Food Posts

What are the Different Dining Options at the University of Texas

20 09 , 2019 No Comments

The University of Texas Housing and Dining support two different kinds of on-campus dining – A la Carte and Buffet Meal Services.

The University of Texas dining hall makes sure that they offer a diverse food selection that will suit their students’ tastes, preferences, and lifestyles.

Where are the Buffet Meal services offered?

Dining Options at the University of Texas

There are two all-you-can-eat dining areas — Kinsolving Dining and 2nd Floor Jester Dining (J2).

1. Kinsolving Dining: Also known as Kins Dining, this University of Texas dining hall offers buffet-style, extensive dining experience with entrée and side specials like baked potatoes, pasta, soups, salads, hamburgers, and all kinds of desserts. For breakfast, they offer egg whites, breakfast tacos, omelets, and Longhorn waffles. They are located at 2605 Whitis Avenue. You can check their daily menu here.

2. 2/F Jester Dining: Also known as J2, this dining hall offers a modern take on traditional buffet meals. Their menu constants include pizza, soups, salads, and burgers. On top of that, you can create your pasta or macaroni dish with their choices of toppings, sauces, and pasta. They are located at 201 East, 21st Street. You can check their daily menu here.

Where are UT’s A la Carte Meal Services offered?

Dining Options at the University of Texas

Numerous stores are offering a la carte meals in UT, and they are the following:

1. Jester City Limits: This food shop located on the ground floor of the Jester Center (JCM), offers salads, sandwiches, burgers, and gluten-free food for the students. They also cater for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night food service.

2. Jester City Market: They are also on the ground floor of JCM, and they offer grab-and-go sandwiches and breakfast tacos.

3. Jester Java: This is the coffee lovers’ go-to place for Starbucks coffee, Frappuccino, and freshly baked goodies. They are also located on the ground floor of JCM.

4. Jesta Pizza: If you’re craving for pizza, hot breadsticks, Panini, or calzone, then Jesta Pizza is the best place to go to.

5. Bliss: If you want some grab-and-go food like noodle bowls and sushi, come by Bliss. They also offer vegetable juices, fruit juices, and bubble tea.

6. Cypress Bend Cafe: This is a combination of a grill and a convenience store that offers dinner, lunch, and breakfast options. You can get your breakfast taco, yogurt bar, fruit bar, or pastries from them. For lunch and dinner, you can choose from pizza, salads, burritos, burgers, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

7. Kins Coffee: This is Kinsolving Hall’s newest venue where you can grab your favorite freshly-baked pastries, piping hot Starbucks coffee, or a cold Frappuccino.

8. Kin’s Market: This is also located in Kinsolving Hall and offers grab-and-go food items, groceries, school supplies, topo chico, yogurt, cage-free eggs, and fresh hummus. They also sell ice cream, chef salad, sandwiches, burgers, doughnuts, bagels, and breakfast tacos.

9. Littlefield Patio Cafe: This cafe serves food for breakfast, lunch, and early dinner. They use fresh and quality ingredients in all the food on their menu. Students can also order a customized taco, breakfast doughnut, pastry, or bagel. On top of that, students can also try their healthy and delicious deli sandwiches for dinner.

Check out Campus Reel and let Christian Coffey take you on a UT food tour.

Tips On How To Make Your Own Green Smoothies

10 09 , 2019 No Comments

Smoothies are a great way to get some of your five a day. They’re an even better way to get some healthy goodness into children. They’re easy to make, and they taste amazing.

You can make your smoothies even more healthy and delicious by growing your own ingredients.

How To Make Your Own Green Smoothies

5 Green Smoothie Tips To Help You Get Started

  • Stick to the 60/40 formula. When you start making green smoothies for the first time, avoid just throwing things into your blender. If you do this it will probably taste bitter before you even get started. To save you from those smoothie-fails, use measuring cups while you are still in the learning stages of making green smoothies.
How To Make Your Own Green Smoothies
  • It is also important that you blend your smoothie in stages in order to prevent leafy chunks. Having to chew on a smoothie is nobody’s idea of fun. To arrive at smooth green smoothies, blend the liquid-base and the leafy greens first. Spinach and kale are a great addition here – you can find instructions on Gardener’s Path on how to grow either. From here you can add your fruits before you start blending again.
  • Freeze a few fruits and avoid using ice in your smoothies. If you like your smoothies really cold, freeze a few fruit favorites like pineapple, grapes, berries or ripe bananas. This is also an excellent method to save fruits that are already ripe. It is also possible to freeze leafy greens, just make sure you use a bag that is freezer-safe. Add the frozen green directly to your blender (don’t defrost your leafy greens).
Tips To Make Your Own Green Smoothies
  • Use natural and raw sweeteners. You can add fruits that are naturally sweet to any green smoothie that is tasting “too green” or bitter. When you use fruits that are naturally sweet like pitted dates, pears, apples, bananas, or mangos, there is no need to add processed sugars or artificial sweeteners.
  • Make your smoothies in advance for the ideal meal on the go. Many people are in a rush in the mornings, and this is why a green smoothie is classified as one of the healthiest types of fast foods for individuals that are always rushing around to get things done. Prepare your green smoothie the night before and keep it in the fridge (you can keep your smoothies for up to 2 days in the fridge). Make sure you cover the smoothie with an airtight-lid to prevent oxidation and to retain the nutrients and freshness. Just before you are about to drink it, make sure you give the container a shake before opening it.

