SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 1/22/2016

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

Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Bars

Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Bars

Weight Watchers Snack Size Salted Caramel Ice Cream Bars

Weight Watchers Snack Size Salted Caramel Ice Cream Bars

Weight Watchers Snack Size Mocha Latte Ice Cream Bars

Weight Watchers Snack Size Mocha Latte Ice Cream Bars

I have a new Weight Watchers program too. One part of it involves eating all three of these, but only counting 3 SmartPoints. (Spotted by Amanda at Kroger.)

Pringles Lightly Salted Cheddar Cheese

Pringles Lightly Salted Cheddar Cheese

I didn’t realize Cheddar Cheese Pringles was popular enough to warrant a lightly salted version. How many of you really like Cheddar Cheese Pringles? (Spotted by Kelsey at Dillons.)

Log Cabin Vanilla Flavor Syrup

Log Cabin Vanilla Flavor Syrup

Oooh, vanilla! Living’ on the edge, Log Cabin! (Spotted by Amanda at Walmart.)

Torani Salted Chocolate Caramel Sauce

Torani Salted Chocolate Caramel Sauce

Hey, Log Cabin! This is how you do it! (Spotted by Amanda at Kroger.)

Cadbury Dairy MIlk Marvellous Creations Strawberry Cookie Sundae

Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations Strawberry Cookie Sundae

I want some parfait aux fraises et aux biscuits! (Spotted by Joelle at Superstore in Canada.)

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.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: MiO Vitamins Tropical Cherry and Blackberry Raspberry Liquid Water Enhancers

MiO Vitamins Tropical Cherry and Blackberry Raspberry Liquid Water Enhancers

Natural flavor with other natural flavor that’s been naturally sweetened. (Spotted by CLyals at Meijer.)

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: Nabisco Cinnamon Bun Oreo Cookies

Nabisco Cinnamon Bun Oreo Cookies

Here’s a fun fact: a Cinnabon Classic Roll has 880 calories, 37 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 820 milligrams of sodium, 127 grams of carbohydrates, 58 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of protein.

Here’s another fun fact: the amount trees needed to make the napkins used per year by those eating the messy Cinnabon Classic Roll equals to 197,000,000 square miles of rainforests.

Okay, that last “fun fact” is a complete lie and the entire surface of the Earth is 197,000,000 square miles, but, I swear, I use five or six napkins whenever I eat Cinnabon.

Cinnabon’s huge Classic Rolls are yummy, but they have the nutritional content of a meal and make my hands sticky enough that I wonder if I could climb walls with them. But what if you want cinnamon bun flavor without the huge amount of calories and mess?

Cinnamon Bun Oreo Cookies might work.

Nabisco Cinnamon Bun Oreo Cookies 2

The new variety is the first with a cinnamon flavored cookie, which looks like a Golden Oreo wafer that’s spent some time in a tanning salon. There are red specks baked throughout the cookie, but, even though the sweet spice is listed as an ingredient, I’m not sure if they’re cinnamon, just red specks to give it the appearance of cinnamon, or if my cookies have the measles. Whatever they are, they make the cookie taste similar to Cinnamon Teddy Grahams.

Nabisco Cinnamon Bun Oreo Cookies 3

As for the creme, it looks like plain ol’ Oreo stuff, but softer. So if you’re one of those people who likes to twist off a wafer and lick the creme, it probably won’t come off clean. The creme’s flavor is also a bit like what’s on a plain ol’ Oreo, but lighter, not as sweet, and with maybe a tinge of cinnamon.

When I lick the creme, all I think about are glazed donuts. Mmm…donuts. I was hoping these had the cream cheese-flavored creme found in the Red Velvet Oreo, but the creme is still great.

The cookie as a whole tastes Holy Cow Awesome and I think it does a great job at getting the right balance between cinnamon and frosting. They also smell wonderful. Although if you’re a Cinnabon employee, they probably smell like work.

But if you want to make them slightly more Holy Cow Awesome, heat one up for 10 seconds in the microwave oven. (Hat tip to the anonymous commenter who suggested that.) The creme gets a little gooey and it’s warm like an actual cinnamon bun.

With new Oreo flavors there’s usually a “Limited Edition” printed on the package, but that’s not the case with these. They’re a new regular flavor, like original Oreo, Cool Mint, Peanut Butter, and Birthday Cake, which I’m glad about because I would hate to have to send angry, profanity-filled emails to Nabisco demanding they bring them back if these delicious cookies were limited edition.

I’ve tried two dozen Oreo flavors over the past few years. Most of them are good to great, and a few are mediocre. But none of them are horrible. And none have been unbelievably spectacular…until now.

I think the Cinnamon Bun Oreo stands above all the flavors. Not only does it have the flavor, but just the little things like those red specks in the wafer and the use of softer creme to emulate a cinnamon bun’s frosting make eating the cookie more of an experience. These are my new favorite Oreo cookies and I think you’ll love them too.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 cookies – 150 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 15 milligrams of potassium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, less than 1 gram of protein.)

