One Night to Search for Truth

CSA: A review of a summer of farm- fresh produce

2011-10-02T16:33:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the first CSA-free Saturday since a summer chock full of fresh fruits and vegetables began (with the exception of the sad, post-Irene Saturdays). So I figured today was a good day to review a summer of deliciousness before my fall/winter shares start up.

From week one...

...to the final week...

...the experience has been a mix of emotions, running the gamut from giddy to guilty to grateful. The first week's delivery of berries was a great kick off and left me excited for the coming weeks. Somewhere in the middle, after trashing almost every single item in a delivery, I was left feeling guilty and more annoyed that I had months left before I wouldn't have to worry about cooking all this food. By the end, I was so happy to get deliveries after a week of nothing that it finally hit me that this had been a great experience. I've made some great food along the way, too. From chocolate zucchini cake to corn chowder to roasted eggplant and caramelized onion pizza, we've definitely ate well this summer. And more than that, we've ate well without spending a ton of money. So here comes the moment of truth. You know, the one where I share that pesky price breakdown that proves how awesome the CSA is.

Price Breakdown

Week 1: $ 41.44
Week 2: $29.24
Week 3: $33.68
Week 4: $34.46
Week 5: $39.58
Week 6: $29.19
Week 7: $41.32
Week 8: $38.21
Week 9: $41.77
Week 10: $27.19
Week 11: $35.42
Week 12: $33.67
Week 13: $37.20
Week 14: $36.70
Week 15: $35.17
Week 16: $33.40
Week 17: $0 (Irene)
Week 18: $0 (Irene)
Week 19: $18.23
Week 20: $58.42 (double share)

Total price if bought at Harris Teeter: $ 644.29

Total CSA cost: $420.00
Total Saved: $224.29

Note: I priced my veggies by using the Harris Teeter Express Lane website, which allows you to shop for your groceries online. Whenever possible, I used the organic options, since my CSA follows organic practices.

All in all, I think the verdict is the same that I thought it would be way back at the beginning, when I assumed I'd get a lot of better quality veggies for cheaper if I signed up for a CSA. The only downsides were my failing, simply that I sometimes didn't have enough time to cook all that amazing food. I can't imagine what I would have done had I purchased a full delivery instead of the half deliveries. Hopefully, when I get to enjoy my fall/winter encore in a month I'll do better.

CSA Week 20: End of summer

2011-09-28T10:01:00.000-04:00

Well, my little experiment has finally ended. And I would say it's been a roaring success, with the exception of my occasional inability to cook all the food. That's my fault and it's something I'll have to start planning around since the fall share starts up in a month! That's right, I loved this so much that I went ahead and signed up for deliveries in November and December. I'm not sure what I'll do come January since I won't be getting my weekly dose of inspiration.

This week's delivery was actually a double delivery, meaning we got more than we normally would because she was making up for the post-Hurricane-Irene missed delivery. Remember that post saying it would be a loss for us? Yeah, just kidding about that. Anyway, here's this week's price breakdown. I'll be following up soon to share the season-long totals and some more reflections. I just have to find the time to put it all together!

Price Breakdown

1 head of cabbage: $6.27
1 watermelon: $7.99
1 pound of butter beans (that's what these crazy Southerners call lima beans): $3.58
2 acorn squash: $5.96
2 butternut squash: $7.45
2 cucumbers: $3.58
4 tomatoes: $7.98
6 red potatoes: $2.90
4 Granny Smith apples: $6.73
4 Red Delicious apples: $5.98

Total cost: : $58.42

Total savings: $16.42
(Out of $42, since this was a double delivery)

CSA Week 19: Fall in a bag

2011-09-18T16:24:00.003-04:00

Fall has finally arrived, and despite the watermelon hiding in this week's delivery, my CSA announced it with a bag of apples.

And just in time for me to make the apple pie I've been wanting to bake. =D

Price Breakdown

1 watermelon: $5.99
1 pound of green beans: $1.99
3 cucumbers: $5.37
4 red delicious apples: $3.98
4 granny smith apples: $6.73
8 red potatoes: $3.87

Total: $27.93

Total savings: $6.93

When inspiration hits

2011-09-17T15:15:00.000-04:00

It had been a while since I was inspired by the items in my CSA delivery. So it's seems odd that it took an onion to kick my inspiration back in gear. Specifically this onion:

Yes that's my CSA delivery from right before Hurricane Irene and, yes, that is a honking big onion, pulled right out of Suffolk's rich soil and brought to me by my favorite food fairy, Jan of Clayhill Farms. And it got me wanting to create something using only CSA items, or at least something that didn't require me to leave the house. And looking at my delivery, I suddenly lit upon the idea of mixing roasted eggplant and caramelized onion. I had never done either, but I figured it couldn't be that difficult. And then, after discovering leftover pasta sauce and two kinds of cheese, I knew I'd be making pizza.

Specifically roasted eggplant and caramelized onion pizza with feta and mozzarella. And it was so good, I figured I'd (finally) share the recipe with you.

Roasted eggplant and caramelized onion pizza

Makes enough topping for two pizzas
1 medium eggplant, skinned and cubed

2 tbsp. olive oil

sea salt

pepper

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp. honey

Pizza sauce (fresh or store bought)

Fresh pizza dough (you can make this or buy fresh dough at most grocery stores)

For the eggplant:

Skin and cut into cubes. Salt and leave covered on the counter or in the fridge for at least a half hour. This will draw out the juices, which can leave the eggplant bitter when cooked. (You can skip this step but if you have a more mature eggplant, you'll regret it.) Drain, rinse and pat dry.
Toss cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh rosemary, chopped. Scatter on a baking pan and roast in a 400 degree oven until browned.

For the caramelized onions:

Cut onion(s) in half and then slice into thin strips. You can go thicker, but I just wanted the onions to almost melt away so cut them as thinly (read safely) as a could.
Coat the bottom of a wide, deep saucepan with 1 tbsp. of butter per onion or a mixture of olive oil and butter (I only used one onion, so I just did at tablespoon of butter).
Add onions and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and 1 tsp. of honey (optional). Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes to an hour, or until the onions have reached your desired color, tenderness and taste. I only did 30 minutes.
Try to avoid stirring constantly. You need to butter/oil to brown but you don't want the onions to burn.

For the pizza:

Your oven should already be at 400 degrees, but if not, preheat it. Put your pizza stone in there to heat up while you assemble your pizza.
Roll out your dough using cornmeal to keep it from sticking to your paddle. Press out from the middle and fold over the outer rim to create a crust. You want this dough thinner so it crisps up enough to handle the toppings but also thick enough to handle the toppings. It's pretty much trial and error here folks.
Add sauce, mozzerella, eggplant, onions and feta.
Bake until the cheese is brown and to crust is crispy. Eat as is or drizzle with balsamic vinegar to cut through the rich earthiness of the roasted eggplant and carmelized onions.

Notes:

When I make pizza, I use a pizza stone preheated in the oven. I slide the pizza onto the stone with a pizza paddle. Don't have these items? Get them, STAT! Or add them to your Christmas list, as we did. Why? Because pizza stones make the best pizza. However, you can also just cook this on pan, round or square. You just have to shape the dough to fit the pan and be aware that it won't be as awesome as my pizza, though it will still be delicious.
Yes, these are a lot of steps and yes it took a lot of work for two pizzas. But they are amazing pizzas. Consider making one pizza and then using the leftover ingredients for a layered pasta dish on another day. The toppings will keep for a week or so in the fridge and can be used in many ways.
As I always say in pizza posts, customize away.

CSA Week 17/18: Recovering

2011-09-14T10:15:00.001-04:00

I know what you're thinking. Why wasn't there a CSA post last week? And it's simply because Hurricane Irene ruined the crops that were ready for delivery on week 17. And here we are, already four days into week 18 and I haven't posted about my CSA. And no, this time it's not because I didn't get a delivery. I did. It's just been a crazy couple of weeks and I haven't even managed to take a picture of my food (again). I suppose it's because the share was mildly disappointing. Or maybe it's the fact that I was just so happy to get a share that I cooked most of the delivery before I remembered to take a picture (again). But excuses aside, I have returned to offer a review of the last couple of CSA weeks.

Week 17 Price Breakdown

No delivery: $0

Total saved: $0

Total lost (here's a first): $21

Week 18 Price Breakdown

1 watermelon: $5.99
2 green peppers: $3.98
1 cabbage: $6.27
1 lb. of green beans: $1.99

Total cost: $18.23
Total lost: $2.77

That's right. This week's delivery was so small, I actually lost money. And I even priced everything at the more expensive, organic prices. But the good news is that so far, even with the bad luck of Irene, I've still saved money overall. With 2 weeks to go, I'm not above calling it early and declaring the CSA the winner of my experiment. I'm sort of banking on it, since I've also signed up for the fall/winter delivery. Kale, sweet potatoes and winter squash, here I come! And let's not forget the savings. A quick bit a math puts the total I've saved over the summer (minus what I've lost) at $270.87. Wowsa!

On the move

2011-09-06T10:49:00.002-04:00

So all summer I've sort of felt like a bump on a log. Strike that. I've been feeling rather unhealthy since the week right after my wedding, when I realized I didn't have to worry about fitting into the wedding dress I bought 10 months before my wedding. I know. Some said it wasn't smart and I must admit I got worried a few times. And though I never actually dieted, I did say no to a few of my crazier stress cravings that I indulged in right after the wedding. Like eating a whole box of Uh-Oh Oreos in two sittings. Or eating Wendy's for lunch and dinner everyday for a week. Ugh.

In case you're wondering, my dress fit perfectly. Observe:

But I know I couldn't fit into right now. And once summer began I started feeling really gross and tired, which is usually the opposite of how I feel in the summers. Usually I get a lot of energy and I get pretty active. Not so much this summer. And as the days got hotter it got worse. So I've decided, now that it's not so hot during the day, to get back into moving more and sitting around less. This post was really supposed to be my back-to-running post (since the kids in my area are all going back to school), but since I woke up feeling sick, it's not meant to be. So instead I'll share the first step of my return to running.

Step one: Buy running shoes. I've tried to run a few times and the Reebok Classics I have right now (which I've had ever since high school!) make most of my body hurt. So I've been doing research. And I've figured out that my feet have normal arches (thanks to the get-my-feet-wet-and-stand-on-some-cardboard test) and I have mild overpronation (which means I walk on the inside of my feet). It' a good thing I looked it up because I would have said I have flat feet and walk on the outside of my feet. Which would have led me to get running shoes that would have caused me to hurt my knees and ankles while running and likely would have caused me to give up.

Anyway, next I checked out reviews. And I kept coming across this brand name for beginning runners:

And then I did a bit more research into the shoes they offer for my type of feet/gait, and I found these:

Saucony Women's Grid Cohesion 4

Yes. They are black and pink. But those were the only one's available at the store where I found them, and they were on sale at said store. And I'm hoping they will soon be covered in dust from me running so much.

And before you say anything, yes, I know you aren't supposed to buy running shoes on sale so that you buy high-quality shoes that don't hurt you. But these really are the shoes I needed and most reviews said they were great for beginning runners. Plus, they were cheap enough that if I stay serious about running, I can afford even better ones when I'm ready for them.

And Miyagi loves them:

At least I think so, since he immediately shoved his nose inside my shoes and wouldn't stop huffing the new-shoe scent.

And yes, I think whether he likes my shoes is important, since he'll eventually be my running partner. Well, once I am actually able to keep up with him, anyway.

Surviving Irene

2011-09-01T09:55:00.001-04:00

I would hardly say that Irene hit us hard. It was more like a glancing blow that left a noticeable and sore bruise for a few days. Yet in the midst of those days, it seemed frustrations from Irene would never end. No power, no fresh food, no working kitchen, no Internet, no TV, no hot shower, no ac. There was a growing list of annoyances and inconveniences that Sunday night I wasn't sure I was ready to cope with.

But let me back up. Hurricane Irene came through Hampton Roads Saturday afternoon. Amidst reports of evacuations, downed trees and rising floodwaters, my roommates, husband and I spent the mostly uneventful day watching TV. Around 11:30 we settled in to watch one last movie before heading off to bed. By then the rain had mostly tapered off and it felt like Irene had passed us by, leaving our area relatively unscathed.

And then there was a huge boom, followed by a flash and then the everything shut off. We were left in the dark wondering where we had moved the flashlights after thinking the hurricane was over. Then we poke our heads outside, flashlight scanning the area, and we spied this:

We weren't really sure what we were seeing either. But having cops for neighbors meant we were hustled back inside and without power we all just headed to bed. When we woke up Sunday morning and surveyed the damage, we realized how lucky everyone was.

What fell was basically the top half of a neighbor's tree. It was literally as long as my car and the half that used to be connected to the tree was probably almost a foot thick. If it had blown the other way, the neighbors would have had some problems. And despite losing power, if the power lines hadn't have caught it, it could have easily smashed into Moriah's car, which had been parked right across the street from it.

Anyway, Sunday was the worst day. The post-hurricane weather put the temperature in the nineties and there was no breeze. By the end of the day I was cranky from the heat and while we had purchased cookies and goldfish, we hadn't realized how much you crave a hot, complete meal until you don't have it for a day. Luckily I had brewed an entire pot of coffee on Saturday and had saved the leftovers in case power went out. Sunday morning I managed to have an iced coffee, using the last of the soymilk before it went bad and some of the ice we had purchased in an attempt to save some of our groceries in a cooler. That night we went to Cheddar's for dinner. I had a Monte Cristo, and for the first time I ate the entire thing since it wasn't like I had somewhere to stash the leftovers.

As far as Dominion goes, Sunday came and went with little more than the appearance of cones to mark the disaster area and keep cars from driving right over more branches that had fallen in the road:

That night the house was so hot that we pitched a tent and slept relatively well in the 60-degree temperatures. If only the neighbors didn't have the loudest generators in the world, I might have gotten more than two hours of sleep.

Monday came and went with multiple visits from Dominion and city trucks, but nothing happened. By the sixth truck, we gave up on having power. Luckily Monday was cooler than Sunday and a breeze had left the house so comfortable that I was beginning not to care that we didn't have power. I spent my day reading the backlog of newspapers I had piling up from the weeks when I was too busy to read them, a textbook on magazine writing for work and I almost finished "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" by Michael Pollan (which is excellent and scary, by the way). That night we played Magic (a geeky card game) and I didn't miss the Internet, the TV, the microwave or the ac. I mildly missed the kitchen, but we grilled out that night, so it almost felt like fun. What I desperately missed was the hot water heater. I had taken cold showers all weekend and I was yearning for hot water.

