Do Not Be A ChumpGive Out Full Size Candy BarsShow Your Pride

The staff would like to encourage all of our readers to please be generous this Halloween and give out full size candy bars - none of those so-called 'fun-size' little ones. Show your pride.

Respect

Reader Meal PhotosSubmission Contest 2005Voting Is Open

The staff here has finally established the list of finalists for the best submitted photo of a meal prepared by a reader of the Fat Pride Times for 2005. It was hard to choose, that is why we are voting in October not January. However below are a fine class of meals and we encouraging all to vote by using the comments link - you dont have to create an account or anything - simple stuff. Votes will be tallied by a staff member and posted at the start of November.

Bill Manweh - American Chili Cheese Dog Platter

Franchi - Argentina BBQ

Bruss - UK Monster Cake

Barnabus - Oregon Surf & Turf

Darkstar - USA Smokin' Beef Brisket

Jackball Canadian Cuisine - Salmon & Rice

Please show respect for all of these fine dishes by voting with a comment for your pick for best of 2005. Also respect for the many other fine submissions we received during the year.

Umpqua Brand Ice CreamChocolate & Peanut ButterWhere is all the PB?

Umpqua brand ice cream is a favorite here at the Fat Pride Times test kitchen. They make a great tasting, quality product in many nice flavors. Recently, we tried a tub of the Chocolate & Peanut Butter flavor. Sounded great as the lid claims it is loaded with peanut butter chips. It was an 8-1 ruling from our staff that it was actually the opposite of that. Please view the tub photo above and feel free to post a comment regarding if you see "loads" of peanut butter chips in the ice cream. We will be contacting the company in hopes of engaging them in some dialogue regarding what we feel is a major issue. We also assume that Umpqua will handle it and make things right - like all their other offerings.

Sen. Olympia Snowe, Maine:The Langostino Lobster?It Is An Imposter!

Senator Snowe of Maine, the largest lobster producing state in the USA is really rallying against the so-called Langostino Lobster - which is actually mushy crab meat. As you expected this is about the money. Olympia Snowe told the FDA " 2-inch shellfish known as "langostino lobster" is an imphostor to the real thing". Rubio's Mexican Grill, a lame California restaurant chain was sued last year by customers for using the less expensive langostino inplace of genuine lobster in its "lobster burritos". Senator Snowe also sniped this about the FDA behavior on this foodstuff issue: "It will be remiss in its duties if it continues to allow restaurants or other entities to perpetuate this hoax at the expense of Maine's lobstermen and America's seafood customers."

The staff at The Fat Pride Timesis a strong opponent of mislabeling and deception of foodstuffs. We have hired an extra employee to travel to Maine and will be reporting back as this issue plays out. If, and when, we need your support - please join in and fight for what is right.

Open Casting Call:Fat Pride Television

We were recently contacted by an associate from Bunim/Murray Productions (Starting Over, Real World) in Los Angeles regarding an open casting call for those of the regalia. Below is some information regarding this in more detail: Are you a BIG person? Are you PROUD of who you are? Are you TIRED of the American obsession with weight? Care to show the world how you feel in a fun location for five days? Bunim-Murray Productions, the company that brought you shows like The Real World, & The Simple Life, is producing a new tv show. We are looking for energetic and fun people who are comfortable with their weight and have personalities that would be great for TV! For more information, contact Adam at(818)613-2076 or contact us about the show via email to:asaltzberg@bunim-murray.com
Casting for this exciting show is happening RIGHT NOW, so contact us ASAP - Applicants must be of legal age (18+) and within driving distance from Los Angeles, California to apply.

Campbell's Chunky Soup:The Definitive List

The FatPride test kitchens is fond of this line of soups, mostly because they have a pull-tab lid and require very little effort to get at the product. Frequently you can find them on sale for 10 for 10.00 and that is when we stock-up as the normal price is around 2.50 a can. Today our staff scoured the internet for a list of all the varieties - all in one place - as opposed to the partials we did find.

