Adventures in Food and Word

If You Like Caprese Salad, Try This One With Beans!

2026-02-28T17:18:00.000-05:00

The Salad

On the average day, I am in a fair amount of pain. It's probably because so much of my body is constantly inflamed. (It's too much to go into here.) So I occasionally kill time by looking up anti-inflammatory food recipes, which is how I found EatingWell's No-Cook White Bean & Spinach Caprese Salad. I will list the ingredients here in my own words in case that link disappears one day.

Ingredients:

3 T balsamic vinegar

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

That's the dressing. Whisk it together in a large bowl. Then add the following ingredients to the bowl:

1 5oz package baby spinach

1 15oz can no-salt-added white beans, rinsed (I used great northern beans)

1 10oz container cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup mozzarella pearls

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish (if you want)

Toss to coat. Voilà. Salad.

Look at all that protein!

Basically every ingredient in this salad is anti-inflammatory. (There is some debate about mustard, but it makes up such a small part of the dressing that it probably doesn't matter.)

And it's really tasty!

So tasty that I made that its own paragraph. I enjoy the flavors and textures of a caprese salad, but this makes it more accessible with everything tossed together in a bowl. And the beans add some satisfying protein, which helps makes this salad a decent lunch, afternoon snack, or light supper. (Or breakfast. You do you.) And, of course, it works as a side too.

If you too are on the lookout for anti-inflammatory lunches (or dishes in general), I highly recommend this one. It has all the flavors of a caprese salad but with more substance and, in my opinion, is easier to both assemble and eat.

The cats being offended that the can of beans were not cat food.

If you make this, let me know what you think in the comments. Actually, feel free to comment what you think of it based on the recipe. And if you have any recommendations for an anti-inflammatory snack or lunch, let me know in the comments as well!

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Turkey Leftovers Pot Pie

2025-12-05T13:10:00.004-05:00

Another December, another buy-one-get-one (BOGO) deal at Meijer on fresh turkeys. Since I have been through this once before (see What to Make With Leftover Turkey), I decided it was worth another shot! As if I need to say this, groceries are not cheap right now, so cheap meat is useful!

A turkey can be roasted, have its meat sliced for dinners and sandwiches or chopped up and then frozen for the future. I am also a fan of batch cooking and freezing portions for later dates when we don't feel like making an entire meal, but we do have the energy to heat something up from frozen. Currently, one bird has been cooked, and I have scavenged its carcass. The second is still in the fridge for perhaps a Sunday roasting if I can find the time.

Because I am working closing shifts most of the weekend, I decided to make things easier on Greg, who does most of the cooking now because I tire too easily to create the meals that I used to love doing (hence the severe slowdown on this and my other blogs). We had roasted the turkey with carrots, potatoes, and onions, so not only was there leftover turkey meat, I also had a nice pile of vegetables. Thus, tonight's turkey pot pie was born!

I followed the same recipe I normally use (found here) with a few substitutions. We did not have any cans of "cream of" soups in the cupboard, but we did have a lot of sour cream from other recipes. And it turns out that, without having tasted it yet, sour cream is an adequate substitute when you need a binding agent, which is precisely what the cream soup does in pot pie. And as I said before, rather than use frozen mixed vegetables, I used the leftover vegetables from the roasted turkey dinner, which also added a lot of flavors from the spices and garlic they were cooked in.

I really struggled with the crust. I had to make my own baking mix with gluten-free flour, and I used a mixed nut milk instead of cow's milk. It ended up really gooey and sticky, probably from overmixing. It's really easy to overmix gluten free dough in my experience. And spreading it basically went nowhere, so I kind of dropped it on the turkey-veggie mixture like drop biscuits. Here's hoping it goes all right!

Because unlike other recipes I have made for this blog, I have not cooked this yet. It is sitting in the fridge with a foil cover waiting for Greg, Since I had some time before day job (evening job?), I wanted to get in a blog update since it has been a while.

If you are also getting creative with turkey leftovers, let me know what you're making in the comments!

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The Fruits of Our Garden/Labors

2025-08-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

As I said last time, my husband and I have An Even Bigger Garden this year. And it has already been quite productive! I've had multiple harvests of collard greens, a few cucumbers and eggplants, bell peppers that stubbornly remain green, several tomatoes, and one of the apple trees is bursting - for the first time - with fruit! It's an exciting time in our backyard! If only it weren't so damn hot.

But I wanted to share some pics, some of which have been shared on social media already, because I am really happy with the garden this year. It's helping, albeit in a modest way, to offset rising grocery bills.

So enjoy these photos of homegrown goodness!

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An Even Bigger Garden

2025-06-12T14:22:00.001-04:00

Due in part to the high cost of groceries, my husband Greg and I have redoubled our efforts to grow our own food.

Typically we grow from seeds, aided by the free seed programs available through our local libraries, but this year we've decided on baby plants since growing from seeds didn't work out too well for us in the past. And I've already made my first harvest!

The weather has been unpredictable and full of storms since we first began crawling out from under the blanket of winter. I was worried it would be too much for the fledglings, but the collard greens at least have been loving it! So the other night, I headed out to gather leaves from the first crop.

I don't have a lot of experience with collard greens (see Pan-roasted Chicken with Collard Greens Dinner). I like them, but I don't often eat them outside of my home because too many recipes pair them with pork products like ham, bacon, and lard, which I cannot eat, nor can I afford a trip to the ER. So for this harvest, I looked up vegan collard green recipes online to give me ideas.

This was a real "throw what's in the spice cabinet at it" kind of dish. Salt, pepper, paprika, fresh garlic, onion powder, and Trader Joe's Ajika Georgian Seasoning Blend were the chief additives. Because I didn't have vegetable broth to boil the greens in, I boiled them for an hour in 5 cups of water with the aforementioned spices.

And they are delicious! A bit salty, but delicious. Judging by the level of spices still in the Ajika jar, we haven't used it much, and this was an excellent dish for it. On my next harvest, I'll try this again.

Let me know what other collard greens recipes I should try in the comments!

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Hello again!

2025-01-07T12:28:00.006-05:00

Photo by Jonathan Farber on Unsplash.

