What's Poppin'?

After watching from the sidelines for 2 years, I've finally taken the Eating Rules' October Unprocessed Challenge! With that said, you might be expecting a quinoa-kale-wheatgrass mixture of sorts on a blog like mine. Well, surprise surprise... I have 3 recipes for homemade pops here instead!

Dessert is often times a store-bought item for me since a) I don't like (more accurately, I'm terrible at) baking, b) I like ice cream but haven't felt the urge to buy an ice-cream maker, and c) store-bought stuff is usually infinitely better than what I can whip up at home. But when I saw fellow blogger Carrie of Steps2Nutrition experiment with her new pop molds, it seemed simple enough where I won't be able to mess it up like baking a pie.

Let's Try This Again

After saying to myself that I'll get back to blogging about a dozen times, I'm finally doing it! The last time I declared I'm back on the blogosphere, it lasted a tragic 2 months with sporadic posts that were far and few. To my defense, there are only 24 hours in a day and 20 of those were consumed by a less than ideal job (yes, 20 hours a day because work never left my brain and haunted me in my sleep). So now that nightmare is over and has been over for about 7 months, I'm ecstatic to report I've reclaimed my happiness, rediscovered my passion for dietetics, found time to jot down my adventures in the kitchen here, and most important of all, my stress pimples are gone!

Avy Cake

Good food doesn't always have to be made completely from scratch. For me, it's especially so when it comes to baking. Pastry/cake/cookies/pies are as challenging as astrophysics. I've turned 3" chocolate chip cookies into a Pangea cookie when I followed (I think) the recipe exactly. Not to mention the thought of making pie crust can make the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight.

Since giving up on baking from scratch, I've come to appreciate using box mixes and throw in a dash of creativity to make them my own. There have been Khalua No-Pudge brownies, apple sauce pumpkin bread, and the latest, boxed cornbread mix dolled up with some rosemary and strawberry jam.

Mango Colada

I admit. I have been a long-time bubble "boba" tea addict. Especially in the summer time, all I can think about is cooling off with a smooth milk tea with chewy tapioca pearls. It's a carb bomb and practically a dietitian's nightmare. But recent news about carcinogenic plasticizers found in Taiwanese beverages kind of put a damper on my profound love for boba teas. Yes, I'm heartbroken, but maybe this is a blessing in disguise that will help wean me off these addicting drinks.

So it was with terrific timing that I stumbled upon the recipe for a (virgin) pina colada that cannot be more healthful and simple.

Tea Party

Not the right-wing, anti-government type.
But not quite the mad tea party with Alice and the Hatter either.
Just the kind of fun afternoon you'd expect to have with friends...
and of course adorable kitty teapots! 

Match Made in Heaven

Everyone has a list of personal favorite food pairings. The classics may include peanut butter with jelly, grapes with cheese, pita with hummus, and burgers with fries. But I have a newfound food pair that might just blow your taste buds out of foodie heaven and back-
poached pear and salted caramel ice cream.

Since words cannot describe the explosive yet refined fireworks that these two create, here is a photo while I gather my words.

SLO Bites

California's Central Coast holds a very special place in my heart... mostly because of my alma mater. If I may, I'd like to suggest Mr. Tony Bennett to remake his classic and title it "I Left My Heart in Santa Barbara."

Taking advantage of my last extended winter vacation before I shed my student status, I packed my sleeping bag and rain boots and revisited the beautiful coast to see my foodie accomplice and o-mazing friend, Jaime G. for a delicious weekend.
* Click to enlarge photos.

Scarily Tasty Treats

Question: What's has dots of blackish blue with orange and is tasty?
Answer: Blueberry and Apricot Rice Mallow Treats!

I first learned to make Rice Krispie Treats in my 6th grade Home Economics class. Loved the overly sugary treats back in the days, but my versions of these crispy snacks have come a long way since then.

I've experimented with Khalua, freeze-dried strawberries, almonds, granola, green tea powder, and flax seeds just to name a few. The latest endeavor is with freeze-dried blueberries and dried apricots- totally matches the color scheme for Halloween but tasty enough for whenever!

Au Naturale with Gastrobus

It has been more than 3 months since my first encounter with Gastrobus at the LA Street Food Fest. Finally, we were reunited at Los Feliz Farmers Market on a fine Sunday afternoon. Every dish was prepped with ingredients from the farmers market. Not only were they seasonal items, they were also local and pesticide-free! It was the perfect way to satiate my tummy after a yoga sesh!

