The Impulsive Buy

QUICK REVIEW: Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Easy Tater Tots Crispy Crowns!

August 5, 2013August 12, 2023 Marvo 2 Comments

Purchased Price: $1.27
Size: 4.5 oz
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Decent fried potato flavor. Easy to prepare. Inexpensive. Enough to share with someone. Gluten free. Crisping tray does a good job at making them crispy.
Cons: I don’t know if I’d consider them “extra crispy.” Some might find a condiment is necessary when eating them. Is the exclamation point really necessary? Made with partially hydrogenated oil, which means it has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat. Crispy Crowns? More like Crispy Rounds. Inconsistent cooking; some had a crispy exterior and fluffy interior, but some has dried up interiors. Three and a half minutes seem kind of long for just tater tots.

Nutrition Facts: about 14 pieces – 220 calories, 120 calories from fat, 14 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat*, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 340 milligrams of sodium, 200 milligrams of potassium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, 2 grams of protein.

*made with partially hydrogenated oils

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 8/5/2013

August 5, 2013December 24, 2020 Marvo 5 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.

Screw eating regular meals! I’m going to live off of V8 Complete Nutrition Bars! And a few weeks from now I’m going to look damn hot on the outside…but super hungry on the inside. (Spotted by Melissa at Walgreens.)

To be honest, I’m only interested in knowing what that chai latte cupcake tastes like. Archer Farms should also try to make matcha green tea cupcakes. (Spotted by Richard at Target.)

Did you just finish a race and need to replenish your electrolytes, but don’t want your heart to stop beating at a fast rate? Well, NOS has a drink for you. (Spotted by Marvo at 7-Eleven.)

So I guess this is what they do with all the leftover candy corn from Halloween. (Spotted by Meredith at Rite Aid.)

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.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 8/2/2013

August 2, 2013December 24, 2020 Marvo 2 Comments

These Limited Edition Banana Split Oreo Cookies look different than these Limited Edition Banana Split Oreo cookies. (Spotted by Tim at Giant.)

Wait a minute. I have to coat my own chicken with bread crumbs and prepare a side dish separately? Looks like Chicken Helper is becoming less helpful. (Spotted by Charmi at Sack n Save.)

This Jamba Green Fusion Fruit & Veggie Smoothie Mix will give me a full serving of fruit, but not a serving of vegetables. Great. Green…Green for nothing. (Spotted by Marvo at Safeway.)

Watermelon Kool-Aid! Oh yeah! Watermelon Kool-Aid powder cloud! Oh no! (Spotted by Marvo at Walmart.)

Perrier bottles just got Warhol-ed. You’re not so special anymore Campbell’s soup can! (Spotted by Vanisha at Rodman’s.)

PRIZE DRAWING: Because I Want You To Stuff Your Face With Sara Lee Snack Cakes

August 1, 2013December 24, 2020 Marvo 233 Comments

Creme Filled and Variety Hi Res

I mostly know Sara Lee for their pound cake, which I would eat straight from the aluminum loaf pan they came in. To be honest, prior to learning about Sara Lee’s new line of Crème Filled Snack Cakes, I didn’t know what else Sara Lee made besides pound cake.

But now my Sara Lee production knowledge has expanded and I now know the Sara Lee Crème Filled Snack Cakes line includes Devil’s Food Crème Cakes, Golden Fudge Cakes, Chocolate Crème Cupcakes and Golden Crème Cakes. Sara Lee also has a new line of Variety Snack Cakes, which include Buttery Sunshine Cakes, Crumb Cakes, and Cheese Topped Crumb Cakes.

If all that sounds wonderful, you’ll be happy to know we’re giving some away. Actually, thanks to the folks at Sara Lee, we’re giving away two Sara Lee Snack Cakes prize packs.

Each prize pack includes:

An assortment of Sara Lee Snack Cakes
An official Sara Lee logoed lunch box
An official Sara Lee logoed water bottle

The new Snack Cakes are now available in select markets across the U.S. including the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, South Central and Southern California, but they will be rolling them out nationally in August.

To enter The Impulsive Buy’s Sara Lee Snack Cakes Drawing, leave a comment with THIS post. You can say whatever you want in your comment, but it MUST INCLUDE whether or not you’ve eaten Sara Lee pound cake straight from the aluminum loaf pan. I’m asking because if a lot of you say you did, it might make me feel better about doing it myself.

Please don’t forget to fill out the email field because we’ll be emailing the randomly selected winners for their mailing addresses, which we will pass on to the folks at Sara Lee, who will send out the prizes. The Impulsive Buy will stop accepting entries on Tuesday, August 6, 2013 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. Only one comment allowed per person, and it’s only open to U.S. residents 18 years old or older.

If you’re coming from a site called Online-Sweepstakes, your entries will be disqualified because this drawing for Impulsive Buy readers only.

For those of you who have a Twitter account, you can get an additional entry by tweeting the following by Tuesday, August 6, 2013 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time:

Hey @theimpulsivebuy! It’s not “Nobody does it like Sara Lee”, it’s “Everybody doesn’t like something, but nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.”

So just copy, paste, and tweet. Only one tweet per Twitter account.

Good luck!

Fine Print: The Impulsive Buy promises your email address will not be used to send you Groupon emails. Impulsive Buy also promises your mailing address will not be used to send you Bed Bath & Beyond mailers. Bribes will not be accepted. The Impulsive Buy will not be responsible for lost mail, damaged mail, or you not liking Sara Lee.

QUICK REVIEW: Post Honey Bunches of Oats Crunchy Honey Roasted Granola

August 1, 2013August 25, 2023 Marvo 5 Comments

Purchased Price: $3.69
Size: 11 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Tastes fine by itself or with milk. Nice mild sweet honey flavor. Sort of like eating Just Bunches, which are the best part of any Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. Crunchy. Comes in a resealable bag. Would be awesome to add to Honey Bunches of Oats cereals to give it more Honey Bunches of Oats.
Cons: Tastes similar to other granola. Chewing it makes my jaw sore. 11 ounces of granola doesn’t last very long. Does the world really need more companies making granola? Probably not wise to take on hikes in bear country.

Nutrition Facts: 2/3 cup – 240 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, 10 milligrams of sodium, 140 milligrams of potassium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, 26 grams of other carbohydrates, 4 grams of protein, and a bunch of vitamins and minerals.

Basic