News: KFC - Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breasts Now 20% Larger

KFC is making another promotional push for their Kentucky Grilled Chicken this summer, and to aid them in the endeavor, they're going with bigger chicken breasts. Bigger is better right?

The chicken breast pieces (but not the wings, thighs, or legs) are now, on average, 20% larger than before.

In an interesting tidbit from the press release, KFC's KGS secret recipe is kept on an encrypted flash drive right next to their handwritten recipe for Original Recipe in the same high-security vault at their corporate headquarters.

News: McDonald's - New Mango Pineapple Real Fruit Smoothie

McDonald's recently launched their new Mango Pineapple Real Fruit Smoothies nationwide (although they were available a couple weeks earlier in some markets). The new smoothie features mango and pineapple puree blended with low-fat yogurt, ice and fruit juice concentrate.

The Mango Pineapple Smoothie is available for about $2.29 for a 12-ounce small, $2.79 for a 16-ounce medium and $3.29 for a 22-ounce large.

To promote the Mango Pineapple Real Fruit Smoothie (and other frozen drinks), McDonald's has a printable, online "buy one, get one free" coupon available on their website good on any Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, Frappe, or Smoothie (Expires July 31, 2011).

News: Sonic - New Ring Leader Loaded Burger

If spicy is not your thing but onions are, Sonic has you covered with their new, limited-time Ring Leader Loaded Burger which has deep-fried and grilled onions for you.

Each Ring Leader features a beef patty (or two) topped with a handmade onion ring, grilled onions, bacon, natural Cheddar cheese, lettuce,tomato and mayo on a toasted bakery bun.

News: Sonic - New Blazin' BBQ Loaded Burger

For a limited time, Sonic is serving up their new Blazin' BBQ Loaded Burger.

The burger features the spicy side of the Sonic menu with a beef patty (or two if you so choose) topped with crispy jalapeno strips plus sliced jalapenos, bacon, Pepper Jack cheese, sweet and spicy habanero and hickory BBQ sauces, lettuce, and tomato on a toasted bakery bun.

Review: Hostess - Strawberry CupCakes

Hostess's new Strawberry CupCakes offer a strawberry twist to their traditional cupcakes with strawberry cake and icing in additional to the same creamy filling and squiggle.

A box of 8 individually-wrapped cakes is priced around $3.99 but I picked this box up on sale for $2.50.

Review: Kraft - Jet-Puffed Stackermallows

Kraft's new Jet-Puffed Stackermallows eschews the traditional puffy, cylinder for a flatter, rectangular pillow shape ideal for making S'mores so I decided to make some S'mores with them.

I received this 8-ounce bag free from Kraft but they normally cost around $2.29.

Review: McDonald's - Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait

McDonald's Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait features low fat vanilla yogurt layered with blueberries and strawberries and topped with crunchy granola.

It's available on their Dollar Menu for an easy $1.

Review: Yoplait - Strawberry Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt really seems to be catching on; even Yoplait is getting in on the action. Yoplait's Strawberry Greek Yogurt features Greek yogurt with strawberries on the bottom. The hallmarks of Greek yogurt are more protein and a thick, creamy texture without the fat.

A 6-ounce cup normally costs somewhere around the $1.50 mark.

International Weekend: Lift Lemon Soda

Lift Lemon soda is produced and made available by the Coca Cola Company only in Australia. It's pretty much fizzy lemonade. The brand is available in a couple other countries as well but in different flavors.

There are a couple of Australian importers that carry this but it's fairly pricey imported at $4.95 for 1.25 liters.

Frozen Friday: Swanson - Turkey Pot Pie

Swanson's Pot Pies along with Banquet's are pretty much what comes to mind when I think of pot pies. They were cheap and the ones I ate as a kid growing up. Swanson's Turkey Pot Pie keeps the same basic formula as any other pot pie with carrots, potatoes, peas, gravy, and meat (in this case turkey).

You can pick these up for about a dollar or less.

