Contemplating a Comeback

Just finished my 5th blog conference this year, which was Bloggy Boot Camp in St. George. Met and reacquainted with awesome people, and was inspired and reassured in my writing abilities. Talked to some wonderful food bloggers, and realized that I REALLY miss doing Nicole Rates It. It's getting to be time to renew my domain...and I'm not quite ready to give it up. My posts here will probably be sporadic, but I'm going to start tweeting more about food at @nicoleratesit. If you've been hungering for my reviews, let me know if you're still reading/subscribing to my site.

Sabotaging Myself Through My Blog

When I started Nicole Rates It, I thought that I would use it as a platform to review the foods I love, promote local restaurants, record my travel adventures, and lose weight. Lose weight with a food blog? I have several friends that have been successful with it. It gave them accountability for their food habits, and they seemed to be able to keep their portions in control.

For me...it ended up being an excuse to eat. I spent money I didn't have to eat foods that were not good for me. Even when I went on blogging hiatus in December, I still caught myself buying foods that I knew were unhealthy. I take dozens of pictures of a decadent meal, with the intent of eventually blogging about the amazing food I just consumed. I would use the blog as a reason to eat gargantuan portions, order desserts and appetizers, and get huge boxes of pastries at bakeries...all for "my blog." And what has it done for me? It's given me writers' block and an additional 50 pounds on my already obese frame.
These are pastries from Schmidt's Pastry Cottage in Taylorsville, Utah. This bakery catered my high school dances, and eating their treats reminds me of younger happier times. I started the blog post on these treats in January...took pictures, wrote out detailed descriptions, finished off the box, and never published the review. I cannot tell you how many other times I have done this.
As my months of unemployment have dragged on, I have finally taken up the hobby of cooking. I got a great Crockpot for Christmas, and I've been experimenting with all sorts of slow-cooked delights. Dr. Pepper BBQ pork roasts, chicken Tikka Masala, Cranberry Turkey, and more. I've been eating smaller portions, freezing the leftovers, and trying to stay away from the restaurants and bakeries where I lose control.
My problem isn't lack of fruits and vegetables. I love my produce, and am anxiously awaiting farmers' market season. The problem is all the dips, sauces and glazes I eat with my produce. I need to plan out my meals more carefully, journal my food consumption carefully, and listen to my body's hunger signals more carefully. I need to take accountability for my actions. And I've realized that I can't be successful right now with my weight loss goals with this blog.

In March I auditioned for NBC's Biggest Loser reality show, feeling that I was a shoo-in. I need to lose 165 pounds, have had some incredibly unique health challenges, and I've got that winning personality that TV producers go nuts over. But I didn't get the callback. And it's sent me reeling into another depressive episode that makes me want to binge myself into oblivion. I've made the decision to step away for a while. Maybe permanently. But don't fear, I'll still be around...just not on Nicole Rates It.

Durian HiChew (and other Durian TMI)

For the past 6 months, I have been strangely revolved, yet intrigued by the durian fruit. Nicknamed the "King of Fruits," this bizarre-looking spiky fruit pod has captured my curiosity. My husband and his friend randomly stopped into an Asian market, looking for something crazy to try. They found these durian wafer cookies, went out to the car, and busted open the seal. The smell was so permeating that their gag reflex quickly kicked in. The smell was so putrid that they didn't dare try it. They opened the car door, put the package under the car tire, and drove off.

When my husband related the story to me, we were driving back from the airport. I pulled up durian on Wikipedia on my phone, and we laughed for 45 miles at the following descriptions of this peculiar fruit:

"The edible flesh emits a distinctive odor, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust. The odor has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia."

