Green & Gold Food

Its officially football season. This is my 3rd season as a fair weather Packers fan and so far its treated me nicely. While I can only think of 6 players off the top of my head, I still consider myself "into it". Its fun having never dated someone into football before Shawn, it allows me to have no other allegiance than the Green Bay boys. Granted I have been trying to be healthy but it was just way too enticing to try something I had been meaning to try for a while. This is less of a recipe and more of a semi homemade dish with a gourmet flare. Lets just say I made 2 pies and they were all eaten and nibbled through 2 games. Not too shabby!

Pictured: A Brat covered in green apple mustard (made by Alex La Motte himself!) and yellow mustard, held by Mister Micholic.

Tamale Pie w/ a Green Onion and Avocado Crema
Makes 2 pies.
2 boxes of corn muffin mix - jiffy.
1 lb of ground beef
1/2 a can of pinto beans
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tiny diced green peppers from El Paso
1 cup crema
1/2 an avocado
1/2 cup of diced green onion, whites + stems
lemon juice
1 packet of spicy TACO SEASONING. (yeah, thats right, I dont front!)
a little shredded cheese, I reco cheddah!


Step One: Over medium heat cook the onions and the olive oil til soft. Add in the garlic and start to brown the meat. Once simmering add in the taco mix, tomatoes, beans and the green peppers and let cook for 7 minutes. Preheat oven to 350.

Step Two: While the meat mixture is cooling - prepare the corn muffin mix as directed on the box.

Step Three: Prepare the crema! In a food processor combine the crema, lemon juice, avo and green onions. Pulse til creamed and refrigerate until ready to eat pie.

Step Four: In pie plates divide the meat mixture into 2, then cover with corn muffin mix. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Night Breakfast

Just in general - who DOESNT love breakfast for dinner? Any excuse for a mimosa. We were lucky enough to borrow a waffle maker from my coworker Amy - and have our friends Jim & Abby over for a post 30th birthday bash for Jim (since we missed the real deal party!). I even instructed everyone to dress for the occasion: pajamas. On the menu was another baked egg in a ramekin and shawns lemon poppy seed waffles with blueberry topping. He wasnt happy with his, but mine sure was delish! I made Smoked Salmon, Asparagus & Peppered Goat Cheese Baked Eggs. Super simple, my friends and salty and satisfying. Jim & Abby brought beermosas.

Smoked Salmon, Asparagus & Peppered Goat Cheese Baked Eggs
Serves 4
8 eggs.
4 dollops of cheese.
a bunch of asparagus
a packet of smoked salmon.

Salt & Pepper to taste.
Olive oil.

Step One: Toss asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 350 for 15m, turning once - I like em crispy crispy.

Step Two: Adjust oven to 400. In each ramekin put in chopped asp, pieces of smoked salmon, and a dollop of goat cheese. Crack 2 eggs over them. I didnt add any cream like they advise because the asp was coated in oil. Place in a water bath (2 inches of water in a baking pan) - and bake for 20m or until done.

3 Days Of Fun!

Hello and Happy Post Labor Day, my lovelies. What an amazing difference 1 day makes! I actually feel rested even though the weekend provided many adventures and two different hotels. I feel 1 long weekend a month would ensure all motivation at work to be genuine. It would surely take the edge off those late nights and hard to navigate personalities that make work days insufferable and unrewarding. Who should I tell this to? Obama? Or maybe Oprah.

Friday: held a half day at work and because Shawn and I didnt have to rush out of town to a wedding, camping or to meet friends we decided to go to the movies to see Going The Distance. It was sort of a full filling movie for no other reason that on the anniversary of 1 year til our wedding it was the entire story of our relationship the 1st year. Then we saw The Last Exorcism. I recommend BOTH movies unless you like good endings. Then dont see it - the first 2/3rds or each are excellent, tho. We then went to Pagaloc for the 7 Courses Of Beef (carpaccio, boiled in vinegar, bbqd on a rock, wrapped in onion, sausage and soup!).

