Budget Shopping Budget Eating

Grocery shopping is hard these days. The prices are still soaring.People are going without. Sometimes a ,guide is needed and luckily there is one. Can it help? Possibly ,

New contributor and NBC food reporter Kevin Pang wrote about saving money in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday section.He is a Chicago reporter living in the suburbs there with his wife and  their twn year old son. He and his wife Anne looked to the US Department of Agriculture for help.Their thrifty option, is the least expensive and is what SNAP benefits are based on.They also cut out their usually eating out twice a week, It was time for home cooking.There was also no impulse buying and cheaper options were taken.Their son Liam likes peanut butter and  jelly sandwiches. They had to switch out his favorite strawberry jam for the cheaper grape jelly.The $4.35 baba ghanoush for the $3.77 hummus. They did stick with their organic staples such as eggs cream milk and certain vegetables that are hard to wash.The Pangs chose wisely with the high price paid for meat was pork shoulder at $14.98.Dairy was a variety of different products but all were relatively inexpensive The same for bread and baked goods with a sourdough baguette for only $2.99.They sort of splurged on cheddar Sun Chips at $4.99 a bag..

Mr Pang and his wife also contributed recipes which are perfect for any kind of dinner. There are the tasty bacon cheeseburger meatballs It's a fun way to use chopped meat along with adding favorites like crispy bacon and shredded cheddar.The sauce is a blend of condiments and sounds like McDonald;s special sauce with its' mix of ketchup ,mayo mustard  Worcester sauce and relish. There is also chorizo amatriciana that has the zing of spicy sausage. The sauce also has onion crushed tomatoes olive oil and red pepper. Garlic also gives it flavor.Everything is finely diced and sauteed until the onion turns translucent. The sauce is added  a long with a pinch of sugar. Bucatini, that thick chunky pasta is used but try anything that was on sale.There were also dinners of fava beans with ricotta on a toasted baguette,There were also carnitas and  sesame soy chicken. One dinner was Japanese curry with a fried pork cutlet. Lunches were mostly leftovers from the night before while breakfasts were granola and yogurt or scrambled eggs.There was a breakfast tortillas which is always fun. There was enough variety that no one became bored with the menu.

Follow this guide for some ideas for low budget shopping and cooking. It won;t be limited.There is variety and fun recipes. It's a good way to save money and be creative.

Campus Sweeties

 Most universities and colleges are known for their educational programs and spotrts team.. Yet there is one school that is known for it;'s sweet treats and the students who bake them. It's a great place to unwind and enjoy a break from intense studies and exams.

New contributor and finance writer Ron Lieber wrote this article on Carleton Collge in yesterday's New York times Wednesday Food section. This is a small liberal arts college in Northfield ,Minnesota, forty miles south of Minneapolis. A college like this, which emphasizes the humanities and the arts in a small town setting somehow should have an on campus kitchen where students can come and bake.,It attracts students and local alike, most taking the variety of different chocolate chips cookies from the classic to the oatmeal to spiced double cowboy along with butter chocolate chips  and the loaded cowboy ones. Yet there are other treats that baked there. Seraphina Shott  has baked her great grandmother's shredded apple pie recipe along with the family recipe of buttermilk biscouits baked in a cast iron skillet.Bakers leave the extra flour and other ingredients behind so other campus bakers can also bake a fun snack. Another house rule is that any leftover baked goods have to remain in the house for other students to enjoy. 

