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Articles by Emily Bell
A Fan-Favorite Dessert Is Finally Back At Costco After Two Years
We love a comeback. Especially when said comeback is delicious. And Costco knows just when its customers need one the most. The retailer has a habit of reviving former favorites after lengthy absences, and this year, it’s been playing the hits: Its Greek pasta salad, food court churro, pistachio cheesecake, and peaches and cream cake have all hit its stores over the course of 2026, causing much joy amongst its fanbase and many a purchase. Now, it’s done it again.
Krispy Kreme Will Give You A Free Doughnut If You Vote Today
Today’s the day. On Tuesday, November 3, millions upon millions of people will cast their votes in the midterms, adding their voice to the millions who have already submitted their ballots. It’s going to be a long one – for the people voting, for the people working in polling stations, for the news anchors reporting on buildup, speculation, and, eventually, results. In short: Everyone’s going to need their strength and some energy to get through it all.
7-Eleven’s New Korean-Inspired Menu Comes With Its Very Own K-Drama
I have a confession to make. I could spend an unnecessary amount of time in convenience stores. Particularly the ones in Asia. Give me a 7-Eleven in Thailand, a handful of baht, and absolutely no supervision, and I’ll emerge half an hour later with five things I’ve never seen before, three drinks, and something I bought purely because I liked the packaging. Once I came away with a toastie stuffed with spaghetti carbonara. Yes, I still dream about it.
These Are The 5 Best Deals At Publix This Week
It’s officially one of the busiest weeks of the year. Between the Halloween festivities and the inevitable turn towards Thanksgiving and the December holidays come November 1, nobody has time to flip through pages of coupons and deals. So, we’re gonna do it for you. Each week, Publix’s Bogo catalogue seems to get longer and longer.
7UP Miami Vice Is Coming In 2027
Credit: Liv Averett / iStock / Walmart Copy this link to share with your friends! https://sporked.com/article/7up-miami-vice-is-coming-in-2027/ When 7UP announced its first new flavor in 15 years and that flavor turned out to be almost exactly 7UP with just a bit more lime, we were all confused. And yes, they called the new flavor a “disruptor.” But the lemon-lime or lime-lemon brand just announced a new, limited time soda flavor for 2027 that actually sounds unique this time. The name?
The Best Frozen Seafood You Should Snag At Costco
Sure, the frozen seafood section doesn’t have the same appeal as the fresh seafood section, where you can find beautiful, whole red snapper, clams and oysters still in the shell, or thick tuna steaks. But most fresh seafood is pre-frozen anyway and you can find real quality in that lonely looking frozen section, especially if you’re shopping at Costco. But with the giant freezers and never-ending aisles, it can be overwhelming knowing what’s worth your money. That’s where we come in.
Are Aldi’s Benton Fudge Cookies Better Than Girl Scouts’ Samoas?
It’s not a bad day when you’re comparing cookies to cookies. Seriously, if you’ve done that one day in a year, it really raises the average of the entire calendar year. So please trust when I say I will take this comparison seriously. Benton’s is Aldi’s house brand cookie and historically, they’ve done a pretty good job making slightly more affordable imitations of brand-name cookies.
Your Next Scotch Should Be From Japan ― These Are Our Faves
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This New Tea Is The Perfect Gift For Doctor Who Fans
While my personal oeuvre leans towards the carbonated end of the caffeine spectrum, I live with a dedicated tea person. As such, I’ve been picking up a little high-class knowledge by osmosis. Slowly but surely, I’m starting to understand things like “brewing temperature”, “steep time”, and whatever the hell a tannin is. My amateur experience aside, the tea news that just crossed my desk is too important not to cover. Finally, official Doctor Who teas are available for sale.
Want A Dozen Free Donuts? Krispy Kreme’s Got You Covered
If I suggested to anyone who worked at Krispy Kreme that they might have had a quiet October, they’d probably look me dead in the eye and laugh for ten minutes straight. And that’s because this place has been nonstop, people. Over the last month, the doughnut chain has kept up an utterly relentless pace. It announced its new Looney Tunes Halloween collaboration. It then extended that collaboration, not once, but twice, dropping new doughnuts left, right, and center.
