#12 Yummy Pizza Crust Made with Cauliflower!!!

I love pizza!  Who doesn't?  I don't like the crust because it's nothing but bread, which if you are not wanting to see it's results on your hips and thighs -- you will do good by going light on it!  With that in mind, I found on YouTube, a lady by the name "Rockin Robin" (Rockin Robin's Recipe) who made this fantastic pizza using Cauliflower as her crust.  I had to try it!  How to make this is at the bottom.

Robin started off using one head of Cauliflower.  Her pizza, in my opinion, would be great if you were making it as a personal pan pizza.  I wanted a bigger size for myself and the hubby.  So I used two heads of Cauliflower (8 rectangle slices).

I used 2 heads chopped and rinsed

I then used my food processor and chopped the Cauliflower into a rice consistency.  I did the same thing with the zucchini:

Process until it looks like rice

The hardest process for me, was wringing the cauliflower and zucchini out with a thin cloth to remove the water.  It was only hard because I was in a hurry to eat this and cook it -- I didn't give myself enough time to let it cool.  It was so hot and it was hard to wring it out.  So my advice, like Robin said, is to let it cool completely before you try to wring all the water out.

After adding the two together (cauliflower and zucchini) -- add the other ingredients mentioned below and form it into the size pizza you want.  It can be a circle, square, rectangle -- whatever you like.  I did not have a circle pizza stone or pan -- so I used my rectangle oven pan.  It worked just fine.

Use what you have and shape it however you want it

Bake for 20 minutes

You can add whatever sauce you want -- but Robin used pesto on hers and I don't ever remember making a pizza using pesto for my sauce -- so I tried it and I absolutely loved it!  Just store bought pesto is fine -- but she has a recipe that you can use to make your own Rockin Robin's Pesto Recipe.  It's very important to add a thin layer of pesto as well because this will eliminate the pizza crust from becoming soggy. 

Only four slices left -- gotta make more!  YUM!!!

This is by far one of the best pizza's I have ever made.  It's not only healthy, but there is so much flavor in the crust and the ingredients used in this pizza.  The drizzle of sauteed onions along with the feta cheese and tomatoes were so delicious.  You could come up with loads of variations -- but I'm glad I started off with this one.  I could not stop saying -- "When I want pizza, this is what I'm going to make from now on."  No guilt -- it's ALL GOOD!  Oh and by the way -- my husband enjoyed every bite!

 Cauliflower Crust Pizza With Pesto Sauce

1 head cauliflower
1 medium zucchini
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mild cheddar
1/4 cup Gluten Free flour (Trader Joe's)
1 egg

Toppings:
fresh pesto sauce
mozzarella cheese, grated
goat cheese (I used Feta I don't know if they are the same)
caramelized onion

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Trim up the cauliflower (remove the florets) and place them into a food processor. Process the cauliflower until if looks like little granules of rice.

Put the cauliflower into a microwavable bowl and cook on high for 7 to 8 minutes.

While the cauliflower is cooking, grab a fine grater and grate up the zucchini. Chop through the zucchini to make it really small pieces. Similar to the cauliflower.

Place the zucchini into a bowl and microwave that for 3 minutes.

Cooking the vegetables helps to release all the liquid in the vegetables. Getting most of the liquid out of them is necessary to having a good crust.

Let both vegetables cool so you can touch them without burning yourself.

Place the cauliflower in a clean, white, thin cloth and lift up the sides so you can wring the cauliflower of it's water. You should be able to get out about 1/4 cup of water.

Just squeeze to get as much water out of it as you can. When you can squeeze no more, place the cauliflower into a mixing bowl. Scrape it out with a spoon to get it all out.

Do the same thing with the zucchini and add it to the cauliflower.

Now let's add the other ingredients to make our cauliflower crust.

Add the egg and Parmesan cheese and stir it in with a fork or spoon.

Blend the dried oregano, dried basil, garlic and onion powders, all together is a small bowl before adding to the cauliflower.

Sprinkle the spices all over the cauliflower to spread them all around the dough and stir.

Next add the yogurt and stir again.

Then add the flour by adding a little at a time and then stirring. Keep alternating until the flour is incorporated into the dough.

Add a sprinkle of salt and then add half of the mild cheddar cheese and stir. Add the second half of the cheese and stir again.

Prepare a pizza stone, pizza pan, or a baking sheet with parchment paper and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

Shape your dough into a ball and then place it on the center of your pan of choice.

