This video is interesting! Gotta love the kid with the lisp!

Now I want some chocolate! Maybe I’ll go over to Max Brenner! Have you ever been there? Its a chocolate themed restaurant! If hot chocolate is “the drink of the Gods” then Max Brenner must be a heaven outlet! They have this hot chocolate that tastes like a cup of melted hot chocolate! Its the best hot chocolate ive ever had! But its so rich, you really cant finish a whole cup! by the time you get 3 quarters of the way down, you start to go into a chocolate shock. But its worth every shiver! lol

I will do an in depth post about Max Brenner later. I have lots to tell!

Do you drink cows milk or a milk substitute like soy, rice, or almond milk? I ask because, Im not a big fan of milk or the idea of the origins of milk. As good as Half & Half tastes to me I decided to get away from it for a while and I started drinking soy milk. I was addicted to SILK for about a month! The vanilla flavored is awesome! Especially the extra creamy one. Then I started researching the benefits of soy milk vs. cows milk and I got some disturbing information.

Many milk substitutes (soy milk, rice milk, almond milk etc) contain an ingredient called Carageenan. Carageenan (pictured above) is a seaweed substance used in many milk and yogurt substitutes as a thickening agent. It makes things creamy and more rich. However, Carageenan is not a safe ingredient. Ive read that it has been known to cause severe stomach issues including tumors when it is consumed too much. It has also been known to cause instant stomach aches after ingesting it.

Its sad when you think youre doing the right thing for your body and you realize youre doing more harm than good. Ive also read that soy is not the best thing for women to ingest too much of.

Im writing this message to say be careful with the substitutes that you buy and do your research to make sure they have the right health benefits. Be sure to read the labels when buying milk substitutes because MOST soy milks, and milk substitutes that Ive encountered contain Carageenan in the ingredients.

The one soy milk that I know of that DOES NOT contain Carageenan is called “Eden Soy”..its a pretty good soy milk. It doesnt taste as good as silk…but it serves its purpose if you really cant deal with cow’s milk. I guess its the Carageenan making the other milk subs taste so great..and as good as it tastes, its definitely not worth the health risks.

With that said, I guess I will just stick to Bessie’s boob juice in my cereal. ugh! (hey thats a good name for a milk company Bessie’s Boob Juice………or not? *shrug*)

Sources:
Carageenan: Its use doesnt gel

Carageenan: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Nasty Food of the Month

Dangers of Carageenan

I went to Delta Grill in Hell’s Kitchen with some friends last night. That place kinda sucks! I say “kinda”, because there were a couple of good points. The people were nice, the atmosphere was cute…half dive bar half cracker barrel I guess. It was very WOODEN inside. I think they were going for a Louisiana feel? Ive never been to Louisiana but thats the impression that it gave me.

The waitress was nice, but she wasnt very attentive. You practically had to set stuff on fire to get her attention. She was more interested in chattin up the bar tenders and watching tv than waiting our table. The menu was full of Louisiana Specialties like Po’ Boys, Jumbalaya, Fried Okra and fun Cajun style foods. The selling point that lured us into the restaurant was the fried okra. Im still waiting for my okra.

Well… I did get the okra, but I I’m still waiting for the rest of it! They gave me a big ass basket with a handful of okra in it! WTF am I gonna do with that? And it had the nerve to be 6 bucks! I guess it was a dollar each piece? Does okra really cost that much? Is their rent that high?! Then, it supposedly had some fancy cajun mustard mix to dip it in…but it just tasted like some watered down Gulden’s to me. Who do they think theyre fooling?

For bread, they gave us cute little cornbread muffins which were ok. I prefer my cornbread a little sweeter. It would have been nice if they had given us soft butter. Its no fun to try to spread hard butter across soft bread as it crumbles in your hands. Why dont some restaurants understand that? I guess they think its fun eating butter speckled crumbs with a spoon.

