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☆ 6 ways to upgrade a box of brownie mix, from a former pastry cook
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Pippa Allen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

To upgrade boxed brownies, I'd switch my baking vessel or add some extracts to the batter. You can also throw in salty snacks, extra chocolate, peanut butter, or coffee. Even if your mix already has chocolate chips, add in the chopped chocolate anyways. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that help them maintain their shape, but chopped chocolate will create beautiful melted pockets in the brownies. If you want a subtle boost to the chocolate flavor of your brownies, add a teaspoon or two of espresso powder to the batter.

Persons: Ali Majdfar, Elena Veselova, Kinga Krzeminska Locations: Charleston , South Carolina

☆ My last name is Pretzel. Once a pretzel company offered me a job because of it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Jillian Pretzel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I once had a pretzel company offer me a job based solely on my name. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementNearly 90 years ago, my great-grandfather, Paul Pretzel Sr., told his son, Paul Pretzel Jr., that when he got older, he could change his name if he wanted to. Once, a gourmet pretzel company flat-out offered me a sales job based on nothing but a short conversation and the fact that my name is so adorably delicious. To my knowledge, no one in the family was offended by her change — I think they knew that some unique names aren't for everyone.

Persons: —, Paul Pretzel Sr, Paul Pretzel Jr, I've, pretzels, didn't, Cornell Organizations: Service Locations: Austria

☆ I used to work at Disney World and visit the parks for free. Now that I'm just a guest, I'm way more cynical about the price.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Jordyn Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I worked at Disney World and visited the theme parks for free all the time. AdvertisementIf you're looking for a vacation that's a great value, I don't think you'll ever find it at Disney World. My partner and I recently planned our first Disney trip together and told ourselves we could do it on a budget. I'm used to getting discounts all over Disney WorldWhen I worked at Disney World, I visited the parks for free and got added discounts. I still loved my trip, but I do feel like Disney World is too expensiveIt will probably be a while before I head back to Disney World.

Persons: I've, I'm, —, Jordyn Bradley, Mickey pretzels, Mickey, mignon, Jordyn Bradley I've Organizations: Disney World, Service, Disney, Sports, Disney Springs, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Sam's Club Locations: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Japan, Canada, Magic

☆ No Thanks, Grandma, I’m Saving Room for Airplane Food
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Christine Chung | More About Christine Chung | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Some of the 30 million passengers expected to fly domestically over this Thanksgiving holiday may be stunned by what’s available to eat and drink 30,000 feet up in the sky. There are onboard espresso martinis, dessert carts and even tapas service. Some passengers believe the complimentary meal and beverage service in the most expensive cabins is the best it’s ever been, both in breadth of options and in taste. From the standard pretzels and Biscoff cookies to pricey cheese plates and sandwiches, the chasm between premier and main cabins continues to widen. First, it was reduced seat space and extra fees.

Persons: ”, Bobby Laurie Locations: U.S

☆ Confessions of a startup founder's wife
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

I wished I had told Kyle that I would understand if he wanted to quit. That's as apt a description of Kyle's startup as it is of our relationship. I'm not sure Kyle has found as many perks to being a startup founder married to a startup reporter. Now Kyle's startup has pivoted a third time. The truth is, I don't know if Kyle's startup will make it.

Persons: Kyle, Kyle shrugged, pang, I'd, hadn't, Scott Belsky, It's, messier, I've, he'd, Jillian, Chris Dixon, Andreessen Horowitz, Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott, Schulze, TikTok, Josh Cochran, Marc Andreessen, I'm, He'd, Eric Paley, Steve Jobs, —, Playbyte, he's, Rohan Seth, Paul Davison, Steve Huffman, hasn't, Instagram, it's, Zelda, That's, cradling, Melia Russell Organizations: Apple Watch, Steam, Francisco's Mission, University of California, TechCrunch, White House, YouTube, Labor Locations: Champagne, Francisco's, Berkeley, San Francisco, New York, America, Playbyte, Kyle, Boston, Bay, sobs

☆ ‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea’ Review: Aubrey Plaza Steps Into the Ring
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Elisabeth Vincentelli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

These two hopeless loners are the only people in the bar in this Off Broadway revival of John Patrick Shanley’s “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea,” at the Lucille Lortel Theater. Though modest in scale, the show is one of the fall’s hottest thanks to its stars, Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott. Shanley’s writing sometimes devolves into hard-boiled mannerisms, but it also has a sharp pugnaciousness. Similarly, Abbott and Plaza’s performances move beyond histrionics and gain confidence as their characters start letting themselves feel. When Danny and Roberta finally strike up a conversation, it immediately reveals their combustible approaches to life itself.

