The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot Limon Potato Chips

Holly / February 23, 2021 / Reviews

What are Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot Limón?

The newest item to get the Flamin’ Hot Limón treatment, these thicker than your average chip are dusted with that special blend of intense spices and a hint of lime. Lay’s released a plain Flamin’ Hot version of the kettle chips last year.

How is it?

While it had been a while since I tried anything “Flamin’ Hot” branded, these were enticing enough that I had to try them. The addition of the lime flavor as well as kettle chips seemed interesting and would hopefully add some layers to the Flamin’ Hot spice other than just “hot.”

I opened the bag expecting an overpowering smell of chili powder, but was greeted with that earthy kettle chip smell instead. The bright red chips warned me to not underestimate them. Its spicy chili flavor hits first and hard, but then is complemented by the citrusy lime. It’s almost like a tequila shot in a chip from the way the lime comes in at the end to mellow everything. The satisfying crunch from the kettle chip makes it an all around delicious snack.

Anything else you need to know?

Because of the spicy flavoring, these are more of a casual grazing chip for me versus my normal style of pouring a “portion” three or four times. The flavor is great, but my tolerance for spice sits somewhere between Franks Red Hot and Huy Fong brand Sriracha. After two handfuls, good as they may be, I had to give my mouth a break.

Conclusion:

Flamin’ Hot purists may not care much for the addition of the lime, but I think it makes the flavor profile much more rounded and enjoyable for the casual Flamin’ Hot consumer. I also imagine paired with a corn elote dip, these would be a major hit.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: Winn-Dixie
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 18 chips) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 1 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Philadelphia Cheesecake Crumble Desserts

Tiffany / February 22, 2021 / Reviews / 33 Comments

Self-care is Philadelphia’s new single-serve Cheesecake Crumble Dessert cups.

After nearly 150 years, the Philadelphia cheese mongers finally went beyond providing cheesecake recipes inside the package to give us the actual cheesecake!

OK, technically they call it a three-layer cheesecake with sauce, cheesecake filling, and crumble topping, but it’s all the same deliciousness to me. There are four flavors: Cherry, Chocolate Hazelnut, Original, and Strawberry.

These were so enticing and tasty that my partner ate them all before I could even write a review and he usually leaves my snacks alone. But, after I re-purchased and tried them for myself, I couldn’t blame him.

(From L to R) Original, Strawberry, Cherry, and Chocolate Hazelnut

There were two key thoughtful choices that made this dang good.

First, instead of a dense block of cheesecake filling, it was creamy and smooth with a whipped texture. Whipped cream cheese is my favorite form, but even if it weren’t, this was the right choice for easy eating with a spoon.

Second, the crumbles were very crOnchy. Yes, cronchy. As someone who always goes for the crust first, I appreciated that it maintained its texture. No soggy crust or crumble in this house please! The amount of crumble was also just right. I was concerned that there wouldn’t be enough just by looking at it, but it was plenty to ensure a consistent eat!

I’m also extra impressed by this because I know Philadelphia doesn’t make grahams or cookies on the regular. I mentioned cookies as the Chocolate Hazelnut flavor is the only one that comes with “rich cookie crumble” and not a “buttery graham crumble.” The graham tasted like regular, crushed up graham crackers and the cookies reminded me of Oreo.

As for the flavor – let’s start with the filling first. It’s truly like having a cheesecake slice in a cup. I got the expected slight tang from the cream cheese balanced by the perfect amount of indulgent sweetness. The chocolate one tasted more chocolate pudding cup-like than hazelnut, but I still was able to taste the tanginess.

Three of the four had an additional layer of sauce: cherry, strawberry, and chocolate flavored. I started with the cherry because I was the most skeptical of it – usually cherry-flavored foods taste like cough syrup to me. However, it definitely tasted like real fruit! It was a bit tarter than I had expected, but that was quickly solved by mixing the sauce and filling evenly. The strawberry, though, was just right for me and didn’t require any mixing! I ate the “layers” as-is.

As for the chocolate one, the sauce was negligible. I’m never going to complain about more chocolate goodness, but it was more of a visual difference given the darker color. I was hoping that this would be the hazelnut flavor part, but no dice. Regardless, it was still absolutely delicious. It wasn’t as much as a dealbreaker because unlike the fruit ones, the sauce wasn’t integral to delivering the flavor as the chocolate filling did most of that legwork!

All of this combined was like lightning in a bottle. I’m ready for a pumpkin cheesecake one for PUMPKINUNDATION season please!

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 2 – 3.3oz cups
Purchased at: Meijer
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (serving size: 1 dessert) Cherry – 290 calories, 18 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 gram of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, 16 grams of added sugar, and 4 grams of protein. Chocolate Hazelnut – 320 calories, 17 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 gram of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 26 grams of sugar, 25 grams of added sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Original – 340 calories, 24 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 290 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, 16 grams of added sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Strawberry – 290 calories, 18 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, 17 grams of added sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese

SPOTTED – 2/19/2021

Marvo / February 19, 2021 / Spotted on Shelves / 15 Comments

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

*The Original Cakebites Blueberry Bonsai Bites and Cobra Kakes*

(Spotted by Purple Dave at Walmart.)

