YumSugar

Noteworthy Nibbles - March 2-9, 2010

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:00:26 -0800

A low-key, laid-back week is exactly what the doctor ordered, especially before another raucous holiday hits home. Enjoy a cold one in Tempe, AZ, and Bryan, TX - or, if you're in the Midwest, learn about crafting maple syrup at the National Maple Syrup Festival. Where will you find yourself eating and drinking away the week? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Charleston, SC: Charleston Wine & Food Festival - March 4-7
Plant City, FL: Florida Strawberry Festival - March 4-14
Shell Beach, CA: World of Pinot Noir - March 5-6
Dallas, TX: Savor Dallas - March 5-6
Albuquerque, NM: Fier Foods and BBQ Show - March 5-7
Bryan, TX: Brazos Valley Ballpark Beer Fest - March 6
Orlando, FL: Festival of Chocolate - March 6-7
Tempe, AZ: Great Arizona Beer Festival - March 6-7
Medora, IN: National Maple Syrup Festival - March 6-7

In the know about a fabulous event? Spread the word in our Noteworthy Nibbles group in the YumSugar Community!

Chocolate Milk - what's your favorite syrup ?

DarkRayne — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 10:24:21 -0700

A nice glass of chocolate milk always hits the spot. Just mix together some milk and your favorite chocolate syrup. Which one to choose ?

1. Bosco

2. Ovaltine

3. Fox's U-bet

4. Hershey's Syrup

5. Yoohoo Syrup

6. Nesquik Syrup

cutting out artificial sweeteners! Tips and benefits of doing so?

Hollywoodjess — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:02:12 -0800

I have been on a revamp of lifestyle since May of 2008....I lost about 60 pounds...I keep teeter tottering but haven't met my goal yet so I am finally--after holidays and what not--going to buckle down and get to business.
I am HUGE on dessert but since many are high in fat and calories I opt for Fat free stuff like Breyers ice cream and skinny cows. The only thing is I know they have sweeteners. I also like to use Sugar Free chocolate syrup which has splenda....

I cut them out of my coffee about six months ago...so dessert is really my only problem.

What are some good chocolaty delights to turn to and also, what are some negative cons to using these sweeteners when trying to lose weight. I have heard they make your appetite grow and cause bloating.

Maxine's Great advice

Monique Marie — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:54:22 -0800

A minister decided that a visual demonstration   would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.
         Four worms were placed into four separate jars.  The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.
The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.  The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.      At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:                The first worm in alcohol - Dead.     The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead.      Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead.      Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.    So the Minister asked the congregation - "What can you learn from this demonstration?"

   Maxinewas sitting in the back, quickly raised her hand and said,"As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!" Don't you just love little old Maxine?

Hazards of the most popular foods

Monique Marie — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:32:02 -0800

1. Hamburgers

Considered a "high risk" food because of the poor health standards under which they are manufactured. The time consuming process for making processed meats creates high bacteria counts and putrefaction of the meat which need to be treated with chemicals. Putrefaction causes meat to turn green which is then dyed with red chemicals to appear fresh. Unless marked otherwise, hamburger will always contain red dyes.
Because burger parts all come from the animal, "pure beef" can be used on the label! Most hamburger contain the flavour enhancer, MSG (monosodium glutamate) which causes headaches, allergic reactions and more. MSG is a chemical used to fatten up laboratory animals and evidence suggests it will ultimately make you fat when consumed.
The beef industry is the largest user of antibiotics in the world to offset the dangerous bacteria housed in its meats. This has resulted in the growing resistance to antibiotics. Ground beef is more likely to harbour life-threatening E-coli than any other food. Hamburgers are the single biggest food item that inflicts the most damage on the American diet "Billions served" billions spent on doctor visits and hospital bills.
The hormones fed to cattle can make you fat through meat consumption.
A Cheeseburger contains more than 100% of your TOTAL daily recommended fat intake! Burger condiments like pickle, lettuce, tomato, etc. are all treated with cancer causing chemical sulfites that are used to maintain a false freshness in the vegetables. Most burgers contain 1090 mg of sodium! (45% of daily recommended Daily Value) and can promote water retention.

2. Hot Dogs

Like hamburgers, hot dogs are considered a "high risk" food because of the poor health standards under which they are manufactured. The time consuming process for making processed meats creates high bacteria counts and putrefaction in the meat which need to be treated with chemicals. Putrefaction makes meat turn green which is then dyed with red chemicals to appear fresh.
Because hot dog parts all come from the animal, "pure beef" or "100% turkey" can be used on the label! All hot dogs contain the flavour enhancer, MSG (monosodium glutamate) which causes headaches and allergic reactions. MSG is a chemical used to fatten up laboratory animals and will ultimately make you fat when consumed.
Hot dogs have nitrites which are thought to cause stomach cancer, leukemia, brain tumours, and bladder cancer. Fillers and non-meat binders used to hold hot dog meat together can be anything from cereal, non-fat dry milk, or soy which adds more carbohydrates and processed ingredients) Synthetic collagen casings are used to form the hot dogs. Highly carcinogenic. Contains up to 40% of its content in
undisclosed saturated fats.

