Bring Out the Stars

Yay for the Oscar people stepping it up! People looked pretty good...no Fs!

A red dress on the red carpet that actually works! They both get B+

Both Gwyny and Nicki have huge potential for messing things up, but they're both pretty average. C/B

Reese's boring black was also a weird fabric and the hair isn't working for this outfit. Plus, a little jewelry wouldn't have hurt now would it? C-

Helen Mirren always always looks fantastic and appropriate. A

How very Hollywood. Camilla's ballgown bottom half could have been dowdy, but the skimpy top is a nice offset. A best candidate! A/A

Maybe Natalie Portman should always be pregnant. She looks ahhhmazing in this color and cut. If it weren't for that annoying feathery hem, this might have been best dressed, ok maybe she is anyway. A-

Oh Sandra...this red, that red carpet? How come they never learn? C-

Tea length rules! B+

Was Michelle Williams going as a ghost? She's so cute and this look is so not. D

Love the color on Amy Adams, and I think I love the dress, but something is just not working. Maybe the jewelry. B+

Bad. See previous red comment, plus 1986 prom dress. F

This is NOT a good color, come on. See previous comment, second comment plus ill fitting chest coverage. D

Cate Blanchett looks like she's wearing some kind of Iron Man costume with that circle panel, plus it's just weird with the soft color/fabric and those pointy shoulders. D

ScarJo...undecided on this one. In theory I like it, but its missing something (besides fabric). C

Hillary Swan...I mean Swank. C-

BORING mummy suit! C-

Well they're cute, but that dress isn't cut right for Annette Benning. C-/A

Halle, I think you have some toilet paper tucked in your hose. This dress isn't that bad, but it isn't that good either. C-

Just Like Brixx

But healthy and not filled with germs that got me sick. :P

Ratatouille Pizzas*

Peel and dice one small eggplant, dice a zucchini and red onion. Saute in EVOO with thyme/basil/garlic powder until tender (5 minutes?). Meanwhile, prepare quick dough from Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast packet and divide in four balls to make individual crusts on greased sheets. I used the WH whole wheat with germ so these were extra hearty, but it worked fine!

Spread a little jarred (low-sodium) sauce or use fresh tomatoes, the zucchini-eggplant mix, and some olives, feta and mozza. Bake for 10 minutes on 425 and 2 minutes on high broil.

 *aka Bazoola Pizzas, and in case you want just plain ratatouille

Salmonidae

Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish, the only living family currently placed in the order Salmoniformes. It includes salmon, trout, chars, freshwater whitefishes and graylings. The Atlantic salmon and trout of genus Salmo give the family and order their names.

Salmon skin is next to impossible to remove.

And, I can't believe I bought this. From there.

But, the marinade did constitute ingredients from my three favorite stores: Harris Teeter (ok that's not really a favorite), Wegman's and Trader Joes (add in pepper and the pineapple juice).

Bake/Broil for 20-25 minutes

Served over cilantro-basmati rice with sauted garlic spinach.

Saturday Summary

Google's new toy invention might be just for me

Rowan County's latest claim to fame?

If YJDKIY was a college boy, I would love this site. 

Maybe this the the girl version. 

That is worth crying about.

I dreamed about snow the other day. What does that mean?

One please.

Here's hoping no one regrets their fashion choices like these ladies.

Marching through Magazines

YJDKIY was saving up three great magazines I got a few weeks ago for Saturday reading and menu planning.

1-Everyday with Rachael Ray
2-Everyday Food (Martha Stewart)
3-Martha Stewart Living

So, we have a week plus one of entirely new recipes. That's pretty bold for this household, so we'll see how it goes!

