Hot Lunch

Quesadillas

2008-08-15T13:59:00.001-07:00

G made these awesome tofu quesadillas for lunch today, while I made the margaritas to wash them down. He also made the quacamole you can kind of see in the background. We bought the tofu already prepared from Whole Foods.

Halloween Kit-Kats

2008-08-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

Already! I don't know why this surprises me, but it does seem really early for Halloween stuff.

The package came with two full Kit-Kat's inside:

Cute! There are four different packages, so I'm going to try and "collect them all!"

Blueberry Muffins

2008-08-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

G and I hiked around Purgatory Chasm in Northridge, MA today. Afterwards we stopped at Foppema's Farm, an awesome, working farm with lots of delicious produce and other delightful sundries like honey, maple syrup and folk art stuff.

Across the street they had a giant field of blueberries, so of course I had to buy some, which resulted in these lovely muffins courtesy of this Alton Brown recipe.

Just an FYI: 12 1/2 ounces is about 1 and 1/2 cups. These were super quick and so good!! They also cooked very quickly (in my oven, anyway): the recipe says 20-25 minutes but my batch was done in about 18 minutes.

Pretty field at Foppema's.

Nature's Promise Dark Chocolate

2008-08-10T13:51:00.001-07:00

I bought a Nature's Promise "organic very dark" chocolate bar at Stop and Shop (it's one of their house brands). It was 73% cocoa and described as "rich and doubly dark." Unfortunately I was not smitten. It tasted kind of stale, and had a powdery, waxy residue on it. I did love the design of the bar, however:

Teuscher Chocolates

2008-08-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

Cute shopping bag from Teuscher Chocolates in NYC.
I picked up a couple of the mini chocolate bars, the dark chocolate and a coffee chocolate (not shown), and they were both really good. I love the mini size! Not too much, and not too little.

Spike and Dave's Seafood

2008-08-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

Today my coworkers and I headed over to Slater Park in Pawtucket to have lunch at Spike and Dave's Seafood. It doesn't get more New England than this:

The clam cakes are not fried little nuggets of clam; instead they are like chewy, doughy, donut holes...but with clam bits!

Clam cake still life with patriotic wet nap.

I've never seen a packet of vinegar before.

(try some).

The Best Wedding Cake Ever

2008-07-26T17:06:00.001-07:00

Whoopies pies!!! I'm still traumatized over the fact that I left the wedding without eating one. Congrats again to D and H!

Jacques Torres Chocolates

2008-06-13T18:07:00.001-07:00

So lovely. Chocolate perfection. A vendor sent a bunch of these little boxes to us at work last Christmas. I can't wait to visit his Hudson St. location when G and I go down to NYC for 4th of July.

Bob and Timmy's Grilled Pizza

2008-06-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

G and I have a new favorite pizza place in Providence, Bob and Timmy's Grilled Pizza. I'm still unclear if the pizza is actually grilled, like at a BBQ, or if "grilled pizza" is just a Rhode Island colloquialism for pizza made in a wood-fired oven. I'll find out at our next visit.

It's off the main drag (Atwells Ave.) of Federal Hill, Providence's famed Italian neighborhood, hence the extra effort to point people in their direction. Bob and Timmy's is so much more accessible than anything on Federal Hill (parking is a nightmare around there), so I think their non-Atwells location is actually a plus.

Here we have grilled pizza with sun-dried tomatoes. Due to a communication snafu we didn't realize that neither of us liked sundried tomatoes until the pie was served. This did not stop us from eating the entire thing however.

The crust is super thin.

The Godfather keeps a watchful eye on the diners.

Art Bar

2008-06-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Nestled amongst the Hershey Bars and Starbursts in the checkout aisle at Eastside Market were these Art Bars made by Ithaca Fine Chocolates.

They've got a real mission going on here: fair trade chocolate, recycled packaging, and art distribution to the masses. Each chocolate bar has a piece of art inside. When I opened up my art bar I found this:

It's a photograph called "Ironing" by Sarah Barr, complete with condensed artist's statement. The bar itself is wrapped in a white, gossamar, plastic-y material printed (in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish) with the words "ecological packaging assuring excellent preservation of flavor and taste."

I was a bit dubious of a chocolate bar so steeped do-goody-ness with the chocolate itself seeming beyond secondary, but this bar really delivered. Even though it's only 58% cocoa and billed as "dark chocolate," it really had a lovely dark chocolate taste, with hints of maybe coconut and pineapple. It's very melty, too (but maybe because it's 80 degrees out and we don't have the AC on).

A chocolate bar that is delicious and promotes fair trade, recycling, and art is a chocolate bar that I can get behind!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KERRY!

2008-05-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

I miss you and I hope you have an awesome birthday tomorrow with lots of cake and champagne and presents!

"Sea Star" Chocolate Bar

2008-05-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

This was an impulse buy at Eastside Marketplace yesterday. A locally-made chocolate bar? This could not be passed up. It's a 64% cacao bar with sea salt - you can kind of make out the sea salt below:

I love how the bar is totally smooth (please ignore the missing chunk I broke off and devoured before taking the pic). I don't think I've ever seen a chocolate bar that didn't have the company name stamped into it or that wasn't segmented into little squares. The aesthetics of a blank, shiny piece of dark chocolate are very pleasing.

And above all, this was so delicious it has instantly become one of my favorite bars. Salt and chocolate may seem like a weird combination, but one taste and you will be a believer!

"Chicken" Salad

2008-05-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Made this salad using Quorn cutlets. Quorn is meat and soy-free and instead is composed primarily of "mycoprotein," "myco" being Greek for "fungi." So I guess they are fungi patties. I can hear you gagging, but don't knock 'em till you try 'em! They're good!

Banana Bread

2008-04-25T18:13:00.001-07:00

Loaded with chocolate chips, as you can see. I used this recipe from Orangette. The cinnamon-sugar topping cooked up nice and crisp, but then there was a layer of mush underneath, like it hadn't cooked! But then the rest was cooked. Strange. I actually liked the mushy-ness, but I remember thinking I wouldn't serve it to people assuming most people wouldn't care for it. But lo and behold, G brought his classmates over after a whirlwind class trip to NYC and the pan was devoured. Not sure if because it was so delicious, or because you'd basically eat anything after an 8 hour bus ride. Whatever!

