Using some simple tips I made a luxurious lunch inn little time
Category: food
Ranking Kellogg’s Cereal
Anyone who knows me knows I have a bit of a cereal problem. I love the stuff. It’s not something we were allowed to have often growing up as it was pricey so it still feels like a special treat. There’s something about the cold milk and the cereal that is just delicious whether it is for breakfast or a snack. I like sugar cereal, healthy cereal, any cereal. You name it. I like it!
This week I got an Kellogg’s Assortment Pack from amazon (it was an add-on item so a great deal). This includes 6 different flavors of cereal, and I thought it would be fun to rank the cereals. I have previously done a list of my top 10 favorite cereals if you want to check that post out.
6. Apple Jacks
There is something about the flavor of Apple Jacks I’ve never loved. It’s not awful but the artificial apple and cinnamon combination is a little weird. Plus I think they need more of the green loops and less of the cinnamon. The ratio is a little off.
5. Rice Krispies
I like a good bowl of rice krispies quite a bit. It is good for more than just cereal treats and the crackle pop is always fun! It only gets 5th spot because it doesn’t have a lot of flavor. I probably prefer cocoa krispies, which are one of my favorite chocolate treats!
4. Froot Loops
Despite them making Toucan Sam a bird with arm instead of wings (disturbing) froot loops is a pretty tasty cereal bite. The flavors might seem muddled but it’s mostly lemon that comes through. I like all the bright colors and it feels slightly naughty to eat! LOL
3. Pops
The Pops cereal is a nice combination of normal and sugary cereals. It’s definitely sweet but not as sweet as Froot Loops. It doesn’t get soggy super fast and it’s very tasty so you can’t go wrong with it.
2. Frosted Flakes
Tony the Tiger is undeniably the best mascot in all of cereals and Frosted Flakes are a classic for a reason. The corn flavor tastes great with the milk and I like to mix in blueberries, which add a tart pop to the sweet flakes.
1. Frosted Mini Wheats
I like pretty much any version of shredded wheat. The larger frosted variety are delicious but these mini versions are also great. I love when the shredded wheat gets absorbed with the milk. It’s like a little pocked of cereal yumminess. These take forever to get soggy and have just the right amount of sweet. Yum!
So there you have it my very controversial cereal ranking. How would you rank these 6 cereals? Let me know in the comments sections
Pantry Challenge Update 1
Hey guys! I just wanted to give you a quick update on my pantry challenge that I announced at the end of January. I must admit I have not been perfect in the challenge. I have not been to the grocery store since starting the challenge and I have had a lot of fun diving into the pantry.
For examples, I have made tacos:
I made a big pot of curry at one point:
And not going to the grocery store has helped me to reduce my food expenses quite a bit. I haven’t done the math but it is definitely true.
Where I cheated is I went to Trader Joe’s once around the 11th because I needed some of my Indian meals I like for lunches and some fresh veggies. So technically I lasted 12 days with no grocery shopping of any kind, but have made it 19 without going to a grocery store!
Even though I wasn’t perfect I am glad I have done the challenge and want to keep it up! Over the next few weeks I am going to try and eat out even less than I have. Baby steps!
What do you think about my progress? Are you impressed? 🙂
Jacqueline Cooks
Hey guys! I just wanted to tell you quickly about a new place to dine here in Salt Lake County. My friend Jacqueline has just opened up her restaurant called … Continue reading Jacqueline Cooks
How to Make the Best Movie Popcorn
Of course everyone knows I love to watch movies. Going to the theater is one of my favorite past times and I usually see 2 or 3 movies there a … Continue reading How to Make the Best Movie Popcorn
Movie Munchies: Ratatouille
Today I get to present to you the 2nd episode in my Movie Munchies series. Just in time for Valentines Day Jacqueline and I make the french dish ratatouille and talk about- you guessed it- Pixar’s Ratatouille! These videos were a huge challenge for me so I would love your feedback. We plan to do a couple a month so if you have ideas for good movie/recipe combinations please put in the comments sections.
Also if you try the recipe let me know what you think. It’s a very versatile dish that you can use as a main dish or side. Very tasty.
Thanks so much for your feedback and help!