In the end, we slept in the tent again and were woken up at 7 a.m. on Tuesday by chainsaws. And when we looked outside, we saw this:

Yes, miracle of miracles, the tree was finally down. But there was no Dominion truck in sight and that's when we realized we still didn't have power. I took a cold shower. I made a peanut butter sandwich for work. And then I went to work, still bemoaning the lack of power. The kitchen was beginning to smell and we were all afraid to open the freezer or fridge in fear of what we might find growing in there. For us, the story ends with good news. By 6 p.m. or so on Tuesday night, we had power, glorious power. Others still don't. And I am sorry to say that some aspects of having power annoy me. Like the fact that instead of hanging out and talking, we've reverted to watching the TV constantly. Except me. I can't seem to bring myself to watch a single show. But that'll change. I hear I've missed two episodes of Eureka in the last week and a half. And don't get me started on episodes of Design Star, Master Chef and Hell's Kitchen.

CSA Week 16: Blame Irene

2011-08-30T22:05:00.000-04:00

OK, I have bad news. I've been a bad blogger. Not only have I not post in nine days, I haven't even managed to give myself much to blog about. See, I've gotten increased duties at work that have double my workload so I have less time and inclination to do "work" outside of my job. Then an earthquake hit. And then there was this little hurricane named Irene. And we were without power for three days. So cut me some slack, please?

Thanks! Alright, so my cardinal sin this week might have been the fact that even though I received a CSA delivery (a few days early so we wouldn't have to travel during the storm), I never took picture. And I've already eaten or given away half of the delivery. Lame. Teaches me not to put off taking the dang picture, that's for sure.

Anyway, here's my breakdown anyway:

Price Breakdown

1 cantaloupe: $3.69
1 head of cabbage: $6.27
4 tomatoes: $7.98
1 eggplant: $1.79
6 yellow squash: $10.09
2 cucumbers: $3.58

Total: $33.40

Total savings: $12.40

Jewels of the sea

2011-08-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

I never used to be that interested in collecting stuff on the beach. But since I married into a family of collectors (my father-in-law has a growing collection of arrowheads and my mother-in-law decorates the house with a variety of shells, sea glass and recovered bits of ceramic from the beach), combing the beach for little jewels of the sea has become a constant pasttime. On a recent trip to the in-laws, we went out on the Chesapeake Bay to visit some of the sandy isles near Crisfield, Md.:

We also brought Miyagi along, although he wasn't very much help when it came to hunting for artifacts. He spent most of his time in the water, waiting for us to join him.

Anyway, I've generally been focusing on sea glass during our outings. This recent trip turned up some of the best in my collection:

I'll point out that among the basic white glass, there is green, purple, cobalt, light blue and amber. See if you can see the little piece of sponge coral I discovered dried up and lodged in a broken bottle that I left on the beach to get a little more wearing down from the waves.

Anyway, I keep most of the glass in a bamboo bowl, along with my Coca-Cola bottles I brought back from Morocco. Like so:

I'm not sure if the tableau makes any sense at all, but it does make me smile when I see it. Call it my little memory corner.

CSA Week 15: Challenges

2011-08-21T15:20:00.001-04:00

I used to think that getting items that I've never or rarely cooked with would be the challenge of getting CSA deliveries. Not so. Turns out it's a whole lot more difficult to be creative when you are faced with using the same vegetables over and over again. That's how I ended up throwing a few yellow squash and a whole lot of cucumber away a few weeks into the program. I know, I know. Shame on me. But I suppose this week's delivery is an opportunity to make up for it:

That's right. 4 yellow squash and 3 cucumbers. Plus, I'm finding it hard to think of anything but corned beef and cabbage to utilize that admittedly gorgeous head of cabbage. But why fight it, right? My husband is a fan and it's kind of in my blood. I suppose I'll be picking up corned beef at the grocery store today.

Price breakdown

1 head of cabbage: $5.92
2 pints of cherry tomatoes: $7.98
10 ears of corn: $9.18
4 yellow squash: $6.73
3 cucumbers: $5.37

Total: $35.17

Total savings: $14.17

CSA Week 14: Decisions

2011-08-13T13:30:00.002-04:00

This week's delivery was exciting not just because of the gorgeous vegetables, but because of a simple piece of paper that announced that we have the chance to continue getting deliveries through the second week of December.
My first instinct was to celebrate. My second instinct was apprehension, mostly because I've already had a bit of trouble trying to use everything from my deliveries. We have until September to make the decision about whether or not we want to extend our program, but I'm already leaning toward getting it. That's because we can expect broccoli, kale, winter squash (like butternut) and sweet potatoes, and all of those items are super exciting. Plus, the deliveries are the same price ($21 per week, or $147 fro 7 weeks) and I've pretty much proven that the CSA saves me a boatload on veggies. I think this week and next week will help make that decision by acting as a test of whether or not I can make these deliveries worth it, i.e. whether or not I can actually eat all that food.

So here's this week's delivery:

Big excitement of the week: an onion! I know, it seems a little silly to find something so simple like an onion, but it's a very essential item and I never seem to remember to buy them. Plus, I've never actually tried a fresh-from-the-farm onion.

Price Breakdown

1 watermelon: $5.99
1 onion: $1.34
2 eggplants: $3.58
4 tomatoes: $7.98
5 green bell peppers: $9.95
6 yellow peaches: $7.85

Total: $36.70

Total saved: $15.70

CSA Week 13: More chances to experiment

2011-08-09T00:21:00.001-04:00

There were a lot of repeat items in this week's delivery, but they are favorites that allow me to do some experimenting with cooking.

So far I've used two of the eggplants and the pink-eyed peas. The peaches will be meant for peach crumble and I'm thinking of roasting the tomatoes and tossing them with feta cheese and balsamic vinegar.

Price Breakdown

1 watermelon: $5.99
1 cantaloupe: $3.99
8 peaches: $10.47
3 tomatoes: $5.99
3 eggplant: $7.98
1 lb. of pink-eyed peas: $2.78

Total: $37.20

Total saved: $16.20

Note on the pictures: The tomatoes were slightly under-ripe (hence the orange color) and the peaches were really dusty. A quick scrub for the peaches and a two days on a sunny windowsill fixed these babies right up and they look just as a good as they taste. Often with fresh, farm-grown fruits and veggies, they really don't have to perfectly formed for them to be tasty and healthy.

CSA Week 12: Purple and pink

2011-07-30T17:58:00.002-04:00

When the owner of my CSA farm Jan asked me if I wanted eggplant I almost squeaked with excitement as I attempted to calmly say sure. Eggplants are one of the most maligned member of the vegetable world, taking their unglorified place next to Brussels sprouts and okra. But eggplants are incredible, unlike those other two examples. I mean, seriously. They are versatile and take on the deliciousness of whatever sauce you cook them in. Plus they are good for you. So, that's why this sight makes me delirious with joy:

That's right. Five eggplants. I don't know how I got so lucky. Also, you see that bag? That was my surprise item of the delivery:

That is a bag of pink-eyed peas, the prettier cousin of black-eyed peas.They offer another challenge that I'm hoping a creative recipe will help me overcome. See, my opinion of black-eyed peas is decidedly negative. So, I suppose this is my chance to change my opinion. This, of course, was one of the main reasons I got a CSA. Besides getting cheaper, fresher fruits and vegetables, I wanted to stretch my culinary abilities.

The whole delivery includes a watermelon, a cantaloupe, a pound of pink-eyed peas, five eggplants and 10 ears of corn. And a new culinary challenge.

Price breakdown

1 watermelon: $5.99
1 cantaloupe: $3.99
1 lb. pink-eyed peas (priced for 2 pounds of dried black-eyed peas): $5.56
5 eggplants: $8.95
10 ears of corn: $9.18

Total: $33.67

Total saved: $12.67

Vegetables are gorgeous

2011-07-28T12:12:00.000-04:00

This eventually became mixed veggies sauteed with balsamic vinegar and served over brown rice.

Summery fresh: Corn chowder

2011-07-25T12:27:00.001-04:00

Alright, I can understand why you might think that corn chowder isn't really a summery dish. I mean, with the temperature being in the triple digits right now, I'm not sure myself if I want to dig into anything warmer than a nice cool salad. But then, I get to work, where they keep the thermostat at an almost unbearable 60 degrees, and all I can think about is hot soup and tea. Besides, corn is about as quintessentially summer as you can get and my CSA sure delivers a lot of it. The best thing about this chowder (which I came up with all by myself) is that it only takes 30 minutes and yet still manages to be delicious and flavorful. The key? Farm fresh ingredients, herbs from my own patio garden and a bit of chicken stock.

30-minute Corn Chowder
3 slices of bacon, diced
4 ears worth of corn
5-6 red potatoes, skin-on and diced
3-4 cloves of garlic
About 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
About 1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
About 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsely
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 1/2 cups hot water)
1 cup soy milk
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese

Dice up bacon and put in a preheated pan. Remove the cooked bacon and some of the grease (I do this to decrease some of the overall fat in the soup).
Add the corn, potatoes and garlic to the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the potatoes are lightly browned, add the stock. Bring it to a boil.
Turn the heat down. Add the fresh herbs, cayenne pepper and soy milk. Simmer until it's reached your desired consistency. Stir often so the soy milk doesn't scald.

This dish is not only super easy to make, it uses very few ingredients, and most of them tend to be sitting around your house anyway. On a sidenote, if you don't have fresh herbs I suggest growing an herb garden! Just kidding, that's not necessary. But just remember that when subbing dried herbs for fresh ones, decrease the amount by half. In this case I'd do a teaspoon each of oregano and parsley and two teaspoons of rosemary. Why? Parsley and oregano tend to be superstrong when dried. Rosemary is slightly weaker and you'll need extra so it's not overshadowed. Also, make sure you get crushed rosemary. It is very difficult to chop dried rosemary and the herbs won't be in the dish long enough to soften. And no one likes getting a huge chunk of chewy rosemary in their chowder!

CSA Week 11: Helping us beat the heat

2011-07-23T09:25:00.001-04:00

It seems Clayhill Farms knows a thing or two about beating the heat. My delivery consists of all the juicy items that would be excellent at keeping everyone hydrated and happy in this triple-digit heat.

Today's selection includes 10 ears of corn, half a pound of green beans, eight peaches, two cantaloupe and a watermelon. All of this just in time for my birthday cookout. So yeah, I'm looking at this delivery like a birthday gift from my wonderful CSA friends.

Price Breakdown

10 ears of corn: $8.98
1/2 lb. of green beans: $2
8 peaches: $10.47
2 cantaloupe: $7.98
1 watermelon: $5.99

Total: $35.42

Total saved: $14.42

We've passed the halfway mark on deliveries, by the way. There are only 9 more to go, with the last delivery set for Saturday, Oct. 1. I'm really looking forward to seeing what sort of items will be in the September deliveries. For now, I'll be enjoying this week's delivery, likely with a handful of napkins to sop up all the peach and melon juices. Having a CSA can be messy!

Around the house: Not too big for this wall

2011-07-21T07:34:00.002-04:00

I realize I haven't really managed to post many pictures of the inside of my house. Except for the dining room, which I only posted about after doing so much work to organize it. But now that I am in possession of a new painting from Berrybody, I figured it was time to show a picture of my living room, where it earned its place of honor.

And a close-up of the painting (and it was $20!):

Call it an early birthday present to myself!

"We're experimenting with some volatile herbs, dude..."

2011-07-20T12:41:00.000-04:00

My weekend of weeding and mulching culminated in me finally biting the bullet and buying some herbs.
I hadn't yet because I was hopeful I might be able to grow some from seeds. But my mint died tragically and without warning, so I decided to hedge my bets. I still my try to get some seedlings later, but for now I'll just enjoy my fully grown and thriving - and did I mention organic? - herbs. My first round was a robust mint (for tea, mojitos and dog biscuits), a sprawling oregano and tall stand of rosemary. I plan to supplement them with more herbs later, but this is a good start.

I planted rosemary and oregano together in one planter:

The mint's voracious nature relegated it to a separate pot:

The particular mint I picked was already pretty large, so hopefully I'll be able to make a lot of mint tea and dog biscuits.

I've already made a delicious 30-minute corn chowder, which was made more delicious with fresh oregano and rosemary. I'll share that recipe soon. I plan to add some parsley and thyme to my collection and possibly some cilantro.

Around the house: Not "Welcome to the Jungle" anymore

2011-07-18T12:00:00.009-04:00

I have a love-hate relationship with weeding. On the one hand, I love the results. The plots looks so loved and cared for. I also get the satisfaction that I did something that day, instead of doing what I do everyday (sitting on the couch, watching TV). I even sort of like the healthy muscle soreness in my arms. It's almost like I worked out (which I sort of did)! But I hate the sore lower back. Or the bug bites and stabs from particularly vengeful plants that I end up covered with by the time I'm done. So maybe that's why our house was beginning to look something like this:

*Not an actual picture of our house*

But this was the weekend I had enough. And I attacked. I ripped and dug and yanked. And I discovered the candytufts I planted a few months ago. And the azalea plant that I brought back from the brink with a little acidic plant food. I even found a flower that had shown up all on its own.

An Anderson's expert (read more about Anderson's here) identified the little guy as a Vinca, a flowering annual that likely was brought to our little plot by a bird. While we were at Anderson's we snagged some hardwood mulch (for $3.50 per bag) as well as some topsoil to fill in some holes that were bequeathed to us via the previous' residents' children. By the end of the weekend our front plot now looks like this:

Gorgeous! Though, it's hard to be amazed when you don't have a before. My bad. I guess I'm not the best blogger when it comes to that.

CSA Week 10: Big and small

2011-07-17T13:45:00.004-04:00

This week's CSA delivery ran the extremes of sizes. I got a large watermelon and a bag of gorgeous cherry tomatoes. It was a most excellent surprise to get such a large watermelon. I can't wait to try out the recipe for Watermelon Mojito Salad that I've been imagining.

The delivery included one watermelon, one cantaloupe, a pint of cherry tomatoes, half a pound of green beans and 10 ears of corn. This was one of the lighter deliveries, but it still included some great food.

Price breakdown

1 watermelon: $5.99
1 cantaloupe: $3.99
1 pint of cherry tomatoes: $3.99
1/2 1b. green beans: $ 1.25
10 ears of corn: $11.97

Total: $27.19

Total saved: $6.19

Caffeine journeys

2011-07-16T10:13:00.000-04:00

As I've taken stock of some of the things that have happened over the past year or so since I've started my new job, it's hit me that I drink a lot of coffee. Let me break a general day down for you: I get up. I usually get one to two 12 ounce cups of coffee out of the pot my husband makes every morning. Once I arrived at work, I would often make a 8-cup pot of coffee and drink it all by myself. At least once a week, I would also stop on my way to work and buy a triple venti soy caramel macchiato (please don't judge me). So what does this all break down to? On especially thirsty days I would drink 11 eight-ounce cups plus 3 two-ounce shots. That all adds up to 94 ounces of coffee! I think that deserves the exclamation point.

Me drinking my morning cup of joe during our honeymoon.
We brought our own pot just in case there wasn't one at the cabin.

