Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cereal - Reborn

When I first heard that a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie had been green-lit for production, I was just as excited for the new merchandise to come with it.  Whenever big super-hero movies come to life on the big screen, they pretty much come to life everywhere else, too.  Toys, video games, collectibles, clothing - you name it, it's produced.  But unlike when I was a child, the one thing we don't see tied into promotions any longer are cereals.  Growing up, I loved eating cereals associated with my favorite TV show, cartoon or movie.  Remember Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters?  How about The Addams Family?  The Jetsons?  They were all classics released by Ralston, known for their licensed cereals, in the early 90s.  Whether they tasted great or not doesn't matter, it's simply the fact that breakfast became an extension of your favorite characters.  That meant a lot to me as a kid because I couldn't get enough of what I loved.  Slimer for breakfast, an Ecto-Cooler for lunch, Flintstones Mac & Cheese for Dinner and a Turtle Pie for dessert.  To me, that sounds like one hell of a day in the life.  But when I really look back on all the classic cereals of my time, especially the ones produced by Ralston, there will always be one that stands head and shoulders above the rest... Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cereal!

Now, don't get your hopes up or be fooled by the image above.  No, unfortunately they did not release a new TMNT cereal.  In my opinion, somebody missed the boat and lost out on the perfect opportunity to bring back a legend.  Even if they didn't recreate the original recipe, any TMNT cereal would have sold like hot cakes.  Between the new Nickelodeon TV series and the upcoming film, I'm personally shocked that there wasn't a partnership made with General Mills.  As a fan, It's disappointing that we may never see another TMNT cereal, but who's stopping us from bringing it back ourselves?

If you look at the original ingredients, the recipe isn't all that hard to recreate.  The "Ninja Nets" were essentially Chex cereal and, upon further research, Ralstons is the former name of the original Chex, so the flavor has to be spot on.  In addition, the TMNT Cereal included marshmallows.  Although they were probably filled with a lot more sugar than what I'd find today, there are still plenty of cereals that feature marshmallows and I just so happened to have a few of them in my cabinet.  I guess buying 20 boxes of Monster Cereals last Halloween pays off in more ways than one.  Thankfully, one of those leftover Frankenberry boxes doesn't expire until the end of the month.  Now we have the Chex, we have the marshmallows, and all I needed was the box.  If you're going to bring TMNT cereal back to life, an original box is absolutely necessary and eBay offers a variety of boxes at a low price.  We're on our way.

Buying the box is one thing and it's cool to include in the background of photos, but we have to do this the right way.  So out of the modern box comes a bag of Chex and into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cereal box it goes.  To truly have the perfect TMNT breakfast on the morning of the new movie's release, there's nothing better than pouring a bowl of reborn cereal from the classic 1990 box.  Covered in TMNT art and images of the original Playmates toys on the back, it's the perfect way to relive the past and celebrate the future by embracing the present.

We'll add the marshmallows later, but this photo is symbolic of what I remember.  For some reason, it always seemed like there were never enough marshmallows in my TMNT cereal.  Granted, I was about 3 or 4-years-old and probably would have preferred an entire bowl of marshmallows rather than Ninja Nets, but I still think the memory is valid.  Regardless, things were going to change this time around.  By adding the marshmallows into the bowl later, we'll be sure to have just as many tiny bites of sugar as we want.  But by this point, since I haven't eaten Chex since the days of TMNT Cereal, the smell alone is already taking me back to the 90s.

I almost purchased an original Turtle Bowl that once came wrapped with the TMNT Cereal, but couldn't bring myself to doing so without it being mint.  I started to feel a bit like Howie Mandel and got germ'd out by the thought of somebody eating from that same bowl for the last 24 years.  I wish I still had my original set, but I don't think there's enough dish detergent in the world to change my mind.  So, we'll have to stick with a generic bowl of TMNT Cereal, but it still looks awesome.  Just pretend that those bats are ninja stars and those Frankeberry heads are Turtle Coms.  We have to use at least a little imagination, here!