Recipe:
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
1 large eggplant (1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large yellow onions (1 pound total), diced large
1 head garlic, cloves smashed and peeled
2 bell peppers (any color), seeded and diced large
2 large zucchini (1 pound total), diced large
1 lb mushrooms
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper
Salt the eggplant and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Saute peppers, onions and garlic till translucent. Add eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms and get some color. Add tomatoes and then let stew on medium low heat as long as you can. Serve as a topping for pasta or a side with meat.
Raspberry Jam
I’m not some hipster where everything has to be homemade and local in order for me to enjoy it. That said, there is something satisfying about crafting your own products. I have a job that is online and markets others people’s stuff but I don’t make anything myself. That is why it feels good to take raw materials and make something usable out of your efforts.
Yesterday I had such an experience and I turned a bunch of these:
Into these:
Isn’t that impressive? I’m impressed by my efforts at the least! And to make it even better the jam tastes good my friends! (It’s set up more now than last night when I had this toast)
The great thing is it is very simple to make. In fact, I didn’t even follow the recipe right and it still turned out right.
I had 10 cups of raspberries and I used 10 tbsp of this real fruit pectin (any pectin will do).
Then you mash the raspberries (mine were very soft so just a spoon was all I needed). Then I had 20 tsp of lemon juice. I saved myself from all the juicing by using bottled juice since it is mostly for the acid.
Then add 2 tbsp butter and let mixture boil for 2 minutes. (I put sugar in at this point but you aren’t supposed too. I read the directions incorrectly but it didn’t matter).
Take off heat add the sugar 10 cups (It makes a lot of jam) and then let it get to a rolling boil again (so it can’t be stopped by stirring). Let boil for 2 minutes.
Let cool and then skim off any foam and put into jars. I don’t use a canner for this kind of jam. All you have to do is put on the seal and ring and turn it upside down and it will set. (you can tell if it is set if you press down on the seal and it doesn’t pop back up on you.
And that’s it!! Raspberry is the easiest of all because aside from washing there is no prep work for the fruit. That’s what made peach jam so difficult is the peeling, pitting and chopping of the fruit. I have also made strawberry jam and that is so good but is still more work than raspberry (but a lot less expensive).
All of them are delicious and fun to make. Especially if you have a family it could be a great project. I would like to branch out into other types of preserves such as ketchups, chutneys and pickles. Do any of you can or preserve your food? I’d love to hear your recipes.
Peachtree Food Tours
Today I had a lot of fun on my first day of traveling here in Atlanta. I went on a food tour called Peachtree Food Tours. It was something new and different and a very pleasant way to get to see Atlanta and eat some very yummy food!
The tour is led by John Hannula and he lives on Peachstreet in Midtown and is very well versed in the neighborhood, history, architecture and everything else. We ended up going to 6 different spots and one bonus and while it was a little more walking than I had at first thought I had a very good time.
It started at the Varsity Diner a massive local hot spot where we tried some orange shake and peach pies.
Then we walked about 4 blocks to a beautiful old building that houses the Georgian Terrace Hotel and a restaurant called Livingston. We got to enjoy the southern classic shrimp and grits.
I was with 2 other patrons and the tour guide Daschelle and Doug and our tour guide. They were all very friendly and I enjoyed spending the afternoon with them. There were some beautiful buildings on our way to the various stops including a couple lovely churches and the Margaret Mitchell house.
Then we went to Cyprus Street Pint and Pub for a wild hamburger tasting with a burger with a donut for a roll. That was pretty nuts to have a donut on a burger but it did add a layer of flavor that was pretty delicious.
Next up was a little bit healthy at a place called the Hi-Five we had a kale salad. This wasn’t my favorite item or stop. It didn’t feel Atlanta enough and since I am so in love with the kale and quinoa salad in Utah I didn’t think this was as good. They had alcohol at most of the stops but I of course did not partake of that portion of the tour.
We learned that Georgians like to have peanuts in their cokes.