Pretzel-Crusted Tofu Nuggets!

2008-04-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

During my foray into poultry and beef eating, one of my favorite little snacks was pretzel-crusted chicken nuggets at Citron in Providence, RI. I was woefully missing them the other night, so G whipped up this batch of pretzel-crusted tofu nuggets for me, and they are so good! He roasted some zucchini to go along with them, and I mixed up some honey and dijon mustard for dipping - delicious!

Here are tonights tofu nuggets, with roasted broccoli, carrots and onions. My new favorite meal!

Shrimp! Sustainable?

2008-03-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

OK, my obsession of the day is how to eat sustainable shrimp. It all started with the advent of BBQ season here in Seattle. This gets a mixed reception from us vegetarians. Bottom line is: bring your own. I went to Safeway to pick up some shrimp for kabobs and the bag of frozen shrimp they had said the shrimp was from Thailand. I consulted my fish list that I keep in my wallet and it was on the AVOID list (imported farmed or wild shrimp is out). Well, I blamed Safeway for having limited choices and bought the bag. I later looked at the bag in my freezer from Trader Joe's, which lists the shrimp coming from Balgladesh. Oops. Upon further research via google, I learned a lot about how farmed shrimp is wreaking environmental havock on mangrove regions, and trawling in open water produces a 2:1 ratio of dead bycatch (fish, jellyfish, etc) to shrimp. Although the trawling nets have reportedly come a long way, and allow for turtles and other fish to escape (they used Turtle Escape Devices [TED's] and bycatch reduction devices [BRD's] to help) 2:1 doesn't seem like a great ratio. The best solution right now seems to be Oregon shrimp, which is the first of its kind to be certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Oregon shrimp is probably easier to find on the West Coast, but can be found at Wegman's on the East Coast.

One last thing, here's a petition going out to grocery stores to urge them not to sell shrimp that is not sustainable. I signed it and specified that for Trader Joe's and Safeway, I expected more!

I feel so educated now, and I'm going to stop buying shrimp so haphazardly!

Easter Pies

2008-03-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

The highlights of Easter 2008 at my aunt's house in Needham, MA (besides Francesca, my cousin's four-month old baby) were undoubtedly her homemade Italian wheat pie (foreground)and her ricotta pie. She also made some homemade whipped cream for the topping. Delicioso!

Old Time Refrigerator Pudding

2008-03-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

Are you a war-time homemaker in 1943 looking for a quick and frugal way to serve your family fruit during a time of rationing? Fear not! Better Crocker is here to help with her "Old-Time Refrigerator Pudding" published in her 1943 booklet "Your Share: How to Prepare Appetizing, Healthful Meals with Foods Available Today:"

Line greased casserole with slices of buttered bread. Pour in layer of slightly thickened, hot berry sauce, then a layer of buttered bread, etc., having bread on top. Set heavy object on top to weight down. Let stand overnight in refrigerator. Unmold and serve with whipped cream. (10 slices of bread, 2 cups fruit sauce are enough for 8 servings).

My reaction to this was a more fervent anti-war statement has never been made. And then my weirdly selective memory kicked in and I was brought back to an episode of "Good Eats" on Food Network where Alton Brown basically prepares this exact dish! Check out his recipe for Strawberry Pudding. It's the same thing! Who knew he was reinventing a World War II-era desert based on rationing principles for the "Food Network" crowd?! Betty's casserole dish approach wouldn't have worked for Alton's audience- he had to fancy it up with his individual soup can-sized servings. I think I'm going to have to make this for Fourth of July - Betty style!

Cod Fish Cakes

2008-03-16T23:45:00.000-07:00

From a recipe here. Very tasty. Great with asparagus.

"Chicken's not meat!!"

2008-03-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

That would be my late maternal grandmother's reaction to my declaration that I didn't eat meat, including chicken. I always found this hilarious, and could never figure out why someone would not consider chicken meat.

Well, my question was answered when I found this pamphlet in an antique shop on Wickenden St. today and opened up to the first page. The first three recipes in this "meatless meals" guide, published in 1974, are for "Broiled Chicken in Foil," "Polynesian Chicken," and "Chinese Chicken with Vegetables." It then goes on to declare: "The Department of Agriculture lists eggs, milk and cheese as tops in all-around protein values. Next on its score card is meat, followed by fish and poultry." A-ha! Chicken was "poultry," not "meat." And I'm guessing this was a very indoctrinated distinction and that I was confusing my grandmother as much as she was confusing me. Grandma, wherever you are, I get it now!

This pamphlet also makes clear why vegetarians have always been objects of ridicule and their diet looked at as something akin to dirt and leaves. Look no further than this recipe for "Stuffed Date Salad":

-18 pitted dates
-3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 grapefruit or 1 large can of grapefruit sections

Fill dates with peanut butter. Make a bed of lettuce on each plate and arrange on top three stuffed dates and grapefruit sections. Serves 6 at lunch.

Here's to all the vegetarians in 1974 who persevered in the face of vomit like "Stuffed Date Salad." You are in inspiration!

Candy Donut

2008-03-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

G bought this for me while I was snapping the pictures below. Donuts and M&M's...two direct routes to my heart!

Dunkin Donuts, Hope Street, Pawtucket, RI

2008-03-15T16:17:00.000-07:00

This Dunkies has a really neat mural of a donut and the company name in huge letters taking up one whole wall. It's surprisingly good design.

(pics from my cell phone so they are a bit crappy).

Tommy's Place, Providence, RI

2008-03-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

Who needs dinner when you have breakfast, lunch and cocktails?

"Whippy" Lamps

2008-03-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

These Whippy lamps are so cute and clever! I love how the eco-friendly bulb looks like soft-serve! Brilliant!

Tartine

2008-03-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

I was seduced into having tartine for breakfast this morning, thanks to the book Joie de Vivre by Robert Arbor.

It sounds so pretty and fancy, yet all it is is simply bread with butter and/or jam. That's it! Leave it to the French to have such a beautiful name for something so plain and simple (yet with high-quality bread, butter and jam, so NOT plain).