"The unusual flavor and odor of the fruit have prompted many people to express diverse and passionate views ranging from deep appreciation to intense disgust. Writing in 1856, the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace provides a much-quoted description of the flavor of the durian:

"The five cells are silky-white within, and are filled with a mass of firm, cream-colored pulp, containing about three seeds each. This pulp is the edible part, and its consistence and flavor are indescribable. A rich custard highly flavored with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but there are occasional wafts of flavor that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes. Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy. It is neither acid nor sweet nor juicy; yet it wants neither of these qualities, for it is in itself perfect. It produces no nausea or other bad effect, and the more you eat of it the less you feel inclined to stop. In fact, to eat durian is a new sensation worth a voyage to the East to experience...as producing a food of the most exquisite flavor it is unsurpassed."

"While Wallace cautions that "the smell of the ripe fruit is certainly at first disagreeable", later descriptions by westerners are more graphic. British novelist Anthony Burgess writes that eating durian is "like eating sweet raspberry blancmange in the lavatory." Chef Andrew Zimmern compares the taste to "completely rotten, mushy onions." Anthony Bourdain, while a lover of durian, relates his encounter with the fruit as thus:

"Its taste can only be described as...indescribable, something you will either love or despise. ...Your breath will smell as if you'd been French-kissing your dead grandmother ... its odor is best described as pigsh*t, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia."

"Other comparisons have been made with civet, sewage, stale vomit, skunk spray and used surgical swabs."

(source: Wikipedia.com)

With a description like that, can you see why I was disgustingly intrigued? Several months ago, I found out that my favorite candy, HiCHEW, was being offered in a seasonal durian flavor. I figured that if I was going to sample the "King of Fruits," I'd better do it in a delivery method that I am familiar with...HiCHEW. I've had the packages in my Japanese candy stash for a few months, and decided to end my Nicole Rates It hiatus with a review of durian HiCHEW.

Directly out of the foil wrapper, the white candy had a very light vanilla scent. At first bite, it was sweet, somewhat similar to the yogurt HiChew. As I chewed the candy, the flavor changed and my nostrils began to sting a bit. It is so hard to describe...kind of like an almondy vanilla onion, with a hint of strawberry. I enjoy the texture of HiChew, but the flavor didn't mesh well with the texture for me. Honestly, the flavor wasn't as bad as I expected, but it wasn't something I'd buy again for my own enjoyment.

It would, however, be a great gag gift. Or white elephant gift. I found the packages at an Asian market in California, and I was showing off my latest bizarre candy purchase at a party. A few of my friends volunteered to be subjected to durian HiChew torture, and they described the candy as such:

"An overripe strawberry yogurt cup, mixed with boiled onions and melted into latex."

"A rotten pickle in a mortuary"

"Rancid onion smoothie left outside in the sun for a week"

"A guacamole banana yogurt facial masque, accidentally consumed while drunk on a surgical glove."

"Var bitter. It was a deceptive experience because you see a candy. You unwrap a candy, it has the texture of candy, but it tasted like day-old yogurt. I thing it was supposed to sweeten up at the end but I didn't get that far." (Liz)

Cybele from CandyBlog reviewed it as such: " It’s a mix of strawberry and mirepoix. The onion notes weren’t completely revolting, it was like eating ice cream that had been stored in a smelly freezer ."

I can only imagine what the fruit would taste like fresh. I'm not sure I'm ready for it.

Nicole Rates It...3/10 (Try it once, then trick your friends into eating it)

A New Direction?

Well loyal readers, how's 2010 treating you?

So far, it's been a crazy January...moving truck fiascos, computer crashes, dental drama, physical therapy torture, things ranging from excellent to awful. I do eat everyday, but I don't have time to write about what I eat lately. If I haven't mentioned it before, I was laid off from my job in Atlanta in June. Due to economic circumstances, we relocated to Utah (while my pilot husband is based in Memphis), and my life was turned upside down for a while. Despite valiant attempts at seeking employment, no suitable employment has been available for me. I decided to complete a certification program in my field, healthcare administration, and have a job lined up for me once I finish. It's online training, I get distracted easily, and I need to focus in order to support my family.

Between my primary blog www.cuteculturechick.com, professional training, family life, health, and a fair dose of travel...I've decided to go a new direction with Nicole Rates It.

