Edshugeo The GodMoor

About four days, apparently. I'm gonna eat myself into a diabetic coma one day.

After being somewhat (but maybe not completely) un-addicted to Altoids by their change in ingredients* (nowadays they taste more like Listerine - not bad for a breath mint/not so great as a candy), I've come close to being addicted to St. Claire's Organic Peppermints, which I've tried before. The fact that it takes about 2 weeks to get a bag could be good news or bad news depending on whether or not scarfing down enormous amounts of mints pose a health risk.
Peppermints are supposedly good for the digestive system (which I happen to have some issues with), but maybe not at 6.75 ounces a day, hmm? Then again, I haven't experienced any ill effects, that I can determine. But then again-again, I'm not so good at determining ill effects until pretty late in the game.

Anyway, St. Claire's is better than Altoids at the moment, as far as taste and ingredients are concerned, but Altoids are more readily available when I'm jonesing for peppermints.

I've also tried VerMints, so named because they come from Vermont. Those I got at a place called Health Nuts in Westbury, NY.
#1 - too expensive (three or three-fitty a can).
#2 - they don't taste all that good. Though I eat mints like they were candy, I don't like them to be too candy-ish if that makes any sense. Not minty enough, despite the actual presence of mint leaves.
Soooo.....

Altoids - Still strong, not as tasty.
VerMints - Neither strong nor very tasty. Pricey, though.
St. Claire's - Strong enough, and tasty. I haven't actually done the math, but St. Claire's may not be that much more expensive than Altoids (in bulk).

St. Claire's wins... until I find something else.

August 6th, 2008 - My last St. Claire's order came in only a few days. Just figured I'd mention that.

I'm not 100% this is true, but I think that Altoids that have been on the shelf for a while lose some potency, and in the case of the current formula, become tastier.

*The change in ingredients I mentioned two years ago are no longer. The current ingredients in Peppermint Altoids are: Sugar, Gum Arabic, Natural Flavor (Oil Of Peppermint), Gelatin. I'm still suspicious of the "Natural Flavor" label. If it's just Oil Of Peppermint, why can't it be left at Oil Of Peppermint?

Labels: Altoids, candy, online retailers, peppermints

I love dark chocolate. I love peppermint Altoids. Putting the two together seems long overdue, but somehow this doesn't really work for me. The chocolate seems fine. The Altoids, not so much. Could be because they're using the weaker, slightly fake Altoids those bastards tried rolling out last year or so. Oil of peppermint shows up in the ingredients in brackets next to "Natural Flavors". So the chocolate kinda steals the show. For half the price of a regular Altoids tin, this would be an okay candy. At more than twice the price*, I'd rather have Junior Mints.


*A friend bought me a tin of these the other day at Borders book store- prices at normal stores aren't likely that high, I hope.

Labels: Altoids, candy, peppermints, ripoffs

I knew this day was coming. They've tested the waters by adding to their product line crap like gums and tiny Altoids all made from chemical crap and other artificial and "natural flavors". Maybe even by marketing fake Altoids, but I have no way of knowing if the Stop & Shop mints were made by them, or by an American company as claimed.

The picture on the top left is the tin of Altoids Peppermints that can still be found on store shelves. The top right is a new tin, made to look just a little more old fashioned. It's not so apparent here, but the ink is flaking off the can. It doesn't look deliberate, though the effect was found on two separate cans purchased.

Something told me to check the ingredients, so I did; They changed something. Artificial flavor has been added to the ingredients, glucose syrup has replaced corn syrup and oil of peppermint has moved from being the second ingredient listed to the fourth. I don't know if glucose syrup is better or worse than corn syrup, but I do know I don't like the other changes. I generally don't buy other Altoids flavors because of so called natural and especially artificial flavors. The taste is different, but still good. It's not unusual for Altoids to vary in taste or texture (due to age?).

Ultimately what this means is that at some point, I may actually give up Altoids. This is something I hadn't seen as probable for the near future, yet here I am. I have no intention of writing to Callard & Bowser or organizing a boycott. It's insane that I'm consuming as much of this stuff as it is and I've been meaning to bring it under further control. This change forces my hand, and brings about a desired result.

Of course, it may be a little while before the now classic Altoids tins completely disappear...

Labels: Altoids, bullshit, candy, DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER, peppermints

4 tins.