Croque Madame (ham, cheese, bechamel, fried egg) 

The flavor of this farm fresh, cage-free, antibiotic-free egg is indescribable. It tasted like... an egg! A revelation indeed.

Cherry tomato omelette (herbs, jack cheese, toast) 

Yes to more cheese! Tomato "relish" was beyond words... perfect accompaniment to the omelette.

Corn & green bean salad (cilantro, chicharones)

Clever use of pork rind, but I don't really care for them. I've always wanted to do a salad with corn and green bean... thanks to Gastrobus, I now have an inspiration! 

Asian pear cider

Amazing cider to wash down all the deliciousness. Also a perfect refreshment for an outrageously warm October day. 

Pumpkin Flax Granola Rice Treats

Rule 39: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself. 

Michael Pollan, Food Rules

Not that homemade crispy rice treats are health foods compared to commercially prepared Rice Krispie Treats. But if I have to make each batch from scratch, I'd eat them much less often because they require a bit of time and a LOT of arm strength. 

In my version, there are more protein and fiber but less fat than the original Treats. Also, check out the 6 simple ingredients in this recipe versus the long list of weird substances in prepackaged ones.  

3/4 lb. pumpkin and flax granola
(Nature's Path, available in bulk at Whole Foods and Henry's)

2-3 cups crispy rice cereal
1/2 bag marshmallows
3/4 cup freeze dried strawberries (crumbled)
1/2 Sliced almonds
1 1/2 tbsp. butter

1. Melt butter over low flame. 
2. Add marshmallows when butter has melted.
   * Have patience with the butter and marshmallow to avoid browning them.
3. Crumble strawberries and mix with granola. 
4. Add crispy rice cereal to strawberry-granola mixture. Use less for chewier treats, more for crispier treats. 
5. Remove marshmallow from heat once it has melted completely. 
6. Add granola-cereal mixture in batches to ensure even coating. 
7. Transfer mixture into a 9"x12" pan coated with oil from oil mister or lined with parchment paper.
8. Level mixture using spatula or the bottom of a measuring cup. 
9. Sprinkle and press sliced almonds over top.

Yields one 9"x12" pan

Kellogg's® Rice Krispies Treats® Original bars TOASTED RICE CEREAL (RICE, SUGAR, SALT, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, MALT FLAVORING, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), MARSHMALLOW (CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, GELATIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), FRUCTOSE, MARGARINE (VEGETABLE OIL [SOYBEAN, PALM, AND PALM KERNEL OIL WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS], WATER, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL BUTTER FLAVOR [CONTAINS MILK], DATEM, ACETYLATED MONOGLYCERIDES, BHT [PRESERVATIVE], VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN D), CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF DEXTROSE, GLYCERIN, SALT, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), SOY LECITHIN.

LA Street FOODIE Fest!

As LA Street Food Fest came to an end on Saturday night, my foodie half and I were content with the exorbitant amount of food in our tummies and the bursts of flavors rendered in our mouths. Thank goodness for stretchy pants! They totally facilitated my penguin-esque waddling back to the car.

From the 23 or so stalls we visited, here are our top-picks:

Most Healing Foodie-licious:

Tied between The Vegan Joint and The Gastrobus
Healing Foodie is all about clean, fresh foods that embrace the Earth without compromising flavor. The Vegan Joint put forth a most savory tofu pad thai while The Gastrobus just wowed us all evening with their use of organic ingredients- plum and cucumber salad, popcorn topped ceviche, and a one-bite wonder called coconut and pineapple dulce de tres leche. Someone please pass me the drool bucket.

Funnest to stand in line for:

Starry Kitchen
Owner Nguyen dressed as Mr. Banana Dude and chatted up with everyone in line. He also told everyone to enjoy the crispy tofu balls in their mouths. 'Nuff said.

Best Asian flavor:

Manila Machine
Pork belly and pineapple adobo transported us out of LA into the streets of the Philippines. While we were on a flavor trip, one bite of the super crispy lumpiang shanghai shook us back to reality.

Most generous portion:
Maggie's Fritatas
Not sure if we got THREE fritatas along with a shot of Andalusian-style tomato Gazpacho because we were there early. Either way, 3 cupcake sized 'tatas were more than enough to satisfy our tastebuds and tummy! YUM!

