This mega McDonald's bill came to $890

By Katie Little

(CNBC) Spending $10 at McDonald's will buy a fast food feast. Shelling out $890.80? That will get you a "Big Max."

That is how much Moshe Tamssot's bill came to after he tested out the limits of McDonald's new customizable sandwich platform called Create Your Taste. The restaurant adjusted the triple-digit price to merely $24.89 due to what Tamssot said was a pricing bug in the system in a recent YouTube video documenting the meat feat.

The 3.8 pound burger, piled high with dozens of toppings, including multiple types of cheese and condiments, takes the meaning of loaded to a new level.

"That's as big as we could make it without it falling apart," says one employee who brings the monstrosity to Tamssot's table, with the rest of the burger on a side tray. The worker then snaps a photo of the mega burger.



While Tamssot did not have to fork over close to a grand for a burger, the shenanigan could inspire copycats to out-burger him.

"In this test, customers are able to customize their order as they wish," said McDonald's spokeswoman Lisa McComb in an email.

"[S]ome people like to go big or go home when it comes to their burgers," McComb added.

Create Your Taste is now available in about 30 restaurants in California, Illinois, Wisconsin, Georgia, Missouri and Pennsylvania. The chain plans to expand the customizable sandwich platform to more locations in the U.S.

Link:

• This mega McDonald's bill came to $890

Krispy Kreme Bacon Donut Hot Dog

By Dan Carson @ Bleacher Report

The yet-to-be-named creation is a hot dog covered in bacon and raspberry jam—all encased in what Rovell calls a Krispy Kreme “donut bun...”

Link:

• A Minor League Baseball Team Is Selling a Terrifying Bacon Doughnut Hot Dog

The Bacon Weave Grilled Cheese Sandwich

By Nick at DudeFoods.com

After realizing how well bacon and melted cheese go together when I made my bacon weave pizza a little while back this idea seemed like a no-brainer. Yep, the bacon weave is once again making it’s triumphant return to DudeFoods and this time it comes in sandwich form!

Instead of one bacon weave I made two this time, each of which was roughly the size of a piece of bread. Instead of putting them in the oven like I did with the bacon weave pizza though I decided to cook my bacon in the microwave this time. I don’t necessarily prefer one cooking method over the other, I was just really, really hungry and didn’t feel like waiting for my oven to preheat. Once they were done I threw them into a pan on my stove with a couple slices of cheese between them and waited until it melted into gooey perfection.

The trick with a bacon weave grilled cheese is that you want the bacon crispy enough to eat prior to adding the cheese, but not too crispy to the point that the extra few minutes on the stove will burn it. I cooked my two bacon weaves in the microwave for five minutes each and they turned out perfect, but it will obviously differ based on the type of bacon you use so your best bet if you want to make your own is to check on it after three minutes and then cook it in 30 second increments after that until it’s done... (continued)

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Low-carb diet burns the most calories in small study

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY 

A new study is raising questions about the age-old belief that a calorie is a calorie.

The research finds that dieters who were trying to maintain their weight loss burned significantly more calories eating a low-carb diet than they did eating a low-fat diet.

But some experts say these findings are very preliminary.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was designed to see if changing the type of diet people consumed helped with weight maintenance because dieters often regain lost weight. 

So scientists had 21 obese participants, ages 18 to 40, lose 10% to 15% of their initial body weight (about 30 pounds). After their weight had stabilized, each participant followed one of three different diets for four weeks. Participants were fed food that was prepared for them by diet experts. The dieters were admitted to the hospital four times for medical and metabolic testing.

The diets had the same number of calories, but the fat, protein and carbohydrate content varied. Those diets:

•A low-fat diet which was about 20% of calories from fat and emphasized whole-grain products and fruits and vegetables.

•A low-carb diet, similar to the Atkins diet, with only 10% of calories from carbohydrates. It emphasized fish, chicken, beef, eggs, cheese, some vegetables and fruits while eliminating foods such as breads, pasta, potatoes and starchy vegetables.

•A low-glycemic index diet, similar to a Mediterranean diet, made up of vegetables, fruit, beans, healthy fats (olive oil, nuts) and mostly healthy grains (old-fashioned oats, brown rice). These foods digest more slowly, helping to keep blood sugar and hormones stable after the meal.