Pour in the milk and.. voila! We've now recreated the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cereal!  This is something I've wanted to do for quite a while, but haven't had a reason to go out and buy everything that was needed.  But with the new movie being released in just a few hours, it was now or never.  There's no better time to embrace Turtle Power than this week and that's why we've been celebrating the franchise all week long.  For those of you who aren't fans, you're probably counting down the days to Halloween or may have already unfollowed me on Twitter, but this is a huge week for Turtle fans and fans of nostalgia alike.  The busy season will soon be upon us, but this week has been a blast and, based on other sites I've read recently, we all seem to have the same theme in mind.  I'm loving it!

When you bite down into the reborn TMNT Cereal, you're instantly brought back in time.  I mean, wow... it's pretty amazing how powerful the senses of taste and smell can be and you'll immediately have a neural reaction to the sensation.  Memories came flooding back and that's exactly why I invested the time and money into this little project.  Does it taste good?  Well, it tastes like the original cereal so... no, it doesn't taste all that great.  It's not bad, but it certainly isn't anything special and that's pretty much the story of Ralston's run with licensed cereals.  But that's not why I did this.  If I wanted a cereal that tastes great, I would have picked one that I eat all year.  No, this was done in tribute to the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and to celebrate the nostalgia that comes with everything associated with the original breakfast cereal.

Now, to throw in even more fun, did you ever wonder if those Ninja Nets really work?  In the cartoon, I've only seen them used a few times and usually, as we've seen in TMNT 2: Secret of the Ooze, they usually work against our fearsome four.  So, as an added experiment, I let my TMNT Cereal sit for a while in an attempt to see what these Ninja Nets are capable of.  Would we catch anything other than bugs?

Yes!  Straight from Dimension-X, Krang thought he'd catch the upper hand while I was sleeping.  Little did he know I was luring him in with a Ninja Trap in order to save New York City and the world.  The Ninja Turtles have taught me well and, for now, the world can rest easy.  But.. where is Shredder?  He wasn't dumb enough to fall for my tricks and is still on the loose.  Until he shows his metal face, Krang will stay locked up in my room next to the other toys.  As a side note, please make sure nobody from work reads this entry ;)

In all seriousness, this was a great time and I'm very happy with how everything turned out.  This was worth every dollar and minute of time.  This site is all about bringing happiness to life, whether it's through the holidays, nostalgia, or current events, it's my goal to bring that inner child out of you and help you remember that it's important to not always take life so seriously.  If you're a Turtle fan, this is a must-make and it really only costs you the price of two cereal boxes.  If you happen to have a retro box of TMNT cereal, then that's even better.  Have fun with it, eat breakfast with somebody, share a few laughs and get creative.  Work and school will still be there when you're done.

Now I just need to figure out how to resurrect Turtle Pies!

Hot Cocoa & Marshmallow 3 Musketeers

If you're not ready for Christmas yet, then you need a shot in the eye because this holiday is rapidly approaching!  I only finished my Christmas shopping today and, of course, I'm second guessing everything I purchased.  Will this person like that?  Will that person like this?  At the end of the day, It's the thought that truly counts, but so does the gift receipt and that's why I keep everything handed back to me.  It gives me piece of mind and, now that I'm done, it's on to wrapping and celebrating.  Unlike some of you lucky bums, I'm only off from work for the next two days, but I'm going to take it, savor it, and make the most of my 48 hours.  Need a delicious way to do the same?  Go find these!

I did my research and, from what I gathered, these aren't new for 2013.  Apparently these were available last year and were pretty popular.  But see, in 2012, I didn't pay any mind to holiday products because I wasn't focusing on The Holidaze.  I barely had enough money to buy presents for my loved ones, let alone anything extra to waste on food and candy.  Thankfully, times have changed and I've been able to enjoy the best of both worlds.  Believe it or not, being able to indulge in a bag on Hot Cocoa 3 Musketeers and still go crazy on gifts for my loved ones is a blessing.  Not to mention how much my tongue thanks me.