Persons: Danny, Roberta, Oates’s slinky, You’ve, John Patrick Shanley’s “ Danny, Lucille Lortel, Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, Plaza, Emily, Abbott, Allison Williams’s Locations: Bronx, ”, histrionics

☆ Homesick Americans living in the UK should head to Costco for snacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Costco sells some American brands and products that aren't commonly available in the UK. Candy brands I saw at Costco included Red Vines licorice, Mike and Ike candy, and Welch's Fruit Snacks. A five-pack of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner costs £11.19 (around $2.75 per box) on the UK website, whereas on its US website, Costco charges $18.99 for 18 boxes of around the same weight – or just over $1 per box. AdvertisementAdvertisementBrits can still get their tea fixThere were, however, plenty of British products on sale, showing how it had adapted its assortment to UK shoppers. Grace Dean/Insider; Will Martin/InsiderLike many supermarkets in the UK, Costco was keen to point out the local origins of some of its own-brand Kirkland Signature produce as consumers pay more attention to food miles and supporting domestic agriculture.

Persons: —, Jerry's, Kraft, Will Martin, Candy, Red Vines, Mike, Ike, I'd, Grace Dean, Tetley, Heinz, Heinz Beanz, Jacks Organizations: Costco, Kraft, &, Service, Kraft Mac, Tesco, Asda, YouTube, Red, pretzels, San Francisco Pretzel Company, Daily, San Francisco Bay Coffee, Kraft Macaroni, Yorkshire Tea, Kirkland, Aberdeen Angus Locations: London, Puerto Rico, Canada, American, San Francisco Bay, South Croydon, Japan

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Despite the Patriots' 2-7 slump, coach Bill Belichick was in an unusually upbeat mood Friday as he hoped his New England team could enjoy the experience of playing against the Indianapolis Colts in Germany. Belichick and the Patriots have a 3-0 all-time record in regular-season international games — the last in 2017 — but haven't played in Germany. That's our goal.”The Patriots are looking for the first win outside their division this season as they play the 4-5 Colts. Belichick confirmed offensive tackle Trent Brown had not made the trip to Germany with the team. Belichick indicated he expected Jackson would be available following the trip to Germany.

Persons: Bill Belichick, Belichick, haven't, ” Belichick, “, We’ll, ”, he's, ” —, Trent Brown, — Belichick, J.C . Jackson, Jackson, ___ Organizations: Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Washington, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, England, Mexico City, London, Frankfurt

☆ Andreessen Horowitz is in the midst of a reshuffle to sharpen its focus on AI, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Ben Bergman | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Andreessen Horowitz is reshuffling parts of its investment organization to sharpen its focus on artificial intelligence, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The changes will center the venture capital firm on two main themes: AI applications and AI infrastructure, the people said. The AI applications group is being headed by general partner Alex Rampell, according to the sources. General partner Martin Casado, who focuses on enterprise deals, will oversee another group investing in AI infrastructure, the people said. Do you have information about A16z or another venture firm?

Persons: Andreessen Horowitz, Alex Rampell, Rampell, Martin Casado, Margit Wennmachers, Casado, Jeff Jordan, Databricks, A16z, Pretzels, Vinod Khosla, Khosla, Ben Bergman, Melia Russell, mrussell@insider.com Organizations: US, A16z, VMware Locations: Silicon Valley, Airbnb, bbergman@insider.com

☆ The Salty, Soothing Twist of Pretzels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Bee Wilson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

If you asked most people whether they would like to eat dough which has been dipped in caustic soda—the stuff you use to unblock drains—I don’t imagine they would be too keen. The lye doesn’t seem to put consumers off, judging from the fact that the U.S. market for hard and soft pretzels combined was worth $1.6 billion in 2022, up 16% from the year before. We will probably never find out who was the first ingenious baker to take dough and twist it into a knot, but that person engineered a winner. The pretzel’s shape made it easy to store on racks and easy to eat; there is something about the loops that makes you want to pick it up and tear it apart. The pretzels in the painting would not look out of place at a baseball game today, except that the holes inside the knot are slightly bigger.

