Did You Know...?

...if you crush up Multigrain Wheat Thins with your mortar and pestle (what you don't own one?!?! Shocking!! Okay, well then use whatever you have neanderthal), that the pieces make a really amazing salad topping.

Very tasty with Trader Joe's Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Lesson Learned

Apparently even after a year of searching for my glasses which were packed in a box in our spare room, I still need glasses. Went to Trader Joe's, picked up some dried cranberries, worked out this morning (still working on my love/hate relationship with Jillian Michaels as well), went to open up said cranberries for a post-suicidal attempt snack and discovered the single most disgusting thing that has ever been placed on any grocery store shelf: orange flavored dried cranberries. They are so overly sweet and way overly flavored that I ate two little cranberries and almost upchucked. Needless to say, I will be paying WAYYYYYYYYY more attention next time I go in to buy my favorite snack.

Orange flavored crap: 1

Me: 0

PS Anyone else ever buy anything and then get home only to discover a) you too need a new pair of glasses because you bought the wrong thing or b) you bought the correct item only to be scarred by it horrifyingness?

Monday, Tuesday, Happy Days

So since I've been ridiculouslyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy bored at work and home for the past couple of days, I thought I'd do an update on how Salad Week is going.

Salad Week is, so far, the highlight of 2011. I sometimes forget that eating food that's (for the most part) good for you, makes you feel as if you can conquer that marathon. Or at least take the girls for a nice long walk.

I kicked the week off by making the dressing from this recipe on Sunday night (am I a planner or what?). I didn't really adapt the recipe in any way, shape or form, except that instead of spinach I used mixed green from TJ's and added Gorgonzola cheese (my 2nd fave after Feta). This was probably hands down the best salad I've ever eaten. Was tempted to drink the leftover liquid out of the bowl but refrained because I didn't want to scare the children.

Just soooooooooo good.

Today I made something I've never had before, ever. Not even sure why I thought it sounded good. Still made it. That's right, I'm talking about Chicken Salad. I realize that it's just like tuna but with chicken but I still looked up a recipe. Previous attempts at unabashed domesticity have taught me 'tis better to have play by someone else's rules than end up with food poisoning. I did get a little brave and have it on mixed greens instead of bread (except for the second helping, in which I just straight up devoured it).

Food stylist I am not, but it tasted good.

So now that I am sufficiently full, I think I'll go partake in some physical act. By myself. Or maybe with a dog. Or two.

Food Friday...Kind of

**So obviously it's not Friday but after I underwent internal combustion on Friday, I had to put off this post. I needed to lay in my recliner with my remote in one hand and my pants unbuttoned. In other words, I needed to be a man. A woman would have come home, poured herself a cocktail and finished Panini Week off strong. I chose another path. Don't judge me. Instead, please proceed to our normally scheduled post.**

 Since I used some of our Christmas money to buy the George Foreman, I've been meaning to try paninis on it. I should say try again, as the first time I tried, I used normal slices of wheat bread which were crushed under the weight of the lid. Note to self: use more substantial bread. Hence, the induction of Panini Week.

Monday: Grilled Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!!!!!!!!!!

  So to kick off Panini Week, I relied on an old standby-the grilled cheese. Now if it wasn't for my toaster oven, I would've given up on standard grilled cheese a long time ago. I don't think I was meant to cook in a pan; it just ends with pizza being ordered and endless scrubbing of aforementioned pan. To make a grilled cheese sandwich now, I put American cheese between two slices of bread and stick it in the toaster oven until the cheese is melted. What would the UDG be without her appliances?? (most likely just UD)
   For my grilled cheese, I used Pepperjack and Cheddar Cheese Sourdough purchased at the From The Hearth Bakery Cafe stall at our Farmer's Market (which is wonderful slathered with cream cheese! not just for bagels people!). The all important cheese portion was a mixture of shredded mozzarella and thinly sliced sharp cheddar (once you go sharp...never mind). I buttered the outside of the bread with, uh, butter and the inside I layered on Best Foods mayo (that's Hellman's to those of you East of the Rockies). The real stuff. No imitators allowed in the UDG casa. Topped it off with a salad drizzled with GODDESS DRESSING!! and popcorn. Yes popcorn.

