• Carnival Corp experienced record bookings in the second quarter of 2024. 
• Its latest and 27th ship, Carnival Firenze, is a great budget option.
• But the food was mediocre, and the enticing upcharges could quickly push guests past their budget.

I love falling for the hype, whether it be clawing for a table at a new buzzy restaurant or queueing for a limited-edition clothing drop.

Unfortunately, the one craze I can't get fully behind is Carnival, specifically its new 5,245-guest Carnival Firenze ship. Because as much as I like a bargain, I love a quality vacation more.

Carnival's floating hotels have never been this popular. Bookings for the rest of 2024 are "the best on record" with higher occupancy rates, fares, returning cruisers, and new guests compared to the year prior, the cruise line's parent company, Carnival Corp, said in its second-quarter earnings report in June.

And it's looking like business will only get better from here, with the cruise giant already reporting stronger booking levels at higher prices for its 2025 voyages.

Carnival is beloved in part for its affordability.

Like other cruising powerhouses, Carnival Corp has been raising ticket prices amid a boom in demand. But even with this jump in fares, its eponymous cruise line's cheapest 2024 itinerary starts at just $246 per person for a three-night Australia sailing on Carnival Luminosa.

To compare, competitor Norwegian Cruise Line's most affordable three-nighter in 2024 is $553 per person for a Caribbean voyage, while Royal Caribbean International's is $352 per person for a roundtrip cruise from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico.

With these price differences, it's easy to see why travelers have been clawing at Carnival's voyages.

Inflation has been hard on many American's household finances.

So, if you can afford to travel this year, wouldn't you want to spend your precious, hard-earned cash on an enjoyable and relaxing vacation — instead of one that could have you stressing about your budget throughout the day?

Carnival acquired Firenze and its sister ship from fellow Carnival Corp-owned Costa Cruises in 2022.

Two years (including a two-month dry dock) later, the Italy-themed ship's naming ceremony was held in early April, "triggering a step up in bookings," Josh Weinstein, the president and CEO of Carnival Corp, told analysts in late June.

Firenze set sail on its maiden voyage shortly after, marking the 27th vessel to join the cruise line's fleet.

The new ship's fares may be relatively affordable, but you get what you pay for.

Firenze's cheapest 2024 itinerary is a four-night roundtrip voyage from its homeport in Long Beach, California, to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico, starting at $90 per person and day.

It's the same sailing I did, although I paid double that for my solo interior cabin booked last-minute.

The complimentary food was second-rate, but the free, family-friendly amenities were plentiful, and there were ample opportunities to splurge.

About half of the ship's 16 dining venues are complimentary, a ratio that's become increasingly commonplace on new mass-market cruise ships.

But there are some caveats to Firenze's list.

Two free eateries — the salad bar and grill — were closed until the last day. Others, like the pizza stand and buffet, had tempting up-charged dishes.

Some new cruise ships have complimentary food as good as, if not better, than the specialty restaurants.

But none of Firenze's free meals wowed me — even in the main dining rooms, where I had all my dinners.

Crowds assembled in front of the restaurant's doors every night before opening. But the hype never matched the quality.

My fried calamari was chewy, the desserts were too sweet, and I found a piece of plastic in my clams and linguini.

Kids could love the dining experience.

Service was interrupted nightly by some variation of a loud announcement, louder music, photo ops with pirates, or, on one night, a waitress who serenaded the restaurant with her rendition of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran.

It was confusing and jarring but, for the most part, entertaining.

The dinner buffet served the same dishes as the dining rooms.

But it wasn't exactly a hot spot for great food during the day. Nor was it pristine, thanks to some of the stained booths.

The honey mustard dressing from the lunchtime salad bar was unbearably sweet. But at least it was edible, unlike the dry-as-a-rock chicken.

You could stroll to the buffet's chicken wings station for better poultry options — where you'll pay $5 for six pieces.

Popular cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival have been increasingly outfitting their newest ships with pay-to-play amenities. Even then, I've never seen a cruise buffet with paid options.

Breakfast at the buffet and dining rooms were average.

The same goes for the breakfast burrito at the Italian-Mexican fusion kiosk.

Annoyingly, if you want a vegan breakfast from the dining room, you must order it the night before.

But if your only requirement is a quick morning meal, I suggest grabbing one of the biscuit sandwiches from the chicken stand, which becomes an upcharged seafood shack at night.

You'll have to pay $4.50 for a morning latte with your breakfast sandwich.

The buffet has free black coffee, Lipton, and Bigelow's green tea. If you're craving any other pick-me-up, you'll have to buy it at the onboard coffee shop.

For lunch, there's the pizza, Guy Fieri-branded burger, and Italian sandwich stands.

If you didn't second-guess your budget for the buffet's chicken wings, you might at the pizza stand. The $6 teriyaki chicken and Korean barbecue steak pies could catch your eye amid the sea of free pepperoni and four-cheese slices.

Fortunately, there were no paid options at the burger or Italian sandwich counters. Grabbing a plate at the latter will involve playing a round of sauce roulette, with the truffle mayo being one of the yummier bites on the ship and the salsa verde being one of the worst things I've eaten recently.

The grilled vegetables at La Strada Grill were a divine and necessary counterpart to the ship's heavy meals.

Unfortunately, the open-air stand remained closed until the final afternoon of the voyage.

In retrospect, I wish I had paid for the specialty restaurants. Maybe my meals would've been more memorable.

I could've spent $40 for the teppanyaki lunch or snacked on the $1.50-a-piece empanadas.

A $30 sushi boat dinner for two didn't sound too bad, either.

But would it still be a truly budget cruise if you end up splurging on specialty dining?

After all, a 2024 Firenze cruise starts at $90 per person and day, and dinner at the steakhouse would add another $50 to that day's cost.