Under normal circumstances, I generally avoid 3 Musketeers Candy.  I've always gone for the Snickers and Milky Way first and, if I had no other choice, the chocolatey trio would be my last resort for a sugar fix.  But when you read that they've changed their flavor for the season and release a Hot Cocoa with Marshmallow variety, you give the brand it's due and pick a bag up.  Believe me, it wasn't easy to find!  I looked at Target, Wal-Mart, Stop&Shop, and Shop Rite before finally stumbling across a bag at CVS.  Who woulda thunk?  It was a nice surprise, especially because I had given up my search, and now they won't go down the same drain as Gingerbread Oreo cookies.  They've alluded me once again.

Hot Cocoa 3 Musketeers minis don't look very different, but the flavor certainly is a welcomed change.  Yeah, for the most part, this is still a 3 Musketeers bar, but there's a hint of Hot Chocolate and it's enough to make this candy special.  It's obviously small, so if you chomp down and devour it with one or two bites, you're definitely going to bypass and miss the subtle flavor.  This is something you need to eat slowly and move around in your mouth.  I'm walking a fine line between sounding overly fat or sexual, but you need to suck it in order to taste it.  Sorry, there's no other way of saying it.  Put it in your mouth, suck it, swallow, and repeat.  Where your mind takes you from here is on you.  I take no responsibility ;)

If we can get our mind out of the gutter for a second, this is seriously one of my favorite Christmas candies.  It's new to me, and maybe it is to you, but it's been around for a bit and I think that's a testament to it's popularity.  If you can find them, give them a shot.  I don't think you can go wrong with this one.

Pumpkin Spice Krispies Treats

The entry banner isn't my best, but that's okay, because these Pumpkin Spice Krispies Treats that you're about to see are awesome!  I don't like to toot my own horn, but after those horrible Monster Treats, we feel as though we've fully redeemed ourselves!  These Pumpkin Spice Krispies Treats are not only good enough to eat, they're good enough to sell.  Somebody should order them from me.  Now.

Just like any Rice Krispies treats, all you need are the marshmallows, butter and cereal.  The process by which you attempt to create the perfect treats is up to you, but we chose to go a different route than our last go around.  This time, we chose to use the microwave and melt the marshmallows in increments.  We didn't know if that would help or make a difference, but since last time didn't work out, we had to try something new.

Things were looking good at this point.  Last time, we had an ugly, milky, watery mix that barely covered half of our cereal.  This time, we actually have a mixture.  This was thick and creamy.  That sounds really fat, but I can't come up with a better description.  All we had to do now was add the cereal and let it sit for a few hours.

2 Hours Later...

Perfect!!

Last time, we couldn't even cut the Monster Treats.  It was a complete mess and total debacle.  I was so disappointed in what we created.  But, this time, we did it right.  The treats were soft, gooey, and wonderful.  We were so nervous when we took the foil off of the layer of treats because we were expecting the worst, but thankfully, we got the best!  Time to cut 'em up..

Cutting them into squares would have been too easy and not cool enough.  We had to do something different and realllly redeem ourselves.  So we picked up cookie cutters and decided to use the Pumpkin to cut our treats into Pumpkin shapes.  What better way to cut Pumpkin Spice Krispies Treats?  Makes total sense..

Even our shapes came out great!  Our little pumpkins were all cut out and ready to be eaten.  But.. no, I don't think we're done just yet.  Sure, they look good and we've certainly redeemed our last attempt, but now we need to take it a step higher.  The back of the Jet-Puffed bag pictured the treats decorated with Candy Corn.  That's a great way of making them stand out, but we wanted to go even further. 

So, here's what we came up with..

Here they are!!  Our 6 adorable Pumpkin Treats all decked out in Halloween goodness.  See, regular Spice Krispies Treats are great, and they probably even taste better than when they're covered in gel and sprinkles, but their appearance is what screams Halloween.  The Holidaze is about creating memories and that's what my girlfriend and I did with these treats.  We had an amazing time coming up with different faces and ways to decorate them.  And even though the taste didn't really matter to us, it just so happened that they tasted great.  I didn't think I'd like the pumpkin flavor as much as I did, but I do and I'm already looking forward to making them again before Halloween comes to an end.

