REVIEW: Shirley Temple 7UP

Marvo 8 Comments

7UP has given us a gift this holiday season. A brand spanking new limited edition flavor — Shirley Temple 7UP! Woo hoo! Santa finally read my letters. Opening doors for people and being a narc on folks who fart in elevators really paid off this year.

Wait a minute.

A pomegranate AND cherry flavored 7UP? There’s been a seasonal Pomegranate 7UP before, and Cherry 7UP has been around for decades. So this new Shirley Temple 7UP is just a combination of two previous varieties, making it a not-quite-a-brand-spanking-new limited edition flavor. Bah humbug!

It’s also available in a Zero Sugar version, and along with 12-packs, there’s a 2-liter version, so share this festive drink with your friends at your holiday party.

Full disclosure: I’ve never had a Shirley Temple. Call me sheltered. Call me unworldly. Call me Shirley. Or call me someone who has never purchased a bottle of grenadine. But I’ve never had an opportunity to try one. For those unfamiliar with the old-timey, non-alcoholic mixed drink, it combines lemon-lime soda or ginger ale with a splash of grenadine (a sweet syrup made from pomegranates) and is topped with a maraschino cherry. Yup, that sounds old-timey.

While my lips have never sipped on an actual Shirley Temple, I’ve consumed a few cans of 7UP’s attempts to honor the beverage named after someone some folks will have to Google, and it has put me in a festive mood. Shirley Temple 7UP is delicious. If I were to offer this to a Grinch, drinking it would make them smile.

But here’s the thing I find odd about this drink. Its flavor reminds me of an Orange Julius. If I think harder than I should when drinking a soda, I notice the cherry. But for the most part, I taste a mildly tart orange citrus flavor. Maybe my taste buds are broken? However, I’m not sure about that because they successfully determined this year’s Mountain Dew VooDEW Mystery Flavor.

But with that said, this Shirley Temple 7UP is a wonderful tasting soda and the most satisfying 7UP limited edition flavor I’ve had in a long time. It’s miles better than Pomegranate 7UP, which has attempted to be a holiday thing twice.

Does this have to leave? Can it stay around? Or at least, bring it back every holiday season, Keurig Dr Pepper. I’ll narc on more gassy folks in elevators if that happens.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 12 fl oz cans
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 170 calories, 0 grams of fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 45 grams of sugar (including 45 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

SPOTTED (SEASONAL EDITION): 11/5/2024

Marvo 1 Comment

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Frankford Sour Claussen Green Apple Gummy Candy

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Trolli Sour Brite Abominable Snowmen
Trolli Holiday Sour Bursting Crawlers

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

365 Whole Foods Market Limited Edition Organic Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Bars
365 Whole Foods Market Limited Edition Organic Gingerbread Greek Yogurt Dessert Bars
365 Whole Foods Market Cinnamon Sugar Cashews

(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)

Ring Pop Gummy Holiday Gummies

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Bettergoods Peppermint Bark
Bettergoods Sleigh Ride Mix
Bettergoods Belgian Chocolate Truffles

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Barbie 12 Days Of Cocoa

(Spotted by Robbie at Big Lots.)

Charms Fluffy Stuff Wonderland Wishes Cotton Candy

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Kellogg’s The Elf On The Shelf Cereal Snack Packs

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Nutella Sweater Design

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Private Selection Winter Mix

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED: A-Sha Hot Ones Ramen Noodle Soup

Marvo 3 Comments
A-Sha Hot Ones Garlic Chili Ramen Noodle Soup
A-Sha Hot Ones Sweet Chili Ramen Noodle Soup
A-Sha Hot Ones Smoky Chili Ramen Noodle Soup

I wonder if Maruchan and Nissin were approached first about collaborating with Hot Ones. (Spotted by Phil at Walmart.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED: Lindt Lindor Limited Edition Cinnamon Swirl White Chocolate Truffles

Marvo 1 Comment

Lindt Lindor Limited Edition Cinnamon Swirl White Chocolate Truffles.

I hope these are good enough that I’ll demand that they should be permanent. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: DiGiorno Thanksgiving Pizza

Mark 2 Comments

It seems to me that in recent years, more food companies have been embracing Thanksgiving dinner as a collective meal to put in other foods. Sandwich shops have been offering turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sandwiches for a while. And this year, DiGiorno has pizza-fied the classic November meal!

DiGiorno’s version omits the stuffing, however, and combines turkey with the ingredients of a green bean casserole. The pizza features roast turkey, green beans, crispy onions, dried cranberries, and gravy. The non-Thanksgiving elements are mozzarella and cheddar cheese, all topped on a Detroit-style crust. Just bake for 23 minutes, and you have a warm meal ready.

Let’s start with the star of the show: the turkey. I was worried the turkey would be gristly or rubbery. But nope, it has a pleasant chew and flavor. It’s not quite what you pull out of the oven on Thanksgiving, but it’s close.

The green beans are fine. They’re slightly crispier than canned green beans. If you don’t like green beans, you will wish they weren’t there. For me, I could take them or leave them.

I don’t really notice the onion’s crispiness, but I can taste their presence. The savory flavor I associate with green bean casserole permeates the pie.

The dried cranberries impart a bit of sweetness to the otherwise ultra-umami dish. I’m glad cranberries got represented. But if you don’t like pineapple on pizza, maybe they’ll be too much for you. At least they’re tarter than pineapple.

The gravy has a nice texture, but there’s something about the seasonings in it that tastes a little odd to me. Not bad, just weird. Maybe my palate is just too unsophisticated. The oddness might also come from the crispy onions.

I’m picky about cheese, so I’m glad they opted for the tamer options of cheddar and mozzarella. That way, it can keep the feel and definition of pizza, even though it’s Thanksgiving, without being too tangy. And the crust might be the best part: soft, slightly chewy, just a little sweet.

I love to eat leftover pizza cold, and I’m happy to report that DiGiorno Thanksgiving Pizza is at least as good cold as it is heated.

I’m really happy this pizza exists. Your family will be mad if you serve it instead of an actual Thanksgiving meal (and it would break the bank to serve a crowd), but it’s a fun product to eat on a random cozy November night or bring to a Friendsgiving. It’s only available at Kroger-affiliated stores, but I hope it will expand to other retailers in the future.

Purchased Price: $9.99
Size: 20.6 oz box
Purchased at: Smith’s Marketplace
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/4 pizza) 400 calories, 21 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 480 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of total sugars including 3 grams of added sugars, and 12 grams of protein.