3. French Fries

French fries are very toxic. In order to make French fries, they must be cooked at high temperatures which cause the chemical, acrylimide to be released. Acrylimides are a known cancer causing agent that also causes nerve damage.
Potatoes are grown in the ground and have a higher pesticide absorption level than almost any other food product. Fries are cooked in oxidized oil that is re-used for weeks at a time!
Potatoes have a very high glycemic index meaning it turns to sugar very quickly in the body. Eating a baked potato (or equivalent quantity of French fries) is the sugar equivalent of a large piece of chocolate cake!

4. Oreo Cookies: THE NUMBER ONE COOKIE

(6 cookies = serving size)
Predominantly made up of 23 grams of straight-line sugar.
Chocolate is LAST ingredient listed which means chocolate is the least of the ingredients. 370 empty calories with almost no nutritional benefits, you could eat 2 whole chicken breasts for the same amount of calories! 6 cookies have 12 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat and 40 carbs, more than 50% of your daily carbohydrate allowance in only 6 cookies.
Oreo cookies will set you up for craving more sugar within 3 hours or less. "Natural flavours" are manufactured chemicals to make Oreos taste like great chocolate cookies.
Highly processed foods have these flavour enhancers which are nothing more than carcinogenic chemicals with no natural flavours of their own. High sugar content. Sugar depletes our immune system, creates lots of inflammation and free radicals in the body.

5. Pizza

Commercial pizzas are made exclusively of 5 genetically modified foods: Cheese "food" (Contains only 10% cheese - it cannot even be called real cheese) Enriched white flour which has been bleached of natural vitamins and minerals but has been "enriched" by adding back a minuscule amount of synthetic vitamins. Tomato sauce made from tomato-like substances that produce their own pesticides, IN YOU
Wheat in the pizza crust is genetically modified. Contains cottonseed oil. Cotton is not a "food", therefore it can be sprayed with anything farmers want. The seed carries most of the poison of the cotton plant.
Pizza is baked at such a high temperature; the crust will form acrylimides which is a known cancer causing agent that can also cause nerve damage. Pepperoni & sausage toppings are "high risk" processed meats which add lots of nitrites, chemicals, preservatives, and saturated fats.

6. Soda - Soft Drinks - Pop

The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. On the Ph scale, it is very acidic and can dissolve a nail in about 4 days. High acid content in the body makes it very difficult to lose weight. Soda will leach the calcium out of your bones and promote osteoporosis.
There are 10-12 teaspoons of empty calorie sugar in one can of soda. Diet sodas with artificial sweeteners will promote sugar cravings because sweeteners are "sweeter" than sugar. Colorings used in sodas are cancer-causing.
Soda is called "liquid candy" because of the high sugar content. Like drinking a candy bar! High fructose corn syrup, a major ingredient: Is Store d in the body as fat.

7. Chicken Tenders

(Usual serving size is 6)
Made from unusable chicken parts, rarely made from whole white meat. A typical 340 calorie serving is typically 50% fat. Heavily breaded for substance. Very high carbohydrate content.
Carcinogenic acrylimides are released in the high temperature frying. Can cause nerve damage and cancer. Contains the flavor enhancer, MSG (monosodium glutamate) which causes headaches and allergic reactions.
MSG is a chemical used to fatten up laboratory animals and will ultimately make you fat when consumed. Contains phosphates which make the body acidic, making it impossible to burn fat properly. You will Store fat and not lose weight. Some chicken nuggets contain aluminum which is toxic to the brain and poisons the metabolism.
Deep fried in oxidized oil that is re-used for weeks at a time!

8. Ice cream

High in fat content. 1 serving (usually 4 ounces!) can provide as much as 50% of your recommended fat for the day. High in carbohydrates. 1 serving is almost 40% of your total recommended carb intake for the day.
High in sugar which promotes sugar cravings and causes skin to wrinkle. Full of hydrogenated and trans-fats which are unnatural and elevate cholesterol clog arteries create free radicals (which may cause cancer)
Hormones put into cows to increase milk production will slow your metabolism, and can cause breast and ovarian tumours, cysts and cancer.

9. Donuts

The average donut contains approximately 300 calories.
One donut provides more than 50% of your recommended daily carbohydrate intake.
High in salt content which will promote water retention.
Donuts are deep fried in oxidized oil that is re-used for weeks at a time! Oils at high temperatures developed rancidity and free radicals which can poison and slow your metabolism, seriously threaten your health and has high sugar content which promotes sugar cravings and ages skin.

10. Potato Chips: The # 1 Snack Food

North Americans today consume more potato chips than any other people in the world. As a world food, potatoes are second in human consumption only to rice. It takes 4 pounds of potatoes to make 1 pound of potato chips. Very calorie dense where a small 2 oz. bag has over 300 calories.
Potato chips are deep fried in oxidized oil that is re-used for weeks at a time! Deep fried at high temperatures which cause the chemical, acrylimide to be released. Acrylimides are a known cancer causing agent that also causes nerve damage.
When you eat 1 single serving bag of potato chips you may be eating up to 500 times more acrylamide than the maximum level allowed in drinking water. High in hidden saturated fats. High sodium/salt content promotes water retention.
Healthy chips? Like those containing olestra can be more dangerous to your health than regular chips.

What is a Calorie?

Monique Marie — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:32:51 -0800

What is a Calorie?