Persons: There’s, Jan van Bijlert Locations: U.S

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Tesla, Dollar General, Amazon, Meta, SolarEdge & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

HSBC initiates American Express as buy HSBC said it sees healthy earnings growth for American Express . Mizuho reiterates Meta as buy Mizuho said it's standing by its buy rating heading into earnings later this month. Bernstein reiterates Tesla as underperform Bernstein concluded in an analysis of Tesla that the company is more of an automaker than a tech company. Barclays upgrades Varonis Systems to overweight from equal weight Barclays said it sees numerous positive catalysts ahead for the software company. Northland upgrades SolarEdge to outperform from market perform Northland said investors should buy the dip in shares of SolarEdge .

Persons: Cowen, NVDA, Mizuho, Stephens, Bernstein, Tesla, underperform Bernstein, Warren Buffett, Hershey, Morgan Stanley downgrades JD.com, Morgan Stanley, Gordon Haskett, Todd Vasos, Jeff Owen, Read, Wolfe, today's, Baird, Needham, Oppenheimer, Wells, LULU, Meghan Frank, Howard Tubin Organizations: HSBC, American, American Express, Bank of America, Nvidia, Meta, Barclays, Varonis, Hershey, JPMorgan, Post Holdings, Netflix, Citi, Oshkosh, Lam Research, Materials, Supply, VP Locations: 4Q22, Northland, SolarEdge, Israel, California

☆ Airline passengers delayed on a runway for 7 hours were only given one small bag of pretzels to eat, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Passengers delayed on the tarmac for seven hours were given a bag of pretzels instead of a meal. A passenger on board the plane told Belfast Live that the experience was "horrible." AdvertisementAdvertisementAirline passengers who were left on the tarmac for seven hours received a small bag of pretzels instead of a meal while they waited. One passenger, Gary Bell, told Belfast Live that the experience was "absolutely horrible." AdvertisementAdvertisementHe said: "The only food we were given was a small bag of pretzels, there are tired, screaming kids everywhere."

Persons: —, Gary Bell, Bell Organizations: Belfast Live, British Airways, Service, Heathrow, Belfast, Air Cargo News, United Airlines, Newark International Locations: London, Belfast, Rome, Newark

[1/7] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks celebrating Labor Day and honoring America’s workers and unions at the Annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade at Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union 19, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 4, 2023. A self-described champion of labor unions, Biden addressed union workers in Philadelphia as he sought to explain his economic policies to a public worried about the economy, despite easing inflation and low unemployment levels. "It wasn't that long ago we were losing jobs in this country," Biden said ahead of a parade marking the U.S. Labor Day holiday. Economic issues are likely to play a critical role in the 2024 presidential race, a likely rematch between Biden and Trump. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last month showed that the economy, unemployment and jobs remained Americans' top concern.

Persons: Joe Biden, Joshua Roberts, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump, nibbled, Jerome Powell, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jeff Mason, Scott Malone, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Labor, State Labor, Metal Workers, Local, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Biden, Reuters, Trump, Republican, Workers, International Union Local, week's Labor Department, Milwaukee Journal, Sentinel, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, U.S, Philadelphia, America, China, Pennsylvania, Rehoboth Beach , Delaware

☆ A continuous glucose monitor helped me discover I have hypoglycemia. Here's how startup January uses AI to predict blood sugar spikes and crashes and coached me to better food choices.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

The healthcare startup January uses CGMs and AI to monitor glucose levels, exercise, and sleep. I have low blood sugar, and January used machine learning to coach me to healthier habits. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is less common than high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia. Samantha Stokes/InsiderAt the end of January's AI training, I unlocked a suite of tools to track my food, exercise, blood sugar, and more. But January encouraged me to take a short walk after eating, which can help moderate glucose levels following a meal.