How's that for obsession?

Not to mention some raised eyebrows.

Here's the kicker. I did a little research. It turns out, if you are a healthy adult, the Mayo Clinic says you can safely consume 2-4 cups (16-32 ounces) of coffee a day. I've spent most of the last year drinking almost triple that amount. Here's what they say about drinking too much:

"Although moderate caffeine intake isn't likely to cause harm, too much can lead to some unpleasant effects. Heavy daily caffeine use — more than 500 to 600 mg [between 40 and 64 ounces of brewed coffee] a day — may cause insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, upset stomach, fast heartbeat and muscle tremors."

Uhhh... That's sounding a little familiar. I have sort of been feeling like a gremlin lately.

So, I decided it was time to do something about it. I admit, I wasn't ready to drop caffeine altogether (And I'm still not!). I used to do that every year, but the headaches got to be too much. So my plan is to get my habit back down to a healthy level. That means 16-32 ounces of brewed coffee a day (that's 1 to 3 cups to me, depending on the size of my mug) and supplement that with mate teas (lower caffeine content but similar sharpening-of-the-senses effects). It's now been about three weeks into this endeavor, and it's actually going swimmingly. Most days I'm definitely in the moderate zone, and I've also used this experience as a challenge to drink more tea. I've been feeling better and more energetic as result.

Who knew one could drink that much coffee and not make time seem to slow down, a la the squirrel in Over the Hedge?

Caffeine makes this squirrel move so fast that everyone looks like they
are in slow motion. Best scene in the whole movie!

Bunnies

2011-07-11T12:46:00.000-04:00

Our house has been kind of overrun with bunnies recently. And here they are, in the front yard. Like the own the place.

CSA Week 9: Melon!

2011-07-10T11:29:00.002-04:00

This week I received 10 ears of corn, a cantaloupe, six tomatoes, six peaches and four cucumbers. I used the corn at a cookout with the in-laws and donated my cukes to them, too. I'm not a huge fan of cucumbers, at least not so many. I think I've gotten some with every delivery. The cantaloupe was amazing, as well.

Price breakdown

10 ears of corn: $10.00
1 cantaloupe: $3.99
6 tomatoes: $11.97
6 peaches: $7.85
4 cucumbers: $7.96

Total: $41.77

Total saved:$20.77

Getting tomatoes these past couple of weeks has been especially exciting because my problems with my own tomato plants. Remember how gorgeous and optimistic these plants were:

Unfortunately, something went very wrong. Part of growing plants in containers is that you can miss out on some of the natural nutrients in the soil. Turns out, my tomatoes were severely lacking in calcium. This lack causes blossom end rot in tomatoes. Which leads to inedible and ugly tomatoes. Like this:

I've been able to get my tomato fix, but not in the way I wanted. Next year I'll know better. And, according to my neighbor, all I need to do is put a little lime in my pots and all will be well. They also make a blossom end rot spray that apparently works. Too bad my plants have mostly given off their last tomatoes of the season. Maybe next year. Til then, I still have my CSA.

CSA Week 8: Sunflower days

2011-07-02T13:17:00.001-04:00

It's a good day when you wake up to a giant hug from an old friend and a smile and a sunflower from your CSA. Besides those wonderful wake-up calls, I also received a pound of green beans, six tomatoes, 10 ears of corn, six peaches and four cucumbers, just in time for Fourth of July grilling. Grilled corn and peaches? How can you go wrong?

Price breakdown

1 lb. green beans: $2.49
6 tomatoes: $10.09
10 ears of corn: $11.97
6 peaches: $4.70
4 cucumbers: $7.96
1 sunflower: $1

Total: $38.21

Total saved: $17.21

CSA Week 7: Tomatoes!

2011-06-26T18:09:00.001-04:00

This week's delivery is really the reason I bothered to get a CSA in the first place, and I can explain it in two words: fresh tomatoes!

This delivered included a bag of fresh green beans, two green bell peppers, eight ears of corn, 10 red potatoes, two cucumbers, four zucchini and five tomatoes. This is my most exciting delivery since the first one, which included strawberries and blueberries.

Price breakdown

1 lb. fresh green beans: $1.99
2 green bell peppers: $3.98
8 ears of corn: $11.92
10 red potatoes: $4.84
2 cucumbers: $3.38
4 zucchini: $5.24
5 tomatoes: $9.98

Total: $41.32

Total saved: $20.32

This total seemed higher to me than normal, but I realized that I was able to price for almost all organic produce, and this delivery was huge. The tomatoes, by the way, are delicious. Like food-gasm delicious. Seriously, I was making groans like Sally (from When Harry Met Sally) and the other restaurant patrons next to me said, "I'll have what's she's having."

Surprise bloom

2011-06-19T13:50:00.000-04:00

All this time I've spent talking about my tomato plants and I haven't really mentioned the citronella plants I purchased on the same sight-seeing trip I took to Anderson's for this blog post. While there I bought two tubs of citronella plants for $9.99 each. Yes it is that citronella and no they don't really work to keep the mosquitoes at bay as just plants. They do smell lovely though and if you take rub a crushed leaf on your skin it does seem to help a bit. This year we've been pretty blighted with mosquitoes, so every little bit helps.

Anyway, citronella is actually a citrus-scented geranium, so they do bloom. My mumsy-in-law grows them and said that in five years she hadn't seen a single bloom. But this year, her mother accidentally triggered the blooms by forgetting to water them for a few weeks. Turns out that not watering a blooming plant tends to do the trigger a survival instinct that pops out flowers to start the reproduction cycle:

Though some of my plant has turned yellow and brown, it has some gorgeous blooms on it now!

CSA Week 6: Yellow gold

2011-06-18T13:52:00.001-04:00

This week's CSA included some usual favorites (pattypans) and my favorite summer treat: corn!

My bag included a pound of fresh green beans, eight ears of corn, three green bell peppers, five pattypans and 10 red potatoes. The plan is to grill the corn and pattypans with my steak tomorrow. Oh yeah, and I'm making steak tomorrow. Yum!

Price breakdown

1lb. fresh green beans: $1.99
8 ears of corn: $7.98
3 green bell peppers: $5.97
5 pattypans: $8.41
10 red potatoes: $4.84

Total: $29.19

Total saved: $8.19

The only organic items are the bell peppers and the yellow squash (which I use as a pricing for the patty pans). I got the "farmers market" corn, which at Harris Teeter means it came from somewhere in the area, as opposed to the cheaper corn that's from Mexico. Everything else is just regular old produce.

Healthy dessert: Chocolate zucchini cake

2011-06-18T13:03:00.000-04:00

OK, it may not actually be healthy, but chocolate zucchini cake is a great way to not only use up the tons of zucchini I've been getting from my CSA but also to sneak some veggies into an otherwise totally unhealthy cake. And did I mention it's delicious? Plus it was an excellent opportunity to break out my racy red Kitchen Aid:

Isn't she the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

First up, I should mention that this cake is closer to a brownie in texture than a cake. It's quite dense, and so moist that it never really made it to the light crumbly texture most cakes have. And that's alright with me, and all of my taste-testers (these certified testers include my husband and coworkers). The taste-testers, by the way, ate up all my cake before I could get a picture of just a slice by itself. It looked fairly close to this image, from Chocolate & Zucchini blog, which is where I got my recipe from:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Photo by Clotilde Dusoulier of Chocolate & Zucchini blog

I frosted mine with a thin layer of whipped cream cheese frosting, mostly because I was out of powdered sugar. Here's the star of this post, the recipe:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup loose dark brown sugar (as opposed to packed)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons strong cooled coffee
3 large eggs
2 cups unpeeled grated zucchini
1 cup chopped chocolate (I used milk chocolate, but I would recommend getting a semisweet bar instead, since the milk chocolate chunks lost almost all flavor in the cooking)
Confectioner's sugar or frosting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 10-inch round springform pan or 8 1/2-inch square pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a mixer (or by hand in a large mixing bowl), beat the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the vanilla, coffee, and eggs, mixing well between each addition.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the zucchini, chocolate chips, and about a third of the flour mixture, making sure the zucchini strands are well coated and not clumping too much.
Add the rest of the flour mixture into the egg batter, half a cup at a time. Mix until just combined; the batter will be thick.
Fold the zucchini mixture into the batter, and blend with a spatula without overmixing. Pour (or scoop, mine was super thick) into the prepared cake pan, and level the surface.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer onto a rack to cool for 10 minutes, run a knife around the pan to loosen, and unclasp the sides of the pan. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, frosting or a chocolate glaze, if desired.

Being a new recipe, I have several things I would do differently. I would likely add about 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and a 1/2 teaspoon cloves, just to spice things up a bit. I was even thinking some ginger, cayenne pepper or cardamom would all be good ways to kick this recipe up a notch. Finally, I think I'd want to either leave it unfrosted or go with the powdered sugar, maybe even the coconut pecan frosting that normally goes on German chocolate cake. Now for the photos:

That's my cup of coffee. And yes, there's caffeine in this cake, but not very much. And you can't really taste it. It merely adds depth to the chocolate.

This recipe utilizes the classic cake-making steps: Mix dry ingredients in one bowl...

Cream butter and sugar in another bowl...

Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the creamed mixture. Traditionally the flour is added to the creamed mixture in a few parts and then you're done.

But I was adding chocolate chunks (hand-chopped from a Symphony chocolate bar) and zucchini.

So this means that I had to worry the additions would clump together and not distribute properly.

But that's not really a worry if you remember a simple step: Mix your additions with a third of the flour mixture. The floury coating will help the additions evenly distribute in the batter. I'm not an expert on the science, but I know it works.

My Kitchen Aid came with an attachment that helps me funnel the dry ingredients into the bowl without flour going everywhere, which is a big problem with stand mixers. I essentially added the flour in 1/2 cup increments until it was all incorporated.

The recipe calls for a springform pan, but you don't need to use it. I did because I got a set of three for the wedding that I still hadn't used. They are also much deeper than any of my round cake pans, which meant that my batter would definitely not overflow.

The walls of the springform pan are separated from the base. The black clip essentially tightens the ring around the base, creating a seal that keeps batters from leaking out.

When the batter is cooked, you release the clip and lift of the ring and...

Viola! You have lovely cake with perfect sides that didn't require a lot of effort and finger-crossing to remove from the pan.

Tomato tragedy

2011-06-17T12:46:00.002-04:00

Apparently I fail as a tomato baby mama.

After the first peek of red, I let my babies mature, content in their relative safety in my suburban backyard. And then tragedy struck, in the form of the dastardly birds that I had, only a few months ago, welcomed as a sign of glorious spring.

The horror! There are puncture wounds all over my beautiful bounty, but they didn't even bother to eat any of the little guy. This is truly murder. If only I had a BB gun I'd show those bloody birds what's what! Anyone have a better solution to protect my lovelies?

CSA Week 5: Pattypans and (more) peaches

2011-06-16T10:37:00.005-04:00

It's been a few days and I've actually already cooked a lot of what I received in my recent delivery, but it's never too late to review my bounty from this week's delivery.

This week I got a pound of peas, two cucumbers, four zucchini, six yellow squash, two green bell peppers, ten red potatoes, six peaches and four pattypans. So far I've made oven-roasted potatoes, sausage-stuffed pattypans and chocolate zucchini cake.

Price comparison

1 lb. of fresh peas (priced for frozen): $3.99
2 cucumbers: $3.38
4 zucchini: $5.24
4 yellow squash + 4 pattypans: $13.46
2 green bell peppers: $3.98
10 red potatoes: $4.84
6 peaches: $4.70

Total: $39.58

Total saved: $18.58

Tomato Battle: Glimpses of red

2011-06-15T10:14:00.000-04:00

I looked out my window the other day and I almost shrieked when I saw the flash of red among the green.

From my kitchen window, I can see the potted tomato plant, and on that plant was a tomato that was just turning red.

But this doesn't mean the potted plant is winning. When I went out to inspect my tomatoes, I learned that a tomato on the topsy turvy had also blushed.

I had forgotten the simple excitement of seeing something you nurture succeed.

CSA Week 4: A little late but a lot of delicious

2011-06-11T17:38:00.002-04:00

Sorry to post this so late, but I felt like I needed a break from life. Now that I've recovered, I figured it's time to share the down-low on last week's delivery. I'm saddened to say that it's not just the posts that I've had trouble keeping up with: I've been having some trouble eating the deliveries as well.

Last week I received a pound of fresh peas, two bell peppers, four yellow squash, three zucchini, two heads of bok choy, eight round zucchini and four peaches. The peaches, by the way, were absolutely delicious, and I was able to use up all the round zucchini on Monday, when I had a cookout. I grilled up all the zucchini over the fire with some olive oil and Italian seasoning.

Price breakdown

1 lb. fresh peas: $3.49
2 green bell peppers: $3.98
4 yellow squash: $6.73
3 zucchini + 8 round zucchini: $14.40
2 heads of bok choy: $2.54
4 peaches: $3.13

Total: $34.46

Total saved: $13.46

The bok choy, by the way, is delicious brushed with a butter seasoning mixture and grilled over the open flame for a few minutes.

Tomato Battle: Topsy Turvy ahead

2011-05-28T13:08:00.002-04:00

The original - and only - tomato on the potted plant

Remember when I introduced my experiment pitting tomato plants grown in a traditional pot versus those grown in a topsy turvy?

My backyard, where the plants face off, apparently mediated by my Weber grill

Well it's high time we checked in with our fighters isn't it?

The potted plant has had quite an exhausting time battling gravity and how quickly the dirt dries up. But, when I water him daily (and I do have to water him daily), he's in pretty good fighting shape:

He has plenty of blossoms, but just the one tomato still. I think his drying out so quickly has burned off some of the original blossoms, which means no tomatoes from them. Some of the lower branches are a little limp and dry, but most of them are surviving well, and they are managing to protect the tomato pretty well.

Hopefully, as time goes on, the new blossoms will produce more tomatoes.

The topsy turvy, on the other hand, has flourished. It hasn't had much need to worry about gravity, though the half of the plant on the other side seems to be crawling up the pole. I think it has less trouble holding on to moisture, mostly because of there being a lot more soil in the topsy turvy and a lot more surface area for the soil to soak up the moist air (it's been pretty humid around here).

The topsy turvy has also sprouted tomatoes all over the place. There's these two, plus the original one that was on the plant when it went into the topsy turvy and a bunch of tiny ones that have sprouted up in the last few days.

CSA Week 3: Mystery delivery

2011-05-26T12:15:00.002-04:00

This week's haul, which I received early do to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, includes another pound of sugar snap peas, 8 baby red potatoes, 2 cucumbers, 4 huge zucchini, 3 yellow or summer squash, 2 huge bunches of bok choy, 2 "round" zucchini and a "patty pan" squash. If you don't recognize some of those names, don't worry. I actually had to do some Googling to identify the odd squashes.

