Retro-TV Review: Alias

I was talking with a friend the other day who is watching through the TV series Alias for the first time. This series was created by J.J. Abrams back in the early 2000s and ran for five seasons on ABC. Filled with improbable but highly entertaining adventures, this series featured Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow. She starts the series as a college student, who is really an undercover secret agent for an agency called SD-6. 

I won't spoil anything here, but it starts off as a kind of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (without the super powers) meets Mission: Impossible. But nothing is as it seems. Layers upon layers of fun, with a terrific supporting cast, including Bradley Cooper, who goes on to become a star in his own right.

Unfortunately, the series begins to flounder in later seasons due to a lack of direction (something Abrams will continue to struggle with later in his career), but it never ceases to be entertaining, and it's well worth your time if you haven't seen it before. I think it's currently streaming on Netflix. (I think I may have to rewatch it, myself!)

My Grade: A

Rob's Recommendation: Top the Tater

I like to highlight products that I love that other people might not have heard of. None of these are paid sponsorships (not that there's anything wrong with that!), but simply ads for things I like.

Now, if you don't live in the upper Midwest you're out of luck on this one, but if you do, you likely have at least heard of Top the Tater. According to their website, "it's more than a sour cream dip, it's a way of life." I would have to agree, as it is the best dip that I have ever had. It started out as a topping for baked potatoes, but we use it for chips. You can also dip pretzels, veggies, or whatever in it. I've even dipped kernels of popcorn in it. (Don't judge me.)

Most grocery stores around here carry it, but I like to get the extra-large size at Sam's Club. If you haven't tried it and it's available near you, give it a try. 

Rob's Reviews: Cinnamon Roll Centers Blizzard

I had the opportunity the other day to try Dairy Queen's new limited-time offering, the Cinnamon-Roll Centers Blizzard Treat. It supposedly has "soft cinnamon roll center pieces and brown butter cinnamon topping" blended with their soft service ice cream.

I went into this one somewhat apprehensive, as I had read a bad review of this flavor online. So the bar was low, but I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. I liked the "brown butter cinnamon topping" flavoring which was pretty well mixed through the vanilla giving the whole thing a cinnamon brown sugar flavor. I'm not sure that I would describe the pieces of cinnamon roll centers soft, exactly. And there were crunchy bits of brown sugar or something there too. I feel like it could have used another iteration or two in the development of the flavor, but it wasn't bad - just not as good as I think it might have been. 

Would I get it again? Sure. It's was pretty good. Was it the best flavor of Blizzard ever? No. Cookie-dough still reigns supreme in my book. But this one was a nice change of pace. I would actually like to try the cookie-dough pieces in with the cinnamon flavored ice cream here.

Overall grade: B+

Why Fight?

When dealing with any problem that involves other people (and most of our problems do), it's amazing how many people begin their interaction in an adversarial manner. Instead, why not try to work together toward a solution? Assume that both you and the person you are dealing with want a satisfactory resolution to the problem.

Chances are, they do.

That's a Dumb Idea

What makes an idea dumb?

What if your "dumb idea" leads to a good idea? Maybe it wasn't so dumb to begin with. 

It could be that a lot of good ideas began as dumb ones. Maybe most of them.

Don't be afraid to share your ideas. 

Packers and Politics

Yesterday I chronicled how I ended up choosing to be a Green Bay Packers fan. For the past 33 years I have chosen root for them through the good times and the rough times (because that's what a true fan does). Sometimes someone on the team does something I don't like, either on or off the field, but I still support my team. I enjoy football as a game, but really, it's rooting for my team that I enjoy most about football. After the Packers are done playing for the season, I'm basically done with football. If they aren't in the Superbowl, I'll still watch and try to pick a team to root for, but mostly I just watch for the commercials.

The interesting thing is when you think about what it means to be a sports fan. They don't need me, in particular. And there's nothing I can do individually to really affect the outcome of any game, no matter how much or how loudly I cheer. I don't know any of them personally and I have no financial stake in their success or failure. And yet I have chosen to support them as my team.

Which is fine when it comes to sports. Really, most fandom is the same way.

