REVIEW: Dunkin’ Sabrina’s Strawberry Daydream Refresher

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It was only about a week ago that I was sipping on the Pink Spritz Refresher from Dunkin’, but because this is the Summer of Refreshers, we can’t stop there! We now have another pink one to try, Sabrina’s Strawberry Daydream Refresher.

This is Sabrina Carpenter’s second collaboration with Dunkin’, and I’m going to take a wild (strawberry) guess and say it won’t be her last. This iced drink takes the Strawberry Dragonfruit Refresher flavor, adds oat milk, and is topped with sweet cold foam. The commercial features Sabrina working at the Dunkin’ Daydream Hotline (no, you can’t actually call this, although it might have been funny if they’d set one up where she gives you several automated responses). She tells her caller, who is suffering from being “hot,” that they need a Strawberry Daydream Refresher while she grabs said beverage from her desk and proceeds to lose herself in strawberry bliss. So, is this daydream worthy?

My drink arrived looking creamy, pale pink, and topped with an inch or so of foam. Despite the fact that the foam itself is not strawberry flavored, I got a strong whiff of strawberry as soon as I lifted the cup to my face, and that feeling never left. Dunkin’s canned cold foam isn’t built to last, but it does provide a nice topper for a few sips before it melts its way into the rest of the beverage. Are there any fans out there of the Starbucks’ Strawberry Crème Frappuccino? This reminds me of a lighter version of that, if we can call something with 41 grams of sugar “lighter” (the Starbucks drink has 51 grams). Oat milk can vary, but I found whatever brand used here to be creamy and complementary with no weird or unpleasant aftertaste.

There are pops of berry tartness throughout, and I know the nutrition facts say otherwise, but somehow, it really isn’t too sweet. It falls under the “Refresher” umbrella, but if I was parched, I wouldn’t reach for this to quench my thirst. I would, however, be happy to have it as a lazy, slow-sipped afternoon treat. The foam might dissipate early, but this drink retained its ice impressively and, from start to finish, really delivers on the strawberries and cream vibe. If you’re in an extreme sweat, I don’t think this beverage should be your first choice, but if you’re looking to just take a break and drift into a sweet summertime vibe, this won’t disappoint.

Purchased Price: $3.32 ($3 deal in-app, regular price $4.39)
Size: Medium
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 280 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 55 grams of total carbs, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 41 grams of total sugar, and 2 grams of protein

REVIEW: Coffee mate Orange Creme Pop Dirty Soda Creamer (Video)

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Oh my goodness! A video two weeks in a row! It’s like raining Impulsive Buy videos! I finished editing this video a week ago, so it’s been sitting unwatched for a while. It’s probably sad and upset that no one has watched it. So make this video feel happy by viewing it.

Purchased Price: $4.79
Size: 28 fl oz
Purchased at: Target
Nutrition Facts: (1 tbsp – 14 mL) 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 5 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of sugar (including 5 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Cookies & Creme Milkshake Cereal

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Tony the Tiger must have stumbled into an ice cream parlor and liked it so much he decided to stay a while. A few years ago, Frosted Flakes came out with Strawberry Milkshake and Chocolate Milkshake varieties, and it appears they were successful enough for Kellogg’s to decide to pick up the ice cream scoop again and return to the blender because now we have Cookies & Crème Milkshake Frosted Flakes.

Cookies and crème sounds like a delicious milkshake flavor, but I can’t help but look at this box and worry that perhaps Frosted Flakes is not the correct vehicle to carry this concept. The art is pretty bland, featuring a bowl of cereal that looks like a semi-truck ran over a bunch of extra pale Cookie Crisp, and Tony was around to scrape up the aftermath.

Opening the bag, I was hit with a scent that was artificial and mildly off-putting. It smells sweet, but not in a way that makes me excited to dive in. I poured a bowl and was not surprised when it looked exactly as pictured.

This is not a visually appealing cereal; the smattering of tiny chocolate specks is unflattering at best and, at worst, could make a person worry there are bugs in their breakfast. I tried a few flakes dry before pouring on the milk, and at every step in this process, I found myself thinking, “I wish these were regular Frosted Flakes.” There just isn’t enough here to set this apart from a generic flake cereal. If you’re going for a “cookies and crème” profile, why be so stingy with the cookie portion? These dots that represent the cookie element are smaller than crumbs and don’t have a noticeable chocolate flavor. There’s also nothing here that suggests the creamy portion of a cookie or the ice cream in a milkshake.

It seems like Kellogg’s thinks that adding milk is enough to push this into milkshake flavor territory, but I’m here to confirm that it isn’t. Maybe that worked better with the stronger chocolate and strawberry iterations, but it doesn’t cut it here. Once you have poured milk on these (Congratulations! You made a milkshake!), they almost seem to get soggy faster than regular Frosted Flakes, and once you’ve eaten the cereal portion, the milk it leaves behind is equally disappointing. Some of the supposedly chocolate bits retain their shape and sit at the bottom, but again, they impart very little in terms of flavor and are mostly just sediment in the pool that is your sad milkshake.

