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!

Day 70 - Apples & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal

Nothing takes me back to childhood like flavored Instant Oatmeal.  It is quick and easy to make, even for a snot-nosed kid.  It warms the belly and can fill ya up until lunch.

Today I review Quaker Apples & Cinnamon Oatmeal and Better Oats Thick & Hearty Apples & Cinnamon Oatmeal.

For most of my life, I just added hot water to the oatmeal, until my mom visited 7 months ago.  She added cold water and milk to her oatmeal and heated it in the microwave.  We got in a big fight about the proper way to make oatmeal.  Dishes and knives were thrown, name calling ensued.  We disowned each other as mother and son, tears were shed, the cops were called.  In the end, I realized that she was right, oatmeal is way better heated up in the microwave.  The oats soak up the water way better yielding a much smoother texture.  Making it with milk or half milk/half water also makes it taste better.

Now, I compare the two kinds of oatmeal.  Quaker is a classic.  There are generic versions that are very similar but this is the stuff of memory.  I like the texture, it is smooth and creamy.  There is a good balanced apple and cinnamon flavor with some tang, sweetness and spice.

I don't like the Better Oats kind as well.  The oats are thicker cut so it is a little chunkier and they don't absorb the water as much so it is a little runnier.  It also could be a little sweeter for me.  This oatmeal also includes flax seeds, known as an ancient grain, used by the ancient Druids in Pagan rituals!

So my pick is Quaker Apples & Cinnamon Oatmeal.  The flax seeds in the Better Oats did not give me super-hero ancient Druid powers as I was hoping!

Next time, I review Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars.  Crunch on!
  

Day 69 - Seneca Apple Chips

A tale of apple chips times three.  Of tart, of sweet, of balanced thee.  Today, I review Seneca Apple Chips, the Original, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious version.

Seneca Apple Chips are made in Washington state's Yakima Valley, which is noted for being one of the best apple producing areas in the world (also for producing three quarters of the nations hops and many wines).  In addition to the chips I'm reviewing, Seneca makes Sour, Caramel and Cinnamon  apple chips, pear and sweet potato chips.  According to the Seneca website, they believe in farming and making products in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.  Some example of this: potato starches released during slicing are used to make recycled paper products, produce that doesn't meet their standards are composted to make topsoil and excess cooking oil is used to make environmentally-friendly bio-diesel fuel.

I like these chips.  They are big 'ol slices of apple, crunchy with a good fruit flavor.  They have no cholesterol.  I could not find what type of apple the Original chip is made out of.  The Original and Golden Delicious have 140 calories per serving, 30% of your recommended daily vitamin C and 8% daily fiber.  The Granny Smith have 150 calories per serving, 25% recommended daily vitamin C and 8% daily fiber.

They do all taste a little different.  Golden Delicious is the sweetest, Original middle, Granny Smith most tart.  I mentioned in my Apple Jacks blog that I crumbled some on my cereal and I wasn't lying.  It was excellent!  All three types of Seneca Apple Chips are good and it's hard to stop eating them!

Next time, I review a classic breakfast, Apples & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal.  Crunch on people, if you don't have teeth, you can still gum the oatmeal!

Day 68 - Toaster Strudel Apple

Have I wandered into a fancy French bakery?  Not quite but sometimes you just need a little pastry in your life.  Bonjour Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Apple!

Toaster Strudels were introduced by Pillsbury in 1985 as an alternative to the Kellogg's Pop-Tart.  They are found in the freezer section and are sold in 6, 12 or 24 count boxes.  They have a flaky crust, some kind of sweet filling and come with a frosting packet to top each pastry.

There was a golden period of time when boxes included frosting packets 30% larger, also known as Megapackets!  These were glorious, gluttonous days indeed when like the ancient Romans, we could bath in frosting!  One of my biggest complaints normally is an underwhelming amount of frosting.  Pillsbury, I implore you, BRING BACK THE MEGA FROSTING PACKETS!

Here is a list of the Toaster Strudel flavors available.  Some are seasonal or may have been discontinued.

• Apple
• Apple Cream Danish
• Apple Cinnamon
• Blueberry
• Boston Cream Pie
• Chocolate 
• Cinnamon Roll made with Cinnabon™ Flavor
• Cherry
• Cream Cheese & Strawberry
• Danish Style Cream Cheese
• French Toast 
• Pumpkin Pie
• Raspberry
• S'mores
• Snickerdoodle
• Strawberry (the first flavor)
• Strawberry Apple
• Watermelon
• Wildberry

Now specifically, Toaster Strudel Apple.  'Tis good.  The crust is crisp with layers and they brown up nicely in the toaster.  The apple filling is decent, a good mix of sweet and tart with a touch of cinnamon.  There is never as much filling as the picture on the box, a little more would be good.  I in fact, had to pull a little of the filling towards the cut for the pic above so you'd see it but whatever.

I was supposed to have done it already but it got pushed back, next time the Seneca Apple Chips review.  Crunch on and get your breakfast on!

Day 67 - Rockstar Hardcore Apple

I'm home this Friday night but that doesn't mean I can't run around and get a little crazy!  I am planning to be up for a while, drinking Rockstar Hardcore Apple while wearing some fun slippers that look like Chuck Taylors!  These slippers are awesome!