There are plenty of free, family-friendly amenities.

Competing cruise lines have started charging for simple activities like mini-golf. (I'm looking at you, Norwegian).

But besides the arcade, none of the ship's top-deck amenities required additional payments.

You could spend all day at the mini-golf course, adrenaline-pumping ropes course, sports court, and waterslides without paying a cent. If that gets boring, there are foosball and ping-pong tables, too.

I've seen flashier versions of these amenities on Norwegian and Royal Caribbean ships. But unlike its competition, all of Firenze's were free.

Or, you could spend your time splashing around the two pools.

The indoor one doubles as the nighttime movie theater, where you'll encounter your next budget roadblock — $4 bags of popcorn.

Movie time snacks aside, there are more than enough free activities to keep your family entertained during sea days, especially if you plan on catching nighttime shows like the "Dear Future Husband" song-and-dance production.

Onboard programming like trivia, dance classes, and karaoke also helps pass the time, free of charge.

But if you're on a budget, I suggest avoiding the "Deal or No Deal" game show, which starts at $25. And if you plan on joining the afternoon tea event, ask for the complimentary tea bags from the buffet. Otherwise, you'll have to pay $1.50 per bag.

Or, save your money for a few fun beverages.

Firenze has plenty of places to drink, from the bubbly-forward Frizzante bar to the live music-centric Piano Bar 88.

Craving a Negroni? Head to Amari. Looking to catch the latest game? Heroes Tribute Bar and Lounge is for you.

But be warned: Cocktails hover at around $13, while beers and seltzers are about $9.

If you don't want to pay for the bars, casino, or spa, you could escape the kids by going to the adult-only lounge.

Just be ready to trade the sound of screaming children with loud music. (The ship is devoid of any quiet spaces.)

And whatever relaxation you manage to sneak in will quickly be gone on port days, thanks to an unnecessarily confusing disembarkation process.

I admittedly don't have the best sense of direction. It didn't help that there were no signs pointing guests to where they could disembark the ship.

A crew member even accidentally led me in the wrong direction, seemingly unsure of where to go, too.

I wasn't annoyed. Firenze is a 1,061-foot-long vessel, after all.

However, I was annoyed when I stepped off Firenze in Ensenada, Mexico, and saw that the provided portside bus to downtown would cost another $4 per person.

Carnival Firenze could be great if you're planning a tightly-budgeted family vacation.

Its cheapest $90-a-night option is still far more affordable than its competitor's newest ships. (This year, Norwegian Viva's most inexpensive cruise is an 11-day voyage for $138 a day, while Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas starts at $221 a day for a weeklong sailing.)

It takes buying a latte or two, reserving a steakhouse dinner and teppanyaki lunch, snacking on a half-dozen wings, and having two beers daily for Firenze's per-day cost to be closer to Norwegian's.

So, there's no denying that Carnival's latest ship is a good deal, even if the food is lackluster, and you'll have to think about your spending at almost every turn of the vacation.

With that being said, if you have some cash to spare, I'd suggest going with another ship or cruise line.

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian's newer ships are undeniably pricier, but both had complimentary meals that were better than the specialty options. And yes, their pay-to-play activities can be steep — like a $15-per-person go-kart track on Norwegian — but they're more modern and flashy than Firenze's amenities if that matters to you.

I don't blame you if Carnival's latest ship lures you in with the affordable fares. But a word to the wise: Pay for a specialty restaurant or two, and save some cash to spend onboard. It'll make the trip more memorable.

• To smooth out my forehead wrinkles, I tried Botox and face-taping.
• Both have different downsides, whether related to cost, convenience, or side effects.
• One gave me a more natural look and felt more realistic to keep up with for years to come.

Despite warnings about wearing sunscreen to prevent wrinkles, I neglected it throughout most of my 20s (cue the screams). I also didn't use anti-aging products like vitamin C serum or retinol until I was in my early 30s, which would have helped keep my skin hydrated and plump.

A combination of all those things, plus genetics, plus my penchant for raising my eyebrows about 400 times a day led to thick lines across my forehead.

Over the past few years, I tried two popular ways to smooth them out. One was Botox — a classic, tried-and-true method favored by celebrities and anyone else who can afford to shell out a few hundred dollars on their frown lines. The other was face-taping, invented around the late 1800s and experiencing a resurgence among TikTokers.

Both worked — and both were annoying in their own ways. Still, I found one option to be more sustainable for me in the long run.

Botox is way easier and more effective

When I tried Botox, I quickly realized why it's a cult favorite: it's barely a time commitment. My appointment took about 15 minutes (including an AI scan of my face). Within less than a week, my forehead was completely smooth, and I got more compliments on how amazing my skin looked. The effects lasted around three months, which meant I went three months without thinking about my wrinkles at all.

Frownies required work. I had to wait for my skin to dry after my skincare routine before pasting them on. They also smelled a little weird and didn't feel glamorous at all.

The effects weren't as strong as Botox, either. My forehead would stay smooth shortly after I'd remove them, but revert back a little later in the day. I also had to be consistent: it took about a week of wearing them every night for my forehead to smooth out.

Face-taping is cheaper and has fewer side effects

Face-taping was very cheap (a 144-pack of Frownies is around $25) and had no negative side effects for me.

Depending on where you live, Botox will likely cost you around $400-$500 a session, which adds up quickly if you do it a few times a year. I always felt sad seeing that much money leave my account for something that isn't actively fun, like a round-trip flight.

The potential side effects worried me, too. There was a risk of being stuck with temporary "face drooping" and light bruising, which I did experience. If I wanted it to be effective and minimize side effects, I also had to forego working out for a few days, make sure I didn't drink before or after, and avoid lying down for a few hours. All doable, but also all things I could see myself forgetting.

