Food Funnies

Its Sunday and the Traders will be back live and in color on Monday but for now we wanted to leave you with a few more funnies to get you through the last day in your weekend, stay on track guys Monday will be here before you know it!

Want to form a Treat Traders group at your office, do you have a few great tips for us, or would you like to become one of our guest contributors? Drop us an email at treattraders@yahoo.com




 









Thanks to abduzeedo.com for the great shots

Enjoy

Weekend Edition

Welcome to the weekend, the Traders are off but the blog is on and hopefully this weeks Food Funnies will deter even the best of us from falling off of the wagon:

"Just Dont Do It"

Swedish designer Olle Hemmendorff

"Food Fight"

American Designer Jeremy Scott

No Explanation needed

Lambertz Bakery Group

Project Runways Chris March

Thanks to the wonderful site delish.com for this awesome find!

Enjoy





OM (freaky freaky) G

Ok is there nothing sacred in the world of chocolate!

Today Killer {K} pulled out all of the stops to show the ladies of the office that there is fun in healthy food. Well it was fun watching grown women mask the disgust of the new fresh brownie treat, and there was also fun in watching the supervisor squeal (actually that was quite funny) and another coworker take 20 minutes to eat 1 square but the bottom line is, (Ms Jessica Seinfeld ), there should not be spinach in brownies lol. Or carrots for that matter.
It turns the texture of the treat into a somewhat cornucopia of moist, chocolate, dirt, dust, but still because its high in fiber we must partake right. Right.
 As I passed this Pyrex bowl around the office I did get a few very positive comments "ooh its high in fiber, Nah I think it taste ok, ooh {V} did you make these!" but the trick on this bad boy was taking it home to my 5 and 10 year old and offering up the fresh brownie treat for an after dinner snack.
First- my daughter{10}- and old enough to know better, "Um no thank you mommy, these don't smell right, I think I will eat and apple" {wth}
Second-my son {5}- " mom, I didn't eat the whole brownie ok? I just did a taste test, did you make these while I was act school?- "Actually no son, my awesome coworker made them for everyone do you remember Ms {K}?"- son- DO YOU MEAN KILLER {K}!. Mom I'm gonna just save mine ok? lol

So the verdict is in about 50/50 for the adults and seeing the green string in the middle of the brownie has her batting at ZERO for the kiddos.
But for you I will leave the recipe and you can see for yourself, I'm gonna get healthy if it kills me ;-)

     Deceptively Delightful Brownies (note the Jedi Mind Trick Introduction)

These brownies fool everyone! You won't believe how scrumptious they are (or how good they are for you) until you make them yourself. Just don't serve them warm -- it's not until they're completely cool that the spinach flavor totally disappears.
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Yield: 12 brownies
Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray 3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate 1/2 cup carrot puree (After peeling and trimming the ends, steam for 10-12 minutes and then puree in a food processor for 2 minutes) 1/2 cup spinach puree (Steam for 30 to seconds, then puree in a food processor for 2 minutes) 1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 large egg whites 3/4 cup oat flour, or all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or over a very low flame.
3. In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

These brownies are low in calories (only 133 per brownie) and saturated fat. They're also packed with 3 grams of fiber (which is just crazy for a brownie!), while spinach and carrots provide two powerful antioxidants that help your kids' eyes stay healthy.

Enjoy

Goose Poo

That's my story and I'm sticking too it! For those of you that regularly follow this blog you know that a famous Killer {K} snack was obviously left on my desk this morning, we will come back to that.
 {E} had a remarkable weekend and weighted in this morning 2 pounds lighter! GO {E}.
 {J} went bananas in our local grocery store over the weekend, so I actually think the traders have enough snacks to last them the rest of the month,can you say go bulk cheese, kiwi, apple packs, with a dash of  that 5 gallon bucket of Cha Cha Chia seeds.

But at it again weighing in at about T minus 10 pounds is Killer {K} whose treat today was a mix of all things toddler stool sample in appearance, but whose taste ended up being a variable party in my mouth. No Really, when I first opened up her going green, Pyrex glass bowel, I thought to myself "surely my days are numbered!"but to my surprise out of the corner of my eye I spotted what looked like a piece of Chocolate. YES YES YES, I can do this, I will do this, I can eat this mix, and even though at first glance it looked like goose poop at first taste it was more like sweet harmony.

