I'm Here For Some Lime Cucumber Gatorade Zero

I gave up Gatorade about ten years ago. It lost all nutritional value I used to think it had, it tasted like straight sugar and water is always a better option for hydration. As I got more involved in the world of running I picked up better hydrating drinks. I use Nuun, Tailwind, Mio and various powders I get from local running stores or in my swag bags from races. But I do like adding this stuff for the flavor. Nothing beats ice cold water when I have been on a long run. Coming inside, grabbing one of my cold water bottles and slamming straight water that is as cold as ice, I get wonderful chills thinking about it. But, when I go on long races, or long runs, I need that flavor. I need that sugar. I crave carbs. I need something that will help me push past the pain. That is why those powders and tablets work so well. But sometimes, mostly lately, I have been craving something that tastes extra sweet, but is made with fake sugar. I understand how bad it is for me, but sometimes it is okay to indulge. I tried regular Gatorade, but that was still much, much too sweet for me. It was like drinking Jolly Ranchers. It killed all the good work I had done.

Gatorade now makes a low carb, fake sugar varietal, Gatorade Zero. I am coming around on this lately. They have some good flavors. The berry is dynamite. The classics, orange and lemon lime are better versions of the original. But a few weeks back I found my new favorite flavor. It is my go to when I want Gatorade Zero for a few reasons. That flavor is lime cucumber.

Sounds gross, no? Well it is far from it. First off, I love a good cucumber water. It is refreshing, the cucumber adds more liquid and it gives it a little flavor. It is like the best flat seltzer you can have. Water with a squeeze of fresh lime is just as good. It has all the same qualities, but it is a bit more sour, which is nice. Marrying the two within the Gatorade lab, amongst all the tastemakers that work there, was genius. It is a beautiful blend of why I like water with lime or cucumber in it. It is the best of both worlds. Then you take the fake sugar and carbs that are in the Zero varietal, it is a match made in heaven. I have found it to be one of my favorite post run drinks. If I am at a gas station, and they have lime cucumber Gatorade Zero, I do not hesitate to purchase one. It is so good. But I think what makes this the best Gatorade product is my kids' aversion to it. My son loves the OG Gatorade. He is a fan. He always asks for one after a game or practice. He usually gets a no, but when I buy him one he is stoked. My daughter is a newcomer to Gatorade, but that girl loves an original fruit punch. She has told me it is like drinking candy. But when they get in my car and see that I have the lime cucumber one, they tell me how gross it sounds. They ask how I can drink it. They want to know why I drink it. They ask me to get other flavors. And I get to tell them that I get it because I like it so much, but also because they dislike it. I know I will not catch them trying to sneak a drink. My son won't ask for one, nor will my daughter. I know this is a drink that I will be able to enjoy all by myself. No 10 or 6 year old will be begging me for a drink or to buy them a whole one. It is totally worth buying it simply for that reason. But add on that it tastes so good, this is a real homerun.

Go try lime cucumber Gatorade Zero. It is delicious, and most kids will not ask to have any. It is great.

Ty

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

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The Joys, and Dangers, of Eating a Whole Bag of Cadbury Eggs

During Easter, which I vaguely celebrate for the candy, I usually get a bag of Cadbury Candy Coated Chocolate Robin's Eggs. These are, hands down, my favorite candy. They have surpassed Snickers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut M&M's. I do not know what Cadbury does with this treat, but my goodness is it tasty. I look forward to Easter because I know that my wife will be buying me a bag. But since I started doing low carb almost ten years ago, and have cut back on a good amount of sugar, I have come to realize that these Cadbury Robin's Eggs are a trigger food for me.

For those that do not know what a trigger food is, it is some type of food that you cannot be trusted with alone. I know some people who have Cheetos as their trigger food. My wife has said that Cheeze Its and Ruffles are trigger foods for her. I know it used to be licorice for my mom. Lately my dad has mentioned that black jelly beans are a trigger food. Everyone has one and it can get bad. This happened to me last night. I am home alone for the week with the kids. My wife is on a girls trip all week, and since the school year is still going, I am home with the kids. It is no problem at all. My kids are good. They listen enough. They are ten and six, so they can entertain themselves for a bit so I can get a break. And they go to bed relatively early. They are a delight.

Last night I was doing a good amount of catching up chores. And I did a good amount of yard work during the day to get that out of the way. So I got a solid workout in doing all that good stuff. I also ate pretty well all day. I had some carrot cake and a cup of coffee for breakfast. I had leftover pea salad and leftover turkey from Easter for lunch. And I had a minimal snack of jelly beans and some Cadbury Eggs. I laid off enough by putting them in a small bowl so I wouldn't over eat. I felt fine. I also went really low carb for dinner, having a whole wheat low carb chicken quesadilla. I also had a small amount of corn salad. So I felt like I did good. Then the kids went to bed and I turned on the TV to let myself relax. I did well at first. I had a small bowl of salt and vinegar chips and a Cadbury Caramel Eggs. Side note, Cadbury makes the best chocolate. Full stop. But I still felt hungry. What I should have done was drink some water or some seltzer water. What I did instead, well, I am still feeling the after effects today. I had about half, maybe 2/3 of a bag left of my Cadbury Eggs. I grabbed the bag and put it on the armrest of the couch. And while I watched TV I would grab a few eggs here and there. I figured I would stop after a few, but I did not. A few eggs became a handful. Then a handful turned to two handfuls. Before I knew it, the bag was empty.

I still felt okay after eating the rest of the bag, until I got up. I stood up off the couch and my stomach immediately hurt. I had gas all night. I kept sitting up in my bed to burp. I tossed and turned all night. I woke up with the same stomach ache. It was rough. It was around 9:30 when I finally started to feel better this morning. I went to my folks house, had some coffee with my dad and ate a very light breakfast. I also just had a late, light lunch. But I still feel a little off.

I guess the point today is, be careful with trigger foods. They can be very tasty and very enticing, but the after effects are not worth it. I felt really bad, and my mind tricked me while I was eating them that I was okay. Food is great. It is the best. It can be comforting. But when it gets to the level it got for me last night, that is the bad part. That is when food can become your enemy. I have not felt like this for almost 20 years, and now I remember why. Try to limit your intake of trigger food. Try to avoid it if you can. I think that would be best. I go back to a time when my wife and I first started dating and she dumped out a bag of peanut butter M&M's directly from the bag to the trash. I was appalled, but now I get it. She did the right thing. I should have done exactly that last evening.

Be careful when it comes to the foods you love. They can turn on you. I feel like I have learned my lesson, but time will tell.

Ty

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

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Waffles Are The Best

This morning I had brunch with my wife, daughter and mother in law. My son was hanging out at a friend's house, and we did not want to do much, so we decided on brunch. We usually make eggs, bacon, sausage and hashbrowns. Today my daughter and I decided we wanted one extra carb. She opted for pancakes and I had a waffle. Let’s discuss.

