This week's Fun Friday, the last one before Christmas, starts with wacky and unusual candy cane flavors from Archie McPhee's.

From its website: "Started 30 years ago, and now located in Seattle, Archie McPhee's owner, Mark Pahlow, started the business selling rubber lizards and other crazy things out of his house in L.A. He found that people couldn’t get enough of his collectible junk, but he needed space for his company to grow. Risking it all, he packed his entire inventory into a U-Haul truck and headed for Seattle. In 1983, he set up shop with two employees in Seattle’s Fremont district using the name "Archie McPhee.""

"For a while, his retail sales were under the name Archie McPhee and he made his products under the name Accoutrements before finally settling on Archie McPhee Wholesale. He wrote a book called Who Would Buy This? The Archie McPhee Story that goes into more detail about his background and the roots of the business. Over the years the business grew. Hits like the Punching Nun and Librarian Action Figure (based on real-life librarian Nancy Pearl) helped it grow into what it is today: the premier source for weird stuff in the world."

Some of the weird candy cane flavors the site currently sells include Possum Flavored, Gravy, Caesar Salad, Hot Dog, Sardine, Ketchup, Mac & Cheese, Pickle, Bacon, and more, all retailing for $6.95 per package.

Kith Treats, Chips Ahoy! partner to create limited-edition cookie jar and ice cream sandwich kit

Chips Ahoy! has tapped sweets parlor Kith Treats—housed within the flagships of luxury lifestyle brand and specialty retailer Kith and known for their cereal-infused ice cream confections—to create a co-branded, holiday-inspired collection of housewares and apparel as well as an extensive menu of Chips Ahoy! ice cream specials. The Kith for Chips Ahoy! Vintage Tees retail for $70, and accessories range from $125 to $225.

At the core of the collection is a custom cookie jar and premium ice cream sandwich kit, with the former taking the shape of a life-sized Kith Treats for Chips Ahoy! ice cream swirl, embellished with a limited-edition Kith Ahoy! wordmark. The ice cream sandwich kit includes a marble tray embossed with the Kith Ahoy! logo, a premium ice cream scooper, a co-branded scoop & stack, and a pair of stainless-steel spoons, all held in place by a pristine maplewood holder. Complementing the housewares is a duo of vintage-washed cotton tees adorned with both Chips Ahoy! and Kith Treats branding.

The program's key menu offering is The Fiegs, a flight of ice cream sandwiches made with Chips Ahoy! Frozen Dessert and an array of signature Kith Treats ingredients, bookended by a variety of beloved Chips Ahoy! cookie flavors. Each sandwich included in the flight represents a member of Kith Founder & CEO Ronnie Fieg's family and their favorite dessert profiles. The Fiegs Ice Cream Sandwich Flight will be served at all domestic Kith Treats locations through December 31. The flight is comprised of "The Fiegster Chip Sandwich," "The Wifey Chip Sandwich," and "The Maia Chip Sandwich."

Top-selling global Pringles flavors

Kellanova, formerly Kellogg, recently did a review of top-selling Pringles flavors in every corner of the globe shows that people can agree on two things: Original and Sour Cream & Onion Pringles.

"While we create hundreds of unique irresistible local market flavors to provide our consumers all around the world with tastes they know and love, ultimately we find we are all more similar than different in our preferences for Pringles flavors," said Christine Jakovcic, vice president of global brands for Kellanova. "Original and Sour Cream & Onion are the top-selling flavors in all of the markets in which we sell our iconic crisps."

Original Pringles were first introduced in the mid-1950s, and Sour Cream & Onion made its debut in 1984. Pringles, the original stackable potato-based crisp, today features more than 160 flavor combinations. Local personality and tastes come through in flavor extensions. For example, in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, popular flavors have included Pigs in Blanket and Cheese Fondue. In Japan, fans love Egg Sandwich Pringles, and in S. Korea, Sweet Mayo Cheese is all the rage.

