Pi Pix

3.14.2010

Today we went out for Pi Day in Princeton. A celebration of math and science. I thought it was a wonderful way to get kids excited about it.

I read recently that between Molly's age now (almost 9) and the time they go to middle school, the interest that children show in math and science dramatically plummets. I am willing to support any local effort to show young people how cool it is!

Several local businesses had specials and displays to mark the occasion. McCaffrey's had apple pies and personal pizzas on sale for $3.14. They were supposed to have an employee look alike contest but, sadly, I didn't see anyone who was participating. There was a pie throwing contest in Palmer's Square and an Einstein look alike contest at the library. I was lucky enough to see one before we left. We took part in a really cool hands on exhibit and demonstration.

The kids loved this guy!

Molly was hungry and I was short on cash so we stopped in at The House of Cupcakes on Witherspoon while we made our way up the block to meet up with Chris at Small World. I'd been meaning to try this place out and they had a sign on the door that let me know I could use my debit card there.

Molly and I took our time looking at the nice selection of cupcakes. Their menu of baked goods consists mostly of tried and true classics such as German chocolate, Oreo and red velvet along with decadent surprises like marshmallow and chocolate truffle. A bottle of milk and a cupcake was less than $5 which is a steal in Princeton!

I was trying to steer Molly towards the Boston cream but she predictably went for the vanilla blast. I ended up with a bite of this bad boy and although I was still lamenting her final choice, I had to admit that the incredibly moist cake and fluffed silken layer of icing made a strong case. This was a seriously amazing cupcake. I didn't get one for myself because I was holding out for something else...

Twist was offering free Cherry Pi filling on top of their signature frozen yogurt today. (Some of you might remember that I love this place.) I was thrilled to see that they were participating in the festivities and I was anxious to support them. Chris and I shared Eurotart and vanilla mixed together and topped with warm cherry filling. It r-u-l-e-d.

You also had the option to partake in some "Genius Dust" for your frozen yogurt. We didn't partake but I thought the idea was adorable.

Despite the gloomy weather, we had a nice afternoon in Princeton. I always enjoy seeing a township come together to celebrate something special about their heritage. The local schools are having various craft shows and school plays. Farmers markets and festivals will be popping up all over the place. Spring is almost here.

Twist Yogurt

64 Nassau St

Princeton, NJ 08542

609-454-3057

The House of Cupcakes

30 Witherspoon St

Princeton, NJ 08542

609-924-0085

Myth Busters

There are several correlations that exist in our culture that truly befuddle me. I don't have time to delve into that list and I'm sure that many of you wouldn't want to read it. What I have here to share with you is a list of a different sort. It's nothing new or exciting but here it is...

My grocery list.

It's nothing fancy but I think that it looks like a reasonably healthy collection of mostly whole foods. I try hard to feed myself and my family with stuff that tastes good and will nourish us so we can power through each day. Chris and I are both watching our diets so we try to make the most of our allotted calories we have each day. We're also trying to save money by reducing the amount that we spend eating at restaurants so I've been trying to jot down ideas for an assortment of things to enjoy for breakfasts, bagged lunches and dinners.

Where am I going on this tangent? I do actually have a point and it's this: There is a strange mindset that exists among a lot of people that eating healthy is expensive. I've heard so many people go on about how a healthy diet is out of their reach because because they cannot afford it. There are even several members of my family that believe this and feel that they're resigned to buying edible food-like substances in colorful boxes with characters on them and washing it down with a 24 pack of diet soda. I once heard a rule that seems to be golden as I see more and more grocery stores. The outer layer of the floor plan is usually where you should shop. The further into the middle you go, the more processed foods there are. The dairy, produce and other less complicated fare is all along the sides. I've also heard several people say that they don't know where to start when it comes to making healthy changes. I know that we get a lot of contradictory information as consumers when it comes to nutrition. I highly recommend this book.

Short, sweet and to the point. I learned a lot in the 10 minutes it took me to skim through it.

I am a Trader Joe's Queen. Almost all of the food you see and will continue to see on this blog was purchased there. I'm lucky enough to finally have one close to where I live! Their products are fun and simple with quality ingredients and no preservatives. I do buy some prepackaged stuff for days that I know I won't have time to cook. A frozen spinach pie or a pizza and a carton of tomato soup from TJ's is no worse than ordering it out and it takes 2% effort to make.

