The Post Cereal Challenge

Last week I was invited to a Post Cereal making challenge and to say I was excited was an understatement. Not only would I learn HOW to make Grape Nuts and Shredded Wheat but the winner for best product won a $500 gift certificate to Williams Sonoma. Momma needed a new pair of cooper pots so I was seriously gearing up for this event. Big money, big money, big money NO WHAMMY!

I arrived early to the Natural Gourmet Institute (a fantastic vegetarian cooking school – more on that in a later blog) and was greeted by the very friendly Post Cereal staff with the most adorable light blue apron I had seen in a long time. For me? Why THANK YOU Post Cereal.  Guests were treated to a delightful healthy breakfast and a brief presentation by the Diet Doctor herself; Dr. Melina Jampolis. Dr. Jampolis spoke about her life mantra “food is medicine” and the health benefits of Post Cereal Shredded Wheat. You might not know this ladies and gentlemen but Shredded Wheat is made solely of wheat berries. Don’t feel bad, I was totally shocked when I heard that too. I mean, I knew Shredded Wheat was good for me but I never realized it was that good for me. How could I have been eating this cereal for years and not know what was really in it? I felt like a total goose…

How nutritious are wheat berries? Unlike many other types of grains, wheat berries retain nearly all of their nutrients after being cooked. Wheat berries are packed with fiber, protein and iron. They are also loaded with vitamin E, a cell-protecting antioxidant, and magnesium, which are needed to maintain healthy bones and muscles. Talk about Healthy!!! Also, Dr. Jampolis went on to point out that unlike most cereal brands today trying to first incorporate whole grains into their products, Post Cereal Shredded Wheat has always been composed of naturally occurring grain.

Although I am not allowed to tell everyone the recipe for Shredded Wheat, I will simply say: it is easy, healthy, and delicious. Go out and get yourself a box this weekend because it will surely help you with any kind of diet/health program you have laid out for yourself.  I know I bought a box during my grocery trip this weekend.

Oh…and in case you were wondering, I lost the competition. There go my plans for two new Ruffoni monogrammed copper pots…

Vinny Galeno

Vinny is a fantastic Italian cook whose broccoli rabe and sausage could (and has) make grown men cry. Having lived in NYC all his life, he is an expert on nightlife and activities. He’s also an avid believer in the affects of diet on health and well-being.

Keep those peepers peeled for Vinnys views on food, nightlife, and all together necessary life musings.

Aquagrill

I love oysters. They are briny, salty, and silky. Mmmmmm - even better? 6 oysters are about 1 point on Weight Watchers. I’ll repeat that because its worth repeating: this means a dozen oysters are only 2 points. Luxurious and diet worthy.

Aquagrill boasts an extensive oyster menu so I went there for brunch one day. The critics were right - the oysters are wonderful and they have over 25-30 different types to choose from on any given day. One day I plan on getting the $70 one-of-every-kind platter just because I need an excuse to have 3 dozen oysters to myself. Since I didnt have the cash to fulfill this dream, I decided to stick with a mix of blue point and malpeque oysters and they were amazing.

Next comes the actual food (although I could have easily dined on oysters alone if I had the cash), I had the warm chicken salad with artichokes, bacon, and a roasted potatoes. Sounds delicious right? It was good - but I have to admit I was expecting a chicken breast…not fatty chicken thighs. In my opinion, thighs have their place on a menu and it generally isnt in a leafy salad. That kind turned me off to the whole plate. Also, my husband got the shrimp fettucine with pesto. The shrimp was cooked well but there was no pesto; it was chopped basil. Fehh..

Verdict: come here for the warm complimentary scones/muffins and the oysters. Skip the rest.

Diet Desserts I Love

I have always had weight issues  - ever since I was a pudgy 10 year old girl eating almost an entire bucket of KFC in the backseat of my parents car before we got it home for dinner (true story). I love food too much - flavors both sweet and savory. Here a few treats that help me get through the day when I am in serious snack mode.