Persons: Marc Benioff, they're, Noosheen Hashemi, Hashemi, Marissa Mayer, Samantha Stokes, Mike Snyder, Insider's, What's, I've, CGM, didn't, Jesus Weligsander Perez Organizations: Felicis Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures, Apple Watch, Drug Administration, Stanford Medicine, Pace Locations: That's, SignalFire, Mount Sinai

☆ People online are losing it over Campbell changing the recipe for Rao's pasta sauces after a buyout. The backlash even forced Campbell CEO to say they won't 'touch the sauce.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Campbell Soup is acquiring the parent company of Rao's pasta sauce for $2.7 billion. Fans of the product are going on social media to mourn the end of Rao's saucy goodness. The social media backlash has driven the company's CEO to say they won't "touch the sauce." But within hours of the announcement on Tuesday, social media was rife with fans concerned about the fate of their beloved sauce. "I appreciate all the encouragement on social media, but we are not going to change it," he said, referring to the pasta sauce.

Persons: Campbell, it's, Mark Clouse, Campbell Soup, Clouse, Frank Pellegrino Sr, Campbell's, Sovos Organizations: Service, Twitter, Yahoo Finance, New, Sovos Locations: Wall, Silicon, New Yorks, American

☆ ‘Girl dinner’? It’s a trend that’s for everyone and it’s perfect for summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Casey Barber | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Although the so-called “girl dinner” is being popularized by young women promoting throw-together meals on TikTok, it’s in fact an inclusive meal. I’m a middle-aged girl, and this is the style of meal I’ve been calling “snack dinner” for years. The original “girl dinner” TikTok video, posted by Olivia Maher, featured a countertop spread of grapes, cornichons, bread and cheese. There are really no rules for preparing the perfect "girl dinner" — start with your favorite snack elements and expand from there. Your solo snack plate dinner doesn’t have to include bread, cheese or charcuterie if that’s not your personal preference.

Persons: Olivia Maher, Curly Courland, that’s, I’d, it’s, you’ve Organizations: CNN, Getty Locations: snacking

☆ My clients pay $50,000 a year for me to book them the most luxurious and exclusive travel excursions. This is what my day is like.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elisabeth Brown has been in the luxury travel industry for a decade helping clients plan trips. She mostly works from home, but often travels herself to try experiences before her clients do. Brown, along with her colleagues, has as many as five clients, and is able to customize their itineraries with suggestions. She's able to work from her home in Brooklyn most days, though that doesn't mean her days are laid back. As for a lunch, Brown says she's a "grazer" and snacks on carrots or pretzels throughout the day.

Persons: Elisabeth Brown, it's, Brown, —, I've, Peter Anderson, What's, Anderson, she's, I'm, Noon, grazer, Elisabeth Brown She'll, they're Organizations: Service, Knightsbridge Circle, FedEx, New York University, Gramercy Locations: Wall, Silicon, London, North America, Stockholm, Singapore, Brooklyn, Copenhagen, Denmark, Iceland, Europe, Paris, West Coast, Kenya, New York, Manhattan

☆ Costco still has 3 ways to shop without a membership even as the retailer cracks down on card-sharing — but the math still favors paying the fee
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Costco says more shoppers are sharing cards at self-checkout, so it's clamping down on checking IDs. There are still ways to shop without a membership: online, with a gift card, or as a member's guest. Still, there are a few ways to shop Costco's selection without paying the fee. In that scenario, the $60 membership fee basically pays for itself after just two trips. Use a Costco gift card without a membershipAnother popular workaround is to use a Costco gift card, known as a Shop Card, which allows shoppers to access the warehouse to use the funds.

Persons: — Organizations: Costco, Service, Netflix, Gold Star, Walmart Locations: Instacart

☆ Air passenger gets plane all to himself after waiting out 18-hour delay
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

But by the time his American Airlines plane from Oklahoma City to Charlotte took off, it was Monday morning. By the time the plane finally took off at 12 minutes past midnight, he was the only one to board. “I’m the only person on the plane and they have an entire flight crew, they don’t want to do this flight,” he laughed into the camera. A private plane ride doesn’t stop other travel glitches, however – and with lost bag rates up nearly 75%, the luggage curse struck him. A personal plane and a luggage tracker.

