Food

Iced coffee in winter

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

Is it weird to continue to drink iced and frozen coffees in the middle of winter? Every time I’m at Starbucks I can never get anything other than a vanilla iced coffee, or a Frappuccino no matter how frigid it is outside. In the morning I don’t mind drinking a hot coffee at home, but in the afternoon I have to go with a chilled drink.

On a related note, does anyone have a Verismo coffee maker? We have a Hamilton Beach Keurig brewer but it’s pretty cheap and I really like the way the Verismo machines look. How do the drinks taste? I’m really thinking about picking one up once I get my tax refund as I think it’ll look a lot better on the counter and will last awhile longer.

Anywho, tonight we’re probably going to have a drink or two and play some Wii Bowling before watching either August Osage County or Her. I’ll be sure to post a few words about whichever we end up seeing.

 

New Year: Quitting energy drinks

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

Though not necessarily a New Year’s Resolution (I never bother to make any), over the last few weeks I’ve quit energy drinks…mostly. For years I’d drink at least one energy drink a day, seven days a week. Usually on weekends I’d have 2-3 a day. At $2-3 each (Rockstar Punched) that’s upwards of $15-20 a week, at least $80 a month and easily $700+ a year. The commissary often sells Rockstar’s for $1 which was nice, but even if I bought 400 in a year for a dollar that’s still $400.

In an effort to save money and cut a couple hundred calories (and mountains of sugar) a day I decided to give up the habit. I haven’t had a Rockstar in over two weeks! I did however have a couple of Mountain Dew Kickstart’s this weekend, but I consider them more of a soda than an energy drink.

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I don’t think I’ll ever kick the caffeine habit, so I’ve been drinking coffee in the morning instead. It’s not as convenient because I have to take time to brew the coffee before I hop in the shower, and it doesn’t give as much as a kick as Rockstar, but it’s much easier on the wallet, and I imagine just a bit healthier. A $7 bag of Dunkin Donuts coffee has lasted two weeks so far and should stretch another week or so.

I’m hoping I can keep up the progress I’ve made. I’m sure I won’t quit energy drinks forever, but a bit of break will be nice.

Do not buy: Hamilton Beach FlexBrew K-cup brewer

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

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So almost a year ago we purchased the Hamilton Beach Flex Brew K-cup / single serve coffee brewer. It was cheaper than a Keurig by around $50 (I think it was $80 or 90 at the time, it’s now around $50 and not worth a penny of it). It worked great for a month or two, however eventually it stopped puncturing K-cups and would spill water all over the place.

We had it replaced and now the second one will drip on and off and then spew out a steady stream of nearly clear, watery coffee at the end to fill up the rest of the cup. It ruins otherwise great tasting coffee. Even if we brew coffee grounds instead of a k-cup it’ll drip awkwardly and make watery coffee while spilling water all over the counter.

I’m hoping Wal-Mart will let us exchange this one for store credit so we can get a quality coffee brewer, not a cheap product that will require an exchange every month.

Starbucks and drinking coffee at home.

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

I have a bit of a Saturday morning tradition of dragging Vanessa with me to the Starbucks just around the corner and having a coffee (usually iced vanilla coffee) while reading the (digital) New York Times and skimming WordPress. It’s a nice and relaxing way to spend 30 minutes or so in the morning before we decide what to do with the day. It’s also nice to get out of the house. My brain always feels more productive when I’m sitting somewhere other than at home sipping on a coffee. In college I’d always take my coffee to the second floor of the library to read or write while overlooking the trees and smoke stakes of the city in the distance. I’m not sure whether it’s the brighter lights or the act of being somewhere with less distractions that puts me into a good, productive mood.

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Unfortunately, this morning there weren’t any seats available so we had to take our coffees back to the house (I would’ve been willing to sit outside, though it’s a bit chilly and now starting to rain). So for now I’m drinking my coffee while listening to SiriusXM’s The Coffee House with the Penn State game taking my eyes away from the page (or screen rather).

I suppose this isn’t so bad. Do you have any particular way you like to drink your coffee? Am I just crazy? 576677_10152067618475610_1776601611_n

Boise’s Westside Drive In

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

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One of my favorite places to eat in Boise is the Westside Drive In which has been featured in Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (video below). The food is amazing as are the milkshakes. Last night I had the Special Deluxe burger (1/4lb patty, special sauce, pickles, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar, slice of ham) and potato gems with fry sauce. It was absolutely delicious!

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If you ever find yourself in Boise I highly recommend you swing by the Westside Drive In and give the food and shakes a try, you won’t regret it!

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Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts are a thing

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

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I came across these at Target today and of course I was excited to try them out. I love just about every kind of Pop-Tart in existence (who doesn’t?) but one of my favorite seasonal flavors is the holiday sugar cookie variety. The pumpkin pie Pop-Tarts have a bit of a spicy taste to them which is unusual in a toaster pastry and is a little tough to like at first, but then you can begin to taste the pumpkin pie which makes the initial spice easier to digest.

I have to say the sugar cookie Pop-Tarts are still my favorite, what’s yours?

One of my favorite ‘quick fix’ meals

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

 

 

I know this is random, but I just wanted to share a love for one of my favorite late night meals. It starts with a jalapeno cheddar tortilla, then a few slices of provolone cheese, a handful of pepperonis and a few slices of ham.  Toss it in the microwave for a bit and you end up with something way better tasting than a Hot Pocket. I eat them without any sauces, but I imagine it wouldn’t taste bad with some pizza sauce added to the mix.

 

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Mountain Dew KickStart Fruit Punch

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

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I tried one of the new Mountain Dew breakfast drinks today and it’s pretty good. It tastes a lot like a mixture of fruit punch and ginger ale or sprite and it goes down very easily. The only problem I have with it is that there’s only 92mg of caffeine in the 16oz can, compared to the 240mg in a 16oz can of Rockstar Punched (my go to energy drink).

It seems like the Mountain Dew Kickstart drink might be easier on the stomach than a full on energy drink after a night of drinking, but I can’t see this being a go to energy drink for anyone but those very sensitive to caffeine. It just doesn’t have much kick at all, despite the name.

In the end it tastes good, so maybe it’d be a fine alternative to ‘regular’ Mountain Dew during a gaming session, but I wouldn’t reach for it in the morning.

A beer a day: Samuel Adams Belgian Session

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

So I bought a case of Sam Adams Summer sampler and I thought I’d share my impressions on each beer, starting with Belgian Session. The bottle reads: A crisp, refreshing version of a traditional Belgian beer. Fruity, slightly spicy flavors from the Belgian yeast are balanced by toffee and caramel notes from our blend of malts. The hops provide a citrus character that rounds out this enjoyable brew. Cheers!

I’m not a beer expert by any means. Since turning 21 I’ve mostly stuck with the stuff I knew, Yuengling Lager in Pennsylvania (have not found it anywhere else I’ve lived [Texas, Mississippi and Idaho]), Bud Light Lime, Corona and the occasional Heineken.

Belgian Session has a sweet smell and a smoky aftertaste. It tastes like burnt wood in a way. Interesting. It’s rather smooth and easy to drink, but the smoky after taste is the most prevalent taste. Well I’m going to finish this beer. See you tomorrow!