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.

There is a Right Way to Eat Cincinnati Chili

I live in Cincinnati Ohio, but I am not from here. One of the first things people had me try when I arrived in the Queen City was the city’s local chili. We went to the closest Skyline, and I ordered a couple of small cheese coneys.

I was not a fan.

As the years have gone on, I have given Skyline, and less often Goldstar, a chance. Many people, my wife included, have said I will get used to it. I have not.

Cincinnati chili has become kind of a joke outside of Ohio. Some people call it prison food, others have objected to its weird flavor profile. The fans of Cincinnati chili say it is misunderstood and say you cannot think of traditional chili when you eat. I have tried and tried but I can never get on the Cincinnati Chili bandwagon. Today I did have a dish made with the strange stuff and decided I have finally found the one good way to eat Cincinnati Chili.

My son and I bought a small package of Skyline dip this afternoon. It is a very simple dish of cream cheese with Cincinnati chili layered on top and a large amount of mild cheddar cheese on top of that. I got out some ruffled potato chips and took a dip. This is the way Cincinnati Chili was meant to be served. Something in the cream cheese and mild cheddar compliments the flavors of the chili so well. Add in the salty chips and this dip is a top tier party dip. The only unfortunate thing is when you buy the prepackaged dip and cook it, the cream cheese and chili meld into a gray looking nightmare goop. Once the cheddar is added the goop is hidden and the tasting can begin. I am not kidding; it is an incredible tasting dip.

I know there are many people out there that still think the best way to serve Cincinnati chili is to throw it straight in the trash. I do not totally disagree with that sentiment. I do encourage the haters to try some of this dip next time you pass a Cincinnati chili parlor. I think you will be pleasantly surprised that something so awful on its own, or over spaghetti, can be so divine.

RD

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

Come and support us and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Go Out and Try the New Churro Kit Kat

Yesterday while running errands my kids and I decided to treat ourselves to a snack. Since we were at a store I let them get candy. I figured I would indulge as well. I do not eat candy as much as I used to, so anytime I get it, it is a nice little treat. I don't go all out anymore either. No king size bars all that often, no Skittles or Starburst, no full packs of licorice. It is usually a small bag of some kind of gummy candy or a regular sized candy bar. Yesterday I went the candy bar route.

I have always enjoyed a KitKat. They feel almost healthy. I know they aren't, but let me hold on to that feeling. Don't judge me. I am the biggest fan of the original milk chocolate and wafer ones. But I do like to try some of the other flavors they've been cooking in their labs. I love the dark chocolate and mint one they have now. I also really like the plain dark chocolate. The dark chocolate and strawberry is a rare miss for me though. I'll eat it, but it would most likely be my last choice. I really want to try the ones from Japan that I've heard about. They have some interesting, and delicious sounding flavors. The white chocolate Kit Kat is fine, but it is too reminiscent of the white chocolate peanut butter cup. Those feel unnecessary. They perfected it with milk chocolate. The thins are good, but dangerous. I could plow through a whole bag without a second thought. Yesterday at Five Below they had a flavor I had not seen yet, so I kind of knew right away that was going to be my treat for the day. The flavor was churro.

I love a good churro. I still kick myself that I didn't get one while in Disney World last year. I hear they are dynamite there, but I opted for Dole Whip instead. I have had plenty of churros in my day. And when they are done well, you can taste it. The churro Kit Kat really nailed it here. I felt like I was having an actual churro with a chocolate coating. It was sugary and had cinnamon and the chocolate tasted like the icing you can dip them in if offered. I devoured this candy bar and I kept thinking about it the rest of the day. I felt like Homer when he ate that Yodel on "The Simpsons". It was so good that I do wish I was eating it right now. I think this is the best Kit Kat has to offer with their seasonal flavors. This one is much better than the white chocolate and dark and strawberry ones. This one exceeds the plain dark chocolate. The churro flavor's only real competition is the dark and mint, but I like the churro better. It gives me everything I love about a churro but in KitKat form. The dark and mint is still very, very good, but it doesn't fulfill, for me, what a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie does. It comes close, but it isn't there yet. The churro is there already.

I hope they keep this new flavor around. I would love to indulge in this more than once. Go out and try one. They are very good. I assure you.

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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Pepsi is Not OK

I’m coming in a little hot with my topic today.

Just a warning for everyone.

I’m currently on a road trip with my folks and my kids. My wife will be joining us in two days. We are heading to Buffalo for a family reunion. Me, my folks and my kids are taking our time. We had our first overnight stop in Dayton, Ohio. We are heading to Canton as I write this. My dad will hit about 500 miles driving after today. We have spent most of the trip in the state of Ohio. As you all well know I’m a Michigan guy. Ohio does have cool stuff, which I’ll touch on in the next few days, but Michigan is cooler. Hell, Saint Louis is cooler. But what I’ve really noticed, what’s really grabbed by attention, the state of Ohio is a Pepsi state.

I stopped drinking soda a few months ago, but prior to that I was a Coke guy. I grew up in a house where 2 liters of Diet Coke were prevalent. When I met my wife she was a Diet Coke person. She introduced me to chocolate Diet Coke’s, which are phenomenal. My brother’s still have Coke products. My extended family is a Coke family. I basically live my soda drinking life making fun of Pepsi. The old standby joke that everyone uses is, “is Pepsi okay?”, asking as if they’re apologizing. My answer was always to opt for water. Pepsi is too sweet. The diet versions are too chemical tasting. They removed their best soda, Sierra Mist, for Starry. Mountain Dew is basically a bottle of liquid sugar. Pepsi products, for me, just don’t add up. So it’s been odd to go places and only see Pepsi products the past couple days. The restaurants are Pepsi only. We went to a museum that had bottled drinks, all of which were Pepsi branded drinks. My kids have been confused as to why they have had Starry or Mug Root beer. They’ve mostly had water, but the few times they’ve had soda, it’s been those and they haven’t finished a single one. I don’t get why a place would only serve Pepsi. I’d gather that most people prefer Coke to Pepsi. I’d love to see a poll for the whole country asking that very question.

