[Experiments] Cinnamon Toast Crunch Strawberry Applesauce and Peanut Butter Apple

Description: Cinnamon Toast Crunch has been throwing so many flavors at us lately, it's hard not to want to mix some of them together. When Apple came out, it wasn't a far cry, knowing that Strawberry and Peanut Butter were both still on the shelves, for me to imagine them each together with this newest version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Strawberry and apple together in a cinnamon cereal? That's a perfect formula for strawberry applesauce! So, how is it? The flavors are complementary. The buttery flavor of Cinnamon Toast Crunch kind of precludes it from giving you the full impression of eating applesauce, and I'm not sure it's enough of an improvement over each flavor alone to justify the effort of mixing them together. But it sure was fun to try!

Rating: 🥣🥣

Description: Now, Peanut Butter and Apple is more of a stretch for me - I put peanut butter on my bananas, not my apples. But in honor of Stephen Colbert, whose award-winning late night show was canceled this year under political pressure from a fascist federal administration, I wanted to give it a try.

The toasties don't distinguish themselves as much from each other, yet the flavors don't blend as well as strawberry and apple. The sweetness of the apple is subdued, and there's that impression of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth, but without the full flavor of peanut butter. It's an odd combination. I feel that these flavors detract from each other more than reinforce one another. I'm not crazy about it. Sorry, Stephen...

Rating: 🥣

Addendum: On a whim, I tried mixing equal parts of Apple, Strawberry, and Peanut Butter all together in one bowl (because of course I did). And it was really good! The sweetness of the fruit flavors stood out, and there was still that occasional savory peanut butter flavor. Maybe I just needed to tweak the ratio (2:1) in favor of the fruit all this time!

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Apple

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

Review: Without having them side-by-side, I can't say how this cereal differs from Cinnamon Toast Crunch's seasonal fall variety, Apple Pie Toast Crunch. What does apple pie have, other than apples? I know it's not caramel, because you have to add Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch to get the Caramel Apple flavor. Regardless, if Apple Jacks is any indication (and it is, although I would pick Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, myself), this is a great flavor idea for a cinnamon cereal. I mean, some cereal novelties are pretty out there, while others are obvious. This one's a no-brainer.

I could smell the pleasant aroma of apples as soon as I opened the box. And it's a pretty box - in a complementary shade of green. The cereal is good. It's sweet, and the apple flavor blends with the cinnamon really well. I still don't know how it differs from Apple Pie Toast Crunch, but this version is more universal. I notice the box doesn't say "new" (I could believe this flavor has been floated before), or even "limited". Will it stick around? It's about the most logical choice of alternate for a cinnamon cereal as I could think of (even more so than chocolate, although I do like Chocolate Toast Crunch). Kellogg's (which manufactures Apple Jacks) better beware.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: It's the applesauce-flavored milkshake you never knew you wanted!

Frosted Flakes Chocolate Peanut

Name: Frosted Flakes Chocolate Peanut
Variation: Frosted Flakes
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Although admittedly a novel idea for a cereal, this new variety of Frosted Flakes stops just short of one of my favorite flavor combinations. Why did they choose peanuts over peanut butter? Who knows. Maybe because it sounds vaguely more nutritious, for a brand that markets itself to school athletes. Then again, peanut butter is a popular flavor for protein shakes...

You could be forgiven for missing this (as I initially did), but there are no actual peanuts in this cereal; as the small, faded script under the title reluctantly admits, the peanut flavor is artificial (and you can kinda tell). I guess that makes it safe for people with peanut allergies? Although it does beg the question, what's the point?

The design on the box shows a square of chocolate packed with nuts, and the inherent crunchiness of Frosted Flakes lends itself well to that impression. I just don't know that the artificial peanut flavor adds anything meaningful to the cereal (besides novelty). But the base is still Chocolate Frosted Flakes, so I can't rate it any lower than two bowls.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Anybody for some peanuts in their chocolate milk?

