Dessert double whammy

Posted on September 7, 2007 by chatty

Dessert from the past two days:

Apple pie a la mode
Apple pie from the Market. Dreyer’s Peanut Butter Cup (slow-churned, of course). A classic. I don’t think I need to say anything more.

Red bean paste buns
The husbands thinks these are gross. It’s one of those thing where you bite into something thinking it’s one thing (like, say, a bbq pork bun), but it’s something else. Shocks the system. He’s not recovered.

I purchase these frozen from the asian market. Steam them for eight minutes.

Grammatically, I suppose it should be “Red-bean paste buns”. The Chinese translation on the packaging is never correct.

(Sorry, I wish the buns pic was better).

Lunch at the Safe

Posted on September 6, 2007 by chatty

Today the firm had its company meeting. If you haven’t heard, it’s sort of a big deal. I asked my friend Jessica to let me photo her lunch. She got the roast beef. I got the turkey. I wish I had thought to take a picture of the chaos that ensues as 20,000 people clamor to get their box lunch. It’s like they were giving out free Zunes or something. OK, a little less hectic than a free Zune, but you get the picture.

Speaking of pics, sure, I could have tried to get a pic of the stage, or the speakers, or anything related to the meeting. But to follow the food theme I seem to have attached myself to, here are some scintillating pics:

A close-up of the cookie (apropos, as we were sitting in Safeco Field):

Sorry the photo is not sharper. This goes along with my pattern of taking crappy photos of cookies. Got tips? Send them on.

And, FYI, the cookie? Looked a lot better than it tasted. A bit blah compared to the rich and flavorful treats I’ve enjoyed the past couple of weeks.

But, I still ate it.

Oh, and I guess the meeting was all right, too.

mmm…doughnuts…

Posted on September 6, 2007 by chatty

Clip Art Media from Microsoft.com/office I LOVE doughnuts. Love ’em, love ’em, love ’em. My favorites include the cruller and chocolate glazed (I’m a simple girl, with simple tastes).

I do not eat them as much as I would like, however, because of the obvious. Too much sugar. Too many calories wasted on 5 minutes (ok, 45 seconds) of oral gratification. Yeah, I said it.

I didn’t always know that doughnuts weren’t good for me (surprise, surprise). When I was in college, this guy I had a huge crush on broke the news.

He said he never ate doughnuts.

Never? I asked.

Never.

Then he said those awful words. “Do you know how many calories are in a doughnut?” **

I didn’t. I do now. And since that day I think twice before succumbing to temptation.

In grad school there was a quarter (or 2) where someone was bringing doughnuts into the “newsroom” at least once a week. If you can’t indulge in a Dunkin’ once in a while, what good is your life, really? (Dunkin’, by the way, available in every other city I’ve lived in, except Seattle. If there is one out here, it certainly does a good job at hiding itself)

These days I am violently against the Krispy. But will always say yes to the Top Pot. So I was thrilled to see that TPD made this list of America’s Best Doughnuts. Woohoo!

One more tip. Surprise yourself with a vegan doughnut from Mighty-O. Sounds like an oxymoron, but they’re quite tasty.

Clip art media from micirosoft.com/office

**Off-topic, but if you are wondering, what kind of a GUY says something like “do you know how many calories are in a doughnut?” well you are asking the right question. What kind of GUY does ask something like that? Apparently strangely neurotic guys that I have crushes on say that kind of thing. I must have been going through some ‘phase’ in college. How does one go out with someone who doesn’t like doughnuts? Go figure. Just eat the frikkin’ thing.

Good deals on Luna Bars

Posted on September 3, 2007 by chatty

This will be an ongoing post. I’m always on the lookout for inexpensive energy bars. My bar of choice is Luna; my flavor of choice is Toasted Nuts & Cranberry (although the Sunrise Vanilla Almond is a close second). Many times places like Safeway or QFC will do a 10 for $10 sale, or a 5 for $5. Most of the time the best price you can find will be $0.99. Places like Safeway, however, only carry a select variety. When they aren’t on sale they are about $1.50 or more. The vending machine at the firm sells a Peanut Bar Clif Bar for $2!

I always stock up when I can find them at a good price. When I see good deals, I’ll post them here for everyone to enjoy.

Much of the time, if Luna Bars are on sale, Clif Bars are also on sale, since Clif owns Luna. I may make a note when Odwalla Bars are offered at a good price (the husband prefers Odwalla over Clif).

