Ranking of Ice Cream Makers

By Chaz G. T. Patto

Saying decisively that a certain product is "the best" can really vary year by year as styles change and models get updated, become obsolete or are discontinued. But major companies also have reputations to consider.

Ranking the reputations of manufacturers is subjective and can vary based on individual preferences, specific categories, and customer experiences. The reputation of manufacturers can be influenced by factors such as quality, craftsmanship, design, durability, customer service, and value for money. While it is a difficult process to provide an all-encompassing ranking, here are several well-regarded manufacturers with a stellar reputation:

1. Cuisinart: Cuisinart is widely regarded as a reputable brand in the ice cream maker market. They offer a range of ice cream makers known for their performance, reliability, and user-friendly features. Cuisinart ice cream makers often receive positive reviews for their freezing efficiency, ease of use, and versatility in making various frozen desserts.

2. Breville: Breville is recognized for its high-quality kitchen appliances, including ice cream makers. Breville ice cream makers often receive positive feedback for their advanced features, efficient freezing technology, and durable construction. They are appreciated for their ability to make creamy and smooth ice cream.

3. KitchenAid: KitchenAid is known for its versatile and reliable kitchen appliances, including ice cream makers. KitchenAid ice cream makers often receive positive reviews for their solid build quality, easy-to-use design, and compatibility with KitchenAid stand mixers. They are appreciated for their wide range of available attachments and accessories.

4. Whynter: Whynter offers a variety of ice cream makers known for their efficient freezing capabilities and user-friendly operation. Whynter ice cream makers often receive positive feedback for their compact size, quick freezing times, and simple controls. They are recognized for their affordability and value for money.

5. Nostalgia Electrics: Nostalgia Electrics specializes in retro-style kitchen appliances, including ice cream makers. Nostalgia Electrics ice cream makers often receive positive reviews for their nostalgic design, ease of use, and reasonable pricing. They are appreciated for their simplicity and ability to make small-batch ice cream.

6. Hamilton Beach: Hamilton Beach offers a range of affordable ice cream makers suitable for home use. Hamilton Beach ice cream makers often receive positive feedback for their simplicity, ease of use, and budget-friendly pricing. They are recognized for their basic functionality and value for money.

Canada's Top Fast Food Chains Ranked

Looking for somewhere to eat in Canada? Fast Food chains are often the cheapest option, but in terms of customer satisfaction these are the best of the fast food chains that Canadians prefer.

They are ranked here in order of customer satisfaction.

1. Tim Hortons: Known for its iconic coffee and donuts, Tim Hortons is a Canadian staple and one of the most recognized fast food chains in the country. It offers a wide range of breakfast and lunch options, including sandwiches, wraps, soups, and baked goods.

2. McDonald's: With its global presence, McDonald's is a popular fast food chain in Canada as well. It offers a diverse menu that includes hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, breakfast items, and various sides. McDonald's is known for its consistency and quick service.

3. A&W: A&W is renowned for its high-quality ingredients, including hormone-free beef, hand-cut fries, and root beer made with natural ingredients. It offers a variety of burgers, chicken sandwiches, and vegetarian options, emphasizing freshness and taste.

4. Subway: Subway stands out for its focus on customizable sandwiches and fresh ingredients. Customers can choose from a variety of bread, toppings, and sauces to create their desired sub. Subway also offers salads, wraps, and breakfast options.

5. Wendy's: Wendy's is known for its square-shaped burgers, made-to-order sandwiches, and fresh ingredients. It prides itself on using never-frozen beef, and its menu also includes chicken sandwiches, salads, and sides like chili and baked potatoes.

6. Harvey's: Harvey's is a popular fast food chain that allows customers to customize their burgers by choosing from a range of toppings and sauces. It offers flame-grilled burgers, veggie burgers, poutine, and other classic fast food options.

7. Dairy Queen: While primarily known for its soft-serve ice cream and blizzards, Dairy Queen also offers a variety of fast food items, including burgers, hot dogs, chicken strips, and salads. Its signature treats and desserts are particularly popular.

8. Pizza Pizza: Although primarily a pizza chain, Pizza Pizza also offers a range of fast food options like chicken wings, pasta, sandwiches, and salads. It is known for its quick delivery service and value deals.

