bread Archives | Page 6 of 9

May 2, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

Why Gluten-Free? Day 30

Smart Flour Foods, Franz Gluten-Free, and Saratoga Bakery sent in their gluten free breads. I’ll address the elephant in the room right this moment. I know I’ve set out this challenge to consume wheat bread products, so why am I eating gluten-free when I’m not celiac? I really had a tough time with this issue. It made sense to stick to my wheat-only bread diet. But I broke down when I got a note from a gluten-free baker, which wanted my opinion on their gluten-free bread.

gluten free - smart flour food - eat bread 90

Roasted vegetables, salami and swiss on a gluten-free Smart Flour Food® Hoagie.

You see, when I first started to build BAKERpedia, my intent was to help every baker that needed help. It is hard for me to turn my back when I get a passionate note from a baker thanking me for eating their bread. I really can’t say no to this. Therefore, I dedicate this blog to all the gluten-free bakers out there. You are all doing well because you are putting superior tasting multigrain products out there for your gluten intolerant customers.

For that, I really want to thank you, and provide you this platform to showcase your products. Keep baking, keep growing, and I am honored to be part of your gluten-free baking journey.

Here’s what I ate on Day 30 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Smart Flour Foods® GF Hoagie	1 (135g)	330
Franz® GF Cinnamon Raisin	4 Slices (40)	400
Franz® GF 7 grain	3 slices (40g)	240
Saratoga® GF Bun	1 bun ( 60g)	220
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Ricotta Cheese	1/4 C	100
Philledelpia cream cheese spread	1 Tbsp	40
Nutella	2 tbsp	200
Orange	1 orange	45
Kale (cooked)	1 C	33
Salami	1oz	50
Roasted Vegetables	1 Tbsp	100
Egg	1	78
Total		1876

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May 1, 2017August 6, 2017 by Lin Carson

Control Your Blood Sugar with This Low GI Bread: Day 29

Yes. I ate a lot of bread today. It’s almost half a day of yesterday’s loaf, plus today’s bread. Least to say, it was a lot of calories, but I had to make up for the bread I didn’t eat yesterday. I’m on a schedule, and my plan was not to break up the 90 days.

Toasted Ciabatta that melts in your mouth from Grand Central Baking, with Rye Sourdough, Low GI and Paleo bread. Oh what a mix!

A low GI bread?

A special bread arrived at my office today. It was a low GI bread (Glycemic Index) from Holista Foods. We tried this in a group setting and I found the feedback interesting. Most people are not aware that white bread sends their blood sugar up the roof. Therefore, diabetics tend to shy away from white bread.

Holista Foods has patented an ingredient system, when used at 8% in the formula, lowers your GI index. I thought maybe it was a system of gums and starches that they were using, but I was so surprised when I talked to Nadja Piatka (CEO, Holista Foods) and learned it was not so.

Low GI Bread by Holista Foods.

They use a patented system of fenugreek, pulses, okra and fiber to achieve this low GI application. They even had tests confirm this system at the GI labs in Toronto, The University of Sydney, Australia and the University of Oxford, England.

Their readings were below 55m which is unprecedented for white bread!

Here’s what I ate on Day 29 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Low GI bread	6 slices (25g)	334.5
Paleo bread	4 slices (25g)	173
Grand Central Baking Ciabatta Loaf	200g	560
Grand Central Baking Rye Sourdough	4 slices (50g)	560
Almond and cashew nut butters	2 Tbsp	190
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Grilled Chicken	1 Thigh	180
Green Beans	1 C	30
Apple	1	95
Orange	1 orange	45
Total		2207.5

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April 30, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

Week Four Weigh-in

Day 21 weigh-in.

Day 28 weigh-in.

I don’t think the scale is correct. I feel like a whale after eating my way through Seattle. This should really read 150 lbs, especially after that Port and Prosseco. Anyway, I really think this bread diet helped me in not gaining extra pounds, especially feeling so full after each meal.

