The Treats Truck

A few weekends ago I was walking to Central Park with one of my friends and discovered something amazing. We were walking down the block when someone out of the corner of my eye said, "would you like a sample?" Now, normally I would say, "no, thanks" without even looking at the product, but when a tray of delicious looking Rice Crispy Treats were thrust into my face, I couldn't resist.

It turns out the man was standing in front of The Treats Truck; a mobile snack unit that drives around New York City selling cookies and other baked goods. It's basically like an ice cream truck, sans the ice cream and annoying, repetitive soundtrack. I took a peek at the menu and was surprised to see a huge selection of treats for under five bucks.

I started to think about the idea of The Treats Truck. Unlike an ice cream truck, which my roommate and I have desperately searched for on our block on more than one occasion, The Treats Truck isn't something something that I would actively seek out during an afternoon snack craving. I would, however, definitely stop and pick up a delicious snack if the truck and I ended up in the same location again.

Another interesting thing about The Treats Truck is the actual truck itself. Its name is Sugar and does much more then deliver amazing delicacies to hungry New Yorkers; it's actually doing its part to help the environment, too. This truck is more successful than I will ever be. Check out this excerpt from the website:

"Our mobile bakery truck is named Sugar. He runs on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). CNG is one of the most environmentally friendly fuels available. It is a gas much like air, rather than a liquid and is very clean. Our company tries its best to use and encourage the use of environmentally friendly practices."

Who knew?! The Treats Truck parks itself in a new location every day, so make sure you keep a close eye on their schedule to see when you can enjoy some wonderful snacks in your area! If you do or have had a run-in with the Treats Truck please let me know about your experience. I will look forward to it.

Cool Commercials

A few weeks ago I saw a really peculiar commercial on TV. It featured a little boy facing a child's worst fears: the Boogie Man, the monster in the closet, the monster under his bed, and broccoli. The monsters in the commercial are actually really creepy, so I was surprised when I found out that the ads were for Cold Stone Creamery ice cream! Check it out.

Several days later I saw two additional ads for the same campaign. They featured Bigfoot and an Heiress facing their worst adversaries on their way to get some delicious desserts.

I think the ads are really unique, and although the idea of a Brazilian bikini wax doesn't really make me want to eat dessert, they are really funny and make me remember the name. You can watch more videos, including some hilarious bonus footage over at the LoveIt-LoveIt website. Thank goodness there's a Cold Stone in walking distance from my apartment.

Caffeine Cravings

A story for you... I was in the elevator last week with 3 other people. I was holding my daily iced coffee and a man and a woman each had a coffee in their hand. They were talking about their need for morning caffeine when then other man chimed in with, "Never had a drop in my life." You would have thought he just admitted to murder. We gasped. He said he had never had a cup of coffee in his whole life, to which I replied, "Don't start now!"

Is it weird that we were stunned at his lack of caffeine cravings? It seems almost inhuman to me! I stop every morning on my way to work and get a coffee from Starbucks. In the colder months I normally get a tall coffee in a grande cup (to avoid the inevitable garbage pour out) and get the same, iced version in the warmer months. I feel like I need it. It's an addiction. It's a routine. I guess there are much worse things to be addicted to than coffee, but I still feel the cravings like it was anything else. I feel like most people in the working world are the same way. We need it!

I was just crunching the numbers and now I am sick to my stomach. A tall coffee (non-iced) is $1.84 here in New York. I don't know why (I'm sure my barista friends will enlighten me,) but an iced version of the same drink is $2.22. It's the age old question: why is the ice more expensive? Aren't I, in reality, getting less coffee because the ice takes up so much of the cup? Regardless... if I am drinking a coffee every morning, five days a week, hot coffee for 6 months a year and iced for the other 6, I am spending $527.80 a year! ON COFFEE. Sick.

Please share your caffeine confessions with me by leaving a comment, but in the meantime, check out Wikipedia's Starbucks entry. It's really interesting. And check this out- a map of all the countries in the world where Starbucks exists. Maybe I'll get a free cup of joe out it.