Not Your Granny's Meringues Black Sheep CBD Meringues

 Meringues have gotten a stodgy image. Mention them and people think of them gracing staid afternoon teas or being shown on The Great British Baking Show as a challenge. That's about the change thanks to Black Sheep. They've added CBD to the basic recipe and punched them up.

I love anything meringue so these caught my eye.Black Sheep meringues made by Sannte Foods an Oak Ridge Texas Company also knoiwn for their sweet Tidbit snacks.

CBD is added to the classic meringue recipe of mostly egg whites and sugar (hopefully they'll come out with an aqua faba one). This added ingredient helps in lowering inflammation and decreasing anxiety. They're the perfect snack after a hard day of for those with joint pains.

These are tiny one bite puffs which come in a wide variety of flavors. There is caramel, cappuccino ,birthday cake., cookies and cream and cotton candy as well as the classic chocolate , chocolate mint strawberry and vaniila. Be warned however. There is a slightly bitter aftertaste unlike regular meringues which have a continous sweet flavor.

The packages come in two sizes - five count which is $12.99 while the ten pack is $18.99. The smaller packs  would make fun stocking stuffers while the larger ones are perfect in fun birthday surprise baskets.

Black Sheep CBD Meringues are not your granny's meringues. They 're perfect for just kicking back and relaxing with a sweet snacl. Try them for a different take on a bakery favorite.

Food Unifies Us

It cannot be said often enough about how food is a great uniter. Breaking bread allows us to see each other in a different, less confrontational light. We need to have more  socially distanced community dinners and picnics. Coming together over a plate of something is better than having that plate thrown at us.

Of course there should be more discourse however for now we should think of having town or block funded barbecues where law enforcement is invited.If cops  got to see how neighborhoods are , maybe there wouldn't be so much fear - yes fear - and prejudice on their part. Inviting them over for burgers and dogs isn't such a bad idea. They can get ideas about how to patrol and what they're looking at if they know the people. This is also a good concept for churches to follow too. Now that the weather is warmer , gatherings can be held outside to allow for social distancing. Imagine it like a big pot luck where people bring main dishes and sides along with desserts. Other congregations can also be invited. They too can bring different foods, reflecting religious and ethnic backgrounds. Not only is it a chance to come together but try recipes that are out of their comfort zone. Baked mac can be served alongside kugel and falafel. Kids can snack on cotton candy or baklava.  Individual barbecues can be set up for s'mores and toasted marshmallows.

Since cops are also our first responders, we need to remember the efforts and sacrifices they make during this ongoing pandemic. It's nothing to whip up a batch of cupcakes and homemade icing for your town's finest. Make an ice box cake if the weather is too hot. Another idea is sending pizza and prepared meals from your local pizzerias and restaurants. You'll be helping eateries in the area as well as providing a hot lunch or dinner for the force. If you have a neighbor who works on the force, treat them and their families to something, whether a cake or extra spaghetti and sauce.  They'll appreciate the gesture and the fact that you're behind them. As social gathering restrictions get lifted invite them over for a backyard meal. It's a great time to talk and find out about who they are and what's going on in your area. It's also the perfect time to suggest starting mentoring multiracial youth groups and having a police backed baseball or football team. Also tell them what you've seen in town and if there is a need for improvement.

Food will always unite us. If we start a dialogue, then it needs to be over a hamburger or a slice of cake. Eating brings us together - which is what we need right now.

Cotton Candy Dreams

Ever since I was very little - we're talking toddler here - I've loved cotton candy. I don't know why, Maybe the airiness  or the way it melts on a little tongue. It could be that I enjoyed it the first time at the Wildwood Crest, New Jersey Boardwalk after a fun day of splashing in the ocean waves. My love intensified when I received one when I was three (yes, three!)My parents sent away to Boston for it as a birthday gift which I can still remember.

Jokingly I had asked for one for Christmas after seeing it at this cool discount store Five Below.I got it.

