Eggnog Needs Coffee

Earlier today I was out for coffee with my dad and my buddy. We do this once a week together. I love these hangouts. They're good for catching up and having delicious coffee drinks.

The two people I normally go with get Americanos. They like straight up coffee. They don't want anything added to it. The more like coffee it tastes, the better for them. I like to try a bunch of different coffee drinks. I am enamored with espresso tonics right now. They're the best in my opinion. I like how refreshing they taste, and they have a good caffeine boost. But, it's pretty cold here in St Louis right now. We got snow over the weekend and it has stuck to the ground. That means it's quite chilly. I love this weather, but this weather means that iced coffee isn't always the best option. Today I got a hot drink.

We went to a local spot called Shaw's, my dad's favorite, and he and Kirk got their Americanos. I decided to look at the menu a bit. They have their holiday specials going on right now, and I wanted a warm and sweet holiday drink today. As I perused the menu, I kept coming back to the eggnog latte. The other drinks sounded good, but the eggnog one was calling my name. I ordered it and it was fantastic. It wasn't overly sweet. I could taste the eggnog and cinnamon. The coffee was piping hot and it hit the spot.

As I was drinking it and the three of us were chatting, I made the declaration that, even though the drink was excellent, I do not like eggnog unless it is used as a creamer for coffee. Eggnog, for me, is too creamy and gloopy. It has an odd taste when served over ice. I have never had the alcoholic version of it because I don't drink, but I know plenty of people who like it, and I have to assume the NA version tastes very much the same. But, there's something intriguing to me about using it in coffee as opposed to cream and Splenda. As much as I enjoy cream and Splenda, it can be monotonous. It all begins to taste the same. Even if I brew flavored ground coffee, the taste all melds together. So changing things up from time to time is nice and needed. Adding eggnog to the latte was the perfect change of pace. The creaminess really elevated the coffee. The cinnamon gave it a small bite that I enjoyed. Whatever other flavors they put in eggnog, it all worked really well. Like I said, I enjoy sweet, hot coffee. But this was the right amount of sweet. It can be too much if it's too sweet. I see people putting all types of stuff in their coffee drinks that it fails to be coffee in the end. I watched a Dunkin employee the other day put double digit pumps of sweetener in a customer's coffee. It looked like chocolate milk as opposed to coffee. That wasn't the case with this eggnog latte.

I think I'm going to try and recreate this drink as best I can at home. This drink was so good that I'm going to go and buy NA eggnog from my store to make more at home. So, while I won't drink eggnog on its own, it is going to become a creamer in my coffee for the foreseeable future. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Adventures with Kimchi

Let me talk to you about kimchi.

I have attempted to make kimchi a few times in my house to no avail. The first time I tried I used a recipe that said it had to be fermenting in my refrigerator for a month. I went through the process step by step, took my time and even put a sticker with the date on the mason jar. I was stoked, but I did have to wait.

One day, maybe about halfway through the month-long waiting period, my daughter went to grab something from the fridge and told me it smelled weird. I went to look thinking we had some rotten fruit or something else leaking perhaps. I searched and searched but found nothing. My wife checked as well, and she couldn't find the culprit. After a while we heard a small wheezing noise in the fridge. It was at that point that my heart sank. I knew I didn't seal the mason jar properly. That was the only thing in there that could be possibly making that noise. I grabbed the jar and that was most definitely where the sound was coming from. I, using my better judgement, took the jar outside to open it. As soon as I popped the top the cabbage and all the other ingredients exploded onto my backyard lawn. It also smelled pretty awful. Now, according to some minimal research, the smell was what it was supposed to be. Kimchi is fermented, rotten cabbage in spices. But, due to the lone fact that I didn't properly seal the jar, it was a no go on this first experiment.

I tried again a few months after I improperly closed my jar. This time I kind of winged the recipe though. I didn't have everything I needed. I assumed I could use other stuff and it would be okay, if not very similar. I cut some corners and just figured it out on the fly. I also shortened the fermenting time to two weeks. This was a no go as well. It wasn't bad, it just lacked a ton of flavor. When making kimchi you need most, if not all, of the stuff that the recipe you are using is telling you to use. You cannot skip every corner. You have to stay mostly true. Kimchi is supposed to pack a punch. It's supposed to hit you in the mouth with flavor. You want a good spice kick. This version was very bland in retrospect. I ate about half of it before I gave up and tossed it in the trash.

This afternoon I took my third attempt at making proper kimchi. I used all the ingredients except shrimp paste, which I could not find at my store. I soaked the cabbage in saltwater for about an hour. I drained it and let it dry out. I made a slurry of water and gochugaru. I used radishes, carrots, both of which I julienned. I used fresh ginger and garlic, which I minced. I cut a ton of green onions to add in place of chives. I even used fish sauce, which I was finally able to find at my grocery store today. I did the steps. I did what the recipe said. I used my hands to massage the slurry into the cabbage leaves. I did pretty much everything it said. It also said you could eat it right away, but they recommended letting it sit for 3-4 days, which I will do. I hope this one works out. It looks the best. There's no lingering smell. I was able to use a tupperware to store it. It has all the elements that typical kimchi has at other places I've had it before.

I will check it to let you all know how this one turns out. I'm optimistic that I may have finally cracked the code on kimchi. And the best part about all of this, if it works out, I'm the only one in my home who likes kimchi, so that means I get to enjoy it all. As long as it's tasty. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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An Ode to Coffee Cake

I have written about trigger foods on the site before. We all have them. Some of us have multiple trigger foods. I have an odd relationship with food. I love it. Well, most of it. I don’t like the texture of coconut, olives are too briny, artichokes taste weird to me and I’m not the biggest fan of deep dish pizza. That’s about it for me, and to be real, I’d eat deep dish pizza if it’s the only option. The other foods I just mentioned, not for me. But I have way more trigger foods than foods I dislike. Let’s discuss.

Donuts are dangerous to have in my home. I am unable to keep Cinnamon Toast Crunch any longer than a few days. I’ll eat ice cream until I feel sick. I love Lil Debbie Treats. Do you all see the common denominator in these foods? They’re all sweet, and two of them are breakfast foods. Well, I’ve found another food that I may not be able to buy on a regular basis anymore, and it’s a breakfast food.

My daughter recently asked for coffee cake for breakfast. I thought, at the time, I like coffee cake, but I’m not going to over indulge. I was dead wrong. I bought some for her from Aldi two weeks ago. It was their off brand coffee cake. She had a few little pieces, they’re individually wrapped, and she told me they tasted pretty good. I decided to try some, and damn were they delicious. I was stoked at how good it tasted. But, further research was needed by me. My dad and I go to coffee shops together all the time, and most of these shops have bakeries within them. Coffee cake is a pretty common option. I’ve tried some different coffee cakes from different shops, and they’re all fantastic. And they’re all pretty much the same. The ingredients don’t really change. Some are bigger than others, but that’s about the only difference. I have eaten a good amount of coffee cake recently. Too much one would say. But it wasn’t until last night that I realized I had a problem with this particular food. I was making myself a rice cake with peanut butter as a post dinner treat. While getting the stuff to make this, I noticed the coffee cake in the pantry. I figured, I went for a run so I can treat myself. Well, I ate two whole pieces in under a minute and was instantly ashamed of myself. That was not needed. But the taste took me back. I didn’t need that second piece, but I still ate it. I have to imagine it’s the cinnamon and sugar that I crave. It’s such a great combo and it works. The sweetness is just perfect.