Review: Oscar Mayer - Honey Ham & Swiss Sandwich Combos

Oscar Mayer's New Sandwich Combos appear to be an adult version of their Lunchables line. The Honey Ham & Swiss Sandwich Combos (it really should be "Combo" but whatever) is more or less what you'd pack into a sack lunch with a ham and swiss sandwich, a sugar free Jell-O Chocolate Flavored Mousse Temptations and a 100-calorie bag of Ritz Baked Snack Mix.

The regular price is about $2.99 for a package.

Review: Planters - Five Alarm Chili Peanuts Dry Roasted Peanuts

Planters new Five Alarm Chili Dry Roasted Peanuts features the familiar flavor of Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts but with a spicy chili twist.

It's normally about $4.00 for a 1-pound jar unless you find it on sale.

News: Taco Bell - New XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito

Taco Bell's newest, limited-time "abundant value" item on the menu is the XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito is offered with your choice of ground beef, chicken, are steak (chicken and steak cost more) and features their largest burrito so far filled with their three cheese blend (cheddar, pepper jack, and mozzarella), seasoned rice, refried beans, reduced-fat sour cream, guacamole, avocado ranch, and fiesta salsa wrapped in a flour tortilla and grilled.

Review: Jamba Juice - Magnificent Mango Pineapple Whirl'ns Frozen Yogurt

Jamba Juice recently extended their test of their Whirl'ns frozen yogurt line to southern California. Whirl'ns are so named because they "whirl'n" fruit into your frozen yogurt creating a frozen yogurt with bits of fruit blended in. I recently popped in and picked up a small 6-ounce Magnificent Mango Pineapple Whirl'ns topped with sliced almonds which features bits of mango and pineapple blended into original tart frozen yogurt.

Whirl'ns are available at $3.50 for a 6-ounce small with one topping and $5.50 for a 10-ounce large with one topping.

News: Arby's - New 'Shroom & Swiss

New to the southern California market and with limited availability regionally, Arby's is serving up a 'Shroom & Swiss roast beef sandwich featuring their trademark very-thin-sliced roast beef with roast seasoning, swiss cheese, crispy fried onions, sliced mushrooms, and a savory spread on a toasted specialty roll.

The sandwich is offered for $3.59.

Review: McDonald's Peach Pie

McDonald's Peach Pie is a new limited-time menu item being offered at only some McDonald's restaurants this summer (confirmed locations in southern California and in Pennsylvania).

They're available for 69 cents each for two for $1.00.

Review: Magnum - Double Caramel Ice Cream Bar

New Magnum Double Caramel ice cream bars come in a box of three and feature vanilla ice cream dipped in a chocolatey coating, then a caramel sauce, and finally Belgium milk chocolate.

The retail price for a box is about $3.99 but I've seen them on sale in the $2.00 to $3.00 range.

News: Taco Bell - 99 Cent Crunchwrap Supreme until June 18th

Taco Bell is cutting Crunch Wrap Supreme fans a break this summer with 99 Cent Crunchwrap Supremes (limit 2 per person, per visit) through this Saturday June 18th, 2011.

Crunchwrap Supremes normally go for around $2.39.

I know some of you are thinking, "Why not the Chalupa?!" but hey, cheap is cheap.

International Weekend: Coppenrath - Classic Granzer Ringe

This week's International Weekend products hails from Germany: Coppenrath's Classic Granzer Ringe which is basically a ridge ringed shortbread cookie.

I picked up a 400g package for $2.99.

Frozen Friday: California Pizza Kitchen - BBQ Chicken Crispy Thin Crust Pizza

California Pizza Kitchen's frozen BBQ Chicken Crispy Thin Crust Pizza brings their trademark barbecue chicken flavor home and features a crispy thin crust pizza topped with barbecue sauce, white meat chicken, reduced fat mozzarella cheese, smoked gouda cheese, red onions, and cilantro.

It's available as a 6-ounce individual pizza for a regular price of around $3.79.

Review: McDonald's New Chicken McNugget Sauces

McDonald's new Chicken McNugget Sauces give you a few more options to dunk your McNuggets in if you so choose. The "new" sauces are Creamy Ranch, Honey Mustard, Sweet Chili, and Spicy Buffalo.

News: McDonald's - New Peach Pie

Select McDonald's restaurants have worked a limited-time Peach Pie onto the menu this summer.

