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Veteran's Day Artwork

Amanda — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:50:24 +0000

Have you seen the Google Artwork for today? It was very moving to me especially as I remember both Paul's and my grandfathers and how proud I know they would be to have a great-grandchild. I would have been proud for this baby to know all four of them. At least they have left a legacy to be proud of. I thank them and everyone else who has served our country in uniform.

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Menu Plan. . .Wednesday?

Amanda — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:23:08 +0000

It's Wednesday, and I'm just now sharing my menu plans for the week. I'll fill you in on the activities so far and let you know what we'll be eating or have already eaten.

Sunday, we helped friends move. And it's generally on Sunday that I at least think about food. Only, when I was done, I was very tired and my allergies started catching up with me. I don't think we even ate dinner. We showered, I finished a book, and we crashed.

Monday was fairly normal, but for some reason I never made it to a computer in the afternoon to write up a menu and was more interested in sharing my Pie Pumpkin post in the morning. We had burritos (which we didn't have last week after all due to the fact that we ate sandwiches pretty much all week. But there was a variety of sandwiches.), cleaned up quickly, and went to the gym for a good workout as with all our date-nights last week I did no evening exercises.

Tuesday, I awoke before 5 was at work by 5:45, and we went to the "Get Motivated" seminar complements of my office. I'd like to share some of what I learned at a later date. I left straight from the Orange County Convention Center and went to church for a television recording. I got home and fell into bed about 10:00. I have no idea what Paul ate for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We haven't been able to chat much in the last 48 hours except to say "I'm coming home." (This is where I appreciate Twitter because at least he could follow what I was learning at the seminar.)

I scored a great deal on apples, white cheddar, and fresh bread at Target today. Those sound like they could make a nice sandwich for tonight followed by choir practice. (I know. Sandwiches again. But bear in mind I was up 17 hours yesterday with only slight dozing during Rudy Giuliani's speech, which couldn't have been very restful cause I somehow managed to continue taking some pretty good notes. Also, I believe in taking advantage of the freshest of ingredients. Fresh deli cheese and artisan bread counts. We have veggies, too, of course.)

My last two nights this week, I'll be working on French Onion Soup and Zucchini Pasta. Hopefully, I'll have the time for that.

Thanks for your patience with this unorganized situation. I promise to be back in good form. . .soon.

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San Pellegrino Soft Drink

Amanda — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:03:12 +0000

Please excuse the dent in the can. My overly-packed-not-sure-what-I-will-be-hungry-for lunch box isn't the safest place to be sometimes.

We learned about these drinks at this year's PumpkinFest. (Sorry, no story, yet, but you can access pics on Paul's Flickr account.) Anyway, then another friend shared that they were available at Costco. I asked Paul if we wanted some and he said "Sure. I like anything made by Pellegrino." For about $14, I brought home 24 cans of flavored water--12 orange, 12 lemon. I took an orange for lunch.

My opinion: I thought aluminum foil over the top of the can was fancy, I also thought it might be a waste. However, the scientist in me wondered if it kept the top of the can cleaner, which I know can pick up dust and dirt so easily. At the moment I don't have the energy to take the study any further. The taste was nice, and I thought it wasn't as sweet as soft drinks, which I don't drink because I don't like sugar water. In fact, I wondered if people who need to wean themselves from soft drinks wouldn't benefit from the orange-flavored water. Again, I don't have the energy to do that research myself, especially since these will only be a luxury in our house. We just don't do soft drinks.

Honestly, I'm happiest with a bottle of straight Pellegrino.

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Pie Pumpkin Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Amanda — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:06:20 +0000

Last Friday, I pulled out one Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheet to defrost for apple turnovers. But, by the time I was done making the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins, I realized I had over a cup of pumpkin puree left. So, I decided to use the sheet for a mini-pie instead. There wasn't enough filling to fill a normal pie, but a 6-7 inch pie was perfect. My only mistake was not greasing the bottom of the pan before cooking because the crust stuck pretty well to the glass. Perhaps had I used a foil pan, it would have gone better, too.

I didn't have much time and had no idea where to find a good pumpkin pie recipe quickly. So, I used the ingredients in the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe and threw in a handful of oatmeal for texture. Then, I prayed that it wouldn't be a botch. Yes, God does even answer prayers in the kitchen because the pie turned out exactly how I imagined it (minus the crust sticking to the bottom.)

Cost to Make Pumpkin Pie

$1.02 Pumpkin Puree (Freshfields Farm)
Free Oats (Mom bought the wrong ones and gave them to us.)
Free Vanilla (Gift)
$0.16 Cinnamon (Publix)
$0.14 Brown Sugar (Costco)
$1.50 Puff Pastry (Pepperidge Farm Thrift Store)
$2.82 Total for 6 slices

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade instructions here.)
1 Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheet, defrosted (They come two to a box.)
1/2 cup Oats
1 t Vanilla Flavoring
2 t Cinnamon
2 cups brown sugar

Grease 6-7 inch pie plate. Open puff pastry sheet flat and lay inside plate. Shape crust and cut off corners as you wish. In bowl, mix remainder of ingredients together and pour into the pie plate.

Bake on center rack according to Puff Pastry package directions (400 degrees about 12 minutes) until top of crust is golden brown. You may need to cover the top of the pie once it is cooked with aluminum foil to keep it from burning while the bottom of the crust cooks. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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Cooking a Pie Pumpkin

Amanda — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:47:38 +0000

Last year we dined with some friends of my parents who told me I would never go back to canned pumpkin puree after using a pie pumpkin. This year I decided to see if I had the taste buds to agree with such a statement.

I was grateful to come across a guest post on a money-saving blog I frequent to tell me how to get started on the process. Pureeing pumpkins really isn't that hard, but it can be time-consuming. I was trying to salvage the seeds. Separating them from the slimy strings was the hardest part. My stem already came cut off, but I did have to pierce the skin with a knife and microwave the entire pumpkin 60 seconds to soften it enough to cut--even though I have a really sharp knife. Another recommendation I have is to put the halves down in the water instead of up because that is how I was taught to cook squashes, too. The two halves fit perfectly in a 9x13 pan. However, I did not need to microwave them for 30 minutes. I have a very strong, energy-saving microwave that was done in about 10-12 minutes. I highly recommend cooling the pumpkins completely before handling them because they burn fingers quite easily. I had to do three to four rounds in my mini-Cuisinart, but it wasn't a stressful process to puree the batch.

Generally I don't get great deals on produce because we live in the big city of Orlando, but I was thrilled to know that in comparison to the guest post I got a good deal on the pie pumpkin, especially since I wasn't sure what was going to come of the finished product. At a local farmer's market, I got a 3.07 lb. pie pumpkin for $2.73. I found there really wasn't much water in the final puree to drain out. I don't know what that means. But, I ended with a full 3 1/4 cup of puree to make my pumpkin pie and some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, too. I'll tell you how those turned out later, but right now Paul and I have to go help some friends move. As a hint to their popularity, I'll be packing the muffins for snacks.

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Citrus Apple Sauce

Amanda — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:14:10 +0000

Applesauce making had a few changes this year. I don't know for sure if it was better than last year. That was too long ago and the applesauce didn't last long then, either! But, I'm happy with the changes and will continue on with these improvements.

To preserve color, I dunked the diced apples in Fruit Fresh and dried them on a towel-lined tray before cooking them.
Generally, I add orange juice instead of the Fruit Fresh (It's certainly cheaper.), but I added some orange juice to the bottom of the pot after the Fruit Fresh, anyway, to prevent the apples from sticking.
If I use my large, flatter, wider pan instead of my deepest, tallest pot, the apples cook down faster.
To keep the applesauce around longer, when it had cooled completely, I poured it into a couple jars to eat over the next few weeks and then loaded the rest into gallon-sized Ziplock bags and laid them flat in the freezer.
Next year, I really think I'm going to acquire a peeler/corer. Although I had a sharp potato peeler and kknife, it still took forever. With a baby next year, it will be just as much about speed.

I will tell you even when you can get fresh apples at $0.97 a pound like is at Publix this week, I don't think it's cheaper to make your own. Some time ago, I got jars of the natural Mott's Applesauce for $1 a piece at Publix. But the taste of fresh homemade applesauce is significantly better, and there's no contest if you can get the apples really cheap or free!

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You don't have to live in Florida to vote!

Amanda — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:52:10 +0000

Please keep voting for Eat Like a Rabbit on the Orlando Sentinel's Orbbies. Just click the icon to the right. You don't have to live in Florida to vote.

We're still number two up against a well done and well connected blog. We're also number 7 in overall blogs. I'm so proud!

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Dehydrating Sliced Apples-Cost

Amanda — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:48:18 +0000

On my list for using up our Michigan apples was to try my hand at dehydrating apple slices into chips. I found an improved source of information for how to do so effectively at Seasonal Chef.

It takes about one small-medium apple to fill each jar with chips. (I used two larger Golden Delicious and two smaller Jonagold.) However, I'm warning you, they don't last long. My jars lasted about a week with Paul and his folks hanging around. I'm not complaining at all. After all, you cook for people to eat, and I still believe the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. But, you may find it's a lot of work for such short-lived pleasure.