I guess Ohio figures Pepsi is just fine. I disagree.

Ty

Editor’s note: I currently live in Ohio and have been here for almost two decades. I am also a Coke person except in certain cases which I will address.

Coke is easy to find here in Southwest Ohio. One of the biggest employers in the Cincinnati region is Coca Cola. I pass the giant office every work day. The Reds stadium is Coke, I am unsure of Paycor Field and their soda selection.

As for everything Coke being better than Pepsi, I have a different opinion. Every other soda option is better in the Pepsi family. Mountain Dew is light years ahead of Mello Yellow. Mugs Root Beer crushes Barq’s, and I have not had Starry, but the only thing good about Sprite is that it mixes well with whiskey.

My counterpoint is that Central Ohio may swim in the terribleness of Pepsi, but us good folks here on the Ohio River know that Coke rules. That is Coke rules and all other Coca Cola products are not ok when Mount Dew, Mugs, and other Pepsi products are available.

RD

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.

The Coffee Stamp in St. Louis Has Mastered the Art of the Empanada

On our coffee sojourn this morning, my dad, my son and I went to a local spot we enjoy called Coffee Stamp. The coffee is excellent and fairly inexpensive. But that is not the blog today. While at the coffee shop I decided I wanted some breakfast. I hadn't eaten, was going to be running later and decided I didn't want to do it on an empty stomach. The food product that Coffee Stamp is known for is their empanadas. I adore these things. I had never had a traditional one until I had one from here. I want to tell you all how delicious these things taste.

For those that may not know, an empanada is a fancy, flaky, crusty type of dish. It can be savory or sweet. I went with the savory route today. The empanadas I got had eggs, sausage and cheese. My son had one with peppers, prosciutto and cheese. Don't get me wrong, the filling at this spot is fantastic. I wish I could get my eggs that fluffy. I love the little hunks of sausage they use. And the cheese, it is ooey and gooey and delicious. But what makes these so good, what separates them from all the other spots is the crust. This crust is incredible. It is light and airy. When you break open the empanadas, the crust flakes to the side. But you don't just brush these crumbs to the side. No way. You eat these. You try to get as much of this crust as possible. When you bite into the crust it cracks and gives the empanada this excellent texture. It is the fanciest hot pocket you could ever want. The crust is buttery and flaky. It is hot and glistening. They fold it over perfectly. The empanada comes to you in a package, and when you open the package and take out the treat, it looks tremendous. They put the fork marks in the crust. It is folded like a nice present. It looks like a work of art. And then the tasting begins. I mentioned the butter. It is there, and then some. The butter gives it the right amount of extra fat. I don't know what all goes into the dough, but I would imagine they use some kind of shortening. That makes it even better. I assume the shiny glow comes from some type of egg wash, which adds even more flavor. The filling is nicely packed into the dish. It doesn't spill out. You get a good bite with each bite you take. You can taste it all at the same time. These empanadas are simply amazing. But it makes me want to try even more. I want to go to an even more authentic restaurant that specializes in these. I'm going to Mexico later this summer and I am hoping to get some real good ones. I want to try more combos of flavor. I want sweet. I want salty. And I want the two flavors mixed together. While eating this morning my mind was wandering thinking of what else they could put in these. I would love a cinnamon roll flavored one. Or maybe a pizza like one, to really get the full hot pocket feel. I would love a seafood empanada. I think a banana pudding empanada could be amazing. But what all these empanadas need to have is this delicious crust. If the crust is no good I have to imagine that takes away from the whole experience.

I am very happy to have Coffee Stamp in close proximity to fulfill my empanada craving. These things absolutely rule. 

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.

Ty Drinks Cafe Du Monde Coffee

My folks went on a trip recently to celebrate their anniversary. They went to New Orleans because my mom has always wanted to visit there. They seemed to have a good time and, as they have done my whole life, they brought gifts back for everyone. My kids got some cool stuff and my wife and I got a gift bag of sorts. It had a few different items that we both enjoyed. One gift was a canister of coffee from Cafe Du Monde.

I know that place is known for their beignets, but my dad was big on the coffee. He would tell me about it when we talked to them while they were on the trip. This was a good sign. I decided to have a cup of this coffee the other day. We have a reusable Keurig cup, so I opened the can and put some coffee in the pod. It brewed, I made my foam and proceeded to drink it.

It was pretty damn delicious. I have had coffee like this before, but the chicory was not this pronounced. My dad and I go to all kinds of coffee shops as you all know. We have had all kinds of different coffee. We have had it iced, super hot, warm, sweet, charcoal infused, a latte with beet juice, we have tried a whole bunch of stuff. But this can of coffee from Cafe Du Monde is some of the best that I have had in my life. I usually switch up which coffee I use whenever I have coffee at home, which is almost daily. Lately though I have been solely using this chicory coffee. There is a woodiness that I have only gotten from this Cafe Du Monde canister. It has a wonderful taste. It may be an acquired taste, but I have acquired it and then some. The wood flavor gives the coffee this Earthiness. The taste, for me, is like the smell of being outside. It is like being in the woods on a trail run. I love the smell of the trees and the trail and the leaves. That is the feeling I get from drinking this coffee. It works so well for me. Yes, I do put flavored foam in it too. I still like my coffee to have some kind of sweetness to it. The foam I made this morning had cream, Splenda and vanilla extract. It was fantastic. But I could still taste the wood in the Cafe Du Monde coffee and it was glorious. I assumed the foam was going to take it away, but it did not at all. The flavor of the Cafe Du Monde coffee still lingered in all the best ways. The smell was there too. I thought the vanilla was going to take it away, but it did not at all. I was chopping some veggies for a salad and went for a drink. The first thing I noticed was the Earthiness smell. This translated immediately to the taste. And it was awesome.

