Tuborg Beer

While visiting Igman, the location of the 1984 Olympic Ski Jump, I found myself in need of a thirst quencher. Climbing the time worn stairs along the ski jump was a good workout that resulted in a couple of decent photographs along with dry-mouth. A small concession stand located next to the main building offered coffee, juice and Tuborg Beer ina bottle. Although equipped for draft, this location did not have any.

The bottle of Tuborg set me back 4 KM (around three dollars, US). Also known as Tuborg Green, this brand of Danish beer is very popular in Eastern Europe and could be readily found during my visit to Bosnia. The brew has a surprisingly bright flavor that had remarkable thirst quenching qualities. Although my primary brew in Bosnia was the locally produced Sarajevska Premium, I found myself ordering Tuborg on a couple of outings, just to enjoy a change of pace. Although slightly more bitter than Sarajevska, the Tuborg was refreshing with a nice flavor and aroma.

Tuborg is a Danish beer that was first produced in 1873. Tuborg Green was Denmark's first Pilsner beer, introduced in 1880. The company entered into a business relationship with Carlsberg Beer in the early 1900s before being acquired by the latter in 1970. The bottles come with a unique ring-tab type cap that I noticed on other Eastern European beer (Pan, in particular). This feature was designed by Tuborg allowing for easy removal of the cap. It is a unique concept that works surprisingly well.

The Carlsberg website describes the beer as "...a bottom-fermented lager beer. It's brewed on lager malt, a slightly roasted, bright type of malt which results in the well-known mild, fresh taste and aroma of flowers and grain. The beer is medium rich and lively with a moderate bitterness in the aftertaste." I did not experience much in the way of aftertaste and found the bitterness to be on the mild side. Tuborg Green contains 4.9% alcohol by volume.

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Pan Lager

While visiting Bosnia, I was privileged to be able to celebrate Bajram (bi-dem) with my Bosniak friends. Bajram is a three-day holiday that marks the end of the Ramazan (Ramadan) Fast. During this celebration, I was introduced to a variety of local sweets, to include a variation on Baklava that was a bit dry but very tasty. I was also given a bottle of Pan Lager. Although my beer of choice in Bosnia was Sarajevska Premium, I am not one to turn down free beer.

Pan is another brew (like another beer I enjoyed in Bosnia, Tuborg) which is brewed by the Carlsberg Group. While I found the Tuborg to be bright and crisp, I felt that Pan was somewhat bitter with a strong aftertaste. Pan also emits a strong grainy aroma, which is not entirely unpleasant...but an indication of the bitter bite to come. It is odd to me that Pan describes itself as thirst-quenching and "less bitter" because, of the beers I sampled in Bosnia, Pan was the most bitter.

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Frontier Natural Coffee Flavor

I have been experimenting with some new home-made ice cream recipes recently. I attempted to make Chunky Monkey (or should I call that "hefty chimp" to avoid any trademark issues?)...using McCormick's Imitation Banana flavoring. That flavor was very artificial and turned out mediocre at best. I made pina colada, which was nice and refreshing and I also tried chocolate peppermint which was delicious. After seeing a Wendy's advertisement for Coffee Toffee shakes, I decided that this might be an easy and tasty treat to experiment with.

I found Frontier Alcohol-Free Coffee Flavor at Trader Joe's (if my memory hasn't failed me). The smallish 2 ounce bottle was not inexpensive at nearly five dollars per bottle. The recipe I use normally calls for about a tablespoon of flavoring, but on tasting the mix, I discovered it to be a bit on the bland side. Because coffee flavoring is more difficult to condense than some of the other extracts, I decided to put one full ounce in the batter. This seemed to be exactly the right measurement when I tasted the finished product. The coffee provided a smooth foundation which tasted like a mocha chino with toffee bits in it. The cream and sugar were, of course, natural complements to the flavor...for those of us who like our coffee light and sweet.

