If you are a fan of Dr. Pepper soda, then you will appreciate Dr. Pepper Frozen Soda Pops – an inexpensive treat to beat the heat that I found at the Dollar Store. Made with Dr. Pepper flavor, the frozen treats really do taste like the soda. One box contains 10 one-ounce pops, which are only 15 calories each. Simply freeze and eat.

I usually don’t like fudge-covered cookies, but only the back of this sweet treat is covered in chocolate and it suits the overall cookie just fine.

Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cheesecake Middles are small, but still deliver a very satisfying taste and texture – offering an effective combination of soft sweetness (cheesecake filling as a center) and crunchy nutty (graham) flavors.

If you love cheesecake (like I do), then you won’t be disappointed. Three Fudge Shoppe Cheesecake Middles equal 130 calories.

I love trying new flavors of coffee and thought Flavored Beans’ White Chocolate Crème Brulee Coffee would make a tasty giveaway – along with a box of biscotti for chocolate lovers.

Up for grabs is one (1) bag of White Chocolate Crème Brulee Coffee and one (1) box of Venice Biscotti (Chocolate Chocolate), which is described as “hazelnut, orange zest, chocolate biscotti dipped in deep, rich chocolate.”

Mandatory Entry: You must be my Google Connect friend (on the sidebar) and leave a comment saying so – must be completed or all other entries will not count.

Extra Entries (must leave separate comments for each entry)

1. Twitter friends of Priceless Writers get an entry. Leave your username. [1 entry]

2. Email subscribers of Yona Writes get [1 entry]

3. RSS feed subscribers to YonaWrites get [2 entries]

4. RT on Twitter: “White Chocolate Creme Brulee Coffee & Biscotti Giveaway at Yona Writes –  http://tinyurl.com/29b9658 ” [1 entry]

5. Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post and come back and tell me which one. [2 entries]

The Fine Print: For every entry that you complete, let me know in the comments section. For example, 2 entries = 2 separate comments. Contest ends August 3, 2010 at 11:59pm (ET).  The winner will be chosen through Random.org. Please leave an email address so I can contact winners, who will have 48 hours to tell me where to send their prize. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Oh wow. Lucky Country Aussie Style Pineapple Licorice is not your typical licorice – it’s a fruity explosion with every bite. The licorice is described as a soft gourmet treat that is 98% fat free. It smells and tastes amazing – very flavorful. I swear it tastes like it’s made with honey, but that doesn’t appear in the list of ingredients. I do find it interesting that coconut oil is used (yum). Lucky Country Licorice is made in the U.S.A, in Lincolnton, North Carolina and also comes in Black, Black Cherry, Strawberry, Marionberry, and Apple.

Very tasty indeed, so much so that I had to share a bag with one of my lucky readers!

Up for grabs is one 6-ounce bag of Lucky Country Aussie Style Pineapple Licorice.

Mandatory Entry: You must be my Google Connect friend (on the sidebar) and leave a comment saying so – must be completed or all other entries will not count.

Extra Entries (must leave separate comments for each entry)

1. Twitter friends of Priceless Writers get an entry. Leave your username. [1 entry]

2. Email subscribers of Yona Writes get [1 entry]

3. RSS feed subscribers to YonaWrites get [2 entries]

4. RT on Twitter: “Lucky Country Aussie Style Pineapple Licorice Giveaway at Yona Writes – http://tinyurl.com/23shwhf  ” [1 entry]

5. Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post and come back and tell me which one. [2 entries]

The Fine Print: For every entry that you complete, let me know in the comments section. For example, 2 entries = 2 separate comments. Contest ends July 30, 2010 at 11:59pm (ET).  The winner will be chosen through Random.org. Please leave an email address so I can contact winners, who will have 48 hours to tell me where to send their prize. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Unlike Mentos Gum, Trident Splash (Orange Swirl) does have the liquidy sugar-free center the packaging promises, but the overall taste is an absolute turn-off. There’s something almost stale in the flavor. Plus, the combination of the hard shell and liquidy center creates a softer gum texture that tastes like gum that has been chewed for hours. One package offers 9 pieces of gum with less than 5 calories each.

I think Mentos should stick to making their hard-shelled candies because the combination of the candy shell with a soft center just doesn’t gel well (in my opinion). It’s like chewing a cross between a candy and gum – and it takes a long time to get to that gum feeling. The hard candy shell pieces linger throughout your chewing experience (it’s distracting).

As for the taste, Mentos Gum is fruity with a long-lasting flavor.

One container of Mentos Gum comes with 15 pieces. Each piece of gum is less than 5 calories. I tried the Red Fruit and Lime flavor. I bit one in half to investigate the center and I didn’t see any liquidy filling as the packaging suggests. Overall, I’m not too impressed with the gum, but I’m sure other people will like it. I must admit – I’m probably being overly picky with this one because I thought the gum was going to have a gushy, liquid filling and I was disappointed.

Stop into your local 7-Eleven to indulge in a refreshing slurpie in honor of 7-11 Day. For more details, you can stop by their website, where you can also find the nearest 7-Eleven to you.

Do you have a Magic Bullet? Well, I have a Magic Bullet knockoff that I purchased for half the price and I’ve only used it once to make daiquiris. This morning, I felt inspired to create a smoothie recipe with some of the fruits bought at the farmer’s market. Offering a blend of sweet and sour sensations, I introduce you a satisfying fruity breakfast smoothie recipe.

Cherry-Apricot Smoothie Recipe

• 1 large or 2 small apricots
• 10 cherries
• 2/3 cup sherbet
• 1/3 cup low-fat milk

1. Take the pits out of the apricot and cherries.

2. Cut apricot into chunky slices and add the fruit to the blender container.

3. Add 2/3 cup of sherbet and 1/3 cup low-fat milk to your blender container.

4. Pulse until it reaches a consistency to your liking.

Note: You can use any sherbet flavor you like, which will affect the final outcome of your smoothie. I chose a combination of raspberry, pineapple and orange. I used 1% milk in this recipe. I also blended the ingredients just enough to where I still had a pulpy consistency – so that I would feel like I ate something substantial for breakfast.

The Dark Chocolate Acai Pudding by Genesis Today has been calling my name at Walmart for weeks and I’ve finally purchased a 4-pack because it went on sale. The packaging reminds me of a medical product, but it promises a boatload of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, calcium, protein, amino acids, and fiber. Its official description is “All-Natural Dark Chocolate Pudding with Acai Berries, Vitamins & Minerals.”

When I first opened the pudding cup, I noticed water (?) had formed on the top of it and all around. There was no creaminess and it possessed a chunky, congealed consistency. I tried to stir the heck out of it to make it smoother, but it never reached a smoothness that made me happy. It was almost like pudding that had been boiled to the point that it forms those lumpy globs.

Despite the wateriness and consistency turning me off, I still decided to taste it. There was a distinctly strong cocoa flavor – almost woody or earthy. It is made with real cacao beans so maybe that’s where the taste came from…or perhaps this is what acai tastes like? At any rate, I’m not impressed with the taste or consistency of the pudding. Such a shame – it claims to promote weight loss, boost energy levels, as well as healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Pie lovers, head to the nearest Waffle House to enjoy a nice slice of free pie when you use this coupon. This offer is valid for dine-in only, at participating Waffle House locations, and only one piece of pie per customer per visit.

Coupon expires July 10, 2010.