Onto the entree. I ordered the BBQ Ribs with the Chef’s “Secret Sauce”. That sauce tasted like some damn ketchup with onions in it. I guess they got their sauce making skills from the McDonald’s school of sauce making. McDonald’s big mac special sauce is more of a secret than that mess (*whispers* thousand Island Dressing aka mayonnaise, ketchup and onions). Im not knocking the ribs though, just the sauce. The ribs were pretty good. Nice and tender and meaty. I would actually go back there for the ribs (if I felt like paying 18 dollars for them).

For sides, I had veggies and a choice of waffle fries or sweet potato fries. I went for the waffle fries. I guess neither was really a good choice. My friend ordered sweet potato fries and they were both cold when they got to the table. Cold fries are thee worst! Luckily the waitress was nice about it, and she gave me all new fries! That act of kindness is what single handedly got her a good tip…because her tip was almost a post it note that said “quit your job, then youll be able to watch more tv”. But the fact that she was so nice about the fries made us soften up to her. Plus, she gave me new fries without taking the old ones away. THATS TIP MATERIAL RIGHT THERE!..and in true greedy form, I ate both! HEY! WASTE NOT WANT NOT! (what does that mean anyway?)

Oddly the veggies were more tasty than the fries! I dont know if the fries were that bad or if the veggies were just that good! But they were nice and juicy, well seasoned, and there was a nice variety of broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and some other stuff.

My friend ordered the Fried Shrimp PoBoy. Doesnt that sound delish? Too bad it wasnt! The shrimp were cold! I guess nobody told these people that when you fry stuff, youre supposed to use HOT oil! They prove that just because your food tastes like it came straight from hell, doesnt guarantee that its hot.

So my friend asked another waiter (because our waitress was too busy watching tv) to send it back to the kitchen and heat it up. When she got her food the second time, it was just as cold as it was when she sent it back! WTF?! Maybe theres a freezer between the kitchen and the dining area and they have to slowly walk through it to get to the table? She wasnt happy with her food at all. I guess that explains why she was eating everybody else’s lmao.

My other friend ordered a burger. I guess hers was good. When asked how she liked her food, she replied “a burger is a burger”. Im not a big fan of burgers so to me thats not necessarily a good thing..but I guess to burger eaters that means its fine?

My rib portions were large enough to take the rest to go, and I had a few waffle fries left…I would have taken those to go too if the bus boy hadnt tipped over my water into my fries! Clumsy ass! Wet up my fries! I should have told him to get me another order. But I was nice about it and said it was ok. (after I told him I was gonna kick his ass..to which he laughed. I guess he thought I was joking!…..I WAS! but it wasnt up to HIM to decide that! now I REALLY wanna kick his ass lmao…wet my fries AND laughed at my idle threats!? how DARE he!)

If youre adventurous enough and feel like spending all your money on sucky food, go to Delta Grill and get yourself a Shrimp Po Boy and some cold ass fries for 15 dollars! Or you could try some of their other food and let me know if theres anything worth eating besides the ribs. Though this isnt the greatest review. Im not gonna totally write this place off just yet. They might have been having an off night. But for the prices theyre charging, there shouldnt be any off nights.

Check out their website! Their website is about as good as their shrimp po’boy and their web designer is about as attentive as our waitress! I see a trend *smh* Their Horrible Website

Hey guys please go to www.refresheverything.com/votejoy and vote for The Joyful Heart Foundation. Theyre in the running to win a $250,000 grant from Pepsi Refresh! Joyful Heart is a great organization founded by Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order SVU) that helps victims of rape and sexual abuse get their lives back on track. Read more about it at www.joyfulheartfoundation.org …but first go vote. thanks

Mariska Hargitay is one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. Google her! You will see nothing but good things about her! She is a beautiful spirit and I always support her in whatever she does, because I know its for something positive!

Hey! If you have an idea that you think will change the world for the better, maybe you should sign up for Pepsi Refresh too!

