There may be supply chain shortages this fall, but there's no shortage of bacon at Papa John's.  They just announced the lineup for their "BaconMania" . . . and there are three very bacon-heavy menu items that will be available through Christmas. There's the Triple Bacon Pizza, which has smokey bacon crumbles, julienne-cut Canadian bacon, and smoked bacon strips.  The Smokey Bacon Parmesan- Crusted Papadia, which is a flatbread-style sandwich with Canadian bacon, fresh onions, and sliced smoked bacon strips, along with a creamy ranch sauce. And Bacon Jalapeño Popper Rolls, which are filled with cream cheese, hickory-smoked bacon, and jalapeños.  [...]

Do you have a go-to food hack?  Someone asked people to name a secret ingredient that can make your favorite food even better.  Here are some of the weirder suggestions we've seen . . . Instead of salting your popcorn, use ramen noodle seasoning.  Just tear that little silver packet open and dump some of the powder on with melted butter. Mustard in your mac-and-cheese.  A little bit of Dijon adds some zest and gives the flavors more depth.  Just don't overdo it.  You don't want it to actually taste like mustard. Tajin seasoning on fruit.  This one's not that weird.  [...]

Jack-o'-lanterns tend to start rotting within five to ten days.  But here are a few things you can do to make them last longer than that . . . 1.  Pick a pumpkin that's rock solid.  Don't pick one that's already going bad.  Bruises and blemishes are big red flags.  And water-soaked spots on the surface can be a sign of frost damage. 2.  Spray it with bleach and water.  Just mix in a tiny bit of bleach, and spray the whole thing down.  It should help keep bacteria and mold away. 3.  Put a cup of baking soda inside.  It'll [...]

If you're looking for something to argue about this morning, someone has put together a ranking of the 40 best cookies . . . from "these couldn't get any better" to "not worth the hype." The top spot goes to Golden Oreos . . . because, "These are hands down the best cookie on the market.  This may be an unpopular opinion, but these taste way better than the regular Oreos . . . [especially] the THIN Golden Oreos." Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies are second, followed by Original Oreos . . . Keebler 'Fudge Stripes' Cookies . . . Pepperidge [...]

Do you give trick-or-treaters ONE piece of candy, or a handful?  Instacart just released its Halloween candy stats and looked at the states that had the biggest and smallest candy orders ahead of Halloween last year. The states that placed the biggest candy orders in the lead-up to Halloween were:  Utah, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, and Washington.  The states with the smallest orders were:  North Carolina, Florida, New York, Iowa, and Connecticut. They also looked at what specific candy each state loves more than other states:  Red Vines are popular out West . . . the Midwest is obsessed with Twizzlers . [...]

Remember when Black Friday was one day, and everybody would just trample each other over a $10 toaster?  Ah, simpler times. Amazon just launched their Black Friday deals earlier than ever.  They announced it yesterday . . . 53 days before actual Black Friday . . . and many of the deals are already live.  They're technically called "Black Friday-WORTHY" deals, but it marks the start of their big holiday push. They also launched a new feature that lets Prime members send gifts to people even if you don't know their address.  All you need is their phone number or email.  Then they get a [...]

When it comes to Halloween decorations, it seems like there are only two types of people.  The ones who are ALL-IN . . . and the ones who put out a pumpkin, and just stop maintaining their yard. A new study combined polls with Google Trends data to come up with a list of the most popular Halloween decorations in America. Skeletons are #1.  Pumpkins are second, followed by spiders . . . witches . . . bats . . . ghosts . . . tombstones . . . animal skeletons . . . black cats . . . and corn [...]

Someone used Google Trends to find which Halloween candy each state is oddly obsessed with. Here are the results . . . 1. Kit Kats and Twix both have five states that are obsessed with them: Kit Kats in Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, and New Mexico. Twix in Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Utah, and Wisconsin. 2. Four different candies got three states each: Skittles in Alabama, Arkansas, and Georgia . . . Jolly Ranchers in California, Florida, and Texas . . . 100 Grand Bars in Kentucky, Missouri, and Oregon . . . and Dum Dums in Idaho, Maine, and Mississippi. [...]

Someone recently asked the internet what people considered a HUGE waste of money, and everything was fair game, whether it was a necessary purchase, or something a little more frivolous.  Here are 10 highlights: Designer clothing for kids.  They grow too fast, and rarely need to "dress up." Baby toys.  Babies will ignore expensive toys to play with random knick-knacks. Pet toys.  Same.  Spend $50 on a toy, or just give them a cardboard box. Digital games.  You could have a huge library and only really play one game. Laundromats.  Loads can get very pricey, depending on where you live. Cable [...]

During the pandemic, a lot of people spent more time at home, watching YouTube, and avoiding unnecessary contact with strangers.  So it's not surprising that Do-It-Yourself projects have been on the rise. In a new survey, 81% of people who own a home say they've done at least one project since the start of the pandemic . . . and almost half have done more than four. Over 40% say their DIY projects were more challenging and expensive than expected.  And nearly 80% made a "minor" or "major" mistake. Saving money is the main reason people DIY.  But others include:  Having [...]