looks store bought, tastes homemades, are homemade – Granola Bars

I love granola bars, however, I hate all of the preservatives that you find in all the store bought bars. A few years back, I found a great easy recipe to make your own granola bars. Personally, I think these have way more taste then the ones you would buy in the store. They look exactly like store bought, but tastes way better and does not have all of the “junk” that a store bought bar contains!

This recipe allows for a lot of variety in the ingredients that you use. Which is awesome, because you can use the same recipe over and over again! They are also very easy and fast to make!

Granola Bars

3 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup chopped nuts – i like to use walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews – but really any selection works

1 cup sweetened or unsweetened flaked coconut

1/2 sunflower seeds

2 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal – rice krispies works just as well

1/3 cup flax seeds or wheat germ

1 cup raisins or chopped dates – or use any dried fruit you prefer

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1 – combine the first 4 ingredients and place in a 13 x 9 x 2 -in baking pan and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees Celsius. take out and stir every 5 -7 minutes.

2 – in a seperate bowl, combine crisp rice cereal, flax seeds and raisins, add the dried baked ingredients to this bowl – set aside

3 – combine brown sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium – high heat, stir frequently. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla extract, and mix well.

4 – pour this syrup mixture over the dried ingredients mixture and stir until well coated. only pour have the syrup mixture and then add the milk and then finish with the rest of the syrup mixture.

5 – quickly spread this mixture into the 13 x 9 x 2-in baking pan, and press down to evenly spread out the mixture. Let the mixture sit and become firm.

this recipe makes about 36 bars

These granola bars are also very chewy, if you want to add some chocolate, add about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips when you are adding the milk. However, I think adding the chocolate takes away from the healthy aspect of these bars!

However, these bars are to be made unique to each persons taste, so have fun and add your favorite ingredients!

Update: Obamalicious!

Rajdoot is the Obama of Indian food restaurants in Calgary. I don’t know if the newly elected president has even eaten at Rajdoot, but if he ever does I bet he would say that the food is Obamalicious and that the service is Baracktastic!

I Obomapoligize for all the Barackisms, but how can i write a post the day after the first African American President is elected without making some reference to him?

That being said, It’s not that far fetched to imagine Obama visiting Rajdoot because the restaurant is frequently visited by many movie-stars such as, Anthony Hopkins.

But don’t worry average Joe the Plumbers like you and I can also dine and receive the same great service as Obama or Anthony Hopkins would.

I was first introduced to Rajdoot when my brother treated my family to the best indian food I had ever had. My bro had just got back from India and said that the food at Rajdoot tasted just like the food he had in India.

Well he was right. You know your Indian food is good when you have one bite and you start to sweat! Part of the reason the food tastes so good at this restaurant is because they cook the food in authentic clay ovens. The servers at Rajdoot are friendly and attentive and they don’t hesitate to bring you lots of foreign beer to go along with your meal!

Rajdoot is very accommodating for large parties because the restaurant has a separate room which can be booked through their website.

In addition to the menu, customers can order off the large buffet which contains a variety of delicious vegetarian dishes.

All in all I give Rajdoot a strong Obama win over McCain! ( Read as 5/5)

Well I can’t wait to go back to Calgary next week and chow down with my family at Rajdoot! Maybe Obama will be there and i can get his autograph!

Update: So I made it to Rajdoot the other day and no I did not see Obama or Anthony Hoppkins, but I did enjoy a delicious meal with my family. I think next time I go I will try the buffet.

UPDATE: Vegging Out?*

When I was growing up my family lived in a small farm town in northern Saskatchewan. I was constantly surrounded my animal livestock, in particular, cattle. Because of this I became very disturbed by the ethical concerns with eating the animals that I saw every day. So when I was sixteen I decided to become a vegetarian.

It was hard at first, even though I felt it was the right thing to do. I had to get used to the taste and texture of tofu, which for anyone who eats tofu knows it can take some getting used to. My family was thoroughly annoyed with having to cook two meals, one with meat and one without. But after awhile I adjusted and enjoyed my new lifestyle.

I had joined PETA when I became a vegetarian, and with PETA’s influence I decided to become a vegan after about four months. But that didn’t last very long. I was very malnourished and began to get really sick. I was tired and fatigued all the time and I started to get migraines and back pain. My doctor told me that I could either eat some meat again or else.

I decided that I would start to eat chicken and fish again, but I still did not want to eat beef. Partly because I still felt bad for the cows and partly because after not eating it for awhile I didn’t really like it anymore. I actually didn’t eat red meat again for 2 years after that.

I understand that there are millions of people who practice vegetarianism and veganism everyday (about 4% of North America via) and do not have the problems that I did. I went into it unprepared and uninformed. So if you are thinking about starting a vegetarian or vegan diet then it’s important to learn for my mistakes and educate yourself before you start.

 

 

1. Start the easy way. Take your favorite dishes that you used to cook before you became a vegetarian and try cooking it in a veggie friendly way. Try using tofu or a soy meat alternative instead of the meat that used to be in it and add in extra veggies for more flavor and texture.

2. Buy a Vegan Recipe CookBook. Most likely being a vegetarian means that you’ll have to cook for yourself more often then not. Look for a cookbook that fits your taste and lifestyle, or search for great recipes online.

3. Don’t Push Yourself. You may feel really tired and hungry when you first start off eating this kind of diet. Remember that a lot of vegan/vegetarian food will have less calories then what you would have eaten before if it had meat in it. So you may have to eat a little extra to feel full or get all the nutrients you’re used to.

4. Get support from your friends. Try to get your friends to understand your choice. It will be harder to keep it up, especially if it’s hard at first, if your friends aren’t going to be willing to try your food too or eat at a veggie friendly restaurant.

5. Do not compare yourself with other vegetarians. If you are looking for inspiration from people who have been vegetarians forever then you may feel like a failure. People who have been eating this way for a long time are used to it so of course it’s easy. If this is something you really want then it will get easy for you too. Take their advice if it fits your lifestyle, and if it doesn’t then find someone else to help you that you mesh with.

6. Timing matters. Your ability to stick to the diet may completely depend on when you start it. Starting in the summer is good because of the variety of fruit and vegetables that are available. However, in the summer people tend to be traveling a lot and so it can make it hard if you are not going to be somewhere where you will have access to veggie friendly food. Winter is good because of this reason, that likely you will be home a lot and could cook for yourself. On the other hand you may not be able to get all the fruits and vegetables that you want. Figure out what will work for your lifestyle before you start. (via)

 

Being a vegetarian or vegan can be a very rewarding lifestyle with many benefits. There are many celebrities that use the diet as a way to maintain their hot bodies, including Brad Pitt, Carrie Underwood, and Alicia Silverstone. Regardless of what reason you are going veg always consult your doctor or a nutritionist before starting to make sure that they inform you of the right supplements to take. That way you won’t end up sick like me.

 

UPDATE: When I wrote this blog I had to think back on my own personal experiences about being a vegetarian/vegan. Even though it may seem like I didn’t have a very good experience because I got sick, I really loved being a vegan.

Since we’ve been doing this blog I heard about a book called Skinny Bitch, which is actually a book about veganism. It is a really informative book and explained me a lot about how veganism helps the environment and your health. That book combined with reliving my experiences through this blog helped me make the decision to become a vegan again. It hasn’t been very long, but so far I’m loving my new lifestyle and feeling healthier then ever.

BETTINWICHES! (aka Brie, Chocolate, & Basil Sandwiches)

I know, it sounds gross – brie, chocolate, and basil? Together? On a sandwich? I was skeptical right up until the first bite. Interestingly, it tastes exactly how you would think, yet somehow this taste translates into tasty (if you don’t believe me read the reviews).  

Giada

After some Internet searching it appears this recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis, host of several Food Network cooking shows. She even made these sandwiches on Oprah. But it wasn’t Giada or Oprah that taught me the recipe. Truth be told, if I had heard about it from either these ladies I would have passed.

It was my friend Bettina who convinced me this recipe was worth trying. And no one loves sandwiches more than Bettina so if she says somethings good I’m inclined to believe her. They were so delicious we decided to name them after her – from then on BCB sandwiches were known as Bettinwiches.

They key to making these h’orderves delicious is to use the ingredients with moderation. You can brie it up as much as you like, but be spareing with the chocolate and basil. They’re accents to the dish – not the main ingredient.

Other than selective placement of leaves and chips, making Bettinwiches is just like making a grilled cheese sandwich. Cut it into quarters and serve it as an interesting appetizer or make a whole one for yourself. Either way they’re worth a try.

BETTINWICHES:

Ingredients:

French or sourdough bread, sliced

Brie cheese, sliced

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Fresh basil leaves, washed

Butter or olive oil

Directions:

Butter or drizzle olive oil on one side of each slice of bread

On inside of sandwich place brie slices to cover, sprinkle a few chocolate chips evenly, and place 2 – 4 basil leaves spread out. Don’t overdo it on the chocolate & basil – a little goes a long way.

Put sandwich together and grill over medium heat until bread turns golden brown and cheese and chocolate melts.

Serve immediately.  

Tetris Is Among Us

So today is my post on baking and although we (Boscar and myself) made these a couple of months ago, I’ve been sitting on this post, waiting for the right time to present it. Well, no time like the present hey?

Tetris Brownies – we made em, they were delicious. Funny thing is when I went to grab the recipe, I googled Tetris brownies again and a post from none other than Little Brother author Cory Doctorow about the brownies came up. He found the Tetris brownie recipe/idea from another blog – Fraske Designs. I wont go into specifics about what we did (it would be the same recipe both Doctorow and FD used). I will say however, it was a messy scene but fun to do.

The hardest part of making the brownies is the uniformity of the pieces. To make them all somewhat equal size shapes we broke a ton of toothpicks in half and used those like a grid on the brownies. Once cut we painted them different colours and placed them, simple as that.

Here’s a video of Tetris (brownies) being played………..ha

                                                    Oh what a world it is………….

I feel a need to link Digi-Cult – for people who need to scratch that true video game itch. They also have really well put together posts about current technology prospects many ‘geekier’ people will find interesting. No offense is meant by ‘geek’, I consider myself waaaaaay too nerdy for my own good.

 

So that’s it, that’s me. Can we keep this blog alive kids?

If you’re looking for me, find me at my MySpace music page or listen to some other junk I did on Soundclick. I’m praying you also see my name on a remix cd come February (released worldwide via Universal no less). That’s all I can say about it for fear I’ll jinx myself. I’ll update news on that at said MySpace account when news is available. Stay tuned and stay healthy.

I know it’s hard to include my personals in a Food blog but I’m shameless. Sorry.

W

Chocolate…. Caramel….

A few years ago at Christmas, I made this Chocolate Caramel Candy. This was the most amazing, sweet, crunchy candy  square I have ever had. However, I can no longer eat it, because it is a very rich square. My stomach can no longer handle my sweet tooth addiction 😦

This is a very sweet and crunchy bar, it reminds me of a Snickers bar, however this one is way better. It has marshmallow center with peanuts topped with caramel which is layered between chocolate. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.  So, if you are one with a sweet tooth, this is for you!

One down side to this recipe, is that it takes awhile to make, because you have to let the different layers sit. Also you have to melt and mix every layer, so it requires you to either do lots of dishes or have lots of pots. Either way, there are dishes to do! BUT, the hard-work is all worth it

Chocolate Caramel Candy (Taste of Home, Dec/Jan ’98)

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup butterscotch chips

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Filling:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1/4 evaporated milk

1- 1/2 cups marshmallow creme

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1- 1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts

Caramel Layer:

1 package (14oz) caramels

1/4 cup whipping cream

Icing:

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup butterscotch chips

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 – combine the first three ingredients in a small saucepan; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread into a lightly greased 13 in X 9 in X 2 in pan. Refrigerate until set.

2 – For the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium to high heat. Add sugar and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the marshmallow creme, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir them together and add the peanuts.  Spread over the first layer and refrigerate until set.

3 – For the caramel layer, melt the caramels and whipping cream over low heat, stirring occasionaly until melted and smooth. Spread over the second layer – the filling. Refridgerate until set.

4 – For the icing, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Spread over the caramel layer. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, to ensure everything has set.

Store this dessert in the fridge. This makes about 8 dozen 1-in squares.

There is lots of work involved in making this square, but it is a crowd pleaser and won’t disappoint at the all important Christmas parties coming up.

Enjoy !

The dessert form of Coffee

Who likes coffee with their desert? I do!!!! Especially when it is Canadian Coffee. My Dad has been making this drink since the late 1970’s and it has been a family tradition as far back as I can remember. Why is it called Canadian Coffee you ask? Well because it has some Rye Whisky in it!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup hot brew coffee

1 T Rye whisky

1 T Kahlua coffee liqueur

1 T Amaretto liqueur

1 T Triple Sec liqueur (dad’s addition)

Whipped cream and cherry to garnish

icing sugar

Rub the lip of an Irish coffee glass with a paper towel soaked in amaretto. Dip the glass in icing sugar to frost the edge. Pour the ingredients into the glass and top with whipped cream. Garnish with the cherry!

