Review: Snickers Peanut Butter Squared

 Snickers Peanut Butter Squared isn't the first time peanut butter has been added to a Snickers bar but it does change the Snickers standard candy bar shape into two wider squares. Well, unless you got yours for Halloween like I did, in which case, you only get one mini square.

If you're picking up the standard bar though it should run you about $1.

Frozen Friday: Healthy Choice - Sundried Tomato Chicken

 Healthy Choice's Sundried Tomato Chicken frozen meal is one of their new microwavable steaming entrees and features chicken tenderloins, whole grain pasta, broccoli, and mushrooms in a sun-dried tomato garlic sauce.

One 8.75-ounce box will net you 320 calories and cost you around $2.99 or less if on sale.

News: White Castle - New Angus Steak Chili and Chili Cheese Fries

White Castle cooks up new, limited-time Angus Steak Chili this winter. And what are you going to do with chili at a fast food joint but serve it on fries, so they got Chili Cheese Fries too.

White Castle's Angus Steak Chili features lean, braised 100 percent Angus steak cooked with red beans, ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, mild green chilies and spicy Southwest seasonings. It's available in three sizes: small (8 ounces), medium (12 ounces) and family (32 ounces). Price is $2.79, $3.99, and $9.99 respectively.

The Chili Cheese Fries feature the same chili served with cheese over their crinkle-cut fries and are available in one size only. It's $2.99 for an order.

Both menu items are available through March 17, 2012.

Review: Wendy's - Cheesy Cheddarburger

For the meat and cheese hamburger purist with an inclination for value, Wendy's has the Cheesy Cheddarburger. A plain junior cheeseburger (just the bun and patty, no condiments) with a scoop of gooey cheddar cheese sauce for the "Cheesy" bit.

It comes in at 99 cents a pop.

Review: Subway - Cold Cut Combo

 Subway's Cold Cut Combo has always been the value sandwich at Subway for as long as I can remember, even before $5 Footlongs. It comes with a combination of three deli meats: ham, salami, and bologna plus your choice of cheese, veggies, condiments, and bread.

It's been available throughout December at $2 for a 6-inch but is normally $5 for a 12-inch sub.

News: Jack in the Box - Jumbo Deal for $4.29

Jack in the Box's latest limited-time value meal promotion, the Jumbo Deal, features a Jumbo Jack, two tacos, a small order of fries and a 20-ounce drink for $4.29.

They've run this deal in the past for $3.99 but with rising food costs and what not, it looks like $4.29 might be their new price point for these type of promotions.

The promotion is supported by a TV commercial wherein Jack tries to pitch his team a promotion idea and commercial for the combo to sell it as the "Jumbaco," the word being a blend of "Jumbo Jack" and "taco."

Review: McDonald's - Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal

New at McDonald's for a limited time (at least in the SoCal area), Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal features a slightly different variation from their Fruit & Maple Oatmeal and comes topped with diced apples, walnuts, and cinnamon.

It's $1.99 for a cup.

Merry Christmas!

I kinda wanted turkey but went with a roast. I went simple with garlic, ground black pepper and kosher salt. Medium rare of course! Happy Holidays!

Feature: KFC Christmas World Wide

Here in the States, KFC is pretty business as usual around Christmas.

But in some other countries, the Colonel offers a little something extra for the holidays.

From festive buckets to seasonal items, I plumbed many KFC websites from all over the wourld and came up with this short list of KFC Christmas family meals for your perusal.

They range from pretty normal to extra fancy and I've ordered them to reflect that. Starting with most normal:

Frozen Friday: The Magnum White Ice Cream Bar

The Magnum White ice cream bar is a super premium ice cream bar featuring vanilla bean ice cream dipped in Belgian white chocolate.

A 3-pack carries a suggested retail price of $3.99.

Review: Sonic - Bacon Cheddar Toaster Melt

Sonic's Bacon Cheddar Toaster Melt is a limited-time offering featuring a beef patty, grilled diced onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, pickles and hickory barbecue sauce sandwiched between two slices of Texas toast.

