We went to the grocery store the other night, and it was having a sale on "Navel Oranges:" (2) 5 lbs. bags for $5.00 (Tropicana.) We decided to pick up two bags. If ever there was a time of year for an extra boost of Vitamin C, it'd be now.
I'll admit. I never put much thought into Navel oranges until the other day when I looked into them. Besides being yummy, here are some interesting facts about them (I type this as I chomp down on a succulent wedge!)
1. All Navel oranges are seedless which means they are sterile. Basic science tells us that plants need seeds to grow, and fruit is generally produced by those seeds. How do Navels grow then? Cuts from the Navel tree are spliced and grafted onto other orange trees in order to produce the fruit.
2. Because splices have to occur, it could be said that Navel oranges are clones of the original Navel oranges that came into existence nearly 200 years ago! All Navel oranges, technically, come from the original tree.
3. You may have noticed another little surprise when you peel a Navel orange: a piggyback mini-orange on the bottom. Because of this piggyback, the bottom of the Navel orange looks like a human navel...which is how the orange got its name.
4. If you visit Riverside, California, you can see a "parent Navel tree" (http://thegoldengecko.com/blog/?p=34) that is responsible for bringing Navel oranges to California, the state that supplies the rest of the nation with most of the Navel oranges.
I bet you didn't realize these neat tidbits when you grabbed a Navel orange for snacking.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Go Greek!
I had read online that Greek yogurt was healthier than regular yogurts and had a unique taste. I decided to give it a try.
I knew some peoples' version of "unique" may not sit well on my taste buds which meant that "plain" yogurt as a taste-test for Greek yogurt would be a "no go." Instead, I went to the grocery store, and I picked up Fage Total 2% strawberry yogurt:
The first thing I noticed was the packaging. You can't really tell in the above picture, but there are two separate compartments. That compartmentalization is because there aren't strawberries IN the yogurt nor are they located at the bottom. One compartment houses the Greek yogurt, and the other smaller compartment is strawberries. Yum!
I looked at the label on the yogurt, and I noticed it had 130 calories, 2.5 g total fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium, 18g carbs, and 10g protein. Let's compare that to Yoplait's Thick n' Creamy:
Calories: 190
Total fat: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 15g
Sodium: 100 mg
Carbs: 32g
Protein: 7g
Fage's sugar is nowhere in the yogurt. The sugar (yes, real sugar) is found in the strawberry mixture. Yoplait uses sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup - yikes!
Right there on the label I could see the health benefits. I opened the lid, and I immediately noticed that the Fage yogurt was creamier than regular yogurts. It was "hard" like sour cream, and when I tasted it I knew I was hooked.
Greek yogurt DOES have its own "zing." If you don't like sour cream, or you're used to the over-sugared yogurts, you may not like it, or it may take some getting used to. I like sour cream. I was fine. The texture was thick, smooth, creamy, and definitely yummy. I could hear my body cheer. I dipped my spoon into the strawberry mixture and then grabbed some yogurt, and it was even better (though I later learned you're supposed to tilt the mini fruit compartment over into the yogurt.) I think I paid $1.12 for this little 5.3 ounce gem.
Because I liked Fage, I tried Chobani when I went to the store next. It didn't have a compartment of fruit, it was a standard "fruit on the bottom" yogurt, but really...it is anything but "standard."
The yogurt I chose was similar to the one above, but mine had raspberries in it instead of strawberries. It was Chobani's Non-fat yogurt (as it was all the store had.) Opened, mixed, and enjoyed. It was creamy just like Fage, and because the fruit was mixed with the yogurt, it didn't have as much of a zing (that I'm still getting used to.) I paid $1.20 for the above yogurt.
Then I wondered, if Greek yogurt has similar flavor and texture of sour cream, can I substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream in my recipes??
Breakstone Sour Cream - Serving size 30g (1 ounce)
Calories: 60
Total Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 10mg
Carbs: 1g
Protein: 1g
And our Greek yogurt? Serving size 1 ounce...
