WebProNews

Tag: Food

  • The Internet Is Incredibly Convenient, But At What Cost?

    The Internet has made a lot of old daily routines obsolete. Reading the newspaper in the morning has been replaced by online news. Going to the bookstore to grab the new best seller has been replaced by a digital download on a tablet. Thankfully, there’s still a wide range of responsibilities that still require us to get up and go outside, right?

    A survey of Americans in 2011 found that we spend quite a few hours per day performing regular tasks like shopping, cleaning, and cooking. We can pay somebody else to perform these tasks for us, but the price can easily skyrocket before your very eyes. That’s why a new infographic from Dashlane suggests that you outsource everything to the Internet.

    The infographic points out a number of new Web sites that have popped up in recent years that offer all the convenience of traditional services without having to actually leave the house. Everything from house cleaning and laundry to shopping and food prep can all be taken care of via simple Web sites.

    It’s actually kind of unsettling how much of our lives can be shuffled off onto somebody else via a few clicks. Traditional hiring of services at least requires you to meet people and form potential relationships. The Internet could make us all into recluses and the only people who are outside are those performing the menial tasks that we assigned to them through a Web site.

    Of course, these Web sites aren’t going to take over traditional tasks and services completely for quite some time, if ever. There’s still something to be said about doing work yourself, or even supporting your local economy by hiring local services. Of course, this will all fall through once everybody is able to rely on robot labor.

    Internet Convenient

  • Groupon And Savored Join Forces To Bring High-Class Dining To All

    Getting reservations for a restaurant is awful. It would be so much easier if we could just reserve our tables through an easy-to-use Web site. Oh wait, there apparently is a Web site that does just that, and Groupon just acquired the company behind it.

    Groupon announced today that they have acquired Savored, a Web site dedicated to high-class restaurant reservations. The site doesn’t deal exclusively in reservations though. They also offer discounts of up to 40 percent on all food and drink at said restaurants.

    The Savored team is going to help Groupon expand the offerings of its new Groupon Now! program. For those unfamiliar, Groupon Now! is a time-based deal where users can get a discount within a certain time slot. Savored already does this, but with high-class dining. It will be a nice compliment to Groupon’s current offerings at dozens of other restaurants in cities around the country.

    Existing fans of Savored may be concerned about the acquisition, but they have nothing to worry about. The process of booking a reservation will remain the same under Groupon. Even better, users can still book reservations through the Savored Web site.

    Unfortunately, Savored and Groupon Now! are still only available in select markets. With increased backing from Groupon, Savored may be able to expand into more cities. The Web site currently caters to large urban centers like New York City and Chicago. I’m not saying that Lexington is a big city, but we have our fair share of reservation-required dining that could use some Internet-based discount love.

    Of course, the far more pressing question is if Savored will make an appearance on the next episode of the Groupon Kidz Club. I can just imagine Roll being faced with the possibility that he may have to put down the croissant he’s always carrying.

  • Ben & Jerry’s Cannoli Ice Cream Limited Batch Released

    Ben & Jerry’s, the creators of popular ice cream concoctions such as Cherry Garcia and Americone Dream, announced this week that their newest limited batch creation will be Cannoli.

    The ice cream will be a mascarpone ice cream with fudge-covered cannoli pastry chunks and a mascarpone swirl. Mascarpone is an Italian cheese made from cream.

    Traditionally, cannoli is an Italian dessert that consists of fried pastry dough filled with a creamy cheese filling, usually containing ricotta.

    The new flavor will be available in the U.S. for a limited time, so make sure to stock up if you love cannoli. Ben & Jerry’s fans should be able to find the treat in stores that sell pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

    This is not the first odd limited batch of ice cream the company has created. Back in 2000 the company released a Festivus ice cream to celebrate the holidays. The flavor contained brown sugar cinnamon ice cream, ginger bread cookies, and a ginger caramel swirl. Other limited batch flavors have included Ginger Snap, Lemon Meringue, Peanuts! Popcorn!, Southern Pecan Pie, and Chocolate Chocolate Cookie.

  • Meet Popinator, the Popcorn Launching Machine You Didn’t Know You Needed (But Totally Do)

    Although throwing popcorn in the air and catching it in my mouth has always been an integral part of my popcorn-eating experience, I never thought that I needed a device that launches it at me with the sound of my voice.

