REVIEW: McDonald’s Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry

Marvo 15 Comments

Nowadays, many of us learn about someone famous passing away when their name trends on social media. So when did the McDonald’s Strawberry Sundae trend? Because I didn’t know it was gone until I picked up the new McDonald’s Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry.

The lack of dark red gloops or glops in this limited time only dessert had me wondering why McDonald’s didn’t use the syrupy topping. And after a visit to its website, I learned the sundae no longer existed. I guess I should’ve looked at this McFlurry’s promo photos closer and read its description because what’s in this are vanilla soft serve with strawberry flavored clusters and shortbread cookies.

I assumed the syrupy topping would be included because it was around for so long. But instead, McDonald’s has said so long to it. Geez, I could’ve sworn I had the sundae about a year ago.

McDonald’s Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry is sort of like an Oreo McFlurry, but all the crunchy pieces are strawberry-flavored instead of chocolate. That actually sounds good, and this tastes good, but it’s a little disappointing because McDonald’s had a lovely red topping that would’ve been great with this. The artificial strawberry-tasting clusters were plentiful, good, and crispy, but not strawberry topping satisfying.

Although not as depressing as finding out one of your favorite McDonald’s treats no longer exists, the shortbread cookies were a bit of a letdown. Having cake pieces in pints of Ben & Jerry’s and other ice cream brands spoiled me, so expecting actual cake seems reasonable. But then again, I guess cake pieces wouldn’t survive whirls around the McFlurry mixing machine. The idea of using shortbread cookies is fine since they seem to be in strawberry shortcake recipes, but the small chunks in this blended treat get lost among the flavor AND crunch of the berry-flavored clusters when everything is eaten together. McDonald’s describes them as “buttery,” but my taste buds didn’t notice anything like that.

McDonald’s Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry is a fine dessert; I don’t regret eating it. But it’s not tasty enough to make me forget about the strawberry sundae. RIP.

It’s so hard to say goodbye to strawberry sundae.

(I imagine the internet is going to internet, and someone in the comments will tell me that the Strawberry Sundae still exists at their McDonald’s.)

Purchased Price: $3.59
Size: Snack Size
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 370 calories, 12 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 170 milligrams of sodium, 52 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 41 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

SPOTTED: Pink Sauce

Marvo 7 Comments

I’m so behind. I have never heard or seen anything about this before receiving this photo. You’d think the Instagram’s algorithm would show me something about this. Instead, I get shown baseball videos. (Spotted by Sage G 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: Mtn Dew Energy Major Melon

Marvo

I wonder if Mtn Dew would ever come out with Mtn Dew Energy versions of its Baja flavors other than Baja Blast. Or maybe even VooDEW. (Spotted by Jacob E at Safeway.)

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: Red Bull Summer Edition Juneberry Energy Drink

Marvo 3 Comments

Red Bull’s newest Summer Edition has an appropriately named berry as its flavor — juneberry.

What’s a juneberry? That’s what I wanted to know because I didn’t know it existed, and I want to have more uncommon fruit knowledge that I can whip out as an icebreaker when introduced to people who I want to discourage from talking to me ever again. If you’re like me and have no idea what this berry is but don’t want to go down a juneberry rabbit hole, I’ve gone down one for you.

It goes by many names that wouldn’t look quite right on a Red Bull can, like amelanchier, serviceberry, chuckleberry, sarvisberry, saskatoon berry, and the slightly giggle-causing names of shadbush, shadwood, or shadblow. The fruit’s appearance has been compared to blueberries, but it’s more closely related to apples and pears because it’s a pome fruit (a fruit with seeds enclosed in a tough core). It’s native to North America and can be found across Canada and in every US state except Hawaii (probably why I’ve never heard of it). OMG. This rabbit hole is getting deeeeeeeeeep. Time to climb out, Chucklebunny.

