REVIEW LIGHTNING ROUND (FREEZER AISLE EDITION) – 5/9/2013

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Here are some quick reviews of new-ish frozen food we’re too lazy to write full reviews for:

Ha?agen-Dazs Peanut Butter Pie Ice Cream

Item: Ha?agen-Dazs Peanut Butter Pie Ice Cream
Purchased Price: $3.99 (on sale)
Size: 14 oz.
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Rich peanut butter flavor that makes me want to spread it on a piece of bread and then top it with jelly. Holy crap! It’s loaded with chocolate cookie pieces and peanut butter ribbons. Smooth ice cream. So much peanut butter flavor. So good it makes me wish it was a pint instead of 14 ounces.
Cons: Being limited edition. Those with peanut allergies, stay far away. Still only 14 ounces.
Nutrition Facts: 1/2 cup – 310 calories, 21 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 130 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, 7 grams of protein.

Lean Cuisine Spa Collection Salmon with Basil

Item: Lean Cuisine Spa Collection Salmon with Basil (New Recipe)
Purchased Price: $3.50 (on sale)
Size: 9 5/8 oz.
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Not completely horrible. Bland basil sauce. Decent sized piece of salmon. Awesome if you love peas! Lots of vegetables. It’s a new recipe, which means the previous recipe was worse than this.
Cons: It’s a new recipe, but I think they need another recipe. So many peas that they should rename it Lean Cuisine Spa Collections Peas with Salmon. Salmon was a bit dry. Not enough basil sauce to coat pasta and salmon.
Nutrition Facts: 250 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 0.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 500 milligrams of sodium, 450 milligrams of potassium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 19 grams of protein.

DiGiorno Pizzeria Primo Pepperoni Pizza

Item: DiGiorno Pizzeria Primo Pepperoni Pizza
Purchased Price: $5.99 (on sale)
Size: 18.7 oz.
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Makes regular DiGiorno pepperoni pizza taste like swill. Lots of pepperoni evenly distributed. No artificial flavors. Noticeable amounts of basil, oregano, and thyme that gave the pizza a nice herb flavor. Crispy crust. Preservative free crust. Sauce had a nice bold tomato flavor.
Cons: If it’s better than a regular DiGiorno pepperoni pizza, why keep selling that swill known as regular DiGiorno pepperoni pizza. As bad for you as DiGiorno’s regular pepperoni pizza. Cheese seems to be the same stuff from their regular pizzas.
Nutrition Facts: 1/4 pizza – 340 calories, 130 calories from fat, 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 800 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 14 grams of protein.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 5/8/2013

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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.

Velveeta Toppers

These Velveeta Toppers are the perfect thing to top a block of Velveeta. (Spotted by Kelly at Walmart.)

Kit Kat minis

Just in time for summer! Instead of having a small melted mess with a regular-sized Kit Kat bar, I can now have a huge melted mess with this. (Spotted by Kelley at Walmart.)

Exclusive Pepperidge Farm Dessert Shop Caramel Apple Pie

These have been around for a few months, but I didn’t know they were an exclusive. Well, if it’s going to be exclusive, I’m going to be exclusive too and not eat it. Two can play this game! (Spotted by Eric at Walmart.)

Hellmann's Limited Edition Southwestern Ranch Mayo

Hey, potato salad! Looks like you’re getting a spicy upgrade! Dude Foods reviewed it. (Spotted by Jerry at Met Food Supermarket.)

McGuinness Glazed Donut Blueberry Pancake

McGuinness also makes a whipped cream version, which, oddly, looks to be the most normal of the three. (Spotted by Eric at LBCO in Canada.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition 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. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

REVIEW: Extra Dessert Delights Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake Gum

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Extra Dessert Delights Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake Gum

The time my dad gave me a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume, I marveled at my plastic mask and thought, Whoa! I’m really a kick-butt, justice-fighting transmuted turtle! Four and a half minutes later, as the tight, thigh-hugging spandex of the costume cut off my circulation, it struck me: Where would I train? How could I keep it from mom? Would I be able to speak in turtle? How would I fight crime in spandex?!