The hardest thing about unemployment is an anorexic bank account, obviously. I tend to have expensive food tastes, and I decided I need to wait until I'm working to use this blog as an excuse to eat out. I have a huge backlog of unfinished food posts from the past few months, which I will pick away at when time permits. I'll do shorter, more concise reviews. I'll post recipes of my unique food creations. I'll review the huge stash of Japanese candy I got from Jlist. I'll focus restaurant reviews on lesser-known, less expensive, local Utah food joints, as well as reviews of the places I eat whilst traveling.

So in summary, this is not the end of Nicole Rates It. I still love food, and I still love telling people about it. Stick me in your Google Reader, follow me on Twitter, and tuck me into your memory until I have time and resources to revive the site.

Until then, Bon Appetit!

Dipped Oreo Truffles

Tonight's treat to take to a New Years' Party: EASY dipped Oreo Truffles

1 package Oreos, pulverized
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 package vanilla almond bark, melted into a double boiler

Pulverize Oreos in a Ziploc bag or food processor (I used my SlapChop) Mix Oreo crumbs in with a package of softened cream cheese. Roll into teaspoon-sized balls. Dip balls into warm melted chocolate in double boiler. Let cool on a sheet of foil or waxed paper.

Yield: 36 balls Time: 15 minutes

(Also delicious with Candy Cane Joe-Joes, dipped in Guittard mint chips)

Temporary Hiatus

Between homework, holiday parties, family and parental obligations, and a wicked back injury from shoveling snow, I've decided to take a temporary hiatus from Nicole Rates It. Despite all the lovely foods I have sampled over the last few weeks, I just haven't had time to set aside for food blogging. Things should pick up again for the new year, including some recipes I've recently concocted. I'll still keep up with my personal blog, www.cuteculturechick.com .

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good BITE!

Week in Review

Reviews and articles that tickled my tastebuds this week:

Gigi Reviews: Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's (My December cookie of choice)
Japanese Snack Reviews: Daiiti Seika Goma Sesame Crunch Candy
Jim's Chocolate Mission: GU Naughties Millionaire's Flapjacks
SodaGiant: Trader Joe's Blueberry Refreshers
Cake Wrecks: Some beautiful Wintry Wonders (non-wrecks)
Phoood: On The Border Loaded Carne Asada Tacos
The Impulsive Buy: Sonic Holiday Mint Blast Shake
Eating the Road: What Should I Eat? Freezer Aisle and Chain Restaurant flowcharts
I Ate a Pie: Margherita Turkey Pepperoni
BevReview: Pepsi Throwback, Mountain Dew Throwback December 2009 relaunch designs

Why I Love Chick-fil-A

One of the unimportant, but beneficial nonetheless, deciding factors when I move is access to the foods, restaurants and stores I love. Being the wife of a regional airline pilot has taken me from SLC, to LAX, to DTW to ATL, and now back to SLC (That's Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Atlanta to all you non-aviation folk) When I moved to Atlanta last year, I was happy to discover that there are 76 locations of Chick-fil-A in the Atlanta Metro area. I’ve mentioned it here in there in the past, but CFA is my favorite fast food chain (followed up by Burgerville USA in WA and OR…best sweet potato fries EVER) My friend Emily even gave me a CFA gift card for Christmas last year, and I used it up before New Years'. I went to CFA this week for the first time in a couple months, and I fell in love all over again.

Why I love Chick-fil-A:

All of their menu items are under 500 calories (with the exception of the hand-spun shakes, which are phenomenally delicious at 700ish calories)

They have a good breakfast menu – Offerings of sausage or chicken biscuits, bagels and burritos, and the best fresh fruit cup in the fast food industry

Their menu is fairly simple, but you can get BBQ, Polynesian, and several other sauces to dress your sandwiches

Waffle-cut fries. ‘Nuff said!

Their ads are clever, and they have a funny calendar each year chock full of coupons

They offer more diet drinks than just Diet Coke. Particularly Diet Dr. Pepper. And although I don’t drink it, I love seeing people’s reactions when they talk about the CFA sweet tea (*cough* Erin!)

