...Nicole Rates It...

Contemplating a Comeback

2010-11-14T07:02:00.003-07:00

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

2010-03-31T08:38:00.014-06:00

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)

2010-02-02T15:04:00.013-07:00

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?

2010-01-06T13:18:00.005-07:00

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

2009-12-31T18:17:00.007-07:00

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

2009-12-22T23:13:00.003-07:00

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

2009-12-09T07:43:00.008-07:00

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

2009-12-08T19:12:00.003-07:00

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

2009-12-07T07:49:00.007-07:00

SubZero Ice Cream - Provo, UT

2009-12-05T03:46:00.010-07:00

Liquid cream + Flavorings + Mix ins + Liquid Nitrogen = ice cream???

It's true. Science has again met up with my favorite frozen treat : ice cream. But this isn't your typical 31 Flavors parlor. After hearing rave reviews from several friends about the the up-and-coming phenomenon that is cryogenically-frozen ice cream, I did some research. Dippin' Dots , the "Ice Cream of the Future" has been out for over 20 years, but it is flash frozen in Paducah, KY and then shipped out. Turning liquid cream into solid ice cream before your eyes? That intrigued me. I read up on it online and found out there was a cryogenic ice cream shop 15 minutes from my house.

I had passed SubZero Ice Cream on University Parkway a few times, but had never been in an ice cream mood with money concurrently in my pocket. I started following their Twitter profile once I heard that they gave out freebies via tweet. I missed a few of their freebie days, but direct messaged @sub_0_IceCream to see if I could come in another time to try it for my blog. The Provo Towne Center SubZero generously prepared a freebie waffle cup for me to review on Nicole Rates It.

First off, you choose your dairy base: 14% premium, 10% custard, 5% low fat, and 0% yogurt. I decided to try the 10% custard. Next come the flavors, and this is the hard part. So many to choose from, and they're unlimited! There's your usual chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry...all the way to the more exotic egg nog, cheesecake, cake batter, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, and Root Beer.
The ice cream artist will take a metal bowl, freeze it with beads of liquid nitrogen, then add the cream base and flavors. Then it goes back to the nitrogen tank for a harder freeze, and then more flavorings and mix-ins are folded in as desired. For my creation, I chose custard base, banana, marshmallow creme, and caramel, with Kit Kat mixed in.

That's not smoke you see, it's a chemical reaction before your very eyes!

Within a few short minutes the liquid mixture becomes a solid delectable delight! And not only is the chemical process fun to look at, the showmanship of the employee was pretty darn near Benihana impressive.

The gimmick is quite impressive, but how does it taste? Fan-freaking-tastic! Because the ingredients are flash-frozen so quickly, the ice crystals are extremely small. This allows a much creamier and smooth overall taste and texture. Similar to well-made gelato, but creamier. It was the best frozen rendition I've ever had of bananas foster. Each flavor could be tasted distinctly, but the marriage of flavors was sweet indeed. I wasn't much a fan of the Kit Kat mixed in, as the liquid nitrogen froze the chocolate so hard that it hurt to bite. Next time I go, I'll skip the candy and go straight for the fruit.

There is abundant media coverage for SubZero. They received the 2008 Utah Best of State Award for Ice Cream, and they are featured in the Utah County Diners Guide. SubZero has two locations in Provo, one in Pleasant Grove, and one in Rexburg, ID.

Popular Mechanics did a feature story on SubZero Ice Cream: Making the Coldest Ice Cream in the World—But is it Any Good?

Nicole Rates It...9/10

Junior Mints Peppermint Crunch

2009-12-05T03:23:00.003-07:00

One of my favorite spots to pick up limited edition candy in Utah is at the BYU Bookstore. They have a fantastic candy shop, especially the homemade fudge and chocolate covered cinnamon bears. I find all sorts of cool stuff every time I happen to be on the Y's campus. I picked up a box of Junior Mints Peppermint Crunch for $1.59, interested on the holiday twist of my favorite movie theater candy.

The box is red and white, with muted peppermint disc swirls and red speckled mints. The box is 4 oz, which is slightly smaller than the 4.75 oz movie theater box. The aroma is pleasantly minty upon breaking the seal. Each mint disc is very lightly speckled with red and white peppermint candy dots, and the chocolate sheen isn't quite as shiny as the original. The texture of the bite is almost identical to an original Junior Mint, with a gritty edge once chewed in my molars. It's not significantly more minty, despite the peppermint candy flecks.

I enjoyed the box over a few days, as well as a box of original JM's. I prefer the original, just barely (mostly because I can get a larger box for about half the price, and each candy disc is noticeably larger. The fondant in the peppermint crunch isn't as smooth and gooey as the original, which is my favorite part.

All in all, it was an enjoyable holiday treat. I won't miss it in the summer, but might pick up a box again next year.

Nicole Rates It...6.5/10

Roadtrip Edition: Mad Greek Cafe - Baker, CA

2009-12-01T07:26:00.004-07:00

Along with Alien Fresh Jerky, I-15 between Barstow and Vegas is bombarded with run-down billboards for the Mad Greek Cafe. A new location recently opened in Primm/Stateline, but since I'd already stopped in Baker for Alien Fresh, I had to make a stop at Mad Greek as well.I thought Alien Fresh Jerky was kitschy...boy was I in for a treat!!!Neon signs, poorly made statues, plentiful Greek flags, words stenciled on the walls, fake plants, blue naugahyde booths. Any cliche you've heard about Greece...all in one diner in the middle of the desert!

I had eaten a breakfast buffet at a casino in Vegas two hours prior, so I wasn't in the mood, nor hungry enough, to spend $10 on a shady-looking Gyro. Instead I opted for a $2 wedge of baklava.

There was absolutely nothing impressive or unique about this baklava. It tasted exactly like the baklava you'd buy on a platter at Costco. The honey stuck to the paper tray it was served in, and the layers of phyllo didn't seem to care to stay in place. It was sweet, and I like baklava in general, but it was downright average.

