Natalie's Nibbles

Visit My NEW Blog!

2009-07-28T01:52:00.000-04:00

My brand new blog, Will Jog for Food, is finally up and running!

Click here to stop by!

Coming Soon!

2009-04-13T15:32:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone! Sorry I missed Food Fact Friday this week. I've decided to create a brand new blog to meld my interests in food and fitness! It will be up and running by this Friday! I'll be keeping my old features...but adding all sorts of new ones.

In the meantime Follow me on Twitter!

Coffee & Donuts for Dessert!

2009-03-31T13:55:00.003-04:00

What goes better together than coffee & donuts? That seemed like a great name for this creation of mine. I entered it into a recipe contest last year but they must have misplaced it, because it didn't win anything! hahaha. This is a very yummy donut-crust cheesecake bar. One of my friends still insists it's the best recipe I've ever come up with. If you can get Krispy Kreme's for this, definitely use them. I tried using store brand donuts once and it did not turn out as well.

Coffee & Donuts

8 - Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donuts
2 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/3 cup - sugar
2 - eggs
1 tsp - vanilla
1 tbsp - instant coffee
2 cups - semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup - heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9 x 13 baking dish. Cut up doughnuts in large pieces and place in food processor. Pulse until doughnuts resemble very coarse crumbs. Take doughnut crumbs and press firmly into the bottom of the baking dish. In bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, coffee, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Spread mixture evenly on top of doughnut layer. Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes (until center starts to rise and look a little dry). Let cool. While bars are cooling, combine chocolate chips & cream in a double boiler. Stir until the chocolate chips have melted and mixture is smooth. Pour chocolate over the cheesecake bars and spread evenly. Put bars in the refrigerator to cool. After 2 hours, cut into 24 squares and then place back in the fridge. Cool for 2 more hours or overnight. Then serve and enjoy!

Burgers in SoBe

2009-03-24T07:53:00.001-04:00

I had been dying to try 8oz Burger Bar, the new burger place from Table 8's Govind Armstrong. I probably get to South Beach less than once a month, so on my last detour there I knew I had to go! It was definitely worth it.

We walked in around Noon on a Sunday and it was about half full. I browsed the menu and my mouth was watering. They had great sounding apps, like Mini Kobe Corn Dogs and Fried Olives stuffed with Chorizo. We opted for the olives and were impressed. They were crunchy but not greasy. You could taste the olive and the chorizo equally.

The burger comes with the basics...lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and "special sauce" (which is basically ketchup & mayo mixed). Any toppings beyond that cost extra. The price can definitely add up quickly if you want to pile everything on your burger. They have alot of cheese options (for $2 extra) from cheddar to the very intriguing bel paese (which I heard was really yummy). They also have different sauces and toppings ranging from $1 - $2 additional. My sister got fried green tomato which she said was great.

I ordered the basic 8 oz with fried mozzarella (yes, it's actually a topping!!). I couldn't resist. The burger was really good. It was not over seasoned, so the flavor of the beef really shined. The fried mozzarella had a nice smooth flavor and even added a little crunch. I really liked the brioche bun, which wasn't too heavy and tasted fresh.

The sides were good too. The kennebec fries were the most "potato-y" french fries I've ever had. I also like the onion rings, but I got a bite that was kind of doughy...they might have needed to wait to get some of the extra batter off before they fried it.

I will definitely come back! It's not cheap, but it's an innovative burger place that's great for a treat. The service was good overall, but started lacking at the end when it started getting really busy.

Food: 4 out of 5
Service 3.5 out of 5

St. Paddy's in So Fla

2009-03-11T21:00:00.003-04:00

St. Patrick's Day is on Tuesday. Too bad it's a workday...but there's always time for happy hour and green beer! Here is a list of some of my favorite places in South Florida that are celebrating.

The Briny: Drinks, live Irish music and food will be available from 11:30 a.m. until 4 a.m. at this nautically themed pub on the New River. 305 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale

Dicey Riley's: Outside this pub in Fort Lauderdale's Himmarshee Village, vendors will serve Irish food, including beef stew and wheaten bread, and several varieties of beer throughout the day. 217 S.W. Second St., Fort Lauderdale

The Dubliner: Opening at 11 a.m., The Dubliner will serve coddle, boiled pork sausage and beef stew all day. 435 Plaza Real, Boca Raton

Gold Coast Roller Rink: The gay-friendly, weekly roller-skating party Intoxiskate will celebrate St. Pat's from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Skating games and beer pong contests will take place and drink specials will include $3 beers and $4 cocktails. 2604 S. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale

Murphy's Law Irish Pub: If you're looking to stay out all night this St. Patrick's Day, Murphy's is the place to be, as the pub never closes. 5703 Seminole Way, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood

Roxy's: In addition to live Irish music and drink specials beginning at 11:30 a.m., Roxy's will serve a great selection of Irish cuisine that includes beef and vegetable stew and soda bread. 309 Clematis St., West Palm Beach

Food Fact Friday: I Want a Mudslide

2009-02-27T09:42:00.008-05:00

Today is National Kahlua Day! Who even knew Kahlua day even existed? Kahlua is definitely my favorite liquor. You can use it in everything from
Frozen Mudslides to Espresso Kahlua Brownies.

Kahlua was created in 1936 in Mexico. Only hand picked, high quality Arabica coffee beans are used to make Kahlua. The coffee beans are grown at an elevation between 900 and 1400 meters in a semi-tropical environment that is ideal for this crop. The beans are grown under the shade of trees, allowing the beans to ripen slowly without the use of pesticides.

Kahlua is a rich, dark brown coffee liqueur made from Mexican coffee, a blend of rums and a hint of vanilla. It also contains sugar and vodka, and has a thicker body than most other alcoholic beverages. Kahlua is the 2nd largest single liqueur brand worldwide. It first made its way into the United States in 1962.

I'm Thinkin Arby's

2009-02-25T11:30:00.002-05:00

Now through March 9th, Arby's is offering a free sandwich! It's their new Roast Burger. All you have to do is bring in this coupon and buy any size drink.

There are 3 different kinds, and all of them include cheese, lettuce and tomato (the one in the picture is the Bacon-Cheddar). They basically just substitute roast beef for a ground beef patty. Sounds good to me! I'm a huge fan of the Beef & Cheddar, but I will definitely be trying one of these when I get my next fast food craving.

Spain in O-town

2009-02-24T13:08:00.008-05:00

I went up to Orlando for my Mom's birthday and we decided to try El Bodegon, a Spanish Restaurant in Winter Park. We got there pretty early on a Saturday night, so we could catch a movie at 8:00 (saw He's Just Not That Into You, which was pretty good). We were the only people at El Bodegon, which made me pretty leery. I felt like everyone who was working was watching us..but at least we got good service! The decor is okay. A little sprucing up and some modern touches would help.

We started off with a small pitcher of sangria and some bread. The sangria was nice and fruity, but you could definitely taste the brandy. I really liked the bread, which was sliced and coated with an herb garlic butter. We ordered a few tapas. The first was a cold tapa. It had Manchego, Serrano ham, and very thinly sliced Chorizo. On the menu, it said it came with olives too, but there weren't any on the plate. But you could tell the meats and cheese were top quality.

Next were the ham croquetas, which were very good! Croquetas are always a must for me at a Spanish restaurant. They came with a spicy aioli dipping sauce. They were perfectly crispy on the outside and creamy in the center. It paired well with the sauce, which wasn't as overpowering as I thought it would be.

Our last tapa was the Chorizo Al Brandy. It's sliced chorizo, served flaming to your table, with a layer of potatoes on the bottom to soak up all that chorizo goodness. It was highly recomenned by our server. It was my favorite dish of the night. The flambeed chorizo almost melted in your mouth, and tasted exceptional sandiwched in the middle of the garlic-herb bread.

Dessert was Crema Catalana, which is basically a Spanish version of Creme Brulee. It was amazing! The texture was super creamy. It was served warm with a super crispy topping, which is exactly the way I like it. I'm definitely not a fan of cold creme brulee (sorry there isn't a picture, it was gone too fast).

El Bodegon is a great place to go. I think they should add some more tapas to the menu, get some music, and modernize a little bit. I hope that more people start going soon...to be only half full on a Saturday at 8pm is not a good thing.

Food: 4 out of 5
Service: 5 out of 5
Ambience: 2 out of 5

Food Fact Friday: It's Cookie Time!

2009-02-19T20:26:00.005-05:00

I was passing by Target and saw the sign..."It's Girl Scout Cookie Time!". I tried to resist but my steering wheel magically turned it to the parking lot. I wonder how that happened....well, I did end up buying a box of Samoas, which are my all time favorite, besides Thin Mint. A couple weeks later, I was checking out the ice cream aisle at Publix, and there was Thin Mint Ice Cream and Samoa Ice Cream (limited editions). I'm not sure how long I'll be able to resist those. Here is some history on this tasty treat...

The first record of cookie sales by an individual scout unit was by the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in December 1917. In 1922, the Girl Scout magazine The American Girl suggested cookie sales as a fund-raiser and provided recipes. In 1933, Girl Scouts in Philadelphia organized the first official sale, selling homemade cookies in the windows of local utility companies. The first Girl Scout cookie recipe was a sugar cookie.

In 1936 the national organization began licensing commercial bakers to produce cookies. During World War II the Girl Scouts sold calendars rather than cookies, due to shortages of flour, sugar, and butter.

Licensed baking companies (there are currently two) can offer up to twenty eight varieties of Girl Scout cookies. The national Girl Scout organization reviews and approves all varieties proposed by the baking companies, but requires only three types: Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwiches (Do-Si-Dos) and Shortbreads (Trefoils). The other kinds can be changed every year, though several popular favorites, such as Caramel DeLites (Samoas) and Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs), are consistently available. The best selling cookie is Thin Mint, accounting for about 25% of cookie sales each year.

Boys can be nice: The Boy Scouts had the original idea of selling food (popcorn) in 1914. Later, they invented Tagalongs (peanut butter patties) and gave the idea to the Girl Scouts in 1956.

Something I'm Working On....

2009-02-16T21:16:00.002-05:00

I'm trying to develop some recipes for Ultimate Recipe Showdown and Pillsbury Bake-Off. This is a dessert that came out really well! I just want to make a few tweaks to it...

A Tasteful Pursuit in Palm Beach

2009-02-12T19:33:00.013-05:00

I was extremely lucky to be selected by Foodbuzz to attend A Tasteful Pursuit in Palm Beach . This event is a gourmet seven-course meal and auction to benefit Share our Strength. It was held at Café Boulud, which is owned by superstar chef, Daniel Boulud.

Share our strength is a national organization that works hard to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. They weave together a net of community groups, activists, and food programs to catch children at risk of hunger and surround them with nutritious food where they live, learn, and play. There are many ways to help this great cause, Click Here to find out how to lend a hand to help end childhood hunger.

I arrived fashionably late to Café Boulud (darn that Monday night traffic!) and wandered around the silent auction displays. There was an abundance of items. The sommelier of Café Boulud, Jenny Benzie, has great connections in the wine industry and there were many bottles donated to the auction. I had a glass of Charles de Casanove Champagne and went inside to find my table.

The event was set up beautifully. The centerpieces consisted of roses and orchids, and were lit up by candlelight. The tables were covered with wine glasses, because each course was paired with a different wine.

1st Course: Salsify Panna Cotta
Chef: Bradford Thompson, Lever House
When I first saw this on the menu, I was slightly nervous. A savory panna cotta didn’t seem to appealing to me. But I took my first bite and I was in heaven. The flavor was rich and the texture was perfectly creamy. The spice of the crawfish tail complemented it perfectly.

2nd Course: Quail and Foie Gras Ballotine en Croute – paired with Domaine Weinbach Pinot Blanc
Chef: Olivier Muller, DB Bistro Moderne
I have some issues with eating foie gras (but had never tried it), and was happy when there was only a small amount in the dish. But I took a bite and was impressed. The ballotine was meaty but delicate, with a buttery pastry crust. It went well with the slight tartness of the beets, greens, and shallot vinaigrette, which took an edge off the richness.

3rd Course: Marinated Nantucket Bay Scallops – paired with Alphones Mellot La Moussiere
Chef: Wesley Holton, Daniel Boulud Brasserie
The dish looked like a deconstructed ceviche, with the scallops floating in citrus and creamy avocado in the center. The scallops were literally the best I ever had, and basically melted in my mouth. The citrus and avocado was a perfect combination.

4th Course: Slow Roasted Arctic Char – paired with Vincent Girardin Pouilly-Fuisse
Chef: Zach Bell, Café Boulud Palm Beach
I’m pretty sure this was my favorite dish of the night. I had never tasted arctic char before. It looks similar to salmon but has a more delicate flavor. It was cooked to perfection, moist and flaky. It was complemented beautifully with the curry sabayon and caramelized cauliflower (which is now my new favorite way to eat cauliflower).

5th Course: Spinach and Ricotta Raviolo – paired with Cecchi, Vino Noble di Montepulciano
Chef: Gavin Kaysen, Café Boulud NYC
Raviolo is basically one big ravioli. Besides the title ingredients it also had pork sausage and an egg yolk in the center. I do not like eggs at all (except a few bites of scrambled eggs covered with cheese and ketchup), so I was terrified. But I couldn’t believe how wonderful everything tasted together. The egg yolk really added a creaminess to the ravioli that surprised me.

6th Course: Tasting of Milk Fed Veal – paired with Atalon Cabernet
Chef: Jean Francois Bruel, Daniel
This was the dish that really had everyone at my table looking pretty frightened. It consisted of veal sweetbreads, braised veal cheeks and veal tenderloin. I thought I’d go for the gusto and try the sweetbreads first. I was shocked by how good the consistency was and the mild flavor. The cheeks were also delicious, with excellent flavor (grass/milk fed) and it just fell apart when you cut into it. The tenderloin was good, but was overshadowed by the sweetbreads and cheek.

7th Course: “White Mocha”
Chef: Matthew Petersen, Café Boulud
The dessert was well hidden in a chocolate tuile shell. I cracked it open and tasted the components…orange mousse and chocolate cream. Those were both perfect. But then I bit in to the orange marmalade and it overwhelmed the chocolate flavor. I pushed that aside and finished the rest of the dessert, which also consisted of a very refreshing mandarin sorbet.

This was really a wonderful event. Although it was 7 courses, the portions were perfect and left the event perfectly satisfied. I was so happy to try so many things I had avoided in the past. The chefs really know how to create amazing dishes, and balance textures and flavors. The service throughout the event was impeccable! There are many Tasteful Pursuit dinners scheduled around the country, so attend one if you can. The food is amazing and it’s for a great cause.