Press out your dough until it is about 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch thick.

Place in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.

Once done, spread the crust with your favorite toppings.

I used homemade pesto sauce. Remember to use a thin layer of whatever sauce you are using so the crust doesn't get soggy.

I added grated Mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, chopped homegrown tomatoes, and caramelized onion slices.

Place your pizza back in the oven at 450 degrees F. for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Until next time...

#11 A Review on Gum at The Dollar Tree!

If you are like me,  your eating healthy and you don't want to snack on a lot of junk in between meals. Oh yeah, it's easy to buy a bag of chips, a cookie or some other type of snack that's loaded with empty calories.  Why not pop a stick of gum in your mouth that is under 5 calories each piece.  I know it's not a honey bun or a bag of Doritos -- but that's the good news, you are skipping all of those unwanted calories and you are still able to enjoy chewing something that has a good flavor and holds you over till the next meal.

I use to purchase Mentos gum from Walgreens for a little under $5 a pop.

I love this gum and it satisfied my need for a snack.  But I was not keen on the price.  I would wait till Walgreens had them on sale for 2/$5.  I was willing to pay $2.50.  Well I don't have to anymore.  I found at my favorite store "The Dollar Tree" another fantastic savings.

UP2U gum by none other then Mentos!  This gum comes in three individual packs of the above for you guessed it $1.  Still great Mentos flavor but less the price.  I have racked up on these and my boys enjoy them as well.  There are two flavors in one pack and you decide which flavor you want -- hence the name "It's UP2U."  There are 14 pieces in a packet (comes a pack of 3 -- totaling 42 pieces of gum).  This is also a sugar free gum.  My favorite is the Berry Watermelon and the Fresh Mint (which comes in the same package).

If you are looking for a great snack in-between meals -- give this a try.

Until next time...

#10 One of My Favorite Soups -- Carrot & Leek!!

Have you ever made a soup that makes you say "Mmm, that's good."  Well when I make this one, anytime of the year that's what I always say.  It's so delicious and it's pretty easy to make.   This soup came about because I had so many carrots and I did not want them to go to waste.  So why not make a soup!  I'm so glad I found this one in my cookbook, The Ultimate Soup Bible, by Anne Sheasby.  I make it often.  The ingredients are minimal and you don't have to slave in the kitchen all day making it.

Here are the ingredients.

Carrot and Leek Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 ounces/4 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, sliced
1 pound carrots, sliced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
5 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup strained plain yogurt (optional)
salt and ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish

As you can see from the above picture, I used a little more then a pound of carrots.  I also used two leeks.  I was trying to get rid of what I had on hand without it going bad.

Melt your butter in a large pan.  Add the leeks and carrots and stir well to coat the butter.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften.

Stir in the ground coriander and cook for about 1 minute.  Pour in the stock and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the leeks and carrots are tender.

Leave to cool slightly, then puree the soup in a blender until smooth.  I used my Ninja but you can use a food processor.  Return the soup to the pan and add 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, then taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.  Reheat gently, but do not boil.  Ladle the soup into bowls and put a tablespoonful of the remaining yogurt in the center of each.  Sprinkle over the chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Mmm, Mmm Good

Enjoy!

Until next time...



#9 Meatless Monday Recipe

I'm trying to get into the habit of limiting my meat consumption to one day per week.  I know there are a lot of people doing the opposite of this eating meat six days out of the week and reserving one as a meatless meal -- hence the phrase "Meatless Monday."  So I thought I would share a meatless meal for those who would like to cut back from the meat!!!

This recipe is Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas.  It was very good and  I have to give credit where credit is due -- I got this recipe from "Do It On A Dime" you can check out her original recipe here:   Meatless Monday Recipe.

Here's what I did:

Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas

Ingredients:

8 or more Whole Wheat Tortillas
6 Green onion chopped & 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 5oz can of black beans (I used bag beans -- cooked)
6 oz. baby spinach
1 1/2 cup frozen corn (thawed)
shredded cheese of your choice (I used mozzarella -- one child does not like cheddar)

Enchilada Sauce
1 tbsp. Olive oil for pan
6 oz. jar tomato paste
1/4 cup all purpose flour (I used Red Mill Whole Wheat pastry Flour)
2 tsp of all these ingredients

• cumin
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• chili powder
• salt/pepper to taste

3 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth

Mix all ingredient of your sauce and sit to the side.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375.  Add spinach to pan -- saute and cover with a lid.  Let it cook down with a little olive oil on the bottom of the pan.  Put all ingredients (except for tortillas) into a mixing bowl along with spinach.  Add 2 tsp. cumin to this mix.  Mix this all up.