A few additional ideas to add to the Seasonal Chef: I soaked the apple slices in ascorbic acid crystals dissolved in water as I was cutting them to prevent the color change. I used Fruit Fresh throughout the apple preservation process and was never disappointed. Also, I put a piece of saran wrap over each dehydrator tray. I promise it will not interfere with the dehydrating process, and it is so much easier to remove the chips from the rack when they're done. Two jars/apples were sprinkled with cinnamon before dehydration. The other two were left plain. Dehydration lasted overnight on medium-low in the dehydrator. The plus side is that the only effort on the cook's part is to peel, core, and slice the apples. If you've got the time to wait on the dehydrator, then it's an easy--if not fast--way to make a healthy snack.

The cost of such an adventure is estimated at $2.92--$0.14 for a tsp. of the Fruit Fresh, plus another $0.05 for the cinnamon and $2.72 for the apples. That's $0.49 a jar! Naturally as with the apple crisp, you can make this much cheaper by taking advantage of apple sales or you can make this recipe more expensive by acquiring rare and higher-priced apples. Any way you slice it (pun intended) this is also a pretty economical snack, too.

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Breakfast Apple Crisp-Recipe and Cost

Amanda — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:54:37 +0000

I added Smitten Kitchen's recipe for breakfast apple crisp to my recommended links about three weeks ago. The recipe was a use for my large batch of Michigan apples. Not surprisingly, it was amazingly good, and I'm happy to say I have a couple gallon bags full of already diced apples that I can whip this easy recipe up again and again over the next few months. I know another apple crisp will be top priority for breakfasts over the holidays.

One of the cool things about this recipe is the fact that it's actually meant to be served cold, which is a great time-saver on busy mornings. But at the same time, I heated some for trial and was in love with it, too. Turn this dish into a great dessert just by warming it and serving it with vanilla ice cream instead of eating it cold in a bowl with yogurt.

Cost for this recipe was difficult to come by because some of the items were donations from my mother, which left me without a receipt to calculate the cost. Moreover, the price of the apples was much higher than the $0.99-$1.00 sales that I've seen lately. Therefore, this recipe has some estimated calculations, but also can be made much more cheaply or much more expensively (with say, Honey Crisp apples that run about $2.40 lb. at their cheapest.)

I will say sometimes it's hard to calculate 3 lbs. of apples. I used 7-8 small Jonagolds, and that seemed perfect. Also, the recipe doesn't specify quick oats or old fashioned. We used old fashioned, which often don't come out as dark and crispy. But, I do not complain about the taste either way. I didn't have almonds or coconut, but have plenty of beautiful Mississippi pecans. I chopped up 1/2-3/4 cup (at the end) of the pecans in my mini food processor and was perfectly happy with my alternative nut choice.

Cost to Make Apple Crisp

$4.78 Apples (Local school had them shipped in)
$0.62 Oatmeal (Estimated cost, Mom bought the wrong kind)
$0.45 Butter (Costco)
$0.44 Honey (Local, friends)
Free Pecans (From Paul's home)
$0.40 Lemon Juice (Publix)
$0.05 Brown Sugar (Costco)
$0.03 Cornstarch (Walmart)
$0.09 Flour (Publix)
$0.16 Cinnamon (Publix)
$0.01 Salt (Publix)
$7.03 Total fed 4 for 4 mornings

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Eat Like a Rabbit Second on Orlando Orbbies?

Amanda — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:56:45 +0000

This is your daily wake-up call to vote!

I was selfish last night and completely forgot that Garrett Nudd's Photography Blog is also on the Orlando Orbbies. He's often a guest poster, guest photographer and/or food critic for Eat Like a Rabbit. You can vote for him, too.

If the name of the blog on the list changes based on placement, as I assume it must because Eat Like a Rabbit has been constantly moving up the list, then I'm excited to share that we are number two! We are also number 10 for best overall blog! This is very impressive because there are some great blogs out there, not just foodie blogs.

Thank you to those who have given a plug for the site on their Facebook (John!) and for everyone who is emailing that we have their vote.

Keep telling your friends and voting!

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Vote Early, Vote Often-Huey P. Long

Amanda — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:17:00 +0000

Well, it's too late to vote early, but please, please, please vote every day this week for EatLikeaRabbit.net to be the Orlando Sentinel Orbbies Best Foodie Blog. And, yes, I will be reminding you every day. Just click the icon above! Thank you very much!

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Menu for Week of November 2

Amanda — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:59:56 +0000

Obviously, the dirty dishes pictured aren't from this past week. We dirtied very few additional dishes in our effort to empty out the fridge, which was lovely for my aching feet and tough work schedule this week.

Finally, on Friday, I spent 5 hours in the kitchen cooking up some lovely goodies for the weekend. Photos and stories will be coming up in the next few days. That being said, I never made it to the grocery store last week and will be cooking from my increasingly (but intentionally) dwindling selections in the pantry and freezer. That being said, my Monday menu plan seems sparse, but as always, is subject to change if a) the temperature in Florida goes down enough for me to get away with making a soup or b) a surprise comes with a tempting idea at the grocery store. Luckily, these are items we haven't had in a while (even if they were originally on the menu).

Menu for Week

Burritos
Cooked Veggie Pita Bread Sandwiches
Pasta
Homemade Veggie Burgers with Organic Bread (Found a mix at Whole Foods. Thought we should review it.)
What to do with the leftover butternut squash?

We have some beautiful fruits around the kitchen, which will be on every plate of meals this week (along with a few treats I made on Friday). We have a pear-looking thing Paul picked up at Whole Foods, some clementines, some fabulous honey-crisp apples. And of course, I'm gonna have to acquire a pineapple cause that's what the baby wants!

I have some leftover roasted butternut squash from Saturday night. If someone has a great recommendation for the leftovers, please share with an email or a comment to this post.

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Pan-Crisped Deviled Eggs-The Splendid Table

Amanda — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:36:45 +0000

These were the deviled eggs I made to be the protein with our leftover salad pieces last week. You can see a much more detailed story with cost to make from the first time I made these using The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper on this previous post. Although, I should point out this salad also had carrots, bell peper, and cucumber. Obviously, if you find these foods on sale, it's still a great price for a fancy salad.

Yesterday, I served the leftover eggs cold with a variety of sauteed vegetables over baked potatoes. I was a little nervous that they wouldn't be good cold, but they actually tasted quite good--possibly even not as strong in garlic and onion flavor.

This may be the last time I make these eggs because I haven't figured out what to do with the leftover stuffing. We weren't particularly fond of turning the stuffing into the salad dressing. We would have been much happier either just sprinkling the stuffing over the salad as well or using it to make an egg salad sandwich for lunch the next day. I guess we'll wait and see. Still, it made a pretty addition to what otherwise would have looked and tasted like a traditional and rather boring salad (if you traditionally find salads boring, that is).

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Seasons 52-Altamonte Springs, Florida-Fall Menu

Amanda — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:20:10 +0000

So much of this post should be about focusing on the great pictures. And it's not just about giving Paul all the credit for the fabulous photography. The last time we were at Seasons 52 would have been my birthday, and the restaurant still had roughly the same fall/winter menu with a few changes. In fact, the items from February's post were still available. I'm not complaining. As long as the quality is consistent, there are no issues for me. I suppose we don't visit Seasons 52 during the summer because there are so many options available for cooking at home.

Speaking of cooking at home, the butternut squash on the big vegetable plate is the inspiration for our choice of dish for PumpkinFest this Saturday night. Stay tuned for how it turns out.

Back to the pics, starting from the top we have a fabulous side salad with a super-light dressing. What makes the salad special is the toasted pumpkin seeds on top. If you're all alone and looking for a light lunch or dinner, pair it with the rosemary flatbread. Mmm. Next is the Winter Vegetable Plate Last year's menu had cranberry tabouleh. This year was wild rice. Otherwise, everything was just the same and just as good. I asked if the pasta could be had without shrimp and the waitress generously offered extra veggies or tofu. I chose the tofu. It was fabulous! For a while, I thought the sauce had a beef broth base in addition to the lemon and basil. Turns out, it was the porcini mushrooms. Have them also leave out the slivered parm on top and double check for EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil) in the sauce for a vegan dish. The vegetable side special was brussel sprouts sauteed in garlic. I wonder if frozen sprouts could have the same results.

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Activities

Amanda — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:36:32 +0000

Don't get too hyped. I know we only normally show just photos of food. These are not photos of food, however.

Tying into the "balanced lifestyle" idea, I show proof that I'm not letting my fat belly slow me down. Although, I'm sorry to say I feel much fatter than these photos show. The first photo on the bicycle was from early October. The second was from this weekend at Apollo Beach on Cape Canaveral. If I had known Paul had his camera aimed at me, I'd have posed better. Anyway, this is for everyone who's been wanting to see pictures of me. I guess truthfully, we haven't even slowed down for a photo shoot. Maybe we'll plan one when my grandmother gets here next week or around Christmas when LOTS of people will be here because by then I shouldn't travel.

The alligator and monkey were from our boat ride down Silver Springs with Captain Jack and Connie (and Paul's folks and my dad, too.) Friends, sunshine, and a serious review of wild nature from a safe distance are great aspects of a balanced lifestyle. This is a truly fabulous time to take advantage of Florida. The weather isn't unbearably hot; so, it's time to find excuses to be outside.

