Tag Archives: falafel

by Wendy | May 17, 2010

Finally, a moment to sit…

Jeez…It feels like it’s been a week since my last post!

What a busy weekend. I still feel like I didn’t get anything done, but I always feel like that. I’m always thinking about what I didn’t do, instead of focusing on my accomplishments.

Maybe I should write it all down so I can see it on paper, because I know I did A LOT. Or maybe, I should blog about it…

I worked on Saturday from 5am until about noon, which makes for a pretty early morning with a 60-mile commute. I lucked out, though…it seems there were some white sweet potatoes, peaches and nectarines ripe for the taking, and nobody else wanted them. I took a bunch, and left a bunch behind in hopes that someone else in my office might take advantage of free produce!

Take a look at my booty (hee hee...)

Not a bad haul, eh?

The little fam and I made a run to the local greenhouse and our favorite “Bent & Dent”, where we always find unexpected treasures. I picked up the first of my seasonal herb plants (cilantro and oregano) and stocked up on rolled oats, organic tea, breastmilk storage bags, and lots of other goodies for dirt cheap (mostly discontinued and close-coded items). It’s amazing how many organic products you can find at Bent & Dents and clearance aisles (although, I’m thinking that’s not a good thing, because it means nobody is buying them…)

I was feeling inspired by my sweet taters, so I threw them on the grill alongside some salmon (both in foil packets.)

I felt a salad coming on, so I started rummaging through the fridge to see what I had to use up. I sent the husbo to the garden to collect some greenage, and proceeded to build what shall hereby and forever be known as the Snowball Salad.

It just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger…

and it was OFF. THE. CHARTS.

DIY Snowball Salad

-Grilled lemon pepper salmon

-Grilled sweet potato chunks

-Garden greens (spizznach, beet greens, lettuce mix)

-Black beans

-Avocado

-One falafel ball

-Carrot

-Zucchini

-Mushrooms

-Oregano

-Italian vinaigrette

-Everything else in your fridge

One thing missing: Big spoonful of zingy salsa (I didn’t figure that out until I was done.)

No, I did not eat the whole thing. Yes, I came very close. I see more Snowball Salads in the near future!

And for dessert:

Any chocolate that comes in a black wrapper has to be good, right? Nope. It was very waxy, and very disappointing. Boo on that.

Big surprise of the day: Mommy and Daddy even had a few minutes at the end of the night to relax together, alone. Mark that one in the record book! (and get your mind out of the gutter…)

Fast forward to Sunday morning:

Breakfast at Subway (See tomorrow’s post for more details…)

Grocery shopping

Home to clean like a hurricane, do 2 loads of laundry, and snack on this old friend from late last summer! It was still fantastic after a long sleep in the freezer. Don’t you love it when you do something great for yourself, and later you get to enjoy it and remember how cool you are?

Pineapple Zuke Bread

…made a BIG FAT DELICIOUS CREAMSICLE!

This is one of my all-time favorite drinks. The Polar vanilla seltzer makes it smell just like a creamsicle, but it’s not nearly as sweet. I use about 1/4 calcium-fortified OJ to 3/4 seltzer. LOVE this.

Made Finn’s dinner for tonight/lunch for tomorrow: funky white sweet potato puree.

This came out surprisingly smooth and creamy. I can’t wait to start making pureed everything.

Packed my lunch/breakfast/snack for tomorrow:

Has anyone out there tried these Evol Burritos? I’m very excited about it. That, and my tiny banana. I love that I can be excited about a bag lunch. (My kick-arse husbo bought me a new lidded oats mug!)

Then, finally, baby and I headed over to the ‘rents so Shane could paint at home in prep for the appraisal. No baby in the house with paint, No-VOC or not.

Upon our arrival, Mom was busy creating this lovely concoction:

Rhubarb and raisin chutney. Really nice with a grilled pork chop. Spinach and orange salad on the side. (Vitamin C + Iron = better absorption. Go Mom!)

Alright, so maybe I did get something done this weekend. :)

It was a pretty good food weekend. Sometimes I feel like I’d have so much more time if I bought more prepared foods. Then, I tell myself to shut up.

Now, my sweet potato-filled boy is snuggled in his bed and I’m going to spend some time with my Mom. It’s Survivor finale night!

