most closely guess my times will win prizes.

The final event will benefit Children Hospital of Orange County and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Hopefully more people come out and eat for a cause. The pro division still has four empty slots!

Mellow Heart

Happy (belated) Valentine's Day.

Peeps, the makers of those sugary little chicks, trotted out a chocolate heart filled with raspberry-flavored marshmallow cream to mark the occasion.

It's an ounce of confectioner's bliss for under a dollar.

The texture of the creamy center reminds you of the legendary Peep, all spongy and such. It's a little dose of dessert at 110 calories.

It was new in 2011. Let's see if it comes back in 2012.

Maybe they'll market a bigger model.