Keeping an Open Mind

I'm a coffee snob, I'll admit it.  I take pride in being able to tell you all about my high priced, organic, shade grown, fair trade coffee's brightness, flavor tones, and more.  I will also admit though, that I drink gas station cappuccinos.  I can't keep this secret any longer.

Gas station coffee is good - when you're in a hurry.  There is no comparing it to the higher end coffee, but when you need a pick me up and are running low on cash and time, this is a good place to turn!  I don't really like their regular coffee, so I go for the "cappuccino" machine.  These are in no way real cappuccinos.  They bear a slight resemblance since they both have caffeine, but that is about it.  They are however, still quite tasty.  I love all the flavors and the fact that you can mix them up on your own!  Yes, I am the person that mixes all the different pops together at the soda fountain.

I also like fast food coffee.  McDonald's will make a pretty good mocha - and they even let you customize it a little.  If I need black coffee though I'm heading to Burger King where they serve "Seattle's Best" and it is actually one of the best cups of coffee even compared to Caribou or Starbucks.  If you prefer a stronger cup of coffee though head to McDonald's.  It has a brighter flavor while Burger King has a more mellow taste.

So don't feel shame when buying a quick cup of joe.  Isn't it all about the caffeine anyways?

Date Night

Our date nights are simple, not because I like simple things, but because I like dates and its a lot easier to have a lot of dates when they are simple.

Drink: Pinot Grigio by Black Swan
I have never been much of a wine person, but in the last couple years I have started to try more and more.  I've realized that I like white wines with a bit of citrus flavor.  You get this citrus flavor from wines made in Australia, which is where Black Swan is made.  This wine was only $6.99 and for the price I would say it was pretty good.  It was as exciting as some other Pinot Grigio wines I've had but I liked it enough to finish the bottle on my own.  Oh yeah, Patrick doesn't like wine so he got a Gatorade, which he likes, so it's all good.

Appetizer: Cheese Curds & Apples
If you didn't already know this, apples go really well with cheese.  I don't know why, I just know they do.  I really like cheese so I wanted to go with a fancy cheese, but this was not a fancy date night.  So I went for the good ol' Wisconsin Cheese Curds.  You just can't go wrong with cheese curds, especially when your date is with a Wisconsin man.

Dinner: Garlic Chicken Pizza with Alfredo Sauce
A white sauce pizza is my favorite especially with spinach and chicken.  I have yet to be able to make a decent pizza so all of ours come out of a box.  This was Culinary Circle brand which I highly recommend!  I have never had one of their pizzas that I didn't like.  The other part that makes our pizza so good is the Pampered Chef Pizza Stone!  Another thing that I would highly recommend if you like softer crust.  Our pizza was a thin crust which usually ends up too crispy for us, but with this pizza stone it cooks just right.

Dessert: Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies
For some reason I can't make cookies.  It's really stupid.  I can make truffles and intricate cakes, but I can't make a simple sugar cookie.  So we buy these too.  Which is alright because it means that for our Date Night I had hardly any cooking to do!

Our Date Nights are always paired with a movie.  We have decided to go through our "10 Must See Musicals" to make sure that we are really happy with what we have.  So we started with #10 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.  We had more time and nothing better to do so we also watched #9 The Phantom of the Opera.

It was a good night.

There's a cat, in a filing cabinet!

What is it doing there!?

Minnesota or: How I Learned to Stop Whining and Embrace the Cold

Minnesotans are a resilient people – it’s why we still live here.  We bear through the rough winters, the dangerous summer weather, the springtime floods, the congested highways, and even the crappy sports teams.  We may not be able to change any of this, but we learn to live with it. 

The most delicious way of warming up is the Minnesota Hotdish.  Not to be confused with the casserole.  My favorite is Tater Tot Hotdish.  It's ground beef mixed with cream of mushroom soup with tater tots on top.  You throw it in the oven for half an hour or so and viola! you have pure Minnesotan heaven.

The best example of dealing with winter is how we move indoors in the winter without locking ourselves in the house.  Minnesota is home to the first fully enclosed mall in the world – the Southdale Shopping Center in Edina.  Southdale was originally designed to be a place where people would come together and become a community.  Later came the Mall of America – the largest mall in the United States (until King of Prussia came along in Pennsylvania.)  This was the same idea, just on a much grander scale.  This even has a park in the middle which makes it even easier to forget you’re not outside.  The halls are decorated with fences, benches and lamp posts too that give the appearance of the outdoors. 

