The cookie problem (and solution)

Believe it or not, too much cookie dough can be a problem. (I know, I know...whaaat?? But yes, it can!) Often when I make a full batch of cookies, my husband and I sound eerily similar to the classic Frog and Toad story:

Toad baked some cookies. “These cookies smell very good,” said Toad. He ate one. “And they taste even better,” he said.

Toad ran to Frog’s house. “Frog, Frog,” cried Toad, “taste these cookies that I have made.”

Frog ate one of the cookies, “These are the best cookies I have ever eaten!” said Frog. Frog and Toad ate many cookies, one after another.

“You know, Toad,” said Frog, with his mouth full, “I think we should stop eating. We will soon be sick.”

“You are right,” said Toad. “Let us eat one last cookie, and then we will stop.” Frog and Toad ate one last cookie. There were many cookies left in the bowl.

“Frog,” said Toad, “let us eat one very last cookie, and then we will stop.” Frog and Toad ate one very last cookie.

“We must stop eating!” cried Toad as he ate another.

“Yes,” said Frog, reaching for a cookie, “we need willpower.”

“What is willpower?” asked Toad.

“Willpower is trying hard not to do something you really want to do,” said Frog.

“You mean like trying hard not to eat all these cookies?” asked Toad.

“Right,” said Frog. Frog put the cookies in a box. “There,” he said. “Now we will not eat any more cookies.”

“But we can open the box,” said Toad.

“That is true,” said Frog. Frog tied some string around the box. “There,” he said. “Now we will not eat any more cookies.”

“But we can cut the string and open the box.” said Toad.

“That is true,” said Frog. Frog got a ladder. He put the box up on a high shelf. “There,” said Frog. “Now we will not eat any more cookies.”

“But we can climb the ladder and take the box down from the shelf and cut the string and open the box,” said Toad.

“That is true,” said Frog. Frog climbed the ladder and took the box down from the shelf. He cut the string and opened the box. Frog took the box outside. He shouted in a loud voice. “Hey, birds, here are cookies!” Birds came from everywhere. They picked up all the cookies in their beaks and flew away.

“Now we have no more cookies to eat,” said Toad sadly. “Not even one.”

“Yes,” said Frog, “but we have lots and lots of willpower.”

“You may keep it all, Frog,” said Toad. “I am going home now to bake a cake.”

Another option is to figure out exactly what to do with all the extra cookies you have on hand. I looove frozen cookies, and that's easy enough. My boss prefers to have cookie dough on hand so that she can bake fresh cookies whenever she wants to. Either way, all recipes has a great little summary of how to freeze cookies and cookie dough properly, including which doughs are good to freeze and how long they stay good. I also like eHow's idea of scooping and then freezing the raw cookie dough in little, easy to bake balls. This is what we did quite a bit in pastry school.

Now you, too, have willpower! Lots and lots of it.

A few of my favorite things....

Stone ground mustard, candied ginger, olive bars, cheese and bakery samples, jarred New Mexico green chilis, honeycomb, fresh Mozzarella balls, expensive crackers, smoked salmon, smoked salmon spread, Muscat grapes (in season!), fennel, garnet yams (I have yams at least every other day), crusty bakery fresh bread, duck, leeks, caramelized onions (you can't really buy those), San Marzano (sp?) canned tomatoes, good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, chevre, ezekiel bread (for breakfast), rooibos teas, english breakfast teas, jasmine green teas, almond butter, pink lady apples, clementines, bulk dried beans, high quality maple syrup and vanilla extracts, whole nutmeg, wedges of parmesan, jerusalem artichokes, and rhubarb compote.

And making non scary movies look scary.

My Thing

I wouldn't consider myself an environmentalist by far. Like most, though, I try to do my part by reusing and recycling. More importantly, our household has done quite a bit to reduce consumption and the amount of waste we produce. As a matter of fact, I have finally gotten into the habit of remembering reusable bags when I go to the grocery store.*

With that said..no one is perfect, and everyone, no matter how eco friendly, needs their "thing." I have two: paper towels and zip lock bags. Yes, we plow through both, and no, I feel no personal shame or guilt. Both items extend far beyond the reaches of my kitchen, and make my life easier. Think about it- a paper towel can be a napkin, plate, sponge, rag, tissue, or toilet paper,** to name a few things. The organization help that zip lock baggies provide (especially the gallon sized ones) proves to be limitless. Especially for travel (you can thank the FAA for that one).

One must be prudent, though. I only buy the paper towels that come perforated into smaller sheets. Also, we do reuse the baggies as long as they're not soiled. I can't say we reuse paper towels. Does anyone, really? I mean, who actually does wring out a paper towel and then use it again.....anyone?



*Although, this habit was formed more out of sheer terror of the judgmental eyes that peered down at me during my shopping trips to health food stores. Healthy eaters, as a group, are usually also very environmentally conscious. It goes with the territory.

**You know you've all done it.

Random egg facts and pictures that I like.

