I read an interview with Costco’s CEO where he said that if he ever raised the price of the $1.50 hot dog and drink combo, the previous CEO would kill him. While I wouldn’t harm a living being — except cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes, some spiders, and all plants because I have a black thumb — if the company raised the price of its Kirkland Signature Sparkling Energy Drinks, I’d be irate and send a sternly worded letter to Costco HQ.

How cheap are these energy drinks? A 24-pack is $19.99. THAT’S 83 CENTS PER CAN! That seriously undercuts the competition in Costco’s energy drink section. Alani Nu and Celsius 18-packs at my warehouse are $26.99 and $27.99, respectively. But in other regions, a box of Kirkland Signature Sparkling Energy Drinks is $16.99. THAT’S 70 CENTS PER CAN! Whether 83 or 70 cents, dare I say that’s Costco hot dog-cheap.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s cheap, you made your point. But are they any good?”

They are good…enough.

Each box comes with three flavors — Orange, Peach, and Tropical. The first two taste exactly how you’d expect sugar-free orange and peach energy drinks sweetened with sucralose to taste. No surprises or twists here. It’s straight-up orange and straight-up peach. If you’ve had other sugar-free orange and peach energy drinks, your taste buds will be familiar with the flavors. Although, the peach one might be too artificial tasting for some. But for me, both taste equally great, but Costco isn’t revolutionizing the flavor here — just the price.

I do have an issue with the Tropical flavor. It’s not bad, but it’s not as good as the others. The can’s graphics show a pineapple, a mango, and a starfruit, which isn’t exactly a typical tropical flavor combo. Yes, starfruit is a tropical fruit, but pineapple and mango are a tried-and-true tropical flavor duo, and I feel like the starfruit addition messes with the drink, especially the pineapple, making it taste a little odd and more sour than I’d like.

Kirkland Signature Sparkling Energy Drinks have been around for several months now, but I’ve only seen them available once in the warehouse I shop at, and I took advantage of that one time. That’s why I’m only getting around to writing about them now.

Every flavor has zero sugar, seven essential vitamins, 250% of your daily value of Vitamin B12, and 200 milligrams of caffeine. But, of course, none of those numbers come close to the most impressive number here: the price. Even if it jumped to a dollar per can, I’d still buy it. But as promised, I would write that sternly worded letter to Costco HQ, and it would be written in blood.

“I think I’m done with Unwell Energy Drinks. Forever, forever ever.”

I wrote that earlier this year, and I completely forgot I did. But as you can see, I’m not done with Unwell Energy Drinks. Forever, forever ever. Forgetting about my declaration several months ago, I unknowingly picked up Unwell’s Spooky Season Sparkling Energy Drink because I was intrigued by its strawberry flavor and glow-in-the-dark can. Well, my words came rushing back in my head after a couple of sips.

Ugh. That’s right. “Forever, forever ever.”

Since I bought it, I might as well review it. And I’m glad I did.

Now at this point, you might be thinking to yourself, “I’m glad I did” most definitely means this flavor ended up being much better tasting than the previous flavors. And you’d be wrong. I’m glad I tried it because once in a while my tongue needs to experience something that my taste buds really don’t agree with so it can better appreciate the foods that do taste good.

There’s strawberry, but there’s a bit more to it because while I do notice the fruit, it’s a bit different than other strawberry-flavored drinks I’ve had. And that difference seems to be a bit of orange, which comes to mind because of a hint of citrus with a bitterness at the end that reminds me of chewable orange vitamin tablets. Maybe this should’ve been a mystery flavor because I’m not sure anyone would’ve guessed strawberry with orange vitamin bitterness. Even though I drank it all because I’m not willing to waste one iota of caffeine, I’m totally not into this flavor. It’s not awful, it’s just off.

Also an issue is the can’s claim that it glows in the dark, but like the drink itself, it’s extremely underwhelming. The only thing that glows is the big Unwell logo, and, even after charging the can in the afternoon sun, its glow was extremely low, and I needed to be in a pitch-black closet to notice it.

