Barrific

A food blogger walks into a bar...and reviews it! Bahahahaha.....alright, all done.

Reviews, anyone?

Let's start with Odwalla! They were recently on sale at Whole Foods, and, um, I had fun. What can I say, I see those yellow-and-red sale tags and all but jump for joy! Yes, this is what grocery shopping does to me. Totally normal.

This kind of reminded me of a cross between a Nutrigrain bar and a Fig Newton. Had that dense, datey feel with that vague berryness in NGs. I found it pretty boring, unfortunately. The whole berries were nice, it had a decent texture, but...meh. Not bad, just nothing special.

NEXT.

Another letdown. I made my brother try some too, for a second opinion. He took two bites and looked at me with a "why do you do these things to me" expression. I wasn't exactly excited. This would actually be a great, cookie-like treat if the first and most prevalent flavor is dates. It's one thing to sell a date bar and advertise it as such, quite another to name something "chocolate chip peanut", one of the best combos ever, only for those flavors to be the least obvious. The few chocolate chips thrown in helped, but not enough. 

Now this is one tasty bar. The banana nut flavors are spot on and it tastes like a particularly good and chewy piece of banana bread. I loved every bite - even more so than the Larabar version! Yum!

Speaking of Lara...

Ok, I will start out by saying that I do NOT like coconut. Why, you ask, did I buy this? Well, I've found that in Larabars I actually can appreciate the flavor, and I figured with chocolate thrown in, how bad can it be! (The coconut cream pie is one of my favorite flavors!) But this was...sad. It was neither chocolatey nor coconutty, just some vague middle ground between the two that was lacking in any distinct flavor at all. Maybe I just got a bad one? Oh well. 

This is the Lara I know and love. Very cinnamony and the dates added a light, fruity flavor. Plus the added texture of the nuts, this is a great bar! Came just in time too; couldn't have made it through the last 2.5 hours of my shift without it!

Clif bars are another favorite of mine to take to work. After 3 hours of nonstop movement, I definitely feel the need for some protein.

*Sigh* Let down again. This had a really weirdy soapy(??) taste to it that I could not get over! It wasn't very peanutty or toffee-y, just sweet and blah. But it gets points for looking pretty.

This I liked very, very much! It wasn't too sweet and those 3 fruits came out really well and meshed well too, to my relief and surprise. Most of the Clifs are waaaay too heavy on the brown rice syrup even for my sweet teeth, but this was really well balanced.

As was this guy:

This is probably my fave Clif so far. Just like a gooey peanut butter treat with crunchy chopped peanuts - perfect. I definitely recommend this to peanut butter lovers!

I know, this is a LOT of bars! They've been filling my camera since the road trip and I'm just now getting around to all of 'em, oof! I would like to throw out my personal opinion (although I probably already have) on bars: I don't like using them as meal replacements, and unless cirsumstances are unusual, won't eat more than 1 a day. I have always had problems with hypoglycemia and for me, they are a great and easy way to raise my blood sugar quickly when I need it (you do NOT want to be around hungry Gillian. It aint pretty.) I also discovered that when working in the coffee house when I usually get about 3 minutes to chomp something down during a 5 or 6 hour shift while making coffee and generally running around, there is nothing quite as easy to eat as these. That said, I do prefer to snack (and eat meals) on whole "real" foods, mostly because I find them more filling and my body functions better with them. I am not defending myself or anything here, I just wanted it to be known that I do not live off 4 Larabars a day, nor do I recommend it. I like Michael Pollan's saying a lot" "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much." Word.

As for real food, there's been aplenty of that going on as well:

Supercharge Me cookies. I'm determined to maintain a constant supply. They make the best pre-yoga snack. Ever.

Oh, and they are super DUPER if you add cardamom and nutmeg along with the cinnamon. Trust me.

Fresh bread! Nothing like it. 

WAAH I miss my little Italian bakery on the way home to the apartment!!!

Sorry. Random nostalgic moment done.

Fage, raw oats, blueberries, peach and cinnamon. Happiness in a bowl.