If Parvati wins, I’ll be so p’ed.

_____________________________________

Do you give yourself credit for what you get done, or do you tend to focus on the one thing you didn’t accomplish (like me)?

I didn’t get my run in this weekend. Something had to give. What did you NOT get done this weekend?

1 Comment

Filed under Parenting & Family, Recipes & Food, The Everyday

Tagged as Baby, baby food, baby food puree, banana, bargain shopping, breakfast, busy mom, eating habits, Evol burrito, falafel, Food, grilling, homemade, homemade baby food, lunch, nectarines, oats, orange creamsicle, oranges, peaches, Polar seltzer, pork chop, rhubarb, rhubarb chutney, salad, salmon, spinach, spinach salad, sweet potatoes, vegetables, veggies, whole, zucchini bread

by Wendy | May 14, 2010

A short lunchtime rant.

My mother always taught me that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Well, I’m actually not sure that my mother taught me that, but I know I hear it a lot.

In most cases, I might argue with such a cliche. But not today.

BECAUSE PEOPLE KEEP COMMENTING ON MY LUNCH.

This is my lunch today.

Falafel from Falafel Republic and some plain Chobani Greek yogurt, sprinkled with pepper, for dipping. No big deal, right?

Does this warrant an, “Ewww!”

or, “What are YOU eating?”

or, “WHAT are you eating?”

or, “What are you EATING?”

or my favorite, “WHAT ARE YOU EATING?”

My response?

“Falafel.”

Which is then promptly followed by, “Oh. Gross.” or “You’re weird,” or “That’s disgusting!” or something equally as rude.

This is nothing new. It happens when I bring B sprouts, it happens when I bring a this-and-that salad from the garden. It really happened one day when I decided to cut up an apple and bake it inside an acorn squash at work.

I just really don’t get it. I see lunches and snacks every day, all the time, that offend me on every level. Most of them are ordered by number through a window, and partnered up with a big, gut-busting soda. And, more often than not, they are served up with a big side dish of whining about how fat the offender is, and how they should not be eating said meal.

Do I comment?

Of course not.

Because that’s rude.

I’ll admit it. When I was a kid, and brought kohlrabi or pomegranate seeds to school, I got a little kick out of it when the other kids balked at the contents of my lunchbox. I knew I was a little different in that way, and I didn’t mind it. I was proud of it. But I’m an adult now, and I’m just trying to take care of my body so I can stay healthy, feel good and provide food for my son. If you support me, or want to know how to do the same thing for yourself, go ahead and ask. But to comment on the food I’ve prepared as if it were truly disgusting? Come on. It’s just not cool.

Thanks for listening. Rant over!

__________________________________

Can you relate? Please, people…tell me what the proper response is. I may get myself in trouble soon.

**Disclaimer: I did tell my parents yesterday that they shouldn’t eat so much white pasta. A criticism, yes, but made with only the best intentions.

1 Comment

Filed under Recipes & Food

Tagged as eating habits, falafel, Food, lunch, yogurt

by Wendy | May 9, 2010

My First Mother’s Day: Part 1

Happy Mother’s Day to all you fine mommas out there!

Rewind to yesterday:

Since we have lots of moms to celebrate this year, my husband made dinner reservations on Saturday.

Mad props to the husbo for: 1. making reservations, 2. making them on Saturday at 4pm when the restaurant would not be so busy, and 3. choosing a local restaurant I’ve been wanting to scope out for nearly 3 years now!

Emma’s Food for Life is located in downtown Selinsgrove, and their niche is fresh food made from local ingredients. I complain a lot about the lack of restaurants like this, so I’m glad I finally got a chance to check it out.

I’ve heard that Emma’s runs some sort of free dinner program once a month, but I’ve been a little too scatterbrained lately to look into it. I finally took a moment to peek at their website, and here’s the scoop: In the monthly newsletter, it says that one night a month, they host a Free Community Dinner featuring live entertainment. It’s run on donations, so it’s sort of a “give what you can” deal.

