Eight Courses of Splendor

When we were dating, there was no way to possibly know that Hubby and I were so perfectly made for one another. How, at sixteen, could I have known that he would never complain about going shopping with me? How, at sixteen, would I have been able to foresee that I would never have to be one of those wives who ‘mothers’ her husband by dressing him, feeding him, and babying him? How, at sixteen, would I have known that he would have practically the same taste buds as me? That he would love late night trips to Starbucks and be willing to be a guinea pig for a wide variety of flavors at our dinner table day in and day out?

I’m pretty lucky.

He reaches for the extraordinary and refuses to live life going through the motions. It should have been little to no surprise to me that he made reservations for a restaurant hidden away downtown, marked only by a small sign on the door, mixed amongst others on the street corners that scream with open windows and bright lights.

From our relaxing view of Central Park, by subway it was a 40-minute shuffle through the bitter cold to get to Degustation. A cold gust forcing our heads down could have caused us to miss it. Then again, isn’t that the way with a lot of places in New York that are hidden beneath the glitz and glamour of highly erected buildings and signs that demand attention?

Degustation is ‘Iberian, French, and American influenced cuisine…local market inspired’. Small plates are the focus of the menu. The best part though is that it is an open kitchen. The head chef, Nicholas Licata, is cooking right in front of you, and in the case of Hubby and myself literally directly in front of us.

This experience has made me learn to respect the small plate menu. The idea of a small plate used to sound completely absurd to me. Why on earth would I want a small plate of something delicious? But with small plates, you get the opportunity to try several different things at once, hopefully, without overindulging. They are usually pricey, but the quality of what you are receiving is far superior to many larger plates served elsewhere.

For Valentine’s Day, Degustation had an eight-course tasting menu. I think Hubby had a hunch that it was the only thing they were serving that night, but I had no clue. I started looking at the menu in front of us and thought, ‘ Hmmm, I suppose there is something on here that I can order…” Then I started to take in my surroundings more and I realized that no, I wouldn’t be ordering anything. I would be eating everything.

When this realization set in, I started to panic a little. There were items on the menu that I would never in my life have had any desire to try, let alone to pay to try. I tried to reason that I was being silly, panicking over food, but considering that half of the words on the menu I needed to inconspicuously use Google to clarify left me wondering how when this was all over I could possibly convince Hubby he had made a good choice for our Valentine’s Day meal.

Let me help you better understand the point of confusion I was facing. Here was the tasting menu set out next to our place settings:

Oyster “Taco”

Focaccia Toast

Warm Lardo, Red Onion Jam

Burrata

Chinese Oregano, Nasturtium, Puffed Wild Rice

Scallop

Thai Red Curry, Finger Lime, Shiso

“Green Eggs & Lamb”

Poached Egg, Lamb Belly, Smoked Maple

Squid Ink Spaghetti

Soffrito, Bottarga, Blue Prawn, Chorizo Crumb

Beef

Sunchokes, Parsnip, Chestnuts

Cheese, Candied Walnut, Churned Seashore Honey

Spanish Torrija & Cajeta

Knowing the price of the meal and also that we had champagne back at our hotel room, we chose not to order wine, though the restaurant’s wine list has been hand selected by the chef to pair with the plate assortment.

The couples on either side of us were already into their third and fourth courses, so we had the experience of not only watching the eight different courses being prepared again and again before we ate them, but of also watching the expressions of others around us as they experienced the taste.

If you read my most recentpost, you’ll understand this. After we sat down and had taken in the menu, the room, and the methodical cooking going on before us, Hubby leaned over to me and said, “No taking pictures here.”

Naturally, I thought.

But then, the desire to take a picture continued to build up inside of me. He was right, of course. This was precisely the kind of place that taking a picture of your food and/or of the chef is completely and horrifically tacky.

But then I found a reason.

The menu is on their website, right? I asked him, assuming that he had looked over the eight-courses which, like it or not, we were about to behold.

Yeah, actually, ummm….

That was enough for me. I nonchalantly snapped a few pictures of the menu so I would remember every single thing (for you, for me) and then couldn’t resist a few more.

However, I did not take a single shot of my food. And for that, you should be proud of me.*

*Go to Degustation’s website to see a few pictures of food off their regular menu.

Now, onto the food…

First Course: Oyster ‘Taco’

Before this, I had never eaten an oyster before.

I was terrified.

