The last time I posted, I was on the "Skinny Bitch" diet. That didn't last very long, but it did introduce me to the idea of eating less, and more healthy. I was already eating pretty well, but that eating method forced me to add more vegetables into my diet. I saved a lot of money because I made my lunch almost every day, and didn't eat out as much.
Now, however, I'm eating meat, dairy, and Splenda. Yikes! I've been working out regularly for a couple of years, but I wanted to get to within a healthy BMI range. A friend suggested I do the South Beach Diet. He said it was easy, healthy, and not like Atkins. So... I got the book and started the next day. Well, I tried to start the next day, but since I had a dinner outing with the girls, and alcohol is off-limits for the first 2 weeks, I had to wait until the next day.
The next day, I had some Indian food. That's not in the South Beach diet, so the official start was 2 weeks ago, Sunday, May 4.
So far, I'm a fan of the South Beach Diet. The first 2 weeks is heavy on veggies and protein. I pretty much eat a spinach omelet (no cheese) with vegetable juice for breakfast (pretty good), a string cheese for snack (I can't believe I like it), salad with grilled chicken for lunch, an afternoon snack of nuts or hummus or something, and then a healthy dinner (chicken or fish or tofu with vegs). I follow the meal plan in the book so it's really easy.
There's a dessert in the book that's on the menu daily. It's part skim ricotta cheese with either vanilla, lemon or lime zest, or unsweetened cocoa powder, and Splenda. It doesn't sound that good, but it's not bad. Especially after not having had much sweet food all day. Jello is on the lunch menu, which is good (sugar-free, of course) and I do love Jello.
One snack I didn't like was the lettuce wrap. Lettuce, deli turkey or ham, and mayo (I used mustard). It didn't sit well at all.
Eating out isn't that tough, especially if you like fish. I had a fantastic meal at Legal Test Kitchen, and at the Atlantic Fish Company. Reviews to come later.
I'm moving into Phase 2 tomorrow. I'm going on a cruise, so this should be a challenging week!
P.S. I lost 9 pounds in 2 weeks!!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Amateur Gourmet is at it again
I can't be bothered to post about food or restaurants. I'm too busy cooking for myself, eating the same old takeout, or reading other blogs. So... for those few readers, here's something that I'm hoping happens each week. The Amateur Gourmet playing dinner music.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Snyder's Multi Grain White Cheddar Puffs
I just bought the new Snyder's Multi Grain White Cheddar Puffs and I have to say, I recommend them. Small servings, though. If you eat too many, you stop tasting the cheese flavor and then you're just wasting calories. They sort of taste like Pirate's Booty, except they have a nice crunch and little brown specks of what I guess are the multitudes of grains. And they're shaped like little logs. Go out and get some for yourself!
That link points to the main multi grain page. Click on the Cheddar Puffs link and scroll to the White Cheddar version. The other kind of cheddar puffs, the bright orange ones, said they were artificially flavored, and I thought that might be kind of gross.
That link points to the main multi grain page. Click on the Cheddar Puffs link and scroll to the White Cheddar version. The other kind of cheddar puffs, the bright orange ones, said they were artificially flavored, and I thought that might be kind of gross.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Wine in a Box
I needed some white wine to make an artichoke sauce (recipe at end of post). I went to Austin Liquor on Gold Star Boulevard. I was going to buy some Cavit but the large bottle was $11.00 and I just needed 1/4 cup. After wandering around for a while, I came across the boxed wine. Hmm, I thought. Five liters for only $10.49? That sounds like a bargain!! And it has a spout, for easy pouring. I bought it. It turns out, Ellen likes it too.
I bought Franzia Crisp White Table wine. It's described as a medium bodied wine with floral aromas and fruit flavors.
Verdict: Terrible warm, quite tasty chilled. Great in the sauce. Dangerous to have around; very easy to get at.
