Month: November 2012

NEWS: Pizza Hut’s New Overstuffed Pizza Would’ve Been Awesome At Promoting 1996’s ‘Independence Day’

Marvo 2 Comments

2012-11-13 19.44.52-1

Pizza Hut’s new Overstuffed Pizza looks like The Hut stuck two P’Zones together, but it also looks like the alien ship in the film Independence Day. Each Overstuffed Pizza contains toppings, sauce, and cheese between two crusts, and provides six slices. The latest from Pizza Hut comes in two varieties — Italian Meat Trio and Supremo.

To be honest, I’m extremely disappointed this is the latest and greatest from Pizza Hut here in the US. While Canada got the frickin’ Pizza Hut Hot Dog Stuffed Pizza, which was originally introduced in the UK, we got what is basically a pizza on top of another pizza.

Nutrition information for the Overstuffed Pizza is not available on the Pizza Hut website yet, but I bet with those two layers of crust it has a lot of carbs.

If you tried Pizza Hut’s Overstuffed Pizza, let us know what you think of it in the comments.

REVIEW: Nabisco Limited Edition Gingerbread Oreo

Marvo 15 Comments

Limited Edition Gingerbread Oreo

Only a few genes separate humans from apes. And only a few ingredients separate ginger snaps from gingerbread cookies. But those differences stop me from throwing my poop at others and prevent me from liking ginger snaps, but enjoying gingerbread cookies.

So if these Limited Edition Gingerbread Oreo cookies were Limited Edition Ginger Snap Oreo cookies, I wouldn’t be writing this review.

For those of you who’ve lived under a rock for the past year, 2012 was Oreo’s 100th birthday and Nabisco made it rain new limited edition Oreo flavors up in here.

Limited Edition Birthday Cake Oreo began the celebration. Then Limited Edition Ice Cream Oreo Rainbow Shure, Bert! were at Walmarts all across the nation. Limited Edition Candy Cane Oreo cookies were a Target exclusive. While Limited Edition Lemon Twist Oreo weren’t in national chains and proved to be elusive. Limited Edition Triple Double Chocolate Mint Oreo was by far the least exciting of the bunch. And now the year ends with Limited Edition Gingerbread Oreo cookies for us to munch.

Personally, I find it a bit weird Nabisco produced a cookie that tastes like another cookie. I also would’ve preferred an egg nog-flavored Oreo cookie instead. However, if next year Nabisco releases as many new limited edition flavors as they did this year, there’s a very good chance we’ll see Egg Nog Oreo cookies. Or they could be douchebags and just re-release all the limited edition flavors from this year.

Limited Edition Gingerbread Oreo Closeup

Limited Edition Gingerbread Oreo cookies are made up of Golden Oreo cookies with an artificially flavored gingerbread creme, which comes in a color usually seen on pantyhose. After twisting off the top cookie and licking the soft pantyhose-colored creme, visions of limbless gingerbread men began dancing around my head because the creme tasted much like the arms and legs I violently ripped off their bodies with my teeth. In my visions, I could also see the pain they were in thanks to their sad faces drawn with frosting.

Then I imagined them shaking and thrusting their hips.

Damn you, Magic Mike!

While the creme itself was sweet and had a pleasant gingerbread flavor, the sandwich cookies are much better when eaten as sandwich cookies. The crunchy Golden Oreo cookies slightly diminish the gingerbread creme’s flavor, but the two complement each other very well, creating a delightful treat.

The Limited Edition Gingerbread Oreo cookies are almost good enough to make me forget about the Egg Nog Oreo cookies Nabisco didn’t make this year. But they are good enough to prevent me from harming gingerbread men…Until I run out of them.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 cookies – 150 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 3 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 15 milligrams of potassium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.)

Item: Nabisco Limited Edition Gingerbread Oreo
Purchased Price: $9.59*
Size: 15.25 ounces
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Wonderful gingerbread flavored creme. Crunchy Golden Oreo cookies complement the creme. Ripping off the limbs of gingerbread men. Gingerbread cookies.
Cons: A cookie that tastes like another cookie. Walmart exclusive. Might be hard to find. Ginger snaps. Having to spell creme instead of cream. Magic Mike ruining my violent gingerbread men visions. No egg nog Oreo this year.

*Since none of the stores near me carried it, I had to order it on eBay. If you can find them at Walmart, you will pay much less.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (HOLIDAY EDITION) – 11/12/2012

Marvo 7 Comments

Here are some new and limited edition holiday products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. We may or may not review them, but we’d like to let you know what new items are popping up.

Limited Edition Muddy Buddies Peppermint Bark

There are two different Limited Edition Chex Mix Muddy Buddies Peppermint Bark bag designs — red and green. I’m thinking the red one is the green one’s evil twin brother. (Red one spotted by Courtney at Kroger. Green one spotted by Richard at Target.)

