The Fresh Diet Cookbook

I really really was so very excited when I first heard that TFD was creating a cookbook of their wonderful recipes so that those of us who didn't live in their delivery area (or like me couldn't afford to continue on the plan) could still follow along with their healthy recipes.  I think the day it was available for sale ........ I rushed to purchase it.  I sent my almost $25 dollars for the book (almost as much for the "cheapest" shipping as the cost of the book) and waited.

And I waited because of some changes that were being made, per the email I received but that it would be here before the holidays......... And it was JUST before the holidays that I received my copy.  I did do a real quick look through and saw that it was signed by Chef Yos - was one of the "benefits" that was received for ordering early.  I was really excited because as the cover says it has "99 recipes from the Fresh Diet kitchens that will please your palate and your waistline"

In the last week or so I have been going through the book and trying to decide if it was a joke or if they could really be selling this program as a "healthy" way of eating.  To say I am upset is an understatement.  They start out by saying that they have "coded" the recipes as "vegetarian", "gluten-free" or "favorites" - I found quite a few recipes that had "no" coding ..... or which, when you look at the facebook page you would think is a "favorite" .... but not coded as such.  They have 3 cheesecake recipes ... but only one is coded as a "favorite" and its not even one I've seen noted anyplace as a favorite.  I also believe this really needed a good proof-reading that it didn't get - or if it did .. some proof-reader needs to be fired.

There are so many recipes that should have been "expanded" instead of telling you to buy an ingredient at the store.   For instance - the Toasted Granola with Diced Pears & Honey Almond Ricotta Cheese ...... NOT listed as a favorite, although it appears to be THE favorite of most Facebook Followers (and one of mine too, as this was my picture) and you are suppose to go buy granola that has less than 10g of sugar ........

Now you are to add 1/2 cup of store bought granola - but they give you the nutritional information as 319 calories, 21g of Fat, 356mg of sodium, 7g sugar, 3g fiber and 10g protein. Not sure how that can be if all you are looking for is granola that's less than 10g of sugar ......

Another breakfast option is Apricot Cream Cheese Crepes with Fresh Oranges & Raspberries. The above picture is from CA kitchen. You have to go buy the crepes from the store....no other suggestions. And what is evaporated can juice sugar? Seem to be a lot of recipes that include this but not even listed in the "Well Stocked Kitchen" list, let alone where to purchase it. And this serving size is 2 filled crepes, 1/2 an orange and 4 raspberries for  - 458 calories, 22g fat, 586mg sodium, 4g fiber, 24g sugar and 16g protein.

This is the same meal from the NY kitchen. Yes same breakfast, different kitchen.   So which one is the stats for?

This is the Breakfast Veggie Burrito from the CA kitchen. The recipe in the book is for 4 servings, with each serving having 400 calories, 18g fat, 716mg of sodium, 3g fiber, and 20g protein. Kind of scary amount of sodium for breakfast! Though the Southwestern Scrambled Eggs with 9 Grain Toast isn't much better in the sodium department ...... 705mg! In the recipe for Southwestern Scramble,  it calls for 1 tsp (teaspoon) of fresh salsa (no recipe) in the ingredients but the serving size says 4 Tbsp (tablespoons) of salsa mixture?  Hmmm which is it?

Then we move on to lunch entrees.
I almost wish I had a picture of the "lunch" entree - Maple Glazed Ham Salad with Diced Pears, Toasted Walnuts, Dried Cherries, Baby Lettuce & Raspberry Vinaigrette ....... but then maybe not since the stats are 537 calories, 33g fat (more than 1/2 of your entire day), 1,168mg sodium (almost 1/2 of your entire day!) 21g sugar and 24g protein.