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April 30, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

I Want to Make Them Happy: Day 28

I know what’s it like to travel with a friend on such a strict diet. So for today, I’ll try to be fun for my friends. I said ‘yes’ to Dim Sum. For those of you not familiar with this Asian culture, Dim Sum is mostly consumed at brunch. It originated from the Canton province in China, and it is similar to Tapas, where small plates of food are served. We ordered a variety of plates, and I got 2 servings of bread with the BBQ pork steamed bun.

Soft and silky steamed BBQ pork buns, Red bean glutinous rice ball covered in sesame seeds and fried noodles with bean sprouts were part of our Dim Sum brunch.

Dim sum was delicious, but we had to part ways today to go back home to our families and my well-structured life. Let’s hope they have no negative opinions on me my bread diet, which really restricted them in some ways on the types of restaurants we could go to (I apologize for not doing sushi with you!).

Upon reaching home after a 3 hour ride on the Amtrak, I was still full. I couldn’t eat anything else. Come 5 p.m., I had still about all of my day’s bread consumption not eaten. So I ate two slices, and kept the rest for the next day’s challenge.

Crispy Ciabatta and wholesome rye sourdough bread.

Here’s what I ate on Day 28 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Grand Central Baking Ciabatta Loaf	200g	560
Grand Central Baking Rye Sourdough	4 slices (50g)	560
Chinese Steamed BBQ Pork Bun	80 g	150
Fried noodles	6 oz	500
Chinese Broccoli	2 C	200
Glutinouse rice balls	2	380
Pork dumpling	1	90
Shrimp dumpling	1	80
Orange	1 orange	45
Cappucino	1 C	75
Coconut water	1 C	45
Walk and run		-500
Total		2185

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king street station - eat bread 90, places

April 29, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

“Today is your day

You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!”

-Dr. Seuss

I have bread on my mind, and feet in my shoes. I can steer myself in any direction I choose. I went to Seattle for a vacation and ate bread at the King Street Train Station.

king street station - eat bread 90

I looked up and down streets; looked them over with care. Then I said, “I want to go there.” It’s Pike’s Street Market, a place with fresh fish. They threw them in the air, they threw them without a care.

At Cow Chip I did not find any, because they were closed. I kept my money and onward I did move, because I know I will find something else to approve.

I saw La Panier and drooled at their macaroons. I said to myself, I have to eat three by noon. So delicious they were, I ate all three at the Very French Bakery.

La Panier

I had so much fun eating, I wished I was staying. But I found this place, where wedding bells were playing.

Will I succeed, in eating all this bread? Yes, I will indeed (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed). At the magnificent Space Needle I had to stare, I ate all that bread even with the wind in my hair.

Space Needle

So be it sourdough, focaccia or ciabatta, today is the day! Your belly is waiting. So get on your way!

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April 29, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

I’m SO Not Fun to Travel With: Day 27

I booked an appointment with the production lead at Grand Central Baking Co’s first location today. I wanted to capture a Facebook LIVE event showcasing the bread at their first location and also pick up some awesome sourdough bread.

The display at Grand Central Baking Company.

We started our day with a walk to a nearby Skillet restaurant. Skillet started as a food truck in Seattle, and has grown into a restaurant chain. Did I mention you can judge a restaurant by its bread? I had the Serious Toast, and it was made with a smooth and rich brioche bread. It was UNBELIEVABLY heavenly!

Skillet’s Serious Toast is made with molasses custard soaked thick cut brioche, local pit ham, raspberry jam, powdered sugar and scrambled eggs.

Just look at that toast!

Since this meal came with egg and ham, I gave those away to both my high school friends (who are still puzzled why I am eating so much bread). I couldn’t finish the double decker French toast, so I had to doggie bag it. This was half (over 250g) of my day’s consumption of bread right there. I finished them up later in the day.

A visit to Grand Central Baking

After breakfast, we made it over to Pioneer Square. Toured the first Grand Central Baking location, then wolfed down some pastries and more bread. Michael, the production lead at this location, gave me a potato roll which I finished within 12 minutes during the FB live recording. The sour of this roll was so smooth and soft.

