Noshtopia

KitchenAid Red 12-Cup Silicone Muffin Pan with Sled

KitchenAid Red 12-Cup Silicone Muffin Pan with Sled
Make some yummy cupcakes for your next big breakfast or brunch with this 12-cup silicone muffin pan from KitchenAid.
$32.99
Target.com

Welcome to the re-birth of Noshtopia

Hello all. Noshtopia is back! Yes indeed. After a 10 month hiatus, Noshtopia is returning because I have finally gotten a grasp on this blogging thing, and I have taken up photography. For my birthday, in April, I bought myself a lovely Nikon D50, and have been snapping away ever since.

I have found that one of my favorite things to photograph is food. As I also love to munch,  I thought why not combine two passions of mine, snacking and photography. Thus, we are back to share all of our noshing delights with lots and lots of pictures. Maybe one day, I get good enough and Martha will ring me up to do a cookie shoot. I LOVE cookies. They are my kryptonite.

Thank you for coming, and please enjoy the nibbles!

Hi! My name is Stephanie Quilao, and I love to nosh. Oh! How I love to snack. When I heard that it is better for your metabolism to eat 6 small meals throughout the day, no one was happier than me. My first memories of noshing pleasure was the graham crackers and milk I used to get in Kindergarten before nap time. Remember those days?

Americans love to nosh. In fact, in 2005 we spent $61 billion on snack foods. Now before you start thinking, "Well no wonder we have an obesity problem," a bigger percentage of all that cash went into healthier snacks because we're becoming more conscious of what we are eating. Personally, I like to nosh on things that do not have anything artificial like trans fats, hydrogenated oils, and artificial sweeteners (okay except for my Diet Coke). I read labels, and if there are ingredients that sound like a chemistry experiment, I no eat.

Here at Noshtopia, I will emphasize nosh that is healthy, natural, organic, and gourmet. As well, we will have some fun here. Food is bonding and entertaining.

Most of the photos in this blog are taken by me with a Nikon D50. I just started photography this year, and I find that one of the things I love to snap is food. Food makes for good models. They don't have diva demands.

I appreciate your time, and I thank you for visiting. Please enjoy as many of the munchies as you can here.

Beanie heads

Beanie heads, originally uploaded by STAQ.

This was taken at a street fair. I really loved it because it is really funny. I just find people's creativity very amusing.

Nosh nothing artificial

Gearing up for those New Year's resolutions which are surely going to include improving ones body and nutrition, try this to ramp up, nosh the same amount you usually do, but eat only things that DO NOT have anything artificial in them. Basically, if you read the ingredient list, and you don't know what even one item is, then don't eat it.

One of Jack Lalane's secrets to having vibrant health at a ripe old age, was "if it was made by man, I don't eat it." He believed that the best foods to put in your body are natural. Makes sense, so try it out.

Why I like to nosh

I simply just love to eat. In all honesty, if I could have a job where I was around food all day that I could eat, and have the metabolism of a 12-year old so that I wouldn’t gain any weight, I would be in Twinkie heaven. But alas, I am like many 30 something Americans who has to watch what they eat because A. I have to sweat profusely for 45 minutes 4 times a week just to be able to button my jeans, and B. I look at Bon bons and my gut grows an inch. A hanging gut on a girl wearing low cut jeans is just down right unattractive. I’m all for having positive body image no matter what your size, but there is clothing that is flattering, and clothing that makes you look like a Glamour magazine “Don’t.”

About 6 years ago, I had a trainer tell me that to loose pounds, it would be better for me to eat 6 tiny meals a day, rather than the typical 3 square meals. I have a slower metabolism so the 3 bigger meals is harder for my body to handle. Having 6 little meals would satisfy my need for food while not giving extra work to my digestive system. What I heard was, “I get to eat all day and loose weight. I’m getting started yesterday!” Since that day, I nosh all the time.

Hanukkah cooking tips: Frying Sufganiyot and Latkes nosh

Want to make sure you make the perfect Sufganiyot and Latkes. From The Food Network, here are tips on things like the best oil to use, the best pans for frying, and what types of potatoes make for the crispiest latkes.

Whole Foods: Entertain with wine, cheese, and nosh

Whenever I host any kind of festive party, I always make sure to have a platter of cheese and crackers with some fruit. Almost everyone likes to eat cheese and crackers, so it's a safe nosh dish to have. The problem I run into though is that I always like to do something different, and with cheese this is no problem because there are so many choices. The problem is what cheese to pick, and if you're going to have wine at your party, what cheese goes with what type of wine. In that area, I have not a clue.

If you have the same problem, there is no need to worry any more. Whole Foods has on their website a lovely page that describes different types of cheeses and wines, and gives recommendations on what wine goes well with a particular food taste like what wine goes with beef, spicy food, tangy foods, or sweet foods. Simply fabulous! You'll look a very cultrured hostess when you have your next soiree.

See Whole Foods Wine and Cheese page.

Americans are the biggest noshers in the world

Via iVillage

In the land of abundance, it should not come as a big surprise that Americans eat more snack food than any nation in the world. In fact, we spend $13.4 BILLION (can you say Dr. Evil) on snack foods per year. That is a whole lot of Cheetos, Colas, and Twinkies. Compared to us Americans, Europeans only spend $650 million per year on nosh food.

No matter, we are a nation of nibblers and noshers, and that is just fine with us. More to nosh, nore to love. Read more…

A list of healthy nosh

From iVillage

When you are being conscious about your snacking, here is a list healthy snacks when the need to nosh strikes you.