Sauce Recipe
Warm some chopped garlic and olive oil in a pan
Add sliced mushrooms if you like them
Sautee
Add a can of quartered artichokes (in water, not oil, drained). You can also use frozen artichoke hearts from Trader Joe's. They're really good.
Add about 1/4 cup of white wine.
Simmer for a while, until everything's nice and warmed up.
Add salt and pepper.
Toss with tortellini. I like the frozen artichoke tortellini from Trader Joe's. The gorgonzola and walnut is good too but the flavor is a little strong. You could also serve over rice. You could also add some frozen or fresh spinach, though you might need to add more oil since these items are watery.
I bought Franzia Crisp White Table wine. It's described as a medium bodied wine with floral aromas and fruit flavors.
Verdict: Terrible warm, quite tasty chilled. Great in the sauce. Dangerous to have around; very easy to get at.
Sauce Recipe
Warm some chopped garlic and olive oil in a pan
Add sliced mushrooms if you like them
Sautee
Add a can of quartered artichokes (in water, not oil, drained). You can also use frozen artichoke hearts from Trader Joe's. They're really good.
Add about 1/4 cup of white wine.
Simmer for a while, until everything's nice and warmed up.
Add salt and pepper.
Toss with tortellini. I like the frozen artichoke tortellini from Trader Joe's. The gorgonzola and walnut is good too but the flavor is a little strong. You could also serve over rice. You could also add some frozen or fresh spinach, though you might need to add more oil since these items are watery.
Forays into Organic Goodness
Because of a book I read, and in the interest of trying to stay healthy, I've changed my diet somewhat. I'm eating less dairy, though by no means cutting it out. Cheese is so delish. I'm not swilling pints of milk daily, though, and I haven't been eating ice cream, though Summer's coming so that will probably go right out the window.
I've been eating practically no meat. I hadn't really had any since mid-February, with two exceptions: chicken from chinese rice. I thought it was veg. And prosciutto from Al Fresco in Holden (review to come). Last weekend, I broke down and had the chopped salad from The Cheesecake Factory, which included grilled chicken and bacon. If I was going to fall off the wagon, that was the way to go. This salad was freaking fantastic. I always love the chopped salads because they're so easy to eat. It also had avocado, and was dressed in a house vinaigrette. I'll definitely geti again!
Anyway, I wanted to give an update on what I have been eating.
Fish. Fish and more fish. Salmon and haddock, mostly. It's lighter than meat and is good for you. I do need to read up on the mercury factor, though.
Beans and veggies. I've been making many variations on my favorite black bean soup recipe, and have cut out the taco seasoning, since it's high high high in sodium. Basically, any kind of bean, frozen or fresh veggies thrown in the pot, seasonings including garlic, and served over rice or with tortillas. Sometimes I add cheese and/or sour cream. I read somewhere that you should always eat beans with rice because they digest well together.
Fruit shakes, homemade. This is for breakfast. OJ or whatever J, though I like OJ best. A banana. Frozen berries (straw, black, blue). Frozen pineapple or fresh, frozen mango (from Trader Joe's). Blend it up, drink. I usually make about 16 ounces. It keeps me full for quite a while, though without the banana it's not as filling. I think that you could also do peanut butter, milk, and banana. That would be good. This is a good book, though I know there are other smoothie books out there.
Nuts. Pistachio, mixed, whatever's on hand. A good afternoon snack that helps me not starve when I go to the gym after work.
Organic pepper jack cheese from Trader Joe's. Soooo good.
I've been trying to buy everything organic or pesticide free. It's not always easy in this city of Worcester because the grocery stores don't always have good organic sections. If they do, often the frozen foods are mostly meat items. Shaw's in Shrewsbury has a decent section. Big Y on May Street is terrible. Shaw's on Gold Star is ok, but the produce is really lacking. I guess I could try the Living Earth but I hear their prices are really high, and I don't really like their parking lot. You could get a ding in your brand new car just like that.