Here's a close up of the round zucchini. I really was thrown by these little guys. I thought it was a melon up until the moment I cut it and half and discovered a squash interior:

Apparently it's related to zucchini. It grows into a round ball, with the seeds centered in the middle, like acorn squash. It's a summer squash, which is just a name for squashes that (surprise, surprise) mature in the summer and have a tender, edible skin. Other squashes - butternut, pumpkin, spaghetti, etc. - mature during the fall and have a tough, inedible skin.

This beautiful guy is a patty pan. He's not quite as obvious of a patty pan, by he's definitely flatter and if you look at the yellow edge, you'll notice the scalloped edges that is fairly unique to the squash. You have likely seen his bigger, more popular brethren in stores or farmers markets in a seafoam green or tan color. I personally think these colors are much prettier.

I feel as though I've completely ignored the crown jewel of this batch, the huge bok choy bunches. Seriously, I've never seen bok choy in this size. Most grocery store versions are smaller and are often "baby" bock choy. Janice, the Clayhill Farms owner who delivers the bags, handed out two recipes that I'm eager to try. One is for a classic chicken stir fry (which I'm sure the peas will make an appearance in, as well) and the other is for a cole slaw. I'm foreseeing Asian-inspired pulled pork and bok choy coleslaw sandwiches in my future.

Price comparison
This week was really difficult due to the uniqueness of the items. Plus, potatoes, peas and bok choy were not available in organic. I may have to check out Trader Joes or Fresh Market in person just so I can start collecting prices on some of the basics that I can't find organic versions of at Harris Teeter. I had to price the patty pan and round zucchini on normal zucchini and summer squash. So this week isn't quite accurate yet. I hope to edit it and get you a better comparison.

8 baby red potatoes: $3.87
1 pound sugar snap peas: $3.99
2 cucumbers: $3.18
4 zucchini + 2 round zucchini: $9.16
3 yellow squash + 1 patty pan: $8.41
2 bok choy (I priced for 4 since each is about double the size of a grocery bok choy): $5.07

Total: $33.68

I saved at least $12.68 this week, though I bet it's really more. If I ever make it out to the local organic groceries, I'll update all the posts.

CSA Week 2: Sweet surprises

2011-05-21T10:42:00.003-04:00

This week's haul includes another pound of strawberries, about a pound of baby red potatoes, 3 cucumbers, five peaches, a green pepper and more sugar snap peas than I know what to do with. Luckily, the husband is crazy about just snacking on these guys raw. That, and I'm sure there will be many stir-fries in our future. I wonder if they hold up in the freezer. Fresh sugar snaps in the middle of winter? Yes, please.

And no, these guys aren't snow peas. There's a subtle difference, I agree, but sugar snaps tend to be rounder - like this plump guy above - while true snow peas are flat. The difference is also slight, but sugar snaps are juicier and often sweeter. And yes, they are absolutely delicious raw.

Price breakdown
There are no organic red potatoes, peaches or snaps at Harris Teeter, so this week's price difference isn't quite as astounding as the the first week. But I'm still saving money and enjoying some crazy awesome fruits and veggies along the way.

1 pound of organic strawberries: $4.99
3 organic cucumbers: $4.77
1 organic green bell pepper: $1.99
5 peaches: $6.54
1 pound of red potatoes: $2.97
2 pounds of sugar snap peas: $7.98

TOTAL: $29.24

The savings this week is only $8.24, but I bet that total price would go up if I could find organic versions of the potatoes, peas and peaches. No organic produce brings the total down to a little less than $26, so I'm still saving, as usual. Anyway, can't wait to get my cook on!

CSA week 1: A week of experimenting with food

2011-05-19T19:39:00.003-04:00

Remember when I posted about my first week of my CSA? You may also recall I promised to post what meals that delivery produced, so here goes:

Thai chicken curry with red peppers and zucchini (Saturday night dinner)
10-minute pasta sauce with green peppers and zucchini (I had this three or four times during the week because I needed something quick.)
Italian sausage and veggies with green peppers and zucchini (Thursday's dinner)
Teriyaki veggies with whole wheat noodles with green peppers and zucchini (Friday's dinner - it's in my fridge at work, waiting for me to eat it)
Turkey bacon, cucumber and tomato sandwich (Monday and Tuesday lunches)
Greek yogurt, blueberries and honey (several breakfasts)
Southern-style Cucumber, onion and tomatoes in vinegar salad (several lunches, plus my coworker had a few bowls)
Zucchini and bell pepper omelets with havarti cheese (several breakfasts)
Smoothie with strawberries, greek yogurt, frozen mangoes and a touch of honey (the husband made it for me Wednesday night to help me cope with work stress)

And I won't even mention all the random snack moments I had without bothering to do more than wash this or that item. Nothing beats plain old fresh strawberries and blueberries. And, have I mentioned how delicious raw zucchini is? Trust me, it's better than cucumber.
I have to say the food I receive from the CSA is so inspiring. It makes me want to spend all my time in the kitchen and experiment with recipes. And let's not even get started on the taste. Amazing!

Battle of the tomato plants

2011-05-18T10:03:00.001-04:00

A while back I purchased a Topsy Turvy after everyone I know said it was amazing. Alright, I only had my mom's testimony. But, when it comes to tomatoes, that tends to be good enough for me. The things are $10, but unbeknowest to me, don't come with tomatoes! Crazy, right? So I trekked to Anderson's to look over their extensive tomato collection (including some amazing - and amazingly expensive - heirloom varieties). I settled on a more affordable "Early girl" varietal that came in a four pack. Then I realized the topsy turvy only held up to two plants. So I pulled out the old pot that Bob the tomato plant (read about his short journey here, here, here and a little bit here) lived in and died in. While that's a little bit morbid, it's also a chance to have a battle of the tomato plants.

In this corner we have the old-timer, Green Death Pot:

And in this corner, young upstart Topsy Turvy aims to steal his thunder.

If the read those sentences in a crazy 90's wrestling announcer's voice, it's twice as amusing.

Both plants have a healthy array of blooms and both already have a single tomato about the size of a marble. Let the battle begin!

CSA Week 1: Reds, greens and a little bit of blue

2011-05-16T13:03:00.003-04:00

I've always wanted to join a Community Sponsored Agriculture farm, call it one of my goals in my Culinary Bucket List. So I finally signed up for a CSA share through Clayhill Farms in Suffolk, Va. This past Saturday I received my very first delivery:

The delivery included four large cucumbers, 5 zucchini, half a pound of strawberries, half a pint of blueberries, two green peppers and two humongous red peppers. The idea with CSA's is that you invest in the farm and they return that investment with fruit and vegetables. This size share costs me $21 a week, which I paid upfront. I then receive 20 weeks of shares. Considering I'm supporting a local farm and I get access to some of the freshest and most delicious produce I've had in a while, this is pretty much a win-win.

Every week I'll share with you the price breakdown so we can really see if these shares are worth it. I'll price it all at Harris Teeter, since that is where I would normally buy my produce. Also, I'll price for organic (when I can), since Clayhill Farms uses an organic method called integrated pest management. They define IPM as "we work with nature ( Praying Mantii, ladybugs, bees, and butterflies) and use natural techniques (like crop rotation, companion planting, crop and pest scouting, and drip irrigation) to eliminate pesticide and chemical use on our fruits and veggies."

Price breakdown

A pound of organic strawberries: $4.99
1 pint of non-organic blueberries: $4.99
4 organic cucumbers: $11.96
2 organic green bell peppers: $4.98
2 organic red bell peppers: $7.98
5 organic zucchini: $6.54

TOTAL COST: $41.44

That's a bit steep. But I have to admit that I wouldn't normally go for the organic, since my wallet is currently more important to me (shame, I know). But here's the thing, even going for the cheapest versions (at Harris Teeter, that is), I'm still saving money. A similar price check, this time focusing on the cheapest choices, resulted in a total of $27. That includes a pretty awesome sale on strawberries, so next week it would be even more expensive. So, this week at least, I'm saving money and my health.

I'll update later with a list of the delicious meals I've made out of my yummy veggies.

Styling and profiling my berry cobbler

2011-05-06T00:06:00.002-04:00

This is my berry cobbler, featured in a photoshoot for Suffolk Living Magazine:

Photo by R.E. Spears III, Suffolk News-Herald

Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

Fruit Cobbler
Adapted from Sally Smith, Suffolk gardener

For the batter:
1 cup self rising flour (I used White Lily)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick margarine or butter, melted

For the filling:
4 cups of berries (I used blueberries and blackberries)

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8 X 8 inch pan and set aside.
To make prepared fruit: Mix 3/4 cup sugar with 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Place 4 cups berries in a pan and add sugar/cornstarch mixture. Add cinnamon and nutmeg to the mix. Cook together, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken. Set aside to cool slightly. Add vanilla before placing over flour mixture.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar and milk, stir until all the lumps are gone. Pour batter into greased baking dish.
Spoon fruit or berry mixture over flour/sugar/milk and then drizzle with melted margarine.
Place casserole dish on a baking sheet with aluminum foil to collect any spills. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

One of the best things about this whole thing was flexing my food-styling skills. How do you think I did?

Food for thought: Falafel love

2011-04-29T00:20:00.000-04:00

Sometimes all you need are a few pictures to get the job done. So, I present some falafel love:

And this final product: a gorgeous sandwich and some fried zucchini:

The falafel recipe came from here and the zucchini recipe is a family tradition from my mom.

A trip to a magical land

2011-04-19T09:55:00.049-04:00

Remember when I said I'd talk about the most magical place on earth? Well today I'm making good on my promise to take you there, in a matter of speaking.
First, the day's most exciting discovery:

Candytufts! And lots of them. They were literally everywhere. I bought 6 of 'em just to make sure I'd have enough.

Then there were these neat bags that you could plant things in but they hung on a wall or off a fence. The next evolution in vertical gardening?

And rhubarb, glorious rhubarb. If it weren't for Miyagi and the chance he might accidentally eat the poisonous leaves, I might have bought a few pots.

So pretty! And ready to give their life to make a strawberry pie better, I'd wager.

The place is huge, by the way. There is an outdoor nursery and two greenhouses, along with a gift section, cafe and sweet shop. I could lose myself for hours in the main greenhouse.

Among the ornamental plants:

Or delicious veggies and herbs:

They even had bowls of lettuce:

And some extremely beautiful dahlias:

This final feature is something shock and amaze. It's called "Magic Carpet Thyme":

The carpet part is due to its ability to grow quickly and spread out, to "carpet" the area you plant it in. The "magic" part, it turns out, is due to something even better. When I took a whiff to see how close to thyme it smelled like, it turns out it didn't smell like thyme at all. In fact, it smelled exactly like Fruit Loops. I'm not even joking. I circled back to snort some more right before we left and they still (amazingly) smelled exactly like one of my favorite childhood cereals. When I figure our where I might actually be able to plant these, I'm going back and I buying a bunch so I can make some area smell delicious!

Friday Finds: Geek to the core

2011-04-15T08:23:00.009-04:00

Last week's discovery of the R2D2 mug got me thinking about how best to incorporate my love of all things Geek into my decor. A quick Etsy search turned up plenty of choices.

I don't have kids, but if I did, you can be sure this would be in their room:

The ABCs of geek pop culture, SuburbanYeti

This would be fitting addition to any (wo)man cave:

Bold Bluff, RyanJonesArt

I love the graphic nature of this one. It's pretty much on my must-have list now:

Retro Scandinavian style Star Wars print, handz

There's something gorgeously geeky about these simple blueprints for the Millennium Falcon. Want!

Framed plans to Millennium Falcon, trasureiland

And because I love typography and The Lord of the Rings, I can't help but think this is pretty awesome:

"Not all who wonder are lost" in Elvish calligraphy, tiedyejedi

And finally, I love the moody quality and the reference that only fans would get:

Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station, kylespears

Around the house: I have a functional dining room!

2011-04-12T09:27:00.002-04:00

Remember this?

And this?

A few weeks ago I managed to clear all the junk out of the room and off the dining room table:

But the massive cleaning left a fairly blank wall here:

My plan was to get a cube organizer and get more storage with something that could anchor the room without taking up too much space. Last weekend, that's just what we did. And then I filled the cubbies in a hurry cause our landlord was coming by with our new lease(!) and I wanted it to look like we hadn't just thrown it up cause he was coming (we sort of did). And here's the result:

Now I just have to hang the prints I framed:

Total cost to me: $35. The cube organizer was on sale for $35 at Target, the frames (available right now in a 4-pack for $15 at Bed, Bath and Beyond) I purchased with a gift card and the prints are from a calendar I got for Christmas a couple years ago. Booyah!

Plant identification success

2011-04-11T11:26:00.001-04:00

It's a candytuft! Yay!
Let me back up.
When we moved into the house, it came with some lovely bushes in the front plot, including three holly bushes, a dying azalea (I'm currently attempting to bring him back) and a few other types I can't immediately identify. There was also two crawling plants that were green and fairly pretty, despite it being winter. But it wasn't until spring that we learned that the gorgeous little guys sprout pretty white flowers. Like this:

The problem is that they were planted on only one side of the house, so the house just looks lopsided, especially with them in full bloom.

That's me in the reflection and to the right of the front stoop you can see our sad azalea. I hoping it will bounce back after a few doses of azalea food, purchased at the most magical place on earth, otherwise known as Anderson's Showplace, a gardening store in Newport News that I promise to talk about soon.

So I posted this photo on Facebook in the hopes that someone would be able to identify it.

Turns out one of my friends from Algeria that I met during a summer cultural exchange immediately knew and messaged me the name. So now all I have to do is get some candytufts to plant on the other side and my home will look less lopsided and more lived in. Now if only I can get the dying azalea to play along too!

Around the house: Outside looking in

2011-04-09T15:30:00.001-04:00

It's time I finally shared what our house looks like. It's a great little house from the 60s and I am so grateful we were able to rent it when we did. Really, I just love it.

The roof is actually dark gray, but it was so bright out last week it looks white. Odd. Also, the "chimney top" above the front door is completely fake. There is not a chimney in our house.

Forgive the bad quality stitch job.

You can see the bushes along the back that used to be 6 feet tall before our landlord got at 'em. Chopping them down did give us a great view of our backyard neighbor's garden, of which I am eternally jealous.

Backyard

The garage and actually the mud room were new additions from the 80s. Back then the whole house was covered in ugly slate blue wood siding. They put the garage in in brick, bricked the front and then put new white vinyl siding on the back.

Back of the house

The garage door is not motorized. It weighs a ton, so we only used it to move in.

View of the front from the side of the house.

Friday Finds: Fun mugs

2011-04-08T09:21:00.001-04:00

This week I hope to offer some options for getting your caffeine fix - or decaf, if that's your style.