Coat the bottom of your baking pan with Pam and add 1/4 of your sauce to the bottom of this pan.

Yes, the next step is to fill your enchilada's.  Two spoonfuls should do it.  If you are not familiar with wrapping your enchilada's check out this video How To Wrap Enchilada's.  It should then look like this:

Top these babies with the remainder of your sauce and as much cheese as you prefer.  Bake for 20 min. and it should it look something like this.

 

 mmmmmmm good

Your family will not say "Where's the beef."  Enjoy!!!!!

Until next time...

#8 Favorite for the Month of May 2014

Hey guys!!!  It's been awhile since I posted to my blog "Oh Taste & See" -- but oh my goodness -- have I got something to share which is my favorite for the month of May.

It's this women right here:

* * * Laura Vitale * * *

 

I found Laura on YouTube and fell in love with this Italian cook's food.  Her food is not only delicious but most of it is healthy -- and what you find that is not healthy, you can change up certain ingredients and make it to your health standards.

Well that's what I'm bringing today.  I made Laura's Pasta with Sausage & Creamy Pesto Sauce (YouTube video found here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4GfiSCDhcI).  It was the bomb.com!!!!  Here's the recipe:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1-½ lb of Italian Turkey Sausage, casings removes (I used turkey kielbasa (Fit and Light) at Aldi)
1 lb Taghiatelle Pasta, or any other thick ribbon pasta (I used Ronzoni HealthyHarvest All Natural 100% Whole Grain Wide Noodles)
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 cups of Heavy Cream (I used Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt with water to thin it out like heavy cream)
1 cup of Homemade Pesto (I used a store bought Pesto)
¼ cup of Freshly Grated Parmiggiano Reggiano (a must -- got mine from Trader Joe's in their cheese section)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Process,

1) Fill a large pot with water and sprinkle in some salt, bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, drain well.

2) In a large skillet with high sides, preheat the oil over medium high heat, add the sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon but don’t break it up too much, you want to have some nice chunky sausage pieces, cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until fully cooked through.

3) Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

4) Add the heavy cream and reduce the heat to medium-low, let it cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

5) Add the pesto to the cream and sausage mixture and let it cook for one minute. Add the sauce to the drained pasta along with the parmiggiano reggiano, stir everything together well and serve right away! 

 

Laura mentioned in her video that this pasta is not something you want to cook often because of the heavy cream -- but For my recipe -- as you can see above, I used ingredients that made this pasta healthier and the taste was fa-nom-inal!!  TIP:  I also added to mine "greenery" a bag of broccoli.  It made it even better.  You should always add something green to a dish!!!

Switch heavy cream for Greek Style Nonfat Plain Yogurt

Please give this a try.  You will not be sorry -- it truly is the BOMB.COM!!!  I'm off to have the leftovers for lunch....

Until next time...

#6 Please Pass the -- What???

One thing that I truly enjoy is a tuna salad with Mayo on a bed of lettuce.

or tuna on Wasa crackers:

And as of late -- I have been enjoying this great tasting eggless, all-natural dressing and spread -- that's better than Mayo.  It's called Veganaise.

I did a comparison with it and another spread called Vegan Nayonaise:

The two on review

Ingredients you can understand -- Veganaise Calories 90 Fat Calories 80

Ingredients that's hard to understand -- Vegan Nayonaise Calories 40 Fat Calories 30

I can say by looking at the ingredient list on each -- the Vegan Nayonaise ingredients are skeptical -- lots of things I could not understand -- therefore even though the calories are low -- I was hesitant to try it -- but for comparison -- I did purchase it and tried the taste and I must say -- it was not good in my opinion.  The taste was very bland -- like they took all of the flavor out -- no wonder calorie wise it was low.

The Veganaise on the other hand was YUMMY!!!!!  Full of flavor and I like it better then the usual Kraft or Hellmann's.  Very impressive!  They also have a Chipotle flavor that is to die for -- great with baked chips or fries:

Um um Good!

