All That and a Bag of Popchips

by jamie on September 1, 2010

If there is one thing people in San Francisco know how to talk about, its the weather.  And it just so happens that TODAY with only a few days left until Labor Day weekend (hooray), we have sun.  And not only sun, but legitimate heat - the kind of heat that would actually make it ok to be out in shorts.  The kind of heat that calls for camping trips, BBQs, and pool parties.  It isn’t one of those poor excuses for a summer day in San Francisco when everyone is wearing shorts and halter tops (ok or t-shirts, sorry guys) while shivering and bracing themselves from the wind - its a real summer day….in September.

With warm weather on the brain I suddenly realized I hadn’t yet planned my Labor Day escape. Don’t judge - its been a busy month.  I am thinking of either going camping (cliche, I know) or possibly up to Sonoma for some trail running, wine tasting and spa pampering.  But whatever I end up doing, at least I am stocked up with the perfect Labor Day road tripping, camping, wine tasting, trail running, all purpose adventure worthy snack: Popchips.

I just received a box of Popchips and I can’t even begin to tell you how addicted I am.  So far, my favorite is the Salt & Pepper - I am guessing a close second will be the Cheddar Potato.  I am tempted to open them all right now; fortunately, my desire to have good eats while adventuring over Labor Day weekend is keeping my impulses at bay.

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If you are a snacker and haven’t yet tried Popchips, shame on you!  These delicious little chips are a potato chip lover’s wet dream.  They are made  through the “popping” process of adding heat and pressure to keep only half the fat of fried potato chips.  And for those watching the waist line, don’t worry Popchips don’t contain olestra or any of that other crap (pun intended) - just good old all-natural ingredients popped to perfection - with less than half the fat of fried chips.

With no more than 10 ingredients and at only 100 calories per serving,  these chips are certainly worth getting your snack on. For more information on their flavors, nutritional info and where to find them,  visit their website here. Or, follow them on Twitter @popchips.  Yay for snacking!

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Granola Bars Gone Herbal

by jamie on August 30, 2010

One of my favorite things about being a blogger is getting the opportunity to meet so many amazing and interesting people - whether its readers who frequently email me or comment on posts, other foodies, athletes who inspire me, and founders / CEOs / and even PR reps of different companies who have grown on me - which is why it makes me angry sad to see so many curmudgeonly bloggers out there posting about hating people who email them, or blasting these obnoxious Tweets about how someone didn’t follow their “rules” (barf), or use obnoxious auto replies for every single email as if they are oh so important (double barf).

Anyway, I digress.

The inspiration for this post comes from this lovely young couple out in Missouri who have created Herbal Oats granola bars - basically a blend of oats, honey, and natural herbs to provide you with different health benefits inclusing: Immunity, Energy, Focus, and Strength.

One of the founders, Steven emailed me via Facebook (ballsy move if I were one of the above type bloggers) and asked me if I’d like to sample his granola bars.  And of course, I said yes.

Intrigued, I started poking around on their website and could instantly tell they were a young company.  Steven and his girlfriend Sarah started the company after meeting in college and realizing their shared passion for nutrition.  What’s not to love?

Not only do they have a cute founding story and an ambitious young couple behind their products, but Herbal Oats Granola Bars use all-natural ingredients and biodegradable packaging (which I love).

That being said, the granola bars are just so so and the packaging (biodegradable or not) could use a bit more work.  My favorite flavor was “Focus” or Raspberry with Ginkgo Biloba - but not because it made me feel any different or “focused” while I was eating it, but because the flavor itself was pleasing and the raspberry actually came through.  The other flavors were a bit of a disappointment especially “Strength” which is supposed to be Chocolate Peanut.  I was craving something sweet and of course tore into the Chocolate Peanut first (I love anything that sounds like chocolate and peanut butter) only to realize it didn’t taste like chocolate or peanut at all - more like honey and sugar.

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But as I said, this is a young company with a young product.  They have the right ambition, a great story, and I believe if they keep at it, they’ll get it out there.  Right now, they are available in a few select stores in Colombia, MO.

Check them out: www.herbaloats.com

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Turn the Beet Around!

by jamie on August 19, 2010

Sometimes I truly believe that cooking is a form of therapy.  After an exceptionally long, crazy day and my annoying conversation with a pharmacy technician who told me (after waiting in line for over twenty minutes) that my prescription wasn’t even actually available even though they called me to tell me it was, I was in a pretty wretched mood when I got home last night.  But, wretched mood or not, a girl (and her guy) has got to eat.

