Latest news with #Snyder's
USA Today
01-08-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Kindling Protein Pretzels do the job, even if they're a bit boring
Protein snacks are having a whole moment, and I'm here for that. In recent years, there's been a swell of healthier-for-you chips, crackers, even donuts that promise the protein to provide gains and minimal calories. Crisps made out of chicken? Wilde's got you. Tortilla chips and peanut butter cups? That's Quest's purview. Pretzels? Well, Crisp Power made a pretty solid impression last year. Now, here comes Kindling. Kindling Protein Pretzels offer the traditional twists you'd get from Snyder's or Rold Gold. Except inside that 120 to 130 calorie serving size is eight to nine grams of protein. It comes in a modest variety of flavors (or "flavours," as the website notes even though the founder is from Nashville). It's ready to go in snack form and looks generally appealing. Let's see what we've got. Note: There is also a dill pickle flavor. Er, "flavour." I absentmindedly ate my lone bag before realizing there weren't any more. It was tangy, slightly sour and extremely dill. Pretty solid! But I don't have enough data for a real review. Honey Mustard: B- Dumping the bag onto the plate uncorks roughly 20 small knots, solidly dusted in dark yellow honey mustard powder and big crystals of salt. The smell is sweeter than it is spicy, but there's a small, lingering protein powder musk lurking underneath. Despite what looks like a proper heap of flavor, Kindling comes up short when it comes to making sure the honey mustard lasts through each bite. It starts off crisp with a solid sweet tang -- the honey outweighs the mustard, for sure -- but after it wears away you're left with a slightly bland pretzel that's left to fight against the chickpea protein powder with which it's been infused. The texture is pretty basic -- not as layered and crisp as Crisp Power or as soft and crumbly as Moore Crunch. Kindling doesn't go above and beyond with its offering. You're getting regular pretzels with a low calorie count and useful amount of protein (130 and eight grams, respectively). But they do it well enough to be worth a few bags. Sea Salt: B- Yep. These are pretzels, all right. That's pretty much it. Salt, bread, crunch. If you like regular pretzels, this will feel a lot like a Snyder's production. Not much to say about that other than they taste like pretzels, even with that extra protein inside. Garlic Parmesan: A- Opening the bag is a vital reminder. If you *can* put garlic on something, you *should* put garlic on something. These smell more appealing than Kindling's other options, even if there's a bit of a stale tinge to the parmesan sprinkled across each twist. The power of Italian staples goes a long way here. While the other varieties are underseasoned, these are full-bodied with tangy flavors that linger through the end of each bite. While there's no doubt my breath is a borderline tragedy after a few of these. It's well worth it. Garlic Parmesan serves as proof Kindling can make a compelling snack as long as it's willing to get a bit creative and find flavors that extend the appeal of otherwise boring pretzels. The honey mustard wasn't enough and the dill pickle was basic. But this cacophony of flavors settles together to give you a garlic bread vibe in a significantly healthier package. And garlic bread, it must be noted, rules. This was a bit of a big swing, but this and a punched-up honey mustard would serve Kindling well. There's potential here, even if the current lineup is a bit boring. Would I eat it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking or eating to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I take a bag of Kindling Protein Pretzels over a cold can of Hamm's? A different vibe, certainly. But if we're talking a one-to-one comparison... gimme the Hamm's. This is part of FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
Hamilton Spectator
19-07-2025
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
How sweet it is! Sweet corn season starts in Haldimand-Norfolk
The recent heat wave in Norfolk County propelled fields of sweet corn all the way to harvest. 'The warm weather's bringing corn on,' said farmer Charles Welsh, one of three brothers growing asparagus and sweet corn south of Scotland under the Welsh Bros . brand. Norfolk farms typically get a jump on the sweet corn harvest thanks to the region's sandy soil, which allows for better drainage than Haldimand's hard-packed clay. 'The soil's a little bit heavier (in Haldimand), so it stays cool a little bit longer,' Welsh told The Spectator. He explained that Norfolk's porous soil warms up more quickly. 'That's what gives us the head start,' he said. 'Corn really takes off in that first little bit, when you get a few days of hot weather. Especially if you've got some water under it. And we irrigate a fair bit.' Those ideal conditions 'accelerate' growth in the fields, he continued. 'And then, like the rest of us, too many hot days in a row and it gets lazy and slows down again,' Welsh said. The sweet corn harvest at Welsh Bros. started on July 8, which Welsh said was 'about average' and about a week later than last year, when the first pick was July 2. Welsh Bros. corn comes in two varieties — peaches and cream and classic yellow — and is only sold wholesale, which means it ends up at local farm markets and the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto. Customers in Norfolk can also head to Gunther's Sweet Corn north of Port Rowan, which started roadside sales on Wednesday. 'As always, remember your bags (if you have them) and your smile,' the farm said on social media. The sunshine works its magic at Snyder's Sweet Corn outside Caledonia. The corn harvest is due to start on July 25. Haldimand's go-to spot for sweet corn is Snyder's, a sprawling family farm southeast of Caledonia that exclusively grows a variety called 'Gourmet Sweet Awesome.' In an update on Facebook, Snyder's said its harvest will start July 25. Welsh said the harvest at his family farm has been 'running pretty smoothly so far' and early reviews on the product are glowing — including from the farmer himself. 'We eat nothing but sweet corn for the next three months,' he laughed. 'Everybody seems to like the first ones, because it's the first taste. But the flavour and quality stand up throughout the season.' With a strong start and a hot summer ahead, Welsh expects to pick sweet corn all the way to Thanksgiving. 'We'll have lots of it for a while,' he said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
USA Today
06-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
Moore Crunch! pretzel review: Heck yeah.
