Matcha (pronounced ma-cha)  is a fine, powdered green tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies, and to dye and/or flavor foods (mochi, soba noodles, ice cream).

While I prefer a less hearty green tea (one that I can see through), I do like a cold, creamy Peet’s Matcha Green Tea Freddo in the summertime. Peet’s makes theirs with the highest quality Japanese matcha green tea and milk (I substitute soymilk), and tops it with whipped cream (I take mine without).

More along the lines of a hot chocolate is Trader Joe’s Matcha Latte (pictured above), which contains cane sugar, nonfat milk, Whey protein, green tea, matcha tea, maltodetrin, tricalcium phosphate, carrageenan, natural flavors and salt. Although you can drink this hot (think a “green” hot chocolate), I’ve taken to adding a tablespoon or two to my morning smoothie lately.

Lastly, when I’m feeling lazy, or I just want the real deal, I head to Jamba Juice for a Matcha Green Tea Blast™, which contains soymilk, sorbet, nonfat frozen yogurt, ice and matcha green tea. It’s perfection.

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So when I found Trader Joe’s 100 Calorie 70% Dark Chocolate Bars, made with super smooth Belgian chocolate, I was thrilled. There are five .63oz individually wrapped bars per box, and each bar (18g) has 8 grams of fat (5g saturated fat), no trans fat, and 70 calories from fat.

Yes, they are a bit high on the fat scale, but low in overall calories, so as long as you watch your fat intake, one a day should be fine. And if you need to justify (like I do), the bars have an antioxidant score higher than 1/2 cup of blueberries and blackberries.
 

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For over two decades, I’ve been perfecting the art of grocery shopping to make it as quick and painless as possible.

This inclination probably stems from my youth, when my Dad would spend the majority of every Wednesday (the day the food ads came out in the local paper) driving all over town to “get the best deals” (a luxury I think no one can afford these days, what with the cost of gasoline!).

When I lived by myself, I made it a habit to check the ads every week and clip coupons, but I stuck to one store, because I was young , and I did not have the time to spend a whole day shopping for food. 

When I got married, the list making stuck with me, but with an added wrinkle–I planned a week’s worth of meals and wrote the grocery list accordingly, with the goal of only going to the grocery store once a week (unless I forgot something, which did/does happen on occasion).

I started these grocery lists on old envelopes, but the list making has now evolved to a template on my computer that, other than dinner planning, stays pretty much the same week to week.

I also write the list according to the layout of the store where I shop, which saves time and makes the whole grocery shopping routine easier.

Whether I’m shopping here or here, I can get in and out in about 20 minutes.

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If it’s true that you are what you eat, then I am oatmeal.

Until recently, I was making it the old-fashioned way. You know, cooking it, on the stove.

But then one day a friend told me about Trader Joe’s Steelcut Oatmeal, and since then I have been in oatmeal heaven.

It’s frozen in discs about the size of a hockey puck (two to a box).

After just a few minutes in the microwave, the end result is a bowl of steelcut oatmeal, lightly sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup (just a hint, mind you).

I usually slice a banana over the top, and ta da, breakfast is served!

It’s less than $2 for 2 servings, and each serving contains 2.5g fat (no saturdated or trans!) and 150 calories (calories from fat 20).

It’s oatmeal perfection.

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(One of my biggest food struggles after cancer was that I no longer wanted to live a life of deprivation. I went the opposite way. I wanted it all, now! I have since found a balance.)

During cancer treatment, I started buying organic foods and we joined our local Co-Op, where today we shop for 90 percent of our food (the other 10 percent is bought here).

In the past few years, I’ve explored vegetarianism, then veganism, and I’m now back to eating meat (occasionally) and fish.

Yes, we drink soy milk, eat soy ice cream and use soy butter, but there’s nothing like real cheese. And although I do love tofu, sometimes I just really want a pork chop.

Here at DailyEatsOnline.com, I’ll be sharing food tips and tricks (please note: I’m not a chef, but I have been told by a few people that I’m a pretty darn good cook!), recipes, grocery store secrets, general food knowledge and news, and having fun at the same time.

So bookmark this site and check in daily, and if you want me to blog about something in particular, drop me a comment.  

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