#one of the extremely spicy chips from the one chip challenge which I believe were made with Carolina Reapers

[osakaso5]

Sogo Osaka Twelve Hits! Rabbit Chat Part 3: Request Hits 2

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5

Tsumugi: Hello! Is everyone ready to resume the requests soon?

Yuki: Did Kinako-chan get home safely?

Tsumugi: Yes! She's having her dinner at the agency right now.

Tsumugi: I'm sorry for making you wait..!

Ryunosuke: Don't worry about it. We were taking our time eating anmitsu, too.

Kaoru: We bought some at the store nearby. I was craving anmitsu so badly that I couldn't wait any longer.

Gaku: I never knew there was a Japanese confectionery shop in the neighborhood. How'd you know about it, Tenn?

Tenn: I've seen it a few times.

Yamato: I'm getting kinda hungry...

Riku: You can have snacks, Yamato-san! We bought a lot, so I'll bring some to the living room. We even got some extra spicy chips for you, Sogo-san! They came out recently!

Yamato: Thanks.

Sogo: Thank you, Riku-kun. They're the habanero ones, right? I'd been wanting to try them, so I really appreciate it.

Tenn: Try not to eat too much.

Sogo: Yes! I'll make sure to monitor how much junk food I have..!

Tenn: Ah, sorry. I wasn't talking to you...

Yamato: Were you talking to me, then? (lol)

Tenn: No.

Momo: lololol

Nagi: A short skit.

Riku: You don't have to tell me! I can watch how much I eat just fine!

Tsumugi: Now that you have all your snacks, let's resume the requests..!

Tsumugi: Mitsuki-san, you were next. Go ahead!

Mitsuki: Yeah! Mine's an intro quiz!

Mitsuki: Sogo knows a lot about music! Wouldn't it be fun to play him different song introes and make him guess which ones they are?

Sogo: Can the songs be from any genre?

Mitsuki: Anything goes!

Yuki: You won't even know what you'll listen to next? That's a real test of skill.

Tamaki: So-chan knows a ton

Sogo: Yeah. It'll be exciting to see what song comes next. Even if they're songs I don't know, it'll be fun just to discover new music.

Sogo: Thank you for a challenging request, Mitsuki-san.

Mitsuki: Crap, lol I'm the one feeling pressured here, lol

Mitsuki: I'll pick songs that'll really get you fired up! Just you wait!

Mitsuki: 

Sogo: 

Tsumugi: That seems like it'll be a fun game! Yamato-san, you're next!

Yamato: Got it.

Yamato: Mine's a guessing game.

Sogo: You mean a quiz where I have to guess what something is based on a handful of hints?

Yamato: That's right. Variety shows do it a lot.

Iori: Another game. It'll be very exciting.

Nagi: How fun! May I help you come up with subjects for it?

Yamato: Sorry, but I've already got something in mind.

Sogo: You do?

Yamato: The other night at the dorm, I saw this

Yamato: Wait, whoops. Almost gave away the answer (lol)

Riku: Huh!? You saw something the other night!? At the dorm?

Sogo: Could it be something scary..?

Tamaki: Stop, stop, stop!!!

Tamaki: You better not say any more than that!

Tamaki: I can't handle that stuff!

Sogo: It's okay, Tamaki-kun. Science hasn't proven that ghosts exist yet.

Iori: Nikaido-san must've been seeing things as he wandered around half-asleep.

Tamaki: Stop talking about ghosts!!!

Mitsuki: You're the one talking about ghosts, Tamaki!

Momo: Tamaki's so cute when he's scared of ghosts~!

Yuki: Even though humans are much scarier

Momo: Yep (つ∀<●)゜+.

Yuki: (つ∀<●)゜+.

Rinto: You may be using cute emoticons, but the things you're saying are very scary!

Kaoru: These top idols are experienced in the bittersweet ways of the world...

Sogo: How educational...

Tsumugi: I've learned much from them, too..! Though I'm curious about what was seen at your dorm, it's Yaotome-san's turn!

Gaku: Mine is to continue the corner with an arrogant attitude.

Momo: You want him to act all smug?

Sogo: S-smug..?

Gaku: Yeah. Though it kinda overlaps with Tenn's request.

Gaku: I think I've said this to Anesagi and the others before, but you should act more proud of yourself, Osaka. Plus, it's so hard to picture you acting that way that I wanna see it.

Mitsuki: A lot of these requests are about seeing an unexpected side of Sogo!

Nagi: Sogo's charm is infinite, after all :-)

Sogo: I-I understand. I'll practice for the show.

Sogo: If only I knew how...

Iori: The quickest way is to look for a role model. Why not use samples of media featuring smug people?

Sogo: Right. I'll check a movie streaming site.

Sogo: Iori-kun, would you mind looking for appropriate works with me..?

Iori: Not at all. I'll give you my findings later.

Yamato: If you try too hard to look high and mighty, you lose any real smugness.

Gaku: I figured he'd just wing it on the spot... But I'm excited to see where Osaka's seriousness takes him.

Tsumugi: I'd love to see a new side of Sogo-san, too!

Tsumugi: Tsunashi-san, do you have a request you'd like to share?

Ryunosuke: Mine is to soothe the listeners.

Ryunosuke: Sogo-kun's always kind, just like the others said. When I'm tired after a shoot or something, seeing his smile relaxes me.

Ryunosuke: I'm sure the listeners will feel better if they hear him tell them "good work", too!

Tamaki: Oh. This one's the total opposite of Gakkun's

Sogo: Thank you. I feel a bit embarrassed...

Mitsuki: He's got a point. Sogo acts kinda motherly sometimes!

Yamato: When you leave clothes lying around in the living room, he'll start picking them up and saying "Please put these in the washing machine".

Tamaki: Same goes for used juice mugs

Iori: Clean up after yourselves!

Sogo: They've slowly started to do it themselves, much to my help.

Sogo: It's incredible. Not many people would change how they act so easily, just because someone else told them to.

Yuki: Ah. He really is soothing

Ryunosuke: I know, right!

