I want to be the Halloween grinch that passes these out. I wonder if I’ll end up with bandaged trees instead of TPed ones. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

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But how many licks does it take to get through the thin candy shell? (Spotted by Julie R at Walmart.)

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It’s hard for my stomach to resist new prebiotic sodas. Sometimes it’s for the flavor, but it’s mostly for the fiber and prebiotics. Cove, a brand that I pass by a lot but rarely buy unless there’s an intriguing new flavor with a tie-in to something else, has an intriguing new flavor with a tie-in to something else — Limited Edition Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake.

Full disclosure: I’m 99 percent sure I’ve never had a Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake bar. I’ve consumed a vast number of frozen novelties over the decades, but my sweet tooth can’t recall ever eating this ice cream truck staple. So I can’t say if this soda tastes like one. However, I can say it’s berry good.

It has a milder, less cloying flavor than regular strawberry sodas, and a more natural taste, too, thanks to the strawberry puree in it. There’s also a creaminess that shows up… um, smells up? in the aroma and taste. Its flavor and scent remind me of strawberry yogurt, more specifically Yoplait’s Strawberry Go-Gurt, which I’ve had a lot of recently because I bought my son a box of SpongeBob SquarePants-themed strawberry Go-Gurt that he refuses to eat because it’s non-organic and not made from milk that has been hand-milked from grass-fed cows.

Just kidding. He’s not eating them because he hates SpongeBob SquarePants.

Oh, speaking of things people hate. If you’re not a fan of erythritol because it makes your stomach feel like it hates you as much as my son hates SpongeBob SquarePants, I’d avoid this soda because it has a lot of it.

Even though Cove’s Limited Edition Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Prebiotic Soda tastes more like yogurt than an ice cream bar, my stomach believes its taste and four grams of fiber make it a winner.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Size: 12 fl oz can
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 100 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, 10 grams of erythritol, and 0 grams of protein.

Trader Joe’s Apple Pie À La Mode Ice Cream

Trader Joe’s Basque Style Cheesecakes

Trader Joe’s Filled Belgian Chocolate Bites

Trader Joe’s Plum Torte

Trader Joe’s Apple Vinaigrette Dressing

Trader Joe’s Cranberry & Jalapeno Chicken Meatballs

Trader Joe’s Tater Bites

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Cream Cheese Croissants

Trader Joe’s Linguine Nerano

Trader Joe’s Baby Pak Choi

The Trader Joe’s Candy Jar Flavored Lip Butter Balm Set

Trader Joe’s Charcuterie Party Of One

Trader Joe’s Autumn Leaf Sugar Cookies

Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Mini Donuts

Trader Joe’s Razor Clams In Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin & Spice Caramel Sauce

Trader Joe’s London Fog Tea Drink Concentrate

Trader Joe’s Rotisserie Seasoned Chicken Breast

Trader Joe’s Grated Seasoned Parmesan Cheese

The ball is in your court, Skippy. (Spotted by Natasha at Jewel-Osco.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

I guess we need skin protection during the fall months too. (Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

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Did you know National Snickerdoodle Day is on October 1st and National Cappuccino Day is on November 8th? (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

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Jack in the Box’s Krusty Burger of Terror is an appropriate name because it made me scared to buy it again. But a part of me also wants to call it the Krusty Burger of Terrible instead, because it’s hard to recommend.

Here’s what the Jack in the Box website says about the burger that’s part of the chain’s The Simpsons Halloween-themed menu: “Take a trip to Springfield with a terrifyingly delicious seasoned 100% beef patty, melty American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and new Spooky Simpsons sauce on a toasted sesame seed bun.”

To be honest, I have no idea what ingredients make up a Krusty Burger in The Simpsons, but I imagine it’s everything listed above with a “secret sauce” swapped in for what comes on this burger. The only slightly intriguing ingredient here is that Spooky Simpsons sauce, which Jack describes as a smoky barbecue ketchup made specifically for the collaboration. But after trying it, it’s not spooky at all. It’s basically a Simpson, I mean, simple, sweet barbecue sauce.

As you can guess, it tastes pretty much like a cheeseburger with barbecue sauce, which is fine, but not that exciting. The condiment tastes a bit sweeter than previous Jack in the Box barbecue sauces, but it doesn’t help make the burger’s taste stand out. But what makes this menu item hard to recommend is how little I got for what I paid.

