Tag Archives: food

POGs Revival!

Posted on by
Reply

Lately it seems that I see POGs popping up everywhere on social media.

Do you remember them?

For a brief, crazy intense moment in the ’90s, POGs and slammers were everywhere. If you grew up during that era, you might remember collecting the colorful cardboard discs, the thrill of slamming your favorite POG stack, and swapping the ones you didn’t want with friends on the playground.

During that frenzied time, I was involved in a business that not only produced POGs (milkcaps) as business promotional giveaways but created a line of them called The Safe Neighborhood Club, complete with an inserted educational booklet. Some of these designs were included in books about POGs.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

For a time, POGS were even outlawed in a few school districts, that’s how popular they were.

The story of POGs began in Hawaii, where children used caps from Haleakala Dairy’s POG juice (passionfruit-orange-guava) to play a simple flipping game.

Alan Rypinski bought the POG trademark in 1993 and transformed it into a global brand. With the World POG Federation at the helm, POGs exploded into toy aisles and schoolyards, becoming an integral part of ’90s culture. POGman, the game’s cartoon mascot, became as recognizable as the discs themselves. He made millions during the craze but was out of the game when the bubble burst.

By 1997, the POG market had imploded. Oversaturation, school bans, and changing fads pushed the once-beloved game into obscurity. The discs that once sparked heated debates and trades among kids now sat forgotten.

Now, nearly three decades later, whispers of a POG revival are surfacing. Can a nostalgia-driven resurgence bring this playground staple back into the mainstream?

Why Revive POGs Now?

I can’t explain it, but POGs definitely ARE making a comeback, not just as a nostalgic collectible but also with a digital component and a focus on both physical and digital gaming. 

The World Pog Federation launched new physical sets and online games to engage a new generation of players. They are also exploring partnerships and collaborations to expand the POG brand. 

I’ll have to dig around in the garage ‘cos I know I still have a massive collection stored in binders and I can’t wait to show them to the Angels. Maybe they could start it up again at their school; wouldn’t that be awesome?

Further reading:
–Here’s a link to a cool article written just last month about the POG revival:
https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2025/04/dig-up-that-slammer-this-week-were-talking-pogs.html
–Another post from Hawaii: https://www.lanaitoday.com/news/another-chance-to-scoop

Hidden Treasures at Goodwill

Posted on by
Reply

What is the most valuable thing you ever found at Goodwill?

I THINK I just discovered a real hidden treasure, like something you’d see on Antiques Roadshow!

I often stop at the Goodwill located right next door to TJ Maxx. I hadn’t been there in a while, but yesterday morning it didn’t look too crowded so I decided to check it out.

I’m always on the lookout for cute little boxes or animal figurines. I didn’t see anything like that, but a very unusual vase caught my eye. I looked and looked at it, and I knew I didn’t NEED a vase, but the shape and colors were unique and I brought it home for $3.99.

Always curious, I researched the maker’s name on the bottom…Finland Arabia. There’s a lot of information online and I learned that Arabia was a Finnish ceramics company, founded in 1873 by Rörstrand. The specific type of mark on the bottom of my vase indicated it was made between 1900-1917.

It’s in absolutely pristine condition. I couldn’t find this exact triangle kind of design (which might mean it’s super rare) but similar pieces recently sold for hundreds of dollars!

Who would toss out this turn-of-the-century beauty with the stylized floral motif?

I probably won’t ever sell it, but I’m grateful to have rescued her (for $3..99!!!!) and she’ll have pride of place in my display case.

If anyone knows anything about this piece, please tell me!

What’s YOUR Guilty Pleasure?

Posted on by
2

We still have a few days left in November to observe World Vegan Month and it’s perfect timing to share a guilty snacky pleasure that’s actually guilt-free.

My current guilty pleasure is this: Everything But The Bagel seasoned bite size crackers from Trader Joe’s.

They are crunchily yummy with hummus and flavorfully satisfying all by themselves.

Best of all, they’re vegan (not gluten-free FYI).

Each serving of 14 crackers is 140 calories and contains 3 grams of protein, so it really seems like an innocent indulgence.

What’s YOUR guilty pleasure?

*This is an honest review; I received no free product nor any compensation.

Festival of Lights | Happy Hanukkah! | Chag Sameach 🕎 

Posted on by
5

Tonight’s the first night of Hanukkah and Hello Kitty reminds us to let our light shine!

