Review: Trader Joe's - Peanutters

Trader Joe's Peanutters feature mini peanut butter cookies with the punch of three peanutty components: peanut-flavored chips, dry roasted peanuts, and peanut butter.

A 14-oz tub was $3.99.

News: Chick-fil-A's New Breakfast Items Test Update

Chick-fil-A has been testing out some new items to supplement their current breakfast menu since last year in a few select markets and it looks like they recently updated the test by swapping out some items that probably weren't up to snuff and added some new ones.

According to Mark Baldwin, a spokesman to USA Today, Chick-fil-A plans to roll out all or some of the new items nationally as early as late next year.

News: Hardee's - New Fried Bologna & Velveeta Biscuit

Hardee's recently introduced the new Fried Bologna & Velveeta Biscuit. It comes with a slice of fried Oscar Mayer Bologna, melted Velveeta cheese, and folded egg on the chain's signature Made from Scratch biscuit.

Review: Lay's Cappuccino-Flavored Potato Chips

Lay's Cappuccino-Flavored Potato Chip is the result of their second annual Do Us A Flavor contest. According to the bag, the chips contain zero caffeine, but includes natural coffee flavor (which isn't necessarily from coffee).

A 9.5-oz bag was $2.50 on sale.

News: Ben & Jerry's - Candy Bar Pie Now Available in Pints

Previously only available at Scoop Shops, Ben & Jerry's Candy Bar Pie ice cream is now available in pints as a Limited Batch flavor.

The flavor features peanut butter ice cream with fudge flakes, chocolate nougat and sweet & salty pretzel swirls.

Around the World: Starbucks Japan's New Caramel Flan Frappuccino has Actual Flan in It

For the fall, Starbucks Japan is offering a trio of new Caramel Flan coffee drinks including a Caramel Flan Frappuccino with actual chunks of custard pudding and caramel sauce (AKA flan or, as they're calling it, "Caramel Custard") starting September 1, 2014.

Frozen Friday: Trader Joe's - Mandarin Orange Chicken

Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken features battered chicken pieces with a mandarin orange chicken sauce.

A 22-oz bag goes for $4.99.

News: Boston's Pizza Introduces New Pizzaburger Sliders

Last year, Boston's Pizza (called "Boston Pizza" in its home country of Canada) introduced the Pizzaburger, where they basically assemble your standard pizza, slap a half-pound Angus beef patty on it, covered it in pizza sauce, and then wrap the patty up in the pizza dough before baking the whole thing.

This year, they've brought back the Pizzaburger and have introduced a smaller version: the new Pizzaburger Slider, a mini version of the original.

News: Papa John's - "Kickoff Special" 2-Topping Large Pizza for $10

Highlighting their sponsorship of the NFL, whose season starts next week, Papa John's is offering a "Kickoff Special" where you can get a 2-topping large pizza for $10.

Review: Pizza Hut - Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza

Pizza Hut's Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza is available for a limited time and features end crust stuffed with a three-cheese blend (mozzarella, white cheddar, and provolone) plus diced up bits of hardwood-smoked bacon.

I bought a large topped with pepperoni for $11.99.

News: McDonald's Testing Mini Bundt Cakes to Go with Coffee

McDonald's is still looking for something to pair with their McCafe beverages during non-breakfast hours and is testing new McCafe Mini Bundt Cakes out in Florida to see if they can fit the bill.

The Mini Bundt Cakes are baked fresh daily and come in three varieties: Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Lemon, and Double Chocolate.

News: Jamba Juice - Labor Day Weekend Buy One, Get One Deal

Jamba Juice is offering a buy one, get one free deal on any smoothie or fresh-squeezed juice through Labor Day, September 1, 2014.

Like a lot of their deals, you'll need a coupon for this one and you can either print it out or show it from your your mobile device on their website here.

News: Pizza Hut - New Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza

Pizza Hut's new Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza is a variation on their 3-Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza (the three cheese in question being mozzarella, white cheddar, and provolone) but with the addition of bacon to go with the cheese, because bacon makes everything better.

Review: Arby's - Gyro

Arby's Gyros (pronounced "year-oh" and not "guy-ro") come with either thin-sliced roast turkey or beef along with Greek seasoning, tzatziki sauce, sliced red onions, shredded lettuce, and sliced tomatoes, folded inside of a pita.

I had a coupon where they were two for $6 so I got one with turkey and one with beef.

News: Applebee's - New All-In Burgers

Applebee's updates their burger line up with the addition of new All-In Burgers, as in "the toppings are 'all-in' the burger patty." Each All-In Burger features toppings that are pressed into the burger patty during grilling.

News: McDonald's Brings Back the Cheddar Melt... But Only to Wisconsin

McDonald's has brought back the Cheddar Melt, but only to locations in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Review: Taco Bell - Spicy Tostada

Taco Bell's Spicy Tostada is part of their new $1 Cravings value menu and features refried beans, red sauce, creamy chipotle sauce, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, and tomatoes on a crunchy tostada shell.

Like the rest of the new value menu, it was $1.

