The Impulsive Buy

SPOTTED: 7/10/2023

July 10, 2023July 7, 2023 Marvo

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.

(Spotted by Robbie at Costco.)

Seffon Farms Dry Roasted Chili & Lime Pistachios

(Spotted by Robbie at Costco.)

(Spotted by Breanna at Sheetz.)

(Spotted by Allison H at Target.)

Private Selection Gourmet Preserves (Apricot and Raspberry)

Private Selection Gourmet Preserves (Triple Berry, Morello Cherry, and Strawberry)

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)

(Spotted by Breanna at Big Lots.)

Dream Pops Cookie Dough Crunch and Vanilla Sky Crunch

(Spotted by Amanda Y 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.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Quarter Pounder

July 9, 2023February 27, 2024 Marvo 7 Comments

As the summer sun beats down upon our heads, McDonald’s has decided to also make the insides of our heads burn with its new Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese. The burger features a 1/4 lb beef patty, two American cheese slices, three half-strips of bacon, a cheese sauce, and jalapeno slices on a sesame seed bun. It’s basically a spicy bacon cheeseburger.

My order came with ten jalapeno slices. TEN! Of course, your results may vary. With that generous amount of brined, spicy peppers, I thought the flavor and heat would overwhelm the rest of the sandwich. But the cheese sauce tempers the spiciness and vinegary peppery punch with its salty processed cheese product goodness. But the sauce doesn’t make this spicy Quarter Pounder tolerable to those who are heat adverse. Also, oddly, the orange condiment has the viscosity of spackle, making it hard for gravity to pull down the jalapenos stuck to the sauce.

Yes, there are also the two American cheese slices that are in every Quarter Pounder, but they don’t stand out here because the sauce is cheesier and saltier. I imagine if the slices were left alone to manage the jalapenos’ heat and flavor, they wouldn’t stand a chance, and I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed this burger.

Now let’s get to the meat of the menu item.

The beef patty and bacon’s saltiness and meatiness still come through despite the strong jalapeno taste and cheesiness. The bacon’s smokiness is also noticeable with most bites. Unfortunately, the pork pieces are chewy but not crispy. However, the jalapenos do add some texture by providing a pleasant crunch.

I plan to reorder this tasty McDonald’s Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Quarter Pounder. Although when I do, I’ll probably customize it with extra cheese sauce to make it truly taste cheesy since the American cheese was no help in that department. But again, this is just a spicy bacon cheeseburger with pretty much the same ingredients we’ve seen in offerings from other fast food chains. There’s nothing groundbreaking flavor-wise here.

After eating the burger, my face looked and felt a little flushed thanks to the eight jalapeno slices, and I did reach for a cold drink a couple of times while eating this. But then again, my head might’ve felt that way due to the combination of this burger and the summer heat.

Purchased Price: $7.89*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 650 calories, 38 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 1760 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 37 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Haagen-Dazs Cultured Creme

July 7, 2023July 6, 2023 Marvo 20 Comments

I wonder if Chobani influenced Häagen-Dazs to think outside of the freezer aisle. For years, Chobani was known as a yogurt company, but then it used its dairy knowledge to develop other products, like coffee creamers and cold brew. Häagen-Dazs has been known as an ice cream brand with a made-up name for decades. But now it’s using its dairy expertise to take up some space near Chobani’s turf with its new ~~yogurt~~ Cultured Crème.

They look like yogurt, and you will find them in the yogurt aisle, but the word “yogurt” doesn’t appear anywhere on the label. While traditional yogurt uses milk as the main ingredient, these use crème fraiche. According to General Mills, the product utilizes a fermentation process that is up to five times longer than traditional yogurt to create a thick, creamy texture reminiscent of ice cream. It also uses a unique blend of dairy cultures that offer a smoother taste experience, unlike the slightly sour flavor of traditional yogurt.

Currently, six flavors are available: Black Cherry, Blueberry, Coffee, Lemon, Strawberry, and Vanilla Bean. They come in four-ounce containers, which seem slightly stingy compared to the 5.3-ounce Chobani and six-ounce Yoplait containers.

The Blueberry, Strawberry, Black Cherry, and Lemon varieties mostly taste like yogurt I’ve had from other brands. However, something about them makes them slightly more enjoyable than any yogurt I’ve had. Is it the cane sugar or the use of actual fruit and fruit juices? I’m not sure. All four have fruit pieces in them, although I didn’t notice the pulp in the lemon one. Also, these are smoother tasting than Greek yogurt, but there’s still a noticeable tanginess.

While the tang isn’t weird with the fruity flavors, it’s odd and maybe slightly more noticeable in the Coffee variety, which is made using cold brewed coffee. Its taste is similar to coffee ice cream but with some tanginess. While I’m fine with it and think it’s a great flavor, I can taste how some folks might be turned off by it.

As you can see, I don’t dislike any of them, but I was surprised by my favorite of the bunch — vanilla bean.

It’s the best tasting vanilla product in the yogurt aisle I’ve ever had. There are vanilla bean specks throughout, and as it goes down my throat, it sometimes tastes like I’m eating vanilla ice cream. Also, the tang gives it a cheesecake-like flavor most of the time. Of the six flavors, it’s the one that tastes most like a dessert than something yogurt-like. I scraped the container’s sides with a spoon and licked the foil lid to get every bit of it. That’s how much I loved it.

With all that said, the name, Cultured Crème, confuses my gut microbiome. Does it contain live and active cultures? Unlike most yogurt, it doesn’t say it anywhere. So am I getting any health benefits while eating these, or are these just sugary desserts in the yogurt aisle? While I’m unsure if these are great for my digestive system, they do taste great and are worth trying.

Purchased Price: $2.00 each
Size: 4 oz containers
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Vanilla Bean), 7 out of 10 (all others)
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) Black Cherry – 190 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of sugar (including 10 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Blueberry – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Lemon – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of sugar (including 15 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Strawberry – 190 calories, 10 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 16 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Coffee – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 18 grams of sugar (including 13 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Vanilla Bean – 190 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein.

SPOTTED: 7/7/2023

July 7, 2023July 4, 2023 Marvo 2 Comments

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.