NPR News: Cheetos, Canned Foods, Deli Meat: How The U.S. Army Shapes Our Diet

Cheetos, Canned Foods, Deli Meat: How The U.S. Army Shapes Our Diet
Many of the processed foods that we eat — and the way they're made — were invented not for us, but for soldiers, says the author of the new book Combat-Ready Kitchen.

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Home-made Wendy's Frosty in Three Ingredients

If you are a fan of the Wendy's Frosty [like I am], this recipe should interest you.

Popsugar food has a video up detailing how to make your own home-made Wendy's frosty only on three ingredients: condensed milk, chocolate milk, and Cool Whip. It all seemed so simple as she mixed the three ingredients, until the big kicker came in that you had to have an ice cream machine. Sure, if you have one, that's great, but for the rest of the regular folk with no extra disposable income to get one, that's just a no go.

Fret not, though, as a viable suggestion from the comments came in if you are like me who happen to not have an ice cream machine lying around the house.

"To those without an ice cream maker, Brothers Green Eats did a video on this and froze the chocolate milk in an ice cube tray. Then they blended the chocolate milk ice cubes, the condensed milk, and cool whip in just a regular blender."

Max's Chicken All You Can promo is back

Just got this off of Max's Facebook feed, but they are officially bringing back their Chicken All-You-Can promo. Details are listed below:

One of the awaited announcements from Max's - chicken all you can #foodtrip

It would run every Friday starting July 17 to August 14, a total of 5 Saturdays in all.

Additional details as provided on their page for reference:

Ready na ba kayo? Eto na ang advance pa-birthday ni Max’s! Chicken-All-You-Can every FRIDAY starting July 17, 6pm to 10pm for P229! I-set na sa mga calendar niyo at humanda for unlimited #ChickenLove!

Mechanics:
* Max’s Quarter Chicken will be served with 1 glass of Pepsi products
* Valid for dine in only from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
* Not available for takeout, delivery, bulk order and functions.
* Not valid in conjunction with any other ongoing promos and discounts
* Chicken will be served after each piece has been consumed
* Strictly no sharing and no leftovers
* No reservations. First come, first serve policy
* Valid in all Max’s branches in the Philippines only

Per DTI-FTEB SPD Permit Number 8062 Series of 2015.

Time to bring a bottle of water and head to the nearest Max's soon. The place would be so jampacked again during these hours.

How about you? Would you be headed to Max's during these next few Fridays?

Chippy Twister - Lemon and Cheese - great combo or weird concoction?

So we were having our grocery run last weekend and as per ritual we normally pass by the snack section and grab our stock of junk food [we have to fuel our once-in-a-while cravings] and happened upon this bright yellow packaged, attention seeking pack of chips that I just can't ignore.

Chippy Twisters - with Cheese and Lemon

Having caught my eye, I just wanted to give it a go. However, there was a bit of a catch. The flavor is eherm... "unique". I like lemon flavored food, drinks, etc, and I definitely like cheese. But together? I'm not so sure, but all things considered, I would not leave the question of "what does THAT taste like?" unanswered.

So I opened the pack and lo and behold, 1/3 of a bag contains the said twisters! And the rest? It is the component which people say maintain the freshness and crunch of these type of food. So important, that Lay's made it a trademark on their products: Air! Nonetheless, I opened up and placed them in my hand... to photograph [well, of course, before I tried it... pictures or it did not happen!].

the inside of a Chippy Twisters bag

close-up view of what a Chippy Twister looks like.

So I took my first few bites and I can satisfactorily report that yes a.) it has the lemon-y taste as advertised and b.) it has cheesy powder in every bite [as seen on the pictures]. However, there is a problem, and it is this. The two flavors don't compliment each other well. So, I tried eating it some more, but could not just find the enjoyment. 

I had two other people try it. I wanted to make sure that a.) I'm not missing anything with regards to my analysis of flavors, and b.) to share the misery of having to finish of the bag of twisters. So, I'm not alone in the assessment that yes, these flavors don't compliment each other well.

