$5.25

Farmer's Market Eggplant, green pepper, cucumber, summer squash, green beans

THIS

IS A PROBLEM. I absolutely despise buying grocery store produce now. Not only do I feel guity for not buying local and supporting the farmers in my area, but my farmer's market produce never costs $3 for only one serving, never is sneakily covered (on the inside leaves) in rotting kale worms, gnats and grossness. My farmer's market produce never ruins an entire meal by being too disgusting to even try to clean off an eat. (yes I know you probably can't see them, they're there trust me, they just landed on the bottom when I threw it all down in shock horror and amazement.)

I seriously considered bagging the whole gross ball of moldy, bug infested Cal-organics kale up, fishing the receipt out of the trash and taking it back to Harris Teeter. But then I considered the gas it would take to start up my car, crank the AC because it is in fact 92 degrees out, drive there and back...only to return with another bunch of kale that also had to be cold-trucked across the country and had a carbon footprint as big as the state of California. GRAR!

When the moon hits your eye...

Like a big pizza pie, that's amore! Anyone remember Mr. Sollecito singing that? (In trying to find SOME kind of reference on the internets to that infamous Boone pizza parlor, all I found was this article, which is also kind of fun YJDKIY had a birthday party there...what year was that?). I digressed.

Since fancy dinner cookin' has been on hiatus this week AND there is a new fridge that actually accomodates frozen pizza boxes, I stocked up on an HT Naturals Organic Cheese Pizza last week. It has been a LONG time since I had a frozen pizza instead of just making it...maybe almost a year! 

For toppings, I couldn't decide between fresh basil or on its last leg green pepper, so I went with both. But these toppings really don't go well together, so halfsies it was!

Well now I have to

A while back, YJDKIY posted about learning to love the treadmill. Amazingly, I have and some mornings, gasp, I think I even prefer it to the elliptical. I think I might have also mentioned that I have always had an extreme aversion to running, mainly because it just wasn't comfortable, and I don't like exercising in heat and humidity (hello North Carolina?).

So now, having recently taken note of several much older, much less fit people running, I've decided that surely I can do that. And, to top it off (don't think I've mentioned this though), I hate setting goals/deadlines, but lo and behold I've gone and done THAT too. YJDKIY is going to keep you from knowing that just yet, but as it gets closer perhaps I'll fill you in. Thirdurmore, I have this whackado plan that if I can learn to use running as an efficient means of cardio, I can quit paying $40/month for the YMCA since I only use it for cardio and do weights at home, and then, the following will pay for itself in ahem, a few, months.

------------End backstory, begin actual point of this post. -----------

I went to Fleet Feet in Winston-Salem to find out exactly what kind of shoes will make this experience more tolerable. After talking with superfriendly salesguy Rich for a few minutes about my crazy ideas on running, it was time to take some measurements.

1. Rich looked at my feet...apparently they're decent, no bunions or callouses (TMI?) nothing weird to note (except man you have to be outgoing and nonhinky to have that job). I do seem to have high arches.

2. Next, he placed a sizing tool thingy on an inclined plane (45 degrees) and measured the size, but also made a mark (look close you can see them) where the 1st metatarsal hit the guide. Then, we did the same thing but standing. The difference between these marks shows how much your foot "flattens out" when weighted or in use/motion. The distance between my marks was much less than normal, usual. I need a 6.5 and could possibly consider a wide, but not a necessity.

3. Finally, Rich watched me walk. It's kind of odd to concentrate on not concentrating on walking! I've noticed lately, and he saw immediately that my heel hits the ground solidly, straight on, but tends to roll slightly outward when weight is applied and never passes the mid point when it comes back. This means I have a neutral gait, where a lot of people tend to roll inward and overpronate.

4. It was time to try on some shoes and make some decisions! After a little conversation about socks (despite the fact that I hate them too and would much rather wear none).  We talked about inserts, and it really was clear how crappy the factory ones are. I tried two kinds, and one felt great while the other was weird and didn't fit my foot at all.

Rich brought me three pairs of shoes. I was a little afraid of this part, since I know you are not supposed to pick shoes based on color, but I really really am opposed to white kicks...hate them (YJDKIY is full of opinions on this topic apparently).

A normal New Balance pair (WR 759CS...yay they were grey and hot pink!), a wide New Balance pair (eh, gray and light blue), and a pair of Adidas that I didn't even see. NB#1 fit great - I could really tell the difference in the way my foot was supported and stayed in place, and it felt like I had springs under the ball and heel of my foot! NB#2 was awful, my foot slid around and it felt like could walk on water with those boats. Clearly don't need a wide! So based on that, he decided the Adidas would be too wide and long for my foot, but he did bring out a pair of Saucony's after I mentioned liking my current ones ok. They were way too tight across the top and too narrow toward my toes. I tried one on the left and the NB#1s on the right and the choice was clear!

