If you answered "they get all the girls," well, Diane has a lovely parting gift for you. (And I have to assume you are either a trucker or computer nerd.) But if you answered "they all need to keep up their energy and/or stay awake and alert," then you get to move on to the lightning round.

It seems lately marketers feel that everyone, not just truckers and hardcore gamers, apparently need more energy. The continued viral-like proliferation of Starbucks should be some indication. And the addition of caffeine to things that nature didn't intend to be caffeinated, like water, for instance.

Jumping on the "wired nation" bandwagon is Dakota Valley Products, who just announced the newest product in the category: Sumseeds, sunflower seeds fortified with caffeine, taurine, ginseng, and other pick-me-ups. Why eat sunflower seeds instead of say, guzzling a six pack of energy drinks? Those tasty little seeds, seen being spit from the mouths of major leaguers in dugouts everywhere, naturally contain protein, thiamine, vitamin E, iron, phosphorous, potassium and calcium. Not a bad snack to have during the 4pm slide.

Produced in Willow Lake, South Dakota, an agricultural community with a population of 266, these seeds represent all the hopes and dreams of an entire little town. A really wide awake little town.

Want some? You can buy them by the case directly from Dakota Valley by going to www.sumseeds.com.

Nothing beats back the cold like a bowl of chili. Since they say global warming is causing these arctic blasts to hit us this winter, (warming causing freezing... that makes perfect sense, doesn't it? But then I'm no Climactic Scientist), the cold may be around for a while. So I'm posting this hot, three chile, chili recipe. It's from the book, "The Spaghetti Sauce Gourmet", by David Joachim.

And since chili is one of those things that guys take a lot of pride in, hit me at hey@thebachelorguy.com with your own best recipe and I'll put them in an upcoming post.

Three-Chile Beef Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups prechopped multicolored bell peppers
1 1/2 cups prechopped onion
2 jalapeno chiles, minced
1 1/2 pounds coarsely ground beef top round
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 1/2 cups refrigerated or jarred tomato sauce with meat
3 1/2 cups beef broth or water
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup sour cream

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the bell peppers, onion, and half of the jalapenos. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Scrape the vegetables to one side. Add the beef and chili powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in sauce and broth or water. Cook, partially covered, over medium-low heat until the flavors blend, about 10 minutes.
Pass the cilantro, sour cream, and remaining jalapenos at the table.

Leave it to the French to put a sexy new twist on the everyday. And give us guys another tool to add to our box of Things to Use to Wear Down Her Defenses and Make Her Think of Us In "That Way". (Listen, whatever it takes.)

Gentlemen, meet Jou-jou. A double-ended, candy apple and ginger flavored lollipop, that's designed to be shared with your intended Valentine, bringing her oh-so-close to that first kiss. (I'm hoping when they developed this they were thinking the classic Disney "Lady and the Tramp" spaghetti scene, not the cringe-inducing Snicker's Super Bowl commercial I've dubbed "Brokeback Garage", that mercifully got pulled this week.)

Silly as it may look, the French do have intimate knowledge of getting intimate. They even have their own kiss named after them. And if they say a double-ended lollipop will get us started down that path - it says right on their website, "As the sugar melts, eyes meet and noses brush playfully before melting into a sweet kiss..." - then, hey, I'm willing to give it a shot.

And even though she's gonna see right through your poorly-veiled attempt to get invited into her "personal space", I gotta believe she'll at least appreciate the effort. Share a Jou-jou with you. And give you that Valentine's kiss. Or laugh in your face. But we're used to that.

$20 for a set of 6
Jou-jou

Here's an idea that's been a long time coming: smaller loaves of bread for single and two person households.

When you live alone, a full loaf of bread can take over a week to eat. Meaning you either struggle through a few days of eating the stale end, (and, no, toasting does not hide the staleness) or throw away half the loaf.