Nicole Rates It...4/10

Roadtrip Edition: Alien Fresh Jerky - Baker, CA

2009-12-01T07:06:00.006-07:00

Despite my ability to fly for free, sometimes nothing beats a good roadtrip. I drive between Utah and California quite often, and I've done that 600 mile I-15 drive more times than I can count. I occasionally stop in Baker (just about the only town noteworthy between Barstow and stateline) but have never made been to Alien Fresh Jerky. There are numerous billboards between Vegas and LA for this kitschy jerky shop, and this week I decided to check it out for myself.
At the counter, there is an area to sample six different types of their "signature" jerky. Everything from whiskey to carne asada to caffeinated jerky. Most of the flavors were dry and tough, except for the honey teriyaki...moist, sweet, and tangy with a good chewy bite. Along with the jerky, they have a variety of alien-themed olives, sauces, and candy. You can buy astronaut ice cream, nuts,and fresh honey. Not to mention a plethora of green alien toys, t-shirts, hurricane glasses, skulls, and references to Area 51.
At $8 per 4 ounce bag...it's pretty much a rip off. You can go to the gas station next door and get a couple sticks for a buck. Does it bug anyone else that jerky typically costs more than filet mignon?
The most impressive part of the shop was their MASSIVE collection of hot sauces. There had to have been at least 200 varieties, most of which I'd never heard of.
My only caution about Alien Fresh Jerky is the possibility of striking up extraterrestrial romances. My daughter will not stop talking about how great it was to kiss Zarquon.

Nicole Rates it...4/10 (Go once to say you've been)

Pogo's 100% Natural White Cheddar Potato Cheese Sticks

2009-11-28T08:31:00.006-07:00

On a late-night run to Rite-Aid for some (lousy post-Thanksgiving dinner allergic reaction) Benadryl, I grabbed a snack to take with my pills. There was a display of Pogo's White Cheddar Potato Cheese sticks, and I figured for $.99, why not???

I want my money back.

These flat, crinkle-cut potato snacks are made by Medora. The press release description was promising:

"Baked through a unique process with premium real cheese and available in three outstanding flavors - white cheddar, hickory smoked and jalapeño cheddar - Pogos arrive on store shelves just in time for summer snacking, giving families an all-natural, non-GMO ingredients, no-trans-fat snack with an exceptionally intense taste, aroma and crunchy goodness."

Each crisp is roughly the size of a Cheeto. I'm usually a fan of crunchy cheese snacks, whether the flavor is artificial or "100% natural," opting for the natural when possible. These crips? Ick. The flavor is very mild and not very pleasant. The texture is grainy and leaves a sharp gaggy aftertaste. The crunch was awkward, a cross between stale bread and biting into a baked potato that's not cooked well enough. As much as I joke about some foods tasting like cardboard, I really felt like I was eating cardboard. I still have the yucky taste in my mouth. I only made it through about 10 crisps, and gave the rest to my brother-in-law. He didn't like them either, asking me if I was pulling a prank on him by offering it to him. These Pogo's were one of the worst snacks I've tried recently. They are edible, but just barely.

Nicole Rates It...2/10

(Netfoodie, however, liked these...she rated them as a 4/5. Anyone else tried these?)

American Cherry HiChew

2009-11-25T13:04:00.006-07:00

I am picky on my cherry flavors. I typically dislike anything that is labeled "wild cherry" because it reminds me of medicine. When I had the Diet Coke with Cherry in London, it tasted like rancid cough syrup. I don't mind tart fresh cherries, but the accompanying artificial flavor is hit-or-miss. Maraschino cherries remind me of being pregnant, because I downed a few food service sized jars in my first trimester. I do however like black cherry, and usually am pleased with the flavor, natural or artificial.

The American Cherry HiChew has intrigued me...what does a Japanese candy company like Morinaga believe is the all-American fruit flavor? The candy is a light lavender color with a darker plum center, very lightly scented of berry. I was expecting wild cherry, but was pleasantly suprised that is is a creamy black cherry flavor. It is like black cherry yogurt or ice cream. Similar to the berries and cream popcicles I downed by the boxful during the summer. The package was fresh and the candies soft. There are many fruit flavors I prefer over black cherry, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy this variety again.

Nicole Rates It...7.5/10

(Currently available through J-List, Mitsuwa Market, and Nijiya Market)

Week in Review

2009-11-21T09:09:00.002-07:00

Food reviews that tickled my fancy this week:

Heat Eat Review: Trader Joe's Mini Croissants ("Je voudrais un croissant. Je suis enchanté.")
Soda Giant: Jones Jumble mixed flavor soda (My review is upcoming)
FreezerBurns: Boston Market Sweet Potato Casserole (Four star "Frozen baby diarrhea?")
The Impulsive Buy: (the impossible to find) Limited Edition Mint Fudge Covered Oreos
I Ate a Pie: Fiber One Banana Chocolate Chip Frozen Muffins
On Second Scoop: Coldstone Creamery's Oreo Brownie Crunch Cupcakes
Project Domestication: Spread the Love Apricot Habanero Jam (a local Utah fave)
Gigi Reviews: Southern Comfort Non-Alcoholic Egg Nog (AKA snog nog)
Food Beast: Kogi BBQ PMS Tacos (It's that time of the month for persimmon, mandarin, sesame sausage)

Nicole's White Bean Chicken Chili

2009-11-20T06:16:00.003-07:00

This week I had a few friends over for dinner when my husband was in town. I decided to make one of my favorite comfort foods...homemade soup in bread bowls. This is one of my "throw together" soup recipes, which always ends up better than if I follow a recipe exactly as written. Here's my best approximation of what went in...feel free to spice it up to your liking.

1 pound of boneless/skinless chicken, cut into cubes
32 oz box of chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes*
1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix
2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained
1 10 oz can RoTel diced tomatoes and green chilies (with liquid)
1 small can diced green chilies
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 T. cornstarch
Cumin, to taste
Chili Powder, to taste

Brown chicken cubes in frying pan, seasoned with cumin, chili powder, and a splash of chicken broth. In a large (8 quart) stockpot, combine chicken broth, taco seasoning mix, chicken cubes, diced tomatoes, green chilies and Great Northern Beans. Simmer until 10 minutes before serving, then add frozen corn, whipping cream, cumin and chili powder. Thicken with cornstarch till liquid is desirable consistency. Serve in bread bowls.

Garnish with sour cream, tortilla chips, and shredded pepper jack cheese

Preparation time: less than 30 minutes. Makes approximately 8 servings.

*Depending on what brand of chicken broth you use, the soup may have a weak chicken flavor once all ingredients are in. I dissolve 2 chicken bouillon cubes in a small cup of hot water to make a runny paste, and mix splashes of the thick bouillon into the pot until it's got the right chicken taste.

I have won two chili cook-off awards with this recipe: one for most original, and one for best non-beef chili. If you like it with more beans, throw in more beans....it's really good with black beans. You can spice it up as much as you want, such as a splash of Chipotle Tabasco, pico de gallo or diced jalapenos.

