Let's Get Trashed!

I'm really excited to introduce a new "series" on my blog today. As a single gal, who loves to cook, but whose only roommate is a 100lb mutski, I produce far too much food. I have a serious over-cooking problem. I blame it on my Italian/Texan heritage (don't even get me started on the Irish over-drinking issues.)  Regardless of the root of my issues, I don't need more tissues, I need more Tupperware!

Here lies the problem, I can only handle eating a meal a maximum of three times. That giant dog I referenced above? Pretty much the best fed dog in Florida. And I might have the highest grocery bill of any single gal in Florida. I'm not exactly proud of either fact.

In the interest of keeping my dog slim and my wallet fat I present to you my newest brewhaha: Loving the Leftovers.

Remember these pretty babies? Tasty as they were, and were again, and well, I just couldn't look at another roasted zucchini chunk after a week in the fridge.

 No worries. I'll hide it in a pile of romaine....and tomato, and onion and pepper and egg, a dollop of mayo, oh and a fishstick too! Toto, I don't think we are in boring roasted veggie land anymore!

Without any further ado, (or bad movie jokes) I give you to, the infamous Trashcan Salad.

This salad is the perfect way to use up any leftover starches and cooked vegetables in your fridge, so bring on the rice, pasta or any other veggie combo. I have been making Trashcan Salad for years, ever since I was inspired by the Rice Salad by Antonia of Top Chef Season 4. In the Uncle Ben's Instant Rice Quickfire she made a salad of rice, greens and cherry tomatoes, dressed with mayonnaise. Rice and mayo and greens? Amen. Of course Antonia topped her salad with skirt steak....I had fish sticks, it's a wash, ya dig?

I call round one of Leftover Lovin' a serious success with a side of garlic toast!

How do you deal with never ending leftovers?

Love to all,
~the "even leftovers taste good when you are trashed" gal, Jess

Thank You, Hay-soos!

Any nighttime adventure that ends on a quest for amazing, decant and perfect Columbia Burgers is certainly worthy of praise to the Sweet Baby Jesus.

Let's set the scene: After a long but successful day playing 50's housewives at my bestie Jenna's Wedding Shower and then a lovely family dinner we were all ready to change out of our 50's garb.  The two options? PJ's or "going out" clothes. Enter multiple text messages from some friends already stationed at one of our favorite bars and the decision was made.

(Yes, this is a tease...full recap to come soon-ish)

This girl (and the rest of the crew) hustled into jeans, heels, and cute sweaters before hitting up our beloved Winter Park hangout, Wine Room. Fast forward several hours of sipping, swirling and sniffing delicious varieties of wine and laughing with friends, both old and new, over a raunchy round of fuck, chuck or marry and suddenly it was closing time.

Closing time and the car was loaded with hungry, hungry hippos some ravenous guys and gals.  A type of hunger was roaming that would only be satisfied by street cart cuisine. After a 10 minute drive of pure hilarity courtesy of our wonderful friend Panda, we arrived at the corner where Columbia Burger usually dwells only to find an arepa stand instead. oh NO! Another kind patron informed us that C.B. had moved around the corner and soon we were in luck.

There truly aren't words, but I'll try anyways. First off this monster is the "single." Um, yeah. But don't you worry friends, I put away this bad boy loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, pineapple sauce, ketchup, cheese and chips. Yes, good ol' Lay's style potato chips on my burger. I simply eat what I'm served. And what I was served was damn amazing.

Plus a stack of sauces. I think I died and went to heaven, seriously.  The winner of these three is the unassuming middle man. Garlic sauce, the perfect topping. Needless to say the verde sauce (a blend of mildish chilies) and the "pink sauce" (that's literally what it's called, which is just a mix of mayo and ketchup) got ignored after one taste of the garlic. Le sigh [insert appropriate Colombian phrase of happiness here].

Love to all,
~the "I'm ok with the fact that my 2am snack is sometimes the best thing I eat all day and yes, I will praise the Lord over it" gal, Jess

Pretty Is....

....as pretty does roasted veggies.

This is my idea of a fashion shoot.

Drool. 

And after 45 minute interlude with the oven, this mix of multicolored baby potatoes and some diced zucchini these veggies still rock my world.

Just like Javier Bardem, somethings only get sexier with "age."

Served with a sweet and spicy mayonnaise (a simple mix of Dukes, sriracha and raspberry jam).


