Friday potluck

Welcome, friends, to the weekly roundup we refer to as the Friday potluck.

Global brands try their hand at local flavors:

If you travel, you may have walked into a convenience store and noticed packaging that looks familiar, but, on closer inspection, the goodies are just a little bit different. My favorite find, so far, was roast-chicken flavored chips... ahem... crisps in London.

Image source

And chicken-flavored crisps are just the beginning! There are tzatziki flavored chips in Greece and bolognese-flavored ones in the Netherlands.

In China, Wrigley's sells cucumber-mint flavored gum, but red bean paste oreos didn't go over so well. (So sad! Red bean paste is delicious!) Reuters lists some other food hits and misses that the big-name brands have tried.

Speaking of success:

Small races are not always better, but sometimes a small field means that organizers and volunteers can go the extra mile. (I might be a small race convert...)

Recommended reading:

Last weekend's flash flooding prevented me from pursuing my normal outdoor activities. Unfortunately I am seriously allergic to being cooped up indoors. Cabin fever starts setting in within 24 hours.

I needed a good book to help me keep my sanity.

A friend recommended Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.

The timing couldn't be better. Another friend of mine is through-hiking the PCT right now.

I am seriously hooked on this book. This is not your typical "Eat, Pray, Love" happy-fest about a woman going on holiday to find herself. This book is every bit as gritty and compelling as a backcountry trek should be.

And it is glorious.

(Full review to be posted as soon as I finish...)

Quote of the week:

To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.
Ancient Proverb

Happy Friday, friends!