But I got to wondering about politics and I was thinking that sometimes we treat our political parties the way we treat our favorite sports teams. We support them because we chose to sometime in the past. Maybe we support our party because that is who our friends support. And we watch the TV commentators on the cable news networks and boo the other "team". 

And sometimes we are loyal to our chosen party to a fault. We aren't always as discerning as we ought to be, just because we are supporting "our team". We have become "fans" of our political team.

People sometimes talk about sports becoming too political. I wonder if it's also the other way around. It may be that politics has become like a sport to us.

Something to think about.

A Packers Evangelist

I'm a Green Bay Packers fan because I chose to be. And because of the influence of a great friend.

I didn't watch football when I was growing up so I didn't really root for any team in particular. When I was attending Bethel, one of my best friends, Marty Fischer, was a big Green Bay Packers fan, having grown up near Green Bay. My other best friend, Kevin Orme, was a big Chicago Bears fan, having grown up in Wheaton, just outside of Chicago. Both tried to recruit me to cheer for their team. I told them that I would just be a fan of both teams! "Um... no. You can't do that," was the response. (It was later before I would fully understand why.)

When I would watch Packers games with Marty, he would talk to me throughout the game, giving me background on the players and the team. He would answer my questions about football, which were many and no doubt annoying. He shared his love of the Packers with me, and then he invited me to visit him at home over school break. While there, we visited the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame at historic Lambeau Field, and there was no going back.

A couple of observations about this. One today and one tomorrow.

First, it was the "evangelistic" fervor of a friend who shared his passion and love for his team with me that led me to become a Packers fan. There is a strong parallel here for Christ-followers who want to share about Jesus with someone else. 

The most effective way to really evangelize (ie. share your faith with someone) is to come alongside them as a friend and explain over time why you love Jesus. As you share your passion and love with them, answer questions and so on, you can't help but influence them to explore the claims of Christ. Perhaps they will learn to love Jesus, as well, and choose become a follower of Hims. 

But you're going to have to start sharing. 

Pattern Recognition Plusses and Dangers

The human brain is an amazing thing. I came across an article discouraging the use of all-caps for worship lyrics projection. (The entire post is at churchmotiongraphics.com if you're interested). The part that really struck me was this:

"The way we read quickly, typically at a rate of three to four words per second, is to comprehend words by their shape and not by their individual letters. A fitting example of this can be found in the following paragraph. Notice how even though the letters between the first and last letters of the word are mixed up, you can still swiftly read the sentences without much hesitation: 

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

This is possible because the first and last letters of a word create a visual boundary that helps our brains recognize the word."

This is really great when it comes to reading (especially when reading something written by someone who may sometimes mix up letters), but I wonder if we do that in other areas of our life to our detriment. Sometimes we see something and immediately jump to a conclusion about what it represents because it reminds us of something else. It may be an event, an object... or even a person.

It often pays to take your time to see what is really in front of you instead of just what you think is there. It's usually better to make a good decision than a fast one.

Rob's Review: Eggo Frosted Maple Flavor Pop-Tarts

Okay, I was extremely skeptical about this when I first saw them in the store. Maybe it's the idea of something with "egg" in the name in my Pop-tart that was unappealing, or the yellow color on the box, but I was initially a little repulsed by the idea at first. After thinking about "frosted maple flavor" and knowing how much I like maple syrup, I thought I'd give them a shot.

I sometimes heat up my Pop-Tarts in the microwave, but thought I'd try these straight out of the box. I was pleasantly surprised by how great these are. Typically I default to the brown sugar cinnamon flavor Pop-tarts which are still unsurpassed, but these are a strong contender for second place, if not a tie for first! I don't know what makes it "Eggo" other than the branding, but the flavor is great. It's got a nice maple flavor without being overpowering.

One of the things I enjoy about Pop-tarts is that they are relatively weather-proof. In other words, I can take some in my backpack to a cross country meet and not worry about them melting. If they get hot, great! If they freeze, no problem. They are nice and portable, if a little fragile for riding around in a backpack. Maybe I can find a Tupperware sandwich carrier or something to keep them in.

If you're a Pop-Tarts kind of person, you should definitely check these out. They're a winner.

The Key to Retirement

 

Why do people want to retire?