Love to all,
~the, "love me, love my roasted veggies" girl, Jess

 PS. Speaking of out of control vegetables, check out this crazy onion. It's like I have a garden in my produced basket, and it's fantastic!

The Top 5 Reasons Gville Needs a P.F. Chang's, according to The Semi-Abnormal Gal

I know, I know...I don't usually tout the qualities of a chain restaurant, quite the opposite actually.  That being said, I do really enjoy P.F. Chang's for a few reasons (5 actually, if you didn't catch that in the title!) and I'm getting sick of bribing people to go there with me when I'm in Orlando/Tampa/WPB, because honestly, beyond the 5 items I'm about to list, well, it's just Americanized Chinese Food, with a continual 25 minute wait for a table, no matter the location to you go to. (hello run on sentence! Help me grammar Nazis!)

And with that cheerful intro, let's do this thing.

#1 Who doesn't love two giant stone horses welcoming you at the doorway?

#2 While there may be a wait for a table, the bar is usually promising for grabbing an empty seat, and a quick drink. Such as this lovely "Szechwan Mary" complete with a salt and pepper rim. Yum.

#3 The most satisfying won-ton soup I've ever had. Hello mushrooms, spinach and water chestnuts. Oh and did I mention it's served family style? Yes, my friends for the meager price of $5 you can have serving after service of hot, tasty soup. Oh, or just share it, like it was intended...sharing, right, I'm an only child.

#4 Ma Po Tofu. My favorite tofu, hands down....even if it gives me a tummy ache sometimes (I'm discovering I have a slight soy intolerance, which luckily is only annoying at this point). Crispy on the outside, melt in your mouth soft and oozy on the inside (they use silken tofu and fry it!) all tossed up in a spicy sauce and served on a bed of broccoli.  Oh and this massive meal (I get 3 servings out if it), served with brown rice, is only eight bucks! Yes, I can get a dinner, lunch and a 2nd dinner for under 10 dollars. Love it. I need more of this tofu in my life, upset stomach be damned!

#5 I love any restaurant that promises me that all my dreams will come true, in bed. Thank you P.F. Chang's, thank you.

So there you have it folks, the short list, albeit a rather convincing one, of why I need a P.F. Chang's should open locally.

Do you have any "restaurant" needs?

Love to all,
~the "yes, I have specific tofu needs" gal, Jess

The Shrimp and Grits that will Change your Life

Or: What my Mother ate for her 57th Birthday

This is my Mom, Marsha.

 Also known as Momma, Mum, Mumsie, Marna and on very rare occasions, Mother.

She's pretty fantastic. I mean come on, she balances my checkbook! My beloved mother's birthday is December 29th and from what I understand as the youngest (and only girl!) child of three in a working class family, she got the present shaft. You know, the "oh here Marsha, it's your hybrid Christmas/Birthday Gift! yay!" Um, not yay people, especially when you are the youngest of three in a working class family.  So it has been my (and my dad-he started it!) mission to make all her birthdays as an adult exactly what she desires, or as close as possible.

Needless to say, when Mom requested a family dinner/seafood feast while my aunt and uncle (her oldest brother) were in town, I jumped on it. The only thing birthday girl requested was shrimp n' grits. I, of course, took it a step further.

The Menu

Cocktail: Key Lime Martini

Garden Salad with Oil Cured Olives

Smokey Shrimp and Grits with Spinach and Chives (inspired by this F&W recipe)

Lemon Roasted Salmon with Rosemary

Oven Roasted Okra

Dessert: Key Lime Pie 

Prep it:

Set the table. 

Cheers to the Birthday Girl! 

 Dine:

Dessert: 

Giggle Fest! 

Pop, Mom, and Uncle Dave

Our family does love to laugh, so I get it honest. 

The details:

Key Lime Pie Martini: from the back of the Cuarenta y Tres Licor bottle. That's 43 if your espanol is a little rusty.

1 oz Licor 43

1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz half & half

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

Mix all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, serve up. Rim the glass with crushed graham crackers if you so desire. Birthday Girl didn't desire, so we had 'em naked!