We Tried The Least And Most Expensive Pumpkin Spice Yogurt We Could Find: This Was The Best
That’s right, in the “pumpkin spice yogurt battle royale” no one but us was asking for, we’ve found our contenders: Dannon Light + Fit Greek Pumpkin Pie yogurt and La Fermière Pumpkin Spice Whole Milk Yogurt. One has a shiny aluminum lid that we’ve come to expect with our yogurt, while the other comes in the kind of charming glass jar you might use for rustic wedding decor―at double the price, of course. Light + Fit goes for around $2 and La Fermière clocks in just above $4.
My Favorite Pizza Is Now Available At… Red Robin?
Credit: Griffin Parker / Red Robin / Donatos As long as I can remember, my favorite pizza has come from Columbus’ own Donatos Pizza. This underrated chain has offered quality tavern-cut pies since the 1960s; by 1999, the chain had over 140 corporate-owned and franchise locations across the Midwest. That same year, McDonald’s purchased Donatos Pizza to stake a claim in the pizza market.
This Sauce Brand Is Coming For Kewpie With Its New Mayos
Think of Japanese mayo, and what brand immediately comes to mind? If it’s anything other than Kewpie, then frankly, you know this condiment way better than I do. For most of the Western world, Kewpie is the go-to brand for Japanese-style mayonnaise, and it’s not exactly shy and retiring: This month, in fact, it began a seven-week-long tour of the United States, which serves as a canny, extended promotional opportunity. But, crucially, it’s not the only Japanese mayo.
This Is Everything On Crumbl’s Halloween Menu
Credit: Crumbl There’s a lot of new and interesting stuff coming to Crumbl this week. But for the primary menu of rotating cookie flavors, it’s all things Halloween this week. Since this menu will encompass everything from today until November 1, we can only expect that the flavors are completely celebratory of all things festive. Aside from the rotating cookie flavors, we also are seeing a new value menu added to the Crumbl selections.
Sam’s Club Brought Back A Swicy Favorite, And Customers Are Delighted
The swicy trend isn’t quite dead yet, folks. For much of the year, we’ve been talking about the never-ending prevalence of sweet-spicy foods, and while it looks as though other food trends might be poised to take over for 2027, food brands just cannot help but put out a few more swicy products before the year’s done.
We Tried Aldi’s Pumpkin Spice And Apple Cinnamon Pretzels
I might be among the few people who never really get excited about pumpkin spice, or fall-flavored, things in general. I do have a sense of seasonal decency, I promise. So while I won’t say my hopes were outrageously high for tasting the Aldi Clancy’s brand Pumpkin Spice and Apple Cinnamon pretzels, I was a bit giddy.
Haribo Is Taking On Percy Pig With New Pandarama Gummies
There’s a reason Haribo is king of the candy game. Well, the fact that it’s been around for over a century doesn’t hurt. But the brand also isn’t afraid to take risks, venture into new flavors and textures―and, as loyal, if unhinged gummy fanatics, we can only try to keep pace. (Seriously, we ranked 15 of their candies and that’s not even the whole catalogue.) So if anyone had a chance to successfully rival a famous pig-shaped English gummy, it’s Haribo. Their offering?
4 Holiday Vodka Cocktails You Should Try (That Aren’t An Espresso Martini)
Vodka is a beautiful blank slate. It’s incredibly versatile, asks very little in terms of upkeep or even cost for quality, and happily takes a robust ABV backseat to any flavor profile your mixed-drinking heart desires. We tend to associate vodka with warmer months, but in winter it seems like we always stop short at espresso martinis. Now we love a good espresso martini as much as the next person, but we think it’s time we move beyond the basic.
We Tried Trolli Spicy Crawlers Just In Time For Halloween
As a brand, even as a gummy brand, Trolli seems especially game to get a bit freaky and fun. This time of year is perfect for that energy. The Trolli Crawler flavor list includes everything from Sour Brite, Sour Brite Very Berry, Sour Brite Fruit Punch, Sour Brite SQUAD, Sour Bursting Crawlers, Sour Duo Crawlers, and Sour Brite Mountain Dew. But what I’m curious to try today―and not just because I’m working on upping my heat tolerance―is their newest line, Trolli Spicy Crawlers.
We Tried Dunkin’s Spider Donut & Were Pleasantly Surprised
You gotta love Dunkin’―if not for their best bromance with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, then at least for the chain’s dedication to really diving into every new season. Dunkin’ goes hard―and it’s almost always fun, reliably colorful and sprinkled. And their their Halloween menu this year did not disappoint. We’ve already tried their Terro-Misu Latte.
