Halloween Oreo Puffs

Name: Halloween Oreo Puffs
Variation: Oreo Puffs
Manufacturer: Post

Review: When I spotted this cereal in the store - a box of Oreo Puffs with a vivid orange banner across the top - I actually thought it was Oreo Reese's Puffs, an experiment I had just tried on my own! Although I don't know how that would work, because Reese's Puffs is manufactured by General Mills, and Oreo Puffs is handled by Post - but the fact that both products are owned by different companies didn't stop them from combining them for a special promotion recently.

Anyway, it hasn't even been a year since Post debuted the new puffs format of their Oreo O's cereal, and it's already got a Halloween edition! It's a welcome companion to Halloween Fruity Pebbles in Post's autumn holiday lineup. I like it perfectly well, but since cookies and cream isn't my favorite flavor, I can't promise that I'll be buying it every year. And I do appreciate Halloween cereals that are a little more creative than just turning the milk "spooky" orange. Even Halloween Crunch has ghost berries...

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: More colorful than flavorful.

[Experiment] Monster Combos

Three years ago, the appearance of Monster Mash cereal inspired me to combine my own mix of the Monster Cereals together for a frightful concoction. The result was disappointing; there was just too much going on in the bowl. So I'd been thinking of trying out different combinations of these cereals, two at a time. And with last year's introduction of Carmella Creeper to the lineup - a caramel apple cereal - the possibilities show even more promise. Step into my kitchen laboratory, and we'll try some experiments!

Chocolate/Caramel Apple

I thought this sounded like a good combination - chocolate and caramel go well together, and it's in a similar vein to the classic fall treat, the candy apple. And it does taste good. Honestly, I think the chocolate draws out the caramel flavor better. I'm surprised General Mills hasn't done something like this yet, although Carmella Creeper is still pretty new. Maybe it'll be next year's version of Monster Mash. I'd like that.

Strawberry/Blueberry

Mixing the two berry cereals together seemed like a no-brainer, although their similarity means the combination lacks distinction. And though, as expected, the flavors complement each other well, it's not as fruity as I would have thought. It tastes mostly of corn. Even the milk is surprisingly plain. Once again, it's the marshmallows alone that carry this cereal.

Caramel Apple/Strawberry

Visually, the green balances out that vibrant pink, and the marshmallows kind of fade into the background. When I eat Carmella Creeper alone, the flavors don't really stand out, but pairing it with something else seems to make the caramel pop. This is like plain Carmella Creeper, but with a slightly fruitier balance. I'd say it's an improvement over either cereal alone.

Caramel Apple/Blueberry

As far as I can tell, this is the combination they use for Monster Mash Remix - although they probably use a different mix of marshmallows, and who can be sure what flavors they might add without telegraphing it with the proper dyes? On that note, the colors complement each other well - bright green contrasted with dark purple. And the flavors do, too - better than you might think, pouring caramel over blueberries. This is pretty similar to caramel apple/strawberry, but I think Boo Berry has a slightly better flavor than Franken Berry, so this is a little bit better. It's not a bad choice for a Monster Mash; although I would still prefer chocolate/caramel apple.

Strawberry/Chocolate

Chocolate-covered strawberries, anyone? The brown and pink make a nice contrast. I feel like the fruity flavor is more front-and-center, but there's a nice chocolate undercurrent. It's not a bad combination - it certainly makes Franken Berry more palatable. I don't think I like it as much as chocolate/caramel apple, though. Every once in awhile, I get a bite that seems to clash, but I'm not sure why.

Blueberry/Chocolate

Although conceptually very similar to strawberry/chocolate, I think blueberries and chocolate is a somewhat less common combination. But still good. The purple Boo Berry pieces are so dark, you can hardly distinguish them from the brown Count Chocula pieces. It's a shame it doesn't make as good a visual impression (looks do matter), because I think it tastes better than the mix with Franken Berry. Which was to be expected.

Caramel Apple/Berry

I did this with Count Chocula way back when, so I thought it would only be fair to give Carmella Creeper a chance. And it's not bad. I used two parts caramel apple (1 cup) to each part strawberry and blueberry (half cup each) for a proper balance of flavors. It's really not that much different from using Franken Berry or Boo Berry alone. And the mix of colors looks much more lively. I have no idea why they don't use this as their Monster Mash; I think it's just as good.

