Month: January 2011

NEWS: Cold Stone To Offer Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt, But (Sadly) Won’t Call It CoSto FroYo

Marvo 4 Comments

cold stone!!

It looks like I’m not the only one who’s jumping on a bandwagon (Go Jets!). Cold Stone, which is known for their creamery, has plans to offer a self-serve frozen yogurt bar at many of their stores. The frozen yogurt craze has been around for a couple of years and it seems like it’s not slowing down. Cold Stone is the second major company in the past few months to introduce frozen yogurt along side their current offerings. Jamba Juice has been testing frozen yogurt for several months at some locations.

Cold Stone’s yogurt flavors will include Cold Stone regulars like vanilla, chocolate, and cake batter, but new tart and tangy flavors will be added. The proprietary yogurt recipe will be low-calorie, non-fat and contain probiotics. Like many frozen yogurt stores, Cold Stone will also offer a selection of self-serve toppings.

With Cold Stone’s frozen yogurt being self-serve, does that mean I would have to leave a tip for myself in order to get me to sing a song? Cold Stone will be installing their yogurt bar into their stores throughout 2011, so I guess I’ll find out sometime this year.

Source: Brand Eating

NEWS: McDonald’s Soon To Have Four Angus Third Pounder Flavors, One For Each Chamber of Your Heart

Marvo 5 Comments

Solid Gold McDonald's

Updated: Click here to read our review

I think McDonald’s Angus Third Pounder burgers are the best McDonald’s has ever put out, and I’ve made sweet mouthlove with several of them since they were introduced in 2009. But I have to admit that I’m tired of the three Angus Third Pounder varieties. So I’m glad to hear a fourth is being released — the Chipotle Angus Third Pounder.

The newest member of the Angus Third Pounder line will not only come in sandwich form, but also in the not as good Snack Wrap form. They will consist of 100 percent Angus beef with a smoky, sweet chipotle barbeque sauce, red onions, pickles, bacon and American cheese in between either a toasted sesame bun or flour tortilla.

Nutritional info isn’t officially available, but using the nutritional info from other McDonald’s products and some McMath, I estimate the Chipotle Angus Third Pounder will contain 775 calories, 38 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 145 milligrams of cholesterol, 1940 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 44 grams of protein.

The Chipotle Angus Third Pounder and its Snack Wrap cousin be available starting February 1, but only for a limited time. Although, if popular enough they may become permanent menu items or come back every other year like the McRib.

Source: Grub Grade

REVIEW: Betty Crocker Cheeseburger Macaroni Whole Grain Hamburger Helper

Marvo 7 Comments

Betty Crocker Cheeseburger Macaroni Whole Grain Hamburger Helper

I tried. I really tried. But, I think it’s impossible to overdose on whole grains. I picked up as many products with whole grains as I could, which were all over the place. No, seriously. If I were to piss blindfolded in a grocery store, it’s hard not to hit a product that has whole grains.

In one day, I ate a bowl of Froot Loops made with whole grain, consumed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with whole wheat bread, snacked on Tostitos tortilla chips made with whole grain, inhaled a plate of pasta with whole grain noodles, chomped on whole grain Wheat Thins and ate a hearty serving of Betty Crocker’s new Cheeseburger Macaroni Whole Grain Hamburger Helper.

That’s easily 100 grams of whole grain, which is twice the recommended 48 grams of whole grain one should eat daily. Whatever happened to “too much of a good thing can be bad”? I’ve eaten enough prunes in one sitting to know the effects of having too much of a good thing. If it had been 100 grams of cocaine, I’d be dead, unless I was Keith Richards. With that many grams of whole grain, I though I would at least have hallucinations of grain fields or giant spiders trying to eat me.

You know what? Maybe I didn’t try hard enough. I could’ve had more whole grains if I had brunch, linner, and Taco Bell’s Fourthmeal. That would’ve taken me to around 175 grams of whole grain. Or even better, I could’ve hung out near the feederhouse or cylinder of a combine grain harvester. I would’ve easily gotten 1,000 grams of whole grain. Or maybe I should’ve eaten the entire skillet I prepared of Cheeseburger Macaroni Whole Grain Hamburger Helper, which would’ve given me 80 grams of whole grain.