How lovely is that? I just love this little night cap with my dessert!

 

For those of you who would prefer a non-alcoholic coffee with their dessert try my brother’s Vietnamese coffee.

You need: 1 serving of espresso coffee and 1 T of sweetened condensed milk. Pour the ingredients over ice in a large glass.  Stir and serve!

PS: My brother often adds a liqueur to make this drink just alittle more interesting!

Hope you enjoy your coffee……Make sure to use decaf if caffeine keeps you up at night!

Shh!… My SOUFFLE is rising*

So for any of you who have been reading my blog consistently you know that I have been trying to focus on how to help you make your eating life classier. Some how I ended up with very lavish and expensive taste in all aspects of my life, so I think that what I eat should be no different. 

We’ve covered almost all the bases over the past few weeks. What to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, where to eat out, and what diets to go on. Now it’s time to discuss dessert. 

And the classiest dessert I can think of is souffle. 

A souffle is a classic French dessert. It is a mixture of milk, butter, eggs, flour, sugar, and also some other flavorings like chocolate, cheese, or pumpkin. Now when you hear that you may think that that pretty much sounds like a cake. And it is pretty much a cake, but when you combine those ingredients while using specific techniques then you create a completely different creation. 

The key to a great souffle is egg whites. The egg whites gives the souffle a mousse like consistency and also helps with it’s signature rise.

 

 

A souffle may seem hard to make, but trust me it’s not as complex as it may appear. It gets messy yes, but not hard. I made a souffle for the first time this past weekend for my sister and her husband. I was really nervous because I had never seen one being made so I didn’t know what it should look like at the different stages or if I was doing anything right. But I followed Martha’s recipe, and as always she led me to a delicious ending. 

 

 

Martha’s Chocolate Souffle:

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, 1/2 stick

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 cups whole milk

6 large eggs separated, plus 2 large egg whites, all at room temperature 

1/4 all purpose flour

8 ounces chocolate (Martha says bittersweet, I used milk chocolate, or you could use white chocolate and that would be really good)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Salt

Caramel Anglaise 

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. with the rack in lower third. Place six 10-ounce ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush inside ramekins with butter. Dust with sugar, and tap out excess. Using kitchen twine, secure a strip of parchment paper around each ramekin so that parchment extends 3 inches above rim. Chill in freezer 15 minutes (up to overnight).

    2.  Bring milk almost to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; set                     aside.

    3.  Put 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until pale, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour. Add                 about one-third of the hot milk in a slow, steady stream, beating until just combined.

     4.  Pour yolk mixture back into pan with the remaining milk. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in      chocolate, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. The souffle base can be made a day ahead and refrigerated,           covered, until ready to bake the souffles.

     5. Put egg whites and a pinch of salt into a large copper bowl. Using a balloon whisk, beat until foamy. (Alternatively, beat egg whites and a pinch of cream of tartar instead of the salt in the bowl of the                  electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.) Add 1 tablespoon sugar, and beat until soft peaks                form. Add remaining tablespoon sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form.

     6. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Gradually fold in remaining egg whites.

     7. Carefully pour batter into prepared ramekins on baking sheet, filling to just below rims. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment. Poke a           hole in top of each, and pour in caramel creme anglaise. 

 

Remember to always serve these immediately. Although it is a bit of a wives tale that loud noises and the slightest movement will make a souffle fall, they are very delicate and will fall within 5 – 10 minutes of coming out of the oven. Bon Appetit!

Brownie & Ice Cream Pie

I’m usually the person who brings the dessert to the party. There are probably several reasons for this. For starters, cooking for groups of people is scary and desserts are hard to screw up (sugar = tasty). Secondly, everyone likes dessert so you know it will be a hit (sugar = opioid addiction). And I’m sure psychology factors into this as well – it’s satisfying to watch others dig in to a dessert you’ve created. Living vicariously through others’ plates so to speak.

This week at Digitally Delicious we are going to enter the world of baking. You can certainly get pretty fancy with your desserts. For instance, if you want to really impress, check out these fantastical cakes via notmartha.

But if you don’t have that kind of time, a super easy but incredibly delicious dessert is Brownie Pie with ice cream and fresh fruit. In theory it’s no different than regular brownies and ice cream except for that it is all in one dish. Thus, it gives the impression that much more effort was involved. Also, I am a firm believer that adding fresh fruit to anything automatically makes it good for you – this is a dessert with vitamins folks.

I got the idea for Brownie Pie a few months back when I had to make something for a potluck lunch. I set about making brownies but found when I tried to cut them into squares they crumbled into very messy looking pieces. Feeling that I really couldn’t present these sad and oddly shaped food stuffs to others I was in a pinch. But then inspiration struck and Brownie Pie was born (admittedly, not as inspired as spider cakes but waaaaaay faster and cheap).

The majority of time spent on this recipe is waiting for the brownies to cook and then to cool. Making the brownies the day before will save time. If possible, it is best to keep the ingredients separate and assemble shortly before serving.

Ingredients:

– 1 Box of Brownie Mix (usually requires eggs and cooking oil – check your box)

– Ice cream (choose your fav)

– Fresh fruit (again, totally up to you but strawberries and bananas are a nice combo).  

Directions (in no particular order):

Bake the brownies according to package directions. Let cool.

Scoop ice cream into a separate baking dish (as much as you like, just make sure to leave room for the brownies & fruit on top). Remember making ice cream soup as a kid? Work on that principle while you spread the ice cream along the bottom of the dish, approx. 1 – 2 ” thick. Cover and place in freezer until ready to serve.

 

Cut up your brownies into small servings.

Be as messy as you like – It doesn’t matter!

Spread brownie pieces evenly over top of the ice cream base.

 

Top off brownies and ice cream with sliced fruit.

Here I’ve used bananas and raspberries.

For added flare drizzle chocolate sauce on top.

 

 

Sorry, I couldn’t resist – looks like sugar isn’t the only bad thing in brownies …

It’s not Bayside, it’s Seaside

Zack, A.C, Lisa, Screech, Jesse, and Kelly loved the Max. But this ain’t high school. If it were a vacation though, the ‘Saved’ gang would be more than happy hanging out at Klay Talay – the best Asian cuisine in the world – located at El Dorado Seaside Suitesin Mexico. Klay Talay is Thai for ‘by the seaside’ which is quite the clever name.

I know it sounds a little strange: The best Asian food is located in Mexico. You’re just gonna have to trust me. Unless you’re going to the orient, this is THE best!!

Klay Talay’s menu is your traditional Asian food restaurant, with all the dishes you might expect. Stuff with rice for example, or dishes with noodles. Ha – I’m just kidding, but they do serve noodles and rice (who doesn’t).

Honestly though, they serve a blend of traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Thai dishes that do not have words to describe their excellence, they must be eaten to fully understand the yumminess. I’m not a fan of sushi but I have it on good authority that the sushi at Klay far surpasses anything we have locally. Don’t know what it is, I guess they know what there doing.

If you’re going on vacation give this place a shot. You won’t be disappointed, besides Klay, there is a wide variety of restuarants to be chosen from at El Dorado Seaside. Man, I’m starting to feel like one of their representatives……..

Have a great weekend and don’t forget to check back. Starting Monday, it’s super awesome baking week at DD and we have some wonderful things planned throughout the week (Tetris anyone?). It’s been lovely,

W – no Bush, just me.

Fromagerie des Basques

This past summer I had the amazing experience of doing the Explore Program. A great opportunity, if any of you have the chance to do, take it. You will not be disappointed. I spent 5 weeks this past summer in Trois-Pistoles, Quebec. This is a small town of about 4,000 people. It had an amazing view and was right on the St. Laurent River and it had the best cheese ever!

The Fromagerie has so many different types of cheeses it is insane. While down there, we made a local trip to the Fromeragie. If you do not like cheese, they had amazing ice cream as well. One really cool thing, is that they have a huge window that allows you to see into the factory and you can see how the cheese is made. Unfortunately for me, the day my class took the tour of the factory, I was sick, however I heard it was pretty cool.

Some of my favorite types of cheese I liked was the the cheddar fumé au bois d’erable (which is smoked maple syrup cheddar cheese), ok this sounds weird, but tasted really good.

 

 

 

 

Another type all of us students enjoyed was Kwick-Kwick cheese. The first time I tried it, I didn’t like it, but after a second attempt, I loved it. It is very firm pieces of cheese, since it is the curd. There are many different flavors to choose from – BBQ, pepper, bacon, tomoto and basil and original. My favorite is the BBQ or the bacon flavor. This also made it an easy and quick snack as well.

 

 

Unfortantely, being back out in Alberta, it is almost impossible to obtain these cheeses. However, if I get the chance to go back, I am definitely making a stop at the Fromagerie. If anyone has the chance to go to Trois-Pistoles, don’t forget to check out the Fromeragerie.

Sask-a-WHAT?*

So you’ve wandered into Saskatchewan.

Don’t panic. People from Saskatchewan aren’t the crazy gun toting hicks that we are pegged to be. It’s true that you can see for miles from any point in Sask and our roads are the worst in the country, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a lot going on. (Tip for traveling: Playing dodge the pot holes makes the trip go by really fast)

All of this advice is coming from experience. I am a Saskatchewaner or a Saskachewanian if you wish. I spent most of my life there and while I don’t intend on living there forever, or even live there now, I still think it has a lot to offer. One thing in particular is really amazing food.

The best Asian food I have ever tried was in Saskatchewan. If you have a craving for some Thai food go to Keo’s Kitchen in Saskatoon or Nit’s Thai Food in Moose Jaw. For the incredible Filipino food go to Fiesta Manila in Prince Albert. And for the best Chinese food I have ever had, go to the Pierce Cafe in Pierceland.

Keo’s Kitchen: Keo’s Kitchen is small family owned Thai and Lao restaurant. It was named the number two restaurant in Saskatoon by tripadvisor.com. They are known for their Phad Thai and Hot and Sour Soup that people travel for hours to get. They have a big menu so everyone is guaranteed to find something they enjoy, including vegetarians and vegans.

Location – 1013 Broadway Ave. Saskatoon, SK

Fiesta Manila: Fiesta Manila is another family owned business specializing in Filipino food. It is one of the first places I go to when I go back home. My favorite dish is the candied pork, while my friend Debbi likes this pineapple chicken thing. It’s all so delicious so it won’t matter what you order. The staff are really friendly and helpful, and give good suggestions for your different tastes.

Location – 922 Central Ave. Prince Albert, SK

Nit’s Thai Food Ltd: Nit’s is a Thai Restaurant (obviously) in Moose Jaw. They use very traditional recipes that keep the food authentic and tasting so incredible. Tripadvisor.com rated it thirteenth overall for all restaurants in Moose Jaw.

Location – 124 Main Street North. Moose Jaw, SK

Pierce Cafe: The Pierce Cafe is owned by a Chinese couple who moved to Saskatchewan a long time ago. They cook both Chinese and American classics, but no one goes there for the burgers. People drive from all over just to get a number C (that’s how it is on the menu). You won’t find this restaurant on tripadvisor.com but I definitely recommend it, and so will anyone else who’s ever eaten there.

Location – Main Street. Pierceland, SK

So if you’re going on a cross-country trip or just have the displeasure of crossing that boarder to the dark side, at least now you know where to get a decent meal. Enjoy!

Off to Borough Market

One of the highlights of travel is experiencing new foods and cultural cuisines, so this week Digitally Delicious will bring you tasty fares from around the globe. This summer I had the chance to visit Borough Market in London, England.

The Market itself has been located on this exact spot for approximately 250 years, but has been in existence for much longer than that. First mention of the Borough Market was in 1276 and it’s believed that the market dates back to the time of the Romans (over 2000 years!). The proposed Thameslink project (a railway line) is currently threatening to demolish this historic site. Those of you who’d like the chance to visit, please consider signing the online petition to save this area.

A Traditional English Breakfast

Now England is not exactly renowned for it’s delicious dishes. At its best it’s chippies and beer, at it’s worst, images spring forth of bangers and mash or kidney pie. And there’s nothing like a full English breakfast to make you heave a little after a night of too much beer.

England’s bad food is a stereotype of course and Borough Market proves this without a doubt. It had everything you would expect to find at a food market – fresh fruits and veggies, breads, all sorts of cheeses. But it also had desserts, fresh baked veggie pies, meats, fish, wines, olive oils, prepared salads, flowers, and so much more. We bought enough food and wine to feed five and proceeded to have a lovely picnic on a friend’s barge.

The market is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and is not for the clausterphobic. Be prepared to join the throngs of people and slowly make your way from stall to stall. But fighting the crowds is worth the effort. You won’t find fare like this anywhere else. Plus, you can visit one of the many drink vendors and enjoy a tasty (alcoholic no less!) beverage while you shop. I can’t think of anything more civilized than that.

With summer behind us here’s a recipe for Sangria to bring a little sunshine into your November. It is inspired by the one I enjoyed last July at Borough Market. The recipe calls for 2 shots of Malibu or Brandy but I’ve made it without and it tastes just as good. Also, if your serving this to guests, consider leaving the slices of oranges and lemon out until right before serving. If left overnight they tend to get stained by the wine and don’t look as pretty.

