Category: Reviews

REVIEW: McDonald’s Dulce de Leche Frappe

Marvo 1 Comment

It’s been a minute since I’ve had a McDonald’s Frappe. My usual heavily masked with sugar and dairy coffee drink from the fast food chain is its iced coffee. Tasting this new McDonald’s Dulce de Leche Frappe reminded my sweet tooth of what it’s been missing, and it’s sugary enough that it won’t ever forget it.

The limited time coffee drink features a caramel coffee frappe base, dulce de leche flavored syrup, and ice blended together. It’s then topped with whipped light cream and crunchy caramel pieces. I thought McDonald’s might’ve used the crunchy pieces from its Grandma McFlurry for streamlining purposes, but what tops this is different.

The caramel coffee base and the dulce de leche syrup combined created a drink that tastes like a McDonald’s Caramel Iced Coffee that’s been pumped with caramel syrup with reckless abandon. Did it have a coffee flavor? You’d have to ask my taste buds after they wake up from being carpet-bombed with caramel and sugar. I should mention that this was even before I mixed in the caramel pieces and whipped topping. The base has a nice texture; it is not entirely Slurpee slushy, but it is also not completely melted. There were ice crystals to satisfy my molars’ desire to crush them. Yes, my dentist hates me.

I also enjoyed chomping on the crunchy caramel-flavored pieces, which kind of crunched like ice crystals, so if yours ends up melting too much, the sugary pieces can still give you an ice-like texture. The candy pieces with the Frappe base gave my mouth a double drubbing of dulce de leche. Not a hint of coffee could be detected. As I quickly drank through this to make sure those ice crystals didn’t completely melt, I felt my mouth coming close to the point where it would think it was too sweet. But it never crossed that line. However, I imagine some people will think this tastes too sugary.

McDonald’s Dulce de Leche Frappe was a delicious, nice change of pace from my usual iced coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed its sweetness and texture from beginning to end, although some of that delight was interrupted by a bout or two of brain freeze from consuming it swiftly. Because of its sweetness, it’s definitely a sometimes drink, so it’ll be another minute before I have another.

Purchased Price: $5.29*
Size: Medium
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 630 calories, 20 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 420 milligrams of sodium, 106 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 97 grams of sugar (including 85 grams of added sugar), and 9 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: KFC Original Recipe Tenders (2024)

Marvo 4 Comments

The press release for these new KFC Original Recipe Tenders begins with: “The chicken wars began five years ago with the chicken sandwich, but that’s old news. Today, the chicken tenders battle begins as KFC introduces new Original Recipe Tenders.” Um, it appears someone forgot about the Fast Food Chicken Strips/Tenders Battle during the late 2010s that it also participated in?

I guess it’s difficult to remember since most of the strips/tenders ended up being replaced, limited time offerings that come back every other year, or discontinued, never to be fried up again.

But KFC has had chicken strips/tenders for years, and these new Original Recipe Tenders have a description that sounds like it could’ve been used for previous versions. They feature chicken breast strips double hand-breaded with the chain’s iconic secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and then fried to golden brown. I mean, what could be different from previous iterations? More secret spices? Single hand-breaded?

I ordered a three-piece meal deal that comes with Secret Recipe Fries and two dipping sauces. In the app, I picked the new zesty Comeback Sauce, but my order didn’t come with it. Instead, I was given the KFC Sauce. I went back to the counter to swap them but was told they had yet to receive their shipment. Aw, ship! So, I guess I must come back to try the Comeback Sauce.

The double hand-breaded chicken wasn’t as crunchy as Popeyes’ offering, but the poultry inside was meaty and juicy. The familiar flavor of KFC’s world famous blend of 11 herbs and spices is present in every sauceless bite, making these fine to eat sans sauce. Despite being double hand-breaded, I thought the breaded exterior appeared a bit thin in places when compared to Popeyes’ even-coated tenders.

While I didn’t receive the Comeback Sauce, I was glad I finally got to try the KFC Sauce. The tangy and sweet sauce is delicious, and I tried to scrape up every milliliter I could with the rest of the tenders and some of the Secret Recipe Fries.

KFC Original Recipe Tenders are good enough that I’m sure they’ll survive the fast food chicken wars.

Purchased Price: $7.99*
Size: 3-piece combo
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 tenders) 510 calories, 18 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 1200 milligrams of sodium, 60 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 33 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. The advertised price for the Tenders Box is $5.

REVIEW: Starbucks Glinda’s Pink Potion

Marvo 2 Comments

Starbucks’ Glinda’s Pink Potion is a pretty potation. However, when I peer at the peppy pink portion, I can’t help but picture Pepto-Bismol. If only Pepto-Bismol pleased the palate as much as this product does.

The Wicked-inspired creation features a Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refreshers Beverage hand-shaken with creamy coconut milk, ice, and a scoop of real, freeze-dried dragonfruit. Then, it’s topped with nondairy strawberry cold foam and colorful candy sprinkles.

Here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there’s a local rainbow cake recipe with guava, passion fruit, and lime flavors. Even though Glinda’s Pink Potion has none of those, its taste brings to mind that delicious rainbow cake. Both cake and potion are fruity, tangy, tropical, perfectly sweet, and delightful to the tongue and eyes.

