Look at my basil!
In just 9 days it’s gone from this:
to this!
I shall be enjoying pesto, caprese salads and more homemade fresh spring rolls in no time! Do you grow any of your own herbs or vegetables?
I usually grow a variety of herbs every summer, and some tomatoes too, although I didn’t plant any this year. My Mom has a great garden chock full of cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes though, so I’ll just swipe some from her. 
In other news, I have oodles of varieties of food today which I am pumped for! First up, breakfast:
Kashi Honey Almond Flax Crunch.
Ex-tremely crunchy, sweet and just plain fun to eat. Sometimes I feel like I might crack a tooth on it though…
Fat-Free Raspberry Vanilla AE Yogurt. AE is a local dairy that makes top-notch products. Their cottage cheese tastes like ice cream!
And a banana. Pretty standard…and brown!! 
Fun Fact: a banana + raspberry yogurt is one of my favorite combos ever. 
Lunch contains a plethora of goodies as well!
Spinach, carrot & green onion salad. I know – kind of random – but I had all the ingredients right in front of me in the fridge last night, so into the pool they went.
Special K Italian Herb & Tomato Crackers and Summertime Salsa Goat Cheese.
Normally I don’t love eating Special K branded products – they have a ton of weird ingredients in them – but I was looking for something that would be tasty with the goat cheese salsa I picked up at the Farmer’s Market this weekend, and these fit the bill!
They’ve got a great, zesty flavor and are nice little dippers for my goat cheese.
Which I mixed with some of my homemade salsa to extend the dippeage! YUM!
Rounding it all out we’ve got a Pink Lady Apple and Colby Jack Cheese Stick. I never buy cheese sticks and I’m not sure why… They’re a great, portion-controlled snack and really great with apples!
All in all, a great little day of eats! 
In other news, I wanted to announce the four winners of the Subway $5 Gift Card Giveaway! Congrats to:
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Meghan M: Posted giveaway on my blog!
Corinne: my favorite turkey sandwich on honey wheat toppings include cucumbers, tomatoes, and spinach. sometimes i throw in red onions or pickles for pizzaz. just had subway on sunday for lunch…craving it again. thats usually how that goes
Crystal: Just tweeted about your giveaway @CCJade23
Casey: I have to have tomatoes and banana peppers! The only time I actually eat banana peppers is at Subway, for some reason.
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Congrats! Email your mailing address to IowaGirlEats@hotmail.com so you can get to enjoying your sammies!
With that, it is my pleasure to say, happy hump day…already! Viva short weeks!
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How do you feel about “fake” sugar – splenda, nutrisweet, stevia, etc?
My Father-in-law is off fake sugars at the moments and says he feels great. It kind of makes me want to jump on the bandwagon and give it a try…
I only use Splenda in my coffee from starbucks or dunkin donuts. I generally stay away from fake stuff, but its not intentional!
That salsa and goat cheese mixture is brilliant. It sounds so good!
I don’t use much artificial sweetener, but I think it is find in moderation.
I usually use actual sugar , the only fake one I use is aspartme. I know, the worst one. i am a diet coke addict
i love fresh basil! i planted my first veggie garden this year, and it is EXPLODING. we’ve got 3 different kinds of tomatoes, squash, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, garlic, cucumbers, strawberries, rhubarb, basil, mint, parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary. the list goes on and on!! your little pot is the cutest thing ever!
i dont eat fake sugar. my philosophy is this: the effects that my 1 tbsp of occasional sugar i have in my coffee are far less than the effects from fake sweeteners.
I love your little herb! Our garden is half an acre so, yes, we have herbs. I was hoping you’d plant some brussel sprouts this summer–so easy!!
No, the only time I have any fake sugar is in my two diet cokes for the day. Otherwise it’s straight up sugar for baking/cooking. I don’t use it often so there’s no reason to substitute.
