SPOTTED (DUBAI-STYLE CHOCOLATE EDITION): 11/14/2025

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.

Marketside Dubai-Style Chocolate Cake
Marketside Dubai-Style Chocolate Cake
(Spotted by Sage G at Walmart.)
The Republic Of Tea Dubai Chocolate Matcha
The Republic Of Tea Dubai Chocolate Matcha
The Republic Of Tea Dubai Chocolate Cuppa Chocolate Tea
The Republic Of Tea Dubai Chocolate Cuppa Chocolate Tea
(Spotted by Robbie at World Market.)
Member’s Mark Dubai-Style Chocolate Gourmet Cupcakes
Member’s Mark Dubai-Style Chocolate Gourmet Cupcakes
(Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)
Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate Bar
Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate Bar
(Spotted by Robbie at Target.)
Gudlife Dubai Style Mint Confection Cookies & Cream Krunch
Gudlife Dubai Style Mint Confection Cookies & Cream Krunch
Gudlife Dubai Style Milk Chocolate Loaded With Cookie Butter Krunch
Gudlife Dubai Style Milk Chocolate Loaded With Cookie Butter Krunch
Gudlife Dubai Style Milk Chocolate Pistachio Creme Krunch
Gudlife Dubai Style Milk Chocolate Pistachio Creme Krunch
(Spotted by Robbie at World Market.)
Belle's Gourmet Popcorn Dubai Style Chocolate
Belle’s Gourmet Popcorn Dubai Style Chocolate
(Spotted by Robbie at World Market.)
Beemax Dubai Style Milk Chocolate Truffles
Beemax Dubai Style Milk Chocolate Truffles
(Spotted by Robbie at World Market.)
Chocovia Milk Chocolate Pistachio Cluster
Chocovia Milk Chocolate Pistachio Cluster
(Spotted by Robbie at World Market.)
Kandy's Dubaime Cream Bar With Kataifi & Pistachio
Kandy’s Dubaime Cream Bar With Kataifi & Pistachio
(Spotted by Robbie at World Market.)

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: 11/14/2025

Slice Shirley Temple Healthy Soda can

Slice Shirley Temple Healthy Soda

This was not my first Slice Healthy Soda, nor was this my first Shirley Temple-flavored soda. While this might not be my favorite Shirley Temple-flavored soda, it’s definitely my favorite Slice Healthy Soda. Granted, I’ve only had two Slice flavors, counting this one.

The soda has a tasty cherry flavor, with a hint of citrus hanging out in the background. It has a different flavor profile than the Shirley Temple 7UP I had last year (which is back this year if you missed it). That 7UP had a flavor that reminded me of an Orange Julius. Oddly, this Slice Soda smells creamy, like an Orange Julius, but its taste doesn’t convey that creaminess. 

Favorite Day Banana Pudding Ice Cream

Favorite Day Banana Pudding Ice Cream pint

I’m a sucker for anything banana-flavored (see: banana water). So this easily made its way into my basket, although I had to do some body contortions to get this pint from the back wall of the bottom shelf of the freezer case. Was it worth tweaking my arm? Yeah, I guess so, but again, I’m REALLY into banana-flavored stuff.

The pint features banana-flavored ice cream, whipped cream-flavored swirls, and vanilla wafer pieces. While there are other components to this ice cream, it’s ALL banana. Even when I got a spoonful of the swirls, I didn’t taste anything like whipped cream. It was bananas. Even the vanilla wafers couldn’t make their flavors come through, although their texture added some chewiness. But despite the swirl and cookies not making their flavors known, I really enjoyed this pint. Because, again, I love bananas, and I’m delighted that there’s another banana-flavored ice cream available.

Oh, one last thing, when I pulled this pint out of the back wall from the bottom shelf of the freezer, I was surprised by how light this container was.

Poppi Cream Soda

Poppi Cream Soda can

I’ve been wanting to try this for about a year now, since it debuted as a limited-edition flavor late last year. I finally got my hands on one because it’s now a permanent flavor. Apparently, this was the best-selling Poppi flavor when it was first available. Perhaps that explains why I couldn’t find it.

But now I’ve experienced it, and it smells better than it tastes. Its aroma is similar to cream sodas from A&W and Jones, so you might think it tastes like them. However, its flavor still has that “Poppi-ness” from the apple cider vinegar that all of the brand’s sodas have, which is what I expected. However, it is significantly more pleasing than Olipop’s Cream Soda, and it’s great tasting for a prebiotic soda. I taste why this became a permanent flavor, and it’s definitely one of my favorites.

Liquid Death Cherry Obituary Sparkling Water

Liquid Death Cherry Obituary Sparkling Water can

I’ve never had a Liquid Death before. I thought it would taste disappointing, like all the other flavored sparkling waters I’ve had from Bubly and La Croix, which have flavors that I’d call ghostly and not pleasing to my palate.

But I thought I’d give Liquid Death a try. So I asked the internet what Liquid Death flavor I should taste first. Many of the responses were for Severed Lime, so I had my mind set to obtain one…eventually. However, my neighbors trashed all those plans by handing me this can of Liquid Death Cherry Obituary.

After drinking it, I have to wonder why the other sparkling water brands have such weak flavors, while this has just the right amount of pleasing cherry flavor. It’s surprisingly great. But then I dug deeper and learned that Liquid Death sparkling water flavors contain sweeteners, while the other brands don’t. This Liquid Death has broken my stereotype of what sparkling water is, and now I’m going to find a can of Severed Lime.

