Shake It

If you remember not too long ago the folks at Vega sent me some of their newly launched Vega Smoothies to try. I loved the individual packets and their convenience, so when they asked if I’d be interested in trying their new Vega One French Vanilla flavor, I couldn’t resist.

It’s true that nowadays I’m a bit of a nutrient powder fiend. Since getting a bunch to try from GNC (final thoughts coming soon!), I’ve been having some type of protein powder in one form or another almost every day. This isn’t to say I am getting most of my nutrients from powders (that would be weird, and I probably wouldn’t be very healthy), but I like the ability to add to my daily intake when necessary – especially during marathon training. Since all of the powders I have are protein based, I was excited to try something that was a little more well-rounded, even if the protein count is on the lower side. These powders have 50% of your daily intake of vitamins and minerals, 15 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, 1.5 grams of Omega-3, and a bunch of antioxidants, probiotics, and greens.

When it comes to shake and powder flavors, chocolate and vanilla are usually the most popular (and most people I know gravitate towards chocolate). I remember when I was younger stopping at a Friendly’s with my mom and getting milkshakes; she ordered chocolate and I ordered vanilla. I’m never going to forget her commenting about how boring it was that I ordered vanilla, and if I was going to have a shake I should have gotten chocolate (since it’s apparently much less of a boring flavor). While I love chocolate, I still to this day find myself gravitating towards vanilla flavored drinks, and so I was pumped to try Vega’s French Vanilla.

I know a lot of people try different kinds of vanilla powders and say things like “Wow! That tasted like cake batter!,” well I’m here to tell you that if you’re looking for a cake batter or super sweet flavor, this powder isn’t for you. It’s plant based and is derived from ingredients like pea protein, so it tastes much more earthy than your average instant smoothie. This isn’t to say it’s bad – I just think it is much more of an acquired taste than most would be prepared for. I’ve found that mixing it with some type of milk (regular milk, or almond/coconut/soy/hemp) is much better than just using water – the powder mixes much better with a thicker milk consistency, and the flavors meld together in a way that isn’t possible with water. Also be aware – since it’s derived from plants, when mixed it does have a greenish hue. For me, I’m not looking for a dessert flavored healthy shake – if I wanted a milkshake tasting drink, well, I’d have myself a milkshake!

That being said, I like how convenient it is; mixing some into some milk gives me way more nutrients than I would get from your average smoothie, and its filling! I prefer to have it in the early afternoon just when I’m about to hit the slump, or in the morning as a part of my breakfast.

It turns out they’re having a sale and offering 15% off until 9/30/12! So if you’re interested in giving it a try, head over to Vega.com and order yourself some!

Do you use any powders to enhance your daily nutrients?

Disclaimer: Vega sent me these protein powders to try at no cost to me, and all opinions are my own.

Eat Your Vegetables

You’ve probably noticed that I haven’t posted a recipe including meat in quite some time. I did have some peach salsa about a month ago that I had with some salmon (which was delicious, by the way!), but other than that, I haven’t really been posting any meat recipes. Well, there’s a reason for that.

If you remember back in January I tried to go vegetarian for an entire month, and failed miserably. I was eating a mostly vegetarian diet as it is (lacto-ovo since I still eat eggs, milk, and cheese), but there was still the occasional piece of fish, a hamburger, or piece of chicken (you get the drift) – so meat was still clearly a part of my diet. As time progressed, I began realizing that I preferred a vegetarian diet, and in most cases when I wasn’t eating vegetarian, it was out of convenience. A poor excuse, maybe, but the reality nonetheless.

Not too long after I came up with that salsa recipe and paired it with salmon (about a month now), I decided that I really wanted to try being vegetarian. Everyone has their own definition of what a “vegetarian” is, and for me that means no animal flesh – whether you find it on land or in the sea. Growing up I was never a big fish fan, and never liked pork or lamb, leaving me just with chicken, turkey, and ground beef (I never really liked steak, either). So I guess you could say it hasn’t been too hard for me to switch to a vegetarian lifestyle.

