Odd fact; this is the third article
I've commenced writing within the past week. What can I say, I'm in
the mood to write, only I have zero clue what about. What this means
is that February will either be a month packed full of posts, or I'll
discover a clump of word files sometime this Summer with no clue to
my original intent. So what's the focal point of this one? Comfort
food, of course.
There's been a plentiful amount of
developments around here. The household is planing out a multistage
process for some major home improvements which, if fruitful will
provide me with some much needed space and privacy. Also I'm waiting
on news from different jobs, along with with close to six other
projects like returning to work on my novel. Times like this can get
a tad overbearing if you fail to take the necessary steps toward
relaxation. Part of how I unwind is culinary adventures. Let's take a
gander at what's been festering within my gut.
Velveeta Bold Chipotle Mac and Cheese
I'm a big fan of both cheesy and spicy
foods, yet I'm only a fan of their combination on rare occasions. For
example, I despise any nearly every variation of jalapeno cheddar,
yet those Chipotle Cheese-It Zingers are a beloved weekend staple.
Perhaps that association is what inspired me to grab a box of this
new Velveeta Bold stuff.
I'd originally planed on trying this
over a weekend so everyone could have a bite. Instead it became a
solo late night pig out. Irresponsible? Probably, but when you're up
at 2 A.M. Drinking whiskey and Watching shows about time-traveling
superheroes, there's hardly a responsible choice to be made.
Much like their competition, Velveeta
doesn't bother to actually change their cheese sauce, offering up a
pack of dry spices to mix into the pot. Mine was so well hidden it
nearly ended up in the boiling water. Other than my slight difficulty
in finding that pouch, the cooking procedure is pretty standard.
Once it was finished there oddly
wasn't much of a smell, and what litter there was edged closer to
leftover tacos or moderately spicy chips than a pasta dish. The scent
didn't linger either which is a blessing when you're not in the mood
to explain late night dietary decisions with family.
As for the flavor, I was pleasantly
surprised to find something akin to chili-mac just with a little more
spice, and less geese. The spice factor is fairly balanced with the
heat slowly sneaking up but not going completely overboard.
While I definitely wouldn't recommend
this as a cheap meal, I feel fairly confident in suggesting it as a
side dish for something bland like fish. There's enough spice to warm
you up without resulting in sweaty spasms which allows the normal
comforts of mac and cheese to work their magic. Overall it was a
decent, if unhealthy treat.
Mtn. Dew Kickstart Energizing Midnight
Grape
The night before gorging on Velveeta,
I'd been out on a sizable stroll through town that left me remarkably
parched despite the swampy late-winter weather. Luckily a trip to the
party store was lined up upon my return. The selection wasn't much to
get excited about but I did remember there were several new kickstart
flavors. Not being much of a fan of the Kickstart line, I didn't get
my hopes up too much but there was a chance they'd have something
worthwhile. Neither the Blueberry Pomegranate or Watermelon varieties
sounded potent enough to suite my needs, then I saw Midnight Grape.
Certain that this would be the perfect flavor to accompany such a
dark, wet night, I grabbed a can and headed home, where an unwanted
surprise awaited me.
Let me ask you a question. If you're
looking at a dark purple can with the words midnight grape, what do
you expect? My bet would be strong, maybe Concord grape flavor,
right? The folks at Dew don't seem to share the same point of view as
the rest of us cause this drink is white grape flavored. Everything
about the presentation screams dark grapes, even the drink itself is
purple colored, so why the hell is the drink white grape? This isn't
even false advertising so much as it is confounding misdirection. The
worst thing is I really enjoy white grape, but that was not what I
was craving at the time.
Confusing packaging aside, was
this stuff any good? Hmmmm, sorta. The flavor is light, resting
comfortably between soda and energy drink. There's a distinct note of
Flintstone chewables which struck me as odd given the lack of a
vitamin chart on the can. It's an odd mix as you find yourself
refreshed while craving something else to wash out the vitamin
aftertaste. The choice of white grape flavor gives this an edge in a
crowded market but it's just no balanced. Not awful, mind you, just
weak.
It's not all bad, though. The sugar
content is relatively low for this type of beverage. Also, the energy
mix perked me up while avoiding that blood-sugar rollercoaster other
brands can bestow. Can't really comment on how long that boost lasted
since I've been staying up extra late for the past few weeks.
For a final recommendation I'd still
suggest interested parties to give it a shot so long as they know to
expect a much lighter drink than the packaging implies. Who knows, it
might be more up your alley, just keep an eye out for coupons or a
sale.
That's all for today folks. Gotta get
back to my other projects like the job hunt. I tell ya, waiting is
for a response is killer. Never thought I'd reach a point in life
where Pop Tarts became a tool for curbing anxiety. See you folks
later this week. I'm off to visit the toaster.
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