Where Should I Eat?

2009-11-17T17:58:00.001-07:00

Snagged from Eating the Road. Too awesome not to share.

Oh My Darling Clementine!

2009-11-17T08:25:00.004-07:00

Does anyone else get giddy when temperatures drop and clementines start showing up in grocery store produce sections? I do! Even more so when I find them on sale for $3.99 a bag. Here's to my favorite cold-weather fruit! Huzzah!

And for you beverage fans, check out SodaGiant's review of Izze Sparkling Clementine Drink.

Sweet Tooth Fairy Orange Roll Cupcake

2009-11-16T23:59:00.003-07:00

This picture does not do this cupcake justice. It was a lot prettier when I bought it. I'm kicking myself for not snapping a pic before the cupcake went into it's cute little dome-topped cup. The cupcake tumbled within the cup during a fridge food stuffle. I went on a Utah County cupcake run a few days ago, but wasn't going to eat them all in one sitting. Even though I wanted to.

Here's another winning cupcake from Provo's Sweet Tooth Fairy Bakeshop. The flavor is orange roll, and when I was debating over which cupcake to order, the employees told me it tasted just like the orange rolls from Provo Bakery. I haven't had the Provo Bakery version, and I've only had homemade orange rolls a few times. I love orange rolls...it just seems that cinnamon rolls are much easier to find. I picked up one orange roll cupcake and one pumpkin chocolate chip cupcake to share with my daughter.

One common issue I have with cupcakes is that the frosting is excellently flavored and very sweet, but the cake is a big bland. Chocolate and vanilla are fine, but I prefer to find the more unusual cake flavors. This cupcake had a delightful orange aroma, that reminded me of wassail. The frosting was thickly slathered with a sprinkling of orange sugar crystals. It looked cute...cheery. I licked off some frosting and my eyes glazed over in sweet citrusy enchantment. When I took a bit of the cake with the frosting, and it only enhanced the satisfaction. The cake was very moist and soft, but not too crumbly, and it easily peeled out of it's paper wrapper. It really does taste like a freshly cooked orange roll with lots of glaze. It was a bit strange to have the taste of an orange roll, in cupcake form, but one of these cupcakes probably contains less calories than a large gooey sticky orange roll.

It's another winner for the Sweet Tooth Fairy!

Nicole Rates It...9/10

Paradise Bakery and Cafe - Butternut Squash Bisque and Harvest Turkey Sandwich

2009-11-16T22:27:00.008-07:00

Today my mom and I went out to lunch at Paradise Bakery and Cafe in American Fork, UT. This Arizona-based fast casual chain began in 1976, and has spread to 9 other states (mostly West Coast). For you Panera Bread fans, Paradise Cafe is in the same genre. It was a chilly day, and I was itching to get some good warm soup in my belly. I'm usually a sucker for the two-item lunch menu offerings, so I went for the "You Choose Two" special, a cup of soup with a half sandwich and cookie for $7.29.
I was in a harvesty mood, so I ordered the butternut squash bisque and harvest turkey sandwich. The soup really hit the spot...thick, creamy, and slightly sweet. It was garnished with "maple sour cream" and pumpkin seeds. It was well seasoned, with a pleasant aroma and texture. I hit a few spots that tasted more "vegetabley" but it wasn't bad. I've had some pretty awful squash soups, and some pretty good ones. This was among the best.
The harvest turkey sandwich reminded me of Thanksgiving dinner between two slabs of sourdough. It includes thinly-sliced turkey roast, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. It was a warm sandwich, and the bread held up well to the sandwich contents. The flavor was enjoyable, and I was glad that I changed my order to this sandwich at the last second. Between the squash soup and the turkey sandwich...I felt I had a winning combo. Plus, the included chocolate chip cookie was a nice happy ending to a delicious comfort food meal.

Nicole Rates It:
Butternut Squash Bisque 8/10
Harvest Turkey Sandwich 7.5/10

Strawberry Yogurt HiChew

2009-11-15T07:37:00.007-07:00

One of my bad habits is forgetting about candy I have in my house. I stow away Ziploc baggies of Halloween candy, and find them months later. I get so excited about finding new things, and try to space out when I eat them. I tuck them out of my line of sight so I don't devour them too quickly. I have lived in 4 states in 3 years, and through the moves...things get lost. I was excited yesterday when I found a $20 bill in my parka from last year....but today was better. I was looking in my old laptop case and found a package of Strawberry Yogurt HiChew.

Last Christmas my friend Sillyboy in Japan sent me a holiday care package with several fun HiChew, Pocky and KitKat flavors. Since I moved from Detroit to Atlanta around Christmas, many things got mixed up in the shuffle. Fast forward almost a year, and here's my review of the Strawberry Yogurt HiChew.
I prefer the Japanese version of HiChew to the American stuff manufactured in Taiwan. The candies are in a silver foil wrapper, with the HiChew logo (ハイチュウ Haichū), instead of the plain white wax paper for the Americanized version. I checked the expiration date, and of course it had passed (10.2009) The candies were slightly stale, which I was expecting. The fruit-chew has a muted pink exterior with a creamy white interior. The usual soft, latexy texture was stiff at first, but quickly yeilded to my bite. The yogurt flavor was tart, but not citrusy. The strawberry flavor was mild and fruity, a good complement to the yogurt. The overall flavor is much more subdued than some other HiChew flavors (such as Mango and ugggg...sour Ume Plum) The regular yogurt variety is my favorite, and I'd probably choose it over the strawberry yogurt flavor if given a choice between the two.

Nicole Rates It... 7/10

JCW's Burger Boys - Lehi, UT

2009-11-12T12:50:00.008-07:00

While collecting my pilot husband from the airport this week, he requested a stop at JCW's in Lehi. We both got the All-American Cheeseburgers with a platter of cheese fries and ultimate dipping sauce. The All-American Cheeseburger consists of a quarter-pound charbroiled beef patty, mustard, ketchup, pickles, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, and American cheese. The beef was very flavorful, high quality, and well cooked without being overdone. The cheese was present, but hard to distinguish between all the other ingredients. The tomato was a little mushy, so I took it off (as well as the onions). I love me a saucy burger, and this one met my needs (although I slathered on some of the ultimate dipping sauce just for kicks and dribbles)

The cheese fries were pretty good on their own...thick potato fries with a generous melting of cheddar cheese. I definitely prefer thick-cut fries over shoestring ones. Once I dipped the fries in their ultimate dipping sauce (BBQ, mayo, and other good stuff) the taste came all together and I was in saucy cheese-fry heaven.