Freshly Baked Mooncakes from Bing Liang Bakery #Review

09 09 , 2019 29 Comments

Before sharing this Mooncakes review I have to share a story behind it. As always I love story telling before any review. 🙂 Story telling is part of my blogging journey. That’s why this Bing Liang Bakery Mooncakes review post too comes with a life story. 🙂

Living in Singapore this is the season I love most! Why? Simply it is time to celebrate Mid-Autumn festival or Mooncake festival. Among other activities such as lanterns, mooncakes take an important place during this season.

This is how I became a huge fan of Mooncakes! 🙂

Bing Liang Bakery Mooncakes

Working in Singapore, this is the season our offices are filled with different flavours of mooncakes. Other than delicious mooncakes, I love this season for another reason. The mooncake box! 🙂

Always mooncakes come in pretty boxes. Not only me, my colleagues too loved to keep one beautiful Mooncake box to organize small items till the next year Mooncake festival.

Now as a self-employed professional, I didn’t even imagine of tasting delicious mooncakes this year. But it was the right time when I received these mooncakes from Bing Liang Bakery!

I am really happy because this year I didn’t miss the chance to taste delicious Mooncakes from a well reputed bakery.

So, let’s read my experience and review of Mooncakes from Bing Liang Bakery.

Mooncakes from Bing Liang Bakery

Bing Liang Bakery Mooncakes

I wanted to taste few different flavours. Luckily Bing Liang Bakery offers their customers to choose flavours and customize their mooncakes. This is a great opportunity for anyone who like to sample few flavours before the final order placement.

The flavours I ordered are White lotus, Red bean paste, Green tea and Durian flavour. All these are my favourtie Mooncake floavours with experience in tasting this traditional delight each year since I came to Singapore.(Since 2008)

Bing Liang Bakery Mooncakes

What is Bing Liang Bakery?

Well if I try to explain the well reputed Bing Liang Bakery and its Mooncakes to those who are Singaporeans, it sounds like I am going to do something not necessary. Because Bing Liang Bakery is well known among Singaporeans for its handmade delicacies. But if you are a new resident in Singapore, you may not know what Bing Liang Bakery is.

Bing Liang Bakery started their business in 1998 in Muar, Johor using their family recipes. Over the years baked goodies from Bing Liang Bakery become popular among people in both Johor and Singapore. As a result, now people in Singapore can order Mooncakes and other baked goodies online from Bing Liang Bakery online store.

The Taste, Experience and Review

Well, as I mentioned I received 4 different mooncake flavours. These were nicely packed in a pretty box with labels on each mooncake to identify the flavor. Therefore it was easier to taste each mooncake by exploring its flavor.

Bing Liang Bakery Mooncakes

The Lotus flavoured mooncakes are simply yummy. Not overly sweet. In each bite I could taste the lotus seeds which I loved.

Durian flavor mooncake is my next favourite flavor. Although it is a Durian Mooncake, it is not overly flavoured with Durian taste. Simply tasteful and you cannot stop tasting another bite.

Green tea flavour mooncake is my next favourite. It gives the strong flavor of green tea together with crunchiness of white lotus seeds. Wonderful experience during the teatime!

Red bean paste is my all-time favourite mooncake flovour which second to only white lotus seeds. The mooncake from Bing Liang Bakery was just nice. Not only me, it was the favourite of my kid too.

Bing Liang Bakery Mooncakes

After all, I like all these flavours. The mooncakes are fresh and flavourful.

These handmade mooncakes are easy to order. They deliver within 60 minutes of your order. Free delivery for orders above $88.

Visit Bing Liang Bakery to read more details about the mooncakes.There are different flavours you can choose.Check www.bingliang.com.sg

Disclaimer: I received these Mooncakes for review purpose.However all opinions are mine.