Tsumugi: I find Sogo-san's smile to be rejuvenating, as well!

Tsumugi: Momo-san, what about your request?

Momo: Okie dokie! Mine is an extreme spice endurance test from hell! ヾ(*・∀・)ノ

Momo: Sogo can handle practically any kind of spicy food, so I wanna see if he has a limit at all!

Sogo: My spice limit... I must say, I'm curious about that myself.

Momo: So you really can handle anything!

Sogo: More or less. I have no trouble with my own cooking, but I've never felt that the spicy foods we've had to eat for TV projects have been too much, either.

Sogo: I want to feel the kind of unbearable spiciness that other people seem to feel.

Momo: You're that tough!? It must be hard getting good reactions out of you..!

Iori: Seeing him stuff his face with spicy dishes is entertaining in its own right.

Yuki: If your reactions are really obvious, it's easier to give up because people can tell right away when you've hit your limit.

Riku: Yamato-san has it rough because he doesn't let it show on his face..!

Yamato: Yeah. I have to keep eating for a little bit, even if I can't keep going.

Nagi: You must not force yourself. One should always be honest with oneself.

Mitsuki: You on the other and should eat more, for the sake of the show! you tend to throw in the towel before the food even touches your mouth!

Nagi: Even you will not convince me to do such a thing.

Sogo: So it really was hard for you guys...

Momo: Alright, I've got it! I'll personally see to it that you get to experience true spiciness, Sogo!

Sogo: Momo-san..!

Momo: Just you wait. I'll use my connections to find you the spiciest dish ever!

Sogo: Thank you. That's very reassuring to hear..!

Momo: (*ゝω・)丿★

Tsumugi: The spiciest dish ever... My mouth is burning up just imagining it!

Tsumugi: Yuki-san, you're the last in line!

Yuki: The grand finale, it is.

Yuki: I want to see Sogo-kun's retorts

Yamato: Ooh. Another reaction thing.

Sogo: You mean a comedic retort..? I'll need some kind of advanced technology to get through that...

Yuki: Just go with the flow. It's all in the timing

Momo: Yeah! As long as you yell "What the hell!" at some point, you're good ★

Mitsuki: That's too vague, lol

Sogo: I see... Just yell according to the flow...

Yuki: He believed me ^^

Sogo: What the hell!

Tamaki: So-chan, did you just

Banri: It completely broke the flow, but that was a retort, right..?

Sogo: I-I'm sorry! Did I get it wrong!?

Yuki: No, you're good. Very good. Keep it up

Momo: A-are you sure about that!? The bad timing makes it cute, but still!?

Iori: I don't know if our agency can approve of this...

Yuki: What the hell!

Sogo: Ah! Was that the correct way to do it..!?

Sogo: I see, so it's all about flow and speed.

Yamato: Sou, you don't have to humor them.

Tsumugi: Comedy has many layers! Thank you for a fun request, Yuki-san!

Tsumugi: That's everyone. Thank you all for your requests!

Sogo: Thank you.

Mitsuki: Now that we're done, it's time for Sogo to make requests to us!

Gaku: Yeah. Ask anything.

Choices/outcomes:

1. Do you have a request for us?

Sogo: I want you to stand by my side on stage. That's my biggest request.

2. Do you have a request for TRIGGER?

Sogo: I'd like to come see one of TRIGGER's lives again sometime. Naturally, I'll pay for my own ticket..!

3. Do you have a request for Re:vale?

Sogo: They've done plenty for us. I couldn't possibly ask for more..!

Sogo: I look forward to another year with all of you.

Yuki: You're so modest, even though your birthday's coming up

Momo: We'll have to celebrate him so much that he can't be modest anymore \ (*´∀`)丿

Ryunosuke: It's still a little early, but happy birthday. Let's go out for a drink again sometime!

Tenn: Happy birthday. I look forward to your broadcast.

Banri: Sogo-kun, happy birthday! I'll continue supporting you!

Momo: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO (σ>∀<)σ SOGO ♪ Let's get along next year, too!

Rinto: Happy birthday!

Yuki: Happy birthday. I hope you have a great time

Kaoru: Happy birthday. Keep the alcohol in moderation.

Gaku: Happy birthday. I hope you'll have a special year.

Tsumugi: Happy birthday from me, too!

Sogo: Thank you, everyone. My heart feels so full that I don't have much to say.

Sogo: But, I'm very happy that you're all here. Truly.

Sogo: I hope you'll continue to guide and support me.

Mitsuki: Even your finishing speech is too stiff! lol

Sogo: I-I'm sorry...

Yamato: No need to apologize. Let's have a party on your actual birthday.

Riku: I can't wait!

Iori: I'm a bit worried that our dining table will be covered in red...

Sogo: Thank you, guys..! My birthday can't come sooner. I'm really glad to be so excited.

Sogo: But before that, I'll do my best with the radio broadcast.

[survivormagictreehouse]

Episode #7 “#Zachexposed Party” -Jess

-VI was voted out and now I’m forever sad. I wish you the best VI and hope you feel better soon! Goal #1 can never be accomplished now so that’s a bummer. But at least my alliance member RACHAEL wasn’t voted out! And now we’re doing Touchy Subjects with 95% negative answers. Drama here we come! 

-We won another Challenge! Annie Tribe curse has been officially broken! Touchy Subjects was the name, and me winning was the game. I don’t ducking know. But I scored the highest on my tribe and won a ~mysterious package~ which turned out to be an idol clue. “Find the idol will no longer be a walk on the shore. In order to succeed, two items you will need.” So at least three searches in the idol search I suppose. I might share the clue with JESS and BIRCH and have them help me find the idol. Though I might just tell them part of the clue or something so they don’t have the whole picture. I’m undecided. I’m really hoping the other tribe votes off ALI, COLLIN or RUTHIE, since I think I’m the least likely to work with any of those three. RACHAEL must stay, BODHI I could work with and TIMMY I’m neutral on. CINDI is a bit of a wildcard but I think I could manage to work with her as well. JESS is speculating there’s a merge after the vote and I’m inclined to agree with that. A new idol search and we’ll be at 13 players which is a typical merge. I did not come into this game expecting to win, or even make the merge. But now I think I have a real shot at going far. Imagine me getting to FTC twice in a row in Atomic. How cool would that be? 

