There are times in a year that spark emotions. The joy of giving and getting at Christmas. The anticipation of the first day of school and seeing your friends after a long summer break. The first snow and the smell of spring in the air and the sound of the Salvation Army Bells. They all spark a feeling when you experience and think about them.
There is one more: Girl Scout cookie season. Thin Mints, Samoas, we all have our own favorites. I was never a Girl Scout but I sure am a big fan of the cookies! I love them on their own, smashed up in ice cream; just about anyway you can eat them. I’ll be honest come spring, I probably gain 5lbs of Girl Scout Cookie weight!
That’s why I was very excited to hear the Girl Scouts came out with a healthier type of cookie. I was even more overjoyed to hear that thanks to a dear friend, I would get a sneak preview. And so the waiting began. I was expecting a box in the mail over the winter. My mission: to taste and critique. So, one winter night the box of the new flavor “Thank U Berry Much” arrived in the mailbox (yes! an early season Girl Scout Cookie).
Thank U Berry Much: It includes cranberries and white fudge chips. Two ingredients I love. I give a thumbs up to the concept, but Thank U Berry Much seems more like a breakfast item rather than a sinful snack or after dinner treat. Thin Mints and Samoas, don’t worry your place at the top of my Girl Scout Cookie list is secure for another year!
I am a blogger selected by the Girl Scouts of Nassau County to review the newest Girl Scout Cookie®. I have not been compensated for my time commitment or my post about my experience. My opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
The search for the perfect cookie: Stop #2
“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds (Herodotus).” From what I can find, that saying dates back to around 500 B.C., but it is more commonly known as the unofficial motto for the United States Postal Service. Today, it fits my mission perfectly.
While most people took a snow day and stayed wrapped up on their couches watching the snow through their windows on 2/26/2010, I bundled up to brave the Nor’easter. It was all in the name of finding the perfect cookie in New York City.
Normally I walk everywhere in NYC, but I made an exception and jumped on a bus … destination:
Location #2: Levain Bakery (167 West 74 Street)
Levain Bakery is my second stop on the search for the perfect cookie in the Big Apple. I’ve read rave reviews online and have heard nothing but praise from people who’ve actually tasted the cookies from this bakery.
Levain is on the City’s Upper West Side. Keep your eyes peeled because if you aren’t looking for it, you’d pass right by Levain Bakery. You have to walk down a few steps to make it into this tiny shop. Every step brings you closer and closer to the amazing smell of cookies, breads and those bakery smells that just make your mouth water. Despite my desire to eat everything in front of me (brioche, scones, rolls, fresh bread…) I had to stay focused. The mission I chose to accept: find the perfect cookie. I quickly ordered the one everyone told me was the BEST: The Chocolate Chip Walnut.
The Chocolate Chip Walnut looks tremendous. It has the homemade cookie shape, rough around the edges and nice and plump (it also weighs a lot for a cookie!). I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into this one. Levain’s cookie is perfectly crisp on the outside with a beautifully soft inside: so far so good. Unfortunately, I found the addition of the walnuts to be a mistake. This cookie has the potential to be AMAZING. Instead I’d say it is just good. I think the walnuts create confusion in the mouth because it changes what the anticipated texture should be. I think the nut also takes away from the delicious chocolate Levain uses. The dough is just delightful; it didn’t have that baking soda aftertaste. The weight also came into play, I couldn't finish this cookie at one sitting, it was so filling. The Chocolate Chip Walnut simply falls short. I’d love to try Levain’s Chocolate Chip cookie sans walnuts. Maybe one day they’ll try it.
I want to be clear I wouldn’t turn down another cookie from Levain Bakery; it’s just not the best, in my opinion. I will travel back. I wanted to taste the Cinnamon Buns made famous on The Oprah Winfrey Show; unfortunately Levain only makes them on the weekend.
After hiking through about a foot of snow and shelling out about $4 at Levain, I’d say the “Candy Jar Cookie” from Ruby et Violette remains #1 in my book.
Up next: Bouchon Bakery
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The search for the perfect cookie: Stop #1
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If you know me you are well aware of my food addiction: CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. I love them and tend to stop in bakeries wherever I am just to get one. Now that I am settled into my new home in NYC, I’ve started my hunt for the perfect cookie.