Persons: Phil Stringer, Stringer –, Greensboro –, – Stringer, “, ”, ’, he’d, Stringer Organizations: CNN, American Airlines Locations: Oklahoma, North Carolina, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, Greensboro

☆ How a Recycling Leader Spends His Sundays
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Alix Strauss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

PROCESS We meet in the back room of the Revision Lounge, a bar in the East Village, where one of the members works. As a theater company, we’re still learning what life after the pandemic is like. POOR PLAYERS We usually break out our scripts and refine what we’ve done or are transforming. Our next play is Macbeth, which we perform at various places, the bar, Sure We Can, or at people’s homes. Every actor learns the complete text of the play and we change roles on impulse so it’s constantly shifting.

Persons: we’re, it’s, They’re Locations: East

☆ Drug discovery and 'techbio': What Europe's health startup investors are betting on in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

They named drug discovery and the emerging 'techbio' sector as areas of interest. COVID-19 fueled huge interest in health-tech startups, with VCs pouring a record $25.1 billion into health and biotech startups in 2021. Startups in the space are bringing new applications of tech to fields such as drug discovery, bioengineering, and patient care. VCs are still betting on drug discoveryEven though funding into drug discovery startups has significantly stalled this year, at just $126 million, startup valuations have picked up since 2022. Health-tech VCs won't splurge cashWhile COVID-19 did give healthtech startups a chance at the spotlight, they were still overshadowed by their counterparts in fintech and software-as-a-service.

Persons: techbio, healthtech Organizations: Morning, VCs, pharma, Big Pharma Locations: fintech, Munich, Germany, Europe

[1/3] Packaged food for sale is seen on shelves at a Dollar Tree in Islandia, New York, U.S., May 12, 2023. Razor manufacturer Edgewell Personal Care Co (EPC.N) and Kraft Heinz Co (KHC.O) have overhauled or built new teams dedicated to working with the biggest U.S. dollar stores like Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR.O) and Dollar General Corp (DG.N) in the last year. Makers of food and household staples are pushing deeper into dollar stores because the low-cost retailers are opening thousands of locations each year. Griffin added that dollar stores are also introducing more "premium" private label brands, like Dollar General's Nature's Menu for pets. Kraft-Heinz also created a new team of five people late last year to identify and develop products for dollar stores, a spokesman said.

☆ Check out the wild robot that Sam's Club is testing to make burgers in its cafes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam's Club recently unveiled a robot that can assemble a burger start-to-finish without humans. Walmart-owned Sam's Club is testing out a robot that can assemble your burgers — toppings, seasoning, and all — at a location in Fayetteville, Arkansas, not far from the company's headquarters of Bentonville. Sam's Club declined to comment when Insider reached out about the robot. Sam's Club does not have any current plans to roll out this robot nationwide, Tim Simmons, Sam's Club senior vice president and chief product officer, told Axios. Have you tried the Sam's Club burger or do you want to?

☆ Some travel is 'off the charts' expensive, experts say. Here are 3 ways to cut some costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

D3sign | Moment | Getty ImagesInternational travel costs have hit record highsThe Eiffel Tower and Seine River at sunrise in Paris. The so-called "revenge travel" dynamic has helped to push up prices, perhaps most acutely for travel abroad. These are record-high prices, Berg said. People should be prepared not just for a busy travel season, but an expensive travel season. Sally French travel expert at NerdWalletThis summer is expected to be the busiest on record for international travel, the U.S. State Department said in March.

☆ Wetzel's Pretzels is launching a new store concept aimed at Gen Z and millennials – take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wetzel's Pretzels is launching a new store concept that will sell innovative takes on the typical pretzel. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyCalifornia pretzel chain Wetzel's Pretzels is launching a new store concept specifically targeting Gen Z and millennials. With Twisted, Wetzel's Pretzels will be steering clear of shopping malls. Wetzel's Pretzels CMO Kim Freer told Insider that the company would instead target college towns and power centers, which are outdoor shopping centers with multiple big-box tenants. Wetzel's PretzelsFreer said that Wetzel's Pretzels planned to open around 40 new stores between now and the end of 2023, with at least three being Twisted stores.

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