A Taste of Emeril

A crazy weekend in Philly that included 12hrs on the train left me with a nasty cold that is ever-so-slowly getting better. While I did some cooking, I couldn't taste it until this weekend :/ I've been meaning to give a shoutout to Foodbuzz's Tastemaker program, through which I recieved some Emeril goodies to try out. I used the organic Vegetable stock when I made Kalyn's Autumn Harvest Soup this past week. As I normally use chicken stock, I was very impressed with the flavor of the stock and would definitely use it again if the price was right! I don't know if it was my particular spices, but I felt like the soup could've used a bit more. That also might have been my taste buds ;) This was also a delight to eat texture-wise as it combined kale, butternut, and farro! Not quite chicken soup, I think it had enough nutritional goodness to help fight my cold ;)

Autumn Harvest Soup

Boston-area bloggers/readers/friends: Let me know if you're interested in an apple-picking adventure at Smolak Farms this Sunday morning!!

Anyone else have plans to do some apple picking this fall?? I may have to try my hand at making apple cider donuts...

Musselman's Healthy Picks

*chirp chirp*

Sorry about the absence over here... while i'm trying to get my mojo back, there's something I've been meaning to get to-- a review for the new line of Musselman's applesauce. I'd seen it on a few blogs, but was excited for the chance to try it myself (Thanks Krista!!).


The Healthy Picks line of applesauce is designed to be a healthy, portable snack for us busy folks. It comes in three flavors: Blueberry Pomegranate, Raspberry Açaí and Key Lime Cupuaçu. One of the biggest reasons I wanted to try these was that there is no added sugar--apples are sweet (or they should be when you make applesauce!), no need to add anything extra. I also am attracted to flavored applesauce, as the plain varieties don't hold my attention unless they're homemade. The nutritionals aren't bad at 70 cal/cup and 3g fiber, and an ingredient list that is pretty respectable.


My impression? I think these are a great snack option! I found that one of these and a handful of almonds (i have the dark cocoa roast ones at work now) were able to keep the hunger at bay for a couple of hours. Packaged applesauce will never have the consistency of the homemade stuff I love (which I thought I had posted but couldn't find?). But these are great options to have around whenever and wherever you might need a pick-me-up. I liked each of the flavors, my favorite probably the Blueberry Pomegranate. I didn't think the Key Lime tasted like lime... what it was, I couldn't put my finger--er, tongue-- on. Still good, and none of them were too sweet.

I often use applesauce to replace some of the fat in baked goods, but it's never a large volume. These smaller containers would be great here as well, so long as it was a fruity loaf. Musselman's also suggests popping the applesauce in the freezer for 30min for a slushy treat. I bet this would be great in the summer heat! Want to try it yourself? Click here for a coupon and tell them I sent you!

Oikos Greek Yogurt

I have to be honest, the very first time I tried Greek Yogurt, I didn't like it. It was the nutritionals that got me coming back for more, and now I really enjoy it! It's got a tang to it, which I wasn't used to. But I started by adding a little drizzle of honey (or agave), mixing in some fruit or granola, and have really come to love it, even on its own. Heck, crumble in a warm brownie or cookie and I'll bet you'll eat it :) And what a great protein-boost to that dessert!


As I mentioned in my last post, Kristina from Stoneyfield Farm was nice enough to offer up some coupons to try Oikos. Who am I kidding, I've definitely had it before, but I'm not one to turn down free greek yogurt :) It is the only organic greek yogurt on the market! For those unfamiliar with greek yogurt, it is thicker than regular yogurt as it has been strained to remove the whey. Which I'll be honest, confuses me, as I thought the protein was in the whey... yet greek yogurt has easily 3x the amount of protein than other yogurts. Can anyone clear this up for me? I did learn something from their website--strained yogurt stays fresher longer, and is less likely to curdle when cooked! Ok, on to the yogurt...


With my free coupons, I picked up one of each flavor: plain, honey (not pictured), vanilla, and blueberry. While the plain had the tart/tang normally associated with greek yogurt, the flavored variations did not. Those would be another good starting point if you're just trying them out for the first time. They were all thick, creamy, and delicious! The flavored ones weren't too sweet (the honey had a nice subtle flavor-- I didn't even realize there was actual honey on the bottom until i got there!) and all had under 20g sugar. I like the flavored ones when i'm on the go, or attempt to have it for dessert if my dinner isn't particularly heavy on protein. Otherwise I normally stick to plain and add whatever fruit I have around.

Besides wanting a few more actual blueberries in the blueberry yogurt, the only drawback is price. I usually stick to what's on sale, or Trader Joe's 2% (couldn't believe the difference from 0%!!), so Oikos is a splurge or coupon purchase for me. I really can't pick a favorite between Fage, Chiobani, Oikos, TJ's... I've come to love them all! Icelandic yogurt (Skyr.is or siggi's) might win out if it weren't for the cost, but right now I'm a post-doc in Boston. (aka not swimming in it!)

Thanks again Kristina, I love your greek yogurt!! Ok everyone, what are you waiting for?? Once you go greek, you'll never go back ;-) Who's with me??

FYI: Cinnamon Chips

Hey guys, I meant to take a picture of these for the muffins, but somehow I forgot. Since everyone seemed interested, thought I'd post it tonight :) The cinnamon chips are on the right in the photo, with PB-choc swirled chips on the left. They're a bit smaller (although larger than the mini chips), making them even nicer for baking as you get more cinnamon throughout! I wouldn't scruitinize the ingredients list, but for baking they are pretty fun!! I picked these up at a Wegmans, but have seen them at random places since then... keep an eye out ;-)

Dri Fit's Best Friends

What, you expected food? Haven't I been doing enough cooking??

I wanted to share some things that could help a brother (or sister) out. I can remember when it was such a novelty to wear such things as dri-fit, coolmax, or whatever they're calling it! Now it seems like this is the norm. I've long been a fan, and in the past couple years discovered these products which I'd highly recommend.


I tried adidas deodorant because I had a coupon, but turns out it rocks. Maybe it's just me, but I'd started to notice sweat stains on my shirts from working out, especially white ones. No longer after using this deoderant. And I immediately noticed a difference after picking up another brand last time. Plus, it's aluminum-free, and also better at not leaving those white streaks on your clothes. It may not work for everyone (a quick search revealed a few dissatisfied reviews), but might be worth a shot next time you're in the market for a new tube.

I'm not up for spending money on new clothes all the time, so my workout gear gets some use. Or should I say a LOT of use. I always washed them in Woolite, but after awhile they just didn't seem as fresh anymore. Sample packets of the win and penguin sport wash had been provided in some race packets, so I gave them a shot. No lingering scent-- fresh and clean! I ended up getting win online and I really like this stuff. I've also seen it in more stores, so it seems to becoming more available. The website for the penguin sport wash also claims it restores the wicking properties of such fabrics... (I can neither confirm or deny :))

Err, I'm a girl, I don't sweat (haha)! And I smell like daisies :) Anyone else have experience with these or other products??