Calories: 18.5
Total Fat: 0.60g
Cholesterol: 1.4mg
Sodium: 9mg
Carbs: 1 g
Protein: 2.4g
Pretty clear-cut to me. Greek yogurt is the healthy alternative, and after doing some research online, I found out that yes, Greek yogurt CAN be substituted for sour cream in recipes (there's some finagling with some recipes, but others are a straight substitute!)
So if you're game to try something new and healthier, try Greek yogurt. I plan on eating it as a replacement for ice cream or other not-so-healthy desserts.
I knew some peoples' version of "unique" may not sit well on my taste buds which meant that "plain" yogurt as a taste-test for Greek yogurt would be a "no go." Instead, I went to the grocery store, and I picked up Fage Total 2% strawberry yogurt:
The first thing I noticed was the packaging. You can't really tell in the above picture, but there are two separate compartments. That compartmentalization is because there aren't strawberries IN the yogurt nor are they located at the bottom. One compartment houses the Greek yogurt, and the other smaller compartment is strawberries. Yum!
I looked at the label on the yogurt, and I noticed it had 130 calories, 2.5 g total fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium, 18g carbs, and 10g protein. Let's compare that to Yoplait's Thick n' Creamy:
Calories: 190
Total fat: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 15g
Sodium: 100 mg
Carbs: 32g
Protein: 7g
Fage's sugar is nowhere in the yogurt. The sugar (yes, real sugar) is found in the strawberry mixture. Yoplait uses sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup - yikes!
Right there on the label I could see the health benefits. I opened the lid, and I immediately noticed that the Fage yogurt was creamier than regular yogurts. It was "hard" like sour cream, and when I tasted it I knew I was hooked.
Greek yogurt DOES have its own "zing." If you don't like sour cream, or you're used to the over-sugared yogurts, you may not like it, or it may take some getting used to. I like sour cream. I was fine. The texture was thick, smooth, creamy, and definitely yummy. I could hear my body cheer. I dipped my spoon into the strawberry mixture and then grabbed some yogurt, and it was even better (though I later learned you're supposed to tilt the mini fruit compartment over into the yogurt.) I think I paid $1.12 for this little 5.3 ounce gem.
Because I liked Fage, I tried Chobani when I went to the store next. It didn't have a compartment of fruit, it was a standard "fruit on the bottom" yogurt, but really...it is anything but "standard."
The yogurt I chose was similar to the one above, but mine had raspberries in it instead of strawberries. It was Chobani's Non-fat yogurt (as it was all the store had.) Opened, mixed, and enjoyed. It was creamy just like Fage, and because the fruit was mixed with the yogurt, it didn't have as much of a zing (that I'm still getting used to.) I paid $1.20 for the above yogurt.
Then I wondered, if Greek yogurt has similar flavor and texture of sour cream, can I substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream in my recipes??
Breakstone Sour Cream - Serving size 30g (1 ounce)
Calories: 60
Total Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 10mg
Carbs: 1g
Protein: 1g
And our Greek yogurt? Serving size 1 ounce...
Calories: 18.5
Total Fat: 0.60g
Cholesterol: 1.4mg
Sodium: 9mg
Carbs: 1 g
Protein: 2.4g
Pretty clear-cut to me. Greek yogurt is the healthy alternative, and after doing some research online, I found out that yes, Greek yogurt CAN be substituted for sour cream in recipes (there's some finagling with some recipes, but others are a straight substitute!)
So if you're game to try something new and healthier, try Greek yogurt. I plan on eating it as a replacement for ice cream or other not-so-healthy desserts.
The shortest distance isn't always the best.
As many of my readers may know, my civilian brother deploys to Afghanistan just outside of Kabul this month. Because of this, I told my SIL that we needed to take him to The Dillard House in Dillard, Georgia. Now, if you've never been to The Dillard House, let me give you a quick rundown. Besides resting in some of the most beautiful scenery in Georgia, the restaurant at The Dillard House serves "family-style" meals. You and your party are seated at a table, and the feasting commences: waiters bring out trays of family-style homemade dishes. Most of the vegetables are grown on-site, and all of the food is homemade.
