Over That Too

Well people, I think I'm souped out. I've explored the full range of ready to eat soups that Fresh & Easy has to offer as well as some traditional open can and plop it out soups not to mention a few homemade varieties. Luckily I still have the world of crackers to conquer.



1. seeded cracker
2. goat cheese
3. peppadew

Tune in tomorrow for Chicken in a Biscuit and Nutella!

Also over? YA serial fiction.

I finished the first two books of the Hunger Games series and finally read the last of the Twilight series. Maybe in a another year or two I'll be ready for Mockinjay, but for now? Pretty much done.

The best book of the year so far is a tiny little thing called Prayer for the Dying. The entire thing is written in second voice which would normally annoy the hell out me but it really works for this book. I think it helps to create a sort of barrier from the horror of what's happening to the characters allowing you to love the experience of reading the story. It's just beautifully written; lyrical, languid, almost poetic assuming of course you can get past the macabre theme.

The reviews are definitely mixed.

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I Killed Mrs. Weaver

You know what happens when you send two guys to Costco right? Not only do you end up with 15 pounds of jumbo shrimp and 30 pounds of limes, you also get 9 pounds of shredded cheese.

Know what you do with 9 pounds of shredded cheese? You make a whole buttload of quesadillas. And when you tire of that, you make pimento cheese.

But maybe you don't actually use pimentos because you have peppadews on hand, and you like them better. And maybe you don't use mayonnaise because you don't have any store bought and you can't make any because you kid heard about the big salmonella egg scare of 2010 and threw out your eggs in one bold death-cheating move. But you might have a small container of greek yogurt, and you might have a jalapeno so maybe you mix those up. And then maybe you eat it on a cracker. And maybe it's good. And it is.



1. cheese spread
2. celery
3. little peppers
4. olives glistening with oil
5. crackers

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Fresh & Easy

I had to go to court this morning, looks like I'm going to have to shut down my escort service. It's just not fair, I'm a dancer!!!!

No really. I did have to go to court this morning and there was no way I was going to carry my lunchbucket around all morning in this heat. It's hot here you know. I may have mentioned... Anyway, stopped at F&E on the way to work and picked up some random stuff for lunch.



1. "Classic Olive Tapenade"
2. some Kashi vegetable crackers that had a little spice to them that I wasn't expecting
3. aged gouda
4. Black Velvet (trademarked I'm sure) apricots

I'd planned to get some goat cheese but aged gouda is my kryptonite. Well that and vodka. The goat cheese probably would have worked better with rest of the stuff but the gouda was really good, especially for the price, and had lots of those little crusty crystally things in it. Salt? Dried unicorn tears? Whatever.

The apricots are some kind of apricot/plum hybrid and if I'd been wearing socks they would've been knocked off. Sweet and tart and gorgeous with deep purple fuzzy skin and mango colored insides. And juicy. Like eat over the sink juicy. Like where have you been all my life juicy. I actually had an overwhelming impulse to share with my co-workers which is totally not my normal nature. Of course I regret it now.

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The Best Laid Plans

I wasn't planning to take my lunch to work today. In fact, I planned to -not- take my lunch today. My co-worker had been dropping hints all day yesterday about a new soul food place that had opened up close by and I was jonesin' for some chicken and waffles. And sweet potato pie. And maybe some cornbread. And greens. Anyway, I thought if I didn't take lunch in it wouldn't take much arm twistin' and she and I would be hip deep in mac&cheese by noon and ready for a nap by two. It didn't work out that way.

My boy woke me up this morning - "Mom? I made you lunch. It's in the fridge. Love you - bye." Awwwwww, that's so sweet isn't it? Too bad I'm going to have to throw it away. I had plans you know. Get to work and within 10 minutes co-worker has mentioned smothered chicken and red velvet cake. I tell her I'm in. Decide to offer my lunch around, surely someone will want it.

Nearly lunch time and holy crap - US Marshals are here. What the hell? Am I in charge? Oh Lord I hope not. What do US Marshals even do exactly? And why isn't marshal spelled with two ls? Ended up not being nearly as bad as I thought. Race back to office. Co-worker who will now be known as Bitch says - "You know I think I changed my mind. I think I'll wait and go tonight with my family." I called her Bitch. She just laughed at me. Then I ate my lunch.



