A Healthy & Uber Tasty Snack Service for the Office

I'm sure many office workers like me find ourselves having the craving for snacks in-between their meals. Unfortunately, most of the snacks that are in stores and featured in office vending machines aren't the most healthy (or tasty for the matter of fact) foods around.

My friend recently gave me a special invitation code and introduced me to a cool new service called graze, which delivers very tasty but healthy snacks straight to your office . Being the constant snacker but also a very health conscientious person, I decided to give their service a try.

I gotta say, the snacks look and tasted great, not to mention, very filling and nutritious too (graze includes a small sheet of all the nutritional facts within the box), so I don't feel bad plowing through these with my coworkers.

The first box of snacks I received was free, but for the set price of $6 a box (that's with shipping), I think this service is well-worth the price. Face it, snacks aren't that cheap, especially healthy ones. And we all know that company vending machines aren't the cheapest.... I guess they want some of that salary back some way.... ^_-  All things considered, I'm definitely going to consider subscribing.

While it is free to try, graze is quite exclusive as they are quite new and you need an invitation code to get in. However, you can sign up on the waiting list for an invitation and you'll eventually get to try this great service yourself!

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomate

A couple of years ago, my husband and I took a two-week trip to Spain, visiting Madrid, San Sebastian and Barcelona. One of the simplest dishes that stuck with me was something we ate often there, both at fancy restaurants and low-key tapas bars: Pan Con Tomate. It's super simple, and it's a great way to utilize the end-of-season tomatoes in the fall.

Pan Con Tomate

Serves 2

4 slices of thick cut crusty bread
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 ripe heirloom tomato, halved
2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1-2 T sherry vinegar, to taste
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

Grate the tomatoes on a box grater, and mix in the olive oil, sherry vinegar and salt.

Slice up a good, crusty baguette into thick slices, and toast them in the oven briefly - or better yet, grill it until it's slightly charred. Remove from the oven or grill, and rub the toasted bread with the garlic cloves (the bread will act as a mini grater), then drizzle with the best-quality olive oil you can afford, and top with the tomato mixture.


For more tapas ideas, check out this cookbook by one of my favorite chefs:
Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America, by Jose Andres

Nacho average beach fare

This summer, I had some amazing nachos at the Bolivian Llama Party stand at Rockaway Beach.  I have to admit, I wondered what Bolivian Llama Party nachos would taste like (Bolivia? Llamas? A party?) but the truth is, they tasted like summer—the kind of summer you spend napping at the beach, watching surfers and drinking beer. Here's my attempt to recreate them.

Bolivian Llama Party-style Nachos

• Tortilla chips
• Nacho cheese sauce, warmed (and I won't judge you if it came in a jar)
• Black beans, drained 
• Pulled pork (you can make your own or buy it at Trader Joe's) 
• Fresh salsa (I like Rick Bayless' Pico de Gallo recipe)
• Feta cheese, crumbled 
• Cilantro, chopped

1. Place chips on a plate.
2. Pile on the ingredients.
3. Chow down.
4. Stretch out and admire your full belly (because yes, you will be eating all of them).

Go full nacho spectrum with Ultimate Nachos: From Nachos and Guacamole to Salsas and Cocktails.