I am surprised to hear that the egg still has a bad reputation. I thought that all anti-egg facts had finally been renounced by people who care and the FDA (notice the distinction...). From what I hear, apparently people still think that the consumption of eggs should be limited. I don't blame them for being confused, as the recommended amount of eggs per week seems to be ever changing. The official statement is now this: As long as you get healthy eggs from healthy hens, you can now officially eat as many eggs as you want. DON'T SKIP THE YOLKS AND EAT ONLY WHITES!!!! All the nutrition of an egg is in the yolk (here are the hard facts, if you would like to see them).

The proper way to hard boil an egg: put eggs in cold water, bring to a boil and turn off heat. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain.

I get my eggs from a farm and they look like this:


For some reason, it makes me really happy.

Another fact: Dying brown eggs will result in a richer, jewel tone color.

Last fact: I'm almost never into holiday decor, but for some reason these alabaster eggs from Williams Sonoma really appealed to me:
They are sold out online, but I found a set of six at a local branch on sale! I put them on top of a cute little nest I bought at a garden store. TOO CUTE!

Thank you Seattle Times for giving me something to write about

On Sunday, the Seattle Times headlined with an article about raw milk. As a raw milk drinker myself, I was all over it. I will give you a chance to read it over before I opine. Here is the link again.

I may not agree with the article- it is obviously biased and facts are skewed to prove a point. However, I must commend the author. Writing out against raw milk in a city of local and organic eating, nature loving, health food freaks is as good as writing a piece on why you support the Bush Doctrine in an insanely democratic city (which also defines Seattle). Around here, to be liberal is not controversial, but rather the opposite. I've yearned to hear someone speak out in a way which the population of Seattle might not agree with rather than just confirming the same ideals over and over again in, say, a rag like some particular papers. But I am getting off topic.

Back to milk. I for one am glad raw milk is not popular. When food becomes in high demand is when one needs to question the quality of what he or she is eating. Diseased cows make diseased food, and unfortunately pasteurization is able to mask that. The fact is that large dairy plants cannot keep track of their thousands upon thousands of cows to ensure that each one is in tip top physical condition. I agree completely that this milk that is being pasteurized needs to be.

When a farmer of a raw milk farm has only 60 cows, however, each one can get the nutritional and medical attention it needs. These cows don't live and sleep in their own feces. The farmers take pride in what they do, and from much of what I've heard they "are not in it for the money." From a nutritional standpoint, here is a good article supporting raw milk.

As far as price goes? Yes, $3.50 for a quart of milk is expensive. This is fine by me for two reasons: 1. It will keep the market small (as I mentioned above), and 2. Humans don't need nearly as much milk as the dairy industry would like you to believe. This keeps our household consumption in check. I would like to hear your opinions, if you have any.

Project of the week: candied orange peel

The internet has no shortage of food blogs that at some point or another have published a recipe for candied orange peel. Let the records show that I thought of this subject matter on my own before I knew that. I may not be the quickest with my ideas, but at least I know they are all my own.

My inspiration actually came from finding one of these.* I had to put it to use immediately. For those of you who must have an actual recipe here is one for you, but I find that much too fussy and just made one on the fly. If you use the proper peeler, you can scrape off long, candy sized strips of orange peel quite easily. You can try to do it another way, but I'm sure it will give you a great headache.

Bring to a boil equal 3:2 parts sugar to water. Boil the strips of orange peel for about 10 minutes, then remove them from the water using tongs. Spread them out on wax paper until cool. When the peel is cool but still sticky, taste a bit. If it still seems bitter you can toss the strips in fine granulated sugar. Dip half in chocolate, if you wish.

Ps. For coffee and tea drinkers, you can save the boiling mixture and have orange flavored simple syrup for your drinks all week. Just store in the fridge in a normal tupperware. Yummm!

Current obsession: slow cooked meats

For the first twenty five years of my life I didn't have a very good view of braised meats. I don't recall my mother ever really making it when I was little- perhaps that's a Southern California thing? My first exposure to it wasn't until I was in college in Indiana, which is probably swinging to the most opposite extreme possible. Seeing so many overweight middle-Americans scarfing down badly made beef for nearly every meal is not the best way to put a (if you'll humor me) "good taste" in one's mouth.* I left Indiana thinking that all slow cooked meats tasted like pot roast.

About a year and a half ago, I began watching a friend of mine braise meats over and over again for her family for dinner. She did mostly beef as well, but she is a good cook and I noted the delicious dinners that can come from a 5 pound brisket. That was the tipping point I needed. I began to research this technique- remember about this time last year when I first made coffee braised lamb? It was so exciting watching a piece of meat become a shredded, tender, melt in your mouth dish with very little effort on my part.

Over the past year I have been a student of braising. I realized any meat will do, and to date I have prepared many different cuts of beef, lamb, pork (just last week if you recall), and duck legs. The mastery of it is not difficult, as long as you have a good recipe, and it's oh so perfect for the cooler days of the year. Slow cooked meats, especially when done on the bone, are great for your immunity- so long as you use high quality, grass fed, farm raised meat, but doesn't that go without saying at this point?

And let me reiterate how simple it is: you just brown the meat on all sides (sometimes you don't even do this), throw in some flavorings, and put it in the oven, covered, for a few hours or more. Other than the coffee braised lamb, here are some of my favorite recipes:

Edna Lewis' Oven Brisket or Rolled Chuck

Braised duck legs with shallots and parsnips

White bean and ham hock soup
(That's not the bean soup I make, but I don't really use a recipe when I do it. This one sounded good, and uses basically the same technique, except I put the beans in at the very beginning and cook for about 5 hours.)