You can find Veganaise at Diebergs in their section where specialty healthy selections of yogurts, butter and other dairy is found.  It runs for under $5.  For more information on Veganaise -- check out this link:  

http://followyourheart.com/vegenaise-eggless-mayonnaise/

You can watch your waistline and still enjoy the Mayo taste.  Just be sure to buy products with ingredients that you can understand.  I hope you give this a try.  I highly recommend it. So here's my Scale from 1-5 -- with 1 being Really Great, 2 being Good, 3 being OK, 4 being Not Good, 5 being I wouldn't give it to my dog if I had one.  I would give this Veganaise a HOT #:

 

A number two only because of the fat content.  But it's definitely better than a regular Kraft or Hellmann's.  Give it a try!

If you have enjoyed this review please pass it on and don't forget to check out my other reviews below:

Have you checked out my review on Shugar Soap from the Dollar Tree?  Check it out here:
http://ohtasteandsee2.blogspot.com/2013/12/im-lover-of-soap-you-heard-it-right-s.html

Have you checked out my reviews regarding Kombucha tea?  Check it out here:http://ohtasteandsee2.blogspot.com/2013/10/2-kombucha-tea-review-from-wholefoods.html

Have you checked out my review regarding Real Salt?  Check it out here:http://ohtasteandsee2.blogspot.com/2013/11/2-real-salt-review.html

Have you checked out my review regarding Lemonade (the restaurant) in LA?  Check it out here:http://ohtasteandsee2.blogspot.com/2013/10/coming-soon-in-mid-october.html

Have you checked out my review regarding Cathy's Kitchen in Ferguson, MO?  Check it out here:http://ohtasteandsee2.blogspot.com/2013/10/3-cathys-kitchen-review.html

#5 Shugar Soapworks Review

I'm a lover of soap!  You heard it right - S.O.A.P.  But lately the bars in our local stores are getting smaller and smaller.  And get this -- while they are getting smaller -- the price is staying the same or going up.  GEEEEEZ!!!  We all have gone through this type of ridiculous scamming by the retailers -- and what's a person to do???  Continue to pay the price or find an alternative!

Well -- I've found a great alternative for me.  It's called Shugar Soapworks and it's a nice size 7 oz. bar.   I bought two scents -- Oatmeal & Verbena and Lavender & Vanilla.  OH MY GOODNESS -- They smell sooooo good!!!  Here is what it says on the back of the box:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Czy0dlEowM&feature=c4-overview&list=UUuCayWuLG8Sb_K778-f8qow

 Watch my video review above (click on link)

Sticking to the basics, Shugar products are free of animal fat, animal by products, harmful chemicals and excessive artificial fragrances. We keep our products simple yet luxurious.

Each of our Shugar soap bars contain a rich blend of pure essential oils, plant-based ingredients and natural fragrances to lift your spirits without the guilt of harming your skin or the environment.

Shugar Soapworks is dedicated to the environment and keeping California green. That's why we don't use any animal fats or plastic in our soaps and keepsake boxes.

Every one of us at Shugar Soapworks believes in the same cause -- to provide you with healthy, clean soap while protecting animals and the environment from unnecessary harm.

I find this so amazing because I visited a store at the Galleria called L'OCCITANE.  It had wonderful soaps at very expensive prices.  The two bars I purchased were $10 each for an 8 oz. bar.

Of course the soap smelled divine -- yeah right -- it should have for $10 a bar!!!!  I tried to savor them to the end because I knew there was no way I was going to buy them "EVER" again.  But now I don't have to.  I can buy these Shugar bars at $1 a piece -- get twenty bars for twenty bucks and have them for a long period of time.

Normally I don't mind sharing this type of information -- especially since I started this new blog showcasing all the cool things that I run across.  In this case, because of where I purchased this item, I was hesitant because it could be "here today and gone tomorrow."  Nevertheless, that is what this blog is all about -- I would like for you to "Taste and See How Good It Is" for yourself.



I purchased this product from...





Oh my goodness.  Why on earth would they have this product on the shelf?  Did they make a mistake?  Did they figure out their dire mistake and remove them off the shelf after I made my purchase?  They sell the exact same bar on Ebay for $5.25 a box (and that doesn't include shipping) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shugar-Soapworks-Oatmeal-Verbena-Soap-7oz-Free-Shipping-Made-In-USA-/291029913816 .  I don't know -- all I know is that I have got to go back and rack up.  Remember, I am sharing this with you -- I will try and leave some on the shelf for you -- and please do the same.