Betty Crocker Cheeseburger Macaroni Whole Grain Hamburger Helper Closeup

Although, I don’t know whether I could eat the entire skillet, because Cheeseburger Macaroni Whole Grain Hamburger Helper looks weird. It’s like staring at Renee Zellwegger without any makeup on or me with a drag queen’s-worth of makeup on. It looks unappetizing and drab, like something that would be served in a Siberian prison for kids.

I blame the bronzed 100 percent whole grain elbow macaroni for making this Whole Grain Hamburger Helper look weird, and for giving the dish a grainy texture. Although, the grainy texture was expected since the whole grain noodles I had earlier, during my attempt to OD on whole grains, had the same texture.

But it’s not only the bronzed elbow macaroni that brings this Hamburger Helper down, it’s also the cheesy sauce, which wasn’t very cheesy. Some bites I took didn’t have any cheese flavor, and instead all I could taste was the ground beef I added. If I just wanted to taste the ground beef, I would’ve made myself a hamburger without the helper.

The Betty Crocker Cheeseburger Macaroni Whole Grain Hamburger Helper may sound like a healthier Hamburger Helper, but there really isn’t anything healthier about it beyond the whole grain pasta. Okay, it also has 240 milligrams less sodium than regular Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper, but it has the same amount of calories, saturated fat and trans fat as the regular version.

If you’re desperate to get whole grains, I guess it could be an option, but again, there are many other ways to get whole grains. To find out, just go to your favorite grocery store, blindfold yourself, pull down your pants, and pee.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 cup prepared – 310 calories, 120 calories from fat, 13 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 670 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, 23 grams of protein, 4% vitamin A, 10% calcium, and 10% iron.)

Item: Betty Crocker Cheeseburger Macaroni Whole Grain Hamburger Helper
Price: $2.29
Size: 4.8 ounces
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Easy to prepare. Provides 16 grams of whole grain per serving. Less sodium than regular Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper. Cheap meal. Good source of protein. No artificial flavors or preservatives.
Cons: Looks like something that would be served in a Siberian prison for kids. Not very cheesy. Grainy texture of macaroni. Same amount of calories, saturated fat and trans fat as regular Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper. Elbow macaroni looks like it’s been hanging out by the pool with George Hamilton. Eating too many prunes.

PRIZE DRAWING: Because Chewing Gum That Tastes Like Dessert Helps You Keep Your New Year’s Resolution of Losing Weight Better Than Eating Actual Dessert

Marvo 88 Comments

Extra Dessert Delights

We have chewing gum; you have jaws. Let’s make something happen.

For this month’s prize drawing, The Impulsive Buy will be giving away three sets of all three Extra Dessert Delights flavors — Strawberry Shortcake, Key Lime Pie, and Mint Chocolate Chip. If you want to read a review, Nichol reviewed them last month.

To enter The Impulsive Buy’s Dessert Delights Drawing, leave a comment with THIS post. I don’t really care what you say in your comment, but it would be nice if you used a random term from Urban Dictionary in it.

Please don’t forget to fill out the email field because I’ll be emailing the winners for their mailing address. The Impulsive Buy will stop accepting entries on Sunday, January 23, 2011 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. Only one entry allowed per person, and it’s open to everyone who’s 18 years old or older.

Good luck!

Fine Print: The Impulsive Buy promises your email address will not be used to send you email with the line “me love you long time” in the subject field. The Impulsive Buy also promises your mailing address will not be used to send you a big ball of used chewing gum that someone has been adding to for years. Bribes will not be accepted. The Impulsive Buy will not be responsible for lost mail, damaged mail, breaking your New Year’s Resolution or sore jaws.

NEWS: Starbucks New Trenta Size To Make Long Company Meeting Attendees Regret Ordering It

Marvo 5 Comments

You won’t be able to get hot Starbucks coffee in the new 31-ounce Trenta size, just iced coffee, iced tea and iced tea lemonade drinks. Yes, that’s a lot of iced coffee, iced tea or iced tea lemonade to drink. So if you’re planning to tackle a Trenta when it comes to your town, might I suggest training your bladder until then with 32-ounce Big Gulps.

The Trenta is seven ounces larger than Starbucks’ previous largest size — the Venti. Moving up in size and expanding your bladder a bit more will cost about 50 cents more than the Venti.

The Trenta size will debut today in 14 states, including this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and in California on February 1. (Updated: It appears the Trenta cups haven’t arrived to this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Stupid ships!) Starbucks will roll out the bladder-busting size in all of its coffee shops by May 3.