We took the same picnic sandwiches to the beach on Sabbath afternoon and on the boat on Sunday. You may recall me saying on Monday the monkeys were on the other side of the river from us while we ate and stared at us quite intently wondering how we were going to get food to them. We were good citizens and followed the rules that say don't feed the monkeys. I don't think we'll be friends now, however.

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Sole Food

Amanda — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:47:33 +0000

Paul picked up a copy of the Orlando Weekly with an interesting cover on it. The title said "Sole Food." I spent the last few days reading and rereading it. Then, in my free time, I thought about it. First, I searched for a true definition of Sole Food, which was hard to do since my brain kept wanting to spell "soul". Then, I tracked down the original article in the Baltimore City Paper.

There were plenty of negative comments about the article. And I must say, I had a few questions of my own (like most people--including ourselves--have even less of a monthly budget for food than $343. Plus toiletries and diapers have to come out of that budget, too.) But, I followed along with the positive comments and decided it was a good idea to use the article as a learning experience. After all, that's really why I read news items--too broaden my horizons.

First, I started feeling guilty. I'm not obsessed with SOLE food. I buy local if it's cheaper. I buy organic when it's a great deal because if often tastes better and lasts longer. But I have no way of making sure the sources are sustainable and ethical. In fact, I started to wonder how I could know if even the grocery store itself was operating ethically. After all, even if the bulk of my groceries came from a Sole Source, wouldn't I be a hypocrite if the grocery store where I got the rest of my purchases weren't so ethical. Should I even worry about that? Oh, and I should totally scold myself for buying those California grapes last week that traveled so far just because the baby was craving them!

So then, I started to feel a bit jealous. Two sets of friends of ours who live in Washington State have access to CSAs (community supported agriculture, a farming co-op) and large fields of apples and squashes to acquire in the fall and preserve for the remainder of the year. We live in Florida! Even our orange groves where we use to get jams and citrus have disappeared thanks to the housing boom. (This is a whole other story cause now the economy is keeping the houses from being built and the groves are still gone!) There are a few co-ops available in Orlando, but most of what's sold are herbs and bread and you don't pay a one-time monthly fee. You pay for each item you want. Well, I grow my own herbs and have other sources for bread, and the prices were unacceptable if you ask me. The next best thing is the Sunday Maitland Farmers Market or to drive to Tampa and visit that big Farmers Market. Maitland is easy, but driving to Tampa defeats the purpose of buying locally with all the fossil fuels I would burn on the round-trip.

Next came the "Now what?" phase. After my pitty-party, it occurred to me that I don't think I do so badly. Paul loves the taste of Stonyfield Farms yogurt. It's organic, and I pay for it because Paul likes it. Paul gets organic soy milk from Costco, and I drink the moo-kind that is clearly labeled "No Hormones" (often not from Costco). I love Muir Glen canned tomatoes. They're organic and are much better for making my own pasta sauce--especially in the winter when tomatoes are out of season. I consider that a good investment, too, because I'm using my own herbs to flavor the sauce. I visit farmers markets when I can for produce, which we like to have a lot of in our diet. But, the main reason I purchase locally is because of the nutrients, freshness, and ripeness of the product. I don't like the still-green-and-painted veggies in the grocery stores. I want to be able to eat my produce in the next few days, not next week!

Baby Rabbit will be eating fresh-smashed foods instead of jarred baby food when possible to cut down on the trash that will come out of our house--especially in the diaper department. I want to create an environment that is positive and welcoming to our baby. I would love nothing more than to take "field trips" to the farm to select our produce for the week. I think it also instills a love for food and for its source. And, I'm still wanting to expand our container garden. So, these ideas and ideals haven't changed. My goals still haven't changed. What I've learned from the article is to appreciate the efforts other individuals put into paying attention to where their food comes from, even if they aren't completely accurate. Personally, I'll keep learning how to buy the best I can. At least I can watch out for SOLE food now that I know what it means.

By the way, I do want to add that a comment on the Baltimore City Paper website pointed out that one of the best SOLE food actions is to become vegetarian or vegan. I had to smile in agreement. That's one more way, I feel like I'm doing my part to help the environment.

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Eat Like a Rabbit featured on CNN.com

Amanda — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:27:03 +0000

It seems like everyone is still talking about the shocking end to Gourmet Magazine. The topic is still getting business at CNN.com. In fact, Reporter Lila King posted a story with photos, captions, and a link to the iReport page where fans of Gourmet shared their stories. Guess whose photo was on the CNN homepage and is the second feature photo on the story page? Ironically, the photo is of the garlic-almond pasta sauce over egg noodles that I planned on serving this week. I invite you to see the story for yourself and view some of the other amazing photos featured.

Thanks, Lila, for being such a fun reporter to work with.

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Menu for Week of October 26, 2009

Amanda — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:51:30 +0000

Click on the photograph to go to Paul's Flickr page for a closer-up view of the monkeys. There's nothing like sitting in a boat having a picnic lunch and watching the monkeys watch you and wonder how they can get across the river to partake, too. We had quite a show. One of the best times was when a piroux came by with a dog and three adults. The dog watched us 'til he saw the monkeys. He got in really big trouble for barking and scaring them. Thanks, Connie and Jack for a great day!

It's a good thing I've moved my menu planning to Mondays. We had such a busy weekend that I couldn't even start thinking about the week's meals until this morning. Luckily, we have tons of leftovers that will provide us with steady eating for all three daily meals the rest of the week without too much stress on my brain or on my feet. I had a good deal of pain after standing for many hours in flip-flops (yes, I'm bad) to make the phenomenal Apple Crisp and Apple Sauce. Next on my list are apple turnovers and an apple-cranberry pie. (The recipe for the pie is in my November Gourmet, but I can't find it on the website.) Although, I may need a week of recovery before I start working on those.

Also, next Saturday Night is our annual PumpkinFest with tons of friends, serious eating, and hilarious games. So, the item of biggest necessity right now is to create a successful pumpkin or fall squash dish to bring to the bash. Any recommendations are welcome.

This Week's Menu

Rediburger Loaf Sandwiches with corn on the cob
Pan-crisped Deviled Eggs and salad
Morning Star Farms Asian Patties with veggies and rice
Veggie and veggie-turkey Fajitas
Something with the last bag egg noodles left at Aldi on Friday--a veggie beef stroganoff? Or Almond Pasta with Veggies? Will think on that one.

Some days I'll be making dinner for three this week as my dad is still alone due to my mother being out of town. Paul has three days of lentils and rice for lunches. However, if something changes, we'll eat that for dinner one night. Also, we have plenty of other leftovers like pancakes for breakfast and pomegranates to top ice cream. (I think this dessert only works in the south where the fruit is in season, but it's still hot enough to want a cold dessert. By the way, even my mother-in-law was surprised at how good our creation was. We're quite proud of it.)

What are you eating this week? Will you be spending more time in your kitchen cause your freezer has run out of stock or will you be trying to clean out what you have to make room for the holiday foods to come? Please share in the comments below.

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Annual Compassionate Thanksvegan Dinner

Amanda — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:18:51 +0000

If you're in town on November 22 and are looking for people who feel as strongly about their vegan food as you do, take a look at this scheduled event for the day. It's called Thanksvegan, which is a clever name for a luncheon and games for the children focusing on being compassionate toward animals during a season that is often focused on gluttony and turkey or ham.

The following are some vegan or easy-to-make-vegan recipes that you might want to bring to share.

Make Pesto without Parm to top the spaghetti squash.
Especially if it's kinda warm, consider bringing a chilled drink like this fruit smoothie with spinach.
Butternut squash risotto takes advantage of the in-season veggie.
Remember, the last issue of Gourmet Magazine has some vegetarian/vegan recommendations for Thanksgiving dishes.

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Muir Glen Coupons and Why You Should Consider Them

Amanda — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:11:00 +0000

We first learned about Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes when we were doing our "Pasta Taste Test." I didn't have a coupon at the time and had no idea how much I would fall in love with them. I have since quit buying pasta sauce--even when it's available for a great price. I love making my own with these full-flavor tomatoes, a little onion, garlic, and basil from our herb garden. However, I have become a serious believer in couponing (Especially when it comes to stocking up on diapers!) and love finding links to print $1 coupons for 1 Muir Glen Product ($1/1). I can buy 8 oz. cans of Tomato Sauce at my local Publix for $0.89 a can. With the coupon, the tomatoes are free! If I get a can of diced tomatoes, I end up paying about $0.40. That's a great price for organic-anything! Below are a few links to $1/1 printable coupons. You can print two per computer. You can also find notes to get an additional coupon by becoming a fan on Facebook in the Recommended Links in the right hand column.

Sign up for Eat Better America and get Coupons emailed to you like I did today.
You can always go to the Muir Glen Website.
Google or other search engines can lead you to coupon printing websites.

Know where some more great Muir Glen Coupons are? Please add it to the comments below so other readers can benefit, too. Also, please know that there are plenty other products in addition to the canned tomatoes. I just know if I stock up on the canned tomatoes, I'll always be able to use them.