Usually it's because their job or occupation isn't compelling enough to continue to work at, or they are physically unable to keep up with the demands of your profession. Often it's a desire for more discretionary time for family, travel, etc.

The danger is when retirement (at whatever age) becomes all self-focused: "It's about my time and I can do what I want when I want. I earned a break. I deserve it. I just want to have fun." After a while, that lifestyle becomes kind of empty.

The happiest retirees I know are the ones who are engaged in some type of service to other people - through church, community, one-on-one, and so on. They find meaning, purpose and fulfillment by giving of their time and energy.

That principle is true for everyone, whether you are retired or not. 

Happiness Is...

How would you finish that sentence?

I'm prepping a new message (sermon) series that will be debuting a week from Sunday on happiness. The title of the series is "What Makes You Happy" (based on a series Andy Stanley did a number of years ago). 

The title begs the question: What makes you happy? Have you ever really stopped to think about it?

My guess is that what really makes you happy is not what might first come to mind. And it's probably not just one thing. 

It's worth taking some time to really consider it. You might even want to write it down; make a list. 

If you never really identify what makes you happy, you may end up wasting a lot of time and energy pursuing the wrong thing. 

(Of course, you can always join us for our series, or listen online via our podcast and see if you agree with my conclusions or not.)

The Most Important Thing You Did Today

What's the most important thing you did today? 

How do you know? Who decides?

Maybe it's not what you think. The most important thing is usually not the urgent thing. 

What turns out to be most important is probably not a big accomplishment, but a small, steady investment of time or energy into something that will pay off over the long haul.

It Can Be More Than Just a Job

I listened to a fascinating episode of the At the Table with Patrick Lencioni podcast this morning titled "Vocation Over Vacation" (Episode 142 if you want to look it up). They made the point that your vocation is at it's core about helping others, rather than simply doing a "job". (Their discussion was much more nuanced than my summary sentence here.)

Sometimes it's necessary to have just a "job" - something that just pays the bills. But it's possible to find meaning and purpose within most any job, as well. 

What you are employed to do right now may not be your "calling" or become your lifelong vocation, but it can become a way to serve in the meantime. That's the way my job at Walmart was. I started working there just to pay the bills (ie. it was just a job), but I ended up meeting wonderful people and learning so much and helping so many. It wasn't my long-term vocation, but it was my vocation for a time. And it was valuable and helpful in shaping me into the person I am today.

 Something appropriate to ponder on Labor Day.

Non-scrolling Recipe: Buttermilk Pancakes

I've always liked pancakes primarily because of the add-ins. I like blueberry or bananas or chocolate chips in my pancakes - heck, why not all three! 

But last year I came across a great recipe for pancakes that are good with no add-ins - and at least as good as anything you can get at iHop (which have some pretty good ones, too). This recipe was shared with me by a friend, Gina Ausmus, who made these for a cross country breakfast run at her house last summer. The recipe makes a lot, so we typically cut it in half (unless you're making for a large group, like a bunch of cross country runners!) 

We don't usually have buttermilk on hand, but I try to always have some powdered buttermilk mix which works great as a substitute. The recipe isn't that complex, but it turns out some amazing pancakes that are tons better than any of the box mixes. These have become a family favorite. You can add any add-ins that you want, but they're great just as they are.

Here's the original and my adapted 1/2 recipe.

Full recipe:

2 1/2 C Flour

3 tsp Baking Powder

4 tsp Soda

1 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Sugar 

Mix together, add: 

1 qt. Buttermilk (4 Cups)

3 Eggs

4 Tbsp Butter, melted

    makes 20 medium cakes

Half recipe:

1 1/4 C Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 Tbsp Sugar

Mix together, add: 

1/2 qt. Buttermilk (2 cups)

1 1/5 Eggs (hard to do! - I just use 2 small ones)

2 Tbsp Butter, melted

    makes 10 medium cakes

Rob's Reviews: Spider-Man - No Way Home

It's National Cinema Day, which is an attempt to get people to see movies on a typically slow day for theaters due to it being Labor Day weekend. So many or most theaters are offering movie tickets for $3. GTI Cinema in North Branch (and Cambridge) is going one better and offering most of their concessions for $3, as well. So I'm heading down with some students to see Spider-Man: No Way Home once again.