Saturday: We got 20 Save The Dates done! Also, we had the opportunity to spend our -1 year anniversary at Cavallo Point located directly underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Awesome time! We had dinner at the Farley Bar inside and it was delicious! We had an epic Pork reiette with a homemade pork rind. Crunchy, greasy and perfectly melty in my mouth.

Sunday: We drove to Fresno to meet up with Shawn's friends Peter & Dana and their lovely daughter Annabelle (sp!?) --- the drive was amazing. We had to turn lemons into lemon aid (shawns car broke down so we rented a car) that HAD SIRIUS radio which can only mean 1 thing: 90s STATIONS FOR 3 HOURS!!.Ah, I was in heaven with SWV and Shawn Colvin. I think we need to have all 90s at our wedding rehearsal kickball game. We also swam at night, which I love - in the Marriot hotel. Thats summer!

Monday: We came back and enjoyed the sun and front porch playing some scrabble. I won. Then we went over to the Micholics for dinner/draft/mad men and I made these killer burgers a friend once made.

Chopped Date & Camembert Burgers
w/ Sriracha Onions

1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 cup basil, chopped.

1 tablespoon of minced garlic.
1 package of Camembert cheese (or blue cheese!)
1/2 cup chopped dates

1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped onions
salt, pepper

For onions:
1 white onion
1 squirt of Sriracha

Olive Oil

Step One: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Make into patties (makes 5!) -put em on the grill.

Step Two: Meanwhile, saute onions over medium heat with hot sauce until your preferred softness.

And in Jon Stewart's words - "your moment of zen" - Shawn molesting figaro!

Your Personality: In A Kebab.

Over the weekend we celebrated our 3rd camping trip of the summer with our good friends The Micholics and Nickie and Ezra in Gualala Point, CA up the Sonoma Coast into Mendocino where the Russian River meets the ocean. It was fun! And cold. And carsicky - but it was a gem of a campsite and for a camping trip, pretty relaxing. We have 1 more trip at the beginning of October to close out the season on a high note back to Kirk Creek where it all started earlier this year. Im a pro now! We just need a new tent and we'd be in super duper business.

We were in charge of the Saturday night dinner and Shawn and I discussed making kebabs to reflect both of our friends personalities. That way, even though it was as simple as a kebab - it had some significance. Maybe the explanations were a stretch but they seemed like good fits, regardless.

The Michael & Natalie: Minted Lamb, Eggplant & Red Onion Kebab: For these we just put some olive into a bowl, added minced mint with salt and pepper, whisked - and let the lamb & eggplant marinate while we prepared the other ones. The rational behind it was they are a little more off the beaten trail than a steak or a beef and the Mediterranean genre is well liked by them - hence their good restaurant reco - Morac on 16th.

The Nickie & Ezra: Basil Haloumi Cheese with Pineapple, Cherry Tomato and Onion.

For this one we marinated the cheese in olive oil and chopped up basil. Not much else to do but put it on a stick and get her grillin!

Nickie & Ezra are traditionally veggies so I thought this was a great representation of them as a couple: simply sweet and a little bit salty (read sassy).

If you havent had haloumi cheese its my new favorite! Not quite a feta, but consistency of a queso fresco, you can get this cheese at any greek restaurant or at Whole Foods.

The Schmuglers: Whiskey Mustard Shrimp with Sweet Summer Peaches.

Not as exciting as the others as we just combined a whiskey mustard we found at whole foods with some salt, olive oil and lemon juice - they were a hit!

I regret not sprinkling some brown sugar on the peaches though. That would have been key.

I chose this southern comfort kebab as its the theme to our impending nuptials.

There were also a few other highlights & fails to the weekend (food and non food related):

WINNER: Natalie's Fig & Lime Jam and her homemade Dill & Avocado Dressing.

LOSER: My Wheat Oatmeal Banana Blueberry Muffins that I forgot the baking powder in and were too dense to enjoy.

WINNER: Nickie's amazing toasted bread with brie and garlic. Not for the slight of taste buds, that garlic was strong! Also, some wild berries were enjoyed!

