SPOTTED (FAVORITE DAY SEASONAL EDITION): 11/9/2025

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Favorite Day Caramel Apple Whipped Dairy Topping
Favorite Day Caramel Apple Whipped Dairy Topping
Favorite Day Gingerbread Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Favorite Day Gingerbread Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Favorite Day Mini Target Cart Sugar Cookie Kit
Favorite Day Mini Target Cart Sugar Cookie Kit
Favorite Day Gourmet Mini Desserts Holiday Collection
Favorite Day Gourmet Mini Desserts Holiday Collection
Favorite Day Spiced Cocoa Mini Muffins
Favorite Day Spiced Cocoa Mini Muffins
Favorite Day Bakery Raspberry & Pistachio Macarons
Favorite Day Bakery Raspberry & Pistachio Macarons
Favorite Day Bakery Salted Caramel & Dulce De Leche Macarons
Favorite Day Bakery Salted Caramel & Dulce De Leche Macarons
Favorite Day Bakery Gingerbread & Sugar Cookie Mini Muffins
Favorite Day Bakery Gingerbread & Sugar Cookie Mini Muffins
Favorite Day Bakery Shortbread Cookies
Favorite Day Bakery Shortbread Cookies
Favorite Day Peppermint Candy Cups
Favorite Day Peppermint Candy Cups
Favorite Day Snowy Surprise Hot Drink Bomb
Favorite Day Snowy Surprise Hot Drink Bomb
Favorite Day Hot Cocoa Spoon With Mini Marshmallows
Favorite Day Hot Cocoa Spoon With Mini Marshmallows
Favorite Day Snowflake Marshmallows
Favorite Day Snowflake Marshmallows
Favorite Day White Fudge Dipped Jumbo Marshmallow with Sugar Sprinkles
Favorite Day White Fudge Dipped Jumbo Marshmallow with Sugar Sprinkles
Favorite Day Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mini Waffle Cones
Favorite Day Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mini Waffle Cones
Favorite Day Magical Ice Castle Sugar Cookie Kit
Favorite Day Magical Ice Castle Sugar Cookie Kit
Favorite Day Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
Favorite Day Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
(Spotted by Robbie and Van P at Target.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED (NEW RECIPE EDITION): 11/8/2025

Here are some interesting products with new recipes found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

365 Whole Foods Market Chocolate Sandwich Cremes New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Chocolate Sandwich Cremes New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Vanilla Sandwich Cremes New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Vanilla Sandwich Cremes New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Mismatched Sandwich Cremes New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Mismatched Sandwich Cremes New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Organic Chocolate Chip Mini Cookie Bites New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Organic Chocolate Chip Mini Cookie Bites New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Chocolate Chip Cookies New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Chocolate Chip Cookies New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Vanilla Wafers New Recipe
365 Whole Foods Market Vanilla Wafers New Recipe
Gotham Greens Spinach Artichoke Dip New Recipe
Gotham Greens Spinach Artichoke Dip New Recipe
Gotham Greens Green Goddess Dip New Recipe
Gotham Greens Green Goddess Dip New Recipe
(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: Coca-Cola Holiday Creamy Vanilla

Coca-Cola Holiday Creamy Vanilla Cans

I’m very familiar with regifting.

My son’s Paw Patrol coloring book, which he received from a relative for his birthday, eventually became a birthday gift for his classmate. You might ask, “How dare I take a gift away from my five-year-old child?”

Well, how dare you assume my child actually likes Paw Patrol? He calls it Pawful Patrol because it’s too silly, predictable, there are too many different shows, and the pups are on everything when we go shopping.

Anyway, as someone who regifts, I can see what Coca-Cola is doing with its “new” Holiday Creamy Vanilla flavor. It tastes like Coke is regifting us Vanilla Coke in a fancy holiday wrapper, which is why the quotes are around the word “new” in the previous sentence.

The festive gold and red can states that the cola is “creamy vanilla flavored” and features a swirl that looks like sepia-toned whipped cream, soft serve, or shaving cream. The pretty can also says “Contains No Dairy.” No kidding. It also doesn’t have anything I’d call creamy or holiday-ish.

Coca-Cola Holiday Creamy Vanilla in measuring cup

I thought “creamy” meant it would have a stronger vanilla flavor than Vanilla Coke, but I actually think it has about the same vanilla level as I remember the original Vanilla Coke having, or maybe slightly less. Also, I believed “holiday” meant it would have some different spices or be a slight reformulation of the original Coca-Cola recipe to highlight certain ingredients. But, nope, it tastes pretty much like regular Coca-Cola Vanilla to me.

Now, tasting like Vanilla Coke isn’t a dealbreaker. It’s slightly behind Cherry Coke as my favorite flavored Coca-Cola variation, so I won’t complain about having to drink 12 cans of this regifted Coke flavor that tastes like it. Oh, it’s also available in 20-ounce bottles, and there’s a zero sugar version.

But if I don’t drink all of them, I guess I could give them as gifts and turn them into stocking stuffers.

Purchased Price: $13.99*
Size: 12-pack/12 fl oz cans
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 150 calories, 0 grams of fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 42 grams of sugar (including 42 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 34 milligrams of caffeine.

*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.

SPOTTED: Late July Holiday Batch Brown Sugar Vanilla Tortilla Chips

Late July Holiday Batch Brown Sugar Vanilla Tortilla Chips.