This movie ranks as maybe the best Spider-Man movies of the nine that have been made so far. It is great on its own, but if you've seen any of the others - particularly the movies with Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield - you will enjoy it even more. It's a real treat for the fans and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. It's the "More Fun" edition with 11 extra minutes, so that's a nice bonus, but I'd see it again anyway.

I don't want to talk much about it because of spoilers. But if you enjoy the character, you'll love the movie. If you haven't watched it, it has my highest recommendation. (I only give and A+ to a movie I'd want to watch repeatedly.)

My grade: A+

A Critical Critique

What is the difference between critiquing someone and being critical? 

I think a critique is more other-centered while criticism is self-centered. A critique is offered to help someone else to improve something, while a criticism is more about the critic - "Here's what I think..." or "Here's why I think you're wrong." "Here's what I think you should change." That kind of thing. That's a critical person.

The problem comes when people get these mixed up. They think they are offering a critique but really it's a criticism. A critique needs to be asked for or permission given for it to be received. Unwanted or unasked-for critiques are just criticisms. 

What do you think of this? (Asking for a critique here.)

Ready to Run

Our first Cross Country meet of the season is today. In my devotions this morning I was reading Psalm 19 and verses 4 and 5 jumped out at me. 

Psalm 19:4-5 (NLT2)
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. ⁵ It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.

We have a lot of eager athletes ready to run the race today, but it's the ones who are ready - who put in the work. Maybe that's why the verse talks about a "great athlete". It's possible that greatness is related to readiness. 

What race do you need to get ready for?

Rob's Recommendations: Galaxy Quest

On my dad's final night visiting we pulled out Galaxy Quest, currently streaming on Amazon Prime. This gem came out in 1999 and is considered by some to be the best Star Trek movie that's not about Star Trek. Except it is, sort of. 

If you're not familiar, here's the Wikipedia summary: "Galaxy Quest is a 1999 American science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. A parody of and homage to science-fiction films and series, especially Star Trek and its fandom, the film depicts the cast of a fictional cult television series, Galaxy Quest, who are drawn into a real interstellar conflict by actual aliens who think the series was an accurate documentary. It stars Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, and Daryl Mitchell."

It's an affectionate parody of Star Trek fandom and it's very funny in parts. If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend it! I hadn't seen it in many years but I found it holds up very, very well. And it's pretty family friendly with its PG rating.

My grade: A

Rob's Reviews: Uncharted

Finally caught the movie Uncharted last night on Netflix. I had been looking forward to seeing this one for a while but hadn't really had anyone to see it with. I thought it was okay - perfectly adequate adventure. The special effects were decent (which you would expect for a major motion picture) and the plot was okay, but nothing special. And not particularly believable, but that's to be expected for a movie based on a video game.

I enjoyed Tom Holland in it but didn't really feel like Mark Wahlberg was all that believable as a fortune-hunter con man whatever-he-was. His character was very underdeveloped, as were the supporting characters. Of course, you don't go to see a movie like this hoping for a deep plot and well-developed characters. It was just an enjoyable popcorn flick. It's nice that is was only PG-13, which meant that there was some action/violence (not bloody, though) and occasional language, but overall unoffensive.

If you're just looking for a nice way to kill a couple of hours you will enjoy this. If you're looking for more - keep looking. 

Overall grade: B-

A Curious Question

When you are a kid, you are always asking questions: Why does the sun come up? Why is the grass green? Why is the sky blue? How does a car work? How does this computer work? What is the best way to do this?

At some point along the way you lose that curiosity. You stop learning and, worse, you stop wanting to learn.

I think that's the point when you start to get old. Or maybe by that point you already are.

So what would it take to keep the curious spirit? To keep learning - and to want to keep learning?

Rob's Reviews: Tom Clancy's Without Remorse

Another Sunday afternoon means another chance to enjoy a fun action movie with my dad before he heads home later this week. Up today is the new Amazon original movie, Tom Clancy's Without Remorse starring Michael B. Jordan.

