Year: 2012

REVIEW: Good Humor York Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream Bar and Mounds Ice Cream Bar

Steve 5 Comments

York Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream Bar 1

Well kids, summer time is here.

As a resident of Florida that means I’ll be spending the next two months scurrying from one air conditioned location to the next trying to keep my eye balls from boiling in their own juices.

It also means I’ll be enjoying delicious, refreshing ice cream! Indoors of course. Not many people know this, but ice cream doesn’t melt outdoors in the Florida sun. It sublimates immediately into its gaseous form. One of my favorite activities as a teen was driving up and down Gulf Boulevard trying to spot fluffy mint chocolate chip clouds drifting off to Mexico. My friends and I would laugh and laugh at the disappointed children crying on the curb staring into their empty waffle cones.

Mounds Ice Cream Bar 1

I haven’t really been big into ice cream until recently. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been seeking it out more frequently. Though I still adhere to my belief that it is unacceptable for a grown man to order an ice cream cone alone. I keep a blonde wig and big sunglasses in my car in case the Golden Arches should catch my eye as I’m driving home.

This week I was able ride the cutting edge of candy/ice cream conversion and sample some of the latest offerings from Good Humor. They were these York Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream Bars and Mounds Ice Cream Bars.

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I went at the York Peppermint Pattie variety first under strict orders from my wife to hurry up and open them already. She has a thing for Peppermint Patties and is a freakish ice cream-eating machine.

These bars follow the same structural specifications as a Klondike bar (Unilever makes Good Humor and Klondikes), except for the fact that they are round. They have a smooth “peppermint light ice cream” center wrapped in a layer of “dark chocolate flavored coating.” Despite that rather terrible product description, these bars are good. They would pass my patented Snack Flavor Recreation Closed-Eyes Flavor Identification Test with flying colors.

York Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream Bar 3

The ice cream in the center is very fluffy and airy, the flavor of the ice cream is a perfect re-creation of a Peppermint Pattie center, and the chocolate coating did indeed taste like that of a Dark Chocolate Klondike bar. It was great.

One thing I found myself wanting for the Peppermint Pattie was the Klondike foil wrapper. The Peppermint Pattie bars came in standard plastic (cellophane?) pouches which tore a little too easily. They did an adequate job of containing each bar as I ate them, but didn’t really comes close to the re-configurable convenience of the foil wrap. Perhaps the technology is not there yet for foiling round shapes.

Mounds Ice Cream Bar 3

I liked the Mounds bar even more. Same deal. Fluffy ice cream center that tastes like a Mounds bar with a dark chocolate shell. I was very glad they included coconut bits in the ice cream as there is nothing I hate more than coconut flavored confections sans bits. That is the worst thing that could ever happen to a person.

Mounds Ice Cream Bar 2

The Mounds bars were oval-shaped and worked much better with the pouch.

Both of these ice cream bars are very straightforward. There’s nothing revelatory. They simply taste like their original counterparts, which is a very good thing. If you like a Mounds or enjoy a Peppermint Pattie, you will like these.

You could do worse this summer.

(Editor’s Note/Disclosure: Steve received free samples of both ice cream bars for review. We didn’t receive any monetary compensation for this review, nor would we ever accept monetary compensation for a review. But, if we did, we would totally disclose it and not use some cryptic disclosure standard or beat around the bush.)

(Nutrition Facts – 1 bar (59g) – York Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream Bar – 170 calories, 10 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Mounds Ice Cream Bar – 190 calories, 11 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Other Good Humor York Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream Bar and Mounds Ice Cream Bar reviews;
On Second Scoop

Item: Good Humor York Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream Bar and Mounds Ice Cream Bar
Price: FREE
Size: 6 bars per box
Purchased at: Received for free from Good Humor
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Peppermint Pattie)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Mounds)
Pros: Perfect flavor re-creation. Coconut bits in the Mounds Ice Cream Bar. Summer. My wife.
Cons: Lack of Klondike foil. Boiled eye balls. Ice cream sublimation

NEWS: USA! USA! USA! USA CEREAL! USA POP-TARTS!