Pulled-Pork Barbecue
(Doesn't that picture just make you want to reach your hand into the computer screen, pull out the sandwich, and eat it? Or am I just really weird?)

*I know, I know, you're not all overweight.

Just because it's organic...

...doesn't mean it's healthy.

This is what I've been telling myself for the past four or five days, twice a day, when I pour myself a bowl of my newest discovery.

You all know I'm a sucker for cereal.

It's no surprise that I couldn't contain myself when I found Cascadian Farms Organic Cinnamon Crunch: AKA the organic knockoff of my favorite cereal. I bought three boxes (they were on sale). Still packaged, still refined, still processed, still fortified,* but it's ORGANIC! So at least it's not filled with artificial ingredients and dried with formaldehyde, right? RIGHT?

It's like my childhood in a box. I even prefer it to the original. It tastes more....whole, I guess. A little more oatey and a little less eye-crossingly sweet. Oh, and it has 2 grahams more fiber per serving. Does this justify that it's healthy? No. It is not a plant, whole grain, or anything that I would be able to make in my own kitchen. But I just can't stop myself. I get munchy and my body reaches out and pours a bowl before I even know what has happened.

Luckily I never actually eat cereal for breakfast. I would be in trouble if I did. I suppose as long as I keep it for dessert or a small bedtime snack (or both) I'll be okay. I probably shouldn't keep three boxes in my house at a time, though. If I let myself I could probably eat them all in a week. Just kidding. No I'm not. Yes I am.

*BTW, my sister says I don't need to take a multivitamin if I eat this much cereal. Haha.

How stupid they were...

For your viewing pleasure, here are some old advertisements:

Now let's all marvel at how stupid doctors and scientists were fifty years ago. Hahaha, they thought they knew EVERYthing, and yet they knew so little....hahaha....the fools. It's a good thing we are now soooo much smarter and that people theses days are soooo much healthier than they were during the time when these ads were made....(can you tell I'm being sarcastic?)

Wait a second! We're not healthier! Far from it, we are fatter and more diseased as a nation than we've ever been. How is this possible when the pictures above are proof of how misguided people used to be? I believe the answer lies in day time television.

I often work evenings, and as a guilty pleasure on these days I often enjoy morning talk shows. I don't know if I was just paying attention for the first time the other day, but my jaw literally dropped and I started laughing out loud when the commercials came on. I then got a piece of paper and began writing what I saw. The ads (I swear I am not making this up) came in this order:

Splenda

The American Cancer Society

The Olive Garden

Weight loss supplements

Honey Bunches of Oats

Miralax

Yoplait Lite

Healthmart Pharmacy

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice

Diabetes medicine

If you don't know what I'm getting at, read that list again, in order, very slowly. If that's not the most self-evident list of cause and effect you've ever seen, I don't know what is. And yet we think we know what makes us healthy!

I would venture to say (and I really, really hope) that another fifty years from now people will look at these TV commercials and laugh the way we laugh at the ads above. The public in general is still so ignorant to what health means, and the most unbelievable part is that the answer is so simple! In the words of Michael Pollan, "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." When, oh when, will we get there???

Oh, yes it is.

Spring and I have always had a funny relationship. Let me start off by reminding you that I did not grow up in a region with seasons. When I moved away from Southern California, I readily accepted fall with open arms. I love spiced foods, cozy drinks, and looking forward to the holidays. I can tolerate winter for a couple of months, and then I am done with cold weather.

Enter spring.

Spring should be the beacon of hope, no? I know it tries very hard to please me. Trees are blossoming with popcorn bursts of white and pink flowers, and there is a light at the end of the gloomy, mirthless tunnel. Still I find myself hating spring not for what it offers, but for what it is not- namely, warm. I end up not living with spring, but rather enduring it, and that is no way to get along.

I have lived in seasons for nearly ten years now, and one thing I have learned in that they are stubborn, and no amount of defiance will change what is going on outside.* After conceding to this and making some changes in my attitude, I discovered that I can enjoy spring from time to time- those times usually being on my days off. Take today, for instance (yes, yes I know, it's not even really spring yet....so what?). I have no idea when I became this person, but I could not think of a better way to spend a day off work than standing in the kitchen and slowly and methodically shelling the season's first crop of English peas, all the while listening to Easter music.** I have a bean and smoked ham hawk stew slowly cooking on the stove, and later I plan on baking some Easter cookies (not sure what kind just yet).

And again, I realize why I love food, and why I'm so glad I went to pastry school. Eating is so much more than just putting fuel in your body. It is an experience, a journey, a way to stop for a moment and enjoy what is going on around you rather than wishing for tomorrow. And when I look outside and see that on March 8 it is snowing, I close the drapes, make some tea, and still have my peas.

*What I haven't learned is that wearing sandals won't make it magically warm. I still try this from time to time.

**That one's for you, mom!

The dos and don'ts of cauliflower puree

(per my actual experiences this evening)

- DO try cauliflower puree as a vegetable alternative to mashed potatoes

-DON'T expect it to actually sate if you are experiencing a craving for the starchy, comfort food-ness of said mashed potatoes. Especially if you are not used to it.

