Local Customs I Don't Understand

Although they aren't for me, I get Christmas lights. I totally understand a flag on July 4th. Heck, a pumpkin and some nice yellow mums are even cool for Fall. But this, this extremely over the top yard decor for...Halloween, the most non-holiday of them all...this is just beyond me.

Please excuse the shady nature of the following photos...taken with my iPhone while trying to be super stealthy dog walking!

 Even the Y has gone so far as to do not just decorations, but a life size diorama!

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see how this is appropriate yard art for Halloween...or any other non-holiday!

And finally, just to prove we here on the Ave aren't totally antifestive...the Canine Component is sporting a little Halloween decor.

She's clearly thrilled about it.

Win Some Lose Some

YJDKIY was in the mood to try something new with these guys

Somewhere recently I read about eggplant rolls, but I couldn't find the exact recipe I'd seen, so I decided to just wing it. I also had in mind to use up the last of my baby basils, as they are a little worse for the Fall wear.

I did manage to pick enough for the amount of eggplant I had.

 At least three times through this process I was already picturing the blog post title: epic fail! Slicing the eggo-s lengthwise and thin proved extremely difficult.

Then, after dipping the slices in a plate of Pino's Press Garlic EVOO, I rolled them up with basil leaves, diced (last farmer's market) tomato, and either mozzarella or feta (wanted to try both).

Trust me when I tell you the toothpicks were necessary. I really needed eggplant ribbons instead of slices, but I don't think the cheese slicer would have cut it for this.

Meanwhile, I prepped for tofu battering. Dip #1 in egg white, dip #2 in a mix of breadcrumbs/garlic powder/oregano/dried basil and placed on a pan to bake.

Both went in the oven at 375 for about 25 minutes, alternating with broil on 500 for a few minutes here and there. Served with a side of marinara, the tofu turned out crispy and perfect. The eggplant rolls...meh. I think they were a little too thick and not quite done, which of course is the total wrong way to eat eggplant.

Happy Calloween Week

MONDAY: Oven 'fried' tofu, eggplant rolls

TUESDAY: Freezer Spaghetti, green beans

WEDNESDAY: Black bean-sweet potato tacos

THURSDAY: Tuna melts with romaine hearts and carrots

FRIDAY: White chicken chili

SATURDAY: Panko fish, cous cous, sesame kale

SUNDAY: Haps at the FH Halloween Parade!

I will never

Ok, never say never...but YJDKIY doesn't plan on baking any spaghetti squashes again soon. The first one was an exploding disaster of glass. The second, while tastier, resulted in a forearm oven burn the size of a golf ball (in fact, it looks like my arm got pelleted with a golf ball!).

This time, I had a local squash from the last farmer's market of the season and after baking in a pan with some water for 45 minutes, topped it with thawed pesto from my freezer stock, chopped pine nuts and parm. Yummy!

Mad at Men?

Warning: if you have yet to watch the season finale of MadMen and plan to, stop reading now. *Spolier Alert*

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This was truly a bizarre episode. As I watched the second half with my mouth open and brows knitted, frequently yelling/angry fist shaking at Don Draper, I might have muttered the phrase 'they jumped the shark.' But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that perhaps Season 5 is salvageable and this finale did in fact, fit with the rest of the odd season, opening up lots of storylines (and making for a very long 8-9 month hiatus!). A few thoughts, since you didn't ask for my opinion: :P

One of the things I love about MadMen are it's time gaps. Either between season, episode, or scene, you're never really sure how much time has passed and what transpired with the characters. What holiday? How long have they known each other? How long were they in California?

MADMEN ON AMC

Did you notice that all the career girls got shafted? Joan got a promotion but no raise. Peggy got a new account and saved the business but was trumped by Don's news. Faye, poor Faye, got dumped for a younger secretary who, oh by the way, got the ring.

MADMEN ON AMC

I proclaimed loudly, and multipley that Megan's character was not developed enough to show why Don supposedly fell in love and proposed to her. There was the scene with the milkshake...

MADMEN ON AMC

...and we know Don is a mess and doesn't know what he wants. Plus, he made googly eyes at her in the Whiskey a Go Go outfit. So, I'm now undecided on this, as it was pointed out that perhaps Megan is all the things he thought he was getting with Betty, who turned out to actually be a psycho 11 year old...

MADMEN ON AMC

(did you see her crazy eyes and erratic head bobble whilst firing Carla?!). So, she's both the Anti-Betty and the Betty-hit-on-the-head-with-a-well-adjusted-adult-stick. So, maybe its not that I think Megan's character was underdeveloped so much as she's just not a very deep character (or maybe, I just don't like the actress or identify with her on any level).

 MADMEN ON AMC

I LOVE Sally Draper so much. I love the song scene where she is off key and trying desperately to spit the words out on cue to please her dad. I love when she begs him to go swimming with her and when he crashes on the bed...