Oh and they also have a Crab Salad Sandwich on 9 grain bread that is 273 calories, 6g fat, 1,734mg sodium, 5g sugar and 27g protein. And THAT is for HALF a sandwich! Seriously??  The picture above, was one of the lunches I had from the NY kitchen when I first started in 2010 - as you can see it was a WHOLE sandwich.  I did see pictures from the CA kitchen (probably from later in 2011 based on what was with it) that was also a whole sandwich but was actually on a bread that LOOKED like a grained bread ... this was looked more like a "soft white" whole wheat (MAYBE) that you can get in the grocery store (think Wonder)

The Philly Cheese Steak Whole Wheat Wrap with Sauteed Bell Peppers & Mozzarella is another favorite of many but again not listed as such in the book. This is one of the sandwich wraps I received when I was getting my meals, and was one of those that "sold" me on The Fresh Diet, although this is a picture after I had been receiving my meals for a while and was seriously deficient in anything in the way of filling.   I seriously doubt there was any "meat" in this wrap, but that was the NY kitchen all too often.   The stats say it has 406 calories, 16g fat, 842mg sodium, 0 fiber, 27g protein.

This is the Tarragon Infused Salmon and Cheddar Melt on Whole Wheat Wrap from CA kitchen The stats for this recipe are 375 calories, 18g fat, 836mg sodium, 8g fiber, 3g sugar and 35g protein.  Now the recipe ingredients call for 2 10" Whole Wheat Tortillas, that yields 2 servings.  Until you read the serving size which says 1/2 wrap.  So are the stats for a whole wrap or 1/2 wrap?

California's version of the Thai Turkey Burger with Sauteed Bok Choy and Peanut Sauce

And then same lunch that I received from the NY kitchen.  The book says it yields 2 servings 1/2 burger on 1/2 of a 4"x4" roll.  But the recipe says shape the 8 oz of ground turkey into 4 burgers.  And then there is no direction for creating the Peanut Sauce, so another thing to purchase at the store without guideline.  But this whole recipe is 287 calories, 4g fat, 957mg sodium, 2g fiber, 3g sugar and 33g protein.  So how did they figure out these stats?? Using 4 oz of turkey or 2 oz ......... so confusing.  As you can see again a MAJOR difference between kitchens!

Now we go onto some of the dinner items.

The Walnut Crusted Chicken with Apricot Roulade that goes for 264 calories, 13g fat, 459mg sodium 1g fiber, 2g sugar and 28g protein. Can't tell you about the other items on the plate since they aren't part of the book.  Though the ingredients call for 2 whole apricots cut in half, then the instructions call for 1/4 of the diced apricots ..... these look "undiced" to me.  But I guess this is why when I got my version of this dish I always had just a tiny bit of apricot ... pretty much just chicken to be honest.  Now is it NY or CA that isn't following the recipe?  Or is the recipe in the book that is confused?

Here we have the Spicy Chickpea Patty with Cilantro Lime & Green Chilies that requires 1/4 cup of fresh salsa ... but again no recipe. Since it uses 3 15oz cans of chickpeas that will be made into a paste, I can't tell you if the 12 2oz patties (6 servings) it says to make will be enough or too much. But it does say 2 patties has 287 calories, 3g fat, 808mg of sodium, 10g fiber 11g sugar and 12g protein. The directions also tell you to put all the ingredients into a bowl after pulsing the chickpeas ..... then it tells you to put the vegetable oil into a pan (more oil or shouldn't have been in the mix?) and cook the patties for 2 minutes per side then remove to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes ...... but it only takes 17 minutes to cook (2+2+15=17?) ??

Turkey Chili Con Carne was another one of those recipes that I really had to wonder about - and yes I did order this (that's my plate above) more than once, but always felt it needed something because it was bland (usually a little saved peanut sauce).   It requires 2 lbs of ground turkey?? so you can have 10 1/2 cup servings? Why would you make so much? And here's the stats JUST for the chili - 202 calories, 9g fat, 1,044mg sodium (again almost 1/2 of the daily values), 12g carbs, 3g, fiber, 6g, sugar and 21g protein.

