REALLY GOOD CHIPS

Potato chips are definitely not on the "healthy eating" list, but in moderation they can be OK. Problem is, with a really good potato chip (as the ol' jingle goes) you can't eat just one ...so moderation is the challenge. It gets much harder when you find a really awesome tasting chip.

So one of the things I do here is share with family friends, associates, and students awesome 'college grub.' [see the pizza, hotdog, and ramen entries]     On a recent hardware junket (yes hardware) to Menard's, I cam across Herr's Ketchup Chips. Dipping potato chips in ketchup has long been a favorite of Mrs. Pham, and I have tried other brands of ketchup chip, so I was in.

I find these chips more flavorful than competitors version, and definitely have trouble with the one serving rule. They are also available at other retail and grocery stores.  One of my kids is a huge fan of the Baby Back Rib chips by Herr's; beyond just BBQ, they taste like BBQ RIBS in all their ribby goodness. Flavorful stuff!

UPDATE: 3/12...Herr's has added a bunch of new flavors...two of the family favorites: Sweet Onion and the Fire-Roasted Sweet Corn! My kids' review: "Holy cow! How do they get the chips to taste exactly like roasted sweet corn?!?

NOT WINDOWS, NOT MAC

There's a few friends out there that love GUI operating systems, but don't care for either Windows or Mac (third-partiers who like various stripes of Linux, Unix, or even more esoteric offshoots of both). For you, I present PINGUY...a development OS for the casual user. Check out the SITE for more info.

iPAD apps for TYPE STUDENTS

If you are a student in a class studying TYPOGRAPHY (in my district there is the all-in-one Design Concepts class) and you own an iPAD, you gotta get your hands on this app. VEry cool, and only 1.99 through the APP store.

MUST HAVE iPAD APP for TYPE STUDENTS

Regional Hotdogs!

If you've read the blog before, you know that I wear many hats: designer,  graphic design instructor, dad and husband, music lover, movie fanatic, D.I.Y.'er, and avid foodie. I try and share food items that students (who are often on a budget) can relate to.

I've oft posted about Pizza. Pizza is the food I most associate with my college years (in addition to Ramen), and have a post that deals with all the regional variations of Pizza (of which btw, Detroit style has come into popularity in my house).

This post is about another great college staple--Hot Dogs. Sonic restaurants have recently added a couple of regional Hot Dogs to their menu. Even local grocers have become aware of the  cache of the 'tube-steak,' now offerring Nitrate/Nitrite free, low fat Angus versions (like costly brand The Frohman and the more ubiquitous Oscar Meyer Premium Selects Angus).

The regional varietals can have an altogether different composition to the sausage (like the east-coast dog that has a snappy-casing), but what often makes the regional variety is the  topping and bun. Around these parts, we tend to be partial to the Coney (bean-less chili topped--wit' onions and cheese please) or the Chicago (poppy roll, chopped onion, irridecent relish, mustard, celery salt, tomato and pickle wedges, and a port pepper on top).

Behold the magnificence of: The Sonoran (from AZ), the Southern-style Slaw dog, or the Hawaiin Puka Dog. Mmmm...pass the mustard (but no catsup please).

REGIONAL HOTDOGS

iPAD apps for designers

A fellow blogger who posts professional design issues posted this great list of  iPad apps for Graphic Artists. In no particular order (I think some of the productivity, mockup, and productivity ones are most essential), here is the compiled list:

30 iPad Apps for DESIGNERS