It's $1.99 for a junior size or $3.39 for the 1/4 pound version.

Feature: 2011 Fast Food Gift Card Bonuses

It's the final stretch in the run up to Christmas and if you haven't got all your presents lined up now, the old standby of gift cards is always available.

And, in the world of fast food there are a few intrepid chains offering a little something something for yourself if you pick up one of their gift cards for your friends/acquaintances this holiday season.

Apparently, according to the National Retail Federation, some 58% of shoppers say they'd like to receive a gift card this season. That number is actually quite close to the 59% of people the National Restaurant Association got from their survey that said they would like to receive a restaurant gift card.

I guess more people want gift cards than I would have thought (I prefer cash myself *wink wink*). I guess it's better than fruit cake...

Here they are (please keep in mind that for a lot of these offers you have to physically go to the restaurant to buy the gift card):

Review: Burger King - Chef's Choice Burger

Burger King's Chef's Choice Burger promises a gussied up fast food burger experience with a 1/3 pound seasoned ground chuck patty, thick-cut bacon, American cheese, red onions, sliced tomatoes, romaine leaf lettuce and savory Griller sauce (garlic mayo) on an brioche artisan-style bun.

The price is gussied up a bit too at $4.99 a pop.

News: Taco Bell - The Beefy Crunch Burrito Returns

The Beefy Crunch Burrito returns to Taco Bell for a limited time starting this Thursday, December 22, 2011. Last seen earlier this year in May, the Beefy Crunch Burrito features the spicy crunch of Flamin' Hot Fritos encapsulated in a warm flour tortilla along with seasoned ground beef, warm nacho cheese sauce, seasoned rice, and reduced fat sour cream.

It was 99 cents then and will also be 99 cents in its return. The Beefy Crunch Burrito is also available in a combo with two Crunchy Tacos and a large drink for $3.99 and a $5 Buck Box with a Crunchy Taco, Crunchwrap Supreme, and medium drink.

Review: Nabisco - Cinnamon Kick Wheat Thins Stix

Relatively new, Nabisco's Cinnamon Kick Wheat Thins Stix feature the taste of cinnamon with a kick in a cylindrical, crunchy, baked stick.

An 8-ounce box costs about the same as a regular box of Wheat Thins at $3.50 or around $2 on sale.

News: Jack in the Box - Burger Upgrade

According to NRN, Jack in the Box has gone ahead and upgraded their burgers with new reformulated patties, improved buns, and new saucing procedures.

According to a Jack in the Box spokeperson, the new patties are tastier, juicier, and have a better texture (Having eaten one recently, I really can't tell the difference but it's not like I had an old one to compare).

To make sure you know about it, Jack is advertising his "Better Burgers" highlighting the fact that they are "100% Beef" and "seasoned while it cooks."

Frozen Friday: T.G.I.Friday's - Cajun-Style Chicken Alfredo

T.G.I.Friday's Cajun-Style Chicken Alfredo is a cook-in-the-bag frozen entree featuring blackened white meat chicken, ciufetti pasta, red peppers and green onions tossed in creamy cajun-style Alfredo sauce.

It's normally around $4.00 for a 12-ounce bag but you can pick it up on sale around $2 to $2.50.

News: KFC - $2 Drumstick, Thigh and Biscuit SoCal Only

KFC SoCal is running a nice coupon deal next week (12/19/11 to 12/24/11) where you can pick up a drumstick, thigh, and biscuit for $2.

You can print out the coupon by either clicking on the thumbnail or visiting the KFC SoCal Facebook page and "liking" them.

There's a limit of 5 orders per person per visit.

The deal is only good at participating KFC restaurants in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties.

News: Carl's Jr. - New Santa Fe Turkey Burger

Carl's Jr. expands its line of under-500 calories Charbroiled Turkey Burgers with the new Santa Fe Turkey Burger.

The Santa Fe version clocks in at 490 calories and features a charbroiled Turkey Burger patty, spicy Santa Fe sauce, Pepper-Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sliced green chili on a toasted, honey wheat bun.