Findings, published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association: Participants burned about 300 calories more a day on a low-carb diet than they did on a low-fat diet. "That's the amount you'd burn off in an hour of moderate intensity physical activity without lifting a finger," says senior author David Ludwig, director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children's Hospital.

"Participants burned 150 calories more on the low-glycemic index diet than the low-fat diet. That's about an hour of light physical activity," he says.

The reason for the low-carb advantage is unclear, he says.

"We think the low-carb and low-glycemic index diets, by not causing the surge and crash in blood sugar, don't trigger the starvation response. When the body thinks it's starving, it turns down metabolism to conserve energy," he says.

The authors note a downside to the low-carb diet: It appears to raise some risk factors for heart disease.

Ludwig says that restricting carbohydrates over the long term may be hard for many people. If you're trying to lose weight, "you can get a jump start with a low-carb diet, but over the long term, a low-glycemic index diet may be better than severely restricting carbohydrates."

"The low-glycemic index diet seems to be the happy medium," says Cara Ebbeling, associate director of the Obesity Prevention Center. "It didn't slow metabolism as much as the low-fat diet, and it didn't seem to have some of the negative effects on cardiovascular disease risk."

On a low-glycemic index diet, you would avoid highly processed carbs such as white bread, white rice, many snack foods, prepared breakfast cereals, sugary desserts and sugary beverages, she says.

Experts had different responses to the findings.

George Bray, an obesity researcher at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge who has also studied this topic and who wrote the accompanying editorial in JAMA, says that other studies "show that you can do well on any diet as long as you stick to it. Adherence is the major key for weight loss and maintenance. There is no magic in any diet."

Eric Westman, a Duke University researcher who has conducted several studies on the low-carb diet and is co-author of The New Atkins for a New You, says this study documents that the "lower the carbohydrates, the better the metabolic effects. People burn more calories if they eat fewer carbohydrates."

Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at New York University, says longer studies conducted among people in their own environments, not with such controlled meals, have shown "little difference in weight loss and maintenance between one kind of diet and another." More research is needed to show that interesting results like these are applicable in real life, she says.

"In the meantime, if you want to lose weight, eat less."

Link:

• Low-carb diet burns the most calories in small study

Jack in the Box offering bacon shake for limited time

(WTOP) WASHINGTON - Now bacon lovers can get their fix through a straw.

The restaurant chain Jack in the Box is offering customers the option of a bacon milkshake. The creamy concoction doesn't include actual bacon, but rather a bacon-flavored syrup mixed with vanilla ice cream and capped off by whipped topping and a maraschino cherry.

As for its nutrition rundown, a 24-ounce shake includes 1,081 calories, 37 grams of saturated fat, 3 grams of trans fat and 108 grams of sugar.

Jack in the Box is now in 20 states, although there are none in D.C., Maryland or Virginia. Area residents with a bacon shake craving should head to North Carolina for the closest Jack in the Box.

One more tip: The limited-time offering is not listed on restaurant menus. Customers have to ask for it.

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Breakfast Around the World

From HostelBookers.com:

Salivating. That’s the only way to describe me right now. I love to eat breakfast, it’s the best meal of the day as far as I’m concerned. Pancakes, cereal, brunch, eggs, healthy breakfasts, greasy breakfasts, I’m not fussy. My only trouble is what to choose…

If you’ve got a tasty recipe for a breakfast you’ve made in a hostel kitchen, let us know. You could feature in our Backpackers Recipes Guide. Click here for all the info: Backpackers Recipes: #HostelKitchen Approved.

1. A full English Breakfast – it must have beans, sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, hash browns and toast. Of course, it should all be knocked back with a cup of tea, but black pudding is optional as far as I’m concerned. Thank you LunaMoth16.

2. Breakfast in Iran – it usually features some sort of naan bread with butter and jam. When a light breakfast just isn’t going to hit the spot Iranians eat halim. Halim is a mixture of wheat, cinnamon, butter and sugar cooked with shredded meat in huge pots. You can eat it hot or cold. You can also see the Iranian version of an omelet here too. Mamnoon ams kamshots.

3. A Cuban wake up meal – usually consists of sweetened coffee with milk with a pinch of salt thrown in. The unique Cuban bread is toasted and buttered and cut into lengths to dunk in the coffee. Gracias DareDevel7.

