Oreo + Onion Dip

Rating: 9/10

Oreo cookies dipped in caramelized onion dip. I'm generally not a huge fan of plain Oreos (but love them as ice cream or fried), so when I was given a whole bag of them I was chomping at the bit to taste smash them with something more interesting. And I just got this new onion dip I wanted to try out, so two birds one stone. Somehow the crunchy, sugary, chocolatey Oreo just fits with the creamy, chunky, oniony dip. Way more delectable than I could've expected. Win!

Nutrition:

• 3 Oreo Cookies = 160 Calories, 14g sugar, 1g fiber, 10% of daily Iron
• Trader Joe's Caramelized Onion Dip (2 spoonfuls) = 70 Calories, 230mg Sodium

Total Calories = 230
Fairly insignificant in terms of nutritional pros and cons, so why not?

Truffles + Macadamias + Dates

Rating: 10/10

Snack mix of chocolate truffles, macadamia nuts, and deglet noor dates. My three favorite tiny round foods eaten together = perfect combo. Like a super awesome bag of trail mix to carry around and snack on throughout the day. Got to fight the urge to down it all in one sitting though. Really, what's not to love? The sweet, rich, melty chocolate. The crunchy, smooth and salty macadamia. The chewy, caramel sweet dates (from Tunisia apparently, makes me want to go there next).

Nutrition:

• 5 Truffettes de France Truffles = 250 Calories, 2g fiber, 8g sugar, 10% of daily Iron
• Savanna Orchards Gourmet Dry Roasted Macadamias (1/4 cup) = 210 Calories, 2g fiber, 115mg Sodium
• Made in Nature Delectable Deglet Noor Dates (1/4 cup) = 120 Calories, 3g fiber, 28g sugar

Total Calories = 580
A bunch of fiber here. Quite substantial snack, keeps you full for awhile.

Blackcurrant Juice + Coconut Meat

Rating: 8/10

My obsession with blackcurrant juice dates back to 2007 when I first came across a bottle of Ribena in London and became instantly hooked. To the extent that the high point of any trip to the UK for me is this delightful beverage. So you can imagine my joy at finding blackcurrant juice in Trader Joe's of all places. Not an exact replica of Ribena but satisfying nonetheless. Naturally, I decided to combine it with my other obsession: young coconut. Slicing chunks of coconut meat into a glass of blackcurrant juice makes for a fun drinking experience. Just imagine if the two were actually one fruit: the mildly sweet and gelatinous texture of the coconut meat plus the fragrantly sweet and sour juice. Trippy.

Nutrition:

• Trader Joe's Black Currant Juice (cup) =  100 Calories, 24g sugar, 110mg Potassium, 70% of daily Vitamin C
• Asia Exotic Corp BL young coconut meat = 140 Calories, 2g fiber, 17% of daily Calcium

Total Calories = 240
Yay for Vitamin C, but not much else of note.

Pear + Pistachios

Rating: 7.5/10

Green pear eaten with pistachios. Both green colored foods. As good a reason to combine them as any. Plus they both start with the letter "P." Meant to be, I say. The crispy, juicy, sweet, grainy pear is a fine counterpoint to the crunchy, salty little pistachios. More play dates for these two!

Nutrition:

• green pear = 102 Calories, 206mg Potassium, 6g fiber, 12% of daily Vitamin C
• Kirkland Signature Salt & Pepper Everybody's Nuts! Pistachios (cup) = 320 Calories, 6g fiber, 660mg Sodium, 560mg Potassium, 40% of daily Vitamin B6, 30% of daily Thiamin, 12% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 422
Chock full of fiber and Potassium with some sprinklings of vitamins and minerals. Not bad.

Potato Chips + Fennel Arugula Salad

Rating: 8/10

Tried this new cheesy garlic bread flavored chips, a bit overwhelming on its own and needed companion foods to balance out the taste. People put cheese on salads, so why not cheesy potato chips? Viola, awesome pairing and balance of flavors.

Nutrition:

• Lay's Cheesy Garlic Bread Potato Chips = 290 Calories, 250mg Sodium, 610mg Potassium, 2g fiber, 15% of daily Vitamin C
• bowl of fennel arugula salad = 140 Calories, 4g fiber, 23% of daily Vitamin C, 12% of daily Vitamin A

Total Calories = 430
Got in some fiber and vitamins.