Froot Loops Wild-Berry

Name: Froot Loops Wild-Berry
Variation: Froot Loops
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Do you remember Froot Loops Tropical, from a few years back? I was surprised I didn't like it. Well, now there's a new fruity variation on a cereal that is normally citrus-flavored. I don't know why they chose to hyphenate the term "wild-berry"; I'm just surprised this is the first I've ever heard of a wild berry version of Froot Loops!

The cereal smells very fruity right out of the box. The color is kind of subdued - these red, orange, and purple loops give me the impression of a V8 smoothie. But they have a light, crunchy bite, and a good berry flavor that can't be denied. Try it with fresh strawberries and blueberries for a delightful treat!

I like how experimental Kellogg's has been with Froot Loops of late. I feel like this cereal rectifies the travesty that was Froot Loops Wonka (which should have been Cocoa Loops in the first place). I don't think I'd pick it over regular Froot Loops, but I would consider it a worthy alternative to join the brand. Alas; this "limited edition" probably won't last long...

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Actually berry-flavored!

Cotton Candy Lucky Charms

Name: Cotton Candy Lucky Charms
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Every new year, the cereal manufacturers release a bunch of new flavors all at once. It's usually the biggest cereal haul of the year. This year, it took me until Easter to review them all. Then I had a short break; but it wasn't long before the summer flavors hit the shelves. I had just finished a box of Lucky Charms with JUMBO Rainbows over the break, so I wasn't too keen on getting another one - just with JUMBO Unicorns this time - so soon. But then I saw this cereal. How could I pass it up?

Cotton candy is a pretty creative flavor for cereal. (Although what is the flavor of cotton candy, besides just "sugar"?). I love the concept and presentation of this cereal, which is a good thematic match for this brand. And I like that they incorporated unicorns into the theme - with three new marshmallows! (Although they just recolored their manes).

Upon opening the box, you get an unmistakable whiff of cotton candy. But the appearance of this cereal leaves something to be desired. Traditionally, cotton candy comes in pink and blue (which are the colors that most remind me of Pride - being that it's June - since I lean more toward the trans end of the rainbow). How delightful would that have been? But instead we get a speckled purple that's so dark, it almost looks brown.

How does it taste? It's not quite like biting into a puff of cotton candy. The flavor is subtler than I would have imagined (I guess you could say it's light and ephemeral, like cotton candy itself); after the first bite, you mostly just taste the oats. Granted, I like Lucky Charms even plain, and the whole vibe of this cereal makes me happy. But since I'm not blown away by the cotton candy flavor, I'm only going to rate it two bowls and not three.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Deep purple, but otherwise kinda plain.

Squishmallows Spring Vibes

Name: Squishmallows Spring Vibes
Variation: Squishmallows
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Aside from the hot pink box, I'm struggling to determine what makes this "Spring Vibes" version any different from last year's Squishmallows cereal, so this review might sound repetitive. It does give off spring vibes (although it did that last year, too) - with its pale, yellow loops and pretty pink, blue, and purple marshmallows. Although the sheer variety of Squishmallows depicted on the box is sorely represented by these marshmallows. But that's to be expected - cereal marbits are far from the best medium for artistic expression. Their aesthetic value (setting aside the pivotal role they have in enhancing the flavor profile of a cereal) rarely extends beyond providing a pleasing pop of color. This is a perfectly pleasant marshmallow-flavored cereal, but I'm wondering if the market is saturated between this and Peeps cereal (also manufactured by Kellogg's)...

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Like a mini marshmallow milkshake.