I suppose I shouldn't say "simply bread." You really need a baguette. If it's day-old, you toast it. If it's fresh that morning, no need to toast unless you want to. I got a baguette from Olga's Cup and Saucer:

I bought it yesterday so it had started to go stale, which means into the toaster it went.

A slab of butter, a smear of strawberry jam, some cafe noir to wash it down, et voila! Petit dejeuner!

Vegetarian Cassoulet

2008-02-28T17:28:00.000-08:00

That recent beef recall totally disgusting me and reminding me why I became vegetarian in the first place nearly 18 years ago, I have decided to end my sojourn into carnivorism and go back to being vegetarian (with three exceptions: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Europe). So I was very excited to see this recipe for vegetarian cassoulet in the March 2008 issue of Gourmet.

I will definitely substitute the water for broth next time, and add a splash of wine, for some more flavor. My favorite part of this recipe was toasting the breadcrumbs:

I bet these would taste really good baked onto some homemade mac and cheese!

Sophia Mini

2008-02-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

This was an impulse buy as I'd never seen these in a store before. It's sparkling wine named after Sophia Coppola, and I'd read about it before and thought it was such a cute idea, champagne in a can with a little straw attached! I love the pink and silver packaging, and yes, the cans are so cute!

Unfortunately, I didn't care for the taste so much. It's not horrible, just a little too sweet. I guess I prefer actual Champagne. But whatever - it's perfect for dancing around the house and listening to some French pop music!

Chocolate Martini

2008-02-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

Chocolate martini! I decided to invest in a bottle of creme de cacao since we had everything else in the house to make these. G helped me figure out what exactly constituted a "shot," and thanks to his mathematical expertise the drinks came out perfectly. Oh, so good. Look at that creamy color! I'd like to note that these glasses are on the small side, not those obnoxiously large martini glasses found in chain restaurants and cheesy "martini bars." And thank God, because these things pack a chocolate punch!

Work Food Round-Up

2008-02-24T06:36:00.000-08:00

Here's some food I brought to work one day last week:

Graham crackers and peanut butter snack. I got a box of the cinnamon graham crackers from Whole Foods, but they are too crumbly. I won't buy them again.

Spicy chickpea soup with green onion and a dollop of sour cream. It said to top with a dollop of plain yogurt, but I wanted sour cream instead. I got that cute little glass jar at Crate and Barrel.

I think I also brought a Tofurky sandwich, but I must have inhaled it before I took a picture. And finally, my afternoon snack:

Chocolate! Every afternoon, without fail. I get kind of twitchy without my chocolate break! I have three big bars in my desk drawer right now. I decided to try one of those new Hershey Cacao Reserve bars, and it was actually pretty good. Won't replace my beloved Lindt, but yummy nonetheless. Kind of amusing how they mimicked the Lindt bar package:

They both have that little corner you rip off in the upper right-hand corner.

Winter Strawberries

2008-02-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

I've never had such red, juicy, flavorful strawberries in the middle of winter before! I picked these beauties up at Whole Foods. They are from Astin Strawberry Exchange in Plant City, Florida, which, according to the website, is the "winter strawberry capital of the world." I believe it! Doesn't look like the farm is organic, but I'm willing to overlook that. I had just seen a show on Food Network about strawberries, and they very simply said, if they don't smell like strawberries, they won't taste like strawberries. I cracked open a container, took a whiff, and lo and behold, my nostrils filled with the lovely odor of strawberries. I usually do not buy strawberries in winter as they tend to be white and flavorless. But not these. Definitely pick some of these up if you can find them!

Dungeness Crab

2008-02-04T22:30:00.001-08:00

Yummy!

Snack

2008-02-04T22:27:00.001-08:00

Need I say more?

Irish Coffee at Buena Vista

2008-01-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

Not much else to say about this Irish Coffee other than it's the shit! C and I grabbed a couple of these at the famous Buena Vista Cafe during our whilwind tour of SF before I headed to the airport.
It was a little touristy in the Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood, but worth it for these yummy drinks. Left me a little tipsy too! Happy Birthday C!

Mission Tacos

2008-01-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

I was in San Francisco this weekend and found this place El Farolito where we got tacos at 1 am. I forgot to take a picture of my taco before I wolfed it down. It was late, I was a little tipsy, and we had been driving all day. But it was yummy. Vegetarian with black beans.

Here's the taco maker.

By the way, I HEART San Francisco!

Shrimp What?

2008-01-21T19:09:00.000-08:00

I've been hanging out a lot at Chen's Village Chinese Restaurant here in Seattle, where my friend Jenny bartends. It's a dive with a great bar and yummy food. On New Year's Eve, we started the night out here, and got some "Crispy Shrimp with Walnuts." You have to try it yourself to taste this. Check it!

Football Snackin'

2008-01-21T16:08:00.000-08:00

I love this combo! Utz "The Crab Chip" and Bitch wine. Chips were nice and salty (of course) and the wine very easy and mild, yet still flavorful.

The Worst Chocolate Bar I Have Ever Had

2008-01-19T14:36:00.001-08:00

Looks good, right? I loved the green and gold wrapper, the French name, the smallish size of the bar. Proof to never judge a chocolate bar by it's cover. This 65% cacao "chucuri bittersweet" chocolate bar from E. Guittard is hands down the most disappointing chocolate bar I have ever had. I would take a Hershey bar over this thing any day. It didn't even taste like chocolate! It's extremely sweet, like those low-grade holiday chocolates from Palmer like "Bunny Munny" and "Monster Munny." I'd rather have a handful of Monster Munny over one of these bars! I had to really swish it around in my mouth to try and get any chocolate flavor at all, and it left a really bad, fake taste in my mouth even though there aren't any fake ingredients.

I was shocked at first, not really believing it tasted so bad. I put it back in my desk drawer at work, thinking maybe it was mingling with the taste in my mouth from lunch and so I was not getting the true flavor. But oh no. The next day I had another piece all by itself and it was still crappy. I was further surprised because I had recently made cookies with E. Guittard semisweet chocolate chips and they were great.