Wow, I can't believe how busy 2024 was with the Haunted Mitten podcast. Chronic fatigue and other Covid-related disorders forced me to give up freelance food writing. I am really bummed about that, but with Haunted Mitten taking off the way that it has, I need to focus my energy on that. It's honestly exciting, if a but surprising, and I am genuinely happy about it.

In fact, Kay and I are enjoying podcasting so much, that we may partner on a food-focused podcast! I've already begun doing research and written a rough draft of a script. I will, of course, update with details when that comes around. Naturally, I am loving the research portion!

Exciting news!

2024-05-23T11:49:00.000-04:00

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

My Haunted Mitten podcast cohost and I wrote a book! No, it isn't about food (although a book on paranormal food would be really fun to write), but I wanted to share it here so that everyone knows!

Ypsilanti Ghosts & Legends (preorder now)

From its beginning as an outpost to its current offering of occult shops and restaurants, Ypsilanti has been made and remade by the people who love it. People like Mary Ann Starkweather, who may not only haunt her former home, but also Eastern Michigan's campus. Or the victims of John Norman Collins, who might lurk along the road on which they were found. However, ghosts aren't the only strange occurrence. Ypsi also has its fair share of UFOs, strange creatures, and inexplicable phenomena. Join podcasters and authors Crysta K. Coburn and Kay Gray on a tour of Ypsilanti's darkest, weirdest, and most puzzling encounters.

My New Life As A Food Writer

2023-07-10T21:39:00.000-04:00

Hello! It's been a while. I admit that I haven't been motivated to post here because a little over a year ago, my beloved boy Memphis passed away. Memphis was with me at the start of this blog and loved to spend time with me the kitchen.

I've also been kept busy writing about food elsewhere! And it's really been awesome. I never thought I'd be working multiple well paying gigs writing about food.

Some of my favorite things to write about are world cuisine and food history, and if you visit my profile at Mashed, you will find several of them. I've linked to each of them on my social media, but I wanted to share some of my favorites here on my blog.

I was lucky to have a little series of articles that I pitched get accepted. I loved writing them! If you, like me and my husband, make food a part of your vacation plans, you have to click on these.

12 Classic Detroit Foods You Need To Try Before You Die

12 Classic Chicago Foods You Need To Try Before You Die

16 Classic San Francisco Foods You Need To Try Before You Die

18 Classic New Orleans Foods You Need To Try Before You Die

If you like world food, check out some if these articles linked below.

Iconic Street Foods You Can Only Find In Africa

Comfort Foods From Around The World

Egyptian Dishes You Probably Haven't Tried Yet, But Should

12 Vending Machines Dispensing Unique Foods Around The World

Mardi Gras Pastries From Around The World

McDonald's Pie Flavors You Can't Get In The US

If you like food history, here are some links for you.

13 Traditional 4th Of July Foods And Where They Come From

The Untold Truth Of Chicken Tikka Masala

The Untold Truth Of Egg Drop Soup

The Story Behind The Rise And Fall Of Hot 'N Now

If you're hooked into the world of food entertainment, check these out.

The Untold Truth Of Russ Morash

Who Is Wolfgang Puck's Son Byron?

The Untold Truth Of The Food That Built America

11 Foods Max Miller From Tasting History Didn't Like

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Trader Joe's Eggwich Breadless Breakfast Sandwich

2022-09-15T00:01:00.003-04:00

I recently took a trip to Trader Joe's to check out their new fall items and some non-fall products caught my eye. I am often too tired or too much in a rush to make breakfast in the morning, so when I came across the microwavable, gluten-free turkey sausage eggwich, my interest was piqued. I used to occasionally buy the Jimmy Dean Delights Turkey Sausage Breakfast Sandwich, which taste terrific and are easy to make on the go, but they are not, of course, gluten free.

In this eggwich, the egg actually acts as the bun, so there are two egg "patties" with a turkey sausage patty and a slice of American cheese sandwiched in between. And it's really tasty! I can't compare turkey sausage to pork sausage because I honestly don't know what that tastes like, but my husband Greg has told me that pork sausage typically juicy, and turkey sausage isn't as juicy. But it's juicy enough for me! The eggs are also moist. And the cheese has a nice sharp cheddar taste to it as well, which I wasn't expecting from American cheese.

You can cook the eggwich in either a microwave or a toaster oven. I used the microwave because we no longer have a toaster oven, and the microwave is quick. Only 50 seconds per side, and the eggwich came out with the turkey patty at a full 167 degrees F. The meat is pre-cooked, but it's better to be safe.

My only complaint is that there are only two eggwiches per package. The Jimmy Dean package only has four, but that covers most of a working week, and it's literally twice as many as Trader Joe's. The Jimmy Dean sandwich I could also make on my own, but I am not sure I could as easily recreate the egg "bun" of the eggwich. The point of the eggwich for me is to be quick and easy, though I have premade sandwiches in the past and frozen them. (See Cookbook Review: Time to Eat by Nadiya Hussain.) Maybe I can one day try that again.

In the meantime, the Trader Joe's Eggwich Breadless Breakfast Sandwich is a win!

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I Made My Own Tzatziki (With Recipe)

2022-09-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

I did not realize how long it has been since I last posted here. Not long after the car accident, my beloved baby boy Memphis got very sick and passed away. He and I started this blog together in December of 2010. It's sad to be cooking without him.

But I wanted to keep going for at least a little longer, so here I am reporting on my first time making my own tzatziki with ingredients fresh from the garden! (Not our garden. We only managed to get one cucumber, but our friends' garden has done much better, and they have generously shared their bounty with us. Thank you, friends!)

There are about as many recipes for tzatziki as there are people who make it. Some add vinegar. Others add lemon juice or lemon zest. I've also seen sour cream in place of yogurt. It's up to your own personal tastes what you want to do. This is a very basic recipe. Fresh dill is preferable, but I was forced to use dried, and it turned out just fine.

