Cincy Lights

I couldn't help but put out out a few decorations. It's nothing like the Christmas display, but it's a enough to tide us over until we've had our turkey dinner, then we can set about gearing up for Christmas will our full efforts.

This ghost inflatable is one we found at a local Kroger store that was in the candy isle last year and I talked the manager into selling me this special Hershey promo inflatable.

Enjoy and Happy Halloween... don't eat too much candy!!

There's two things about Halloween that I really look forward to each year. The first is sitting down with "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and the second is the Halloween candy.




It's somehow surprising how induring this classic is. It first aired in 1966 and has been almost ten years since the passing of Charles "Sparky" Schultz. There is no need for glitzy computer graphics or big budget productions, namely because it's a simple story that is so indearing, it's just as entertaining now as it was fourty three years ago.

It seems the Halloween season brings many types of candy you only find at this time of year. Candy Corn candies of all shapes and sizes and Ghost shaped Peeps, the first reappearance of these marshmellow critters since the Easter Bunny, plus all the standard favorites.


I really like dark chocolate and this year I found minature dark chocolate Reese's peanut butter cups. I have to honestly say there may be no better combination then dark chocolate and peanut butter, so finding these little treasures was a nice find indeed.

Happy Halloween and enjoy Trick or Treating... scary movies... or just turning out the lights and ignoring the spooks and goblins.


-- Post From My iPhone

Quick update on the great coffee taste test, which now enters a second stage, but not likely the last.



I found Columbian blend Nescafe Tasters Choice and thought it might make a good comparison to the Starbucks VIA Columbian. I can honestly say that there is absolutly no comparison available here. The Tasters Choice turned out to be simply vile. I tried to find kind words for this blog, but the brown muddy water that was produced, well it just wasn't worthy of a kind word. I didn't have my taste test panel available today, so in the near future I hope to see if my reaction to the Columbian was justified, but will post an update when I have more data for those at all interested.

I stopped into the Starbucks around the corner from from work intending on simply getting my morning cup of get-you-going coffee. I had forgotten Starbucks was holding a taste test. The new Starbucks VIA instant coffee versus the in-house brewed coffee. I couldn't pass up a challenge like this!! I like my coffee and think I have a pretty good pallet. The challenger was the VIA Italian Roast versus the classic Pike Place brewed coffee.

Lets just say that while the VIA makes pretty decent coffee, the taste wasn't even close, the depth and complexity of the brewed black concoction was so apparent when next to the VIA. Michael Phelps would have been proud with speed and timing with the tap in with my choice of which was instant and which was brewed.

I'm sure the VIA is really good instant coffee, but I think I'm pretty sure that if given the choice I'd go with the brewed coffee.



I decided to put the VIA to a real test, testing it against another instant coffee. I found a box of Nescafe Tasters Choice (TC) individual serving packets, very similar to the VIA packaged individual servings, but the Tasters Choice was only 18 cents a serving 82 cents a serving.

Results:
Better aroma and color from the VIA.
Richer more complex taste from the VIA.

(Adding a little more of the TC instant improved color and taste, resulting in a nice nutty flavor, making ita better comparision to the VIA.)

TC is by far the cheaper of the two and could be even cheaper by buying the instant mix by the jar/can then the individual packets, making it a very exceptional value without sacrificing taste for dollars.

The VIA seemed to want to come out of solution, at least I thought so, butthere was no mistaking the fine granules of coffee at the bottom of the small cup that had cooled slightly. I didn't notice the TC doing this, even when it was somewhat weak before we added more instant, it always stayed... well a cup of coffee.

If it wasn't for the price gap here the VIA would be a hands down winner of our little taste test. As it is, the TC gives the VIA a real run, but fades at the finish.

Do we have a new daily coffee option that would retire the coffee maker? No. I think I'll stick to my trusty drip maker or the french press for my coffee needs.

Thanks to Jamie, Jennifer, and Bob for offering up their pallets for my little taste test.