The Daily Dish: Fake News Alert: No, There's Not A Bacon Shortage
Fake News Alert: No, There's Not a Bacon Shortage
In between the never-ending headlines about the Trump administration, you may have noticed an upsurge in panicky coverage about a bacon shortage. A USDA report said the country's frozen pork belly inventory was down to 17.8 million pounds from 35 million pounds last year, but the truth is that pork belly frozen reserves are simply backup bacon — there is no bacon shortage. "To imply that there's going to be some shortage of bacon is wrong," Steve Meyer, the vice president of pork analysis for EMI Analytics, told The New York Times. The creation of baconshortage.com (which has since been taken down) by the Ohio Pork Council has been exposed as a mere marketing ploy to get people talking about pork.
This Girl Scout Sold Over 15,000 Boxes of Cookies With Her Brutally Honest Reviews
The 11-year-old New Jersey resident and Girl Scout Charlotte McCourt's honest critiques of Girl Scout cookies have gone viral and have earned her 15,000 cookie orders: an overwhelming sales trajectory for any hardworking Girl Scout. She originally shared her creative and well-written reviews in a sales pitch letter to a family friend and her dad's colleague, Mike Rowe, an actor, television host, and narrator. Rowe read the amusing letter aloud on his Facebook page, and McCourt's reviews soon went viral. The original video has since been viewed more than 8 million times. "Toffee-tastic is a bleak, flavorless, gluten-free wasteland." Thin Mints fared much better and were given a nine out of 10 "for the delectable chocolate-mint combination." "I love being honest with my clients," McCourt wrote in her letter. "The Girl Scout organization can sometimes use false advertising. These ratings are only my opinion; yours may vary."
McDonald's Has Invented a Big Mac ATM
In an effort to promote its new Big Mac sizes, McDonald's has invented a vending machine that dispenses Big Macs. The cheeseburger ATM made an appearance outside a McDonald's in Boston's Kenmore Square and dispensed free burgers to fans between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Of course, this was almost entirely a marketing ploy. Customers lined up, gave their email addresses and Twitter handles, and receive personalized tweets about the experience before they were given a free burger in either the new Mac Jr. or Grand Mac sizes. There are unfortunately no plans to take this idea global.
Eat at Places Serving Cuisine From Countries Affected by the Muslim Travel Ban
President Trump's executive order banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries has provoked uproar across the country. One organization — Breaking Bread NYC — is helping New Yorkers become more involved in protesting the ban. If you donate $10 to Breaking Bread, you will receive a list of restaurants across the five boroughs that are serving the cuisines of the countries that have been affected by the ban: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia, according to Saveur. All proceeds will go to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which helps solidify relations and goodwill between the United States and American-Muslims.
Ben & Jerry's Debuts Heavenly 'Pint Slice' Ice Cream Bars
This may just be the most innovative Ben & Jerry's creation yet: Klondike Bar-like ice cream bars filled with iconic Ben & Jerry's flavors. Pint Slices are circular discs of ice cream coated in chocolate that are supposed to resemble a horizontal "slice" of a Ben & Jerry's pint. So far, these delectable little treats come in four varieties: Americone Dream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, and Vanilla Peanut Butter Cup. You can buy a box of three for about $4.99 in any participating supermarket starting this month.