Then we move on to snacks and desserts .... again a lot of OMG and missing ingredients.

Here we have Grilled Shrimp with Mango Salsa, is another one of those questionable ingredient/direction recipes.  Again you make 4 servings with the recipe that calls for 2 shrimp per serving but only lists 6 shrimp in the ingredients.  The stats are 20 calories, 182mg sodium, 2.8g sugar and 1.6g protein. 

Artichoke Bottoms with Creamy Garlic Cauliflower. This was one of my favorite snacks although I didn't get it as often as I should - I think it may have competed with the mini egg rolls with peanut sauce (that didn't get included in the book). It has 30 calories, 2g fat, 154mg sodium, 1g fiber, 2g protein.

Cucumber Cups with Herbed Cheese Topped with Capers was another one of those recipes that was missing an ingredient. It says to combine sour cream into the cream cheese ... but no sour cream listed in ingredients. The recipe is for 4 servings - each serving is 2 1/2" slices of cucumber. For this you get 77 calories, 6g fat, 184mg sodium, 0 fiber, 1g sugar and 2g protein. I had ordered this a few times but stopped because it was usually sitting in water in the container ....... did nothing for the cucumber slices.

Mini Sweet Potato and Turkey Shepherds Pie is another recipe that makes 8 servings (why?) that was never a favorite of mine to be sure. Sure didn't ever look all that appetizing either.  Although I will admit this is one of the better looking ones.  This is one I received early on in my meal delivery.  And to add to the wonderfulness of this dish - it has 134 calories, 5g fat, 234mg sodium, 1g fiber, 2g sugar and 13g protein

Cherry Maple Oatmeal Cookies, which appears to be 2 desserts not 1, based on the stats in the book. These cookies are made with 1 TBSP of dough each with a serving size of 2 cookies. For these 2 little cookies (remember this picture appears to be 2 servings) you get 197 calories, 4g fat, 142mg sodium, 2g fiber, 24g sugar, 3g protein.

Here we have Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookie, that really is a favorite (although not marked as such) and not offered very often. It has a lot of sugar in the ingredients including 1/2c of dulce de leche - which I guess you also have to buy at the store since there is no recipe for this either. AND you have to make 15 sandwich cookies but a serving is only 1 sandwich cookie! This one above is one that I received ... someplace in-between the cookies is the dulce de leche - I know I remember it there somewhere. For this cookie you get 176 calories, 4.6g fat, 118mg sodium, 0g figer, 19g sugar, 3g protein.

Gingersnap Pumpkin Cheesecake was one of those cheesecakes that I never got to try. For the most part it was only offered on the weekends when I didn't usually get my meals. You have to make 10 servings if you follow this recipe and to be honest I'm not sure if the nutritional information per serving includes the gingersnap crust or not. If it does then the stats are 282 calories, 15g fat, 260mg sodium, 1g fiber, 17g sugar, 8g protein. If not you have to add 116 calories, 6g fat, 120mg sodium, 7g sugar.

Key Lime Cheesecake is the only one of the 3 cheesecakes listed as a "favorite" Again we have that evaporated cane juice sugar and I still can't tell if the stats include the crust or not. You have to make 10 servings but you can only keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days...so hopefully this freezes well .. If it includes the crust the stats are 257 calories, 14g sugar, 289mg sodium, 1g fiber, 12g sugar and 8g protein. If not you have to add 89 calories, 5g fat, 148mg sodium, 1g fiber, 2g sugar and 1g protein.   If you don’t like the above cheesecake recipes, because of the high stats or serving sizes, you might want to check out culinary classes at accredited online schools, which should also be able to teach you how to make a low carb sugar-free truffle cheesecake.  Now that does sound good doesn't it?