Blue Raspberry Trix

Name: Blue Raspberry Trix
Variation: Trix
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Not to be outdone by everyone's favorite leprechaun cereal mascot, the Trix Rabbit is starring in its own promotion for the new Super Mario Galaxy movie! Although one would imagine that the Rabbit shares Luigi's penchant for jumping, I think Lucky (in his green get-up) makes for a better pairing with Mario, at least visually. Moving on to the cereal, what is blue raspberry anyway? Well, it has a strong fruity aroma, and an almost juicy flavor. The cereal is not as colorful as usual, but I get a better impression of galaxies from these blue and purple swirled puffs than I did from Strawberry Lucky Charms' "galactic" marshmallows. Throw in some of those yellow stars, and between these two cereals they might have earned a three-bowl rating!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Nothing to write home about.

Strawberry Lucky Charms

Name: Strawberry Lucky Charms
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I had just missed Fruity Lucky Charms around the time that I started this blog, but this tie-in with the new Super Mario Galaxy movie reminds me of that cereal. I like how putting Mario on the front of the box opposite Lucky emphasizes how much Lucky's green outfit makes him look like Luigi.

The oat pieces are coated in a pretty pink layer of strawberry flavoring - which would have made them the perfect base for my Pixie Charms fantasy cereal. However, the "galactic marshmallows" just look like swirled blue, red, and green lemons. Apparently, General Mills didn't learn with their Galactic Lucky Charms that as cool a concept as space is, you really can't effectively represent something as nebulous as a "galaxy" in the form of a dehydrated marshmallow bit.

The small yellow stars, on the other hand, look great. (As cool as the unicorns and rainbows are, it's a testament to the importance of simplicity when it comes to marshmallow design). There are stars of all different colors drawn on the side of the box - I think the cereal would have looked better if they had ditched all the other marshmallows and just focused on the stars. Anyway, it's a lot better than the last Super Mario cereal I tried - you can't go wrong with Lucky Charms - and even better still with fresh strawberries cut up into it!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Purple like an overcast sky - every stargazer's worst nightmare.

Scooby Doo! Cinnamon Crisp!

Name: Scooby Doo! Cinnamon Crisp!
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: After trying Cinnamon Pebbles not that long ago, my interest in purely cinnamon-flavored cereals has wavered. Not that I don't like cinnamon, but I'm not sure it's a flavor that can really stand on its own. I mean, even Cinnamon Toast Crunch has that rich, buttery flavor going for it. However, this cereal turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The paw-shaped biscuits are good as a dry snack, offering a crispy bite. And in milk, they have a much more satisfying mouthfeel than Pebbles do. Honestly, it's a relief after three weeks of not-so-great cereals. But, it's still a lot of cinnamon - I'm finding that when I eat too much cinnamon, it irritates my throat a little bit. As a final note, the back of the box offers a mystery (appropriately enough) for you to try to solve while you eat breakfast, and it actually provides a fair challenge.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Tastes like cinnamon cookies!

Mystery Crunch

Name: Mystery Crunch
Variation: Cap'n Crunch
Manufacturer: Quaker Oats

Review: I'm not going to waste any time with a preamble, because I'm itching to dive into the mystery that is this new unidentified flavor of Cap'n Crunch. The box is a pleasing - but not very enlightening - shade of purple. The crunch pieces look a little pale. Upon first smell, my thought was marshmallow. The back of the box claims to offer some clues. On it, the Cap'n is depicted stranded on a tiny island. A volleyball with his dog's face drawn on it (I'm told this is a reference to the movie Cast Away) sits at his feet, next to a treasure chest. A scroll lists some possible flavors, with "coconut" crossed out, and "creamy" circled. The cereal does taste creamy. There is fruit scattered about - apples, an orange, strawberries, and cherries. Bananas are growing in a palm tree curling around which are the unmistakable flowers of the vanilla plant. Curiously, there is a crab in a leaky canoe sipping cola from a glass bottle. All is bathed in twilight, under a full moon.