For your dietary pleasure I give you

                                 Killer {K}'s Chocolate Dried Blueberry Nut Mix
Mix one cup Almonds ( toasted and cooled)
1 cup Walnuts ( toasted and cooled )
2/3 cup Dried Blueberries
3/4 cup of chopped dark chocolate
Makes 12 1/4cup servings enough for all of the Traders at the office


Heart healthy highlights of this quick snack: Nuts are loaded with heart protecting unsaturated fats. Dark chocolate can lower blood pressure, and the dried blueberries help with arterial plaque.
Now the goose poo was my description, but my DH says if you want the full goose poo appearance add a bit of non fat plain yogurt.
Enjoy

Neat Treats for your Valentine Sweets

Treat Traders is so proud of how fast our blog is growing and we are pleased to introduce our newest contributor Amanda of   I am Baker, Amada is one of the greatest bakers around and is so kind to share her expertise with our readers monthly. Please visit Amandas Blog http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/ you will not be disappointed!

We gladly share Amandas quick recipe for:

                         White Chocolate Dippers {Valentines Edition}

                          

These are white chocolate dippers... made to be dunked in a nice mug of warm milk, or, if you are a chocolate maniac like me, a nice cup of hot cocoa!
Yes.  All it is a huge glob of chocolate on a stick.  Whoever thought of these is my best friend for life. 

They are so easy to do its not even funny.


Get bag of white chocolate chips.
Melt them.
Put them into a small cup. (I used mini plastic cups)
Insert popsicle stick or spoon.
Place in refrigerator for about one hour (or as long as you want) then remove from cup.


 You can add strawberry extract, or almond, or vanilla, or coconut, or banana, or lemon, or... uh.., whatever other extracts are made!

 You could even put them in a sweet little bag and present them to your friends and family for Valentines Day. or you could leave them on the desk of your favorite Treat Traders, I'm just sayin ;-)

Enjoy

Hunger Pains

The second artist featured in the {Food Funnies} weekend intermission series, is Ted Sabarese, his Hunger Pain series features models wearing nothing but their most craved foods.
Which model represents you?
 Back to our regularly scheduled broadcast on Monday!





{CHECKMATE}





{Enjoy}

8 Week Journey to Balance

We love sharing great information that will help your Treat Trading groups thrive both inside and out, and we are pleased to let you know about an 8 week challenge to help get both your mind and spirit in focus. Our good friend Bernice of Living the Balanced Life explains:

The Journey is designed to help you define your priorities, and then learn how to implement them and live them in your everyday life. This is not just a time management system, it will help you with your overall view of life and how to deal with it.
There are 8 basic areas of our lives that we need to work to maintain balance and care for ourselves. During our 8 week journey, we will first be Defining Our Priorities, and then we will basically address one area each week.  There will be 2 or 3 posts per week, along with some assignments designed to help you process and implement what you are learning.
You can read the posts and do the assignments at your own pace, and jump in whenever you can, but you will get the most benefit by working at it as consistently as possible.
Please visit Bernice's blog to get more information on the 8 week challenge! http://livingthebalancedlife.com/
Enjoy

Sundays Best Part II

Welcome weekend traders here is part two of our weekend series, Food Funnies see you back live with updates on the Treat Traders progress on Monday, enjoy your time off!


Eggplant Dress


Bubble-Gum Top


Banna Dress

Korean artist Sung Yeonju makes these amazing garments out of food and photographs them.

