Sugar Mohawk

It's ironic that the box of goodies I ordered from the etsy shop "Sugar Mohawk" came the week I decided to give up sugar.

Actually, I ordered it well before my sugar elimination strategy was laid out, on August 6th. But, she took awhile to ship it, and then when a box arrived on the 19th, it was the wrong order. I had ordered some bizarre items like chocolate covered cotton candy/peanut butter cups, and cinnamon coconut s'mores, but what was inside this box was lemon pound cake and lemon bars. Booorrrring. I could make those at home.

So, I promptly started a "convo" with ms. sugarmohawk on etsy and she quickly solved that issue. Promising overnight shipping and a $20 credit for future orders. However, the new order didn't arrive until today, August 26th. I gave up sugar on Friday. Either the gods don't really want me to give up sugar, or I've really pissed someone off. It was obviously not shipped overnight, and alas, no $20 credit in my package.

I opened the box, and everything was nicely packaged in clear cellophane bags with yellow stars on them. The bag of chocolate covered cotton candy cups had broken open, causing sugar to be all over the box. Ya see, cuz chocolate + cotton candy + peanut butter wasn't enough. She had to sprinkle sugar all over it too. Makes total sense to me.

I sliced one of those babies in half, and noticed the cute pink, not even remotely fluffy, cotton candy that was in the top layer, and a thin layer of PB in the bottom. One bite of this and two things came to mind 1.) this isn't natural, and 2.) this isn't real chocolate. Okay, and probably one more thing popped in there a little too late...you probably shouldn't have ordered these. They were not my thing, to be super nice about it. Which surprises me, because I am all about trying new things. The joke in my house is that if it says "new" on the label, I buy it. I'm just a wild and crazy gal, I guess.

After eating those, I was a little bit afraid of tasting the rest, but the crazy runs deep. I took a bite of the one I was most excited about: two almond cinnamon thins, with red velvet cake sandwiched in between, all dipped in "chocolate". I loved it. Really, I did. The cookies had gotten soft, which was to be expected, but it didn't really affect the overall taste.

I ate one of those, and then tasted the s'mores. These were described on sugarmohawk's etsy shop as: "imagine a fresh crispy cinnamon&sugar sprinkled graham...chops&chops of sweeeet IMPORTED Belgian Vanilla Cocoa Brick plopped with Fresh Coconut Marshmallows....placed in the DEEP WOOD BURN ROASTER and thennnnn.out dons a GORGEOUS SWEEET CAMPFIRE MUNCHER!(use sweet Local cut maple wood)"

They didn't taste bad, but really they tasted like any s'more I could make at home. I couldn't really taste the coconut, and a real campfire makes the best roasted marshmallows, hands down.

The one thing that I don't understand. Maybe it's just her shtick, but this person is fond of extra letters in her words. As you can see from the above s'more description. It was kind of annoying, and almost deterred me from ordering from her. But, seriously her creations are definitely uuuuunnnnique. So, more power to her!

Now, back to my regularly scheduled, boring, sugarless life...

UPDATE: Those little boogers are addictive, yo! Dammmmnnnn. Even the cotton candy pb cups were tastier when I went back for a second bite. My kids like them too. I suggest you check out her shop on etsy and at least give it a shot. There are seriously insane items for sale there. Heck, I may just go back in a few months to try these.....

*all photos, sugarmohawk

Larabar

With a lot of my posts lately I've been referring to specific foods that are helping me deal with this new way of eating. I thought that by eliminating dairy/wheat/sugar and soy that I'd be limited on tasty options, but surprisingly they are everywhere these days.

Case in point: Larabars are these amazing little snack bars that come in a gazillion fancy flavors.
Peanut Butter Cookie: Peanuts, dates, salt

Coconut Cream Pie: Dates, unsweetened coconut, almonds, cashews, coconut oil

Pecan Pie: Dates, pecans, almonds

Key Lime Pie: Dates, cashews almonds, unsweetened coconut, lime juice

Ginger Snap: Dates, almonds, pecans, ginger, cinnamon, cloves

Banana Cookie: Dates, almonds, unsweetened bananas

Cashew Cookie: Cashews, dates

Cinnamon Roll: Dates, walnuts, almonds, raisins, cashews, cinnamon
to name just a few.

According to the company's site, each bar is:
1 SERVING OF FRUIT * NO ADDED SUGAR * UNPROCESSED RAW * NON- GMO * GLUTEN FREE * DAIRY FREE * SOY FREE VEGAN * KOSHER

Each bar contains approximately 5 grams of protein, and around 200 calories. I pack them in my purse and car to make sure they are always handy for that sudden attack of fast food cravings. They are very filling despite how small they are, and I'm truly surprised at how different the flavors can be, given that they all pretty much have the same ingredients.