When I grabbed the bag at the drive-thru window with my burger, it felt so light I wondered if I’d been given a bag with nothing but a generous amount of napkins. Or maybe every order of the Krusty Burger of Terror is not a burger, but an actual ghost that pops out of the bag to scare you. No ghost popped out, unfortunately, and once I unwrapped the burger, I understood why the bag felt so light. It looked less substantial than a Jack Jr. and felt lighter than a McDouble. The slightly underbaked-looking bun didn’t help matters either.

All of this disappointment cost me five dollars for a burger that looks like it should be three bucks at the most.

DOH!

Although it’s not completely disappointing, it does come in a special Krusty Burger wrapper and it’s better than eating Bart’s shorts. But if the wrapper is more interesting than the burger itself, that’s terrifying.

Purchased Price: $4.99*Rating: 3 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 370 calories. No other nutritional information is available on the Jack in the Box website.

*Because I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

Favorite Day Salted Cinnamon Maple Mini Rice Cakes

Favorite Day Pre-Built Haunted Village Sugar Cookie Kit

Member’s Mark Muffins Variety Pack Butter Pecan, Red Velvet, and Pumpkin Spice

World Market Apple Pie Chai Ground Coffee

World Market Bourbon Brown Sugar Ground Coffee

H-E-B Caramelized Onion & Cranberry Ridged Potato Chips

H-E-B Winter Wonderland Trail Mix

H-E-B Turtle Trail Mix

H-E-B Spiced Orange Apple Cider

H-E-B Chaider Apple Cider With Chai Tea

H-E-B Spiced Apple Cider Drink Mix

H-E-B Caramel Apple Cider Drink Mix

South Bend Chocolate Company Spooky Twists Gourmet Pretzels

South Bend Chocolate Company Monster Munch Gourmet Popcorn

South Bend Chocolate Company Apple Butter Crunch Gourmet Popcorn

Dip these in blueberry pancake batter, and I bet you’ve got yourself a berry good breakfast. (Spotted by Rachel J at Fred Meyer.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

BRING ME MOAR BANANA! (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

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I wouldn’t make that face if I had an ICEE in my hand at night in the middle of fall. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

It’s hard for me to resist this new Mountain Dew x Trolli Mango Pineapple Punch. First off, mango is one of my favorite fruits in the entire world. Secondly, Trolli is a gummy candy that’s worth getting stuck between my teeth. Thirdly, the pineapple-flavored Mountain Dew Maui Burst is one of my top Dew flavors of all time. Fourthly, punch is my favorite way to attack in Street Fighter.

The name alone makes this variety sound Dewrrific, and you know what, it is. However, I’m just not sure the name correctly describes the flavor.

If you look at the can’s design, you’ll clearly see mangoes and pineapples, along with a Trolli Crawler that looks like I’m hallucinating Homer Simpson while on an LSD trip. But read between the fruits and the Trolli Crawler that resembles what Homer might see in the mirror after one too many Duff beers, and you’ll spot a strawberry, which turns out to be the dominant flavor here. In fact, the tart berry is so noticeable that it beckons my brain back to other strawberry-forward Mountain Dews, like Supernova and Uproar. Much of my joy in this Dew comes from my love of those long-gone, berry-flavored varieties.

Yes, fortunately, there’s a bit of sweet and slightly sour pineapple, which helps console me a little for not being able to easily get my hands on Mountain Dew Maui Burst, a flavor that continues to be a Dollar General exclusive despite all my praying and Coca-Cola sacrifices to the Mountain Dew Gods to break that exclusivity.

But the fruit that’s lacking here is the mango. I can’t help but look at the Trolli Crawler on the other side of the can and think that it’s saying to me with every sip, “You can’t have the Mango,” and follow it up with a smug little slap to its curvy body. But if I really savor the sip, I can convince myself that there’s a hint of it, but the strawberry in this ménage à taste keeps redirecting my taste buds back to itself.