This Trader Joe’s Find Could Be A Perfect Dupe For A Discontinued Entenmann’s Fave
Entenmann’s corn muffins have left an indelible impression on a lot of people. The baked goods brand’s version of this staple food was, by all accounts, seriously good: Perfect slathered with salted butter or served with a chili, to call them comforting would be an understatement. But all good things, sadly, must come to an end – and when Entenmann’s dropped its corn muffins from its roster, it left a lot of folks mourning their loss. Until now. Well, kinda.
We Tried Panera’s Three Cheese Lasagna Soup & Call Us Garfield
I wanted to try Panera Bread’s Three Cheese Lasagna Soup as much out of horrified fascination than anything else. Though please take note: I’m no lasagna hater. I wore “Garfield” t-shirts well into junior high school, with pride, during Homecoming season. I understand―and deeply respect―the power of lasagna. I just never thought of it as in any way compatible with the “soup” format. If anything, with its thick bechamel, beef, and sauce spackled structure, it is the “un-soup” of foods.
This Jimmy John’s Fave Is Back (And Perfectly On Trend For 2026)
At this point you can’t even say pickles are having a “moment.” Pickles are just passionately adored. But 2026 has been on another level with the pickle-themed or flavored foods that have popped up. So maybe it’s apt, or just genius timing, that Jimmy John’s is choosing now, toward the end of a very long year, to bring back its beloved, behemoth Picklewich. Not only that―they’re adding Pickle-flavored Jimmy Chips into the mix and a new set of adorable pickle plushies.
Waffle House Is Finally Giving Us What We’ve Been Begging For
Waffle House fans have a new reason to get excited about their next plate of hash browns, eggs, and bacon. After leaving customers without their favorite condiment for years, fans can finally stop asking, “Where’s the salsa?” The breakfast chain has heard the complaints and is bringing back its own salsa! And honestly, it’s about time. On October 20, 2026, Waffle House announced the news on social media. This is exciting news for customers who remember the chain’s old Casa de Waffle picante sauce.
‘Should I Go Blonde?’: 5 Changes We Wish Wendy’s Would Actually Make
Wendy’s has made a big change! In that they’re bringing it back to basics with their yellow packaging. So not that much of an effort at all. It feels very nostalgia-baity. The lowest form of technical change that isn’t tackling the root of our problems with them. Wendy followed it up by asking us if she should go blonde. Well, Wendy. You can do whatever you want. By all means go blonde. As for what we think would actually make their restaurant top tier, we have other ideas.
We Tried Bloom’s Strawberry Ice Cream Energy
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Trader Joe’s New Cheese Could Do With A Bit More Punch
I speak often of Trader Joe’s various wins. I was doing so yesterday, in fact, when I was talking about its Rhubarb & Strawberry soda. Even if this store isn’t for you, you can’t ignore its high hit rate when it comes to product releases, and how much its customers appreciate its combination of familiarity and a left-field nature that keeps things both fresh and recognizable. But that’s not to say it gets everything right. It’s only a humble supermarket, after all. It misses the mark sometimes.
This Whole Foods Item Is Doing Olive Oil Different (And We Tried It)
For a lot of people who might not have access to more niche chain grocery stores, Whole Foods is this closest we can get to having the luxury to browse over more elevated options. And there’s nothing quite as extravagant, and thus celebratory, as a more niche, high-end olive oil. This is something that Whole Foods has no shortage of. We always like to keep our eye out for the new and interesting olive oils popping up in Whole Foods with fantasies of one day getting our own for a special occasion.
KFC Is Dropping Spooky Good Deals Every Day Through Halloween
It’s actually kind of weird that it really is almost Halloween. After all, we’ve been talking about it for a while, snacking on all the fun, ghost-shaped spooky treats and McDonald’s Boo Buckets. But now the day itself is almost finally here. And as excited as I am for all of the holidays we’ve got coming up, I wouldn’t mind enjoying these final days leading up to Halloween.
4 Staple Casserole And Slow Cooker Ingredients That Are Cheaper At Sam’s Club
Temperatures are falling, which means it’s time to break out your coziest comfort food — and all of those fall- and winter-worthy casserole, soups, and slow cooker-made recipes you’ve been waiting to cook. Chilly weather means comforting food is back on the menu. But even the most budget-minded casseroles and dump-and-cook slow cooker recipes can cost you at the grocery store. My workaround?