This unfortunate experience totally ruined my afternoon chocolate break, and made me feel guilty for cheating on my favorite chocolate bar, the Lindt Excellence 85% Cocoa. Never again shall I forsake thee!

Christmas Spice Cake

2008-01-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

My mom made this yummy spice cake for Christmas.

Shrimp with Indian Spiced Potatoes

2007-12-12T16:38:00.001-08:00

Here we have the shrimp and potatoes brigade reporting for duty. The two with shrimp were for me, the one without shrimp was for G (he's vegetarian). Another yummy, easy recipe. It calls for 2 one-pound bags of the potatoes, but unless you are planning on feeding eight people, only use one bag and just under a pound of shrimp. It says four servings, but I got four servings out of using one bag of potatoes! I think that's a misprint. I mean, you can't season two bags of shredded potatoes with only one Tablespoon of curry. You won't taste anything! I used the one Tablespoon with one bag it seemed just right.

Penne with Pea Pesto

2007-12-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

Wondering what to do with that rock-solid bag of peas stuffed in the back of your freezer? Try penne with pea pesto! This was so easy and quick to make, and very delicious.

Drying Tupperware

2007-12-12T16:33:00.001-08:00

Hot Lunch Bookshelf

2007-12-09T05:15:00.000-08:00

Books are Fun came to my office last week and I picked up a copy of Classic Rachel Ray 30-Minute Meals. I find Rachel Ray to be thoroughly annoying, but I have to admit her recipes can be very easy and good, so I was glad to find this book for half-off because I was most likely never going to buy anything by her at full price! For some reason they are really try to get rid of this book - the list price is even marked down on Amazon.

Not sure why it's in the mark-down bin - it's a pretty good cookbook! It's loaded with recipes - sometimes two on a page. I've tried the Veggie Lo-Mein and the Sesame Noodles, and both were really easy and tasty. If you are looking for a cheap gift for Christmas or a basic all-purpose cookbook for yourself, I recommend getting a copy of this (just try to ignore the "Yum-O" T-shirt).

Brownie Thins

2007-12-09T05:13:00.000-08:00

I haven't made these brownie thins, but they sound really good!

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

2007-11-19T19:30:00.000-08:00

I tossed this recipe together in 5 minutes plus frying time! It's a combo of this recipe and this one (I didn't have any salsa, and I like lots of spice). Yum yum! I took a picture, but you can imagine what a black bean burger looks like, right?

Trolley Snacks

2007-11-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

Sign at one of the T stops on the Green Line in Boston. S said it was one of the oldest T stops, but I forget which one...maybe Lechemere?

On Plastic Bags

2007-11-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

When faced with the "paper or plastic?" question at the grocery store, I take plastic. Why? Because I use plastic bags from the grocery store as my garbage bags at home. That way I don't have to buy boxes of garbage bags. It's great that you can get paper bags at the grocery store...but then don't you just have to buy plastic garbage bags for your garbage? Maybe we could save the trees used to make paper bags by all using plastic grocery bags for garbage bags. Yes, they are small and you'd have to take the garbage out more, but I haven't found it to be so much of a hassle. I guess I'd just like to counter the cresting anti-plastic grocery store bag movement with idea that they can also be used as garbage bags, hence saving trees in the process by not getting paper bags at the grocery store.

As a side note, according to the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation website, Rhode Island is the only state with a plastic bag and plastic film recycling program. That's kinda cool.

Happy Ketchup

2007-11-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

Smiley-face ketchup from Johnny Rockets in the Providence Place Mall.

(The french fries sucked).

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-11-11T16:52:00.000-08:00

Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside - these are delicious! I used this recipe from Food Network. I used Guittard chocolate chips for the first time - recommended. And if you love to eat cookie dough, this recipe is for you! I must have eaten at least a half a cup of the stuff, trying not to think of my pilates class from this morning evaporating with every bite.

Easy recipe, low commitment, and high reward. This one's a keeper!

Where is the Spinach in Providence?

2007-10-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

I've checked both Whole Foods and Eastside Market, and none of them have whole heads of spinach!! They have bins or bags of baby spinach, but no whole bunches. What is going on? Is there a spinach shortage? My favorite salad is shredded whole spinach with a little bit of parm and vinaigrette, and I haven't had one in nearly a month - usually I eat three or four of these a week. The horror! I have one last hope: the Stop 'N Shop in Rumford on the way to work. Keep your fingers crossed!

100 Mile Diet

2007-10-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

I just finished the book that started the movement of the 100 Mile Diet. The book is Plenty by James MacKinnon and Alisa Smith. These two live in Vancouver, BC, which is just about 100 miles north of Seattle, and true to their pledge, they spent exactly one year eating only foods from within a 100 miles radius of Vancouver. The farmer's market was a main source of local foods, and luckily seafood was close by, much like in Seattle. They gave up olive oil, lemons, pepper, and avocadoes. They even gave up wheat for 6 months until they found a farm on Vancouver Island that was growing it. They ate a lot of potatoes, local eggs, chicken, butter, and cheese. Vancouver has some great wines nearby, but they did have to give up beer, since barley and hops were foreign substances. They did a lot of canning which produced jam, tomatoes, and sauerkraut. The nice thing about the web site is that it will draw a 100 mile radius around your zip code. Unfortunately, it almost seems like the rest will be up to me. I don't know where to get local wheat, nuts, etc. And unfortunately, if I tried to start this strict diet now, it would pretty much be the wrong season. I'm not prepared for winter! Nevertheless, it was a good read (if you can ignore the relationship gobbeldy gook they include) and got me thinking of the ways I can better eat locally. Now I have to learn to give up Tader Joe's!

Take-Out Art

2007-10-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

The waiter at Fez drew this on my take-out container. Cute!

Orzo with Brown Butter and Cinnamon

2007-10-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

Not much to look at, but boy is this flavorful! The cinnamon is subtle enough to not make this taste like a dessert - it's just a nice, unexpected flavor with the butter and black pepper. A new comfort food is born! Recipe here.

Browning the butter.