Starbucks pulling a McDonald's

2009-02-11T15:36:00.004-05:00

Starting March 3rd, you'll be able to get a much better deal at Starbucks. Starbucks is calling these specials “pairings.” You’ll be saving around $1.20 per meal. The $3.95 meals include either a tall Cafe Latte or tall fresh brewed coffee with one of the following existing or new items.

For $3.95, you'll be able to choose from 2 coffee drinks...
- Tall Cafe Latte
- Tall drip Coffee

After you've chosen your caffeine fix, you choose one of the following breakfast items...
- Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal
- Reduced-Fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake
- Sausage Breakfast Sandwich
- Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich (turkey bacon, reduced fat white cheddar, cholesterol free egg)
- Artisan Bacon Sandwich (parmesan egg frittata, smoked bacon slices and gouda cheese)
- Artisan Ham Sandwich, (parmesan egg frittata, Black Forest ham and mild cheddar)

A New York Night at Nobu

2009-02-04T17:11:00.002-05:00

The original Nobu is in Tribeca in New York City. When my friend suggested we go there for dinner, I was all for it! We had the reservation for one month and the day finally arrived.

We walked in and the ambiance was very warm and inviting, but the hostess area was very cramped. They didn't have any room for more than about 3 people and I felt bad for the diners who were seated close to the front. Our table was in the back of the restaurant, it was a perfect spot. We got the menus and looked around to see if anyone there was famous...and bingo! Adrian Grenier (Vince from Entourage) was seated right next to us! After our giddiness wore off...we were ready to order.

We got a large sake and a bottle of Serenity Merlot. I have to admit...it was definitely the best sake I've ever had (forgot the name, but it was the 3rd from the top) and the Merlot was in my top 3 for the price. Appetizer was edamame and miso soup. The soup was excellent, very well flavored with large pieces of tofu.

Rock Shrimp Tempura

Next came the rock shrimp tempura. It was the highlight of the meal. The shrimp was tossed in a slightly sweet, slightly spicy sauce and was perfectly cooked. For my meal I had many different pieces of sushi, and that was what I was least impressed with. It was very average. If I go to Nobu again, I will get an entree and more than likely forgo their sushi selections. If you're in NYC and happen to be staying near a Nobu, you should go, but skip the regular sushi and go for the gusto!

Miso Soup & Sushi

Food: 4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5

Food Fact Friday: Bagels

2009-01-30T06:08:00.003-05:00

I'm in NYC this weekend and needed something New York-ish to write about. I've done Pizza and Hot Dogs. My Long Island friend suggested bagels...duh! New Yorkers think their bagels are the best, and hopefully I'll get to sample one during my trip. Here is the story of the bagel...

A bagel is defined as "a hard bread roll made of yeast dough twisted into a small doughnutlike shape, cooked in simmering water, then baked." The bagel is the only bread product that is boiled before it is baked. That's what gives the bagel its unique texture and the crust its characteristic shine.

Legend has it that in 1683 in Vienna, Austria, a local Jewish baker wanted to thank the king of Poland for protecting his countrymen from Turkish invaders. He made a roll in the shape of a riding stirrup (Bugel in German, commemorating the king's favorite pastime. As bagels gained popularity in Poland, they were officially sanctioned as gifts for women in childbirth. Mothers also used them as teething rings that their infants could easily grasp.

When the Eastern European Jewish immigrants arrived in North America at the turn of the century, they brought the bagel with them. Many settled in Canada, giving cities like Toronto and Montreal their reputation for having superb bagels. The American bagel industry established formal roots in New York between 1910 and 1915 with the formation of Bagel Bakers Local #338. This exclusive group of 300 craftsmen with "bagels in their blood" limited its members to sons of its members.

Professional bagel baking required know-how and backbreaking labor. Bagel makers' sons apprenticed for months to learn the trade. Bagel-making machines, a boon to commercial bakers, were introduced in the early 1960's. The machines form bagels by extruding the dough through the ring shape. These new machines could help bakers produce up to 4,800 bagels an hour, making bagels much more affordable and readily available to today's consumers.

Big Bucks Bagel: The most expensvie bagel was served at the Westin in Times Sqaure. It was topped with Alba white truffle cream cheese and goji berry infused Riesling jelly with golden leaves.

Taste Test Tuesday: True Delights

2009-01-27T08:22:00.000-05:00

Being a part of Foodbuzz has some great perks! I was lucky enough to get some samples of Quakers new granola bar, True Delights. I got their three flavors and have tried two of them so far, they are good!

Price: $3.49/box (5 bars)
Calories: 140
Fat: 4.5g
Sodium: 65mg
Carbs: 23g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 2g
Rating: 4 out of 5

My first bar was the Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut. I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised! There were huge chunks of banana and macadamia nut, and I could taste it in every bite. The only flavor that was muted was the coconut...darn. But besides the missing coconut, it tasted great and I would buy it for sure. It's a good size for a small snack...I bet it would be great crumbled in some yogurt!

The Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond was also better than I expected. There were bits of raspberry scattered around and lots of real dark chocolate chunks. The chocolate tasted like chocolate! The snozzberries tasted like snozzberries (oh wait....that's something else). It was another great granola bar that exceeded my expectations. I can't wait to try the Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry.

The Return of the Pillsbury Bake-Off!

2009-01-25T20:21:00.007-05:00

It's baaaccckkk (and I'm back from hiatus)! I am so excited to enter a recipe in this year's contest. I have lots of ideas, and I'll be practicing a lot starting in February. The 2008 Bake-Off was such an amazing experience, I really hope I'm lucky enough to go back a 2nd time.

Pillsbury is accepting entries through April 20th. Click here for rules and to enter. They have a few changes this year. They only have 4 categories instead of the usual 5. Also, Pillsbury will be selecting 90 contestsants, but there will be a head to head online voting contest for the last 10 spots. I think it's a fun idea which will get more people involved. The contest will be in April 2009, in Orlando.

Last year's winner was Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies. I have yet to try them out, but I heard they are delicious! So get your thinking caps on and your ovens ready! Who can pass up a chance for a million dollars?

I'll be back soon!

2008-12-16T16:34:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been M.I.A. again. I really really promise I'll be back posting after the holidays. I'm just going to take a little breather. I'm stockpiling some great reviews and recipes and will see you all again in the new year.

Happy Holidays!
Natalie

Pack Your Knives and Go!

2008-12-01T15:43:00.012-05:00

I got an inside scoop today about one of the restaurants I recently reviewed.... Forte di Asprinio. You can read my full review by clicking here. To sum it up, it was a very bad experience with mediocre food and horrible service.

The breaking news is that Stephen Asprinio, the Top Chef contestant whose name is etched on this eatery, just got FIRED!* I'm assuming they'll be changing the name of this restaurant. I really hope that they change the concept too.

*As of 12/4, Stephen's departure has been confirmed. The executive chef remains with the restaurant.

UPDATE:Stephen e-mailed me to let me know he sold his shares of Forte to pursue other opportunities in Dubai and Las Vegas (he was not fired, as I stated in the original post). I wish him the best of luck on these new ventures!

Taste Test Tuesday: Kashi 7-Grain Pilaf

2008-11-18T14:28:00.004-05:00

I'm always looking for healthy side dishes. When I was searching for whole wheat cous cous, I stumbled upon Kashi Original 7 Grain Pilaf. It was buy one get one free! I picked up a couple to try out. It's pre-made (like Ready Rice). All you have to do is heat and serve. Plus it had no sodium or additives which I thought was really great.

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories 220
Total Fat 4g
Sodium 0mg
Total Carbohydrate 45g
Fiber 7g
Sugars 1g
Protein 8g
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I opened up the bag to heat it up. Honestly, it smelled pretty bad. Like a musky odor. I was kind of scared but gave it a go. After 60 seconds of heating with a little water, it was ready! The aroma was totally different now, it smelled tasty and nutty. I topped it with a teaspoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of parmesan cheese. It was delicious! It was nutty and flavorful. It had a variety of textures, some soft, some a little crunchier. It made for a great combo. You could pretty much add any flavors you can think of to the pilaf. It's a great substitute for rice, with high amounts of protein and fiber. I'll be getting this again for sure!

Six on Sunday: My Pizza

2008-11-09T11:36:00.000-05:00

I didn't make any recipes with 6 ingredients or less this week unfortunately. But I will be making this for my office's pot luck lunch on Wednesday. It was my entry in this year's Pillsbury Bake-Off. I still reminisce about how amazing the experience was. I can't wait to enter again next year for the 2010 Bake-off!

Blue Cheesy Prosciutto Appetizer Pizza
1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
1/3 cup cream cheese (from 8-oz container or package)
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (1 oz)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
4 slices prosciutto (about 2 oz), cut into thin strips
1/3 cup SMUCKER'S® Apricot Preserves

Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray large cookie sheet with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Unroll pizza crust dough on cookie sheet; press dough into 15x12-inch rectangle. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave cream cheese and blue cheese uncovered on High about 30 seconds or until melted. Stir until well mixed. Spread mixture over partially baked crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese; top with prosciutto.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave preserves uncovered on High about 30 seconds. Stir until smooth; drizzle over pizza.

Bake 8 to 12 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and preserves in center of pizza start to bubble.

West Palm Beach: Forte di Asprinio

2008-11-06T12:35:00.006-05:00

Since Forte opened, I've been dying to try it! Not only because the infamous Stephen Asprinio from Top Chef owned it, but because the menu looked inventive. When I heard they had a special of 3 courses for $30, I thought it would be a great time to try it out. It was Halloween night and we had reservations for 8:30. I was expecting the restaurant to be busy, but was surprised when there were only 3 tables occupied.

Wine: I looked through the wine list and was impressed! They had lots of great wines. A good amount were available by the glass. They also had wine flights (I chose the medium bodied reds), which aren't readily accessible at restaurants. The medium red flight was a great choice and the sommelier did a great job explaining the 3 that were included.

Service: Our server was horrible. I asked him a couple of questions regarding the menu, which he replied with a shrug and "I don't know". He acted as if we were wasting his time. When he poured water, some of it was splashed on my sister and he didn't apologize. I mean, come on, he had 3 tables and couldn't do his job! He also got our wine order messed up. The good part was the sommelier, he was friendly, and quickly fixed the mistake our server made when he input our wine flights.

First Course: Was the ricotta/eggplant terrina. It seemed like it was sitting around for a while. I tried to eat it by itself but it was very bland. It was only good when smeared on the bread, which was doused in garlic & butter.

Main Course: I had the buccatini alla carbonara. It was the best of the 3 courses. The pasta was cooked perfectly and there was a perfect amount of sauce. The sauce was creamy and well flavored with the pancetta and cheese.

Dessert: This was the butterscotch budino (basically pudding). It was creamy, but just blah. Pudding isn't my dessert of choice. The mini beignets were bland and had to be smothered in pudding to taste good.

I would not come back to Forte to eat. I think the menu verbiage makes the food seem much more unique than it actually is. The service should have been much better. The food was decent, but not worth the price (even though it was only $30). The best part was the wine, and I would only come back to sit at the bar and indulge in another flight or one of their cocktails.

Taste Test Tuesday: Amy's Pizza

2008-11-04T16:03:00.003-05:00

On my quest for "healthy" junk food, I stumbled upon Amy's Organic personal size Margherita Pizza. It looked pretty good, so I decided to give it a try.

Serving Size: 1 Pizza
Calories: 360
Total Fat 17g
Sodium 720mg
Total Carbohydrate 47g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 4g
Protein 16g
Rating: 4 out of 5

I took it out of the box and was slightly disappointed. Where was the cheese? It seemed like there was way less cheese on the pizza than was shown in the picture. But the size of the pizza looked good, perfect for one person. In to the oven it went. I opted for the crispier crust, so I placed the pizza directly on the rack.

The pizza was ready after about 9 minutes. The aromas were great and I was more than ready to dig in. The crust was tasty. It had good flavor (not bland like alot of frozen pizzas). It was also crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. The sauce had a hint of garlic and tasted like the main ingredient, tomatoes. Overall, it was very well seasoned. The only disappointment was the lack of cheese, but the rest of the flavors made up for it somewhat. If it had a little more cheese I would have given it a 5.

Creme Brulee for the Holidays

2008-11-03T10:12:00.001-05:00

I'm proud to announce I'm officially a member of Florida Foodies Restaurant and Travel Magazine! It's a great blog that highlights innovative recipes and fun destinations all over Florida.

My first contribution is a great recipe I came up with, Pumpkin Pie Creme Brulee. Be sure to check it out!

Taste Test Tuesday: PB Puffins

2008-10-28T13:58:00.002-04:00

I was in Publix in search of a snack to keep stashed in my pantry when I noticed that Puffins were on sale. I've heard good things about these on other blogs so I decided to try them out. Turns out there 100% natural too, sweetened with cane juice. I've become a peanut butter addict lately, so that's the flavor I opted for.

Serving Size: 3/4 cup (30g)
Calories: 110
Fat: 2g
Sodium: 230mg
Carbs: 23g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 6g
Protein: 3g
Rating: 5 out of 5

I was pretty tired on a Saturday morning and I wanted to make the easiest breakfast possible. Cereal it is! I skipped the milk part, for some reason I've never been a fan of plain milk to drink or with cereal...but that's another story. Anyway...I just ripped open the bag and munched away. I first thought, wow, the bag is pretty full, that's a good sign I didn't get ripped off. I put a few of the pb nuggets in my mouth and crunched away. They were delicious...perfectly crunchy and not totally filled with just air! They weren't overly sweet and had a really good peanut butter flavor. These are a perfect snack and I'm sure make a good, healthy breakfast with some milk.

Taste Test Tuesday: Kardea Bars

2008-10-21T17:07:00.003-04:00

I was lucky enough to get a few samples of the new Kardea Nutrition Bars. I haven't seen them in the stores yet, but you can order them online on their website. This is what Kardea has to say about their Banana Nut Bar...Banana nut is one of life's great comfort food combinations. Kardea brings you this taste sensation in its heart healthy nutritional bar. 1g Plant Sterols, 7g Total Fiber, 7g Protein, Vegan-Friendly, Lower Glycemic Sweetener & Kosher Certified. The label also says "for natural cholesterol management". I guess that's what the plant sterols are for.

Calories: 150
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 21g
Protein: 7g
Fiber: 7g
Sugar: 11g
Sodium: 80 mg
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Banana Walnut & Cranberry Almond)

My favorite flavor out of the pack was Banana Walnut, so I tried that first. The size was about what I expected for a 150-calorie bar (not big), but that was fine. The texture scared me a little, it was very soft. It was mostly smooth with a few chunks of the nuts. But I took a bite and it tasted great. There was a strong flavor of banana and walnuts. The next day I was going to try the Cranberry Almond, so I put it in the fridge for about an hour to firm up. That helped the "floppiness" of the bar a lot. The Cranberry Almond was a hit too. But I'm not a huge fan of Chai or Lemon, so those two I didn't like. But if you are into those flavors you should try it. All of the bars were well flavored with the title ingredients. If I saw these in the store, I would buy a few. It's a great snack bar with a good distribution of nutrients and good flavor.

