My Heart Belongs to All Things Caramel-Including These!

I've recently renewed my love for something caramel-y and I have to share. I became familiar with these little nuggets of goodness a few years back when I used to buy them individually and pass them out to my staff during a particularly rough day. A square of chocolate always brightened the mood.

So these squares of deliciousness came back into my life when I realized that everywhere I turned around, they were there! The grocery store, the pharmacy, the gas station. I was happy to see them, but knew I had to approach with caution.

From the Ghirardelli website: Our Milk Chocolate with Caramel SQUARES™ chocolate delivers the perfect balance of intense Ghirardelli milk chocolate and a rich buttery center. Our smooth caramel center is so popular and uniquely delicious, we offer it with two different chocolate shells: milk chocolate and 60% cacao dark chocolate.

I know the dark chocolate is better for me and my heart. I know there are better chocolates out there. But guess what? I can't say no to G's milk chocolate with caramel filling. I'm okay with the 52 calories and 2.8 grams of fat that come with one of those delicious squares. How to eat just one? Here's the trick: Buy the package filled with the mixture of fillings (mint, raspberry, white vanilla, peanut butter) and give those away.

My heart stays true only to the caramel.

Find these yummy treats here www.ghirardelli.com and any grocery store, pharmacy or gas station. I wouldn't be surprised if they wound up in vending machines soon.

You are invited to a Roast! No, not that kind of Roast!

So it started with a simple question on my Facebook page from my friend and colleague, Carol Plotkin, RD. (no relation) Her status stated:" I'm looking for creative and yummy ways to increase vegggie consumption daily." Carol even posted the first suggestion by saying something to the effect of taking larger helpings.

Enter Wendy Jo Peterson, RD, another foodie buddy of mine who posts: "Toss a handful of spinach or carrot juice to your smoothie." Both good ideas. But, I had to throw in my 2 cents-not surprising-which was, of course, to ROAST veggies. Odds are that you eat veggies the same way you grew up eating them-boiled, microwaved, baked perhaps or even grilled at times. I'm telling you that the sweet flavor, aroma and taste that comes from a roasted veggie is like no other. Let me just tell you of the onslaught of comments Carol got on her FB post after my roast suggestions.

How does one roast veggies? Simple.

1. Heat oven to 450.
2. Chunk your favorite veggies-whatever you have (potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, squashes, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, turnips, rutabaga, garlic, peppers, etc. It's a great way to clean out the produce box in the fridge). Try to make them about the same size and thickness
3. Toss with a few teaspoons of olive oil-nice to do in a plastic baggie, or just toss with your hands
4. Season generously with salt and pepper OR add a favorite herb such as rosemary.
5. Place on baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the vegetable. (i.e. root veggies will take longer than non root veggies). Give it a stir once in a while and be sure to check on the doneness--if you like it more al dente, take it out earlier.

Now, there are a million and one websites out there that will teach you, encourage you, provide recipes for you and basically do everything but make the veggies and toss them down your throat. We all know that more veggies are better for us-its the old adage of having to either create a new habit or breaking an old one. Take a look at some of these sites below for recipe ideas, growing ideas, storage and seasonality, kids games and more. One last thing to remember, many of these sites offer competitions for recipes-cash prizes and more! So if you've got a winning recipe, check out the potential for the prize.

If you find more websites, please let me know. I'm always looking for more.

www.greengiant.com
www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org
www.dole.com
www.fortheloveoffood.org
www.freshcaliforniagrapes.com
www.loveyourraisins.com
www.mango.org
www.potatogoodness.com
www.freidas.com
www.ncsweetpotato.com
www.craveatwork.com
www.calsprouts.com
www.eurofresh.com
www.365daysofkale

Calling All Carb Conscious Fashionistas!

To some, there are no greater loves than shoes and bread. If this is you, look no further. Carb free? YES! Gluten free? YES! How is this so? They are not to be eaten, natch! Comfort Free? I'm going to say YES! But then again, how many people wear breaded shoes for the comfort factor?

The folks at da da da studio will sell these to you for between 22 (kids) and 62 (adults) euros. Better move quickly though--some of them have already been baked for the taking!

Thanks to Al for his sharp eye and keen sense of web surfing for sharing these with me!




** Disclaimer: these shoes are not for consumption!

10 Easy Ways to Save at the Grocery Store with Lauren Marek (and RP's bubbly commentary)

As I write my own grocery list for the week, guest blogger Lauren Marek's comments are speaking loud and clear! Check out my own chatter next to her excellent points!

Way to Save Money at the Grocery Store

We are all trying to cut back on our spending these days. Food is one of our biggest monthly expenditures, so why not find easy ways to save, but still get the high quality foods that you like?

Here are some easy tips to save money on groceries:

1. Watch the scanner at checkout. Did you know that Americans lose 1 to 3 BILLION DOLLARS in pricing discrepancies each year? Make sure that the price on the food matches the price on the scanner.
RP says: Seriously folks-watch this closely. I have found many an error by doing so and thereby saved money!

2. Make your own mixes. Pre-made mixes are expensive, and not as good! Bring out your inner Martha Stewart and mix up your own brownies!
RP says: I love www.epicurious.com and www.thekitchn.com for recipes.

3. Keep track of what you have at home. How many times have you showed up with a just purchased item, only to realize you already had 2 at home?!
RP says: Sadly, I do this all the time-I recently had 5 boxes of Triscuits in my cupboard. Seriously!

4. Eat first. You have heard this over and over: if you shop hungry, you buy more.
RP says: this is true. Especially during Halloween season. Those mini Kit Kat's and Reece's may be calling your name, but remember that just a few of the "minis" become a full blown extra large candy bar faster than you know!