Oreo Lovers Will Be Big Fans Of Costco’s Newest Cupcake
The Costco bakery: It gives, and it gives. The store’s bakery section has been on a very solid sprint of late, with its bevy of new fall treats hitting the spot with its customers. Both its Blueberry Caramelized Cheesecake Croissants and its Lemon Cream Caramelized Croissants have been winning rave responses, and while we weren’t utterly blown away by its Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, we rated them a very respectable 7.5 out of 10.
We Tried Athletic Brewing Co’s NA Dark & Gourdy Pumpkin & Spice Beer
Whether you love it or hate it (and, let’s face it, it’s a divisive brewskie), it’s not hard to find a good pumpkin beer this time of year. But if you’re looking for a good, spicy NA pumpkin beer, options are few. That’s why I was so happy to see Athletic Brewing Co. wasn’t just doing a classic pumpkin ale for their “Brew of the Month,” they’re offering something called Dark & Gourdy Pumpkin & Spice. So obviously I bought a sixer, slapped Sleepy Hollow, and had to try it. Here’s how it went.
We Tried Aldi’s Maple Sweet Potato Chips
We’re no strangers to Aldi’s Clancy brand chips. Seriously. For actual years we’ve been tasting the range of flavors this Aldi-exclusive brand comes out with, everything from Fried Pickle Ranch to Pumpkin Spiced Kettle Corn, to the flavor fans are calling out as the best ever. So when we heard Clancy was coming out with their seasonally spot-on sounding Maple Sweet Potato Chips, we were hopeful.
How To Use That Leftover Halloween Candy
It’s a small miracle to end up with leftover Halloween candy. Or else it’s a chore―as in, you’re holding your kids’ candy supplies, handing out pieces one by one for good behavior until it’s Christmas or the candies expire.
This New Red Bull Is Carnaval In A Can, But You Won’t Find It At Walmart
Like our stateside Mardi Gras, Carnaval packs a huge amount of dancing, feasting, fun, and more dancing into just a few days before the restrained Lenten season. Logistically speaking, that’s a lot of fun―and samba outfit feathers―to pack into a little time. Lucky for Brazil, they’re rumored to be getting a little help this year from Red Bull, who are supposedly releasing a Carnaval-themed flavor in early 2027―only in Brazil (but there’s still time to book a ticket).
Poppi Is Dropping A Spicy Limeade In 2027 ― Finally
A lot of beverage brands are doing a lot of innovating these days, and we’ll take it. (Seriously, all of it―America’s thirsty.) Austin-based prebiotic soda brand poppi is no exception to the innovation game. But to be honest, we’re a bit extra excited to hear about an upcoming new release because it isn’t just a fun new poppi flavor. Well, it is a new flavor, but it also comes with a kick―the kind we like in our beverages, the jalapeño variety.
The Best Halloween Foods You Can Buy At Lidl (And None Are Candy)
The best Halloween products you can buy at, well, any grocery store shouldn’t just be a long list of candies. After all, there are a lot of aspects to a successfully spooky and fun Halloween―decorating, baking, maybe hosting a festive little soiree. But shopping for the best treats can feel overwhelming. Here’s where we come in. These are the best Halloween goodies you can grab at Lidl this year. Think old school animal crackers, but spooky-fied.
There’s Some Great News For GHOST Sour Strips AppleBerry Fans (Plus A New Flavor)
It’s a bit early to get excited about new flavors for the new year, but then I’m also having one of those weeks/months/years where time is playing all sorts of tricks―an hour will last a few days, every day of one week for some (awful) reason feels like mid-morning Wednesday, and instead of it being March, it’s somehow almost 2027.
We Tried Aldi’s Fall Chicken Sausages (& One’s A Clear Winner)
Of course we’re happy to see fall flavors absolutely dominating the sweets and treats (and especially beverage) categories this time of year. We’re well into October and our fridge is stocked with apple cider donut energy drinks, Pear Frangipane ice cream, and Pumpkin Chai Cheesecake. But sometimes it’s nice to take a break from all the sucrose and spice and seek out autumnal flavor in the savory section of your supermarket.
Aldi vs Lidl Jaffa Cakes: We Tried Them & One Lost So, So Hard
To be honest, cookies shouldn’t be tied to any particular season meteorologically. That said, if you live somewhere where it’s getting a bit nippy out, it’s just a lot easier to leave the grocery store with a box of cookies. As eager as I am to eat all the cookies, I think it’s also the perfect time of year to introduce the Jaffa cake into my tea-and-dipped-sweet-thing repertoire.