I try to limit my fake sugar to diet soda, and i’m really cutting back on that – just a few times a week instead of every day like I used to! Oh, and I guess the fake sugar in lite yogurt, too. By the way..my fave, fave yogurt/fruit combo is lemon yogurt with bananas and blueberries – super good!
I went off “fake” sugars back in Sept. I have never felt better! Oddly, I used to get fatigued and achy in the afternoons and that virtually went away after I stopped using artificial sweeteners!
Now, I have eliminated added sugars in my diet in an effort to help with overeating issues and it seems to be working out great! I feel awesome, too
I don’t really like the taste of fake sugar, but I usually eat fat-free yogurt like Yoplait or AE so I do eat some of it everyday. I don’t sweeten my coffee or drink much pop and use real sugar when baking so I mostly stay away from it.
I use the tiniest sprinkling of splenda in my coffee every morning–and I mean tiny because a little goes a long way. I try to only drink diet sodas on the weekend, if at all, too. But I do eat lowfat yogurt everyday, if not twice a day. It’s really hard to avoid fake sugar these days.
Stay away from fake sugars! They’re so bad for you! While we all worry about the calories and pounds that real sugar can pack on, the fake sugars have even worse side effects, with the exception of stevia.
Both splenda and aspartame are chemical compounds made to trick your body into thinking it ate something sweet. Splenda is the one that particularly concerns me. While it’s “made from sugar so it tastes like sugar,” the way they alter the chemical structure makes it relatively unstable and I stay away from it at pretty much all costs.
Stevia on the other hand is essentially an herbal extract, so if you’re going to go with “fake sugar” that’s the way to go.
Hope this helps
Stevia is not a fake sugar.
Real sugar all the way!! However, I am having Spelnda in my coffee this morning. Oh, and Kashi was on sale at Target and I just brought some Honey Almond Flax Crunch–it is delicious!!! Thanks for introducing me to some great food!
I also usually do not like Special K products, but I do love their crackers! Sooo addictive!
I don’t use any artificial sweeteners–they sometimes give me a headache (like if I drink “fruit flavored” water that’s been sweetened by Splenda), and they taste kind of sickly sweet and artificial to me. I’m all about honey, sugar in the raw, and maple syrup as my sweeteners!
Too much fake sugar tends to give me a head ache. It took me a while to put two & two together & figure that one out…but I really do believe that was the problem. I discussed it w/my doctor, & he agreed that was probably it. I think the substitutes are a life saver for those w/diabetes, but if there is no medical reason for it, don’t do it too often. I’d much rather have limited amounts of real sugar in me than some chemical substance that was whipped up in a lab. You should try the reduced fat Triscuit crackers. I LOVE them! This sounds a bit weird, but I love a Triscuit w/a slice of hot pepper cheese & a bread & butter pickle slice on top. Sort of a salty-hot-sweet thing going on! Yum! I can’t believe you are not woofing down the fresh strawberries that are in season right now! I’ve eaten so many I should have strawberries growing out of my ears!!
I love fresh herbs and veggies!!! Right now we’ve got peppers, jalapenos, cukes (pickling and regular), tomatoes (beefsteak and cherry), pumpkins (for harvesting in October), arugula, zucchini, brussels, green onions, cilantro, oregano, basil, mint and parsley. Whew. I’m ready to start cooking with it all, though!!!
I have been using stevia lately…which I don’t think is a fake sugar actually. Splenda, sweet and low…blech give me massive headaches.
Do you pack your snacks in old yogurt cups? Because, thats genious!
We have a fresh herb garden and I love it! Mint, Italian parsley, thyme, cilantro, basil, lemon basil, fennel really make meals taste so much better I think! We also planted tomatoes and peppers, so ready for it
I just saw in the DSM Register that Trader Joe’s is coming to West Des Moines! Yeah!!
I don’t add fake sugar to anything but sometimes I get it in my processed foods – lite yogurt, diet pop, etc. I’d rather not have it though. It tastes weird.