Yes, dear readers, it was here, at the cusp of my 4-year-old birthday, that I recognized just how many elements there are to juggle as a hunchbacked reptile whose sole aim in life is to stop crime from a major metropolitan sewer system.

In a similar fashion, there are lots of elements one must juggle when dealing with a raspberry cupcake: fluffy cake, floofy icing, [oftentimes] gooey jelly insides, and, every now and then, some coconut flakes are all flyin’ everywhere. If cakes had monikers, the raspberry cupcake would be called Goofball Magoo: it’s kinda awkward and, at the same time, a bit ingenious.

However, if you’re running all about, those mini cakes prove themselves tough to transport and downright hazardous to those pants you just washed. Luckily, Extra noticed that there’s a hole in the bucket of the world for people who wanted a less chaotic raspberry vanilla cupcake experience and they’re now offering said flavor to their ever-expanding line of Dessert Delights Gum and I’m one eager human to jump on the bandwagon to see how it is.

Extra Dessert Delights Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake Gum 2

I already appreciate this gum. Just look at that unassuming aluminum wrapper, that trademark cornstarch dust. Classic.

Before I even chew, I gotta say that Wrigley’s did a swell job mimicking the raspberry-vanilla scent. The stick has a tart, artificial raspberry aroma that heightens into a straight-up sweet smell with a hint of… is that vanilla pudding powder? Sure smells like it.

Much like other forms of fruity gum, the smell of these chewy wedges permeates anything within a 2-foot radius. Depending on where you stow your 15 pieces, this could work for or against you. If you want your apartment to smell good, it could replace your Febreze air freshener. However, if you put said gum beside your tuna salad sandwich for lunch, you may have disaster on your hands. Please, avoid disaster.

The flavor of the gum itself is mild, sweet, and slightly tart, like a raspberries ‘n crème candy in chewy form: cool, sweet vanilla comes at the forefront while the raspberry comes in on the tail end and serves as the main highlight. The artificial-ness of the raspberry is there, but in a pleasant, floral way, leaning almost to the edge of a raspberry Fruit Loops without being too sweet, although it got a little overwhelming and even a little bitter as I came to the end of my brief chewing venture.

And it’s a brief venture, indeed. In a similar style to its Dessert Delight cousins, this stick of gum fails to sustain its flavor for long. After 3 sticks, I clocked it at an average of 6 minutes and 43 seconds before the flavor faded and, not 2 more minutes later, it turned into a Goodyear tire. Not exactly stunning, but not the worst I’ve had either.

The aftertaste lingers for a bit, which is something I could’ve lived without, but it was at least 97.6 percent better than morning breath.

Extra Dessert Delights Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake Gum 3

Like most sugarfree gum, there’s no nutritional harm or hindrance here. Aspartame and sucralose combine their powers to form a mighty low five-calorie chewy plank. Unfortunately, there’s no vitamin C in artificial raspberries, so you’re losing that in the switch from raspberry cupcake to gum. Fortunately, I have no fear of scurvy.

Life is full of little surprises. Like finding a twenty-dollar bill in the dryer. Or getting a double batch of Twix at the vending machine. Or learning that your pet frog can tap dance. While not as cool as a cavorting amphibian, I’d say this gum counts as a happy surprise. I had fairly low expectations of this gum and was pleased to find it’s no fuss, comes in an easy-to-close package, and makes my breath a little happier. While not something I’ll buy too often, it’s a pretty good stick of something fruity to gnaw on.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 stick – 5 calories, 0 calories from fat, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 0 milligrams of potassium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 0 grams of sugars, 2 grams of sugar alcohol, and 0 grams of protein.)

