My Urban Pantry

an event at work that we collaborated with Samaritan’s Purse/Operation Christmas Child and a local church happened last night.  About 8 ‘International’ food trucks showed up and somehow I went all-American with a burger and mini doughnuts.  The burger was actually a tiny bit obscene and I didn’t actually know what I had ordered until I ate it.  It had all your regular cheeseburger stuff plus a couple of ‘trying to make a name for yourself’ extras – onion ring, mozzarella sticks & ‘pink’ sauce.  I think we raised awareness in our immediate community for both the church & Operation Christmas Child.  It was good to just open up the doors and let people in for a look around the Discovery Center too who were just driving by and saw the extra lights and stopped in at the food trucks. Cheers to #31days being finished! Please consider packing a shoebox for a child in need this holiday season.

should technically be done with this #31days exercise.  But alas and alack-I’ve now consumed the 31st meal and am just sitting down to write 30.  Can’t do it all and can’t worry about it either.  I used to get fairly worked up about being ‘behind’ on the blog.  Behind in whose eyes?  Only mine and when I get to that point I realize, hey-I’m just where I am.  Not behind or beholden. A blogging friend also wrote about the same idea here.  Everything on here was originally just for me-to see if I could/would do it.  #31days has been an exercise in roughly that same thing.  Is anyone interested in seeing what we consume?  Are there any recipes I should share with the world?  So, on to dinner.  Last night we took what was probably one last stroll through 2013 Epcot Food & Wine Festival.  It was a mediumly less hot evening and it was nice to go along without the beating sun.  I think the food actually benefits from not being in the searing sunlight too.  I tried a few last dishes that I hadn’t had on earlier visits this year including a really nice trout dish.  Pan roasted trout (skin on) with minus 8 maple syrup vinaigrette with frisee.  The fish was really moist (yeah, I said moist).  We tried a lot of other tasty morsels throughout the night as well.  Noteably for the price were two Dole pineapple fritters-super hot slices of pineapple fried and dusted with powdered sugar for only $2.  We also tried the ‘Apf Struooodel’ (Apple studel to you laymen) which was covered in Werthers caramel.  Ah, caramel.  We have a weakness for it.  I bought a fun Christmas ornament in Germany-a fun brat with mustard on a bun.  Sounds lame but is super fun-blown glass vintage looking awesomeness.  My boss said the other day, at least you have a theme… (food she meant) and it’s true-we manage to stick to it most of the time.  Our whole tree isn’t covered in food or anything but there are a few fruits and assorted meat products.

soooo yeah.  Long story short, a week or so ago my mom called and asked if they could come over for dinner on she said, ‘Thursday’ as they were going to be picking up my aunt & uncle from the airport right around the dinner hour after their flight.  When I arrived home after work they were already at our house so I hustled in to make dinner.  I had done a little prep the night before, making brownies and boiling some eggs for my …not yet famous… pimiento cheese devilled eggs.  They should be famous.  I whipped out muffaletta sandwiches on fresh focaccia (so, kind of my-style) devilled eggs and some baked fries.  My family all dashed out the door by seven for the next leg of their trip and we sat down to watch tv and wait for trick or treaters.  Around 8:30 I realized, no blog and honestly it didn’t hurt my feelings not to blog.  I brought some props and leftovers and took a picture during lunch-so this is a lunch-style blog. 

A good dinner but an ugly (to me anyway) picture.  Did I already have the longest day ever this week?  And….make that a double!  I started out this auspicious day by  breaking a glass tumbler of water on my bathroom tile-fun times!  I have these fun glasses that we see on tv shows ALL THE TIME.  They are rings glasses by Crate & Barrel.  They must sell them to the studios by the gross because I have seen them on probably a dozen shows.  We have the mother lode of them because they are bargainy and we registered for them for our wedding.  Let me tell you – if you haven’t gotten married yet and need to register – go big.  People want to buy you something and everyone has a different budget and sensibility.  Some people want to get you a token gift and some people want to help you start your home.  Give them a chance- register with at least two different stores and register for many price points starting at a dollar and ranging up.  I know it sounds a little mercenary, and I actually felt that way but it really helps you get started in your life together.  Crazy, but true.  Anyhow, the day started with a smashed glass and ended with the realization that tomorrow is the end of my month and I haven’t done a thing to get ready for it.  Month end is how I wrap up all my finances at work-paying bills, transferring accounts, billing customers, etc.  It isn’t what you’d call quick or easy work.  I’m going to have to do that amidst no walls and maybe moving my office-the wall to my new one was painted today!  At least someone made progress at work.  Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.  So, tonight, a pot of white bean soup that I originally saw in Food Network Magazine.  It is by Ted Allen and he serves it as shooters.  I opted for full bowls and a sprinkle of bacon and goat cheese.  It’s a cool weather soup and I swapped out the cream for 1% milk.  I didn’t feel like it hurt me any.  It’s a mellow soup with just a hint of spice-topped with goat cheese for a tangy kick.  Now, I’m going to put my feet up and take it easy.