Easter Feast-er

When we traveled to Palm Desert we had to rent a bigger car to fit all of us and all of Thatbaby's stuff.  All of that "stuff" is one of the reasons we're trying not to do a lot of plane travel this year.  Which meant we got to spend Easter at home.

We started with an Easter Basket for the boys.

Thatboy's basket was filled with candy and a new t-shirt.  Thatbaby had less edible/wearable things in his basket.

We also dyed eggs.  I forgot how many eggs I go through at Passover, so we only had five left to dye.  

We made them count.  I always take the broken eggs to dye.  Thatboy was pretty impressed with how mine turned out.

As usual with the Catholic holidays we celebrate, I let Thatboy pick the meal.  Easter, however, has to obviously fit within the Passover restrictions.  Which means I don't make the rice that his parents serve, or rolls/buns/bread that they also put on the table every year.  And I don't make any pies like his mom does for each Easter.  

Thatboy requested lamb - either rack of lamb, or leg of lamb.  Since I made him rack of lamb for Christmas, I thought I would go with something different.  There was a miscommunication however, because he thought "leg of lamb" but he told me "lamb shanks."  So we had shanks for dinner.  In my very humble opinion, braised lamb shanks are the way to go.

 Pomegranate Molasses Braised Lamb Shanks

2 lamb shanks

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 garlic clove, sliced

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup pomegranate molasses

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Brown lamb shanks on all sides and remove from heat.
2. Add onion, carrot, and garlic.  Saute until lightly brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Add cardamom and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute.
4. Stir in pomegranate molasses and 1 cup of boiling water.
5. Place lamb shanks in a baking dish.  Pour the vegetables and liquid over the shanks.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 90 minutes, or until the meat is falling off the bone.

Since we couldn't do rice, I roasted some vegetables and turned to the number one Passover side dish - potatoes!  I sliced them thin, tossed them with onions and melted bacon fat, and then roasted them in the oven.

But the piece de resistance was dessert.  I picked up a box mix of Passover Red Velvet Cake.  But I junked their frosting to make Passover Cream Cheese frosting (Passover ingredients, Sprinkles' recipe.) It was a HUGE hit.  Thatboy was sneaking pieces for the next few days.

 

I love being able to make Easter special for Thatboy, even when he doesn't get to spend it with his family.  And it's almost nicer for me to be able to eat all the dishes instead of watching everyone else eat food I can't!

Mid-East Feast

In general, I work from a meal plan. I write out what we'll be having for the week and use that to make my shopping list. It usually cuts down on grocery costs and saves me from that awful "what are we having for dinner tonight" moment where you stare blankly into the fridge willing an answer to emerge from it's frosty depths.

But a couple of weeks ago when we were at the supermarket a couple of extra things made their way into my basket. Like the pound of ground lamb that was marked down to $1. I love playing with ground lamb. More than any other ground meat, this is the one I like to try new things with. Beef almost always gets made into meatloaf, burgers, or meatballs. Ground turkey tends to get thrown into chili. But ground lamb is never pigeonholed.

Instead I use it as an opportunity to scour the internet in search of a new idea, use, or flavor profile. Which is how I landed on Aarti Sequeira's Ground Lamb Kofto Kebabs.

Thatboy, Thatmom and I all watch The Next Food Network Star, so I was familiar with Aarti and the fact that she brings some really great flavor to the table in a very accessible manner. These kebabs certainly highlight that. The baking soda in the meat mixture gives them an almost sponge-like consistency, and the marinade is fantastic. So fantastic in fact, that I would recommend making them much thinner than I did so you get more of a marinade to meat surface area ratio.

Aarti serves her kebabs with potatoes and cucumbers. I served mine with just cucumbers. Because they bring such a nice contrast to the highly spiced meat. Traditionally, the cucumbers would be a cold, salad like dish. But there's nothing traditional about me. And with the colder weather coming in, I've been braising a lot of my vegetables - cooking them down to their essence in a sweet and salty sauce. This time cucumbers got the treatment.