Labels: Altoids, candy, peppermints

Only 5 tins on Saturday. Don't know why I thought I had 7. I just discovered an unopened two-pack (I know I only bought 4), which leaves 3 tins for Sunday instead of one. Hurrah!!!

Labels: Altoids, candy, feats of strength, oops, peppermints

Ummm. 7 tins. Possibly a record for me, but I'm not sure. I may've gone as high as 8 once or twice. 6 tins in a day isn't unheard of, but I've recently cut back. No Altoids on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. If my food shopping is done on Saturday morning, then Altoids are unlikely for Sunday, as I normally don't feel motivated to venture anywhere I would have an opportunity to buy them. However I bought four two-packs today at the supermarket, and I have one tin left over, which will wait till tomorrow (which technically is mere minutes from now).

Labels: Altoids, candy, feats of strength, peppermints

Stop & Shop is one of the supermarkets where I buy my groceries. I was doing my shopping this morning, getting all my normal crap. Juices, fruits, etc. I walked by the candy aisle to see if Altoids were on sale. They never are over there. Usually priced about $3.48 for a pack of two tins. The price hadn't changed, but peppermint was all out. They had a couple of the other flavors, the gums, and the sours, but I don't like any of those. The other mints and the gums use either artificial flavors or an unspecified "natural flavor". The Sours are just candy.

Initially, I attributed the lack of Altoid Peppermints to their popularity, but then wondered if maybe a bunch were being moved to some area where they'd be placed on sale. Tomorrow's Sunday and any new sales would begin then. I resolved to stop by tomorrow and check just in case, but changed my mind. If they went on sale, the price would likely go down to $2.99, the same price you can find at Pathmark, near my job.

After finishing, I headed to the cashier. As I unloaded the groceries on to the conveyor, I glanced at the candy/gum rack and spotted a blue and white tin the size and shape of an Altoids box, marked "Mints". I gave it a look over, couldn't find the price since it was placed in a spot for something else and because of it, resisted the urge to get more than one. The price was $1.49.

I have to say these mints are pretty good, and very, very close to Altoids in taste, maybe a little less in intensity. Not as "curiously strong" as the original, but I may be desensitized to them as I consumed quite a bit of Altoids this week.

It occured to me also, that the Altoid Peppermints were removed to intice folks to try out their own brand, but who knows?

Like Altoids, these mints are wrapped in a light paper within the tin. The type on the wrapper indicates that it's made by a 50 year old family confectioner, but won't name them. I'm guessing it's not Callard & Bowser. They're over a hundred years old. The originators, Smith & Co. are over two hundred years old and have been swallowed up by C&B. It's my understanding that some name brand companies will market their products under generic packaging, but that appears not to be the case, here. Still, I wonder.

The ingredients listed for Altoids are as follows: Sugar, Oil Of Peppermint, Gum Arabic, Gelatin, Corn Syrup
The ingredients of Stop & Shop Mints: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Natural Peppermint Flavor, Gum Arabic, Kosher Gelatin

Just what the hell is "natural peppermint flavor"? I just don't get that. I can't help but feel that companies who list natural flavor as an ingredient are hiding something. Kosher gelatin doesn't tell me a whole lot either. I bought some chocolate covered marshmallows from the Passover section last week, which contained fish gelatin. I thought that was cool. I don't eat as much marshmallows as I'd like because gelatin mostly comes from cow bones. I make the exception for Altoids cuz they're so damn good. As mentioned before, I generally don't buy the other Altoid flavors because they don't put real mints in 'em. I suspect that, if they could getaway with it, Callard & Bowser would do away with the oil of peppermint and use similar ingredients used in most of their newer products.

Anyway, the new Stop & Shop Mints are very good, but not quite great, and I don't know what natural peppermint flavor is. If it actually had peppermint in it, why not just say so? The price is cheaper per tin ($1.49), than Altoids ($1.99 at most places, if bought individually), but if I buy Altoids in two-packs at Pathmark, then they're just about the same. If multiple packaging is introduced with more substantial savings, then I'll probably buy a lot more of these. As it is, when I'm feeling cheap, I'll go for Canada Mints, and occasionally pick up one of these. Altoids are still worth the extra 48 cents (though I'd still like to avoid spending so much on them).