INGREDIENTS

1 32oz tub of plain Greek yogurt
2 cucumbers, grated (with skin)
6 cloves fresh garlic, chopped (or mashed if possible)
1/3 cup olive oil
Dill to taste
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Dump the tub of yogurt into a good-sized mixing bowl. Big enough to not make a mess when you stir everything together.
Add all of the ingredients to bowl of yogurt. Stir thoroughly.
Put into a sealable container and stick it in the fridge.

Et voila! You have tzatziki. It really is that easy. As it sits, the garlic will become stronger in flavor, so I understand if you want to cut back on the amount used to avoid this. I find tzatziki a very refreshing condiment perfect for summer. I put it on omelets, bagels, burgers... It's quite versatile! And it lasts for quite a while in the fridge. Mine has been in there a couple of weeks at least.

If you have made tzatziki, let me know in the comments. Or if you have anything else to share!

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I Can't Type Right Now

2022-06-16T22:56:00.001-04:00

Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but truly not far off. I'm not typing now. I badly burned my wrist and hand in a car accident recently (for pictures see my Life From A2 blog and Instagram). So no update this week. I need to reserve my limited hand use for my paying jobs.

Not being able to use my dominant hand to write is driving me batty.

This Little Goat: World Traveling Sauces and Toppings

2022-06-02T14:30:00.000-04:00

Before I tell you about this amazing line of sauces that my husband and I discovered one day at Meijer, I need to tell you about my husband. His name is Greg, and he loves goats. He sometimes lightly headbutts me (and occasionally others) and says, “Goat.” He made himself goat pants so he could dress up as Krampus and/or a satyr for different events. When he completed them, he shuffled around the apartment wearing them, periodically stopping and saying, “Goat pants.” I do not know why he loves goats so much (other than goats are cool), he just does.

So when we spied a bottle of sauce with an adorable goat on the label called This Little Goat Went to Tokyo, there was no question about whether or not we were buying it. Goat for him, and Tokyo for me. The description for the Tokyo sauce is: “The perfect balance of sweet & salty, inspired by flavors from Tokyo. Finishing drizzle for meat, rice or veggies.” We chose to use it in a chicken stir fry. And it was delicious!

On subsequent trips to Meijer, we decided to grab This Little Goat Went to Hong Kong and This Little Goat Went to Korea. A win and a win! Terrific in stir fries, on burgers and hot dogs, with eggs and hash browns… Right now Greg is putting This Little Goat Went to Yucatán on everything. There is also This Little Goat Went to Southeast Asia.

This Little Goat was founded by James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Stephanie Izard of Food Network fame. (Though I really only know her through these sauces, I put two of her books on hold at the library.) The About Us on the website says, “It all started with a side of green beans.” Which means I will have to consider using the sauces on more vegetables.

The website also has recipes of all kinds. There is a Sweet & Salty Citrus French Toast that I think I need to try. It uses one of the spice blends, This Little Goat Went to Belize. We have yet to try any of the spice blends. I honestly didn’t know about them until I went to the website for this blog post. There are also crunches, which can be used to top all kinds of foods (salads, savory toasts, etc).

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Breakfast Prep Is Go

2022-05-19T16:45:00.000-04:00

I've been working a lot of morning shifts at the library. I'm a night owl, so mornings aren't an easy time for me. My circadian rhythm runs 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. The library opens at 10 a.m.

Couple that with the crippling fatigue I've been experiencing since "recovering" from Covid, and getting in breakfast before shambling zombie-like out to my car is nigh impossible. (It's probably not safe for me to be driving in this state, but since I don't get sick leave, I don't have much of a choice. If I took the bus, I'd have to get up over an hour earlier, and my body flat out refuses to do it.) So yesterday, I decided to spend the three hours of energy I'm allowed per day on preparing breakfasts.

First I made a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Breakfast Shake and divided it between yesterday and today. What I like best about this shake is how easy it is to take to work with me. Also it's delicious. It makes over 2 cups of shake, which would be 3 to 4 meals for me, but I don't have the glass bottles that I used to have anymore, so I just used 2 pint glasses and balanced a measuring cup on top of one before putting it in the fridge. In the morning, I put it in a reusable coffee mug with a proper lid.

My second set of breakfasts is two servings of Refrigerator Oatmeal. I've used the base recipe to make several different flavors over the years, but my usual is peanut butter and banana. This time, I decided to try using flavored yogurt, so I got a small tub of sugar-free strawberry Greek yogurt (it's a small store with not a lot of options) and made strawberry banana oatmeal. I hope it's good. I haven't had an inedible batch yet, just a few I won't ever be repeating.

I like breakfast shakes and refrigerator oatmeal for when it's hot because it means not using the stove or oven. It's supposed to be 90°F or something tomorrow, so I'll take any way I can to cool off.

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Is This Turkey Meatloaf Really Unbelievably Moist?

2022-05-07T11:35:00.003-04:00

This post is late due to dealing with the lingering symptoms of having had Covid.

One of the easiest meals to throw together with a tub of ground turkey is meatloaf. It's also a convenient way of sneaking more vegetables into a meal. I have never followed a meatloaf recipe, though, and the results have been mixed in terms of level of moisture (turkey is much dryer than ground beef) and substance.

So I decided to see what suggestions the internet had, and came across this recipe for Unbelievably Moist Turkey Meatloaf from Inspired Taste. Unbelievably moist, huh? Challenge accepted.

Since this is a recipe review, I won't go through the individual ingredients and steps. What sets this meatloaf apart for me is that it calls for mushrooms. I love mushrooms. On a two-topping pizza, I order mushrooms and mushrooms. The recipe calls for the mushrooms to be cooked until all their moisture is out, which I thought was odd for a recipe that promised to be unbelievably moist, but I did my best. Cooking the liquid out of mushrooms turned out to be harder than it seemed.

This recipe also called specifically for panko crumbs rather than the more generic (and Western) bread crumbs. My husband Greg and I often use panko crumbs for bread crumbs because we like the texture better, and there are some terrific gluten free options out there, like Aleia's and Trader Joe's.

