Embarrassing guilty pleasures

[Jpan99]

I'm in my, ahem, 50's and damn it, I still love Pop Tarts!

I buy them maybe once a year as a treat. A box of strawberry and a box of brown sugar cinnamon (and on very rare occasion a blueberry,) unfrosted of course. I toast one of each. Really toast em, dark brown edges. Then a little smear of butter. If the edges are nice and dark and hot, the butter will sizzle. Ah, perfection. Then eat with a slice of extra sharp cheddar and a glass of orange juice.

I grew up eating these and can't kick the habit. Just a kid at heart I guess. I've no use for all the wacko frosted flavors they come up with now, just the originals for me.

Anyone else care to spill the beans?

[Cameraman]

Golden Corral once every couple of years.

[HillJ]

Munching on a big bag of Cracker Jack while another guilty pleasure plays in the background (anything sung by Freddy Mercury) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMnjF1...

[suzigirl]

I thought I liked you before but now you are "the champion". No time for losers. :-)

[HillJ]

hehehehe, fun right?!!

[suzigirl]

If there is wine involved, I bow to you.

[HillJ]

There's always wine! But pls, no need to bow! Doesn't everyone enjoy Cracker Jack, pinot gris and Freddy.

[suzigirl]

Pinot grigio for me. But the rest, yes please. For me right now it's pretzels not cracker jacks. Though I will trade ya.

[HillJ]

I'm flexible. The deli dept of Stop & Shop sells bags of pretzel twists that have just the right amount of salt and just a tiny touch of sweet. I can't think of the brand at the moment but they are really good; nice and crunchy too.

[suzigirl]

Eagles Johnny come lately playing in the background. My sweets is playing it. We love the "old stuff". Its a weekend. Time to unwind

[HillJ]

Have you seen the Eagles documentary yet? Two parts, fun as hell. I'm still watching reruns.

[suzigirl]

I have not and have heard amazing things about it so no spoilers please. I need to record it before it goes away.

[HillJ]

No spoilers, just to say well worth the wait.

My Netflix cue is filled with rock docs and films with music as a theme. I try not to miss one. Killing Bono was a great film. Have you seen that one?

[IndyGirl]

Man, pop-tarts sound so good right now. I might have to go get some. WOW!

[alliegator]

I'm eating one that I bought yesterday---a Slim Jim. I like them. There, I said it.

[MGZ]

I do too. Shhhh.

[Vidute]

somehow, those small cans of vienna sausages have been appearing on my kitchen table this past week.

[suzigirl]

Ahh... vienna sausages. Love those little things. And since this is guilty pleasures, I eat them mashed with a fork mixed with MW and spread on crackers sometimes. Good trashy food. Yum

[Christina D]

Whenever I'm stressed or not feeling good, my guilty pleasure involves a trip to McDonald's. Egg McMuffin in the morning, a regular hamburger any other time of the day. Unfortunately, I'm too indoctrinated to throw all caution to the wind and go for a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder, so a hamburger it is.

I feel terribly guilty and hide the take out bags from view, but boy do I enjoy the experience while it lasts!

[Ashley12]

Tostito's con Queso dip. Sometimes I don't even warm it up. Only allowed to have it 2-3 times a year.

[fldhkybnva]

No guilt, I am a proud member of this bunch. It's funny you mentioned warming it up, I never even pondered the idea. Pop the jar and dig right in.

[laliz]

Tostitos con queso dip.

Stir a jar into a bag of frozen corn and heat until bubbling.

OMG~~ people beg me to make this.

[Ashley12]

I want to try that! Might need to have my first jar of the year this week :)

[alliegator]

If you're feeling just plain cheesy, the tostito's smooth n cheesy dip is not bad ;)

[Sandwich_Sister]

When I talked about my trashy dip I use that Tostito dip too. and your right it doesn't have to be warmed up.

I even ate it for breakfast once.

[itsmejessica]

Sliced cooked deli ham with cream cheese and pickles all rolled together. I love them,but I know,people think it's gross.

[alliegator]

Not gross at all! I'm not a fan of pickles, myself, but this is a popular snack in my family.

[Lillipop]

I love all pickles!

[noodlepoodle]

spaghetti and meat sauce ON TOP OF vinegar and oil dressed green salad. I like the little tang the dressing gives to the sauce.

noodles any way I can get them

chicken wings (not vinegar bbq sauce laced buffalo wings), but the kind that comes on a fresh roasted bird.

[happybaker]

Noodlepoodle, I know folks who wrestle (okay, call dibs) for the crunchy roasted wings. Feel no shame!

[PotatoHouse]

Kraft Mac-and-cheese (yes, the infamous "Blue Box"!!) mixed with a can of mushrooms and half a pound or so of hamburger cooked with chopped onions. For the ultimate guilt-fest, it should be eaten while watching South Park, Family Guy, or American Dad.

[foiegras]

the only issue i see here is the can of mushrooms!

[John Francis]

Oscar Meyer beef bologna.

[Sandwich_Sister]

Those Tostino pizza bites. My brother got me hooked on those as a teenager.

Mayo, tomato and cheese sandwich on white bread

Cold Spaghetti on texas toast

Trashy dip for tortilla chips. Can of refried beans, can of salsa and can or queso.