Next time I'll leave off the butter as the sandwich as a whole got mushy in the center instead of nice and crisp. 

Tuesday: Turkey Panini w/ Mozzarella Cheese

  For my turkey panini, I used sourdough bread from Trader Joe's. Not a super impressive bread but it did have HUGE slices, which is great for sandwich making. No butter on the outside but did lay on the mayo. Paired it with some pineapple slices and my staple salad and this was a delicious dinner.

Fresh off the press w/ ice cold pineapple

Take a look at all the goo....food porn at it's best...

Wednesday: Mexican Panini

  So putting this post up late was actually my second epic pail. My first epic fail was when I ran out of momentum on Wednesday and made a Mexican Panini aka Quesadilla. And this wasn't even like, a fun quesadilla. I grated some cheese, put it between two tortillas and threw it on the press. Melted cheese everywhere. Still haven't cleaned up from it. Should probably be more ashamed, but I'm not. Topped it off with some sour cream and called it good.

Epic Fail #1 (but it was so tasty!)

After Wednesday, it was just all downhill. Thursday I ate with the Binky's (kickin' chicken taco salad) and Friday sucked so bad I treated myself to baby Panda's...no I didn't, I got take out from Panda Express (that's how rumors get started. 

Ultimately, I learned that when making a commitment to eating something for an entire week, it's best to have a menu laid out. These were probably the most boring paninis ever made and it was all due to poor planning on my part. Here's hoping Salad Week goes better.

Once You Sea Salt & Pepper Crisp You Never Go Back...

My newest addiction. Am totally going to need therapy to recover from this one.

Food Friday

So apparently I'm incapable of saving a picture on my phone (my ineptitude astounds even me sometimes), so I have no physical evidence of the Ham-to-put-all-other-hams-to-shame. It was edible and super tender but I think I can do better. Testing this theory will have to wait until next year, though, because ham is $&#&%R^ expensive.

Since the Ham-to-put-all-other-hams-to-shame was the only bit of epicurean anything I've done this week, I thought I'd share a video of something completely unrelated. One of my coworkers got me a huge singing balloon for my birthday and Melodie was not quite sure how to feel about the floating monstrosity. Actually, she had quite a bit to say about it.

Ah puppy.

Next Friday: Panini Week! Bought some amazing sourdough bread from Trader Joe's in anticipation.

Food Friday

Well I gotta a whole lotta nothing for you today. Dinners this week were courtesy of friends who took pity on the lonely UDG or a half pound of sunflower seeds (the entire tip of my tongue has been rubbed raw due to salt consumption, not to mention I'm retaining an extra fifteen pounds in water; no really it's water). Today's lunch was brought to me courtesy of the frozen section at Trader Joe's. How purely unimaginative. Hopefully I'll make up for it Sunday, when I bust out "The Ham to Put All Other Hams to Shame." It will be epic.

This smells as delicious as it looks.

Trying to alter the chemical addiction introduced by my pimp aka Husband

UDG

Food Friday

**I need to preface this edition of Food Friday by saying that most of this food was consumed post-workinducedseparation. Since Husband has been away, I haven't cooked myself a single meal that involved more than one pot.

This was the very first meal I ever made without a plan. I knew what I had on hand and every recipe I could find called for things I didn't have, so I said "Screw you recipe fascists!" and came up with my own delicious meal for Meatless Monday. IT WAS SOOOOOOOOO GOOD! If anyone would like the recipe, please let me know.

Spinach tortellini yumminess w/ homemade cheddar biscuits (tip: when cooking w/ cheddar use sharp or extra sharp, otherwise you lose that amazing flavor).

