SPOTTED ON SHELVES (TRADER JOE’S EDITION) – 12/7/2016

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

Trader Joe's Crispy Crunchy Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Trader Joe’s Crispy Crunchy Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Trader Joe's Salty Honey Toffee Milk Chocolate Covered Crackers

Trader Joe’s Salty Honey Toffee Milk Chocolate Covered Crackers

Trader Joe's Rainbow of Honey

Trader Joe’s Rainbow of Honey

Trader Joe's Nuts & Fruits & Honey

Trader Joe’s Nuts & Fruits & Honey

Trader Joe's Crunchy Truffle Trio

Trader Joe’s Crunchy Truffle Trio

Trader Joe's Cocoa Glazed Roasted Almonds

Trader Joe’s Cocoa Glazed Roasted Almonds

Trader Joe's Cocktail Stirrers

Trader Joe’s Cocktail Stirrers

Trader Joe's Stuffed Lobster Halves

Trader Joe’s Stuffed Lobster Halves

I want to chain-eat those Crispy Crunchy Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies. (Spotted by Sylvia at Trader Joe’s.)

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.

FAST FOOD NEWS: Checkers and Rally’s A.1. Buttery Steak Burger

Checkers and Rally s A 1 Buttery Steak Burger

Perhaps the #1 condiment fast food chains use on burgers other than the standard ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise is A.1. Steak Sauce. Burger King, Arby’s, White Castle, and Quiznos have all used that spicy dark sauce. And now sister chains Checkers and Rally’s have included it in their new A.1. Buttery Steak Burger.

It features a classic beef patty, seasoned steak, Swiss cheese, onion anglers, and a creamy A.1. buttery sauce on a brioche bun.

The limited time offering has 660 calories, 43 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 1250 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 24 grams of protein.

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

(Image via Checkers’ website)

FAST FOOD NEWS: Jack in the Box Pepper Jack Ranch Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Jack in the Box Pepper Jack Ranch Spicy Chicken Sandwich

If you want to keep warm this season, you could drink coffee, hot cocoa, hot tea, or whiskey. Or you could eat Jack in the Box’s new Pepper Jack Ranch Spicy Chicken Sandwich.

The new menu item features three spicy parts — spicy pepper jack cheese, spicy ranch sauce, and a spicy, crispy chicken fillet. It’s also topped with lettuce, tomato, and bacon. The sandwich is available for a limited time at participating locations.

Jack in the Box’s new Pepper Jack Ranch Spicy Chicken Sandwich has 672 calories, 39 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 1392 milligrams of sodium, 49 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 34 grams of protein.

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

(Image via Jack in the Box’s website)

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Chobani Limited Batch Dulce De Leche and Chocolate Cherry Blended Greek Yogurts

Chobani Limited Batch Dulce De Leche Blended Greek Yogurt

Chobani Limited Batch Dulce De Leche Blended Greek Yogurt

Chobani Limited Batch Chocolate Cherry Blended Greek Yogurt

Chobani Limited Batch Chocolate Cherry Blended Greek Yogurt

Mmmm, dulce de leche and chocolate cherray. Sorry, cherry. (Spotted by Chris B at ShopRite.)

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.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Lay’s Wavy Milk Chocolate Covered Potato Chips with Almond Bits

Limited Edition Lay's Wavy Milk Chocolate Covered Potato Chips with Almond Bits

Are chocolate covered potato chips a snack or dessert? This is a serious life question. Dessert has my vote, although you could certainly make the case for either.

For me, the automatic draw to the Lay’s Wavy Milk Chocolate Covered Potato Chips with Almond Bits was the fact it was covered in chocolate. Sadly, though, that’s the peak of the excitement.

Limited Edition Lay's Wavy Milk Chocolate Covered Potato Chips with Almond Bits 2

There were three major bummers when I opened the bag.

  1. These Lay’s lived up to the classic chip/pretzel stereotype where the bag looks full but in reality it’s not. This one was about 1/4 of the bag full and the rest was good old zero calorie air. Strike One.
  2. The chocolate didn’t even cover the entire potato chip, unless the chip was on the smaller side. Strike Two.
  3. Where were all the almond bits? They might as well have been non-existent, both on the chip and in taste. But we’ll get to taste in a minute. Strike Three.

And to throw in a fourth: The serving size on these puppies is super small. Five chips? I definitely could polish off the whole bag.

I still wanted to give them a fair chance despite the aforementioned bummers. The best part about these chips is the chocolate. It’s pretty darn good. The chocolate covering the chips is pretty thick. But there’s such an overwhelming taste of chocolate that I had a hard time even tasting the chip. The chips were not crunchy, and I didn’t get a hint of salt until the fifth chip in. And the fact that they are wavy Lays doesn’t even matter – you couldn’t even tell thanks to the chocolate.

Limited Edition Lay's Wavy Milk Chocolate Covered Potato Chips with Almond Bits 3

Remember those almond bits? Yeah, I don’t either. I couldn’t get a distinct taste from even the few that I did see. Basically, if I wanted the same experience, I’d just have a Hershey’s chocolate bar.

I wanted to love these. I really did. While I did love the chocolate, I can’t help but feel that chip and chocolate’s marriage just isn’t working out and I’m not sure who should get the almond bits in the divorce.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 oz (about 5 chips) – 160 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein..)

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 4 3/4 oz. bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 4 out of 10
Pros: Chocolate. Enough said.
Cons: Lack of almond bits, lack of chip prominence, lack of crunch. Not enough chips in the bag to make the $3.99 price tag worth it.