I do have to find a balance with this food. I cannot continue to eat it as much as I have recently. Something has got to change. But damn coffee cake is delicious. It’s one of the better sweet breakfast options and I’ll hear no slander thrown its way. I need to control myself, but coffee cake is an upper tier sweet treat. There’s no doubt about it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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A Meat Eaters Adventure at a Vegan Deli

I am a meat eater. I always have been. I know the problems that come with meat, how it is made, where it comes from, all kinds of problems. But I like it. I have always liked it. I have never wanted to be vegetarian. And I have no problem with anyone that decides they want to be vegetarian or vegan. We can make those choices.

When I do get annoyed is when a non meat eater tells me why I'm wrong for eating meat. I don't need to be talked at about my problems. Let me deal with that on my own. My buddy is a vegetarian, but he has never talked down to me about eating meat. He doesn't care that I eat meat, I don't care that he doesn't. It's no big deal. Lately he was telling me a lot about a new vegan sandwich shop in STL that he really likes called Vegan Deli and Butcher. And he wasn't telling me about this place to say stuff like, "see vegans can eat good food too", he just liked the place, we hang out a lot and we tell each other about cool spots that one of us may not know about. So, I have heard a lot about this place, and it piqued my interest. He told me he has become cool with one of the owners, so it's even easier for him to go there. He's comfortable there. Last weekend while I was out of town he watched my dog. He wouldn't take money, so I told him I would take him out to lunch, his choice. He cashed in his earnings yesterday and he took me to Vegan Deli and Butcher.

I was amped. He has said nothing but good things, the restaurant is getting rave reviews and my curiosity has only grown since first hearing about this place. When we walked in I was already pumped to try it. The space is cool. There were a few high tables, a few tables with benches and a couple regular tables with two seats. We ordered at the counter and we were able to see our sandwiches being made. Everything appears to be made to order when you eat in the shop. I ordered the philly cheesesteak and my buddy got the Maine lobster roll. We each ordered a drink, and the drink fridge was great. They had Faygo soda, San Pelligrino and Diet Arnold Palmer bottles. I was stoked at this. I'm a fan of places that have different drinks from the norm. My buddy got a Faygo and I had a San Pelligrino. I love it. Then our sandwiches came out, each garnished with a delicious pickle. My cheesesteak was excellent. I don't know what kind of plant based meat they used for it, but it was damn delicious. It tasted like the thin steak that is synonymous with cheesesteaks. The spices were damn near perfect. The veggies, onions and green peppers, were super fresh. That adds so much to a sandwich, when you get good quality produce like that. It was perfect. My favorite part of the sandwich was the cheese sauce. I don't know how they did it, but it tasted just like cheese whiz. It was exactly what I wanted the cheese to taste like on a sandwich like this. And the bread, man, was it tasty and filling. You get a giant hoagie roll that is crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. It was perfect. My buddy said the lobster roll was good too. I didn't get a full look at it, but he said he thought the lobster was artichokes, and that they seasoned it exactly how he remembered seafood tasting. This food was great. It did the job of tricking my meat eating brain into thinking it was real meat. My buddy told me he has had half the menu and he has enjoyed each item, He bought a couple of frozen pizzas to bring home. The food wasn't overly expensive, and for the quality, I'd pay more if asked. I will for sure go back and try other sandwiches.

Vegan Deli and Butcher is a homerun sandwich shop, and if you are from STL or visiting STL, go check it out. It is worth the trip. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Rotini is the GOAT Mac and Cheese Noodle

I want to end the week on what some may think is a pretty hot button issue. The world is crazy, there are hurricanes abound, it has been raining here in STL all morning, Earth is kind of a mess right now. And with what I will be talking about today, it may just make things even worse off for a select group of people. Let’s go.

In my home, when my wife has an out of town work trip, I do all of the cooking. My son likes to cook, but he has football practice four nights a week and games on Saturday. My daughter has shown interest, but she's only 8. My wife is a great cook, but she was out of town, and I have found myself enjoying cooking more and more everyday. When she has to leave it gives me the opportunity to try something new. My daughter loves mac and cheese. My son loves bacon. I love both. So this past Monday I went ahead and married the two to form bacon mac and cheese.

It was a big hit.

I have done versions of this in the past, but this week's dish felt and tasted different. When I make homemade mac and cheese I tend to use either elbow macaroni or small shells. It's classic. Growing up we ate a good amount of Velveeta shells and cheese. My wife grew up in a Kraft household. These are the classics.

Now, this is what I think may divide some people on the internet. This may get the people talking. I may get some wild comments with what I'm about to say. Don't hate me everyone, but this past Monday I went a little off the beaten path and used rotini to make the bacon mac and cheese. And it was, without a doubt in my mind, the best possible noodle one can use to make mac and cheese at home. It was the absolute perfect vessel for the cheese sauce. My daughter helped me with this, and it was a simple cheese sauce. I used butter and flour for my roux, and added a little salt. As that thickened we added milk and heavy cream. When that became gravy like we added a block of mild cheddar, shredded at home of course, with some gouda, which I also shredded at home. This was a great cheese sauce. It was goopy and soft. It looked like Velveeta to me. I was all in. We then added some bacon that I chopped to the cheese sauce and stirred it all in. After the rotini was done in the water, we drained it and added it to the cheese sauce. Right away I noticed that the sauce was adhering so much better than it does with elbow macaroni or shells. When you use elbow macaroni, the cheese kind of falls off and ends up in the bottom of the bowl that you serve the dish in. With shells, the swooped part gets some of the cheese in it, but then it cascades off from the top. With the rotini, the sauce clung to the edges in the rolled pasta. It stayed on the top and bottom of the rotini as well. The ridges in the pasta make for something of a catching apparatus that will take on any kind of sauce you may have. What made the rotini even better, the bacon bits fit perfectly into each ridge. There wasn't a piece of the pasta that was missing any of the components. I went back the day after to eat the leftovers, and when I reheated it, all of the sauce and bacon stayed in its spot on the rotini. I was in awe. I found myself thinking about it a few days after eating it, and being happily surprised at how well the rotini worked. My kids told me they liked that pasta best too.

I don't know if it is a recency thing, but I will be using rotini again when I make this dish to see if it works as well. All in all, rotini is my new go to pasta for bacon mac and cheese. It is the best type of pasta to get if you want to taste everything that goes into a pasta dish. Don't be too harsh with the comments, but I stand by this take as strong as ever.

