The Impulsive Buy

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 8/22/2012

August 22, 2012December 24, 2020 Marvo 10 Comments

Here are some new products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. We may or may not review them, but we’d like to let you know what new items are popping up. We’ll also occasionally throw in an unusual product.

Baking technology FTW! So I take it these are basically huge canisters filled with the stuff that’s found in Betty Crocker’s Warm Delights. No need for vegetable oil and no need to crack eggs and then dig around in the egg whites for bits of egg shells that accidentally fell in because I hit the edge of the bowl too hard with the egg.

I prefer chunky peanut butter over creamy peanut butter, but I don’t like how I go through a jar of the chunky stuff much faster than a jar of the creamy stuff. And I’m afraid I would go through a 12-ounce jar of Planters NUT-rition in a week because not only are there peanuts mixed in, there are also things like raisins, granola, peanuts, and banana chips. Option Pitch and Waffle Crisp reviewed one of the flavors.

Cream of Wheat has been around for over 100 years and only now they come out with a chocolate flavor. Geez, Cream of Wheat has been making people suffer throughout bowls and bowls of regular Cream of Wheat for a very, very long time. Thanks for the photo, Bobby!

Thanks, Hello Kitty, for this gummy treat shaped like your head that will ensure I get my vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, biotin, pantothenic acid, iodine, zinc, choline, and meso-inositol.

If you’re out shopping and see a new product on the shelf (or really unusual), snap a picture of it, email it to us at [email protected] with “Spotted” in the subject line, and you might see it in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

REVIEW: General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch Treats

August 22, 2012December 9, 2021 Margaret 6 Comments

Somewhere on the edges of the globe, nestled between the marshes of Keebler County and Cascadian Farms, rests the town of General Mills. It is in this land of cuckoo birds and marshmallow balloons that a legend resides.

And his name…

Is Wendell.

He looks like a Wendell, doesn’t he?

What with his half-moon spectacles and rotund little nose, Wendell seems unassuming enough, but don’t be fooled. He has connections with the Keebler elves. He landed in General Mills in 1987 with a single dream: to put toast in a bowl, and, after many long nights beside his magical toaster and a cinnamon-related explosion, he got the recipe for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Back in 2001, he channeled his Cinnamon cereal craze into the smash hit: “Cinnamon Toast Crunch Milk-N-Cereal Bar.” Now, he’s bringing it home in a smaller, portion-friendly treat.

Judging by the cover, Wendell’s stepped away from his toaster to mix up a hearty batch of “yogurt coating.” No lie: this was the very thing that pulled me in to this bar. As a connoisseur of the yogurt-covered pretzel, I can’t resist a yogurt coating, and, indeed, I was elated when I discovered that a yogurt squiggle accompanied the yogurt-dipped foundation of the bar.

I’m thinking these little crisps were made for lunchtime and would fit snuggly in a lunchbox/briefcase/purse/other portable vessel of preference. The list of ingredients seems a mile long, but, in summary, it involves cinnamon, icing, and gooeyness and, as we all know, those are the ingredients involved in sustaining a happy relationship. Had a disagreement with your spouse? Bake something with cinnamon and, instantly, it smells like somebody loves you. Top that baked good with icing? Well, you can just kick back and watch the magic unfold.

Now, before diving into the texture of this bar, I’d like to step back for a brief moment to define the adjective “chewy.” Quaker has obfuscated (word of the day!) this term with their “Chewy” granola bars for years. If a food is “chewy,” it has a certain pull, being both somewhat firm and somewhat sticky. Caramels are chewy. Taffy is chewy. That yummy nougat in Snickers bars is chewy. Stale rice cereal smooshed with uncooked oats? Not chewy, Quaker, not chewy.

Now, these, on the other hand, actually do have a bit of a chew and are a fair amount denser than their Quaker counterparts, which gets them off to a good start. On first bite, they even have a bit of a crisp, but, in the end, this crisp ended on the note of “Stale Cinnamon Toast Crunch,” which was disappointing for a product that had hopes to bounce me over the heart, stars, horseshoes, clovers, and blue moons. The yogurt coating does its best for what this lacks in texture, but alas, fair Wendell, the faint wisps of cinnamon in your bar are no match for this weak consistency and overwhelming taste of corn syrup.

However, on an up note, these do have a bit of whole grain and there was enough of the yogurt to make me smile at the end, making these treats far better than the imagination-crushing, depression-inducing Quaker “Chewy” Granola bars. Nonetheless, next time I have the Cinnamon-Toast-Crunch craving, I’ll probably reach for the bowl and spoon before I nab a treat.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 bar – 100 calories, 25 calories from fat, 3 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, less than 1 gram of protein, and a little vitamins and minerals.)

Other Cinnamon Toast Crunch Treats reviews:
Truly Foody

Item: General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch Treats
Purchased Price: $2.84 (on sale)
Size: 1 box/6 bars
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Yogurt coating on the base. Yogurt squiggles. Cinnamon. Wendell. A friendly portion. Whole grain. Lunchboxes. The word “Obfuscate.” Half-moon spectacles. A land filled with marshmallow balloons.
Cons: The texture of stale cereal. Corn syrup overpowers cinnamon. Using the word “chewy” incorrectly. Crushers of the imagination.

REVIEW: Pepsi Salty Watermelon (Japan)

August 21, 2012August 12, 2023 Steve 4 Comments

Ah, the watermelon. Citrullus lanatus. The Summer Mistress. The Red Witch. Queen of the Fireflies. The Seedy Lady. The Damsel of Rind Street.