Rockstar Hardcore Apple is tasty.  It is quite sweet but better than a lot of energy drinks, doesn't have the medicinal flavor that some do.  It reminds me of a Jolly Rancher apple candy or Pucker Sour Apple liquor.  It has 240 mg of caffeine per can and is 260 calories.  It contains no juice.  It is a very natural toxic green color (judging by the toxic waste I have seen in movies)

I decided to mix it with some booze (like I said, weekend with the woot-woot and whatnot!)  I don't have any vodka, that would be good.  I tried some mixed with Evan Williams 1783 bourbon, not great.  Then, I mixed it with some Paul Masson Apple Grande Amber Brandy (see my Day 65 review) quite tasty.  Finally, I added some Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.  That was ok but I recommend going very light on it, the hot cinnamon taste easily overwhelms the apple flavor and we need to taste the apple.  If it was Skittles, we would want to taste the rainbow but I digress.

I don't drink energy drinks too often but when I do, Rockstar Hardcore Apple is not a bad way to go Mutherfucka!  Next time, I review Apple Toaster Strudel.  Crunch on!

Day 66 - Apple Jacks

A is for apple, J is for Jacks, cinnamon toasty Apple Jacks.  According to a recent review by Tony the Tiger, "They're grrrreat!"  After reading more of the famous tiger's reviews of other products I noticed all his reviews declared, "They're grrreat!"  He is very enthusiastic but I don't know if I can trust his opinion.

Apple Jacks is a brand of cereal produced by Kellogg's and introduced to the US in 1965 as Apple O's.  In 1971, the name changed to Apple Jacks.  Originally, all cereal pieces were orange and O-shaped.  In 1998, O-shaped green pieces were added.  The product is described by Kellogg's as a crunchy, sweetened three-grain cereal with apples and cinnamon.

Being a cereal targeting children, there have been some interesting mascots over the years.  In the 1960's, it was the crude and terrifying Apple Guy.  In 1971, the Apple Jacks Kids became the mascots.  As of 2004, the mascots are a care-free Jamaican cinnamon stick named CinnaMon and an accident-prone apple named Bad Apple.

Anyway, I like Apple Jacks.  I wasn't sure if they had any actual apples in 'em but dried apples are listed as an ingredient.  To make my Apple Jacks more apple heavy, I added some crushed up Seneca Apple Chips and it was good!

I am a fan of cereal in general.  I eat it most mornings, trying many types and sometimes mixing two or three kinds together.  I tried my Apple Jacks combined with a new cereal that just came out, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Blasted Shreds, boom and it was da bomb diggity!  This stuff has more cinnamon than I have ever seen on cereal and with 26% of your daily dietary fiber, it'll help to keep you regular.  That means poop.                                                                                                                                                   












Next time, I compare three different types of Seneca Apple Chips, the Original, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith style.  Crunch on and get yer chip on!

Day 65 - Apple Brandy Challenge

The people have spoken, at least the voices in my head.  They said Apple Brandy!  Today I taste and compare 3 kinds, Door County Distillery, Calvados Morin, and Paul Masson Apple Brandy.

As you can see, they each have a distinct color, from clear to dark amber.  Here is some info about all three.

Door County Distillery Apple Brandy is made in Wisconsin from apple wine and fresh apples.  It is 35% ABV and semi-sweet.  A bottle retails for aprox $19.99.  I really enjoy it.  It has a nice aroma, an authentic apple flavor and just the right amount of sweetness.

Calvados Morin has been making brandy in the Calvados region of Normandy, France since 1889.  It is derived from apple cider from a variety on tannin-rich apples.  This stuff is aged in Limousin Oak casks for 3 years.  It is 40% ABV.  A bottle retails for aprox $24.99.  It does have a decent apple flavor but zero sweetness and high alcohol content gives it quite a bite.  It is quality stuff but comes across a bit harsh to me.  I do think it would make an excellent mixer, I wrote and then, therefore mixed said spirit with some Ocean Spray Cranberry Pineapple juice.  It wasn't the best combination but I did finish it for science.  I think it would mix well with apple cider and I will surely try it.

Paul Masson Apple Grande Amber is up next.  It is 27% ABV.  A bottle retails for aprox $8.99.  It is made with premium grapes distilled in California and then aged for 3 years in Oak barrels and bottled in Kentucky.  The brandy is then mixed with apple liquor or flavoring.  I wasn't able to find any info on this part of the process.  Paul Masson Apple Grande Amber is the cheapest of the three by far.  It is the thickest and the sweetest.  I do like it, although sweet, it is not as sweet as Pucker or Amaretto for example.  The aroma is more like a candy apple than a fresh one.

In conclusion, my favorite of the three is Door County Distillery Apple Brandy.  It is a Wisconsin product made with nothing but apples.  It has just enough kick to get ya where you're going, just a little sweetness, a good consistency and it represents the apple the best.  Calvados Morin has the best aroma and I appreciate their long tradition of excellence in distilling but at $25 a bottle, I won't be getting it again.  Paul Masson Apple Grande Amber is surprisingly good.  At only $8 to $10 a bottle, if you like apple booze, give it a try.

Alright, in my next blog, I will answer the age old question, long contemplated in mathematics: A is for apples + J is for jacks = ?  Stayed tuned and crunch on!