I don't know if I will find another chicory coffee that is this good. I hope I do. I want to find the best coffee in the world. For right now though, this chicory coffee ranks right up there with the Sucker Punch Cold Brew I get at the Living Room, or the vanilla latte from Shaw's, or the hint of citrus coffee at Sump. Those are my three favorite local spots in Saint Louis. And those coffees are out of this world. The Cafe Du Monde original blend ranks right there now. It is a coffee I look forward to when I am at home. I will most likely order more when I run out. I am very thankful that my folks added this in mine and my wife's gift bag from their trip. This coffee is pretty fantastic. I think I may go have a cup right now. 

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.

Go Get Yourself a Cast Iron Griddle

Recently my mother in law gave us a cast iron stove top griddle. I didn't think much of it at first. It was heavy and looked useful, but I did not know how much I'd use it. Well, I have been using that thing a ton. As has my wife.

This kitchen tool has become a big part of our cooking and I could not be any happier. This cast iron griddle is pretty awesome. My wife used it the other night to make pancakes. We had breakfast for dinner and pancakes are a big part of that meal. She decided to use the griddle and it was great. The pancakes had a nice crispy edge and there was extra flavor from previous meals. I clean the griddle, but some stuff stays no matter how hard you scrub. My wife made both plain and chocolate chip pancakes. Again, they were excellent. I have used the griddle to make fried eggs. They are dynamite. They have that same crispy edge the pancakes do. The yellow part of the egg tastes better. The color changes a bit, and that must be the added flavor from previous meals. It is a mess to clean up, but it is no worse than a waffle maker and it tastes just as good. My wife has done bacon on it before. My favorite thing to make on the griddle is smashburger. I love it. They are easy and delicious. Smashing the ground beef down and letting it griddle is the only way to cook a burger for me now. I have had them other ways, pan fried and barbecued, but the griddle is second to none. It gives it a better cook, a better flavor and melting cheese on the griddle is far easier than doing it any other way. My son has been digging them as much as I have lately.

I plan on trying many other foods on the griddle. I want to make sausage patties, like for breakfast. Bacon is already delicious on there, so who is to say that breakfast sausage patties won't be as well. I want to do veggies, fajita style on the griddle. I'd like to slice up a white onion, a bunch of peppers and some tomatoes and let them cook up on the griddle. I bet, with the right seasonings, it would be dynamite. I would also like to do carne asada and chicken breast strips on the same griddle. Again, I'm a big fajita fan, so cooking all the fajita stuff on a griddle would be ideal, and tasty. I'd like to take Pilsbury cinnamon rolls and try them on a griddle. I don't know if it would work, but if it did I bet it would be very satisfying. I've seen those pizzas you can do on a grill, so why not do that on the cast iron griddle? I'm sure it would work and I'm sure it would be dope. I'm even curious about doing white on a cast iron. I would have to assume it would cook like carne asada or chicken, you would just have to pay more attention so it doesn't stick.

Anyway, cast iron griddle cooking is the way to go in my home as of late. It is quick, easy and a simple enough clean up. The cast iron also doesn't go in the dishwasher, so you get extra flavors. For me that is enticing. If you don't have a cast iron griddle go out and buy one. They are definitely worth it. 

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.

My Adventures in Pickling

At the start of quarantine I got into pickling veggies. I needed something new to do, something different and something to occupy my time. I also got into cooking, what else could we do, and I found I really liked it.

Pickling became a big deal to me. I don't know why, but I get joy out of doing it. It comforts me and I have liked finding new things to pickle. One time my daughter and I even pickled a pickle. It was terrible, but we gave it a try. Whenever we do our veggie garden I like to try and pickle some of the veggies. I have done it with jalapenos and carrots most notably. I have also been into mini cucumbers lately, and I had to pickle some of those the other day. So I guess I am making my own pickles now.

The thing I like to pickle the most is red onions. I have tried yellow, white and now red onions. I have even contemplated doing those small onions they use on cooking shows, but I have not jumped into that quite yet. But the red onions are the absolute best. I think it is the sweetness that makes them taste the best. The white onions do get the pickle flavor, but they are kind of bland, as far as that taste goes. I could say the same thing about yellow onions. While they taste a little better, they still do not hold the same weight that red onions do. Pickled red onions make for the best accompaniment to some dinner dishes. I have found myself adding them to smash burgers I make at home. I used to do just pickles and sliced, fresh red onion, but pickled red onions have overtaken them all. I do not even need pickles on the burgers anymore. I love adding them to veggies. Whenever we roast veggies at home, and I have pickled onions on hand, I am almost certain to add them. It adds a little oomph. When I make steak I like to use compound butter and blue cheese. If I am feeling really risky, I'll add both of those and some pickled red onions. I love them in salad. The first time I had them was at a restaurant in Evanston with beets and goat cheese. We have done that multiple times at home now and it is amazing. I am a big fan, especially with the goat cheese. It is a great compliment to the heat from the roasted beets.

I have also tried many different pickling liquid recipes. I've done the classic vinegar, water and sugar. That is a classic for a reason. I've used rice vinegar and that adds nice acid. I sometimes use Splenda instead of real sugar and it tastes almost identical.

Today I tried something different though, and I cannot wait to taste them tomorrow. I simply googled "best pickling liquid recipe", and a ton of stuff came up. There were some recipes that were wildly complicated, others that were almost too simple. I decided to do one where I heated up the liquid and then let it cool completely. I have never done this before. I used red wine vinegar, water, smoked salt, real sugar, fennel seeds, ground mustard and ginger and whole black peppercorn. I heated it up over high heat until all the sugar and salt dissolved. I would stir periodically and then I let it fully cool down. I have since added it to the onions and now we wait. I am really amped about this new recipe I found online and I cannot wait to try them. My house does smell like pickling liquid, but that will go away soon, I hope. But that is not a bad price if these pickled red onions taste as excellent as they look in my fridge right now. Time will tell.

