Hungry Times Two

I'm on a doctor-sanctioned "diet," though I'd rather call it a "nutrition plan" or "Erin eats more healthy food now" or something else, anything, rather than that four-letter word. The doctor suggested I restrict carbs to around just 60 grams per day, so boo on that. Do you ever count them? You shouldn't -- it's depressing as hell. But just to give you an idea: a bowl of healthy-ish non-sugar laden cereal is around 30 grams. So I'm learning not to blow all my carbs in one meal. And no more toast for breakfast. Oh toast. I miss you like crazy. What do I eat instead? Greek yogurt like it's going out of style (it probably is), moderate amounts of raw almonds, cottage cheese, beans instead of meat in lots of entrees, and vegetables are my new BFFs. I thought I ate "a lot" of veggies before I started this path to hell plan, but it's amazing when you keep a food journal to discover what you really eat. (And no cheati...

So much for going kosher on Friday. Yesterday's post mentioned the grand "opening" of the food truck Sixth & Rye. This afternoon I went across the street to their spot at Sixth & I and well, the line was about 100+ people deep. So I did the next best thing: found a BLT (and added avocado - a BLAT?) from the ol' reliable Cafe Phillips for lunch. It's the anti-kosher thing to do. Oh, the irony. It tasted delicious...crispy, bacony, greasy... so not kosher. In case of rapture this weekend, I'm glad I ate the bacon. Happy Friday, everyone!

It's official: I hate my kitchen.

It's been a sad, sad week for food at our house this week. The sad evidence: Mac and cheese (oh lord, the generic kind), burgers, stir fry, and a few other piddly things. I don't know where you went, motivation and energy, but please come back. We're getting downright slovenly over here at HTT. I think a Come to Jesus at the grocery store is a must-do this weekend. We have it in our power to make tasty, healthy meals. I know we do! Heal me, Lady of the Giant Grocery Store Chain. Now where are my coupons?

I seem to have a knack lately for finding random food-related news stories. Forget breast milk ice cream : how about waging a full-on fight with the one you live with over Girl Scout cookies ? Apparently someone really loves their Thin Mints. I swear, I could see this happening over the Caramel deLites (formerly known as the far-superior Samoas), but I fail to see what's so special about mint cookies that would lead a girl to get all stabby. Which begs the question: what foods would you defend with your best sharp kitchen utensil? For me, it might be my stash of emergency cookies (presently Gingersnaps) - that you certainly don't want to fool with, particularly when my hormones are raging. Enough said. Food stealers, beware. Step off from this Cookie Monster.

Typically, yes, Scott and I are the picture of marital bliss. It's just our lot in life, to be perfectly happy and always on the same page. Okay, maybe I'm stretching it a bit. We're usually pretty swell with one another, and for that I am extremely grateful. Yet sometimes, certain things can ruin our happy little Adams Family (insert the TV theme here) thing we have going. It's called bad food.

A "trending topic" on the Internets right now is apparently " Spaghetti tacos ." Uhhh ...no thanks. The only weird "food stuffed in a food" trick I might ever try would be a turducken . Put that in your Google machine.

Forget fashion, fancy cars, all that bling-bling; when it comes to brand names, we aren't usually ones to be sticklers for the high rollin' stuff, 'cause we're cheap, I mean, frugal. BUT we do have our exceptions; such as: Yeah, I know it's not healthy and some people tend to hate on this condiment, but seriously, mayonnaise is a good thing, Martha. It adds so much flavor and moisture and creamy delight to so many foods. And as much as I'd love to think I am a "from scratch" kind of gal, I am not about to crack up some eggs and whip up a batch of homemade mayo any time soon, especially with that salmonella scariness going around. If I'm going to revel in the full-fat, high calorie content that is mayo, I might as well use the GOOD stuff - no crappy Miracle Whip (which is not even really mayonnaise, let's get that straight right now) or ho-hum Hellman's. I mean to tell you, y'all, Duke's Mayonnaise is the best. Moving to Maryland, ...

Confession: Visiting Richmond, Va. this weekend, I had a couple moments where I seemed to channel my late grandmother of fabulousness , Coxey . Whenen taken aback by a sinfully wonderful dessert or food, she would exclaim (with hand to her chest as if clutching a strand of imaginary pearls) "My my, that is almost too rich to eat." I held off from breaking out her famous little expression but if the truth be told, I would have worn myself out using it. I didn't know it before I visited, but Richmond has some pretty amazing restaurant offerings. Big ups to my friend and resident of Richmond, Victoria, for selecting unique and gobsmackingly -good places. Let's get started with Lulu's , which started our trend of visiting comfortable, intimate cafes with lots of original, local-themed artwork this weekend. Though originally we planned on visiting the Shockoe Bottoms Tomato Festival, the 106 degree weather killed that plan, so we hit up Lulu's for some A/C and co...

Just because I want to know this has happened to someone else before... Ever made a disastrous food run? Around 1pm today, I started craving something sweet and icy. Frozen yogurt came to mind, but there's not a place nearby. Ice cream? Too heavy. The Safeway store up the street seemed to be safe bet to find something in their freezer section, so I headed out, making a stop at the restroom beforehand. I exited my office building, hanging a left out of the door, when I felt...a soft breeze. Puzzled, I looked down to see my dress hiked up on the left side and TUCKED in my underwear. Cursing, I quickly whipped the offending dress back into its proper place and, head cast down, moseyed on to my destination. I'm pretty confident both people manning the front counter at work saw my backside sans coverage, as did some smokers who hang out near the front doors. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah . What did I buy once I commenced the Walk of Shame? A $2.50 carton of Safeway brand fat free Lemon Sorbet,...

Yes, it's a worn-out topic at this point, just a mere five days past the official Summer Solstice - it's really freakin' hot outside. So let this be my last grumbling about the heat on this here blog - can't speak for Scott, but I do want to just let the bitching about the heat go, as it's nothing I can personally control. Unless God (or the great Creator, whomever he or she may be that controls the Almighty Global Thermostat) decides to help us all about and turn down the temps any time soon, we just need to flat-out deal. And chill. The best way to do so? No, not Gin and Tonics, though they are a close second or third behind stripping down naked and finding someone to fan you down while feeding you iced and peeled grapes. It's iced tea, people - the good, old-fashioned, non-alcoholic (though you could add some Firefly if you're feeling frisky) beverage of choice, and sweetened for those of who grew up south of the Mason-Dixon. Scott and I have enjoyed rou...

Yes, it was hotter than two rats fornicating in a wool sock (one of my all-time favorite expressions, and that's the clean version) this weekend. Yet we couldn't let 90 pesky degrees get in the way of some good times, could we? Naaaaah. We sucked it up and headed out for Alexandria and DC on Saturday, Baltimore on Sunday. In pictures I will demonstrate: We met up with one of my best college buds Kellie visiting from Asheville and toodled around an old 1940s munitions factory that was converted into an arts center - the Torpedo Art Factory in Alexandria. Awesome artist-in-residence studios with views of the Potomac, with lots of pricey fun stuff to look at. One throwback: An old-school soda machine. When was the last time you saw these? Especially the Mountain Dew! After a lovely time with Kellie, Scott and I decided to brave the National Mall and walk to Smithsonian's American History Museum. As luck would have it, one floor has Julia Child's kitchen on one wing and ...

As a lover of all the fruits of the sea, I have really wondered about this awful cluster of an oil spill's effect on the seafood down in Louisiana and Florida, NC even. So sayeth an FDA staffer: "Our goal both collectively, FDA and NOAA , is to make sure that fish that have become contaminated or might become contaminated are kept off of the market so that they don't get to the consumers, so consumers don't have to ask themselves, 'Is the fish I'm about to buy safe?" I really love shrimp, scallops and oysters, and though I hate seeing the photos of oil-soaked birds (and this comes from a straight-up bird loather), my heart really goes out to the sea. I've always felt a strong attachment to the ocean and I hate the idea of coastlines being ravaged and the environs and organisms in them being devastated and depleted. According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium - a top authority in seafood sustainability - "the spill will affect many popular commerc...

So it's really hot outside. Our teensy apartment comes not with central air, as we have accustomed ourselves to, but with two window units - one in our bedroom and one in the living room area. Unfortunately, there is not a source of cooling for the kitchen, therefore cooking involves a lot of sweating, struggling, and, for me at least, a sailor's vocabulary of curse words. It is real hot in there, mmmkay ? So hot that I just want to commit right now to a summer of no-cook cereals and salads. However, man (and woman) cannot live by lettuce alone, so we're going to have to figure something out. My first hunch is to secure a grill. Yes, we gave ours to a friend when we moved, which was hasty (both the move and the giving of the grill - sorry, KG, you know I love ya and I hope you're using that thing). We used to have a built-in gas grill at one of our many rentals in Nashville and then we bought a tiny tabletop-style charcoal grill that isn't amazing but it gets the ...

Take a look at McSweeney's " Food Brought to a Sex Addiction Group Therapy Potluck ." My personal favorite items: Fish Tacos, Bangers & Mash. Yours?

Here we are in Hyattsville, Md., staying with our gracious friends who are oh-so-hospitable, allowing us to abandon our lowly "Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn" (Say What?!...sorry, had to slip into old-school 80s rap lyrics...blame the snow) for better snowed-in digs. When you're stuck inside due to 20 plus inches of snow, what's a crew of cabin-fevered friends to do? Make lots of hot tea, enjoy a Snow Day Saturday brunch of waffles, egg casserole, hash browns and cinnamon muffins, and cleaned out the fridge for dinners of spaghetti and chili over rice. I am truly thankful I am not stranded on Interstate 81 in rural Virginia this time around. A townhouse with all the amenities - wine, cheese, and indoor plumbing - is so much more our style.

A certain male who posts to this blog unfortunately had dental surgery Tuesday due to an infected abscess and forthcoming root canal. With stitches and swelling, it's not pretty, as Scott does look like he's hoarding nuts for the winter in his right cheek, poor thing. As a result, grocery shopping on Tuesday eve was a challenge, especially when trying to navigate a Kroger store besieged by Southerners freaking out over the so-called "snowstorm" coming today. (Alas, no freakin' snow. Figures.) The bread and milk supplies were, of course, depleted, but so were the mushrooms and salad greens. Who knew us Dixie types considered the healthy stuff to be essential snow day fare? In my rush, I neglected to bring my list of "soft foods" that the dentist's assistant recommended, so I had think on my feet as I wheeled around the uber-crowded Kroger. I came up with a couple ideas, which were: - Scrambled eggs and grits. Breakfast for dinner - one of the ultimate...

Guess what's in my fridge right now? Although I could call my cousins in Eastern North Carolina and ask them how to handle and prepare a couple pounds of venison, as they hunt and fish and do all that Southern Outdoors Manly Man stuff, I hesitate. I don't think I am alone in this. Suggestions with recipes or preparation techniques are welcome.

Introducing, in limited markets, KFC's Double Down Chicken Sandwich. A co-worker alerted me to this monstrosity; yet another reason us Americans cain't get no respect when it comes to our cookin'. Behold: two fried chicken fillets swathed in bacon, cheese and KFC "Colonel Sauce." Wow. I didn't think US waistlines could get any bigger, but I think this might help us all achieve our dreams. Aim for the stars, fatties, and grab you some Pepto Bismol while you're at it.

Found this while enjoying that thing we call cable television at my YMCA. The Adams don't have it, just like we don't have a flat screen, iPod, or a phone texting plan. We're just out here in Nashville, chillin' like it's 1979. This guy tries to eat eight breakfast tacos at a Tex-Mex place in Austin. He loses. The premise of the show is to eat as much as possible. Great example for the rest of America. Had I known you wanted to film someone stuffing their face 24/7, I'd invite you over to our house. The proof: Man v. Food - Juan In A Million from TravelChannelTV on Vimeo .