9. KFC: Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is renowned for its fried chicken and signature blend of herbs and spices. It offers various chicken meal options, including buckets, sandwiches, wraps, and sides like mashed potatoes and coleslaw.

10. Taco Bell: Taco Bell is a fast food chain that specializes in Tex-Mex cuisine. It offers a variety of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos. Taco Bell is known for its affordable prices and unique flavor combinations.

Grocery Shopping Tips for Getting the Best Value

With inflation affecting food prices it is time for some grocery shopping tips for people who want to save money at the grocery store but still get the best value for their dollars.

1. Plan and Make a List: Before heading to the grocery store, plan your meals for the week and make a detailed shopping list. This helps you stay focused and avoid impulse purchases, ensuring you buy only what you need.

2. Compare Prices: Compare prices of similar products across different brands and sizes. Use store flyers, online resources, or shopping apps to find the best deals and discounts. Don't forget to consider the unit price (price per ounce or pound) to accurately compare products.

3. Shop Seasonally: Purchase fruits and vegetables that are in season. They tend to be fresher, more flavorful, and less expensive compared to out-of-season produce that requires long-distance transportation.

4. Buy in Bulk: Consider buying non-perishable items or items with a long shelf life in bulk. This is particularly cost-effective for staples like rice, pasta, canned goods, and cleaning supplies. Be mindful of the storage space available and ensure you'll use the products before they expire.

5. Clip Coupons and Use Loyalty Programs: Take advantage of coupons, discounts, and loyalty programs offered by grocery stores. Clip coupons from newspapers or online sources, and sign up for loyalty cards to access exclusive deals and accumulate rewards.

6. Avoid Convenience Items: Pre-cut fruits, pre-packaged meals, and individually wrapped snacks often come with a higher price tag. Opt for whole fruits, vegetables, and bulk ingredients that you can prepare and portion yourself. This way, you'll save money and have more control over the quality and quantity of your food.

7. Check the Perimeter: Grocery stores typically place fresh produce, dairy products, and meat along the perimeter of the store. These items are often healthier and less processed compared to the packaged and processed foods found in the aisles. Focus on shopping around the perimeter and supplement with aisle items as needed.

8. Look for Manager's Specials: Keep an eye out for manager's specials or discounted items near their expiration dates. These items are still perfectly fine to consume but are marked down to clear inventory. Just ensure that you can consume or freeze them before they spoil.

9. Don't Shop Hungry: Shopping on an empty stomach can lead to impulsive purchases of unhealthy and expensive snacks. Eat a meal or a snack before heading to the grocery store to help you make better choices and stick to your shopping list.

10. Consider Store Brands: Compare store brand or generic products to name brands. In many cases, store brands offer similar quality at a lower price. Give them a try and see if they meet your expectations.

11. Minimize Food Waste: Reduce food waste by properly storing perishable items, planning meals that use leftovers, and being mindful of expiration dates. Rotate items in your pantry and fridge to ensure older items are used first.

12. Bring Your Own Bags: Many grocery stores charge for plastic bags or offer discounts for bringing your own reusable bags. Bring your own bags to save money and reduce plastic waste.

By implementing these grocery shopping tips, you can stretch your dollars further and get the best value for your grocery purchases while maintaining a healthy and well-rounded diet.

Do you drink bottled water or eat beef, pork, chicken or dairy products?

Doug Ford.

The name brings fear to the minds of many people in Ontario.

Doug Ford is the Premier of Ontario, and he is a jerk. A real nasty jerk. He wants to dump nuclear waste in Bruce County, close to the town of Teeswater. The Teeswater River (and the underground aquifer beneath the region) supplies the drinking water to:

• Tens of thousands of people.
• Dairy cows.
• Water for agricultural farming (corn, potatoes, soy beans and more).
• Water for Aquafina bottled water.
• Cattle, pigs, turkeys and chickens. Bruce County is the Beef Capital of North America, but it also produces a lot of other meat products.

If you live Ontario you've eaten food many times from Bruce County. Guaranteed. You've drank the milk. You've eaten the cheese. You've eaten beef, pork, turkey and chicken. You've eaten the corn, the potatoes, the soy products. You've drank Aquafina water.

Even if you are a vegan and don't eat milk and dairy, you should still care where your soy products and other vegetables are grown and where your bottled water comes from.

And that is why you should care.

