Category Archives: Plateful

blogs dealing with food of course!

On Faeries and Raspberries

Posted in Plateful, Thoughts by

I read a lot of books that use faery lore. One rule that you see in almost every book is, avoid eating anything offered by a Faery. If you eat something offered by faeries you’ll always want Faery food and nothing will taste the same again.

I think I know what they are referring to.

Enter, the raspberry.

If ever there was a faery fruit, I think it’s the raspberry. The red berry attracts the eyes instead of the other darker berries. You can eat it in one gulp, but if you savor it you’re in for a treat.

Raspberries are fuzzy little fruits, they are sweet with a tart (sharp?) aftertaste. A bite into a single Raspberry causes a berry explosion in your mouth. Your taste buds go wild with cheering and confetti and you can’t help but eat the entire bowl of raspberries before your pesky little brother get his grubby hands on it.

Once you’re done with the raspberry and move on to the blackberry or blueberry you feel a sense of lost. There’s nothing quite like the taste of a raspberry. The other berries can’t compare.

*out seeking raspberries*

I can haz a crock pot?

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My friend Cate has a slow cooker. We’ve had chili and ribs with great slow cooking success while watching movies like Sound of Music and Love Actually.

I went to Target this weekend for some home improvement things and I saw an aisle with crock pots, so I decided to get one. Then I went to Barnes and Nobles and got the Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Bible, because I like cook books (sshhh, that’s a secret).

When I got home I decided to try out a recipe, I chose the Chicken and Beans Chili as a guide, and gathered all the ingredients I could find along with some substitues. The end result was more a stew than a chili, so here is the Chicken and Beans Stew.

I had no chili powder, so I used 2 tsp. Red Pepper and 1 tsp. Black Pepper. 2 tsp Ground Cumin, left over salsa, 3 cloves of garlic and a small onion.

I chopped the tomates up into eights each, and chopped some chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces (no bones or skin included).

then you basically dump everything in …

and mix it around until it the chicken is coated.

Plug it in.

Leave it on high, for about 2 hours.

Then throw in some beans and let it cook for 10 more minutes.

After it’s done you’ll have a lovely chicken and bean stew concoction, that, according to my pesky brother, tastes great!

Vanilla Rooibos Tea is Heavenly

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According to its Wiki page, the rooibos bush looks like a broom. The plant is used to make herbal tea. It has high levels of antioxidants.

Rooibos is pronounced ROY-boss. Rooibos is naturally caffeine free.

This week I discovered the Vanilla Rooibos Tea at Starbucks. A few of us were out to see movies (yes, plural) and someone wanted a decaffeinated drink, so we went to Starbucks and the barista suggested the Vanilla Rooibos Tea. Apparently it was good, so I decided to give it a try.

Starbucks describes it as, “an herbal blend of botanicals including rooibos, vanilla, sweet blackberry leaves, apples and peaches.” I think it’s heavenly.

Even the tea bag is pretty … I’m usually a fan of the Refresh Tea, but, if you want to change things up a bit, a little less minty, a little smooth, then the Vanilla Rooibos is the tea to drink. What’s a smooth drink you ask? Well, give it a try and you’ll see.

[this post is not sponsored by Starbucks, though, I’d gladly accept free drinks!]

Are those fries in my sandwich?

Posted in My New York, Plateful by

biting the bullet has never been so delicious!

The Bullet consists of chicken cutlets, bacon and french fries with some wonderful sauce. This was my sandwich of choice at the Cherry Valley Deli and Grill this past weekend.

The deli is open 24 hours and has more sandwich choices than you could ever think to eat. They are efficient and you are out of the door in no time.  They put french fries in your sandwich.

It was delicious.

They have two locations, one in Whitestone and one in West Hempstead.

In case you missed it, those were french fries in my sandwich and it was delicious.

Dear Dunkin’ Donuts

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Dear Dunkin' - Goodbye.

Dear Dunkin’ Donuts,

I’ll admit, I am a Starbucks girl. However, there is a drink that you carry that I love, it’s called the Dunkaccino and it’s the perfect blend of chocolatey goodness. Your Dunkaccino is a bit of a treat to me, so today, as I was on my way to get my car cleaned, I decided to go to the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts and get myself a nice, large, pipping hot Dunkaccino.

As I waited to get to the front of the line my thoughts turned to my tasks for the day, I’d get my hot Dunkaccino, fill up my almost empty gas tank and take my car to get washed. Sipping the hot beverage to keep warm as I wait. It’s very cold today, rather windy.

I stood at the front of the line and placed my order, “A large Dunkaccino please” as I handed a twenty to the cashier. Then, disaster!

“We don’t have change for that.”

I looked at the cashier, looked at the bill in my hand wondering, did a magically hundred dollar bill appear in my hand? Surely I took out a twenty, after all I only had two twenties in my wallet. No, it’s still a twenty dollar bill.

“Are you serious?” I ask him.

“Yes, we don’t have change for that.”

“I don’t have any change! I only have a twenty!”

I rifled through my purse trying to find anything to make up the $2.27 charge. “I don’t have any change!” I said, hopelessly.

“Do you have change for a twenty there?” the cashier asks the man standing next to me in line.

I look at the customer, he looks at me, he smirks, checks his wallet and pulls out four fives.

“Do you have change for a this?” another cashier asks, pulling out a ten dollar bill.

We exchanged another look, he smiled, shrugged, then said, “No.” to me he said, “I’ve never seen this before.”

“It’s the Customer’s Bank for Dunkin’ Donuts!” I replied. Thankfully they finally had change and I could now get my Dunkaccino.

Five minutes ticked pass until the cashier called to me from the machine, “We don’t have any Dunkaccino.”

“Are you kidding me?!” I was shocked, my eyes widen in amazement, is this real life?

“No, I’m not joking.” He replied.

So you see Dunkin’ Donut, I left without my Dunkaccino and went to Starbucks, where they were able to provide me with change and a hot chocolate. I’m sorry it didn’t work out between us today, maybe another time.

Shanella