Blog: Food

It's actually much easier than I anticipated to eat healthy when I implemented this infernal series of tubes into the equation. Infinite sources have presented themselves in the form of cookbooks and online meal plans specifically aimed at dietary obedience.

The Mayo Clinic site offers many recipes tailored for specific diets including diabetes meal plans, heart-healthy, low carb, high fiber, low fat, low sodium, and even vegetarian fare. All are easily accessible and include nutrition information for each meal. 

Another site I enjoy is Delicious Decisions, a recipe guide presented by the American Heart Association. There is a quick recipe calculator that will compile a meal with given ingredients.

Food Network has a good selection of low cholesterol recipes, and they present a case for most other diets. They are affiliated with another site, EatingWell, that offers even more health conscious food ideas. The chicken and sun dried tomato orzo is definitely on my menu for this weekend.

Every morning I rush out my dorm room without a minute to spare in my race to class. It seems no matter how early I get up I am always almost late.  My uncureable lateness doesn’t mesh well with breakfast.  Even though as it reads it should be a break before you begin your day to eat really fast.

But what are your options?  Cereal and milk is far too messy. And bacon and eggs take far too long to cook.

Since those just won’t work in my lifestlye I have found some other just as tasty options.

A)    Nutrigrain Bars- These delicious tiny bars come in all sorts of flavors from apple cinnamon to strawberry. They are a little small and leave you hankering for more, but are still delicious for a morning snack. Also, nutrigrain bars are easy on the stomach for those of us who have sensitive tummys.

B)     Stoneyfield Yogurt’s yogurt drinks- I am not a fan of yogurt. The texture just weirds me out, but these drinks are a tad bit thinner than regular yogurt. They come in all the familiar flavors that yogurt does like strawberry, peach, and berry. Some of these drinks can be meal supplements which is perfect for a breakfast.

C)    Carnation Instant Breakfast- A long lost favorite of my childhood, this drink is chocolately goodness. Well at least that was the only flavor I had as a child. Now it comes in French Vanilla, Strawberry Sensation, and Dark Chocolate.  Essentially it is also a meal supplement. The website boasts that the drink, which comes in powder form or pre-made bottles, has half your daily value of calcium, 25% of your daily protien, and numerous vitamins and minerals.

D)    Cereal- I should not under estimate the efficiency of cereal in a plastic bag. You have so much variety to choose from at the store that if you buy a few bags of cereal you will never tire of your breakfast selection. The only down side to this option is that you have to provide your own plastic baggy, which as I have learned this semester are hard to come by when you don’t go to the grocery store every week.

There are your options do what you will with them. I, myself am going to go buy some Carnation Instant Breakfasts and have one tomorrow.

Hungry in the South East? Traveling without your Culinary Compass? Chowhound is a website that allows foodies to steer one another in the right direction, regardless of whether they know one another or not.

The website is formatted like a giant message board, and posters are allowed to pose questions such as “I’m going to Atlanta with a coworker and friend, we want to experience Atlanta and show of our new dresses” (OK I’m paraphrasing but you get the picture…it is a casual message board. Though there is posting etiquette . And yes I have read a posting that talked about new dresses before). So then Atlanta residents or others who have visited the city can share their dining experiences, mention new restaurants or special culinary events going on in the city, such as when an old restaurant gets a new chef. Individual posters also review restaurants, such as this review of Paula Deen’s Lady and Sons Restaurant.

In some ways it is a culinary visitors bureau that has met the internet. Locals can also provide their own reviews for restaurants they have visited.

The website also has their own series of blogs and recipes for visitors to browse. So if you are planning on traveling and don’t want to hit up the Denny’s or unexpectedly pay $20 for a cheeseburger, this seems to be the place to read others' posts, and maybe include one of your own.  

So I acknowledge that April Fools has already passed (and has done so without Yours Truly playing any noteworthy pranks), but I have to share the Domestic Diva's version of an April Fools Joke - the one that mothers will be able to use when putting goldfish in your children's toilet or duct-taping something extensively is not longer age appropriate. 

Of course, my prediction has come true. Cupcakes have taken over the universe. Martha Stewart herself has had a "Cupcake Week" in which she shares her favorite recipes, and opens a "Cutest Cupcake Contest" for her zealous fans to enter. But Martha's team managed to come up with an April Fools cupcake, though I'm not sure if you could actually get your children to eat it. 

The Corn On the Cob cupcake was taken from one of the millions of cupcake cookbooks out there, this one by Karen Tack called "Hello, Cupcake!" Analysis of the recipe shows that there are actually no corn byproducts included (thank goodness), but rather the vanilla cupcakes are topped with jelly beans (the kernels) and laffy taffy (the butter) to appear...well....corny. To add to the presentation, Karen and Martha suggest sticking corn cob holders into either end of three lined up cupcakes. 

To see the recipe and a video clip from Martha's show, click here. 

I like to experiment in the kitchen. Tweaking this and that in a certain recipe can enhance a dish and also make it unique. Making something your own is how family recipes are created?

Tonight was Thai Curry Chicken and it went as follows:

1 shallot diced, sautee in olive oil, when they start to turn clear add

2 tsp Red Curry Paste, breaking it up around the pan, add

2 cups chicken broth, and

1 can coconut milk, bring to boil an add

2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes, cover pan and let simmer, stirring occasionally, add

3 spring onions  diced and

1 green bell pepper diced towards the end of the chicken depending on how crisp you like your vegetables.

Serve it over:

brown rice and

spinach

You can add more or less red curry paste as your palette can stand. The original dish was made with fish but it translates well to chicken. Change it up and make it your own. Bon Appétit