Red Wine Sangria with fresh fruit

Ingredients:
1 bottle of red wine – any kind you like
1 lemon
2 oranges (one for garnish)
1/2 cup berries or other chopped fruit (optional – blueberries and strawberries work nicely)
Few sprigs of fresh mint leaves (optional – for garnish)
2 tbs sugar
2 shots Malibu or Brandy
2 cups Club Soda or Ginger Ale

– Wash all fruit well.
– Cut lemon and ONE orange in half
– Squeeze juice from each into large jug.
– Thinly slice remaining halves

– Wash and quarter any additional fruit (berries) you want in your drink

In same jug add
• All cut fruit (possibly leaving out orange/lemon slices until next day)
• 2 tbs of sugar to jug
• 2 shots of Malibu
• Wine
Chill overnight.

Before serving add 2 cups of club soda to the wine and fruit mixture.

Add in orange/lemon slices if they were not already included.

Slice and halve remaining orange to use as garnish.

For an extra special touch you can use one of the orange slices like a ‘stamp pad’ to wet the rim of your wine glasses.

 Then dip the rim in sugar.

Add a sprig of mint and slice of orange to each glass before serving.

Hi all,

Almost the weekend again. Time for some fun. Before that though, lets talk about Vegetarianism.

Well it is a choice that suits my current lifestyle (wait didn’t I eat chicken yesterday?!). Um, for the most part it isn’t all that hard to eat fruits and vegetables, it’s just hard to buy them (I don’t wanna go back to Safeways).

I bet people would eat more fresh vegetables if there was a drive thru grocery store. That would be convenient. I can imagine sitting in line (with my grocery list), making some poor sap run the isles while I moan and groan that “these are the freshest strawberries you could find?”

That store would have disgruntled employees, I know this……

Wow, I just googled drive thru grocery store – Someone stole my idea!!! Smart cats….but, they only sell canned goods and staple items it seems – I guess they knew about the strawberries.

Nice thing about vegetarianism is that there is still many options available in the ‘fast food’ department. Subway and Pita Pit still work for ya, you just need to mind the meats (ie. don’t freakin’ order them). Actually, Extreme Pita proudly displays an “only veggie side” of their grills (as to please the veggies out there).

I applaud people who can abstain from one of the food groups, the problem is some of that animal product is just too tasty. Don’t pass it up – pass it over!!

Ya’ll be safe, eat well, be merry. Till next time,

W with 6 eh’s – Y, because I said so……..

Tasty Vegan Snack Bars – Yes, it is possible!

ok… I will be honest with you, I am not a vegan or a vegetarian or planning on becoming one. I love meat just to much. However, I do occasionally enjoy having a vegan snack bar. I stumbled across these one day when I was shopping at Naturista’s, here in Lethbridge. This is a relatively new locally owned Health Food Store.

So one day when I was in there shopping for a new water bottle – thanks to BPA’s. One of the employee’s at Naturista’s asked me if I have ever tried a vegan snack bar. At first I was a bit skeptical, however, I thought there is always a first for everything. To my amazement, they are actually quite good.

Some of my favorite vegan snack bars are:

Bumble Bar – ok the name is kind of weird, but the bar’s are quite good. There are many different flavors to choose from, however my favorite one is the Chocolate Crisp. It is a sweet blend of sesame seeds, crisp brown rice and peanuts. I find that this bar is great alternative to a regular old chocolate bar. I have also tried there new one, Cherry Chocolate, however, the mixture of cherries, chocolate and sesame seeds didn’t sit so well.

 

 

Healthy Addictions bars – they got their name right with this one! So far I have only tried the Coco Bliss flavor and it was quite addicting – I now have a craving for another one! This bar is vegetarian and made with raw ingredients such as – coconut and agave syrup. This is a soft chewy bar with raw agave syrup in the middle and the outside is made of raw cocoa with raw agave syrup. It has a sweet taste, again it made a nice alternative to a  chocolate bar.

 

The Simply Bar – this bar kind of reminds me of a rice crispy square, but available in more flavors. It is a natural bar with low calories and lots of protein – 17g. WOW!!! However, this bar is not my favorite. I find that they are a bit dry and sometimes hard. Again, they come in lots of different flavors – I have only tried the Lemon Coconut, and I didn’t really like it. However, I would try another flavor such as the Cocoa Coffee or the Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Again, all of these bars can be bought right here in Lethbridge, Alberta at Naturista’s. I would also assume they could be purchased at any Health Food Store.

I’m a Meatatarian

Sooooooo this weeks blog is all about VEGANISM! Just in case you are curious, I am most definitely NOT a vegan. I love meat, eggs, down sleeping bags, wine and cheese and especially leather vintage coats and boots!  There is no way that I would be able to become a vegan because my entire lifestyle would change and I would change into a completely different person. Now before you stop reading, I’m not here to bash veganism……..like some people do. I’m writing to look at the differences between  the vegan, the vegetarian and the meat eater!

1. Animal rights- the Vegan Will not eat or use any animal product. Good bye leather boots, sushi and feather pillows. Hello PETA meetings, hemp clothing and surprisingly delicious vegan food. The vegetarian will not eat animals but can still use animal products. Some vegetarians will eat fish or eggs and dairy products. Good bye Teenburger hello veggie burger. As for the meatatarian….Mmmmmm Bacon! I think I have made my point!

2. Health:

The Vegan is your best bet here, as long as you follow a healthy diet and get enough B12 and calcium. Fruit and veggies do not have any cholesterol in them where as meat does. If you combine exercise with a vegan or vegetarian diet you can actually reduce the cholesterol level in your blood. If you are an Ovo-lacto  vegetarian then you can still get cholesterol from dairy and eggs. It is also true that vegans and vegetarians are less likely to get diabetes. Guess I cant really fight this one can I?

3. The environment:

This is a sticky subject because whether you are a vegan, vegetarian or a meatatarian the environment is damaged through the mass production of food.  It is true that more water and fuel is used to raise cattle compared to vegetable and crop growth. On the other hand, chemicals that are sprayed on crops do not go into the ground because they run off into the groundwater. Either way, we all need to work on being more environmentally friendly. “Please take those bottles back and set up a recycling system people!”

Okay back to the food blog!

Whether your a vegan, a veggie or a meathead, enjoy your food and enjoy your life. If fall off the bone ribs make you smile then good on you, but if the thought of eating and animal makes you sad then become a veggie! If the thought of snuggling up with a good book, chai tea and you down comforter makes you cry for the poor duck that is walking around with no feathers well then become a vegan and change your life for the better!

As for me, I’m going to indulge in some leftover Swiss steak!

Peace

Vegging Out?*

When I was growing up my family lived in a small farm town in northern Saskatchewan. I was constantly surrounded my animal livestock, in particular, cattle. Because of this I became very disturbed by the ethical concerns with eating the animals that I saw every day. So when I was sixteen I decided to become a vegetarian.

It was hard at first, even though I felt it was the right thing to do. I had to get used to the taste and texture of tofu, which for anyone who eats tofu knows it can take some getting used to. My family was thoroughly annoyed with having to cook two meals, one with meat and one without. But after awhile I adjusted and enjoyed my new lifestyle.

I had joined PETA when I became a vegetarian, and with PETA’s influence I decided to become a vegan after about four months. But that didn’t last very long. I was very malnourished and began to get really sick. I was tired and fatigued all the time and I started to get migraines and back pain. My doctor told me that I could either eat some meat again or else.

I decided that I would start to eat chicken and fish again, but I still did not want to eat beef. Partly because I still felt bad for the cows and partly because after not eating it for awhile I didn’t really like it anymore. I actually didn’t eat red meat again for 2 years after that.

I understand that there are millions of people who practice vegetarianism and veganism everyday (about 4% of North America via) and do not have the problems that I did. I went into it unprepared and uninformed. So if you are thinking about starting a vegetarian or vegan diet then it’s important to learn for my mistakes and educate yourself before you start.

 

 

1. Start the easy way. Take your favorite dishes that you used to cook before you became a vegetarian and try cooking it in a veggie friendly way. Try using tofu or a soy meat alternative instead of the meat that used to be in it and add in extra veggies for more flavor and texture.

2. Buy a Vegan Recipe CookBook. Most likely being a vegetarian means that you’ll have to cook for yourself more often then not. Look for a cookbook that fits your taste and lifestyle, or search for great recipes online.

3. Don’t Push Yourself. You may feel really tired and hungry when you first start off eating this kind of diet. Remember that a lot of vegan/vegetarian food will have less calories then what you would have eaten before if it had meat in it. So you may have to eat a little extra to feel full or get all the nutrients you’re used to.

4. Get support from your friends. Try to get your friends to understand your choice. It will be harder to keep it up, especially if it’s hard at first, if your friends aren’t going to be willing to try your food too or eat at a veggie friendly restaurant.

5. Do not compare yourself with other vegetarians. If you are looking for inspiration from people who have been vegetarians forever then you may feel like a failure. People who have been eating this way for a long time are used to it so of course it’s easy. If this is something you really want then it will get easy for you too. Take their advice if it fits your lifestyle, and if it doesn’t then find someone else to help you that you mesh with.

6. Timing matters. Your ability to stick to the diet may completely depend on when you start it. Starting in the summer is good because of the variety of fruit and vegetables that are available. However, in the summer people tend to be traveling a lot and so it can make it hard if you are not going to be somewhere where you will have access to veggie friendly food. Winter is good because of this reason, that likely you will be home a lot and could cook for yourself. On the other hand you may not be able to get all the fruits and vegetables that you want. Figure out what will work for your lifestyle before you start. (via)

 

Being a vegetarian or vegan can be a very rewarding lifestyle with many benefits. There are many celebrities that use the diet as a way to maintain their hot bodies, including Brad Pitt, Carrie Underwood, and Alicia Silverstone. Regardless of what reason you are going veg always consult your doctor or a nutritionist before starting to make sure that they inform you of the right supplements to take. That way you won’t end up sick like me.

The Vegans are Coming!

Veganism isn’t just a diet but is a lifestyle choice that prohibits the use of animal products of any kind (food, clothing, products test on animals). If you’re a meat (or cheese) lover, having the vegans over for supper can be a scary proposition.

Depending on the person, vegans can be relatively relaxed about other people’s eating habits while maintaining their own personal choices. I have a friend who is vegan is delighted when we include vegan choices for supper. She’s known for traveling with her own snacks just in case, and is happy to graze the kitchen, piecing together her own meal. But if you’re inviting someone for dinner it’s only polite to make sure you can offer foods they will actually eat.

There are lots of ingredient substitutions that help to make regular recipes into vegan friendly dishes. For example, 1 egg can be substituted with Ener-G Egg Replacer, or 1 banana (cake recipes), or 2 Tbsp corn starch (these and others via Vegan Action).

Below is a recipe for vegan chili (adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen). It can be served with hearty bread or baked potatoes.

If your animal-loving friend is comfortable with other’s food choices then grated cheese or burgers can be served on the side (just make sure the vegan & non-vegan dishes are kept separate from start to finish). If you have lots of people to please at your table then this compromise may be necessary. Pasta dishes can also easily be made vegan (and give you the option of serving meatballs on the side).

But planning a full vegan meal can be easy. This chili is hearty enough you won’t even miss the beef. The Vegan Chef also has tons of delicious recipes you can try and combine to make a completely vegan meal.

Vegan Chili (adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook)

Preparation Time: 1 ¾ hours. Serves 6

Ingredients
3 or 4 19 oz. cans of kidney beans (drained and washed)
1 cup tomato juice
1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
2 tbs. Olive Oil
2 cups chopped onion
6 to 8 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 medium stalk of celery, diced
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp basil
2 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)
1.5 tsp. salt
Black pepper and cayenne, to taste
1 medium bell pepper, chopped,
1 – 14 oz. can tomatoes
3 tbs. Tomato paste
Finely minced parsley (optional)

Heat the tomato juice to boiling. Add it to the bulgur wheat in a small bowl, cover, and let stand 15 minutes.

In a large pot heat olive oil, add onion, half the garlic, carrot, celery, and seasonings. Sauté over medium heat about five minutes, add bell pepper, and sauté until all the vegetables are tender.

Add tomato juice and bulgur wheat and drained kidney beans to pot. Simmer over lowest possible heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes or longer. After about 15 minutes, add remaining garlic.

Taste to adjust seasonings, and serve hot.

My Pizza

In this week’s topic we explored restaurants that we found and enjoy. I would like to talk about a couple of my favorites with you as well. Maybe you’ve been there…

If you’ve been keeping up with this blog you know that I am in no position to be hippity hopping between restaurants right now. I am getting better though……But if I was to eat something right now that I really really loved it would be MY PIZZA in Nanton, Alberta (they’re old school, there is no website, just a phone #). How dare they not have a website.

It is comparable to the Lethbridge franchise TOP’S PIZZA. Same locally owned situation, family ran atmosphere and characteristically, the same type of pie. It’s amazing. If you are ever driving from Calgary to Lethbridge, get the number and phone once you leave Calgary’s city limits……It’ll be worth it.

