Latest news with #Cheez-Its
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Nostalgic breakfast treats move to the ice cream aisle
What is it about Pop-Tarts that makes them so hard to resist? The crispy flaky crust? The gooey middle? The scent of slightly burnt sugar? Whether you like them right out of the package or toasted to perfection, Pop-Tarts are really the best go-to "breakfast" for anyone who's in a hurry and have been guilty pleasure for breakfast or a midnight snack for over 60 on protein and nutrients, perhaps, but every once in a while, who cares? Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Over the years, Pop-Tarts have popped up in recipes, been dunked in milk, and even frozen for extra crunch. Now they're about to appear in an unexpected part of the grocery store. Kellanova, the snack food division of the Kellogg Company, announced a new line of frozen Pop-Tarts treats. Kellanova, the parent company of other snack favorites like Pringles, Rice Krispies Treats, and Cheez-Its, announced on Instagram it will expand into the freezer aisle with a line of ice cream sandwiches and ice cream pints. The pints blend "indulgent ice cream with flavor swirls and pastry-style pieces," while the sandwiches feature "flavor-filled pastry-style ends" layered with ice cream. The ice cream flavors initially include Frosted Strawberry, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, and S'mores, arguably the three most iconic Pop-Tart options in the brand's lineup. Related: New McDonald's sauces bring the heat more than ever The ice cream sandwiches will also be available in three flavors, Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Frosted Strawberry and Frosted Chocolate Fudge. These new treats follow Kellanova's recent foray into breakfast-inspired concoctions like Eggo- and Rice Krispies Treats ice cream sandwiches and ice cream pints. The latest addition to the line-up continues the company's trend of turning classic breakfast items into new snackable formats. Although Kellanova has not released a full nationwide distribution plan yet, Walmart is on the initial retailer list, and other select retailers will carry the treats later in the summer. The Pop-Tarts ice cream mash-up is just the latest example of how big food companies are tapping into nostalgia to create buzz and boost sales. Brands like Kellogg's/Kellanova, General Mills, and PepsiCo have been blurring category lines with offerings that cater to consumers' cravings for both comfort and novelty. Related: Trader Joe's sells out of TikTok famous treat (here's when it's back) In the recent year or so, General Mills' launched Cinnamon Toast Crunch milk and Cinnamon Toast pizza; Wendy's gave us Frosty creamer; and there was the Smartfood x Krispy Kreme popcorn from PepsiCo. The goal is the same: keep established brands fresh by surprising customers with new ways to enjoy old favorites. It's also a way to capture attention on social media, where food crossovers and limited-edition releases tend to go viral. More Food: Applebee's brings back all-you-can-eat deal to take down Chili'sPopular Mexican chain reveals surprising growth plansStarbucks CEO shares plan for a whole new menu With grocery stores crowded with innovative snack options, capitalizing on known brands is a way to capture shoppers' attention and encourage an impulse buy. And for nostalgic millennials and Gen Z shoppers, many of whom grew up on Pop-Tarts, this type of innovation creates a sense of fun and familiarity. So whether you're a Frosted Strawberry purist or eager to try them all, now you can start and end your day with a Pop-Tarts treat. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Boston Globe
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
On Sunday, Boston Calling went back to school