4. Polish Breakfast – known locally as Jajecznica, a traditional Polish breakfast consists of scrambled eggs covered with slices of custom-made kielbasa and joined by two potato pancakes. Dziękuję Kitchen Chick.

5. Quick Spanish breakfast – Pan a la Catalana, or Pan con Tomate, in Spain is simple but really delicious. Just rub some bread with fresh garlic and plenty of ripe tomato, then drizzle with olive oil and salt. Top with cheese, ham or sausage for an extra bit. Gracias jlatras.

6. A yummy Moroccan breakfast - usually consists of different breads with some chutney, jam, cheese or butter. They have a really delicious crumpet-style bread which they make in huge slabs for you to tear a bit off, and a semolina pancake bread called Baghir – both are really tasty. Barak llahu fik Michael Osmenda.

7. A healthy Hawaiian breakfast – I couldn’t imagine Hawaiians eating anything but fruit to be honest. Of course, there’s the bagel but I’m sure they’d burn the energy from that off in a few minutes on their surf board anyway. Mahalo â nui Kimubert.

8. Swedish breakfast – often involves a Swedish pancake, known as a Pannkakor. It’s a thin flat cake made from batter and fried on both sides – much like a crepe. It’s usually served with a sweet, fruity filling. Tack terren in Virginia.

9. Icelandic breakfast cuisine – a hearty and hot breakfast to fight off the dark, icy mornings is what’s needed here. Hafragrautur, or oatmeal, is served with a sprinkle of brown sugar with a few raisins or nuts on top, perfect. Tack Guðrún Ingimundardóttir from seriouseats.com.

10. Breakfast in Portugal – a delicious and simple affair with stuffed croissants and plenty of coffee served in the sun. Obrigada retinafunk.

11. Breakfast in Australia – there’s only one crucial ingredient here, Vegemite. Travelling Aussies are often found with a sneaky pot of the sticky, salty brown stuff in their backpack. Just don’t get in the Vegemite vs Marmite war – everybody knows Marmite is better, but let them have their fun. Thanks s2art.

12. A Brazilian breakfast - mmmm a delicious selection of meats, cheeses and bread is the normal breakfast fare here. Jazzy rosething crafted out of I don’t know what, optional. Obrigada Ewan-M.

13. An Italian breakfast – a nation too fabulous for heavy breakfasts me thinks. Or maybe they’re saving themselves for a big cheesy pizza lunch and a pesto pasta dinner? (Although there’s nothing wrong with having them for breakfast you know) Either way an Italian eats on the run with a ‘cappuccino e cornetto’ aka a cappuccino and croissant. Grazie blog.libero.it.

14. A Welsh breakfast – errrm is it just me or is that cheesy toast flashing me a smile? Welsh Rarebit aka cheese on toast is a truly, truly delicious breakfast. Just the sight of that bubbling cheese makes me want to smother it in Worcestershire Sauce and chow down, mmmmm. Anyway, 36 left, must dash… Diolch yn fawr Remy Sharp.

15. Breakfast in Denmark - top marks for presentation here. On a Dane’s breakfast plate you’ll often find rye bread, cheeses, salami, ham, pâté, honey, jam and sometimes even thin ‘plates’ of chocolate. It came as a bit of a shock to me but my research has shown that bacon is not actually that popular! Dun dun durrrh. How can this be? Apparently they send in all to the UK. Tak adactico.

16. A Philippines breakfast – it’s all about the local fruits here. Mangoes are popular fare to keep you regular. As for keeping your energy up rice is the top choice, or the little sausages, known as longganisa, you can see above. When fried with salt and garlic cloves it’s known as sinangag. The sinangag is then combined with eggs, meats and beans and bob’s your uncle, fanny’s your aunt, a delicious Philippine breakfast is born. Salamat Supafly.

17. An Alaskan breakfast – featuring reindeer meat and an egg nestled on a pancake. Poor old Rudolph, he won’t be able to join in any reindeer games now, will he? Qaĝaasakung adactio.