WINNER: Post camping breakfast where we enjoyed breakfast papusas!

WINNER: Two excellent additions to the game Kings. 3 is now for GLEE which means you have to sing a line of a song and whoever guesses it first gives out a drink and 5 is for JIVE and you have to do a little jig.

LOSER/WINNER: When I got home I watched the Emmys and that dude from the Big Bang Theory won best actor in a comedy. That makes no sense. GO BREAKING BAD!

WINNER: Shawn because he is cute. :)

Watching Me Watching You

And here's a pop culture update! Its been a while, and its been a slow ass television season so there's not much to report on thats great but most of it is tolerable. I spent a very hungover day on Saturday catching up on everything. We have direct TV now and I am enjoying it!

The Last Song: D.
I know, I know - why on earth would I watch this and expect anything less than a trite plot that is essentially Georgia Rules with music? Because its Nicholas Sparks and I keep thinking he'll recreate The Notebook and Ill fall in love all over again. Miley's annoyance rating is an 8 and the romance isnt believable. Only saving grace is the young boy who plays her bro - he got me to cry in act 3.

Unless your television is from the 80s and is stuck on one channel and your choices are NO TV or WATCH THIS - I say never watch this ever. ever.




Date Night: C

Dont get me wrong, there were things I liked about this movie and I laughed out LOUD - but a vehicle starring the most popular and successful NBC stars from the last decade should be a home run. Sadly, this is more of a base hit in the 9th, and then when you try and steal second and you get tagged out and have to do the walk of shame back to the dugout disappointing your fans, your team and yourself. Shame on you, Steve and Tina.

First of all, I hate movies set in 1 day. Second - its just flat and predictable. The only funny parts come from the same formula we like on tv - their honest banter thats pop culture relevant and takes it to the next level. The new genre "crime with ordinary people" was done much better by Pineapple Express. Maybe Apatow should have stopped them at the opening credits.







Eat Pray Love: A-

I am giving the A for these reasons:
- Julia Roberts is a doll. I adore her.
- My friend Evie is going on a similar trip and all I could think of was her and how excited I am for her.
- It made me think of my own life and spirituality and my thirst for travel and expectations and family. What more could you ask for in a movie?
- The food looked divine.
- RICHARD JENKINS YOU ARE GODS GIFT TO ACTORS. DONT EVER CHANGE (or get more famous, because then you may not have the same appeal).
- I didnt want to punch Billy Crudup in the face.

I am giving it a minus for these reasons-
- The jean/carb scene was belittling for bigger girls. (me).
- Her 2nd rebound relationship with James Franco was contrived.
-In the scene where they eat a Thanksgiving Turkey for breakfast they all look too pretty to have "just woken up".


Pit Boss on Animal Planet: B+.
No clue how I came across this show what its even about. I thought the "rage" of Little People shows was over when The Little Chocolatiers was a snorefest but this is something unique and new. I believe they run a dog rescue company. I also believe they run an actors production company. I also read on Wikipedia that the main character ran with the bloods and went to prison for 10 years on attempted murder.

I wont DVR this shit, but if its on - Im watching.








The Big C: B+


I admire Laura Linney in the same way I love Mary Louise Parker. While I can always tell they're acting, I dont care. Their style isnt "carefree" acting its "stage" acting and therefore its very deliberate and tangible. That aspect of the show doesnt bother me. I also absolutely love Oliver Platt! Most shows where the premise is based solely on cancer and a lie make me raise an eyebrow like how long can this go on and still be believable? Breaking Bad proved me wrong so I am willing to be open minded and keep with this gem because it makes me laugh!

Louis on FX: A

Its a rarity when something like this comes along. Its funny, its dark, its believable - and the main character (comedian Louis CK) is like able while still being sort of a jerk. The Jerk Store called and I want him! I probably wouldnt have watched this show if it werent for the "DVR Holocaust" im experiencing right now. THERE IS NOTHING ON. and our DVD player broke. Great guest stars, great tone - I hope it stays on the air and does

Casino: B+.

