running with tweezers

farro away

I have a tendency to go to my farmer's market and just wander the aisles...looking for random and new stuff to cook with. Do normal people do that?! Anyway. On one of my many, many trips there I was in the bulk grain aisle and spotted some farro. It was a little pricey but this was a quart of it. I threw it in the cart and off I went. It spent a couple weeks on the shelf and then I tried cooking it.

Oh dear. I clearly should have consulted the big cookbook in the sky known as the Internet (or Mark Bittman) before I went about it. It was tough, hard and totally off putting. Back on the shelf it went for a couple weeks that included two out of town trips and a move. Back in one place - and in the effort of using everything I buy - I revisited it again.

This time I was armed with a very simple, hearty recipe I came across on Serious Eats (which I totally heart and I learn or see something new every day on, btw). Given my love of soups - particularly tomato-y ones - this was a no-brainer. I had everything in the house to make my own version of the recipe. Instead of the beef broth, I used the veggie broth I had on hand - as you can see, it's super easy to make this a vegetarian/vegan friendly soup.  Herbs from my garden, a large can of good quality Italian whole tomatoes  and spices from the cabinet rounded it out nicely.

Soaking the farro in advance for a good while made all the difference. It's going to cut down your cooking time DRAMATICALLY and keep you from having to constantly add broth or stock to the soup as it cooks. While you could easily substitute barley in this recipe, I think the nutty crunch and tooth of the farro is what makes it here. It's substantial enough to have as a meal with some warm bread on the side. 

Editor's Note: Be very careful if you're taste testing your farro for doneness during the cooking process. A couple sneaky bites while cooking has rendered my tongue the texture of sandpaper and everything I eat feels like burning. Just a heads up.

Zuppa di Farro - based on a recipe found here at Serious Eats - makes 8 to 10 servings

• 2 cups farro
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium clove of garlic -  peeled and minced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup canned or chopped whole plum tomatoes
• pinch dried red chili flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 to 8 cups of good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
• Garnish: good quality extra virgin olive oil and parsley

- In a large bowl, combine farro and enough water to cover the grains. Allow to soak covered (with plastic wrap or lid) for at least 2 hours. Before adding to soup, rinse and drain thoroughly.

-  In a large stock pot, add your 3 tbsp. olive oil. When heated to shimmering, add the garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until cooked but not brown.

-  To the pot add the tomatoes, thyme, chopped basil, bay leaf, chili flakes, farro and stock. If using whole tomatoes, crush them with a wooden spoon as you're cooking the soup - I like the larger chunks and the way they break down in the soup.  Bring the soup to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for about an hour - stirring periodically. If the soup is too thick from the farro absorbing the liquid, add more stock or a little water.

- If you want a thicker consistency, you can puree part of the soup (once cool so you don't blow up your blender or food processor) and add it back to the pot. I prefer a looser, more liquid soup to contrast with the tooth of the farro but it's all personal preference.

-  If serving without adding a pureed portion, serve while warm - make sure to remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs! Top with a sprinkle of parsley and a drizzle of good quality olive oil. If serving after you've added the pureed portion back in, make sure you reheat and then garnish.

- When storing the soup, the farro will continue to absorb the liquid it's in. Be prepared when re-heating to add some water or stock to thin it back out.

"mawwiage...."

"The best thing in life to hold onto is each other" - Audrey Hepburn

As some of you know - from being my friend in "real life" and through the blogosphere, Mike and I made an out and back trip to Sapelo Island, Georgia this past weekend. Have you ever been to Sapelo Island before? I have - back in my fashion stylist days, I did a week long shoot there. It's magical, I tell ya.  Lush landscapes, winding paths and trails. Untouched beaches. Steeped in romance and history with some quirky touches - much like the occasion we made the trip for. 