That was it! He cut my inserts to fit the shoe perfectly matching the crappy factory ones, put them in, sold me on some moisture wicking super thin socks and rang me up.

I won't tell you how much, but let's just say all that came to more than 3 months of YMCA membership (the inserts were a little $ shocking, they mean business! But, when I got home and put on my old shoes that I THOUGHT were cushy and supportive, I could honestly tell a significant difference, and Rich told me they'd last at least 12-18 months, longer than the shoes!). As we've learned though, if there is one thing that motivates me, it's spending money!

GAHHHHHHHHH longest 13 days ever

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Wipeout

Big Red Balls. 'nuff said.

Returns Tuesday, 6/22 at 8pm ET on ABC.


--

My previous love of this is documented here.

Ave Gardener*

Since I had to water plants for the first time in 2 weeks (yes it has rained that long), I took the opportunity to snap a few shots of what's growing 'round here.

Figs! I need to start looking up recipes now for the amount of these sticky gooey things that are going to hit the ground in the fall. The fig bush is the size of the neighbor's detached garage.

Lavender, oregano! These apparently wintered over, as I both had no clue what they were when they sprouted and certainly didn't plant either of those this year. However, seeing how well the lavender did, that plant might be doubling soon.

Hostas! These have been toted around in these pots for almost 2 years now. I don't have any shady spots for them yet. Still working on that.

Geranium, Black-Eyed Susan! I rescued these from the dried up clearance aisle in Home Depot for a total of $3! Silly Home Depot, all you have to do is water them. See my Haps souvey, doesn't it look ohso kitschy?

 Basil! As previously stated, overachievers and more than I can manage. Do you want some?

Petunia, geranium! These poor little red-white-and-blue guys were some of the first Spring annuals to arrive home, and they are not liking this hot Summer weather. Perk up and bloom again guys!

Tomatoes! I was a little beside myself planting a hybrid instead of an heirloom, but this one was specifically for containers, so I thought it I'd give it a try. Holy summer salsa Batman! You can't tell from this picture, but this plant is probably only 18" tall and 10" wide, and there are currently no less than 10 tomatoes!

Wave Petunia, Begonia, Gerbera Daisies (not blooming currently), and those pointy things (on the end, what're they called?)! My pink ribbon pot. This turned out not how I wanted, but ok. Too full, too expensive, too heavy to move!

I'm reasonably sure this includes Creeping Jenny (the light green), Sweet Potato Vine (dark, star like leaves), and Dusty Miller (white stuff), but I don't know what the red thing is. They just looked good together! One time I heard a name for this type of flower planting, where you have a tall background, two mid levels, and one that trails on the bottom or over the edge. Something catchy like a sleep/creep/leap planting. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Peppers! Valencia Bells to be exact, and there are three. I thought they were supposed to be red though? Also, I just picked off two of the most hated of all YJDKIY bug invaders: earwigs. Is that is what is turning the stems brown?

Thyme! This was from one seed packet started in the jiffy pots. Haven't quite figured out what to do with it, but this would make a fantastic and fragrant ground cover. Apparently it makes a good companion plant, too. Mr. Thyme meet Ms. Valencia. Note for next year. 


And there you have it!


*like Ava? YJDKIY lives on the Ave? Get it? ahahaha!

Substituting

I was supposed to make tortellini soup and I thought I had all the ingredients. This, however, should be an indication that my pantry/fridge is too full when I can't see what is (and more importantly, isn't) in it! I had no stock and no spinach. So I quickly changed gears, sauteing carrots, r + g bell pepper, celery, onion and broccoli in EVOO.  YJDKIY hates cream sauces, I can't eat them without literally seeing my arteries clog, so I knew that was out. I added about 1/8 the bottle of white cooking wine and about 1/2 c. soy milk, some garlic powder and ground pepper to make a runny white sauce. Let it simmer, added a little parm and mixed with the boiled tortellini. I also am not really a fan of white pasta OR prepared foods, but this works in a pinch and when I need a lot of food for leftover eating.

PS: Did I mention that, while containing vegetables and not heavy cream, this is by no means a healthy meal? My legs had lead in them on the treadmill the next morning and I blame this meal!!

Too hot to cook, too hot to eat!

2 multigrain Wasa  crackers, half a Laughing Cow Light each, some fresh picked basil, and a little shaved organic turkey works for lunch! There might have also been a homemade froyo popsicle involved.