Hummus

2007-10-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hummus with parsley oil and toasted chickpeas, from this recipe. I don't have a food processor so I used a blender, which didn't really work. It came out a bit chunky, but it was still good. The parsley oil and toasted pine nuts are a nice touch, although the pine nuts will get soggy after a day or two in the fridge.

Hummus snack plate with cheese, bread, and red wine (not pictured - it's probably in my hand). I still have a big can of tahini in the fridge, so another batch of this stuff will be on the way at some point.

Sparkling Sparkling

2007-10-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

Just had to point out that this is exactly what I wrote about a few months ago, when I was trying to figure out how to drink sparkling water without filling landfills with plastic bottles. I think I should be writing for the New York Times.

On Eggs, Etc.

2007-10-08T19:04:00.001-07:00

I bought my first carton of truly Organic Free Range eggs today. I had been buying the Free Range Eggs at Trader Joe's, and felt ok about it, but then I read The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. It was really a wonderful book, one of the first books in years that I literally couldn't put down. I learned that Free Range eggs aren't really free range; rather, they have "access" to the outdoors for the last two weeks of their lives via a small door that they wouldn't think to open. In general, egg-laying hens are the domesitcated animal that is really treated the worst. They are in a cramped cage their whole short lives, and they often rub their chests up against the cage until they bleed. Mr. Pollan is not a vegetarian, but he grapples with the idea throughout his journey exploring where our food comes from, and how it can be sustainable. His account of his week on a sustainable farm in Virginia is the best part of the book. Through his experiences, he points out that in nature things grow and die and feed themselves, and there is no such thing as waste. Polyface Farm has the same theory of farming. By using plants and animals in a harmonious and symbiotic way, the farm has almost no expenses, and huge profits. The cows eat the grass, then leave behind manure. After 2 days, the hens are brought in to eat the fly larvae in the patties, which makes them very happy, and creates strong, protein-filled eggs. The pigs, cows, chickens, and rabbits rotate the land and keep it alive. And they are allowed to be pigs, cows, chickens, and rabbits, until the end. It was pretty cool.

What I got from reading the book was that I will now be buying eggs for $3.29 a carton. And, I need to find a farm in Washington state like Polyface if I'm ever going to eat meat.

Pumpkin Polenta with Tofu

2007-10-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

When I saw this recipe in Edible Rhody, I got very excited. I had never used pumpkin in anything but a dessert, so I was excited to try it in a main course. The original recipe called for chorizo, but I replaced it with tofu. I did, however, buy some Niman Ranch chorizo to cook separately. I also used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Also, I only used about a cup and a half of the pumpkin, not the whole can (the recipe I'm linking to is slightly different than the one in Edible Rhody, which says it is adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe, probably this one).

The manchego cheese is a wonderful, creamy addition to the polenta. I had never eaten manchego before, and now I love it!

I made the tofu, onion, and bean mixture ahead of time, then when I was ready to eat I made the polenta so it would be fresh. The polenta seems to be keeping well in the fridge, though. I had some this afternoon with some of the chorizo. I had never had chorizo before either, and the spiciness really completed the mellow pumpkin. I will use some red pepper flakes in the tofu version the next time I make it.

Another wonderful fall meal. Highly recommended!

Biscuits

2007-10-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Got this biscuit recipe from the November 2007 "Food and Wine." It was included with this tiny article called "Perfecting Biscuits".

This was the first time I made homemade biscuits, and they came out really good! This recipe was really easy, and the biscuits were super buttery, hence very delicious!

Mmmm...flakey!

Perfect Fall Dinner

2007-10-06T16:39:00.001-07:00

George whipped up this very white, very delicious creation last night totally off the cuff. I forget exactly how he made it, but he roasted some red bliss potatoes with onions and tofu, seasoned with salt, black pepper and thyme, and rosemary. He roasted some garlic as an accompaniment, which is what knocked this dish off the charts. Spreading the smooth, creamy, mellow garlic all over the tofu and and potatoes was so incredibly delicious! He is so good at cooking spontaneously; I always need a recipe. I am so impressed by people who cook like this.

My beverage for this meal was a Weyerbacher "Imperial Pumpkin Ale" from Weyerbacher Brewing Company in Easton, PA. Pumpkin ale is like liquid autumn, and this spicy, caramel-y brew did not disappoint.

For desert, pumpkin ice cream from The Daily Scoop in Barrington, RI and Archway "Windmill" cookies, an obvious riff on the Dutch spiced cookie called "speculaas".

The best meal I've had in ages!

Just Because You're On A Farm, You Don't Have to Look Frumpy

2007-10-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

That's what Elizabeth Hurley said today when she was in Seattle for a benefit for breast cancer at Nordstrom. She chatted with the Seattle Post Intelligencer for 10 minutes, mostly about her 400 acre organic farm north of London. "We're certified organic," she says about the farm she owns with her new husband Arun Nayar, and they have started selling eggs and free range meat. She's given up acting for now, she says, to farm and raise her kids. I think she might win a contest for the hottest organic farmer.

BTW, in totally non food related news, here's a blog about Liz's wedding including a video of massive paparazzi hysteria out front, and pictures of her not so attractive husband.

Metropolitan Home Magazine

2007-10-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

I picked up the new issue of Metropolitan Home to get some ideas for renovating our condo, and lo and behold, they have an entire food section! This issue's spread is Sundays in Provence. Gorgeous photos of food, table settings and the French countryside, plus 8 recipes. I might have to subscribe!

Pasta with Chickpea Tomato Sauce

2007-10-02T18:22:00.001-07:00

Broccoli and pasta with a chickpea and tomato sauce, sprinkled with fresh parmigiano-reggiano. I made this for dinner tonight for G and I. I made sure and used ample olive oil and a hefty pat of butter for the sauce. Boy, have I missed cooking with butter! I can't believe all the flavor I have been missing out on all these years!

Toast

2007-10-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

This is probably the most perfect-looking toast I have ever made. The bread is pullman bread that my mom got for me at the farm stand near her house; they got it from Jessica's in Woburn, Ma. It not only looks good, it tasted good too! This is definitely on the menu for tomorrow morning!

