anahorvath.com

Category: Food

  • Eating Healthy in College

    eating healthy in college
    Haha, I tried to get a picture of my lunch from Thursday. That was successful and you also get a little blur from my finger. Good job me, good job.

    You’ve heard me mention this before: the freshman 15. Plenty of freshmen struggle with their eating habits upon entering college. There’s so much food available ALL the time and they abuse that. And they eat, and eat, and eat, and before you know it, they’ve gained 15 pounds, hence the freshman 15.

    If you’ve been reading my blog since I started college at CSU, you will know that I was determined to avoid the freshman 15, and so far I’ve been successful and actually lost about 15 pounds. With a combination of working out and proper eating, I’ve been able to accomplish this goal. Exercise is extremely important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but it’s also so so so important to eat right. Here’s what has worked for me:

    1. Drink lots of water. Whenever I go to the dining halls, I typically get water and I do my best to drink at least two full cups of water. Occasionally I will drink some iced tea or lemonade but I really try to stay away from the sweet drinks, especially soda. Water is not only good for your skin and body in general but it helps fill you up a bit so you don’t overeat.
    2. Make your plate colorful. While fried food is super duper good tasting, it’s not so good for your body. In moderation, it’s fine, but if the color of the foods on your plate are all a fried brown, you’re doing something wrong. Add some vegetables or fruit to that plate or add a salad. Your body will thank you. Strive for this with every meal and pay attention to the variety of foods you eat throughout the day.
    3. Leave the dining hall feeling not hungry and not stuffed. The wording on that statement might be a little weird, so I’ll do my best to explain what I mean. With eating from dining halls in college, you definitely don’t want to starve yourself. You shouldn’t starve yourself, period! You want to be balanced with the food you eat. If you’re piling on the food and coming back to a table with multiple full plates, you might want to rethink that. Just think about balance and remember that you can always grab a to-go box if you start to feel full. 🙂
    4. Eat desserts in moderation. At the dining halls at CSU, there’s a place dedicated to desserts and I’m sure that it’s that way with most schools. Seeing the rows of cookies upon cookies and plates of cakes and brownies can be extremely tempting, but remember, eat these in moderation! Desserts also taste AMAZING and sometimes its really hard to only take one serving and limit yourself, but all of that sugar really isn’t that good for you or your teeth. Treat yourself every once in a while but don’t go nuts with the desserts.
    5. Seek nutritional advice through your university. Colorado State University has an “Eat Well” program and they have dietitians and nutritionists willing to help figure out foods that you’ll enjoy that are better for your body. In addition to this, all of the menus for food are available online so I have access to the nutritional facts. I don’t pay too much attention to this, but sometimes it’s a great resource for knowing more about calories (even though I’m not big on calorie counting) and nutritional values in general. Most college dining halls have resources like this and within the dining halls themselves, there’s typically information on all of the foods available so pay attention to these! Use your resources and you’ll be set.

    Keep in mind, that these are things that I’ve found helpful and they may work for those of you also eating out of college dining halls, and some of them might not, and that’s ok! Find something that works for you and stick to it. Eating healthy in college is important because it helps set the foundation for eating healthy later in life and it’s important that you give your body the materials it needs to function at its best!

    If you’ve got an idea for a blog post or a question for me, feel free to leave a comment on this post or reach out to me on my new “Contact Me!” page which can be accessed in the menu above. I’d be happy to hear from you. I hope you all have a great week! See ya next Sunday. 🙂

  • I’m Addicted to BurgerFi

    What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good burger and fries! This weekend, Allyson had a tennis tournament at a new tennis facility in Denver and after her first match, we made a trip to my favorite burger joint in Denver, BurgerFi.

    There is just something about burgers containing antibiotic-treated and hormone free meat them so different and SO GOOD. Wow. The double cheeseburger is my personal favorite but their chicken sandwiches are also very yummy, and I have my sister to back me up on this one! Their fries are also to die for, in my opinion and are probably the best fries I’ve ever had in my entire life. Great food, great service, 10/10 recommend.

    Haha, and my sister’s tournament still continued today and unfortunately she lost her match. She played well though. And guess where we went for dinner tonight? Based on the title of this post and the entire mood of it, I hope you guessed BurgerFi. I’m honestly very glad that the closest BurgerFi to me is in Denver otherwise, I’m pretty sure I would beg my parents to take me there wayyyyyy too often or I would drive myself there and get what I want. That’s how much I like the food and restaurant overall!

