So since I posted in November, I’ve done a 180 on you all. Me, champion of moderation. Me, the “no food is bad” girl. Me, variety is the spice of life, personified. I have given up gluten. Yup. And I have felt terrific. So terrific that I have passed up at least 1/2 dozen opportunities to snarf baguette. I am a baguette-lovah from way back. And remember those resort croissants that I have trouble with too? I just spent a whole week looking at them and they didn’t even call my name. That’s how good I feel.

It all started around Christmas, when I read William Davis’ Wheat Belly.

The book is a manifesto against grain. It goes into all sorts of detail on how wheat amps up your blood sugar, causes inflammation, etc. etc. It’s science-y enough, but an easy read, too, and it’ll make your hair stand on end. Combine this with all the testimony I’ve read in the on-line arthritis communities about how super-fab people feel when they give up gluten, and it made me stop and think – “why not try this for a few weeks and see what happens?” So I did. And within a couple of weeks I was PAIN FREE. I haven’t had gluten since. That’s two full months?!

Has it been challenging? Really, not so bad. Now I’ll admit that I have never been a huge sandwich eater, or toast maker so I haven’t had to revise too many habits. I also don’t eat much pasta or other refined carbs when I’m watching what I eat, which is most of the time. Around the end of January, I got a hankering for something crunchy that wasn’t a nut, so I got some Glutino gluten-free pretzels, and let me tell you – they are terrific. Even my daughter, who is not a pretzel lover, loves them. But they’re junk food, so they’ll be on the list for when I want to enjoy something nutrient-free and fun, but they won’t be in the house every day.

Reading about the effects that wheat has on our blood sugar levels (raises ‘em thru the roof), got me thinking about insulin and hormones and their effects on body composition . . . and let’s just say I’ve been doing A LOT of reading on the subject. And I’ve found that keeping my blood sugar at a more steady state and eliminating added sugars from my diet has made me feel better and helped me with my training goals. Stay tuned for lists and reviews of all the good stuff I’ve been reading and doing!

What about you? What tweaks have you made to your diet and/or exercise program since the new year rolled around? How are you feeling? Have you stuck with them? Why or why not?

*Disclosure: If you click on the Wheat Belly graphic above, it’ll redirect you to my Amazon.com store, and if you purchase the book, I’ll make a teeny tiny commission. To date, I’ve made $.04 from this blog!

© 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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So I’m back to posting some recipes here, thanks to EasyRecipe – and you may have noticed the “Save” button in the upper right-hand corner of each recipe. What’s that? That, my friends, is your link to cooking organization and freedom! Click on that button and it’ll take you to Ziplist, a free site that’ll help you save your favorite recipes from around the web (even from PINTEREST, people!) into your own “recipe box,” generate shopping lists based on the recipes you choose to make, and gives you access to money-saving coupons and grocery deals in your area. Wowza. You can even create your grocery list online and then take it with you using their free iPhone & Android mobile apps. And share it, too – so you can send your loved ones to do your grocery-store bidding.

Read all about Ziplist here!

© 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I’ve posted before that I have a lot of kitchen stuff. Like so much that I have a giant Ikea armoire in the basement to house pie plates (I think I have 6), special pans (bundt, train cake pans, you get the idea), multiple waffle irons (yes, multiple), cookie cutters, etc. etc. etc. So I’m loathe to buy a single-use tool – there are usually other ways to accomplish the same task (I’m looking at you, mango pitter!). But then there are some essential single-use tools – the egg slicer comes to mind. And now, the TofuXpress.

I’d never heard of this thing, ’til one day a Semi-Sweet reader emailed me that her husband & daughter had gotten her one at Sur La Table. Intrigued, I checked out the site – a tool that squeezes the heck out of your tofu? Was small-ish? American-made? Dishwasher safe? Sign. Me. Up. I emailed the good folks at TofuXpress to see if they’d be willing to send me one to review, and guess what? They said yes!

Now yes, you can press your own tofu – here’s what I used to do:

Lots of paper towls (cringe-worthy from an environmental perspective), the cookie sheets, lots of plates . . . it works, but it also only goes so far. Unless you take time to change the towels, they get saturated quickly and your tofu will still have a significant amount of moisture in it. This doesn’t matter for some preparations, but say you want to get it crispy? Or really saturated with marinade? Or just want it to be firmer and more flavorful? The TofuXpress is your new go-to girl.

 You just put in your block of tofu, snap in the top (there is a heavy-duty spring in there, that’s what does the pressing) and let it go. The instructions say to put it in the fridge and let it press for an hour, or overnight, but I find the results to be awesome (and far superior to my old method) in as few as 15 minutes.  When you’re ready to remove the tofu, you just tip the unit upside down over a sink, remove the accumulated water, and free the tofu. So simple.

The TofuXpress also comes with a lid that conveniently attaches to the base for storage – use this for marinating. You need to press the tofu first, then remove the liquid, insert the tofu with the marinade into the base, and cover with the top – place in the fridge for the desired time, and voila! You can even press the marinated tofu to achieve a denser texture that’s more meat-like.

