Santa is very good to me every year.

This year I must have been really good because I have a new kitchen item that I really, really wanted! A cast iron pot.



Photo from www.costsaving2u.com/

Found a packet of Italian Spices at a Japanese supermarket in the city. Pretty decent on pasta.

I was at a local zoo a few weeks ago when I got peckish however there wasn't a cafe. It was a small zoo. I did spot the Kosher Cafe machine though. It's a machine that servers warm Kosher meals. Obviously. They can be found in malls and some out door locations as a way for people who keep Kosher to eat. Heck food is food and most products in supermarkets are Kosher. There are different levels of Kosher but that is another post all together. Though that information can be found at another site and from someone who keeps Kosher and can explain it better. Anyway I got a knish and it was very tasty.

Umm I guess this a food related post. And two posts within days of one another about Burger King.

They are coming out with a cologne for men called Flame. Why I don't know but if you have always wanted to smell like a burger now is your chance.



Photo from burgerking.com

If I were to pick I rather have a meal any day or a savory snack than something sweet. That being said I do like my sweets just not as much as salt. Oooh delicious salt.

However I do like seeing the different kinds of candies the holidays have to offer. Two I never seemed to notice before but make sense are chocolate bells and red and green M & M's. Festive.





Photos from theonlinecandyshop.com and www.affordableinvitations.com.au/

The other day I was at a convenience store I don't normally go to when I noticed two packages of potato chips. But not any potato chips. They were from Burger King. One was fries and ketchup flavored and the other was flame broiled burger flavored.

I only purchased the flame broiled and took it home to share with Niel.

We both agreed it tasted like BBQ flavored chips, was a bit thicker than normal chips. It was interesting to try but only a one time experience.



Photos from www.qsrmagazine.com

Found at a gas station. Couldn't resist buying.

Strange finds
Originally uploaded by foodiechickie4775

I came across an interesting article on Yahoo.

A couple who stuck to a strict food budget of a dollar a day.

Here is the news
video and their blog.

Makes me think about my own food budget, especially in these rough times. But folks live on that a day in America and plenty of other countries.

I was grocery shopping the other day when I noticed there is now a brand of Rachael Ray chicken stock. Make sense since she uses it in all her recipes. Tasted the same to me as the regular store brand. Wouldn't go out of my way to get it though.

And she also has her own line of dog food.

TV host, chef, author, line of cookware. And now stock and dog food. Wow.



Picture from www.colavita.com

I'm addicted to Dole Fruit Cups in gel. Particularly the mixed fruit in black cherry gel. It's pretty much jello with diced fruit.

I've enjoyed Tamarind fruit as long as I can remember. I've always just preferred savory and tart things to sweets. I've always like eating a meal rather than dessert. I'm strange. What can I say.

So when my husband procured some Tamarind balls. I was in heaven. It is sweet and sour at the same time. Chewy and gritty. And it has the prettiest seeds.




Photo from www.caribreeze.com

I made Ruth's Garlic steak. I added roasted asparagus on the side. Oh so tasty!

Garlic Steak with roasted asparagus
Originally uploaded by foodiechickie4775

A Cheeburger Cheeburger opened up a few neighborhoods from me. It's similar to Johnny Rockets where they serve milk shakes, fries and burgers. They have gimmick where if you eat their one pounder then you will get your photo on the wall and with their plush burger. Niel ate one. And now his photo is up. But I see a lot of people able to eat the one pounder, so not sure how long his photo will be up.

My personal favorites are the sauces that accompany their fry and onion ring basket. I like the Texas Horseradish and Habenero Jelly.

My husband is not a fan of Mayo. But he is a fan of bacon. Perhaps I can get him to eat mayo on sandwiches if I could find Baconnaise.

Another celebrity chef has their own magazine. This time it is Jamie Oliver.

The magazine is of course called Jamie and will be in stores today!

Must get myself over to Borders and buy one. I am very curious.



Update: Borders didn't have it. Perhaps it will be out in the US later on??

Found on Joelen's blog.

How the Sweet 100 Works:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. (I italicized cause I am lame and do not know how to cross out on blogger).

What this list shows is I am a glutton but there are a lot more desserts out there I have not tried.

1. Red Velvet Cake
2. Princess Torte
3. Whoopie Pie
4. Apple Pie either topped or baked with sharp cheddar
5. Beignet
6. Baklava
7. Black and White Cookie
8. Seven Layer Bar (also known as the Magic Bar or Hello Dolly bars)
9. Fried Fruit pie (sometimes called hand pies)
10. Kringle
11. Just-fried (still hot) doughnut
12. Scone with clotted cream
13. Betty, Grunt, Slump, Buckle or Pandowdy
14. Halvah
15. Macarons
16. Banana Pudding with nilla wafers
17. Bubble tea (with tapioca “pearls”)
18. Dixie Cup
19. Rice Krispie treats
20. Alfajores
21. Blondies
22. Croquembouche
23. Girl Scout cookies
24. Moon cake
25. Candy Apple
26. Baked Alaska
27. Brooklyn Egg Cream
28. Nanaimo bar
29. Baba au rhum
30. King Cake
31. Sachertorte
32. Pavolva
33. Tres Leches Cake
34. Trifle
35. Shoofly Pie
36. Key Lime Pie (made with real key lime)
37. Panna Cotta
38. New York Cheesecake
39. Napoleon/mille-fueille
40. Russian Tea Cake/Mexican Wedding Cake
41. Anzac Biscuits
42. Pizzelle
43. Kolache
44. Buckeyes
45. Malasadas
46. Moon Pie
47. Dutch Baby
48. Boston Cream Pie
49. Homemade chocolate chip cookies
50. Pralines
51. Gooey butter cake
52. Rusks
53. Daifuku
54. Green tea cake or cookies
55. Cupcakes from a cupcake shop
56. Creme Brulee
57. Some sort of deep fried fair food (twinkie, candy bar, cupcake)
58. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting
59. Jelly Roll
60. Pop Tarts
61. Charlotte Russe
62. An “upside down” dessert (Pineapple upside down cake or Tarte Tatin)
63. Hummingbird Cake
64. Jell-O from a mold
65. Black forest cake
66. Mock Apple Pie (Ritz Cracker Pie)
67. Kulfi
68. Linzer torte
69. Churro
70. Stollen
71. Angel Food Cake
72. Mincemeat pie
73. Concha
74. Opera Cake
75. Sfogliatelle / Lobster tail
76. Pain au chocolat
77. A piece of Gingerbread House
78. Cassata
79. Cannoli
80. Rainbow cookies
81. Religieuse
82. Petits fours
83. Chocolate Souffle
84. Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
85. Rugelach
86. Hamenstashen
87. Homemade marshmallows
88. Rigo Janci
89. Pie or cake made with candy bar flavors (Snickers pie, Reeses pie, etc)
90. Divinity
91. Coke or Cola cake
92. Gateau Basque
93. S’mores
94. Figgy Pudding
95. Bananas foster or other flaming dessert
96. Joe Froggers
97. Sables
98. Millionaire’s Shortbread
99. Animal crackers
100. Basbousa

Be still my beating heart. Tim Tams an Australian candy will now be sold at Target through Peppridge Farms.



Photo from www.snowpear.com