Love mug; Chocolate Creative

Bicycle mug, LennyMud

Dandelion travel mug, Pretty My Drink

Harry Potter, Daily Grinder

Keep Calm and Drink Coffee, Daily Grinder

Star Wars R2D2 mug, Daily Grinder

Jane Austen quote, Brookish

One day I hope to enjoy some delicious french press in my own reading nook, where I will use this photo to decorate:

Morning Coffee - Seattle's Pike Place Market, Big Bean Photos

And this:

Shhh, Thebigharumph

Wedding Photo Wednesday: My girls (and guys)

2011-04-06T18:52:00.002-04:00

If it wasn't for these ladies, I would not have had such a great time at my wedding:

And lest I forget the gentlemen who often make my life awesome, here they are:

Homemade Hamburger Buns

2011-04-03T20:27:00.000-04:00

Here's the thing. I love grocery shopping. Which is quite a contradiction considering how much I dislike shopping in general. But grocery stores? Yes, please. My problem is that there is so much I want to buy. It's just bad. So when I'm missing one last component to make a meal (in this case, buns for the hamburgers I decided to grill tonight), I try every solution except go to the store. Why? Because I'd go for a pack of buns and leave with $100 in my cart. Not a good move on my part.

So as I was considering abandoning the burger idea (it'd be the first of many burgers of the season, I hope), I realized I could just make those buns. After all, I had every ingredient, including one last packet of yeast that I had been saving for who knows what. And I have a bread machine which, sadly, doesn't get as much use as it should.

After a quick Google search, I discovered an easy recipe with a really high rating on food.com and that was it. I would be making my first hamburger buns.

Honey Wheat Hamburger Buns
Adapted from Food.com recipe

1 1/4 cups milk, slightly warmed
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup honey (or white sugar)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (If you don't want whole wheat, just go with 3 3/4 cups APF)
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Put all ingredients in your breadmaker according to your machine's directions.
When the maker is done, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Cut the dough in half and roll out each half to 1-inch thick rounds. Cut out rounds with cutters and place on an oiled pan. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.
Brush melted butter on top and bake in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Flip over and bake on the other side for 5 minutes. (I used a baking stone which cooks more evenly and slightly slower. Adjust your baking time down to compensate for the speed at which pans can burn bread).
Cut in half, brush oil on the insides and grill next to your burgers.

These would also make great dinner rolls if you roll out dough in balls. Bake for sightly more time to compensate for thicker dough. I made plain old beef burgers, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and cumin. We also sauteed onions and mushrooms on the grill.

For a side, I roasted yellow potatoes and asparagus tossed with olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and oregano.

Around the home: Cleaning up the dining room

2011-04-02T17:58:00.000-04:00

Until recently, the dining room has been a storage room for things that didn't have a place yet. Or for coats, scarves and other things that really shouldn't be just thrown down. It looked a little something like this:

But no more! I've spent a bit of time every day working to remove the clutter so that one day, we may actually be able to use our dining room table. A shocking concept, I know. I've just recently alighted up an idea for what to with the unused portion. See it's sort of empty and calling for something to live there. Something that is piles of clutter, but more organized. A cube storage system, perhaps?
Yeah. That was my thought, too. Especially after a visit to a friend's house showed how nice they can be, displaying books, photos or hiding other things in those neat canvas cubes. Like this one:

And above the lovely unit, I'd like to frame and hang my Hokusai prints that I've rescued from a wall calendar (Calendars are the easiest and cheapest way to get art. Add a frame and they look like you spent a bunch of money on them). I have four favorites that are about 11x14. I'd love the hang them above the unit in a neat row like so:

With these frames, from Bed, Bath and Beyond, perhaps.

Friday Finds: Upcycled is fun

2011-04-01T09:38:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you just have to respect people who are creative and skillful enough to make some of the amazing things that you can find on Etsy. Granted, there's some real crap on that site. But for every piece of crap, there always seems to be several pieces of joy just ready to be taken home - by me, if I had the money.
This week I sort of went on an Etsy craze and just browsed randomly through stores that popped up by searching "upcycled." That's what will be featured this week.

Amusing finds

Who doesn't need something to advertise their obsessive addiction to coffee? I know I do.

"Death Before Decaf" coffee/espresso spoon by Sycamore Hill

This next shop was full of these reclaimed, old-lady tea cups with random things like "slut" or "whore house" written on them. I literally laughed out loud when I saw them. They also made me think of a certain tea drinker I know. I think she might get a kick out of this:

"Trollop altered vintage teacup" by Trixiedelicious

Simply gorgeous

I want this, so bad. I know I really don't have a need to display cupcakes or dessert, but it is so pretty that I might just buy it and use it for something else. A place to throw keys in the entryway, perhaps?

"Green Shabby Heirloom Scalloped dessert stand" by Burlap and Blue

And this lamp is so beautiful. I wish I had a place for this. Sadly, renters really can't go around updating lighting and what not. This is the essence of "upcycled."

"Bombay Sapphire Gin upcycled pendant" by Bottlehood

I could see getting like 4 of this next piece and hanging them on the wall as art. The shop is full of really pretty designs.

"Red hand-painted vinyl record bowl" by Reclaimed Wreckage

Cottage Chic

I think this slightly worn look of this next piece is beautiful. I really love the graphic nature of bikes and I think they make great silhouettes - obviously, since I just spent money on a print of a tandem bicycle.

Bicycle key rack by prettylovelypainting

There was something about this vase that drew me in. It's not my style, but it's still pretty.

Upcycled galvanized bucket by Alexis BrookeLane

I think my mom would love these. She once did this to a spice rack, though her's was mostly blue. I would put little bunches of wildflowers in these.

Shabby wall sconces with mirrors in vintage white and blue by ShabbyNChic

Industrial but pretty

Someday I will have floor-to-ceiling bookcases that hold mostly books, instead of DVDs. When that day comes, I hope to need bookends. These instantly took me back to the time when I worked at the college library. I love that that were painted a bright color, though.

Industrial style green bookends by Orangedoorcottage

When I was in high school, I got the chance to go to Hawaii. This lamp, made out of photo slides, features scenes from Hawaii. It's a little ungainly, but I still love it.

Kodachrome slides of Hawaii lamp by cameratakesphotos

Wedding Photo Wednesday: The whole affair

2011-03-30T12:48:00.004-04:00

Here's a fun wide-shot my stepfather took of our wedding. It was fairly small, considering the size that may weddings are these days, but we still had all the important people. (Click image to see the full view):

Photo by Alfred Lambert

Around the house: On the walls

2011-03-28T08:05:00.007-04:00

The reason I still feel like a college student might have a lot to do with the fact that our wall art consists of posters stuck to the wall with 3M. I love many of these posters and wouldn't dream of getting rid of them, but I want to frame them at some point, if only to finally feel at least a little bit like an adult.
At the same time, I've fallen in love with new pieces. Like this one:

Which I bought at Target for $6.99.

And this one:

Which I haven't bought yet, but might this week, especially since it's on sale right now for $18.99.

And there's always this:

There's nothing like supporting small companies on Etsy, with this print from the Keep Calm shop.

I love the graphic simplicity of all these prints. Plus, typography is just awesome.

Quick-fix Sunday: Asparagus for breakfast

2011-03-27T15:25:00.001-04:00

Asparagus Omelet

6 spears of asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp oregano

2 eggs

(Soy)milk

3 slices baby swiss

Heat oil in a pan. Saute asparagus with oregano until softened. Remove to a plate.
Whip eggs with milk. Add to pan. Cover and cook until egg has almost solidified and the bottom is golden. Flip the eggs.
Place a slice of swiss on egg. Add asparagus back on one side. Place another slice of cheese on top.
Fold egg over and hold to encourage the cheese to stick.
Cover omelet with one more slice of cheese. Let melt.

Around the house: Kitchen organization

2011-03-26T15:45:00.006-04:00

So we've been in our house since October and I've only recently gotten motivation to really make it ours. Our plan is to keep renting this house for as long as we can. Luckily, our landlord is also all about keeping the same renters as long as possible. So this gives me the ability to really make this place our home, especially after moving twice in the last year.
Unfortunately, getting the house the way I want it will take a lot of time. I made a huge list of tasks. Seriously, it's several pages long and a bit overwhelming. But Travis, in all his wisdom, just said to take it one step at a time.
First step? Fix this mess:

The top of the microwave has essentially been another area to throw stuff that we don't have a place for, namely our pizza stones (one for pizza and bread and one for cookies), cutting boards and some silpats. But it's also continually annoyed me.
So I purchased a $5 black letter organizer from Target and filled it with all the extraneous things.

I want to get a canister for the coffee filters, but for 5 bucks and a couple minutes, I am quite happy that this little eye-sore has been repaired.

Corned beef redux

2011-03-24T11:15:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things about corned beef is that it stretches really far. So, you have you night of corned beef and cabbage, but you also have a chance to make a LOT of other dishes from the original meal. And since I KNOW all of you went out and bought a beautiful slab of corned beef (most likely at a discount since St. Paddy's Day is over), I thought I would share my ways of enjoying corned beef in different ways.

Frozen corned beef broth

Corned beef broth

When you're putting leftovers away, don't throw out the broth! That took hours to make and you now have several quarts of it! Pour it into a few ice cube trays and freeze. Next time you need beef broth, all you have to do is grab a few cubes from the freezer and melt them. Instant homemade broth. If you have the capability, you might want to strain corned beef broth because of the spice packet's abundance of mustard seed and other odds and ends.

Corned beef hash
1 cup diced corned beef

1 cup diced potatoes (this is a great opportunity to use up the leftover potatoes)

1 cube corned beef broth

2 eggs

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add the beef, potatoes and broth and cook until heated through, stirring to keep the bits from burning.
Lower the heat to medium-low and crack open the eggs right on top of the hash.
Cover and cook until the eggs reach your preferred consistency.

And a quick rundown of the recipe in photos:

Chop the corned beef and potatoes

Fry in a pan until almost crispy. Add the cube of broth and cook until incorporated. This adds the amount of liquid needed to help make everything sort of stick together.

Crack two eggs right on top. Don't break the yolk unless you don't like creamy yolk running into the corned beef hash.

Let cook until the whites are solidified and the yolk are cooked to your desired doneness. I covered mine to help the process along.

Serve with a cheddar biscuit and French press coffee. YUM!

Corned beef melt
Inspired by the Summer Reuben at The Weekend Pub

2 slices bread
1 pats butter, melted
Corned beef, sliced
Swiss cheese
Spicy brown mustard
2 tbsp shredded cabbage

Preheat a large frying pan or griddle.
Butter one side of each slice of bread. Spread mustard on the other sides.
Put cheese on the bottom and beef on top of that and grill on both sides.
Add the cabbage last so it stays cold and refreshing. I actually cooked the sandwich, then when I pulled it out of the pan, I opened it and added the cabbage.

Wedding Photo Wednesday: Family moments

2011-03-23T10:00:00.001-04:00

When Travis and I discussed our wedding, we always talked about how important family was to the whole affair. The best part of of the day was getting to see so many great parts of the family. So in this week's wedding photos, I'll be sharing some shots featuring family.

Mumsy-in-law and me

Travis' maternal grandparents. His grandmother is so sweet!

Dad and I during the father-daughter dance. We danced to "Follow You, Follow Me" by Genesis.

Photos by Alfred Lambert

An Irish girl's dream

2011-03-20T23:26:00.010-04:00

If my hair doesn't give it away, nothing will: I'm a lot Irish. Well, at the very least, I know for sure that my maternal grandfather is Irish-American, which in this country means you're Irish. And I love celebrating that part of my heritage, just as much as I enjoy a good German stout, which, by the way, stems from that fact that German blood makes up the bulk the rest of my family tree.

Nothing, to me, says "Irish" more than corned beef. Sadly the poor meat has been mistreated in this country. Either it's the pinkish gruel that tastes good (especially when a big plate of grease is the only guarantee you'll get over that hangover) but looks a little too much like cat food, or its a thin slab of grayish meat that's more gooey fat than anything else.

Unless, that is, you have a grandmother who can make the best corned beef in the world. And I've aspired to make her corned beef ever since I struck out on my own. After another failed attempt last year, I finally decided that was it, I was GOING to make the PERFECT corned beef.

And I did. It's not the same as grandma's, but my tweaks make it my own and that's the beauty of food: Great dishes remind you of your childhood but are still your own.

Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage

Recipe created from my grandmother's advice and my own instincts
1 Corned Beef Brisket (size doesn't matter, but make sure it's small enough to fit in your pot and comes with a packet of spices*)

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1 can Guinness Draught (don't get the stout, since it turns everything bitter instead of delicious)

Water

1 half a large green cabbage (or a whole small cabbage), quartered

6 medium carrots

5 medium Yukon gold potatoes

Clean and pat your brisket dry. Trim any extra fat, but it's OK to leave a little bit.
Place in the bottom of a stock pot, fat side up. Sprinkle the spice pack over top. Add the garlic and the brown sugar.
Pour the can of Guinness over the meat. Add the water until the meat is covered by a half inch.
Bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat down to your lowest setting. Skim any foam that has been created off the top with a slotted spoon.
Allow to simmer on low for 3 hours.
Pull out the meat.
Add the carrots, potatoes and stir. Press the cabbage cut side down, leaving most of the cabbage above the broth.
Cover and bring to a boil. Cook the carrots and potatoes until al dente.
Add the meat back in, but bring the cabbage back to the top of the pile and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the everything is softened.
IMPORTANT: Pull the meat out and let it rest at least five minutes. You will see little indentations in the meat running parallel with each other. This is the "grain" and you need to cut across the grain! If you don't heed this warning, you can resign yourselves to chewing on shoe leather for the meal. This goes for most cuts of "cheap" meat by the way, flank steak and all brisket included.

And now for the photos!

The secret to perfect corned beef is in the marbling. A bit of fat offers flavor and juiciness, but a inch-thick slab of fat is kind of disgusting to eat. Look for marbling and less fat, but don't worry if there's a bit. You can always trim it off.

The spice packet looks like this. It's mostly pickling spices (mustard seed, etc.) and cinnamon, sage, fennel and allspice. You can make it at home if you have a well stocked spice rack, but most corned beef briskets come with the packet.

When you add the Guinness you get this lovely head that the beer is so famous for. But you will end up skimming a bit of it off once it boils. Don't skip this step though, or your broth will be gross and your veggies will be just as disgusting.

Corned beef is best with large chunks of root vegetables. Try to keep them relatively the same size, but bigger is better.

I recommend Yukon Gold potatoes because they hold up well in boiling water, but they also have a buttery creaminess that is perfect with salty corned beef.

You'll see I left the "stem" of the cabbage on. This helps keep it together so it will soften but not disintegrate. It also makes a pretty platter if that's what floats your boat.