Attack of the killer....

The YJDKIY canine component was violently barking at the front door this morning. A bark usually reserved for intruders such as the mail lady or of the feline persuasion. I peeked out the window to see nothing but this little kinda big guy stuck on the porch.

My eastern NC grandparents used to talk about slugs eating all their plants, in fact, they even brought my parents a large slug magnet from their travels somewhere.  I've heard the usual beer and salt remedies, but I can't say that I've ever actually seen a slug devouring a garden plant. Much less one that is 3" long and girthier (YJDKIY vocabulary special!) than a pencil! He was promptly transported to the outer edge of the yard upon discovery.

Creating Chicken Without the Egg

Creating Chicken Without the Egg

Artwork by Balint Zsako. Photograph by Tom Schierlitz for TIME.

Not so sloppy tacos

Homemade salsa + lettuce + black beans + cheese + stand 'n stuff shells (WHY do they not make the flat ones anymore?) =

Toothy!

 

The other day, at the dentist, the hygienist took a quick look at my teeth and said, "Let me guess, you don't drink coffee, tea, or soda?" YJDKIY does, of course, drink a single cup of black coffee each morning, but 98% of the rest of my beverage intake is in the form of water. 

I frequently rant about things like soda taxes, healthy school lunches, childhood obesity, not drinking all your calories, and staying hydrated that should lead you to the same conclusion about soda that YJDKIY arrived at. However, I never stopped to consider the oral health part of it!

Here are a few factoids to consider :

• Limit the number of snacks that you eat. Each time you eat food that contains sugars, the teeth are attacked by acids for 20 minutes or more (American Dental Association).
• Foods that are eaten as part of a meal cause less harm. More saliva is released during a meal, which helps wash foods from the mouth and helps lessen the effects of acids.
• Dentists are aware of reports that since 1998 over 300 school districts in 32 states have entered into pouring rights contracts, some contracts lasting 10 years - longer than the term of most school board members. (pouring rights = soda in school) What we do know is that when teeth come in frequent contact with soft drinks and other sugar-containing substances, the risk of decay formation is increased.
• Low-carb lifestyle junkies are more likely to suffer from a seldom discussed side effect of such diets -- halitosis, aka bad breath. (WebMD)
• The best food choices for the health of your mouth include cheeses, chicken or other meats, nuts, and milk.
• Chewing sugarless gum is actually beneficial to your teeth as chewing helps dislodge food that becomes stuck to your teeth and also increases saliva flow to buffer (neutralize) mouth acids.
• Do not nurse a young child to sleep or put him to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, juice or sweetened liquid. While a child sleeps, any unswallowed liquid in the mouth feeds bacteria that produce acids and attack the teeth. (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry)
• If you do have sweets, eat them all at once. Avoid 'grazing' over extended periods.  (BBC)
• Drink through a straw. Liquids sucked through a straw have less contact with teeth and are less damaging than those consumed from a glass

Facebook Muahaha!

Stonyfield Farm Food Science for $800, Alex! "This treat made by Stonyfield has over 5 billion live Lactobacillus bacteria in it." What is 'YOGURT'? We've been part of some cool things, but a Jeopardy question ranks right up there! Thanks to YJDKIY for sharing the news this week. (photo from Jeopardy.com)

29 minutes ago · Comment · · Share

I've said it before, I'll say it again....Stonyfield, oh how I love thee.  (Yes, I changed my name in the blog post, the FB had my real name. Yes I know anyone with a lick of sense can figure out my name from this blog/fb post. Yes its just funner that way).

I forgot to title this post!

YJDKIY has been light on the meal posts lately, so tonight I took the time to stop and wash my hands a bagillion times so I could take photos mid-cook. You're welcome.

Fresh ingredients pre-cooking! Farmer's market beets, family grown shiitake mushrooms, HT asparagus, and Wild Alaskan Salmon (eco-best!). I only got the salmon in case I hated the mushrooms, like all other mushrooms I've ever tried. For the glaze, I used 1 can of leftover pineapple juice, low sodium soy sauce, a spoon of brown sugar, lemon juice, garlic powder and ginger. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Grilled the salmon with this brushed on top.

 
For the beets, I cut off the tops (we had those last weekend, sauted with something spicy and lots of garlic....yum! But, YJDKIY wasn't the cook, so I can't claim that meal*), and boiled for about 40 minutes. The skins peeled right off!

Bloody murder!? Once they cooled with the help of some ice water, I grated them and added two wedges of Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Light and lemon juice and mixed until creamy. Chill before serving (I had to keep tasting this since the recipe was TOTALLY invented...it was so tasty the whole bowl could have been a goner if I wasn't intent on saving some for the finished photo! Whew, that was close!).

