I was just going through some old posts when I realized that I wrote this one. One of my resolutions last year was to eat more protein so I think I have been keeping this up pretty well. I am trying to focus on chicken, eggs and peanut butter but sometimes I get a bit lazy.
Protein Bars
The more I am introduced to new foods, the less I eat of the old ones. I am conscious of what I eat. I would rather not eat then pile up on Subway or some other fast food that I don't really crave. Some mornings I practice yoga and the last thing I want is to feel is food in my stomach while my body is upside down. My solution for those "I don't feel like eating moments"…..tadaaaaa.........nutrition bars.
I am not running a marathon or working out heavily so I can't really eat most protein bars. All of those calories would just stick to me. I need to choose ones that are low in calories and still keep me full.
Does anyone eat protein bars? Does anyone have any recommendations? My next step is to find a bar that doesn't have so much sugar. I haven't found one yet but you never know.
My top picks are:
Luna Peanut Butter Cookie
calories per bar 180 (48g bar)
protein : 10 g
Sugars: 13 g
Pria Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch
Calories per bar: 110 (28g bar)
Protein: 5 g
Sugars 10 g
Update: Since then I have discovered some new bars and all of them have minimal sugar. This year I discovered ..............
Pure Protein
calories per bar: 190
Protein: 20 gr
sugar: 2 g
sugar alcohol: 6 g
Think Thin
calories:240
protein: 20g
sugar: 0
Sugar alcohol:15 g
I have been eating both for a while. I recently tried a Snickers protein but could not remember how much sugar was in it. Anyone know?
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Monday, December 31, 2007
New Year's Eve Food Stuff
Okay, so I have to acknowledge the New Year. I have no choice. It's coming soon, really soon. Here are some things that I found to do.
1. Tap House Grill .The prix fixe dinner includes the evening celebrations and is $50 per person; seating begins at 6:00 p.m. and continues until 8:00 p.m. Without dinner, the New Year's Eve party is $25 pre-sale and $30 at the door.
2. Serafina's New Year's Menu
3. Sorrentino
4.There is a 7 course tasting menu at Union for 95 dollars.
5. Rover's
More New Year's Eve Dinners
1. Tap House Grill .The prix fixe dinner includes the evening celebrations and is $50 per person; seating begins at 6:00 p.m. and continues until 8:00 p.m. Without dinner, the New Year's Eve party is $25 pre-sale and $30 at the door.
2. Serafina's New Year's Menu
3. Sorrentino
4.There is a 7 course tasting menu at Union for 95 dollars.
5. Rover's
More New Year's Eve Dinners
Friday, December 28, 2007
Boots in Cheese at Beecher's
A while ago, I posted that I would love to stomp in the cheese at Beecher's while wearing yellow boots. Dreams do come true! Actually, pretty close. So I don't have yellow boots but I have these blue and white ones.
Yes, I got to put my feet in the cheese, actually in the leftover milk that was going through the drain on the floor(it felt so warm).
Did you really think that they would let me stomp in the cheese?
The place was squeaky clean which I didn't expect. I always imagine that behind the scenes you find out about some nasty hygiene secrets that you weren't aware of. Nope, not here. The only secret here is that you could probably eat of the floor.
The people were extremely friendly. Brad, the head cheese maker made sure that I felt like a part of the cheese making family.
My dream came true! I got to witness the cheese making process.
Here is my Beecher's Story. I hope that the pictures tell it all.
The Big Cheese: Beecher's Flagship Cheese, a cheese made of Gruyere and Cheddar cheese cultures(this is the cheese that they made that day). Read more here.
Meet the Cheese makers.....
There is Blaine. Blaine studied communications at Arizona State University.
He worked in the fish section of the market and decided to move into the cheese direction. He couldn't handle the dirty looks that he would get for smelling like fish on the bus. He loves making cheese and invests all his passion into the cheese.
There is Bjorn. He studied molecule biology at Washington State University. He has a unique choice in music and a real love for cheese.
This Cloth is used to filter any debris or grass from the milk.
The Test
This test checks for antibiotics in the milk. The test looks like a pregnancy test, a certain color comes up if antibiotics are found in the milk.
If antibiotics are found, all the milk is dumped and the farmer gets in trouble. The
farmer then finds the cow responsible for this. Poor cow!
Cheese Components
1)Pasteurized whole cow's milk
2)Cultures
3)Rennet- used to thicken milk(they used a vegetable based Rennet)
4)Salt- They used kosher salt(large grains of salt)
Cheese Fact: Ten thousand pounds of milk makes about one thousand to eleven hundred pounds of cheese.
In the pictures, you can watch the cheese change textures(say it fast, 10 times).
I started my day at 8 A.M but the ingredients really transformed into cheese at around noon.
That's it, now you know the secret. The best time to peek through the window is at noon or 12:30 when you can really get a glimpse of the action.
You can grab a serving of the World's Best Macaroni and Cheese and sit right in front of the window to savor the beauty of the cheese.