I am still in the transition phase, meaning I’m not scouring every label – I had a phenomenal Chèvre cheese last week, but was sad when I read the label and saw it was made with rennet. This also brings to light the issue of gelatin which is found in marshmallows, and a lot of other products as well. Since it’s an on-going process, I’m starting with the big things (meat) and working my way to the smaller things and label reading more carefully (animal by-products).

By this point, you’re probably wondering “why?” I get that response from most people I tell, and my answer is simple: I love animals. I realize that most people do, and they chose to eat meat, which is absolutely fine – it’s a personal choice. But for me, I’ve come to a point in my life where I would just prefer not to eat meat. I’m more than okay with people eating meat – heck, I’ll even prepare it for you – I just don’t want to eat it myself. And don’t be confused – I still think meat is delicious. I just can’t bring myself to eat it anymore.

There are so many delicious meatless options out there, that I haven’t missed meat – yet. I’m looking forward to discovering more vegetarian foods, and embracing the lifestyle change.

Do you have any vegetarian resources to share?
If you’re a vegetarian, what prompted you to go meat-free?

EuroTrip 2012 Food: Stockholm

Our train pulled into the Stockholm station at about 6:15a. Thankfully we had the foresight to set our alarms for 5:30a to make sure we were up and ready to hop off the train when we arrived at the station. Since we were so early the hotel didn’t have any rooms ready for us, so we dropped off our bags and headed out to find some coffee and get started on sight seeing.

Since it was so early not a lot was open, but we did stumble upon a coffee shop, Espresso House, that I would later learn to be the equivalent to our Starbucks (looks like I’m finding those everywhere). I ordered my new favorite drink, a vanilla latte, and we sat and enjoyed our drinks surrounded by cozy decor. After finalizing our plan for the day and wasting about an hour and a half, we set out to knock a few sights off of our list.

We headed to Stockholm’s city hall building, where we took an informative tour (they won’t allow you to trapse through the building on your own, since it is an active building with people working), and then we took a stop for lunch. The temperature was warmer than Copenhagen, but still not as hot as home, so we enjoyed our lunch al fresco; I enjoyed some fish and chips while the hubs ordered a lunch special of grilled chicken with chorizo and mashed sweet potatoes.

After lunch we took a short stroll up to the royal palace, where we were able to walk through the treasury, royal apartments, gallery, and a mini-museum. As I was traipsing through the halls, I couldn’t help but imagine what it must have been like to actually live there. I mean, to have your “bedroom” be smattering of 5+ rooms, to have marbled staircases, and beautiful gardens and rooms full of sculptures. Every time I would look in one of the less than shiny mirrors, I couldn’t help but think about all the other people that have also looked in those same mirrors. It’s pretty cool if you stop and think about it! We also stumbled upon the changing of the guards, which included a little concert from the royal band – it was perfect timing!

For dinner, we headed to Herman’s, a vegetarian buffet, which was like my heaven. They had a grill out back where they were grilling tofu and all kinds of veggies, and then both hot and cold food inside. I loaded my plate with as many grilled vegetables as I could fit and a ton of their salads as well. Everything was delicious, and I had said that I would have been totally fine eating all of my meals there. It was a nice change of pace from all the rich and heavy foods we had been eating for the majority of our trip. I also had some grilled eggplant slathered in BBQ sauce that I fell in love with and recreated as soon as we got home.

Our go-to dessert was ice cream, or as it’s called over there, glass. They had tons of shops throughout the city, and the majority of them had homemade waffle cones. So on our way back to the hotel most evenings we stopped to get some – my favorite flavor was the maple walnut.

For dinner on our second day, we headed to a traditional Swedish restaurant, Pelikan. It was my goal to have Swedish meatballs while in Sweden, so I knew this restaurant was going to be my best chance at that. I read reviews about their food, and knew that the food would be good – they only have 8 main dishes, so it was easy for me to make my decision; Swedish meatballs with gherkin pickles, lingonberries, and mashed potatoes. The meatballs were huge and so full of flavor, and it made for an excellent meal paired with the sweet berries and salty pickles.

