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Saratoga Springs, NY eateries
Mama Mia's pizzeria on Ballston Ave (it's maybe a 1/2 mile to a mile from downtown) is the best pizza i've ever had. They have a more "upscale" restaurant section in the back, but the front is just a diner/take-away counter. They have a lot of authentic Italian dishes to offer, but their white pizza is incredible. It's all made in this beautiful brick oven right in the front of the restaurant. Definitely worth checking out.
Tim Hortons Comes to New York
Their food is definitely a lot better than the stuff Dunkin Donuts offers (egg white flatbread, ugh). In my experience, the food is always fresh and relatively healthy. Their rolls and bagels always taste freshly baked. Their hot coffee might not be the best, but the iced cappucinos are addictive!
Why We are Losing the Battle of the Bulge
"...there are exceptions to every rule, but anyone who does not find the baking of cookies and its aftermath a chore after the ten or twelve batches in two months is likely to be active enough to not have a problem with his or her weight."
This is just such a strange assumption, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around how you came up with it.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
I love Stewart's Key Lime. I haven't ever seen in it VA, though. I miss Wegmans :(
Has anybody ever tried the weird flavors of Jones soda that come in mini-cans for Halloween? My husband and I tried some of the candy corn flavor last year, and it tasted like carbonated fake maple syrup. The first sip wasn't so bad, but the second was a little much.
Saratoga Springs, NY eateries
Mama Mia's pizzeria on Ballston Ave (it's maybe a 1/2 mile to a mile from downtown) is the best pizza i've ever had. They have a more "upscale" restaurant section in the back, but the front is just a diner/take-away counter. They have a lot of authentic Italian dishes to offer, but their white pizza is incredible. It's all made in this beautiful brick oven right in the front of the restaurant. Definitely worth checking out.
Tim Hortons Comes to New York
Their food is definitely a lot better than the stuff Dunkin Donuts offers (egg white flatbread, ugh). In my experience, the food is always fresh and relatively healthy. Their rolls and bagels always taste freshly baked. Their hot coffee might not be the best, but the iced cappucinos are addictive!
Why We are Losing the Battle of the Bulge
"...there are exceptions to every rule, but anyone who does not find the baking of cookies and its aftermath a chore after the ten or twelve batches in two months is likely to be active enough to not have a problem with his or her weight."
This is just such a strange assumption, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around how you came up with it.
A product that made me scratch my head. Would you use it?
A co worker of mine always buys the pre-hard boiled eggs at 7 eleven for breakfast in the morning, and one day i noticed that the sell-by date indicated that they were good for over two months! Do you think this was a typo, or are they doing something horrible to these eggs?
wisdom teeth out this morning: food suggestions?
steer clear of anything with tomatoes or tomato sauce! i learned the hard way just how acidic tomatoes are. if you feel like you need something starchy and more filling, try some mac and cheese or risotto. those are usually pretty soft.
Weeknight Staples
If you feel like you're a little less rushed in the morning, you could always throw some ingredients in a crock pot, and have it ready when you get home.
Soups, stews and chilis are pretty easy to put together, and you can let them cook all day on saturday or sunday. warm it up on the weeknights and pair with some salad or good bread.
Worst cooking experience ever?
man, these are so bad. I can deal with a failed experiment much better than I can with messes. when I was working in food service, I was carrying a gallon of applesauce with wet hands, turned around too fast to put it in the fridge, and literally threw it across the kitchen. I actually cried, it was so much of a mess.
my husband will never let me live down my failed scone experience. I don't use butter much, so I had a couple sticks that had been in my fridge for....awhile. They smelled a little funny, but they had been in the cheese drawer next to a hunk of bleu cheese, so I figured they had just picked up a little bit of the smell. Bottom line - if your butter smells like cheese, DO NOT EAT IT. I spent the next 24 hrs throwing up everything i had ever eaten.
