Hungry Times Two

Well, I'll be damned. I didn't freeze my toes off this morning when I rolled out the door in my Chaco sandals. In fact, the weather outside was downright delightful - sunny, low-humidity, and just about perfect. Know what that means? Smoothie time! Scott's the real smoothie lover in this relationship. During the warmer months when we grocery shop, he'll go for frozen berries, a huge container of Stoneyfield French Vanilla yogurt, and a bundle of bananas faster than you can say "Blend It." We're holding right now: all the essentials are in the fridge. We just need to drag out the blender from its cramped spot in our itsy-bitsy kitchen, scrounge up some counter space, and whip up a frosty and fruity treat. My personal fave: strawberry - banana - blueberry- yogurt - orange juice (sometimes mango nectar if I'm feeling frisky). Ooohweeee! I wish I had one now. Oh my, I just typed Ooohweeee. You know I've got it bad when I use expressions like that. Happ...

I've made the hell out of some couscous lately! On Friday I made this recipe of beef patties with couscous and a Greek-style salad. I improvised and made a little sauce to go on top of the beef patties (more like meatballs, but whatevs) that had a little sour cream, tiny bit of milk, one clove of crushed garlic, some lemon zest and some dill. It was a big hit with my mom - she even asked me for the "recipe" for the sauce. Last night I threw together a meal of potatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, garlic, eggplant and onion roasted with olive oil, rosemary and some Greek seasoning, some leftover leg of lamb that was INCREDIBLE (I know, I'm boasting but I'd never made lamb before, and wow. This recipe is kinda "killer," as one of Scott's uncles would say), sauteed spinach with pine nuts, nutmeg and lemon juice, and some couscous mixed with chopped mint and dried apricots (which I plumped up in warm water first before adding). I like couscous because...

This weekend Scott and I enjoyed a lovely visit from my mom. We walked, laughed and ate a lot as we showed off cool spots in D.C., Annapolis and Baltimore. One of the best spots food-wise was D.C.'s Eastern Market. On Saturday it was all a-abuzz despite the clouds and rain, with lots of people out and about. Stomachs grumbling, we hit the crepe stand - Scott for ham and cheese, Mom for the Margherita with tomato and basil, and I for the prosciutto, olives and feta. They were super-tasty but on the small side, so to add to our lunch we hit the Pickle man, In a Pickle. Scott chose a mixed pint of usual kosher dills and some spicy garlic. I found them to be not as exciting as their reputation declares them to be. Quite honestly, I love Vlasic kosher dills. I know, commercial brand, but they have a great "snap" to them and have the right salty/sour combination. Are there any other pickle fans out there? Which are your favorites?

The sun is coming out and spreading its delightful warmth all around. The days are getting longer. Sunglasses and sandals are making their debut. For those in D.C. who want to put the Snowpocalypse blizzards and the frigid winter waaaaaaay on back behind them, this is most excellent news. It's spring, and with the sunny days come a need for cold and sweet treats. Sweetgreen is the place in D.C. to get them. With several locations in the Metro area and some mobile trucks dishing out the goodies, this place is a haven for those of us who hold a special place in our hearts for frozen yogurt. Forget the ghetto Dairy Queen blizzard or the played-out Starbucks Frappuccino - my cool treat of choice is Sweetgreen's yogurt topped with granola, blueberries and coconut. Chopped mango fits in well, too. Their deal is that they offer one kind of yogurt only - a kind of tangy vanilla-esque white and creamy goodness. Then you pile on the tasty stuff - all kinds of fruit and healthy toppings....

A friend pointed out this NYT story on foodies who post what they're eating online . I find photographing plates of food very difficult. I can never get the angle just so and oftentimes it may not be very photogenic - I'm thinking of foods like refried beans, perhaps? Not too pretty. Or who wants to see a photo of my huge-ass salad and the peanut butter and honey flatbread I brought to work today? Sexy or So-so? I think the latter, for real. Also, I usually feel pretty good about snapping a pic if the dish is healthy and loaded with good-for-you fruits and veggies. It's the greasy and fat-laden foods that we eat that I'd never want to see the light of day in a Kodak moment. It's definitely a different approach to food blogging. I wish I had more shutterbug skills, like this guy . Happy eating and livin ' on this Earth Day! Here's a Green Link for you - our go-to place when we're sustainably searching for seafood.

Today marks our third anniversary! Scott and I were married April 21, 2007, on the steps of his family's beach house in Sullivan's Island, S.C. (The Lowcountry - what a great place to eat, by the way!) It's been real, that's for sure. We've hit highs and lows in three short years but there's no doubt that we're hungry for more.

We ate at The Woodlands this evening and it was delicious .. and CHEAP! : ) Under $30 for two of us, appetizer of vegetable pakora, Erin had Poori Bhaji, whole wheat bread, fried and puffed, served with potato and chickpea curry - it's a House Specialty. I had Jaipuri Paneer Dosai, which was a crepe-like bread filled with "homemade cheese, peas, onions, coriander and exotic spices." I also was treated to sides of Rasam, a traditional South Indian sour and spicy soup with stewed potatoes and zucchini. Erin had heard that "Woodlands" is a term amongst the Indian community, or perhaps in India, to indicate that a restaurant is vegetarian. I can't find any research on it, but a Google search for "Woodlands Indian" brings up Woodlands South Indian-vegetarian restaurants all over the country, including a good one on West End Ave. in Nashville where I first experienced South Indian food. If you haven't had a dosa (spelling varies), it's a u...

Before I met Scott, I was totally unfamiliar with this shaker of seasonings – a mix of salt, pepper, onion, garlic, celery, and parsley. Scott used the seasonings on a variety of things he cooked to impress me when we first started dating back in the Stone Age of 2002, and it wasn’t until I visited his dad’s house and then his uncle’s house, and then another uncle’s house, and finally their family house down on the coast of South Carolina, that I realized that Nature’s Seasons is definitely “A Thing” with this family. This stuff is always around, thus the men in the family jokingly refer to it as “Adams Seasoning.” It really is a great mix of just the right things to jazz up whatever – meat, eggs, potatoes, rice, or pasta. I just never noticed it on the shelves at the grocery store until I entered the Adams’ fold. So here’s to that ubiquitous blue and yellow tube of seasonings on the dinner table or spice rack of every Adams family member’s kitchen. And may there be many meals with the...

Back in early January I declared that Scott and I would take on a vegetarian New Year’s resolution for 2010 . “Meat free and lovin ’ it!,” I exclaimed. Well, it didn ’t quite go the way I anticipated, so for the sake of full disclosure, I thought it’s time to set the record straight. Here’s the deal: for about three weeks in January, it worked. I did my research, planned veg-friendly meals, made sure I got my protein (but not too much – you can actually overload) and generally tried to eat more fruits and veggies. Scott apparently committed some random acts of hamburger eating on his own time, but for me it was great – I didn ’t feel I was missing out on anything and I really did think my energy level rose sans beef, chicken and pork (though I could have just been on a rising cloud of self-righteousness). Then the bottom dropped out – our living situation became a little nuts and we hit the road to apartment hunt during DC’s Snowpacalypse situation. Not the smartest move. Even thought...

Our Shout Out this week is a sad one: Carol Fay Ellison, known to many in Nashville and those who just love a good hot, flaky biscuit, died on Monday . Her biscuits made those who ate them just flat-out happy. On one of our first visits to the Loveless, we came in late for dinner, about an hour before the place closed down. After we finished our meal, our waiter said "Y'all want some biscuits to take home? We're just gonna have to toss them out otherwise." We never turn away free biscuits. Especially Carol Fay's. We took them home and toasted them up the next morning for breakfast. A couple months before Scott and I left Nashville, we were in a Wal-Mart (forgive us, but we had to go) purchasing a vacuum, and we spotted Carol Fay in one of the aisles, pushing her cart, smiling and laughing with her shopping companions. I felt a little better about being in Wal-Mart, knowing the Biscuit Lady was there too. I hope there's a biscuit heaven, Miss Carol Fay. If ...

Newbies that we are to the food scene here, we’ ve become savvy to the myth, the legend, and the wonder that is 2 Amys . With Scott’s dad as our co-explorer of the Greater DC the weekend before last, we convened at the steps of 2 Amys . I arrived first and learned of a 90 minute wait time for a table – I soldiered on and put our name on the list. By the time the men folk joined me, we had about 45 minutes to kill. Such was the cluster, making our way to the bar in the back area. We found a string of lucky patrons seated at the bar nibbling away at antipasto and delicious looking pizza pies. Enviously, I hovered over them, not out of jealously but out of necessity – the bar and back area was solidly packed with people. You had to hold your drink to your chest like Mama Bear protecting her cub so you wouldn ’t spill a drop when inevitably you bump into the person next to you. 2 Amys was certainly bursting at the seams on a big night, surely violating some sort of fire code. It’s so lo...

On behalf of my husband, who discovered these and never looked back: Utz Chips and Snacks . A good friend from way up North loves their Special Pretzels, too. Scott tried a bag from their "Grandma Utz " line and discovered the secret ingredient that made the kettle chips so tasty was lard . Healthy! They don't just offer the usual original, sour cream and onion, BBQ, etc. flavors, either. Why stop there when you can have: Relax - no crabby taste. They're covered in Old Bay style seasoning. Happy Friday and early Easter! May there be many eggs and Peeps in your baskets.