A calorie is a unit of energy. We tend to associate calories with food, but they apply to anything containing energy. For example, a gallon (about 4 liters) of gasoline contains about 31,000,000 calories.
Specifically, a calorie is the amount of energy, or heat, it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). One calorie is equal to 4.184 joules, a common unit of energy used in the physical sciences.
Most of us think of calories in relation to food, as in "This can of soda has 200 calories." It turns out that the calories on a food package are actually kilocalories (1,000 calories = 1 kilocalorie). The word is sometimes capitalized to show the difference, but usually not. A food calorie contains 4,184 joules. A can of soda containing 200 food calories contains 200,000 regular calories, or 200 kilocalories. A gallon of gasoline contains 31,000 kilocalories.
The same applies to exercise -- when a fitness chart says you burn about 100 calories for every mile you jog, it means 100 kilocalories. For the duration of this article, when we say "calorie," we mean "kilocalorie."

What Calories Do

Human beings need energy to survive -- to breathe, move, pump blood -- and they acquire this energy from food.

Caloric Breakdown

1 g Carbohydrates: 4 calories

1 g Protein: 4 calories

1 g Fat: 9 calories

The number of calories in a food is a measure of how much potential energy that food possesses. A gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories, a gram of protein has 4 calories, and a gram of fat has 9 calories. Foods are a compilation of these three building blocks. So if you know how many carbohydrates, fats and proteins are in any given food, you know how many calories, or how much energy, that food contains.

If we look at the nutritional label on the back of a packet of maple-and-brown-sugar oatmeal, we find that it has 160 calories. This means that if we were to pour this oatmeal into a dish, set the oatmeal on fire and get it to burn completely (which is actually pretty tricky), the reaction would produce 160 kilocalories (remember: food calories are kilocalories) -- enough energy to raise the temperature of 160 kilograms of water 1 degree Celsius. If we look closer at the nutritional label, we see that our oatmeal has 2 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein and 32 grams of carbohydrates, producing a total of 162 calories (apparently, food manufacturers like to round down). Of these 162 calories, 18 come from fat (9 cal x 2 g), 16 come from protein (4 cal x 4 g) and 128 come from carbohydrates (4 cal x 32 g).
Our bodies "burn" the calories in the oatmeal through metabolic processes, by which enzymes break the carbohydrates into glucose and other sugars, the fats into glycerol and fatty acids and the proteins into amino acids (see How Food Works for details). These molecules are then transported through the bloodstream to the cells, where they are either absorbed for immediate use or sent on to the final stage of metabolism in which they are reacted with oxygen to release their stored energy.

BMR

Just how many calories do our cells need to function well? The number is different for every person. You may notice on the nutritional labels of the foods you buy that the "percent daily values" are based on a 2,000 calorie diet -- 2,000 calories is a rough average of what a person needs to eat in a day, but your body might need more or less than 2,000 calories. Height, weight, gender, age and activity level all affect your caloric needs. There are three main factors involved in calculating how many calories your body needs per day:

Basal metabolic rate
Physical activity
Thermic effect of food

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy your body needs to function at rest. This accounts for about 60 to 70 percent of calories burned in a day and includes the energy required to keep the heart beating, the lungs breathing, the kidneys functioning and the body temperature stabilized. In general, men have a higher BMR than women. One of the most accurate methods of estimating your basal metabolic rate is the Harris-Benedict formula:

Adult male: 66 + (6.3 x body weight in lbs.) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)
Adult female: 655 + (4.3 x weight in lbs.) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

(Note: The first number in the equation for females is, in fact, 655. Strange but true.)

Your Caloric Needs

As you now know, there are three main factors involved in calculating how many calories your body needs per day: your BMR, physical activity and the thermic effect of food.
The second factor in the equation, physical activity, consumes the next highest number of calories. Physical activity includes everything from making your bed to jogging. Walking, lifting, bending, and just generally moving around burns calories, but the number of calories you burn in any given activity depends on your body weight. Click here for a great table listing the calories expended in various physical activities and for various weights.
The thermic effect of food is the final addition to the number of calories your body burns. This is the amount of energy your body uses to digest the food you eat -- it takes energy to break food down to its basic elements in order to be used by the body. To calculate the number of calories you expend in this process, multiply the total number of calories you eat in a day by 0.10, or 10 percent. If you need some help determining how many calories you eat in a day, check out these sites:

Calories, Fat and Exercise

So what happens if you take in more or fewer calories than your body burns? You either gain or lose fat, respectively. An accumulation of 3,500 extra calories is stored by your body as 1 pound of fat -- fat is the body's way of saving energy for a rainy day. If, on the other hand, you burn 3,500 more calories than you eat, whether by exercising more or eating less, your body converts 1 pound of its stored fat into energy to make up for the deficit.
One thing about exercise is that it raises your metabolic rate not only while you're huffing and puffing on the treadmill. Your metabolism takes a while to return to its normal pace. It continues to function at a higher level; your body burns an increased number of calories for about two hours after you've stopped exercising.
Lots of people wonder if it matters where their calories come from. At its most basic, if we eat exactly the number of calories that we burn and if we're only talking about weight, the answer is no -- a calorie is a calorie. A protein calorie is no different from a fat calorie -- they are simply units of energy. As long as you burn what you eat, you will maintain your weight; and as long as you burn more than you eat, you'll lose weight.
But if we're talking nutrition, it definitely matters where those calories originate. Carbohydrates and proteins are healthier sources of calories than fats. Although our bodies do need a certain amount of fat to function properly -- an adequate supply of fat allows your body to absorb the vitamins you ingest -- an excess of fat can have serious health consequences. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that a maximum of 30 percent of our daily calories come from fat. So, if you eat 2,000 calories a day, that's a maximum of 600 calories from fat, or 67 grams of fat, per day. However, many doctors and nutritionists now set the maximum number of fat calories at 25 percent of our daily caloric intake. That's 56 grams of fat per day for a 2,000 calorie diet.