Oysters = Slimy. Chewy. Yucky. This was the preconceived idea I had and I was basically ready to take a bite of my ‘taco’ and then pass the rest over to Hubby. Then I watched as the oysters were dumped from a pot of hot oil to drain. Fried oysters? That’s something I think I can get behind.

Apprehensively, I took my first bite. The shell was tiny, about the size of a biscuit. A white spread, the oyster and some greens were piled on top of one another.

My gut instinct told me to pass it on to Hubby after I ate my first bite, but my mouth wouldn’t let my hands give this new found delight away.

Second Course: Focaccia Toast: Warm Lardo, Red Onion Jam

Here is where I got a little antsy. I grabbed my phone and hid it under the table as I frantically Googled “Lardo”. That little ‘o’ on the end made me question if it was related to lard, or something far more unusual and complicated.

Lardo, dear readers, in down right, straight up, holding no punches, Layman’s terms is pig fat.

After spreading the red onion jam (mind blowing!) and a few other fancy frills on top of the focaccia toast, the chef then laid a piece of lardo on top and used a kitchen torch to crisp it.

It was still a little chewy in spots, and difficult to cut, but it gave an amazing flavor to the toast. If you are someone who likes your bacon on the less crispy side (like Hubby) you will love lardo. Me, I could have eaten an entire loaf of bread with the red onion jam only.

Third Course: Burrata: Chinese Oregano, Nasturtium, Puffed Wild Rice

This course was one of my favorites. A lot of Italians crave mini mozzarella balls or mozzarella and tomato drizzled with balsamic. Though I desperately want to, I haven’t shared that sentiment. There are some times that I love the flavor of the cold mozzarella, and other times that it makes me cringe. This course made me realize that it is most likely the quality of the cheese.

In other words, I’m a snob.

But we pretty much knew that from my stance on leftovers.

Burrata, which yes, I needed to Google, is a cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outside is all mozzarella while the inside is softer due to the combination of mozzarella and cream. It was topped with a little oil, Chinese oregano, nasturtium (a kind of watercress), and puffed wild rice.

This cheese was the best cheese I have ever eaten in my life. Hubby wanted more puffed wild rice. While the rice and greens were a nice addition to the cheese, this was a cheese I could have eaten by the handful. It was incredibly smooth and creamy, but not only that—there was a flavor that I have yet to taste in ordinary grocery store mozzarella.

Fourth Course: Scallop: Thai Red Curry, Finger Lime, Shiso

I wanted desperately to request for my scallop without the curry. I knew it was going to be too spicy for me and that it would affect my scallop in a negative way.

The scallops used were jumbo scallops. I could have probably eaten five or six of them had this not been an eight-course dinner. They were cooked to perfection, served with a curry sauce drizzle, a little greenery, and a side of sliced finger limes.

Of the entire dinner, the finger limes were possibly the most fascinating thing I experienced. Finger limes look like limes that have been shrunk down to the size of an almond. They were given to us sliced in half and we were told to squeeze them over our scallops to help cut the spicy flavor. Instead of juice squeezing out, little bubbles that I can only liken to caviar in size and presence came out. These bubbles burst with a citrus flavor when bit into.

Though originally a fruit of Australia, the finger limes we enjoyed were grown in California.

Fifth Course: “Green Eggs & Lamb”: Poached Egg, Lamb Belly, Smoked Maple

This course intrigued me the most, mainly because even after watching the chef prepare it again and again for other guests, I still had no clue which element was the lamb belly. What we were given was a poached egg drizzled with a green and brown sauce topped with what I originally thought was some kind of bread crumble. When I ate it, I realized that what I thought was a bread crumble was really a sort of corned beef hash of lamb belly.

Hubby, being a big fan of corned beef hash, loved this course. The lamb belly was a little too tough for me. I felt that for such a tiny item I was chewing it an awful lot—of course, perhaps I was eating it wrong. This is always a possibility!

I was more interested in the poached egg. I have never poached an egg before and found it mesmerizing to watch as the chef’s assistant cracked the eggs (they were poached in the shell) and would gently rock them out of their shell and into a bowl. I think poaching eggs will be in my near future. I better dedicate a good dozen to this venture.

Sixth Course: Squid Ink Spaghetti: Soffrito, Bottarga, Blue Prawn, Chorizo Crumb

A few weeks ago, I was in an Italian market in Princeton and saw fresh squid ink spaghetti. On first look, I thought it might be interesting to make something with squid ink spaghetti. Then, as I further considered why the spaghetti was black and the fact that it was SQUID INK I decided then and there that I would never, ever attempt to make a meal with squid ink spaghetti.

