Paper Straws Suck And Are Bad for the Environment Too

Paper straws suck. I am disgustingly anti-paper straw. I've written about how we over-adjust as a society. Yes, we should take care of our planet. It's the only one we have, but dammit there are better ways to make that happen than warring with fictional 'Big Straw' or are they warring with 'Big Plastic'?. I would firmly plant my flag with 'Big Straw'/'Big Plastic' in this battle. What battle you might ask. The battle over what the vessel that gets my lidded drink to my mouth is made of. Well, guess what! I'm not the monster you might be thinking I am. A study in Europe has found that paper drinking straws might not be that great for the earth after all.

Scientists in Europe tested 39 straw brands in their study and 90% of the paper straws had those forever chemicals that had all of you straw truthers up in arms. The same chemicals are linked to health issues like cancer. They tested 20 different types of paper straws, and 18 of them contained low levels of forever chemicals that don't break down in nature. Hypocrites! They also tested plastic straws, and 75% of those had forever chemicals too. So did 80% of bamboo straws, and 40% of glass straws. Glass straws? WTF are we doing using glass straws? One misjudged distance to your straw and you chomping on broken glass. The only straws that didn't test positive for any forever chemicals are the stainless steel straws that come in a lot of the cups people are buying.

Listen, we need to take care of our home. There is no Earth 2. If there is we don't have the technology to make it there because we're wasting our time with paper straws. Also glass straws. What if the one guy who discovered the technology to get us to this Earth 2 hit his glass straw on his teeth shattering it all down his throat and killing him before he could tell someone else about his knowledge?  I said on the air today that I'd rather drink out of a Twizzler than a paper straw. In the end, they both are equally as soggy, but at least I can eat the Twizzler.

[Source: phys.org]

Devour Desserts is a must-try dessert shop, with locations in South Jersey and Delco. Their desserts take creativity to new heights. I recently went to their South Jersey shop and the cake was so delicious I had to share it with you!

When owner Misty Solomon was a little girl, her love for creating started at home with her EZ Bake Oven and complete freedom in the kitchen. "I was lucky enough to have a mom who would let me bake at 2 am if I wanted," said Solomon. She has a passion for making all things delicious. She is a self-taught chocolatier and baker, who has never taken a single class.

The business began in 2011 because Misty was annoyed by Edible Arrangements. She used them exclusively for client and team gifts. After years, she felt under-served as a customer. This business was more of a hobby that quickly caught Misty's attention and interest than a business.

Over 10 years and two storefronts later, she and her incredible team of artists serve over 2000 customers a month in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They’ve even been awarded Best of Gloucester County 5 years in a row and were named among The Best of The Best in South Jersey Magazine.

The award-winning bakery has locations in South Jersey and Delco. One in Mantua, NJ, and another in Aston, PA.

My birthday snuck up on me this year. Two days prior to my birthday (but likely less than a full 48 hours) it dawned on me that I did not have a birthday cake lined up. The thing is, I wanted a pretty specific style of cake; a pink one frosted in a vintage style. I contacted Devour Desserts as a long shot, but to my surprise, a decorator got back to me. With little to no direction from me, Devour Desserts pulled off exactly what I wanted, and made it even better by using edible glitter spray.

I got the cake of my dreams while giving this shop barely any notice. It felt like a Disney princess cake! They were accommodating, kind, and creative. The cake, might I add, tasted absolutely phenomenal as well. I got a confetti cake with vanilla buttercream.

The list below is not exhaustive, so you can check out their website and Instagram for more examples of their offerings!

These dessert trays are a unique and specialty menu item at Devour. This one features their signature truffles and chocolate-dipped fruit.

What a feast for the eyes (and stomach)! This custom cake is puled high with all kinds of other sweets. If you're looking to impress with a cake at your next function, Devour Desserts has you covered.

Banana Cream Pie Cups have banana Cream, bananas, Nilla Wafers, vanilla butter cake bites, brown sugar whipped cream, and Chessman cookies all in one cup. It's a portable dessert with so many delicious additions.

Here's another dessert cup variation. Banana Split Cups feature strawberry cream, strawberry cake, pineapple mousse, vanilla cake, banana cream, chocolate cake, maraschino cherry cream, and brown sugar whipped cream. Sounds like a dream.

If you want to celebrate your favorite team with something that tastes as sweet as victory, order an Eagles cake. This particular cake was made to celebrate the Super Bowl, but you can always order a general Eagles cake for some other game this upcoming season.

"Ring the Bell" for these awesome looking Phillies cakes. They made the Phanatic look so lifelike. I bet he'd love these treats!

This pastel rainbow with edible glitter spritzed on top is surely a beautiful treat. The included cupcakes provide good variety for people who may not want to cut into such a pretty cake.

Who doesn't love chocolate covered fruit? These giant berries looks absolutely scrumptious.

This delicious cake is Devour's Peanut Butter Pretzel Cake. You can find it on Misty’s Signature Cake Menu.

This stunning wedding cake is another example of what this shop can do. The fresh flowers are a gorgeous touch.

These chocolate cupcakes are decadent beauties. They are jumbo cupcakes with dark chocolate fudge cupcake, chocolate cream cheese buttercream, fudge ganache, Barry Callebaut dark chocolate vermicelli sprinkles.

This custom cake was made using a real invitation to the party it was made for. They seriously can make whatever you're looking for. This show of creativity is what makes Devour Desserts so unique.

This is genuinely so impressive. When you read the caption on the post above, you'll be shocked at just how much you get from this "You're A Whole Snack" box. It's like charcuterie, but made with delectable dessert offerings. Their traditional dessert trays are also very much like charcuterie boards.