It's been a while since I have made salmon cakes. My mom used to make them when I was small and I learned how to make them from her. I have been getting a hankering for some of the foods from my childhood that disappeared as I got older due to my super picky eating tenancies. I didn't have a lot of fancy ingredients so I used what I had on hand for the salmon cakes as well as the dipping sauce. I have heard tale that if you make salmon cakes you have to remove the tiny little white bones before mixing but that's just folklore. I kept the bones in and I had no problems. They are soft and will mash up just fine, plus they have added nutrients. As far as the dip go I searched up recipes and they were talking about dill sauce, Grey Poupon and other fancy things I didn't have so I used what was already in the kitchen and it came out great. It's hard to impress me with food, even when I make it myself, but this was a great dinner and I am going to pass along the recipes. Cheap, filling, simple and tasty!
Salmon Cakes
Ingredients:
1 14.5 ounce can salmon (comes in 16.5 ounce cans as well)
1 large egg (2 eggs if you get the 16.5 ounce can)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup flour (add 2 tablespoon extra flour if you get the 16.5 ounce can)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
shortening to fry (about 1/4 cup should do it)
Directions:
1. Preheat the frying pan on medium. Add shortening to the pan and allow to get hot. Get out a plate and get it ready with paper towel.
2. Open and drain the can of salmon, dump the salmon into a mixing bowl. Add the egg, diced onion, black pepper and salt to the mixture and combine thoroughly. Mix in the flour until it's all incorporated.
3. Make about 4-5 (6 to 7 for bigger can of salmon) small salmon cakes and add to the preheated pan (make sure the pan is hot enough, the shortening might be smoking just a bit).
4. Fry the cakes for 5 minutes on one side then flip and cook for 5 minutes on the other side, making sure you don't overcook/burn the cakes; use your best judgment on the browning process.
5. Once the cakes are done transfer from the pan to the prepared plate with the paper towel and allow them to rest and drain off the residual oil while you make the dip.
Bastardized Mustard Dip
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a mini bowl
Thursday, February 19, 2015
The 5th Avenue Candie Bar, the Mouse, and the Move
In my Nutella post I eluded to a Hershey's 5th Avenue bar and a mouse incident. Here's how this situation went, and it's best I start from the beginning to get the full scope on why this was the be all/end all of my remaining in that residence.
One day a few years ago I was living with my cousin. I moved from there and in with my friends cousin because she needed a roommate and I would have done anything to get away from living with "family" and all the drama that had resulted. This woman was a little over 50. We had met with my friend, went to lunch and got to know each other. She claimed that she was always to herself and was rarely home because she had a sick elderly mother and she stayed over there to help her since she refused to stay at her daughters house. Basically, I would have an entire house to myself most of the time and when she was home I would barely notice. Well, I asked a few cross checking questions because I have heard this rip before and normally people consider me standoffish because I am true to the definition of being to myself and they say it but don't mean it. I was reassured and all was well.
So then, I move in to her house and the first day went fine. I went to bed and when I clicked the lights out and turned everything off I heard it. A scratching behind the wall. I sent her a text wondering if she heard scratching but she insisted it was nothing and she didn't hear it. The scratching was loud, really loud, but I popped ear buds in my ear, turned on some Britney Spears, and went to sleep. The next day was uneventful but when I went to bed I heard the scratching again but the lady thought I was crazy. 2 weeks later we were having a conversation because she didn't like that I was so quiet and barely wanting to talk. I was like um, excuse me, didn't I tell you before I moved in that I was extremely quiet and you were okay with it because you would never be home? Then to top it off she was always home and started bringing her mother to her house as opposed to going over there which was opposite of what I was told when I was moving in. She was in her 50's and I had nothing to talk to her about because she was like a deacon in Church or something; deeply religious. What were we going to talk about? The Bible? Read my other blog to get an idea of why that would not ever happen. Anyhow, while she was bitching I saw an impossibly large mouse come out from under the couch. I screeched and jumped up and it ran back under the couch. She didn't believe me when I said I saw a mouse.