I have tried to make condensed coffee myself in the past to no avail. The brewing process makes the coffee very acidic and bitter when condensed. I have read about a cold process where the coffee is allowed to steep for a longer period of time without heating the bean that is supposed to eliminate the bitterness. That process seems too time-consuming and tedious to me. Having that convenience in a bottled product that can be bought off the shelf makes life a lot easier.

Frontier Alcohol-Free Coffee Flavor uses glycerin instead of alcohol. The glycerin serves several functions. Glycerin is a preservative for certain plant products. I am not certain if that is the main purpose for using glycerin in this product instead of alcohol, but the preservative qualities of glycerin may serve to keep the coffee from turning bad. Glycerin is also a sweetener that does not raise blood sugar levels. An element of sweetness to the coffee flavoring is certainly not a bad thing when using it to make ice cream. Finally, Glycerin acts as a thickening agent. You would think that condensed coffee would be naturally thick. The glycerin creates a slightly molasses-like consistency. The other ingredients are water and natural flavors (which I would hope means coffee beans but indicates other natural flavors as well).

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McCormick's Peppermint Extract

With the hot months of Summer comes the cooled off refreshment of home-made ice cream. I have been experimenting with new flavors, many of them based on specialty flavors I have seen at the store or on television. One of my favorite ice cream flavors is Haagen Dazs' seasonal peppermint flavor. The combination of peppermint and chocolate is refreshing and satisfying.

In order to recreate this flavor when it went out of season, I purchased a small bag of peppermint candy, a package of Nestle's Milk Chocolate chips and a one ounce bottle of McCormick's Pure Peppermint Extract. McCormick sells both "pure" and "imitation" flavors, the quality of which varies greatly. I did not find the imitation banana to be to my liking, but the Pure Peppermint is fantastic.

The concentrated nature of the McCormick's Pure Peppermint Extract allows a little bit to go a long way. One gallon of ice cream normally calls for approximately one tablespoon of flavoring. That is equal to one half fluid ounce (or half the bottle). That may seem like a lot, but considering that one tablespoon is providing the foundation for an entire gallon of ice cream, the intensity of the extract becomes obvious. I found the peppermint provided an exceptionally clean and refreshing flavor. Combined with the crushed peppermints and chocolate, the combination was almost as good as Haagen Dazs' original (which is phenomenal). I used two teaspoons instead of the full tablespoon because I was adding peppermint candies. This reduction was not evident in the flavor.

An ounce serving of McCormick's Pure Peppermint Extract will set you back around three to four dollars at Wal-Mart...more at the grocery store. The price may seem a bit steep, but considering it will flavor two gallons of ice cream, the cost seems a little more reasonable. If you were to extrapolate the cost of an equal amount of Haagen Dazs to the cost of a gallon of homemade ice cream, you will probably find that actually come out ahead in the end.

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Eco-I-Lite

All of the appliances in my home are Energy Star compliant. In fact, the house itself has features built in that designate it as an Energy Star home. What better way to light an energy efficient Energy Star home than with Energy Star night lights. But wait, a night light that doubles as a flashlight? Get outta’ here. The Eco-I-Lite is a flashlight that doubles as a night light. During a power failure, the flashlight automatically turns on!

The Eco-I-Lite comes in a two-pack for thirty to forty dollars. Not an inexpensive price for small LED flashlights. When considering the price, the features should also be considered. The Eco-I-Lite produces light from six LED lights, which means no bulb replacement. The lithium ion batteries will remain charged for a long time and are rechargeable…so no batteries to purchase, either. The flashlights consume very little power because of the LED design, allowing them to provide constant light for up to seven hours after they are fully charged. Not bad at all.

Eco-I-Lite consists of a base-style charging unit that plugs into the wall. There are no exposed conductors on the base because the Eco-I-Lite uses induction charging. An interesting concept that was previously foreign to me. The flashlight simply sits in the base, recharging as necessary. The base has a small light connected which can act as a nightlight if turned on (with two levels of brightness). Regardless of whether the nightlight is on or off, the flashlight will automatically turn on if removed from the base or in the event of a power failure. That feature would make this light easy to locate when needed most.

