What do we like this week? The ability to do your banking anywhere outside of the actual bank. A retrospective CD by English band the Redskins. Homemade sangria. To name a few.
Making your own sangria -- If the summer we’ve had here in Milwaukee this year didn’t call for copious amounts of refreshing sangria, then I don’t know what does. I love the stuff and had been buying it by the boatload from my local liquor store when it suddenly struck me how simple it would be to make myself (and save money in the long run.) I’d been frequently purchasing the $5 bottles of Ed Hardy’s sangria because it was cheap and fairly delicious, but it wasn’t until I tasted my homemade version than I realized I’d never go back to store-bought. Here’s my recipe: 1 bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja reds, Zinfandel, Shiraz), 1 lemon cut into wedges, 1 orange cut into wedges, 2 tbsp. sugar, 1 shot brandy, 2 cups ginger ale or club soda. Enjoy. -- Julie Lawrence
Chase Mobile iPhone App -- One of my least-favorite activities in life is going to the bank. I don't know why, I just don't care for it. Part of the reason I switched to Chase a while back was the company's impressive iPhone App. It included all the basics -- managing account balances, transfers and so on -- but also allowed me to pay my bills right from my phone. Recently, Chase added the ability to deposit checks. Skeptical, I tried it out and quickly ... it became an invaluable tool. Simply photograph the front and back of an endorsed check and the software automatically verifies the tracking, account and check numbers. Funds are usually available within 24 hours, too. No more waiting in line at the bank or trying to hustle through traffic to get there before 5 p.m. -- Andrew Wagner
Athenian Skillet at Brookfield Family Restaurant -- I wrote a scouting report on this place recently and forgot to mention how awesome this dish is. Take a small amount of diced breakfast potatoes, fresh roasted red and green peppers and grilled onions and put them on a skillet with eggs to order, gyro meat and feta cheese. A pretty great way to start a day. --Drew Olson
Walking the entire Milwaukee RiverWalk -- The Milwaukee RiverWalk now spans nearly three miles along the Milwaukee River through the heart of Downtown. It's open from just south of the Third Ward to all the way through Schlitz Park. New access just below the Aloft Milwaukee and Manpower really make a full walk fun and packed with unique views. Before the weather changes, experience your city from this unique view by walking the entire RiverWalk one day. You'll love it. -- Jeff Sherman
Loomis Food & Liquor -- Randomly, I stopped off at Loomis Food & Liquor, 4415 W. Loomis Rd., on the way to a casual rehearsal dinner to grab a six pack of beer. I crossed my fingers on the way through the door that the place would offer a halfway decent selection of beer, -- it looked like a small, "Open Pantry"-type operation -- but to my surprise, I found a gold mine of choices. Best of all, the prices were great. (So great that I could not pass up a bottle of Cazadores Blanco for $19.99.) I find it humorous that "food" is even mentioned in the name of this place, because the majority of the stock is in a can or a bottle. -- Molly Snyder
Cee-Lo's underground hit "F*ck You" -- It's the catchiest tune of the summer, but you can't really listen to it with kids (or supervisors) around. Find it on YouTube, because I don't want to get in trouble for sending you the link. I guarantee, though, that it'll get your toes tapping. --D.O.
Redskins -- Epilogue (Insurgence Records) -- The basics of York, England trio the Redskins were to be found in the band's name: three northern England skins with passions on the political left. But when asked to sum up the band, singer X Moore once quipped, "We want to walk like The Clash and sing like The Supremes." While they definitely did the former, they didn't quite get to the latter, though they created, arguably, the only ballsy blue-eyed soul -- because it walked on the edge of punk -- of the 1980s. The band managed one LP and a half-dozen or so singles in its brief career. The lyrics were right out of the Socialist Workers Party playbook, but the Redskins had a sense of humor and played fun music, too. They knew kids didn't go to gigs expecting lectures or discussion groups. Steve Cropper-influenced guitar shanked rough-neck soul-tinged beats -- kind of like the ones Kings Go Forth do now -- and a horn section punctuated it all. When I was 21 I was lucky enough to get to use that horn section and the band's gear on a three-gig trip to London. So, I have a soft spot for these fellas. This disc collects four songs from the Skins' super-rare first two 45s, plus demos, a live track, an unreleased John Peel session track and three songs recorded at home when the band was still called No Swastikas. All the fire and the fury is here in this set, which also functions as a de facto retrospective. Check it out. -- Bobby Tanzilo
The $3.99 sandwiches at Whole Foods Market -- Keeping lunch under $5 is a challenge, so the selection of $3.99 sandwiches at Whole Foods, 2305 N. Prospect Ave., is great. Roast turkey with provolone, ham, egg salad and even peanut butter are all made daily. Sandwiches are wrapped, fresh and ready to go. Nice sized and fairly healthy, too. -- Jeff Sherman