A lot more went into this than I usually do on my own. That isn't to say that it was more difficult, though. I usually slice carrots or zucchini into my meatloaves, so mushrooms and onions wasn't that far off. I just don't usually cook the veggies first. I think the end result was twice the size of my usual meatloaves. Which also meant it was twice as filling, and we ended up with leftovers. (Oh darn.) And I was really looking for comfort food that night, so I made gluten free macaroni and cheese for the side. Meatloaf and mac 'n cheese is a fantastic combination!

So, how moist was it? Pretty moist! I have a lot of experience cooking with poultry, so I think me threshold of "unbelievable" is much higher than other people's who are more used to fattier meats like beef or pork. The texture was also smoother than I usually make it, possibly because I had to mix so much into the ground turkey. I didn't hate it. I actually would make this again. I am tempted to add a little shredded zucchini just because I also love zucchini.

Do you have any tips or tricks to make your meatloaf more moist? Let me know in the comments.

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3 More Poems About Food

2022-04-21T14:45:00.000-04:00

I had plans for a blog today, but I've been dealing with Covid for the past week, and I honestly don't have enough energy for so much writing right now. Thus I share with you more poems about food! These are not by me, but I do enjoy them, and I wanted to share them. I hope you enjoy them! Perhaps they may inspire you.

The Traveling Onion

by Naomi Shihab Nye

When I think how far the onion has traveled
just to enter my stew today, I could kneel and praise
all small forgotten miracles,
crackly paper peeling on the drainboard,
pearly layers in smooth agreement,
the way the knife enters onion
and onion falls apart on the chopping block,
a history revealed.
And I would never scold the onion
for causing tears.
It is right that tears fall
for something small and forgotten.
How at meal, we sit to eat,
commenting on texture of meat or herbal aroma
but never on the translucence of onion,
now limp, now divided,
or its traditionally honorable career:
For the sake of others,
disappear.

O Cheese

by Donald Hall

In the pantry the dear dense cheeses, Cheddars and harsh

Lancashires; Gorgonzola with its magnanimous manner;

the clipped speech of Roquefort; and a head of Stilton

that speaks in a sensuous riddling tongue like Druids.

O cheeses of gravity, cheeses of wistfulness, cheeses

that weep continually because they know they will die.

O cheeses of victory, cheeses wise in defeat, cheeses

fat as a cushion, lolling in bed until noon.

Liederkranz ebullient, jumping like a small dog, noisy;

Pont l’Evêque intellectual, and quite well informed; Emmentaler

decent and loyal, a little deaf in the right ear;

and Brie the revealing experience, instantaneous and profound.

O cheeses that dance in the moonlight, cheeses

that mingle with sausages, cheeses of Stonehenge.

O cheeses that are shy, that linger in the doorway,

eyes looking down, cheeses spectacular as fireworks.

Reblochon openly sexual; Caerphilly like pine trees, small

at the timberline; Port du Salut in love; Caprice des Dieux

eloquent, tactful, like a thousand-year-old hostess;

and Dolcelatte, always generous to a fault.

O village of cheeses, I make you this poem of cheeses,

O family of cheeses, living together in pantries,

O cheeses that keep to your own nature, like a lucky couple,

this solitude, this energy, these bodies slowly dying.

Blueberries

by Robert Frost

"You ought to have seen what I saw on my way

To the village, through Mortenson's pasture to-day:

Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,

Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum

In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!

And all ripe together, not some of them green

And some of them ripe! You ought to have seen!"

"I don't know what part of the pasture you mean."

"You know where they cut off the woods—let me see—

It was two years ago—or no!—can it be

No longer than that?—and the following fall

The fire ran and burned it all up but the wall."

"Why, there hasn't been time for the bushes to grow.

That's always the way with the blueberries, though:

There may not have been the ghost of a sign

Of them anywhere under the shade of the pine,

But get the pine out of the way, you may burn

The pasture all over until not a fern

Or grass-blade is left, not to mention a stick,

And presto, they're up all around you as thick

And hard to explain as a conjuror's trick."

"It must be on charcoal they fatten their fruit.

I taste in them sometimes the flavour of soot.

And after all really they're ebony skinned:

The blue's but a mist from the breath of the wind,

A tarnish that goes at a touch of the hand,

And less than the tan with which pickers are tanned."

"Does Mortenson know what he has, do you think?"

"He may and not care and so leave the chewink

To gather them for him—you know what he is.

He won't make the fact that they're rightfully his

An excuse for keeping us other folk out."

"I wonder you didn't see Loren about."

"The best of it was that I did. Do you know,

I was just getting through what the field had to show

And over the wall and into the road,

When who should come by, with a democrat-load

Of all the young chattering Lorens alive,

But Loren, the fatherly, out for a drive."

"He saw you, then? What did he do? Did he frown?"

"He just kept nodding his head up and down.

You know how politely he always goes by.

But he thought a big thought—I could tell by his eye—

Which being expressed, might be this in effect:

'I have left those there berries, I shrewdly suspect,

To ripen too long. I am greatly to blame.'"

"He's a thriftier person than some I could name."

"He seems to be thrifty; and hasn't he need,

With the mouths of all those young Lorens to feed?

He has brought them all up on wild berries, they say,

Like birds. They store a great many away.

They eat them the year round, and those they don't eat

They sell in the store and buy shoes for their feet."

"Who cares what they say? It's a nice way to live,

Just taking what Nature is willing to give,

Not forcing her hand with harrow and plow."

"I wish you had seen his perpetual bow—

And the air of the youngsters! Not one of them turned,

And they looked so solemn-absurdly concerned."

"I wish I knew half what the flock of them know

Of where all the berries and other things grow,

Cranberries in bogs and raspberries on top

Of the boulder-strewn mountain, and when they will crop.

I met them one day and each had a flower

Stuck into his berries as fresh as a shower;

Some strange kind—they told me it hadn't a name."

"I've told you how once not long after we came,

I almost provoked poor Loren to mirth

By going to him of all people on earth

To ask if he knew any fruit to be had

For the picking. The rascal, he said he'd be glad

To tell if he knew. But the year had been bad.

There had been some berries—but those were all gone.

He didn't say where they had been. He went on:

'I'm sure—I'm sure'—as polite as could be.