I guess after a while she had no choice but to put out traps. She didn't just use traps but peanut butter as well. It didn't work because I never heard the sick but satisfying snap that I so desperately wanted to hear. After a couple days I forgot about it. My then boyfriend purchased a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Gardenias, one of my favorites, second behind roses. I put the flowers on my table and went downstairs to get something to drink. I came back, snapped on my tv and relaxed across my bed to watch because she didn't like me watching downstairs on account I wasn't chatty and I wanted to be far away from her because she was starting to get creepy (listening to my phone conversations outside my closed bedroom door and then bitching at me over the content of the conversations and then justifying why she was listening to my conversations).
While I was watching tv I kept hearing a weird rustling of plastic but I had my fan on so I thought that was it. Something drew my eyesight over to the flowers and while I was looking at them I saw something white and furry mingling in them. I about screamed bloody murder and hightailed it downstairs. Thankfully the lady was gone and so I called my boyfriend and told him what was going on and that I needed mouse removal. He understood my deep hatred of any insects, vermin and the such but he was at work and it would take a while for him to get there. I was watching tv downstairs when the lady came home and she had an attitude about my not being indisposed upstairs in my dungeon aka living quarters so she complained at me over watching tv in the living room until I decided to go upstairs. I entered ever so quietly to see if I could see the mouse and it was gone out of my room.
My boyfriend got there and he couldn't find the mouse so we went out to eat. I had a 5th Avenue Hershey's bar on my bed and when I came back I saw it. The bar had crumbs all over my bed! I was freaked out and when my boyfriend picked the bar up to inspect it he discovered that there were teeth marks on that bar. The mouse had bitten into the bar and sucked all the moisture out which is why it was so crumbly. The main ingredient, besides chocolate, in a 5th Avenue bar is peanut butter. I was completely through with the situation. The woman was rude, she had no sense of privacy, she constantly wanted me to chat with her even though I was 30 years younger than her and we had nothing in common, I told her that there was something scratching behind the walls for weeks and she ignored it and now he who scratches beyond the wall had scampered out and had drained the peanut butter from my candy bar. That was the last straw.
A week prior I had been speaking to someone who lived around the corner from her about renting a room he was advertising on Craigslist. I had met him and the other roommates and they were all cool. I had enough money for the first months rent and the down payment and so I called and asked if I could move a few days early. After I told him the extent of everything that was going on he 100% agreed that it was time for me to get out of that house and I was granted permission to move that night. Me and my boyfriend packed up everything I had in the matter of a few hours and was out of there before she came home. My last parting (and cathartic) shot was locking her door completely. See, she always said to never lock the top lock of the front door because she wouldn't be able to get in and she would have to call a locksmith to unlock the door. If I did it she would have to charge me the money it would take to unlock the door. Well, I was so annoyed and just didn't care anymore so I left her key on the dining room table, locked the door completely and left out the back, locking the door. I know, I know, very childish indeed but I was so annoyed that after only 2 weeks this woman was being such a nightmare and trying to give me notices to move even though I paid my rent as well as continuously saying that the move was only supposed to be temporary which is bullshit because she kept telling me about how I could stay there for as long as I wanted and her last tenant stayed three years. She basically did the complete antithesis of what she told me and it ticked me off.
Never the less, the new residence was awesome, the roommates were nice (until 2 and a half years later when I found out I was pregnant but that's another post on another night) and the location was decent for public transportation to work. I ended up very happy; not so sure what happened to the lady and the mouse but overall I really didn't care. I was just glad to be gone.
One day a few years ago I was living with my cousin. I moved from there and in with my friends cousin because she needed a roommate and I would have done anything to get away from living with "family" and all the drama that had resulted. This woman was a little over 50. We had met with my friend, went to lunch and got to know each other. She claimed that she was always to herself and was rarely home because she had a sick elderly mother and she stayed over there to help her since she refused to stay at her daughters house. Basically, I would have an entire house to myself most of the time and when she was home I would barely notice. Well, I asked a few cross checking questions because I have heard this rip before and normally people consider me standoffish because I am true to the definition of being to myself and they say it but don't mean it. I was reassured and all was well.