If you care about what you eat, then you should protect what you eat. Learn more at:

https://www.protectsouthbruce-nodgr.org/

If you care write to Doug Ford. Tweet him. Phone him and leave an angry voicemail.

Share this post. Copy/paste it to other websites. Share it on Facebook. Share it on Twitter. Share the memes below.

Show that you care about your food and where it comes from.

Protect your food and your health from Doug Ford.

Moving Product Reviews to LilithPress.ca/Shopping.html

Hello Frequent Shopper!

If you are reading this it is because we have decided to move (copy) many of our most popular posts to the following website:

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Shopping.html

Going forward, all new Product Reviews will be posted on the Shopping section of Lilith Press Magazine. Or possibly both PRC and Lilith Press Shopping.

Also to avoid understanding that doesn't mean we are deleting this website. By moving, we really mean we are "focusing" on the new website and "copying" our most popular posts over to the new site.

 

We may also continue to do short snippet reviews on PRC and possibly some longer ones too.

 

So if you want to see more Canadian product reviews, written for Canadians, go visit Lilith Press and bookmark the website for future use.

Plus Lilith Press has separate sections for the following topics:

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Art.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Books.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Entertainment.html (Games, Movies, Television)

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Fashion.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Food.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Music.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Sports.html

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Tech.html (Cellphones, Computers, Tablets, etc)

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Transportation.html (Cars, Bikes, Trains and More)

http://www.lilithpress.ca/Travel.html

So technically not everything will be in the Shopping section. Quite a bit will be spread around in the Books, Food, and other sections. But we will cross-list anything that fits in multiple topics.

Now please note, we do have over 440 product reviews on here... so it will take some time to copy the old reviews to the new website. We have decided to prioritize the most popular reviews.

Also, if you could be a doll, please tweet, facebook and link about our new website. We could use the extra advertising.

Thanks for visiting and supporting Product Reviews Canada!

Nestle Good Start Baby Formula

By C.M.

Okay so for years now we have been avoiding Nestle and their products because of their CEO's previous stance on water - he claimed water was a commodity, as opposed to a human right. Here at Product Reviews Canada we fully support water being a human right, and boycott any company who refuses to acknowledge that it is a human right.

See also

Water Wars / Boycotting Nestle Corporation

Nestle Boycott, holding water supplies hostage

Since then the Nestle Corp. and its CEO have softened their stance on water and now admits that water is a human right. So the boycott was successful.

Changes still need to be made to how Nestle operates and prevent them from hoarding water supplies in many countries, but this is a good start.

Thus, we at Product Reviews Canada are no longer boycotting Nestle at this time - but we reserve the right to resume a boycott if the company doesn't fix its evil ways and goes back to hoarding water.

Ahem.

Thus we can now talk about the following product:

Nestle Good Start Baby Formula

This was the 2nd formula my wife and I tried on Baby Richard and he gulps it down greedily. So that is certainly a good sign with respect to taste.

The formula in question is supposedly "designed to be easy to digest" and contains:

• Omega 3
• Omega 6
• Dietary Fibre

Along with a host of other vitamins and nutrients good for the growth of babies. The product comes as a ready-made formula, requiring no water to be added. Just warm it up to a suitable temperature (via holding the formula in your hand for 15 minutes before serving, or a similar method). Do not use a microwave!

We first tried Nestle Good Start Baby Formula because it came in a free package of baby supplies that Nestle uses to promote their products. (Offer only available in Canada.)

See Nestle Baby Program at

https://www.nestle-baby.ca/en/register/begin

Having tried it, and seeing that Baby Richard gulps it down, we earlier today bought more of the product having exhausted the free samples Nestle sent us.

Now we may try other products in the future so we have something to compare it to, but so far we have only tried this and the formula which was provided to us at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. And thus far he seems to enjoy the Nestle formula more than the hospital formula.

So...

Nestle Formula 1
Hospital Formula 0

To be continued when we try other brands of formula...

Nestle Boycott, holding local supplies hostage

See previous post: Nestle and the Water Wars

This is our 2nd post about boycotting Nestle because of their greedy actions over buying up water supplies for pennies (or fractions of pennies) and selling it back to people with a 500,000% mark up or more.

Eg. Buying 1 litre of water for $0.01 and selling it for $5.00.