But if it felt like October during commencement season, several artists took the opportunity to note how their work has been fueled by higher learning. Tom Morello, the politically motivated former Rage Against the Machine bandleader, recalled how he taught himself to play guitar in the stairwell of his Harvard dormitory. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Advertisement Across the grounds, Vampire Weekend brought its bright college rock to the Green Stage. And on the midway, Berklee's curated lineup on the revived Arena Stage inside the Bright-Landry Hockey Center won some new fans for artists such as the powerhouse singer Aniyé, who bills herself as 'Ya Favorite Soul Sister.' Copilot, an exuberant group of friends who came together from various other college-era musical projects, anchored the day's lineup of local bands on the Orange Stage. Their soulful trio of lead vocalists (Maggie Hall, Ry McDonald, Jake Machell) combined to build an overall vibe like a millennial version of Delaney & Bonnie. Advertisement Before them, Nate Perry & Ragged Company previewed a busy summer with their sure-footed roots rock, while the all-female band Vivid Bloom beguiled with a heavy, effects-laden brand of shoegaze. Jakob Nowell performs with Sublime. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff The 'The sun will come out again,' he said. In fact, the sun did make a fleeting appearance, aptly during a set from the Florida-based beach-party band the 502s. Their relentless zeal, epitomized by their song 'Something's Gonna Go Our Way,' felt like a tipsy detour into Margaritaville. Griff Washburn of Goth Babe. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Combined with Goth Babe's upbeat set on the Green Stage — which wrapped with main man Griff Washburn tossing inflatable promo rafts (Pop-Tarts, Cheez-Its) to an enthusiastic fan base — it seemed, for a moment there, as though spring break had broken out. Morello, accompanied by his current electric band, brought the crowd back to reality with an hour-long set that was calculated to tick off the White House. 'Welcome, brothers and sisters, to the last big event before they throw us all in jail,' he said from beneath the bill of his black Malcolm X hat (those '90s again). Advertisement Beginning with 'Testify,' Rage's wrecking-ball anthems got plenty of air time in the form of multiple instrumental medleys. Morello played a searing slow blues, paid tribute to the late Chris Cornell (his band mate in Audioslave), and covered his friend Bruce Springsteen's 'The Ghost of Tom Joad.' He brandished his guitar like a rifle and brought on Chuck D for a cameo. His drummer paid tribute to Boston, wearing a Modern Lovers T-shirt. 'We learned an old college fight song for the occasion,' Morello said when he was almost done. 'Killing in the Name,' from Rage's 1992 debut, is a song about police brutality with an all-purpose refrain about refusing to obey. The mob bounced up and down, middle fingers raised. Dave Matthews performs on the Green Stage during Boston Calling on May 25, 2025. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Matthews's headlining set was not without social commentary — 'We should stop calling them leaders and start calling them 'misleaders,'' he said. But his 110 minutes onstage were dominated by his veteran band's proficiency and his own bittersweet lyrical theme, which amounts to 'Let's live life to the fullest, because we're all gonna die.' 'Tripping Billies' and 'What Would You Say' certainly fit the bill. 'Madman's Eyes' made a statement inside the fatefulness: the song is about mass shootings. Alongside their own material, Matthews and his band offered their time-tested version of Bob Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower' and a fun showcase for sideman Rashawn Ross on Cameo's party song 'Word Up!' 'Did we have a good time or what?' Ross chanted, deadpan. At least we could say we gave it the old college try. James Sullivan can be reached at .
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Crunch time for Marian Catholic takes on whole new meaning for Purdue recruit Kendyl Rainey. ‘I like Cheez-Its.'
