CONFESSIONS OF A FAT GIRL

I'm CRAVing Potatoes

I've been on this wile potato kick lately. Thankfully, I am still munching a bit on my ips chips and it's been a slightly less guilt-ridden trip into the wide world of "AJ Loves French Fries."

A friend recently referred me to a company called CravOn Fries, who were kind enough to surprise me with this:

Yeah, that's FOUR bags of FRENCH FRIES, y'all.

Sometimes I do no regret AT ALL that I started ths blog. (Ok, I never do, but I was especially happy I did when I got french fries in the mother-effing mail.)

From their website:

CravOn™ Never Fried French Fries are craftily cooked to crispy perfection, without the need for flash-frying. We just take fresh potatoes, give them a scrub and slice ’em four different ways. Then we toss them in some boiling water for a quick blanching, and throw them straight into the freezer. After a brushing of olive oil and a dusting of sea salt, they’re destined for a golden future. We package them up and send them to a store near you, to become beautiful, crispy bites of perfection.

I am totally regretting that I am writing this on an empty stomach. by the way.

Also, as for brass tax, totally affordable. They have four kinds of fries. Ripple Cut, Steak Cut, Diamond Cut and Anytime Diced Fries. The suggested retail price is $4.59 for a 2 lb. bag. It's well more than a single serving. I imagine this would be the kind of thing a mom with a lot of kids could make. Or if you were hosting some friends. I made the ripples first -- I like a good ripple:

Do not freak out. I was making them for more than one person. I'm often a glutton but not crazy.

And if you're judging me for carb intaken, just stoppit. Because I did that research and check this out:

• One serving of CravOn Ripple Cut Fries (85g) = 90 calories, 2g fat, 0g saturated, 15g carbs

And to put that in perspective:

• One order of small fries from McDonalds (71g) = 230 calories, 11g fat, 1.5g saturated, 29g carbs

Someday I'll come up with a more clever ratings system ("Five out of five fat girls agree!" ... oh god, that's horrible) but for now, just go get 'em and enjoy 'em. Especially you, @KCarag - because you love fries more than anymore I know.

I mean, they sent me a really bitchin' silicon oven mit, you guys, and a prestine baking sheet, who was so needed. I love them.

Bring on the Cheese n' Stuff

I was kind of excited when Fiber Gourmet reached out to me again as I was such a fan and have continued to use their low-carb pasta from time to time (my goodness, that post was in 2008, people - this blog is a dinosaur).

So this time, the treat is their Thinable Crackers which come in cheese, nacho and wheat flavors and taste like lighter versions of Cheez-Its and What Thins. And all I can say is that if you can handle a little LESS flavor (just being honest), these are really a fantastic alternative at just 60 calories per oz (compare to 140 in Cheeze-Its) and still packing 11g fiber per oz (44% of your Daily Value). 

I guess I would only warn you that their carb count is still high, if you're worried about that kind of thing, but for the calorie counters, I say go forth and snack 'em.

To buy and for more information, here: http://www.fibergourmet.com/Cheese.aspx

 

More Funky From Funky Monkey - Now With Superheroes!

You know what I am still loving over a year later? Funky Monkey dried fruit snacks.

You know what they just did, though? They made them infinitely more awesome with superheroes.

This might be a good time to tell you I saw The Avengers in theaters four times. So yeah, I like anything with superheroes. 

As with their non-heroic partners, all Funky Monkey Snacks in the Marvel line are 100% real fruit, nutritionally equivalent to their fresh counterparts, fat-free and gluten free, with absolutely no additives. The products are vegan, kosher, made in peanut-free facilities and packed exclusively in the U.S.A.

Omigod, it's like the Captain America of snacks, y'all.

This also marks the first time ever that Marvel is licensing its name and characters to a healthy snack company. Big deal, no?

To learn more, visit the booth, log on to www.FunkyMonkeySnacks.com, or follow Funky Monkey on Twitter and Facebook.

They're really delicious. ENJOY!

 

An Ode to Papa Ben

My friend gave me a package of Papa Ben's Mandelbroyt. All I knew about mandelbroyt (or mandel bread if you prefer) is that my great-grandmother used to bake it and that my dad likes it. So I looked up the company, "Papa Ben's Kitchen."

Let me tell you about Ben Lesser.

"Papa Ben" was born in Krakow, Poland in 1928. His father, Lazar, owned a chocolate company famous for their chocolate covered wafer cookies. Lazar shared his love of baking with his son, and during family holidays they made Mandelbroyt, which became the family tradition for special occasions.

His father's passion for baking, which was instilled in the family, allowed the family to survive outside the ghettos for a portion of WWII. Using the stone oven in their cottage, Ben and his father worked together to prepare the finest baked goods for family, friends and their surrounding village. But in September 1947, after the war tore apart his family, Papa Ben arrived in Brooklyn to reunite with his only surviving family member, his sister, Lola. Ben moved to Los Angeles with little money in his pocket, but with the determination and the excitement to succeed.

America gave Ben opportunities he never dreamed he'd have; an education and a successful career in the real estate business and he met the love of his life, Jean, and together they raised two beautiful daughters, Sherry and Gail.

With the expansion of his family, and inquisitive grandchildren wanting to know the family history, Ben rediscovered his long lost passion for baking. Sharing the best memories of his childhood, including the secret family recipes, he was able to heal the wounds of the past and bring hope to the future.

It's a really sad-but-lovely story and though it's rooted in a far different background, it reminds me a little of my grandmother and baking with her. I still love to bake and need to do it more often.

Papa Ben's Kitchen is also dedicated to the remembrance of the Holocaust. The Zachor Holocaust Remembrance Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Ben Lesser, that supports Holocaust education, remembrance and tolerance of and for all people. The Foundation's mission is to ensure that the tragedies of the Holocaust will never be forgotten. As part of the commitment to this cause, a percentage of profits from Papa Ben's Kitchen are donated to the Zachor Holocaust Remembrance Foundation.

You guys, Holocaust rememberance day is in April but don't feel like you have to wait that long. Let this story touch you and contribute today. Or buy some mandelbroyt. Bottom line, that stuff is DELICIOUS.

In Which the Blog Does me a Favor

You may or may not remember this post.

I'd just come from my grandparents' hosue, where I'd tried "Sparkling Ice." I loved it but I couldn't find it in any store near me. I put up that blog on it and let it be. 

I mean, that post was in 2010 so it's long since been absorbed by the mystical internet ether, right?

Wrong.

Not so long ago, someone at Sparkling Ice must've been doing a damn thorough internet research job and found said post. They reached out to me and ever-so-generously, sent over a box of DELICIOUS Sparkling Ice for me to try. It's totally the most colorful thing ever. I love this photo:

The goods straight from their website:

Sparkling ICE is an excellent source of B-Vitamins, Vitamin D and antioxidants... also contains caffeine-free Green Tea Extract, which is known to have powerful levels of antioxidants... Sparkling ICE – Light & Refreshing, Zero Calories, Gluten Free, Caffeine Free, Sweetened with Splenda.

And it's delicious so I'm sold. My favorite is the orange mango. Closely followed by black raspberry.

For Hanukkah, my aunt is getting me a box of them at Costco. So she rules.

Thanks SO much, Sparkling Ice! I'm a fan of your drinks and your smarty-pants internet researching.