Across Canada Nestle is invading small towns and buying up water rights for pennies on the dollar, bribing local politicians under the table, and then destroying the local water economy. The small towns then see higher rates for their consumption of water due to a water shortage, while Nestle continues to pump out millions of litres for fractions of pennies on the dollar.

Eg. 1 miĺlion litres for $5,000 seems like a good deal, until you find out that it is equal to $0.005 per litre. Half a penny per litre.

Meanwhile the shortage of water causes the townsfolk to have their water bills skyrocket because there is no cap on how much water Nestle can take. They can literally take ALL of the water if they wanted to and sell it back to the locals with a 500,000%  to 1,000,000% mark up in price.

One such town in Ontario is the scenic Elora (home to the Elora Gorge). The town of Elora has been in a battle with the Nestle corporation over control of wells. For Elora, the availability of water isn't just an issue of keeping drinking water in the pipes affordable, the town's economy also relies on tourism drawn to the beautiful Elora Gorge. If Nestle pumps so much water out of the local water table that it ruins the economy, and drives up the cost of water bills, they could end up destroying the local economy and holding the townsfolk's water supply hostage.

And that is just the story of one town. There are many towns where Nestle is doing this. Buying up wells, paying tiny fees for removing millions of litres of water, and holding the local water supply hostage. The company is downright villainous.

We saw the image below on Facebook and decided to share it here. Please join us in boycotting all Nestle products.

Millwood Wine Works, Making your own Wine in Leaside, Toronto

Millwood Wine Works
905 Millwood Road
Leaside Neighbourhood, East of Bayview Avenue on Millwood Road
Toronto ON

Review by Charles Moffat.

Last year the missus and I went on a wine tour in the Niagara region, of the esteemed Trius Winery. We really enjoyed the tour and for myself it was a reminder that my grandfather had made red wine decades ago and it was fascinating to see the process my grandfather had gone through making his wine - although to be fair, his process was likely much simpler and old fashioned that the modern witchery that goes into Trius wines.

Nevetheless the tour got me thinking. Not from where the missus and I live in Leaside, there are two small "make your own wine" locations.

The first being the aforementioned "Millwood Wine Works" and the second being the "Cellar Door Winery", which is literally across the street from the Millwood Wine Works. (Maybe someday I will review the Cellar Door Winery across the street, but for now this is just a review of the Millwood Wine Works.)

The missus and I discussed making wine last year in the Autumn, but kept putting it off. Thus we got the chance this year I figured enough is enough, lets do this!

So we went in together and picked out a nice gentle Riesling for $140. I wanted red wine, but I rarely win any arguments with the missus and so we got the Riesling instead - with the promise that the next time we make wine, she has to pay for it, and I get to pick the type of wine we are making.

We watched in awe as Kevin Whitaker (owner and "assistant winemaker") prepared everything for us, making everything was clean and shipshape. Then he handed me the yeast and I sprinkled it in "like a pro". Honestly, I was just sprinkling the yeast around like I would do with salt on a plateful of eggs, but whatever, it looked very good with the yeast swirling around in there.

Then everything was sealed up and we waited 4 weeks for our wine to be done.

Yesterday, 4 weeks and 1 day later we got up and went to collect our wine. Purchased 30 bottles for all the wine to be stored in, I disinfected and cleaned the bottles, while Kevin poured the wine into the bottles which were cleaned.

Then came the corking machine. This part I really enjoyed and I even took a selfie of myself for Facebook. The machine was apparently powered by air pressure, but for curiousity's sake I asked if there was an old fashioned was of corking bottles, and I was pointed to a device which was foot-powered. Woot, I love things that are foot-powered.

When it was all done we had 30 bottles of Riesling. Which if we do the math is:

$140 for the wine kit / service, $30 for the bottles = $170 for 30 bottles of wine. Approx. $5.67 per bottle. Each bottle contains approx 750 mL of Riesling, at about 7 to 8 %.

We plan to give away a few bottles for Xmas to family members. The true test came last night when we finally sat down to toast us becoming winemakers. Tasty!

We shall have to do this again sometime. Either at the Millwood Wine Works, which had great friendly service, or maybe we should try the Cellar Door Winery across the street.

Note - It is hard to switch to a different location once you have already found a place where you like the service. Quality service after all is hard to beat when compared to the "unknown factor" of trying a new place you've never tried before.

Sea Witch Fish and Chips

Note, To Do.