The flashlight itself is extremely lightweight. The flashlight has three modes which are all activated from a single click switch. One click turns the unit on (or removing the unit from the base). The next click places the flashlight into strobe mode. A final click powers the unit off. The beam created by this flashlight is sufficient for indoor use on a limited basis. Outside, the light will create ambient type lighting without any concentration of light. If you were searching for something, the light would probably be useless. The flashlight does not have a bezel to help concentrate the light.

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Kellogg's Whole Grain Pop Tarts (Cinnamon)

Finding breakfast foods with the right combination of healthiness, ease of preparation and flavor can be a challenge. On most mornings, I begin my day with a protein shake. For a change of pace, I enjoy yogurt and a Kellogg’s Cinnamon Whole Wheat Pop Tarts. These pop tarts contain sugar, but are healthier than regular pop tarts.

Kellogg’s Cinnamon Whole Wheat Pop Tarts contains twenty percent of the daily recommended value of fiber (5 grams of the recommended 25). At 200 calories per serving, the 7 grams of fat amounts to 60 calories from fat or thirty percent, not a bad ratio. Most adult diets recommend a daily allowance of 60 to 65 grams of fat, so these 7 grams do not consume a very large chunk of the daily allowance. Other breakfast alternatives might equate to an entire days worth of fat. The 14 grams of sugar still make this a sweet breakfast product. Kellogg’s Cinnamon Whole Wheat Pop Tarts are healthier than donuts but still have room for improvement in terms of overall health value.

The nutritional information is important, but it really doesn’t matter if you don’t enjoy what you’re eating. Kellogg’s Cinnamon Whole Wheat Pop Tarts have an excellent flavor. I have tried the chocolate version and can attest to the fact that they taste like cardboard. The cinnamon flavor taste really good, with no noticeable difference in flavor from regular pop tarts.

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Dap Tub and Tile Caulk

My shower was constructed by my builder from cultured marble. Because it is not a shower kit or molded shower, every joint needs to be sealed with caulk to prevent leaking. The shower has a bench built in, which adds that many more seams to seal. Caulking a shower is not a difficult task, but it can be time consuming.

The first step in recaulking my shower was to remove the old caulk. There were areas that had already separated, but to get a good bond with the new caulk it is beneficial to remove all remnants of the old caulk. To aid in this process, I used Dap Caulk-Be-Gone and a Hyde caulk removal tool. The Caulk-Be-Gone runs about four dollars and comes out as a green colored foam. After allowing the foam to sit on the old caulk for about two hours, I used the removal tool to take out all remnants of the original caulking job.

The caulk I used for this job was Dap Kwik Seal Tub and Tile Adhesive. I purchased this product at Wal-Mart for about two dollars per tube. Dap has a good reputation that I trust, so I figured it was a good buy. It should have been a good-bye. This adhesive did not work well at all. After cleaning up the mess from the caulk removal, I dried the seams and applied a steady bead of Dap Kwik Seal Tub and Tile Adhesive to the joints. I smoothed and tamped down the new caulk with a Hyde application tool. The job looked good when it was finished. As an added precaution, I waited 24 hours before using the shower.

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Dap Caulk-Be-Gone

I recently went three rounds with my shower caulk. I was intent on caulking with DAP adhesive caulk which proved to be an inferior product. Each new application of caulk requires the thorough removal of prior applications to provide the new caulk job a clean smooth surface for application. In order to facilitate the caulking job, I employed the use of Dap Caulk-Be-Goneto assist in removing the old caulk. It proved to be a product superior to the Dap adhesive.

I purchased my Dap Caulk-Be-Gone at Home Depot for around four dollars. The product indicated that it was not recommended for use on plastic or fiberglass. It did not indicate that cultured marble was an issue, which is what I intended it to be used on. Following the recommendation, I tried some in an inconspicuous area of the shower to see if it would damage the finish. I was concerned about damaging the cultured marble because many of the cleaning agents for showers indicate that they should not be used on marble or cultured marble. My test area held up well.