It doesn't come with the sugars so I had to order them from Amazon. These were around $17.95

There were a lot of flavors to choose from, but I thought the raspberry - grape - cherry trio was the best choice and the most flavorful. It does comes with the cones. These are a little too big for the machine which comes with long skewers and a scoop . Which one is the best? I do like how the cones look but the sticks are easier to twirl the floss around. This is the machine after a simple assemblage.

It's just adding the sugar with the scoop that comes with it and putting it in the center disc.

This was the first try, using the grape flavor.

It looks kind of thin , I guess two scoops would give it a thicker , fluffier look. Still it's a fun snack and a surprise dessert for company. I plan on getting the watermelon and sour apple flavors next, possibly the bubble gum too.

Marcel Proust  had his madeleines. I have my cotton candy. It's just as fun as getting it at the shore or when I was three. There is nothing like it.

A Foodie Holiday Away

Sometimes the holidays call for a vacation. There's something freeing about spending a day at a hotel buffet and then hitting the slopes or the shops. You don't have to cook and then serve. You just pick what you want and then get served. Now that's the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas.

 It pays to stay in the States considering Thanksgiving isn't an international holiday. There are enough places to travel to to enjoy not just the holiday but the sites too. Of course the gem of any American city for Thanksgiving is New York City. It's where you can see the Macy's Day Parade and then go wild at a sumptuous holiday dinner. If you have the money head over to Dirty French in So Ho. It' is a pricey $98  for a three course prix-fixe meal. You'll enjoy traditional fare but with a side of pate and a savory millefeulle. For an Italian twist on the holiday  head to the classy Gran Tivoli on Broom Street  in Greenwich Village where there's roast turkey and pork belly served. The next day is Black Friday.  Go crazy shopping at Macy's and the new seven story Nordstroms. Both are chock full of restaurants and cafes to sustain you during a busy shopping day. Want quiet and quaint? Then head up to New England, like Snowvillage Inn in Eaton, New Hampshire. near the White Mountain National Forest. You can ski, sit by the fire and enjoy good , old fashioned meal of turkey and stuffing. For a really old,  - four hundred years old, in fact, go to the Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth  to try a dish of turkey sauced and a sallet  along with a sweet pudding of Native corn and  a pottage of cabbage, leeks and soup.

Christmas can be spent anywhere. Europe is the obvious choice. It's where most of our traditions come from. Many of the bigger cities have Christmas markets where you can buy all sorts of gifts and sample delicious foods. Head to Germany , the birthplace of the holiday. Munich has the Christmas mart where you can taste Kletznbrot, a bread loaded with nuts fruit and honey and Fatschnkindl - a pastry shaped like the Baby Jesus in His manger. Of course there's beer and roast pork too - the perfect holiday meal. Paris is another city , famed for its' holiday shopping and outdoor markets. Browse stalls while you sip a cup of French onion soup or nibble on sausages. Rome has the Piazza Navona Christmas mart where you can sip mulled wine and munch on an Italian holiday classic  - roasted chestnuts. Spend Christmas Eve in Vatican City where you can also dine at many restaurants and cafes that feature everything from classic pasta to a variety of pizzas. Of course there is London, where there are dozens of Christmas marts. Some have apres ski themes with hot toddies where you can also munch on candied pecans and a cone of candy floss - cotton candy. This is the city that gave us A Christmas Carol and that giant turkey for roasting. Most of the hotels in the city are offering traditional British fare such as a turkey with the trimmings followed by the lit Christmas pudding.

Treat yourself to a holiday away from your kitchen. There is literally a buffet of cities and towns to visit for good food and fun. Enjoy the time away. Treat yourself to this travel present.

An End Of Summer Food Fest

If you live in the Lodi,New Jersey area, you're well familiar with the Labor Day Saint Joseph's Feast.It's to celebrate the area church ,Saint Joseph of Naples. Neopolitans and Sicilians brought the saint to the small country town of Lodi, in Northern Bergen County.Now fourth and fifth generations are in charge of this amazing food fest.