News: Arby's - Gyros Return Plus New Apple Crisp and Creme Brulee Shake

Gyros are back at Arby's for a limited time, along with a new Cinnamon Apple Crisp baked dessert and a new Creme Brulee Shake.

News: Sonic - 50-Cent Corn Dogs on August 28, 2014

As summer comes to a close, Sonic is offering Corn Dogs for a discounted 50 cents each this Thursday, August 28, 2014.

News: Papa Murphy's - New Gluten-Free Crust Coming Soon

Papa Murphy's is catering to the gluten-free crowd with a new certified Gluten-Free crust coming soon to over 1,000 Papa Murphy's locations nationwide (I'd advise calling and checking for availability before making the trip).

Review: Burger King - Mushroom & Swiss Big King

Burger King's Mushroom & Swiss Big King features a club-style 3-part sesame bun filled with two flame-grilled beef patties, a slice of Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and mayo.

I took advantage of their current two for $5 deal and got one of these.

News: Little Caesars - New Pretzel Crust Pizza Arrives September 1

It looks like that pretzel crust test went well, as Little Caesars will be introducing their new Soft Pretzel  Crust Pepperoni Pizza come September 1, 2014, according to USA Today.

News: Popeyes - New $5 Bonafide Big Box

Popeyes' latest meal deal is the new $5 Bonafide Big Box, which features a choice of either three tenders or two pieces of mixed fried chicken, plus a choice of two sides and a biscuit.

Review: Taco Bell - Cinnamon Nachos Dessert Kit

Taco Bell's Cinnamon Nachos Dessert Kit is a licensed product made by Kraft featuring cinnamon corn tortilla chips, caramel sauce, and toffee-flavored bits. It's meant to be eaten with ice cream, which you have to supply on your own.

The kit carries a suggested retail price of $2.99, but I received this one courtesy of Kraft.

Around the World: McDonald's China - New Black & White Pie

Going along the same theme as the Black and White Burgers, McDonald's is offering the new Black & White Pie over in China. 

Review: Nabisco - Caramel Apple Oreos

Caramel Apple Oreos are a limited-edition, Target-exclusive this fall and feature vanilla Golden Oreo wafers sandwiching a combination of green apple- and caramel-flavored creme filling.

I bought a 12.2-oz package for $2.99.

News: New Cinnabon Baking Kit at Walmart

In case you want to try at baking your own Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls are home, the company introduces the new Cinnabon Baking Kit, available exclusively at 2,500 Walmart stores across the nation.

News: Jones Soda - New Peanut Butter & Jelly Soda

Jones Soda is sometimes known for their weird off-beat limited-edition sodas and they're welcoming back-to-school with a doozy: the new lunch-themed PB&J soda, as in "peanut butter and grape jelly."

Frozen Friday: Tai Pei - Chicken Potstickers

Tai Pei's Chicken Potstickers feature "chicken and vegetable dumplings with dipping sauce." The vegetables are basically just cabbage and the dipping sauce is a traditional combination of mostly soy sauce with a bit of vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.

It was $2 for a 7.9-oz box with 7 potstickers in it.

News: Pizza Hut - Buy a Large Pizza at Regular Price, Get Your Next Large 1-Topping Pizza Free

Pizza Hut is offering a sort of "buy-one-get-one-later" deal for subscribers of their "Hut Lovers" email list.

Under the deal, Hut Lovers members can buy any large pizza at the regular menu price and get a free 1-topping large pizza with their next order.

News: Tim Hortons - 2014 Fall Pumpkin Menu Arrives

Tim Hortons is jumping on the pumpkin wagon early this year with a slew of pumpkin-flavored items, including their Pumpkin Pie Latte (of course) and signature Pumpkin Pie Iced Capp available now.

The Pumpkin Pie Iced Capp goes for $2.79 for a 12-oz small (may vary), while the latte comes in at $2.49.

News: Jack in the Box Testing Herb Butter-Smothered Burgers

Jack in the Box is testing a new line of premium burgers where the hamburger patty is topped with melted garlic herb butter. They're calling it the "Buttery Jack" and it's available in two varieties: Original and Bacon & Swiss.

Review: Taco Bell - Spicy Potato Taco

Taco Bell's new Spicy Potato Soft Taco features crispy potato bites, shredded lettuce, chipotle sauce, and shredded cheddar cheese in a warm flour tortilla for $1.

It's pretty much a replacement for the Crispy Potato Soft Taco, but with a spicy chipotle sauce rather than pepper jack sauce.

News: Starbucks - Pumpkin Spice Latte Can Be "Unlocked" Starting August 26, 2014

Starbucks is playing a game with Pumpkin Spice Latte fans this year (they're calling it the "Spot the Spice" challenge), where they can get their PSL fix a little early (as in late summer early) starting August 26, 2014, if they have the secret code to unlock it.

News: Wendy's - New Smoked Gouda Chicken on Brioche Sandwich

Wendy's latest menu item is the new, limited-time Smoked Gouda Chicken on Brioche sandwich (Wendy's brioche bun being forever tied in my mind to this).