I applied the Dap Caulk-Be-Gone over the top of the existing caulk. It comes out of the plastic squeeze tube in a thick greenish foam that adheres to the caulk. The product recommends allowing one to two hours to elapse for the latex caulk to soften to the point where it becomes tacky. After waiting two hours I tested the caulk and found it to be sticky enough to remove. With the assistance of a Hyde brand removal tool (a cheap plastic tool shaped to slightly penetrate a seam while scraping the side surfaces), I stripped away the old caulk. The greenish foam clumps together, binding slightly with the old caulk strip. Clean up and removal of the residue was quick and easy.

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Lysol Basin Tub & Tile Cleaner

I have searched high and low for decent cleaning products for use on cultured marble. Although cultured marble is not porous, most of the products I have checked indicate that they are not for use with marble or cultured marble. I have only found two that specifically indicate that they will not harm cultured marble. Method Tub and Tile is available at Lowe's home improvement store. This product smells good but does not work very well. A superior product is the hard to find Lysol Foaming Basin Tub & Tile Cleaner. Although not as pleasant to smell, the product works exceptionally well.

Lysol Foaming Basin Tub & Tile Cleaner comes in a 24 ounce aerosol can. The foaming spray is easy to apply. The foam makes the areas covered easily detectable to ensure proper saturation and thorough removal once it is applied. Although the fragrance is intended to make the smell of this product less repulsive, it follows the tradition of most Lysol products...masking strong chemical odors with light fragrance creating a somewhat less repugnant smell that can still be a bit harsh on the sinuses.


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Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat

My beer tastes lean heavily towards the blond end of the spectrum. In terms of mainstream brews I like Michelob Ultra or Budweiser. The lighter beers tend to have a brighter flavor without the bitter acidic aftertaste that some of the darker brews leave. I have had tasted some nicely balanced beer of the darker variety but tend to be cautious in my experimentation.

I first tried Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat during Christmas. It was on tap at the local bar. I enjoyed it enough to make it my choice to join me for the Superbowl. I placed a couple of glasses in the freezer to get a nice chill on them before pouring the beer. With glass tilted, the beer poured nicely leaving a moderately sized head. The aroma was pleasant with hints of citrus. The wheat provided a nice amber straw color with a cloudy consistency. I garnished with a healthy slice of orange for added balance.

Although Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat has a darker color, the beer lacks the bitter aftertaste I dread. The flavor has a smooth balanced taste with citrus notes balanced by the thicker wheaty flavor. The flavors are a combination of wheat, pale malt, cluster hops and coriander. The coriander is not too spicy but balances nicely with the orange garnish. Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat avoids the headiness of other wheat beers I have sampled with a nice balance of spice, citrus and grain.

Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat is available year round. It is available on tap or through retailers like Wal-Mart, where I purchased a six-pack of long-neck bottles. The price is slightly more expensive than other beers that I like, but it was nice to experiment with a slightly gamier beer. The six-pack was around $7.50 placing it in the higher end for equivalent packaging of other brands.

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Scene It Movie Second Edition

Scene It! came highly recommended from a friend of mine. I have seen the game in the store and acknowledged that it looked like fun...but the thirty to forty dollar price tag has kept me scared away. After receiving a glowing recommendation of this game, I shelled out thirty dollars at Wal-Mart and went home with Scene It! Movie 2nd Edition. Although the price was a bit steep, the game has been fun to play...and you don't have to be a movie buff to be successful. There are elements of chance that help level the playing field. I'm not certain that this game is quite worth thirty dollars, but I don't regret spending the money.

Scene It! Movie 2nd Edition has a circular playing board that unfolds into a larger extended version. The playing area on the circular board looks a bit small...but this game takes longer to play than it looks. The extended board has several dozens spaces that you navigate using a six-sided die...so you could potentially finish the game in less than ten turns. But this game is not simple. The extended version normally takes me nearly an hour to complete. That is a decent game length...the shorter version can be played in less than half that time, which is a welcome option.