[Tovflu]

I'm in a very health-centric career field so people are very conscious of what they're eating in from of each other. Usually I'm pretty shameless about whatever I'm eating but I do have a soft spot for Nutty Bars, and in my head Little Debbie products are crossing the line for what to eat in front of my peers. I eat maybe one a year, at most, but it's extremely nostalgic for me because my great grandmother used to always have them on hand. Love em.

I like pop tarts too. I remember a peer relaying a story to me about how she was in a hurry and decided to buy a pop tart before heading to class and the teacher immediately noted it and made a big deal out of the 'unhealthiness' of the meal (no wonder we're all self-conscious).

[pedalfaster]

Peanut M&Ms

[occula]

... sour gummi worms.

[FutureChefAdam]

One of my favorites too! Anything gummy actually...

[fldhkybnva]

Haribo gummi bears!

[jarona]

For me, Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup. I love, love, love those mushy noodles. Warms my heart and innards!

[Tripeler]

Jarona, I know what you mean. For me, it's Campbell's Bean with Bacon soup. I've loved that since I was a little kid.

[Chemicalkinetics]

I like Campell's Chicken Noodle Soup and also its many other soups too, like the creamy mushroom and the alphabet soup.

[MonMauler]

I haven't had a dorito in close to a decade, but I just started craving them for some reason. The next opportunity I get I think I am going to buy a bag. I fear the downward spiral I will surely spin into.

[ohmyyum]

I used to like Doritos... Until I tried xochitl chips, spicy. I will never go back.

[MonMauler]

I see all those new flavors out, and they all look delicious. Should I not go with regular, old Doritos or Cool Ranch? Should I go with the Xochitl or something else?

[ohmyyum]

I was formerly a cool ranch girl.

I can't even handle much heat but the xochitl spicy are worth the pain. And the pain also prevents me from hoovering the entire bag.

Be warned that xochitl are not your typical corn chip. They are exceptionally thin and don't hold up well to dipping, unless it's a restaurant style thin salsa. The spicy do not need any embellishment, IMO.

ETA, xochitl chips are also a bit more pricey than typical brands so that may also help to limit mindless (over) consumption. $6 at world market, $5 at fresh market (recently on sale for $3.50). I haven't seen them elsewhere but haven't really looked either.

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

I prefer Cool Ranch to the regular Nacho Cheese Doritos. I've also tried most of the new flavors, and still always prefer Cool Ranch.

The Xochitl chips are much more like high-quality Mexican restaurant tortilla chips than junk foody Doritos. They are very thin and less than ideal for dipping as a result, but they're probably the best "pure" tortilla chips you can buy.

[l0b0SKI]

I remember when Cool Ranch Doritos came out. One day my grandmother brought a case home from the food bank she worked at. My cousin, my sister and myself thought it would be a great idea to try and eat the whole case. Needless to say I can never look a Cool Ranch Dorito in the face again.

Truth! Xochitl are the best. I eat them with fresh lime juice or Pato sauce all the time

[juliejulez]

I had this problem over the summer. I was at a BBQ and someone had cool ranch doritos out. They were my favorite in high school. I had some... and could not stop.

[MonMauler]

Yeah, half of my delay has been my inability to decide what flavor bag to buy. I used to love the Cool Ranch, too.

And I'm usually very decisive.

[MonMauler]

I've had both the Original and the Cool Ranch Doritos in the last two days, and they were exactly as I remembered them. Delicious.

[fldhkybnva]

I love it when the junk food tastes as you remember. I've had many an occasion where it just wasn't the same greasy junk I remembered and was craving :)

[ohmyyum]

I don't think Kraft Mac and cheese tastes the same as it does in my memories. :(

[foiegras]

i have seen other chowhounders note that as they get older, they taste 'chemicals' more. this has put me off velveeta, but not kraft m&c.

[suzigirl]

I agree. It sad when you cave in to an "old school Jones" and it isn't the same. You feel cheated. Did they change? Did my tastes change? Did I have a palate then?

[fldhkybnva]

I think I commented on this elsewhere but it makes me so frustrated that I'll do it again! Is it me? Is it them? Who cares? Why is it not the same? I hate feeling like I failed at indulging in a guilty pleasure.

[sandylc]

Mine would be Chef Boy Ardee box mix pizza. I would have killed for it as a child, yet my attempt at enjoying it again was not successful. Sigh.

[Poochinator]

Cheez-It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plus, Kraft Mac and Cheese, Lays potato chips, Cheetos, and Bugles....just to name a few.

[sal_acid]

I think y'all are pregnant.

[ohmyyum]

Lol +1!

But that's ok, no judgment right? I've actually been inspired by quite a few posts. :)

[Jolyon Helterman]

I have a bunch, but, like someone mentioned below, I don't have much "guilt" about them. :)

• Oscar Mayer cheese hot dogs (with the processed cheese that's been injected inside them, which turns scalding-hot when cooked)

• Filet O'Fish sandwiches from McDonalds

• BBQ Fritos, which have now been discontinued, I believe

• Those frozen Jamaican Beef Patties they sell at every NYC pizzeria

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

I love Jamaican beef patties too, especially the spicy ones. I'm lucky to have a great, cheap Jamaican restaurant near my job, that serves huge portions of braised oxtail or curried goat over coconut rice with cabbage, filling up an entire big styrofoam to-go box for $10. But whenever I get one of those, I have to pick up a patty as well!

[boogiebaby]

Ruffles with regular old French onion dip - just sour cream and an evelope of onion soup mix.

The occasional raspberry Toaster Strudel.