It’s Not Just You ― Halloween Candy Is A Lot More Expensive Now
Recently at the cash register I noticed the “total” was a bit higher than expected. Okay, I’ve noticed that every time at the cash register (no kidding, I try not to look down). This was a pointed moment, though, because I’d bought something on sale. But then my rewards membership kicked in, a few bucks fell off the total cost and―briefly―I felt like a Queen.
Core Power Announced Two Brand New Flavors For Next Year
We can all agree, in between reps, we’ve seen a lot of protein products this year. Not only have we seen them, we’ve eaten, and drank them―everything from ramen noodles and soda to high protein filtered milks available at Sam’s Club to Campbell’s own protein-jacked soup lineup.
5 Of Our Favorite Coziest, Vegan Frozen Meals
It’s already gotten a bit crisp, and definitely rainy, in some places. And whatever the weather, fall usually means we’re all busier. So as we scope out some of the coziest ready-to-eat foods at places like Costco, Sam’s Club, and TJ’s, it occurred to us this might also be a great time to see what comfy, cozy, robustly delicious vegan, frozen meals are out there this year.
3 Things You Can Actually Cook With Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew’s been many things to America. It was actually created back in the 1940s to be a lemon-lime mixer for whiskey, and then evolved into a soda pop named “Mountain Dew” after an old timey nickname for moonshine. From there, somehow, we got to an iconic soda brand that comes in a neon rainbow and is culturally intertwined with all things extreme. Seriously, Mountain Dew’s come a long way.
We Tried Lidl’s Fan-Favorite Hummus (& We Double-Dipped)
Hummus is one of the most ancient, most delicious foods in the world. Seriously, we mean like, millennia ancient: it was born in the Levant, aka “the Fertile Crescent.” Given some thousands of years, it’s no wonder there is a lot of store brand hummus out there. (We know, we’ve tasted a lot of them―some of them are even chocolate-flavored and not horrible.) You probably know the major names: Sabra, Cedar’s, Ithaca, CAVA. Even Boar’s Head has a feisty little line.
5 Walmart Great Value Frozen Meals We’d Happily Eat Every Week
Great Value frozen food doesn’t get insanely creative, but their meals do have one reliable thing in common: they’re very, very comfort-oriented. Meaning, it’s easy to find a few favorites and keep going back for them, week after week. Okay, to be fair, they have another reliable thing in common―they’re cheap (it’s in the name, after all: Great Value). But that first thing is more important.
This Bougie New Sesame Oil Just Hit Whole Foods
You probably like sesame oil a lot more than you realize. It’s a staple ingredient in a major variety of Asian cuisines. You’ll find it in anything from porky, piping hot Tonkotsu ramen to the melt-in-your-mouth marinated beef at a Korean barbecue restaurant (and about a billion other dishes in between).
What’s New At Lidl This Week
For some of us, temperatures are changing. For most of us the days are getting shorter (and yet also somehow busier). For those of us lucky enough to shop Lidl, with its whimsical array of baked goods and, oh yes, that weekly rotation of culinary themes, a bunch of ingredients are also changing. In fact, starting October 7th, it’s Greek Week at Lidl―so here are a handful of new products, fall deals, and a bit of bakery fun to add to your Lidl grocery list.
Topo Chico Is Dropping New Products In 2027
Since it has that classic old timey bottle shape, it might not surprise you to learn Topo Chico’s been around since all the way back in 1895. And while the brand has vastly expanded, the classic sparkling mineral water has remained its backbone product for over 130 years. We mention that because that’s no doubt part of what’s given the brand so much confidence in its recent years of product expansion and creation (a parent company like Coca-Cola doesn’t hurt brand confidence either).
Aldi’s Breakfast Best vs Jimmy Dean’s Breakfast Sandwiches: We Tried It
It feels weirdly disrespectful to pit something against Jimmy Dean. Maybe you’re too young, but I’ll admit I’m old enough to remember commercials (the kind you couldn’t eventually skip) where Jimmy Dean’s soft Southern drawl spoke breakfast poetry while sausage patties gently spat out little ribbons of grease from a cast iron skillet. But as much respect for Jimmy Dean as years of television watching have built into me, I also just love a good sausage, egg and cheese on a biscuit.
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