Death by Skittle

-(this is for last round i am a bit late) Last round in the video challenge, which I ended up somehow becomming the editor for. First of all, I asked for the video clips to be in by sunday night so that I could do the video and be done with it, but Chips put it off and ended up making us wait till Monday morning which really set us back. Then Keegan submitted videos with almost no sound and little feeling so it was hard to use any of his clips. Then Jess decided to edit the video I made, and when she did that the lyrics didnt match the song anymore and it almost cost us the challenge. We also found out Birch has a +10 advantage, so need to be aware of that.Birch and Chips are my biggest targets on this tribe, and i am still ina  really good spot with Zach and Jess, and close allies with Gavin and Keegan

-This round was touchy subjects. The tribe thought that I was the mvp of the tribe which makes me a possible target with the merge coming up. It was also revealed birch is not in a great place on my tribe and they also said they believe the majority of the tribe thinks I am next to go. I am concerned about my placement with them. Overall this round made me a bit nervous, but excited to hope for a merge in the future.

-There's a Mesopotamia/Svalbard alliance with Bodhi, Rachael, Collin, and me which I love cause I love all those people except Rachael sometimes but she hasn't had to do schoolwork once this game so that's nice. I'm just kidding I love Rachael as long as she doesn't have homework. Cause when she has homework that means she's voting me out. I swear the moment she has to do schoolwork its' done. And then Ali and Bodhi are on weird ground because of how Bodhi got rid of Ali in Lover BUT I REALLY WANT US TO HAVE AN ALLIANCE CALLED THE LOVERS CAUSE 1) Ali is very loyal so, like, I want to work with him 2) THAT NAME IS GREAT AND I DEMAND IT IN MY LIFE Then there's Timmy who has only spoken to me on call or in tribe chat. Nothing beyond that. So, like, bye Timmy. Bodhi also has an issue with Timmy but Rachael swears he's okay. But I don't want to have two Timmys anyway. What even are their last initials? Don't care enough to learn them. BYE TIMMY! Then there's Ruthie who is very sweet and I don't think super strategic? At least not at this point. She just seems like a nice mom. I don't even know if she is a mom. But she would be a nice one to, like, a 3? year old. Idk. Mom vibes. So I'd like to keep her in and I'm assuming that touchy subjects leads to a swap or merge (but this is a very early merge) so, like, hopefully she doesn't have to go after Timmy. It's absolutely insane to me that all of the tribals I've been to have been easy votes? Something spicy needs to happen sometime. Other tribe has had interesting votes. Not us. Couldn't be us.

-So Timmy thinks Collin, Rachael, him, and I are voting Bodhi out and possibly Ruthie as well. Yet he has still not messaged me once. Sir, why would I vote out Bodhi, whom I love dearly, to save your sorry ass when you have not even spoke to me? This dude either has an idol or is just crazy cause, like, that is not how you play Survivor. Do you actually want to stay? Then talk.

-okay! so we have quite a bit to catch up on... but on the bright side. WE WON IMMUNITY FOR ONCE! HALLELUJAH! i got sent to the treehouse which was EXCITING and i found the idol clue... which was literally to the idol i had so that was DISAPPOINTING to say the least. however, i also found the location of the other idol but someone else has it, which is good info to have at least. i posted a lot of my important information in my confessional, so i am just going to repost it here. basically, jess and i had a really good call about how we are not on the bottom, but are not in a good spot come merge. it's clear who is in power over here (zach, keegan, timmy)--because birch is with keegan, so we can't make a move against zach. so, if we lose again chips will leave (who is arguably a number for us because jess has him wrapped around his finger). on the other hand, i kind of have an in with zach and keegan--so i want to be able to milk that for as long as possible to get information on others in the game. but i am really not liking the closeness of timmy and zach especially (kind of keegan, but he has been a bit more lowkey the past few rounds, which is smart on his part). i just have a lot of adjusting to do, and i need to start planting seeds to turn people against each other (especially if we are merging soon). i feel good with rachael obviously, but i don't know how close she is with keegan/zach--but i do think she would turn on them eventually (just not anytime soon). im hoping the apparent alliance of 6 (now 4) and keegan/timmy/zach kind of battle one another and take each other out and i can just play the middle and watch them crumble.

-ARE WE SURPRISED MY CONFESSIONAL IS LATE AGAIN? I AM NOT... BUT I AM SORRY. anyways, this round the challenge was touchy subjects which was LOVELY for me because i am fucking AMAZING at knowing what other people are thinking so i basically knew i had it in the bag from the get-go. When we won, and I got that secret advantage which was an idol clue... that literally made no sense to me. however, i think i need to find two keys in order to get the idol... so, the first step for me is to hunt down these goddamn keys i guess. anyways, back to the tribe stuff... so, following the challenge and the post-winning glee emerged, jess and i went on call and discussed everything we were thinking. we were both very worried about crackhead zach's connections, and basically knew that we were merging, and he would be kind of untouchable as a result. however, if we were to have thrown the challenge, it would have been the perfect opportunity to take him out. however, it was too late to consider that, and we just had to continue our discussion about the game further down the line. so, on the topic of zach, jess mentions the "alliance" made between her, timmy, and zach. we both knew zach and timmy were very close, but this just confirmed it even more. basically, zach brought up the idea of making a 9 person alliance excluding ali, birch, chips, and i believe cindi. which, from that point, they could side with either me/keegan, or side with the other four (i don't know why i am being paired with keegan but go off i guess). i obviously didn't like hearing that, and it made it even more clear to me that he is playing not only a messy game, but an extremely wishy-washy game too. his loyalties seem to be all over the place, and i never see myself being one of his top priorities with collin, timmy, and rachael (and others) in the game. so, when the time is right... i am going to be the one to send his ass to ponderosa. i just hope i can keep my idol in the process for protection further down the line.