Our Jewish Festival of Lights lasts for eight days and nights in honor of a 2,000-year-old miracle in which light won out over darkness.

During Hanukkah 1931, Rachel Posner, wife of Rabbi Dr. Akiva Posner, took this photo of the family Hanukkah menorah from the window ledge of the family home looking out on to the building across the road decorated with Nazi flags.

While it’s definitely a time for serious reflection, it’s also all about fun with latkes, gold coins, dreidels, lots of presents, and this iconic song by Adam Sandler:

Last year’s post about Hanukkah has a lot more info about the historical significance https://enchantedseashells.com/2022/12/19/whats-hanukkah-all-about/

The Plot Express: Vegan Fast Food Restaurant Review

Posted on by
6

I’m always excited when a new vegan eatery opens up near me. I don’t often eat out, so it’s a real treat.

I’ve visited Veggie Grill at least a dozen times. It’s a fast-casual vegan restaurant chain that operates in California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York. 

I’ve always been happy with my menu choices at VG. I love their soups and incredible (vegan, of course) Caesar salad. It’s described as romaine and tender kale tossed with Caesar dressing, mushroom crisps, ciabatta croutons, capers, almond Parmesan, and hemp hearts.

It’s consistently fresh and delicious. When I bring home what I can’t finish at the time, it holds up well.

The Plot Express. sister to the Plot Restaurant in Oceanside (haven’t been there), opened a while ago with positive online reviews, so I looked forward to giving it a try.

The first time I had the Superior Crunch Wrap with faux chorizo. I’m not usually a fan of meat replicas, but this was crunchy and yummy, albeit a bit heavy on the sodium for my taste buds.

The next time I tried The Plot Express, I thought I’d order their version of a Caesar salad for a real comparison with The Veggie Grill. The menu describes it as romaine lettuce, pickled onions, house parmesan, lemon preserves, croutons, and zesty Caesar dressing with Plot faux chicken bites.

It was a disappointment in every way. The lettuce was old, mostly full of white romaine ribs, not many leafy greens, and to make it even worse, I bit into the giant stem end of the romaine. The entire salad was drenched in so much dressing that it was barely edible with far too many croutons. The faux chicken bites were OK, but not necessary. They didn’t seem to have been freshly prepared, although I don’t really know for sure.

We were served in the outside patio. I brought the salad inside to show them the romaine stem end and the giant white ribs, but only received a lukewarm and not satisfying response.

Here’s a photo of the salad where you can see the stem end and inedible romaine ribs. It doesn’t look very appealing but I did appreciate the compostable plates and forks.

The other comparison was in their version of french fries. I LOVE french fries, but rarely indulge myself because I don’t often eat fried foods OR potatoes, so it’s a real treat when I discover great ones.

The Plot Express only offers cheesy (vegan) truffle fries. I know truffle anything is trendy right now, but I don’t like it, never have. I desire a pure, unadulterated fry that’s crispy on the outside and comfortingly squidgy on the inside, served piping hot. A friend ordered it and I searched for a fry that wasn’t completely saturated in the sauce, but it wasn’t yummy enough to make me want another bite.

Veggie Grill’s Golden fries are everything one would hope for in a fry and I’ve never been let down. I’ve also tried their Sweet Potato fries which are equally yummy.

Here’s my overall independent and non-biased review of these two vegan “fast casual” restaurants.

  1. Veggie Grill is consistently fresh, tasty, and delightful. I WILL always be happy to eat there.
  2. The Plot Express is more expensive and not up to my standards. Expensive, soggy old lettuce gets a failing grade from me. Although I like the location in Carlsbad, I won’t return. It was not a great experience.

To sum it up, for me, Veggie Grill is a consistent winner, not so much for The Plot Express. Thanks to a comment by Kevin from https://adifferentkitchen.org/, I’ll update the review to clarify that VG is also more affordable. Here’s their menu: https://veggiegrill.com/menu/

DISCLAIMER
I received no payment or other compensation for this review. I paid full retail price for my food. I have no affiliation or relationship with either restaurant. My opinion is simply my opinion.

Holiday Recipes | Grandma’s Best Kugel Noodle Pudding

Posted on by
4

Are you thinking about what to serve this year for family gatherings? I swear, Angel Boy 2.0 could eat kugel every single day. It’s his most requested dish but I only make it a few times a year.

Let me introduce you to one of our family traditions. My mom’s recipe is NOT vegan, but it can easily be adapted if you substitute eggless noodles and eliminate eggs. It’s just as delicious.

