I’m a bit behind on my product reviews, so I’m going to do some short takes of items I was sent to review, and also some that I couldn’t walk by in the store without trying….

Cold-Eeze Cold Remedy Quick Melts–Yeah, I know, this isn’t a food item. But they want you to think of it as a food item so that taking medicine won’t taste gross. They are berry flavored and have zinc in them, and if you have ever taken zinc tablets you know that they have this sort of tangy snap in the back of your throat. I took these when I actually did have a cold, and the decongestant aspect worked, and the night time one contains melatonin, which helps you fall asleep naturally. But the selling point here is the taste, and the tablets really do taste decent and not like medicine.

Minta Naturally Flavored Mint Soda–This was one of those intriguing ones that made me wonder, “Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?” I’m not sure why, but it does seem like one of those things that would be popular in France but not here. My wife was afraid of trying it, but I wasn’t. As a result, she wasn’t a fan but I thought it was really good. It wasn’t the best soda I’ve ever tasted, but had a nice minty taste without being overly sweet. And for someone like me that drinks a lot of unsweetened seltzer, that latter part was important. But I’d recommend this stuff if you like mint and you like carbonated beverages.

Cheetos Mix-Ups Xtra Cheezy Mix–Well, duh. These snack companies that keep changing things up and offering new and interesting flavors have me as a target audience all the freaking time. I can’t walk past it without buying it. This one was particularly interesting, because it’s cheesy and crunchy and has four types of Cheetos–the standard fried ones with cheddar; nacho cheese waffle discs; double cheddar baked puffs; and baked parmesan balls. You really can’t go wrong combining this cheesy goodness, but those awesome waffle discs really put this mix over the top, because the way that they are shaped is conducive to collecting lots of that yummy powdered cheese that sticks to your fingers after eating cheese snacks.

Cracker Jack’D Power Bites (Vanilla Mocha and Cocoa Java flavors)–Who knew Cracker Jack was getting into new lines of snack foods? Yet here are these little balls of caffeinated goodness, and I tried both the Vanilla Mocha and Cocoa Java flavors. I was slightly afraid but yet had to try these, at the same time. They are crunchy, coated wafer cookies in the shape of balls, and in addition to the the vanilla and chocolate, the coffee flavor comes through loud and clear. And each bag of fifteen or so pieces is supposedly equal to a cup of coffee–hence the title Power Bites. They are supposed to give you an afternoon jolt, and when I tried them, they did! And they are delicious–of course, with sugar as the primary ingredient, I also say “Well, duh.”

Do you need an afternoon jolt most days? I usually do, and sometimes there is nothing better than an afternoon cup of coffee and a giant chocolate chip cookie to help with an energy boost. But it’s summer and here in Madison, Wisconsin, maybe the hottest summer ever with temps hovering around 100 degrees almost every afternoon. So it’s best to have something cold, or–even better–something frozen.

So I tried a product this week called SLAP FROZEN Energy–a slushy energy drink, for lack of a better term. I am not sure if this is exactly true, but I think the word “SLAP” comes from the fact that you have to slap the beverage, which comes in an easy to squeeze pouch, against the counter or hard surface in order to loosen it up after three minutes.

They sent me three pouches–two crisp apple and one strawberry-frost. There is also a lemonade flavor which they did not send. And the drink is really delicious, refreshing, and gives that jolt I look for in the afternoon. It doesn’t have that horrible toothpaste-meets-orange-juice flavor of traditional energy drinks, but instead just taste like slushies. And there is nothing wrong with that on a hot day. And you get 25% more energy than those other brands with an infusion of taurine, caffeine, and Vitamins B3, B6, and B12.

My only beef–that mine took more like ten to fifteen minutes to defrost to the point that I could drink/slurp them. Maybe it’s my freezer, but they were rock solid when I removed them from the freezer and had to sit on my desk for a while. But I would certainly buy the product. In fact, I am going to look for them and stock up for the rest of the summer. They are available at retailers such as Wal-Mart and Casey’s General Stores.

For more information, you can visit www.slapfrozen.com or their Facebook and Twitter pages. And SLAP FROZEN Energy is especially going to come in handy for the Olympics, which begin tomorrow in London in a time zone that could be five to eight hours away, depending on where you live.

How many energy products are on the market today? 50, 200, a million? Seriously….we’ve evolved from coffee and tea and iced versions of those to Red Bull and other energy beverages to 5-Hour Energy to countless other items. But convenience in today’s now-now-now society and workplace is increasingly important. That’s why those 5-Hour Energy thingies come in tiny bottles. But now there is a product that is even more convenient than that–Sheets Energy Strips. I’m talking stupid convenience here–a flat package about the size of a baseball card with four serving strips in it.

But while many energy products are loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners, this one will not set you back calorie-wise or give you that rush and crash thing that sweet products do. Instead it is a neat little breath-strip-like product that is chock full of B- and E-vitamins. Of course, it also has 100 milligrams of caffeine, something they don’t boast about in the press materials, but something that no doubt has significance here. That’s also about the same amount of caffeine as there is in a cup of regular coffee, but without the risk of spilling it on your lap or having to drink a hot beverage in the middle of summer.

Sheets also claims no crash like there is with sweetened products, and they are correct. But not only is there no crash, I took this after that inevitable post-lunch sedation that happens, especially after eating two chili dogs today like I did. And I had almost instant energy to continue my afternoon. Yes, Sheets Energy Strips are not only convenient–they also work as they claim to. And you can’t say that about every pick-me-up on the market. Oh, and one more thing….I don’t know how many flavors there are, but I tried the Berry Blast version, and this stuff actually tastes pretty good too. So if you need an afternoon pick-up, or a burst of energy before a night out on the town, give Sheets a try.