Shrimp and Grits: I literally just followed the recipe. Yes, I know the Semi-Abnormal Gal followed a recipe...I didn't actually measure the spices of course, but the rest was to the T, whatever that means. (but tripled, fyi). Seriously my friends, you will never want to eat another bite of grits without adding sharp white cheddar, spinach and chives. The fresh chives gave a great crisp bite, the spinach kept things light and the cheese is strong and savory. I literally groaned aloud as I tasted them after stirring everything together. Change.your.life.good.

Salmon: Rub fillets with olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste. Top with whole rosemary sprigs and thin lemon slices. Roast at 375 degrees F for ~30 minutes (this is based on weight, I had 1.5lbs of salmon total). Broil the last 5 minutes, until lemon begins to brown. (Discard aromatics before consumption!) The lemon keeps the fish from drying out, while balancing the strong flavors of both the salmon itself and the rosemary.

Okra: Toss with olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees F for ~25 minutes, stirring/shaking sheet every 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt before serving.

Key Lime Pie: Thanks Publix!

I truly enjoyed making this meal for my family. It is all about the fresh ingredients with a touch of love. And maybe I lick my fingers. But a chef never kisses the spoon and tells.

Love to all,

~the "hostess with the mostess who prefers to stay in the kitchen" gal, Jess

Top 10 of 2010: Bookworm Edition

10. Denial- A totally bizarre and unrealistic (I hope!) story of a coked out detective and his stripper girlfriend, but it really made me think, and that is the sign of a good book.

9. The Fountainhead- A classic. This novel took me three months to read (and some crazy late fees at the library!) but this is a beautiful novel, and even if I couldn't really connect with the self destructiveness of the characters, I still have a crush on Roarke.

8. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel- A modern retelling of Hamlet. A must read for any one who is had a loyal dog or is a dog lover. This book was painful to read at times, not because of the language by any means, but because of the sheer raw emotion. A glorious tragedy.

 7. Strawberry Fields- A "wtf" book, in the best way possible. A crazy ride along with a group of seasonal field workers in Europe. One of the narrators is a dog, and he really makes the book. Read this for a laugh out loud time and a half!

 6. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest- This is the third novel in the Millenium Trilogy, and it took the reading of all three books before I fell in love. Now I know why everyone has been raving about this series and I'm pretty much in love with Lisbeth Salander.

 5. Shadow of the Wind- A dark and creepy novel that is beautifully written (this was my year of beautifully written books and I drank it up) and leaves you on the edge of your seat from the first page until the last. A book about a book, and so much more. 

 4. Agnes and the Hitman- You've already heard me rave about this novel. It's not the most sophisticated writing style, but it cracked me up, made me smile and made me fall in love.

3. Life of Pi- Apparently I'm a late bloomer reading this one, as it is classic summer reading material in high school? I don't know...my country school didn't give out a summer reading list. Anyways, this story of survival is woven with religion, philosophy, and mystery. A twisted story that leaves you with more questions than answers is is worth every "woah, what just happened" moment. 

 2. Water for Elephants- I bought this book on a whim in the Atlanta airport, after I finished the book I had in my carry-on. A lovely story of love and adventure on a circus train. And apparently they are making this into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Patterson. Pretty exciting.

1. With- Ok, Confession time. I read this book for the first time in the spring of 2009. I couldn't stop talking about it, thinking about it, wishing it never ended. So, I bought it for my personal library this year. And read it three more times. And forced encouraged all my friends and families to read it. I love it. It's on my reading list again. I think I have a problem. A wonderful problem.

 Happy New (Reading) Year! 

Love to all,

~the little booknerd, Jess

PS. I also read Lightening Bug by Donald Harrington this year and while it was pretty damn racy, I still loved it and can't get over the unique writing style of this author.

With a Little Bit of Luck

Welcome to another round of Let's Set Some Semi-Abnormal Goals, 2011 edition.

But first, for those of you who were concerned that I was going to have an "unlucky" year, since I had swordfish for my NYE supper, instead of black eyed peas and greens, I got my luck in tonight. 

 So tasty. So southern. So lucky. 

 And now with that luck for 2011 tucked in my back pocket, here are my goals for the New Year. Goals in categories, cause my life is multifaceted like that. Semi-Abnormal Gal, at your service.

Blog

Use my words- Hello thesaurus, you sexy thang, I've missed you. I've been using a pretty small vocab in text, and am pretty much sick of calling my food, wine, and novels "beautiful."  Deep down inside I have a writer that is waiting to bust out, she just needs some tools. 

