Archive
Sep 30, 2011

Frozen Friday: Banquet - Rigatoni & Italian Sausage

Banquet's Rigatoni & Italian Sausage is one of Banquet's new frozen entrees and features Italian sausage in marinara sauce over rigatoni pasta with shredded mozzarella cheese.

They tend to cost about $1.39 at regular price or at $1.00 or less on sale for an 8-ounce box.

Sep 29, 2011

Review: Jamba Juice - Apple Cinnamon Pretzel

Jamba Juice's Apple Cinnamon Pretzel is one of the baked goods in a revamped lineup and is all-natural and flavored with apple sauce, apples, and cinnamon.

It can be toasted and costs $1.95.

Sep 28, 2011

News: 7-Eleven - Free Coffee from 7am to 11am on National Coffee Day

7-Eleven is celebrating National Coffee Day tomorrow morning, September 29th, 2011, by offering free medium-sized cups of fresh-brewed hot coffee at participating locations in an event they're calling "CofFREE Day."

It's more like "CofFREE Morning" though; the promotion only runs from 7am to 11am.

Still, not bad at all for those looking for their morning pick me up.

In summary: Free medium-sized hot coffee at participating 7-Eleven stores on Thursday, September 29th, 2011 from 7am to 11am.
Sep 27, 2011

News: Krispy Kreme - Free Coffee for 2011 National Coffee Day

This Thursday, September 29, Krispy Kreme is celebrating National Coffee Day and their new Krispy Kreme Signature Coffee Blends by giving a free 12-ounce cup of House Blend Coffee to guests who visit one of their shops.

Krispy Kreme Signature House Blend is one of Krispy Kreme's new Signature Coffee Blends (along with Dark Roast and House Decaf) and is described as "a smooth, medium-bodied, Latin American blend with a balanced flavor profile for the everyday coffee drinker."

This offer is limited to one free 12-ounce House Blend Coffee per customer at participating U.S. and Canadian Krispy Kreme retail shops on Thursday, September 29, 2011.

News: Popeyes - New Dip'n Chick'n

Popeyes is following up their limited-time (and now gone) Rip'n Chick'n by changing a letter and going with new, limited-time Dip'n Chick'n.

Instead of a freaky hand-shaped fried chicken breast, Popeyes goes a bit more normal with breaded and fried breast meat chicken scoop-shaped medallions served with a double portion of blackened ranch sauce.

The blackened ranch dipping sauce consists of a buttermilk ranch dressing mixed with onion, garlic, a blend of peppers and Magic-brand blackened seasoning.

Dip'n Chicken'n is available for a limited-time with Cajun fries and a biscuit for $3.99 through October 23, 2011.

News: Carl's Jr./Hardee's - New Steakhouse Burger

In their take on the type of burger served up in a steakhouse, Carl's Jr. and sister (considering their main consumers, shouldn't it be "brother"?) chain Hardee's offer up the Steakhouse Burger created by none other than the mythical god of hamburgers (at least according to the commercial), Hamblor.

The Steakhouse Burger features mayo, A.1. Steak Sauce, crumbled blue cheese, crispy onion strings, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a charbroiled beef patty on a sesame seed bun. As far as the beef patty goes, you can get it as a single patty, double patty, or an Angus Six-Dollar Burger (aka Thickburger) patty.

You can check out Hamblor and his supernatural burger creation methods after the jump.

Sep 26, 2011

Review: Wendy's Spicy Bacon & Blue Chicken Sandwich

Wendy's Spicy Bacon & Blue Chicken Sandwich is something they've been testing here and there and features a crispy fried spicy chicken filet, lettuce, tomato, thick applewood smoked bacon, blue cheese crumbles, and the same steakhouse sauce they used on the Bacon & Blue Cheeseburger.

It's a buck more than the regular Spicy Chicken Sandwich at my local Wendy's coming in at $4.99.

Sep 25, 2011

Review: Taco Bell - Crunchy Taco Supreme

Taco Bell's Crunchy Taco Supreme features a crunchy corn tortilla shell filled with seasoned ground beef, reduced fat sour cream, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced tomatoes.

My local Taco Bell sells 'em for $1.29.

Sep 24, 2011

Review: Old El Paso - Garlic Chili Chicken Tortilla Stuffers

Old El Paso's Garlic Chili Chicken Tortilla Stuffers are a convenient meal option offering seasoned rice, chicken, pinto beans, and peppers in a microwavable pouch.

A 9.5-ounce bag costs about $3.49 or around $2.00 on sale.

Sep 23, 2011

Frozen Friday: Klondike - What the Fudge? Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Klondike's new What the Fudge? Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches feature vanilla ice cream with a dollop of chocolate fudge inside sandwiches by two pieces of brownie.

