Veg Week Becomes Veg Month!

Hey guys,
I haven't been on in a while, but I thought I'd share my New Year's Resolution with you now that it's that time of year. So do you remember Veg Week? I had the video diary and everything...
Well I've decided my 2011 resolution is to be vegetarian for at least one month! I think I can do it...mmm bacon, hamburgers...snap out of it! It may be hard, but I'm willing to try and maybe go for longer. I'll decide what I want to do at the end of January. I don't plan on doing a video log, but I'll keep you posted. I hope I can inspire some people (who aren't already vegetarian) to make a change with me.

Happy New Year and always add a pinch of love!

New Layout!

Food For Thought has a new layout! It's more culinary now and there are lots of colors!

Thanksgiving Pics!

Here are pictures of the food at Thanksgiving. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!


my plate


the turkey


sweet potatoes


cranberry sauce


Swiss chard


yummy challah


the turkey before it finished roasting completely

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey, peoples!
I'm a day late but I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving. (I know I did!) Usually I'm not exactly inclined to feast because I'm naturally a light eater, but this year I pigged out to the farthest extent I could: turkey, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato chunks, collard greens, pumpkin pie...the whole shebang. It was awesome! I can't wait for Christmas/Hanukkah! I love the holidays. Thanksgiving pics coming soon!

Always add a pinch of love!

Happy Halloween!

Hey everybody,
Isn't Halloween THE BOMB!?? You get free candy from people you don't even know!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH I love it! I made a quiz "What is your favorite candy?" and I'll be eager to hear what you all think. Personally, I <33333 CHOCOLATE!!!!! MWAHAHAHHA...anyway, always add a pinch of love! Happy Halloween!

STARBUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HEY!!! WOW has it really been this long since I posted???! That's crazy!!! Well I'm posting now!!! And I sound reeeeeeally hyper because...I LOVE STARBUCKS!!!!!!! HEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But seriously, IT. IS. AWESOME. Here are my top 4 drinks (in no particular order) that each and every one of you MUST get!!!!!!!!!! (Sorry for all the hyperness again--hyperness?)

-Chai latte (hot)
-White chocolate mocha (hot/cold)--available decaf
-Pumpkin spice latte--available decaf
-Hot chocolate infused with peppermint

These drinks have little or no coffee so if you don't like it that much these drinks are still for you. And if you're WILD about coffee like I am, then basically ANYTHING at Starbucks, you would LOOOOOOVE! Starbucks is awesome and worth the price!!!

GO TO STARBUCKS! NOW!!! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE WEARING OR WHAT TIME IT IS!!! STARBUCKS MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO GO GO!!!!!!



And remember, always add a pinch of love!

The Hi's and Lo's of Frost Valley

Hello everyone! I am back from camp and I had a great time. I'm writing this post to inform you of the really good (and reeeally bad) foods at Frost Valley. At camp, I kept a diary of the different foods and their ratings from 1-5 on my scale, 1 being worst and 5 being best. I'm not sharing ALL the ratings with you but I will inform you of the best and worst food. Here it is:

BREAKFAST--WORST FOODS
French toast with fake maple syrup - 2.5/5: The French toast had NO flavor whatsoever and it was dry while the maple syrup was water-thin and too sweet to be real.

Home fries - 2/5: They had no flavor and were really dry, like the French toast.

BREAKFAST--BEST FOODS
Life cereal - 4.5/5: The cereal at camp is the same kind that you would get at the store, so it tastes pretty good. Life cereal is everyone's favorite for some reason; probably because it's sweet and light.

Hash browns - 4.5/5: These are a lot better than the home fries because they are great with ketchup and they're crispy/a little oily. They're basically almost the same as the hash browns at Dunkin' Donuts, if you've ever had those.

Cheerios - 4.5/5: I love Cheerios so much!!! I don't know why but they never get old. Plus they're really good dry!