The more serious side effects involve pregnancy: My practitioner told me Botox is not suitable if I'm currently trying to conceive or am pregnant or nursing. The FDA says there are not enough studies on Botox and pregnancy or fetal development to know that it's safe. Given that I want kids in the future, Botox is automatically a no-go when I actually start trying.

Face-taping gives me more of a natural look

While Botox had stronger effects than face-taping, I didn't necessarily love it. To make it last longer, I needed a higher dosage, which meant my forehead was frozen for a few weeks. While I had no lines, I now became self-conscious about not being able to express myself and looking stiff in photos.

Getting Botox for special events means I have to time it right — getting it about a month before so that it's still effective without making me look like the most sour-faced person at the wedding.

While Botox works by blocking chemical signals that cause muscle contractions, face-taping is simpler: it just gets me in the habit of raising my eyebrows maybe 100 times a day instead of 400, producing fewer pronounced lines rather than erasing them entirely.

I never had anything against forehead lines or visible signs of aging. I just want my lines to look a little less prominent.

I may be older (and showing signs of it), but at least I've finally prioritized taking care of my skin — even if it involves a few pieces of tape.

• Rachel Krantz is an internationally award-winning journalist and author. 
• The following is an adapted excerpt from their memoir "Open: One Woman's Journey Through Love and Polyamory."
• Open tells the story of Krantz's journey through polyamory, gaslighting, kink, and queerness. 

When my partner Adam asked what I thought of his girlfriend Leah coming out to visit for his birthday, I pragmatically decided to view it as the next step on my path. I'd read in "The Smart Girl's Guide to Polyamory" that one of the best ways to combat jealousy was to meet your metamour. Since she would be coming to visit for a week in August (a whole week straight!), I decided to reach out. And thus began the most texting-intensive relationship of my life.

Indeed, it was actually a huge relief to text with Leah. Our exchanges were overtly kind; we were both going out of our way to signal politeness. It reminded me of how some femmes will reflexively compliment something about your outfit when they meet you at a party, as if to say, "I come in peace." Or is it a keep your friends close, enemies closer kind of thing?

Leah was deferential to my "primacy" in a way that made me feel like she had no interest in stealing my place. She did this by sometimes saying so directly, but also demonstrated it by rarely referencing her relationship with Adam at all. The same unspoken code didn't apply to me, with her making generous references to admiring our "primary relationship." But I tried not to talk about Adam in any way that might come off as bragging.

On the rare occasion she did mention Adam with romantic undertones, I'd feel a twinge of jealousy, a feeling that it was somehow a passive-aggressive power play. And then I'd consciously try to shut the thought down, because it was unfair.

I became close to my partner's girlfriend, Leah

When it came to everything but the man we "shared," we were almost compulsively forthcoming. We dished about sex (except sex with Adam) in the kind of detail I'd seen on "Sex and the City." Was it because we shared the same man? Were we backhand bragging? Bonding? All of the above, I'd suspect. Soon, we could even commiserate over Adam's newer romantic prospects like more senior sister wives; admitting how attractive they were, the precarious feeling of constant competition.

I soon became very protective of Leah's well-being, a sort of on-call counselor. I found she was sometimes even more anxious, insecure, and neurotic than I was, which was really rather impressive/a little disturbing. Is this Adam's type? No matter. Now that she was a real person instead of an abstract threat, what was important was Leah was no longer she-who-must-not-be-named in my mind.

I was even able to talk with Adam about her like a mutual friend. Sometimes, I knew things that were going on with her before he did. That felt good, too, like I was less excluded and more in control. Leah and I congratulated ourselves often on our friendship. It was a choice we were making, and not an easy one, not to cast the other as the enemy. It felt not just evolved, but laced with real sisterhood.

Though Leah and I were now texting daily, she called me for the first time after I experienced a particularly bad romantic disappointment with a new man. This new guy, who I thought really cared about me, who I was getting legitimately attached to after being friends for months first, didn't even consider me enough to get tested like he'd promised before I traveled hours to see him. Or warn me about what turned out to be genital warts.

This was now the second time that a guy hadn't disclosed an STI until after I'd been grinding on his underwear, taken it off, and inquired. I'd never encountered something like this before being in an open relationship. But now that I was an openly non-monogamous woman, the men I would date (only one of whom actually identified as non-monogamous rather than "just dating") treated me in ways I had been lucky enough to mostly avoid before: coming on my body without asking. Violating boundaries around condoms. Not disclosing STIs until the heat of the moment, even attempting to hide outbreaks.

People assumed I was only looking for casual sex

But for me, the worst insult would prove emotional. The way in which I was now considered "already spoken for" and therefore somehow immune to attachment. The way it was assumed I wouldn't catch feelings, or want to be loved and treated with the usual care. After a decade of being considered girlfriend material, I was now experiencing what it is to be treated by men as if I was little more than an amusing pit stop on the highway to arriving at Respectable Womantown. That it was assumed casual sex was all I was available for, or wanted? It was frustrating and hurtful, to put it mildly.

It remained easy for me to find dates or sex as a woman in an open relationship. But when it came to finding people who offered actual intimacy, it seemed Adam had the upper hand. For one, he wasn't constantly anxious, projecting rescue fantasies onto everyone. But these other women he dated also seemed far less likely to see him as just an amusing sexual romp.

If anything, I suspected that his being with me increased his market value, even if women were initially more cautious. That he was already with someone perhaps proved he was worth keeping. It seemed that my already having a partner made men see me as more sexually loose and fun, but less potentially valuable. I was already "owned" and therefore used goods — nicely broken in to borrow and return.