Cream of wheat with blueberries cooked in, swirled with applesauce. Yes, I love the taste...but look how pretty!

As for that preview? Pasta Alla Norma! My aunt & uncle were in town last week and I decided it was the perfect occasion to attempt to recreate one of my favorite dishes from my cooking class this past semester. I'll  admit, it wasn't as good...although I have a feeling that fact that I was in Italy made it a little better...but it was still a delicious plate of pasta!

1. Buy fresh pasta. It makes a difference. And start your water boiling now - it takes freakin forever to get there.

2. Start your sauce: heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan with some chopped garlic and half a chopped onion (or one small). When the onion becomes translucent, add in 3 cans diced tomatoes, give it a stir, cover and let it cook. Just keep an eye on it and cook it low; if I don't burn it, I promise you won't!

3. Get a big ole eggplant (or 3ish small ones) and cut it into rounds, pretty thin. Dust both sides of all of them with some flour - this will keep the oil from completely saturating the eggplant when it goes in the pan and leaving them crispy.

4. Heat up some more olive oil in a pan and start throwing the eggplants in. I gave them about half a monute or so, flipped them over, then put them on paper towels to drain and blotted the tops lightly with another towel. [Fyi, I didn't actually make these in my class - I worked on a different dish that day - so I was going with what I remembered seeing others do. Worked for me!]

5. Your water has GOT to be boiling by now, right? Good. Throw in the pasta and check it in 3 minutes - fresh cooks faster than dried. No one likes soggy pasta! Al dente just tastes better and will hold up the dish better.

To plate, toss the pasta in your wonderfully fresh-tasting tomato sauce. Top with the eggplants rounds, then with some basil, then with some parmesan or grana padano. 

Mangia bene!

~Namaste~

Gone Swimming

It's been too long!

My head has just been swimming with too many things. I feel like I've been going through this summer with something constantly in my peripheral vision but I can't turn my head to figure out what it is. I'm not sure that really even makes sense, but to sum up, I feel overwhelmed with lots of *things* going on and can't seem to quite ever feel caught up. Know what I mean? 

But, the one thing that is not confusing me is my love for food. Especially yummy, healthy food!

I guess I was feeling patriotic?

Actually, I was just really excited when I came downstairs to find my dad home from a Costco trip with huge containers of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, melon, and Fage in tow. It was like Christmas!

Chocolate makes everything better.

Applesauce + cinnamon + Naturally More. 

I mixed mine up, but I don't recommend it - the pb got totally lost and I could barely taste it! No worries, there will be a next time.

Who's up for some reviews??

A Chobani that passes the sideways-spoon test!!

This was very tasty and enjoyable - like regular plain greek with a little sweet kick. I did like it, but to save $$ I'd rather just throw a little vanilla extract into some plain Fage. Just sayin.

You may recall my recent road trip. Road trips = LOTS of bar consumption.

This was disappointing. Very dry and very date-y. Not that I mind dates, but when I pick up a bar touting the name chocolate prominently in its title, I'm expecting lotsa cocoa, not so much date flavor. The chocolate chips helped, but I wouldn't buy this again. Plus, brown rice syrup was the first ingredient - not ok for having such a dry, crumbly texture!

My second Odwalla had better results.

Love that bad hotel lighting.

I was not expecting much after the chocolate one, but this was a horse of a different color! The coffee-chocolate balance was dead on, and it was pleasantly oaty and not dry or datey in the least. Loved this guy! Perfect dessert after a loooong day on the road. (And I mean long - 500 miles in 9 hours!)

Tried some new (to me) Laras as well:

This was just lovely! Reminded me of lemonade. Very refreshing! I had my doubts, but they were all put away after the first bite. The lemon flavor came through loud and clear, but were not at all clashing with the dates, and the cashews added the perfect creamy flavor and crunch in texture. A perfect summer snack!

I'm a bit ambivalent about this one. The banana flavor tasted almost too overripe for me. But overall, it definitely tasted like banana bread, and I loved the almonds! I'm always impressed with the Larabar flavor - always so real and genuine and such a teeny tiny ingredient list. 