SATURDAY: Broiled Sweet & Spicy Salmon with Pineapple, sauted greens (2)
SUNDAY: Ratatouille Pizzas (1)
MONDAY: Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers (2)
TUESDAY: Sausage, Chard & Lemon Lasagna (3)
WEDNESDAY: Vegetable Shepherd's Pie (1)
THURSDAY: Catfish with Carrot-Cabbage Stew (1)
FRIDAY: Stewed White Beans with Spinach (1)
SATURDAY: Zucchini Fritters with Tuna (1)

Grocery List (it's gonna be an expensive new recipe experiment!)
Pineapple
Eggplant
Peppers
Lettuce
Onion
Chard
Spinach
Beets
Zucchini
Red potatoes
Lemon
Cucumber
Grape Tomatoes
Cilantro
Red cabbage
Canned Tuna
Cannellini Beans
Broth
Olives
Salmon
Catfish
Brown Rice
Lentils
Lasagna noodles
Plain yogurt
Feta
Ground soy protein

New Recipe - Butternut Lasagna

YJDKIY was recently inspired by a friend's mention of Butternut Lasagna! Not being one to EVER follow a recipe, I cooked up (literally!) the following SUPER tasty version of my own.

Peel and dice butternut squash.

In a microwave save dish, cook covered for 5-7 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, dice a large sweet yellow onion and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes with a dash of cumin, nutmeg, a lot of sage, garlic powder and rosemary, and some thyme and black pepper.

When it is translucent, add 3-4 cups of torn fresh spinach leaves and cook until wilted.

Remove from heat, add about 3/4 cup of fat free ricotta, some grate muenster, and a dash of egg beaters (or one egg). Mix up well and set aside. Mash in the butternut.

Meanwhile, boil 9 whole wheat lasagna noodles in your lobster pot. Or, if you are like YJDKIY and can't count, 8 will do.

In a casserole dish, coat the bottom with jarred (low sodium) spaghetti sauce, then three noodles, and then the squash-spinach-cheese mix. Top with a little sauce, spread it out, and then repeat, finishing with  thin layer of the mix, some sauce and lots of grated muenster cheese.

Bake for 30-40 minutes on 400.

Let it cool, if you can stand to wait. ENJOY! This is an excellent tasting, if not particularly healthy (ok, its really just the cheese that is so bad) recipe. I think it would make an excellent crossover for those used to eating meat lasagna. Much easier than true veggie lasagna.

Food Rules 2.0

YJDKIY subscribes to an email list from Slow Food USA. Their mission is: Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

Today, I received the following email:

Dear Emily,

Last year I published Food Rules, a short book offering 64 rules for eating well. Food Rules struck a chord with many people, who found that it helped them navigate what has become a treacherous food environment, whether in the supermarket or restaurant. Many of the rules were submitted by readers, and since publication I have received a number of excellent new ones. So I’ve decided to publish an expanded edition, with additional rules and also illustrations, which the painter Maira Kalman has agreed to create. I hope you’ll consider contributing to the new book.What are some of your food rules? I’ll pick my favorite three rules from within the Slow Food network and give those people signed copies of the book. Thanks in advance for your help, Michael Pollan

PS - the deadline for submission is February 27th. Don't forget to forward this email to your friends so they can share their food rules too!

So, do you have a great food rule of your own? You can submit it by clicking here. Do it!

MIA

With the warm weather this weekend, YJDKIY packed everyone up and headed to Eagle Point Nature Preserve. The property, on High Rock Lake, is in part, made possible by Alcoa, a company we read about in the paper that very morning.

Despite the one of the most uninformative maps ever (hello, trail length? scale? nothing!), we set out to find the lake, some eagles, or something fun. 

 The trail was well cleared and well marked. 

Including the oddest plant specimens. (click the picture to enlarge and read)

Someone was feeling extremely playful. 

Snack time! Wonder if it was whoever lived in here. 

We got closer to the "lake" but the water was missing! 

Like a bizarre moonland or something. Apparently, this is normal though, for winter. Nothing high about this lake, but there were lots of rocks. 

Someone even ate one. 

We set back on the trail and found some not so naturey preserves. 

I guess low tide is a good time to collect trash out of the water...which apparently was well needed. 

Despite the wearing of shortsleeves and sunglasses, there was nothing springy about this woods. 

And no eagles either. 

Just mongrels. I have no idea how far we walked, but we did all the loops, so I'm guessing 3-4 miles. This might be cooler in the spring if the water is up, but otherwise, I think once was enough!