5. Grate and chop your own foods. Pre-grated and chopped cheese, meats, carrots, etc. are expensive, and it's just too easy to do it yourself to justify the cost difference.
RP says: Do this on Sunday. You will thank yourself by Thursday when you are temped to call Pizza Hut for take out.


6. Watch out for aisle manipulation. Grocery stores purposely put the diary and meat products in the back of the store. Why? They want you to walk through all of the aisles and face the temptation of all the fun colored, new products on the way. Keep this in mind next time you're making a quick milk run and avoid the maze.
RP says: Those food marketers are smart cookies. Just take a look at how big the chip and soda aisles are these days.

7. Beware of bulk. Just because it's packaged in bulk does not mean it's necessarily a better deal. Before you buy that year long supply of marshmallows, try bringing your calculator to find out if it's really cheaper.
RP says: if you do buy in bulk, repackage into correct portion sizes when you get home. Just check the label for proper serving sizes.

8. Eat more beans! Beans are not only cheap, but they're a great source of protein and fiber.
RP says: I heart beans. What more needs to be said?

9. Make a coupon file. Instead of cutting them out and throwing them in your purse to forever be forgotten, make a coupon file and look in it for the items you need before you hit up the super market.
RP says: I am not a coupon queen, but I am getting better. It's amazing how much you can save if you are looking for the RIGHT coupons. Don't clip something you don't buy just to get the discount!

10. Cut back on bottled water. According to the New York Times, "Almost all municipal water in America is so good that nobody needs to import a single bottle from Italy or France or the Fiji Islands. Meanwhile, if you choose to get your recommended eight glasses a day from bottled water, you could spend up to $1,400 annually. The same amount of tap water would cost you about 49 cents." This is not to mention all of the plastic Americans are wasting...
RP says: I do drink Dallas water on a daily basis and I feel pretty good.

This last tip from me doesn't save money per se, but it does save the environment. Hoping up right now to put my recycled bags at the back door so I don't forget them!

How do you save at the grocery store? Post a comment and let us know!

Just Another Thing to Clean? Think Again with Clean Food

You are in a constant state of cleaning. You clean your house, your car, your kids, yourself. What about your food? Are you eating clean?

Check out the new book by Terry Walters, Clean Food. Here's the scoop:

• Holistic approach to cooking
• 223 featured recipes
• focus on whole, minimally processed foods
• sustainable, local foods
• organic vs. conventional
• Props from Mario Batali
  

A few of the recipes:

• Shiitake Mushrooms and Bitter Greens in Filo

• Stovetop Barley with Sweet Vegetables

• Sweet Dumpling Squash with Orange-Scented Quinoa Stuffing

• Crispy Rice Squares

Here in Dallas, the book signing is sponsored by edible DFW.

WHAT: Book Signing by Clean Food author Terry Walters
WHERE: Barnes & Noble 7700 Northwest Highway
WHEN: Monday, October 19th at 7:00pm.
WHAT ELSE: Terry Walters will be doing a cooking demonstration

A bit more on the Egg Story.....

Let me clarify a few things in that last post about my love of the hard boiled egg.

The American Heart Association revised their dietary guidelines in 2000 to emphasize an overall dietary pattern for good health. There is no longer a specific recommendation on the number of egg yolks a person may consume per week. However, the recommendation for healthy American adults does limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day. One large egg=220 mg cholesterol per day. You do the math.

Remember that eggs are one of the most perfect foods found in nature. Not only are their rich in protein, B vitamins, iron and other minerals, they have no carbohydrates, and no trans fats. And, they are inexpensive and are widely available to boot.

The take home message here? It's not your eggs that are causing your increased cholesterol levels. Take a look at the rest of your diet before you say no to the egg!

Eat Your Eggs!

I've Eaten More Hard Boiled Eggs in the Last Three Months....

than I can even keep track of these days.

My increased consumption stemmed from the need to eat more protein on a daily basis. In looking at my options, I decided that in addition to my daily almond consumption, my protein bites needed to be quick, portable and require little to no preparation. The weekly hard boiled egg party began.

Every Sunday afternoon, I take out one of the best gifts I've ever received-an egg cooker. This one appliance makes perfect hard boiled eggs-every single time. No wrestling with the peel, no disappointment with a half cooked yolk, no ripped or torn whites... just pure perfection.

I know, I know--you don't eat eggs because of the cholesterol, right? See the American Heart Association recommendations for eggs below.

One egg contains about 213 milligrams of dietary cholesterol. The daily recommended cholesterol limit is less than 300 milligrams for people with normal LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. An egg can fit within heart-healthy guidelines for those people only if cholesterol from other sources — such as meats, poultry and dairy products — is limited. For example, eating one egg for breakfast, drinking two cups of coffee with one tablespoon of half-and-half each, lunching on four ounces of lean turkey breast without skin and one tablespoon of mayonnaise, and having a 6-ounce serving of broiled, short loin porterhouse steak for dinner would account for about 510 mg of dietary cholesterol that day — nearly twice the recommended limit. If you’re going to eat an egg every morning, substitute vegetables for some of the meat, or drink your coffee without half-and-half in the example above. And remember that many other foods, especially baked goods, are prepared with eggs — and those eggs count toward your daily cholesterol limit. People with high LDL blood cholesterol levels or who are taking a blood cholesterol-lowering medication should eat less than 200 mg of cholesterol per day.

If your cholesterol is something you are concerned about (which, let's face it, we all need to be concerned about our cholesterol), please take a look at everything else in your diet-eggs are most likely not the culprit for an increased cholesterol level.


For more egg nutrition, egg safety, egg research, recipes and egg trivia, go to the Egg Nutrition Center or the American Egg Board.