Skittles Fizzl'd Fruits

Oh Skittles...where did you go wrong? 

I don't know how the folks at Skittles ever okayed Fizzl'd Fruits for the market.  The concept is good, but the execution misses the mark.  Ever wonder what a Skittle dipped in baking soda tastes like?  Eat a Fizzl'd Fruit Skittle and you will find out.  The "fizzle" component tastes just like baking soda, and it really doesn't produce much fizzling action...at all.  The overall effect is just strange and unpleasant. 

If you're in the mood for fizzing candy, experience it done right with some Zotz or even Pop Rocks.  Hey, Skittles covered in Pop Rocks, sounds better already!

Hey, this marks my 100th post!  If I wasn't such a lazy butt, I would have reached this milestone long ago, but better late than never!  Thanks for reading!

Erfrischungsstabchen (or Refreshment Sticks)

Erfrischungsstabchen, hard to say but easy to eat.  I won't even try to pronounce it.  I picked these up last time I was in Germany and they have been hiding out in my fridge since.  My German boyfriend was amazed that I had never seen then before, apparently they are a classic treat for German kids.  Erfrischungsstabchen translates to "refreshment sticks" - and they are quite refreshing.  ES are small chocolate tubes filled with a refreshing shot of citrus liquid.  The liquid is clear and free-flowing with a sweet, pleasantly tart citrus taste.  The box says it contains an orange and lemon mix. I can't taste a difference between any of the sticks, so I assume the orange and lemon flavor is combined in each stick.  But I haven't told you about the best part.  Between the chocolate coating and citrus liquid there is a thin, crunchy shell of sugar encapsulating the liquid.  I don't know how they keep the sugar from melting, it must be magical feat of candy engineering. 

There are other brands of Erfrischungsstabchen in Germany, but the one featuring the cute orange and lemon characters is the original.  If you can't get to Germany and are interested in trying ES, you may want to look them up on the germandeli.com.

Anatomy of an Erfrischungsstabchen: