Kitchen Toys Wish List

Yes, I refer to kitchen gadgets/tools/utensils as toys. The kitchen is my play room. I want all of these things. A lot!

1. KitchenAid Stand Mixer in Green Apple. Best color ever.

2. All of these Kuhn Rikon knives. What a pretty collection of weapons.

 

3. Breville Juicer.

4. CB2’s clothespin chopsticks. And yes, I want a green pair.

5. Prepara herb saver. I’ll never kill another basil plant again!

6. Banana brothers salt & pepper shakers.

7. SmartMix baking bowl. Bye bye, inaccurate measure cups.

8. Luka Or lid slid. Let off some steam!

9. Elevate Kitchen Utensil Set. COLORS!

10. Bambino Soap Dispenser. Precious, just precious.

SANTA, WHERE ARE YOU? I love you..

What kitchen TOY is on your wish list?

The Hungry and The Healthy

I didn’t blog yesterday and I feel like it’s been days. I guess it has been since Friday that I published a post, but daaaaamn, when I break from my routine I’m all sorts of confused. I’m back!

THE HUNGRY:

Saturday morning, I woke up and immediately went to CVS. The Girl Scouts candy made it to SC…and into my mouth! A few of us sampled all three bars.

• Caramel & Coconut – This was my favorite! It tasted very similar to the Samoa cookie but crunchier.
• Peanut Butter Crème – This one disappointed all three of us. It wasn’t bad, just not peanut buttery enough.
• Thin Mints – This one tastes exactly like the cookie. Other than the shape, there's no difference.

Are they worth the $4.99/box price tag? No. Was the hunt to find and try them worth it? Yes. I’m a chica on a mission when it comes to new food finds.

THE HEALTHY:

This workout will get you sweating like a madwoman! Or madman, whichever you are, dear reader of mine.

After posting that I use Spotify, some of you requested a list of music I listen to at the gym. Here’s my most recent playlist. It’s pop heavy, which is just fine for workouts.

If you also use Spotify, I can share my playlists with you! Search for me. Christina Orso is my name in case you forgot. ;)

Have you tried the Girl Scouts crunch bars yet? Thoughts?

What’s your exercise move? I love pushups, cartwheels, and hula hooping.

What’s song gets you going in the gym? “Shake It Out” is my current favorite.

What I’m Loving Wednesday

1. I haven’t found these yet, but when I do…

I’ll be opening them up before I can make it to the register. I promise to pay.

2. I reserved all of these books at the library…

but they’re all waiting for me to finish Fifty Shades of Grey. My (new) book club girls and I decided to make this our first book and boy, oh, boy, our first meeting will be interesting. I raised my hand to host this month’s book and come up with discussion questions. I feel like it’s going to be a game of “Never Have I Ever…”

3. On Easter Sunday, my family and I played the game Apples for Apples. Of course I was dealt the beets card.

It was destiny. However, I don’t agree that beets beat Brussels sprouts. I like them equally.

4.  The Mount Pleasant Farmer’s Market started yesterday! For a mere $9, I got a bunch of beets, sweet potatatoes, cucumbers, yellow corn, and a 1/2 pound of local shrimp.

5. Do you guys remember when I posted about the Foodie Terms That Make Me Cringe? It’s a funny post – check it out asap. Well, Serious Eats just posted their own list: Our Secret List of Banned Words. My favorite? Mouthfeel. That word is awful.

6. One of my new favorites from What Should We Call Me:

MY MAIN PROBLEM WITH DIETING:

7.  This dress.

And this dress.

Oh, and this dress too.

My bank account doesn’t get upset with me when I find dresses that are each under $30.

Now tell me what you love! xo

A Lesson on Hummus and Foodie Terms That Make Me Cringe

I've always know that hummus is made from mashed chickpeas + seasonings. I had been going crazy seeing recipes like "edamame hummus," "white bean hummus," and "black bean hummus," that had no actual chickpeas in the recipes. My friends, that is a dip. The word hummus is both Arabic and Hebrew for chickpeas, so why on earth would something with a base of another legume, be called hummus? It's just not right. Last night when I made my Sweet Potato Hummuses, I thought it was safe to call them hummus being that the base was chickpeas with the addition of sweet potato + other seasonings. This really isn't correct either, and I'm not afraid to admit that. Maybe I'm being too pedantic about the subject, but I'd much rather own up to my mistake and use food terminology correctly. 

Then I got to thinking about other annoying foodie terms. This kept me up last night too, so that makes 2 nights in a row that I have not slept well because my brain is in overdrive thinking about food. Some might call me an insomniac, others might call me manic depressive, but I'd like to think I just really love food. And I have really bad a.d.d. Someone medicate me, please?


Baby Talk

• Yummers, yummo, or any other variation of yum. Unless you are under the age of 10, you need to stop it.
  
• Sammy and sammich. The word sandwich has an n in it, not an m. So why would you put two in there? Take out your pacifier.
  
• Foodbaby. The actual thought of giving birth to food is actually something we do on the toilet. Do not talk about human babies like that! That's disgusting.
  
• Cuppycake. People actually say this.

Unnecessary Abbreviations

• Brekkie, for breakfast. Are you that tired you can't say the whole word before you eat it?
  
• Resto, for restaurant. Sounds more like a rest stop to me, and I sure as heck don't want to eat there.
  
• EVOO. It's olive oil. "E-V-O-O" has the same amount of syllables as "ol-ive-oi-l" so stop being lazy, Rachel Ray.
  
• Ressy/Rezzie, for restaurant. Admittedly, Amanda and I have used this in a conversation.

Onomatopoeia

• Om, nom, nom. Where did this come from, Sesame Street?
  
• Meh.

Sexy time

• Foodgasm. Not possible to my knowledge. If so, call me.
  
• "This food is orgasmic." Again, if you can produce orgasm-inducing foods, call me.

The Redundant

• Cheese quesadilla.
  
• Chai tea.
  
• Au jus sauce.
  
• Shrimp scampi.
  
• Pizza pie.

The Self-Congratulatory Menu Items

• "Housemade"
  
• "Artisan"
  
• "Gourmet"

The #1 Worst

• EXPRESSO instead of ESPRESSO
  
• OH
  
• MY
  
• GOD
  
• STOP

Question: What food-related words/phrases do you find most aggravating? Or noises? How about gum smacking or loud chewing? ;)


Favor: The Charleston City Paper is taking votes for their annual “Best of Charleston” list featuring people, restaurants, and all things related to Charleston. I have received several emails and tweets from friends who have voted Hungry Meets Healthy for “Best Local Interest Blog.” If you have a spare few minutes, I would GREATLY appreciate your vote here: Best of Charleston.


THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!