4 Other Things I Consumed This Week: 11/14/2025

Slice Shirley Temple Healthy Soda can

Slice Shirley Temple Healthy Soda

This was not my first Slice Healthy Soda, nor was this my first Shirley Temple-flavored soda. While this might not be my favorite Shirley Temple-flavored soda, it’s definitely my favorite Slice Healthy Soda. Granted, I’ve only had two Slice flavors, counting this one.

The soda has a tasty cherry flavor, with a hint of citrus hanging out in the background. It has a different flavor profile than the Shirley Temple 7UP I had last year (which is back this year if you missed it). That 7UP had a flavor that reminded me of an Orange Julius. Oddly, this Slice Soda smells creamy, like an Orange Julius, but its taste doesn’t convey that creaminess. 

Favorite Day Banana Pudding Ice Cream

Favorite Day Banana Pudding Ice Cream pint

I’m a sucker for anything banana-flavored (see: banana water). So this easily made its way into my basket, although I had to do some body contortions to get this pint from the back wall of the bottom shelf of the freezer case. Was it worth tweaking my arm? Yeah, I guess so, but again, I’m REALLY into banana-flavored stuff.

The pint features banana-flavored ice cream, whipped cream-flavored swirls, and vanilla wafer pieces. While there are other components to this ice cream, it’s ALL banana. Even when I got a spoonful of the swirls, I didn’t taste anything like whipped cream. It was bananas. Even the vanilla wafers couldn’t make their flavors come through, although their texture added some chewiness. But despite the swirl and cookies not making their flavors known, I really enjoyed this pint. Because, again, I love bananas, and I’m delighted that there’s another banana-flavored ice cream available.

Oh, one last thing, when I pulled this pint out of the back wall from the bottom shelf of the freezer, I was surprised by how light this container was.

Poppi Cream Soda

Poppi Cream Soda can

I’ve been wanting to try this for about a year now, since it debuted as a limited-edition flavor late last year. I finally got my hands on one because it’s now a permanent flavor. Apparently, this was the best-selling Poppi flavor when it was first available. Perhaps that explains why I couldn’t find it.

But now I’ve experienced it, and it smells better than it tastes. Its aroma is similar to cream sodas from A&W and Jones, so you might think it tastes like them. However, its flavor still has that “Poppi-ness” from the apple cider vinegar that all of the brand’s sodas have, which is what I expected. However, it is significantly more pleasing than Olipop’s Cream Soda, and it’s great tasting for a prebiotic soda. I taste why this became a permanent flavor, and it’s definitely one of my favorites.

Liquid Death Cherry Obituary Sparkling Water

Liquid Death Cherry Obituary Sparkling Water can

I’ve never had a Liquid Death before. I thought it would taste disappointing, like all the other flavored sparkling waters I’ve had from Bubly and La Croix, which have flavors that I’d call ghostly and not pleasing to my palate.

But I thought I’d give Liquid Death a try. So I asked the internet what Liquid Death flavor I should taste first. Many of the responses were for Severed Lime, so I had my mind set to obtain one…eventually. However, my neighbors trashed all those plans by handing me this can of Liquid Death Cherry Obituary.

After drinking it, I have to wonder why the other sparkling water brands have such weak flavors, while this has just the right amount of pleasing cherry flavor. It’s surprisingly great. But then I dug deeper and learned that Liquid Death sparkling water flavors contain sweeteners, while the other brands don’t. This Liquid Death has broken my stereotype of what sparkling water is, and now I’m going to find a can of Severed Lime.

Click/Tap here for our previous Other Things I Consumed posts.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Holiday Nog Shake

Dairy Queen Holiday Nog Shake cup

When ordering the new Dairy Queen Holiday Nog Shake, the initial facial expression the DQ employee gave me was one that I imagine the angels at the Gates of Heaven will give me when they have to tell me I’m not on the list. A grimace that’s part embarrassment and part should-I-tell-him.