If you would like to give this soap a try -- I would highly recommend it. So here's my Scale from 1-5 -- with 1 being Really Great, 2 being Good, 3 being OK, 4 being Not Good, 5 being I wouldn't use it on my dog if I had one.  I would give this Shugar Soapworks a HOT #:

You can thank me later -- now go -- go get your soap!

Until next time...

Have you checked out my reviews regarding Kombucha tea?  Check it out here:http://ohtasteandsee2.blogspot.com/2013/10/2-kombucha-tea-review-from-wholefoods.html

Have you checked out my review regarding Real Salt?  Check it out here:http://ohtasteandsee2.blogspot.com/2013/11/2-real-salt-review.html

Have you checked out my review regarding Lemonade (the restaurant) in LA?  Check it out here:http://ohtasteandsee2.blogspot.com/2013/10/coming-soon-in-mid-october.html

Have you checked out my review regarding Cathy's Kitchen in Ferguson, MO?  Check it out here:http://ohtasteandsee2.blogspot.com/2013/10/3-cathys-kitchen-review.html

#4 REAL SALT -- review

What salt should I use?  There's sea salt, low salt, no-salt, pink salt, kosher salt, iodized salt, french salt, dead salt ... and the list goes on and on. I don't know about you but it can be very confusing and when you are trying to watch what you add in your diet it can really be a hard decision to make.  Sodium is an item that is in everything we eat.  So when we pick up the salt shaker we are adding additional sodium to our meals.  Sodium may contribute to the development of high blood pressure in certain people http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081128042048AAxQ3oR.  I stopped long ago using Morton Salt -- I just stopped using it because it was the cheapest salt on the grocery shelf so I thought there's nothing to it.  So I kept hearing about sea salt.  I tried it but could not tell you what the big deal was.  I used Mrs. Dash Salt-Free salts and wasn't crazy about the taste of them.

I ran across Redmond's Real Salt by reading this blog post: http://smithspirations.com/2013/09/03/is-your-salt-real-a-real-salt-giveaway/  What interested me the most honestly was that I could just walk into a store and purchase it without having to order on-line.  After that was established, I wanted to try it for myself because of what I had read about it but I didn't want to buy it.  Hey, what can I say -- I didn't want to spend any money on something I didn't like (AGAIN).  So I sent an email to Redmond asking if they could send me a sample of the salt to try and this is what came in the mail:

WOW -- is all I could say.  I just wanted to try a sample of the salt and they sent me "Full size Products." 

These items were sent to me from Redmond Company to review.  I received:

• Facial Mud 4 oz.
• Real Salt - Organic Onion 4 oz.
• Real Salt - Fine 9 oz.
• Real Salt - Organic Garlic 4 oz. 
• Real Salt - Organic Season 4 oz.
• Redmond Bath Salt Plus - 18 oz.
• Redmond Clay 10 oz.
• Earthpaste Toothpaste -- Wintergreen & Lemon Twist 4 oz.

I will be giving a review of these items after I use them one by one.  I hate to give an opinion on something I've only tried out once or twice.  I want to use the entire item and give an honest review.  But since this post is about salt -- I will give a review on that today.

Here's a write-up about this salt and then I will give you my review.
  

"Is Your Salt Real?  Long ago in what is now Central Utah, Native Americans found a mineral-rich salt deposit from an ancient sea when they saw deer eating the soil.  In 1959, Milo and Lamar Bosshardt were struggling to keep their family farm afloat when they discovered that this salt deposit extended beneath their land.  They began selling the salt to local farmers for their animals and heard reports the farmers were using the salt to season their own food.  People insisted this "real" salt be made available for everyday use, and the brand was born.

Today we still bring Real Salt to you in its natural state -- without additives, chemicals or heat processing of any kind.  Real Salt's unique pinkish appearance and flecks of color come from more than 60 naturally occurring trace minerals.  The result is a delicate "sweet salt" flavor that you may not have experienced before."

Like I said before, I wanted to try a sample of this salt and now with them sending me an entire boatload of products -- that's impressive to me right there!!!  So I have used not only the "Fine Salt" (pictured above) but also these other salts below (not in it's entirety -- but I've used enough to give a review).

My Review:

The Fine Salt vs. Morton Salt (ingredients).

