Cod and Courage

A couple of days ago, professional blogger, Joanna Goddard, asked, "What are your favorite things at Trader Joe's?"

I was worried the question might break the internet. Anyone who lives near a TJs can immediately rattle off their 5-15 MUST BUY TJ items (and that one thing that has irritatingly been out of stock for 5 months).

In fact, I've always been meaning to tell you guys my TJ favorites as well. So, to save us all time, I wrote a quick list in her comment section (go check that out). I'm thrilled she asked this question because people actually read her blog AND post comments, therefore this particular comment section is a treasure trove.

Thanks, Joanna and Trader Joe's, for both being awesome. You have me pumped to try some new foods. First up, the frozen Soy Ginger Cod...

....

Aaaand now, here's a bonus Friday round-up of things that made me say hmmm:

While we're on the topic of food, pantry meals I want to eat (or eat more of but don't).

I also really really really want to eat this. Last food item, I promise.

I'm in love with this room. The robes help. And the colors... oh the colors...

Imagine going to work in something beautiful, whether modern or super old yet properly preserved. Scroll through the comments for dozens more amazing buildings!

Helpful advice for overcoming work paralysis.

Verbose shermose - how more direct resume language may up your game in male-dominated career fields.

Live and let live. Sleep and let sleep.

Wise words to keep us grounded.

Modern poetry (and granola recipe, so sue me).

And finally, a quote I found while cruising rabbit blog:

Favorite fruit - the strawberry

Many many many moons ago I was a little girl in corduroy overalls lying on my parent's living room floor watching The Newlywed Game. I remember the male contestants being asked how many days a week their wife preferred to make whoopee. I'm not sure of the exact phrasing, but I knew they just went from laundry expectations to SEX. The general answer was 2-3 times per week, and then one couple, the lone brunettes, easily agreed that 7 times per week was expected. The live studio audience hooted and hollered as the brunette groom received jealous smirks and approving nods from the other male contestants.

Just watching that one harmless show set me up to believe that in 3 out of 4 couples, men will want more sex than women and they'll just have to live with what they get. However, if the wife has long, luscious brown hair, there's a chance she is just as horny as her husband. Strangely, sadly, watching that show also set me up to think my loved ones should know my favorites, rituals, and expectations of everything, lest they one day be asked whom I prefer to balance my checkbook (answer, the computer).

If my future spouse is ever asked my favorite fruit, the correct answer is the strawberry.

Mashed, reduced, and herbed strawberries on toast. Herbs are hard to see, but they are in there.

Like this time last year, it's strawberry time! A few weeks ago I simmered about a quart of crushed and chopped strawberries with half of a peeled and minced apple (for the natural pectin) with a little sugar and LOTs of fresh herbs - parsley, basil, and mint. The more the merrier. I was going for an herb-strawberry jam, not the other way around. I added the herbs at multiple times throughout the process, as if I was adding hops to beer wort in stages, getting something a little different (flavor and nutrition-wise) out of each addition.

To borrow a great ad line - I put this shit on everything! It's really both a jam and a salsa. Soft corn tacos with black beans and tofu, check. Breakfast sandwich with eggs, cheese, and veggie sausage, sure. In marinades and dressings, why not. With nut butter on banana, of course. In smoothies, you bet.

If you're gonna live in the midwest, you best get down with seasonal pleasures. Up next - cherries!

Favorite chips

I don't take favorites lightly. Something has to really, really stand out.

Behold:

Gold medal awardee in the 'Dipping Chips' category are these Veggie and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips from, you guessed it, Trader Motherfuckin Joe's. Hummus or guacamole or what have you, these chips are really tasty while not being uber unhealthy. Solo they rock. All told, they are my go-to chip purchase. Thanks again, Trader Joe's /feel free to throw me some cash/.

Favorite lazy meal

Back to Trader Joe's for my favorite lazy meal - Reduced Guilt Mac & Cheese:

You'll be scraping the cheese out of the groves in the plastic tray in no time.

I'm not a big fan of microwave lunches or meals in general. They tend to be overly salty and underly satisfying. But this simple meal has managed to make me a fan. It's got 22% of my "daily value" of sodium, which is about 1/5, which is about just fine. The fat is not out of control. Not quite enough calories to stand alone as "dinner", but I'll forgive that. The 15 grams of protein are very welcome, and with just 4 g of sugar, I'm happy with this nutritional profile. I also like that I'm not asked do a 2-step microwaving operation. I'm way too lazy for that.

Serving suggestion: Once I was dog/house sitting and I had made some stovetop mac and cheese. These people had a dried garlic grinder... so I added some of this garlic and some black pepper. OMFGGGFG this was good. I have yet to have a dried garlic grinder fall in my lap so I just add some garlic powder and fresh black pepper after microwaving before mixing.

Glam it up

Dress orgasms from award shows past:

Links probably not necessary, all from Google Images.

Favorite Season - Fall

September, October, November, and December combine to give us a perennial finale in our calendar year.

Fall is awesome.

I love love the final quarter of the calendar year. Many people agree with me on this one. The weather is nice. There's lots to celebrate. You can begin watching your favorite cold weather movies and TV shows. Roasting lots of comfort food. Making soups. Enjoying soups with hearty beer and bread. I could go on forever, especially if I start naming root vegetables.

Hello, Fall. Welcome.

So Happy Fall to you and yours! May you have the perfect blanket and lots of apple crisp.

Polka dot dress

This, my friends, is the quintessential polka dot dress. Damn you, J. Crew, for reading the pictures in my mind and then presenting them to me in the flesh at a price tag that makes me envy rich people.

Can a non-redhead pull this off? I think most definitely. 

Favorite place to buy cheese

Trader-fuckin-joe’s!

Trader Joe’s is one of my reasons for living, so it comes as no surprise that it’s also my go-to place for some food items. Besides the extreme luxury of living next to a real cheese store, Trader Joe’s is a great place to buy cheese. There are good prices and a really wide selection, nicely explained even in little descriptive notecards. Lovely. 

Two of at least six different kinds of cheese in my fridge right now. I don't mess around with cheese.

My favorites include the Grated Parmigiano Reggiano (a, above), the newish Asiago with Rosemary crust, goat cheese anything – especially those little single serves, and this new one, Unexpected Cheddar (b). The Unexpected Cheddar is my Cheese of the Year candidate so far. I could eat it by the brick! The parm reg (a) has a nice sharp nutty flavor. I like to douse it along with good olive oil, fresh lemon, and s&p on the Trader Joe’s whole wheat curly pasta. Oh so easy and good.

Thank you, Trader Joe’s!

My favorite street

My favorite street is in Berkeley, California. I haven't walked it in some time -- I think it's in the Elmwood-toward-Rockridge territory. I stumbled upon it while cat-sitting for a random couple, who must have had a nanny-cam because they only hired me once (although seriously, if opening all the drawers and doors but not touching anything is a crime, so sue me).

Here are some pictures of my favorite street, which serve to remind me of how lucky I was for over 5 years of my lucky life.

Some fortunate people actually walk down this street every day!!

What Berkeley and Oakland offer your eyeballs every single day.

Sometimes I want to go up to toddlers in the Bay Area and shake them while yelling, "You better realize how awesome it is to grow up here!!!" That's normal, right? Yes. Surely.