MADMEN ON AMC

...(was it just me or was there an extra pause there that made you think Don might have really passed out?) I love when she doesn't make move on Glen...

MADMEN ON AMC

(who, just so happens to be Matthew Weiner's son! Who knew? And, even more creepier) and offers to send him postcards instead. I really wanted to see her have one more fit and fall in it this season, though (guess she left all those for her mom).

MADMEN ON AMC

And, I love that Lane was the first to congratulate Don having shared the waitress/Bunny lady he fell in love with also. He clearly doesn't fit it in with the other boys (where is Cooper? Did he abandon ship altogether after the Jerry Macguire letter? Why has no one else pointed out that letter was totally Jerry?). I can't quite figure him out yet. He's so...un-mad man.

MADMEN ON AMC

At the end, as we're all willing incoming mortar for Joan's husband (does he even have a name) or even just waiting for him to spontaneously combust, it occurred to me that what if he DOESN'T die in the war? What would happen to the baby? How can he just ignore dates? Now that would be a plot twist! And, as much as I dislike the hubbs, I even more dislike the way Joan talks to him.

MADMEN ON AMC

I really want to know what Faye is going to do with Don's secret and the fact that she lost her job for him. That can't be pretty, but who knows if she'll be back next season, her super insightful 'You only like the beginnings of things' might have been the nail in her character's coffin.

MADMEN ON AMC

Speaking of things, un, the scene with Joan and Peggy was so...un-MadMen, too. We've seen little camaraderie among the women of SCDP, and even less catty-humor. I can't decide how I feel about this, since it's not a sit com. Also, when did Peggy start smoking?

MADMEN ON AMC

This scene with Don and Bets was one of my favorites of the season. Maybe just for the nostalgia...and Betty's cunningness. And Don drinking his hidden liquor from a bathroom cup.

 MADMEN ON AMC

Everyone keeps saying Peggy felt hurt at Don's news because he never made a move for her, but I disagree. Peggy doesn't and didn't want that. Her comment about saving the company is an indication of her ego, and her similarities to Don. They both have big bad dark secrets they're trying to overcome, they're both the creative type, they both have ambitions that get the best of them sometimes. There is no chemistry between them INTENTIONALLY!

MADMEN ON AMC

I think this is the first time we've seen baby Gene's face up close and personal as a character. Does anyone else think he could be Betty and Henry's kid? He's the spitting image of them (poor Bobby got the raw deal with his scene stealing sister and adorable toddler brother). I hope he is back in Season 5!

Bottom line: This is such a complex, character driven show. The fact that I reacted to this episode as such might mean it's really good...or that Matthew Weiner is in a life raft with a bleeding foot.

Red Beans + Rice Redux*

YJDKIY generally makes up things dinner as I go. Tonight was no exception. I started with the basic idea of traditional red beans and rice, only to discover that this dish in fact, normally includes a lot of other things, namely of the non-plant variety that I was specifically trying to avoid.

Side note from Wiki: Red beans and rice is an emblematic dish of Louisiana Creole cuisine, (not originally of Cajun cuisine) traditionally made on Mondays (betcha didn't know that!) with red beans, vegetables (bell pepper, onion and celery), spices (thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf) and pork bones as left over from Sunday dinner, cooked together slowly in a pot and served over rice. Meats such as ham, sausage (most commonly Andouille) , and Tasso ham are also frequently used in the dish.

Wanting this to be vegetarian (I think this actually ended up vegan!) and healthy, I started by sauteing garlic and green pepper with a little cumin and red pepper flakes. 

Then added the beans. ALWAYS go with the biggest fry pan. No matter what you're cooking, bigger is always always the better choice. You'd think I would have learned this by now!

Meanwhile, I had 1 c. of basmati rice cooking. This might be the only "white" version of something I like better. 

Mix it all together and simmer while the other cooker prepares avocado salsa for topping. 

Serve with corn chips (would have preferred blue but these were VICy this week!). 

*or, better known as glorified (healthy) nachos 

Replacements

After almost 10 years, I still adore my flatware and dishes. There aren't many things YJDKIY bought in 2001 that are still in-style or in-favor!

Plaza Lane by Mikasa

 

American Harmony by Oneida

Sadly, it was recently discovered that over the years, a few pieces have gone missing. Now, I don't want to name names, but there are only three suspects. One does not have opposable thumbs. One is me and I never lose anything. AHEM!

Enter Replacements, Ltd.

Not only is this cool place HQ'd in the Old North State and featured in local movie, Junebug, they just happened to have both my patterns.

That's the way I like it

Despite an inside temp of 59 degrees, YJDKIY still has the windows open! That's the way I we like it. There are only about 6 weeks of the year that can be deemed window-openable.