Ty

 Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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R.I.P. Ted Drewes Jr.

I was reading the news yesterday and came across a headline that let me know that Ted Drewes Jr had passed away. This is a very niche Saint Louis thing. You may see that name and have little to no idea who Ted Drewes Jr was. Let me explain.

For those of us born and raised in STL, Ted Drewes Jr was a household name. Saint Louis is known for a few food things. We have toasted ravioli, cracker thin pizza crust and gooey butter cake. Another big food thing is Ted Drewes. This is where you get, in my opinion, the best frozen custard in the US. People will line up around the block for this sweet, cold treat. They have created different concretes over the years that are only specific to Ted Drewes. They were the first to hold their frozen custard upside down in the cup to prove how frozen the custard is. They sold shirts. I have seen people wearing Ted Drewes shirts in states like Wisconsin and Michigan. When my kids were old enough we took them there to get their first cold treat in the summer. During COVID they had an excellent plan to stay open and it worked. People were still able to get their custard even when we had to be extra careful. And all along the way, there was Ted Drewes Jr.

Some of my earliest memories watching tv include Drewes Jr. He would show up on screen, talk about how great the custard is, and would flip the cup upside down to show off how cold it was. When he would show up at the actual location it was always a treat. It felt like a celebrity sighting. The lines would be longer, but people, myself included, would wait just to say hi and see him smile back at us. It was truly amazing. He was always smiling. I'm sure he had his moments where he wasn't smiling, we are all human, but when he was out in the public eye, or doing a tv spot, the man would have a big grin on his face. He loved what he did, and it showed.

And the custard was something special. It was a perfect cold treat on a hot day. When you'd get one of their famous sundaes or concretes, nothing else compared. The way the custard was mixed was done better than anyone else in the custard/ice cream business. And I know you may be reading this and asking why I keep saying custard and not ice cream. Ted Drewes made custard, not ice cream. The treats that were purchased and enjoyed were very much not ice cream. They were custard and that is the way it has always been at Ted Drewes.

I don't know how Ted Drewes Jr passed, but it is a bummer either way. He had a good long life, but he is gone and that stinks. It's going to feel weird next time I go there. I'm sure it is going to be flooded with patrons just to pay their respect, and that makes me happy. I will wait as long as it is necessary when I return. This custard is too delicious to not wait for. But it is going to be odd because he won't be there, but I'm sure there will be pictures everywhere. That is going to be tough at first. I'm sure they have a contingency plan in place, but without Ted Drewes Jr being there or on tv, it is going to take awhile to get used to.

Rest In Peace Ted Drewes Jr. I hope you're handing out sweet, cold treats wherever you may be now. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Thoughts on Food Network's Celebrity Chefs

I have mentioned on the site and the podcast before that we watch a bunch of cooking shows in my house. We all love different aspects of the shows. My son likes the competition stuff. My daughter likes the baking shows. My wife and I both like to get ideas for dishes and other stuff to try and make at home. We all get something out of them, and that is what keeps us coming back for more.

We have been watching a good amount of "Beat Bobby Flay" most recently. My son loves this show and it is his turn to pick what we watch while we eat dinner. I know, we shouldn't have our television on while we eat, but we like it, so we keep it on. Last night we were watching an episode and Ted Allen was one of the guests picking someone to try and beat Flay. As we were watching, I said to my wife that there are only two Food Network personalities that I truly enjoy. One is Ted Allen, and the other is the incomparable Ina Garten. Ina Garten is a national treasure and I will not take it when people say anything bad about her. She is the best.

Anyway, this one statement started a conversation with my wife and I. After I said who I like, she went on and talked about some people she enjoys on Food Network. She mentioned Ina as well, but she also had some surprises for me. She likes Bobby Flay. I was stunned. I do not like him. He seems a little too smug and arrogant. And his shows are all about showing up other chefs. He challenges them to make dishes that they have worked on for years and years, and says he can make them better. He also tried to show up Morimoto, and that was a bridge too far for me. I find him to be a dickhead, but my wife and son both like him. To each their own I suppose. She mentioned some other names, but none of them held the same weight with me as Flay.

I then started to think of other chefs that Food Network highlights, and I found myself not really liking any of them, other than Ted Allen and Ina. Anne Burrell is too mean and too loud. I would not like to work with her or for her. Scott Conant is a fake ass wannabe Italian. He is from Maine. He has the feel of being born into money and he is very off putting. Rachel Ray isn't a real chef. Michael Symon is kind of okay, but can also be very loud and very annoying. Guy Fieri started this whole "rock star chef" trend that I truly loathe. He also hangs out with shady people. Alex Guarnaschelli is mean and vindictive and conniving. Geoffrey Zakarian seems like the type of dude who would constantly correct you at a party while he complains about the caviar he is eating. Jeff Muaro doesn't seem to have any real it factor and he tries way, way too hard. Katie Lee is dull. Duff Goldman isn’t as fun as he thinks he is. And Ree Drummond's family has said some problematic stuff in the past on her own show. I just find it really hard to root for these other people on that channel. Food Network has also shifted into highlighting these chefs that I don't care for by making every damn show a competition show.

If I want dish ideas I have to watch the Cooking Channel or look online for them. Food Network doesn't do that enough anymore. They are too busy giving an asshole like Bobby Flay seemingly ten different tv shows in the past year, each one trying to make him the star. I will still tune in to watch Ina, and if Ted Allen is a guest host on something, I'll check it out. Otherwise, these other chefs are not my cup of tea. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Adventures with Spam

For years and years I have always looked the other way whenever I was offered Spam. I refused to try it. I was put off because it is meat that comes from a can. Worse, when it is released from said can, it comes out in a perfect block shape. I just didn't want that in my life. It seemed like I would get sick from it.

I was doing all the cliche things to avoid Spam. I didn't want it near me. I was like this with bologna for the longest time as well, until I tried some bologna at a nice bbq restaurant. That bologna was amazing and it opened my eyes to a whole new world of what I could do with that lunchmeat. The BBQ place smoked it. I have since air fried and pan fried it. I like to cut it into pieces and use it in my eggs. I have even tried just a plain sandwich, and it was excellent. And recently I have seen more and more people using Spam on the myriad of cooking shows I enjoy. I first saw it on "Man Vs Food" when Adam Richman went to Hawaii, and they used it in Moco Loco. It looked delicious. Then other people would use it in breakfast dishes. I also saw people using it in fried rice dishes. I saw people smoking it and pan frying it, just like I had with bologna. When RD and I lived together with a roommate, our roommate made us a breakfast casserole with Spam in it, and I loved that dish, although I wouldn't admit it back then. And when we were on vacation last week I chatted with my wife and brother about how I was becoming more and more interested in using Spam at home.