This is not a new concept for Carleton College which began in 1877 . It started over a century ago in 1922 when Candace Kelley Moses, or Dace or Dacie moved in to the house that was eventually named for her. She first worked for the treasurer's office  and then for the library until 1969 when she retired in 1969 at the age of sixty-sixFor a while she had a kind of salon where she even  welcomed an  cappella group The Singing Knights who practiced there. She baked for them and in return named their 1967 album "Dace and KNights" She also served Sunday brunch to the "Carls' as they students call themselves. To reduce her workload students came to help her , They helped with chores along baking such treats as bran and beef muffins served with either coffee or juice.. when she died in 1901 she left her house to the college;s alumni association (her husband and son had already passed) Dace Moses House is also used as a guest house run by Carleton students Luis Olvedo and Sean Zheng along with bring supervised by  fellow student Holly Ketchner. All three live in the house with Holly upstairs and the men downstairs.They have their own spins.,Mr Olvedo makes his grandmother;s tortilla while Mr Zheng brings an Asian flair to their breakfasts.

Candace Kelley Moses would be proud of the tradition and legacy she created. There will always be fresh baked treats for students and visitors. Her house is a great house , full of sweetness and memories for future alumni.

A Historic Take On Masa

 Mexican cooking would be nothing without masa, This ground corn meals yields everything from tortillas to tacos.it is one of the cooking traditions that migrated to the US and became a staple here. However it's not the same as the original until now.

Chef and host of the TV show Mi Cocina Rick AMartinez wrote this interesting piece on Mexican corn in today's New York Times Food section. For decades Americans have been eating tortillas and tacos made with processed corn loaded with preservatives. Even though we're used to the taste the flavor is very often musty and sour or bland. However a new generation of Mexican  American chefs are going back to using heirloom qualities of Mexican corn.Chefs are infusing traditional flavor into their tortilla along with tiocoyos, a street food made of a thick fried corn dough filled with pork cracklings and beans along with tamales and taquitos. Making true masa requires nixtamalization a three thousand year old practice of Mesoamerica.It's even been documented back to 1500 BCE.it's simply simmering dried corn in water and calcium hydroxide or cal until the kernals soften. They're then ground into a homogenous dough that holds what ever shape the cook wants. There are thin circles for tortillas , thicker ones for gorditas and plump triangles or ovals for huaraches or dumplings. Masa is also the backbone of a well loved chocolate drink chappurado. it cna also be crumbled into stews for body too.

There are many diffrent kinds of Mexican heirloom corn. Red ruby colored corn glints and grows in the Mexican state of Tiaxcala. Oaxaca give the Mexicans green corn while in the west  central state of Nayarit has fields full of corn stalks. These varieties are making their way to metro areas across the US. Tortilla and totopo - corn chip makers have the masa. They most likely nixtamalize the corn daily for their own products.Chef Martinez also gives recipes for tortilla made on comal or a tortilla maker. If you don;t have one a skillet works well too. They're  like pancakes being flipped every thirty seconds. There are also recipes for gorditas de maize, fat versions of pita or naan.These are slit open warm and filled with a variety of different meats , beans and cheeses.Chef Martinez also includes a recipe for tetelas de frijos negro or black bean filled dumplings. The black bean filling is easy .it's cooking black beans and sixteen cuoso f water with avocado leaves, garlic and white onion.The dumplings are stuffed with this and sprinkled with cotilla, the crumbly fresh cheese. They're cooked in a skillet or comal.

True masa requires true Mexican corn.It can be hhad here in the States. use it to create authentic tasting tortilla, taco, goritos, huaraches and gorditos

Linda Ronstadt's Harmony Of Food

 Linda Ronstadt is legend. Her smoky ,silky voice has led to many platinum records, both hard rock and nods to the Big Band Era.Surprisinngly this icon is going into food with a new cookbook clebrating her Sonoran Desert roots. It's an inreresting look at cooking of that region.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about the singer in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. To talk to Ms. Ronstadt about her career is a treat in itself but it's another interesting facet of a life that's captivating. What is really interesting however is that Ms. Ronstadt doesn;t cook despite her heritage , equally  as fascinating. One grandfather invented the electric stove while the other was a master of meat and mesquite. Yet she does like helping out and she does host legendary brunches,. When her children were little she made sure they had breakfast with linen napkins despite the fact she never cooked breakfast for them. In fact the cookbook surprised them. Ms. Ronstadt's only culinary dish is peanut butter and jelly  or honey. 9although she does makeit lush by buttering the bread first and them layering on Laura Scudder's  organic peanut butter. When she does cook she brings the same precision to her recipes that she brought to her music. Broccoli has to be steamed three minutes.Vinaigrette can't be made with balsamic vinegar.