    But now that it exists, well, I gotta have it.

    Say hello to the Popinator, the world’s first “fully automated voice activated popcorn shooter triggered by the word ‘pop.’” Created by the folks at Popcorn, Indiana, the Popinator can locate exactly where you are based on your voice and will launch one piece toward your mouth at a distance of up to 15 feet.

    Although the most voracious popcorn fanatics among us may lament the fact that it only delivers one piece at a time, I would retort that they should stop whining and enjoy the simple pleasure of successfully catching any type of food in your mouth that’s been launched across a room.

    Clever viral marketing for a popcorn company? Sure. But if this device ever leaves the prototype stage and goes on sale, I doubt any office would be harmed by its presence.

    Check it out below:

    [via reddit]

  • Dumbest Online Recipe Receives the Most Smartass Comments Ever

    Let’s be honest: online recipes are a minefield. Sure, the user ratings system employed by most online recipe sites help bring the cream to the top and push the crap to the bottom – but every now and then you’re bound to stumble upon a recipe and think “this looks great” only to find that dinner’s ruined and you wasted a lot of time.

    But this recipe, in my opinion, is foolproof.

    Posted back in 2010 on Food.com, one helpful cook decided to let everyone in on her little family secret: Ice Cubes.

    Ingredients; water. Directions: Empty the ice cubes that are left in the trays (if there are any left) into the bin. take the trays over to the sink and fill them with cold water, place the water filled ice trays back in the freezer, replace the ice bin if you had to remove it, and finally shut the door to the freezer.

    Beautiful.

    But it’s some of the comments that are the real gems. I love how many of them take the shape of your traditional recipe site comment. Check out some of the best below:

    This recipe is horrible! Maybe I should have left them in longer than two minutes (the recipe doesn’t say how long to leave them in the freezer so I just kind of guessed) but mine came out all watery. I won’t be making these again.

    I wanted to make your recipe but our well ran dry, so I didn’t have any water to make ice. Since I was having a party, I really had to come up with a clear liquid substitute so I would have ice on hand. A word of warning: when you make vodka cubes your BIL will hit a tree with his new car and your sister will never speak to you again.

    I harvest my own free-range water, so the idea of putting it in a plastic tray and a commercially made electricity-wasting freezer disgusts me. I prefer nature’s method, waiting until the temperature outside drops below freezing.

    I tried this recipe but I must have done something wrong cause they didn’t turnout like the picture! I think I left them in to long or didn’t have the temp. set right cause they came out freezer burned. Next time I think I will try it in the microwave on a cool setting, I am a pro when it comes to making high quality meals that way.

    My son can’t get past step one. Is anybody else having that problem with their teenagers?

    Wow, this recipe has SAVED me! All this time, I thought I had to wait until the lake froze over and chip at it to have ice! Now, my real question is this: CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO MAKE WATER?

    So delicious! I doubled the recipe in a huge baking dish and am freezing the rest in individual servings. So excited to enjoy this dish for the next few weeks!

    Awesome! I am not much of a cook, but I thought what the hey? I’ve got a few days off work, I’ll try it! Plus, I already had the ingredients at the house! My husband was amazed at my newfound culinary skill! This recipe is filed under “Favorites”!

    NEED HIGH ALTITUDE INSTRUCTIONS / ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS PLEASE. I am traveling and will be at a house at around 8,000 ft elevation. Please Advise.

    To be fair to recipe creator CHRISSYG, I don’t think she was all that serious about it.

    “I’m publishing this recipe because I’m sure that there are other families who have members, who don’t know how or have forgotten how to make ice when the ice tray is empty,” she said.

    [via Fark]

  • Organic Foods Are No Better For Your Health

    Growing up as a sloven computer nerd, I cared not for my health. It turns out that my health is actually pretty important. That’s why I make a conscious effort to eat healthier. This means that I spend more on food buying organic fruits and vegetables. If a recent study is to be believed, I was just wasting money.

    Researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine recently published a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine that sought to determine if the health benefits of organic produce actually live up to the claims of being better for you. Consumers definitely think so with the organic produce economy growing from a $3.6 billion business in 1997 to a $24.4 billion business today. Are these foods really better for you though?