Being inside was really interesting, I felt like a fish in a tank. Everyone stared as they walked by. Oh and from one angle, there is a machine in the way. So all I could see were jeans lined up on the window. I couldn't see the people's upper bodies or heads. I wanted to take a picture but I didn't want to scare the people away.
After a day of cheese, only one thing was on my mind. Poutine. Since I grew up in Montreal, I am used to eating big plates of fries, drowned in gravy and covered in melted cheese curds. I guess I'll get some Beecher's curds this week and make myself some Canadian comfort food or maybe I'll head to the Steelhead Diner where they serve Poutine made from Beecher's Curds.
Beecher's Handmade Cheese
1600 Pike Place
Seattle, Washington 98101
206.956.1964
Yes, I got to put my feet in the cheese, actually in the leftover milk that was going through the drain on the floor(it felt so warm).
Did you really think that they would let me stomp in the cheese?
The place was squeaky clean which I didn't expect. I always imagine that behind the scenes you find out about some nasty hygiene secrets that you weren't aware of. Nope, not here. The only secret here is that you could probably eat of the floor.
The people were extremely friendly. Brad, the head cheese maker made sure that I felt like a part of the cheese making family.
My dream came true! I got to witness the cheese making process.
Here is my Beecher's Story. I hope that the pictures tell it all.
The Big Cheese: Beecher's Flagship Cheese, a cheese made of Gruyere and Cheddar cheese cultures(this is the cheese that they made that day). Read more here.
Meet the Cheese makers.....
There is Blaine. Blaine studied communications at Arizona State University.
He worked in the fish section of the market and decided to move into the cheese direction. He couldn't handle the dirty looks that he would get for smelling like fish on the bus. He loves making cheese and invests all his passion into the cheese.
There is Bjorn. He studied molecule biology at Washington State University. He has a unique choice in music and a real love for cheese.
This Cloth is used to filter any debris or grass from the milk.
The Test
This test checks for antibiotics in the milk. The test looks like a pregnancy test, a certain color comes up if antibiotics are found in the milk.
If antibiotics are found, all the milk is dumped and the farmer gets in trouble. The
farmer then finds the cow responsible for this. Poor cow!
Cheese Components
1)Pasteurized whole cow's milk
2)Cultures
3)Rennet- used to thicken milk(they used a vegetable based Rennet)
4)Salt- They used kosher salt(large grains of salt)
Cheese Fact: Ten thousand pounds of milk makes about one thousand to eleven hundred pounds of cheese.
In the pictures, you can watch the cheese change textures(say it fast, 10 times).
I started my day at 8 A.M but the ingredients really transformed into cheese at around noon.
That's it, now you know the secret. The best time to peek through the window is at noon or 12:30 when you can really get a glimpse of the action.
You can grab a serving of the World's Best Macaroni and Cheese and sit right in front of the window to savor the beauty of the cheese.
Being inside was really interesting, I felt like a fish in a tank. Everyone stared as they walked by. Oh and from one angle, there is a machine in the way. So all I could see were jeans lined up on the window. I couldn't see the people's upper bodies or heads. I wanted to take a picture but I didn't want to scare the people away.
After a day of cheese, only one thing was on my mind. Poutine. Since I grew up in Montreal, I am used to eating big plates of fries, drowned in gravy and covered in melted cheese curds. I guess I'll get some Beecher's curds this week and make myself some Canadian comfort food or maybe I'll head to the Steelhead Diner where they serve Poutine made from Beecher's Curds.
Beecher's Handmade Cheese
1600 Pike Place
Seattle, Washington 98101
206.956.1964
Monday, December 24, 2007
This is part 3 of my foodie tour of the market with a friend who just moved here. Click here for
Part 1 and Part 2.
After the Spanish Table, I took my friend to Beecher's. This is where you can peak in the window and watch them make cheese or just hop in to the store and have a cheesy meal. Frantic Foodie Gift Tip: How about a Cheese basket? Choose your favorite cheeses and the Pure Flavor cookbook with the recipe for the "World's Best Macaroni and Cheese".
The next stop was at The Souk(1916 Pike Place). I love the Middle Eastern spices and all the fascinating exotic food products. Frantic Foodie Food Tip: Get the labaneh and the zaatar spice. Labaneh is a Middle Eastern cheese that tastes like a mix between yogurt, sour cream and cheese. In a post a while back I wrote about how to serve it.
The next stop was La Mexicana(1914 Pike Place). This is a little Mexican store where I like to warm up with a tamale before I continue my walk.
Then I took her around the corner to my favorite secret in the market, Cafe Yarmurka(1530 Post Alley 3A). I eat there all the time! I order stuffed cabbage rolls with a dollop of sour cream. I introduced this place to a Russian friend from New York and she refused to eat anywhere else for the two weeks she was here.
