2026/10/23
Burger King Coffee vs. Starbucks
- Starbucks (Grande, 16 oz): ~310 mg to 330 mg of caffeine (Pike Place or regular drip; a Venti 20 oz hits ~410 mg, and a Venti Blonde Roast hits 475 mg).
- McDonald's (Large, 21 oz): ~185 mg of caffeine (Premium Roast).
- Starbucks: Uses a heavy-handed, darker roast profile (like Pike Place) or high-caffeine light roasts, which many coffee enthusiasts and taste tests describe as intense, bitter, or heavily charred compared to fast-food averages. [1, 2]
At home I've been cutting back on my caffeine intake by mixing regular coffee with decaf, because I've noticed that coffee can cause my heart rate to stay high for a long time.
Multiple sources state that people over 60 take longer to process and eliminate caffeine from their system. I only drink it in the morning and I like the boost I get from it.
Chicken Pasta with Alfredo Sauce
I might go on a diet soon where I don't eat sugar or flour, but...
Walmart sells a large frozen chicken pasta with Alfredo sauce that I really like. So I wondered if I could make something similar at home. I occasionally cook a whole box of penne pasta and then mix it with a 22-ounce jar of Alfredo sauce. This is really delicious. Sometimes I would add chicken, but it is very good by itself.
Of course, I don't eat all of it at once; I store the leftovers.
However, I ran out of Alfredo sauce, so I tried mixing the pasta with a 16-ounce container of "Classic Chicken Salad" that I got at Aldi. It turned out to be fantastic! The chicken salad has enough sauce to coat the pasta.
Air Fryer
Although the inside is metal, the outside, including the handle, is made of plastic.
The handle recently broke off. My first reaction was to throw the whole thing away and go buy a new one. Then I remembered that I got mine half off on Black Friday, so all I have to do is wait six weeks and see what kind of deal I can get.
Wanting to throw it away was an overreaction. It is still a functional air fryer; I just have to use oven mitts to dump out the contents.
Sam's Club has a model almost identical to mine for under $60, and it comes with some silicone inserts.
I saw a different model from another retailer that has two 5-quart drawers for $99. If it is discounted on Black Friday, I might get it.
2026/10/17
McDonalds There Must be a Better Way (to get cheese) 1977
2026/10/15
Country Style Sausage Gravy
2026/10/11
2026/10/03
Taste Test Every Chocolate Bar
I eat a little dark chocolate every day, usually for breakfast, which contains beneficial polyphenols similar to those found in berries. It also has saturated fat, but reportedly not the "bad" kind.
I heard one commentator say that we should just eat berries instead, and I eat a cup of blueberries every day, which is reportedly good for brain health.
I am currently eating this brand of dark chocolate because it is cheaper than other brands, and the pieces are individually wrapped, which I like. It is only available from Aldi. However, I am eating the 85% version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The actual price is around $4. Chocolate keeps going up in price, and the prices are higher than what is stated in the video.
I find it interesting that this brand is made in Utah. It is very expensive...
https://youtu.be/bgUe5BIqaB4?
I used to eat the following brands that I got at Walmart...
https://youtu.be/bgUe5BIqaB4?
It is one of the brands that Consumer Reports flagged for heavy metal contamination. However, Consumer Reports was going by the California standard, which is super strict. I wrote the company, and they claimed that their dark chocolate is safe to eat.
I personally prefer the 90% because it has more actual chocolate and less sugar. Dark chocolate can have a strong taste, but I am used to it.
I used to buy this brand, and Consumer Reports claimed that it was in a safe range for heavy metal contamination. It is one of the more expensive brands.
https://youtu.be/bgUe5BIqaB4?
Dark chocolate has risen greatly in price, so I started eating this Walmart brand, which is a little cheaper. Based on the reviews, I might go back to it.