I haven’t tried this yet, but the instructions say that you can also use the TofuXpress to press other vegetables, like eggplant, or defrosted frozen spinach, for example. Check out all the details, including a video demo, at the TofuXpress site. If you eat tofu on a regular basis, this is $39.95 well spent. Two thumbs up!

What’s your favorite kitchen gadget? Something innovative like the TofuXpress? What would you like to see me review here for you?

{Disclaimer: I was sent the TofuXpress free-of-charge to review, but TofuXpress did NOT solicit my review – I contacted them. All the opinions in this review are my own.}

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I love crunchy snacks. And I’m not talking about baby carrots. They’re fine, but when I crave crunch, I’m usually looking for a cracker or a crisp or a chip. I usually have to talk myself off some ledge if I’m watching what I eat . . . and I always have to limit my portions because even if I’m not being strict with myself, I have a tendency to get out of hand with these things.

So imagine my delight when the generous folks at Snack Factory sent over a GINORMOUS tote bag full of Pretzel Crisps? To my door. In the pouring rain one day. When I was home alone with L. and feeling snacky. How is it that I’d never had these things? I dunno, but now I know I can’t have them in my house for fear of going CRAZY on them, which I did.

First a little background – I was surprised to learn that these folks are the ones who birthed the first Funnel Cakes, then Bagel Chips . . . then on to the flat, crunchy Pretzel Crisp. They’re snacking innovators – with lots of years of successful product under their belts!

But on to the truly important stuff: There are amazing flavors. Original, Garlic Parmesan, Buffalo Wing, Everything, Jalapeno Jack, Chipotle Cheddar, Sesame. My all-time favorites are Garlic Parmesan and Buffalo Wing, but I wouldn’t toss any of these outa bed. Even the Original and Everything flavors are super – just the right amount of salt, perfect for dipping or for layering with a bit of cheese and fruit or veg – they’re nice and sturdy. When I was posting on Facebook about these, a Semi-Sweet reader even told me she beaks them up and puts them over her salad for flavor and crunch – I think that’s a great idea – I love crunch on top of my salads.

I opened every bag, the day I got these. Tried every flavor. Went back for more, and more and more of my favorites. D. took them up to his office while he worked late into the night. We served them to our families at a Memorial Day cookout. We were all Pretzel Crisps, all the time here for a week or so, and I loved every minute of it.

But it had to end. I had a few more lbs. to lose.

As snacks go, these are much better for you than a Cheeto, or a Dorito, or any of those other greasy, neon-colored crunchy snacks. But they’re still a treat. At 110 calories and no fat per serving, they’re not outrageous, but let’s remember that a serving is something like 10 crisps, and I can ASSURE YOU, you’re going to want more of these. So what’ll you do? Eating out of the bag can get ugly – try portioning out the number you want to eat into a little bowl or a baggie, and limiting yourself to that. Then do some stern self-talking to ensure you don’t go overboard . . . ’cause you’ll want to! And what if you want to get fancy? Well, there’s that salad idea, or if you want to whip up some funky appetizers, head over to the Pretzel Crisp Facebook Page where they’ve recently held a recipe contest and get inspired!

You should know: Snack Factory provided me with a tote-bag full of Pretzel Crisps. They didn’t ask me for a review, I decided to do it because their product is delicious and more nutritious than a lot of other crunchy snacks out there . . . all the opinions in this review are my own!

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I know you tune in to Semi-Sweet to read posts about and see lists of my recommended spots to eat and shop, and now there’s another platform to follow my travels – urbantag. It’s launching today, and it should be great – you know how Pinterest gives you a chance to curate all your favs in whatever categories you choose? Well, urbantag’s similar – it lets you curate your own personal collection of places to share with your friends.

In short, urbantag’s an easy way to:

• leave a quick opinion on real-world places
• discover new places from trusted sources
• curate once, publish anywhere

For more info, sign up here: http://www.urbantag.com.

I’ve been made an urbantag “Tastemaker” (love this!) and I’m using urbantag to bookmark and share places I love. I’ve kicked it off by building a map called “Healthy Restaurants and Markets in Greater Boston” that you can view here: http://urbant.ag/02G9Oa. Let me know what you think. Once you follow my map, you can also have access on the go by downloading the iPhone app here.

Now you tell me: What should my next urbantag map be?

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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It’s like a Christmas Miracle, isn’t it? I’m posting here again . . . the last couple of days I’ve felt more like writing about food than about cancer. That’ll change, but for now . . . let’s enjoy a cancercation, shall we?

That stuff above? It was suggested to me that I try some. When I was complaining about my cuke-a-palooza, a couple friends asked me if I’d tried this magic brew from Genji and directed me to the exact spot to find it at Whole Foods in Fresh Pond, Cambridge. You bet your butt I wheeled my carriage right over to the sushi counter Friday a.m. right after I procured my sliced turkey next door.