I took a long time to do this post.  This review was in no way requested by The Fresh Diet, and they probably would have wished (if they see it at all) that I didn't post this review.  I really didn't want to give it a "bad" review, but I have to say there really wasn't anything more I could do.  There were so many things that proof-reading should have caught, way too many "store bought" items that gave no guidance,  and then some of the stats were soooo bad I'm not sure how this could be touted as "Calorie Controlled meals with an added unique twist to healthy cooking"  or even "anchors our belief that flavor and freshness are the fundamental ingredients in any healthy diet.  That's what makes our dishes not only healthy but inspiring!"    but way too much sugar and sodium from the look of the stats.

One of the things I may do, when I get a chance, is find a good program to recalculate these recipes and see if the stats are in fact correct or if this is another case of proof-reading gone bad.

Sorry Fresh Diet, this is a very sad "Fresh Take on Diets".  I almost wish this had been a "free" book I was given for review since the $25 I paid ($15 for book/$10 for shipping ) was too much for this considering you can get much better recipes from Taste of Home Diet Comfort Foods ANNUAL book  (380 recipes) for about what I paid before shipping.

The Fresh Diet Wants YOU

That's right - The Fresh Diet wants YOU to check out their facebook page and enter for a chance to win a full YEAR of their meals.  Talk about a fantastic prize!  If you have been following my blog, you have seen some of the great meals I have experienced.  If not (or if you have forgotten) check out my posts here.  You need to go through these posts as I have discussed the good, the bad, and the ugly from my stand point.  You may or may not agree - your kitchen could be different from mine .... although they are suppose to be the same or as close as possible. 

To win you have to follow a few EASY steps.

you need to have a facebook account ..... but I would assume most of you already do.  If not, you can get one for free.

you need to check out their facebook page

you need to "like" them (well you don't have to but I thnk it would be a very good idea)

See I told you this was a super easy contest.

And here comes the "difficult" part ............  I'm posting straight from their facebook post regarding this contest -

Unleash your inner Oracle!

We know our TFD facebook fans have many talents – We are putting your fortune telling skills to the test! Best clairvoyant will receive ONE YEAR of free TFD! You will have 30 days (which was Monday 8/15/11) to guess the DATE our page will reach 100 000 fans. ONE guess per person and you must include your zip code with your entry.

Send entries to competitions@thefreshdiet.com and on the day we reach 100 000 fans, we will announce our winner!

Now you also have to be in their delivery area - but the have been expanding so much it is very possible that you are already in their delivery area.  Check it out.  I know I have my inner Oracle working on this so that I too will have a chance to win One Year FREE ....... oh how that does sound sooooo good.

Tuesday's Fresh Diet Meals

Since I had some running around to do and catching up after being away most of last week, it was nice to see my little buddy sitting outside my door Tuesday morning.

Breakfast was Honey Roasted Granola with Fresh Diced Pineapple & Passion Fruit Yogurt.  This is a wonderful breakfast item that is a nice combination of sweet and tart.  The Pineapple is generally on the sweeter side and the passion fruit yogurt is tart (tarter than any of the other flavored yogurts).  I always like to make this a more "festive" plating - so when early on I thought to put this in a margarita glass ...... it became the "norm".  I added yesterday's flower surprise to the mix just to make it even more "pretty".

Lunch was Whole Wheat Pizza Topped with Tri Color Bell Pepper, Mozzarella Cheese and Marinara Sauce.  Even though I "erred" when I was heating this up - I ran down to the basement while it was heating up in the toaster oven (that someone put on broil instead of bake) so it was a little burnt around the edges.  Since whenever we order pizza from the "outside world" or if I make it myself at home from scratch - we ask for thin crust and WELL DONE, I didn't have any problem with these burnt edges.  This is usually a good entree - so it is a regular for me when offered.

My snack was the House Turkey Patties with Honey Glazed Apples.  I have had this before, and is being shown here on a dish that is 4 inches in diam - just so you have an idea of the "size" of this snack.  I have to say that this time the apples were a little "thicker" so they didn't melt when heated in the microwave and actually had a flavor - although it was more cinnamon than anything else.  The turkey patties were maybe formed with a tablespoon (I think they call this "coronets", so they really weren't more than the snack it was purported to be.  It would have been nice if there was something other than "just turkey" in those patties - literally just turkey - if there were seasonings added ... it was in someone else's patties.

