Veggie Grill

Granted, I am not overly cultured and I don't consider myself to be one of "those kinds of people" who gravitate towards the finer things in life BUT I do know one thing...and that thing is food.

My mother raised me on a fine diet of ice cream breakfasts and Hungry Man dinners doused in butter and salt. Over the past 10 years, my eating habits have become healthier and thankfully, more well-rounded. The more I have learned about food and how sugar/chemicals and preservatives come into play with long-term health, healthy food has become even more delicious to me. Knowing I am eating good food that is good for my total wellness makes eating it so much nicer.

Years back I attended a seminar about Candida at Mother's Market. During the speakers presentation she spoke about her son who suffered from ADD and Autism. Her journey into wellness was started through her desire to increase her son's quality of life. As she began researching autism, she found overwhelming studies which showed how red food dye #40 a.k.a Carmine, Crimson Lake ,Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines ,and Natural Red 4 as additive E 120, Cochineal, Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470, and E120 (present in MOST processed foods) was a huge factor in manifesting symptoms of autism and ADD. She decided to eliminate her son's intake of all processed foods containing red food dye. This isn't an easy thing to do because it is present in so many foods everyday children eat such as; Cheetos, Jello, Chips-a-Hoy Cookies...pretty much anything you find in the inner isles of the grocery stores--contains red food dye. She successfully managed her son's food and within 6 months his symptoms were significantly decreased and she was able to take him to a much lower dose of medication.

I liken food to being like the fuel or oil we put in our cars. The cheaper the gas, the less efficient our cars run. The lower the grade of oil...well to be honest I am not sure what that does to cars, I am a chick and my car knowledge only extends so far. But metaphorically, you see where I am going here.

Eating healthier is a tough thing to do in today's world. Organic foods are more expensive, fruits and veggies have a shorter shelf life. Packing lunches for your loved ones requires more preparation and sometimes, I agree, it is easier to throw a Lunchable in a backpack than it is to make a salad or sandwich. I don't think healthy living means you have to do away with all foods you have grown to love, but it does require a healthy balance. If you put healthy food into your body 80% of the time and the other 20% is filled with food you eat during birthdays, holidays and the occasional weekends you are still doing a great service to your body and to your health.

One of my biggest current food loves is a delicious and magical place called Veggie Grill. While there are only 3 locations currently, 2 in OC and 1 in LA, I would venture to say there will be more sprouting up soon.

Veggie Grill is fresh and vegan cuisine made up to be so yummy that the non-vegan patron would be none the wiser. Their menu ranges from hard core vegan tastes like the All Kale Salad (which, mind you, I would eat every day 3 times a day if I were a millionaire and could afford to do so) to their more mainstream cuisine like Sweetheart Fries which when dipped in the chipotle ranch is AMAZING.

My boyfriend has even found something he loves there, which is saying a lot since his idea of culinary magic is Mountain Dew and Slim Jim's. While it took him a moment to warm up to the idea of eating Vegan cuisine (for a while he would eat next store at Chipotle's while I ate Veggie Grill) he has discovered something he enjoys, the vegetarian chili. Veggie Grill is a wonderful alternative to eating fast food and given that it is fresh, chemical free and organic it is very reasonably priced. Try Veggie Grill and let me know how delicious you think it is!

And, if you are feeling frisky I would suggest the vegan carrot cake. It is delicious!

Swingers Baby

Ilya and I have a little piece of LA heaven and that place is called Swingers Diner.

Unprotected Sketch - Family Style

At this past Friday's Unprotected Sketch show at Second City, my mom and Tony flew out special for the occasion! It was awesome that my mom and Tony finally got a chance to see one of my shows. I figured it was best to break them in with some Improv before they saw my stand up, which can be much more nerve racking that sketch. My brother and Julia also joined and so did Jami and Res. Paul was nice enough to come and see the show again. He has probably seen the show more than any audience member ever in attendance. It was a lot of fun and great to have the support of my wonderful family and great friends.

Bring on the Yummy!

Ilya has done it again! She was the one to introduce me to the great website called Smitten Kitchen where I have discovered tons of great recipes. And now she has sent me another great website that promises to make me just as fat http://www.applesandbutter.com/. You can plan to see some great experiments of mine soon from here!