    The study had researchers going through all the existing studies that compared the health benefits of organic to conventional diets. Unfortunately, there have been no long term studies conducted to determine if organic foods lead to longer lives. The longest study took place over two years.

    The researchers came to a conclusion, after comparing countless studies, that there is no significant difference between organic and conventional produce. Interestingly enough, they did find that organic produce contains higher levels of phosphorous than its peers. Organic foods also contained lower levels of pesticides so the risk of chemical-induced sickness is much lower, but conventional produce is usually just as safe.

    You may think that somebody at Stanford has something against the organic produce economy. That is not the case as the researchers encourage people to buy organic for more reasons beyond health. They list taste preferences or concern over the impact of traditional farming as reasons to buy organic.

    Regardless of your diet, organic or conventional, it’s important that you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. All the organic meat in the world isn’t going to save you from an early grave. A balanced diet consisting of meats, fruits, vegetables and dairy products are the real life save.

  • The Labor Day BBQ Recipes YouTube Thinks You Should Try

    YouTube has curated a series of Labor Day BBQ recipes from various sources. If you want to watch the whole series together, you can go here, and click “Play All.”

    Otherwise, just watch the ones you want right here.

    Cheese Stuffed Cheeseburgers, Double Stacked From Aussie Griller

    Cantaloupe & Basil Agua Fresca Drink From Kin Eats

    Guacamole From Kin Eats

    Grilled Stuffed Pork Chops From Cooking With Jack Show

    Glazed Grilled Bananas With Chocolate Sauce From Watch Mojo

    Grilled Chicken Kebabs And Applewood Smoked Pork Burgers From The Brothers Green

    I’m a little disappointed to see that nothing from Epic Mealtime made the cut, but YouTube must see a ridiculous amount of recipe ideas uploaded regularly. These must be pretty good ones, for the site to showcase them like this.

  • China Invents Robot Chefs To Replace Lazy Kids

    People will take any job they can get in this economy. Pride is no longer an issue as people young and old take up working at restaurants to pay the bills. It appears that the youth in China have much more flexibility and can still refuse to work at restaurants. That’s a problem for China’s restaurants who rely on the cheap labor to slice noodles. Their solution? Robot slave labor.

    Restaurants around China are now buying these noodle slicing robots to replace the noodle slicing worker in the kitchen. One restaurant says that the robot is far superior to any human help that he’s received and much cheaper. He said that a human worker would cost him the yuan equivalent of $4,000 USD in wages for a year. The robot was just a one time purchase of $1,500.

    It seems that customers also like the robot. There seems to be no difference in taste or texture from the robot cook. I guess people also like the novelty of a robot preparing their food for them. I will admit that it does have a certain charm. Check it out for yourself:

    It’s pretty cool that China now has robot cooks. The only problem is that these robot noodle slicers look too harmless. Can we really trust them with a sharp object? Will they turn the noodle knife on us? I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I want to end up as some robot’s entree at a Chinese restaurant.

  • L.A. Restaurant Incentivizes Ditching Your iPhone at the Door

    A restaurant in Los Angeles, California that offers modern American fare with “classic French technique and a touch of Japanese flavor” has decided that enough is enough when it comes to smartphone obsession.

    Tired of seeing everyone in the dining room buried in their iPhones, Eva Restaurant decided to give patrons a choice: Ditch the phone for the entire duration of the meal, and we’ll give you 5% off your check.

    Apparently, executive chef Mark Gold thought up the idea after having a conversation about just how terrible it is that people are always on their phones. That’s a conversation that I’m sure he’s not alone in having – it does seems like the circumstances fail to matter. Twitter needs to be checked, reddit needs to be browsed, email needs to be responded to, and Instagram photos need to be taken.

    Ok, Instagram photos of your food don’t need to be taken, but you know what I mean.

    People are pretty protective of their devices, so how are they responding to the new offer?

    “They actually get really enthusiastic about it,” Gold says. “I think people generally like the idea of being able to turn off their cell phones. They just haven’t been given the opportunity to or thought about it.”