If the literal red herring jumping out of the water is any indication, these clues yield more questions than answers. The box is labeled "Vol. 1" - does this mean that there are (or will be) other boxes with other clues? Or is there actually more than one different mystery flavor swirling about? That would be diabolical, but it could explain the contradicting clues. I would love for there to be a "pina colada" flavor of Cap'n Crunch - it would suit the brand's beachy vibe perfectly - but there are no pineapples depicted, and "coconut" is crossed off the list. Anyway, I don't think the cereal tastes particularly fruity - and the fruits scattered about aren't especially tropical, either. My best guess is cream soda. And the more of this cereal I eat, the more convinced I am of it. I'm even starting to detect a hint of a bubbly texture! Whatever it turns out to be, I can tell you that I like it (even though I don't normally like cream soda). And I've had fun probing this mystery.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and creamy.

[Experiment] Cinnamon Toast Crunch PB&J

Description: As a full-grown adult who keeps a blog dedicated to breakfast cereals, I have somewhat juvenile tastes (notwithstanding my appreciation for dark chocolate). So as soon as I thought of mixing Cinnamon Toast Crunch Strawberry and Peanut Butter to imitate peanut butter & jelly, I had to rush out to the store so I could try it. It doesn't really taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The flavors are there, but they're not as vibrant as you might hope. The peanut butter is mostly an aftertaste, and you don't really get bites of super sweet jelly. I don't feel like the "toast" flavor is receding into the background as much as it does with a real peanut butter & jelly sandwich. That said, it's still good. Both of these cereals are good on their own, and they taste good together. I think I set my sights a little high, but I definitely wouldn't say that this experiment was a failure.

Rating: 🥣🥣

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Peanut Butter

Name: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Peanut Butter
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I like peanut butter, so I was pretty excited when I spotted this new version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It's not something I would have expected to see, but Cinnamon Toast Crunch seems to be throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks lately. Some of their varieties have been hits, and some have been misses. But this one holds promise.

If the combination sounds weird to you, I can tell you that I have had peanut butter on French toast (also: waffles), and it's quite good. As is this cereal. You take a bite, and then that rich, peanut buttery taste kicks in. It's not super sweet, and by the end of the bowl it gets kinda dry - like you've just had a mouthful of peanut butter. But I like it a lot. I think it would be great mixed with something sweet and fruity like Cinnamon Toast Crunch Strawberry. I better get myself to the store before it's discontinued!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Swirled with peanut butter & cinnadust.

Honey Bunches of Oats - Sugar Cookie

Name: Honey Bunches of Oats - Sugar Cookie
Variation: Honey Bunches of Oats
Manufacturer: Post

Review: After a short break, we're heading into the holiday rush now, starting with this exciting new flavor of Honey Bunches of Oats! Opening the box, it smells strongly of sugar cookies. But it's not as colorful as the box would suggest - these "festive" red and green sprinkles are barely noticeable. The flavor is good, though. The texture is a lot different from a soft, doughy cookie (that's one thing The Elf on the Shelf got right), but the taste is on point. I might even like it better than Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch! In any case, it's a delightful treat for the holidays.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Did somebody order a sugar cookie milkshake?

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Mexican Style Hot Chocolate

Name: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Mexican Style Hot Chocolate
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Cinnamon Toast Crunch shows off their south-of-the-border flare once again with an intriguing new flavor for the holidays. (Although it makes for an obnoxiously long title). I had to look up what constitutes "Mexican style" hot chocolate - there's a little more to it than just adding cinnamon. I'm interested to find out how this cereal compares to regular Chocolate Toast Crunch (which has been, inexplicably, discontinued recently).

First off, the toasties are very dark - suggesting a darker chocolate than usual. I know dark chocolate isn't to everyone's taste, but I'm a fan. Honestly, the best hot cocoa I've ever had has been dark chocolate. There's definitely something more going on here beyond just chocolate and cinnamon, though. It's actually a little bit spicy. Like CinnaFuego Toast Crunch, but (mercifully) dialed down to just a slight tingle on your tongue. The first bowl was a little bit strange, then it began to grow on me. But after eating it for days on end, I think it's beginning to irritate my throat. If nothing else, this has definitely been the most unique hot cocoa cereal I've ever tried.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Like a frozen Mexican style hot chocolate!