So, when I went grocery shopping this week, I bought some Spam. I didn't know how I was going to use it, or what I would use it in, but I knew I wanted to try it for myself. The first day after I bought it, I fried a few pieces in a dry rub and some butter. I did not need the butter, in hindsight, but I didn't know what I was doing at the time. After frying the Spam, I fried a few eggs and placed those on top of the Spam with some cheese. I put a little sriracha on top and sat down to eat it. It was great. The Spam added a salty ham-like flavor to the breakfast dish. The end of the Spam had a nice crispy edge on it, and I got a bacon sense when eating that part. I was hooked. Yesterday I wanted a sandwich, so I decided to fry the pieces again. This time I used the same dry BBQ rub, but I also added some garlic and herb seasoning and some Japanese BBQ sauce to cook it in. I let it sit in the pan a little longer too. I dismissed the butter and let the Spam do the work. After I finished frying the pieces, I put them on some sourdough bread with white cheddar and pickled onions. I then cooked the sandwich in the juices of the Spam. It was my take on Spam grilled cheese. This was my favorite dish I have made to this point with the Spam. It was excellent as a grilled cheese, and adding the Spam gives it a meatiness and saltiness that I crave with a lunch item. The Japanese BBQ sauce added a very nice sweetness as well. I'll be doing this again for sure. Today I decided to just simply fry the pieces and eat them like that with some cheese on top and pickled onions on the side. This was tasty as well. I got the full effect of Spam, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. When I ate it with some of the pickled onions, they added a great tartness to the meat.

I refuse to read what the ingredients are in Spam, but I now know that I am a true fan. I have enjoyed the hell out of these dishes I've made so far. I don't fully get why Spam is soft, but it lends itself very well to seasoning. It reminds me a lot of tofu. Tofu takes on whatever seasoning is used when cooking it. Spam is the same way. When I used dry rub, it tasted like that. When I used Japanese BBQ sauce that was the flavor that came through most. And pan frying it with no seasoning, when I ate it with cheese or pickled onions, that was the dominant flavor. It needs seasoning, and we have plenty in our house.

I will be buying Spam on a more regular basis now and trying many different methods of cooking it. I'm a fan. I'm glad I finally caved and tried it out. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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SeedSing Classic: The Definitive Top 10 Little Debbie's Snacks

This article originally premiered on June 7th 2019

Growing up in the 1980’s and 90’s meant that your house probable had a few different boxes of Little Debbie treats. We would get one after playing outside, have a box handy when we played games with our friends, and definitely had one in our school lunches as our nutritionally mandated dessert. My lunches always consisted of a sandwich with mustard and one piece of Carl Budding ham, a baggie of chips, some form of fruit, a Mendota Springs, and a Little Debbie. That overtly sweet snack cake was the highlight of my entire school day.

Today I am feeling a bit nostalgic and thought it was high time we gave a definitive ranking of what are the ten best Little Debbie treats from my youth. I know there are some new treats in the collection of Little Debbies, but I did not have those in my lunches. If it came out after 1993, I did not eat it. Also there will be no “rolled” cakes on here. The rolled cakes suck, as do the Banana Twins and any marshmallow pie. Take my advice and skip those boxes.

Remember this is the definitive list. We have performed super science to get the correct rankings. Don’t agree? Come at us.

10. Pecan Pie

The mini pecan pie in the tiny aluminum tin is hard to find these days, but it does still exist. Many people hate this extremely sweet and sticky creation. Those people are wrong. The pecan pie has it’s problems (the sticky and sweet parts) but it was always a treat to gulp down a whole round pie in two or three bites. Just make sure you have some Mendota Springs to wash all that sweetness down.

9. PB Crunch

The PB Crunch was like a lower grade peanut butter Twix. Cookie, peanut butter and chocolate, plus the Twix like shape could confuse anyone’s eyes. While the peanut butter Twix is super deliciousness, the PB Crunch had a little blandness. Yet, peanut butter and chocolate can never be a total disaster.

8. Caramel Cookie Bar

Another Twix clone but switch the peanut butter for caramel. Also the shape was flat and not long and slender like the PB Crunch. The caramel was mildly gooey, and could mess up your nice Izod shirt with the popped collar, but was still a decent end to a balanced meal.

7. Cosmic Brownies

Many people are more familiar with the Walnut version of Little Debbie brownies, but if you got the candy sprinkled top of the cosmic variation, you were in luck. The brownie itself is another love it or hate concoction. It was more of a fudge like consistency and a fairly mild chocolate taste. Add the thick frosting (usually half the damn thing) and the colorful candies, the Cosmic Brownie was a faux chocolate delight.

6. Fudge Rounds

Here is where you start getting into some of all time great Little Debbie treats. The Fudge Round had a great cake top and bottom, and an awesome low grade chocolate mousse in the middle. All parts of the Fudge Round tasted amazing, it just usually suffered from not enough of the middle part. Many times that filling only covered half the cake sandwich. Little Debbie needs to do better.

5. Zebra Cakes

The two square cakes that come in the plastic package have many different versions. There are fancy, chocolate, and a variety of seasonal offerings. The OG Zebra Cake has them all beat. You can actually taste the chocolate and vanilla together. When you sit and peel the cake apart, outstanding. Pulling pieces of frosting off and unwrapping the cake was like a zen ritual to get you through the rest of the school day.

4. Oatmeal Creme Pie

I am not that big of a fan of oatmeal as my cereal or my cookie, yet the Oatmeal Creme Pie is all kinds of awesome. The grittiness of the top and bottom cookie combined with the ample amount of creme in the center is a tactile and taste sensation your tongue will thank you for.

3. Cherry Cordial

For some reason the Cheery Cordial seems to be a seasonal offering (Valentines Day I think?). That is not right because this is hands down a culinary masterpiece. You have another cake sandwich with a creme like filling. This time it is a cherry filling, vanilla type cake, and the entire thing is encased in a chocolate shell. The edges always have a little more crunch than the center, and it is glorious. This needs to be a year round thing.

2. Nutty Buddy

Peanut butter and chocolate are almost perfect. Add a couple layers of wafer cookies, and Little Debbie achieved near perfection. The Nutty Buddy is better than most candy bars, that is how good this thing is. It is another one of Little Debbie’s offerings that ask you to take the treat apart. Peeling layer after layer of cookie, peanut butter, and chocolate is the near perfect end to any meal. There is almost no equal to this delight.

1. Star Crunch

The Star Crunch not only equals the Nutty Buddy, it surpasses it. The caramel is not overly gooey, the cookie is the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy, the crisp rice adds an extra pop to every bite, and the chocolate brings the whole package together in one of mankind’s finest creations. The Star Crunch is a perfect dessert for any occasion. There is no snack cake/treat equal to the Star Crunch. It is quite simply the greatest Little Debbie ever made.

There it is, the definitive rankings of the ten best Little Debbie treats of my school days. You can not go wrong with any of these ten delights. One’s day is made all the better when devouring these creations. Now it is time for us all to go out and revisit some of the sweetness of our youth. I may just go and house an entire box of Star Crunch’s when I’m done writing here.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: An Ode to a Tomahawk Steak I Recently Ate

This article was originally published on March 3rd, 2023

During Valentine's Day my wife got me a tomahawk steak. I have seen these on cooking shows a lot and I was intrigued. These steaks are humongous and they have a bone sticking out of them. They are marbled nicely and from what the people on the cooking shows say, they taste great.