They come in a box of four for about about $5 or between $2 and $3 on sale.

News: Domino's - New Artisan Pizzas

In a pretty bold step as far as The Big Three pizza chains go, Domino's is out with new Artisan Pizzas which feature new, hand-stretched "artisan-style" crusts in three varieties: Spinach & Feta, Italian Sausage & Pepper Trio, and Tuscan Salami & Roasted Veggie.

Each pizza is a  rectangular 13" x 9" meant to feed two people and cost $7.99 per pizza.

Sep 22, 2011

Review: Carl's Jr. - Sunrise Croissant

Carl's Jr.'s Sunrise Croissant is basically your standard run-of-the-mill breakfast sandwich (bacon or sausage, egg and cheese) but on a croissant.

My local Carl's Jr has them for a promotion price of 99 cents but they regularly cost $2.49.

Sep 21, 2011

Review: Wendy's - Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger

Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburgers are the new representation of the Wendy's premium burger touting "juicier, thicker beef," "new premium toppings," and "buttered, toasted buns."

I picked up the 1/4 pound version for $3.59 but you can also double and triple up on patties if that's more to your liking.

News: Burger King Expands Dessert Menu with Soft Serve

Burger King has expanded their dessert offerings with new soft serve offerings to go along with their pre-existing shake line-up.

The new soft serve includes premium sundaes, traditional sundaes, and good old plain soft serve in a cup or cone.

Premium sundaes are available with peach and granola for a suggested retail price of $1.79 and with double brownie, OREO or M&M’s for a suggested retail price of $2.49.

Traditional sundaes cover the standards with chocolate fudge, caramel and strawberry for a suggested retail price of $1.

Plain soft serve cones and cups are available for a suggested retail price of 89 cents.

Sep 20, 2011

Review: McDonald's - Caramel Apple Sundae

McDonald's Caramel Apple Sundae is a new slightly different permutation of their Hot Caramel Sundae and comes with vanilla soft serve ice cream, diced apples, caramel, and chopped peanuts.

It's available for a limited time for $1.49 and also comes in a yogurt parfait version.

News: Pizza Hut - Any Pizza for $10 Returns

In time for football season, Pizza Hut returns their "Any Pizza for $10" deal.

For a limited-time, customers can pick any size pizza, with any crust (extra for Stuffed Crust), and any toppings (including specialty pizzas) for an even $10.

Fine print: additional charge for Stuffed Crust, some Pizza Hut restaurants might charge for extra cheese, price and participation may vary. Delivery charges may also vary.
Sep 19, 2011

News: Ben & Jerry's - New Schweddy Balls Flavor

In honor of the eponymous holiday SNL skit starring Alec Baldwin, Ben & Jerry's has launched a new, limited-time flavor: Schweddy Balls.

The new flavor keeps with the holiday theme featuring Fair Trade vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum mixed with fudge covered rum balls and milk chocolate malt balls.

The skit features Mr. Baldwin as Pete Schweedy, owner of Seasons Eatings, a holiday bakery, as he hawks his holiday treats, Schweddy Balls, on NPR.

It can be viewed after the jump.

Sep 18, 2011

News: Sonic - New Bacon & Blue Dog and Kickin' Coney

Sonic has two new premium beef hot dogs: the Bacon & Blue Dog and the Kickin' Coney.

The Bacon & Blue Dog features a all-beef hot dog covered in crisp bacon, shredded lettuce, tomatoes and blue cheese dressing on a poppy seed bun.

The Kickin' Coney takes the Sonic Chili Cheese Coney and adds some crunch and heat with crispy onions and chipotle BBQ sauce.

Both hot dogs are available for a very reasonable $1.99 each.

News: Sonic - Pumpkin Pie Shake Returns

Pumpkin Pie Shakes are back for a limited time for the fall at Sonic.

Sonic's Pumpkin Pie Shakes are made with ice cream, pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pie crust pieces blended all together and finished with whipped topping and more pie crust pieces.

Sep 17, 2011

News: Jamba Juice -$2 Oatmeal and All-Fruit Smoothie Coupons

Jamba Juice has some nice coupons this month for their Slow Cooked Steel-cut Oatmeal, Fruit & Veggie Smoothies, All Fruit Smoothies, and baked goods.

The coupons are printable and available online here. They're valid from Wednesday, 9/14/11 until Tuesday, 9/27/11 and are as follows:
  • "$2 Slow Cooked Steel-cut Oatmeal"
  • "$2 Fruit & Veggie or All Fruit Smoothies (sixteen size)"
  • "$1 Baked Good with purchase of any menu drink"
Sep 16, 2011

News: Dairy Queen - September Blizzard of the Month - Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownie

Dairy Queen's September Blizzard of the Month is a bit more run-of-the-mill than last month's Nutter Butter. This month it's Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownie which features vanilla soft serve with caramel, chocolate chunks, and fudge brownie pieces blended in.

