McRib vs Real Country Rib

McDonald’s McRib sandwich

VS

Arby’s Real Country Rib sandwich

It’s that time of year again when the McDonald’s hype train starts rolling for their “limited time only” McRib release. This year though; it has some competition. Arby’s once again proves it “has the meats” as they have produced their own “real country rib” sandwich in conjunction with Sadler’s, the east Texas smokehouse.

I tried both. Let’s see how my experiences compared

The McDonald’s McRib: a pre formed pork patty covered in a tangy bbq sauce with onion slices and pickles on a small hoagie bun. Retails for $4.99 for the sandwich and $8.69 for the meal which includes a medium drink and fries.

The McRib slides around a lot due to all that sauce

The meal includes medium (pictured) or large french fries and a drink

The McRib is a sloppy sweet mess. When I was little I would pick off the pickles and onions. They just got in the way of the sugary sauce. Today I ate it all and relished the pickles and onions as a different flavor to break up the overpowering sweetness of the over used sauce.

I liked the McRib when I was little, but not so much today. Whereas my childhood memories of the McRib were positive, my adult palate is just reminded of a poor version of those bbq meals you find in the frozen food section of grocery stores.

You know the type I’m talking about…(this particular example is cheaper than a McRib and tastes better to boot)

The Arby’s Real Country Rib: generously seasoned, 8 hour hickory smoked pork with a slice of smoked gouda cheese, bbq sauce, mayo and crispy onion straws on a star cut bun. Retails at $6.19 for the sandwich and $9.09 for the meal: small drink and small fries (crinkle or seasoned curly).

Real Country Rib sandwich

Seasoned curly fries

Do you see that piece of meat on the left side of the sandwich? It didn’t have any sauce on it, so I pulled it out to try on it’s own and oh..my…smoked meat loving goodness! Tender, juicy with a thin bit of fat on it. Tasted like it had been recently cut from the bone.

The Real Country Rib meal is $ .40 more expensive than the McRib meal, but significantly larger. The small fry at Arby’s is bigger than a medium fry at McDonald’s (see pics).

The sandwich is also larger and more flavorful than the McRib. The McRib has the rib shaped pork meat patty (covered in their sweet & tangy bbq sauce), onions and pickles. Whereas the Real Country Rib has seasoned, 8 hour hickory smoked pork, crispy onion straws, a sweet & smokey bbq sauce, smoked gouda and mayonnaise. There are a lot more flavors going on that all meld together into a smokey, savory bite of deliciousness.

After comparing/contrasting both, the winner was clear. Both are limited run sandwiches from their respective brands, but only one would I choose to eat multiple times when it becomes available.

In this #FoodFaceoff the REAL COUNTRY RIB sandwich from Arby’s is the obvious winner!

*note: prices may vary by location

DUNE part one

“Dreams are messages from the deep”

A superb cast

Based on the novel series, film attempts have been made several times. This one finally seems to have captured the epic scale of the books.

A vision of a holy war

Lots of opening dialogue, similar to Fellowship of the Ring, help explain the vast setting. Much better than the 1980s Dune movie. This film is easier to follow along with for someone who has never read the books.

Duncan is an incredible fighter

War, politics, mystery, loyalty and betrayal. Dune is a complicated movie with many characters, but the visuals alone make this movie worth watching.

Bigger than the worms from Tremors. These things are massive!

The battle on Arrakis is short, but promises much bigger things in the future. It’s initially a lot to get your head around, but fans of the book should really enjoy it.

A sci fi movie that is truly epic in scale. A beautiful beginning to what is sure to be an exciting series. I look forward to Dune: Part Two.

Movie Score: 85%

The Burger Stand

I visited the newest location for Topeka’s award winning Burger Stand. It is found in the Brookwood Shopping Center on SW 29th street.

The Brookwood Shopping center is set in a beautiful, wooded area with a Dillons as the anchor store. The Burger Stand sets in the recluse center of the shopping center that goes further back than most other stores. Except for a sign out front, it’s mostly hidden from view.