Similar to their ubiquitous Baked Apple Pie, the Peach Pie features the same crust but with a peach filling. They're available for 69 cents each or two for $1.00.

You're going to want to call ahead to check availability of this one as not all McDonald's are carrying them.

Nutritional info not available.

News: Baskin-Robbins - Toffee Pecan Crunch - June 2011 Flavor of the Month

Baskin-Robbins' featured flavor for the month of June 2011 is Toffee Pecan Crunch featuring chocolate ice cream with a caramel ribbon mixed with the crunch of pecans and Heath bar pieces.

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

Review: Wendy's - Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap

A test item available at some Wendy's restaurants, the Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap is a mix of a halved value crispy chicken patty, Asiago cheese, Caesar dressing and lettuce wrapped up in a flour tortilla.

It's on the value menu for 99 cents at my local Wendy's.

Review: McDonald's - Rolo McFlurry

McDonald's Rolo McFlurry is a new, limited-time frosty dessert featuring Rolo-shaped milk chocolate morsels and caramel syrup blended in McFlurry fashion in McDonald's vanilla soft serve.

I picked up a snack-sized portion for $1.79.

Review: Nabisco - Blueberry Brown Sugar Newtons Fruit Thins

Nabisco's new Blueberry Brown Newton Fruit Thins are a crispy take on the run-of-the-mill Newton and also comes in three other flavors: Cranberry Citrus Oat, Chocolate Raspberry, and Fig and Honey.

A 10.5-ounce package retails for around $4.00 which means a sale price range of $2.00 to $3.00.

News: Haagen-Dazs - New Flavors for 2011

The folks at Haagen-Dazs are out with a slew of new flavors and are branching off into the sundae cone business.

The new flavors are (like wine, Haagen-Dazs lists flavor profiles):

Caramel Apple Pie: "Apple ice cream and diced fresh apple swirled with caramel and chunks of flakey pie crust. Flavor Top Notes: Ripe apple, buttery cinnamon. Flavor Finish Notes: Tart, sweet apple, smooth caramel."

Blueberry Crumble: "Dense blueberry ice cream with rich, buttery cobbler crust crumbles. Flavor Top Notes: Bright, ripe blueberries. Flavor Finish Notes: Sweet cream, tart fruit, buttery cobbler crust."

News: Quiznos - New Southern BBQ Pulled Pork

Starting this month, Quiznos is offering a new Southern BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich with pulled pork, mozzarella, Cheddar, pickles, yellow mustard, and a smoky BBQ sauce for a limited-time promotion price of $5 for a large (discounted from $7.99)

On the more health-minded side of things, Quiznos is also offering a whole grain wrap option for any of their subs as well as two new, limited-time Farmer's Market salads: the Harvest Chicken Salad and Caprese Chicken Salad.

The Harvest Chicken lists honey-Dijon chicken, grapes, apples, dried cranberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds with acai vinaigrette dressing among its ingredients while the Caprese features chicken, fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, tomatoes, and an Italian cheese blend.

News: McDonald's - New Rolo McFlurry

McDonald's has a new McFlurry flavor on tap for a limited time this summer with the new Rolo McFlurry which features McDonald's soft serve mixed with chunks of milk chocolate with caramel syrup.

The resultant blend of chocolate, caramel and vanilla costs a bit more than a McDonald's sundae with similar flavors at $1.79 for the snack size.

If you fancy a try, you might want to check if your local McDonald's before you go as price and participation may vary.

Review: YoCrunch - Strawberry Yogurt with Granola

YoCrunch Strawberry Yogurt with Granola features strawberry flavored low-fat yogurt with an ample cap of crunchy granola. An 8-ounce cup costs about 89 cents.

International Weekend: Dora3 Apricot Jam Croissant

This week's International Weekend product comes from Italy via overstock/closeout chain Big Lots which now has an international foods aisle. Dora3 Apricot Jam Croissants come in a pack of 6 individually-wrapped croissants filled with apricot jam for $2.50.