Enjoy

Shut the Front Door

I can usually tell what kind of day I am going to have when I see the proximity of my parking space to the door of the office. Close parking space- good day-
Parking in the the back of the building, where I am quite sure the occasional crime is taking place- not so good day.
Well folks it was beginning to look like a brilliant day! My excellent preplannng skills allowed me to avoid some of the winter blizzard by visiting my clients straight from home. But wait the joke was on me- apparently today was another sweet treat day and {B} loaded the office up with caramel apple yumminess of which I got none because it was consumed by the end of the day. With my luck tomorrow will be another poop brown fiber bar, and  jammed packed veggie juice drink.
Todays entry is short and sweet- Cry for me Argentina- Cry for Me
for those of you that missed the fabulous Carmel Apple Yumminess I will repost the recipe

{E}'s Caramel Apple Salad

3 cups diced apples ( i like granny smith and golden delicious)

lemon juice

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 small sugar-free butterscotch instant pudding

1 8oz can crushed pineapple

1 8oz container cool whip

Toss diced apples with lemon juice- just enough so the apples don't turn brown. Add marshmallows. In a separate bowl mix pudding, pineapple, and cool whip. Add to apple mixture. Keep refrigerated until ready to devour!!!

* I beleive a cup of this is {2} weight watcher points *

TIP--- Keep the crunchy peel on those apples!! Extra fiber is always a good thing! :)

Get down with the get down!

Can I just say hump day Wednesday is rocking right now!!!
First of all the champ is in the building and I am not talking about Muhammad Ali,
 {B}- has weighted in losing 9 pounds can we all just say "You go girl"
 {E} -was able to fight the temptation of Panera bread lunch run and eat a healthy packed lunch  which thanks to all this modern technology she was able to text us a picture that said "Eat your bread I'm gonna win the weight in bitches ;-)" - shes probably right!
{V} and {J}- we went to Panera bread ( dont judge me a girls gotta eat) we ate like we were sneaking out of the house in high school free from our strict parents, You would be proud, we did keep it at a reasonable soup and salad combo! Although I did lose my cell phone in the parking lot- was that a sign or what?

 The {t}reat of the day was kept snug as a bug in the fridge, nothing but a post it note on our desk to mark the evidence (check out the frigde for todays snack ladies)-Yeah Baby! I present to you Yummy to the Tummy Bannana Pudding! Even though Ms. {J} chased me around the office  trying to sprinkle Chia Pet seeds on my bowl, it was well worth last weeks juice drinks, chia gel and that pitch black fiber brownie bar that I got- even the Chia seeds couldn't ruin this sweet, goodness! Take that Killer {K}.

Enjoy

             Yummy-to-the-Tummy Banana Pudding

 

Ingredients

·                        1 box sugar-free Jello instant banana cream pudding mix

·                        1 1/2 cup fat-free milk

·                        1 tub sugar-free Cool Whip, thawed

·                        Optional: 4 oz container plain low-fat yogurt (about 1/2 cup)

·                        1 box (Murray brand) sugar-free vanilla wafers

·                        4 medium, ripe bananas

Method

Add pudding to cold milk and whisk for two minutes until thickened. Fold in yogurt (if using) and whipped topping. In a medium bowl layer half of the wafers, then half of the sliced bananas, and finally cover all with half of the pudding. Repeat. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours, or preferably overnight.

Notes:

Note: You can make this lactose-free by using Lactaid skim milk instead of regular and omitting the yogurt. Don't tell them it's sugar-free, they'll never know! Get Down with the Get Down!

 

 

Treat Traders is proud to announce- House Calls with Dr. Lori and Dr. Rhea

We are so proud to announce the addition of  Dr. Lori Tucker, and Dr. Rhea Rowser to the Treat Trader Family! Twice per month the Drs. will be available to answer your health questions and concerns. What a joy for us to have these awesome professionals willing to share their expertise with our readers. Questions for the Dr.s can me emailed to treattraders@yahoo.com and the answers will be posted on the 1st and the 15th of each month, I hope that you guys take advantage of this invaluable resource. These are general health concerns if you feel as though you are having an emergency please contact your primary physician or call 911

Enjoy

Because this partnership started after the 1st of this month here are the questions for January:

Christal-Los Angeles CA-
Dr. I am having a  repeat C-section in may how do you feel about getting a tummy tuck during my c-section procedure is it considered safe?

Dr. Lori-

I often have patients request that I perform a "tummy tuck" at the time of their c- section. The traditional abdominoplasty requires shortening and tightening the abdominal wall muscles, a task that is impossible due to the enlarged uterus and increased blood flow to the muscle wall. However a modified tummy tuck can be done, but preferably at the time of the last c-section. Many women have a bit of overhang in the fat and skin after previous deliveries and c-sections and want that extra tissue removed. With a wider incision, and minimal risk for increased bleeding, this can easily be accomplished at the time of cesarean. And by removing the overhang of skin and fat, the risk for a subsequent yeast infection of the wound may decrease.