First time I used my broiler! (Lessons learned: use more cheese and do not attempt to watch reruns of Two and a Half Men at the same). 

MY NEW ALL TIME FAVORITE LOVE!! 

Since Husband has been gone, I have eaten two salads a day exactly like this, w/ nothing but romaine lettuce, feta cheese (from hormone free cows of course) and GODDESS DRESSING!! I sit at my desk and count down the hours, minutes, seconds until I can have my next tasty bite of Goddess dressing. There hasn't been this much excitement in my mouth since this.

Since I'm limited in my meat selection, I was super excited to pick this up and try it and wasn't too disappointed except that I think next time I won't make it in my toaster oven. Just didn't get hot hot in the middle like I would have liked (which is a bummer because I LOVE my toaster oven).

But even in the midst of all this delicious food, tragedy has struck. I'VE RUN OUT OF GODDESS DRESSING!!! I just slathered on the last tasty drops on today's lunch salad. Now I'm slowly beginning to understand why the girl I saw in Trader Joe's had (I kid you not) eight bottles of the stuff in her cart. Lesson learned.

Ode to Trader Joe's

At lunch today, I discovered that we have nothing to eat (unless you can somehow count tortilla chips, milk, and stale corn flakes). So after work I skipped on over to Trader Joe's.

Now two years ago, you probably wouldn't have been able to pay me to go to Trader Joe's. There's just something about the atmosphere there. Probably doesn't help that there's NEVER a beater car in the parking lot. Reminds me of an organic Safeway. Once I actually did go in, driven my need to ingest meat other than chicken or pork, I discovered that, yes the store is indeed frequented by those who think way too highly of themselves.  All of this can be overlooked, though, because they have hormone free everything! Even the milk! For someone with a hormone sensitivity, this is edible heaven.

Mindful that I didn't have a ton of time to browse (my #3 favorite pastime of all time), I grabbed what I needed PLUS a couple extras and spent less than I did on a quarter tank of gas. Saweet.

Momma's little helper (as long as she stays out of the kitchen).

Beer brats!

DESSERT!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I'm spreading the word: I'm a Trader Joe's convert and I'm too full to be ashamed.

Full house

I swear my sink has a replication feature. Put one dish in, fifteen more pop up. Luckily I've managed to tame the beast and gain not only my sink back, but counter space as well.
Since I was sick and missed an entire week of work (which sent my poor bosses into panic mode), today is the first day things have felt like they were back to normal. I left work Friday completely caught up, so I can enjoy my weekend.

Today was full of errands. A trip to Tractor Supply Company for dog biscuits (normally I buy the assorted Old Mother Hubbard brand-3lbs for $9.99, but they were out, so today was their house brand assorted $4.99 for 5 lbs-I LOVE TSC!), Sears for tool batteries, Trader Joe's for nummy goodness, and Petsmart for Mandie's manicure (she goes once a month, I can't tell you the last time I had one). Oh and hamster supplies. Yes that's right I convinced the great love of my life to not only get a guinea pig (our beloved Bubbles) but I've also convinced him we need a hamster. We recently bought Bubbles a bigger cage (but still not quite big enough as GPs require a minimum of 7.5 feet), so the hamster cage that HH (handy hubby) built me is empty. Well not for long.

So we are soon to have quite the menagerie in our small apartment and I couldn't be happier. With the endless resources of the internet, I can't tell you how much I've learned about the care and wellbeing of our pets. From feeding the girls a species appropriate diet to being convicted of buying animal care products from local/American sources (which then led to the resolution to buy other things locally), I spend a lot of time on our pets. My head, which many will tell you was already full of trivia, is now leaking knowledge out the ears. Man I hope this doesn't mean I need therapy.

Finally Fall...

Drink of the day: 2 buck Chuck white zinfandel

Snack: Dried hybiscus flowers from Trader Joe's

Dinner: Cheese Lasagna

Scent: Midsummer's Night

Feeling of the day: Exhausted w/ a touch of thrilled that it's fall!