I want to close by saying, go pickle some veggies. It is fun, rewarding and they are tasty as hell when you find a recipe you like. I'm a fan and I think you could be as well. Pickling veggies is dope. 

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.

The Garage is Must Visit if You Find Yourself in Indianapolis

Last weekend my dad and I took my son to Indianapolis for the weekend. I’ll write about the Pacers game and stadium tomorrow. Today I want to talk about a spot we went to before the game on Saturday.

We left Terre Haute in the morning and made our way to Indy. It’s only about an hour drive so we took our time. We couldn’t check into the hotel until four so we figured we’d get lunch and hang out before then. I was on search duty since my dad was driving, but he had already done his research prior to the trip and had decided we were going to check out this spot called The Garage.

The Garage is not a restaurant, instead it is a collection of restaurants. I was already stoked on this spot from what I saw online. Seeing it in reality was even better. This place was pretty rad. Like I said, there was a wide variety of food to try. There was not one through line. There was not just one cuisine to pick from. When we walked in I saw a full service bar. There were drinks galore. Then I saw a juice bar with açaí bowls. I was then drawn to a slice of pizza I saw. It was enormous. I saw a bunch of other spots after that. There was a burger joint, a sushi place, a greek restaurant, a taco truck like storefront, a poke bar, all kinds of stuff. There was even a barbershop within the confines of this place.

If you’re trying to imagine the size, it was like the first floor of the shopping mall. I kind of took my time and checked some spots out. My dad and son did the same. They took even more time in fact. They settled on a Greek spot. My son had dolmades, pita, hummus and fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. My dad had a very tasty looking gyro. It was stuffed with meat and tzatziki and feta. He said it was great. I leaned into the poke bar. I had been eyeing it since I saw it online. And it totally delivered. I got brown rice, seaweed salad, nori strips, a citrus ponzu sauce and tuna. It was excellent. I have been telling everyone about how good it was. I find myself craving it almost a full week later. I told my wife that this was a meal I’ll think about for awhile. It was that good.

Outside the food this place was pretty cool. The bathrooms were very clean and spread out from the food spots. There were tv’s everywhere. The men’s tournament was on so it was great for me and my kid. I already mentioned the barbershop with people getting haircuts. They had security and people cleaning tables consistently. The space was heated which was nice since it was so cold last weekend. And the people watching was next level. I love people watching and this was one of the best experiences I’ve had while doing it.

If you ever go to Indianapolis and want to check out some cool food, a different spot and some of the best people watching there is on this planet, check out The Garage. It was dope.

Check out the Garage Food Hall

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 a Tomahawk Steak I Recently Ate

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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Up Your Home Coffee Game with a Foamer/Frother

seeems to be missing something

We drink a lot of coffee in my house. I have talked about it from time to time on this very site. I go out with my dad twice a week for coffee, my wife and I usually have, at least, two cups a day when we are home and I enjoy trying out all new kinds that I read about or am given recommendations. We are a coffee family.

Over the holiday my wife asked for a frother, or foamer, if you will. I had very little knowledge of this tool, but I figured it sounded cool after she told me more about it. Well I am here today to tell you all, yell at you all, that you need to get one of these if you do not have one and are a coffee drinker.

This little, fairly inexpensive tool has changed the way I do coffee at home. I love it. It is one of the best kitchen devices I have ever been an owner or co owner of in my life. This foamer rules. I remember the first time I tried it I was highly skeptical. I worked in multiple delis as a kid that had coffee machines. We used a ton of frothers and foamers. We had all the tools. But I was not a coffee drinker back then so it was of no use to me. But that first time, with all the skepticism, it totally changed my world. The way the milk got all foamy and creamy, it was delicious. I usually doctor my coffee. I like it a little bit sweet. I add some kind of sugar replacement, and I fully understand that it is bad for me. But that is the way I take it. So when I poured the milk in a little cup to foam it up, I added some stevia. This made it even better. Besides the foam and creaminess, the milk felt smoother. When I added it to my coffee that day I even tried to do art with it. It wasn't great, but I was having a blast with it. I kept going back after that day. Every morning with my coffee I frothed up some milk with splenda and added it to my morning cup. It was great.

Recently I saw a person online recreating the cold foam from Starbucks. I'm not a Starbucks guy, but I do like the foam they add to the cold brew. This person online put milk, some cream and whatever added flavoring they wanted to recreate the drink. I watched it multiple times and decided I was going to do the same. I got some milk, cream and sugar free salted caramel syrup. I frothed it all up and added it to my homemade cold brew. I have not gone back to Starbucks since to get a cold foam cold brew. I just do it at home now. It tastes nearly identical and it is way, way cheaper. I love it. Lately I skip the milk all together and just froth up some heavy cream with whatever I decide to add to it. It is my absolute favorite way to make coffee for myself now. I buy flavored ground coffee, add it to my reusable K Cup and brew the coffee. While that is working I grab the cream, the frother and get to work. It is amazing. I am fully making my own lattes at home now. I can do whatever the hell I want.

I have been experimenting a ton lately. This morning I brewed myself some toasted coconut flavored coffee and made chocolate foam to add to it. It was as simple as could be. I added a little cream, a squeeze of chocolate syrup and a little splenda. I blended it all up and added it to my brewed coffee. It tasted like a mocha mixed with coconut. It was incredible. The other day I added some cream and honey from my buddy Kirk and blended it and added it to a hazelnut brew I made. It was dynamite and there was no need to add the splenda because the honey was plenty sweet. My folks got me a grab bag of sugar free syrups over the holidays and I used those quickly with heavy cream and the frother. I was making cold foam and regular foam with flavors like salted caramel. cinnamon dolce and hazelnut, and it was all fantastic. Hell, when it was bitterly cold here a month ago I made my kids hot chocolate with homemade whip cream using the frother.