Nutella + Saturn Peach

Rating: 7/10

Further proof that Nutella makes everything better. Just spread it over saturn peaches and instant dessert. Had a bunch of these flat donut-shaped peaches lying around and couldn't do a thing with them. They're cute but kind of boring tasting. Was almost going to make a smoothie out of them when I came across darling Nutella. Problem solved.

Nutrition:

• 3 spoonfuls of Ferrero Nutella = 300 Calories,1.5g fiber, 32g sugar
• saturn peach = 60 Calories, 3g fiber, 15% of daily Vitamin A, 15% of daily Vitamin C

Total Calories = 360
Decent fiber, some vitamins, sugar energy. Good deal.

Mango + Scallion Pancake

Rating: 9/10

Fried scallion pancake eaten with fresh mango. I have like a whole box of mango I need to finish \]before it goes bad, so trying to eat it with everything these days. Amazing how many things go well with mango. It's been at least two weeks and I'm still not sick of it. Here, the sweet, sour, smooth mango is a fun counterpoint to the salty, savory, chewy, crispy pancake. Each adding what the other lacks and never even thought to find. Personifying my food a bit but whatever I'm sleepy.

Nutrition:

• Ataulfo mango = 107 Calories, 3g fiber, 76% of daily Vitamin C, 25% of daily Vitamin A
• whole Chinese scallion pancake = 840 Calories, 4g fiber, 1240mg Sodium, 60% of daily Iron, 32% of daily Vitamin A

Total Calories = 947
Yeah heavy on the Calories that scallion pancake, but got in some fiber, vitamins, and minerals from it too. Plus, the mango is all about vitamins and fiber.

Hazelnut Chocolate + Greek Yogurt

Rating: 8.5/10

Dark chocolate with hazelnut dipped in Greek yogurt. Accidentally got the plain yogurt instead of the honey one. As much as I still love the texture of Greek yogurt, the taste was disgustingly plain. So I figure the only thing to do is use it as dip for other more flavorful stuff. Chocolate hazelnut was as good a starting point as any. Lo and behold, awesome combo! Perfect safe for an otherwise tragic waste of yogurt texture.

Nutrition:

• Trader Joe's Swiss Dark Chocolate with Whole Hazelnuts (2 pieces) = 220 Calories, 3g fiber, 13g sugar, 20% of daily Iron
• Trader Joe's Plain Greek Yogurt (1 cup) = 120 Calories, 270mg Potassium, 6g sugar, 20% of daily Calcium

Total Calories = 340
Got in some Iron, Calcium, and Potassium. 

Oreo Ice Cream + Pineapple

 

Rating: 8/10

Oreo ice cream topped with (well, surrounded by, actually) fresh pineapple slices served on a plate by moi. Looked pretty cool like an oreo-centered sun. First off, pineapples are ridiculous to cut (glad I didn't have to do that part of it). Seriously, there needs to be a machine built for cutting this fruit. But anyway, the sweet, creamy, chunky ice cream plus the sweet, sour, juicy, chewy pineapple kind of rocks the summer vibes. A bit tropical island and a bit Alaskan igloo feel to it if you ask me.

Nutrition:

• scoop of oreo ice cream = 280 Calories, 1g fiber, 27g sugar, 15% of daily Calcium, 10% of Vitamin A
• 8 quarter circle slices of pineapple = 166 Calories, 362mg Potassium, 4.6g fiber, 32g sugar, 264% of daily Vitamin C, 20% of daily Vitamin B-6

Total Calories = 446
Holy Vitamin C! I'm good for two and a half days.

Panna Cotta Gelato + Marcona Almonds

Rating: 6.5/10

Panna cotta gelato topped with Spanish Marcona almonds. Neither really amazing by themselves, so I decided to have them join forces hoping for a better taste experience. Success! And what an interesting taste experience it was. Don't come across too many foods that are both spicy and frozen. While I still don't love this as a whole, it was an inspired taste smash. The spicy, crunchy, roasted almonds definitely adds a kick to the somewhat bland gelato, and the creamy, sweet gelato smooths out the monotonously pungent almond. Wouldn't recommend eating one without the other. They sort of balance each other out in a way.