    If you’re in the Denver area around the Denver Art Museum looking for a place to eat, BurgerFi is a good place to try. The food may be on the more expensive side of things, but you’re paying for some high quality food so it makes sense. I really think that it’s worth it.

    I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and Day and started 2019 off on a good note. Have a great week and I’ll see you all next Sunday! 🙂

  • I Think It’s Safe to Say That Sassafras is Not My Favorite Restaurant

    sassafras

    Almost two weekends ago, my family and I ventured to Golden, Colorado which is about 30 minutes from where I live. My dad had been to this one breakfast, lunch, and brunch place called Sassafras awhile ago and he wanted us to try it. Before we left, I looked at the menu and the food seemed good enough. There was a good variety of breakfast and lunch options. It seemed unique compared to a lot of restaurants too in that there were items like jambalaya pasta and BBQ mac n’ cheese. For those of you who don’t know, Sassafras is a Southern-style restaurant that claims to make all of their food from scratch and with locally-sourced, organic food products. Have I got a story for you about my adventure there!

    We arrived in Golden around noon and it was a little gloomy and kinda chilly that day. On the car ride over, I noticed that I couldn’t see properly out of my left eye and everything looked dark and blurry on that side. Grrrreat, I’m getting a migraine. My family and I were all pretty hungry about now and so we found our way to Sassafras and they told us there was an hour long wait. We were already so hungry and we were gonna have to wait around some more?!

    Oh well, we decided to spend that time walking around Golden. It was honestly kind of fun wandering through some of the tourist shops. Being a Colorado native, it was funny and entertaining to look through all the Colorado merchandise. About halfway through our hour wait, I started to feel nauseous and my headache was definitely getting worse. My family and I walked back to our car and I tried to lie down and take a nap. Meanwhile, my sister and dad went down past the car a little to check out an outdoor museum with a nearby creek. That picture above is actually one of Allyson’s! Finally our hour wait was up and we headed back to Sassafras. I was not feeling good at all at this point. Even the smell of food made me feel extremely sick.

    We were seated and our waitress arrived. She was kind of odd and not very welcoming or friendly. I originally ordered orange juice but she didn’t even bring me that. We were all given warm water in mason jars that smelled dirty and that didn’t help my case one bit. When my family ordered appetizers (beignets as well as biscuits and gravy) they took forever to arrive. I didn’t eat any because I was sure to release it all back on the table but according to my parents and sister, I didn’t miss much. The beignets weren’t filled in the center like they typically are and they were covered in a mountain of powdered sugar. According to my sister, they tasted like funnel cake. Really expensive funnel cake. As far as the biscuits and gravy went, they weren’t much better. The gravy appeared to be a mushy, gross mess that drowned the biscuits. I’m honestly glad I wasn’t feeling well enough to eat any of the appetizers. When it came time to order our meals, I ordered their chicken gumbo, my sister ordered their jambalaya pasta, my mom got the BBQ mac n’ cheese, and my dad got some form of eggs Benedict. Once again the food took forever to arrive. When it did come, we all had a very difficult time eating. I maybe took three spoonfuls of jumbo and then decided I couldn’t eat anymore. My sister maybe ate half of her meal and my mom barely touched her’s. My dad somehow managed to get through his entire meal.

    In the end, the food’s price did not match up to its quality, the service was poor, and my family and I will not be returning to a Sassafras anytime soon. On the way home, I was not doing so hot. We’ll just say that about halfway through the ride I already had an empty stomach again… Sorry Mom! I was feeling a lot better after we got home and had the chance to calm down my upset stomach. Naps do amazing things!

    If you’re looking for a fun and different place to get breakfast, lunch, or brunch, I do not recommend Sassafras. The waits are too long and the price just isn’t worth it. Instead maybe check out The Early Bird in Greenwood Village or Westminster. To those of you who have been to Sassafras and enjoyed the food or had a good experience, I’m very happy for you and feel disappointed to have missed out. Maybe it was just a rough day for our waitress or the restaurant in general! I guess I’ll never know.

    While I wrap up this post, I have one request of you all. One of my sweet little dogs, Marty is going in for dental surgery this week and is going to lose an estimated 16 teeth. The periodontal disease in his mouth has progressed rapidly over the past couple of years and he hasn’t been feeling very good lately. We’re hoping this will help him feel a lot better and ensure that he lives the full, happy life he’s intended to live. If you could all just keep Marty in your prayers this week, my family and I would really appreciate it. Thanks so much and have a great week everyone. 🙂

     

     

  • What Makes a Good Breakfast?