Our weekend road trip to Sapelo Island was for a wedding. More specifically, for my friend and styling assistant Abby's wedding to Sydney, her partner and partner-in-crime. Abby showed up in my life via email - she had been interested in food styling since she saw it in Highlights Magazine as a child. She wanted to be my intern. A week later, she was on set with me getting paid to learn how to style food. That's how I got started...and I was thrilled to be able to do that for someone else. 

Since then, she's been my assistant on as many shoots as I can have her on...and she's become a very dear person to me. I firmly believe people enter your life for a reason. Abby became my friend to remind me (and lots of people I know) about being yourself, being courageous and enjoying your life. Oh yeah, she also is my own personal MacGyver and makes sure I don't seriously injure myself or others while on my shoots. 

Her other half, Sydney, is just as awesome: funny, wickedly talented, a karaoke master, and gives off a light a lot of people envy. She's quite the blonde bombshell and the perfect foil for Abby's - how should I say - twisted and sarcastic sense of humour. I've never met two people more perfectly suited for each other and I see a life of fun, family and success in their future. 

So about this wedding: it was a witty, short, touching ceremony and reception that was exactly like Abby and Sydney. It was focused on them and their friends & family. Not a lot of fuss - just funny and a little campy and totally creative. The couple's first dance turned into a 9.5 on Dancing With The Stars...and while no one but them knew it was going to happen, should anyone have been surprised? 

Lots of handmade touches and thought went into every detail that day at the Reynolds Mansion. We had a wonderful time and were so glad to be invited to be a part of it. This post is my little surprise "extra gift" to the new couple (although I expect some cocktails with all that new bridal shower swag ;). This blog and these photos are going to be around a lot longer than I am....and I wanted to share this special occasion and the memories with all the readers of this blog. 

I wish you both the best and we love you to pieces. <3

To see the Flickr photo set from this past weekend at Abby and Sydney's wedding, please click here. 

bar none

In the "I rarely have a sweet tooth" weirdness that is my gastronomic cravings, there is a sub-topic that makes people really clutch their pearls: I don't really like cheesecake. I feel like I should like it because it's the decadent cousin to all the sweets I do like: creamy mousses, panna cotta, ice creams. Not the case. As it turns out, I'm even pickier about cheesecakes than I am most other desserts. It's often a texture nightmare and, quite frankly, it's too dense and too sweet a lot of the time. Oh yeah...and that "cheesecake" with the commercial grade cherry or strawberry sauce on it? Oy.

What I do like is pumpkin. I also like tiny doses of dark chocolate. Having both of them in the cabinet was just screaming for me to combine them. I don't make bar desserts nearly enough and it's something that everyone really does love. I figured this way, I could make them, have a little sample, and send them off with my sweetie to work.

That's exactly what I did because these bad boys are RICH. I used bittersweet chocolate (from Scharffen Berger. thanks, BlogHerFood!) to cut some of the sweetness. I went a little crazy with my swirls on top - if you want perfectly made desserts, go see Helen's blog. These are what I look for in a bar: rustic, gooey and sweet. The recipe says it makes 16 bars - you could EASILY cut this recipe into smaller pieces and everyone's sweet tooth would be taken care of.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars - makes 16 generous sized bars - original recipe found here

FOR THE CRUST

• 20 chocolate wafer cookies, (half a 9-ounce package)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING

• 2 packages bar cream cheese, (8 ounces each)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
- In a food processor, blend cookies with sugar until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup crumbs); add butter, and pulse until moistened.
- Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and press gently into bottom. Bake until fragrant and slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, flour, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; process until combined. Set aside. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Add 1 cup pumpkin mixture; stir to combine. Set aside.
- Pour remaining pumpkin mixture into prepared pan. Drop dollops of chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture; swirl. Bake until cheesecake is set but jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Using overhang, transfer cake to work surface. With a knife dipped in water, cut into 16 squares. Serve.

roll call

I really hadn't intended on blogging about summer rolls in...late October. I have these awesome pumpkin cheesecake bars I've made...and an incredible chocolate cookbook I'm dying to cook from. Lots of deep, rich fall flavors and heavier dishes.