    I’d do it. I mean, I don’t really have a habit of using my iPhone during dinner anyway (my wife tells me I’m being rude). A nice face-to-face conversation of dinner is one of the simple pleasures in life. I’ll just have to remember to check into Foursquare before I walk through the door.

    [via CNNMoney]

  • Dunkin’ Donuts App Brings Mobile Payments To Popular Chain

    Dunkin’ Donuts has a new app that will let customers pay with their iPhone or Android phones.

    There’s a lot going on in the mobile payments space. This week, a group of major retailers announced a joint venture that will see the Merchant Customer Exchange payment option in appearing in a multitude of stores. Mobile payments darling Square announced a new monthly plan for small businesses, which is sure to get a lot more stores accepting credit cards with Square (which has its own mobile payments app).

    Square, in fact, announced a major partnership with Starbucks last week (which already accepted mobile phone-based payments with PayPal), making Square a payment option throughout the U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts, obviously a major competitor to Starbucks wants people to know they can be all futuristic and pay with their phones at their stores too, even without Square. Customers can use their iPhones/Android phones to store their Dunkin’ Donuts cards for quick, easy payment.

    “Use the app to pay for all your purchases,” the company says. “Simply tap the DD Card you wish to use and present the barcode to the employee to be scanned, and you’re good to go. You can also manage and reload your DD Card right from the app.”

    Dunkin Donuts iPhone app

    The app will also let you locate stores, browse the menu, and send virtual gift cards via text message, email or Facebook. You can also follow the Dunkin’ Donuts Facebook and Twitter feeds from the app.

    Dunkin Donuts iPhone app

    Dunkin’ Donuts warns that payment with the app only works at participating stores. It’s unlcear just how many of them would not fall into that category.

    The app is available in Apple’s App Store, Google Play, and by texting APP to DUNKIN (386546).

  • Google HQ’s Kitchen Has A 3D Printer For Pasta

    We’ve already clarified many times that working for Google is one of the best gigs in the world. The benefits are unmatched in the tech industry and they get awesome perks from time to time. One of those perks is an onsite cafeteria for employees. It seems that Google’s dedication to technological advancement has reached the kitchen.

    Dance New England is a summer camp of sorts that teaches all ages how to dance over an 11- day period. The on site cafeteria was being run by Bernard Faucher, a chef that also works at Google HQ. The camp interviewed Faucher about the differences between providing food for dancers and the folks at Google. The whole interview is pretty fascinating, but it gets really interesting at the 3-minute mark:

    Faucher says that Google has a 3D printer in the kitchen for custom designed pasta. Everybody has their own favorite style of pasta and the chefs can create any variety they want using the 3D printer. The use of 3D printers in food preparation has been well documented over the years, but I think this is the first time I’ve heard of it being used to shape pasta.

    To be honest, it’s kind of surprising to just be hearing about it now. Pasta is something that could benefit immensely from 3D printing and nothing has to change in technology to accomplish that. Pasta dough is extremely malleable so using a 3D printer to craft custom shapes only makes sense.

    Now that we know that Google has a 3D printer in their kitchen, what else do they have? Faucher only mentioned that Google has a lot of temperature related tools that allow them to slow cook meats over night. This warrants further investigation of course so here’s hoping Google gives us a peek inside their kitchen one day.

    As an aside, Faucher says that Google gets multiple whole pigs everyday. The animals are then broken down into their components to feed the hungry Googlers. It leads one to wonder how much of it is converted into bacon.

    [h/t: Reddit]

  • Controversy Makes Chick-fil-A One Of The Fastest Growing Brands On Facebook

    Controversy Makes Chick-fil-A One Of The Fastest Growing Brands On Facebook

    I probably don’t have to tell you that Chick-fil-A is at the center of a great deal of controversy these days, concerning its open views on gay marriage. These views have led to a seemingly endless debate among Chick-fil-A supporters, opponents, and those who just want to eat some chicken and go on about their business.

    One thing is for certain. The whole thing has given the restaurant chain a whole lot of press, and over the past month, the company’s social brand has been on the rise.

    Was stating its views on the matter of same-sex marriage a smart decision on Chick-fil-A’s part? Tell us what you think.

