Guilty Pleasure

[RUNNERFEMME]

I love food. Reading about it, cooking it, experimenting, etc. Grew up with foodie parents. I was making osso buco for show and tell... ok.. that might be an exaggeration...

Despite all this fancy shi-shi food stuff, I am a moth to the light when it comes to spice drops and Hot Tamales. I swear I could go through an entire package of each in one sitting. I can't help myself. What's your guilty pleasure? My sister's is spray cheese and Lucky Charms. Seriously.

[keli175]

I know this is an old thread - have to post though
~Frito Pie with Wolf brand chili
~Utz Cheez balls
~Cream Cheese, shredded Chicken and dry ranch mix on triscuts
~also the cold beef Chef Boy-ar-dee ravioli with Valentina hot sauce mixed in
~smoked oysters (in a tin) on ritz
~ hamburger chips (dill pickle) a bowl at a time
~Chicken in a biskit crackers
~the skin off a grilled piece or chicken (or 5 since I am the one grilling)
~spray cheese (I used to love those little tubes you could squeeze the cheese out of the little opening in the middle of the tube)

I am sure there are more

[iL Divo]

gooey caramel and whipped cream in a huge cup of tea

[HungryNihilist]

Taking Oreos, removing the cream, and filling them with my favorite ice cream. I have also been known to stir a pint of ice cream till it becomes a gelato-like consistency and then pouring mini marshmallows and chocolate sauce into it. Although it no longer exists, Wavy Gravy was the best for doing this.

[GraceW]

Buttery Puff corn..

[littleflower]

Have you tried Utz's Puff n' Corn? They have several varieties (regular - really tastes like butter, cheese, and caramel). The regular kind was my ultimate guilty pleasure until they disappeared entirely from all of the grocery stores around here. Let me know if you know of a decent substitute.

[GraceW]

I haven't tried Utz's--which is probably good that I cannot find it, because caramel would be too tasty.

[RachelJ]

A big pot of rice with a can of Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup mixed in. Guilty pleasure comfort food of my childhood.

[tomhensr]

Guilt? nah... I've decided to be unapologetic in my love of factory food.

- Boston Creme Pie: My all-time favorite dessert. My local Stop&Shop just kills on this. I'm not even going to mention my serving size.

- Duncan Hines Brownies: 'Ol reliable. IMO better than yuppie boutique brands. Add two scoops of Cherry Garcia and the caloric count needs to be expressed using a comma.

- Big-Mac: One every six months. Although the last one sucked big time.

- Libby's Canned Corned Beef: Any low-grade Brazillian canned meat product is fine by me. Served fall-apart microwave hot with Gulden's mustard on Rye. The wife calls it dog food but what does she know?

- Vienna Sausages: The more disgusting the better. Eaten from the can. Anybody who first disgorges these from the can before eating is a certified Piker.

- Spaghetti-Os with Franks: Those little Franks are sublime. I'd buy a can of just the dogs.

- Hormel Chili in the can: On top of Fritos with a good shake of powdered Cayenne.

- Frozen mini-Meatballs with Franco-American gravy: Brand is unimportant; The more commercial tasting the better. When I'm feeling mercurial, I'll use Marie's Blue Cheese dressing instead of the gravy.

- Instant mashed potatoes: With butter, black-pepper, garlic powder and a healthy shake of the evil green can. I swear I could eat two pounds of this while watching TV. Tried this once with fancy-pants Parm-Reg; NOT the same.

[iL Divo]

tomhensr, you're funny.
about MickyD's. yep, Big Mac's aren't what they used to be.
'the franks are sublime'...........you're a hoot

[alkapal]

tom, i highly recommend "idahoan" potatoes in the small red pouch in your grocery aisle. let me know what you think. quite good!

[iL Divo]

alka, are you talking about the little mesh bag of the tiny red potatoes that you microwave for a few minutes then eat?
maybe not...............anyway DD just made them last week and sheeeesh they're great!

[e0023]

Beef Jerky, slurpees, mcdonalds mcnuggets, ice cream cake... I also like mixing soups together like split pea mixed with chicken noodle mixed with chili...lol

[sisterfunkhaus]

Okay, I know I'm going to get some serious flak for this, but I am a devout vegetarian and will have a few slices of Jamon Serrano once or twice a year at the tapas place. I literally never eat any meat, don't use milk, rarely use eggs (although I do like cheese sometimes), but I have slipped twice and had the ham. It's divine.

My others are kettle fried chips. I also love plain Lindt chocolate truffles. I have a boxed cabernet I am also quite fond of.

[ashleynicole]

chinese restaurant honey prawns, cold vegetarian pizza, nutella straight out of the jar, almond croissants, frozen vegetarian gyoza- but only the cheap kind, kimchi everything.

[bonobo]

A chunk of cheese with red sauce on top, mmm. I used to do this a lot in the evenings when I was younger, I'd wash down the cheese with an individual carton of pure orange juice. They went really well some how.

PEANUT BUTTER, I love peanut butter. Peanut butter straight from the jar, on toast, spread thickly over a banana, in a sandwich with banana or jam, in cereal, on ice cream... peanut freaking butter. Crunchy or smooth I don't care.

3 crumpets spread with clover type stuff (I don't usually have cow's butter, it's a bit too salty and strong)

Frozen ready meal chicken dippers, cooked of course not still frozen xD

Cheesecake, I could eat a house brick of the stuff. My mum does excellent cheesecakes, she makes a white chocolate and baileys cheesecake on christmas eve and it's super rich!

[kubasd]

clover type stuff? like... honey?

[GraceW]

Ok this might be too healthy to be a guilty pleasure.. but for anyone who enjoys sour patch kids.. try this healthy variation:
-Fresh fruit (like a strawberry or grape) + sugar-free jello powder... you might need to wet the berry with a little bit of water, but it tastes just like a sour patch kid when it is covered in the powder. Definitely kills a late night craving for something sweet-sour.

[circustance]

First post!
Loved reading through this thread.
Here's some of mine:::

Probably number one is anything with lots and lots of cheese. Melted or not. I'd die without it.
Cheez-its original, although I've never tried any other variety.
Ritz crackers (if I'm not careful, I can go through an entire pak of those in about an hour.)
Haagen-daz any flavour. my favorite being bananas foster.
Reese's Whipps bar
french fries with mayo and mustard
one toasted slice of bread spread over with good butter (I use kerrygold unsalted) then peanut butter (MUST be Kirkland), over that put a sliced banana, then drizzle on some creamed/spun honey (microwaved for about 10 seconds, 'cause it is creamed), finish off with a dash of cinnamon.
chocolate peanut butter malt shakes
Fruit Loops/Lucky Charms/Peanut Butter Crunch/ Cinnamon Toast Crunch/Fruity Pebbles
S'mores! made with Green and Black's Milk Chocolate bar, Nabisco ORIGINAL grahams, and organic mallows from WFs. sooooooo yum
The little store-bought cups (not sure which brand) of cheese cake and red jell-o on top. Haven't seen 'em in a while though.
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies
Dark chocolate super gooey brownies with bits of walnut
Goldfish crackers (yellow kind)
store-bought tapioca YUM
pizza (hot or cold is yum) dipped in a combo of tabasco and ranch dressing
open faced toast with butter, mayo, dijon mustard, slice of really sharp cheddar covering the bread and a fried egg over easy on top.
Corn bread loaded with butter and honey

and those little tiny plastic cups full of half-n-half you find in diner-type restaurants ...

[circustance]

just thought of a few more:

Ho-Hos from Hostess
really fresh warm white flour french bread slathered with good margarine. Saffola is great
VERY occasionally, I'll have a can of chef-boy-R-D meat stuffed raviolis with a dollop of sour cream on the side (it's a childhood thing invented by my grandma.)
the chemical whipped cream that you spray out of the bottle, just by itself, but not so much anymore
ranch dressing, lots of it, mixed stirred into spaghetti
cream cheese and jam sandwiches
avocado and monterey jack cheese sandwiches with mayo and mustard (why am I including this; it's healthy and it's sooo delicious)

don't eat fast food anymore but when I used to, it was always:
Taco Bell MexiMelt
BK Whoppers w/ cheese
McD 1/4 pounders w/ cheese, the amazing fries, chicken McNuggets with honey mustard
Carl's Jr. original six dollar burger

[circustance]

cream puffs
candy corn
lemon poppyseed muffins, coffecake, cupcakes

[GraceW]

I cannot figure out candycorn. I used to hate it.. now I am glad it is really only available during Halloween.

I am currently addicted to kimchi on all things. And I buy the super-hot kimchi. It's definitely driving up my grocery bill.. and probably sodium in-take... oops.

[hill food]

'cept Hostess has changed their recipes. once every year or 2 I'll pick up some Ho-Ho's or Ding-Dongs and well it's another 2 years until I do again..

my childhood is lost in a barren and faceless wasteland holding no sign of direction or passage.

[EWSflash]

FWIW the original Cheezits are the best, by far.

[Txkitchenrat]

Love this thread! Ok, here goes.........., Lays potato chips eaten along with Claussen baby garlic kosher dills. Wolf brand chili slathered in ketchup (and I don't usually eat ketchup!), Jiff creamy peanut butter mixed with cottage cheese, I swear it is really good! Smoked oysters with saltines,(that' my Dad's fault!). I too must confess to loving the fake cheese nachos at football games. And.....Kentucky Fried Chicken, original recipe. Fortunately these are all just memories............ mostly.............

[Emme]

Ha! You just reminded me of a friend in high school who when we went to sporting events at stadiums would order Nachos with Cheese, Hold the Nachos! He would pay extra for a bowl full of that cheese, then eat it with a spoon...

[Miri1]

Fresh strawberries dipped in powdered jello mix. Tangy and sweet. And if im not lazy, I might drizzle them with melted chocolate. Or just eat te chocolate with the strawberries dipped in jello.

[Txkitchenrat]

Well, I will confess that when a friend told me that you could buy the cheese sauce they used at the sporting events ect., at the grocery store, I discovered another food that is not allowed in my home as it is much too dangerous!!

[woelkaru]

Oh yeah! Here we go...

-1 can asparagus, 1 cup parm, 1 cup mayo baked into a dip...the whole thing with Ritz
-I can definitely eat half of a Papa Johns or Domino's pizza, and I normally don't eat that much
-any cheese, fake or real, with any kind of cracker...I'm not a snob when it comes to cheese'n'crackers
-Tollhouse choc chip cookie dough
-Taco Bell
-scambled eggs with sriracha, avocado, bacon, lot-o-cheese and tomato with big toast slices
-actually, i love any breakfast food at all points of the day
-basil pesto pasta
-Robin's Eggs at Easter time
-margaritas

I live in Australia now, so DOUBLE CREAM is my new guilty pleasure! with honey, jam, bread, scones....

[hill food]

is double the same or similar as clotted? (clueless US poster here)

[tseptember]

My made from scratch fudge brownies, Sloppy Joes and Snickers..

[shnoopy]

PB&J w/ Lay's (has to be Lay's) potato chips on the sammich. I learned it in daycare.

Wendy's fries dipped in the Frosty.

Olive juice, or Claussen pickle juice. I drink shots of it. And in the summer, pickle juice popsicles

Fried Bologna

[MangosSurpriseMe]

Shnoopy, you are my hero. I *love* drinking Claussen pickle juice, especially with the chunky bits of garlic at the bottom. If I can manage to not drink it, I'll slice a cucumber and let the slices "marinate" in the juice for a week. If anyone throws out the empty Claussen jar, they get my wrath.

[GraceW]

Ugh, I think in all my years I would have upturned my nose at grocery store coffee-cakes and grocery store sweet rolls... unfortunately due to life-stress (I would love to say: lack of time, but let's be clear, that's a lame excuse), I have eaten grocery store breakfast pastries for the last 3 days. For every meal. Quite the hiatus from balance. I declare it over: back to health...

[chrissy1988]

cottage cheese and maple syrup

golden grahams cereal

cheesecake

frozen yogurt

fiber one oats and caramel bars

[Munkipawse]

Mmmmm... Corn tortillas fried in a little oil til shiny but soft, then salted and stuffed with all the taco fixings sans any meat. Odd but one of my favorite guilty pleasures. :)

[Miri1]

Philly salmon cream cheese. On anything!

Those processed cheese wedges that come in a round cardboard box. Sometimes dipped in mustard.