The suggested price for the Santa Fe Turkey Burger alone is $3.49 with the combo coming in at $5.99.

News: Panera Bread Featured 2011 Winter Menu

New to the menu this winter at Panera Bread is their Sonoma Chicken Stew, a creamy chicken stew with Parisian carrots, peas, leeks and diced red potatoes simmered with sweet cream and thyme. It's served with a new Dry Jack Cheese Biscuit.

There's also two new panini sandwiches: the Steak Balsamico and the Roasted Turkey Artichoke.

The Steak Balsamico features seared top sirloin, mozzarella cheese, roasted red peppers, baby spinach, tomato, and basil balsamic spread on ciabatta bread.

Review: Burger King - New Thicker Fries

Burger King's new Fries are thicker and don't appear to be as battered and crusty as their old fries.

I picked up a large order at my local BK restaurant for $2.09.

News: 7-Eleven - New Maple Sausage Breakfast Roller

Appearing to be a modified pig in a blanket, 7-Eleven serves up their new Maple Sausage Breakfast Roller. The new breakfast item features a maple-flavored pancake wrapped around a pork sausage and served hot off their roller grill.

These are available at participating locations at an introductory price of $1 each.

It's kinda like a McGriddle but as a roll, no? These are meant for easy on-the-go eating.

International Weekend: Delacre Roule d'Or

Delacre Roule d'Or hail from France and feature crisp fluted crepe cookies baked till golden.

A 7.1-ounce box cost me $2.79 at a local market.

Frozen Friday: Stouffer's - Farmer's Harvest Chicken Fettucini Alfredo

From Stouffer's Farmer's Harvest line (so called because they feature ingredients like olive oil, sea salt or whole grains), Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo with a Vegetable Medley comes with a main dish of grilled white meat chicken and fettuccini in a creamy Alfredo sauce (Parmesan cheese and butter sauce). On the side there's a vegetable mix of broccoli, carrots, and grilled red peppers.

These are available at my local supermarket for $3.99 or around $2 to $2.50 on sale.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - New Texas Toast Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Dunkin' Donuts is out with a new sandwich: the new Texas Toast Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

The sandwich, which is actually oven-toasted and not grilled, features two slices of American cheese and one slice of white cheddar cheese sandwiched between two thick slices of Texas toast.

Bacon or ham can be added for an additional charge.

News: Krispy Kreme - Seasonal Christmas Doughnuts

Krispy Kreme showcases three different holiday donuts this season: the new Red Velvet Cake Doughnut, as well as the returning Snowman and Chocolate Iced with Holiday Sprinkles.

The Snowman Doughnut is a snowman-shaped doughnut decorated in white icing and a red icing scarf.

The Chocolate Iced with Holiday Sprinkles consists of a chocolate-iced doughnut with red and green sprinkles.

The Red Velvet Cake Doughnut features a cake doughnut topped with cream cheese icing and red velvet cake crumbles.

The donuts are available at participating Krispy Kreme locations through December 31st.

News: Dairy Queen - December Blizzard of the Month - Candy Cane Chill

Dairy Queen hits us with a Christmas-themed Blizzard this December: the Candy Cane Chill Blizzard.

The Candy Cane Chill Blizzard is pretty simple; just a pieces of peppermint candy cane and chocolate mixed with their standard vanilla soft serve. Sort of like peppermint bark I guess?

As always, you can also get the Blizzard of the Month as an ice cream cake and it will only be available through the month of December.

News: Baskin-Robbins - Bobsled Brownie - December 2011 Flavor of the Month

Baskin-Robbins' featured flavor for the month of December 2011 is the winter themed Bobsled Brownie featuring Butter Caramel ice cream, chocolate chip blondie brownie pieces paired with Milk Chocolate Mousse ice cream with a fudge crackle ribbon.

Fun fact: Bobsled Brownie was created in 2002 inspired by the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where the U.S. won the inaugural women’s bobsled event. Butter Caramel has since replaced Cookie Dough ice cream in the mix though.