I cannot recommend this kitchen enough. This thing is amazing and helps save a ton of money. I'm sure some diehard coffee people do not like frothers, but I love them. They are an essential tool in my home kitchen now. I adore them. 

Ty

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

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Ty/ Comment

Today I Had My First New York Style Bagel and Now I Can Never Go Back

I go out for coffee twice a week, at least, with my dad. Tuesday and Thursdays are the official days we are on unless one of us is sick. Today my mom joined us and that is always such a nice surprise.

We went to my dad's favorite local shop, Shaw's, this morning. I love this place too, but my dad is their biggest fan. He is always impressed with their Americano's. He talks about how it tastes like full caff coffee even though he drinks decaf for the most part now. I had their raspberry mocha, in honor of Valentine's Day, and it was equally as good. My mom got a frozen coffee and we each had a bagel. I don't eat bagels much anymore but when I do I indulge. Today I had an everything bagel and some plain cream cheese with it. It was excellent. They toasted it and the cream cheese spread pretty easily. It was a very solid bagel.

When we left Shaw's my dad wanted to stop by a new bagel shop in a different part of town. The shop is called Bagel Union. My dad has been talking about this spot for a bit now. It is right next to the first house my wife and I bought and my dad goes over that way quite a bit. He likes to go on drives, and when he and I go out for coffee we head that way more times than not. He told me a few weeks back that Bagel Union had a soft opening and when he showed up the line was out of the shop all the way down the sidewalk in the neighborhood. He did not want to wait, so he took off. We went there a week ago but they hadn't fully opened yet. But after he saw the bagels that my mom and dad had at Shaw's, it piqued his interest. I was driving today and he asked if we could stop by there to get some bagels for him to taste.

When we walked in they had a line but it wasn't crazy. There were still a lot of people there, especially for a Thursday morning at 11am. But the wait was less than 10 minutes so we waited. It was right then and there that I decided I was going to eat a second bagel. I haven't had two bagels in that short amount of time in a long while. But these bagels were different. These bagels are made New York style. They soak them in water and try to mimic the way famous bagel shops in New York make them. I ordered the salt bagel because I have always wanted to try one and I figured this place was going to make the best one close to my home.

This might be the best bagel I have ever eaten. I've worked in a few bagel and sandwich shops, I've had bagels in other places, but I have never had a bagel like this before. This bagel had a wonderful crisp on the outside. It felt like it was almost hard on top. When I broke it apart to taste it was almost difficult to do. But when I did, the inside was soft like a pillow. My dad and I were saying to each other how it was like eating a pretzel. It was so crunchy outside and so soft inside. The biggest difference from a pretzel was the salt. You could taste the salt in the bagel, but it wasn't overwhelming. It added the needed salt but it did not take over. It was not a salt bomb, not by a mile. The bottom of the bagel had some excellent flavor due to some kind of flour or grain it was rolled in right before baking. I took the bagel thinking I would only eat a few bites. I finished it before I dropped my folks off at their house. That is only a 10-15 minute drive. I could not stop. It was so good. It was everything I had ever heard about New York style bagels. The hype is real. It is the best way to make any type of bread. I want to try pizza and sandwiches on dough made this way.

I definitely recommend finding a place that makes bagels like this if you do not live near New York. It is the best bagel I have had and think I ever will have. I will for sure return to this shop in Saint Louis. It is pretty wonderful. 

Ty

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

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Liquid Death is Worth the Life of Your Thirst

Whenever RD and I record a podcast we always have a drink. You gotta keep that throat clean. You need to liquid because we talk so much. We don't want to dry out. I'm simple, for the most part. I have either water or coffee, depending on the time we record. We do these virtually as well. I live in Saint Louis and RD is in Ohio. It is easy and we have found out how to make it work. So I always see his drinks. I usually see zero calorie Gatorade or Diet Mountain Dew or some other diet soda varietal. He also has water from time to time.

Recently though he was drinking a can that looked like a tall boy. I thought he was maybe drinking a beer. I am not one to judge. We also do the recordings, for the most part, in the afternoon. More power to RD I thought. So I asked him why he was drinking a beer the first time I saw this. He told me he wasn't having a beer, he was having something called Liquid Death.

I scoffed. I made fun of the name. He told me their slogan is "Murder your thirst", and that made me cackle. I was judging this product without knowing what it tasted like. I was doing the thing I try not to do. He had it again during another record and I gave him the business again. I could see the full can now, and I saw the skeleton head they had on the can and I judged it some more. To RD's credit, he sang Liquid Death's praises. He loves it. He told me he orders cases of it all the time. I was still skeptical.

One day while my daughter and I went on an after school adventure we ended up at Five Below and they had some Liquid Death in a cold case. I wanted something cold and they had no zero calorie sports drinks. I had also had a good amount of flavorless water, the best drink in the world, throughout the day. I did not want any soda either as I am trying as hard as I can to cut back on diet soda. I do not drink full sugar soda. So I grabbed the Liquid Death and laughed to myself. I figured I was going to be right and RD was going to be wrong. I thought it was going to be a run of the mill sparkling water. I did not expect it to "murder my thirst". I got the lime flavored can and we checked out. I popped the top and took a swig as we drove off.

I was stunned at how much I liked the flavor. I could really taste the lime. It was strong. I like that when it comes to sparkling water. I want to taste the flavor. That is why I prefer AHA, and even more so, Spindrift to La Croix or Perrier. I want the water to be flavored. I want my lips to pucker a bit. The more I drank the lime flavored Liquid Death the more I realized I was wrong. RD was right. This stuff was awesome. I could not believe that I liked it. I also could not believe how much I liked it. All the past discretion and shade I threw Liquid Death's way was totally misplaced. I was wrong and I could not be happier to be wrong.