So then, I move in to her house and the first day went fine. I went to bed and when I clicked the lights out and turned everything off I heard it. A scratching behind the wall. I sent her a text wondering if she heard scratching but she insisted it was nothing and she didn't hear it. The scratching was loud, really loud, but I popped ear buds in my ear, turned on some Britney Spears, and went to sleep. The next day was uneventful but when I went to bed I heard the scratching again but the lady thought I was crazy. 2 weeks later we were having a conversation because she didn't like that I was so quiet and barely wanting to talk. I was like um, excuse me, didn't I tell you before I moved in that I was extremely quiet and you were okay with it because you would never be home? Then to top it off she was always home and started bringing her mother to her house as opposed to going over there which was opposite of what I was told when I was moving in. She was in her 50's and I had nothing to talk to her about because she was like a deacon in Church or something; deeply religious. What were we going to talk about? The Bible? Read my other blog to get an idea of why that would not ever happen. Anyhow, while she was bitching I saw an impossibly large mouse come out from under the couch. I screeched and jumped up and it ran back under the couch. She didn't believe me when I said I saw a mouse.
I guess after a while she had no choice but to put out traps. She didn't just use traps but peanut butter as well. It didn't work because I never heard the sick but satisfying snap that I so desperately wanted to hear. After a couple days I forgot about it. My then boyfriend purchased a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Gardenias, one of my favorites, second behind roses. I put the flowers on my table and went downstairs to get something to drink. I came back, snapped on my tv and relaxed across my bed to watch because she didn't like me watching downstairs on account I wasn't chatty and I wanted to be far away from her because she was starting to get creepy (listening to my phone conversations outside my closed bedroom door and then bitching at me over the content of the conversations and then justifying why she was listening to my conversations).
While I was watching tv I kept hearing a weird rustling of plastic but I had my fan on so I thought that was it. Something drew my eyesight over to the flowers and while I was looking at them I saw something white and furry mingling in them. I about screamed bloody murder and hightailed it downstairs. Thankfully the lady was gone and so I called my boyfriend and told him what was going on and that I needed mouse removal. He understood my deep hatred of any insects, vermin and the such but he was at work and it would take a while for him to get there. I was watching tv downstairs when the lady came home and she had an attitude about my not being indisposed upstairs in my dungeon aka living quarters so she complained at me over watching tv in the living room until I decided to go upstairs. I entered ever so quietly to see if I could see the mouse and it was gone out of my room.
My boyfriend got there and he couldn't find the mouse so we went out to eat. I had a 5th Avenue Hershey's bar on my bed and when I came back I saw it. The bar had crumbs all over my bed! I was freaked out and when my boyfriend picked the bar up to inspect it he discovered that there were teeth marks on that bar. The mouse had bitten into the bar and sucked all the moisture out which is why it was so crumbly. The main ingredient, besides chocolate, in a 5th Avenue bar is peanut butter. I was completely through with the situation. The woman was rude, she had no sense of privacy, she constantly wanted me to chat with her even though I was 30 years younger than her and we had nothing in common, I told her that there was something scratching behind the walls for weeks and she ignored it and now he who scratches beyond the wall had scampered out and had drained the peanut butter from my candy bar. That was the last straw.
A week prior I had been speaking to someone who lived around the corner from her about renting a room he was advertising on Craigslist. I had met him and the other roommates and they were all cool. I had enough money for the first months rent and the down payment and so I called and asked if I could move a few days early. After I told him the extent of everything that was going on he 100% agreed that it was time for me to get out of that house and I was granted permission to move that night. Me and my boyfriend packed up everything I had in the matter of a few hours and was out of there before she came home. My last parting (and cathartic) shot was locking her door completely. See, she always said to never lock the top lock of the front door because she wouldn't be able to get in and she would have to call a locksmith to unlock the door. If I did it she would have to charge me the money it would take to unlock the door. Well, I was so annoyed and just didn't care anymore so I left her key on the dining room table, locked the door completely and left out the back, locking the door. I know, I know, very childish indeed but I was so annoyed that after only 2 weeks this woman was being such a nightmare and trying to give me notices to move even though I paid my rent as well as continuously saying that the move was only supposed to be temporary which is bullshit because she kept telling me about how I could stay there for as long as I wanted and her last tenant stayed three years. She basically did the complete antithesis of what she told me and it ticked me off.