A similar idea to the mall is the Minneapolis Skyway.  The second floor of many office buildings are connected to one another which enables people to walk from building to building without ever having to take a step outside.  There are also a ton of restaurants and stores that are only in the skyway – that is how popular this system is!  Even some of the food trucks found outside in the summer move to indoor spaces for the winter. 

That's me in the water on Valentine's Day

Another way to deal is actually to not deal at all, but rather embrace the cold!  We call it Hockey.  Almost every neighborhood in Minnesota has a small neighborhood hockey rink.  Around here kids grow up on skates.  When you’re moving around and having fun you don’t have time to think about how cold it is.  This sport is near and dear to Minnesota, more than any other state in my opinion.  If skating isn’t you thing there is also skiing, snowboarding, cross-country, snowshoeing, ice-fishing, dog sled racing, and polar plunges!  If you haven’t tried the polar plunge you really should, it’s a blast!  There are also fun events like the St. Paul Winter Carnival and the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships on Lake Nokomis.

Of course you could always just up and leave for Christmas in the Bahamas instead.

There are many other fun ways to deal with a Minnesota winter.  What’s yours?

Root Beer Challenge

The Contenders: Killebrew, Henry Weinhard's, IBC, Boylan, Sprecher, Point, Dorothy's, Natural Brew & Stewart's

Patrick and I really like root beer.  We also like listing stuff and ranking it.  So we decided to stock up on a bunch of different specialty root beers from the area to see which we like the most.  All of these sodas were found at the grocery store.  

Cups set up and ready for the blind test.

We wanted to do this right so we set up a blind test and started drinking.  We had a cracker in-between every drink and wrote down what we thought about them.  Then we continued sampling while we ranked them.  Here is what we found and how we ranked them:

#9 - Natural Brew from Chico, NJ
Amanda's Ranking: 9
Patrick's Ranking: 9
This was the worst root beer hands down.  It was the only one that when I drank it, I cringed.  It is really hard to find a root beer that neither of us like, but we did.  Both of us described it as being sweet to the point where a couple of drinks would make you sick.  I also thought it had an awkward spice to it.  This is the only one I would tell you to not even bother trying it.

#8 - Henry Weinhard's from Hood River, OR
Amanda's Ranking: 6
Patrick's Ranking: 7
Both of us agreed that this was a very sweet drink.  I thought it tasted more like liquid candy than root beer.  It didn't have any flavor that really jumped out at you and with the sweetness you couldn't drink much of it.

#5  - Stewart's from Mansfield, OH
Amanda's Ranking: 5
Patrick's Ranking: 5
Obviously we both were in agreement that this was a good #5 root beer.  Patrick described the flavor as rich and while I agree with him, there is also a lot of caramel flavor going on.  This is a classic American root beer that would taste best with a scoop of ice cream.

#5  - Dorothy's from Ely, MN
Amanda's Ranking: 2
Patrick's Ranking: 8
As you can see, we had different feelings on this one.  I like it because it has just the right amount of sweetness to create a nice smooth flavor.  It was just a little too sweet for Patrick's taste though.

#5  - Point from Steven's Point, WI
Amanda's Ranking: 7
Patrick's Ranking: 3
Again we have differing opinions about the root beer.  Patrick liked it because of its right down the middle taste.  It wasn't bland, but it was awful either.  It was just a little too bland for my tastes.

#3 - Boylan from Moonachie, NJ
Amanda's Ranking: 8
Patrick's Ranking: 1
This is the most we disagree about any of the root beers.  Patrick likes this because of its deep flavor that has a punch to it.  I thought it was too dark and just not quite there.

#3 - Killebrew from Cold Spring, MN
Amanda's Ranking: 3
Patrick's Ranking: 6
This root beer is named after good ol' #3 Harmon Killebrew, which makes it ironic that it landed at #3 on our list.  I liked the mellow, yet rich flavor that this root beer offered while Patrick enjoyed the deep taste that it offers.  This is also the lowest in calories of all the root beers we tried.

