Snack Event News: Batter Blaster Pancake World Record

If you’re in the Atlanta metro area tomorrow (Saturday, May 9) come to Centennial Olympic Park and be a part of the circus atmosphere as the geniuses behind Batter Blaster attempt to break the Guinness World Record for most pancakes served in eight hours, roughly 70,000. And yes, the pancakes are FREE! Well, somebody’s gotta eat ‘em.

If Aunt Jemima and Cheez Whiz had a baby, Batter Blaster would be its name. On the market since 2007, this is the pancake/waffle batter in a spray can that’s been featured on “Live with Regis and Kelly,” as well as the “John Tesh Radio Show” website. (I didn’t even know John Tesh had a radio show, much less featured it on the internet! Huh-WHA?)

The “unofficial” current record of 66,549 5-inch cooked pancakes is held by a Lion’s Club in Lubbock, Texas. Good luck, Batter Blaster - there are tons of homeless people in Atlanta eager to gobble up some free food.

Hey Fabio, pass the spray butter and spray syrup!

Snack News: Viennetta Returns!

‘Tis the season for tidings of joy, and have I got some joy to tide! That beloved frozen dessert of our (ok, my) childhood is returning, albeit for a limited time. That’s right, people, Viennetta is back!

What is Viennetta, some of you may be wondering. Well, it’s basically layers of ice cream and chocolate shaped like a wavy yule log. It has crispy layers and melty layers and layers of just plain goodness. For a more detailed look, there’s even a YouTube video of the making of Viennetta.

As a kid, I loved seeing the box of Viennetta in the bag when my Mom came home from the grocery store. Needless to say, I’m excited to see it back! Plus, the price is right - only about $3 for a box. The only downside of this re-release is that it’s only until March 2009, so if you’ve been missing it, go get some now and stock up! Both chocolate and vanilla varieties are now available.

Snack Science: Bedtime Snacks Really Are More Fattening

Maybe the Japanese are ahead of us in snacking science… or maybe they’re just beating us in showing it on TV. But either way, after proving that there really is another stomach for dessert, NHK’s Kaitai Shin Show now shows that bedtime snacks really are fattening - and indirectly puts in a good word for afternoon tea.

A July episode of the show started by reporting on research in 1993 at Kyushu University: Seven women ate the exact same meal three times a day for ten days, at 7:30, 12:30, and 6:00. At the end of the period, all seven had lost weight. Then, they ate the same meals for another ten days, but now, dinnertime was changed from 6:00 to 10:00.

At the end of the second ten days, despite eating the exact same food, all seven women had gained weight.

The program then turned to Professor Shigeki Shimba of Nihon University. He explained the mechanism of this effect, which involves a protein in the body called BMAL 1. This protein facilitates the accumulation of fats in cells. And, crucially, the amount of BMAL 1 in the body varies according to the time of day. It is lowest at 3 PM, and four times higher at 11 PM.

So, it looks like there’s good news and bad news. If you eat late at night and you’re worried about your weight, you’d better stop. But! If you eat cookies at 3 PM, that is the best time to trick your body into storing the least possible fat from them.

Read more

Snack News: NuggNuts.com from McDonalds

Yesterday, McDonalds announced the unveiling of a new site dedicated to Chicken McNuggets fans. Called Nuggnuts, it’s touted as being an online fan community with a Hall of Fame, a Nuggnuts Pledge, and an online store where fans can buy Nuggnuts merchandise. Apparently, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Chicken McNuggets (oh God, I feel old) and the site is a way to connect fans from around the world. They’ve even got a Nuggnuts Facebook page.

As for me personally, I can’t say I’m a Nuggnut - I don’t eat meat in general, and Chicken McNuggets are no exception. Still, it’s a cute idea, and if you’re a fan, you should head on over and check it out!

• Nuggnuts Website

Snack News: Tim Tams Coming To The US

If you’re from Australia or have an Australian friend, you’ve probably heard of Tim Tams. They’re billed as “Australia’s favorite chocolate biscuit” and consist of layers of chocolate malted biscuit, chocolate cream filling, and a chocolate coating. Sounds good, right? Up to now the only way for those of us in the United States to get some was to either have some sent over from an Australian friend or pay exorbitant prices at specialty food stores. Well, no more!

Starting this month, Pepperidge Farm is offering both the chocolate creme and caramel varieties at Target stores here in the US. But, you’ll have to act fast - they’re only supposed to be available through March. If you’ve tried them, let us know; if they’re popular enough, maybe this will become a permanent fixture on our snacking scene!

• Tim Tams Website
• Original Tim Tam Article