Never the less, the new residence was awesome, the roommates were nice (until 2 and a half years later when I found out I was pregnant but that's another post on another night) and the location was decent for public transportation to work. I ended up very happy; not so sure what happened to the lady and the mouse but overall I really didn't care. I was just glad to be gone.
Foodie Post: Nutella
So, it's no large secret that I absolutely love Nutella. I came across this delectable treat a few years ago. I had 3 roommates at the time and one of them loved to purchase it but I had never really heard of it. Well, one day I decided to eat a spoonful of it and decided that it was the worst thing I had ever put in my mouth and I have tasted a lot of really bad things. Now, I discovered a few weeks later that I was pregnant and one of my large aversions was oil and since Nutella uses hazelnuts and adds a bit of oil and chocolate (also contains hydrogenated oil) to it this is what created my extreme hatred. I forgot about it after a while but didn't miss a moment to laugh at people who swore by it over time because I thought either they have no taste buds or they were lying to be considered cool.
Anyhow, one day I was in Walmart shopping and I came across a snack size Hershey's spread display and I saw snack size Nutella but due to my remembrance of the flavor I grabbed Hershey. Hershey has never let me down before (except for that one time I bought a 5th Avenue bar and a mouse ate it, which is how I ended up leaving where I was living at the time for the 3 roommates I ended up with but that's another post in its entirety). I got home and ate one and I was in love! I thought it was the best thing I had ever tasted and wondered why I didn't know about it. That then took me back to Nutella. I had tried over three years ago and maybe it was time that I tried again and I could try with the snack size. I went back to Walmart to shop and this time I grabbed a small container of Nutella and some graham crackers. I tried it when I got home and that's when the love affair started. It tasted so smooth, chocolaty with a hint of nuts and I couldn't help but think what on Earth I could actually use it on other than graham crackers.
I have tried a few different ideas. One of the recipes I tried was pancakes, nutella and bananas. To make that I made the pancake batter that comes from a box (I make homemade but sometimes it's faster to just add water and move along). When I finished making my short stack of pancakes I slathered nutella on each one and cut up a banana kind of small and added to each pancake as well. Delicious!
Another idea I tried was apples and nutella. I cut up an apple into small chunks. I took a bowl, layered half the apple in the bottom, added a couple tablespoons of nutella to it, then added the rest of the apple on top and then topped with a couple more tablespoons of nutella. It was so good! I would eat with a spoon if you try that. I have done the same with banana instead of apples, and added walnuts on top. Delicious.
One more idea I have tried is nutella oatmeal in the morning. I made my oatmeal like normal (1/2 cup oats to 1 cup boiling water with a pinch of salt, cook for about 5-6 minutes). When the oatmeal was done I mixed 2 tablespoons nutella in it and I also cut up a banana to add to it, then topped with nuts. Nutella, banana and nuts seems to be my favorite combo because the flavor is unbeatable. It was delicious!! With the oatmeal I also had coffee and instead of using my chocolate creamer like normal I added a tablespoon of nutella. That, as well, was delicious.
I'm sure there are many other uses for nutella but I haven't come across them yet. Crepes come to mind, nutella dessert wrap, etc. It's so versatile that I'm sure you could add it to just about anything and it would be an improvement of the dish. I am going to try a more in-depth version of the oatmeal which involves the use of milk. Normally I use water in oatmeal but this sounds too good to not make. I don't think I will ever stop eating it, to be honest. It's incredible. I know someone who can eat it straight out of the container. I wouldn't go that far but it's definitely good enough to do that. If you have never tried it, please do. If you have and don't like it, try adding it to fruit and see if your view changes. Strawberries is another good fruit for it. The summer is coming up and more creations are going to happen. Stay tuned for upcoming recipes!