After starting our third day at my beloved Espresso House and taking a look at their photography museum, we worked up an appetite. Since we were heading over to to another island (Stockholm is a bunch of little islands, for all you non geographers), we stopped at a little stand that seemed to be bustling for lunch. Turns out we stumbled upon one of the weirdest, but delicious combinations ever. It was a wrap filled with mashed potatoes, and a hot dog with all the fixin’s (relish, mustard, and ketchup). It sounds totally bizarre, but it was really tasty – you could even get one with seafood salad if you wanted. Who would have thought that would be a delicious combo (obviously the Swedes)?!

Dinner that night was at Garlic & Shots, a restaurant my husband had actually visited while he was in England a few years ago. I ordered a huge black bean burger and garlic fries, while the hubs ordered a spicy beef chili skillet. And of course, we had to try their garlic beer. That’s right, the beer actually has little pieces of garlic floating in it! It sounds weird, but I promise it’s actually quite delicious. They also have an impressive shots list (hence the name), and while I didn’t order any, there were definitely a few I would try.

Our last day started with a buffet brunch cruise around Stockholm’s archipelago islands. It’s here that I tried the fried pickled herring that I actually enjoyed. I also had some grilled vegetables, smoked salmon, some cold salads, bread, and some breakfast sausage and ham. They also had a phenomenal dessert buffet that I forgot to snap a picture of, but trust me it was delicious.

One thing that I enjoyed in both Copenhagen and Stockholm was the elusive chocolate ball, known as the chokoladboll. It’s a little chocolate ball that is covered in shredded coconut, and is absolutely delicious. I found a few recipes online, and definitely plan on recreating them myself. My mouth is watering just at the thought of them! So of course I ended the trip with one at the airport.

It was a great 12 days away, but it was certainly nice to get back home into a normal routine, and to of course spend time with the kitties. It was definitely an experience I’m so glad I got to have, and can’t wait for my next vacation (Disney in January)!

olympics — Olympic podium at the photography museum… I’m a winner!

Have you ever been to Sweden?

This Week in Yum

Seriously, how is July almost over already? I guess being away for two weeks at the beginning of the month helped make it fly by. I was finally able to get back into the swing of things this week, and despite a medical emergency close call, I made some delicious stuff in the kitchen!

First up was a vegetarian loaf – full of beans and flavor. I wasn’t sure if it would hold together enough to resemble meatloaf, but it did. I don’t even remember how I found this recipe, but I’m so glad I did. It made enough for both dinner and lunch the next day, and I had most of the ingredients already on hand. I definitely want to make this again, and I think it could be just as delicious if I play around with the spices.

On Tuesday I decided to make brussels sprouts, because they’re one of my favorite vegetables. Someone doesn’t like them, so I actually have never made them myself; I’ve only ever had them at my parent’s house. So after checking with my mom to see how she usually makes them, I got to work in the kitchen. It was so easy – I threw about 3 Tbsp of olive oil into a pan, chopped up three cloves of garlic, and tossed the brussels (I cut them in half) into the pan with some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I sautéed them over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, and I had myself a delicious side dish. Since I wound up eating the entire carton myself, they actually wound up being my main dish! So easy. So delicious. I just don’t understand why people don’t like brussels sprouts!

Wednesday was quick & easy pizza after the Downtown Westfield 5k that I didn’t get to run (see above with the “medical close call”), but the hubs did. So even though I didn’t run, I got to enjoy the pizza!

Thursday’s dinner came from a recipe I found on Pinterest (of course) for Linguine with Smoky Avocado Sauce. I had grilled avocado for the first time a few months ago and loved it, and I’ve used avocado as a “cream sauce” before and loved it, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. The recipe itself doesn’t say how much pasta to use, so I wound up using enough for three servings, by just grabbing some handfuls of spaghetti. I really need to get myself one of those pasta measuring contraptions, because I never know how much I’m using when it comes to spaghetti.