Now, let's take a look at our baby Pumps..

His name?  "Spicy."  The sprinkles look like pepper and, considering he's "pumpkin spiced," this just makes sense.

He reminds me of a snake, so I was thinking about naming him "Reptile," but I decided to go with "Abraham."  He looks like he has a beard due to his chin of sprinkles and it reminded me Abraham Lincoln.  So this pump is named after good old Abe..

Here, we have "Daze."  He looks like he's lost, dazed and confused.  He really doesn't know what's going on and I have to believe it's because he's so caught up in the Halloween season.  So, I'm paying homage to my own blog and naming him Daze.

He looks like a "Happy," but that's too Snow White for me.  I could name him "Joy," but that's too Christmassy.  So, I'm going to name him "Fave."  Out of all our Pumpkin Treats, this is the little guy who made us happiest.  He's adorable and we can't help but to call him our favorite.  So this guy, still uneaten, is "Fave."

This one is easy.  He reminds me of the Scream mask so his name is "Screamer."  I was going to get fancy and name him Billy after the original Scream killer, but that's just over thinking it.  I'm going to go with my first choice and that's "Screamer."

Finally, we have "Faceless."  You can only make so many pumpkins without them all looking the same so, by the time we got to the 6th one, we were just throwing on some decorative sprinkles.  This poor guy didn't even get a face so, obviously, his name is "Faceless."  I feel bad for him, but that's just the way it goes.  Sometimes life is unfair and this guy got screwed.  Oh well, at least he tastes good..

I hope you enjoyed reading about our Pumpkin Spice Krispies Treats.  We had a good time making them and we created even more memories.  As I said, that's what the Holidaze is all about and I encourage you to do whatever you can to make your own memories.  These treats are a fabulous way of doing so, but it's completely up to you.  I highly recommend making these treats, though.  They taste great and you can make some pretty cool designs.  If anybody ever reads this, feel free to send me pictures of what you've made.  I'd love to check 'em out.

Jet-Puffed Pumpkin SpiceMallows

I've seen many different packs of Jet-Puffed Marshmallows over the past month.  I've seen swirls, ghosts, cars and jumbo's.  I've seen marshmallows I've never seen before and it's been awesome.  But this was something different.  This was something that was unique and most closely associated with the Holidaze.  When my girlfriend found these marshmallows, she knew we had to have them.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you... Jet-Puffed Pumpkin Spicemallows!

I usually don't like the flavor of pumpkin.  I love the smell of pumpkin pie, but as soon as I take a bite into a slice, I remember why I don't like it.  But the scent coming from this bag was so strong that I just had to give them another chance.  And ya know what?  They're really good!!  I think the reason why I like these so much, as opposed to pumpkin pie, is because of the spice.  When you bite into these marshmallows, you definitely taste the spice and it overwhelms the pumpkin flavor that I dislike so much.  For me, that's a good thing.  For you, it may be a different story.  Regardless, you should try 'em out.  Plus, they're shaped like pumpkins!!  What else could you ask for?

The face may not be included, but it makes for a better picture so I created my own.  He's cute.  He's a pumpkin made out of pumpkin marshmallows.  That's cool, but I'm really just giving you a little filler to make it look like a bigger paragraph before I move on... Time to move on.

This might have been common sense, but without the idea on the back of the bag, I probably wouldn't have even thought of it... Pumpkin Spice Krispie Treats!!  Duh!  That sounds awesome, but after our Monster Treat fiasco, marshmallow treats were the last thing I was thinking.  But, hey, this was a great opportunity to redeem ourselves and actually make something..ya know..good! 

So stay tuned and come back tomorrow to see how we made out.  Will we bomb again?  Or will we finally make edible Rice Krispie Treats?  Find out tomorrow.. Same Holidaze time!  Same Holidaze blog!  Ah, if anybody actually read this, we could all say how corny that was!