JCW's has locations in Lehi and American Fork. The Lehi location is right off I-15 near Thanksgiving Point, and the parking lot is always packed. The food takes a while to get out (10-20 minutes depending on the crowd) but the food is always hot and fresh. Burgers range between $3-6, and they usually have a combo special for somewhere around $6.99. They also have a sizeable milkshake flavor menu, but I'm always so full after the burger that the shake will have to wait for another time.

Nicole Rates It:
All-American Cheeseburger 7.5/10
Cheese Fries with sauce 8.5/10

Week in Review

2009-11-11T05:53:00.003-07:00

Freezer Burns: Veggie Burger FroDown (Amy's, Gardenburger, Boca, and winner: Morningstar Farms)
The Impulsive Buy: Dannon Caramel Yogurt (What? Something caramel that doesn't appeal to me?)
Candy Blog: HiChew World Fruits (White Peach, Durian, CamuCamu, Dragonfruit)
Gigi Reviews: Campbells V8 Golden Butternut Squash Soup
Grub Grade: Great Harvest's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (my fave sweet bread for 20ish years)
Iateapie.net: Vitalicious Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip VitaTop
YumYucky: Evil Reeses Showdown

Pineapple Teriyaki Wheat Thins??? Seriously?

2009-11-10T05:46:00.003-07:00

Last night I dreamed that I was asked by Nabisco to review their new Pineapple Teriyaki Wheat Thins on my blog. In the dream (not in real life) I was pregnant and I thought they were the best cracker ever. I downed a whole box in one sitting. I gave them an overwhelmingly positive review on my blog, and Food Network caught news of the posting. Food Network was so impressed that they offered me a job as a host of my own show. On my first episode, a panel of judges decided to have a tasting of the Pineapple Teriyaki crackers, and everyone HATED them. I was laughed off the show, and the network gave me a large lump-sum check to never mention them in my blog again.

So strange!

What kind of crazy person would think this cracker flavor was marketable, let alone edible?

Kellogg's FiberPlus Dark Chocolate Almond Bar

2009-11-09T09:04:00.007-07:00

A few years ago while I was hard-core in to Weight Watchers, several girls in my class started raving about the Fiber One Oats and Chocolate bar. I picked up a box and was an immediate fan. I tried several other flavors, such as peanut butter, caramel, and apple streusel...but the chocolate one was the best. I ate them fairly regularly for a year or so, till I read a friend's blog post about how she gave up the Fiber One bars to rid herself of a flatulence problem. I stopped eating them, and my GI system went back to normal (I know, TMI!) Apparently, the fiber bars include chicory root, ethanol, and shellac. For the olfactory salvation of my family and coworkers, I gave up the FiberOne bars. Every once in a while I'd eat one, and soon remember why I gave them up (Word to the wise, NEVER drink a carbonated beverage with one).

At Sam's Club last week, I noticed the Kellogg's Fiber Plus Bars. I compared them with the label of the FiberOne bars, and they were cheaper and lower in calories. I decided to give them a try, to see if I could get the taste without the side effects. Kristi Yamaguchi (Fiber Champion?) endorses this product, and the website for the product says:

Kellogg’s™ FiberPlus™ bars deliver 35% of your daily fiber, plus antioxidants vitamin E and zinc. Kellogg’s FiberPlus bars are the high fiber snack that provides so much more.

For the review, I ate the Dark Chocolate Almond bar. The bar tasted very similar to the FiberOne Oats and Chocolate bar. Sweet, chewy, similar size and consistency as FiberOne. The chocolate had a bit of an aftertaste, but not bad enough to stop eating it. Some reviewers preferred it to FiberOne, but I didn't like it quite as much (as well as this reviewer). The real test was the gastrointestinal impact from the bar. I was fine for most of the day....then it hit me. If I were in the GI Orchestra, I'd be in the horn section tooting away on a tuba. If you're going to partake of this much fiber, you must flush your body with plenty of water. Another reviewer got hit about as hard as I did.

If you like the taste, and you have no problems with the fiber's effect on your digestive track, I'd say it's worth a try. I wish I'd purchased a 5-bar box instead of a case of 20. I'll probably eat them when I'm in a hurry, and don't plan to be in public for the next day. In buying grocery-store aisle bars, I think I'll stick with the lower calorie, less expensive, Quaker Chewy Granola Bars.

Nicole Rates It...5/10

Sammy's Cafe - Provo, UT

2009-11-08T22:32:00.018-07:00

I moved (back) to Utah in June, after being out of state for a few years (LA, Detroit, Atlanta) I'm living in Utah County, aka Happy Valley. As a Salt Lake County elitist, I have only limited knowledge of the local non-chain joints in the biggest college town in Utah. I had seen @SammysCafe showing up frequently on my Twitter feed, and I heard some good things from friends. Once I heard that they had sweet potato fries...I made a stop at Sammy's on Friday.
I ordered the weekday lunch special - burger, fries, and drink for $6.99. You can have you choice of any burger on the menu, and I went with the Sammy's Masterpiece. The burger consists of 1/4 pound burger with provolone, sauteed onion and mushrooms, bacon, guacamole, BBQ sauce, lettuce and tomato. (Hold the onion)
The burger was better than most chain restaurant burgers. The meat was flavorful, the thick patty was a tad pink but not raw enough to send back. The lettuce, tomatoes, and mushrooms were tasty, and the provolone was melted just right. The BBQ sauce was my favorite part; dark, rich, tangy and sweet. I'd love to get a bottle of that stuff. Between the burger juices and the BBQ sauce, the bun softened pretty quickly. I had two complaints of the burger: 1) The guacamole LOOKED good, but it ended up being bland. Needed a little spicy pick me up. 2) The burger was supposed to include bacon, but it was omitted from my sandwich. I wouldn't have noticed, except I reviewed the menu before I left and noted the omission. I was bummed I didn't get bacon, but even without it's a pretty loaded burger.

The sweet potato fries were stellar. Warm, crispy, and invitingly orange. I sprinkled on some salt and dipped it in their house fry sauce. They also have some pretty tasty looking thick-cut seasoned fries, that I'll likely try on a return visit.

The cafe has a fun ambiance. Diners eat up at a bar on stools, and the friendly employees chat with you as they make they dress your burgers and prepare pieshakes and cupshakes. I talked to the other diners as I ate, mostly college students, and learned a pretty thorough history of Dr. Pepper from a Texas native.The back wall has a myriad of Polaroid photos of Sammy's diners - not sure if you can just post pictures of if you have to eat something to get the honor.