In addition to dinner, there’s been no lack of dessert. Most nights of the week end with a little ice cream. Somehow, our cats know exactly when it’s ice cream time – no matter where they are in the house, they come bounding into the kitchen, and subsequently perch themselves on either arm of our couch, stalking our every bite. It may seem like a bit of an exaggeration, but I captured the below picture one night while we were trying to enjoy our dessert. It happens every single time. They’re lucky they are so darn cute.

I have next week’s meals all planned out already, but I’m thinking they may change. I’m picking up our very first CSA box today (and I’m so excited!!), so I’ll need to be sure to incorporate the goodies into our meals for the week. I can’t wait to see what we get!

Did you have anything noteworthy this week?
Do you have pets that stalk your every move when you eat?

Smoothie Central

When I was contacted by the folks at Vega to see if I’d like to try their new line of smoothies, I jumped at the offer. I currently have a tub of their vanilla performance protein at home and enjoy that post-workout, so I was excited to see what their smoothie powders were like.

I love smoothies, but I never make them. It isn’t that I’m too lazy to make them, rather the majority of recipes I find online involve one fruit I just can’t stomach – banana. I realize banana can easily be omitted from most recipes, but most of the time they’re used for texture rather than taste, and I’m too much of a smoothie novice to know what would be a good replacement. I’ve tried packaged smoothie mixes before, and have always been left feeling like they were missing something, so I was looking forward to see what Vega had to offer.

So, when I learned about Vega’s pre-made smoothies, I couldn’t help but wonder if they would really have the same level of both nutrition and “yum” factor as a fruit-blended drink. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was skeptical. I mean, how could something with ingredients like pea protein powder be made to taste like vanilla and almonds? Or fruit? Well, I don’t know how they did it, but the smoothies are good enough just with water! Each serving contains two servings of veggies, 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of omega-3. I was impressed with those stats, considering it’s just a bunch of powder. The best part (in my opinion) is that it’s completely plant based – so when you look at the ingredient list, they’re all things that you can pronounce, and more importantly, you recognize.

While the directions say to just add water and shake, I wanted to do a little more than that. Instead of using water, I decided to give their Vanilla Almondilla a try with some Cheribundi tart cherry juice. Since I typically drink some type of protein mid-afternoon at work (you know, to help me reach my buff arms goal), I swapped this out on Tuesday and was pleasantly surprised. I loved that I could just bring the individual package to work with me and make it whenever I wanted. And, the cherry and vanilla almond combination was delicious; I gave myself a little pat on the back for coming up with that one. I had my husband try the Mango Tango, and he was equally impressed with the flavors, and he’s a tough critic!

I’m looking forward to sampling the last few flavors, and I’m trying to come up with something creative for the unflavored package I received. The bottom line is that I would absolutely recommend these to someone looking for a quick, easy, and tasty way to get in some extra nutrients throughout the day.

Would you try these quick & easy smoothies?
Do you have any non-banana smoothie recipes that you like and want to share?

Disclaimer: Vega sent me these protein powders to try at no cost to me, and all opinions are my own.

Eurotrip 2012 Food: Copenhagen

We arrived in Copenhagen at around 10pm after a late flight from Berlin. It was actually the first time I had to walk out on the tarmac in order to board my plane; my mom has a thing about flying on big jets only, so growing up that was the only type of plane we would take – a big ‘ole jet. While this plane wasn’t small, I couldn’t help but giggle on my way out, thinking about my mom.

Since we arrived so late, we snacked on some of the chocolate I procured earlier in the day, and got to bed early in order to take full advantage of our time in Copenhagen. We started the day with breakfast at the hotel, which for me included a veggie sandwich and a pastry. I was happy to see that it was completely acceptable to eat a sandwich for breakfast – something I love doing. We then headed to Tivoli Gardens, which is a big amusement park with gardens, and tons of restaurants in the heart of the city. Once we had done our fair share of rides, we settled on lunch at a bier garten, because we apparently weren’t done with Germany just yet. After lunch, we headed to check out my very favorite Disney princess – Ariel!