Anyhow, one day I was in Walmart shopping and I came across a snack size Hershey's spread display and I saw snack size Nutella but due to my remembrance of the flavor I grabbed Hershey. Hershey has never let me down before (except for that one time I bought a 5th Avenue bar and a mouse ate it, which is how I ended up leaving where I was living at the time for the 3 roommates I ended up with but that's another post in its entirety). I got home and ate one and I was in love! I thought it was the best thing I had ever tasted and wondered why I didn't know about it. That then took me back to Nutella. I had tried over three years ago and maybe it was time that I tried again and I could try with the snack size. I went back to Walmart to shop and this time I grabbed a small container of Nutella and some graham crackers. I tried it when I got home and that's when the love affair started. It tasted so smooth, chocolaty with a hint of nuts and I couldn't help but think what on Earth I could actually use it on other than graham crackers.
I have tried a few different ideas. One of the recipes I tried was pancakes, nutella and bananas. To make that I made the pancake batter that comes from a box (I make homemade but sometimes it's faster to just add water and move along). When I finished making my short stack of pancakes I slathered nutella on each one and cut up a banana kind of small and added to each pancake as well. Delicious!
Another idea I tried was apples and nutella. I cut up an apple into small chunks. I took a bowl, layered half the apple in the bottom, added a couple tablespoons of nutella to it, then added the rest of the apple on top and then topped with a couple more tablespoons of nutella. It was so good! I would eat with a spoon if you try that. I have done the same with banana instead of apples, and added walnuts on top. Delicious.
One more idea I have tried is nutella oatmeal in the morning. I made my oatmeal like normal (1/2 cup oats to 1 cup boiling water with a pinch of salt, cook for about 5-6 minutes). When the oatmeal was done I mixed 2 tablespoons nutella in it and I also cut up a banana to add to it, then topped with nuts. Nutella, banana and nuts seems to be my favorite combo because the flavor is unbeatable. It was delicious!! With the oatmeal I also had coffee and instead of using my chocolate creamer like normal I added a tablespoon of nutella. That, as well, was delicious.
I'm sure there are many other uses for nutella but I haven't come across them yet. Crepes come to mind, nutella dessert wrap, etc. It's so versatile that I'm sure you could add it to just about anything and it would be an improvement of the dish. I am going to try a more in-depth version of the oatmeal which involves the use of milk. Normally I use water in oatmeal but this sounds too good to not make. I don't think I will ever stop eating it, to be honest. It's incredible. I know someone who can eat it straight out of the container. I wouldn't go that far but it's definitely good enough to do that. If you have never tried it, please do. If you have and don't like it, try adding it to fruit and see if your view changes. Strawberries is another good fruit for it. The summer is coming up and more creations are going to happen. Stay tuned for upcoming recipes!
Monday, February 16, 2015
Product Review: HTC Stream 8 32GB
Price Point: $149.99 currently from Amazon
Before I decided on this tablet I researched for
about two months along with the Stream 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 in 8 inches.
What made me choose this over the Stream 7 is the extra inch of screen. I chose
this over the Tab 4 mainly because I have had Android in the past (tablets and
phones) and besides the HTC Sensation I was not impressed and sometimes
downright irritated over how the devices performed. I always hesitate on
Android when it comes to any kind of device. I have owned iOS in the past (iPad
mini and iPad 4G) and liked the interface but Apple was a bit more costly than
needed to be spent at this time.
What
Am I Using My Tablet For?
Blogging – I was spending countless
hours in front of my work computer updating my blog. My office chair is not
that comfy and I felt like I was stuck at work as opposed to posting at
leisure.
Email – Due to my working from home I am always
getting multiple emails a day and with no tablet that meant that either the
email had to come through my phone which kills the battery or through my
computer which means that when I’m off the clock I am still stuck to my
computer.