The vegetable based diet really helps with saving money so we can afford to spring for fancier veggies and quality ingredients. We also don't typically buy soda aside from an occasional 4 pack of Virgil's Root Beer which is usually a treat for everyone. Molly prefers milk to just about anything else and we drink a lot of water and tea. I've been all about the fiber lately so I try to eat a good bit of fruits, veggies and whole grain carbs. Typical breakfasts are quick aside from the few days a week I decide to cook something. It's usually half of a blueberry bran muffin and some cottage cheese. I love poached eggs and I'm a big fan of the Ezekiel line of breads. For lunch, I really like the frozen rice and bean burritos at TJ's and I take them with me to work at least 3 days out of the week with a piece of fruit. If I don't bring one, it's usually because I have leftovers from dinner. I haven't bought my lunch at work since the middle of December! I used to do it almost everyday so it's a big change.

Dinners vary and depend on my mood (and how tired I am!).

Smart Dogs with whole wheat pizza crust wrapped around them and baked is very popular with my family. We usually have it on Friday nights. I love them dipped in mustard and chili.

We love beans in this family. This is buttered toast with baked beans. In the summertime, we usually have fresh tomatoes with it. I jokingly think of it as "The Kerouac". Spinach and white beans is another favorite.

Some meals are a little more complicated...

Colorful bell peppers were on sale so I picked out one of each and stuffed them with white rice and black beans mixed with salsa and a bit of cheese. I simmered them for a bit and then let them brown in the oven. I served fresh guac on the side. I even had enough leftovers for two lunches the next day. It took a while to put together but I had company so that made it more fun. Anything remotely Mexican flavored will earn me an A+ with Chris and Molly. Burrito night never fails me.

When the West Windsor Farmer's Market opens back up in May, we'll be getting most of our produce from there. I can't believe how close it is! We get our public garden plot back in April!

I probably spend about $85 every week (give or take $10) on all of the different things I've mentioned. I think that list up there was about $75. Not too shabby considering it fed 3 people for several meals everyday. I also have to pack Molly a snack for school. Her teacher is a stickler for kids bringing in healthy food to hold them over until lunch and so M typically gets pistachios, cheese and crackers, applesauce or some fruit.

Our diet isn't anything too special but we like it. We're satisfied and we don't spend a lot of money. I read that the average American household spends 10% of their income on groceries. I see an investment in quality sustenance as a much better option than paying for a bunch of pharmacy visits in the future. I could go on and on about how even the slightest change in our way of thinking about food would be a definite variable in some very positive changes that would come about in our country but this ain't that kind of blog.

I just wanted to dispel the myth that we have to spend a lot of money to eat well.

Whatever you want to call it...

I had this post all nice and typed up for yesterday and my computer ate it! I guess those brotchen looked too good for it to resist! Let's try this again...

While we were on our trip, I was already expecting to encounter one blast from my past. While we were in Austria, I encountered another...brotchen! Chris grew up calling them Kaiser rolls. I can clearly remember the packages of these rolls that my Opa would bring home from Germany that had a solider on the front of the bag. They're about the size of hamburger buns but instead of being soft, they're quite crispy on the outside. I can remember sitting at the table with my Opa while he cut open a brotchen and scooped the inside out with his fingers. My eyes would watch him deposit the unwanted glutenous filling next to his plate and then I would immediately pounce! I'd grab the bread and stuff it into my mouth and I'd wonder all the while how he could resist not putting away every last morsel of these delicious things! When I got older, I realized that it's easier to butter the inside of the rolls if you scoop out the extra bread. However, I still eat what I remove from the brotchen!

These rolls are hard to come by in the U.S. Oma and Opa live near a Vietnamese bakery that has a pretty good brotchen but they aren't round. They're still tasty and when I visit, they always make it a point to have them for breakfast several times! My Opa is probably their best customer.

While we were in Austria, I kid you not when I say that I easily ate a dozen of these things in four days. I should rename this blog The Brotchen Diet.

Birthday Pie

Yesterday was my 32nd birthday. We basically spent the weekend celebrating. Saturday was an outing with some friends in Doylestown, PA (post coming within the week) and Sunday was spent reading the onslaught of internet well wishes and talking on the phone with friends and family. Thinking about it still makes me feel mighty special.

My birthday was a gold mine of blog inspiration between the PA trip and the 25 year old bottle of balsamic vinegar that my friend Shannon got me (!!!). The focus for today will be the lovely dinner we had with the inlaws last night.