I do not indulge in waffles or pancakes much anymore, but when I do, I really go for it. So I had my eggs, a few small sausage patties and a little helping of hashbrowns. I saved my waffle for last. I also tried a few bites of my daughter's pancake. It was good. We both went pretty classic too. She did add fresh blueberries on top, but otherwise we both did butter and syrup. As I said, the pancake was good. But my waffle, it was wonderful. It was big and fluffy. It came out piping hot. The butter instantly melted and the syrup hit all the open squares that a waffle comes equipped with. When I went to cut into it with my fork, it easily split into the four triangles that a waffle iron offers when making them. It was simply exquisite. Each bite had the right amount of butter and syrup. The steam from the heat made it all the more delicious. It was tremendous.

After finishing it off, I sat there and contemplated whether this was the best waffle I had ever had. It was definitely up there. But I think the fact of the matter is that I just prefer waffles to pancakes. Pancakes are good and all. Don't get me wrong. But I feel like a waffle is made for anyone that is craving something a little sweet. The syrup and butter kind of slips off a pancake. You have to fork it and then dip it into the butter and syrup, and whatever else you like on your waffle, that is on your plate. With a waffle, it is all compacted in the little squares. You can also break it into four separate pieces and eat it like that, which makes it easier. I also feel like you can put better, more inventive ingredients within waffle batter to truly gussy them up if that is what you like. It is easier to turn a waffle into a homemade breakfast sandwich but breaking it in half.

Truth is that waffles are the better breakfast food. There I said it. I feel like I so rarely have them because of how hard it is to clean a damn waffle iron. But that is on me. Waffle irons are a total pain to clean. You have to really scour the whole thing, and even then you will probably miss a few flakes of batter here and there. Pancakes are easier to clean because you can make them in a simple pan. But maybe that is also what makes a waffle so enticing and makes it feel like a real treat. The work that goes into making waffles, and then cleaning up afterward, makes the food worthwhile. You really want to savor a waffle because of the trouble you go through to make them. Waffles are legit. They may be my new go to sweet breakfast treat. I just need to prepare myself going in for the cleanup job that awaits. But I also need to let myself enjoy how truly, truly exquisite a simple waffle can be.

One more time. Waffles rule.

Ty

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

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Tagalongs are the GOAT of Girl Scout Cookies

Girl Scouts of America

The majority of my life I have enjoyed Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. Whenever we bought them when I was growing up, I would request Thin Mints. As I got older and married, when my wife's coworkers kids would sell cookies, I always wanted Thin Mints. Hell, even with my daughter now being in Girl Scouts, when cookies were brought up, I said I would like Thin Mints. They are great. I love them even more when they are put in the freezer and given time to firm up. I can eat them by the sleeve. I know that is not good, but damn if Thin Mints are not wonderful.

Lately I have had a change of heart. I have tried all the flavors of Girl Scout cookies. I don't even like coconut, but I will eat Samoas if that is what's available. Be it Do Si Do's, Trefoils or Thin Mints, Girl Scout cookies are fantastic. But I believe, after eating far too many this past weekend, that Tagalongs are the best flavor.

For those that may not know, Tagalongs are a chocolate covered hard cookie with peanut butter in the middle. It is kind of like a thumbprint cookie, except the peanut butter is covered up. It is like eating a peanut butter cup with a delicious cookie being added. I was popping them in my mouth after basketball this weekend, and with each cookie I just kept thinking about how great they tasted. I could not get enough. I had to ask my wife to take them away from me. Had I had my way, I would have eaten the whole box. I'm not joking.

To test my new theory, I am doing some real scientific work here folks, I ate some frozen Thin Mints yesterday. My son and I shared a few in the afternoon. And they were awesome. They were super tasty and as great as I have always remembered and we each had five or six of them before I cut us off. But later in the day, again I ate way, way, way too many Girl Scout cookies this weekend, I had some more Tagalongs, and they are better. Full stop. I cannot believe my allegiance has changed so drastically like this, but here we are. I think they are easier to eat, and by easier I mean that I can pop them in my mouth and eat an entire box and not feel bad about it. At all. I love the chocolate and peanut butter combo so much, like most everyone else. My daughter is allergic to peanuts, so I guess that I am being heroic by eating them so she is not tempted. I am a saint I suppose. But in all seriousness, if I were some kind of food critic, I would rank Tagalongs at the very top of the list. I mentioned some other flavors in this piece, but Tagalongs take the cake. Thin Mints are a very, very close second. And even the new flavor, a brownie type cookie with caramel and a chocolate drizzle, is fine, but nowhere close to Tagalongs or Thin Mints. Those are the two best, with Tagalongs taking over the top spot.

I never thought this day would come. I was so loyal to Thin Mints. But this weekend has changed me, as far as cookies go. Not only do I think Tagalongs are the best Girl Scout cookies, I think they are the best mass produced cookies in the land. There are better cookies at restaurants and stores that focus on making cookies. But in a world of Oreos and Hydrox and Keebler, Tagalongs take the cake. They're the absolute best.

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 Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips

I consider myself pretty well versed when it comes to snacking. I love food. Always have and I always will. It is the best. It is good for comfort, for life, for the good and bad moments, for sporting events, for everything really. I do eat too much food, but that is neither here nor there. But one food I have been reintroducing to my diet is potato chips.

Let’s discuss.

I have read, and talked to a ton of runners, and they sing the praises of chips. They give you carbs, salt and help you continue to move for longer distances. And I love all chips, with dill pickle and ketchup flavor as the lone exceptions. A nice classic original, fantastic and salty. Cheddar and sour cream, a great combination. BBQ chips are sweet and spicy and great. Jalapeno adds a wonderful kick that I adore. Sweet Hawaiian Onion is so, so, so good. And all Doritos, especially cool ranch, they are the bomb. I even love a good Frito, Cheetos and definitely Takis. They are great. But it has come to my attention recently that Salt and Vinegar is the best chip flavor.

I don't have any science to back this up, except my tastebuds, but that helps me confirm that Salt and Vinegar rules. And it is across all brands of chips. I love Lay's version. Pringles make an excellent salt and vinegar. Cape Cod is crunchy and delicious and very flavorful. Hell, even Benton's Brand from Aldi are a total slam dunk. In fact the Benton's may be the best because they have the most dust, or flavoring, on the chip and the salt and vinegar taste really comes out. It is a make you pucker type taste. It is so awesome. I have eaten a small bowl with my lunch for the past couple of days, and it has been a delight. The mixture of salt and vinegar is just so tasty. It adds so much to my hot dogs or brats or whatever meat and cheese addition I have every day for lunch. It is the perfect compliment to the rest of my relatively low carb lunch.