As you can see, every Southern Italian festavale has a zeppole  stand.Dried puffs of dough are deep fried and then heavily dusted with powdered sugar.

Another perennial is the torrone and chichi beans.They are dried and salted chickpeas.

Parishioners are in charge of some of The food stands.You can get every Southern Italian dish, from sausage and peppers to my favorite pizza.Filipinos make up the new generation of Saint Joseph church goers.This is from a Filipino stand- one potato cut and fried on a stick.

Along with one of my favorites.

The treat truck.Tonight a candy apple.Tomorrow popcorn and cotton candy.Maybe a grape SnoCone.

This is the seats on for feasts and fests all over the country.Take advantage of the fun food offerings.It's a delicious way to contribute to a parish and community.

The Lamb Experiment Part Two Icing Is Coming

This is part two of the Lamb Experiment. Yesterday I baked the Wilton lamb using my Mom's mold. It came out pretty OK. Now was the time  to ice and decorate it.

This is the original instruction booklet that came with the mold. I used the original icing recipe with one difference.I made it vegan.

I used Country Crock's baking stick along with Crisco's vegetable shortening. I wasn't a big fan of shortening until I saw what it can do to icing. It gave it a creamy texture and a lovely white color.

Confectioner's sugar was Domino's - what else. I used only four and a half cups instead of the recommended five.

It really is the perfect white icing. 

The Wilton recipe recommended a 1/4 cup of milk, except that  milk can make the icing spoil if it's left out.I went vegan and used Blue Diamond Almond milk instead.

It was perfect. I'm still amazed at how creamy the icing is.

The decorating requires a bit of the icing to be colored for the eyes,nose mouth and ears. I used Wilton's, putting two blobs of frosting in coffee cups. They were decorated with Wilton's gel dyes.

I stole a trick from The Great British Baking Show and put the dye on a toothpick for the right amount of color. It was then twirled into the icing..It produced cotton candy pink for the mouth nose and ears.

And a sweet cotton candy blue for the eyes

This is Lambie. The white spots are the flour left from baking. It can be gently scraped off with a butter knife.

Remember, to give any cake a crumb coating or a first layer of icing before the actual frosting and decorating.

Then it was onto the fluffy fleece.

Again I used Wilton's plastic and disposable decorating bags and tips. These are neat because they're printed with a line telling you where to end filling it.

Don't make the mistake I did. Please chill the icing before using. It gets messy and gooey as all get out when it's warm.

Here she is. pretty as ever.

I added tart blackberries for some fun and to offset all that sweet icing.

Miss Lambie is just the first in a series of lambs.I plan on making a vegan one , along with a chocolate one with coffee icing. It should be fun. 

Ewe'll find making an Easter lamb enjoyable. (sorry, I could not resist.)It's a great family and friends project.

Crazy Grapes

Grapes have always been a fun snack and a neat addition to dessert plates. Now there are some new hybrids that are going to ran up the excitement around them. These will definitely be the new favorites.

I discovered one strain while food shopping at the Stop &Shop. There are only so many peaches one can eat, and as much as I love them, they can be tiresome. The grapes beckoned  - and these were not just any grape. They were long tubular ones, sort of looking like pudgy little fingers. They were the Moon Drops, a pretty name for a pretty fruit. The grapes' color is a rich deep purple - think a midnight mixed with eggplant. They're the size is about two Concord grapes long with blunt, rounded ends. The flavor is sweeter than the average grape,think homemade grape jam. Sweet but not cloying. They are an offshoot of the common grape - vitis vinifira and the name was trademarked by The Grapery,a California based grower. Their odd shape might make people think they've been genetically modified   but they're not. The breeding technique did require human intervention howeve. An embryo rescue occurred, This is when the breeding process involves pollinating a flower and then growing the embryo seed in a laboratory test tube. Eventually the seedling is planted in soil and grown in the traditional manner.Unfortunately they're not really good for jams or wine. Eat them fresh , by themselves or with cheese.