The adventure began online by searching for the best chocolate chip cookies in New York City. I found endless reviews of bakeries from the Bronx to Wall Street. I narrowed down my list by circling the locations that kept showing up. Last week, I began the taste testing!
To set the scene a little more, I expressed my love of cookies while at work. Lucky for me at least one coworker is just as addicted! So, on a quiet night in the newsroom we decided it was time for a field trip. I threw on my coat, picked up my purse and headed out for my seven block walk to:
Location #1: Ruby et Violette (457 West 50th Street)
Ruby et Violette is a small neighborhood bakery tucked away on a very residential street in Hell’s Kitchen. If you weren’t looking for it, you’d likely pass right by the cute little shop bursting with character. On this particular January night, three couples (on dates…or just out for a treat) sat at the little tables sipping hot chocolate and other liquid goodies while nibbling on cookies. The atmosphere was great, but what about the cookies! Ruby et Violette features at least a dozen different kinds of cookies (they even change some flavors based on the season). While I wanted to eat everything in the display case, I had to choose. Of course, I picked the Chocolate Chip cookie (interestingly named “Perfect”… I thought to myself … we’ll see about that!). My second cookie was dubbed the “Candy Jar.”
The cookies at Ruby et Violette are bit pricy coming in at about $2.50 (each). So, are they worth it?
First, the “Perfect Cookie.” This is your basic chocolate chip. It certainly looked perfect. The cookie was about the size of the bottom of a wine bottle and as thick as an Iphone. Now to the taste, perfect is a great way to describe the texture of this delicious treat. The “Perfect Cookie” has a crisp outside an amazingly soft inside. That is what a cookie should taste like! My only hesitation, it was very, very rich. I could live with fewer chocolate chunks, but that is just a minor complaint.
Now to the “Candy Jar Cookie.” All I have to say is, this is the best cookie I’ve ever had! The “Candy Jar” is about the same size as the chocolate chip but it is flatter. It literally melts in your mouth and sends your taste buds into a frenzy. One second I tasted a bit of snickers, then an oreo! The “Candy Jar Cookie” is a blend of Snickers, Oreo, Reeses Pieces, Toffee and Butterfingers (could you ask for anything more!)? This chocolate chip fan just found her new obsession! While you would think the “Candy Jar” would be just as rich as the “Perfect Cookie,” I found it wasn’t. The “Candy Jar” had the perfect combination of chocolate goodness and I could taste the cookie dough more than I could in the “Perfect Cookie.”
Ruby et Violette you have a new regular costumer!
Up next… Levain bakery.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Homemade Delight!
After hours of experimenting and of course taste testing, “Megan’s Easter baskets” are done. I’m hearing they are a homemade delight! In the end, chocolate covered caramels, peanut butter cups and milk chocolate and white chocolate hearts, roses and eggs made the cut!
Instead of traditional baskets, I used Chinese takeout boxes with an Easter theme. I wrapped the candy in little bags and stored the smaller candy in plastic eggs!!
Easter morning these boxes were waiting for everyone in my family!
Now, I’ll have to figure out something fun to make for the 4th of July!
Happy Easter ☺
Instead of traditional baskets, I used Chinese takeout boxes with an Easter theme. I wrapped the candy in little bags and stored the smaller candy in plastic eggs!!
Easter morning these boxes were waiting for everyone in my family!
Now, I’ll have to figure out something fun to make for the 4th of July!
Happy Easter ☺
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A DVR World
9-5 jobs, dinner all together with the family before 7:00 and watching our favorite television shows at the hour they are scheduled to air … these are all American traditions fading away into history.
In the year 2009 work days have no set times: some of us are at our desk by 6am, others don’t get to head home until midnight. In this electronic age we are reachable 24 hours a day and no one wants to say no or I’m off the clock in this economic downturn. Because of this mentality, our family values and appointment television days are changing (quickly).
It’s rare to hear about a family who runs on the same schedule and can all be seated around the kitchen table before 7:00 to enjoy a home cooked meal and share the stories of the day. Everything around us is changing. We are all adjusting except those who rule our televisions. I think it’s time for networks and the media to start living up to their end of the bargain.