Easy to say, that was the best-tasting potato roll I ever had. Why? Because they take a Yukon potato, skin it, cube it and mix it into the sourdough. Who in the world takes the trouble to do this? Doesn’t it show you how much passion they have for the thing they love most – making the best bread in the world? I get impressed by Grand Central Baking every time I talk to them. Their passion is evident why they remain successful.

Fresh baked pastries line their bakery case at the first Grand Central Baking Location in Pioneer Square.

We walked a whole 8 miles! This cost me 800 calories. Which meant that I could eat some more bread for dinner! I told my friends (both Asian) that we cannot eat at any noodle or rice restaurant, and one of them replied “you are so not fun to travel with at this time; can’t you just drop your bread diet?” So we compromised on Agrodolce in Fremont, an Italian trattoria which served handmade noodles and pasta.

Grand Central Baking Rye sourdough slices with Agrodolce’s antipasto misto.

They brought out their Focaccia bread. Mama Mia! This was real Focaccia! What did I say about judging a restaurant by its bread? Agrodolce not only made delicious pasta, they really knew how to make a great Focaccia as well! While my friends both had pasta, I had antipasto misto, caramelized broccoli (which was out of this world) and tomato and fennel soup with my Rye Sourdough from Grand Central Baking. We also celebrated 30 years of friendship with Prosseco and Port (not such a great idea after looking at my calorie count).

Here’s what I ate on Day 27 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Skillet’s Serious Toast	2 slices (100g)	900
Grand Central Baking Rye Sourdough	4 slices (50g)	560
Egg	1	300
Ham	1	105
Macaroons	2 pc	120
Potato Roll	80g	120
Meat plate		300
Tomato Fennel Soup	1/2 C	75
Caramelized Brocolli	1 1/2 C	150
Tiramisu		250
Prosecco	1 glass	90
Port	1/2 glass	50
Coconut Water	2 cups	90
London Lavender Fog		150
Walk 8 miles		-800
Total		2460

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April 27, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

Food Trucks and Donuts: Day 25

Sonoma Sun from Alvarado St. Bakery.

The Sonoma Sun loaf from Alvarado St. Bakery was my bread of choice today. The bakers at Alvarado St. Bakery sprout their own grains to make their Sonoma bread. I tried it with something different today: Avocados. My nutritionist Connie wants me to eat avocados (listen to podcast #2).

I’ve never liked the bland taste of avocado, and I felt it is best eaten in guacamole. I am surprised that it is so rich in potassium and it helps me counteract my sodium levels. So today I mixed it up and tried avocado slices with Greek cream cheese on Sonoma Sun Bread.

Avocado with Sonoma Sun Sprouted Bread.

Today, I had friends from out of town visiting me and I brought them on a food truck tour. Unfortunately this time, I had to skip most of the eating. However, when we stumbled on the poke bowl shop, I had to try one. Can I say, it was a taste explosion in my mouth!

What’s a Poke bowl? It’s rice and raw tuna mixed with fish roe, seaweed greens and sesame brittle with a sweet sauce. The Poke originates from Hawaii, so it has that tangy and sweet taste to it.

A colorful Poke bowl with bigeye tuna, roe, sweet onion, avocado, sea salt, sesame brittle, cucumber, mixed seaweed and classic Hawaiian sauce.

Our last stop was Blue Star Donuts. The thing about Blue Star that is not known to many people, is that if you buy three donuts, and you’re really nice to the cashier, they give you an extra donut (yes, do that next time). Their donuts range for $3-4 apiece, but these are my favorite donuts in town. They have by far the best (brioche) dough, and the highest quality fillings and toppings. If I were to bring a box of Blue Star to you, you’d know that you’re special.

$Valhorna Chocolate Crunch (bottom center) is a custard filled donut.\$

Valhorna Chocolate Crunch (bottom center) is a custard filled donut. It is truly the star of this bunch from Blue Star Donuts.