Berry/Chocolate

Although I did this once before, with all the other combinations I was mixing together, I figured I could stand to give it a second chance. And this time, like with my caramel apple/berry concoction, I mixed the chocolate 2:1 with the strawberry and blueberry, so it's equal parts chocolate and fruity. The blending of the Count Chocula and Boo Berry pieces does dull the visual impression a little - on the other hand, it has more of a gradient look. I taste the chocolate more than the fruitiness. That said, the fruitiness kind of clashes with the chocolate for some reason. I honestly can't say why this combination doesn't work better, but the success of Monster Mash clearly relies on the presence of newcomer Carmella Creeper.

Monster Medley

I'm calling this "Monster Medley" because Monster Mash was already taken. You know I had to do it. But yeah, there's a lot going on in this cereal. The flavors aren't bad, but it doesn't really coalesce into a single flavor experience. Even if you take the time to mix it up evenly, you're bound to get a different concentration of pieces in every spoonful. It looks interesting, though - with all those colors. And now, I'm kinda sick of the Monster Cereals. I don't think I wanna eat them again for a whole year... :-p

Boo Berry

Notice: The year I started this blog, General Mills came out with Monster Mash. The following year, they brought back Frute Brute. And last year they introduced Carmella Creeper. I originally didn't review Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry because I considered them the regular cereals, and the others the limited edition novelties. But I've been waiting for a "fallow year" with a lighter load on Halloween so I could properly review the classics. And now that time has come!

Name: Boo Berry
Variation: Monster Cereals
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I know a lot of people who love Boo Berry, so I might break a few hearts with this review. Honestly, it's not a bad cereal. It's more purple than blue, but I like the low-key trans-friendly marshmallow colors. If I have to eat a bowl or two, it's perfectly fine. I just get bored with it quickly. Other than being blueberry instead of strawberry (a less common flavor for cereals), it's really no different than Franken Berry. And I'd rather eat Frute Brute. I don't know why Fruity Yummy Mummy is such a dark horse, because this lineup could really benefit from a citrus counterpoint to all these berry cereals.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Blue, berry, and marshmallow-flavored.

Franken Berry

Notice: The year I started this blog, General Mills came out with Monster Mash. The following year, they brought back Frute Brute. And last year they introduced Carmella Creeper. I originally didn't review Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry because I considered them the regular cereals, and the others the limited edition novelties. But I've been waiting for a "fallow year" with a lighter load on Halloween so I could properly review the classics. And now that time has come!

Name: Franken Berry
Variation: Monster Cereals
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This is actually my least favorite of the Monster Cereals, even though it's basically the flagship variety (or was that Count Chocula?). It's a bright, shocking pink, and it smells good, but after so many bites, it kinda starts tasting plain. If not for the marshmallows, it'd be incredibly dull. Don't get me wrong, it's edible, but there's not much here to inspire a craving. You've heard me say this before, but I think they should use Frute Brute's new formula, and re-name it Franken Cherry. Strawberry's a good flavor, but it's overdone.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Tastes of strawberry, to its credit.

Count Chocula

Notice: The year I started this blog, General Mills came out with Monster Mash. The following year, they brought back Frute Brute. And last year they introduced Carmella Creeper. I originally didn't review Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry because I considered them the regular cereals, and the others the limited edition novelties. But I've been waiting for a "fallow year" with a lighter load on Halloween so I could properly review the classics. And now that time has come!

Name: Count Chocula
Variation: Monster Cereals
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Count Chocula is easily my favorite Monster Cereal. I mean, come on. It's chocolate, and it has marshmallows. A combination like that can't fail. There's really nothing more to say about it. I could take or leave the fruity Monsters (although I was pleasantly surprised by Frute Brute), and Carmella Creeper was an enjoyable novelty, but Count Chocula is the only cereal in the lineup I've made a habit of buying, and the only one I've over-enthusiastically indulged before, by buying what was probably too many boxes for one person to eat in a single spooky season...

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Satisfyingly chocolatey!

