Road Trip Goodies

 This is the time for road d\trips whether an  hour to the beach or longer to another state. You have to eat and drink on the road. What to eat? what to drink Do you go healthy ? Or just gobble up junk.

If you;re by yourself you can indulge in chips and cookies for a short while. The best bet is to bring foods that wont cause any distress on the road. Healthy snacks like Sun Chips are perfect, Unlike potato chips they're made from whole grains lie whole wheat and brown rice flour. They're also lower infant and calories than regular chips and come in such tasty flavors as Garden Salsa(a must have) Harvest Cheddar and French Onion. You can get little bags but the bigger ones will last. Potato chips are another fun road trip snack but try the lower sat ones. Lay's have these in ripple and plain and they 're not soaked in sodium.  You could also get baked versions. They are healthier, being lower in fat and calories however their taste is so so.Try flavored almonds o rpistachios Almonds are are great snack for a relatively long road trip. They have flavor but not fat and offers dietary fiber for digestion. This is great because you don't want stomach issues on vacation. Pistachios are another good nibble.The also promote gut health which helps in keeping the stomach normal. As for drinking fill your Stanley cup with water. Mix in a few flavor drops. Mio has some tasty flavors such as fruit punch,watermelon  and strawberry.

WHat happens when the kids come on a road trip? Go for the Goldfish. This kid classic is non sticky and non messy which makes it perfect for little travelers. Buy cute containers from Dollar Tree or Dollar General to store them  r buy a new backpack to store these containers. Pick out different flavors such a as the Original  to Pizza to Pretzel. Also consider pretzels too these too leave minimal crumbs and are easy to eat.However don;t give them to little ones under they age of four.They can easily become a choking hazard. Pretzel sticks are good along with rods For toddlers consider making pancakes the night before and cutting them into strips. Dip them in sugar to make them tastier. Oat puffs are also good for a long trip as are rice husks o cheese crackers. Kids will want fzzy  drinks because they feel this is a special occasion. Stick to juice or chocolate milk boxes to quench thirst.Older kids can enjoy watermelons chunks along with grapes for hydration.Cookies are also a must for whatever age you're traveling  with. Oreos and chocolate chip cookies are fun diversions, perfect to snack on.

Road trips need food. Drivers and their passengers need sustenance. Fill the car up with tasty snacks and drinks for those highways and byways.

Good Versus Healthy Halloween Treats

Everyone wants to be the house with the good treats.It's a badge of coolness and a feeling of smug pride. Yet what is good? Is it gooey, cavity inducing sweets or nutrition  packed fruit or pretzels. That's the question. What the best goody to give out.


Ask any kid and they'll tell you , candy is best. We all know that. Yet what's the best candy health wise to give out?.Dark chocolate , whether kisses or fun sized bars are one good option. Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants.Its also less sweet than the milk variety. If you do want to hand out candy bars then consider Almond Joys and Mounds. These coconut rich treats have eight calories a piece and the Almond Joys also have fiber thanks to the nuts. . A piece is only around eighty-eight calorie and less than six grams of fat. Think Tootsie for another treat. Both the tiny rolls and pops are low in calories A tootsie roll is only seventy calories while the candy filled lollipop is just sixty. Both have zero grams of fat. If you want to give out something colorful think Smarties or Sweet tarts.These tart little discs have no fat, very little sugar and hardly any calories. A Smarties roll is has only twenty five while a small pack of Smarties has only thirty. Hand out three or four rolls or packs to each trick or treater and you're golden.Twizzlers are fun too  - and better yet low in calories They're also chewy too, so it'll take some time to eat and digest them.

You may want to go the fun and healthy route instead.Apples and pears are always good, Think a bowl filled with different kinds such as Fujis and Granny Smiths  along with Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou pears.Pretzels are always good. They're low in calorie and fun to munch .Keep in mind that some kids do suffer from gluten allergies so have the gluten free variety on the ready. You can go entirely gluten free or go half and half with packets of regular pretzels. What about Goldfish? Luckily Pepperidge Farm does have a gluten free version that's just as tasty as the original,They 're actually puffy - which are even more fun to eat and their flavors are buffalo wing,mega cheese and cheddar bacon.  You can buy Halloween themed packets or make your own. A few moms and dads may feel granola bars are also a great give out.If you decide on this  just be super careful with what you give out. Keep in mind many have nuts and that's lethal for kids with nut allergies.Try 18 Rabbits brand which is wheat, nut and dairy free.They come in such flavors as Caramel Apple, Chocolate Banana, Mango. and Chocolate Cherry Kind brand is also very good.with such yummy flavors as vanilla blueberry, salted caramel, and maple pumpkin seeds with sea salt.