This is a Valentine's Day thing in my house. We don’t do big gifts, but my wife does like to make a nice meal. That is my gift, the meal. So when she surprised me with these tomahawk steaks this year I was stoked. We didn't really know how to cook them, but my wife was determined to figure it out. I usually do the steaks and burgers in our house, but as the other part of my gift she makes the meal. My wife also loves to cook and is far better at it than me. What she decided to do was give them a nice sear on a flattop that her mom gave us. This flattop is amazing and I cannot recommend it enough. So she seared them and finished them off in the oven.

When she busted this steak out to serve my eyes nearly bulged out of my head. I could not believe what I was seeing and I was here for it. The steak looked immaculate. My wife went simple with seasoning, salt and pepper, and let the meat do the rest of the heavy lifting. I am usually a strip steak guy, and it is still my personal favorite cut, but this tomahawk cut is right up there. My wife said the same. She is a filet fan but she was singing its praises as we sat down to eat. My son had to try some as well, he loves steak, but my daughter was not interested. All good, more steak for me. I got a full one to myself. When my wife plated it, the bone was hanging off the edge. It also looked like some marrow had cooked out of it. I was super tempted to try it, but I've never had bone marrow before and was hesitant. I think when I do finally try bone marrow I want to get it at a steakhouse, or a restaurant that knows what they are doing. But this steak, my goodness, was tasty. It almost did not even need a knife. It was buttery and so easy to cut. The marbling on it was like eating butter. It did not need a sauce or any jus because my wife got a perfect mid rare cook on it. I would cut a piece, dip it in the, not to be gross, but blood, and chomp down on it. It was a euphoric eating experience for me. I was so happy. I had a smile on my face the entire time. Add on the fact that it came with a lobster tail and creamed spinach, this meal was meant for me. I tried as hard as I could to eat the whole tomahawk steak but it could not be done. This thing was massive. I did overeat and felt very tired afterward, but it was totally worth it. I asked my wife and son if they enjoyed the steak and they both nodded in agreement. In fact, my son and I were just talking about it the other day.

Not finishing a steak usually leads to mediocre leftovers, but not with this tomahawk. When I have leftover steak and try to reheat it I always go over. The tomahawk kept a very solid mid rare temperature and was fantastic with some eggs and coffee the next morning for breakfast. It was the fanciest steak and eggs I have ever had.

If you are a meat lover like myself, and have the means to get one, try one of these tomahawk steaks. The novelty is very cool and all, but these steaks, if cooked properly, are very, very good. As I said above, I would still pick strip steak over any other cut, but tomahawk is now a firm second option. This steak was fantastic. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Reese's Peanut Butter Cups with Caramel Do Not Mix

Over here at SeedSing we like to come in hot with our views on certain things. It can get spicy at times. We can divide the internet. Today I have a fire hot take that will most certainly get people on the internet up in arms.

Recently I went to the store as part of my weekly errands. While at the store I like to get myself water and a nice little treat. On this particular day I went for the Reese's Peanut Butter cup with caramel. Let’s discuss.

I'm a Reese's fan, and I like to try their new creations. I've had the peanut butter cup with Cocoa Puffs and the one with potato chips. They are fine, but never as good as the original. Reese's has the best peanut butter on the planet, and whatever chocolate they use works so perfectly with their excellent peanut butter. But I still give the new creations a shot. I wasn't expecting much with the Reese's with caramel, but who knows. I love caramel and this seemed like a great pairing. But after eating it I was left kind of empty. It was good. It tasted just fine. But I felt like the caramel took away from what makes the original peanut butter cup so perfect. It was too much. It was too sweet. It was too goopy. It just didn't work. Maybe it was just not for me that particular day.

Well, I was at the store this morning after coffee with my dad and I decided to give it another chance. I made up multiple excuses in my head when all I really wanted was a sweet treat. So I got one big cup of the Reese's with caramel. I got in my car and proceeded to give it a go for a second chance. I was left feeling the exact same way as the first time. It just wasn't working for me again. I was pretty disappointed by this. The Reese's with Cocoa Puffs at least has a nice crunchy element to it even if I'm not that big of a fan. The Reese's with potato chips has crunch and salt added to the peanut butter and rich chocolate. Of all the Reese's creations, the peanut butter cup with chips is the best version they have come up with to date. So the fact that the Reese's with caramel does nothing for me disappoints me even more. I get that this is a total champagne problem, but here we are. I have a platform and I feel like griping about this snack today. It was the same issue I had the first time. The caramel doesn't add anything that I want in my peanut butter cup eating experience. It is too sweet. It is too sloppy. It adds an extra goop that is so unnecessary. And the caramel takes away from the excellent peanut butter and chocolate that the Reese's company has perfected. It doesn't work.

This is a misfire. In fact, Reese's doesn't need to do any of this nonsense. This is like when Oreo comes up with a bunch of different flavors. There is no use. They have the perfect formula. There is no need to mess with perfection. They don't have to make all these wild concoctions. They have a proven formula that pretty much everyone already adores. I'll stick with my original Reese's peanut butter cups. I don't need the additions. They don’t work for me. Skip the Reese's Cups with caramel. They don't work. They mess with a classic, and that is not needed. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Go Get Yourself a Gochujang Snickerdoodle Cookie

I like trying different foods. There’s not much I don’t eat. I don’t like artichokes and olives. That’s about it. There’s other things I want to try. I’ve never had bone marrow. I’m interested in offal. I’d try done exotic meats. I’d like to eat durian. But, I’ve never had any of those, and I may not like them, or I could love them. Who knows. I also enjoy combo foods. I’m a fan of salty and sweet. I like combining veggies for salsa. I’ll do a chocolate covered potato chip. Give me some wild food combos, and more likely than not, I bet I’ll be a fan.

One such food I just made, and really love, is a gochujang snickerdoodle cookie. I was looking at interesting recipes online and came across a New York Times article where they mentioned this cookie. I was intrigued. When I looked at the recipe, I had most of the ingredients, and it was simple. The only outlier, gochujang.

For those that may not know, gochujang is a Korean spice. And it’s good. You may have had it without knowing it. Chinese and Japanese restaurants use it a lot. Fast food Asian inspired restaurants use it a lot. I believe my first encounter was at a Panda Express, and I’ve always been a fan. So, when I saw this recipe was calling for gochujang I decided I had to try it. Snickerdoodle cookies are my absolute favorite. A sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon and sugar? Yes please. I can eat way too many of these in one sitting. But, adding a spice that is spicy, that sounded good to me. I like a Mexican hot cocoa. I’ll eat a spiced chocolate bar. I’ve been known to add cayenne to my coffee from time to time. I thought of all those things and decided then that I was going to eat these cookies.