Kraft Mac and cheese in the blue box. We dont make it often, but we always have a box on hand for last minute kid dinners. I save a few bites for myself, grind on lots of fresh black pepper and enjoy.

At Thanksgiving, I must have Green Bean Casserole. Not some fancy, gourmet version, but the old school kind with canned green beans.

[juliejulez]

Ooo I'm with you on the ruffles and dip!

[suzigirl]

Me too. Love that stuff. Chip and dip crack. And the green bean canned casserole. Love that stuff.

[Paprikaboy]

I like to get big fat dates and spread roquefort on them,
Also salad cream sandwiches.

[happybaker]

Wait - that date/roquefort thing sounds like a great app or dessert! No shame there : )

[Jpan99]

I agree. Nothing embarrassing about dates and roquefort!

[Paprikaboy]

I don't feel any shame, and it does sound quite good.
But often i use the dates to scoop out the roquefort because I can't be bothered with plates or knives.

[happybaker]

Ah hah! Now THAT is a food action best done alone ; )

(I use chocolate chips to scoop out cream cheese and then eat them, it's like an instant chocolate cheesecake. And yes, that I do only when alone...!)

[Vidute]

Give me a smoked ham hock, a jar of extra-hot horseradish and knife and I'm a happy girl.

[happybaker]

Oh and if you gave me a bowl of SpaghettiOs, I'd be a tad embarrassed - but I think I would still dive in.

[happybaker]

Fried baloney.

It terrified and embarrassed my husband - until he tried it.

[MGZ]

Try fried mortadella - just do yourself a favor and try it.

[happybaker]

I watched Battle Mortadella on Iron Chef America and whenever they fried it, I just DROOLED.

[don515]

with a couple of sunny side up eggs!

[Violatp]

Oh, I used to get such a kick out of the "cap" effect you get from frying up bologna.

[Tara57]

My mom would fill the fried bologna bowl with scrambled eggs. I thought this was very elegant!

[l0b0SKI]

Yay! I was waiting for someone to fess up to fried baloney, my uncle used to make it all the time. I can still smell it.

[KrumTx]

Fried baloney sandwiches! The baloney would fry up into a perfect cup to melt up a couple of slices of white-trash sliced American cheese. That sounds great right about now, with a side of Cheetos - the puffy ones.

Great idea on mortadella, MGZ.

[MGZ]

Some older thoughts on the fried mortadella sandwich:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/847014

[happybaker]

Fried baloney sandwiches are a midwestern staple - many restaurants sell them!

[laliz]

I live in CA and never see fried baloney sandwiches here, I was visiting NY last fall and ordered one when I saw it on the menu. The friend who was buying lunch that day was aghast at my choice. WHAT?

[happybaker]

I'm in CA as well. Funny that you should see that sandwich on a NY menu - my Dad's NY family was horrified at the sandwich when they heard of it!

(Later, my Dad became a convert saying "It's junk but it's good junk.")

[Lillipop]

Hands down any "kids" candy.Licorice...candy suckers....bubble gum.....sour tarts....Starburst..Dum Dum's....Tootsie Pops....salt water taffy...I love all of it.
I will eat it all non stop if I keep it in my house (with joy)
so I will on rare occasions treat myself to 5 of the
Rainbow suckers from Winco's bulk bins.....or a small
package of red licorice.I just cannot help loving the stuff.
If I had to make a choice between ice cream....cake...cookies..pie....chocolate candy....kids candy
I would take a bag full of kids candy anytime!

[EWSflash]

Easter candy- marshmallow centers, chocolate outsides, tghe darker the better. Marshmallow flavoring everywhere.

Christmas candy- mostly See's dark chocolates with nougat, marshmallow, and/or nuts.

[Pwmfan]

Orange circus peanuts (preferably slightly stale, but I think they come that way by default).

[Jpan99]

My college roommate always had a bag of these in the room. She had to take some awful tasting, chewable pills for a bad case of acne and she always chased the pills down with circus peanuts and sour lemon drops!

[juliejulez]

Oh man, my dad loved those... and Peeps.

[Pwmfan]

Peeps have to be carefully aged as well. One of the guys I worked with would pick up several packages at Eastertime (only Easter Peeps were acceptable; other seasonal Peeps were imposters). We would poke several holes in the cellophane and monitor the ageing process daily until they had reached the correct balance of soft insides and properly crusty exteriors. Only then would the feast begin........

[GraceW]

Mmmm, I had forgotten--Peeps are the best, and we are headed into 'no-Peeps'-season soon because after Easter we will not have them again until Halloween.

Peeps-s'mores are tasty too.

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

Ever do Peep Jousting?

Put two Peeps on a microwave-safe plate, facing each other on opposite ends of the plate, and stick a toothpick in the front of each one, facing forward like a knight's lance.

Set the microwave for two minutes, and you can watch the Peeps start to expand, until one of them expands far enough to stab and deflate the other. That Peep has won ye olde tournamente, so you can eat the flattened loser... and then eat the winner as well.

(Now THAT'S a guilty pleasure.)

[foiegras]

a friend had peep jousting tournaments in the kitchen at work ;) not sure what it is with peeps in the workplace ...

[GraceW]

It's (an Easter) tradition!

[Violatp]

Ha! That's hilarious! I don't actually like Peeps (the food coloring used tastes bitter to me) but I may purchase some just for this.

[Lillipop]

Lou..I am belly laughing....too funny!