I’m a television producer looking for a job. My time off really opened my eyes to a business that is in desperate need of a makeover (and boy do I have some ideas, if only someone gave me a chance and a job!). The days of news from 5-6:30pm are wasted on empty rooms. (Contact me if you’d like to hear my plan to maximize dollars and viewers with a revamped 7:00pm hour.)
Despite the need to "shake up" our outdated television lineups, producers and networks need to understand the power of the DVR World. Appointment television is a theory of the past. When is the last time you made sure you were in front of the television right at 8:00pm Tuesday nights to see the very first second of American Idol live? In an informal Megan poll, 95% of my friends and family admit they haven’t been in their front row seat on time in at least 4 seasons. That is because we aren't home and done with dinner by 8:00 and we can experience our favorite shows in their entirety at any time thanks to the invention of the DVR: or so we thought.
This season of American Idol is by far the worst when it comes to producers correctly timing out the shows. I don’t think the powers that be at Idol have hit their mark since we got out of the audition rounds. Thanks to a lack of discipline we’ve all missed a standing ovation from Simon for Adam Lambert’s outrageous rendition of “Mad World.” We’ve had to call friends or search online to see if the judges used their save on Michael Sarver. And, I can't remember the last time I heard Carrie Underwood sing the goodbye song and saw the video montage to the latest Idol contestant who got the boot. I could go on for hours with examples of what we’ve missed because producers aren’t producing to the new DVR world that we live in.
In my years producing live newscasts I know going over your time slot is a big N-O. You cut off the beginning of the next show if you are a local station cutting into network programming. If you are the network, you push back local programming so it can’t start on time. This is a ratings game. A 11 or 10pm news going on late means you likely have a huge percentage of viewers jumping ship to catch the top stories on a station that managed to hit the correct start time. Network shows like Idol going 8-10 minutes over has loyal fans in an uproar googling a performance that is being dubbed the best of the season because our DVRs stopped tapping; others tweeting or calling friends to see who got kicked off … you get my drift.
As you can tell by the reports on-air, in print and on the web, television shows are being cancelled, newsrooms are closing as major budget cuts across the board are handed down. Something has got to change or television viewers will continue to slowly get up from their seats and walk away. Until producers and television executives turn their appointment television and 8-11 primetime switches off and take a good look at the new schedule of an American family and this DVR world, the slow demise of television won't stop anytime soon and the Internet will start to really rule the way we get our entertainment.
It’s a shame because there is so much potential for a bigger and better television world. I think it might be time for some new thinkers to get a chance to revitalize a dying American tradition.
** A side note, I don’t think DVR is perfect it has a lot kinks to work out such as: allowing us to tape more than 2 shows at a time. If we are taping 2 shows, allow us to watch a third live!! And, wouldn’t it be great if our DVR machines could recognize a show is going long and keep taping (just some Megan thoughts!). **
In the year 2009 work days have no set times: some of us are at our desk by 6am, others don’t get to head home until midnight. In this electronic age we are reachable 24 hours a day and no one wants to say no or I’m off the clock in this economic downturn. Because of this mentality, our family values and appointment television days are changing (quickly).
It’s rare to hear about a family who runs on the same schedule and can all be seated around the kitchen table before 7:00 to enjoy a home cooked meal and share the stories of the day. Everything around us is changing. We are all adjusting except those who rule our televisions. I think it’s time for networks and the media to start living up to their end of the bargain.
I’m a television producer looking for a job. My time off really opened my eyes to a business that is in desperate need of a makeover (and boy do I have some ideas, if only someone gave me a chance and a job!). The days of news from 5-6:30pm are wasted on empty rooms. (Contact me if you’d like to hear my plan to maximize dollars and viewers with a revamped 7:00pm hour.)
Despite the need to "shake up" our outdated television lineups, producers and networks need to understand the power of the DVR World. Appointment television is a theory of the past. When is the last time you made sure you were in front of the television right at 8:00pm Tuesday nights to see the very first second of American Idol live? In an informal Megan poll, 95% of my friends and family admit they haven’t been in their front row seat on time in at least 4 seasons. That is because we aren't home and done with dinner by 8:00 and we can experience our favorite shows in their entirety at any time thanks to the invention of the DVR: or so we thought.
