SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 9/6/2013

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.

Hello Supermint Toothpaste and Mouthwash

Hello, fresh breath, reduced chance of cavities, and having toothpaste that could be mistaken for sunscreen, shampoo, or conditioner. (Spotted by Sylvia at Target.)

Brach's Gummi Candy

To be honest, I didn’t know Brach’s made something other than candy corn. (Spotted by Sylvia at Target.)

Orbit for Kids Original Bubble Gum

Orbit for Kids? Wait a minute…was I not supposed to give kids regular Orbit Gum? Um…I’ll be right back. (Spotted by Melissa at Walmart.)

Tyson Mini Grilled Chicken Sandwiches Buffalo Style and Mini Pulled Chicken Sandwiches BBQ

Aww. So cute. Mini chicken sandwiches. I want to pinch your wittle chubby buns. (Spotted by Corey at Publix.)

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.

PRIZE DRAWING: Because I Think Some of You Need More Fiber in Your Diet

Did you know there’s Weight Watchers Smart Ones oatmeal?

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably knew that because we’ve reviewed two of the three varieties: Apples & Cinnamon (which we reviewed), Peaches & Cream, and Maple & Brown Sugar (which we also reviewed).

Well, the folks at Weight Watchers Smart Ones want some of you to try their oatmeal, so they sent us five coupons to give away to five lucky Impulsive Buy readers.

To enter The Impulsive Buy’s Smart Ones Coupon Giveaway, leave a comment with THIS post. You can say whatever you want in your comment, but it MUST INCLUDE how you like your oatmeal. Thick? Topped with Hershey’s syrup? In a boat? With a goat?

Please don’t forget to fill out the email field because we’ll be emailing the randomly selected winners for their mailing addresses. The Impulsive Buy will stop accepting entries on Thursday, September 12, 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.

For those of you who have a Twitter account, you can get an additional entry by tweeting the following by Thursday, September 12, 2013 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time:

Hey @theimpulsivebuy! With all the junk food you eat, maybe you should @eatyourbest. Or eat oatmeal every so often. #SmartOnesOatmeal

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 emails with jdal;tieopir in the subject line. Impulsive Buy also promises your mailing address will not be used to send you . Bribes will not be accepted. If you’re coming from a site called Online-Sweepstakes, your entries will be disqualified because this drawing for Impulsive Buy readers only. The Impulsive Buy will not be responsible for lost mail, damaged mail, or you not using the coupon before it expires.

QUICK REVIEW: Kellogg’s To Go Vanilla Breakfast Shake Mix

Kellogg's To Go Vanilla Breakfast Shake Mix

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 6 mix packets
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Decent artificial vanilla flavor. Slightly creamy consistency. Quick and easy to prepare. With all its vitamins and minerals, it’s like a liquid multivitamin. About the same amount of fiber as a large apple. Good source of protein. Makes skim milk taste better.
Cons: Has an oaty aftertaste. Vanilla isn’t listed in the ingredients. Large mix packet looks like it’s meant for 16 ounces, but instructions say only 8 ounces of milk. You may get hungry soon after drinking this because it’s not very filling. Kind of makes me yearn for a real breakfast with solid food.

Kellogg's To Go Vanilla Breakfast Shake Mix Closeup

Nutrition Facts: (just the mix) 130 calories, 0 calories from fat, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 270 milligrams of potassium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, 5 grams of protein, and lots of vitamins and minerals.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 9/4/2013

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.

Archer Farms Candy Corn Coffee

To enjoy “the sweet, fun flavor of your favorite Halloween treat,” you could drink this Archer Farms Limited Time Only Candy Corn coffee, or you could wait until Halloween, hang out in a neighborhood with lots of trick-or-treater, and ask candy corn-hating children for their candy corn. (Spotted by Kevin at Target.)

Turkey Hill Limited Edition Pennsylvania Dutch Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel

Turkey Hill Limited Edition Pennsylvania Dutch Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzel Premium Ice Cream and its long ass name is back. Actually, it’s been back since June. (Spotted by Stefanie at Target.)

