The new year brings a fresh start – and why not try to be the best you can be this year? This week's edition of the OnMilwaukee WeWant focuses on just a few things we are trying to be better at this year.
Cook it up: KitchenAid slow cooker
My kids and I don't eat terribly during the week, but we could certainly do better this year. I find myself making a lot of food on the fly, from "brinner" (breakfast for dinner) to grilled cheese sandwiches. I know I can do better if I think ahead, shop with purpose and buy a slow cooker. I had one, until it died, but I plan to get another – this one would be my dream model – so I can improve our diet and cut back on the super-easy weekday foods that aren't so good for us. (I'm talking to you, frozen pizza.) Also, I'd love to come home from work and smell the delectable aroma of all the meats and a few of the veggies that have been simmering all day. – Molly Snyder
Juice it up: Stainless-Steel Citrus Juice Press
In November, I started drinking warm lemon water with a bit of turmeric every morning. Why? Well, there seem to many benefits and I like easy daily habits like this one.
So, I plan on continuing this and juicing through all of 2016.
But, I need something easier than my old school glass juicer to squeeze the lemons. So, this Stainless-Steel Citrus Juice Press looks really easy to use and at $22.99 for Prime members isn’t too expensive. It’s in my Wish List, and I hope to get one soon. – Jeff Sherman
Snack on them: CabernayZyn
Everyone knows that wine comes from grapes, but usually, those grapes are reserved for wine, not snacking. Not CabernayZyns, which are very unique California raisins made from cabernet-grade grapes. That’s good for a few reasons: first, these are grapes with way more complex flavors, but also, you get all the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and other health benefits that come with drinking wine. Now, these fancy raisins are a little unusual, too: they come attached to the vine, so you have to pluck them off yourself (which slows down my snacking, in a good way). And they have a distinct crunch of seeds that you’ll either like or not (I like). CabernayZyns are definitely an interesting take on your everyday raisin; and 8-ounce bag costs about $15. – Andy Tarnoff
Vape it: Njoy Daily and Recharge
Njoy sent over some of their latest ground-breaking e-cigarette devices for us to review and the results were very compelling. We sampled both level Njoy Daily, their disposable option, as well as Njoy Recharge, a rechargeable vaping battery.
Njoy Daily is possibly the most realistic cigarette replica on the market. Contributing to this status is the weight of the actual e-cig, the mouthfeel and throat-hit of the vapor and, most revolutionizing, the "filter" area. It has almost a sponginess to it that alludes to the feel of a cigarette filter in your mouth. Stepping up a couple notches on the vaping spectrum, Njoy Recharge is an affordable and user-friendly option for the consumer ready to step up their vaping game but not interested in dealing with actually transferring e-juice into the device.
The flavor spectrum available from Njoy is rather limited in range but all options they sent were very enjoyable. Njoy Daily is available in Rich Tobacco, Cool Menthol and Blue + Blackberry, all of which were pleasing. They’ve added Peach Tea and Vanilla Bean to the options for the pre-filled tanks available for their vaporizer. While the spectrum of vaping flavors on the market is vast, this array covers a good range of the common categories. – Eron Laber
Drink better: Coffee
I am trying to replace canned energy drinks (Rockstar, Monster, etc.) with coffee, black if I can tolerate it. I drink a ton of those things, especially on long drives, and, well ... there's just no way that stuff can be good for you. The body can only take so much taurine, I'm sure. Black coffee has natural caffeine and many health benefits. Let's see if I can at least make it through Packers season! – Jimmy Carlton
Extend the cord: Slingbox M2
The concept of cutting the cord is a fun one to consider, but let’s be honest, it’s not quite there yet. Even with Apple TV, Chromecast or Roku, you face quite a few limitations and hoops to jump through, especially when it comes to live sports, local TV and general reliability. Our cottage, which gets decent broadband Internet, is too far from Green Bay to get over-the-air TV, and I’m not paying for a satellite dish for its very limited use. Thankfully, Slingbox – not a new invention – is the absolutely best way to watch your own TV on the go. Here’s how it works: it connects to your cable or satellite or U-Verse box at home, and then uploads whatever is on your TV to your mobile device (including to your Roku box so you can watch it on another TV somewhere else). Amazingly, you virtually control your own remote control via an infrared dongle, so there’s a little bit of a delay; but for the most part, it just works. I’ve had zero problems streaming to my iPhone and iPad, but connecting to my Up North Roku took some rebooting/re-installing before I got it to work. And, the latency with the IR remote means that occasionally, I typed in the wrong channel, but it syncs nicely with your actual channel guide. Finally, I’m a little surprised that it connects with component cables and not HDMI, but the quality, if you have good bandwidth, is quite good. Overall, Slingbox is an amazing value at $197, with no additional fees, forever. There’s a cheaper version, the M1, that is identical from a hardware perspective, but then you get dinged on adding additional devices, and you see some ads. Spend the extra cash and stream your stuff everywhere. – Andy Tarnoff