This season of American Idol is by far the worst when it comes to producers correctly timing out the shows. I don’t think the powers that be at Idol have hit their mark since we got out of the audition rounds. Thanks to a lack of discipline we’ve all missed a standing ovation from Simon for Adam Lambert’s outrageous rendition of “Mad World.” We’ve had to call friends or search online to see if the judges used their save on Michael Sarver. And, I can't remember the last time I heard Carrie Underwood sing the goodbye song and saw the video montage to the latest Idol contestant who got the boot. I could go on for hours with examples of what we’ve missed because producers aren’t producing to the new DVR world that we live in.
In my years producing live newscasts I know going over your time slot is a big N-O. You cut off the beginning of the next show if you are a local station cutting into network programming. If you are the network, you push back local programming so it can’t start on time. This is a ratings game. A 11 or 10pm news going on late means you likely have a huge percentage of viewers jumping ship to catch the top stories on a station that managed to hit the correct start time. Network shows like Idol going 8-10 minutes over has loyal fans in an uproar googling a performance that is being dubbed the best of the season because our DVRs stopped tapping; others tweeting or calling friends to see who got kicked off … you get my drift.
As you can tell by the reports on-air, in print and on the web, television shows are being cancelled, newsrooms are closing as major budget cuts across the board are handed down. Something has got to change or television viewers will continue to slowly get up from their seats and walk away. Until producers and television executives turn their appointment television and 8-11 primetime switches off and take a good look at the new schedule of an American family and this DVR world, the slow demise of television won't stop anytime soon and the Internet will start to really rule the way we get our entertainment.
It’s a shame because there is so much potential for a bigger and better television world. I think it might be time for some new thinkers to get a chance to revitalize a dying American tradition.
** A side note, I don’t think DVR is perfect it has a lot kinks to work out such as: allowing us to tape more than 2 shows at a time. If we are taping 2 shows, allow us to watch a third live!! And, wouldn’t it be great if our DVR machines could recognize a show is going long and keep taping (just some Megan thoughts!). **
Thursday, April 2, 2009
A Sticky Treat!
In my quest to make the perfect Easter baskets, I decided to take on my dad and grandma’s favorite candy: peanut brittle. Talk about a sticky treat. After combing the ingredients it is a race against time. Boil it all up to 300 degrees then immediately pour the mixture out and start spreading. This stuff starts to harden immediately so using two forks I pulled and spread the mixture as fast as I could in order to get an even layer of peanut brittle!
After about a half hour it all cooled down and was ready to break apart!!
So far my baskets will include: homemade peanut butter cups, chocolate covered caramels, white and milk chocolate hearts!
Delicious! ☺
After about a half hour it all cooled down and was ready to break apart!!
So far my baskets will include: homemade peanut butter cups, chocolate covered caramels, white and milk chocolate hearts!
Delicious! ☺
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Week 9 Idol Predictions
All I have to say is WOW. I think last night may be one of the worst Idol weeks out of all of the seasons (of course in my opinion). Top Downloads seemed to be too broad a theme for these Idol contestants to flip through and pick out good song choices.
Here's my breakdown...
THE GOOD: Our old standbys once again pull together some great performances.
Adam shined as he played up his stage presence and ability to take an oldie but goody, "Play That Funky Music," and turn it into a song we could be bopping to on the radio today.
KRIS!!! He is my absolute favorite right now!! I agree with the judges he is really in a zone. Kris reminds me a lot of Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson when it comes to his ability to adapt to each genre and really make every song sound like it was written for him. ("Kris sang Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone").
Danny, Danny. He brought some heart to the stage with "What Hurts the Most." The Rascal Flatts hit is a perfect cover for Danny to add to a first CD! My only concern is i'm getting a bit tired of Danny, he needs to spice it up a bit!
Allison. I didn't think her outfit was that bad! It fit the song, she played the part. I thought her take on No Doubt's "Don't Speak" really showed what her album would be, she's a rocker!!
THE BAD:
Lil' Rounds has an amazing voice. She can hit high notes with ease but someone really needs to work on her song choice. I think Simon said it perfectly, she looked and sounded "old" as she took on Celine Dion's "Surrender." If one of these weeks she decides to pick a young/current song i think she'll shoot to the top, but until then she's getting lost in the mix.
Scott. What a piano player but his voice isn't doing anything for me. I totally disagree with the judges, I didn't think this was his best week. I'll admit I don't know much about singing but from a fan who buys CDs, It sounded like Scott was off key and I was bored, I actually stopped listening.