That I myself had increasingly begun to devalue sex and my body perpetuated this cycle. By this point, sex was mostly just another drug; either it was strong enough to ignite Adam's lust and distract me from jealousy — or it was insufficient. Given this consumerist mentality, it's no surprise I had trouble attaching to people, or attracting the types of people I might want to attach to me.

Whatever the reasons for getting the short end of the dick, I felt my dynamic with Adam needed to be more "even" — a rookie polyamorous mistake, since this is pretty much always an impossibility. Now that I'd set him free again, he was going on at least one, sometimes two, other dates a week. Everything felt like it was moving too fast, but I didn't want to pull the emergency brake again and end up ejected.

Adapted from Open: One Woman's Journey Through Love and Polyamory copyright © 2022 by Rachel Krantz. 2024 Harmony Trade Paperback Edition. Copyright 2022 by Rachel Krantz. Published in the United States by Harmony Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

• My family tried and ranked nine frozen meals from Costco to see which ones were the tastiest.
• The Kirkland Signature breaded panko shrimp was OK, but I wasn't fond of its $19 price tag.
• Red's turkey-sausage breakfast burritos were delicious, and I plan on having them in my lunches.

Like a large portion of shoppers who buy frozen food, a retail sector that's seen significant growth over the past year, I prioritize cheap, convenient meals for my family. Costco is typically my go-to store, as I can save money by buying items in bulk.

The freezer section at Costco always offers a broad variety of frozen meals, but buying anything in bulk-sized portions can be risky if you have no idea what to expect from the food.

My family of four tried nine different frozen meals from Costco and ranked them from worst to best.

Editor's Note: The items in this taste test were purchased between April and June 2024. Prices and availability may vary by location.

The Kirkland Signature breaded panko shrimp was the most expensive item I purchased.

The 2-½ pound box of Kirkland Signature panko shrimp, which cost $19, was the most expensive meal I purchased. According to its packaging, each box comes with 40 to 50 shrimp that can be prepared in the oven.

Once it was prepared, I found this meal a little disappointing.

The slightly peppery seasoning on the shrimp was tasty, but I thought there was too much breading, making the shellfish feel like an afterthought.

Next time, I'll make my own version with frozen uncooked shrimp, which is also quick and easy to prepare.

The Sandwich Bros. chicken-melt pocket sandwiches looked enticing.

The Sandwich Bros. chicken-melt sandwiches, which I'd wanted to try for a while, looked enormous and delicious on the box. But when I opened the package, they were smaller than I'd expected.

A pack of 15 individually wrapped sandwiches cost $12.70, which seemed reasonable to me.

They were OK, but I thought the pita bread was a little rubbery.

The pita got a little rubbery in the microwave, but no other cooking methods were listed on the box. I tried heating the sandwiches in the oven and air-fryer, but both methods essentially baked the pita into a cracker.

Taste-wise, the chicken had a mildly peppery seasoning. The strongest flavor was the American cheese, which never came out as beautifully melted as it looked on the packaging. The sandwiches tasted best when I added a condiment like spicy mayo or hot sauce.

My 3-year-old loved these sandwiches, which seemed appropriate for someone whose favorite foods are bread, cheese, and chicken nuggets.

The Ajinomoto Tokyo-style shoyu ramen with chicken looked promising.

The Ajinomoto frozen ramen featured big chunks of chicken, noodles, dehydrated carrots, corn, red peppers, and green onions.

This pack came with six individual bowls, which required a decent amount of freezer space.

The ramen was tasty and would make for a great quick lunch.

I added water and microwaved the ramen for four minutes per the instructions. The noodles were tender, the chicken was a bit spongy and sweet, and the salty soy-based broth was tasty without being overpowering.

They were a great size for a small but satisfying lunch, though far less portable than other forms of ramen. And at $18 for six bowls, they didn't seem like a very good value.

I tried a sample of the Bibigo mini chicken-and-cilantro wontons at Costco.

On the day I went shopping, Costco offered samples of these dumplings, so I knew what to expect before I brought them home.

They seemed plain, but I was impressed by the price. The 3-pound bag was on sale for $7.50, though it normally costs $10.

The wontons were tasty and came out the best when steamed in the microwave.

When I opened the bag, I noticed some of the wontons fused in the freezer and didn't easily come apart without ripping. Though it didn't affect the flavor, this might make me less likely to use them as an appetizer while hosting.

I tried pan-frying them, but they took on a lot of the oil flavor. They were better when I steamed them in the microwave, as this cooking method allowed the filling's subtle sweetness and cilantro flavor to shine through.

The Kirkland Signature Italian-sausage-and-beef lasagna required a long time in the oven.

The Kirkland Signature lasagna requires 65 minutes in the oven, so it's a little less convenient than many other frozen meals from Costco. That is, unless you risk the 24-minute microwave option suggested on the packaging.

But other than the baking time, the lasagna requires very little work. Each two-pack of lasagna was $16.70.

The lasagna was good but a little more seasoned than I'd prefer.

The finished meal looked appealing, covered with brown, bubbly mozzarella cheese. The lasagna was surprisingly spicy, with a black-pepper taste.

The sauce was subtly sweet but more seasoned than I'd like. The noodles came out perfectly tender, and the meaty sausage had a nice fennel flavor.

Each lasagna was enough to feed my family, with plenty left for the next day's lunch.

Red's turkey-sausage egg'wich looked like a great low-carb breakfast option.

Red's turkey-sausage egg'wich caught my attention as a quick, protein-forward, low-carb breakfast option at the perfect time — I'm trying to eat lighter meals ahead of three family weddings.

The preparation was fast and simple. I microwaved the egg'wich for 50 seconds on each side, and I had a piping-hot turkey-sausage sandwich with eggs patties for bread. 

This eight-pack of egg'wiches cost $15, which didn't seem especially cost-efficient as far as Costco frozen meals go. 