Oatmeal - 4.5/5: It may be sort of surprising to see that oatmeal ranks as one of the best breakfast foods at camp, but it really was good! The soups and hot cereals at Frost Valley are remarkable and homemade.

LUNCH--WORST FOODS
Guess what? There are NO bad lunch foods in my journal! Hard to believe, but true. So I'll move on to:

LUNCH--BEST FOODS
Meatball sandwich on hot dog bun - 4.5/5: This was like a meatball sub: meatballs with tomato sauce on a hot dog bun. It was so simple but so delicious.

Chicken Fajitas - 5/5: Often considered the best food at Frost Valley, these fajitas truly are amazing, with sauteed chicken and bell peppers, seasoned sweet corn, seasoned rice, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and whatever else you want piled high inside a tortilla. Mmmmmmmmm!

Pizza - 4.8/5: The pizza at camp is surprisingly really good. I'm 99% positive that they're just frozen pizza but the pizza is delicious.

Minestrone Soup - 4.5/5: Like I said, there are no bad soups at Frost Valley.

Hamburgers - 4.5/5: The hamburgers tasted like normal food! Plus camp offered condiments such as ketchup that made them taste even better.

Tomato Soup - 4.75/5: This soup was steaming hot, almost a little spicy, and was thick. Best tomato soup I've EVER had, and that's in comparison to CAMPBELL'S!

Tacos - 4.8/5: These were exactly the same as the fajitas, and the only reason they aren't a 5 is because the taco shells were sorta stale.

Hot dogs - 4.75/5: Some of the best hot dogs I've ever had were actually found at camp?! Yes, it's true. The hot dogs at Frost Valley don't taste "risky," if you know what I mean.


This is a lottt of writing for one post, so I'll write dinner and dessert in a separate one. That's the food so far at Frost Valley! Keep viewing Food For Thought.

Surviving Veg Week--My Video Diary: Day 7 And The End!

It is the END of Veg Week at last!!!
However, I actually am going to miss being vegetarian. I had some great food, and more importantly, I really felt like I was making a difference. I encourage you to try being vegetarian, even if it's just for a day or two. It's a healthy and nutritious diet and it isn't a sacrifice once you get the hang of what to eat. That's where my recipes and diaries come in. I really want to help you be vegetarian because if I can do it, you can do it, too. With those words, here is my seventh, and final Veg Week video diary segment.

THE MOST DELICIOUS THING EVER

You see this picture? This is something amazing; something so delicious I just can't explain it!!!!!!! Maybe it's because I was really hungry at the time, but when I tasted some of this store-bought teriyaki sauce I almost passed out: that's how good it tastes. It's like a ginger soy sauce, but it's sweet. SERIOUSLY AMAAAAAAZING!!!!!!!!!!! YOU HAVE TO BUY IT! NOW! I'm telling you, go to your grocery store. Go, I'll wait...now if they don't have it, search every store in the country to find Soy Vay Island Teriyaki sauce. Then enjoy it on top of pan-fried tofu or on salmon. The mission is yours.

Chew On This: A Must-Read

The title certainly says it all for post, but I'll give you the details anyway:

Chew On This is an amazing book by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson. It's basically Fast Food Nation for kids, if you've heard of that book. If you haven't:

Chew On This is a non-fiction book that discusses many issues along the theme of the fast food industries, especially McDonald's. It tells readers what's in the fast food we eat, what it's like to work at McDonald's, the secrets of fast food advertising that seem to work so well on Americans, and the way fast food has taken over America. This book has to do with food and nutrition so I thought I'd advertise it on my blog. You MUST read Chew On This because it will open your eyes and you'll see just what McDonald's does to you and to others. Even if you don't eat fast food that often, this book is still a must-read because the facts and statistics about McDonald's are so stunning. Plus, the information is actually vital for us all to know, but the fast food restaurants are deceiving us so we just keep eating at them mindlessly. Take this fact, for example: "Americans now spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, and recorded music--combined."