Braised Cucumbers
1 cucumber
3 Tbsp of butter
1 sprig parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper

1. Peel the cucumber. Cut in half and use the tip of a spoon to remove the seeds.
2. Slice each cucumber half and place in a pan with 2 Tbsp butter, 1/2 cup of water, and parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 9 minutes.
3. Drain the cucumbers and toss with remaining butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Curried Away

Happy Monday everybody! Check me out - actually remembering Monday! And this was a busy one. I spent my lunch running about doing some errands, ended up working later than I was expecting, which was especially devastating because Thatboy ended up getting out of work early. Of course that kind of stuff always happens, doesn't it?

This week on Eat.Live.Be. we're discussing our tips and tricks for when we're "too tired."

Today I'm in a really good mood, not tired. Maybe because it's the beginning of the week? Who knows. Which is not to say I never get tired. And some days are worse than others. Honestly, this is one of the reasons I run in the morning. Because frankly, by the time I get home the LAST thing I want to do is work out. Because I'm tired. In the morning, I have to get up to walk Thatdog anyway, so there's really no option. I guess that's solution number 1 - get a dog. No no no, I'm just joking about that. Really it's find a schedule that works for you.

But for the past few months I've been working out after work too - when I can get home before Thatboy. And that's where solution 2 comes in - find an easy alternate. For me, that's my prenatal pilates video. It's in 10 minute segments. Even if I don't want to work out. Even if I don't want to go to the gym, it's not hard to convince myself to stick in a 10 minute workout.

Solution 3 is all about cooking. In generally, I try to keep weeknight meals easy - 20 minutes or less. Unfortunately, I'm not always great about remembering to prep some of my meals. Which means very often I realize that I have not soaked my beans right about the time I want to make a dish with beans. So I always have a backup in the freezer. Which is very helpful except right around the time we're moving.

This is a very quick curry meal for when you're too tired to cook. I made it with lamb, but as usual, you can easily use it with any cooked meat or leftovers you have on hand. Ready in under 20 minutes!

Curried Lamb with Apple
1 chopped onion
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup cooked lamb
1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tsp curry powder
1 apple peeled and sliced
1/2 Tbsp raisins
salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the onions until they are translucent.
2. Add the lamb and sprinkle flour over all.
   
3. Add the broth, stirring until thick.
4. Add the curry, apples, raisins, salt and pepper and cover. Simmer about 8 minutes, until the apples are tender.

Don't forget to check in with the other bloggers:

• Sarah - www.sarahscucinabella.com
• Cate - www.sweetnicks.com
  
• Maris - www.ingoodtasteblog.net
• Chris - www.melecotte.com
• Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
• Kristen - www.dineanddish.net
• Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
• Jenna - http://stopdropandblog.com/
• Joanne - http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/,
• Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com
• Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
• Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
• Claire - http://cookiedoc.blogspot.com/
• Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
• Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
• Leslie - www.thehungryhousewife.com
• Rivki - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
  
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• Jennifer - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/

Macaroni and Lamb

My husband may be the only person who drinks wine out of a giant plastic tumbler covered in pictures of giraffes. Of course, his choices are rather limited given that our kitchen and dining room are officially packed.

We've kept out very little, which means doing dishes has become far more important than ever before. And I'm going to be limited over the next couple of weeks on the meals I can make. I kept out a pot, pan, and baking dish, and just about everything else is in a box.

I've made a meal plan for the next couple weeks and there's a lot of pasta on it. Not only because I need to use up what's in our pantry, but because pasta requires very little in terms of cooking and serving. In fact, just in case, I spent all morning making spaghetti, so we should have more than enough to last us!

When I make any kind of noodles Thatdog situates himself right under the chair where I hang them to dry. He knows that anything that hits the floor is fair game for him. And he knows that while I'm pulling apart strands there are quite a few strands that hit the floor. It makes him a very happy dog.

These are obviously not homemade noodles. I can't make macaroni. I'm very talented but not THAT talented. But we do have a lot of boxed noodles I'm trying to get rid of and frankly there's a limit to how much mac and cheese someone can eat. Time to get creative. I know many people like hot dogs cut up in their mac and cheese, but the idea is highly unappealing to me. Throwing in some actual cooked meat, however, doesn't sound like such a bad idea. I used lamb in this, but it would be equally delicious with ham, and I expect it to be reincarnated over the next couple weeks with some steak we have in the freezer!