LA Fitness Opening Soon!

2008-10-15T11:24:00.008-04:00

I know this is non-food related...but I couldn't help myself. I need to workout to counteract all the pigging out I do on the weekends. I'm very excited about the new gym (that statement is really sad, haha)!

I've been a member of LA Fitness for about a year now. I work in Boca Raton, so the one in East Boca that's opening up off Yamato and 95 is perfect for me! It's finally opening on Saturday, October 25th! From what the salespeople have told me, it's going to be the largest LA Fitness in Florida. They'll have a huge cardio area...plus racquetball, basketball and a pool.

10/24 - UPDATE: They will be opening some day between 10/28 - 10/30 due to inspections. But they said everything is set up and ready to go.

10/29 - UPDATE: The plans are to open on Saturday, November 1st. They are going through the last inspections today.

11/3 - UPDATE: They are now open for business!

Taste Test Tuesday: Newman's Marinara

2008-10-14T12:10:00.003-04:00

I saw a bottle of Newman's Own Marinara in my cupboards and thought of his recent passing. He was an excellent actor and very charitable. Newman established a policy that all proceeds from the sale of Newman's Own products, after taxes, would be donated to charity. As of early 2006, the franchise has resulted in excess of $200 million in donations. One beneficiary of the donations is the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut, a residential summer camp for seriously ill children. So buy more Newman's Own products! It's for a good cause.

Serving size = 1/2 Cup
Calories: 70
Fat: 2g
Sodium: 510 mg
Fiber: < 1g
Sugar: 11g
Protein: 2g
Rating 3.5 out of 5

I opened the jar and the thickness was good. Not too runny, not too thin. But I thought it would have more texture to it. I picture a marinara to have lots of chunks of tomatoes, but this only had a few. Now on to tasting...

Spaghetti Squash: I added a couple tablespoons to spaghetti squash and some parmesan. It tasted okay. It needed salt and garlic and maybe a little olive oil. The flavor didn't go as well with the spaghetti squash as I had hoped.

Pizza: Another day I made a mini pizza (recipe to come on Sunday). The sauce tasted much better this way, offsetting the saltiness of the cheese. It's a perfect consistency for pizza sauce because it's relatively smooth and not watery.
My favorite bottled sauce of all time is Barilla Green & Black Olive Tomato Sauce...thanks for getting me hooked on it Dad :) But I will keep trying out Newman's Own products to help support some great causes.

Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches

2008-10-13T17:16:00.003-04:00

It’s here, it’s here! Foodbuzz, Inc. is unbelievably excited to announce the official launch of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community, which is comprised of more than 1,000 global food bloggers, our “Featured Publishers.”

At launch, the Foodbuzz community successfully broke into the top ten rankings of internet destinations for food and dining, according to Quantcast, a global internet rating service.

Foodbuzz Publisher Community
In addition, the inaugural 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs event—which aims to showcase 24 Featured Publisher blog posts around the globe in a 24-hour period—kicked off on Sept. 20 and successfully displayed to online food enthusiasts an international, virtual street festival of food and diversity.

“Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Ryan Stern, Director of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community. 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs captured the quality and unique local perspective of our food bloggers and shared them with the world. The event illustrates exactly what the future of food publishing is all about—real food, experienced by real people, shared real-time.”

Foodbuzz is proud to be the only online community with content created by food bloggers and rated by foodies, offering over 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly. Members can vote for their favorite pieces of content (recipes, photos, blog posts, videos, restaurant reviews) by “buzzing” them up to the top of the daily menu of submissions.

Foodbuzz
While the site is logging over 14 million monthly page views and over three million unique monthly visits, the Foodbuzz blogger community is concurrently growing at a rate of 40 percent per month, driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs.

“Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm, and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc. “Foodbuzz is like the stock of a great soup, allowing bloggers to contribute content and subsequently interact in a rapidly growing, online niche-specific community.”

Keep buzzing,
The Foodbuzz Team

Click Here to view all the fantastic menus from 24,24,24!

Missing in Action

2008-10-13T17:13:00.004-04:00

Sorry I've been gone! I am officially back in action. I had a busy streak for a while and the cooking and taking pictures kind of went out the window for a few weeks. But I'm back for Taste Test Tuesday starting tomorrow.

Taste Test Tuesday: Chicken Potstickers

2008-09-30T12:57:00.002-04:00

First...SORRY I didn't do a Six on Sunday! I had a really busy day and totally forgot (I promise to behave this week). On to my taste test...I saw Ling Ling All Natural Chicken Potstickers at Publix Greenwise Market the other day and couldn't resist. The nutritional info looked decent. I love potstickers! Eventually I will try to just make them myself. But I love convenience...especially when I get home from a long day and am too hungry to wait around for food to cook.

Serving Size: 5 pcs
Calories 260
Fat: 6g
Sodium: 620mg
Carbs: 39g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 5g
Protein: 13g
Rating: 4 out of 5

The instructions were pretty simple, just put them in a pot with a little oil and water and let them cook for 8 minutes. While they were steaming...I eyed the sauce that came with the potstickers and decided against it. I ended up mixing some Veri Veri Teriyaki with water and honey (I mixed it with water because the sauce is thick with a lot of sodium). It came out great! It was a thin consistency with a slight sweetness. Now time for the dumplings! I made 7 of them...2 of them came apart at the seams slightly. The wrapping of the potsticker seemed a tad bit overcooked. The filling was great! It tasted exactly like what I would get at a restaurant. It was moist and flavorful. Seven was almost too many..I think next time I'll stick to the serving size of 5 and eat a nice salad with it. It was WAY better than having a Lean Cuisine!

Daring Bakers Go Crackers!

2008-09-27T18:22:00.002-04:00

I had a football party to go to (GO GATORS!) so this worked out perfectly. It was very easy to make. The crackers came out very well. They were crisp without being too hard and ha just the right amount of flavor to complement my Buffalo Chicken Dip. The dip was a huge hit at the party! People gobbled it up quickly. It's the easiest dip I've ever made, so it will definitely be in my repertoire. It's perfect for tailgating.

Lavosh Crackers* 1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp instant yeast
* 1 Tb sugar
* 1 Tb vegetable oil
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature
* Joe's Stuff and Salt

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, sugar, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should be 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of salt and Joe's Stuff. Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

RECIPE - Buffalo Chicken Dip
* 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese
* 1 cup Blue Cheese crumbles
* 1 cup Monterey Jack
* 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
* 3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce

This recipe is super easy! All you do is combine all of the ingredients in a pot over medium heat until melted. Then let cook for about 10 more minutes to meld the flavors.

Eat Out for a Good Cause

2008-09-25T12:33:00.001-04:00

From September 21 - 28, more than 3,700 restaurants across the country are participating in Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out. Each participating restaurant will donate a portion of their proceeds to the Share Our Strength, which works to end childhood hunger in the United States.

Click here to find a restaurant near you! A few options in the Fort Lauderdale area are Buca di Beppo, Big City Tavern and Beach Watch. Make sure to make it this weekend...the event ends on Sunday.

Taste Test Tuesday: Almond Breeze

2008-09-23T14:52:00.000-04:00

On other sites I've heard good things about Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla. I have scoured many a Publix store looking for it but it seemed like they always ran out. I finally found it at Publix Greenwise!

Serving Size: 8 fl oz
Calories: 40
Total Fat: 3g
Sodium: 180mg
Carbs: 2g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars : 0g
Protein: 1g
Rating: 4 out of 5

I was excited to try this out. I wasn't sure what to make with it, but I needed some coffee big time! I found a great recipe for a cool coffee drink on Hungry Girl. I adapted it a little bit to use the almond breeze and my magic bullet blender. The recipe is below. The texture is very similar to reduced fat milk (as long as you shake it up well). It's nice and creamy. There is definitely an almond flavor but it's not overpowering. The touch of vanilla comes through. I will definitely keep buying this for drinks and my sweet concoctions.

Cool Mocha Malt (serves one)
1/3 cup Hot water
1 tsp instant coffee
2 tsp malt powder
1 tsp cocoa powder
2 1/2 packets Splenda
1/3 cup Almond Breeze (vanilla, unsweetened)
1/3 cup ice cubes

Dissolve the dry ingredients with the hot water and put in your blender. Add the Almond Breeze and Ice and blend. It's a cool and refreshing coffee drink with around 70 calories!

Six on Sunday: Burger Time!

2008-09-21T12:43:00.004-04:00

I love burgers! They are easy to make and really delicious, even a the fake "Boca Burger" tastes great. I love to come up with different toppings for them. Here is a good one I came up with. This recipe serves 2, enjoy!

Mediterranean Burgers
2 Burger Patties (I used Boca for this one)
2 Hamburger Buns
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp crumbled Feta Cheese
2 tbsp sliced Olives

Prepare your burger patties and buns the way you like it. While the burgers are cooking, combine the mustard, olives, and feta until everything is well mixed. When burgers are done, place the olive feta mix on top and then plop it on the bun. If you have sun dried tomatoes on hand...that would be a good addition too!

Food Fact Friday: Chicken Cordon Bleu

2008-09-19T09:19:00.004-04:00

September is National Chicken Month...woohoo! Seriously though, I do eat a lot of chicken. Probably 80% of all the protein I eat (As you can see by all the chicken recipes). It's very versatile and relatively inexpensive. I was thinking about all of the yummy ways to eat it, and Chicken Cordon Bleu kept popping in my head. I mean, what's better than stuffing cheese and meat into more meat then frying it?! Below is what I could find about this delicious dish. For a really good recipe, Click here.

First for the term, "Cordon Bleu". This was originally a wide blue ribbon worn by members of the highest order of knighthood in France. By extension, the term has since been applied to food prepared to a very high standard and to outstanding cooks. The analogy was from the similarity between the sash worn by the knights and the ribbons (which at the time, were almost always blue) of a cook's apron.

The first known dish with "Cordon Bleu" in the name is Veal Cordon Bleu, a Swiss dish in which veal is wrapped in ham and Gruyere and fried. Food historians believe that Americans adapted this recipe to include chicken instead of veal, and substituted Swiss cheese for Gruyere. The term "Chicken Cordon Bleu" first appeared in airline ads in the 60's, when they were focusing on the elegance and luxury of flying.

Chicken Cities Tidbit: There are four places in the United States with the word "chicken" in their name: Chicken, Alaska; Chicken Bristle in Illinois and Kentucky; and Chicken Town, Pennsylvania.

Taste Test Tuesday: Ezekiel Bread

2008-09-16T13:59:00.005-04:00

On to another healthy pick that I've been eating regularly lately. Buying bread in the freezer section of the grocery store kinda scared me. I thought it wouldn't be good. But I heard lots of good things about Ezekiel 4:9 and all of it's healthy ingredients. So I gave it a try. Now I'm hooked!

Price: $3.99/loaf
Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 80
Fat: .5g
Carbs: 15g
Protein: 4g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 0g
Sodium: 75 mg
Rating: 4 out of 5

They call it Ezekiel 4:9 because of this bible verse, "Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it...". It's 100% natural and organic. It's lightly processed, so your body processes it better than regular bread.

Now for the taste testing...It's kind of a pain to defrost because the slices like to stick together. What I usually do for sandwiches is just defrost the slices enough so I can pull them apart, then put my toppings on it then pop it into the microwave (for no more than 20 seconds) or the toaster oven. It tastes great warm and especially toasted. When warmed, it has a great nutty taste that regular bread doesn't have. But it's not great when it's cold. It's also a little more crumbly than regular bread (but who knows how chemicals are used to create "softness"). If you haven't tried it yet, give it a go to see if it's your cup of tea. One of my new favorite ways to prepare it is toasted with peanut butter and bananas!

Food Fact Friday: Slow Food

2008-09-12T18:34:00.001-04:00

The new term, "Slow Food", is becoming more and more popular. There was even an event in San Francisco called Slow Food Nation recently. I know it is mostly about eating locally grown food, but I wanted to find out more...

The Slow Food movement was founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986 to combat fast food. It claims to preserve the cultural cuisine and the associated plants and seeds, domestic animals, and farming within a local region.

The Slow Food movement incorporates a series of objectives within its mission, including:
- forming and sustaining seed banks to preserve heirloom varieties in cooperation with local food systems
- developing an "ark of taste" for each ecoregion, where local culinary traditions and foods are celebrated
- preserving and promoting local and traditional food products, along with their lore and preparation
- educating consumers about the risks of fast food
- educating citizens about the drawbacks of commercial agribusiness and factory farms
- teaching gardening skills to students and prisoners
- encouraging ethical buying in local marketplaces

I try to eat local when I can, but I feel this is pretty difficult in South Florida. I even went to a farmers market and everything was imported. Anyone have any good tips?

Get Some Flavor...

2008-09-11T09:30:00.001-04:00

We're smack in the middle of the inaugural Flavor Palm Beach, where some great restaurants in Palm Beach County are offering a 3 course menu for a nice price, $20 for lunch and $30 for dinner. This only runs through the end of September, so there are only a couple weeks left to take advantage. I'm definitely going to go to at least one. My problem is Miami Spice goes on at the same time too...there are way too many good restaurants to go to!

When I was looking at the menus, some sound really appealing and some just don't seem worth it. The first place I really want to try is Forte di Asprinio, which is owned by Top Chef's infamous Stephen Asprinio (I've been to the bar there, but not yet to eat...and yes...I saw Stephen). The two things that really interested me were the local corn zuppa with crispy pancetta and brioche gnocchi appetizer and the wood burning oven-roasted local grouper “ivornese with marscapone polenta and asparagus. Some other menus that looked good were Strip House and iii Forks.

Taste Test Tuesday: PB2

2008-09-09T09:50:00.001-04:00

I forgot how I first heard about PB2, but my first thought was..."This stuff has to be gross!" If you haven't heard of PB2, it's a powdered peanut butter. They make it by extracting the oil from the peanuts (The same company sells peanut oil too). It's all natural, mostly peanuts, with just a touch of salt and sugar. All you do is add water to the powdered peanuts and voila, you have peanut butter. I read lots of good reviews about it, so I took the plunge and bought one jar on ebay to test it out (It's not in any stores around South Florida, but you can check on their site for a store near you).