Anything with melted cheese, microwaved until the edges get crispy. I save that part for last! :)

Payday bars

[alkapal]

i'm with ya on the payday bars! i saw a multi-pack at the grocery the other day, marked down, and i had to tell myself, "i do not need payday bars." keep moving! LOL

[QueenDairy]

That melty, gooey cheese you get with nachos at the movies or concession stands. Omg, I could just drink that stuff. lol

[calmossimo]

*ditto fingers* on the disgusting but delicious nacho cheese sauce. half the reason i go to baseball games in the spring (the other half is for garlic fries). although i could also drink the tostinos queso sauce from the jar. i guess i just like fake cheese product.

movie theater popcorn with tons of "butter"... i've gotten great at portion control with most things, but if i get popcorn at the movies, i'll still eat so much to give myself a stomachache. also delish with an icee on the side -- blue raspberry or coke flavor.

teeth-achingly sweet sugary kids cereals, most kinds. if my bf is grocery shopping with me, he'll pick up a box and i end up eating at least a couple bowlfuls, with milk or dry as a snack. i also eat tons of those salt-laden flavored sunflower seeds when he's around. what an enabler.

[QueenDairy]

Ahhh yes, the Coca Cola Icee, please! :D Omg, with Lucky Charms cereal, I was a strange little girl. I would "sort" out the marshmallows into a pile and eat them last. Hah! And I am hooked on sunflowers seeds too. Whenever me and my bf go grocery shopping, I have to look straight ahead, so as not to grab a bag. I would eat the whole bag in 1-2 sittings. My bf makes fun of me, saying I look like a squirrel.

[susantrader]

Have you found the chocolate covered sunflower seeds? OMG!!! They are dangerous. Thank goodness they are pricey.

[GraceW]

Just put them in the freezer; they will last longer--not with respect to expiration, but you will eat less.

[TeriPie]

Peanut-Butter Cap'n Crunch....

WHOLE can of ChefBoyArDee RAVIOLI w/garlic salt n lots of black pepper...

Chocolate fudge frosting from the fridge eaten COLD w/ a spoon!

Kraft BLUE BOX mac n cheese made w/ xtra butter n milk AND 2-powdered cheese packets!! (the extra macaroni saved for mac salad another time)

BBQ potato chip sandwich made with mayo on WONDER bread!

[GraceW]

+1 fudge frosting (all canned frosting). I never buy it but about twice a year when I am around it, the fact that it has Trans Fat does not stop me.

[NancyC]

Previously:

- Mac & cheese made with a big block of Velveeta and sliced hotdogs. Sometimes I make the sauce with a little milk, most times with pasta water, but every once in a while it's nothing but melted Velveeta. The hotdogs aren't always hotdogs though...sometimes they're reasonably-healthy chicken sausages. But to make it even worse: French's fried onions sprinkled on top, sometimes.

- Pizza Rolls--don't buy them much because they go too fast, and if I had to choose I get a bit more satisfaction from the Velveeta.

- Stove Top--same deal. If I have it in the house it will go too quick. I don't go into withdrawal if I simply don't buy, though.

- Crab rangoon/wontons. Have to make them myself to really love them though, and of course the problem is once you get the oil fired up, you might as well make a lot for one sitting. Knowing I NEVER feel great afterwards, I try to convince myself that buying the skins and canned crab take too much effort.

Since moving to small-town Thailand the guilty pleasures are:

- Chicken fingers. I buy from a vendor who fries every last part of the chicken and sells it with sticky rice, but all I want is the breast-meat chicken fingers. Really thick and always fairly crisp even when room-temp (most of the time). I will also stuff a couple in a hamburger roll and rejoice in that sandwich.

- Kit-Kat Chunky. Regionally-produced chocolate--at least what's available in a small town--is abhorrent. Better imports like Ritter cost the same as they do in the States, and I can't afford that too often now. But Kit-Kat Chunky both tastes exactly as it should and comes in at a low-enough price (about $1) to keep a few in stock for emergencies.

- Peanut butter/chocolate Oreos. I don't know if they sell this variety in the States, and I've never been a craver of Oreos there. Here, again I have to try not to buy, as a roll will magically disappear in two days.

- There used to be a vendor here who sold deep-fried Shan tofu (chickpea-based, not soy-based). I went enough that I was ashamed to admit to anyone I knew...I mean they're basically fried cubes and I was eating them for my whole meal, at minimum once a week, and most of the other Westerners here are fairly healthy eaters. Was also slightly embarrassed that she always gave a knowing look when I rode up on my bike. I guess it's good that she decided to quit the biz, but I miss her.

[hill food]

"deep-fried Shan tofu (chickpea-based, not soy-based)"

oh I'd eat that and never feel guilt or the need to apologize.

[kubasd23]

I used to be the EXACT same way with the pizza rolls (Totino Brand, of course) and the stove top. If I had some, weekend lunch could possibly be a whole box.... With how healthy I normally eat, if anybody IRL knew either of those, they'd be shocked beyond belief!! haha.

[lunaburning]

Cheeseburger Macaroni flavor Hamburger Helper

Those little cruller style doughnuts that you buy in the supermarket in the orange and white paper bags. I think they're called Donut Fair.

Hushpuppies from Long John Silvers

Mellowcreme pumpkins

Fritos corn chips

And just something that I eat at home when there's no one around to witness it: creamy peanut butter on a spoon with dark brown sugar on top.

[Olliegator]

Vanilla greek yogurt mixed with crushed graham crackers and chocolate chips (tastes like cheesecake, I swear)

Chipotle vegetarian burrito bowls (a great excuse to eat guacamole and rice mixed up in a bowl)

Kraft Mac and Cheese in shapes. The regular noodles suck, but the shapes (spongebob, since I have a young son), seem to taste incredibly fake "cheesier".

Grilled cheese with American cheese on Generic white bread.

Sushi (unagi, tuna, salmon, and king crab), with that horrid wasabi/soy emulsion.

Panera Bread french onion soup.

Anything with cream cheese.

[kubasd23]

I'm with you on the cream cheese! I love pretzels dipped in cream cheese, toasted cinnamon raisin bread w/ cream cheese, extra toasted everything bagels with (a lot of) cream cheese. I also am a sucker for cheesecake flavored items. My favorite at the moment? The Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream. It is rich, with a great mouthfeel. Strong pumpkin and cream cheese flavors with just the right amount of spice. It's swirled with a sweet graham cracker crumble. I ate the entire pint in one sitting. So frickin good!

[Olliegator]

Ben and Jerry's pumpkin cheesecake ice cream???!?!??!?!??

Pardon me, my mind is blown.

[Rodzilla]

B&J pumpin cheesecake was pretty popular last fall http://wp.me/p1ufbc-I

as for guilty pleasures, I have plenty of pleasures..none of them guilty :D

[alkapal]

LOL, rodzilla, i love how you "doctored it up."

speaking of pumpkin and cream cheese, i just found this recipe for a pumpkin-cream cheese roll. move over carrot cake! http://sasha-qbella.blogspot.com/2011... (well, maybe just scoot over a little bit).

[Rodzilla]

haha thanks, that pumpkin roll looks great, but I don't know if it can top carrot cake for me - I liked the seasonal carrot cake B&J even better :D

[alkapal]

if you love carrot cake (as i do), give this sweet potato cake a try sometime. fab-u-lous! http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,186,1...

[Rodzilla]

thanks alk!

[EWSflash]

oh hell to the yeah- green tea ice cream and pumpkin ice cream are my favorites

[littleflower]

+1 Trader Joe's Pumpkin Ice Cream available in the fall!

[littleflower]

I saw the word "pretzels" and thought of what I order when going to the mall - two salted pretzels, and I ask them to RE-DIP both pretzels in more butter and sprinkle on more salt. That is twice the normal amount of butter and salt of a regular pretzel. That is a definite guilty pleasure.

[eclecticsynergy]

Yep, Olliegator, you might try cream cheese on a tuna sandwich sometime. Mmmmm...

[kubasd23]

Oh the irony... It had to be today that I decided to read this whole thread (instead of just skimming). For a normally very healthy eater, the thing that I happen to be eating at this very moment is Domino's pizza dipped in a mix of Marie's Super Blue Cheese dressing and red chili flakes. Oh the shame.... Oh the guilt.... Oh the delicious party in my mouth!!

[southernitalian]

Pizza and blue cheese dressing? That sounds divine! I have a new one. A few weeks back my daughter and I were at a market in our city that sells international items (Asian, Central American and Indian). We were walking past a display case and she said, "Takis! Oh, I love them. Can we get a bag?". They came in a few flavors. We chose chili and lime. Picture thin Doritos but rolled like taquitos. Bright red. I'm hooked.

[buttertart]

Rolled??? fun.

[kubasd23]

It is quite wonderful! so is it a flavored corn tortilla that is rolled and fried? It sounds tasty! You reminded me of another guilty pleasure, that I will deny outside of this thread. 7-11 taquitos. So.... awful, yet so tasty late night or early morning!

[pinehurst]

BooBerry cereal. A&W Diet (ha ha) cream soda. Shamrock Shakes (which are gone now, I think). And does anyone remember the Hickory Farms cheese log/ball???

[hill food]

pine - or (not a guilty pleasure for me but bears mentioning) the port wine cheddar cheese log/ball rolled in walnuts. or was that from Stuckey's?

[hypomyces]

My guilty pleasure is a fast-food dish called 'Poutine' in Québec.
It is a mountain of french fries topped with fresh cheese curds (that 'squeak-sh' when eaten) and slathered with brown gravy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine

[susantrader]

I haven't been able to stop thinking about this since I read it...LOL. OMG that sounds divine.

[iL Divo]

Susan: it's found all over Canada. I've bought it from west to east.
it truly is stupid good ;:-)))

[iL Divo]

hypo:
my personal favorite hip building fat thick body enhancing dish too.

[susantrader]

My newest guilty pleasure is McDonalds' Mocha Frappe. I just can't get enough of them!

[LePetitChefCanadien]

Skor blizzards.

Nutella.

Dynamite rolls (the kind with the tempura shrimp). I know it's not "authentic" and I usually avoid deep-fried foods, but that stuff is so GOOD!

Just about anything involving chocolate (or imitation chocolate) or caramel. You know, Oh Henry Bars, Twix, chocolate cheerios... You get the idea.
Goldfish crackers.
Hawkin's cheezies. Not Cheetos. Hawkins.
Chocolate Hobnobs . (so good with a cup of tea- got hooked on these in London)
Jaffa Cakes. (actually really good with raspberry sorbet!)
Starbucks Oat Fudge Bars.
Pumpkin Spice lattes.

I could just go on and on...

[ansluasi]

OK, I only get to indulge in these rarely as I try to banish the leftover baby bulge, but these are what I would eat with great gusto if the things that tasted the best were not also infuriatingly fattening and unhealthy. Sigh. I wish.

Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar ice cream. Caffeine, sugar, chocolate, toffee, what's not to adore?

Hello Dolly Bars (with the graham crust covered with coconut, caramel-y sweetened condensed milk, walnuts and chocolate chips..mmmmmm:)

Brown sugar toast with LOTS of butter

Russell Stover orange or raspberry creams or Roman Nougats

Toll House bar cookies and a tall glass of milk.

Butterfinger Blizzards (or flurrys, or whatever the ice cream stand happens to call them)

[pinkfluffyclouds]

Milk Duds!

[timedancer]

may sound a little bizzare but is still a guilty pleasure......cake batter. i think that stems from childhood memories of my mom letting me lick the egg beaters and lick out the bowl. i don't make alot of cake, but when i do, i leave myself just a little bit.

[ansluasi]

Right there with you:) Brownie batter too.

[brandonbart]

real chicharrones, made by people who really know what they are doing. not the crappy store bought versions. if there was an unlimited supply sitting on a table in front of me, id probably not stop eating them until my heart explodes^^ oh, and peanut butter cups.

[italia84]

You really wanna know? Ok, I'll tell you...instant mashed potatoes. I really never cook them--in the four years I've been with my partner (who loves mashed potatoes--REAL mashed potatoes), I think I've made them once. But every once in a while, when my mother in law or grandmother cooks...I am secretly really excited to eat instant mashed potatoes.

Also, the only brownies I really love...are from a mix. Either Duncan Hines or Ghiradelli. And I've had all kinds of brownies from "best of" lists, from all over the place, made top recipes, etc.... I really never use cake mixes (or mixes at all, for that matter), so when someone sets out a tray of these, I go crazy for the corner pieces. No brownies come close. I would never, ever admit this in public.

[hill food]

"I would never, ever admit this in public." umm sorry honey but ya just did. I'll admit on occasion I'll make real mashed potatoes and augment them with the instant, and back in college would do sort of a croquette out of the instant with peas or spinach or nothing (don't ask for a technique I was too inebriated and the results didn't matter all that much)

[buttertart]

Having first had instant mashed 3000 years ago when they first came out and were pretty much indistinguishable from library paste, I was astonished to find that the Idahoan homestyle ones are more than passable.

