— BlogDailyHerald

Sans Meal Plan: 50 Shades of Smoothie

By: Sydney Mondry and Charlotte Bilski / October 3, 2014 / 1 Comment /

For this round of Sans Meal Plan, we decided to take a more alternative route and make a variety of smoothies. You could even say we made a four-course smoothie meal. These can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack, for dessert, or really at any moment that you’re craving silky frozen goodness and feeling blender-happy.

While we’d love to report that all four smoothies turned out spectacularly, we’re in the business of honesty. That being said, we’ll admit that one was pretty *controversial*. We will leave it to you to try them all for yourself and let us know what you think!

1) The Green Smoothie

This is a classic and is so, so easy to make. The addition of kale in any smoothie makes it automatically nutritious (and #trendy). Even your skeptical friends will find it delicious – honestly, you can’t even taste the healthy!

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS:

1 frozen banana (peeled and chopped beforehand)
1 cup of kale or spinach
A generous splash of almond milk (for a thicker consistency, add less; for a thinner consistency, add more)
A spoonful of nut butter (we chose almond)
1 date, if you prefer a sweeter smoothie

Combine all ingredients and blend. How is easy is that?! That’s why we <33 smoothies.

We messed up so you don’t have to: We started strong and didn’t actually mess this one up. It was delish. You can also add ½ an avocado for a creamier texture and more filling breakfast, or frozen blueberries if you prefer a more tart smoothie. Be warned, though, that the latter addition will result in a scary purply-black color.

2) The Creamy Pineapple Berry Smoothie (from Roxy’s Kitchen)

We decided to try this smoothie a) because it sounded yummy and b) because it looked so freaking pretty on the food blog. Unfortunately, we were not ambitious enough to make the smoothie exactly as our good friend Roxy instructed us to (no, we don’t know her), but it was still quite refreshing and definitely worth a try.

A Cool Thing You Shouldn’t Miss: Sign up for a spring Market Share!

By: Georgia Tollin / January 28, 2014 / 1 Comment /

Being on meal plan getting you down? Hungry for some fresh produce? Don’t worry, there’s STILL time to sign up for a Brown Market Share!

The Spring 2014 Market Share will run for 11 weeks, from February 6 to April 24. Distribution conveniently takes place every Thursday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Brown/RISD Hillel (the corner of Brown and Angell). Expect a variety of locally-sourced, farm-fresh produce every week. This includes root vegetables and wintergreens, as well as fresh bread, dairy products, and meat!

The deadline for sign-ups is this (UPDATE) Thursday, January 30 at 11:59 p.m . For more information, check out their website or Facebook page, and if you’re ready for a nourishing semester, click here to sign up.

Image via.

Chow Down Brown: Andrews Commons rocks

By: Georgia Tollin and Caitlin Dorman / January 21, 2014 / 4 Comments /

On Monday, BlogDH had the opportunity to check out the new and improved Andrews Commons at a soft opening. We tasted food, played with drink dispensers, and generally ran around like kids in a Chuck-e-Cheese. At the beginning of the afternoon, Aaron Fitszenry, the saint of on-campus dining, warned us: “The food [here] is going to be unlike anything we’ve ever had on campus. Ever.” He most definitely lived up to his word — basically, Andrews Commons is the new holy land, and we are really excited about it. It’s truly a game-changer.

The Food: Antonio’s better watch out, because “AC” means business when it comes to pizza. We were able to try a pepper-jack cheese and chicken variety, as well as a BBQ Thai Chicken pie. The days of boring, single-topping pizzas leaving you hungry are in the past. These pies present you with an entire dinner laid out on a single slice. The chefs have truly stepped up their game with a stone hearth oven and premium ingredients including locally milled flour, organic produce, and cheese blends that we only thought existed in our sans-meal plan dreams. The new oven is also really fun to look at, because, well…FIRE! Pizza slices are topped with fresh and occasionally-unexpected ingredients like arugula and carrot shavings. Just recounting this experience is making us hungry for another slice.

Shit we love: Sriracha Vodka

By: Jacob Koffler / December 5, 2013 / No Comments /

UV_Sriracha_Bottle Sriracha is in trouble.