The Ultimate Halloween Breakfast

There are vast varieties of Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal, but when it comes to the Holidaze, my favorite of the bunch is Cinnamon Roll.  I love cinnamon.  I always have.  My favorite cereal is Cinnamon Toast Crunch and I attribute it to my Grandmother who used to always have it in her cabinet.  I can still remember her putting it on my toast when I was just three years old, and If I can remember that, then you know I must love me some cinnamon.

Cinnamon Roll Instant Oatmeal is not only perfect for Fall and Halloween, but Winter and Christmas as well.  It has great flavor, and since Cap'n Crunch's Halloween Crunch has yet to be released, this is the perfect spooky breakfast to instantly mix-up and create.  Well... almost perfect.

See, this Halloween season, I'm trying to take everything up a notch.  I want to create new Halloween memories with those that celebrate it with me and, to do so, we have to take things to the next level.  While Quaker Oats Cinnamon Roll Instant Oatmeal is great, there isn't anything "Halloween" about it.  Today, we're going to change that by creating the Ultimately Haunted Halloween Oatmeal Breakfast.  Oh yeah..

Step one in our process is easy -- grab yourself a few packs of Cinnamon Roll oatmeal and pick up a box of food coloring.  There are two ways of going about creating this breakfast beast.  There is a simple Halloween oatmeal, and the ultimate Halloween oatmeal.  If you want to go the loser route and be simple, then just dye your Cinnamon Roll oatmeal orange and call it a day.

I'd like to think that most people understand the color spectrum enough to know how to create the color orange, but if you don't, you're going to need the colors red and yellow.  Of course, you can dye your oatmeal any color you wish.  I thought about making it green or purple, but nothing says Halloween to me like the color orange.

The box will give you the necessary instructions to precisely mix the preferred color of orange, but I don't have time for any of that.  I want this breakfast to be ultimate and that means taking risks.  We're simply going to wing it.  Pour a little red, pour a little yellow, and keep going until I find exactly what I'm looking for.

Ahhh, yess!  Just look at what we've done!  The best part about Halloween treats is that they don't have to look appetizing at all.  Does orange oatmeal look good?  Of course not!  It looks like vomit or whatever Bridget the Bobble Monster was brewing in her cauldron, but that's the point!  Everybody knows that food coloring doesn't change the flavor of the food it's applied to, so you never have to worry about how it's going to taste.  But like any good optical illusion, orange oatmeal will make you forget that and have you think that you're about to ingest poison.  How great is that?

Okay, so like I said, simply dying your oatmeal is easy.  Anybody can do that.  But if you want your morning to be ultimate, then you need to be creative and add some figurative spice to your breakfast.  I say figurative, but hey, if you want to literally add some spice, I say go for it.  When we aim for the ultimate, we know we're jeopardizing flavor.  It may not taste as great once we throw in things that don't belong, but it's sure as hell going to look good!

Remember those Jet-Puffed Swirlmallows?  Well they're good for more than just toasting.  My girlfriend took one of the jumbo marshmallows and made a Ghostmallow.  He kinda looks like one of those things that chase Pac-Man around, but I'm pretty sure that they're ghosts too so we're right on track here.  He's perfect and you can tell he's looking forward to being a part of the Ultimate Halloween Breakfast.  We're close, but not quite there yet..

Now we're cookin'..  When it comes to creating the Ultimate Halloween Breakfast, there is one rule -- there are no rules!  But if you want my advice, just use what you have and make it look like it serves a purpose.  Here, we threw in the Little Debbie Fall Tree Cake, Trick-or-Treat Berry Fruit by the Foot and Boo Berry marshmallows to go along with our orange Cinnamon Roll oatmeal and Ghostmallow.  Is it going to taste good?  No way.. not together, anyway.  Individually, these treats are all amazing, but they're only here now to make things look and sound better.  Remember when Buddy the Elf poured syrup all over his spaghetti in Elf ?  Well that sounded awesome, but we all know it would taste horrible.  Yet, every year, I think it would be great for Christmas morning.  That's what this Ultimate Halloween Breakfast is.  It's our spaghetti and syrup.