We are proud to list below the definitive list on the internet at this time:

• New! BBQ Seasoned Burger!
• Fajita Steak with Rice & Beans
• Hearty Beef Barley
• Savory Pot Roast
• Sirloin Burger with Country Vegetables
• Beef with Country Vegetables
• Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef
• Grilled Sirloin Steak with Hearty Vegetables
• Steak & Potato
• Beef Rib Roast with Potatoes & Herbs
• Beef with White & Wild Rice
• Salisbury Steak with Mushrooms & Onions
• Pepper Steak
• Slow Roasted Beef with Mushrooms
• Fajita Chicken with Rice & Beans
• Smoked Chicken with Roasted Corn Chowder
• Turkey Pot Pie
• Classic Chicken Noodle
• Chicken & Dumplings
• Grilled Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
• Grilled Chicken with Vegetables & Pasta
• Savory Chicken with White & Wild Rice
• Chicken Broccoli Cheese & Potato
• Hearty Chicken with Vegetables
• Herb Roasted Chicken with Potatoes & Garlic
• Chicken Corn Chowder
• Chicken Mushroom Chowder
• New! Grilled Italian Sausage and Peppers!
• New! BBQ Seasoned Pork!
• Pork Roast with Carrots & Potatoes
• New England Clam Chowder
• Baked Potato with Cheddar & Bacon Bits
• Baked Potato with Steak & Cheese
• Old Fashioned Potato Ham Chowder
• Manhattan Clam Chowder
• Honey Roasted Ham with Potatoes
• Split Pea & Ham
• Hearty Bean & Ham
• Savory Vegetable
• Hearty Vegetable with Pasta
• Roadhouse – Beef & Bean Chili
• Grilled Steak – Steak Chili with Beans
• Firehouse – Hot & Spicy Beef & Bean Chili
• Tantalizin’ Turkey – Turkey Chili with Beans
• Hold The Beans – Beef Chili
• Roadhouse Beef & Bean Chili Microwavable Bowls
• Firehouse Hot & Spicy Beef & Bean Chili Microwavable Bowls
• New! Grilled Chicken & Sausage Gumbo!
• New! Vegetable!
• New! Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef!
• New! Chicken Noodle!

Friday Night Fights:Swedish Fish v. Ju Ju Fish

Having recently found a source for the authentic "Swedish Fish" jellied type candies, the staff here decided to stage a battle royale to determine pound for pound which jellied fish was the true champion.

The photo above was taken at the night before weigh-in in a casino meeting hall booked by the promoters. As in most profesional sports press, each fish used heavily logoed backdrops from their brand name endorsers.

The knock-off brand "Ju Ju Fish" was pitted against the authentic "Swedish Fish" in a four-flavor, eight round old-fashioned fish fight.

As most here predicted, the "Swedish Fish" just pummelled its way to victory over the "Ju Ju Fish" in a TKO decision in the third round.

Recommended Reading:Fat! Fit? Fabulous!By Lauren GardFor East Bay Express

We have received a reader email that pointed to an interesting article that we here at the Fat Pride Times encourage you to read.

Meet the East Bay activists and researchers at the center of the new civil-rights movement known as Health at Every Size.

By Lauren Gard

Article Published Sep 13, 2006 Fat! Fit? Fabulous! by Lauren Gard

The Bender Royale

When the staff here at the Fat Pride Times went home on Friday, we were not aware that one of our people had plans to stay behind. The FPT Test Kitchens are located 500 feet below the Earth's crust and are locked and sealed tight when we are away. This meant that our (former) staff member was down in the kitchens all weekend gorging on our stock of foodstuffs. Two of us showed up this morning to open up and we heard some strange grunts and like wrapper crumplin noise - then we saw 'Dave' running away and up the metal rungs out into the morning air. He left behind a disturbing note on which we are going to have to terminate his empoyment here (with due cause). Plus, as the photo shows. Ol' Chunky left behind a mad pile of rubbish from his bender. We all here wish him well and hope he gets the meds he needs asap.

Frozen Corned BeefIs This Too Old?Seeking Reader InputCan We Eat It?

A friend of the FPT recently left town and brought over the frozen foodstuffs that were in his family's freezer. While most were recent purchases and have allready been consumed, there is the above piece of corned beef. Frozen on/before May 17, 2004: this meat is now over 2 years and 5 months old. The staff here loves corned beef but we are not sure if this is still safe to consume and we are calling on your expertise as FPT readers to comment to us your opinions.

The Fat Pride TimesSpam Folder Bender

After sorting thru the 100's of emails we receive at the FPT on a daily basis, sometimes we have a look into our junk mail bin. Look at this bender they want us to go on. First, I get the Homlel of my dreams, then visit Taco Bell & McDonald's with vouchers, Pick up my Coach brand bags and hop on for an airline flight. Upon arrival, I immediately will be getting some leg and using Trojan latex condoms for protection, followed by more Taco Bell then finally a nice shave by Gillette Fusion. Right after, I join a dating service and will be coming into more Trojans! The bender ends with 3 trips to Taco Bell and the capper at McDonald's.