Surprisingly, one of the ingredients that gives this drink its Barbie-pink color when combined with the Starbucks Refresher base and one that I thought would add to the beverage’s tropical kick, the coconut milk, isn’t noticeable to my taste buds.

With previous Starbucks drinks I’ve had with dragon fruit pieces, I thought the freeze-dried fruit were more there for appearances than flavor. However, with this one, whenever one of those bits happens to escape through the hole in the sipping lid, there’s a burst of fruitiness. But, while there were many dragon fruit pieces, most were trapped in the cup after drinking the potion. As for the candy sprinkles, they definitely were there more for looks than adding sweetness.

Glinda’s Pink Potion has a bit of caffeine in it, but with its tasty tropical flavor, I found it to be more of a relaxing drink instead of a pick-me-up. Much like Pepto-Bismol, this drink made my tummy happy.

Purchased Price: $7.15
Size: Venti/24 fl oz
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 320 calories, 12 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 49 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 44 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein, and 60 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Reese’s Sugar Cookie Big Cup

Julie 2 Comments

As I sat down to begin this review, my mind drifted off to dream of holiday cookies. (This will happen more and more as winter draws near, during increasingly inconvenient moments.) There is something magical about the holiday cookie genre and the imagery it evokes. Those sacred recipe cards that emerge from your cupboard once a year. Enticing details like glistening sanding sugar or colored sprinkles. Tupperware containers are stuffed to capacity and then quickly reduced to crumbs, thanks to your ravenous Uncle Phil.

Reese’s knows this to be true, and this year it honors a holiday staple: the humble sugar cookie. Whether coated in decorative icing or mixed with candy pieces, the buttery, sweet cookie is the perfect base for a holiday treat. Now available in both Big Cup and Miniature varieties, Reese’s Sugar Cookie cups add sugar cookie bits to the classic Reese’s filling.

I found a Sugar Cookie Big Cup at Giant Eagle and decided to treat myself to some early holiday cheer. When I cut the cup in two, I wondered if I had received a cheerless factory dud. The filling looked so thick with peanut butter that I questioned the cookie bits’ presence. Did Uncle Phil strike again?

Luckily, the bits merely camouflage themselves against the peanut butter, and the generous filling enrobes the cookies completely. The sugar cookie bits are not quite pea-sized, so about 6-7 pieces fit in the cup. Much like myself slipping cookies into my purse at a boring holiday party, Reese’s managed to cram a surprising number of cookies in a small space.

The cookie bits do not add any flavor to the Big Cup; as is the case with several Big Cup mix-ins, the peanut butter taste overshadows their flavor. However, they do add a perfect, satisfying crunch. I expected added texture, but given that the perfect cookie texture is always up for debate, I wondered whether this Big Cup would deliver soft, crispy, or crunchy. The verdict: super crunchy. Imagine if the cookie bits in a Hershey’s Cookies’ n’ Creme bar had something to prove.

While Reese’s Big Cups are delicious—a larger version of what I consider to be the perfect candy—their novelty varieties are almost always more interesting for their textures than flavors. The Sugar Cookie Big Cup is no different, but its crunchy cookie bits will please anyone who prefers a sweet crunch (or desperately misses the Crunchy Cookie Big Cup). If I encountered them at a holiday party, I’d slip a few in my purse for later.

Purchased Price: $1.39
Purchased at: Giant Eagle
Size: 1.3 oz (36 g)
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 180 calories, 10 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Elphaba’s Cold Brew

Heather Leave a comment

In honor of the “Wicked” movie being released next month, Starbucks has released two “Wicked”-inspired drinks. One is Elphaba’s Cold Brew, which features the Starbucks cold brew with peppermint syrup. On top is a nondairy matcha cold foam (to give the green nod to the character Elphaba) and candy sprinkles.

Dear reader, this drink did not look like the promotional picture. I repeat, this drink did not look like the picture. But do not let it deter you! One sip of Elphaba’s Cold Brew and I was hooked.

I grabbed my drink immediately as my name was called, and the nondairy matcha cold foam was already settling into it, making the entire drink green. I *almost* thought they got my order wrong! There was still a small layer of the cold foam on the top, but most was already mixed in. I also didn’t find any of the candy sprinkles, which is truly the reason for the 9 versus 10 rating on this drink.

But oh my gosh. This cold brew was fabulous! I am a big proponent of putting peppermint in my drinks – specifically cold brew – all year round (Starbucks DOES have it all year, not just the holidays), so I knew I’d like this one. I find Starbucks’ peppermint syrup not too sweet at all, so it pairs nicely with the cold brew for a smooth taste.

I’m not always a matcha lover, but I was very pleasantly surprised with this cold foam. The earthy matcha taste was there, but much more muted than usual, thanks to the strong cold brew and peppermint.

The flavors stayed nice and even through the duration of me enjoying it. After I finished, I was honestly sad I only got a tall. Looks aside, this drink was a “Wicked” winner.

Purchased Price: $5.25
Size: Tall
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 170 calories, 8 grams of total fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 21 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of protein and 175 milligrams of caffeine.