It honestly doesn't taste bad.  The Boo Berry marshmallows add a lot to the orange oatmeal and the Fruit by the Foot makes you feel like you're eating right out of a pumpkin patch.  The Fall Tree Cake doesn't taste good covered in oatmeal, but the Ghostmallow needs his shade anyway so we don't have to eat that.  All in all, this is an amazing Halloween treat.  I wasn't sure if we could do it, but yes, we did create the Ultimate Halloween Oatmeal.  Now we have to come up with new ideas in terms of taking regular food and Halloweening them out.  It's all about taking things to the next level!

Happy Friday!

Fall Treats

In addition to the Holidays, The Holidaze is about celebrating a certain time of year and all that comes with it.  When it comes to Halloween, it just wouldn't be the same without this cool weather.  Even though it isn't technically Fall just yet, Mother Nature is surely giving us a prelude of what to come.  Sure, she's a bit of a tease, but I'll take it.  For at least another day, I'll be rocking the sweats and hoodie.  By Tuesday, we'll be rising back into our average temperature but, to enjoy this while it lasts, we have two Fall treats that are sure to enhance this faux Fall.

The first of our two treats comes to us from Kraft.  I introduce to you Jet-Puffed Swirlmallows!

If the packaging doesn't get you, then the overwhelming smell of chocolate and vanilla most definitely will.  The aroma is so strong that you can smell it right through the bag.  As soon as you come within 5 feet of these jumbo marshmallows, you'll instantly think of hot chocolate, smores and camping.  I've only been camping once, but if ever go again, I'd make sure it was in the Fall.  This weather is perfect for everything marshmallows bring to the table.  Who wants to toast these delicious Swirlmallows in the Summer?  The Winter?  No way, man.  Sure, they'll be just as good to eat during the Christmas season, but they had to have been designed for Autumn.  They go together so well.. just like chocolate and vanilla!

Kraft also makes these Swirlmallows in caramel/vanilla and strawberry..

Look at how big these Swirlmallows are! When Kraft says "Jumbo," they weren't kidding around.  They're massive.  If you're not careful, they're definitely a choking hazard, but when are marshmallows not dangerous?  We know the risk we're taking with every bite.

If you happen to be one of the two people who actually read this blog, then you know you laughed at what I just typed.  You definitely smiled or, at least, chuckled to yourself.  If you didn't, that's okay, because I know these guys did..

Now that I've humanized these Swirlmallows, it becomes a bit harder to enjoy their deliciousness.  I think I'd feel bad dropping that second one into a scolding cup of hot chocolate.  Ah well, I'll start with the third one and slowly get over it.  They're just too good not to..

On to our second Fall treat..

Aptly named, Little Debbie has released their new "Fall Tree Cakes."  It's not the most creative name for these delectable goodies but, because Little Debbie acknowledged the Fall season, we'll let it slide..

I really like the box art for what it is.  When it comes to fall tree cakes, there isn't much you can do in terms of graphics so, all things considered, I'd say they did a pretty good job.  In my opinion, you can consider your package design a success when it catches the eye of a potential customer and this did just that.  As my girlfriend was shopping at Wal-Mart, these popped out at her and led to a sale. 

The Fall Tree Cakes are basically slight variations of another popular Little Debbie snack -- Their Christmas Tree Cakes.  If you've never seen them before, picture a vanilla version of the chocolate tree pictured above.  I can't describe it simpler than that.  Actually, I just googled Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes and, turns out, they've also been released in chocolate so, if you've seen them, you know exactly what to expect with the Fall Trees.  However, Unlike the Christmas Tree Cakes that feature garland with red and green sprinkles, the Fall Tree Cakes are decorated with red, yellow, purple, and orange sprinkles shaped like leaves.  See, if I didn't tell you that, you probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference..

All in all, these Little Debbie Cakes taste great.  They're perfect for these cool, chilly days and, if you want my advice, go pick them up.  Grab a box of Fall Tree Cakes, some hot chocolate and a bag of Jet-Puffed Swirlmallows in whatever flavor you prefer.  Rent a classic horror movie and indulge in an overly chocolate adventure.  You'll enjoy it.