Also, I hear there's a food co-op that I've been meaning to try out but I don't really like the neighborhood and I can't get there during the week. I'll probably check it out during the daylight hours. So, this is a plea to Whole Foods... Please come to Worcester. We will pay the high prices for the quality food. We will!
I've been eating practically no meat. I hadn't really had any since mid-February, with two exceptions: chicken from chinese rice. I thought it was veg. And prosciutto from Al Fresco in Holden (review to come). Last weekend, I broke down and had the chopped salad from The Cheesecake Factory, which included grilled chicken and bacon. If I was going to fall off the wagon, that was the way to go. This salad was freaking fantastic. I always love the chopped salads because they're so easy to eat. It also had avocado, and was dressed in a house vinaigrette. I'll definitely geti again!
Anyway, I wanted to give an update on what I have been eating.
Fish. Fish and more fish. Salmon and haddock, mostly. It's lighter than meat and is good for you. I do need to read up on the mercury factor, though.
Beans and veggies. I've been making many variations on my favorite black bean soup recipe, and have cut out the taco seasoning, since it's high high high in sodium. Basically, any kind of bean, frozen or fresh veggies thrown in the pot, seasonings including garlic, and served over rice or with tortillas. Sometimes I add cheese and/or sour cream. I read somewhere that you should always eat beans with rice because they digest well together.
Fruit shakes, homemade. This is for breakfast. OJ or whatever J, though I like OJ best. A banana. Frozen berries (straw, black, blue). Frozen pineapple or fresh, frozen mango (from Trader Joe's). Blend it up, drink. I usually make about 16 ounces. It keeps me full for quite a while, though without the banana it's not as filling. I think that you could also do peanut butter, milk, and banana. That would be good. This is a good book, though I know there are other smoothie books out there.
Nuts. Pistachio, mixed, whatever's on hand. A good afternoon snack that helps me not starve when I go to the gym after work.
Organic pepper jack cheese from Trader Joe's. Soooo good.
I've been trying to buy everything organic or pesticide free. It's not always easy in this city of Worcester because the grocery stores don't always have good organic sections. If they do, often the frozen foods are mostly meat items. Shaw's in Shrewsbury has a decent section. Big Y on May Street is terrible. Shaw's on Gold Star is ok, but the produce is really lacking. I guess I could try the Living Earth but I hear their prices are really high, and I don't really like their parking lot. You could get a ding in your brand new car just like that.
Also, I hear there's a food co-op that I've been meaning to try out but I don't really like the neighborhood and I can't get there during the week. I'll probably check it out during the daylight hours. So, this is a plea to Whole Foods... Please come to Worcester. We will pay the high prices for the quality food. We will!
Yes, We Have No Bananas
Why is it that Shaw's on Gold Star Boulevard never has any yellow bananas? I wanted to eat one "right now!" and I had to buy green ones because that's all they had. Right in front of the sign that said "ripe and ready bananas".
Ach. Annoying.
Ach. Annoying.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Banana Bunker
I totally want one of these. I love bananas but hate the brown spots that appear instantly when I put them in my purse or leftover grocery store bag to bring to work. Check out the banana bunker! The thing is, it really looks like a "toy" more than a food saver.
found by way of Corduroy Orange, a great food blog for the practical cooker/eater.
found by way of Corduroy Orange, a great food blog for the practical cooker/eater.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
A Change in my Diet
Recently, I read a book called "Skinny Bitch" (A no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous.) This book is not a diet book. It's a pro-vegan, pro-organic, anti-factory-farm book. No details are left out about why milk is bad for you, how pesticides are in every freaking thing, and why you shouldn't eat meat or drink coffee. For at least a week, I could barely eat anything. I couldn't drink non-organic milk without thinking about the cows in the factory farms and all the details that the book described. Most of this, I knew, and blocked out. Some of it, I didn't know, and it was gross. I'm not going to outline all the details here. If you want to know where your food comes from, and can handle the shock-value that these authors are going for, get this book.