Another crazy grape causing a buzz is the cotton candy grape. This hybrid is yet another product of The Grapery., and have been out since 2011 (I'm late to the party with these). They look resemble "white "or the pale green variety save for one important aspect - they taste exactly  like cotton candy. How is this possible? Again, as with the Moon Drops, there was no GMOs or even sugar injections to boost the taste. It seems it was a hit and miss with flavors.The growers didn't set out to create that particular one. Consumer testers gave them that name. Warm, they have a caramel or toffee flavor but chilled, as they were first eaten - and the cotton candy taste comes out.Again, like their unique  cousins, they can;t be made into jam or wine. Just eat them as a fun dessert when they're in season,. Supermarkets usually sell them during their harvest months of August and September. Another wild globe from The Grapery is the teardrop grape. This is a deep purple chili pepper looking grape that were originally named Witch Fingers which would be a cool name for them around Halloween. Like their cousins, they're best on their own or better yet on a cheese or charcuterie  plate. Harvest time for them is mid Spring, around June.

Grapes are a nice addition to any table - no matter what the time of year. MoonDrops are big right now. Enjoy them at a fall  picnic or gracing a cheese platter full of Bries and cheddar.

Be Your Most Adventurous Self This New Year

What advice can be given to home chefs and bakers on this New Year's Eve?. Be bold. Be daring in the New Year! Broaden your culinary horizons. I know I will and it's going to be a wild, fun trip into the culinary unknown.

This is the year to be bold. Experiment. The worst thing that can happen is that the dish doesn;t come out well. Then tweak it. Don't be afraid. Dare. If you want to try meringues , then do so. Yearning to make that pineapple upside down cake or Dr. Pepper ribs, then do it. If there's a cuisine that you've longed to study in a cooking class , then go for the classes. They're not only informational, they're fun and you'll meet like-minded home chefs that will be instant friends. Turn your kitchen into a lap where you can mix and match different and diverse flavors. Who knows? You make come up with the next hit fo the new year.

The same ideology applies to gadgets too. If you want a mandoline, then buy it. A fryer? Or that frying pan that can cook and bake anything. Definitely add them to your arsenal of kitchen tools. Invest in meat and candy thermometers. These are must haves in any kitchen. They'll even inspire you to try bigger roasts and different forms of candy.If you want that cotton candy machine, go for it. It's not just as a fun party treat, Use it to decorate cakes and cupcakes. Try to make a bacon flavored one  to test your limits.Get the apparatuses to cure bacon at home or create  kimchee  and  sauerkraut. Have your significant other build a smokehouse or curing room for your foray into cold cuts.

The New Year is your oyster. Crack it open. Serve it with hot sauce or baked spinach. Turn it into your signature dish!

