The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Minecraft Creeper Crunch Cereal

Marvo / August 16, 2020 / Reviews / 7 Comments

Kellogg’s Minecraft Creeper Crunch Cereal is a cinnamon-flavored cereal with marshmallows. Oh, I’m sorry, not just any marshmallows, but something called Creeper Bit Marshmallows.

Full disclosure: Because I’m only allowed to use boring word processing and image editing apps on my computer, I’ve never played Minecraft. I did play Minesweeper…once. Apparently, they aren’t the same. So I don’t know what a creeper is.

I assume it’s a bad guy in the game who secretly takes photos of other characters in unflattering positions or steals their underwear. Again, I haven’t played Minecraft, so I don’t know. I’m only speaking about creepers from experie…um, experiments I’ve read about creepers in real life.

The multigrain cereal pieces have a pleasant and heavy cinnamon aroma, which isn’t surprising since the spice is listed as an ingredient. But when I first opened the box, the cereal’s shape bothered me. However, I couldn’t put my finger on why. I’m sure the pieces represent something in the game I don’t play, but after eating three-fourths of the box, I realized they remind me of dry cat food.

Like the box, the marbits are green, and although they look like they could glow, they do not, as you can see in the photo below.

So I have an online record of making fun of cereals with movie tie-ins because it seems 95 percent of the time they’re just sweetened oat or corn pieces with marshmallows. And I was ready to pounce on this cereal + marshmallow combo, but much like the cinnamon spice warmed my taste buds, it also warmed my heart enough to like this. Also, the marshmallows helped by enhancing the cereal’s sweetness. I mean, it’s not even close to being in the same universe as Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but I found it decent tasting.

Although I should add that it’s less decent when eaten dry, it smells better than it tastes, and it dissolves in my mouth in an odd way that I’ve never experienced before with a cereal.

Since many folks play Minecraft, I should mention every box unlocks a special in-game clothing item for your character. The code is inside the box, and since I don’t play Minecraft, here’s my box’s code — W73C2-K36QK-V6PRJ-YYFHD-PK2CZ (I hope that’s correct because some of the print was difficult to read).

You’re welcome, the first person to type in the code correctly. And, I’m sorry to everyone else after that person. But if you want your own code, go buy Kellogg’s Minecraft Creeper Crunch Cereal. Just remember to eat it with milk.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample of the product. (Thanks Kellogg’s!) Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 8 oz box
Purchased at: Received from Kellogg’s
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 1/3 cup without milk) 140 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 130 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Smartfood Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries Popcorn Mix

Marvo / August 15, 2020 / Reviews / 2 Comments

When I first heard about Smartfood’s Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries Popcorn Mix, I thought, “Why isn’t there a Cap’n Crunch Kettle Corn Mix?”

But after putting more thought than anyone should about the idea, I realized, “Do I REALLY want popcorn kernel hulls lodged into whatever scratches are made by the Cap’n Crunch cereal?”

Nope.

This less hurtful snack combines Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries from Quaker, owned by PepsiCo, with berry-flavored popcorn from Smartfood, also owned by PepsiCo. Because of the added kernel seasoning, it would be difficult to recreate this combo after its limited time is up with merely a bag of plain microwave popcorn and box of Oops All Berries.

But this is tasty enough that it should come back, or be a permanent addition to the Smartfood lineup.

Sadly, the popcorn itself isn’t colored like rainbow popcorn. Instead, at a quick glance, they look like plain popcorn. But there is a seasoning layer that makes the popped kernels look like they spent some time suntanning on the deck of the S.S. Guppy. That coating provides a noticeable amount of berry flavor and light saltiness. But it’s not enough to make the popcorn alone a satisfying snack or a product that should be added to the Smartfood lineup.

The Crunch Berries amp up the berry flavor to a level you’d get if you were, well, eating Crunch Berries cereal. I know. It’s a little anticlimactic. Maybe if I rephrase it with ship-speak? The cereal’s flavor hits the bow, stem, port, and starboard sides of my tongue full steam ahead with berry. It’s berry good.

While I find this snack to be wonderful, there is a minor, but correctable issue. When I first started eating it by blindly grabbing some from its bag, I’d feel for the cereal pieces and then feel for some popcorn before pulling out my hand. But almost every time, my fingers would pull out only popcorn. I guess the cereal piece I felt for slipped away somehow. Or I might have the worst luck or useless fingers. But being able to see the cereal pieces, pick one up, and then grab some popcorn helped tremendously.

While Smartfood Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries Popcorn Mix tastes pretty much like Crunch Berries, I did love having the two crunchy textures of popcorn and cereal at the same time in my mouth. Yes, this does seem like an odd combination, but I’m happy to report it works well.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the product. (Thanks, PepsiCo!) Doing so did not influence my review, although it totally seems like it. But I assure you it did not.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 6 1/4 oz bag
Purchased at: Received from PepsiCo
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 3/4 cups) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Cap'n Crunch Cereal Chips Popcorn Smartfood

REVIEW: Doritos Mountain Dew (Australia)

Rachel / August 14, 2020 / Reviews / 5 Comments

What are Doritos Mountain Dew?