After a moment of hemming and hawing, the employee asked me if I was sure I wanted it, since it wasn’t good. Customers complained that it tasted weird or had a light nog flavor. However, the words “it tasted weird” are catnip to me, so, of course, I had to try it.

The seasonal dessert is a nog-flavored shake topped with whipped cream and nutmeg, and it looks as unexciting as any nog. But I don’t expect anything fancy when it comes to DQ’s shakes; they’re all pretty much sauce, soft serve, whipped topping, and a sprinkle of something. If you want texture, get a Blizzard or a Dilly Bar.

Dairy Queen Holiday Nog Shake whipped cream and nutmeg on top

After trying it, with the Dairy Queen worker looking at me and preparing for the worst, I thought it tasted fine. There wasn’t any weirdness, but its nog flavor was noticeably more subdued than what you’d get with light egg nog. However, that might be a good thing, because the standard and light versions of the seasonal beverage can get too rich too quickly. If I drank the same amount of regular egg nog as this shake, I wouldn’t be able to finish it because it would be too much, and my stomach would punish me soon after. However, I had no problem finishing this with its mild flavor.

There’s nothing about Dairy Queen’s Holiday Nog Shake that makes it a must-buy. This time of year, there are a multitude of ways to get the nog flavor in your mouth. Actually, now that I think about it, egg nog-flavored ice creams (and frozen dairy desserts) I’ve gotten from the store have a stronger flavor than this.

Purchased Price: FREE*
Size: Small
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 460 calories, 18 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 64 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 56 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of protein.

*The employee was so unsure about whether I’d like this nog-flavored shake that they gave it to me for free. Christmas is early this year! Maybe the worker was Santa Claus?

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Peppermint Bark Blizzard

Dairy Queen Peppermint Bark Blizzard in a cup

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Dairy Queen gives us the new Peppermint Bark Blizzard. Sure, December might have been a more logical time to introduce this flavor, but I am glad that DQ only loosely follows the calendar because this is a delicious early Christmas gift.

I can’t give DQ any points for creativity with the straightforward name of this Blizzard, and it has an equally uninspiring look, as the peppermint bark pieces have a lot of white, which helps them hide in the vanilla soft serve. But once they get into your mouth, they deliver a wonderful flavor.

Dairy Queen Peppermint Bark Blizzard top

The DQ website says the peppermint bark has “white and milk chocolatey layers sprinkled with peppermint candy cane pieces,” and I truly could taste all three components. The white chocolate was a nice addition, as that’s not a typical Blizzard ingredient, and the candy cane pieces added a pleasant crunch despite being quite small. The milk chocolate was perhaps the least noticeable of the three, but it provides some contrast and a familiar flavor.

Dairy Queen Peppermint Bark Blizzard  mix-ins

I don’t mean this in a bad way, but this Blizzard is kind of like a Liam Neeson movie in that you pretty much know exactly what you are going to get. No, this Blizzard does not have giant plot holes or gratuitous violence, and it won’t threaten you in a deep, guttural voice, but it delivers what is promised. It’s just vanilla ice cream with peppermint bark. There are no surprises, but if you like ice cream, candy canes, and chocolate, well, then you are going to like this. Yes, it’s rather simple, but that’s OK. In fact, this one is more than OK.

This is a splendid Blizzard, and unlike Neeson’s latest flick “Ice Road: Vengeance,” which is somehow both predictable and unbelievable, I highly recommend it.

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: Mini
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 350 calories, 13 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 47 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Baskin-Robbins Pistachio Chocolate Bar Ice Cream

Baskin-Robbins Pistachio Chocolate Bar Ice Cream scoop

I can’t say I’ve ever had Dubai-style chocolate because it’s not Dubai-gas-cheap. Seriously, I understand why gas is cheap in Dubai, but why is Dubai chocolate so expensive? Is it also expensive in Dubai, where gas is cheaper than bottled water here? Baskin-Robbins’ Flavor of the Month – Pistachio Chocolate Bar – is inspired by the pricey chocolate bar that’s gotten more lasting attention than ruby chocolate.