18. A traditional German breakfast – wursts, local cheeses and freshly baked bread is the normal fare for a German breakfast. All washed back with a delicious coffee. Guten tag withassociates

19. The famous American breakfast - home made thick pancakes with syrup and blueberries, topped off with a few rashers of bacon. Anyone not wishing for a coronary usually opts for a bowl of muesli, so I’m told. Pancakes all the way for me! Thanks JenCooks.

20. The French breakfast – ah, le croissant, le croissant, how I love le croissant! Pack them with crushed almonds, butter, chocolate or cream, they always taste good. Thanks Pierre Oliver.

21. Breakfast in India – here we have rosemary roasted potatoes, Indian tofu scramble, lentils, veggie sausage and banana pepper toast. Breakfast cuisine in India varies hugely depending on the region but if you think of your Indian breakfast somewhere along these lines, you would be correct. Shukriya arvindgrover.

22. A hearty Scottish breakfast - much like a full English and a full Irish, but the country’s USP is the ‘sumptuous’ slab of haggis served alongside every fat-fried egg. Don’t know what haggis is? Scroll down quick if your animal eating habits err on the queasy side. It’s sheep’s heart, liver and lungs minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, salt and stock... Thenk ye david.nikonvscanon.

23. Thailand’s breakfast offering – you’ll find this dish at stalls throughout Thailand. It’s a minty spicy fish with a sweet & spicy pork, served with rice. By all accounts it tastes excellent, and it’s cheap at only 30 Bhat. Thai breakfast fare isn’t all that different from what you’d eat for lunch and dinner. Khawp khun Kojach.

24. An Argentinian breakfast -usually consists of “mate” (an infusion drink made with leaves of “yerba”) or dulce de leche with “facturas,”a croissant-like typical pastry. Thanks Elena Okada for the tip!

25. An Irish breakfast - you’ve had English and Scottish, now it’s time to learn the Irish USP. That would be white pudding and soda bread. Go raibh maith ‘ad joelogon.

26. A Canadian breakfast – that eggy looking section is actually perogies. Perogies are boiled, baked or fried dumplings made from unleavened dough and traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit. Then you’ve got some sausages and toast to mop it all up. Thanks Calgary Reviews.

27. Breakfast in Mexico – the delightful plate above consists of beef tips, chilequiles and other assorted goodies eaten in Manzanillo. Nachos, cheese and beans always feature heavily and a delicious, spicy breakfast is the norm. Gracias Jeff K.

28. A Russian breakfast - oladi is the breakfast of choice in Russia. They’re sort of like pancakes and kind of like Yorkshire puddings, hot, just fried, soft inside and with a crispy edge! They’re best enjoyed with soured cream, honey, jam or fresh berries. Spasibo Olga from Tasterussian.com.

29. Breakfast in Vietnam – usually consists of some meaty treat dropped in a semolina/porridge mixture. What you see above is pork porridge. It features Chinese doughnuts, beansprouts, pork intestine stuffed with peppery pork mince, sliced pork heart, stomach slivers and blood pudding. A bit more interesting than toast and jam anyway. Cám ón avlxyz.

30. Breakfast in Peru – ceviche is popular whatever time of day, breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s a seafood dish made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chilli peppers. What a feast. Gracias Adrimcim.

31. Breakfast in Bolivia – saltenas are a bit like empanadas crossed with Cornish pasties. They’re the traditional option for a Bolivian breakfast and usually filled with meat and vegetables, and slightly sweetened with sugar. Gracias Whatscookinginyourworld. 

32. An Egyptian breakfast - the breakfast of choice here is Foul Madamas. It’s made from fava beans, chickpeas, garlic and lemon. Above you’ll see the dish topped with olive oil, cayenne, tahini sauce, a hard boiled egg, and some diced green veggies. SaHHa goblinbox (queen of ad hoc bento)

33. Breakfast in Japan - what do you mean you’ve never had tofu for breakfast? It’s a popular choice in Japan, along with fish and rice. Soak it in soya sauce and you’ve got yourself one delicious, and semi-healthy breakfast. Arigato avlxyz.

34. Breakfast in China – a lot like lunch and dinner in China. Expect noodles, rice, sticky coated chicken and fried veggies. Thanks Prince Roy.

35. Malaysian breakfast – A hot bowl of Mee – noodles mixed with egg, vegetable and tasty spices. Tirja Dusun ~MVI~ (shooting with a busted kit lens).

