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I love a good cup of tea or coffee in the fall with some seasonal spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. The give it such an earthy flavor and cinnamon actually helps your body to metabolize sugar.

Nutmeg, which is actually not a nut, is used in cooking around the world in recipes both sweet and savory. The seed pod from inside a West/East Indies Islands is covered in red lace that is dried and sold as Mace. For the best flavor, purchase whole nutmeg and grind it as needed.

With that said, there is another side to Nutmeg that concerns me. Long believed to have magical powers and healing properties, the spice is now being snorted by kids to get high. Another option is to eat 3-4 TBSP for the “Marijuana like effects”.

According to EpiCenter.com:  Nutmeg’s flavour and fragrance come from oil of myristica, containing myristicin, a poisonous narcotic. Myristicin can cause hallucinations, vomiting, epileptic symptoms and large dosages can cause death.

The article that I found on Digg.com was a Fox news special reporting on the problem says that there are no harmful effects or deaths yet but according to the statement above, that may not always be the case.

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• What is Nutmeg? (brainz.org)
• Health Benefits of Nutmeg (brighthub.com)

I have been reading on Twitter about the mobile food trucks here in Cincinnati (we’ve always called them “roach coaches” although I never really understood it since the ones I have tried were all really good) and really wanted to try the one called Cafe de Wheels. I can guarantee you that if the inside is anything like the outside, there won’t be any roaches!

The first thing that I noticed is the paint job. Immaculate and crisp, black paint with yellow and orange brush stroke letters showing some of the offerings as well as the email address, which of course you can use to place your order. What a brilliant idea! Email (toma@cafedewheels.com), text (5135605234) or phone (513-549-5246) in your order and pick it up. Could it be any easier? Follow them on  Twitter to know where they’ll be hanging out.

Mom and I left my condo in OTR and headed toward Vine. I remembered seeing the truck parked somewhere, but where? We first went by the Senate and although the menu looked good and I plan to return, we were ready for a great sandwich or burger. So, we walked a little further down Vine toward Downtown and almost decided to go to the Coffee Emporium where I have eaten before and there it was. I couldn’t tell exactly if that was it from Central but it sure looked like it could be, a truck with an awning. We walked.

After a bit of deliberation, I ordered the Wheels Burger and my Mom, the Cuban Reuben. Sweet potato fries. I heard that we had to have the sweet potato fries. Bottled water.

Cute yellow metal tables with flower patterns sat in front on the sidewalk. While we waited, which was not long at all so feel free to go even if you have a quick lunch, we took a seat. Time to eat.

The burger was perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. The bun toasted and the onions caramelized. Sam, the woman that took our order, says they have the best onions and it’s definitely not just because she works there. Chef Michael calls it a balsamic onion marmalade. Paired with the “Mike’s spicy mayo”, it has a nice bite that’s not overpowering. I only ate half so that I could try the Reuben also.

When I first looked at the sandwich sitting in front of Mom, I have to admit that I wasn’t too impressed. White bread, although toasted and from Shadeau, is still just that. White bread. Isn’t a Reuben supposed to be on rye bread? One bite and I forgot all about the white bread, which is much better than anything you can get in the grocery store. Tender succulent roasted pulled pork with a “touch of sweet BBQ sauce”, balsamic onion marmalade, sauerkraut and swiss cheese on grilled bread (wheat is another choice). Amazing.

The sweet potato fries were wide and thin, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Some of them thin enough to be crispy throughout. And, quite popular. Every order that was placed while we were there included the wonderful orange strips of vegetables posing as a salty treat.

As we sat enjoying our meal, Mike asked if we would like to have a desert. At first we said thank you but no. How stupid is that!? I never say no to desert. Then the owner, Tom, asked us and said that the chef really wanted someone to try his deserts. They vary from day to day and are always fresh and homemade. Today was Key lime Pie. Served in little tin cups with whipped cream swirled on the top.  I took the first bite feeling the creamy texture and delicate lime flavor permeate my senses.  Smooth and like custard, made with Nelly and Joe’s key lime juice, I enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t too tart like the last time that I had key lime pie. “Have you tried the graham cracker crust”?, Mike asked. Oh my! My Mom described it as buttery sweet and I would have liked to have more of it. The two tastes combined was an explosion of flavor, which of course means that the one or two bites turned quickly into an empty container.

This is definitely the best food I have had from any type of restaurant on wheels and I must agree with Mr. Bob Schwartz who called it “The Best Thing I’ve Ever Ate in Cincinnati”.

Today started out really bad because I could not seem to get my computer to work anywhere in the house. For some reason, I have little to no patience with electronics that do not work when needed. Okay, pretty much anything that doesn’t work when needed! All is better now, the panic attack has subsided and it’s time to have fun.

First, I made my first smoothie as part of the Green Smoothie Challenge, which included Romaine Lettuce, Bananas and water. This particular one doesn’t even taste like anything to me. This may be a good thing since drinking lettuce could sound a bit strange. It’s blended and not juiced, which I think was throwing me off. I will probably write more on the nutrient side of this on my medical blog.

Now, on to the really fun stuff!

I am going to be making  some cupcakes that I found in a new cookbook The Craft of Baking by  Karen DeMasco & Mindy Fox

Carrot Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Frosting.

Off to grate some carrots….

Two and a half cups of carrots to be exact. I think that I only added about two cups because I couldn’t stuff any more into the extra thick batter. I made the recipe gluten free by using an all purpose flour I got from a guest on Martha Stewart‘s show, Cybele Pascal who wrote Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook. Because the mix included potato starch, I added about 1/4 cup of plain rice milk and also one and one half tsps of xanthan gum to replace the missing gluten.

The icing, Marscapose cheese, cream, creme fraise. Do I need to say more? I made these a bit smaller since they are NOT fat free with that icing. I may try them again with a lower fat icing since the cupcakes themselves are really good. Almost like a meal so I am really glad that I didn’t add that other half cup of carrots.

Next, some chocolate and raspberry cupcakes de Paris!

For some reason, I am now into cupcakes. They are not only a yummy treat but also portable requiring no utensils and I have more than one shot at being creative with the icing. I recently purchased a new Wilton cupcake set that comes with different tips and bags for decorating. Honestly, I love the cake boss on the Food Network.

I picked up Great Gluten-Free Baking from the library and set off for home. The cupcake choices in this book are  limited and include ones that call for ingredients like Lavender, which funny enough I actually have. Another one  that I am dying to try are the Tiramisu cupcakes. Unfortunately, I did not have the Marscapone cheese or Marsala wine. Later then.

I finally decided on the Victoria Sandwich Cake and simply poured the batter into the cupcake liners instead. The one thing that I liked about the recipe is that it did not call for anything involving beans or potatoes. What I like about gluten free baking is that unlike most regular recipes, all of the ingredients are mixed together at once. With only 7 ingredients, prep time was minimal. The recipe calls for a baking time of 20 minutes. Since they are cupcakes and I used the top part of my oven, I set the timer for 12 minutes. Perfect.

My favorite part of course was the icing. Made from  scratch, I know exactly what’s in it and it’s not hydrogenated or filled with high fructose anything. Meringue powder, powdered sugar, water, extracts of vanilla, butter and almond. I even added some organic  juice for the color.

Just cooled right after baking, they were pretty good. Very little flour was used and that was brown rice flower. The texture and taste was nice and with nothing extreme in the ingredients, the icing or any fillings used (the cake recipe calls for raspberry jam in the middle of the two layers) is the dominant flavor.

The next day, they tasted as if they were made with a corn flour since the taste and texture was like sweet corn bread muffins. Also, the icing lifted right off of the top. I wonder if store bought icing would make a difference?

I have to admit that unless they were to be eaten right away, I am not sure if I will use this particular recipe again since they are only really good that first day.

Victoria Sandwich Cake

3/4 cup butter, 1 1/2 sticks        Mix  ingred, together and bake

3/4 cup sugar                               20 min in a 400degree  oven.

1 cup brown  rice flour                Once cooled, spread jam

3 eggs                                               between layers and dust

1 Tbsp GF baking powder            powdered sugar on top.

few drops  of vanilla extract

1 Tbsp milk

For the filling

4 Tbsp raspberry jam

Powdered sugar to dust

This morning I came up with an idea for breakfast based somewhat off of an idea that I got from a sandwich that my friend likes. Hers of course is a peanut butter, jelly and foie gras. Yes folks, foie gras. I was a bit confused and concerned that I had read it incorrectly myself. After explanation, it’s actually sounds good. Cashew butter with homemade marmalade and foie gras on a toasted brioche.

Mine of course was a bit different.

I looked around for something to eat and found gluten free frozen waffles. Good start. I toasted the waffles, smeared sunflower seed butter on one side and placed sliced banana on the other side. Put the two sides together and cut into bite size pieces. I then sparingly poured flax seed oil and a maple syrup/agave nectar blend syrup on top and enjoyed. Both the sunflower seed butter and the syrup are from Trader Joe’s. I must say that it was quite good and something that I will definitely make again.

I like Cheerios. I like chocolate. But, will I like chocolate cheerios?

I received a full trial size box of these little chocolate circles from Psst. They send me things to try and I let them know what I think. This is the best sample ever!

I open the box to a delicious sent of chocolate and see the familiar O’s in two different colors of brown. The taste is reminiscent of Cocoa Krispies. I like it. I am not sure if this is something that I would buy all of the time. It probably depends if my son loves them. One thing about Cheerios is that I am more willing to buy the fruity Cheerios over Fruit Loops because there is a lot less sugar and junk. So, why not chocolate Cheerios versus a more sugary one.I think that it would make a wonderful late night, still hungry and need a treat snack.

If you like chocolate and Cheerios, I definitely recommend at least trying it for yourself. If you leave a comment telling my why you may like this, I have 5 coupons worth $1.25 off of a box. I will randomly pick 5 people to send the coupons to on Friday after 2:00pm.