Macaroni and Lamb
1 cup cooked lamb
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp onion, diced
1 Tbsp celery, diced
1 cup macaroni
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Mix the lamb, salt, pepper, onion, and celery in a bowl.
   
2. Place the macaroni in a layer on the bottom of the baking dish and spread the lamb over top.
3. Beat the egg, egg white, and milk together and pour over the lamb and macaroni. Bake 35 minutes until firm.
   

Simple Shepherd Supper

Thatdad had a very different culinary upbringing than I did. There are stories told of frozen tuna sandwiches, sloppy joes, fluffernutters, and shepherd's pie. I didn't grow up with most of those dishes. Every now and then, when Thatmom would go out of town Thatdad would make us fluffernutters for lunch. And I think maybe once or twice Thatmom indulged him and made us sloppy joes. But mostly I grew up on roast chicken, broiled shrimp, and Peking duck.

I remember the first time I made a Turkey Pot Pie and it quickly became one of Thatdad and Thatboy's favorite meals I made. A definite throw back meal that wasn't a household staple for me, but easy enough with leftover Thanksgiving meat. I mean really, all you're doing is making a bit of a stew and covering it with pie crust.

I was under the impression that Shepherd's pie must be something similar, but I never made the elusive dish. I stuck with my pot pies. Even after I learned that it's a different creature in that it's covered with mashed potatoes and not pie crust.

And then I tried it. It was at an Irish pub - a great place to try new foods. And it seemed like such a fantastic concept. First of all, who doesn't like mashed potatoes? Especially when they're baked and golden. A cross between a mash and a hashbrown. Over a lamb stew? It seems like such a simple concept, but at the same time ingenius.

Shepherd's Pie
1/2 cups ground lamb, cooked
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1Tbsp flour
1/4 cup beef broth
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 375. Mix together the lamb, garlic, onion, and rosemary and pulse in a food processor until combined.
   
2. Melt butter in a skillet and stir in flour, stirring until blended.
3. Add the beef broth and cook until you have a thick gravy.
4. Add the lamb mixture, and salt and pepper to taste.
   
5. Spoon the mixture into a pie dish and spread the mashed potatoes over top. Bake about 40 minutes, until potatoes have formed a golden crust.
   

Moussaka-shaka

Have I told you how much I LOVE summer? This week on Eat.Live.Be. we're sharing compliments. One of my most recent compliments I attribute largely to the fact that it's summer.

When we were in Tahoe, Thatmom told me she was very impressed by how "healthy" I've been this pregnancy. This means a lot to me given that I really struggle with being healthy during this period. I asked her what she meant, and she told me that I've been doing a great job of not overindulging in foods.

But the thing is - I do overindulge - in summer fruits and produce. I have a theory about pregnancy "cravings." (But take this with a grain of salt since I haven't had a single one) I completely believe in food aversions, but cravings? I don't necessarily buy that they're related to pregnancy. I mean, we all have cravings. Mine really kick in during Passover when I want things I NEVER want to eat - like doughnuts, or cheese-its. But on a day to day basis I'll see a commercial and think "Wow, I could go for a double cheeseburger right now." Except 99% of the time I follow that with "But really, how healthy would it be to indulge in every craving you have?" I think most women are like that. We're so conscious of everything we put in our body since society, and of course, we ourselves, are our biggest critics. But during pregnancy you're SUPPOSED to gain weight. I mean, you're going to get a belly anyway, right? So women let down their guard, and when that same nagging "Wow I could go for a double cheeseburger right now" feeling comes along, they don't follow it with the second thought. Instead they follow it with "Baby must want a double cheeseburger."

My eating habits haven't changed at all since being pregnant. No cravings, no food aversions, but because it's summer, I keep my body fueled up with all the best nature has to offer. Take a look at my stash from this week's farmer's market:

A bag of mixed greens
fresh baked ciabatta bread
basil
tomatoes
figs
cucumbers
bell pepper
strawberries
plums
and Mexican Sour Cucumbers

Most of these are for snacking. Although the figs became dessert last night. Today in fact I snacked on cantaloupe, cherries, cucumbers, and those strawberries you're looking at right now.