    As a high school student who is often rushed in the morning, I find it difficult to always prepare my body for the day. Maybe I’ll grab a piece of toast or get a bowl of fruit but that isn’t exactly the best way to give my body the energy it needs to start the day. Based on personal experience and some research, here’s what I think is important and necessary for a good breakfast.

    1. Protein. Whether that’s through dairy products, nuts, or eggs, it’s important to pack your breakfast with proteins. Proteins help you feel fuller for a longer amount of time.
    2. A variety of foods. Different types of milk, meat and meat alternates, as well as a variety of fruits are important for a good, healthy breakfast. You want a variety so that there’s a variety of nutrients as well.
    3. Smoothies. Smoothies are easy to make and you can get really creative with them. To add on, smoothies are great for when you have to get out of the house quick. They make a great to-go breakfast.
    4. Fruit. In a smoothie, in a salad, or just straight from the container, fruit is awesome. It’s super filling and good for your body. Be careful though as fruit does contain sugar and consuming too much may not be the best thing for your body. As long as you live a healthy lifestyle and stay active, you should be just fine.
    5. Not skipping breakfast, ever. As a high school student, I know a bunch of kids that just don’t eat breakfast. They claim there isn’t enough time or they’re not hungry or they just didn’t want to. Regardless of the circumstances, it’s important to give your body what it needs to start the day and then get through the day. You want to be able to function properly and keep your metabolism and digestive tract in a rhythm and steady, so don’t skip a meal, especially breakfast.

    It’s definitely important to have a wide variety of foods on your plate at breakfast and it’s also important to always eat breakfast. Even if you don’t have time to eat a full breakfast, give yourself something to fuel your body. Eating a good breakfast helps get you on the right track for a good day and helps the struggles of being hangry from staying away.

    Have a good week!

    What Makes a Good Breakfast?

  • To Eat or Not to Eat

    For the second half of my first semester this school year, my language arts class read Hamlet by Shakespeare. One of our assignments was to translate Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy into something relatable and understandable. I chose to translate mine into “To eat or not to eat” and here it is. Enjoy!

    To eat or not to eat -that is the question:
    Whether ’tis more delicious to eat pizza
    And have a happy stomach,
    Or stay away from all the food,
    And feel the pain of hunger.
    To wait, for your order to be ready-
    No more – and by waiting to say I face
    The wonderful sights and smells
    That each food holds-
    ‘Tis a situation
    I want my food.
    To be happy, to eat-
    To eat, perhaps too long. Ay, there’s the problem.
    For in overeating there comes suffering and stomach aches
    When we wait at the microwave for our food
    Must make us stop and think.
    That’s the idea
    That makes disaster of not eating or eating too much.
    For who really wants to be without breakfast,
    Those delicious Belgian waffles,
    The many options for a wonderful lunch,
    The disappointment in long lines and waits,
    The early dinner that leaves you hungry the rest of the night,
    The overly salted soft pretzel at the big game,
    And the desperate looks
    That starved people have been waiting for their meals,
    When they too may feast
    On days free from any worries?
    Who would heed the large menu,
    To decide and eat whatever they desire,
    But that the horror that their stomachs may growl and food be cold,
    The unknown foods that have yet to be eaten which
    Food critics discuss
    While we stand in a puzzled daze,
    Wishing we had eaten much less
    Instead of seeking the extra piece of cake?
    Thus the chance of missing out does make food-lovers of us all,
    And thus the enjoyment of food so precious
    Is tainted by eye-opening thoughts of lost news,
    And wonderful moments at Chipotle and Wendy’s
    With this regard their paths are cut short
    And those the sufferers of stomach aches favor of those who haven’t eaten.

  • Thanksgiving Break

    It has been really nice getting to have an entire week off from school for Thanksgiving. A week off allowed for me to relax, do homework, spend time with friends, goof around with my sister, and visit my family in New Mexico for Thanksgiving.

    Getting a week off from school was great and I didn’t realize how much I needed it until the break arrived. I was able to sleep in, work on homework, read, and relax. Two of the books I read over the break were Land of Stories: Return of the Enchantress and Happily Ever After. Happily Ever After is a book that accompanies The Selection series by Kiera Cass (my favorite book series by the way). Land of Stories: Return of the Enchantress is the second book of the Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer. I recommend both series to anyone who enjoys romance and fairy tales.

