Cheese lovers rejoice! Starting today, you can finally add queso to your Chipotle burrito bowl. Earlier this month, America’s favorite fast, casual Mexican chain announced that starting September 12 queso would be available on its U.S. menu nationwide. “Although queso was the number one requested menu item, we never added it to our menu before now because we wouldn’t use the industrial additives used in most quesos,” said CEO Steve Ells in a press release. The new Chipotle queso is what they’re calling a “complex and slightly spicy flavored” cheese sauce. It’s made from aged cheddar cheese, tomatillos, tomatoes and several varieties of peppers. And, staying true to their core mission, no preservatives were used — except for lemon and lime juice, which are used for flavor, but can also serve as a natural preservative. Customers can order queso on their entrée (for about $1.25), or on the side as a dip for tortilla chips…
Pumpkin recipes perfect for fall
Autumn is the best time to get back in the kitchen. The fall flavors are delicious, the aromas are blissful, and our appetites are basically craving anything pumpkin. It’s hard to go wrong when a fall recipe calls for a can of pumpkin and the usual suspect companion spices — cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. The combination invokes pleasant memories of back-to-school, football games, Halloween and hayrides. Try these four cool weather pumpkin recipes and enjoy the season. Hearty Pumpkin Oatmeal Yields: 2 servings Hearty pumpkin oatmeal is a seasonal take on a classic cool-weather breakfast. The chopped dates and walnuts along with the crunchy apples will make this a household favorite. Ingredients 2/3 cups pumpkin 1 cup rolled oats 3/4 cup water 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cloves pinch of salt 1 cup milk of your choice 1/4 cup dates (6-7), chopped 1 apple, chopped 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped Directions…
Food-themed board games perfect for cooler days indoors
In a world where seemingly all things are digital, it might seem quaint to think of pulling a dusty board game from the closet shelf. But the old fashioned board game business is actually booming. Big-name retailer Target, alone, launched 70 exclusive board games this past summer, and board game bars, cafés and clubs are popping up everywhere, providing an outlet for enthusiasts to play others outside their usual social circles. The “Board Game” group on the social app Meetup has more than 1.8 million members in nearly 4,000 groups on six continents. Because Everybody Craves is all about eating, here are 10 board games any food fanatic will love. Scrabble Cooking Players can earn bonus points for coming up with words that relate to food. Tasty abbreviations and celebrity chef names also count in this remake of a classic board game. Foodie Fight An addictive trivia game that allows foodies…
Americans are salty with their snacking habits
America has become a country of snackers. Between working long hours and eating on the run, it’s no wonder Americans spend more on snack foods than they do on actual meals. According to new Nielsen data, snacking is popular in every corner of the country, but gender, generation, income and geography can shape some of your preferences. Salty snacks still reign supreme, with chips, popcorn and meat snacks generating more than $27 billion for retailers. Candy comes in a close second with $20 billion in sales, followed by cheese snacks generating more than $17 billion in sales. Cookies sales top $7 billion. Crackers ($6.65 billion), ice cream ($6.63 billion) and nuts ($6.17 billion) also rank among America’s favorites. In a recent Harris Poll EquiTrend study, released by Nielsen, U.S. consumers identified the snacks they use to commonly curb cravings out of 275 common snacking brands. While candy and chocolate ranked high regardless of region, some snacks did better in…
Celebrate the Solar Eclipse with deals from these fast food joints
If you haven’t heard about the solar eclipse happening on Aug. 21, you’ve been living on another planet. Experts predict as many as 7.4 million people will temporarily migrate to towns in the path of “totality” this weekend — areas where the moon will completely block out the sun — resulting in what could be the biggest traffic jam in history. But if road trips mean one thing, it’s plenty of fast food stops along the way. Luckily, companies all across America are eager to celebrate the solar eclipse, too, even if they have no connection to science or astronomy. Here are some fun food deals you can scoop up as you hit the road this weekend. And be rejoice, because the last time the U.S. had a coast to coast eclipse it was 1918 and there weren’t many cars around for long road trips, and there definitely weren’t any Dairy Queen Blizzards! gasp! DAIRY…
Pumpkin Spice Latte sauce now at Starbucks