Raquel-Atlanta GA-
Hi I had a baby in December and everyone says that breastfeeding her will help me loose weight can you please tell me more about how this works?

Dr. Lori-

Breastfeeding burns on average 500 calories per day. Some women, but not all, find that they loose weight very quickly doing nothing more than this to shed the baby weight. It is important to remember though, that if  you are calorie restricting, breast milk production may decrease so it is not recommended to vigorously diet while nursing.

LaVerne-Henderson NV-

Is drinking Crystal Light as beneficial as drinking just water if I really don't like plain water?

Dr.Lori-
 Some liquids such as juices, sports drinks, and Kool Aid are packed full of sugar. If my patients just can't stand to drink plain water, I recommend drinking a low sodium, sugar free drink such as Crystal Light. At least they are getting in the fluids.  For the pregnant women be mindful that no adverse pregnancy outcomes have be documented with aspartame,however it is still relatively new so no long term data is available.

Pam- Nashville TN-

How much water do we really have to drink per day?

Dr. Lori-

It is important to drink 64 ounces of water a day as well if your pregnant, during pregnancy the extra hydration prevents dehydration, which can lead to dizziness, fainting, nausea, leg cramps caffeinated beverages or sodas that can contain too much sodium.

Killer {K} Didn't Disappoint

Welcome back all, when we last blogged about our treat trading adventures Killer {K} was on a roll leaving healthy juice drinks to boost our recommened daily vegitable intake, well she has completely outdone herself -again. Today when I arrived at work expecting to see a sweet treat from the traders I was welcomed with not only one but two jars  one) a jar of dark brown seeds - would be a great pallet for a room design and 2) a jar of those same seeds except in a snail mucus form ( I kid you not).
I was really concerned that even my best health intentions would not physically allow me to partake in any of those jars so I decided to do the next best thing, pawn them off on another trader to see if she collapsed after eating them or start to sprout green leaves out of her ears. I must say {J} was not a willing participant by any means and did not go without a bit of coercion but she did finally try the snail mucus gel chia because she was eating yogurt and could mix it in with "no taste", or so says Killer {K}.
To my amazement {J} was still standing after her taste test ( the verdict is still out on the chest hair ;-) growth) but more amazing was the multitude of research articles left on my desk by {K} detailing why I should take at least a spoonful a day and stop whining like a baby, not the least was the fact that there really is no taste if you mix it with food. So for all of you following this healthy living experiment I present Chia The Ancient food of the Aztecs with the healing properties of the Gods.
I promise not to put you to sleep you with all of the details on the healing power of the Chia but I do think that before you see what it looks like, I should at least share a couple of things that might make you say "hummmm"

* you can make it taste like whatever you want, and it forms a gel that keeps you filling full for hours
* you can substitute chia gel for half of the butter in most recipes
* it has age defying anti-oxidants
* it is a muscle and tissue builder and an energizer of endurance with extensive hydration properties

I must admit that after much teasing, groaning, yelping, and gaging, the Chia started to  make its way completely around my office, into the chili lunch, and homemade soup. And with {J} still standing, Brave {E} and {S} went so far as to take a teaspoon full straight to the head!  Eighter we are turning into the office version of survivor or this health thing is spreading like wildflower. I feel like I need to learn the Aztec Warrior Call.

If you would like to sample the power of the Chia seed or gel email us at treattraders@yahoo.com the first 5 request will receive a sample

Enjoy

Sundays Best

The Traders are still off for the weekend so funny food shots it is! This post is dedicated to your Sunday Best, Here's looking at you kid.
To submit recipes, start a Treat Traders Group at your office, or to join our team as a contributor please feel free to email us at treattraders@yahoo.com 
photos courtesy of Yeonju’s series “Wearable Foods”