Morton -- Salt, Calcium Silicate (an anti caking agent)

Real Salt -- 100% real salt

The Real salt from Redmond was very tasty.  It had a very distinctive taste that just brought your taste buds to life.  I thought when I tasted it it would be bland with no taste at all -- but boy was I wrong.  I use this on everything now.  In comparison to the Morton -- the Real salt has a better flavor -- very distinct -- is what I continue to say.  And because it's 100% real salt -- it wins me over.  I've also enjoyed the other three salts (garlic, onion and season).  They compliment fish, poultry, vegetables and other foods very nicely.  Not overbearing.  In the pamphlet it reads that Real Salt is approximately 98% sodium chloride and 2% trace minerals, and it's those 60+ trace minerals that make Real Salt real.  Some of these minerals don't dissolve in water, but they are bio-available (your body can absorb and use them as nature designed) and are good for your health.

If you would like to give this salt a try -- I would highly recommend it. So here's my Scale from 1-5 -- with 1 being Really Great, 2 being Good, 3 being OK, 4 being Not Good, 5 being I wouldn't give it to my dog if I had one.  I would give this Redmond Real Salt a HOT #:

I hope you give it a try.

Until next time...

#3 Cathy's Kitchen Review

CATHY'S KITCHEN

This blog will primarily focus on things/places that I have eaten and enjoyed -- therefore I'm in turn giving my personal review about it.  Foods and restaurants that are:

•  Clean
•  Vegan
•  Vegetarian
•  Whatever food that falls into the category of "healthy"

So why do I start my very first blog post for "Oh Taste & See" reviewing a restaurant that is NOT listed in that category?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  I'm reviewing this restaurant because:

1.  It is new and up-in-coming here in my neighborhood.  I love to support those that are starting out.
2.  I read about this restaurant in my local paper and what interested me the most about it was the lady who owns it -- Cathy Jenkins -- she started it based on her travels for two months.  While on vacation she visited California, New Mexico, Texas, St. Louis, Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans and Florida.  Everywhere she ate and enjoyed the food, she asked for recipes of those meals.  The restaurant owners were very nice and they gave her their recipe.  In her mind, she was going to come home and recreate these recipes for her family.  She had no ideal that one day she would one day own her own restaurant making foods from her travels.

 

 



My family and I have enjoyed eating at Cathy's Kitchen and the variety of choices that are on the menu.  My teens favorites are the fries.  With your burger or other entrees -- you get fries that are so delicious you could eat them alone.  I've tried the sweet and sour wings and they are good as well. 

If you are ever in the downtown Ferguson area, stop by Cathy's Kitchen at 250 S. Florissant, Ferguson, MO 63135.  You can also visit her on Facebook at this link :https://www.facebook.com/CathysKitchenrestaurant

Check out my review regarding Kombucha Tea at "Oh Taste & See."  http://ohtasteandsee2.blogspot.com/2013/10/2-kombucha-tea-review-from-wholefoods.html

#2 Kombucha Tea Review from Whole Foods & Recipe

Marcia Whelan, Marketing & Community Relations Specialist

 

I went on a tour of the Whole Foods store here in Town & Country, MO and while on the tour I was able to try their Organic Raw Kombucha Tea.  If you are familiar with Kombucha -- and if you are one of us -- who brew your own -- then you know the great soda taste that comes from this Probiotic.  I've been making my own Kombucha tea since January, 2013 after attending a class taught by Kim Lebbing.

If you are new to Kombucha -- then you may want to give this a try at Wholefoods.  I found it to be very refreshing and a great alternative if you don't make your own.  In my opinion, I was pleasantly surprised that the Kombucha I make at home was much better then the store brand.  Even though I only tried the Multi-Green flavor at WholeFoods, they did have others.  It runs for $3.99 for a 16 oz. bottle.

Different Flavors

So here's my Scale from 1-5 -- with 1 being Really Great, 2 being Good, 3 being OK, 4 being Not Good, 5 being I wouldn't give it to my dog if I had one.  I would give this Kombucha from Whole Foods a HOT #:

If you would like to try the Kombucha that I make from scratch -- first check out my blog post about it here:  http://yo-yoeatingnomore.blogspot.com/2013/02/31-make-your-own-probiotic-soda-braggs.html.