He spoke to his wife in the door, 'Let me see,

Mame, we don't know any good berrying place?'

It was all he could do to keep a straight face.

"If he thinks all the fruit that grows wild is for him,

He'll find he's mistaken. See here, for a whim,

We'll pick in the Mortensons' pasture this year.

We'll go in the morning, that is, if it's clear,

And the sun shines out warm: the vines must be wet.

It's so long since I picked I almost forget

How we used to pick berries: we took one look round,

Then sank out of sight like trolls underground,

And saw nothing more of each other, or heard,

Unless when you said I was keeping a bird

Away from its nest, and I said it was you.

'Well, one of us is.' For complaining it flew

Around and around us. And then for a while

We picked, till I feared you had wandered a mile,

And I thought I had lost you. I lifted a shout

Too loud for the distance you were, it turned out,

For when you made answer, your voice was as low

As talking—you stood up beside me, you know."

"We sha'n't have the place to ourselves to enjoy—

Not likely, when all the young Lorens deploy.

They'll be there to-morrow, or even to-night.

They won't be too friendly—they may be polite—

To people they look on as having no right

To pick where they're picking. But we won't complain.

You ought to have seen how it looked in the rain,

The fruit mixed with water in layers of leaves,

Like two kinds of jewels, a vision for thieves."

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Ohio's Jungle Jim's: a food adventure

2022-04-08T18:06:00.001-04:00

My husband Greg has been telling me about this fanciful grocery store called Jungle Jim's for years now. In my pre-book career, I worked for about a decade in grocery at four different grocery chains. Yet I had not heard of Jungle Jim's despite it being located in our neighbor to the south, Ohio. Greg and I finally had the perfect excuse to visit Jungle Jim's during our trip to Steampunk Symposium. Our hotel was located right across the highway, so super convenient.

"Jungle" Jim Bonaminio started off with a produce stand in 1971. The first store was opened 4 years later, and it has expanded greatly to include two locations with one of the largest wine selections in the U.S. Which I completely believe having wandered those aisles. The craft beer selection was beyond impressive as well.

There was also the largest gluten free section I have seen outside of a gluten-free bakery. It was wonderful! I got gluten-free pumpkin donuts with chocolate chips on top and gluten-free chocolate donuts that I think also had chocolate chips on top. They were so moist that they were really more like muffins than donuts, but they were still delicious.

At the location we visited, which took up most of a strip mall, there was an entire monorail affixed to the front with dinosaur riders. As soon as I laid eyes on it, I knew I was in for something unique. I was completely blown away by the international foods section that was larger than some Krogers I have been to. That alone would have been enough to make me happy, but it as just a small part of this amazing and nearly endless experience.

The seafood department was the largest I have ever seen. It smelled very strongly of fish, which worried me a little. There was a full sized fishing boat displayed above some coffin freezers, and a fishing dock with little shop fronts had been constructed above the fresh fish counters. Jungle Jim's goes all out! There is always some interesting display to look at around every corner.

There was a real jeepney hanging from the ceiling in the international section and a TV explaining what it was. Briefly, it's an elongated jeep used as public transportation in the Philippines. (Read more at Wikipedia.) A real firetruck was displayed in the hot sauce section. Yes, this place is so big, there are multiples aisles of hot sauce.

There were so many pop aisles that I was too overwhelmed to look at them all. I was amused by the alien-themed once like Martian Soda and Martian Poop. I did not buy these, however. I opted for bottles of a delicious blueberry and a satisfying strawberry. (I'm sorry, I forget their brands.) Greg discovered a King Cake flavored pop by Abita that he could not resist. And it really did taste like King Cake! Thus it was really sugary. I like sweet things, but dang. It was really sweet. If you like the idea of drinking cake, seek this soda out.

I don't even know what else to say now. We wandered this place for what felt like hours. And we made a second trip on our way out of town! So here are a couple more pictures of their large displays in the grocery aisles.

Ok, before we go, I want to share with you one of my favorite things that I stumbled upon. I almost regret not buying it, but I really am not sure where I would put it. I took a video so everyone can experience it in all its glory...the jellyfish lamp.

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Cookbook Review: Cooking With 5 Ingredients From Trader Joe's

2022-03-24T00:08:00.001-04:00

I worked for Trader Joe's in both California and Michigan for five years. They're a decent company, and my experiences varied enough across the multiple stores in which I worked that I left without hating the place. (Though it was a while before I would shop there when certain people were working.)

Now I work in a library that's located not too far from my old store, so I often drop in for my faves on my way home from work. When the book Cooking With 5 Ingredients From Trader Joe's: Simple, Weeknight Meals Using Your Favorite In-Store Products by Tracey Korsen was brought to my attention by a coworker, I immediately placed a hold on it.

Because Trader Joe's products change often (by design), many of the old Trader Joe's cookbooks are all but useless with long obsolete items. Korsen's book is current, having been published in 2021. It also isn't a long book and, my favorite part, the ingredients are listed with a picture of what the packaging looks like, making it so much easier to find these items. Why aren't more cookbooks like this? (Don't answer that. It's a rhetorical question. Unless it compels you to comment below, in which case, type away!)

This is a book I would actually add to my collection. The recipes are simple. Do they all require only 5 ingredients? No. Like Hello Fresh, the author expects you to already have certain items on hand such as cooking oil, butter, salt, and pepper. I'll go over some of the recipes that I have already tried below.

“Tracey’s cookbook is exactly what Trader Joe’s fans have needed—a helpful guide bridging the gap between our favorite cult products and getting dinner on the table. Her creative spins are delicious and relatable, hitting on everything from comfort food crowd-pleasers and lighter fare. It’s a great jumping-off point for home cooks to lean on and build on.”
—HANA ASBRINK, food writer and recipe developer

Simple Chicken Enchiladas With Jicama Wraps

Of all the enchiladas I've made, these were probably the easiest. You can read about another time I made enchiladas by clicking here. Using a premade bottle of enchilada sauce definitely took less time than making my own.

I could not find jicama wraps, so I used corn tortillas instead, which was fine for me. I was more concerned with being gluten free than low on carbs. But I still couldn't keep the corn tortillas from tearing. Maybe it's easier with the jicama wraps.