Taken from Health magazine

FoodServing SizeCaloriesFat Grams

Canola oil	1 cup	1,674	218
Peanut butter	1 cup	1,520	129
Cheddar cheese	1 cup	531	44
Granola	1 cup	270	8
Chocolate syrup	1 cup	837	3
Sugar	1 cup	774	0
Coca-Cola	1 can	140	0

FoodServing SizeCaloriesFat Grams

Canola oil	1 cup	1,674	218
Peanut butter	1 cup	1,520	129
Cheddar cheese	1 cup	531	44
Granola	1 cup	270	8
Chocolate syrup	1 cup	837	3
Sugar	1 cup	774	0
Coca-Cola	1 can	140	0

High Calorie foods from fast food resturants

Monique Marie — Tue, 05 May 2009 23:20:48 -0700

White Castle Chocolate Shake - Large (Louisville region)
Calories: 1680
Nathan's Fish N Chips
Calories: 1537
Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger
Calories: 1520
Hardee's Monster Thickburger
Calories: 1420
Dairy Queen Large Choc. Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard
Calories: 1320
Hardee's Double Bacon Cheese Thickburger
Calories: 1300
Dairy Queen Large Chocolate Malt
Calories: 1300
Nathan's Chicken Tender Platter
Calories: 1300
Jack In The Box OREO Cookie Ice Cream Shake (24oz)
Calories: 1290
Dairy Queen Chicken Strip Basket (6 piece)
Calories: 1270
Hardee's Double Thickburger
Calories: 1250
Burger King TRIPLE WHOPPER Sandwich With Cheese
Calories: 1230
Jack In The Box Chocolate Ice Cream Shake (24oz)
Calories: 1230
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Large (New Jersey region)
Calories: 1230
Hardee's Big Country Breakfast Platter - Breaded Pork Chop
Calories: 1220
Jack In The Box Strawberry Ice Cream Shake (24oz)
Calories: 1220
Jack In The Box Egg Nog Shake (24oz)
Calories: 1210
Nathan's FRENCH FRIES (SUPER SIZE)
Calories: 1188
White Castle Vanilla Shake - Large (New Jersey region)
Calories: 1180
Del Taco Macho Beef Burrito
Calories: 1170
McDonald's Chocolate Triple Thick Shake (32oz)
Calories: 1160
Hardee's Big Country Breakfast Platter - Country Steak
Calories: 1150
McDonald's Deluxe Breakfast (Large Size Biscuit) w/o Syrup & Margarine
Calories: 1140
Carl's Jr. Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar Burger
Calories: 1140
Hardee's Big Country Breakfast Platter - Chicken
Calories: 1140
White Castle Vanilla Shake - Large (Cincinnati region)
Calories: 1140
Burger King TRIPLE WHOPPER Sandwich
Calories: 1130
White Castle Chicken Rings (20)
Calories: 1130
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Large (Cincinnati region)
Calories: 1130
Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Six Dollar Burger
Calories: 1130
Dairy Queen Large Chocolate Shake
Calories: 1130
Jack In The Box Bacon 'n' Cheese Ciabatta Burger
Calories: 1120
Jack In The Box Sirloin Bacon 'n' Cheese Burger
Calories: 1120
McDonald's Vanilla Triple Thick Shake (32oz)
Calories: 1110
McDonald's Strawberry Triple Thick Shake (32oz)
Calories: 1110
Del Taco Macho Nachos
Calories: 1100
Jack In The Box Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger
Calories: 1090
White Castle Fish Nibblers - Sack
Calories: 1090
White Castle Strawberry Shake - Large (Minneapolis region)
Calories: 1090
White Castle Vanilla Shake - Large (Nashville region)
Calories: 1090
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Large (Nashville region)
Calories: 1090
McDonald's Deluxe Breakfast (Reg. Size Biscuit) w/o Syrup & Margarine
Calories: 1070
Jack In The Box Sirloin Cheese Burger
Calories: 1070
Carl's Jr. Bacon Cheese Six Dollar Burger
Calories: 1070
Hardee's Six Dollar Burger
Calories: 1060
Hardee's Big Country Breakfast Platter - Sausage
Calories: 1060
Del Taco Macho Combo Burrito
Calories: 1050
Jack In The Box Vanilla Ice Cream Shake (24oz)
Calories: 1050
Dairy Queen Large Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard
Calories: 1050
Del Taco Macho Bacon & Egg Burrito
Calories: 1030
Dairy Queen FlameThrower GrillBurger (1/2lb)
Calories: 1030
Dairy Queen Chicken Strip Basket (4 piece)
Calories: 1030
Dairy Queen Medium Choc. Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard
Calories: 1030
Hardee's Grilled Sourdough Thickburger
Calories: 1030
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Large (New York region)
Calories: 1020
White Castle Strawberry Shake - Large (Columbus & Detroit regions)
Calories: 1010