Dinner was Pork Cutlet with Apple Chutney with Green Split Pea Puree and Roasted Green Asparagus.  Although there were 3 slices in my container - you really could only eat 2 - the 3rd slice was full of "something" that could not be cut - and ended up in the garbage.  The Apple Chutney was very spicy this time - which I did like, but was glad it was in a separate container so that I could add as much as I wanted.  The Green Pea Puree was exceptionally thick this time so it was actually harder to warm through.  The green Asparagus, although I don't think the picture shows this, was surprisingly good even though it appeared to be either "over roasted" or "older".  It was still on the crisp side of tender crisp so I will say it was still ok for me.

My dessert was Tropical Dried Fruit with Pina Colada Yogurt.  When I first saw this in the container I was thinking the kitchen ran out of fruit that's for sure.  When I actually put it on a plate I found some pieces sitting under the yogurt container.  I also "separated" the fruit pieces - the apricots and prunes were "stuck together" so I got more pieces that were thin as opposed to fewer pieces that were thick.  Sorry the picture is a little dark ....... my kitchen was trying to set the mood for me last night (ok so a bulb blew out and I didn't feel like climbing up to replace it)

Monday's The Fresh Diet Meals

After being away from my Fresh Diet meals for a week while in Atlantic City, I was so happy to see my little buddy sitting outside my door.

Breakfast of Monday was Apple Ricotta Cheese Crepes with Fresh Strawberries.  I really do enjoy these even though I find they are not as filling as some of the other options.  These unfortunately were even less filling than usual.  Between the 3 crepes in my breakfast container, IF there was 1 TABLESPOON of Ricotta Cheese, that was a lot.  There was no apple or even apple flavor in the filling at all.  They say to heat these for 30 - 45 seconds, but I ate them "cool".  I actually like them better "cool" although I have had them heated on more than one occasion.  The flower was the little "present" that we sometimes receive on Monday mornings - very pretty.  The flower usually lasts a few days sitting on top of the stones in my bamboo planter in my kitchen.  Brings a smile to my face each time I see it.

Lunch was the Philly Cheese Steak Whole Wheat Wrap with Sauteed Bell Pepper and Mozzarella Cheese.   This was rather interesting, as it was on a "green" wrap - which I "assume" was a spinach wrap.  It was also much smaller than normal.  The menu says to heat this for 1 - 1:20 minutes, but  I have found that most of the wraps have a wonderful flavor if you have the ability to heat them on a grill or panini pan.  This particular wrap was more wrap than anything else, but then after my breakfast crepes (they looked like mini wraps didn't they?) I wasn't totally surprised when I cut my "mini" cheese steak wrap in half.

The snack was White Chocolate Chip Cappuccino Cheese Cake - minus any chips.  Although it was falling apart, it was a nice treat for the afternoon.  That and I was starving by 3PM.

Dinner was Donna's Turkey Meatloaf with Baby Farmer Carrots and Whole Wheat Linguine Pasta.  Once again I had to finish cooking this entree before I could actually eat it.  There was not much to "hold it together" as I assume there was not a bread crumb or oats to be found.  Not much in the way of anything but turkey in this meatloaf with a little tomato sauce over the top.  I really wish they would cook this in muffin tin - we know they have these tins - so that it would actually stay together and perhaps have those nice "crunchies" that a true meatloaf lover loves to have - the end pieces for everyone!  Because mine was rather "raw" looking when I opened the container - I cooked mine on a grill pan and got a little bit of "crunchies" that added flavor.  I am assuming the carrots were steamed without any seasonings.  The Linguine Pasta was cooked well - just this side of al dente with someone finding the salt for the cooking water.