I needed to add a few extra components to my egg'wich.

I was a bit surprised I enjoyed these, as I don't usually like precooked egg patties. However, these were moist without being too greasy (though they were a little greasier than most foods I'd eat with my hands). The flavorful turkey sausage, which had a hint of black pepper, was good, too.

However, the egg'wich, which was only 190 calories and had 17 grams of protein, didn't fill me up. I usually like to spice up my egg breakfasts with some hot sauce, but I was worried it would spill out the sides or off the top of the sandwich.

After some consideration, I took a hamburger bun and put the entire egg'wich between the bread to better protect my hands from grease and condiments. I found the egg'wiches tasted much better and were more satisfying this way, though they were no longer keto-friendly.

I'll probably buy these again — along with more buns.

The Crazy Cuizine Mandarin-orange chicken reminded me of a similar Trader Joe's meal.

This was similar to a frozen orange-chicken meal I frequently buy at Trader Joe's. Both the Crazy Cuizine and Trader Joe's versions contain frozen chicken nuggets and pouches of sweet, brown, tangy sauce.

The meal came together flawlessly in the air fryer.

Without the sauce, the meat pieces' crispy, salty, outer breading reminded me of chicken nuggets.

The meal seemed tailor-made for preparation in an air fryer and was ready in about 20 minutes. The chicken pieces came out super crispy and were even tastier than some Chinese takeout meals I've had.

I'd buy this $16.50 box again, especially since the chicken was enough for four meals for my family when I served it with white rice and vegetables.

The Authentic Motor City Pizza Co. deep-dish double-pepperoni pizza came with plenty of mozzarella and meat.

I was eager to try this staple of the Costco frozen section. The package came with two six-serving pizzas and was on sale for $10, though it normally costs $13.

It may be a deep-dish pizza, but the crust was nice and airy. Each pie had plenty of molten mozzarella and both sliced and diced pepperoni.

The pepperoni got shaken up in the package, but that allowed me to rearrange the pieces to leave a meat-free section for my 6-year-old, who doesn't like it.

I tried baking the pizza two different ways and was pretty satisfied with the results.

The instructions called for baking the pizza directly on the oven rack in the tray it comes in. I tried this method, but I thought the buttery crust had more texture when I set the tray on top of a preheated cast-iron pizza pan.

I tried preparing Red's turkey-sausage breakfast burritos a few different ways.

I experimented a lot with preparing Red's turkey-sausage breakfast burritos. The tortillas tended to burst open when I cooked the burritos in the air fryer, and the microwave made them too chewy.

Eventually, I settled on a combination — 30 seconds on each side in the microwave, then 10 minutes in the air fryer at a low temperature.

I liked everything about the breakfast burritos.

I don't normally enjoy precooked frozen eggs in dishes like these. However, these burritos and their egg fillings tasted freshly made. The cheese was gooey, the sausage was tasty, and the flavor was spicy enough to be interesting without turning off my kids.

Don't let the name fool you — these do not have to be reserved for breakfast. Since this taste test, the turkey-sausage burritos have become my go-to lunch.

At $15.70 for 10 small burritos, they're a similar price to some convenience-store burritos, but these taste like premium versions.

This story was originally published on June 6, 2024, and most recently updated on July 11, 2024.

• Biden supporters are raising Trump's associations with Jeffrey Epstein — again.
• Recently-released docs in the Epstein investigation make no mention of Trump.
• Democrats have tried deflecting concerns about Biden's age by bringing up Trump's past.

Some Joe Biden supporters are employing a tried-and-true strategy to fend off rampant debate over the President's age and mental acuity: deflection.

On social media — and even in the halls of Congress — certain Biden supporters are using Donald Trump's associations with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein as an argument to disqualify him.

Discourse about Trump and Epstein was reignited after documents from Epstein's first Florida investigation in 2006 were released last week.

But the 158-page document — a grand jury transcript showing prosecutors heard testimony that Epstein raped girls as young as 14, then still cut him a sweetheart plea deal — makes no mention of Trump himself.

Still, some seized the news cycle as a way to counteract doubts about Biden's own fitness to run for office in 2024.

Why no one's writing about Trump and Epstein

During a press conference on Tuesday, Rep. Ted Lieu of California urged more media coverage of the "Epstein files," adding that a "highly disturbing" hashtag about Trump and Epstein was trending on X.

Trump had previously been photographed with Epstein, Lieu said, had flown with him on planes with young girls on board, and the two were listed on call logs together.

"It shows that Donald Trump is unfit for office," the congressman said, adding Trump was also convicted of sexual abuse in civil court.

Ben Meiselas, the cofounder of liberal news network Meidas Touch, also posted on X about "the release of new Epstein files with Trump's name on it." Other Biden boosters have suggested a coordinated media cover-up to boost Trump's chances or doom Biden's.

But Trump isn't named in the latest records, a fact reiterated on X by Julie Brown, the Miami Herald investigative journalist who helped break the Epstein story.

Media outlets haven't reported on Trump's connection to the new Epstein files because there isn't one.

What we know about Trump's relationship with Epstein

Trump has appeared in previous unsealed and uncovered documents connected to the Epstein case.

Trump was also connected to 14 different numbers in Epstein's little black book of contacts that surfaced before the financier's arrest on sex trafficking charges in 2019. Among the contacts were Trump's wife, Melania; ex-wife, Ivana; and daughter, Ivanka.

The contact book also included the names of high-profile celebrities like Courtney Love, Alec Baldwin, and Naomi Campbell, as well as politicians and dignitaries like John Kerry, Michael Bloomberg, Henry Kissinger, and Prince Andrew.

Unsealed flight logs in 2019 revealed Trump took a flight on Epstein's private jet in 2017; billionaire couple Glenn and Eva Dubin joined him on the flight from Palm Beach to Newark.