Along the same lines...

Clif C boasts only 9 ingredients and a whole serving of fruit. I've reviewed the raspberry and tried the blueberry & cherry pomegranate with varying results, so I was interested to try this last one. 

I liked it. It had cinnamon, which was a very wise addition. I do like the texture of these - chewy, with the crunch from the bits of chopped nuts on top, reminiscent of Nutrigrain bar fillings. But, I wouldn't pay the $1.29 per bar. Just not that good. But, it's always fun to try new things!

I have one final review left:

FROSTING!

I don't remember if I've mentioned it before or not, but I have a bit of a problem with frosting. The problem being that one bite and I am compelled to scrape it off the entire cake and leave the cake itself naked. It's one scratch recipe I've never made well and it bothers me. All in good time, right? In the spirit of trying new things, I picked this up at Whole Foods. I couldn't resist - toffee vanilla by a company named Namaste?!! Yesplease.

You just mix the bag with 6 T of butter, margarine, or the like and add water as needed to get the right consistency. In one of my baking storms, I whipped some chocolate cake a la Dreena (halved the recipe and made it all one layer) and topped it with this gooey goodness. It was wonderful - this chocolate cake recipe rocks my baker's socks! I wish there was a similar one for vanilla cake. I figure it can't be hard to figure out, just may take some experimenting (my fave activity!). And the frosting? Very toffee-y! I was really impressed with the toffee flavor. In a testament to how good it was, my brother ate one tupperware full last night, and ate the second tupperware this afternoon. Sometimes my parents worry that I bake too much for the house to eat....I don't know why.

Hope you're all surviving the heat! I'm only semi-melted.

~Namaste~

A Day in the Eats of Me

It's hard to summarize what I eat in a day because, well, it changes. Somedays it's a 3-meal/2-snack situation, others I just kind of snack through the day. Today I actually photographed [almost] everything I ate, so if you were curious...

Breakfast. My fave :)

A nice cup of melon and 1/2 c. Fage preceded this beautious bowl:

Cocoa powder/espresso, almond milk, banana half, and...

A newbie!

I picked this up when we ran out of oat bran, just for a change. After this and yesterday's apple-cinnamon bowl,

I think I still prefer oat bran. This is, well, grainy - by which I mean, it doesn't get the same creaminess of texture that my dear oat bran does. It's more...separated? Does that even make sense? I think when oat bran cooks, it consolidates more - it becomes one [can I get cheesier? don't dare me...], but all the grains in this kind of, um, hold their own. But it has a nice flavor (grainy in a good way!), and it will do. 

Mid-morning snack was a delivery from mom.

Iced nonfat latte with sugar-free peppermint. My absolute favorite flavor shot.

Ok, I know, I know, I talk so much about real food and "fake is bad"...but sometimes nothing else will do! I like the sugar-free peppermint because when I get the regular, it is WAY too sweet. Too much like drinking syrup with a hint of espresso. The sugar-free one is less sweet and I actually don't notice the nasty Splenda-aftertaste that I do in other splenda-spiked products. Plus, I definitely think there is a little too much "eat this, not that" going on in the U.S. - really, when it comes down to it, I think it's all about moderation. I never feel bad about the occasional diet coke or sugar-free latte because I just don't think that's any way to live life. Go with your gut - literally.

Lunch was a wrap toasted in the oven for CRUNCH (and I think it makes them taste better), filled with an ounce of smoked salmon, wilted spinach, cucumber and 1.5 T hummus. 

This was actually annoyingly lackluster. My wraps have not been as good as I remember...maybe Italy/Casa del Vino paninis killed them for me. I will overcome...I must!

I also had a tangerine. It's funny, I really don't care much for tangerines, but I do love clementines, so I just tell myself I'm eating a clementine and hope for a placebo-effect-type-of-thing. Crazy? Oh my friends, that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Anyone else have any odd food habits? God knows I have more...