I haven't even finished Chew On This; in fact, I'm not even half-way through, but already I see fast food in a new light. I hope you will, too, after reading this book, so grab a copy. Chew On This is 258 pages of well-written chapters and certainly some life-changing information.

AMAZING FARRO SALAD LINK

Here's the link to the recipe for the Mediterranean Farro Salad I raved about.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mediterranean-farro-salad-recipe/index.html

Surviving Veg Week--My Video Diary: Day 6

Check out this video for the update on my second-to-last day of Veg Week.

Surviving Veg Week--My Video Diary: Day 5

Here's how Day 5 went down.

THIS IS COOL

My aunt brought these amazing yams from California all the way here. She thought they were pretty extraordinary, and so do I. Why is that? Watch this video to find out.




They're called purple yams. So cool! I wasn't a huge fan of the taste: rather sweet. But they look SO cool, right? :)

Here's a photo.

Surviving Veg Week--My Video Diary: Day 4

It is Day 4 of Veg Week and things are getting a little harder. Check out this video to see how I'm doing and what I've been eating.

Photo of the 4th of July Cake

I made the 4th of July cake that I gave you the recipe for. Thank goodness I'm not vegan!!! Here's a photo of the cake once decorated and everything.

4th of July Cake!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!
What are you doing for Independence Day? Well, I'll tell you what I'm doing: I'm making this AWESOME cake as I've done every year since I was about 6 years old. (I'm also dressing up my cat, and the photos from that event are on my other blog: chicothefatcat.blogspot.com)

The recipe is so simple, which is why I'm going to post it right here on my blog! You may have made this cake before, in which case you should definitely: A) make it again this year using this quick and easy recipe, or B) tell friends and family about the recipe (and my blog) so they can use it, and enjoy it, too!

INGREDIENTS
-Yellow cake mix
-13x9 cake pan
-Ingredients listed on cake box (water/eggs/oil etc)
-30 blueberries
-about 10 strawberries
-1 cup whipping cream

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare the yellow cake as is instructed on the back of the cake mix box.
AS THE CAKE BAKES:
2. In a deep bowl, whip the cream on high speed until thick and fluffy using electric hand beater or built-in-bowl electric mixer. Add 1 tbsp of sugar as you whip the cream. Refrigerate in bowl covered with plastic wrap.
3. Wash the blueberries and strawberries.
4. Prepare the strawberries: cut off the hulls (green leafy part) so that they look like this: Then, place the strawberries on the cutting board flat side down and slice them into fourths.
5. Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool completely in the pan (sorry, this should take at least 2 hours :P)
6. After the cake has cooled, take the whipped cream out of the fridge and stir it a few strokes so it doesn't settle.
7. Plop the whipped cream on top of the cake in big spoonfuls, then evenly smooth it around in as few strokes as possible using a rubber spatula such as these ones:

8. In the top left corner of the cake (on top of the whipped cream), arrange the blueberries in a 5x6 array. They should take up about 1/4 of the cake.
9. Arrange the strawberries atop the cake on their sides so that they resemble the red and white stripes of the American flag.
10. Refrigerate for at least half an hour so that the cream gets a little firm. Snap a picture and enjoy.

Surviving Veg Week--My Video Diary: Day 3 part 2

How did Day 3 end up? Watch this video to find out.

Surviving Veg Week--My Video Diary: Day 3 part 1

I HAVE TRIED THE MEATLESS BACON!!! (see above)
Check out this video for my tasting of it, and what I think!
It is called MorningStar Bacon Strips by the way.



I will be writing to you later to report lunch and dinner. This is Day 3 of Veg Week and all is well...so far.

Surviving Veg Week--My Video Diary: Day 2 part 2

This is an update on how the 4th of July early dinner party went!