What IS Kugel?

Of German/Jewish origin, Kugel is a savory or sweet pudding built around layered potatoes or noodles (lokshen), usually served as a side dish. Some recipes use cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, and raisins, but that’s not how we make it.

Our family’s traditional Kugel is the sweet noodle version. It’s to die for. Really. Spectacular hot or cold or reheated, it’s one of those recipes you can make a day in advance and gets better and better.

If you have any leftovers– which we never do — it freezes well, too.

Grandma’s Kugel

Ingredients:
One large package wide egg noodles (or eggless wide noodles)
One large can fruit cocktail in juice
One small can pineapple pieces in juice
One large can canned peaches and pears in heavy syrup, yes, you read that right
At least 3 Granny Smith apples, sliced with about 1/4 cup sugar and 1-2 TBS cinnamon
3 eggs (or not)
2 tsp vanilla
Approx 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Crisco (YES)
One lemon, juiced and zested

Directions: This is a good dish to make in advance especially if you’re also planning to make apple pie (which I am) ‘cos you can just prep all the apples for both dishes. The secret to this dish is a LOT of cinnamon. If you think you have enough, add a little bit more. More is better, trust me!

1. Cook a whole package of wide egg noodles and drain.
2. Add 3 beaten eggs with vanilla, 2 tablespoons cinnamon and 1.4 cup sugar ; it will be super slippery.
3. Add the lemon juice and zest to the apple slices.
4. Drain all the canned fruit but keep the juices; you’ll need them.
5. Mix together all the canned fruits.
6, Use Crisco to oil one large and one medium deep baking dish.
7. Add a layer of noodles, then a layer of canned fruit, a layer of apples, then another layer of noodles, a layer of the canned fruit, sliced apples, more noodles, more canned fruit and apples, ending with a final layer of noodles.
8. Pour over any remaining egg mixture, and a cup or so of the fruit juices. Be very liberal with the juice. It will all get soaked up as the kugel bakes.
9. My mom would dot the whole thing with a bunch of Crisco, like ¼ cup, which sounds gross, but I still follow her recipe. Some people use butter, but we don’t.
10. Bake covered at 300 degrees for about an hour or so depending on the pan size. Take cover off for final 15/20 minutes. Excellent reheated and/or cold.

Recipe by Enchanted Seashells

Featured pic is not mine, Found on Pinterest.

From Seed to Harvest | The Essential and Humble Beet

Posted on by
9

Have you ever grown beets? They’re humble and rustic, sweet and solid, packed full of heart healthy nutrition, even the leaves.

Beets are full of antioxidants that fight cell damage and reduce the risk of heart disease. They’re one of the few vegetables that contain betalains, a powerful antioxidant that gives beets their vibrant color. Betalains reduce inflammation and may help protect against cancer and other diseases.

No part of this beauty is wasted, whether it’s cooked or shaved raw in a salad.

My mom used to make borscht, a Ukrainian cold beet soup, because my dad loved it, but I thought it looked and tasted disgusting, especially since she topped it with a dollop of sour cream.

I now think that I might have been mistaken about my revulsion for borscht, well maybe…except for the sour cream, which I still don’t like.

I’ll scrub and slice the beets, then steam them with the leaves just until tender, to enjoy eating unadorned just like they are, fresh and wholesome. YUM!

Zesty Veggie Hummus #Vegan Pinwheels

Posted on by
1
FINALzesty

Veggie Hummus Pinwheels are the perfect choice for a summer party or barbecue.

Hummus is so easy to prepare from scratch that it’s a staple here at Casa de Enchanted Seashells. (Recipe below.)

It’s mostly all prep work. Organizing your ingredients makes it easy. I don’t like onions, but the addition of a thinly sliced red onion would be a wonderful crunchy flavor enhancer.

veggie roll up 4

I used a handheld mandolin to thinly slice the veggies. Carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, cucumber, and freshly steamed, chopped spinach. Make sure you squeeze out all of the cooking juice and save for soup stock later in the week.

I had some leftover guacamole and used that too. Organic pea shoots and cilantro (coriander to you all from across the pond) rounded out the healthy deliciousness. Add a squeeze of sweet chili sauce or sriracha (if you can find it!) to make it super zesty.

veggie rollup5

**For a really low calorie option, use a large lettuce leaf instead of a carb-filled tortilla.

Simply spread, layer, roll, and cut.