36. Breakfast in Mongolia – it generally consists of boiled mutton with lots of fat and flour and maybe some dairy products or rice. In western Mongolia they add variety to their diets with horsemeat. Bayarlalaa clgregor.

37. Breakfast in Belize - fry jacks are a staple in Belize breakfast cuisine. They’re deep-fried pieces of dough that are often accompanied by beans and eggs, or jam and honey. Gracias Kelly from Travellious.com. 

38. A Hungarian breakfast – always consists of Pogácsa. Well, nearly always anyway. Throughout the year there are festivals dedicated to it and the recipe changes region to region. They have a scone-like consistency and as well as a popular breakfast item, they’re also used to bulk up goulash meals. Köszönöm robot-girl.

39. A Korean breakfast – breakfast is similar to lunch and dinner in Korea. You’ll get a small plate of kimchi, a bowl of rice and a bowl of clear vegetable soup.  A good old-fashioned slice of toast is also a popular choice, but that doesn’t make for nearly as good a picture. Komapsumnida avlxyz.

40. Breakfast in Pakistan - in Pakistan you’ll get Aloo Paratha for your breakfast. It’ s an Indian unleavened flatbread made by pan frying, wholewheat dough on a tava. The dough contains ghee and the bread is usually stuffed with vegetables. It’s best eaten with butter, chutney or some other spicy sauce. It’s not uncommon to roll it up and dip it in your tea. Shukriya rosemilkinabottle.

41. An Estonian breakfast – curd cheese on a wheat bloomer – known locally as ‘cheese on toast’. The creamy topping can be supplemented with ricotta or fromage fraiche instead, if you prefer. Tänan Nami-Nami.

42. Breakfast in Jordan – the choice varies depending on the are and upbringing you’re from. Labneh, hummous and falafel are all popular choices and are usually served alongside olive oil, lamb sausage, jam and butter, turkey or beef mortadella. Shukran FivePrime.

43. Breakfast in Venezuela - empenadas are the order of the day. Fill the little pastries with fresh cheese, minced meat or any combination of veggies and beans. Gracias stu_spivack.

44. Breakfast in Colombia - there are  a variety of regional staples to keep your stomach grumbles at bay throughout the day. In Cundinamarca this changua dish is very popular. It’s made from milk, scallions and cheese. Gracias manuela y daniel.

45. Breakfast in Ghana - the most popular breakfast item in this African country is waakye. It’s basically rice cooked in beans and is found at all the street stalls in Ghana. Thanks Robboppy.

46. Breakfast in Uganda - like a lot of large countries the typical breakfasts vary region by region. But a popular dish across the country is katogo – it’s a combination of green cooking bananas mixed in a stew from beef or in a sauce from vegetables. The picture above is banana with cow organs. Thanks Wong Li Lhen.

47. A Bahamas breakfast – to be a Bahamian breakfast it must contain grits. Grits are dried ground hominy, or corn, for anyone not in the loop. You mix it with boiling water and the grits becomes a porridge. Its popularity came from slavery times when it’s all the slaves had to eat. Nowadays it’s topped with fat prawns and meat to spice it up a bit. Thanks lolaredblog.

48. Breakfast in Costa Rica – Gallo Pinto is the standard breakfast fare in Costa Rica. It’s made from black beans, rice, optional soured cream, salsa and a corn tortilla. Costa Ricans will often have a bit of avocado, fried ripe plantain or cold meat on the side. Gracias arvindgrover.

49. Breakfast in the Dominican Republic – you need to try the mangu. Mangu is made from mashing boiled plantains with butter and either salami, cheese or eggs. Top it off with a hot chocolate and you’ve got yourself some traditional Dominican Republic fare. Gracias Yuca Diaries.

50. A Turkish breakfast – the full Turkish treatment usually consists of a few varieties of cheese, butter, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, jam, honey, and spicy meat. Tesekkür ederim pocketcultures.

Phew, and that’s it! 50 breakfasts from around the world, completed. If you have any comments let me know in the comments box below – otherwise I hope you’ve enjoyed this epic blog post. Who knew there would be such a variety hey?

Thanks to everyone for the images from Flickr. Please note, images were used under the Creative Commons License at the time of posting.

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h/t to Suzanne