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Dandelion CommuniTea Cafe Welcomes My In-Laws to Orlando

Amanda — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:45:17 +0000

When Paul's folks were getting to Orlando last night, it was near dinner time. I asked Paul if he wanted to meet them somewhere and eat faster. I wasn't surprised with his choice of Dandelion CommuniTea Cafe. We have done a lot of eating there recently, including last month when Paul took a group of fellow attendees at an internet conference there for dinner on a Saturday night. The restaurant is a great choice for individuals who are vegan or who are allergic to dairy or wheat. Since I have pretty much been perfectly happy with salad, grapes and an occasional pizza during this pregnancy, I was more than happy to visit the restaurant for a salad I didn't have to make or clean up myself.

In case we haven't shared a photograph of it before, the Giddyup can be a salad or a wrap in "haystack" style--chili, blue corn chips, mixed greens, tomatoes, scallions, and vegan or organic cheese. We always choose the side of hummus, and Paul adds a ranch-style salad dressing called "green goddess" for an extra $0.50. My salad included a nice variety of vegetables, and I always like the sunflower seed topping.

Paul's dad had a copy of Paul's dish, which I can totally understand. I was asking Paul for bites of his until I started to feel guilty eating his meal and mine, too. Paul's mom had the most disappointing meal. The last time I ordered Guinoa at Dandelion, it came with a side salad and there was one quinoa special a day. This time, you could make your own with two bean choices, two veggies, or one of each; and vegan or organic cheese or salad dressing of choice. I liked the thought of thinking up "fixings," but was stunned to learn that for what I'm pretty sure is the same price, the quinoa now comes in a small soup bowl without salad. It's certainly not a large enough amount to fill the Average Joe. Fortunately, Paul's dad was nice and shared his Giddyup. I highly recommend if getting the quinoa, which is still pretty yummy, go ahead and add the side salad like I had.

Another change that has taken place since we started visiting Dandelion is that you order at the entrance. (You are still allowed to sit down at your table to review your menu.) Then, you only see a server when your food is being delivered to your table. It comes out feeling more like a fast-food joint than a relaxed environment because you fend for yourself more. Fortunately, I feel the down-sides are overshadowed by consistently good food.

It's hard to believe how completely underwhelmed I was the first time we ate at Dandelion. Looking back, I am so grateful Paul encouraged me to try again. We don't do that with every restaurant we visit, but I know I would be so sorry if I had not given Dandelion CommuniTea Cafe a second chance.

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Gourmet Magazine-Thanksgiving Edition

Amanda — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:35:45 +0000

I got my November Gourmet Magazine this week. The fact that I found this edition meeting my vegetarian creativity needs head-on makes the receipt of this last issue of the famed 60-year-old magazine more distressing.

For the first time, I came across a vegan dish-Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake. There's even a complete menu for a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner. I'm intrigued by the carrot and beet soup that is made with water instead of chicken stock "so it's a delicious alternative to your vegetarian guests." And totally unrelated to Thanksgiving is the tempting pizza topped with yellow potatoes, yellow onions, and rosemary.

The November Gourmet will find itself being used often over the holidays and likely for many winters to follow. Might I suggest either researching some of the recipes on Gourmet.com or actually acquiring a copy of the mag at the newsstand? Keep in mind not all the recipes in the magazine are available online, and I am not sure I've seen all online recipes in the magazine. Do your research now as the website may not be available someday.

So long, Gourmet. What a fabulous finale!

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Couscous with Spinach, Pine nuts, Parmesan and Corn Bread

Amanda — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:12:24 +0000

I have passed this photo a few times on flickr.com and finally remembered the stories that went with this photograph.

The recipe for the main course came from The Occasional Vegetarian, a cookbook that is out of print. My mother-in-law acquired it for me used because she new how valuable it would be in my kitchen. The recipe originally called for rice, but I had couscous; so I used couscous. My mother and I both have been having indigestion (only one of us has a more positive excuse and will eventually have something to show for it) and actually appreciated the basic, but bland, flavors: sweet pine nuts, slightly bitter spinach, salty Parmesan. Next time, I would try it with rice and add some additional flavor to the rice itself--maybe some onion and garlic powder. Will have to think on it. Luckily, I have plenty of spinach and rice on hand for the coming week. Maybe I'll find the time to try it again.

The really sad story to go with this photograph is the seriously flat cornbread. That isn't a half a slice in the picture. That's the whole thing. For the first time ever, I have actually forgotten an ingredient in a baking recipe. I've forgotten to put something on the table before or forgotten something at the grocery store, but I have never ruined a baking project before. I was horrified My family was all most amused, and my father just kept saying "fetal brain drain." I've been much more careful with my baking in the last two weeks and have even made a batch of corn bread the normal way. I don't think I'll be like this forever, but that ugly corn bread (no matter how normal it tasted) sure put the fear in me. By the way, it was the baking soda I left out. Let that be a lesson to you.

Do you have a kitchen goof to share (pregnancy-related or not)? Go ahead and add it to the comments section. I'd love to know I'm not alone.

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Menu for the Week

Amanda — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:06:05 +0000

Being a working girl, I generally plan my menu for the week on Sundays, early Sunday. However, I've learned that a number of blog readers subscribe to the MenuPlanMonday.org idea. Therefore, to make my schedule fit more appropriately with readers, I have adjusted my posting schedule even though I must have some ideas in my head on Sunday.

This week's menu is influenced by a number of things. One, my in-laws are coming in later on in the week, and I know Paul likes some special things his mom makes. She's fabulous in the kitchen, and I am happy to hand over the reins for a long weekend. I'll just be the assistant. Two, my mother was called out of town because my grandmother is in the hospital. Therefore, my father has delivered to us a number of fresh foods that my mother purchased just two days before she left because his days at the hospital leave him subsisting on microwaveable veggie dishes and soup. Looks like I have another week of "How much spinach can you eat?" Three, we are preparing to store up some excellent winter items, like homemade apple sauce and mashed sweet potatoes. I am in the process of reorganizing my freezer and eating up small amounts of items so we can make room for freezing some fresh seasonal vegetables. All of these things add up to a somewhat disorganized and surprising collection of meals.

To use up some of the eggs my dad delivered, I made pancakes this afternoon. What I didn't expect was a) that we would each them for dinner and b) It would be a good clean-up meal. I haven't had time to grocery shop like I normally do on Thursday or Friday. The only time I consider groceries an emergency is when Paul is out of bananas and I am out of milk. Well, looks like it will be an emergency trip to the store after work tomorrow. The pancakes used up a banana (just mash and mix it in) that we had let get over-ripe and I had just put in the freezer this morning. I found some veggie-meat that accidentally got buried under the pecans (chop and put on top), and that's when I decided we'd just eat some of the pancakes for dinner. As was already mentioned, I used up my milk. And, I used the last of the Quaker Pancake Mix in the cabinet. Suddenly, I felt even more productive. Maybe this week won't be such a challenge after all.

Menu for October 18

Tuesday, I have an eatin' meetin' and Paul will fend for himself.
Baked potatoes and veggies
Salad/Wraps with lots of tomatoes and corn bread
Paul has asked that his mom make lentils and brown rice.
Rediburger Loaf, a favorite of Paul's

Remember, we get sauteed spinach for side-dishes!

I'll also be eating my spinach smoothies, which will take out some of the fruit in the freezer. Paul will eat up the last of his frozen PB&Js. Hmm, if it weren't for the milk and bananas, we wouldn't need a grocery trip at all.

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Cracker Platter on a Budget

Amanda — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:26:52 +0000

The "girl's part" of the bridal shower where this, the ranch dressing and chocolate cake with raspberry glaze was served, was to be followed by a co-ed trip to a local restaurant and bar. So, I chose light snacks (except for the cake) to serve at the shower. The crackers and cheese cubes were a hit and half of the vegetables were gone. Naturally, most of the cake did not come home with me.

The other technologist who was helping me put the shower together is into design and recommended that I purchase cheese cubes instead of slices. Paul, my darling designer-husband, said it would be tacky to make the cheese cubes myself. Well, when I got to the grocery store, there was only one kind of cheese cube! And they had been smashed! Not to mention, they were more expensive and had more additives. I decided Paul and Michelle were going to have to go with what I thought was best all the way around. I bought a block of cheese and got out a really good knife and carefully cut the cheese into as perfectly-cubed shapes as I could. No one at the shower mentioned the fact that some of the cheese looked a little rectangular-ish. But I know they were into my second bowl of cheese cubes before we left. Personally, I took pride in thinking my cubes looked fresh and peppy compared to the ones I could have served.

The entire cheese and cracker plate cost me about $4. The cheese was $2 at Publix. The Triscuit-type crackers were $1.39 at Aldi. And the Ritz cost about $0.30 (also at Aldi) because I had eaten most of the package during the previous month of pregnancy. I was very proud of the platter even though I had to spend an extra 15 minutes cutting cheese cubes.

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Ranch Dressing Recipe-Can Be Lactose-Free!

Amanda — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:46:43 +0000

This is another one of my mother's popular recipes. She makes her own ranch dressing. Because it doesn't have a strange aftertaste that sometimes comes with buttermilk ranch, isn't as salty, and can be made dairy-free, it's quite popular. In fact, I know people who don't like ranch dressing at all who each this dressing. It also works great as a dip. The dip in the photograph was slightly thicker because I didn't add milk due to known food allergies of the guest of honor.