    Social media ad platform Optimal has released a list of the top performing brands on its Optimal Index for July. As a spokesperson for the firm explains, “The Optimal Index is an independent valuation tool to help determine the relative value of a brand’s current audience on Facebook by combining fan counts, engagement statistics and global fan valuation.”

    “Interestingly, amid recent controversial comments made by members of its executive team, Chick-fil-A added 524,238 new fans in July, and more than 550,000 people discussed, liked or commented on the brand in the past week,” the spokesperson said.

    Here’s the list. As you can see, Chick-fil-A cracked the top ten:

    Chick-Fil-A cracks top ten in social brand growth

    Chick-fil-A’s Facebook page currently has over 6 million fans. That’s about a tenth of what rapper Marshall Mathers (the most popular guy on Facebook) has.

    These graphs from PageData tell the story pretty well.

    PageData stats on Chick-fil-A

    The comments from Chick-fil-A took place in the mid-July, and you can see how the Page’s popularity has steadily risen since then, as the discussion continues around the web. Imagine what the monthly numbers would look like if the controversy began at the beginning of the month.

    Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy was quoted as saying that he and the company as a whole are “very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives.”

    The company later issued the following statement via its Facebook Page:

    The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.

    Chick-fil-A is a family-owned and family-led company serving the communities in which it operates. From the day Truett Cathy started the company, he began applying biblically-based principles to managing his business. For example, we believe that closing on Sundays, operating debt-free and devoting a percentage of our profits back to our communities are what make us a stronger company and Chick-fil-A family.

    Our mission is simple: to serve great food, provide genuine hospitality and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.

    Wednesday became known as Chick-fil-A appreciation day, which turned out to be a pretty big hit for the company, with the company claiming a record-setting day. Millions of people turned out to support the restaurant chain, and their beliefs.

    Of course, the controversy also led to National Same-Sex Kiss Day At Chick-fil-A on Friday, which in addition to the turn out for beliefs on the opposite side of the equation, has still served to draw more attention to the brand.

    There’s no question that Chick-fil-A has alienated a large amount of customers, but even still, the company appears to have put together a pretty loyal audience, and thousands of people (and climbing) they can push their messages (and offers) to on a daily basis, through Facebook alone, not to mention the additional brand awareness the company has managed to spread.

    Some analysts have advised against businesses publicizing any political views, as to avoid alienating customers. It’s hard to say what kind of long-term effects this whole thing will have on Chick-fil-A’s brand, and how much it will ultimately affect the company’s bottom line. In the short-term, however, no matter how many people it has turned against it, the whole thing has clearly gotten people more interested in Chick-fil-A, and they’re selling a whole lot of Chicken. From my understanding, that’s their main goal.

    Do you think businesses should publicize controversial views and risk alienating customers? Was Chick-fil-A smart to do so? Has the whole thing affected whether or not you will eat at the restaurant? Let us know in the comments.

  • Watch This Guy Attempt The Michael Phelps Diet Challenge

    Back when Michael Phelps had his amazing medal run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, one of the many facts about the young swimmer that fascinated the nation was that he consumes somewhere around 12,000 calories a day. At first, it sounds like a ridiculous amount of food – and it is. It’s somewhere in the ballpark of 24 Quarter Pounders w/ Cheese. But when you remember that he trains hours upon hours each day and burns of copious amounts of calories in the process, that massive number becomes a bit more palatable.

    A bit.

    I don’t know why (some unworldly level of masochism, I guess), but professional competitive eater Furious Pete decided to attempt the “Michael Phelps Diet Challenge.” In that challenge, a person must consume the entire daily allotment of Phelp’s caloric intake – in one sitting.

    Here’s what the challenge consists of:

    3 Fried Egg Sandwiches, Bowl of Grits/Oatmeal, 5 Egg Omlet 3x French Toast, 3x Chocolate Chip Pancakes, 2 Large Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, 0.5 Kilos (1+lb) of Pasta, 1 x XL Pepperoni Pizza, 0.5 Kilos (1+lb) of Pasta, and various Energy Drinks

    That’s pretty much dead on what Michael Phelps eats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – according to MichaelPhelps.net.