Sunday Omelet

2007-09-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

G has really perfected the art of making an omelet. This is easily his best one yet. A little bit of shredded cheese and oregano, cooked in butter, and washed down with some chocolate soy milk. So good!

The Best M&M Cookie in the World!

2007-09-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

Behold, the best M&M cookie in the world. It hails from Carlo's City Hall Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Easily measuring almost 5" across, they are always perfectly soft and moist and chewy, the M&M's slightly melty but still solid enough that you can actually bite one. Look at how the M&M's float on top! Magic! There are also chocolate chunks baked inside. Seriously, the best M&M cookie ever!

What I've Been Eating Lately

2007-09-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

I've been eating a lot of figs lately. Very yummy.

Also burritos, mostly from Taco Del Mar.

And I made some pizza the other day.

Lots of cheese sandwiches for lunch as usual.

Favorite happy hour in Seattle is Matador. Amazing fish tacos there.

Not very exciting. I will try to be more creative this fall and eat a better variety.

Biscuits de Montreal

2007-09-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

I forgot I took this picture in a grocery store in Montreal back in May. I love "No Name"/"Sans Nom" as a brand name, and the amusingly generic "MMM Creme."

I love maple creme cookies!

Take-Out Dinner #1

2007-09-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

And the week-long take-out marathon begins. Falafel sandwich and sauteed garlic shrimp from Mazzat. Not sure if the sandwich half that I didn't eat will make it to lunch tomorrow or get consumed before bed. Stay tuned for the riveting conclusion.

Trick or Treat!

2007-09-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

I want to be a go-go dancing candy corn for Halloween!

Candy Corn Kisses

2007-09-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

At first I was really excited about these Hershey Candy Corn Kisses, but the more I thought about them, the less excited I became.

Candy Blog doesn't like them, and that cross-section doesn't look too promising: looks super sugary and waxy. She likens them to the buttered popcorn flavored Jelly Belly's, which I don't like, so I probably wouldn't like these either.

But what I realized what bothered me most about these are the shape. I love the classic little triangle shape of candy corns - that's what makes them so cute! The Hershey Kiss-ization of the candy corn is total blasphemy!

Anti-Raid Lunch

2007-09-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Spinach salad with carrots, chickpeas, tofu and oil and vinegar from Chop Chop, a deli/salad bar on Smith St. in Brooklyn. And to wash it down a Naked Blueberry/Pomegranate juice, the antioxidants of which I am hoping will counteract the cloud of Raid I sprayed to kill a waterbug in my kitchen today. God those things are monsters! Yuck!!

Snack Truck

2007-09-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Rocky Sullivan's Tap Room

2007-09-21T05:16:00.001-07:00

G and I popped into Rocky Sullivan's Tap Room in Red Hook over Labor Day weekend for a beer and some bar pie. Looks like a movie set, doesn't it?

The pie was good, but I was bummed that they only had dregs left of their Sixpoint Sweet Action ale, especially since the Sixpoint brewery is in the same building! Oh well. It was Labor Day weekend, afterall. You get what you get!

This is a neat, out of the way, neighborhood-y place and if I wasn't moving next week I would definitely be making my way back here.

Snack

2007-09-21T04:10:00.000-07:00

Strawberries, bananas, and almonds with two dollops of plain, whole milk yogurt. Sounds boring, but it was actually quite good! I'm so used to sugary, flavored yogurt that tasting real yogurt for a change has me enthralled. I'm obsessed with plain, whole-milk yogurt! That cream on top is amazing!

I will probably be eating a lot of this in the coming week since I'm packing all my cooking gear for my move next week.

Beware! Tropicana "Light 'N Healthy" Orange Juice!

2007-09-18T14:49:00.001-07:00

Don't you hate it when you grab something at the grocery store and don't read the package closely enough and you end up with something you didn't want, like fat-free Oreos or something equally as gross? Well, that's what happened to G and I when we accidentally bought a cartoon of the hideous Tropicana "Light 'N Healthy" orange juice. But calling it "juice" is a bit of a stretch, because guess what? This substance is only 42% juice! It's not even HALF juice! What the hell is this crap? Oh, it's a "light orange juice beverage:"

The word "beverage" is a total red flag - you know you are getting some kind of mystery liquid when the manufacturers use this vague description on their product. But unfortunately I had to find out the hard way, with my taste buds. I hadn't even swallowed my first (and only) sip when I grabbed the carton, knowing something was amiss. And I was right: it contains artificial sweetner! Splenda! I can detect that fake, chemical taste in even trace amounts.

Splenda is "light and healthy"? How about fattening and cancer-causing? The irony of marketing their brand of orange juice with the artificial sweetner as "healthy" is beyond mind boggling. It's just a way of pushing this crap on unsuspecting consumers! Slap the word "healthy" on it and they will buy!

I'd like to take this opportunity to make a plea to all my friends and loved ones who use artificial sweetner to STOP NOW! It's not good for you! A little bit of real sugar will always be better for you than using loads of the fake stuff. Try drinking your coffee black for a change with no sweetner at all ! Retrain your taste buds to actually taste the coffee and not a bunch of sweetner and milk! You'll be amazed at the flavor you've been missing!

To sum up: this juice is disgusting, artificial sweetner is disgusting and you should avoid both at all costs!

Steve's Key Lime Pies

2007-09-08T05:22:00.001-07:00

Finally made it over to Steve's Key Lime Pies in Red Hook. I love the idea of this place: a key lime pie bakery nestled in a corner of a giant warehouse on the outskirts of Brooklyn. Just another reason to love this neighborhood!

I was only able to finish half of my 4" pie, partly because I was stuffed from eating at the Red Hook ball fields, and partly because it was super sweet. My sweet tooth is hard to defeat, but this little bugger did it! It's such a cute, picture-perfect little pie though, and it was delicious. The limeade, which you see peeking out from the corner, was only so-so. Just tasted like lightly lime-flavored water - not much zing.

Dub Pie

2007-08-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

I got a curry vegetarian pie from Dub Pies the other day. I really wanted to like it (especially because the guy working there was very cute and had a New Zealand accent) but sadly, I did not like it. It was full of slimy yellow squash and zucchini, was too spicy, and just plain old looked like barf.