Using these chips as fuel for a run, that takes it to a whole other level. As a runner, a distance runner at that, we are told to eat and drink, especially during anything over a half marathon. You need fuel to keep going. If you don't eat or drink anything your body will just stop doing what it has been trained to do. So I use Tailwind as my race drink and Nuun as a post race drink. Tailwind is filled with carbs and salt and electrolytes. It is like a healthy Gatorade. Nuun is a great post race drink, with its effervescence and sweet taste. And when it comes to food, I usually go for sweets too. I need the sugar. I love a good pack of gummy bears, Oreos, peanut butter filled pretzels, granola, and any kind of sweet food. But when it comes to salty, I find it hard to choke down most anything except for salt and vinegar chips. Straight up pretzels become too chalky. Burritos are too filling. Any sandwich that is not a PB&J, forget it. But salt and vinegar chips totally knock it out of the park. They make me salivate, which makes me drink more. I love the taste, so it is easier for me to choke them down. I like the grease. And I am a big, big fan of the extra salt they provide along with my Tailwind and salt in the sweet food. I have found myself gravitating more to the chips when doing a race at the aid stations. I also pack myself some to put in my pack or in my pocket. They are just too perfect.

For these reasons, and many, many others, Salt and Vinegar is hands down the best flavor potato chip. It is perfect. I dare you to eat one and not become addicted. They are that good.

Ty

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

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Snow Ice Cream Does Not Suck

In Saint Louis we have gotten a good amount of snow the past two days. It was supposed to hit on Wednesday, but we seem to have gotten the brunt of it today. If I had to guess I'd say we are between six and eight inches, which is a good amount in the county. Hell, people went out on Tuesday and bought up the bread, milk and eggs. I have never understood that phenomenon here, but that is what people in Saint Louis have done with the mere threat of snow all 39 of my years living here. And I have mentioned before on this site that my love of snow stopped when my son started school. Snow is a nuisance, it makes travel tough, they cancel school with just the threat of snow and it makes for a horrible mess about two days after it falls. In no time it will be in the mid 40's here and there will be discolored snow mounds and slush everywhere. It will be gross.

There is one thing I forgot about, until this afternoon. We got a good amount of snow, like I mentioned, and there were fresh powdery mounds on our table out back. It looked pristine. It was white and fluffy and looked like snow off of a postcard from the mountains. After taking my kids sledding, both of them noticed the snow and asked if we could make ice cream. I have not eaten or made snow ice cream in years. I have a very vague recollection that my wife and kids did it last year, but who knows anymore. So when they mentioned it today I figured, why not. Let's do it. We are truly running out of things to do since my son hurt his wrist sledding and playing snow football with me and a buddy yesterday. My daughter is also very small, so she doesn't like to be out too long. So, as I said, I am truly looking for any little thing to do to pass the time until they open schools back up. That activity was making snow ice cream.

The task is simple enough too, as I am sure most of you know. I asked them what kind they wanted to make and they both said, "just do whatever is easiest". I adore my kids. So we got a bowl and filled it with snow, added some milk, sugar and vanilla extract and I let them stir until everything was combined. I took a taste and it immediately took me back to childhood. It was like eating the past. It was good, but so, so, so sugary. I spooned it out for my kids and they were in heaven. They kept saying how tasty it was. They mentioned that they disagreed with my salt take. They were eating it up. At one point my son told me he loved it and said, "I forgot how good plain vanilla ice cream tastes". My daughter was quiet and simply eating. That is a telltale sign that she is truly enjoying what she is tasting at the moment. She actually just finished her small bowl a minute ago, walked up to me and said, "THAT WAS SOOOOOO GOOD!". I love when she does that. But I had forgotten how something so simple and easy can be so good for my kids. I also really enjoyed that it was an activity they brought up that we could all do together. Even my wife ducked out of a meeting to ask the kids if they liked it, and to take a small taste herself.

So there are some good things about the snow I guess. It can look pretty at times. And I do prefer colder weather. But snow ice cream may be the best thing that comes from all of this. I am sure we will make some more, as it is supposed to snow for a few more hours before tapering off. And I cannot wait to try it with chocolate sauce or honey or some other wild concoction we all come up with. Snow ice cream is the goods.

Ty

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

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Chili Has No Need for Beans

Today I am coming at you with a semi hot take on food. I have done this from time to time on the site and have gotten a little bit of a reaction from some people online and in my home. My hot take for the day today is, chili is better with no beans in it.

I have felt this way for quite some time, but the chili that I made for dinner last night, and finished for lunch today, made me fully realize this. I know there are other people in my family who feel the same way, namely my dad. He has actually said this for a while now. He will change his order if the place we are ordering from has beans in the chili. And there are a very few chilis out there with beans that are good, most notably the veggie chili at the excellent local diner Morning Glory. But I feel like it is a fact that all meat chili is the way to go.

The chili I made yesterday has no beans because it is low carb, and I try to eat as low carb as possible for my three meals a day. And it is a pretty simple chili to make. It has 2 1/2 lbs of ground beef, a red onion, celery, jalapenos and all the other seasonings that go into your regular chili. But instead of straight up chili powder I used chipotle chili powder. I also put the chili in the crockpot after browning the beef and let all the veggies and seasonings and meat marinade for eight hours. It made for an excellent tasting chili goop. It almost had more of a sloppy joe feel than a chili. But damn if it wasn't tasty as hell.

No beans isn't just the chili that I make at home. There are a few restaurants in town, mostly steak houses, that have no bean chili and it is always a great surprise. My eyes light up. When we would go to restaurants, even if I was not craving chili, I would order it just to taste it. The chili at Skyline in Ohio, while using cinnamon, has no beans and it is really awesome, especially on hot dogs and pasta. There is a hot dog spot in Saint Louis called Steve's Hot Dogs, and when they make a chili dog they use no bean chili. It makes the chili dog that much better. It is like the Skyline chili dog but with a way better tasting frank and chili. In fact, if any hot dog place uses beans in their chili I will not order chili dogs.

It is not that I dislike beans. I think they are great. They are an excellent source of protein. I know people who choose to not eat meat love beans, as they should. But for a meat eater such as myself, the beans add too much starch to a chili. It almost takes away from the flavor of the chili. I feel like the beans soak up all the good seasoning and juice. That is what I want the meat to do in a chili. I want the meat to bathe in the juice and add even more flavor. It makes for an excellent meal.

All meat chili is the way to go if you are a meat eater and you want a hot side dish, or even if you want it as a main dish. It makes for a filling and delicious tasting meal. At least that is how I feel.

Ty

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

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The Annex in Webster Groves Rules

Today my kids and I were finally able to see my folks again. I have cleared all my protocols, my folks had COVID as well, they got it before I did, and since they are older they did the full ten days and cleared their protocols yesterday. My dad and I hadn't been out for coffee in two weeks, my kids are off school for the day and both my parents have not seen them for two weeks, so we decided we were all comfortable to see each other again.

It was great. I really missed both of them, and when we got over there it was like nothing had changed. My mom took the kids to play in the basement of their home and my dad and I were left to chat about sports and other stuff we like to talk about.