Bobsled Brownie ice cream is available nationwide during the month of December by the scoop (in a cup or cone), in a sundae or in hand-packed pints, quarts and half-gallons.

News: Subway - Two $2 6-inch Subs for December

Subway has a good deal going on this month: Calling December "Customer Appreciation Month," they're offering their classic Meatball Marinara and Cold Cut Combo 6-inch subs for just $2 each. Get two and you got yourself a $4 footlong sub.

In addition, the Featured $5 Footlong for December is the Western Egg and Cheese which features your choice of bread and veggies plus eggs and Black Forest ham. It's normally only served at breakfast but for December it's available all day.

Subway also has a limited-time breakfast deal going on where you can pick up one of 3 6-inch breakfast subs (your choice of Black Forest Ham, Egg & Cheese, Egg & Cheese, or Bacon, Egg & Cheese) plus a 16-ounce coffee or 21-ounce fountain drink for $3.

Review: McDonald's - Baked Pumpkin Pie

McDonald's Baked Pumpkin Pie is a limited-time, limited-availability, seasonal item that's sold around the fall at some McDonald's here and there.

The price is the same as other McDonald's Baked Pies at two for $1.

News: Burger King - New Fries and "Free Fries Friday"

Last changed in 1998, Burger King once again returned to the drawing board and will be out with new French fries nationwide starting Monday, December 5th, 2011.

The new fries feature a thicker cut that's purported to give the fries a more fluffy, more potato-y within while remaining crisp without.

To promote the new fries, Burger King will be giving out free value sized (normally $1) orders of their new French fries on Friday, December 16th dubbing the day "Free Fries Friday."

The outgoing, old fries were unveiled in 1998 and featured a light batter that helped the fries remain hotter and crisper.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - New Mint Hot Chocolate and Holiday Lineup

For the holidays this year, Dunkin' Donuts adds new Mint Hot Chocolate as a permanent addition to the menu and new Warm Cinnamon Swirl Muffins.

Mint Hot Chocolate comes from a mix of peppermint hot chocolate powder and hot water melding the flavors of mint with hot chocolate.

Served warmed, the Warm Cinnamon Swirl Muffin features a yellow cake muffin with baked in cinnamon swirl topped with coffee cake streusel and white powdered sugar.

Other Dunkin' Donuts' seasonal holiday menu items include seasonal holiday drinks and donuts including:

Review: McDonald's - Peppermint Hot Chocolate

McDonald's Peppermint Hot Chocolate is a new, limited-time seasonal drink that the House of Ronald is selling this holiday season. It mixes (whole or nonfat) steamed milk with chocolate peppermint syrup topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

I picked up a 16-ounce medium for $2.79.

News: Wendy's - New Cheesy Cheddarburger

An unheralded new value menu item I recently noticed at my local Wendy's, the new Cheesy Cheddarburger is simple and to the point: it features a plain junior hamburger bun and patty plus a slice of American cheese and a scoop of Cheddar cheese sauce (the stuff Wendy's uses for their Baked Potatoes and what not).

You can pick one up for 99 cents.

It seems a bit plain but that might not be a bad thing.

Review: Taco Bell - Triple Steak Stack

Taco Bell's limited-time Triple Steak Stack is simple enough: marinated steak and cheese folded in a large piece of flatbread.

With 4.5 ounces of steak (compared to the normal 1.5 ounce), one of these will run you about $4.99.

Review: Jack in the Box - Outlaw Burger

What's typically called a "Western" or "BBQ Bacon" burger at other chains is named the Outlaw Burger at Jack in the Box.

The Outlaw Burger features a jumbo hamburger patty, lettuce, tomato, hickory-smoked bacon, American cheese, onion rings, and a bourbon barbecue sauce on a sesame seed bun for $3.49.

Starbucks Debuts New Holiday Petites

This holiday season, Starbucks expands their line of petites for a limited-time with two new mini desserts: the Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop and Chocolate Creme Whoopie Pie.

Each petite boasts an under-200 calorie count.

News: Domino's - New Parmesan Bread Bites

Overshadowed amid the hubbub over Domino's new Stuffed Cheesy Bread was the quiet launch of Domino's new Parmesan Bread Bites.

