7-Eleven Now Has a Tater Tot Bar

Move over, nachos. Tater tots are in town! 7-Eleven has just decided to invest in a make-it-yourself tater tot bar at select locations. The bar features a bevy of condiments, including  onions, jalapeños, and pico de gallo, so you can top your taters till your heart’s content.

Of course cheese and chili will be on hand too, though they’ll cost an extra buck to add. You can buy 10 tots for a dollar or get 25 for two dollars. This is the correct choice, obviously. If you are desperate enough to buy tater tots from 7-Eleven you must buy as many as you can! There are no small-sized regrets.

In terms of quality, well, these potatoes are probably on par with any hot food item at 7-Eleven, but as with any mini-mart snack, its appeal is rooted way more in nostalgia and convenience than actual taste. These tots might be cooked in a microwave, but who cares if the texture is iffy and the flavor is bland. Nothing brings you back to your sad, suburban youth faster than food warmed by a light bulb. And in the end, isn’t that what really counts?

Even if they aren’t as ideal as you’d prefer, it’s still a better option than those limp hot dogs that have been sitting out for two days in a row.

The internet sure is excited over them, at least. And if something can distract Twitter from politics, that’s always a victory.

I realize it’s 7-Eleven, but I feel like the world just got a little better. TATER TOTS. ⚡️ “7-Eleven now has a build-your-own tater tot bar”https://t.co/7JwJhTLnzS

— hp_IN (@hp_IN) March 15, 2018

At the very least, it is a triumph for those seeking to mix up their snack time on the go. And hey, it sure beats stale potato chips!

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Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

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Leafy Greens Are Your Brain’s Best Friend, According to a New Study

As if you needed another reason to eat your vegetables, a new study has found that those who eat at least one serving of leafy greens a day—including cooked spinach, collard greens, and kale—have a better memory and cognitive function than those who never or rarely eat vegetables. The difference between those who ate greens and those who didn’t was the equivalent of being 11 years younger, in terms of cognition.

The study was published in the journal Neurology and tracked 960 people who were an average of 81-years-old. None of them showed any signs of dementia. Participants filled out a survey regarding foods they commonly ate and then had their memory and thinking skills tested. While the results don’t directly prove that green vegetables improve cognition, a correlation was found in the results.

Martha Clare Morris, study lead and nutritional epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said something we’ve long suspected. “Adding a daily serving of green, leafy vegetables to your diet may be a simple way to foster your brain health.” We knew there was a reason to stock up on salad!

Over 5.5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s. Using nutrition as a strategic measure to prevent the disease is increasingly being researched by scientists and this field of study is only expected to grow. While scientists are unsure why these specific veggies are associated with boosting your brain health, they do know that they are rich in nutrients like vitamin E and K, lutein, beta carotene, and folate.

The best part is that there are plenty of ways to incorporate leafy greens into your diet. Sneak them in a smoothie, top off your sandwich with spinach, or eat an extra side of kale with dinner. There really are no excuses for eating these vital veggies.

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Sheet Pan Fish and Chips

Where I live in Boston, seeing “fish and chips” on a restaurant menu is as common as salt. Every fish shack serves them by default, and you’ll find fancy versions at high-end restaurants, too!

When making fish and chips at home, I say leave the deep-frying to the pros and opt for the oven instead.

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There’s a Dumpling for Everyone at This San Francisco Hot Spot

An Official Guide to the Unofficial Starbucks Secret Menu

Tired of ordering the same few drinks each time you visit Starbucks? What if you could invent your own pick-me-up at your favorite coffee shop? What if all your favorite desserts were made into beverages?

No need for a magic wand to grant this wish! Starbucks has a secret menu, unofficially created by consumers, that gives you a choice of ordering thousands of drinks you probably never even heard of. The next time you enter a Starbucks coffee shop, order your own secret recipe and sip away.

According to Starbucks’ Media Relations, “Starbucks does not have an official ‘secret menu.’ However, in addition to the beverage options listed on our menu boards, there are more than 170,000 ways baristas can customize beverages at Starbucks, including selecting from a variety of milks, syrups, coffee/espresso options, and toppings. If customers would like to order a beverage that is not listed on our menu boards, we recommend they know the recipe so that their barista can handcraft the beverage perfectly for them.”

Many secret recipes have become popular through Instagram feeds and Starbucks has even incorporated them into their “official menus” for limited times. For example, the Christmas Tree Frappuccino spread holiday cheer for a few days in December, while the Zombie Frappuccino played a tribute to the goriness of Halloween.

Check out some of the under-the-radar creations from Starbucks’ Secret Menu.

Colored for Spring

Pink Drink, via Starbucks

Referred to simply as the Pink Drink or Purple Drink, these strawberry acai refreshers with coconut milk and scoops of berries will get you in the mood for spring.

If you have seen people walking out with drinks that have pink and blue swirls or topped with glitter, that is a Unicorn Frappuccino, a jazzier version of the Dragon Frappuccino made with green tea Frappuccino, vanilla bean powder, and berry swirls.