-DON'T stray too far from the recipe

-DON'T substitute smoked Indian salt if you run out of regular sea salt, else you may get a strange, slightly sulfuric aroma that may remind you of eating pureed hard boiled eggs.

-DON'T try adding whole grain mustard to a little bit of the puree, else you may then get the sensation of eating warm, mashed egg salad.

-DON'T let your husband (or children) believe they are eating mashed potatoes before they spit it out and say "What the [bleepity bleep] is wrong with these potatoes?"*

-DO serve the cauliflower puree underneath barbecue pulled pork. It tastes really, really good together.

-DO mix the leftovers with your dog's food, because I doubt anyone will eat the cauliflower alone once the pulled pork is gone. Besides, your dog will love it! (mine did...)

*My husband didn't say that, but yours might.

What is Tubissime?

The following email was sent to my boss by a local wine importer (this is fascinating and you MUST know about it immediately):

"Dear Friends,

What is Tubissime?

Traveling around the wine road of life, you come in contact with characters that would make Tom Waits* seem boring. These are real people with lives very different from our own but they have one thing in common- passion. They may be passionate about peaches, cigarettes, or newspaper but they share a thread that makes their lives worth living and money is not their motivation- self-fulfillment and the love of life is.** Tubissime is the result of just such a character, one of the new cultural icons of Paris.

Think Wallpaper meets Saveur meets modern Parisian hip culture and you will have an image of Paul Vautin's universe. Paul is intent on bringing Apollo 3 style food, in all its space oddity into your briefcase.***When first led into his lair, it was like a Jim Jarmusch**** movie with past and present folding into one and other - antique bronze presses, strange mustard gadgets that only those deeply immersed in French mustard culture could understand....Orleans vinegar, mustard seed grown in Zanzibar, salt from the ancient Himalayan sea beds or coastal areas of Norway - this was no mustard "factory," this was the home of the Tubissime King, and judging from his success in Paris, he may be set to produce the next cultural slang word that becomes part of our everyday consciousness (like Kleenex or the Ipod): Tubissime.

What is Tibissime? Tubissime is something of a craze in Paris right now- it is a mix of modern day life, form and function (like a Design Within Reach apparatus). It is life on the go with no time to stop for food or to clean up after your mess- you have a suit on, you are in a hurry, you are on the Metro or in your car and you need flavor, flavor from a tube.

That's right, from a tube.

The French take condiments seriously and I don't mean Heinz ketchup. Ask a you Parisian for some mustard and he or she may just whip one of these from their laptop cases. Packed under pressure in a shiny metal tube, almost like a raw toothpaste tube with very modern Danish graphics, the mustard can be carried anywhere and used on a moment's notice. A small screw cap comes on and off and I've seen people in the Luxemburg Gardens squeezing a tube and then tossing it back into their bug-a-boo for next time. The mustards are made with natural/organic ingredients*****, in very small batches and they are not preserved- the vinegar (or sulfites in the wine flavors) keeps them fresh (although I would still keep them in the fridge after opening- the French do not seem to be as concerned about things like that)- I'm sure these will keep for quite a while but I don't recommend keeping them as long as that jar of Grey Poupon you've had open since 1997.

The inventor/philosopher of Tubissime, Paul Vautin, is intent on keeping his creation at a manageable level and each run is made from scratch with small batch ingredients and hands on care. His desire is to meet the demands of the masses, but I'm not sure how long that will last...for now, the Tubissime Mustard King will make mustard for you (from scratch) but we can only import his wares once a year (due to truffle availability, etc)."



My conclusion: Sign me up! I had always thought it was my dream to be a chic Parisian woman with a French designed purse. Know I know the truth- it was always to be a chic Parisian woman with mustard in her French designed purse.



*Who?
**Really? There are people like that? Please, do tell me how you've done it.
***Why is it that if that was done in the State's it would be disgusting, and yet done in France, it's fascinating.
****Who?
*****I guess that's why.

It really, really works!

Call me a cynic ("You're a cynic!"), but I am always shocked when something actually works as advertised. But I say, give credit where credit is due. And I give credit to good ol' Debbie Meyer. She has solved all my problems (well, one, anyway).

It all started when I decided that pre-packaged sandwich bread was no good. Even the supposedly healthy ones. There's just too much...stuff. Commercial yeasts and preservatives- even if organic- were still putting way more ingredients and processing into my breads than I deemed necessary. What I find necessary to bread is flour, yeast, and water.

I liked bakery bread better anyway, so why not only buy that? I'll tell you why- staling. It's hard to spend $4-$5 on a loaf of bread that may last three days, if you're lucky. After that, I would continue to make bread crumbs to keep from wasting until I had an entire pantry full. Also, not very helpful. The refrigerator doesn't help either, it just makes the bread dry out even quicker. So why not just wrap the bag tight in plastic? Because the mold comes on fast. It seems like bread manufacturers had something going on with their ascorbic acids and other preservatives.

You think you've won, commercial bread makers, but not so!