Yeah, I know - its from 1995! Im like 15+years behind, huh. Its okay though, I get to remember that all the worlds favoritest actors once had careers that were worth accolades and not just SNL skits. It was WAY TOO LONG, like we took 2 nights to watch it but it was a great film, though not better than Goodfellas. But what is?

And I like that its a true story and there's tons of drugs. I cant watch violence tho :(

Vegan Taco Night! Ay ay ay!

Golden Rule of Weekends Going Forward Hence Forth: Do something on a Friday! It makes your weekend feel long. Eek every moment to the fullest, then go back to workeatsleepworkeatsleep. Friday night we had our friends Kris and Darcy and Sam and Amy over for Mexican night! I think the night was a total success. We made Vegan Tacos 3 ways: Tofu "Carnitas" with green chili peppers, Chipotle Shitake Mushrooms and Black Beans and Cumin Paprika Potatoes w/ Roasted Corn (which I think I forgot to take a pic of!). Another shining star among the night were Shawn's MateVeza & Mint Shandys. I tried a revision of my Peachy Mango Salsa from a while back but subbed the Peach for pureed pineapple and it was delish. Also included was a rousing game of celebrity. Honestly, all Star Wars references should be banned!

Also , below are Darcy's awesome vegan margarita cupcakes!

Recipe for "Carnitas" tofu: Shawn braised triangle'd tofu in coca-cola and orange juice, salt and peppered it to taste and added diced green chiles for spice! The consistency was in between BBQ'd tofu and fried tofu. the hard edges really made it glow!

Recipe for Chipotle Shitake Mushrooms and Black Beans: I sauteed sliced shitakes with olive oil, salt and pepper and added a vegan chipotle taco sauce and simmered with the black beans for 10m.

Recipe for Cumin & Smoked Paprika Potatoes with Roasted Corn: I sliced potatoes small, sprinkled heavily with salt, pepper, cumin and smoked paprika. Over medium heat I cooked, turning frequently until crispy! Then I added corn that I roasted in the oven over 350 for 30 minutes (wrapped in foil, smothered in vegan butter and salt) broiling to brown the kernels for 5 minutes at the end.

For Gluttons Only

Sometimes its the simplest foods with minimal additions that make for impressive cuisine, instead of far off ingredients and hard to find herbs. My favorite creation by Shawn in the past years has been his Camembert Chive Mashed Potatoes. I know, Camembert is HARDLY an everyday ingredient for the walmart crowd, but really you just any cheese - even cream cheese, I suppose! We made steak and potatoes on Sunday night to accompany our Mad Men viewing. It seemed super all American and appropriate. Recipe below.

It's been a crazy week at work and I barely have time to be a good girlfriend, good daughter or a good employee for that matter. How am I having time to blog, you ask? I dont, I am just doing so to keep my sanity and to feel like I still have a voice that has nothing to do with RTOs, CMYKs, and EOWs. (all workity work acronyms that normal people dont use daily unless you have to!).

I am still a cool person (somewhere in there).

We had a great weekend, tho with a ton of great food. We decided to have date night on Friday and went to this local restaurant called Starbelly. We loved it! We got 5 courses and split them all - 1. Corn Fritters with jalapeno jelly. 2. BBQ peach salad with blue cheese. 3. Mussels and Chorizo. 4. Cheese grits! and 5. Pork shoulder with pureed hominy. We also tried 3 cocktails - the homemade pimms cup, the shandy and the Madeira cooler. They were all amazing! This entire meal + tip was only $100. We wilL DEF be going back there.

Camembert Chive Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
3 potatoes, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup milk
1 package of Camembert cheese
1 bunch of chives, minced

dash of salt

Step One: Place potatoes in 4 quarts of salted water and bring to a boil. Boil until soft.

Step Two: Drain potatoes and with an electric hand mixer combine the milk, cheese and chives in a bowl and mix til whipped! I like them soft and not chunky. I like it to be like a soft pillow that magically wafts into my mouth.