What I Like About the Corn Syrup Commercials
Two things that crack me up:
1) The idea that 100 calorie packs are good for you. Sure, eating a 100 calorie pack of dry oreo-flavored crackers may be better for you than downing half a bag of regular oreos. But that doesn't make a single thing about them healthy!
2) People who drink a can of Slimfast with their regular meal, like it's some magical calorie-negating drink, rather than a "meal replacement"
Serious Efforts: Oily Mac n' Cheese
This sounds almost as bad as using velveeta, but I always use a blend of sharp cheddar and sharp american cheese from the deli. The sharp american is a great melting cheese, and it makes the sauce creamy and smooth. It has to be sharp american, though. Land o'lakes. No Kraft slices or anything, or it will definitely have that weird processed cheese taste.
Do Apples Make You Hungrier?
This is so funny! I've mentioned this to several other people and they have all looked at me like I'm crazy. Granny smith apples are my favorite, but they make me the hungriest. Also, a couple of people mentioned feeling hungry after eating carrots....does anybody else get hiccups from them, too? I love snacking on baby carrots, so i have to just accept the hiccups.
Snapshots from the UK: Cadbury Creme Egg Twisted
The high creme to chocolate ratio in the original is what makes it so great! I'm one of those people that will lick the creme out and then throw away the chocolate, if I can get away with it.
They weren't "Cakesters"
Yeah, i think it sounds like a moonpie, too.
alternatives to $$$$ maple syrup
Do you have a Trader Joe's nearby? Their pricing for the real stuff is really reasonable.
Oh crap, the dog ate the....
My cat won't touch any kind of meat or wet cat food. He eats only dry cat food, and....yogurt. He goes nuts for the stuff. He can hear you open a container of yogurt from across the house.
My brother's yellow lab once ate an entire can of coffee grounds. He didn't throw up or have a heart attack from all the caffeine, or anything. But he did discover that if he ran down the stairs fast enough, when he hit the bottom he could slide all the way across the hardwood floor. My brother's new hardwood floor. Which he had to have completely redone due to the deep claw grooves running across it.
fruitcake?
I'm not gonna lie, I love the store-bought fruitcake with the neon "fruit". My dad and I thought it would be a really good idea to make homemade fruitcake one year, and that was the last time we'll try it. It's just not the same.
In Videos: Sarah Palin Interview with Turkey Slaughter in Background
If you're willing to eat it, you should have no problem watching it being slaughtered.
What Will You Do For Your Coffee?
Trader Joes has some insanely good blends of whole bean coffee for ridiculously cheap prices. I can't go without fresh ground coffee anymore. My husband and I laugh about what "coffee snobs" we've turned into.
Does Your Grocery Store Have You Crying Tears of Joy?
Oh wow, this post really did make me tear up. I'm originally from Jamestown, NY and have never lived more than 10 minutes away from Wegmans. I thought I appreciated the amazing produce and vegetarian selection then, but then i moved down south to Norfolk, VA. Just far enough south that we're out of the Wegman's range. Nothing down here is even close in comparison, and the vegetarian selection is terrible. I would give anything to have Wegman's produce again!
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
I am not really big on soda anymore BUT last summer I was in Nags Head, NC and found the famous Cheerwine, a NC thing. It is fizzy cherry-flavored soda, not cherry cola, just cherry soda. It is out of this world delicious.
Last week when we were close to the border of NC and leaving for WV, I hit a supermarket and bought myself a 12 pack to take home to NJ. We can't get it here. It is my favorite soda in a really long time.
Otherwise I really like Cherry 7Up but they don't sell it in cans around here, just 2 liter bottles, which I have no room for in the refrigerator. I also love Crystal Light Wild Strawberry (comes in a powder that you mix with water) and their Citrus stuff too. Excellent mixed with some green tea! I make fusions of all kinds of things.