Demogorgon Crunch

Name: Demogorgon Crunch
Variation: Eggo Homestyle?
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: With the arrival of the final season of Stranger Things imminent, I'd been thinking how surprising it is that I've never seen a Stranger Things cereal before. Lo and behold, in the eleventh hour, out of my imagination and onto store shelves comes... Demogorgon Crunch! (I would have called it Stranger Rings). Notwithstanding my excitement, I'm a little hesitant because it's maple-flavored - on account of Eleven's obsession with Eggo waffles, I presume. Not that I don't like waffles, but maple isn't one of my favorite flavors. (Even when it comes to waffles, peanut butter is my preferred add-on - thanks, Waffle House). But, it's got marshmallows!

So, the cereal pieces actually look like waffles, and are very reminiscent of Kellogg's former Eggo Homestyle cereal (even more so than that other maple-with-marshmallows cereal, Elf). They're big, and have a good crunch. The "upside down" marshmallows (as if a marshmallow could have any sense of direction tumbling out of a cereal box) are two-toned, and resemble flashlights, demogorgon faces, and d20 dice. The box has a retro, Saturday morning cartoon vibe to it - which is appropriate for an '80s nostalgia show - with an eclectic tableau printed on the back of the box, tied to a lost-and-found game that'll test your knowledge of Stranger Things trivia. I think that, without the marshmallows, I would get bored of the waffles pretty quick, but all together, I found myself barrelling toward the finish, and still anticipating the next bowl.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Subtly sweet and syrupy.

Wicked (Elphaba Caramel Apple)

Name: Wicked (Elphaba Caramel Apple)
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: It's time to try Elphaba's caramel apple cereal! Can I just say, I think caramel apple is a great flavor for fall. I'm surprised there isn't a dependable standard that appears on the shelves every year. You can't even have Caramel Apple Toast Crunch without getting Apple Pie Toast Crunch and Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch (assuming you can find them both), and mixing them together. Apple Jacks tried a Caramel variety once upon a time, but I barely had a chance to taste it. I thought Monster Cereals' new addition Carmella Creeper was here to stay, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of her this year.

On to the cereal at hand. These puffs are a sickly green color, but it contributes to the "Wicked Witch" aesthetic - similar to Snow White's poisoned apple, but that's a different story. The texture and corn flavor is comparable to that of Glinda Good Berry, but with caramel in place of strawberry. It does remind me of eating Carmella Creeper without the marshmallows. But how come these "caramel apple" cereals always taste predominantly of caramel, but not really apple? Apple is a good flavor! TMNT Mutant Mayhem was just cinnamon apple - no caramel - and it was pretty good. Very sweet and fruity, like applesauce. Come to think of it, this cereal reminds me more of caramel corn.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Imagine somebody dropped a single Werther's Original into your milk.

I mentioned that pink and green were my favorite colors, didn't I? Well, I also like putting them together, so I couldn't resist mixing Glinda and Elphaba in the same bowl. And you know what? It's actually quite good. The Good Berry adds some needed fruitiness that was lacking from the Caramel Apple. Perhaps they should have mixed them together from the get-go. I guess these witches really are two halves of a whole heart!

Wicked (Glinda Good Berry)

Name: Wicked (Glinda Good Berry)
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Kellogg's may have nabbed the deal to promote the new hit series Wednesday at your breakfast table, but General Mills has countered with their own promotion of the new movie Wicked, based on a stage adaptation of characters from L. Frank Baum's enormously popular Wizard of Oz story. And what better way to honor a two-part movie about two contrasting characters, than to give them each their own cereal? One features Glinda the Good Witch, and the other Elphaba, known to many as the Wicked Witch of the West. I really like their contrasting aesthetic - pink and green are my two favorite colors!

Light side meets dark side?

