DC's Strong Berry & Cinnamon Bolts

I must have missed these cereals the first time around, because I found these two boxes at second run stores within about a month of their expiration date. I actually found one at one store, saw an ad for the other on the side of the box, and thought to myself, "I'm never gonna find the other one." But then I went to the next store, and there it was! I was so relieved!

Cinnamon Bolts features The Flash, and Strong Berry celebrates your choice of Superman or Supergirl, depending on which side of the box you favor (in a cereal box version of the "double A-side"). These cereals remind me of the Superman and Batman cereals they had several years ago (probably a promotion for the Batman v. Superman movie from 2016). I don't recall those cereals being very good, but intriguingly, these feature the words "Cap'n Crunch" on the box. Let's see how they taste!

Name: Strong Berry
Variation: Cap'n Crunch?
Manufacturer: Quaker Oats

Review: I have to say, I was really hoping this cereal would taste just like Cap'n Crunch, or maybe even Oops! All Berries, because it looks just like Red, White & Blue Crunch, except with the pieces in the shape of triangular loops (like the field against which the 'S' in Superman's symbol sits). But instead, it's just... plain. Like the kind of cereal you would expect a company named "Quaker Oats" to make if you didn't know they were responsible for Cap'n Crunch. If there's any strawberry flavor at all, it's not berry strong. They could have gone with a proven formula, but instead we get this? What's the point?

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Udderly plain...

Name: Cinnamon Bolts
Variation: Definitely not Cap'n Crunch
Manufacturer: Quaker Oats

Review: Before I tried Strong Berry, when I still thought these cereals were based on Cap'n Crunch, I was very curious to try this one, because I've never seen a cinnamon version of Cap'n Crunch before. But it's just another basic, oat-based cereal, with a subdued cinnamon flavor. The lightning bolt-shaped pieces are really neat, though - Pikachu ought to take note. Between these two cereals, I think this is the better one, but it's not very good, either.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Mildly cinnamon.

Trix Silly Rabbit

Name: Trix Silly Rabbit Turned Milk Pink
Variation: Trix
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This is regular* Trix with a color-changing milk effect - albeit one that was slower and subtler than I expected. I tried photographing it, but it was barely noticeable in pictures, and it really wasn't until I got to the end of the bowl that it looked noticeably pink. Still, it's a fun effect. And it's Trix - which, for a fruity cereal, is good (if not great).

*When I say "regular", I mean the version with fruity shapes, and not the one with spherical puffs. I find it interesting that so many people remember the fruity shapes as the "original" version from their youth, even though Trix started out with spherical puffs, and for some reason, that's the version I remember as "the original". (I did a little research, and the cereal seems to have gone back and forth over the years). To me, the fruity shapes are the new-fangled version. But, I think I'm finally coming around to them, because they do look nice.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Pink and fruity.

Lucky Charms Magic Gems

Name: Lucky Charms Magic Gems
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Lucky Charms introduces a new marshmallow! Taste-wise, it's the Lucky Charms you're used to, so my rating is going to hinge on how I like the new marshmallow. And unlike the "galaxy" marshmallows in Galactic Lucky Charms, which were vague and overly complicated, the magic gem is not only simple and visually appealing (I love the diamond-like rainbow "sparkles"), but thematically a brilliant addition to Lucky's charms. Whether or not it maintains its scarcity remains to be seen, but I for one would welcome it joining the regular lineup.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Only slightly marshmallow-y.

[Flashback] Girl Scouts Thin Mints & Caramel Crunch

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Thin Mints & Caramel Crunch
Variation: Girl Scouts
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Let me preface this review by saying that I am a big fan of Girl Scout cookies, and think that they should license their cookies for tie-ins with more products. Especially ice cream. Every year I buy a few boxes of cookies and use them to make Girl Scout cookie milkshakes. I noticed that Dairy Queen has started advertising Thin Mint blizzards the past couple springs. Though I do like Thin Mints, mint isn't my favorite companion to chocolate - that would be peanut butter, which is why Tagalongs are my favorite Girl Scout cookie.

