To boldly go where to Pop-Tart has gone before…

T.G.I.F – Thanks Goodness It’s Free!

In honor of the opening of the summer blockbuster STAR TREK, Kellogg’s is running various Trek related offers for a variety of their products. For the Pop-Tarts brand, they are offering a free movie ticket (adult or child up to $12.00). Unfortunately, you’ll have to jump through a couple of hoops to get it. First you’ll have to fill out the official order form on the inside of the box. Then you’ll need 5 “Start Trek Official Movie Pass” vouchers from specially marked boxes. As you can see from the picture, they’re pretty hard to miss.

Now is this really a deal?

Well, that all depends on your point of view. If you’re someone who was going to buy 5 boxes of Pop-Tarts anyway, this is the best thing since…well…Pop-Tarts! On the other hand, if it takes you a month to go through a 6 count box, then maybe you should just pony up the dough at the theater. As for me, I’ll be keeping my eye out for one of those sweet BOGO offers at my local grocery store. That way, I can buy 6 boxes for the price of three, in which case, everyone wins!

So what’s the catch?

One last thing, you’ll have to allow 90 days to get your ticket. I know what you’re thinking, “That means Star Trek better stay in theaters until at least until the end of July, right?” Not so! There’s nothing that says the ticket voucher you get has to be used for Star Trek. Once you get your voucher, you can choose any film you like. (as long as it’s under $12 and at a participating theater.)

My recommendation is to go see the movie, then get your free ticket and see it again. By the way, considering their low profile, taking some Pop-Tarts along with you to get you through the 2 hour and 6 minute film wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Live long and prosper,
Jason

Low Fat... Low Expectations...

Last week I mistakenly purchased some "Low Fat" Strawberry Frosted Pop-Tarts. I'd never had this variety before and I have to tell you, I wasn't too excited about trying them. After all, the words "low fat" and "great taste" usually only go together in marketing campaigns, right? Well, before I get into how they tasted, let's take a look at how these low fatties stack up against some "full fat" Blueberry Frosted tarts.

The Tale of the Tape

Right off the bat, you'll notice that the blueberries have 10 more calories per serving, with the blueberries at 200/servingand the strawberries at 190/serving. That really only equates to 20 more calories per package so, in my opinion, you're notreally saving yourself much there. The next thing you'll notice is the total grams of fat with the blueberries weighing inat 5g and the strawberries weighing in at a mere 3g. This is to be expected. After all, it's why they stamp "Low Fat" on the box! So far, it's looking like the strawberries are a little "healthier" than their blueberry brethren. Ah, but wait, this is where things get interesting. If you keep reading, you’ll see that the low fat strawberries have more sodium and carbohydrates than the blueberries. Specifically, the strawberries have 20g of sugars to the blueberry's 18g and 210mg to 170mg of sodium respectively. Very interesting...

Enough already! How do they taste?

So the 2 grams of fat we saved were replaced by 2 extra grams of sugar and 40mg of sodium. The result… Pure unadulterated deliciousness! I'm no nutritionist so I can't tell you if the trade off makes the low fat strawberries any healthier for you than the regular blueberries. What I can tell you is that when you bite into the strawberries, you'll never miss the fat! I enjoyed mine untoasted (as I was a bit late for work) but they seemed to have a slightly different consistency. They were softer, a bit moister and seemed a little denser. I'm not saying the low fat varieties will have a permanent place on my shelf but who knows, by the end of the box, I may have changed my mind.

Cheers,
Jason

Flavor of the Month: May '09

The inaugural "Flavor of the Month" is none other than S'mores!

Now be honest, who wasn't pumped when these little beauties hit the shelves? Chocolate, marshmallow, and gram cracker for breakfast? You've got to be kidding me! These were the first tarts I considered as a snack food and not just a breakfast food.

I prefer these warmed in the toaster but not completely toasted. What about you? Have a better idea?

Origins

So I’m sitting in my living room enjoying my usual Pop-Tart breakfast. My mind was wandering and I noticed how unfrosted Pop-Tarts seem to have more filling than their frosted counter parts. That thought was enough to make me laugh at myself a little, but it also go me thinking. I’ve always wanted to try blogging; if for no other reason than to see if anyone at all would read it.

So, why would anyone blog about Pop-Tarts? Well, why not? People will write about anything these days. After a quick search of the interwebs, to see if something like this already existed, I made up my mind to give it a try.

So here goes. The first (that I know of) blog dedicated solely to Pop-Tarts. I have plenty of content ideas for this puppy so stay tuned. It might be kind of entertaining.

Cheers,
Jason