[alkapal]

yes they are indeed butter-tart-a-letta-mo-betta!

have you tried the red bliss idahoans?

[buttertart]

No, good? Must try.

[FoodFuser]

Idahoans are one the few foods in a box I allow in my kitchen.

One secret to preparation they don't write on the panel: scald the milk in the microwave (with some butter). Watch it carefully as it climbs to quick boil. Then add the salt, pepper, and tater flakes. Minimal stirring, as they quickly build gluten.

The main reason I keep them is to tweak tuna salad. It was a secret from a deli owner whose tuna subs were locally famous. After several years of patronage and conversation, he only divulged to secret to his tuna when he knew I was leaving the state.

His secret was mashed potato flakes, added at the end, to firm the emulsion.

[hill food]

FoodFuser - interesting, may need to try that someday. seems like the mix always separates after an hour or two and there's a sad lump sitting in a puddle of liquid in the fridge. so to be clear: one just mixes the flakes uncooked or reconstituted right into the salad, correct?

[FoodFuser]

Sprinkle some dried flakes over the top after you've mixed all other ingredients, and fold the flakes in.

Ratio varies depending upon the dampness of your other ingredients. You'll find your balance.

[coll]

Those watery salads do benefit from a little help. Most places I know use panko or other bread crumbs, it's not uncommon. The instant mashed, always on hand for soups.

[alkapal]

the idahoans i speak of are in a small plastic package. http://www.idahoan.com/products/south... but i see there are larger boxes and the like.

by the way, also, jacques pepin also used instant potato flakes for soups etc.

[hypomyces]

Dulce de leche on toast as an afternoon snack!

[Avalondaughter]

-KFC - Yes, I've had better fried chicken, but still love KFC
-Smoked turkey tails (or just grabbing the tail off the turkey at Thanksgiving before anyone else does)
- Canned biscuits
- Pigs in blankets (made with canned biscuits)
Nutella straight from the jar

[Ottojr]

Vienna Sausages
BBQ Chips with tuna fish dip
Bacon and Banana Sandwich

[ponygirl87]

It's making me hungry just thinking about this.

Crunchy Cheetos- not the silly puffy ones
French Fries- nice thick steak fries with real mayo
Ice Cream on the couch at midnight drizzling chocolate sauce into the carton
The Girl Scout Cookies that come in the purple box and have coconut flakes
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
"Chinese Buffet' Style Pork Fried Rice
Lucky Charms
Microwave Popcorn (Orville Redenbacher Kettle Corn)
Reese's anything (the cups are the best, but also the cereal)
The Frosted Animal Crackers someone already mentioned

I feel like going grocery shopping tonight is going to be dangerous and some of this list might make it into the cart :)

[GraceW]

UNnatural peanut butter
chocolate chips straight from the bag
grocery store cake
Okee Dokee Chicago Mix popcorn
Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
chocolate covered fruits and nuts

[littleflower]

Steak-Ums cooked in skillet then sprinkled with garlic salt and pepper - eaten with slice of white Wonder bread.
Late Night 5 min. Homemade Garlic Bread - Soft butter spread on two pieces of white Wonder Bread then sprinkle a liberal dose of garlic salt and garlic powder on it - Broil for 5 min.
Hardee's Chili Dogs - Chili, Onions, Ketchup, and Mustard with Peach Milkshake
Burger King Chicken Tenders (reminds me of when I was a kid)
McD's French Fries
Hot Fresh Krispy Kreme Donuts
Double Stuffed Oreo Cookies

Jif Creamy Peanut Butter eaten right with a spoon right out of the jar
Hawaiian Punch - Fruit Juicy Red
Kool-Aid - Tropical Punch Flavored
7-11 Slurpees
Fried Bologna Sandwiches (Fried Bologna - 3 slices per 1 slice of white Wonder bread and folded up into a sandwich)
Strawberry Toaster Struedels
KFC Original Recipe Fried Chicken

[DomesticDizziness]

Canned corned beef hash, fried until crispy
Stouffers frozen macaroni & cheese
Fruit Loops
Maraschino cherries eaten from the jar
Land O' Lakes white American Cheese melted on a plate, via microwave, then scraped off bit by bit with a spoon. (Hey, I was a latch key kid!)
Frozen jalapeno cream cheese poppers

[fldhkybnva]

Corned beef hash - any time, all the time!

[iL Divo]

"Maraschino cherries eaten from the jar"

how 'do' they get them sooooooooooo red?
love the things, don't get me started

you're funny ....love the cheese idea and the latch key kid thing, I think we were mostly all latch key kids

[Dave Westerberg]

Airport Chinese Food!

Specifically: "Bourbon Chicken" (whatever that is) on noodles. I love it. The place in Terminal B in Atlanta serves a wicked one.
D

[davecrf]

Side pork,breaded and fried milk gravy made from drippings corn and mashed potatoes.I have this maybe once a .year

[ItaliAnna]

Steak fries with spicy nacho cheese sauce.

Dark Chocolate and port or any red wine, really.

Pesto, with just about anything.
Pine nuts toasted in a dry pan with a little salt. Divine.

Yellow box cake with chocolate frosting, frosting dipped in Nerds.
Nerds alone works too.

Anything creamy. Ice cream, custard, whipped cream, frosting, mac/cheese, alfredo, brie cheese, nacho cheese sauce, aoli, hummus, cream cheese, home run pies, butter, cream sauce, gravy...omg, this is ridiculous! LOL

[LovelyAsia]

Just call me Cartman... I love KFC original style chicken thighs and will eat the skin first... but I won't put the chicken back in the bucket like Cartman does! :)

Deep fried apples pies... I miss the old McDonald's ones, but luckily Pizza Hut have mini ones which are similar, and so does Pizza Pizza here in Canada.

Vanilla ice cream with Hershey's chocolate sauce has become my latest obsession because of the childhood memories it brings back.

Of course the worst one is the one I call devil juice - good old Classic Coca Cola, but only fountain style from McDonald's or restaurants... I KNOW how bad it is for me, but sometimes nothing else will give me that fix!

[clairetraas]

I don't know what they put in it, but I love SCRAPPLE for breakfast, fried in the pan till it gets all crispy and then I cover it with maple syrup. Taylor Pork Roll is another favorite.

I still eat Kraft Macaroni and cheese. It's a whole meal for less than 2 dollars. But when I'm feeling more ambitious I'll also boil some real pasta, grate cheese over it and nuke it in the microwave.

Other pleasures include:

- Little Debbie Nutty Bars
- Little Debbie Oatmeal "Creme" Pies
- Fritos
- Store-brand Rice a Roni
- Duncan Hines powdered cake mix, and icing from a can.
- instant hot cocoa
- Stop & Shop brand frozen cream puffs (They're so good, I could eat the whole box)

[alkapal]

have you seen the "extra large" little debbie oatmeal creme pies? mmmmmmm!

(though i don't see them on their website.....but my sister buys them in ocala, florida).

[chefdater]

i can't believe no one has said pigs-in-a-blanket. those are my absolute favorite....superbowl parties and cocktail hours just aren't the same without them.

[Miss Clare]

Orange Fanta soda from the Dominican Republic. Made with real cane sugar, so you know it'll rot your teeth good.

Funfetti frosting. (Get the Betty Crocker kind. Pillsbury changed the recipe and it's not as good anymore.)

Gardetto's snack mix.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Queso fundido from Tijuana Taco Stand in Wilmington, DE. A crock of melty cheese that comes adorned with roasted poblanos, mushrooms, or chorizo. I ask for all three and smear great gooey gouts of it on hot tortillas.

The supreme nachos platter, also from Tijuana Taco Stand. A mountain of house-made chips, covered in cheese sauce, crumbles of chorizo, refried beans, guacamole, salsa, more cheese, etc. I have been known to run my fingers across the bottom of the plate and lick them clean to get the last of the chorizo-and-cheese goo.

Hot dogs and baked beans with white bread smeared with lots of soft, salty butter and a glass of milk. I make it for dinner every year the night before my birthday (it's what my mother ate for dinner the night before I was born).

French toast made with just eggs and milk in the batter, served in a pool of butter and with ketchup on top.

[brillat4savarin]

Gummy Bears
Sour Patch Kids
Cup O'Noodles/Maruchan Instant Lunch
Dirty Potato Chips
Campells Vegetarian Vegetable condensed soup with alphabet noodles
Rice A Roni
Lipton Chicken flavored Noodles and Sauce
WisPride spreadable Port Wine Cheddar
Cheez-its/Nips
Planter's Cheese Curls (not the balls--the curls, much better than cheetos)
Pretzel Crisps
Whole Foods' 365 brand sourdough crackers
Dove ice cream bars
Ben and Jerry's mint chocolate cookie
Twix

[laliz]

I forgot about Campells Vegetarian Vegetable condensed soup with alphabet noodles

[laliz]

-Old English Cheese Spread in the 5.5 oz. jar (mix w/mayo, butter, and garlic powder)
-Taco Bell 99 cent bean tostada
-Cold pizza, spaghetti, meatloaf
-Reddi-Whip straight out of the can
-White fudge Oreos
-Blue Box Kraft Dinner (add the milk first, then the butter, then the cheese powder)
**making note to self to try Burger King Jr. Whopper w/cheese**
-agree 100% with any hot dip involving mayonnaise
-7/11 chili dogs (or The Hat)
-Andersen's split pea soup (at the restaurant or, sadly, straight out of the can) OR the split pea soup at the Southwest terminal at LAX
-brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts, no need to toast, although toasted with butter melting on is pretty much TDF
-toasted english muffin w/butter and Nutella OMG

love, Love, LOVE this thread

chef boy-ar-dee mini spaghetti & meatballs out of the can

[ashdawg]

anything peanut butter or any other nut butter... peanut butter or sunflower seed butter in greek yogurt, peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwiches
nutella on just about anything
jack n the box 99 cent tacos, fries and an oreo shake (to dip the fries in of course!)
chocolate covered pretzels from trader joes
kraft mac n cheese w salsa mixed in
smores pop tarts burnt around the edges
tadij (this crunchy rice dish my persian roommate would bring home from the persian restaurants)
peanut butter captian crunch
mallowmars, chewy chips ahoy w cream cheese
thin mints
pringles
chipotle burritos fully loaded
sweet and sour chicken
In n Out Animal style burger and fries w strawberry shake
mc donalds chicken nuggets w honey
triscuts

[Caldera519]

Mozzarella Cheese! Love it!

[piccola]

This isn't unhealthy, just weird: I've been known to eat okra (canned or pickled) straight from the jar. Best chilled first, of course.

[vvvindaloo]

I love to slurp a fountain Dr. Pepper (must be fountain soda, only) through a Twizzler with the ends bitten off. This pairs particularly well with Wendy's chicken nuggets and BBQ dipping sauce.
Another great pairing: seasoned curly fries with a tamarind flavor Jarritos (Mexican soda). But you didn't hear it from me!

[salvarez]

Lately I have been devouring bowls of basmati rice with soy sauce, sesame oil, siracha and honey. Little to no nutritional value. Don't know why I started it but it hits all my cravings at once, sweet, smoky, carby, spicy. mmmm I am going to make a bowl now.

[ItaliAnna]

That actually sounds really good! I love spicy/sweet.

[jentami]

-Toasted white bread with Nutella (or Nugati) on one side, peanut butter on the other, and raspberry preserves in the middle. A total sugar bomb, but to die for!!!!

[johnecampbell]

Peanut Butter Twix
Dark Chocolate M&Ms

[amy_rc]

I love Twix, both caramel and pb. I like to bite the topping off and eat the cookie by itself.

[Kiss_the_cook]

I am sooo glad I found this site. I'm home.

Peanut butter & chocolate Cap'n Crunch right out of the box.

S'mores made with chocolate graham crackers,Really good dark chocolate and Peeps.(those sugar covered marshmallows that come out for the holidays) Heaven!

Fried bologna sandwiches on white bread w/ mayo and a squirt of cheap yellow mustard. If I feel like having a heart attack that day I add a slice of orange cheese.

My homemade Turtle Brownies mushed into Breyers vanilla ice cream.

Dairy Queen Blizzards

Snyder Jalapeno kettle chips with French onion chip dip.Mmmm

Chili dogs

Deep-fried cheese on-a-stick

I think I gained 15 lbs. just typing this post.OMG!