Jack In The Box Ultimate Cheeseburger
Calories: 1010
Sonic Peanut Butter Shake - Large (20oz)
Calories: 1010
Carl's Jr. Original Six Dollar Burger
Calories: 1010
Burger King BK Quad Stacker
Calories: 1000
Arby's Meatball Toasted Sub
Calories: 1000
Dairy Queen Large Oreo Cookies Blizzard
Calories: 1000
Boston Market Boston Sirloin Dip Carver
Calories: 1000
Fast Food Items With 900-999 Calories
Burger King DOUBLE WHOPPER Sandwich with Cheese
Calories: 990
Sonic Chocolate Cream Pie Shake - Large (20 oz)
Calories: 990
Dairy Queen Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard
Calories: 990
White Castle Vanilla Shake - Large (New York region)
Calories: 990
Wendy's Triple w/Everything and Cheese
Calories: 980
Sonic Super Sonic Cheeseburger (with mayo)
Calories: 980
Hardee's Big Country Breakfast Platter - Bacon
Calories: 980
White Castle Onion Chips - Sack
Calories: 980
Carl's Jr. Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger
Calories: 970
Hardee's Big Country Breakfast Platter - Country Ham
Calories: 970
Arby's Sausage Gravy Biscuit
Calories: 961
Burger King OREO Sundae Shake - Chocolate - Medium
Calories: 960
Burger King Chocolate Milk Shake - Large
Calories: 950
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Large (St Louis region)
Calories: 950
Jack In The Box Sourdough Ultimate Cheeseburger
Calories: 950
Nathan's Chicken Breast Platter
Calories: 943
Boston Market Boston Meatloaf Carver
Calories: 940
Sonic FRITOS Chili Pie
Calories: 940
Sonic Peanut Butter Fudge Shake-Large (20oz)
Calories: 940
Burger King OREO Sundae Shake - Strawberry - Medium
Calories: 940
White Castle Vanilla Shake - Large (Minneapolis region)
Calories: 940
Carl's Jr. Super Star (with cheese)
Calories: 930
Del Taco Macho Chicken Burrito
Calories: 930
Burger King Strawberry Milk Shake - Large
Calories: 930
Sonic Chicken Strip Dinner (4)
Calories: 930
Sonic Strawberry Cream Pie Shake - Large (20 oz)
Calories: 930
Hardee's Thickburger
Calories: 910
Hardee's Bacon Cheese Thickburger
Calories: 910
Jack In The Box OREO Cookie Ice Cream Shake - 16oz
Calories: 910
Burger King DOUBLE WHOPPER Sandwich
Calories: 900
Sonic Super Sonic Cheeseburger (with ketchup)
Calories: 900
Sonic M&M's Sonic Blast - Large (20oz)
Calories: 900
Dairy Queen Medium Chocolate Malt
Calories: 900
Fast Food Items With 800-899 Calories
Sonic Super Sonic Cheeseburger (with mustard)
Calories: 890
Sonic Super Sonic Jalapeno Cheeseburger
Calories: 890
Pizza Hut Meat Lover's 6" Personal Pan Pizza (whole pizza)
Calories: 890
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Large (Columbus & Detroit regions)
Calories: 890
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Medium (New Jersey region)
Calories: 890
Jack In The Box Strawberry Ice Cream Shake (16oz)
Calories: 880
Jack In The Box Chocolate Ice Cream Shake (16oz)
Calories: 880
KFC Chicken and Biscuit Bowl
Calories: 870
Sonic Butterfinger Sonic Blast - Large (20oz)
Calories: 870
Sonic Hot Fudge Shake - Large (20oz)
Calories: 870
Jack In The Box Egg Nog Shake (16oz)
Calories: 870
Jack In The Box Single Bacon n' Cheese Ciabatta Burger
Calories: 870
Nathan's SUPER BURGER
Calories: 863
Subway Double Meatball Marinara
Calories: 860
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Medium (Nashville region)
Calories: 860
White Castle Vanilla Shake - Large (Columbus & Detroit regions)
Calories: 860
White Castle Vanilla Shake - Medium (New Jersey region)
Calories: 860
Sonic Banana Cream Pie Shake - Large (20oz)
Calories: 860
Nathan's BURGER WITH CHEESE
Calories: 850
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Large (Indianapolis region)
Calories: 850
Sonic Coconut Cream Pie Shake - Large (20oz)
Calories: 850
Arby's Mozzarella Sticks - Large (
Calories: 849
Arby's Chicken Parmesan Toasted Sub
Calories: 843
Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad
Calories: 840
White Castle Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (10)
Calories: 840
White Castle Vanilla Shake - Medium (Cincinnati region)
Calories: 840
White Castle Strawberry Shake - Large (Cincinnati region)
Calories: 840
Dairy Queen Mocha MooLatte (24oz)
Calories: 840
Dairy Queen Caramel MooLatte (24oz)
