New Favorite Food

Normally I don't post food photos and recipes on my blog, because, well..  I don't know.  I just don't.  I like reading healthy eating blogs, but my blog does not fall into that category, mainly because I giggle every time I read "nut butter".

That said, I have to break my only show powdered sugar donuts and brats tradition to bring you my new favorite veggie.

I was perusing the produce section of the grocery store a few days ago, when I saw these babies:

source

They looked intriguing.  Kind of a "so ugly it's cute" thing going on.

Awww...?  Ewww....?

So I picked one up, found a handy guide on how to prepare and eat them, and embarked on my Artichoke Adventure.

I rinsed it off, cut off the tip (insert Jewish joke here), put it in a pot of water, waited 25 minutes, and pulled it out (insert contraception joke here).

The more I ate, the more I loved it!  You peel off the outside leaves, eat the fleshy white part, and repeat... and repeat.  For like an hour.  Seriously, this has to be the best "diet" food, because you feel like you're eating SO MUCH and get this:

• 25 calories
• 170 mg potassium
• good source of Vitamin C, folate, fiber, and magnesium

Plus the closer you get to the inside, the sweeter the little leaves (actually called bracts) get.  They taste like they've been dipped in honey.  So, so good.

And check this out from the aptly named artichoke.org:

"Some new exciting studies have shown that artichokes contain an unusual amount of anti-oxidants, in the form of phytonutrients and in a study done by the United States Department of Agriculture, artichokes rank as the number one vegetable in ant-oxidant count.  Among the most powerful phytonutrients are Cynarin and Silymarin, which have strong positive effects on the liver.   It is interesting to note here, that over the years, artichokes have been reputed to help in the cure of liver diseases, liver cancer and to cure hangovers! "

Here, I'll save you from having to read that whole paragraph.  It says

Blahblahblah blah.  Blah blah blabitty blah.................................. blah...........................................................................................................................................................................anti-oxidant........................................................... ..................................................................................... CURE HANGOVERS

Well, when science calls, I answer.  And science is obviously calling me to drink too many beers and have an artichoke the next day to see if it cures my hangover.

Cheers to artichokes!