It features double-smoked Gouda cheese, a Dijon aioli,  a sweet onion sauce made from pureed caramelized onions, a crispy chicken breast filet, sliced red onions, and spring mix on a toasted brioche bun.

Review: Starbucks - Sausage Croissant Roll

Starbucks' Sausage Croissant Roll features an all-beef sausage with bechamel sauce nestled inside of a flaky croissant roll.

This was new at my local Starbucks. So much so that they didn't actually have it keyed into the register. They charged me the same price as a breakfast sandwich, $2.95, but I have no idea how much it's supposed to cost.

News: El Pollo Loco - New Ultimate Double Chicken Menu Includes New Enchiladas

El Pollo Loco's new, limited time Ultimate Double Menu features several items including new Ultimate Double Enchiladas. Like the name suggests, each item comes with a double serving of the chain's signature flame-grilled chicken.

News: Checkers / Rally's - New $1 Cha-Ching Menu Line Up with new Steakhouse Swiss

Checkers and Rally's latest $1 Cha-Ching value menu trio includes the new Steakhouse Swiss burger, two chicken strips, and the Smoky BBQ Cheddar burger.

Review: Taco Bell - Beefy Fritos Burrito

Taco Bell's new Beefy Fritos Burrito is part of the new $1 Cravings value menu and features seasoned ground beef, cilantro rice, warm nacho cheese sauce, and original Fritos corn chips, wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla.

I bought one for $1.

News: Caramel Apple Oreos Arriving as a Target-Exclusive

Caramel Apple Oreos start arriving tomorrow exclusively at Target according to Target CMO Jeff Jones via Twitter.

The new flavors feature vanilla Golden Oreo cookie wafers with a creme filling that's half green apple-flavored and half-caramel flavored.

News: Jack in the Box Testing Burger with Deep-Fried Cheese Patty

Jack in the Box is testing out new premium burgers topped with a deep-fried cheesy patty. They're calling them "Big Cheesy" Burgers.

According to The Impulsive Buy, they're being tested out in at least a few locations in Central California and come in both an Original version and a Bacon version. Along with the namesake "crispy melted cheese" patty, the burgers look to also be a test bed for a new Wendy's-like square "signature patty" and cross-hatched "signature bun."

Review: Jack in the Box - Grande Sausage Burrito

Jack in the Box's Grande Sausage Burrito features sausage, hash browns, bacon crumbles, shredded pepper jack, cheddar cheese sauce, and creamy Sriracha sauce (a first for the chain), wrapped in a warm Guerrero brand flour tortilla.

I got one for $3.49.

News: For One Day Only, Taco Bell Sold Brunchitos and Jalaritos!

Last Saturday, a single Taco Bell restaurant out in Huntington Park, CA was serving up new Brunchitos and Jalaritos for just one day only. Like the names suggest, the Brunchito is a brunch burrito, while the Jalarito is a chimichanga(!) with jalapenos.

News: Applebee's - New All-You-Can-Eat Crosscut Ribs

For a limited time, Applebee's is offering new all-you-can-eat Crosscut Ribs. The ribs are cut crosswise into more "snackable" pieces and come slathered in one of three sauces: new Sweet Asian Chile, new Smoky Chipotle, and classic Honey BBQ.

Review: Which Wich - Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich

Which Wich's Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich features "fire-braised" pulled pork, BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and pickles on a Hawaiian bun. It's a limited-time sandwich for the summer and is a variation on their regular menu BBQ Pork & Slaw sub.

I paid $7.50 for the sandwich.

Around the World: McDonald's Offering Nighttime-Only "Twilight" Menu in Singapore

While McDonald's has been working the late night "After Midnight" menu at some locations here in the U.S., over in Singapore, they're offering a new, limited-time "Twilight" menu that's only available after 6 pm until 4 am at select locations.

On the menu you'll find:

News: Starbucks - New Iced Coffee "Brewed to Personalize" at Home

Starbucks is now selling plain pre-brewed coffee in 64-fl. oz. bottles in supermarkets and the like.

Rather than just calling it "coffee" or "iced coffee," they're attaching the term "Brewed to Personalize" on every bottle. The message being that you can personalize it by adding whatever milk and/or sweetener or nothing at all to your liking.

Review: Church's Chicken - Big Tex Tender Sandwich

Church's Chicken's Big Tex Tender Sandwich features two fried chicken breast tenders, shredded lettuce, pickles, and mayo on two slices of Texas toast.

I bought one for $2.49.

News: Edwards - New Pumpkin Creme Pie

The Edwards dessert brand, best known for creme pies, now offers a new, limited-time Pumpkin Creme Pie to its thaw-and-serve whole pie line up.

The pie is the first packaged pumpkin creme pie ever and features a vanilla-cookie crust with ginger and cinnamon, filled with layers of creme cheese and pumpkin, topped off with whipped creme rosettes.

News: Noosa Yogurt - New Coconut and Pineapple Varieties

Noosa Australian-style yogurt now comes in two new flavors: Coconut and Pineapple.

Coconut pairs sweet, shredded coconut with sweetened yogurt, while Pineapple comes with pineapple puree.