Trader Joe's

Who can tell me why we don't have a Trader Joe's in Champaign? That, in addition to the rumored SuperTarget off the new Curtis Road interchange, and I could die a happy woman. We are reduced to gigantic shopping trips at the one in Kettering, OH, minutes from my folk's house. Here's what I usually get:

Annie's Organic easy mac
roasted red peppers
pitted calamata olives
roasted red pepper dip
orzo (SO MUCH CHEAPER)
dried tortellini (again with the cheap-ness)
frozen pot stickers
frozen artichoke hearts
Two Buck Chuck - 6+ bottles (I use the white for cookin' and the red for drinkin')
dried fruit
dark chocolate - if in bulk
marinara sauce
feta cheese
goat cheese
frozen tuna burgers
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
peanut sauce
mango chutney
Indian shelf stable entrees
Laughing Cow garlic & herb light
various chicken sausages (last time I got chicken andouille which is so hard to find)
some type of fun beer.

Since we go so rarely - I buy in bulk - usually at least two of everything but the vinegar & oil.

health?

Have you ever had vertigo? I hadn't until Monday. All I can say is yuck. I thought there was something SERIOUSLY wrong with me. Luckily (?) the verdict came back inner ear infection. The really really FUN part is the medicine they give you for the vertigo. Knocked me on my ass for about 32 hours.... Am finally coming out of the haze. Back to work tomorrow? We'll see. Oh! and the OTHER fun part, if anxiety makes your already borderline high blood pressure go up, you should see what it does to you along with feeling like crap. I suspect the doc visit today is mostly a BP check. I am not vertignous (?) anymore. I don't think. It's so hard to tell when you've been sleeping practically since Monday night. And when I say sleeping, I mean in a coma.....

Cheers!

Summer Cooking

This summer I feel like I've been making the same things over and over.

Dish #1
Potatoes, squash or eggplant, onions, sometimes tomatoes
chop 'em all up
drizzle with olive oil
garlic or garlic powder, maybe some salt and pepper
cook on grill in cast iron skillet.

Dishes #2 & 3
Potato Salad & Baked Beans - I almost always make these at the same time
See potato salad recipe in post below.

Baked Beans
1-2 large cans of Bush's Vegetarian Beans
catsup
mustard
hot sauce
brown sugar
cook in crockpot for a good long while (doesn't heat up the kitchen!)

Dish #4
Little Bits of Things on Baguette.
Go to Schnucks olive bar. Purchase the onions, the mushrooms, feta & olives, buffalo mozzerella, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, maybe some artichoke hearts. Serve with hummus
Eat on deck - take a long time to finish.
This is actually a huge hit with everyone. Seth loves hummus. Maya loves feta. Scott and I love everything else and we ALL love baguette!

Dish #5
Chicken Breasts (boneless skinless from Marketday)
Marinate in italian dressing, Soy Vay Teriyaki sauce, whatever. For some reason my kids are LOVING these this summer.)

Dish #6
Pudding Cups (not very highbrow!)
2 packages instant pudding - we use chocolate & vanilla
bunch of oreos
2 cups cool whip
2 cups milk
Make pudding with 1 cup milk and 1 cup cool whip per package.
Let each of your 2 kids smash 8-10 oreos in a zip lock bag
Put one oreo in medium sized dixie-type cup. Layer with pudding and crushed oreos - 2 layers of pudding - three of oreos.
Freeze until firm. Let your kids go wild. Bath children or at least wash faces. With these I figure they are getting SOME calcium, etc. It's a good thing to have in the freezer on hot summer nights.

I'm off to the farmers market this weekend. Inspired by the folks @ Sweet Juniper!

First Family Pic in a Looong time!

All gussied up for MIL's 70th b-day party at Jupiters on 8/17/08.