Calories: 840
Sonic Chocolate Malt - Large (20oz)
Calories: 840
Sonic Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Sonic Blast - Large (20oz)
Calories: 840
Arby's Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Sandwich
Calories: 834
Wendy's Baconator
Calories: 830
Carl's Jr. Philly Cheesesteak Burger
Calories: 830
Carl's Jr. Breakfast Burger
Calories: 830
Jack In The Box Fish & Chips (Large)
Calories: 830
Subway 8" Pizza (Sausage)
Calories: 830
Burger King OREO Sundae Shake - Vanilla - Medium
Calories: 830
White Castle Strawberry Shake - Large (Chicago region)
Calories: 830
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Medium (Cincinnati region)
Calories: 830
Arby's Classic Italian Toasted Sub
Calories: 828
Arby's Onion Petals - Large
Calories: 828
Dairy Queen GrillBurger™ with Cheese (1/2lb)
Calories: 820
Carl's Jr. Loaded Breakfast Burrito
Calories: 820
Burger King Vanilla Milk Shake - Large
Calories: 820
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Large (Chicago region)
Calories: 820
Del Taco Shredded Beef Combo Burrito
Calories: 815
Sonic Chocolate Shake - Large (20oz)
Calories: 810
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Medium (Louisville region)
Calories: 810
Dairy Queen Large Banana Split Blizzard
Calories: 810
Burger King BK Triple Stacker
Calories: 800
Dunkin Donuts Sausage Egg Cheese Biscuit Sandwich
Calories: 800
Hardee's Big Chicken Fillet Sandwich
Calories: 800
A&W Original Bacon Double Cheeseburger
Calories: 800
Taco Bell Chicken Fiesta Taco Salad
Calories: 800
Fast Food Items With 700-799 Calories
Burger King TENDERCRISP Chicken Sandwich
Calories: 790
McDonald's Big Breakfast (Large Size Biscuit)
Calories: 790
Subway 8" Pizza (Pepperoni)
Calories: 790
Jack In The Box Vanilla Ice Cream Shake - 16oz
Calories: 790
Jack In The Box Sirloin Steak & Egg Burrito (no salsa)
Calories: 790
Jack In The Box Sirloin Steak & Egg Burrito with Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa
Calories: 790
White Castle Strawberry Shake - Medium (Minneapolis region)
Calories: 790
White Castle Vanilla Shake - Medium (Nashville region)
Calories: 790
White Castle Homestyle Onion Rings - Sack
Calories: 790
Sonic Oreo Sonic Blast - Large (20oz)
Calories: 790
Chick-Fil-A Hand-Spun Milkshake (Cookies & Cream)
Calories: 790
Dairy Queen Medium Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard
Calories: 790
Carl's Jr. OREO Cookie Malt
Calories: 790
Nathan's CHEESESTEAK (SUPREME)
Calories: 786
Del Taco Shredded Beef Breakfast Burrito
Calories: 785
Del Taco Deluxe Taco Salad
Calories: 780
Hardee's Loaded Breakfast Burrito
Calories: 780
Hardee's Chocolate Malt (Hand-Dipped)
Calories: 780
Sonic Strawberry Malt - Large (20oz)
Calories: 780
Sonic Bacon Cheeseburger
Calories: 780
Sonic Java Chiller, Chocolate/Caramel (20oz)
Calories: 780
Dairy Queen DQ Ultimate Burger
Calories: 780
Dairy Queen FlameThrower GrillBurger (1/4lb)
Calories: 780
Dairy Queen Medium Chocolate Shake
Calories: 780
Carl's Jr. Vanilla Malt
Calories: 780
Carl's Jr. Chocolate Malt
Calories: 780
Boston Market Pastry Top Chicken Pot Pie
Calories: 780
Arby's Ultimate BLT Sandwich
Calories: 779
Arby's Roast Beef & Swiss Sandwich
Calories: 777
Hardee's Strawberry Malt (Hand-Dipped)
Calories: 775
KFC Chicken Pot Pie
Calories: 770
Hardee's Loaded Biscuit 'N' Gravy Breakfast Bowl
Calories: 770
Hardee's Vanilla Malt (Hand-Dipped)
Calories: 770
Jack In The Box Sirloin Steak 'n' Cheddar Ciabatta
Calories: 770
Taco Bell Nachos BellGrande
Calories: 770
Dairy Queen French Vanilla MooLatte (24oz)
Calories: 770
McDonald's Chocolate Triple Thick Shake (21oz)
Calories: 770
Carl's Jr. Strawberry Malt
Calories: 770
Boston Market Boston Turkey Carver
Calories: 770
Boston Market Boston Turkey Dip Carver
Calories: 770
Arby's Chicken Salad w/ Pecans Sandwich
Calories: 769
Burger King WHOPPER Sandwich with Cheese
Calories: 760
Sonic Pineapple Malt - Large (20oz)
Calories: 760
Sonic Java Chiller, Caramel (20oz)
Calories: 760
Sonic Java Chiller, Chocolate (20oz)
Calories: 760
Chick-Fil-A Hand-Spun Milkshake (Chocolate)
Calories: 760
Dunkin Donuts Pastrami Supreme Sandwich
Calories: 760
Nathan's FRENCH FRIES (LARGE)