I liked the combination of ingredients on my burger, but it wasn't the greatest burger I'd ever had. I liked the sweet potato fries so much that I talked a friend into joining me at Sammy's the next day. I wasn't terribly hungry when arrived at Sammy's after attending after Bijou Market in Provo (where I met Megan from Sweet Tooth Fairy) , so I split my food with my daughter. We had a ham and cheese grilled sandwich, sweet potato fries, and a strawberry shortcake "cupshake." The sandwich was grilled golden-brown, with a mild buttery flavor on the bread. The cheese was well-melted, with a decent slice of ham. It was a pretty basic diner-fare sandwich, but sometimes you just gotta have a greasy-spoon grilled cheese! The sweet potato fries were a tad burned, but still yummy. An employee suggested dipping the fries in caramel sauce....and strangely, I loved it.

The "Cupshake" has been getting some recent buzz over Twitter and Utah Loves Cupcakes. They use fresh cupcakes from The Sweet Tooth Fairy, and blend them up with vanilla soft-serve ice cream. The available flavors were strawberry shortcake, raspberry lemonade, carrot, toasted coconut, lemon, key lime, and peanut butter chocolate. Rosie and I are already big fans of the strawberry shortcake, and had no hesitation of ordering that cupshake. I ate the first few bites off the top while waiting for my food, and it was pretty dang good. Rosie took the next few bites and handed the cup back to me on the way home. By then the ice cream was melty and I was towards the bottom of the cup. The shake must have not been mixed thoroughly, because that is where the bulk of the cupcake resided. It was at that point that I ravenously devoured the cupshake. It was cool sweet bliss, reminiscent of a place of birthday cake and ice cream once it's melted and mixed together. There's something truly magical about that strawberry frosting. I can't wait to go back and try more flavors.

Nicole Rates It...
Sammy's Masterpiece Burger 7/10
Sweet Potato Fries 9/10
Grilled Ham and Cheese 6.5/10
Strawberry Shortcake Cupshake 8.5/10

(Bonus pic: My cute daughter Rosie)

Improv Everywhere - Food Musicals

2009-11-08T10:24:00.002-07:00

Week in Review

2009-11-05T22:05:00.002-07:00

Reviews from the past week that tickled my fancy:

Candy Blog - The Twilight Saga: New Moon Heart's Desire Sky Bar (also reviewed by Gigi)
Jim's Chocolate Mission - Cadbury Dairy Milk Desserts Berry Pannacotta
Everyview Food Review - McDonald's Flying Cow
Freezer Burns - Marie Callender's Pumpkin Pie (and Jabba the Hutt pocket)
On Second Scoop - Breyer's Banana Cream Pie ice cream
Snack Overload! - Vosges Haute Chocolate Mo's Bacon Bar
Would I Buy it Again? - Pizza for a month?

Beyond Glaze Doughnuts - Draper, UT

2009-11-05T10:39:00.004-07:00

Happy National Doughnut Day!

Today I had to drive my husband to the airport early, while fasting for some blood tests at the doctor afterward. I was reading up on Twitter this morning, and noticed that @Foodimentary mentioned that it was National Doughnut Day. Upon further research, it looks like there are two National Doughnut Days per year. I couldn't get doughnuts off the brain, and stopped at Beyond Glaze in Draper. Their mouthwatering smell permeated my Camry for the 30 minutes back to the lab for my blood draw, plus the next 10 minutes to drive home and take a few pictures before devouring them.

I discovered these luscious doughnuts by accident at my parents' house...a mostly empty box was sitting on their counter and I peeked in to see what flavors were inside. There was beautifully-decorated coconut doughnut, and I decided to sneak a bite. Unfortunately...the doughnut had been there for a few days, so it was dried out...but the frosting was so yummy I scraped it off with my teeth and threw out the pastry. I looked Beyond Glaze up, and saw they were in Draper. On my next drive up to SLC (consequently, to the airport) I stopped by and had one. One bite, and I was a Beyond Glaze believer!

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry
The Chocolate Dipped Strawberry doughnut was the first one I purchased, and I've gotten one every time I've returned since. Sweet pink frosting that has a distinctive strawberry flavor, with a zig-zag drizzle of chocolate. Not quite as good as a REAL chocolate dipped strawberry, but I've never had a pastry that's come so close. A must try!

Nicole Rates It...10/10 (Hall of Fame)

Peanut Butter Raspberry
It was my first time trying the Peanut Butter Raspberry doughnut. Creamy tan peaunt butter frosting was piped over the pastry with large round dots of raspberry frosting. Chew it together, and it tastes like a glorified PB&J sandwich on soft white bread. I really like the consistency of the PB frosting, and mixed in with the raspberry, it's delightful.

Nicole Rates It... 7.5/10

(Sidenote: If I had to give up all other doughnuts, just to have these ones occasionally, I'd agree to it in a heartbeat! They're $1.50 each, and completely worth the huge workout I'm about to commence at the gym)

Oh Yeah! Peanut Butter and Caramel Good Grab Bar

2009-11-04T06:35:00.007-07:00

When I worked out at Lifetime Fitness in Michigan, I always laughed at these prominently displayed protein bars in the pro shop. Every time my husband and I would walk by, we'd blurt out "Oh yeah!" just like the Kool-Aid Man. Then I went on the Thrive! Weight Loss plan in Georgia, and these bars were the suggested meal replacement bar. They are high in protein and have 6g net carbs. The mighty peanut recall of 2008-9 took them off the shelves for a few months, and once they were available my fellow Thrivers aggressively fought each other for the meager offerings at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe. Now they're readily available again, and I grabbed one at Good Earth.

The Oh Yeah! bars come in the regular 85g size, and the 45g "Good Grab" size. I've used the regular size as a meal replacement, and the Good Grab is perfect for a snack. I've tried 6 different varieties, and the Peanut Butter and Caramel is my favorite. Usually nutrition bars have an unpleasant texture and leave a bitter aftertaste. The Oh Yeah! bars are much more palatable, edging on delicious (for the nutrition supplement category). There is a firm but chewy protein blend in the center, tasty caramel layer, and peaunts enrobed in a peanut butter mockolate. The bar is primarily sweetened with Sucralose, so it does have a bit of an artificial taste...but that's par for the nutrition bar course. I prefer this bar to many of the other ones I've tried, and it's worth it to me to pay the extra amount to get something that tastes better. I paid $1.69 for the Good Grab, and the regular bars were around $2.29 on sale.