The shiitakes and asparagus were headed for the grill with the fishy, so shake n' bake style was the best option. The tiny little shoestrings of asparagus got olive oil, fresh ground black pepper and an itty bit of garlic salt. The shiitakes, which, were my first stab at preparing AND eating, got olive oil, garlic salt and ALL of the rosemary in my three shelves of spice cabinet (that was a lot). 

The mushrooms took about 6-10 minutes, same or less for the asparagus. The salmon, not so much. YJDKIY was being extra lazy and didn't cut the skin off, which made it take forever. AND meant it couldn't get that nice caramelized glazey crust. Alas, it was still tasty tangy-sweet.

Voila! I'm happy to report I loved the mushrooms. There was no normal gross mushroom flavor or ick texture whatsoever. I normally cannot even manage to swallow a bite of portobello, crimini or even common grocery store mushrooms. Cooking on the grill fixed the texture and coating in said shake n' bake fixed the flavor. :)


* beet green meal (and some beets with balsamic and spinach, and rice/spinach balls with tomato sauce, and pears, and homemade bread!)

Local Not Working Out As Planned

So, with the over-achieving basils producing more leaves than YJDKIY can keep up with, I was given a microwave drying tip.

Place single layer of leaves between papertowels and microwave until crispy. Before:

After:

I crumbled them up to resemble the jar kind, however, it more looks like something I might get arrested for! Maybe I should label the bag...THIS IS BASIL.

This plan isn't working out so well though. The first time, one of the leaves caught on fire and the microwave made weird noises. I was told to not wash them before, but with my hinkiness about bugs and pollen, I just couldn't resist. So the next time, I picked them after a full sunny day after an evening of rain. They were still chewy even after almost catching on fire.  The bag of crushed basil smells like damp grass, not tasty freshly dried basil. Alas, I think I am going to have to result to the more high maintenance freezing option. Feel free to mail me pine nuts so I can just make pesto ice cubes already! This town doesn't carry them. :P

BP'd

YJDKIY, much like the Florida panhandle is about to, got BP'd today.

 Thankfully, my cleanup was much easier. bpmysite.com/

Suffocating

Literally! In between reports about continuing failures to fix the GULP, YJDKIY saw an interesting article on the news at the Y. I find this an incredibly interesting correlation, not only in what the study links, but in the realization that some kids eat three hamburgers a week?

3 burgers a week ups kids’ asthma risk
Diet could be a signal for other risky lifestyle factors, researchers say
Children who eat three or more burgers a week may be at a higher risk of asthma and wheezing, but a healthy diet rich in fruit and fish seems to stave off the risk, according to a large international study.


The very first time YJDKIY had a hamburger was in middle school. I went home with a friend after the science fair (I know, I know...), and her mom took us through the Wendy's drive through. I'd never had one and figured I wouldn't like it either, so I asked for a cheeseburger thinking at least I could pick off the meat and have a cheese sandwich. I don't recall my first impression, just like I can't recall ever, seriously I'm not kidding, eating a hamburger again in my life (which, by the power of deduction leads one to believe it was less than favorable!). Needless to say, I'm not tempted by these. But, just in case you're tempted to zip through Wendy's and stuff one in your whiny kid's hand, here's a trick I use to get over such cravings and quick food fixes...READ THE LABEL (hello, soapbox? its me YJDKIY)!

Wendy's single hamburger:
 470 cals, 21 g fat (8 sat, 1 trans), 80 mg chol, 970 mg sodium (!), 43 g carbs, 27 g protein

Wendy's kids meal hamburger (a slightly better choice purely because it is smaller):
220 cal, 8 fat (3 sat, 0 trans), 30 chol, 520 sodium, 26 carbs, 13 protein 

Five Favorite Foodie Flicks

Fried Green Tomatoes(1991) PG-13

In this adaptation of Fanny Flagg's novel, flashbacks reveal the remarkable and mysterious story of soul mates Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Ruth Jamison (Mary-Louise Parker), whose antics cause an uproar in their rural Southern town during the 1920s. Feisty Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy) tells the tale to a repressed Alabama housewife (Kathy Bates), who becomes obsessed with Idgie and Ruth, and ultimately finds inspiration in their story.

 Julie & Julia(2009) PG-13

Amy Adams stars in this truth-inspired tale as Julie Powell, who decides to enliven her uneventful life by cooking all 524 recipes outlined in Julia Child's culinary classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Based on Powell's book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, director Nora Ephron's heartwarming dramedy also stars Meryl Streep as legendary chef Child, for which she won a Golden Globe.