Now bachelor guys (and girls) can have fresh bread without wasting most of it. Responding to growing consumer requests, Oroweat, a division of Bimbo Bakeries USA, (Yes. Bimbo. They are my new favorite baked goods company) announced it is launching Mini Loaves, a line of its most popular breads in loaves with fewer slices.

Right now it's only available in California, Arizona and New Mexico, but hopefully other bakeries will adopt the idea. That way we'll all be able to stop toasting the leftover bread, because, seriously, it doesn't help.

www.oroweat.com

What goes better with football than beer and cheese? Exactly. Beer and cheese melted together so you can dip hunks of bread into it. It's coming up on Super Sunday, and that means right now Fried, Battered, Grease-filled and Cheese-covered are the four main food groups. Today, let's talk Cheese-covered.

This recipe for Amstel Light and Smoked Gouda Fondue was sent to me from Chef Jake Linzinmeir of Chair 8 Restaurant, in Telluride, CO. Chef Linzinmeir is known for putting an upscale spin on classic American comfort food, and he created this recipe to serve at apres ski parties that he and Amstel Light are hosting at Park City Mountain Resort. (And when he's not in the kitchen, Chef moonlights as an accomplished skier and member of the search and rescue squad.)

What I love about this recipe is not only does it bring together beer and cheese into an epicurean, culinary delight, but it makes you think differently about fondue. (Ever say to a buddy, "Hey dude, let's go get some fondue"? Me either. And we both know why.)

Give this a shot this Sunday. It couldn't be easier to make and I'm betting it goes over big. (And invite a lot of friends. This recipe feeds about 40.)

Amstel Light Beer and Smoked Gouda Fondue
You'll need:
6 cloves garlic
6 cups Amstel Light
3 lbs. grated Gouda
3 lbs. grated smoked Gouda
6 tsp. dry mustard powder
Pinch Cayenne
6 tbs. corn starch

• Crush cloves in large sauce pot
• Add Amstel Light and slowly warm to simmer
• Gradually add cheese and stir continuously
• Slurry (add water until paste-like) mustard powder, add water if needed for texture
• Add in Cayenne
• Slurry cornstarch and add until desired thickness

Use thick bamboo skewers and serve with grilled crusty bread and pretzel sticks, apple wedges, radishes, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes... anything you think tastes better covered in cheese.

If you're in Telluride this season, head in to Chair 8 and see Chef Jake. Tell him BG sent you.
www.chair8.com

Odds are good you're headed to a Super Bowl party this weekend. Or the party will be at your place. Either way, food will be involved. A lot of food.

When I've got to make enough for a party I always make my Mom's famous pasta. It's the first thing I ever learned to cook. It's also the easiest. And whenever I make it guys always ask me how to do it, so they can make it at home.

Here's the recipe. And the great thing is you can add whatever you want to it, depending on your taste.

Mom's Pasta
For 6-8 servings you'll need:
• 1 lb. of dry pasta - like elbows, rotini or fusilli
• 1-1.25 lbs. lean ground beef or turkey
• 2 jars of marinara sauce
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Garlic, oregano, basil
• Salt and pepper

Start some water boiling in a large pot. While it's heating throw the ground meat into a large sauté pan. Add the chopped onion. Brown the meat all the way through, stirring often. Add in some of the spices towards the end. Drain off the grease.

When the water boils add the pasta and cook until it is al dente (firm). Drain. Return the pasta to the pot. Turn the heat down to medium. Add in the browned meat. Stir to mix. Pour in the marinara souce until it's a consistency you like. (Some people like a lot of sauce, some like it more dry. I like it somewhere in the middle.) Season with the spices to taste and shake in some grated parmesan cheese. Stir some more. You're done. That's the whole thing. It's easy, fast and can feed a ton of people.

If you want to add something in to make it more interesting, you can add a jar of sliced mushrooms, some diced bell pepper, or my favorite, hot red pepper flakes. I've even made it without the marinara sauce, and used garlic and oil instead. Play around with some different versions. Enjoy.