Day 74 - Hana Fuji Apple Sake

Today, I review Hana Fuji Apple Sake.  Sake is an alcoholic beverage made from rice where starch is converted into sugars that ferment into alcohol.  I only drink it occasionally, usually when eating sushi.  Hana Fuji Apple Sake is made by Takara Sake USA under the Hana line of flavored sakes.  Takara Sake USA was established in Berkeley, CA in 1983.  They also produce Mirin (cooking rice wine) and plum wine.  According to the website on the interweb, Takara Sake USA has taken pure snow melt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and superior rice from the fertile Sacramento Valley. To this, they apply traditional sake-making craftsmanship and modern technology to produce a sake worthy of the Takara mark.  My advice to Takara USA, "Watch out where the huskies go and don't you use that yellow snow melt!"

Hana Fuji Apple Sake would be a good introduction for new sake drinkers.  It has a sweet/tart apple flavor that works well served ice cold.  The alcohol content is 9% which is low, sake ABV can range from 5% to 20%.  The sweetness and low alcohol covers up the taste of rice quite a bit so I think someone who didn't much like sake could still dig this and might not even know what type of spirit it is.  The liquid is almost completely clear, sake can be cloudy or completely white with the unfiltered variety.  The bottle label was inspired by the Japanese Kimono.

Next time, I will tell you about Peck & Bushel Organic Fruit Co, an all organic apple orchard with a shit ton of apple varieties I've never heard of, several of which I will be reviewing.  Crunch on, drink on, domo arigato!



 

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!

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!