Moore Crunch! pretzel review: Heck yeah. There's a lot to like about Moore Crunch! pretzels. They're founded and crafted by an autistic adult, Marcus Moore. And the best thing about Moore Crunch! products? They're freakin' awesome. These are, in all honesty, the best pretzels I've ever had. They may be the best thing I've reviewed in my four years here. As much as I may want to talk about Moore Crunch!'s mailer -- replete with a massive foamboard poster detailing Marcus's backstory -- let's just get into it with my reviews of the company's offering of all kinds of incredible flavors: Garlic Ranch: A+ I'm excited about this blend. It speaks to my Italian roots and my current place in the midwest. Opening the bag unveils a stay fresh zip lock top -- a nice touch, but an unnecessary one for a one-ounce bag. The smell is baked bread and potent garlic, which is, honestly, just about perfect. I wasn't sure what to expect from the texture -- with a name like Moore Crunch! I expected a harder, crumbly pretzel. But these are a little more pliable. They crunch, to be certain, but they also have some give. You get into a softer interior that's more satisfying to chew than your typical Snyder's. It's a little more crumbly than your typical spindle, and it works. I like to eat my pretzels in small bites, spitting them down the middle with my front teeth before flinging them back to be digested. These work great for that. Each twist is well dusted in a combination of garlic powder and Hidden Valley-ish ranch. The balance is nice, with the tang of the garlic leaning into the softer, creamier base of salad dressing powder. The flavor hits each bite equally, lasting as long as it's on your tongue and a bit afterward. I have no doubt my breath is absolutely banging after this, but I don't care. It's worth it. What I said before about the resealable bag? That would probably hold true if these came in a half pound size. A single serving of these isn't enough. They're wonderful. The seasoning is addictive and the texture is just about perfect. It's one of the best snacks I've ever had. Maryland Crab: A- I don't much like seafood (hey, we're back to talking about food textures, neat) but I have had crab fries. This isn't Old Bay seasoning, but the smell coming from the bag tells me it's close. Once again, the bag is well coated in a fine dust of flavoring. There's a certain spice of paprika and black pepper that immediately zaps your tongue. It isn't as savory as the garlic ranch, which allows you to taste the pretzel a bit more than its predecessor. It's fine -- it's a pretzel -- but it slides to the background after that mild peppery influence rolls back at the end of each bite. The seasoning here isn't hot, but it's much more crisp than the last round. Again, it's deftly balanced and lingers through the satisfying snap of each bite. It doesn't hit the spot in quite the same way as the garlic ranch, but it's still an impressive and original leap into what had been a fairly routine snack. Cinnamon Sugar: A Pouring the bag onto a plate unleashes a proper stockpile of cinnamon and sugar. Once again, Moore Crunch! delivers its flavors in satisfying amounts. The cinnamon sugar is almost a dead ringer for the coating on Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. This is a good thing. That's basically like eating candy for breakfast. The texture remains soft but crunchy. The cinnamon sugar is sweet but savory. It's absolutely more of a dessert snack, but there are some real "walking through the mall and getting within 100 yards of an Auntie Anne's" vibes going on here. This stands as further evidence Moore Crunch! gets things right across its spectrum of flavors. The pretzels are a bit softer than other sticks. The flavor is familiar but still unique and liberally applied throughout each bag. These are next level pretzels. Most importantly, they're really, really good. Would I eat it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking (or eating) to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I pick Moore Crunch! pretzels over a cold can of Hamm's? Let's pair 'em up, they both rule. This is part of FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
Axios
02-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Why Americans are suddenly cooking at home again
Americans are cooking at home more often and targeting budget-friendly foods, according to The Campbell's Company. Why it matters: The trend reported Monday by Campbell's — whose brands include its eponymous soup, Prego sauce and Snyder's pretzels — comes as restaurant chains like McDonald's have already flagged softness in spending from low- and middle-income consumers. Driving the news:"Consumers are cooking at home at the highest levels since early 2020 and turning to our brands for value, quality, and convenience," Campbell's CEO Mick Beekhuizen said in a statement. And home meal preparers are also "favoring ingredients that help stretch tighter food budgets," he added on the company's earnings call. For Campbell's, the trend manifested itself in an unspecified increase in soup sales and an 5% decrease in organic sales of snacks. What they're saying: "Consumers remain under significant financial pressure and given the price of eating out has gone up by so much it is not surprising many households are cutting back," GlobalData analyst Neil Saunders tells Axios in an email. "Eating at home may not be as much fun, but it is more cost effective – even compared to fast food which, for a family, has become very expensive. The impact: The number of low-income consumers visiting U.S. fast-food restaurants was down "nearly double digits" in the year's first three months compared to 2024, McDonald's CEO Christopher Kempczinski said recently.