Matt. Oh Matt, what a messy performance. I think he felt a whole lot pressure after last week's bottom three and I think he missed the mark. I totally agree with the judges, bad song choice (The Fray's "You Found Me"), bring back the R&B. I hope he has another week to shine.
THE UGLY:
I think Idol needs a double elimination tonight for Anoop and Megan. I don't even know what to say.
Anoop reminded me of my sorority days when we would do skits and songs. We'd just get up on stage and have fun but look goofy!
Megan, Megan, Megan. I want to like her, I really do. I think her voice has such potential but she can't seem to match her unique sound with songs that will allow her to shine. I wish the judges could give her a song and see how she does. But, last night I cringed watching her struggle through "Turn Your Lights Down Low."
Week 9 Idol Predictions...
Who is safe: Adam, Danny, Kris, Lil'
Who is is jeopardy: Anoop, Megan, Allison, Scott, Matt
Bottom 3: Anoop, Megan, Matt (I think this final spot could actually go to Matt or Scott, but after last week's results, I'm going to have to pick Matt).
Who gets the boot?: Anoop (although I really think it is a toss up between him and Megan)
**I think if Matt gets the lowest vote total their judges will use the save!**
Results (could be a spoiler if you haven't watched the episode):
Ok, so I was 2/3 in my predictions for the bottom 3! Megan went home instead of Anoop but I did say I was torn! haha :)
Here's my breakdown...
THE GOOD: Our old standbys once again pull together some great performances.
Adam shined as he played up his stage presence and ability to take an oldie but goody, "Play That Funky Music," and turn it into a song we could be bopping to on the radio today.
KRIS!!! He is my absolute favorite right now!! I agree with the judges he is really in a zone. Kris reminds me a lot of Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson when it comes to his ability to adapt to each genre and really make every song sound like it was written for him. ("Kris sang Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone").
Danny, Danny. He brought some heart to the stage with "What Hurts the Most." The Rascal Flatts hit is a perfect cover for Danny to add to a first CD! My only concern is i'm getting a bit tired of Danny, he needs to spice it up a bit!
Allison. I didn't think her outfit was that bad! It fit the song, she played the part. I thought her take on No Doubt's "Don't Speak" really showed what her album would be, she's a rocker!!
THE BAD:
Lil' Rounds has an amazing voice. She can hit high notes with ease but someone really needs to work on her song choice. I think Simon said it perfectly, she looked and sounded "old" as she took on Celine Dion's "Surrender." If one of these weeks she decides to pick a young/current song i think she'll shoot to the top, but until then she's getting lost in the mix.
Scott. What a piano player but his voice isn't doing anything for me. I totally disagree with the judges, I didn't think this was his best week. I'll admit I don't know much about singing but from a fan who buys CDs, It sounded like Scott was off key and I was bored, I actually stopped listening.
Matt. Oh Matt, what a messy performance. I think he felt a whole lot pressure after last week's bottom three and I think he missed the mark. I totally agree with the judges, bad song choice (The Fray's "You Found Me"), bring back the R&B. I hope he has another week to shine.
THE UGLY:
I think Idol needs a double elimination tonight for Anoop and Megan. I don't even know what to say.
Anoop reminded me of my sorority days when we would do skits and songs. We'd just get up on stage and have fun but look goofy!
Megan, Megan, Megan. I want to like her, I really do. I think her voice has such potential but she can't seem to match her unique sound with songs that will allow her to shine. I wish the judges could give her a song and see how she does. But, last night I cringed watching her struggle through "Turn Your Lights Down Low."
Week 9 Idol Predictions...
Who is safe: Adam, Danny, Kris, Lil'
Who is is jeopardy: Anoop, Megan, Allison, Scott, Matt
Bottom 3: Anoop, Megan, Matt (I think this final spot could actually go to Matt or Scott, but after last week's results, I'm going to have to pick Matt).
Who gets the boot?: Anoop (although I really think it is a toss up between him and Megan)
**I think if Matt gets the lowest vote total their judges will use the save!**
Results (could be a spoiler if you haven't watched the episode):
Ok, so I was 2/3 in my predictions for the bottom 3! Megan went home instead of Anoop but I did say I was torn! haha :)
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