I thought I'd skeptically try out these Debbie Meyers bread bags on a whim. Day 1 went by and the bread was as fresh as when I had bought it. Not even the outer layer had staled. Day 2...3...4...5! I could slice off a piece as I saw fit, and it was great! It was only until after more than a week that I noticed a little mold growing. In my book, that is excellent. Now I use them routinely. I buy a loaf of challah or olive bread and put it straight into my Debbie Meyers bread bag, and we have good bread all week long.

Win!

ps. I was not paid off by Debbie Meyer to write about this. Nor did she send me any free bags to try. I bought them myself, and it really, really works!

Our world gets even scarier...

The following article comes from www.alsearsmd.com

"Dear Health Conscious Reader,

Your right to make choices about your own body is being challenged.

I seldom, if ever, discuss politics with you. But this in one occasion when something needs to be said.

There’s a new bill in Congress.

If it passes, the FDA will have the right to permanently take away any vitamin or natural supplement it chooses. And once it’s gone, your access disappears…forever.

Imagine CoQ10 becoming illegal? Or if you could only take CoQ10 with a doctor’s prescription at 100 times the cost?

You have the right to choose what you put in your own body. And that includes natural medicine and nutritional supplements.

As the philosopher John Stuart Mill said, “Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.”₁

This is where I stand.

But the bill before Congress intends to lessen, and perhaps take away, your right to have control over your body and mind.

This new “safety” bill would empower the FDA to permanently ban any nutritional supplement it considers “adulterated” or “misbranded.”

On the surface it sounds reasonable, but in practice, it means the FDA can make a list of accepted vitamins and ban all the rest. Europeans already live under such a law. It’s so restrictive; most people in Europe buy their vitamins here in the U.S.

Part of the problem is the way the bill is written. The language is open-ended and subject to broad interpretation.

Even if a vitamin company makes a mistake with their paperwork, or the FDAclaims they made a mistake with their paperwork, they can take that product off the market forever. Even if that product has a clean track record.

Also at risk is the dose of a vitamin or nutrient. That means the FDA could say, for example, “Vitamin C is only safe at a dose of 10mg.”

But here’s the deal: If your vitamin C only has 10mg per tablet, you’d have to take an entire bottle to get a one-day supply. That’s another strategy the FDA could use to kill off a vitamin or nutrient.

This bill is dangerous: Both to your health and to your rights as an individual.

I urge you to click HERE and send a message to your Senator.

The Alliance for Natural Health has prepared the letter for you. All you have to do is fill in your name and address and click “send.”

Your voice counts.

Please take a moment to stand up and be counted."

If you're not angry already, it would do you good to know who the forerunners of this bill are: None other that John McCain and all the other members of congress who have money in pharmaceuticals....shocking.

Ok, ya, I want this

Ok...ya...I want this. I need this. I am totally a sucker for advertising.

I am scared...

It's official...the studies are in...EVERYTHING causes cancer.

Let me tell you my story today...I went on an errand for work today to a lovely little specialty shop called The Porcelain Gallery. These people were as austere about their work as any business I have seen. They were not snobby in the slightest- no pretense whatsoever- just exuding the utmost pride in what they did.

I was working and on a mission, so I marched through the front doors and straight to the back of the store where a prim woman in her early 60's was perched. Without looking around, I began, "Hi! I'm looking for the...{blah blah blah}." She gave me a kind smile and said, "Oh, dinnerware is on the second floor." It was finally then that I looked around and realized that I was surrounded by hundreds or porcelain figurines of any shape you can imagine- $750 - 15 inch giraffes and all.

I took the small, department store style elevator up to the second floor*...ding! There was the polite man I had spoken with on the phone, all ready with the bowls I had previously called about. As he was wrapping them up, I perused the displays of lovely china, admired this dinner set here, and marveled at how someone could spend $94 on a single dinner plate, no matter how beautiful. I commented on how lovely the dishes were...commented I did, to a man with a passion for fine china that is likely unmatched anywhere.

He agreed, and we spoke briefly about what makes their merchandise worth the price tag. As I was walking toward the elevator, he mentioned the health hazards of mass produced dinnerware....WHAAAAT? ding! The doors closed. I considered going back in....please, tell me!...why are my dishes dangerous?...how are these better?....please, give me an entire set!....$15,000 for 14 settings?...of course, you can't put a price on health!

I didn't. I should have. I am dying to know now what he was talking about. I've done some searches online, and what I have found is that while you may be suing Toys R Us for for putting lead paint on your baby's toys, there are no regulations on using glaze with lead on the surfaces in which you put your food. Massed produced stores such as Crate and Barrel and Tar-jay like to carry these products because (unsurprisingly) they are cheaper.

There is nowhere to turn! Now I am eating my meals in terror of what chemicals may be lurking under my organic dinner....right...Conclusion? Solution? No idea whatsoever besides replacing all that is in my cupboards immediately. Everything causes cancer....sigh.

*Did I mention this store was only about 800 square feet...in a neighborhood...with an elevator?

Top 10 Signs You're a Foodie

(Courtesy of the Baltimore Sun of all places)

1. You remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard that Martick’s closed.

No idea. This should be in the "you know you're an old foodie if...." list.

2. You know that basmati is not the capital of India.

Nope, the capital of India is Raita!