My mother-in-law is always very thoughtful when it comes to fixing meat free stuff and I always appreciate it. If she makes spaghetti, she always makes me a small pot of marinara sauce. For Thanksgiving, I know I can count on a small pan of stuffing that wasn't cooked inside of the turkey. She knows that I absolutely love it when she makes spanikopita and so she decided to throw down for my birthday.

She always refers to it as Spinach Pie. Chris and I hopefully don't sound too much like foodie elitists we call it spanakopita. She did call him a wise ass over the phone the other day when he said it! The recipe actually comes from her sister-in-law, Madeline (who is Greek). Consider it your party favor. ;-)

Spanakopita

2 bags of spinach

6 eggs, beaten

1/4-1/2 lb of butter, melted

2 large onions, minced

Filo dough (in the frozen section of your grocery store)

Flour

1.5-2 lbs of feta cheese

Allow your filo to defrost in the fridge the day you are planning to make this dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl: Mix spinach, eggs, half of the butter, onions and feta cheese. Add enough flour to soak up extra juice.

Butter the bottom of the pan Layer the bottom and the side of the pan with filo dough. Put one half of the spinach mixture in the pan and cover it with 6-8 lightly buttered sheets of filo. Add the rest of the spinach mixture and top with more buttery filo layers. Fold in the sides. Add butter to the top.

Bake for an hour and check for doneness. Add an additional fifteen minutes if it needs it.

For dessert, I always request a cherry pie from Delicious Orchards on my birthday. It's one of my favorite things. The pies at Delicious Orchards are amazing but on the pricey side so we usually save them for a special occasion.

This place is pretty awesome though. They have a huge bakery as well as a nice selection of cooking ingredients. There is a deli, a lovely produce section and all sorts of delightful edibles tucked here, there and throughout. Everything from mustards to extracts. I recommend stopping in if you're in the mood for something a little bit special.

Delicious Orchards

320 State Route 34

Colts Neck, NJ 07722

732-462-1989

Dias de los Muertos

Last Sunday, I took down my Halloween decorations (I was pretty impressed with myself for being so quick about it!) and I used the space that was occupied by my haunted village to put up my Dias de los Muertos altar. I used lot of TLC and I think it came out pretty good. A friend of mine told me that I'd obviously forgotten some of my Halloween decor but I told him that this was something different. I agree that it looks a bit morbid but The Day of the Dead or All Souls Day is actually very beautiful.

As I was adding the various elements to my altar, I fondly recalled the loved ones that have passed on from this world. Grandparents, my friend Pat, Chris' brother Adam.... I used those serene moments to send thanks for their impact on our lives and to hope that they all know how much we still love and miss them.

I cooked a huge meal and invited some people over. One family was sick but we were fortunate that the Grady family was able to make it. I know it's a Mexican holiday but I cooked Indian food. I was seriously craving it. I did make a banana bread in my new skull pan. It turned out really cool...

This is actually the recipe from A Homemade Life for banana bread with chocolate chips and candied ginger. It wasn't planned to far ahead. The fact that I had four very ripe bananas in my fruit basket sealed the deal!

It was a huge pan so I doubled the recipe. It turned out really nice. I had enough leftover to send home with my guests and to offer up to my Tuesday knitters and they were all swooning over it.

The Grady's just welcomed their second child, a baby boy, into the world on October 2nd. I was holding him and just reveling in his newness. The circle of life really is a wonderous thing.

Festival Food

Last weekend, we took a much needed vacation to New England for the 20th Annual Milford Pumpkin Festival in New Hampshire! We were lucky enough to be accompanied by the Silver family. Lots of fall fun was had. Foliage, pumpkins, food and even a zombie apocalypse! There was a haunted walk on Saturday night through a wooded area where zombies were on the loose! My kidlet was scared to death but she was still better than I was! I didn't even go in!

I did, however, partake in the food part!! We had all kinds of meals in all sorts of places since we took several day trips from New Hampshire. We stopped in Mystic, Conn on the way up. We took a trip to Salem, Mass on Sunday and on the way back home on Monday, we stopped in Brattleboro, Vermont. Vermont and Mystic will have a separate post! ;-)

For today, I will post about the seasonal goodness of the Pumpkin Festival. We had two special treats in particular that deserve to be mentioned....

Butternut squash bisque with cranberries. This stuff was incredible! The bread bowl really sealed the deal and it made the cold weather much more bearable.

This is cotton candy made out of maple syrup! There was a guy handing out free samples and I bet he snagged a lot of sales! He definitely hooked us! I also bought a bottle of syrup from him for a housewarming gift. When you go to New Hampshire or Vermont, you've gotta bring back some maple goodness!

