The Good Halloween Candy Pyramid – 2009 edition
A few years ago I performed a little social experiment that didn’t involve any virtual farms or cafés. I asked a number of people — fine, upstanding citizens — who ate white bread with their dinner and went to church every Sunday what they took from their children’s trick-or-treat bags on Halloween night. After a bunch of hemming, hawing, and utter denials of violating the Eighth Commandment, they confessed what they eventually pilfered from their sweet, apple-cheeked children. With that information in hand, I compiled the Good Halloween Candy Pyramid.
Four years have passed since that world-shattering article and people (all right, my family) have been clamoring for an update. With Halloween right around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the Pyramid to see if anything had changed. The results weren’t that surprising.
The trans fat police crack down in Baltimore – Food Rant
It’s getting that we can’t eat unhealthy in major cities across these United States. In a growing trend, Baltimore has limited the amount of trans fats to less than 0.5 grams per serving. This means the local diner (with the waitresses who call everyone “Hon”) will serve lard-less cherry pies and french fries in peanut oil rather than partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. If you want to have your arteries hardened and blood pressure increased you’ll need to go outside the city limits.
I’m of two minds on this (in addition to the two minds I already have). On one side I can see the benefits to regulating these products; reduction and monitoring of trans fats leads to healthier and happier population, especially in a city like Baltimore, where heart disease is one of the leading causes of death.
On the other side, why should a city monitor trans fat intake when it should be the responsibility of the individual?
Spicing up your blueberry muffins – Breakfast at Clique-any’s
The blueberry muffin: part healthy, fruity breakfast; part delicious, cakey dessert for breakfast. It’s been a staple for many folks ever since Al Gore invented it in the late 20th century. However, there are probably times that you get somewhat tired of the same taste day after long, hellish day and want to do something to spice it up a bit.
Not spice as in, say, red pepper flakes, or one of the Spice Girls. Rather, something to give your muffin the kick it needs to make you fall in love again with the bluest of berries and yellowest of muffin. Perhaps something cinnamony like…oh, I don’t know…cinnamon! Yes, it’s true — just like it did for Deb’s raspberry and strawberry muffins, a little cinnamon can go a long way in reviving your blueberry muffin.
Popping popcorn outside the bag – Gadget Clack
There are two things going on at our house right now. One is ensuring that our 3-year-old son, who’s allergic to soy and egg, has enough to eat during and in-between meals. The other is a challenge to eat healthier as a good example for our kids. For some reason, both of those situations have converged over popcorn.
My son has come to love microwave popcorn, particularly Orville Redenbacher, which uses non-soybean based butter. My older kids love it as well. However, eating a bowl or two of the buttery stuff on a daily basis isn’t good for them. So, my wife and I decided the best course of action was to look for a corn popper. That way, the kids could enjoy the popcorn while we controlled the added salt and butter.
Fortunately, thanks to 21st Century technology, we found something that works wonders. Read the rest of this entry »
Mac and cheese is NOT a vegetable – Food Rant
To the owners of restaurants, diners, cafes, bistros, and grease trucks…Hi! Let’s talk about menu items, shall we?
Over the past weekend I partook in one of your eating establishments. I won’t mention the name in order for you to avoid undo embarrassment. Let’s just say that it was a diner in a state on the East Coast of the U.S. that normally isn’t known for its diners. While perusing the menu board for the day’s specials, I came upon the list of vegetables that were being served. Among those listed were Squash, Buttered Corn, California Blend, and…macaroni & cheese?
Buttercream Frosting – Outside the Box
My wife loves buttercream frosting. By love, I mean that she would divorce me for someone who made or was made of buttercream frosting. So, when it came to whipping up some cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday party it was either purchasing it from a can or making some on my own. I decided to forgo the $1.50 and make some myself.
The result was surprisingly good. Unfortunately, the cupcakes they were intended for ended up as paperweights. Have to remember to use one stick of butter in the batter in the future.
Ten tips to enjoy your Las Vegas buffet experience
Should you decide to take a trip to Las Vegas, you will inevitably encounter three things: extreme heat (in the summer, not the winter), thousands of slot machines, and buffets. While you can avoid the heat (air conditioned hotels) and the slot machines (plenty of places to shop) you can’t avoid the buffets. Especially in a town that has increasingly been connected with pricey, celebrity chef venues. Which means, of course, mucho dinero.
As many of these new restaurants feature small portions for high prices and long waits (even with reservations), the lure of the buffets seems even stronger. Even at some of the higher end places, such as the buffet at Wynn’s, the amount of money dished out gives you a much better selection of food. Thing is, there are so many buffets in Las Vegas that it’s hard to choose one or two for your gorging pleasure. Well, if that’s your issue don’t worry. Here are 10 tips to make your buffet experience a successful one.
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