The m&m Critic

m&m's are my favorite candy, and are the cure-all for most conditions - except the ones they actually cause, like obesity, cavities, and whatever health problems the artificially colored shells may lead to (stupid scientists, ruining everything!) Enjoy my rundown of m&m flavors - and feel free to post comments! After all, everyone loves to talk food...

Peanut m&m's - I know these are a classic... and there have been plenty of times when I've had to settle for Peanut because Plain Milk Chocolate wasn't available - but they never hit the spot when I'm in need. For one thing, I usually end up getting these at ballgames - cold football games - so they are extra cold and hard as a rock. Maybe if i warm them up with my body heat before eating? See Milk Chocolate below.

Peanut Butter m&m's - Moving straight from the Peanut to the Peanut Butter, all I can say is... I like the PB much better. Again, it has to be the texture. PB is way smoother, softer, and probably full of more extra additives, which is why i like it more. but the Strawberried Peanut Butter m&ms...

Strawberried Peanut Butter m&m's - I LOVE these. I don't eat them often, because they're extremely rich - but they are delish. I expected them to be gross, but really liked them more and more after every pack. They taste exactly like the description... it's like eating PB & Jelly minus the bread (instead you have a candy shell! haha.) They come in strange colors... a reddish-orange, brown/tan, and white. Not exactly something you would put in a clear candy jar for coffee table decoration, but I believe they would be eaten so fast that using them as a decoration wouldn't even be a consideration. Really. Really. Good.

Almond m&m's - I won't even give these the time of day... I'm just not an almond fan. I'm sure they're super tasty if you're an almond lover... but count me out!

Plain Milk Chocolate - I'm very particular about how I eat these: I only buy the holiday colors b/c they are the freshest. And when I go to the movies, I like to get a bag of them and either hold the bag in my hands, or up against my body somehow during the previews... you've gotta warm them with your body heat, then eat! This makes them all warmish and melty, and yummmmmyyyyy. Cold m&ms are GROSS! (I hate McDonalds McFlurries.)

Plain Dark Chocolate m&m's - I've moved from milk chocolate to these in the past couple of years. I hated the bitter taste at first, but now I love the dark chocolate, and it's better for you, right? They are very hard to find in holiday colors (i typically luck out at CVS, but nowhere else, really), but it's ok - I still manage to eat the largest bag, regardless of the colors or freshness, within one week. My favorite sugary snack to put in a candy jar :)

Wildly Cherry m&m's - If you like chocolate covered cherries and m&ms, then these are obviously for you. They're a little sour, but made with dark chocolate, so it balances out after a few m&ms... I'm not a big cherry fan, so i definitely would not pick these over the Strawberried Peanut Butter or Dark Chocolate. My mom, on the other hand, would LOVE these. They are pretty - the shells are different shades of red. I recommend these around Valentine's Day :)

Coconut m&m's - Didn't think I would like these, but the colors are so pretty (green, light green, white, and brown) I couldn't help it! I confess that i've only eaten one single pack, brought to me by my supervisor one morning, but it made for some good dessert at lunchtime. These would definitely work for the Coconut lovers - and i believe the chocolate used is milk chocolate. ehh... I probably wouldn't buy them. Just sayin'...

Pretzel m&m's - I'm pretty sure my face lit up like a Christmas Tree when I saw these at Kroger's last week! I am a huge fan of chocolate covered pretzels, so i nearly died a happy death in the candy aisle when i laid my eyes on the pretty blue packaging that read, "PRETZEL M&Ms"!!! They are the size of Peanut m&ms, and are very salty - I've gotten mixed reviews from Peanut m&m lovers. Some say they prefer the peanut, some say they're switching their favorite to pretzel... whatever the case, there must be something about the salty/sweet combination that really just does it for people. I would obviously enjoy a little more chocolate taste, but these have just enough to taste like a real chocolate covered pretzel. I wonder how they're made? Do i want to know? Probably not. But SOOOO very good!

Mint Crisp m&m's - I saved my favorite "limited edition" m&m for last... these were first released with other promotional products for the Summer 2008 Indiana Jones film, and I was a little unsure about them at first. Back then, mint/chocolate combos weren't exactly my thing. Mint Crisp m&ms changed that! Once again, a co-worker delivered these to me - her part time job at a local convenience store entitles her to first dibs on the newest m&m flavors, so LUCKY ME! Anyway, I opened the pack and fell in love with the colors - THUNDERING HERD colors! Dark Green, Kelly Green, Mint Green, and White. Instant winner! And then... I ate them. Same texture as the regular crispy m&ms - but minty. They were actually minty enough to freshen my breath. And made w/dark chocolate - woohoo! I wish they were in stores, in huge bags, all year round. Sometimes, I stumble on big bags of them - but it's very RARE that this happens. They were available during the holidays, but i haven't seen them since. Guess I'll have to settle for those Pretzel m&m's!

So there you have it - my m&m review. It's 8:52am on a Saturday morning... and I am not exactly wanting a bowl of cereal anymore! If you love m&ms, i highly recommend the m&ms official website - lots of fun games to play, great recipe ideas, awesome gifts, and my favorite feature, the "become an m&m" app! YOu can literally build yourself... with a colorful candy shell body. I LOVE it, and I have made several versions of myself throughout the past few years (it's one of my favorite extracurricular activities at the office.)

I know you're craving chocolate now... go on, have some!