The only caution is that this recipe is significantly about taste. Taste it. Taste it often. Be very careful to follow the recipe. When I made this two months ago, I wasn't so careful because I thought I remembered the recipe well and have never ruined it. . .til now. It came out way too salty. Generally, there are ways to fix almost any mistake with this dip. If it is too salty, add a little more mayo and additional seasonings. Too much lemon? Salt helps that out. That's why I say: TASTE IT!

This dip has so many uses. You can use it to dress potato salad with some green onions and veggie bacon bits. I love to make cole slaw out of it. It even tops a Mexican salad well. The last thing Mom created from the base was her 1,000 Island dressing. The notes for that are at the bottom of the recipe.

Calculating the cost to make this dip is challenging because of the variety of seasonings and range of stores where you can acquire them. I'm pretty sure making this dressing is cheaper than purchasing a bottled dressing and much tastier and lower in sodium than buying the pre-packaged dressing mixes. On the other hand, if you have a great coupon and a sale, bottled dressings are a great buy for budget-minded individuals. What my mom does with those great finds is purchase a salad dressing she doesn't make, like blue cheese. Otherwise, she makes her own.

Recipe for Ranch Dressing a la Claire

1 C mayonnaise
1 t onion powder
½ t garlic powder
¼ t celery seed powder
dash red pepper
1 t lemon juice
½ t sugar (optional)[I don't ever add this.]
1 t sweet basil, dried
2 t parsley, dried
1 t chives, dried or fresh
¼ t salt or to taste
¼ C milk or ½ C milk (optional or soy, if preferred)

Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dry ingredients. Add ¼ cup milk for dip or ½ cup milk for salad dressing.

For 1,000 Island Dressing: Add ¼ cup dill pickles, finely chopped and 1 tablespoon ketchup.

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Blogging Break Due to Apple Arrival

Amanda — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:05:01 +0000

This is an evening of breaking from blogging because our apples arrived today. They are very beautiful and have tasted really good. But there were fewer in the box than I had been told, which means the value wasn't what I had expected. They're only slightly cheaper than the local grocery stores--but then Washington is a really long way from Florida. Still, I've decided sometimes you have to pay a little extra for something really good. I'm disappointed about the value, but not about my yummy apples. I've already frozen some diced apples for pies nearer the holidays. Luckily, Paul brought home a pizza and after scarfing that down, I'll be onto dehydration and applesauce. Mmm.

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Oatmeal Coconut Crispies-Recipe and Cost

Amanda — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:16:40 +0000

I love to take photographing opportunities to highlight special gifts we have received. I found this olive wood tray that Paul's folks brought us from Greece to be a perfect way to display the cookies. . .although as good as the cookies are, the tray would constantly need to be replenished.

My mom has been making these cookies for years. She's practically famous for them. I remember my folks coming home from a party once saying a gentleman said he reached down and took one cookie, but two more jumped on his plate. My experience with this recipe is equally successful. They truly are habit forming. When I took them to work, one of my EMTs frowned and said "How could you? I'm on a diet." I pointed out that the cookies had no flour in them, which makes them gluten-free and makes them less fattening. Stunned and curious how the cookies manage to stick together without floor, they became more exciting. Also being naturally dairy-free, one of our house guests ate three straight out of the oven because he didn't have to worry about the butter in them. In my opinion, these cookies fall under the "not-quite-20-percent-bad" category.

There are two recipes--one is the original version and the second is the lower cholesterol version. This is also the same recipe my mom uses for her homemade granola.

Cost to Make Oatmeal Cookies

You'll find that the cabinets were bare and I used just the ingredients we had on hand. Also, I used the old-fashioned oats, which were still delicious, but were not as crispy as the original recipe is.

Free Oats (Mom bought the wrong kind.)
$0.07 Brown Sugar (Costco)
$0.01 Salt (Publix)
$0.11 Chocolate Chips (Costco)
$0.06 Walnuts (Costco)
$0.10 Oil (Target)
Free Vanilla (Mom gave me some of hers cause she had too much.)
Free Eggs (Publix. Leftover from a breakfast at Paul's work. I think he was reimbursed for them.)
$0.35 Total for 30-ish cookies

OK. So, maybe they wouldn't be this cheap for you if you had to buy your own eggs, vanilla and oatmeal, but I guarantee it can't be much more expensive. These are likely healthier and cheaper than anything you can get on the shelf.

OATMEAL COCONUT CRISPIES #1

2 C quick oats
¾ C brown sugar
½ t. salt
¾ C coconut
½ C chocolate chips
½ C chopped nuts (generally almonds)
½ C oil
½ t. vanilla
1 or 2 eggs, beaten

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the middle of the mixture. Stir oil and flavorings together and pour into the well. Add egg whites and mix until dry ingredients are moist. Using two soup spoons, form ball of cookie dough in bowl and place onto oiled cookie sheet and pack tightly to shape cookie. Bake in a 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes. The number of eggs depends upon amount of added ingredients, such as raisins, nuts, chips, etc. I usually make a triple batch as these cookies are habit forming.

OATMEAL COCONUT CRISPIES #2

6 C quick oats
1 ½ C brown sugar
1 ½ t. salt
2 ¼ C coconut
1 ½ C chopped nuts (generally almonds)
1 ½ C chocolate chips (opt)
1 ½ C Smart Balance oil
1 T vanilla
2 t. almond flavor
5 egg whites

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the middle of the mixture. Stir oil and flavorings together and pour into the well. Add egg whites and mix until dry ingredients are moist. Using two soup spoons, form ball of cookie dough in bowl, place onto un-oiled cookie sheet, flatten and pack around edges to shape cookie. Bake in a 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes. Cool cookies in pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. Push cookies back together if they break apart when taking them from the cookie sheet. They usually set okay. Variations: Try using other foods you might find in granola. Raisins tend to burn. Yield: about 50 medium cookies.

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Apples Falling Far From Trees

Amanda — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:07:06 +0000

Last week we ordered two cases, the equivalent of 114, apples to be delivered in the near future. I purchased the items for a number of reasons. First, we bought some from the same Washington source to support the local church school two years ago, and they were wonderful. We were disappointed they didn't have them last year. Second, when I purchase apples at Costco or Target a few pounds at a time, some come out yummy and some are mealy. I want consistency and the apples two years ago seemed to fit the bill. Third, they were significantly cheaper than buying them from local grocery stores--especially for the variety: Jonagold! Fourth, I love getting in the kitchen with Paul and my folks cause they got some, too, and having a family activity of preserving the apples in a variety of ways.

I found a great post about what Utah Deal Diva did with apples that were given to her. I intend to use some of her recipes and make some of my own. If you have recommendations, let me know soon so I can make a clear plan of attack cause that's a lot of apples!

Applesauce stored in Ziplock bags and frozen flat (a success every year although much of it never gets old enough to make it to the freezer)
Apple Turnovers with Pepperidge Farm Puff Pasteries
Using all layers of dehydrator for cinnamon apples (Idea from Utah Deal Diva)
Frozen Diced Apples (Idea from Utah Deal Diva)
Thinking about this Apple Crisp from Smitten Kitchen for around the holidays.

I'm sure these ideas will only make a dent in the box. Please share your favorite fall apple uses.

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This Week's Menu

Amanda — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:12:47 +0000

Sometimes, it's really hard to think of dinner. Sometimes, it's even harder to think of an entire week's worth of dinners! This is what happened yesterday. I had a lot going on. We had salad for lunch and leftovers and peanut butter and honey for dinner. (Hey, it's what the baby wanted!) However, today my mind got back on track surprisingly quickly as it all came to me while I was at work, and I actually have a meal plan for the week that isn't 100% salad and ice cream.

Dinner Menu for October 12

Tonight we had the butternut squash pasta bake/lasagna that I took from last year's post and tweaked. I'll have an alternate recipe up as soon as Paul edits the pictures. There's still enough left for another night.
Butternut squash soup--again trying to perfect a recipe, but suddenly we're in record highs of 90's! May have to come up with an alternative.
Dilled roasted potatoes and green beans maybe cornbread, too. (High in iron.)
Salad (just in case the baby rabbit doesn't want anything else as has happened of late.)
Burritos

We have some great-looking fruit that my be a night's meal with peanut butter and honey toast or cereal or maybe just for desert.

While I had the oven on to cook the butternut squash lasagna, I also made a double batch--four loaves--of banana bread. Some went in the freezer for a later date, but I suspect I'll need one more marathon before I get too big to survive. Two items at once was a time saving technique as I was in and out of the kitchen in about two hours and an energy saving technique so I didn't have to warm up the oven again. If I had been even more proactive, I would have put a batch of rosemary croutons in the oven while it was heating, too. I am working toward maximizing my effort as I know that will become a necessity in about 3.5 months.

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Self Magazine Article-Veg Out!

Amanda — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:56:29 +0000

I came across an interesting article in the Self Magazine from February 2009. Again, remember I read the magazines at the office during my lunch break. Because magazines travel to different consulting rooms and waiting rooms sometimes I am delayed in coming across interesting information.

The article entitled Veg Out! had some entertaining pictures and a scale of where some celebrities fall on the vegetarian spectrum. It also had some recipes, a list of reasons why you should not become a vegetarian (which I agreed with), and some health comparisons on the benefits and "pitfalls" of being a vegetarian.