This movie is exactly what it appears - an exciting action movie that is similar in some respects to John Wick but much more realistic. The plot is decent if not revolutionary and the acting and action are both very good. It's rated R but there's no sex or nudity and only a little profanity, so it's a welcome change from some of the streaming fare of late.

If you like a good action tale with good acting, you could do a lot worse. This is an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. 

My Grade: B

In My Opinion...

Everybody has an opinion. Not everyone has an informed opinion.

Which means not all opinions are created equal. You should be free to share your opinion, but not every opinion should be listened to and re-shared.

In my opinion.

Tremendous Teachers and Tedious Topics

A friend of mine is taking a college course for a subject that is not difficult, but is extremely tedious a boring. Which I think is worse, frankly. I'd rather have a difficult class that causes me to work hard, because then at least I'm engaged, instead of a class where it is a challenge to stay focused. 

I'm thankful for all of those teachers who were able to engage me as a student when the material was less than compelling. I never would have made it through AP Calculus in high school without Ms. Paige Barker. I remember her explaining vectors to us by referencing the just introduced moonwalk of Michael Jackson. I think of Mrs. Judy Kreiling who made American History come alive. And, of course, Dr. Gary Burge, who took an already interesting subject for me (New Testament) and made it so compelling that I immediately switched my major from English to Bible & Religion my freshman year of college.

There are tons more that I won't name right now, but I am so thankful for those teachers who are passionate about their fields and are able to motivate students to learn to love (or at least learn) the subjects they are teaching.

Time Trials for Cross Country

 

First time trials today for our Cross Country team. We've got about 47 students overall with a sizeable contingent of incoming 7th graders and only 2 seniors, meaning that since we have a pretty great team now, we will still have a strong team for years to come as we won't graduate too many out for a couple more years.

Best of all, these are great kids. They are fun to be with and are some of the highest quality students in our school. It's a honor and a pleasure to help coach them. I can't wait for the rest of the season!

(Lots more pictures on the Pine City XC/Track and Field Facebook page.)

Birthday Wishes

It's my birthday today. I always enjoy hearing from my friends on social media who are wishing me a happy birthday. What's interesting is when companies try to get in on the action. "Happy birthday! We know when you were born so we are going to wish you a happy birthday so you have a better view of us. After all, this is an automated message. It's not like there's a person behind each of these wishes. But we thought this was good marketing or brand management or something." (I'm looking at you Snapchat, Teledoc, etc.) 

Mountain Dew even sent me an email saying that I deserved a Dew, and then they sent me a link to follow so I could go buy one (implication: you deserve a Dew, but we're not going to give you one for free you cheapskate). Not that I'm cynical or anything.

Of course, I don't mind if there's actually something beyond just the wishes. Many offer birthday treats. I've gotten freebies from Casey's (cookie or donut), Subway (cookie), Culvers (scoop of custard with topping), Can Can Wonderland (free admission and treat), GTI Cinema (free movie, day of birthday only), Kohl's ($5 off coupon), DQ (BYGO Blizzard - so, kinda free), McDonalds (bakery treat) and Red Robin (burger). (Come to think of it, I wonder if I'm on too many mailing lists. If so, none of these guys are getting cut!)

I'm sure I won't be able to use most of the offers, but I'll take advantage of a few. So the moral is, if you're a company and can offer a freebie, then you are more than welcome to send me a birthday greeting. Otherwise, I'll probably be cynical about it.

If you're a friend, no treat is necessary. (But I'll probably not say no if you offer!)

Rob's Recommendations: Three Amigos

One of my all-time favorite comedies is actually one I didn't care for that much when I first saw it in the theater back in college. I don't know if I was in a bad mood or just had different expectations, but when I first saw Three Amigos I was a bit underwhelmed. 

And then my friends and I began talking about it in the days and weeks that followed. Certain phrases became catchphrases ("Would you say I had a plethora?" "You shot the invisible swordsman!") and a number of the scenes were discussed and even reenacted in the cafeteria. By the time I saw it again on video, it had somehow become a classic. I even had a cassette tape of the soundtrack with songs by Randy Newman.

I've seen it dozens of times since and I never tire. A few years ago on my birthday I had some of my high school students over and we watched it again. I don't know if they enjoyed it quite as much as I did, but I am still entranced by the comic genius that is Steve Martin. 