#2 - Sprecher's from Milwaukee, WI
Amanda's Ranking: 4
Patrick's Ranking: 2
Both of us had thought for a while that this was out #1 root beer so we were surprised to find out that through a blind test, it wasn't!  We both like the deepness of the root beer that offers both sweet and sour flavors.  You can really taste the honey in the root beer, which also comes from Wisconsin.

#1 - IBC from St. Louis, MO
Amanda's Ranking: 1
Patrick's Ranking: 4
This has been my personal favorite root beer for a long time.  I'll never forget trying my first IBC in high school at Applebees.  Both Patrick and I love the variety of rich floras that blend together so well to create a rich and smooth taste.

Interesting facts:
Amanda's #2 and #3 were both from Minnesota while Patrick's #2 and #3 were from Wisconsin.
The root beer made from corn syrup tended to rank higher on our list and had less calories and sugar than the root beer made of cane sugar.
At the end of this we felt sick.  I would not recommend drinking this much root beer in one sitting.

In case you're wondering, that is glue on the middle one.

La Belle Crepe on Nicollet Mall

View of La Belle Crepe from Nicollet Mall

La Belle Crepe
825Nicollet Mall #100
Minneapolis, MN 55402
http://www.labellecrepe.com
Cuisine: Crepes and coffee
Attire: Casual
Cost of Drinks: $3
Cost of Food: $6

La Belle Crepe is closest I have ever come to seeing an actual hole-in-the-wall restaurant.  It's tough to find because the restaurant is maybe 10 feet wide and 20 feet long.  The eating area is a small bar inside the restaurant and then 5 tables out in the hallway.  It is connected to the skyway which is how I found it.  Once you walk inside though, you don't even notice how small the place is because the atmosphere is so big!

Inside La Belle Crepe

The room has tall vaulted ceilings which are decorated like a fancy European restaurant.  There are paintings on the wall and a beautiful chandelier hanging from the ceiling.  French music and the smell of fresh crepes fills the air.  The restaurant is owned by a very kind gentleman from France who you can see working often.  The other people working there are also a great bunch.  The food that is served is intended to be a healthy, but fast meal.  I take a more laid back approach though and spend my full lunch hour eating, drinking and reading.

There are a wide variety of crepes available in three different categories; Sweet, Savory, and Breakfast.  I can't speak for the breakfast crepes myself but I have been told by co-workers that they are quite good.  The savory crepes are served like a wrap and on a salad which makes it a very healthy and quick lunch.  The crepe is made of whole grains and the cheese they use is fabulous.  But in my opinion, the Sweet crepe conquers all others!

"The Elvis"

The sweet crepes feature fruits and nuts and are designed to be a dessert or an entrée - which is how I eat them.  My first one was the Berries & Crème which has a fresh mix of berries tucked inside a nice warm crepe with crème fraiche on top.  I basically melted in my seat it was so amazing!  Next I tried the Mango crepe with almond paste which was absolutely wonderful.  Then I decided I needed to try the Banana crepe which came with your choice of peanut butter or Nutella - I chose the Nutella and I never looked back!  The Nutella melts inside the crepe covering the bananas is chocolaty goodness.  To make matters even better there is a chocolate sauce on top with powdered sugar.  I basically went into a chocolate coma, and it was all good.  I also tried the caramel apple which was good but as I am not a huge fan of caramel apples, I didn't enjoy it as much as the others.  I have not tried the Orange Dream yet which features orange marmalade and crème fraiche.  Also for dessert they feature a selection of sorbet and gelato which is quite flavorful.

There is actually a fourth category and this one is always changing; the Specials.  Last time I went the special was "The Elvis."  It contains banana, bacon, honey, peanut butter, and whipped crème.  It was amazing!  Seriously it was so good I couldn't believe it!  All the flavors came together and balanced out quite well.  It was one of the greatest things I have eaten in my entire life.

"Sipping Cocoa"

La Belle Crepe also features a wonderful list of drinks.  The first is the authentic Italian Soda which they mix right there and that makes all the difference.  They also have a full coffee bar which I love.  They have everything from black coffee to authentic Italian Cappuccinos served with a small spoon so you can really enjoy the froth.  The final drink on their list is a true delicacy - Sipping Cocoa.  Sipping Cocoa is simply a small glass of warm chocolate.  No milk, no sugar, no additives, no powder - just chocolate.  It is so thick, rich, and smooth that you are going to think you have died and gone to heaven.