When she's not on base or in the field, senior shortstop/outfielder Kendyl Rainey isn't hard to find in Marian Catholic's dugout. Mya Davis, her teammate and best friend, just listens for the crunch. 'She's always eating,' Davis said, laughing. 'She snacks too much in the dugout.' The Purdue recruit broke into a smile. Guilty as charged. 'I'm hype,' Rainey said. 'I'm real hype. I like Cheez-Its right now. I had some today.' They were snacks of success Thursday afternoon for Rainey and the host Spartans in an 8-7 nonconference win over De La Salle in Chicago Heights. Rainey produced three hits, including a triple and a home run. Gracie Jensen also homered for Marian (11-15), while Ella DeNormandie had two hits and Jackie Pollock added a key double. The Spartans walked it off on a grounder by Morgan McMahon to second base that brought in Abby Gustavson. Samara Agredano delivered three hits, including a homer, for De La Salle (23-10). Mya Alvarez and Kayla Kamradt contributed two hits apiece. Rainey has made a major impact during her senior — and only — season for Marian's varsity. Before her junior year, she transferred to Marian from Munster, Indiana. Due to Illinois High School Association rules, she had to sit out a year. Still, she was an unofficial contributor to the softball team. 'I was a manager, did things like soft toss for them on game days,' Rainey said. 'I still practiced with them and everything.' Senior year has seen so much more. She's hitting .471 out of the leadoff spot with nine doubles, five triples, five homers and 15 RBIs. She also leads the team with 18 stolen bases. Marian coach Kelly Murray plays her at short or in center. Against De La Salle, Rainey started the game at short and finished in center. She led off the first inning with a triple and then drove a home run over the fence in center in the fourth. 'I really just read the defense,' Rainey said. 'When the defense plays me in, that's when I power slap and soft slap. But I can swing away, too.' Slapping ability. Speed. Power. A good glove. And that sense of humor … 'She is one of my favorite kids to coach,' Murray said. 'She's always joking around. But when it's time to turn it on, she's serious and makes it happen. She's the first one and the last one in the cage every single day. 'That's why she's going to Purdue.' This weekend, Rainey went to Eastern Illinois to compete at the Class 2A girls track state meet as a member of the 400 relay team. This spring has seen her succeed with quite a juggling act while being a multisport athlete in the same season. She's had some interesting doubleheaders. 'I've done track meets and softball games on the same day, when they were at the same place or real close,' Rainey said. 'The meets usually start at 3 o'clock and the softball games at 4:30. The track coach will put me in events at the beginning and then I'll go to softball.' Most recently, Rainey competed in a track sectional at Hillcrest and played a softball game later that day at Tinley Park. She remembers vividly doing double duty at Marist. 'Right after I ran, I went to the softball game and got hit by a pitch,' Rainey said. 'I got hit right on my kneecap. That was a tough day.' Nothing she couldn't handle, though.
San Francisco Chronicle
01-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Grocery Outlet wants to create the next Two Buck Chuck. Here's how it tastes
The prices are outrageous: $1.49 for laundry detergent; 99 cents for a box of Cheez-Its; $5.99 for a pound and a half of fish. They could only come from one Bay Area store. Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, headquartered in Emeryville, has always done brisk business with sub-$10 wine. But the chain never had a wine of its own until April, when it unveiled Second Cheapest Wine. The initial lineup consists of five bottles — a Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc, a Sonoma Chardonnay, a Napa Chardonnay, a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and an Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — all $4.99. Before launching Second Cheapest Wine, Grocery Outlet was already in the midst of a private label tear, releasing proprietary versions of pasta sauce, bottled water and other products for the first time. Stephen Beckner, the import and private label wine buyer, knew that wine would be on the agenda eventually. 'The Second Cheapest concept fell into my lap serendipitously,' Beckner said. 'My wife and I were having a conversation one night and she said, 'Steve Beckner, you need to create the next Two Buck Chuck.'' He zeroed in on 'second cheapest wine' because the concept had been 'a viral trend for years,' Beckner said. 'You want to avoid looking cheap,' Beckner said, 'so you never want to buy the cheapest wine on a wine list or in a retail store.' Millennials of a certain age (me) may primarily associate the term with a brilliant 2012 College Humor video. ('Outside of the cheapest, it's the cheapest.') It's recently experienced something of a revival on TikTok. Clearly, the idea endures transgenerationally. The wine industry's current downturn has been a boon for Grocery Outlet, which works by buying excess product that suppliers are willing to part with at a steep discount. (By the way, it's always a good idea to double-check the expiration date of the store's dairy products.) 