So I'm going to try and update more often. I realize that when I don't do it I forget all the comments I have about the food. As far as the Philly trip goes it was super fun! I had awesome grilled cheese and got drunk twice in one day (thanks low tolerance). I did not, however, try another cheese steak. I credit this with not feeling like I was going to vomit on the Liberty Bell. I also managed to get Popeye's on the Jersey Turnpike, which, as always, was so good. It probably didn't help my health kick that I went to Hooter's the night before. Fried chicken two nights in a row is not good for you. After Hoot on the Turn we when to Stew Leonard's, which is the coolest grocery score. It was a fatty date for Graham and me, good times.
As far as meals go, I've hit a wall in terms of vegan burgers, I just can't eat anymore for a little bit. I did go out with a bang though.
This delicious salad was from the Ask Aida show, which I've never watched. It was excellent. This is really the perfect time of year because I got fresh corn on the cob, which I think really makes a difference. I didn't make the dressing, I just used a bottled lime vinaigrette. I topped it with a burger, mainly to keep me full until dinner. There's nothing not to like: sweet corn, avocado and tomatoes. I took out the mozzarella to make it vegan. Honestly, with the creamy avocado, I didn't miss it.The main dinner last week was a recipe I got from Ina Gartner. Crunchy noodle salad.
I added chicken, didn't put in any giner and used broccoli instead of the veggies she recommended. It was okay. Tasty, with one big problem. The sauce, which I followed letter for letter from the recipe, was pretty oily. I read reviews of the dish and knew to expect that. So I doubled the amount of pasta and figured that would soak it up. I would still half the oil, that would probably make the sauce more flavorful as well. I should have known better though, having seen Ina cook on tv for several years now, she tends to overdo it.This week I made one of my favorite lunches. Tofu ratatouille. I would recommend this to vegans/vegetarians. It was filling, but I felt better about myself because it doesn't rely on rice or pasta to satisfy.
For some reason the sauce made the zucchini look pickles, which is weird. After two days I'm still looking forward to eating it for lunch. It's just a ton of vegetables, I'm sure you could use whatever you wanted. I like how sweet the onions got when they cooked as long as they did.Finally, I made a Giada recipe. How can I go wrong with the love of my life, that little Italian firecracker?
It was pretty tasty, even though I overcooked the chicken breast. I've been using a lot of dark meat chicken lately. It's cheaper and, I think, tastier. I used white meat for this one, and I think I would use dark meat next time. I need something which gives my poor time management a little wiggle room. 
I added white wine, rosemary and black olives to the recipe. I served it with Bird's Eye frozen veggies in an Italian sauce. Easy and good, although I might be giving myself cancer with the plastic steaming container for the microwave. The meal was pretty good, and Graham realized he doesn't hate black olives. Still haven't managed to wow him yet. Some day . . .Next weeks entry will probably be pretty short. Graham's in Colorado for the beginning of the week and then we're moving, so there won't be that much food in the house. I will be trying a new idea for lunch, I'm very excited.