Dessert was Strawberry Vanilla Pudding.  I forgot to take a picture of this one - so I'm showing you one I had taken back in February when I got this last.  Sorry its not in a pretty cup - February is tax time - I'm lucky to eat and sleep then.    It's one of the few things that hasn't been played with.

All in all, I have become very disappointed with the preparation of the NY kitchen.  I have seen meals prepared by other kitchens (CA and TX have some fantastic looking meals posted on the Facebook page) this year that remind me of the meals NY use to prepare.   For my remaining time on The Fresh Diet, I really wish they would find the love/pride/joy/whatever it was that they had last year, so that I can end my subscription on a high note.  I really don't know if that will happen, but I am keeping an open mind and thinking "happy thoughts" and sending "good vibes" their way

My Fresh Diet meals from Tuesday May 31st

It was really nice to see my little buddy sitting outside my door early in the morning.  My great Fresh Diet delivery person (Hi Owen) had left my TFD bag sitting right outside my kitchen door.  Not only does he bring me my little buddy with my meals for the day - he takes such good care of me and my buddy.  He is just so sweet!

Breakfast was Cinnamon Swirl Multi-Grain French Toast with Fresh Apples and Blackberry Ricotta Cheese.  This was a new item for me and I have to say it was pretty darned good.  Since I had increased my calorie range to 1600 - 1800calories per day, I received almost 3 halves of the toast.  The Apples were exceptionally good this time.  They were nicely firm, almost like a mix of apple and pear, and they had not turned brown as they usually do once they are cut.  I really need to find out what kind of apples these were - I want more!  I so love the flavored Ricotta Cheese ...... I WILL figure out how to make this.

Lunch was a Tuna Burger on Whole Wheat Bun with Cucumber and Avocado Salsa.  This was an interesting burger - I really just wish they had a real Whole Wheat Bun and not a bun made with "Enriched Wheat Flour" which if you have done any reading about flours you know that this really isn't whole wheat and therefore doesn't have the benefits of whole wheat.  I do love Avocado Salsa.

My snack for the day was a Low Fat Passion Fruit Yogurt Mousse.  This was exceptionally firm so it was easy (ok reasonably easy) to slip this one out of the container to plate.  It did have a grainier texture than a regular mousse but the flavor was very intense and I did enjoy it.  I believe I have had this before, and wasn't terribly enthused about it - this time however it was great.

Dinner was Roasted Pork Loin with Pineapple Mango Chutney with Roasted Bell Peppers and Roasted Fennel.  I have had this before, and it was rather tender despite the thick slice.  I liked the combination of bell peppers and fennel that were roasted ...... they had the same textures but the flavors came out much better this way.  I think they complemented each other very well.  The Pineapple Mango Chutney was sooo good.  I really need to find out how to make the chutneys and sauces from The Fresh Diet.  I can't say that I like all of them, but I bet its probably close to 90% of them.

Rumor has it they are going to come out with their cookbook sometime this year ......... it will be worth the price of the book just for the chutney and sauce recipes!


Dessert was Apple Cinnamon Cheese Cake ...... what can I say?  Cheese Cake?  Was very good, nice flavor without being overbearing with either flavor.  I was so tired by the time I was ready for dessert (I had finished planting all the herbs and flowers and seeds I have for the deck) I forgot to take a picture.  I even looked to see if I had one from one of my other deliveries ...... nope sorry.  Trust me it was good.

 If you are ready, give them a call at 1-866-FRESH50 and tell them that I sent you (or you could just give them my referral code - K2M4T) - Sales and Customer Service ROCKS!  And if you are looking for some great support ....... check out The Fresh Diet Facebook Page - we are one big happy (well most of the time) family.  And they have some awesome contests that the Fearless Leader likes to run.

