Sweetness

I had a great time at the wedding and am slowly getting back into the swing of things. One quick recommendation before I name my favorite of the day. If you're ever chillin' out in central New Jersey, nearby Route 130 to be specific, you should definitely hit up the Americana Diner. Luckily we made reservations for our party of 12 because I have never seen a restaurant so busy. I mean that. It was a Saturday night, but people were hanging out in the parking lot and busting out the doors. In any event, we got it and were seated right away. Score. It's a pretty cool place with a lounge/bar and regular dining area, and (drum roll please...) all three of their vegetarian entrees are vegan! Your "others" will have pages upon pages of things to choose from, while you'll get to pick between a stuffed pepper, stir-fry, and (my choice) a roasted eggplant stuffed with tons of veggies. Yum.

Okay, onto my fave for today. As someone who is pretty careful with what she puts in her body, I shy away from chemical sweetners. I practically nursed on Diet Coke so my brain is riddled enough by aspartame, thank you very much, and Splenda ain't much better. Don't try to give me that "made from sugar so it's safe" BS either. All you have to do is google "splenda side effects" and you'll get stuff like this and this.

All of this is a round-about way of saying that I still will drink things with Splenda in them occasionally. Why? I like the taste of it I guess. Well, that and it is calorie-free after all. So, when I saw that "natural" soda company Hansen's had diet sodas as well, I tried them. The ginger ale is great, but the light ginger flavor becomes overwhelmed (read: bitter) by the Splenda. Root Beer was better, and perfect in a float with some vegan vanilla ice cream. But then, last night, the most delicious diet soda I've ever had came across my lips: Hansen's Diet Black Cherry. This bad boy is dessert in a can, and I swear you'd never know it was "diet." If you see it on a shelf near you, try it out. But don't go overboard, people. That stuff'll kill ya!