[juliejulez]

LOL I think I might need to try this.

[GraceW]

I was an RA in college and used it as a dorm activity.. all you need is a bunch of peeps and a microwave. Then I set up a 'bracket' for the participating residents. It is good-fun.

(Also there are many Youtube videos.. in case you want to see what goes down.)--Enjoy! The chicks are the best animal for this because they sit-down.

[Tovflu]

I adore peeps, no embarrassment included. I've become a huge fan of their new chocolate-covered ones with cherry marshmallow inside. I bought something like 20 of them discounted after valentines last year! (okay, so purchasing that many at once was mildly embarrassing, but I needed to stock up!).

Their new sugar cookie flavor is also really good. I'm dying to try their new birthday/anniversary flavors. /fangirl

[juliejulez]

I'm like you Jpan99, Pop Tarts. Love them. Frosted Strawberry. As recently as a few years ago, I ate up to 4 a day, usually cold as my office did not have a toaster. No wonder I got fat. Now they're just reserved for "special" occasions. I most recently had on Thanksgiving morning when I was cooking up a storm and they were easy to "make" and eat quickly.

Also the Triscuit thread reminded me that I like plain Triscuits with Easy Cheese (the cheese in the aerosol can) on them. We were at SO's aunt's house for Christmas dinner and she had a bacon flavored easy cheese with Triscuits out, and I was in heaven. I'm too embarassed to be seen buying it myself though so it's limited to when someone else makes it available to me.

I also enjoy graham crackers dipped in milk, and store bought pre-sliced salami with cream cheese. Also a macaroni salad concoction, that involves ditalini, fat free Kraft mayonnaise, and seasoned salt. Nothing else.

[512window]

Graham crackers dipped in lemonade are incredible!

My guilty embarassing pleasures: imitation crab, straight out of the package and "chinese" orange sauce chicken. I'm sick, went into a place to get soup, got some orange sauce chicken also - so so good but I've lost all my "authenticity" cred.

[Jpan99]

Yes, I no longer eat meat but when I did, sweet and sour chicken was my "embarrassing" Chinese fave that I would only order as takeout when dining alone so nobody would see me eating it! If ever sway from a veg diet I think it will be the sweet & sour chicken that does me in!

[512window]

Good to know it's not just me!

[Wahooty]

> I'm too embarassed to be seen buying it myself though so it's limited to when someone else makes it available to me.

This is why God gave us the self-checkout.

I am powerless against junky chips - the higher the MSG content, the weaker I am. I have been known to read the ingredient lists and pick whichever bag has MSG highest on the list when I'm having a craving.

I also have a severely guilty affinity for tortilla chips and bad nacho cheese - if it doesn't come in a can, it simply will not do. I got a strong enough craving one weekend to go to the grocery store at midnight to get some. I have never dashed in and out of the store so fast in my life - I was so afraid of running into one of my students with a can of La Preferida nacho cheese in hand.

[suzigirl]

I know they have been mentioned here before but i must confess that i like the canned nacho sauce and chili at 7-11. Here is why I hastened to mention it before as it is bad, but it will make you feel a bit better. I don't cover the nachos, I use the lid for my chili and cheese. Tilted to the side to fill with chili then the other side with nacho sauce and a big blob of jalapenos in the center. Then I can eat them as slow as i want and have crispy chips. Some stores won't let you do it but i have figured out who will. See? You're not so bad.

[Wahooty]

I feel like it's somehow worse to acknowledge that La Preferida was, in the end, sub-par. I still believe anything packaged in a glass jar will not satisfy my craving because it's...wait for it...TOO GOOD...but it appears that I have become discriminating in my canned cheese. I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM ANYMORE!

[foiegras]

you are simply evolving ;)

[Wahooty]

Not sure that's the right word ;)

I grew up in a from-scratch household. I have no idea why my mom would NEVER buy Kraft mac and cheese, but bought cans of nacho cheese for chip-dipping. But, baby bird that I was, I imprinted all the same. I am just convinced that the cheapest cheese-in-a-can now just doesn't have the same rancid jalapeno tang that that stuff once did. <sigh>

[mike0989]

I’m a protein whore where as my Wife always wants a salad or something green. When I get a “Boy’s Night”. I’ll go for platter of chili dogs, or a couple pounds of chicken wings.

[ohmyyum]

Hahaha my friends used to call me a protein whore because I was once on a diet that required me to eat my body weight in grams of protein, daily in order to gain weight and build muscle.

[l0b0SKI]

One night I called my husband and requested my husband to bring home one of those cardboard tasting frozen pizzas. Aww, man now I want a cardboard pizza.

[HillsofBeverly]

Quality, chunky blue cheese dressing or dip, with a big shot of Sriracha for "buffalo" flavoring, and chips to dip into it.

[wincountrygirl]

Sour pickles dipped in Russian dressing.

[jbsiegel]

I like sauerkraut with 1000 island dressing on it LOL!

[Vidute]

i add corned beef and rye bread to your kraut and 1k island dreassing. ;)

[cheesecake17]

French's fried onions, eaten with a spoon

[MonMauler]

Why do you need a spoon? Do you have hooks instead of hands?

[Bob W]

You only need one hand (or hook) to hold the can up and pour the onions into your mouth.

[alliegator]

You could probably lean back into the couch and pick the can up with your toes, if you tried really hard. I love those onion things. Great on a hot dog with cheese!