Biggest fiesta-in-my-mouth:
Chef Danhi's Southeast Asian Flavors- Explosive Thai Bites
True to Chef Danhi's word, the flavors in these bite-sized morsels were truly explosive. Not really sure what was inside the leaves, but my palate registered the clean and crisp leaves then a pang! from the intense sauce followed by some crunch and ended with a puckering element. Yup, pretty sure that's how an explosion feels like.   

Hella clean culinary skills:

Monsieur Egg
Perfect poached eggs are hard to make to begin with. Add 5000 eager-for-food attendees and a make-shift aluminum party tray stove. That is some mad skills.

Most bomb-diggity dessert:
Tied between Coolhaus and Sweet Lucie's
It's hard to beat Coolhaus's ice cream sandwiches with flavors like strawberry with candied jalapeño and dirty mint chip. But somehow Sweet Lucie's whipped up some delectable palate-cleansing mint lemonade sorbet that can sure rival unusual exotic flavors any day!

Visit lastreetfoodfest to get the latest and greatest on the next foodie event! 

A Healthy Choice at Baskin-Robbins

Baskin-Robbins is home to some calorie monstrosities such as the Snickers Sundae (1000 calories, 46g fat, 710g sodium, and 113g sugar).

On the other end of the spectrum, I've found one of the most satisfying and healthful ice cream around town at the same place that offers the junkiest of frozen treats. The Cabana Berry Banana ice cream (150 calories, 6g fat, 7g sugar) is reduced fat with no sugar added. Granted it's no artisanal, hand-packed deliciousness, this guilt-free ice cream is definitely a cooling treat on a balmy summer night.

And a shameless plug for Huntington Hospital's Blood Donor Center: come donate a pint and get a pint of Baskin-Robbins in return! You will receive a BR certificate along with a heap of goodies. So come on by or call to make an appointment to save a life today!

Huntington Hospital Blood Donor Center

100 W. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91105

626.397.5422
(Parking will be validated)

Photo credit: foodbeast.com

Product Prop: Popcorn Indiana Kettlecorn

My love affair with kettlecorn began years ago when I got my first taste of the ones from Trader Joe's. Since then, my affection for these sweet and salty treats has only escalated. Imagine my excitement when I found FLAVORED kettlecorn!

Popcorn Indiana makes a variety of popcorn, but I'm most partial to their kettlecorn that comes in 3 flavors- original, cinnamon sugar, and cocoa (because everything is better with chocolate).

Popcorn is a whole grain that makes a terrific mid-afternoon snack as long as they're not the buttery, caramel-y kind with partially hydrogenated oils. These kettlecorn fit my nutrition bill- roughly 130 calories* per 1.5 cup and contains no saturated or trans fats. As far as kettlecorn are concerned, these are rather low on sugar as well at about 6 grams per serving. Bring these along to the beach, keep some at the office, or pack your own 100-calorie pack for lunch!

Another aspect of these popcorn that deserve my props is that many of the ingredients are obtained from fair trade. It's a joint program with Whole Foods Market called Whole Trade and ensures workers from developing countries are getting fair trading conditions and harvest sustainably. This is an important movement to support as many farmers and their land are being exploited by more economically advantageous nations.

Each bag of kettlecorn usually sells for $3.99 at your nearest Whole Foods. But hurry and you can get 2 bags for $6 while they're on sale! When you do get your hands on some irresistible kettlecorn from Popcorn Indiana, try not to more than a serving in one sitting as I'm doing right now while writing this post.

* Nutrition content differs slightly between the 3 flavors. 

Ice Cream: Part of a Healthful Regimen

Someone from my workplace once asked if I'm a hater of red meat and a lover of V8 because I'm an almost-dietitian. Umm, no. At times, nothing beats a (small) piece of buttery grass-fed beef, and I despise V8 with vengeance.

Some may mistake me for taking the fun out of food because I care about nutrition. That cannot be further from the truth. I enjoy indulging in the finer foods in life as much as the next person- wine, cheese, anything with chocolate, you name it. My latest indulgence being artisan ice-cream.

Recently, I had the pleasure of stumbling (technically it was a premeditative excursion) into Lake Street Creamery. My encounter with the owner Beth and her ice-cream have reaffirmed my passion for quality, hand-packed frozen delights that are made with love and creativity.