    Check it out below to see if he’s successful:

    12,000 calories is roughly the sustenance that’s recommended for an adult over the course of six days. I can imagine that eating all of that in a matter of minutes is probably not the best thing you can do for your body. As a veteran of a couple White Castle and Taco Bell eating challenges, let be be the first to ask you to please please not try this at home.

    [via reddit]

  • Chick-Fil-A’s Anti-Gay Views Got You Feeling Guilty? Try A Homemade Chick-Fil-Gay

    Chick-Fil-A has never really tried to hide the fact that they are a “Christian organization.” If the fact that they are close on Sundays didn’t tip you off, the company has made it pretty clear that they support a “traditional” set of values when it comes to sex and relationships. Oh, and then there are the millions of dollars in donations to anti-gay groups.

    And earlier this week, company president Dan Cathy eliminated all doubt by pleading guilty as charged to supporting a “Biblical definition of the family unit.” Although his remarks were unsurprising, they created a bit of a ruckus among the internet community.

    “Well, guilty as charged. We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that…we know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles,” he said.

    As you can imagine, plenty of gay-rights supporters aren’t too thrilled about this and have spoken out against eating at the restaurant, despite the tastiness of their products.

    If you’re a supporter of marriage equality and still want to indulge in a great fried chicken sandwich without the guilt, Hilah Cooking has a solution for you:

    After the massive backlash, Chick-Fil-A has backpedaled a bit on their President’s comments.

    “The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender,” said the company in a Facebook post. “We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.”

    [via reddit]

  • Celebrate National French Fry Day with These Crispy Videos

    Happy National French Fry Day! Any holiday that celebrates the copious consumption of unhealthy food is always a blast, especially when there are so many relevant videos available to watch on YouTube. Although most of the articles I’ve encountered today have explored how one can make the aforementioned side dish healthier, I think that’s just insane. Blasphemy, even. Who in the world wants to eat a healthy french fry? I’m assuming it’s the same person who drinks non-alcoholic beer. You disgust me.

    As you can tell from the videos scattered below, a lot of people have plenty of free time to spare. And that’s okay, because these clips ultimately make life a bit saltier, a little crispier. In fact, I wasn’t considering scarfing down a large order of french fried potatoes until I learned that today was the foodstuff’s national holiday. Ah, the power of marketing.

    While you’re stuffing your face with the goodness that only french fries can provide, why not peruse this selection of nifty videos. It’ll give you something to block out the shame associated with this sort of binge eating. And if you see someone on the side of the road who looks like they could use an order of fries, keep driving. They’re probably high on bath salts.

  • Jack in the Box Waffle Sandwich Is Designed to Blow Your Mind

    Jack in the Box’s waffle sandwich sounds like something that was created to test my dietary will. Would I eat a waffle sandwich? Of course I would. Don’t be silly. The question remains: Should I eat a waffle sandwich? Probably not. That’s because I couldn’t stop at just one; my will power obliterated, I would order as many as my poor little stomach could hold. Then regret would kick in, and there’s really nothing sadder than a grown man crying over the crumbs of his delicious Jack in the Box waffle sandwich. It’s a pretty sad sight.

    For those of you who actually have a Jack in the Box in your state — Kentucky, by the way, does not have any locations to speak of — the aforementioned culinary delight is now available, though it will only be on the restaurant’s menu for a limited time. Kind of like the McRib, except less visually revolting. It’s worth noting, however, that the item is not available in Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Sacramento, San Antonio, Baton Rouge, and Greenville.

    Tracy Dunn, director of menu marketing and promotions, said in a statement, “Jack in the Box is combining three popular breakfast choices—waffles, egg and our new country-grilled sausage—to create a distinctive, craveable sandwich that is easy to eat on the go. Our new Breakfast Waffle Sandwich is the perfect balance of sweet and savory.”

    If you plan on nomming down on this potentially delicious breakfast treat, it might be wise to know what’s under the hood. Each sandwich reportedly contains 479 calories, 33 grams of fat, 11 g of saturated fat, 1 g of trans fat, 271 mg of cholesterol, 983 mg of sodium, 230 mg of potassium, 24 g of carbohydrates, 1 g of fiber, 6 g of sugar, and 19 g of protein.

    Planning on picking one up? Be sure to bring $2.79 plus tax with you for a single sandwich. If you want a combo, which includes the sandwich and hash browns, as well as a coffee, orange juice, or soda, you’re going to need $4.19 plus tax.