Labels: Altoids, candy, peppermints

I suspected that snorting Altoids was a bad idea. This article comfirms it.

However sniffing peppermint may have beneficial effects according to this article. The jury is still out on that one, but I think I'll look for one a' dem peppermint inhalers the next time I step into a health food or vitamin supplement shoppe. I'll likely have to order this online, though.

Labels: Altoids, candy, Fucking Idiots, fun, peppermints

blah.

Friday night, while on the phone with Jana, I decided to try something that had occurred to me in the past few weeks, but which I hadn't yet tried. I bought a two-pack of Altoids Peppermints from Pathmark. They're presently priced at $2.99. The price there, jumps back and forth from $2.99 to $3.49 plus tax. They don't sell the single tin, as far as I can tell. Anywho, whilst on the phone, I empty the two tins into the food processor and grind them into dust. I pour the powder into a plastic container take two teaspoonfuls... mmmm, and put the rest away till later. Maybe I sampled one or more spoonfuls while on the phone. I was on the phone for a little while.

Oddly enough, the powdered Altoids lasted me till Sunday night, when I took the last half-spoonful and topped my frozen yogurt with it. As stated before, I can consume two or more tins in the course of a day.

Powdered Altoids don't linger as long in your mouth, so there's much less pleasure in eating them this way. Also, I was initially more aware of the sugar content than I normally am, or at least I felt I was. I still enjoyed eating them this way, though I obviously felt less compelled to eat as much as I usually do.

On Monday (yesterday) morning I went to Pathmark on my way to work, to purchase Altoids and decided I did not actually feel like having any and walked out of the store empty handed. I wonder what that means? Not much. I got a two pack this morning and polished them off just after five pm. Not a record for speed nor duration, so perhaps I'm back to normal.

I wonder if snorting peppermint is a good idea?????

Labels: Altoids, candy, fun, peppermints

I tried these recently on the advice of someone who responded to last August's Altoids post. The comments on that page appear as if they were written the day of the post, which isn't the case. I may have to look into the settings and hopefully fix that.
Anyway, the mints arrived promptly enough; Two tins of peppermint and two of Wintergreen. Both are significantly more expensive than Altoids, but I figure they were worth a try. The Peppermint contained actual peppermint oil as well as cane juice and molasses granules, all organic. The Wintergreen contained the cane juice and molasses granules and then something called "natural Wintergreen flavor". What the hell is that? Where does natural wintergreen flavor come from?
How did they taste? Pretty damn good actually. I finished all three tins the day after they were delivered (last Friday - I gave one tin of Wintermints to my neighbor who watched my package for me). The molasses flavor (I think that's what I tasted) took just a little while to get used to, but overall, I enjoyed the taste. The mints were strong but not quite as strong as Altoids, and the texture was different as well; just a bit smoother. I enjoy the chalky texture of Altoids. I may order these again in the near future, probably Spearmint - how many mints actually contain spearmint oil? Not Altoids Spearmint. "Natural flavor", they say.
The expense plus shipping makes these a less likely alternative to Altoids, and while no gelatin is to be found in St. Claire's products, I don't expect to develop an addiction to them as I have to Altoids.
It's only Tuesday, and I've polished off four tins of the bad boys already...

Labels: Altoids, candy, peppermints

Tired of being broke, or at least having much less disposable income than I used to have, I've taken on the attitude of the big corporate and governmental agencies and am looking at reigning in my spending. Wait. That's not like government at all. They only cut services, but continue to spend like madmen.

Anyway, the first to go is cable. I'm keeping broadcast basic, which is just the four major networks (if you include Fox), some local stations, and shopping network crap I don't watch except when "Esteban" is trying to sell his cheap guitars (I've actually considered one of his packages, but went with an Ovation instead). It's fifteen bucks a month for this, which is perhaps more than it should be, but I don't get good reception without cable so it stays... for now.

A couple of years ago I cut out HBO. Ten bucks for one channel was unacceptable to me. Yeah, HBO is great, but not ten bucks great. Just yesterday I pulled the plug on Family Cable or Family Basic. I forget exactly. It's all the cable channels that show commercials. That was costing me about thirty-three bucks a month in addition to the fifteen for the broadcast stuff. I love The Daily Show. I enjoy Fox News and their collection of knuckleheads. I dig that Fuse actually plays music videos when I feel like watching that crap (so does BET, I guess, but depite being Black, BET doesn't entertain me). But I don't spend enough time on any of that to justify thirty three bucks, so out it goes.