'The current climate right now is very advantageous for us,' said Beckner. 'There's an excess of wine in the marketplace.' Because so many wineries are desperate to move inventory, Grocery Outlet was able to snatch up relatively high-quality wine at a perilously low cost. Notably, these bottles don't merely carry the California label but come from prestigious appellations like Oregon's Willamette Valley and Sonoma County's Alexander Valley. A $5 California Chardonnay is one thing, but $5 Napa Valley Chardonnay is unheard of. What shocked me — and what really drives home the apparent panic in the marketplace — was how not bad the Second Cheapest Wines were. I was pleasantly surprised by the 2023 Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc, which was lemony and bright — if veering a touch toward the cat-pee end of the Sauv Blanc spectrum — and by the juicy, tropical Napa Chardonnay. It was remarkably lean for an inexpensive Chardonnay, which tends to get more buttery as it gets cheaper. That's not to say there were any 100-pointers. The 2023 Sonoma County Chardonnay was all oaky flavor; the 2023 Willamette Pinot had a cherry note that I could only describe as rubbery. The 2022 Alexander Valley Cabernet had an enjoyable potpourri-esque nose, but tasted chalky and crumbly on the palate. They are also, for the most part, literally the second cheapest wines at most Grocery Outlet locations, where the wine prices tend to bottom out at $3.99. Some stores also sell $2.99 bottles, which would make Second Cheapest Wine the third cheapest wine. However, 'we've been moving away from the $2.99 tier; $3.99 just seems to be a price category that we excel at,' Beckner said. 'Those wines just sell really well.' But $4.99 may be the new $3.99, because Second Cheapest Wine has been flying off the shelves. The label quickly became the company's bestseller when it was introduced in early April during Grocery Outlet's annual spring wine sale (when all bottles are an additional 20% off). The Cabernet is now the top-selling Cab across Grocery Outlet, Beckner said. Grocery Outlet may eventually create other private label wine brands, possibly even a 'premium' brand at $9.99. Beckner said that he's motivated by finding astonishing values. In a previous job, he sold Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, the world's most expensive wine. 'But the most fun I ever had was selling close-out lists — those wines that were $5, $6, $7 that just blew your mind with how good they were.' There are plans to release an additional seven wines under the Second Cheapest label. Beckner doesn't envision any difficulties finding more wine that meets their standards. More and more wineries keep reaching out to express interest in selling their leftovers to Second Cheapest Wine.
Los Angeles Times
11-04-2025
- Los Angeles Times
L.A. Affairs: I could no longer play it cool. I was madly in love with my roommate
We met on Facebook Marketplace. After a brief FaceTime call, we were locked in. The night she moved in was a disaster. She arrived an hour early, so I was surprised to see her in the driveway. She's beautiful, I thought. Whoops. 'I'm Jack,' I choked out nervously to my new roommate, Kaitlyn. After some pleasantries, I explained that I couldn't help with her moving boxes because I was about to conduct a highly sensitive business transaction. 'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 1,000.' The buyer, a heavy-set Mafia type, repeated this over and over as cash spilled over the table. Kaitlyn and her mother lapped around us with boxes, increasingly uncomfortable by the spectacle. I was selling a car that I had arbitraged to rent out on Turo, which turned out to be a poor investment. I found a buyer (also on Facebook) who insisted on paying in cash. Kaitlyn's mother opened the fridge. 'Don't worry,' I hollered. 'I'll make room in a sec.' From back to front, each shelf, side shelf and drawer was filled with beer. I threw a huge going-away party for my old roommate but didn't anticipate how small the turnout would be. I glanced over to find the mother staring into the abyss of the fridge, experiencing some premonition of what grim fate was about to befall her daughter. 'All right, that's 35,000.' We shook hands, and the buyer strutted out. I turned around to find Kaitlyn and her mother staring fearfully at the mound of cash. Reading the tension in the room, I told them: 'Don't worry. I'll get out of your hair soon. I have a blind date with a girl at a vegan spot in WeHo.' Kaitlyn and her mother turned to each other, shocked. I later learned that this was the moment they learned that I wasn't gay. (Apparently the hoop earring in my Facebook profile pic gave them the wrong idea.) My roommate stood shifting in the corner uncomfortably, waiting for her mother to say something like: 'Pack your stuff. We're getting the f— out of here.' After a moment, the mother looked at me and asked, 'What are you going to do with the cash?' I hadn't thought that far ahead. 