jamba mamba

i was downtown yesterday working my way through a long, long, long list of errands.  i had the foresight to eat a meal before leaving the house, but a couple hours into my intense productivity i needed a snack pronto.  downtown snacking can be tricky with the tourists, lines and crappy food courts creating the false illusion of good snacking options. something that’s across the street can actually mean 30 minutes between you and your snack.  but then it hit me.  one of my favorite snacking joints was only one block and one escalator ride away.  jamba juice in the basement of the mall.   a peach perfection or berry razzle dazzle with a shot of protein boost and a side of pirates bootie is most definitely in my top ten list of favorite snacks.  needing to put down my bags for a minute, i sat at the same table as an older gentlemen.  i asked if it was okay if i shared his table—he was also enjoying the jamba so i felt like maybe that would create some camaraderie.  he nodded yes and said, “but let me tell you, missy…don’t drink that too fast.  i just got one helluva brain freeze.  i’m still recovering.”    sage advice, mister.   so here’s to my old friend jamba and my new friend mr. brain freeze.  and here’s to hoping those weird probiotic yogurt places don’t permanently nudge out the king of fruit smoothies.

snack shared: jamba!

jamba: if it's good enough for joe jonas, it's good enough for me.

more than fruitcake

i apologize for the tardiness of this post.  i’ve been very busy snacking.  the holidays provide so many opportunities for delicious giving.  there’s the basket of treats that arrive at the office from the lady who prints your business cards (that you’ve never spoken to).   the homemade goods from friends that become their own tradition over the years – fudge friend, you know who you are!  and there’s nothing wrong with making the most of the free food and an open bar at a holiday party.  for my personal snack giving this year, i decided to go with a savory, healthful option.  i layered red and white quinoa and cranberries in cutey mason jars.  i attached a recipe, covered the top with fabric, tied a ribbon and referred to myself as martha stewart for the rest of the day!  everything tastes better from a mason jar, doesn't it?!  my chicago friend sent me one filled with delicious peanut brittle.  my fiancé uses the jars to drink a john daly out of - that’s sweet tea flavored vodka and lemonade…get it?…it’s like an arnold palmer but drunk…like john daly.  so cheers to all the holiday snack sharing that took place.  i’m curious:  did anyone actually receive a fruitcake??!  

snack shared:  fudge, peanut brittle, and cranberry quinoa

fruitcake. it's the thought that counts.

sinterklaas shares snacks

happy saint nick’s day – a saintly, festive reason to share some snacks!  as an adult i was surprised to learn that not everyone celebrates saint nicholas day (apparently it’s just a german/french/catholic/greek orthodox thing), so let’s take a moment to learn about this awesome snack sharer who gives treats to good little boys and girls on his feast day, December 6^th.  saint nicholas is the patron saint of children known for his secret-gift giving.  legends are all over the map, but they all pretty much say he was a really nice, humble guy who liked to help good kids by giving them treats when their parents couldn’t.  consequently, he’s also the patron saint of sailors because he would fill a child’s stocking when their dad was away at sea.  in another tale, he leaves dowries for three daughters whose father is too poor which is why he's often depicted holding three coins.  nastier legends include him carrying around a big stick (or deer leg if you’re from the netherlands) and bopping kids who weren’t good so they would get their act together before christmas.  i prefer the treat-bearing version that used to fill my stocking with candy, bonnie bell lip smackers and an ornament.  saint nick used to bring my mom walnuts and oranges because those were rare snacks that didn’t grow on her family’s farm.  for me, saint nick day is the official start of christmas-time and encompasses the real spirit of giving.  saint nick shared snacks with children thoughtfully and quietly—without the grand entrance of reindeers or assistant elves.  there are lots of snacks around the holidays, but saint nick reminds us to acknowledge how great a little treat can be when given lovingly and openly and humbly.

snack shared:  christmas candy

saint nicholas with some treats

taking potlucks seriously

i take potlucks seriously.  i seriously love them.  i seriously want to have them every weekend and i seriously want everyone else to love them as much as I do.  there are all kinds of potluck characters, which keeps it exciting.  for those with less refined culinary skills, i prefer the “i’ll bring wine” guy over the “i’ll bring bread” gal.  for those who take cooking seriously, there’s the “here’s my chance to show off my mad kitchen skillz” type and the “look what i bought from the fancy grocery store” type.  i often like to use a potluck to make that dish that everyone loves but never makes for themselves.  for example, taco dip served with frito scoops.  it’s real good people and you don’t have to be ashamed about loving it.  although when i brought this dish to a potluck this weekend, i was worried about the crowd thinking it was a bit, let’s call it pedestrian.  i was new to this potluck circle and my taco dip sat next to this gorgeous homemade broccoli raab flatbread feeling a bit judged.   obviously, i’ve lived in san francisco too long if my taco dip has a complex about flatbread.  so we’ll move on.  the next day, i was lucky enough to go to yet another potluck.  this one hosted by old, dear friends and it was pumpkin themed.  the only thing better than a potluck is a themed potluck!  when you potluck (yes, it’s also a verb) with the same people for many years, you get really good at it.  something mystical happens and all the dishes pair well and all the courses are covered and it’s just delightful, unplanned yumminess!  we dined on pumpkin curry soup, pumpkin ravioli, lentil/pumpkin salad, mayan pumpkin dip, and pumpkin cheesecake. our "i'll bring wine" guy even brought vino that paired with pumpkin well.  what i'm getting at is that a good potluck is really snack sharing at its best.  what’s your best potluck experience?

