VerveCast

Don’t you need to know what they are intended for though? No matter what the talent?

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If your weekend plans include attending either of Milwaukee’s St. Patrick’s Day parades, don’t forget to bring the food. No, not for you, but food for someone in need. Hunger Task Force is marching in both parades on Saturday, March 12th collecting non-perishable food items.
By donating a few extra cans of soup, tomatoes and boxes of pasta, you can make a difference. Hunger Task Force says they’re still experiencing a 20% increase in food demand over last year. Your contributions help the organization fill that gap.
Hunger Task Force’s staff will push grocery carts collecting the items during the parade. They’ll be downtown at The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin – St Patrick’s Day Parade starting at noon. The parade route begins at Old World Third Street and Wisconsin Ave., continuing to Highland Ave. and Water Street.
The group will also be at the Bluemound Parade beginning at 3:30 p.m. The starting point is at Balistreri’s Bluemound Inn at 65th Street in Wauwatosa and runs east to 50th Street.
For more information about Hunger Task Force, please visit their website, www.hungertaskforce.com

Photo courtesy of wellandgoodnyc.com

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t particularly care for grocery shopping. I believe this stems from my lack of planning ahead — I find it difficult to buckle down and determine what the heck I’m going to make for dinner the next week and a half.

Well, according to AdAge, Kraft is testing out a little tool that will allow you to go to the store with little to no planning ahead. Imagine a kiosk with three 42-inch monitors. Step on up to the “Meal Planning Solution,” and scan in your shoppers reward card to pull up your information. Using any lists you may have stored on Kraft’s “iFood Assistant” app and your previous shopping history, this fancy machine will suggest new recipes and add the necessary ingredients to your list. Voila!

Oh, and it gets better. Let’s imagine it suggests a snack recipe to you that includes Premium brand saltines and some Planters nuts, among other things. Well, look! A “free sample” option appears on one of the screens. Everyone likes samples, obviously, so you push the button and out pops a little bag of Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts. Talk about shoving their brand at you from every angle!

Let’s say that, as I munch on my peanuts, I decide I do want to make this snack concoction. I click the “add it” button and the ingredients I’ll need are added to my list on my smartphone.

But we’re not done yet. As you’re eyeing up this tasty little recipe, a small camera takes a quick mugshot of your pretty face to determine how old you are and if you’re a dude or a lady. Creepy? I think so. However, the VP of Kraft’s retail experience claims it’s just a way for retailers to get an understanding about who is subjecting themselves to the machine.

Okay, not exactly sure what to think. I’m sure that my male roomies would much rather use this device than walk around with me and my giant notebook shopping list, but I’m not so sure I’d step on up. I look fairly closely at what I’m eating (ingredients, nutrition facts…) and would rather not have a brand telling me what to eat.

Mashable also commented on this new technology a few weeks ago. Scroll down to see a video showing what the kiosk actually looks like and how it works.

Thoughts? Please share!

OK I’ll wait for this. Guessing soon might be today or tomorrow or maybe sometime in the near future. Wish they gave dates and times on these.

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You can now drink and dine – all at one time.

Executive Chef Brian Frakes has created Deep Fried Beer. A dish you can order this weekend at Miller Time Pub, inside Hilton Milwaukee.

Chef Frakes decided to make the meal after learning how popular a similar dish was at the Texas State Fair.

Deep Fried Beer is made by deep frying soft pretzel dough. After it’s cooked, a layer of rosemary fire salt is sprinkled on top to add a little spice. Inside the dough is a pocket of beer that trickles out after you take a bite. The Deep Fried Beer is also served with dipping sauces and a beer chaser, all for $5.

Diners must show their ID when ordering – the alcohol isn’t cooked out. While Miller Time Pub wants everyone to try the new dish, it’s also reminding diners to please “chew” responsibly.

(We here at Z2 just happen to love beer and deep frying, so combining the two things is pure genius!)