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

REVIEW: Chips Ahoy Chewy Cookie Butter Inspired Cookies

Chips Ahoy Chewy Cookie Butter Inspired Cookies package

What inspires you?

Your family? Money? The prospect of a long and fruitful life?

Boring! How cliché!

Chips Ahoy! has the right idea when it comes to inspiration because they’re only inspired by one thing this holiday season – Cookie Butter!

Some twenty years after the advent of pulverized Speculoos cookie spread, Chips Ahoy! is finally dipping its chips into the world of cookie butter with its new Chewy Chips Ahoy! Cookie Butter (Inspired.)

If you’re wondering what “Speculoos” means, it’s a portmanteau of the words “speculation” and “looky-loo.” Perhaps it’s best you stop being so nosy, you speculoos.

Actually, speculoos are thin spiced Belgian wafers and the centerpiece of cookie butter. I apologize for calling you nosy.

… but speaking of nosy – these Chips Ahoy! smell incredible!

Chips Ahoy Chewy Cookie Butter Inspired Cookies package peeled back

I’ll be honest, Chips Ahoy! Cookies are a mixed bag for me, so I was a bit of a speculoo myself when I saw the folks at Mondelez tackling this flavor profile. The aroma instantly sold me. They smell like 25% gingerbread and 75% fresh pancakes. I’ve been huffing the sleeve for days. It’s getting weird.

Taste begins at your schnoz, right? Surely these scent-sations must taste amazing?

They taste pretty good, but dare I say uninspired?

It’s a nice random sweet cookie, but severely lacking cookie butter flavor.

Top view of Chips Ahoy Chewy Cookie Butter Inspired Cookies

I’m sure you’re all familiar with Biscoff cookies and know what they taste like. They have what I just call a “winter spice” flavor. It’s that concoction of every spice in your Lazy Susan – cinnamon, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, etc. Maybe not all, but you know what I’m saying. They’re delicious. I’m a big fan.

Chips Ahoy Chewy Cookie Butter Inspired Cookies middle

These Chips Ahoy! are tasty but… lack taste. They’re at most about 20% “cookie butter.” They don’t claim to use Biscoff or any cookie similar, but they don’t taste like ‘em anyway. They’re inspired by cookie butter in the same way this review I’m “writing” is technically inspired by the collective works of Bill Shakespeare.

Chips Ahoy Chewy Cookie Butter Inspired Cookies split

The fatal flaw here is in the namesake – the ahoy… no, wait, the chips. Cookie Butter flavored cookies shouldn’t have chips, especially chips that are inexplicably white chocolate, I think? White chocolate inspired at least.

The white chips taste fine, but they’re unnecessary. There is a layer of inspiration in the middle of the cookie that has a little bit of a “gingerbready” flavor when isolated, but it’s no match for the overpowering chips. I guess you just can’t be Chips Ahoy! without chips, but then why do the white chips?

It’s weird — these don’t taste like they should, or like anything, really, and I still like them.

Chips Ahoy Chewy Cookie Butter Inspired Cookies recipes

The best I can tell you is that the “holiday spice” flavor is there, but extremely muted. No one on Earth would ever guess “cookie butter” in a blind taste test. They’d probably say, “uhhh, cookie. Cookie flavor? It tastes like a cookie.” Did Chips Ahoy! just think cookie butter tasted like generic cookie?

There just wasn’t nearly enough inspiration with this flavor. The speculoos over at Chips Ahoy! should’ve probably just stuck to what they know. That said, it’s still a good cookie-tasting cookie.

Purchased Price: $4.97

Size: 9.9 oz

Purchased at: Walmart

Rating: 6 out of 10

Nutrition Facts: (2 Cookies) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of total carbohydrates, 12 grams of sugar, 0 grams of dietary fiber, and 1 gram of protein.

SPOTTED (SEASONAL EDITION): 11/14/2025

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.

Holly Jolly Dots
Holly Jolly Dots
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
Frankford Minecraft Green Apple Candy Cane
Frankford Minecraft Green Apple Candy Cane
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
Joyride Sour Santa Snacks
Joyride Sour Santa Snacks
Joyride Gummy Busters Elf Berry Mix
Joyride Gummy Busters Elf Berry Mix
(Spotted by Robbie at Target.)
Bloom Pop Limited Edition Winter Pomberry
Bloom Pop Limited Edition Winter Pomberry
(Spotted by Robbie at Target.)
Swedish Fish Mini Sour Patch Kids Variety Pack
Swedish Fish Mini Sour Patch Kids Variety Pack
(Spotted by Robbie at Target.)
Galerie Stitch Gummy
Galerie Stitch Gummy
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
Amos Peelerz Presents
Amos Peelerz Presents
Amos Peelerz Trees
Amos Peelerz Trees
(Spotted by Robbie at Popshelf.)
Amos Peelerz Green Apple
Amos Peelerz Green Apple
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
Fancy Sprinkles Peppermint Chocolate Baking Confetti
Fancy Sprinkles Peppermint Chocolate Baking Confetti
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)
Fancy Sprinkles Vintage Snowfall Sprinkles
Fancy Sprinkles Vintage Snowfall Sprinkles
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

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: Van Leeuwen Dr Seuss Grinchmas Peppermint Ice Cream

Van Leeuwen Dr Seuss Grinchmas Peppermint Ice Cream.

Since this is Van Leeuwen, I’m surprised there isn’t a Green Eggs and Ham flavor. (Spotted by Ksenia at Kroger.)

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.

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