I digress. Through no fault of my own, I ended up eating meat about 10x more times that normal/desired last week. Sausage, ham, turkey, beef, and chicken. Who am I!? Enter the recovery menu:

MONDAY: Brown rice + Beans with avocado salsa

TUESDAY: Pesto-Parm Spaghetti squash, asparagus

WEDNESDAY: Bob's Vegi Soup, side salad

THURSDAY: Other cooker

FRIDAY: oven "fried" tofu, sauted broccoli

SATURDAY: Root Vegetable Casserole

And in related news, this weekend was the last of Farmers Market season 2010. The pickings were a little slim and we did stock up on WTF tenderloin and sausage, but we're eagerly awaiting the first Winter Harvest CSA delivery in a few weeks (more on that later).

Saturday Summary

A new feature for YJDKIY appearing on Saturdays will be a summary of the things (not posted) I found interesting this week that I think you probably just don't know yet. 

• Libby Story, like Anthropologie, but cheaper!
• A new vegetarian restaurant in Winston-Salem, The Grilled Asparagus
• Project Food Blog on foodbuzz
• Speaking of Anthropologie, OH how I adore their rug collection. Please can I have just one?
• Gap's logo no go-go is bizarrely similar to the new (southern classic) Belk logo redesign. Gap ditched theirs, but Belk is moving foward.
• This sad story is like a trainwreck I couldn't stop reading all week
• TV/internet addiction at it's finest: Slate's MadMen TV Club 
• Why can't this come in size adult? 
• Michelle's dress is totally awesome in this post about the White House garden tours (that are FREE! YJDKIY should live closer!)

Pyrite

Back in December, everything was gray. Then it was gunmetal. Now the color of the moment is pyrite. Just in case you're curious. There IS a difference!

Pinchy

With the Monday holiday and evening events three nights this week, YJDKIY is all cattywompus. I forgot to get green beans. And, I 20 minutes to make and eat dinner. And, I needed some veggies stat. YJDKIY was in a pinch!

 

Enter Mrs. T's pierogies, sauted with sweet onion over a bed of wilted baby spinach and topped with a dash of balsamic dressing.

(Two things about that site: 1. I love that Mrs. T owns the market and her address is just simply, pierogies.com 2.Who knew National Pierogy Day was October 8?!).

Are you wondering what I'm wondering? Who is this illustrious Mrs. T? Well, for you lazy clickers, her name is Mary Twardzik, and it was her original pierogy recipe that launched this successful business back in 1952.

A sit on the bench kind of day

As if we didn't know...

Davies McDonalds Happy Meal Project on Flickr

Vladimir Lenin, King Tut and the McDonald's Happy Meal: What do they all have in common? A shocking resistance to Mother Nature's cycle of decomposition and biodegradability, apparently.

That's the disturbing point brought home by the latest project of New York City-based artist and photographer Sally Davies, who bought a McDonald's Happy Meal back in April and left it out in her kitchen to see how well it would hold up over time.

The results? "The only change that I can see is that it has become hard as a rock," Davies told the U.K. Daily Mail.

READ MORE FROM YAHOO NEWS

Zesty Italian!

The other cooker was responsible for dinner, so YJDKIY can't tell you what ingredients this oh so tasty dinner included other than the Zesty Italian Sausage from (local) Wild Turkey Farms.

But I can show you what it looked like just before devouring commenced.

This was our second farmer's market purchase of their naturally raised pork (the first was a tenderloin, possibly the best tenderloin I've ever had) and I have to say, it was by far deliciouser than any sausage ever. But maybe that was just the cooker's fantastic sauce job. ;)

10/10/10 @ 10:10

TUESDAY: White bean, kale + sweet potato soup
WEDNESDAY: Eating out!
THURSDAY: Balsamic pierogies + green beans before 6:30!
FRIDAY: Cauliflower curry + pita triangles with yogurt
SATURDAY: Twice baked potatoes + broccoli
SUNDAY: Pineapple chicken, squash, spinach

Local Lunch Fare

YJDKIY and Co. had a rare weekday lunch opportunity for local dining. Sweet Meadow Cafe is only open for lunch during the weekdays, and dinner on Friday & Saturday.

It's right off Main St. and Inness and is one of the quaintest places I've been in a while. From the colorful walls, local art, and old fashioned ceiling it looked like something out of Fried Green Tomatoes. In fact, excuse my inconspicuous photography, but the rest of the patrons looked like old Southern lawyers frequenting their local lunch spot.

YJDKIY actually prefers to eat lunch out than dinner, so this Pesto Turkey on ciabatta roll hit the spot. The server was so friendly and tried really hard to sell us on dessert. Alas. One note, you might choose a less local establishment if you're in a hurry. Things just move slower here.

Dogs

Forget Bush's secret ingredient! I start with a can and wash off all the sauce, and start over! YJDKIY will even share with you! First, rinse them, then add ketchup, diced sweet onions, worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, garlic powder, agave, and finally...some expired George Killian's Irish Red.

Served with tofu dogs and coleslaw

Perfect evening for outdoor dining!