By this point, the chef had proven himself to be able to not only convince me to eat anything, but also that he could make just about everything tasty and delicious. Despite the stance made weeks ago in Princeton, I knew I was going to have to eat this spaghetti.

Using a tweezer like utensil, the chef twisted each serving off a pan and onto the plate. I know that all the other elements listed were put on top of the spaghetti, because I watched the chef do it at least a dozen times, but I honestly don’t even remember eating them—I was so focused on the spaghetti. It tasted like any other spaghetti, except with an obvious homemade quality to it. Though it definitely pulled me out of my comfort zone to eat (I ate the entire serving!) I more than likely wouldn’t order it again. Not because I disliked it, but more so because there were so many other courses I enjoyed more.

Seventh Course: Beef: Sunchokes, Parsnip, Chestnuts

Such as the seventh course. Going into this course I knew one thing: I like beef. I figured, worst case scenario, I could avoid all the other elements of this dish and hone in on the meat.

The meat was the best meat of my life. I know I’m really playing up this meal, but in all honesty, I have never had a more tender or flavorful piece of beef. Ever. From a distance, it looked rarer than my preference, but as I ate it I knew that the chef was a complete genius.

The beef, however, was not what made this my favorite course. I sliced into my sunchoke thinking that I would give it a taste, and then if I didn’t like it no one would fault me for pushing the vegetable to the side. The texture reminded me of a potato, and the flavor was better than the best red potatoes I have ever enjoyed. It had a subtly sweet flavor to it, the outside was lightly crisped and I portioned it out so that it was the last bite I took of this course.

Though my gut says, go buy some sunchokes and cook those bad boys up, my heart says that only Degustation should ever serve me sunchokes again.

 Eighth Course: Cheese, Candied Walnut, Churned Seashore Honey

I absolutely love candied walnuts. I love them alone, I love them on salads, I love them with dessert. Naturally, I had never heard of churned seashore honey before, but I had the privilege of watching as the chef used two plastic spoons to ease each serving out of the jar, and then attempt to get the entire serving onto the plate artistically, rather than leaving a confusing blob on the plate.

This quickly became another favorite course of mine. As someone who isn’t a fan of honey flavor alone, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Consider churned seashore honey to be ordinary honey’s rebelliously cool older brother. It was so sweet and creamy, I could have eaten the entire jar. Until I got home and discovered that it costs about $30 a jar. Looks like this portion control thing  is important not just for your belly, but for your wallet too!

Dessert: Spanish Torrija & Cajeta

Wikipedia informed me that torrija is a typical dessert of lent or Holy Week in Spain. After eating it, I’m ready to convert! (Just kidding, mom.) Think French toast…but a French toast so rich and creamy that you need to have it for dessert just for your peace of mind. Especially when it is made with cajeta, which is essentially Mexican caramel.

This dining experience opened my eyes to a new way of eating. Not only was I over the moon with my Hubby and his dare-to-be-different mentality, but I was already planning the next time we could share in such a delectably enlightening thrill of a dining experience. If you ever have the option of participating in a chef’s tasting menu, put all your inhibitions aside and go for it! You won’t be disappointed.

Valentine Foodie Adventures in NYC

I may have admitted this before, but I am going to do so again. I hate taking pictures of my food when I’m at a restaurant. Aside from the fact that just about everyone and their momma does it these days, to me, it makes a person seem so, I don’t know, touristy? Odd? Out of place? I mean, since when did documenting every single thing we eat become a necessity of life? At what point would I ever say to myself, I desperately need to look at a picture of last week’s dinner to get through this day,???

Then I remember that I have a food blog. That I am going to be describing these foods to those of you who endure my writings. This makes me desperately want a picture to help your mind relate to my words.

The problem I then face is that there is no way in heaven or hell I would pull out my DSLR camera at a nice restaurant. That is beyond crazy, beyond touristy. The only alternative is to try to nonchalantly snap shots with my phone, with the flash off, naturally.*

*With the flash on, you run the risk of being that person who interrupts everyone with their continual bright lights, because of course, one picture is never enough. And second, when in dark restaurants the flash seems to only make the picture worse, rather than better.

That said, endure with me if you will, the quality of some of the below pictures and the best attempt I can give at describing what all in all was an absolutely divine foodie weekend.

