I'm Going to Miss the Free Citrus

1. costco chicken with pomegranate jus
2. pureed maple carrots aka Plan B Carrots
3. lemon bar made from the last of the lemons
4. last of the kumquats

If you knew me you'd know I recently got a pressure cooker. You'd also know that was really exciting to me because you'd have heard me talking about it all the freakin' time. I pretty much love it. It's so fast you guys! Like a microwave only less creepy. So, carrots. That should take like ... 5 minutes? Apparently not. Pressure cook carrots for 5 minutes and take a peek. Looks fine right? Now try to pick one up. Psych! Remember when it used to be cool to yell Psych! Yeah, me neither.
Plan B. Scoop up the "carrots" and smoosh 'em around with some butter, salt and a drizzle of maple syrup. Realize pureed maple carrots rock! Pretend they turned out just the way you planned.

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Is There a Season for Salmon?

1. grilled salmon
2. fennel and grapefruit salad
3. chunk of bread that wasn't nearly as big as it looks

Sometimes I think my enjoyment of a particular food item is inversely proportional to it's cost. But enough about expensive fish that's probably out of season or whatever - should probably just remind myself that I live in the middle of the freakin' desert. Anyway, check out those grill marks! That pan was worth every penny of the 20 bucks I paid for it. And the salad? That I could eat again and again. Crisp and cool and just different enough to feel a teeny bit exotic. You can make it too!

Fennel and Grapefruit Salad

Chop up a small red onion and a head of fennel in the smallest dice you have the patience for. Supreme out a grapefruit and hack that up too. Mix up your favorite vinaigrette*, dump it on top and stick in the fridge for an hour. Fancy fennel frond garnish is entirely optional.

I used a citrus vinegar from Trader Joe's in this and let me tell you it was lovely.

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A Hopeless Romantic

Or maybe just a fool for meatloaf. Whatever.

1. meatloaf on mashed potatoes
2. gravy and fried onions on top
3. pink ketchup filled heart

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Nothing Like the Smell of Tuna in the Morning

1. tuna salad made with lemon juice, capers and roasted peppers
2. more capers
3. more roasted peppers
4. seeds held together with a little bread

Speaking of tuna; did your mom always refer to it as tunafish? Like one word? Mine either.

You know what isn't nice? Of course you do. Tuna (or tunafish) packed in water. All this time I thought I didn't like it. Then I bought some packed in olive oil. Oh. Yeah. That's better. Here's something else that isn't nice. Making tuna salad in the morning. Tuna salad prior to 9 am is not pleasant, it is not delicious, it is nasty. I don't care what it's packed in. (Unless maybe it's cocaine.) Especially if you don't wash your hands particularly well when you're finished and then get to enjoy the smell of canned fish all the way to work. I suppose you probably wouldn't compulsively sniff your hands the entire commute to see if you could still smell it. Me either.

Also? I love capers.

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Forgot My Lunch

1. lettuce wraps from Sun Asian

Ever since watching True Grit this weekend all the voices in my head are speaking in that weird stilted contraction-less speaking pattern from the movie's dialogue. This is particularly fun right now because I'm reading The Curlew's Cry (Mildred Walker) about small town life in Montana at the turn of the century. No, really, I love it!

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Kickin' Ass

and takin' names!

Okay, overstatement.

But please to be noting the lush faux woodgrain awesomeness of my somewhat cleaned off desk. Yes, work was worked.



1. filet slider on a pretzel bun
2. cole slaw
3. fruits

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A Working Lunch

Literally. Flame added to protect the (not so) innocent.




1. teryaki salmon
2. pan roasted teeny potatoes
3. garlicy green beans

I started trying to read a contender for worst book o' the year (Persuading Annie : Melissa Nathan) but gave it up for some Big Love. Next on the pile is The Truth About Forever, teen fiction for the win!

Speaking of Teeny I'm -very- disappointed that the Hendrickson's keep misplacing their second oldest daughter. That child can not be at camp this whole time. Hope Hollis Green didn't get her.

Speaking of Big Love, I'm so sad that it's the last season. Hopefully HBO is working on a new Sunday night series featuring Jewish nuns running a boarding school. That would be sweet!

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