Recent reviews from the blog:

Top Tips For Roasting A Whole Chicken

11 06 , 2019 No Comments

Whole roasted chicken is among the few gratifying and comforting foods you can prepare. The aromas from a roasting chicken are not only inviting but also scream good news to everyone in the house. The only ingredients required to prepare a roasted chicken include pepper, salt, garlic, and a few other herbs. The key to a perfectly roasted chicken isn’t however with the spices, but with the technique used. A whole chicken is very affordable, and so is the roasting process. Any leftovers from the chicken make an excellent second meal, hence no wastage.  Although you can choose to a rotisserie chicken, you don’t have to be a master chef to master the art of roasting a full chicken. Here are a few tips and tricks.

Tips For Roasting A Whole Chicken

1. Dry equals crispy

You can start with a 4- or 5-pound frying or broiling chicken. Pat dry the chicken both inside and out with a paper towel.  It would be advisable to open the chicken packaging the night or morning before, then leave it uncovered in the fridge in readiness for preparation.

2. You’ll need some salt

Mix a tablespoon of table salt with pepper, then season the chicken generously on all sides. A tablespoonful of salt will be enough for a 5-pound chicken. In addition to seasoning, salt acts as brine, which helps keep the bird moist while in the oven.

3. Add more seasonings

For a deliciously tasty chicken, consider adding more seasonings to the mix. Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage, and minced garlic provide perfect seasoning for your chicken. Mix all these in a bowl, then rub the contents on and inside the bird. It would be advisable to season the bird then let it sit for several hours for a boost in flavor. Some people prefer their chcken nice and spicy, create a rub with your favourite spices and leave it to flavour the meat. Here is a lovely recipe for tandoori chicken – a spiced chicken meal from marigoldmaison.com

Tips For Roasting A Whole Chicken

4. Season the cavity as well

Do not forget the bird’s cavity; slice up some onions, lemons, bay leaves, or an apple then place them inside the cavity. These will help add flavor and release moisture inside the chicken, making it tastier. Be sure to remove all the contents from the cavity before carving.

5. Tuck and truss

You’ll need to tuck the winds and tie (truss) the legs to keep everything secured and in place. This also makes the chicken more presentable while serving. Trussing and tucking is essential for it also helps keep the breast moist as the chicken roasts.

6. Baste, or not

This depends on how you want the roasted chicken to be. If looking for a crispy chicken, you should then avoid basting as this only leaves the chicken soft on the outside. If you, however, wish to have soft skin all around, you can then dot the chicken with butter, then brush it with oil before putting it in the oven. Basting and brushing however mean you have to open the oven door repeatedly. For this reason, it’s best to leave the chicken undisturbed in the oven until done.

7. Cook slow but steady

Unless you are in a hurry, cook the chicken at 350ºF for between 15 and 20 minutes per pound. This helps keep the white meat moist while ensuring everything (including the dark meat) is cooked perfectly.

8. Sheet pan, roasting pan, etc.

The traditional roasting pan will be enough to keep the chicken elevated as well as allow the bottom part to be crisp. You can also use a shallow sheet pan to facilitate crisping of the sides as well.  A large cast iron skillet is however my preferred option for it is good at retaining heat.

9. Check for doneness

Always avoid poking the bird too often when checking for doneness.  To prevent this, use a timer to help you keep track of when the chicken will be ready. You can also use a thermometer to check if the chicken is cooked well. Insert the thermometer in the breast or any other thick part. If the thermometer registers 165 degrees F, it is ready. You could also use a sharp knife to check for doneness as well. Insert the blade on the thickest part to see if the juices are clear. Be sure to avoid the bones when doing this.

10. Let it rest

If the chicken is done, set it aside for at least 15 minutes. This allows juices to redistribute as the chicken cools. You can then enjoy your perfectly roasted chicken.

Also read this post on tips to make your own green smoothies.

Enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner Delivered to Your Door with Send a Meal

17 10 , 2017 23 Comments

It can be a roasted turkey dinner or a full course ham dinner, having Thanksgiving dinner delivered to your doorstep can be the best way to spend your time with your loved ones. May be you want to enjoy time with  cooking a little bit at your kitchen, but you don’t want to take it as a stressful dinner night which you do everything alone. Whatever the reason it can be; Thanksgiving meal delivered by Send a Meal will be the best idea for you to celebrate your thanksgiving day with family and friends.

 

Thanksgiving dinner delivery

 

While thanksgiving is really exciting and entertaining together with the holiday you receive to enjoy with your family, thanksgiving meal plays a major role in the celebration. Even if you look for a single turkey for your thanksgiving meal then that can be easily arrange with Send a Meal as they offer different thanksgiving meal delivery options.

Enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner Delivered to Your Door with Send a Meal

Below are some ideas which you can add for your thanksgiving dinner table. With such finger licking good food you will sure enjoy awesome and delicious meal together with your family. And don’t forget to thank those who inspired you with such a meal as a thanksgiving gift. You can easily send Thanksgiving gift to your loved ones using the meal delivery options of Send a Meal!

Thanksgiving Dinner Delivered

Here are some of the thanksgiving meal delivery options offered by Send a Meal to save your day!

