Review: Chick-fil-A - Grilled Nuggets

Chick-fil-A’s new Grilled Nuggets feature boneless chicken breast meat marinated with a special blend of seasonings and then grilled.

I purchased an 8 count for $3.79.

Carl's Jr. Introduces New Grass-Fed, Free-Range Beef Patty

Starting December 17, 2014, Carl's Jr. will offer a new grass-fed, free-range beef patty in the new All-Natural Burger. In addition to being made with grass-fed and free-range beef, the new patty also contains no added hormones, antibiotics, or steroids.

Review: Carl's Jr.-Green Burrito - Crisp Burritos

Carl's Jr.-Green Burrito's Crisp Burritos feature seasoned ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, and jalapenos rolled up in a flour tortilla and "crisped" to a golden brown.

It cost me $3.49 for an order of two.

Domino's Trying Peanut Stuffed Crust Pizza in Taiwan

Over in Taiwan, Domino's is offering a stuffed crust pizza filled with a "traditional Taiwanese peanut sauce" as well as the typical melted mozzarella.

Sonic Offers 24 Boneless Wing Meal for $14.99 on 12/11/14

Sonic is offering what they're calling the "Flavor Feast Deal" on Thursday, December 11, 2014 only.

The deal includes 24 Boneless Wings, family size tots or fries, and four medium drinks for a discounted $14.99.

New Gooey Butter Cake at White Castle

For a limited time, White Castle offers new Gooey Butter Cake... on a stick! The new dessert is described as "full of gooey, chewy goodness" and joins a dessert-on-a-stick line up that includes Fudge Dipped Brownie and Cheesecake.

Review: Burger King - Yumbo Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwich

Burger King's Yumbo Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwich consists of thin-sliced black forest ham, American cheese, lettuce, and mayo on the same sesame seed hoagie bun.

It was $4.29 for one, or two for $5 at my local Burger King.

Pizza Hut Sticks Doritos on New Pizza in Australia

Calling it the "Doritos Crunchy Crust Pizza," Pizza Hut Australia's latest features a mozzarella-stuffed crust covered with Doritos tortilla chips and cheddar cheese.

Qdoba Debuts New Smothered Burritos

Qdoba debuts new Smothered Burritos and is calling the sauces for them "Smothers."

The new menu item includes a burrito with your choice of fillings topped with a Smother (...), shredded cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, and lettuce by default (you can have them build it however you like though).

Chick-fil-A Adds Mobile Payment; Mobile Ordering to Follow

Chick-fil-A now accepts mobile payments via their Chick-fil-A Mobile App at all locations, except for licensed locations (i.e. those in airports or on university campuses).

The free app is available for both iOS and Android devices via their respective stores and uses a QR code that can be scanned at the register or drive-thru window.

Cold Stone Creamery's 2014 Holiday Menu Features Peppermint

Cold Stone Creamery offers two ice cream creations for this holiday season: Chocolate Peppermint Perfection and Candy Cane Crunch.

Review: Trader Joe's - Peppermint Pretzel Slims

Trader Joe's Peppermint Pretzel Slims feature thin pretzel crisps with a sweet creamy coating sprinkled with crushed peppermint.

A 6-oz bag was $2.99.

Hershey's Offers New Cookies 'n' Mint Nuggets for Holidays

Hershey's offers new Cookies 'n' Mint Nuggets for the holidays. The candies feature milk chocolate with chocolaty cookie bits and a cool mint flavor.

They come individually wrapped in festive green and silver foils and are sold in 10-oz bags for about $3.

KFC's New Kentucky Pie is Ironically Not Available in Kentucky

KFC's new Kentucky Pie is only available in Australia and features chicken breast pieces in gravy topped with a layer of mashed potatoes stuffed inside of a flaky pie crust.

Review: Nonni's - Gingerbread Biscotti

Nonni's Gingerbread Biscotti features gingerbread-flavored biscotti dipped in sweet icing.

The suggested retail price is $3.29 per 6.88-ounce box but I received this courtesy of Nonni's.

$1 Crunchwrap Sliders Coming to Taco Bell Later This Month

New $1 Crunchwrap Sliders are on the slate at Taco Bell and should arrive at a location near you late this month (probably between the 15th and 20th).

A smaller take on the Crunchwrap Supreme, the $1 Crunchwrap Sliders come in three varieties: Beefy Cheddar, Spicy Chicken, and BLT. You might remember they were spotted in testing earlier this year.

McDonald's Hong Kong's Holiday Drinks Look Better Than Starbucks'

While McDonald's holiday drinks here in the States aren't much to look at, over in Hong Kong, they offer a trio of festive holiday drinks, each complete with a different stenciled latte art design that looks better than the typical whipped cream and drizzle of Starbucks.