Summer produce means I also get to make use of beautiful eggplants and tomatoes for dinners. Both of which play a large role in the creation of the classic Greek dish of Moussaka. The beautiful and talented Elly has a traditional recipe for Moussaka. This is not that recipe. Instead here are a couple variations on the dish.

Layered Moussaka
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 lb ground lamb
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 eggplant
1 egg
2/3 cup half and half
1 Tbsp parsley
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet and cook the onion until soft.
2. Add the lamb and cook until browned.
3. Add the allspice, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
4. Heat the remaining Tbsp of oil in a skillet. Cut the eggplants into 1/4 inch slices. Brown each side of the eggplant in the oil and then pat dry.
5. Mix the egg, half and half, parsley and half of the breadcrumbs.
6. Put a layer of of eggplant on the bottom of the casserole and spread a layer of lamb on top of it. Continue layering, ending with the eggplant.
7. Pour the egg mixture over all of it. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over top and drizzle butter over.
8. Bake 40 minutes.
   

Wrapped Moussaka
1 eggplant
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 lb mushrooms, chopped
1 cup cooked ground lamb
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sprig of thyme, crumbled
1 sprig of rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup tomato sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray a cake pan with cooking spray. Slice the eggplant in half and make several deep gashes in the flesh. Rub the surface with olive oil and place skin side down on a cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool.
   
2. While the eggplant is cooling, mix the onion, lamb, mushroom, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
3. Scoop out the eggplant flesh, chop it, and mix into the lamb mixture.
4. Line the cake pan with the skin of the eggplant. Place the lamb mixture in the center of the eggplant skin and fold the skin over top to create a little eggplant bundle.
5. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven.
6. Heat tomato sauce and pour over the moussaka.
   

Next week we're doing wake up calls. Not the ones in the morning, but the ones that make you get serious about something. Now check out how the other bloggers are faring:

• Sarah - www.sarahscucinabella.com
• Cate - www.sweetnicks.com
  
• Maris - www.ingoodtasteblog.net
• Chris - www.melecotte.com
• Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
• Kristen - www.dineanddish.net
• Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
• Jenna - http://stopdropandblog.com/
• Joanne - http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/,
• Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com
• Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
• Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
• Claire - http://cookiedoc.blogspot.com/
• Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
• Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
• Leslie - www.thehungryhousewife.com
• Rivki - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
  
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• Jennifer - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/
  

How I fill a day

Some days are busier than others. I'm sure you have them too. Days where you don't get to sit
down for longer than it takes to eat a quick meal because there's so much else to be done.

Today started out with a doctor's appointment, which went well but was longer than I was expecting because I had to have a test. Bleh. Have I ever told you of my INTENSE fear of needles. Luckily I always have the best phlebotomist and this one was no exception. She kept chatting to me the entire time trying to distract me from the sharp pointy thing she was plunging into my arm.

After I headed to the mall. I had to pick up some more shirts - because now that the weather is getting warmer I have come to the realization that I have about 3 sleeveless shirts that are long enough to wear out in public without showing everyone what my stomach look looks like.

Then it was time for a little maintenance work - waxing and nails. Here's my other tip - I LOVE this new Shellac stuff. Seriously. I have NEVER had my nail polish last this long - and we're talking at least 3 weeks with nary a chip.

By this time it was 2:30 and I had a stack of paperwork I had to fill out and send in for a project. And then take Thatdog to the park (where he peed on someone's leg. SERIOUSLY someone is getting on my last nerve). We got a late start out, but at least I could justify it since Thatboy had physical therapy and would be home a bit late anyway.

On the way home from dogpark I had to stop and drop off/pick up some movies. And finally THEN I got to come home and start making dinner for tonight and lunch for tomorrow.

Seriously I'm really looking forward to sleep tonight! And I hope it's better than it has been all week. I hate not sleeping - especially when I get the left eye twitch because of it.