Always 99¢:

Trader Joe’s, 4555 Roosevelt Way NE – nearly all flavors – TJ’s has LOTS of bars at a good price, if LB’s aren’t your preference
Whole Foods, 1026 NE 64th St – nearly all flavors
Target, 302 NE Northgate Way (this I discovered yesterday). Select flavors

UPDATE: I’m keeping track of these on a new page. Find it linked to from the right-nav of this blog.

Salad from the Market

Posted on September 3, 2007 by chatty

Dinner tonight: A Caesar Salad from the Market, with romaine lettuce, shrimp, Parmesan cheese and lemon. At home, the husband added tomatoes (from the side garden. LOVE the side garden), avocado and walnuts. We passed on the Market croutons and chose a panino roll, toasted, drizzled with olive oil. On the side, some chicken breast with mango chutney,another Market deli item. We also finished up the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon we opened last night (I had my usual 3 oz. I am what they call a lightweight).
If you can’t tell, the Market is our go-to place when we don’t feel like cooking. When we first moved to the neighborhood we probably went there every other night. It was easy, it’s close (one and a half blocks), and the Chinese restaurant down the street was unimpressive. We also realized how much money we were spending and had to cut back.

However, in the summer, we get tired and lazy and prefer to spend the time lazying around than cooking dinner. And, when I say “we” of course I mean the husband, since he really is the cook of the family. If he wasn’t the cook we’d be eating mac ‘n’ cheese and ramen noodles every week.

Salad

Tasty.

Globlal domination of Ramen

Posted on September 2, 2007 by chatty

My background in journalism impels me to correct my writing when I feel I’ve made an error. Some shocking revelations in the world of ramen noodles since I posted last night. Imagine my surprise when, upon Googling “ramen noodles“, the fourth URL to pop up (after 2 Wikipedia URLs and the “official ramen home page”) … but Nissin Foods.

But…Nissin Foods makes the ramen I like, the one with the Chinese writing and the poor English translation. The little cartoon baby running with chopsticks in the corner of the distinctly asian packaging. How is it popping up so high in Google?

Maybe it’s because Nissin also owns Top Ramen. And Cup o’noodles. Wow. So my attempt to turn my nose away from the tacky Top Ramen brand is all in vain, because the case of ramen noodles that I purchased today at the Asian Market is no doubt the same noodle as the Top Ramen that I eschewed so violently yesterday at the Market.

Go figure.

From Nissinfoods.com I still owe you a ramen noodle recipe. But, I’m too shocked to write it out today.

One thing that is interesting… Compare the U.S. Web site for Nissin Foods with the Hong Kong site. Um … Hello! Who is having more fun with their food?

When is it okay to have two desserts? When isn’t it?

Posted on September 1, 2007 by chatty

Another so-so dinner, capped by a much more enjoyable dessert. Or two.

Do you sometimes have a craving for something but perhaps can’t get to it for days? For me, that craving has been ramen noodles. The good old-fashioned kind that my dad used to make many a Saturday or Sunday lunch growing up (it was either ramen or fried rice). A week or more ago Rick in the vanpool mentioned something about ramen noodles. Something about feeding it to his kids on a regular basis. I had to remind him that, actually, ramen noodles aren’t really good for you (fried, probably more than once. How else do you suppose you’re able to cook it in under three minutes?). Since that day (a week or longer ago), I’ve been thinking about ramen noodles.

I love ramen, but I don’t eat it on a regular basis. I used to. Used to always have a few packages around the house. But the fried-ness, and my attempt to stay healthy (disregard for a moment the numerous posts I’ve done on cookies). Maybe once every few months. Maybe.

I’m very particular about my ramen. Manchurian? No, thanks. Top Ramen? Uh-uh. There are only certain kinds that I’ll purchase. I don’t know the name brands (one might be “Nissan”). Just the packaging, because usually they are in an Asian language. Lucky for me, the QFC carries the brands I want. Unlucky for me, I was standing in the Market, and all they had was Manchurian and Top Ramen. Huh? The Market? The one with the ridiculously pricey cookies from Italy? Expensive fig bread from Spain? Highfalutin everything? Nope. Couldn’t be bothered with a $0.59 package of ramen.

So the alternative was going home and making soba noodles from the pantry. Decent, but not the same. You know how you’re craving something…the alternative, no matter what it is, is never as good. You taste it hoping for one thing and it’s just not it.

BTW, I make REALLY good ramen noodles. I know, it’s nothing fancy, but if you’re going to do it you’ve got to do it right. Maybe it’s an Asian thing, but there is WAY more to ramen noodles than the silver packet of ‘spices’ that it comes with. I’ll take a trip to the Asian market this weekend to pick some up, and will post my special recipe then.