I hope this was enough to convince you to find La Belle Crepe.  It is a wonderful restaurant that I hope will continue to serve wonderful food.  I have also heard that soon they will be serving Panini's which I'm sure will be consistent with their other great foods.

Football Picks

Saturday Divisional Games

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
This is one of those match ups that you almost get sick of seeing.  These two teams are in the same division and seem to play each other a lot in the playoffs.  The reason you don't get sick of it is because they are two good teams that always seem to produce a great game!  It was tough to pick, but I think I'm going with Pittsburgh today.  A lot of this is going toward home field advantage because Pittsburgh fans play a huge role.  I also think that Pittsburgh is just the better team right now.

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons
This was a really tough choice not only as a football fan, but a Vikings fan.  I don't even know who to root for in the match up because I can't cheer for our arch nemesis but ever since the 1998/1999 NFC Championship game I just can't like the Falcons.  Sure I'm holding a grudge, who wouldn't?  I think that both teams are equally matched but I think that the Packers want this more and that it is going to show tonight when they play.

Sunday Divisional Games

Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears
I love a good old fashioned come from behind win so naturally I really dig the Seahawks right now - but I jsut don't think they can pull off another win like last weeks.  I really like the fact that they made it this far though because it really shows that a .500 team DOES belong in the playoffs and that the playoff system works in the NFL.  I digress.  I think the Bears are going to win, but not by much and I'm sure it is going to be because of a fluke play or a bad call. 

New York Jets at New England Patriots
I don't think the Jets are any match for the Patriots.  The Patriots are moving along too well and the Jets are having all these legal issues popping up which has to take its toll on the team.  This is the only game that I think is going to be a blow-out.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

This past year my mother and her neighbors invited me to join their book club that they were starting.  I had never been in one and wanted to join one so this was perfect.  In February we will be discussing the book of my choosing.  I thought long and hard about what I wanted to bring to the table.  I knew I wanted some sort of fantasy or science fiction since all the books before this were mysteries and chick-books.  I also wanted a love story, because it is after all in February.  I landed on Stardust by Neil Gaiman.  I had seen the movie, loved it, and usually love the book more so I decided to go for it.  I also figured I should read it before making other people read it.

Right away I knew this book was unique.  Whenever I pick up a sci-fi I expect it to be like reading Shadows of the Empire.  I don’t know why, but I do.  This novel however was written in a style that reminded me of Lord of the Rings.  It was written in old English and was filled with romantic undertones.  This somehow made the story seem real and like there really was some far off kingdom.  I was immediately drawn into the book and picked it up whenever I had the chance.   It is a great balance between an easy read and having-to-look-at-the-dictionary-every-5-pages read.

One of the most real parts of the story is the love story between Tristran, Yvaine, and Victoria.  It is the sort of love triangle that we all have seen or been a part of.  I found myself relating to all three at some point or another.  I’ve been in Tristran’s shoes before where I was so convinced I loved someone that I couldn’t see the person I truly loved.  I’ve been in Yvaine’s situation where deep loathing turns to love and Victoria’s position where you don’t realize how much power you have over someone until it all goes wrong.

After I was done reading I looked up what people thought about the movie compared to the book and there were quite the array of answers.  The most interesting reaction to me was that someone thought the book was exactly like the movie.  I am here to tell you that that person did not read the book.  The two could not be more different from one another!  What was a couple pages in the book was half an hour in the movie, what was a sentence in the movie was a chapter in the book!  I like both the movie and the book, but don’t expect them to be in the least bit similar.  Part of the reason I expected the book to read like a sci-fi is because that is how the movie comes off, whereas the book comes off as a classic fantasy. 

All around I felt this was a wonderful and romantic fairytale that I would recommend everyone read.