Parmesan Bread Bites feature oven-baked, bite-size breadsticks lightly sprinkled with a blend of Parmesan and Asiago cheese, seasoned with garlic and more Parmesan.

They're available in 16-piece for $2.99 or 32-piece orders for $5.00. If you want something to dip them in, Domino's has dipping cups (marinara, blue cheese, garlic sauce, ranch, and jalapeno cheese) for an additional charge.

Update 2/7/12: Looks like Domino's is finally getting around to promoting these; for a limited-time, they're offering 16 bites for $1 with the purchase of 2-medium, 2-topping pizzas for $5.99 (a total of $12.98 for the pizzas plus Parmesan Bread Bites). You can check out my review of the bites here.

News: Carl's Jr. - New Hand-Scooped Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich

Not content with merely serving up a Hand-Scooped Oreo Ice Cream Shake, Carl's Jr. now serves up a Hand-Scooped Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich.

Featuring a scoop of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two large Oreo cookie wafers, the Hand-Scooped Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich is priced at a suggested price of $1.49.

So if those Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches in your supermarket frozen foods just aren't fresh enough for you, you can now stop by Carl's Jr. and get yours hand-scooped. I also imagine the Oreos are crisper at Carl's Jr.

News: Hardee's - New Buffalo Chicken Options

Having rolled out their improved Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders and Chicken Fillet Sandwiches, Hardee's is dipping them in Frank's RedHot sauce this winter and terming it the "Buffalo" option.

They've actually had Spicy Buffalo Sandwich back in 2007 but the new ones feature Hand-Breaded Chicken.

The Hand-Breaded Buffalo Chicken Sandwich features a hand-breaded chicken breast fillet, dipped in a buttermilk and egg batter, dusted with seasoned flour, fried golden, dipped in Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce and topped with tomato, red onion and buttermilk ranch dressing on a seeded bun. It is available for the suggested price of $4.19 for just the sandwich or $6.19 in a combo with fries and a drink.

Hand-Breaded Buffalo Chicken Tenders are all-white-meat chicken breast tenderloins dipped, battered and fried in the same fashion as the fillet version. They're are sold in 3-piece and 5-piece orders for the suggest price of $3.49 and $5.19, respectively.

News: Domino's - New Stuffed Cheesy Bread

Continuing their revamp of many menu items, Domino's ups the ante on cheese bread with their new Stuffed Cheesy Bread.

Stuffed Cheesy Bread replaces Domino's previous cheese bread and is supposed to offer the same amount of cheese as is on a medium pizza. There's cheese on the outer layer of Stuffed Cheesy Bread as well; seasoned with a sprinkling of garlic, parsley and Romano cheese. Additional toppings (if any) can be found in the inner layer.

Each order is cut into 8 pieces.

Stuffed Cheesy Bread comes in three varieties: Spinach & Feta, Cheese only, and Bacon & Jalapeno.

Domino's is promoting the new item by offering two (or more) Stuffed Cheese Breads (or medium, 2-topping pizzas) for $5.99 each.

News: Wendy's - New the "W" Cheeseburger

Follow up on the overhaul of their quarter pound Classic Cheeseburgers, Wendy's unveils the "W" cheeseburger.

Similar to the new Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburgers, the "W" features sweet red onions, hand-leafed lettuce, crinkle-cut pickles, and a buttered, toasted bun.

However, instead of a quarter pound patty, the "W" comes with two 2.25-ounce beef patties and two slices of American cheese as well as Wendy's zesty signature sauce (another blend of Thousand Island anyone?).

The "W" carries a recommended price of $2.99; the midpoint between Wendy's budget and premium burger offerings.

News: McDonald's - Limited-edition Coke Glasses are Back.

Limited-edition Coke Glasses are back at McDonald's this holiday season.

The glasses come in four options: purple, green, blue, and clear and are available for free with the purchase of a "large" Extra Value Meal.

They're at McDonald's restaurants until about mid-December and are in limited supply (i.e. they could run out before then).

