Day 73 - Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix and Ballast Point Red Velvet Golden Oatmeal Stout

Blood and apples, apples and blood!  Today, I review Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix and Ballast Point Red Velvet Golden Oatmeal Stout with Beets and Chocolate.

The vending company we used to have at work would stock Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix and it was delicious but then alas, we switched vending companies.  We don't have regular vending machines.  We have a balance on our account and scan a card.  An e-mail was sent out that we should try to use up what was on our account before the change so I bought 6 packs of Kar's because I thought that would be my last chance to eat them.  It turned out that the vending company that took over also sold Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix.  Luckily, I dig 'em!

It’s a tasty combination of honey peanuts, Greek yogurt covered raisins, sesame sticks, tart apple pieces, butter toffee peanuts and almonds.  The dried apple pieces have a nice touch of cinnamon and tartness and a good chewy texture.

Next, Ballast Point Red Velvet Golden Oatmeal Stout with Beets and Chocolate.  This is an unusual beer.  Like the cake that inspired it, the deep red color comes from beets, which add a rich, earthy character that complements the chocolate flavor and aroma. The foamy head of the nitro pour adds a creamy smoothness to the mouthfeel. But this liquid dessert still finishes like a beer – not sweet, but just as satisfying.

It is 5.5% alcohol, 35 IBU, come in 12oz. bottles and is a limited release.  I bought a 4 pack a year ago at Total Wine (check that place out, the best liquor store I've ever been to!) for $9.99.  I drank 3 of them but waited a long time to finally drink the 4th.  This beer is no longer available and although not my favorite, it was certainly worth a try.  The bottle was also really cool, showing skeletons at a royal dinner party.  I just saw a shirt on ebay depicting the scene!  See below.

Next time, I review Hana Fuji Apple Sake.  Domo arigoto and crunch on!

Day 72 - Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars and super-human drumming ability

Drummer extraordinaire Nick Nutter showed up at my house for band practice.  He had a bag of Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars and offered them to me saying his mom had gotten him a case of them and he knew I was down for all things apples.  I said yes, thanks!  When he handed me the bag, he winked at me.  Was he trying to tell me something?  We had been talking recently about how to get better on our instruments.  Maybe he just had something in his eye or maybe I winked at him but the message was clear, these Apple Bars could be the key to superior drumming ability.  I wondered if he had been eating these things for years.

I started pondering and researching the dietary habits of successful drummers.  I found that a whopping 99.9% of drummers eat!  Of those, a large percentage eat breakfast or snacks.  Most certainly, some of this food is consumed in bar form, as it is quick and convenient for the Rock 'n Roll lifestyle.  Kellogg's is a huge international company and apple is a very popular flavor so it is obvious that many drummers most certainly, quite possibly, to some degree, on some level eat Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars!

I decided to put this to the test.  I ate like five of them, gave it a little time to kick in.  I stretched out, took a deep breath and sat down behind the drums ready to throw down some phat John Bonham or Neil Peart beats.  Drum roll please...

I could not play I drum roll if there was a gun to my head or much of anything else!  My brilliant theory turned out to be somehow, wrong.  I guess I'll stick to guitar.

Anyway, Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars are surprisingly good.  They were fresh.  The whole grain oat crust was kind of dry but the proportion of apple filling inside balanced it out.  The apple filling was just sweet enough with a little cinnamon.  Yeah, not bad.

Next time, I review two products, Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix and Ballast Point Red Velvet Stout.  Crunch on!

Day 71 - Blessed be the fruit, Rave

Blessed be the fruit, in this case, the fruit being the Rave apple.  I haven't reviewed an apple in a long time then I came across this beauty!  The Rave tastes like a combination of a Honeycrisp and a Granny Smith.  It has the snappy bite, juicy and crisp white flesh and thin skin of a Honeycrisp and the tartness of a Granny Smith.  It is also very slow to brown.  I find this to be a nice feature.  I put this to the test.  I cut the fruit in half, sliced up the the one half into small sections and put the other half in the refrigerator in a sandwich bag for the next day.  While oh so leisurely eating the slices, no brown whatsoever.  Today, examining and eating the other half, only the most slight start of browning.

It is a large apple.  See below picture.

The Rave is sitting next to a Roundys large egg.  It is not a jumbo but a good sized large one none the less.  Who feels like an omelette this weekend!  Also at the party, a trophy.  Granted it is a small trophy.  I like to keep one on hand in case of an award emergency.  It is a big apple.

Rave is the newest apple variety at Stemilt Growers.  Rave is the brand name for an apple cultivar called MN55 that was bred naturally through cross-pollination by David Bedford at the University of Minnesota’s apple breeding program.  Part Honeycrisp, and part MonArk (an early to ripen apple from Arkansas), Rave is the first apple to harvest in Washington State, coming off the trees in late July.  It’s also a very unusual characteristic for an apple as most apples don’t harvest in Washington until mid-August or September. The Stemilt website states, "Rave apples offer an incredible eating experience – it’s outrageously juicy with a refreshing and snappy zing."

So there ya go, Rave, a true party for your taste buds!  Next time, I review Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars.  Praise be, under his eye (guess what show I've been watching lately?) and crunch on!