Cereal Time with Gabe Fonseca: King Vitaman, Cinnamon Mini-Buns, & Churros Cereal

Got a lot of work to do this Friday afternoon?

Just looking forward to the weekend?

Either way, we want to make today a little bit better by sharing a few more cereal history lessons from cereal archaeologist Gabe Fonseca, whose Cereal Time YouTube series covers so many wild and colorful cereal that may have faded from your memory as time passed.

First up is King Vitaman cereal, and while it isn’t the crowning achievement of Quaker, this crown-shaped Cap-n Crunch taste-alike has had some royally clever advertising campaigns over the years.

Next up is a cinnamon double feature that covers both Cinnamon Mini-Buns and Churros cereal. Gabe takes viewers on a trip down the long, swirling history of Cinnamon Mini-Buns as it evolved into what we know and love today as Cinnabon cereal.

Likewise, the regional Mini Cinnamon Churros is Post’s attempt to compete with Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You’d be hard-pressed to find a box of it today (it was focused around Mexico), but if you do, you’ll be smacking your cinnamon sugar-coated lips and singing “Churr-oh yeah!” in no time.

If you love Gabe’s videos as much as the rest of us, be sure to watch ’em all! Every Cereal Time video can be found here, and you can check out Gabe’s Twitter, as well.

Posted by dan g.. Categories: Specials. Tags: cereal time, cinnamon, kelloggs, post, quaker. Leave a comment

Oct. ’15

Spooned & Spotted: Monster Cereal Mania!

A gorgeous sight, isn’t it?

As the season of spooks is only just over a week away from its triumphant climax, our much-beloved monster cereals have left their marshmallowy mark in stores everywhere.

Judging by this photo from Spooned & Spotted regular Marc P., which he captioned “Ahhh. Heaven finally,” most people should have no trouble finding Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry this time around. But as the 31st approaches, this is a friendly reminder to stock up while you can.

I’m hoping to have enough to last me at least through Groundhog Day…2017.

But despite this, it seems no one has been able to find the cut-out mask boxes that are reportedly Walmart exclusives. Mask boxes have been seen in Canada, but nothing in the U.S. as of yet. If you have seen these mythical masks, please let us know via the comments or our submission page! You could’ve stumbled on a real cereal unicorn!

In other monster cereal news, General Mills just released an entire podcast about them! From interviews with the box designers to a guest appearance by the voice of Count Chocula himself, the podcast even features recorded responses from monster cereal fans who called into General Mills’ hotline to profess their love.

You can check that podcast out here. Need one more good reason to listen?

Yours truly makes an appearance as one of those aforementioned fans!

Thanks again to Marc for the photo! If you’d like to see your picture or thoughts featured on a “Spooned & Spotted” post, click yourself right on over to our submissions page, or just email us at cerealously.net@gmail.com.

Posted by dan g.. Categories: Specials. Tags: general mills, halloween, monster cereals, spooned & spotted. 2 Comments

Oct. ’15

Spooned & Spotted: Honey Nut Cheerios Star Wars Boxes

Are you a Star Wars fan looking to Chew-bacca a sweet spoonful of honey glazed cereal?

Well then General Mills has just the limited edition box for you!

I spotted this cool new Honey Nut Cheerios box at Meijer recently. The cereal inside is the same Honey Nut Cheerios that everyone knows and loves, but seeing Buzz the Bee in full Darth Vader garb is enough to play a persuasive Jedi Mind Trick on any passing consumer. You’ll have bought 3 boxes of it and walked out of the store faster than you can say “wait a minute, I came here looking for droids!”

Alongside Star Wars cereal, these Cheerios will be the perfect couch co-pilot as you marathon all 6 Star Wars movies in anticipation of this December’s Episode VII.

But this box doesn’t stop with gorgeous artwork. No, these Cheerios revive the nearly dead cereal tradition of including a prize inside, as each box contains one of 6 different “droid viewers” that lets you see View-Master-esque images. Here’s hoping this sparks a renewed interest in cereal prizes; if the Jedi can come back from near extinction, so can plastic premiums.

Will there be more Star Wars cereals and boxes between now and December? My midichlorian count isn’t high enough to know.

I can only hope that my dream of “Wookie Crisp” becomes a reality.

If you’d like to see your picture or thoughts featured on a “Spooned & Spotted” post, click yourself right on over to our submissions page, or just email us at cerealously.net@gmail.com.

Posted by dan g.. Categories: Specials. Tags: cheerios, general mills, spooned & spotted. 1 Comment

Oct. ’15

Review: Frosted Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts vs. Trader Joe’s Organic Frosted Pumpkin Toaster Pastries

As the toaster pops up, it’s time for two pastries to throw down.

With little cartoon pumpkins spreading throughout grocery store aisles like some sort of vegetable venereal disease, it’s hard to know which products do the orange orb its proper justice. And when you’re 5 minutes late to work in the morning, you certainly don’t have time to philosophically pontificate over the pros and cons of different pumpkin breakfast options (“the frosting on this one really speaks to me, but what would Kierkegaard think?”).

