Snack Chat

Pack a Basket and Head Outside for National Picnic Day!

As a big fan of nature and being outside, I love the weather in Texas right now. We don't have a lot of time between winter and triple-digit heat so, when the weather's pleasant, it's important to enjoy it while we can! With today being National Picnic Day, I can't think of a better reason to pick out a couple great Frito-Lay recipes that you can prepare and take with you for an afternoon in the great outdoors.

• Mango Salsa Chutney - If you're going to be outside for a while, a creamy dip may not be able to take the heat. So try this refreshing, fruit-based dip, which goes great with Tostitos Hint of Lime flavored tortilla chips.
• Black Bean Corn Bites - Worried about a double-dipper crashing your picnic? These bite-size appetizers featuring Tostitos SCOOPS! tortilla chips are a tasty way to solve that dilemma! 
• Blackened Chicken Sandwich - Planning on firing up the grill? Try this recipe with a side of Lay's Classic potato chips for a can't-miss summer combo! 
• Red Hot Smokers Pork - We went to the BBQ pros for this recipe that features zesty pulled pork and creamy coleslaw. Try it paired with Lay's Honey Barbecue potato chips or Ruffles MAX Smokehouse Style BBQ potato chips for an extra kick of sweet and spicy flavor.
• Chocolate & Potato Chip Cookies - All great picnics need a great dessert. This recipe uses Lay's Classic potato chips for a perfect picnic-ending treat. 

Do you have a special recipe you always prepare for picnics? Tell me about it in the comments!

- Joe

Cheetos Brand Partners with Life of Dad Social Network for Cheetos Mix-Ups Art Contest

It's an exciting day for the Snack Chat blogging team as we introduce you to our newest member - Chad Darwin! Besides being a big fan of Funyuns onion flavored rings, Chad is a public relations manager for some of your favorite Frito-Lay brands. We're happy to have him join us and hope you enjoy his posts.

- Joe

Art, in all its many forms, has inspired me since I was a kid. So needless to say, I was beyond excited to work with our Cheetos brand to team up with Life of Dad, a social network for dads, to offer consumers the chance to become a "Cheetos Picasso" by creating original artwork using new Cheetos Mix-Ups cheese flavored snacks, a shareable mix of four cheesy Cheetos snack flavors in unique shapes and wild colors. The snacks are the perfect inspiration for all kinds of art creation and can be found at retailers nationwide in two flavors -- Cheetos Mix-Ups Cheezy Salsa and Cheetos Mix-Ups Xtra Cheezy Flavored Snack Mix.

Life of Dad has asked its network of hundreds of dad bloggers to join in the fun and share their creations on a dedicated site for the chance to win a trip to the 2014 Dad 2.0 Summit. The Cheetos brand will share the entries on its Facebook page, and Life of Dad will feature them via social media.

Details on how to submit your own work of art through May 10, 2013 and the amazing creations can be viewed on www.cheetos.lifeofdad.com. Be sure to follow Chester Cheetah on Twitter to see all the creative mayhem ensue and check back here next month to see the winners!

- Chad

Get Ready for National Garlic Day with a New Flavor of Lay's Wavy Potato Chips!

I'm an unabashed fan of garlic. I love it minced and sauteed with my eggs at breakfast, roasted and added to my favorite guacamole dip for a party snack and many of other ways including toasted, grated, crushed and fried. It seems my love of garlic puts me in good company as the average adult in the U.S. consumes around 2.3 pounds of garlic every year.* We love garlic so much, we even gave it its own holiday on April 19 and, now, a new snack -- Lay's Wavy Garlic & Sea Salt flavored potato chips!

Lay’s Wavy Roasted Garlic & Sea Salt flavored chips joins the brand's four other flavors: Lightly Salted, Ranch, Original and Hickory BBQ. However, a new flavor in the line is just the beginning. Fans of the snack will also notice a brand new packaging design, the first packaging change in the product line’s 20-year history. (Keep calm and continue enjoying Lay's Wavy - no flavors were altered as part of the packaging update.)

New Lay’s Wavy Roasted Garlic & Sea Salt flavored chips will be available nationwide starting this month, and stay tuned to the Frito-Lay Twitter handle on National Garlic Day this Friday, April 19, for a special offer from @FritoLay. 

*Source: ERS, USDA, 2011

- Joe

Enter the NFL and Ruffles Photo Caption Contest for a Chance to Win a Trip To The NFL Draft!

As a fan of a football team that hasn't seen the second round of the playoffs in the better part of two decades, I look forward to the NFL Draft every year. The draft is a magical time that offers hope that this season could be the year we finally get another championship. Because of this hope, and in the off chance the team ever asked for my opinion, I take the draft very seriously. I know the top prospects, their college performance, speed and strength potential, and where they'd fit best with my team. Attending the NFL Draft live is something any football fan would be lucky to do. 

This year, two football fans will get to experience the NFL Draft firsthand courtesy of the NFL and Ruffles Photo Caption Contest. Today through April 22, 2013, fans of the Ruffles Facebook page can enter for a chance to win by submitting their best caption for the photo below through the official contest app. One grand prize winner will win a VIP trip for two to the NFL Draft in New York City, and daily winners will win $50 NFLShop.com gift cards as well as bags of Ruffles potato chips. 

So get creative and head to the Ruffles Facebook page once a day to enter for your chance to win!

- Joe

Taco Bell Doritos Locos Tacos Inspire Tasty New Snacks!

About a year ago, I shared with you news of the Taco Bell Doritos Locos Tacos, crispy tacos with shells made from Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips. The tacos were a huge hit, and more than 375 million have been sold. The Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos joined the menu last month, and the menu addition was the most highly anticipated and socially requested product launch in Taco Bell history! Building off the excitement, I'm thrilled to let you know about two new flavors of Doritos tortilla chips:

• DLT Nacho Cheese and Crunchy Taco Flavored Chips: Includes two chip varieties in one bag – the signature crunch of Doritos Nacho Cheese flavored chips plus a chip reminiscent of the Taco Bell Crunchy Taco.  When combined these flavors deliver a taste experience inspired by the Nacho Cheese DLT. 
• DLT Cool Ranch and Crunchy Taco Flavored Chips: Also includes two chip varieties in a single bag – this time, it's the bold flavor of Doritos Cool Ranch flavored chips plus a chip reminiscent of the Taco Bell Crunchy Taco. Enjoy them together for a flavor inspired by the Cool Ranch DLT.

Which flavor are you most excited to try first? 

- Joe