Dairy Queen is also serving up a limited-time promotion dubbed the "Mini Blizzard Meal Deal" where you can pick up a 1/4lb Grill Burger with Cheese, fries, a drink, and a Mini Blizzard for $5.

Sep 15, 2011

News: Klondike - New "What the Fudge? Brownie" Sandwiches and Mint Chocolate Chip

Klondike bars are out in two new flavors with new "What the Fudge?" Brownie ice cream sandwiches and new Klondike Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream bars.

"What the Fudge?" Brownie ice cream sandwiches feature vanilla ice cream with a fudge center sandwiches by two slices of brownie while Klondike Mint Chocolate Chip features the same Klondike bars you know (and maybe love) but with a mint chocolate chip ice cream center rather than the standard vanilla.

News: Wendys - New Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburgers

Wendy's has revamped their website as well as their burgers by replacing their Cheeseburgers with new Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburgers, so named after the founder of Wendy's, Dave Thomas.

The revamped burgers feature new "premium" toppings (crinkle-cut pickles, red onions, thick-sliced tomatoes), thicker, juicier hamburger patties, and buns that are buttered before toasting.

Like the previous Wendy's Cheeseburgers, Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburgers are available with single (1/4 pound), double (1/2 pound), or triple patties (3/4 pound).

News: Sonic - Three New Breakfast Burritos

With school starting Sonic serves up three new, limited-time breakfast burritos this late summer/early fall.

With breakfast served up all day Sonic offers the following new burritos:

The Ultimate Meat & Cheese Breakfast Burrito with sausage, bacon, tots, zesty cheese sauce, melted cheddar cheese and fluffy eggs wrapped in a warm flour tortilla;

the Fiesta Steak Breakfast Burrito with carne asada (seasoned sirloin steak), sliced jalapenos, tots, diced onions & tomatoes, melted cheddar cheese and fluffy eggs wrapped in a warm flour tortilla, and finally;

the Steak & Egg Breakfast Burrito featuring marinated sirloin steak, tots, cheddar cheese and fluffy eggs wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.

Sep 14, 2011

Review: Pizza Hut - Spicy Sicilian Hand-Tossed Pizza

Pizza Hut's Spicy Sicilian Hand-Tossed Pizza is one of their specialty pizza and features toppings of beef, Italian sausage, onions, and jalapenos.

As with most of their specialty pizza, a large will run you $12.

Sep 13, 2011

News: The Coffee Bean - $1 Pumpkin Latte on September 13th, 4pm - 7pm

The Coffee Bean is encouraging you to sample their fall 2011 flavors with an open house where you can either try a 12-ounce cup of their Pumpkin Latte or Cinnamon French Toast Latte for only a dollar.

The Coffee Bean does events like this seasonally to highlight their featured drink selections and they're always from 4pm to 7pm which is when I guess a lot of folks are commuting home from work and maybe need an evening pick-me-up.

The offer is only valid today, Tuesday, September 13th, 2011 from the hours of 4pm to 7pm at participating Coffee Bean locations.
Sep 12, 2011

Review: Taco Bell - Enchirito

The Taco Bell Enchirito is Taco Bell's rendition of the enchilada and features a soft flour tortilla wrapped around seasoned ground beef, refried beans, diced onions and then topped with melted cheddar cheese and a tangy red sauce.

It goes for $1.99 at my local Taco Bell.

News: Starbucks - Seasonal Drinks for Fall 2011

Fall is just beginning to peek its head and at Starbucks that means fall seasonal drinks are in full effect. Here's a look at the seasonal drinks for Starbucks in the Fall of 2011:

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate returns and is accompanied by the new Salted Caramel Mocha which consists of Espresso and steamed milk, blended with mocha sauce and toffee nut flavored syrup and topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce, turbinado sugar and sea salt.

Sep 11, 2011

Review: Keebler - Oatmeal Fudge Stripe Cookies

Keebler Oatmeal Fudge Stripe Cookies are a new take on an old classic: Keebler Fudge Stripes Original Cookies. I thought they were actual oatmeal cookies covered in fudge but they seem to be just the original cookie but with oatmeal added to the formula; so basically oatmeal shortbread cookies.

Like the original shortbread version, they're $3.99 normally or around $2.00 to $2.50 on sale.