And by no means is it related to the newfound My Pizza franchise thats popped up in the United States. They probably found out about this guy and stole his ingredients – or his super awesome pizza style!

I also can’t say enough good about the Mongolie Grill. I love being able to put what I like on my dish, and not eat junk I don’t like. I also like that I can see my food being prepared. Who knows what people have done to my food in the past, but not at Mongolie – they’d have to taint the buffet containers.

The restaurant in Lethbridge is never busy and I love that about the place (the owners might not like that though). The only gripe I hear from people is that it’s expensive – DONT PUT SO MUCH ON YOUR PLATE!!! Just cause those things are full of food doesn’t mean you have to shovel it into your bowl……

Such is life, indulge in excess. I might actually chance my sensitive belly with some Mongolie soon. Who knows….

Either way, it’s time for me to go eat something. Kids, be safe this weekend, and remember to eat food that you love because you can. See ya next time.

W

Round Street Cafe

This is one of my new favorite cafes to go to in Lethbridge. For those of you who know Lethbridge, their is not a whole lot of good Cafes. However, this one, I just love it. The food is great, the atmosphere is relaxing and it is a great place to people watch.

What makes Round Street Cafe different from the rest, is that the owner, actually comes around and chats with everyone and their employees are extremely nice. One thing that is different is that a portion of the employees have physical or mental handicaps. The owner, who was a former Teachers Assistant, worked with people who have disabilities. She said that they also need jobs and here they can come and work for as many hours that is perfect for them. This is great!

The food is amazing and made with fresh local ingredients when possible. The pastries are baked fresh each morning. My favorite, is the blueberry muffin. Also, their sandwiches are quite filling, where you have the option of getting a half sandwich or a full sandwich. I love to eat, and personally a full sandwich is to much. So, i would recommend the half sandwich. My favorite lunch choice, is a half sandwich with the soup.

If you haven’t been to this cafe yet, go out and try it, you won’t be disappointed!

Round Street Cafe is located at 427 5th Street South, Lethbridge. They are open Mon – Fri 7am to 6pm, Saturday’s from 9am to 5pm and closed on Sundays.

Obamalicious!

Rajdoot is the Obama of Indian food restaurants in Calgary. I don’t know if the newly elected president has even eaten at Rajdoot, but if he ever does I bet he would say that the food is Obamalicious and that the service is Baracktastic!

I Obomapoligize for all the Barackisms, but how can i write a post the day after the first African American President is elected without making some reference to him?

That being said, It’s not that far fetched to imagine Obama visiting Rajdoot because the restaurant is frequently visited by many movie-stars such as, Anthony Hopkins.

But don’t worry average Joe the Plumbers like you and I can also dine and receive the same great service as Obama or Anthony Hopkins would.

I was first introduced to Rajdoot when my brother treated my family to the best indian food I had ever had. My bro had just got back from India and said that the food at Rajdoot tasted just like the food he had in India.

Well he was right. You know your Indian food is good when you have one bite and you start to sweat! Part of the reason the food tastes so good at this restaurant is because they cook the food in authentic clay ovens. The servers at Rajdoot are friendly and attentive and they don’t hesitate to bring you lots of foreign beer to go along with your meal!

Rajdoot is very accommodating for large parties because the restaurant has a separate room which can be booked through their website.

In addition to the menu, customers can order off the large buffet which contains a variety of delicious vegetarian dishes.

All in all I give Rajdoot a strong Obama win over McCain! ( Read as 5/5)

Well I can’t wait to go back to Calgary next week and chow down with my family at Rajdoot! Maybe Obama will be there and i can get his autograph!

Got a Hot DATE?*

So if you live in Lethbridge like I do then you understand that the restaurant selections that are available can feel lacking. Don’t get me wrong I do very much enjoy the food at the Cheesecake Cafe, Moxies, and Earls, which seem to be the old standards for a lot of people. Sometimes, especially when it comes to a date, I start to feel like I want something a little more special. 

 So if you have a hot first date coming up or if you are just looking for some place to take that someone special 360 Inspired Cuisine is sure to be the perfect spot.

360 Inspired Cuisine is located in the heart of downtown Lethbridge right across from Galt Gardens and the Park Place Mall. They use the highest quality, local ingredients that they use to create a diverse menu that changes with the season. They are also the only restaurant in town that offers a full tapas menus. The tapas menu varies in price from 3 – 15 dollars, making it an excellent value for budgeting students. 360 also has a full bar and wine selection to choose from.

You may be asking yourself how I know so much about 360 as the perfect date spot. It’s because I went on a date there… with my sister and her husband.

It wasn’t quite the hot date I imagined being on in such a nice place. Nor was it the perfect date for my sister and Henri i’m sure. Regardless we had a great time. 360 has a wonderful ambience that they have created through smooth jazz music, warm low lighting, and rich decor.

We of course started by ordering some drinks. I had the Geisha Punch. It was a blend of Sake, Blue Curaco, and Juices. It was a delicious drink with just enough sweetness. Ashley, my sister, had the Vanilla Ice, which is a mix of Vanilla Skyy Vodka, Cream, Pineapple Juice, and Orange Juice. She said that it was very tasty and she would definitely order it again. Though the drinks are a little on the expensive side I felt my drink was worth every penny.

For any of you who know me and read my blog consistently you know that I am seriously allergic to garlic, paprika and dairy. A lot of times it can get really complicated for me to find things that I can order in restaurants. So much of this depends on the quality of the waiter and the chef. Unfortunatly over half of the time when I go to a restaurant I end up having to send back my food because either the waiter hasn’t told the chef the correct order or the chef just didn’t pay attention. I know human error is common of course, I worked as a chef and waitress before, but it does get frustrating for me and other people I know with food allergies. Fortunately this wasn’t the case at 360. When the waitress came to take our order I told her about my allergies and that I was interested in having the duck or the salmon. I asked her to ask the chef if this was possible to make without dairy and garlic so she went and asked. They made the duck to my specifications, and they also gave me non-menu options that the chef could make for me for a starch. I have never had better service or had staff make so many accommodations for my allergies for me. Just because of that I knew it was somewhere that I would return to.

 

 

On top of all of that, it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. The duck was succulent. I had never had duck before but I want it every day. The pasta was had a mystery sweetness, and the white asparagus was cooked to perfection. Ashley had the Dry Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Maple BBQ Sauce and Roasted Pear, Red Pepper, and Charred Scallions Salsa. The pork was incredibly tender and the maple bbq sauce had a sweet depth of flavor. Henri had the 10oz. New York Sirloin with Shrimp Butter and Garlic Prawns. He said it was good (not the best he’d ever had) and he didn’t feel the portions were big enough.

For dessert Ashley and Henri ordered the shared trio for two. It came with a Godiva Creme Brule, Cappuccino Mousse, and Milk Chocolate Flan with Vanilla Gelato. It was beautifully presented (as were all of our dishes) and they said it tasted divine.

 

 

When it was all over it was time to see the bill. For two people, including two drinks, two entrees, and one shared dessert, plus a 20% tip you can expect to pay 100 dollars to eat out at 360 Inspired Cuisine. To many of you that may seem like a lot to spend on one meal. Personally I think I’m worth it. And in the wise words of Henri, as the man you need to remember that you’re eating too so you’re really spending that money on yourself. And for the ladies we can look for some advice from Phyllis from The Office. When we’re on a date always order the most expensive thing on the menu so he knows you’re worth it. You’ll have to put out, but then he’ll know.

Eating Out At Home

There’s nothing better than having someone else cook for you while you enjoy a cocktail or two. Even better is when they clean up after you as well. This is why I’m guilty of eating out – a lot. This week the author’s of Digitally Delicious will be hard at work, enjoying beverages and letting others do the cooking for us.

One of my favorite dishes is the Santa Fe Chicken Salad from Earl’s. It has Cajun grilled chicken on a bed of mixed greens, tossed with a peanut lime dressing, complimented by black beans, corn, avocados, feta cheese, fresh dates, and corn tortillas.

It’s what I order every time we go to Earl’s, and we go to Earl’s a lot so I can have it. It’s really, really good. But eating out takes a toll on the wallet the salad costs about $16, factor in drinks and well, you know… it adds up. So, I’ve decided to see if this is something I can make at home. After scouring the Internet I found a recipe (via kitchenlink.com )and with a few minor modifications I tried my hand at recreating this salad…

Right off the bat I was not impressed with this decision. ‘I should have just gone out’ I thought, ‘and have someone make it for me’.

First off, I didn’t have most of the ingredients on hand. This meant a specific shopping trip that totalled about $40. Not the cheapest salad to make and it didn’t even come with wine. But, the recipe promises to feed four so in the grand scheme of things it’s potentially a money saver.  Plus, I drew the line at buying fresh dates. At $10 for a package I decided to use some dried cranberries instead (what would I possibly do with 2 pounds of leftover dates?).

Then I found a calorie listing for the Earl’s salad (via dailyplate.com ). Holy crap! At 900 calories and 58.1 grams of fat it rivals a fast food combo! This can no longer be my favorite thing to order. I feel duped. Salad is supposed to be good for you. Granted, much of it comes from good fats (avocados, peanuts, feta? No? Feta’s no good?) it’s still hard to justify getting 89% of your daily fat intake from one salad.

It also took a long time to make. About an hour in total (excluding, I should add, the shopping trip which was very time consuming – who knew black beans were only located in the organic isle?). Time I could have spent relaxing in the lounge. Plus, there was the cleanup after. I have to admit, preparing the salad myself did take away some of its glamour. No cocktails, no wait staff, no dishwashers…

Ok, but complaining aside the salad was actually good and tasted pretty much like the restaurant version. Most of the dish (chicken, dressing, beans, and corn) can be made in advance or tucked away for next day leftovers. The recipe looks daunting for a salad but there are a few shortcuts that can be taken.

Since I can no longer order this in good conscience I may be able to tweak the recipe at home to make it a little easier on the waistline. Plus, all the shopping, cooking and cleaning no doubt burns off some of the feta. Overall, I have to recommend the at home recipe over the restaurant version.

SANTA FE CHICKEN SALAD AND PEANUT LIME VINAIGRETTE
(source: kitchenlink.com but adapted by me)

FOR THE CAJUN CHICKEN:
2 whole chicken breasts
favourite Cajun seasoning

FOR THE PEANUT LIME VINAIGRETTE:
1/4 cup each: fresh peanuts, vegetable or peanut oil and fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1/2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp each sugar and soy sauce
1 small clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped
2 Tbsp lime zest (2 limes)
FOR THE SALAD:
1/2 cup fresh dates, chopped into 1/4″ pieces (OR 1/8 cup dried cranberries)
1 cup boiling water (only if you are using fresh dates)
2 small corn tortillas (OR crumbled red nacho chips)
vegetable oil for deep frying (only if you are frying fresh tortillas)
4 to 5 cups mixed lettuce
2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
1 cob corn (OR 1 can of corn kernels)
vegetable oil
14 oz can black beans, well rinsed and well drained
1 avocado
1/2 cup feta cheese

TO MAKE THE CAJUN CHICKEN:
Sprinkle Cajun seasoning liberally on both sides of chicken. Grill over medium-high heat or broil until done. Set aside. Slice diagonally into 1/4″ wide slices.

TO MAKE THE PEANUT LIME VINAIGRETTE:
Process ingredients in a small food processor until almost smooth. There should be tiny chunks of peanut and lime.

TO MAKE THE SALAD:
a) Prepare date mixture – pour boiling water over dates; soak for 1/2 hour; drain well and mash (chill until using). OR, skip this step and add dried cranberries to salad.

b) Prepare deep fried tortilla pieces: slice tortillas into pieces 1/8″ wide and 1″ long. Heat oil in a small pot or skillet to 375 degrees F. Drop tortilla pieces in batches; drain on paper towel; sprinkle on salt (may be kept loosely covered at room temperature for 1 day). OR, crumble a few nacho chips into salad

c) Grill corn: rub corn with vegetable oil; place over medium-high grill. Cook, rotating until lightly brown tinged. Remove kernels. (May be chilled until using). OR, pan-fry canned corn kernels in skillet with a little bit of peanut oil until they start to brown slightly.

TO ASSEMBLE SALAD:
Place lettuces in a large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat. In a separate small bowl stir together mashed dates or cranberries, corn and drained black beans. Add black bean mixture into lettuces; gently toss. Divide lettuce mixture between 4 dinner plates. Thinly slice avocado and divide between 4 plates, placing on the side. Top each salad with crumbled feta cheese, tortilla pieces, and chicken pieces.

Makes 4 meal servings

Why is My Chicken Orange?

The definition of the word organic: “Developing in a manner analogous to the natural growth and evolution characteristic of living organisms; arising as a natural outgrowth” (actually that’s definition 9, thanks Dictionary). What does this tell me? If food is organic it should be helping me live? Okay.

Soooo, what does it mean when the chicken is organic? It wasn’t fed steriods, cool, i’m okay with that. Tell me this, why is the meat orange? How many carrots does it take to kill a chicken?