My favorite bars so far are the Key Lime Pie, and the Cashew Cookie. Something about them makes you feel like you're eating a brownie. The texture is so rich and chewy. A very satisfying sweetness, with just the right texture.

At around $1.50 to $1.70 each, they can eat the budget a bit, but are certainly cheaper than my big mac with extra sauce and small fry, and leave you without all the guilt and gas.

I found mine at the Health Food Shoppe, and at 3 Rivers Food Co-op, but I believe Kroger carries them, and perhaps other stores as well. I have not seen them at Walmart yet, which does not surprise me.

Out of all the protein/snack bars out there that I've tried, these get a 5 star out 5 rating. Dates may not be your thing, but you'll never know it once you've taken a bite out of these bad boys.

Ciao Bella!

Thanks to my no dairy and no wheat mantra these days, I have discovered several frozen concoctions to get me through my sweet tooth.


This one is called Cioa Bella and is the Blood Orange flavor. It is a fat free gelato and I can't believe how tasty it is.


The ingredients are basic, which I love. Blood Orange juice. Orange Juice. Sugar. That's it.


The texture is similar to sherbet, but maybe a little less creamy. The taste actually reminds me of grapefruit. Very sweet, but with a sour, citrusy note.

For those keeping track at home, there is sugar in this, which I am not supposed to have. I save this for my "cheat days" and for when it's this or a box of oreos. I think the Ciao Bella is the safest bet when faced with that decision!


I can't wait for the weather to actually get warm. This will be a nice, gluten free, dairy free treat.

Save time with these adorable toothbrushes

I stuggle pretty much daily with getting the kids to brush their teeth. They won't do it themselves, nor will they let me without a huge fight, usually ending up with toothpaste in someone's eyes, ususally mine.

So, when I was at the store the other day I saw these adorable tooth brushes that play music while you brush, I thought I'd give them a try.

The best part of all was that they had a Mario Bros. one, and Joshua is 100% addicted to his Super Mario Nintendo Ds game. We've had to banish it to just a few hours on weekends, or else he'd be propping his eyes open with toothpicks to play it all day, every day.

And, they had a Thomas the Train one too, so I was able to kill two crazy birds with two, heavily licensed, toothbrushes.

The music isn't annoying actually, like you probably would think it is. In fact, when I push the button for the Thomas one, Jacob comes running as fast as he can. Then, he tells me to get Joshua's too and runs to give him his Mario one.

They are magically brushing their own teeth without me even asking.

Plus, you can turn the music off if you don't want it on the full two minutes it usually plays.

These are made by World Trend, and I got them at WalMart. I'm sure they are available everywhere where toothbrushes are sold...happy brushing!

Review: Moscato D'Asti

First thing to know is that I'm really not a drinker. I wish I was, though, believe me. I loved the movie Sideways and how the characters knew their Pinot better than I know my husband. (just a little exaggeration honey, don't get too worked up!)


My friend Julianne however, is the smartest wino I know! She gets paid to write about wines and is even a beginner Sommelier, which basically means she knows her grapes.


I stumbled upon what is now my favorite wine, at my favorite restaurant, Biaggi's. It's called Moscato D'Asti and is slightly bubbly and definitely on the sweet side, which explains why I like it. There are fruity notes to it that I believe are peach or apricot.



I've tried several brands of Moscato, but have narrowed it down to three that I like best.


Bricco Riella is the one from Biaggis and it is my favorite of the three. It is made in Italy. It runs close to $11, but is so fresh and tasty, and I've had it last up to three days without getting flat or strong tasting.


Second would be Two Hands Brilliant Disguise which is made in Australia. I'm not entirely sure where to buy this, other than at Joseph Decuis. I'm lucky that my sister-in-law works there and can get it for me. This one has a bit less sweetness to it, but perhaps a little stronger apricot flavor, which is nice.


Finally, the third choice would be Lazurro, which is also made in Italy. It leans a bit more to the sweet side than the others do. This was okay for the first night, but after that it lost it's zest. This might be good for a party, because it's quite a bit cheaper than the Bricco Riella, and is best finished soon after opening.



If you're in the mood for something different, that's a bit sweet, but not quite champagne, then Moscato D'Asti is just what the doctor ordered.

A beef with Napoleon

I guess the beef should really be with The Fresh Market actually, since they are the ones peddling this dessert disguised as Napoleons.