Although it's a great read for new vegetarians who are learning details about their food choices, I was concerned about some of the facts in the article. Firstly, you will find few vegetarians who classify "flexitarians" as being vegetarian at all. In truth, it is not a definition about "not eating food without a face." It simply says meat is not a regular dietary item--either by choice or for another reason (economics, etc.). Some vegetarians get upset when meat-eaters claim to be vegetarians because meat isn't a daily part of their menu.

Another huge item for debate is the section on pitfalls of being vegetarians. The comments on the online posting of the article certainly reflect this. But, I have some more wood to add to the fire. When I was four months pregnant and slightly anemic, my midwife didn't recommend that I run out and eat more red meat. Instead, she recommended spinach and raisins. Is it because she remembered I am a vegetarian? I doubt it because she only had about two seconds to review my blood work as she didn't get a copy of it until she was in the room with me. You think she had a good idea that the nutrients in raisins and spinach would help my blood cells more than eating a steak?

Next, I have already posted a simple one-day review of how easy it is to get enough protein in our diet, and I recognize that many people misunderstand how much they need in their diet. Perhaps Self should do a follow up article on how to maintain healthy levels of protein to prevent the "pitfalls" of getting too much.

The last complaint I will focus on is the reference to the fact that less calcium from a life without dairy products can cause osteoporosis. Well, guess what. My nutrition class taught me that risk-factors for osteoporosis are being female, being white, hereditary links, being thin. . .but never talked about being vegan! In fact, a very wise nurse pointed out to my mom when she was diagnosed with osteoporosis after having two glasses of cow's milk a day all her life that she needed to build up her muscles in order to strengthen her bones. (She recommended putting full water bottles in a backpack and carrying it on her walks.) Again, Self would do good to do another focus article on this topic as well.

I feel bad for tearing up this article because I don't like to fight people into being vegetarian. However, as is evident by the questions I get from patients, vegetarianism is still quite a new idea. I think that it's important to get the facts straight so you don't scare people off. On the positive side, for some unusual recipes and a mostly positive (although occasionally inaccurate) article about vegetarianism, take a look. You just might learn something new and may become more proud of all the steps you are taking to improve your health.

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Woodlands South Indian Cuisine-Best in Orlando 2009

Amanda — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:08:05 +0000

Upon arriving at a lovely church for the wedding of my coworker, Paul proudly announced that it was right next door to an Indian restaurant he had been wanting to take me to. Paul had eaten there with some friends when they were in town for an internet convention and had completely enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I have been burned by Indian restaurants and up until Friday afternoon had staunchly refused to entertain the thought of visiting an Indian restaurant. However, marriage is all about give-and-take, and I agreed to take Paul there after the wedding as we were not planning on attending the reception, anyway.

It was still early for the dinner traffic when we entered the restaurant, and I had a second to read the commendations at the entrance. Turns out, Woodland's was voted the best Indian restaurant in Orlando for 2009. Honestly, knowing this made me only slightly less nervous to give it a shot. Unlike when we're searching for baby girl names and I quickly pass up every name I can't pronounce immediately, I searched the menu slowly and was very pleased with the clear English translations for the titles of the dishes. I saw a few items on the menu that actually sounded like they could taste acceptable. Moreover, the last page had a number of vegetarian Chinese specialties that I thought would be good alternatives should we bring other not-sure-about-Indian-food diners with us on another visit.

Paul ordered the Chana Batura "Number 41" just because that had been what he had eaten before. It was big piece of fluffy bread with a bowl of cooked chickpeas and tomatoes underneath for dipping. You could actually watch the puff decrease slowly as the waiter made his way to the table with the plate. My Masala Dosai classified as exceptionally beautiful. The different colored circles on the crepe were lovely and the red lentils turned the potatoes and onions a nice yellow color. Fortunately, the soup was only slightly warm on my tongue, so I didn't fear tremendous heartburn later. However, the little green garnish that looked like bean sticking out from behind the lemon on Paul's plate was very warm, and I don't think the baby appreciated it at all. I started coughing tremendously, downed half a glass of tap water, and amused Paul and the chefs in the back of the kitchen who came out to watch.

I absolutely loved the filling from my crepe and the soup (even after the surprise pepper), but think I liked the texture of Paul's bread better. However, Paul was the exact opposite. He thought his bread was a little too greasy and loved his chickpeas (which really were seasoned to perfection). Either way, our plates were clean at the end minus the half-a-pepper I refused to touch again.

That being said, I was in bed by 7:30 Friday night with a very full stomach and a smile on my face even though my poor kid was probably suffocating from the heat.

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Thoughts on Whole Wheat Rotini Pasta

Amanda — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:05:23 +0000

Although you can get a wheat pasta for cheaper sometimes, I purchased a box for $1 when it was on sale and thought it was a good idea to try it since we do like pasta a lot. Our first use was with a basic spaghetti sauce. I like to always make a basic spaghetti sauce when I am tasting a new pasta product. Our spaghetti sauce doesn't change much since I fell in love with Muir Glen brand of tomatoes. This allows me to focus on just the pasta and not on evaluating the entire dish. The second night, I used the leftover pasta and leftover fresh veggies from the shower I hosted to make a pasta primavera.

Our final decision is that whole wheat pasta tastes very robust (although the pictures look just like regular pasta). It doesn't work well for a delicate pasta sauce, but is more appropriate with hearty veggies. Still, it wasn't a favorite. We are content eating enriched semolina flour pasta instead.

A note: I didn't review the ingredient list on the pasta box before tossing it, but wish I had. I recommend comparing the ingredients and food value of the two pastas. You may find they aren't very different and the old-fashioned pasta tastes best. It's all about finding what works for you.

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Rosemary Bread Pizza with Spinach Pesto

Amanda — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:25:09 +0000

Here is the spinach pesto I made to serve on pizza with fresh tomatoes instead of a marinara sauce. The rosemary bread at $5 for two loaves from Costco makes the pizza easy and tasty because it adds lots of flavor leaving only a need for a little salt and pepper on the tomatoes.

You can find the recipe for my spinach pesto from my post last year. Plus, you can search for other recipes I use the spinach pesto with, like spaghetti squash or butternut squash lasagna, which will be made again this year. I will tell you I passed on the Parmesan and sprinkled a little olive oil in the food processor as I was stirring up and dishing out the pesto. Also, be careful with the garlic. All I had were large cloves left, and it was very potent for the amount I made! Unfortunately, my basil needs more care than I have been giving it; so, I didn't have as many leaves as I am used to or wish for. That's the beauty of the spinach in the pesto. It eliminates the need for so much basil, but still allows for fantastic and healthy flavor.

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Bye-Bye, Gourmet

Amanda — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:23:07 +0000

It's a good thing Paul's folks got us this baby book and my parents got us another copy of my favorite book as a child because our Baby Rabbit won't get to read Gourmet magazine. Conde Nast announced today that Gourmet magazine will cease publication at the end of the year. If you've been collecting these magazines any time since its inception in 1940, you'd better hold onto them. There won't be anything else like it.

I've enjoyed my subscription to Gourmet this year and will seriously miss it next year. I understand where some people come from when they complain that the ingredients for the foods are not always readily available or that the meals take too long to prepare. But I do feel that more and more people are taking pride in their own cooking and are recognizing that a great meal can come out of their own kitchen at a cheaper price than restaurants can offer.

That being said, my big question is what comes next? What will the world do without Gourmet? Where will you learn about food culture from around the world? Where will you get those challenging recipes that make you the hit at the Thanksgiving dinner table with simple tastes and great presentation? You tell me. If you have survived just fine without Gourmet, please share what your secret is. If you have relied solely on Gourmet, please share your survival plan. I look forward to reading your comments.

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Berry Banana Smoothie with "Green Tops"

Amanda — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:08:03 +0000

In reading up on how to get children to eat healthy, I learned that some foods should be given more creative or less scary names. I took this step when adding spinach to my smoothies. The spinach (green tops) reminded me of eating fresh mint or even the tops of organic berries in my drink when you aren't worried about eating the leaves. The bitterness of the spinach is non-existent; so, I have no fear of suddenly realizing that the "tops" aren't tops at all. I have fought "green smoothies" for quite some time, but the fruit hides the look, which makes me more likely to drink it. Also, the additional vitamin C from orange juice increases absorption of iron, which is just as important for my body as eating the iron to begin with.

Sadly, my fetal-brain-drain kicked in and sometime last weekend I failed to put my frozen bananas back in the freezer, and they weren't very acceptable for smoothies after spending the night in the fridge. I used frozen peaches (Yes, we have a variety of fruit in our freezer. Just wait until all the applesauce and squash come into season.) as an alternative. The downside was that the color came out funky. One person at work thought my drink was pasta sauce to go with my EMT's pasta, and another person thought I was drinking salsa. Well, no matter the look, it tasted just fine.

Clearly, the berry smoothie with raspberries yielded a prettier color, and Paul pointed out the benefits of the additional iron in the Stonyfield yogurt.

