Blog Archives
RoseyRebecca
I’m so lucky to have been connected to so many great local bloggers who write about so many different topics. I’m not shy when I say that I’m a foodie. I love Food Network, food shows, cooking but I’ll be the first one to tell you that there are still ingredients out there that I don’t really know what to do with and for that I turn to my blogger friends. Luckily those same blogger friends are HEALTHY LIVING bloggers so these recipes that look so delicious and easy are actually good for me!
This week’s local blog focus is on Rosey Rebecca: Staying Healthy in a World Full of Food. Go to the section of her blog “My Story” and you can see that she has struggled with the temptation of food but succeeded, lost weight and looks great! What I find the most interesting is her transition into becoming a vegetarian. Most of us looking to lose a few pounds have thought about that transition, until I have sushi for dinner or bite into a delicious steak but Rebecca did it in 2010. Looking to become a vegetarian seriously? Check out her blog for a recap of her progress as well as some recipes to try that look delicious, even if you’re just looking to boost the amount of veggies in your diet.
Having recently moved out of the state, her blog entries have become less frequent but as I always say, just because there aren’t many NEW blog entries, there’s still plenty of useful materials and recipes if you’re looking for something new! Check out Rosey Rebecca!
“It’s gonna be legend-… wait for it… and I hope you’re not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY! “
Barney, How I Met Your Mother
Okay, so I know I said that on Saturdays I’d write about new drinks I’ve had and want to share with you to do find at your local bars tonight. To be honest, I haven’t really been trying out anything new with alcohol you can find at a bar but I figured this would be the best opportunity to tell you about this new chocolate milk I bought: rice milk made from brown rice.
I know I’ve mentioned a couple of times that I’m lactose-intolerant so I’m always looking for great tasting non-lactose products and I think I have a new one to add to my list: Rice Dream Enriched Chocolate Milk.
Credit: Ricedream.com
I’ve never had any type of rice milk before and I expected a milk consistency but to my surprise, when I poured it, it looked more like muddy water. When I saw that, I think it’s safe to say that I had the exact facial expression on my face that you have reading this, ewww. I braved it and decided that I at LEAST had to try it and it was quite good.
The texture was a lot lighter but that also made the flavor a lot lighter too so if you’re expecting that rich Hershey syrup flavor, this isn’t the chocolate milk for you.
The only downside, in my opinion, to this product is that it’s not really the healthiest option for a non-dairy “milk.” In a standard serving (1 cup, 8oz) there is 28g of sugar, less than 1g of dietary fiber & only 2g of protein. The upside, since it is enriched it has at least 10% of your daily value of vitamins A, D & B12 and 30% of dv of calcium.
Overall, I enjoyed it and I liked more that I didn’t get a stomach-ache after the fact. Do note again the high amount of sugar but if you look to another non-dairy option: Silk Chocolate SOYMilk you can find 21g of sugar there. Remember, you ARE drinking CHOCOLATE MILK. Would I buy this again? Sure, but not very often only because I don’t think it’s possible for me to drink chocolate milk in moderation when it’s in my fridge so instead I’m just gonna buy it in moderation.
Ingredients: brown rice (partially milled), filtered water, cocoa (processed with alkali), expeller pressed high oleic safflower oil, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, natural flavors, sea salt, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.
Give it a try, let me know what you think! Have you tried any other non-dairy drink options? Let me know!
“One of the glories of New York is its ethnic food, and only McDonald’s and Burger King equalize us all.”
John Corry
One of my favorite places to get a burger in the 518 is Five Guys Burgers and Fries (Mohawk Commons, Schenectady) because not only can you put whatever you want on it for no extra charge but the peanut oil it’s cooked in leaves it extra juicy. Something you may not know is that “Five Guys” is actually a chain restaurant but with much better quality than a fast-food place like McDonalds. 
Your burger is made right when you order it, you can even watch it, not pre-cooked like most fast-food restaurants. Yes, this may result in a longer waiting time but for a fresher burger, isn’t it worth it?
After researching the history on their website, I was surprised to find that “Five Guys” started in Arlington, VA in 1986 – they’ve been around longer than I have! Now, they have more than 750 locations over 40 states and some even in Canada! They pride themselves on using no trans-fats and they dare you to find a freezer in one of their restaurants, coolers but NO freezers!
