SPOTTED ON SHELVES (INTERNATIONAL EDITION) – 12/7/2012

Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves in other countries by your fellow readers.

Mike Tyson Black Power Energy Drink

When I first heard about Mike Tyson’s facial tattoo, I wondered what purpose will it serve. Well, it appears there is a purpose. This can of Mike Tyson Black Power Energy Drink from Poland would’ve been significantly less badass if Iron Mike’s face didn’t have a tattoo. (Spotted by Lucy at Asda in the United Kingdom.)

Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis

Cinnamon toast-flavoured waffles? Where’s the pain au chocolat-flavoured Eggo waffles in Canada? (Spotted by Darren at Calgary Coop in Canada.)

Special K Cracker Chips (Canada)

Since these are new to our neighbors up north, I should let them know, through personal experience, that eating an entire box does not equal to eating a bowl of Special K. Although in both cases you’ll still feel hungry after. (Spotted by Darren at Calgary Coop in Canada.)

Bugles New? (Canada)

Canadians haven’t experienced the greatness that is Bugles until now? All this time they haven’t been able to stick a Bugle on each fingertip, pretend to be a monster with sharp claws, and then chomp them off. They’ve been so deprived. (Spotted by Darren at Calgary Coop in Canada.)

Blueberry Ice Cream Oreo

These Blueberry Ice Cream Oreo Cookies aren’t new. They’ve been around for a few years, but it’s really interesting to see what flavors I will be searching for on eBay. (Spotted by a friend of TIB reader Lane in Taiwan.)

If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf (or really unusual), snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

PRIZE DRAWING: Because You Want To Make Me Wait in a Long Line at the Post Office

2012-12-06 00.19.51

It’s the season of giving so I decided to collect a bunch of stuff lying around that companies sent us and give it away as one prize pack. Most of the stuff is in the picture above, but after I took that picture, I found a few other items to add.

What’s in the picture above?

There’s a test can of Mountain Dew Johnson City Gold, two coupons for a free Smart Ones frozen entree, two coupons for a free pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and a Coinstar Sherpa, which is just a bag you can put your coins in when you’re going to the Coinstar machine. As for the other items, that’ll be a surprise for the winner.

To enter The Impulsive Buy’s Random Stuff Prize Pack drawing, leave a comment with THIS post. You can say whatever you want in your comment.

Please don’t forget to fill out the email field because we’ll be emailing the randomly selected winner for his or her mailing addresses. The Impulsive Buy will stop accepting entries on Saturday, December 15, 2012 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. Only one comment allowed per person, and it’s only open to U.S. residents 18 years old or older.

For those of you who have a Twitter account, you can get an additional entry by tweeting the following by Saturday, December 15, 2012 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time:

Hey, @theimpulsivebuy! Thanks for giving away your junk! I hope it ends up being my junk. #imnotahoarder

So just copy, paste, and tweet. Only one tweet per Twitter account.

Good luck!

Fine Print: The Impulsive Buy promises your email address will not be used to send you pictures of mommy kissing Santa Claus. Impulsive Buy also promises your mailing address will not be used to send you one of those stick-on calendars. Bribes will not be accepted. The Impulsive Buy will not be responsible for lost mail, damaged mail, or you not using the coupons before their expiration date.

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Brownie Bites

Some folks like their brownies with a texture that’s similar to cake, while others like them dense and chewy. I’m in the latter crowd.

I say if you I want a brownie that’s a bit more spongy, go crash a child’s birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese’s and get yourself a slice of chocolate cake.

If you’re like me and enjoy chewy brownies, then Jack in the Box’s new Brownie Bites aren’t for you. Actually, if you’re a fan of any kind of brownies, then Jack in the Box’s Brownie Bites aren’t for you. Well, unless you’re a fan of dry happiness-draining brownies.

The only time brownies have ever wiped the smile on my face was when I forgot to add eggs to the brownie mix and I ended up with brownies that resembled, and were as hard as, what we call here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, pahoehoe lava.

Geology lesson bonus!

I didn’t expect Jack in the Box’s new Brownie Bites to be elegant made-from-scratch brownies from a reality show dessert chef trying to please three judges in order to not be eliminated, but I presumed they would be almost as good as brownies made using a Betty Crocker mix by an eighth grader in a home economics class.

Unfortunately, the Jack in the Box Brownie Bites didn’t meet my low expectations.

Again, they weren’t chewy, but that could’ve easily been forgiven if they had a nice chocolate flavor. However, as I chewed through each of the five pieces, I could feel the disappointment my taste buds were experiencing from the dessert’s unsatisfying chocolate flavor.

And after I was done with this dainty snack, all I could think about was how I wished it had chocolate chips baked in them or it came with a chocolate dipping sauce, both of which would’ve enhanced the flavor.

But all is not bad with Jack in the Box’s Brownie Bites. They’re served warm so if you buy two Brownie Bites servings, each of which contains five pieces, you can stick one on every fingertip to keep them temporarily warm during these cold months. Also, they’re cheap enough that you can probably purchase it with the loose change you find under your car’s seat.

But if you do that, please look for the money before you go to the drive-thru.

Overall, I’m pretty sure I won’t be ordering Jack in the Box’s Brownie Bites again. With desserts, it should make you think, “Oh, what a wonderful way to end a meal!” or “That was so worth the calories!” But these brownie bites didn’t do either.