Yummy Yummy Cookies

It's or should I say tis' the holiday season which means there are a lot of people to make fat in the tummy. Sometimes I think I have an old Italian woman trapped inside of me because of my insatiable need to cook for and feed people. If I had a captive audience, the money, endless ingredients and the time I would relish being in the kitchen making yummy foods. Until that day comes I will have to savor the moments that I do have to cook for others.

This Christmas has been a slew of baking and great recipe finding and I have stumbled upon some great cookie recipes. The Salted White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies are the perfect mix of sugary salty goodness. Think the same yummy that comes with a good kettle corn. The delicious Homemade Oreo Cookies are a great shout out to a classic! I was a little worried making them as they seemed hard to make but they were actually very easy. The difficult part came in not eating the icing as there was a lot left over.

I do need to clarify however, that these recipes are not my own and I have been shamelessly stealing recipes off of a wonderful website called smittenkitchen.com. If you have the time check it out, it's beautifully written and has amazing photographs. My only caution is to avoid it when you have hunger pains.

Salted White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

The original recipe didn’t have white chocolate in it, but it really works wonderfully in here. Even if you’re a dark chocolate fan. Watch out, use the good stuff and this may even convert you.

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
6 ounces good-quality white chocolate bar, chopped (not “white chocolate” chips; they’re almost always artificial. I am adamant about this.)
1/2 teapoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel) (for sprinkling on top)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.
3. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about ¾-inch thickness.
4. Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie
5. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.

2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

Enjoy!

Deliciousness

For the Thanksgiving holiday I made 22 dozen -- YES 22 dozen chocolate chip cookies for the nurses at the hospital as well as an extra batch for Paul to take to work. I think the secret to a great batch of cookies lies in the chilling of the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the ingredients to meld together.

Bocce Time!

After a great birthday horseback riding we all rallied and went to dinner and to play bocce ball. I was so very tired but since the girls won the game and schooled the guys it was worth staying up.

After dinner and tiramibirthday cake I was still a hungry hippo.

Oktoberfest - It's German for Drunk

The law can no longer keep their love apart...

Prom circa 1994

Spillage 

Grrr is that a bear skin jacket you're wearing?  Everyone has the right to bear arms.

Kelly and Niccole

The universal sign for truck driver honk your horn

Who bites their lip to do the chicken dance?

Weak chins

Why Today is the Saddest Day

Has this economy spared no one? First Starbucks had to close down under performing stores in order to stave off bankruptcy rumblings, then the stock market took tremendous hits. Banks started to close their doors clients ran to withdraw their money from accounts while the banks still had money in the vaults. The American dollar is declining in value every day. We live in a very scary world in very scary times. This morning my world came to another crashing hault when I learned that no one is safe in today's economy...now it is coming after our sacred childhood memories! Ladies and gentlemen brace yourselves while I break some very tragic news to you. Mother's Cookies are no more and will be closing their doors! As of this Monday the Oakland, CA-based company abruptly closed their doors and filed for bankruptcy protection, citing the rising costs of fuel and supplies as the reason. A number of people lost their jobs in the closing and the country lost an iconic cookie.
Now I have a new worry...global warming caused me to worry that my children and my children's children would never see the majesty of a polar bear in real life because of the melting polar ice caps and their decline to extinction. Now that fear had been replaced by the even more impending fear that my children will never know the deliciousness of a pink iced circus cookie bear. Oh the horror!

Watch Out NY Here Comes Yogurtland

My soon to be sister-in-law Jules told me about her happiest place on earth, it's a little place called Yogurtland which is a self-serve oasis of frozen yogurt in traditional flavors like vanilla and cookies and cream, to more exotic flavors like green tea and taro.

Once you have filled up your cup you then can move on to the toppings station and pile it on to your heart's content. Until recently we thought Yogurtland only existed in Orange County, however to my surprise we found one in NY. This place is just as busy as the Yogurtland in Tustin however I realized that everyone seemed to only buy Yogurt here in pint sizes. For a minute I thought New Yorkers justified the pints because of all the walking they do but upon further investigation I discovered that the store only stocks pint sized cups. So you see officer, I had no choice but to buy an entire pint of Yogurt and eat it in the taxi on the way back to my hotel.