Monsters' Frightful Friends

Name: Monsters' Frightful Friends
Variation: Monster Cereals
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Monster Cereals' new innovation this year is the introduction of the Monsters' pets - Carmella's snake Scratch, Franken Berry's bat Bennie, Boo Berry's cat Meow Berry, and Count Chocula's spider Igor. Represented by the addition of new marshmallows, I imagine the taste of the individual cereals remains the same. And this cereal - Monsters' Frightful Friends - would seem to be a reskin of Monster Mash Remix, mixing - not all, but some - of the different cereals together, with these new marshmallows.

Like last year, it seems to be mostly Carmella Creeper with a bit of Boo Berry tossed in. It makes for a good visual aesthetic - like rotting zombie flesh. Did they introduce Carmella Creeper last year just so they could have a green Monster cereal? Although I applaud the addition of a zombie girl to the lineup (and the caramel apple flavor was a great choice), I think a swamp monster would have been a better fit for the brand.

Anyway, it's not a bad flavor combo (unlike the original Monster Mash, which was trying to do too much). It's fruity; although it begins to taste kinda plain after a few bites. And, maybe my box just wasn't shaken up enough to evenly distribute the pieces, but for the pets to be the star of the show, the marshmallows are scarce, and don't make much of an impression. I'm struggling to think of a reason to justify continuing to eat this cereal every year, other than the novelty factor.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Just a mild hint of fruity, marshmallow flavor.

Wednesday (Cookies and Creme)

Name: Wednesday Cookies and Creme
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I got so excited when I saw this cereal, I couldn't wait to snatch it up. Not only because Wednesday was a good show, but because I'm a little bit obsessed with Jenna Ortega right now. And even though I don't usually like cookies and cream cereals, the black & white aesthetic (well, mostly just black) is perfectly on point. Hey, at least it has marshmallows!

The cereal is super dark. Like charcoal; I'm afraid it'll stain my teeth. But it looks magnificent. The smell and taste is very strong - like concentrated cookie crumbs, a hint of Oreo cheesecake, really dark chocolate, or even black coffee. I'm not sure there's enough cream (I'm sorry, creme) to balance it out. If that's what the marshmallows are doing (they're shaped like coffins), perhaps there should be more of them. Or, they could have just called it "cookies 'n' scream" and been done with it. XD

It's turning my milk black! Rarely does eating a bowl of cereal inspire such excitement. Do I like it enough to buy it again? I'm not sure. But I really enjoy the visual presentation, and how thoroughly it commits to its premise. As an artist and not just a cereal lover, I respect that. Plus, I get to have Jenna Ortega staring back at me (unblinkingly) from the cereal box every morning for a week. So that's a bonus. :-p

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Black as midnight; black as pitch; blacker than the foulest witch.

Apple Pie Toast Crunch

Name: Apple Pie Toast Crunch
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Technically, I've already reviewed this cereal, but I feel like the individual components were overshadowed in the Caramel Apple Toast Crunch experiment, and I've been meaning to give these two cereals their own spotlight (stay tuned for the other one).

Taken alone, Apple Pie Toast Crunch is very sweet and apple-y; it's reminiscent of pie filling and not just mashed apples, which is pretty cool. The sweet, fruity flavor dulls a little bit as you progress through the bowl and your tongue acclimates to it, but it's a fun holiday cereal that I enjoy. If you have some Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch to add to it, all the better! My rating of two bowls from before shall stand.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: If your tongue isn't completely desensitized by the end of the bowl, it's sweetened with apple and cinnamon.

Frosted Flakes Pumpkin Spice

Name: Frosted Flakes Pumpkin Spice
Variation: Frosted Flakes
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: The box is a beautiful teal color - the picture doesn't do it justice (it's a shade greener in person). The cereal smells not just like pumpkin, but sweet like pie. Nevertheless, it's Frosted Flakes - with neither chocolate nor marshmallows, I'm gonna be hard-pressed to like it. I do enjoy having pumpkin pie... once a year. But I'm decidedly not a pumpkin spice fanatic. I feel like the first half of each bite is sweet and pumpkin-y, and then the second half just tastes like corn. If you like Frosted Flakes and/or pumpkin spice products, you might very well like this cereal. But it's not for me.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and pumpkin-y.