Nicole Rates It...8/10

Calories 190 (Calories from Fat 70
Total Fat 8 g (Saturated Fat 3 g)
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 60 mg
Potassium 40 mg
Total Carbohydrate 17 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Sugars 4 g
Sugar Alcohol 8 g
Protein 15 g
(Warning: excess consumption may cause laxative effect.)

Cafe Zupa's Belgian Chocolate Fondue

2009-11-02T23:33:00.003-07:00

I love fondue, but I only indulge in it occasionally. I have a few friends that make a killer fondue spread, but my chances to partake are few and far between. My favorite fondue spot is The Melting Pot. I went there for the first time the day after Taylor and I got married, and our meal was more expensive than one of the hotels we stayed at on our honeymoon. We've gone back for the cheese or dessert courses a few times, but it's way out of our budget to go for the $90 per couple "Big Night Out." Esther and I went to Cafe Zupa's in Draper for dinner last week before the Mat Kearney concert. I noticed that they had a Belgian chocolate fondue spread, and I couldn't resist. It's $9.99 for 2-3 people, you get the warm fondue, strawberries, bananas, brownies, and marshmallows to dip. We asked to have our fondue brought out as we were finishing our dinner.

The store manager brought out the platter, he told us that they use chocolate so fine that they have to pay $200 per brick. Only a few employees are trained to prepare the fondue to their precise specifications. I have to say...this may have been the best milk chocolate I've ever had. Sweet and creamy, but not too heavy. My only complaint is that it wasn't on a heating element, so the chocolate hardened a little as the meal went on. I made sure to go back and talk to him to let him know how lovely it was...and told him I'd definitely be back for it again. He acted like he was pleased that we enjoyed something he loved so much.

Zupa's has locations in Draper, American Fork, South Jordan, Provo and Cottonwood Heights, Utah. They are what I'd consider "fast casual," nicer than fast food, but not too pricey. I usually get my meal and drink for under $10. They have a large variety of unique soups, salads, and sandwiches. And meals come with fresh baked baguette and a chocolate dipped strawberry. I highly recommend Zupa's...both for the food and the fondue.

Nicole Rates It...10/10 (Hall of Fame)

Boston Crab Melt panini, Thai coconut curry soup, baguette and choco-strawberry

Sneak Peek at Upcoming Reviews

2009-11-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to California for a few days. My daughter had no school on Friday, and we liked the idea of trick or treating in 70 degree weather, as opposed to 30 degree Utah weather. One of my trip's goals was to acquire a stash of new Japanese candy to try. A big thanks to Cybele from Candy Blog, who led me in the right direction to the best shops in the San Gabriel Valley. Next time, I'll try to hit Little Tokyo. I picked up some Hi-Chew flavors I've been looking for (still haven't found the Cotton Candy or Durian), as well as Mango and Ramune Kit Kats, fizzy candies, white chocolate Pocky and some gummies. Keep your eyes peeled for some Japanasnackamagic!

Odwalla Pink Poetry Fruit Smoothie

2009-11-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

Oops. I'm a day late. It's November now, and no longer Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Or "breast awareness" month, as my friend's husband insists (which is why there are so many sexy low-cut Halloween costumes...for breast awareness) I did enjoy a few pink-lidded items in the month of October, like the Fuze Empower Goji Berry drink. I heard about the Odwalla Superfood Pink Poetry fruit smoothie a few weeks ago, but didn't find it till this week. I went out to LA for some 70 degree trick-or-treating this weekend, and just now took it out of my fridge.

I like the idea of the ingredient combination: plum, dark sweet cherry, and guava, with hibiscus, cranberry and green tea extracts. There's no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, and it's fat free. The label reads:

"Sisterhood has never tasted so sweet! With the wellness of all women in mind, we proudly present Pink Poetry. It's a delectable diva delight with some of the essential daily nutrients women need to be fabulously nourished to flourish."

Sounds great, right?

Upon opening the bottle, it smelled lightly citrusy (the drink also includes orange and apple juice). The liquid is an opaque purpley-mauve color. It was thicker than I expected, and it coated my mouth and throat. It tasted well enough as I drank it, but it left a gagworthy bitter aftertaste. I kept hoping that I'd get more into it as I drank the bottle, but I kept wanting to wash out my mouth with another drink. Usually Odwalla drinks taste pretty fresh to me, but this one tasted like it might have been past its prime (despite a December expiration date). About halfway through I let my daughter have it, and she winced upon the first sip and said "I thought smoothies were supposed to taste good." Granted, we usually get more desserty-type smoothies, and this is a "healthy" smoothie, but neither of us were impressed enough to finish the bottle today. I'll probably swig it down tomorrow morning at breakfast, but I honestly could take it or leave it.

Nicole Rates It...6/10

Nutritional Info (per 8 oz serving, half of bottle)

Calories: 140
Fat: 0 g
Sodium: 15 mg
Potassium 420 mg
Carbs: 32 g
Sugars: 26 g
Protien: 2 g

About Me: Obsessions and Preferences

2009-10-31T07:02:00.001-06:00

Before I get too far into my blog, I wanted to give a little background on me. It's been said, "Never trust a skinny chef," and I think the same runs true for food reviewers. I LOVE food. I get obsessive about food. I like food in every genre or regional cuisine I've tried. Sure, there are things I DETEST (like sweet pickles, horseradish, and walnuts) but on the whole I find joy in almost everything I eat.

I also love to travel. My husband is a regional airline pilot, and we have some sweet flight benefits. Almost all of my travel has been in the US and Canada, but I recently returned from a trip to the UK. One of the vital parts of any travel excursion if checking out the local eats. I try to buy something regional on every trip I take, and many repeat locales have the same rituals (like flying into LAX and getting snacks at the Trader Joe's on Sepulveda). I always keep some space free in my suitcase to fill it up with my food finds. I currently live in Spanish Fork, UT...but have also lived in Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, Portland, and scenic Rexburg, Idaho.

I love to blog, and I've been at it since 2002 when the general public had no idea what a weblog was. My main personal blog is www.cuteculturechick.com , but I also guest post on several other blogs (music reviews, religion, travel, etc). I'm the only "cuteculturechick" that I know of, so if you see that alias anywhere on the interwebs...it's probably me. You can also hit me up on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cuteculturechic . I'm guilty of spending much too much time drooling over "food porn."