We'll start with the good witch Glinda. The cereal is called "Good Berry", and it's very pink (albeit a little salmon-shaded) - I'm guessing it's strawberry. It reminds me a little bit of JoJo Siwa Strawberry Bop! (minus the marshmallows). These "crispy corn puffs" are actually quite substantial - they offer a solid bite; they're not overly light and puffed with air. They do taste noticeably of corn, but it doesn't clash with the fruity flavor. It's pretty good - I don't even miss not having marshmallows very much. Disappointingly, the leftover milk is quite plain - how cool would it have been to have these two cereals turn the milk their respective colors? Ah well. It's the only complaint I really have.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Only a very mild strawberry flavor.

Jettas Mix

Name: Justin Jefferson's Jettas Mix
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Like with the Kelce Mix from last year, I have no idea who Justin Jefferson is - but it's a pretty box, with holographic lettering. Unlike that other mix, this cereal combines limited edition varieties (new Cinnamon Toast Crunch Strawberry, and Frosted Lemon Cheerios) instead of a bunch of staples. But it's an intriguing combination of flavors - like a strawberry lemonade, but with a hint of buttery cinnamon. It tastes very refreshing. I think the lemon is more prominent than the strawberry, and the cinnamon adds an interesting flourish. The box says Justin Jefferson has a "sweet tooth" - but while this cereal is sweet, it runs fruity rather than chocolatey. As such, it's not what I would choose for my signature cereal, but I do like it. Makes a great dry snack, too.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Like a horchata mixed with strawberry lemonade!

[Experiment] Oreo Reese's Puffs

Description: I was bored with that abysmally plain confetti cake cereal, so I decided to perform a mad science experiment. As hedonistic as it might sound to combine Reese's Puffs with Oreo Puffs (I know, we're living in a society XD), I was inspired by the recent combination of just those two brands for a rare collaboration between Reese's and Oreos.

What's your pleasure, sir?

So, how do they taste together? The flavors don't really coalesce. Some bites favor chocolate and peanut butter, others cookies and creme. That said, they're both good flavors, so you can't really go wrong joining them together. Keeping my own preference in mind for peanut butter over "creme", I think the Reese's Puffs improve the Oreo Puffs, but I'd rather have my Reese's Puffs unadulterated. Which tracks with my opinion on the recent candy chimeras - an Oreo tastes better with peanut butter filling than a Reese's cup does with cookies and creme. Still, it was a lot of fun to try.

Rating: 🥣🥣

Lucky Charms JUMBO Rainbows

Name: Lucky Charms Jumbo Rainbows
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: While it's as good an excuse as any to have a [Giant Size] box of Lucky Charms, I doubted whether having jumbo rainbow marshmallows was enough of a reason to give this cereal its own review. My opinion on Lucky Charms (which is one of my lifelong favorites) is well-documented, so the only thing in question is what effect, if any, these jumbo marshmallows have on my experience of eating it.

"Wherever you dream to go, it's possible with Lucky's jumbo rainbow!" Since the regular rainbow charm already gives Lucky the power to teleport, I'm interpreting the jumbo charm to give Lucky the power to teleport to places he's never been before (to boldly go...). Unless the idea is that he can teleport to fantastical places located in the realm of pure imagination? General Mills, please clarify.

Anyway, it's a pretty superficial modification - every once in a while, you'll get a bite with a larger marshmallow. It's not the best, but also not the worst novelty marshmallow I've seen in Lucky Charms. The size difference does disrupt the cereal's uniformity somewhat, so I don't expect it'll stick around (do they ever?). But it is nice to dig into the cereal and get a stronger impression of "rainbows!" than usual.

For better or worse (your mileage may vary), General Mills has managed to emphasize rainbows with this cereal, without tying it to gay pride. I support gay pride (and silence on this issue can speak volumes in this day and age); but I also recognize that, as a meteorological phenomenon, rainbows aren't intrinsically gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But I believe they deserve to maintain a life outside of gay pride, too.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Blue-grey and marshmallow-y (like the sky after it rains).