Again, all you do is make your basic sugar cookie. Then, instead of rolling in cinnamon and sugar, you make a mixture of butter, brown sugar and gochujang. Then you set that mixture aside while you make the cookie dough. After adding all the other stuff together, you swirl in the gochujang mixture. It almost looks like an orange cinnamon roll after swirling in the mix. Then you bake the cookies for about 13 minutes and let them totally cool before eating.

When I ate one, I loved it. It’s a sugar cookie with a Korean spice I love. Every bite your greeting with a classic cookie, but then the spice hits you. But it’s not overpowering at all. It’s nice and underlying. It’s a slow heat, which I love. My lips were tingling in the best way possible. I am a fan.

I think people who like food combos and a little spice will enjoy them. Try these out. You won’t be disappointed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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An Ode to the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie I Ate for Breakfast

I watch a good amount of cooking videos. They calm me down at the end of the day. I like the soft music they play, the food always looks good and I get a ton of ideas for new recipes while watching. Dessert videos have become my absolute favorite. I have a sweet tooth, I like almost all desserts and most of these videos make the food look extra delicious.

One thing I have seen a lot of lately, but haven't tried yet, is people cooking food in brown butter. It is pretty self explanatory. You put butter in a pan and cook it until it goes from gold to brown. I always think it looks good, but as I said, I have not had it, nor have I made anything with brown butter yet. That changed this morning.

I went out for coffee with my dad, and since I hadn't eaten breakfast, I helped myself to a brown butter chocolate chip cookie. Yep, dessert for breakfast today. I don't see how eating a cookie is any different from eating waffles or pancakes. Anyway, this cookie was divine. It was a big, big cookie too. I got it to go, with my espresso and tonic, the best iced coffee drink in my opinion, and the cookie filled the entire bag. When I took it out it looked different from most cookies. This one was darker. Most chocolate chip cookies have a lighter, closer to whiter color. This one was dark. It was almost caramel colored. I was instantly intrigued. I have seen other cookies this color, but not chocolate chip. And the chips in this cookie were the biggest chips I've seen. They were almost Hershey Kiss size. There were only three or four chips in the cookie, but that was more than enough.

Back to the taste of the cookie.

The first bite was pretty amazing. That is the sign if food will be great, okay or bad, that first bite. And this delivered in flavor. There was salt and sweet, but it was not overly sweet at all. That is a big sign of a solid cookie for me. If the baker does a good job of parsing the ingredients properly, the pastry or cookie or whatever should be dynamite. This baker nailed it. Then there was this nutty flavor. This was totally new to me. I have had a lot of cookies in my life. A lot. This was a whole new world for me. I have to imagine this comes from browning the butter. I don't know where else the nuttiness could have come from. When you combine that brown butter with flour, eggs, sugar and salt, and whatever else they add, that is a wonderful combination of awesome flavors. I enjoyed every last bit of this cookie. I had my dad try it and he was equally impressed. He also appreciated the balance of ingredients. My dad is not a big time sweets guy, so for him to enjoy a cookie this much, that is a big deal. And when we chatted about the cookie, we both came back to the brown butter aspect. This has to be the magical/secret ingredient that really made the sweet sing.

I am a fan and will be using brown butter much more often. I am eager to try it at home now. I think using it in a pasta dish could be a magical addition. If you all have not had brown butter yet, I highly recommend giving it a taste. It is very, very good stuff. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Go Out and Get Yourself a Pomegranate

I watch a lot of cooking videos, most of them on Instagram. The videos I watch have made me want to cook more and more, and I have made quite a few recipes that I have seen on Instagram. Because of my love of cooking videos another type of video that shows up in my algorithm pertaining to food is people cutting fruit. It is mesmerizing. I watch the fruit cutting videos when I'm winding down for the day. They calm me before sleep. These videos have made me try a few of the ideas out in the real world as well. One such video that caught my attention was a person cutting a pomegranate.

I fully understand that I can go to the store and buy pre cut fruit, but did you all know it is far cheaper to buy the whole fruit and cut it yourself? I'm sure a lot of you already did know this, but it has been a relatively new found thing in my life. So now I pretty much exclusievly buy whole fruit and cut it at home. Thus making these videos all the more relevant in my life. So this pomegranate one was quite intriguing.

I bought a whole pomegranate and cut it up at home. It was a mess, but it did the job and I had a bunch of pomegranate seeds to snack on for a few days. And I have to tell you all, this is one of my new favorite snacks. Fruits and veggies cut up have become a new thing in my home since we have had kids. We try our hardest to give them quality snacks, and fruits are a good entry way to other, better for you snack foods. So when we had this pomegranate, everyone was a little confused. But then we all tried them and loved them. I love how it is a burst of flavor. Those little seeds pack a punch, a tasty punch at that. And there are so many of them in one single pomegranate. I almost filled a small tupperware. The flavor is awesome. A pomegranate is like a cherry mixed with fruit punch and adds the smallest bit of sour. With each bite I want to eat more and more of them. At first I would grab a few with my fingers. But after a while I was eating the seeds by the spoonful. I couldn't get enough of them. I would come home from a run and eat some of the seeds as a snack afterward. It was great. My son would come home from basketball practice and want some. My daughter would eat them after karate and my wife chose them after some of her bike rides. The seeds were a great way to trick my kids into thinking they were having sweets. The sweetness from the seeds is right up there with some candy, but the pomegranate is a little better for them, and my wife and I. We eat grapes and cantaloupe and apples in my house. My son and I love pineapple. My wife enjoys a good banana. But pomegranate seeds have made their way into our rotation now. I will usually get two at the store just to have some extra in a tupperware.

I understand that I am late to the pomegranate game, but I'm fully in it now and I couldn't be happier about it. Pomegranates rule. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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An Ode to My Wife's Chocolate Pecan Pie

Wrapping up my week of talking about food I want to talk about my favorite dessert that I had yesterday.

Thanksgiving is pretty notable for turkey, potatoes and dessert. That is the icing on the cake at the end of the meal. Everyone always has a little room left no matter how much you ate prior to dessert being put out. It is the best part of the meal for a lot of people. And there are all kinds of desserts. Yesterday, at my wife's uncle's house, they had an entire buffet of desserts. There was pie, cookies, rice crispy treats, alcohol and coffee. At my folks house they also had a buffet. This consisted of the same things, except coffee since this was dinner. My kids love desserts too. Their little eyes get big and I usually give them a bigger portion than normal, which they love. And they tried a little of everything yesterday. The rice crispy treats were an obvious hit. My in law is gluten free, she has celiac, so rice krispy treats are a must. These are classics for a reason. The sweet, the crunch of the cereal, the butter, it all works. I love these, as do most people. We had pumpkin pie. This is another obvious hit. Pumpkin puree, more butter, a graham cracker crust, what's not to love? Put some whip cream on top and it is a near perfect fall dessert. There was chocolate silk pie. This is rather new for me, but it is a hit. I love the chocolate pudding, the whipped topping and another graham cracker crust. It is another near perfect dessert. There is also apple pie, some places have blueberry, others have blackberry. I'm not much of a fruit pie guy, I am not too big a fan of hot fruit, but on a day like Thanksgiving, these just work. I'm not an alcohol guy, but I know some people like a post meal drink. I do enjoy coffee, and having a hot cup after a big meal can be very comforting. But the one dessert yesterday that I woke up thinking about this morning was my wife's chocolate pecan pie.