And in January, a Business Insider analysis of then-unsealed court records determined Trump appeared in the documents multiple times under the moniker "Doe 174."

However, the mentions in those documents weren't all damning for the former President, BI's Jacob Shamsian reported at the time.

In one instance, a woman denied in a deposition that she'd massaged Trump. In another, a woman claimed — then recanted — that her friend had had sex with him. And Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of the key accusers of sexual abuse by Epstein and his associates, said in one document that she didn't think Trump was involved.

Trump had previously faced allegations by an anonymous woman that claimed he had violently raped her at an orgy when she was 13 years old. The woman — who went by the pseudonym "Katie Johnson" — even filed a lawsuit against Trump, twice.

The first was a civil rights suit in April 2016 that was thrown out on a technicality. Vox noted that the original suit listed the woman's apparent address as an abandoned home.

She filed a second lawsuit that removed some of the lurid details. Still, the case was connected to strange characters, including a Jerry Springer producer who tried to sell a video of the purported accuser to news outlets for $1 million and an anti-Trump activist who promoted the lawsuit — and had a history of spreading untrue gossip.

The woman abruptly dropped the lawsuit in November 2016, just days before the election that Donald Trump would win. Her lawyer didn't share a reason for why the lawsuit was dropped at the time.

Trump had publicly praised Epstein before his sexual abuse allegations came to light. He called Epstein a "terrific guy" in 2002, adding, "It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."

But the Washington Post reported the two men had a falling out in 2004 after they both wanted to buy a prime Palm Beach property.

After Epstein's arrest, Trump told reporters, "I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you." Trump has also said he barred Epstein from Mar-A-Lago.

• Apple is expecting AI to give iPhone sales a big boost.
• It expects AI to drive shipments of 90 million iPhone 16 devices this year, Bloomberg reported.
• It means Apple is betting on AI to reverse an overall slide in iPhone sales.

It seems Apple is quietly confident about the power of AI to sell iPhones.

The tech giant expects to ship at least 90 million units of the iPhone 16 models set to be revealed in September, Bloomberg reported, as it banks on Apple Intelligence to drive sales.

That would represent a 10% boost in sales compared with the existing generation of iPhones, according to an unnamed source familiar with Apple's discussions with suppliers and partners quoted by the outlet.

For CEO Tim Cook, who declared generative AI a "new chapter" in Apple's history of innovation after revealing Apple Intelligence last month, such a boost would come at a crucial moment.

Apple's biggest revenue stream has been stuck in a downward spiral of late, so the rollout of a hyped technology that could arrest that decline would be a gift to the company.

But while Apple is banking on AI as its future, it might want to tread carefully for a few reasons.

Apple's AI ambitions face challenges

For one, Apple's sagging iPhone sales have been no short-term blip. The downward trajectory has been the case for some time — and could take more than hype to reverse.

In its last full financial year, iPhone sales were down to $200 billion from $205 billion the previous year. It was a similar story in the first six months of this financial year, with sales down to just under $116 billion.

Though the overall decrease has been marginal, Apple has faced much more serious declines in recent months in some of its most important markets such as China, where iPhone sales dropped 19% in the first three months of 2024, per data from research firm Counterpoint.

This has all taken place against a backdrop of changing consumer trends in the smartphone market, as users have been less inclined to upgrade their phones as soon as a new device goes on sale.

These trends are not deeply entrenched by any means, but they are too significant to ignore. It means Apple will need its AI offering to be strong enough to change consumer behaviour.

Samsung — and Google too

Then there's the problem of competition.

While Apple boldly presented its vision of generative AI at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, it did so several months after some of its main competitors.

Google has also been busy rolling out its AI model Gemini to its Pixel devices this year, while South Korea's Samsung heralded Galaxy AI with the launch of its flagship S24 smartphone range back in January.

Not only that, Samsung has made its AI compatible with older smartphones such as the S23 and Z Fold 5, which means users can try out buzzy new AI features without shelling out for a new gadget.

That may hurt Apple's chances of making a fresh dent in the Android market with Apple Intelligence. However, Apple could see an upgrade upsurge as it's only making its new AI features available on newer devices like the upcoming iPhone 16 and existing iPhone 15 Pro.

The bigger question looming over Apple is whether users care about AI enough to shell out for upgrade.

While it's partnered with ChatGPT maker OpenAI and put AI at the heart of its devices, it's not clear if users will be willing to buy a new phone for software that they might deem useful only for basic tasks such as writing emails and editing photos.

Apple won't have to wait long to find out.

• US rugby player Ilona Maher is headed to her second Olympics.
• BI asked the star athlete what essentials she'll be bringing to Paris.
• Maher told BI she's packing sunscreen, lipstick, mascara, and products from her own brand, Medalist.

TikTok's favorite Olympian, Ilona Maher, is ready to return to the Olympic stage with USA Rugby in just a few short weeks.

Maher, 27, went viral sharing her Olympic Village experiences during the 2020 Games in Tokyo and has since built a brand around fashion, body positivity content, and advice for young girls and women in sports.

One of Maher's most prominent messages is that girls and women in physical sports like rugby don't need to sacrifice their femininity or beauty.

"That's a little bit why I wear the lipstick when I play," Maher said at the Team USA Media Summit in April, as reported by NCAA.org. "I can tackle hard and run hard but also, you know, still feel beautiful and still bring that into it. It's not like you have to sacrifice that."

So, when former Division I swimmer and founder and CEO of Odyssey Public Relations Ann Ragan Kearns approached her with an idea for a skincare brand by athletes for athletes, Maher was on board.

Business Insider spoke with Kearns and Maher to learn more about their brand, Medalist, and all of Maher's must-have beauty essentials for Paris.

