We recently reviewed Utz Pretzels and talked about how generally awesome they are.
But Utz, like most snack companies, is constantly trying to improve their brand and to compete with other snack makers. So for this summer, Utz introduced, among other new snacks, these pretzel pieces in three flavors–Cheddar, Buttermilk Ranch, and Honey Mustard and Onion.
Now, these aren’t like regular pretzels that are crispy and malty and salty and awesome. The flavored pieces are more like a different kind of snack altogether, with the pretzel being a vehicle for the flavor of choice. And Utz brings the flavor in a big way, in some cases a bit too much. Here is how we sum up these pretzel pieces:
Cheddar–Okay, scratch what I just said about not being like regular pretzels. Because one thing you notice here is that these are Utz Pretzels, which are in a different class than most pretzel brands. Then you get the big cheddar flavor, which is sharp and bold and holds up to the palate of this Wisconsin based cheese snob.
Buttermilk Ranch–Well, this one wasn’t as pleasant. The ranch flavor is quite processed, like they took the pretzels and shook them in a bag of Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix. It also had an unpleasant onion-y aftertaste.
Honey Mustard & Onion–Unlike the ranch and cheddar, this flavor wasn’t as potent, but subtle enough to where you keep tasting the different flavors coming together as one. And with that, you want to keep eating them. Or at least I did. These are actually NOT too onion-y, and the sweet mustard flavor is awesome.
We received samples of all of the new Utz Snacks, so we’ll be reviewing more in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, if you try these pretzel pieces, feel free to leave your own comment in the space below. Thanks for reading and munching with me!
If there’s one thing the good people of Jamba Juice know, it’s fruit. So why would they try to get into the burger business? In truth, they aren’t – this video is just a strong right hook at the fast food industry, which has started to encroach on Jamba Juice territory by offering concoctions they try to pass off as smoothies. Those abominations are about as much smoothie as the cheeseburger shake is a burger, and yet, people order them. That got us to thinking, if people are willing to eat fast food smoothies, who would be willing to eat a cheeseburger shake?
1. Frat guys – If fraternities have a reputation for one thing, it’s their filth. It’s not networking, job prospects, close friends, or even great parties. The real frats, frats that people like you and me went to skill with, were disgusting. They had horrific hazing rituals. Their members (my friends among them) would find absurd bets like “who can kill the most wounded soldiers at the next house party.” These guys would love to ingest a cheeseburger milkshake. You can almost guarantee that a brother at your local party school has tried this very thing to rid himself of a nasty hangover or win the approval of the rest of the house.
2. Hot dog stand regulars – At three in the morning, few things sound quite as good as a hotdog loaded down with onions, jalapenos, chili, coleslaw, and healthy squirt of stadium mustard across the top. For some people, that sounds good at nine in the morning. And for lunch. And as a mid day snack. When you’re in such a hurry to give yourself kidney stones, why not slurp the food through a straw, right? Right.
3. Extreme runners – When I first read about Dean Karnazes I was enchanted. The guy lost it at a party, sprinted into the night and didn’t stop running until morning. That was just the beginning of an insane career. He has gone on to compete in marathons and supermarathons, sometimes entering himself in team competitions and running against five other men by himself. He ran 50 marathons in 50 days across 50 states. He’s completely insane, but he keeps his body going by guzzling calories as he runs. He orders pizzas on the go, snacks on eclairs mid-run. He needs the ridiculous caloric intake just to keep his body running. The cheeseburger shake is perfect for this guy – a calorie bomb you can sip as you sprint.
4. Fast Food fanatics – If you’ve seen Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me,” you know there are people in this world that would prefer the Big Mac to a nice hand-pattied burger. For those few people, you can imagine the cheeseburger shake would be the perfect treat. It’s salty, disgusting, and consumable in three minutes or less. What more could you want?
5. Britney Spears – Britney Spears is a wreck. A complete and utter mess of a human being. When she isn’t flashing her hoo-hah or pressing ham for the paparazzi, she’s busy driving with her kids on her lap and having public – very public – psychotic breakdowns. She’s also known to step into gas station bathrooms barefoot. I don’t know what kind of gas stations you go to, but the bathrooms I see at the local Kwik-N-Go are like something from a horror movie. If the walls aren’t smeared in human excrement there’s usually used toilet paper strewn about and a cocktail of bodily fluid stewing in the turlet. If Britney can stomach that mess without so much as a pair of shoes (much less a biohazard suit), you can bet she’d be willing to slurp down a burger shake without thinking twice.
Summer is here. Well, it’s been here for a while in most parts of the country, and there is lots of it left. That means beaches, lots of outdoor activities and one of the things guys love most–grilling.