Late July has been around for many Julys, but this is the first October/November/December release. Better Late July than never July. (Spotted by Breanna at Harris Teeter.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

4 Other Things I Consumed This Week: 11/7/2025

Huel Peach & Hibiscus Daily Greens

Never again. I don’t care that it has 42 vitamins, minerals, and superfoods. Even if I got it for free, I would not drink another Huel Daily Greens. The can says, “Powerful greens in every sip,” but it was a bit unpleasant to power through every sip for me. I couldn’t even get through one-fourth of the can. Let me tell you my horror story.

For the most part, this is one of those rare products that smells worse than it tastes, and that might be the nicest thing I’m going to say about this. A savory mushroom smell came out of the can the instant I opened it. While not at all pleasant, I thought it made sense since Lion’s Mane mushroom powder is one of the highlighted ingredients. However, that aroma later became an issue, which I’ll get to in a moment.

The number of juice concentrates in this drink would make you think they could overcome the mushrooms, and they do to some extent. Let’s see now, there’s strawberry, sour cherry, red raspberry, apple, carrot, cranberry, and blueberry.

But despite all that, the sip is like a roller coaster over a landfill. It starts with that savory mushroom flavor dropping onto your tongue, then the fruitiness rises above the less pleasant flavors, making things taste like a tolerable fruity and peachy mushroom soup, and then the aftertaste drops your taste buds back to Earth(y). Also, any burps will have you reliving the aftertaste. Better hope you don’t get hiccups at this time. Oh, here’s another nice thing I’m going to say about this drink: It’s still mostly unpleasant and I needed something to get rid of the taste in my mouth, but I didn’t gag.

But back to that aroma. I thought maybe things would be better after I let it sit in the fridge. Do not let it sit in your fridge! Better yet, do not buy this! That mushroom odor will spread throughout the air-tight box and make any open baking soda box in your fridge tap out, wishing it had been used for baking fruitcakes that will go uneaten instead. Even as I typed this, the open can was next to me, and its aroma silently assaulted my nostrils. So I dumped the rest of the can down the drain, and left the empty can in the sink. I thought that was the last I’ll have to deal with it.

However, minutes later, I could smell it again from the can, which was 15 feet away. Squirting some dish soap and filling it with water seemed to have corralled the odor problem for now. Not sure if I want to recycle the can or throw it in with the other trash so it’ll be burned.

Huel Daily Greens come in other flavors, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they have the same blech-ness. If you’re a Lion’s Mane mushroom fanatic, you should try this. And if you like it, you should wait until they’re on Target Clearance for 99 cents to buy them all. But please open them in the privacy of your own home. But for the rest of you, don’t even think about it. Just hurl your cart past these Huel drinks.

Nestle Tokyo Banana Kit Kat

This Japanese Kit Kat flavor has been around for several years, and I feel like I’ve had it before, but I didn’t document it on this site or in my camera roll. Bad food blogger! Not taking pictures of everything you eat!

My older brother gave me a variety of Kit Kat flavors he collected on a recent trip to Japan, and this was the one that stood out because I LOVE banana-flavored stuff, and it’s the only one I instantly recognized without having to read Japanese writing. Anyhoo, these are delicious, and I’m EXTREMELY sad my brother gave me only one.

If you’re not familiar with Tokyo Banana, you can read more about it here. Basically, think of it as an elegant Twinkie with a sponge cake-like coating and banana creme within it. This Kit Kat, though, has banana-flavored creme between the wafers with a chocolate coating. So I guess think of it as eating a chocolate-covered banana-flavored Kit Kat.

McDonald’s The New Buffalo Ranch

Tiffany recently reviewed the sauce and one of the McCrispy Sandwiches, but I finally got to taste it with the Chicken McNuggets in my $5 Meal Deal. (Pro tip: The Meal Deals come with small drinks, but when you go to the checkout page and edit your Meal Deal, you can change it to a large without an up-charge. Well, at least, I’ve been doing that.)

Anyhoo, back to the sauce. I’m having a hard time believing this is different from other Buffalo sauces I’ve had from McDonald’s. It might be creamier or something, but it still has a familiar vinegary and buttery flavor. Although, if my memory is correct, the previous Buffalo sauces were spicier. If there are notes of ranch, my taste buds didn’t notice them. With that said, it’s a tasty McNuggets sauce, but it’s not quite good enough to surpass my beloved Hot Mustard.

Clear Simple Eats Peach Mango Creme Clear Protein Water

It seems like I’m trying a protein drink every week. Well, what can I say? I’m like a moth to a light when it comes to protein drinks. Or maybe it’s all the influencers in my Instagram feed that tell me I need to consume more protein. This clear protein water from Clear Simple Eats comes in a variety of flavors, like Blackberry Vanilla, Raspberries & Cream, and this Peach Mango Creme. Why does Raspberries & Cream use “Cream,” while Peach Mango Creme uses “Creme”? Well, that’s not clear to me. You walked yourself into that one, those of you who thought that question.

The drink is clear and colorless, but there’s some stuff floating on the surface, which I assume is the grass-fed whey protein that provides 20 grams of protein and gives it a slightly grainy texture you’d expect from a whey protein drink. It has no sugar; its sweetness comes from stevia leaf extract. There’s no juice, but it has a lovely peach mango flavor, with the peach standing out just a tad more. However, I’m not sure about the “creme” part.

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

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