Once the root veggies are done, you put the meat back in to just warm it back up. The goal with all this take it out, put it back in nonsense is so you don't toughen the meat by boiling the broth a second time, which is pretty much the only way to get the carrots and potatoes tender. I also don't recommend putting the veggies in at the beginning because by the time the meat is cooked (minimum 3 hours total), all those pretty carrots and potatoes will have become mush.

See the little grooves running in the meat toward the top right corner of the photo? That is the grain. If we were cutting this meat within this photo, you'd put the tip of your knife in the top left corner of the photo and the handle in the bottom right, or "across the grain." Then cut the brisket into traditional, thin strips and you have tender, beautiful meat. Easy, right?

Top it all off with from-scratch cheddar biscuits and a tall glass of Guinness and you'll be thankful for the Irish.

Wedding Photo Wednesday: The actual wedding

2011-03-16T14:33:00.001-04:00

My stepfather acted as the photographer for our wedding. His camera is amazing, but he had a lot of trouble with white balance, thanks to the crazy bright sun. That's one of the reasons I've been putting off fixing these photos for so long. I'm afraid I won't be able to rescue some of my favorites and then I won't have a good record of the day.
This week I started working on some of those especially problematic photos. These are all from the wedding itself, and I absolutely love them and the fact that I was actually able to rescue them.
One tip for those asking a friend or family member to do their photos for any event: If they can take photos in the RAW format, make sure they do. If I had, these would not have been so difficult for me to fix.

Exchanging rings

First kiss as husband and wife

Married!

Photos by Alfred Lambert

When it's cold outside...

2011-03-15T17:14:00.000-04:00

My puppy takes over the couch and bundles himself up under the covers. He's the cutest!

Wedding Photo Wednesday: Not-so-insurmountable project

2011-03-09T11:30:00.005-05:00

We have a huge project ahead of us, one that I've been putting off since September. That's right, I still haven't edited wedding photos. Beyond scanning the photos given to me by my stepdad or uploaded to the paid Flickr site we set up just so we'd have easy access to all of our guests' photos, I haven't even really given a second thought to how we would preserve our wedding for posterity.

It's not that I don't enjoy looking through the photos. So much of that night was a blur, so it's fun to go back and relive some of the moments that have grown fuzzy. The problem is that completing the task always seemed a little insurmountable.

Not only would I have to tone and crop the photos, I'd have to weed out the ones that, despite how much I like the moment they represent, really don't deserve to be printed due to quality issues. There seem to be a lot of those, unfortunately.

Luckily we were introduced to a program from Creative Memories that makes it much easier to pull something together that we can eventually have professionally printed. Basically we purchased the company's Memories Manager, which not only organizes files but also allows me to edit photos within the program and with many of the more useful Photoshop tools, and Storybook Creator, which is basically a program that lets me lay out scrapbook pages using a computer interface similar to scaled-down InDesign. In fact there are some options I wish PS or ID had that are really easy to do in the programs. Plus, instead of buying our programs straight from the company, we were able to support a friend who also happens to be a consultant (go to her page if you are interested in scrapbooking! If you look at her profile picture, you may recognize her husband as a pretty awesome biology professor at CNU). She is EXTREMELY passionate about the programs. Seriously. A quick demo from her was all it took to convince us. Plus the awesome markdowns that were going to end two days after we finally had time to meet with her. Talk about serendipity.

I say all that to preview a new weekly post I'll launch today: Wedding Photo Wednesday will be an ongoing look at some of the photo editing and scrapbook page layouts I've been working on. This serves the purpose of giving me deadlines (which I work better on) and giving you guys a chance to critique some of my work.

I'm brand new to this particular program, but like I said, it's so similar to PS that I had no trouble adapting (though I miss a lot of the useful shortcuts Adobe developers spent so long coding) and already have examples of editing that I've done.

This first picture is an example of some of the detail shots that I am really grateful that some people thought to capture. The colors in this particular shot are sort of washed out and there a few pesky background components that really annoyed me.

So I cropped it to bring the centerpiece in as the focal point. I did a few other things, but if you can't find them, then I'm happy not to point them out:

I loved this next shot for capturing a great shot of dad getting ready to give me away, and Travis ready to take me. Can you guess what annoyed me about this one?

Well, color definitely became an issue. My dress in most of the photos looked white when it's not white at all. In fact, my favorite thing about that dress was the color, and that of course is my biggest challenge with most of the photos. But that wasn't even the hardest part with this shot.

If you thought I just cropped my mom's elbow out, you're wrong. If had just done that, I would have lost my bouquet (which took too much work just to crop out) and that detail of Travis in the upper, left hand corner ready to receive me. So I used the editing software's simple cloning tool.

It only took me about 5 minutes to not only completely rid my mom from the shot (sorry, Mom), but to also replace it with believable details, like continuing the pattern the sun was making in the grass and remembering to give Travis the leg my mom was blocking in the original.

So, what do you think?

Collard greens

2011-03-08T12:31:00.005-05:00

I cannot recall actually eating a collard green. Oh, I know I have at some point. But it must have been so bad that I blocked the experience from my memory. So when my neighbor behind us (we have a common fence) offered up his huge collard greens that I had been intrigued by (see, I even snuck a pic of them a couple of weeks ago) since I noticed them in his garden plot (I want a garden plot!), I couldn't say no. It seemed it was time to face my fear of the repressed memory and see if collards are as good as everyone says they are. Now to find a great recipe. A quick google search reveals this:

I'll let you know which one we choose. With three large bunches, we'll likely be able to tackle at least two kinds (I'm thinking bacon and citrus). I'm actually already thinking of making the citrus collards and serving them with pork chops that were marinated in an orange juice based sauce (like this Asian-inspired one or even this spicy version).

Brightly colored treasures

2011-03-06T15:41:00.009-05:00

Here's the thing: I hate shopping. Maybe it's the crowds or the fact that I am spending money, but I rarely shop. In fact, I've only been shopping twice in the last couple of months, and both times included my mother. See, when she comes into town, I am suddenly willing to shop. And our favorite places are the outlets in Williamsburg, mostly because they tend to be on the cheaper side.

This go around I found many things I absolutely loved but couldn't afford and a few things I liked the price and look enough to purchase. Since everything I was drawn to during the trip featured bright colors, I'd say I'm definitely looking forward to the arrival of spring.

Here's a rundown of why I bought what I bought and what I would have purchased if I had more disposable income than I could ever need.

Because I need more than one

I currently have one belt and I love it. It's a white Star Wars belt with black graphics depicting the Battle of Endor.

But the bright colors and comfortable, flexible knit on this one from Eddie Bauer was just too much to say no to, plus the price was affordable.

Because of the irony

When I got my first checking account, I bought a wallet from Walmart specifically to hold my checkbook. 10 years later I'm still using the same wallet, but it's stuffed to the brim with junk I've been collecting since high school. Yet, I haven't purchased a new one because I couldn't take the hit a brand new wallet might have on my... well, you get the idea.

But a recent trip through the Fossil outlet revealed a sale on the wallets I've been drooling over since I found them there several years ago.

What I can't afford and really don't need

And here's a look at my favorite things that I couldn't bring myself to buy, all of which were found at the Le Creuset outlet. Despite the outlet discounts, everything there is still sadly overpriced. I've wanted a tagine since my trip to Morocco. Unfortunately the quality examples are ridiculously expensive. Like this gorgeous kiwi green one, priced at $120:

And while this piece wasn't really expensive, it is a waste of money considering I don't really need a honeypot. But I still love it:

And here are a few more items that I didn't take pictures of because the salesladies were giving me weird looks. Plus, I've never really taken pictures in a store, so I'm not used to the guilty feelings I was having, as if I was breaking some sort of law.The Zen style is so me, but since I get so much use out of my electric kettle, this might be more of a decoration than anything. I definitely couldn't spend money on something I would likely never use.
As for these pepper and salt mills, I know I could snag similar ones for at least half the price of Le Creuset. But they really are gorgeous. Sigh. My aversion to spending money on a whim sure gets to me some times.

By the way, being Le Creuset items, everything in my didn't-buy category comes in pretty much any of their colors, except that sweet honeypot (forgive the pun). That only comes in the gorgeous sunny yellow that such an item should be. Pooh, at least, would be proud.

More visions of Spring

2011-03-04T11:46:00.003-05:00

Spring is popping up everywhere in Virginia. Grass is taking on a more lush feel and tiny flowers are coating areas of my backyard that had previously seemed dead.

Winter generally feels like it will never end, so it's the little reminders of spring that I am grateful for.

And it seems that spring is arriving on the blog as well. A bit of cleaning up here and there and updating many of the sections I have recently let stagnate has left me feeling cheerier. I've finally posted my columns under the "Outsider in Suffolk" tab and put the black bean soup recipe under the "From my kitchen" tab. And, as you might have noticed, I'm updating again. It's been a difficult few months, but I'm beginning to notice a new spring in my step, if you'll forgive the pun, and hopefully that will encourage more productiveness on my part.

Quick lunch

2011-03-03T18:20:00.000-05:00

Since I don't go to work until 1 p.m. or so, I generally try to eat lunch at home. This allows me to get some more cooking time in (since I can't really cook dinner when I'm working) and also saves me money.
However, I find that I can't make elaborate recipes for lunch. It's just that I'm not really awake enough to keep track of a ton of ingredients and steps. I'm always looking for a quick fix that is easy and filling (since it needs to last me through the prime snacking hours, when I indulge far too often in the candy/cookies/treats that various coworkers bring in). Usually I just make something up from what I have.
Now that it's spring (almost), I've been more into throwing together large salads with homemade dressing, but recent cooler temperatures are bringing back my craving for soup. A quick scan of my cabinets led me to create this yumminess:

Here's what I did:
1) Sauteed chopped up onions, garlic and mushrooms for three or four minutes.
2) Added half a red pepper, chopped, and a few handfuls of canned corn.
3) Two minutes later I added a couple of cups of black bean soup and brought it to a simmer.
4) Finally, I poured the soup into a bowl and garnished it with more fresh peppers, hot sauce, cheese and cilantro.

The soup was both filling and yet light, thanks to the summery corn and red peppers. I used Trader Joes Cuban Black Bean soup as the base, in case you were wondering.

Spring has arrived

2011-03-02T12:58:00.005-05:00

Despite the return of chillier temperatures to the area, during a walk with Miyagi I discovered this beautiful sight:

Despite the leaves that we never bothered to rake from last fall, these daffodils have still managed to push their way into my yard, offering tidings of a great season.

New plan for an old fave

2011-03-01T13:06:00.000-05:00

I have a slight obsession with cork - but not in the way you might think. I truly dislike the traditional corkboard that we were all given as a going-to-college present. But I love when the beauty of cork - it's earthy color and it's usability - gets repurposed into something unexpected.

Case in point:

From "Original Ideas," Young House Love

The best part is that this looks incredibly easy to do and has the potential for plenty of applications. Ergo, you won't be wasting a whole bunch of cork since you won't be buying a whole roll for just one project. Looks like spring is bringing on a whole bunch of inspiration for me to try new things!

Food is better when it's round

2011-02-27T14:43:00.006-05:00

Obviously my love of pie belies a certain fascination with all things circular: Pancakes, pie and pizza. You name it, I love it; and I want to learn how to make it. Luckily I live with a bonafide "expert." OK, Travis only worked for a pizza place over the summer sometime before I met him, but he still makes a mean pizza crust, not to mention pizza sauce. Traditionally, because it's easier to make, we've mostly made deep dish in a rectangular Pyrex pan. But traditional really is better, and for us, traditional means circular. So that's what we did recently.
We made the dough in the bread machine, which gave us more time to get our errands done and a safe place for the dough to rise while we were gone. We threw everything in the machine before we went shoe shopping, and when we got back, we got down to business - pizza-making business. Have a look:

Travis did a fantastic job making a round crust. The only mistake was forgetting to buy cornmeal at the store. The final result came out a little more floury than we like, but it was still delicious enough.

We got the pizza paddle for Christmas from Dad. Apparently our fame as pizza lovers is well-known.

Travis also made homemade sauce. He loves doing it and believe me, he has perfected his recipe over the years. It's delicious. I know I've been saying this for years now, but someday I'll share it, I promise! Our favorite pizza for the last year or so has been sausage and pineapple. It's amazing!

The secret to the perfect crust is a pizza stone. The key is to put it in the oven as it preheats so the stone will be the same temperature as the oven and is able to cook the pizza evenly and quickly. This creates a perfect crust that's still chewy. By the way, that oven thermometer is great. Without it, we'd never know that our oven is exactly 25 degrees above the set temperature. I recommend getting one if you don't have it.

The paddle allows us to slide the pizza on to the preheated stone without it falling apart. I'd give you a finished picture, but as the case usually is, we had consumed the final product before I remembered to grab my camera.

A note on toppings: One of the things I love most about pizza is that the toppings can change according to what you have and what you are in the mood for. I had fried up Italian sausages last weekend for dinner and used the leftovers along with the last of the fresh pineapple from a tub of fresh cut fruit I had purchased from Harris Teeter's grocery section earlier in the week. Yum!

The great pie experiement, part 2: First thoughts

2010-11-19T12:19:00.000-05:00

That's all I have to show you for my first pie experiment. Why? Well, never having made pie before I wanted to focus on the process and not worry about cleaning my hands between steps so I don't get flour all over the camera. Now that I have the basic steps down, I can go back, make another and share pictures of each step. I told you this would be a process.

I can sum up my thoughts on my first attempt in this way: OK. I mean, it was good overall but each component had problems that I want to fix. The crust with a biscuit-like texture, there was way too much liquid in the filling and the pie was pretty flat overall. All this came together to make an pretty good apple pie in flavor, but just an OK pie in terms of the textures I prefer. Luckily, this weekend my dad comes to town for our Thanksgiving and I will be making another pie. I'm pretty I've figured out what went wrong and I know this next one will be even better!

Culinary bucket list: The great pie experiment, part I

2010-11-07T12:11:00.007-05:00

I began cooking when I was young. To be honest, though, I can't definitively tell you what the first thing I helped my mom make was or when I made my first complete meal. My memory is fuzzy from those times. I've read that divorce will do that to young people.

What I do know is that cooking has always been an escape for me. When I am stressed or troubled or tired, taking a few moments to cook something has always focused me and helped me solve my problems.

As time has gone on, cooking has become a way to challenge myself. So in the back of my head I've begun to list the things I want to eventually accomplish as a cook, call it my a culinary bucket list. The list includes things like making biscuits from scratch (check, though I think I really need to keep practicing to be a success at these), beating egg whites to stiff peaks by hand (halfway there!) and making pie.

I've never made pie by myself, though I LOVE pie. That may be my problem, though. I may love pie too much. My standards involving pie are so high and my ability to tolerate my own failures is so low that, until recently, I thought I might implode if I couldn't create a delicious version of my own favorite food.