Music – I have the XBOX Music Pass because my cell
(Nokia 521 Windows 8.1) streams and downloads the music. This was one of my
selling points, I didn’t want to have to use another music database had I
chosen another type tablet since I was already subscribed to the pass.
Social Media – I also use Facebook, Google Plus and
LinkedIn. While I can use Facebook on my phone, Google Plus and LinkedIn was a
bit more irritating on the cell (Google Plus being the worse).
Productivity – I don’t create a lot of documents but
I do from time to time and wanted a device that is able to perform certain
duties i.e PowerPoint presentations, Word documents and Excel spreadsheets when
I need it to.
Entertainment – I watch Netflix, Amazon Prime shows
and YouTube a lot. As it stood before I acquired this tablet I had to sit at my
computer at times when I just wanted to lounge and relax.
Features
Full Windows 8.1, no RT - The difference between
full and RT is that with RT you have a more scaled down version of Windows. You
have applications that are compatible but there is a large limit on what you
can use the tablet for. I would say it’s more in the lines of iOS with the lock
down of what you can do. This is fine if you aren’t using it for much but I
wanted a full experience for the possibilities it created. Full basically means
you can do just about everything on it that you could do on your Windows PC.
For example, I tested downloading iTunes and was successful in installation,
launching and using. This would not have been available to do on RT.
Free year of Office 365 Personal - This would
otherwise be $69 to purchase so that’s very nice to include.
Free T-Mobile Data - This tablet comes with free
data of up to 200mb a month. 200mb is not much but if you’re like me and don’t
really head out much then that’s a lot for you. If you require more data there
are other prepaid plans you can get or if you have service already this can be
added to your cell phone data plan. Only for T-Mobile though; it could work on
other carriers but you would have to contact them to find out. Difficulty level
in connecting was a 4/5. My SIM card was already in the tablet when it came so
in case you see the plastic with the card punched out chances are it’s in the
tablet.
Battery Life - I have noticed the battery life is
draining more than I thought but in all fairness I have been playing with this
tablet since I got it. If you are a light to moderate user (check social media,
browse the internet and check email) then you should get a day or
more out of this tablet. If you’re like me and use it for other things like
creating documents which requires the screen to be on the entire time then expect
the battery to die every night. I have charged this up a couple times and have
noticed the battery indicator never reaches 100% charged. It reaches 99% but
never that extra percent. Not sure completely why but it doesn’t bother me but
may bother others. From dead to 99% charged it takes approximately 3-4 hours.
Storage - The storage capacity is 32gb and the
amount you can use is 14.7 or something close to that. This decrease in used
storage is due to the operating system and pre-installed applications. I did
purchase a 32gb micro SD card but I’m wondering if perhaps I need to go ahead and
grab the 64gb card instead. The jury is out on that but the SD card by Samsung
worked fine and was recognized. To get the SD card to work you just have to do
a few file path tweaks to make sure applications, music and files install to
the card as well as the C drive.
Device Functionality - The specs on this tablet is as
follows:
Screen Size: 8 inches with 1280 by 800 resolution
Processor: 1.3 GHz Intel Atom
RAM: 1 GB DDR3L SDRAM
Hard Drive: 32 GB
With those specs one would think that the tablet
wouldn’t perform well, just bare minimum and that’s it. That couldn’t be more
wrong. So far I have been able to use multiple applications at the same time
and haven’t noticed a decrease in speed or functionality. I think it all comes
down to what you are using it for. If you run a lot of powerful applications at
once then you may see a dip in overall performance. If you are using Word and
listening to music while updating Facebook (like I’m doing right now) them your
performance will be fine. Speed also pertains to hardcore games like World of
Warcraft-type heavy graphics. This tablet will not run them and
if it does the performance will be abysmal.