Mountain-Dew-flavored Doritos from Australia – the land of megabats, and well, mega everything. Now they’re doing America in a big way, rolling an iconic snack combo into one product best enjoyed wearing a sleeveless flannel and cutoff shorts, in a monster truck speeding down a 2-lane road surrounded by wheat fields.

How are they?

These were far better than I expected. I figured the citrus would work – there’s already lime-flavored chips in stores that are excellent. The sweetness was the question mark – Mountain Dew is SO sweet – could they pull off the right sweet/savory combo?

It ended up working really well because of the lemon-lime, I think. It gives it the tang and mouth-puckering quality that keeps it from being ALL sweet. It also gave it a bit of the sparkle of a carbonated beverage. Not exactly the bubbly sensation, but the light, bright citric acid that’s in nearly every soda.

These were just as addictive as any chip, but the novelty of the sweet are tart flavors was extra and I loved it.

Anything else you need to know?

I’ve been told these chips DID exist in the US, back in 2008 as “Doritos Quest” mystery flavor. I completely missed those, but I would’ve paid more attention if they were called Doritos Mountain Dew. My head whipped right around this time, but “Doritos Quest” does nothing for me.

Apparently, there was also Doritos-flavored Mountain Dew called DEWitos in 2014 – tested in select colleges in the country. Comment below if you tried it!

WHY has no one here in the US of A thought to release a combo pack of Doritos Mountain Dew AND Dewitos? COME ON, AMERICA! Let’s get our heads in the junk food game here!

Conclusion:

Try them! They’re fun, they’re weird, they taste good, and they’re AMERICA. Frito-Lay, we need these in every store here in the US!

Purchased Price: $25.00 plus shipping
Size: 80g bag
Purchased at: Desert Drinks & Exotics
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (27g) 139 calories, 6.9 grams of fat, 0.7grams of saturated fat, 0.1 gram of trans fat, 41 milligrams of sodium, 16.9 grams of carbohydrates, 2.1 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Chips Doritos Mountain Dew Mtn Dew

REVIEW: Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream

Dustin / August 13, 2020 / Reviews / 24 Comments

I am very open-minded when it comes to ice cream. There is merit to be found in premium, value-oriented, full-fat, and light varieties. I find myself purchasing light versions on occasion to help offset the sheer volume of ice cream I consume.

There are numerous healthier ice creams available now that allow one to consume an entire pint with a fraction of traditional ice cream’s fat, sugar, and calories. I have always seen the texture of these light ice creams as an area that needed improving. Oftentimes they are not as smooth and creamy as their full-fat counterparts. They can come across as overly icy.

Enter Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream. The company manufactures light ice cream using sugar alcohols and a variety of plant-based sweeteners and fat. It says that because of its plant-based fat, “only Nick’s creates the unmistakable melt-in-your-mouth creaminess of full-fat ice cream, but with way fewer calories.” This is quite the lofty claim that I was eager to investigate upon receiving six pints directly from Nick’s.

Peanöt Butter Cup

I started with one of the more difficult flavors for light ice creams to nail. This ice cream is a peanut butter ice cream with tiny peanut butter cups. It has a nice, mild, and delightfully creamy peanut butter flavored base. The miniature peanut butter cups are adorable and delicious, but I could have gone for a few more of them mixed in.

Not mentioned in the description were a couple surprises in this one. There is a chocolate swirl that helps to pull the whole thing together. Oddly enough, there are also little bits of brownie dough. The chewy brownie pieces really help to elevate the experience as a whole.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 90 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 mg of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, 6 grams of sugar alcohols and 4 grams of protein.

Strawbär Swirl

This is a classic strawberry ice cream. The vanilla base in this is mellow and, again, quite creamy. It serves its purpose well and allows the strawberry to shine. The strawberry ribbons are bright and fresh with abundant natural sweetness. The taste reminds me of preparing homemade ice cream with my parents when I was a child. It is on-par with most of the strawberry ice creams I have had.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 70 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, 6 grams of sugar alcohols and 4 grams of protein.

Swedish Cookie Dough

I was most excited to try this one. It has a vanilla base, swirled with chocolate and pieces of sugar cookie dough. Unsurprisingly, this is just as smooth as the other flavors. The base is embedded with the taste of the buttery sugar cookie dough, even in a spoonful without a piece.

I also get a hint of cinnamon throughout, which gives the pint a borderline snickerdoodle vibe. The cookie dough pieces add a welcome and familiar grit. The chocolate swirl is mild and compliments the dough well. Overall, this was more complex than I was expecting, and it is incredibly tasty.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 70 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, 5 grams of sugar alcohols and 3 grams of protein.

Cherry Choka-Fläka

This flavor is a vanilla ice cream with chocolate flakes and cherry bits. The base tastes more like cherry ice cream than vanilla, as the cherry pieces have imparted their flavor upon the whole pint. It is not at all artificial, which is wonderful.