Of course, Maher will be packing products from her new skincare brand, Medalist.

Medalist's products so far include an anti-chafe balm, face wipes, and a hydrating facial spray, which comprise "The Locker Room Essentials" kit.

Maher said she plans on using the hydrating spray during her post-match routine in Paris.

Speaking to BI about Medalist's launch, she said it was interesting to learn about different athletes' specific needs, which informed the products they should prioritize.

"We interviewed a lot of soccer girls, and they were like, 'Oh, you know, we like to come off the field and I want to wipe away the sweat, the sunscreen, the dirt,'" she said.

She said the hydrating spray was "for everybody" but could be especially useful to swimmers who may feel "extremely dry" coming out of the pool.

"It was just kind of finding these things that everyone can universally use, but also that they need and these certain sports needs," Maher added.

Sunscreen is not negotiable for Maher.

Maher said sunscreen will be important in the Paris heat — Olympics.com reported the city's average daily high in July and August is about 77 degrees Fahrenheit with an average humidity of 66%.

"We've already been doing heat acclimation, we've been doing sauna and all sorts already to get ourselves ready for that," she said. "So definitely sunscreen to really protect myself."

Her go-to brand is Sun Bum, she said.

Sunscreen is a key form of protection against skin cancer and sun damage. New York-based dermatologist Marisa Garshick previously told BI that "even on a normal routine day, it is important to be reapplying, every day, every two hours, even if somebody is just in the office or going for a walk."

"The bottom line is when buying facial sunscreen, find one that is broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, see if it's water resistant, and if not, plan accordingly," Garshick added.

Maher's go-to lipstick is the Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick.

Maher, who is sponsored by Maybelline, told BI she loves "wearing makeup on the field."

"That's my main thing. I love wearing lipstick and feeling feminine and kind of doing that while I play such a tough sport," she said.

Her go-to shade for game day is De-Stressor, a bright coral pink that retails for $10.99.

"I wish it was a better beauty routine, but honestly, that lipstick is so good, I just leave it on the whole day," Maher said.

Her game-day makeup routine also includes the Tarte Tartelette tubing mascara.

"I'm really into Tarte mascara. That's what I wear when I'm on the field," Maher said.

The Tartelette Tubing Mascara retails for around $27 at retailers including Ulta Beauty, Sephora, and Target.

Maher is also planning to purchase a signature scent for the Olympics.

"I'm gonna get a scent, a perfume, at the store before I go in the duty-free in the airport and wear that perfume as my Olympic perfume," Maher said.

"It reminds me of the Olympics, which could be good and bad, we'll see — I cry every time I put it on," she joked.

• I moved to the US from the UK in 2005 after landing a job in New York City.
• I've adapted to the US culture pretty well during the 19 years I've lived here.
• But three things continue to confuse me about the nation and its people.

It's not very often that you're offered a job in an exciting new country — at least in my case.

So, in 2005, I seized the chance to move from England to the US to work for a former colleague.

The plan was to stay for a maximum of two years. I couldn't bear the thought of being away from my friends, family, and homeland any longer.

It took a while to adjust. But homesickness aside, I enjoyed my fresh start in the US.

Then, I met my future husband in a bar in Manhattan. Before we knew it, we were married, had two children, and I got US citizenship.

People often ask about the biggest differences between the UK and the US. Drawing on my 19 years of experience, they include politics and healthcare, the size of the meals and the cars, and, of course, the English language application.

Nonetheless, I've acclimated well. I eat Buffalo chicken wings, cheerfully wave the flag at July 4 parades, and have stopped telling my kids to call me "Mum" instead of "Mom."

But a few random things about America and its ways befuddle me. Here are three that I'm still trying to figure out.

Americans love road trips

I can't quite understand the appeal of "The Great American Road Trip," in which you drive 700 miles in one day while singing along to rock ballads.

I grew up 250 miles from London, and the thought of driving to the capital in one go horrified me. Edinburgh was roughly 100 miles from my hometown, yet a day trip was inconceivable.

You can imagine my reaction when my husband suggested a 2,000-mile round trip between northern Florida and New York for spring break last year.

I felt mean, but I got a cheap flight and flew there alone. But, on the way back, I was trapped in a car for 15 hours with the family. The journey on I-95 felt like a rolling traffic jam.

My husband — who played ZZ Top on loop — had a ball. The kids showed their British side with endless whining.

Still, there is hope. Last week, we drove 360 miles to mid-coast Maine. It took seven hours. Our au pair downloaded an app for "License Plate Bingo."

We spotted 43 states, and it was fun. "You're a real American now," my husband said as I gleefully claimed Alabama.

There are so many time zones in the US

The UK — comprised of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Island — covers 94,354 square miles. There is one standard time zone for all four countries.

Meanwhile, there are six in the US, which encompasses 3,532,316 square miles, including Alaska Standard Time and Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time.

Math has never been my strongest subject. As a journalist who interviews people in different parts of the US daily, I've lost count of the times I've contacted them too early or too late.

Confusingly, 12 states have two time zones. I'm not arguing against physics and geography. But it messes with my mind.

My American-born husband reckons it's because, unlike him, I wasn't raised to know the difference between Mountain and Pacific.

It's gotten me off the hook a few times. But 17 years into our marriage, my mother-in-law (who lives in Oregon) has become less relaxed about my forgetful phone calls at 6 a.m.

The amount of snow we get in the UK doesn't compare to what the US gets

When I was first offered a job in America, I could choose between living in Los Angeles and New York City.

My mother — who did some nursing in California in the 1950s — said it was a no-brainer. "The climate is perfect there," she said.

But LA was 5,500 miles from London, 2,000 more than New York. I didn't want to be a 10-and-a-half-hour flight away from my loved ones.