UPDATE: THIS PLACE IS GONE SOMETHING ELSE IS THERE NOW, BUT I DONT REMEMBER WHAT SO IT MUST NOT BE IMPRESSIVE. LOL

I remember the good ole days when I wasnt so picky. I’d eat Stahl Meyer hot dogs with noooo problem! When I was a kid, my mom and I used to make these things called “Yankee Tricks”…where you stick a hot dog on a fork, turn on the gas stove and cook the hot dog in the fire! It was so much fun! Like campin’ in the kitchen! Then one day I became AWARE! Aware of the grossness that is hot dogs.

WTF is a hot dog? What all is in it? Wait! dont tell me! The gristle alone was enough to make me leave those things alone! Gristle is like my kryptonite! Seriously! I dont eat most ground meats or processed meats because of it. I swear, I dont care HOW DELICIOUS something tastes..the moment I find gristle or something hard in it, I will throw it out! I want nothing to do with it! I really cut back on hot dogs, burgers, patties etc.

I did make an exception for Boars Head franks though! For a while anyway! Man, you havent had a hot dog until you put a Boars Head frank in the oven and let it bake until browned. Theyre crispy on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside! Those truly are the best hot dogs I have had to this day! But the fear that I may find a piece of gristle in the middle of one, is enough to stop me from eating them all together. Now if gristle doesnt bother you, I highly recommend Boars Head franks! Not saying that theyre full of gristle because theyre not. But I dont even want to take a chance that MAYBE I will find gristle in one, one day. I mean, they are made of meat so theres a chance.

I also highly recommend Grey’s Papaya hot dogs on West 8th street in the west village! Aside from gristle, I stopped eating Grey’s Papaya because the guys in there would always touch the hot dogs with their bare hands! I dont like that! I think they might wear gloves now. I havent had a hot dog in years! If I go to Grey’s papaya, I ask for bread with that red onion sauce. Whats that called anyway? Those onions taste so good, I dont even need the meat with them.

WHAT THE HELL AM I TALKING ABOUT?! I go off topic before I even get ON topic! Im writing this post to tell all you gristle phobics, non meat eaters, and picky people about F&B Gudtfood. I seriously think they must have interviewed every type of person in the world, and made a hot dog for each of us. They have chicken dogs, pork dogs, beef dogs, veggie dogs…and let me tell you..the veggie dog really tastes like a hot dog! ITS GREAT! When Im in the mood for a hot dog now, I go there! Then I dont have to worry about gristle, because veggies dont HAVE gristle!

They have a variety of fun hot dog combos with fun names like Great Dane, Prairie Dog, Chicken Farm dog etc. and they throw anything on them from chili and cheese, to bacon! Its a hot dog lover’s dream! Their onions are ok. Theyre no Gray’s Papaya but theyre decent enough! I wish Greys papaya was closer in proximity because i’d definitely be a jerk and get my hot dog from Gudtfood and my onions from Gray’s Papaya.

They also have lots of other fun foods like Truffle Fries, Onion Fries, Steak Frites, wraps and for breakfast time, Croissants and Belgian Waffles!

I am so grateful for this place because I can now fearlessly inhale my hotdogs again. With no fear of foreign objects in my hot dog! The staff is also really nice and really patient.

The atmosphere is small, but trendy and cute. A nice place for college kids to grab a quick bite. Its right in the heart of Chelsea, not too far from F.I.T. The BEST thing about this place is that its right across the street from the movie theater! So you can go over there, load up on hot dogs and smuggle them into the theater! No food tastes better than the food that you smuggle it into the movies! Dont you secretly laugh at the people who paid 12 dollars for a hot dog and a soda? GOOD TIMES!

Fun Story: One time, I went to see that movie “Soul Food” with my friend. We went beforehand and bought chinese food to smuggle into the theater! The good ole ghetto kind (you know…chicken wings with fried rice) This was before they sold anything more than Popcorn and Nachos in the theater. We had the nerve to start eating our food right at the part where Big Mama cooked that fabulous feast, and everyone was pigging out! We cranked opened our chinese food cartons and went to town! Then I heard someone sitting a few rows in front of us sigh and say “I can just SMELL IT!”…HAHAHHAHAHA! I cant believe they thought they were imagining the aromas! They must have thought they were watching smellovision! People in NY are crazy!