The baby pink Raspberry Caramel Macchiato tastes as good as it looks. Have it with raspberry syrup, ice, milk, espresso, and caramel.

Drink Your Candy Bar

Twix Frappuccino, via Starbucks Secret Menu

The possibilities are endless when it comes to having your favorite candy created into a blended beverage. The candy bar-inspired Twix Frappuccino is a scrumptious mix of caramel Frappuccino, caramel syrup, hazelnut syrup, java chips, and a drizzle of mocha.

Chocolate connoisseurs will love the Ferrero Rocher Frappuccino with double chocolate chip Frappuccino, mocha syrup, hazelnut syrup, and hazelnut drizzle.

Even if you can’t eat the real thing, this lactose-free Caramel Snickerdoodle Macchiato will surely perk you up. Ask for an iced soy caramel macchiato and add vanilla syrup and cinnamon dolce syrup.

Pick up an after-dinner indulgence in a Thin Mint Frappuccino, made with chocolate syrup, mint syrup, java chips, and honey mixed into a Tazo Green Tea Frappuccino.

Character Rich

Butterbeer Latte, via Starbucks Secret Menu

The Pokemon-Go inspired Pokeball Frappuccino was so popular that some Starbucks locations put it on the specials board. Made with vanilla Frappuccino, strawberries and crème Frappuccino, and topped with strawberry whipped cream, this pink-white and creamy drink is made to look like the ball’s opening.

Harry Potter fans invented the Butter Beer Latte, a milk steamer with caramel syrup, toffee nut syrup, cinnamon dolce syrup, whipped cream, and salted caramel bits. There’s also an iced version of it.

Sweeten the Deal

Banana Cream Pie Frappuccino, via The Odyssey

No need to bake your favorite dessert recipes. Just ask your barista to add sweet ingredients of your choice to a cup and drink away. Order a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with a pump or two of vanilla and hazelnut syrups, plus a whole banana to make a Banana Cream Pie Frappuccino.

Skip breakfast for a Nutella Frappuccino, a coffee Frappuccino with mocha syrup, hazelnut syrup, and blended whipped cream, topped with caramel drizzle.

Winter may be almost over, but you can still enjoy a Starbucks S’mores Hot Chocolate with chestnut praline syrup, whipped cream, and mocha drizzle added to a regular hot chocolate.

Add one to three pumps of raspberry syrup to a White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino to make it a Raspberry Cheesecake Mocha Frappuccino, or ask your barista to blend a biscotti into any Frappuccino for an impromptu Biscotti Frappuccino.

Drink to Your Health

Iced tea, via Starbucks

If sugary drinks are not your thing, order an Iced Matcha Latte that boasts antioxidants and has a lot less calories. Just mix matcha powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and ice.

Detox with a healthier option of blended drinks with a Superfruit Tea. The green tea with limes and strawberries packs flavor and is good for you too.

Feeling under the weather? Get the Passion Coldbuster Tea with passion tango tea, emperor cloud and mist, half steamed lemonade, half boiling water, and a bit of honey. It helps reduce inflammation, suppresses cough, boosts immunity, and relieves stress and insomnia.

There is an unofficial website dedicated to drink recipes (which is not Starbucks affiliated) where fans can post recipes and pictures of their own creations.  They recommend noting down the recipes as not all baristas will be familiar with the creative drink names.

Also, a ‘Secret Menu for Starbucks’ app available from iTunes provides a database of recipes on your fingertips. Search hot, cold, blended, and tea-based drinks, learn how to order, and rate your drinks.

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That Bottled Water You’re Drinking May Contain Plastic Particles

A new report claims bottled water frequently contains tiny particles of plastic in it. The study, which was conducted by the State University of New York at Fredonia and non-profit journalism organization Orb Media, analyzed 259 bottles of water from 11 different brands sold across nine countries, including the United States. And the results may give you pause before you drop two bucks on the most abundant resource on earth.

93 percent of the bottles tested positive for microplastic contamination. They averaged 10.4 plastic particles per liter of water. That’s double the level detected in tap water. The plastic particles included polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used to make bottle caps. Aquafina, Dasani, Nestle Pure Life, and San Pellegrino were among the brands tested.

In an interview with French media outlet AFP, researcher Sherri Mason of the State University of New York at Fredonia had this to say about the contamination, “I think that most of the plastic that we are seeing is coming from the bottle itself, it is coming from the cap, it is coming from the industrial process of bottling the water.”

Experts are unclear on the extent that these plastic particles pose a risk to human health, but warn that synthetic chemicals have been linked to various forms of cancer and other ailments.

While the study wasn’t peer reviewed or published in a scientific journal, the results are being carefully considered. The World Health Organization recently confirmed to BBC that they were launching a review of the risks of drinking bottled water.

In case you needed another reason to stick to tap water, plastic water bottles are incredibly unsustainable. Though they are recyclable, it can take over 1000 years for the average bottle to break down. Also, when you factor in production and transportation, the environmental impact becomes even more destructive, given the reliance on fossil fuels.

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