Archer Farms Hot Cocoa Mixes

Fall is right around the corner. When temperatures begin to drop, why not snuggle with a hot cup of Archer Farms’ new hot cocoa mix? And then wonder why you’re snuggling a mug of liquid instead of a human being. (Spotted by Lindsay at Target.)

3M Command Hello Kitty Decorative Hook

Hang your Hello Kitty bag filled with Hello Kitty stuff on this 3M Command Hello Kitty Decorative Hook. (Spotted by Marvo at Target.)

Lifesavers BerryBites Gummies

Because I love gummies and these come in a big resealable bag, I think I’m going to shove a bunch of these into my mouth as if there was a sinking ship in it. Candy Blog has a review. (Spotted by Dubba 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.

REVIEW: Burger King French Fry Burger

Burger King French Fry Burger

Remember when Burger King’s slogan was, “Have it your way”?

I do. Actually, I’ll never forget because it’s tattooed on my mind. And that mind tattoo is burned in a dark part of my head where evil thoughts roam, revenge run free, and horrible pop song lyrics hibernate until they decide to pop into my consciousness at odd times. Anger is what prevents the slogan from moving into the pop culture ether in another part of my head.

The slogan has been there for many years because I could not get a Whopper made my way. All I wanted was some French fries on my Whopper, but the cashier said I couldn’t do that. And the manager who was listening to our conversation also said I couldn’t do that. Blurting out their slogan over and over again using various tones probably didn’t help. Although, now that I think about it, I was kind of being a prick by testing the system.

Epiphany!

Catharsis!

Anger released!

Ohhhh. “Have it your way” moving to the pop culture ether in another area of my mind, where it’ll float with other useless information that will come in handy during trivia or while doing icebreaker worksheets.

Burger King French Fry Burger Innards

While it may not be a Whopper topped with French fries, the Burger King French Fry Burger comes pretty close. It’s topped with a fire-grilled beef patty, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, and, of course, French fries. Because the French Fry Burger is a value menu item, don’t expect a pile of fries. Actually, don’t expect any particular number of fries because it seems to vary. I ordered two of them and both came with three fries. Our friends over at Grub Grade had one with four fries and Man Reviews Food received one with six fries.

(Note: Let us know in the comments how many fries were in your Burger King French Fry Burger.)

The sandwich has that signature Burger King beef flavor that comes with every Whopper…and every burp after eating a Whopper. With both burgers I purchased, the mayo to ketchup ratio significantly leaned more towards the former. I was hoping there would be more ketchup, since, you know, ketchup and fries go together like suits and ties; clouds and skies; and poop and flies.

If you order through the drive-thru or get your food to go, there’s a 100 percent chance the fries in the sandwich will be soggy by the time you wrap your mouth around it. But when you do get around to eating it, the fries will provide a noticeable fluffy starchiness that no sesame seed bun could provide. However, what isn’t noticeable is a potato flavor, which seems to get lost between the gloops of mayonnaise and ketchup. Perhaps six fries might’ve helped with that.

Overall, I think the French Fry Burger is tasty, but its nonexistent French fry flavor makes it tastes too similar to a Whopper. To me, the only appeal of Burger King’s French Fry Burger is the fact it’s only a dollar (or $1.19 here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean). Its cheap price probably makes it taste better than the fries do.

(Nutrition Facts – 360 calories, 170 calories from fat, 19 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 490 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.)

Item: Burger King French Fry Burger
Purchased Price: $1.19*
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Burger King
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Only a dollar at most Burger King locations. A tasty, cheap sandwich. Something to buy when I don’t feel like eating a McDonald’s McDouble. Letting go of anger.
Cons: The three fries in each of my burgers didn’t provide a noticeable potato flavor. Inconsistent number of fries among fast food bloggers. If you order it to go, there’s a good chance the fries will be soggy. Tastes too much like a Whopper. Muttering “Have it your way” in my sleep. Whopper burps.

*because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean we sometimes pay more for things.