Quest for the Best Podcast Amy Hummel

Think back to when you were a kid. What were some foods that you ate for lunch? Maybe you enjoyed a PB&J. Maybe you think of the square pizza from the lunch line at school. If you are a millennial or younger, you might just think of a Lunchable. And today we are going to be brave and try this… um… can you even call this food? Let’s find out!
Help us sustain our podcast and keep us trying foods like these!
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This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Today is not normal.
This month has not been normal.
We have some upsetting news from Quest for the Best… Our studio was flooded out. After a s**t ton of rain, our podcast studio found itself with a lot of water. Fortunately, equipment was removed as we realized what was happening, so our mics, most of our furniture, and that sort of thing was salvaged. What didn’t make it was the carpet and tile, some of the foam paneling for the walls, and a bit of my sanity.
It has been a tough week.
So what does this mean for the future of Quest for the Best?
Luckily, we have a few episodes that need to be edited yet, so we will not have a hiatus quite yet. I believe we have two or three on the back burner. One was supposed to come out today, but I got kinda bummed out during the editing process, thinking about the mess we have, and decided to pull it out next week.
So this week, enjoy a compilation of our wonderful commercials.
But I also need to add…
There has NEVER been a better time to donate to Quest for the Best.There has NEVER been a better time to share your favorite episode.We need YOUR help. This is a value for value podcast. We do not make money off ads. We do not have sponsors. We only have our listeners, and our future listeners. So please share, share, share!
If you already have donated, we want to THANK YOU! Your support is amazing and it will help us out in times like these. You rock, you are amazing, we love you.
So, as always, thanks for joining us today. It is always great. And until next week… STAY SANE OUT THERE!




This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

There are so so so so many varieties of ice creams out there. When you go to the grocery store, it can sometimes be overwhelming on what to get. But today, we decided to single out a single brand, Ben & Jerry’s to see if their top 5 selling flavors are really up to snuff.
Help us sustain our podcast and keep us trying foods like these!
Which Ice Creams are we trying today?
* Half Baked
* Cherry Garcia
* Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
* Strawberry Cheesecake
* Chocolate Fudge Brownie

Who is on this summery quest?
* Kris, aka Howard Dean.
* Hannah, needs another bowl.
* Matt, letting his mom down.
* Amy,
And of course, our subscribers! Thanks to our small, yet coveted group. We appreciate the support. You too can join us on this food journey. All you need to do is… SUBSCRIBE!
The History of Ben & Jerry’s
* 1978: After taking a $5.00 correspondence course in ice cream-making from Penn State and using a $12,000 investment, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened their first ice cream scoop shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont.
* 1979: One year later, Ben and Jerry would be celebrating their shop’s anniversary and success by holding the first-ever Free Cone Day. Free scoops all day long.
* Their business continued to grow and in 1980 Ben and Jerry rented a space in an old mill to begin packing their ice cream into pints so they could distribute to grocery stores and Mom & Pop stores.
* In 1981 the first franchised scoop shop opened in Shelburne, Vermont.
* In 1987 Ben and Jerry’s introduced Cherry Garcia ice cream, named for Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, becoming the first ice cream to be named for a rock legend.
* 1988 Ben and Jerry are named “U.S. Small Business Persons of the Year” by President Reagan.
* In 1991 Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is released.
* In 1994 pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream begin to appear in the United Kingdom.
* In 1997, Vermont-based musical group Phish have the honor of inspiring the flavor Phish Food.
* In 2002 Dave Matthews Band and Ice Cream fans rejoice as One Sweet Whirled is released along with an environmental campaign to fight global warming.
* 2008 saw the introduction of Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road in recognition of Elton John’s first concert in Vermont.
* In 2016 Ben & Jerry’s went Vegan with an almond milk, 100% Certified Vegan line of flavors.
Those are some of the highlights without getting into the political side of things. Ben & Jerry’s does have quite a liberal leaning stance on things, like it or leave it. They have come out with some controversial flavors and have said some controversial things that I just don’t want to really get into. But I will have some links in the show notes!
The top ten selling flavors of Ben & Jerry’s
* Half Baked
* Cherry Garcia
* Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
* Strawberry Cheesecake
* Chocolate Fudge Brownie
* The Tonight Dough
* Phish Food
* Americone Dream
* Chunky Monkey
* Milk & Cookies
The Results
**SPOILER ALERT!**
Listen to the episode first if you do not want the results revealed to you yet!
5th Place: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
* Amy - 6
* Hannah - 4
* Kris - 5
* Matt - 4
4th Place: Cherry Garcia
* Amy - 6
* Hannah - 5
* Kris - 5
* Matt - 4
3rd Place: Strawberry Cheesecake
* Amy - 7
* Hannah - 4
* Kris - 6
* Matt - 5
2nd Place: Chocolate Fudge Brownie
* Amy - 6
* Hannah - 7
* Kris - 7
* Matt - 8
1st Place: Half Baked
* Amy - 7
* Hannah - 8
* Kris - 7
* Matt - 7
There you have it. Half Baked receives the Quest for the Best seal of approval. 
Thank you all for joining us on this episode of Quest for the Best. Let us know what you thought. Which is your favorite Ben & Jerry’s? We would love to hear your rating!
Also, do you have any foods you would love to get the coveted seal of approval? Let us know in the comments what you want to hear next.
And of course, remember to subscribe to hear the latest episodes. And chip in on the podcast! Whatever value y