Peace Coffee: Snowshoe Brew

Snowshoe Brew

Peace Coffee
$10.95 per pound
http://www.peacecoffee.com

Peace Coffee is a coffee roaster based in Minneapolis that believes in 100% Fair Trade and organic coffee.  They are a great company that does what they can to be eco friendly while also supporting coffee growers around the world.  They even make local bean deliveries by bike instead of by vehicle.  Peace Coffee also allows you to see exactly what farm your coffee beans came from: http://www.mapmybeans.com/ 

I had heard a lot of great things about Peace Coffee and decided it was about time I tried it myself.  You can buy the coffee online, at their store, or at most Twin Cities grocery stores.  I decided to try the Snowshoe Brew because I like winter.  This is a seasonal blend which is only around for a limited time.

Here is what the packaging reads:
A sweet, smooth blend with a robust spicy flavor.  Warming for blustery days.
Roast Level: Medium
Acidity: Low-Medium
Body: Medium
Aroma: almond, white grapefruit, spice, and malt.
Flavor notes: caramelized sugar, toasted walnut, and mulling spices.

This coffee has a great smooth flavor that is a perfect addition to curling up with a book.  Even the taste reminds me of sitting next to a fire because it has a note of walnut with a little bit of spice.

It has become common for people to think that a coffee only have flavor and kick if it is a dark roast that is as black as the night - I used to be one of them.  The truth though is that you can actually taste more flavor in a medium roast because the flavors are able to show themselves more.  These are also the blends that taste just as good when they're cold!  I am definitely a coffee sipper, not a chugger, so my coffee tends to get cold before I finish it.  This coffee was great because I didn't have to reheat it, instead I got to enjoy another side to the brew.

I can't wait to try more of their coffee knowing that not only am I getting high quality beans, I'm getting beans that actually help people.

Be Healthy and Awake in 2011

When most people ring in the New Year they do it with resolutions, many of which will be to live healthier. If you are one of those people who want to be healthier this year, here are some tips on staying healthy without giving up your daily jolt.

White Tea
There are a wide variety of teas, many of which have caffeine and other herbal helpers. White tea is the best all around because it has one of the highest levels of antioxidants with enough caffeine to keep you going. The best part is that it is non addictive caffeine, which means if you miss a day you’re not going to get a massive headache from a lack of caffeine.

Black Coffee
Coffee is actually very healthy when used in moderation. There is also little difference between the amount of caffeine in 8 ounces of coffee and an 8 ounce latte. It is important though to make sure that you are not having a lot of coffee every day. Try to keep it down to one or two cups of caffeinated coffee a day.

Another way to be healthy is to cut down on all the extras. If you’re drinking regular coffee don’t add the sugar and cream. Try instead adding skim milk or getting a café au lait which is half coffee, half steamed milk (ask for skim of course) and half the cost of a latte. If you need a latte then don’t add flavors because even if you are asking for sugar-free flavors, there are still a lot of calories in the syrup. Also be sure to ask for skim milk because most chain coffee shops will just use 2% if you don’t specify and many independent shops will use whole milk. This of course is delicious, but can really pack on the fat. The healthiest thing to do is just drink plain black coffee.

Energy Drinks
If you find yourself in need of a quick pick-me-up, I would suggest 5-hour Energy. It is low on sugar, high in vitamins, and leaves you without a crash. I use this most often when taking the 5-hour drive to visit the in-laws and it works great! One of the side effects is called a Niacin Flush. This happens when your body is exposed to high levels of vitamin B3. As B3 moves through your blood it makes your skin hot and gives it a tingling sensation. Although this sounds bad, it is actually your body flushing itself of harmful toxins. I only experienced this the first time I used it and I was just fine. You should also be aware that drinking these multiple times a day or even multiple days in a row may be very harmful to your body because of all the energy supplements.

Soda
If you want to be healthy, you should just stop drinking it, even diet. The worst part for me is the acidity found in soda. Whether you are drinking regular, diet or sugar free, there is acidity in the pop that will attack your teeth. I have very weak teeth so this is the biggest problem for me. Pop also has a lot of empty calories that just go straight to your stomach. And don’t be fooled into thinking that if it has cane sugar it is better for you. Sugar is sugar whether it’s coming from cane or corn. Don’t believe me?

12oz. can of Coca-Cola
Corn Syrup
140 calories
39 grams sugar

12 oz bottle of Boylan Cola
Sugar Cane
160 calories
40 grams sugar

Basically, no difference.

Well there you have it. I hope this helps to kick start a healthy new year that you can stay awake for!