[Finsmom]

My hubby and I threw a white trash party for my hubby's 30th a few months ago... one of the best parts was the fact that there was an excuse to chow down on all the crappy foods we normally avoid... tator tots, chex mix, corn dogs, KFC, beef jerky, cheetos... you know, the good stuff!
Truthfully though, I am way to much of a foodie and perfectionist to feel comfortable serving this as party food... It was fun, but it almost killed me. The fact that I served a mccain deep and delish cake as my husbands birthday cake, as oppossed to a homemade beauty, was so strange and hard, if that makes any sense at all... Yes, it went with the theme, but it was still hard!

[theannerska]

amy_rc, I love the frosty + fries from Wendy's! I usually go for vanilla though.

- Also from Wendy's: the spicy chicken sandwich and 99¢ chili
- Canned Goya octopus in olive oil
- Canned corn...sometimes (often) right out of the can
- Doritos (any flavor)
- Ramen the regular way: in the soup, using the entire packet, plus a long squeeze of sriracha and a poached egg on top
- Grated parm from the green can (okay, it's Whole Foods' green can, but it's still a can)
- Bagel Bites!

This was oddly satisfying.

[torty]

I just saw some giant cans of octopus on the sale table ($1) at Smart & Final. The label says it is actually made from calamari. Is this the one you like? I should have taken the risk for a $1!

[theannerska]

The ones I have are 4 oz. each, sold under the Goya brand. Each tin is boxed, and on the front it says imported from Spain; the ingredients listed are octopus, olive oil, and salt. So, I doubt it's made from calamari. I'd be interesting to see how that would taste though.

I can never find the octopus in regular supermarkets -- I get mine from a Mexican market in nearby suburb. About a 15-minute drive. Yep, the craving is that strong...

[torty]

Interesting- will look out for it. Is the texture on the chewy side? I opened the can, took a portion and let it rest in a zip bag with some tangerine juice for a while. My son ran out of the house- it was pretty smelly but the dog went wild for it. Then ate it on toasted corn tortillas with a ton of homemade salsa. Pretty good, but this "giant squid" was much softer than the octopus I have had. Not mushy, but more like chicken.

[theannerska]

It is slightly (though not very) chewy -- nothing like the tender octopus you would get in, say, Galicia. It would probably benefit from some tenderizing, but lately I've just been dumping it into pasta at the very last second. Since it's already cooked, it gets chewier as it heats in the pot.

The loaded nachos idea sounds really good! Maybe I'll try that sometime...

[Arctic Rose]

Wow. It's so weird to me that I share so many cravings with folks who have posted (cold pizza, orangey-colored nacho's, corn dogs...). But I haven't seen anyone yet post the guilty pleasure that got me thru my college years - which I've never mentioned before to anyone:

BROWN SUGAR CINNAMON POP TARTS!

Mmmmmmm. I'm missing them now that they're on my mind.

[Solstice444]

Haha, my coworker loves those and brings them in often for a snack. I don't know if I've ever tried that variety - my favorite was the frosted cherry/strawberry/raspberry...something with red filling!

[sunkissedbabe43]

hahahaha

that was by-far my favorite "breakfast" in middle school. toasted or not?

[revsharkie]

Make mine toasted...I prefer blueberry ones.

[katieleigh]

Yes! So, so good! I really miss those too! For me their best toasted, the hotter the better.

[amy_rc]

Wendy's french fries dipped into their chocolate frosty. Reminds me of college.

[fern]

Well there you go. Forgot about that. If we have to do fast food on the road or something I often get a chocolate shake with fries to dip in it. Delicious. So much better than a burger or whatever else is there.

[daylight]

HA!
i was just telling my boyfriend that i used to love mc donald's fries dipped in chocolate milkshake!
mmmm....
so weird, yet so delicious.
don't know if i'd do it now-a-days however...

[moh]

On this theme, I actually prefer Wendy's fries dipped in that Frosty thing they have...

[amy_rc]

When my friends first suggested it, I thought that they were pulling a prank on me. Oh, I'm glad I took the chance! I think that it is the combination of the salty and sweet and the fact that the chocolate in the frosty isn't overpowering.

[piccola]

On a similar note, I love chips or pretzels in chocolate pudding. I know it sounds ever weirder, but trust me.

[cresyd]

-Cinnamon Toast Crunch
-Duncan Hines icing, either eaten using a pretzel as a spoon...or an actual spoon
-Fluff with a spoon
-Cheetos and all associated "puff snacks". I'm gonna include Bambas in this, like cheese puffs but it's with peanut butter. I still don't know how they manage to stuff so much fat into something where it only feels like having eaten a bag of packing peanuts.
-The fried veggies at the hospital cafeteria.

[workinglunches2]

Pork rinds, from the bag, or fresh at taqueria
we used to crush them up and put on top of Chinese Congee styled soup growing up. Now my wife thinks I am crazy when I eye them up in snack aisle.

[Caroline1]

Okay. Brand new guilty pleasure, and who woulda thunk it? Campbells "soup at Hand" Chicken with Mini Round Noodles. The kind of soup you heat in the container and put a travel-cup type lid on? The stuff is good! And more amazingly, it's only 80 calories! Hey, I can live with that.

I'm gonna start a new diet fad: Caroline's Diet: 10 packs of any 100 calorie packages of anything your heart desires a day and a really good vitamin pill. '-)

[ArikaDawn]

i am so down with that diet ESPECIALLY since I discovered the super processed 100 calorie pack cupcakes. Mini carrot cake cupcakes for dinner? Or perhaps yellow with chocolate frosting ?...=)

[ckatcook]

Hello! New to the board here! I think I have found my new home!

The problem with the 100 calorie packs is that I could eat 4 or 5 of them.

My truely guilty pleasures -

underwood deviled ham
kraft mac and cheese in the instant cup
state fair corn dogs
ore ida crispy crowns, with chilli
spam (every so often I just gotta have it) w/ mac and cheese
manwhich
red baron pizzas
fried bologna and egg sandwiches
cinnamelts from mickey d's

heaven help me..

[Catskillgirl]

Oh, I think you're going to fit in just fine! I'm pretty new here too, and am already addicted.

And I'm so happy you mentioned Manwich. I have to have it several times a year. On a toasted kaiser roll (I like mine open-faced - eat with a fork & knife) with a slice of processed American cheese under the meat. How I love this stuff. Made with 80% ground chuck, of course. *G*

[Caroline1]

Mini carrot cake cupcakes? Where? What brand? I am soooo in to dieting with ten packs of those a day and a Centrum! Oh, joy! '-)

[ckatcook]

They are made by Hostess and I usually find them in super walmarts, or my local grocery store where they keep the twinkies.

hey, another guilty pleasure - twinkies

[HillJ]

Probably more pleasure than guilt...Lychee fruit.

I do go out of my way to buy quality versions...dried when I can get them & canned in light syrup; lychee are so refreshing.

[ArikaDawn]

Flavored Instant Oatmeal

[KevinB]

Amazed that no one has mentioned this, but what my wife calls "Canadian Chinese food" - sweet and sour chicken balls in flourescent orange sauce, egg rolls, chicken fried rice, Cantonese chow mein, deep fried chicken wings, beef with broccoli, and fortune cookies. To make matters worse, both I and my elder daughter like tossing some of the Day-Glo S&S sauce on our fried rice. Yes, it's revolting, but somehow, it works.

[daylight]

guilty pleasure?
TALKING ABOUT FOOD!
ha!
i came accross this website by accident (looking for fish taco recipes) and now i can't leave!!!
i love writing about food, remembering foods that i hadn't eaten since i was a kid, recommending food places, getting good recommendations for food places.
this site is more adicting than myspace! :)

[moh]

"this site is more adicting than myspace! "

I have taken to referring to this site as Crackhound.

[susantrader]

Hohos/Yodels
Oreos
Oscar Meyer hot dogs
cinnamon toast (made with loads of sweet butter and sugar)
big macs

Oh the shame. ;)

[daylight]

~mayo sandwiches.
~jalapeno cheetos.
~ranch dressing. i put it on alot of stuff! i love it on spagetti!
~lime chili chicken flavored maruchan noodles.
~KFC's chicken littles (though, not every kfc has them any more. the only one i can think of is in laguna beach, CA.)
~butter in warm corn tortillas.
~mayo in warm flour tortillas.
~chicken nuggets at wendy's, with honey mustard & ranch dipping sauces.
~hot dogs at 7-11 with chilli & nacho cheese & onions. (so gross! i know! but i gotta have one once in a while!)
~frito bowls (bag of fritos with hormell chilli w/ beans; sour cream; cheese sauce-i like the jalapeno kind that frito makes; & onions.)

as far as sweets go, i'm not huge on sweets.
but i do love mr. goodbars & chocolate cake.
or ice cream & i put milk in it.

[Catskillgirl]

Mr. Goodbars. Yum. One of my favorites!

[Cookiepants]

A pound of bacon and a bottle of wine for dinner :(

[moh]

oh that sounds good.

Another really guilty pleasure: Deep fried pig jowl made at a local butcher shop. I've heard chicharrones are simliar, but have not tried them.

[LTL]

I agree. If it weren't so unhealthy, I would do it every day lol

[tonyarose]

Basically anything vegetarian I could get from fast food places:

Bean burritos (Taco Bell)
French fries from any fast food place
Grilled cheese (In-N-Out)

Also, in my one cheat from vegetarianism: Chicken flavor Top Ramen
And Cheddar and Sour Cream potato chips.

[katieleigh]

A guilty pleasure of mine would have to be just about anything burnt (toast, pasta, casseroles, anything bready), it reminds me of my mom's cooking.
Also Cinnabons, Reeses Peanut Butter cups, Tuna Helper (the meal in a box kind), Panda Express' orange chicken, Arby's plane roast beef sandwich, the cinnamon sugar swirl bread at Costco, and of course Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

[Solstice444]

Various types of fast food, but especially Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich, Quarter Pounder w/cheese meal at McDonald's, and the 2 gorditas (1 supreme, 1 baja) and 1 hard taco meal at Taco Bell
Ramen (especially in the spicy flavors...spicy chicken/beef/shrimp, and even better if it's in the "just add hot water" cups)
Hot & Spicy Cheez-its
Stouffer's Supreme French Bread Pizza
Entenmann's Raspberry Danish Twist, or anything by them that has Neufchatel cheese in it like their Cheese Coffee Cake (if that's the name, something similar anyway)
Casa Buena beef, bean, and green chile burrito
Habanero Doritos (I think they're called Fiery Habanero?)
Pepperjack cheese, or Habanero cheddar cheese...just cutting slices off the block of cheese and eating them
various bar foods, such as mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers (with cheddar cheese), onion rings

(can you tell I love spicy food?)

I know I have more!

[Smileelisa]

french fries w/gravy

McDonalds big mac

auntie anne soft pretzels (plain)

pizza

sweet lebanon bologna rolled up w/o bread

rice a roni w/broccoli

egg rolls

pierogies w/butter and onions..yummy

arby's curly fries

crock pot mac and cheese

[fern]

crock pot mac & cheese? please tell me how you make that. then you'll have company in your guilty misery/delight.

[Catskillgirl]

Yes please! I think I really need this recipe. TIA!

[Smileelisa]

Crock pot mac & cheese

8oz macaroni (cooked and drained)
12 oz evaporated milk
1 1/2 C milk
1 brick Cracker Barrel (x-sharp) cheese, cubed
3 T butter (optional)

Cook in crockpot on low 3-4 hours, stir frequentl

fern, when you make this please invite me to share!!!! it is soooo good.

[Catskillgirl]

Thank you! can't wait to try this.

[fern]

Oh boy, sounds so easy and good! I don't have Cracker Barrel but do have extra-sharp Tillamook in the fridge. Can't wait to make this. Maybe this weekend.

Thank you, Smileelisa!

[Caroline1]

I refuse to call them "guilty" pleasures, but I do have a few irresistible pleasures. My power to walk away dissolves in their presence.

Fresh hot bread, especially thick crusted chewy artisan breads, and tons of unsalted butter. Cholesterol? I don't believe in it.

I have a particular weakness for Pepperidge Farms frozen carrot cake. For reasons I don't understand, it's getting scarcer and scarcerer in the grocery stores in my area, which brings great grief to me. When I can find it, it's very difficult to make it last beyond two days, even when I'm the only one eating it.

These are the only enduring irresistibles I can think of at the moment. Other things burn brightly for a while, then fade. Chicken and dumplings is currently burning brightly. Have a big pot on the stove. Will gorge on that and be done with it for a while. I think the condition is called "intermitent pig-out-itis."