What to go with for next week? That's up to you - but keep in mind what those trick or treaters parents want.for their kids. Be cool, but be wise too.

Motel Eating

Thanks to Hurricane Sandy I am now lodged in a motel a mile from my house. It has heat (a blessing) and TV(even more of a blessing). However the kitchen is lacking though I'm not complaining. Yet there is a problem with eating right in situations like this.

Most of the stores in my area have been closed now for a few days. That poses a problem for anything fresh from meats to fruits to vegetables. If you're in that situation think about canned. There are enough varieties of food that can be got form a simple tin.Most motels and hotels have microwaves in them,. Buy a few containers (trust me you'll use them later at home) and heat up a veggie or beef  barley soup. Having a hot meal also gives a sense of normalcy if you have kids. Sitting them down to dinner or lunch, even at a motel table brings it home for them.

As for snacking -if it makes you and your family happy then go for it. Usually drugstores like CVS Walgreen's and Rite Aid have the best and still a wide variety of snacks. Crackers are OK  as are pretzels. Any kind of small cracker like goldfish or CVS/ cheddar stars are fun. There are also fruit chews that may cause th e kids to bounce off the walls, but at least they're eating (because of enormous upheavals, kids  may lose their appetites and just swear off food all together)A lot of hotels and motels do have juice bars or juice machines. Keep them away from soda and iced coffee drinks.Boxed milk, whether plain or chocolate flavored ,is a better bet.

These are rough times for all of here in the tri state area. It's hard to have a normal diet, especially when you have to move to a motel or deal with closed groceries or supermarkets. Bear up.Just go with the flow and just eat to survive no matter what you eat.

Carp Revisited

Carp is one of those fish that you either love or hate. Most home chefs usually acquire through fishing. It is a difficult fish , being both bony and oily. Yet , like any other , it is versatile and can be made into everything from filets to cakes. Try it once and you could be addicted.

Carp has been around for centuries , being one of the earliest fishes to become domesticated and cooked. It is a member of the Ciprinidae family, an oily, fresh and sometimes salt water fish.It has more bones than the average fish .possessing Weberian ossicles.(an anatomical structure originally made up of small pieces of bone formed from four or five of the first vertebrae).This aids the fish in sensing sound vibrations making the carp the most developed in hearing. Carp can also be an ornamental fish, both the hugely popular koi and goldfish are both in this group. Carp is high in calcium and phosphorous and low in calories.

What can do you with carp?There are many recipes from filets to cakes to even pickled.If they're just fresh caught then try them fried in cornmeal to be served fresh with hush puppies. You could also make carp Mandarin style which is with oranges, dry sherry and scallions. You can also roast carp on a grill. Just prep it with a little lemon along with fresh ground salt and pepper. You can also bake it , again with lemon but add some garlic with it this time and serve with veggies.

Carp is a versatile fish that can be made a number of ways. If you're lucky to catch it fresh, take advantage of turning it into a variety of tasty dinners. Add it to your barbecue and summer cooking this season!

The Real Story Of Pepperidge Farm

If you're like me, you have always been in love with Pepperidge Farm products. From their famous goldfish to their cookies to their breads, they represent good quality baking at affordable prices. What I didn't know was their story. I had always assumed that this was a quaint baking outfit left over from another time. The real story is much different.

Pepperidge farm came about thanks to its' owner Margaret Rudkin. She had come up with a healthy alternative to white bread for her son who was beset with allergies. This was in 1937, long before grocery stores touted wheat and gluten free products. She made her son an all natural stone ground flour bread that not only helped him but was a hit amongst family and friends. The Rudkin family doctor even prescribed it to other patients and an industry was born. The company got its' name from the estate that the Rudkins owned , Pepperidge Farm.

The company added their rich line of Milano and Brussels cookies thanks to Margaret's being impressed with Belgian bakers and their creativity. This was in the 1950's and American cookies had yet to be sophisticated. Pepperidge Farm changed all that. Soon white bread America was being introduced to luxe styles of chocolate sandwiches and almond flour snaps. A few years later goldfish were brought to the line thanks to Margaret's trip to Switzerland and discovering Swiss fish crackers. The company was bought out by Campbell Soups a little after that however this enabled Pepperidge farm to now work on frozen pastries - another first for America.

Pepperidge Farm now has a whole host of elegant cookies along with down home sugar and chocolate chip kind.s The goldfish line has expanded as well , bringing all sorts of flavors from pizza to pretzels. This foodie wants to know. What's your favorite Pepperidge Farm treat?