My daughter and I hit up Five Below yesterday and they had mango flavored Liquid Death. You better believe I grabbed a can. I drank it so fast that when my daughter asked to try it, I had to tell her it was all gone. She responded with "ALREADY DAD!!!, YOU MUST REALLY LIKE THAT STUFF!!".  She was shocked at how quickly I took down the 16 ounce can. I loved the lime, but this mango flavored one is an absolute home run. I love mangoes and mango flavored candy and drinks. This mango Liquid Death is right up my alley. I was such a happy camper drinking it.

I am sorry to RD and to Liquid Death for being such a hater. This stuff is good, and it does a good job of quenching my thirst. I am a fan and a convert. Now I think I'm going to buy a case. I suggest you do too. 

Ty

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

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Rose Flavored Macarons, a Symbol of Mankind's Hubris

Last night my wife and I were enjoying some macarons she got at work. She was celebrating her fifteen year work anniversary and they gave her some gifts, a cake and macarons.

I love a good macaron. They are the perfect size for dessert. If they are made well they pack a ton of flavor. And they are light and crispy. It is like a fully filled sweet potato chip. And pretty much every flavor was very tasty. There was pineapple, my favorite, blueberry, pistachio, coconut, vanilla, chocolate and so on and so on. Last night there were about eight left and we split them. Four for her, four for me. It is all 50/50 in this house. I went through my final four fast. I was carving them. I had been thinking about them all day. That was because I knew I was going to suggest we finish them to my wife later in the evening. So I plowed through them. This was when I had the pineapple one. Man was it good. Then I moved on to my little bowl of slim pretzels. I like to mix salty and sweet.

My wife took her time. She did it the right way. She savored them, except for one flavor. She was eating her last four and started with a very pretty looking macaron. It was like a piece of art. The design on the cookie part was very cool. She bit into it and told me she didn't like that flavor. She asked if I wanted it, and since I am not one to pass on macarons, I of course accepted.

I popped it in my mouth and was kind of stunned at what I was tasting. It was weird. My brain couldn't comprehend what my tastebuds were tasting. It didn't match. Again, this macaron looked so pretty that I assumed it was going to taste great. I assumed my wife was going to eat it. But when I ate it, it was off. It did not taste good, to be brutally honest. I kept eating it, probably because I put the rest of it in my mouth all at once, which is gross. I get it. Maybe I also kept eating it thinking the flavor would somehow change. It didn't. When I finished my wife asked me if I liked it. I said, "it tasted like soap". That was exactly what I felt in my soul. It reminded me of what I imagined having a bar of soap put in your mouth as a kid. When I made this statement my wife said, "that must have been the rose flavored one". I thought she meant rose, like with the line above the e. She meant roses like flowers. I then said, "why would someone make that a flavor?". I was weirdly annoyed by this. I tasted it more and more after eating it and I just did not like it.

Sometimes I feel like these bakers and tastemakers maybe go further than they need to. Remember when bacon was in everything? I tried a ton of stuff, but it became too much. Or how about all the stuff with lavender in it? I like some stuff with lavender in it, but it became too much. And if you ever are lucky enough to meet my amazing wife, ask her about an iced lavender latte she got one time. It is a wonderful story. Or how about dill pickle everything except for pickles. It is a rough taste to have in your mouth. So why would someone want to eat a rose? It makes no sense, especially after having that rose macaron last night. It was soapy. It left a bad taste in my mouth. It was an unpleasant experience. Considering how delicious every single other macaron was in that box, I just do not get the justification to put something that tastes like a flower in with the rest of the good stuff.

I am not a fan of rose flavored food. I now know this. If you do like it, let me know why, or lead to some stuff you may think I'd like. But this rose macaron was pretty gross, at least in my personal opinion. 

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 Pretzel Slims, or Thins

I'm a big snacker. I love them. I also have a sweet tooth which makes it even harder, especially this time of year. But, just as Nick Kroll said in his recent standup special, "I love snacks!". They are the best. And with kids I usually have to wait until they are in bed to snack. I try not to do it too much anymore because it is horrible to eat most food before bed. It is even worse to eat bad food right before bed. But here we are. I choose to eat snacks more often than not, and it seems to happen after 9pm lately.

Anyway, one of my new favorite snacks are these thin pretzels. Or as Aldi calls them, Pretzel Slims. I believe other companies call them Pretzel Thins. Whatever they may be called, people in the know know what I am talking about.

These things are great. I have always liked pretzels in any form. I love the soft, hot ones from the ballpark, especially dipped in nacho cheese. I like the thick Snyder Pretzels. I like the pretzel bites that Snyder's makes now even more. Those things are loaded with flavor. Aldi has these "pub style" pretzels that are just dynamite. I am a fan. But the problem I run into with pretzels is the dryness. They coat my mouth. I always need some kind of liquid with them. Even when I dip them I still get that dry feeling. Not with these pretzel slims or thins or whatever. They figured out a formula that works. The pretzels are still loaded with flavor. Even the plain ones with salt, they are excellent. Thay have all the typical pretzel flavors just in a smaller package. I recently purchased everything bagel flavored ones. Those are exceptional. They taste great. You can see the sesame seeds and poppy seeds. You can taste the garlic. You can taste the onion. They are amazing. The ranch ones are solid. They have a very good ranch powder flavor. They scratch that itch. I cannot wait to taste all the other flavors this new snack has to offer.

I think what I enjoy most about these pretzels are the shape and style in which they are made. These pretzels are big. They are bigger than a typical pretzel snack. They have some good width. But they are flat, and I love that. There is no extra added dough. That is not needed. They are as thin as a chip. And that is what makes them the best. Chips have always had a leg up on pretzels and I think it is because of the size and shape. But these pretzel thins have found a way to fight that. When I eat them now I get the same experience I do whenever I eat chips. I actually tried this the other night. I know, I'm breaking barriers with my scientific work. But when I put them side by side, with no dip and only water to drink, there was no real difference. The taste was similar. The crunch was similar. The texture was similar, even maybe titled in the pretzel flavor. I was shocked at how close the similarities were.

I am a fan. I saw them at a buddy's house today and told him how much I love them. My wife and I were grabbing a snack the other night and I told her how happy I was that she introduced these into my life.