On the plus side, the packaging says it is only a limited time item, so it wouldn't really be out for long.

Exploring the Hawker Stalls of Singapore

As I said in a previous blog post about Singapore Budget tips, one of the best ways to experience Singapore's food scene is to eat in various hawker centers. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to shoot a video for it [too busy eating], I just happened upon a video which best explains the variety of food and culture you can have in one place.

Personally, I've been to Chinatown Food Center, Albert Food Center [in Bugis], the Tekka Food Market and Bersih Food Center [in Little India] and ate some carrot cake outside the Ang Mo Kio MRT station. As you might imagine, these hawker stalls are visible from almost every MRT location in Singapore, so you can't miss it.

Friendly tip, don't get stuck in restaurants. Sweat it out, enjoy a little company when someone sits by your table during rush hour and eat hawker stall offerings. It's more than worth it.

Amazing Time Lapse of scenic Singapore

Singapore Budget Travel Tips

It's been a month since I travelled to Singapore. It took me 7 years to go out of the country again, and 15 years prior to that. So, I haven't been traveling as much as I would really want to, but I aim to change that. Enough about that, and let me share some things you need to know when going to Singapore. A few tips here and there, which should help you save a bit on travel in a country regarded as one of the most expensive in the region.

Let me list them in no particular order, so here goes:

1.) Always have a water bottle handy. Singapore's tap water is potable and they have a lot of water fountains are available in many locations around the country. Most, if not all of Singapore's attractions entail a bit of walking and with temperatures ranging from 31-35 degrees Celsius [88-95 degrees Fahrenheit] on a daily basis, you can expect to work up a sweat every now and then. Bottled water costs somewhere between 1-2 SGD [per 1-1.5L bottle], and those costs add up as you go along. What I noticed is that they position these water fountains near comfort rooms. 

2.) Eat like a local and find the local food center or hawker stall. They are fairly easy to find in most places, and you could save a lot of money compared to eating at restaurants on a daily basis. Food centers can be easily located, and simply put, is a food court for most hawker offerings. Restaurants and most fast food chains normally charge around 6-12 SGD per meal [this does not cover fancy restos which may charge a bit more], while you can find hawker stall meals ranging from 2-5 SGD. I would probably need to write about this even more on a separate post.

These two meals for a total of 8.50 SGD. Great value!

A hawker stall in Little India

3.) If travelling as a backpacker, you should consider living in a hostel. Singapore has a lot of hostels, inns, or dorms which are a fraction of the 

price of regular hotels. A hotel costs somewhere between S$100-200, maybe even more, while a hostel costs around 30-50 SGD a night. As a tourist, your main aim is not to stay at hotels the entire day. They are mainly places for you to a.) keep your things b.) sleep c.) take a bath, and prepare for your next adventure.

However, it may not be for everyone because a.) you share a room with x number of guests, which depending on the situation can either be really good roommates, or can be really obnoxious. b.) some people just want their privacy, which is perfectly understandable.

4.) Buy tickets to attractions in advance. The worst thing you can do would be to buy your tickets on the venue itself, which would cost you the full price, compared as to, say, buying them at the airport [there are many Changi Recommends stalls around the airport], at the hotel where you're staying [The place where we stayed, Bunc@Radius offers tickets for Universal Studios, River Safari and other places to go to], and a lot of websites sell ticket packages for a much lower price than face value. Let me give an example:

Changi Recommends sold us a package for three attractions for $73:

River Safari with Boat Ride - $28 per head [adult] and $5 Boat Ride

Gardens by the Bay [Cloud Forest / Flower Dome] - $28

S.E.A. Aquarium - $32

Total = S$93

Three attractions bought at a discount for Singapore

I saved roughly 20 SGD by buying them beforehand. I've seen offers for Universal Studios for around S$65 [compared to S$75 when buying it on the venue itself]. Virtually any attraction in Singapore is offered at a discount if you search for it and plan for it prior to getting there. 

Do you have other tips, and suggestions for a fruitful, yet budget saving trip? I'd love to hear about them and if there are a lot, I'd write a part 2 to cover those as well.