Calories: 758
Jack In The Box Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta with Spicy Crispy Chicken
Calories: 750
Jack In The Box Sampler Trio
Calories: 750
Sonic Java Chiller, Caramel/Hazelnut (20oz)
Calories: 750
Sonic Java Chiller, Hazelnut (20oz)
Calories: 750
Sonic Strawberry Shake - Large (20oz)
Calories: 750
Sonic Java Chiller, Chocolate/Hazelnut (20oz)
Calories: 750
Subway Footlong Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki
Calories: 750
Nathan's ONION RINGS (LARGE)
Calories: 744
Nathan's CHEESESTEAK (ORIGINAL)
Calories: 740
KFC Famous Bowls (Mashed Potato with Gravy)
Calories: 740
McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese
Calories: 740
McDonald's Strawberry Triple Thick Shake (21oz)
Calories: 740
McDonald's Vanilla Triple Thick Shake (21oz)
Calories: 740
White Castle Chocolate Shake - Medium (New York region)
Calories: 740
Subway 8" Pizza (Cheese & Veggies)
Calories: 740
Dairy Queen Brownie Earthquake
Calories: 740
A&W Reese's Polar Swirl (medium)
Calories: 740
Jack In The Box Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
Calories: 740
Sonic Chicken Club Toaster Sandwich
Calories: 740
Del Taco Deluxe Chicken Salad
Calories: 740
Arby's Philly Beef Toasted Sub
Calories: 739
Burger King Enormous Omelet Sandwich
Calories: 730
Chick-Fil-A Hand-Spun Milkshake (Strawberry)
Calories: 730
White Castle Strawberry Shake - Medium (Columbus & Detroit regions)
Calories: 730
Sonic Pineapple Shake - Large (20oz)
Calories: 730
Dairy Queen Large French Fries
Calories: 730
Dairy Queen DQ Homestyle Bacon Double Cheeseburger
Calories: 730
Dairy Queen Medium Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard
Calories: 730
Arby's Roast Turkey & Swiss Sandwich
Calories: 725
Nathan's Chicken Tender Sandwich
Calories: 724
McDonald's Big Breakfast (Regular Size Biscuit)
Calories: 720
Hardee's Mushroom 'N' Swiss Thickburger
Calories: 720
Dunkin Donuts Tropical Fruit Smoothie (Large)
Calories: 720
White Castle Vanilla Shake - Medium (New York region)
Calories: 720
Dairy Queen Small Choc. Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard
Calories: 720
A&W Papa Burger
Calories: 720
A&W Original Double Cheeseburger
Calories: 720
A&W Vanilla Milkshake (medium)
Calories: 720
Jack In The Box Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges
Calories: 720
Sonic Cheeseburger (with mayo)
Calories: 720
Sonic Dixie cheeseburger
Calories: 720
Sonic Tater Tots w/chili & cheese (SONIC Size)
Calories: 720
Carl's Jr. Jalapeno Burger
Calories: 720
Carl's Jr. Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Calories: 720
Carl's Jr. OREO Cookie Shake
Calories: 720
Subway Double Chicken Bacon Ranch
Calories: 710
Hardee's Monster Biscuit
Calories: 710
Hardee's Vanilla Shake (Hand-Dipped) (regular)
Calories: 710
A&W M&M Polar Swirl (medium)
Calories: 710
Jack In The Box Sourdough Jack
Calories: 710
Pizza Hut Supreme 6" Personal Pan Pizza (whole pizza)
Calories: 710
Del Taco Deluxe Chili Cheese Fries
Calories: 710
Sonic Banana Malt - Large (20oz)
Calories: 710
Jack In The Box Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwich
Calories: 710
Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait
Calories: 710
Dairy Queen Cappuccino MooLatte (24oz)
Calories: 710
Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger
Calories: 710
Carl's Jr. Chicken Breast Strips (5 pieces)
Calories: 710
Carl's Jr. Vanilla Shake
Calories: 710
Carl's Jr. Chocolate Shake
Calories: 710
Arby's Loaded Potato Bites - Large (10)
Calories: 707
Nathan's BACON CHEESEBURGER
Calories: 706
Arby's Roast Ham & Swiss Sandwich
Calories: 705
Wendy's Double w/Everything and Cheese
Calories: 700
Arby's Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Wrap
Calories: 700
Hardee's Chocolate Shake (Hand-Dipped) (regular)
Calories: 700
Hardee's Strawberry Shake (Hand-Dipped) (regular)
Calories: 700
A&W Chocolate Milkshake (medium)
Calories: 700
Jack In The Box Jack's Spicy Chicken with Cheese
Calories: 700
White Castle French Fries - Sack
Calories: 700
Sonic Vanilla Malt - Large (20oz)
Calories: 700
Carl's Jr. Strawberry Shake
Calories: 700
Boston Market Boston Chicken Carver
Calories: 700

