I first encountered Pringles' pizza-flavored Baked Wheat Stix as litter on the ground along the shore of Lake Superior, a nasty little bit of modern marketing amid a panorama of natural splendor. The look of the green foil wrapper evoked a granola bar, but the word PIZZA was emblazoned on the right-hand side. Pringles, read the left-hand side. This was making less and less sense until the center of the wrapper, reading Baked Wheat Stix, snapped into focus. At this point, the shiny green artifact made no sense whatsoever. READ MORE
Edit Post / Posted
on Friday, August 5th, 2011
Anticipating a trend of leaner, healthier indulgences—or what certainly should be a trend, given America's penchant for both sweets and overeating—Nabisco has released a new line of whole-grain cookies capitalizing on the longstanding and generally-believed-to-be-healthy Fig Newtons brand name. The concept: thin, crunchy, relatively lean cookies (three are a mere 140 calories) that derive much of their flavor and at least some of their sweetness from natural sources such as honey, figs, or berries. READ MORE
Edit Post / Posted
on Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
The last thing we need is another way to consume waffles, but here comes Julian's Recipe, a premade Liège waffle that I spotted at Whole Foods and found irresistible based on its stylish packaging. The bad news is this: Julian's Recipe waffles are straight-up delicious. After eating the Belgian Chocolate flavor, my brother innocently asked me: "So, did you make these and freeze them or what? They're terrific!" Nope, I didn't make them, but they're good enough to pass for gourmet home-cookery: rich, buttery, with veins of decent dark chocolate. READ MORE
Edit Post / Posted
on Friday, July 29th, 2011
Here's what happened when I purchased two Guayakí Yerba Mate Organic Energy Shots and (for comparison's sake) a two-pack of 5-Hour Energy shots: The grandmotherly checkout clerk at Lunds informed me that I was probably going to have a major medical incident. "No one knows what they put in these things," she said. READ MORE
Edit Post / Posted
on Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
The story behind tera'swhey is this: Wisconsinite Tera Johnson decided to work with small family farms and artisanal cheesemakers to transform their whey (a by-product of cheesemaking) into a profitable sideline. Thus: packets of dried, powdered whey nutritional supplements flavored with high-antioxidant fruits (or chocolate) and stevia extract for low-calorie/low-glycemic sweetness. The stuff is meant to be mixed with juice, water, or milk and consumed for a high-protein nutrition boost. READ MORE
Edit Post / Posted
on Friday, July 22nd, 2011
The initial email pitching the newly launched Nolet's Silver Dry Gin brand got my attention. The description of this $50-a-bottle luxury tipple went like this: "Nolet's Silver is a modern take on gin with a refreshing floral and fruit-forward flavor featuring notes of peach, Turkish rose, and raspberry." READ MORE
Edit Post / Posted
on Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
As a Wisconsin dude born and raised, I find the idea of vegan cheese to be absurd, vaguely offensive, and a little bit frightening. Why would anyone not drink milk and consume milk products at every possible opportunity? Well, the answer, of course, is if they're vegan. So it was with a monster chip on my shoulder that I tasted Teese, a vegan cheese product that comes in two flavors: mozzarella and cheddar. READ MORE
Edit Post / Posted
on Friday, July 15th, 2011
We try Quiznos's new salad against a salad made from actual farmers' market produce. Guess which one is better?
WATCH THE VIDEO Edit Post / Posted
on Friday, July 8th, 2011
Every so often, while browsing the shelves of a rural Wisconsin gas station, I stumble upon a strange yet slickly packaged consumer good and think: "My goodness, this is probably not aimed at my city-dwelling, house-made-aquavit, cocktail-drinking self." READ MORE
Edit Post / Posted
on Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
If you were to say to me, "I have an idea for a new beverage," I'd counter with, "OK, tell me that idea." And if you said, "My idea involves taking aloe vera pulp and mixing it with a bunch of other stuff and giving every drink a vague, adjective-driven name," I'd say, "Please tell me the best way to avoid investing in your new company." READ MORE
Edit Post / Posted
on Friday, July 1st, 2011