Her recipes for the book are party family ,part traditional. Feels Like Home: A Song For The Sonoran Borderland  (Heydey Press 2022) cowritten with New York Tiomes journalist  Lawrence Downes who also met Ms . Rondstadt when he was writing about traditional Mexican music. Yet it was her friend, CC Goldwater, granddaughter of the famed Republican senator Barry Goldwater who suggested the cookbook. Ms. Goldwater imagined it as a fundraiser for Parkinson Diesease research,Ms. Ronstadt suffers from the disease.They and friends Bill and Athena Steen who have made a name teaching people to build from adobe wanted to contribute family recipes. The recipes featured in the article are El MInuto's Crisps a, cheesey , crunchy snack, Ms, Ronstadt ate regularly at  the famed Tuscoon eatery El Minuto that was across the street from where her brother was chief of police. Tortillas are fried in oil followed by green chili  strips.  These strips are put on top of the fried tortillas and then layered with both Cheddar and Monterery Jack cheeses to be broiled until gooey and crisp.. There are her grandfather's meatballs or albondegas , braised in water as opposed to being fried in oil. They're loaded with beef and tomatoes along with garlic,mint, Mexican oregano and cilantro.

Linda Ronstadt is legendary. Now her favorite and family recipes are too. They represent her love of heritage and her beloved Sonoran desert.

A Summer Taco Spread

 Everyone loves a good taco. Imagine a taco party then instead of a barbecue. Guests can have fun creating their own. It just starts with a few basics nd goes from there.

Genevieve Ko wrote about this along with giving  the basics in yesterday's New York Times Food section, Her inspiration was Alejandra Graf who threw a taco party for her son's soccer team. Thye loved it thanks to the variety and the joy of customizing their tacos. This also gives the host time to mingle while guests are creating their own meals. There should be big flavors, spicy , fresh and savory . Chef Ko also looks to Esteban Castillo author of the cookbook Chicano Eats  and the upcoming Chicano Bakes  aand his family's experiences. The family would throw carne asada on the grill but to also vary the taco fillings there would be Cornish game hens, chicken, chorizos , cebollitas or scallions and white onions. Theere would be tables groaning with guacamole, arroz rojo, red rice, pico de gallo and salsa molacito  along with frijoles charros and tortillas that his aunt made. It also pays to get everyone involved too. There should be extra handsin the kitchen to help witht eh chopping and prep.Prepare before time.Some dishes like chicken tinga, chicken with adobo sauce  and lamb birria, a kind of spicy lamb braise takes days to creare as do frijoles de olla.

Another important aspect is the tortilla.Make sure they're warmed before serving You could do what Ms Graf did, heating them on a comal or griddle (even a crepe plate works), They 're then wrapped in a warm towel to retain their tenderness.For a really big party CHef Ko suggests buying a tortiellero a large basket that retains their warmth. (you can buy this on Amazon or at a Mexican grocery).  Lightly char them as Mr. Castillo does or make your own,  She includes a carne asada recipe that has a spicy steak sauce and red rice.  The steak seasoning is a fiery one  full of  dried chilis and  spices such as cumin and  coriander. Black pepper gives it extra kick. There is also a marinade that features  orange and limes juices along with Worcester sauce. The red rice has tomato sauce and a host of spices too.Make sure there are plenty of drinks. You could have buckets of iced Corona  but agua fresca is  also good. Have large pitchers of this refreshing Mexican drink on the table. You can create them in a variety of such flavors as cucumber and watermelon. Make sure there's good music too for a relaxing time too.