  • Interactive Vending Machine Wants Your Worship, Best Dance Moves For Free Snacks

    Interactive Vending Machine Wants Your Worship, Best Dance Moves For Free Snacks

    Well isn’t this a smart little ad campaign.

    Australian company Fantastic is testing just what people will do for free food. In order to promote their “Fantastic Delites” flavored rice snack, they’ve set up an interactive vending machine that tests people’s dedication.

    The machine, called the Delite-o-Matic, starts off small by asking snackers to tap a button 100 times. Then it ups the ante, asking them to tap a couple hundred times. Finally, the demented machine makes a poor girl hit the button 5,000 times for a box of crackers.

    Eventually, the challenges get a bit more interesting – dancing and idol worship, to be exact. Check it out below:

    They’ve also set up an online vending machine that you can interact with for the chance to win prizes.

    Although we already know some of the depraved lengths people will go to for a Klondike bar, the Delite-o-Matic promises that this is only the beginning. What could this vending machine ask people to do in the future? I can only imagine the worst…

    [via DesignTaxi]

  • Spam’s 75th Birthday: Deep Down, You Know You Love It

    Spam’s 75th birthday is a cause for celebration. Seriously! Anyone who has a complete and utter disregard for the edible substances they stuff into their gaping maws can attest to the incomparable joy associated with jamming this delicious mystery meat into their bellies. I have been a fan of the canned ham since I was a child, and because my palate did not mature past the age of 13, it remains a staple of my diet to this very day. For a lot of you, this admission is probably extremely depressing, as it suggests that the eating habits of Americans are just as pathetic as you thought they were. Sorry about that.

    Spam — which gets its name from combining the words “spiced” and “ham” — was introduced to the world by Hormel Foods Corporation in 1937. Over the years, this peculiar foodstuff has become the butt of many jokes, songs, and parodies, the most famous of which is probably Monty Python’s infamous sketch from the 70’s, which portrayed the meat as something no one could escape. Who would want to? After all, eating Spam from the can is a sign of social status. What that status is, of course, is up for debate.

    To date, Hormel has sold over seven billion cans. That’s a hell of a lot of delight. In order to properly celebrate Spam’s 75th year in existence, a collection of Spam-related videos have been pulled from YouTube and carefully embedded into the space below. Love it or hate, I think Spam is here to stay. From where I’m seated, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

    My family physician, of course, would probably tell you differently.

  • Deep Fried Fair Food Includes Cheeseburgers, Red Velvet Cake

    The deep fried fair food on the menu at this year’s California State Fair will probably test the limits of those individuals who believe their stomach is constructed of cast iron. Once upon I time, I could stuff just about anything into my gaping maw and walk away from the experience without much gastrointestinal trauma. As I’ve gotten older, however, the very thought of consuming chocolate-covered bacon is enough to make me reach for a big ol’ bottle of Pepto.

    Over 100 vendors will be peddling their edible wares at the California State Fair, which runs from July 12th through the 29th. Some of the entrees that will be made available to adventurous foodies include the Big Beef Rib (essentially, a big ass 24-ounce steak jammed onto a 17-inch cow rib), a deep-fried cheeseburger (complete with jalapeno cheese), and, last but not least, a pork chop on a stick. The last one is probably the most palatable to those who aren’t really in the mood for something that will obliterate their bowels in a matter of seconds.

    For those of you with big appetites, you can also get a few unusual side items at this year’s event. Some of the dishes vying for your cash include deep-fried mac ‘n’ cheese on a stick, deep-fried cream cheese topped with sweet-hot sauce, deep-fried cheese curds, and a brick of curly fries, the latter of which sounds heavenly, just heavenly. For dessert, why not try your hand at a deep-fried cinnamon rolls with icing or, perhaps, a deep-fried red velvet cake with frosting.

    Of course, the California State Fair isn’t the only place you can find ridiculous deep fried foods. Other fairs throughout the country offer all sorts of gross-out menu items, including deep-fried butter, deep-fried alligator, deep-fried Oreos, deep-fried brownies, and — wait for it — deep-fried Krispy Kreme cheeseburgers. According to the Huffington Post, deep-fried Kool-Aid ball creator Charlie Boghosian has unleashed his latest creation: deep-fried cereal.