[vvvindaloo]

Does Pepperidge Farm still make that frozen coconut layer cake? I would get very excited as a kid when I saw one defrosting on the counter before dinner... Those kinds of (delicious frozen American junk treats) were rare in our household. But oh so good, when we got them!

[Kam7185]

The skin off of battered chicken tenders! Roasted chicken skin or tempura batter is also quite delicious! I would much rather just eat the skin and skip the protein!

[spellweaver16]

Hostess apple pie a la mode. Break a Hostess pie in half, put it in a bowl. Nuke. Top with vanilla ice cream and LOTS of caramel.

[torty]

Those frozen burritos you get from a vending machine or grocery freezer section- especially the beef & potato or the bean and cheese. Can't remember the brand- Ramona's??

[Kinnexa]

Cheap French onion dip, with pretzels, straight out of the tub
KFC Extra Crispy...a piece or two every six months or so
Diet Coke with Lime
Tater Tots and seasoned curly fries w/skin on
Archway Dutch Cocoa soft cookies
French fried onions in a can
Mac & cheez out of a box with canned stewed tomatoes
Goldfish crackers -- original only, not the funny colored or pretzel ones

No guilt whatsoever when I eat...maybe I'll get mildly irritated at myself if I overdo it and feel sick, but guilt over FOOD, of all things?? No way! :)

[chuckles]

So help me...

Tuna sandwiches from those rotating vending machines
Kraft Mac & Cheese (the instant kind in a cup)
Canned French Green Beans (eaten right out of the can)
Mother's Circus Animal Cookies
Green Giant Frozen Niblets Corn & Butter Sauce
Cheetos
McDonalds Filet o' Fish
McDonalds Biscuit with Egg & Cheese
McDonalds Hash Brown
Keeblers (now TGIF brand) Tater Skins
Bagel Bites

and I love going to crappy buffets (the ones with both sushi AND onion rings) or casino buffets) & also secretly enjoy hospital cafeteria food... so embarrassing.

[jenniegirl]

I forgot about Shamrock Shakes

[jwalla12]

So glad I'm not the only one who enjoys crappy buffets and hospital cafeteria food! My husband thinks I'm nuts! Especially the cafeteria food... I get on these "kicks" where I crave "bland" food. There is a restaurant here in Michigan that's called "Sign of the Beefcarver" and it caters to, how can I say this, a "mature" crowd? Cafeteria-style, and choices such as carved roast beef, stuffed chicken breast, broiled scrod, stuffed pork chops, and sides such as waldorf salad, cherry jello cubes, hot buttered rolls, bread pudding, and all the pickled beets, pickles, and horseradish from the condiment bar that you can handle.

[buttertart]

I could go for that once in a while.

[Terrieltr]

Lemonheads.
Sour cream and chedder potato chips.
French onion dip. The kind made from the powdered soup mix.

[spoons]

pizza flavored goldfish
ramen
arbys curly fries
mcdonalds oreo mcflury
frozen cool whip
kraft mac and cheese
pretty much anything cheese or butter flavored...

[amy_rc]

Pizza flavored Combos w/ their disgusting-looking orange filling
aforementioned ball park nachos w/ day-glo yellow cheese and jalapenos
Cheetos
Heavy whipping cream on anything (strawberries, crushed cookies, etc.)
Bagel Dogs

That list is a heart attack waiting to happen!

[jeanmarieok]

Hostess brand lemon pies
Entemanns crumb cake
any kettle brand salt and vinegar potato chips
captain crunch cereal

a fishamajig and cup of clam chowder from Friendly's (goes back to when I was kid and we'd go ice skating)

[jenniegirl]

Hostess cherry pies and a pepsi. My lunch my junior year of high school. Lots of good brain food-pure sugar.

[hill food]

nah, Hostess Blueberry.

[vvvindaloo]

I have to second the cherry pie, but with Coke or Dr. Pepper. I would also have to cut the sweetness with a bag of crunchy cheetos, or possibly a hot dog from the lunch counter. It's probably a good thing that my school did not offer french fries. Those were the days.

[MangosSurpriseMe]

Yesss! FROZEN Hostess lemon pies and FROZEN Ho Hos. I haven't had either since childhood, but now I have a reason to drop by the store.

Other guilty pleasures:

--Totino's Pizza Rolls (pepperoni)
--peanut butter Twix
--Hormel turkey pepperoni eaten right out the bag
--chicken Rice-a-Roni
--fried chicken
--Wendy's chocolate Frosties
--cherry-choc drink (Ovaltine, soy milk, and maraschino cherry syrup)
--ribs
--Weaver honey batter chicken tenders
--burnt-to-black kosher hot dogs
--funnel cake
--red candy apples
--cotton candy (Er, yes; notice a theme here? I'm going to the fair this weekend.)
--TCBY Shivers made with white chocolate mousse and peanut butter cups
--when I'm in Calif, Rubios' fish tacos and carne asada burritos
--oh, and really good fudge

To me, these rare treats are guilty pleasures because they're bad for me--not because they don't meet another's expectations of "good" food. I generally avoid processed foods and foods with little nutritional value, so these items are the worst.

[amy_rc]

When I was little I liked to eat pizza rolls directly out of the freezer. I used to gross out my friends. I would call them pizza-cicles.

[linxi]

-Taco Bell chalupas
-Mickey D's chicken nuggets (not the Selects; fake chicken is how I roll)
-Totinos cheese pizza
-Arby's jalapeno poppers and their Jamocha shakes
-saltines slathered with margarine
-Klondike bars
-Snyder's Honey Mustard pretzel pieces
-cold Spaghetti-os straight out of the can (this was born of necessity in college and became a favorite later in life)
-Lipton noodle packets
-Mi-goreng noodles
-chicken fried steak from anywhere (not sure if it's possible to fudge something that's cheap chopped up beef fried in batter)
-pork rinds (I just discovered Turkey Creek Farms butter and cinnamon ones....TO DIE FOR)
-7-Eleven hot dogs (the longer they've been languishing on the skewer the better)

[jenniegirl]

I thought I was the only one that liked Saltines and margarine. Not butter. Parkay.

[linxi]

We go for Fleishmann's. Very salty and good. I used to gag when I would see my mom eating these then I tried it once and was forever hooked.

[mrsjenpeters]

thought of another one - office candy. those little bowls of mini candy bars. it's not even that good of candy (though i will stand behind the york peppermint patties), and i always say i won't take any, but i can't help nicking a piece more often than not.

[coney with everything]

LOL! At my old job, I was a manager with my very own office.I kept a candy jar on my desk because it drew people to my office that wouldn't normally want to talk to th boss. As long as my jar had chocolate in it I had plenty of visitors--I clipped coupons and shopped the "day after" half off sales for Easter, Xmas, Halloween...Since my position got eliminated, I wouldn't recommend it as a career strategy, though.

My guiltiest pleasure is ranch dressing, made with the Hidden Valley mix, buttermilk and mayonnaise. I could eat that stuff with a spoon.

[piccola]

Which reminds me about two of my weak spots: peanut M & Ms, and that cliché spinach dip in the bread bowl.

[Bob W]

Pork rinds! But now that I shop at the international markets, I now eat the very exotic chicharrones.

[RUNNERFEMME]

Bob W - this is, sadly, the first time I laughed all day. Thanks...

[jilli42]

Oh man..... I have so many.

Crabcakes, made when alone, devoured in secret so I don't have to share ! I even hide them in the back of the fridge once cooked and eat them cold later ! I get them (freshly made but not cooked) from a local seafood restaurant and they are SO good !!!! Guilty only because I don't share !

Ramen, drain water add butter seasoning packet and lots of Crystal. YUM !

Red Hot Cheetos.

Rice a Roni, especially the "fried rice" version with almonds - my mom used to make his when I was little.

Rice with brown gravy.

Egg noodles with butter "sauce", italian seasoning and parm cheese.

Peanut butter, sharp cheddar and bacon sandwiches, on toast.

Sardines with hot sauce (or in mustard) on crackers - my grandfather and I used to enjoy this for lunch when I spent summers on the farm with my grandparents.

Saltine toffee.

McDonald's Big Mac or Chicken Nuggets w/ fries of course ! The McRib - if in season.

Burger King Big King. Sadly no longer available. It was a knock off of the Big Mac, but tasted better because of the "flame broiled" patties.

Cake batter (especially yellow).

Cookie dough (choc chip is the best).

Chicken fried steak with cream gravy and fried potatoes with onions.... *drools*

Pickled deviled green beans. I can polish off a whole jar in a sitting.

Herrs Jalapeno Chips.

Gibbles Red Hot Chips. No other red hot chips compare....

Sharp cheddar and mayo sandwiches with chips on white bread.

This cool whip/jello/toasted coconut/ mara. cherries desert concoction that I got from one of those Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks from the 70's. God is it good ! Although everyone else looks at me like I am loosing it when I make it !

I've got much, much more, but I guess that should do for now.... : )

[Catskillgirl]

"This cool whip/jello/toasted coconut/ mara. cherries desert concoction that I got from one of those Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks from the 70's. God is it good ! Although everyone else looks at me like I am loosing it when I make it ! "

I've got a similar concoction - apricot jello, cool whip, walnuts - it is SO good. I could eat a 9 x 13" pan by myself. Some of those 70's dishes were just perfect in their way. I'm just surprised yours doesn't contain mandarin oranges as well. They go so well with the maraschino cherries! *wink*

[tatertotsrock]

Forgive me Chowhound, for I have sinned...just this last weekend, on my way to Joshua Tree and the Salton Sea, I indulged in my guilty-pleasure road-trip/backpacking/kayak trip snacks:

8 bottles of Bud Light (its a great endurance fuel, I swear!)
Pringles*
Pelligrino*
Corn Nuts*
*Consumed while driving, salty snacks always eaten with only the index finger and thumb.

Also on my list:

Yep, you gussed it, TATER TOTS!!!
If only there was a Sonic near by, I'd be eating these while driving too.
Cadbury Cream Egss...however, they aren't doing it for me the way they used to...by this day last year, I would have eaten at least 15-20...so far, only 3...hmmm?

Thomas's English Muffins with lots of butter and jelly!

[vvvindaloo]

Thomas's English Muffins with lots of butter and jelly- this was one of my grandfather's favorite breakfasts (of course, he ate three muffins per sitting). We shared a lot of great breakfasts this way, always with Polaner Grape jelly, as I recall.
I don't see how something as cute as a tater tot could be guilty of anything... trust me, I'm an attorney :)

[southernitalian]

Tater tots washed down with 8 Bud Lights while driving? How about guilty of DUI? Really?

[vvvindaloo]

I didn't get the impression that tater was drinking the bud lights while driving... there's no asterisk beside it.

[fara]

cheese from a can on butter crackers
wise cheese balls
grilled cheese on white with american cheese slices, maybe some boiled ham in there as well, with the bread slices coated in margarine before grilling
stouffer's swedish meatballs
stouffer's plain french bread pizza, cooked in the toaster oven
mcdonald's cheeseburger and french fries, sausage mcmuffin and hash browns
ihop plain pancakes and syrup
popeye's chicken and biscuits

and not to diminish any of these foods, but i consider food a "guilty pleasure" when I feel gross after eating it but do it anyway.

[Emme]

i have a similar feeling about the term "guilty pleasure" though a lot of mine i can't eat because of gluten intolerance, which makes them not only a guilty pleasure but also a bloated reactive fleeting pleasure...

--storebought sugar cookie dough, nuked in a bowl in the micro til cooked in the middle but still a bit gooey round the edges, eaten with a spoon pairing each bite w/ a bit of betty crocker rich and creamy cream cheese frosting
--cinnabon
--entenmann's ultimate crumb cake (can't find it now)
--rainbow sprinkles... w/ a spoon
--dried cereal (capn crunch, frosted flakes, cinnamon toast crunch, corn pops) but more often I indulge unguiltily in Maple Smaps and Puffins, both GF
--stovetop stuffing
--cadbury's creme eggs
--TJ's new Tortilla chips w/ an identity crisis (gluten and wheat free and tasty!) - okay they aren't really guilty but it's just so hard not to eat half a bag
--Haagen Dazs Sticky Toffee Pudding

[jcattles]

cocoa pebbles
instant mashed potatoes
pork rinds
a spoonful (or more) of marshmallow fluff
little debbies oatmeal cream pies
dill pickle potato chips
taco doritos
mtn. dew or coke
and very rarely: frozen chicken pot pie

[Catskillgirl]

I am so with you on the frozen pot pies. Every once in awhile they fill a deep need. I prefer beef, but do enjoy the chicken and turkey as well.