But in every cook's life there's a moment in which you suck it up and make the damn pie. And that is what I did last night - I made pie crust. And today, after letting the dough chill in the fridge overnight, I will make my very first honest to goodness apple pie with pie dough that I made all by myself and if I screw it up, I have husband who will eat it anyway and pretend to love it.

If you feel like it's time to suck it up and make your own pie, I have collected a vast knowledge of pie tips. Much of the advice contradicts itself since it is coming from a wide variety of sources who have spent many a night crying themselves to sleep after ruining their pie. Luckily for me they didn't implode, but instead got back up the next morning and made pie again, thereby perfecting their recipes for the rest of us to try out. So here's my current base of knowledge. Read them all. Because food bloggers have a knack for being hilarious. And Alton Brown is just awesome, even if I'm not planning to do a shortening and butter pie crust (BUTTER ALL THE WAY!):

Alton Brown, "Apple Pie," Good Eats (video)
Smitten Kitchen, "Pie Crust 101," "Pie Crust 102: All butter really flaky pie dough" and "Pie crust 103: Rolling and crimping" (blog posts)
Pastry Chat, "A pie crust tutorial" (blog post)
Joy the baker, "How to make pie crust...do it" (blog post)
The Kitchen Sink, "Open-face fresh blueberry pie" (blog post - scroll all the way through, there are two pastry dough recipes with instructions)

When I have my own experience, I will definitely be sharing with you what I've learned and I hope you will do the same.

Hamburger Helper without the 'help'

2010-10-19T12:26:00.003-04:00

When I was a kid we were often caught up in the Hamburger/Tuna Helper craze. At least once a week we had one of these easy and fairly cheap meals. And we loved them. Mom seriously had at least 10 cans of tuna in the pantry and as much frozen hamburger stocked in the freezer so that we could make this whenever she wanted without running out. It might have been the first real meal I made all by myself.
I haven't had Hamburger/Tuna Helper in a long time, but I recently got a craving for it. Not to knock the convenient invention, but I prefer to know exactly what is going into my meals. And then I got to thinking: How hard would it be to mimic Hamburger Helper with fresh, delicious ingredients? It turns out that it is so easy I'm disappointed I haven't been making this dish my whole life.
The challenge I had in creating this, was really the seasoning. I wanted to keep this from being just a meaty pasta sauce. I think I balanced it well enough, but, as always, feel free to tweak as you wish!

Homemade hamburger helper
2 lbs ground beef, browned
Olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 med. onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
Salt and pepper
1 cup red wine (I bought a $8 bottle of Pinot Noir, which turned out to be delicious.)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp. Oregano
1 tbsp. Thyme
2 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 box elbow macaroni

1) Brown the ground beef, drain (I do this for health reasons) and return to your pot.
2) Add the chopped garlic and onions. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are softened. When the onions are softened and just turned translucent, add the red bell peppers and mushrooms.
3) Once the peppers/mushrooms are cooked to your preference (I like them to keep their texture, so I cook them a little less so they will survive boiling), add the red wine. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon in case anything is stuck to the bottom (This is called deglazing the pan. If you have a nonstick pan, likely nothing actually stuck and you don't have to worry about it, but stir it all together anyway).
4) Add everything else except the pasta and stir to combine. Add half a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for a half hour.
5) Add the macaroni, stir, cover and let simmer until the pasta is tender. Stir occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom.

I picked this one because it was cheap and also because the company plants a tree for every bottle purchased. It turns out that it is a pretty good Pinot Noir and I would definitely buy it again.

Stewed garbanzo beans and chicken

2010-10-14T22:27:00.004-04:00

I'm a big fan of repurposing my leftovers in new dishes. There's a show on Food Network I watched a lot (when I had access to cable) that revolved around the idea. The host would show you how to cook a big meal when you had more time and use the leftovers from that meal to stretch into two more dinners the rest of the week.
For me it's more about saving money than time, but not eating the same thing every night of the week is also a perk.
After the wedding we took home a bit a food. We ate most of it over the honeymoon, but we had several grilled chicken thighs leftover that I had frozen to use later. So when I stumbled on a recipe that I had every ingredient for (even a can of garbanzo beans I had been saving for a batch of hummus that never appeared) on Budget Bytes, I couldn't wait to get started. So I present my version of Greek stew with garbanzo beans and chicken.

Stewed garbanzo beans and chicken
3 chicken thighs
1 med. yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
olive oil
dried oregano
dried thyme
cumin
crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-oz. can of dices tomatoes
1 8-oz can of tomato sauce
1 can of garbanzo beans, drained
feta cheese

1) Rinse the chicken thighs and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium/high heat with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. The oil is ready when it has a wavy appearance. Cook the chicken pieces on each side until golden brown and crispy (5 min. each side). (Mine were already cooked, I just crisped up the skin in the pan.
2) While the chicken is browning, dice the onion and garlic. Once the chicken has browned, remove it to a plate and add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook the onion and garlic until they are soft and transparent.
3) Add the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and half of the chopped parsley to the pan. Stir well to combine then add the chicken pieces back to the pot. Reduce the heat to low, place a lid on the pan and simmer for 20 minutes.
5) After the stew simmers for 20 minutes, remove the lid, drain the chickpeas and add them to the pot. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes without a lid.
Serve with couscous and sprinkle with feta cheese.

I made my couscous with chicken stock instead of water and added golden raisins to it. I have no final picture because everyone ate it too quickly! That seems to be a regular happening around my food.

Saying goodbye to my best friend

2010-10-13T12:30:00.003-04:00

When I was about 4 or 5 years old, a dog appeared in my life. All I remember of this dog was that it might have been black, it might have been big and it definitely chewed a chunk of my parents' orange couch off. If I remember correctly we were taking care of the pup for a family friend, but the incident with the orange couch swiftly ended that dog's time with us.
I tell this story because it quite possibly was the first time I became obsessed with owning dogs. At the time we'd had a cat for a while and I loved cats. But a few days (maybe even weeks) with a puppy brought out the dog lover in me.
Over the years we got a new kitten, a couple of fish and a cockatiel, but my pleas for a dog went unanswered.
But, when I was about 8 years old, we went to visit a litter of brittany spaniels. The wriggling mass of reddish-brown and white fur might have been the cutest thing I'd ever witnessed in my relatively short life. But it was one in particular, the apparent "runt" of the litter, who stole my heart (and the hearts of my mom and sister).
We took that little girl home and named her Kelly (after the uninspired name "Brittany" was tossed about). To this day I have no idea why we dubbed her that, but I generally called her Kellybelly. 8-year-old's will do that.
Two years later, my frustrated stepdad decided to get a new dog because Kelly was too "bullheaded" to be the bird dog he had wanted. That year Kelly was exiled from the most of the family's hearts. She was no competition for a younger, more amusing puppy. Yet, when everyone was drawn to Misty, our new German shorthaired pointer (who, incidentally, turned out to be even more unsuited for hunting), I would join Kelly on her bed. She would put her head on my leg and I would tell her about my day. That's when she became my dog.
Over the years we protected each other and I could always count on her to comfort me when it was called for. She would be there to keep my toes warm during the freezing winter nights in the mountains. When I had fights with my step-dad, I would usually escape to the side porch, where she would come running and shove her head under my arm in her version of a hug. She never failed to make me smile.
These memories are what I hold onto now that I am forced to say good-bye to my best friend. Home is not really "home" without her.
But the cycle continues. The night after Kelly was put down, I crawled into my own bed and promptly started to cry. Miyagi has generally slept on the floor because of my husband's allergies, but when allowed on the bed, he usually prefers to sleep on Travis' side and doesn't want to be touched. If you pet him he'll move farther away and if your feet are touching him, he'll often chuff at you and jump off in disgust. But that night, Miyagi got up and walked over to my side of the bed and stared at me. Eventually, he put his head on the bed next to my face and licked some tears off my nose. Then crawled in to bed next to me and I wrapped my arm around him, just like I had done so many times with Kelly. Instead of protesting, he snuggled closer. I will never forget Kelly. But it hurts slightly less knowing that I can build a similar relationship with Miyagi.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: "Bottom line" reviews

2010-09-30T20:23:00.006-04:00

You may or may not have noticed, but I have tweaked my layout again. It looks almost the same, but I have tweaked my font and color choices. But really I did all this because I have also added a new page to my blog.

As time has gone on, I've found myself offering more and more reviews on books I've read, movies I've seen and other things I felt you needed to know about, good or bad. I've finally gathered these reviews in one place. I've named the page "Bottom Line" (found between the blog name and posts) because I tend not to be wishy-washy with my reviews. If I hate a novel, I'll tell you. And if I love a movie, I'll insist you see it. I'm all about the bottom line in my opinions.
These reviews span back at least two years, so feel free to check out the page and reread (or read for the first time) those posts. In the process, I revamped and reorganized some of the reviews so there is a little continuity between posts. I also ended rereading every post, and I actually want to go back and read at least one book and I definitely need to sit down and watch the biopic Chaplin again. Maybe after we've moved in and I'm not in the middle of a six-day workweek.

EDIT: Not to change things up too much for you, but I've added a second page (called "An outsider in Suffolk") featuring links to all the columns I've written for the Suffolk News-Herald. I've allowed comments on that page, so if you have any thoughts on my columns or ideas for new column topics, please share. Thanks.

I'm back!

2010-09-27T19:00:00.004-04:00

Well, I've actually been back from my honeymoon for a few days now, but I sort of felt like I needed even more time to recover from the craziness. That and there's been a lot to accomplish since I've been back. I have not really accomplished much of it, but I have gotten one big thing finished. I set up an site for everyone to upload their photos of our wedding.

Our first dance, photo by Paul Beck (my dad)

Wedding photos tend to be the biggest chunk of change for many brides/grooms and their parents. In order to save some money we asked my stepfather to be the official photographer and then told everyone else not to forget their cameras. After the wedding I planned to set up an online account with a photo service where everyone could upload their photos.
This is the only thing I've really accomplished since returning. My house is still a mess. Miyagi seems to have forgotten large chunks of his training. I have piles of gifts (which we are really grateful for) from extremely generous friends and family that I'm hoping to finish writing thank-you notes for soon. And on Friday we are moving back to Newport News.

You may now kiss the bride, photo by Myrna Teague (my great aunt)

But I have officially set up a pro account on Flickr. Everyone can upload their photos there so I can download high quality original copies instead of shrunken files from Facebook. That helps triple the total number of photos I have access to when I'm finally able to afford printing good quality copies. Looking through my stepfather's pictures, I've realized he doesn't have the right eye I wanted for catching some of the details of the wedding (which I worked so hard to visualize and my friends and family worked even hard to implement). He did capture the basic photos you want, but some shots were missing. Having others take photos as well allowed me to have shots I wouldn't have gotten if I had depended on just my stepfather's shots. Such as this shot from my new sister-in-law:

Table settings, photo by Jenny Land (sister-in-law extraordinaire)

So if you plan to get married, I really recommend doing this if you can't see spending $3,000 (minimum!) on wedding photos.

Technical gibberish, or Why I chose this method
I chose Flickr because for about $25, I get unlimited downloads, storage and access to the original sized uploads.
Why is this important? Well, I wanted the chance to Photoshop photos that might not be perfect (most have beautiful potential, but many need a little tweeking) and that is extremely difficult to do when you are working with sizes that have been shrunken down for web use.
Facebook, for example imports photos at a resolution of 72 pixels per square inch and a size of about 720 pixels wide by 540 pixels high. For comparison, the camera my dad was using saved pictures at 4,272 pixels by 2,848 pixels at 72 psi. That may sound like gibberish to you, but pixels hold the information that make up the building blocks of a photo. So, the more pixels, the more information I have to work with. Ergo, I can make a beautiful photo perfect.
At the same time, to print photos they need to be at least 200 psi for quality printing. If you resize the Facebook photo to 200 psi, it can be printed no bigger than 3.6 inches by 2.7 inches. And that is too tiny for me to use.

Coming soon
Finally, I wanted to let you know that I am going to be doing a lot of posting in the near future. Not only do I want to go through some of the awesome details of the wedding, I have several other posts I've been putting off, including: several book reviews (including The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender and Crescent by Diana Abu-Jaber), a photo tour of our new home and the setbacks and triumphs we've hit while training Miyagi.
So, please come back soon and let me know what you think!

Wordless Wednesdays: Love & Marriage

2010-09-15T10:32:00.000-04:00

Photo by Ken Kienow via Ruffled blog

1 cake vs. 80 (cup)cakes

2010-09-14T10:01:00.003-04:00

We are now having cupcakes, for many reasons. This way everyone can have some of the cake and also we don't have to worry about cutting the cake for everyone. Also, my cake topper is a bit too heavy for a cake to hold it up without collapsing. Anyway, the cupcakes will be arranged like four tiers with the cake topper at the top. Like these:

Though, most assuredly not this tall. LOL.

Turtles and cake toppers

2010-09-12T14:05:00.004-04:00

This is our cake topper. It's so awesome we're getting a cake so that we have something to put it on. It was gonna be a small cake, but now I'm worried people will want cake instead of pie. Plus you KNOW the cake will be awesome. I suppose we'll have to figure it out soon. I mean I only have a week and 3 hours.

Wordless Wednesdays: A table full of pie

2010-09-08T12:58:00.003-04:00

Photo by Brinton Studios, via Style Me Pretty

Mainstream Avant-garde: The Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd

2010-09-07T10:47:00.002-04:00

I've mentioned I've been reading a lot, right? Well, I figured it's time to start sharing my thoughts on what I've been reading. So, look for a weekly review of the books I've been reading. I'll attempt to post on Tuesdays so you always know when to check back for tips on a good book, or to ignore my blog if books really aren't your thing.

Overview
Today's book is called The Cheese Monkeys: A Novel in Two Semesters. Chip Kidd, a man known more for his graphic design skills than for his writing, authored a novel. The book is set in the 1950's and follows a college freshman as he acclimates himself to a new school and his seemingly random decision to be an art major. Kidd touches on themes of love, young relationships and even a first foray into gay infatuation.

Reactions
Upfront I have to admit that the book really isn't that great as a novel. As a collection of entertaining anecdotes and lessons on life, Kidd does deliver some great one-liners and surprising twists. Considering it had been a while since I had been able to read books for fun, it offered a quick summer read with just enough substance to leave me hungry for more books.

But my favorite part about the book was the design of it, likely furnished by Kidd as well. Depending on how you look at the edge of the pages, you can see some of the graphic design teacher's favorite life lessons to the students.

As a designer myself, I got a kick out of it. Unfortunately for people picking up this book with intention of delving between it's pages, the best thing about it really is this quirky design choice.

Bottom Line
I wouldn't necessarily run out and buy this book, but if you feel like a quick, entertaining read, I wouldn't mind loaning out my copy.

