SPOTTED (SEASONAL EDITION) – 10/12/2019

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

Theo Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cinnamon and Vanilla Bean Marshmallows
Theo Chocolate Covered Peppermint, Cinnamon, and Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

(Spotted by Rachel C at Sprouts.)

Terra Limited Edition Herbed Stuffing Vegetable Chips
Terra Limited Edition Herbed Stuffing Vegetable Chips

(Spotted by Rachel C at Whole Foods.)

Enjoy Life Apple Cider Donut Soft Baked Cookies
Enjoy Life Apple Cider Donut Soft Baked Cookies

(Spotted by Rachel C at Sprouts.)

Voortman Bakery White Chocolate Cranberry Wafers
Voortman Bakery White Chocolate Cranberry Wafers

(Spotted by Rachel C at Walmart.)

Cheetos Bag of Bones Holiday Packs
Cheetos Bag of Bones Holiday Packs

(Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

H E B Fall Harvest Bread Mix
H-E-B Fall Harvest Bread Mix

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

Ickx Hedgehog Pralines
Ickx Hedgehog Pralines
Ickx Acorn Pralines Stick
Ickx Acorn Pralines Stick

(Spotted by Rachel C at World Market.)

Starbucks Limited Edition Fall Blend 2019 K Cups
Starbucks Limited Edition Fall Blend 2019
Starbucks Limited Edition Fall Blend 2019 K Cups
Starbucks Limited Edition Fall Blend 2019 K-Cups

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

Franz Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Franz Pumpkin Spice Donuts

(Spotted by Rachel J at Safeway.)

Bartons Pumpkin Spice Bark
Bartons Pumpkin Spice Bark

(Spotted by Robbie at Cracker Barrel.)

Montgomery Farms Pumpkin Butter Apple Butter and Sweet Potato Butter
Montgomery Farms Pumpkin Butter, Apple Butter, and Sweet Potato Butter

(Spotted by Sylvia at Tuesday Morning.)

Wegmans Pumpkin Fry Cake
Wegmans Pumpkin Fry Cake

(Spotted by Bob K at Wegmans.)

If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you’ve tried the product, share your thoughts about it in the comments.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if the product is old, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED: M&M’s Minis Ice Cream Cake

M M s Minis Ice Cream Cake

I just realized why the Red M&M looks so smug all the time. He knows billions of M&M’s will be eaten, but he never will face the same fate. He’s untouchable. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart Neighborhood Market.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if the product is old, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

If you’ve seen the product, help out your fellow readers by letting them know in the comments what city and store you found it in.

REVIEW: Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream

Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream with Blueberry Cheesecake

Way before “lotus” was used in the names of 50 percent of all yoga studios in the world, the name Lotus was mostly associated with Biscoff speculoos cookies (and the Kama Sutra). Later, the company crushed those cookies to makes its famous cookie butter. Now, it’s using its name and cookies to sell ice cream.

Biscoff Ice Cream is available in five flavors — Original, Salted Caramel, Blueberry Cheesecake, Belgian Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Brownies. Unfortunately, I was able to find only the Blueberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Brownies versions.

Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream 5 Pizza Lid

After pulling back the flimsy paper lid, I’m face-to-foil with a shiny protective cover that I assume tells me to either wait five minutes before eating or consume five slices of pizza before eating. Because I didn’t have any pizza, I went with the former.

Although, I didn’t wait five minutes because I assume, like microwave wattages will vary cooking times, living on a tropical island with the current temperature being in the mid-80s should reduce those five minutes down to two or three. Pulling back the pizza pushing or just plain pushy foil lid reveals a layer of crushed speculoos cookies.

Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream Blueberry Cheesecake Top

According to the flimsy container, the blueberry cheesecake one features “dairy ice cream and crunchy Lotus Biscoff cookies paired with blueberry cheesecake.” But to be more exact, it seems to be more like vanilla ice cream with a blueberry cheesecake swirl and crunchy Lotus Biscoff cookie bits.

Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream Blueberry Cheesecake Inside

This one is my favorite of those I purchased. It tastes like what I expect — blueberry cheesecake with a speculoos cookie crust. And it is wonderful. There’s a nice tang and bold blueberry flavor from the swirl, and the speculoos crumbs add a pleasant spiced flavor and a crunchy texture. At first, I thought the cookies on top were all that the near-pint had, but it seems as if there are also bits suspended throughout the ice cream.

Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream with Chocolate Brownies

The chocolate brownie version has Biscoff and chocolate ice cream with chunks of dark chocolate brownies, cookie butter, and crunchy Lotus Biscoff Cookies. Just reading the previous sentence would usually make my mouth water, but after eating the ice cream, I can’t help but share my slight disappointment.

Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream with Chocolate Brownies Top

First off, the crushed up cookies on the top are, for some reason, not at all crunchy like the ones on the blueberry cheesecake flavor. Oh, their flavor is there, but it’s not the same without the crunch. Also, there doesn’t seem to be any bits in the ice cream. Instead, they’re replaced with a cookie butter swirl that doesn’t have a recognizable texture and doesn’t snake through the pint as much as I would like.

Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream with Chocolate Brownies Inside

Another disappointment is the number of brownie chunks in the pint. It seems like I experienced a ratio of one brownie chunk for every four dips into the near-pint. Whatever pieces there are, they provide an added burst of chocolatey flavor within the chocolate ice cream.

With all that said, the combination of chocolate and Biscoff cookies is tasty, but being a texture guy, I wish there was a crunchiness. Now, maybe I got a lousy not-quite-a-pint, so if you had crunchy cookies in yours, let me know.

Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream Dents

While I like the flavors, the containers they come in annoy me. The one thing I noticed and disliked the moment I picked one up was how rickety the paper containers feel. When I grab it, the walls of the packaging cave in to the point where I feel either the whole thing is going to fall apart, or I’m going to squeeze it so much that all the ice cream pops out like I’m Popeye with a can of spinach. It makes me feel as if I suddenly have superhuman strength and can’t control it.

Some of you might think this is superficial nonsense, and that’s fine. But I’d like to enjoy these tasty ice creams without being paranoid about the container falling apart if I grip it a little too tightly.

Purchased Price: $4.49 each
Size: 15.55 fl. oz.
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Blueberry Cheesecake), 6 out of 10 (Chocolate Brownies)
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) Blueberry Cheesecake – 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Chocolate Brownies – 190 calories, 11 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

SPOTTED: Pillsbury Brownie Bark Mixes

Pillsbury Brownie Bark Mixes

BAKING BATTLE!!! Betty Crocker has brittle mixes. Pillsbury has these brownie bark mixes. Come on, Duncan Hines, join the BAKING BATTLE!!! (Spotted by Amanda Y at Target.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if the product is old, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

If you’ve seen the product, help out your fellow readers by letting them know in the comments what city and store you found it in.

REVIEW: Coca-Cola Cinnamon

Coca Cola Cinnamon

What is Coca-Cola Cinnamon?

Like every other brand, it’s Spice Season over at the Coca-Cola Company. Thankfully for us, it’s opted to add cinnamon to its classic recipe instead of pumpkin.

How is it?

Coca-Cola Cinnamon smells and tastes like someone added about a teaspoon of cinnamon powder to a bottle of Coke. I wouldn’t say it’s subtle, but it’s also not overwhelming. The cinnamon flavor rides the line nicely.

Coca Cola Cinnamon Closup

After the quick, overwhelming bursts of effervescence in each sip fade, you get a little hint of the warm spice. I think I prefer this to regular Cola, which is usually only a drink of choice for me when mixed with something harder, but this isn’t too big of a departure from the classic you’re used to.

Honestly, they probably could have gone a little further with the cinnamon flavor, but I’m not complaining.

Is there anything else you need to know?

The best part of the said flavor is the fact that the usual dryness does not follow it. No matter what I have with cinnamon, I always feel like I ate a handful of the Sahara and need to chug a bottle of water immediately.

Coca Cola Cinnamon Label

Oh, and cinnamon is not in the ingredients. This is a “cinnamon flavored” soda. It seems odd to me, but maybe it’s an allergen thing or something. Why not use the real thing?

Conclusion:

Coke has a winner here. This is gonna go over well with the masses as there is enough cinnamon to separate it from regular Coke, but not enough to make people feel like they’re taking the Cinnamon Challenge.

I’m probably gonna pick up another bottle to try as a mixer. I also kinda want to try using a cinnamon stick as a straw the next time because I am a child.

I hope it does well, and it pushes Coca-Cola to get more creative because a Cinnamon Vanilla Coke would be a God-tier soda.

Purchased Price: $2.12
Size: 20 fl. oz. bottle
Purchased at: Quick Check
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Bottle) 240 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 65 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

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