The food wasn't the only star attraction. There was a giant pumpkin contest.

The winner weighed in at over 1,200 pounds! Wow!

We had so much fun! New England is so gorgeous in the fall and it's an ideal destination for a family trip! We're already talking about going back next year!

New Member of the Family!

After months of searching, we adopted a dog today! He is a 2-3 year old Boston terrier/Pug mix AKA as bugs! We got him from the Bucks County SPCA which is an absolutely wonderful organization if you or anyone you know in is looking to adopt a pet in Jersey/PA area. The shelter named him Haroc but we renamed him Chowder. He has a bit of crud (kennel cough) but other than that, he's absolutely perfect and we're crazy about him! We're taking him to some obedience classes to work on leash training. He gets really excited and pulls pretty hard so he isn't much of a joy to walk. Once we polish that up, he'll be good to go!

Another exciting addition to the household is our new crock pot! I know, it's not nearly as cool as a dog but I've been wanting one for months now! We love beans and soups and stews. I also don't always have the time or energy to cook dinner so it's nice to have something that's ready and waiting for us! All I did today was chop veggies and throw in some beans that I soaked overnight. I was curious if they would cook without being boiled but I was really pleased with the results! They were big beans too so I imagine that this should work with any kind. I set it on high for eight hours and they were perfect. The instruction manual said to boil them first. but I didn't do it. The possibilities are endless with this thing so it should make for lots of blogging!

I am going to hit the sack. Chris is taking Chowder out to do his business and we'll see how well he does tonight. Other than the pulling, he hasn't displayed any undesirable behavior. He had a big day and I'm sure he's gonna sleep well! Here's hoping!

I know, I know.

Hello! I know it's been a while but I always lose a little bit of steam at this time of year because my daughter leaves to visit her father for part of the summer while she is on break from school. I usually focus on a lot of things to keep myself occupied while she's gone. The previous post speaks of breakfast dates. We've actually been doing a little bit of catching up on actual dinner dates while she has been away! We've been trying to eat in more now because all of those dinners out can add up quickly! Lots of people who know Molly is away have been inviting us out and we've also had a few friends drop in from out of town too. We're always thankful for the distraction since a large fraction of our lives revolves around her.

We have a lot going on as of late! I've been on a cleaning and organizing spree. I was lucky enough to be able to salvage some organization cubicles and shelves from my friend Laura who was moving. I incorporated them into my bedroom yesterday and my little craft nook is lookin' pretty sharp now! Thanks Laura!!! There's definitely more that needs to be done but the difference so far is quite pleasing! I'm trying to get the condo looking nice and clean these next few days because we are leaving for Europe in exactly one week! We have almost all of our plans ironed out and booked. We actually ended up having to weave a little bit of buisness into our trip for my husband so after we land in Paris, we are taking the train to Nuremberg, Germany. I just happened to read in an old magazine at a doctor's office last week that it is famous for gingerbread and people used to travel from all over the world to learn how to make it properly. It also has a large Christmas market so I have a feeling we'll be picking up some early gifts. We will take the train back to Paris the following Wednesday and we'll be there for a week and a half. The last stop on our route is Amsterdam. We'll be flying home from there on the 27th. Exciting stuff!

I don't know how much blogging I'll be able to do from overseas but I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures and stories to share when we get back!

In the meantime, Happy 4th of July!

What better way to celebrate than with some amazing cheese and Jersey fresh berries from the market? We're going to Asbury Park tonight to check out some fireworks. My friend Shannon says there is a store with reproductions of jadeite dishes for sale so I'm pretty stoked! I've been collecting it for a long time now. I am on the lookout for a pitcher!

Beggar's Banquet

Tonight was the PTA Family Picnic at Molly's school. There's a pretty high Indian population here in the area (about 20%) so there usually isn't a problem finding vegetarian options at local gatherings. Of course, I prefer Indian food over crumby veggie burgers but beggars can't be choosy.

There are two distinct types of veggie burgers. The fake meaty kind and the bready kind with chunks of veggies (pictured above). I really prefer the kind with the meaty texture but I was willing to take what I could get. Cheeburger Cheeburger used to have the meaty kind but switched over to the dark side which sucks. These seem to be the fallback just about everywhere now. The pasta and potato salads were pretty good at least! The potato salad was kind of like mash with mayo which sounds gross but really wasn't bad. Because of the texture, it seemed to require less mayo overall which is good. Nasty veggie burgers are bad enough but going to a function where the only vegetarian option is soggy sides is the absolute worst!