At the price of around seven dollars a box, I can’t recommend this cereal. I’m sure it will have its fans, but for me, it’s lacking all around. Maybe the addition of more chocolate or a creamier coating on the flakes could have made it more true to its namesake, but as it stands, I think it’s time Tony turns to another dessert for inspiration cause the shake concept might have run its course.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Size: 12.1 oz box
Purchased at: Jewel
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 140 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 13 grams of total sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Limited Batch Fudgy Flan Ice Cream

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Full disclosure: Much like a plan, I don’t think I’ve ever had a flan in my life. Granted, my life has mostly been filled with eating establishments that feature fries and not flan. So I guess Ben & Jerry’s new Fudgy Flan Ice Cream is the closest my taste buds have ever gotten to the custard-y dessert.

The Latin American dessert amantes del chocoflan is the inspiration for the pint, and Ben & Jerry’s tries to recreate its flavor with burnt caramel ice cream, fudge brownies, and pastry cream swirls? What’s with the question mark at the end of the previous sentence? Well, I’m not entirely sure there were any pastry cream swirls because I didn’t see or feel any. It was a little annoying, like stepping in front of an unflushed urinal. Granted, my glasses prescription is -6.25 on the right and -6.50 on the left (that’s bad for our non-optometrist audience), so maybe my eyes missed them. However, the image on the front of the container shows darker brown swirls, but like vampires, they didn’t appear in the photos I took. While they eluded my eyes, my taste buds did notice them in the form of something that tasted marshmallow-ish from time to time.

The other two pint parts that I could clearly see were the fudge brownies (because there were a lot of them) and burnt caramel ice cream. This variety isn’t the first time Ben & Jerry’s has used this base in one of its flavors. It debuted with Urban Bourbon, and here’s what I wrote about it:

I have to admit I’m not sure I taste the ice cream’s burntness. Instead, it had a normal caramel flavor that was almost too mild.

With this pint, the base, again, tastes like a regular caramel-flavored ice cream. However, it pairs well with the chewy brownies, which are a delightful addition. When combined, there’s a tasty one-two punch of caramel and fudge that ends with an aftertaste reminiscent of coffee ice cream. Along with the rich brownie flavor, they also provide a wonderful chewiness that I love sinking my teeth into. These brownie pieces are pliable enough that you can scrape some off from the large chunks without having to excavate the whole piece.

However, again, I’ve never had flan in my life, so I can’t compare this to it. However, from what I’ve tasted, this is a glorious treat with a magnificent combination of caramel flavor and chewy brownies with occasional hints of marshmallow. It’s superb enough that I’m sad it’s a limited batch. I might be a Fudgy Flan stan.

Purchased Price: $8.99*
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup – 139 g) 340 calories, 18 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 35 grams of sugar (including 28 grams of added sugar), and 6 grams of protein.

*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. Also, Safeway is so expensive.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Takis Fuego Meal

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The fire-themed packaging that comes with Wendy’s new Takis Fuego meal makes it seem like your mouth is going to have a fiery time. The meal features the Takis Fuego Chicken Sandwich, Fuego Fries, a one-ounce bag of Fuego Takis, and a drink. However, if you’re expecting A LOT of heat, your expectations will not be beat.

The Takis Fuego chicken sandwich features a spicy chicken breast, chili lime sauce, street corn spread, crushed Takis, and cheddar cheese sauce on a premium bun. The chile lime sauce enhances the peppery and citrusy flavor from the Takis Fuego. Although, there was something slightly off about the sauce that kind of detracted from the Takis flavor. Maybe too sour? Also, despite the 20-minute drive home, the Takis in the sandwich maintained most of their crunchiness.

While a street corn flavor wasn’t noticeable, the cheddar cheese sauce cut through the red seasonings and helped calm the spicy heat from the Takis and the chicken. The cheddar doesn’t make it too cheesy, but it does improves the sandwich’s flavor. I know this because I had to buy a second sandwich because my first didn’t have the cheese sauce, and I enjoyed the one with the cheddar sauce more.

However, the highlight of the meal was the Fuego Fries, which combines Takis Fuego Chile Lime seasoning with Wendy’s fries in a bag treated like a James Bond martini. I think the amount of potato strips in the bag equals a medium-sized serving. The menu item comes in a specially designed bag that is perforated across the mid-section, allowing you to tear off half of the bag to access the fries more easily. It’s neat but kind of unnecessary for someone like me who has a steady hand that’s used to reaching into fast food bags to get the bonus fries at the bottom.

They have that familiar chile lime Fuego flavor, but there is still an underlying French fry taste. I enjoyed tasting the chiles and citrus on Wendy’s fries, even those that had a lot of seasoning. There’s a slight spicy kick, but the level of heat was lower than the sandwich.

Speaking of heat, midway through my meal, my mouth realized something was missing that I always experience whenever I’ve eaten actual Takis Fuego chips — the need to drink something cool. Since the meal comes with a bag of the rolled tortilla chips, I was able to compare, and it turns out that my mouth was correct. It was only until I ate several Takis Fuego chips that I felt like I needed to put out a fire in my mouth.

If you’re trying to decide between the sandwich and the fries, definitely go for the latter. If you want the least spiciest, go for the fries. If you want an intense infusion of Takis Fuego, this meal will not disappoint.

Purchased Price: $11.49*
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Sandwich), 8 out of 10 (Fries)
Nutrition Facts: (Whole meal w/o drink) 990 calories, 44 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 4000 milligrams of sodium, 112 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 38 grams of protein.

*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.

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