But have you ever been in a situation where you just want to spontaneously grill, and you can’t because you’re on the road, unprepared, or out of propane or charcoal?
Well, EZ Grill has the answer, and is the answer for you. Before I ramble on into info-mercialism here, I’ll just tell you that I was sent a sample of one of these mechanisms to try, and I finally did so for lunch today. And let me tell you, it not only cooked my bratwurst to perfection (yeah, I live in Wisconsin), but it was so easy a monkey could do it.
All you need to do is remove the plastic packaging and cardboard top that has the directions on it. You shake the grill and put it on its little stand. Then, and this is important….you have to place it on a heat-resistant surface. For me, this was the concrete patio off of our den. You light the paper underneath the grates that fires up the charcoal beneath it, and you’re ready to rock. After about 10-15 minutes of flames, the grill is ready when the coals are charred and the flames have died down. For you pros, you could have just skipped the last few lines…that’s Grilling 101. Anyway, it took my brat about 10 minutes to cook, and it was previously frozen. So that’s pretty awesome.
The grill is small….it might be able to fit 4 burgers or so. But you can always buy more than one. It’s also disposable and recyclable. A win-win for you and for the environment. And it’s inexpensive. I saw one in the store for $20, but now you can even buy this bundle pack for $19.99. Yes, and if you order now…..(sorry, couldn’t resist!). But you get the idea. This is a great product. Buy a few and keep them on hand or in the trunk of your car for when you might need it.
I have what is probably considered an unhealthy affinity for Pringles. Sure, they’re not real potato chips, just chopped and formed potato crisps with lots of chemical enhancements. But it’s not like most junk foods don’t already fit that description.
Anyway, being that I love spicy food and I know many of you do, I was bowled over last week in the grocery store when I encountered Pringles Extreme, a variety pack with three new flavors of mini-Pringles. The flavors are Smokin’ Hot Ranch, Torchin’ Tamale and Buffalo Wing. And well, they are awesome…for the most part. Here is our take:
Smokin’ Hot Ranch–these tasted like a cross between ranch flavor Doritos and old-school barbecue potato chips. But they have a pleasant spicy kick that hits you in the back of the throat on a time-delay.
Torchin’ Tamale–these were my least favorite of the bunch. There is a salsa flavor with red pepper-y heat. But the onion aftertaste is pretty strong, kind of overwhelming in fact.
Buffalo Wing–nothing sucks about anything that tastes like Buffalo wings. And that’s true of these crisps, which have a nice salty kick akin to real deal wing sauce. These also have a somewhat weird aftertaste, but a pleasant one, keeping that nice authentic wing taste with you.
Overall, this product is highly recommended if you like Pringles or spicy food or both. Go check ’em out!
The first event was held at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee back in April. The competition pit Vanderbilt’s Lambda Chi Alpha Gama – Delta Zeta chapter and the Pi Kappa Alpha Sigma Chapter against one another at the Sportsman’s Grille for some good old-fashioned wing smashin’. Lambda Chi Alpha raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Pi Kappa Alpha for Dismas House in Nashville. Lambda Chi’s Michael Gadebusch led the field with an impressive 15 wings in 5 minutes.
A week and a half later Kluckr was at UNC-Charlotte for another Kompetition, this time hosted by Sigma Alpha Epsilon for the entire campus. Competitors made it out to Wild Wing Café to witness Teddy Holthee throw down 13 wings in just five minutes. Only 13, you say? I guess we didn’t mention they were soaked in enough hot sauce to make even the most resilient wing-lover cry.
In early May, Kluckr paired up with the Theta Delta Chi’s from Schenectady and raised more than $300 for the Bethesda House. They also paid homage to Murphy Potter, who ate 10 of Gepetto’s Mad Dog 357 wings in just five minutes.
From there it was on to the final stop on the tour, Texas Tech. If anyone knew how to eat, it would be these guys. The local Alpha Kappa Psi chapter searched far and wide for the ten hungriest competitors and set them head-to-head at one of Lubbock’s famous Buffalo Wild Wings. The undisputed champion of both the event and the national tour was Preston “The Wild Thing” Whaley, who wolfed down a monstrous 29 wings in just 5 minutes. Second, Third, and Fourth place all put up impressive numbers, at 24, 22, and 21 wings respectively.
If you think you have what it takes to upset Preston, keep an eye on Kluckr.com for Kompetitions this fall. Kluckr will be kicking off the 2010-2011 school year with a tour of the SEC. Get your fraternity organized and you could be chosen to host your own Kluckr Kompetition.