Frosted Mini Wheats Pumpkin Pie Spice

Name: Frosted Mini Wheats Pumpkin Pie Spice
Variation: Frosted Mini Wheats
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: 'Tis the season! The "pumpkin pie spice" flavor is pleasantly sweet. I feel like I could definitely appreciate this cereal - if it weren't being delivered in the form of Frosted Mini Wheats (which I am not fond of). Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that lovers of Frosted Mini Wheats have a pumpkin spice version of their cereal. It fits in well with other versions I've tried - like Blueberry Muffin and Cinnamon Roll. But personally, I'd rather have a bowl of Pumpkin Spice Cheerios instead.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Don't expect the sort of pumpkin spice milk Cheerios leaves you with.

[Experiment] Autumn Krispies

Description: I noticed something interesting while I was documenting the different seasonal varieties of Rice Krispies. Notwithstanding the Valentine's Day version (which I was not expecting), and the Halloween version (which is an outlier), the summer, winter, and spring varieties all cycle through two of three different colors (adding them to plain "white" Krispies) - red, blue, and green. If it were up to me, I would leave red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July; pick out the white and just use red and green for Christmas; and add an Easter-y purple to the blue and green of spring. Then, you could also add that purple to the orange for Halloween. But I have an even better idea for an autumn-themed version of Rice Krispies, and it's inspired by the colors of fall foliage.

With and without "unturned" greens and pale "yellows".

I used a combination of Shocking Orange and Cocoa Krispies for the orange and brown, and separated out the reds and greens from Holiday Colors (in a painstaking effort I hope I'll never have to repeat). I used Cinnamon Sugar Krispies for the yellows, since they have a slightly darker tinge than regular Rice Krispies, which look too bright and white to pass for an autumn gold. Doesn't it look great? I think it would fit in perfectly with a Thanksgiving motif. I just wish it had a better flavor. Or any flavor, really.

Rating: 🥣

[Flashback] Apple Jacks Caramel

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: Apple Jacks Caramel
Variation: Apple Jacks
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I regret not finding this cereal earlier (it would have made for a good comparison with Caramel Apple Toast Crunch), as by the time I got this box, the cereal tasted noticeably stale. As such, I cannot give it a proper review, but I wanted to document its existence in case I don't ever see it again. As far as I can tell, this flavor was released in the summer of 2020 (which was otherwise a fallow year for novelty cereals in my experience; but maybe that's because I was a shut-in throughout the height of the pandemic). I wish it were easier to track production dates and release schedules for these cereals, from a more authoritative source than hunting news articles and reviews. There should be a database somewhere...

Rating: (withheld)

Halloween Fruity Pebbles

Name: Halloween Fruity Pebbles
Variation: Fruity Pebbles
Manufacturer: Post

Review: I spotted this cereal last year at Target; this year, it's even turned up at Walmart. Boasting the "same fruity taste!", this is just regular Fruity Pebbles, but colored for the holiday. At least you know what you're getting. The purple and orange pebbles look great, but regular Fruity Pebbles is so vibrant, I always have mixed feelings when they reduce the colors down to just two (like they did with Magic Fruity Pebbles). I'm surprised the box doesn't advertise a color-changing milk effect - I did observe the milk to change noticeably orange. One thing this cereal could do to improve my opinion is take a note from Marshmallow Fruity Pebbles and add some marshmallows. You could even make them spooky! (Or haunted). Barring that, I'd love to see Cocoa Pebbles have a turn with the Halloween banner...

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Fruity, and a little orange.

Chocolate Lucky Charms with Haunted Marshmallows

Name: Chocolate Lucky Charms with Haunted Marshmallows
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I knew Carmella Creeper was coming before she arrived on shelves, but I was surprised to find Lucky Charms with a new Halloween version of its cereal this year. I imagine it's poised to compete with Kellogg's Chocolate Frosted Flakes with Spooky Marshmallows - which I saw conspicuously missing from the store where I picked this box up, even though they had both Froot Loops and Apple Jacks with Spooky Marshmallows (albeit on the back end display of the aisle - did Kellogg's lose some bids with the marketing guild this year?).

Functionally, this is just Chocolate Lucky Charms like we've seen before, but with an even wider array of marshmallows. I do believe these Haunted Marshmallows are the same ones you can find in Count Chocula. Obviously, I love it - and the marketing is fun. The back of the box humorously features Lucky dressed up as a unicorn, and a unicorn dressed up as Lucky! But isn't the Halloween cereal market already pretty saturated as it is?