To keep up with my farmer’s market success and despite my tired, cranky attitude and the late hour, I decided to whip up some beet salad with tempeh bacon and ricotta salata.

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I must admit, I’m pretty frickin proud of this little creation.  Not only was I able to use the WHOLE beet - greens, stems and all - but I created it from stuff I already had lying around the kitchen. And best of all, somewhere along the way while boiling, chopping, slicing and dicing, I found a way to smile and relax.  God I love cooking!

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Aren’t they beautiful!??! I <3 fresh beets!

Beet Salad with Tempeh Bacon and Ricotta Salata

  • 4-5 medium red or golden beets with stems and greens attached
  • 3 tbsp ricotta salata
  • 4-5 strips tempeh bacon
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar (regular sugar will also work)
  • salt and pepper

Remove the beets from teh stems and leaves and place in pot of boiling water.  Let cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender.  Once the beets are tender, remove from the pot and run under cool water and peel the skins off and slice.

Meanwhile, chop the beet stems and beet greens and set aside.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in in a medium saute pan and add garlic.  Once garlic has started to brown, add beet greens and stems and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Heat another small pan and place the strips of tempeh bacon on it, flipping them after about 2 minutes.  Let them get slightly blackened and then remove them to let cool.  Once cool, slice into small pieces.

In a small mixing bowl, mix the red wine vinegar, remaining olive oil, coconut sugar and salt and pepper to taste.

Put the beet greens and stems, and beats in a large mixing bowl.  Add the bacon, ricotta and dressing.  Mix together.  And enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to eat beets?

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Lemon Pepper King Trumpet Mushrooms with Rainbow Chard

August 18, 2010

The Farmer’s Market never seems to fail me.  Well, hardly ever unless of course you count how much time and money I am able to spend.  Thanks (again) to my weekend Farmer’s Market trip, we had yet another amazing dinner this week: Lemon Pepper King Trumpet Mushrooms with Rainbow Chard and Tofu.  OH EM GEE.  [...]

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Squash Blossom Poppers

August 16, 2010

The Farmer’s Market can be a wonderful but very dangerous place.  I tend to want to buy everything and anything without any specific recipe or use in mind.  Even though we have a whole drawer full of dino kale at home, I had to have the beautiful bunch of rainbow chard, the beets with the [...]

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Blueberry, Banana, and Kale Smoothie

August 5, 2010

Yesterday was an experiment in smoothies. I started my day with my normal OCD morning smoothie with banana, soy milk, chia seeds and a scoop of Amazing Grass Choco Infused Amazing Meal which of course, was amazingly delicious. 
But after a long day of work, bootcamp AND Bikram Yoga, I couldn’t even think about cooking.  It was almost [...]

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Vegan Tomato & Basil Pizza

July 20, 2010

Somedays I feel like I never stop moving.  When I go from bike riding to and from work, bootcamp, and a yoga class, I feel like I’m a superhero.  Unstoppable….
Until I get hungry, cranky and can’t move a muscle in my body….and just want to CRASH.  On nights like those, sometimes there is nothing better [...]

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Mac and Cheeseless

June 28, 2010

No matter how many times I say I hate pasta, I still LOVE my mac and cheese.  But since I’m trying not to eat cheese anymore (or as often), I decided to do another variation of the oh so famous  cheeseless mac and cheese last night.  It proved to be the perfect ending to a [...]

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Hail Merry Takes on Oil

June 24, 2010

Susan O’Brien, a raw food chef based out of Dallas is a woman after my own heart - she’s taking on oil.  And no, I’m not talking about BP.  I’m talking about the oil you eat, the kind you cook with, or the kind you find in processed foods.  Susan’s mission is to educate the [...]

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Add a Little Sparkle to Your Diet!

June 23, 2010

Whether you’re feeling a little lackluster and need an extra boost in shime and shimmer, or just want to feel extra sparkly for a snazzy night out, try adding some unicorn meat to your diet.  Its packed with flavor (tastes just like chicken!) and is loaded with sparkles.
And since unicorns are a mythical creature, vegetarians [...]

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