What I will say is, I am now eating less dairy, buying as many organic products as I can, and avoiding red meat, chicken, or pork (for the time being.) There is one thing you can't get from a vegan diet, vitamin B-12, and having had a B-12 deficiency in the past, I will not go through that again. If and when I do go back to red meat, it will probably be in the form of pepperoni (ok, I had both chicken and pepperoni last weekend, but not much), or it will be free-range meat that I cook myself.
Since I've been trying to buy a lot of organic foods that I haven't bought in the past, I'll be reviewing some of the best and worst here. Stay tuned.
Here's a quick review:
Newman's Own Fig Newmans - Wheat and Dairy Free: These are great. They taste almost the same as regular Fig Newtons, and after I ate about 5 or 6 of them, I still felt pretty good, not all full of fat. Price-wise, they were a little more than Fig Newtons, but not outrageous. I think somewhere around $3.50.
What I will say is, I am now eating less dairy, buying as many organic products as I can, and avoiding red meat, chicken, or pork (for the time being.) There is one thing you can't get from a vegan diet, vitamin B-12, and having had a B-12 deficiency in the past, I will not go through that again. If and when I do go back to red meat, it will probably be in the form of pepperoni (ok, I had both chicken and pepperoni last weekend, but not much), or it will be free-range meat that I cook myself.
Since I've been trying to buy a lot of organic foods that I haven't bought in the past, I'll be reviewing some of the best and worst here. Stay tuned.
Here's a quick review:
Newman's Own Fig Newmans - Wheat and Dairy Free: These are great. They taste almost the same as regular Fig Newtons, and after I ate about 5 or 6 of them, I still felt pretty good, not all full of fat. Price-wise, they were a little more than Fig Newtons, but not outrageous. I think somewhere around $3.50.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Snack Attack!!
Here are some reviews of some recent snack purchases.
Snyder's of Hanover Pumpernickel and Onion Sticks
These are fantastic alone or dipped in hummus or maybe a nice sour cream dip. I dipped them in Tribe Zesty Lemon hummus, which is quite delicious. Great consistency (not too chunky, not too too smooth), lots of garlic and lemon flavor.
I bought the Snyder's sticks because the grocery store (Price Chopper on Pullman St.) didn't carry the Pepperidge Farm brand of pumpernickel; they only had sesame and I think multi-grain.
Hummus
Another recent delicious hummus find was the Trader Joe's Organic hummus. Fantastic! Avoid the non-organic one though. It's flavorless and too smooth. It's more like a paste.
The best hummus ever, though, is from Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Market on Pleasant Street in Worcester. You can't go wrong. Tangy, garlicky, thinner consistency than most storebought brands.
Other good things to dip in hummus: baby carrots, tortilla chips, and Wheat Thins.
Snyder's of Hanover Pumpernickel and Onion Sticks
These are fantastic alone or dipped in hummus or maybe a nice sour cream dip. I dipped them in Tribe Zesty Lemon hummus, which is quite delicious. Great consistency (not too chunky, not too too smooth), lots of garlic and lemon flavor.
I bought the Snyder's sticks because the grocery store (Price Chopper on Pullman St.) didn't carry the Pepperidge Farm brand of pumpernickel; they only had sesame and I think multi-grain.
Hummus
Another recent delicious hummus find was the Trader Joe's Organic hummus. Fantastic! Avoid the non-organic one though. It's flavorless and too smooth. It's more like a paste.
The best hummus ever, though, is from Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Market on Pleasant Street in Worcester. You can't go wrong. Tangy, garlicky, thinner consistency than most storebought brands.
Other good things to dip in hummus: baby carrots, tortilla chips, and Wheat Thins.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Chocolate Love
Dove dark chocolate hearts are so chocolatey and creamy that I'm going to stock up on them on Friday, when they go on sale. Go get yourself a bag!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Piccolo's on Shrewsbury St
I tried to go to Mezcal on Friday night, but at 8:20 pm, the wait for a table was an hour and a half. There were only two of us, and we were too hungry to wait that long. The bar's pretty small, and it was really loud. We decided to try Piccolo's, right across the street.