After being there for about an hour, my dad and I decided we wanted to go pick up some coffee, do our usual thing. We were both pleasantly surprised when my mom and kids said they wanted to come with us. It was great. So all five of us piled in my car and drove to a newish coffee shop in Webster Groves here in Missouri called The Annex. My dad and I have gotten coffee here before, but my kids and my mom have not checked it out yet. And instead of just grabbing coffee and leaving, we decided to do a little shopping. That is what makes this newer coffee shop so damn cool. There is a typical coffee shop area, but they also have a sandwich shop inside that has fresh local ingredients. They also have shelves, a la a grocery store, that has some really cool products to buy. They also have neat little candies and homemade pastries and other sweets. There is also a cold juice bar that has some of the best juice I've ever had. This place may look small from the outside, but when you get into the building, it seems vast. It was also very easy to spread out, and we all had some form of a N95 or KN94 mask on. Needless to say, we felt pretty safe. Doing this shopping felt really good too. My kids were literally kids in a candy store when they went to the candy section of the "grocery area". They had all kinds of neat, organic and original candy. They had stuff ranging from Rose suckers to honey foam. They also had homemade jellies and gummies. My kids were both enamored with the old school rainbow sucker. That is what they got. And when I grabbed it to buy it for them, the ingredients made me feel like a not so bad dad for buying them one each. They then went to the juice bar spot and found a little section with multiple milk selections. It was crazy to see all the different kinds of milk they had, all of which are organic and locally made. My daughter got chocolate milk, which was incredible and my son got Orange Cream milk which tasted like a creamsicle. It was amazing. I decided I wanted to grab some black licorice from England and a cold brew. The licorice was nice, but that cold brew was outstanding. It was woody yet smooth. The addition of cream only made it taste better and go down smoother. I did not even need to add any sweetener because it tasted so good without it. I'd have to say, second only to Sump, this is the best cold brew I have had. I drank it pretty fast, and to me that is a sign of a great coffee. My dad got himself an Americano and my mom got a homemade croissant and a chai latte. My dad is a coffee aficionado and he had glowing words for the Americano. He seemed pretty stoked to drink it. My mom, who never finishes a drink, had most of that chai latte down when we left their house, and we took all this back to their house after ordering. To me that means she really enjoyed her drink. When we left her house she hadn't tried the croissant yet, but she told me she was saving it because she knew it was going to be great. It looked excellent. It looked buttery and flaky and absolutely delicious.

My dad and I are always on the hunt for new and interesting coffee shops. And luckily we just happened upon The Annex about a month or two ago, and now my kids and my mom have also given it the thumbs up. I cannot recommend this place enough. It is a hidden gem, but will not be for long, so get in there while you can before it has a line out of the door. It is totally worth the price for the excellent coffee, the kick ass store, the cool lunch counter and the juice bar. The Annex rules.

Ty

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

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Booches Burgers are the Best

Today my family is in Columbia visiting my extended family. We come up every year, except last year for obvious reasons, for Thanksgiving dinner. I get to see two of my brothers, my nieces, my sister in law and my mom and dad, they travel up for lunch. But after eating three straight turkey meals we are all ready to have something different for lunch. Today we chose burgers. Let me tell the tale.

We decided to go to a local joint called Booches. People may have heard of this place. It has won awards and it was mentioned by Sports Illustrated as the best college town restaurant recently. The place is a dive, but damn is the food, mainly the burgers, really tasty. They do have fries or salads or anything like that. But they do have chili, chips, hot dogs and burgers. I got the burgers today, as I always do. But today they hit different. They were extra juicy. They were nice and greasy. The onions and pickles were crunchy. The bun was fantastic. I have to assume it was because my brother was manning the flat top today. He knows his way around a kitchen. And the burgers were something special. I mentioned all the fixings and the juiciness, but the taste was incredible. It was nice and meaty. It was cooked to a great medium temperature. The cheese was gooey and melted. The fixings adding the perfect taste that you want from fixings. It was the perfect burger. I really like Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger in Ann Arbor. Bailey’s Range in STL is great. I love Steak N Shake as far as chain restaurants go. But Booches has the best burgers I’ve ever had. I realized that this afternoon. The burgers were that incredible.

I highly recommend people take a trip to have a Booches burger. Get it with everything on it to get the full grasp of how good it really tastes. They really are worth it. Booches is great.

Ty

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

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Even Kids Love the Spork

Every Friday I let my kids buy their lunch at school. It is a special treat for them. They bring their lunch every other day, but I like to let them have a little fun closing out the week.

They love it.

They always get in my car and excitedly tell me what they had that day when I pick them up. It is usually pizza, pretty standard, but they like to tell me about the sides they get as well. And when they do not have pizza, they are almost more excited to tell me what they had on those days. It varies between chicken nuggets and some kind of pasta. But they love it no matter what it is, probably because it isn't some lame sandwich that their dad made for them. My son is a little less stoked about it lately because he is a fourth grader now, and acts like a teenager. He is too cool for school. He likes to act like he is above being excited. It is adorable. But my daughter, who is in kindergarten now, LOVES to fill me in on all the details, no matter how big or small. She will go to great lengths to tell me each and every thing about lunch on the days she buys.

Recently she has really gotten into a certain utensil that the lunch people have given her. She has been extra interested in the spork. She is quite obsessed with them in fact. The first day they gave her one you would have thought it was the greatest invention in the history of inventing. She got in the car with extra giddy up in her step. She started to talk before I even buckled her into her seat. She was so amped that I had to tell her to take a breath and slowly explain to me what she was talking about. When she calmed down that was when she went into the greatest of details about the spork. She told me that it is this great thing to eat food because it is a spoon, but on top of the spoon they had prongs like a fork. She also told me about the handle and why that makes it even better. She let me know that she could easily go from spooning fruit to eating corn one niblet at a time. She also liked how it made it easier for her to eat pudding. I don't know how it made it easier, but she sure as hell thought it did. She also liked the fact that she could mix foods together using the spork. She was completely and utterly blown away by this utensil. When I told her that, not only did I know what a spork was, but that I have used them many times, her head exploded. She was talking super fast and asking millions of questions again. She was almost angry at me for not telling her about the spork sooner. She was flabbergasted and amazed. I loved it.

I wish there was something in my life that could surprise me the way the spork surprised my daughter. Now that I am older and more cynical, that happens less and less. But my daughter is only six. I love it when she discovers something new. I love it even more when she really likes the new thing she has found out about. I was so happy to hear her excitement when she first used the spork. I love it, in fact. It is pretty cool that kids can still find something as simple as the spork to be one of the greatest things ever invented. It is also nice that it isn't an internet thing or a video or some kind of thing that is on a screen. I love my kids, and I love how excited they are by the littlest things in life. It is truly a sight to behold.

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 Greatness of Peanut Butter

I was listening to "Doughboys" today and they were talking about marshmallow fluff. I used to love that stuff, but now it sounds and looks vile. The hosts and the guests seem to agree with me too. They talked about how horribly sweet it still is. They mentioned a fluffernutter sandwich, which I used to love, but other than that, they said it was gross.