Marvo 3 Comments

Did you know the Summer Olympics are happening this year?

I forgot, but thankfully Kellogg’s reminded me by announcing their 2012 Team USA Collector’s Edition Cereal and Limited Edition 2012 Team USA Mixed Berry Pop-Tarts.

The 2012 Team USA Collector’s Edition Cereal is a vanilla-flavored multigrain and multicolored cereal made up of red, white, and blue loops. Each box has athlete trading cards on the back. Oooh, I hope they have a card for USA badminton player Tony Gunawan. But it’ll probably end up being basketball players or gymnasts.

Limited Edition 2012 Team USA Mixed Berry Pop-Tarts are as patriotic as the 2012 Team USA cereal. The mixed berry filling is surrounded by a red crust and is topped with white icing and red and blue sprinkles. Each pair of these limited edition Pop-Tarts are wrapped in gold-colored foil.

A cup of Kellogg’s 2012 Team USA Cereal has 110 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 170 milligrams of sodium, 45 milligrams of potassium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein, and a bunch of vitamins and minerals.

One 2012 Team USA Pop-Tart has 190 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein, and a bunch of vitamins and minerals.

REVIEW: Ruffles Ultimate Sweet & Smokin’ BBQ

Marvo 3 Comments

Ruffles Ultimate Sweet & Smokin' BBQ

I don’t like starting this review with a dictionary definition, like a fourth grader begins his or her science presentation, but here I go.

According to the dictionary, the word “ultimate” means “being the best or most extreme example of its kind,” and I believe that was the definition Frito-Lay wanted associated with their new Ruffles Ultimate Potato Chips, which are thicker and have deeper ridges than regular Ruffles.

I’m no potato chip maker, heck I don’t even own a deep fryer, but I’m pretty sure Frito-Lay could’ve made these Ruffles Ultimate potato chips even more extreme.

Are these ridges really “the ultimate”? I’ve seen deeper ridges in light wavelength diagrams and Zen garden sand. Also, are the thickness of these chips really the thickest Frito-Lay could’ve gone? I don’t think so. They should’ve been so thick and crunchy that chewing on them with your mouth open creates booming sound waves that have ridges as deep as the chips themselves.

Ruffles Ultimate comes in two apostrophed flavors: Kickin’ Jalapeno Ranch and Sweet & Smokin’ BBQ.

Ruffles Ultimate Sweet & Smokin’ BBQ is made using three ingredients: potatoes, vegetable oil, and something called Sweet Smokin’ BBQ seasoning, which consists of about 20 ingredients. Those ingredients includes sugar, brown sugar, chipotle chili pepper, molasses, onion powder, tomato powder, paprika extracts, garlic powder, and honey.

Ruffles Ultimate Sweet & Smokin' BBQ Closeup

Ruffles Ultimate Sweet & Smokin’ BBQ smell like Lay’s barbecue potato chips, and the two chips also kind of taste alike. However, these Ruffles Ultimate chips have a little heat and smokiness to them, thanks to the chipotle. The spiciness isn’t noticeable at first, but your mouth will begin to feel it after the second or third chip. They have less heat than the Doritos Jacked Smoky Chipotle BBQ, so having your Brita pitcher at the ready is unnecessary. The chips are also a little sweet, thanks to the sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and honey, but they’re more spicy than sweet.

Ultimately, the Ruffles Ultimate Sweet & Smokin’ BBQ potato chips are a tasty, crunchy snack, but they don’t rock my snacking socks off. Its flavor is too similar to other barbecue Frito-Lay chips and, while the ridges are bigger, you’re getting an ounce less of chips per bag than the 9-9.5 ounce bags of regular Ruffles at about the same price. So I don’t consider these chips to be the ultimate, instead I think they’re unremarkable.

