Product Review: So Delicious Minis

I previously reviewed So Delicious Nog.  This afternoon I had a hankering for some ice cream and decided to try So Delicious Vanilla Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches.

This product has earned its brand name.  It has the comfort factor of the ice cream sandwiches you used to get in your school cafeteria, except somehow more sophisticated.  Very, very good--and at 100 calories, perfection.

Hummus & Roasted Vegetable Wraps--easy!

I've got a lot going on so I am not inclined to fuss with anything time-consuming right now.

I bought some plain tortillas, store-bought hummus, a few red peppers and an eggplant.  I sliced the vegetables into big "fingers", tossed them with oil and roasted them.  I've been packing my lunch by putting the hummus and veg into a container, to be spread on a freshly warmed (microwaved) wrap right before eating.

I've always been a bit skeptical of the hummus sandwiches I read about in vegetarian magazines and websites.  Yet it really is extremely flavorful and satisfying.

One of my metrics on how good a meal is--how much I look forward to eating it, even if I ate the same thing all week.  This one passes! 

A fear of eating beans is worse than the wind itself | Education | The Guardian

A fear of eating beans is worse than the wind itself | Education | The Guardian

Learning by Doing

Ever since I was a little kid, I tend to try new things, just for the adventure of doing them.  I often will embark on an adventure and research instructions midway.  This procedure has not served me well, but for some reason the fascination is lowered if I look up the facts first. 

Yes, if it's some major undertaking, like tiling my backsplash, I get instructions first.  Little trial-and-error things, like growing something new--I like to try it out myself to see if I can come up with an innovative way to do it without being influenced by others.  This is generally a silly and unproductive way to do things. :)

Not learning from past failures, I tried sprouting lentils this week.  I make no excuses for this.  Fed up with our still-snowy weather at the cusp of May, I crave green and growing things. 

So now I've got a fresh crop of lentil sprouts in my sprouting jar.  I'm trying to get them a little bigger so I'm eating less bean and more sprout, only because I'm concerned the raw lentils won't be edible.  Lentils have a lot more fiber than many other beans--eating them raw would seem to be a form of self abuse. :) 

So then I looked it up and found this blog post.  The guacamole blended with lentil sprout puree sounds good. 

My sprouts need to get a little greener.  I'm putting them on the windowsill today to see if they'll green up.  Then bring on the experimentation!

Restaurant Review: Spuds

This bar is on the water in North Myrtle Beach.  We went for lunch recently. 

It was spotless and quiet outside on this weekday.  Service was prompt, accommodating and polite.

I ordered for my entree an appetizer of black bean cakes.  I noticed they had grit cakes in one of their entrees so I asked if I could order one to accompany my bean cakes. 

Both were excellent--surprisingly so.  I didn't realize black beans could be so moist and creamy.  They seemed to be partially pureed, covered in a thick layer of bread crumbs and deep fried until crunchy on the outside.  The grit cake, for this Northerner, was a new experience.  Lightly crispy on the outside and lightly creamy on the inside. 

Delicious.

Restaurant Review: Mykonos

At Myrtle Beach recently, we were looking for something with a different cuisine than the standard Southern faire.  We saw an ad in our hotel room for this spot nearby.  It advertised a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert.  We texted the number and received the coupon on our phone a few moments later.

We chose the hummus which was homemade and superb.  They had a nice wine selection, served ice cold in generous portions.  I had the Greek salad for my entree which was excellent as well.

The exterior had a large waterfall and inside was a nice fireplace.  The decor was tastefully done and the service was wonderful.

My only disappointment was the ad said it was casual dining.   We happened to be hoping for something not casual anyway.  This restaurant is fine dining.  To me, when you have such a high end property, smartly dressed staff, low lighting, table linens and candlelight, it's fine dining.  Mr. Bean felt a little underdressed.

Restaurant Review: King David's

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the world.

As you know, one of my pet peeves is a restaurant that claims to have vegetarian options, only to have just one frozen pasta primavera with horrible cream sauce that tastes like canned cream of mushroom soup.  The truth is, I have virtually stopped bothering accompanying my omnivore companions to such establishments.  Eating in restaurants is expensive.  I am not socially needy enough to tolerate a terrible, expensive meal just to be in the company of others.  Restaurants could easily have a meat-free unique item or two.  It's not hard.  You're chefs and restauranteurs--act like it.  You're losing 10% of your potential customer base if you don't--plus their companions, potentially.

So anyway, enough of that.

King David's has many delicious options to choose from, served hot, quickly and with a smile.  The prices are very reasonable as well.  My favorites include eggplant fries, sweet potato fries, eggplant pita, falafel platter, hummus, and portobello pita.  All very delicious--none seem frozen or premade.  I can't even choose a favorite among them.

My omnivore husband is quite happy with his meat-based options as well. 

They serve local beers.  I am not a big connoisseur of beer, but I do like the Syracuse Pale Ale.

The decor and music are modern and ethnic, giving you the feeling of escape to a place far away.  Let me reiterate the service--it is fast.  I am pretty shocked they can crank out a dinner for two in what seems to be 5-10 minutes.  The staff is friendly but not intrusive.  Everyone greets you as you walk by, welcoming you in or thanking you as you're leaving.

Clearly the owners and managers are highly skilled and know how to run a business.