I took a field trip to Whole Foods upon my mother's request for lentils...I swear, it's the Gillianasana Bermuda Triangle. I get lost in there and just roam the aisles aimlessly, wishing I had a really big gift certificate. But I do find that I'm pretty good at shopping there - really, it does not have to be "Whole Paycheck." I did get some fun stuff that I'm pretty excited about...like this:

On sale for $2.50! WOOHOO!

[I told you, just the tip of the iceberg...]

I have tried all the other flavors of Clif Zbars except Peanut Butter - the only one not sold individually. I'm rather attached to the chocolate brownie, and is anyone else with me when I say that the Spooky Smores flavor should be a year-round situation??

Annnyway, dinner was a little while away and I wanted a snack, so ripped into this bad boy.

LOVE the chocolate swirl on top. This bar was certainly no disappointment - although still no Smores. It was like a reese's with oats - what's not to love?? The pb flavor could be a little more present, but I do love the soft texture of these. It occurred to me halfway through that it would be probably be even better after a spin in the microwave, but I was too lazy to act upon it. Next time!

Dinner was a failed chicken soup an improvised frittata my mom made with potatoes + onions, peppers, grape tomatoes, spinach, cheese(s), and...well, eggs. Duh.

It was alright. Needed more...direction. I think the potatoes (cooked with a bit of oil and white onion in a skillet before combined with the rest and baked) need to be cooked with more S+P and garlic instead of onion, and it would be better with a parmesan cheese on top - it's a lot sharper, better match for the blandness of eggs. But it was really filling! Also had a liiiittle Spanish white wine, Zestos. I wasn't a huge fan, but it was interesting [I swear it had an aftertaste that hinted of glue.]

Dessert was a mish-mash, I think hungry hit me because I wasn't as hungry as usual for dinner. A Sherbetter bar and a some new WF purchases:

Yes, 2 bars in one day. I don't make a habit of it, but I thought the higher fat/cal content would satisfy my munchies.

This I was hesitant to buy [not a big cherry person], and was not totally thrilled with. It was good with the chocolate - love the Jocalat base, always, because it's like a thick, dense super dark brownie and I like bitter chocolate. I didn't like the vague sourness that the dried cherries added. It just distracted from the yummy cacao flavor. I wouldn't buy this again - but, if you are a major dried cherries fan, you might give it a go.

Unfortunately, the munchies were still a-raging and so I had a bit of peanut butter - sometimes it's best right out of the jar - a little cereal, and another new buy:

Mother's gluten free caramel corn-rice cakes.

I saw these and for some reason they called to me. I haven't had a rice cake in ages (for a while they were too reminiscent of the "diet food" I subsisted on when ED told me what to eat), and these just looked good! Plus, sometimes I just want something sweet at the end of the day, but with no filling or nutritional quality in particular. These fit the bill!

With a little marshmallow fluff. I have no idea why I added it, sugar does not go with more sugar, but I did. They're, well, just like caramel rice cakes should be! I will enjoy them. Especially with peanut butter.

I'm very glad I wrote this post because it actually wasn't easy to expose my bad nighttime snacking habit. For a really long time, it feels like the sun goes down, the dinner plates go in the dishwasher, and something clicks in my brain that says "must.snack.NOW." It really bugs me because too often I eat too much and go to bed uncomfortable. That said, I am trying to see if a 3-meal setup helps with that. I also think I have discovered that when it comes to dessert, I need it to be big - in flavor and size. I've noticed that if I go out for dinner and order dessert or just go out after dinner for ice cream, I am more satisfied and waaay less tempted to snack my head off. So, I think just having a "special" dessert might make that easier. At the very least, it's worth a try! 

Have y'all ever had any annoying habits? How did you kick 'em?

Last night before going out, my mom and I went to an hour yoga class at a nearby studio. It was just a basic class and didn't feel any harder than usual, but damn - I have been limping around like a little old lady today! I took the dog for a walk and it was, um, sad. I did a Gentle Hatha Yoga podcast midday to try to loosen up too, but...whoa. Do not underestimate the butt-kicking power of yoga!