Or what about fish. Everyone loves fish……….Nope!

Fish marinate in their urine their whole lives and I don’t like urinary marination. Unless, garlic pee…….no thanks still too much.

Organic is to diet as spandex is to wrestling – there but not essential. I know (as does most everyone) eating right and eating properly is the key ingredient in natural health management. But sometimes it’s hard to eat 100% healthy. I don’t always have the time to hit the grocery store so how am I expected to FARM!! Lets be honest, would you drink milk if someone was always spouting off about mama’s booby factory – NO! Keep the breast milk at the dairy factory so your mom can keep her day job.

In Star Wars I bet you could eat whatever you wanted………not so much in Store Wars.

Do not go to the darkside of the Farm my kiddies!!!!!
Have a great weekend and Happy Halloween

w.com

Harvest Haven

Over the past couple of years, my family and I, have been making the switch over to organic products. However, I do agree with the argument made in the post, Organic my A$$, you do need to be careful in where you are buying the products from. However, I have found that Harvest Haven, a locally owned and operated store just outside of Lethbridge, Alberta has a wide variety of organic products. Also, what they can’t grow on their farm, they will purchase from other local farmers in the area or within Canada and if necessary they will buy from abroad.

The livestock that are raised right on the farm are done so in a low stress environment and they slaughter only one animal. They do not do mass production, so the only downside they will not always have full stock of the meats. However, this is also a positive because you know the animals are not being mass produced. They sell, beef, buffalo, lamb, chicken and turkey. They also sell, fruits and vegetables, dairy and grain products and dried fruits, nuts and seeds. My favorite thing to buy, is the strawberries in the summer and also their steaks.

One thing, I really enjoy about buying from this store, is that I know that I am getting excellent quality foods, the staff are really helpful and willing to answer any questions that you have and also I like to support the local farmers.

Harvest Haven is opened Sunday through to Friday from 9am to 6pm. They are located at  RR 8 – Site 22 – Comp 1, Station Main, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4P4.

organic my A$$!

So again this week I am going to have to take the devils advocate side of this weeks topic-organic food.  Today I am stating that the “organic food” you find in your local supermarket is nothing but a bloody scam. The problem is that people buy organic products that look like they were made in a local hippie’s kitchen when they are acctually, more often then not, carrying a multinational logo. Phil Howard, a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Agro-ecology and Sustainable Food Systems, notes that according to one estimate, 40% of the packaged organic foods on the shelves of natural food stores are produced by some of the biggest companies in the world.
 The corporate takeover of organics can be seen as both a success and a failure for the organic movement, believes Howard. “On the one hand, the acreage devoted to organic production, without synthetic pesticides, increases every year to meet the market demand. On the other hand, some of the ideals of the organic movement, which was in a large part a response to industrial agriculture, have fallen by the wayside.” Organic agriculture increasingly resembles the global, industrial agriculture system it was created to combat, says Howard.
In my opinion organic food should be grown on your own by garden, sprouts and chickens, and we shoud not support these gigantic companies. Let me know what you think.

Not just for HIPPIES anymore*

Organic food is something that has been given a bad rap for many years. That is until lately. People used to think that organic food was something that was just for the hippies to grow in the gardens along side their weed. Now with all the worries about global warming people are becoming more environmentally conscious and one way of doing that is through buying organic.

Many people are put off from buying organic because they think that it will cost them an arm and a leg. This isn’t entirely true. I am a full-time University student with no job and I still buy organic for no more cost then my sister and brother-in law. The trick is to know where to go to get it and what things are worth the money and what things aren’t.

 

There are twelve organic fruits and vegetables that you should always buy organic if you can get them:

1. Apples

2. Cherries

3. Grapes

4, Nectaries

5. Peaches

6. Pears

7. Raspberries

8. Strawberries

9. Peppers

10. Celery

11. Potatoes

12. Spinach (via)

 

A good rule to consider is that any fruit or vegetable that you will be eating the skin of then you should always try to buy that organic. The skin is where the pesticides will be found, so if you’re eating an orange that you will be peeling you don’t need to be too worried about eating what’s inside. However, if you are going to be zesting the peel and cooking with it then you should try to get organic. And from my shopping experience most fruits and vegetables are about the same price regardless of organic or not, so you might as well get organic.

 

Some other foods to consider trying to get organic is:

– Herbs

– Olive Oil

– Milk

– Beef

– Poultry (via)

 

Even though food is organic and should be pestiside free, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to clean it. Make sure to always give the same cleaning precautions to organic foods as you would inorganic ones.

 

 

Whether or not you chose to buy organic is a personal choice. There is still conflicting reports on the ultimate benefits of eating organic whether it’s worth the effort. Some people, like my father, swear organic food tastes better, but some people say there is no difference. But I hope next time you go to the grocery store if you see something organic next to something inorganic for the same price chose the organic one.

 

 

 

Happy Cows Make Happy Steaks…

Don't they look happy?

As Digitally Delicious takes a look at organic foods this week, I’m going to use this as an opportunity for a worthy ‘product placement’ so to speak for some local ranchers and friends of the family.

Trail’s End Ranch is a family-run business in Nanton, Alberta that has recently decided to make the switch to producing ethically raised, hormone-free, grass-fed beef.

Grass (cows’ natural food stuff) is easier for cows to digest than grain. This reduces the risk of e-coli development. Further, grass-fed beef contains twice the amount of beta carotene (an anti-carcinogen) and has 70% less fat (total and saturated) than the grain-fed varieties. Plainly put, grass-fed beef is a much healthier choice.

CBC News looked into grain vs. grass-fed beef and asked Keith Froggett, an internationally acclaimed chef to taste test between the two. In the end, Froggett determined that while the grain-fed variety was more tender (because of the extra fat), the grass-fed beef was not only healthier, but tasted better too.

Grass-fed cows don’t just make for a healthier supper, the process is also better for the environment. Grain farming takes a large tool on the ecosystem, while the natural ecology of southern Alberta IS grasslands. Further, Trail’s End Ranch grazes their cows on pastures instead of confining them in feedlots. Feedlots concentrate large amounts of manure into a small area and this has damaging effects on the environment and water supplies.

Plus, feedlots are not happy places for the cows themselves. I won’t delve into the gory detailsfor fear you’ll lose your appetites but some unsightly things happen at feedlots that are simply unacceptable and unnecessary. While cows are certainly not keen on becoming somebody’s dinner, up until they reach our plates Trail’s End Ranch endeavours to make sure they are treated humanely from start to finish.

They sell their beef whole, in halves, or quarters. It is government inspected and locally cut and wrapped. For more information on buying ethically produced, local grass-fed beef you can contact Trail’s End Ranch by phone at 403-646-2550.

I’m Lighter Than Last Week

This isn’t going to be much of a post. I’m currently recovering from having my gallbladder removed. That was my fad diet. I lost 5 pounds on the ‘take the gallbladder out’ diet.

It was quite an amazing thing to lose weight. Thanks surgery. No Atkins or anything of the sort. I do follow the cigarette diet from the 20’s though. Actually, I am ‘dieting’ right now. haha

I can’t help but feel if someone doesn’t want to diet the old way (excercise with proper meal intervals), the new ‘fad diets’ are sure to be unsuccessful. I know it takes longer than sending a text or an email but the old way is definitely better than the new ways…

Look, because of my gall situation it feels like I am participating in a trendy new diet anyways. Vegetables, fruits, no cheese, low-fat, low-sugar, no junk – it’s like I don’t know who I am anymore

I’ve changed, I’ll admit it. It’s not you, it’s me……..I’m different now.
I don’t want the same things that I did *cough* 2 months ago.
I guess I just needed a change. Oh food, why do you do this to me.

Okay, I’m sore, don’t wanna sit here anymore. Need more medication. Oh snap! No it’s not Raven, it’s the new fad diet i’ve been looking for – PILLS. I know it works, i’ve seen it done.

See you guys next week when I’ll have regained at least 35% more mobility. Till then, have a great weekend

W

I need my bed

The Blood Type Diet

OK, lets be serious, fad diets are always hard to follow and once you loose the weight, are you actually going to keep it off? I am not into dieting, but I came across this one and it is actually sounds kind of convincing and it might actually work. The Blood Type Diet was discovered and researched by Peter J. D’Adamo, who is a naturopathic doctor. His idea, is that lectins, which are food proteins react differently with each blood type. Therefore, certain foods are more beneficial then others.

D’Adamo research involves studying the evolution of blood types and the foods that were around during the discovery of the certain blood type.

So exactly what type of foods should we eat? Well,

• Type O – should have a high protein diet and restrict grains, breads and legumes.
• Type A – benefit from a vegetarian diet. However, some exercise would also be beneficial.
• Type B – are considered to have a strong immune system and a flexible digestive system. Their diet should consist of low fat dairy products, meat and produce. However, it is advised that a Type B should stay away from wheat, corn and lentils. Moderate exercise is recommended.
• Type AB – has a sensitive digestive tract therefore would benefit from a seafood, tofu, dairy and produce diet. However, try and avoid chicken, beef and pork. Also, some exercise would be beneficial.

This diet actually makes sense because our blood type is classified based on the presence or absence of certain antigens, such as proteins, carbohydrates, glycolipids and glycoproteins. Therefore, if we eat foods that is compatible with our blood, which is important for the transport of nutrients, oxygen and waste, ideally we should be healthier!

Fad Diets are Foolish

 Fad diets prove how stupid humans really are, and how easily we are persuaded by illusions. 

Why would anyone use a fad diet to loose weight fast when it is common knowledge that you will most likely gain the weight  back just as fast as you lost it? It is also a mystery to me why people still try diet after diet all the while knowing that they could potentially hurt or damage their bodies. Most of the weight you loose in these diets is just water mass and not fat anyways.  It seems to me and many others, that the only miracle diet out there is the one everyone knows about. If you want to loose weight, in a healthy manner, you need to pay close attention to your calorie intake and exercise regularly. Precisely the words of Jenny Craig, an assisted weight loss program that monitors calorie intake. Ideally you should be burning 500 more calories than you intake each day. Wow what a big secret. But seriously people, are we that lazy that we need to live within false realities? below is a video where doctors explain why fad diets are just a bunch of fooey. These are my opinions, what are yours?

The BACON diet*

So I bet you’re all trying to google “bacon diet” already. Well trust me you won’t find it. The Bacon diet is my families nickname for the low-carb diet. There is an interesting story to how that came about too.

About two years ago my sister got engaged. She was not interested in a long engagement, so just 5 months later she was going to be walking down the aisle. This did not give me very much time to look as super fabulous as possible in my brides-maids dress. So with little time left me and my parents decided that we would all go on the low-carb diet so we could all look our very best at the wedding. I mean these are pictures that will be on my sisters walls forever so I had to look amazing. We started the diet and cut out bread, potatoes, refined sugars, and ate nothing but meat, veggies, and fruit. Not being people that were experienced in cooking meals without carbs our meals started to consist of only meat, and sometimes we had meals of just bacon. Somehow, despite what I believe is medically sound, we started to lose weight and not just a little bit. Needless to say, we did look hot at the wedding.

I strongly advise against eating just bacon as a method of weight loss. However, a real low carb diet is one that can be effective, ecspecially if you’re trying to lose weight in a short period of time. May I just say that the low carb diet is not a sustainable way of eating. There can be serious health risks to eating this way for a long period of time, as there is with any diet, and you should always consult your doctor before starting a diet. And yes, my doctor was very appaulled by the bacon diet but for 5 months he said it wasn’t going to kill me.

 

 

So there are a lot of variations of the low-carb diet. Some want you to cut out all carbs, some say low carbs, some make you count carbs, etc. What results you want and what kind of diet you have now will help you to best determine what diet will work best for you. If your main diet is currently focused on eating carbs and sugary foods, then cutting out all carbs will give you subtantial results quickly. However if you eat a balance of carbs, proteins, and veggies already then going no carb won’t give you a lot of results right away. For you I would probably recommend protion control or not eating after 8. To figure out what will work the best for you consult a nutritionist and they will be able to tell you what will work for your needs.

Assuming you are on or starting a low-carb diet, figuring out what to eat can be one of the most difficult things you will face.

Snacks: Nuts are always a good option for the low-carb dieter. They’re tasty, high in protein, and filling. Some other options are celery with peanut butter or cheese, beef jerky, sugar-free jello, veggies and dip, and cheese and apple slices.

Lunch: Salad is a delicious, nutritious, and easy way to eat low-carb at lunch time. Try to get creative with the combinations of ingredients to keep things interesting. For example, grilled apricots, toasted hazelnuts, pancetta, with a white balsamic vinaigrette on arugula. Or a spinach salad with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette.

Supper: Supper can be very easy to cook low-carb. All you need is a protein and some veggies. Think of it as cooking your normal meal but omitting the rice or bread that you normally put with it. Try grilled tuscan steak with fried egg and goat cheese. Or grilled chicken with mustard dill sauce. Cook up either of those with a side of tomato salad or glazed carrots and ginger, and then you have a great meal.

Hopefully these ideas are helpful to any of you who want to try this diet. If anything I hope you don’t ever try the bacon diet.

