Saturday Breakfast
Happy Friday! You deserve a happy hour.
Grilled Amberjack
Help me Michael Pollan!
My Dad and I recently got into an increasingly heated coversation regarding my strong feelings towards CAFOs and what turned out to be his lack of knowledge about them. The phone call progressed into a series of emails in which we both tried to convince the other to see the industry our way. Eventually, I stopped writing back. Not because I began to agree with him - but because I found myself out of memorized argugment. Since then I've been pushing myself to write a comprehensive blog post about why I no longer eat CAFO meats and why sustainable agriculture needs to be priority for all Americans. Fortunately, in addition to Michael Pollan and Barbara Kingsolver there are many resources on the web. If my posts slow down for a while it'll be because I'm working on the best way to share my point of view. Until then, enjoy this great little animation of a Michael Pollan lecture. - Cullen
"Food Rules" by Michael Pollan - RSA/Nominet Trust competition from Marija Jacimovic on Vimeo.
"Food Rules" by Michael Pollan - RSA/Nominet Trust competition from Marija Jacimovic on Vimeo.
Sunday's Brunch
Given the quantity and timing, breakfast became more of a brunch. Scrambled eggs, spinach with mushrooms, potatoes with onions and peppers, avocado, a bit fried deli turkey and a giant slice of whole wheat sourdough toast. The fridge is now empty except for spinach and eggs - just enough for lunch. Looks like Monday night will a YDFM night!
Pickled grape tomatoes
In my last post I mentioned the "grape tomatoes in the Blood Mary...the ones Oliver pickled from our very last summer 2011 harvest. Dill flavor, yum!" Then this morning I realized the pickling post is one that I never finished. So better late then never, here it is:
These tomatoes were part of the batch that Oliver ripened in a cardboard box in early November. Except these are the ones that didn't ripen. Some were a bit shriveled and others were still hard and green so we decided they were best suited for pickling. Two cans were packed with the hot Italian peppers we grew and two more were packed with okra from YDFM. Now, four months later, we are finally enjoying it all! Gotta love homegrown goodies and canning!
Spring vegetable garden 2012
February 18, 2012: The start of our vegetable garden for 2012! This is the first time we've planted in front of the house; until now there has been a slowly dying, ancient dogwood in the same space. We chose the spot because it gets the most direct springtime sun (something all of these plants require). The side and backyards get hardly an hour or two but we will return to them for tomato and eggplant season. (Speaking of tomato season - notice the grape tomatoes in the Blood Mary. They're the ones Oliver pickled from our very last summer 2011 harvest. Dill flavor, yum!)
I'm excited about the possiblity of eventually eating all of our pretty little plants but I'm equally apprehesive about squirrels running off with them. It's a problem I'm not sure how to address. Also, we're not sure the leeks are actually leeks. How could they be? They're so densely packed and skinny? Time will tell. Oliver thinks they are mislabled chives. And finally, was this too early in the season to put plants in the ground (as opposed to seeds)? Guess I'll be watching the weather closely and be ready with a ground cover if needed! Wish us luck!
Valentine's Day - let's eat!
For lunch: deli sliced turkey, cucumber, mixed greens, red onion and cream cheese on YDFM whole wheat sourdough. (Along with a surprise delivery of two dozen, long stem, red roses and my favorite chocolate bar!)
Pregym: slice of bread with avocado, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.
________________________________
Weight Loss Update
Day 22
(weigh in is Thursday)
It can be difficult to lose weight in an environment that often offers free sweets... but I am relieved to say I made it through Valentine's Day without giving into temptation. It was not easy (especially when I found myself hungry at 3pm) but it was doable. One co-worker brought in a dozen heart shaped Dunkin' Donuts. Another brought in homemade mini "Pop Tarts". And because said "Pop Tarts" were both mini and made with homemade cherry filling (from real cherries) I had just enough of an excuse to eat one... but I did not. Instead I enjoyed the small Valentine's snack I'd brought from home: three mejool dates and ten raw almonds. Even so, I'm doubtful that I'll have lost weight this week so my current goal is to not have gained any back.(weigh in is Thursday)
Venison Bolognese
Topher usually sits in his basket by the heating vent while Oliver cooks in the kitchen. This evening, while I did the dishes, I looked over and saw Topher limp with his nose resting on the vent. At first I was alarmed! But then I realized he'd dozed off while basking in the heat... oh Topher.
Saturday Eating
Breakfast: omelet with goat cheese, bacon, shallots and green onions
Lunch: chopped salad with mixed greens, spinach, shallots, roasted red peppers, cucumber, goat cheese, (the truly very last) jerk chicken and homemade dressing
Dinner: Ground venison (from a neighbor's hunt) Indian style over half a baked sweet potato and sauteed spinach
For me, the most notable meal of Saturday was Oliver's Indian style venision. It was deliciously memorable and completely out of the blue. We'd both spent a week wondering what to do with ground venison and then out of no where he whipped up this complex and satifying dish. After complimenting him he demured saying he just used "Indian spices" as if everyone reverts to such an obvious spice set. He then pulled the following stack from the cubbard leaving me speechless and impressed...