The TJ's ingredients are chicken tenderloins, enchilada sauce, jicama wraps (or corn tortillas), and shredded Mexican blend cheese.

BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese

Talk about a simple meal! This recipe is basically as advertised. And it's delicious! I'd say I can't believe I never thought of doing this, but I am really not that innovative and clearly not as clever as the author of this cookbook.

Since I have now been introduced to the idea, I am getting all kinds of other ideas. Obviously you could use pulled pork instead of chicken, or a nice brisket. I like putting slices of tomato on a grilled cheese, and I think it would go well with bbq too.

The TJ's ingredients are chicken tenderloins, bbq sauce, sliced Colby jack cheese, and bread.

Chicken Salsa Verde Soup

I was excited about trying this recipe, but I didn't have all of the correct measurements of ingredients, so I was super skeptical of how my batch would turn out. I should not have worried! This soup was truly delicious! Highly recommend.

My avocado was...weird. I really miss the fresh avocados I got in California. Luckily, it wasn't integral to the soup. I totally skipped the jalapeno because I don't like how they taste.

The TJ's ingredients are onion, salsa verde, chicken breasts, avocado, and jalapeno. (I left out the jalapeno.)

“This is a delightful cookbook filled with fun, fresh, no-fuss meals. You’re going to want to cook all of these scrumptious and easy-to-follow recipes.”
—MADELINE THOMAS, Creator of Trader Jolene

I realize that's not a ton of information on these recipes, but they are short, which is kind of the point, and the names of the recipes are fairly self-explanatory.

If you are a Trader Joe's shopper, this book is totally worth checking out. Do it now before the ingredients are discontinued!

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Pasta Terror from 'Moshed Potatoes'

2022-03-11T16:58:00.000-05:00

[Image description: A closeup picture of a bowl filled with spaghetti noodles, chunks of tomato, and Parmigiano visible.]

Mosh Potatoes: Recipes, Anecdotes, and Mayhem from the Heavyweights of Heavy Metal by Steve Seabury is a cookbook that my husband Greg picked up, and it's got some great recipes! I don't know that I have shared any before on this blog, and I don't have the energy to go searching to be quite honest. So let's pretend this is the first time you have heard me mention this book because it may well be!

[Image description: A sliced up red tomato on a plastic cutting board with a knife.]

This particular recipe, Pasta Terror, was contributed by Mille, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for German thrash metal band Kreator. I do not know this band and only have a vague idea what thrash metal is. I'm what I assume is contrast, this recipe is a simple vegetarian dish with ingredients that I quite enjoy: pasta, tomatoes, pine nuts, and cheese.

[Image description: Extreme close-up of pine nuts in a cast iron skillet.]

INGREDIENTS

2 cups pine nuts
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano di bufala, or regular Parmigiano
Large spoonful balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
12 oz of spaghetti, penne, or other pasta of choice (ours was gluten free)
2 medium tomatoes cut into small pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the pasta in a large pot.
While pasta is cooking, put the pine nuts in a large skillet and roast without olive oil until the nuts are brown, but not too long!
In a food processor, combine the roasted pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Process until a smooth paste forms, adding more oil if needed.
Mix the cooked and drained pasta with the pesto. Toss with tomatoes, sprinkle with pepper, and serve with red wine.

[Image description: Cover of the book 'Moshed Potatoes.' A potato on fire is speared by a fork with its two middle tines down similar to the rock 'n roll symbol made with the hand.]

We did not serve this with red wine, but it's not a terrible idea. This was a delicious dish! I don't normally like pesto because I find it tasteless, but this one I loved! As I said above, these are some of my favorite things to mix together.

If you are, or someone you know is, into hard rock and cooking, this is a fun book. And it's not all gimmick, it truly does have some marvelous recipes.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments, and rock on!

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Zucchini, the Little Squash That Could

2022-02-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

[Image description: Young striped green zucchini on the vine
with their waning flowers still attached.]

No, this is not a children's story, but a brief look at one of my favorite vegetables, the zucchini. Ok, yes, technically it is a fruit, but in cooking, we treat it like a vegetable. The word "zucchini" is the diminutive plural of zucca, the Italian word for squash. (So zucchini are little squashes.) And it turns out zucchini are more international than I suspected.

Incidentally, another common word in English for zucchini is courgette, which is another diminutive, this time from French, meaning "vegetable marrow or marrow squash." I assume "marrow" because, like bones, squash have a hard exterior (or rind) and a squishy interior. Both courgette and zucchini appear to be cognates, evolved from the Latin word cucurbita.

But as I was saying, zucchini (as I will call them because I was raised by Sicilians in the United States) have a truly international lineage. Its ancestors were first domesticated by humans in Mesoamerica 7,000 years ago. You might notice that this is quite a distance from the Italian peninsula. It wasn't until trade began between these two landmasses that Progenitor Squash was introduced to Europe.

[Image description: A short stack of zucchini potato
fritters in a dark bowl with parsley garnish.]

What we now call the zucchini (or courgette) was cultivated in northern Italy in the 19th century, which is really not that long ago, especially when put against 7,000 years. And it was only a century ago that zucchini were brought to the United States, likely by Italian immigrants. (In Britain, it was likely introduced via French cuisine, hence the British preference for courgette. Italians were far more likely to emigrate to the U.S. than the U.K.)

While zucchini can grow up to about a yard/meter in length, it is generally picked early, when the rind is still soft, and the seeds less plentiful. As a food, zucchini is remarkably versatile. It can be grilled, sautéed, fried, baked, stuffed, roasted, spiraled, frittered, blended into soups, and used in baked goods, just to name a few.

And there you have it, a brief history of the humble zucchini. Do you like zucchini? What is your favorite way to eat it? Let me know in the comments.

[Image description: A close-up of round slices of zucchini and
red peppers on a grill with grill marks on the vegetables.