Just about anything on TV that I miss for one reason or another I can downlo* - uh, I mean, do without. I still pay my cable company for internet access and will continue to do so for the forseeable future, though if push comes to shove, I'll go to DSL or even back to NetZero (I was with them when they were free).

Next on the chopping block is phone service. Verizon's out, Lingo.com is in. I can save about thirty to forty bucks, gain unlimited national long distance (as opposed to no long distance on my plan with Verizon) and apparently keep my phone number. Time will tell if I actually like their service. I've read good things so far. I'll make the arrangements in a day or so.

If I'm not careful, my Altoid addition could cost fifty-four bucks a month or even more. Some weeks I may purchase up to four two-packs, but that's a rarity that's never kept up for a whole month. Still, I should keep track and try to spend less than thirty bucks a month.

Labels: Altoids, home economics, tv

I don't like it.
One, it's sugar free, which means a ton of crappy ingredients (14) instead of the 5 not so crappy ones you get in regular peppermint Altoids.
Two, it's gum. I like gum, but I always feel let down by gum. Eventually the flavor goes away and you're still there chewing something that now has no soul.
Three, 2 30 gram tins of gum cost the same as 2 50 gram tins of mints. As if being addicted to the mints at Three dollars every two days isn't bad enough (and that's considering Pathmark's lower price on the product versus Eckerds and Stop & Shop).
At least this crap isn't good enough to hook me. I will finish the remaining tin tomorrow, though.

Labels: Altoids, bullshit, candy, peppermints

The Eckerd (drug store) by my job has them on sale. A pack of two for $2.99. They're normally $3.48 or something. Not a huge savings, but this doesn't bode well for my attempt to wean myself off my recent mint addiction.
My plan was to limit my purchases to a two-pack every two days. I consume both packs in the course of a work day, so the in between days would have me calming my mint jones with Canada Mints. They're much less intense than Altoids, and they're a bit sweet, but I love the texture and the way they melt in my mouth. They're also much cheaper at 99 cents a bag and actually contains peppermint oil, though probably not as much as Peppermint Altoids.
The other two Altoid mint flavors don't mention mint leaves or oils in their ingredients. Just "natural flavor". Most mints, I notice, seem to list "natural flavor" rather than name the mint whose flavor is indicated on the packaging; Peppermint, Spearmint, Wintergreen. Is Wintergreen an actual mint, or just a made up flavor? And what is "natural flavor"? In any case, I buy the Peppermint flavor.
I'm not sure exactly when my mint addiction started. Maybe about a month or so ago when a morning cough had me buying Hall's Spearmint cough drops on the way to work. It wasn't the first time I've had them, but somehow I was hooked.
I was also using Arm & Hammer whitening toothpaste and perhaps the problem started there as I enjoyed it a great deal more than usual as dental care goes. Something about that baking soda/mint combination. That would date the start of this situation more than a couple of months back. Anyway, shortly after that particular cough drop purchase I would occasionally find myself brushing my teeth twice in the same session. Then I was buying more cough drops, sometimes Hall's, sometimes another brand to experiment.
At some point I moved from cough drops to mints, but I don't remember the transition happening. Three weeks ago they were on sale and I was buying them almost daily. Once the price went back up I slowed it down a bit for the sake of economic sanity.
Speaking of sanity, there are some who question mine, for a variety of reasons usually, but in this case over my consumption of six Altoid mints at a time. Over the course of a day I'll vary the amount sometimes to extend the life of a tin. Also, should I have to speak while I have a bunch of these mints in my mouth, I end up burning my eyes, which isn't a very pleasant sensation.
Another issue I have is with the gelatin found in these and other mints. Gelatin is apparently a beef by product. I don't eat beef or pork, but I'm not a fanatic about it, however seeing that Altoids are made in Great Britain, and that the U.K. isn't known for having the best cows within it's borders at the moment (mad cow), I'm just a teensy bit concerned.
So Altoids are on sale and tomorrow I may buy two 2-packs, to try and hold me over the weekend.
At some point I expect to bring myself down to a once a week habit, but we'll see.
Things like this are why I don't do drugs (yet), or rarely drink.

Labels: Altoids, peppermints