We left the Atlanta area around 9:30 or so in the morning yesterday (Sunday) amidst tiny snow flurries and a biting wind. We stopped at a Tallulah Gorge overlook around 11am or so for a rest stop and to browse around the shop. When we got to The Dillard House, we noticed it was crowded, but they're fairly quick. Unfortunately, we were seated at a table probably meant for two (there were four of us,) directly in the sunlight, and when they brought out our food, we were slightly disappointed. We had never been before, but we were this time. We still ate our meal, and we headed back to the petting zoo where Andrew met his friend:
She is a Texas Longhorn cow.
After we left The Dillard House, we decided to make a day of the cold North Georgia mountains, and we headed up to Sky Valley to show my SIL and brother the cabin we rent. We drove through Sky Valley, a tiny resort town, and we noticed that there was a huge beautiful rustic structure condemned (I found out today it was the original lodge and clubhouse.) I also noticed a few other structures that were falling apart, and a new clubhouse that looked as though money ran out, and work abruptly stopped. It was sad, really.
We showed them the cabin we rent, and then we headed north to Highlands. We drove through Highlands, my SIL said she had been there before, and we decided to head back down 64 along the Cullasaja Gorge. Before we even left Highlands, it had started to flurry again, but as we climbed along 64 and the Gorge, the snow ceased, and we were left admiring the ice that had formed on the rocky cliffs (and large chunks that had fallen into the already treacherous road!) and the various waterfalls along 64: Bridal Veil and two on Cullasaja River though my passengers could see them better as I was more concerned about navigating the narrow and windy road.
I ended up following a road sign for 441S versus 441 Bus. S and ended up on 64 W towards Hayesville. THEN it started snowing to the extent of snow accumulating on the ground, and the defrost in my car unable to keep up with the rapidly falling temperatures. (The red shows how we actually went after leaving Dillard. The bright green shows how I had WANTED to go.)
After finding our way along the back roads from almost Hayesville to Hiawassee, through downtown Helen, back way through Dahlonega, Copper Mines Road, and down 400, Andrew and I made it home around 7pm last night.
Even though The Dillard House was [first-time] disappointing, it was still a good day. Andrew and I even found the "card box" for our wedding reception! :)
We left the Atlanta area around 9:30 or so in the morning yesterday (Sunday) amidst tiny snow flurries and a biting wind. We stopped at a Tallulah Gorge overlook around 11am or so for a rest stop and to browse around the shop. When we got to The Dillard House, we noticed it was crowded, but they're fairly quick. Unfortunately, we were seated at a table probably meant for two (there were four of us,) directly in the sunlight, and when they brought out our food, we were slightly disappointed. We had never been before, but we were this time. We still ate our meal, and we headed back to the petting zoo where Andrew met his friend:
She is a Texas Longhorn cow.
After we left The Dillard House, we decided to make a day of the cold North Georgia mountains, and we headed up to Sky Valley to show my SIL and brother the cabin we rent. We drove through Sky Valley, a tiny resort town, and we noticed that there was a huge beautiful rustic structure condemned (I found out today it was the original lodge and clubhouse.) I also noticed a few other structures that were falling apart, and a new clubhouse that looked as though money ran out, and work abruptly stopped. It was sad, really.
We showed them the cabin we rent, and then we headed north to Highlands. We drove through Highlands, my SIL said she had been there before, and we decided to head back down 64 along the Cullasaja Gorge. Before we even left Highlands, it had started to flurry again, but as we climbed along 64 and the Gorge, the snow ceased, and we were left admiring the ice that had formed on the rocky cliffs (and large chunks that had fallen into the already treacherous road!) and the various waterfalls along 64: Bridal Veil and two on Cullasaja River though my passengers could see them better as I was more concerned about navigating the narrow and windy road.
