Food Thats Oh So Good!

Its been a while since I have done a Good Food Review and there really is so much good food out there.  Here are a few of my favorite indulgences...mmm, makes my mouth water just thinking about them!  Now heed my warning, these are not low fat, low cal items, but every now and then its good to indulge your senses in something absolutely delicious!

Hummus & Tandoori Naan

Lets start with hummus. I had never heard of it until 8 years ago when I married my husband. Its a regular at his family's get togethers and it is good. You really have to have the right stuff, though. I've had brands that are flat out gross, but when its good, it is dang good! I like Trader Joes' original hummus. They have a bunch of other flavors - I've had garlic and tomato & basil (both good, but a bit stronger tasting), and I today I just bought Cilantro & Jalepano for my hubby to try - we'll see. I also like Athenos - my favorite is the roasted red pepper hummus and Sabras (you can buy a big batch, as well as individual serving size containers at Costco). Its good with veggies, on sandwiches, and my personal favorite, Tandoori Naan. Oh my goodness, this is one of my new favorites. I've only had naan (a bread from India) at Indian restaurants until now. My mother-in-law introduced me to T.J.'s. My hubby prefers garlic naan, I like their whole wheat. It is chewy and flavorful and full of yummy goodness. Dip it in some good hummus and I could eat all day long. Mmm!

Gnocchi Gorgonzola

For those of you who don't have a Trader Joes near you, I apologize on this one. I don't think there is a substitute anywhere for it. This is another hidden treasure of Trader Joes for sure! Its in the frozen foods section - it literally takes 7 minutes to whip up and it is delicious! We've hooked most of our family on it. I love this for a "I feel lazy, but want a good meal" kind of night. In fact I made it last night with some grilled chicken and cooked carrots. My husband LOVES it, my 5 year old downs more of this then probably anything else (except for the fish I made here), and I haven't seen my 1 year old eat so much for dinner in a LONG time! Yes, its good stuff!

Jalepano Smokehouse Almonds

Last, but certainly not least are my almonds (yes, MY almonds!). They're Blue Diamond's Bold Jalepano Smokehouse Almonds. These are so not me! I don't like very spicy, I'm not a huge nut fan, but WOW! I (or rather Santa) actually bought these for my husband's stocking, but when he opened them up, he said, you would love these. Boy was he right! He had about 5, then I took immediate ownership over the can. I've been in love ever since. I really have to hold restraint with these puppies...they're so not low fat (although almonds are the good fat, right? :) ) and they can give me heartburn, but every now and then its worth it for a few minutes of bliss!

Incredible Edibles

(For those of you who read my other blog, sorry for the repeat!)

I just had to give my good friend Alissa a shout out. She's started her own cake company and I think she does awesome work (and she's real cool too). So if you live on the Central Coast (or far away and want to come down and pick up your order), check her out at Incredible Edibles.

This is my favorite!

If you're around Thursday, Oct. 23rd, she's having a drawing and free samples of cookies and cheesecake from 8am to 3pm at Central Coast Cooks at 5735 El Camino Real in Atascadero, CA (just north of the Carlton Hotel, next to Hush Harbor & Fatte's Pizza). Hope you all can come!

Good Food Review: Borders' Lemon Berry Cobbler Cake

I have mentioned this before on my family blog, but if you haven't already tried Borders' Lemon Berry Cobbler Cake, do it!  It is heavenly.  It is a lemon cake with a creamy, cheesecake-like center with berries and a crumb top (like cobbler).  It is divine!  The first time I had it I was in love, but I had to try it again just to make sure it really was good...it was!  The cafe worker said that it will be there at least until September 4th (when they rotate their food), so hurry in and try it.  So next time you need to buy a book at Borders, stop by their cafe and try their Lemon Berry Cobbler Cake.  If you happened to have a recipe for something similar, PLEASE post it so I can have this goodness always!

Good Food Review: Tastefully Simple

I thought that instead of posting a recipe tonight I'd do a Good Food Review.  If you happen upon some food item that you just can't live without (or just think is good), feel free to write your own Good Food Review.

I don't know if any of you have heard of Tastefully Simple.  Its one of those network marketing kind of companies like Avon or Pampered Chef.  About a year or so ago I went to one of those T.S. parties where they let you sample a bunch of their food, they give you their blurb on how great their stuff is and how and why you want to join their team.  I went in with the only intent of supporting my friend...I came out with a tasty order that I just COULDN'T wait to receive!  So here's what I ordered (and it was ALL awesome!):

Bountiful Beer Bread Mix:  This bread is SO easy to make and so sweet and delicious!  You just add 12 oz. of beer, soda, or carbonated juice and 3 Tbsp of butter (which is optional).  We tried Sprite, 7-Up, and Root Beer, but our favorite by FAR was Sprite.  

Cinnamon Muffin Melt Mix:  The title says it all.  These just melt in your mouth.  They're yet another simple recipe (hence the name "Tastefully Simple" I guess)...simply add butter and water.  Last time I made these, every time I'd walk in the kitchen, there was another muffin missing and crumbs leading right to my little preschooler.

Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce:  This sauce is sweet, but has got a kick to it...not too big of one (my 5 year old ate it just fine), but just enough.  I followed their recipe for Pomegranate Chipotle Pork Roast.  You cover the roast in bacon strips and smother it in sauce.  I could have done without the bacon, but the sauce was wonderful.  In fact we added more to our plates and dipped the roast in it.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup:  So I'm not really sure if thats the name or not.  They only have this at certain times of they year, so I couldn't find it online, but it is so creamy and tasteful.  It is the perfect food for a cold evening.  Just wonderful!

And to save the best for last...Creamy Caramel Sauce:  Oh my goodness!  THIS IS SOOOO GOOD!  Many of you already know that I am somewhat of a caramel "cone sure."  I LOVE good caramel, so if I'm going to have some caramel, it had better be good!   This is GOOD caramel.  At the T.S. party a lady was saying that she would hide it in the back of the fridge so her family couldn't find it...she'd even tell them that it was gone so they wouldn't look for it...and she'd reward herself each day with a spoonful (yes, right from the jar).  I have to say I thought she was a little strange and I was very skeptical of trying it seeing that most people just aren't at the same caramel level as I am.  Yeah, I am SO glad I tried it.  I became one of those people who would reward myself with a spoonful.  I even temporarilly took to eating ice cream so that I could have some.  The sad thing was that my husband loved it just as much as I did, so one sad sad morning I woke up, opened the fridge and found an empty jar with a note from my husband saying "I'm SO sorry I ate your caramel, but it was SOO good and I just couldn't stop!  I'll buy you 2 more jars!  Love You!"  I'm still waiting for those jars.  If you don't try anything else, try this (but I hope you try the other stuff too)...it is heavenly!

So if you like what you've seen, you can check out Tastefully Simple's website and either order online or find a consultant near you (most likely there is a party being hosted near you, so you can go try the food before you buy).  

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more Good Food Reviews in the near future.

(photos courtesy of Tastefully Simple)

Julie R.

AG, CA