The Brookwood: beef patty, topped with smoked brisket, onions and Dr Pepper BBQ sauce

I ordered the Brookwood. It was the most expensive burger on the menu.it was a fairly simple, bbq burger. Just a beef topped with brisket, onions and sauce. Pretty decent, but not great. Certainly not worth the price.

Beer battered onion rings

I ordered the beer battered onion rings as a side, and boy, I am sure glad I did. These fresh made onion rings were delicious. Thick, slightly sweet and highly addictive. These instantly made it into my top 10 list for onion rings!

The Burger Stand is a really good restaurant in a beautiful area. If I were rich I would frequent this place often. However; it is the high prices, which include a built in gratuity, that will keep me from returning.

It’s just a fancy bar and burger joint. A nice place for a casual date, but too expensive to drop by for a quick burger and fries.

#RestaurantReview #FoodieFriday #KCFoodie #CulinaryAdventures #ExploreYourCity #TopekaKS

Muppets Haunted Mansion

The newest Muppet movie released exclusively to Disney+ this October.

It is both a love letter to the Haunted Mansion, arguably Disney’s most popular attraction, and a throwback to the old school muppets.

Filled with music, comedy and several references to the Haunted Mansion attraction; Muppets Haunted Mansion is a good family movie.

I don’t think Kermit is too fond of the couples costumes Piggy picked out

Muppets Haunted Mansion follows the fearless Gonzo and Pepe the king prawn on a wacky adventure inside a haunted mansion. Gonzo is excited to see the haunted house where his favorite magician, Macguffin, disappeared all those years ago while Pepe thinks he is attending a Hollywood party filled with big stars. Ultimately Pepe is disappointed, but he does get to meet one star…kind of.

Like all good muppet movies and shows, Muppets Haunted Mansion is filled to the brim with famous guest stars. Some are in larger roles (see pic) but most are just quick cameos.

Is it ironic that in Ed Asner’s last film, he portrays a ghost? #TooSoon

While not as good as Muppets Christmas Carol (the definitive best muppets movie of all time), Muppets Haunted Mansion is a solid entry into the franchise and will have your family laughing and singing along. Watch it now on Disney+.

Score 82%

#MovieReview #MovieMondays #NatApproved #Muppets

Deutches Küche

Several times a year, Aldi will have “German week”. Aldi is a German based company. Their German food brand name is Deutches Küche (German Kitchen). I get excited every time I see German week announced by my local Aldi. Check out what I found this time!

This October, I found several items I hadn’t seen before…..so I bought them all.

When German week at Aldi rolls around, I have a few staple items I normally pick up:

Peanut puff snacks (they sell out quick), Pork Schnitzels, German style pickles and all 3 soups (vegetable, lentil and potato).

As you see in the photo, there were several new items I had never tried before including some (not pictured) frozen and refrigerated ones.

The sunflower seed bread was what I tried first. It’s best used like a cracker; as a base layer for dips, vegetables and cheeses. It is a thicker, tougher bread than traditional American sandwich bread.

I am anxious to try the new soup when it gets cold enough outside. The idea of a lentil and chickpea soup with raisins and apricots for sweetness really intrigues me.

I rarely like fish and canned fish scares me, so I haven’t yet gotten up the courage to try the various herrings. I’m still a little fish shy after the disaster that was my first attempt at eating canned sardines. The neighborhood cats loved the leftovers (the whole can minus one sardine) though.

The frozen German Potato blend was pretty decent. It had microwave directions. Quick to make, tasty and filling. Works great for a quick breakfast.

Though I have many favorites to pick up every German weekn this time I found a new favorite item: German style sauerkraut. It goes great with all the wursts (brat, knock, nuremburg) that I bring home every German week. If only Aldi would bring over a Düsseldorf style mustard, I would be set!

A meal I prepared from my German Week finds: Pork Schnitzel (before gravy), mushroom Spaetzle und Nuremburg style wurst

German Week at Aldi is a happy time for me! Sometimes I wish it came more often, but then I remember my limited food budget. German week DEFINITELY tempts me to spend too much.

