Food & Drink

By Eamon Murphy
Daily Finance

Last week, the United States Supreme Court delivered a unanimous decision that was hailed by some as a major victory for intellectual property rights. Others worried about the implications for agriculture, the very foundation of civilization; and in the background -- not raised by the nine justices, whom a recent study called "friendlier to corporate interests" than any court since 1946 -- was the question of prices for farmers and consumers.

The case was Bowman v. Monsanto Co. (MON), in which the court held that an Indiana farmer infringed on the biotech giant's patents when he planted genetically-modified soybean seeds not purchased from the company.

The seeds had been designed to withstand application of the herbicide glyphosate, which Monsanto markets as Roundup. Farmers who plant such "Roundup Ready" crops are required to sign an agreement with Monsanto stipulating that they will buy new seeds from the company each year, rather than using the products of the plants' reproduction.

By Matt Brownell
Daily Finance

Even by Taco Bell's (YUM) wacky standards, its latest product is a head-scratcher: The "Mexican-inspired" fast-food chain is currently in the midst of testing a waffle taco.

The waffle taco -- which is exactly what it sounds like -- is part of Taco Bell's recent test of breakfast offerings, which for now is restricted to locations on the West Coast. But Taco Bell is not the only chain trying to challenge McDonald's (MCD) in the fast-food breakfast game. A number of other quick-serve chains have dipped their toes in the water in recent years: Now Subway, Wendy's and even Popeyes are aiming to be your first stop of the day.

You're tired of dreading summer because it means more time in shorts and a swimsuit so you've made a commitment to get back into shape. That's great but... How? Unless you're part of the one per cent, personal trainers may be out of the question. Gyms are fine but at $60-$100 a month they add up too. Even purchasing home exercise equipment can mean spending a large sum of money at first. Here are five ways you can re-discover your best bod without having monthly fees or investing big money into a home gym.

By Bruce Watson
Daily Finance

Have you ever wondered what happened to the great heartthrobs of the 1970s and 1980s? In some cases, it's an easy question to answer, as they managed to stay in the public eye, making the transition from hot young hero to mature TV father figure. In other cases, they disappeared, taking their TV residuals and riding off into the sunset.

Over the last few years, though, a third option has emerged: TV pitchman. After all, while casting agents might have forgotten yesterday's hunks, the women of America haven't: The young women who once tuned in to watch "Dallas" and "Hart to Hart" every week are still out there, still buying things, and still looking for a glimpse of the men who stole their hearts all those years ago.

So, in honor of Mother's Day, we're rolling back the clock to see who's trading on '70s stardom to sell things to Mom in 2013. Here are a few of our favorites:

By Rich Smith
Daily Finance

Vices. We've all got them, or at least been tempted by them from time to time.

Whether your poison is a pack of smokes, a six-pack of Bud, a cup of coffee, or an ice-cold Coca-Cola, succumbing to your vices -- or succumbing to the temptation to start one -- can cost you.

How much? That's the question that a new micro-site that recently popped up on the eBay (EBAY) Deals Blog proposes to answer.

By Bruce Watson
Daily Finance

Regardless of whether you're focused on saving money or saving your health, the beverage section of your local convenience store is packed with pitfalls. Sodas loaded with high-fructose corn syrup sit a few feet away from pricey energy drinks and coffees loaded with fat. The cheap drinks are bad for you, the healthier drinks are expensive, and you don't have much chance of finding something exciting or new.

Related: Want Fast, Cheap, Healthy Food? Try Your Local Asian Supermarket

Luckily, there's another option. Asian markets offer a wide selection of teas, sodas and juices that will challenge your taste buds without hurting your wallet. And, if you're in the mood for something new, but aren't feeling too adventurous, never fear: I've included a list of a few of my favorites. One warning, though: I bought all of these items in stores in New York City, which means that I probably paid a lot more than in your neighborhood convenience store or Asian grocery.

By Matt Brownell
Daily Finance

The fast food industry's obsession with bacon has reached new heights of excess. Sonic announced on its Facebook page Thursday that its summer lineup of ice cream shakes would include one made with peanut butter and bacon.

Combining those flavors isn't as crazy as it might seem. If you ever have a chance to sample an Elvis Presley -- a peanut butter and bacon sandwich -- we'd urge you to seize the opportunity. And believe it or not, this isn't the first time bacon has made an appearance in a national chain's ice cream shake: For its annual "baconalia" event, Denny's offers a maple bacon milkshake.

Sonic, then, is simply building on the works of these bacon pioneers.

By Muneeza Iqbnal
Daily Finance

Based on a spate of unusual robberies around the world recently, thieves aren't just money-hungry anymore -- they're plain hungry. These sticky-fingered felons have avoided robbing banks and instead made off with mass quantities of foodstuffs, from soup to Nutella. Here's a rundown of some of the tastier capers we've seen lately:

Anyone planning a wedding should avoid those 'Say Yes to the Dress'-type shows on cable TV. The amounts people are willing to spend on a one-time 'outfit' are beyond crazy, and completely out of the normal wedding budget. Same goes for those competitive wedding shows, which completely miss the whole spirit of the occasion.

The amount one spends has nothing to do with how meaningful, enjoyable and memorable a wedding will be. You can have an amazing wedding at a reasonable cost: it all depends on how creative you can be at cutting corners. And let's face it, in an average wedding, there are myriad things that you could spend on, but don't have to. What people will remember is not the variety of booze your bars are stocked with, or the sheer number of blooms in your bouquets: it's all about how happy the bride and groom and their families were on that special day. So removing the stress of a 'keeping-up-with-the-Joneses' wedding will go a long way toward helping the day be a memorable one.

We've come up with seven ways to save money on your wedding, which do nothing to lessen the impact of the event. In fact we promise your guests won't notice your thrifty ways:

This summer Starbucks is rolling out the latest experiment in American gluttony that's sure to put the Double Down or the Doritos Locos Taco to shame.

It's called The Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino (see photo on right) and it's reportedly coming to the menu as a kick-off to summer on April 30. It features three kinds of caramel with caramel syrup, dark caramel sauce and a caramel crunch topping, that's akin to creme brulé, all mixed in. You also have your choice of milk and if that amount of caramel isn't enough for you for some reason, you can still request the requisite caramel drizzle over a healthy dollop of whipped cream.

The overboard decadence of it all makes us think it was once a custom order from the "Secret Menu" -- featuring flavours that start out only in a savvy customer's imagination and then are faithfully recreated by an understanding barista.

In honour of the coming Caramel Ribbon Crunch, we thought you'd be mesmerized by these equally decadent flavours from "The Secret Menu" that will test the skills of your local barista.

SLIDESHOW: The 10 Most Decadent Starbucks Frappuccinos