the cereal experiment: Kashi GoLean Original

What's that? You jump out of bed in the morning for extremely bland cereal? Well that is fantastic because that means subject number 3 of the cereal experiment, Kashi GoLean Original, is for just you.

Results. Kashi GoLean Original far surpasses all of my nutritional criteria, but doesn't offer much (or really anything) in terms of taste. The sweet tooth in me (and probably the anything tooth in anyone) just can't get over how bland this cereal is. It really doesn't taste like anything. Just crunchy bits of nothing. So, to get through the box I found myself adding handfuls of sweet somethings - like granola or other cereal to the mix. Despite these additions, GoLean Original just doesn't make me happy.

It doesn't even really look like human food, does it? But, don't get me wrong, this cereal definitely has its perks. I absolutely love the crunchy texture and that I get 1 cup for only 140 calories. But, is 1 cup of crunchy blandness worth it?

* Ranking system.

Here is the kicker. Nutrition. This cereal is a protein powerhouse with 13 whopping grams per serving. You get all that protein along with an amazing 10 grams of fiber for only 140 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 17% of calories from sugar. Tasteless, crunchy, and fantastically nutritious.

I also will note here that the first ingredient is not whole grain, but soy grits. I'm not sure what this really means except that this must be the source of that large amount of protein. The second ingredient is hard red wheat, which seems redeeming. If anyone knows more about this, comment.

Funny thing is, when all that great nutrition is plugged into the ranking system, Kashi GoLean Original takes first place (by a large margin) despite its '0' rating for taste. I fear I even tinkered with the calculation to make it drop in rank, but the formula just can't ignore those nutrition stats. You get considerably more nutrition than the other two cereals tested so far, for considerably less calories, fat, and a lower price. I'm thinking adding 60 or so calories of something yummy and sweet may be a good solution after all?

But, as I just re-read this post I ate another bowl and it left me, yet again, dissatisfied. Ah, life is filled with many great contradictions and Kashi GoLean Original is one of them.

the sock experiment: PhD Running Ultra Light Mini

Behind the scenes, the sock experiment has been in full gear. I have been wearing socks, running in them, and probably (well, certainly) not washing them enough. Today I bring you the first results of these efforts, a review of PhD Running Ultra Light Mini socks.

Results. This sock from the top-notch company, Smartwool, promised me a cushioned blister-free running experience. You can check out the specs yourself, but in summary this sock, made of 66% merino wool, 31% nylon, and 3% elastic, boasts a 4-degree fit system, technology to reduce shock/abrasion, moisture, temperature, and odor control, and a secure fit with maximum ventilation. Just like my last relationship, a lot of promises not kept.

I wore these socks diligently for a full week of running and my poor, poor feet were not happy runners. No, they were scratchy, hot, and sweaty. In fact, I could barely step inside the door fast enough from a hot August run before I tore these off of my feet they were so hot. Hot hot. Like fire hot.

Let's talk details. These socks do not score high for comfort: did I mention my feet were hot? I didn't notice any improvement in cushioning and they were scratchy like an old man's Christmas sweater. I did not notice any difference in moisture control and experienced a moderate amount of rubbing on my long run (not experienced with my faithful cotton pair). All this, my friends, for a whopping $14.95 per pair.

$15 for hot, sweaty, scratchy feet is a no go.

(Note: please excuse the dog hair on my photos. Apparently, dog hair loves Smartwool socks.)

commentary: cooking stove-less

Yesterday, when I posted my weekend review you must have thought that M and I had a fully-equipped kitchen in our beach hotel to muster up such great looking meals? I know, I know. They do look fantastic. But I'll let you in on a little secret - everything this weekend was made without stove or oven.

Yes, a kitchenette, they call it. I found out this nasty little detail ahead of time and to save money and calories I decided to figure out how to prepare three of our five beach dinners oven-less, stove-less, and top-less. Oh wait, not top-less.

I know you are wondering, how did I ever manage? Well, just for you, here are my cooking stove-less secrets, meal by meal.

Friday Night Menu: Honey-soy chicken, 'baked' sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli.

Microwave Honey-Soy Chicken

Ingredients:

1 3-lb chicken

1 oven cooking bag

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup sherry (or apple juice or water or white cooking wine or white vinegar)

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp cornstarch

Place whole chicken in an oven bag and place in large microwavable dish. Combine soy sauce, honey, and sherry. Pour over chicken. Close bag and marinate for about 2 hours, turning chicken over occasionally.

