The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Nestle Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups

Margaret / January 13, 2014 / Reviews / 12 Comments

It was snowing. I didn’t have salt. I didn’t have a shovel. I didn’t have bread or milk or flashlights. I had no viable source of human sustenance.

Thumping down to the nearest grocery with skin drier than the Mona Lisa, I ignored the frantic grabs for batteries and Solo cups and reached for the pile of Reese’s when it appeared. There. In the distance: Butterfinger. In square form.

Two geometric patterns. Two philosophies. I knew what I had to do.

Right out of the wrapper, the visual difference is immediate with the Reese’s holding its signature round, flat frame, while Butterfinger goes square and sans-fluted cup, its chocolate daring to look a darker brown. Despite geometric differences, both specimens glisten in fresh, chocolate-y glaze and clock in at a little more than 1.5 ounces, which is perfect for making scale models of UFO invasions should you have an upcoming project in World Domination.

There are about 4,180 recorded species of frogs. On a good day, the flavor of a Butterfinger is just as diverse: peanut butter, chocolate, salt, toffee, molasses, and…is that cornflakes? Yes. Yes, it is. And it all comes together in those crispety, crunchety, peanut buttery chunks that get stuck in your teeth. You either like that stuff ripping away at your molars or you don’t.

I love the Butterfinger taste, but can’t handle the teeth-stickage. For those of you who are similarly hoping to fill the Butterfinger rumble in your stomach while also looking to save on Butterfinger-related dentistry work, these cups hold promise: the smooth-ish peanut-butter/Butterfinger filling is strong in Butterfinger flavor, but better avoids the plaque-building pitfalls of the bar. The peanut-butter-ish filling puts all the trademark toffee, molassas, corn flakey flavors in a smoother medium. Similar to the Reese’s filling, it’s a dense concoction with a crumbly and dry quality that contrasts the fudgy exterior.

That outer chocolate shell is slightly thicker than Reese’s, but holds a fudgy texture that matches up toe-to-toe with its competitor. This is a super sweet, milky chocolate and incredibly smooth. Unfortunately, while the sweetness and smooth-ivity is high, the actual chocolate flavor is a bit dim on its own.

Despite minor chocolate pitfalls, it looks like we’ve got a solid new confection in the ring. While it doesn’t surpass my Reese’s, it does offer up that molasses, corn syrup, peanut-buttery love in a tasty, affordable format. If you have the slightest a pocket of fondness for Bart Simpson’s favorite candy, I’d say pick one up. It may be sweet enough to distract you into spontaneously jaywalking across a side street, but just be sure to look both ways before you start eating and you should have a good candy/jaywalking experience.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 package/2 cups – 230 calories, 130 calories from fat, 14 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 22 grams of sugars, and 3 grams of protein.)

Item: Nestle Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups
Purchased Price: 50 cents (on sale)
Size: 2 cups
Purchased at: Kroger
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Crumbly Butterfinger filling. Contrasts in texture. Low teeth-stickage ratio. No fluted cups. Makes good eating during an ice storm. Pondering the diversity of frog species.
Cons: May be too sweet for some. Encourages Butterfinger-induced dentistry work. Jaywalking. World domination. Walking in a winter vortex.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 1/13/2014

Marvo / January 13, 2014 / Spotted on Shelves / 3 Comments

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.

Chocolate mousse ganache? More like chocolate mousse I’m gonna nosh. (Spotted by Amanda at Walmart.)

I wonder how complex the warming instructions are for these Lean Cuisine Morning Collection breakfast sandwiches. The prep instructions for frozen breakfast sandwiches usually tell me to wrap the sandwich in a paper towel and put it on a microwave safe plate, then put it in the microwave for 90 second at 30 percent power, then flip it over and heat it up for 60 seconds at full power, and then let it sit in the microwave for another 60 seconds. (Spotted by Amanda at Walmart.)

Another Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt flavor! Quick question: Do the stores near you place the Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt next to the Healthy Choice meals instead of in the ice cream aisle? Some of mine do. (Spotted by Amanda at Walmart.)

An Apple Remix Orbit Gum a day keeps the doctor on your back about swallowing your gum. (Spotted by Natalie at Walmart.)

The Skinny Cow Facebook page says these are available only at Target. (Waits for someone to tell me otherwise.) (Spotted by Blaire at Target.)

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 (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) 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: Jamba Juice Kale-ribbean Breeze

Marvo / January 10, 2014 / Reviews / 3 Comments

Purchased Price: $5.69
Size: Medium
Purchased at: Jamba Juice
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Nice fruity flavor and tasty way to get some vegetables into your body. Contains superfoods kale and chia seeds, but passionfruit mango juice, mangos, and nonfat Greek yogurt do a great job of hiding their flavor. Excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Amateur filmmakers could use the green smoothie as an alien bodily fluid.
Cons: Alien green color might be an issue for some. Kale and chia seeds give the smoothie a different texture than others because they aren’t completely chopped down (feels like I was drinking a blended leafy salad, but I was fine with it). Because kale and chia seed flavors aren’t noticeable, it makes me wonder how much is put in. Lacks tang of Greek yogurt. Name makes Billy Ocean’s “Caribbean Queen” play in my head.