If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend it highly. My grade: A+

Pontooning Thoughts

My dad is visiting for a few weeks and today we got to spend the afternoon with our good friends Bob and Pat Werner, who took us on a pontoon ride around Cross Lake.

Let me just say how lucky we are to have such great friends as Bob and Pat. They are the first people I met when I began to preach at First Presbyterian (long before I became pastor) and they have been some of my biggest supporters. They are so encouraging and so generous and willing to share.

I was also once again amazed at how different the shoreline looks from the water versus the road around the lake. You would almost assume it was a different lake entirely if you didn't know better. The houses that look kind of humble from the side facing away from the lake are often some of the most impressive when viewed from the lake itself.

Which made me think of people. We see one side of people. Sometimes it's not their best side, but if we're able to view them from a different perspective, you may have an entirely different appreciation for them.

Here's What I Did This Weekend

So this is how my weekend went!

Our weekend project involved putting in an invisible dog fence. My good friend, Gene Webster, needed to re-install his invisible fence, as well, so we both purchased the materials and rented the trencher thingie we needed. 

About thirty seconds into using it at my house, I ran into the buried fiber cable that Midco laid a couple months ago. Which is weird, because I thought they were supposed to bury stuff 18 inches down or something. They don't even come out and mark your yard for other buried stuff because the dog fence trencher only goes down about three inches. 

Fortunately, Midco was able to send someone out today (Sunday morning) to connect a temporary cable to our house. It turns out you can't splice fiber cable so they are going to have to come out and run a whole new line to the house. Which means the dog fence can't be completed until that happens. At least I don't think we're going to be charged for the repair, which is good because I think we might be able to argue that their cable should have been buried deeper.

I'm not really sure the moral of this story. But I'm just glad we have internet again. And happy for high-speed internet. And happy they were able to do it so quickly. So I guess this is a kudos to Midco, except for the guys who installed the fiber cable to the house.

Smudged Glasses and Discipleship

When your glasses get dirty, you can deal with it because they are uniformly dirty and you don't really notice the dirt. But then you start to clean them off and you realize how bad they were. And if you miss a spot, that spot really stands out and annoys the heck out of you until you take care of it.

That's the same way discipleship works. At first your life seems okay because it's kind of messed up everywhere and you don't really know any different. But then when God begins to work, the parts that are left that are still messed up are more noticeable. I think that's why the longer you've been a Jesus-follower, the more you realize how much more you need to grow in your walk with Christ.

Mad Food Science Creations

At the beginning of last month I blogged about Nestle's Coffee-Mate Creme Brulee flavored creamer and my continuing frustration at finding my favorite flavor in stock anywhere. I contacted Nestle and they kindly gave me some coupons while telling me that it was not in stock. Here's exactly what they said: 

With tightening labor market conditions and increased demand we are seeing ingredients, packaging and transportation shortages which are impacting our ability to keep up with demand. We are working hard to improve our supply while we work to keep our people safe.

Which, while nice, is kind of hard to believe. Is everything a supply-chain issue now, or is that just a handy scapegoat to blame for pretty much everything? And they talk about working "to keep our people safe." I mean, I don't want them putting their people in danger getting Creme Brulee creamer into stores or anything! It seems like the rest of the flavors are in stock, so there must be something about Creme Brulee that is especially dangerous to manufacture or transport.

Nevertheless, I have been on a quest to recreate the Creme Brulee flavor in the meantime. I've searched all over the internet for some type of recipe, but the ones I've tried have resulted in a watery, sub-optimal product. So I have begun doing my own experimentation, using the Coffee-Mate Original as the base. I've come close by adding brown sugar and vanilla, but it wasn't quite there. Now I've procured a Creme Brulee flavoring that, combined with my own concoction, is getting much closer. I have only a few ounces of the genuine CM Creme Brulee flavor to compare it with. 

I'll keep you apprised of my work in this important area of food flavor research as I am sure you are anxiously awaiting the result. In the meantime, if you would happen to see any of the real Creme Brulee flavor at a grocery store, I'd love a heads-up. Thanks!