Slit cooking bag before microwaving. Microwave for about 25-30 minutes.

Sauce: After chicken is cooked, cut corner off bag and drain juices into cornstarch mixture. Stir to blend. Microwave sauce on high for 2-3 minutes.

Note: I didn't quite follow this recipe. First off, I had no measuring cups or spoons so everything was eye-balled. I also failed to read the whole recipe and dumped the cornstarch mixture in the bag prior to microwaving - it worked fine and created a thick, yummy sauce. I know you are skeptical about microwaving a chicken, but it comes out super-moist with a surprisingly brown skin and fantastic sauce. It also made great leftovers to add to sandwiches and salads for lunch throughout the week. M even asked for the recipe to make himself!

'Baked' Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Cinnamon
Toppings of choice

Clean sweet potatoes (we made two) and puncture each several times with a fork. Place in a crock pot, drizzle with olive oil and a few shakes of cinnamon. Cook on low for about 6 hours. Add toppings of your choice. I ate mine with a little real butter, several sprays of 'spray' butter, and brown sugar. M ate his simply, with real butter.

Steamed Broccoli. Simply steam broccoli in microwave and serve with butter (I use spray butter), salt, and pepper.

Saturday Night Menu: Hamburgers, foil-grilled kale, and baked beans

I was lucky that our beach complex had outdoor gas grills and I have a handy boyfriend. I made sure to take advantage of this fact when planning.

Foil-Grilled Kale

Ingredients:
Kale
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Chop kale into bite-sized pieces, removing steams. Place two pieces of aluminum foil on a working surface like a cross. Place cleaned kale into the center of foil. Season kale with olive oil, salt and pepper. Fold the foil over kale like a burrito. Cook on a grill with medium heat for about 12 minutes with lid closed.

Hamburgers

We like simple, real burgers. Just hamburger meat, salt, and pepper. 

Send boyfriend out to the grill with hamburger patties (and kale).

Baked beans. Simply buy a good can of pre-made baked beans and microwave. Instant side.

Sunday Night Menu: Crock pot chicken burritos, chips and salsa, kale and spinach salad

Crock Pot Chicken (or Beef) Burritos 

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or London broil)

1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning mix (I used less because I had about a pound of chicken)

Cooking spray

1 cup chopped onion

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles

1 tbsp vinegar (I also added a bit of water because I used chicken, not red meat)

Tortillas (I used a corn and flour tortilla)

Toppings (I used spinach, salsa, and guacamole)

Rub seasoning mix over both sides. Place meat in a crock pot coated with cooking spray. Add onion, vinegar (and water), and green chiles. Cover with lid; cook on low for 4-6 hours for chicken (9 hours for London broil). Remove meat from crock pot, reserving liquid; shred meat with two forks. Combine meat and reserved liquid. Stir well.

Assemble your tortilla and enjoy. 

Note: This is my Mom's recipe and is really great with London broil. We substituted chicken to avoid having red meat twice in one weekend. Just cook the chicken less time and it still comes out great.

Chips and Salsa. Easy enough.

Kale and Spinach Salad.



I used leftover kale from Saturday night to make this simple side salad. In the mix: raw kale (the trick is to marinate your kale in dressing for about 15 minutes to tenderize), spinach, tomatoes, onions. All tossed in a light Italian dressing

And now you too, can cook without a stove.

weekend review: beach eats

I spent the past few days at the beach with my beau. There is something that I love about home cooking on a beach vacation, and M and I managed to whip up three pretty fantastic meals during our stay. (Look for recipes and link-ups in this weeks' commentary post).

Not pictured? The many, many skinny pina coladas and glasses of red wine that necessarily accompany a beach vacation. I may or may not have a drink in my hand at this very moment.

 Figure 1. Friday night's dinner: honey-soy chicken, 'baked' sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli.

Figure 2. Saturday night's dinner: hamburgers! (mine with spinach, onion, tomatoes, ketchup, and mustard), baked beans, and foil-grilled kale.

Figure 3. Sunday night's dinner: chicken burritos (mine with spinach, salsa, and guacamole), chips and salsa, and a kale and spinach salad.

commentary: a party punch for the rest of us

I have already shared one of my addictions with you, dear readers. Here is another. Pink lemonade Crystal Light. There are no two ways about it, I can't get enough. I love it so much and drink it so often that I even refer to it by acronym, PLCL.

