SPOTTED (TRADER JOE’S EDITION): 7/22/2024

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.

Trader Joe’s Mango Sticky Rice Crisps
Trader Joe’s Pizza Seasoned Crackers
Trader Joe’s Crispy Crunchy Coated Peanuts
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Dipped French Butter Cookies
Trader Joe’s Peach Raspberry Crisp
Trader Joe’s Organic Apple Cinnamon Fruit Sauce Crushers
Trader Joe’s Green Tea and Yuzu Spread
Trader Joe’s Apricot Cardamom Spread
Trader Joe’s Smoked Ghost Pepper Cheddar Cheese
Trader Joe’s Italian Whole Peel Tomatoes With Basil Leaf

(Spotted by Sarah R at Trader Joe’s.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) 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: Starbucks Egg, Pesto & Mozzarella Sandwich

Starbucks’ Egg, Pesto & Mozzarella Sandwich is a serviceable, squishy sandwich.

It gets its squish from a fluffy cage-free egg frittata, which is topped with a kale and basil pesto and a mozzarella slice. Those three are served on a toasted cheddar and onion bun.

The almost perfect rectangle frittata was a bit flavorless. It wasn’t even very eggy. I only know this because the pesto on my sandwich was mainly on one side of the egg slab, leaving my taste buds a naked half of a frittata for them to experience. With such a concentration of pesto on one side, you’d assume the taste would be bold. But even with that amount, the green herbaceous topping didn’t bowl me over with pesto like I’d get from an Olive Garden offering. It made that half taste better than the pesto-less side, but I wish things were more flavorful. Also, it wasn’t easy to pick out the kale in the pesto, which I guess was a good thing because I got the benefits of eating kale without the rough texture and taste of kale.

The mozzarella was melted to the point where it looked like mayonnaise. But I wish this had mayo because the mild cheesiness didn’t carry much flavor. As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, the egg had a spongy texture and was unusually moist, which was odd. And it was even weirder when the frittata made slightly squishy sounds as I gently smooshed the sandwich. As for the toasted cheddar and onion bun, nothing about it made me think it had cheese or onion on or in it. The bottom bun was easy to bite through, and the top had some crispiness on the edges thanks to the toasting, but it was also a little chewy.

If you’re looking for a meatless sandwich option at Starbucks, its Egg, Pesto & Mozzarella Sandwich is the only one. (Although, I guess the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich could be considered a meatless option.) But it’s so meh that I’m not sure I’d recommend starting your morning with one.

Purchased Price: $5.45
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 390 calories, 16 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 175 milligrams of cholesterol, 790 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 21 grams of protein.

SPOTTED: Krispy Kreme Passport to Paris Assorted Doughnuts

Krispy Kreme Passport to Paris Assorted Doughnuts.

The box has three special flavors: Crème Brûlée Doughnut (an unglazed shell doughnut filled with crème brûlée flavored Kreme dipped in crème brûlée flavored caramel icing and finished with a caramelized sugar crunch topping) Double Chocolate Éclair Doughnut (an unglazed shell doughnut filled with chocolate custard Kreme dipped in chocolate icing and topped with decorative crisp pearls), and Raspberry & Vanilla Crème Doughnut (an Original Glazed doughnut dipped in raspberry icing and cookie pieces, topped with a dollop of vanilla buttercreme). (Spotted by Sage G at Publix.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) 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: International Delight Home Alone Creamers

International Delight Home Alone Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Creamer.

International Delight Home Alone Frosted Sugar Cookie and Peppermint Mocha Creamers.

The Hot Chocolate Marshmallow one is new, while the other two are returning seasonal flavors. (Spotted by Melissa at ShopRite.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) 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.

;ts1

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Mini Chimi Bang Bangs

To help promote the movie Deadpool & Wolverine, Jack in the Box has a shot out of its kitchens the new Mini Chimi Bang Bangs. What’s the deal with Deadpool and chimichangas? Well, I could go off on a plagiarized tangent about the subject, but I’d like to keep this review as mini as these chimis.

An order features three crispy mini chimichangas filled with seasoned shredded chicken, corn, black beans, herbs, and Southwest flavors. It also comes with Jack’s taco sauce packets. (I got six! Jackpot! Your results may vary.) Also, because this is Jack in the Box, there’s, of course, a loaded version, which comes topped with two types of cheddar cheese, lettuce, and taco sauce. (No sauce packet ripping.)

Okay, let’s break down “crispy mini chimichangas.”

These were crispy, well, at certain places. The wrap’s flaps that stuck out were fried to a pleasant golden brown crispiness. But for the most part, the exterior was like a soft tortilla, which was disappointing because the areas where they were crispy had a flavor that reminded me of fried wontons. (Waiting for a Jack in the Box employee to tell me that my order was made wrong.)

Next, let’s focus on the “mini.” They are so small and thin that the only way to get the seasoned shredded chicken, corn, black beans, herbs, and southwest flavors into your mouth simultaneously is to stick a whole mini chimi into your mouth. But that’s possible because they are small enough to do so with some chimi ghiminastics.

Finally, let’s get into the chimichanga. For the most part, the filling mostly feels like a thick soup. Taking occasional peeks into them, I found a whole black bean and part of a corn kernel. But, while I could taste the poultry, there weren’t any textures that felt like shredded chicken. The overall interior texture reminded me of something I’ve had from the freezer aisle at the supermarket, and they tasted as good as what you could get from the supermarket. With most bites, I could notice the southwest flavors and the chicken, but that wasn’t enough to impress my taste buds, even with taco sauce. Maybe I should’ve gotten the loaded version?

Jack in the Box’s Mini Chimi Bang Bangs are a mediocre fast food side, and I’m glad an order came with only three of them.

Purchased Price: $3.50*
Size: 3 pieces
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 170 calories. No other nutritional information is available on the Jack in the Box website.

*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.