Ambrosetti Luna di Miele. Look for the woman on the tag Anyway, on to dessert. This morning, at PCC, I picked up another packet of Ambrosetti cookies. They didn’t have the Occhi type that I was ga-ga over last week. They did carry the “Luna di Miele”, a biscotti-like cookie half dipped in yummy chocolate. Same flavors as the Occhi. Less chocolate, but nevertheless, delicious.

I had just finished taking photos of this cookie (not a great pic; why is it so hard to take a photo of a cookie?) when the husband returned home. He had stopped at Whole Foods and surprised me with my favorite, the Whole Foods mini-apple pie. I don’t know if they make it on the premise or get some generic company to bake them, but I love these little apple pies. The lattice topping is delicate, the filling more sweet than tart, the portion just right for two people (or one, if you are feeling selfish).

Apple Pie from Whole Foods

Anyway. I figured, with the disapointing noodle dinner, on top of having gone to the gym AND practice today, today was all right to have two desserts. So be it.

PCC and Peet’s – Saturday tradition

Posted on September 1, 2007 by chatty

I always look forward to Saturday rowing. One, because I wake up at a reasonable hour, 5:35, instead of the unreasonable 4:35 a.m. on weekdays. Two, because I’m not racing back home to get ready and meet the vanpool (Practice is done between 6:45 and 7. It takes me 8 – 10 minutes to return home. Vanpool leaves for work at 7:30. Do the math.)

Three, because more often than not Saturday after practice we head to PCC (for a scone, pastry, or breakfast of choice), then meet and sit at Peet’s for coffee and conversation. Always good to hear the boathouse gossip and family/friend updates. Today’s buzz was the upcoming auction at the boathouse in an effort to raise funds for a new double. Now, I’m not a sculler by trade, but many of my friends are and I most definitely want to support what is best for them and the club. I like this club and it likes me.

Anyway, on to important stuff. Breakfast this morning was a cherry scone from PCC. I often go for the Scottish Oats, however Rachel, who was not here today, often raves about “red berries” and I thought it was time to give cherries a chance (you’ll recall I opted for the Cherry Almond Ginger Chew last night). It was delicious. Soft (and still warm), the dough was lighter than the usual dense scone. Sweet, but not too sweet. PCC means (generally) organic and/or natural ingredients. Always a good way to go. Mixed with a nonfat latte and good conversation, makes for a good morning.

Don’t even need to talk about practice, except to say that Conor told us to “break the riggers off”, and that I did this morning. Fun.

The spinning cutlery at PCC cherry scone from PCC

Peet's in Fremont

PCC Natural Markets: 600 N. 34th St.
Peet’s Coffee & Tea: 3401 Fremont Ave. N

Cookie and ice cream

Posted on August 31, 2007 by chatty

The last two evenings, dessert has been much more memorable than dinner. Tonight’s dessert included walking to the Market. I had expected to get another bag of Ambrossetti cookies (as I discussed in an earlier post), however to my surprise they had none. The woman at the bakery didn’t know what I was talking about and led me down the wrong aisle.

So instead I chose the Dancing Deer Baking Co.’s Cherry Almond Ginger Chew. The ginger is fresh, not like the traditional ginger snap flavor. It slightly overpowers the cherry and almond. If you’re not into ginger, you may want to pass. I added a scoop (or two) of Dreyer’s French Silk ice cream (Slow-churned, i.e. reduced fat. I don’t even know what full-fat ice cream tastes like anymore). For those of you on the East Coast, Dreyer’s is Edy’s. Get it? Edy’s is Dreyer’s.

Cherry Almond Ginger Chew with French Silk Ice Cream

An Italian chocolate cookie

Posted on August 30, 2007 by chatty

I’ve enjoyed reporting on my evening meals just about each night. Tonight’s highlight, as with each evening for the past four nights, has been the cookie. A good cookie can help me forget the majority of my problems on any given day (my life, it’s pretty simple). At Whole Foods on Monday night I had hoped to find my mini apple pie but there were none (out of season? not sure). As an alternative I picked up this lovely bag of cookies and haven’t regretted it at all. I’ve also seen these at Metropolitan Market. I will be getting them again.

Ambrossetti Occhi Cioccolato. Image from Ambrossetti.net Ambrossetti’s Occhi Cioccolato. A bag of five cookies cost $5.99. Each cookie has a rich chocolate patty sandwiched between two buttery biscotti cookies (like a biscotti with a shiny egg wash). So wonderful. And each cookie is sizeable enough that one is plenty (Abrossetti’s smaller cookie assortment are smaller and you want to eat many). Delicious!

Alas, the photo I took of the last cookie I had was not great. Add that to the fact that the top cookie was cracked. This image is from the Ambrossetti Web site.