Cost: $3.99/jar in a 4 pack from their website (plus shipping)
Nutrition Info for 2 tablespoons:
Calories: 53.2
Fat: 1.87 g
Protein: 5.65g
Carbs: 3.4g
Fiber: .48g
Sodium: 77.6 mg
Sugar: 1.66g
Rating: 5 out of 5

My box arrived and I was craving a PB&J sandwich so I cracked open the jar and was ready to go. I followed the easy directions...take 2 tablespoons of the PB2 and mix it with 1 tablespoon water. So far so good, at least it looked like peanut butter. Before I condemned by bread and jelly to an unknown fate, I had to taste a little bit. Wow...it was awesome! It tasted just like peanut butter and had basically the same texture (maybe just a little less "mouthfeel" because most of the fat was missing). I made my PB&J and was thrilled. I now have no reason to miss the real thing. I know regular natural peanut butter has healthy fats, but I get enough fat in other ways. So PB2 is now my new peanut butter staple. I have been eating this stuff every day...you gotta try it...you'll love it!

Taste Test Tuesday: Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

2008-09-02T21:52:00.004-04:00

We stopped at McDonald's right before our drive to New Orleans. It was early in the morning, and my hunger was creeping in. I new the next 5 days would be full of delicious foods...andouille...fried shrimp...beignets. My heart told me to order the McGriddle (Mc D's best invention...damn you IFF!)...but my mind told me to order the Parfait. I decided to listen to my mind.

Calories: 160 (for a 5.3 oz serving)
Protein: 4g
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 31g
Fiber: 1g
Sodium: 85 mg
Sugar: 21g
Rating: 4 out of 5

When the person at the drive thru handed it over, my first thought was, "Whoa this is tiny!". You can see by the serving size...it's almost 2/3 of a cup. I think they should increase the size to 1 cup (or have a "large" option). That makes for a better breakfast if this is all you're going to eat. The fruit to yogurt ratio looked good. The fruit was mixed berries, and they looked fresh. I took the little packet of granola and poured it in. I mixed everything up and took a bite. I was very impressed! The yogurt is sweetened nicely. It has a slight vanilla flavor which goes very well with the fruit. The granola gave it a nice crunch. I would definitely get this again...maybe even order it as a side dish instead of fries. Give this one a try if you haven't yet.

Daring Bakers do Eclairs!

2008-08-31T09:05:00.004-04:00

Last month, I was a bad girl and missed the challenge. But I was excited to get back in the game in August. Then I saw it was chocolate eclairs...yum! I thought it was going to be very hard...but this was actually the least time consuming challenge as of yet. It was fun and delicious!

My only issue was that I piped some of them a little small to make mini eclairs, but they didn't rise so much. A couple of the really small ones I tossed. Then I cut into a few and even though they looked done on top, they were a little raw in the middle. After about 10 minutes more in the oven (just to see if I could save them), they came out great! The ones that came out the best were my bigger ones (About 1.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches long). Make sure you don't take them out of the oven until they are very puffy.

Chocolate Éclairs by Pierre Hermé
(Adapted)

Choux Dough
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 eggs, room temp

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Divide the oven into thirds by positioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with waxed or parchment paper.
2) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the boil.
3) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough will be very soft and smooth.
4) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your hand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough. You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.
5) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs.
6) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2 cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough. (I did not use this. I used a large ziploc bag and filled it with the Choux. Then I snipped a small piece of the bag off the bottom corner, so the choux would come out smoothly) Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 3.5 to 4 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers. Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff. The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.
7) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking time should be approximately 20 - 25 minutes.

Chocolate Pastry Cream
2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
6 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
7 oz bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (I used Ghiardelli)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1) In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2) Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture.Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.
3) Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Incorporate Chocolate. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat).
4) Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice-water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth.
5) Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice-water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice-water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.

Chocolate Glaze (My Own)
4.5 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

1) Over low heat in a small saucepan, combine the ingredients. When it looks about half way melted, remove from heat and continue stirring until completely smooth.

Assembling the éclairs:
1) Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.
2) Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs (I used the ziploc bag trick again). Make sure you fill the bottoms with enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the tops onto the pastry cream and wriggle gently to settle them.
3) The glaze should be barely warm to the touch. Spoon glaze on top of the assembled eclairs. Let set at room temp or fridge.

New Orleans School of Cooking

2008-08-28T16:40:00.002-04:00

I went with my sister on this fun little excursion on our first day in New Orleans. It was only $24 for a 2 hour long cooking class, including lunch (and Abita!). I mean...how can you pass that up! We walked in and were greeted by the teacher, a great home cook and New Orleans native. There were about 15 of us in the class, from all over the place...from Charleston all the way to France.

As our teacher was explaining some history...we were brought some home-made biscuits. There was a strange brown syrup served with them...which turned out to be Cane Syrup. We drizzled this on the biscuits. It was so good! It had a honey-like consistency, but none of the flowery honey aftertaste. I wanted to buy some but I couldn't find any.

After devouring the biscuit...I looked at the menu and it looked wonderful. For class they were cooking Chicken Andouille Gumbo, Jambalaya, Pralines and Pina Colada Bread Pudding (I'm SO sorry I don't have pics of these! I was so hungry I forgot to take pics). She made the bread pudding first because it had to cook a while. It seemed really simple to make. She then made the pralines because they needed to cool. She made the gumbo and jambalaya next. A few of us got up to try it just before it was ready. It was so great to learn all the great techniques.

Now time to eat! They passed us a bowl of gumbo and jambalaya. The gumbo was the best I have ever had. It was not too thick, more like a soup. At first glance I thought maybe it should be thicker...but once I tasted it I realized it was perfect! You could taste the garlic, andouille, and chicken, all in perfect portions. The broth was so rich and well seasoned. Everyone was going up to get seconds of the gumbo. The Jambalaya was good...but not as good as the gumbo. It was a little over seasoned. The bread pudding (again..bread pudding is not my all time fav) was a nice ending. The Pina Colada flavor wasn't overpowering, but I'm still not sure if it meshed perfectly with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Last but not least...the pralines...they were perfect. They were a little soft, with the right amount of nuts and sweetness. We were even lucky enough to take some extra for the road.

If you like to cook and you're in New Orleans...GO TO THIS CLASS! It is so worth it. The food and the learning experience was awesome. When I go back to N.O.L.A. I'm going back...they have different classes depending on which day of the week you go.

New Orleans: K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen

2008-08-27T11:00:00.006-04:00

Time for a fabulous dinner in New Orleans! Paul Prudhomme, who started K-Paul's, basically triggered the love of Cajun food in New Orleans. Before that, Cajun food was mostly in the smaller cities of Louisiana. Lucky enough, my Dad & Stepmom were walking by K-Paul's and really liked the menu. We decided to give it a try...

It was a pretty crowded night, but they still had a table available for us. We were greeted quickly and had great service the whole night. So many things on the menu looked great. I opted for the summer special, which was a great 3 course meal for only $28.95. They brought out some yummy bread first. There were 4 different types; cornbread, yeast rolls, jalapeno bread, and blackstrap molasses muffins. They were all delicious in their different ways. The jalapeno bread had nice spicy pieces of jalapeno spread throughout. At the opposite end, the molasses muffin was also amazing. It had a rich sweetness that was so irresistible.

First course was an Andouille Hash Cake. It was SO good! It was a mix of shrimp, andouille sausage and potato. It was perfectly crispy on the outside, and not greasy at all. I'm scouring the internet for the recipe. We also got shrimp remoulade on a fried green tomato. I love fried green tomatoes (more tart and firm than regular tomatoes) so I had to try it. It was also really good. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. I love the creamy, tangy spiciness of remoulade.

The main dish arrived...Paneed(which basically means fried) Chicken Breast with Jambalaya. The chicken was well seasoned and cooked, and the breading was perfect. The jambalaya was also wonderful. It tasted like it was cooking all day. I loved how the sausage was practically burnt on the outside. It gave it good contrast in texture. The only bad part was that there was so much food! If we had a fridge in the hotel I would have definitely made another meal of it.

I was a little too full for dessert...but bring it on! My dessert was bread pudding. Bread pudding isn't my favorite, but this one was very good. It was very traditional, with lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins. It had a great crispy crust. It was a good end to a great meal. If you are in N.O.L.A., make it to K-Paul's. You're in for a great experience!

For Thursday: My trip to the New Orleans School of Cooking!

Taste Test Tuesday: Abita

2008-08-26T10:10:00.001-04:00

There's always Miller Lite, Bud Light, and a plethora of other beers that we consume all the time. But in Louisiana they have Abita. It's only been around for just over 20 years, but Abita has become a staple in New Orleans. Here is some information from Abita's website....

"Abita uses only the finest ingredients – British and American barley, German yeast, European and Washington State hops and the pure artesian water of Abita Springs. In Abita, we are blessed with the purest of water. Drawn from our deep wells, our pristine water is not altered in any way. Abita Beer has no preservatives, additives or stabilizers and is cold filtered. The result is beer that is the finest and freshest tasting as proven by our loyal customers and great chefs of the south who use Abita Beer in their recipes."

Sounds good to me!! Now it's time to try it.

Serving Size: 12 fl oz
Calories 145
Fat: 1g
Carbs: 1g
Sugars: 0g
Fiber: 0g
Protein: 0g

My first beer was Abita Amber. The bottle was ice cold, that's a plus. The beer is a light brown color. The first sip was like heaven in a bottle! It is extremely smooth and slightly malty. It's a great complement to all the spicy foods they serve in N.O.L.A. My second beer was Abita Restoration Ale. It was very hoppy and slightly bitter tasting. It was okay...but I wouldn't get it again. My third try was Abita Andygator. It's a golden colored lager. I really liked this one as well! It's a very balanced blend of hops and malt, and not overpowering in flavor. Overall, my favorite was Abita Amber...actually...I think it's now one of my all time favorite beers ever! You can buy Abita outside of Louisiana, but it's not so easy to find. If you have a Total Wine store near you, they carry Abita. Definitely take a look around for it, it's worth it!

For Tomorrow: My review of K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen

All About N.O.L.A.

2008-08-24T13:51:00.005-04:00

I just got back from a great vacation. Not only was the food & sightseeing amazing, but I even won $220 at the casino. Woohoo!! We took a great plantation tour at Laura, a very scary Haunted History Tour, and even a Cocktail Tour, where we were introduced to all the drinks and bars that made New Orleans famous.

The next couple of weeks, I'm going to be posting about all the delicious food I had. I ate SO much! We got to enjoy beignets, gumbo, jambalaya, oysters, pecan pie....you name it! I even got to eat some alligator. I'm going to try to post every day...so keep your eyes peeled.

The journey starts on Tuesday with my review of Abita Beer, a Louisiana brew that is a staple of all the great eateries in N.O.L.A.

Miami Spice at Table 8

2008-08-20T19:00:00.002-04:00

I'm on vacation in New Orleans and I finally got some time to squeeze in some blogging. Soon I'll be writing all about my trip...but I wanted to review Table 8 before I ventured into NOLA...

My friend Chris and I decided to extend our Miami Spice experience to lunch as well. We saw that Table 8 offered their Spice Menu on weekends. It was Saturday afternoon, and there were about 30 people in the restaurant. I guess it's a lot more crowded for dinner. It was a steaming hot summer day in Florida, so I chose a glass of Pinot Grigio from Italy. It was the perfect choice, crisp and refreshing.

My first course arrived. It was basically a "deconstructed" Caesar salad. Big romaine leaves with a crunchy buttery "crouton" and some parmesan chunks on the side. It was good, but I've had better. Maybe since it was eggless the dressing wasn't as creamy as I'd hoped for. The second course was a bbq pork sandwich with parmesan fries. The pork was cooked perfectly. The sauce was well spiced and wasn't overpowering the pork. What made this sandwich different was that there was avocado and pickled onions. The avocado gave it a nice creaminess, while the onions gave it some tang. It was a great combo. The fries were amazing! They were perfectly seasoned and fried. The parmesan sprinkled on top was a nice touch. Dessert was a chocolate molten cake. It was not as chocolaty and slightly drier than the one from Talula, but it was still good. As you can see, I LOVE chocolate molten cakes!

It was a great experience, but the service was spotty. Our server was MIA half the time. Plus, the food seemed to take forever! We waited about 20 minutes between courses, which is pretty bad. The service was much better when I went for dinner there about a year ago. But the food here is great, and I'll be back!

Food: 4.5 out of 5
Service: 2.5 out of 5

Taste Test Tuesday: Larabar Jocalat

2008-08-19T09:28:00.001-04:00

I‘m always on the lookout for healthy new snacks. I was in a chocolate mood, so I thought I would pick up a Larabar Jocalat bar. They have a few different flavors, and I decided to pick up the Chocolate Coffee. It was a good decision!

Cost: $1.49
Serving Size: 1 bar
Calories: 190
Fat: 11g
Carbs: 24g
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 19g
Protein: 4g
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

If you haven’t had a Larabar yet…you gotta try one. It’s made from all whole foods. The main ingredient is dates, and they all have nuts is well. So it’s a great way to get your healthy fats and fruits. The Jocalat bars aren’t any different. But it also has cocoa. The first whiff of the bar had both chocolate & coffee aromas. I took a bite and I was pleasantly surprised. You can taste all the goodness from the dates and the nuts, but you get the strong aromas from the chocolate and coffee as well. The texture is chewy, with a little crunch from the nuts. The combo of all the flavors goes great together. Even though the bar is small…it definitely keeps you full until your next meal. I can’t wait to try all the other flavors!

Miami Spice at Talula

2008-08-18T15:40:00.002-04:00

One of the great things about summer in Miami is going to Miami Spice. During August and September, some great Miami Restaurants offer a 3 course menu selection for $23 (lunch) and $36 (dinner). It's a great deal! I hopefully will be going to a fair share of Miami Spice meals, and I'll be sure to report on all them!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of going to Talula to take advantage of their Miami Spice Menu (unfortunately no pics, I forgot my camera). I've heard so many great things about Talula, and I was thrilled to try it out. We got there exactly at our reservation time and were seated immediately. The good part was that the Miami Spice menu was presented to us, and we didn't have to ask.

We started off with a great bottle of Cab (I forgot the name, but it was $40, from California, and started with an S). The wine was excellent! Then our server brought us nice warm, soft bread with a very creamy hummus. The hummus was perfect...very smooth with just a hint of garlic.

First Course: I got the Gouda and Caramelized Onion Tart. It was served with a small side salad. The tart was superb. The rich, buttery crust went perfectly with the smokiness of the gouda and the caramelized onion flavor. My friend go the Shrimp Ceviche, which was tasty, but he said mine was better.

Second Course: After much deliberation, I decided on the Mahi. It was served on a bed of cous cous. The flavors were very good and it was a perfect size portion. But my absolute favorite part of the dish was the crispy edge of the Mahi. I'm still wondering how they got the extremely crispy edge without drying out the fish! My friend got the steak, which was served with whipped sweet potatoes. I knew he must have loved it, because he wouldn't share (how rude! lol).