I'm not going to sugar coat it - tonight we had the lazy girl's version of risotto - brown rice mixed with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. And it was fantastic because it was easy (albeit not quick - but it's not like I'm doing a lot of work when that brown rice is in the rice cooker). But if you didn't have a run around day, and you have a bit more time I recommend dressing your brown rice up with something a bit more hearty than tomato sauce. Something like this lamb curry should do the trick - creamy, thick, and obviously stew like it's what I would have loved to have if I had the time.

Lamb Curry
1 lb lamb in one inch cubes
1 onion, sliced
3 sprigs thyme
1 parsley sprig
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper

1. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and brown lamb.
   
2. Add 2 cups of boiling water, onions, thyme, and parsley and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Remove the lamb and strain the liquid reserving this broth for later.
4. Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat and add the flour and curry powder. Stir this mixture for a minute or so until it becomes paste-like.
   
5. Stir in the lamb broth and stir until the sauce thickens.
6. Season with salt and pepper, then add the lamb back in and heat through.
   

Visit to the Freezer part 1

So with another future person on the way, Thatboy are moving to a place with a little more space. Which means that I'm trying to be good about using up the food in our freezer and pantry before the big move next month.

This morning I took inventory of the top shelf of our freezer:
pork tenderloin
meatballs
ground lamb
roast beef
strawberry popsicles
frozen chocolate covered bananas
chocolate chip bread
waffles

I'm trying to come up with creative meal ideas using these ingredients (and then I can move on to the bottom shelf - I'm trying not to get ahead of myself here.)

But when push comes to shove, I foresee Thatboy and I eating a lot of sandwiches this week - roast beef sandwiches, meatball sandwiches, and I can't think of an easier way to use up lamb than lamb burgers. Although, to be fair, quite often I don't need the extra bun associated with "burgers." Flavorful lamb patties speak for themselves.

I add a little extra to the mix- like chopped tomato and rosemary. Kind of a cross between a meatball and burger. But it adds some sweetness to a rich meat.

Lamb Patties/Burgers
1/2 lb ground lamb
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
1/4 cup celery, diced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 spring rosemary, finely chopped
1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 egg white
1 Tbsp butter

1. Combine all ingredients but butter.
2. Shape into patties
3. Melt the butter in a skillet and fry patties 5 minutes per side.
   

Eat a Rainbow

Today is the last day to enter the Simply Bishop's giveaway post!

Can you believe I completely forgot to post my Eat.Live.Be. entry yesterday? I feel awful about it.

I believe the saying is "better late than never," right? This week we're offering health or cooking tips.

One of my favorite (kinda both) is the "eat a rainbow" tip. It's such a great way to ensure that you're getting a meal that includes a variety of nutrients. When cooking, the easiest way to do this is to include a bunch of vegetables. Vegetables come in so many different colors, each bringing something different and important to the table.

Take this lamb fricassee - It's easy enough to make a stew with lamb, but stews are oh so brown. So add in some color and voila! Fricassee! Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself:
Red - tomatoes
Orange - carrots
Yellow - onion
Green - parsley
Brown - lamb

Lamb Fricassee
1 lb lamb, cut into chunks
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup tomato juice
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 sprigs of parsley, chiffonade
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
salt and pepper

1. Coat the lamb with the flour.
   
2. Melt the butter in a dutch oven and brown the lamb.
3. Bring the tomato juice to a boil and pour over the meat.
4. Add the onions, carrots, parsley, bay leaf, and cloves. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Salt and pepper to taste.
   

Next week we're sharing what makes us happy. I love light sunny topics, don't you? Now check out how the other bloggers are faring:

• Sarah - www.sarahscucinabella.com
• Cate - www.sweetnicks.com
  
• Maris - www.ingoodtasteblog.net
• Chris - www.melecotte.com
• Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
• Kristen - www.dineanddish.net
• Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
• Jenna - http://stopdropandblog.com/
• Joanne - http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/,
• Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com
• Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
• Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
• Claire - http://cookiedoc.blogspot.com/
• Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
• Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
• Leslie - www.thehungryhousewife.com
• Rivki - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
  
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• Jennifer - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/
  

Summertime?