But don’t worry. We’re here to help.

Better than Wrestlemania. Better than a monster truck rally. Better than the World Series, Stanley Cup championship, and Wimbledon all mixed together in a Super Bowl: it’s time for a toaster tart face-off.

Continue reading →

Posted by dan g.. Categories: Reviews. Tags: 6 rating, 8 rating, kelloggs, non cereal, pop-tarts, pumpkin, trader joe's. 2 Comments

Oct. ’15

Review: Count Chocula Treats Cereal Bars

Have you ever thought, “Gee, I love Count Chocula, but eating a bowl of it with milk in the middle of rush hour traffic sure is a hassle! I wish it were considerably more…rectangular!”

Well then it’s time to trick-or-treat yourself, because Count Chocula Treats have returned to save your morning commute from milk spills caused by unexpected brake-slamming.

Earlier this month, I mistakenly predicted that Count Chocula Treats would be a Canadian exclusive this season. While my neighbors to the north may still be the only ones getting Treats with orange chocolate, the cereal bars have finally made their way to American shelves.

What took you so long, Count? I guess when you’re an ageless, blood-sucking entity, you tend to lose track of time. Continue reading →

Posted by dan g.. Categories: Reviews. Tags: 10 rating, cereal bars, count chocula, general mills, halloween, monster cereals. 2 Comments

Oct. ’15

Review: Trader Joe’s Country Pumpkin Spice Granola Cereal

It’s official.

The month of October will no longer be known as the “Halloween season.” Instead, it will officially be deemed “Trader Joe’s month-long pumpkin-palooza.”

Seriously, walking into a TJ’s this time of year is like being transported into one of your grandma’s autumn tablecloths, with every store orifice (storeifice, for short) being plastered with kitschy graphics of everyone’s favorite vegetable. Or fruit. Whatever the heck your know-it-all cousin insists that it “technically” is.

And while I’ve already discussed Pumpkin O’s cereal, it isn’t the only pumpkin cereal Trader Joe has plucked from his field. So whether or not you consider granola to be an actual cereal (the word is on the box so leave me alone, dang it!), it’s time to give Country Pumpkin Spice Granola its time in the candlelit spotlight. Continue reading →

Posted by dan g.. Categories: Reviews. Tags: 4 rating, granola, pumpkin, trade joe's. Leave a comment

Oct. ’15

News: Lucky Charms is Giving Away 10 Boxes of “Marshmallows Only”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ifyDPw984k

(Update: The video above may be gone, but we got one of the 10 boxes! Check it out!)

I can hear him. I can hear the ghost of my 8-year old self speaking to me through the expanse of time:

“Daaaaannn! You have to wiiinnnnn, Dan!” his spectral voice warbles. “All that time I wasted separating the Lucky Charms oats from the marshmallows—I demand restitution!”

But wait a minute, 8-year old Dan. How do you know a word as big as “restitution?”

“Uh, I gotta goooo! The other ghost kids wanna watch Digimon!”

That’s my long-winded backstory on why I feel the need to win General Mills’ latest sweepstakes. After hearing fans’ repeated pleas for a marshmallow only Lucky Charms, they’re finally making those dreams a reality. Well, for 10 people, at least.

With the help of Biz Markie (who also recently helped Cap’n Crunch with a sweepstakes; that guy must love cereal and self-parodies), General Mills wants cereal fans to use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to post photos of themselves with imaginary Marshmallows Only cereal boxes and the hashtag #Lucky10Sweepstakes for entries in the random drawing for 10 boxes of the Marshmallow Only.

It was already possible to buy bags of just marshmallows, but since those aren’t official Lucky Charms marshmallows, it’s just not the saaaammeee, Mom!

Whoops, sorry. I was still stuck in Kid Dan mode there for a second.

And look at how gorgeous the boxes are! (Note also how the nutrition facts are conveniently cropped out. But that’s beside the point.) I can only imagine what magically outrageous prices these would reach on eBay. But who would ever sell theirs?

With this being said, I will be carefully preparing my entries and will post them here as time goes on. General Mills’ full release on the contest can be read here, and the sweepstakes rules can be read here. Just don’t wait too long! The contest ends October 18th.

Good luck(y charms) to all those who also want to enter!

(YouTube video via General Mills)

My three humble entries!

Posted by dan g.. Categories: News. Tags: general mills, lucky charms. 1 Comment

Oct. ’15

Review: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin O’s Cereal

Ahh, Trader Joe’s.

With its Hawaiian shirt-wearing employees, its whimsical wordplay, and its overwhelmingly campy atmosphere, I’ve always thought of it as the grocery store equivalent of Uncle Joey from Full House.

And just like how everyone’s goofy uncle has some sort of kitschy obsession, Trader Joe’s goes absolutely ~~bananas~~ pumpkins during the fall season.

That’s right. I just turned pumpkins into a verb. Continue reading →

Posted by dan g.. Categories: Reviews. Tags: 7 rating, pumpkin, trader joe's. 3 Comments