The Bad Foods Of Summer

Summer can give us some of the healthiest foods but it can also offer some of the worst too. from the barbecue to the boardwalk, over fried , over grilled and over sweetened nainsook meals and treats are gobbled down in abundance. if you want a healthier diet, avoid them or cut down.Just don't make them a habit. Barbecues are usually thought of as wholesome affairs.After all what could be more American?however grilled meats can be hazardous if eaten on a daily basis. That innocent burger and hot dog have now been remedied unhealthy thanks to cooking them over coals. Meats can be rendered carcinogenic thanks to the high heat.One way to avoid this is cut meats such as chicken and steak into kabob side bites.They will cook up quicker and spend less time on the grill. Grilled veggies are fine and even encouraged.Try corn, tomatoes, even asparagus and peppers.Also those fresh grilled veggies are much better than those picnic salads.Most are cholesterol bombs laden with too much mayo and even sugar.To make a healthy potato salad or Cole slaw sub in olive oil for the mayo or even a low fat mayonnaise.You cam also try Nayonaiise a soy based sub vegans use'Also flavoring with dark honey is much better. you can even use it in barbecue sauces instead of brown sugar.Beach fare also comes with caveats.Most beachfront stands sell fun foods.However their after effects aren't such.Many pavilions serve everything from cheesy nachos to nuggets.They are tasty after a day of splashing in the waves but they're not nutritious.Pack a cooler with veggies slices a healthy homemade Greek yogurt dip along with fruit and pretzels.For drinks think fresh brewed ice tea and water instead of soda and juices. Summer also brings about trips to the boardwalks and fairs.It is a Herculean feat not to buy any of the junky foods .Surprisingly enough cotton candy is about the most healthiest.It's is pure sugar, yes, but it has no grease , lard, butter or flour.Another Ok treat is the candy apple.The only problem with it is that it can play havoc with your dental work.Chirros are becoming popular and who doesn't love them.They're crunchy and sweet, often served with a chocolate or caramel sauce.These are loaded with everything from grease to white flour.There's really no sub for them so if you do crave one go easy.Ice cream and frozen custard are always featured.These too are cholesterol laden. ,especially if you pile on syrups and whipped creams.Opt for Italian ice instead.Another fair ground treat is fried anything.Avoid this booth at all costs.As yummy as fried butter it is is just pure poison. The summer is full of diet land mines,These can be fun and downright delicious but they are lethal. Eat these sparingly just as a rare treat. then go back to the fruits and veggies of the season.

Summer's Traditional Foods

Now that it is truly summer ,it's time to bring out all those great foods that are only served during these steamy days.Thanks to both it. Being harvest time as well as being too hot to cook in a traditional kitchen,annual caves come out.There are so many from barbecue fare to boardwalk and beach classics. Salads make a big come back when the temps soar.Nothing beats a simple lunch of iceberg lettuce ,and tomato wedges.Finish with a homemade French dressing of equal parts mayo and ketchup. another salad that screams not only summer but chicness is the Provencale salad Nicoise. This involves mixing greens and tomatoes with hard boiled eggs ,capers ,anchovies and tuna fish.It has a simple oil and vinegar dressing and is served with huge hunks of the crustiest French bread. Of course nothing beats good old fashioned burgers and dogs.Put them on buttered buns and load up with extras, like pickles and onions for the first and relish and mustard for the second. Of course summer means a return to Boardwalk and country fair classic foods.Nothing beats the rare treat of a corn dog ,a mix of sweet and savory.There's also sausage and pepper sandwiches , bursting with super spicy Italoan sausage and peppers. Sweets come out too, like the enticing and crackly candy apples,either dipped in nuts or coconuts along with everyone's must have cotton candy.No matter how old you are nothing finishes a night out like big fluff of the stuff.Luckily the warm weather provides us with nature's sweet treats. indulge in strawberries plums and nectarines.These make great snacks , especially on picnics or after the gym.Blueberries and cherries are also still in abundance.Scatter them over your favorite home made or store bought ice cream or turn into luscious compotes. Summer is officially here and with it all the foods we love. Enjoy them at the beach or the lake. make sure you serve them at your barbecue.Just celebrate these lazy hazy days with fun foods and fun times!

Best Summer Treats Ever!

With July 1st comes the official start of the summer season (even thought it really started last week).This is one of the best times of year. Fresh fruit and veggies abound.Every weekend holds th e prospect of a yummy picnic or barbecue. There's delicious boardwalk and carnival treats not to mention contests at local fairs. It's one fun foodie week after another.

One of the best treats of the season is a good old fashioned tomato sandwich. All you need is just fresh, sliced tomatoes mayo and white bread. The best bread is a good sandwich white like Pepperidge farms or Arnold's and then liberally slather on mayo. Add thick slices of beefsteak, sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and you have sheer heaven. It's a lovely combo of juices mixing with creaminess. Another sandwich treat is a good old fashioned off the grill hamburger , complete with fresh sliced onions, ketchup and lettuce. Of course ribs rank right up there as well. There's nothing like them barbecued, shining with a thick patina of homemade sauce.

