SPOTTED ON SHELVES (PUMPKIN EDITION) – 10/11/2013

Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Limited Edition Food Should Taste Good Harvest Pumpkin Tortilla Chips

Garden of Eatin' Pumpkin Tortilla Chips

Pumpkin salsa would go great with these pumpkin-flavored tortilla chips. I wonder if anyone makes some. (Spotted by MaryLeigh at Target and Kayla at Whole Foods.)

Limited Edition Frontera Chipotle Pumpkin Salsa

Oh look! The Great Pumpkin has answered my question. (Spotted by Lindsay at Meijer.)

Betty Crocker Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix

Betty Crocker Pumpkin Bar

Ugh! Instructions. Pre-heating. Mixing. Waiting. I want pumpkin baked goods and I want it NOW! (Spotted by Sara at Walmart.)

Entenmann's Pumpkin Muffins

Oh, Entenmann’s! You satisfy the lazy in me! (Spotted by Maria at Walmart.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

QUICK REVIEW: Nabisco Mixed Berry belVita Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuits

belVita Soft Baked Mixed Berry Breakfast Biscuits

Purchased Price: $3.00 (on sale)
Size: 5 breakfast biscuits
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Good source of fiber. Moist. The Oats & Chocolate one tasted like a Fig Newton, but this one tastes even more so (which isn’t really a bad thing since I do enjoy them). Contains dried blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries. Doesn’t contain HFCS, artificial sweeteners, or partially hydrogenated oil. Better for you than a Pop-Tart.
Cons: Mixed Berry? More like Nixed Berry because there weren’t many of them. Makes a helluva lot of crumbs; probably not best to eat in the car unless you vacuum it every day. The way belVita is spelled. Makes my fingers slightly greasy. Strawberry must be pissed about it being left out.

belVita Soft Baked Mixed Berry Breakfast Biscuits Closeup

Nutrition Facts: 1 pack – 190 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 4 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 75 milligrams of potassium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein, 10% thiamin, 10% niacin, 10% iron, 10% riboflavin, and 10% vitamin B6.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 10/10/2013

Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Dannon Coffee House Selects Caramel Macchiato Coffee

Dannon Coffee House Selects Vanilla Latte Coffee

If I bought this Dannon Coffee House Selects yogurt, I’d either try to make latte art with it or write my name incorrectly on the side of it. (Spotted by Sylvia at Ralphs.)

Armour Breakfast Makers

Armour BreakfastMakers Cinnamon Roll

Holy crap! Has hell frozen over? Or am I in another universe where Armour makes products without meat? (Spotted by Pilar at Walmart and Deanna at Bob’s Market House.)

Lunchables Snack Duos S'mores Dippers

Usually Lunchables come with a dessert, but this Lunchables is only a dessert. Yeah, dessert for lunch that’ll make all the other kids jealous. Bring it, obesity! (Spotted by Pilar at Walmart.)

Herr's Jalapeno Cheddar Flavored Popcorn

Herr's Hot Sauce Cheddar Flavored Popcorn

Herr's Fire Roasted Sweet Corn Flavored Popcorn

Oh, Herr’s! You’ve given potato chips so many flavors that I guess it’s time to move on and challenge yourself with popcorn. (Spotted by Adam at Safeway.)

Aquafina Flavorsplash Liquid Water Enhancer

I ain’t lycheeing. Orange these names not so sublime. (Spotted by Joshua at Winn-Dixie.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

QUICK REVIEW: Ruffles Ultimate Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins Potato Chips

Ruffles Ultimate Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins Potato Chips

Purchased Price: $5.39
Size: 7.5 oz. bag
Purchased at: Longs Drugs
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Cheesy. Slight smoky bacon flavor. Sprinkled with bits of green onion. Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles. Great replacement if you can’t find this, this, or buy some frozen bacon and cheese potato skins.
Cons: Crunch feels more cracker-like. Regular Ruffles have a better crunch than these. I highly doubt anyone is purchasing this because it has deeper ridges than previous Ruffles Ultimate. Tastes too similar to previous bacon and cheddar potato skin Ruffles varieties. Potato skin flavor has been overused by Ruffles. Has more food dyes than I’d like when it comes to potato chips.