Frozen Friday: Jimmy Dean Delights - Golden Roasted Turkey

Jimmy Dean Delights Golden Roasted Turkey frozen meal features a bowl of sliced roasted turkey, cubed carrots and potatoes, and diced celery in a creamy herb sauce.

An 8-oz box was $1.49 on sale.

Starbucks Offers New Honey and Almond Hot Chocolate in Europe for Christmas

Whereas the US gets the new Chestnut Praline Latte this winter, Starbucks is offering the interesting combination of honey and almond in hot chocolate over in Europe this holiday season.

The new Honey and Almond Hot Chocolate features mocha and almond syrup mixed with steamed milk and topped with chocolate whipped cream plus mocha and honey drizzles.

2014 Krispy Kreme Holiday Donuts and Specials

Krispy Kreme trots out Snowman, Holiday Sprinkles, Red Velvet Cake and Wreath Donuts for this year's holiday donut selection.

- The Snowman Donut is a snowman-shaped yeast donut decorated with white icing, a red icing scarf, and a smile.

- The Holiday Sprinkles Donut features a chocolate iced donut with red and green sprinkles.

Church's Chicken Offers New Oreo Biscuit Bites

The latest menu item from Church's Chicken is new Oreo Biscuit Bites.

A twist on the bite-sized version of their signature biscuit introduced earlier this year, the new version comes with Oreo cookies mixed into the biscuit batter before baking and are covered in icing.

Review: Popeyes - Spice Box Chicken

Popeyes' Spice Box Chicken features thin strips of white meat chicken marinated, battered, deep-fried, and then tossed in a blend of 12 spices.

An order came out to $3.99 and included a side and biscuit.

Carl's Jr. Tests "Aporkalypse" Breakfast Sandwich

Carl's Jr. is calling it the "Aporkalypse" and it's a huge breakfast sandwich they're testing that includes all three pork-based breakfast meats: bacon, sausage, and ham.

It was spotted recently out in Ontario, CA by the guys over at Wreckless Eating.

Krispy Kreme Buy One Dozen Donuts, Get One Free on 12/12/14

Krispy Kreme is offering a deal on December 12, 2014 where you can score a free dozen of their Original Glazed donuts when you buy a dozen Original Glazed donuts.

They're calling it "The Day of the Dozens" because of the consecutive 12s in the date, and the deal is good at participating Krispy Kreme locations.

Dunkin' Donuts Debuts New Holiday Wreath Donut

Dunkin' Donuts introduces the new Holiday Wreath Donut as we head into December. The festive yeast ring donut comes topped with green icing and a red icing drizzle to mimic the design of a holiday wreath.

Jack in the Box Adds New Peppermint Oreo Shake

Jack in the Box's new Peppermint Oreo Shake is here for the holiday season and features peppermint syrup and Oreo cookies blended with vanilla ice cream.

It's available while supplies last at a suggested price of $2.79 for a regular 16-oz shake and $3.29 for a large 24-oz shake.

Review: Starbucks - Pumpkin Bread

Starbucks' Pumpkin Bread is a lightly spiced bread made with pumpkin topped with crushed pumpkin seeds. Unlike other pumpkin baked goods, it's available all year round.

I bought a slice for $2.45.

Baskin-Robbins' December 2014 Flavor of the Month

Baskin-Robbins celebrates the month of December with York Peppermint Pattie ice cream as the flavor of the month. It features mint-flavored ice cream swirled with a dark chocolate mint-flavored ribbon.

Review: Pizza Hut - Old Fashioned Meat Brawl Pizza

Pizza Hut’s Old Fashioned Meat Brawl pizza features classic marinara sauce, meatballs, fresh red onions and diced Roma tomatoes, flavored up with their “Hut Favorite” seasoning on the crust edge.

I purchased a large online for $11 but the regular retail price is $15.49.

Burger King Brings Back Yumbo Ham & Cheese Sandwich

After 40 years, Burger King brings back the Yumbo Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwich. Available for a limited time, the Yumbo features slices of thin-sliced black forest ham, melted American cheese, lettuce, and mayo on the same sesame seed hoagie bun as the Original Chicken Sandwich.

McDonald's Adds Clementine Option to Happy Meals

McDonald's adds whole Cuties California Clementines as a seasonal side option to their Happy Meals. The kid-sized, easy-to-peel citrus fruit are offers along with apples and Strawberry Go-Gurt as possible Happy Meal side choices.

Review: Papa John's - Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

Papa John's new Philly Cheesesteak Pizza is a hand-tossed pizza with creamy garlic sauce, topped with steak, onions, and green peppers, then covered with mozzarella and provolone cheese.

The pizza is being offered at $12 for a large, but I picked up one for $8.50 with a local discount given on days that the Lakers are playing.

Taco Bell Testing Several Fried Chicken Strips Menu Items

Along with the Biscuit Taco, Taco Bell is testing a number of menu items featuring fried chicken strips breaded with tortilla chips. The test items include the new Chickstar, which is similar to a Crunchwrap Supreme but with chicken, as well as new GoStrips wraps.