They’ve stuck with their commitment to stay closed on Sundays

When I lived in Michigan, our closest location was 55 miles away in a mall in Toledo, OH. The times we went were an adventure; we loved the food…but it wasn’t the same as going to a freestanding location. In Atlanta, we lived just around the corner from a triple-drive-thru location of CFA. I have to drive a bit to get to a CFA location currently, but it's worth it. Let me hear you…who loves CFA?

***Originally posted at www.cuteculturechick.com

Cookie Recipe Megapost

Do you love cookies? Looking for a good cookie recipe? A friend sent me an email with all these links...sorry if some of them don't work. I've only tried a few on this list, but it would sure take a lot of time, money, and calories to try all of them. Here are a bunch to try:

1-2-3 Cookies
7 Layer Cookies
Allie Nelson's Famous Snickerdoodle Cookies
Almond Crescent Shortbread
Amish Sugar Cookies
Andies
Candies Cookies
Angel Crisps
Angenets
Applesauce Cookies
Apricot Fold-Overs
Aunt Edy's Molasses Crinkles
Auntie Linda's Ginger Gems
Bakeless Dream Cookies
Banana Drop Cookies
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World
Biscotti 1
Biscotti 2
Blueberry Cookies
Boiled Chocolate Oatmeal Drop Cookies
Brownies
Brown Sugar Shortbread
Brownie Cookies
Brownie Delight
Brownies
Buccaneer Snowballs
Buried Cherry Cookies
Butter Cookies
Butter Nut Balls
Butterballs
Butterscotch Haystacks
C.O.P. Cookies
Candy Cane Cookies
Candy Cookies
Caramel Shortbread
Cheesecake Brownies
Cherry Buns
Cherry Crowns
Cherry Winks
Chewies
Chewy Noels
Chinese Chews/Haystacks
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Meltaways
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Christmas Trees
Chocolate Cream Cheese Squares
Chocolate Crinkles
Chocolate Mint Snow-Top Cookies
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (no bake)
Chocolate Snowball Cookies
Chocolate Streusel Bars
Chocolate Sundae Cookies
Chocolate Walnut Crumb Bars
Choco-Scotch
Crunchies
Choose A Cookie Dough Recipe
Christmas Crackers
Christmas Crunch Bars
Christmas Ginger Snaps
Christmas Macaroons
Christmas Mice Cookies
Christmas Shaped Cookies
Church Window Cookies
Coconut Cookies
Congo Squares
Cookie in a Jar
CornFlakes Cookies
Cornflake Christmas Wreaths
Cowboy Cookies (oatmeal)
Cream Cheese Cookies with Apricot Filling
Creme De Menthe Chocolate Squares
Creme Wafers
Crescent Cookies
Crispy Crunchies
Date Nut Balls
Date-nut Pinwheel Cookies
Diabetic Peanut Butter Cookies
Disgustingly Rich Brownies Doodles
Double chocolate chip cookies
Double-Chocolate Crinkles
Eatmore Cookies
Eggnog Cookies
Elizabeth's Sugar Cookies
Elves Quick Fudge Brownies
Emily Dickinson's Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Emily's Best Brownies
Famous Oatmeal Cookies
Firemen Cookies
Fluffy Shortbread Cookies
Forgotten Cookies
Frosted Peanut Butter Brownies
Fruit Cake Cookies
Fruitcake Squares
Fry Pan Cookies
Gems
Ginger Cookies
Ginger Crinkles
Gingerbread Baby
Gingerbread Cookies with Butter Cream Icing
Gingerbread Men
Gingerbread Men
Ginny's Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Glory's Golden Graham Squares
Glory's Sugar Cookies
Gramma Chapman's chocolate coconut drops
Grandma Elsie's Zimt (cinnamon) Cookies
Grandma J's Butter Cookies
Grandma Olson's Parkay Cookies
Great Grandmothers Sugar Cookies
Gum Drop Cookies
Gumdrop Gems
Haystack Cookies
Ho-Ho Bars
Holiday Cereal Snaps
Holiday Chocolate Butter Cookies