Summer has a lot of sweet goodies too. This i s the time of year to take advantage of what's left of the strawberry and blueberry seasons as well as cherries. Of course summer is all about that perfect watermelon wedge, drippy,cool and perfectly sweet.It'sa refreshing respite when temps hit the nineties. Vacation time isn't vacation time without boardwalk or fair goodies. There's the sheer fun eating cotton candy and candy apples along with frozen custard in a cake cone. Another treat (especially here in New Jersey) are boardwalk candies, fresh made in candy shops thatare a mainstay of the Jersey shore . Happiness is a molasses pop or a haystack or a whole box of saltwater taffy made from recipes that have lasted over one hundred years.

This is the season for fun times and fun food. It's just great to kick back with a perfect burger to a fresh made cone of cotton candy. Enjoy the warm weather and starry nights along with some of summer's fun treats!

Flavored Vodkas

Vodka is a strong enough drink on it;s own . Yet there''s just one problem, no flavor, literally it';s a great mixer drink. After all it makes for wonderful screwdrivers and Cape Codders.However it's not memorable, not like champagne or whiskey. However that;s all being amended these days thanks to the help of some flavoring.


Flavored vodka is nothig n ew. Poles and Russians have been flavoring theirs for centuries mostly with local fruit, herb and honeys, However in this day and age it's not unusual for companies like Stoli to include odd flavors not normally associated with the drink. there is a bacon flavored one - perfect for those brunch Bloody Marys; as well as a cotton candy one (this one should stand alone and not e mixed with anything) There are the also the more palatable fruit ones that have infusions of everything from grape tokiwi in them. The brand Three Olives also produces one with tomato and root beer

Who produces the best flavored vodka? Of course the answer would be Stolichnaya or Stoli.The company has been around for a long time(since the early 1900' s)Stoli takes its' product and gives it a modern day US twist by including flavors such as cranberry and raspberry along with popular vanilla, apple and blackberry. However the British Three Olive s is the hot dogger here with its'off the wall yet surprisingly workable tastes that include bubblegum and watermelon. This is the brand served in clubs and private house parties, appealing to th e thirty and younger set.

Vodka isn't just that strong drink used as a mixer. Now it's coming into its; own being infused with a variety of sweet and savory flavors. it;s growing up and expanding to fit a market that demands more than just the original.

AN Italian Treat Cooked Salami

Many people don't know that salami can be cooked. Most think it;s just sliced cold cuts you buy in the shrink rapped container and then slapped onto hero bread. yet it;s much more than than .it;s northern Italian specialty that is delicious and tender, served with sauteed greens or collards. it;s the perfect fall dish with a side of polenta

Salami cuit (the Piedmontese pronunciation)or cotto is a delicacy and not made much these days. The salami was usually bought in a salumeria or Italian deli. it was cooked for two hours before it was served. The tasty was mildly spicy, sort of similar to the hard salami used in heroes and antipasto. I haven;t been able to locate any where near me these days. I have found several recipes on the web that you can make the dish at home. it calls for pork butt , salt for curing (usually Morton's )and peppercorns.. You do have to cook it in some kind of casing Some recipes call for sugar and dried milk as well. my advice is to try a couple of recipes out and stick to the one you like best.

What goes with salami? My family has always cooked it with greens sauteed with garlic and a dash of red pepper flakes. You could also serve it with a small side of yellow polenta. I don't think anyone has every put it into a sandwich.Cooked salami can be reheated again,. either fried or in the microwave.

If you get the chance, try this rare Italian treat. if you can't find it , then look on the web for the recipes. I guarantee you'll be hooked on this kind of Italian sausage.It's a treat!

Cotton Candy - A Fun Summer Treat

Nothing says summer fun like cotton candy. This is the treat we snack on at the Boardwalk or go crazy for at the fair. It's a fun and sweet remnant of childhood innocence. No matter how glum you are, the sight of cotton candy always brings forth a smile.