    Unless it comes with deep-fried milk, I think I’m good.

  • Here’s Why Your Quarter Pounder Looks Like Crap Compared To The Ads

    There are three truths when it comes to advertisements vs reality. First, those pants never look as good on your fat ass as they do on the model’s less-fat ass. Second, the girl from the internet never looks as good as her profile picture. And finally, that fast food burger isn’t going to look anything like it does in the commercial.

    That doesn’t mean that it won’t still taste good, it just means that we have all accepted the lies that advertisements feed us on a daily basis. Nobody expects their taco from Taco Bell to be spilling from the brim with meat and toppings. I’m sure the majority of people are content with the fact that their KFC chicken bucket won’t actually be overflowing and pouring off steam.

    So, exactly why does the food you order in fast food restaurants look nothing like the same menu item in the commercial?

    Two words: Food Stylist.

    You see, your average McDonalds employee makes your burger in a matter of minutes. When preparing the food for those ads you see on TV, the food stylist takes much, much longer.

    Plus, they employ plenty of little tricks to make the burger look as good as it can possibly look. In a video uploaded by McDonalds, their Canadian Director of Marketing walks us through an ad photo shoot and shows us exactly how they create the burger that you’ll never actually see in real life.

    First, an edge-only cooking process that obviously leaves the burger looking plumper…

    (image)

    Add a bit of loving care to make the condiments, cheese, and veggies look just right…

    (image)

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    Sprinkle in a touch of photoshop:

    (image)

    And there you have it. The perfect, completely unrealistic Quarter Pounder w/ cheese. Check it out below:

    It may be surprising to see that it’s actually McDonalds that’s taking the time to show this process. In their defense, they aren’t really lying to you (well, the photoshopping is debatable). All of the items that go into the real burger and the ad version are the same, but it’s clearly all in the preparation. Still, it’s fascinating to know that the job of burger fluffer really exists.

  • “Likeapella” By Kraft Thanks Facebook Users

    “Likeapella” By Kraft Thanks Facebook Users

    Facebook has always been a great way of promoting products online, especially Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Who can’t resist the yummy cheesy flavor of the macaroni? Well, 4,632 Facebook users publicly announced they couldn’t by liking this post by Kraft. With the amount of responses Kraft received with this post, the well-known snack company has compiled a video thanking their fans for this generous support. The video that they released is appropriately named “Likeapella.”

    Within Likeapella, a barbershop quintet appears singing thanks to their fans for liking the specific post. Along with their singing, a list of all of the names (shortened for length and privacy) appears of all of the people that liked the post that day. If you liked Kraft’s post on Tuesday, April 24th, more than likely your name will appear. To watch the video in its entirety, please click “play” on the YouTube video below.

    With this video, this shows that brands actually do care about their social media following, and is also a great method to demonstrate engagement marketing.

    The Twitter community has been busy reacting to Likeapella, and I have provided a few responses from the Twitterverse below:

    (image)@ks_wordSmith
    Kim Smith    Love how Kraft is personally thanking individual Facebook fans with this ‘Likeapella’ music video http://t.co/tibAKR3U via @adweek(image) 1 hour ago via Tweet Button ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@tentsocial
    Jeff Berezny    There’s only so much ‘noodle-doo op’ one can take. But hats off to Kraft for its latest social media effort. http://t.co/GNjnYAWd(image) 1 day ago via Buffer ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@RachelleLacroix
    RachelleLacroix    Not all brands can go there, but props to @kraftmacncheese for showing how fun social can be w/ #Likeapella & #oldbirdsnewtweets(image) 6 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@cmtrapolino
    Christina Trapolino    Love seeing #brands experiment with social strategies! Kraft’s thank you video to #Facebook fans: http://t.co/TRQesHzN(image) 4 hours ago via Spredfast ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@sparksandhoney
    sparksandhoney    What a great way to humanize the brand! Reading: “Kraft Personally Thanks #Facebook Fans in ‘Likeapella’ Music Video” http://t.co/IYZOeFsS(image) 3 days ago via SocialFlow ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto