SPOTTED: Mrs. Butterworth’s Fruity Pebbles Flavored Syrup
Oh no! Fruity Pebbles got to you too, Mrs. Butterworth! (Spotted by Stephanie H at Walmart.)
REVIEW: Garlic Parmesan Combos
What are Garlic Parmesan Combos?
The ‘bos are back in town, this time in the flavor of garlic bread.
How are they?
I imagine most people enjoy the taste of garlic bread, and Garlic Parmesan Combos do a pretty good job mimicking that flavor profile. That being said, you’ll probably also need to be a big fan of hard, horrific smelling cheeses to really enjoy these. More on that later.
I usually prefer pretzel Combos to the baked cracker cylinders, but the crackers did a great job as a bread proxy. They’re basically as salty as the pretzels too, which I appreciated.
The filling is exactly as advertised. It’s a cheesy, garlicky clump of dry mud. If spread on a loaf of bread, it’d be gross but would probably taste how you’d want snackified garlic bread to taste, with perhaps more cheese flavor than you’re accustomed to. It was definitely a bit too much for me.
The garlic didn’t bother me, but that cheese…
Anything else you need to know?
I mean, look, I knew what I was getting into, but the filling smells awful. Garlic and parmesan aren’t exactly scents you’d want to burn a candle of, but it’s so much worse than I expected.
I basically held my breath before popping each one in my mouth. I called them “‘bos” as a joke, but I think I now know what the “BO” stands for.
It stinks (literally) because they do actually taste good. The smell was just so hard to overcome. If I walked into an Italian joint and caught a waft of garlic and parmesan, I’d probably find it appetizing. Something about that smell coming off that weird Combo paste nearly made me sick.
Conclusion:
It probably didn’t help that my bag had a loose asteroid of filling just floating amongst the crackers like a bag of inverse silica gel, but I really couldn’t get over that rancid smell. It knocked the score of these otherwise tasty snacks down 4 whole points.
Maybe I’m just too sensitive? If you’re one of these maniacs who pop provolone cubes like Tic Tacs, these may not bother you. You’ll most likely enjoy the taste, but just know that if you eat a bag, you might want to steer clear of society for a day or two because you’ll probably reek.
Purchased Price: $2.39
Size: 6.3 oz.
Purchased at: Wawa
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 300 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of total carbohydrates, 3 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein.
REVIEW: Jack in the Box Spicy Cluck Sandwich and Blazin Cluck Sandwich
What are the Jack in the Box Spicy Cluck Sandwich and Blazin Cluck Sandwich?
Let’s have Jack’s website explain what the former is.
Jack’s Spice Squad has rated our new Spicy Cluck Sandwich as certified perfection. It’s a bigger, crispier and better-than-ever perfectly spicy, breaded fillet, topped with Jack’s Good Good Sauce, crunchy pickle chips, on a toasty brioche bun. But it doesn’t take an expert to know it’s the perfect amount of spice. You’ll know.
As for the Blazin Cluck Sandwich, instead of Jack’s Good Good Sauce (which seems to be The Condiment Formerly Known As Mystery Sauce), it has Jack’s Spicy Good Good Sauce. Basically, the Spicy one doesn’t have a spicy sauce, just a spicy fillet.
Are we good?
Good.
Sauce.
How are they?
Well, I’m not going to believe the “certified perfection” that Jack’s Spice Squad claims its Spicy Cluck Sandwich has achieved because if it’s “perfection,” why is there a second, spicier version of it?
As for that “bigger, crispier and better-than-ever perfectly spicy, breaded fillet,” it’s not what I’d consider perfectly spicy. There’s a scant amount of heat, and I think Jack’s regular spicy chicken sandwich was spicier. But the breading on this is crispier, and it seems to be slightly bigger.
The fillet’s lack of heat is really noticeable with the Spicy Cluck Sandwich. The regular Good Good Sauce dampens the breading’s spiciness enough that you might think you’re eating an original Cluck Sandwich.
However, with the Blazin version, the darker orange Spicy Good Good Sauce turns the heat up several notches while preserving the regular sauce’s tangy and peppery flavors. Granted, if it’s on a 10-point scale, we’re going from a one to a three or four. It’s a mild heat, but it’s not at a level where I felt the need for a cold beverage. Also, it doesn’t help that the pickle’s tanginess cuts through the spiciness.
The chicken’s coating could’ve had more heat, but I enjoyed these two as much as the original Cluck Sandwich. Although, with the Spicy one, it’s because it pretty much tastes like the original. While the Blazin one isn’t, you know, blazing, I’m okay with it being that way because it has the perfect amount of spice, thanks to the sauce. It’s spicy, but not so much that it takes away from its flavors.
Anything else you need to know?
I’m slightly surprised the Blazin version didn’t come with jalapeños or an apostrophe. But I can understand why. The pickled peppers would’ve overwhelmed the sauce’s flavor and heat, while the punctuation mark would’ve hurt Jack’s cred with the cool kids.
There are also Deluxe versions of both menu items that swap the pickles for Swiss-style cheese, onion rings, and bacon.
Conclusion:
If you’ve been waiting for a spicy version of Jack’s Cluck Sandwich, your wait is over. But, if you want to feel any heat, go for the Blazin Cluck Sandwich.
Purchased Price: $6.39 each*
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Spicy), 8 out of 10 (Blazin)
Nutrition Facts: Numbers not available at publication time.
*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.
SPOTTED – 12/10/2021
Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.
(Spotted by Casey at Walmart.)
I know it says “NEW” on the bag, but this Like Air Pancake Puffcorn flavor isn’t new. It’s new to Sam’s Club, which is where this photo was taken, and since it’s in Sam’s Club, I imagine the bag size is new and as large as a bed pillow. (Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)
(Spotted by Robbie at Whole Foods.)
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
This isn’t a new product, but I wanted to post this so that I know when in December 2021 that Valentine’s Day products started hitting shelves. (Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)
REVIEW: Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch Mini Treats
What are Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch Mini Treats?
The breathlessly-fawned-over, on-off seasonal Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal spinoff Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch has collided with the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Treats. You got your limited edition cereal in my cereal treat bar! You got your cereal treat bar on my limited edition cereal!
How are they?
I only recently tried Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch for the first time, and while I found it a tasty cereal, it wasn’t as good as the OG CTC or French Toast Crunch. I hoped these treats were a better showcase of its subtler (weaker) charms.
Sadly, they were not. Much like the CTC Treats, the texture had a stale cereal feel. The buttery vanilla flavor of the cereal was there, but without that signature SCTC blizzard-thick layer of granulated sugar, a good amount of the magic was missing. The milk-frosting bottom and drizzle didn’t do much in any direction.
However, I will give these treats an extra point for the small sizing. As I’m trying to avoid having to buy larger pants in January, I appreciated the 1” x 4” size, which racks up a fairly small calorie count. If you’re physically incapable of putting down an open food like I am, this is great.
Anything else you need to know?
Why are you all still freaking out over SCTC when Apple Pie Toast Crunch exists now? Are you insane? If I don’t see Apple Pie Toast Crunch Mini Treats in stores next winter, I will RIOT. I mean it. I don’t have kids, so I’ve got lots of time on my hands.
Conclusion:
If you’re a SCTC fanatic, by all means, try these, but be prepared for a chance of disappointment. If you’re meh on SCTC, you might want to pass. And if you’ve got the good sense to love APTC more than any of those, definitely hard pass here.
Purchased Price: $8.98
Size: 17.5 oz box (35 bars)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar / 14g) 60 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of sugar, including 5 grams of added sugars, and 0 grams of protein.