Trader Joes's- Indian Fare Palak Panneer Product review!

Hey guys,

I decided to start a new section of my blog on food product reviews. I love to try new things from Trader Joe's because most of them are absolutely amazing, but some are a waste of my time so I thought I'd share with you my opinion on all their products so you don't have to waste your time buying it :).

First one is their traditional Indian Fare Meals. The one I'm making today is the Palak Paneer.

All you do is boil some water and submerge the unopened package in there for 3-5 minutes.

The only thing I dont like about this so far is the sodium. 36%.. I don't really need to worry about sodium since I'm young and I dont need to worry about that kind of stuff yet but I would not recommend this to anyone who is wanting to keep their sodium in take down.

This seems like a pretty salty meal so I'm going to be using the Sonoma low carb wraps and some Prepackaged coleslaw with oil and vinegar for a full healthy meal.

I'm only going to eat HALF of the Indian fare meal as one serving is only HALF A PACKAGE NOT THE WHOLE THING =)

After trying, definitely liked it. Very spicy, my mouth is on fire! And I eat quite a bit of spicy food. I would recommend this one, but I think next time I will try a different flavor. I have the Madras lentil in my cupboard that I will be trying later and I'll do a review to let you know if it is better. I wouldn't have this by itself. I definitely would have a salad and some  bread or wrap to go with it as it is just kind of a big mush that needs to be eaten with something that has substance :)

Doesn't make me feel gross after, I feel pretty satisfied, try it yourself, Cheap and yummy ;)

Trader Joe's- Sonoma Carb Cutting Tortillas Product Review

Hello!

Just wanted to share with you a new product that I'm obsessed with. Why? Because they are low in carbs, and amazing. Sonoma Cab Cutting Wraps are from Trader Joes, about 2 bucks a pack and you get 6 tortillas in a pack. I will use these to put my Vegetarian Chilli in if I'm looking for a fuller meal, or I'll bake it and break it up and use as tortilla chips for snacking :)

I love them because they have that satisfying tortilla wrap taste, but only 60 calories and11 grams of carbs!! 7 of them come from fibre... amazinnnng!

Use these as a replacement for naan bread (like with the indian fare meal), tortilla, hot dog bun or chips! Delish. And stay skinny ;)

Veggie Lovers Spaghetti Squash Bake!

If you liked my Spaghetti Squash Bake, then you will definitely love this one. This recipe is almost the same as the spaghetti squash bake except it is low fat and stuffed with delicious green peppers and onion.

Follow the same recipe but with THESE CHANGES;

this time I used a SMALLER SQUASH (I was only cooking for me plus some leftovers for lunch =-)

Substitute MARGARINE for the butter

Only use a small scoop of sour cream and 1 EGG

Add tobasco for some more flavour

Extra red pepper flakes and thyme!

Use a whole small onion (because i love onion, plus its good for the heart)

dice up some GREEN PEPPERS AND MUSHROOM and toss em in the mix :)

I also used a little less cheese this time, but only a little less... because cheese is my life.

ENJOY and let me know what you think ;)

Spaghetti Squash Bake

Its Monday, time for another healthy Monday night dinner recipe :) Today I'm making a low carb recipe. Spaghetti Squash bake. I like this recipe because I already had all the ingredients (except for the squash) so I didn't have to go searching for some weird health food item. 

You'll need:

1 spaghetti squash
2 TBPS margarine
1 TSP Fresh thyme (I used dried, but everythings better fresh)
1 Small yellow onion
1/4 TSP Red pepper flakes (I like HOT AND SPICY so I put more)
1/2 Cup light sour cream
3/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese

1. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and place it face down on a dish filled with 1/4 Inch of water. Put it in the microwave for 10 - 12 minutes. You can also bake it for 45 mins if you have the time but microwaving works just fine.

2. In a skillet on medium heat add the onion, margarine, thyme, red pepper flakes. Stir occasionally until onion is browned slightly in color.

3. Scrape the insides of the squash into a large bowl. Add the sour cream, cheese and onion mixture. Mix until well combined.

4. Transfer the mixture into a baking dish and flatten out so its evenly spread. Springle some more cheddar cheese on top.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Asian 1

Asian 1 is a restaurant that was brought to my attention by a health nut family friend of mine. She brought home the take out menu for me so I could take a look. They provide non-frozen meat and vegetables that are cut and prepared DAILY. They use high quality, high fiber %100 Natural brown and white rice. There's no preservatives, additives or MSG... "So healthy its just like cooking at home."

I took a look at the menu and they have a low calorie section. You have the option to order your sauces with STEVIA for a sugar free option, and many of there dishes can be made gluten free or vegetarian. Another bonus is the soup you get to start :) Always something different.

After trying this place once, the price, the quality and the way I feel after dining here leaves me coming back every time I cross the border to go to trader joes.

They have a lunch special $7 for a FULL meal

Veggie Egg rolls:

Made in Canola oil. Tastes so fresh and NOT GREASY!

Cashew nut delight (top) veggie delight (bottom)

So good, I get this pretty much every time.

Red Curry:

WOW. Curry sauce was amazing and spicy (I ordered level 4). The suace that I didn't eat I packed up and took home to use on a meal later on, thats how good it was.

Pad Kee Mao:

This place is great if you enjoy healthy, delicious freshly made meals for a good price :)

http://asian1.us/Asian1/Contact_Info.html

Grouse grind #6

My 6th grind and it doesn't get easier. My time w 10lb weight:

My goal is to beat 55 mins w the weight and without to beat 50 mins by the end of the summer!

