The Impulsive Buy

SPOTTED – 7/19/2019

Marvo / July 19, 2019 / Spotted on Shelves / 2 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.

Trader Joe s Raspberry Mousse Cakes — *Trader Joe’s Raspberry Mousse Cakes*

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

Quaker Cocoa Sea Salt Instant Oatmeal — *Quaker Cocoa & Sea Salt Instant Oatmeal*

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Market Street.)

Tim s Cascade Style Coney Island Mustard Potato Chips — *Tim’s Cascade Style Coney Island Mustard Potato Chips*

(Spotted by Rachel J at Franz Bread Store.)

Werther s Original Sugar Free Vanilla Chewy Caramels — *Werther’s Original Sugar Free Vanilla Chewy Caramels*

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

*Atkins Bacon Cheddar and Parmesan Garlic Cauliflower Bites*

(Spotted by Blaire at Giant.)

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Blueberry Flavored Almond Slices Multigrain Oat Clusters — *Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Blueberry Flavored Almond Slices & Multigrain Oat Clusters*

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Sea Salt Caramel Flavored Slivered Almonds Pretzels — *Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Sea Salt Caramel Flavored Slivered Almonds & Pretzels*

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Chocolate Flavored Diced Almonds Dark Chocolate Chips — *Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Chocolate Flavored Diced Almonds & Dark Chocolate Chips*

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Coconut Flavored Diced Almonds Dark Chocolate Chips — *Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Coconut Flavored Diced Almonds & Dark Chocolate Chips*

*Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Toasted Almond Slices*

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Honey Roasted Almond Slices Granola — *Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative with Honey Roasted Almond Slices & Granola*

(Spotted by Andrea D at Safeway.)

*Land O Lakes Cream Cheese with Blueberries*

(Spotted by Tommy at Market Basket.)

Giant Eagle Greek Lowfat and Nonfat Yogurt Coffee Peach and Mixed Berry — *Giant Eagle Greek Lowfat and Nonfat Yogurt (Coffee, Peach, and Mixed Berry)*

Giant Eagle Lowfat Yogurt Peach Mixed Berry and Vanilla — *Giant Eagle Lowfat Yogurt (Peach, Mixed Berry, and Vanilla)*

*Giant Eagle Blueberry Greek Nonfat Yogurt*

*Giant Eagle Strawberry Banana Lowfat Yogurt and Strawberry Light Nonfat Yogurt*

(Spotted by Bob K at Giant Eagle.)

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.

REVIEW: Panda Express Sichuan Hot Chicken

Marvo / July 18, 2019 / Reviews / 3 Comments

Panda Express’ Sichuan Hot Chicken is its take on crispy chicken strips, which seem to be all the rage with fast food chains nowadays. The entree is breaded all-white meat chicken tossed in a spicy Sichuan peppercorn sauce and dusted with a secret spice blend.

It’s easily the crunchiest chicken item on the menu, although that texture is on the edges of the pieces where the coating is a bit thicker. The chicken within the breading of the strips I received was juicy. Of course, your results may vary because of someone who was overzealous with the wok tossing.

The sauce isn’t sticky like Orange Chicken or gloopy like what’s on mushroom chicken. Instead, it’s an oil-based sauce with the spices swimming in it. Panda’s Sichuan peppercorn sauce with the secret spice blend is savory, peppery, spicy, a smidge citrusy, and pretty darn good.

But it’s even better when you “Make it Spicy,” which is an option you have while ordering. If you do, your chicken will get sprinkled with an extra dose of the secret spice blend, which gives the breading an ominous look and amps up the heat AND flavor. To me, the added seasoning makes the standard Sichuan Hot Chicken pieces seem kind of bland. When I order this again, I’ll definitely “Make it Spicy.”

While the word “hot” is in its name, the regular Sichuan Hot Chicken isn’t what I would call “hot.” There’s a burn that slowly builds up to a mild level, but it doesn’t have me reaching for a soothing beverage. The “Make it Spicy” pieces are noticeably hotter, but it’s still not enough to make me want to shovel Panda’s fried rice into my mouth to relieve the burning. Also, whatever heat there is doesn’t linger for long.