Holiday Raisin Walnut Bars
Holly Cookies
Hungarian Cookies (Little Nut Rolls)
Ice Box Cookies
Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies
Italian Cookies
Jacob's Peppermint Snowballs
Jam Bars
Jessica's Famous Brownies
Jessie's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Jubilee Jumbles
Juliet's Peanut Butter Blossoms
Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Kentucky Colonels
Kiefle (cream cheese cookies with jam filling)
Kifflings
Kiss Cookies
Lacy Swedish Almond Wafers
Lemon Angel Bar Cookies
Lemon Bars
Lemon Cake Cookies
Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
Lemon Squares
Linzer Tarts
Log Cabin Cookies
Luscious Lemon Squares
M&M Cookies
Magic Cookie Bars
Melt in Your Mouth Cutout Sugar Cookies
Melting Shortbread
Meme's Cream Cheese Cookies
Milk Chocolate Florentine Cookies
Mincemeat Cookies
Mincemeat Goodies
Molasses Cookies
Molasses Forest Cookies
Molasses Sugar Cookies
Mom Mom's Crescent Cookies
Mom-Mom's Ginger Cookies
Mom's Nutmeg Sugar Cookies
Mom's Old Fashion "Puffy" Sugar Cookies
Monster Cookies
Moravian Christmas Cookies
Nana's Famous Soft Southern Cookies
Nitey Nite Cookies
No Bake Chocolate Cookies
No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
No Bake Cookies
No Bake Cookies
No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
No-Bake Cookies
Norwegian Sugar Cookies
Nut Balls
Oatmeal Bars
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Nut Cookies
Oatmeal Coconut Crisps
Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal Scotchies
Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Ooey Gooey Caramel Chocolate Dunk
Ooey Gooey Squares
Orange Slice Cookies
Parking Lot Cookies
Peanut Blossoms
Peanut Butter Bars
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Peanut Butter Cereal Cookies
Peanut Butter Chewies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter fingers
Peanut Butter Reindeer
Peanut Butter Surprises
Peanut Marshmallow Cookies
Pecan Puff Cookies
Peppermint Snowballs
Peppernuts
Persimmon Cookies
Persimmon Cookies
Petey's Yummy Spicy Almond Thins
Pfeffernuesse
Pffefferneuse Cookies
Pineapple Filled Cookies
Pizzelles
Potato
Chip Cookies
Potato
Flake Cookies
Praline Cookies
Praline Strips
Pterodactyl Nests
Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Cookies
Queen Biscuits
Quick Cookies
Raised Sugar Cookies
Raisin Filled Oatmeal Bars
Raspberry Meringue Bars
Really Peanutty Butter Cookies
Reese`s Brownies
Reese's Peanut Butter Bars
Rich Flavor Christmas Cookies
Rich Lemon Bars
Ricotta Cheese Cookies
Royal Almond Christmas Bars
Rudolph Cinnamon Cookies
Russian Tea Cookies
Russian Teacakes
Samantha & Kelsey's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sand Art Brownies
Santa Claus Cookie Pops
Santa Claus Cookies
Santa's Butterscotch Melts
Santa's Shorts
Santa's Special Squares
Scotch Cakes
Scotch Shortbread
Scotcharoos
Scotcheroos
Seven Layer Cookies
Short Bread Cookies
Shortbread
Skor Squares
SnickerDoodle Cookies
Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles
Snow Balls
Sour Cream Apple Squares
Sour Cream Christmas Cookies
Special K Cookies
Spice Cookies
Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Spritz Cookies
Stained Glass Window Cookies
Stir & Drop Sugar Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Swedish Pepparkakor (Pepper Cake) Cookies
Swedish Sugar Cookies
Sweet Marie's
Swiss Treats
Taralle (Italian Cookies)
Tea Time Tassies
Texas Brownies