I have never liked Fresca. When I was a child, all the skinny cool girls drank the Diet Fresca and that was all they drank (that and lots of folks drank Tab) - neither of which I could get a tasting for. My favorite soda at the time was Pepsi - just plain Pepsi. To this day, I prefer plain Pepsi over anything Coke, don't know why. BUT I prefer Diet Coke to Diet Pepsi.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
I'm a firefighter, and our rehab vehicle would always have a dry mix powder of something called Squencher, it was sort of a generic Gatorade knock-off. There is nothing that tastes better than that stuff after a structure fire. It was randomly citrusy and just spectacular.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
First of all, I love this post & reading all the comments - so many unknowns to me!
Fresca, LOVE! Just tried the Black Cherry which was excellent! Never thought to use it as a mixer!
Polar Orange Dry, which we picked up when our usual Lemon Seltzer was out; we didn't realize it was pop but loved it!
Tahitian Treat, good memories with this one! Somehow delicious with its sickening sweetness!
Ale-8-One, I can't believe it hasn't come up yet! It's an excellent ginger ale with a pun-y name. Maybe just a regional thing but you could only find it in KY where it's made forever. Then a few years ago, they started to allow it to be sold "'cross the river" in Cincy and southern OH. I loved this stuff!
Canada Dry Green Tea, a new favorite! Great combo (though a bit sweet) & such sparkling goodness!
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
honestly, none..
a few years back i used to drink vanilla coke almost exclusively, and root beer every now and then, but i can't even finish a soda (or pop as we call it here lol) anymore because they're just too sweet to me.. after drinking mainly water for so long now, anything else is too much
the closest thing to soda i drink now is sparkling naturally flavored water.. i usually just save my calories and flavor for actual food
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
BobbieAnne, it's TAHITIAN Treat and is made by Canada Dry. I know this because I, too, used to love it!
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
Here in southern California we are fortunate enough to have Jarritos brand soda, we love tamarindo, mandarina, pina (pineapple), toronja (grapefruit), fruit punch and my own personal favorite - mango. Delicious and always in bottles and in my opinion, soda tastes better from a bottle.
We also have a wonderful store in Los Angeles called Galco's Soda Pop stop. They carry EVERYTHING in soda. For instance, they have 46 kinds of root beer, alone. Brands that you didn't even know were being made anymore. Website is galcos.com and it's fun to visit.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
I love Barq's diet root beer - but they've stopped making it! (At least in the 2-liter bottle - I can still find the 12-packs of cans occasionally.) Everything I love eventually disappears. Companies should pay me not to like their fringe products so they won't fail.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
I love Fresca. When I was a kid my favorite thing in the world was an ice cream soda made with Fresca and strawberry icecream. Hmmm, I haven't had that in years, but you know, it doesn't sound half bad.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
In South Florida/Miami there are three sodas in particular that I'm nuts for, and now that I live in Arizona they are pretty hard to find (though I've occasionally found them): Jupiña (pineapple soda), Materva (yerba mate soda) and Ironbeer (I have no idea what kind of soda this is, it's dark like cola but is kinda fruity with a bit of a bite). And since I, too, prefer to CHEW my calories, I was thrilled to find diet versions of all of these (in Florida of course). So those are my must-haves when I visit my parents in Miami.
OH! There is another one that is really good too, Coco Rico - a coconut-water soda.
Seriously - no amount of Fresca, Sierra Mist, Diet Mt. Dew or Diet Sunkist will ever top my South Florida favorites.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
Fresca is definitely my favorite soda. I like the original, Peach, and Black Cherry Fresca flavors.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
I was a Fresca addict for a few years, and I still enjoy it occasionally. Then I discovered flavored selzter. When I lived in Colorado all I drank was Canada Dry Cranberry-Lime Seltzer. Sounds odd, but was it refreshing, and as I've gotten older (alas!) I don't enjoy sweet drinks as much as I used to. Now I live in St. Louis now I can't get it here. However, I've found LaCroix "Pamplemousse" seltzer, which has the grapefruit taste of Fresca, but without the sugar or artificial sweetner. Does anyone out there like flavored seltzers?