The scoop features a mix of pistachio and chocolate-flavored ice creams, pistachio pieces, and chocolate crunch swirls. Sadly, no kadayif (finely shredded filo pastry). But with the green pistachio ice cream and the dark-ish chocolate swirls, it brings Dubai chocolate to mind.

Baskin-Robbins Pistachio Chocolate Bar Ice Cream spoonful

Eating just the two swirled ice creams in one spoonful didn’t have a good balance; the pistachio dominates. The nut pieces included only made the pistachio flavor stronger. It’s only when the stronger-tasting chocolate crunch swirls came into play that this had a better balance, and that’s when I truly loved the scoop. I spent the rest of my time with my scoop making sure I got a bit of swirl with every spoonful. Thankfully, they were plentiful. I also loved its gritty and crunchy texture.

Baskin-Robbins Pistachio Chocolate Bar Ice Cream swirl

The pistachio pieces, which there are a lot of, didn’t have as hearty a snap as those in a bag of Wonderful Pistachios, but they did have a nice crunch. Honestly, the swirls had a more pleasing texture.

As a fan of pistachio ice cream, I thoroughly enjoyed this scoop with its great flavors and textures. It’s definitely worth a taste if you’re into pistachio ice cream. While it’s also not Dubai-gas-cheap, it’s about half the price of many Dubai chocolate offerings.

One last thing. While Baskin-Robbins Pistachio Chocolate Bar Ice Cream was extremely pleasing, I’m a little disappointed there wasn’t a Thanksgiving-themed flavor for this year’s November Flavor of the Month after last year’s Brie My Guest and 2023’s Turkey Day Fixin’s.

Purchased Price: $5.07*
Size: 4 oz scoop
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 330 calories, 21 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 130 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 22 grams of sugar (including 16 grams of added sugar), and 6 grams of protein.

*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. Also, I purchased this at a Baskin-Robbins in a high-rent mall.

REVIEW: Arby’s Apple Pie Shake

Arby’s Apple Pie Shake Cup

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Arby’s has brought back its deep-fried turkey sandwiches. Those sandwiches evoke the savory side of the festive meal, but the restaurant has a brand-new item inspired by one of the all-American desserts of the all-American holiday meal, the Apple Pie Shake.

Arby’s has The Meats, so it’s not the first place I think of if I want a milkshake. I haven’t tried every shake that Arby’s has offered. But of the ones I’ve tried, the Apple Pie Shake is the best!

It truly tastes like apple pie! There’s a subtle apple flavor, like what happens when you bake actual apples. I worried it would have an artificial apple flavor, but it’s authentic and not overpowering. There is also a cinnamon flavor, as you would expect in apple pie. And it even tastes like some kind of baked element, like a piecrust.

Arby’s Apple Pie Shake no mix-ins

However, since this is an Arby’s shake, there are no mix-ins, like apples or crust pieces. Unlike some other Arby’s shakes, there isn’t even a syrup swirl on the side of the cup. But it works so well that I don’t miss those elements. Sometimes less is more. Like other Arby’s shakes, it is soft and liquid enough to consume through a straw.

A dusting of cinnamon sugar on top of the whipped cream.

The shake comes with whipped topping and a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar, which reminds me of the dusting on churros or Taco Bell cinnamon twists. The treat is good enough on its own that it doesn’t need the topping, but it’s a nice touch.

Previous fall treats at Arby’s have included a pumpkin cheesecake shake and last year’s pumpkin turnovers. I didn’t much care for those. But I hope the Apple Pie Shake becomes a tradition.

Purchased Price: $3.69
Size: Regular
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 560 calories, 140 calories from fat, 16 grams of total fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 290 milligrams of sodium, 94 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 82 grams of sugar, and 11 grams of protein.

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