Third Course: We both ordered my all time fav, the molten chocolate cake. It was the perfect ending to a perfect meal. It had excellent chocolate flavor without being too sweet. It was topped with a big dollop of espresso cream, which complemented the chocolate perfectly. There were candied oranges as well, but I hate orange and chocolate together so I just pushed it aside (I still don't get how people like that combo).

To conclude...I was really impressed with Talula. Their Miami Spice changes twice a month so there is always something different to be enjoyed. The food was incredible and so was the service.

Food: 5 out of 5
Service: 5 out of 5

Dinner at Carrabba's

2008-08-17T09:00:00.006-04:00

The wonderful people over at Carrabba's sent me a gift certificate. It was a Saturday night, and I was hungry...so I called my friend Chris with a promise of a free meal. So off to Carrabba's we went!

We got there around 7, and it was packed. There were only a few tables open. We got a comfy booth and perused the wine list. I was impressed! I was expecting almost all lower end wines, but they had a lot of great picks. We settled on a new Super Tuscan wine they were offering and it was delicious, full bodied with rich aromas (sorry I can't give a better description...I wish I was a wine expert!).

The warm bread arrived and it hit the spot. It was soft in the middle with a nice crust. The dipping sauce was good as always, a nice blend of olive oil with their spice mix. My salad was good...typical salad fare. A side potion of lettuce with the fixins. I enjoyed the dressing, a creamy parmesan. As I like to say, cheese makes everything better!

The entrees made their way over and they were huge! Chris ordered the Chicken Pamigiano and I ordered the Chicken Bryan. It came with a side...and what I liked is that for a side you can pick any pasta with any sauce. We both chose the penne with tomato cream. The Chicken Bryan came out great. It's basically grilled chicken, sauteed in a lemon white wine sauce with sundried tomatoes, and topped with goat cheese. The chicken was cooked very well, and the sauce had a great tanginess. It paired very well with the goat cheese. The only problem I could find was there was a little too much goat cheese, and I had to remove some so it wasn't too overpowering. My only other minor complaint was that the server seemed a little out of it at times. But overall, it really was a great meal. Even though Carrabba's is a dreaded "chain", it is consistent and reasonably priced.

Great Deal: Every Wednesday, Carrabba's in Florida is offering $10 off any bottle of wine (and the wine is good!).

New Cooking School Opening

2008-08-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

I love to learn new recipes and cooking techniques! I have gone to several cooking classes at Chef Jean Pierre Cooking School in Fort Lauderdale. The classes there are informative and entertaining. I've learned how to make everything from a classic Bolognese Sauce to Zabaglione. Now I'll have another option to get some great culinary lessons...

Publix is opening it's 1st Aprons Cooking School in South Florida in October. The school will be in Boca Raton. It will be the 5th school that the grocery chain began on the West Coast of Florida.

The main focus of the school is cooking classes for adults. But they will also offer cooking classes for kids & teens, as well as wine tastings and cookbook signings. Celebrity chefs will even stop by for a visit. They will offer both hands-on and demonstration classes. A couple topics they feature in their current cooking schools are Basic Knife Skills and Chocoholics Anonymous.

Pricing and registration information will be available closer to the opening date. But you can sign up on their website for the newsletter, if you'd like to be e-mailed more information.

Michael Chiarello speaking to an Aprons class in Tampa.

My New Invention!

2008-08-13T10:00:00.001-04:00

Well...I'm sure this has been invented before, but I'll take credit for it for now...haha. It's so simple, how come I never thought of doing it before? I eat salad almost every day, so of course salad dressing can get pretty boring. But as I looked in my fridge for my yummy Bolthouse Farms Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing, it was sitting right next to my Frank's Red Hot. Duh...I could make buffalo-style salad dressing! All I did was mix equal parts of both, and pour it on top of my greens. I must say, it tasted delicious. I'm calling the patent office as we speak ;)

Taste Test Tuesday: Chicken Sausage

2008-08-12T15:18:00.003-04:00

When I go grocery shopping, I'm always looking for healthy versions of my favorite fattening things. Cheese, Ice Cream...you name it! When my mouth was watering at all the hot dogs, my eyes fell on Al Fresco Chicken Sausages. The Publix I went to carried a few of the flavors. They were $1.25 off each so I thought I would pick a couple up to try. Plus they're all natural. I decided to go for the Sweet Italian and the Roasted Garlic (the one in the pic at the bottom is the Sweet Italian). Here is the nutritional info for the Sweet Italian.

Cost: $5.99
Serving Size: 1 sausage (4 per package)
Calories: 130
Fat: 7g
Carbs: 1g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 15g
My Rating: 5 out of 5

My first try was the Sweet Italian. The sausages are already cooked, but I opted to pan sear them. I sliced it up and put them on my hot pan. The aroma was great! I added some marinara sauce, cooked rice, and Parmesan cheese (sorry no pic!). The sausage was juicy and delicious. It had all the flavors and spices of traditional Italian sausage. I was impressed! The next day at work is when I tried the Roasted Garlic. I sliced it up and placed it in the microwave for 30 seconds, then put it in a wrap with some reduced fat provolone. That was delicious too! The flavor wasn't as strong as the Sweet Italian, but you could lightly taste the garlic which was something I really liked (strong garlic = bad for work!). The textures of both sausages were exactly the same, moist with a nice bite with the casing. These are by far the best chicken sausages I have tried!

Taste Test Tuesday: Skinny Dippers

2008-08-05T20:12:00.004-04:00

I heard about these new Skinny Cow Skinny Dippers from Hungry Girl, and they sounded perfect! I love to try new low calorie treats when I get my raging sweet tooth at night. I finally spotted this box at Publix, so I snatched it up and sped home to try one.

Cost: $4.99
Serving Size: 1 pop
Calories: 80
Fat: 3g
Carbs: 11g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 2g
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I was excited to try these. The caramel pops come in the brown wrapper, the vanilla pops are in the white (the pictured one is vanilla). The first one I tried was the caramel. The chocolate coating tasted very good, like that chocolate dip from Dairy Queen. It could be thicker, but then again, it wouldn't be 80 calories. The caramel "ice cream" tasted really good, but it didn't taste like caramel to me. It actually tasted alot like the cotton candy flavor of ice cream they have a TCBY (I worked at TCBY in college...so I did alot of "quality testing" on the cotton candy). The vanilla pop was good as well, but it could have had a little stronger vanilla flavor. The texture is slightly icy, but what can you expect from an 80 calorie ice pop? I will buy these again...they satisfy the sweet tooth without busting up your diet.

Mediterranean Tuna Melt

2008-08-04T21:16:00.004-04:00

It was the end of the week...and all I had left was tuna. What to do? A tuna melt sounded really good, but I wanted to make something a little different. My experiment came out really well! It's healthy and tastes great.

Mediterranean Tuna Melt (for one)
1 3-oz can of tuna
1 tbsp light mayo
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sliced olives
2 tbsp reduced fat feta cheese
1 slice 100% whole wheat bread

Turn on broiler. Drain tuna & combine with mayo, vinegar and olives. Spread the tuna mix onto the slice of bread and then top with the feta cheese. Place under the broiler for 3 - 5 minutes, until the edges get brown. Enjoy it with a nice side salad.

Taste Test Tuesday: Greek Sesame Pizza

2008-07-29T17:29:00.003-04:00

I was really in the mood for pizza when I went grocery shopping the other day. I was meandering about in the frozen food aisle when this caught my attention, A.C. La Rocco Greek Sesame Pizza. The box looked great...plus it was made with whole grain and had a lot of fiber. It had some great toppings too...sun dried tomatoes and artichokes...yum!

Cost: 5.99
Serving Size: 1/3 of the pizza
Calories: 250
Fat: 8g
Carbs: 40g
Fiber: 9g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 12g
My Rating: 3 out of 5

I took the pizza out of the plastic wrap and was a little disappointed. The toppings looked scarce. Maybe all those yummy toppings were hidden under the cheese? I guess I'd have to wait to find out. Also, the pizza was a little smaller than I expected it to be. I thought I'd have to eat the whole thing...but I definitely didn't want to eat 3 servings! The pizza was ready and I sliced away. I guess the toppings weren't hidden under the cheese. The amount of cheese was adequate, but there were hardly any sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, olives, or sesame seeds. I mean...isn't this called Greek Sesame Pizza? But I took a bite of the pizza and it was pretty good. The crust was hearty and tasted fiber packed. The sauce and cheese were a little above average a frozen pizza. The good part was that I was full after eating 2 servings. All that fiber really does fill you up! I would probably try another one of their other types of pizzas if it was on sale.

King Corn

2008-07-28T11:50:00.002-04:00

This Saturday I was watching TV and watching some horrible new reality show on MTV. My brain was telling me I needed to watch something that I could learn from. So I went over to my computer and opened up my Netflix account to see if there was anything interesting I could watch from my laptop. My eyes caught on King Corn. It was rated 4 stars, and it was about 2 friends who move to Iowa to grow an acre of corn and follow it to where it ended up. Sounded interesting to me (I know I'm a dork...haha), so I decided to watch it.

The documentary was great! I would give it 4 stars for sure. It was well made and the guys who made the film put a lot of research into it. They decided to make the movie based on the book, The Omnivore's Dilemma (one of my favorites!). They even interviewed the author, Michael Pollan. The movie was a really in depth look at the farming life, and how almost all of the corn grown in that region isn't even edible. Most corn goes to animal feed (which is horrible), and corn based products such as high fructose corn syrup (also horrible). I highly recommend the film! It's available on Netflix to watch instantly or have shipped, plus you can check the King Corn website for other ways to get your hands on this informative documentary.

The pic: The corn tastes like sawdust!

Taste Test Tuesday: No Pudge Brownies

2008-07-22T11:16:00.004-04:00

I was enjoying one of my new favorite pastimes, browsing the aisles of Publix Greenwise, when I spotted a mix for No Pudge Fat Free Brownies. My mind was racing, I knew I've heard great things of these before. I deliberated for a second...should I get the Original, Mint Fudge, or Cappuccino Fudge? Since I had never tried these before, I opted for the Original Fudge. I began to read the instructions for the brownies, and all it needed was fat free vanilla yogurt (I had plain yogurt and vanilla extract at home, so I decided to use that). I was slightly baffled, but was ready to give it a go.

Cost: 3.99
Serving Size: 1/12 portion
Calories: 110
Fat: 0g
Carbs: 28g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 22g
Protein: 2g
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I got home and immediately broke out the brownie mix. Just dump in a bowl, add the yogurt, and mix. How simple is that! The mix is super thick though, and my arms definitely got a work out. After baking in the oven for 34 minutes in an 8x8 dish, the brownies were ready. I let them cool for about 10 minutes, which was really hard to do! I attempted to cut them into 12 equal pieces according to the serving size. Since it was a Saturday...I let myself have 2 pieces..woohoo! I was impressed my the look of them. They looked moist and fudgy. Then I took a bite...it was SO good! The only reason I didn't give it a 5 was because it's a little bit too sweet (there are 22g of sugar per serving which is pretty high). But the chocolate flavor was great and the brownie was super moist and fudgy, just like it looked. I would have never guessed it was fat free! I will definitely be buying these again and again and again.

Pour on some Country Bob's

2008-07-20T17:00:00.005-04:00

The nice people over at Country Bob's sent me a couple bottles of their All Purpose Sauce to try out. It came with a recipe brochure, so I picked out a recipe that sounded good...the Honolulu burger. The burger came out great. The cheddar & pineapple worked really well with the All Purpose Sauce. The sauce tastes like a mild steak sauce. It's a little sweet, a little tangy and well spiced. My only issue is that the sauce has high fructose corn syrup as its second ingredient. I wish they could make their sauce with something else. HFCS is very very bad...anyway...that will be a different post.

Honolulu Burger
1 lb ground beef (I used lean)
4 hamburger buns
4 slices cheddar cheese
4 slices pineapple
1/4 cup Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

Form the ground beef into 4 even patties. Cook them on the grill or skillet (I used a cast iron skillet and they came out really well, nice crust on the outside, juicy on the inside). When they have about 1 minute left of cooking, evenly distribute the sauce on to each patty. Then place on the cheddar and the pineapple slice. Plop it on the bun and enjoy!

*UPDATE! Country Bob's no longer uses Corn Syrup!*

Taste Test Tuesday: Adora Calcium Supplements

2008-07-15T18:52:00.003-04:00

I recently saw these Adora Dark Chocolate Calcium Supplements when I was in a vitamin store the other day. I was looking for a way to supplement my calcium. The bag does say "Calcium the gourmet way". So I figured, why not? Plus, I LOVE Dark Chocolate.

Cost: 6.99 for one package (30 disks)
Serving Size: 1 disk (500 mg calcium)
Calories: 30
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 3g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 2g
Protein: 0g
My Rating: 5 out of 5

I opened up the package and broke out a disk. I was pleasantly surprised that it was a hard chocolate and not chewy like other calcium supplements I tried. The trick for enjoying dark chocolate is to let it melt in your mouth...so that's what I did. It was just like a piece of dark chocolate! I couldn't believe it. It tastes very similar to a Hershey's Special Dark. I was very impressed. The only bad thing is that you can't have more than 2 a day because of the amount of calcium. I am very impressed by Adora and will continue to buy these. They are the best tasting calcium supplements I've ever had. They also come in Milk Chocolate.

Fort Lauderdale: Taverna Opa

2008-07-14T18:35:00.007-04:00

Food: 3.5 out of 5
Service: 1 out of 5

Saturday night was my sister's birthday! She wanted to go to a fun place for her big 2-6. We thought Taverna Opa would be a great choice since it's very lively and conveniently close to my house.

We arrived at the restaurant at our reservation time and were told by the hostess that it would be a few minutes. It had just rained so I knew they had to get rid of some outside seating they were counting on. Twenty minutes later, no sign of a table. I finally found the hostess and she said it would be a "few more minutes". Well...if a "few" is 20 minutes then I won't be happy. But we were seated pretty quickly after that.

Our apps(from left to right) Meatballs, Hummus, Greek Salad

We did not get menus. I knew that on Friday & Saturday nights they have a set menu. I had looked online, and the cheapest option was $25. Being that there were 10 of us and various income levels I'm sure, I already looked and decided on the $25. With that said...the waiter came by and started explaining to the table the $45 menu only and exclaimed how wonderful it was. When I asked about the $25, he told me it was not good at all and not enough food. He said that the $45 was much better. I told him again I wanted the $25 menu. He then told me again that it was a bad decision. This went on for about 2 minutes...I was fuming!! Plus...he did not even ask us if we wanted drinks. We had to get all our drinks from the bar. The bartender was the only good service of the whole night! Our server was insanely incompetent. I wish I remembered his name because I would have mentioned it...so everyone reading this could avoid him...but so you know, he was a middle aged, short, stocky jerk-off who was obviously suffering from a bad case of Napoleon Complex. I was trying not to show my anger at the restaurant because I didn't want him to spit in my food. Okay, now I think I'm done venting.