So thats my story! If ur in the city and want a hot dog…skip the dirty frank stand and hit up Gudtfood! Let me know how you like it!

Hey Guys! Its NYC Restaurant Week now through February 7th.
Click Here to see participating restaurants! Restaurant week is great! It gives you the chance to try different dishes that you wouldnt normally try. Many restaurants have special menus for restaurant week which include 3 course, prix fixed lunches and dinners for reasonable prices! So put on your eatin pants and enjoy the week!

I know you’re all “TRADER JOE’S!? A true lazy bitch wouldn’t want to go there because she wouldn’t want to stand on that long check out line. But that line moves faster than you think. Plus, it’s a trade off because once you get home, you wont have to wait long for your food to cook! Last night I came home on my last leg about to pass out! 5 minutes later I was gettin my GRUB ON!!!! Thank you Trader Joe’s! I wonder who the hell Joe is anyway. I’d like to shake his hand for some of the food his store makes! (I’d also like to SLAP HIM for a couple of those foods too…like the buffalo wings. But we’ll talk about that later.)

Right now, lets talk about what’s good.

While I’m typing this, I’m actually chowing down on 2 kinds of Ravioli. Artichoke Ravioli and Lobster Ravioli. They’re both great! My favorite is the Lobster though! It really is quite lobstery in flavor. The artichoke is good if you like artichokes. It really does taste strongly of artichoke! It didn’t take much effort to cook them. Just throw them in some boiling water for five minutes. One day I’m going to get creative and mix them in with some meat sauce or something! They’re great!

The Vegetable Gyoza is deeeeelicious! These are what took me five minutes to make last night when I thought I was gonna die of starvation and exhaustion! I like them just as much if not better than some of the gyoza I’ve had in real Japanese restaurants. **ducks flying shoes** Maybe its not REAL gyoza? But whatever it is, its GOOD!

I also love the Naan bread! It takes about 3 minutes in the toaster oven! To be a lazy bitch, you MUST have a toaster oven! Nobody has time to be sweating over a giant conventional oven! Nor do we have time to be preheating the oven! A toaster oven is so small all you have to do is turn it on and it’s preheated! I used to go into Indian restaurants, and buy naan to go! Now I can just walk into the kitchen! YESSSSS! Be sure to stock up on that! Its great for mornings when you don’t have time for breakfast.

Look at that, I’ve had foods from 3 different countries and only walked 3 steps to the fridge.

I also love their salmon! They’re these cute little frozen round disks of salmon filet! They take a little longer to cook (by longer, I mean 10-15 minutes instead of 5) but you don’t really have to do much. I throw a few seasonings and a little oil on there and pop em in the toaster oven! Then I go sit down and watch half of a sitcom! By the time I get a few good chuckles in, its time to eat!

The aroma going thru my house smells like I’m cooking a gourmet dinner! If I ever get married my husband is gonna think his wife is a chef! I’ll take everything out of the Trader Joe’s packaging and put it in tupperware and act like I cooked it all from scratch. He’ll come home, and I’ll be rattling pots of boiling water like Cliff Huxtable while the gyoza heats up in my hidden microwave and the naan bread toasts in my toaster oven! I’ll be the talk of the town! All of the wives will marvel at me and wonder how I do it!

I know one thing, when Football night rolls around, he and his friends wont be getting Trader Joe’s buffalo wings! I don’t know wtf Joe was thinking when he made those things but they are THEE WORST! Joe, I thought we were friends? I’m gonna have to change your name to Traitor Joe, because you betrayed my taste buds with those buffalo wings! After all the good food we had, you duped me with those things.

They might SAY “buffalo wings”, but they taste like they’re more from the ASS region of a buffalo! DONT DO IT! Leave those things right there in the frozen section! Trader Joe’s must have drawn up their return policy off the taste those wings alone! Because you don’t even need a RECEIPT to take them back! I guess they know that nobody can even duplicate that kind of mess…so there’s no doubt that you got the wings from them.