Frozen treats rarely take residence in my freezer. It's far too easy to overeat if it's within reach. And as the name implies, frozen treats are treats. They wouldn't be treats if I have them all the time. For this reason, I'm only willing to spend my hard-earned discretionary calories on truly extraordinary food- like the amazing ice-cream from Lake Street Creamery!

This whimsical ice-cream truck offers one-of-a-kind combinations that pack serious flavors. My foodie half and I tried the Pancake Breakfast and California Zephyr which were both as memorable as they were delectable. Imagine condensing pancake, maple syrup, coffee, and a side of bacon (yes, bacon!) into a scoop of creaminess. But the vanilla base with Meyer lemon and mint in California Zephyr had me at hello. It was just the right amount of freshness and smoothness for a sunny, idyllic Saturday afternoon.

Scoops are served in waffle bowls and eaten with wooden spoons. Not only are the ice-cream creatively delicious, the wooden spoons added a hint of nostalgia to the whole experience. I cannot wait to see Beth again at Lake Street Creamery for my next frozen treat fix (donut-flavor ice-cream!!!).

Follow Lake Street Creamery on Twitter!

Product Props: Trader Joe's Coffee Latte & Cream Bars

As warmer days are chasing away the cold, wet weather, iced teas and frozen treats are going to be staples in our fridges again. Along with your summertime favorites, a new item may take up residence in your freezer this summer.

Trader Joe's Coffee Latte & Cream Bars are a delicious switch-up from standard ice creams, sorbets, and Popsicles. The original flavors- mango and raspberry first caught my eye (and palate) last summer with their nutrition panel and their bursting-with-freshness flavors. The fruit varieties are slightly lower in calories and saturated fat but equally delicious. These bars deserve my props for its forward coffee flavor and creamy texture balanced with sweetness that's just right. Indulgent coffee ice creams usually come with some hefty caloric baggage but these hit the spot with just 90 calories and 8 grams of sugar a piece.

Each box is $3.49 and contains 8 individually-wrapped bars for sharing with family and friends on a hot summer day (or super warm spring day). 

Product Props: So Delicious Coconut Sandwiches

True to their name, these coconut sandwiches are SO DELICIOUS! Although I'm not a big fan of coconut, these have won me over. I might even dare to say they're more delectable than their ice cream counterparts! Soy-based frozen treats sometimes come with a strong beany flavor and rough texture. But not these. The coconut flavor is incredibly rich, and the cream is smooth like silk. I can't believe it took me this long to stumble upon these scrumptious treats!

These frozen treats are mighty delicious so it's easy to gobble up more than 1 at a time. But because they're made with coconut milk, there is quite a bit of saturated fat in them. Coconut along with palm are the exceptions in the plant world because they contain much more saturated fat than most other plants. Normally saturated fat is more abundant in animal products. Each box comes with 8 sandwiches so it'll challenge your skills in moderating.

Many thanks to my special friend Courtney M. for stumbling upon these and sharing her coconut sandwich with me!

Photo from www.turtlemountain.com

Product Props: Tazo Organic Chai Spiced Black Tea Latte Concentrate

Calling all chai enthusiasts and Starbucks junkies!

I stumbled upon Tazo's Organic Chai Latte Concentrate when Whole Foods offered a coupon a few months ago. Was I glad I came across this! No more coughing up $3.50+ per cup for warm milk and a little flavored sugar syrup at Starbucks in between classes!

I'm recommending this product from a money-saving standpoint more so than a nutrition one. This latte concentrate contains 16 grams of sugar per serving which is equivalent to 4 teaspoons of sugar. BUT if this product can convince non-(soy/almond/cow)milk drinkers to consume more calcium goodness, then it may have some nutritional value to it.

A 32-oz. box costs about $4.50 (depending on where you get it). The cheapest I've seen is $2.99 when it was on sale at Henry's Farmers Market. Each box makes 8 servings (using 4 fl. oz of concentrate) which is a bargain comparing to what Starbucks charges. Plus, you can tailor the drink to your taste- add more milk or more latte concentrate or steep in a black tea bag for strong flavor!

With a Thermos of hot (or cold) chai latte, you can abstain from that morning (or afternoon) run to the coffee shop!