Chocolate Dipped Candy Cane Peeps

Is it just me or does that Peep on the packaging look like a chick that had all of its feathers plucked and it’s using a candy cane to support itself? (Spotted by Kenneth at Walmart)

Nogs

Soy nog. Coconut milk nog. Come on, Blue Diamond! Where’s the Almond Breeze Almond Milk Nog? Come on, Meyenberg Goat Milk Products! Where’s goat milk nog? Come on, Rice Dream! Where’s rice milk nog? Come on, eccentric chef with an equally eccentric lactating wife! Where’s the human breast milk nog? (Spotted at Safeway)

Cap'n Crunch's Christmas Crunch

This Limited Edition Cap’n Crunch’s Christmas Crunch is the lamest limited edition holiday product ever. It has green snowmen, it probably tastes exactly like Cap’n Crunch’s Halloween Crunch, and it will rip up my upper palate while eating it. (Spotted by Britt at Shaw’s)

Limited Edition Ziploc Containers

Hey. Remember when I said Limited Edition Cap’n Crunch’s Christmas Crunch was the lamest limited edition holiday product ever? I take it back. These Ziploc Limited Edition containers are the lamest limited edition holiday products ever. (Spotted at Target)

If you’re out shopping and see a new or limited edition product on the shelf (or really unusual), snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Smoked Cheddar Cheetos Puffs

Marvo 6 Comments

Limited Edition Smoked Cheddar Cheetos Puffs

Smoked cheeses usually have a brownish exterior, but these Limited Edition Smoked Cheddar Cheetos Puffs don’t have any similar color characteristics of smoked cheese. Instead they’re just noticeably less radioactive orange than regular Cheetos.

Of course, because of the shape of Cheetos Puffs, if they did have a brownish exterior, they would look like poop.

It seems whenever Frito-Lay wants to get fancy with Cheetos Puffs, they break out different cheddar varieties, like white cheddar. And if they want to go the opposite of fancy, they create pizza-flavored Cheetos. There are dozens of cheeses they could’ve gone with, but they stuck with what they know (and can pronounce) — cheddar.

I mean, there are so many cheeses with butcherable names they could flavor their cornmeal puffs with.

Here’s a list. Say them out loud and give your mouth a workout. Then guess which one of them is completely made up…without help from the internet.

There’s Gruyère, Boerenkaas, Taleggio, Montcabrer, Scamorza, Robiola della Alta Langa, Courgherst, Fium’Orbu, Neufchatel, Rauchkase, Camembert de Normandie, Nevat de Oveja, and Époisses.

(The answer can be found in the Cons section of this review)

But the fine food scientists at Frito-Lay didn’t pick a cheese with a tongue twister for a name, they decided to combine the flavor of smoked cheddar with their iconic snack to create the Limited Edition Smoked Cheddar Cheetos Puffs.

Limited Edition Smoked Cheddar Cheetos Puffs Closeup

Regular Cheetos Puffs have a strong cheesiness and it’s what makes them so great. But these Limited Edition Smoked Cheddar Cheetos lack that, even though they’re flavored with smoked cheddar, regular cheddar, blue cheese, and parmesan. Instead these crunchy puffs had a mild cheese and equally mild, slightly off-putting artificial smoke flavor.

The lack of cheesiness made me hesitate when it was time to decide whether or not to suck the Cheetos dust off my fingers. However, because I was too lazy to grab a napkin or to walk to a sink, I sucked my fingers clean. But I didn’t enjoy it.

The superimposed smoke that surrounds the Limited Edition Smoked Cheddar Cheetos on the front of the packaging makes each one look like it’s losing its soul. The image is fitting because the lack of cheesiness make these Cheetos taste like they’ve lost their souls.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 ounce/about 13 pieces – 150 calories, 90 calories from fat, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 13 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Other Limited Edition Smoked Cheddar Cheetos Puffs reviews:
Junk Food Guy
Chip Review

Item: Limited Edition Smoked Cheddar Cheetos Puffs
Purchased Price: $4.39
Size: 9 ounces
Purchased at: Foodland
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Crunchy. Not colored like smoked cheddar. Less radioactive looking. How easy it was to come up with a fake cheese name.
Cons: Not cheesy enough. Artificial smokiness was a little off-putting. Cheddar being the default cheese flavor for snacks. Made me hesitant to suck my fingers clean. Courgherst.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 11/9/2012

Marvo 7 Comments

Here are some new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. We may or may not review them, but we’d like to let you know what new items are popping up. We’ll also occasionally throw in an unusual product.

Earth Balance Coconut & Peanut Spread

Despite their names, both coconuts and peanuts aren’t nuts. Coconuts are drupes, while peanuts are legumes. So I find it fitting that the two find themselves together in a coconut and peanut butter spread. (Spotted at Whole Foods. Spotted by Audrey.)

Rice-A-Roni Cups

Is Rice-A-Roni still the “San Francisco Treat”? Because I’ve never considered rice to be a treat. When has rice ever been a treat? Well, now that I think about it, I guess if I was held captive somewhere and fed only water and bread, rice would be a treat. (Spotted at Safeway)

Heinz 57 Sauce with Honey

It’s rare to see another Heinz 57 Sauce variety. I can’t wait to use Heinz 57 Sauce with Honey to make the steak, chicken, and pork I overcook in my George Foreman grill taste a little better. (Spotted at Safeway)

Pillsbury Fudge Truffle Supreme Collection

Pillsbury Red Velvet Supreme Collection

As someone who has trouble baking a cake from a regular boxed cake mix, these, with their filling and need for a bundt pan, look really scary to me. (Spotted at Safeway)

Hormel Black Label Real Bacon Snackin' Nuggets Jalapeno

Hormel is the king, THE KING I say, of shelf stable meat products. Also, I find their SPAM Museum in Minnesota to be very interesting. Here’s a Hormel Black Label Real Bacon Snackin’ Nuggest Jalapeño review. (Spotted at Walmart. Spotted by Carrie.)

If you’re out shopping and see a new or limited edition product on the shelf (or really unusual), snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.