Questionable Marketing Decisions

Sometimes the marketing department makes a genius brand decision that makes you want to jump up and try the product. Like those Coke cans that say your name or your friend's name on them, and you're like "OMIGOD share a coke with Allison, that's MY name! I have to get this can ahhhhhhh!"

Sometimes, though, whoever's coming up with names and packaging is just phoning it right the hell in, or maybe intentionally trying to fuck with us, and you get these questionable choices:

1. Creme Betweens

Uh...do I need to point out why this is gross and weird? Creme Betweens do not make me think of something I want to put in my mouth, they make me think of that scene in Van Wilder (warning: do not watch if you ever want to enjoy a creme puff again). But hey, maybe the typical consumer wants to be double filled with some creme betweens....I don't know your life!

Yum at Home: Lemon What??

Do you like to cook? Do you like to eat? Do you like to look at pictures of food and think about maybe making it sometime (but never actually make it)? Well, thens Yum at Home is for you. Relatively easy recipes, made from inexpensive ingredients, that are super delicious and sometimes healthy (but not always, because that would be boring).

I have some other great recipes on my old cooking blog, Failure Potatoes, so you should check that out too!

Today: let's make lemon curd!

This doesn't look like much but it's a jar of delicious. I promise.

Parks and Recreation Nation: State Forest State Park

For our second Colorado camping trip, we picked the somewhat redundantly-named State Forest State Park. More accurately, Girlfriend picked the park, probably because it was A) far far away from civilization, B) in the mountains, and C) included a body of water to appease me and my preferences. Exciting news: we are moving to a tiny town in the Rocky Mountains! Just kidding, but Girlfriend totally wants to, and after seeing this place a tiny piece of me wants to as well.

My girlfriend's idea of paradise, and my idea of maybe dying alone in a forest.

A much bigger piece of me is terrified of being so far from civilization that you can go for 40 miles without seeing a gas station (we only came a leeeeetle bit close to being stuck in the wilderness with an empty tank. But more on that later). Coming up: cooking adventures and MOOSE!

Parks and Recreation Nation: Lake Pueblo State Park

Girlfriend's brother came to visit and we all went CAMPING!!! in Lake Pueblo State Park. This is actually the first time I've been camping since my Freshman Trip with Dartmouth (in 2005), so I was pretty excited. Lake Pueblo did not disappoint.

Yay, I remembered how to put up a tent! And then take it down again, because it started to rain. And then put it back up again. Yay camping!

Things to Do In Aurora: 3. High Line Canal Trail

When we first moved to Aurora I was a little cranky about being surrounded by suburbia and chain stores. This must be Middle America, I thought. This is where culture goes to die. But then I stopped being pretentious and found some cool shit to do.

Here's something cool I do pretty much every day: take a walk on the High Line Canal Trail. You can't really hate a town that has a well-maintained, convenient, and beautiful path for walking and biking.

Okay, no, you can still hate it. The cat clearly does. Look at those angry ears!

Parks and Recreation Nation: Cherry Creek State Park

Check out Cherry Creek State Park, our first Colorado State Park! You don't even have to leave Denver to get there.

My intrepid girlfriend leads the way on our Cherry Creek nature walk. What will she encounter? Read on to find out what Cherry Creek discovery made my girlfriend jump out of her skin...

Things to Do in Aurora: 2. Mexican Popsicles

One day, the girlfriend and I decided to bike down to Del Mar Park. The park is inside Del Mar Circle, a geographic feature smack in the middle of Aurora that always gets me completely turned around just when I think I've figured out the area. It's a gorgeous park, though, with big grassy areas, a fantastic playground, and a huge pool with a giant waterslide that I think might be just for kids (but I really want to go on it anyway).

Glorious summer paradise! And probably only a little bit of pee.