First, a judge ruled that Huy Fong Food’s Southern California Sriracha plant must shut down due to neighbor’s complaints that the smell caused headaches. Then, Dining Services implemented a rule barring the usage of spicy with sauces on anything but spicy withs. Say goodbye to your divine 1:30 a.m. Sriracha and fries.

But, just when we thought all was lost, in swoops Phillips Distilling Company to save the day. This ~~insane and delusional~~ genius company decided enough was enough. Someone needed to combine college students’ two favorite liquids. Introducing…UV Sriracha Vodka.

The visionary director of research and development at Phillips, Jim Aune, describes the best pair since peanut and jelly as a “blend of chili peppers, garlic and vegetables.” Sounds like the perfect pre-hook up drink to me! While everyone is probably dying to drink that enticing blend straight, Aune suggests adding it to a bloody mary or any other savory drink.

Amuse-Bouche: Sweet Berry Yogurt

By: Katie Bright / September 20, 2013 / No Comments /

“Soon” is now upon us.

Last night I ventured to Sweet Berry Yogurt, Wickenden’s newest addition and Providence’s latest player in the froyo game. The new shop is quite late to the national frozen yogurt movement, which arguably originated with the mass openings of franchises such as Red Mango, Pinkberry, and my personal middle school hangout, Tasti-D-Lite. However, in the movement’s most recent years, its new frozen yogurt hotspots tend to be self-serve joints with overwhelming toppings bars and per-ounce pricing that can really make dents in the wallets of those with little self-control or “little-kid-in-the-candy-store” mentalities. Although the froyo movement may be on its way out of style, and despite pressed juice’s (which is actually healthful) growing monopoly in the lucrative “health food” market, I still enjoy a cup of ersatz “yogurt” just as much (or maybe more than) the next person. I decided to drag two of my friends to Sweet Berry for an après dinner treat.

As I walked into the alarmingly-lit Sweet Berry, I passed a bouquet of wilted balloons tied to faux Knoll Risom chairs, which beat FroyoWorld’s benches with views of the bus tunnel. The interior was the same as that of its competitors—astonishingly clean and decorated with a cheesy and cheap mix of mid-century and contemporary décor.

Next, I asked for a tester, which any froyo veteran knows is available but not advertised (#lifehacker). I chose to test “low-fat” peanut butter, which to my surprise was creamy, decently flavorful, and relatively similar to the real deal. Then, I pulled the lever on “non-fat” cookies and cream, which I struggled to taste as its soupy consistency immediately melted into the depths of my tester cup. I surrendered and ended my short-lived sampling spree. Continue Reading

Fusion Gourmet is the newest food truck on the block

By: Katie Bright / September 19, 2013 / 1 Comment /

It should come as no surprise to us that there’s yet another addition to the College Hill food truck scene. Meet Fusion Gourmet, a spiffy and flavorful set of wheels that opened its windows at the end of May 2013. BlogDH reached out to the chefs, Jason Vargas and Nina Vongsomphou, to get the essential answers to the essential questions… and the inside dish.

Why did Jason and Nina open Fugo?

The idea of opening their truck came about when they wanted to open a restaurant and share their vision of food with others. However, the finances required to open a restaurant were not feasible, so they jumped on the food truck bandwagon.

What’s the inspiration behind Fugo’s menu?

The boyfriend and girlfriend duo both share a strong passion for trying new food. In fact, before opening the truck they trekked out to California to check out the booming food truck scene. However, their menu is heavily influenced by their personal backgrounds: the flavors in their dishes combine Jason’s Dominican and Nina’s Laotian backgrounds. Thus, their menu items such as Korean braised beef with cabbage mango slaw and kimchee and shrimp tempura wraps served with roasted corn salsa and avocado slices (Ed.-Droooooool) are a play on fusion cuisine, which blends Latin and Asian influences. Also enticing is the “filling” menu from which customers can select from a unique variation on beef, chicken, pork, or tofu to eat as either two tacos, a burrito, or bowl. Continue Reading

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