Suffice to say, I was very excited when I saw these two versions of Girl Scout cookies in cereal form, back in early 2017, imitating what I believe are the Girl Scouts' two most popular cookies - Thin Mints and Samoas. I like Samoas, too (mmm, toasted coconut), but I prefer them in smaller doses. What I remember of these cereals is that I, predictably, liked Thin Mints better than Caramel Crunch. I'd love to see them both in stores again, because I think I'm due for a reappraisal of their merits. And if they made a Tagalong cereal? Goddess be praised!

Rating: 🥣🥣

Nutty Buddy

Name: Nutty Buddy
Variation: Little Debbie
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: So, I wasn't totally thrilled with the other two versions of Little Debbie cereals I tried last year, but if ever there were a Little Debbie snack I'd want in the form of a cereal, Nutty Buddy bars would be it. Lo and behold! I was very excited when I found this cereal, and could hardly wait to try it. Chocolate and peanut butter? How can it go wrong? Well, let's put Little Debbie in the kitchen and see what happens. Remember how her Cosmic Brownies turned out?

You know how some foods have an aftertaste? Well, this cereal has a weird "beforetaste". I'm not even sure how I would describe it (it's kind of a smoky, almost coffee-like flavor), but it's off-putting. On the plus side, the nuggets are large and brick-like, but soft to chew with a satisfying texture. Ultimately, I wouldn't buy this cereal over Reese's Puffs, but the chocolate peanut butter flavor does keep me coming back. I just wish I didn't have to endure that weird "Little Debbie" flavor to enjoy it.

I gave Oatmeal Creme Pies a two bowl rating, so I couldn't in good conscience rate this cereal any lower, but that doesn't mean I'm not disappointed with it. Before I tried this cereal, I was looking forward to seeing what other snacks Little Debbie will bring to the breakfast table in the future. But now I'm feeling a little more reserved.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: I was doubtful, but there is some chocolate peanut butter flavor.

Frosted Flakes Cinnamon French Toast & Strawberry Milkshake

Name: Frosted Flakes Cinnamon French Toast
Variation: Frosted Flakes
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: The weirdest thing happened when I opened this box of Frosted Flakes. I don't know if trying different varieties of Frosted Flakes is warming me up to the cereal, or if it's because I just had French Toast Crunch and wasn't super fond of it. But when I opened this box and smelled the cinnamon, I was actually looking forward to eating it! And it wasn't too bad. I don't know if it tastes like French toast so much as just cinnamon (is there even maple in this?), but that's okay. It's a decided improvement over Crispy Cinnamon Basketballs (cute as those basketballs were), in which the cinnamon flavor was overpowering - this is more evened out. I'm impressed!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Certifiably cinnamon-y!

Name: Frosted Flakes Strawberry Milkshake
Variation: Frosted Flakes
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Upon opening the box, you first notice the pink flakes, and the smell of strawberry. Now, I'm a fan of strawberries, and even strawberry candy, but this is more of a "strawberries and cream" taste. And I think I'm finding out, between this and cookies and cream, that I'm not real fond of the "cream" flavor. Conceptually, I love the idea of a cereal turning the milk into a "strawberry milkshake", especially considering that it's not very common, despite strawberry being probably the most popular flavored milk after chocolate. And if you like strawberry milk, you might just love this cereal. But it's not for me.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: I wouldn't call it a milkshake, but it's definitely strawberry milk.

French Toast Crunch

Name: French Toast Crunch
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Here's a variation of Cinnamon Toast Crunch that would seem to be a no-brainer. Boasting a syrup and cinnamon taste ("bursting" may be an overstatement), the little toast pieces are cute as heck. Although, I think they could use some cinnamon swirls (they kind of just look like buttered toast to me), and I don't actually like the texture of the pieces as much as the pieces in regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Ironically, breakfast foods aren't my favorite flavor for cereals - the last maple-flavored cereal I had hinged on its inclusion of marshmallows. This isn't a bad cereal, but I wouldn't go out of my way to have it again. A suggestion for improvement would be to pair the toasties with some fruit-flavored pieces - as I like to put fresh fruit on my French toast.

It's better with strawberries, blueberries, and bananaberries.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Flavored with a little bit of syrup and cinnamon.