    Thursday morning, my family and I packed up our car and travelled to Farmington, New Mexico to spend time with my aunt, uncle, and grandpa. On the way to New Mexico, we heard “Alice’s Restaurant” which is a Thanksgiving traditional song three times. Oh boy. There was plenty of wonderful food to eat when we arrived at my grandpa’s house and we had a good time together. In my opinion, spending time with family is very important, especially during a holiday. You get to catch up with one another and have a good time together. I definitely did not go Black Friday shopping, despite the good deals many businesses offered. To be honest, Black Friday shopping scares me. It gets so intense and personal for some people!

    On Saturday my family and I were out and about running errands and visiting family friends. When we had time, my mom, sister, grandma, and I went to the local mall and found a great ugly Christmas sweater. It’s pretty ugly, but the ugliness almost makes it cute. When dinner time rolled around, my entire family drove to Zeb’s which is a buffet restaurant where you can pick a meal from the menu with a side from the salad bar, a meal from the meat bar, or the salad bar as a meal. I ordered a Alpine Burger that had a burger, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and sour cream on it (I added that from the burger bar). In the end, the food was good and we were all stuffed. Zeb’s is a wonderful restaurant that has a large variety of delicious food and great service.

    Today my family and I packed up and are currently on our way home. Eight hour car trips are the perfect time to work on blogs, haha. It’s been pretty cold so far and there’s some snow up in the mountains.

    Overall, I had a great and productive Thanksgiving break and look forward to more trips to New Mexico, time with family, and breaks in the future. I hope you and your families had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful week!

    Thanksgiving Break

  • Baking Zucchini Bread

    Zucchini bread is a very yummy and healthy treat to have in the fall. My mom always bakes zucchini bread during this time of year and it tastes amazing! It’s great for bake sales, at work, school events, or as something tasty to eat at home.  Here is my mom’s zucchini bread recipe:

    INGREDIENTS
    2 eggs
    1 cup of oil
    1.5 cups of sugar
    2 teaspoons of honey
    2 cups of grated zucchini
    3 cups of flour
    1 teaspoon of salt
    1 teaspoon of baking soda
    1 tablespoon of cinnamon
    1 tablespoon of vanilla
    1.5 cups of chopped nuts (optional)

    DIRECTIONS
    Mix the ingredients well and fill the bread pans halfway. Bake at 325 for one hour. After it is done baking, check with a toothpick, and then allow the zucchini bread to cool before before removing it from the pan.

    You can get two loafs of bread from this recipe.

    Zucchini bread is great for bake sales, road trips, family get-togethers, parties, and as a snack. It tastes delicious, it’s healthier than cupcakes or cake (which still taste pretty good), and it’s fun to make with family.

    Zucchini bread is great on a cold day with a nice, warm cup of tea. It also tastes really good with a big, cold glass of milk. If you decide to add nuts, pecans taste best in the bread. I hope you enjoy this recipe and have a good week!

    Baking Zucchini Bread
    Yummy!

  • Coming Back to Kennebec Cafe

    Last year, around this same time, my family and I travelled to Hesperus, CO to a wonderful little restaurant and bakery called Kennebec Cafe. We also drove around the La Plata Mountains that day.

    Coming Back to Kennebec Cafe

    This past weekend, while visiting family in New Mexico, we decided to visit the Kennebec Cafe once again. They have delicious food so, why not? If you can remember my blog about the visit to Hesperus from last year, we ordered pancakes for breakfast and they were HUGE! The pancakes tasted amazing, but a break from pancakes was definitely needed after that trip. This time, my family and I went for a late lunch instead of breakfast.

    I ordered a delicious southwest burger that had pepper jack cheese, green chiles, and avocado on it with a side of fries and an Arnold Palmer (half ginger peach tea and half raspberry lemonade). The Arnold Palmer was really refreshing and the food was so yummy! The burger was done very well and the flavors in it worked well together.

    Coming Back to Kennebec Cafe

    The service was great, the food was tasty, and the company was wonderful. My family and I had a relaxing and fun day and a short but good weekend together. If you’re ever headed to Hesperus, CO or just traveling through the area, make sure to add the Kennebec Cafe to your list of things to-do, it’s worth it!

  • Chili on a Chilly Day

    This past week, we were hit by a cold front that single digit temperatures and snow. It was the first cold spell of the year! The bad news was that it was terribly cold, but the good news was that I got to break out the Crockpot. Here’s the recipe for the chili that warmed my spirits and my tummy for the cold, winter-like week.

