At the grocery store:
So long, checkout lines: Many grocery chains already have begun to employ self-checkout areas, and that trend is going to ramp up even more in 2012. Recently, grocers have even started testing smartphone applications that let customers check out on the go. Actually, the Giant Food in Crofton already has a scan-as-you-go program, which I love. One step faster than self-checkouts. r
At the restaurants:
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Peruvian food: I keep reading that Peruvian food is the new thing. I don’t even know what qualifies as Peruvian food (can someone look it up on their Google machine? (Quick, name that food TV show!) but the Food Channel says it’s going to be big.
Doughnuts are the new dessert. Didn’t they have their time already (Krispy Kreme, anyone?) But then it goes on to say it’s more of a fried sweet dough that’s going to become popular. Wait…isn’t that exactly what a doughnut is? Other sources say Canales are the next big dessert,following pies and macarons in their trendiness.
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Hamburgers are out, grilled cheese is in. In my world, grilled cheese has always been in style. Hmm, maybe I am a trendsetter after all.
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In your kitchen:
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The year of the potato? That’s what Nutritionunplugged.com says. They’ve gotten such a bad rap lately, so I don’t know how I feel about this. Apparently this is a hy id restaurant/kitchen trend, because they predict there will be a lot of mashed potato offerings and mix-ins available with your dinner at restaurants.
We are, apparently, all going to be making our own dairy products next year for our latest kitchen projects. Considering I recently Googled how to make my own mozzarella cheese, I don’t think I can legitimately argue with this prediction.
At the bar:
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Epicurious says Moonshine is the front-runner for 2012 drink of the year. They also then boldly point out that it’s not really moonshine if it’s being sold and taxed legally.