Recipe for Berry Banana Smoothies

Serves 2

One frozen banana
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
6 large frozen strawberries
1/2 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt

I defrost my strawberries for a minute in the microwave because the banana often adds enough thickness on its own. Blend the raspberries first because they're smaller. Add the strawberries for some liquid, then spinach, banana, yogurt, and juice. Lighten up on the liquids if the smoothie is getting too thin or add an extra banana. The raspberries are the strongest flavor so those are what you need least extra of. If spinach is necessary in your diet, too, you can get away with adding more "green tops" without tasting the bitterness.

As with all smoothies, it's easy to be creative and explore. No two are alike. For my mid-morning drinks, I used just strawberries (defrost again) and peaches with the juice and spinach. I eliminated the yogurt because at work it takes me a while to sip my drink.

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Results of Spinach for a Week

Amanda — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:44:42 +0000

Well, my goal for putting that pound of spinach away in a week was not a success. Paul says my problem was that I never put enough spinach in the dishes. I also contribute part of the problem to not being home for two nights and running out of time in the mornings to make my smoothies the last four or five days. So, I'll be making myself a smoothie for breakfast in the morning and trying to come up with other ways to use the spinach up as quickly as possible because I know it's good for me, and I don't want it to go to waste. Stay tuned for photographs and recipes to go with my spinach creations for the week.

The sauteed spinach photographed was served with my butternut squash soup, which I was very proud of. You can tell that even though the pan was filled with raw spinach, it cooks down a lot. If you're serving a large number of guests, get a big skillet.

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Jason's Deli-Orlando, Florida

Amanda — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:25:22 +0000

Back in the middle of August, I stopped off at Target to pick up a chocolate cheesecake for a going away party at the office. I figured I was the pregnant one and therefore they had to eat what the pregnant woman wanted. Luckily, everyone was pleased with my choice (or at least pretended to be.) As I was pulling out of the shopping center, I noticed a Jason's Deli and remembered I had a gift card in my "card wallet" for dining there. I decided I'd been eating out so much, which was not in our budget originally, I would use the card to get a free lunch. Luckily, my little wrap only cost about $6; so, I have leftovers on the card to be visiting again over the next couple months--taking advantage of the vegetarian soup selection and salad bar.

This sandwich was the first time I had had spinach since I learned I was pregnant. (I know, I'm bad, but I wasn't prepared for being so sick and so. . .picky.) I expected the wrap to be cold, but it was hot and smashed down, which didn't effect the taste, but it sure made it look small. It was actually very edible, and I might order it again, but I think I'm after the soup. I'd also like to point out that at a Medical Imaging convention, the boxed lunch was from Jason's Deli and was seriously inferior to this wrap. It had been a cold vegetable wrap with one slice of mushroom, one slice of bell pepper. . .you get the idea. Most disappointing. In comparison, my hot wrap was a much greater success.

If I didn't have the gift card, I don't know if I would have visited Jason's the first time. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't visit it again if I didn't have the gift card cause I'm all over making my own soups. But, I'll visit again and leave a post about my experience just in case a reader is in the area one day and wants to know if it's worth the stop.

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Happy World Vegetarian Day!

Amanda — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:18:28 +0000

A wise and loyal reader of ELAR wanted details of the bagged lettuce Paul helped me prepare a couple days before this post. You can find out the step-by-steps for this money-saving move on this post from earlier this year. I bought a huge head of lettuce at Freshfields Farm for $1 on Monday and bagged it that night. A week later, it still looks brand new, which is great for having a small variety in the fridge since I never know what I want right now. Thanks, Fely for pointing out the need to revisit this post!

In addition to October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, it is also Vegetarian Awareness month. You can visit the World Vegetarian Day website to print a poster and to find activities to encourage vegetarianism.

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Happy Birthday, Mom!

Amanda — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:59:15 +0000

The day is ending rapidly, but I can't let it close completely without wishing my mom a Happy Birthday. She has taught me so much inside and outside of the kitchen. I love her so much for all she has done to support me my entire life

Sadly, we weren't able to see each other today. I worked late and my dad took off work to take her to a photo museum in Dayton Beach. I'm happy they enjoyed themselves and that the weather was wonderful.

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Chamberlin's-Winter Park, Florida

Amanda — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:08:40 +0000

While out with my mom one Friday, we stopped at a bookstore and ran into our pastor's wife. She asked us if we wanted to join her for lunch and recommended a health-food store like Whole Foods called Chamberlin's. I'd never been there before, but I once heard a patient rave about their yogurt. I was excited to give it a shot, but was saddened to learn that they no longer offered frozen yogurt.

The salad bar looked really good, but some reason (possibly the price) deterred me, and I went for a sandwich. My mom ordered the vegan chicken pot pie, and we split the pie and the sandwich. I think we both preferred the sandwich over the pot pie.

I was really impressed by the freshness of the tomatoes and cucumbers off of the salad bar that went into my sandwich. I also thought the way they sliced the top off of the pita bread was interesting. It was the first hummus I had had since being pregnant, and it was very good. The tabouleh seemed a bit strange because I had never seen a recipe with bell peppers in it. I don't think it was bad at all. In fact, with the veggies and hummus it was very good. I just didn't expect it.

Naturally the pot pie "wasn't like Mama makes." However, the big turn-off was the fact that it had been behind glass and had cooled off a bit. Also, the crust was a bit thick and chewy. However, the flavor was good, and I absolutely loved the baby corn in it. Perhaps I will try it again if I'm there and see it coming out of the oven right then.

I would happily visit Chamberlin's again if I'm in the area just for a good fresh salad with a nice variety of fruits and vegetables.

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Spinach for a Week!

Amanda — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:47:34 +0000

Paul's folks had a major issue with their kitchen earlier this year. Their upstairs water heater flooded their kitchen and ruined--among other things--years of collected recipes. You can see all the marked pages in the cookbooks that the insurance company replaced. I also benefited because we learned one of the cookbooks The Occasional Vegetarian was out of print. Kathleen graciously sent me a used copy when she found a source. I'm happy my stomach is more settled because I've already read it cover-to-cover. (Yes, I do find enjoyment just reading cookbooks.) I've already used two recipes and will be going back to it later in the week.

I purchased a 1 pound package of spinach at Costco on Thursday and am determined to finish it off before the end of this week. One pound doesn't sound like much, but it looks like a lot, probably because I'm not running to the kitchen when I get home from work like I once did. I hope that excitement will return. Anyway, below are some ideas I have for getting that extra iron into my tummy because the vitamins still aren't staying down all the time.

I will use the list as a complete base for my menu for the week. You'll find there are more options than the usual five because I have to squeeze more snacks into the mix. I will appreciate getting back to a set menu idea because it's so stressful to struggle all day wondering what I will want to eat at 5 o'clock. Moreover, because I am not in my kitchen as much, I seem to be consistently purchasing items I don't need or not purchasing items we could really use. It hasn't been so fun. I miss the organization I used to have. Let's see if I can get back into the swing of things.

Menu items for the Week

Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera with garpe tomatoes, fresh broccoli, carrots, and spinach (Did this Thursday night.)
Scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes, and spinach (Did this Saturday morning.)
Add a couple leaves to a sandwich (Did this Saturday afternoon.)
Berry-Banana Smoothies with Green Tops (Also Saturday afternoon and will likely be more. The "Green Tops" are the green specks of spinach in the rich pink drink. I noticed that organic fruits and veggies sometimes have the leaves attached. I figure if I tell myself it's just the tops of the organic fruit I won't think it's so strange. Oh, and I promise you can't taste it!)
The Occasional Vegetarian's Rice and Spinach (Which I think I'll make with couscous since I'm out of white rice.)
Rosemary Olive Bread Pizza with Spinach Pesto
Sauteed spinach if I can find something to serve with it.

If you have a recommendation for how to eat my spinach for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, please share the comment below.

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Never Ending Pasta Bowl-Olive Garden

Amanda — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:22:30 +0000

In an effort to get more iron in my diet, I drug Paul to Olive Garden twice in one week. (I tried to get him to go back on Friday, but I got a staunch refusal.) The Never-Ending Pasta Bowl was most helpful in giving me the fat I craved plus the iron my body needs. The Alfredo was much better than the marinara, but at the same time I wanted to keep the calories down. I've been told I'm supposed to maximize my calories. That being said, I also didn't eat one breadstick during the second trip to make sure I got my calories with extra nutrients. The first time we went, our waitress gave us the Capellini Pomodoro sauce in the never-ending pasta bowl. However, the second trip the waitress wouldn't do that. Too bad. She would have gotten a better tip. Now that I can look at a cookbook without getting sick, I'll be making the effort to get my spinach at home for a while, but Olive Garden came in handy for a week.

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Ingenious Baking

Amanda — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:13:11 +0000

This is an absolutely ingenious way of doing two things. Firstly, I traditionally do not like having more bread than sandwich, which is why I often don't purchase whole wheat buns because they are actually larger than hamburgers and sliced veggie-meat. Size here is perfect. Secondly, I love opportunities to reuse items. This round bread recycles cans.

The Sudduths have been baking for years. Originally, they sold their goods as a side business to help them send their kids to a private church school. When the kids were out of school, they just kept baking and gave away what they made. I'm grateful every time we go to visit Paul's folks because there are either some great whole wheat baked goods stored in the freezer or the Sudduths bring some over. Their sweet rolls with pecans have been known to not even make it 24 hours in the Martin household. We are truly blessed to know such kindness.