Look, pineapple and strawberry are a delicious combo, and I’m not upset that the mango gets lost between the two. Actually, I’m not sure I’ve ever had a pineapple and strawberry drink before, but I’m glad Mountain Dew x Trolli Mango Pineapple Punch introduced my mouth to it. I’m also glad I couldn’t find the 20-ounce bottle and was forced to get a 12-pack instead, which has allowed me to savor it more than once. I’m now on can ten, and I’ll miss it when it’s gone.

Purchased Price: $10.19
Size: 12-pack/12 oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 170 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 44 grams of sugar (including 44 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 54 milligrams of caffeine.

Old El Paso Chicken Broth Tinga Style

Old El Paso Beef Broth Birria Style

Member’s Mark Sweet Potato Chips Sea Salted

Member’s Mark Dried Apple Rings

Benny Limited Edition Green Apple Swirl Energy Drink

Trader Joe’s Pink Peppercorn Fontina Cheese

Samyang Buldak Truffle Spicy Ramen

Marketside Hot Honey Muffins

Wheaties A’ja Wilson Box

Publix Sweet Tea & Lemonade Float Premium Ice Cream

Zerolicious Maple Pancakes Sugar Free Syrup

Zerolicious Banana Bread Sugar Free Syrup

Zerolicious Apple Cider Donut Sugar Free Syrup

Edward Marc Girl Scouts Lemon-Ups Bites

Tostitos Original NFL Design

I’d really love to see someone give out bags of these for Halloween. That would be awesome and expensive. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

I love that food brands are going bananas over bananas. Although, it’s not so bananas that this is a Walgreens exclusive. (Spotted by Sage G at Walgreens.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Um. What’s up with the fangs? Also, what’s up with his tongue sticking out? Is Toucan Sam going to dunk one of the cereal pieces over someone? (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

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I like my coffee like I like my meats — mass-produced by a machine and stuffed into a can. So it’s easy for me to be a fan of Starbucks’ Doubleshot Energy Coffee Drinks. But one flavor I’ve desired that has eluded the line since it debuted in 2008 is a no-brainer flavor — Pumpkin Spice.

Pumpkin spice might not have become the thing that invades store shelves and menu boards every June through November, causing folks to curse its prevalence, if not for Starbucks’ famous Pumpkin Spice Latte. So why has it taken so long for Starbucks to roll out a pumpkin spice-flavored Doubleshot Energy Coffee?

Was there trouble getting the flavor right? Was Starbucks afraid a Doubleshot Energy version would hurt brick-and-mortar sales of the beloved PSL? Did UGG complain about how it’s not chic to be holding an aluminum can instead of a clear plastic cup? Whatever the reason, I’m glad Starbucks finally got around to it, UGG Boots be damned.

However, after one sip, I began to question even more why it took so long.

If you poured this into a glass bottle of Starbucks’ ready-to-drink Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino and offered it to me, I wouldn’t question that it was anything other than what it says on the bottle because this energy coffee tastes exactly like a bottled Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino. They both have the same cinnamon-y, nutmeg-y, and ginger-y flavors.

And then I’d start wondering what you want from me, since you don’t seem like a hand-me-a-free-Frappuccino kind of person. Do you need money? Food? A place to crash for a few days? Need me to lie to the police? Or do you need help finding the right words to break up with your significant other over text?

After thinking about it, though, I’m not sure why I expected a taste difference. It makes sense that they’d taste the same. What doesn’t make sense is why it took so long to get here if all they were going to do was reproduce the flavor of the bottled Frappuccino.

But you know what? I’m not even mad. The Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino is quite tasty, and I’ve purchased it several times over the years. So if this Doubleshot Energy flavor comes back annually, it’ll definitely replace my bottled Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino purchases, since I’m getting a bigger caffeinated bang for my buck. This Doubleshot contains 125 milligrams of caffeine, while the bottled Frappuccino contains 40 milligrams. Plus, the energy drink has less sugar, fewer calories, and is stuffed into a can.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 15 fl oz can
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 210 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 28 grams of sugar (includes 14 grams of added sugar), 10 grams of protein, and 125 milligrams of caffeine.