There, I said it.

[revsharkie]

When I was a kid my mom would sometimes make those frozen pot pies for us for lunch. We lived a block from school so most days we came home from school. She'd cook them in a toaster oven, then turn them upside down on our plates.

When I was in college and on my own for the first time, those potpies were frequently on sale for fifty cents--or even less--apiece. I ate a lot of them, along with five-dollar Pizza Hut pepperoni pizzas and various things from Taco Bell (you can still get an awful lot of grub for not much money at Taco Bell; it was even more so then).

Every now and then I just have to get one of those potpies. Brings back memories.

[fern]

Oh, gosh darn it, pot pies. An old boyfriend taught me to smear butter on top just before eating. You know, in case there aren't enough fat and calories already. Very tasty. Now I want one.

[Catskillgirl]

LOL! Enjoy.

[filth]

I'm still unclear what the guilt is about. Guilt because the food is unhealthy?

[Peg]

"Guilt" = "Embarrassment"??

[ktmoomau]

Guilty is what you personally feel guilty about- junk food bad for you, processed food we aren't supposed to like as chowhounds or something, something you shouldn't like past 10, etc... It is what you personally feel guilty about in some way.

[FoodFuser]

Braunschweiger.

An inexcusable indulgence, rattling the accepted boundaries of the framework of today's nutritional knowledge. Yet... it is darn good.

This dysfunctional family pattern was established when Grandpa would make his quarterly visit from Milwaukee, bearing gifts of said sausage.

Kahn's is the best brand, but not available in my area. Oscar Meyer is the best nationally available brand, but is heavily salted compared to Kahn's.

When you find yourself on the phone with your local wholesale distributors seeking outlets for Kahn's, then soon later on the phone with Kahn's national... begging... then it qualifies for "guilty pleasure".

[fern]

Lately it's been black jelly beans. They are addicting.

The Triple Play at Chili's. It is all fried and horrible for you but I love it. It's the only thing I've ever had there and I know I should never go back for it but I think of it every now and again...

Ruffles and dips.

Velveeta dips like the Rotel one or melted with chili, served with salty tortilla chips.

Fritos. I can't even have them in the house.

Does Campbell's soup count as a guilty pleasure? My favorite is tomato, next is vegetable. Delicious with a sandwich, especially tuna salad on toast or peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and pickles. Add Fritos to this plate and it's heaven.

Sara Lee Cheesecakes, either fruit-topped or with sour cream layer.

Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries, though it roughs up the roof of my mouth. These days I get my sugar cereal fix with Barbara's Peanut Butter Puffins. Man, those are good.

There are probably so many more, sadly.

[rHairing]

Oh my.....I feel like I am confessing my food sins..

Velveeta shells and cheese.
Hacienda Dip-Cream Cheese/Salsa dip nuked and served with Fritos.
Onion Dip the old fashioned way-soup mix and sour cream
Cherry Licorice

And dare I say....Shake and Bake.....

[stellamystar]

Shake N' Bake - GREAT CHOICE. I would like to add that, too. Shake n' Bake for porkchops. Only the original will do - I've bought the store brand - not as good.

[Ell Gee]

Franco-American spaghetti out of the can
Sarah Lee butter streusel coffee cake
Moon pie

[stellamystar]

on the canned pasta note - Boyardi Beef Ravioli - always classy.

[Sam Fujisaka]

With you this.

[moh]

Phew! Didn't read this until after I posted. I don't know why I love the Beef Ravioli, but I do. I especially love peeling away the flat pasta part first, then gobbling up the rest of the shell and the "meat" filling.

[Sam Fujisaka]

When I work for several days in the US...in places like Washington, D.C. or Waturbury, Vermont, I try to stay in suite hotels (D.C.) or B&Bs with kitchenettes. I immediately go to Safeway or the equivalent to buy: Chef-Boyardee ravioli, instant noodles, bagels, English muffins, a can or pack of sauerkraut, sausages, CalRose rice, tortillas, cheddar cheese, iceburg lettuce, Jim Beam, frozen orange juice, big cans of Pabst or Budweiser, ... and all the other goodies I can't get here. My overnight transits through the US feature gas station corn dogs and "burgers"--eaten in front of the hotel room TV tuned to local network news or the FN. My at-home diet is all home cooked and healthy; so my sojourns to or through the US are filled with "guilty pleasures". When I fly out through Bogota, a stop at McDonald's is in order. Through Miami--Burger King. I never feel bit of guilt, however. Just pleasure.

[moh]

Corn dogs - also another great guilty pleasure! And Chile dogs and slurpees from 7-11...

I think anyone who normally eats quite healthy is allowed to indulge once in a while. In fact, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and these foods can really taste great when enjoyed now and then. I wish I could say I adhered to the "now and then" thing (looks sheepishly at the floor, yet despite her guilt still craves jello desserts)

But what is CalRose rice? Doesn't sound so bad...

[Sam Fujisaka]

CalRose is just one of the Japanese rices from California--and sold in Safeway in DC. Japanese rice here comes in one lb bags for about $4.00.

[moh]

That's what I thought it was! Yes i like that rice. I just thought maybe it was something else more in the junk food realm, along the lines of a corn dog. Guess my mind was in the foodworld gutter when I read your post. No need to feel guilty about Calrose rice!

[Agent Orange]

Sam:

Next time you're at MIA, I encourage you to try a cafeteria-style Cuban joint in the main terminal. It's t's a Miami restaurant with several locations in town, called La Carreta. When I was in the airport some months ago, this place was packed and the food was very good, the lechon asado and the ropa vieja especially. If Cuban is different enough from Colombian, then I think you'll enjoy the treat.

[Sam Fujisaka]

AO, thank you. I have eaten at La Carreta a few times and it is good. But, as you imply, it is a bit like Colombian and much of their food is too much like what I cook. Their Cuban sandwiches are better than those from a major chain here, Sandwich Cubano. I've also stated eating more in a couple of the four or five new places in the newly (about 2 years ago) concourse. Quick "Chinese" for one.

[southernitalian]

OMG Sam! I have enjoyed readings your posts for ages and this underscores exactly why. I'm not sure which I'm more impressed with. I had a foodie roommate who used to love to make salads with "Hearts of Iceberg". I still eat sauerkraut right out of the jar.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Thank you, southernitialian. I love my occasional Big Mac or Quarter pounder. I don't want to waste my junk food opportunities on "good" food! I learned about hearts of iceburg here on CH and made one a few weeks ago--chunk of iceburg and dressing made of my yorgurt, ketchup, and chilie flakes. Great!! I also leaned about boxed mac & cheese here. I got a box at my local supermarket--never having had it before--and am trying to get up courage to make it for me and my four year old. Now, sauerkruat!!!! Love it and do tend to steal a bit out of the pack or jar first thing!

[linguafood]

Sam, that's really unfortunate -- sauerkraut tastes best reheated the next day.... but I've never seen one out of the glass or can that didn't need some work, i.e. some riesling, or speck. Once it sat overnight it's to die for.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Agreed. I just cook wurst or smoked ribs in the undrained kraut. The escaping oil/grease provides the missing flavor. Wunderbar.

[jenniegirl]

I KNOW!!!I I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO DID THAT. I think I'm going to put a few cans in my cart next time I go shopping. It's been a couple years..

[moh]

Jenniegirl, I assume you are talking about peeling beef ravioli... I tried eating the beef ravioli straight one time, without the funny technique, and it just didn't taste as good. I think I got bored or something! I made it through about 3 squares, and then I had to go back to peeling the flat part off...

[southernitalian]

Not only will I admit to eating Chef-Boy-R-Dee beef ravioli, but I'll admit to eating it cold. I'll also submit that I have eaten it was a generous sprinkling of Pecorino Romano and red pepper flakes. Yum.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! A cold can of Chef-Boy-R-Dee beef ravioli has to be eaten with Pecorino Pepato!

[FoodFuser]

Gosh, this is getting too close for comfort. I shall now "out myself" from that comfortable closet of the cold-canned-pasta aficionado.

Pecorino Romano, and crunchy cracked peppercorns, with the addition of small amounts of jarred pasta sauce.

Open the can, add a sprinkle of pepper, then a superthin layer of sauce, then pecorino. Remove a single ravioli, using chopsticks, so that you can dip both pasta faces in your sauce/cheese/pepper mixture. Yes, chopsticks are critical.

After you finish the first layer, repeat the addition of the Trinity. Eat,Repeat,Eat,Repeat, working your way down into the can, layer by layer.

If the canning factory has done its job correctly, there will be zero fragments of broken flaccid pasta at the bottom of the can. There will be a remaining zone of sauce, but one should resist the urge to reach for a tablespoon and scrape down the sides of the can and get every last bit... That would be considered gauche.

[moh]

I have used my finger to try to scoop up the last bit of sauce, but that just invites disaster in the form of cuts on the hand. Yes it's gauche, but please don't tell me you do this cold-canned pasta thing with other people around. That's one big closet!

[LadyOnO2]

And I thought I was the only one who did that, love the fact they have rip-open tops now; love it once in a while even if it's macaroni with tomato soup sauce, love it doctored up with some nice oregano, good expensive parmesan, and would love even just the meatballs by themselves, those things are addictive, I always feel like they should have at least a dozen in that can~!

[stellamystar]

Good call on those quirky meatballs. I loved those - why not just sell the meatballs? Canned meat - I'ts an American tradition!

[Catskillgirl]

LOL! I ate half a can of Spaghetti-Os last week, baked and topped with bread crumbs and parmesan. Totally delicious. I'm so glad nobody saw me!

[six dower]

Krispe Creme "Hot Now"
Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby
Any thing with chcocolate and Peanut Butter in the mix
Fritos and spicy cheese dip
Nachos, Warm and Spicy
Pizza from a brick oven with fresh ingredients
Milkshakes
Bread pudding - new infatuation

[hill food]

no reason to feel guilty over the last 3 on your list.

unless there's something you're not telling us...

[FoodieKat]

With you on the Chubby Hubby. That is the best ever! And glad you share my love of all things chocolate and peanut butter, and Krispy Kreme. It is a shame there aren't any near me in California (but probably a good thing really).

[six dower]

Not a fan of donuts but LOVE "hot now"....they melt in your mouth....

[FoodieKat]

Exactly. That's why they're so dangerous. And now I've found a Krispy Kreme near me. Not good. ;-)

[betsydiver]

chunky monkey is my first choice but since in my family ice cream was usually accompanied by pretzels, chubby hubby is high on the list, too

[stellamystar]

Any hot dip involving mayo.

Long John Silvers battered fish
Arbys Curly Q Fries
Sonic Cheddar Peppers
McDonald's Sundaes and Fries w/ Hot Mustard
Taco Bell - um, the whole menu.
"Chinese Buffet" Krab Rangoon, lo mein, and pork fried rice
Peanut Butter - all forms
Cararmel corn (from a can, thank you)
Cool Ranch Doritos
Tempura (I am putting this on here b/c just b/c it's Japanese and not at a carnival in Kansas doesn't mean it's not FRIED vegetables!)
Little Caesar's Crazy Bread!
White Castle
Popcorn Chicken of any brand as long as it's hot
..and..the motherload..

Saltine Crackers w/ Chocoalte Duncan Hines Frosting on them!!!

[hill food]

"Saltine Crackers w/ Chocoalte Duncan Hines Frosting on them"

oh you should feel guilty...

elsewhere on your list, isn't it funny how potato products are about the only thing Arby's does ok? their Potato Cakes are my Waterloo.

[stellamystar]

Yes! For a place being known for their "meat" they sure know their spuds!!!

[ccbweb]

Long John Silvers.....yes. And the corn. On a stick in a plastic wrapper, soaked in margarine or something.

[alkapal]

stellamystar, check this guilty pleasure: saltines with chocolate toffee:
http://suthrnjewl.blogspot.com/2007/1...

[Caroline1]

saltines with chocolate toffee:
http://suthrnjewl.blogspot.com/2007/1...
..................................--alkapal--

Problem with this is the saltines... Have you tasted them lately? I thought it was e, but I've asked four other people and there is consensus! Saltines have chanted for the worse. When I want a decent saltine, I'm forced to go to Wendy's for a cup of chili, then beg for extra crackers. So how come Wendy's can get decent saltines but my supermarikets can't? Ridiculous!

But for really great salty-chocolatey snacks, find some "gourmet" dill weed potato chips -- the kind with real dill weed on them, not dill pickle flavored junky chips -- and dip them in melted chocolate. FAAAANtastic!