I have never thought much about pecan pie. It falls in that category of sweet potato for me. While it is very good, I never have it if it isn't a holiday. So when my wife said she was going to make a chocolate pecan pie I thought, if I remember I'll have a piece. She reminded me at dinner and I made sure to cut a good piece.

This pie was dynamite. It was gooey and chocolatey and crunchy and caramelly and perfect. Every bite was better than the last. The crust was savory, but the pie was not, and that was key. There were so many chocolate chips. They were semi sweet, which made the pie even better. The pecans had a sweet crust that was so good. They got candied during the cooking process and that took them to a whole other level. The caramel bits made this thing even better. I loved every bite of it. I wish I had brought it home, but my mom and dad asked to keep it. That is high praise from them. This pie is the best thing I had all day yesterday. I will be asking for it again. I hope my wife will make it, I'm sure she will.

Chocolate pecan pie is my new favorite Thanksgiving dessert. It is a taste treat sensation. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Smoked Turkey is the Best Turkey

I'm coming at you all with another Thanksgiving food hot take today. Let’s go.

As far as turkey goes on this upcoming holiday, there are many ways you can prepare the bird. My wife has done the traditional way. We have salt brined a turkey together. I've had tofurky when two of my brothers and my sister in law were vegetarian. I've had a preordered Cajun turkey. I've had a bite of a turducken. And I've had smoked turkey. All of these preparations have their place. Traditional turkey can be hit or miss. They can easily dry out. And a dry turkey is brutal. You have to really plus it up to make it work if it is dry. A well done traditional turkey is classic, and it is classic for a reason. I love a good, properly done traditional turkey. But it isn't my favorite. The salt brined turkey was gross. I think we overdid it when we brined it. We tried to follow a recipe, but it was far too salty. It also really dried out the turkey. We tried it, but it didn't work. Tofurky is odd, to me. It is tofu, which I'm not crazy about, but I get why vegetarians like it. It scratches that itch. It also comes in a box and you can make it look like a turkey. It is a neat concept. I'm just not a tofu guy. The Cajun turkey was really good, but it became too much near the end of the turkey. It came out with a bang, but then it was just overkill. The seasoning became too much in the end. The turducken was almost as odd as the tofurky. I felt like I was in Hedonism eating that turducken. It was all things that I like, but it became, much like the Cajun turkey, overkill. I love turkey, chicken and duck. But putting all three together was almost, dare I say, too flavorful. I couldn't get a full grasp on one single taste. It was all coming at me way too fast. My brain couldn't process it all.

A smoked turkey, that is, in my opinion, the best way to prepare a turkey. It stays moist. The smoke flavor is such a wonderful addition. I like the color of the turkey. You get a bark that is extra flavorful. It is good the next day in a salad. I love taking it, chopping it up and making smoked turkey salad by adding a little mayo and mustard with some spices. A smoked turkey lends itself so well to sauces like gravy and bbq sauce. I love having a bite of smoked turkey mixed in with mashed potatoes, or my very favorite, stuffing. Smoked turkey, for me, feels lighter than any of the other preparations I've mentioned as well. I feel like that is the best way to get my protein on Thanksgiving when I indulge in some turkey. Smoked turkey is the way to go. It is my personal favorite way to have turkey anytime of year, but especially on Thanksgiving.

Go ahead and smoke a turkey of you are on the fence about how to prepare your turkey tomorrow. You won't regret it. 

Let RD tell you why you should skip the turkey this Thanksgiving. Listen to the latest X Millennial Man Podcast to hear him explain.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

An Ode to Stuffing

With Thanksgiving around the corner, my family celebrates it, I have food on my mind this week. Today I want to talk about what I think is the best food to have at your table if you celebrate Thanksgiving. That food is stuffing.

Stuffing is kind of the jack of all trades when it comes to side dishes for the holidays. Fact of the matter though, I'd like to eat stuffing year round, and as an adult, I eat stuffing now more than ever. It is kind of perfect in my eyes. I like it because it is not only filling, it is also incredibly flavorful.

The thing with stuffing is, it takes on whatever you cook with it or whatever you add to it. Sometimes I like to go simple and just add gravy. The gravy makes it slick and, depending on the flavor of gravy, the stuffing takes it on and adds a new dimension. I also like to take my turkey on Thanksgiving and add that along with the gravy. This is my perfect bite on the holiday. It combines my three favorite flavors of that day in specific. It is like a meat extravaganza, but the only meat is turkey. I know a lot of people that like to add cranberry sauce to stuffing, get the salty and the sweet. I do not like cranberry sauce, but I get it and I support anyone that wants to try it out, or continue to eat those flavor combos. I also enjoy taking leftover stuffing and making my version of stuffing pancakes. They are like potato pancakes, only they are made of stuffing. These are great, and if you add gravy to it, it is the best version of a savory pancake. I do also enjoy taking a fork full of stuffing and eating it with mashed potatoes. It can be doughy and bready, but it is damn delicious.

I should make myself clear when I speak about what kind, what brand that is, of stuffing that I like. I know people like to take classic stuffing and do some wild stuff with it. My brother makes cornbread stuffing. People have started to add sausage and other meat to stuffing. I know that some people make sweet stuffing. While that is all well and good, I like the boxed stuffing mix. I like the one where you add either water or broth. I prefer broth, but I'll eat it either way. I don't really care what brand it is either. I get the stuff from Aldi, Chef's Kitchen it is called, but I'll take a Stouffer's or whatever other brand is out there, as long as it is boxed. It has the salty and meaty flavor I crave. I like how simple it is to make. I like that I can add stuff to it from my plate and that stuff will make the stuffing even better. It is a malleable food that works on so many different levels.

Stuffing,  you are the best. My son and I both like to fancy ourselves the "Stuffing Kings". It is a dish that should be, and can be, year round, as long as you let it be. My hat is off to stuffing. What a dish. 

Want to hear RD totally disagree with Ty? Check out the latest episode of The X Millennial Man Podcast.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Thoughts on Weird Food Combinations

Yesterday I was making myself some lunch, a grilled cheese with some ham and turkey on it, and I decided to spice it up a bit by adding some potato chips to it. My son saw this and was shocked. He kept asking me why I was doing that and if it was any good. I let him taste it and he enjoyed it very much, because of course he would enjoy ships on a sandwich. This inspired us during lunch for he and I decided to talk about other foods we thought would make good pairings.