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
my friends and i were obsessed with fresca when we were about 13... useed to put pez in it to make it fizz vary the flavor, and drink it out of shot glasses to be "cool." now that im a semi-grown up i should try it with alcohol :)
squirt is also good... it has a weird flavor and seems more "juicey" than other sodas to me. every once in a while i get this weird craving for orange soda [and speaking of being 13, does that remind anyone else of keenan and kel?]... when youre super thirsty and orange crush tastes SO GOOD, like nothing else.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
So glad others like Polar! Diet Polar cranberry dry for me...
Polar (based in Worcester, MA I think) still makes birch beer...and golden ginger ale - much better than "dry" ginger ale. Moxie isn't bad as long as it's cold.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
OK here goes...I used to live in Concord NC.The first time I ever went in a Wat-A-Burger they had a drink called a "Witch Doctor" on the menu.I asked the nice young lady whats a Witch Doctor? Her reply "you get a big cup,put a handful of pickle slices in it,some ice,then a squirt of every fountain flavor thay had,all together".MMMMMMM.....Wat A burgers in Florida never heard of a Witch Doctor. Have you?
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
Oh and Aranciata is also a must!
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
I've never had the chance to try Fresca. But I remember when I was younger and on vacation, drinking some fruity sparkling drink on a big, slender blue bottle, I think it was Clearly Canadian, but can't really say, way too much time ago.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
I heart Fresca too (and my mom is the ultimate Fresca addict!), but my absolute favorite is Diet Sunkist. I had a huge orange soda craving while pregnant with my daughter three years ago and have been hooked ever since. I'm pregnant with my second child now and am staying away from caffeine, so Sunkist is out... Diet Fanta Orange is caffeine free and quite a good substitute, though. Also LOVE Sundrop (a Carolina thing) and, when I could find it a few years ago, Diet Grape Crush.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
Fresca! Fresca! Fresca!
Does anyone remember No-Cal Chocolate? It had a creamy head like root beer.
Saratoga Springs, NY eateries
El Mariachis it's just off exit 13 from I-87
I'm a big fan of the chorizo burrito. It's as close to authentic as I've ever had in Upstate NY.
www.elmariachisrestaurant.com
2955 State Route 9
Ballston Spa, NY 12020-3903
(518) 581-5901
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
Desnoes & Geddes (better known as D&G) Kola Champagne, Ting (both Jamaican sodas from my childhood)
Tim Hortons Comes to New York
I imagine the T-Ho's brand will not produce the fierce hockey-stick wielding loyalty that it has here in Canada. Tim Horton's is like other Canadian National Treasure (hockey, poutine, Tom Green, The Tragically Hip), and seems to be a phenomenon that only Caneedians get, eh?
I personally go out of my way to avoid this place since the coffee is more like Memories of Coffee. But Tim Bits rule. Hard. They're great to bring to meetings and someone inevitably asks before getting down to business, "Who brought the dog nuts?" Yes, ALWAYs fun at meetings.
Tim Hortons Comes to New York
PeanutButter, the sour cream glazed are my favourite too!
(I hate butter tarts though. I haven't lived in Canada all that long.)
Tim Hortons Comes to New York
Got an iced coffee and some Timbits. Coffee was very bitter, and even though the Timbits box shows chocolate and powdered sugar and other varieties, my selection was 8 apple ones and two plain ones. The best thing I can say for the Timbits is that they aren't overly sweet.
Next time I'm going to Dunkin'.
Saratoga Springs, NY eateries
Try Ravenous for a crepe, the best fries around and an Ommegang.
Saratoga Springs, NY eateries
Wow this is really great. I was looking for some new place to eat and I never thought that there could a lot of good places to dine-in in Saratoga Springs.
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I love Stewart's Key Lime. I haven't ever seen in it VA, though. I miss Wegmans :(
Has anybody ever tried the weird flavors of Jones soda that come in mini-cans for Halloween? My husband and I tried some of the candy corn flavor last year, and it tasted like carbonated fake maple syrup. The first sip wasn't so bad, but the second was a little much.