This Unwell Spooky Season Sparkling Energy Drink’s flavor and glow are disappointing. I certainly won’t be buying it again this spooky season or any future one. So if you’ll excuse me, I need to put up a prominent reminder to stop buying Unwell Energy Drinks. Forever, forever ever.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 12 fl oz can
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 3 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 20 calories, 0 grams of fat, 470 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of sugar (includes 2 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 150 milligrams of caffeine.

Nutpods Simply Banana Bread Latte Coffee Creamer

Post Honey Bunches of Oats Protein Honey Roasted Cereal

Malk Whole Malk

Cafe Bustelo Tres Leches Ground Coffee

Scoops Original Peanut Peanut Protein Powder

Scoops Chocolate Peanut Protein Powder

Sprouts Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Made with Avocado Oil

Sprouts Lemony Tahini Za’atar Dressing Made with Avocado Oil

Sprouts Greek Vinaigrette Dressing Made with Avocado Oil

Sprouts Lemon Poppy Seed With Chia Dressing Made with Avocado Oil

Sprouts Sesame Miso Vinaigrette Dressing Made with Avocado Oil

Sprouts Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Made with Avocado Oil

Sprouts Creamy Green Goddess Dressing Made with Avocado Oil

Sprouts Creamy Caesar Dressing Made with Avocado Oil

Last year, RYSE debuted its Little Debbie Pumpkin Spice Rolls Protein Powder. I guess it sold well enough to encourage RYSE to make ready-to-drink protein shake version. (Spotted by Amanda Y at Target.)

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

Warning: If you open a bag of this near me, expect all the rye chips to disappear from it. (Spotted by Van at Sam’s Club.)

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

MacAnnieroni & Grilled Cheese? (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

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

Popeyes is one of those places I don’t go to all that often, yet whenever I’m there, I love it. That’s why I was thrilled that its new limited-edition Honey Chicken Biscuit gave me a reason to visit!

My hopes were high as I unpacked my sandwich from its cute little baggie and wrapping, though once it was in front of me, I’ll admit to a bit of a brain fart—I stared at it blankly for several minutes trying to figure out where the honey was. That’s because my sandwich looked as dry as a regular chicken biscuit… which, in fact, it was, since the honey doesn’t come already on the sandwich, but rather in two little packets that you apply yourself.

Now, I’m no diva, but I was disappointed by that spot of minor manual labor. When I order food, I generally expect that it will come with all key ingredients already assembled. Anything not already on the item strikes me as optional, so it was a little jarring for my Honey Chicken Biscuit to actually be… Chicken Biscuit Plus A Side Of Honey.

Semantics aside, after I opened the honey packets (which was surprisingly difficult) and drizzled them over my sandwich (which was unsurprisingly messy), the result was pretty tasty. The star of the show was what Popeyes does best: its juicy, zesty, crispy chicken. The chicken breast fillet was absolutely gargantuan, but thankfully the biscuit was up to the challenge of supporting it, firm enough to hold things together admirably (it did start to crack and crumble in my last bites, but before that it was a perfectly effective vessel for transporting such a heaping hunk of meat). To maintain that firmness, however, the biscuit had to be quite dry, so the honey was a nice way to offset that issue. The honey’s sweetness also provided a pleasant, novel contrast to Popeyes’ iconic seasoning.

I enjoyed my Honey Chicken Biscuit and was especially pleased that I was able to order it for dinner, since most fast-food franchises seem to relegate biscuits to the breakfast realm. Ultimately, though, I can’t get over the annoyance of having to DIY one of the three titular components. The stickiness from handling the honey packets was irritating enough sitting inside the restaurant; I shudder to think how the many customers naively opting for a quick bite on the go would fare (I don’t even want to think about honey-covered fingers scrabbling to grip a car steering wheel). While the honey was a nice addition, it felt like just that, an addition. I wanted it to be the star of the show, but it came off more like a cameo. (After all, the jingle isn’t “Love that honey from Popeyes”.) The thing that really captured my attention and my appetite was that magical chicken, and there are many other menu items that simply offer a more convenient, and therefore more desirable, way to experience it.

