VIDEO REVIEW: Wildlicious Frosted Wild! Strawberry Pop-Tarts

Yes, another Pop-Tarts review, but this time it’s in video form.

This is our 24th Pop-Tarts review and it’s also TIB’s 1,000th review overall.

WOO HOO!

I’d like to thank TIB’s past and present writers, who have helped this quasi-product review blog achieve this milestone. But we wouldn’t have reached this milestone if it weren’t for all of you who read our words (and watch our occasional videos). Because, seriously, if no one read this blog, I would’ve allowed it to join the millions of dead blogs floating around on the internet.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy TIB’s 1,000th review.

Notes:

Dave Matthews image via Flickr user Spector1 / CC BY SA 2.0

Raisins image via Flickr user bastique / CC BY SA 2.0

NEWS: Ben & Jerry’s Releases Limited Edition Schweddy Balls Flavor

Newest flavor Sept 2011Update: Click here to read our Schweddy Balls review

I’m an avid watcher of Saturday Night Live and my favorite skit of all time is Schweddy Balls. If you’ve never seen the skit because you’re too young or you think SNL was better during the (insert former cast member here)-era, you can watch the clip below (unless you live in a country outside of the US because Hulu clips don’t play outside of the US).

For those who can’t watch the clip, the sketch stars Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon, as hosts of the “Delicious Dish,” a National Public Radio program parody, along with Alec Baldwin as Pete Schweddy, the fictional owner of Season’s Eatings Bakery.

To honor Saturday Night Live and the greatness of that skit, Ben & Jerry’s has launched a new limited edition flavor called, you guessed it, Schweddy Balls.

The new Schweddy Balls flavor features Fair Trade vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum and is loaded with fudge covered rum balls and milk chocolate malt balls.

A 1/2 cup serving has 270 calories, 15 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 65 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 26 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

The newest Ben & Jerry’s limited-batch flavor is currently available at participating Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops across the country and at supermarkets nationwide while supplies last.

REVIEW: Burger King Quaker Oatmeal

Burger King Oatmeal

I’m disappointed with Burger King.

They’re the “Home of the Whopper,” not the “Home of Whole Grains and Fiber,” so their new Burger King Oatmeal puzzles me. Instead of clogging my arteries, the fiber in their new oatmeal is scraping away the stuff that shrinks my arteries’ passageways, some of which was put there by their food. By scraping away that plaque that lines my arterial walls, what they’re really doing is scraping themselves away.

I wonder if I just blew Burger King’s mind.

So Burger King should forget about oatmeal and get back to doing what they’re good at — making Whoppers, making other burgers and sandwiches that aren’t as good as the Whopper, and making crappy French fries.

But, if they’re really attached to making oatmeal, I’d suggest revamping their menu with nothing but healthier fare and changing their name to Garden King. Although, if they do, I’m pretty sure a bunch of Chinese restaurants will be upset with the name change.

But until either one happens, it’s going to be oatmeal and a whole lot of fried stuff on Burger King’s menu boards.

Burger King Oatmeal Closeup

Oh, but their oatmeal isn’t just any ol’ oatmeal. It’s Quaker oatmeal, which means two things:

1. Burger King wants people to know they’re serious about their oatmeal.

2. I could make the exact same thing at home in 3-4 minutes.

Burger King’s oatmeal is quite good, if you get it with the dried fruit (raisins, golden raisins, and dried cranberries). While the oatmeal is sweetened with brown sugar, it’s easily ten times better with the fruit, which there is enough of to have a little dried fruit in every spoonful. The oatmeal does have a nice thick consistency, even though the picture above may show otherwise.

Although I really do like Burger King’s oatmeal, I prefer McDonald’s Fruit & Maple Oatmeal. Burger King’s oatmeal (7 ounces) is smaller than McDonald’s Fruit & Maple Oatmeal (9.2 ounces) and McDonald’s oatmeal includes fresh apples. Although McDonald’s uses fast food black magic to prevent the apples from turning brown. Also, Burger King’s oatmeal is only available during breakfast hours, while McDonald’s oatmeal is available throughout the day.

So now that Burger King has oatmeal, does this mean we’ll see more wholesome items on their menu board or will their oatmeal end up like the BK Veggie and just be a novelty stuck in the sea of saturated fats and grease on Burger King’s menu board.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 oatmeal with fruit – 270 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 4 milligrams of cholesterol, 290 milligrams of sodium, 55 grams of carbohydrates, 29 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.)

Item: Burger King Quaker Oatmeal
Price: $2.49
Size: 7 ounces
Purchased at: Burger King
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: It’s good. Uses Quaker oatmeal. Lots of dried fruit. Thick consistency. Burger King Whopper. Made using whole grain oats. Good source of fiber.
Cons: Only available on the breakfast menu. I could probably make it at home in 3-4 minutes. The number of King Garden restaurants. Fiber scraping away the Burger King inside of me. BK Veggie.

FLAVORS OF THE MONTH: September 2011

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Here are some of this month’s limited time offers.

Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownie is Dairy Queen’s Blizzard of the Month. The treat combines gooey caramel, real fudge brownies pieces, and choco chunks blended with creamy vanilla soft serve. It was also Blizzard of the Month in April 2010 (read On Second Scoop’s review here). A small serving has 570 calories, 21 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 85 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 65 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of protein. I was going to put the nutrition facts for a large serving, but I didn’t want to blow your mind…and your heart.

This month’s Slurpee flavor has a football-related theme, so I shall fill this paragraph with football terminology. Cherry Orange Blitz will bicycle kick your mouth with fruity flavors, dribbling between sour and citrus. Oh wait, wrong football. According to the Slurpee website, Cherry Orange Blitz also contains ginseng, green tea, and guarana extract, so it might provide an energy boost for gamers. Speaking of those who enjoy games, specially marked cups will have codes that will help players earn rewards for the Facebook game Madden NFL Superstars. A 16-ounce cup of Cherry Orange Blitz has 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 25 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, and 27 grams of sugar.

Baskin-Robbins’ Flavor of the Month is French Toast. The flavor consists of french toast flavored ice cream with bits of gooey maple bread pudding. A 4-ounce scoop has 280 calories, 14 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 335 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

Subway’s September $5 Featured Footlong is the Turkey Breast &…ZZZZZZ. W-w-what? What was I saying? Oh yeah, September’s $5 Featured Footlong is the Turkey Breast & Black…ZZZZZZ. Oh man. Subway’s Turkey Breast & Black Forest Ham makes me quite sleepy. It’s not very exciting since it’s a regular item on Subway’s menu. A 6-inch sub has 290 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 820 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, and 18 grams of protein.

Image via flickr user Mulad / CC BY 2.0

NEWS: Krispy Kreme Brews New Coffee, Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts Pretend To Shake In Their Boots

Krispy Kreme

Although I love caffeine, I’m not a coffee person because coffee farts turn me off to the stuff. But if you enjoy a freshly brewed cup of java and you happen to find yourself at a Krispy Kreme (and you’re too lazy to drive to the nearest Starbucks), they’re offering a brand new coffee lineup. Krispy Kreme’s new Signature Coffee comes in three varieties:

Krispy Kreme Signature House Blend – a blend of South and Central American coffee

Krispy Kreme Signature Dark Roast – a blend of African, Indonesian, and Central American coffee beans

Krispy Kreme Signature House Decaf – a Central and South American decaffeinated blend

All three varieties are made using 100% Arabica beans. A cup of Krispy Kreme’s new coffee retails for $1.72 for a small, $1.93 for a medium, and $2.04 for a large.

Source: Nation’s Restaurant News

Image via flickr user Steve Snodgrass / CC BY 2.0