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Eggplant Parmesan in the Slow Cooker

2022-02-10T12:17:00.000-05:00

If you follow this blog, you may know that I am quite fond of my slow cooker. (Click here for more slow cooker recipes on this blog.) So when I saw the book More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: 200 Brand-New, Budget-Friendly, Slow-Cooker Recipes by Stephanie O'Dea at the library, I had to check it out.

One recipe that stood out to me was the Eggplant Parmesan. I love Eggplant Parmesan. My grandmother used to make it for family gatherings. In my opinion, it's one of the best, most satisfying vegetarian meals out there. Eggplant has a soft texture and buttery taste that goes perfectly with tomato. And tomato, of course, goes great with cheese! It's a match made in heaven.

If you enjoy the ease of this recipe, be sure to check out O'Dea's books for more!

INGREDIENTS

cooking spray of your choice
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used gluten-free panko)
2 tsp Italian seasonings
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 large eggplant, sliced (I do not peel it, but you may)
8 oz sliced mozzarella cheese
1 26oz jar pasta sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray to ease removing the food later.
Pour the olive oil into one dish. In another dish, combine the breadcrumbs, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper.
Coat both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil (a pastry brush works great if you have one), then sprinkle both sides with the bread crumb mixture.
Put a layer of the eggplant in the slow cooker topped by the mozzarella cheese slices. The fit will likely not be perfect, so the pieces will overlap, and you may end up with multiple layers. That's ok.
Pour the entire jar of pasta sauce over the top.
Cover with slow cooker lid. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours.

The recipes suggest cooking with a side of pasta or green salad, but I did neither. This is a dish that stands on its own for me.

Normally I would pan-fry the slices of eggplant before baking, and next time I may do that before putting them in the slow cooker. Regardless, it's going to be a very wet dish, which I feel is part of its charm.

The aroma that filled the house while this cooked was mouth-watering, and the resulting flavor was abundantly satisfying. When I made this, I was busy all day, so even though I was working from home, I didn't have much time to devote to dinner. This recipe was a real saver!

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Yummy Haiku

2022-01-27T12:13:00.004-05:00

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

I'm in the middle of a nasty bout of illness, so I don't have the focus today to write a full blog post. Instead, I will share with you a bunch of haiku that I have written about food over the years. (Previously published at Yummy Haiku.)

These are all original haiku, and I have tried to keep to the spirit of haiku by using seasonal words or cues. They are not the same as listed for Japanese haiku because I am not only writing in different language, I am of a different culture. I hope you enjoy them.

🍽️

New year, new you

Another season with

New foods to try.

🍽️

Li'l swimming fishes,

You're tastier than you know.

Get into my mouth.

🍽️

A rainbow of fish

So happily assembled

Look so delicious.

🍽️

So satisfying,

Veggies and fish rolled in rice.

And sake to drink!

🍽️

A bowl of ice cream

Waits patiently in the freezer

To sooth aching souls.

🍽️

What is this new thing?

Powder that comes in a tin:

Pumpkin chai latte.

🍽️

In my coffee now

Pumpkin pie spice and sugar

As the leaves turn red.

🍽️

Hot pumpkin latte

While curled up with a good book

Warms fingers and soul.

🍽️

Pumpkin, cranberry,

Baked into a delicious,

Moist and scrumptious scone.

🍽️

A warm cup of tea

That tastes like sugar cookies.

Tis the holidays!

🍽️

Family dinner

With turkey, stuffing, gravy

Is good for the soul.

🍽️

In the calm after

Raging storms and flash floods,

We find empty cupboards.

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Chicken Florentine Casserole

2022-01-13T13:09:00.004-05:00

If you enjoyed the recipe from two weeks ago, Spinach-Artichoke Chicken, with all of its cheesy, spinachy goodness, you will likely love this one too!

I love the ease of casseroles, so I was immediately drawn to this recipe, Chicken Florentine Casserole on AllRecipes. It doesn't strike me as a casserole so much as a baked chicken, but there are layers to it, so it can easily be a meal-in-one-dish, with a little prep. That is how my husband and I ate it. You could also pair it with pasta or rice to put the extra gooey goodness on.

Since I linked to the recipe above, I won't copy it here. I will say that I cut it in half, since there are two of us, not four, and it worked perfectly. I did accidentally forget to cut the mozzarella cheese in half at the end, so this chicken was swimming in cheese. But I also don't think it was that bad, so... Add cheese at your own discretion. And I cut out the bacon bits because I don't eat pork.

The can of spinach definitely helps with the quick-and-easy part, but I am more inclined to use fresh ingredients. If you grow spinach in your garden and need another use for it, this would be an excellent recipe to try it out on. Frozen spinach should also work.

I know the cheese looks a little crispy, but it tasted fine. However, if you don't like crispy cheese, be sure the chicken is fully cooked before you assemble the layers. I was sort of loose on that since it goes into the oven twice.

There were a couple more steps to this than the Spinach-Artichoke Chicken, but enough downtime in between steps that I was able to finish a podcast and get some reading in, so a pretty stress-free recipe that I would try again, especially in the summer when I can get fresh, local ingredients. Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments.

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Spinach-Artichoke Chicken and Roasted Zucchini Dinner

2021-12-30T00:01:00.004-05:00

As I was saying in my last update (Pan-roasted Chicken with Collard Greens Dinner), I put together a list of easy-to-make, nutritious meals from some internet searches to make life a little easier during a hectic time of the year. Here is another combo that was both tasty and filling - and easy!

SPINACH-ARTICHOKE CHICKEN (original recipe here)

Ingredients

½ (10 oz) package frozen spinach
1 (4 oz) package cream cheese, softened
½ (14 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 large)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F.
Thaw spinach in the microwave. When cool enough, squeeze spinach to remove excess moisture.
In a medium to large bowl, mix spinach, cream cheese, artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and salt. Set aside.
Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on both sides. Place chicken in a large baking dish. Spread spinach-artichoke mixture on top of each breast.
Bake until chicken has cooked to 165F or is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 20 to 22 minutes (or 35 if you use my oven).
Top breasts with mozzarella cheese and continue baking until cheese has melted; 1 to 2 more minutes.