[laliz]

OMG ~~ on a hot dog with cheese.

sounds divine.

[Lillipop]

" Now that's just plain rude" ( a quote from the Danish film Adam's Apples).

[GraceW]

Hmm... I just realized French's fried onions would be great on top of a pizza or on top of home-baked mac and cheese.

[sandylc]

Sounds like a slippery slope!

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

French fried onions are good on EVERYTHING, including pinched up right out of the can or bag (and Costco sells them in huge bags about the size of a pillowcase for about $7, much cheaper than the tiny cans at the supermarket).

[foiegras]

we did NOT need to know that ;)

[foiegras]

yes, not the minced fish. i get van de kamp's, 'cut from whole fillets.'

[laliz]

they are good on a cold meatloaf sandwich

[alliegator]

I've admitted a couple of things on here that are embarrassing, but this is the worst. It's called "snack". My dad used to make it for me because I was scrawny as a child. Melt some butter in a skillet, then slice up some pepperoni, throw it in. Then add salted hard pretzel chunks and keep going until the pepperoni is crispy and the pretzels are coated but not soggy. Enjoy.
Then, run 5 miles on the treadmill every day for a week.

[EWSflash]

Thank God, or else you'd be in the Cath Lab on a regular basis. It sounds wonderful.

[alliegator]

Haha! You aren't kidding! I eat this about twice a year when I visit my family. I'm a good little soldier with my exercise, but my dad might snack his way right into the back of an ambulance :/ I'll just keep naggin'...

[mwhitmore]

I never feel guilty for eating something I enjoy. I sincerely think that the word 'guilt' should be abolished from food-related discussions.

[fldhkybnva]

+1 I wish we could as well but not sure that's happening soon. My best friends will still call me in a panic "I ate so bad today."

[ohmyyum]

I agree thoroughly. I believe in intuitive eating and feel strongly that no one would ever have to worry about weight if they followed those principles.

[Violatp]

My intuition has had me eat entire cheesecakes in the past. My intuition isn't too bright. ;-)

[ohmyyum]

If you allowed yourself to eat an entire cheesecake every day, trust me it would lose it's appeal. :)

Ps I love cheesecake. I eat it for breakfast sometimes. It's dairy, which is just like drinking milk, right?

[Violatp]

Heh

Reminds me of accounts I've read of servants (way back when) protesting against having to eat lobster and agreeing to have it served to them no more than 3x a week.

[Ruthie789]

Those sweet gooey chocolates with the marashino cherry in the middle.

[EWSflash]

Oh yes.

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

Liverwurst
Canned smoked oysters and sardines (maybe not embarrassing, but most people think they're weird and/or gross)
Pickled and creamed herring (see above)
Most potato chips, including all the weird new flavors from Lay's and Herr's (haven't tried the Chicken and Waffles or Cheesy Garlic Bread Lay's yet)
Cheetos (including the Flaming Hot ones)

[MGZ]

There's nothing guilty about liverwurst.

[Chemicalkinetics]

Aren't they unhealthy or something?

[EWSflash]

Or smoked oysters or sardines!

[Violatp]

Liverwurst is great! I especially love braunschweiger. On rye bread with mustard and pickles, YUM.

[Lillipop]

I love it too.With all of your additions plus I want some crisp white onion slices on mine.

[Vidute]

dietz and watson braunschweiger, herrings in wine sauce, smoked whitefish salad....are currently in my fridge. they're my "go-to" foods when nothing else tastes good. "soul" food, so to speak.

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

My wife has been hooked on the smoked whitefish salad from Whole Foods, which I (as a Jew) think is just... ehhhhhhhh.

But two weeks ago, I was at a different Costco than the one I usually go to, and this location had whole smoked whitefish, from Blue Hill Bay/ACME Smoked Fish in Brooklyn. Beautiful fish, almost bronze in color, about two feet long, and reasonably priced. You almost never see those anywhere, especially in a city like Orlando, with no real New York-style delis or appetizing stores. (We have the Toojay's chain, but... ehhhhhhhhh.)

So I bought it, filleted it as best I could, and got every single edible flake and shred of delicious, salty, smoky, fishy goodness out of it, removing all the wire-like bones I could. We've been happily munching on it for the last two weeks, and I didn't even have to add anything to make it into a salad or spread. It's probably the best whitefish we've ever had. Nothing embarrassing or guilty about that!

[Vidute]

I haven't tried Whole Food's version, but I buy Blue Hill Bay's smoked whitefish salad and really enjoy it. Blue Hill Bay is ACME's gourmet line. I used to buy ACME herring in wine sauce, but found and tried Blue Hill Bay's version and am now hooked on that. Whole Foods carries it along with other varieties of herring.

It's a shame that good smoked fish is so difficult to come by, even here, in Baltimore.

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

I regularly buy the 26-ounce jars of Blue Hill Bay herring in wine sauce at Costco. Such a good snack, and so healthy! (And only $4.99 for a jar that usually lasts a month or more!)

I grew up eating the Vita brand, which my family would serve on Sunday mornings with bagels and cream cheese and lox, but Blue Hill Bay is SO MUCH better than Vita. (However, no matter which brand of pickled fish I buy or where, it always grosses out the cashiers.)

Hey, at least in Baltimore, you have Faidley's!

[Vidute]

Great deal on the herring! Looks like I'm going to have to switch over from Sam's.

I grew up on Vita, too. I was going to pick up a jar for old time's sake, but when I looked at the label, I saw that they now use hfcs, so I put it back.