My basil is kind of dying… eek.
Mint is realllly easy to grow if you are looking for something else. Start with a starter plant. It grows like a weed.
The rumor is a rumor no longer…. TJs is coming to DSM!!!
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100602/BUSINESS/100602004/Trader-Joe-s-coming-to-WDM
I am off “fake” sugar and feel great! no sweet cravings. If I do want a 0-calsweetener, I chhose the natural one: stevia. But more likely I just abandon them all
I used to use splenda all the time but ever since I quit it (and all other artificial sweeteners I’d end up getting in yogurts, soda etc.) i’ve felt so much better. I can tell I get less headaches too which I usually get a lot of.
I don’t know if this is a weird question… but WHERE did the beanis dip name come from?!?!!
Hahaha – I have NO idea! My friend’s Mom made it all the time in high school and, go figure, our random HS brains just made the name up!?
So far I’ve been unsuccessful at eliminating my Diet Coke (or any Diet pop actually) addiction which is the only source of my fake sugar. I love carbonation and do love Izze soda’s which are great but do have some calories and are expensive! I don’t purchase or add any other fake sweetners. They taste strange to me. I can’t eat the A&E lite yogurts…I can immediately taste the fake. I honestly don’t even really ENJOY the TASTE of Diet Coke anymore now that my tongue can detect the fakeness but old habits die hard I guess.
i have a sweet tooth so i use stevia when i need to but i’m trying to avoid sweeteners in general. no artificial ones for me though – not anymore at least. i used to use splenda and sweet and low like it was no one’s business!
I’m not a big fan of them but if that is the only sweet solution in a really sticky situation…I’m probably going to have some. I’d rather avoid them though!
I am rocking some Go Lean Crunch as well right now – it’s so addictive isn’t it?!
I’ve never really had any fake sugars…but stevia is actually banned in the UK, which I find odd seeing as I see it on SO many US blogs!
I totally avoid the fake stuff, I get migraines after eating/drinking anything with aspartame in it and the whole idea of putting “chemical” sweetener in my body (even Splenda is modified from it’s natural sugar form and contains traces of metals and even arsenic in some studies) is just crazy to me. Why not just choose to eat less natural sugar if you want to cut back, you know? Agave nectar is a great substitute in coffee/oatmeal and just a dab goes a long way
I wish I liked herbs more, or else I’d grow my own, too. My future mother-in-law has a fantastic herb garden out back… everything from rosemary to thyme.
I am a big Equal gal. I drink coffee, and sprinkle just a bit of it on my cereal in the mornings… I can’t imagine how many calories I’d consume for my coffee if I used real sugar.
Fake anything weirds me out – I try to stick to things made with REAL ingredients. We switched out our pantry to all natural products awhile back and have never felt better. I figure that our generation was the first to grow up with a large amount of packaged food and preservatives and we are also the first generation to see a decrease in life expectancy. I’m sure there are other factors but I can control what I put into my body and not so much other environmental factors. Not to mention, a lot of the local products we buy are from local vendors so it’s sustaining the community!
It looks like we are in luck after all…
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100602/BUSINESS/100602004/Trader-Joe-s-store-coming-to-West-Des-Moines
Honey Almond Flax is super yummy, but it may almost be too crunchy for me.
Fake Sugar – I try to avoid it at all costs. I like to eat real food, just like Kath ; )
I used to consume a LOT of fake sugars. Mainly sucralose (splenda) and aspatartame (in coke zero). I also chewed a LOT of gum… I’m talking almost a pack a day!And I had headaches and was tired all the time. But I decided artificial sweeteners were no good, cut out the diet soda (except for Zevia) and sugar-free gum (I chew all natural Spry now), and I feel SO much better. No more headaches!