I ended up following a road sign for 441S versus 441 Bus. S and ended up on 64 W towards Hayesville. THEN it started snowing to the extent of snow accumulating on the ground, and the defrost in my car unable to keep up with the rapidly falling temperatures. (The red shows how we actually went after leaving Dillard. The bright green shows how I had WANTED to go.)
After finding our way along the back roads from almost Hayesville to Hiawassee, through downtown Helen, back way through Dahlonega, Copper Mines Road, and down 400, Andrew and I made it home around 7pm last night.
Even though The Dillard House was [first-time] disappointing, it was still a good day. Andrew and I even found the "card box" for our wedding reception! :)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Countdown inches forward...
I think this is the part in our wedding planning in which I say, "dear Lord time is running by awfully quickly!" And I would be absolutely correct in saying that.
Nine months from now, we'll be walking down the aisle at the vineyard. My-oh-my has time flown by! (No, I didn't mean for that to rhyme either!)
This past Sunday, my maid-of-honor (sister-in-law) and my only other bridesmaid (friend) came over to talk about our wedding. You see...we had found an awesome dress for them to wear on Pin Up Girl Clothing. After I found the dress, I read that one purchaser was disappointed in the dress because the fabric was plain instead of embroidered as shown, it wasn't "stretchy," and the flower on the dress was sad in a velvet-Christmas-bow sort of way. Immediately, PUG canceled all pending orders...including my two girls' (by the way, the dress came to around $101 including shipping.) The girls put their name on a waiting list, and when the dress comes in, they'll be called. Okay - so we got that taken care of.
Then we discussed centerpieces. My wonderful "ma" picked up these beautiful red glass mosaic candle holders; however, they're for votive candles which doesn't necessarily warrant the "ooo ahhh" for a reception centerpiece. We decided to improvise and add some more items to the votive holders, and voila! Complete.
We have our contracts in. We have our deposits paid. Now it's time for little things like the cake design, etc. We found a baker that said, "find a design online, print it off, and we'll do it." Nice. Copy-cat, right? Instead, I decided to design our own cake (easy for someone that knows how to create it!)
I found the person to design and create my dress (from Etsy) so that's in the works, too.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Dear Domino's, or How NOT to Fix a Situation.
Last night, we slacked off on our dinner. I forgot to take already-prepared ziti out of the freezer to thaw and back so we opted for Domino's. Normally, we'd order Papa John's, but Andrew wanted Domino's wings. I called up our local Domino's (about 1 mile from our house,) and I proceeded to place an order with a very knowledgeable employee who made sure to get every detail down:
2 orders of mild wings - run through the oven twice to make sure they're well done
2 Ranch dressings
1 Bleu Cheese dressing
1 Medium pizza: extra cheese and pepperoni
1 2L Coca-Cola
Delivered.
The employee said, "hold on just a minute while I make sure to type out "run through twice" since that was important to you.
We get our order 40 minutes later, and, unfortunately, Andrew didn't check it at the door.
Here is what we get instead....
2 orders of mild wings - run through once so they were mushy/slimey...NOT well done
1 Ranch dressing
3 Bleu Cheese dressings
1 Medium pizza: extra cheese and pepperoni
1 2L Coca-Cola
The first thing Andrew does is read the order on the side of the box....
Wings-mild - run through twice - well done
2 Ranch dressings
1 Bleu Cheese
.......the rest was correct as well
WTH? Well the wings were awful. The pizza - why, Domino's? why?
I sent a note to customer service. I explained to them that my fiancé used to manage a Domino's several years ago, and we know full well that wings are to be run through twice, and the only reason they're run through once is to save time (nice, right? but it happens.) I told them the wings were mushy and slimy, and the new seasoning on the pizza is disgusting.
Of course, the DM comes back and apologizes, tells me that my comments were forwarded to the store manager. I am at work. I do not answer my cell phone. Domino's calls me - Sarah, the manager.