My simple recipe:

What you need:
1 Scoby starter with 1 cup of it's liquid (you can get this from someone who makes Kombucha regularly or buy on-line)
12 cups Water
4 "ORGANIC" green tea bags (use organic only -- I buy Prince of Peace brand 100 teabags at my local Health Food Store)
1 cup of granulated white sugar
1/2 or 1 cup of any 100% Juice (optional - but I enjoy different flavors -  some even use real fruit)
1 Gallon jar with wide mouth
Kitchen towel
Rubber Band
Spoon for stirring
Glass mason jars or empty jars you have recycled (spaghetti jar etc.)
Funnels for pouring into glass jars


Read Entire Instructions Before Starting

Boil your water in a stock pot.  Turn off water.   Add sugar and stir.   Add your four tea bags to hang on the side of the stock pot.  Let it cool.  Throw away tea bags and pour liquid contents into a large wide-mouthed Gallon jar.  Remove your Scoobie starter from its bag and make sure you open it up.  Sometimes because they have been sitting in a bag it gets wrapped around itself.  Feel free to pull at it but try not to tear it. Just get it open so you can lay it flat inside the jar.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  It will tear some, just throw away the little torn pieces and lay the Scoobie flat.  It will float down or it may sit on top.  Don't forget to add the liquid the Scoobie came with to the jar as well.   Put a towel over the top and secure the towel with a large rubber band.  Put this in a dark place (like a pantry) to ferment for 5-7 days.  If you have a kitchen calendar- put a "K" (for Kombucha) on the date you made your tea.  That way you can keep track of how long it's been fermenting.

After 5-7 Days

Remove the rubber band and towel.  Inside you should have something that looks like a slimy film (don't be alarmed -- it's suppose to look like that).  Sometimes this film will be thick like a pancake or thin like seran wrap.  Don't be a wimp, put your hand in there and feel the Scooby.  You should see two of them -- the one you started with and another one should have formed if you followed these directions correctly.  Sometimes the new Scooby is stuck to the old and you will have to pry it apart -- this is done if you don't open it up flat (as mentioned above) -- otherwise you will see two in there that are not together.  Take them out one by one and put in two separate plastic sandwich bags with 1 cup of the liquid in each.  Seal up and you have two Kombucha Scoobies to use to make more or to give away (you need to keep one bag in order to make more tea).  These do not have to be refrigerated.  They can stay on your kitchen counter forever until you are ready to make more tea.  I've never had a bad Scoobie but I was told if you see black spots or if you open your starter and gnats fly out-- pitch the whole thing.  NOTE:  Make sure to use a cup of the tea to put in your starter bags or you will have mold issues.  If you are looking to buy a scooby, you can Google how to do this or you can check out how I make my own here How I Make My Own Scooby:  I bought my first Scooby for $10 a pop.  So they can be pricey or you might find someone willing to give them away for free.

OK, back to the recipe.  With the remaining liquid -- pour it into a wide bowl and add 1/2 or 1 whole cup of 100% juice of any kind (this is optional, it taste just fine without adding juuce stir this up -- using your funnels, pour your liquid into empty mason jars (only glass jars) or empty glass jars).  Let these sit on the counter for 24 hrs. and then you can put them in the refrigerator.

You can drink this at anytime.  When I'm ready to drink, I put mine in a 16oz bottle and drink it throughout the day.  I try to just drink 16 oz a day so I won't have to make so much so often.  But there are days that I can drink 3-16oz bottles a day -- it's so good to me.  I have not had any problem drinking this with or without a meal -- but I have heard from my brother, that he drank the kind at Whole Foods with a lot of junk food -- like hamburgers and fries -- and he threw it up.  I haven't drank it that way so I can't verify that -- but I have not had any problems drinking it at all.

I hope you enjoyed this review and I hope you give making your own a try.  It's not a long lengthy process like it sounds -- and once you have done it once -- you will see how fast the process goes.  It's definitely worth it.  Please shoot me a comment and tell me how it has changed your life.  Like I said, read my post

http://yo-yoeatingnomore.blogspot.com/2013/02/31-make-your-own-probiotic-soda-braggs.html. and read my results from using this amazing Probiotic. It seems everyone has their own results.  A friend of mine, Carolyn Bess, is now a believer in it as well.  She use to have problems with belching constantly after eating -- after using Kombucha -- it has helped her tummy and relieved her from this annoyance.

BTW -- if you end up with too many Scoobies then you need -- you can put them in your compost pile or just throw them away (if you can't find anyone to give them too). 

Check out my blog post if you have problems with your gut -- constipation:  http://yo-yoeatingnomore.blogspot.com/2013/01/26-are-you-constipated.html

Also if you want to do more research on Kombucha you might want to try this site (All About Kombucha):  http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-kombucha

Until next time...