Apple Chip Yumminess

Health food freaks rejoice! Watch our Mr. Potatohead! I am seeing a trend in the stores where apples are joining the rank of potatoes in the form of chips. Crunchy, either plain or with Cinnamon, sour apple, red apple, organic… They are getting there.

I have become addicted to the applechip. It's no horsechip either. These are damn good and deserve a place in the cupboard or pantry.

Bare Fruit Cinnamon Apple Chips are what you want. They are organic too! Seeing that apples are the number two toxic crop you can eat. This is bad news, so take it seriously. Buy organic when you buy apples!

These things are fantastic! Bare Fruit makes several different products, but these are my favorite so far. You can find them at your local Coop or request them at Whole Foods if they are not there yet.

Get out your inner hippie.

Belgium's Biggest Beer

On with the fine Belgian beer search. I have finally had a taste of the infamous Scaldis Prestige ale by the Dubuisson Brewery. This is Belgium's strongest ale (more info on the beer). It is also a $40 beer. What? Yep, you read it. That is why I have waited to buy it myself. I was given a taste by my future brother in law. Awesome guy. So, back to the beer. This beer is around 12% alcohol. Drink the whole 750ml bottle and you will be happy or on the floor watching the ceiling spin. But, you will be dreaming of another glass of this oh so refined ale. Very, very smooth and not to sweet, like most high alcohol beers. 

The flavors are amazing from a beer. First, they are simple flavors, not complex. Not better or worse, just a different style. Amazingly enough, the beer smells and tastes like a apricot and butterscotch tinted beer. Nice refined nuances usually found only in excellent Single Malt Scotches. The beer goes down well, too well. That bottle will be gone quickly, so enjoy and savor every sip.

Accosted by a Mad Mango Mix!

Trader Joes has some amazing little treats hidden in its isles. I recently discovered a little delight that sounded so bizarre I had to try it. First off, I love chocolate. Second, I like strange combinations in my chocolate. You never know what might work with the cacao bean nuances. 

Anyways, I found the Dark Chocolate Covered Chile Spiced Dried Mango at Trader Joes and I had to try it. There was just no way to pass this one up. The flavors are complex and shocking to your palate. First you think, yummmmmm…chocolate. Wrong! Try sour-punch me in the face with a twenty pound cinder block from Home Depot. Woooooo! Sour…but the it fades and the next layer comes in. Salt! Yes, Salt. The salt calms down the sour fury and begins to enhance the next layer of flavor. Here comes a nice spicy flood hitting next, warming up your palate as the deep tasting chocolate melts. What a great combo. Now, as you bite into the piece, you can taste the super sweet tropical flavors of the mango combine into the whole mess. What a flavor.

Do I like this? I still don't know. The flavors are so weird I have to keep eating these things. So I guess I like them? Somehow these are addicting, but gross at the same time. How is that possible? This is a treat you want to keep on hand for your friends and family to try. They just have to. 

Now, try it with some Single Malt Scotch and lets see where it goes from there…