We then continued to Cinnamon Works(1530 Pike Place) to drool as we looked at the pastries. Huge cinnamon rolls, enormous muffins and all the ingredients are listed. Great for people with allergies.
Next stop was Sotto Voce (1532 Pike Place) for an olive oil tasting experience. Frantic Foodie Tip: A high quality olive oil is a great gift.
The next stop was The Confectional. Luckily it was their anniversary that day and they were giving out Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles. Give the gift of chocolate!
The last stop for the day was at La Bueno Tavola(1524 Pike Place). I like to taste the interesting dips and truffle oils. Frantic Foodie Gift Find: Beautiful kitchen towels(see picture). They have wine tasting everyday between 1-5. 5 dollars for 3 wine samples. Read my post for more.
We called it a day. We were stuffed and really tired. We sat near the water to relax.......
I love Seattle.
Any suggestions? Other Foodie Finds?
Friday, December 21, 2007
Frantic Foodie's Frantic Finds ,Part two
A few days ago I told you about some of the places I like to go shopping for foodie finds.
Here is part two.
After our stop at Market Spice we walked to the street behind the market. I like Market Spice when I need a few last minute spices or want to find interesting teas. When I have time to kill and the patience to look around, I wander to another spice stop. This one is bigger and less touristy. I stop at World Spice Merchants (1509 Western Ave). Here, I can open the jars and actually smell the spices. The staff is knowledgeable and very helpful. This is when I start asking all the questions about my recipes. Frantic Foodie Gift Tip: Buy a friend a spicy gift. Buy little spice bottles and fill them with some exotic rare spices. Attach a recipe for each spice.
The next stop is the Spanish Table (1426 Western Ave). This store is one of my favorite stores for
foodie inspiration. I eye the chorizo sausages, the interesting Spanish cookies and stunning Spanish dishes. I like to buy a whole bunch of the individually wrapped cookies and try a different one each time. Frantic Foodie Gift Tip: Cookbooks!They have a huge selection of cookbooks on sale. They even have some cookbooks for 10-15 dollars. They also carry Mediterranean cookbooks that are hard to find at other places.
Look out for part 3 of Frantic Foodie's Frantic Finds, In and Around the Market.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
My Trip to the Market and Sorroundings
I copied this post from my other blog.... This is what I love to do in Seattle
A friend of mine just moved here from out of town and this was a great opportunity to take her on my personal food tour. These are the places that I like to go when I need some inspiration of any kind and of course when I need to get food gifts for other food obsessed friends.
I started my food tour at the Westlake Center. Just a short walk from the Pike Place Market.
Daiso(Westlake Center, 400 Pine St) is my first stop whenever I am planning a dinner party or need some new teapots. It is a kind of Japanese dollar store with most items priced at a dollar fifty or three dollars. I get kitchen stuff, mini baking pans, special cake pans, decorations for homemade food gifts and everything else for the house.
Our next stop was the Chocolate box(108 Pine Street). They have just about anything chocolate in Seattle. There are also lots of samples and marvelous chocolate gifts to get for your friends.
The next stop is at Delaurenti(1435 First Ave)in Pike Place Market. They have a huge selection of everything; all the cheese that you can dream of, wine and so many specialty products that you can't find anywhere else. They also have truffles! Shopping tip: Get the red roasted peppers in a jar to add flavor to sauces or pasta.
Next we get a knish at the I love New York Deli (right across Delaurenti) and then we continue to Market Spice(1501 Pike Place)for a tasting of their Signature Market Spice Tea. We also got some of the spices that we need for our holiday recipes.
So many places, so little room in this post. I will continue this post some other time.
Look out for part two, coming to my blog soon.
A friend of mine just moved here from out of town and this was a great opportunity to take her on my personal food tour. These are the places that I like to go when I need some inspiration of any kind and of course when I need to get food gifts for other food obsessed friends.
I started my food tour at the Westlake Center. Just a short walk from the Pike Place Market.
Daiso(Westlake Center, 400 Pine St) is my first stop whenever I am planning a dinner party or need some new teapots. It is a kind of Japanese dollar store with most items priced at a dollar fifty or three dollars. I get kitchen stuff, mini baking pans, special cake pans, decorations for homemade food gifts and everything else for the house.
Our next stop was the Chocolate box(108 Pine Street). They have just about anything chocolate in Seattle. There are also lots of samples and marvelous chocolate gifts to get for your friends.
The next stop is at Delaurenti(1435 First Ave)in Pike Place Market. They have a huge selection of everything; all the cheese that you can dream of, wine and so many specialty products that you can't find anywhere else. They also have truffles! Shopping tip: Get the red roasted peppers in a jar to add flavor to sauces or pasta.
Next we get a knish at the I love New York Deli (right across Delaurenti) and then we continue to Market Spice(1501 Pike Place)for a tasting of their Signature Market Spice Tea. We also got some of the spices that we need for our holiday recipes.
So many places, so little room in this post. I will continue this post some other time.
Look out for part two, coming to my blog soon.
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