Tag: taste test

I Survived the Heat Dome & Improved the World

~ Jim Flanigan

Make no mistake – the heat was bad. We tickled 100F/38C for the past two days coupled with humidity approaching triple digits. Did you know that the corn we grow in Illinois contributes to the high humidity?

Can’t we genetically engineer corn so it doesn’t evapotranspirate? That would make the world, or at least Illinois, a better place. Meanwhile, I did my best over the past few days of the heat dome to change the world and make it a better place.

I may have eradicated the deadly disease of meningitis, but first, and possibly just as important, I may have been responsible for the introduction of a new snack food.

Continue reading “I Survived the Heat Dome & Improved the World” →

Should I Study for this Taste Test?

~ Jim Flanigan

I had an opportunity today to try and qualify for a product taste test for tomorrow. There were only 2 questions:

  1. Am I willing to eat chicken?
  2. Am I willing to eat pudding?

Although I do try to stick to a vegetarian or pescatarian diet, I will eat chicken (and just about anything else) for money. So, a strong “Yes” from me to both questions and I qualified. Yay! Easy money and a potential breakfast of chicken and pudding ahead for me tomorrow morning.

But then I started to get worried. The taste test is relatively short at only 30 minutes. From my previous taste test experience, that seems like too short of a time to taste test two foods as diverse as chicken and pudding. And then I thought of the possible nightmare scenario. Could the taste test possibly be for chicken-flavored pudding? I mean, who likes pudding enough to eat that?

Ugh, Forget I asked.

If Meat is Murder, Then What is Dairy?

~ Jim Flanigan

Maybe robbery? I’m not sure, but I am certain that I do try and avoid eating meat, primarily for religious reasons as I am an ordained Dudeist priest. But it is also a super-healthy way to avoid eating very tasty, enjoyable food. So, when I got the call to do a taste test for a plant-based food, I was all in. Plant-based eats and paying me money to shovel them into my pie-hole? It was too good to be true. I headed over to pick up my food for an at-home taste test.

As I drove over to the testing facility, my mind spun with all the plant-based food possibilities. Maybe it would be a savory rump roast made entirely from chickpeas? Or, perhaps it was a complete Thanksgiving dinner molded out of ground brussel sprout meal.

Instead, it was this …

Continue reading “If Meat is Murder, Then What is Dairy?” →

Taste Test Fail

~ Jim Flanigan ~ 1 Comment

I was so excited. I was scheduled this week to participate in 2 paid market research studies that involved taste tests. I had found my true calling. It fit my skill set so perfectly. I could sit on my ass, eat and/or drink, use a computer, give my opinion, and get paid for it. I was born for that. I do that at home all the time and never get paid for it.

The first taste test went well. I got to try 2 versions of a berry granola cereal. The first version was skimpy with the berries, and I gave it a thumbs down. The second version was loaded with berries and earned a better rating from me. What I don’t like about berry cereals is the dried berries have a weird texture unless they get softened with milk. It was a timed taste test, so I had to crunch through some of the berries which I didn’t like. I much prefer fresh or thawed frozen berries in my cereal.

At the conclusion, I collected my Visa card loaded with cash and headed home. It sounds like a success, but there was one big problem.

Continue reading “Taste Test Fail” →