When I had to plan the punch for my sister-in-law's baby shower, I really wanted to create something that wasn't loaded with sugar and calories. You know that punch - you have a cup or two and suddenly you are surging on a sugar high and soon realize that you have probably consumed 300 calories in liquid form. I prefer to eat my calories, not drink them. So, here is an idea for a low-calorie and delicious party punch containing magical, wonderful PLCL.

For 16 servings (1 cup each) you will need: 12 cups of cold water, 2 cups of ice, 2 cups of ginger ale, 2 cups of orange juice, and 2 packets (makes 1 quart each) of the magic powder, oh i mean pink lemonade Crystal Light.

Note about Crystal Light: I am fully aware that this drink mix contains weird unnatural ingredients and is sweetened with aspartame. I am fully aware that this maybe should not be considered a 'healthy' punch because of that. But, for me, this low calorie drink is a great way to drink more water and be excited about it. Judge me, if you must.

First, add your two packets of Crystal Light mix to a large punch bowl. Then add the 12 cups of cold water.

Next, add 2 cups of orange juice and 2 cups of ginger ale to the Crystal Light mixture. 

Finally, add 2 cups of ice and serve. 

The result is a fantastically delicious drink that is only 30 calories for 8 ounces. That's right, drink up friends, I said 30 calories. It is slightly sweet, slightly citrusy, and slightly fizzy. It is PLCL taken to a whole new level.

Your party guests (or at least the women) will thank you.

This recipe and variations can be found here.

the cereal experiment: Quaker Oatmeal Squares

Be honest, you were expecting more Kashi, weren't you? Healthy cereal is certainly not limited to Kashi products. I like Kashi, I appreciate their mission, my first cereal in this experiment was Kashi (and the majority probably will be), but just because a cereal isn't made by Kashi doesn't mean it isn't nutritious. Case and point: the second subject in the cereal experiment, Quaker Oatmeal Squares.

Results. Oatmeal squares provide a crunchy punch of brown sugar flavor that really makes me happy. But, don't get too excited about the picture above with the large bowl full of cereal. This is far more than a serving. Oatmeal squares is one of M's favorites and this photo is his breakfast portion. For the rest of us, a serving is 1 cup of Oatmeal Squares for 210 calories, but for some reason 1 cup of this cereal doesn't seem like very much. Call me gluttonous, but I really do appreciate being able to eat a substantial quantity of cereal.

The squares stay un-soggy (?) unlike so many other flake-based cereals. But, because just squares are involved, I found myself missing the variety in texture and getting bored with this cereal before I finished the box. The squares do score points for versatility. One evening, I added some crushed up squares to my greek yogurt and honey and found that it made a fantastic sweet and crunchy addition (although in truth you could do this with any cereal).

*Ranking System.

In terms of nutrition, Quaker Oatmeal Squares does a respectable job. The first ingredient is whole oat flour. And, for 210 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 17% of calories from sugar you also get 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. All for 28.1 cents/ounce.

Per serving, when compared to Kashi Golden Goodness (subject no. 1), Quaker Oatmeal Squares have a little more fat and sugar and a little less fiber and protein. And, even though your cereal stays crisp, you eat less product with a less interesting texture. Wait...maybe those Kashi people are on to something afterall?

All in all this is a great cereal, but because of its monotonous contents I don't think it will be a top contender. A little variety is good for the soul - and in my world that should start with breakfast.

weekend review: panini party

I spent the weekend at my parents' house so I didn't actually do any of my own cooking. However, Friday night was the celebration for my dad's birthday and so mom and I (mostly mom) hosted a panini party for the family. Who knew smashed food could taste so good?

Figure 1.  Panini party dinner: salad and three mini-panini's.

Figure 2. Left: Caprese panini with zucchini (mozzarella, tomato, sauteed zucchini, and fresh basil on multi-grain baguette). Top: Apple and prosciutto panini (thinly sliced granny smith apples, crisped prosciutto, Gouda, and honey mustard on a multi-grain baguette. Right: Roast beef and onion panini (roast beef, caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese, and Dijon mustard on ciabatta).

To make your own panini: assemble your favorite combination, spray each side of sandwich with cooking spray, and cook on a panini press until bread is brown and cheese is melted.

  

 Figure 3. Homemade chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches.