"vote" news and stories

When I was growing up, we didn't get much in the way of junk food. My mother didn't believe in keeping chips, cookies or baked goods around the house. The only time we got the crap we craved was when there was a picnic or party. On those occasions, my parents would buy Kettle Chips, thinking that they were in some way healthier than all the others available.

Because of those once-in-awhile indulgences, I always think fondly of Kettle Chips (especially the Yogurt and Green Onion flavor). They've currently got five new flavors on the market and are asking consumers to taste and vote for their favorites. You can choose between Mango Chili, Orange Ginger Wasabi, Death Valley Chipotle, Wicked Hot Sauce and Jalepeno Salsa Fresca. What's your new favorite?

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Make a list of all the things that could contribute to world peace on a piece of paper. Is bacon at the top? If not, perhaps it should be. The people at Peace Through Pork think that it might just be the key to solving the world's problems. They offer up a deep, critical explanation in which bacon is a metaphor for the fears and desires of both societies and individuals, but to keep it brief, here is their drunken frat boy explanation:

1. Bacon is really tasty.
2. People that don't eat bacon obviously have issues.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? One slice of bacon, by the way, has only about 40 calories and 3 grams of fat, along with 3 grams of protein, which makes it a filling and satisfying food that shouldn't necessarily be counted out of your diet for health reasons unless you're watching your saturated fat intake (1.1 g), in which case you want to eat it in moderation. If you're interested in showing your support, a bacon awareness bracelet is available.

Non-food related note: If you're a registered voter in the US, you can also make a difference in a way that is unrelated to bacon. You can go out and vote!

[via boingboing]

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Following in the recent footsteps of Alabama making the peach their state fruit, the Minnesota Senate recently voted to make the Honeycrisp apple the state's official fruit. The Honeycrisp was developed at the University of Minnesota in the sixties in hopes of creating a durable fruit for the state's harsh cold, according to the Duluth News Tribune. Like the Walla Walla onion in Washington, the Honeycrisp's path to being the official-state-fruit-dom was forged by a school project, in this case by a class of fourth-graders. Like Florida, with it's official pie, Minnesota has an official state baked good in the blueberry muffin, according to the Pioneer Press. More info on Honeycrisp apples is available at Honeycrisp.org.

Connecticut's state senate has voted to ban the sale of sodas in schools and the governor has said that she supports and will sign the legislation. The ban would prohibit schools from stocking anything other than low-fat, nonfat, soy and rice milks and 100% fruit and vegetable juices in their vending machines. There would be an exception that could allow sodas, diet sodas and sports drinks, like Gatorade, to be sold at school events, such as football games.

The idea behind the legislation is, of course, to try an promote healthier choices among students while decreasing childhood obesity and Connecticut joins several other states, including California, in passing such legislation.

 

 

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Kettle Foods, the company that is famous for its natural, thick-sliced, hand-cooked potato chips, is holding a contest to select its next flavored chip. The new chip flavors are inspired by a "happy hour" theme and include Spicy Mary, Dirty Martini, Buffalo Bleu Cheese, Tuscan Three Cheese and Creamy Caesar. The chips are being sold, not in stores, but on the Kettle website in a party pack for $9.95, which includes a 5-ounce bag of each flavor, a tasting guide and step-by-step instructions for hosting your own happy hour. No doubt that the happy hour instruction guide recommends serving Kettle Chips. The Dirty Martini and the Creamy Ceasar sound the least appealing, but only the taste will truly tell which chip is the best. Voting can be done online or by the ballot included in each party pack.