Sep 10, 2011

Review: Hostess - Sno Balls

Hostess Sno Balls only come in packs of two fluffy pink balls that kinda make me think of ear muffs but they're actually coconut and marshmallow covered chocolate cakes with a creamy filling.

They're typically about $1.50 or $1 on sale.

Sep 9, 2011

Frozen Friday: Banquet - Pepper Steak Meal

Banquet's new Pepper Steak Meal is a budget-minded frozen dinner option that features a seasoned patty in pepper sauce over rice.

An 8-ounce box should cost you a buck or less on sale.

Sep 8, 2011

Review: McDonald's - Caramel Apple Parfait

McDonald's Caramel Apple Parfait is new to the McDonald's menu for a limited-time. It features a snack-size cup of lowfat vanilla yogurt with cubed apples and caramel sauce on top.

The price is a little more than the similarly-sized but differently layered Fruit'N Yogurt Parfait at $1.49 (compared to a buck for the latter).

Sep 7, 2011

Review: Wendy's - Caramel Apple Frosty Parfait

Wendy's Caramel Frosty Parfait features a caramel swirl in Vanilla Frosty topped with all-natural brown sugar granola, fresh red and green apple slices, and real caramel for $1.99

Sep 6, 2011

Review: Taco Bell - Bacon Ranch Chicken Flatbread Sandwich

Taco Bell's new limited-time, Bacon Ranch Chicken Flatbread Sandwich joins the returning Original Chicken Flatbread Sandwich and features a warm, pillowy flatbread folded over pieces of marinated white-meat chicken, a melted 3-cheese blend (mozzarella, cheddar, and pepper jack), and bacon ranch sauce.

It hits the low end of Taco Bell's pricing spectrum at 99 cents.

News: McDonald's - New Caramel Apple Parfait and Sundae

Perhaps taking a page out of Wendy's book, McDonald's is serving up for a limited time, Caramel Apple Parfaits and Caramel Apple Sundaes for $1.49 each.

The Caramel Apple Parfait features the lowfat vanilla yogurt paired with caramel sauce and crunchy, diced pieces of red and green apples.

The Sundae version replaces the yogurt with McDonald's soft serve and adds nuts to the equation.
Sep 5, 2011

Review: Wendy's - Monterey Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Wendy's Monterey Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich features a white meat crispy chicken patty topped with all-natural Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, and ranch sauce, served atop a hamburger bun for the value price of 99 cents.

Sep 4, 2011

Review: Carl's Jr. - Hash Brown Nuggets

Carl's Jr. Hash Brown Nuggets are a bite-sized version of one of you typical breakfast starches: hash browns.

$1.29 nets you a small pouch of these.

Sep 3, 2011

Review: Pepperidge Farm - Sesame Sticks

Pepperidge Farm's Sesame Sticks are part of their Baked Naturals line of savory crackers and feature cruncy cracker sticks embedded with toasted sesame seeds and flavored with a touch of garlic.

A 10.2-ounce box is normally priced at around $3.79 or around $2.00 on sale.

Sep 2, 2011

Frozen Friday: Red Baron - Singles Pepperoni French Bread Pizza

Red Baron Singles Pepperoni French Bread Pizza comes in a pack of 2 individually wrapped frozen pizzas topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni that can be oven-baked of microwaved.

A 10.8-ounce box retails for about $5.29 or about $2.50 to $3.00 on sale.

News: Taco Bell - New Bacon Ranch Flatbread Sandwich

Taco Bell returns the Chicken Flatbread Sandwich as well as a new variant, the Bacon Ranch Flatbread Sandwich. Where the original formula consisted of marinated white-meat chicken, melted 3-cheese blend (mozzarella, cheddar, and pepper jack), and spicy chipotle sauce folded in a warm, soft square of flatbread, the Bacon Ranch version replaces the chipotle sauce with a bacon ranch sauce (surprise... I know).

Both of versions are only 99 cents.

Sep 1, 2011

Review: Wendy's - Maple Baked Frescuit

Wendy's answer to the McGriddle (at least an answer they're testing), the Maple Baked Frescuit features a biscuit with maple syrup baked in rather than a pancake. The rest is the same with the standard choice of bacon or sausage with egg and cheese.

I picked one up for $2.69.

News: Burger King - New Quaker Oatmeal

Burger King is newly serving Quaker Oatmeal during breakfast hours (6:00am to 10:30am).

Like McDonald's, the product looks to be of the instant made-to-order (i.e. they pour water on when you order it) variety that you can make yourself at home.

The new 100% whole-grain oatmeal is available in Original and Fruit-Topped Maple flavors with the Fruit-Topped version featuring dried fruit including cranberries, raisins, cherries and blueberries.

The suggested retail price is $1.99 per 7-ounce serving.