Item: Nabisco Cinnamon Bun Oreo Cookies
Purchased Price: $3.50
Size: 12.2 oz.
Purchased at: Times Supermarket
Rating: 10 out of 10
Pros: Unbelievably spectacular. Flavor does remind me of a cinnamon bun. Not a limited edition. Tastes slightly better when warmed up. Red specks in wafer and softer creme are a nice touch.
Cons: The nutritional numbers for a Cinnabon Classic Roll. Softer creme makes it harder to cleanly twist off wafer.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 1/21/2016

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

Healthy Choice Strawberry Smoothie Bar

Healthy Choice Strawberry Smoothie Bar

Healthy Choice Fudge Bar

Healthy Choice Fudge Bar

The old Healthy Choice Fudge Bars were the bomb. I hope having only five natural ingredients in these new ones won’t ruin them. (Spotted by Amanda at Kroger.)

Kellogg's Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice Fruit Flavored Snacks

Kellogg’s Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice Fruit Flavored Snacks

Not a cereal with marshmallows. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Chobani Vanilla Whole Milk Greek Yogurt

Chobani Vanilla Whole Milk Greek Yogurt

Another Chobani yogurt variety! (Spotted by Adam S at Tops Friendly Markets.)

Kroger Private Selection Aussie Style Yogurt

Kroger Private Selection Aussie Style Yogurt

Store brand Noosa yoghurt? (Spotted by Sylvia at Ralphs.)

Sweethearts Sour Tiny Hearts

Sweethearts Sour Tiny Hearts

Watermelon, Wild Berry Grape, Sour Apple, Lemon, Extreme Tangerine and Blue Raspberry are the new Sour Sweethearts flavors. (Spotted by Sylvia at Vons.)

Trader Joe's Pour Over Coffee Brewer Brew in the Bag Brazil

Trader Joe’s Pour Over Coffee Brewer Brew in the Bag Brazil

Even K-Cups would look at this and think it’s not very eco-friendly for just a cup of coffee. (Spotted by Sylvia at Trader Joe’s.)

Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards Butterscotch Blondie Bar

Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards Butterscotch Blondie Bar

How many of these Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards are there? (Spotted by Amanda at Walmart.)

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.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Cherry Cordial Delight Peeps

Limited Edition Cherry Cordial Delight Peeps

As far as childhood traumas go, cherry cordials are on the “Really, why didn’t you address this with your therapist?” list.

At seven years of age, my first efforts with cordials were an immediate disaster with red cherry, fondant, and shards of milk chocolate splashing all over my favorite Looney Tunes t-shirt (how I loved that shirt!). I tried to wash it out, but alas, not even Snuggle the Bear could save that humble garment. While I loved the taste of the cordial, fear of ruining the rest of my favorite t-shirts detracted me from ever returning to cherry cordials again.

Until today.

It seems Peeps, in all their tidy, poofy, non-goo-filled selves, are inviting me to make amends with my cherry cordial childhood traumas by putting those flavors into marshmallow form, which is a good thing because chocolate, cherry, and sugar? That’s a recipe for a party.

Limited Edition Cherry Cordial Delight Peeps 2

Right out of the cellophane, the smell makes it clear that chocolate and cherry run the show. If you’ve ever wanted Febreze to make an air freshener that smells like maraschino cherries and brownie batter, this is for you: the bright, sugared cherry aroma completely absorbs the smell of anything within a two-foot radius.

And that smell immediately transports into the flavor. These fluffy little devils hold nothing back, going full-throttle for artificial cherry. Biting in, the red crystal sugar flecks crisp through before breaking into a white marshmallow fluffier than the luxury bath towels at the Ritz.

Limited Edition Cherry Cordial Delight Peeps 3

The cherry flavor harkens back to a cherry popsicle or Skittle: a little tart, extremely sweet, and mildly bitter. The dark chocolate, while not astounding, is also not palm oil gunk.

On its own, it’s like a mock-up of a Dark Dove Promise, adding a woodsy note with a bit of brownie batter sweetness, but, when taken with the marshmallow, the chocolate gets swept away in the wake of cherry flavor. This can be overwhelming as the cherry, when taking in multiple bites, starts verging on medicinal, harkening back to days of tissues and trying to stomach cherry cough syrup. Those are sad days. There is no need for sad days.

Limited Edition Cherry Cordial Delight Peeps 4

It has occurred to me that there will be a time, probably soon, in which I have a traumatic encounter with a chicken that somehow deters me from eating chickadee-shaped products. Until then, I will keep trying all the versions of Peeps, holding that particular fear, reluctance, and joy that comes with peculiar flavor efforts.

These particular Peeps could’ve suffered (as they sometimes do) by being a little too sweet, but the monitored three-chick pack kept things in check. The biggest downfall was the extent to which the fake cherry flavors muscled out the chocolate, but, taken as a whole, these reminded me of cordials: cherry takes the lead, fondant (or sugary marshmallow) stands as a sidekick, and chocolate is a background character. Not an unimportant character, per se. More like the Cabbage Vendor in Avatar: adding color and depth without being allotted much time for development.

All that said, if you love cherries, sugar, and chickadees that stare at you ominously, these are worth dishing out $1.99 to give ‘em a shot.

(Nutrition Facts – 3 Chicks – 150 calories, 30 calories from fat, 3.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, Less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Item: Limited Edition Cherry Cordial Delight Peeps
Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 3 pack/1.5 oz.
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Cherry cordial flavors in marshmallow form. Cherry flavor similar to cherry Skittles. Quite puffy. Crispy sugar outside. No goo is involved. Non-palm-oil chocolate is used. The Cabbage Vendor in Avatar
Cons: Cherry overpowers chocolate. Red dye adds bitterness. Chickadees stare at you ominously. Childhood traumas involving cherry cordials. Non-childhood traumas involving chickens.