Bluetooth - I purchased the Infiland Bluetooth
keyboard which came with a case (basically the same case I got from them in red
sans keyboard but this one is purple) and connected it to the tablet. It took a
while to figure out the instructions because what they were telling me to
select in the instructions wasn’t how it was listed in Windows 8.1. However, I
managed to connect it with no extreme issues. Only thing is the Bluetooth installation
was a bit slow, took about 5-6 minutes to install. Other than that everything
is connected and stable. I also turned the keyboard off and turned it on later
and it reconnected without having to set everything back up. Solid experience.
Conclusion
This tablet is meeting my expectations and doing a
lot more than what I was looking for. At this price point I wasn’t looking all
that forward to it because I knew the specs were considered bottom tier when
compared to competition in the same price range. I am pleasantly surprised and
now can’t imagine using any other type tablet. I would highly recommend if your
usage is more along the lines of what I use tablets for. If you are a hardcore
gamer I would look elsewhere because you will have issues as this isn’t a
gaming tablet. It’s almost a shame to call this a tablet, it’s more of a shrunk
down computer but when you think of the limitations on graphic heavy games
reality comes back that this is a tablet, and a damn good one.
Note: I typed this entire write-up on this tablet and it worked excellent!
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Food Review: Cookie Dough Oreo
I know I haven't done a review in a long time but I went to the store today and saw something crazy! Cookie Dough Oreo cookies. Now, on first glance I figure this looks good, maybe it's worth a try. Then I thought about it deeper. Cookie dough is dough to make cookies, right? So a cookie filled cookie sounds amazing, down-right sinful in fact.
On first look at the cookie I thought it looked normal enough, like a typical Oreo and I'm sure we have all had one of those before in life. I pulled it apart to get a look at the filling and it looked, and smelled, like cookie dough. First taste and I thought gee, this doesn't taste like cookie dough at all. In fact, it's really too sweet. Had a second bite and it was confirmed. Way too sweet, not enough cookie dough flavor in the cookie dough. It's okay for once in a very very blue moon, providing normal Oreo's are just not available but overall I give that cookie a 2.5 out of 5. Not my cup of tea.
On first look at the cookie I thought it looked normal enough, like a typical Oreo and I'm sure we have all had one of those before in life. I pulled it apart to get a look at the filling and it looked, and smelled, like cookie dough. First taste and I thought gee, this doesn't taste like cookie dough at all. In fact, it's really too sweet. Had a second bite and it was confirmed. Way too sweet, not enough cookie dough flavor in the cookie dough. It's okay for once in a very very blue moon, providing normal Oreo's are just not available but overall I give that cookie a 2.5 out of 5. Not my cup of tea.
Food Review: Shock Top Chocolate Wheat (Seasonal Edition)
I saw an ad on Facebook about the Shock Top Chocolate beer, and it happened to be while I was wondering if there was a such thing as chocolate beer because I thought it would be a great idea (funny how that happens, almost spooky). I picked up a twelve pack of the 12 fl. oz bottles because it wasn't available in a smaller quantity from Wal-Mart for $13.98.
The bottle design is a bit weird looking, I figured they would use a picture of a big piece of chocolate but it's a picture of the signature character with chocolate looking hair. The description on the bottle reads "Belgian-Style wheat ale brewed with spice, aged on cocoa and vanilla beans, and with natural flavors and artificial sweeteners". The ABV (alcohol by volume) is 4.3%, which is kind of like the level of a wine cooler.
The flavor. The flavor does have a chocolate taste but it's not a terribly strong one on first sip. You can really tell in the after taste that it has a chocolate/vanilla influence. So far I have paired it with pasta and pizza and they both seem to work decent enough with it, pizza being more of a choice than pasta. This is definitely something I would love to purchase again, perhaps in smaller quantities because of the price. I would give this a 3.8 out if 5 mainly because I think the chocolate should have been more pronounced in the flavor, especially since it has a low alcohol rate which means the flavor shines through more. I also dropped the rating because on the label it mentions something about spice being added and I didn't taste any at all.