She starts a scripted apology, "I received notification that you had a bad experience with us a few days ago (last night?) and what I'd like to do is offer you two free two topping medium pizzas and an order of Cinnastix. Just tell them that Sarah gave you the offer when you order. Thanks, and have a good day."
How the HELL does that remedy anything? Did it address our concerns over the wings? No. Did it address our concern that the order was given correctly, entered correctly, printed correctly, and still was not followed? No. Did we even order friggin' Cinnastix? No. None of what she said appealed or satisfied us in any way of a legitimate apology. It was a "free food" brush off, and that's just not going to work.
I e-mailed the DM back (who asked us to do so if we still had concerns.) I told her that I work during the day and am unable to answer my cell phone. I told her I thought the phone call was a cop-out response, ridiculous, scripted, and didn't even address our concerns. It was a brush off of free food in hopes of shutting us up. How does that make a customer happy? I ended with we do NOT want free food. We just won't order from Domino's again (even to claim our "free food.")
I thought Domino's had this whole "listen to our customers" spiel going on after receiving some bad reviews and complaints. It doesn't seem like they've changed in the least bit.
2 orders of mild wings - run through the oven twice to make sure they're well done
2 Ranch dressings
1 Bleu Cheese dressing
1 Medium pizza: extra cheese and pepperoni
1 2L Coca-Cola
Delivered.
The employee said, "hold on just a minute while I make sure to type out "run through twice" since that was important to you.
We get our order 40 minutes later, and, unfortunately, Andrew didn't check it at the door.
Here is what we get instead....
2 orders of mild wings - run through once so they were mushy/slimey...NOT well done
1 Ranch dressing
3 Bleu Cheese dressings
1 Medium pizza: extra cheese and pepperoni
1 2L Coca-Cola
The first thing Andrew does is read the order on the side of the box....
Wings-mild - run through twice - well done
2 Ranch dressings
1 Bleu Cheese
.......the rest was correct as well
WTH? Well the wings were awful. The pizza - why, Domino's? why?
I sent a note to customer service. I explained to them that my fiancé used to manage a Domino's several years ago, and we know full well that wings are to be run through twice, and the only reason they're run through once is to save time (nice, right? but it happens.) I told them the wings were mushy and slimy, and the new seasoning on the pizza is disgusting.
Of course, the DM comes back and apologizes, tells me that my comments were forwarded to the store manager. I am at work. I do not answer my cell phone. Domino's calls me - Sarah, the manager.
She starts a scripted apology, "I received notification that you had a bad experience with us a few days ago (last night?) and what I'd like to do is offer you two free two topping medium pizzas and an order of Cinnastix. Just tell them that Sarah gave you the offer when you order. Thanks, and have a good day."
How the HELL does that remedy anything? Did it address our concerns over the wings? No. Did it address our concern that the order was given correctly, entered correctly, printed correctly, and still was not followed? No. Did we even order friggin' Cinnastix? No. None of what she said appealed or satisfied us in any way of a legitimate apology. It was a "free food" brush off, and that's just not going to work.
I e-mailed the DM back (who asked us to do so if we still had concerns.) I told her that I work during the day and am unable to answer my cell phone. I told her I thought the phone call was a cop-out response, ridiculous, scripted, and didn't even address our concerns. It was a brush off of free food in hopes of shutting us up. How does that make a customer happy? I ended with we do NOT want free food. We just won't order from Domino's again (even to claim our "free food.")
I thought Domino's had this whole "listen to our customers" spiel going on after receiving some bad reviews and complaints. It doesn't seem like they've changed in the least bit.
It's a slow Friday....
Well it's a little after 1 p.m. on Friday here at work. Fridays are always like this. Our telephone rings once...maybe twice, and that's all. I brought my lunch today so there's no "going out." I'm doing little things in my office keeping busy, but even that's "busy work." I hope my manager lets me leave early today like he did last Friday.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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