https://youtu.be/UolbDzsPoho (round 6)

https://youtu.be/wLA8Pt4bXlQ

https://youtu.be/jn8XxFsmPQU

So it’ll probably be between myself and Bodhi at tribal tonight because I don’t really want him gone. He’s talking to me about a plan but he’s not giving an concrete answers and with that then I can’t help both of us. I already told him ruthie but he didn’t want to and I said that’s fine I only said her bc she seemed the easiest option, tbh I don’t really want her gone either since she’s not a threat. But when asking who he wants after that bc he said we could have our og tribe and ruthie vote together he didn’t give a name. The concern is, Rachel and Cindi are friends and I don’t think will vote each other. The biggest threat is Rachel because of her outside connections with Cindi, Zach, and I think Timmy Z, so concern is there. 

https://youtu.be/cX7Ieh2o3QU

https://youtu.be/HGm7ukcUEcU

Ladies, gentlemen, or whatever you identify as.... welcome to Phase 1 of the.... #Zachexposed party... hosted by me, Jess! I've decided I've been tame for too long and there needs to be a shake up. I haven't decided how quickly I want to do this BUT if I win first immunity I'm going for it. Zach is arguably the most dangerous player in the game right now. He's literally playing the game I typically play and I see right through it. No "large groups", working with small groups only, making people feel like they are his "true number ones" and attempting to align their interests with all the other groups. In his mind right now he sees himself covered by 8 people. 

The 8 people: 1. Jess 2. Timmy Z 3. Gavin 4. Cindi 5. Rachael 6. Collin 7. Collin 8. Either Timmy L or Bodhi How does this all work exactly? 

Let me break it all down for you: He has an alliance with: - Me & Timmy - Keegan & Gavin & (Rachael) - Me & Gavin & Timmy & Keegan - Connections with: --> Collin/Rachael/Cindi on the other tribe. I don't think it is a coincidence that the other tribe wants him on their team... ANYWAYS. 

What is phase 1 exactly? - Planting the seeds, laying down the blue print, and rallying the misfits. How: Rallying the troops: - I told Chips about the old tree house idol clue and the whole next round we are merging message I recieved. --> Obviously that builds a continued line of communication and hopefully trust. He feels pretty alone and I really think he's CRUCIAL to my game. - I also told Birch about my findings because those two (Chips and Birch) would never compare notes on me I don't think? --> Birch also feels a bit alone and they are CRUCIAL to my game. Lastly, I have an "alliance" with everyone else and they will tell Gavin everything before me so I'll be in the know. 

The ammo: - I can use the fact that the other tribe wants ZACH with them as another counter point - Confessionals of proof that Zach/Collin have been close recently which might not even mean anything to people but it counts when you got NOTHING. - The knowledge of him having an alliance with me/Timmy - The knowledge of him having an alliance with Keegan/Gavin - The knowledge of him having an alliance with Keegan/Gavin/Rachael - The knowledge of him being extra close with Rachael so whatever connections she made.. he has a head start on. - I also know he's close with Collin so they could essentially do the whole "control one side and you control the other" 

HOWEVER THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF EVIDENCE/ AMMO IS: - Zach has basically given me the key to the palace today where he told me we could flip on Gavin/Keegan at 9 and "go with the other four" meaning.. Cindi/Bodhi/Collin/Rachael. Meaning.... he exposed who is he close with and people might wonder how they fit into his plans. Can't go to final 2 with 8 other people... 7 people will get cut and that's on mathematics. I'm not entirely sure how to go about this all... this is probably going to either tank my game or change the game. If Zach is as well connected as I think he is... this is going to be hard. I'll need to flip the people not in on that plan such as Ali, Chips, Birch, myself, Gavin, Ruthie... but there is NO WAY Ali just votes with us like that.. he has his allegiances. So I have to be subtle about this or I go gun blazing and be crackedt. I know we are merging tonight and it will be a new game and I'm excited. 

-this tribal is about to be messy af. timmy threw my name out to ali, bodhi and ruthie with the logic that "itd be entertaining" and that im well connected which is fair. but im also well connected so like...ali and bodhi both told me about it which is cute. so if everything goes the way timmy wants it to go, its gonna be ali, bodhi ruthie on me and me, cindi and collin on bodhi leaving timmy as the swing vote. HOWEVER the tribe wants timmy out unan. bodhi and i might throw votes on ruthie just to protect me in case of an idol but yeah. its gonna be a fun one.

-there has been talk of a 2-1-1-1-1-1 split for this vote. i really wanna do it but cindi said no :'(

-also if i find out through this whole mess that Bodhi was playing me, i think i will cry for the rest of my life

hello so confessional time. I've been really deflated and second guessing myself but I'm turning it around. timmy is going home tonight and love him but he is donezo. in other news: - cindi, collin and bodhi...? defo a group. - had a kill bill sirens moment thinking cindi was blindsiding me earlier because of a miscommunication related to the fact that there are two timmys in the cast - am now in an alliance with cindi collin and ruthie co loves of my life - I think I made rachael mad today NNN my bad but im prepared and READY for 13th

So... I guess I am not very well liked on my tribe based on touchy subjects. I kind of got that impression anyway since I have been borderline inactive with the move. Anyway Jess told me that there is a merge coming up according to the tree house or whatever so... I hope I dont fizzle out and get booted right at merge. Not sure who to connect with but!!! I am ready to swing if the other side needs me .

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Click HERE to watch the Round 7 Cast Assessment!

[trenttrendspotter]

Flavorful Foods Get Functional

Specialty food is the fastest growing segment in the food industry and at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, California, which took place in January and was the first-of-the-year venue for tasting trends.   

Presented by the Specialty Food Association (SFA), a not-for-profit association with over 3,800 members, including food artisans, importers, buyers and entrepreneurs, the show featured 1,400+ companies exhibiting over 90,000 specialty foods – something for every palate.

“The Winter Fancy Food Show is where retail buyers, foodservice, and others in the food industry come to see just how much innovation is happening in our space,” said Phil Kafarakis, SFA president. It’s also where we spot the trends that will be shaping foods stories for the year.  