Ratatouille(2007) G

Brad Bird (The Incredibles) co-directs this Oscar-winning Pixar offering about a passionate rat named Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) who thirsts for a sip of the good life, despite the questionable tastes of his rodent relatives. Growing up beneath a five-star Parisian restaurant, Remy inherits a taste for fine food. But his culinary ambitions only anger his practical father, who wishes his son could just eat garbage like everyone else.

Mystic Pizza(1988) R

Reality rudely intrudes on the plans of three blue-collar, New England teens who share their dreams while slinging hash at the local pizzeria. Daisy (Julia Roberts) entertains visions of marrying into the upper crust, while levelheaded sister Kat (Annabeth Gish) wants to go to Yale. Meanwhile, wisecracking Jojo (Lili Taylor) has a man on the hook but finds that commitment cramps her style. A quirky linchpin of 1980s cinema, Mystic Pizza delivers.

Chocolat(2000) PG-13

Blown in by the north wind, an iconoclastic single mother (Oscar nominee Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter move into a peaceful French village and open an uncommon chocolate shop during the height of Lent -- directly across the street from a church. At first, the shop's rich, sensuous desserts scandalize the town. But the villagers (including Judi Dench, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp) soon learn to savor the sweetness.

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In the Queue:

Babette's Feast Babettes gæstebud(1987) G

Philippa (Hanne Stensgaard) and Martina (Vibeke Hastrup ) turn down a chance to leave their Danish town, instead staying to care for their pastor father and his small church. Thirty-five years later, a French woman (Stéphane Audran) seeks refuge, and Philippa and Martina (now Bodil Kjer and Birgitte Federspie) take her in. The feast the woman prepares in gratitude is eclipsed only by her secret in director Gabriel Axel's Oscar-winning drama.

Eat Drink Man WomanYin shi nan nu(1994) NR

Distracted by their complicated love lives and secret ambitions, three adult sisters reluctantly humor their widower father (Sihung Lung) by enduring the elaborate, traditional Taiwanese dinners he insists on having every Sunday. Ang Lee directs this charming tale that humorously examines the clash between modernity and tradition within the contemporary Taiwanese family. Yu-Wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu and Kuei-Mei Yang co-star.

Christmas in Connecticut(1945) NR

In this welcome addition to the canon of mandatory yuletide viewing, Barbara Stanwyck plays Elizabeth Lane, a magazine columnist who touts herself as a blissful wife, mother and expert homemaker living on an idyllic Connecticut farm. Trouble is, it's all a lie. When her pudgy publisher (Sydney Greenstreet) cooks up a scheme to boost circulation by having Elizabeth entertain a war veteran (Dennis Morgan) on Christmas Eve, will her charade unravel?

Local What?

City declares items nuisances 

The Salisbury City Council declared three items on Robert Boone's property at 1605 S. Main St. public nuisances, and the city will correct the problem sometime in the near future. The three items declared as nuisances were piles of dirt, a concrete barrier and six dilapidated U.S. flag. ... As of Tuesday, Boone had accrued $26,250 in $250/day charges for having dilapidated flags on his property. He will also have to pay the cost of the abatement. If he refuses to pay the abatement fees, a tax lien will be placed on his property.

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Another hot topic during the meeting was the city's budget. Two people spoke out against Salisbury's 2010-2011 fiscal year budget during the a public hearing, both speaking against proposed rate increases for water and sewer services. erry Shelby was first to speak, focusing on Salisbury's rate of poverty and how everyone is struggling to stay afloat across the city.  "I don't know how to cut my costs anymore unless I come here and sponge bath in the water fountain," he said of the proposed 5.57 percent increase in water and sewer. "It costs more to read the meter than it does for the usage." Shelby held up a Walmart bag, and said he does not use trash services, placing his bags in his neighbor's trash bin, not only to save money, but "to save a stop for the truck," he said.

Well at least I had good intentions

Of making homemade dough, that is. But, being the lazy, rainy, muggy Memorial Day afternoon that it was, completely being out of white AND wheat flour, and actually staying awake for a movie totally threw off the planning schedule. So, plan B used the prepackaged tube kind of pizza dough. Sorry.

Mix: container of fat free ricotta, some grated parm and mozza, diced artichoke hearts, 3 c. chopped fresh spinach, some fresh basil, pepper, oregano, thyme and nutmeg. Spread out dough on cookie sheets and cut in thirds. Add some of the mix fold over and shape. Bake about 15-20 minutes until golden and serve with fresh basil & tomato (sauce, ok I cheated on that too!)