I am not here to talk about marshmallow fluff. One of the guests mentioned that they had their own personal food pantheon. He talked about the three foods he had on his list. They were the chicken egg, rice and peanut butter. This got me thinking about what my food pantheon would be. I went through a ton of stuff that I really like, but nothing was making my own personal pantheon. I love steak, but that can be gross if not cooked properly. I love licorice, especially the Australian kind, but eating too much hurts my jaw. Coffee has become a big part of my life, but I have had some terrible cups of coffee. Hot dogs are great, but you have to add so much stuff to them to take them to the next level. And they are grossly made. I also love lunch meat, especially salami, but lunch meat has the same problem as the hot dog. It needs accompaniment to really go above and beyond. I was struggling with my pantheon. But then it became pretty clear to me. And I do not need to have more than one food in my pantheon. Everyone has their own personal pantheon, and they can make it as vast as they want. But I only have one food in my pantheon. I only need one food. And I actually agree with one of the items the guest provided. To me, the only food that even belongs in my pantheon is peanut butter.

This may seem harsh to my daughter, she is violently allergic to peanuts, but I am not. I adore peanuts and peanut butter. Peanut butter has literally everything you could want in one food, as long as you are not allergic to it. Peanuts are filled with nutritional value. So peanut butter, in small portions, is actually a good thing. It has carbohydrates, salt, sugar, potassium, and a bunch of other stuff that just makes you feel better, and full, after you have eaten some of it. I love, especially when I am going really low carb, to have a scoop or two of peanut butter straight from the jar for dessert. It gives me the sugar I miss, it has minimal carbs and it is tasty as hell. It also helps me to feel full, even if I may not be full yet. It tricks me. I like that. I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, especially after a good work out. The mix of peanut butter and jelly on white or wheat bread, I prefer wheat, is a perfect bite. It has all the good flavors. And it is filling. Adding peanut butter to candy makes it instantly better. Reese's Peanut butter cups are dope. Snickers is one of the best candy bars ever. Reese's Fast Break is the best candy bar. I like to take a little scoop of peanut butter and add it to a Hershey's chocolate bar. It just makes candy so much better. I also love it smeared on a graham cracker or a bagel. It adds a ton of flavor. Adding peanut butter to toast is amazing. You can even add peanut butter to a sauce, it is done a lot in Chinese food, and it works. It also works so well in Thai food. There is no instance that I can think of where peanut butter is not perfect. I bet it would taste good on stuff like mashed potatoes or brussel sprouts. Peanut butter is it. It is the GOAT food. It is my one and only member of my personal food pantheon.

Peanut butter rules.

Ty

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

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Hi-Chew is the New Great Halloween Candy

I know some college basketball teams are playing exhibition games right now, and I said I was going to do a preview, but that will have to wait until Monday. I want to wait until Michigan officially starts, and while they have an exhibition tonight, they officially tip off on Wednesday. So my men's NCAA basketball preview is coming, you'll just have to wait until Monday. Today I want to talk about a particular Halloween candy.

My kids went trick or treating on Sunday. We did it safely, and everyone seemed to have a very good time. The people we allowed in our house have been in our bubble, are vaccinated and are family. And pretty much every house we went to had the candy in a bowl outside on a table and most even had sanitizer. It felt safe. And after my kids were done, my son especially, they like to sort out all of the candy they received. I like doing this too. I did it as a kid. So I helped out my son and my daughter did not really care about doing it. She was happy with candy. So my son and I retired to the kitchen table and went through his stuff. He got a ton of candy. He even got full size candy bars, a first for him, and it blew his mind. He was literally acting like a kid in a candy store. So we put full size bars in one spot, peanut butter candy in another, fun size candy bars in a pile and gummy and chewy candy in another pile. It was great. And, like almost any parent, I decided that I wanted to taste test some of the candy he received. I had a few Snickers. He gave me a piece of one of his full size Kit Kats. I love Haribo Gummy Bears, and my son gave me a pack of those. It was great. But there is one candy he gave me that I do not really recall ever getting as a kid.

The candy he gave me was a piece of his Hi-Chew, and I was blown away. This was one of the best pieces of candy that I have ever eaten. It is like a softer, less sweet Starburst. When I got off candy to lose weight, Starbursts were one of the first to go. They’re pure sugar. But I did, and still do from time to time, miss that chewy aspect of Starbursts. Hi-Chew’s bring that tenfold. They’re very chewy. They last long. The flavor sticks around. It’s wonderful. What puts the Hi-Chew over the top though is the taste. While sweet, they’re not overly sweet. Starbursts, Skittles, Gummy Lifesavers, they’re far too sweet. I eat a few of those and I feel like I’m in sugar shock. Hi-Chew doesn’t do that to me. They’re a bit sweet, but they also taste like the actual flavor listed on the wrapper. Lime tastes like lime. Mango has that mango flavor. Pineapple is real close to an actual pineapple. But the strawberry ones, those are the best. They taste like actual strawberries, but it’s candy.

I’m really impressed with Hi- Chew’s. They are a great alternative to actual Starbursts. They’re better than Mamba’s. They’re much better than Skittles. I like them even more than Haribo Gummies, which I didn’t think was possible. I’m stoked that Hi-Chew is making a comeback, and the flavor is on point. My hat goes off to them. I can’t wait to eat some more when my son and I get some candy later tonight. Hi-Chew’s rule.

Ty

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

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Aldi's Maple Leaf Cookies are the Winner of Fall Sweet Treats

With it being officially fall, and due to my dislike of the pumpkin spice latte, I do try to find fall like snacks to have around the house. I’m not big on ginger, so that’s not an option. I despise candy corn so there’s no way I’d buy any of that. I try to keep the candy to a minimum prior to Halloween because I’d just end up eating it all. As for drinks, hot chocolate is about as sweet as I’ll go, and some might say that is a winter drink. Hell, I’d agree. But I did find, well was told about, a very tasty fall treat.

I do the grocery shopping as I’ve mentioned before, and I do the majority if it at Aldi. Aldi is a lower priced store than say a Schnucks or Kroeger or whatever your local big chain grocery store may be called. They also have great produce, solid protein and, what I will be talking about today, great cookies. Aldi does a thing where they put out random items, usually seasonal, and all us shoppers buy them quick. I was at Aldi two weeks ago and my wife texted about some cookies a co worker mentioned to her. She didn’t know the name, but she said they were shaped like a leaf and she was pretty sure they had maple in the title. I found them pretty easily. They are Benton’s Brand Maple Leaf Cookies. The maple cookies are simple enough. They do look like a leaf, a maple leaf, and they have a maple cream in the middle. It’s like a leaf shaped Oreo, only bigger and not chocolate. It’s a sandwich cookie. I bought them for my wife not expecting to eat any. She came home, tried them and told me I had to try one immediately. I did, and oh boy are these cookies fantastic. Now you have to have a very sweet tooth like me to enjoy these. They are extremely sweet. But they are so tasty too. The leaf cookie is crunchy and adds a perfect texture. They aren’t crunchy like a hard cookie, say a ginger snap or a Vanilla Wafer. They’re more so like a short bread. I love a good short bread cookie. So to have the “bread” of this sandwich cookie taste like short bread, that’s a big time win. But the maple cream, that is what takes this cookie over the top. It looks like the Oreo filling, but there’s more and it’s sweeter. It has maple syrup in the cream. There’s also granulated sugar. And whatever else they need to add to make this cream so goddamn good. I love it so very much. I will take the cookies apart, get the cream all on one side and make multiple double stuff cookies to eat. I’ll also eat the cream and cookie separately. That cream is so tasty. It is also what gives this cookie the “fall” flavor for me. Fall flavors are sweet and make you feel good inside.