Here’s a brief report of what we saw and the people we spoke with.

Performance is the new organic  

“We are seeing an incredible amount of interest and innovation from brands using ingredients that not only taste great, but produce results you can feel, said Jeremy Grout, VP, sales VitaCup Inc vitamin-infused coffee and tea.  Consumer shopping habits have swung heavily in the direction of a few key trends. The snacking, collagen, keto and CBD space has exploded in the last few years and manufacturers that aren’t incorporating the ingredients/formats harmoniously with these trends are being left behind. 

CBD-infusions

Cannabidiol, or CBD, has become a massive opportunity for food and topical beauty products. But there are challenges. While increasingly popular, CBD is still very much in a pre-clinical-proof era. People are reporting anecdotal benefits for treating inflammation, sore joints, anxiety, depression, seizures and many more ailments. (Brands making these claims must follow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s requirements for a drug.) Foodies are crushing on CBD because food editors and micro-influencers have turned the compound into a darling ingredient and companies are dashing to throw it into every formula. Since CBD has been a marketing buzz word with little regulation, it’s sometimes hard to even know if CBD-touting products contain any compound at all. CBD has the potential to be even bigger business than it is news, so stay tuned to the science, politics and buying trends on CBD. It’s moving quickly.

Plant alternatives  

The relationship between plants and people is getting closer. Food is just one of many ways people are living with plants. “Plant based products seem to dominate conversations. I saw almost all retailers trying to make sure they had a good selection of plant based products for their customers,” said Michael Pan, founder of Pan Mushroom Jerky™.  “That of course has helped us and I don’t see that trend stopping anytime soon. Mushrooms continue to be used for everything and that’s exciting to see.”   

It was evident that plant-based categories continue to grow and elicit broader interest, and many buyers were on a mission to find more plant based-products to add to their sets.   

Bradley Tomko, west regional sales manager, Miyoko’s Kitchen of Petaluma, CA, said, “We received a very supportive response to our positioning as Plant Dairy–not Alternative or Non-Dairy–and that merchandising our products in line with traditional dairy would generate the most effective category growth. It is exciting to see how quickly the market is evolving.”

Fancy food to go

“Vegan, refrigerated, and keto friendly bars kept bubbling to the top” said Angela Bailey, senior brand manager of WoloSnacks™, makers of fiber-rich WanderBars for travelers, which touts its unique texture, high protein, low sugar, high fiber combo. “We have a broader market to target that can be a staple in diets rather than a trend. After all, everyone travels right?” 

Bars aren’t the only food people are eating on-the-go. “Over the past few years we’ve noticed a lot of growth in the cannoli category; not only are more stores bringing in both traditional cannoli shells and filling, but they’re also expanding their offerings with items like cannoli chips and ready to serve items, like chip & dip platters and grab & go cups. Traditional cannoli shells and filling can be a challenging item to bring in for locations without full-time bakery employees and these ready-to-serve items allow them to give consumers an innovative way to experience cannoli that also happens to be easily shared with family and friends,” said Emily Trotochaud, social media and marketing manager, Golden Cannoli Shells Company.

Better butter

In a sector where many products being marketed as dairy aren’t, there is a great demand for real dairy made premium. The interest and popularity of diets high in healthy fats continues to grow, highlighting the benefits of a premium, higher butterfat butter like Minerva Butter, which has the highest butter fat content at 85%. You can taste the difference. Consumers continue to expect transparency around where their food is coming from. For 125 years, Minerva has prioritized getting cream from American family farms who pasture-raise their cows. It is known as America’s oldest creamery and is experiencing more growth than ever.  

Frozen protein  

The National Peanut Board partnered with Crazy Richards Peanut Butter to roll out an entirely new category with the introduction of its new frozen snack line, Wholly Rollies – Frozen Protein Balls. Wholly Rollies was developed to make healthy snacking simple.  “As consumers continue gravitating toward snacking, the National Peanut Board is excited to be part of bringing new products to the freezer case. As a delicious, nutritious and portable snack, Wholly Rollies embody everything consumers are looking for,” says Ryan Lepicier, sr. VP, marketing & communications, National Peanut Board.

Everyday parchment

Food prep was a big part of Fancy Food this year. We’re seeing more natural ways to cook including with parchment paper. It’s a simple way to reduce toxins when cooking and storing food. PaperChef makes it easy to wrap and cook your food in natural parchment paper so you don’t have to rely on foil.  

Chocolate gets hot & spicy

Along with the global food influences from the Indian and Asian markets, hot peppers and bold spices are finding their way into specialty chocolate creations in the US market. The concept is now moving from the niche stage to mainstream on Main Street. Chocolatiers across the US continue to experiment with combining the sweet and savory and venturing into new product creations. SweetShop USA recently created Abuelito Mexican Hot Chocolate Truffle, which combines Hatch Green Chile, cinnamon and jalapeño in a Belgian chocolate ganache center. 

“While boxes of chocolate remain a gift staple on shelves, specialty chocolates purchased in smaller packages, as grab-n-go snacks continue to lead the growth segment,” said  Michael L. Moss, president, Sweet Shop USA. “Growing demand for traditionally seasonal offerings, like brittle and toffee, is transitioning these favorites from limited time holiday offerings to year-round staples in many retail chains.”

Edible whimsy

Function and fun met at several booths, including at Let Them Eat Candles, edible candles. “We were swamped with people telling us that Let Them Eat Candles was the most innovative product they saw at the show,” said Loree Sandler, a Let Them Eat Candles representative.