Other Extra Dessert Delights Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake reviews:
Gum Connoisseur
Sometimes Foodie

Item: Extra Dessert Delights Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake Gum
Purchased Price: 99 cents
Size: 15 sticks
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Subtle Fruit Loops raspberry-ness. Vanilla tastes like Jell-O pudding. Classic aluminum wrapper. Only 5 calories. 96.7 percent better than morning breath. Goofball Magoo. Finding 20 bucks in the dryer.
Cons: Not a cupcake. Raspberry flavor can linger too long. Turns into a chewy tire after about 8 minutes and 43 seconds. Artificial raspberries don’t have vitamin C. The complexities of being an anthropomorphic hunchbacked reptile.

REVIEW LIGHTNING ROUND – Grape Nuts Fit, Crystal Light Liquid Pomtini, Monster Energy Ultra Blue

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Here are some quick reviews of new-ish products we’re too lazy to write full reviews for:

Post Grape-Nuts Cranberry Vanilla Fit Cereal

Item: Post Grape-Nuts Cranberry Vanilla Fit Cereal
Purchased Price: $3.98
Size: 19.2 oz. box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Decent tasting with the cranberries. Good source of fiber. Lots of dried cranberries. Fortified with vitamins and minerals. According to the front of the box, it appears to be awesome for high school cross country runners.
Cons: Bland without cranberries (but that’s not going to happen too often). Could use more protein. Puffed barley gets soggy super quick in milk. Not really sweet for something that has 9 grams of sugar. It has vanilla?
Nutrition Facts: 2/3 cup (w/o milk) – 220 calories, 25 calories from fat, 3 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 1.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 210 milligrams of potassium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 30 grams of other carbohydrates, 6 grams of protein, and a bunch of vitamins and minerals.
Other reviews: Breakfast Bowl, Mr. Breakfast

Crystal Light Liquid Pomtini

Item: Crystal Light Liquid Pomtini
Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 1.62 fl oz.
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Pleasant sweet pomegranate flavor with a slight sourness at the end. Makes plain ol’ boring water taste much better. One bottle makes 24 8-ounce servings. Zero calories. Designated drivers can make their waters or club sodas taste better.
Cons: It’s definitely got the “pom” part, but lacks the “tini”. Leaves a weird coating in my mouth for a few moments. If you hate propylene glycol, you’re not going to like this. Artificial sweeteners are more noticeable as the water gets warmer.
Nutrition Facts: 1/24 bottle – 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein.

Monster Energy Ultra Blue

Item: Monster Ultra Blue Energy Drink
Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 16 oz.
Purchased at: CVS
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Wonderful sweet raspberry flavor. The feel of the textured can. 140 milligrams of sweet, sweet caffeine per can. Easy to drink. Zero sugar and calories. Monster Energy’s ability to make wonderful zero calorie energy drinks. If you despise aspartame, this energy drink doesn’t have any.
Cons: Stroking the textured can too much. May not contain aspartame, but it probably does contain other ingredients I shouldn’t consume in large quantities. Perhaps too easy to drink.
Nutrition Facts: 8 oz. – 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 180 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, 100% niacin, 100% vitamin B6, 100% vitamin B12, and 100% pantothenic acid.
Other reviews: Drink What, RecapHub

REVIEW: Limited Edition Strawberries n’ Creme Oreo

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Limited Edition Strawberries n' Creme Oreo

I was going to start my Limited Edition Strawberries n’ Creme Oreos review with an astute observation regarding how many Oreo varieties TIB has reviewed over the past nine years. That was until I lost count somewhere between 20 and 25 while looking through the blog archives, and starting wondering if I should include bastardized Oreo siblings like the Fudge Cremes or Oreo Brownies.

So in the interest of utmost accuracy, I’ll just ballpark the number of Oreo variants  as more than the Duggars have kids and less than the amount of NCAA Division I football teams, while also mentioning that, for the most part, we’ve liked the Oreos we’ve tried over these last nine years. Including, I should add, two Oreo flavors that on first inspection don’t seem too different than these new Oreos — Strawberry Milkshake and Berry Burst Oreo cookies.

How a strawberries n’ cream is supposed to differ from a strawberry milkshake is a matter of semantics and temperature, I guess. But it being May and the whole world is filled with reminders about why I should buy my mom a chocolate-dipped strawberry for Mother’s Day, perhaps the flavor makes sense given the increasing regularity of Limited Edition Oreo variants. Personally, I’m all for combining holidays with Oreo flavors, just as long as those holiday-themed Oreo cookies don’t include Gefilte fish Oreo cookies for Passover.

The aroma of each Strawberries n’ Creme Oreo borders somewhere between the cloying Oops! All Berries smell and that of the classically mellow chocolate wafer cookie we all love so much.

Limited Edition Strawberries n' Creme Oreo Topless

Unlike regular Oreo cookies, the wafer portion detaches from the creme with little effort, displaying a smooth filling that’s roughly 70 percent strawberry creme and 30 percent, uh, creme. Maybe it’s just me, but it I swear there’s been some kind of ingredient change in Oreo creme over the last few years which has yielded a more frosting-like filling, and these are no exception. The filling is a bit oily on the tongue, although nowhere as oily as Mel Kiper’s hair, and it doesn’t have the little specks that the Berry Burst Oreo cookies (or actual strawberries) do.

Limited Edition Strawberries n' Creme Oreo Creme Curling

As for the taste, the strawberry portion tastes like raspastrawberry. Yes, that’s right, raspastrawberry. Not the ambiguous berry flavor of a Crunch Berry nor the somewhat blackberryish flavor of Buffalo’s finest Loganberry, the frosting-like filling straddles the line somewhere between the two most iconic red berries. It’s not really tart, nor does it have a distinct richness of cream that strawberries dipped in whipped cream have, but it does generally taste like strawberries. But it also tastes like a dull raspberry. So yes, it tastes like raspastrawberry frosting.

Unfortunately there isn’t much of that summer day strawberries n’ cream effect that conjures up images of Memorial Day cookouts with just-picked berries and fresh whipped cream. Instead, the effect is more like clearance February Walmart strawberries with Cool Whip. Actually, there’s not even a faux whipped cream flavor at all here, with a single lick of both fillings tasting exactly like a mild strawberry frosting. It’s not bad, but then again, it’s not strawberries n’ cream.

Limited Edition Strawberries n' Creme Oreo Closeup

The good news for purists is that the berry flavor doesn’t overwhelm the chocolate of the cookie, and instead plays a supporting role in a pleasant strawberry-ish and chocolate taste that comes together with the crunchy cookie. Like all Double Stuf Oreo varieties, it’s that contrast of smooth creme and crunchy chocolate shell which makes these cookies worth it. Actually, now that I think about it, the flavor is more chocolate-dipped strawberry than strawberry n’ cream.

Make no mistake about it, these Limited Edition Strawberries n’ Creme Oreo cookies don’t really take like strawberries and whipped cream, and they definitely don’t strike me as the kind of limited edition cookie to stock up on. But any time you combine frosting with a crunchy cookie shell, one can only go so wrong.

I’ve stuffed, double stuffed, and even mega stuffed more Oreo varieties than I can count, and these are far from the disaster some flavors have been. Just don’t try passing them off as an actual Mother’s Day present, because I’m fairly sure the woman who gave me life will expect more than the latest shiny snack on the Walmart shelf when it comes to me saying thanks.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 cookies – 150 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 3 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 95 milligrams of potassium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.)

Item: Limited Edition Strawberries n’ Creme Oreo
Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 15.25 oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Not just a rehashing of Berry Burst Oreo. Strawberry flavor is discernible, albeit in a hybrid raspastrawberry way. Filling doesn’t overwhelm the chocolate cookie flavor. Creme is smooth and not gritty. No trans fat. More potassium than regular Oreo.
Cons: Strawberry flavor is muted, and “creme” element lacks the rich taste of actual strawberries in whipped cream. Attempting to differentiate between crème, cream, creme. Nothing special in the realm of two dozen or so Oreo varieties. Not a proper Mother’s Day gift.

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