from acaloriecounter.com

Come Party With Me: Vampire Party - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:45 -0700

At my vampire party, I'll be offering guests dressed like Buffy and the Cullens an assortment of vampire-themed drink options.

Red wine is a no brainer: it's the color of blood. To tint beer red, I'll use the same technique I employed on St. Patrick Day's only with red food coloring instead of green.

I'll also offer this dessert cocktail. It's a mixture of raspberry vodka, white chocolate liqueur, and half and half. The dripping blood rim is made from strawberry syrup and the ingenious garnish? Plastic fangs! To get the recipe keep reading.

Heart-shaped chocolates with tiny bears.

au revoir — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:13:46 -0700

I WANT TO EAT:
Chocolates gummies pizza sushi pasta burgers cupcakes muffins cookies jam-tarts ice-cream chicken rice chicken mee pok duck rice duck mee fish and chips lamb chop grilled dory fish cherries apples lemons oranges cranberries strawberries kiwi dragonfruit hot and spicy chips drumlets winglets bread chwee kuay carrot cake porridge chair table spoon fork knife tissue sponge spongebob gary patrick plastic bags merlion

I WANT TO DRINK:
water apple juice orange juice dragonfruit juice celery and carrot juice pink guava juice sprite coke 7up lemon tea lemon juice green tea zapple snapple mug root beer beer wulongcha chinese tea tieguanyin milk yakult chicken essence mushroom soup chicken soup tomato soup ABC soup cough syrup orange concentrate fruit punch bottles cup mug teaspoon handphone

Asian Spice Cupcakes with a Black Pearl Filling

holleighz — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:43:20 -0800

Holleighz’ 52 Weeks of Baking – Week 5: Asian Spice Cupcakes with Individual Black Pearls
(Yes, I do realize that this is becoming “52 Weeks of Cupcakes”…)

I’m a huge fan of the recent trend of combining chocolate and exotic spices. Somewhere, I heard rumor of black pearl chips, a mixture of dark chocolate and wasabi, and I scoured every Asian grocery in the city for months with no luck. When I came across this recipe for a black pearl layer cake, I was instantly intrigued – it had the same flavor combination in a rich ganache.

Having just made my way through the Christmas candies and with Valentine’s fast approaching, I haven’t been much in the mood for extra chocolate, but I absolutely had to try this. To cut the cocoa, I chose to highlight another flavor combo from the recipe – ginger and vanilla bean. The mildly spiced cakes are the perfect background for the pearls of exotic chocolate hidden inside.

A few side notes:
I could not find black sesame seeds on short notice, but according to my research the flavor difference is subtle, and the choice to use black or white is often for aesthetic reasons only. Toasted white sesame seeds add a wonderful nutty taste and look nice with the lighter colored cakes. I chose to up the spices a bit in my ganache, but you can season it to your own preference. Also (because I have such a sweet tooth) I added some white chocolate to contrast the slight bitterness of the semisweet. As a thinner variation of the ganache, it has a custard-like texture that just barely begins to soak into the cupcakes and surround each pearl.

Asian Spice Cupcakes with a Black Pearl Filling

Ginger Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
32-36 cupcake papers
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cups plus 2 Tablespoons cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups sugar (vanilla infused sugar, if possible)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons melted honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 cup water
seeds from 1 1/2 vanilla bean pods
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Ginger Vanilla Syrup
1/4 cup sugar (vanilla infused, if possible)
1/4 cup water
5-10 pieces of ginger scraps
1 to 2 inches vanilla bean pod (leftover from above)

Black Pearl Ganache and White Sesame “Custard”
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (to taste preference)
1/2 to one teaspoon wasabi powder (to taste preference)
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon corn syrup
2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

Vanilla Ginger Buttercream
8 Tablespoons (one stick) softened butter
4 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 pound (3 3/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Two pinches salt
Seeds from half a vanilla bean

Tip: When cutting the skin off the ginger, leave a little of the flesh attached. You can use these scraps in the ginger syrup.

Tip: After scraping seeds from vanilla beans, snip off 1-2 inches to use in the syrup. Place remaining pods in a jar or bag of sugar to have vanilla infused sugar for your next recipe.

Ginger Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange paper liners in muffin tins. Sift together flours, baking soda and salt, and set aside.

In electric mixer, beat together eggs and sugar at a medium-high speed until mixture thickens and color pales, about three minutes. Lower speed and add oil, honey, vanilla, ginger, five-spice powder and water, stirring until just combined. Mix in buttermilk. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean pods into batter. Slowly, begin to add flours, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat on low just until smooth.

Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full. Bake 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and brush tops with vanilla ginger syrup. Cool completely before filling and frosting.

Ginger Vanilla Syrup

Combine sugar, water, ginger and vanilla bean scraps in small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature before using.

Black Pearl Ganache and White Sesame “Custard”

Place semisweet chocolate pieces and white chocolate pieces in two separate small bowls. Pour 1/4 cup and 1 Tablespoon whipping cream into saucepan over low heat. Sift half the wasabi powder and half the ginger into cream (Note: If you skip the sifting, it will clump). Raise heat slightly and bring to boil. Pour over semisweet chocolate and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining cream, wasabi, ginger and the white chocolate. Let sit 10 minutes.

Toast sesame seeds in saucepan over low heat (Note: Even though the jar says “Toasted,” do not skip this step. It changes the texture and flavor). Let cool. Stir into corn syrup.

Whisk each of the chocolate mixtures until smooth. Stir half of sesame seeds into each mixture. When cooled to lukewarm, add 1 Tablespoon butter to each. Stir until entirely melted.

Refrigerate at least 20 minutes. Ganache will not set up completely yet, but it is easier to work with while still slightly soft.

Vanilla Ginger Buttercream

In a small bowl, combine butter and whipping cream. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the butter. Beat until smooth. Beat in sugar 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Finally, beat in vanilla and ginger. If frosting is too soft to work with, refrigerate 10 minutes.

To assemble cupcakes:

Cut a cone-shaped wedge from the top of each cupcake. Remove point from each cone. Spoon in small amount of white chocolate mixture and spread over entire opening. Fill the remaining hole with approximately 1 teaspoon semisweet ganache per cupcake. Replace cupcake tops and brush with a second coat of syrup. Allow syrup to dry. Apply a thin “crumb coat” of frosting to cover seams before fully frosting. Refrigerate in covered containers at least 4 hours so that filling can set.

(And yes, the fortune had to appear in every picture.)