Making plans for our spring vegetable garden
One of the many things Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle inspired me to do was start a cool weather vegetable garden. At the time I read the book Oliver and I were already maintaining a successful summer garden but we had not yet considered trying our luck in the spring and fall. So last September we gave a fall garden a go; our success was mixed. Half way through the experiment I realized I planted some things too late. Even so the kale and a few lettuces survived through the winter; they just never grew large enough to warrant picking and eating. Now, with spring around the corner, we have our 2nd shot at getting the cool weather vegetable garden right. To increase our odds I've spent the morning researching Atlanta's hardiness zone and what to plant. This is what I've learned:
The key element for all of this is the mysterious last frost date. That date can be found by locating the "hardiness zone" for your area - which depending on where you live may not be as easy as it sounds. Atlanta, for instance seems, to be in a 50 year tug-of-war about it's designation. (It's an interesting history, read more about it here.) The basic conflict is whether Atlanta is zone 7 or 8 (meaning our last frost date is either mid March/early April or late April. Judging from my own experience as a born and raised Atlantan I've decided to go with zone 8, late March. That is based on the very memorable blizzard of 1993 which occurred March 13th (I remember because I was at my best friend's birthday slumber party and we got snowed in for days).
Starting with mid to late March, and counting back 4 to 6 weeks, means we should start planting later this month. I'm debating ordering seeds online versus picking them up a nursery. In general I don't feel too confident when growing from seeds. I definitely prefer seedlings as we have the most success with them. But it doesn't hurt to try so we'll give it a go. Until then, we'll be preparing the soil and trying to find a space in the yard with better wintertime direct sunlight.
If any of the experienced Atlanta gardeners out there have advice to offer we would appreciate it! We saw some amazing gardens while on the urban chicken coop tour so we know it can done. Thanks and good luck to all the other newbies!
- Arugula - sow seeds directly into the ground 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost. Full sun.
- Cabbage* - transplant seedlings into the garden 3-5 weeks after the last frost date. Needs fertile soil rich in organic matter.
- Peas - sow seeds directly into the ground 4 to 6 weeks before last frost. Repeat in 14 day intervals to maximize harvestable crops.
- Kale - sow seeds directly into the ground 3 to 5 weeks before the last frost.
- Spinach* - transplant seedlings into the garden 4 weeks before the last frost.
- Leeks - sow seeds directly into the ground 4 weeks before the last frost.
*I found contradicting sow times for both cabbage and spinach. One website said to plant seedlings 4 weeks before the last frost. Another website said to plant them after the threat of frost has passed. I don't what to do...
The key element for all of this is the mysterious last frost date. That date can be found by locating the "hardiness zone" for your area - which depending on where you live may not be as easy as it sounds. Atlanta, for instance seems, to be in a 50 year tug-of-war about it's designation. (It's an interesting history, read more about it here.) The basic conflict is whether Atlanta is zone 7 or 8 (meaning our last frost date is either mid March/early April or late April. Judging from my own experience as a born and raised Atlantan I've decided to go with zone 8, late March. That is based on the very memorable blizzard of 1993 which occurred March 13th (I remember because I was at my best friend's birthday slumber party and we got snowed in for days).
Starting with mid to late March, and counting back 4 to 6 weeks, means we should start planting later this month. I'm debating ordering seeds online versus picking them up a nursery. In general I don't feel too confident when growing from seeds. I definitely prefer seedlings as we have the most success with them. But it doesn't hurt to try so we'll give it a go. Until then, we'll be preparing the soil and trying to find a space in the yard with better wintertime direct sunlight.
If any of the experienced Atlanta gardeners out there have advice to offer we would appreciate it! We saw some amazing gardens while on the urban chicken coop tour so we know it can done. Thanks and good luck to all the other newbies!
Jerk chicken, jerk chicken, jerk chicken, Mitt Romney
It's been an unusually busy week around here for the And Topher Too family. During a normal week we sit down for dinner together every night; dinner usually being a variation of one large, previously cooked protein (pork shoulder, london broil, etc). This week (as I mentioned earlier) my job called for 12 and 13 hour days at the office - and we also had a surplus of jerk chicken legs and thighs (an unrelated yet odd combination). Therefore, every night we've either had jerk chicken over greens or jerk chicken with a side of black beans - we just haven't eaten them sitting together. Tuesday Oliver even delivered my dinner to me at the office! And now, now the work deadline has passed, I've come home on time and Oliver is at the Georgia Tech basketball game! Left on my own to create dinner with greens and jerk chicken I decided to try and change things up.
For starters I created a dressing using the ginger scallion sauce Oliver made for the Bo ssam. I just added the juice of one lemon and splash of olive oil. Then, I mixed spinach with mixed greens and chopped them both (Alon's style). I topped it all with goat cheese and roast red peppers. Finally, rather then cutting my chicken from the bone I ate it over the sink like a normal home alone person . Fortunately for our readers, that was the last piece of jerk chicken! So by this weekend we will be back to more interesting healthy meals.