Allrecipes suggests serving this with "roasted broccoli or asparagus, or on top of cauliflower rice." If you have read the title of this blog post, you may have surmised that I did not do that. But this would be great with rice or pasta, or probably one of the things Allrecipes recommends. Here is what I did pair this chicken with, as I made it...

ROASTED ZUCCHINI (original recipe here)

Ingredients

3 zucchinis
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves minced garlic
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F.
Two Kooks in the Kitchen, who originated this recipe, say to "line a pan with parchment paper or foil and place a wire rack (sprayed with oil) on top of the pan." I didn't have either of those, so I sprayed a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Slice each zucchini lengthwise in half. Then slice each half lengthwise in half again. (Like pickle spears.)
In a bowl or plate, mix together oil, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper. Coat zucchini spears with this mixture and place them, green skin side down, on the baking sheet (or wire rack) in a single layer with no overlap.
Roast zucchini on the middle oven rack for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not flip, and do not burn.

For more tips on zucchini and things to add to play with this recipe, do check the original recipe by Two Kooks. There's some great info! Zucchini is one of my favorite things, so I hope to experiment with these in the future.

The zucchini would go great with the pan-roasted chicken from my last blog post. Pairing this chicken with the collard greens might be a bit redundant. 🙂

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Pan-roasted Chicken with Collard Greens Dinner

2021-12-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

I've been feeling some serious burnout lately. So when it comes to dinner, I'm looking for quick, easy, and nutritious meals. Here is one that I put together with the help of copious internet searches.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS (original recipe here)

Ingredients

Chicken thighs (or breasts if you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste
some dried parsley flakes (or fresh if you prefer)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons cold butter

Instructions

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and parsley. Put chicken in a frying pan or skillet. On medium to medium-high heat, leave on one side about 5 minutes to sear; repeat for the other side.
Add butter 1 T at a time followed by apple cider vinegar.
Cook in pan until internal temperature reaches 165F.
Remove cooked chicken to plate to rest. Leave any liquid in the pan for the greens.

QUICK COLLARD GREENS (original recipe here)

Ingredients

1 large bunch fresh collard greens
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

De-rib collard greens and cut into ribbons.
Add greens to the pan previously occupied by the chicken.
Salt and pepper to taste, add garlic, continue stirring and rotating (I use tongues) until cooked.
Plate with chicken.

Et voila! Dinner is served.

This was very tasty and did not require a lot of dishes or pans to create. The greens cooked quickly enough that the chicken was still warm. I'm not really sure what the apple cider vinegar did. I couldn't really taste it, and the original recipe says that any vinegar will do.

Will I be making this again in the future? Yes, absolutely. It ticks all of my boxes. The greens could easily be swapped for something else, too, like kale or spinach. My husband just happens to be partial to collard greens.

(Sorry for the single boring photo. My phone has been acting up and stopped taking photos that night.)

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I Made Risotto Primavera, and I Never Will Again

2021-12-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

I have a rice cooker. And that rice cooker makes rice perfectly every time I use it. Why would I ever use some other technique to cook rice? Because the recipe told me to. Alas.

This is another recipe from Mom's Best One-Dish Suppers by Andrea Chesman. It's one of my most-used cookbooks, and I generally recommend both the book and the author, who has published other cookbooks. The recipe, however... Maybe other people will fare better. This is what I did:

INGREDIENTS

5 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 lb frozen asparagus, trimmed and cut to 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups short-grain white rice
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 teaspoons fine lemon zest

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the broth and wine in a medium saucepan to a simmer.
Thaw the frozen vegetables.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice, bell pepper, and garlic; toss to coat in oil. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes. The rice should be opaque and the bell peppers softened.
Add 1 cup of the simmering broth to the rice mixture. Reduce skillet heat to medium. Stir until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Continue adding broth 1 cup at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed. The rice should have a firm but creamy texture. This takes about 18 to 25 minutes.
Stir in the asparagus, peas, and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Cover and let stand for about 3 minutes to allow the vegetables to heat through.

It's really not a difficult recipe. It just requires some patience, and you need to keep an eye on it so the rice doesn't get stuck to the bottom or something.

Was it tasty? Yes. Was it filling? Yes. Was it satisfying? Mostly. Was the rice crunchy? Oh yeah! Whenever I cook rice this way, it ends up crunchy. Whenever my husband cooks rice this way, it ends up crunchy. Why does anyone cook rice this way??

So as much as I enjoyed these flavors, I will never make this dish again. I hate crunchy rice. If you've had luck with perfectly cooking the rice in a risotto, tell me your secret in the comments.

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Review: Krusteaz Gluten-free Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix

2021-11-18T00:01:00.004-05:00

I love blueberries. I grew up in Southwest Michigan, which remains (Michigan ranks third in the nation in growing blueberries), and was very much more back then, blueberry country (many farms are, sadly, now subdivisions). Nearly every summer, I would drive with family or friends to the outskirts of Kalamazoo to pick our own blueberries at one of the many blueberry farms.

So when I saw on Kroger's shelf a box of Krusteaz Gluten-free Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix, I had to give it a try. I think we all know that gluten-free baked goods can be acutely hit or miss. Often the texture is weirdly grainy, but the grains are miniscule like powder. It's not good.

But these muffins. Oh boy. They were wonderful. My only complaint is that they could have used more blueberries. Wild blueberries are much smaller than cultivated blueberries, so they don't quite go as far in a dish. (Learn more: Wild Blueberries: 6 Things You Probably Didn’t Know.) When I make these again, I will likely add more blueberries.

If I hadn't known they were gluten free, I seriously doubt I would have been able to tell. The texture was fluffy to me, though my husband Greg thought they were dense. (I honestly can't say what kind of muffins he is used to eating, though.) I may have overmixed the dough. I know I have that tendency, but I wanted to be sure that the berries were well distributed since they were so little. Even so, I loved the flavor so much that it was hard not to eat them all in one sitting. Though the taste never worried me as much as the texture.

So if you see these on your grocery shelves, I hope you feel a little more confident in your purchase. I generally like Krusteaz's gluten-free creations. I think they do a good job. But if you have other thoughts, please post them in the comments.

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