A fun summer party involves tacos with fresh ingredients. Throw one that's full of delicious fillings followed by tasty drinks. There's nothing like a night full of good Mexican party food.

Your Own Favorite Restaurant

People are even getting paranoid and understandably so about eating out. Yet, for many it's the highlight of the week or month. The food is tasty and fun. However you don't have to eat out. There are recipes for some of our favorite restaurant and fast food dishes. Why go out when you can bring the eatery to you.

Fast food is always a hit. Who doesn't love a burger with the works or a filled burrito? Yet you can easily make these at home. It's so easy to recreate the special sauce. It's just mayo with a dab of French dressing along with white vinegar and granulated sugar.This can be made healthier with using the vegan Nayonnaise and dark wildflower honey. Add sliced tomatoes , pickles and lettuce on a bun for the full effect. As for fries and onion rings use your air fryer.  You could get the bagged , frozen kinds but you can also buy already freshly cut crinkle potato and sweet potato fries.. Liven it up with some ground garlic and rosemary. Homemade onion rings are another easy make, thanks to panko bread crumbs and an egg wash. Love Taco Bell? Their bean burritos are so easy to whip up - as I know. It's easy to cook up kidney beans and chopped onions in a mix of vegetable and olive oil.Red wine vinegar gives it tang while chili pepper and cumin add flavor. Serve it on steamed tortillas. Have a side of melted nacho cheese  - basically a jalapeno cheese sauce. It's creating a roux of milk and flour and then adding chopped cheddar and butter. Diced jalapenos are then stirred in for fire.

Pizza and pizza sticks are always easy to recreate.The dough is a simple recipe of flour, water and yeast, along with olive oil, a touch of sugar or honey and salt for flavor. Top with already made pizza sauce also used for dipping with the pizza sticks  and a variety of veggies and meats. It's a fun way to teach the kids how to bake as well as create breads. Making a pizza can also be a great method of teaching nutrition and which is the best and healthiest to eat. Kids can learn about using vegan mozzarella and what veggies are the most nutritious and the tastiest for finishing a pizza. Another Italian classic that's always a take out is the hero. Yet these are so much fun to make at home.Take a good Italian or French bread, cut in half, and add slices of your favorite meats , cheeses and veggies.What really makes any hero sing is the dressing.it's just a mix of olive oil and red wine vinegar with a dash of oregano. So many chain restaurants have loaded potato skins.It's baking Russet potatoes and then scooping out the flesh so that there's a quarter of potato left inside. Then you can fill  them with anything you want, from bacon to pulled pork or shredded roasted chicken with taco spicing. You could also try topping them with  pizza sauce and mozzarella for a different spin.

Eat in if you have qualms about eating out. It's easy to recreate favorite recipes at home. You might even improve on them.

Your Super Bowl Shopping List

With  the Super Bowl less than a week away ,it's time to plan your game day shopping list. Will you go the appetizers only route or plan a winter barbecue with ribs and burgers? It now the time to decide.

One of the first items you should write down are sturdy paper plates. Chinet has the best and sturdiest paper plates that can stand up to the sauciest chili or ribs. If you're planning on a lot of different dishes, then get the plates with three compartments. Another must? Sturdy plastic utensils. Buy extra packs because a few knives and forks  will surely wind up in the trash or recycling bin. Napkins and wet wipes should also be right up there.You don't want to bring out the good stemware so have plastic glasses and cups for beer and if the party wants it - coffee and tea afterwards. If you want glasses that can last well after the Super Bowl, then go to Target. They have an excellent selection of tumblers from regular plastic to clear plastic tumblers that look like cut glass.Each glass is between 79 cents (!) and two dollars for the clear plastic.Parties produce trash so make sure you have plenty of hefty trashbags to handle the mess.Another should buy is plastic containers for any leftovers or take homes. Buy these in different sizes to accommodate however many leftovers there might be.

