Kasey Likes It [Splenda PEEPS!]

I spotted a new PEEP at the grocery store: "Splenda Peeps" are sugar free!

I decided to give them a whirl.

Let me just say that if you love PEEPS, you will NOT love THESE PEEPS. They taste like nasty vanilla and butter. They also lack the crunchy coating of sugar on the outside. I'm kinda glad there were only 3 peeps included and that I only bought one package. I don't feel so bad throwing them away. And I will be picking up some of my FAVORITE PEEPS on my next shopping trip!

Here are some fun facts about PEEPS:

Each PEEPS chick has 32 calories and 0 grams of fat.

Just Born produces enough PEEPS in one year to circle the Earth twice.

It takes six minutes to create one PEEPS chick. In the 1950's it too 27 hours.

PEEPS has been the #1 non-chocolate Easter candy in the U.S. for more than a decade.

PEEPS chicks for Easter come in 6 colors--yellow, pink, lavender, blue, green, and red.

New for Easter 2008 are PEEPS Yellow Tulips, delivering the first new Spring shape since the1950s.

Yellow is America’s best selling color of PEEPS chicks and bunnies.

All PEEPS have 0 fat grams, are gluten free, and are nut free.

People like to do curious things with PEEPS ….eat them fresh or aged to perfection, microwave them, freeze them, roast them, and even cook with them!

Kasey Leaves It! [the sugar free version, that is.]

Kasey Likes It! [Lime Squeezer]

I used to live somewhere that did a segment on the news every week, where they tested out a new gadget and gave it a rating on whether or not it really did what it claimed to do. Many of the gadgets were of the 'As Seen On TV' variety. I can't remember the clever name for the segment, but they had one. I'm not that clever, so until I think of something better, I'm going to call this 'Kasey Likes It.' Because I like things often enough to share them with you on a regular basis. At least, I think about sharing things I like, whether or not I actually get around to sharing them. And if I don't like it.....hmm. Maybe I 'leave' it. What do you think?

Tonight I tested out my new lime squeezer, purchased at TJ Maxx about a week ago for $6.99. Maybe it's a lime 'juicer,' but I prefer lime 'squeezer.' Squeeze is such a visual word.

Another visual word is leverage. Let me just say that LEVERAGE is a wonderful thing. Nevah, nevah, nevah, have I squeezed so much juice out of one lime. Sonic should be concerned about their stock price.

I also LOVE that a ton of the pulp went in with the juice. Look, there's practically nothing left of that lime!

Kasey likes it!

LIME is not just a pretty color

'Hey, Raymond, club soda with a lime, please.

And would you get me a towel?'

Extra points if you can name that movie.

My roommates and I used to crack up at this actress' accent,

and repeat this line over and over and over.

Have you ever noticed that a Diet Coke with Lime is never better than when Sonic makes it? That's because they have an amazing little tool, similar to this one. It squeezes the life (and juice) out of the lime wedge before they drop it into your drink. That's amazing to my, because I usually find it quite difficult to get much juice out of any lime.

So, when I saw this little steel beauty at TJMaxx the other day, it was love at first sight. They had a yellow one (slightly larger) for lemons, too. But, I figured if I bought smaller lemons, I could make it work for both!

Potato & Leek Soup

I was grocery shopping this weekend and trying to think up a few healthy meals with vegetables. While putting a head of romaine in a bag, I spotted some good looking leeks. I haven't make potato leek soup in a few years, so I put them in my basket with the intention to do it some time this week.

Don't you love watching what other people are putting on the conveyer belt at the grocery store? I like to give them a good once over, then their basket a good once over, and then I have a very visual image of their lives. Kinda scary to make a snap judgment of people, based only on what groceries they're buying, but hey - I'll never see these people again and it's a fun little game. What else am I going to do while I'm waiting in line, besides peruse the weekly trash mags??

So, I noticed the lady standing behind me was totally eyeing my cart candy as I unloaded. Wouldn't SHE like to know what I was going to do with all those beans and ham? And who was going to get the giant heart shaped peanut butter cup?

So the cashier starts moving through my collection, picking and choosing similar items, very consciencious to put all of the produce together, greeting cards in a separate bag, etc. Boy, she was a talker. I asked where the Red Box went and she said they'd removed it for the remodel (because there's a NEW Walmart coming in 25 days!). I think that means they put the new logo and paint color on the building, but I digress. She told me a story about how they had taken away the cushy little mats that they stand on while they check, and that she had complained about how much her back hurt working all day without the mats. The complaining had worked, because they'd gotten the mats back! Then, she picked up my leeks and asked me what they were. After I told her they were leeks, she said, 'Yeah, that's what I thought - leeks. What do you use them for?' I told her they were similar to green onions and that I used them in a soup with potatoes and carrots. She told me, 'Yeah, I've never known what people use them for, but I know they're in the bible, so they must be good.' People in the bible belt LOVE to tell you what they know about the bible. It makes me laugh when people bring it up in unexpected context.

Yes, indeed, they must be good.

So, in honor of the bible lady at Walmart, here's a simple soup recipe I love. Most leek soups contain heavy cream, so I like this one because it's super healthy. I got this recipe from Teresa when I worked at Twinlab. She's an awesome cook. My favorite part is the un-exactness (ish) of the quantities:

POTATO LEEK SOUP

A bit of butter
1 leek (this big)
2 ish carrots
4 ish red potatoes
1 can kidney beans
2 knorr vegetable boullion cubes
enough water to fill the pot

Cut leek and saute in butter. (Slice the leek down the middle and rinse between the layers to remove grit. Then slice.) Cut up carrots and potatoes. Throw veggies into boiling water with boullion. Cook for a while, then add the rinsed kidney beans. Salt and pepper to taste.

Since I'm in a soup mood, here's another soup recipe from another Twinlab friend, Barb:

CHEESY POTATO SOUP

6 potatoes (cubed)
2 cups broccoli (cut)
2 large carrots (sliced)
2 stalks celery (sliced)
4 cubes chicken boullion
1 onion (chopped)
4 cups water
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbs parsley
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbs flour

Boil potatoes in boullion and spices. Then add all vegetables except broccoli. In a small sauce pan, melt together evaporated milk, flour and cheese. Add sauce to vegetables that have boiled. Reduce heat (do not boil after cheese is added). Steam broccoli in microwave. Add last. If too thick, add water.