Tomato Dress


Spring Onion


Bubble Gum

Lotus Root



Winter Mushroom Dress


{Enjoy}

Treat Traders- Weekend Food Funnies

The chicks don't do treat trading on the weekends because the office is closed, now you see why we are always backsliding {I digress}, that doesn't mean that we do not want to keep you guys smiling so we decided to do what we like to call, The Weekend Food Funnies, great silly pics of food to keep you laughing while we are away.
 If this was television, it would be a commercial break and we would be pausing for a word from our sponsors {hint, hint}. If this was radio it would be called a" Donut Hole" {imagine the irony in that}.
Anyway  because its our blog and we can call it what we like here is your first installment of  this weeks {Food Funnies}:








{Enjoy}

A Princess has lost her Palace

This post is dedicated to {E} whose love of the Donut Palace will stand the test of time. Karma must be a funny guy because as the New Year approached {E} decided that she should stop partaking in the Palace treats and sweets in order to get into shape- a resolution of sorts- well karma must be on her side because as she pulled onto the one lane parking lot of the Donut Palace this is what she found:

-no your eyes are not deceiving you they either had fake customers or the donut grease turned this poor Indian Chief into a stuffed doll.

you may need to take one more peek at the sign above, I will kindly give you a minute to scroll.

 Yup, you got it the Palace has closed due to health reasons no less, now I don't know what the illness is, could it be that they are turning their customers to stone, or that the stone customers return everyday for more, whatever the cause Karma has heard her cry and prevented {E} from dropping by the Palace from time to time, thus allowing her New Years resolution to become a reality!

RIP  Donut Palace I do believe your Princess has lost her Palace but will find her Kingdom

{Enjoy}

Bottoms Up

                               
   
                                 {K}'sLight Green Goodness
                                                 for your digestive pleasure





1-cup spinach
1-cucumber
2-carrots
4-apples
1-grapefruit
1-avocado
1-lemon
1/2- cup grapes
4-clementines

1-juicer
ice as needed to tamper the taste, and please don't let the floaters deter you




Today I have done a complete 180 about Killer {K}. I have decided that she may know what she is talking about after all.
Although her first juice mix reminded me a newborn babies first poo,  for me it went down rough, and  I must say it came out smooth. Exercising with her twice a week has been, shall I dare say addicting. However, because I am still convinced that I am a couch potato at heart, when I went to our workout session yesterday I did my usual groan and moan when she put the Jillian Michaels Biggest Loser DVD because {K} could not possibly find out that this may not be as bad as I first thought.- {side note} I am convinced that Jillian is trying to kill me and that wont change, as a matter of fact, at one point in the exercise routine she told me I was not working hard enough and that she would come through the camera- I so believe that

The exciting part today came after our workout when {K} said that she had whipped up something new and fresh for me to drink today, she claimed it would not be nearly as bad as Mondays drink and it would actually taste good, "more fruit" she said, " "taste more like juice" she said, doesn't look as much like potting soil she boasted. I am starting to figure out that she doesnt know what juice taste like to begin with. She may have been half right, it did not look like fertilizer but it was still green, I am trying to politely ask {K} to use fruits and veggies in my drinks that are the color of the {r}ainbow like strawberries, and bananas, maybe even a kiwi but she insist these concoctions of beans and spinach are the most healthy for me and and most importantly they are the food items that I would not normally consume on a daily basis.

What she was right about- it was not quite as bad as the the first organic mix I will admit, was it good absolutely not, did I drink it in less than 10 minutes I sure did, and after I drank it, without even taking off my pants and shoes, and without running to the potty first to get rid of at least 30cc of fluid I weighted myself. Yes I did! I stepped on the scale in front of killer {K} and when I looked down I could not believe my eyes. I {V} had lost 5 pounds. Lets me repeat 5 pounds! Maybe she does know what she is talking about. {K} said that next Monday she will have a huge surprise for me that will be waiting in the fridge at work, {K} please forgive me if I am not doing cartwheels, however if that scale keeps dropping I may do a few jumping jacks!
Bottoms Up Ladies and Gents!

Enjoy

Good News Bad News

Well folks this is gonna be a good news bad news kind of day. First the good news, I have finally figured out exactly what they mean by portion control,

Ah but wait,  thanks to funny-potato.com the bad news is that I finally figured out where I was going wrong with this healthy living thing;

{Enjoy}