My Gyro...yes there is pita bread underneath all that

The food came...lots of food! "Not Enough" my a$$! First we got some warm pita bread and a make your own hummus with chickpeas, olive oil and spices served in a mortar in pestle so you would grind it up yourself. It was good, but I like the creaminess of regular hummus better. We also got a greek salad, meatballs, stuffed grape leaves, saganaki (the flaming cheese!), and an assortment of dips. Those were just the appetizers! My favorite was the cheese. It had great flavor and was hot and melty. The meatballs were dry. Most of the dips were good. They were tzatziki, baba ganoush (eggplant), and some kind of fish. This fish one was too fishy tasting. But the baba ganoush was delicious. Obviously all these appetizers take up a lot of space on the table, but the servers didn't clear the table even once! Then our entrees came, I got a Gyro. It was tasty, but I was too full to eat. I only ate about 1/4 of it. It tasted like mostly beef, and it looked more like a thinly sliced sausage than being sliced from a big slab of meat. I would have also liked to be able to pick it up to eat it, but there was alot of fillings and picking it up was not a good idea.

We didn't have dessert, but we did have a really good time dancing. At Taverna Opa, they play really loud pop, Latin, and Greek music. They also let you throw napkins everywhere and dance on the tables. It's worth it to go once for a big celebration, but the service was so horrible I would not go back.

Our table after the napkin throwing

Yummy Chicken Salad

2008-07-10T15:57:00.003-04:00

My favorite apple is the Granny Smith. It's tangy and not too sweet. I had a couple of these and used 1 to make my waffles. I thought the other would be really good in Chicken Salad. I looked around my fridge and saw some blue cheese (I had a lot left after practicing for the Pillsbury Bake-Off). My mouth started watering...blue cheese and apples would be really good together. It came out very well and even a little bit healthy. The flavors meld well together, and its great to have the contrast of textures between the chicken and the apples. Here is the recipe, it makes about 4 servings.

Apple Chicken Salad

2 Cooked chicken breasts, diced
1/2 of a Granny Smith apple, diced
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/3 cup light mayo
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Just combine everything and enjoy! I've been eating it on top of salads and as a sandwich with whole wheat bread.

Taste Test Tuesday: Bolthouse Farms Dressing

2008-07-08T16:48:00.002-04:00

I was really excited to see Bolthouse Farms Caesar Parmigiano in the produce section of the new Publix Greenwise in Boca. The nutritional info was promising and it says all natural on the label. This nutritional info is for 1 serving, which is 2 tablespoons.

Cost: $3.49
Calories: 80
Fat: 6.5g
Carbs: 3g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 1g
My Rating: 5 out of 5

My favorite dressing is Blue Cheese (which I wanted to try, but they ran out of it). This was the second best choice for me, Caesar Parmigiano. The made with yogurt thing was a little bit scary, but I have recently learned that making savory recipes with a good non-fat yogurt actually turns out really well! Anyway...I cracked open the bottle and poured some over my salad. I was really impressed! The dressing was creamy and peppery. You could really taste the parmesan and asiago cheese. The yogurt gives it a slightly tangy taste, which I really liked. This is a delicious dressing and tastes full fat to me. I can't wait to try the other flavors (Blue Cheese here I come!). These dressings are a little hard to find, so make sure to check out their handy Store Locator to find out which grocery store near you carries it.

NYC: Pizza & Ethiopian

2008-07-02T21:05:00.003-04:00

My 2nd day in New York City was here. What good things will I eat today? For lunch, I was definitely going to have pizza or hot dogs. For dinner, I wanted something really unique. I ended up making reservations for Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian Restaurant.

I was perusing our new Manhattan map, which was very helpful! It listed all the streets and subway stops. We were both starving and needed a quick fix for lunch. We discovered that the PATH train stopped right by one of the NYC pizza staples, Famous Ray's in Greenwich Village. It's a small, simple place. You order at the counter and hopefully find a place to sit. There are about 5 tables and counter space for about 15 people. The pizza was really delicious. The crust was super thin (of course). The sauce tasted fresh and light. It had the perfect amount of cheese. Too bad you can't get too many pizzas like that in Florida...I think it's the sauce. But it could be the NYC water, which a lot of people claim is the reason it's so good.

After a great day of window shopping and visiting Central Park, it was time to eat dinner. I was so excited to go to Queen of Sheba! I had never tried Ethiopian food before. All I kind of knew is that you ate with your hands, picking up some kind of stewed meat with the pancake-like "plate". We stepped into the restaurant and were quickly seated at a table. It's a small place, but it was very packed. The menu had a big selection of entrees that were all reasonably priced (from $14 - $17). But my eyes went to the entree, Taste of Sheba, which had a sampling of it's favorite dishes. Ten minutes after we ordered, the dish came out. It was huge! The pancake must have had a 20 inch diameter. On the pancake were all the samplings, seven to be exact. Five were beef, two were lamb. I enjoyed all of them, but there were a couple which were outstanding. My two favorite were the Mechet Abesh Wot (ground beef cooked in green pepper sauce with garlic and ginger) and the Bozena Shiro (finely diced beef simmered in chickpea gravy). They serve you pancakes to eat on the side as well. The texture was very similar to a crepe, with a tangy taste. You just tear a piece off, and use it to scoop up your meat. It was a little messy, but fun. If you're in NYC, definitely check this place out if you're feeling adventurous.

Taste Test Tuesday: Luna Bar PB Cookie

2008-07-01T12:31:00.002-04:00

The tagline of the Luna Bar is "The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women". It does have a good amount of vitamins and minerals and a good ration of protein, carbs and fat. It's also 100% natural which is always a plus. They are a good item to have on hand for a healthy snack.

Cost: .99 for one bar
Calories: 180
Fat: 6g
Carbs: 23g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 12g
Protein: 10g
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I'm all about a quick breakfast, so you'll probably see a lot of nutrition bars on here for my taste tests. This morning, I grabbed a Peanut Butter Cookie Luna Bar out of my stash for the week. The size is what I would expect for a bar with 180 calories (about 5" x 3"). It's enough to satisfy you for a couple hours. The bar contains soy protein crisps with a thin bottom layer of a yogurt-type coating. The bar has a nice, crisp texture. There is a peanut butter flavor, but it's not as strong as I would have liked. Also, the term "cookie" is a little bit misleading. The texture resembles rice krispies rather than a cookie. Maybe a better name would be Peanut Butter Crisp. But it is a very good snack bar and I'll keep trying new flavors (which there are alot of!)....what's your favorite flavor??

NYC: Ice Cream and Sushi

2008-06-30T15:53:00.003-04:00

I got back to Florida yesterday from visiting my friend who just moved to Hoboken, NJ. It's only a 10 minute train ride into New York City. We did a lot of exploring and ate some really good food. Today and Wednesday I'll post the highlights of my food adventures. It was a yummy trip.

The first journey was through Chinatown. I've been to NYC several times but have never ventured there. It was a mob scene! It was the most crowded of anywhere I went to the whole trip. Tourists and vendors were crowding the streets. I was thinking of buying a purse, but the huge crowds in every store deterred me. I really didn't need a purse anyway. I wanted to get some solace from the hordes of people, and it was a hot day, so ice cream sounded great. I remember hearing about Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, so we asked around and finally found it. We walked up to the store and there was a line out the door, so it had to be good! They had a list of flavors, "exotic" and "regular". The exotic flavors were flavors Americans are born and raised on like chocolate chip, pistachio and cherry vanilla. The regular flavors were asian favorites like red bean, green tea and lychee. I wanted to try one of each so I settled on almond cookie (regular) and coconut fudge (exotic). They were both excellent! The flavors were both very creamy. The almond cookie had very small bits of cookie with a great almond flavored base. The coconut fudge had the perfect amount of coconut flavor (I hate that "suntan lotion" taste I usually find in coconut products, which is overpowering) and a rich fudge swirl. You could taste each of the flavors in each bite.

Now onto the sushi...We ventured back into Hoboken and were ready to relax. We were starting to get hungry and I hadn't had sushi in a while. My friend said, "Nothing will be as cool as Dragonfly" (Dragonfly is the BEST sushi place in Florida, it's in Gainesville). I agreed with her, but thought we should try it out anyway. So we headed into the Sushi Lounge. It's very unassuming from the outside, but then we walked in and it was a very modern, dark atmosphere with a DJ playing house music. I turned to my friend and said, "It's exactly like Dragonfly". It was pretty crowded, the bar was full as were most of the tables. They had a good selection of martinis, and I had one which was a combo of sake and plum wine. The menu was great! They had a big selection of innovative rolls. I had one with tuna, salmon, avocado, mango and a sweet miso sauce (that's the large roll in the picture). My friend had one with lobster, mango and jalapeno. The service wasn't the best, but I wasn't in a rush so that was okay. I'd highly recommend it and I'm sure I'll be going back next time.

Taste Test Tuesday: Morningstar Corn Dogs

2008-06-24T12:04:00.004-04:00

I've had pretty good luck with Morningstar products. I love their Chik'n Patties, so I thought I would try something new. I'm definitely a huge fan of corn dogs. Who can resist that deep fried goodness when you're walking through the fair? It's been a long time since I had a corn dog, so I wanted to give these veggie ones a fair shot.

Cost: $3.49 for a 4-pack
Serving Size: 1 corn dog
Calories: 150
Fat: 4g
Carbs: 26g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 4g
Protein: 7g
My Rating: 4 out of 5

The size of these is a little bit smaller than a regular corn dog. They are thinner because there is less cornbread on it than you would usually find on a corn dog. I was super hungry when I decided to eat one, so I cooked it according to the microwave directions. That was probably a mistake. The crust of the cornbread was not crispy as I would have hoped. It was a little bit on the chewy side when you bite into it. But that is my only complaint. Overall it was really tasty! The cornbread had the right amount of sweetness. There was a good proportion of the hot dog to cornbread ratio. The veggie dog tasted just like a real hot dog...I was in shock. It tasted great with yellow mustard. I'll be definitely eating this for my "healthy junk food" meals that I crave.

Miami Beach: Tantra

2008-06-22T19:31:00.004-04:00

I was so excited about the Miami Spice preview week so of course I had to try it out. After looking at all the menus, we decided to go to Tantra. None of us had ever had a meal there, and the menu looked really good. So Tantra here we come! (Sorry no food pics...I forgot my camera).

We had reservations at 9:00 and were seated immediately. The path to get to the bar and dining room is grass, real grass! It's pretty neat. The hostess told me they replace it once a week. The decor is Indian themed, with rich colors and subdued lighting. They have an ample dining area, but it was only about half full. I was surprised it was that empty. We were seated and handed menus, but the menus we were given did not include the Miami Spice menu. We had to ask for it, and our server did not look too pleased. In my opinion, they should include it with their regular menus. It seemed like they were trying to fool the guests (When I looked around, it seemed we were the only ones who even knew about the menu). Also, the regular menu seemed a little but pricey. Appetizers were about $15, entrees were about $40.

The service was very good. After we ordered, we were immediately brought warm bread with olive oil and raspberry vinegar to dip. The water was constantly being refilled at the table. The first course came out and it looked great. It was a Thai Style Shrimp Cake. It was okay. It was served lukewarm, and the cilantro was a little bit overpowering. My entree was the Kobe Sirloin wrapped in bacon and served with roasted sweet potato wedges. It was delicious. The steak came out perfectly cooked and was very tender. The bacon was a nice touch and added a good flavor to the steak (come on...everything is better with bacon). The sauce they served with the sweet potatoes was perfect! It tasted like a garlic aioli with cinnamon, sounds a little strange but it tasted great and accentuated the flavor of the sweet potatoes. Now onto the grand finale...dessert. The server described it as "chocolate cake with ice cream", which did not do it any justice. The dessert was the highlight of the dinner. The ice cream was creamy and just sweet enough for the cake, which was a pyramid shape of dense, bittersweet chocolate. It was rich and slightly undercooked in the middle...which was perfect for me! Overall, it was a great dinner, but I would not come back for the "regular" menu, which was too expensive. Our bill came to $70 per person, which included 2 drinks each & tip. Not bad for a 3 course decadent meal.

Taste Test Tuesday: Planters Daybreak Blend

2008-06-17T15:16:00.003-04:00

This week I'm tasting the new the Berry Almond Trail Mix variety of the new Planters Daybreak Blend. I was looking for some healthy nuts to add to my diet, when I spotted this new product line from Planters. The package says "Start your morning with a delicious combination of crunchy granola clusters, tangy cranberries, almonds and other wholesome ingredients". Sounds good to me! It's always good to have a snack with a balance of healthy fats, fruit, and whole grain.
Cost: 2.99 for a 5 pack
Calories: 180
Fat: 7g
Carbs: 27g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 19g
Protein: 10g
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I was expecting lots of filler and a small amount of fruits and nuts. Then I opened up the bag and was pleasantly surprised. It looked like a great mix of almonds, granola, cranberries, and golden raisins. It was the perfect size for a healthy snack (probably 1/3 of a cup). The granola is crunchy, and the fruit and almonds also had great texture. If I could make one change to it, I'd reduce the amount of sugar. The sugar definitely sweetens it up a little bit and it's not overpowering, but I'm sure it would still taste great with a little less. Overall, it's a great snack that will keep your hunger at bay.

West Palm Beach: Bar Louie

2008-06-16T17:10:00.001-04:00

I went up to West Palm this past weekend to do dinner a movie with some friends. After seeing The Happening (which was such a disappointment), we decided to have dinner at Bar Louie. Bar Louie is a new restaurant that opened in City Place about a month ago, where The Original Steakhouse was located. We walked in and were able to seat ourselves. The decor has dark woods and olive greens, with black & white pictures on the wall. The restaurant area was about half full, but the bar was pretty packed. We sat down in a booth (that was already stained, don't they clean these things?) and were ready to eat.

The menu has a solid offering of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and burgers. It's a slightly more upscale version of a typical sports bar menu (think Duffy's meets Yard House). They also have a pretty large selection of beers and mixed drinks. The mixed drinks were original and intriguing. I almost got the Strawberry Basil Caipiroska, but settled for a Blue Moon instead. The prices are reasonable here as well, with most entrees ranging from $10 - $15. My dinner was the Luigi Sandwich. It's Bar Louie's version of a cheesesteak, with thinly sliced rib eye, cheddar, and the usual sandwich condiments. The sandwich was good, beef seemed to lack a little flavor but cheddar cheese was sharp and melty. The bread was soft and fresh. The fries were perfectly cooked, with the right amount of seasoning. Our service was good too, but the food came out a little bit too quickly. I will definitely be going back, it's a great place for a casual dinner.

I'm now a Great Cook

2008-06-11T17:18:00.001-04:00

I just joined a great site, Great Cooks Blogroll, with lots of other great cooks and food fanatics. Go to Simply Daily Recipes to view all the other delicious blogs out there!