(Disclosure: I received this bag of Ruffles Ultimate Sweet & Smokin’ BBQ for free from Frito-Lay. I also received a bag of the other flavor, but that was already reviewed by another reviewer, who paid for it. I also received a jar of Ruffles Ultimate Smokehouse Bacon dip for free, but I’m probably not going to review that. I also received a rash from something, but I don’t know from what.)

(Nutrition Facts – 1 ounce – 160 calories, 90 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 330 milligrams of potassium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Item: Ruffles Ultimate Sweet & Smokin’ BBQ
Price: FREE
Size: 8 ounces
Purchased at: Received from Frito-Lay
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Tasty. Crunchy. Slight smoky heat from chipotle. Light sweetness. Not called Ruffles Extreme.
Cons: Unremarkable. Tastes too similar to other Frito-Lay chips. Ridges and thickness weren’t as ultimate as they could’ve gone. Chewing with your mouth open. Beginning a review with a dictionary definition.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Eggo Seasons S’mores Waffles

Adam

Kellogg's Limited Edition Eggo Seasons S'mores Waffles

Let me take you back to a warm summer night in 1962. In a sturdy tree house overlooking the backyard of the Mean Old Mr. Myrtle’s house, a portly adolescent named Hamilton Porter sticks a marshmallow on a stick and proceeds to shove it into a campfire. When the mallow is flaming with enough heat to fog up the glasses of his friend Squints Palledorous, the freckled-faced ginger removes the ‘mallow, sticks it between a square of Hershey’s chocolate and two graham crackers, and proceeds to “stuff it.”

Hence the s’more was born, and America was bequeathed one of its most iconic flavor combinations.

If the British their Spotted Dick pudding (what is that stuff anyway?) and the German have their Black Forest cake, we Americans have our s’mores. An engrained element of our efforts to eat seasonally, the s’more flavor profile has made its way into Pop-Tarts, cereal, ice cream, and, yes, the ubiquitous and completely worthless Quaker Chewy Granola bar.

Kellogg's Limited Edition Eggo Seasons S'mores Waffles Box Back

Perhaps feeling moved by the same spirit of summer which seized Buzz Lightyear, Eggo has decided to release a seasonal s’more frozen waffle. Available only at Target, the waffles come in the familiar eight count box which basically forces you to eat all eight waffles in one sitting, lest you chance freezer burn with the non-resealable packaging.

After proceeding to follow the very specific instructions of my Eggo box and toasting the waffles on a low setting for two rotations, I took my slightly crispy but still chewy waffles and applied a liberal pat of butter and maple syrup. It then occurred to me that putting butter and maple syrup on anything would likely skew results to the “wow, this is great” rating, and recalling no evidence of butter or maple syrup in the entire history of my s’more eating, I decided to test out one of the waffles plain.

Kellogg's Limited Edition Eggo Seasons S'mores Waffles Closeup

Unlike the first bite of an actual s’more, my waffle did not tempt my taste buds with layers of crunchy and creamy, smooth and coarse. There was no milky chocolate, nor was there toasted marshmallow goo, and there definitely was no fire to puff out from said flaming ‘mallow. To be short, my first bite of the new Eggo S’mores waffle tasted decidedly like a toasted Eggo waffle, albeit with an interesting if not underrepresented chew of malted barley sweetness and some kind of exotic multigrain element. It didn’t scream graham in the traditional sense of a Nabisco graham cracker, but instead gave off hints of buckwheat and whole wheat.

If it sounds enticing, don’t get too excited. I can buy frozen multigrain waffles from any hippie megastore, but I only trust Eggo to give me the proper nutritionally worthless convenience of chocolate chips and marshmallow built into my frozen waffle. And when it comes to those two key features – chocolate chips and ‘mallows – there just aren’t enough.

Kellogg's Limited Edition Eggo Seasons S'mores Waffles Closer Up

It’s a real shame because the chocolate chips are actually composed of real chocolate and take on a nice melty smoothness in the toaster, while the marshmallows strikes a balance of creamy and gooey that puts them somewhere between cereal ‘mallows and Twinkie cream. On the rare bites when you’re able to pair both the chocolate and ‘mallows with the slightly crispy waffle, well, you’ll find yourself fully appreciating the words of Hamilton Porter.