Sea Witch Fish and Chips located at 636 St Clair West, Toronto.

I keep going by it and I want to try their food sometime.

They have a mural down the street which is definitely effective advertising.

So kudos on their advertising at least.

Cane Sugar Root Beer

Wow. This stuff is really good. I should try the other flavours sometime.

Duke of Richmond's Veggie Burger

Last year around mid January I became a vegetarian for 30 days as an experiment to see how it would go and tracked any weight loss, my food cravings, etc.

Needless to say I was craving bacon by Day 3.

However one of the best things I ate during that 30 day time period was the veggie burgers at the Duke of Richmond, at 20 Queen Street West, Toronto.

It was by far the best veggie burger I have ever had. (Most of them are really awful.)

A close 2nd was the Johnny Rockets near Dundas and Yonge (which closed last year because their lease ended).

The patty of the burger is made mostly from black beans, and for whatever reason, that ingredient made their veggie burgers really good. If I think about those veggie burgers for a bit my mouth starts to water at the memory of how good they taste.

I would even argue that it tastes BETTER than their beef burgers. The fact I am still oohing about the veggie burgers a year later shows just how amazing it was.

The Black Bean Veggie Burger sells for $12.99 at the Duke of Richmond, the same price as the Duke Burger.

The Battered Fish on Queen Street, Toronto

As fish and chips places go we are giving this place 4 stars out of 5.

The fish was good, the chips were awesome, the coleslaw was actually TOO cold, and the drinks reminded us of Subway (Coke products)...

Price wise it was comparable to going to South Street Burger - a gourmet fast food place that I also give 4.5 stars.

The Battered Fish has one major problem. Their menu is CONFUSING the first time you go there as it is all about mixing and matching things. A better solution would be to list 12 different popular combos, and options for customizing those combos. This complex mix and match process leaves customers struggling to say their order properly, as opposed to simply saying "I would like combo #3 please."

Also we felt there should be an option to "shark size" the combos, or "whale size" it. Or even "the Moby Dick". More for amusement's sake than anything else.

Which brings us to one last thought. Change the name to "Moby Dick's Fish N Chips". Much more awesome name. The Battered Fish is too meta.

Gaudet Sweet Goods Inc. Apple Pie - where is the baking time???

Awhile back I purchased a "Gaudet Sweet Goods Inc. Apple Pie" and left it in the freezer.

Today I finally got it out and decided to bake it. Because I was hungry and said "Mmm apple pie... I love apple pie..."

Looking over the packaging I am trying to find the recommended appropriate baking time and temperature ...

And the packaging is blank on the subject of baking time.

It has all the nutritional info there. Just no recommended baking time and temperature. Nothing. Zilch.

Baking times can truly vary wildly from apple pie recipe to different apple pie recipe.

Judging by various recipes online it can vary between 20 minutes and 60 minutes.

• For example one recipe calls for 425° F for 20 minutes.

• Another recipe calls for something rather complex: 15 minutes at 425° F, then reduce the temperature to 350° F, and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

• Another calls for 375° F for 50 minutes.

• A 4th recipe I found calls for: Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes.  Lower the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for an additional 40-45 minutes.

So apparently we are supposed to GUESS the appropriate baking temperature and time and then check the oven every 5 minutes to see if the pie is burning.

I think part of the problem is that Gaudet Sweet Goods Inc. is producing conveyor belt apple pie... the pies are made by machines, mass produced, and the company really doesn't care that they forgot to add recommended baking instructions on their pies.

Now I admit, I LOVE APPLE PIE. Hence why I purchased their product in the first place. I couldn't care less that a robot made the apple pie, I am sure it will taste great as long as it is baked properly.

Thus I am giving their company TWO THUMBS DOWN because of their lack of proper baking instructions. I don't care if it turns out to be the best apple pie I have ever eaten (which I doubt as it looks pretty generic), they should at least have the decency to list recommended baking instructions on the packaging.

Gaudet Sweet Goods Inc. is based in Acton Vale, Quebec. Shame on them!

Why is the Pickle Barrel's burgers so small?

Went to the Pickle Barrel today. I have been there previously and they used to have large burgers.