If you live near an Aldi when German Week hits, here are my top recommendations: Peanut Puffs, Nuremburg style bratwurst, German style pickles (not the spicy ones) and the smoked knockwurst. GUT ESSEN!

#Culinary Adventures #FoodieFinds #Aldi #GermanWeek #Octoberfest

Fun Size

Fun Size really surprised me. After the first time I watched it, it immediately became one of my top Halloween movies and something that became a tradition for me to watch every year.

Released in 2012, Fun Size (starring Victoria Justice, Thomas Mann, Jane Levy and Osric Chow) is a funny teenage romp in the vein of party movies of the past.

In this strange tale, four high school kids have a night full of hilarious misadventures: outwitting parents, fighting bullies, meeting new friends, chasing crushes and making memories for a lifetime all while trying to locate the main character’s missing little brother.

If you’re looking for a fun Halloween movie, look no further. This laugh out loud comedy will definitely bring a smile to your face!

Score 85%

#MovieReview #MovieMondays #NatApproved #HighlyRecommended

Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/VqP64AyJNTQ

October Baby

Since it’s October, I thought it was a good time to do a review of a movie from several years back that I really enjoyed. It was released by an independent studio, so it never got a lot of buzz. I didn’t see it in the theater, but picked up a copy of the DVD when it hit Walmart.

Released in 2011, October Baby is a emotion filled drama chronicling the story of 19 year old Hannah and her freshman year in college when she finds out information about her early childhood that changes her entire life.

Fair warning, this movie is definitely a tear jerker! Sad tears, mad tears, happy tears…it’s all there

The film is beautifully shot and the music is near perfect. The songs fit the mood and their lyrics are so very well timed to what’s happening in the movie. This film introduced me to one of my all time favorite songs: Life is Beautiful by The Afters.

This film can be slow at times but ends up being so powerful that you will need time to just sit and think after watching it. A movie that I have watched many times over now and has found it’s place onto my top 100 films list.

Don’t cry…don’t cry

This film is not normally the type I watch, but it won me over. I highly recommend viewing this. Make sure you’re well hydrated beforehand as you may lose some liquid as the film will rip out your heart and stomp on it over and over again.

Score = 93%

#MovieReview #MovieMondays #HighlyRecommended

Octoberfest Pizza?

There is this popular local pizza chain in the KC metro called Minsky’s. Ever so often, they release a limited run product in conjunction with other area businesses.

The first one I remember was a BBQ pizza in conjunction with Joe’s KC BBQ. Recently they released a potato chip featuring their award winning french fry seasoning in conjunction with Guy’s potato chips. But this one beats them all!

In conjunction with Boulevard Brewing Company and Joe’s KC they have introduced the limited edition: Octoberfest Pizza!!! 🎉🎊🍻

It features an alfredo-mustard-BBQ sauce made with Boulevard Brewery’s Pale Ale. Then a layer of smoked sausage from Joe’s KC. Topped with deep fried white cheddar cheese curds, crispy tater tots and smoked bacon all covered by a layer of mozzarella.

The taste of this pizza is unique, savory and definitely cheesy! The sausage has a decent, but not overwhelming, kick to it. The chesse curds melt beautifully when you bite into them giving you a burst of flavor so distinct from the mozzarella.

To be honest, I never picked up any smoked bacon flavor. I only found a couple of tots on my pizza. I enjoyed the sauce, but the main flavor of this pie was cheese. Between the curds and the ton of mozzarella, the bacon, tots and sauce were mostly lost in the background.

There was quite a cheese pull getting this slice out of the box

The biggest letdown about this pizza is when I tried to eat a leftover slice cold the next morning. This is NOT the kind of pizza that tastes good cold.

The Octoberfest pizza was good, but except for the sausage slices, it really didn’t have any flavors I typically associate with Octoberfest. I found that reheating my leftover slices and adding some sauerkraut on top gave it a better flavor profile. More German, in keeping with the season, and the kick of kraut helped balance out the savory, cheesy overload.