For those of you that don’t know, Hans Christian Andersen was Danish, and actually wrote the famed Little Mermaid, that was then made into my favorite Disney movie of all time. So of course it was necessary to visit the statue of her while in the city. By the time we finished the treck from Tivoli to the water, we had worked up quite an appetite for dinner. So, upon the recommendation of Yelp, we headed to a Thai restaurant right on the water, that allowed us to watch evening runners while we enjoyed our dinners. We both wound up getting the same dish, and it was delicious!

While I was spending time scouring the internet to not only learn the dining customs (we didn’t want a Berlin repeat) but to also find restaurants, it became apparent that there wasn’t a lot of Danish food around. The places that did exist, were unfortunately very upscale and required very far in advance reservations (I’m talking months). So, I made sure to find and try “traditional” Danish food for lunch on our second day. There were restaurants lining the water in Nyhavn, making our decision tricky. Eventually we settled on Nyhavn 37, and while the hubs ordered some steamed blue mussels, I went with their “Traditional Danish Lunch Platter,” which included the infamous pickled herring.

I’m willing to try pretty much anything, and I can now say that I do not like pickled herring. Fried pickled herring is okay (I had that in Stockholm, we’ll get there eventually), but I am not a fan. So while my meal was only okay (based solely on my own tastes – my husband’s was delicious!), I had a beautiful view. The weather in Copenhagen was significantly colder than Berlin and by extension home, so I enjoyed the meal outside by heating lamps with a blanket. Since it’s cooler there but everyone enjoys eating outside, most restaurants provide fleece blankets for their patrons – it’s so cool!

While my lunch on our second day was a little lackluster, dinner certainly made up for it. We stumbled upon Halifax, where I enjoyed what may have been the best burger I’ve ever tasted. The concept is neat – you pick the style of burger, what type of patty (size and if you want beef, chickpea, or celery), what type of side you want (fries, salad, etc.), and what dipping sauce you want (chipotle, aoli, remoulade, salsa, or straight up mayo). I decided to go with their Zurich burger, which had rösti as the top bun (it’s basically like a potato pancake). The whole not having a full bun thing worked out, since they eat their burgers with knives and forks! Of course, my husband and I washed our burgers down with beer.

We spent each day in museums and wandering the streets, so caffeine pick-me-ups were required here and there. While Copenhagen didn’t have Starbucks, I found a Baresso on almost ever corner. I fell in love with their vanilla cappuccino, and ordered one every time we visited the shop. The fact that they served it in a glass cup and topped it with a heart made it all the more enjoyable.

We only spent three days in Copenhagen, so our last full day started with some Barreso to fuel a stroll around Stroget, their shopping district. Our last meal was at an Italian/Mexican fusion restaurant, Momma Rosa’s where I did something my husband just couldn’t get behind – I ate pizza with a fork. I didn’t mind it so much (I used to start eating pizza that was too hot that way when I was little), but my husband just couldn’t justify eating pizza that way.

We had a late train from Copenhagen to Lund in Sweden, where we then took a sleeper train to Stockholm. We stopped at a 7-Eleven in Lund to grab some drinks, and while making small talk with the cashier, she asked where we were from. We mentioned the U.S, specifically New Jersey… where she informed us she’d heard of NJ thanks to Jersey Shore. Fabulous.

While our time in Copenhagen was short, we absolutely loved the culture – they bike everywhere, and would love to return. Next up is our final stop, Sweden!

Mom… the protein!

There was quite a surprise waiting for me when I got home from work on Wednesday evening – protein powder! The awesome folks at GNC sent me a bunch of protein powders to try out, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m just getting into trying out supplements to aid in my healthy eating and working out, and now that I’m on a mission to get ripped arms, I have just the right tools to do it!