This cookie delivers tenfold on that. It’s so sweet. I love eating them. And I’m pretty sure they’re my new favorite cookie. Probably my new favorite fall treat. I know of some other stores that sell something similar, which I think is great. I’d rather have a box of these cookies than one sip of a pumpkin spice latte. These cookies are the best. Go find them anywhere you can. They’re so good.

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 Fast Break is the Greatest Candy Bar Ever Made

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On Tuesday's my son goes to a different school. He is in our school district's gifted program and the kids in it go to a whole different building. He loves it, but his day is much longer. He doesn't get out of class until 4:30. My daughter is still in kindergarten so she is not eligible to be tested yet for the gifted program. So I pick her up at 3:55 every day.

That means on Tuesday she and I have a half an hour to kill before we get my son. This means we usually go on mini adventures. These adventures always end with us getting treats. She gets one, she picks out one for her brother and I get myself something. We never go nuts because we eat dinner around 6 or 6:30 and we do not want to spoil our appetite. Lately I have been getting myself a small candy bar. It is a nice little sugar rush, and not getting the king size stuff makes me feel like it is worth the carbs. And the past two weeks I have gotten myself the Reese's Fast Break candy bar.

I am here today to say that this is the greatest piece of candy that has ever existed. I know that there are people out there that have a peanut allergy, my daughter is allergic to them. So I am sorry if this is mean. I'm sorry that you cannot taste the greatness that is a Fast Break bar. But this candy bar is the perfect candy bar. For years and years I have said that Snickers is my favorite candy bar. Snickers are great. They are even better frozen. I devour the mini ones during Halloween. The Fast Break has surpassed it. I cannot believe I just wrote it, but it is true. What Snickers does so great is mixing in the salt and the sweet, but the Fast Break does it better. The fast break has that great chocolate wrapped around it. Whatever Reese's wraps their peanut butter cups in, that chocolate is what surrounds the Fast Break. It is the perfect level of chocolate. Then they have Reese's peanut butter in the middle. It is a log of peanut butter sandwiched in there. Reese's makes the best tasting peanut butter. I love that they sell it in jars in the grocery store now. I buy it when I want a little treat and feel like spending a little extra.I will eat spoonfuls of it plain. It is that good. Then what puts this candy bar above the rest, what I love most about any candy bar that adds this ingredient, the nougat. The nougat is the perfect amount of chewy. It takes this candy bar from good to the GOAT. It is such a little addition but it makes a world of difference. The nougat makes this more candy bar-like. It gives it the chewiness. It makes it complete. It adds so much with so little. It is great. So with the sweet chocolate and nougat you get the perfect amount of sweet. It is exactly what I expect when I eat candy. Then you add on that Reese's peanut butter and it gives you a bit of salt and the protein that peanut butter provides. Snickers does this with the peanuts, but the Fast Break does it better with the peanut butter. The peanuts at times can be too crunchy and take away from the sweetness. With smooth peanut butter you do not have to worry about that. It is so perfect. Every bite is an excellent bite.

There is not a wasted moment when eating a Fast Break candy bar. It is candy bar perfection. It is a candy bar done exactly as they should be. There is not a bad thing to be said about the Fast Break bar. It is the GOAT.

Ty

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

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In the Double Cheeseburger wars, Burger King Cannot be Beat

Days when I do a longer run, usually six plus miles, I like to treat myself to some carbs. Better yet, I like to treat myself to disgusting fast food. I feel like I have earned it, especially if it is a trail run where I burned over 1,000 calories. I find it is a treat, I can eat the calories and there is nothing I enjoy more than a double cheeseburger from a fast food place. I have tried them all, at least locally, and I come to you today with who I believe has the best double cheeseburger in all of the fast food game.

Popeye's handily won the spicy chicken sandwich match. McDonald's has the best Diet Coke. Lion's Choice, a Saint Louis mainstay, has the best roast beef and the best fries. Wendy's has the best salad. But Burger King is the unequivocal champ of the double cheeseburger. Hell, they probably run the burger game as far as fast food restaurants go. I don't know if it is the flame grilled taste they get, the size of the burger, the toppings, the smaller bun, or just a mashup of all these things, but Burger King has their burger game on lock. I enjoy their double cheeseburgers more than any other fast food joint. I will find trails nearby a Burger King just so I can go and treat myself. Hell, most of the time I get two of them because they are so goddamn delicious. McDonald's is fine, but the burger patty is far too small, and they put too much ketchup and pickles on their burgers. I feel like a triple cheeseburger from there has less meat than what Burger King gives me. I like McDonald's, but it is a far away second place. Wendy's, which is my daughter's favorite fast food place, is nowhere near as good as Burger King. They suffer from the same plight as McDonald's, except their burgers are a little meatier. I am also not a big fan of the whole square burger schtick they have going on there. Also, Wendy's chicken sandwiches are so much better. I have not been to a Hardee's/Carl's Jr for about ten years, but what I remember most is they put way too much unnecessary extra ingredients on their burgers. I still have not been to Shake Shack, but to me that is more of a restaurant proper than a fast food place. We just got a Freddy's Steakburger in town, but I grew up eating Steak N Shake and their steak burgers, while very good, are far too tiny. As for some other places, we either do not have them in Saint Louis or they are known for other stuff. Taco Bell doesn't have burgers. Lee's and Popeye's are all about the chicken. Pizza places usually do not have a burger, or if they do it is not great, with Cecil Whittaker's being the lone exception.

What makes Burger King the best? First, they have their method, their system, and man does it work. I mentioned the flame grilled taste at the top. I know the burger is not cooked on an open flame, but it sure as hell tastes like it was. It has that unique smoky flavor. The condiments are lightly applied. There isn't an abundance of ketchup and mustard, it is just right. There are only two pickles on the sandwich and they are crinkle cut, which is my favorite. The lettuce is not falling out of the burger. The bun is perfectly small so it does not take away from the meat. And the cheese is gooey perfection. It is the best fast food burger, hands down. I feel like they even do veggie burgers right. Everyone I know that doesn't eat meat seems to like their Impossible Whopper the best. Burger King knows what it is doing and they do it better than anyone else out there.

If you are on the fence about this, if you have put any thought into who has the best fast food burger like I have, go to Burger King and tell me I am wrong. I think you will find it hard to do.

Ty

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

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Rice is My New Go To Side Dish

Yesterday on a run I was listening to "Doughboys". Every Tuesday they put out their Patreon episodes, and since I have access to them, it is a nice treat. They did one of their feed bags, in which they answer questions submitted by fans and listeners. I typically enjoy these episodes because they are free and loose and fun. It is a delightful hour plus. There are times where a question sits with me and I think about it, and that happened this week.