Surviving Veg Week--My Video Diary: Day 2 part 1

This is an update of breakfast and lunch on Day 2. I will keep you posted on dinner and everything else that goes on with my attempts at being vegetarian.

Bij's Black Bean Quesadilla

Breaking news, chefs! My sister Bij (that's her nickname; my parents aren't that weird) created an AMAZING quesadilla using yesterday's leftovers from the Vegetarian Burrito: black beans and rice. So today I'm giving you the recipe for...drum roll...Bij's Black Bean Quesadilla!

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 1)
1/4 cup cooked black beans
1/4 cup cooked white rice
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (orange or white)
1 slice butter
1 9 inch flour tortilla
OPTIONAL: 1 tbsp. hot sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. Spread the butter slice evenly around a 9 or 10 inch saucepan over medium heat as it melts.
2. Place the flour tortilla in the pan and flatten it into the pan using your fingertips.
3. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top of ONE HALF of the tortilla.
4. Repeat step 3 for the beans and rice, sprinkling them on top of the cheese.
5. Using a spatula, carefully lift the half of the quesadilla that does NOT have cheese/rice/beans on it and fold the quesadilla in half. It should look like this:
6. Use your spatula to press down on top of the quesadilla. Wait about 30 seconds,then flip the quesadilla over and cook on that side for about 45 seconds.
7. Serve immediately and don't forget to turn off the stove!!!
8. Enjoy.

That's the recipe! Lots of steps, yes, but it's simple once you start and get the hang of it. Plus, it's definitely worth it in the end once you bite in and go to heaven...anyway, keep viewing Food For Thought for more video segments and vegetarian recipes!

Vegetarian Burrito

Here is the recipe (as promised) for the vegetarian burrito I ate for lunch today.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 2)
2 flour tortillas
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cooked canned black beans
1 cup cooked corn
1 avocado (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Stack the tortillas on a paper plate with a paper towel on top of the two tortillas. Microwave for 30 seconds on high.
2. OPTIONAL: mash the avocado with a fork so that it has a guacamole-like consistency with a few pieces of avocado in it.
3. Put 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup black beans (1/2 an avocado) and 1/2 cup corn in a thin line/pile on each warmed tortilla. Roll up and enjoy!!!

That's all there is to this delicious lunch. Try it out and tell me what you think!

Veggie Burger Pics

Here are two pictures I took of the meatless burger I ate for dinner.

Surviving Veg Week--My Video Diary: Day 1 part 2

Here is my report on the veggie burger.

Surviving Veg Week--My Video Diary: Day 1 part 1

It is Day 1 of Veg Week and I'm getting along pretty well. Here's a video that sums up everything about today.

Announcement

Hey,
I decided I'm going to make a video diary out of my vegetarian adventures called "Surviving Veg Week." I will make at least one clip each day and post the clips on the blog, along with each day's menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. WARNING: by maybe the third or fourth day without meat, VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED because I might go crazy without bacon :)

At least I'll still have coffee! Wish me luck and I hope some of you may join me in becoming vegetarian for this week, July 1-8.

Veg Week: Ya Think I Can Do It?

BREAKING NEWS!!!
From the week of Thursday, June 1 to Thursday, June 8, I AM GOING TO BE VEGETARIAN!!!

You may wonder, "What in the world inspired you to make this sudden, drastic (and crazy) decision?" Well, to tell the truth, although I am a cook (and eater who always wants to try new things) it has always been on my bucket list to be vegetarian for at least a year during college or my adulthood. Then also, tonight I was eating dinner and we had crab. Sure, it was good (once dunked in butter) but I felt like I could go without it, especially when I watched my parents tear away at another animal's legs as though they were just snipping flowers for a lovely bouquet. I just felt inhumane getting only a tiny bit of meat out of an animal we had to kill.

Now, I'm not trying to persuade anyone, but I'd love to have some moral support from friends, so feel free to join me in being vegetarian the week of July 1-8. This will sound cheesy, but we can make a difference together!