Next stop was Max’s Wine Bar where we had the best bite of the meal this amazing fried chicken. It was so crispy and there was a chipotle honey that was delicious. Mashed potatoes were creamy and the greens weren’t too bitter. Very good and the kind of place I would never have gone on my own being it is called Max’s Wine Bar
Final stop was Cafe Intermezzo which was an Italian coffee and dessert type restaurant with a dramatic pastry case and like 82 different types of coffee/tea. I had a drink called Island punch that was a mixture of different juices with club soda and a red velvet cake with whipped cream which is perfect for a Southern day.
Like I said it was a little bit more walking than I thought it would be but that was good to work off some of that food! Overall it was a great way to spend an afternoon in Atlanta. I got yummy food, visited with some nice people and learned a little bit about a new city. It makes me want to look up food tours at other cities I go to and have a similar experience.
To learn more about the food tour go to http://peachtreefoodtours.com/
My Favorite Cereal
I thought it would be fun to do something different. I love cereal. It wasn’t something we got often growing up, especially sugar cereal. So I guess like any denied food group I grew a taste for it and I still just love a bowl of cereal. I don’t think there is a kind of cereal I don’t like. There’s just something about that combination of cold milk and cereal that always hits the spot for me. In a spirit of fun I thought I would share with you my favorite cereals.
10.Capn Crunch Crunchberries- If you are going to go off the deep end and pretend you are 5 again this is the cereal to go with. The combination of flavors is delish. Definitely a treat but yummy.
9. Frosted Flakes- deliciousness of corn flakes with a little sweetness.
8. Cocoa/ Fruity Pebbles- the best of the sugar cereals.
7. Cracklin Oat Bran- delicious on yogurt and just with milk. Love the coconut.
6. Grape Nuts- Especially great with chopped up apples. Will make you feel healthy but still tasty.
5. Quaker Oak Squares- a brown sugar taste and it doesn’t get soggy very fast
4. Frosted Mini Wheats- kind of similar to frosted flakes. You’ve got your healthy wheat square with a little bit of frosting.
3. Honey Nut Cheerios- Got to go with name brand on this one. The generic isn’t nearly as good. A little bit of sweetness with the oats of cheerios
2. Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds- this would be the perfect cereal if it didn’t get soggy so fast. Got to have the almonds. The others are no good. But the combination of the flakes and oat clusters delish!
1. Crispix- Perfect combination of corn and rice. Like 2 kinds of Chex in one.
Fancy Food
Last Friday I had a neat experience. I have been fighting the most ruthless virus and feeling like a hermit. Aside from seeing Cinderella last week I’ve hardly left my house except for getting the mail every day for work.
Anyway, I had previously paid for a special meal they were doing at my favorite bakery Bake 360. They have recently started a cafe in addition to the bakery that is delicious. The bakery is owned by Roy and Jennifer Olsen and they are such warm inviting people. It’s the first time in my life that I feel a sense of friendship with the owners and employees of a restaurant. People always talk about that but this is a first for me.
The bakery usually closes at 5 but recently they announced a special pop up restaurant they would be doing with Chef Roy and Chef Jeffrey Sanich. This promised to be a culinary experience and wanting to support my favorite restaurant and have a great experience I signed up! And it was an amazing meal! Certainly one of the fanciest and yummiest I’ve ever had.
Here’s what I was served:
First course- Butter Poached Red Crab with Citrus Braised Fennel and Caviar. One of my favorites of the night. Only problem was I could have eaten bowls of it!
Homemade Ricotta with Speck, Watercress and Chervil Oil. This was yummy but not especially memorable
Seared Divers Scallop with Microgreens, Celeriac Puree, Kumquats- I’m not a big scallop fan but these were delish
Heirloom Carrot Risotto- this was so creamy and flavorful. Yum!
Teres Major Beef with Potato Confit, Broccolini and Red Wine Demi. This was the highlight of the night. The beef was so tender. The only thing I didn’t care for was the broccolini.
And finally dessert was a Flourless Chocolate Cake with Shortbread, Raspberry Sauce and Clotted Cream. So great!
It ended up being a really fun night and a way to support some very talented people and have delicious food you don’t get every day. They said they already had 2 other chefs who want to do it so I’m really excited for it to be a part of my life in the future.
And like I said it was nice to have a break from sick Rachel for a few hours and eat some great food.
What’s the fanciest meal you’ve ever had?
Rachel's Musings 