The question was from a fan overseas and they said that, instead of getting fries, they usually get rice as a side dish with their meal. They mentioned getting rice with chicken nuggets or a hamburger. This divulged into a question between the hosts and engineer on whether they prefer rice or a potato as a side dish. As I was running it seemed like a simple answer. I immediately thought that I would want a potato side dish. But the more they talked, the more I kind of flipped sides, then flipped back, then flipped again. I actually think this is a very good question, and I want to take a deepish dive into why I would now choose rice over a potato. And for those questioning my pick of rice over a potato, since steak is my favorite food, they said that this question only involves fast food places, no sit down/fancy spots, and fries are not included in the potato category. Those are totally out of the question.

So as I have sat with this for a couple days, the easiest answer for rice is how much easier it is to eat. Potato side dishes can be messy. They can be sloppy. They can also be super heavy and throw off the rest of the meal. Rice is much easier to eat, especially with a spoon. It is better for you. Both rice and potatoes are full of carbs, but rice is known as a "slow carb". I eat those regularly now. It is not sloppy unless you make it sloppy. My kids can make a mess of rice, but they are nine and five. An adult should have no problem eating rice clean. And rice is not nearly as heavy as a potato. It can be filling if you eat way too much, but you have to eat a ton of rice for it to fill you up. I also started to imagine both side options with some fast food spots that I really enjoy. The listener mentioned rice with chicken nuggets, and that sounds like a delight. Take some of that sweet and sour sauce and mix it in the rice with the nuggets and you could have a very low rent version of orange chicken. If I get nuggets and a baked potato, or a twice baked potato, or even a scalloped potato, that is too much. It is too heavy. I thought about burgers, mainly the double cheeseburger from Burger King, which is my favorite, and rice sounds so much better. The double cheeseburger is filling enough, so throwing a potato on top of that is far too much food. But if I were to get a side of sticky rice, that seems much more palatable. It seems much better for my insides as well. With the bun, and then add a potato on top of that, that is way too many carbs. The side of rice would be less, and better carbs. I love Popeye's spicy chicken sandwich, and a side of rice would be the perfect cooling down compliment to the heat. A potato wouldn't do much, but the rice would be excellent for quelling the spice. And as far as any chicken dish goes from fast food spots, rice is a much, much better side dish than any potato dish, save for french fries. Even when I thought about sandwich spots, like a Jersey Mike's or Jimmy John's, rice would be way better. I know chips are the sandwich side dish go to, but I think rice would be better, You could have less, it would be much better for you and no one ever needs that high, high amount of carbs. I always thought I was a potato guy. As mentioned before I love a good twice baked potato or a scalloped potato or some kind of potato hot dish. But those always made me feel too full before getting the main dish. I would over eat the potato dish. Rice seems like the better option. It is easier and better for me. I think I am now a rice fan and I like it.

Long story short, rice is a superior side dish to the potato for fast food restaurants. I would love it if America gave us this option. So the next time you just blindly pick a potato as a side dish, think about how much better of a choice rice would be. You won't regret it.

Ty

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

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The Living Room Café has a Coffee Cake That Cannot Be Beat

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Since I became a runner and lost a good amount of weight, sweets went by the wayside. This was the toughest part for me when I started this lifestyle change about seven years ago. I love sweets. They are my favorite part of any meal. There is always room for dessert.

Recently I have found ways around it now. There are plenty of ways to make low carb or keto treats. Atkins has their own line of dessert or snack foods. There is a group of sweet treats that are called Keto Bombs that I buy plenty of when I go to the store. I put fake sugar in my coffee, which I am trying to rid myself of at the moment. None of this stuff is good for me either. I know this. All the fake sugar is bad, and the real sugar is one of the many reasons why I got so heavy in my 20's.

When I do splurge nowadays I make it count. If I am going to eat a dessert or have a full sugar treat I want to make it count. I love doughnuts. So if I am going to have a doughnut, I want it to be as bad for me as possible. It gives me that satiated feeling that I miss. If I am going to have ice cream, I go for a Blizzard from DQ or a waffle cone from a local spot called Serendipity. If my wife makes a cake or a pie, you better believe I will have a few pieces because she is a damn fine chef. When I indulge, my favorite time to have sweets is the morning. I love a nice sweet breakfast. I should eat something savory, and with Atkins I have eggs and sausage. But if I want to go for it, if I am not counting carbs, I will go for something sweet nine times out of ten.

This morning I decided to treat myself for breakfast. Once a week my father and I go and get coffee from a local shop. This started prior to the pandemic, has continued with us picking up and drinking it at one of our houses, and it will continue for as long as my dad wants to do it. Today was our day to go out. I also brought my daughter along with us and my mom even decided she wanted in. It was great. We went to one of my favorite spots called The Living Room Café. Their regular drip coffee is outstanding, and they do some wild stuff that works. Today I had a Sproda. That is cold brew coffee with root beer in it. It's outstanding. They also have cold brew with orange juice and with tonic water. Both are great. Their lattes and cappuccinos and tea, it is all exceptional. They also have steamed milk and horchata and tons of other great, non coffee or tea drinks. Coffee is not the concern for me. But I have only ever had their food twice before. I had a breakfast sandwich once, which was really good, and their house made granola with their yogurt was fine. Today I decided that I was going to try their coffee cake. It looked really good on the online menu. It said it goes great with coffee.

I love coffee cake in general. I was on board. I went and picked up all our stuff and my coffee cake was in its own bag, wrapped to keep it warm. When I got to my folks house I unwrapped it and grabbed a plate and fork. First off, the piece was humongous. My dad said it looked like they gave me a quarter of the sheet pan. I also did not think I was going to finish it because it was so big. Then I had a bite. Then another and another. I gave my daughter a bite. I had my folks try a piece. But I made sure that I ate 90 percent of this all by myself. It was so dense, but felt light. The crumb topping was out of this world. The swirl of cinnamon sugar was such an added bonus. This was like a mix of a coffee cake and cinnamon roll in the best possible way. I kept eating it, without realizing how much of it was disappearing. It was so good. It was so easy for me to keep going back for another bite. This might have been the best piece of coffee cake I have ever eaten. It was the perfect amount of sweet. It was overly sweet, but it wasn't too savory. The piece was enormous, but I could have eaten two or more if I tried. I kept commenting on how tasty it was. I told my folks that if I am going to eat real sweets, this is what I want. This helped with every craving that I still have to this day when I stopped eating sweets daily. It was, quite simply, the perfect piece of coffee cake.

If you are ever in Saint Louis and want to go to a different, yet very good and very cool coffee shop, go to Living Room Café. Not only is the coffee amazing, but the coffee cake is one of the best in the country. Well done.

Ty

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

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Publix Does Not Live Up to Basic Decency

Time for a hot take!

Last Friday I wrote a piece about how much I enjoyed my Publix sandwich. I stand by my like for the sandwich, but what my father told me has shaken me to my core.