    Ingredients

    CHILI
    La Paloma green chile enchilada sauce (2 cans- mild and hot)
    505 roasted green chiles medium (28 oz. bottle)
    Pinto beans (2 cans 15 oz)
    Fresh mushrooms (any kind)
    1 lb. of hamburger meat
    2 lbs. of stew beef tips
    2 Ziploc bags of frozen tomatoes from garden

    TOPPINGS (some ideas for toppings- not all are required)
    Sour cream
    Mexican shredded cheese
    Olives
    Crackers
    Jalapeños

    UTENSILS
    Crockpot
    Frying pan
    Outlet
    Soup spoon
    Spatula
    Can opener
    Jar opener
    Tasting spoons
    Bowls
    Spoons
    Napkins

    Instructions

    Start early in the day! You want to make sure the chili is ready for dinner time!

    Make sure to wash your hands before starting to make the chili. Also make sure to wash your hands after handling the raw hamburger meat and beef tips.

    1. Plug in the Crockpot and clear away any items that are close or come in contact with it.
    2. Open all of the jars and cans carefully using the can or jar opener.
    3. Meanwhile, turn on the stove and put the frying pan on the stove. Put the hamburger meat and beef tips in the frying pan and break the hamburger meat into smaller pieces with the spatula. Cook the meat to your liking and then turn off the stove and leave the frying pan on it.
    4. Place the contents of the hot La Paloma enchilada sauce and turn the Crockpot on and press cook for eight hours.
    5. Put the hamburger meat and beef tips in with the enchilada sauce. Make sure the liquid is mostly drained from the meat. It removes the large amount of fat from the liquid.
    6. Wash the mushrooms, drain the water, and then put the mushrooms into the chili.
    7. Drain the liquid from the pinto bean cans and place the beans in the Crockpot.
    8. Open the microwave and place the two bags of frozen tomatoes on a plate. Push the “sensor heat” button. Let the tomatoes sit in the microwave until they are somewhat warm and squishy.
    Next, place the tomatoes into the chili and break them apart with the spatula.
    9. Gradually allow the 505 green chiles into the chile. Empty the bottle using a spoon.
    10. The fill up the rest of the Crockpot, pour the mild La Paloma sauce on top.
    11. Slowly and carefully stir the chili using the spatula and then taste test the chili. It might be a little cold, but it will definitely heat up after cooking for eight hours.
    12. Allow the chili to cook for eight hours and taste test it using your designated testing spoon throughout the cooking time.
    13. After the eight hours are up, grab your soup spoon to pour your desired amount of chili into a bowl.
    14. Add the toppings you want to your chili and enjoy!

    Chili can be made many different ways but this by far, is the best way to make chili. It will keep you warm and happy on a cold winter day. Stay warm and happy eating!

    Chili on a Chilly Day

  • One Delicious Cupcake Recipe Review

    Three words, cupcakes are amazing. There are so many wonderful and delicious recipes out in the world to make mouth-watering cupcakes. On the show “Cupcake Wars” on the Food Network, my sister and I found an amazing recipe called “Toodee Fruity-Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes”. Now this is one delicious cupcake recipe. This is my review for the cupcake:

    One Delicious Cupcake Recipe Review
    The cupcakes that my family and I made. Yummy!

    • This cupcake was so much fun to bake! Even though these cupcakes took a little over an hour to prepare, they were really fun to make. Creating the eyes with the fondant and the batters for the cupcakes was just very entertaining and it created a pretty light, happy mood for everyone helping out.
    • It had a unique and yummy taste. With the combination of blueberry cheesecake and pound cake, the cupcake had a very unique taste. It tasted unlike any other cupcake. It was mouth-watering, light, and just delicious!
    • It became pretty popular. My friends and I had a cupcake baking contest at school. This cupcake was rated most favorably. Most of the teachers really enjoyed it and so did many other kids.
    • It was moist. When a cupcake is moist, it is more easy and enjoyable to eat. A dry or heavy/thick cupcake is usually not as good, but these Toodee Fruity cupcakes were just right.
    • The cupcakes looked pretty cute. In the end, after the cupcakes were done baking and they were fully decorated, they looked adorable! Their eyes were silly but fun to look at. The cupcakes also looked like a pretty happy bunch of cupcakes.

    • One Delicious Cupcake Recipe
      VanDeraa, Kevin. Toodee Fruity-Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. 2011. Food Network. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. <http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/toodee-fruity-blueberry-cheesecake-cupcakes-recipe.html>.

    To sum it up, this “Toodee Fruity-Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes” recipe was wonderful. I highly recommend it. This recipe can be found on the Food Network website and it’s a great cupcake to make. Why don’t you give it a try?