My week of The FreshDiet May 2oth

Here are some of the meals that I've received this past week while eating The Fresh Diet way, from the NY kitchen.  My wonderful TFD Delivery Person (Owen - HI Owen) just treats me so well.  He always leaves my bag right outside my door in the same place each night, so all I need to do is open the door and bring in my meals.  Even when its 5:30 in the morning - I can get my meals without worrying what I might find outside my door.  Thank you Owen for always putting a smile on my face.

I unfortunately don't have pictures of everything I've had this week - the gremlins are having a field day with my picture placements - but I will include those that I have available.

Monday May 16th was the start of an interesting week of meals.

Breakfast was Roasted Poblano Pico De Gallo Omelet with Queso Bianco & Whole Wheat Toast.

Although this was a rather thin omelet (I know it doesn't look like it) it was really good - the pico really made this an over the top breakfast.  They did omit the Toast ... but I added my own since I had whole wheat bread at home.

Lunch was a Philly Cheese Steak Whole Wheat Wrap with Sauteed Bell Pepper and Mozzarella Cheese.  Remember that commercial "Where's the Beef"?  Exactly what this reminded me of.  It tasted good but I didn't find any meat.

My snack was Mini Whole Wheat Sweet & Sour Sloppy Joe.  There was so much "meat" that it needed more whole wheat whatever - but that does seem to be a problem - NY does not seem to understand portions or combinations of items needed for an entree.  Granted this was a snack - but seriously, under that mound of meat is a little piece of bread/crostini and there was still meat in the cup!

Then came dinner, Grilled Chicken Breast with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce with Orange Glazed Baked Yams and Honey Glazed Beets. 

Dessert was White Chocolate Chip Cappuccino Cheese Cake ........ they still do make the best cheesecakes.  At least some things remain consistent.


These were from Tuesday May 17th.
My breakfast was the Fresh Fruit Salad, but all I have a picture of (or the only one I can find) is a rather nasty looking banana ...... and I'm sure you don't want to see that one.

Lunch was Whole Wheat Pizza Topped with Tri Color Bell Peppers and Mozzarella Cheese & Marinara Sauce.  I have always like the pizzas - they have some of the most interesting "toppings".  This one, although not that unusual, was very good.

Baked Sweet Potato Stuffed with Spinach and Gouda Cheese was a good bridge to dinner.

 
This was dinner of Szechuan Style Chicken Stir-Fry with Bamboo Shoots and Shredded Carrots, Chinese Black Rice and Roasted Green Asparagus.  This was not one of the better dinners.  The chicken was not chicken, it was tofu, and the sides were either overcooked/old/undercooked.  As I said not a good dinner.

May 18th brought a hope for a better day from the NY kitchen.

Breakfast was the Ham and Asparagus Strata with Whole Wheat Bread.  Now I had this entree before and absolutely LOVED it.  As you can see here this was an "afterthought" addition to my bag of meals.  The entire meals had 1 small dice of ham and a small dice of asparagus cut in half.  The egg and "cheese" didn't even cover the entire piece of bread ........ 3"x2"x1" was no where near enough to constitute a breakfast serving.  To say I was disappointed (and hungry) is an understatement.

Lunch was the Fresh Salmon Salad with Green and Red Tomato, European Cucumber, Baby Lettuce and Citrus Ponzu Dressing.   The greens were a little wet, before the dressing was added, and the red and green tomato was rather interesting since it wasn't either - it was a "partially" ripened tomato that was sort of green and sort of red.   And yes the cucumber consisted of 2 thin slices of cucumber.  Come on NY what is the problem?  I guess the cat's away so the mice are playing again ........ and NOT in a good way.

Dinner was Chicken Breast and Basil Pesto Roulade with White Bean Puree and Steamed Broccoli Rapini   I will admit when I saw this in the container, I was not at all happy.   But at this point I was hungry and decided I had to eat whatever was there.  I was pleasantly surprised - this was a good meal.  The chicken, that really looked rather blah in the container, had a nice flavor almost throughout, because of the Basil Pesto that was INSIDE a good part of the chicken. 