CAla burnt: 900

Morning Superfood Smoothie

So I wanted to share this smoothie recipe with you because I drink it almost every morning if I can and it makes me feel so good for the whole day when I get to enjoy this smoothie in the morning. It leaves me feeling energized, nourished, alert and happy :) The reason for this is probably that it contains LOADS of super foods. This is a cup full of all the healthy stuff I put in to my smoothie every day



Flax: Everyone knows how great flax is for you. It has omega 3 essential fatty acids to help remove bad fats from the body, lignans with plant estrogen (good for the ladies) and antioxidant qualities, and FIBRE to get those bowels working.

Chia seeds: stabilizes the blood sugar to fight off that fat belly, and did I mention one serving has 11 GRAMS OF FIBRE? We love fibre.

Lecithin: Emulsifies fat. Do I need to tell you more? I know you don't care about anything else but it protects the liver, promotes smooth glowing skin, and helps brain funciton.

Brewers Yeast: rich in protein, fibre and B vitamins (which us girls need a lot of)

Molasses: ORGANIC Molasses is a thick natural sweetener, it makes your smoothie taste SO YUMMY. Very rich in many vitamins and minerals including calcium, magnesium and potassium. Helps prevent nast looking acne skin, regulates your period, and prevents excema to name a few benefits. 

Maca: Boost your libido ;)

You can find all of these ingredient at your local health food store. Flax and Chia seeds are usually available in the bulk section on Save on.

Here is the recipe:
1 Cup Frozen Berries
1/2 Banana
1/2 Scoop Chocolate/Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup almond milk
1 TBSP Lecithin Granules
1 TBSP Ground Flaxseed
1 TBSP Chia Seeds
1 TBSP Maca Root Powder
1 TBSP Brewers Yeast
1 TBSP Organic Molasses

Your welcome ;) 

St Augustines

One of my favorite places to go for a nice cold beer is St Augustines on Commerical and Broadway. I love this place because for $7.50 you can get a paddle, and sample any 4 beers you want! Since the craft beer menu is so huge its almost impossible to pick one so the paddle is an excellent choice if you just can't make up your mind.

Today we got the nachos, and wow. You can't just order nachos anywhere because you can get seriously ripped off.  A lot of places will have a thin layer of cheese on the top and everything underneath is just dry nacho chips with nothing on them.

These nachos were something else. Drowning in cheese, tomato, GUACAMMOLE, and even black beans and corn. We couldn't not even finish them. I'm telling you i didn't see ONE nacho on that plate that wasn't covered in delicious toppings. Definitely would order this again.

I just got the house salad for my meal, pretty standard. And Darren ordered off the brunch menu, the breakfast burrito. I had a couple bites, and YUM..

Another item on the menu that I LOVE is the CHICKPEA FRIES with mustard dip. So yummy. Like fries but healthier? thicker and more flavorful and the mustard dip goes perfectly. NOMNOMNOM

Burnaby lake run

Burnt almost 900 cal running around Burnaby lake yesterday. About a 10 k run, very beautiful and much better than running near traffic

NY times best chocolate chip cookie recipe

I had the day off today and it wasn't all that sunny.. what am I to do? Oh, I Know. Bake. ALana and I are on Pinterest trying to figure out what to make. Oreo stuffed brownies? Ferrero Rocher stuffed cupcakes? How about we try the New York TImes voted best chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Its been a while since i have had a real good chocolate chip cookie and I'm pretty sure this one was a winner.

One of the reasons it's so damn good? The dough to chocolate chip ratio is 50/50

Yes that is 2 lbs of Chocolate.

THe secret?
-- don't use pre made chocolate chips, buy the chocolate chunks and chop em up yourself!

Warning: this recipe makes a LOT. It couldn't all fit into my mixing bowl we had to separate the dough into two bowls and mix it all up that way. 

--don't use ALL PURPOSE FLOUR, use pastry flour and bread flour

--cool the dough for 24 hours until you actually bake. We took some of the dough and baked it and then took the rest and baked it the next day to see if this trick really does make a difference. Turns out, it does.... for a better texture and look I'd suggest waiting.

Here's the recipe;

Jacques Torres' Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies

Ingredients 
1 pound unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars.

- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.
- Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies.
- Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tomorrow Ill be baking the dough that set for 24 hours , check back tomorrow to see if it makes a difference :)

UPDATE: After cooling the dough for 24 hours the cookies actually have a better texture, a bit chewier. They also had a better look to them. More visually appealing. But that doesn't really matter to me :p

Great Costume Party Idea

I must say I have the best bunch of friends a girl could ever ask for. Not only because they are beautiful, funny, smart and kind but because they really support the fact that just because you are 23 years old does not mean you can't throw a kick ass themed birthday party- UNDER THE SEA themed.

What a great idea! All done while i was at work.

Decorations included

1. Balloons and tons of streamers!

2. Themed food

Catch of the day....

Fish and chips...

Hidden Treasure...

3. Sandy Cake!

4. Costumes

Italian Day on The Drive

Sunday June 9th was a celebration of Italian Culture on Commercial drive. Walking up to Napier from my car, I couldn't believe the amount of people! It was my first time attending this event and I thought it would be comparable to Greek days, which has a couple blocks of people, but Vancouver having such a large Italian population had Commercial Drive blocked off from Broadway all the way to Venables.

It was packed, tons of Kiosks set up seling raffle tickets, candied apples and lemonade.

A couple of outdoor beer gardens as well as all the restaurants creating a patio section right out on the street. Falconetti's had a nice rooftop patio that would have been a nice view of the crowd.

Along with many traditional italian dishes being sold there was also bubble tea and hotdog stands.

It was a nice hot day,  Tara and I treated ourselves to a nice Gelato. Tiramisu and Chocolate mixed together, so delicious, exactly what I needed on a day like that.

One of my favorite parts of the event were the performers. Italian performances on the main stage singing a sog from the sound of music, her voice was beautiful

Car show !