Real Maple Syrup vs Pancake Syrup

Do you all remember early saturday mornings where you got up, popped your frozen waffles in the toaster and you reached for your favored Aunt Jemima or Log Cabin syrup to drench your warm waffles in? Those were the days weren't they? Well sadly I cant live so carefree anymore...especially when it comes to my diet. Also my taste have changed over the years and the super sweet "pancake syrups" make me feel like my teeth are rotting instantly. I have personally started using 100% pure maple syrups for pancakes, waffles, french toast and the like. I think it is less sweet and it gives me the satisfaction of knowing its pure maple syrup from an actual maple tree. Let us cross examine the usual suspects.
So here is the nutritional facts from Aunt Jemima's Original Pancake Syrup:

www.quitehealthy.com

So here you can see that with every quarter cup(4 tablespoons) worth of syrup you are adding on an additional 210 calories, 120mg of sodium, and 32g of sugar to your pancakes. Ingredients include: CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CELLULOSE GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, SALT, SODIUM BENZOATE AND SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVES), ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE.  
Did you all think that all of these ingredients were necessary for pancake syrup? I dont even know what some of these ingredients are, and therefore deem it unnecessary for my personal consumption.


Now here is the light version my brother and mother refuse to give up so we keep it stocked at home. 

This lighter version is only 100 calories for the same serving size BUT it has 190g of sodium and contain 7grams less sugar. I am still concerned about the unrecognizable ingredients in this version as well but I will say this version may be favorable to those counting calories. 


Now here is what I started to buy from Trader Joes:

So this maple syrup does have a high calorie count per serving just as the Aunt Jemima original version and is higher than the others with actual sugar per serving But there is only 10mg of sodium. Also you can be sure you are eating something pure just as your great grandparents and grandparents ate. Just as the label says there is nothing artificial and no preservatives. 
To end this all I can say is the decision is yours. The corn industry says there is nothing wrong with high fructose corn syrup but I am sceptical of those statements. If you are only concerned with numerical data for your diet then the Aunt Jemima light may be your best bet but for those of you like myself that may be trying to get on the clean eating train...switching to all natural maple syrup is the way to go. I also know some of you may be concerned with the cost. The high cost of real maple syrup is what kept me from buying it regularly for years but this bottle I bought from Trader Joes was only about $5. If you want to go ultra maple gourmet and are willing to spend upwards of about $18,  there are all different kinds of syrups available at local greenmarkets and natural markets that you can try out. There are even natural berry syrups or artisan/gourmet honey that you can switch out for maple syrup on your favorite breakfast treats. If you all have any questions on where to look for these items in the Brooklyn/New York City area don't hesitate to drop me a line. 

Vegan Jello

vegandaily.com

Most people associate that wobbly, see through, gel like dessert with the brand name Jell-o.  I grew up on Jello and it held a special place in my heart until I went vegetarian. Being vegetarian meant no more meat products which in turn meant no more gelatin. The most widely used form of gelatin in food products throughout the United States is derived from cow bones, pig skins and other animal parts. Since that is the main ingredient in Jell-o I chose not to eat it anymore. I went vegetarian in 2003 and from then until mid last year I never had anything resembling Jell-o. While on a shopping trip in Trader Joe's I came across the natural gel cups in difference fruit flavors which boast being vegan, gluten free, and fat free. I decided to give it a try saying that if they didn't taste good I could always get my money back. I am happy to report that they tasted just as good as regular Jello, so my vegan and vegetarian people may rejoice now!
The substitute for cow gelatin in these gel cups is carrageenan which is the gelatinous extract of the seaweed plant. Along with carrageenan the color for the gel cups are plant derived and sweetened with natural cane sugar. If you are looking to infuse your diet with more all natural products or if your a vegetarian/vegan looking to find some childhood memories in a cup you should look no further than Trader Joe's Natural Gel Cups. The gel cups come in several flavors including, peach-mango and black cherry, retail price is $2.49.