The watermelon they had for dessert was exceptionally good. They should be popping up at the farmers market in the next few weeks so I'm excited!!

Happy Friday!!!!

Sidewalk Sundae Strawberry Surprise

This past weekend was full of all sorts of fun and excitement. We hit the farmers market, Molly had a soccer game, we went on a haunted ghost tour of Cranbury. That was just Saturday! Sunday saw the temps get up to about 80 degrees so I decided to make my daughter happy and take her to the neighborhood pool. I personally thought it was waaaay too cold to swim but the good people of New Jersey seemed to think otherwise! When you grow up in the southeastern U.S., 80 degrees is nothing!

I decided to take the time out by the pool to read and to make my grocery list. I recently got a few new cookbooks (reviews coming soon...) and one in particular has really been exciting for me! I based my whole list of groceries and meals off of it for the week. I'll let you know how it goes but the first night went over well! I'll go ahead and tell you it's Chocolate and Zucchini. I feel like the last foodie in the world to discover this amazing cookbook (and blog!). I feel the same way about Orangette! I'm glad my head is finally out from under the rocks because I've been missing out on some good food writing! I think much of it has to do with the trip to Paris. Both blogs and their subsequent books are largely based on eating and cooking experiences there! I've become absolutely obsessed with that particular subject matter lately so don't be surprised if I dwell on it....a lot.

One bit of inspiration I've received from these books is to try to plan lighter meals for the evenings and to go for the more indulgent stuff in the earlier parts of the day. This rolls right along with my continued quest for exciting salads. I stocked up on a lot of fresh mix at the market this past weekend. For dinner yesterday, I made a dish of gnocchi that was lightly tossed with a browned butter and homemade pesto sauce and I served a big salad on the side. I got the idea to make a dressing from roasted strawberries from Clotilde. I added some balsamic reduction and viola! Honestly, it would have tasted much better with local strawberries and I plan to make another batch of dressing this weekend. I love the idea of berry vinegarettes so a little more tweaking should make for some good eating!

On the way home from the pool, Molly and I heard the familiar sounds of the ice cream truck. She looked up at me and I looked back down at her. It was on! I fumbled in my purse for my wallet and found some cash. She is pictured above eating what used to be called a Nutty Buddy out of a bowl (less mess!). I went with an old favorite...

We walked back to the condo in silent bliss. The sun was shining and I was glowing from indulging my inner and outer eight year old. On that note, I leave you with this....

Old Reliable

For Mother's Day this year, I got a really nice card that Molly made for me. The front of it has a drawing of the two of us. The inside has a lovely message that says how much she loves me and that I make her happy when I cook white beans and spinach. :-) Yeah, it made me smile.

I also got a gift of the fancy kind. I am what you would call a tea drinker. I don't care for coffee but I truly love my tea! Our friend has one of these awesome tea kettles that I have been coveting for a while now. I ended up getting one for Mother's Day. It has an adjustable setting and will heat your water to the optimum temperature to brew the tea of your choice. The best part? The water is ready in a little over a minute. Amazing!!! I have definitely noticed a difference in the flavor of the tea I have been drinking lately!!

The sad part? It's time to retire my old tea kettle.

It has seen better days for sure. The handle is really lose....it wouldn't take too much for it to come off completely despite my attempts to fix it. There is always the fear in the back of my mind that it is going to spill hot water on me at any moment. However, it's still sitting on my stovetop because it also has a comforting presence to me. The plan is to turn it into a pot for some sort of plant because I don't have the heart to get rid of it.

Nothin' Says Lovin'...

....like Pilsbury sweet rolls! These things take me right back to my childhood! My mom used to make them pretty frequently! Who can blame her? They require no prep, they take about 20 minutes from the time you open the can to the time you put them on the table AND they are delicious! To top it off, they're less than $2 a can! If I had to chose between the orange and the cinnamon rolls, I really don't think I could! Molly plays soccer on Saturday morning and these guys help me prepare a quick and satisfying breakfast that we can all sit down and enjoy together before the day gets going.

Did you notice the amazing cup on the table? That was a birthday gift to Molly from our friends Shannon and Eliezer. They got it from Max Brenner in NYC. The straw is metal! You'll probably be hearing a lot more about this place because we plan on going there after we attend the BUST Spring Craftacular in a few weeks!