As for foods, ask yourself what do you and your guests want? Is it just going to be chili  and chips or something mor?. Even a dish like chili requires planning.Do you make one of the alarm ones or a mild one that people can add pepper flakes and hot sauce?Will it be ground beef, turkey or soy? Do you serve it over rice, polenta or tortilla chips?. If you're going for a more heartier spread, then there's the choice of meats. Do you go for the fun and sloppy  fare such as wings and ribs - or more contained foods like hamburgers and grilled steaks. If it's the last make sure you have enough charcoal or gathered twigs (which you can get on a walk through your local woods. Then there are the sides. Do guests bring them or do you provide all of them? What about the nibbles. Remember to include two or three flavors of chips,  and different kinds of tortillas, and pretzels. You can also write down popcorn, both plain and kettle flavors too. Always have soda on hand and seltzer too for those watching their weight or who just want a clean crisp, drink.as for dessert, ask yourself if you want to bake or just buy cake, If you bake, then get the mix and the ingredients for the icing along with the decorations.

Planning any party , including a Super Bowl one can be daunting. It helps to have a game plan to get you through the shopping. Then it's onto the store for the kick off of shopping.

Sheet Pan Dinner Without The Star

Meat, whether, it's' beef, chicken, fish, or pork is the main course and main reason for a sheet pan dinner. Yet what happens when there is no meat. Then let veggies rule supreme. They can create a tasty dinner on their own.

Melissa Clark tackled this in yesterday's weeknight cooking issue in The New York Times Wednesday Food section.What is the protein in a meatless sheet pan dinner? Beans.  They can be crunchy and golden or soupy and soft like they are in chili.Cooking them in an oven is a snap be cause you don't have to worry about them browning.Ms. Clark gives a delicious recipe for tostadas with roasted black beans, These are cooked with canned sliced tomatoes and a chipotle chile in adobo sauce. This may a bit involved because you also have to roast yellow and red peppers. The two pans are put in 400 degree F oven for half an hour. Both have to be tended to often with the beans being stirred every ten minutes or so.The tortilla are added with a third sheet pan. This is just to crisp them and it only takes five to seven minutes. It's them piling the beans and peppers on the tortillas and topped with crumbled queso fresco along with cheddar For more flavor Ms. Clark suggests making cumin salt which is cumin salt and lime zest mixed together and sprinkling that on top. A squeeze of lime is optional but gives the tostadas a fresh zing.

Another protein Ms Clarks suggest is tofu or tempeh. Start with these, add vegetables, some kind of fat for browning and any seasonings you like. One of her favorites is tofu marinated in tamari - soy sauce without the wheat  added. She then coats the squares  in cornstarch and baked until they're crunchy  The veggies Ms. Clark suggests is sweet potatoes. They're cut into wedges  that turn velvety in texture however broccoli and mushrooms . She also recommends not spraying the pan to make it easier to flip them.It would take away the crunchiness and inhibit the browning. I would say use it because it makes it easier to turn and to wash the pan afterwards.Another idea is chickpeas  which is like a fun appetizer when they're roasted. Ms. Clark pairs them with cauliflower and roasted lemons. Again she uses two sheet pans to cook. The cauliflower, tomatoes and jalapenos are cooked on on pan with oil and salt while the chickpeas and fingerling potatoes have been roasted on another, after they've been doused with a spiced oil, rife with turmeric and cumin,

Sheet pan dinners are an easy cook after a busy day. What's great about them is that they can be veggie centric as opposed to meat. The veggies and beans can provide a tasty and simple, easy to make dinner.

The Trump Effect On Our Eating

It is true that our current president can leave a bitter taste in one's mouth. Now his ideas and decrees are affecting our restaurants. From waitstaff to chefs, they're being hurt by President Trump's reneging of DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The Dreamers that have big dreams are being threatened with their worst nightmares.They'll be forced to go back to the bleakness of their  homelands and the problems that they left there.