I did not realize that an heiress involved with the company is a proud supporter of the riotous insurrectionists that stormed the Capitol on January 6th. I feel disgusted and ashamed that I said nice things about that company. My dad told me that they have distanced themselves from the heiress, but still, it was said and the name Publix is involved.

This is on me too. I should have done more research. I should have double checked things that I skirted by. I need to do more digging before I put pen to paper. So while I enjoyed my sandwich, I want to retract all the nice things I said about Publix. I just cannot openly support a company that stands with liars, rioters, cheaters, murderers, racists, terrorists and people that aim only to hurt people that do not agree with them. I am outraged and grossed out. I will never, ever, ever go to a Publix again. I have not shopped at Home Depot or purchased any Under Armor gear since 2016, and now I will never patronize a Publix ever again.

I am upset that I said nice things about a company involved with such a heinous person. Please accept my apologies, and know that I will keep my promise to never go to that store again. 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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Publix Sandwiches More Than Live Up to the Hype

Finishing up my three days this week talking about my trip, I want to talk about the sandwiches we all got at Publix.

I’ve heard of Publix. Many people who live in the south have talked about Publix. When we saw the store my wife exclaimed, “they have the best sandwiches!”, and we wanted to put that to the test. After my son and I went on a hike, we met up and went to get sandwiches at Publix. I went in and ordered for all of us and we brought them back to the condo to enjoy.

My kids sandwiches weren’t too wild. One had ham and cheese and the other had turkey, lettuce and cheese. My wife went pretty bland too. She had turkey, lettuce, Mayo and provolone cheese. I went off the menu and got the Cuban sandwich. That had a few different meats, spicy Gouda cheese and I added lettuce and tomato. I had my sandwich on wheat bread and the rest of my family had theirs on five grain Italian bread. When we got back I grabbed my sandwich, some water and proceeded to chow down.

My sandwich was great. It was spicy, the meat, which is Boar’s Head, was so good and the veggies were so fresh and tasty. I asked the workers if I should get any condiments on it and they said they wouldn’t, that the sandwich is good on its own. Whether they were lying or just didn’t want to do extra work, they were right. The sandwich was so good. I scarfed that bad boy down. I inhaled it. I was amazed at how fast I finished it. But it was that good.

I’ve had my fare share of sandwiches, I used to work in a few, but this sandwich was better. I would go as far to say that the only place I’ve had a better sandwich is Zingermann’s in Ann Arbor. That’s a much better sandwich shop than Publix, but Publix is a strong second. It’s better than Bread Co or Subway or Quizno’s. I like it more than the sandwiches they make at my local grocery store. Publix is good.

As for my family, my wife, obviously loved her sandwich. She was telling us how it reminded her of going there when she was a kid. So she not only got the delightful taste, she got to relive memories. That’s a statement. I could see how happy she was while eating it. It’s the same when I have a pasty or calico beans. Those memories add so much to the eating experience. My kids were stoked. They’ve never had Boar’s Head. It’s too expensive. But when on vacation, we kind of indulge. My son was in hog heaven. She just kept saying, “man is this good” over and over. He was very impressed. My daughter is a bit more picky, but she ate every single bite. She deconstructed it, going bread, cheese and meat, but she ate it all. That’s rare. That means it was very well made and very good. She doesn’t finish many meals, but she finished this one.

Food is a big deal while on vacation, so it’s nice to have a place that can give you somewhat of a healthy option but also taste very good. Publix has 3 new fans and just reaffirmed my wife’s love of the place. Those were some tasty sandwiches. Good work.

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 Greatness of Relish

For years and years I was the type of person that put either ketchup or barbeque sauce on my hot dogs. That was what I liked. And the sweeter the ketchup or BBQ sauce, the better. I'd slather my dog in either sauce, put it on a bun and scarf it down. That was the best of the best for me. That was how I liked my dogs at home, when they were grilled, or when I was at a ball game.

As I got older I started to switch it up a teeny bit. I let go of the BBQ sauce, especially if the hot dog was grilled. And while still adding ketchup, I would put a little yellow mustard on it. I liked the vinegar taste the mustard added. Then I started to add topping. Shredded cheese was a big deal. Caramelized onions became one of my favorites. I loved a good chili cheese dog. I liked pickle spears. When we would go to Illinois, I fell in love with Portillo's hot dogs.

About four years ago I stopped eating ketchup. I realized how truly awful it is for you, and it was easy for me to give up, so I let it go. I do not eat ketchup anymore. Not on hot dogs or fries or burgers. I order those items and ask for no ketchup. And all the other stuff I was putting on hot dogs became too much. It was ungapatchka as Nick Wiger would say. We have this great hot dog place in Saint Louis. Steve's Dogs, and they specialize in hot dogs overstuffed with toppings. While I enjoy a Steve's Hot Dog from time to time, it can be a bit much. So lately I have only been putting mustard on my dogs. I don't eat buns anymore either, unless it is a "cheat day" on my diet, so just a Nathan's hot dog with some brown or generic classic yellow mustard is all I need.

During our stay with my folks, my dad and mom suggested I try relish with my hot dog. I have never liked relish. Well, to be honest, it always looked gross to me so I never gave it a chance. I would see my dad eat it at a ball game, my mom would eat it when we grilled at home when I was a child, but I never gave it a fair shot. So when they suggested I try it, I was pretty hesitant. My mom said it was just finely chopped pickles in liquid. I am not a humongous pickle guy, but then my dad reminded me how much I like Portillo's, and they have pickle spears on their famous hot dogs. So my wife, who also never tried relish, and I decided to give it a go, and man was it great. I was stunned at how much I liked the taste. I had my Nathan's, I had the classic yellow mustard and then I added a little relish at first. The extra vinegar, the crunch and the acid made it a perfect mix of flavors. I loved it. Then I decided I wanted to try it on a bun, just to get the full feel. That was even better. Getting that white hot dog bun, the generic brand, adding a good amount of relish to the bottom of it, then putting the hot dog on top of the relish and adding a squeeze of yellow mustard, it was the best hot dog I have ever had. It was the perfect bite of hot dog. This was what I was missing all those years. I finally understood, after 38 years, the appeal of relish on a hot dog. I do have to add the caveat, I used dill relish. I tried sweet relish, but I do not like sweet pickles, so that was a no go for me. But I am a dill pickle fan, so the dill pickle relish is perfect for me. I have been eating it with my hot dogs ever since. In fact for lunch today I had some hot dogs and I added dill relish and yellow mustard and it was great. I highly recommend, if you have just blown off relish for all these years, to give it a shot. It is really, really tasty. My five year old loved it so much that she piled it on her hot dog the other night, and actually took the hot dog out and ate a relish sandwich. That may sound gross, but she devoured it, and me, my wife, my daughter and my mom and dad all enjoyed dill relish on our hot dogs the past couple of days.

I am looking forward to the next time I grill hot dogs just so I can put some relish on it. It is a dynamite condiment.

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.