The Cranberry Orange Muffin was a good snack, but not enough to quell the hunger from the unsatisfying breakfast or lunch.  I bet if I had cut this in half and toasted in the grill pan with a little ICBINB it really would have rocked!

Dessert was the Lemon Zest Tea Cookies.  I have had these before, and until recently, it was always only 1 cookie.  Now we seem to get 2 on a regular basis - these are soft and chewy and very tasty. 

May 19th's dawned with the hope of the kitchen getting their act together again. 

Breakfast was a Mexican Style Omelet with Green Salsa, Sour Cream, Chives, Cilantro & Whole Wheat Toast.  The omelet itself was really thin but the salsa and sour cream made this pretty good.

I had a new entree for lunch Grilled Skirt Steak and Nopatitos Salad with tomato, cucumber, spring mix and cilantro lime vinaigrette.   I did take the skirt steak out for the salad and cut it into bite sized pieces before putting back into the salad but was pleasantly surprised with this salad.  The Nopatitos almost looked like green beans in the container - but had a nice bite to them and were definitely NOT green beans!  I really enjoyed this lunch - hopefully this will appear again before my time with TFD is finished.

My snack was Whole Wheat Chicken Tortellini with Fresh Basil - NOT a snack I would ever get again.  It tasted like the refrigerator tortellini you can get in the grocery store - but totally dry and crunchy - not even close to satisfying.


Dinner was Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs with Red Onions, Green Chiles, Cranberries, Cashews and Cucumber Yogurt with Pesto Pearl Barley and Portabella mushrooms.  I had this before, and thought that this was not improved over the weeks.  The cashews were whole, which made everything fall apart and to be honest, had better flavor before.  The Cucumber Yogurt was so watered down it was like pouring colored water over the top.  No this is NOT going to be added again.

Dessert was a Hazel Nut Espresso Muffin - not a bad ending to the day - but I'm not sure where that picture ended up.

Friday May 20th was a toss up of entrees.

Breakfast was a fruit salad that was not one of the better fruit salads I've had.  The strawberries were sitting in either water or juice (not sure which) that made them rather soft, the grapes were a mix of sweet and sour, the pears were a mix of brown and white, firm and overly soft.  The mango was diced so small I wonder if it was fresh or canned?

I had hope for the BTM Panini for lunch.  Even though it was a half of the roll - why I have NO idea really - but the mozzarella was a "full size" slice and the basil was a nice size piece - not a dice.  I did heat it up (after this picture) in a grill pan to make a real "panini".  It really needed something.  It was a "flat flavor" that even the tomato didn't do anything for.    But this could have potential.  Next time I will add my own salt and pepper to see if it helps with the "flat" flavor quality.

My snack was artichoke bottoms with cheese - these are always really good.  I could probably make a whole meal with these and a whole wheat ciabatta roll!

Dinner was a beef kabob with roasted artichoke hearts and garlic spinach and arugula  I'm not sure how I felt about this one.  The beef kabobs were more substantial than anything I've had this week for dinner and the artichoke hearts are huge!  I think I need to have the spinach and arugula again to decide if I like it or not. 

Dessert was a new one for me (and relatively new for TFD) White Chocolate and Rose Cheese Cake Cup. This was a very soft cheesecake, hence the cup.  But it did have a very nice flavor and consistency.  It is a tiny dessert, but it is a nice one to end the day with. 

If you want to check out the other pictures that people are posting of their meals - from kitchens all over, although it is mainly NY, CA and Chicago, you really should check out their photos on Facebook.  This are pictures that clients post of what they have received for the day.  I sometimes check these out when I'm trying to decide what to have in the coming weeks.  That way if something is "new to me" I can see what to expect.  I will admit, I usually look for those from the NY kitchen so I have an idea about what I will get, since kitchen similarity/consistency hasn't worked, in my opinion.