The unexpected surprise of the intense work week was a visit from Mitt Romney. He didn't actually come to our design studio but he did have a campaign rally in the warehouse directly next door. We began to suspect something was up when a police car parked itself outside of our office during lunch. That was followed by an entourage of news vans and a bevy of men dressed like MIB agents. After a quick Google search we figured out what was going on so we were prepared when Mitt drove by with a police escort and a wave (crappy photo below). Regardless of who I plan to vote for it's always fun to see a possible future American president in person! Thanks to Mitt for the drive-by. It certainly spiced up a hard day of work.
______________________________
Weight Loss Check-In
Day 17: 140.8lbs (4.2lbs lost)
I was prepared to have made no progress this week. I indulged Friday and Saturday at lunch. Then again on Sunday at a Super Bowl party with more beers then are weight loss appropriate. But I did my best to make up for it all while I sitting motionless at my desk for 12 hours at a time - which is to say I didn't eat much. Then on Wednesday and Thurday I ran my heart out at the gym. To my good fortune everything seems to have balanced out.
Monday: breakfast - Kashi Crunch cereal
lunch - roast beef sandwich (no mayo, no cheese)
dinner - jerk chicken with broccoli
no gym, no alcohol
Tuesday: breakfast - oatmeal
lunch - black beans with rice
dinner - jerk chicken over mixed greens
no gym, no alcohol
Wednesday: breakfast - oatmeal
lunch - black beans with greek yogurt
dinner: jerk chicken with black beans
500 calories burned on the elliptical (level 10/hills setting/ 30 minutes)/ one glass of pinot grigio
Thursday: breakfast - oatmeal
lunch - black beans (solo, we're out of everything else)
dinner: jerk chicken near mixed greens and spinach
500 calories burned on the elliptical (level 9/hills setting/ 25 minutes followed by weights)/ two glasses of pinot grigio
And Topher Too is now on Facebook!
Click the big blue button in the right hand column and then "like" us on Facebook. We'd really appreciate it. More food, thoughts and weigh-ins coming tomorrow. Cheers! - Cullen
Valentine Treat ideas
The final Valentine treats are actual Valentine's. Years ago, when I was freelancing at Carter's, I was caught unprepared when all the designers brought sweet little Valetine's for one another on Valentine's Day. Ever since then I've kept a small collection of vintage and collaged Valentine's on hand. I thought this year it'd be nice to get those same little valentine's out into the world by sharing them as a free download with you!
Jerk Chicken for dinner
Eating bad never felt so good - Farm Burger
Today we paid our first visit to Farm Burger. WOW. It's a dream come true: delicious and ethical. From their "beef to [their] tomatoes to [their] compostable containers... Farm Burger is sustainable, local, humane". I'm so happy restaurants with this ideology are starting to pop up in Atlanta. If anymore open they will have my business. Especially if their food is even half as fantastic as Farm Burger's. If you haven't been yet - GO!
And what the hell, since we're already eating burgers and bowls of cheese I threw all caution to the wind and also ordered a basket of garlic herb french fries and a couple of beers. Tomorrow I'll be back to healthy eating and the gym (planning to keep my snacking in check at tomorrow's Super Bowl party) but for today I chose to indulge!
Good Eats: Wednesday & Thursday
Breakfast: Kashi Crunch cereal with Silk soy milk and about 7 raw almonds, coffee with half & half
Lunch: red beans with Greek yogurt
Snack: banana
Dinner: Bo ssam left overs (this time with homemade guacamole)
no gym, no alcohol
Thursday
Breakfast: Kashi Crunch cereal with Silk soy milk and about 7 raw almonds, coffee with half & half
Lunch: mixed greens with cucumber & roasted red pepper (from Alon's)
Snack: none
Dinner: pork tacos with homemade tomatillo sauce, homemade guacamole and Greek yogurt (note: I ate 3, not 4), 2 glasses of pinot noir (worth it)
500 calories burned on the elliptical (level 9/hills setting/ 32 minutes)
___________________________________________
Weight Loss Check-In
Day 10: 142lbs (3lbs lost)
February is American Heart Month
Good Eats: Monday & Tuesday
Breakfast: oatmeal with bananas, coconut & walnuts
Lunch: red beans with a tablespoon of goat cheese
Snack: clementine
Dinner: spinach salad with poached eggs
no gym, no alcohol
Tuesday
Breakfast: oatmeal with bananas, coconut & walnuts
Lunch: broccoli salad (mostly made up by me - so it was a fairly experimental salad)
Snack: half a cup Friendship brand California style cottage cheese
Dinner: Bo ssam lettuce wraps (inspired by this New York Times magazine article*)
500 calories burned on the elliptical, no alcohol
This week's YDFM haul
- 1.5lbs of tomatillos
- 3lb bag of onions
- 3 lemons
- 8 bananas
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 3 avocados
- 2 heads of broccoli
- whole bean coffee from Costa Rica
- half and half
- Silk soy milk
- goat cheese
- cottage cheese
- 1 shallot
- bone-in pork shoulder
- Greek yogurt
- golden raisins
- one bag of raw, shelled almonds
- bag of limes
- 5 jalapenos
- 6 clementines
Total: $65.00
Will pick up a bag of baby spinach from Trader Joes. Already have plenty of oats on hand. Check back to see what we make with all this food!