3. Your meal is ruined when you’re served from your left (or right – the point is, darn it, it matters).

This is only for foodies with good manners. I would beg to disagree with this one. For a real foodie, a good meal can't be ruined no matter how it's served.

4. You know the real CIA is a school in New York.

But the people who have graduated from that culinary school are as cocky and obnoxious as the government CIA.

5. You can tell by scent as soon as you enter the restaurant which four cheeses they use in their quattro formaggi sauce and in your opinion they went a little overboard on the Asiago.

Oh yeah, baby. 'Cept you can't ever go overboard on Asiago in my opinion. Except on a bagel.

6. You would starve to death if you were trapped for 40 days in a fully stocked Olive Garden.

This one made me laugh out loud, because I basically said this yesterday while watching a commercial for the restaurant.

7. Not only do you know what cuy is, you know where to find it outside Ecuador and Peru.

I know what it is, but I would never try it to find it outside Ecuador and Peru. I would place bets that they are the only people who can prepare it correctly.

8. You sample bread from a wood-fired oven and turn up your nose at the hint of insufficiently aged elm.

I guess lose this one. I would never turn my nose up at bread. (non-commercial, that is)

9. You spell Kryptonite M A R G A R I N E.

YES! YES! YES!

10. You’re keenly aware that the first word in diet is “die."

Haven't I said this in so many words at least once a week?

I Love This- infused sugars

Design Sponge is one of the most aesthetically appealing blogs I have come across. Fitting, as it is a home design blog (and one of the most popular ones on the internet, I might add). After Domino Magazine folded, this was one of the only places left for me to go for home decor style that actually inspired me. My home is more beautiful because of it.

I have had my fun with infused sugars before, but this article on infused sugars is awesome. It immediately made we want to go out an buy a bunch of cute mason jars and make a home display out of my creations. It's so easy and beautiful, why not? I can see myself already, making tea and mulling over which sugar to sweeten it with (hmm...rose petal or cardamom perhaps?)

If you want a less exotic way to try it out, I would go with the ever classic cinnamon sugar and vanilla sugar.

The Vegan Project- Day 12

Dear Vegan,

Please know that for the rest of my life I will hold you in the utmost respect- for I now know what it is like to be you. I understand what it's like to go to a party and see that the only thing I can eat is the raw carrots. I understand that the consumption of tofu and other soy products is essential to your existence- even if they are processed and not that healthy. I understand why you got so irate and yelled at me when I worked at a bakery and we ran out of vegan cookies. I understand why you, and people like you, are the leading artists in writing emotional songs and painting sad pictures.

Yours is a path not easily followed. I respect your ability to cook beans 500 different ways in order to feel like you are eating a good variety of food. While you may find peace and serenity in your diet, I have come to discover that my family and I cannot eat this way and remain healthy and balanced- both physically and mentally. But this is why we did this experiment, dear vegan- so now we know for sure.

Another benefit of this project is that I will always have empathy toward you and your kind when I come across you in this non-vegan world. I will no longer roll my eyes when I hear you pleadingly beseech the waiter, "Isn't there anything vegan on the menu?" I will try to help you find something to eat.

With much respect,

Annika

I'm a BIG CHEETAH!!!

Yes, that's right, I cheated big time. But I must explain myself, beginning with the fact that I am a severe "type B" personality, and I believe that rules work well...until they don't work anymore. Today, it just didn't work for me.

I have mentioned in my past few blogs that I have been sick and unable to kick my ailments. I've been taking hot baths every night, drinking tea nonstop, eating my vegetables without a doubt, taking cough drops, zinc lozenges, and all kinds of herbs I can't pronounce. Yet still nothing can take away this dry sore throat that feels like I am constantly inhaling in dusty, dirty air. It gets worse at night, so I'm not sleeping well either. Instead, I'm waking up every hour with coughing fits.

I also said that I have absolutely no idea whether or not this vegan experiment has had anything to do with how I'm feeling. For all I know, it could have saved me from an even worse sickness. Either way, tonight I decided enough was enough. Today I went home from work early, and for dinner I had home made chicken noodle soup with the HOTTEST green chilies that I could get my hands on. Sure enough, within minutes my chills went away and my throat felt a little better- I think this is more due to the chilies than the chicken, but I don't care. I just want to feel normal.

My throat still hurts, but I will be back on task tomorrow. I am not throwing my project out completely, lest the entire last week would be in vain. Tonight I am going to make some ginger tea with honey and go to bed early. Hopefully I can sleep.

Thank you, Pop Tarts!

Did you ever think that I would have a title like that? I love this commercial:



At this moment, you're probably all thinking "Whaaaaa?" Why would I, a self proclaimed healthy food snob ever enjoy a commercial for processed, low quality, edible food like substances? Well, first of all, I'll admit I have a soft spot for Pop Tarts since I ate them a lot as a kid. I have, to this very day, been known to still enjoy an "organic toaster pastry" every now and then. But how can I show a commercial like this, and not only live with myself, but actually like it? The answer, my friends, is what this commercial doesn't do.

I love this ad because it does not make any health claims whatsoever. It does not say that Pop Tarts "start your day right" or "are a part of a balanced breakfast." It does not say that Pop Tarts may "lower your cholesterol" or "give you a serving of fruits and vegetables." No, this commercial is insanely honest. In fact, it doesn't even say that Pop Tarts are food at all! The only assertion it actually makes is that Pop Tarts are "made for fun." Fun...I can dig that.

