SPOTTED ON SHELVES IN CANADA: Ruffles Sweet & Spicy Potato Chips

Ruffles Sweet  Spicy Potato Chips

(Spotted by Cynthia H at Mac’s in Canada.)

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, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

QUICK REVIEW: Dairy Queen S’mores Blizzard

Dairy Queen S mores Blizzard

What is it?

One of two returning Blizzards available on Dairy Queen’s Summer 2018 Blizzard Menu. The S’mores Blizzard adds marshmallow-filled chocolates and graham pieces to vanilla soft serve.

How is it?

Amazing, but I’m a sucker for seasonal flavors. Be it Starbucks’ PSL, carrot cake, or whatever the heck flavor red velvet is, I’m the reason flavor scientists can spend more time at the beach than in the lab.

S’mores in particular is a weakness of mine. Run out of new flavor ideas? Slap a seasonal cliché on the package, and I’ll devour it. Cookies, gum, hell if you made it smell good enough I’d even think about it for a s’mores deodorant.

OK, maybe not, but if my Google-fu had returned a result, I’d probably be wearing it right now.

Dairy Queen S mores Blizzard 2

Back to the ice cream. The graham flavor extends beyond the chunks of cracker and is exquisitely infused into the vanilla base. Graham’s golden-brown hue and gritty texture is a component of every bite. Pleasantly numerous, the milk chocolate candy is smooth and packed with gooey, marshmallow goodness. My wife says I’m crazy, in this context not just in general, but I swear I got a hint of a toasted marshmallow vibe. Maybe it was just a heavier graham presence on occasion that provided earthier notes.

Is there anything else I need to know?

There’s marshmallow topping mixed into the base as well, but it is overpowered by the graham and seems like an afterthought. If that’s a draw for you, you will probably be disappointed by the graham-first flavor. 

Conclusion:

Dairy Queen S mores Blizzard 3

This Blizzard has me begging for s’more as it sets the standard for s’mores-flavored ice cream. DQ nailed the rarely seen graham flavored base and, for me at least, conjured fond memories of the Hershey’s S’mores Candy Bar (R.I.P.) with the marshmallow filled chocolates.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: Mini
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Mini) 400 calories, 17 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 56 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 44 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: On The Border Taste of Tajin Chili & Lime Tortilla Chips

On The Border Taste of Tajin Chili  Lime Tortilla Chips

(Spotted by Jarred at Walmart.)

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, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Limited Edition Pop-Tarts Splitz (2018)

Kellogg s Limited Edition Pop Tarts Splitz  2018

Pop-Tarts Splitz first showed up back in 2007 and soon after crawled back into the Pop-Tarts vault where Dulce de Leche and Guava Mango Pop-Tarts reside.

Yes, I know exactly what you’re thinking now. Not that there were Dulce de Leche and Guava Mango Pop-Tarts, but that brands have been turning S’s into Z’s for over a decade now and they should stop.

With the original Splitz, the flavors used were so basic and one-worded — Chocolate + Vanilla, Strawberry + Blueberry, and Chocolate + Strawberry.

The 2018 version has flavors that, mostly, aren’t so basic and use more than one word — Strawberry + Cheesecake and Sugar Cookie + Brownie Batter. Like the original, they look like kindergarten finger-painting drawings of clouds or hills, depending on which side is facing you.

Frosted Strawberry and Drizzled Cheesecake

Kellogg s Limited Edition Pop Tarts Splitz Strawberry Cheesecake

Strawberry tastes like, well, I mean, if you haven’t had a Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tart that’s on you. You should’ve had it at least once by now. They’re good and it’s what I eat when I want to joke around with the Food Pyramid by saying, “Look, I’m going to have a serving of fruit.” As for the other side, there’s no tang. So it’s hard to consider it cheesecake. At times, I think it’s marshmallow, but it’s definitely not cheesecake.

Kellogg s Limited Edition Pop Tarts Splitz Strawberry Cheesecake 2

The flavor combo is begs to be eaten together. So maybe through food science or food magic, combining them will create a strawberry cheesecake-like flavor. They don’t. There’s a tanginess from the fruity filling, but it doesn’t help flip my mind into thinking it’s cheesecake. It tastes like a Strawberry Pop-Tart. Even toasting it doesn’t help bring out the cheesecake flavor.

Drizzled Sugar Cookie and Frosted Brownie Batter

Kellogg s Limited Edition Pop Tarts Splitz Sugar Cookie Brownie Batter

The other Pop-Tarts Splitz variety has a lighter crust than the Strawberry + Cheesecake one. I guess it’s supposed to represent the color of sugar cookies, while the darker one looks like the crust you’d find under a cheesecake.

Unlike the other variety, this combo seems more like one that shouldn’t be eat combined. Although, that’s not going to stop me from doing so because sugar cookie brownies sound magical.

Kellogg s Limited Edition Pop Tarts Splitz Sugar Cookie Brownie Batter 2

The dark filling tastes like brownie batter, but kind of loses that when combined with the crust and the icing. Its flavor wavers between brownie batter and standard chocolate. Despite that, it’s my favorite of the four sides. As for sugar cookie, it’s a variety we’ve seen before from Pop-Tarts and one that I’ve had it. It does remind me of a sugar cookie, but it’s not as exciting as brownie batter.

Sadly, combining the two doesn’t create an awesome new hybrid flavor. The stronger brownie batter overwhelms the milder sugar cookie, much like the strawberry hides the cheesecake in the other. So I guess it’s best to eat the two sides separate.

Both varieties are tasty but also aren’t mind-blowing. However, the cookie-brownie combo stands out because of its flavors and the cheesecake flavor is lacking with the other one, making it a bit of a letdown. So if you’re split about which variety to try, go for the Sugar Cookie + Brownie Batter.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples, but doing so did not influence my review.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 pastry – Strawberry + Cheesecake – 190 calories, 40 calories from fat, 4.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein. Sugar Cookie + Brownie Batter – 200 calories, 50 calories from fat, 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 8-pack (Strawberry + Cheesecake)
Size: 16-pack (Sugar Cookie + Brownie Batter)
Purchased at: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Strawberry + Cheesecake)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Sugar Cookie + Brownie Batter)
Pros: Brownie batter filling taste like what it’s supposed to. Better flavor combos than the previous Pop-Tarts Splitz. Sugar cookie tastes like a sugar cookie.
Cons: Cheesecake flavor not noticeable. Combining the strawberry and cheesecake sides makes it taste like a regular Strawberry Pop-Tart. Combining the sugar cookie and brownie batter sides make it taste like brownie batter. Still using Z’s to replace S’s.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (TRADER JOE’S EDITION) – 5/4/2018

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 Dried Fruit Crunch Dried Honeycrisp Apples

Trader Joe’s Dried Fruit Crunch Dried Honeycrisp Apples

Trader Joe s Dark Chocolate Toasted Sesame Caramels

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Toasted Sesame Caramels

Trader Joe s East Timor Small Lot Coffee 100 Arabica Whole Bean Coffee

Trader Joe’s East Timor Small Lot Coffee 100% Arabica Whole Bean Coffee

Trader Joe s Seedy Almond Salad Topper

Trader Joe’s Seedy Almond Salad Topper

Trader Joe s Salmon  Sweet Potato Dog Treats

Trader Joe’s Salmon & Sweet Potato Dog Treats

IMG 8920

Trader Joe’s Gordian Knot

(Spotted by Sylvia and Rachel C 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.

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

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