No matter which name you grew up using, Her Watery Majesty never fails to call to mind the carefree days of summer and youth well spent. Hot dogs, Slip ‘N Slides, sandy beaches and the unattainable girl I was in love with who lived next to my grandparents. Sigh. I’m not sure any fruit is more imbued with the power of nostalgia than the humble watermelon.

So with summer drawing to a humid close, let us not forget what the summer of 2012 has brought us. You can proudly tell your future grandchildren that you were at home watching with bated breath the night Michael Phelps did all of those important swimming things that he did. You can tell them that, yes, you camped out in the midnight line for Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection.

And, while nestled cozily in your underground cavern, you can explain to them that you stayed up late to watch the U.S. land the robot on Mars that would ultimately lead to the Martian invasion that nearly eradicated the human race.

It’s been an exciting few months.

And to mark all of these historic occasions, the Japanese arm of Pepsi has released their latest limited time only summer flavor, Salty Watermelon.

I’ve only had one experience with a Japanese Pepsi product and that was with their Pepsi Pink, a strawberry and milk flavored beverage that was released late in 2011. The name Pepsi Pink was a little misleading, as the drink itself was a unique soda entity that didn’t really retain any of the original Pepsi properties.

Pepsi Salty Watermelon is more true to its moniker. Upon opening the bottle, the first thing that surprised me was its nosegrope. There seemed to be some remnant of the original namesake beverage. I could detect both Pepsi and watermelon. The watermelon scent was not overpowering, but smelled a little like the artificial watermelon flavor found in so many hard candies (Jolly Ranchers, et al). But just a little.

That’s really what I was expecting this to be. Just a very sweet, very candy watermelon soda. But it’s not at all. I could still taste Pepsi. Actually, I tasted mostly Pepsi. The watermelon flavor that is weaved in is surprisingly subtle and only really makes its mark after you swallow, and then most strongly if you open your mouth to breathe. The watermelon is almost an afterthought. And it doesn’t taste like Jolly Ranchers at all, but is a pretty good approximation of actual watermelon.

The soda is also not very sweet. I don’t think I’d call it salty, but the sweetness has been scaled back considerably. It’s also very finely carbonated and has a fairly dry finish. Overall, it definitely drinks like a beverage for adults. A lot of forethought and restraint went into this drink. A sugary candy explosion it is not.

I like the bottle design. Can’t go wrong with a watermelon and a beach. And I am a fan of the slender bottles used in Japan. The color of Pepsi Salty Watermelon leaves a little to be desired though. It’s not quite watermelon red. Just sort of pinkish, I guess. But who cares? Close enough.

This is an interesting beverage. It’s not at all what I was expecting. Pepsi Japan continues to offer the world an interesting array of seasonal flavors while we in the U.S. continue to chug the same old same old. Sigh.

Pick up a bottle of Pepsi Salty Watermelon if you can. It’s good. And hurry up, the stupid fall is right around the corner.

(Thanks to wonderful Impulsive Buy reader Michele for sending us bottles of Pepsi Salty Watermelon from Japan.)

(Nutrition Facts – 100 ml – 42 kcal, 0 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat, 19 milligrams of sodium, 10.5 grams of carbohydrates.)

Item: Pepsi Salty Watermelon (Japan)
Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 490 mL
Purchased at: Somewhere in Japan
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Watermelonic accuracy. Restraint. Yellow plastic and garden hoses. Making up nicknames for fruit.
Cons: You’ll probably never get to try it. Martian invasions. Lost loves named Lindsey.

NEWS: McDonald’s Mighty Wings Make Me Want Another Mighty Ducks Movie and Mighty Mighty Bosstones Album

August 21, 2012September 4, 2023 Marvo 5 Comments

McDonald’s sells chicken in so many ways. There’s McNuggets, McBites, Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips, grilled chicken filets, crispy chicken filets, crispy chicken patties, and now in Atlanta they’re selling bone-in chicken wings.

McDonald’s Mighty Wings showed up on Metro Atlanta menu boards earlier this month. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the chicken wings come in three-, five- and ten-piece servings, starting at $2.99.

The article also says the chicken comes with either Creamy Ranch, Spicy Buffalo, and Tangy Barbecue sauce, but I’m sure you could ask for any of the other McNuggets sauces, like the great Hot Mustard.

Here’s a non-promotional photo of McDonald’s Mighty Wings that someone posted on Instagram.

Source: Grub Grade

Image via flickr user Erik Daniel Drost / CC BY 2.0

NEWS: Stay Warm This Fall With Kellogg’s Limited Edition Frosted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Pop-Tarts (If Toasted)

August 20, 2012December 24, 2020 Marvo 5 Comments

The Limited Edition Frosted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Pop-Tarts has me thinking why Kellogg’s hasn’t come out with coffee-flavored Pop-Tarts. They’ve overdone chocolate-flavored Pop-Tarts, so I think it’s about time for Kellogg’s to start doing coffee-flavored toaster pastries and then go completely overboard with them. They could start off with coffee, then mocha, cinnamon, vanilla mocha, and so on.

But until then we’re stuck with chocolate.

According to the Kellogg’s website, the Limited Edition Frosted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Pop-Tarts toaster pastry is made up of hot chocolate-flavored crust and a marshmallow filling topped with mocha-colored icing and chocolatey crumbles.

One pastry has 190 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 260 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein, and a bunch of vitamin and minerals.

Source: Kellogg’s

Image via flickr user moonlightbulb / CC BY 2.0

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