1 - Weight Watcher’s Smart Ones Chocolate Eclair Frozen Food

These are amazing snacks. 3 points each and they are so tasty. If you love eclairs get these. The only problem is that I STILL haven’t figured out the right microwave temperature. At 25 seconds (recommended on the box) there are cold spots and at 30 seconds you burn your mouth on lava creme. I wish you better luck!

 

 

2 - No Pudge Brownies

Another chocolate item but a huge winner. Even my husband likes these moist brownies (and he is NOT a chocolate fan). The batter is super thick so don’t be alarmed if it seems WAY TOO THICK. I simply puree a pint or less of raspberries/strawberries and mix them into the wet brownie mix. It gives it a delicious berry kick and adds no fat. Want to add a scrumptious antioxidant kick? Mix in a tbs of powdered acai or 1/3 cup of acai juice

Not looking to reduce ALL the fat - add cream cheese instead of yogurt with a little bit of vanilla and soymilk.

3 - Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Cookies

These are a real cookie treat to munch on with a nice cup of lemon tea. I can’t normally stop at just 1 - but at least I feel better about having 2 of them. I also dont follow their expiration dates: there I said it! Only with this product though. I’ve eaten them even 3-4 weeks after the expiration date…don’t judge me!

4 - Orville Redenbacher’s 100 Calorie Smart Pop Mini Bags

These are great salty snack thats not going to break your diet. They aren’t really what I would call ‘jazzy’ but you can make them zippy with a handful of stuff in the house. Wanna make an Italian style popcorn? Mix together some pecorino/parmesean/locatelli (whatever you have in the house), oregano, and garlic powder and add  onto the popcorn. SINFUL!

5 - Frozen Bananas

So simple but this is a great summer treat. Freeze bananas in plastic bags wrapped in parchment (so they dont stick together). If you want to make them extra yummy - dip the bananas in sugar free chocolate sauce and then freeze flat on a parchment covered flat board/pan.

6 - South Beach Living Snack Bar Delights: Whipped BerryI don’t know how ‘New’ these are (at least the box tells me they’re new) but they are delicious!!! As a child I loved the

Dark Chocolate Roman Nougat in the Russell Stovers box (you know, that yummy cherry flavored nougat one with chopped nuts inside??) and this tastes exactly like it! Except this one is 100 calories and has 5 grams of protein. Hooray!

FullBar Diet Review

I hate committing to gimmicky diets - lucky for me the local Duane Reade carry these products. I decided to give it a whirl and have very very mixed feelings on it.

The FullBars themselves are kinda tasty - depending on which ones you get. I’ve tried 5 of the 6 flavors and the best ones to me are the Cocoa Chip and the Peanut Butter Crunch. The fruity ones taste very chalky and not as enjoyable. They have a very rice cakey texture too  - which is either a positive or a negative depending on what you like. The Cocoa Chip bar has about 170 calories, 25 fat calories, 5g protein, and 4g of fiber.

I ate one 30-45 minutes before dinner with some liquid for about a week. Now I noticed that I began to eat less but I don’t think it was worth what I ended up going through. I ate less because I was so horribly bloated. Not only that but suffered from mild diarherra for days after I stopped eating the bars. What?????? Am I the only one getting this result???

So I did start to lose weight but not without having to down Pepto left and right so I don’t poop myself while running errands. Not worth it. At all. Do yourself  a favor and pass on this product.

No Pudge Low Cal Whoopie Pie Dessert Recipe

I love whoopie pies but they are always too fatty for me to consume. If I do eat one - I am mad at myself for the rest of the day. As a smart alternative, I made this whoopie pie dessert recipe during one of my couch potato moments and they are just delightful!

Ingredients:

1 box No Pudge

1 cup Fresh Ricotta (if you don’t have fresh in your area then Polly-O or Sargento will do…but try for fresh)

3 tsp whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean seeds (or a dash of vanilla extract if you don’t have beans)

1 ts. splenda

Make ‘No Pudge‘ recipe according to the box but lay them out in a big pan to mak them thin. While they are baking, whip rest of the ingredients together and put in the frig. After the brownies have cooled, cut into bars (or circles if you like) and sandwich together with ricotta filling.

Ok - so they don’t look exactly like Whoppie Pies but they are delicious. Let me know how you like it!