The bottle design is a bit weird looking, I figured they would use a picture of a big piece of chocolate but it's a picture of the signature character with chocolate looking hair. The description on the bottle reads "Belgian-Style wheat ale brewed with spice, aged on cocoa and vanilla beans, and with natural flavors and artificial sweeteners". The ABV (alcohol by volume) is 4.3%, which is kind of like the level of a wine cooler.
The flavor. The flavor does have a chocolate taste but it's not a terribly strong one on first sip. You can really tell in the after taste that it has a chocolate/vanilla influence. So far I have paired it with pasta and pizza and they both seem to work decent enough with it, pizza being more of a choice than pasta. This is definitely something I would love to purchase again, perhaps in smaller quantities because of the price. I would give this a 3.8 out if 5 mainly because I think the chocolate should have been more pronounced in the flavor, especially since it has a low alcohol rate which means the flavor shines through more. I also dropped the rating because on the label it mentions something about spice being added and I didn't taste any at all.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
What You Sow You Shall Also Reap
When you give your heart to someone, you give it without strings attached. You give your heart without anything in return. To have this sort of unattached, unconditional love is the only way you know you really love someone. You protect them, you care for them. You would do anything for them because you want the very best for them and you would have it no other way.
What happens when that person doesn't love you as much as you love them? Do you continue to pour your heart out for that person? Do you love them in spite of how much they don't love you? Lets take this a step further. What do you do when that person not only doesn't love you, but they also don't respect you? Do you ignore their actions towards you and continue to love and respect them? How much is too much? How far are you willing to let it go before you wake up?
It's draining to have someone around you who you would do anything for and have done anything for but they don't share that same sentiment. They push and fight you every step of the way when it comes to respecting you but you do any and everything they ask of you without so much as a word about it. It gets to a situation where you almost feel emotionally used. You have their back when things go awry in their life. You support them, you listen to them, you try and uplift them when they are down, you check on them and you give your time and energy to them and what do you get in return? Rudeness, silence, not a care or investment in what's going on in your life. Hell, they don't even ask you how your day is going. The only time the acknowledge your very existence is when they feel like talking to you, want you to do something for them or want you to do something to them.
So, what do you do? Do you continue to let them suck the life out of you without giving you life? It's a personal choice and in a lot of ways it depends on who it is. For my life I am going to slowly cut those people off. Love should be unconditional but you shouldn't degrade yourself or let someone use you, you can love them from afar. What they sow they should reap. If you put out selfishness and and disrespect then you will start to get it back. Remember, never care more for someone than they care for you, you will always end up on the losing end. Also remember if you don't cultivate the relationship with someone who loves you with a clear heart then you will find yourself alone.
What happens when that person doesn't love you as much as you love them? Do you continue to pour your heart out for that person? Do you love them in spite of how much they don't love you? Lets take this a step further. What do you do when that person not only doesn't love you, but they also don't respect you? Do you ignore their actions towards you and continue to love and respect them? How much is too much? How far are you willing to let it go before you wake up?
It's draining to have someone around you who you would do anything for and have done anything for but they don't share that same sentiment. They push and fight you every step of the way when it comes to respecting you but you do any and everything they ask of you without so much as a word about it. It gets to a situation where you almost feel emotionally used. You have their back when things go awry in their life. You support them, you listen to them, you try and uplift them when they are down, you check on them and you give your time and energy to them and what do you get in return? Rudeness, silence, not a care or investment in what's going on in your life. Hell, they don't even ask you how your day is going. The only time the acknowledge your very existence is when they feel like talking to you, want you to do something for them or want you to do something to them.
So, what do you do? Do you continue to let them suck the life out of you without giving you life? It's a personal choice and in a lot of ways it depends on who it is. For my life I am going to slowly cut those people off. Love should be unconditional but you shouldn't degrade yourself or let someone use you, you can love them from afar. What they sow they should reap. If you put out selfishness and and disrespect then you will start to get it back. Remember, never care more for someone than they care for you, you will always end up on the losing end. Also remember if you don't cultivate the relationship with someone who loves you with a clear heart then you will find yourself alone.
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