Nutrition:

• panna cotta gelato (small cup) = 180 Calories, 1g fiber, 20g sugar
• 2 spoonfuls of Mitica Spicy Marcona Almonds = 190 Calories, 240mg Potassium, 3.5g fiber, 28% of daily Vitamin E, 14% of daily Phosphorous

Total Calories = 370
Cool Vitamin E, don't get that from too many places. Skin happy. Not sure what good Phosphorus serves but got some of that too.

Pigs-in-a-Blanket + Salsa

Rating: 7/10

Fresh baked pigs-in-a-blanket dipped in spicy salsa. Ideal companion to a night of beer pong. The spicy, sour, salty, juicy salsa added the perfect kick to the flaky, buttery, chewy, savory, hot mini dogs wrapped in croissant. Me likey, and not even a wee bit drunk 'cause me playz to winz.

Nutrition:

• Tostitos Hot Salsa (4 tbsp) = 20 Calories, 2g fiber, 500mg Sodium, 20% of daily Vitamin C, 15% of daily Vitamin A
• 4 pigs-in-a-blanket = 280 Calories, 1g fiber, 430mg Sodium, 10% of daily Vitamin A, 10% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 300
Not bad, some fiber and vitamins, go figure.

Watermelon Juice + Macadamia Nuts

Rating: 9/10

Drinking fresh watermelon juice while eating macadamia nuts. Unexpectedly tasty combo. A bit tropical I guess. The lightly sweet, icy, chunky watermelon juice just does something to the flavor of the smooth, crunchy, salted macadamia that makes it amazing. Maybe it enhances an aspect of the nut otherwise muted or maybe the contrast of the two gives the nut an extra kick. Whatever, it works!

Nutrition:

• cup of watermelon juice = 76 Calories, 267mg Potassium, 1g fiber, 38% of daily Vitamin C
• Savanna Orchards Gourmet Dry Roasted Macadamias (1/4 cup) = 210 Calories, 2g fiber, 115mg Sodium

Total Calories = 286
Decent dose of Vitamin C but otherwise trifles.

Honey Greek Yogurt + Hobo Bread

Rating: 8.5/10

Hobo bread dipped in honey Greek yogurt. Such an awesome combo of sweet, sour, creamy, and chewy goodness. Both good on their own but killer when they join forces, without losing what made them so great on their own. I'm so obsessed with the texture of Greek yogurt and the taste of molasses in hobo bread. Ah, mouth happy!

Nutrition:

• Trader Joe's Greek Style Honey Yogurt = 290 Calories, 24g sugar, 290mg Potassium, 25% of daily Calcium, 15% of daily Vitamin A
• slice of Trader Joe's Hobo Bread = 170 Calories, 1g fiber, 23g sugar, 230mg Sodium

Total Calories = 460
Been trying to keep track of my Potassium intake, could be the cause of some muscle cramps lately if my body is low on it. Getting some from the yogurt yay.

Chocolate Fortune Cookie + Red Bean Icecream

Rating: 8/10

Crushed chocolate fortune cookie sprinkled on red bean ice cream. Why not combine the two most Asian desserts? They're kind of lonely always on their own. Besides, they do a lot more for the taste buds when they join forces. The crunchy, lightly sweet chocolate cookie takes nothing away from the cold, sweet, chunky-smooth ice cream. This is like the healthiest junk food ever here.

Nutrition:

• King's Chocolate Fortune Cookie = 30 Calories, 3g sugar
• 1/2 cup of Maeda-en Red Beans Azuki Flavored Ice Cream = 140 Calories, 14g sugar, 1g fiber

Total Calories = 170
Light and delightful snack.

Hobo Bread + Cantaloupe

Rating: 7.5/10

Hobo bread chock full of molasses/raisin/walnut eaten with cubes of cantaloupe, or vice versa if you prefer. Can I just say how much I love molasses as sweetener, second only to malt powder and ways better than white sugar or honey could ever hope to taste. And the image of baking bread in a tin can over garbage fires makes me all fuzzy inside towards hobos. Anyway, the sweet, chewy, sticky bread adds a certain delightful consistency to the sweet, juicy, smooth cantaloupe. While all sweet flavors, the variety in texture makes this an interesting and surprisingly delightful mouth experience.