Still Crazy – Fad Diets Throughout History

I’ve never had much to do with fad diets. This is not to say I haven’t been intrigued by them. I just generally lack the willpower required to actually follow through, let alone go to the grocery store to buy all the ingredients. In high school I did try the cabbage soup diet. I got my mom to make a whole pot and vowed it was all I was going to ingest for the week. Overall, the soup was not inedible (my mom’s a really good cook), but it certainly did not leave one begging for seconds. Needless to say it was the only bowl of cabbage soup I ate.

Fad diets aren’t new. Despite our nostalgia for the good old days when a little chub signified health and wealth, diets go back farther then you probably think. As we look at fad diets this week on Digitally Delicious, I’ll start off your week with a little history lesson on dieting through the ages…

100 B.C. The ancient Romans – perhaps civilization’s first bulimics: History tells of the Romans purging between courses to make room for seconds. Even Julius Caesar was documented in taking part in this gluttonous tradition. Contrary to modern day bulimics, it doesn’t appear they were concerned so much about weight as they were about consuming as much food as humanly possible. It is often mistaken that Roman Vomitoriums were the site of these less than savoury actions, but the name is more of a coincidence. Vomitoriums were really just large doorways in public buildings that allowed mobs to be ‘vomited’ into the streets after events.

1087: The Alcohol Diet: If you are thinking this sounds too good to be true you are right. England’s William the Conqueror took to consuming nothing but alcohol in an effort to lose weight. The logic followed that it was food that made you fat, and what better way to curb your appetite for food than with bevvies? Apparently this diet did not work for William who was noted as being too fat to fit in his own coffin. I don’t think it’s worked for many people since either. None the less, 1950’s books such as ‘The Drinking Man’s Diet’ and ‘Drink, Eat, and be Thin’ encouraged people to drink alcohol to lose weight.

Early 1900’s: The Tapeworm Diet. This one is pretty straightforward. Ingest a tapeworm, eat all the food you want, let your new parasitic friend do what it does best, and most importantly – enjoy your fabulous new figure! Never mind the more unpleasant side effects of diarrhea, meningitis, and dementia. As crazy as it sounds, the Tapeworm Diet keeps resurfacing. In the 1950’s rumours swirled that opera star Maria Callas had lost 65 pounds by purposely eating a tapeworm. Turns out that while the tapeworm part is true, she probably ate it by accident. Like a parasite you can’t shed, some fads just keep coming back. The Tapeworm diet was even featured on this year’s opening episode of The Office…

Kelly Kapoor: “I swallowed a tapeworm last night. It’s going to grow up to three feet inside of me, and then it eats all of my food so that I don’t get fat. And then after three months, I take some medicine, and then I pass it. Creed solid it to me. it’s from Mexico.”

1925: The Cigarette Diet. Still popular with models and Hollywood celebrities, cigarettes were originally advertised as a way to curb your appetite. In fact, doctors actually endorsed cigarettes for a variety of ‘benefits’ until the 1950’s. Today, the ‘Cigarette Diet‘ has taken on a new form and is a way to gradually stop smoking – not eating.

As crazy as these fad diets sound, we shouldn’t feel too superior when comparing ourselves to the pioneers of fad diets. While it’s true we know more today about how to maintain a healthy weight than in years past, many people are still desperate for that  ‘quick fix’. Eating disorders, weight loss pills, liposuction, eating nothing but grapefruit / hotdogs / cabbage soup / bacon – the list goes on and on. In my opinion, if it sounds to good to be true – it probably is. Moderation is the key to most things in life and a reasonably good diet paired with a little exercise really isn’t asking too much is it? I’ll leave you with a little food for thought – a quote on the matter from the official ‘Tapeworm Diet‘ website and you can be the judge…

“The best “solution” we have is the message of diet and exercise, while a noble message it is also an abject failure… Does anyone not know they should be eating a healthy diet and exercising? The tapeworm diet is an all natural technology that provides a welcomed relief from the manufactured, high-tech and potentially toxic therapies available”

It’s Friday – Finally

What up newsies,
The weekend is finally upon us. It’s time for drinks and dancing (or preperation for surgery) – WOOO!!!!

If you read last weeks Friday post you’d know my gallbladder is being removed. Well, come Monday afternoon I should be a couple of pounds lighter. Thanks Gallstones!! Some diet!?!

It’s too bad my gally had to poop out because I could’ve enjoyed some of this culture food we talked about this week. I’VE EATEN BRIGADEIRO, IT’S DELICIOUS!! I wouldn’t dare eat one now – But watch out in a couple of months! Fans of yummy should really try these, sooooo good.

And ya know what? I’ve never eaten any of those West Indian dishes but I’d rock em all. If I’d known about Roti and how to make it I probably would’ve eaten that the last couple of months. I think that would’ve been good for me…….and I can already envision Doubles outside of all the bars – people stumbling out to order, asking for a Double Doubles.

I have to say no to Sushi though. I am in no way a part of the hipster Sushi Dictatorship (unregistered trademark c/o Kenny Bloggins). It’s seems like the thing right now is to eat (and love) Sushi. I can almost feel the people shaming me for not enjoying Sushi. Hey, what can I say?

I’m seafood friendly, that’s right. I would rather watch it swim than sizzle. I am not a Seafood Rights activist, so you can kill as many as you want, I’m cool. Just don’t hassle me about not rockin’ the sea wrap….

Like someone used to say, give me rice, give me vegetables (or something like that, I’m not sure). Everyone can enjoy their fish while I hop on the George Foreman and cook some Chicken.

Holy grilled chicken Batman, this is tasty!!

Well, before I go, I have to say, Alberta is truely weird……………

I’m born & raised in AB and I just can’t fathom why we have so many strange attractions. I didn’t even realise we had Giant Food until yesterday. If I’m not mistaken we also have a Star Trek ship (in Vulcan, no less), a large golf putter, a badminton racket, and seriously there’s too many too mention. Click HERE for a look. What a place.

Well, I think my time is up. Stay tuned next week when we’ll be discussing Fad Diets. NEW DISEASES HERE WE COME!! Till that time, stay healthy,

W (I’m the new one, Bush is almost gone)

Food of the West Indies

Growing up in an inter-racial family, I got to experience a different culture first hand. This Christmas, I am going to go and visit my relatives down in Trinidad and Tobago, and experience how they celebrate Christmas. While I am down in Trinidad, I will get to eat some of my favorite West Indian foods. They are, Doubles, Pelau, Roti and Sweet bread.

• Doubles – this food is a common Street Food. It is made with  2  slices of bara  (fried flat bread), which is why it is called Doubles. It is filled with chick peas or garbonzo beans, which is known as channa and with different types of spices, which are called chutney. Some commonly used spices are mango, cucumber or coconut. Doubles are a very popular late night snack.

 

• Pelau – which is also know as “Cook up” where it’s ingredients vary with each family. It usually consists of a type of meat – chicken, beef or pigtail, vegetables, rice and pigeon peas. My family loves to eat this any time, this dish is really fast and easy to make. We usually like to eat this at lunch or when we are at the beach.

 

 

• Roti – means bread in Hindu. It is basically made with wheat flour, baking soda, salt and water. It resembles a tortilla. It is cooked on a large concave griddle. There are many kinds of roti and they are eaten with vegetables, curry chicken or on it’s own.  I enjoy eating my roti plain or the Dhalpuri roti. This roti has ground yellow split peas, cumin, garlic and pepper.
• Sweet bread – is a dessert mainly eaten at christmas or at special occasions. It contains coconut and a variety of different fruits.

Just thinking about all of these foods have made me very hungry!

Giant Food: Alberta Canada

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving break. This is one of the few years where I have not spent my Thanksgiving at my Baba and Gedo’s (Ukrainian for Grandma and Grandpa’s)  home in Vegreville, Alberta.

Vegreville is home to the worlds largest Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg).
One beautiful Thanksgiving day my family took a road-trip to visit the Ukrainian food, Giants of the Prairies. This trip was awesome because in one day we saw giant statues of my top 3 favorite Ukrainian foods!
We saw:
The worlds largest Mushrooms in Vilma, Alberta
My Gedo used to pick wild mushrooms and bring them home for my Baba to make mushroom sauce. This sauce is incredible!
Baba fry’s onions in butter and 1 Tbsp of flour, until they are golden brown. Then, she slowly adds a pint of sour cream and stirs the mixture until it is smooth. Next, she adds a qt. of sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper and drippings from a chicken or turkey. The final step is to simmer the sauce for 15 min. Sooooo good on mashed potatoes, meat and perogy’s!
 
 

We also saw the worlds largest Perogy in Glendon, Alberta

 
 
 
 
 
These are some pictures of my Baba, Mom and I making 3 generation perogys for the pig Roast party.   

                                          
Last but not least, the worlds largest Kubassa in Mundare, Alberta

 
 
I like to slice this up and fry it with my perogys and some onions. Then I eat it with eggs and fresh tomato for breakfast! Mmmmm yum!

I think i`m turning JAPANESE*

Konnichiwa!

This week is all about culture. One of the best ways to experience a culture and learn what they`re all about is through their food. Every culture has a distinct type of cuisine and they also have customs of how you are supposed to eat and serve that food.

Japan is a small island in East Asia. Their food is distinct from any other Asian cuisine. The major ingredients that are used are rice, fish, eggs, soy, and vegetables. They believe in eating from communal dishes so that food can be shared with everyone at the table. They also eat using chopsticks, as do all Asian cultures, but Japanese people believe that it is very disrepectful to ever put your chopsticks vertically into your food. This is because insense sticks stand vertically and they are used as an offering to the dead.

The Japanese are best known for one of my favorite foods… Sushi.

When most people think as sushi they think of Makizushi or Maki rolls. This is a type of sushi roll made of nori (seaweed paper), sushi rice, raw tuna, sliced vegetables, and commonly wasabi paste.

 

 

 

But of course this isn`t the only kind of sushi there is. There are so many variations and types that you can make. The word sushi literally means “it`s sour“ and the word is traditionally used to mean vinegared rice, usually topped with other ingredients including fish, meat, and vegetables.

But it`s not all about knowing what makes sushi. The trick is really knowing how to make good sushi. And once you have this mastered you will be able to seriously impress any one.

 

How to Make Sushi:

Step 1: Start with the nori. Feel both sides of the sheet of nori. One side should feel smooth and the other rough. The nori should be laying facing rough side up. Place the nori on a bamboo rolling mat.

Step 2: Wet your hands and grab a ball of sushi rice. Sushi rice is quite sticky so it is important to keep your hands wet when working with it. However you want to have your hands to be dry when working with the nori.

Step 3: Put the ball of rice in the middle of the nori sheet and spread it out to cover the sheet equally. You want to leave the upper margin of about 2cm uncovered for rolling the sushi properly later.

Step 4: Then place a slice of fish down the edge of the nori, along with slices of vegetables, such as, carrots, cucumbers, asparagus, etc.

Step 5: Starting with the closer edge of the bamboo mat roll the sushi to form a rectangular shaped hill and tighten it.

Step 6: Continue rolling the sushi and keeping it tight with each move. Make sure to put pressure on all three parts until you get to the end.

Step 7: Using a very sharp knife, cut the roll into 6 or 8 pieces depending on how big you want each piece.

Step 8: Serve with a side of soy sauce and wasabi for dipping. Enjoy! (via)

 

Hopefully you all get out there and try to embrace something new. If this is something that you have tried before then I hope you try to make it yourself because it is really easy once you get used to it.

Sayonara!

 

Brigadeiro – Brazilian Birthday Chocolates

As today’s Thanksgiving festivities come to a close I realize there is no rest for the cooks. Holidays revolve around food and I can’t imagine Thanksgiving without turkey and all the trimmings.

In fact, food is so intertwined with culture it’s easy to forget that most countries don’t celebrate Thanksgiving at all but have their own delicious customs.

So, in honor of all the tasty traditions we may miss out on here in Canada, Digitally Delicious is going to dive into ethnic cuisine for the next few days and share some favourite food finds from other cultures.

A few months back a friend from Brazil surprised me with some chocolates for my birthday called ‘Brigadeiro’. They taste a little bit like fudge and a little bit like chocolate truffles. She explained that they are a popular birthday tradition in Brazil. Women get together to make hundreds of them for parties and children loiter around the tables in hopes of sneaking a few when no one is looking. The recipe is also used as an icing for cakes (they just reduce the cooking time so the mixture is spreadable).

Brigadeiro has a fascinating history (albeit a rather recent one). It was invented in the 1940’s while Brazil was at war. There was a shortage of imported sweets and Nestle had just introduced cocoa powder to the country. The recipe was then named after a local hero, Eduardo Gomes (an Air Force brigadier) who squashed an attempted communist coup in Rio. All these factors combined to give Brazil a delicious national treat that has become a holiday staple.