I DO drink diet iced tea, which has splenda in it, from time to time, and I do consume stevia- which to me is a MUCH better option because it is all natural!
xo
K
K
oh yes!!!
http://www.kcci.com/money/23767461/detail.html
although you might already know it still rocks!!
I rarely ever consume fake sugar, maybe a diet coke every now and then but I really don’t like the after taste to most of them.
I try to avoid the fake sugars, they taste so bad to me! I usually go with honey, agave or sugar in the raw.
I steer clear of fake sugars at all costs. I just think if it’s too good to be true, then it is! I’d rather have a little more real sugar than a chemically processed sugar that they still don’t know the long term effects of.
I agree. Nothing in life comes free without consequences, calories included. I quit drinking diet soda by substituting club soda mixed with a splash of cranberry juice- still get the carbonation but no fake sugar. I’ve been doing this for a year now. It’s tough to quit but easier if you have a substitution to fall back on. Who knows the long term effects of chemical sweeteners on our bodies, reproductive systems, etc. Just like any food, moderation of real sugar in the diet is safer and much more natural than relying on artificial sweeteners for a free pass.
I don’t mind the “fake” sugars. They are actually MUCH safer than you think and have been around for 50 years or so. I think lack of education makes most people leary.
Anyway, aritificial is okay by me!
And look mom, no diabetes or cavaties either!
oh girll get on the real sugar bandwagon ASAP. I can’t deal with them. any of them. and i’ve tried for months at a time. fake. fake. fake.
Your basil looks awesome! I’m growing basil this year, but that’s the only herb…the rest are veggies. I wish mine would grow faster, though. If I were to make pesto, my basil plant would be no more!
I don’t do aspartame and I do very little Splenda. That’s a new change for me and I feel great. I do sweeten some with Stevia and I drink 1 Zevia a day. I am so glad I made that change.
I get sick on the fake stuff. Literally sick. I’m not quite allergic to it because I don’t get hives or anything but my IBS can’t handle them. So I sweeten with agave, honey or maple syrup. And I feel much better.
If I have too much fake sugar, like in diet coke or gum, it makes me get a weird sort of spaced out headache and I am sure it actually makes me feel more hungry in the long run. I am trying to avoid it and feel much better, too.
I have never been a big fan of the fake sugars. Sweet n low, splenda, truvia… all of these just fail in the taste department for me. I have a sweet tooth by nature so I stick with raw sugar. It’s all natural and the sugar in the raw brand has a GREAT taste!
http://www.sugarintheraw.com/oursugar/index.html
It’s true…we are getting a Trader Joe’s!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you see the register confirmed that TJs is coming to town? SO EXCITING!!!!
I never use fake sugars. I remember when my son was born, 18 years ago and I was at the pediatrician one day and we were talking about sugars. I said I didn’t think fake sugars were any good and he said he never would allow any fake sugars in the house. Equal had only been around a few years at this point.
I am looking forward to trying some Rapadure-I understand it’s the only sugar (whole) that is not refined or separated.
For the most part, I try to make nearly all of my own food. I like to know what is in stuff and that feels safer. My biggest concern right now is trying to buy as much organic as possible to avoid genetically modified foods as well as pesticides. Regarding Stevia, if I recall Nutrition Action Newsletter had a good article on it; as I recall they did not recommend it.
Love your recipes. I am making your Baked Turkey Eggrolls this week!
How about some agave? I recently got some. You can use it in place of sugar in baking, drinks, etc. You can put it on fish before you grill it to give it a nice little crust too! I am trying to cut out “fake” sugars too.
I stopped drinking diet soda and no longer put splenda in my coffee and I feel tons better. No more major afternoon slump. It took a while to get used to unsweetened coffee but now I do not mind at all. If I am feeling frisky…I just use sugar now.
I need to get my hands on some of that salsa goat cheese!
Hmmm….Lots of reports of head aches due to fake sugar. It’s good to know I diagnosed myself properly! Can’t wait to hit the Trader Joes! I’ve never been in one before.