Hey, why not? If you want to have a Pop Tart every now and then for "fun," then go right ahead! If it makes your kid smile, let them have one. Kelloggs all but admitted that they should be used as a treat and not a part of your daily diet, so let's take their word on it, and if you want to enjoy a bit of nostalgia, you have my seal of approval.

The Vegan Project- week 2 (Day 8) check point

Money spent on groceries so far: $300. Ya, you'd think since I'm not buying meat and cheese that this would be cheaper. I think the price is coming from the sheer quantity of food I have been buying in order to keep us full.

Times cheated so far: That depends on if you count each time or each day. We went to a party on Saturday night, and what was I going to do? I didn't do any meat, but the cheese cubes were so cute and bite sized, and the spanikopita so golden....

Times I've cursed this experiment so far: Usually snack times. Oh, and when I so badly wanted to eat that cake.

This week I'm making: This Vegetarian Cassoulet. Um ...yum! Tonight is "every vegetable that is about to go bad in our fridge" lentil stew. I'm sure it will be fine. I hope.

Dinner out: We'll probably go to Cafe Flora this week (a pretty well known vegetarian place), but only do the vegan options.

How I am feeling: As I said the other day, I have been tired and got a bit of a cough this week. Also, Raj's and my skin have both been very dry. It's really hard to tell, though, if that's related to our change in diet or the horrid weather this time of year.

Two weeks to go!

Sweet Rewards!!!!

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I will be rewarding myself with a dozen Trophy cupcakes when I am finished with this project. You should, too!

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The Vegan Project- day 6

Tonight we had people over for dinner, and I rocked! My goal was for no one to know that anything was missing from the meal (namely, meat). It took a little more work, but when you think about it I cooked for 8 people and it only took be about an hour and a half total. Clean up was not too bad, either.

I made:

~Farfalle pasta with 3 kinds of mushrooms (portabella, button, and shitake) and vegan pesto sauce.

~This butternut squash soup recipe with a few alterations. I skipped the butter, replaced chicken stock with vegetable stock, and for my own kicks threw in a shot of amaretto and little bit of maple syrup. Win! (BTW, thanks for the tip, Christie!)

~Steamed broccoli and a sliced baguette on the side just to make sure everyone was nice and full.

No one was the wiser, and all in all the dinner was....good! I would do it again even if I didn't have to.

Now in other news, I have to say I got sick this week and Raj has been super tired all weekend. I have no idea whether or not this is a connection to our change in diet. At a time of year when it's 40 degrees and raining every day and the sun goes down before 5:00, it's hard to tell why your body is pissed off. I do have concern about our lack of fat and protein, though.

One more thing I discovered: toast with hummus and sliced marinated olives. It rocks!

ps. Sorry to those who left legitimate comments in the past few days. I have been getting a ridiculous amount of spam comments, most of which are written in asian characters. It's getting really irritating and I don't know how to make it stop. I was so in the habit of deleting lame feedback that I accidently rejected three or four real ones. Do comment again!

The vegan project- day 4

My thoughts are scattered and I'm constantly hungry. How many days are left?

Yesterday I remembered black bean burgers. I have made them in the past, and I actually like them a lot. I had to do a bit of internet research and tweaking of the recipe so that it would work without eggs to bind the patties together. In the end, I decided on a recipe that uses hummus. Once I try it out, I may share it with you.

I bought a few more groceries. Poor Raj is barely sustaining himself, so I picked up a few pre-made vegan meals. I kinda broke my "no faux food" rule, because I noticed one of the ingredients in a breakfast burrito is "soysage"....whatever....I kind of feel, though, like I had no choice.

Thank heavens tonight is restaurant night. We are going to eat at Plum Bistro, which is an exclusively vegan restaurant. I have eaten there before and found it quite enjoyable (more on that later). I think I mentioned before, Seattle is probably one of the most accommodating cities in the world to be a vegan in. In face, at the grocery store last night I might venture to say that the checker was nicer to me when she noticed the vegan food I was buying. Maybe she pitied me and my poor hungry stomach.

What a strange little world I've wandered into....

The Vegan Project day 3

I once baked with a vegan, and I always wondered how she managed to not eat anything we made. I suppose it's easier to pass on meat and dairy when a person is making what they feel is a moral choice rather than a self imposed, torturous experiment like I am doing. Today I made a chocolate birthday cake- my favorite chocolate cake- and I didn't eat any of it. I was quite impressed with my will power. I have to say, I think it's the only time in my memory that I have ever not eaten cake when I wanted to eat cake. And you know what? I didn't die! Shocking, I know. Even less shocking is that later I proceeded to devour a vegan chocolate donut in about three bites.

Tonight I ate dinner at someone else's house, so my meal was basically a normal dinner but without the meat dish. Needless to say, I am hungry still. I also had to deal with a lot of heckling as to why I am trying out this little stunt, but I am sticking to it!

I am feeling tired from the lack of protein and fat, I think. In general, I think I am eating significantly less calories, which is not necessarily a good thing for me. I put hummus and olives on my grocery list in hopes that it will help.