Wordless Wednesdays: The hairstyle I officially want

2010-09-01T13:06:00.002-04:00

Photo by Frenzle Photographers, posted by forget.me.knot.weddings

On blog upkeep and life updates

2010-08-26T10:32:00.004-04:00

What can I say? I've been busy. While I haven't gotten much accomplished in the past few months, I've still felt as though my life is full of everything I'm doing and everything I need to get done. In any case, I've been neglecting my blog specifically and my writing in general. My editor asked me if I would write a column for the paper and I froze. Imagine that! Me, the writer, refused to write. And I felt I was justified since I didn't really have anything to say. And yet, that is blasphemy of the highest order to a self-proclaimed writer. As F. Scott Fitzgerald said "You don't write because you want to say something; you write because you've got something to say." And it's been eating at me ever since that day and I wish I could say that I have offered to write a column to make up for my earlier refusal. Unfortunately, I cannot say that since I haven't actually done it.

So if I haven't been writing, since I obviously haven't, what have I been doing?

Well, if you're reading this post I am relatively confident you've seen the new redesign of my blog. I love the new look of my blog. Sometimes I'll just scroll up and down the page to see how my posts look on the new backdrop. Apparently along with having lost my ability to want to write, I've also lost my ability to have a life.

I've also been cooking. If you are reading this post I am also reasonably confident that you've seen my many posts detailing recipes I've been trying out. You'll have to deal with seeing many more of those since I just received 3 awesome cookbooks for my bridal shower. I've also been spending quite a bit of time with Miyagi, though mostly we just cuddle on the couch together as I watch this or that t.v. show online. And I've been working and planning a wedding (Less than a month to go!).

The books I've read in the last month (I'm almost done with Crescent).

But most of all, I've been reading - a lot. And that, at least, is good penance for my recent blasphemy. As my good friend Leighton has often said on her highly entertaining blog, "Read a lot, write a lot – that's the golden rule for all writers to follow." I'm just bulking up on the first part before I get on with the second. And let me say this: There is nothing better than reading a book because you want to read it and then enjoying almost every single moment you've been reading. I get to the point when I near the end of a book where I'll struggle with wanting to get to the end because I want the fulfillment and wanting to put the book down so I can prolong my enjoyment. Such is the curse of finding so many good books to read. Honestly, I have no idea why I still don't have a library card. I would read those books so hard if my bank account didn't take such a hit with every book I buy.

But it's not just books. Every month I read the new National Geographic Magazine, every week I check out the Sunday Magazine from the New York Times and almost every day I scan a huge assortment of blogs, ranging from anecdotal blogs written by friends, to food-, design-, book- and wedding-based blogs written by people whose names I don't even know, nor care to. But I do know the title of their blog and have often enjoyed the stories, photos, inspiration and advice they've shared.

When I was a child, books were my friends, sometimes my only friends, if you don't count the cats or dogs I've confided in over the years. From the age of three (thank you, Hooked on Phonics), I've devoured any scrap of the written word that I could find. Even now, I remember the mistakes of characters in what I've read and I use those mistakes to shape my own path. Many of the Sunday Magazine articles, which are often first-person ruminations on a writer's marriage or another's life in therapy, have helped me recognize aspects of myself. In fact, you could say that my love of reading has increased my circle of friends exponentially. Though, I guess not knowing most of these sources keeps them from truly being my friends. I say all this to counter my mother's old admonishments that I was wasting my life with my nose stuck in a book.

And yet, I must acknowledge that I've been using reading as an escape from what I should be doing, be that writing, taking classes in multimedia journalism and nonprofit communication or even planning a wedding. While reading has been beneficial, and still is, it's time I recognize when I've had too much of a good thing (people who know me know that's never been my strong suit).

I find trying to make myself productive harder and harder when I'm not letting anyone down by not accomplishing a task (I always worried about letting professors down. Letting myself down has been a non-issue since I tend to just revise my expectations of myself as I fail to meet previous ones).

And now I will be getting to the point: I'm going to try to write more, without getting caught up in what I think people want to read. This is about what I have to say, which, it turns out, is a lot if this post is any measure. But here's the caveat: Just because what I'll be writing is what I "have to say," doesn't mean it's of any interest to you, dear reader. The point is to get those juices flowing again, regardless of the menial subjects I will likely be writing about. But please yell at me if I seem to stop writing for a long period of time. I would like to be held accountable for not living up to my proclamations about who I am. So, let's see if I can prove, even to just myself, that am a writer.

Wordless Wednesdays: Fuji mums and Lemons

2010-08-25T09:21:00.002-04:00

Photo by Carla Ten Eyck; From Little Black Book Blog

Wedding Decor: On folds, fans and fun

2010-08-22T09:56:00.005-04:00

Less than a month and I'm just now considering decorations. What am I considering? Well I'm falling love with these:

And these:

And, yes, especially these arbor decorations (cause I'm really not feeling the plain white arbor):

They can't be hard, can they? In fact, I could easily start right now and do a few during every show I watch and I'd be done in a week or two. Now I just have to buy tissue paper and maybe some origami like paper.

Can I just say how much I love the Internet and it's plethora of tutorials?

Wedding notes: On hair

2010-08-20T21:47:00.000-04:00

It's one of the least important aspects of my wedding (to me) and yet it seems to be one of the first things women tend to ask me, right after what color my dress is (ivory) or what shoes I'll be wearing (yellow Converse). Who knew that hair was so important among us females. I certainly didn't. In any case, my hair will most likely be simple, just like every aspect of my wedding. For a few ideas, see the following wedding porn (as Ariel of Offbeat Bride fame calls it):

I like the simplicity of pulling back some of the hair, but leaving the rest loose. Plus you can't beat fresh flowers.

Long and loose, with a curling iron to add a bit of flair.

And then there is the low bun with a floral accent, which I'm leaning towards if it is hot and I don't want to get overheated.

Wedding Notes: Dancing with my dad

2010-08-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

One of the first things I thought about upon getting engaged was my dad. I was excited that he would walk me down the aisle and that we would have a father/daughter dance. I remember a father-daughter dance we had in Illinois which was sponsored by the girl scout troop my mom was a leader in. It's a pretty foggy memory for me because I was only five or six, and yet it's stayed with me for most of my life. It's this memory I want to honor at the wedding, but I also want to honor all of the great times we've had together. We really are great friends. When I make huge decisions in my life, he's always the first person I call. In fact, I called him first when Travis proposed. I even called him before adopting Miyagi because I didn't know if it was the best decision.

In that vein I've been putting a lot of thought into what our song will be and I'm torn between songs that convey love and what our relationship is and songs that remind me of him, but don't necessarily speak to our relationship.

For the former I've come up with two songs:

Nickel Creek -"When you come back down"

Beatles - "In My Life"

When I think of my top three favorite bands, Genesis(and Phil Collins) always makes the list, and that is all thanks to my dad. The first song I remember learning the words to was "I Can't Dance." (The music video is hilarious; you must click on the link and watch it).

While the song always invokes memories of driving in my car with Dad, that song isn't exactly appropriate for the occasion. I have come up with a Genesis and two Phil Collins song I could see dancing to:

Genesis - "Follow You, Follow Me" (This actually makes me think of having nightmares as a kid and knowing it would be alright because Dad was there.)

Phil Collins - "You'll Be in My Heart"

Phil Collins - "Can't Stop Loving You"

A taste of childhood: Zucchini cupcakes

2010-08-11T23:51:00.007-04:00

Until I was in middle school, my favorite thing that my mother ever made was banana bread. I remember marveling as she measured the flour, sugar, eggs and butter from memory. She used to let me mash the bananas and fold them in to the mix. She always made two loaves and I remember always being angry that she would give one away. Even the "heel" of these golden brown loaves were delicious and I knew nothing would ever make me feel better than to eat a slice, warmed and spread with butter.

Of course even our childhood favorites must someday make way for evolving opinions. While I still love banana bread and often request a loaf from my mom, my heart has pined for a bread that puts the banana variety to shame. I'm still not sure what possessed my mom to sneak a vegetable like zucchini into bread, but I am forever thankful that she happened upon that idea. My mouth still waters at the thought of the dense yet moist loaf, striated with slivers of green. Mom used to grow zucchini the size of a loaf of bread in the summer. She always grew far too many and often froze some for use in the winter. It never occurred to me to attempt the recipe for one trivial reason: I didn't have a food processor. The idea of shredding zucchini (or cabbage or carrots or apples) had always (irrationally, I admit) seemed dependent on owning the contraption. And then I purchased a value pack of 5 large zucchini at Farm Fresh and I knew it was time to brave the uncertainty and shred the squash with the handheld cheese grater that had never occurred to me to utilize.

And so, dear readers, I am finally able to say that I have made my own zucchini-based dessert. Not the perfect bread that I grew up with and dreamt about, but some things should be left to a mother to make for her daughter as she aims to use up a bounteous harvest. I instead chose to go with a more portable package - and something a little more sweet.

Zucchini-Walnut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Loosely Adapted from Eggs on Sunday's Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Someday I will make that chocolate zucchini cake, but this seemed a little rich for Travis, and I wanted to introduce him to the wonders of zucchini desserts without covering up the zucchini. Most of my tweaks involved using the ingredients I had on hand as well as following my gut feeling on a few measurements/ingredients. Feel free to try the original recipe, but I always encourage you to trust yourself when it comes to your cooking.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (a substitute for oil that I always use)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter(soy)milk (See a recipe for making your own buttermilk here, under the heading "replacing buttermilk")

1 tbsp. plain soymilk
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2 1/2 medium)

1 cup crushed walnuts

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup powder sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place cupcake wrappers into a cupcake pan, or butter and flour it if you aren't into wrappers.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter and applesauce until they’re well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk in 3 additions each.
Mix in the grated zucchini, then the walnuts.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely.
While the cupcakes are cooling, mix the the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract on low speed until the sugar is incorporated.
Beat the mixture on medium to medium-high until frosting is light and whipped, about 3 - 4 minutes. Frost the cupcakes once they are cooled.

I shredded the zucchini as soon as I bought it since it was the value pack from Farm Fresh, which really is the "we-have-to-sell-this-today-or-it-will-rot" pack. Of course, 5 fairly large pieces of zucchini for just over $2 is an amazing deal and it's a neat money-saving trick I've been using lately.

I then stuck it in a bag in the freezer until I would have time to make this recipe.

If you choose to do this, just dethaw the zucchini and wring most of the liquid out in a paper towel or cheesecloth. Freezing adds a lot of water and baking requires that you be very specific with the liquid to dry ratio.

There were no spices in the original recipe, which struck me as odd because the dish just screamed for a bit of cinnamon. It's no sweat if you don't have the rest, I just happen to have them on hand. At the very least add some cinnamon. Maybe 2 tsp. if you are dropping the cloves, nutmeg and ginger?

As I strive to be more ecoconscious in my choices, I must acknowledge that cupcake wrappers are wasteful and really unnecessary. A mixture of equal parts shortening, oil and flour has always kept my baked goods from sticking to the pan and I would have gone that route if I hadn't found another product that I will share more details about in a future post.

Minty dog biscuits

2010-08-08T18:20:00.006-04:00

Dog breath is infamous for a reason. Let's just say that it tends to stink, a lot. Hey, so would yours if you never brushed your teeth!

Growing up with dogs have taught me many things, including what not to do when I got my own. I promised myself when I got Miyagi I would at least attempt to maintain good dental hygiene for him, especially after seeing my now-senior dog having trouble eating because her teeth are in such bad condition. Not only do cleaning your dog's teeth help their breath, it helps them down the road with basic health issues. Beyond brushing, an easy way to maintain your dog's teeth is to feed him crunchy treats that help break up plaque. Conversely, soft treats contribute to plaque and bad breath, so keep that in mind. My solution for Miyagi's bad breath is to make him crunchy treats that have mint and parsley, both natural breath fresheners, in the mix.

Tess' Tasty Treats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried mint
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup water
6 tablespoons safflower oil (I used olive oil)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour, cornmeal, mint and parsley in a large bowl. Add oil and water and mix thoroughly. Roll out to 1/4" on floured surface and cut with cookie cutters.
3. Bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn heat off and let biscuits dry out in oven for several hours (I ended up leaving mine in the turned-off oven for about 8 hours). Store in refrigerator in airtight container.

The hardest part of this recipe for me was rolling the dough out, mainly cause I don't have a rolling pin or a pastry board. I made do with a cup and a cutting board wrapped in parchment paper. Other than that, this recipe is extremely easy.

Yes, this is a cookie cutter shaped like Scooby Doo. I am that geeky.

Miyagi loved these a lot. He was kind of obsessed with them, and he's sort of a treat snob. You will not be disappointed with this recipe.

Wedding activities

2010-07-30T22:20:00.004-04:00

Let's face it, weddings can be boring. I'm not talking about the ceremony itself; that usually only lasts about 20 minutes, anyway. What's boring is all the sitting around after the ceremony and during the reception. I know the two recent weddings I've been to, I was bored to death just sitting around waiting to get a chance to talk to the people we came to honor anyway. So I've come up wth a few solutions:

Moonbounce! (DUH)

Holy crap, that's a huge Jenga! That was my favorite game when I was a child.

Croquet? It would definitely make for some funny pictures, and we do have room for it.

Horseshoes could be fun, though I'm absolutely terrible at it. Of course, in this area we really should have cornhole.

And my ABSOLUTE favorite idea so far:

CRAYONS! There are no words for how happy coloring at my wedding would make me. =D

Centerpiece ideas

2010-07-29T12:37:00.005-04:00

I went on a wedding-blog-reading spree last night. It's been so long since I could stand seeing or talking about anything involving weddings. For a month there I was feeling overwhelmed and kept getting a sinking feeling every time I tried to stoke my creativity with wedding porn. There's still so much to do and so little time to do it, but I think I'm ready to get back to work on it.

My first step will be researching flowers since I've officially decided to take care of my own bouquets/boutonnieres/centerpieces. People have told me it's crazy, but I want laid back, simple arrangements and it would be easier to achieve that by not having a professional do them. Plus I'll be saving a lot of money. And, one of my secret dream jobs was as a florist, so now I can take a crack at it. It will be a bit of a task but I think I'll be OK, at least with the help of my friends. Right, guys?

Anyway, here is some wedding porn involving centerpieces and flowers.

I've already talked about my love of twine, but I think I also like the look of plain craft paper. It's clean and simple.

Right now, the only flower besides Calla Lilies that I know I want are Craspedia or Billy Ball's. I think they have amazing shape and are the right yellow pop I've been looking for. The bouquet featured in the top right of the above collage is so perfect. I love those white flowers in there. They look like mini-daisies and I MUST know what there. I guess that's something I'll need to be researching as well.

Finally, I think this is an awesome idea. I've already considered having lemonade as a beverage. Slicing limes and lemons into the bottom of a few vases/mason jars would look awesome and carry my color scheme into everything. Plus the smell would be so fresh!