Domani: get car inspected, take pictures of said car, rock out to Glee on elliptical. Go team.

~Namaste~

Fake-Out

Ok, so don't get me wrong - I am a hardcore believer in the importance and general superiority of whole, minimally processed foods, and a big part of this blog is dedicated to finding and delivering new and delicious recipes and products that are just that. BUT, let's face it - in the U.S., with our busy Blackberry-driven lives and the vast availability of the processed stuff, sometimes we save ourselves some stress and trouble and buy it. Being a college kid, I get it - sometimes it's better (taste and health-wise) than the "food" served in the dining hall. Plus, while it's not always the case, a lot of the natural stuff has a higher price than the regular stuff. I do think it's worth the price - I kind of look at it as an investment in my own health, but it's not going to be the end of me to eat it once on a while. And if others prefer this stuff to the all-natural kind, or need to eat it for other reasons, that's ok too. This is just my personal opinion. Ok, there's my spiel, on to the pics!

Before I discovered the wonderful world of Greek yogurt, I was a Yoplait Light/Dannon Light & Fit addict. I saw this new flavor and, well, I can't resist anything pomegranate-berry flavored. Tried....but can't.

Meh. The texture is clearly nothing special, but I was in it for the flavor - and it didn't really deliver. It was kind of a vague berry-like taste with that odd fake-sugar aftertaste. Boo. Oh well, at least I tried it.

The thick-style Yoplait Light was my favorite part of breakfast ever - again, pre-Greek. Loved the thickness, even if it was a little questionably gelatinous. A new flavor came out and I felt I should be fair and see what it was like.

Well, what I liked about it was that it did do some justice to blueberry pie, crust and all. It had a graham-like flavor in the background that worked well the the berry flavor. Still can't quite get past the fake-sugar though - last fall I decided to give up sweeteners as best I could (sometimes a girl just needs a Diet Coke!), and now I can practically smell it when I have products that use it. But minus that, the flavor was decent.

Alas, I just couldn't stay away:

THAT would be Chobani's pomegranate and may I just say - WOW!! I loooooved this! Had that nice cranberry-like tang that pomegranate does, and it had actual pom. seeds in it! The "fruit on the bottom" wasn't syrupy or heavy, it was just like when I add jam to my plain yogurt. And, as you can see, it passed the sideways-spoon test! My only problem? The $1.50 per cup part. Cruel. I suppose it will make breakfast all the more special when I have it!

That "special meeting" I mentioned yesterday was actually just me going to see my high school band director. He was essentially my 3rd parent/therapist my junior and senior years, and I practically lived in his office. I wouldn't have done, well, a LOT if it weren't for him. He's one of those people that I can talk forever to, because he's very good at reading my mind and just "getting it," ya know? So, I stop at Dunkies for our coffees and spend a couple hours just chillin and chattin. He's retiring this year and it makes me unspeakably sad that I won't be able to do it anymore :( But, change is good. It makes things happen.

P.S. - does anyone else adore Dunkies's cinnammon coffee? Mmmmm :)

After my "therapy session", I came home and was hangry. The sunny-side-up egg with spinach on toast disappeared way to fast for LuLu to snap a picture, but I did manage to breathe long enough to show you these beautiful organic grapes I got at WFs yesterday:

LOVE grapes. Juicy, brightly-colored goodness.

I had a turkey-arugula wrap for lunch, but it looked about as lackluster as it tasted (it needed....something). However, I did put my new bag of frozen mangoes to use:

1/2 c. mango + 1/2 sliced banana + 1/2 c. almond milk. I like going simple the first time I try things.

It was good, but I think mango and banana together are too sweet - they both call for citrus or berry (or both). And I also didn't add spinach, but I wonder if it wouldn't have mellowed the sweetness a little. Spinach is clearly a must-have in all smoothies!