Roasted Turkey Dinner

You can’t forget a Turkey Dinner when it is time to celebrate the Thanksgiving Day. With Send a Meal you can easily order home coked roasted Turkey dinner with superior quality. If you like some cooking at home, then prepare some sides to pair with this roasted turkey dinner! This meal includes Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole and Gravy other than the roasted turkey breast.

Turkey and Pie Jubilee

Thanksgiving Dinner Delivered

Turkey and Pie Jubilee by Send a Meal,image credits : sendameal.com

Just imagine the combination of this Smoked Turkey and Southern Pecan Pie! With a ready to eat dessert you can easily arrange a beautiful and inviting thanksgiving dinner table when you order Turkey and Pie jubilee combo!

Boneless Smoked Ham

If you look for different meal option for thanksgiving dinner which is not roasted turkey or if you look for affordable diner menu, then why don’t you try the boneless smoked ham meal? With this traditional smoked ham together with sweet and juicy flavors you will have a wonderful dinner together with your family on this Thanksgiving Day!

How to place your order?

Ordering your thanksgiving meal is really easy with Send a Meal. Simply visit sendameal.com and select the thanksgiving meal ideas that you want on your diner table. They offer fast Thanksgiving dinner delivery service across all the states.

Thanksgiving dinner delivery will be with high quality and special packaging. Your dinner will arrive in cooler boxes together with dry ice. Simply thaw in refrigerator and bake according to package instructions to serve the best thanksgiving dinner to your family. These precooked meals will ensure you to enjoy your Thanksgiving day with the loved ones!

So,why wait? Enjoy Thanksgiving dinner delivered to your door with Send a Meal!

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Food Safety Tips for Children

01 08 , 2017 4 Comments

Everyone is at risk of getting food poisoning. However, babies and toddlers have a higher risk and once young children get food poisoning, they have a hard time getting well. You can always avoid food poisoning with the following simple steps.

Food Safety Tips for Children

Preparing And Handling Food Safely

Young children are vulnerable to food poisoning because they don’t have strong immune systems to fight any foodborne infections. According to CDC, children under 3 years of age have a higher rate of hospitalization than those above 3 years of age. That’s why you need to prepare and handle food safely when feeding younger children.

 

When feeding young children, you need to avoid the following:

 

  • Unpasteurized dairy products such as milk or cheese
  • Foods that contain raw eggs or partially cooked or raw eggs
  • Undercooked or raw poultry or meat
  • Undercooked or raw shellfish or fish
  • Raw sprouts
  • Unpasteurized juices

 

Other foods you should avoid giving your child include the following:

 

  • Honey – Give it your child after they turn 1. It contains spores of toxic bacterium that causes botulism, a very sever foodborne illness. The bacterium is often found in soil and children under the age of 1 can’t process it properly.

You should also avoid feeding babies their food right from the jar. Double dipping introduces bacteria from the child’s mouth into the food through the spoon. The bacteria might grow in the leftovers causing food poisoning. Rather, it’s advisable to remove the food from the jar and place it in a feeding dish and feed your child from it. Any jars of baby food that haven’t come into contact with the baby’s saliva should be capped and refrigerated under 40 degrees F or below.

 

Additionally, you should save:

  • Any opened strained fruits for 2 or 3 days
  • Strained meats for 1 day
  • Meat and vegetable combinations for 2 days

Note that, unopened jars of baby food have the same shelf-life as other types of canned food.

 

Choking Hazards

Food Safety Tips for Children

Pre-schoolers, toddlers and babies have a very high risk of choking. That’s because their teeth are not strong enough to chew tough food into smaller and digestible particles. To prevent your child from choking, you should avoid giving children under 4 years of age the following:

 

  • Small Hard Foods – Popcorn, nuts, dry flake cereal, pretzels, seeds, chips, raw peas, raw carrots, raw peeled apples, raw carrots, cherries with pits, cherry tomatoes, pear slices and whole kernel corn. Break these foods into smaller pieces for toddlers rather than giving them whole pieces.

 

  • Slippery Foods – Poultry, large pieces of meats, grapes, cough drops or lollipops. You should chop meat, grapes, poultry or any other food into smaller pieces.

 

  • Sticky Foods – Such as gum, marshmallows, peanut butter, jelly beans, taffy, gummy candies, fruit leathers or peanut butter.

 

You should always practice safety at all times when feeding your children. You should give toddlers finger foods such as cheese, bagels, banana pieces or graham crackers strips. You should always watch young children when they are eating. You should force your children to sit down when drinking or eating rather than running, lying down or walking. Encourage your children to take their time and chew their food properly. You should always look for warning labels on all foods, especially those with high choking risks. You should be prepared to provide first aid whenever your child is choking.

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