Purchased Price: $5.00
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 730 calories, 41 grams of fat, 18 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 1750 milligrams of sodium, 67 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 23 grams of protein.

Private Selection Pumpkin Harvest Sandwich Creme Cookies

Private Selection Pumpkin Harvest Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookies

Private Selection Pumpkin Harvest Pumpkin Pie Caramels

Private Selection Pumpkin Harvest Pumpkin Popcorn

Private Selection Pumpkin Harvest Pumpkin Spice Kettle Cooked Cashews

Favorite Day White Fudge Dipped Maple Mini Sandwich Cookies

Favorite Day Bakery Maple & Pistachio Mini Macarons

Favorite Day Bakery Pumpkin Mini Sheet Cake

Favorite Day Bakery Gluten Free Maple & Pecan Cookies

Favorite Day Bakery Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

Favorite Day Gourmet Filled Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

H-E-B Bakery Aphrodite Pumpkin Scookie

H-E-B Twist Cranberry Orange Soda

H-E-B Spiced Orange Flavored Apple Cider

H-E-B Cinnamon Apple Herbal Tea

The Fresh Market Salted Maple Cookies

The Fresh Market Apple Cookies

These are the same price as a pouch of regular Cookie Dough Bites. So no Dubai-style chocolate tax here. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

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

Golden Oreo cookies, cake batter flavoring and rainbow sprinkles. Happy 23rd Birthday, f’real! (Spotted by Robbie at Fishers.)

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Cheesecakes small enough to eat with my hands. (Spotted by Jarred at Publix.)

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

Synergy!

Nestlé Toll House and Nestlé Abuelita have synergized to create this Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookie Dough. Though it’s not quite as synergistic as a hypothetical Nestlé Coffee mate Nestlé Toll House Nestlé Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate Coffee Creamer made with Nestlé Carnation Condensed Milk would be.

This is a follow-up to the Nestlé Coffee mate Nestlé Abuelita Coffee Creamer from a few years back, which I never tried. Shhhh. Don’t tell abuelita. I don’t want to make her sad.

The cookies combine cocoa cookie dough with milk chocolate morsels and natural cinnamon flavor. Fresh out of the packaging and out of the oven, they look like something Nestlé Toll House could repurpose as “coal” cookies for a Naughty or Nice seasonal promotion. They’re basically chocolate chocolate chip cookies with cinnamon, which sounds good, and they are. I definitely wouldn’t mind getting these if I’d been naughty.

When the dough bakes, my kitchen smells a bit like a Cinnabon next to a Mrs. Fields. It’s a scent I wouldn’t mind as a candle, a bathroom air freshener, or even an Axe body spray.

When I close my eyes and listen to the buzz of the kitchen fan, the tap of our dog’s paws on the floor, the rumble of the refrigerator’s ice maker, and the voices in my head while I eat, I don’t picture the cinnamon chocolate chocolate chip cookie their appearance suggests. Instead, I think of the creamy, off-white color and flavor of eggnog. Then a light spice kick creeps in, reminding me this is supposed to be Mexican hot chocolate-flavored.

There’s a hint of cinnamon in the dough, but when I bite into one of the morsels, that’s when the spiced flavors really come through. While good, I can’t say I’d prefer it over regular Nestlé Toll House chocolate chip cookies.

Nestlé Toll House Limited Edition Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookie Dough makes some genuinely tasty cookies. I think abuelita would be proud.

Purchased Price: $4.39
Size: 14 oz package
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cookie) 90 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 10 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 7 grams of sugar (includes 7 grams of added sugar), and less than 1 gram of protein.