Cotton candy was on e o f those great 1904 World's Fair inventions. It was orginally called fairy floss and is still called that today in Austrailia (the Brits call it candy floss). However earlier forms of existed in Renaissance Italy where cooked sugar strands were fluffed with a fork. By the 1890's candy makers William Morrison and John C. Wharton invented a machine where sugar, coloring and flavoring could be melted and then , using centrifugal force pushes this out through mesh. The result was a cottony form of the sugar , but it was still called fairy floss until the 1920's when it was changed to cotton candy. There have bene breakthroughs during the 1940s' in the machinery. By the 1970's cotton candy machines were automated. This meant mass packaging and people could enjoy it year round in vacuum sealed bags.Nutritionally the stuff has zero fat and only 120 calories per serving. It's the perfect snack for the diet conscious, basically fun without the guit.

In recent years upscale restuarants have redisocvered cotton candy as a side dish or as a dessert. There is a saffron infused version that has accompanied fish as well as a basil and tomato version served over pasta.(strange but true and both are big hits). For dessert a few Manhattan eateries take a cloud of marshamallow flavored cotton candy and put it over hot cocoa or chocolate pudding. It also has topped creme brluee. Some restaurants make fruit flavored (think raspberry mango or cherry lime)mini sticks and serve them for dessert.

Whatever type of cotton candy you have wherever you have it , it's sure to make you smile. It's just the perfect summer fun food whether you're strolling on the Boardwalk or sitting down in a fancy restaurant.

Healthy Substitutes

Not too long ago I wrote about being a low fat foodie. Now once more I'll write about it again because instead of losing weight I've ballooned upwards. It is not easy loving tho e wrong food. Like loving the wrong person, it slowly can kill you.

What to do?

Try to eat healthy. Easier said than done,especially when summer is also the season of snacking. It's so easy to go to the boardwalk or state fair and let loose on a lot of fun treats. Keep the junk food frenzy down to a minimum. Share a corn dog or a frozen custard with someone. Split that cotton candy or double loaded chili dog.At these places it's hard to find relatively healthy food. Opt for the candy or caramel apple (well the apple and the nuts and/or coconut covering it aren't bad) or go for ice or lemonade.Avoid anything deep fried like Oreos, Mars bars, and even ice cream. A problem with heading to the Jersey shore is that there are all these great home made candy stores offering hand made treats. Instead of a pound of fudge , go for the quarter pound. At least you'll get the rich chocolate-y taste without one - the large amount of calories , and two - expense. Salt water taffy is only 30 calories a piece so two pieces as a treat won't hurt. There is also the sugar free kind. A lot of candy stores sell lollipops which are another fat free sweet. Go for these as opposed to those rich molasses paddles dipped in milk chocolate.

Sometimes being at home is worse than being out. There's nothing like relaxing under a favorite tree or by the pool with a snack tray at hand. The problem is you've have to say no to the chips, dips and mojitos. Besides anything too salty will make you retain water. Stick with unsalted pretzels, baked potato chips and salsa. As far as a cooling drink, think freshly brewed iced tea or lemonade. Any soda(except diet) will add calories and make you feel bloated. Also stay away from any presweetened teas. These rich drinks surely put on those summertime pounds. Candy is another no no as we all know. It may be an energy booster during these hot days when you feel lethargic. Still there are calories there.Craving sugar? Go for any kind of berry whether straw blue or black. Eat a fresh sliced peach or watermelon to give yourself a lift.

Another summertime treat to avoid are those iced coffees. Yes they're addictive but loaded with fat. If you want an iced one, forgo the mound of whip cream and syrup barristas decorate the drink with. Opt for black (which is delicious)with a lot of ice. If you need one to spike up your energy levels get the carbonated kind.

It's tough being a foodie on a diet but you can do it. I'm struggling as I write this. Luckily I've nixed the Hershey's nuggets for strawberries and a tall ice filled glass of freshly brewed ice tea. If I can do it, then you other foodies out there can do it too.