Rethinking Juice  

There has been a trend to consume less sugar which pushes companies to rethink the whole juice category. How do you offer lots of nutrition without too many ingredients and too much sugar? “You can no longer rely on citrus fruits and vegetables to do this because you end up consuming an extremely large amount of sugar. However, by finding awesome superfoods from around the world and including them in products, producers offer customers one-of-a-kind blends that draw from traditional uses of the ingredients. It also helps companies differentiate themselves from competition by offering more than just a drink; the juice now becomes part of the customer’s daily health ritual,” claims Nina Vukicevic, project manager, ArmedinaUSA

Companies are seeking to include more and more functional foods in their ingredients. Instead of simply offering orange juice or some sort of fruit blend, companies over the past few years have been featuring exotic ingredients such as maca, reishi, cordyceps, cacao, ashwagandha, matcha, etc. in their products. In turn, they provide their customers with way more nutritional value, often from ingredients that the customer wouldn’t otherwise consume, either because they simply don’t know about the ingredient or don’t buy it otherwise. Juices offer a quick, convenient way to consume a lot of nutritional goodness, especially when the ingredients include nutritional powerhouses from around the world. 

DJ Rassech, president, Deep Water USA Inc. with Deep Rose, hits the mark. He said, “Flower based drinks are going to get real big. They may not replace sodas entirely but they will take some junk off the market.”

“Sipping” soups  

“When we launched our innovative Heat and Sip soup cups in 2017, we were one of the first brands to address the trend of consumers wanting a healthier on-the-go beverage option, and I believe we are still the only brand which offers bone broths in this format,” said Ami Tseng, senior marketing manager, NONA LIM. “We’re seeing consumers drink soup or bone broth in the morning in place of coffee/tea, and throughout the day as either a light snack, lunch, or afternoon pick me up. Drinking bone broths as a post-workout recovery drink is also popular.”

Turmeric continues to be popular with consumers. “Our Turmeric Chicken Bone Broth Heat and Sip Cup is our best-selling bone broth online, and it will be available at Whole Foods nationally beginning in April this year. Ramen continues to grow in popularity as well, and is reflected in the range of products hitting shelves, for example Nona Lim’s clean-ingredient ramen cups and ramen kits (broth + noodles).”

Small meals, big protein

Freshe hits on a lot of trends we saw on the show floor. These celebrity chef designed, easy to open tins of wild caught tuna are perfect for portable small meals and snacking. 

Tractability to the tree  

There is growing demand to know where our food comes from. Each bottle of Origin 846 extra virgin olive oil has a lot number which corresponds to the actual set of trees on the company’s grove. Origin 846 does not blend from other producers and from other countries. “We own our groves, the organic format of our olive oil is picked by hand, and most of all, we are able to lead the quality control process from beginning to end,” said Dustin Gilman, representative of CHO AMERICA, producers of Origin 846. 

We expect to see these evolve and more develop at the Summer Fancy Food show in New York City, Jacob Javits Center, June 23–25, 2019. 

As seen in WholeFoodsMagazine

[neingel]

Far Wanderings: Modern Masters 2017, a Critical Review

Well, we’re back with another episode of Far Wanderings! Where I talk about a certain format/topic/deck in the game, this week or two has all been about Modern Masters 2017-which I hoped many of you had the chance to open a box with your friends or just sit down at your local game store for a simple draft.

Well...MM17 was a blast! I wrote a small article back then with a slight tinge of ranting, in which I was disappointed about the lack of good reprints in the set when it is very close to it’s release date. With much fear among stores around the world dumping pre-order boxes of the set. Not only did MM17 prove me and many others wrong, it smashed through everyone’s biggest hopes and dreams, had an awesome draft environment and the box design was ~Amazing~. 

But first, how good was my box?

I did have a good chance to draft MM17, when a fellow lecturer of mine could get a box around SGD250(around USD178), a few of us decided to chip in seeing it was bought at a cheaper price. This was the “notable results” of our box:

The box overall was not as bad as I have though it would be, having hit both Goyf, Lili and Voice aside from the other jank mythics was extreme luck on the box’s part, I also pulled myself a foil Venser which was something I really wanted( besides Snapcaster of course :] ). However, the biggest letdown was 1 Fetch and the fact there were no Damnations, Blood Moons or even Goblin Guides. Considering that we bought the box for cheap, we still broke even and manage to keep the remaining rares, commons and uncommons for free.

Seeing other box openings though, especially on Youtube such as Alpha Investments, Boogie, Tolarian and many others have done. The whole topic on box openings seems to me like a big hit or miss. Some boxes can have 1 or 0 fetches, whereas others have all 5 fetches and 3 solid Mythics. Considering they all of them have opened at MSRP/Net Price, I would consider myself to be very lucky where I had someone who could pre-order for a considerably cheaper price.

The draft environment 

This is what I clearly like about this set, the fact that there is strong support pushing 2, 3 or 4 color draft archetypes. The fact that all 10 Signets, all 10 Guildgates as well as the 5 Tri-Lands from the Shards of Alara clearly is not only helpful support for the draft environment but also provides a strong welcome challenge towards draft, going 3 or more colors. Something which has not been open or encouraged to do in draft, is now possible and could very well be playable.

Some of the archetypes I felt were well supported, often could do better with the addition of a 3rd color, such examples would include:

UW Blink to Bant Blink (Thragtusk and Vital Splicer are strong additions together with Stoic Angel/Rhox War Monk)

BG Sacrifice to Jund Sacrifice (Holy crap Red/Jund offers some really strong value creatures that would LOVE to be sacrificed)

RG Aggro to Naya Aggro (Thornscape Battlemage gives more reach and GW provides all the beatdown any aggro fan would love in draft)

UB Control to Grixis Control (Not sure about you, but if you picked Cruel Ultimatum at any 1 point, changing the deck to Grixis Control is worth the try with access to Terminate, Falkenrath Aristocrat or even Sedraxis Specter)

If you really couldn’t have more fun drafting a strong 2 color archetype, the set is quite forgiving at giving players the reach they need for a 3 color manabase, at the same time providing more powerful options for their 3rd color.

I managed to draft twice, my first time trying out a spicy Jund aggro deck featuring Broodmate Dragon and Desecration Demon, my 2nd attempt however was UW Blink with 2 Vensers, Restoration Angel and Deadeye, together with an unruly crew of creatures having an ETB I could grab at that point.

Let’s talk about Rarity

Many would have known by now, a bunch of cards having their rarity downgraded, most possibly to allow an easier/much forgiving draft environment or to help Pauper out(Pauper players unite!). As me being quite a Pauper man at heart, I was extremely excited to see some cards finally getting a downshift to common. I’ll just make a small section of the top 5 MM17 Pauper Cards here.