Keep it up pretzel thins or slims, you are crushing the salty snack game right now.

Ty

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

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Chicken Out Adds to an Already Great St. Louis Food Scene

I am a sucker for a good chicken sandwich. I have written about my many different spicy chicken sandwich adventures before. I love a good fried piece of chicken between bread with some toppings. It is a delight. So when a friend took me to a local chicken sandwich spot in STL, I was intrigued.

The place is called Chicken Out and it is wonderful. There is a local BBQ spot here called Sugarfire, which is dynamite, and the owners of that own Chicken Out. That, to me, is a very good sign. So when I went the first time, I expected a good visit. It went above and beyond. I was wildly impressed.

The menu is fairly simple. There are about half a dozen or so sandwiches, some salads, a wrap or two and sides. This is another feather in their cap for me. When I go to a restaurant with a massive menu it makes me nervous. My anxiety jumps. To me it shows that you do not know how to make a few things great. It shows me you can make a lot of things mediocre, but not one thing really well. So when the menu is small, like Chicken Out, that lets me know that they know what they do, and they know they do it well.

On my first visit I got a chicken sandwich with cheese sauce and bacon. Again, super simple. I am also a sucker for a liquid cheese sauce, so this was an easy order for me. The sandwich was amazing. The chicken breast is fried to perfection, it is juicy and crisp and fills the sandwich. It is a big piece of chicken, but it also feels like the perfect size. Then they add this cheese sauce, it is liquid gold. It is so tasty. It smothers the sandwich but it doesn't take away from the taste of the chicken. And it is messy, but in all the right ways. The bacon is peppered and thick cut. I love bacon on all things, so this is no different. It is a nice salty addition to this already excellent sandwich. Then they use a potato bun. Potato buns are an absolute homerun. I remember the first time I had potato bread. I was a skeptic. Then I tried it and have been a fan ever since. It is not as heavy as white bread. I am a wheat bread fan, but potato bread takes it down. So a potato bun is perfect for me. They are buttery without butter. They have a hint of sweetness. They are the perfect accompaniment to this delightful chicken sandwich. And this is across the board for this menu. My dad loves the chicken burger. It too is on a potato bun, has lettuce, tomato and Duke's Mayo on it. He loves it, and the taste I have had was great.

I had a chicken parm sandwich on a different visit and it was good. It was on Italian bread, had tomato sauce and mozzarella and was really tasty. My son has had their BBQ chicken sandwich, and what makes it so awesome is the way they hold back and do not overload it with BBQ sauce. It is on there, you can taste it, but it doesn't take away from any other flavors.

The chicken fingers are outstanding. They are massive and taste great. The sides are also dope. I have had mac and cheese before. It is creamy and delightful. The potato salad is strong. The baked beans are good. But the trophy for best side is the fries. Fries are pretty common and pretty good at most sandwich or burger spots. What makes Chicken Out fries even better are two things, they are crinkle cut and they have chicken salt. I adore crinkle cut fries. They, to me, just taste better. But this chicken salt, which I have zero idea what it is made of, I love. It is extra salty. It adds a ton of flavor. You do not need dipping sauces. If you want to dip it in anything, get the cheese sauce that oozes out of the sandwich. They are divine.

I am a big fan of this restaurant. I just ate there yesterday and it was as good as the first time. I told my dad that, if Chicken Out is offered to me right now, I am going to pick it. I have been six times now and have gotten the Cheep N Cheddar sandwich three times. I will be trying everything on this menu in the near future. Check this place out if you live here in STL. For non STL residents, find a spot like this to try. Go to local chicken spots and support them. Their food is so much better than chain restaurants and they need your business more. Chicken Out is awesome.

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.

I'm Here to Praise Coca Cola Dreamworld

I leave for vacation tomorrow, but before taking the rest of the week off I wanted to leave you all with something.

I do the grocery shopping in my home. I’m the at home parent so the chores fall on me. I like doing chores, and I especially like grocery shopping. I’ve got it down to a science too. I’m efficient, I know where everything is, I know the deals and I know when I can meander a bit. Last Monday I had time to browse, so I did. When I got to the soda section I wanted to try something different. We drink Diet Coke in our home. I know it’s bad for you, but I enjoy an ice cold one with dinner. But I do, very seldom, buy a different diet or zero sugar soda. Last week I got the zero sugar variety of Coke Dreamworld.

What struck me first was the box. It is extremely colorful. There’s lots of light blue and red. There’s also the black that’s synonymous with Coca Cola. The mini cans, 7.5 ounces, were on sale. A ten pack was less than four dollars. That’s a bargain. And I figured if I didn’t like them, the cans are small enough that I could take them down anyway. I had one last week for lunch and I didn’t notice much of a difference. Then I had one the next day and liked it a little more.

I didn’t look up what the flavor was at that point so it was hard to pick certain flavors I was tasting. My wife had one but wasn’t a fan. She said it was too sweet. She asked me what it was supposed to taste like so I googled it. The Coca Cola website said it “explores the realms of the surreal, the imaginary and the otherworldly”. That sounds like a description of an A24 movie that I’d be super in to. But this is a drink. With a little more digging I found out it’s citrus and fruit. No particular citrus or fruit, just notes of those flavors. I guess it’s the flavors you think of when hearing citrus and fruit. So it is kind of imaginary I suppose. But when I found out that was the flavor profile, I liked it even more. I had another the next day and found myself craving one last evening. With each small can, I enjoy this Dreamworld flavor more and more. I’m a big fan of citrus. I used to squeeze a lime into Diet Coke sometimes. With this new flavor I guess I won’t have to do that all the time. It says it’s a limited release, but I wouldn’t be bummed if it sticks around for a bit. It’s better than some of the other drinks that other companies try, like chocolate cake Dr Pepper.

I definitely think people who drink diet sodas should give this one a go. I think it’s great.

