Monday, March 8, 2010

Mexican Coca-Cola: muy refresco

The first time I went to Mexico was a "girls trip" to Puerto Vallarta with my Mother and her mother - it was so much fun! 

Although I didn't buy any traditional touristy items, I did bring back with me a great love of Mexican soft drinks - the perfect accessory to my already well known, debilitating, addiction to Mexican food! 
("Addiction" is the best word to describe it - this baby is going to come out of the womb with the ability to order dinner in Spanish!) 

So, imagine my overwhelming joy when I discovered that my local Sam's Club now carries the elusive, glass-bottled version of Coca-Cola that bears the all important "Hecho En Mexico" mark!

If you have never tried Mexican-made Coke, I urge you to run, not walk, to your local mercado to grab a bottle of this stuff. 

What makes Mexican Coke different from regular American Coke? 
Two words: CANE SUGAR 

You see, (as anyone who has read The Omnivore's Dilemma can tell you) American companies use high fructose corn syrup instead of a "real" sugar, because it's cheaper to produce; because cheaper ingredients = cheaper production cost, there is more profit to be had! 

"But Coca-Cola is an American company! Why is the same product different when it is made south-of-the-border?" Want to know why? 
Coca-Cola has many bottling plants around the world. Each bottling plant gets the "secret formula" from Coca-Cola, but is responsible for putting in their own sugar and water in the mix. 

And in Mexican bottling plants, that sugar (thankfully) comes from actual sugar cane. A small change which creates a HUGE difference in the taste of the product. 
(And, if you ask me, the GLASS bottle makes a huge difference in the taste of the soda because it is a non-reactive container) 

 

Aren't they beautiful? (Check out the stickers with the nutritional content on them- those little babies make them legal for sale in the USA)

So, give yourself a treat and have one of these little beauties over ice today! 

(Soon, you will be like The Hungry Hubby and I, buying them by the case, and filling your laundry-room shelves with these tall, black bottles!) 

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Single-Girl Sweet Potatoes

When I think back to when The Hungry Hubby and I were dating and the time that we were engaged (before having a man in the house meant a GINORMOUS increase in the amount of groceries I would buy) I ate A TON of what I called "Single Girl Sweet Potatoes". 
 
They are yummy, good-for-you, and they are one of the cheapest things you can make!
 
 
 
I have been known to eat S.G.S.Ps for any meal - they make a shockingly good breakfast too! 
 
 You will need: 

1 average-sized Sweet Potato per person
1-2 tablespoons of good butter
2-3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
Ground Cinnamon, for dusting

1. Take a fork and poke LOTS of holes in the sweet potatoes. MAKE SURE you poke holes ALL AROUND THE POTATO unless you enjoy "Exploding Single Girl Sweet Potatoes". Trust me on this. 

2. Put the Sweet Potato in the Microwave and press the "potato" button. (Seriously, when I was in college this little microwave function probably saved me from total starvation on more than one occasion.) 

3. When the Sweet Potato is done cooking, cut open, mash the insides with a fork, and add the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. 

EAT. 

The best thing about a S.G.S.P. is that you can eat them as an entire meal, or make them as a side dish. (They go well with Indoor BBQ Chicken Tenders!) 
And believe me, once The Hungry Baby is born I will be eating a lot more of these sweet potatoes to help me get back to my wedding weight! (I feel like a beached whale! 80 days to go!)