snack shared:  taco dip and pumpkin soup 

globetrotting treats

sharing snacks is going global!  thanks to our dear friend who is living the ex-pat life in turkey, i have discovered one of my new favorite treats.  tutku!  its the most delicious little cookie.  it’s a round, crunchy shortbread with nutella inside!  (note:  nutella is a hazelnut flavored chocolate spread.  it’s probably worth an entire post, but until then just trust me.  eat it.) there is also a version of tutku that is similar to the famous black and white cookies, but in a swirl pattern with, you guessed it, nutella inside.  i’m usually a salty over sweet kinda gal, but seriously, i think about this cookie many times a day.  i can’t wait to get home to have one or four.  and that’s another awesome thing about global snacks:  you have to pace yourself because it’s a novelty.  i can’t go buy more tutku.  i rely solely on the generosity and travel plans of our friend.  and we are so lucky to have a friend who is willing to give up luggage space for our snacking enjoyment.  are there any international treats that you crave? maybe we could start a snacking global exchange service. 

snack shared:  tutku/turkish cookies

tutku - thank you turkey.

treat or treat

you’d think that as a snack-lover, halloween would be my favorite holiday. but the lack of trick or treating in my fair city is down right disappointing!  halloween presents a concentrated opportunity for snack sharing – the whole neighborhood is sharing snacks!  i had two huge bags of mini-oreos ready for little princesses and monsters.  i gave out…four.  major bummer.  i hear stories about suburban neighborhoods that get hundreds and hundreds of trick or treaters.  it's like some crazy urban myth that i pray is true, but can't wrap my head around.  i was planning on making caramel apples for my cool city treaters, but my friend who is also a mom reminded me that homemade goods are no longer allowed on the trick or treating trail (another bummer).  all this makes me a bit nostalgic in a sad kind of way.  i remember being a kid and knowing what were the “good” houses to trick or treat at.  our neighbor across the street gave out homemade popcorn balls.  hell yes, popcorn balls!!  the house kitty cornered gave out whole candy bars to the first lucky bunch of kids.  my mom gives out bags of hot cocoa. what kind of candy you give out on halloween says a lot about a person.  are you a creative snack sharer or a grumpy-lame-candy-no-lit-pumpkin-sharer?!  halloween is an awesomely rare time to unlock our doors, turn on the front porch light and be welcoming to all kinds of little freaks and ghouls.  what's not to love?!  what was your favorite treat as you tricked?    

snack shared: mini-oreos

trick or treat?  obviously treat.

the mile high snack

in honor of halloween, let’s talk about something scary. research shows that most people would rather die than speak in front of people.  my “roommate" climbs the sides of mountains for fun, but is petrified of spiders.  i pee my pants when i see a snake.  and not surprisingly, i’m also scared of running out of food.  my fear is wildly irrational.  i’m blessed and never in my life have been anywhere close to starvation.  but nonetheless, when i camp or travel or even run errands, i have to have snacks with me just in case i get hungry.  which is why when i was flying this weekend, i felt quite anxious when i overheard the flight attendant tell a hungry passenger that there were no snacks on board. no pretzels, no peanuts, no $11 craptastic sandwich.  it's bad enough that they charge for snacks now, but to not even offer them should be illegal.  i mean, obviously, i had snacks with me.  but what about the rest of the plane?!  what were they going to do?!  the woman next to me was traveling with her teenage son (read: food bottomless pit).  she did not pack any snacks and was disappointed when she heard the no-snacks-on-board news.  enter moral dilemma.  do i share my snacks and anxiously endure the rest of the flight knowing that i have no snack backup?  or do i keep my peanut butter and crackers to myself in case hunger rears it’s ugly head before we land?  in the end, i shared my snack.  the idea of a kid not getting a snack was worse than my fear of not having backup. the woman graciously accepted and the world was less two hungry people.  which is a good thing indeed. 

snack shared: peanut butter and crackers    

snack fact: united & virgin have the best snacks