Ty

Cold Brew is Better with Soda

Starting next week I am going to be doing my annual football preview stuff. It should be a little over a week's worth of nonstop football. Since that will be the focus for a while, today I want to leave you all with another food take that I have thought a lot about lately.

I have mentioned many times that my dad and I go for coffee twice a week. This is my favorite thing to do during the week. My dad and I are very close, and this is a great reason for us to hang out for a few hours. I am relatively new to coffee and my dad is a seasoned pro. He has been a great help in my coffee journey thus far.

That being said, I like my coffee to be sweeter than my dad does. My dad drinks it black. I like to add cream and a little sweetener. I definitely add less now than I did eight years ago, when I started to drink coffee, but I still like to have some sweetener in my coffee. There are exceptions though. When I go to a local spot like Sump, no sweetener is needed. The notes and tones they write on their menu is actually in the coffee. If it says citrus, I taste citrus. The same could be said about lavender, honey, cocoa, anything they write, I taste it. The same goes for Shaw's here in the STL. They have the best lattes, and all that is needed is the steamed milk to make the flavor come through tenfold. But if I go to Starbucks, which I try to avoid, I need sweetener. There are some other local spots where I will get the cold brew with coconut milk, oat milk, some kind of sugar free flavor, just something to make it a bit more palatable.

This is where the take comes in.

Lately I have been getting coffee with soda in it, and that is the best way to drink cold brew if you are adding sweetner to your coffee. There is a local spot out here called Living Room Cafe. I believe I have written about it before. The Living Room was the first place where I experienced soda in my cold brew. I have their Sunrise first, which is cold brew with orange juice, and that is amazing. But then I had their Sproda. This is their cold brew with either cream soda or root beer, whichever soda they have that day, added to it. I was on the fence. Then I had it, and I do not know that I will ever get their cold brew any other way. Both sodas work so well in the cold brew. I was astonished at how good it tasted. I kept telling my dad how tasty it was. He broke it down plain and simple for me. With both root beer and cream soda it is just like adding cream and sugar. I had never thought of it like that, but it makes absolute sense. Just because the coffee doesn't change color it doesn't mean something wasn't added. I have gotten this every time we have gone there since the first time I got it. My dad and I went out to lunch yesterday and the cafe we went to had sandwiches and a full coffee bar. We each ordered a drink called the "coffee soda". Again, I didn’t know what to expect. But in drinking it we both had rave reviews for it. This cold brew had some kind of orange citric soda. There was also an orange peel in the drink. This was like a marriage between Sunrise and Sproda, except this was even better. My dad loved it because he could taste the coffee. I loved it because it was refreshing as well as caffeinated. I kept drinking and drinking it. If I didn't have a planned run yesterday afternoon I would have ordered one to go.

I do not think I'm going back to cream and Splenda in my cold brew anymore. I have even made some of these drinks at home now with Diet Coke. It isn't as good, but it's still very tasty. The next time you have a cold brew, try adding some soda to it. I think you might enjoy it as much as I do.

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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Getting Older Means You Can't Eat Pounds of Food in One Sitting

Lately I have been watching a good amount of "Man vs Food" on The Cooking Channel. It is just good noise for the background of the house, my kids like it and we all like to see if the host can finish their challenge they do at the end of the episode. I was watching it with my daughter last night while my son was at football practice and I think I uttered one of the first real, "holy hell I am almost 40 years old" phrases I've ever done. Let’s discuss.

We were watching this guy take down an eight pound cheeseburger, and when my daughter asked if I thought I could do that, I said, "first of all, my stomach would be a mess, and also, I do not ever want to eat so much food that I feel miserable for the rest of my day". Oof. That was like getting hit in the head with a mallet that said "almost 40" on it. I used to be able to pack in the food. I could eat. When I was above 300 pounds, it was nothing for me to eat a few double cheeseburgers, fries and a chicken sandwich. We have a restaurant here that does a 1 lb burger challenge, and although it made me sick, I finished it with ease. But as I have gotten older, lost weight and started to eat "better", the idea of stuffing that much food in my face has zero appeal. Sure it would be neat to have some people cheer me on while doing it, and getting paid to eat would be dope as hell. But the after effects just do not seem worth it anymore. I think that may be another reason I watch, just like watching skateboarding videos, I know I cannot/do not want to do what he is doing. I know that I would be hurting for days afterward. I know that the whole bathroom situation would be unpleasant not only for me, but for my family as well. The rare occasion when I overeat now, I just openly complain to my wife, who is very sick of hearing from me about it. I also lost a decent amount of weight, kept off over 60 of it, and doing the stuff that the host does on "Man vs Food" would ruin that for me. I know as I get older that the stuff I used to eat with ease will not be much of an option. I'm already struggling with spicy food, and I love spicy food. Mexican food is my favorite cuisine. I love nachos. But I cannot get all the heat on them that I used to. I love sport peppers on hot dogs. They make me instantly sick when I eat them now. I only want dry rubbed chicken wings, preferably with a non spicy rub. I cannot do spicy BBQ sauce anymore. I had some curry the other day and it about wrecked me. We took my son to a ramen restaurant the other week and I ordered my food with no wasabi or other super spicy additions. I just cannot do it anymore. And the copious amounts of food, that is completely off the table. The thought of eating that one pound burger makes me gag. Trying to throw down on chicken nuggets or fries from McDonald's is a non-starter. My wife always asks me what food I think I could eat the most of in one sitting and I always come up empty. I always find an excuse for why I'd have to stop. I think it is because I just don't want to eat like the host of "MVF" or like I used to before everything changed for me.

Now, I will not stop watching this show. I love it. But seeing him eat the spicy stuff or when the amount of food is over a pound, that makes me ill now. I know it makes him sick too. This is all a real sign to me that I am getting older and it is kind of a drag. I guess the silver lining with being this close to 40 is I know my limits. That is about the only good I can think of now. Oh well, I guess that's life.

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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