I picked New York without really thinking about the weather. I arrived in May during a heat wave, moving into my apartment when it was 95 degrees.

The first winter was brutal. I once made the mistake of walking 15 blocks to a holiday party wearing a short skirt and thin tights. The heat went out in my building on a 15-degree day.

It snows in Britain — in fact, my home county in the north has one of the snowiest areas in the UK — but it's nothing compared to New York. Few homes have air conditioning. Extreme weather is rare.

"Some things you get used to, some things you don't," goes the old saying about making a big change. But a fellow ex-pat recently told me that trying your best is important. I'll follow her advice in the future.

Do you have an interesting story about living outside your native country that you'd like to share with Business Insider? Please send details to jridley@businessinsider.com

• Biden's union allies are questioning his candidacy, according to The Washington Post.
• The publication said union leaders want Biden to spell out his plan for beating Trump. 
• Biden is coming under increasing pressure to step aside after his disastrous debate against Trump. 

Joe Biden this week described himself as the most pro-union president in US history.

"I think of you as my domestic NATO — not a joke," the president said during a speech on Wednesday to the executive council of the AFL-CIO, America's largest federation of trade unions.

Biden regularly plays up his support from unions, and he may just be counting on it for his survival.

But that support could be about to break.

According to The Washington Post, top union leaders have privately expressed concerns about Biden's ability to beat Trump in November.

The Post, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the comments, said union leaders repeatedly asked Biden campaign officials for their plan on how to defeat Trump in a closed-door meeting on Wednesday.

The report said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, and Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, were among the most outspoken attendees.

The Association of Flight Attendants and the United Auto Workers did not immediately reply to a request by Business Insider for comment.

More members of Biden's senior campaign staff are also beginning to doubt his future, the Post said.

"Overwhelmingly a majority of senior campaign staff are despondent and don't see a path," a Democratic strategist familiar with the conversations told the publication.

For now, union leaders are continuing to publicly support the president. In a statement Wednesday, AFL-CIO leadership said it had "unanimously voted to reaffirm its commitment," adding that "no president has been more invested in helping workers than Joe Biden."

United Steelworkers International President David McCall said before Wednesday's meeting that his union "proudly supports" Biden and that his "record of delivering for working people stands for itself."

Losing support from labor

According to Politico's Jonathan Martin, support from the unions is likely Biden's only path to survival against Trump.

Just days ago, Anita Dunn, Biden's longtime advisor, told Politico: "The people Joe Biden fights for — middle-class labor union members, Blacks, Latinos — they know he fights for them, and they're going to stay in the fight for him.

Biden and other Democrats have regularly touted the president's pro-labor credentials.

The AFL-CIO told the Associated Press on Thursday that Biden's "fighting spirit" was on full display during his meeting with union leaders this week.

The AP noted that some statements of support were worded diplomatically in case Biden caves in to pressure to drop out.

That pressure is growing after Biden's disastrous performance in the June 27 presidential debate against Trump, which has raised questions about his age and mental agility.

CBS/YouGov poll on June 30 found that 72% of registered voters believe Biden does not have the mental and cognitive health to be president, while reports say that behind closed doors, Biden has also shown signs of aging, including fumbling remarks and appearing forgetful at a recent D-Day event with world leaders

Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, in an op-ed in the Post on Wednesday, became the first Democratic senator to call on Biden to step aside, saying it was "for the good of the country."

Hollywood actor and Democratic supporter George Clooney, in an op-ed in The New York Times, said that the Biden he met at a fundraising event three weeks ago wasn't the Joe Biden of 2010.

He "wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020," said Clooney."He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate."

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer privately told donors he's open to replacing Biden as the party's presidential nominee, Axios reported, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

And on Wednesday, Nancy Pelosi, who stepped down as speaker early last year, failed to clearly endorse Biden as the Democratic candidate.

If union leaders join the chorus of voices asking Biden to step down, other key supporters may quickly follow.

• A Biden aide suggested Biden has greater stamina than George Clooney, a CNN correspondent said.
• The aide said that the president had stayed three hours longer than Clooney at a recent fundraiser. 
• This was the fundraiser mentioned by Clooney in his devastating op-ed.

The Biden campaign reportedly hit back at George Clooney's devastating op-ed on Wednesday by suggesting that the president had more energy than the actor.

Clooney's op-ed, published in The New York Times, expressed his commitment to the Democratic Party's values as well as his personal affection for President Joe Biden — but still called for Biden to step down.

"We need a new nominee," Clooney wrote.

He described seeing Biden at a recent fundraiser, where he said the president "was the same man we all witnessed at the debate."

Clooney and Biden attended a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles on June 15, just days before Biden's disastrous debate with former President Donald Trump.

That performance has led to questions about Biden's health and calls for him to step down as the Democratic Party nominee.

But according to CNN White House correspondent Kayla Tausche, a Biden campaign aide pushed back on Clooney's piece.

Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper, Tausche said that a campaign official who had been at the same fundraiser told her that "George Clooney left three hours before the president."

"Clearly the gloves are off," she added.

Asked to clarify what that was meant to convey, Tausche gave her interpretation: "The point of that is to suggest that Biden's stamina is better than Clooney's, and Clooney didn't have eyes on the entire event," she said.

Tausche also said that the aide had pointed her toward Biden's "aggressive" campaign and fundraising schedule, which is set to take in stops in Michigan, Nevada, Texas, California, and Colorado.

The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, sent outside of normal working hours.

Trump has also weighed in on Clooney's intervention, calling him a "fake movie actor" in a post on Truth Social.

While Trump didn't question Clooney's views about Biden's fitness for the campaign, he accused Clooney of using a Democratic "talking point" in the op-ed, in saying that Biden had "saved democracy."