Today however... Tiny burger. Tiny. As in McDonalds burgers are bigger. Years ago the burgers at Pickle Barrel used to be quite large, large bun, 1 large thick patty. Now they use a small bun and stick two small patties on there, making it smaller than a Big Mac from McDonalds. (And the Big Mac isn't that "big".)

Tasted like a McDonalds burger too. Very strange.

So it was basically an overpriced McDonalds burger served with a salad. The salad was good, the burger was not.

The burger was also delivered surprisingly fast - like McDonalds fast. And it was undercooked. Medium rare. Not impressed by that either.

Service was par. Nothing impressive there either.

Overall I give The Pickle Barrel 1 star out of 5. It was edible and the service was par. They should be embarrassed.

How to Judge Restaurants based on their Restroom

This post came about by accident.

My girlfriend and I went out to eat at the Indian restaurant "Amaya" on Bayview Avenue in Leaside - and upscale area of Toronto. Which you would think would mean the food is good and the restrooms are clean.

Before ordering I went to use the restroom and discovered a little surprise. A cockroach, live, swimming in the toilet. The rest of the restroom was equally disgusting. As was the basement where the restroom was located. The stairs to the basement were also a tripping hazard, I tripped once on the way down and once on the way up. Wow.

Needless to say we left almost immediately.

We went down the street to "Kama Sutra" instead, another Indian restaurant in the same neighbourhood. The restroom was so nice it had music, smelled of air freshener, and was super clean.
What this tells you is that you get what you pay for. At Amaya the food might be cheaper, but it might also contain cockroaches or their droppings. At Kama Sutra it is pricier, but the food is excellent and cockroach free.

Also I should note the service at Kama Sutra was excellent, the butter chicken was awesome, there is a large selection of beverages to choose from - and they have live music on Thursday nights.

We shall have to go back again sometime.

Behold, the live cockroach in the toilet at Amaya, 1574 Bayview Ave.

Behold, the sparkling clean (and amazingly fresh smelling) toilet at "Kama Sutra", 1522 Bayview Ave.

Water Wars / Boycotting Nestle Corporation

Okay, so I have decided to boycott the Nestle corporation and all of their products.

The reasons why myself (and others) have opted to boycott Nestle vary, but my personal reason for boycotting Nestle is because of the company's stance on the privatization of water.

In the video below the Nestle CEO asserts that water is not a human right and that it is a foodstuff like any other, and therefore should be packaged and controlled by corporations and not controlled by the government providing free tap water to citizens. Basically he wants to make money off selling water (and soft drinks and coffee and assorted beverages) to people and wants governments to stop controlling the distribution of free water.

Now if you are familiar with the Bugs Bunny catchphrase "Of course you know this means war..." then you should know right away that people dying of thirst are not going to take the idea of privatization of water laying down.

So for example in South America, where water supplies are dwindling so much that even the plot of the James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" was about an evil corporation trying to take over the water supply of Bolivia, well, the concept of a war over water supply is certainly a real prospect.

Enter Nescafe - created by the Nestle corporation in1938. Nestle you may recall is a Swiss company that began in 1866, began from humble beginnings selling condensed milk (to be mixed with free water) and instant baby formula. Nescafe is now one of the largest producers of coffee in the world, and Nestle one of the largest corporations in the world.

Nescafe is extremely popular in South America. The name is almost a synonym for coffee.

So what happens if Nescafe / Nestle decides they want to take over South America's supply of fresh water? Package it and sell it. The privatization of everything from sewer pipes, the water you wash yourself with, wash your clothes with, and use to wash your dishes. What happens?

Imagine a system wherein people are charged for the amount of water they use and if they don't pay they are cut off and left to die - and if they try to get their water from another source they discover that Nestle owns that too. Because according to Nestle, water is not a human right and is a commodity. Given time (and government bribery) they would probably even make it against the law to collect rain water or other ridiculous laws designed in an effort to make the Nestle corporation richer.

Now you might think, hey, this would never happen in Canada or the United States would it? Are you so sure of that? The American Midwest is becoming a desert (thanks to global warming) and places like Las Vegas are in such a short supply of fresh water they are piping it in from other regions.

Mark my words, the privatization of water and rising prices of fresh water will lead to riots in the streets and people / nations killing each other for a drink.

