The Ultimate Snack Challenge, or How I Used a $100 Instacart credit

Working as a freelance writer guarantees a steady stream of press releases in my inbox, and while the majority of them are off target or just plain useless, occasionally a truly exciting opportunity comes my way. The latest example was an offer for a $100 credit for Instacart, a grocery delivery service that recently launched in San Diego. I’d previously used a $20 credit to stock up on Cool Haus ice cream sandwiches and found the service convenient, so obviously I said yes. This time around, I gave myself a noble challenge: use the $100 to procure the ultimate selection of snacks.

instacart-screen

My Door Dash Lunch Experiment: 5 Days of Delivery

When Door Dash reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in trying out their restaurant food delivery service, I jumped at the opportunity, mostly because I work from home and on weekdays, the car I share with my husband is with him in Sorrento Valley. As you can probably imagine, that puts a bit of a clamp on my lunch game, because while I’d love to eat a sandwich from places Ike’s or Carnitas’ Snack Shack, the time I’d spend getting there on the bus (or the Car2Go rental fee) isn’t quite worth it.

door-dash-carnitas

Edible Feature: 5 New San Diego Coffee Shops

San Diego’s coffee scene has made big strides in the past year, with several new coffee shops and roasters eager to earn their slice of the city’s growing interest in better beans and brews. Take a look at my latest for Edible to discover five of the best new spots to satisfy your coffee cravings and tips for brewing a better cup at home. Photo by Chris Rov Costa

Holsem Coffee | Photo by Chris Rov Costa

Recipe: Quinoa and Roasted Beet Salad with Charred Lemon Dressing

At a special dinner for local food bloggers hosted by Caffe Calabria and Specialty Produce (and catered by chefs MJ Testa and Javier Plascencia), Specialty Produce gifted me with a Farmers’ Market Box brimming with delicious things, like juicy blackberries, heirloom garlic, beets, tiny radishes with a peppery punch, dill, citrus, and more. Inspired by a renewed commitment to eat better, I decided to put as many ingredients as possible into a ridiculously healthy salad. Here’s what I came up with. I think it’s a keeper!

roasted beet and quinoa salad