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…

I’m Not a Vegan but

 …there are so many delicious vegan products nowadays!!  Case in point: Stōgo Gourmet Ice Cream in the West Village, an organic vegan ice cream—that’s right, a no cream “ice cream”—that rivals any variety of Häagen Dazs!  (Those lucky NYU undergrads get all the good stuff.) 

 

Now, I repeat my previous statement, I by no means consider myself a vegan.  However, there are definite health (and taste!) benefits to substituting some common cuisine for vegan products.  Stōgo is a perfect example.  Just take a look at the difference in calories, fat, sugars, and cholesterol!  

 

 Whether or not you’re a practicing vegan, I definitely recommend checking out this health conscious and satisfying alternative to the mainstream calorie-laden variety.  And while you’re there deciding which of the 31 flavors to try, take a peek at their homemade truffles.  Delish!!

 

Stōgo Gourmet Ice Cream

159 2nd Avenue

New York, NY 10003

212 677 2301

http://stogonyc.com

The Best of the Coffee Drink World

Coffee and I have always had a rocky relationship. We hang out everyday for months, spend way too much time together, then I get physically sick and we go our separate ways for a short period of time…but I cant stay away too long. Seriously, if I make a 6 cup pot of coffee – I’ll drink all 6 cups of it. The aftermath is disgusting but I just can’t help myself! This is why I’ve recently turned to coffee drinks – if I buy one, I drink one and have a much harder time overdosing. Here’s my review on the drinks I’ve tasted so far.

The Stars

The Chocolately One:
Nescafe Mocha – this is serious mocha ladies and gentlemen. It’s brew is strong, the liquid itself is thicker than most (but not unpleasant at all), and the chocolate taste is delightful. It’s not sugary chocolate mind you - this is semi-sweet cocoa. Mmmmmmm….

 I really like this drink but I’ve only seen it in Eastern European markets around my neighborhood. Am I wrong? Does anyone else see this in their local supermarket?

 
The Creamy One:
Starbucks Double Shot – this is cream central. It’s also one of the most caloric given the small dosage. However, if I want something small and super creamy I reach for one of these.

Another plus? It’s in just about EVERY supermarket and bodega. Thats what you get when Starbucks and Pepsi work on a joint venture.

 

 
The Perfect Combo:
Café Bustelo Café Con Leche – this is my favorite coffee drink by far. It’s not as watery as the Starbucks Iced Americano but its not heavy either. Known as the ‘poor mans gourmet coffee’, its’ creamy without being too milky and has a hint of sweetness. Who doesn’t love a nice café con leche??

 I find these in local bodegas in my neighborhood but that might be becuase Cafe Bustelo was started in NYC in the 20s.

 
The No-Frills One:
UCC Coffee - this one is light, sweet, and delicious. It’s a fantastic alternative to regular coffee because it doesn’t have any extras. No mocha, no heavy cream, no super sugary aftertaste: just a delicious iced coffee.

The only problem is this isn’t as easy to find - unless you’ve got a large Japanese population in your area. If you do - these will be everywhere!

 

 
The Organic One:
Adina Coffee Drinks – these are the organic green version of Starbucks Frappucinos – except without the cloying sugary aftertaste StarB tends to give you. They are all pretty delicious but the caramel is too sweet for my tastebuds…in fact, it doesn’t even taste like caramel. I suggest a do-over on that flavor Adina, think about it.

These are very popular in the organic market. Go to your local health food store

 

The Rest…

Dydo’s Demitasse: this drink has a pretty dark brew but it’s not half as pleasing as the Nescafe Mocha. In fact, one could say its super watery. Watery, dark, not milky, and not too sweet. Blech.

Then there’s the Starbucks Frappucino line, a total miss in my opinion. They dont even remotely resemble coffee.  Am I alone on this? Does anyone actually like these?

Coca -Cola is doing their best to compete with Pepsi’s Starbucks in 2 ventures: Caribou Coffee and Illy. Caribou’s iced drinks have been out for a while and are ok…but I rarely pick them up when I’m out buying. They are too dark for me with a real bitter aftertaste.

The latest partnership with Illy had better results - but then again they were working with Illy. The Illy Issimo coffee drinks have a much smooter aftertaste. The cappucino one has a delightful hint of chocolate but I have to admit I wanted more from an Illy canned coffee line which is why I cant put these in my ’stars’ category. Its like they arent even really trying here. C’mon Illy!

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.