Ruffles Ultimate Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins Potato Chips Closeup

Nutrition Facts: 1 oz. – 160 calories, 90 calories from fat, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 310 milligrams of potassium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger Munchie Meal

Jack in the Box Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger Munchie Meal Blurred

Above is what the Jack in the Box Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger looks like…if you’re winding down your long night of imbibing fermented beverages. Below is what the Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger looks like without beer goggles.

Jack in the Box Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger Munchie Meal

The Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger sounds impressive, but it’s just a grilled cheese sandwich on top of a cheeseburger. It would’ve been spectacular if another grilled cheese was used as the bottom bun but, being my own buzzkill here, that would’ve helped boost this particular Munchie Meal’s nutrition facts past the 1,679 calorie, 97 grams of fat, and 3,538 milligrams of sodium it already has.

The meal not only contains the Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger and a soft drink, it also comes with two tacos and halfsie fries (half regular and half curly) in a special Munchie Meal box, which may come in handy if your Munchie Meal decides it doesn’t want to be digested.

Jack's Munchie Meal

Even though the Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger Munchie Meal’s price is reasonable for the amount of food it offers, deciding whether or not you should purchase it is probably something you shouldn’t do drunk, like driving, taking home a stranger from a bar, dialing exes, boiling water, and sneaking into a zoo.

I’m not going to write much about the other stuff that comes with the meal because the cheeseburger/grilled cheese sandwich hybrid is more interesting than all the other parts combined. But I will say, Jack in the Box tacos have really grown on me (it’s probably the grease), I wonder if I can ask for halfsie fries any time of day (just Googled it and yes I can), and I miss stealing Jack in the Box antenna balls.

Now back to the Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger. If you’re sober, you may think it’s just going to be a cheesier cheeseburger. But if drunk, you may blurt out something like, “It’s like there’s a cheese fondue fountain in my mouth. Let’s find out if my mouth turns into a cheese fountain when I open it. Get your bread ready. Bleeeh.” Both assessments are correct.

Jack in the Box Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger Munchie Meal Innards

The burger felt like a giant savory Fruit Gusher in my mouth. After biting into it, I could feel cheese oozing, but it wasn’t the American cheese which goes from melty to congealed quickly, it was the creamy white sauce. The two toppings give the burger a cheesiness that drowns out most of the other ingredients. If it weren’t for the pickles, this burger wouldn’t have any flavor beyond a whole lot of cheese, buttery buns, and a little bit of meat. Thank goodness, Jack in the Box wasn’t as stupid as me and thought it would be awesome to include a second grilled cheese sandwich.

Overall, it’s a decent burger, but it’s also one I won’t be buying again sober. Its over the top cheesiness makes my mouth feel like I’m sucking down melted Velveeta with a cheese bong. However, if inebriated, who knows what I’ll do.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 meal w/o beverage – 1679 calories, 871 calories from fat, 97 grams of fat, 28 grams of saturated fat, 3 grams of trans fat, 129 milligrams of cholesterol, 3538 milligrams of sodium, 1496 milligrams of potassium, 144 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 56 grams of protein.)

Item: Jack in the Box Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger Munchie Meal
Purchased Price: $7.00*
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Jack in the Box
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Decent burger. Great burger if you’re an inventor named Wallace who has a dog named Gromit. Pickles help it from being just cheese, meat, cheese, bread, cheese. Good price for the amount of food it offers. Halfsie fries can be ordered any time of the day. Jack in the Box tacos. Stealing Jack in the Box antenna balls.
Cons: Burger makes my mouth feel like I’m suck down melted Velveeta with a cheese bong. Drunk dialing exes. Excessive amounts of calories, fat, and sodium for a meal eaten late at night. Drunk driving. Available during the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. only. Sneaking into a zoo drunk.

*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.