[alkapal]

foodfuser, see if you can fill your addiction with this excellent braunschweiger: http://suthrnjewl.blogspot.com/2007/1...

find at roundtree's food market in oklahoma.

my guilty pleasures: eating way too much goose liver pate on good french baguette
nacho cheese doritos (although the coating flavor is evolving in an unfortunate direction
)junior whopper from bk, with extra pickles and onion
brach's fiesta malted milk eggs -- a whole bag, WHEN i can find them at easter
7-11 vanilla cappucino, blended with their dark roast.
dunkin' donuts: toasted coconut doughnut; boston cream pie doughnut; sesame bagel with full fat veggie cream cheese

[FoodFuser]

thanks, I will check it out

[alkapal]

googling roundtree's, i only see one in lawton. near you?

[FoodFuser]

A bit far, but your idea of the german deli triggered a few phone calls, and I can get some Usinger's nearby. Thanks.

[Alice Letseat]

First, a kind "merci" to the other posters who provided definition and context for chi-chi! I so had not wanted to be one of the language gendarmes again!

NOW - guillty or not? Pickled herring. Sardines w/ mustard on crackers. Chili cheese fries from the boardwalk (that's a location, not a shop!). Deep fried zucchini strips. Onion rings (also the ones from the can!). Really spicy chicken wings from WingDome.

[BobB]

Well since you ask, in my opinion:

Pickled herring. Not guilty.
Sardines w/ mustard on crackers. Not guilty. Unless they're Ritz crackers.
Chili cheese fries from the boardwalk (that's a location, not a shop!). Insufficient information, but if they're really good, not guilty.
Deep fried zucchini strips. Not guilty, unless they're from Applebee's, in which case not guilty by reason of insanity.
Onion rings (also the ones from the can!). Guilty from the can, not if they're fresh.
Really spicy chicken wings from WingDome. Nothing really spicy is guilty food.

Say two Hail Julias and perform an Act of Nutrition and all will be forgiven.

[LadyOnO2]

Bravo, BobB!!! I love that pickled herring in the jar, wine sauce or not, and if I am feeing really wicked, will opt for the one in sour cream, some nice marble swirled rye toast, and it doesn't get any better than that. I also applaud your theory that "nothing really spicy is guilty food", because from what I heard a few weeks back, all that "hot stuff" helps burn away all the badness of the guilty food >wink<.

[mrpoopbrain]

Deep fried zucchini strips. Not guilty, unless they're from Applebee's, in which case not guilty by reason of insanity.

I like applebees zucchini strips. LOL

[hill food]

no need to apologize, my friend The Gabe would offer absolution and affirmation in his own way. zucchini is SO overlooked, just made dezent pickles out of it.

[thedoorchick]

Cheese fries (french fries with cheddar cheese melted throughout) with plenty of ranch dressing

[ccbweb]

With Lowry's seasoned salt on top.

[BobB]

Bologna. I don't even need to make a sandwich, I can just roll up slices and eat it plain.

Not the cheap deli brands, mind you, it has to be Deutschmacher or Hebrew National, but still...

[iL Divo]

BobB
when I was 20, my BFF (well not however for the last million years sadly ;:-/ )
and I went to Hawaii for a month. food was an expense we didn't want to spend drinkin $ on so we bought a loaf of Wonder bread, a pkg of bologna and a jar of Miracle Whip. that was breakfast-lunch-dinner until we ran out then bought more bread&bologna and started all over.
although now hate MW still love expensive bologna on white sandwich bread with plentiful amount of BF/Hellmans.

[JungMann]

I was always going for the exotic, even as a kid. When asked what my favorite food was in 4th grade, I told the class: "boiled snails." They could make fun of me all they wanted, but when we got into high school and I was introducing them to Pad Thai, caviar, and vindaloo, they were all appreciative. But in my private moments, I still steal away to indulge in:
Pimento cheese
Combos (pepperoni and cheddar pretzel, salsa is gross)
Potted meat food product
White Castle, Taco Bell and Popeye's
Onion rings
Manwiches, fried bologna sandwiches (on white bread, of course)
Canned corned beef
Spam
Frito casserole
Pork rinds

[mrsjenpeters]

there is nothing wrong with some homemade pimento cheese... in a grilled cheese sandwich with truffle butter... oh yum!

[ktmoomau]

Oh yes combos! Every time we went grocery shopping when I was little I was allowed to pick out one thing that I wanted as "junk" food because my Mom was rather health conscious, if it was something unhealthy made from scratch like chicken and dumplings or apple pie that was one thing, but junk food was a sin. She was normally safe because I would normally pick goldfish crackers and those are actually not all that bad for you, but every now and then I would go for the cheddar combos inside the pretzel. They are still a treat for me now, but whew they have a lot of calories per serving so I don't eat them often.

[mrsbuffer]

I only ate combos when i was drunk and didn't know any better...hehehe

[moh]

I love the pizza Combos. Glad I'm not alone.

And I love Chef-boy-ar-dee beef ravioli. Sorry everyone.

[revsharkie]

No need to apologize. I love those too. I get some now and then for lunch if I go to the store hungry...

[iL Divo]

oh do tell Jung, "frito casserole"?
manwiches fried bologna on white? is there a bologna brand you prefer?

[jenniegirl]

I can't believe I'm saying this but I like canned raviolis with melted cheese on top eaten with bread and butter
canned hash with catsuo
Dinty Moore Stew
Subwayseafood and crab sandwiches
Tombstone Deluxe pizzas

[laliz]

I'm with you on the canned hash and the beef stew. I much prefer the canned mini spaghetti & meatballs, however, to the ravioli. I'll leave that for you.

[iL Divo]

guess what I stocked up on in Chico at the WinCo?
3 kinds of Beefaroni, who knew there were 3 kinds?
also Spaghetti O's.

by the way be forewarned: if you go to that market in Chico Calif on your way to camp at lake Almanor, take a lot of cash cause Wowza, the bulk section alone is funno!

[Erika L]

Most things that you find in a grocery store that are salty and traffic cone orange:

Nacho cheese Doritos
Cheetohs (both kinds)
(Actually, pretty much anything in the chips aisle that has orange cheese dust)
Cheez-Its
Kraft Mac'n'Cheese
Goldfish
Port wine cheese and those cheese balls rolled in walnuts
That nuclear orange shake cheese that you find next to Molly McButter--liberally sprinkled on popcorn that's been coated with lots of melted butter

I draw the (very arbitrary) line at Kraft American Singles and Velveeta. Haven't had spray cheese in a long time, these posts are inspiring me to give it another try...

[BlueHerons]

Cheezits and squirt cheese.

[revsharkie]

I like my spray cheese with Triscuit crackers.

I make really good scratch biscuits from my grandma's recipe, but sometimes I just gotta have bisquick.

My husband got me eating instant mashed potatoes--another thing I am quite capable of making myself, but sometimes you just gotta have grub.

Taco Bell, and Sonic.

Just about any chocolate-flavored cereal.

Chocolate chips right out of the bag.

[mrsbuffer]

Genoa salami
Parmesean cheese
Liverwurst
Swiss cheese
Ruffles with onion dip
Double stuff oreos
Deviled ham
Cheddar Cheese goldfish
Taco Bell nachos bel grande
Big Mac
KFC original recipe all white meat, with mashed potatoes and cole slaw
Kalamata olives
Cadbury carmelo bars (and yes I have been known to go through the large size)
Crispy turkey skin
Pepperoni

[revsharkie]

A friend of mine said he has been known to make s'mores with Caramellos when he's camping out. I totally wanna go camping with him!

[deglazer]

Parmesan cheese, pepperoni, salami, kalamata olives, deviled ham, liverwurst and crispy turkey skin are pleasures, not guilty pleasures (assuming high quality.) Those are real foods. Guilty pleasures are the ersatz, the fake, the industrial. e.g. Cake=pleasure, twinkie=guilty pleasure. Hamburger=pleasure, Big Mac=guilty pleasure.

[filth]

This is a peculiar definition of "guilty" that I doubt will be found in any dictionary.

[Ruth Lafler]

It's the chowhound definition! I understand that for some people "guilty" pleasures are foods that they deem to be unhealthy or to lack any nutritional value, but from a chowhound point of view, it's all about the quality of the food, the care and love that goes into making it, and its deliciousness. Thus, I have to agree with deglazer (and was, in fact thinking the same thing when I read that post).

[filth]

I definitely agree that most Chowhounders would agree with deglazer. I'm just being contrary and dissenting because as a food lover, I find some kind of value in most food and I don't worry about it if other people think it's low brow, industrial, commercial, or ordinary.

[LadyOnO2]

you may be right, but when you look at places like urbandictionary and mixtionary, you learn a whole new way of the language we all grew up on; as for myself, I wonder, what is the difference between "a guilty pleasure" and a "food of shame", are they different, same, or is it a regionalspeak thing?

[Ruth Lafler]

I think what's interesting is that we associate guilt and shame with food at all. Why is that? Why do people think of some foods as "sinful"? Yeah, for some people there are religious dietary laws, and in Western culture gluttony is a sin, but a slice of chocolate cake does not constitute gluttony, and yet many people will describe it as "sinful." I bet they don't say things like that in France -- I think this goes back to the Puritanical roots of American culture where anything that's pleasurable has to be sinful!

[linguafood]

What an excellent point, Ruth, about the supposed "sinfulness" of food.

I still think one can feel guilty about, say, overindulging in something -- when you're really trying to lose weight. You feel a guilt toward your superego, I suppose.... as opposed to some deity who 'demands' adherence to some sort of diet.

Also, to address filth's comment with regard to the OP's question -- as chowhounds, I guess we're not *supposed* to like, or rather admit to liking pedestrian/overly processed/low brow foods.

The blue box mac n cheese embodies, for me personally, all that I should/could feel guilty about: high in calories, pretty bland, overly processed, overall not good quality food.

I can overlook the calorie factor, but if you're going to eat mac and cheese, as a chowhound it would make more sense to have a homemade, higher quality version. You know, throw some taleggio and black truffles in or something :-P

My guess is for most people, the blue box dinner is a trip back to childhood, and as a grown-up, your likes and dislikes -- especially if you consider yourself a chowhound -- you take for granted that they have developed since then.

On that note, I really CAN'T have kraft dinner "as is" -- must always add some diced red and/or green peppers, mushrooms, sometimes ground beef, sometimes seared chicken, and *tons* of sriracha.

[Ruth Lafler]

Kraft dinner is much improved with a hit of curry powder. But I don't crave Kraft dinner since I was introduced to the Alton Brown stove-top mac n cheese recipe, which is almost as quick and easy and allows me to use experiment with what's in the cheese drawer.

[jenniegirl]

I really like Noodles and Company mac and cheese with hot sauce and flatbread and butter on the side. I try to avoid chains, but that is really good.

[Morticia]

To me, a "guilty pleasure" when it comes to food is something you might eat alone but perhaps that others would look askance at - like the fact that I sometimes like to cut off a nice thick slice of Parmesano Regiano and eat it, just by itself, as a little snack.

[southernitalian]

I do that several times a day. Sometimes with an anchovie.

[southernitalian]

Mrs. B - your post is the closest to what I would have written had I not seen yours!! With no exceptions but a few additions. I love liver in all its forms. Down South, we have something called livermush which is really, really good fried. Also, blue cheese, blue cheese and more blue cheese. Spray cheese sprayed into Bugles. The cheese plate with accompanying sleeve of crackers and spicy mustard at McSorleys, followed by one too many McSorley lights.

[mrsbuffer]

Add to my list pimento cheese when I am vacationing in South Carolina, and fresh guacamole.

To me a guilty pleasure is something you enjoy with abandon. Sure, i like Cool Ranch Doritos, Lays Potato Chips with sour cream, and other junk, but I can't say that I crave them the way I would crave a great couple slices of genoa or a big hunk of pepperoni, or steal the turkey skin when nobody's around! :)

[Gio]

Now that I can relate to - The Genoa and stealing the turkey skin, along with more stuffing. But my main guilty pleasure is probably leftover rice doused with Worcestershire. The doctor must never know.

[Catskillgirl]

Make mine dark McSorley's and I'll meet you there! I loved those cheese platters.

[jenniegirl]

My dad used to make a kind of stir fry of chicken livers, broccoli cooked till it was dead and soy sauce over rice. I remember as a kid being so ashamed of the fact that I actually like to eat liver...

[lhb78]

ramen noodles- I drain most of the water and add butter and pepper with the seasoning packet- chicken flavor. I love to eat this when I'm home alone. Occcasionally I'll be greedy and make two packs but i can never finish- too much of a good thing... I guess.
I'm all set if I ever hit hard times.

