Thursday, August 2, 2012

Stuff being reviewed and other fun stuff!


Dear foodies, I am so sorry for the delay in my entry. As you may or may not know, I have been spending a lot of time pounding the pavement with hopes of obtaining a job. Hopefully, that will yield something soon. In the meantime, I must catch up with you…

Contents:
  1. Discussion Recaps
  2. User Submissions
  3. Product Review
  4. Restaurant Review




School Menu Recap

I remember back when I was a kid, and the thought of school lunch was scary. I mean, I loved their pizza day, and there were a few other things that were awesome… But it was one of those things that nobody I knew seemed to get excited about. For instance, I so hated when they served spaghetti. It always tasted like they dumped it from a can, the sauce was always bitter to me, and the noodles mushy. I also would never eat their hot dogs because I never really liked them. My favorites included Walking Tacos, pizza, and I absolutely loved it when they had sliced oranges.

I asked foodies:  If you could pick a food that was a frequent listing on the (school) menu and you hated seeing it, what would you do to give it a make-over and why?

A lot of the answers that were given were about the pizza that schools served, and the mixed reactions. Some people considered how greasy and fattening the school pizzas were, others raved about how awesome they were. Most of the replies were about health and taste, which I have to give kudos to. You know what? A lot of school lunches are pretty fattening if they have not changed in the years since I was a kid.

Salad is very important in my opinion, but I have to agree that this (above the rest) should be changed. Kids need to eat a variety of veggies. It is hard enough to get them to even try some. My suggestion: Schools should have their very own garden and have the kids help tend it. I believe that this hands on approach would be a great way to teach several lessons: Math, science, and nutrition, which are all very important lessons to be taught…

Oh no! I forgot to defrost something.

There have been days where defrosting something has been overlooked… Either we were working all day, or we simply forgot. So what do you do? Do you slap together a sandwich and call it good, or do you take risks? I know that when I make this common mistake, I wish that I hadn’t, but it isn’t the end of the world!

When I asked foodies what they would do in this situation, I got some interesting responses. I have screen captured most of the conversation. Some things were added since I started to work on the blog, so please do go check out this conversation and any others in the group (http://www.facebook.com/groups/foodiezoo)


In Celebration of a growing community, we have some…
User Submitted Recipes and photos


TOMATO CUCUMBER SALAD 
2 cucumbers
2-3 medium sized Roma tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste))
2 tablespoons olive oil (or to taste)
2-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or to taste)

Cut the tomatoes and cucumbers into small pieces; place in bowl, add all remaining ingredients and stir.

Refrigerate for an hour while all flavors come together. Add more of above ingredients to suit your taste.

Cooks Note: 2 fresh garlic cloves may be substituted for garlic powder; crush or finely mince (or use a blender) the garlic into the balsamic vinegar and allow to sit for 15 minutes to take the "edge" off. Fresh, chopped basil is a wonderful enhancement to this salad!


(Picture and Recipe submitted by Lou)


Stuffed Shells with home made spaghetti sauce, submitted by Milissa


Potato Salad, submitted by Lou


Mandarin Orange Chicken with Fruit, submitted by Alicia


Lasagna, submitted by Gayle


Tarragon Chicken with Tomatoes and CousCous, submitted by Emily Z


Grillin with Kathy


Pistachio and raw honey Baklava, submitted by Emily D


Spiked Raspberry Lemonade, submitted by Melissa

Reviews

Handy Can Opener

Product Info/Ad

http://youtu.be/KcE7PTPibSc

Open ANY can practially hands-free in seconds! Small, medium, or large size can, The Handy Can Opener opens it easily and safely... no more sharp edges.

It's so EASY to use... just place The Handy Can Opener on the can, push and hold the button until it starts to move... let go and it will open shortly... That easy!

Review

The Handy Can Opener is a nifty little gadget that reduces the amount of space taken up on your counter because you don’t have to keep it there. It’s really useful for times when you don’t have power, and it really does eliminate the sharp edges that other can openers leave behind. I like using this product a lot, but the one complaint I have is that sometimes it will keep going after it’s finished cutting the can open. That is my only complaint, because they have a dial on the side that is supposed to be used when the can stops in mid cut (like, if the battery dies.) Whenever it keeps going, I clamp down on the dial and pull the top of the can away. It does not start working until you put it onto the can, and it runs on two double A batteries.

Rating (Up to five points each category)

·                     Ease of use:  ***** (5)
·                     Function: **** (4)
·                     Practicality: ***** (5)
·                     Cost: ***** (5)
Overall:  19/20 - 4 1/2 Gold Whisks


Olivio Coconut Spread

Product Info/Ad

Review

The first time I heard about this product, I wrinkled my nose. I like real butter because of the flavor. I also dislike things that are more like margarine. So I pretty much stayed far away. I kept making excuses about it, “It probably costs too much…” “It’s not real butter.” But then I was convinced to try it. Why, oh why did I fight it so hard? This spread is so delicious! The ONLY thing that I didn’t like about it was that it does not work with eggs.  I recommend it for stuff like waffles and pancakes.

Rating (Up to five points each category)

·                     Cost:  ***** (5)
·                     Function: **** (4)
·                     Taste: ***** (5)
·                     Health Factor: ***** (5)
Overall:  19/20 - 4 1/2 Gold Whisks



Bunz Burgerz
969 ½ Baxter Ave
Louisville KY 40204
(502) 632 – 1132

Ahem… YUM!


Bunz is a quaint little burger joint nestled in the Highlands of Louisville. I had passed them by a few times and wondered what they were all about. My boyfriend took me there as a surprise, which was cool. We went inside, and the atmosphere was laid back. I personally loved how they decorated the place, the lighting, etc. The staff is very friendly and helpful. If you have questions, they will answer, they don’t hurry you along. The menu is simple to read, pretty straight forward, and offers six signatures, and several combinations for custom orders. If you want a specialty, all you have to do is ask.

The best thing about this establishment is the food, in my opinion. When you order your food, they don’t just rush through cooking it, they make it fresh and they make it right. I ordered a custom build my own burger, and my guy had the Lexington Roadhouse Burger. I forgot to tell them I like mine pink in the middle, but I didn’t have to. It took them about 15 minutes to cook the food, which is great because they do it right when you order and right in front of you. When we got our food, it was piping hot, and the chef offered a Creole aioli sauce. We took the offer, and then we ate.

The first bite of burger was delicious and had me hooked. The burger was tender and juicy, and slightly pink in the middle just the way I liked it. It tasted fresh, and the bun was perfectly toasted, and the cheese was bubbly, yum. I was impressed by the fries, and loved the sauce. They were nice and crispy, and they weren’t as greasy as some places would offer… I could taste the potato instead of oil. It was filling, delicious, and well worth the price.

This is not fast food. These are gourmet burgers offered for $8 or less. I can go to some bars and pay a few dollars extra for a burger that isn’t gourmet, and they aren’t always cooked they way they should be. This place SPECIALizes in burgers, they give you what you want and you get a good portion (1/4 lb, baby), and you can get the cheesy bacon basket for less than five bucks and share with your date, and be full. The prices are great.

Overall, I liked this place and would go back again!

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