Trader Joe s Aussie Style Chocolate Creme Sandwich Cookies — *Trader Joe’s Aussie-Style Chocolate Creme Sandwich Cookies*

(Spotted by Rachel C at Trader Joe’s.)

(Spotted by Jarred at Publix.)

(Spotted by Marvo at Target.)

*Powerade Zero Citrus Peach Sports Drink*

(Spotted by Melody T at Kroger.)

Tony s Chocolonely Milk Chocolate Rose Raspberry — *Tony’s Chocolonely Milk Chocolate Rose Raspberry*

Tony s Milk Chocolate with Cookie and Caramel and Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut and Cookie — *Tony’s Milk Chocolate with Cookie and Caramel and Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut and Cookie*

Tony s Milk Chocolate with Nougat and Milk Chocolate with Wafer and Cookie Pieces — *Tony’s Milk Chocolate with Nougat and Milk Chocolate with Wafer and Cookie Pieces*

(Spotted by Rachel C at Good Earth.)

*Larabar Brownie with Hemp Seed Chocolate Raspberry and Chocolate Sea Salt Fudge*

(Spotted by Rachel C at Smith’s.)

(Spotted by James M at Meijer.)

SPOTTED (EASTER EDITION) – 2/19/2021

Marvo / February 19, 2021 / Spotted on Shelves / 13 Comments

Here are some new Easter products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

M M s Mystery Mix Eggs — *M&M’s Mystery Mix Eggs*

(Spotted by Rachel C at Macey’s.)

Frankford Post Fruity Pebbles Cereal N Candy Bunny — *Frankford Post Fruity Pebbles Cereal ‘N Candy Bunny*

(Spotted by Robbie at Big Lots.)

Frankford Oreo Cookies Creme Eggs — *Frankford Oreo Cookies & Creme Eggs*

*Sour Patch Kids Watermelon Jelly Beans*

(Spotted by Rachel C at Target.)

Reese s Peanut Butter Carrots — *Reese’s Peanut Butter Carrots*

Dove White Chocolate Lemon Meringue Promises — *Dove White Chocolate & Lemon Meringue Promises*

(Spotted by Rachel C at Walmart.)

REVIEW: Wendy’s Spicy Jalapeno Popper Sandwich

BrandonP / February 19, 2021 / Reviews / 2 Comments

It doesn’t get much better than a jalapeno popper with fried breading giving way to the heat of jalapeno and the perfect balance of cream cheese. While I’m a fan of the classic cream cheese version served with a side of ranch dressing, I also appreciate popular variations that add in cheddar cheese and bacon.

So when Wendy’s unveiled its new Jalapeno Popper Sandwich, it instantly had my attention. In addition to the choice of either grilled, classic, or spicy chicken breast, the sandwich is loaded with jalapeno cream cheese, shredded pepper jack cheese, jalapeno slices, applewood smoked bacon, and cheddar cheese sauce.

To my surprise, no actual jalapeno poppers were harmed in the making of this sandwich. While the flavors are all present, if your tongue, hand, face, and shirt are not all at risk of getting burned by spraying jalapeno juice or cream cheese napalm with each bite, does it really deserve the name “jalapeno popper”?

I was somewhat in disbelief when I opened my sandwich to find only three jalapeno slices, especially since Wendy’s has specifically mentioned that the sandwich comes with six jalapeno slices. Wendy’s also promised I would be exclaiming, “Oh, jal, yes!” from the first bite, but my first bite did not even contain jalapeno, so I was luckily able to remain composed and exclamation free. Its jalapeno slices are crunchier and spicier than most fast food places, so when I did reach them in the sandwich, they brought a strong burst of flavor and heat.

The cream cheese spread on the top bun contains a few small jalapeno pieces and gives a slightly sweet, slightly tangy flavor that dominates the sandwich. Wendy’s would be better served by adding more of the cream cheese spread in place of the shredded pepper jack cheese and cheddar cheese sauce which are dominated and forgotten by stronger flavors.

The three bacon slices were thick and crunchy while adding a slight smokiness that works beautifully with the jalapeno and cream cheese. The spicy chicken was juicy with the spices in the breading occasionally coming through in an already flavor packed sandwich.

The overall heat of the sandwich built up to a noticeable but not noteworthy amount by the end. Shredded pepper jack and cheddar cheese work only to muddle the flavors, the amount of jalapeno slices needs to live up to its promise, and the size of the sandwich seems small for the price. But the jalapeno cream cheese spread is a winner that enhanced many of the other components of the sandwich and will keep you craving that next bite.

Purchased Price: $6.49 (small combo is $8.99)
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 600 calories, 26 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1660 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, 37 grams of protein.

Click here to read our previous fast food reviews.

Fast Food Wendy's

REVIEW: Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot Limon Potato Chips

What are Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot Limón?

How is it?

Anything else you need to know?

Conclusion:

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REVIEW: Philadelphia Cheesecake Crumble Desserts

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SPOTTED – 2/19/2021

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SPOTTED (EASTER EDITION) – 2/19/2021

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REVIEW: Wendy’s Spicy Jalapeno Popper Sandwich

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