The abundant dark chocolate flakes add a touch of richness and a satisfying snap in each spoonful. The best parts are the chewy cherry chunks. They bring a pleasant texture and a realistic tartness to the mix. When getting a bite with both components, this ice cream reminds me of a cherry cordial.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 70 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 3 grams of sugar, 5 grams of sugar alcohols and 3 grams of protein.

Swedish Lemon Bar

This ice cream is a little airier than the others but still feels just as creamy. Nick’s says that it is a cheesecake ice cream with ribbons of lemon. I get a little bit of cheesecake flavor in the base, but it ultimately reminds me of a lemon bar, as the name would indicate. There is also a subtle buttery taste in the base that makes me think of the shortbread crust in lemon bars.

The lemon ribbon here is the star of the show. It is bright, fresh, tart, and amazing. There are small, chewy lemon rind pieces incorporated throughout, and overall, it reminds me of candied lemon rind. This refreshing flavor is the most innovative of the bunch, and I have never had anything quite like it.

Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 60 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, 4 grams of sugar alcohols and 4 grams of protein.

Triple Choklad

As a chocolate ice cream with brownie bits and a fudge swirl, this one seemed like it would be the most decadent. The chocolate base appears to be of the dark variety. It is slightly less sweet than I was expecting, with a touch of pleasant bitterness.

The fudge swirl tends to be overpowered by the base and does not make much of an impact. The brownie bits are chewy and enjoyable. It is a decent flavor, but much more subdued than I was expecting. As a fan of all things chocolate, I expected to like this one the most, but it’s actually my least favorite of the six.

Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 80 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, 5 grams of sugar alcohols and 4 grams of protein.

Final Observations

Nick’s was not exaggerating the creaminess of its ice cream at all. These do not quite measure up to the most premium, velvety, full-fat ice creams, but one would be hard-pressed to identify these as light flavors in a blind taste test. Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream is not just “good for light ice cream.” It is good, period. It will stack up well against many standard ice cream varieties.

I did some quick research on Swedish ice cream, and the search results predominantly bring up content about Nick’s. From what I can tell, there are not any distinctly Swedish methods of ice cream preparation. The “Swedish” moniker seems to refer to the brand’s creator.

According to its website, Nick’s has 14 patents, two in-house food scientists, and has performed over 100 flavor tests. This makes perfect sense because Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream is an exemplary product. When deciding to purchase light ice cream in the future, I do not see myself buying any brand besides Nick’s from now on.

DISCLOSURE: I received free pints from Nick’s. (Thanks Nick’s!) Doing so did not influence my review.

Ice Cream Nick's

REVIEW: Yoplait Go-Gurt Slushie

Leonard / August 12, 2020 / Reviews / 7 Comments

What is Yoplait Go-Gurt Slushie?

It’s Yoplait’s kid-targeted yogurt, Go-Gurt, in its signature squeeze tubes, but this time in a slushie variation with yogurt that’s charged up with some carbon dioxide to make it fizzy.

How is it?

I’m not sure what exactly happened here.

There are fun graphics on the front of a delicious red-flavored ice beverage like we just hit up the nearest 7-Eleven. The yogurt flavors have descriptors to drive home this new yogurt experience. This isn’t just cherry Go-Gurt, this is FIZZY cherry Go-Gurt! Heck, there is even carbon dioxide listed in the ingredients!

However, I’m baffled as I don’t get a lick of fizz in these. Core Go-Gurt-wise these are tasty, don’t get me wrong. They have a touch of fun corresponding color and good berry and cherry flavor. They are a little sweet but probably perfect for a kid’s taste buds. However, there is nothing remotely fizzy, even if I close my eyes and try to imagine it. Nothing!

Anything else you need to know?

I was so saddened and perplexed by the lack of fizz that I went out and bought regular ol’ Go-Gurt to compare, thinking that I was missing something. Upon further examination, these slushie ones do have a lighter consistency, almost as if they were aerated slightly. They just don’t feel as heavy as the regular, so I guess they do have that going for them.

Conclusion:

If you were hoping for the popping sensation of Pop Rocks or even the tingling mouth feel of a freshly opened soda, prepare to be let down.

This is a neat concept with fun graphics to boot, but I’m not sure what happened on the execution. The yogurt seems to be aerated a bit, but it’s minuscule if that. An A for effort, but these need to go back to the drawing board as they are just solid kid’s yogurt in grab-and-go tubes.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 1 lb box/8 tubes
Purchased at: Harris Teeter
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 tubes) 150 calories, 1 gram of fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 22 grams of sugar and 6 grams of protein.

Yogurt Yoplait

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Minecraft Creeper Crunch Cereal

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REVIEW: Smartfood Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries Popcorn Mix

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REVIEW: Doritos Mountain Dew (Australia)

What are Doritos Mountain Dew?

How are they?

Anything else you need to know?

Conclusion:

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REVIEW: Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream

Peanöt Butter Cup

Strawbär Swirl

Swedish Cookie Dough

Cherry Choka-Fläka

Swedish Lemon Bar

Triple Choklad

Final Observations

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REVIEW: Yoplait Go-Gurt Slushie

What is Yoplait Go-Gurt Slushie?

How is it?

Anything else you need to know?

Conclusion:

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