Chameleon Coffee Nitro Black

Chameleon Coffee Nitro Black Medium

Trader Joe’s Chicken Flautas

Little Spoon Chicken Maple Sausage

Little Spoon Homestyle Mini Pancakes

Simple Mills Parmesan Garlic Almond Flour Crackers

Bonduelle Sides Berry & Beet With Farro

Bonduelle Sides Sweet Potato Harissa With Lentils

Bonduelle Sides Lemon Herb Crunch With Couscous

Prés Original Espresso Protein Coffee

Tazo Honey Citrus Mint Ball Green Tea Concentrate

Sprouts Original Mochi Puffs

Sprouts Grated Garlic & Herb Cheese Blend

Sprouts Grated Hot & Spicy Cheese Blend

HT Traders Rotini With Meat Sauce

HT Traders Chicken Mac & Cheese

The box comes with one Bugs Bunny Doughnut (unglazed shell doughnut with chocolate dulce Kreme and dipped in glossy red dulce icing), one Taz Doughnut (Oreo Cookies & Kreme filling and Oreo cookie topping), one Tweety and Sylvester Doughnut (an Original Glazed Doughnut with candy corn flavored icing and confetti sprinkles), one Chocolate Iced with Halloween Sprinkles, and two Original Glazed Doughnuts. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

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

Cozy Concepts Co Diet Coke Comfort Blanket

Cozy Concepts Co Sprite Comfort Blanket

Cozy Concepts Co Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Comfort Blanket

Cozy Concepts Co Pop-Tarts Frosted Strawberry Comfort Blanket

I’m disappointed the Sprite one doesn’t say “I like the Sprite on you.” (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Spotted something new? Send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

I’ve seen a number of matcha strawberry products recently. I guess matcha and strawberry are a great match-a. (Spotted by Sage G at World Market.)

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

As you can see, the pieces in Limited Edition Froot Loops Blueberry Zombie Crunch Cereal aren’t loops but globes. Froot Gloobes? Froot Roounds? To be honest, it’s nice to get a blueberry cereal that’s not from some healthy brand like Special K. Although, this is the second blueberry-flavored cereal from Froot Lo… wait a minute. Blueberry flavor? Round cereal pieces?

Is this just a repackaged version of Froot Loops Blueberry Glazed Donut Holes Cereal from earlier this year? (Searches internet.) Ugh. The nutrition facts and ingredients are identical. To be honest, I didn’t try that earlier cereal, so I can’t say for certain they’re the same, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they are. At least I’ll get a decent amount of fiber out of this.

Yes, Limited Edition Froot Loops Blueberry Zombie Crunch Cereal is an excellent source of fiber. (And so, apparently, was Froot Loops Blueberry Glazed Donut Holes Cereal.)

Okay, according to FDA guidelines, five grams of fiber per serving technically qualifies as a “good” source rather than an “excellent” one. But according to the recently developed TIB guidelines, five grams is an excellent source of fiber for a cereal with a cartoon toucan dressed as a zombie on the box, one that might or might not be a repackaged product from earlier this year. It’s almost 20 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake. So Toucan Sam can help us on the can, man. Damn.

The gloobes have an inviting blueberry aroma that reminds me of the scent that wafts through the air when toasting Blueberry Eggo Waffles. But the smell is stronger than the taste. It starts with a noticeable blueberry flavor, but by the third chew it loses most of it, becoming less fruity, less sweet, and more oaty. This makes them okay in my book.

There’s also something a little off about the texture once it gets soggy and my masticators get to masticating. It’s a bit different from the usual texture of cereal roounds. It’s not weird, just different. Finally, that blueberry flavor doesn’t seem to find its way into the milk. That makes me feel blue.

Again, I’m not sure if this is a repackaged version of a previous cereal, but it sure seems like it. Though now that I think about it, if it is, it all makes sense. Bringing a discontinued cereal back from the dead and calling it “Zombie Crunch” is a cool marketing moove. But I won’t be sad if it gets buried again in the cereal graveyard.

