5 Random Guilty Pleasures

I came across this article today in cnn.com and it kinda got me thinking.  Everyone has their own personal list of things that they don’t like admitting they love.  Maybe it’s a childhood favorite that stuck with you or just an adult love, it never fails to amaze me the things that people love to eat, but for some reason, are sort of embarrassed about ‘fessing up to them.  So in the spirit of fun, I thought I’d share my 5 of my own little guilty pleasures.  (They are in no particular order):

1. Utz Sourdough Special Pretzels: I buy just about a bag of these every other week.  They are my pretzel of choice and in my book, there is comparison.  This is the way a snacking pretzel should be; crispy yet with a thick meaty quality to it.  With just the right amount of giant, gleaming white salt crystals that supply a salty bite, it’s just the perfect pretzel.

2. Velveta Shells and Cheese (the one with the shells): Tucked inside a bright yellow box, brightly colored processed cheese anxiously waits to be spilled out over steaming shell-shaped pasta.  I only let myself buy it once a year, and it’s usually on a particularly bad or an extremely blustery winter day but that doesn’t stop me from briefly pausing in front of the display at the grocery store as I wheel my cart past.  Maybe it’s a childhood fondness I still have for this?  Maybe it’s just the mere fact that this fluorescent yellow meal is just flat out delicious. 

3. Swedish Fish: I’m a little finicky about these, they have to be the original red ones and not those tiny baby fishies.  No way, I like the big ones!  I can’t put my finger on what puts these on my list but they are my “go-to” candy.  With a subtle sweet cherry flavor and a soft gummy texture, I usually always have a bag of them stashed away in my desk at work.

4. Starbucks Caramel Macchiato: They’re expensive and extravagant, I know.  They are full of sugar and fat and everything you’re supposed to avoid but they are oh so good.  I don’t buy them often but when I do indulge, I love the way the bitter espresso bite opens up to a frothy and rich liquid that slinks down your throat with a sweet caramel finish.  It’s sometimes that thing that gets me through long Boston winters.

5. CHEESE: In all forms.  From the expensive fancy imported all the way down to the powder that dusts my snack chips or the glowing slick cheese sauce on my nachos, it’s all good with me.  I realize this is sort of a big category here but this is not to be meant as a cop out.  I just kept thinking of all of my other guilty pleasures and cheese was the constant so I think it makes sense to be on this list. 

So now that I’ve spilled the beans on my guilty pleasures, what are yours?