Anyone else in Mass. feeling gross right now? It is hot, sticky and icky. I felt a bit worn down all day, even after a nap. I hit the elliptical to see if it would help, but I think it just made me feel grosser. But, my philosophy with working out is even when in doubt, try it for 5 minutes. If you can't do it, it's not worth pushing, but it's a very seldom occurrence that I regret working out. And with an iPod full of Glee tunes, it's pretty enjoyable anyway! (The It's My Life/Confessions mash-up rocks my socks!)

Pre-run snack was this guy:

One of my favorite flavors. It's sweet and nutty, you can SEE the berries and seeds, and it pleasantly crumbles in your mouth but not before. It is a little sticky, but it doesn't bother me. It is quite sweet, but the tartness of the berries seems to balance it out. Yum:)

I treated myself to a trip to Whole Foods for some cold, creamy treats (to be revealed tomorrow!), and this guy:

I am obsessed with these. They're just so good! This flavor is particularly awesome - a little floral, a little sweet, a lot awesome. If you like flavored water but not the sweeteners, try these!!! They have wicked fun flavors too - I want my Whole Foods to stock the mango-grapefruit so bad!

Dinner was again inhaled too quickly for LuLu (this is NOT a habit I intend to continue), but it wasn't too interesting - imagine if you will a Morningstar Farms black bean burger over spinach with a little cottage cheese +dijon+ pineapple salsa. If you have not tried pineapple salsa, you MUST - it is absolutely drool-worthy with teriyaki-glazed salmon. Trust me. You will never look at teriyaki the same again.

Dessert was a mish-mash, including this newbie:

After reviewing the Raspberry one a couple days ago, I was wary. And again, underwhelmed. It was not cardboard-y like my last try, but it was waaaay heavier on the date than blueberry flavor. But it was pleasantly gooey, and the nuts on top added a nice semi-crunch. Still...blah. I'll give the apple a shot - and then give up. Although I still think the cherry-pomegranate was pretty good...(see above for my opinion on pomegranate anything.)

I also made good on my word and had a peanut butter-fluff waffle:

YUM. I think the marshmallow brought out the sweetness in the waffle, and the peanut butter...well, I'm pretty sure peanut butter improves pretty much everything it's put on. I used my favorite brand ever, Naturally More - although my mean grocery store no longer carries the regular kind, only organic, which I don't like as much (go figure, right?). The regular has added egg whites and honey, whereas the organic doesn't - maybe that's why? And Whole Foods doesn't carry it. Hell if I know why. You can find it at WalMart (yes, you read that right), and it's really pretty cheap - if you're a pb fan, you MUSTmustmust try this. It changed my nut-butter-lovin' life. Whole flaxseeds give it a little crunch, there's a little bit of can sugar for sweetness...gah. Sogood.

At the beginning of this week, I declared the start of Project: Conscious Eating. I haven't forgotten about! And, while I can feel I'm getting better at it, it's a sloooooow process. Sometimes I just start snacking and can't stop. It's too easy here, with a family-size kitchen available 24/7. It's frustrating, and can be very defeating, but here is what keeps me sane: 1) I learn more about myself and how my body works everyday, and I know what helps and what hinders it, and 2) the world is not going to stop turning if I eat one cookie or handful of cereal too many. I will get up, start a new day, and try again. One of the hardest things I struggle with is eating too much - in the past, feeling "stuffed" triggers a total binge and then guilt so painful it's tangible. And that cycle is just not fair to myself. So, that is really the point of my project - which is really a lifelong project - to continue to live and get back on the horse and look at each day as a new chance. I truly hope that anyone who takes on their own project keeps that in mind above all - let the past be the past.

And on a completely unrelated topic, I'm watching the movie 27 Dresses (cute, but pretty formulaic-chick-flick), and JAN from The Office is James Marsden's [character's] editor!! She does play an excellent "woman-in-charge." Although I looove the episode where so goes all "hippie mom" on them....hehehe. 

I got me a babysitting job tomorrow AM, and still need to de-ickify. Gosh, I have rambled like whoa today!

Sweet dreams all :)

~Namaste~