The Betty Crocker Project : French Toast with a Variety of Sweet Butters

It was a long, humid, Virginia weekend. Not ideal for baking or frying or whatever. It was the type of weekend that makes you consider getting one of those little Hibachi grills for your fire escape so you can still cook and not turn your home into something Dante may have written about.

Perfect weather for long walks to the theater to see Iron Man 2. I'm not really sure why it took us so long to see this. We were talking about going opening night for months. I hope whatever we prioritized was really good because that movie seriously lived up to the hype. On the walk home, we talked a lot about our confusion over the Titanium Man storyline and our thoughts on Scarlet Johansson as Black Widow. See, Dan and I like to play this game where we cast pretend movies based on super heroes/literary classics/cartoons/80s sitcoms with current actors and actresses. We both agree -  Angelina Jolie was born to play Black Widow and she could do the accent unlike Scarlet apparently BUT most importantly if you're going to have an older (as in not in his 20s) Tony Stark why is it not appropriate to have an older (as in not in his 20s) Black Widow? Angelina Jolie would have been more age appropriate considering what is to come. ALSO - If you didn't stay for the end of the credits you missed out on a teaser that was so awesome it actually made me yell "YES!" in the theater. No joke - I'm really lucky to have Dan. In case you miss it - here's a clue. 

This brings us to Monday morning. The rain had come and we made an epic brunch that had not just 2 of Betty's fancy Sweet Butters but 3! Adapting Betty's French Toast recipe went fine but I still stand by the best Vegan French Toast recipe that at one point it was ironically renamed Freedom Toast. That should pretty much give you an idea how long we've been making that recipe.

Enough chatter let's eat brunch!

The Betty Crocker Project : Special Leftovers Edition

We get a lot of questions about what to do with leftovers. So we thought we'd share some of our favorites thus far.

The Betty Crocker Project : Patty Melt & Cajun Potatoes

So awhile ago I was watching Sex in the City and there was this itty bit of astuteness in an observation made by Sarah Jessica Parker's character that randomly pops in my head once in awhile like a little good faerie. (What? I'm a girl?!* Sometimes I like to watch stuff that has jokes from a generic ladies' point of view and don't discuss Jedi Politics. It was also always on at like 2 am and I used to have the worst insomnia.) In some episode that I don't remember - she says something like : She had come to terms with her looks and had decided to not just accept her body and face but enjoy them and treat them right. Anyone who didn't appreciate her unique beauty just didn't get it.

It seems trite, simple, obvious really, like the kind of canned wisdom a good mom tells her little girl and is instantly ignored, but it hovers still whenever like a wedding photographer looks at me funny because I'm going to wear my glasses and not cover up my tattoos or my Geek Chicness is not as obvious as my social awkwardness. I think : They don't get it. I rock. 

When I was taking pictures last night of this not so photogenic vegan patty melt, my heart kinda hurt for the little thing. I kept thinking about how this sandwich may not have all the snazzy colors of a good old school salad but it has a good personality and that's what counts!

The Betty Crocker Project : Fondue, Green Beans with Shiitake Mushrooms & Asparagus with Dijon-Maple Sauce

So yesterday, we talked a bit about Trekkies and my fascination with them. When I am totally honest it isn't so much a fascination as it is a sincere admiration. I love it when people own their "freak flag" per say and aren't afraid to be themselves.

Here's one of my many many freak flags : Sometimes I like to be "French". I love French music. I like French movies. I wear black a lot - maybe too much. I like bike rides and wearing hats all year round. I've even been known to wear a scarf with a t-shirt or sundress. I LOVE vegan French Food! I know this sounds obnoxious. I guess if we are being honest, I am a Frenchie ( I am also the most mixed up non-delinquent on the block).

So really it only makes sense I would get so excited about Betty's Fondue. It seemed like with all the bounty from our Farmer's Market Crusades*,  it was only right that we should include a good sized pot of fake cheese to dip stuff in. ALSO - These 2 vegetable recipes were already vegan and are good on their own so don't dip them in the Fondue pot unless you feel compelled. These Betty vegetable recipes needed very little tweaking.

Bon Appetit!

The Betty Crocker Project : Italian Chopped Salad & Asiago Bread

So you had to know this was coming. We're going to talk about Star Trek today.

Many people know that Dan and I live in a house divided. He grew up in the Red Sox Nation and I'm from Yankee stock. I love TV that is so bad it is amazing and Dan would prefer to spend his TV time with nobler pursuits like killing Xbox mutants. When it comes to one of the most heated debates in The Nerd Nation, my husband, The Love of My Life, thinks Jean Luc Picard is the baddest cat to wear a Federation Starfleet uniform. OK, I have to admit that the photo the Picard link goes to is sweet but I can't help it- I'm more a Kirk girl.

It's not like we're Trekkies or anything. Though I would put the movie Trekkies in my top 100 desert island movies. I find them fascinating. This is just one of those things that comes up in the life of someone who is not exactly "cool" and you develop a stance on. Probably in the same way people who are "cool" have opinions on Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirts and spray tans. I'm getting to my point. 

This week you are going to notice a lot of vegetable recipes because we totally loaded up at the farmer's markets on the way home from Assateague Island. You may love some more than others but unlike Star Trek Captains - you don't have to have a favorite. You can love them all equally. *

Ready to eat? Make it so.