The Impulsive Buy

QUICK REVIEW: Cheez-It Duoz Caramel Popcorn & Cheddar

Marvo / March 10, 2018 / Reviews / 2 Comments

For years, without ever trying it, I dismissed the cheddar and caramel popcorn mix.

I couldn’t wrap my head around how the two could work together. But then I tried it and my preconceived notions got shown the door. It was at this point I had an existential crisis and wondered what other combinations I thought don’t work well, but actually do.

Oil and water? Nope, got the burns to show they don’t work together.

Toothpaste and orange juice? Nope, I’ve got the worn down enamel to prove they’re not a good duo.

The sweet and savory combo works so well that I thought the Cheez-It Duoz Caramel Popcorn & Cheddar would get some serious kudos from me, but it won’t.

At a quick glance, the popcorn to cracker ratio appears to lean more towards the Cheez-Its. But as I ate my way through the box, one piece of each at the same time, it turns out there’s an almost even balance of the two. Of course, your box may vary.

With the caramel and cheddar popcorn mixes I’ve had, there’s usually been a balance of flavors. But that’s not the case with this.

The caramel popcorn tastes fine on its own, it’s crunchy, buttery, and sweet. But its flavor gets pushed out of the way by the tang and potency of the cheddar seasoning, making it much more savory than sweet. Also, it tastes as if some of the cheesiness attaches to the popcorn, dampen their sweetness. There were delightful moments of flavor equilibrium, but it happened when the popcorn was heavily coated with caramel and the Cheez-It wasn’t seasoned very well.

Overall, the Cheez-It Duoz Caramel Popcorn & Cheddar is okay, but its sweet and salty fusion isn’t good enough to make it a hard-to-put-down snack. I’d rather get a bag of cheddar and caramel popcorn.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample in order to review it. Receiving it for free did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 8.7 oz. box
Purchased at: Received for free
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, less than 1 gram of 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (EASTER EDITION) – 3/10/2018

Marvo / March 10, 2018 / Spotted on Shelves / 3 Comments

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

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies with Spring Colors

(Spotted by DJ at Giant.)

In the Mix Unicorn Sugar Cookie Mix

In the Mix Spring Zing Lemon Chip Cookie Mix

In the Mix Cranberry Craze Oatmeal Cookie Mix

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)

Russell Stover Strawberries n’ Creme Pastel Bunny

Russell Stover Toasted Coconut Pastel Bunny

Russell Stover White Pastelle Bunny

(Spotted by Rachel C at Smiths.)

Kit Kat Bunny Ears

Not new. But I didn’t know this existed. So cool. (Spotted by Hector M at Walmart.)

OCHO Peanut Butter Egg

(Spotted by Rachel C at Whole Foods.)

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.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES IN CANADA: Schweppes Blueberry Peach Ginger Ale

Marvo / March 9, 2018 / Spotted on Shelves / 4 Comments

If blueberry and peach can come together for ginger ale, why haven’t we seen it with yogurt? (Spotted by @JunkFoodJeff at Shoppers 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: Dunkin’ Donuts Mint Brownie Donut

Mark / March 9, 2018 / Reviews / 2 Comments

True story: I had to buy this Dunkin’ Donuts Mint Brownie Donut twice, because I wasn’t sure they gave me the right one the first time.

But they did.

Part of what gave me pause is that the frosting looked nothing like the festive green on the promotional materials. The first was more blue than green. But the second just looked white. If it’s not green, what on earth does mint have to do with St. Patrick’s Day?

On top of the frosting are crunchy chocolate bits. I don’t mind the crunchiness, but it’s not the texture I associate with brownies. My second donut’s pieces were so small it was almost a powder. When I pulled an Ariana Grande and licked the frosting, it was just plain frosting with no flavor.

The main part of the donut is a typical yeast dough; you can’t go wrong with it. Inside the donut is a chocolaty filling. Here’s where the discrepancy is between the two donuts I tried. On the first, I couldn’t taste the mint. It reminded me of the oily filling of those Hostess chocolate pies I loved as a kid, but it wasn’t minty.

The second, however, did taste like a mint brownie, though toned down from most that I’ve had. I liked it.

So, if you go down to your local Dunkin’, I can’t guarantee whether your mint donut will actually taste like a mint donut. If it does, it’s great! It’s an underutilized flavor for donuts. But if it doesn’t taste like it, you’re left with an ordinary chocolate-filled yeast ring.

Purchased Price: $1.09
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 370 calories, 170 calories from fat, 19 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 25 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.