Frozen Friday: Hungry-Man - Honey Bourbon Chicken Strips

Hungry-Man's Honey Bourbon Chicken Strips are a new addition to their line of "Pub Favorites" which some of my readers like to comment as not resembling any dishes they've seen served at their frequented pubs. Regardless, the new meal toes the line of standard frozen dinners with mashed potatoes, corn, and chicken. Notable distinguishing features are the honey bourbon sauce and the blend of white and yellow corn.

Retail price for a Hungry-Man tends to be around $3.69 or around $2.00 on sale.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - New Frozen Hot Chocolate

With the summer heat set to roll in, Dunkin' Donuts is hoping to entice you with their new Frozen Hot Chocolate i.e. a chocolate milk ice slush topped with whipped cream.

I guess you can also think of it as a chocolate milk Coolatta.

The drink promises "the rich, comforting taste of Dunkin' Donuts' classic hot chocolate in an icy cold beverage" and is available for a limited time at participating Dunkin' locations.

Review: Starbucks - Bacon, Gouda Cheese & Egg Frittata on an Artisan Roll

Starbucks Bacon, Gouda Cheese & Egg Frittata on an Artisan Roll features bacon, Parmesan frittata, and aged Gouda cheese on an artisan roll for $3.25.

News: McDonald's - Four New McNugget Dipping Sauces

McDonald's is pushing four "new" McNugget dipping sauces this summer: Creamy Ranch, Sweet Chili, Spicy Buffalo, and Honey Mustard.

Okay, they're not really "new" per se, they're more like new for Chicken McNuggets. I'm pretty sure that Creamy Ranch, Spicy Buffalo, and Honey Mustard are just re-packaged versions of McDonald's Chicken Select Sauces and Sweet Chili is a re-introduction of the flavor first seen during the Vancouver Olympics.

Review: Wendy's - Berry Almond Chicken Salad

Wendy's Berry Almond Chicken Salad is a new seasonal item for this summer featuring fresh blueberries and strawberries on a bed of fresh-chopped romaine and iceberg lettuce and spring mix joined by sliced almonds, shaved Asiago cheese, grilled chicken breast, and a fat-free raspberry vinaigrette.

I picked up a full-sized portion for $6.49. A half-sized portion is also available for $4.49.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - Free Donut with Beverage Purchase on National Donut Day

Participating U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts stores are also celebrating National Donut Day this Friday, June 3, 2011, by offering customers a Free Donut of their choice with any beverage purchase (excluding bottled cooler beverages).

The offer is valid all day on 6/3/11. Store hours may vary by location. While supplies last. Limited time offer. Price and participation may vary.

Dunkin' Donut Store Locator

News: Krispy Kreme - Free Donut on National Doughnut Day

This Friday, June 3, Krispy Kreme will be handing out one Free Krispy Kreme Doughnut to each visitor in celebration of National Doughnut Day.

The free doughnut offer is good for one doughnut of any variety per customer at participating U.S. Krispy Kreme retail shops.

I took advantage of this last year and got an unglazed donut from fresh off the conveyor. It was super hot! I had to keep passing it back and forth between my hands to keep from getting burnt. But mmm... fresh donut...

Krispy Kreme Store Locator

News: Taco Bell - New Pina Colada Frutista Freeze

If you like Pina Coladas... Taco Bell aims to please this summer with their latest limited-time Pina Colada Frutista Freeze available in two flavors: Pina Colada and Strawberry Pina Colada and available in 16-ounce and 20-ounce cups for around $2 varying with locale.

Pina Colada comes tops with a lime wedge whereas Strawberry Pina Colada is topped with strawberries in syrup.

News: Nabisco - New Chips Ahoy! Chewy Gooey

The folks at Nabisco have come up with a new Chips Ahoy! Chewy Gooey cookies. The new cookies are available nationwide and come in two flavors: Chocofudge and Megafudge.

Both feature a creamy fudge center but with different soft-baked cookies encasing it and come in 10-ounce packages for around $3.29.

Chocofudge consists of a chocolate chip cookie filled with a layer of fudge in the center.

Megafudge is a bit more novel with a brownie-like chocolate chip cookie with white chocolate chips and also has a layer of fudge in the center.