Here’s what I ate on Day 25 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Alvarado St Bakery® Sonoma Bread	5slices (43g)	600
Sprouted wheat bread	200g	420
Banana	1	105
Dickinson’s® Lemon Curd	2 Tbsp	120
Tilamook Butter (Salted)	2 Tbsp	200
Homemade Pesto	1 Tbsp	80
Avacado	1/2 cup	184
Greek yogurt spread	1 Tbsp	22
Blue Star Donuts	1	200
Poke Bowl + Chips	1	150
Steamed Brocolli	1C	30
Calcium Supp
Bike		-100
Total		2011

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April 26, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

Be Passionate About What You Do: Day 24

Artesano® bread by Sarah Lee is probably one of the most favored bread here in the Pacific Northwest. It is a white bread, without a gummy texture. I can eat this toasted with butter all day. Why do I choose this bread? Mainly because I wanted to try what it feels like just to eat white bread all day. I love it. No guilt here. Just pure indulgence into my favorite food in the world, bread. White bread.

Sara Lee’s Artesano bread.

We also recorded our 4th podcast today sponsored by Manildra, co-hosted by David Deblauwe and I. Our guest was Scott Baker (yes, he is a real baker), CEO of 5 generation bakers. They make an amazing raisin swirl bread under the label Jenny Lee®. Talking to Scott really gives me hope for this industry.

Passionate Baking

His success story is about being really good at something, repeating that, and growing it by leaps and bounds. Scott is a genuine baker. He chose to be really specialized at producing one thing, and that’s raisin swirl bread. The way he broke down his process (which I feel is a really difficult process), how he cared about the quality of his bread, and how that affected his growth decisions indicated to me that he really cares about his bread. I was excited to have found a commercial baker who is successful after starting from ground zero and growing his bakery to a multi-million dollar business. Above all, I love seeing passion being rewarded. Look for this podcast on iTunes (coming soon).

“Skills are cheap, passion is priceless” – Gary Vaynerchuk

It is true, you should always be guided by your passion if you want to grow a successful bakery. This can be seen with the success stories of 5 Generation Bakers, Grand Central Baking Co., Dave’s Killer Bread and Blue Star Donuts. If you bite into any of their products, you will feel the passion. It is what keeps your customers from coming back again and again.

Here’s what I ate on Day 23 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Sara Lee® Artesano	11 slices (38g)	1100
Ricotta Cheese	2 Tbsp	50
Artichoke Bruchetta spread	2 Tbsp	67
Sugar Free Strawberry Jam	4 Tbsp	80
Salami	6 Slices	180
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Dickinson’s® Lemon Curd	2 Tbsp	120
Orange	1 orange	45
Nutella	2 tbsp	200
Tilamook Butter (Salted)	1 Tbsp	100
Kale Soup	1 C	48
Marie Biscuits	10 pieces	150
Banana	1	105
Calcium Supp
Bike		-300
Total		1985

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April 26, 2017August 10, 2017 by Lin Carson

Bread Recipe Roundup

If all this talk about bread is making you hungry, why not give a shot at making your own?

There’s no reason to be intimidated by baking your own bread. I know, it’s so easy to just go pick up delicious artisan loaves off the shelf. However, there are hundreds of easy, tasty recipes that will make it hard to ever go back to store-bought bread again. From sweet to savory to classic and everything in between, you could be baking (and enjoying) bread today. Here are just a few recipes I found:

10 Delicious Bread Recipes

bread recipe sourdough french rolls no knead bread

1. Easy Bread Recipe

An easy, simple bread recipe that’s a great place to start. Plus, there’s no kneading involved.

