Trader Joe's Finds

One meh, one yeah!

First, the meh:



Freeze Dried Raspberries.
They are very, very tart. They also are very seedy. Honestly, even though the bag is one serving and I was kind of snacking on them all afternoon at work I couldn't finish the bag. Between the extreme tartness (and I usually like tart!) and the excessive seeds there was no way this was a pleasant experience, unfortunately. They are 3 Points Plus for the whole bag.

Now, the yeah:



These fiber bars are kind of like Fiber One's Oats and Chocolate bar only better. Less calories, and actually more chocolate-y. And more peanut butter-y. This was a win-win here. Instead of practically inhaling it like I sometimes want to do with Fiber One bars I savored it. It was really rich and pretty dense so well worth taking my time with it. I actually put it down halfway through eating it. I LOVED it and hope Trader Joe's keeps them around for a long, long time. These bars are 3 Points Plus each and well worth it. (Fiber One Oats & Chocolate is now 4 Points Plus each.)

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By the way, HI! :D I am cooking a bit more but my kitchen is small and not very maneuverable. I am doing Weight Watchers again but for real this time. I'm really interested in reviewing food that's WW friendly. It could be a warning or recommendation to others. And you all know I've got an opinion!

I will do other recipes as well. Tomorrow I'm going to cook a WW recipe that I'm going to modify a bit because while it was good when I first made it I think I have a way to make it KICK BUTT. And life is too short to eat things that don't kick butt!

Wow!

What has happened in the past year?

My cousins and I have opened a nice restaurant in Seattle. It opened January 3, 2011. I stuck with it until August when I decided that the restaurant business isn't really for me at this time due to my family situation. I went back to insurance and have been trying to get into a routine. That said, I fully plan on making this blog active again.

Tomorrow I am going to my parents' house and will be brining chickens and putting them on the grill. We used to do this over a year ago and they came out so awesome. I'm going to do it again and I'll bring my camera to document the process.

In the meantime, this was how I spent a lot of the summer:



Not bad, right? Chateau Bas rosé is delicious. And, yes, that's the patio of our restaurant.

I learned a lot about wine over the past year and I anticipate writing more about it here in the future.

Wine Pairings

Today I am working on wine pairings for my cousin's menu. I know wine...but the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know much about it!

I have got one pairing down. I need to do two more. I wish I could sneak my camera into the event tonight to show photos. I may be able to sneak some cell phone photos, though!

Return!

I have moved to a new place and am just getting my bearings. After Mr Mary Cooks died I barely cooked, if you can believe it. This is the first week I have even taken the time to create a weekly meal plan. Although this week has been a little crazy and we haven't always adhered to the plan it still gives me comfort that it is there for me as a guideline.

Last night I made the most fantastic cocktail but I don't have a name for it yet. I am open to suggestions.



I have to keep the exact proportions under wraps for just now (sorry!!) but I will tell you it contains gin (Aviation Gin, to be exact), lemon juice, and rosemary simple syrup. It's delicious served up (as pictured).

There is something completely exciting happening right now in my life as regards food. When things go through I will share but, at this point, I feel like I have to keep things a little close to my chest until they are resolved. I do need whatever good mojo you can send me, though, because this thing is HUGE!

Buitoni Ravioli Blind Taste Test

When Foodbuzz asked me to make two vegetable side dishes to go with Buitoni's new frozen meals for two I jumped at the chance. Foodbuzz gave me 10 coupons for free Buitoni meals and a stipend. My middle son's birthday was just in time to take advantage of this. Plus, my little foodie wanted a fancy birthday dinner for himself and his friends. Done!

First, the side dishes. I made a salad with spinach and arugula mixed about 50/50.



I bought some glazed walnuts at teh store and used the bag.



Then, I sliced some strawberries.



I chunked off goat cheese from the log and put it in the salad.



Then, I made a simple vinaigrette: 1/4 c. white balsamic vinegar, 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, shallots, salt and pepper.



I whisked it together and mixed it in with the salad.



Guest starring in this blog post is Grandma Mary Cooks! She chopped the vegetables for me.



In olive oil, I sautéed zucchini, summer squash, asparagus, red bell pepper, shallots, and cherry tomatoes with some white wine.



After all of the vegetables were crisp-tender I sprinkled some parmesan cheese on top.



I cooked all of the raviolis and their various sauces.



We made three types of Buitoni raviolis:



Shrimp & Lobster Ravioli



Four Cheese & Spinach Ravioli



Chicken & Mushroom Ravioli



The Tween rings the triangle for his friends to come to the dinner table:



The spread!!













Everyone really loved the Four Cheese & Spinach ravioli and the Chicken & Mushroom ravioli. I was surprised that the Shrimp & Lobster ravioli was not hit harder but I liked it a lot. As usual, I cooked so much food! No one knew I had heated up the sauce instead of cooking it myself! Score! Buitoni's stuff is spot on as usual. The preparation was so easy. As the water was heating up, I put the sauce packets in the pot. Once the water boiled, the sauce was ready to come out and the ravioli went in. Easy peasy.

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Here's where we get to a difficult part of the blog. Mr Mary Cooks unexpectedly passed away just two days before we had this birthday dinner. I mention this because we had to buy a cake from the store. We will all miss the awesome cakes that he made (along with every single thing about him).



All in all, The Tween had a good day surrounded with his friends, their families, and love.




Special thanks to Foodbuzz and Buitoni!!