Oh, wait. Not so fast, Junebunny! I forgot to mention the way its flavor is described. Let’s go back down the hole for a bit. I learned from one source that they taste like “dark cherries or raisins.” While another said, “blueberries crossed with apples.” And another said, “strawberry, blueberry, and a touch of almond.” Red Bull Summer Edition Juneberry’s deep purple color might make you think its flavor could be any of those, but those are not what I taste. The best way I can describe it is to say it was like a mature blue raspberry flavor, less candy-like and more tart, but not too tart. Although, it did have a less mature scent that reminded me of a Louie-Bloo Otter Pop.

Red Bull Summer Edition Juneberry’s flavor brings to mind a previous seasonal release — 2020’s Winter Edition Arctic Berry. It had a “cool raspberry” flavor that I wasn’t too impressed with it. This juneberry variety seems to do raspberry better, and it’s tasty enough that it’s worth a purchase this June, July, August, April, May, or September.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 8.4 oz can
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 90 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 27 grams of sugar (including 27 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 80 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Nissin Breakfast Cup Noodles

Jenna 1 Comment

“Have a backup…” a friend advised when I told them about my plan to pack Nissin Breakfast Cup Noodles for lunch (or, considering their namesake, more like brunch). When they realized I wasn’t joking, they added, “Maybe buy some Alka-Seltzer and Pepto Bismol too.” But life is short, and how many chances does one get to try noodles that taste like pancakes with maple syrup, sausage, and egg? That being said, I did bring a backup lunch just in case, but to my utter shock and delight, I didn’t need it.

The design on the cup offered a sunny start. The bright blue backdrop and vibrant cartoony illustration of a heaping helping of syrup-soaked pancakes, with a side of fluffy scrambled eggs and plump breakfast sausage doesn’t resemble what’s inside at all, but it’s still lovely!

What you get after peeling off the lid, pouring water up to the fill line on the inside of the cup, and doing an excited/happy/”oh gosh, what have I gotten myself into” dance in front of the microwave for four minutes, is a pile of greyish-yellow noodles in a pool of greyish-orange broth, topped with pea-sized bits of greyish-brown sausage and egg that’s… actually a regular (if slightly fluorescent) shade of yellow. (Your mileage may vary, but my cup had SIGNIFICANTLY more egg than sausage.) Don’t let the murky appearance fool you, though: there’s a wonderful taste in store.

The first word that came to my mind to describe the broth was “mellow.” I was expecting it to be saltier, but this stuff was straight-up sweet: maple-y, a bit malty, and all in all, surprisingly so hearty that I almost forgot that it had been created by simply combining dry, seasoned noodles and tap water.

The handful of sausage pieces were certainly not the most beautiful specimens in terms of appearance or texture (they could be described as both “gristly” and “grisly”). But they did a nice job adding a burst of flavor—savory, again with a strong streak of maple, plus an interesting peppery aftertaste.

As for the fluffy but dense eggs, despite their abundant quantity, they didn’t really have much flavor on their own, thoroughly overpowered by the broth. Once more, their defining characteristic was mapleness!

The stars of the show, the noodles, were similar. They were warm and comforting, but I got the feeling that their sweet-and-a-lil-zesty flavor came more from the broth and toppings rather than the soft, gummy strings themselves. (Fun fact — and added bonus, if you’re anything like me — it also smelled exactly like Post’s Waffle Crisp cereal.)

This novelty really surprised me. Not only was I not expecting Nissin Breakfast Cup Noodles to genuinely taste like breakfast, but I was also not expecting it to genuinely taste good, and it delivered tremendously on both counts. I am slightly befuddled, slightly disturbed, and totally pleased to tell you that if you enjoy noodles, breakfast, convenient packaging, or the terrifying-yet-thrilling anticipation of a food that doesn’t taste how you think it will, you really should try this. Seriously!

Purchased Price: $9.32 (I bought online from a third-party seller, but the retail price is meant to be just $1.18)
Size: 2.93 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) 380 calories, 15 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 1020 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (including 9 grams of added sugar), and 8 grams of protein.