We got into the city around 7 pm, which if you know Hubby’s work schedule is pretty much miraculous. Knowing my need to have Italian food at least once during the weekend, he made reservations at Tony’s Di Napoli in Times Square. Tony’s is family style, which is great for a large party but with two people it means more than likely there will be leftovers.

Of course, that could also be because we ordered two different items, both which feed 2-3 people. We got Chicken Parmesan because that is an absolute must. The cheese on the chicken was perfection and the chicken was pounded and coated beautifully. Wanting a pasta to go with it, we ordered the meatballs and spaghetti. It was the same price as the baked ziti and we figured we were already getting cheese on the chicken parm so we might as well order pasta that comes with more meat! The meatballs were traditional Italian, meaning Hubby still likes mine more. I’ve come to find that most meatballs lean too hard on the dry side. I use parmesan in mine and they are always moist throughout. The sauce was sweet, and the pasta, of course, was wonderful.

We scooped up some coffees from our favorite coffee place, Caffe Bene on our way back to our hotel. It pretty much served as something to keep us from freezing over. For dessert, we enjoyed a chocolate mousse cake I bought ahead of time at Trader Joe’s with champagne Hubby surprised me with for Valentine’s Day.

Picking what bagel place to go to for breakfast was a task. For starters, there are dozens upon dozens of bagel places in New York. And, as Santa points out in the movie Elf about NYC pizza places, they all claim to be the best. The one that kept coming up in our Google searches was Absolute Bagels. The name sounded all wrong to me. The best bagel place in NYC can’t possibly have such an obvious name, I thought. Yet they had so many great reviews, and were at the top of many top ten lists, that Hubby was convinced we should give them a try.

Of course, they weren’t anywhere near our hotel. During our Saturday, we went as far uptown as 107^th (Breakfast) and as far downtown as 5^th (dinner), possibly the furthest amount of Manhattan we have ever covered in one day.

The line was to the door, which is always a good sign. The seating area was packed. The only issue we ran into was that when it came time to order we realized it was cash only and had to run out and find an ATM.

Good times.

When we returned, the line was shorter and the eating area started to clear out. Hubby ordered a bacon, egg, and cheese on a poppy seed bagel. I was toying with the idea of ordering a bagel with lox and cream cheese, but went with my classic order: an egg bagel with plain cream cheese. I figured I wouldn’t be able to truly compare it to New Jersey bagels if I ordered anything different.

The bagel size was average. I’ve been spoiled with ridiculously huge bagels at my local bagel shop. I’m not sure I could have eaten anything larger though. The bagel had a nice chew to it. Of all the bagels I have tasted in New Jersey, they all have toughness to them that require what I can only define as a tear-away-bite. These bagels were so soft that no such motion was necessary. The most surprising element was the flavor throughout the bagel. It was unlike any I have ever experienced, but in a deliciously wonderful way. It was a subtle sweetness that made the bagel even more enjoyable. I imagine it was some sort of addictive substance.

Other than making sure you bring cash, also make sure you get your coffee somewhere else. They made mine way too sweet and I ended up tossing it on our way out.

Of course, we immediately looked up local coffee shops and found our way over to Columbia University where a tiny shop called ‘Joe’ is hidden. There I had the best cappuccino of my life, no lie. Though you expect cappuccino to have a slight bitterness to it, this one also had a natural sweetness throughout that I thoroughly enjoyed.

We chose Mimi’s Pizza and Restaurant on the Upper East Side for our pizza experience. Using our Food Network app, we discovered that Bobby Flay worked there as a delivery boy and still claims they have the best pizza.

I wanted to try the Sicilian, but Hubby convinced me that in order to get the true pizza feel we had to go with a traditional plain cheese pizza. The cheese was incredible. There was a lot, so if you don’t like cheese, well, I can’t imagine that you like pizza very much either. The sauce was sweet, I would have wanted a little more, but it went well with the cheese, which, again, was amazing. The crust was crisp, which always is my preference, but there was something about the flavor that kept me from loving it.

Overall, for a first true NYC pizza experience, I’d say they were the perfect introduction. Chances are though, as with most restaurants in NYC, we won’t go there again. There are too many other options out there to give something that we weren’t completely head over heels over another try.

While we were uptown for breakfast, Hubby discovered The Hungarian Pastry Shop.