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Mildly chocolatey.

Monster Mash Remix

Name: Monster Mash Remix
Variation: Monster Cereals
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: As if premiering a brand new Monsters Cereal character for the first time in 36 years wasn't enough, General Mills also remixed Monster Mash this year. And I almost didn't buy it, given how little I liked the cereal the first time around. But they had to go and give it a new subtitle (playing off of, I'm sure, Carmella Creeper's characterization as a DJ). Besides, there's a significant new flavor going into the mix this time around (caramel apple), so it seemed like it would be different enough to warrant giving it another try.

Opening the box, all I see is Carmella Creeper and Boo Berry pieces. No Count Chocula (again). Not even Franken Berry. Why not mix all the monsters together? They're on the cover of the box - even Frute Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy! And who chose this particular combination? Seems to me like blueberry/strawberry or strawberry/chocolate would be a better choice, or even chocolate/caramel apple. But caramel apple and blueberry? (Here's an idea for you - blind box cereals! You don't know what you're gonna get until you open the box! Note to General Mills: please don't make blind box cereals).

Tasting it, I'm not sure there's even any caramel apple flavor at all. The box just says "berry-flavored". The green and purple pieces give off a good Halloween vibe, but are the colors just for show? Why is it even called Monster Mash, then? I can't tell if the marshmallows have different flavors, but they do taste fruity. It's actually not bad. I might even like it better than Carmella Creeper. It's a definite improvement over the last version of Monster Mash, but I honestly couldn't tell you why. A lot about this cereal remains a mystery to me.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Pleasantly fruity and/or marshmallow-y.

Carmella Creeper

Name: Carmella Creeper
Variation: Monster Cereals
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I'm very excited that General Mills is introducing (for the first time in 36 years!) a brand new member of the Monsters line of cereals this year. My only regret is that I haven't had a proper chance to review Fruity Yummy Mummy yet (my great regret from 2013, when I was only just starting to get back into eating cereal).

Before even trying it, I can say that I love everything about this cereal. Conceptually, it's an excellent choice of addition to the lineup. It's a zombie character; she's a girl; it has an eerie green motif that is quite festive; and the flavor is caramel apple!

Not only is this an intriguing flavor - and a great choice for a cereal available exclusively in the fall - but it adds some welcome novelty to a lineup that, if not for Count Chocula, would be nothing but different shades of "fruity with marshmallows" (although last year's Frute Brute was surprisingly good - I still think it should replace Franken Berry in the regular trio). All that's left is to actually try the cereal and see how it tastes. :-p

The color of this cereal is not the prettiest shade of green, but I think it effectively conveys the look of zombified flesh. The flavor and texture seem consistent with the other Monster cereals - you're not punched in the mouth with it, but there's an underscore of caramel apple flavor. And the marshmallows pull their weight (although they don't look very distinctively like anything in particular).

I don't think this is going to become my new favorite Monster cereal. Nobody can compete with Count Chocula; and I don't think I like it even as much as the new and improved Frute Brute (wish that would stick around). But I like that it stands out from the other cereals with a unique flavor that is perfectly poised to join the lineup. Whether or not this one lasts - I guess that depends on how well everyone else likes it.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Not really colored and only subtly flavored.

Reese's Puffs Bats

Name: Reese's Puffs Bats
Variation: Reese's Puffs
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I went through a lot of trouble to get this box - but I really wanted to do a proper review of this cereal for my blog. I saw evidence online that it had been re-released - with a new box design! - though I never saw it in stores, despite actively looking for it. So I resorted to ordering a box over the internet (for the first time ever!) last year. I was prepared to eat it stale if necessary, but the expiration date revealed that it had been manufactured just that year. And then - you'll never guess what happened next.

Literally, two days after I had a box shipped from Bolingbrook, IL, I was at Walmart looking at Halloween costumes, and I spotted the cereal tucked away on a bottom shelf in the Halloween candy aisle, on the opposite side of the store from the groceries! I was fully prepared to give General Mills my money, and even looked specifically for this product in vain, only for them to pull this stunt. Why can't they keep the cereal in the cereal aisle? I was torn between sending them an angry letter, and throwing my money at them anyway. I did the latter, because we're all hapless slaves to late stage capitalism.

