There was a time, not long ago, where I hid my love for wacky food combinations.
Having just entered corporate America, I wasn’t sure if it was ya know, unprofessional to bring a giant kitchen sink salad drenched in cottage cheese, bbq sauce other random toppings to the office. Would they judge me for my eclectic (to put it kindly) food pairings?
And then….I came across Hungry Girl. All of a sudden, I realized there was a potential for my “wacky” to become the norm. After a quick read of her online newsletter, I felt like this Hungry Girl was reading my mind! 5 years, countless books and one television show later, the woman is officially a foodie celebrity. The Washington Post even called her the “queen of processed food” (which I found absolutely hilarious). I genuinely admire those who eat vegan, organic, natural, sustainable, vegetarian, preditarian, saladitarian….BUT in my sometimes UNhealthy lifestyle, none of these are options. Thus, HG works for me!
So you can imagine my excitement when I found out, via my twitter feed, that she was conducting a book signing for her latest future best seller, “300 Under 300” at a Barnes and Noble a mere ONE express subway stop. There was no way I was missing the chance to meet the Michael Jordan of weird food. And she did not disappoint.
HG and Jamie a wacky food match made in heaven
For some reason, perhaps due to the fact that her branding centers around a somewhat obnoxious cartoon character (sorry HG), I thought that I’d find her annoying. Much the opposite. She conducted a short Q & A with an audience of about 100 of her loyal fans during which she was engaging, witty and honest. I found her surprisingly relatable. She discussed her journey growing up the child of a yo-yo dieter and how she gradually figured out ways of weight maintenance that worked for her. I took a lot of notes, but for some reason, the only thing that REALLY sticks out in my mind is when she referred to her love for Food Network’s “Diner, Drive Ins and Dives” calling it “food porn.”
Of course, I bought the book…
The inspirational words from my foodie idol
I must say, since I discovered the world of healthy living bloggers, I’ve relied on HG’s recipes less and less. However, I’ll always be a huge fan!
So, in a tribute to my new best friend, below are links to some of my fave HG classics:
- HG’s Pumpkin Muffins (the Cool Whip frosting = genius)
- HG’s Soda Cupcakes
- HG’s Classic Egg Mugs (the inspiration for my Oats n’ Eggs)
- HG’s Crazy Millkshakes
I know that HG isn’t for everyone. Some of her recipes are even too weird for me! But in the end, I love what she stands for: You can have your cake AND eat it too (as long as you use low-fat substitutions :-))
Question: Who is your foodie Idol?
PS – If Hungry Girl isn’t your cup of tea (she definitely isn’t for everyone) , I’m certain everyone will love the crowd-pleasing Hot Fudge Root Beer Float Cupcakes posted by Jessica today!
Thanks so much for the shoutout! 🙂