We started with the chips on a sandwich. He mentioned that he likes to put fries on a burger. I enjoy that as well, especially on a McDonald's double cheeseburger. I told him, in the vein of salty on sweet, that fries dipped in a shake is very good. He now wants to try this asap. This conversation went on for some time and we decided that we were going to look up some other odd, or different food combos. We came across a pro football player who puts his Oreo McFlurry on his McDonald's cheeseburger. Sounds odd to me, but I will most likely try it in the future. We saw all the post Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches. I'm talking about the sandwiches that have turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and some kind of cheese on there. I have never had this sandwich, it sounds like far too much and I don't like cranberry sauce, but people really seem to enjoy this as a leftover sandwich. We watch a ton of cooking shows in the house and one of our favorites is "Carnival Eats". This guy has tried some of the wildest foods we have seen, some we want, others, not so much. He has had fried watermelon. That sounds strange, but I'd try it. He has had corn dog jalapeno poppers. That seems like too much to me, but my son loves spicy food and hot dogs, so he is in on that. He has had some crazy pizzas and pastas. Those seem ripe for food additions, especially pizza. I've seen mac and cheese on a pizza. That is not for me, but my kid is itching to try that now, almost as much as fries in a shake. We have seen gyro pizza. I love gyros, and if the dough is somehow pita, that would definitely be something I would love. I've seen dessert pizzas, which are really just doughy cookie cakes in my opinion.

I think the world that odd food combos fit best would be sweets. Sweets are perfect to add flavors to. I love adding M&M's to popcorn. It is a wonderful, classic combo. I've had a burger where the buns are Krispy Kreme doughnut buns. And it is one of the best hamburgers I have ever had. Chicken and waffles is a perfect combo, especially when you mix hot sauce and syrup together. Hot honey is a new fad, and it is one that I am fully on board with now. Hot honey is great on everything. Another one of my favorite breakfast items is a cinnamon roll with bacon on it. Also, pancakes with bacon in the batter, chef's kiss. I guess I am coming at you all today with some odd food combos, what I consider odd I should say, that I really enjoy.

Dear reader, I have homework for you. Give me some odd food combos you all like. My son and I are very much into trying different food combos. We are not very picky either. But I want to know what you all like. And don't be gross or vile. I'm serious. I want to try some different stuff out and see how it tastes. I'm genuinely interested in taking two foods that shouldn't work and making them sing. Let me know, and I preemptively thank you. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Go Out and Get Yourself a Pistachio Croissant

Today while I was out for coffee with my dad and a buddy of mine I decided I was going to get some breakfast. This happens from time to time. On coffee days I decide to skip breakfast at home and decide I want a pastry. We went to a coffee shop that we hadn't been to in a bit and they had new pastries on the menu. So I decided to go for it, as did my buddy. We both got a pistachio croissant. Let’s discuss.

I enjoy a good croissant. I like how flaky and delicious they taste. I enjoy the sweet and savory croissants as well. I will more likely go for sweet if that is an option. That is what the pistachio was today. It looked very good on the countertop, so I figured it was going to be tasty. I was right. The look was that of a classic croissant, but it was covered in pistachios and powdered sugar. It also had a crust on top. I was sold on the "you eat with your eyes" thing first. Then we were given the croissants, and man did we both enjoy them. They were very good. They are definitely one of the better croissants that I have ever eaten. My first decision was to rip a piece off the end of the pastry and give it a taste. This was the correct choice. The inside of the croissant was like any other one, but there were pistachios and a pistachio glaze. The first bite was pretty great. It was soft with a crunchy exterior. The inside of the pastry was nice and chewy. The pistachios added an excellent crunch. And that glaze was to die for. The glaze was sweet with a hint of saltiness. The pistachios must have been ground together with sugar or something to form a jelly-like texture. That went throughout the entire croissant. It was something else in a very, very good way. Then we have the outside of the croissant. The crunchy top was akin to a crumble top. It was like the best part of a cinnamon crunch bagel or a pie crumble. It was sweet and added some wonderful taste. The pistachios were all over the outside of the dish. It had big pieces, it had slivered pieces and it had crushed pieces. And it all worked to perfection. The powdered sugar wasn't all over it either. I like that. When a coffee shop makes pastries and they add sugar on top it sometimes comes out too sweet. The sugar on top can overpower the rest of the dish. That didn't happen this morning. The powdered sugar was like a dusting of snow. It was enough to taste it, to get a little bit of sweetness, but that was it. It added to the flavor. It helped to bring out the other flavors of the croissant. It was a nice finishing touch on my breakfast.

I want to go back and get this croissant more and more. I hope it isn't a seasonal thing. I love the taste of pistachios and the way they made a jelly-like substance out of the extra pistachios. This is a home run dish. I highly recommend you get a pistachio croissant if you have the chance. It is very, very good. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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The Dunkin Butternut Donut is So Good I Wish I was Eating it Right Now

One of my favorite splurge breakfast items is a donut. I love them. I like all flavors too. Even when the new hip spots do some wild stuff with donuts, I'm down to try it out. I think it is the sweetness and the fact that I can eat them for breakfast and not be judged is why I love a good donut.

One of my favorite spots to go grab a dozen donuts from is Dunkin Donuts. They have a system that works and they pump out some pretty solid donuts. One of my favorites is the butternut. This donut is the best thing they have on the menu in my opinion. My wife went to Dunkin recently to grab some donuts but told me they were all out. I hope she meant just for that day because I would be legitimately bummed if they discontinue this item. Trying to describe this donut is where it gets tricky. It has flavors of coconut in it, but I don't think there is any actual coconut. Coconut is usually a non starter for me, I don't like the texture. But, I love the flavor of coconut. I like how tropical it tastes. It makes me think I am on vacation. I like how sweet it tastes. So, if you can get rid of the texture and just give me the flavor, that is a win. Then, the glaze on this donut is very thin and very mild. It is almost as if it is not there, but you know it is. There is a schein of the glaze that gets on your hands. I think it is just to give you even more of a feeling of a donut. And how light it is spread on the donut doesn't take away any flavor from the coconut flavor. The little crunchy stuff on the donut adds a nice texture element. Again. I don't know what it is, a quick search could tell me, but I like thinking about this donut as a mystery, that makes it even better for me. So whatever these crunchy bits are on there, they add some great flavor. I also like that you have this soft thing juxtaposed with a peanut like quality, but I know it is not peanuts. My daughter is allergic to peanuts and we asked and they assured us there are no peanuts in the butternut donut. Then we have the donut itself. It feels like a mix between a cake donut and a Krispy Kreme donut. It is light but filling. Two of these donuts are more than enough for breakfast. They will make you feel like you've had a good sized breakfast. And if you are patient enough to take your time with these donuts, the delight you will feel while eating them will make your breakfast that much better. I love the butternut donuts so much that I won't even dip them in milk or coffee. I feel like that would take away from how delicious these donuts taste. I don't want to take anything away from their greatness.

I highly suggest you go to Dunkin and get a butternut donut. And if they are discontinuing them for some crazy reason, that would be wild. These are the best things they have going on right now. I'd much rather have a dozen butternut donuts than munchkins or any other donut on the menu. Butternut donuts rule.