Make a move- To wordpress and possibly self-hosting. But not until this summer, cause everyone loves to move in the summer and (hopefully) I won't be physically moving, for the first time in 7 (seven!) years. 

Up my photography skills- Acquiring Rosie P (my new/used D-SLR) is just the start. I have the tools, I have the eye, I need the skill to unite these two. I now pronounce you a better photographer, you may hang your prints.

Food and Cooking

Keep cooking at least one new meal a week- this was a goal I established for myself when I moved into the abarnment back in September, and it's been a fun challenge that I want to continue.

Buy even more organic and local items- I already buy organic, free range eggs and meats, but I need to spread this idea over to my dairy and I really want to invest in a CSA or other local produce this spring when most of our fresh veggies come back around. 

Bake more bread- I love fresh bread. I love kneading. Yeast doesn't scare this gal. 

Heath and Fitness

Be more consistent with my workouts- I have a gym membership, I'm not a resolutionary, but I haven't been to the gym in 5 months. Whoops. So I guess I'm going to look like a resolutionary. I posted on YourNutritionista's facebook today that my SMART goal is to use my existing gym membership at least once a week, as well as attending 1-2 classes at Big Ron's yoga studio each month for the rest of the school year (through May 2011).

Master the 5k- I really liked my 1/2 marathon relay and want to race more, but I ended up walking (as fast as my short little legs would carry me!) three plus of the five miles, and that kind of performance doesn't scream "runner" to me. Yes, I completed a race, but I didn't run one.  So, I'm going to start with the 5k for this year. Because one day a half marathon will be mine, but not yet.

Control my portions- I like the way I eat, I like what I eat. But sister, can I pack away some food. I eat like a teenage boy, but sadly I don't have the metabolism of one. And I don't need that volume of food. So, here is my tactic (cause honey, I didn't start over-eating in 2010...I started about when I was 10!), when I am serving my plate, I will put back one "scoop" of each item on my plate (or push it off to the side, if putting it back is not appropriate). It's just like the rule for accessorizing: before you leave the door, take one item off! 

Consistently floss and whiten my teeth- So, confession time. I hate brushing my teeth. I think it's because I don't like the taste of mint. Don't worry, I do brush my teeth, with great resistance, twice a day. Sigh. And I floss, sometimes. But I'll tell you what, getting my wisdom teeth removed has made my mouth so much more comfortable, I never really realized how crowded it was in there, and now it feels good to floss, and brush my teeth. Crazy. Now I just need some white strips. (Yes, this is random, but I need to put it out there, so I'll follow through, like my nails goal last year)

Personal/Random

Take responsibility of my check book- I'm old fashioned. I keep a resister and all that jazz. But I don't balance my checkbook. My mom does. Yes, I'm 24 years old and my mother still balances my checkbook, once a year. Yes, once a year. And it takes her almost 2 days. Ridiculous. So, this year I vow to balance my checkbook every month. (Thanks, Mommy). 

Save 10% of my income- I'm pretty good at saving money, but until now I've never had stable monthly bill to income ratio. I just chucked what ever "extra" money I had in my checking account at the end of each month into my savings.  Thankfully I am much more financially stable now, so I set up a repeating auto transfer for the first of each month. Very excited about this one, and it's totally mindless...as long as I keep up with the above goal. Double pressure!

Watch less mindless tv- I'm a tv junkie...I've been guilty of "scheduling" my evening around my favorite program. Shameful, but true. Sorry, I'm not sorry.  What I am sorry about is watching mindless tv. Hello reruns of MvF that I can quote? yeah, not cool Jess. So I'm vowing to turn the tv off at least one night a week, unplug from the 'net, and just read, like I'm a kid again. If I need background noise that's what the stereo is for. 

Brush my dog twice a week- My dog has really itchy skin, and even using conditioner on him doesn't seem to help. Then I realized, that as much as I pet, scratch and love on him, I don't really ever brush him (he has a short, tangle free, coat). This one is for you, Chubby-Wubby. 

Travel, hardcore- I already have trips planned to DC in the spring, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Spain and France this summer, and who knows beyond that! Greece for Christmas? (Jenna....I'm talking to you, baby!).

So, there you have it. With a little bit of luck (and some hard work!) I'll succeed with these goals, and accomplish even more fabulousity in this coming year!

Love to all,

~the lucky little gal, Jess