Always add a pinch of love, especially to the animals being slaughtered.

Happy 50th Post, Food For Thought!!!

Hey, cooks:
I just wanted to share something awesome...

THIS IS FOOD FOR THOUGHT'S 50TH POST!!!

Just wanted to share that with y'all and thank you for viewing my blog :)

Cook on!

Check Out This Email I Got!

This is a chain email I got :P but it's really cool. It's basically how to calculate your age...there's a twist...in CHOCOLATE YEARS! Interesting, right? So try it out!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH

Don't tell me your age; you'd probably lie anyway-but the Hershey Man will know!

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH

This is pretty neat.
DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!
It takes less than a minute .
Work this out as you read .
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)

2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)

3. Add 5

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1760 ..
If you haven't, add 1759..

6... Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.



You should have a three digit number

The first digit of this was your original number
(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).

The next two numbers are



YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)

THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2010) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS.

Epic Turning Point For M&Ms!

I don't know if you're a TV addict like I am but there's a new commercial for a new kind of M&Ms that look sooo good...

PRETZEL M&Ms!!!

I'm going to buy them ASAP and I suggest you do, too so that we can share opinions on pretzel M&Ms. c(: That's all for now!

---> Interesting, right? Any predictions for what they will taste like?

Snickerdoodles

As I promised, here is the snickerdoodles recipe! It is courtesy of David, an awesome cook with an awesome recipe! Try it because it's easy AND amaaaaaaaazingly delicious. Here it is!

1. Mix together: 1 cup butter and 1 1/2 cup sugar, then add 2 eggs

2. Sift together then stir in: 2 3/4 cup flour, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt

3. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours

4. Roll into small walnut sized balls and roll in a mixture of 1tbsp cinnamon and 2tbsp sugar

5. Bake: 8-10 min at 350 F

Making Snickerdoodles!

Hey, chefs! Tonight I made snickerdoodles! (I will get the recipe to you ASAP) So, I'm sharing some pictures I took from each phase of the baking.
---> the dough
--->the cookies before being rolled in cinnamon-sugar/being baked
---> the cookies once rolled in cinnamon-sugar/before being baked

---> the cookies once baked! Mmmm...

New Layout: Can't Miss It!

Did you notice the new setup of the blog? It's so cool!

I just wanted to rave about the new templates and advanced adjustments from Blogger! They're totally awesome and I'm gonna add them to Chico's blog ;)

Anyone who has a blog: this is so cool, so go check out the cool new things you can apply!

Isabel

Homemade Sno-Cones: Easy and Delicious

Hey, sorry I haven't posted for a while, but I have a great recipe to share today: drum roll...
Homemade cherry sno-cones! I figured because it's summertime (!) this recipe would come in handy so here it is:

INGREDIENTS
Ice cubes--12
Strainer
2 plastic cups
Jar of maraschino cherries--10 oz.
Ice crusher*
*if you don't have an ice crusher, you could probably use a blender, but check with your parents first in case your blender is not strong enough to crush ice.

DIRECTIONS--very simple!
1. Put the ice cubes in the ice crusher one or two at a time (or put all the ice cubes in the blender and press "chop") and crush them up.
2. Once the ice has been crushed to a coarse but small consistency, pour the jar of maraschino cherries onto the ice, but above the strainer (so that only the juice gets strained onto the ice).
3. Stir and pour into 2 plastic cups. Enjoy!

It's as easy as that. Try this recipe anytime and you're sure to love it!

Joe's Shanghai = HEAVEN

The title is NOT an exaggeration, but perhaps an understatement. Tonight I went to Joe's Shanghai with my mom and my best friend, Lily. It was my first time going there, and let me tell you, I had not LIVED until I went to Joe's Shanghai. It is located in Chinatown, which is a great place to go in NYC!!! 9 Pell St, New York, NY 10013 is the address, and you HAAAAVE to go there, especially if you've never been before. The only thing is that it's always PACKED, but also always worth the wait.

