SPOTTED ON SHELVES – Magnum Infinity Ice Cream Bars

Magnum Infinity Chocolate & Raspberry Ice Cream Bars

Magnum Infinity Chocolate & Caramel Bars

Magnum Infinity Chocolate Bars

It looks like the U.S. is FINALLY getting Magnum Infinity Ice Cream Bars. Maybe they should rename them to Magnum Eternity Ice Cream Bars, because they took an eternity to get here. Okay, it’s been only two years since they were introduced in U.K. (Spotted by Brent at Kroger.)

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.

REVIEW: Nestle Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups

Nestle Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups

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.

Nestle Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups The Duel of Geometric Candy

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

Nestle Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups Reese's v Butterfinger

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.

Nestle Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups Innards

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

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.

Skinny Cow Chocolate Mousse Ganache

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

Lean Cuisine Morning Collection

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.)

Healthy Choice Cherry Chocolate Fudge Swirl Greek Frozen Yogurt

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.)

Orbit Apple Remix Gum

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

Limited Edition Skinny Cow Chocolate Raspberry Heavenly Crisp

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

Jamba Juice Kale-ribbean Breeze

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.

Jamba Juice Kale-ribbean Breeze Closeup

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 FIVE – 1/10/2014

IMG_3922

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)