The Vegan Project day 1

I've planned out my dinners, mapped out my lunches....and I have no idea what to eat for breakfast!!! I am an egg person through and through. I have one almost every morning, and I'm feeling a little lost now. I refuse to make something odd like a tofu scramble, so now I am stuck. I thought about oatmeal, and I probably will give it a go eventually, but the thought of it without any butter, cream, or milk is not enticing me at the moment. As of now, I'm looking at toast with jam, a piece of fruit, and some tea. I guess that's not too bad.

Hey, vegans out there- what do you eat for breakfast? I'm fascinated by this topic now. Do you even eat breakfast foods, or do you just eat your dinner leftovers? I did find this resource here. I can't say that I have craved sweet potatoes for breakfast ever. I think I am going to try that "banana boat" idea for a snack, though.

Ok...deep breath....focus on what I can eat, not what I can't. Peanut butter, fruit, smoothies, potato hash. I did buy soy milk so that I could make vegan pancakes. I must get on with it, though. Eating vegan is time consuming!

ps. I just realized that photo I posted is an add for an anti-nausea drug for pregnancy morning sickness. Scary...

The Vegan Project day 0

Tomorrow I will officially be a vegan for three weeks (save for a dinner party here and there). I have decided, by the way, to go the whole nine yards and forgo honey as well. I've wanted to see what I thought of agave nectar anyway.

Today I went grocery shopping. It was surprisingly easy. I didn't find myself pining away at the cheese section like I thought I would. I did, however, realize that I am going to sorely miss yogurt, which I have for a snack quite often. I was going to hold to the "no faux foods" rule, and not by any imitation items, such as tofurky, soy cheese, etc...but I picked up a soy yogurt just to see what I thought.

For dinner, I made the butternut squash enchiladas, since we will be eating the leftovers this week. I nailed it, people! They were time consuming, but ended up oh so delicious and wanting in nothing. I can't begin to give you a recipe, because it was so many recipes spliced and edited and then put together with my own tastes as well. But I can tell you, the ingredients were: butternut squash (duh), red potatoes, quinoa, black beans, onion, green bell pepper, green chili, cashew paste, cilantro, and green enchilada sauce. Oh, and corn tortillas. Drink with kombucha, and end with coconut ice cream, and I've got one encouraging start to my adventure!

I am still here

I bet you've been wondering where I've been, after I last gave you that nail biting of an introduction to my little experiment. The truth is I have been procrastinating...er.... biding my time until I feel ready.

I have spent some of this time trying to consume all of the dairy and meat products that we have lying about (because I'm sure most vegans will agree that even worse than taking from an animal is taking and then wasting it). This includes the four dozen eggs that we have somehow ended up with in our refrigerator.

If I'm honest, I am also building up the gumption to go on with my project. I am not sure why it's so intimidating to me, but it is. I have gathered (in my head only, so far) a list of recipes that I will want to make. Things that I have made in the past, but never noticed that they were vegan- butternut squash enchiladas, kale and white bean soup, a lot of curries and Indian food. Also, I've noted things I want to try, like squash stew.

And now that also I remembered that dark chocolate and applesauce are both vegan, I am ready to begin. I think I am going to start on Tuesday...check back!

Well, why not?

I just heard the other day about a project called "The 21 day vegan challenge." It is pretty self-explanatory. Eat vegan for 3 weeks and see how you feel after. So I thought, well, why not? I am always up for experiments, and anything to make the time pass in hands down the crappiest time of the entire year (after the holidays, before the weather gets warmer). Also, it gives me a way to expand my own culinary world, and gives me something to share with you.

Here is where I stand currently: I am not a vegan or vegetarian, nor do I put any other restrictions on my diet whatsoever. I have trained myself to have (mostly) healthy habits, so generally I can let myself eat whatever I feel like. I do recognize that the meat and dairy industries in this country are often disgusting, unsanitary, inhumane, and also that meat takes up a much larger part of the American diet than it should. Most dinners I cook have some sort of meat in them, but not all, because I don't want to depend upon it. Lastly, I could always use a few more veggies, and cutting out meat and dairy will inevitably make me eat more.

My concerns are as follows:

1. Keeping full- especially my 6'8 husband who is doing this with me. I've heard beans are the answer to this problem.

2. Time- Since I am not used to cooking this way, I am going to have to do a lot of planning. Not to mention I can't just come home from a long day's work and quickly grill a fish.

3. I am afraid that I am just going to spend 3 weeks eating bread.

4. I can take meat or leave it, but the things I am going to miss the most are dairy. I consume my fair share of eggs, butter, cheese, and yogurt, and I have never found a milk replacement that I liked- especially for my tea.

I read a little bit of advice about eating vegan, and one thing I am going to try to do is focus on what I can eat rather than what will be eliminated. Things such as: oatmeal, bread, peanut butter, pasta, various random grains, and of course fruits and vegetables.

My rules will be flexible. None of this "don't eat it if it's ever been within a half mile of an animal" nonsense that some people go by. I may even eat honey, but I haven't decided yet. And since Seattle is a vegan paradise, we will be going out to sample vegan restaurants once a week.

I'll let you know when I get started!