When people enjoy Pringles crisps most does vary regionally. In the U.S. and Canada, Pringles sales peak around Super Bowl and in the summer, while Chinese New Year is a big selling time in Southeast Asia. In the UK, Pringles sales double in December. In 2022, 8.3 million households purchased Pringles in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

The most popular Christmas sides in each state

With Christmas around the corner, BonusFinder.com wanted to find out which are the latest festive food trends in America. As part of an extensive study, the site surveyed more than 3,000 Americans on their Christmas traditions when it came to food. 

The full list includes:

1. Bread or rolls - 26.4%
2. Mashed potatoes - 26%
3. Stuffing  - 21.1%
4. Gravy - 20.9%
5. Macaroni and cheese - 20.5%
6. Deviled eggs - 18.8%
7. Dressing - 14.9%
8. Green bean casserole - 14.3%
9. Cranberry sauce - 13.6%
10. Salad - 12.4% 

Bread or rolls were revealed to be Americans’ favorite side dish, with more than one in four (26.4%) of respondents voting for the festive classic. Mashed potatoes came in second, missing the top spot only slightly with 26% of the votes. The top 5 was completed with stuffing (21.1%), gravy (20.9%), and macaroni and cheese (20.5%). 

*Some states (Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming) were excluded from the results due to the low number of respondents.

Kellanova Away From Home creates Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts signature stadium menu items for college bowl games

Kellanova (formerly Kellogg's) announced its collaboration with Florida Citrus Sports and Camping World Stadium to craft a stadium for the Pop-Tarts Bowl, happening on December 28, and the Cheez-It®Citrus Bowl, which is set for the same venue on New Year’s Day.

The Bowl Game signature items featuring Cheez-It and Pop-Tarts will be available in general concessions, suites, and boxes during the College Football Bowl Games. The stadium menu, which will be marketed via signage with dual branding for Cheez-It and Pop-Tarts, will have a wide array of options. Across both games, Camping World Stadium is estimated to entertain more than 110,000 fans.

The exclusive Bowl Game-only menus at Camping World Stadium will feature:

• Cinnamon Roll Pop-Tarts Banana Pudding: Frosted Cinnamon Roll Pop-Tarts Bites and Chantilly Cream
• Pop-Tarts Ice Cream Sundae: Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts Bites, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Strawberry Sauce
• End Zone Celebration Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts Cheesecake: Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts, New York-Style Cheesecake, and Dulce De Leche
• End Zone Celebration Strawberry Pop-Tarts Cheesecake: Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts Tidbits, New York-style Cheesecake, and Strawberry Sauce
• Pop-Tarts Popcorn: Chopped Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts, Freshly Popped Popcorn, and Strawberry Glaze
• Spicy Cheez-It & Bacon Bloody Mary: Smoky Original Cheddar Cheez-It Rim, Crisp Black Pepper Bacon, Celery Stalk, Ciliegine Olive Skewer
• Cheez-It Ultimate Grilled Cheez Sandwich: Crunchy Original Cheddar Cheez-It, Buttered Texas Toast and a combination of American, Provolone, and Swiss cheese
• Loaded Chili Cheez-It Crunch Dog: Original Cheddar Cheez-It, Foot-Long All-Beef Frank, Chunky Chili, Jalapeno Cheese Sauce, White Onions
• Cheez-It Bacon Burger: Crunchy Original Cheddar Cheez-It Topping, Char-Grilled Double Patty, Smoked Applewood Bacon, Cheddar Queso
• Mac and Cheez-It Nachos: Cheez-It Extra Big, Extra Sharp Cheddar, Jalapeno Queso, Bacon, Green Onions
• Scoop and Score Smoked Queso Dip: Cheez-It Snap’d Jalapeno Jack, Spicy Cheese Sauce, Vine-Ripe Tomatoes, Green Chilies, Cream Cheese, Seasoned Ground Beef
• Baked Brisket Mac-n-Cheez-It: Baked Original Cheddar Cheez-It Crumb Topping, Overnight-Braised Tender Beef, Creamy Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Sauce