The issue - not surprisingly - hit the New York Times Food section today. Fernanada Santos interviewed an up and coming chef, Suny Santana and what he could face. His story is not unusual. He and his family came to Arizona from northern Mexico when he was eleven. His father , although he had a degree in mechanical engineering, along with his mother ,felt that the future would be bleak for their three children, Using tourist visas, they stayed in Phoenix where there would be new world of opportunity for Suny. He was enterprising,  As a teen  he collected plastic bottles and aluminum cans  to resell  to recycling centers. At the age of eighteen he graduated from high school and enrolled in a community college where he studied in a culinary program. That was the first problem. Chef Santana couldn't pay the grossly unfair out of state tuition fee that Arizona required from dreamers at the time ad had to leave.

Luckily there was Aaron Chamberlin, his boss, at the trendy St. Francis Restaurant where he worked.  There was also President Obama's DACA created in 2012, which allowed dreamers such as Chef Santana permission to live and work in the US. He thrived. His skills, along with his hunger to learn and determination impressed Mr. Chamberlin greatly,The restauranteur offered to put him in charge of the restaurant. He did so well that Mr. Chamberlin asked him what he'd want to do next. The answer was opening up a taqueria, He'd either do it with his father or raise the money on his own . Not wanting him as competition Mr. Chamberlain  offered to create a taqueria with him.It will be named Chelo , in honor of  Chef Santana's mother.It is her nickname and she will be the inspiration behind many of the dishes.Her method for tortillas will be used in his kitchen. It involves soaking and cooking wheat in lime water, then draining, rinsing, and hulling it. It is then ground in a hand cranked stone mill to make masa, the dough used to make the tacos.

Hopefully Taco Chelo will be allowed to be a successful restaurant and Chef Santana allowed to be a famous chef. It would be an abomination for him to be deported. It should not happen. We can't let it happen.

Black Bean Soup The Perfect Soup For Now

With the last days of winter and Lent coinciding, it's nice to have a hot meal that doesn't rely on meat. Black bean soup is the best dish for this.It is filling and satisfying, great for a chilly March night,

Julia Moskin wrote about in in Wednesday's New York Times' Food section. Black beans have been around for ages, being a decidedly American bean, growing only on the North American continent. There have always been recipes regarding them in soup, In fact , Ms. Moskin cites a recipe The Times has printed in 1879, that  has home chefs cooking them for three to four hour and then rubbed against a colander to create a paste. The soup tirned out to be smooth and murky, often thinned with cream and served with a sliced lemon and sieved egg. The famed James Beard suggested stirring in a glass of madeira to brighten his black bean soup recipe.. (although a glass of madeira was added to every soup recipe of his). The bean became super popular in the 1970's thanks to the uprise in vegetrian cooking. Thanks to another famed chef, Jeremiah Towers, black beans became the defining  ingredient in Califrnia cusine as he created black bean cakes,  thick tortillas made from a kind of bean dough and topped with creme fraiche and salsa.What is great about these beans  is that they don't need any kind of meat to give them more flavor. The beans absorn the flavors of the aromatics cooked with them.

The recipe is a tasty looking one and I'm eager to try it. Ms. Moskin does add chiles, chipotle and jalapeno for heat along with such aromatics as oregano and bay leaves. The recipe starts out with a non traditional kind of sofrito. Along with the chiles it has carrots and onions cooked in oil with  garlic. This is then deglazd with a cup of red wine . The broth used can  be chicken but  vegetable can be used, especially if the soup is designated for a Lenten meal.. Salt isn't added until the beans are at least halfway cooked, and the heat can only be turmed up in the begiinning to create a hard boil for only ten to fifteen minutes. Home chefs can use an immersion blender for pureeing the mixture into a satiny soup.. This will give it a lush mouth feel, like a rich cream one. This way doesn't have to be set in stone. Home chefs can leave the beans whole and serve them over a bowl of white rice.It can also be used as a side dish with quesdadillas or fajitas.Ms. Moskin advises not to cook it in a pressure cooking because it will turn the texture into a kind of pudding with no liquid left. The finished dish is served with a blob of sour cream and avocado slices. I wouldn't mind adding a few crumbled tacos on top for more texture.