When Thatdog and I went for our run this morning, I knew we were in for a hot one. Usually our runs are earlier enough that it's still cool, but by the end of the run today "cool" is not the word I'd use. The sun was already out and beating down.

And it got warmer throughout the day. Given that Monday it was raining, this change of weather was welcome. Except of course today was the day I was wandering all over downtown in a black skirt suit. Good thing that for some reason my office is usually -7 degrees. It's where all my coworkers come to cool down.

The sun was shining, I actually spent part of the day outside (even if it was a very small portion of the day), and even though I left work work a lot later than yesterday's 6:00, it wasn't dark yet. This, my friends, must be the beginning of summer.

And for most everybody, summer means grill time. Especially this coming weekend with Memorial Day barbecues in backyards nationwide. Hotdogs and hamburgers, but you can also elevate your feast with something a little less traditional - lamb! Lamb is one of my favorite grill specialties. I love a nice butterflied leg of lamb. If you're not a fan of butterflying your own meat, this is something that most butchers will do for you.

Grilled Lamb
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper
2 lb leg of lamb, butterflied

1. Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary in a bowl. Rub all over lamb. Cover and let stand for 2-3 hours.
2. Preheat grill and grill lamb on 15 minutes per side.
3. Slice across the grain.
   

Y'all Like Food, Right?

Apparently not having plans on the weekend must give Thatboy and I some sort of anxiety. Perhaps it's a fear of having to spend too much time together. He's not very entertaining and there's only so many times that "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" will amuse him.

At any case, as soon as we realized we'd have no plans this weekend, we quickly filled it up. Yesterday was the McDonalds journey, and today we ventured to Alaska for a Food Truck Festival.

Picture this as an ultimate Food Truck Mashup - 10 LA Food Trucks meet with 10 San Diego Food Trucks. In One Location. 10 Come, but, as we all know, There Can Be Only One. Alright, not really, it wasn't a competition, but still, it's fantastic to have so many great food sources in one place!

We ended up only sampling 6 trucks before we decided it would probably be a health hazard to continue. I tried to convince Thatboy that we should try to squeeze in four more just to get in a solid 50% and he looked at me like I might have lost my ever-loving mind.

So here are the six we tried, from worst to best (That will keep you scrolling down!)

Vizzi (LA)

Truffle Popcorn

As soon as I saw popcorn on the menu I was hooked. As usual. But that's the problem. We order popcorn at restaurants a lot. And it's always better than this batch. Always. Thatboy thinks it's because the local restaurants all use heirloom black kernel popcorn. Yeah, we're spoiled.

LobstaTruck (LA)

Lobster Roll

We really wanted to like this, given it's high praise . In fact we hit this truck up first, before too much of a line could form. But both of us were really unimpressed. Maybe because I've had some really fabulous lobster rolls before? Maybe because we do lobster a fair bit at home? I dunno.

Kalbi-Q (San Diego)

Moo Taco - Korean Rib-Eye Tacos

The hot sauce really made this taco. The taco itself was okay, but once we added the hot sauce it was phenomenal

Grill Em All


The Grill Em All truck opened an hour and a half after the festival started. About 30 minutes before they even opened, this is what the line looked like:



And that was just the first half of the line! We ordered the Witte - cream cheese, fried bacon, and beer soaked and sriracha soaked onions.


This truck was especially popular given that they won the "Great Food Truck Race" on television. There was a local truck there who competed this year, but since it hasn't aired yet, their line was pretty normal sized. Just to let you know what draws people in. Thatboy really liked this burger, which is why it ranks higher on the list. I was less impressed. It was kind of bland to me - I felt like it needed more kick. Especially since I was expecting it with the sriracha.

Tropical Shave Ice






This was the truck I was most looking forward to since my love of shaved ice is no secret. These were the best I've had "on the mainland." Super finely shaved, perfect amounts of syrup. Thatboy even wanted some more, and they were happy to oblige.

Super-Q (San Diego)

Pulled Pork Sandwich - pulled pork, carmelized onions, and macaroni and cheese.