Summer is right around the corner and as the weather heats up, everyone is going to be looking for something to quench their thirst. We have tried a lot of different sodas on this podcast, and unfortunately not many really do well. Will grape soda fair any better than orange cream soda, or lemon lime sodas, root beer, or cola? Let’s find out!
Help us sustain our podcast and keep us trying foods like these!
Which orange cream sodas are we trying today?
* O-So Grape
* Ghoulish Grape
* Buddy’s Grape Soda
* Grape Nehi
* Harmony Springs Grape
* JicJac Grape
Who is on this purple quest?
* Kris, aka Hugs and Chugs.
* Nate, Twilight super fan.
* Matt, hiss hiss.
* Amy, the only sane one.
And of course, our subscribers! Thanks to our small, yet coveted group. We appreciate the support. You too can join us on this food journey. All you need to do is… SUBSCRIBE!
And don't forget to donate!
https://buy.stripe.com/4gwbIX7t30df7dKcMM


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

What do a bowl of soup, a meat and cheese tray, and staying home sick watching The Price is Right all have in common?
Crackers of course!
Today we dive into the diverse and rich world of crackers. While most might not consider crackers to be diverse, or rich, today we will show you that even with just six different crackers, we have a huge range of flavor, texture, and opinions.
Which crackers are we trying today?
* Ritz
* Townhouse
* Club
* Chicken in a Biskit
* Triscuit
* Wheat Thins
Please donate to our show! Every penny helps us continue on this taste testing quest!
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This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

There are so many snacks out there for a person to try out. You got your chocolates. You got your crackers. You got your cookies. You got your nuts. You got your fruit snacks…. But the best snack out there is none of these. The best snack out there is popcorn.
Now, popcorn comes in many different flavors, varieties, and even ways to cook. Today we are going for the quick to grab, easy to pop, microwave popcorn.
And out of the brands we have, we will find out which one reigns supreme on today’s episode of Quest for the Best.
If you have it in your heart, consider becoming a producer of our wonderful Quest for the Best podcast! By becoming a producer, you are helping us with the production costs of our show (this doesn’t happen with nothing!). We really appreciate your support!
Help us sustain our podcast and keep us trying foods like these!
https://buy.stripe.com/4gwbIX7t30df7dKcMM


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit questforthebestpodcast.substack.com/subscribe