In Canada we have tonnes of water - so much we are already packaging it and sending it overseas as bottled water. But will it be Canadian corporations who make it rich, or foreign corporations who extort our water and makes themselves billionaires while sharing only a tiny fraction with the Canadian government? After all Canada has NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and various other free trade agreements. That means Canada makes ZERO on the export of water and only makes money off the income tax of employees. Water bottling plants are mostly robots, so the number of employees is minimal - and local managers can be paid peanuts compared to what a corporation can make selling Canadian water overseas.

The Senator Restaurant in Toronto

Note - Get a reservation. This place is busy and you basically need a reservation just to get in. We lucked out and managed to get seats anyway without a reservation, but don't expect that to be the norm.

Omidragon the 6 ounce burgers are good. Good fries too. Price of burger platter was $16.

I also recommend the buttermilk fried chicken, served with buttery mashed potatoes and gravy. Something about buttermilk makes fried chicken taste waaaaaay better. Price of buttermilk fried chicken platter was $20.

Served with London Heineken (tastes better than regular Heineken) our meals were amazing.

The bill was pricier than most pub fares, but the service was excellent, the location conveniently close to the Eatons Centre, and the food was freaking amazing.

Definitely a place worth coming back to. Five Stars.

The owners of The Senator should renovate and add a 2nd story, just so they can bring in more customers. This restaurant is a hidden gem of deliciousness.

Grilling Bacon

I saw this in a store and snapped a photo. $9.99 at Canadian Tire.

Mmm... microwaved bacon.

If you have this item at home and it works well/poorly, please post your review in the comments. I am curious to know whether it works well or whether it is a piece of junk. (But not curious enough to spend $$ on it when I can just make the bacon on the stove instead.)

Starbucks Gift Card, Reloadable

Recently I received a reloadable Starbucks Gift Card.

How?

Well the neighbours next door tore down their house and are rebuilding a new house. So it is rather noisy. I am not sure who did it - either the neighours or the construction company - but they left a Starbucks Gift Card in our mailbox as an apology for all of the noise.

Which, frankly, I barely noticed the noise over all the noise I make playing with my woodworking tools. Or the movies I watch. Or the episodes of The Woodwright's Shop I have been watching lately.

But whatever, the Starbucks Gift Card was a nice gesture. And what is also nice is that it is reloadable so I can use it again and again - and I go to Indigo a lot, and there is a Starbucks in every Indigo, so this just works well for me.

In totally unrelated news I am addicted to watching The Woodwright's Shop. It is a TV show that has been on the air since 1981 (33 years!!!) and is dedicated to traditional woodworking.

Now I admit, I like my power tools - especially my band saw - but as TV shows go The Woodwright's Shop has the trifecta of everything you want in a woodworking TV show. It is funny. It teaches you new things about woodworking and woodworking tools. And there is a healthy dose of history for the people who like historical examples of woodworking.

Just watch the 20th Anniversary episode of The Woodwright's Shop to see what I am talking about.

Battle of the Ginger Beers

Behold!

Royalty Ginger Beer Vs Vita Malt Ginger Beer. Which is best?

If you are not familiar with ginger beer, it tastes like ginger ale but spicier. In case you were wondering, there is NO alcohol in ginger beer - it is basically just a really strong ginger ale. Sort of like "root beer" has no alcohol in it either.

Anyway, back to my taste test contest.

First up was the Vita Malt Ginger Beer - omidragon this stuff was horrible. I have good tasting ginger beers in the past, but this stuff was so strong and had a weird extra flavouring in it. Maybe it was the malt, but whatever it is the stuff tasted absolutely horrible. I do not recommend that stuff at all. I was tempted to throw it out after tasting it, but forced myself to drink all of it because I was hoping "maybe it is something you have to drink more of to appreciate". Well the answer is no, the stuff is horrid. Don't even try it.

And then there was yesterday. After the Vita Malt disaster, I had really low expectations for the Royalty Ginger Beer.

But then I tasted it and my mind was blown. It was spicy, not too much, but spicy, and it was also sweet - truth be told it was a little too sweet. But it was actually the best tasting ginger beer I have ever had.

So applause for Royalty Ginger Beer. That stuff is absolutely amazing. I am going to be buying more of it in the near future and even introducing friends to it. I am positive other people will love it too. I have already introduced one other friend to Royalty Ginger Beer and they also loved it.

Two thumbs way up for Royalty Ginger Beer. (And booooo to the makers of Vita Malt. They should be ashamed of themselves.