Spread with hummus, guacamole, spinach (this one doesn’t have spinach, but I used a slice of veggie cheddar cheese. The important part is to layer all the veggies on the side of the wrap or tortilla closest to you. Sometimes I heat the tortilla to make it a little more pliable.

vegroll1
vegroll2
vegroll3

Start rolling, keeping it tight. That’s the secret to a successful roll up. If you’ve ever made sushi, it’s the same principle, without using a bamboo mat. Tah dah! A fat little cigar shaped roll of yumminess.Cut in half with a sharp knife. 

vegroll4
veggie rollup3

Keep cutting…eating the ends as you go. Well, at least that’s what I did.
Turn them up so they’re smiling pinwheels, choose a special serving platter, and add a little garnish: here I used cilantro, pea shoots, and thinly sliced LIME.  

FINALzesty

Beautiful, festive, healthy!

BASIC HUMMUS

One 15 oz. can unsalted garbanzo beans (or your own from scratch)
Four garlic cloves
Six tablespoons lemon juice
One-third cup tahini
Salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce

Drain beans, but save juice. Toss it all into a food processor and blend until desired consistency. Add a little juice from the beans as needed. Season to taste.
That’s it! Couldn’t be any easier, right?
Options: Add chopped, drained spinach, jalapeños, roasted red peppers, etc. Use your imagination and experiment. It’s all tasty. Especially if you add a squeeze of lime…

Sweet Harmony | Push-Fold-Turn

Posted on by
Reply

“Push…fold…turn…”

It’s a mantra of sorts. Do you know what I’m talking about?

Picture Angel Girl wearing my Hello Kitty apron on the other side of the kitchen table, mirroring my movements and my mantra, “push, fold, turn…“

I toss a handful of bench flour on the silicone mat so the dough won’t stick, and hand her a portion of the cinnamon roll dough to start kneading.

“Like this, watch me. With this part of your hand, push…fold…turn.”

“Like this, Grandma?”

“That’s perfect. Let’s say it together.”

We work and speak in harmony…”Push, fold, turn. Push, fold, turn.”

“You can tell it’s ready because it feels smooth. How does your dough feel?”

“Super smooth, Grandma!”

“Awesome! Now we’ll let our dough rise and finish creating our yummy cinnamon rolls.”

“I can’t wait!”

“Neither can I, but we have to follow all the steps to make your Great Grandma Charlotte’s recipe exactly like she taught me.”

After the dough doubled in sized, both the Angels helped to roll it out, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and they allowed me to complete the process.

One more proofing (no one was patient) and the sweet bread was finally ready to bake.

Dad and Mom came home JUST as they came out of the oven and we all gorged ourselves on more cinnamon rolls than we probably should have.

In case you’re wondering, we don’t ice our cinnamon rolls. We like them just like this.

Dad complimented me, “These are really the best you ever made!”

Do you know what the secret ingredient was?

I do.

It was the sweet, loving assistance of two curly haired angel kids.

Push, fold, turn…

Tofu Snowball Cookies | Vegan Recipe

Posted on by
2

Every so often I feel like Emmymade when I try out or tweak a new recipe. (If you don’t know who she is, Emmymade has a YouTube channel with about three million subscribers.)

Aren’t they pretty? Read all the way through…

I searched for ways to incorporate tofu in sweet recipes and I found a bunch of ideas for tofu cookies.

Here’s my version:

Tofu Snowball Cookies
1/2 cup tofu (silken works best but I used what I had)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup oil
2 cups flour

Blend oil and tofu in food processor until smooth.
Add all the other ingredients.
Cover and chill for thirty minutes.


Shape into balls on parchment lined baking sheet.
(The dough felt very rubbery to me as I was forming the balls, very different from other cookie doughs…)
Chill again for thirty minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes until the top looks dry.


Let cool for a couple minutes.
Roll in powdered sugar.
Cool completely.

They tasted absolutely disgusting!

I’m not a fan, ewww.

I had an old Border Collie named Victor who would eat almost anything and I don’t think even he would have eaten these cookies, that’s how bad they are! It would have been hilarious to watch his face as he spit them out or found a place to bury them in the garden. Miss you, Victor!

If you try this recipe, please let me know if your results are more edible than mine.

I think the rubbery Play Doh texture should have been a huge red flag, but it was an experiment. Sometimes my recipes work out and sometimes they don’t!

#epicfail

UPDATE: After a few hours, I tried another one and the wait definitely improved the flavor and texture, so I won’t toss them in the compost.