I guess since they are billed as "culturally iconic meat pies" you only get the full effect if you get...a meat pie. I certainly do not mind going back to give it another try!

Mobile Fried Chicken

2007-08-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

Truck parked on Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn.

Red Hook Ball Fields

2007-08-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

Finally made it over to the infamous Red Hook Ball Fields for some authentic Latino food. The Ball Fields have been a hot topic lately, as there was talk of the vendors' permit not being renewed. But looks like they are safe for now.

I definitely had to try one of these refreshing-looking fruit-ades, and opted for the bright red watermelon. Nothing but pureed watermelon! It wasn't bad, but I wish I had gotten the lemonade.

Here's the quesadilla I shared with A getting the works.

Et Voila! We ate it in the folded-up plate, and juice was just pouring out the back. Messy, but delicious!

Glad we shared, because that left room for some flautas (fried tacos). Although I found my appetite waning from the heat and only finished one. Good stuff. Wish I'd had room for the other one.

Pupusa stand.

Waiting in line under the tents. It was so hot under there, where all the cooking was going on.

Grilled corn.

Fruit for desert. A got a baggie full of mango slices sprinkled with cayenne pepper.

New Cookbook Stores

2007-08-06T09:03:00.001-07:00

As reported in Publisher's Weekly, two new cookbook stores are opening in New England:

Rabelais in Portland, Maine

and

Stir in Boston, MA.

Stir is actually a "cookbook library," so I guess you can't buy the books.

Buffalo Mozzarella

2007-08-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

Kerry: buffalo mozzarella IS made from buffalo milk! Water buffalo milk, to be exact. According to this article, the buffalo mozzarella available in the U.S. is mainly a mixture of cow and water buffalo milk. G was right after all!

Blueberry Pancakes

2007-08-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

Sweet blueberry pancakes! I was feeling crummy this morning, until I remembered my fresh NJ blueberries in the fridge, and my pancake mix in the cupboard. Now I'm feeling much better!

With pancakes now on the brain, I can't help but think of the Pannenkoekenboot, or "Pancake Boat," I read about on Serious Eats. A boat ride around a city in the Netherlands plus all you can eat pancakes? Don't ask twice! Not only do they serve all-you-can-eat pancakes, but they offer ice cream sundaes for dessert. Dessert?! After pancakes?! Well, this is a country that eats chocolate sprinkle sandwiches, afterall. I like how these NL'ers think!

For more pancake photos, check out the Pancakes and Waffles group on Flickr.

Corn Season!

2007-08-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

Sweet Jersey corn, fresh from the Borough Hall farmer's market in Brooklyn.

Szechuan Tofu

2007-08-04T09:38:00.001-07:00

Mmm Mmm. This is the second vat of Szechuan tofu I've made this week. Recipe is from Tofu 1-2-3. The sauce calls for two tablespoons of maple syrup, but I thought that made it too sweet, so I only used one this time. It also called for hot sauce along with red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper, but I left out the sauce since I don't like my food too fiery. This is good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had it for breakfast at work the other day and I felt super energized.

More On Water

2007-08-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

More fodder for drinking water from the tap from NY Times editorial. Tap water in the U.S. is clean, sugar-free, and zero calories! And it saves the planet from all those plastic bottles!

In related news, research is mounting on the risks associated with eating or drinking anything out of plastic in the first place. Something about synthetic estrogens which mimic sex hormones seeping into foods from hard and soft plastics, whether they are cold, heated, or at room temperature. Here's some info on that. My girlfriend was urging me to drink out of stainless steel bottles only. So I bought a cute little stainless steel bottle a the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Scuplture Park gift shop (they have really cool stuff there!). It's working ok, but it took somewhat of a mental shift to leave my Nalgene behind at home. She was always there for me. Now I've moved on...

Croque Madame...sort of

2007-07-15T15:55:00.001-07:00

Here we have my first ever attempt at frying an egg. Looks aren't everything, right?

Well, it certainly tasted good folded up on a grilled cheese! I didn't have any ham, hence it not quite attaining Croque Madame status. I only had Swiss cheese and parmesan on hand too - swiss does not melt too well and doesn't make for a good grilled cheese. But I'd be hard pressed to find a concoction of bread, eggs, cheese and butter that I didn't like! Washed down with a glass of mintade...yum. And now I can't cool off after standing in front of two hot frying pans, darnit!

Mintade

2007-07-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the June 2007 Gourmet that a woman named Suzan Mah (Toronto) included in a letter to the magazine: 3 cups cold water, 2 cups fresh OJ, 1 cup fresh pink grapefruit juice, 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves (torn), and 1/2 cup sugar (or to taste). Just mix it all up and chill! I did not use a 1/2 cup sugar, probably closer to a 1/4 cup, and I forgot to tear the mint leaves (duh) so I didn't get too much mint flavor - only a hint. And I had to mix it up in a vase because I didn't have a pitcher that was big enough!

Ready to drink, with a splash of blueberry vodka. Delicious!

One-Eyed Salmon Burgers with Pepper Relish

2007-07-15T04:25:00.001-07:00

The "one-eyed" comes from the fact I made this while recovering from my PRK surgery in my left eye. I learned the hard way NOT to chop onions one day after having PRK! I thought the protective contact they put on my eye would have, well, protected my eye from the onion like my normal contacts do, but it didn't. Boy did it not! My eye has never hurt and watered so much from an onion I thought I had totally ruined my surgery. I managed to recover from the onion and finish the dish, and I'm glad I did.

The pepper relish is from At Home with Magnolia. It is so easy and delicious I know I am going to be making this to put on all sorts of things. I simply chopped up one red pepper, one yellow pepper, and one small onion in my Cuisinart mini-prep and cooked it all in one tablespoon of unsalted butter and one tablespoon of olive oil for a half hour, then added salt pepper to taste. The recipe called for a Vidalia onion, but I used a regular onion and I'm glad I did because the relish was sweet enough without it. Next time I will also throw in an orange pepper, for variety and also for a larger yield, as it didn't make very much.