Hon hon hon. I’m sorry. I mean, tee hee. (Spotted by Jarred at Publix.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

After this creamer, it was inevitable that there would be a Nestle Toll House Abuelita Cookie Dough. (Spotted by Sage G at Target.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Ubetcha, ube is still around. (Spotted by Sage G at Target, Tommy at Shaw’s, and Hailey R at Hy-Vee.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

After the Cove Smurfberry flavor, I’m surprised this isn’t a Strawberry Shortcake Strawberry Shortcake flavor. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Now that summer is dwindling, and we’ve reached the “Ber” portion of the calendar, I jumped the gun a bit and already unpacked my Elf on a Shelf.

By “Elf,” I of course mean the Keebler Cookie Elves, and by “Shelf,” I naturally mean the supermarket shelves where they stock Keebler cookies. That’s obviously what this extremely clunky opening is referring to.

It’s been a minute since I stopped by the little yellow section of the cookie aisle. Keebler bags, not unlike the middle bulb on a traffic light, basically just mean “keep going,” as I zoom on towards Oreo Avenue. They’ve essentially become a once-a-year purchase for me.

I don’t know why, but I often forget Keebler even exists. That all changed when I noticed they did a new cookie collab with another enjoyable, lifelong snack I never even think about anymore – Nestle Crunch.

I may catch a few stray (always white) rectangles of fun-size Crunch bars in my half-priced Halloween candy slop bags this November, but I’m not even positive the full-size bars are still in the candy aisle.

Needless to say, the idea of two snacks I like but barely remember collaborating was very intriguing. I think they had the right idea; unfortunately, I don’t think the plan worked.

Take Keebler chocolate chip cookies and stud them with what is essentially Buncha Crunch. Ok, you got me to stop; mission accomplished, but there’s just something off here.

When you think about Ernie and his Elf minions, have you ever once thought about a chocolate chip cookie? You haven’t. Keebler has some iconic cookies, none of which are their Chips Deluxe. I can see why. This base cookie is not very good.

They’re too hard without having a satisfying crisp. They almost seem stale right out of the bag. The flavor of the cookie is bland and almost “graham” leaning. There’s also an “almondy” essence that I’d like in a better cookie.

When you mix that base cookie with a bunch of rice crisps, it doubles down on that “stale blandness” to the point no amount of chocolate is gonna save it. It’s carb-on-carb violence. The crispies lose their appeal almost immediately and feel pointless. This was the wrong candy bar to “cookiefy.”

I couldn’t even tell you if this is Keebler chocolate or Nestle chocolate, but it’s not doing much here. Ferrero owns both, so I’m genuinely curious which chocolate won out.

Anyway, since the cookie made me think of graham, I added a dollop of Marshmallow Fluff for a makeshift s’more, and nah, the texture just doesn’t allow for this to succeed. Marshmallow raised the flavor profile from “muted” to “muted, but sticky.”

I like the concept, but kinda hate the final form. That said, I’d love to see more – with all due respect – B-tier snacks collab in an attempt to boost themselves up.

If nothing else, reviewing this cookie reminded me that Keebler Fudge Sticks exist, and I will be buying them, possibly in bulk, next time I hit the supermarket.

Purchased Price: $3.58
Size: 9.5 oz package
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 3 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 Cookies) 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 36 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Cove Limited Edition Blood Orange Prebiotic Soda

Bettergoods Pumpkin Chai Blondie Bar Mix

Fancy Sprinkles Glow Worm Green Edible Glitter

Bakr Limited Edition Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Bakr Limited Edition Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Maud Borup Freaky Fruity Screaming Gummies

Maud Borup Ghostly Glitter Bombs Cotton Candy

Favorite Day Fruity Gummy Skulls

Trick-or-Treat Sweet Treat Variety Pack Glow in the Dark Packs

Lesser Evil Spooky Spaceballs Real Organic Cheddar Corn Puffs Snack Packs

Lesser Evil Spooky Popcorn Himalayan Pink Salt Snack Packs

Drizzilicious Halloween Packs

Once Upon A Treat by H-E-B Candy Corn Treat Packs

I have an idea. How about a Mountain Dew Real Sugar Collection? Beloved flavors but with real sugar. Pitch Black Made with Real Sugar. Voltage Made with Real Sugar. Maui Blast Made with Real Sugar and Not a Dollar General Exclusive. (Spotted by Rene B at FoodMaxx.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

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