Unknown fact: I am Hungarian. I often highlight my Italian heritage, but the truth of the matter is that I am actually more Hungarian than anything else. So it was cute when Hubby suggested visiting a Hungarian pastry shop right by where we had just enjoyed our bagels. It was hidden away, with no bells and whistles calling visitors from off the street. Only a simple “Hungarian Pastry Shop” over hang.

Inside it was difficult to know what to order because there was so much to choose from: cookies, pastries, and more! We ordered a cheese bread, another cheese pastry, and baklava. The cheese bread was devoured as we walked from Subway stops. It brought to mind the cheese bread of a local diner near my home, but a thousand times better. The amount of cheese inside was what I dream about when I eat cheese bread, but not often when I get. We saved our other pastries for breakfast the next morning. They were good, but we plan to go back again for a cinnamon roll and a cheese puff that we heard someone ordering as we were on our way out.

On Sunday when we left the city, we stopped at White Manna Hamburgers in Hackensack, NJ. This tiny burger joint was covered by Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. We both ordered a double cheese burger with onions, fries, and shakes. The griddle is in the center of the eating area which seats no more than 20 people. The burgers are small, reminding us of White Castle burgers, only fresh. The burger chef smacks down what I’m guessing were 1/8 pounds of meat with a spatula, piles the onions on, then flips it over and keeps smacking the meat with the spatula.

As we waited for our food we watched as many ‘regulars’ came in and ordered 4 to 8 burgers to go. Though they were tiny, and delicious, I don’t think I could have eaten more than one burger. The fries were fried to perfect crispiness, but the shakes were extremely watery, so much that I questioned the amount of ice cream actually used.

We spent the day shopping at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets and on our way home ate at a restaurant near Hubby’s work.

RoosterSpin is a Korean wine bar and eatery in Westfield, NJ. If you have never been to Westfield, take a drive and visit on a warm Saturday afternoon. Cute shops and restaurants line the streets and make me wish we could afford the obnoxious price of rent.

We ordered their double fried chicken wings, a snow corn roll, and a spicy tuna roll.

The spicy soy sauce on the wings gave them a peppery bite, but the crispy skin was what kept me grabbing more. I think it was the best skin I have ever tasted on fried chicken.

The snow corn roll was tempura shrimp with mango, avocado, and crabmeat inside. Corn, black tobiko, and mayo sauce covered the outside of the roll. It was warm, it was sweet, it was the most delicious and unique bit of sushi I have ever experienced.

The spicy tuna roll was pretty basic with spicy tuna, crab meat, massago, cucumber, crisp Korean yam, and potato. It was a little too spicy for me (can you sense a pattern with my taste buds here?) but all the other flavors made me push past the spice.

Almost all of their desserts involved some sort of chocolate mousse, considering Hubby’s love of mousse it was impossible to resist. I ordered the Oreo mousse cake. What I loved was the variety of flavor in the layers. It wasn’t just an overpowering chocolate on chocolate mousse cake. White chocolate mousse layered with chocolate mousse and a cakey crust really made this cake stand out.

I’m sure by this point, if you read my otherpost; you are wondering where I hid away my 8-course Valentine’s Day dinner. Though all the meals of our Valentine’s foodie weekend were mind blowing, this dinner demands a post devoted entirely to the unique experience offered.

Look for it soon. 

More Fruits and Veggies, Please!

We've reached week three!

The three completed weeks haven't passed without their challenges. As I said at the start--- I'm trying. Trying with the realization that I will occasionally fail. Like when I was nibbling on a Twizzler the other night and realized, Wait a minute, I'm pretty sure that Twizzlers have 'Low fat' printed on their packaging. And sure enough, there was "LOW FAT" printed bold for all the world to see.

I'm finally reaching a point where I am truly listening to my internal cues and stopping eating when I feel full. There are only two times I still struggle with this: 1. When eating pasta, and 2. When eating out.

I don't think I need to explain the deliciousness of pasta. The issue with eating out is that I know the leftovers won't taste the same reheated and, chances are, I probably won't end up eating them anyway. If I don't eat the entire meal, or a major portion of it, I feel as though I've wasted my money.

This is a mind over matter battle that I'm fighting.

Week Three: Eat a minimum of two different fruits and/or vegetables with every meal.