#1: Burning-Tree Emissary

Everyone’s dream card that was in Pauper has finally finally printed as a common. Burning-Tree Emissary might finally be the final piece that Pauper Zoo or any RGx Shenanigans need. The 2 drop previously from Gatecrash is a very sick card, effectively a 2/2 for 0 that can follow up with a tempo play. Whether you decide to use the RG it produces for removal or another creature, Burning-Tree Emissary is one of those cards that is sure to shake up the Pauper metagame.

#2: Mortician Beetle

This little beetle got turned from Rare to Common :/ . Not something we see everyday in a reprint set but it seems to be another new toy for Pauper to play with. Pauper already has a BG Aristocrats/Sacrifice deck, that features Carrion Feeder, Bloodthrone Vampire and a bunch of other creatures that produce value when they die, Mortician Beetle not only fits perfectly in that deck, but it is scary with the already favored sac outlet/win-con Carrion Feeder, having 2 one-drops that are sure to grow big when the engine of the deck starts going makes GB  Aristocrats a deck to be reckoned with sometime in the future.

#3: Magma Jet

Magma Jet is probably one of my favorite red instants in the whole game, though cards like Lightning Strike and Searing Spear do 3 damage for the same cost. What has made Magma Jet an Uncommon all this while before MM17 was the fact that it had Scry 2. I could see this played in almost any Aggro shell, Burn or even a spicy UR Tempo build anytime soon. Overall, I’m very impressed with Wizards’s decision to push Magma Jet down to a common.

#4 Augur of Bolas

Augur of Bolas has only been printed 2 times, both at uncommon. With it now at common, control decks in Pauper finally look like they have a solid choice of dig in the form of a 2 drop. Augur will die to a bolt and any other removal, but it does provide a solid body early game. Generating card advantage for 2 mana is quite strong at any stage of the game. Thumbs up to Wizards again :)

#5 Dinvora Horror

Instead of playing the Chittering Rats/Archaeomancer combo in UB control, that deck sure has a new toy to play with. It sure is large and really reminds me of Capsize. Dinvora Horror is more than Capsize though, being a 4/4 for 6 isn’t really amazing but the fact that blinking it multiple times is ridiculously powerful. This might be a very big piece of the UB control deck already smashing results in the Pauper meta or it could also give rise to UBx control decks in the format. I was definitely not expecting this to show up in the set at common but I’m quite happy it is!

There were a bunch of other cards that were downshifted in rarity too, making the draft environment more exciting and the cards themselves easier to get as well as making them legal in certain formats/cubes. A few of the noteworthy ones include:

Placing Obzedat at Rare is pretty rude though >_<

A score for the set?

Every set needs a rating, I really find it hard to put a fair score on MM17 though. I did enjoy the set very much, the reprints and draft environment were very well designed by R&D team, for this, I feel we have to compare this to...

The Original!

Modern Masters 2013 probably has a special place in everyone’s hearts, the set was just sick. Like literally sick, it was filled with raw power at every level of rarity, the reprints were awesome and the set in today’s standards is brimming, if not overflowing with value~.

Modern Masters 2017 was good, wayyy better than 2015′s and slightly edging over Eternal Masters if I say so myself. It was a very special set with meaningful reprints and strong color support in draft. I would say it’s quite close to the original but not really what the original Modern Masters would bring. Overall, it was a solid set that definitely took many people by surprise. We will never know when we will see cards like these getting reprinted again:

I guess the reprints really speak for the set :D

Conclusion

I do believe that MM17 deserves to be one of the higher, more respected Masters sets in time to come, Wizards really put the ace in the hole on this one, fair credit to them. With the increasing prices of cards, I do believe MM17 is helping the playerbase in one way or another, which is clearly what the community wants. If Wizards could keep such a trend with their upcoming sets, I’m sure much good is sure to come for most formats. Until next time! 

[wellnessroutines]

UrthBox Product Review: Healthy Snacks at Your Doorstep

We all have that person (or people) in our life that is beyond challenging to buy. Pursuing down a birthday celebration present for them may as well be a journey to discover the Holy Grail. A lot so, that it goes past the world of, 'Just what do you obtain the individual who has every little thing?'. It is with an aching heart, that I claim the roll of that person within my family.

So naturally, when my auntie asked me what I wanted for Xmas in 2013, I responded with my specification, 'I don't really need anything, but a Starbucks present card would be good.' Like any type of excellent university student and writer, coffee makes up about 80% of my bloodstream. She had not been pleased with that solution. After informing me I was uninteresting, she said she would certainly figure something out. Something I 'd never even heard of.

Cue: UrthBox, a site that mails you healthy and balanced snacks every month. When I would certainly gotten an email about my three month subscription, I figured it was either: A) an error the company had made, or B) a secret admirer (it was neither). My aunt had done well in her goal of getting me something one-of-a-kind, as well as I currently I had the ability to delight in trendy, brand-new, healthy and balanced treats, provided right to me. A totally win/win, right?

Urthbox has a very one-of-a-kind system. You selected exactly how much snackage you desire. UrthBox provides four dimensions of boxes, Mini (6+ items), Little (12+ products), Tool (17+ products), and Large (24+ products). Then, you selected the quantity of time you desire to receive your membership. The choices are 3 months, 6 months, and a year. So far, so good.

They then ask you to choose a group which your treats will fall under, Classic, Gluten Free, Vegan, and Diet. I was torn in between diet regimen and also traditional, since I had not been sure if one alternative consisted of more healthy and balanced foods than the various other. After Googling my heart out to see what each box would consist of, I only discovered one review of both of them. I picked Standard, it looked like it had generally more variety, and also the snacks were still healthy and balanced. My 3 month, Tiny sized, Classic box was prepared to go! I would certainly be obtaining the initial shipment in February.