Much of the United States is still experiencing sweltering temperatures, but that isn’t stopping Starbucks from preparing for the fall onslaught of Pumpkin Spice Latte orders that are right around the corner. According to several posts from Starbucks employees on Reddit’s r/Starbucks board, the coffee giant has started to send shipments of the sauce used in making the iconic fall beverage to stores around the country. On Friday, one user posted a giant jug of the pumpkin flavored sauce and captioned it, “It’s coming. God help us all.” Others questioned how it can be PSL time already when Halloween is still weeks away. But not all coffee drinkers feel the same. The Pumpkin Spice Latte has a die-hard fan-base who wish away the weeks of summer, so they can pull out their sweaters and head to the nearest Starbucks for an whipped-cream topped pumpkin dream. While you may be getting excited for your favorite fall tradition,…
The secret behind the Starbucks apron colors
In 75 countries around the world, Starbucks is recognized by the color green. From its circular green logo, to the 23,000 locations with more than 300,000 employees who wear green aprons. But have you ever noticed a barista not wearing green? Maybe you saw black, orange or red. What is this secret code in Starbucks coffeehouse apparel? The apron has been a part of Starbucks since the first day it opened its doors in 1971 to Seattle’s Pike Place Market. At the time, employees wore basic brown grocer’s aprons — the same shade as the original logo. According to a post on the company’s website, by 1987 the green apron replaced the brown aprons to became the standard issue — now matching the green logo. Today, anyone working at a Starbucks can wear the company’s signature green color. But other colors are earned. If an employee has military experience or graduated from the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, they might…
Germans ditching pork heavy diets
Germans have steadily been reducing their consumption of pork products in recent years. New research shows that the once sausage-loving country has been slowly switching to a more plant-based diet. Traditionally the largest pig-producing and pork-eating country in Europe, the Germans intake of pig products is down to just 79 pounds per personal annually — a drop from 86 pounds per person — a plunge of about 10 percent nationwide, according to the Agricultural Market Information Co. (AMIC). Pork still makes up more than half of the mean eaten in the country, but demand for products like ham and sausage has continued to drop for the past three straight years, reflecting a change in German attitudes about modern social and environmental concerns. The change is credited a growing awareness about healthier diets, as well as the environmental damages caused by large scale animal agriculture.
Chick-fil-A rolling out gluten-free bun, but there’s a catch
Chick-fil-A has gone gluten free! Not entirely, but the nationwide chicken sandwich chain is poised to capitalize on its consumers’ dietary needs with a new menu offering. Chick-fil-A announced on Monday that it will offer gluten-free buns at restaurants nationwide, after reportedly receiving positive feedback from test marketed areas in 2016. The gluten-free bun is made with ancient grains quinoa and amaranth and sweetened with molasses and raisins. “We know our customers are looking for more gluten-sensitive alternatives. They asked, and we listened,” said Leslie Neslage, senior consultant of menu development at Chick-fil-A in a release on the company’s Chicken Wire. “Our hope is that the Gluten-Free Bun addition opens up options for gluten-sensitive customers to enjoy more of our menu.” The new bun can be ordered with any of the restaurant’s sandwiches. But there is one catch. Customers who order the gluten-free buns will have to assemble their sandwiches themselves. According to…
Disney’s Glowing Lavender Lemonade Looks Sweet for Summer
To commemorate Disney California Adventure’s new Guardians of the Galaxy ride, the park created a special menu for the Summer of Heroes celebration. The large $9 sourdough Baby Groot-shaped bread was the first epic item to take off. The character-inspired bread is baked fresh at Disney California Adventure’s Boudin Bakery, and using black olives for eyes and jalapeño cheddar for hair, looks just like the lovable on-screen character. But it’s the glowing Infinity-Ade drink that is popping up all over Instagram now. At $8, the lavender lemonade comes with a glow cube that you can save all use at home all summer. Reportedly, you can choose your own “stone” color. One fan wrote of the new non-alcoholic drink, “[It] is a lavender lemonade with a sugar/ lavender rim. You can choose your “infinity stone” aka the color setting of the glow cube,” and gave it a high recommendation. Another reviewer…