Trader Joes Reduced Guilt Kettle Chips

I just want to say that no one and I mean no one loves uber crunchy kettle cooked chips more than me! Since I was in grade school I "nommed"away at salty Deli brand chips and as all the major snack food manufacturers jumped on the kettle cooked chip wagon I decided it was my duty as an American citizen to try out every last kind I could get my hands on. Most left me dissapointed and some bamboozled me, like the UTZ brand "Grandma UTZ" chips that are fried in LARD!!!  Oh the horror...but anyway I do have some faves which include the Archer Farms varieties at Target and UTZ Natural Kettle chips. My problem with kettle chips is the grease and anyone thats eats them knows that you can moisturize your body with your fingers after dipping into a bag. My brother has seen me going hard trying to cut calories so I guess he felt sorry for me and decided to pitch in on my efforts and buy some snacks for me and my sister. My favorite out of the numerous snacks that he hauled in was the reduced guilt kettle cooked chips from TJ's. The package boast that their chips have "33% less fat than regular potato chips." I havent played inspector gadget and went about conducting actual research but I will continue eating these chips when I need a snack for a few simple reasons:

- My hands come out clean everytime
- I can recognize every single ingredient on the package...potatoes, sunflower oil, salt...THATS IT!
- No preservatives and no artificial stuff

You know what time it is people...make the switch.

Mail Order Petit Fours

Christmas is right around the corner and I have started planning my Christmas menu. I usually make everything from scratch but one thing that is a tradition is ordering petit fours for the holidays. I remember being a little girl and waiting for that big box full of goodies to arrive right before the big day. My mom and grandma usually ordered from Figi's catalog and along with the petit fours we would get cheese, candies, and sausages. My palette was in holiday bliss after consuming so many yummy treats. My late teens through early twenties we didn't order them but a few years ago I missed the tradition of petit fours and while planning the menu for a Holiday party we threw at home I remembered those little squares of frosted goodness and decided to order them. Now for someone used to exceptional pastries you may be wondering why I insist on ordering these pre-baked figi petit fours...well it is because they flood my mind with nostalgia. Christmases from my childhood were wonderful occasions filled with family, warmth, laughter, and togetherness. People that know me know that I love to relive the good times from my childhood so these treats were like a time machine of sorts. The petit fours from Figi's were good definitely not great. My favorite were the vanilla frosted ones but some of the chocolate ones were on the dry side. This year for my Christmas dinner I would like to order petit fours    again but I am weighing my options. Who to order from, Figi's catalogue, Swiss Colony, 1-800-bakery.com, Williams Sonoma, etc? There are many options on different price scales but I would like to get a decent quality and quantity for a reasonable price. I haven't had a major problem with Figi's but I need an option for their petit fours where I can get ore vanilla cakes opposed to chocolate. I am considering Swiss colony because of the amount you are getting for the price but the reviews I read online seemed mixed. In short there are so many options but whichever one I order I will definitely post a review to let you all know.

Yogi Skin Detox Tea

It finally that time year where blustery winds have began to blow and the air is much drier, all of this can take a toll on skin and leave it looking dull. I go through this problem every year...my skin is typically oily but around this time it gets very thirsty for moisture and craves the sun to give it that bronzeish glow. I usually resort to sticking with my bronzing powder or a glitter cream to add a little sparkle to my skin tone. Around two weeks ago while walking through Whole Foods I went over to the tea section to see what they had on sale for the week and they actually had my favorite yogi brand of tea 2 for $7 so I bought four boxes and one of them was the skin detox. I am not one to believe that a tea can do much for ones appearance without a healthy diet and exercise regimen but this one made me a believer. I drank the tea as my main liquid along with plain water for about a week and a half and numerous people noted the change in my skins appearance.  Everyone asked if I just came back from the Caribbean or just noted that my skin was glowing. Amazon list the product description as:

"Our skin reflects our diet and lifestyle choices: it's the mirror to internal health. It's just as essential to cleanse from the inside; by reducing internal impurities, you can have clearer, glowing skin. Skin DeTox, a new cosmeceutical tea from Yogi, is specially blended to support a healthy skin care regimen. This special formula combines antioxidant-rich organic green tea, a popular ingredient in topical skin care products, with the time-honored detoxifying herbs used in our other detox teas, including yellow dock, burdock root and dandelion root. Oregon grape root, a powerful detoxifying herb used by herbalists for various skin conditions, helps give the skin a truly healthy boost. Includes fragrant rose petal and hibiscus, used in Ayurveda to cool and soothe the skin, entice the senses with a fresh, floral scent and lend a refreshing, intriguing flavor. Discover beauty from within in a deliciously cleansing brew of Skin DeTox!"

I definitely do not regret using this tea and I encourage you to try it as well..winter is coming and we could all use a little sun even if it comes in the form of a tea bag.