Nutrition Facts: 410 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 88 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, 67 grams of sugar, 10 grams of protein, 390% vitamin A, 25% calcium, 280% vitamin C, and 15% iron.

Fast Food Jamba Juice

FAST FOOD FIVE – 1/10/2014

Marvo / January 10, 2014 / Fast Food News / 2 Comments

Here are five recent fast food news bites:

For a limited time, Starbucks is offering a caramel flan latte. BOOM! Try to make that, McDonald’s! (via Starbucks Melody)

Sacré bleu! KFC France is offering fried fish. (via Burger Business)

Wendy’s is testing a gouda bacon cheeseburger on a brioche bun. However, I’d really like to see Wendy’s test a brie bacon cheeseburger on a brioche bun just so I can find out if they’re willing to call it a Brie Bri. (via Grub Grade)

Wendy’s plans to release a ciabatta bacon cheeseburger. However, I’d really like to see Wendy’s release a brie bacon cheeseburger on a ciabatta bun just so I can find out if they’re willing to call it a Brie Cia. Hmm. Thought Brie Cia would work. It didn’t. (via Brand Eating)

Is it getting too cold outside? Well then, just walk into a Dunkin’ Donuts and stay there. You don’t have to purchase anything. I mean, it’s got to be warmer in a Dunkin’ Donuts than outside of a Dunkin’ Donuts. But if you feel bad about loitering, I guess you could try one of their new sweet treats. (via PR Newswire)

REVIEW: Milk Chocolate Red Velvet M&M’s

Natalie / January 10, 2014 / Reviews / 13 Comments

A little piece of me dies inside every time I hear someone say that their favorite flavor of cake is red velvet.

Instantly, I can’t help but think that this person has fallen victim to the trendy trap. There’s a very good chance that they’re also into Mason jars crafts, beers with at least four adjectives, and occasional juice cleanses. Mainstream chocolate and vanilla are for the plebeians. Other favorite flavors include maple-bacon, pumpkin spice, and Biscoff.

While red velvet can be a perfectly decent cake, it has done nothing to earn its hype. Flavor wise, it’s the homelier sister of a deep chocolate cake. Weaker, less fudgy and appealing, but trying to overcompensate with a crap ton of red food coloring. You think a red Chrysler convertible is actually better than a black Porsche? Take the dye out of a red velvet cupcake and offer it to someone who claims to be obsessed. I’m betting they start eyeing the flashy Funfetti instead.

That being said, I was pretty confused as to what to expect from seasonal Milk Chocolate Red Velvet M&M’s. I was hoping for possibly a cream cheese taste, since that’s the typical frosting pair, and the flavor that usually comes across the most. Plus, given beautiful love affair I had with last year’s White Chocolate Carrot Cake M&M’s, I was hoping to rekindle some kind of sweet creamy magic. But no, these are just straight chocolate.

They come in a standard Valentine’s Day palate of red, white, and maroon. Your coworkers will probably think they’re a nice festive gift. Your needy girlfriend who casually leaves the Tiffany’s catalogue in the bathroom will probably not.

They’re a little bit larger than plain M&M’s and more in line with the denser, puffier model that’s been common in recent seasonal varieties.

At first bite, they’re almost indiscernible from regular Milk Chocolate M&M’s. However, it then develops into a weird, chemically aftertaste that doesn’t make me think red velvet at all. If anything, in a blind taste test, I would assume these were the plain stale M&M’s I left sitting in the bowl on my desk for three months and occasionally take a stress-induced handful of. While it’s a noticeable enough taste to make me wish I were eating the original, it’s not offensive enough to make me stop eating them. They may have their faults, but they’re probably not going to get thrown out.

Disappointingly, the inside of these are not red. Since that’s real redeeming quality of red velvet cake, I think M&M’s dropped the ball on this one. Nothing says “Happy Valentine’s Day!” like a blood red smile.

While these are a novelty to try once, some Cupid magic would be needed to make me buy these again. But since I do still have two bags lying around, you’ll probably find me face deep in them on Valentine’s Day, searching desperately for a man to give me a Tiffany’s box.

(Nutrition Facts – 1.5 oz. (about 1/4 cup) – 210 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 27 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Item: Milk Chocolate Red Velvet M&M’s
Purchased Price: $2.88
Size: 9.90 oz. bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 4 out of 10
Pros: Thicker than plain M&Ms. Festively colored. Easily satisfied coworkers. Comforting nighttime binge eating. Cheaper than jewelry.
Cons: Chemically aftertaste. Annoying, high maintenance cake eaters. Annoying, high maintenance girlfriends. Binge eating alone on Valentine’s Day. Not getting a Tiffany box. WILL ANYONE EVER LOVE ME? Not red inside.

Candy M&M's Mars