Blueberry Muffins

It's been quite a while, but I should have a few new posts up over the next week or so. One of the reasons I was able to post so frequently at first was that my coworkers at the time (big ups to Jebs, Hurley-Bird and Dredle) got some sick enjoyment out of watching me try to eat things I didn't like. Now that my NEW coworkers are aware of this, don't be surprised to see a few more posts here and there. Back to the case at hand... Rita manages the Twitter account for the magazine and we've been keeping an eye on the growing Followers list. It was decided that when we hit the 200 mark we would celebrate - and nothing says celebration in MarComm like freshly baked tasty treats. Rita is known for the high levels of deliciousness reached with her chocolate chip cookies but when the topic of the celebration came up yesterday someone threw out the idea of having blueberry muffins. I mentioned that I don't eat blueberries (or any berries for that matter) so Rita went above and beyond and made a batch of BOTH... baking at home last night even with a broken air conditioner. With that kind of dedication, there was no way I couldn't try out the muffins... after eating about 7 cookies of course. Let's see how it went...

What I Like:
Muffin batter and sugar sprinkles.
What I Don't Like:
Berries of any color, but in this case... blue.
Who Made Me Try It:
Rita brought them in as a healthier alternative to her phenomenal chocolate chip cookies (of which I usually eat way too many).
The Results:
The muffin itself was incredible... probably one of the softest and tastiest muffins I have had in years. The flavor of the blueberry that seeped into surrounding muffin parts was great as well. But there were honest-to-God whole blueberries and I've found that I am still not really a big fan of the whole berry-eating experience. I picked around the berries themselves after trying a couple and ate the rest of the muffin, so I think we'll call this one a draw.

Pecan Pie

This one goes hand-in-hand with my salmon post, which you may or may not have read yet. At the same restricted access dining option on campus there is a dessert area in addition to the main course options. Both have to-go containers sitting there for your convenience, but we only decided to take advantage of this for the post-meal sweets. By the time we got there we didn't have a lot to chose from though. There was some sort of bundt cake type thing that looked alright, and there were two slices of pecan pie. Dave decided to go for a slice of pie and I couldn't deny that it looked pretty darn tastey, so I went ahead and took the other. We brought them back and ate them at our desks, and here is my take on it...

What I Like:
Pie crust and sugar.
What I Don't Like:
I tend to enjoy nuts (no jokes please) but the pecan has never really been one of my favorites. If they were in a mixed nuts medley then I might eat one, but I would usually skip them for the alternatives. I don't know why, but they always make me feel like I'm eating a cockroach... is that odd? I'm also not really a big "pie" fan (again, no joked please) because it seems that in most cases there is some sort of fruit or berry involved that I would rather avoid.

Who Made Me Try It:
It was mostly me again... it was there and it looked like it might be yummy.
The Results:
OK, now I really need to start going back to the gym because I found another unhealthy sweet that I enjoy. Damn it! My saving grace has always been that while I don't eat a lot of healthy things, I also don't eat a lot of junk food. I tend to lay off the snacks and sweets, but now I have another option and I'm going to need to make up for lost time. Shoot.

Salmon

There are a number of foods that my parents have been trying to tell me that I should like for what feels like ages. Salmon is pretty high on that list. Seafood was never a staple food item between my lack of interest and my sister's allergy, but my folks love it so they have amped up the frequency of its preparation since they became empty nesters. Every time they eat salmon they tell me that I should try it and every time I tell them no. Well, last week was the first week at my new job and on Friday my team had lunch together at an administration-only eatery on campus. The buffet (for lack of a better word) items that day were salad, salmon, rice and stuffed shells. I knew I would be content with stuffed shells and salad but decided it might be time to finally bite tht bullet and try salmon. Here's how it went...

What I Like:
Lemon and herbs... and rice (on the side).
What I Don't Like:
Creatures of the sea that rhyme with "ham on".
Who Made Me Try It:
While my parents have been telling me to try it for years, this is another one that was mostly on my own. I was debating it while in line but didn't want to be "the new guy that eats wierd". Also, I overheard my colleague explaining that he might need to try it too, so I thought I wouldn't be alone. I think I was anyway.

The Results:
Alright dad... you have written proof posted to the world wide web... You Were Right. I liked the salmon, damn it. I enjoyed it enough to try it at other eateries in the future too. Are you happy now? You better be... oh yes, you better be.

Avocado

The avocado has puzzled me for some time now. I feel like it came out of nowhere and suddenly everyone and their mother was eating. Is there an avocado promotion board somewhere that brought this about? It could juts be my coworkers though who are again the primary influencers on my recent dietary expansion efforts. Several of my teammates bring in at least one avocado a week it seems and put it on their salads and sandwiches, or just eat it on its own. Yesterday, someone brought in a Dominican Republican avocado, which apparently is some special kind that is double the normal size and half the usual fat content. (Side note... how does a vegetable have fat?) They sliced it up and put it on a plate for the team to share, so I decided it was time for me to bit the bullet and go for it...

What I Like:
Salt an pepper. Also Salt 'N Peppa... Shoop!

What I Don't Like:
Avocado... normally. Although I will sometimes take small tastes of guacamole.

Who Made Me Try It:
Stringee and Hurley-Bird.
The Results:
I'm still not sold, but I haven't given up. I was told that this variety doesn't have the exact same texture/taste as the traditional avocado - it was very reminicent of a hard-boiled egg - so I think I might have to try a regular one next chance I get so that I can compare and solidify my opinion.

Falafel

This is the other major milestone for me the night I had baba ganoush (see the last post). I don't know where my coworkers ordered the food from but there were all kinds of odd things laying around - and I say "odd" because normally late-night office food is Chinese take-out or Panera (there's one right next door). Anyway, the falafel I think might have come on top of a pizza but, if I remember correctly, it also had cheese on it which they had asked to have it without for the sake of our friend with IBS. It was in sliced strips and looked like some sort of deep-fried goodness you would find at a carnival or state fair. Even with the warning that it was mostly (or entirely) vegetable based I decided to give it a try. And here's how it went...

What I Like:
Fried foods... to a degree. I refuse to eat a deep-fried Twinkie or Oreo... they are too good on their own and it seems like a bastardization to fry them. The Monte Cristo sandwich, on the other hand... now THAT is food improved by boiling oil.

What I Don't Like:
Fava beans and chick peas... although I do enjoy the hummus-state of the chick pea.
Who Made Me Try It:
Why, that would be C-Meri!! (Told you I would give you credit girl.)

The Results:
I am officially requesting a name change for this food... instead of "falafel" it will now be called "falawesome". Seriously... this was really good! I dipped it in the tahini sauce and that was pretty awesome too (but condiments don't get posts... sorry). I am actually very anxious to try the street-meat version of falafel now. If nothing else, It's Not Chicken is opening my eyes to new choices from sidewalk-based food vendors. Yay!