Week three was a toughie, too. Mostly because it required buying a lot of fruits and veggies and making sure those that needed prepping were ready. Our breakfasts and lunches are pretty much grab-what-you-can-on-your-way-out-the-door. This doesn't work too well when you need to have two fruits or veggies as part of your meal. We had carrots, but they needed chopping. We had mangos, but they needed slicing. Two days in, I went to the grocery store and grabbed a bag of clementines and a bunch of bananas. At least they work with the grab-what-you-can approach.

Though I love fruits and vegetables, the issue I've always had with them is their short life span.* Of course there are ways around this, i.e.: canned, frozen, etc.**, but again, I haven't been the model planner over the course of the past three weeks of challenges.

*Of course, I realize, that means they are actually natural--and good for you!
**Yes, these would also be ways around all the chopping and slicing barriers I faced. Don't judge me.

The thing I love about fruits and vegetables is their low calorie count. I've started tracking what I eat in My Fitness Pal, again. I did this about a year or so ago and lost about 15 pounds. When I have a meal that consists of mostly fruits and vegetables, I find my calorie count is usually slashed in half.

This gives me extra calories for coffee and chocolate.

I'm kidding.

Okay, maybe not.

While every single meal I ate last week didn't always have two  fruits or veggies on the side---Valentine's Day was this weekend, after all---I certainly ate more of these two food groups than I usually do.

For a better part of the week, I either skipped breakfast (the horrors, I know) or ate a clementine and a banana. Lunch was the most difficult meal to incorporate two fruits or veggies, and again, if I had been a better planner it wouldn't have been. Most often I ended up having another clementine and a small leftover portion of veggies from dinner as my two fruits or veggies.

For dinner I wanted to make a major effort to incorporate two fruits or veggies, but I also wanted it to be in an out of the ordinary way.

Here are two of the most unusual combinations:

This melon salad with Parmesan and prosciutto was the edgiest dinner. Luckily, Hubby ate it without complaint! The steak I served with it was a little tough, convincing me that some exploration in the world of steak is a necessary part of my future.

The below salad pushed the limits of our usual at home salads. We aren't fancy salad people, at least at home. I love the varieties and flavor combinations that I've tasted in salads in my foodie travels, but at home some romaine, cucumber, tomato, and a little vinaigrette is about as far as I usually take it.

This salad consisted of mixed baby greens, diced pear, cheddar cheese, and a cranberry dressing. The cranberry dressing called for a few tablespoons of cranberry sauce. Since I knew that there was cranberry sauce in the dressing, it was a little difficult for my brain to push past that as I ate the salad. The flavor wasn't horrible, it was just a thicker texture than is expected in dressing. Next time I think I would boil some cranberries until the liquid reduces and use that as my cranberry flavor. It would certainly give the dressing a thinner consistency.

Having two fruits or veggies with every meal isn't an easy transition for someone who usually averages one or two fruits or veggies in an entire day. My goal is to at least have one with every meal and to really focus on making dinner more fruit and vegetable oriented.

How Low Can't You Go?

It's been some time since my first post about following the 100 Days of Real Food 14-week mini challenges for eating better. Reason being, Hubby and I repeated the first week due to our lack of preparation. As we finished our second week challenge and entered into our third, I faced the ever pressing reality that eating healthy takes a lot of thought and preparation.

But let me not get ahead of myself. Here they are, the highs and lows of our second week challenge: 
Do not eat any food products that are labels as "low-fat", "lite", "light", "reduced fat", "nonfat".

 As we came to the end of our first go at the first week challenge (before we had decided we needed to repeat it) we came home from grocery shopping with a gallon of 1% low fat milk and about a dozen nonfat yogurts. Some habits are difficult to break, even when you have every intention of breaking them. 

The reason we have always purchased 1% milk is merely a calorie counting one. However, what I have learned from 100 Days and other sources, is that the fats taken out of milk (making it low fat or nonfat) consist of nutrients that are actually good for you.*

*But of course, this is the type of "real food" that makes me wrinkle my nose and raise my eyes in that judgmental way that occasionally takes over me. The way I see it, so long as they are only removing good things, rather than putting in bad things, I don't see that food as not real or bad for me to eat.

However, the 100-calorie snack packs and slew of other prepacked items with the words "LOW FAT" screaming in bright bold colors are items that I am consciously avoiding. In all truth, I have been avoiding them for years after realizing that they don't fill me and ordinarily don't taste very good.

With the exception of having to switch our milk drinking habits and having to overly screen our yogurt choices, this week was a cinch. It made me almost want to jump right into the next challenge.

I say almost.