Regarding Faidley's, if only it was the Faidley's of yore.

[EWSflash]

I love your gusto and description, BBVL.

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

Thank you! I love cured and smoked meats and fish more than just about anything (food-wise, at least).

[StrandedYankee]

Gringa Madre's Taco Night Dinner, circa 1978. Yes, with the premade crunchy shells, the envelope of taco meat seasoning, shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped tomatoes & onions. I know I should be horrified and disgusted, but every so often, I MUST make this.

[MGZ]

7-11 nachos, saturated with that foul chili and cheese, and covered with the equally awful chopped onions and pickled jalapenos.

Supermarket "Krab" salad on a some form of bread or cracker with hot sauce.

[Dagney]

+1!!! I was too embarrassed to admit my love for 7-11 Nachos...lol I love that I can put as much cheese as I want on the chips. oh so wonderful.

[Dagney]

Nachos with enough cheese to saturate every chip.

Mayonaise. oh yes oh yesssss.

[pinehurst]

I love Spam. Yes, cue the Python sketch...I'll take his Spam, I love it!

[ItalianNana]

*big grin*

Not a big Spam fan but up until I was middle aged (long ago actually) I loved Vienna Sausages and Deviled Ham with scrambled eggs.

[Cheese Boy]

Murray Old Fashioned Ginger Snaps cookies remain in my rotation because they haven't changed very much over the years. I still have lots of love for them. : )

[ipsedixit]

Pop Tarts make great "bread" for ice cream sandwiches.

[EWSflash]

Oooh, they would!

[SpiceMustFlow]

Potato chips- ripple cut, plain salted. And for an extra kick, put 'em in the freezer. I have no idea why that makes them even better, but it does.

Also? Zero bars. So hard to find these days, but strangely enough they've turned up in my local Dollarama store. Also delightful when chilled, though better just in the fridge than in the freezer.

[Kholvaitar]

Love the Zero--

[GraceW]

I don't. But I have discovered, I like the taste of brown-sugar so much--I can/could/have eaten a few spoonfuls by itself...

Yes, that's not socially acceptable--so I don't do it.

Also, I ate Flaming Cheetos for the first time--during the holidays. I discovered they were good. But still their appearance disgusts me. So I won't be eating them again.

[fldhkybnva]

Jalapeno cheddar Cheetos are referred to as "crack" in my house. On a whim, I decided to pick up a bag of the Flamin Hot Cheetos and now those will not be allowed in the house either.

[EWSflash]

FWIW- I eat Cheetos with chopsticks.

[GraceW]

I've heard some people like flaming Cheetos on top of hot white rice.. mix it around, and then eat with chopsticks. But I have never tried that.

[Violatp]

I can see that helping with the dreaded Cheetos Fingers.

"Out, out, damned orange cheez powder!"

[weezieduzzit]

That's really smart, EWSflash, 'cause there's no lyin' about those bright red orange fingers.

[budlit]

frozen cheese blintzes with creme fraiche & strawberry jam

[happybaker]

Gosh, I don't think that's embarrassing at all!

[EWSflash]

Oh my, I have to admit I'm powerless against -

Haribo Gummy Frogs

[chloebell]

I love gummy frogs!! There's just something different about them versus gummy bears.

[EWSflash]

I hear you loud and clear- ribbit!

[Tara57]

Rotel dip -- A can of Rotel and a brick of Velveeta melted together

[fldhkybnva]

+1, I like to add sausage or ground beef to the mix.

[EWSflash]

My favorite auntie routinely made that for an appetizer at their house. It had a bar in the basement that was larger than a lot of commercial bars. All the midwesterners would whoop and comment on how hot it was, I never felt any heat at all (but then I was from the Sonoran Desert). I sure do miss my aunt Ginny and uncle Walt. Thanks, Tara, for the reminder of that fabulous house. 8^)

[EWSflash]

Li'l Smokies, either with or without bbq sauce or a gravy, but I refuse to eat them with grape jelly fronting as a 'sauce'. It isn't. It's grape jelly. Give me some savory, please.

[EWSflash]

Kraft mac & cheese- I even bought a bunch of the orange powder on Amazon, and i'm surprised that I don't use it more often, bu some day I will.
Almost any mac & cheese is good to me, especially if it's elbows or shells. I prefer that somebody made the mac & cheese rather than the frozen ones you reheat, but they've been good too.
I am a sap for mac & cheese. I admit it.

[happybaker]

I have considered buying that mac and cheese powder just to sprinkle it on popcorn. It hasn't happened yet. But it probably will...!

[GraceW]

The new Orville Pop Crunch variety of pre-popped/flavored popcorn, in the cheese-flavor, tastes exactly like that!

[monavano]

Campbell's Tomato Soup
Kraft Mac and Cheese

[don515]

O and C onions right out ot the can!

[suzigirl]

I love Campbell's Tomato Soup with milk,butter and cream cheese stirred constantly til smooth. Embarrassingly guilty. :-)

[Njchicaa]

Velveeta shells and cheese though it isn't as amazing as I remember.

[ItalianNana]

Full fat milk. Or even better a coffee breve. (Latte with half and half)

Ice cream with pretzels. Taquitos, cookie dough, milkshakes with a handful of toasted chopped almonds IN them, warm flour tortillas with butter, anything with butter.