Score = 77%

#KCFoodie #CulinaryAdventures #FoodieFinds #FoodieFriday #NatApproved

CRY MACHO

Simultaneously released to theaters and the HBO Max streaming service, Cry Macho is a screenplay written by N. Richard Nash. After various rejections he turned his screenplay into a novel (released in 1975) and then spent the following decades trying to get it made into a movie. He died in 2000 having sold his screenplay but would never see the results on film.

Though it has had many attempts to be brought to the silver screen, starring such names as Burt Reynolds, Pierce Brosnan and most recently Arnold Swartzenagger, this movie finally arrived in September of 2021 directed by and starring Clint Eastwood.

Cry Macho is the story of a retired American rodeo star named Mike Milo (Eastwood) who is sent across the southern border to find and bring back his friend’s estranged teenage son from Mexico where he lives with his mother, kind of. Turns out he lives on the streets.

Mike Milo and his friend’s son

Clint Eastwood seems like a pretty cool guy, but he is way too old to be portraying this character. A geriatric ninety one year old man is not the person you send into a dangerous area of Mexico to track down and bring back your estranged, street wise teenage son.

This already ridiculous plot gets even more ludacris as things go sideways when his truck breaks down. He can’t get his friend’s son back to the U.S., so he decides to earn some money by breaking wild horses because, you know, 91 year old cowboys are physically capable of doing that kind of stuff. *que the pulled back wide shot of a stand in actor (probably a stunt man) riding a wild, bucking horse.

Then he falls for a young Mexican woman that takes care of him. His love for her is awkward at first until he realizes that this young widow has grandchildren and that makes her old enough to be with him!

Yeah…that attractive woman in her late 30s, early 40s TOTALLY wants that 91 year old fella!

I found nothing to enjoy in this film. Cry Macho is slow paced, poorly written, casted and acted. A complete waste of time. It’s 104 minutes of your life you’ll never get back. Save yourself and do not waste time or money on this B grade film.

Movie score: 17%

#NatsJourneys #MovieReview #CryMacho #NotRecommended

Bier Garten Riverwalk

Bier Garten Riverwalk is located in downtown San Antonio near the Alamo in the Riverwalk District.

It is an authentic German restaurant with a wide variety of beers to choose from and a small, but good menu. There is limited seating inside the building, but lots of seating outside by the water.

The staff were very friendly and dressed in traditional, German garb. There is a large German population around this part of TX, but none of the staff I spoke to could actually speak German.

I tried one of every Wurst available: Bratwurst, Polish, Knockwurst, Weisswurst und a Nuremburg wurst wheel. Actually, I tried just a bite or two of every wurst. I couldn’t eat this all by myself, so I brought a couple #FoodieBuddies with me to help out. We ordered more than enough food for all three of us!

A bratwurst, polish and knockwurst with mashed potatoes, kraut balls, bier cheese, sauerkraut and large, Bavarian style pretzels

There were two more wurst not included on this dish; a weisswurst and a Nuremburg wurst wheel. I love weisswurst and though I’ve had (and really enjoyed) Nuremburg style wurst before, I’d never had it in a wheel form!

“In the area of Germany where I used to live, weisswurst is the sausage they used to make the the popular German street food, currywurst.” #SteveSpeaks

Nuremburg sausage wheel

The Nuremburg wurst wheel was only available as a sandwich. It was on a huge (but not big enough) bun, smothered in bier cheese with bacon infused onions. It was a meal unto itself! #Recommended

Of all the German (and Austrian) restaurants I’ve visited on my travels this summer; Biergarten Riverwalk was the most authentic looking and tasting one that I experienced. That, and the setting in downtown San Antonio next to the riverwalk was absolutely gorgeous!

#NatsJourneys #FoodieFriday #CulinaryAdventures #ExploreYourCity #SanAntonioTX #RestaurantReview #HighlyRecommended