A fiery , creamy black bean soup is the perfect dinner for a blustery Lenten night. It is hearty and spicy without being too overpowering. It's the right soup for these days ahead.

Q'Doba Grill Possibly The Best Mexican Food

Mexican food out can be a dicey affair . It could be too bland - or worse too spicy and hot. Then there's the cookie cutter factor, creating the same dishes for every customer..Luckily there is the refreshing Qdoba Grill that offers freshness and variety.


This is my favorite Mexican fast food - although should it be called such? There's nothing even remotely "fast" about it. There are fresh cut  vegetables and grilled meats. Even the tortilla chips are crisp and crunchy, not soggy with oil.Qdoba's Grill's tastes and cooking style is similar to home chefs' cooking the cuisine. Why is it not like its' closest competitor, Taco Bell? Maybe because it''s not  part of an international fast food corporation. The restaurant chain was started in the mid 1990s by Anthony Hauser  and Robert Miller in Denver ,Colorado. Another competietor, Chipotle was also created there two years earlier.It was called Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill and made a million and a half in revenues alone during the first year.Four years later the name was changed to Qdoba . The chain is known for their San Francisco or Mission style where the burritos are overstuffed with rice and double the amount of meat and veggies.It's also known for other freshly made customized dishes , unlike Taco Bell and reasonable prices - unlike Chipotle with its' expensive tacos , burritos and even guacamole.

Again , the reason I love it  there  is a homey freshness to it. I love having the tacos made my way, without beans and corn, just loaded with their spiced chicken and chopped tomatoes. The servers add just the right dollop of guacamole to top it off. Another reason to like Qdoba is that every dish can customized to suit both meat lovers and vegans. The menu is not varied. There are only six choices such as the classic taco, burrito and nachos along with  the burrito bowl, tortilla  soup, and taco salad. Of course, they have guac and chips, a creamy mashed avocado lightly spiced with what tastes like tabasco sauce. The queso or cheese sauce is laced with beer as is the featured drunken chicken this month. I enjoy their regular grilled chicken, again lightly spiced and not overpowering. The burrito bowls are also tasty, Bean lovers can go crazy with it, having both pinto and black beans and nothing else. There's also corn and peppers to add to everything too. Another plus? The soda machine that has a huge variety of different sodas. It' where I get my Dr. Pepper cherry vanilla fix and I can get as many refills as I want.Qdoba also sells wrapped chocolate chip cookies to battle any leftover fire and spiciness.


Qqdoba Grill offers the best and most reasonably priced Mexican fare out there. It's no wonder so my, like myself, can;t get enough of their delicious tacos and yummy guac. It's the best south of the border style food.

It's A Wrap

Lunch can be a boring affair sometimes. It's either sandwiches or burgers with the occasional salad in the summer and soup in the winter. However there is something else to liven up the midday meal: the wrap. This is  versatile kind of sandwich that is easy to make and definitely more interesting to eat.

A wrap is nothing more than a burrito however Greeks, Mid Easterners,Armenians, Turks and Kurds have all variations of it. The bread is usually a tortilla, pita or lavash a kind of naan found around the Caspian area. They're usually made from wheat but can also be made from corn and flour.The wrap as we know it today was created in the early Nineties with three places claiming to have invented it. They were the southern California chain "I Love Juicy,New York's OVO Bistro and Stamford Connecicut's Bobby Valentine's sport's Gallery Cafe. The last clains that it ran out of bread and had t used the first thing handy -a tortilla. The US isn' the only country that's wrap happy. Australia has two chains Oportos and Burger Fuel that feed the wrap fire while Britain has happily embraced the sandwich as well. There is a caveat though. Plain wraps are usually fifty calories higher  than a slice of bread. Be careful with what you stuff them with  or they could have the same caloric weight as a burger.Companies like Toufayan do offer low calorie ones that start at one  hundred calories. Try these if you're watching your weight or are on a restricted diet.