In that case, go ahead and “stuff it” for all they’re worth, my friends.

The new Eggo S’more waffles aren’t bad. They just need s’more of the stuff that makes s’mores so damn good. Speaking of which, forget the butter and maple syrup and go ahead and skewer these puppies on a twig. Fire up the grill, grab some Hershey’s bars and Jet-Puffs, and then we’ll talk. Or, should I say, we’ll stuff.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 waffles – 200 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 360  milligrams of sodium, 95 mg potassium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 8grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.)

Item: Limited Edition Eggo Seasons S’mores Waffles
Price: $2.39
Size: 8 waffles per box
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Real chocolate chips and marshmallow goo. Fancy multigrain-ey flavor. Eating seasonally. Not actually horrible for you at 100 calories per waffle. No hydrogenated fats.
Cons: Needs s’more marshmallows and chocolate chips per waffle. Frequent repetition of juvenile puns. Inconsistent toasting instructions. Freezer burn. THE BEAST.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 6/8/2012

Marvo 7 Comments

Here are some new products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. We may or may not review them, but we’d like to let you know what new items are popping up. We’ll also occasionally throw in an unusual product.

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Oh, Fiber One, is there anything you won’t stick awesome amounts of dietary fiber into? I just realized if I eat a bowl of Fiber One Original bran cereal with a Fiber One yogurt for breakfast and then this Fiber One Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie as a mid-morning snack, I would have consumed 97 percent of my daily value of fiber before lunch. My colon will so love that.

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If I’m feeling adventurous after eating 97 percent of my daily value of fiber before noon, I could end my lunch and break the 100 percent fiber barrier with these new Fiber One Chewy snack bars. These look like a tasty way to consume chicory root extract, which is the ingredient that allows each bar to provide 20 percent of your daily value of fiber. Each bar has also 100 calories and comes in the two varieties you see above.

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According to its packaging, the new Hershey’s Simple Pleasures have “30% less fat vs. the average of the leading milk chocolates.” Hey, wait. Doesn’t Hershey’s make the leading milk chocolates? So the packaging should really say, “30% less fat than our own milk chocolates.” Each individually wrapped candy consists of a chocolate outside with a crème-filled center and comes in 24-count bags. Hershey’s Simple Pleasures come in three flavors: Dark Chocolate with Chocolate Crème, Milk Chocolate with Chocolate Crème, and Milk Chocolate with Vanilla Crème.

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FLAVOR BLASTED! BOOYAH! I’M TOTALLY GOING TO WRITE THIS ENTIRE PARAGRAPH IN ALL CAPS AND END EVERY SENTENCE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT! SMOKIN’ BBQ! YEE HAW! I THINK THEY SHOULD’VE NAMED THIS FLAVOR BOOMIN’ BBQ BECAUSE OF ALLITERATION, ALTHOUGH I WISH ALL PRODUCTS NAMES HAD ALLITERATION! I WONDER IF THESE ARE MORE ORANGE THAN REGULAR GOLDFISH?!

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Quaker’s Chewy School Days! Granola Bars are “designed with school snack policies in mind.” Snack policies vary from state to state, but here are Hawaii’s: less than 200 calories, less than 2 grams of saturated fat, zero trans fat, less than 200 milligrams of sodium, and less than 8 grams of sugar. Let’s see if a Quaker Chewy School Days! Granola Bar can pass these standards. 100 calories. Check. 0.5 grams of saturated fat. Check. 50 or less milligrams of sodium. Check. 7 grams of sugar. Check. However, looking at the nutrition facts of other Quaker granola bars, it appears almost all of them would also pass Hawaii’s snack policies.

Thanks for all the photos, Adam!

If you’re out shopping and see a new product on the shelf (or really unusual), snap a picture of it, email it to us at theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com with “Spotted” in the subject line, and you might see it in our next Spotted on Shelves post.