Young Coconut Meat + Yellow Cherry Tomatoes

Rating: 9/10

Coconut meat (scooped from a fresh young coconut I hacked to pieces for juice) eaten with yellow cherry tomatoes (ways more delectable than the red ones). The mild sweet, gelatinous coconut blends so smoothly with the juicy, sweet tartness of the tomatoes. Feel so rejuvenated eating this I can't even explain why. Yep, still on this vegetarian kick. Don't worry, not swearing off meat. Would never think of restricting what I can eat in the world. Omnivores for a reason, baby! And plan to take full advantage while I'm still young and healthy enough to enjoy food.

Nutrition:

• Asia Exotic Corp BL young coconut meat = 140 Calories, 2g fiber, 17% of daily Calcium
• Zima Seriously Sweet yellow cherry tomatoes (1 cup) = 70 Calories, 2g fiber, 80% of daily Vitamin C, 20% of daily Vitamin A

Total Calories = 210
Some fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Yay for digestion.

Rainbow Milkshake

Rating: 8/10

Jammin' homemade milkshake. Just toss an Italian rainbow cookie, some gelato, milk, and ice in a blender. Voila! Icy, creamy texture plus the cakey bits of the cookie that adds some colorful specks of pink, green, and yellow amidst the frosty white. Pretty and delicious.

Banana Chips + Dark Chocolate

Rating: 7/10

Bar of dark chocolate with almonds eaten with banana chips. A bit like trail mix, minus all the other stuff. I'm no fan of the banana taste but in chip form I can tolerate. The sweet, lightly bitter, smooth bar stacks up well against the crispy, chalky, sweet chips.

Nutrition:

• 1/2 Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate With Almonds = 125 Calories, 8.5g sugar, 2g fiber, 17% of daily Iron
• 1/8 Trader Joe's Banana Chips = 160 Calories, 3g sugar, 2g fiber

Total Calories = 285
Some fiber and Iron. Eh, not terrible.

Babaganush + Baby Cucumbers

Rating: 8/10

First off, SNOW BABY SNOW! Love being snowed in during blizzards! And after an afternoon of surprisingly nostalgic Blossom episodes on Youtube and Googling the word "fiefdom," I was in the mood for some odd vegan snacking before a messy meaty dinner. Baby cucumbers dipped in babaganush hit the spot. Not the most exciting combo but the cool, crispy, juicy bite with the cool, creamy, savory, garlicky, eggplant flavor was awfully refreshing. So adorable too these tiny little un-pickles.

Nutrition:

• 4 spoonfuls of Golden Taste Eggplant Babaganush Dip = 160 Calories, 280mg Sodium, 2g fiber
• 2 Sunset Mini Cucumbers =  30 Calories, 2g fiber, 340mg Potassium, 20% of daily Vitamin C

Total Calories = 190
Light and nutritious. Plus, good in the taste department too.

Grapes + Milk

Rating: 7.5/10

Eating grapes and drinking lactose-free milk at the same time. On a milk binge lately because this gallon I have in the fridge is expiring in 2 days and also I could use the Calcium (slightly paranoid about growing into a brittle-boned old person). Not that I'm lactose-intolerant, but this milk is sweeter maybe from the lactase enzyme added and I like it. So I'm trying to drink it with basically everything I eat right now. Fruits are not exception. And to my delight, the sweet, tart, juicy but fleshy grapes added a wonderful splash of subtle flavor to the smooth, slightly sweet but ultimately plain milk; while the milk just washes over the grape taste without dulling it completely. It's a lovely mutual effect.

Nutrition:

• handful of red grapes = 62 Calories, 15g sugar, 1g fiber, 6% of daily Vitamin C
• glass of Lactaid 1% Milk = 110 Calories, 125mg Sodium, 30% of daily Calcium, 25% of daily Vitamin D

Total Calories = 212
Cool this milk has less Calories and more Calcium than regular milk. And a handful of grapes really don't add much to my nutritional needs.