Taste Test Tuesday: Clif Bar

2008-06-10T13:15:00.004-04:00

Happy Tuesday! I'm going to be adding another weekly feature to the blog...Taste Test Tuesday. I'll be sampling a product every Tuesday and writing my opinions on it.

My first victim is the Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Clif Bar. Here are some facts. This information is for 1 bar. You can buy these in cases as well, but I bought it individually.
Cost: .99
Calories: 240
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 43g
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 20g
Protein: 10g
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I opened up the wrapper and unveiled the Clif Bar. It was a little smaller than I had hoped, but it looked like it had some substance. I took my first bite and it was good! Every bite has a little bit of the title ingredients, oatmeal, raisins and walnuts. All the ingredients were evenly dispersed. Even though the bar itself is fairly small, it is dense but soft, and fills you up more than you think. It had a great flavor as well, very similar to an oatmeal raisin cookie. This is great for a quick breakfast and will sustain you until lunch. Also, it's all natural and has vitamins and minerals, so eat up!

Miami Spice Sneak Preview

2008-06-05T13:31:00.004-04:00

Miami Spice month is a great time of year when some amazing Miami restaurants offer their goods at a discounted price. These specials run from August through September. This year they're having a sneak preview that runs from June 16 - June 30. For lunch, the price is $26.00. For dinner, the price is $36. This includes a 3 course meal, and most restaurants will give you a choice of about 3 of their dishes for each course. Click Here for a list of all the participants.

I'm going to make sure to make it to Miami Beach for the sneak preview. There are so many good restaurants, I'm not sure which to pick! I've heard may great things about Talula , so I'll be excited to try it out. My favorite from last year was Table 8.

Lunch at Publix Greenwise

2008-06-01T14:52:00.003-04:00

On Thursday, I went to the Grand Opening of the Publix Greenwise Market in Boca Raton. It was mobbed! I finally found a parking space and walked in. They were handing out recycled cloth bags with samples and coupons inside, that was a nice touch. The layout is pretty good, similar to the one in Palm Beach Gardens. The prepared foods and express lanes are on the left, and then further back they have the deli, cheeses, meats and fish. They had a very impressive selection of everything and were giving out lots of samples. It is VERY similar to Whole Foods, except they don't have a make your own food station (which I really like). But the positive side is they do have alot of the "regular" items that aren't organic or natural so you don't have to go to a regular Publix on a separate trip to buy things like toilet paper. I was really impressed with the produce section! It had fruits and veggies I had never even heard of and everything looked super fresh.

Then it was time to eat. I was debating between the carvery, which had hot items and the salad & wrap station. I decided to go for a salad. They had great options. I opted for the Baja Chicken Salad. It was a little but pricey ($8.29), but worth it. On the salad was peppers, tomatoes, cheddar, black beans, spicy sunflower seeds, and chicken. The chicken had a great spice rub that went well with the dressing, which was a little bit sweet (similar to a white balsamic I've had before). They put alot of chicken on the salad and it was very filling. I couldn't even finish it all. I'll definitely be going back for sure, but I'll wait a week or 2 until the grand opening crowds simmer down.

My First Daring Bakers Challenge!

2008-05-28T16:26:00.006-04:00

Late last month, I decided to take the plunge and join Daring Bakers. I cook much more than I bake, so I thought this would be a great way to sharpen my baking skills. I was patiently awaiting my first challenge, then it finally arrived...Opera Cake (for the original recipe click here).

My first thought was, Opera what? I had never really heard of Opera Cake, but when I saw the pictures, of course it looked familiar. I have to admit I was a little bit intimidated, the cake looked yummy, but complicated for sure. Then I read the recipe and was even more scared, so I decided to procrastinate.

Last night, I finally decided to be brave and bake the Opera Cake. I re-read the recipe and decided to separate it into two days. Day 1 would be the Syrup (for moistening the cake), White Chocolate Mousse (the top layer), and Buttercream (the middle layers). Day 2 would be the Joconde (cake layers), Glaze (to pour over the Mousse), and Assembly.

Day 1: I was contemplating what flavor to make my cake. I love cherries and thought that would go great with vanilla and white chocolate (we could only use light colors and flavorings, no coffee or chocolate) so Cherry Vanilla it is.

White Chocolate Mousse - The Mousse was very simple. We were to add a flavoring to the Mousse so I added Kirsch (a cherry liqueur). It came out so well! I was thinking about all of the delicious things I could eat with it.

Vanilla Syrup - it was very easy, just boiling together sugar, water, and vanilla extract. This is used to moisten the cake.

The Buttercream - My last endeavor for the day...I was nervous because I had never made Buttercream with a hot sugar syrup and eggs before. I thought some catastrophe would happen, like the eggs curdling or the sugar crystallizing. Now I'm so glad I made it this way, I didn't have any problems and it had to have been the best tasting Buttercream I've made. It was super creamy and not as buttery as I thought it was going to be. I'll be following this recipe for any other Buttercream I decide to make. The flavoring of the Buttercream was vanilla, and I also sauteed some cherries with cinnamon and added them as well. Then I put all my creations in the fridge and was ready for the next day.

Day 2: Now I'm getting excited, yesterday was fun and everything tasted great. I couldn't wait to see what the final product came out like.

Joconde - We were supposed to use almond meal, but I decided to grind my own almonds. I was a little short on almonds so I threw in a little extra flour. The cake came out perfectly and tasted great.

Glaze - The glaze turned out good, perfect consistency for spreading. I had a little extra, so I put extra big spoonfuls on top of my mini Opera Cakes.

Assembly - This wasn't as bad as I thought. I used a biscuit cutter to cut circles, and spread the layers of Buttercream and Mousse on each piece. It looked good, but it did take extra time to do every individual piece. The scary part was the glaze, but that's okay if you drip some off the side...more white choclate goodness!

Baking an Opera Cake was definitely a challenge, but it was fun! I encourage everyone to try this out, it is not difficult, but it is time consuming (about 5 hours!). The final result tasted delicious. I will definitely be making this again and trying out some new flavors.

Tombstone Extra Cheese Pizza

2008-05-27T17:11:00.005-04:00

While I was grocery shopping the other day, I was suddenly craving pizza and thought I'd give one of the frozen ones a try. Tombstone was one of the cheaper ones, plus, it said "extra cheese" so I thought it couldn't be too bad. Right when I got home I put in the oven, and about 20 minutes later it was ready for me. The crust was thin and very crispy. The sauce tasted like a basic manufactured tomato sauce, which was what I was expecting anyway. The best part was all that cheese! I thought "extra cheese" was kind of an oxymoron for a frozen pizza, but they do a good job of loading it on. Overall, the pizza was good in a pinch, but I'd definitely rather go to my local pizza shop and grab a pizza there.

Alexia Sweet Potato Fries

2008-05-24T20:29:00.004-04:00

I am obsessed with sweet potato fries, so when I saw Alexia frozen sweet potato fries in the frozen aisle at Publix, I was so excited. So I picked up the package, thinking they were going to be bad for me. But I was surprised, only 150 calories per serving and they are low in sodium.

I put a batch in the oven and couldn't wait to try them. They came out great, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I've always had a hard time making homemade sweet potato fries crispy so I'll be using these when I'm in the mood for fries. These fries taste great when you dip them in a little honey mustard. If you're a sweet potato fry freak like me, you'll love these!

Asian Peanut Chik'n Wraps

2008-05-22T22:03:00.005-04:00

It's Thursday, the time of the week when I'm too lazy to cook "real food" (You can even see the paper plate in the pic, no dishes for me!). I was in the mood for peanut sauce. I made my own sauce, which came out pretty well. I also used one of my new favorite products, the Morningstar Chik'n Patties. You can definitely substitute real chicken for this one too. I also always have pre-shredded carrots on hand to get extra veggies into wraps and salads. This is super quick and tastes great. This recipe makes 2 wraps.

Asian Peanut Chik'n Wraps
2 Morningstar Chick'n Patties
2 whole wheat wraps (I used La Tortilla)
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tsp honey
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
few dashes dried ginger

Put Chik'n Patties in oven or microwave according to directions (oven is best). Combine the wet ingredients & ginger to make the sauce. Then, toss the carrots with about 1/3 of the peanut sauce. Spread the remaining peanut sauce in the center of the 2 wraps. Place the carrots on top. When the patties are ready, cut into fourths and place on top of the carrots. Fold together and enjoy!

My Free Chicken Sandwich

2008-05-19T16:34:00.006-04:00

Thursday was McDonald's free sandwich day. They were promoting their new Southern - Style Chicken Sandwich and Biscuit. Luckily, I forgot to bring in my lunch to work so I decided to brave the drive-thru line to taste this Chick-fil-a replica. I drove up to the menu board and placed my order for a medium soda and the chicken sandwich(you had to buy a medium or large drink to get this "free" sandwich). I was going to wait until I was at work to unveil it, but I was ravenous! I was in the parking lot and opened up the box to smell the deep fried goodness.

It looked good to me, the bun was soft and the crust looked crispy. I took my first bite and I was impressed. It was spiced well, crispy, and fairly juicy (it even had the 2 pickle slices). It tasted fresh and not like it was kept under a heat lamp all day. Overall, I have to stick with Chick-fil-a, because the chicken seems a little less processed and definitely larger in size. But the new McDonald's Southern-Style Chicken Sandwich is a great substitute in a pinch.

Double Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-05-14T16:58:00.005-04:00

Last night I was craving something with peanut butter for dessert. I rummaged around and discovered an egg and chocolate chips (but no butter) so i thought I'd just go ahead and try to make cookies. After looking at several recipes, I came up with my own. They came out good! I'm going to try to eat 1 per day so I'll put a bunch in the freezer. This recipe makes about 1 dozen cookies.

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used creamy, natural)
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips & flour. Stir until peanut butter is thoroughly incorporated. Then add flour until incorporated, then fold in the chocolate chips. Drop in heaping tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 14 - 16 minutes (until the top of the cookie looks dry). Let cool for about 10 minutes then Enjoy!

North Palm Beach: Pronti's Italian Kitchen

2008-05-12T15:12:00.004-04:00

I love Pronti's. I have great memories of it. It's where I enjoyed my first salad... their Gorgonzola salad when I was around 12 years old. That was about 15 years ago, and Pronti's used to be packed! We always had to wait on a Friday night. It's unfortunate now that it's not very crowded. We went there last Friday and it was about 1/3 full.

We always order the same thing every time we go. Gorgonzola Salad & Pizza. The salad is great, the contents are pretty basic, lettuce, carrots, olives and tomatoes. But the dressing is the kicker, it has tons of Gorgonzola cheese so you get plenty in every bite. I really enjoy the pizza there too. Make sure to order the "New York Pounded" crust. It's not on the menu, but I think it's the best crust they have. It's thin and slightly buttery, perfect for folding (like so many New Yorkers like to do). We ordered extra cheese as a topping, and we got it! There was plenty of oozy mozzarella cheese and a perfectly balanced tomato sauce. The service is always good there too. I hope I'll be enjoying Pronti's for at least another 15 years.

Publix Greenwise Opening this Month

2008-05-07T16:11:00.006-04:00

I was driving to the Boca Town Center Mall today during my lunch break and noticed some food trucks lingering next to the new Publix Greenwise Market they are building. It looked promising, so I drove by to see what was going on. I'm pretty sure the sign said "Grand Opening, Thursday May 24th at 7:00 AM". When I looked at my calendar, May 24th is a Saturday so I will double check tomorrow. But I'm glad it's finally opening!

I have been to the one in Palm Beach Gardens and it is great. The staff was extremely helpful. They have mostly organic, Whole Foods type of products. But the nice thing is they offer regular products as well, so you won't have to go to regular Publix to buy certain necessities. Publix Greenwise also has a great prepared food sections with soups, sandwiches, and a carvery, just to name a few. I will be sure to make it there when it opens.

**Update! It's Opening on Thursday, May 29th at 7:00 AM**

Gazpacho

2008-05-05T21:24:00.006-04:00

I'm not a huge veggie person, but I love a good Gazpacho. I don't usually order it when I go out to eat, because I'm not a huge cucumber fan and I think most gazpachos have an overwhelming cucumber taste. I like to make it at home so I can control the ingredients to my tastes. This is very easy to make and makes about 8 cups, so it's enough for you and your family to enjoy for a few days.

3 Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers
3 cups low sodium V8
1/4 cup EVOO
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced

Combine all vegetables, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Process until the veggies have become very tiny (like the consistency of a finely minced garlic). Then, pour in the rest of the ingredients and process for a few seconds, just until everything is well combined. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours so the flavors meld. Serve cold. If you'd like, garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

Royal Palm Beach: The Counter

2008-05-04T15:55:00.005-04:00

I had read about The Counter in the local newspaper. The Royal Palm Beach location is its first franchise in Florida. The atmosphere is very simple & clean, modern & retro at the same time. The focus of the menu is the build your own burger. They also have a great selection of beers. They serve wine as well. When you sit down, you get a clipboard and a pencil. The bottom of the clipboard lists all the sides like french fries & fried pickles. The paper on the clipboard lists all your build your own burger choices. The beef for their burgers comes in on the bone and is ground fresh there. Also, the veggie patties are made in house. You can have the burger with a bun, or in a "bowl" (which is basically a salad). You then pick the size of your burger, cheese, toppings, sauce and the type of bun. They have so many great options it's hard to choose. We also got an order of the Sweet Potato Fries and Onion Strings, which comes with ranch, bbq, and horseradish sauce. The fries and onion strings were delicious! They were crispy without being greasy and had great flavor. The burger also tasted great. The bun was soft, the toppings were just right, and the burger was juicy. My only complaint would be that the burger, although thick, was smaller than the bun. I would rather have a little thinner burger that was at least the same diameter of the bun. All in all, it was a great meal.

PLEASE Don't Eat Foie Gras

2008-05-01T13:54:00.002-04:00

There aren't too many things I won't eat. One "delicacy" I will never eat is Foie Gras. I highly encourage everyone else to do the same. Foie Gras is fatty duck liver. Basically, they have to fatten up the ducks to get their livers that way. The way they treat these ducks is HORRIBLE and CRUEL. I have a picture below of how they are force fed (there are way worse pictures, but they are too graphic). To learn more go to No Foie Gras.

The ducks are kept in tiny wire cages or packed into sheds. Pipes are repeatedly shoved down their throats, and up to 4 pounds of grain and fat are pumped into their stomachs two or three times every day. The pipes puncture many birds' throats, sometimes causing the animals to bleed to death. This inhumane procedure causes their livers to become diseased and swell to up to 10 times their normal size. Many birds become too sick to stand up.