1. cream cheese rolled in ham
2. grapes
3. Babybel gouda
4. coconut Pocky

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These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

1. pickles rolled in cream cheese and sliced ham
2. brownie bites
3. mango and sliced strawberries with yogurt

Not only is this a delicious lunch it also has all the main food groups representin'.
Vegetable, dairy, meat, grain, fruit, dairy and chocolate. What more could you want? Oh, I know - you could want a cool Parasite Pals bento box to put it all it. Looks like it's your lucky day! You, yes YOU, have a chance to win one of your very own! Plus a carry bag! Click here to read more.

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Forgive Me Mother

1. thin sliced roast beef rolled with havarti and green beans
2. tiny pepper stuffed with pimento cheese
3. strawberries with a little sugar underneath 'cause they aren't very sweet
4. grapes
5. dates with peanut butter

I have coveted my neighbors lunchbox. And truth be told I've also coveted her food. And her mother. And her new baby. But those are different stories. Today I'm just happy to be the owner of a brand spankin' new Parasite Pals Lunch Kit! There's another tier that fits inside and holds a fork and spoon that I didn't use today.



I know, it's great, isn't it?

Oh, and Mom? I hope I didn't hurt your feelings with that comment up there. You know I'm just being a smart ass. But seriously, she describes her mom as a "machine in the kitchen". A machine Mom, a MACHINE. And she apparently speaks Lao. But that's irrelevant. Maybe someday though you can explain to me exactly what the difference is between jealousy and coveting, because that's never been really clear to me. Love you!

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Ham & Cheese, Please

Time for Margot's Healthy Lunchbox event!





1. ham slices rolled around cream cheese and bell pepper
2. grape tomatoes
3. vanilla yogurt with pomegranate arils
4. honey roasted almonds
5. peanut butter stuffed dates

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Back to the Grindstone

So long Spring Holiday, it's as though we never really knew ya.



1. ham slices rolled up with cream cheese inside
2. wedges of Edam
3. snow peas and baby carrots
4. dried pineapple
5. Nutella sandwiched between coconut bar cookies




1. cubes of leftover ribeye
2. wedges of Edam
3. snow peas and baby carrots
4. potato chips
5. Nutella sandwiched between coconut bar cookies

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Bento Lunches for a Boy and a Boo

I made a couple of fast and easy bento lunches for Boy and Boo - and then I went back to bed :)



1. chunks of sausages and cheese
2. crostini
3. banana muffin
4. grapes
5. orange slices



1. chunks of sausages and cheese
2. banana chips
3. banana muffin
4. grapes
5. orange slices
6. rice balls

Aren't those oranges gorgeous? I actually bought them only because they were smaller than the MONSTER sized navels on display - it wasn't until I cut into one that I noticed the little ID sticker and realized we had gourmet citrus on our hands! Oh, just 69 cents a pound too. Don't hate me.

In honor of our "found treasure" I made a salad based on a recipe from Pinch my Salt made of these oranges with jicama and cilantro dressed with a vingrette made from their juice and served it with grilled tuna for dinner last night. It was fantastic! I did have to add a bit of vinegar to the dressing though, probably because of the low acidity of these oranges.

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My Love is a Pink, Pink Rose

So I'm no Irish poet. Or anykind of poet. Or Irish. But my cheese is.

Anyway.

1. 3 big nori-wrapped hunks of sushi rice
2. pickled ginger cleverly disguised as a rose
3. baby carrots
4. fabulous Kerrygold aged cheddar cheese slices
5. candy!
6. soy sauce in a bottle

Should have gone with an Irish theme and subbed some nice Irish whiskey for the soy, or just thrown a bottle of Bailey's in my bag. Wouldn't have tasted all that great on the rice but might have made for a more interesting work day.

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Chocolate Makes Everything Better

1. P&P loaf on picks
2. Babybel cheese
3. container of mayo
4. crackers wrapped in cling film
5. tiny mango pudding bite
6. organic chocolate bar

I packed the candy because Boo's been having a bit of a rough time lately and we all know chocolate makes things better. As does fat. Hence the mayo. Not to mention the P&P loaf. (loaf?) No. No praise please. Just doing my part to pass on unhealthy eating habits to the next generation.

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Liberate my Pocky!

1. BBQ sauced meatballs
2. roasted corn
3. itty bitty banana
4. pudding taste
5. cheese
6. apple slices
7. stick of strawberry Pocky in the lid compartment

Boo told me "roasted corn was everywhere!" when she opened up her lunch today. I thought that the edge of the silicone cup would press against the lid and hold everything in place. Guess I was wrong. More disturbing was that I put the fork in tine sides up and she wasn't able to slide open the compartment to liberate her Pocky. I guess she just ate the corn with her fingers. I got it out for her when I got home. Even let her eat it. I'm nice that way.

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