My biggest issue with this entree deals with size. The pieces aren’t uniform. As you can see in the photo above, the ones on the left, which is a three-piece order of the standard Sichuan Hot Chicken, are dramatically smaller than the ones on the right, which is a three-piece order of the ones made spicy. Looking at those three small pieces on my styrofoam plate, I can’t help but think I’m getting ripped off a little. But if I got three of the ones on the right or more of the smaller pieces, I’d feel a bit better.

Sichuan Hot Chicken is another yummy sauced chicken selection from Panda Express. The Sichuan peppercorn sauce and secret spice blend are tasty, but they’re not quite good enough to make this limited-time menu item Orange Chicken-tastic or Beijing Beef-abulous.

Purchased Price: $9.20 (2-entree plate)
Size: 3-piece serving
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 pieces) 400 calories 26 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 910 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 19 grams of protein.

Click here for our previous reviews

SPOTTED: International Delight French Toast Swirl Creamer

Marvo / July 18, 2019 / Spotted on Shelves

Update: We tried it! Click here to read our review.

(Spotted by Leonard G at ShopRite.)

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.

FAST FOOD NEWS: Papa John’s Papadias

Marvo / July 18, 2019 / Fast Food News / 13 Comments

Update: We tried them! Click here to read our review.

Thanks to reader Raj in Norman, OK, we have learned that Papa John’s is currently testing Papadias, which are Italian flatbread-style sandwiches. There are four set varieties available for $6 each: Philly Steak, Meatball Pepperoni, Grilled BBQ Chicken & Bacon, and Italian. Customers can also create their own.

Philly Steak features sliced Philly steak, fresh-cut onions, green peppers, mozzarella, and Papa’s Philly sauce. It’s served with a garlic sauce dipping cup. It has 850 calories, 39 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 2180 milligrams of sodium, 81 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 40 grams of protein.

The Meatball Pepperoni comes with spicy meatballs, pepperoni, pizza sauce, mozzarella, and classic Italian seasoning with a side of pizza sauce for dipping. It has 950 calories, 50 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 140 milligrams of cholesterol, 2460 milligrams of sodium, 81 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 42 grams of protein.

The Grilled BBQ Chicken & Bacon one has grilled chicken, bacon, fresh-cut onions, mozzarella, and a sweet and smoky BBQ sauce. It also comes with a BBQ dipping cup. This Papadia has 880 calories, 30 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 165 milligrams of cholesterol, 2630 milligrams of sodium, 91 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 36 grams of sugar, and 59 grams of protein.

Finally, we have the Italian Papadia that is filled with Alfredo sauce, spicy Italian sausage, salami, mozzarella, and banana peppers. It’s served with a pizza sauce dipping cup. It has 960 calories, 55 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 140 milligrams of cholesterol, 2760 milligrams of sodium, 77 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 38 grams of protein.

If you’ve seen Papa John’s Papadias in your area, let us know in the comments.

(Images via Papa John’s.)

FAST FOOD NEWS: Wendy’s Bacon Jalapeno Cheeseburger and Jalapeno Bacon Cheese Fries

Marvo / July 18, 2019 / Fast Food News

As part of its month-long Baconfest promotion, Wendy’s has served up the new Bacon Jalapeno Cheeseburger and Jalapeno Bacon Cheese Fries. Although, to be honest, with the way Wendy’s slings its Applewood-smoked bacon onto its products, it seems like it’s ALWAYS Baconfest to Wendy’s.

The cheeseburger features a 1/4 lb. of fresh beef topped with pickled jalapenos, Applewood-smoked bacon slices, American cheese, crispy fried onions, a savory cheese sauce, and a smoky jalapeno sauce. It’s also available as a Double and Triple. The spicy cheeseburger has 750 calories, 49 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 gram of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 1650 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 36 grams of protein.

Wendy’s Jalapeno Bacon Cheese Fries are just the shredded cheddar, Applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese sauce, and natural cut sea salt fries you’d find with the chain’s Baconator Fries, but with jalapenos. The side has 570 calories, 36 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 1310 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 15 grams of protein.

If you’ve tried the burger or the fries, let us know what you think of it in the comments.

(Image via Wendy’s.)

SPOTTED – 7/19/2019

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REVIEW: Panda Express Sichuan Hot Chicken

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SPOTTED: International Delight French Toast Swirl Creamer

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FAST FOOD NEWS: Papa John’s Papadias

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FAST FOOD NEWS: Wendy’s Bacon Jalapeno Cheeseburger and Jalapeno Bacon Cheese Fries

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