For a nice dinner my husband and I stopped at The Fresh Market to gather ingredients for Frogmore Stew that I'll be making tomorrow, and while there we couldn't pass up the desserts that all looked to die for.

He got the Tiramisu, and I opted for the Napoleon, which I had never had before.

One bite and I was less than thrilled. The fillo dough layers were like eating post it notes. The heavy white icing-ish layer and the thick creapy cream layer just didn't gel with my tastebuds.

So, I read the ingredients...are you ready? Here ya go:

Corn syrup, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, water, soy protein concentrate, artificial flavor, polysorbate 60, sugar, hydropropyl methoylcellulose, salt, polyglycerol, esters of fatty acids, lecithin, potassium sorbate, xanthan gum, BHA, TBHQ, modified corn starch, partially hydrogenated soybean, cottonseed and palm oils, titanium dioxide, sodium propanoate, sorbic acid, phosphoric acid, artificial flavor, mono & diglycerides, agar, and artificial colors yellow 5 & 6.

Now, want to know what should've been in it?

A quick search on the internet yielded these traditional ingredients:
Puff Pastry
Whole Milk
Granulated Sugar
Flour
Butter
Cornstarch
Vanilla Beans
Egg Yolks

Now, this wouldn't be such a big deal if I had bought the Napoleons from the freezer section, or if it came in a box, but this came from the bakery section in a "fresh" grocery store. This bakery section with actual bakers milling around behind the counter, pushing carts and carrying trays.

Wouldn't you expect something actually made from scratch then? Arg. I'm upset about this, and won't be buying desserts from there anytime soon. I may still get their black and white cookie, but that's it. That black and white cookie is worth whatever artificial junk is in it.

Just my two cents...

Review: Archer Farms Creme Brulee

Not too long ago, I was a Creme Brulee virgin. A horrible waste of years, I know.

I was sitting at a table at the famous Heaven on Seven on Chicago's Rush Street. My husband and I were there with a company he worked for and we were being treated to dinner, with about 30 other employees and their spouses.

A plate of desserts was placed in front of the group. All of them looked to die for, but I somehow got stuck with a bowl of pudding. "Pudding?" I thought. "ugh." But, as not to be a spoiled brat in front of all these people, I ate it anyway.

With the first bite I knew immediately that it was not just pudding. The delightfully crunchy and sweet sugary topping crackled as my spoon broke through. And the vanilla custard was the richest, thickest most amazing thing I had ever eaten. The combination of the crunchy sugar layer and the creamy custard is insane. Instantly, I had a new favorite dessert.

Since then, I have tried Creme Brulee anywhere I can get it. Catablu and Biaggi's have the best here in Fort Wayne. But one day, while shopping in Target, something caught my eye. Archer Farms (Target's own house brand) had a frozen Creme Brulee. For $6.99 I decided it was worth a shot. You get two ceramic bowls full of frozen custard, and two packets of a heavy turbinado sugar.

They are easy to prepare, and take only minutes under a broiler. While these aren't as good as freshly made Creme Brulee, they are most definitely perfect for that quick fix when you don't have time, or say, three dozen eggs, to make your own.

I highly recommend giving Archer Farms Frozen Creme Brulee a try.

Pocky is Yummy.

There are many bloggers out there who dedicate their posts to candy. I am not one of those.

However, I love candy, so it will inevitably be reviewed or mentioned here at some point.

For example, Pocky. I have never heard of it before, but it caught my eye in the asian isle at the grocery store, and I thought, why not?

This flavor of Pocky was strawberry and the box was pink with sticks that look like cookies with pink chocolate on them. (They reminded me of my favorite chocolate mint stick things that I get at Bandidos and try to steal from everyone else at the table without them looking.)

They are described as "Biscuits covered with strawberry cream" , but I'm pretty sure there's no actual cream in these (does whole milk powder count?) They actually taste more like a cookie than a biscuit too, kind of shortbready tasting. I think that's the official term...shortbready.

Regardless of the countless artificial things in these, they were fantastic! When I opened the package, a nice aroma that reminded me of Strawberry Nestle Quik wafted from them and took me back to my childhood. Does anyone else remember the pink powdered stuff you put in milk, or am I really that old now? The strawberry taste is mild, too. Just a nice hint of a berry, almost leaning more towards vanilla.

My kids however didn't agree. Joshua, my almost 5 year old dropped it on the floor like it was a vegetable, and my youngest, Jacob, started wacking the microwave with it. Of course he wacks everything with anything, so that may not mean much.


But, for those adventurous enough, I suggest trying these. The next time you're near the rice and soy sauce, look for Pocky. It will become a main staple in my shopping cart from now on...