'Deposit it?' I said. 'You can't deposit more than $10,000 in a two-week period. To be safe, do no more than $3,000 per day,' she explained. Phew. By some miracle, they didn't go running for the hills. Kaitlyn's mother was an immigrant from Vietnam — scrappy and apparently well-versed in the subtleties of the IRS' cash deposit policy. She was surprisingly impressed by my Turo scheme. Later that night, my new roommate and I sat on the couch and chatted. She told me that she had initially planned to move to L.A. because of a boyfriend. When the relationship ended, she figured that she could still use the change of scenery. I, in turn, explained to her that I had never been in a serious relationship or in love before. We learned that we had a lot in common: We were both Canadian and had an unapologetic infatuation with Cheez-Its; we had similar views on faith and morality. By that point, the pile of cash had migrated to the coffee table. All consolidated, it stood around 10 inches. 'Wanna hold it?' I asked. 'Kind of,' she said. Taking turns holding the cash, I showed her a YouTube montage of Nick Kroll and John Mulaney's 'Oh, Hello' sketches. We spent a lot of time laughing that night. A couple of weeks later, we decided to foster two puppies, which we named Hallie and Annie after 'The Parent Trap' twins. We coordinated to make sure they were well taken care of, while also carving out our own quality time like the occasional movie night. 'You're married!' my work friend told me after I explained my living situation. Hearing him say that sparked a realization within me. Are we married? I pondered. The tides of love lurched forward in the form of a press release: Cheez-It pop-up in Joshua Tree. We were on the same page. With only one day to spare before it closed, we packed our bags and hit the road for the desert. We arrived at the Airbnb late, but we made time to sit in the hammock outside and watch the stars for a while. There was only one bed, so we agreed to create a pillow wall. When I woke up the next morning, she was on the couch. The Cheez-It experience was marvelous. We bought matching T-shirts and stocked up on loads of snacks and paraphernalia. There was a massive effigy of a Cheez-It cowboy outside. A couple asked us to take a photo of them standing between the cowboy's legs and we obliged. 'Want us to get one of y'all?' the woman asked. 'Yeah!' We posed under the statue. 'Cheeeez-Itsss,' we said smiling. 'Now kiss!' the woman said. We exchanged mortified glances. 'Oh, no. It's not like that. We're just friends,' Kaitlyn said. 'Yeah, gross, I would never!' I retorted. On the way home, a silent contemplation possessed the car. Eventually, my roommate turned and asked: 'You don't actually think it'd be that horrible to date me, right?' I had oversold my feigned disgust. 'What? No. Of course not.' A few more seconds of silence followed before I could no longer resist my pick-me compulsions. 'And you don't think it'd be so horrible to date me, right?' 'No,' she said with a slight smirk. I spent a lot of that summer at my family's home on the East Coast, and she came to visit me. I showed her around Boston and Cape Cod. Tension was brewing between us, but I was terrified to address it and desecrate our sacred platonic bond as roommates. Arm brushing and other forms of subtle flirting eventually reached a pitch too high to ignore, but I ignored it anyway. She was becoming frustrated by my lack of intentionality and said that she would prefer to go home before my entire family arrived the next day. Beyond the standard roommate boundaries, I think I was just afraid that she wouldn't feel the same way I did. I was terrified of being rejected, especially when I had her captive so far away from home. Realizing that I was too chicken, Kaitlyn took the reins and admitted her feelings. I clumsily followed suit and afterward experienced a level of joy that I never had before. I was in love. The next day, she met my parents, nine siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles. At that point, we weren't official, so we, as implausible at it seemed, continued the trip under the guise of friendship. None of my family bought it, and they unabashedly referred to her as my girlfriend the entire time. She got along with them famously, which made me feel so much closer to her and my family. We were ramping up to something. At the end of the week, Kaitlyn went back to Los Angeles to pack her things and officially move out so we could explore something bigger. We've now been together and in love for almost two years and going strong. The author is a screenwriter based in Los Angeles. He is the oldest of 10 and is a dengue fever survivor. He's on Instagram: @jackmstar L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $400 for a published essay. Email LAAffairs@ You can find submission guidelines here. You can find past columns here.