Researchers Declare:Obesity Is TheWorldwide Pandemic

Research out of Australia is reporting that there are currently over 1 billion obese adults on the planet. "This insidious, creeping pandemic of obesity is now engulfing the entire world, It's as big a threat as global warming and bird flu" said Paul Zimmet. The week-long International Congress on Obesity recently took place with Zimmet as the acting chairman of 2500 international health experts.

The Fat Pride Times is taking the position that this is a problem - however people need to stop blaming food. The problem is people never get off their cans and move around whatsoever. Food is getting a bad rap on this.

Test Kitchen Report:Steakhouse ChoiceFrozen Burger Box

A staff member noticed these 'gourmet' pub-style frozen jalapeno and cheddar burger patty boxes on sale the other evening. Price was 7.99 for 6 burgers - we found that to be a nice price. Going into the FatPride Times Test Kitchen, the group consensus was that these were probably gonna be so-so. However, when you add the proper toppings and spices they make one nice item. Our method - as shown above - was to spice it with red chili pepper flakes, let it cook around a large portion of red onion pieces and then melted cheddar upon the top. Turned out to be one of our more recent favorites - however keep in mind that a real meal will require two of these patties per person.

Reader Recommends:Chocolate Panned Peanuts

One of our readers sent us this picture taken of a bag of snacks he had taken quite a liking too. We will let the photo do the talking. What is interesting is that this store is actually quite normal and this product doesnt seem to fit in with the other offerings. Sperryville Emporium

Free Got Milk T-Shirt?Well Not Really

While looking over a sample box of Cran-Vanilla Crunch cereal - which is very very good by the way - a member of the FPT team noticed an offer for a free t-shirt on the front featuring the infamous "Got Milk" advertising campaign. It did say details on back, however we had a group consensus that 'the details' were simply too demanding and we look at this as a form of leading (perhaps false) information. The back of the box shows you do get a free t-shirt AFTER you buy 2 boxes of cereal and a gallon of milk. One can assume that there is most likely a bunch of receipts needed and time-demanding paperwork.

We here at the Fat Pride Times will continue to report to you foodstuff companies that have what we feel is deceptive advertising.

We are also asking our readers to send in any thing similar to this offer so we can share it with other FPT readers.

Meal of The Week:Curry Chicken Over Rice

This picture is a chance to see what we do all day long at the Fat Pride Test Kitchen, which is located 700 feet below ground. This meal was sliced chicken breast meat with potatoes, green beans and curry spices. Note that we served it up on paper plates, a behavior that some think is brilliant and others ignorant. This post is now open for debate via your comments on paper plates - yay or nay.

Foodstuff Controversy:National ToastedMarshmallow DayWhat day is it?

One of our readers send an email mentioning this 'upcoming' holiday for us to cover and we realized that there are issues regarding this day. Yes, everyone agrees its all about the marshmallows, however the official date is up for argument. It is being reported as falling as early as August 14th, as late as August 31st and all the days in between. This is a disturbing situation that must be settled ASAP. The Fat Pride Times encourages you to call or write to your local elected official and encourage that we set a national date for this great day.

Dave's Killer Bread:Ex-Con Bakes A Mean Loaf

While we found it difficult to sample bread without anything on it, we knew this had to be done to judge the merits of this unique offering. Dave's Killer Bread definately has an interesting backstory and we encourage you to visit his website and read the full version. Being that the staff here considers bread a 'vehicle' for other foodstuffs, we had a bias present going into the tasting. However, this bread is quality stuff and we are proud to endorse it.

Dave's Killer Bread Dot Com

Burger King Stackers:Test Results Are In

Today at the FP Times test kitchens we brought in two of the double-meat, bacon and cheese stackers for research. As you can see in the coupon in the post below, Burger King presents them as being pretty gd massive. However, we were all suprised to find that the patties and buns are actually smaller when compared to a Whopper. The results were that while it was a quality sandwich, it did not live up to the price - which I forgot since we had that buy one get one free coupon. Our end opinion is that they are worth it if you have a coupon only, otherwise the price is not right.

Burger King Stackers:From One Patty to FourWith Bacon & Cheese

Holy Moses! Burger King has rocketed to first place in the hearty portion burger contest. Take a look at that "Quad Stacker" - 4 beef patties, 4 slices of cheese and 4 slices of bacon. That is double the quantity of the standard "Stacker" burger. Our plan is to have one of the staff use the 2 for 1 coupon for 2 of the Quads. We will then monitor him as he quaffs both down and document the quality of satisfaction and how long he powernaps afterwards.