Can You Handle the Change??

After a lot of hard work and a limited amount of sleep I am happy to announce that West Chester's food resource website is almost ready for the public! Which means that this blog is moving to a new address. www.wcdish.com

I know change is hard. So don't worry, it will be the same only there will be more information to look at, restaurant listings to browse, fun pictures to click through and more!

It still needs some work but it is getting there. I will do my best to update both sites but my main focus will be wcdish.com ... so come on... let's go.

The Final Dish: I'll see you there!

Gold in the Mail

Many “best parts of my day” involve a light and sweet coffee from Dunkin Donuts. It just makes me very happy. Just imagine my excitement when I found a coupon book for many of my favorite treats from DD in the mail today.

I remember getting the coupon booklet in the mail last year. I kept it with me in the car at all times and handed out ones I wouldn’t use to other customers who were in line. I figured that I would make the customers day. I wasn’t thinking that it may not make the store owner's day, seeing as the customers would have happily paid full price for everything I gave them coupons for. But one out of two isn’t bad. Right?

Everyone in the surrounding zip codes should get the same thing in the mail… so don’t throw it away! It has great deals such as… two FREE coffees and a FREE hot chocolate. (Which, by the way, I recently saw that they have white hot chocolate that I was tempted to try but couldn’t bring myself to indulge in a non-chocolate hot chocolate so I passed. The coupon is good for any flavor though, so try it and let me know if it’s any good.)

Other discounts include a $1.29 Great One (which is their largest size coffee), $1.29 for a bagel with cream cheese, and $1.00 off a Dozen Donuts or 50 Munchkins.

Something new at Dunkin Donuts that is also exciting is the new Dunkin Donuts card. It acts as a gift card but you can also use it as a credit card. This is very helpful because many store locations only accept cash. Plus, if you decide to get a card and use it before January 31st you are automatically entered to win a variety of prizes including new cars and trips to Florida.

Check out the prize details at:
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/contests/UseItWinIt.aspx

The Final Dish: All of the stores in the area take the new DD card. So check them out today!

Intern-Made Pear Bars

And now for the recipe for my intern-made pear bars that I received at Christmas time. They are very yummy and go well with tea. Have your intern make some today! (You can' t steal mine.)

Here's the email/recipe:

Guess what Big ham? I found the magazine with the Pear-Cinnamon Streusel Squares. YAY! It's attached. Aren't I just the bestest little intern EVER!!!

-Intern

Pear-Cinnamon Streusel Squares
Let these bars cool for at least an hour before cutting so they’re nice and firm
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 30 min

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups quick-cooking rolled oats
¾ cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped, peeled, and cored pears or apples (canned pears drained ok)
¾ cup cinnamon-flavored baking pieces
Powdered Sugar Icing

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-ince baking pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the 2 cups flour, the rolled oats, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 1 ½ cups of the crumbs; set aside.
2. Press remaining crumbs into bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and granulated sugar with whisk until smooth. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons flour, then the baking powder and salt. Stir in pears or apples and cinnamon pieces. Gently spread fruit mixture over baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
4. Bake in the 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes more or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Icing. Makes 32

POWDERED SUGAR ICING: In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until icing is of drizzling consistency. Makes ½ cup.

TO STORE: Cover and store bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Do not freeze.

Sugar Showdown 2007

Why, when we deny ourselves of something, we find we want it even more? Especially (in my case) sugar, chocolate and men.

I tried to "break up" with sugar ten times in one day last week. Ten times. It was a constant debate between my willpower and the power of holiday yummies.

For example, after one too many sugar cookies I said... "That's it. Enough! I don't need you sugar cookie." I would then remind myself why the sugar cookies are bad for me, feel oh-so superior and walk away and sit in another room.

And then I would sit. And I think about them sitting in their little Christmas tin. I wonder what they are doing. Then I think ... just one more. Why not? I mean they can't be THAT bad for me when they taste so good can they? It's a vicious cycle.

And then there is chocolate. I know better than to keep it in my apartment. But when I occasionally do have it around I'll take a little bit and savor a small bite and let it melt in my mouth as I recall the words of health professionals, "Don't totally deny yourself of chocolate... allow yourself to have a little bit so you don't feel deprived of it and eat more than you should." I convince myself that I'm satisfied from my little square of yumminess and I walk away.

And then I think about things... like, you know, chocolate and stuff. This is when I might make hot chocolate, the "lower calorie chocolate fix" and wish I just ate more actual chocolate. And so I do.

And men. Why is it that the good ones... the ones I should want (I'll compare these types to veggies) I can't find. While the bad ones... the ones I try to avoid or talk myself out of (male equivalent to sugar and chocolate) are the ones I can't stop thinking about? Hmmmm.

This brings me to my New Year's resolutions. I refuse to feel crappy about anything I eat after the fact. So I will allow myself the following: 1- One sugary thing a day. 2- As much chocolate I want, as to avoid eating large amounts later 3- Dates with only veggie men... ones that are good for me. 4- Workout enough to work off the chocolate I eat.

I have a few more resolutions that I will share later... I know, I know the suspense is killing you!

The Dish: I actually really do like vegetables... so this shouldn't be too hard.