September 2018

Anyway, notwithstanding all that drama, the cereal rocks. It's Reese's Puffs like you know it, but in the shape of bats. And the new box design looks great! It's a decided improvement over the old design. Reese's Puffs may be overly indulgent for some, but I think it's delicious. Whenever I eat a bowl, I can't seem to gobble it up fast enough. I just wish the milk tasted more strongly of peanut butter and chocolate.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Not as rich as the cereal itself.

Pumpkin Spice Cheerios

Name: Pumpkin Spice Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I may not be a pumpkin spice fanatic in general, but this is probably my favorite autumn cereal that's not specifically branded for Halloween (I mean, yeah, pumpkins are a critical component of the holiday, but without a "spooky" angle, it really reads more "general fall"). It's also probably my favorite seasonal variety of Cheerios, so I'm very happy I was able to find some to review for this blog. The cereal is very straightforward - it's cheerios flavored with pumpkin spice - and it tastes great. Plus, you get a little bit of pumpkin spice milk to sip (or gulp - take your pick) at the end! I make a point to grab a box every year if I can find it.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Pumpkin spice flavored!

Froot Loops & Apple Jacks with Spooky Marshmallows

Review: I don't know how long this has been going on, but lately around Halloween, I've seen a trio of Kellogg's cereals on store shelves that I can only imagine are poised to rival General Mills' hallowed Monster Cereals. These are regular cereals you can find year-round - Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, and Chocolate Frosted Flakes (note the symmetry of having two fruity cereals and one chocolate one) - but marketed with the seasonal addition of "spooky" marshmallows ("bewitched bats", "mischievous monsters", and "ghoulish ghosts"). As much as I hate to split the trio up, I already reviewed Chocolate Frosted Flakes with Spooky Marshmallows last year, so this year I'm focusing on the other two.

The "spooky marshmallows" trio.

As fate would have it, I've already had both Froot Loops and Apple Jacks with marshmallows (recently!), so you're not going to find any surprises here. The only differences are cosmetic; in addition to the Halloween branding, and the shape of the marshmallows, the Froot Loops appear only in orange and purple - like a subdued, autumn version of the cereal's brighter "summer" colors. (Apple Jacks are already a seasonally-appropriate orange and green). Owing to my preference for Froot Loops over Apple Jacks, previous ratings of these cereals (with marshmallows) shall stand. That is, two bowls for Apple Jacks, and three bowls for Froot Loops. As for the Chocolate Frosted Flakes (with Spooky Marshmallows), I'm strongly considering bumping its rating up to three bowls, now that I've had it a second time.

In conclusion, these are fun, festive cereals, and I actually like all three - which is something that I can't say about the Monster Cereals. (Count Chocula is good, but I don't care much for the fruity ones - except Frute Brute, which I tried just this year). Usually, in my opinion, General Mills cereals come out on top, but I think my preference is for Kellogg's in this case. It feels sacrilegious to bet against the Monster Cereals in the season when their strength is at its peak, but I gotta give credit where it's due.

Pour all three into one bowl, and you get a nice mix of Halloween colors!

Name: Froot Loops with Spooky Marshmallows
Variation: Froot Loops
Manufacturer: Kellogg's
Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A little sweet.

Name: Apple Jacks with Spooky Marshmallows
Variation: Apple Jacks
Manufacturer: Kellogg's
Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Barely cinnamon-y.

Ghostbusters Afterlife

This weekend I'm reviewing two cereals that serve primarily as movie promotions - one from this year, and one from last year.

Name: Ghostbusters Afterlife
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I was excited when I spotted this box last fall, in the same shipment as Monster Mash cereal; it touched a nostalgic nerve. I can't say for sure if I ate Ghostbusters cereal as a kid (I might just be remembering the marketing for all the toys I had), but I feel like I did. So I wanted to like this cereal. But, like Monster Mash, it turned out to be a disappointment. It's a fruity cereal with marshmallows, but it tastes bland in comparison to many better cereals on the market (like JoJo Siwa's Strawberry Bop!, Pokémon Berry Bolt, or even Froot Loops with Marshmallows). And you're telling me there's no fun, color-changing milk effect, like with Halloween Crunch's ghostberries? What a wasted opportunity.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Plain...