This is the component that shook my cage a little. For the dimension and also regularity of my order, the total amount involved $60. Possibly it's simply me, but I seemed like that was a little too costly for simply 12 items that can be just granola bars for all I recognized. Full disclosure: my auntie acquired my subscription with a site that provides or else high valued items at a discount rate, so she did not pay the complete cost. Now I was even more determined and excited to see what would certainly come to my door come February.

When I opened it, this was what I found:

I have actually written a listing of all the items that were in my February box, along with their dimensions and also retail worth. Let's see exactly what these healthy foods are all about.

Inka Corn - 4oz, $15.99 for 6pk

I 'd never seen Inka Corn prior to, so I was beyond pumped about this product. And it definitely did not dissatisfy. These roasted huge corn kernels were merely the ideal amount of salted and also crispy. And also because they were so big, a handful was a good sufficient treat for me. I began to crave them. When my bag was done, I couldn't find this brand name in any one of the stores I went to. Luckily, Trader Joe's sells essentially the exact same product. An 8 oz bag will just cost you $1.79. I acquired the last 4 they had.

Next Organics Dark Chocolate Pretzels - 4 oz,$ 4.39

These were absolutely tasty. I'm a large proponent of anything covered in delicious chocolate, specifically dark chocolate. These crackers made a fantastic reward when those late evening sugary foods yearnings kicked in.

Bare Fruit Salted Caramel Apple Chips - $1.89, 10 count for $25

I'm not a massive follower of dried out fruit, yet there's a very first time for every little thing. It took me a couple of 'chips' to readjust, but after that I was happily biting. The salted caramel flavor wasn't also strong, so if that's exactly what you're searching for in this treat, it could be most ideal to look elsewhere. However if you're seeking a discreetly pleasant, healthy alternative to a cookie, these apple chips make a terrific fix.

Sunrise Fresh Dried Cherries - 1oz (try dimension) $12.99 for 16oz bag

Once again, I came to grips with the entire dried fruit point. For science, I ate one. The dried out cherry had not been bad, yet I assume I require a lot more baby actions before I make that jump. Rather, I determined to get innovative with this part of my plan. I made oatmeal protein cookies and included the cherries in as an additional flourish. They were wonderful, and the cherries provided the cookie a nice tip of sharp. Possibly following time, dried fruit, maybe following time.

Bumble Bar Organic Energy Bar, Almond - 1.4 oz, $1.99 each or $18.88 for a 12pk.

I love protein bars. Love love love. They're an excellent on-the-go snack, plus if you obtain the appropriate ones, they don't taste like cardboard. For this particular bar, I opened the product packaging as well as was questioning why they 'd unintentionally sent me birdseed. Yet alas, this was actually the bar. It was mainly composed of sesame seeds, with some chopped up almonds sprinkled through. It had a good vanilla/cinnamon flavor to it, yet I could only eat sesame seeds for so long. My first suggestion off should have been that this bar is gluten cost-free, wheat complimentary, and also dairy products complimentary. There isn't really much left after that.

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts,.5 oz (example dimension) - $15.50 for 1lb bag

This little try bag of hemp hearts was among my favored products from my box this month. Not only had I never consumed them, I had no concept what to do with them! Manitoba has a dish section on their internet site for this kind of circumstance, so I sprinkled them on my spinach salad. They added a good, nutty flavor, which I wasn't expecting. My next relocation is to place them in a protein shake, because believe it or not, hemp seeds are fairly high in protein.

Shelton's Pepperoni Flavored Turkey Jerky Stick - 36 matter for $48

Do you ever obtain yearnings for healthy protein? Not the powder per say, however a protein abundant food like jerky? Merely me? Anyhow, this jerky stick was so yummy, as well as was available in convenient when I had not been quite full. It made an excellent snack when I was still doing homework around 9:45 pm, but really did not wish to cook a dish. Plus the pepperoni taste had not been excessively artificial tasting.

Ricky's Lucky Nuts, Coffee Flavor, 1.75 oz - $1.59 each, $24.00 for 12pk

These coffee cooked peanuts were divine. I do not believe there's one more method to define them. Extreme yum factor.

Guru Natural Energy Beverage, 8.4 oz - $2.50 each

In lieu of my morning coffee, I grabbed this instead. It was respectable, however the taste is hard to describe. It isn't really standard like 'grape' or 'lemonade' flavor like lots of other power drinks. It was wonderful. The can was 100 calories as well as 25 grams of sugar, so if you are going to get one for work, bear in mind that. I'll get back to you on the energizing part.

Vintage Italia Spicy Tomato Herb Pasta Chips, 2 oz - $2.50 each, $30 for a 12pk of 5 oz bags

I 'd seen these on sale in delicatessens as well as coffeehouse, yet I 'd never ever chose one up. The pasta chips were a gotten preference, but I did get made use of to it. I believe my brain was automatically anticipating potato chips. They were evocative a thinner Sunlight Chip to me, and also I'm not certain if I diggin' the flavor all way too much. But I 'd be completely ready to see just what they're garlic olive oil bag preferences like!

Betty Lou's Ginseng Power Round, 1.4 oz - $1.25 each, $16.09 for 12 count

Well, for one, this treat removed my sinuses in ten seconds flat. The ginseng flavor is solid. The nuts give it a fantastic crunch though, as well as it's a great treat for when you remain in a pinch. I reiterate: solid ginseng taste. If you're not really feeling a spicy kick to your day, Betty Lou's makes these nut spheres in an array of other flavors.

Snap Infusion Supercandy Tart, 1oz - $1.99

I was excited to try these sweets also, which made them even a lot more of an allowed down. They were milky and also reminded me of the vitamins I made use of to take as a youngster. And also you would certainly have to eat the whole bag to get the full dietary dose. Possibly it was merely the tart taste I didn't take care of, yet I don't see myself purchasing these in the future. If I desire a dosage of vitamin C, I'll consume an orange.

Total Box Value: $22.00

Honestly, the February box had me underwhelmed. Some of the items were delicious, however it had not been what I had actually visualized. The overall value just amounted to be a little bit more compared to $20, so I'm still questioning whether the item deserves it or otherwise. Fingers crossed for March to be a little more thrilling!