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.

Kit Kat

Name: Kit Kat Cereal
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I buy a lot of cereal, and I have a pretty strict system for scheduling which box gets opened when, based primarily on shelf dates (rather than the order I pick them up), with occasional exceptions made for time-sensitive cereals (e.g., holidays, movie promotions) - which is why some cereals sometimes jump the line while others seem to languish for months on top of my fridge. All of this is to say that I bought this cereal a long time ago and the fact that it's taken me this long to try it does not reflect on my level of anticipation for it. I think a cereal based on Kit Kats sounds amazing (I'm crossing my fingers that Twix is next).

There's something familiar about this cereal, but I can't quite put my finger on it (and it's not just the Kit Kat flavor). There's a general resemblance to Chocolate Toast Crunch, but these wafers are softer (and of course there's no cinnamon). The box emphasizes that this cereal is crispy and chocolatey, and it is that. I don't think a cereal can perfectly imitate the texture and mouthfeel of eating a Kit Kat, but the flavor is pretty close, and it really is a good cereal all on its own. My only complaint is that it doesn't turn the milk chocolatey - like, at all. I daresay that's the only thing keeping me from awarding this cereal a three bowl rating. Still, I'd call it a success.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Speckled, but pretty plain.

Corn Flakes Honey Flavor

Name: Corn Flakes Honey Flavor
Variation: Corn Flakes
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Corn Flakes are about as white bread as breakfast cereals get. I mean, they're not even Frosted! Even with a Honey Flavor, I passed this box over time and time again. I finally broke down and bought it for two reasons. First, I found it for half price at Ollie's Bargain Outlet ("Good Stuff Cheap"). And second, I thought it would make a good companion for Frosted Mini Wheats Golden Honey.

The cereal has a good honey smell when you open the box, but the flakes taste pre-e-etty plain in milk. It's not even as good as Kellogg's Crunchy Nut, and that's not a very high bar to begin with. I had to add Just Magical Marshmallows (approximating Lucky Charms Honey Clovers) just to get through the box. Why do they sell Corn Flakes in such big boxes, anyway? Who eats that much Corn Flakes? Farmers? I'm definitely not the target audience for this product.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Laced with a trace of honey.

Frosted Mini Wheats Golden Honey

Name: Frosted Mini Wheats Golden Honey
Variation: Frosted Mini Wheats
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: On the plus side, I actually really like the honey flavor. But on the minus, these are still Frosted Mini Wheats, and the fact that I won't even eat a full bowl of them (after I took the picture, I poured three fourths of this bowl back into the box) means I can't in good conscience give this cereal anything higher than a one bowl rating. But I know one or two people who like Frosted Mini Wheats, so I imagine I'll keep reviewing their different flavors - which have been pretty consistently good so far (in my opinion); I just don't like the taste and texture of shredded wheat - and then passing the boxes along.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: I can't get past that dull, shredded wheat flavor.

Just Magical Marshmallows

Name: Just Magical Marshmallows
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Just Magical Marshmallows is available in eight different packages, highlighting each of Lucky's standard charms, with a cheesy limerick on each one, describing the featured charm's magical power. For reference, hearts bring things to life, stars give the power of flight, horseshoes can speed up time, clovers grant good fortune, blue moons give the power of invisibility, unicorns add color to the world, rainbows allow you to teleport, and red balloons can make things float. If you could have only one, which power would you choose? I bought a bag featuring the unicorn based on aesthetics, but invisibility is usually my power of choice.

Anyway, I'm sure this product is meant to be used as a mix-in or a topping, but I read about a promotion where they released boxes of Lucky Charms that were nothing but marshmallows, and I felt left out. So this is my big chance! Besides, when I opened Lucky Charms S'mores, the box was top-loaded with marshmallows, and those first couple of bowls were really good. Let's dig in!

It's like the best bowl of Lucky Charms you've ever eaten! Marshmallows - and nothing but marshmallows - in every bite! It's like Oops! All Berries, but for Lucky Charms instead of Cap'n Crunch! In all seriousness, though, it's just too much marshmallow. I actually find I'm missing the regular pieces (as bland as they are), just to act as a contrast. The concept is quite alluring, but I'm not THAT much of a hedonist... Still, these marshmallow packs are useful. They can even make a box of Frosted Flakes halfway palatable!

Rating: 🥣 as a cereal, but 🥣🥣🥣 as a mix-in or topping
Leftover Milk: Marshmallow-y, to say the least.

Marias Gamesa

Name: Marias Gamesa Cereal
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Gamesa

Review: I normally don't pay attention to cereals not manufactured by either General Mills, Kellogg's, Post, or Quaker Oats. You can call me a brand snob if you like, but in my defense, I have a hard enough time keeping up with new releases just from those four brands, and I can at least count on a certain level of quality with them. This Gamesa label is a complete unknown to me, but they've scored with their shelf placement for this cereal, because I've taken notice, and I'm a little curious. So I decided to give it a try.

I'm not familiar with the cookie this cereal is based on (although it touts itself as "Mexico's #1 cookie"), so I can't say how good of an imitation it is, but snacking on the cereal wafers dry, I can easily imagine them as a cookie. I'm not sure whose "mom's authentic love" they're made with, but they're crispy, and have a subtle yet complex flavor. And they stay crispy in milk, too (to a reasonable degree). Eating them isn't an unpleasant experience at all. I just think they're too plain vanilla for my tastes. But if you like the cookie, you might very well love this cereal.

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