Tuesday, February 17, 2009

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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Monday, February 9, 2009

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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Monday, February 2, 2009

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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