As a swimmer I dabbled (I use the term lightly) with protein powders in high school. I remember going to Trader Joe’s with my parents one summer afternoon after long course practice and staring at the options in the supplement asile. After some label analysis we left with vanilla whey, and I drank it here and there, but never really committed to anything. By the time college rolled around I didn’t have the funds to really buy anything, so I only drank the watered down Gatorade supplied by the school at practice. Don’t get me wrong – the Gatorade was great for during the workout, but I wasn’t doing anything to help myself pre or post practice. But, now that I’m determined to have more defined arms, I’ve been on the hunt for new protein powder(s), so this is perfect timing!

I’ve set myself up with a pretty good routine in terms of the different powders, and I’m really loving it so far. Of course, it’s going to take some time to really see any results, so I will absolutely share my progress! I’ll also share my routine of what I drink when, after I perfect it (there’s always room for improvement!). But, here’s what I’m starting with, in terms of my arms goal. These shoulders have seen some serious work over the years (hello, swimming), and I’m looking forward to getting them more toned than ever. I guess you could say it’s my summer goal.

arms1 — Welcome to the guns show… maybe?

Of course I’m not content just mixing the powder into water or milk, so I decided to get a little creative. Enter the Chocolate Cherry Protein Bites! I’ve had some dates and dried tart cherries hanging around in my pantry, so I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to use them. I decided to use the soy protein as it’s best used twice a day, and I figured this would be an easy way to enjoy a mid-morning and afternoon snack. Of course, you can use any (preferably chocolate) protein powder you see fit.

Here’s a little info about the Pro-Performance Soy Protein 95 powder: soy is the only completely plant-based protein; it contains all of the essential amino acids including BCAA – leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Soy protein 95 is cholesterol-free. Pro Performance Soy Protein 95 features Supro brand soy protein, made from certified non-genetically modified (non-GMO) soybeans that are produced while being tightly monitored and controlled from planting through processing.

So stay tuned for more protein fun! But in the meantime, I want to know: do you guys have any tips or recipes for me to enjoy my protein other ways? AND, what flavor do you prefer – chocolate or vanilla? (I think I like them both equally!)

Cherry Chocolate Protein Bites
– makes 18 teaspoon sized balls –

Ingredients:
10 pitted dates, chopped in half
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup mixed nuts (or your favorite kind)
1 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
1 Tbsp protein powder of choice
1 Tbsp+ chocolate chips (however much you like, really)

Directions:
1. Place everything into a food processor, and process for about 2-3 minutes. Everything should be combined, without any chunks.
2. Using a tsp, form the balls and place them staggered about a 1/2 inch apart on parchment paper. You can then roll them in the parchment paper, and put them in a container for easy storage in the fridge.
*They are best kept in the fridge so they maintain their form and don’t “sweat”.

DISCLAIMER: These products were sent to me for review purposes, and all opinions are my own.

Giveaway Winner!

This past week I was lucky enough to not only host a blog giveaway, but also win one!

Samantha over at Running and Cupcakes has been hosting some pretty awesome giveaways recently, so I had to get in on the action. I decided to try my luck at winning some Perky Jerky beef jerky. That may seem like an odd giveaway to enter for someone that doesn’t really eat meat, but my husband is a huge jerky fan and I’m always willing to give food a try. When my package arrived I was expecting a bag or two of jerky… but oh no – I got a handful of bags and a personalized note!

I’m pleased to report that the jerky was an overall win for both myself and my husband. And the entire pouch is only 90 calories, so it’s a perfect snack. I’m psyched I have so many packets to enjoy, and will definitely be looking into ordering more in the future!

Now onto my giveaway – thanks to Random.org, the winner is comment #4…

Congratulations! E-mail me your address [ foodosaurusrex (at) gmail (dot) com] so I can have the goodies on their way! Thanks to everyone that entered!

Love the run

Since I’ve been in a lull in terms of my racing schedule, I’ve had the opportunity to really enjoy running for what it is. While it can be a struggle some days, once I finally drag myself outside I always end the run happy. I haven’t been running tons of miles each week (topping at about 30), but I’ve definitely been speeding up, and enjoying myself more. I tend to go through phases where I am absolutely in love with running one minute, and then the next I question my ability to continue training for races. Right now I’m embracing the love moment!

