Toliver

TJ in the news...the bloom is off the rose, so to speak: "Your local Trader Joe’s workers might not be so happy after all" The times they are a-changin'...

McD's in the news...2 articles: "McDonald's is making a major change to the Big Mac" There's a picture in the article of the three sizes. Anyone seen Goldilocks around? I'm not sure if this change would make McD's a "destination restaurant" for me. I tend to prefer the Big Mac. The 2nd article: "McDonald's just pulled the plug on its biggest menu change in years" What an expensive experiment "Create Your Taste" turned out to be! The kiosks aren't going anywhere...they will remain in the McD's but will just be offering less choices to the customers. This is a good thing?

You can also "release" cookbooks into the wild, so to speak, through BookCrossings.com (click...then click on "more" under the third step shown on the home page). I have a friend who is a member of the web site and she releases books. She leaves cookbooks in the lobby/waiting areas of restaurants.

"Take it back." Too late...I "gifted" the remains to my coworkers.

I can't recommend TJ's Salted Caramel Coconut Cookies (click). They're basically thumbprint cookies. Unfortunately, they must have used the thumb of a two year old when making these cookies because the cookies are shockingly tiny and you don't get that many in the box (don't believe the box cover drawing...the cookies are nowhere close to being half as large as a coconut!). The cookie itself tasted stale. I was expecting something crisper like a coconut macaroon except this macaroon tasted like it had been through a monsoon. It was quite soft and overly sweet. They might as well put sugar cubes in the middle of the cookies because I couldn't really discern the flavor of the caramel. I should have bought the Maple Leaves instead. DOH!

Well, that's saying something, isn't it? I wonder if it depends on the location/area? I don't think deer meat would go over so well out here.

Regarding the crumbling issue, I wonder if Dorie would respond to emails on eGullet (she's been a member of eGullet since 2002)? She was always quite helpful when eGullet members had questions about her recipes/books. Though today she has her own website: http://doriegreenspan.com/ And is a member of the usual suspects...Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Here is her email address from her website: contact@doriegreenspan.com Good luck!

I've questioned the cheese on a pork sandwich, as well. I guess because it's fast food they're thinking "We'll just throw some cheese on it. People like cheese, don't cha think?". Maybe not so much...

Some people have waaaay too much time on their hands. Behold, "The Pringle Ringle" (click).

Biscuits can be a little dry at times. But not the McGriddles. The McGriddle "buns" are slightly sweetened and are also either buttered or just come moist. I like the sweet & salty combination in the McGriddle (I usually opt for the Bacon McGriddle). I think I received the same McD's coupons. What's interesting is that they're even sending them out in the first place. They never used to send out coupons. They must be hurting. Some online articles I've read suggest that, across the board, people are eating out less due to pricing (especially at lunch). Which doesn't bode well for McD's.

A new M&M premiering next year: "M&M's gets a trendy new filling: Caramel" Sign me up! I love caramel. Can't wait to try them.

Interesting NY Times article on tomatoes and why you shouldn't refrigerate them: "In Refrigerators, Tomatoes Lose Flavor at the Genetic Level"

As a child, I wished to get a birthday with frosting that thick. Alas, I never did so I am living vicariously through you! Belated happy birthday.

I love Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Sauce. When you pick up a jar, you can see a myriad of tiny chunks of garlic floating in the sauce. The last time I heated up frozen ravioli's in the sauce for dinner, I salivated the entire next day thinking of the leftovers awaiting me that night and that lovely garlicky sauce. Swoon. edited for clarity

The article: "Only 1 in 5 millennials has ever tasted a Big Mac" I found it hard to believe only 1 in 5 millennials have tasted a Big Mac...McD's is so pervasive, I would have thought it was something most kids grew up eating. Perhaps they're "McNugget Millennials" instead.

Yes. This. My mom has always done this as far back as I can remember.

I heartily concur regarding your opinion of the french fries. They truly suck. I'm amazed they haven't improved them over the years.

I was floored to see that Arby's was offering, for a limited time only, a Smokehouse Pork Belly Sandwich (click). In a fast food restaurant? Has anyone tried it? Their Smokehouse Brisket sandwich looks good, as well. This is ain't my Dad's Arby's! Someone at Arby's is certainly changing things up.

J-I-B has introduced "Brunch-fast", breakfast-ish items available throughout the day. You can see a little bit more about here on their web site (click). The Egg, Chicken, Bacon on an English Muffin looks quite tasty.

Today through this Sunday night (10/2/16) Penzey's has reduced their free shipping minimum from $30 to $20. Also, if you use the code 43753C at checkout you will receive a free $4.95 value jar of Penzeys Garlic Shoots, which is a new Penzey's item.

Now available in Japan: "Black garlic Doritos are the perfect snack for chasing away hunger and vampires" They sound like they might taste good, provided there's enough garlicky goodness to them.

Sorry to revive such an ancient discussion but I saw these today and thought you'd have to be a foodie to wear these: "Big Food Tees"

I concur. It's kept me away from all of their frozen Fried Rice/Asian stir-fry packages. The amount of sodium per serving is frighteningly outrageous.

My mom saved them, as well. The pans became our "snicky snacks" pans...an evening after-dinner treat for us kids. I fondly recall watching the Walt Disney hour on Sunday nights ("In Living Color"!) while eating our snicky snacks from those aluminum pans. Now doesn't that date me?

I bought the Pumpkin Spice Limited Edition Oreos. The spice flavoring is in the creme. I found it very ginger-y, which I didn't mind at all. The cookies that sandwich the creme look (and taste) like their Golden Oreo counterparts. It's a generic vanilla-ish cookie. Now if only Oreo would try matching the Pumpkin Spice creme with their chocolate cookies...I imagine that would make for a better treat.