Obsessions:

Hi-Chew Japanese Chewing Candy (fave flavors are cotton candy, melon, yogurt and mango. Just hold the Durian and Ume Plum.)

Caramel (homemade, dulce de leche, bananas foster, you name it...I like it)

KitKats (UK and Japanese versions)

Gelato

Marzipan

Coke Zero

Preferences:

I don't drink coffee, alcohol, or (non-herbal) tea. I'm a Mormon and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Top cuisine picks are Japanese, Thai, Argentinian, Italian, Tex Mex, Fresh Mex, and authentic Mex.

Milk chocolate has always been my favorite, and I'm trying to teach myself to like dark chocolate. I prefer caramel to chocolate if given the choice, but together is even better.

I'm aware that I need to lose weight, and typically on some weight loss plan or another. I try to select items on the healthier side for the vast majority of my eating (inversely proportional to all the rich foods that I obsess over and will likely blog about) I love fresh produce and frequent farmers markets when I can.

I have a particular obsession with foreign candy. I randomly pop into import shops in hopes that I'll find the new and exciting limited edition items that I read about on other blogs. I've got a couple of international friends that I do candy exchanges with. If you're interested in a swap, hit me up.

So that's me. Hope you enjoy my reviews.

Sweet Tooth Fairy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcake

2009-10-30T08:59:00.000-06:00

When I was running some errands in Provo this week, I stopped by The Sweet Tooth Fairy bakeshop. They're a family-run sweet shop that opened up in January with totally cute decor. The have an array of deliciously tempting cupcakes, of which I'm hooked on VaNieLa Squared and strawberry shortcake. I'm also hooked on their baked goods, especially their nut-free butterscotch Blondies. In honor of Halloween, I went for the pumpkin chocolate chip cupcake. Oh, boy, it was good! The cake was the perfect consistency between gooshy and firm, most and flavorful. It was chock full of Guittard milk chocolate chips, with a tantalizing buttercream frosting. I've been a longtime fan of the pumpkin/chocolate chip combo (especially Great Harvest Bread's loaf) and I think this one took the cake (pardon the pun). I wanted to turn around and go back and buy a boxfull. I hope they keep it as a seasonal flavor through Thanksgiving, because I'll surely be back for more.

Nicole Rates It: 10/10 (Hall of Fame)

Check out The Sweet Tooth Fairy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sweettoothfairy

Cheddar Popchips

2009-10-29T06:54:00.001-06:00

I was shopping in a health foods store yesterday and was looking for something savory to munch on. My friend Esther had pointed out Popchips to me when we were at Whole Foods last week, and I found single serving bags for $.59 each. I grabbed a bag of cheddar and busted them open in the car. Popchips are an all-natural crispy potato snack food that isn't baked nor fried. A mysterious combination of heat and pressure is used to create these wafer-like disks that are addictingly crunchy, but with no trans fat, no cholesterol, no preservatives, and little or no saturated fat. A one-ounce serving has 120 calories. There was a good cheddar aroma and the appearance of the crisps reminded me of a puffed ricecake. I popped one in my mouth, and was a little suprised to taste potato (it looked so much like those Quaker Quakes that my brain had expected puffed rice). The cheddar flavor was excellent, not too salty, not too strong. It didn't taste super-fake like Cheetos radioactive orange cheese. I really enjoyed these crisps and was grateful that I bought only a single-serving bag. Otherwise I would have munched to my heart's content until my belly popped. These are a tasty snack that I'm sure I'll buy again.

Nicole Rates It...8/10

Week in Review

2009-10-28T05:35:00.000-06:00

I'll be doing a weekly highlight of some of the top posts I've read by other reviewers. Take a look!

The Impulsive Buy: Nabisco Dipped Delight Bars 100 Calorie Packs (Oreo and Nutter Butter)

Gigi Reviews: Trader Joe's Paneer Tikka Masala

Would I Buy it Again?: Another review of the Taco Bell Blackjack Taco

Candy Blog: I cannot tell you how excited I am for PRETZEL M&Ms!

Grub Grade: In-n-Out Double Double Animal Style

Jen's Kit Kat Blog: Roasted Sweet Potato Kit Kat

Candy Addict: Bubble Chocolate - An American version of the Nestle Aero Bar

UK Sweets

2009-10-26T20:57:00.000-06:00

I'm quickly nearing the end of my UK sweets stash. I gave away most of the sweets to those who helped pay for our trip and watched Rosie while we were gone. I did have one of each item for myself, so here's a quick rundown of what I snacked on:

Nestle Toffee Crisp: Reviewed in a previous entry. 6.5/10

Nestle Aero Bar: A chocolate bar filled with tiny bubbles of air. Sweet and melty. On the trip I had both the milk chocolate bar, and the mint chocolate Aero Bubbles bites. I've been a fan of Aero since I tried it in Canada on my high school choir tour. Not the most superior chocolate, but it's novelty increases eating enjoyment. 7/10

Nestle Smarties: Milk "chocolate beans" in a crisp sugar shell. Similar to M&Ms, they come in eight colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink and brown. Smarties were my first foreign candy experience as a child, and I always felt cheated that US Smarties were those little citric acid monstrosities. You can buy a Smarties McFlurry at UK McDonalds (although I went for the Mint Aero sundae) After having much higher quality chocolate in my life, I'm less impressed with the Smarties as I once was, but I love the colors and the crunch of the shell. It's worth a try if you come across them. 6.5/10

Rowntrees Fruit Pastilles: I discovered these at a specialty shop in California a few years ago, and was immediately hooked. I purchase them occasionally when I can find them, but they're usually $1.50-$2.25 per tube. I was on a mission to bring back a bunch of these, and mission was accomplished. I brough back 6 regular size tubes (25p) and 2 large gift size tubes (99p). These round jelly-like discs come in lemon, lime, strawberry, blackcurrant and orange. The gift tubes have fruit shaped candies. The pastilles are the right amount of sweet and tart, with a perfect chewing consistency. These pastilles are tied with my other all-time fruit chewing candy, Hi-Chew. 9/10

Milky Bar: Very sweet, very milky white chocolate. Nothing too unique but I enjoyed it. 7.5/10