Brigadeiro was named after Eduardo Gomes (centre)

The chocolates were so good my cousins and I decided to adopt the tradition and to make a batch for my aunt’s birthday. The recipe is simple – all you need is butter, condensed milk, cocoa powder, and sprinkles. Cooking the Brigadeiro was quick and easy. Rolling it into little balls and covering it with sprinkles was kind of hard. I discovered that like most things in life timing is key. If you don’t cook the chocolate mixture long enough it is tough to roll, but if you cook it too long it is tough to chew. That said, practice makes perfect and I suspect I’ll only improve with each passing birthday…

Here’s a video showing exactly how they’re made.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon butter

1 can (14 oz.) condensed milk

Sprinkles of choice (we used candy sprinkles, shredded cocounut, and cocoa powder).

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, butter, and condensed milk.

Cook until thickened (approx. 10 minutes) stirring constantly. When it is finished the mixture should start to pull away from the sides of the pan and you will be able to see the bottom of the pan while you stir.

Remove from heat and pour mixture onto a greased plate or bowl. Place in the freezer to cool the mixture down and make it easier to handle.

Roll into small balls (greasing your hands with butter first will make this easier).

Dip the balls into bowls full of sprinkles.

My Stones Will Not Let Me Eat

Guess what ladies and gentlemen? I have gallstones and they suck. I’ve been having severe problems for almost 3 months now and finally, after all the hoopla, my gallbladder is being removed on October 20th.

This gall situation has had an extreme effect on my diet, although the messed up nutrient intake I had previously is the reason these stones developed. I used to eat what I wanted when I wanted but after the initial attacks I drastically reduced eating almost anything and everything. Which is why I have the problem in the first place.

The most probable cause for my gallstones is that I would eat, but on a ridiculously random schedule. I could go all day without food, maybe eating in the late evening when I got hungry. Sometimes my first meal of the day was at 10 pm. Stupid on my part……..I know.

I get these terrible pains, usually at night, so I had no choice but to visit a doctor.

Did he help? not really. The Doc ordered tons of tests (lactose intolerance, UGI, Abdominal Ultrasound, bloodwork, pee tests). In addition I had a very useless emergency trip (could’ve had a few but no one’s helping me there either). These tests gave surprising results.

Apparently I have excellent blood pressure, a swift metabolism, cholesterol levels so low (good) they barely registered on the test. Then why the F do I have gallstones? Well that’s what happens when you eat sporadically, letting the calcium build up to form stones in the gallbladder.

None of these tests, save for the ultrasound, held any merit. As the lady was checking ‘my baby’ she instantly saw gallstones and told me I wasn’t crazy, stones hurt……..excellent, we found something…..

Just talking about it makes me really sad, it’s been so stressful. Woe is me right? Nah, you’d complain too, trust me.

Even with the doctors ‘help’ I wasn’t told to eat this/stay away from that, I was sent on my way. After causing a scene at the day clinic I was given Tylenol 3’s for the attacks that occur.

Through internet research i’ve found I cannot eat fatty, sugary foods. My diet the last 2 months has been vegetables and fruit – literally. I just started drinking milk again after a few weeks of none. I won’t eat processed meat (bye bye Subway), butter, creamy anythings, junk food, cheese, cookies, etc. I eat apples everyday (Fuji represent) along with basically everything in the fresh section of your local grocery store.

I’ve been intolerant to everything but it was truly the fatty, sugary foods that exacerbated the situation. I like pizza, can’t eat it, last time I did I was taken to emergency. That attack was no doubt caused by my intolerance to cheese/fatt (2 T’s cause it’s Too Tempting).

Sorry for the rant, it had to be said………off my chest? A little…..

Are allergies taking over?

Growing up, I can’t remember allergies being such a huge topic. I lucked out and so far have not developed any allergies. However, Today almost everyone you talk to has an allergy. Even the schools have developed guidelines for allergies.  So since this has become a “hot topic”, it has made me ask – What exactly is an allergy? How does one develop a allergy? Are allergies preventable?

1 _ What is an allergy? it is a reaction of the immune system fighting a foreign substance within our body. The immune system develops antibodies – which attack the foreign substance. An allergic reaction is the fight between the foreign substance and the immune system. During this fight, symptoms such as hives, swelling or breathing difficulties arise.

2 – How do food allergies develop? When food is eaten, sometimes the immune system detects a substance as being harmful. Therefore, the antibody is produced to attack this once innocent substance. This antibody then travels to the bloodstream and attach’s to cells closest to the surface to help prevent a further invasion. The next time this specific food product is eaten, an antibody attaches to the foriegn subtance and sends it to the skins cells where it causes a powerful chemical reaction. This causes the release of a chemical called – histamine. Histamine is responsible for fighting against foriegn substances and cause inflammation. When people are talking about their allergic reactions – hives, breathing difficulties, etc. they are talking about histamine. Therefore, this is why we are told to take an anti-histamine (claritin or reactine) to help lessen the allergic reaction. Or in more severe cases, use an epi-pen.

3 – Can food allergies be prevented? research is showing, yes allergies can be prevented and it is not hard to do. To prevent allergies in children all one has to do is avoid specific foods until further development has occured. Mostly, research is saying to avoid the solid foods at a young age. Here are some food to avoid until a certain age:

• cows milk’s, dairy products and egg products (avoid between 12 and 24 months of age)
• tree nuts, peanuts and fish  (avoid before 36 months)

Health Canada is always a great site to check for the latest developments on allergies.

Pioneer in a new musical genre – Allergy Music

 “Dealing with food allergies and dietary restrictions should not be taken lightly, but yet must be viewed with optimism.” This is the message  Kyle Dine, a young, Canadian musician, focuses his music on. He uses his music to educate children about food allergies. In fact, he is the first Canadian musician to release an album about allergies. Kyle does performances at schools for children in kindergarten up to grade 8. His songs focus on key messages like bringing your epi pen with you. He actually has a song called Epi-Man who is a super hero epi pen that saves the day. In the following video Kyle speaks about his new CD called “You must be nuts” and sings the song “Epi-Man”

Enjoy!

Kyle has a very informative web site where you can buy his CD, look at pictures and videos, read articles, book him to come to your school and much much more.  

 

He also maintains a my space page where he interacts with his fans and you can listen to songs like, gluten free blues, smellephant, and That’s a peanut!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A teacher at one of the schools he performed at stated that Kyle’s concert was the most fun and most poignant concert their school had ever had and that the students absolutely loved it!

When I become a teacher Kyle will definitely be invited to my school.

Best of Luck Kyle!

I am not INTOLERANT*

So you all know this week we’ve decided to talk about food allergies. This is a topic that is familiar to many of you out there, and it’s very familiar to me. Aside from my many non-food alergies that have earned me the nickname “bubble girl” among my friends, I also am allergic to garlic, paprika, and cows milk.

For any of you who suffer from a milk allergy (and yes I do consider it suffering) you have probably faced those people who say “so you mean you’re lactose intolerant?” If we were lactose intolerant don’t you think we would say that?

Lactose intolerance is an inability of the body to metabolize lactose, a sugar found in milk products, because your body is missing the enzyme lactase that is required for that process. The symptoms of lactose intolerence are cramping, diarrhea, and gas. It is common for lactose intolerance to have an on-set later in life as many adults will have a decrease in lactase enzymes as they age. It can be diagnosed easily through a simple blood glucose test. (via)

A milk allergy is a entirely different, and much more dangerous reaction to milk. It is when your bodies immune system responds negatively to one or more of the protein’s in cows milk, most commonly Casein and whey. (via)

Milk allergy can cause swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, face or throat. It can also lead to hives, rashes and itchy skin and eyes. In addition, milk allergies can commonly lead to respiratory problems such as nasal congestion, coughing, and asthma. These are just some of the less severe reactions. In some circumstances people can go into anaphylactic shock which can be life threatening. Anaphylactic shock a reaction consisting of extreme itching, swelling of the throat, sweating, rapid heart beat, low blood pressure, nausea, diarrhea, and shock. (via)

 

 

What should you do if this happens?

1. If you have an Epi-Pen (and you should if you have a milk allergy or any other severe food allergy) inject it immediately yourself or have someone else who knows how inject it for you. I was also told in First Aid Training that if you are someone that is prone to allergy attacks you should always carry Benadryl with you. If you are not within 15 minutes of a hospital and you can still safely swollow you should take two Benadryl in addition to your Epi-Pen.

2. Call an ambulance if you can’t get to the hospital or get someone to drive to the hospital as fast and safely as you can.

Time is of the essense if you are having an allergy attack. I have had the unpleasant experience of going into anaphylactic shock and it can be one of the most frightening experiences you’ll go through. But thankfully everything turned out okay because I thought ahead of time about what to do incase the worst should happen and my friends and family were all very aware of my allergies. So be prepared and don’t be embarassed to tell people around you. It could save your life.

 

 

If you are unsure if you are allergic to milk or any other food the best thing to do is consult your physician. They can work with you to help you diagnose your allergies and then prescribe an Epi-Pen if you need one. Also it can be important to work with a nutrtionist if you find it hard to read food labels and don’t know what you can and can’t eat.

When I found out I was allergic to milk it was really hard to find foods that didn’t contain milk. It’s estimated that almost 50% of foods in the average grocery store will have a milk ingredient in it. I found it suprising what all had milk in it. Most crackers do, potato chips, some margarines, bread, and even some deli meat all have milk in it or have come in contact with milk. So read labels really carefully and don’t be embarassed to ask a lot of questions.

I find that a lot of times it’s just easier to make things yourself then have to worry about if something is safe to eat. One of the things that people with milk allergies miss out on most often is baking, especially chocolate baking. Divvies Bakery, founded by Lori Sandler, felt that way when she found out that her son had significant food allergies. She started a bakery that caters to people who have food allergies. Her recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes is truly amazing, ecspecially when paired with her dairy-free Vanilla Icing.

Frightening Foods – Onion and Garlic Intolerances

Happy Monday everyone! This week Digitally Delicious is going to tackle food allergies and intolerances. Food allergies are immune system reactions to proteins in specific foods, while intolerances are usually due to an inability to digest or absorb certain foods.

This can complicate meal time for people who suffer from allergies and intolerances, as well as for those who are cooking for the ‘food sensitive’ guest. We hope to provide you with some delicious recipes and useful info so you can please all the palates at your table! We also welcome any comments or recipe suggestions on this topic.  

Italian is my favourite food to eat and to cook. Besides being delicious, it is pretty easy to whip together in large quantities. Being somewhat domestically challenged, I am always enthusiastic about recipes that are ‘forgiving’ (i.e. crowd pleasers with versatile ingredients that can be made in advance to avoid any unforeseen cooking disasters). Tomato based pasta sauces definitely fit this criterion.

Two of my favourite dinner companions are intolerant to onions and garlic (to the best of my knowledge they are not vampires – just finicky digesters). Onions and garlic are from the same food family as chives, leeks, and rakkyo. This makes for a tricky meal plan – oodles of pre-packaged foods and seasonings contain these ingredients. Likewise, many recipes made from scratch seem rather lacking without them.

While onions and garlic are usually an essential component of Italian cooking, it IS possible to make a tasty tomato based pasta sauce entirely without these ingredients. The recipe below is of the vegetarian persuasion, but it could be made with meat just as easily by sautéing ground beef first and omitting the broccoli and bulgar wheat. You can replace any of the vegetables listed with others that better suit your tastes such as green beans or asparagus

To complete your onion and garlic free meal, serve it up with some fresh bread and herb butter. Buon appetito!

Onion and Garlic Free Spaghetti Sauce:

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large carrot – grated

2 celery stalks – diced

1 green pepper – diced

2 – 3 cups peeled, chopped broccoli

2 – 28 oz. cans of tomatoes – blended

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp hot pepper flakes (or to taste)

½  tsp salt (or to taste)

2 tsp dried dill (OR for a more italiany taste – use 1 tsp dried basil and ½ tsp dried oregano)

½ cup bulgar wheat

 

Directions:

Over medium-high heat sauté carrot, celery, and green pepper in olive oil in a large pot for approximately 3 – 4 minutes. Add broccoli and continue to sauté an additional 3 – 4 minutes.

Add in blended tomatoes, black pepper, hot pepper flakes, salt, and dill.

Bring to a slow boil for approximately 10 minutes.

Add in bulgar wheat.

Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Serve over freshly cooked pasta noodles of choice.

Wrap it up B!

Ladies & Gentlemen, I am a picky eater. I Can’t help it, certain junk grosses me out. No one’s shoving anything down my throat. Why is it justifiable to be mad at the kiddies for doing what this here miscreant does?

There is alternatives to what myself and the children do not like, but as long as we eat something what’s the problem? Step 3 on the Food Network is my lifeblood, Choice is Key!! Quit trying to feed me stuff I won’t feed the garburator. You give me a catlitter cake, I’ll probably eat it. May look gross but I bet it’s delicious.

I’d also like to say, if you cut my Ham & Cheese sandwhich into a star shape I’d love that! It’s so easy to please if you do the right thing. Surprisingly, when I was young the only thing that detracted me from Mom’s sandwhiches was the freakin’ butter. I’d tell that lady time and time again, NO BUTTER!
She never listened.