[LadyOnO2]

I love the ramen w/butter and the seasoning packet, though if you do eat more than one pack, 2 season envelopes can be a bit too much, but you can always use that stuff in all sorts of other goodies...If you want to try something REALLY decadent, make the ramen your way, and put a few slices of the processed american cheese slices while the ramen are still hot (a little ramen, a cheese slice, more ramen, another cheese slice, more ramen...decadently cheesily delicious)

[daylight]

ooh. i'm gonna have to try that. i was online a while ago looking for "ramen recipes". none really sounded awesome to me though... this one does. i know, it's so simple, but i love butter...

[LTL]

hot pepper or black pepper?

[pie22]

i know this thread is from almost 4 years ago but i highly recommend (if you are still eating this) some sour cream and hot sauce

[jettababs]

My friends have jokingly told me that they'll know I'm pregnant when I crave "normal" food--ie PB&J's, Chick Fil'A, etc instead of the broccoli raab and anchovies and sushi I love.
That said, I love some White Castles, especially the jalepeno burgers, and those little Reese's PB cups, and Taco Bell, and the Fruity Pebbles and all the new versions with funky flavors and marshmallows. When I was a kid, it was Kix, Wheeta-Bix, or Rice Krispies, so now, the sugary-er, the better.

[hill food]

sorry jalapeno Castles are an affront and an abomination in the eyes of the fast food god(s).

yummy but heretical and damned.

a cheese Castle alone is grounds for time in purgatory. So far I'm prob. due for a few centuries.

[jettababs]

If that's true, I'm so doomed! Burgers, Fish Nibblers, and those jalepeno burgers......that probably puts me, what, in the third ring of Hades at least?

[Blush]

McDonald's Chicken McNuggets with honey (haven't eaten them in at least a dozen years but they remind me of being a kid)

President's Choice White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

Doritos Cool Ranch

Sugar Crisp Cereal (they still call it Sugar Crisp in Canada--not Golden Crisp)

President's Choice Decadant Chocolate Chip cookies

[linguafood]

Does it count as a guilty pleasure if you try to avoid the food so you won't feel guilty?

In that case -- oh man, healthy list coming up:

Bugles
Cheetos (has to be the crunchy ones, as a kid I used to finish an entire can in one seating...)
Reese's PB cups / Butterfinger
Whopper Jr. w/cheese
Big Mac
Kraft Mac n Cheese -- although I do add stuff otherwise it's just too bland

Nowadays it's a rare occasion to find me eat any of the above. BK and McD's are only 'allowed' on road trips, though I've gotten into the habit of making sandwiches at home.

[hill food]

"My sister's is spray cheese and Lucky Charms. "

together?

to echo JanetofR: velveeta and Ro-Tel (but no need to go overboard with sausage here)

similarly a can of artichoke hearts and a lot of mayo, baked - tell people it's gratin de Artichoux.

[iL Divo]

real expensive quality butter on fresh saltines.

[Sam Fujisaka]

"Chi chi" is urine or urinate ("hacer chichi") in Colombian Spanish--but mostly for kids and women.

[Honey Bee]

Funny! You learn something everyday.

no space needed... "chichi" from Webster's.
Main Entry: chichi
Part of Speech: adj
Definition: pretentious, fussy
Etymology: French

My guilty pleasures:
Cheetos
Reeses PB cups
Wheat thins with onion and chive cream cheese
Those animal crackers that are thinly iced on one side (not the ones coated in frosting and sprinkles)

[bubbles4me]

The Mother's Circus Animal cookies?!! Forgot about those....toss a bag in the freezer and game over!

[Ruth Lafler]

Oh good. I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling the need to be pedantic. I think many people think that "chichi" is a nonsense word and thus that it doesn't matter how you spell it (also the case with "frou-frou" which is very often spelled "foo-foo" and sometimes "fou-fou"). But surprisingly chichi is a "real" word, and its spelling is based on its origins in French (related to the word "chic"). I think it's important to connect words to their fundamental meanings and origins by maintaining their correct spellings.

On topic: since we're talking artificial cheese products here, I have to confess an affection for day-glo orange cheese-sauce style nachos. I actually like them better than any "real" nachos I've ever had.

[bad nono]

well, since we are in French etymology, nowadays in France you use chichi as a noun "on ne vas pas faire de chichis" et "chichiteux" as an adjective. "Les verrines de mousse de Pandan a la feve Tonka, c'etait vraiment trop chichiteux". Sorry for the missing accents, it's too much of a drag on my keyboard.

My US guilty pleasures, as French woman who grew up on oysters and foie gras, are Dunkin Donut's coffee (but only when I travel to NYC), mozzarella sticks and any type of bar food, and occasionally the marble orange and yellow cheese bricks that taste like soap, with Breton crackers. Also biscuits from the cans, and the corn muffins made with Jiffy mix. My family doesn't know about all of this...

[gordeaux]

"On topic: since we're talking artificial cheese products here, I have to confess an affection for day-glo orange cheese-sauce style nachos. I actually like them better than any "real" nachos I've ever had."

Me too. Shhhh!

And if you wanna hear something funny, ask a mexican friend what the word "Chi-chi" means to them. Even funnier because of the Chi-chi's mexican product line, and restaurant chain!

[FoodieKat]

Ha ha. Yeah, forgot about chi-chi's. Most unfortunate choice of name for their restaurant chain, especially since they're allegedly serving 'Mexican' food.

And I am also addicted to those nachos with dayglo cheese sauce. My secret shame. I am of Mexican heritage, and my elders would be rolling over if they knew how much I loved that stuff. Or Doritoes, for that matter. >:-)

[EWSflash]

I wonder if the lawyers from Hooters have looked into this yet...

[John Manzo]

Then there are the people who spell "voila!" "walla! [SIC]" or something like that. Gets on my nerves.

My fingers would fall off before I listed all my guilty pleasures, but right now I'm thinking Burger King anything, "chop suey" (especially "fine-cut pork" we had when I was kid), cheez-its (which are impossible to find in Canada except in those dinky bags), nacho cheese Doritos, 100 Grand bars, and canned Hormel chili with a TON of crused soda crackers.

[hill food]

voila: a guilty pleasure of mine is the memory of a co-worker (with certain disabilities) who tried to say that, but it always came out 'la la" among other truly endearing traits.

guilty pleasure? 'cause the memory and pleasure are easily misinterpreted by some, even some in that workplace and only a few of us 'got' him.

and he was a true CH - always knew where the best sushi and dim sum could be found in the 'hood.

[woelkaru]

YES! love those cookies...thank you!

[iL Divo]

oh funny my husband loves the one completely coated in frosting with the sprinkles.
we love Wheat Thins with peanut butter and jelly.

[pellegrino31]

-Doritos
-Spinach dip from TGIFridays (I think all their other food is terrible but I really like this one item)
-Potato skins with bacon, scallions and sour cream
-Wispride cheese spread on Triscuits
-Bagel Bites

[Janet]

My friends won't see this, will they???

Rice a Roni
raw store bought chocolate chip cookie dough
Best Mayo on Zesta crackers
Kraft olive and cheese spread
the yellow "cheese" popcorn in a bag

[mrsjenpeters]

i'll fess up to loving on some spray cheese. you just don't get the same salty delight with real cheese on tortilla chips as you do with that crap. even better topped with a pickled jalapeño.

[Sean]

Gummi Bears
Skittles
Chili dogs
Papa Gino's Pepperoni pizza
Hot weiners
BK double cheeseburgers
UTZ Red Hot potato chips
Buffalo wings (not tenders)

[filth]

Sometimes I feel guilty about eating a large quantity of something unhealthful. However, I am not so weak-minded to have guilt about eating anything because of the qualitative nature of the item (not organic, not locally grown, not sustainably grown, produced by a chain restaurant, produced my a multinational conglomerate, liked by kids, liked by rednecks, liked by snobs, not liked by snobs).

Although I'm not a Zimmern fan, I agree with his motto, "If it looks good, eat it."

[chileheadmike]

Pizza rolls

[Janet from Richmond]

Taco Bell, Pillsbury Orange Rolls, count me in with spray cheese, Kraft singles (for grilled cheese) and Catalina dressing.

[bubbles4me]

Chex Mix...bag open...bag gone.
Cheesey Goo....the kind you get at old school steak houses for your baked potatoes, cheese fries, (with the goo not sprinkled with real cheese).
Pork Rinds
Grilled cheese on white bread, Kraft singles and pickle chips.
Stove Top
Bologna sandwich on Wonder Bread, (which we dont get here in SoCal any more) with too much Best Foods mayo.

[Vetter]

Canned mandarin oranges.
Tim Horton's sour cream glazed Tim Bits (oh Canada, I love you)
Drumsticks (the ice cream cone kind)
White Trash Fruit Dip (cream cheese and marshmallow fluff whipped together)

[e0023]

mmm canned mandarin oranges are amazing. I also like the canned fruit cocktail with cherries

[iL Divo]

oh love me some Tim Bits

[Janet from Richmond]

Oh man, I forgot about Stove Top. Love that stuff. Also love the white trashy dip of Ro-tel and Velveeta with sausage.

[gordeaux]

Dots

Swedish Fish

Whoppers (Burger King, not the candy)

The fake gloppy cheese substance you get on "nachos" at concession stands.

I haven't had it in a few years, but I used to LOVE Underwood Deviled Chicken in a can with plain yellow mustard on white bread.

Fruity Pebbles

I LOVE me some Taco Bell.

Cold pizza

I think popeyes spicy chicken is WAAAAAY better cold than it is hot.

Arby's fish sandwiches with the spicy sauce.

Canned sardines with vinegar, and tabasco with sliced onion on crackers.

Velveeta "chile con queso" dip.

Archway oatmeal/pecan cookies
==============================
I have a host of friends, and colleagues who would not believe this list in a million years! I'm known as somewhat of a food snob, but really, I am not. I just hate it when foods are over-prepared, or corners are cut when they do not need to be. I also hate it when I go to a restaurant, and have to overpay for something I could make better at home.

[RUNNERFEMME]

gordeaux - i totally forgot about sardines!! OMG. my dad and i used to eat sardines with deli mustard on saltines. YES!

[LadyOnO2]

My grandpa loved his sardines w/ raw onion, and for breakfast!!! (he was a baker so his breakfasts were usually consumed @midnight anyway, so it really didn't seem odd to any of us)

[mrsjenpeters]

oh i forgot about the Velveeta "chile con queso" dip. like that one too. my aunt does this version with ground beef and, i think, refried beans... not sure... it's a glorious mess, though. :)

[FoodieKat]

I am a sucker for anything with Velveeta, especially shells and cheese. In fact, mac and cheese (with processed cheese) is one of my major guilty pleasures. I also love Goldfish crackers, Cheetos, Doritoes and any other kind of cheesy, salty snacks. Alhough I stay away from these most of the time because they are dangerously addictive. And I second processed cheese slices (they must put crack in that stuff I swear) in grilled cheese. No other kind of cheese makes a grilled cheese quite the same. Also chocolate and peanut butter anything. Trader Joe's chocolate-covered peanut butter pretzels? Reese's peanut butter cup Easter eggs? OMG! And Pilsbury cinnamon rolls.

[ktmoomau]

Oh I love Velveeta Con Queso Dip (Velveeta plus Rotel)
Also:
Goldfish crackers
Samoa Girl Scout Cookies
Agree with other poster Archway iced oatmeal cookies (the soft ones)
Helluvagood french onion dip
Corndogs
Jalapeno Poppers (cream cheese not nacho)

[e0023]

aahhh processed cheese is disgusting! lol

[LadyOnO2]

OH sardines and tabasco sounds great, never found a good "sardines in hotsauce" that actually tasted like it had hotsauce in it, would the sardines be canned and in vinegar or is it something you add later?

& I have to agree w/you on those Archway cookies, especially the oatmeal w/apple in them (have to try the pecan ones).

[EWSflash]

Blast from the past- Velveeta and Ro-Tel. My favorite aunt uncle (in southeastern Illinois) had a really big bar in their basement and had a lot of company down there most nights for many years. Aunt Gin would make up a big bowl of heated-up RoTel con queso (aka velveeta) for the evening and all these midwesterners would eat it with chips and crackers and fan their mouths because the chiles in the RoTel made it so hot but delicious. I could never taste any heat whatsoever myself, but they all acted like they were chewing on raw chiltepins.

[iL Divo]

gordeaux

'Whoppers (Burger King, not the candy)"

Whoppers, the candy, NOT the burger joint
:)