The Quest on ABC Review

A new show called The Quest is underway which is a fantasy reality competition show.  It takes 12 contestants and puts them in a world similar to medieval times with knights, horses, bow and arrows, swords etc.  Each week they train at in different skills to prepare to battle an approaching enemy.  The lowest scoring members are then put through another challenge and eventually the weakest player is voted out each week.

The series is 6 episodes in and while it got off to a bit of a slow start, it has quickly become one of my favorite shows of the season.  It reminds me a lot of Whodunnit which is another role playing reality show.  You have to have some suspension of disbelief to fully enjoy it, but once you do, it is a lot of fun to watch.

The casting is really what makes it great.  The main guy and trainer Ansgar really plays the part well as do the supporting cast.  It is fun to see them train each week in different competitions so see how they all perform. If you like reality competition shows and also a little bit of fantasy, check out The Quest, Thursday on ABC.  You can also watch past episodes online at abc.com.  

Archer Farms Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice Review

Recently Target has been adding many new convenience food items to their grocery section. These include ready made meals and prepared foods that are easy to make and still pretty healthy.  The other day I found a new item by the Target brand Archer Farms called Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice.  It was only $3 and contains 2.5 servings which is a good value.  Also I like rice and beans so I decided to give it a try. 

The package comes with a pack of cooked rice and a pack of seasoned black beans.  The instructions for heating it are somewhat vague and not as clear as they could be.  Also I found the cooking times to be high but this can vary by microwave.  I ended up cooking the rice in the bag, cooking the black beans in the tray, and then adding the rice to the black beans.

My first impression was there was a lot to eat!  Definitely 2 portion sizes. The taste was surprisingly good!  It reminded me a lot of the rice and black beans from Chipotle which I really like, so this was a great substitute.  It was seasoned nicely and had a good flavor. You can also add other stuff to dress it up like vegetables or cheese, but I just had it with the rice and beans.

Since there was a lot, I saved half for later.  There is not really a good way to save it with the materials supplied to I ended up covering it with a paper towel and wrapping it in a plastic bag.  The leftovers the next day were just as good!

I will most likely get the Cilantro Rice and Black Beans again and will probably check out what other similar meals are available from Archer Farms.  If you like rice and black beans and want something that is really easy to make and tastes good, check out this new item. 

People who are not considerate of others - Loud Music

One of my pet peeves is when people are not considerate of others.  An example of this is people who live near others in an apartment or condo building and play music too loud.  This happens every once in a while where I live.  There will be a neighbor who is playing music that can be heard all the way on the other end of the building.  The bass will even be shaking the walls.

I don't understand how someone can be so inconsiderate of neighbors that they think it is ok to play music that loud which can obviously be heard by others.  Now some say, if you don't want to be bothered by noise by neighbors, you should not live in an apartment setting.  Everyday noise such as people going in and out of doors or maybe doing a little work around the house is ok, but blasting music is not ok.

One might say, well just go over and tell them to turn down the music.  You can do this but then all of a sudden you are creating a conflict with your neighbor.  Now you are going to be known as the neighbor who told you to turn your music down.

Situations like this do not only happen in residences, but also out on the road or anywhere cars can go.  How many times has someone pulled up next to you and their sub-woofer is blasting bass from their music.  People around you should not have to hear your music, especially when it is distributing loud bass.

One should not need to be counseled on something as common sense as this.  Either they are clueless about how their actions may effect others or they know but just don't care.  I find it hard to understand how either of these situations can be the case.