Vietnamese Pork chop sandwiches (Banh Mi Thit Nuong)

Anyone else always think of this video when they hear "pork chop sandwiches"??? (Warning: Contains naughty language)

Back from CA

A few pictures from the trip:

Don Quixote de la Mancha

Near Little Tokyo in LA

 Santa Monica Beach

In-N-Out burgers deserve their own special post, and will be coming later...I'm still working up the nerve to finally post about my dandelion pasta experience. I have a feeling that it might take a few glasses of wine to give me courage...

Easter Egg Cookies

Remember that post that I warned you about? It's still coming...For now, enjoy these babies:

 I made these for church tomorrow morning.

 Nothing says "Jesus came back from the dead!" like sugar coated sugar cookies.

awkward post

Late last year I moved from Charlotte, NC to Seattle, WA. The people here are a very different breed from North Carolinians, but not so different that they understand my humor. I guess awkward sarcasm is not as funny to the east or west coasts as it is to me. The weather is not as cold or rainy as I anticipated, but cold and rainy enough that I'm aching for summer's sunshine and warmth.

Since I'm a nanny now, and both of the baby's parents are optometrists, I get certain perks. For example, I get free glasses and contacts. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but glasses are friggin' expensive! With my awesome job, I was able to get a $3000 pair of glasses in exchange for baking a lasagna. Amazing. In another few months, I will be eligible for free lasik surgery. Terrifying.

One of the other perks of my job? Free travel. We are preparing for travel to California next week for an optometry conference and mini-vacation. I've never been to CA. I was born in a tiny little town in FL, way on the opposite coast of the nation, and now I'm planning on vacationing at a resort in Indian Wells, California. I expect to see beautiful people, fabulous celebrity restaurants, Chinese bootlegged movies, and poverty. Lots of poverty, b/c we'll also be staying with family in the non-glam part of LA. So while we'll be staying at a resort for the conference, it will be balanced out by reality in other ways. BUT I'm still excited b/c the baby's father was in the same elementary school class as Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Theo Freaking Huxtable)! They're Facebook friends! And we're staying in the same neighborhood that "Boys in the Hood" was filmed! I can finally live out my dreams of being an Asian gangster!

kittens

Taken last spring at my grandparents' farm in North Carolina

These pictures are to make up for what I'll be posting about in the next few days. It's not going to be pretty. I've warned you.

Mellow Mondays

Mondays are my half day with the baby, and I like to take my free afternoon to cook or bake something interesting. Today's menu mission is to use up the rest of those dandelions.

Friday's salad was nice, although some of the older leaves were bitter. I don't mind bitter, so I enjoyed it. It reminded me of a spring salad, but cheaper. Tonight though, I am going to try to make the dandelion pasta with some fresh french bread. I haven't baked in so long that I'm literally geeking out about kneading and shaping some dough.

Dandelion pasta

A couple of years ago, I learned from a friend that dandelions are edible. I've never had them, but have been curious about them ever since. Apparently they're a very good source of vitamins.

Since Spring has sprung, I've been eyeing (eying?) the dandelions growing wild in our garden. As we were working on seedstarters today, I plucked up some of the tender dandelions leaves, and am looking forward to having them in a salad tonight. Will let you (my one reader) know how it works out...

Am REALLY looking forward to doing this recipe for dandelion pasta (think spinach pasta) from Mariquita Farm, however:

DANDELION GREEN FETTUCCINI

No pasta machine needed! adpated from: The Cook's Garden catalog - Spring/Summer 1989

2 cups Dandelion greens
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt

1.) Whirl dandelion greens and eggs in a blender until smooth.
2.) Transfer to a bowl, add salt and start adding flour while beating with a spoon. Keep adding until dough is stiff.
3.) Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth (approximately 5 minutes).
4.) Roll out with rolling pin to 1/8"-1/4" thickness or thinner.
5.) Allow to stand and dry 1 hour, then cut into strips. 6.) Drop into boiling water and cook 1-2 minutes.

How easy and delicious does that sound?!