News: McDonald's - Holiday Pies are Back!

McDonald's Holiday Pies are back at participating locations for a limited time.

The pies sport a custard filling and a sugar-cookie like crust with multi-colored candy spheres baked in.

Holiday Pies are priced the same as McDonald's regular pies; two for $1 in my area.

You're going to want to call ahead to check for availability as these are in limited supply and only some franchisees chose to serve them.

If you're interested in the review I wrote regarding McDonald's Holiday Pie, you can check it out here.

News: Pizza Hut - New Big Dinner Box

With Thanksgiving just around the corner (and the day before being one of the biggest days for pizza sales), Pizza Hut hits us with a new, limited-time deal, the Big Dinner Box.

Advertised as having a $26 value, this $19.99 box features two medium, rectangular, 1-topping pizzas, 8 wings of your choice and 5 breadsticks with marinara dipping sauce.

Personally, I'd rather just get two of their $10 for any pizza promo for the same price but that's just me.

News: Starbucks - Buy One Holiday Drink, Get One Free

Starbucks is offering a buy one holiday drink, get one free promotion starting today, Thursday, November 17th and running through Sunday, November 20th from the hours of 2 to 5 PM.

Starbuck's holiday drinks include Peppermint Mocha, new Skinny Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Gingerbread Latte and Eggnog Latte.

Again the details are:

Why: Buy one holiday drink, get one of equal or lesser value for free.
Where: Participating Starbucks Stores
When: November 17-20 from 2-5 PM

News: Starbucks - 2011 Seasonal Holiday Drinks

Christmas cheer is in full effect at Starbucks as November sets in and with it comes their lineup of 2011 seasonal holiday drinks.

This year's seasonal menu is much like last year's with the Peppermint Mocha, the Caramel Brulée Latte, the Gingerbread Latte, and the Eggnog Latte.

There is something new though. Well, kinda new, a low cal version of the Peppermint Mocha: the new Skinny Peppermint Mocha. It's made with espresso, nonfat milk, sugar-free Peppermint Syrup and Skinny Mocha sauce. And delivers 100 calories per 12-ounce Tall (130 calories for a Grande).

Please do keep in mind that while it uses sugar-free Syrup, the Skinny Peppermint Mocha is not a sugar-free drink since milk naturally contains sugar.

News: Baskin-Robbins has Ice Cream Cake Turkey!

For all you non-turkey eating people who still want to celebrate with a turkey-like yet non-tofurkey centerpiece (or just want a turkey for dessert), Baskin-Robbins has you covered with the return of their seasonal Turkey Cake.

The cake offers your choice of ice cream flavor glazed in chocolate or caramel. And the legs? They're actually sugar cones. Each cake serves 12 to 16 people and is offered at a suggested retail price of $31.99.

If you're looking to order one, be sure to place your order at least 24-hours in advance.

News: Nabisco - Sweet Cinnamon Wheat Thins Back for the Holidays

Apparently thanks to consumer demand, Nabisco has brought back Sweet Cinnamon Wheat Thins for a limited time this holiday season.

It comes in a swell holiday box too.

They come 9.5 ounces to a box (like other Wheat Thin varieties) and promise 10g of whole grains per serving.

News: Carl's Jr. - New Hardee's Made from Scratch Biscuits in SoCal

Carl's Jr. is now serving up sister chain, Hardee's, Made from Scratch Biscuits in the southern California market.

Fitting in with the made-in-house theme of their Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders and Fillets, the new biscuits are made fresh throughout every morning and offered in a number of various breakfast menu items.

Biscuit items include: the Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, the Ham, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, the Monster Biscuit (with egg, sausage, bacon, ham and two pieces of cheese), Biscuit ’N’ Gravy, and the Strawberry Biscuit.

To get you to try their new biscuits, Carl's Jr. is giving away one Free Sausage Biscuit per dine-in customer tomorrow morning (Wednesday, 11/5/11) from 6 AM to 10:30 PM. No purchase is necessary although apparently you will have to get out of your car (How un-Californian I know!).