They also feature a Seasonal Specialties Menu with $5 lunch and $10 dinner specials. Roasted potato and radish pizza for $5? Grass-fed steak with Chanterelle Gratin for $10?! Wow. Who knew? Shame on me for leaving Emma’s on my To-Do list for so long! I guess I need to limit my complaining about the lack of interesting restaurants in Selinsgrove from now on!

Bonus: A list of local suppliers on each table. Could this mean we might find a supplier of grass-fed beef? I plan to do a little digging…

Now, I’d like to introduce you to our dinner:

We started out with green tea infused with mint, which came with a little pot of honey for sweetening. A lovely idea, but the honey and the ice didn’t mix so well and I ended up with all my honey frozen to my straw. Yummy, but a little weird.

Appetizer: Falafel with lemon tahini sauce. A good choice, although I like a little more spice…

Then we noticed it….FREE WINE? Well, sort of. No liquor license means they can’t sell, but each entree comes with a complimentary glass (or you can BYOB.) Shane chose the Reisling, I opted for the Cab Franc. I asked for a small glass because I am super careful about alcohol these days, and I don’t want to have to pump and dump. Pretty generous for a free pour, I’d say…

The menu had me a little giddy! By 4pm, I had eaten exactly one bowl of oats and 2 dates, so I was ravenous. After a long, methodical deliberation (I’m not the most spontaneous chick sometimes) I chose the Marvelous Mushroom Lasagna, which is layers of whole wheat pasta, an exotic mushroom mix and butternut squash topped with Swiss and Parm.

Yeah, I know. I said I’m off dairy. I’m bending the rules today. Sue me. (Then see below where I say I’m still off dairy.)

Gooey, sweet, and really rich, it did not disappoint. The asparagus was a fun surprise and helped lighten the dish a little. It was lemony and perfectly cooked. I don’t think I’ve ever had better.

Shane’s choice: the Vietnamese Salad Rolls. (At least I believe that’s what these were called. Oops… Bad blogger.) They arrived with a peanut dipping sauce and wheat-y noodles sprinkled with sesame seeds.

He’s been looking for these for years, but can only find fried egg rolls, so he was just tickled pink a masculine shade of blue.

We are usually dessert-at-home kind of people, but we have a card (purchased for a MERE $5!) from the local Boy Scouts that entitled us to a free dessert (that card has a few dozen local businesses on it, with discounts or offers for each. You can’t spend a better five spot.)

So we splurged and each got one…Me, the Chocolate Zucchini Cake. He, the Frozen Irish Whiskey Torte.

Thick, rich, chocolatey and really dense. Right up my alley. I brilliantly forgot about my glass of Cab until this point, when I had a pile of chocolate in front of me! Couldn’t have worked out better.

Shane’s not a chocolate fan (gasp!) so he wasn’t excited about the crust, but he gave this guy a thumbs-up anyway. I had a bite, and it was darned yummy, but I didn’t really taste whiskey.

This is what it looks like when Finn and I are sitting at a restaurant table and I get distracted for a second. Spacey, I know. That is a toy mushroom, in case you’re wondering.

So, feeling stuffed and happy, we headed a block or so down to the coffee shop. Daddy-O’s plan was to get some fun drinks and let me play for a while online, but they were closing. At 5pm. On a Saturday. We found out that they close every day by 5pm. Then we remembered that’s why we’ve never eaten there. What a waste of a coffee shop with a great menu.

***This is the part where I say that I agree with myself about dairy. Now, my meal surely wasn’t low fat or low cal, so I’m not sure exactly what element had me puffing up beyond belief about an hour after we ate, but I suspect the cheese. I nearly had to undo my button, and I haven’t felt like that in months. I still love the cheese, but I’m thinking it might not be worth it. It just doesn’t feel like it’s making me any healthier. I don’t think that’s any reflection on the food at Emma’s, though. Most people would dig that cheesiness.

And then the wild hurricane blew into town, nearly knocking us over in the parking lot and whipping me in the face with my own hair. I find that INCREDIBLY annoying.

So we tried to go home, but then we spotted it. The rainbow. And our adventurous death-defying spirits drove us to go RAINBOW CHASING!

So it’s not quite as thrilling as storm chasing, but we thought it was pretty cool. Neither of us had ever seen a full, double rainbow from end to end before. You can sort of see both rainbows in the pics. It’s really neat how the colors reverse in the top one.