Younger players would be able to play this game but might struggle a bit with some of the questions. Some answers are given inside the video clips, which means you only have to pay attention, you don't necessarily need to know anything. But getting the answer within the movie clip questions doesn't mean the answer will be easy...for instance, there is a clip of Tom Hanks in Castaway calculating the number of square miles that the search teams will have to cover in order to find him. After completing a complicated mathematical equation, the clip ends and asks "how fast was the plane traveling when it crashed?" The answer was 475 miles per hour...but you would have had to listen close to get that one.

Scene It! Movie 2nd Edition facilitates up to four players (with a recommended age beginning at 13). The four mover pieces include a set of chatter teeth, a heart shaped box of chocolates, a racecar and a tombstone. There are two dice that can be tossed together. The six-sided die is numbered one through six and indicates the number of spaces you move if you answer correctly. The eight-sided die consists of symbols that indicate the type of challenge that must be completed in order to win. There is a DVD which contains video instructions, a timer and video clips for game play. The video choices include My Play and All Play options as well as a Final Cut challenge which must be used to win the game in the event that you don't win an All Play challenge upon reaching the end of the game board.

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Cranium Family

My son has recently expressed a renewed interest in board games. We tried our hand at Trivial Pursuit but the questions were a bit advanced for a ten year old. We have had great fun with Charades, but there are limitations on a game like this…it has a tendency to get off track at times…and there is no set goal…which means it can drag on forever. After Christmas, I browsed for some clearance games and ended up giving Cranium Family a try. The game is geared for ages 8 and up and splits players into two teams. So you must have a minimum of four players, but you can create teams much larger than that.

There a couple of things that really appealed to me about Cranium Family. The best aspect of this game is the fact that it is not an “every man for his self” game. By creating teams, younger players can be matched with older players allowing everyone a chance to participate. There are activities that may be a bit challenging for really young players, but there are others that even players much younger than the age of 8 can engage in. This creates a great opportunity for family bonding across age groups. The other thing I like about Cranium Family is the fact that a single game can be completed within half an hour. The limited time frame allows for shorter attention spans (like those of the adults in the room). The game is great fun for any age group.

The game board in Cranium Family has a fairly simple design. The two teams select between an orange or green plastic “mover piece.” The team that has a person with the next birthday gets to go first. In this game, you complete a task BEFORE you roll the dice. The tasks are divided among four color-coded “character card boxes.” The playing area is comprised of five corresponding colored squares…one for each character card box (red, blue, green and yellow) and purple which is player’s choice. The spaces alternate with some containing stars. If a team completes their task before time expires then they get to roll a standard six-sided die. If they are on a space with a star they get to double the roll and move that many spaces, otherwise they move the number they roll. With the potential to move up to twelve spaces per turn and a minimum of twenty-eight spaces to win, this game can move quickly.

The game board is very similar to a Trivial Pursuit board in size and construction. The board is cut on one side to allow the board to fold into quarters for easy storage. It takes thirty-seven spaces to win this game. There is one shortcut that eliminates nine of those spaces. The game comes with two mover pieces, one six-sided die, six six-sided letter dice, an hourglass timer, four character card boxes with about one hundred cards per box, a pencil and sketchpad and two tubs of clay. The game uses a variety of the enclosed props as well as items found around your house, individual creativity and some acting to accomplish tasks. Players are given a question or task based on the color space they are on, with purple being decided by the team being challenged. The character card boxes are Word Worm (Yellow), Creative Cat (Blue), Data Head (Red) and Star Performer (Green).

The Word Worm box uses language related tasks to challenge team members. The timer seems to run quickly on these challenges. For instance, the task may be to spell the word “watermelon” backwards, alternating between each member on the team. This must be accomplished in the allotted time…the added pressure of the draining sand can add some pressure! The letter cubes are used for many of these challenges. Your team may have to roll the cubes and write down a list of items beginning with each letter rolled. Another challenge would be to name five articles of clothing starting with one team member and moving to the next. Each progressive answer must begin with the last letter of the previous answer.


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