I ordered the ginger ale, which was good, but probably only about 9 ounces, and didn't have free refills. I guess it cost about the same as the water I bought at the movie theater - $3.68! But I needed it, I was having a coughing fit. Ok, back to the restaurant review.
We shared the Insalate Bel Mondo, which was absolutely the best salad I've had in forever. Romaine, dried cranberries, gorgonzola, green apples, and the best dressing made with white balsamic vinegar. The salad was gigantic and could have easily been shared by 3 people.
This was the best part of the meal. We ordered two appetizers that I thought were kind of disappointing. The giant chicken and ricotta filled ravioli, topped with pink sauce. The pink sauce was great, there were fresh tomatoes in the sauce, but the ravioli filling was bland, and the ricotta seemed kind of grainy. The other appetizer was an eggplant, chopped up and mixed with some other things, (can't remember what) and then put back into the mini eggplant shell. It was okay, just not awesome. Next time I think I'll go for a pasta entree. They all looked delicious but I didn't have the appetite for a big pasta meal. I filled up on salad!
Service was great.
I ordered the ginger ale, which was good, but probably only about 9 ounces, and didn't have free refills. I guess it cost about the same as the water I bought at the movie theater - $3.68! But I needed it, I was having a coughing fit. Ok, back to the restaurant review.
We shared the Insalate Bel Mondo, which was absolutely the best salad I've had in forever. Romaine, dried cranberries, gorgonzola, green apples, and the best dressing made with white balsamic vinegar. The salad was gigantic and could have easily been shared by 3 people.
This was the best part of the meal. We ordered two appetizers that I thought were kind of disappointing. The giant chicken and ricotta filled ravioli, topped with pink sauce. The pink sauce was great, there were fresh tomatoes in the sauce, but the ravioli filling was bland, and the ricotta seemed kind of grainy. The other appetizer was an eggplant, chopped up and mixed with some other things, (can't remember what) and then put back into the mini eggplant shell. It was okay, just not awesome. Next time I think I'll go for a pasta entree. They all looked delicious but I didn't have the appetite for a big pasta meal. I filled up on salad!
Service was great.
Monday, January 14, 2008
My New Coffe Maker
I got a Keurig one-cup coffeemaker for Christmas! This is by far one of the most frequently used and most useful appliances in my kitchen. It's awesome. In less than a minute, I have a fresh cup of coffee, and then, almost instantly, there's another 8 ounces of hot water ready to go. I think one of the things I like best about this machine is its slick black and stainless look. Yeah, it's all about style.
This machine makes coffee that comes in little plastic pods. They go into a little vessel and the hot water runs through them and makes a nice cup of coffee. This version also came with a reusable filter so if I run out of pods, or if I want to drink the tasty Starbucks ground coffee I bought when all I had was an old-fashioned drip coffeemaker, I can use this filter.
Another awesome thing about the Keurig is that you can get just hot water! Instantly! As you can see, I'm making some lovely mint herbal tea. This Bigelow collection is quite tasty. I like the Sleepytime, a mixture of chamomile and mint. I also use the hot water feature to make instant oatmeal. I wonder what else I can use it for.
The machine came with 90 pods. Mostly coffee, but a couple of tea and some cocoa. I'm enjoying the Newman's Own Extra Dark roast. The Green Mountain Nantucket Blend is useless... pretty watery. The Caribou Organic coffee is okay. You can buy more pods online (kind of pricey but sometimes they go on sale at Target). I've been told that the Green Mountain Breakfast Blend is good, so I'm keeping my out for that, and will probably buy more pods when I run low. There are a 190 varieties of K-Cups (that's what they're called).