A play on the fact that they use peanut oil, they also offer dishes of peanuts while you’re waiting so BEWARE IF YOU HAVE A PEANUT ALLERGY, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOU. They offer two sizes of burgers, the regular size and the “Little Burger.” I usually order the “Little Burger” and with all that I put on it, that’s usually enough food for me. The “Little Burger” is one patty and the regular burger is two patties – for complete nutritional information check it out on their website HERE. If you’re looking for German-style French fries than you’re luckily already in the right place. They’re given to you in a bag and Five Guys has multiple bottles of vinegar at the ready for you to add. What I like about their fries is that though they’re not crunchy, they don’t have a soggy consistency. All they need is some vinegar and they’re ready to eat (okay, maybe some ketchup too!!). Next time you’re looking for a place to get a burger, especially if you’d never been there before, give Five Guys a try and look for locations on your next vacation!!
FUSSYlittleBLOG
For those of you who don’t have a WordPress blog, let me explain how this works. When people are referred to your blog by a particular website, it shows those of us who are running the blog. During the recent weeks I’ve been seeing referrals from a particular website FUSSYlittleBLOG and I was curious. I’ve had some random websites refer to me before because someone somewhere mentioned some word I said once and the inter-webs connected us but this was more often than those so I decided to check it out.
Those of my readers who are interested in the 518 and what I have to say, I would recommend checking out FUSSYlittleBLOG as well. Daniel B as he signs his blog entries says that his goal is to “show people what good food is, in all of its forms. If I can point out why some fancier things are overrated. If I can demonstrate that great food doesn’t need to be expensive. Maybe, just maybe, I can get more people to care about really good food.” Which I agree with wholeheartedly. There is some good food out there that people have yet to experience when they’re being distracted by the McDonalds’ and Burger Kings’ of the world.
Aside from his conversations with himself about food, he links readers to Regional Food Blogs, including yours truly, as well as Regional Non-Food Blogs. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m a big proponent of ”local” and I’m glad that I’m not alone. Embrace where you live, if you dislike it so much then move and if you can’t afford to move than why waste your time hating where you live. Embrace it, fund it, hating it and bringing your business elsewhere is just making it worse.
My political thoughts aside, Daniel B from FUSSYlittleBLOG has a great outlook on food and no topic is off limits. From wine, to restaurants, to important food topics, to a “meat sheet” (confused? check out his website for details) he covers everything and keeps it local. It amazes me that him just spewing off his thoughts starts a serious dialog about food and even if not always serious, it’s at least an entertaining dialog to follow. Hope you check it out and enjoy!
“In the wintertime, in the snow country, citrus fruit was so rare, and if you got one, it was better than ambrosia. “
James Earl Jones
I don’t know how common papaya is to your kitchen, but it’s not very common in mine. My favorite papaya product is smoothies, especially Gray’s Papaya in Manhattan. If you happen to see one your next trip down there, stop in and get the best deal in the city, make sure you get the papaya smoothie! If a trip to NYC isn’t in your near future, make one at home! Since before this experience I had no idea how to prepare a papaya, I figured I’d give a step-by-step way on how to get it ready to make any kind of papaya-based drink you want. Don’t know where to buy one? I got mine at the Fresh Market in Latham. They sell whole and half papayas, I recommend buying the half papaya especially if you’re not sure if you like it. I bought a whole papaya and it left me with more fruit than I knew what to do with. If I remember correctly, though, the whole papaya is cheaper if that’s an issue.
1. If you decide to buy the whole papaya, start by cutting the fruit in half.
2. Though the papaya seeds are good to use for dressings and seasonings, they’re not tasty to eat alone. They have a kind of peppery taste that is not pleasant so scoop those out
3. After you scoop out the seeds, scoops out the membrane lining the inside. It has the same consistency of a pumpkin so it should come out smoothly. Note the difference between the left and the right one that has been scraped out completely.
4. Then, just peel the fruit and cut into however sized chunks you want depending on what you’re going to be doing with them and enjoy!
The flavor isn’t very strong but it is very tasty. Since the flavor is so mild it goes well with just about any fruit but be careful when you add something like bananas to it because it is very easily overpowered. Not only does it taste good but papayas have a lot of health benefits also. Looking for antioxidants when reading the labels at the supermarket? Papaya is a great source of natural antioxidants as well as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium and magnesium; and fiber. It also helps to protect against heart disease, promotes digestive help, has anti-inflammatory effects, immune support, as well as others that can be found at the world’s healthiest food’s website HERE where I found the information.
“Ice cream cravings are not to be taken lightly.”
Betsy Cañas Garmon
On your way back from a concert at SPAC or a day at the track or maybe when you’re just exploring the Ballston Spa area you’ve probably seen JJ’s Snack Bar (Saratoga Ave). 
