Friday, September 10, 2010

Faux Fast Food and other Favorite Fings, I mean Things

I love it when my fellow bloggers post about their favorite things, so I am doing a "Kitchen Edition" with things I am loving in my kitchen right now.  Unsurprisingly, most of it involves stuffing my face.  I so love to eat.  I hope you'll comment and share something you love in your kitchen too!

First up: Jack's Salsa


See how it says "America's #1 Award-Winning Salsa" right on the label???  That's because it is the BEST.  STUFF.  EVER.  It is so fresh, it is like I am standing in the cilantro field as I eat it.  Is cilantro grown in fields?  Well, if it is, that's where I am.  I can eat the heck out of this stuff, especially with quesadillas (or chips, duh).  But it is also great in guacamole, too.

Next, I give you: Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds:


Yummmmm.  For a girl who is trying to eat low-carb, these are a literal gift.  They aren't cheap, but if you wait until they're BOGO, and use a coupon, they are affordable and still taste like $6 a bottle.  Goes great with a glass of wine.

Speaking of wine, my favoritest cheap wine ever is:

Photo: oe-no-phile
Blue Fin Chardonnay at Trader Joe's.  I have loved this one for quite some time, and just learned that people all over the internet are also singing its praises, which must mean I am just as awesome as I am clueless about wine.  I am taking a serious risk by putting this one out there, because word on the street (aka Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer Newsletter) is that this wine is no longer being made.  Therefore, when it is gone, it's gone.  It is only $3.99, and you'd never know it.  I call it my "house wine," although there is rarely ever left in my house because I usually drink it right up!

Moving on now to a non-food item, this is maybe my favorite tool in my kitchen (okay, besides the Cuisinart):


Despite the cheesy name, Cutco knives have got to be the best.  A friend gave me two of them for my wedding almost 7 years ago, and I use this one with the serrated blade nearly every day.  Nevertheless, it looks and performs exactly the same way it did 7 years ago.  It is super sharp, very comfortable to hold, and just perfect in every way.  I also having the paring knife, and love it too.

Finally, because I do so love food, here's my newest creation:


I call it the "MomGriddle."  When I was pregnant with my first I devoured McGriddles by the wheelbarrow-full.  I literally could not satisfy my hunger for a McGriddle.  By the way, a McGriddle is literally the most unhealthy thing you can buy at a fast-food restaurant.  Like fast food needed to get worse.  Of course, the new Double Down is probably worse, but anyway.

Three years later, I still crave them.  And I can't even blame pregnancy.  So I make a healthier version using these:


For your reference, here's a side-by-side comparison of the nutritional value:


You might be thinking, "but the MomGriddle is so small!"  Well, sweetie-pie, eat two!  Eat three!  It's still healthier than a McGriddle.  And if you are feeling adventurous, you could also add some maple syrup.  Yuh-um.

So do you have any favorite things in the kitchen that we should all try immediately?  Do tell!



P.S. Lovin' the Linky at 320 Sycamore!

6 comments:

  1. Love your Mom Griddle idea! I could not live without my Pampered Chef nylon scrapers in the kitchen or for crafting. They are perfect for scraping price tags off of glass picture frames & mirrors or removing labels from pasta jars too. Best of all, they are less than $1 each. :) http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=241&words=nylon%20scraper

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  2. Yeah, you can go ahead and put the mom griddle on the menu for next weekend, sister!

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  3. I use Cutco knives too! I got a set for my wedding 9 years ago and I adore them! I eat yogurt covered pretzels by the boat load. My favorite wine is Clos du Bois, although it's not nearly as cheap. I also love Crystal Lite Orange Strawberry Banana (YUMMY!). I used to be addicted to crangrape juice and would drink gallons and gallons of it in a week. (I can thank the hospital where I delivered Charlie. They got me addicted to it.) But then I realized how incredibly sugary it was and that it was probably the sole reason I wasn't losing baby weight. Yes, it took me awhile to figure that out. I'm slow. My favorite breakfast food is an everything bagel with tons of cream cheese. I could go on and on and on...

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  4. Stephanie--I think you and I are leading the same life! I love my PC scrapers also! I use them to scrape crud off my kitchen floor, yuck! (Plus we have the same frogs in our kids' bathtubs, I noticed last time I read your blog)! Kellye! It is so awesome that you have the whole set! BTW, Crystal Light tea almost made the list--and YOU got me addicted!!! Blair--done and done!

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  5. You are a McGriddle McGyver! Love it!

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  6. You just made me very hungry. I need some good knives...thanks for the recommendation!

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