This was our favorite - hands down. Seriously, whoever decided it would be a good idea to put macaroni and cheese on a sandwich should be knighted at the very least. And the pork was just perfect - sometimes there's not enough barbeque sauce, which really makes the pulled pork. This one was saucy and flavorful without dripping sauce everywhere.

The five dollar entrance was redeemable for a five dollar gift certificate to the amusement area where the festival was held. We decided to use it on Laser Tag since Thatboy has never done Laser Tag before. (I know, I don't know where he grew up either.)

After all that food, we were pretty certain we'd never need to eat again. Dinner tonight was just pickings. So I'll share a backup recipe with you - another lamb dish. Another braised dish. You know how I love braised meats! Like most of my braising recipes this is pretty simple - meat, veggies, liquid and cooking low and slow.

Braised Lamb
1 Tbsp butter
1 lb breast of lamb
1 sprig thyme
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 onion
2 cloves
1/2 turnip, cubed
salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter in a dutch oven. Brown the lamb.
2. Sprinkle thyme over lamb and pour in a cup of boiling water.
3. Add carrot, onion, cloves, and turnips. Lower heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes or until done.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
   

More baby animals!

Tonight we turn our attention to my favorite baby animal to eat. Lamb. For some reason I have more of a problem eating lamb than veal. Maybe it's because there's something so inherently cute about fluffy little lambs bouncing around a pasture. Maybe it's Mary and her little friend. Maybe it's because of the time I spent on the Yorkshire Moors watching them in their natural habitat before being served lamb for dinner.

Now, the reason this is SUCH a big problem is because, to be perfectly honest, lamb is delicious. One of my favorite meats. There is something about a nice cut of lamb that just makes my heart sing.

Most people just rub some oil on their lamb and throw it in the oven, but I love a nice marinade. Marinading meat helps break down the fibers of the lamb, making it even more tender than it already is. And a little marinade also helps to bring out the rich flavor of the lamb. Once you have a nice marinade, you don't have to cook the heck out of it in the oven either. A quick stovetop heat through means that all the work is done in the fridge. All you have to do is enjoy. And if you're anything like me, then this is going to be easy to enjoy!

Fillets of Lamb
1 lb lamb steak
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp parsley, chiffonade
1 Tbsp butter

1. Combine the 1 Tbsp olive oil, vinegar, salt, onion, and parsley in a ziplock bag. Add the lamb and refrigerate overnight.
2. Pat the lamb with paper towels. Heat the butter and remaining Tbsp olive oil in a skillet.
3. Add the lamb and cook 2 minutes per side, or until desired doneness.
   

Happy Mother's Day!

To all you moms out there - for everything you do. All the late nights you've stayed up with nightmares and fevers. All the homework you've looked over. All the little league games you've attended. All the dinners you've cooked, the lunches you've packed, and the breakfasts in bed you've prepared. I hope someone close to you told you how much that meant to them!

We spent the weekend with Thatmom, celebrating her. Saturday we went to the farmer's market where I found the first peaches of summer. They are SO delicious. We've having them broiled tonight for dessert. I love summer peaches!

Thatbrother and UDubb came over for a fabulous lunch spread. And then we watched a messload of movies.

We saw Thatbrother and UDubb again this morning when we met for brunch. Brunch was not as fabulous as lunch the day before. Both the service and the food were pretty bad. We probably should have taken it as a sign when they brought Thatmom curdled milk for her coffee.

After brunch - which took so long we chose to forgoe the free dessert just to get out of there, Thatboy and I headed back home. I like coming home early on Sundays so I can get more things done. Although it still usually means an easy dinner, since the last thing I want to do when I get home is make an elaborate meal.

Broiling is my method of choice on easy nights. I pulled some lamb chops out of the freezer on Friday before we left, so they were all ready to go tonight. Then all I had to do is turn on the broiler. Which I can then use to make those broiled peaches. See how nicely things work out?

Broiled Lamb Chops
3 lamb chops
salt and pepper

1. Preheat broiler and broil chops 4 minutes per side.
2. Salt and pepper to taste.