(Nutrition Facts – 288 calories, 115 calories from fat, 13 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 44 milligrams of cholesterol, 159 milligrams of sodium, 225 milligrams of potassium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 30 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.)

Item: Jack in the Box Brownie Bites
Purchased Price: $1.19
Size: 5 bites
Purchased at: Jack in the Box
Rating: 4 out of 10
Pros: Warm. Inexpensive. Bite-sized. Crashing birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese’s. Finding money under your car seat. Droppin’ geology knowledge on y’all.
Cons: Edible, but not delightful. Dry. Unsatisfying chocolate flavor. Had a more cake-like texture than chewy. Not a good way to end a meal.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (HOLIDAY EDITION) – 12/5/2012

Here are some interesting new and limited edition holiday products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers.

Sugar and Cinnamon Mission Tortilla Chips

Sweet sugar and cinnamon, Batman! Mission’s Sweet Sugar & Cinnamon tortilla chips are back this season! By the way, isn’t putting “sweet” and “sugar” in its name a bit redundant? Junk Food Betty and Junk Food Guy have reviews. (Spotted by Linda at Nob Hill Foods.)

Jet-Puffed PeppermintMallow

Awww. These mini Jet-Puffed PeppermintMallows look like the result of what would happen if two of these went out for a lovely dinner, to the theater to watch an R-rated film with a couple hot lovemaking scenes, and then came home to make real sweet, sweet love. (Spotted by Kayla at Walmart.)

Limited Edition Toll House Cookies

Oh, Nestle Toll House! How I wish you had cookie products that didn’t need to be baked. (Spotted by Kenneth at Walmart and Target.)

Limited Edition Toll House Morsels

Although your chocolate morsels make a wonderful snack while I wait for your cookie dough products to bake. Baking Bites reviewed the Dark Chocolate & Mint variety. (Spotted by Marvo at Target.)

Limited Edition Stacy's Pita Chips Simple Gingerbread

Limited Edition Stacy's Pita Simple Naked

Gingerbread is a common flavor this season and Stacy’s has been offering their Simply Gingerbread pita chips for a few years now. Spoil Your Dinner and Junk Food Guy have reviews. But it’s surprising to see the company also release a flavor that represents my Christmas tradition of spending it completely nude so I’m ready to try on any clothing I receive as gift. (Spotted by Marvo at Target.)

Thanks for the photos, everyone! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf (or really unusual), snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Heinz Tomato Ketchup Blended With Real Jalapeño

Heinz Tomato Ketchup Blended With Real Jalapeno

For years, Heinz ketchup has been my condiment of choice for French fries and to make my cooking a little more tolerable.

While Heinz ketchup has changed the flavor of my weak tasting food, the condiment itself has never really moved beyond the formula of tomato concentrate from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, and natural flavoring.

However, a few years ago Heinz came out with a Hot & Spicy variety that was flavored with Tabasco sauce. And last year they came out with a limited edition ketchup blended with balsamic vinegar that later became a regular addition. This year, Heinz has released another limited edition ketchup and this time it’s blended with jalapeño.

I’ve had a number of jalapeño products over the years and many of them have been disappointing because while they have the jalapeño flavor, they also have little to no heat. However, the Limited Edition Heinz Tomato Ketchup Blended With Real Jalapeño has the opposite problem.

I tried the spicy ketchup by itself, with McDonald’s fries, on a condiment-less Jack in the Box Jumbo Jack, and on top of my awful cooking. I was going to use it to make spicy sketti, but I didn’t want to find out if my horrible food was worse than a reality show star’s horrible food.

On everything I used the jalapeño-enhance ketchup with, all I initially noticed was the heat.

On a scale of one to ten, with one being the heat I would feel on the top side of a pillow that has just been slept on for eight hours and ten being the heat one would feel on a pan that has just been in an oven for eight hours, the spiciness of the Limited Edition Heinz Tomato Ketchup Blended With Real Jalapeño would be a four or five. It’s a nice kick that didn’t instantly shock my mouth’s nerves.

While its spiciness and tomato flavor was wonderful, it’s hard to notice the jalapeño flavor. Once in a while, I got a hint of it, but it’s definitely not as strong as I hoped it would be. Also, I don’t know if the heat was distracting my taste buds, but the ketchup’s vinegary flavor was slightly lacking. I wouldn’t have minded it so much if it had a jalapeño flavor to replace it with.

Overall, the Limited Edition Heinz Tomato Ketchup Blended With Real Jalapeño does make McDonald’s fries, a Jack in the Box Jumbo Jack, and my cooking spicier, but it does just a decent job at helping the awful meals I make taste better.

Disclosure: I received a free bottle of Limited Edition Heinz Tomato Ketchup Blended With Real Jalapeño from the fine folks at Heinz in order to review it.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 tbsp – 20 calories, 0 grams of fat, 160 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, 2% vitamin A, and 2% vitamin C.)

Item: Limited Edition Heinz Tomato Ketchup Blended With Real Jalapeño
Purchased Price: Free
Size: 14 ounce bottle
Purchased at: Received from the folks at Heinz
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Nice spicy kick and tomato flavor. Heinz coming up with more limited edition ketchup. Regular ketchup makes my cooking taste taste better.
Cons: Doesn’t have a strong jalapeño flavor. Vinegar flavor is slightly subdued. My cooking. Does just a decent job at improving my cooking. Sketti.