Hot Dish Review

Actually, sometimes taters are “Arsh taters” as my Grandpa would say. And that is exactly what is in this blue bag….potato chips directly from Ireland, brought to me by my neighbor LG. O’Donnells Authentic Hand Cooked Tipperary Crisps, Irish Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt….to be precise.

I wanted to save them for a special occasion, like my wedding reception or something, but it was impossible to keep LC away from the bag so I eventually caved and let him open them.

Really, they were not much different from American chips, although they are officially called “crisps” across the pond. They were almost like kettle cooked and the vinegary flavor was fabulous.

These crisps, however, aren’t cut from just any Irish potatoes, they come from Seskin Farm, established in 1725. That’s how it is in Europe. Companies date back centuries rather than decades.

“Over seven generations of the O’Donnell family have lived on Seskin Farm and have mastered the art of cultivating the perfect potato”, the package proudly declares. The farm is located in Kilsheelan, Clonmel, County Tipperary, but you probably already knew that.

Irish nutritional info is almost as confusing as it is in Germany, making it nearly impossible to discern the number of calories per serving without a calculator. Each 50 gram serving contains 253 kcal, 14.1 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbs, 3.5 grams of protein, and 2.4 grams of fibre. I imagine it would be easier to figure if I knew the full weight of the bag, however, that bit of information has been gleefully omitted.

I suddently have a craving for a pint of Guinness.

Bought them again this year….will be a yummy snack on the road to Kentucky!

As LG and I were maneuvering the crowds at the Inman Park festival Sunday, we came upon a booth with samples of organic bars, granolas, and nut mixes. Pure Bliss. I had sampled them at Whole Foods a few months ago and having only had a protein shake for lunch before the festival, I was craving a little treat.

I tried the mocha java flavor and loved it. They also have coconut acai, and chocolate peanut butter. The bars also come cut into chunks in a bag for snacking. Three little pieces constitute a serving (approximately 1/3 of a bar), with 130 calories (kinda high), 4.5 g. fat, 20 g. carbs, and 3 g. protein, 3 g. fiber, and 9 g. sugar.

The company is local and the product, although not a diet food, is delicious and vegan, made with dates, almonds, walnuts, oats, brown rice crisps, cocoa powder, flax meal, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, brown rice syrup, and evaporated cane juice (we all know this is sugar).

I’m working towards eliminating toxic, processed foods from my diet. Not an easy task! Goodies like Pure Bliss make it easier.

Trader Joe’s does an amazing job of finding innovative products for their private label….everything from healthy frozen entrees to wine.

While standing in the checkout line stocking up on Lambrusco, I spotted a display of Roasted Seaweed Snacks in kitschy bright green wrappers. It was only .99 cents so I grabbed a bag, thinking it might taste like the awesome kale chips that LC’s Mom made recently.

Wrong! When I opened the bag there was a definitive fishy smell. Cut into squares, the transparent dark green seaweed “chips” tasted fishy too. It was like eating stinky wax paper. But the worst part was after the initial crispness gave way to my saliva, the consistency became almost pasty. Yucky!

With only 60 calories per bag it makes for a great snack if you’re on a diet, mainly because it is hard to eat more than one sliver without being disgusted. If this was the only food left on earth, the problem of obesity would come to a screeching hault.

Of course, they are made in Korea, a country where silkworm larva is considered a tasty snack.

VACATION RE-RUN #2. Ahhhh….the beach!

Finally, the last post on Rio! I waited until I had the opportunity to try our local version of this Brazilian snack staple.

I blame it on the kiwis. Adelle and Sky that is, me and AD’s roommates from New Zealand. The four of us hopped the Metro to Ipanema the second day of our trip. It was a blazing 39 degrees celcius (that’s 100 to you and me!) and Adelle said she wanted to get another acai. She had developed an addiction, usually two per day. As a vegetarian, she wasn’t feasting on meat like everyone else in Brazil.

Once off the train, we headed towards the beach. Both here and in our neighborhood of Gloria there are dozens of juice bars that serve smoothies, snacks, and acai.

Acai has become popular recently here in the states for its antioxidant properties stemming from its deep purple hue. Rich in vitamins A, B, C, iron and calcium, the acai also contains Omega-3 and Omega-9 fatty acids not commonly found in fruits.

Native to Brazil and other South American countries, the acai fruit is usually made into a frozen smoothie treat eaten with a spoon, served either in a bowl or cup, and often topped with granola.

And that is how I like mine, topped with granola. My first one, photographed with my beach bag on Ipanema, was the best and only cost 5.50 R, or about $2.75 USD. I had one the next day at Hobby in Gloria, then another at Chan that night. And on it went, every day I went in search my acai fix.

Back in the states, I didn’t panic. I knew I wouldn’t have to go cold turkey since Robeks has an acai bowl on the menu. However, I had never tried it until my return from Rio. Robeks’ acai tastes just like the ones in Brazil. They top their bowl with sliced bananas and granola. It was delicious but at least twice the size of the cups I got in Rio, and with almost 400 calories, it is a meal.

Nevertheless, I have a vision of me this Summer, hot and sweaty after a day at the pool, with a cup of acai con granola….just like in Rio.