Over labor day, I had my first interaction with a tall loaf of round bread puffed at the top. Paul's mom explained to me that Jeanne saves cans and reuses them for baking bread. I have no idea what originally came in the can, but I can almost bet you the bread was better than whatever the can was used for in the first place. To my delight She packed us a sandwich for the flight home on the fresh bread The round slices of Worthington (Vegetarian) Turkey fit perfectly on the bread.

So, next time you open a large can of pineapple juice or whatever other cans you have lying around, consider recycling them at home by saving them for your next baking day. If I were a better baker I would consider it myself, but I'm not. I'll just keep looking forward to those cheap 1-hour flights to Jackson.

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Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Glaze

Amanda — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:38:40 +0000

This cake was such a hit, people have been nagging me for the recipe. Therefore, I've skipped my desired schedule of posting and bumped this one up in the list.

My dilemma for this cake was the fact that it was for a bridal shower at which the guest of honor, the bride, is allergic to a certain aspect of dairy. The Duncan Hines Cake Mix fits into her diet. Also, there are some icings that are acceptable, but instead of taking my chances, I chose a dairy-free cake option.

Those who are familiar with us know that our wedding was built around our incredible wedding cake made by That Special Touch in Pearl, Mississippi. We actually "imported" 10 jars of Publix Creamy Natural Peanut Butter from Florida for the filling, splattered cream cheese icing around the layers, and topped it with dripping fresh raspberries. It was beautiful, photographed well, but most importantly tasted amazing. I chose to duplicate that cake in this setting eliminating the cream cheese icing, and opting for a raspberry glaze as fresh berries are out of season.

Cost Estimate

$0.84 Duncan Hines (Publix, BOGO)
$0.42 Eggs (Target)
$0.25 Oil (Target)
$1.87 Organic Raspberries (Target Clearance)
$0.69 Peanut Butter (Publix)
$0.03 Corn Starch (Walmart)
$0.70 Brown Sugar (Costco)
$4.80 Total

The fact that I could put this cake together for under $5 and even bring home extra slices for my folks and Paul make it an even better story!

Recipe for Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Glaze

For the cake, cook according to package directions and pour batter evenly into two 8- or 9-inch cake plans for baking. Once completely cool, put one cake on the serving platter. Spread 1/4 jar of creamy peanut butter onto cake (We only use natural with nothing but peanuts and salt.) with a miniature spatula. Top with the second cake. Cover tightly with saran wrap to refrigerate. I actually made the cake a night in advance and let it warm to room temp about 1 hour before serving.

Raspberry Glaze

8-10 oz. frozen raspberries, pulsed slightly in food processor
1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon corn starch
1/3-1/2 cup brown sugar

Pour berries into small saucepan over medium heat and stir until berries defrost. Mix sugar and corn starch in the measuring cup and pour over berries. Stir fairly consistently until the glaze thickens and is clearer in color. Cool glaze and remove to glass storage if not topping cake immediately. Pour glaze over cake just before serving.

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Chung's Egg Rolls and Publix Sushi

Amanda — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:30:02 +0000

One day during a whirl-wind trip to Publix when I still couldn't look at food without running the other direction, I picked up some vegetarian sushi for Paul. I had really been wanting just rice and vegetables, and since Paul likes Publix vegetarian sushi and hadn't been being fed very well I thought he'd appreciate the gesture. I also picked up Chung's vegetable spring rolls to accompany them. I knew I was capable of brushing them with oil and throwing them in the oven. Paul was happy with the sushi, as always, but the egg rolls were very depressing. In fact, we cooked the entire package, but threw away half of them. Paul didn't even finish eating them off his plate, which is so rare for him.

I can move a bit slower through the grocery store these days, but I don't stop or slow down by the Chung's. And since I'm not into the sushi and some of it goes to waste, I don't pick up any more of it either. I'll let Paul save it for the days when he goes to pick up a lunch during work.

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Free Dinner-Marriot Lake Mary, Florida

Amanda — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:04:11 +0000

Just before school started, Paul's college had a nice dinner for staff and spouses. We really appreciated the fun, and I enjoyed meeting some of Paul's coworkers and even talking to people I've known longer than Paul has known them.

The purpose of this post is actually to point out a discussion we had at the dinner table with six other people. I had only met one of them previously. One of the ladies asked if our vegetarian plate was good. Everyone else was eating chicken or steak, maybe? Anyway, our plate was more the topic of conversation because the lady asked what was in our vegetarian strudel. We honestly could not answer. I was pretty sure there were mushrooms somewhere, onions, and yellow and red bell peppers, but they were all more mashed, which made them less recognizable. Still, there was another base item, and we just couldn't figure out what it was. The lady nodded as if she understood and said "Yes, I used to be a vegetarian, but I found I preferred to be able to know what I was eating."

Wow! How true. I started thinking How often have I been somewhere and had no idea what was on my plate? Let this be a lesson to people who cook for vegetarians and who own restaurants. At any time, people want to be able to figure out what they are being served.

I found the salad offered the same predicament. Exactly what vegetables were julienned on top of it? Till this day, I have no idea what I ate on the top of my salad that night or what was in the strudel. Somehow, the value of the meal and the ability to evaluate its tastiness goes down considerably if you don't have a name for it. Fortunately, the cake was presented well.

Even with questionable food (I always look at the positive that it was free.) we enjoyed the evening-especially knowing there won't be many late nights come February.

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Grilling with a Pizza Stone

Amanda — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:57:49 +0000

I will start by wishing Thomas Dudley, a friend from high school, a Good Morning! as he told me he reads his Eat Like a Rabbit RSS feed with his breakfast before leaving each morning to teach science to some Mississippi high school students. (He mentioned that he had noticed a significant drop in new posts in the last four months. My apologies to all.)

Thomas had us over for a great light dinner (which is all I can handle these days) when Paul and I went home to visit his parents over Labor Day Weekend. He also is a father-to-be, and Janice has been very lucky to have his creative kitchen ideas to rely on throughout her pregnancy. (I'm not complaining about Paul, by no means! I've been grateful for him picking up the slack, too.)

Thomas was sure to not take any credit for this brilliant little cooking scheme. He preheated the oven to keep the vegetable quesadillas warm while he cooked each one over the grill on a pizza stone. The idea came from a William-Sonoma catalog that had a grilling stone. Thomas saw no reason to spend an extra $100 on the gadget and said his pizza stone would do just as good. He was right. I also really appreciated his concept because I am a firm believer that everything in the house needs multiple uses to save space and money. The quesadillas were fabulous, and we enjoyed the laughs of stories from the past, his stories about marrying into a much less vegetarian family, and his guitar duets with our brother-in-law, Dag. I can't wait to do it again with two little babies in tow!

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Making Vegetables Tasty

Amanda — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:38:13 +0000

It seems I'm not alone in saying that pregnancy isn't really a time women are desiring vegetables. Some of them that I absolutely love--asparagus and zucchini--just don't appeal to me right now. There are some that I am loving right now. Still all over salads if someone will make it for me (what's up with having a hard time making it to the kitchen?) and green beans have gone well the last two days. Nevertheless, beets and pickles which I have never enjoyed eating, are even more impossible for me to eat now. How, then, was I able to sit through an NPR story this morning on making vegetables taste good? I guess because it didn't focus on beets the entire time.

I highly recommend listening to the story and trying out the okra in curry recipe that suggests taking advantage of its naturally slimy texture. Also, take a look at the comment recommending eating vegetables at their finest quality in order to learn to appreciate them.

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Sweet Tomatoes-Catering

Amanda — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:38:23 +0000

Yesterday James, a new drug rep that I had not previously met, had lunch catered for the office. I suspect it could have been the best catering job we've ever experienced. It came from Sweet Tomatoes, and although I don't think much of them since they chewed me out for photographing their food, I can't say I was sorry for the delightful lunch. There were two ladies delivering the food, and I have never seen a faster set up and nicer arrangement of a meal for 60 people in our small kitchen.

The menu included three pre-made salads--a broccoli, lettuce, and bacon that was a success with my friends; a Caesar (with a dressing that I'm pretty sure is non-vegetarian, but I ate anyway based on the fact that I needed the vegetables), and a couscous with chick peas, red bell pepper, celery, and black olives. Although the couscous was a little bland without a great spicy dressing, it really was pretty good.

There was a chili and a corn chowder. I'm pretty sure neither was vegetarian, but my coworkers kept talking about them. Next was a pasta with a pink Alfredo sauce and mac-and-cheese. Both of which were pretty bland, but the pastas at Sweet Tomatoes generally are. However, I don't complain because so much else is very good and filling. Not to mention I've been a a bit spoiled by fancy pastas. Last were baked potatoes with all the fixings. I was absolutely amazed that a huge aluminum pan could deliver potatoes still warm from the oven and perfectly cooked, but not over cooked. For dessert there was a selection of muffins and cookies from the bakery.

Again, I highlight the friendliness and speed of the staff, the quality of the food, and even the amount of food for the number of people being served. Sometimes lunch allegedly ordered for 60 really only feeds 20. If you ever have a need for a caterer, I would recommend Sweet Tomatoes.

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