I’ve stopped there on a few occasions either for a quick dinner or a quick scoop of ice cream and enjoyed the food. Hopefully you’re not arriving here looking for a 5-star meal, this is a place for burgers and hot dogs. My favorite part of this place is the playground. I’m 21 years old and I can’t help but swing on a swing that’s available. There are 3-4 tables to eat your food/ice cream but I tend to enjoy ice cream more when I’m on a swing. They have vanilla, chocolate and twist and though they’re basic flavors- you can’t go wrong. The kiddie size was perfect for me, one scoop (with sprinkles of course) and I was satisfied. Next time you see it, don’t pass it by, even if you just get an ice cream cone! Treat yourself!
“Together is Good”
Applebees Tagline
NEW BLOG ENTRY for examiner.com (Schenectady Restaurants) on Applebee’s
For the 21+ crowd, GET A BREWTUS! (Jim)
“Whiskey is by far the most popular of all remedies that won’t cure a cold. “
Jerry Vale
When you think of Schenectady, I assume you don’t think of lakeside locations where you can sit on the water and relax with each passing wave. I’ve lived here my whole life and I can tell you, I didn’t. I didn’t, that is, until I went to The Water’s Edge Lighthouse (4 Freemans Bridge Road, Scotia). 
We went around 3pm so the restaurant wasn’t very busy but my Mom, her friend and I were eyeing the bar anyway. As I mentioned in an earlier post, what’s great about bar/restaurants is that you can order food at the bar as well as at a table and that usually goes for big as well as smaller restaurants. We had just eaten lunch and were only going for the atmosphere (though I’ve heard their food is fantastic and I definitely will be going back- look out for THAT entry).
The bartender was Nicole and she was very sweet. I ordered a Whiskey Sour, what else?, and she made it perfectly. 
What I like about whiskey sours is that even though I love the taste of whiskey the flavor isn’t very strong. I would classify it as a “girly drink” because of the fruity flavor but I like them.
I would love to see this restaurant on a regular busy night. The building itself is beautiful 
with plenty of room outside for seating with a view as well as a cabana bar outside with a lakeside view.
It looks very classy from the inside and the menu backs that up. I took a look at the menu and though everything looked wonderful it was a bit higher than my usual budget. I was able to find a few things that I would be able to buy on my post-graduation/jobless budget but it would have definitely been a splurge. Recommendations I’ve heard are the lasagna and bruchetta so if you take a ride out there make sure to sample those!
View from Outside
“When you look at a cupcake, you’ve got to smile.”
Anne Byrn
I just had my graduation party a few weeks ago and my mother was hoping to get “one of those fancy cakes” as she called them with no luck. With the planning of the party we forgot how long “those fancy cakes” take to make and didn’t order one in time. On the plus side, I got to visit a few bakeries in the process. By far, my favorite was Coccadotts at 1179 Central Ave in Albany.
My Mom was disappointed to hear that their “Free Cupcakes for Facebook Fans” deal was the day before, since she was their fan on Facebook and was looking forward to a cuppycake. It didn’t stop us from getting cuppycakes anyway. Not only were the cuppycakes beautiful to look at, they were beautiful to the taste buds too! As many of you know, I’ve lived in NYC for the past 4 years and I couldn’t go with someone visiting me without stopping at the famous Magnolia Bakery. In my opinion, those cupcakes are almost sickenly sweet. Coccadotts on the other hand had a perfect blend of sweet. It wasn’t too sweet where I didn’t want to finish it but sweet enough where it satisfied my sweet tooth. The frosting as well was very smooth. As they recommended, wait until the cuppycake is at room temperature to experience the soft texture of the frosting. My mother couldn’t wait (I don’t blame her) but I waited as long as I could and, of course, they were right! Instead of a hard frosting because of the refrigeration, it was silky smooth and beautiful. The cake itself was a great balance with the sweet frosting. With many cupcakes, the sweet cake competes with the sickly-sweet frosting but with Coccadotts is not the case, perfect balance.
“I went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast at any time”. So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance. “
Steven Wright
Check out the article I wrote for examiner.com on Peter Pause HERE
Granted, by the time we got ready and left the house it was 11am but since neither one of us had eaten yet, it was still considered breakfast. My Mom decided to go to a diner-like place on Nott Street called Peter Pause.
My mother and I both ordered 2 eggs with hash browns and bread. Sadly, they weren’t able to serve poached eggs after 11am so I just got them however my Mom ordered them (I never remember what the names are for how to cook an egg). The food was very good for the price. This whole plate was around $5 ($6 after 11am). Also, on the side we were served not just regular toast but heavy Italian bread. There was enough there to take home and make a sandwich with later. Make sure, if you’re expecting to take food home, bring containers with you or plan ahead, they charge for take-out containers.