UK Kit Kat: Kit Kats are typically my preferred candy bar when I am craving a chocolate bar, even though the American version is nowhere near as tasty as the UK version. The UKKK chocolate is sweet and rich with a smooth texture, the wafer is a bit more crisp with a great malt aftertaste. I hope to get my hands on some of the crazy Japanese Kit Kat flavors to review on this blog, but for now...the original UK Kit Kat was my favorite sweet of the bunch. 9/10
Jammie Dodgers: I heard about Jammie Dodgers in one of my favorite book series by Louise Rennison, "Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging." Because of this book, I also was determined to drink some (sickly sweet) blackcurrant Ribena. Georgia, the main character, talks about her little sister eating the Jammie Dodgers, and I have to say these biscuits probably appeal more to children than adults. They are two crumbly shortbread discs with strawberry jammie goo splotched in the middle. Rosie wasn't very impressed and ate only two bites. I've been snacking on the rest of the sleeve and enjoy them well enough. 5.5/10

Tesco Milk Chocolate Digestives: Oh my, I'm hooked on these bad boys! Digesties are a sweetmeal biscuit with milk chocolate on one side. I bough the Tesco brand because they were cheaper than McVities, but I actually preferred the Tesco digestives. It's kind of like a dense round graham cracker dipped in delicious chocolate. Taylor and I devoured two sleeves while in London, and we're almost done with the second sleeve that we brough home. Completely delicious. 9/10

Carl's Jr. Guacamole Bacon Burger

2009-10-26T17:27:00.000-06:00

I have a love/hate relationship with Carl's Jr. They have a few menu items that I love, but I don't let myself eat there very often because I know how unhealthy most of their menu items are. My husband, on the other hand, truly loves "CJ's." Since he can't get his Carl's fix on the east coast (and he still hasn't given Hardee's a try - not that I blame him) he usually wants to eat there almost every time he's with me in Utah. I had a 2-for-1 coupon in my car, and we each went for the Guacamole Bacon Cheeseburger.

My first thought upon picking up this box was, "Wow, this is a heavy burger!." I'm used to getting the cheapo $1 value burgers, and this had to weigh at least half a pound. I immediately took off the onions and lettuce, because the Carl's Jr. iceberg lettuce always tastes bland and dirty, and the onions are so pungent my nostrils burn for hours. The sesame seed bun was unremarkable, but held up well with all the sauce inside. The guacamole was tasty with a good kick to it. The meat was moist and flavorful. The pepper jack cheese was not as prounounced as I prefer, but it mixed well with the burger. My favorite part was the bacon...just the right chewiness and flavor. I could only eat about half of it with my fries and Coke, so I finished the rest off for dinner. It's probably my second favorite Carl's Jr. burger, behind the Western Bacon Cheeseburger.

I've thought about purchasing it again, but then I punched up the nutritional facts. In my newly-motivated attempts at weight loss, I know I've gotta avoid this one. But maybe I'll sneak a bite of my husband's if he gets it again.

Nicole Rates It...7.5/10

Nutrition Facts – 1 burger
850 calories
55 g of fat,
16 g of saturated fat
105 mg of cholesterol
1430 mg of sodium
55 g of carbohydrates
10 g sugar
4 g dietary fiber
32 g of protein

*photo courtesy of Carl's Jr Website

Nestle Toffee Crisp

2009-10-25T10:07:00.000-06:00

Last week I returned from a trip to London. One of my favorite parts of traveling is trying out the local fare, especially pastries and candy. I got a Nestle variety pack of sweets from Tesco, consisting of Milky Bar, Rowntrees Fruit Pastilles, Kit Kat, Smarties, and Toffee Crisp. I probably wouldn't have purchased the bar on its own, but I decided to give it a try since is was included.

The Toffee Crisp Bar's slogan is "crispy crunch, chewy munch." I was expecting bits of toffee, similar to the butter toffee found in a Heath or Skor bar. Instead, it was a crisped rice bar, with a bland hint of malty toffee flavor. The bar is milk chocolate, very sweet and milky. My favorite part was the layer of caramel. The bar was reminiscent of a Whatchamacallit or 100 Grand. It was tasty, the chocolate far superior to most chocolate you can get in the States...but I had other favorites from my trip that outclassed the Toffee Crisp. It's worth a try if you love milk chocolate, crisped rice, and caramel.

Nicole Rates it...6.5/10

Nutrition Facts:

Calories	245
Protein	2.1
Carbohydrate	29.1
Fat	13.4
Fibre	0
Alcohol	0

Taco Bell Blackjack Taco

2009-10-25T08:45:00.000-06:00

Growing up, Taco Bell was one of my favorite fast food restaurants. My parents wouldn't spring for meals outside the home very often, but I could usually talk them into Taco Bell or Wendy's. In college, I would drive 30 miles into Idaho Falls to get my TB fix (until they opened the Rexburg location, with opening day line all the way back to Broulim's). While I was pregnant with my daughter in 2000, I got food poisoning from my Meximelt, and I swore off Taco Bell's food for several years.

Last year in Michigan, I was having a mad craving for nacho cheese, and pulled into Taco Hell on my way home from work. They had just introduced the Why Pay More? menu, and I ordered the (no longer available) 89 cent Cheesy Double Beef Burrito. I was immediately hooked. I started eating one every few days, and then branched out to other items. Then after a few months, I was really burned out on their food again, but haven't sworn it off.

On the way to the airport last week, I heard the Blackjack Taco commercial on the radio. It intrigued me, so I picked up some Taco Smell and gave the BJ Taco a try. The Taco Bell website describes it as

"A crunchy black taco shell filled with seasoned beef, zesty pepper jack sauce, shredded lettuce and a blend of three cheeses – cheddar, pepper jack and mozzarella."

At first look, the taco itself felt kinda empty. Way too much limp lettuce. It reminded me of Halloween, with the orange cheese and black shell. The black shell didn't have any unique taste to it, just bland with not enough salt. There didn't seem to be much meat or zesty cheese sauce. After my first bite, I didn't really want to finish it...but I didn't want to wait in line again so I ate it anyway. It was less flavorful than even a regular crunchy taco. I wasn't impressed, and I don't plan to buy it again.

Nicole Rates It....5/10

Nutrition Info – Black Jack Taco

Calories – 210
Fat – 17 grams
Saturated Fat – 4.5 grams
Carbs – 6 grams
Cholesterol – 35 milligrams
Sodium – 430 milligrams
Sugars – 1 gram
Dietary Fiber – 2 grams
Protein – 8 grams

Because my opinion counts...

2009-10-19T17:47:00.001-06:00

I've been kicking around the idea of doing a review blog for months. I wasn't sure if I wanted to have it be specific (like candy, food, movies, music, etc) but I might as well throw it all into one place. I can't promise it'll be updated regularly, but if you think I've got good taste...stick this one in your Google Reader and have fun.