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/11/07/my-mothers-peasant-bread-the-best-easiest-bread-you-will-ever-make/

2. Simple Crusty Bread Recipe

With just a few ingredients and few steps, you’ll have a bread with a crusty crust that’s bursting with flavor.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018203-simple-crusty-bread

3. Sweet Bread

Sometimes you just need something sweet. In just five minutes, you can whip up this sweet bread, perfect for breakfast or dessert.

https://julieblanner.com/sweet-bread-recipe/

4. Simple Whole Wheat Bread

If you’re looking for a more healthy option, you’ll want to taste this whole wheat honey loaf.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/6773/simple-whole-wheat-bread/

5. Hearty Whole Grain

Whole grain products are rising in popularity, so stay trendy with this recipe for a satisfying bread that allows you to experiment with different whole grains.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/hearty-whole-grain-bread/

6. French Bread

A classic loaf, and staple for some meals, is french bread. If you own a food processor, this is the recipe for you!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/french-bread-235423

7. Pumpkin Brioche

Who says you have to eat your bread in a loaf? These brioche rolls are as unique as they are tasty!

http://www.bakerpedia.com/baking-recipes/pumpkin-brioche/

8. Rosemary Avocado Quick Recipe

Vegan? No problem! Here’s a rosemary avocado bread everyone will enjoy!

http://www.thefussyfork.com/rosemary-avocado-quick-bread/

9. Bacon and Cheese Bread

While we’re adding things to bread, why not go all out with with this savory loaf that has BACON!

http://www.eatwell101.com/bacon-and-cheese-bread-recipe

10. Sourdough Bread

And last but not least: the classic but irresistible sourdough bread.

http://www.food.com/recipe/basic-sourdough-bread-34753

Do you have a favorite bread recipe? Let us know in the comments.

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heart-healthy-weight-eat bread 90-lose weight with carbs

April 24, 2017August 10, 2017 by Lin Carson

Can I Eat Carbs and Lose Weight on this Diet?

Lose weight? Even if I’m eating carbs in the form of a pound of bread a day?

When I am running errands and people see me munching on my bag of bread, I get some strange looks. When I smile and tell them I am eating a loaf of bread a day for three months, they look at me like I am nuts and always make a comment about how fattening bread is and that I am going to gain so much weight. I invite them to subscribe to my blog to track my progress, and I seriously hope that I will prove them all wrong.

Maybe I will even lose weight! The calories in the food we eat are used to fuel our bodies at rest and in motion. What we eat is digested and converted into energy we can use. Catabolism involves the breaking down of molecules into smaller parts to be sent to our cells where they are converted into energy.

In contrast, anabolism uses energy to build simple molecules to create larger complex molecules, which allow the body to construct and maintain muscle cells and tissues.

Lose weight by understanding calories and digestion

To function properly, our bodies use more or less stable number of calories to run all their essential processes from keeping our heart beating and circulating blood to digestion. The rest of the calories are used to fuel our daily activities and physical exercise. If we consume more calories than what we burn each day, the excess is stored and eventually we gain weight.

lose weight exercise diet calories

If overall calorie intake remains the same, but the types of foods we are eating changes, our digestion will be affected.

We all know that there are foods that make us feel bloated and drowsy, and others that keep us feeling energetic for hours. We have all experienced increased bloating and gas from eating certain foods, and know that there are some foods that are more easily digested than others.

Bread, like any food made up of several ingredients, contains protein, vitamins, fat and carbohydrates. When you take a bite of a sandwich, digestion of the bread begins in the mouth when food is mixed with saliva. As it’s swallowed and continues to the stomach, the components are further broken down.

Carbs in bread

Each nutrient has a unique process for being digested and converted into energy. For example, lipid catabolism breaks down fats using lipases in cells, which are enzymes that break the fats down into glycerol and fatty acids to release energy. The type of bread we eat and its fiber content impact digestion and overall metabolism.

What I can say for sure is that I am eating constantly in order to finish a delicious loaf of bread a day. I am also drinking more water than usual to help my body with digestion. I am never hungry and the constant eating is keeping my metabolism revved up all day long. I would not be surprised if I end up losing weight. After all, fat burns in a carbohydrate flame means that your body simply cannot burn fat on its own.

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