Dr says my low cholesterol is genetic not "earned." Heehee

[suzigirl]

Reading your list makes me think that you would like something that i hadn't thought about. A ice cream pie with pretzel crust. If you love butter, pretzels and ice cream, I think you would love it. I just follow a graham cracker crust recipe and sub pretzels. Fill with your favorite ice cream and freeze to set.

[ItalianNana]

suzigirl,

I enjoy your posts. And man oh man that sounds divine!! I love sweet and salty. I would NEVER have thought of subbing pretzels for graham crackers. There is a passage GF pretzel too.

Thank you

[suzigirl]

I'm glad that someone likes my posts. :-) If you try the pie let me know. Bet you like it

[pine time]

I use crushed pretzels for a pie crust, then fill w/ a chocolate and caramel filling--kind of a Turtle pie.

Also crush pretzels, then coat chicken with a mustard and spice dip & roll in the pretzels & bake. Yum.

[suzigirl]

Chicken coating. That is going on the menu this week. Maybe even tonight. Yum

[juliejulez]

Gosh suzi that sounds really good, I'll have to try that next time I make a chocolate cream pie.

[suzigirl]

I posted it to another person here. The post was about leftover pretzel chips. It is so good.

[Violatp]

It reminds me of a ridiculously delicious, easy, and slightly embarrassing snack that my sister makes. Arrange caramel rolos on bite size salted butter pretzels. Warm up in oven till soft. Jam a pretzel stick into each one, let cool, and eat the whole tray.

[suzigirl]

That sounds so yummy.

[Violatp]

I saw a variation of this on Pinterest this morning - instead of another pretzel, the rolo was squished down with a pecan half.

Mmmm!

[ohmyyum]

Oh that sounds fantastic! I may buy a single tube of Rolos for the express purpose of making this concoction.

[Pwmfan]

+1. I love all things animal-fatty and was very proud of my cholesterol numbers at my last checkup. As I beamed at my doctor she gave me "the look" and told me to wipe that grin off my face and that my success was attributable to my genes, not my behavior.
My favority guilty pleasure is local salted butter on everything!

[happybaker]

Ice cream with pretzels - yes!

In a pinch, a milkshake (or frosty) with the fries dipped in.

[Ruthie789]

Nutella, all the way. I bought some for the first time a year ago for my son and I am now obsessed!

[C. Hamster]

We do the strawberry and briwn sugar pop tart thing, but they have to be frosted !!

Other guilty things...

Kraft Mac and cheese with canned tuna and canned peas

Canned biscuits and crescent rolls

Beefaroni

"deviled ham"

Those huge hams that come in shiny red paper

If I lived anywhere near and in and out burger I would eat there every day. Without guilt. Thank God they are far away !

[Chemicalkinetics]

I have tons, but I don't think they are "guilty" pleasure, since I have no guilt. They are what other foodies look down upon.

I like:

instant noodle from the time to time -- especially when I am lazy.
McDonald Fish-O-Filet
IN-N-Out Burger
Waffle House
Supermarket fish sticks
...etc...etc.

[Violatp]

In-N-Out is delicious; no guilt there.

Protein style double double, animal style and a neopolitan shake, freaking delicious

no fries; I don't like their fries

[Chemicalkinetics]

I have had the animal style, but never the protein style. I didn't like their fries the first few times (I actually hate them), but they grew on me. By the 4-5 th times, I love them.

[Violatp]

If possible, I try t pick and choose my carb indulgences. I love that shake so much, I don't even bother trying with the fries anymore.

Once, I finished the shake before I got out of the parking lot and had to turn around to get another one.

I have to travel for work to Phoenix in a couple weeks and the first thing I checked was to see how far from the airport there is an In-N-Out. Sadly, it's like 15 miles and I get no rental car on this trip.

[C. Hamster]

Cab!

[Violatp]

I do get a $35 dinner allowance. $25 cab + $9 dinner would still leave me under...

Damn - $25 probably wouldn't get me there AND back to the hotel!

[Chemicalkinetics]

Ok. I don't remember any milkshake from In-N-Out. I wonder if this is something new or that I never like it enough to remember it. (I left California for about 8 years now).

[happybaker]

Their shakes are made with real ice cream. Simple but really good.

And their fries are nice, but even better if you get them well done.

[mike0989]

Double Double - Animal Style
Fries - Light Well (it helps)
Rootbeer Float.

[ItalianNana]

Oh MY!

Yes and yes! I have Celiac disease so always protein style. Don't like their fries either. :-)

[Nancy Berry]

You have to order their fries well-done. These are great!

[laliz]

protein style cheeseburger w/grilled onions and fries well done animal style. With a Diet Coke of course.

[foiegras]

ah ... fish sticks. me too, but only the kind made from whole fish. i remember being served as a child fish sticks & grape juice from concentrate & thinking what a truly great meal it was.

the thai instant noodles are quite good. what bugs me though is that the little packets don't provide enough flavor if i want to add meat & veggies.

[fldhkybnva]

Funny you mentioned fish sticks, I just grabbed a box of Starfish breaded cod when I had a sudden childhood flashback moment in the store.

[Violatp]

I randomly picked up a bottle of tartar sauce the other day in anticipation of having some kind of battered or breaded fish of some sort.

In hindsight, tartar sauce is something I should make from scratch, though. I'll use up the individual ingredients faster, but I don't have any oil right now with which to make mayo. I don't use oil much for anything; I'm a butter cook!