Another thing you might want to stay away from are their chicken egg rolls. I guess chicken is just not their forte. I don’t know if they were spoiled or if they were spoiled flavored and supposed to taste that way. But I’m not willing to give them a second chance to find out. If I fed those to my husband, he would cheat on me. And I’d give him a second chance before I gave those egg rolls one.

Aside from those two things, I really can say that overall I’ve had good experiences with Trader Joe’s foods! They really have something for everybody. from the health food nuts to the fatties! They even try to make the fatties not so fat by making yummy but low to no fat snacks like their “No Pudge Fudge Brownies”. They’re pretty good too. It’s a powder mix but all you have to add is no fat vanilla yogurt. Mix it around, pop it in the oven and you’ve got yourself some delicious chocolaty brownies! If me and my imaginary husband ever have some imaginary kids they’re gonna think I’m the best mom in the world when they come home from school and these are waiting for them.

Other great snacks are their Joe Joe’s cookies. They give Oreos a run for their money! Well…lets not get CRAZY but they’re good!

Guess what! They even have PIZZA BAGELS!!! Remember we used to make those as kids?! Mine weren’t quite as fancy as theirs. All I had were bagels, ketchup and Kraft singles! Sometimes instead of a bagel I’d use English Muffins! But it was good to me! I know that’s some ghetto pizza. I call it CHEATZA!

When you’re in Trader Joe’s, make sure you stop by their sample station. Every day they have something new for you to taste. It’s really smart of them to have that. If it weren’t for the sample station, I would never have thought to buy the Joe Joe’s cookies or the No Pudge Fudge Brownies. I also wouldn’t have known how great and crispy their string beans and asparagus spears are. Just be sure to have manners when you’re there. I know the food is yummy and the fact that it’s free is exciting. But the other day I saw a man push a lady out of the way to get a taste! It wasn’t even the last one! Don’t act like a beast!

Below are a few of my other favorites that I think you should try:

• Veggie Birds Nests. These are crispy, fried shredded thingies formed into birds nest shapes. They’re delicious! They come with soy sauce but I like to eat them with ketchup.

• Chocolate lava cake! OOOOOOOOH!

• Carrot Cake

• Chocolate Covered Jelly Rings

• Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds

• Freeze Dried Mangos: These have a weird, puffy texture that make them fun to eat.

• Waffles: They’re round and though they’re no eggos, they’re close enough. I bet they’re more healthy than eggos. Trader Joes don’t use all of the preservatives that popular brands use. Plus their waffles only cost about 2 dollars and change, which makes them even better! I like em a lot!

•Rice cakes: I don’t know about you but I love rice cakes! Some people say they taste like Styrofoam! Hey that’s a good thing. Haven’t you ever been tempted to taste Styrofoam? Lol

•Sesame Crepes: They’re not really crepes, they’re these little flat chewy snacks with sesame seeds all over them. I like them. they taste kinda like peanut butter.

• Individually wrapped cheddar cheese sticks: As much as I love these, I don’t think it’s a good idea to eat too many of them. You don’t want them to lock your back door if you know what I’m getting at. Oddly my cat loves these cheese sticks too! He goes nuts whenever I open one. Maybe I should give a lot to HIM! Then maybe he’ll give that poor litter box a rest.

I’m so thankful to Trader Joe’s for finally coming to New York! As popular as New York seems to be, we often seem to be last on the list to get the good stores. We didn’t get a K-Mart til the 90s! Whats up with THAT?! Anyway…lets not complain about the past! We have it NOW and I have a good ole time perusing the aisles!

Trader Joe’s 14th street is a little too small to peruse but I’m lucky, I live near a bigger one! I’m not telling you where it is because I don’t want it getting all crowded like 14th street. KEEP YOUR BIG MOUTH SHUT GOOGLE! Just kidding…its in Brooklyn on Court Street. Maybe I’ll see you there! (130 Court Street, Brooklyn NY (718) 246-8460)

EFF YOU BLOG!!!!!!