My First Spanakopita
I was volunteered to make the spinach pie (aka spanakopita in Greek) for Christmas 2007. I'd never made one before, but I've seen it done so many times, I figured it was easy enough. Plus, my sister made one a few weeks before, her first one, and it came out great, and we were using the same recipe.
I'll admit, it was delicious. My ratio of phyllo was a little off; could have used more on the bottom. Plus, I ran out of olive oil and had to stretch it at the corners, which were pretty high due to all of the folding over.
The recipe I used is from an old Greek cookbook, slightly modified by adding a half cup of uncooked rice (to soak up the water from the spinach) and a diced onion. You can find a good recipe here at Foodtv.com. Follow the variation that refers to the 13 by 9 inch pan. Easier and just as tasty.
Here, sauteeing one diced onion and olive oil.
2 pounds of baby spinach, wilting. Be sure to mix the onions in so they don't burn.
Melting butter and olive oil. This is for brushing between the layers of phyllo.
Crumbling the feta. One pound of feta to two pounds of spinach. Crumble it into fairly large chunks so that it doesn't melt when you mix it in with the spinach.
Ready to go into the oven.
Spanakopita is served!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Black Bean Soup - Panera
About 2 months ago, I got a delicious recipe for Black Bean Soup from my friend Melanie. Seriously, delicious. Here it is:
1 can black beans (not organic, unless you want to simmer for 30 minutes to soften them up)
1/8 cup taco seasoning
1/4 cup salsa
Green Tabasco sauce (This is unbelievable. Spicy, not as painful as the red Tabasco, tangier. I can't get enough.)
Water (as much as you want to make broth)
Mix it up and simmer.
Add some shredded cheese, then a dollop of sour cream to serve. Eat with tortilla chips.
So, I've been spoiled with this homemade soup that I can customize to have as much kick as I want.
The other day I had the "You Pick Two" from Panera: Half a Turkey Artichoke, bowl of Black Bean Soup. The sandwich was good, though those paninis are kind of oily. Not really healthy. The soup was low-fat so I did feel like I was doing the right thing. I asked the cashier if they had any Tabasco. After a long, loooooong discussion with one of the sandwich makers, the cashier came back and said that they had "mumble mumble chipotle mumble mumble". He said it didn't have as much spice as Tabasco and it was what they used on the "mumble pork mumble". I just assumed it was some sort of sauce, since I had said I wanted the Tabasco for the soup. So, I said I'd like some on the side, paid, and got my receipt.
There on the receipt were the words "Chipotle mayo, side". Mayo?! This is what I was getting to put in my soup? Gross! Why would they think I'd want that? Well, as it turned out, when my order was up, they'd forgotten to put the side of mayo on the tray. I didn't bother complaining. Important to note is that the soup was super bland and going forward, I'll be bringing my own soup to work for lunch.
1 can black beans (not organic, unless you want to simmer for 30 minutes to soften them up)
1/8 cup taco seasoning
1/4 cup salsa
Green Tabasco sauce (This is unbelievable. Spicy, not as painful as the red Tabasco, tangier. I can't get enough.)
Water (as much as you want to make broth)
Mix it up and simmer.
Add some shredded cheese, then a dollop of sour cream to serve. Eat with tortilla chips.
So, I've been spoiled with this homemade soup that I can customize to have as much kick as I want.
The other day I had the "You Pick Two" from Panera: Half a Turkey Artichoke, bowl of Black Bean Soup. The sandwich was good, though those paninis are kind of oily. Not really healthy. The soup was low-fat so I did feel like I was doing the right thing. I asked the cashier if they had any Tabasco. After a long, loooooong discussion with one of the sandwich makers, the cashier came back and said that they had "mumble mumble chipotle mumble mumble". He said it didn't have as much spice as Tabasco and it was what they used on the "mumble pork mumble". I just assumed it was some sort of sauce, since I had said I wanted the Tabasco for the soup. So, I said I'd like some on the side, paid, and got my receipt.