Purchased Price: $5.79
Size: 17.8 oz box
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup w/o milk) 120 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar (includes 11 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

Trader Joe’s Swedish Princess Raspberry Cake

Alden’s Organic Stracciatella Ice Cream

Alden’s Organic Root Beer Float Frozen Dessert

Alden’s Organic Peppermint Crunch Ice Cream

Alden’s Organic Strawberries & Cream Frozen Dessert

Nutty & Fruity Sour Mode Strawberries

Nutty & Fruity Sour Mode Tangerines

Nutty & Fruity Sour Mode Mango

Nutty & Fruity Sour Mode Extreme Sour Mango

Love & Cookies Hot Cocoa Cookie Dough

Galerie Au Chocolat Ube Style Truffles

Galerie Au Chocolat Matcha Tokyo Style Truffles

Efrutti Tropical Breeze Smoothies

Hill Country Fare Place & Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Hill Country Fare Place & Bake Sugar Cookie Dough

Gainz-It!(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

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

Does the maple brown sugar make these sweet rolls sweeter? (Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

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

Sundae Shoppe Sour Apple Fruit Bars

Sundae Shoppe Sour Cherry Fruit Bars

Sundae Shoppe Maple Leaf Ice Cream Sandwiches

Aldi Pumpkin Spice Cake Pops and Salted Caramel Cake Pops

Barissimo Salted Caramel, Pumpkin Spice, and Cinnamon Dolce Coffee Syrups

Park Street Deli Maple Pecan Dessert Dip

Park Street Deli Apple Caramel Dessert Dip

Barissimo Vampire Kiss Raspberry Cake Ground Coffee

Barissimo Cauldron Chai Cookie Ground Coffee

Moser Roth Chocolate Truffles Bavarian Style

I have a confession to make: I keep wanting to call this an “Aerocinno.”

Aerocano. Aerocinno. At least I’m in the general vicinity.

Starbucks’ new Aerocano takes Blonde Espresso shots and aerates them, creating a layer of airy foam on top that is designed to cascade through the rest of the drink. Essentially, it’s an Americano with a little something extra. And while a traditional Americano can be served hot or iced, the Aerocano is an iced-only affair.

The first thing I noticed was the foam. I liked it! It reminds me of cold foam without actually being cold foam. The aeration gives the top of the drink a similar fluffy look and feel.

I was surprised, in a good way, by what the aeration did to the espresso itself. The aeration seems to cut some of the espresso’s bitterness, making what is still a very espresso-forward drink go down a little smoother. But it was still… missing something?

There is also a Caramel Aerocano, and I have a feeling I’d like that one better. The regular version could use a little something extra, and a touch of caramel flavor would likely make a difference.

Don’t get me wrong, the Aerocano isn’t bad. If you want a strong coffee drink and a solid jolt of caffeine without a bunch of milk or syrup getting in the way, this might be right up your alley. But overall, I found the end result a little underwhelming.

The moral of the story here is that the Aerocano has foam, smoother espresso, and plenty of coffee flavor. The aeration is a cool trick, but the standard Aerocano didn’t quite do enough to convince me it was more than an Americano with a makeover.

Maybe the Aerocinno would’ve been better.

Purchased Price: $4.75
Size: Grande
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 15 calories, 0 grams of total fat, grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 0 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 225 milligrams of caffeine.

Brekki Chocolate Protein Pudding

Brekki Vanilla Protein Pudding

Brekki Salted Caramel Protein Pudding

Flings Dark & Sea Salt Protein Crunch

Flings Salted Caramel Protein Crunch

Flings Classic Milk Protein Crunch

Forte Chocolate Fudge Frozen Bars

Forte Vanilla Frozen Bars

Forte Birthday Cake Frozen Bars

Sprouts Birthday Cake Mini Cookies

Sprouts Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies

The Fresh Market S’mores Cream-Filled Cookies

The Fresh Market Ginger Cream-Filled Cookies

It would’ve been wrong to name it “Rancid Ranch,” but it would’ve been an accurate description of what it looks like. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

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

Same ol’ chocolate bars and Kisses, but in some ol’ looking pouches. Also, I didn’t even know there was a Hershey Movie until I saw these bags. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

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