White Castle Goes Country

White Castle is probably the most innovative of the burger chains. Last night we saw a commercial for their newest treat, a BBQ pulled pork sandwich.
When I told Mrs. about this, she came up with an excuse to go out today to the Castle.

We each had to have one, and do a taste test.

To begin, the sandwiches were very reasonably priced at 99 cents. Of course, they were White Castle sized, so the average person is going to need at least a couple.

There is not a lot of filling (hey, what did I expect for under a buck?) but it was pretty tasty.

I've had plenty of pulled pork and before you suggest that NJ isn't exactly the BBQ capital of the world, we have attended festivals and had BBQ from some world class BBQ makers. We are not experts, but not exactly novices, either.

So, our analysis of the sandwich: The BBQ sauce was slightly sweet. We both personally prefer a more tangy sauce. The pork was tasty, and tender. If White Castle still has the sandwich when we go back, we would probably get it again, but get a few sandwiches, and double or triple up, combining the filling to make a super sized sandwich. It was just too "bready" for us. I think White Castle would have done better to make a thicker and sloppier sandwich. Sure, it would cost more, but the sacrifice for a price point left me unsatisfied. I would have much preferred paying $1.89 or even $1.99 for a double helping.
Sure it would be messy, but that is part of the BBQ experience. I remember having to nearly hose off the Mrs. after one festival. And it was so worth it.
On a scale of 1-5, I'd rate the sandwich a solid, and tasty 3.

Ben and Jerry's newest

A few of their flavors (I've had Cherry Garcia and Chocolate Fudge) are now available in Dixie cup sized containers. At 220 calories, it is one way I can enjoy my favorite Cherry Garcia without overeating it. Yeah, we all know how tough it is to put down the spoon once a pint is opened up. 4 servings? Like that is going to happen.
The cup comes with a tiny spoon and the chocolate bits seem to be sized perfectly.

Stuffed Shells

One of my favorite Italian dishes is stuffed shells. They are pretty easy to make, but take time.

So, last week, the Mrs. was at the prepared food section of the grocery store, and picked up shells already made up, in a nice tomato sauce. Not only were they pretty good, but the price was very reasonable. She paid $6 for 8 of them. The local pizza shop sells a dinner with 4 shells, and some bread for over $9.

So, it was a little bit cheaper, and much more convenient. Mrs. heated it up on the stove, so she didn't even need to turn on the oven.

This can be a better alternative to picking up dinner from a restaurant. It's not quite as good as home made, but sometimes, one has to take a shortcut.

Let's eat seasonally

One of my favorite things is to eat seasonally. While tomatoes are probably my favorite vegetable, I won't eat the flavorless ones that come in the cello pack in the winter. Same with most other veggies. I'll either eat frozen, or seasonal.

Ok, what dos this have to do with today?

Asparagus will be starting to show up, if it hasn't already. They are one of my favorite green veggies.

Here's a tip for prepping them: the woody part at the bottom, which isn't tasty at all, should be used either in compost, or to make broth. But how do you know where to cut to get the woody part off?
Just bend the stalk, and it will snap at the right part.

And what can be done with the delicious top? Cut into bite size pieces, then saute with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Tossed with some pasta, and sprinkled with a little Parmesan or Romano cheese, makes for a delicious dinner.

Veggie Patch Meatballs

Meatless meatballs usually taste like cardboard liberally sprinkled with some faux Italian seasoning.

Not so with



They are really good. Very similar to the regular meatballs like you would get from a decent Italian restaurant.

A serving of 4 (I had 3 as my serving and was happy) is very filling, and has 120 calories, 4 g of fat, 16 g of protein, 7 g of carbs, and 4 g of fiber. They make a nice addition to the spaghetti, and are a good sandwich meatball.

They are fully cooked, and can be heated up quickly in a nice red sauce. Using your favorite jarred sauce, and leftover pasta or a fresh torpedo roll from the deli, a really good dinner can be on the table in about 10 minutes. A box of 12 (3 servings) cost $4.49.