Chicken & Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

2008-04-30T19:21:00.007-04:00

This is one of my recipe staples. It's so easy and tastes yummy. This week, I had a pasta craving, so I decided to cook half a box of whole wheat penne pasta and save it in the fridge to throw into whatever I was making. I also pre-cooked some chicken breast to make dinners for the week too. Rotisserie chicken would be great in this recipe as well. I'm usually cooking for one, but this recipe serves two.

2/3 cup Marinara Sauce
2/3 cup Chicken Stock
1/4 cup chopped Olives
3 tbsp Light Cream Cheese
3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
2 Chicken Breasts (pre-cooked, diced)
1 cup Pasta (pre-cooked)

In medium sized saucepan, combine marinara and stock and heat to medium. When it starts simmering, add cream cheese and parmesan. Stir until all the cheese has melted. Let simmer for a couple minutes, until sauce thickens to your liking. Next, add chicken, olives and pasta. Continue to cook until everything is heated through. Then serve and enjoy!

Morningstar Chik'n with Peppers

2008-04-28T11:54:00.002-04:00

I had never tried any of the Morningstar products before, but my sister kept insisting that the Chik'n Patties were really good. I decided to give them a shot and I was impressed. It almost tastes like a fried chicken patty (tastes better when heated in the oven). The first few patties I tried, I made into a sandwich with mustard on a whole wheat bun. But I decided to mix it up, and use some frozen peppers which I have been eating a lot of lately. It tasted good and is pretty filling so I'll definitely be making it again.

1 clove Garlic, minced
1 cup Red & Green Peppers, sliced (I used frozen)
1/4 cup canned Black Beans, drained
1/4 cup Chicken Stock (or vegetable stock)
1 Morningstar Chik'n Patty
1 dollop Dijon Mustard (or whichever mustard you prefer)

Preheat oven to 375. When it's ready, put Chik'n Patty in, cooking for 16 minutes, flipping once. In the meantime, heat skillet to medium and spray with cooking spray, when it's heated, add peppers and garlic. Sauté for a couple minutes then add chicken stock and black beans. Continue to cook until peppers are cooked through and liquid has evaporated. Place pepper mix on a plate, then top with Chik'n Patty. Spoon dijon onto patty for extra flavor. Then enjoy!

My Favorite Coffee

2008-04-27T12:35:00.004-04:00

I was fortunate enough to visit Costa Rica last year. What a beautiful country! There is so much to do, whether you like hiking in the rainforest or relaxing on the beach. While I was there, we visited the Cafe Britt factory. They have amazing coffee. My favorite blend is Poas. I brought a few bags of coffee back with me, and I'm sad to say I just finished the last bit of it this morning. The coffee has a wonderful full flavor and the beans are perfectly roasted. The coffee never tastes burnt or bitter. I buy whole beans and grind them in a burr mill and use a french press. It is definitely the best way to drink coffee.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2008-04-26T17:02:00.005-04:00

I'm trying to get more complex carbohydrates in my diet lately, and sweet potatoes are a great source of carbs and are very good for you. This is how I like to cook them. It's super simple and brings out their great flavor.

1 Sweet Potato (Peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick)
1 tsp EVOO
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp + a few dashes Salt (Kosher Salt is what I use)

Preheat Oven to 400. Combine all the ingredients in a big ziploc bag and shake it up, making sure all the spices and olive oil are evenly distributed. Lay flat on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. They're really good on their own or with some honey mustard to dip them in.

Dill Tuna Salad (Healthy)

2008-04-24T09:50:00.003-04:00

So I have been getting the Hungry Girl newsletter for a while now and one of the latest ones was someone asking about good substitutes for mayo for mayo-based salads. On her site, she talks about how great Fage 0% yogurt is, so I did end up buying it. So far I have used it for fruit and smoothies only. I decided to take the plunge and use it for Tuna( with a little light mayo to give it some fat), and it was good!

Dill Tuna Salad
1 6 oz can Tuna
1/2 tsp chopped fresh (or dried) Dill
1 tbsp low fat mayo
1 tbsp Fat Free Plain Yogurt (Fage is the best!)
1 1/2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
A few dashes Hot Sauce (optional)

Drain the Tuna, then combine with all the other ingredients and serve. Great on salad, with crackers, or on a wrap.

Dallas: Mi Cocina

2008-04-20T21:46:00.001-04:00

We took the Trolley from the Fairmont to the West Village, which is a small shopping area with restaurants. Mi Cocina looked packed so we thought it would be a great place to eat, and it was. We waited about an hour for a table, but we were talking to some locals and enjoying their specialty drink, the Mambo Taxi (Frozen Margarita mixed with Sangria). The atmosphere was very "south beach" with minimalistic decor and a lot of white. When we finally got seated we were starving and ordered Guacamole. I'm not exaggerating when I say its one of the best I've ever had! I wish I could get their recipe. Plus the chips were great. The entrees are very reasonably priced and delicious. I had a combo with a pork tamale, beef taco, and cheese enchilada. I think the cheese enchilada was my favorite but they were all great. I wish they had this place in Florida!

Pillsbury Bake-Off: Day 3

2008-04-18T18:45:00.003-04:00

Even though the competition was over, my nerves were still going. Who is going to win? At this point, I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be me, but I was just excited to be there. Breakfast was at 6:15 am (Why are they waking us up SO early??). Then time to line up...I was at the beginning of the Entertaining Appetizer line. Then it was time to go, the music & lights were going full force again as we walked into the midst of the applause. I was trying to savor my last minute of "fame". I was also lucky enough to get a front row seat at the awards show. Then the announcement of the winners begins. I was genuinely happy for all the winners, they were so excited. Click Here for the list. When the grand prize was announced I was thinking...wow..it must have been the best peanut butter cookie ever! At the conclusion of the awards ceremony, Sandra Lee came out and I got a chance to meet her. She was SO nice & very humble. Then I gave my family hugs and thanked them for supporting me. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life and I hope I get to do it all again in 2010.

Pillsbury Bake-Off: Day 2

2008-04-17T16:32:00.001-04:00

Day 2 was the big competition day! They had us starting really early, 6:15 am, for breakfast. They had a nice buffet set up. At 7:30 am it was time to line up for the Grand March...how exciting! We were all waiting outside the ballroom and all the sudden the music was pumping and the lights were flashing. All of us went rushing through the cameras into the ballroom and to our ranges. Then exactly at 8:00 am we started. I was a little nervous at first, but once I started cooking the nervousness melted away. The media came in at around 8:15 am and it got crazy. There were cameras everywhere! I had a couple of short interviews with the Food Network and Pillsbury. My first pizza was done at 9:00 am (it usually doesn't take that long but I was trying to be extra careful). It didn't come out exactly how I wanted so I used it for pictures. My second pizza came out better, and I took it to the judges at 11:00 am. But now that I think about it...I was being so anal about the top of the pizza looking good, I barely even looked at the bottom (which was a little underdone I think). I took a little break after that and tasted some recipes. One of my favorites was the Caramel Latte Crunch Cups. Sandra Lee was also tasting a few things, but she didn't make it to my range. I decided to make a 3rd pizza for fun, and after that one I was starting to get tired so I checked out of the Bake-Off floor and went to lunch.

That night was the celebration dinner at Eddie Deen's Ranch. It was so fun! They passed hors d'oeuvres, had a Margarita Bar and had food stations with all kinds of food from Quesadillas, to stuffed Avocados, to Filet Mignon. A great band was playing and they taught us all kinds of line dances. It was a blast! Then it was time to go home and catch up on some sleep to wake up for the Awards Ceremony.

Pillsbury Bake-Off: Day 1

2008-04-16T18:14:00.006-04:00

I got back from the Pillsbury Bake-Off last night. I'm still coming down from all the excitement. I have a lot to write about so I'll do separate posts for each day.

Day 1: Sunday
The Fairmont Dallas is a beautiful hotel! The staff is so helpful. Before registration, we decided to order room service for a treat. I had yummy Brioche French Toast with Berry Compote. Then it was off to registration. They had big posters with all the recipes and the Pillsbury Doughboy was there taking pictures with everyone. I got a huge goody bag with all kinds of stuff...aprons, spatulas, a stuffed doughboy. Then we had time to relax before orientation.

During Orientation they went over all the logistics of how the contest would work and introduced us to the people who would be helping us. Then after that was the welcome dinner which was really nice. The Pillsbury folks gave speeches and the dinner was delicious, Filet Mignon & Sea Bass. Then it was time to call it a night and get ready for the big Bake-Off day!

Getting Excited!

2008-04-10T14:52:00.004-04:00

I'll be heading to Dallas on Saturday for the Pillsbury Bake-Off. I am starting to get nervous. Sunday is orientation day. Monday is the big day when all of us will be cooking our dishes, each of us in our own mini kitchen. I'm lucky my Blue Cheesy Prosciutto Appetizer Pizza is very easy to make and I should be done before the 5 hours we have are up. Tuesday is the big awards ceremony, where the million dollar winner will be announced. It would be great to be a millionaire! I'll be posting all about my experience when I get back home.

Well...I think my 2 minutes of fame are almost up. Click Here to read the article that came out today in my local newspaper about my recipe. Wish me luck!!

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cones

2008-04-08T19:44:00.002-04:00

I've been having a major sweet tooth lately. I started to roam the aisles at Publix and caught myself staring at all the ice creams I shouldn't have. Then my eyes stopped on the brand new Skinny Cow cones. The Chocolate was calling for me. Plus, each cone has only 150 calories. Before I ate it I was trying not to get my hopes up too high (and also hoping it had that yummy chocolate at the bottom like Drumsticks). Last night I tried one. I lucked out! It was really good AND it had the little bit of chocolate at the bottom of the cone, my favorite part. These are going to be my new sweet tooth staple...next time I'm going for the Mint Chocolate if I can find it (they also have Vanilla Caramel).

Banana Pancakes (Healthy)

2008-04-06T11:13:00.003-04:00

So it's my last week to prep for all the media action at the Pillsbury Bake-Off, so I'm trying to eat healthy and exercise my butt off. I scoured the Internet for a healthy pancake recipe and found one which I tweaked. They aren't quite as good as regular pancakes, but it's nice to have something sweet for breakfast that's good for me too. I ate 3 of these little pancakes for breakfast today plus 2 links of this great Chicken & Apple Sausage. I topped the pancakes with fat free spray butter and this yummy sugar free maple syrup I discovered at Whole Foods (the brand is Joseph's, see pic). This recipe makes 12 small pancakes, which you can freeze as well.

3/4 cup Plain Nonfat Yogurt
1 cup Oats (I used McCann's Steel Cut)
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Ground Flax seeds (usually found in baking section or health section)
1 Banana
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (optional)
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until very smooth! If it's too thick, add another tbsp of water. Heat a griddle to medium and pour batter, when edges look pretty dry, flip them over and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Then top off the warm pancakes with some butter spray and sugar free syrup.

Chicken & Pepper Enchiladas (Healthy)

2008-04-01T17:29:00.007-04:00

I was really in the mood to cook last night, and wanted to keep it healthy since I wasn't so healthy over the weekend. It's also a yummy way to incorporate my least favorite food group...vegetables. Here is what I came up with, it came out good! I'm glad I'm going to be eating it for 2 more nights.

1 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp finely diced garlic
1 cup of Birds Eye Pepper Stir Fry (in the frozen section, it has onions & peppers)
1/2 can diced tomatoes (I used Hunts Fire Roasted)
1 cup rotisserie chicken
2 cups salsa ( I used tomatillo salsa)
4 tbsp light sour cream
6 small whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup light shredded cheese ( I used Kraft 2% Cheddar)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375. In a skillet, heat EVOO over medium heat, then add veggies. When the veggies start softening, add garlic, then saute a couple minutes. Then add tomatoes, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of the salsa. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, then add 2 tbsp of sour cream and the chicken, and simmer for another 5 minutes. While it's simmering, mix remaining salsa and sour cream, and spread a very thin layer of it on the bottom of a baking dish, then set remaining salsa aside. When chicken/pepper filling has cooled for a couple minutes, start assembly. Place the filling in the center of the tortilla, then roll up each side. Place them seam side down on the baking dish. When all tortillas are filled, pour remaining salsa mixture on top and then sprinkle the cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Makes 3 servings. It's great to serve with a small salad for a healthy dinner.

Light Hot Dogs

2008-03-31T16:40:00.004-04:00

I was never really into hot dogs until a couple years ago. I was watching a special on the Travel Channel about hot dogs and I must have been really hungry, because I added them to my grocery list . Now I usually have them on hand when I'm craving junk food ( I guess it's better than going to get a Quarter Pounder, right?). I buy Oscar Meyer Light Beef Franks (I think the fat free & turkey dogs are GROSS). They are really good for being light! I heat these up in the oven, along with the buns (Whitewheat is the "healthiest"). I add half a slice of 2% American cheese to each bun and top it with mustard and hot sauce. It's a great treat!

Miami Beach: Taco Rico

2008-03-27T16:58:00.004-04:00

I spent part of last weekend in Miami for my friend's birthday. We spent way too much money on Saturday night, so it was time to get a filling & cheap meal (I know this seems impossible for South Beach). So it was time to head to Taco Rico, which is south of Lincoln Rd on Alton Rd. They have great lunch specials. Three of us had 3 entrees, 3 sodas, and Queso dip for $27.00 total. We each got the Three taco platter ($4.95, which is served with beans & rice). You can pick your meat (I got 2 beef, 1 chicken). You order at the counter and they give you chips to start. They have a good salsa bar with about 8 different salsas, the hottest being Atomic (I am not brave enough for that). I got Tomatillo, which is my favorite. The Queso was really good, but the cheese did clump up in some spots. The tacos were yummy! They had a good portion of meat and toppings. You really can't beat the prices here. The quality is great for the money paid.

Chocolate Truffles

2008-03-26T15:17:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I was experimenting with a cake I'm developing for a contest. The topping of the cake was chocolate ganache. I guess I over estimated the ganache needed so I had some extra...WOOHOO! Lots of ideas ran through my head, but Truffles seemed like the best one. They were very easy to make and delicious! This recipe should make about 20 truffles.

1 bag chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cocoa powder (the truffles with the light coating are covered with ground almonds, I had a small amount of them left and crushed them in my magic bullet)

Over double boiler, heat cream & chocolate chips. When chocolate is almost completely melted, take off heat and continue stirring until completely smooth. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then pour into an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 or more hours. When ready to make, pour cocoa powder on a plate. Take ganache out of fridge and scoop out large tablespoons. Roll in your hands until a ball forms (this part is a little messy). Then roll the ball into the cocoa powder (or almonds) until it's covered well and not sticky. Then roll the truffles around your fingers (or a paper towel) to get the excess cocoa powder off. Place completed truffles back in the fridge and enjoy at your leisure! (I'm sneaking about 1 a day)