Svedka Espresso Beans

2007-07-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

G got this little sampler pack thing at a liquor store. It was about the size of a pat of butter. In case you can't read it it says: Add both Svedkatini espresso beans to 3oz. of chilled Svedka vodka. Wait one minute. Stir. Wow. The ingredients are espresso beans and natural and artificial flavor.

The package contained three, not two, shriveled up espresso beans, which released an odiferous chemical funk that immediately filled the entire kitchen, causing G and I to feel sick and immediately toss them in the garbage and take the garbage out. Flavormatic Industries needs to head back to the drawing board with this one. YUCK!!

Frozen Mosaic

2007-07-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

I tried my hand at this frozen mango, blackberry cassis, and vanilla mosaic from the new issue of Gourmet. Couldn't find mango sorbet, so used peach, and didn't have any creme de cassis so I used a couple splashes of pomegranate juice.

So delicious, and cool to look at! I was totally captivated by the picture in Gourmet. I knew it wasn't going to look anything like the pic, but I'm happy with how it came out.

I didn't use all the blackberry puree, but definitely will next time I make it. And I didn't use two pints of sorbet, only one, and it still made a generous-sized loaf. Isn't a pint more than two cups, anyway? Sure seemed like it. This was very easy and fun to make. Recommended!

4th of July Brownie Cake

2007-07-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

My mom made this awesome brownie shortcake for 4th of July. Wouldn't mind one of these sitting around the house next time I visit (hint hint!).

Hamburger Cake

2007-07-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hamburger cake at Hanneford in Manchester, NH.

Farm Bill Info

2007-07-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

To add to Kerry's post below, you can find more info, and get updates on, the Farm Bill at Farm and Food Policy Project, and you can send a letter to your Senator regarding the Farm Bill through HealthyFarmBill.org.

(I just found these links in the new issue of Edible Rhody, which is part of the Edible Communities family of publications, which also includes Edible Brooklyn, Edible Seattle, and Edible Boston. They are really cool, high quality, and informative little mags, and they are free!)

Farm Subsidy Update

2007-07-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

OK, I know I get strangely excited about these things, but you may remember my previous post complaining about the evils of the Farm Subsidy Bill that supports farmers of wheat, soy, rice and corn. Well, the NY Times reports this is the first year that activists are facing off with lobbyists to make some changes. These changes would help small farmers, make fruits and vegetables more affordable, end fixed subsidies to large farms when they produce nothing, and reward those who participate in responsible farming. All those high calorie, low cost snacks made from wheat, corn oil, and high fructose corn syrup are the result of subsidies for crop farmers who needed help during the Great Depression. The snacks have contributed to the obesity epidemic in this country. What's more, billions continue to be handed out to farmers even if they don't produce any crops, and often when they are dead! Oops! The new changes would help create a better market for all fruits and vegetables and help stop this unhealthy trend. Now let's see if congress will listen to reason and not just money from the industry lobbyists.

Reading...

2007-07-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of this book, What to Eat, by Marion Nestle. I had to return it to the Seattle Public Library, but I decided to buy it from amazon since it's so good. It completely sucked me in once I started it. Very knowledgeable Nutrition Professor Marion Nestle takes you through the supermarket product by product and has stories about how the food industry attempts to mess with your mind. Think there's a friendly company out there that innocently just wants you to buy their food? No way. Full of facts like this one: countries with lower rates of osteopearosis generally do not consume milk. Yet the dairy industry makes you think milk is the best source of calcium. Folks in these countries are likely to get their calcium from vegetables. Look at cows. After they stop drinking their mothers' milk, they eat mostly grass, not milk. But they are able to have strong bones and support that large frame. The message so far: eat organic, eat local, mostly plants, and nothing you can't pronounce.

Rent Jacques Pepin's Condo!!

2007-06-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

This is unreal.

Jacques Pepin's condo in Playa del Carmen, Mexico is available for rent!!!

Check out this view from the terrace swimming pool!

And of course...the kitchen...

This place looks absolutely amazing. Sign me up!!! I'd probably have to rent it with 50 people to afford it!

What Do You Eat in a Week?

2007-06-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting perspective into what a typical family consumes in one week - in select locations throughout the globe. I'm embarrassed by the family from North Carolina, the one American representation. It would be cool to look at a week's worth of food just from various parts of the U.S. I'm pretty sure people in New York, Seattle, and San Francisco, for instance, eat radically differently than our fellow citizens down in N.C. Makes you think...

Virginia Is Not For Beersicles

2007-06-28T06:36:00.001-07:00

"Beersicles" found to be in violation of a Virginia state law requiring beer to be sold in its original container or immediately after it is poured.

Maybe switching to vodka pops would be legal!

Hot Weather Dinner

2007-06-27T18:25:00.001-07:00

Too hot to cook. I'd probably burst into flames if I even tried to turn on the stove.

My new favorite too-hot-to-cook food is eating cold tofu pups right out of the package. I ate two of those, a small spinach salad, and a bowl of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries from the Union Square greenmarket. Those greenmarket strawberries are just killer! I cannot get enough. I'm very grateful to my roommate, who works right near the greenmarket, for keeping a steady supply in the fridge! And to top it off, a small handful of almonds.

I'm so glad my boss is taking us out for lunch tomorrow - I can't even think of trying to preparing something to bring for lunch tomorrow!

Currently Reading

Heat

Currently Lusting For:

Chocolate and Zucchini

Morning Food

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

3 Musketeers

2007-06-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

My co-worker brought in a box of fundraising candy bars today for her son's class trip to a water park, and for whatever reason the urge for a 3 Musketeers bar hit me. It has far less fat than a bag of peanut M&Ms, my usual go-to fundraiser indulgence, so I dug in. Man, I just have to say, this is a damn good candy bar! And now they have dark chocolate mint 3 Muskeeters. Definitely need to try one of those!

(I love this old wrapper!)

"Under the Sea" Jell-O Salad

2007-06-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

Behold: Eric's mom's "Under the Sea" Jell-O salad! Eric has promised to provide some background in the comments, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, check out Jello's "Patriotic Layers". Ha! For whatever reason, this immediately made me think of the Terror Alert Chart. A terror-alert chart in Jell-O. I love it!! Somebody do it!