And let me tell you, it’s worth every stinkin’ calorie. A little goes a long way. I got the regular, not spicy version, and it’s tangy and zippy and smooth and creamy all at the same time. It lights up your vegetables like, well, a Christmas tree (Chanukah bush?). I made a chopped salad with carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and this stuff and I actually went back and cut up another carrot & cuke just as an excuse to have more. Next time, I’m tryin’ spicy, for sure.

Buy it. Eat veggies. Feel better.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I’ve been on a crunchy snack kick lately, and it’s gonna show up in my jeans.  Too many Trader Joe’s Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks add lbs. to the scale.  So I’ve gotta quit that, on account of needing to eat a few (dozen? trillion?) cookies this month.  So I set out to find a lower-impact crunchy snack, and I rediscovered the rice cake.  I hear you out there, “booooring!” Well, you know there are white-cheddar cakes?  They are reminiscent of Smartfood.  And caramel flavor if you want crunchy + sweet.  And how ’bout the million ways you can top a rice cake – hummus is a particular favorite, as are nut butters, and really any sandwich filling.

But I found a new, new love – corn cakes!  Yes, these Real Foods Corn Thins are delicious, crunchy, all natural, gluten free, free of GMOs and have 44 calories for two of ‘em! (They are thinner than your average rice cake).  They work better with fillings because they’re less crumbly than a rice cake.  The sesame flavor with Trader Joe’s chipotle hummus slathered on top is a great snack.

So lay off the chips and crackers for now, folks, budget in room for that rib roast by economizing elsewhere!

© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Mmmmm Mojo – the “sweet & salty trail mix bars” from Clif.  Now you know I’m a fan of the whole food.  Not so much a fan of the the processed food or the Franken-food . . . but sometimes an apple or banana won’t cut it as a convenient meal-replacement when I’m out and about. 

I have been digging these bars lately – they’re sweet and salty, crunchy and chewy, which hits most of my cravings.  They’re around 200 calories each, but also have 8-10 grams of protein (2-4 grams from nuts, 4-5 grams from soy rice crisps), so they’ll keep you feeling fuller, longer. And although you shouldn’t get into the habit of eating these instead of whole foods, if you’re craving something sweet & salty and/or need a filling snack on the go, these are 70% organic, contain no GMOs, are low-glycemic and have no trans-fats or processed sugars.  So they’re better than a ‘dog at 7-Eleven or a trip through the McD’s drive through, for sure.

I get mine at either Whole Foods or at Trader Joe’s, and right now my favorite flavor is the Mountain Mix. Find out more on Clif’s website.

© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Meringues! 

It’s February, one month closer to fewer clothes and lighter loads . . . I won’t lie to you guys, I have a killer sweet tooth.  It’s nearly impossible for me to give up sugar entirely (and then I have the whole “forbidden fruit” thing going on that makes me want it more).  So when I want to indulge, I need to do it strategically.  Sometimes you need the whole enchilada – a brownie, a cookie made with butter, a piece of cake with frosting.  But sometimes you just need a sweet.  Enter the meringue.  They’re made of egg whites, sugar and maybe some cream of tartar.  Nothin’ else.  A pure, naturally fat-free hit of sugar.  You can crunch ‘em, or you can let them melt in your mouth . . . your choice, it’s all good.

The ones I’ve been eating lately are Spaan’s brand, which I picked up at Whole Foods. They’re small meringues, and you can have 14 of them for just 100 calories.  If you’re into quantity, these are for you.  Plus, they come in interesting flavors like lemon and dulce de leche – move over, chocolate and vanilla . . . . swimsuit season, here we come!

© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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My new love is relatively new to the market – Rachel’s Cottage Cheese.  Some of you may have tried Rachel’s yogurts – they come in funky, exotic flavors (Vanilla Chai, Pomegranate Acai).  I have actually never tried those – I’m such a plain Greek yogurt fan, so I figured I’d save myself from getting hooked on another relatively-expensive indulgence.

But when I saw that Rachel’s was out with some interestingly flavored cottage cheese cups, and that they were each around 130 calories with around 14 grams of protein, it piqued my interest.  I found them last week at the Fresh Pond Whole Foods and I am already on my second batch of them.

So far, I’ve tried the Pomegranate Orange Cranberry, the Pear Mangosteen, the Sundried Tomato Pesto and the Cucumber Dill.  The only two I haven’t been able to find are the Roasted Red Pepper and the Lemon Verbena Berry.  I don’t have a favorite – I love all that I’ve tried and whether I’d reach for sweet or savory depends on my mood at the moment.  They’ve got a nice creamy taste, and because there’re no artificial flavors, the pomegranate and orange tastes like real fruit, the cucumber dill is very fresh and zippy with good veggie/herb flavor, etc.  Almost as if you made it up yourself.

So while I remain a big fan of plain cottage cheese with my own mix-ins, this is a convenient, portion-controlled option, with mix-ins that I wouldn’t necessarily take time to do myself.  I’ve been most often having one as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack and the protein provides a nice hold-over ’til lunch or dinner.

Here’s the link to Rachel’s Dairy if you want to get the lowdown for yourself . . . .

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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