When we went to Joe's Shanghai, we ordered some of their most famous dishes: pork soup dumplings, scallion pancake, stewed mixed vegetables, and the fried flat noodles. The first two dishes are most well-known at Joe's Shanghai, especially the pork soup dumplings (which also come in crab). Basically they are a thin-ish dumpling FILLED with steaming, greasy, rich broth and a ball of tender pork in the center. If this doesn't sound good to you at all, you are PSYCHOTIC!!! Well, I don't want to be mean that way, but the point is: you MUST go and try the soup dumplings.

Anyway, the dish I thought was AS GOOD as the soup dumplings was the SCALLION PANCAKE. AMAZING!!! I don't know if I can even put its taste on paper, but I might as well try:

Imagine a pancake. Now, take out the sweetness. Add a moist texture to it. Next, imagine this pancake thinner, and plunged into a fryer, using oil so light and rich! Last but not least, add accents of scallion, giving it an onion-y taste. Best thing I ever ate.

So, go to Joe's Shanghai SOONER than ASAP, and don't say I didn't warn you that you might go to heaven.

Haiti: You Can Help!

I know this blog is supposed to be about food, but I thought it was important to spread awareness about this horrible earthquake in Haiti. I happen to know someone who died in the earthquake and maybe some of you do, too. This shows how important it is for each individual to help this country and these people. So please use some of the following sources to help the Haitians:

-Text HAITI to 90999 (+10.00 to your phone bill but worth it!)

-http://arc3.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_subsrc=RCO_ResponseStateSection (Red Cross Donations List)

-Text GIVE to 50555 (also 10.00 on phone bill)

-Call 1-877-99-HAITI (1-877-994-2484)

Some of these suggestions were from my friend Kaley's blog, Live, Laugh, Love. By the way...GO THERE!! (keeplivinglaughingloving.blogspot.com)

And always add a pinch of love, especially to the people of Haiti.
Keep viewing Food For Thought!

Vocab Word Of The Day

I was thinking about what I could put on my blog next, and I remembered how I used to do vocab words. So, here's one now!

Vocab #6
January 18, 2010
SCORCH--to affect the color, taste, etc., of by burning slightly (--www.dictionary.reference.com)


The photo above is creme brulee (CRUM-broo-LAY). It is scorched using a cooking torch as shown in the picture below:

Well that's all for now but keep viewing Food For Thought and remember: always add a pinch of love.

Cherry The Chick!

This is Cherry (to the right). She is the 4th and final pet I have adopted from Bunnyhero labs, that's www.bunnyherolabs.com. I am pretty sure the pets you adopt go to a good cause so it's fun for you and good for the animals out there. If you haven't used it already, I HIGHLY recommend adoptiong pets from Bunnyhero labs. Anyway, soon we'll be back to food, so don't worry, chefs!

Keep viewing Food For Thought and remember: always add a pinch of love.

Percy The Turtle!

I intend to have four pets in total from Bunnyhero labs so that you guys can play with them and get inspired to get some of your own! So now, without further ado, I announce...
PERCY THE TURTLE!! He is Kibbie's twin because they were both born today, January 11th. Any suggestions for my last pet? (It will be a girl.)

Kibbie The Puppy!!

On January 11, 2010, Food For Thought welcomes the second member from the Bunnyhero labs: KIBBIE!! I named her after Kibbles & Bits, the dog food brand, and also after the nickname, Kibbie that my sister gave me. (random. We were bored.)

Have fun playing with her!! She's in my favorite color too, which I named "hot purple."

Anyway...keep viewing Food For Thought and check out the blogs I follow too!! Recipes coming soon...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

~Happy new year everyone!~
This is a little late but I hope you all had an awesome 2009!!
I don't have any recipes to share at the moment but I just wanted to say happy new year :)