FGCU Good Grubs: At Home Quarantined Style #2

Hello folks’ and welcome back to our weekly blog with FGCU Good Grubs. Unfortunately, we are all still on quarantine for another 30 days, at least. I know many of us are going a little stir crazy and this week we wanted to help out by informing you of these easy dishes you can make right at home. We hope you enjoy, and would have any cooking suggestions you may have for next week’s blog post!

Keaton’s Review:

Hello Everyone! This week I kept it simple. I enjoyed a homemade breakfast meal. I had eggs, bacon, and clementines. I washed it down with a personal favorite, Bodyarmour and water. The type of eggs Imade were Greenwise, Cage-Free Large Brown Eggs. The type of bacon I made was Oscar Mayer’s, Natural Uncured Smoked Bacon. The brand of clementines I ate were Halos. I also added salt, pepper, and ketchup onto my eggs to give it a little more flavor.

I usually prefer scrambled eggs, which is what I made for this week's blog. I used organic eggs because they are healthier for you. Organic Grade A Large Brown Eggs are laid on small farms by hens that are fed a wholesome diet with no hormones (Hormones are not used in the production of shell eggs) or antibiotics added. In the past I used to never be able to eat ketchup and eggs, but recently it is the only way I can eat eggs. I try to eat eggs for breakfast every morning because of their nutritional value. 

Now for my bacon. I’ve always been a fan of Oscar Mayer’s bacon products. Some of the ingredients in this bacon are pork, water, sea salt, sugar, and cultured celery juice. Bacon isn’t necessarily the healthiest option, but it contains high-fat animal protein. I wouldn’t recommend eating bacon daily, but bacon sure tastes delicious. 

Lastly, I peeled apart a clementine as a good source of vitamin C. During this pandemic, vitamin C and water intake is very important. I try to eat oranges or clementines as much as possible. I added this fruit to my breakfast to spice up the color and for health reasons. 

On a scale from 1-10 I will rate each type of food and I will rate the overall breakfast entree. I would rate the homemade ketchup and eggs a 6.7 out of 10, the bacon a 8.1 out of 10, and the clementines a 7.3 out of 10, for an overall score of 7.2. Not a terrible homemade breakfast, but not the worst!

Tara’s Review:

This week I decided to show you all one of my favorite recipes that I have learned in college, Chicken Broccoli Ziti (except I used angel hair pasta). The recipe calls for chicken diced up, then tossed in flour. Let the chicken then cook in olive oil, salt and pepper. While cooking the chicken, you must prepare the sauce which calls for olive oil, butter, garlic, crushed red pepper, fresh basil, chicken broth and a splash of white wine. 

I usually prepare this dish with ziti noodles, but only had angel hair at the time. I prefer the ziti, due to feeling like that specific noodle allows you to scoop more of the sauce into the bite. 

When topping the dish, I used freshly grated parmesan cheese. I believe this really tops off the dish, making the dish taste home cooked and authentic. 

I paired this delicious meal with one of my favorite mix drinks, a classic Moscow Mule. The mule has a two-ounce pour of Tito’s Vodka, four-ounces of ginger beer,  a splash of fresh lime juice, and topped with sweet mint from my herb garden. 

The whole meal was amazing. From the food itself, to the drink served along. I believe I did a phenomenal job cooking this meal and would rate it a solid 8.6/10. I highly recommend it!
Hope everyone stays healthy and sane! Best of wishes :) 

Pino’s Review:

Hello fellow FGCU Good Grubs fans! As we continue during this quarantine period, I decided to get some fresh air and take a stroll around the FGCU Campus. As I was walking through the Cohen Student Union, I smelled delicious. I followed that wonderful scent and it led me to Einstein Bros Bagels. I was shocked that it was still open due to the COVID-19 scare. Turns out they are staying open to help feed the students here at FGCU.

I decided to go in and get a breakfast sandwich since I was reaaaaally hungry. I bought a sandwich called the Crispy Chicken Tater sandwich. This sandwich is one that I usually get and enjoy so I decided to get it again. This sandwich has two eggs, cheese, a cream cheese spread, and a breaded chicken breast in it. I usually get it in an asiago bagel because it’s my favorite. However, they were out of it so i had to get my sandwich on a sesame bagel.

Usually, I would give this sandwich a 8/10, but the sesame bagel really threw me off. I would probably lower it to a 6.6/10. Tough dip but the chicken was also quite small. Would I be a repeat customer? Probably. Will I get the same sandwich again? Ehhh, yeah why not. This wasn’t my best experience with Einstein’s, but I know they can be better.

Be safe and practice social distancing!!!!