I picked up a pair of Brooks Green Silence early this week, and took them out for a test run. They’re more on the minimalist side, but aren’t as minimal as the Vibram Five Fingers I have. I actually took those out for a 1.25 mile jaunt last weekend, and am excited to slowly incorporate them back into my running as it’s been 2 years since the last time I ran in them. I’m really happy with the Green Silence, and plan to rotate them in with my Ghosts for shorter runs until my legs get stronger, since I definitely felt my calves screaming by the end of my 3.5 miles on Wednesday. Brooks’ “Run Happy” mantra certainly applies to me.

In terms of my near-future running plans, I’m looking forward to a 10 mile race on March 25th (an automatic PR since I’ve never raced that distance!), and then a half marathon April 22nd. From there, I’m not really sure what my plans are (maybe another half or two?), aside from the annual summer 5k’s, and then the Chicago Marathon in October!

My running has been fueled by some good eats, of course. On Wednesday I decided to give Healthy Happy Life’s Easy Sweet Potato Burgers a try, and they were awesome. The only change I made to the recipe was subbing tahini for almond butter (just because I didn’t have any tahini), and I also threw in a teaspoon of chili powder. The recipe made six decent sized burgers, so I’ve been enjoying the leftovers!

Even though there was a mashed sweet potato in the burger, I couldn’t help but have some fries. Conveniently, the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program sent me a coupon to sample an Alexia Foods product. I’ve had a few of the different french fries they offer, and was immediately drawn to their waffle fries (my favorite). I find that oftentimes the heating instructions on frozen potato products aren’t sufficient – I wind up having to babysit the fries because when the timer goes off, they are still mush, but after that they can go from mush to burnt in a matter of seconds. These fries were easy, though. I popped them in for the suggested 25-30 minutes, and they were good enough at 25 for my liking, and perfect at 30 minutes for my husband (he likes them on the crunchier side). Paired with the veggie burger, we had ourselves a simple but delicious meal. I absolutely plan on trying some of their other flavors, because I wanted to grab multiple bags while I was in the frozen aisle!

I’ve got some big plans for the weekend in terms of running and food – I mean, what else is there?! I’m looking forward to some running, eating, and of course, lesson planning. It’s hard to believe I’m already half way through my student teaching.

Saucy Giveaway

The first meal my husband and I cooked together was a stir-fry. Both he and I were unfamiliar with cooking (he more-so than me, but not by much!), so throwing together some vegetables, chicken, and rice in a sautée pan with sauce was a big deal for us. We proudly took a picture of our meal, and enjoyed it on plastic plates in our pseudo dining room.

Fast forward about three years, and while my cooking has become much more adventurous, every now and then we just need a quality stir-fry in our life. So, when I was contacted about receiving some House of Tsang sauces, I obviously jumped at the offer. I’ve actually used some of their sauces before, and they are good. Last night I made Chicken Sriracha Meatballs using this recipe, and paired it with noodles drenched in House of Tsang’s Padnag Peanut Sauce – it was a perfect compliment to the dish! The company included quite a few other sauces I’m looking forward to trying, as well as a set of awesome chopsticks from this site! Since my husband and I didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day on Tuesday (well, we went for a run together), we’re planning to do homemade sushi this weekend. These goodies will definitely come in handy!

House of Tsang has so generously offered to send a lucky Foodosaurus Rex reader the same package! What’s included, you ask?:
-House of Tsang® Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce
-House of Tsang® General Tsao Sauce
-House of Tsang® Ginger Flavored Soy Sauce
-House of Tsang® Sesame Seed Oil
-House of Tsang® Sweet & Sour Stir Fry Sauce
-House of Tsang® Hibachi Grill Sauce Kobe Steak
-Specialty Chopstick Gift Set

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment telling me your favorite stir-fry ingredients (I’m partial to some crispy tofu!). For an extra entry, go “like” House of Tsang on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did so!

You have until Sunday 2/19 at 9pm EST to enter!