Appease the picky eater, pre-peel our oranges, they are too hard to peel by ourselves. And yes, rock the fruit kabob. Fruit kabobs are the jam, especially on the Barbeque. If a kid takes leftover FKs to school for lunch he or she will be the coolest apple in school. Imagine the tradesies that kid will be offered…..

Now let me ask you this, do you love apples? I do and I did when I was just a young girl (boy) all the way back in grade 2. I remember my Oma (That’s Grandma) cutting the skin off of the whole apple so I could individually chomp on the core and skin bits. It certainly was not an apple mindbender but you better believe it was all apple love. Too bad I was never allowed to play with the knife. Even now, I might hurt myself cutting a fancy apple. I guess I never had the training.

If someone would’ve helped me learn to cook when I was a sprouting seed (looking at you Mother) maybe I would have the proficiency to cut things for myself. Oh how I would have loved to be in a place that let me make fun things. A school for kids taught by people catering to the budding chefs out there. Kid Chef just sounds cool, like it could be my new favorite rapper. I’m so done with Lil Chef, Kid Chef is the bomb.

Next week watch out for those Allergies. You might know what to watch out for as per yourself but do you know about the other things that cause people harm? Stay tuned.

Kenny Bloggins aka Mr 6As

Kid Chefs

Growing up, one thing that I wish I had was a kids cooking class – something different then Home Ec in Junior High – where it wasn’t boring and you didn’t learn how to make pancakes or chili.  Well recently, I found out that Calgary has a kids cooking school. It is called Kulinary Kids, where it is geared for pre-schoolers and all the way up to high school students. They have many classes for each age group that deals with not only learning the basic cooking skills but also learning to cook with seasonal items or different cooking styles. For the parents, this is a win-win situation – not only are the kids learning about cooking, they are also developing life skills.

A little more closer to home and for the Youth, Lethbridge College offers a Culinary Boot Camp. Where you learn about appetizers, soups, salads, main courses and the best part of a meal – the dessert.  During this camp, the youth also learn about basic cooking skills too. Then at the end, they get to design a 3 course meal and present it to their family and friends.

However, if you are thinking that Calgary is to far away, and your kid is not ready for the culinary boot camp, then have no fear. Just check out Cooking with Kids. This website provides recipes, videos and educational resources to teach your child about food, cooking and nutrition. Also, this a great way to spend more time with your child.

One last piece of information to help out in the kitchen, is have your child dress up like a chef and pretend that you are on a cooking show preparing a meal. What kid doesn’t like dressing up and pretending to be an adult?

Coolest Apple in School!

When I think of being a little girl and the foods I most enjoyed, a memory of grade 2 “show and tell” pops into my head.

I brought an apple to school because I thought it was the coolest apple in all of grade 2! I know your thinking “that is a strange object to bring for show and tell” but, this apple was in fact, the coolest apple in all of grade 2.

The night before, my dad figured out how to cut an apple so that it can be put back together again to look like an un-cut apple.

Well Guess what?

You or your child can also have the coolest apple in school, because I just figured out the secret of the jigsaw apple and I am willing to share it with you!

Step 1: Pick a good looking apple from the batch (I picked one from my tree) and give it a good wash and dry.

Step 2: Use a sharp paring knife to cut a vertical slit, all the way from the top of the apple until you reach the middle of the fruit. Make sure you cut right to the core.

Step 3: Make a horizontal slit about 2/3rds around the apple.

Step 4: Make a vertical slit towards the bottom of the apple. Stop at the core.

Step 5: In the center of the area of the apple that has not been slit, cut a vertical slit from the top of the apple to the bottom.

Step 6: this is the tricky part, carefully use your knife to wiggle the apple apart. The apple will split along the core.

Step 7: now you should have 2 pieces that fit back together again! You can now core the apple but you must be very careful or you could break the apple and your apple will no longer be as cool! If you core the apple, be sure to leave the stem in to achieve a realistic un-cut apple illusion!

Step 8: finally put some lemon juice on the white part of the apple to prevent it from turning brown and ruining its cool image!

Happy apple cutting!

Too Cool for My LUNCH BOX*

For any of us who have ever had to feed a child we know what a pain in the rear that can be. A lot of children are picky eaters and it can be difficult to cater to what they like and don’t, and also get them the nutrition the need. One of the biggest challenges we face is packing those lunch boxes for school.

There are many rules around what you are allowed to send to school now days due to allergy concerns. The biggest thing to look out for is peanut and seafood allergies. People with those allergies generally can be triggered by the smell so those need to be avoided for sure.

 

 So what do we put in there?

How about a ham and cheese sandwich. Sounds boring right. Not the way I make them. A ham and cheese is only boring if you make it that way. Try putting using smoked, maple, or honey ham. Also, try add in a slice of prosciutto, it’ll add an intense depth of flavor. As for the cheese, don’t just use a kraft singles cheese slice. While the commercials may say that your kids will love you for them, I didn’t like them as a kid so I don’t know who’s doing their research. Try using a swiss or provolone, or any cheese that will add a new flavor to the sandwich. This way your kid won’t be trying to trade it away.

 Now for the icing on the cake: Martha’s Apple Butter. Apple butter is much healthier then putting regular butter on a sandwich and it tastes delicious.

If all of this still wasn’t enough to create the perfect ham and cheese for your little one (or for yourself, it’s just that good) try making it look pretty. Who doesn’t love a nice presentation. Buy some jumbo cookie cutters and cut out the sandwich into a fun shape. That way if your kid hates crust then the crust is gone and they’ll have more fun eating something that looks like a dinosaur.

 

 

So what do you put in the lunches with that totally awesome ham and cheese? Check out these ideas brought to you courtesy of my domestic hero, Martha Stewart:

 

Frozen Juice Box – A frozen juice box is delicious way to keep your childs lunch cool. And also a pure fruit juice is packed with vitamins your child needs and every kid loves juice.

Fruit Kabob – Instead of just giving them fruit in a tupperware container dress it up a little. Take a regular fruit skewer and add strawberries, grapes, pineapple, and marshmellows; or just use whatever your kids faves are. Let them take part in picking them out and try new fruits with them. Also it’s a great way to get kids involved with cooking with you.

 Cereal Bracelets – For these you can use an unflavored dental floss or some clean thread. Get the kids to help you make these too. Get some Fruit Loops or Cheerios and string them onto the thread until it makes a bracelet. It’s a cute treat to add in the lunch box. Also since most cereals are being made in whole grains it’s not that bad for them either.

Pre-Peeled Orange – Most kids enjoy eating oranges but it can be hard for them to peel for themselves. To give them a head start slice off the tip of the top of the orange. Then score down the side of the orange in four places to create four equal segments. Then peel back the top of each segment a bit.

Crunch Caterpillar – A lot of kids have an aversion to anything green. But if it’s in the shape of a gross caterpillar we might have a shot. Peel a cucumber and then slice it into 1/2 inch slices. Then string the slices onto a plastic bendy straw. Then top it off with a cherry tomato as a plump head.

 

Hopefully at least some of these ideas make it easier to pack lunch for your child. The thing to remember are: 

 – have them experiment with tastes and textures at an early age

 – let them get involved in the cooking process with you

 – and sometimes when they say a food is gross and will make them puke, it just might

Picky Eating – It’s Science

Kids should just eat what’s on the table, right? I mean, it only stands to reason picky kids will turn into picky adults if they’re indulged early on. Besides, there’s nothing to be scared of – they’re just vegetables.

That said, I don’t actually have any children so I will likely stand corrected on this issue.

It looks like there are a lot of tips and tricks out there to get kids to eat healthy and not kick up a fuss every time they’re presented with something healthy. And while some parents say their children will eat whatever is put in front of them, it looks like a lot have a nightly battle on their hands to get the veggies down.

According to Dr. Oz (you know, the guy from Oprah), children’s famous dislike of vegetables is actually a survival mechanism. The bitter taste found in some veggies triggers a biological response in the little guys that is meant to help them avoid poisonous substances. It appears parents are staging a battle against millions of years of evolution (via healthybpm.com ).

So, in order to trick biology and all the picky eaters at your table, The Food Network has listed a few tips to get your kid’s to eat better…

1.   Make Sure They’re Hungry
Filling up on snacks or drinks too close to mealtime can make those veggies look less enticing. So does knowing desert is right around the corner.  

2.   Allow Them to Help
Let them pick a healthy side dish from the store or better yet, put them to work cooking one. If the child is involved they may be more inclined to choke it down or try something new.

3.   Choice is Key
Have healthy options available. They’ll be happier because they’ve had the option of NOT eating brussel sprouts in return for picking out something more delicious. That said, limit unhealthy options as well.  Growing up the only ‘treats’ we ever had in the house were Flinstone vitamins. Needless to say, I’ve grown accustomed to eating my veggies.

4.   Be Sneaky
Hide veggies that are considered inedible by your child into soups, sauces, and pizzas. This trick still works on me. I hate mushrooms but will happily eat them if they’re too small to pick around. Jerry Seinfeld’s wife wrote a whole cookbook on how to sneak more veggies into your kid’s food.  

5.   Be Patient
It looks like kids can be stubborn. It can take up to 20 times of trying a new food before they will accept it as a part of life. Ask for one bite and be happy with that. Too much pressure will make for unhappy dinners for everyone.

6.   Be Creative
Try different variations of the same food. Slice it, steam it, serve it raw, add a little dipping sauce for good measure. Apparently kid’s like small things. Try cutting it up into little pieces and see if that makes a difference.

7.   You Are a Role Model
If you’re complaining about brussel sprouts, chances are your kids aren’t going to be fooled into eating them either. So, take one for the team and eat yours with a smile on your face.

 

If all else fails and you want to gross out your kids on purpose, there’s also a cookbook for that. It’s full of recipes for completely edible foods prepared to look like absolutely disgusting items. After all your troubles I would not be surprised if it’s easier to get kids to eat ‘catlitter cake’ than steamed broccoli. Good luck folks. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost Effective

What up Kiddies, another freakin’ Friday is upon us, who’s hungry?

In keeping with the weeks theme I have conjured up a plan to keep those wallets (and tummys) full. First off, don’t be stupid. Blowing money on ‘Fast Food’ a few days a week may keep you alive but its no recipe for success. You’re not gonna be too healthy, and you’re gonna be poorer for it. Lose-lose no doubt.

I actually have no plan………don’t be stupid is my advice to me………

The Dietitians of Canada do have a plan though and it’s laid out in 7 easy steps everyone should but no one will follow. These steps are:

1) Plan ahead – simple enough even for me. A weekly plan of meals is never a bad thing
2) Base your weekly menu on the Canada Food Guide – No explanation needed
3) When it comes to meat, buy only what you need – vegans rejoice!!! Step 3 unnecessary
4) Try using plant proteins – The Dietitians say less expensive proteins like peanut butter, lentils, split peas, or kidney beans are good alternatives to meat dishes
5) Choose convenience foods carefully – It’s saying “Watch that junk you eat!”
6) Buy in bulk – Who doesn’t want mustard till 2011?
7) Compare and Save – Watch those sales, cut those coupons.

Too lazy for all of that but like to surf the Net? Check out these websites that tout budget recipes for your penny pinching hungar pains.

http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbook.php?bookid=51062
Boasts 134 recipes that will save you $

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Cooking-on-a-Budget/Detail.aspx
This place is truely Budget-Friendly

http://www.cookcheap.com/
Dated looking website but name says it all

http://www.foodnetwork.com/emeril-live/cooking-on-a-budget/index.html
Even Emeril has 6 easy recipes for the budding chef in you

Wow, I was actually getting ready to finish up here when I came across this last one.
http://www.momsbudget.com/freezercooking/index.html
Funny thing, I only clicked the link because the website is momsbudget.com and my Mom does freezer cook for me. Who doesn’t love Mom’s home cookin’? Especially when you can enjoy it in your own home, on your own couch….

You gotta have a plan. You need to not be lazy (I’ve lost you haven’t I). You need to check out what the Moms are cookin’! Most off all, be happy. If you’re broke but you’re full, I say, good for you…….

The Ultimate Sandwich

2 pieces of bread = 19 cents

2 pieces of cheese = 12 cents

butter = 10 cents

41cent grilled cheese!!!!

That right folks, grilled cheese is the best low budget meal around that not only tastes great but allows for your creativity to go wild too!

A typical grilled cheese sandwich consists of cheddar cheese in between 2 slices of buttered bread. The sandwich is then grilled, fried or baked in the oven.

I prefer to use a proper sandwich grill for the perfect sandwich every time!

Generally this sandwich is served with a hot bowl of tomato soup.

did you know that the grilled cheese sandwich has been around since the 1920’s as an open face sandwich and It wasn’t until the 1960’s that the top slice of bread was added to the sandwich? (wikipedia).

Please enjoy the following video and learn how to make a grilled cheese sandwich without a stove or oven!

Grilled cheese sandwiches can be made with a variety of ingredients besides the above. Try mixing up your cheeses or add meat or veggies for a grilled cheese twist!

My personal favorite includes Havarti cheese, black forest ham, red onion and tomato. mmmmm good

My roommate enjoys her sandwich with avocado, tomato, onion and cheddar cheese.

How do you like your grilled cheese?