Filling the wraps is the best part.You can add anything from leftovers to fresh  veggies to create an unique and tasty lunch . The first part is selecting  a wrap. Now they come in different flavors like pesto, garden vegetable and tomato along with plain and whole wheat. (again Toufayan, the leader in wraps produces all  of these). For a healthy one think chopped turkey or chicken with chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce. This is an incredibly light lunch and you can even have  side of vinaigrette as a dipping sauce.Another good one that chock full of vitamins is an avocado wrap. Since  avocado is filling, meat is optional. Add layers of spinach and watercress for a truly green and tasty bite.Any sandwich can be turned into a wrap. Try a BLT or a club sandwich loaded with bacon and mayo.For a quick wrap on the go try ham and American cheese. Salads too can be stuffed into a wrap. Caesar salad is a popular wrap  filling in diners and it can be made with or without grilled chicken or shrimp. You can also try a chef salad stuffing  with its' variety of different meats  cheeses and veggies. Serve with your favorite dressing as a dipping sauce.

Wraps are a nice and different alternative to humdrums sandwiches and burgers. Stick to the classic fillings or create one that unique. Either way it's a great way to liven up a lunch!

The Day After

Most fridges across America are still stuffed to the gills with yesterday's party food. It's always wonderful to have tables groaning with food and drink. It shows that we're good hosts who care for our guests. However what happens when those tables are still groaning afterwards when the party has ended. What do we do?

Luckily some dishes like chicken wings and ribs can be reheated and recycled with some potato salad for the next day's dinner. Ditto the cold cuts and extra rolls plus they can also be made into tasty lunches too. Any sour cream based dip will last for a few days as long as it's covered and stored in the fridge. You can even have it again with veggies as a fun alternative to a regular meal. Extra veggies themselves can be cut down and made into soup or salad ingredients

You can also get creative with some of the other leftovers. Take pretzel, tortilla or potato chips and crush them finely for a different kind of bread crumb. Using them makes for much more interesting fried chicken and tempura. Cold cuts can be sliced up for a nice Cobb salad. Guacamole can be used as a spread in sandwiches or even used for taco or tortilla filling (note : guacamole's shelf life is only a day or two, try to use it within this time frame). Leftover pita bread can be baked into chips or used as a base for homemade pizzas.

Party leftovers needn't be so scary. You can use them recycle them in a variety of ways that your family will still enjoy. Just be creative and you'll have an empty fridge!

Saturday Night Snacking

There's nothing like spending a Saturday night at home. it's a good time to rent a movie or catch up on the shows that you missed during the previous week. The problem is that with this comes hunger. What do you do? Snack.Well more appropriately snack healthy. Try putting some vitamins and minerals in that indulgence.

Popcorn is always the snack of choice. It's good for you and full of fiber. You can jazz it up with some seasonings like cracked pepper, curry powder or cinnamon for a different snacking experience. Another fun and good for you snack are pretzels. Have a big bowl of them (whether they be stick or the traditional shape) along with mustard. have smaller bowls of the honey or white mustard along with the traditional yellow kind. They're not only low cal but tasty and fun.If you're bored with these then try pita chips with hummus. Tortilla chips with heart healthy guacamole is also good. Guacamole is easy to make and it tastes so yummy!

If you must have ice cream limit yourself to one scoop and plenty of fresh fruit toppings. You can still buy strawberries and even peaches. Slice these and put on top of your scoops. A better sweet treat is an ice creamless banana split or sundae.Pour any kind of syrup over fresh fruit and serve with zero calorie Cool Whip.

Tonight park yourself in front of your TV. Have your favorite snacks present and enjoy your movie and shows. It's a great way to relax and indulge.