Panera Bread's 2014 Holiday Menu

Panera Bread has a number of new and returning items for their seasonal 2014 Holiday Menu.

From the return of the Steak & White Cheddar Panini to the new Mitten Cookie, here's what's being featured at Panera Bread for the holidays:

Dairy Queen's December 2014 Blizzard of the Month

Dairy Queen brings back the Candy Cane Chill Blizzard for December 2014's Blizzard of the Month. Available throughout the month of December, the flavor features crushed peppermint candy cane pieces and choco chunks mixed into vanilla soft serve.

New 2014 Holiday Tic Tac Flavors

Tic Tac offers two new flavors for this holiday season: new Cherry Apple Twist and Candy Cane.

Cherry Apple Twist is a combination of cherry- and green apple-flavored fruit mints (in red and green of course), while Candy Cane offers the taste of classic candy cane without any sticky mess (they're pink and white rather than red and white).

Review: Starbucks - Turkey & Havarti Sandwich

Starbucks' Turkey & Havarti Sandwich features thick-sliced roasted turkey, dill Havarti cheese, lettuce, and scallion mayo on harvest wheat bread.

I bought a sandwich for $5.95.

Popeyes Fries Up New Spice Box Chicken

Popeyes' latest special is new Spice Box Chicken, which features thin strips of white meat chicken marinated, battered, deep-fried, and then, tossed in a blend of 12 spices.

You might remember that I mentioned that the new item would probably be released in December and here it is.

McDonald's Holiday Pies Now Available at Select Locations for 2014

McDonald's Holiday Pies are back for the 2014 holidays, but only at select locations that opt to carry them.

The turnover-style pies feature a sugar cookie crust with rainbow nonpareils baked in and a custard filling.

50% Off All Pizzas at Domino's Through 12/7

Kicking off December, Domino's is offering a 50% discount off the regular menu price on all pizzas ordered online. The deal is good through Sunday, December 7, 2014.

Menu prices vary by location but this list with the discount applied should give you a good idea of how the deal compares to any of their other deals:

Two Free Slices of Cheesecake with Every $25 Cheesecake Factory Gift Card Purchase Today Only

As a Cyber Monday deal, The Cheesecake Factory is offering two free slices of cheesecake with every $25 Cheesecake Factory gift card purchased online today only.

Review: Milk Chocolate Flavored Pringles

Milk Chocolate Flavored Pringles feature the distinctive potato crisps sprinkled with a powdered milk chocolate flavor.

A 6.52-ounce canister was $1.50.

Domino's Now Delivers Hot Donuts in the UK

If you've ever wished some company would deliver donuts to your doorstep, you're in luck if you live in the UK, where Domino's recently started delivering hot donuts in addition to their normal fare.

Review: Pepperidge Farm - Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Brownie Cookies are soft-baked brownie cookies with dark chocolate chunks.

A 8.6-oz bag was $1.99 on sale.

Caribou Coffee's 2014 Holiday Menu Adds New Gingersnap Cookie Mocha

Caribou Coffee adds the new Gingersnap Cookie Mocha to this year's season holiday menu. The new drink features espresso, steamed milk, chocolate, and gingersnap syrup (hints of ginger, allspice, and clove), topped with whipped cream and crumbled gingersnap cookies.

KFC Spicy Gangnam... Chicken?

Over in the Philippines, KFC riffs on the Korean pop hit of a couple of years back with new Spicy Gangnam Chicken.

The new chicken is part of a larger "KFC Food Trip" campaign inspired by flavors from around the world, and features spicy KFC chicken with a sweet and spicy Korean soy sauce-based glaze. It costs 99 pesos (~$2.20 US) and comes with chicken rice and coleslaw.

Frozen Friday: Edwards Pumpkin Creme Pie

Edwards' Pumpkin Creme Pie features a spiced vanilla cookie crumb crust layered with cream cheese and pumpkin filling, topped off with whipped cream.

I bought a 25.9-oz pie for $5.99 on sale.

2014 Holiday Gift Card Bonuses

Here's a list I put together of all the extra holiday bonuses available from buying gift cards at some of your favorite restaurant chains.

Please note that a lot of the bonus cards are more like bonus coupons and are not gift cards per se. They therefore have no cash value and an expiration date. You should check with the respective restaurants for details if you have any questions. I've listed the expiration dates where I could find them.

Review: Starbucks - Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini

Starbucks' Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini features slices of roasted turkey, an herbed cranberry cornbread stuffing, and turkey gravy on toasted focaccia bread.

It goes for $6.25 but I racked up enough rewards to get one for free.

Review: Blaze Pizza - S'more Pie

Blaze Pizza's S'more Pie features melted milk chocolate and marshmallow sandwiched between two large rounds of McVitie's biscuits.

It cost $2 for one.