There on the receipt were the words "Chipotle mayo, side". Mayo?! This is what I was getting to put in my soup? Gross! Why would they think I'd want that? Well, as it turned out, when my order was up, they'd forgotten to put the side of mayo on the tray. I didn't bother complaining. Important to note is that the soup was super bland and going forward, I'll be bringing my own soup to work for lunch.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Panera
I swung by Panera in White City late this morning, on my way into work. I had my fingers crossed that they had Lattes. I'm used to going there for lunch, so I really had no idea what their breakfast drink menu looked like.
Lucky for me, they do have Lattes, and they are of a comparable price to other coffee joints, $2.99. It was pretty good, thought not as strong as I usually like. It was just kind of weak. I also got a Cobblestone, which is basically a cinnamon bun with raisins, apples, and glaze. Really tasty. So not healthy.
Lucky for me, they do have Lattes, and they are of a comparable price to other coffee joints, $2.99. It was pretty good, thought not as strong as I usually like. It was just kind of weak. I also got a Cobblestone, which is basically a cinnamon bun with raisins, apples, and glaze. Really tasty. So not healthy.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Apples
I went apple picking at Honey Pot Hill Orchards, in Stow, MA. I got some empires, cortlands, and a bag of winesaps for my sister. I made a pie with the cortlands. It was delicious. I recommend following the recipe, though and avoid putting in more apples than the recipe calls for. Otherwise, the liquid doesn't dissolve enough, and the apples don't cook all the way through.
The winesap apples are delicious! They taste like apple cider - crisp, sweet, and a little bit tangy. My sister made a pie out of them and it was unbelievable.
The winesap apples are delicious! They taste like apple cider - crisp, sweet, and a little bit tangy. My sister made a pie out of them and it was unbelievable.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
It's Pumpkin Season
It's pumpkin season and all the local coffee joints are serving up pumpkin this and pumpkin that. I'm into it. Here's what I've tried so far:
Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice Latte: This was too sickly sweet. Much better was the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, but with only 2 pumps of the pumpkin syrup. The syrup is sweetened and the standard 4 pumps would probably be disgusting.
Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Donut and Pumpkin Spice Muffin. Both are incredibly delicious, moist, and pumpkiny. The donut tastes pretty much like the Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread, which is really good.
Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice Latte: This was too sickly sweet. Much better was the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, but with only 2 pumps of the pumpkin syrup. The syrup is sweetened and the standard 4 pumps would probably be disgusting.
Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Donut and Pumpkin Spice Muffin. Both are incredibly delicious, moist, and pumpkiny. The donut tastes pretty much like the Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread, which is really good.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Calamari
I had some really excellent calamari and some pretty terrible calamari recently. First, the bad, to get it over with. I was at the Gardner Ale House and three of us split the calamari. It has half rings, and half tentacles. Now, does anybody really want the tentacles, or whatever they're called? I don't think so. I tried some just to be a good sport. They weren't that bad, but really, all I could taste was breading, which wasn't that tasty. The rings were kind of rubbery, which is always bad, and they weren't spicy. I prefer the hot and spicy calamari, like the appetizer at...
O'Connor's. That's right, the Irish restaurant makes a mean calamari. It comes hot and spicy, they were cooked perfectly, not at all rubbery, and no tentacles, or whatever they're called.
You can also get delicious spicy calamari at the Boynton on Highland Street.
O'Connor's. That's right, the Irish restaurant makes a mean calamari. It comes hot and spicy, they were cooked perfectly, not at all rubbery, and no tentacles, or whatever they're called.
You can also get delicious spicy calamari at the Boynton on Highland Street.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Cupcakes and Doughnuts, Oh My!
I think I'm going to make these this weekend.
http://cupcakeblog.com/index.php/2007/09/doughnuts-and-coffee-cupcakes/
http://cupcakeblog.com/index.php/2007/09/doughnuts-and-coffee-cupcakes/
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