Not that scratch tartar sauce has a place in this thread. Heh.

[Chemicalkinetics]

<but only the kind made from whole fish>

You mean the kind which still has the fish fiber texture, right? Yeah, I love those.

[foiegras]

you remind of the fact that every so often i like a totino's sausage pizza.

[foiegras]

i love the russell stover pastel easter candies. the coconut nests with mini jellybean eggs are pretty fabulous.

[Violatp]

Miracle Whip. I like Miracle Whip. I like mayo, too, but for some things, MW really hits the spot.

[suzigirl]

MW on fried egg sandwiches and on blt is a must

[malibumike]

The only use I have for Miracle Whip is when making Tuna Salad sandwiches, it just seems perfect for that.

[jbsiegel]

I actually do half MW and half mayo with tuna salad. When I do chicken or turkey salad with leftovers, though, that's all MW (made the day before - tastes better that way).

I also like deviled eggs much better with MW. I find them too bland with mayo.

[sandylc]

Ugh! I've lost my appetite reading these ;-)

I don't buy them, but if I happen upon flavored Doritos, I will eat some and then feel slightly sick - does that qualify?

[EWSflash]

No, sandylc, you should back away from this thread. Seriously.

[sandylc]

Pout.

[EWSflash]

Well, look- people are wallowing in their guilty pleasures. Either back out of the thread, or enjoy it for what it is, as in people who like food that the hoi polloi think a 'foodie' shouldn't. If you're grossed out, please take your grossness elsewhere and let people vent out their crazed guilty pleasures without judgement- this should be a safe place to share. You may be new to this site, and therefore need to learn that you shouldn't judge others' tastes, because, as this thread shows, everybody has a culinarily challenged area. being grossed out is your right, but posting it will get you nowhere, except maybe thrown out of here, and also get you nobody's respect. You might consider avoiding the "guilty pleasure" topics if you're such a delicate flower.

[suzigirl]

sweet gerkins dipped in pimento cheese
Cheddar and sweet pickles eaten together on a cracker.
Chefboyardee spaghetti and meatballs eaten on iceburg lettuce leaves like a taco and two kitties to share the meatballs(they haven't told daddy that secret)
Grilled peanutbutter and cheese sandwiches
Cheddar cheese on salmon if the man is cooking

Now that i see it in print, oh my. Sheesh

[EWSflash]

8^)

[ohmyyum]

Your post made me laugh! I'd be embarrassed too. :-P

[KrumTx]

"Chefboyardee spaghetti and meatballs eaten on iceberg lettuce leaves like a taco."

suzi, suzi, suzi! I'm just speechless, but laughing!

[Jpan99]

Yeah, that's just gross! My Pop Tarts look like caviar now! ;-)

[suzigirl]

You said embarrassing. I gave it to ya baby. And it was taught to me as a teen by a dear friend when we smoked alot of pot. But i defend my poor choices. :-)

[happybaker]

Suzigirl- I respect you deeply.

: )

[suzigirl]

Thanks ;-)

[chloebell]

I love Pop Tarts too, un-frosted, blueberry, toasted with butter. Yum!

[EWSflash]

Not to judge at all, but I never did like Pop-Tarts, they were always so dry and bereft of flavor. But then I haven't had one in probably forty years, so a lot could have changed.

[laliz]

Chef Boy ar Dee Spaghetti and mini-meatballs. Straight from the can with a plastic fork I get from the deli dept. Eat in the car.

So much HFCS it is sweet and I haven't had it in months, maybe a year

[chloebell]

Chef Boy R Dee ravioli, warm please. :)

Hamburger Helper - double cheese cheeseburger

Hormel chili with beans over tostitoes, AKA Nacho's, with all the trimmings

Anything with Sriracha squirted over it.

[socky]

Another one for Chef Boyardee (ravioli though) straight from the can and eaten in the car.

[ChervilGeorge]

I have many.

Velveeta melted with salsa and eaten with corn chips.
Bacon dipped in mayo, hard boiled eggs dipped in mayo, green beans dipped in mayo. Hell, I'll just about put mayo on anything.
Baked beans from a can with sliced hot dogs mixed in it.
Cocktail sauce on celery sticks.
Deviled ham on crackers.
About once a year I crave tater tots dipped in mayo (of course), ketchup and Dijon.
Manwich.

[Jpan99]

I don't put Mayo on anything! I'll eat potato or macaroni salad with Mayo but that's about it.

[EWSflash]

Try tater tots with A-1 sauce- the best, IMO. Your mileage may vary.

[suzigirl]

You just found another. A-1 and Lay's chips. I'll have to try it with tots

[suzigirl]

Sloppy Joe's of sorts tonight. Fries for the bf. Tots for me. A-1 was very good. I will do it again. I alternated ketchup to dip them

[Lillipop]

IMO A-1 sauce can do no wrong.I love it.

[Baskerville]

I do the mayo dip, but with pork rinds. Similarly embarrassing, similarly delicious.

Pork rinds serve as a vehicle for another peculiar combination for me: almond butter. Now I want some!

[cayjohan]

Now I must try pork rinds and almond butter. I'll take any chance I get to justify pork rinds. It sounds akin to one of my favorite pork rind go-withs: peanut satay sauce. Sometimes mixed with a bit of Kewpie mayo. Great combination.

[fldhkybnva]

OMG, love pork rinds!

[Violatp]

I just had a snack of pork rinds dipped in queso. So good!