Yeah...about that. It's in the upper 70's here in Atlanta. Monsoon season has stopped for the time being and the weather has been brilliant this week. No need for the heat to be on. I've been in flip flops again this week. Something about those winter recipes just wasn't jiving with me. 

As it happened, our friends Susy and Martin wanted to have an Asian-themed Top Chef Wednesday dinner. I also just received Jaden's cookbook in the mail so it may be that this cuisine is on the brain. In any case, the craving set in for a light, flavorful starter. Some crunch and zing. Summer rolls, it was.

Now I've made summer rolls in the past. I remember that the first few were a little dicey in the tightness department and didn't really pass muster. This time around...was no different. The ones in this photo were the 2nd or so ones I'd made - almost there but not quite. I found it more difficult this time when using loose vegetation as a filling. I went looking on-line for a video telling me what I was doing wrong. This dude helped me out a lot. The remainder of my rolls were tight with their ends properly tucked in.

The key points to remember are:

• You want the wrapper pliable but not wimpy. Soak them in hot water just long enough to be able to roll them without being too thin. For me, that was about 10 seconds per wrapper.
• Contain your ingredients - this is what I was doing wrong. Too much stuff spread out all over the wrapper. Consolidate where your fillings are and place them towards one side of the wrapper.
• Don't get more than one wrapper wet at a time. They take so little time to soak that it makes no sense to have them all wet at once. Soak them as you go and you won't have a glopped together mess.

That's it, really. My rolls were filled with all the crunchy fresh veggies I had on had, a little tart fruit and a mess of fresh herbs. I didn't want the rolls to be too filling so this is a version without the cellophane noodles in the inside. You can interchange the fillings however you'd like. Put thai or regular basil in there for your herbs -just don't put herbs with woody stems in there, ya know? Substitute pineapple for the mango. Throw some jalapeno or thai red chilies in there if you dare. This is a great, versatile recipe that pleased a group of meat-eaters and would thrill your vegetarian friends.

Veggie Crunch Summer Rolls - makes 16 rolls

• 16 round rice paper wrappers - these were available in my local grocery store
• 1 large red bell pepper - julienned
• 1 large mango - peeled,flesh cut around the seed and cut into strips
• 1 large red onion - cut in half then julienned
• 2 ripe avocado - pitted then cut into strips
• 1 small lime
• 1 packed cup pea shoots. You can also use sunflower sprouts, shredded romaine or any other green you choose. 
• 1/2 cup packed mint leaves
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves

- Your ingredients: I found it most beneficial to have them all cut, washed, dried and all at arms length to put right into the rolls. I took the lime, cut it in half, and squeezed the juice onto the mango and avocado to prevent browning while making my rolls. Plus, the acid works with the flavor profile here.

- To assemble: Have ample counter space or large cutting board out to do your wrapping on. Also, have an empty plate or tray nearby with some wet paper towel to cover them as you go so they don't dry out!

- Take a shallow dish (I used a large pie pan and it was the perfect size) and fill with about 3 cups of HOT water. Immerse one wrapper at a time in the water until pliable - about 10 seconds. Place on flat surface. Take small handful of pea shoots as your base and place in top third of wrapper. Place 1-2 julienned pieces of red pepper, avocado, mango and red onion and place on shoots. Top with mint and cilantro. There is no set proportion of ingredients - you'll have to eyeball it to evenly fill 16. Err on the side of LESS filling because an over-stuffed roll will tear before you get it together.

- Take your left and right sides of your wrapped and fold them over so they overlap the ingredients - this will make your tucked-in ends. Roll the top of the wrapper over on top of ingredients and begin to roll towards you. Tuck the top edge under your ingredients and hold it together as you roll, keeping it tight. The wrapper is tacky enough that it will seal itself as you finish rolling.

- Place them on the aforementioned plate and cover with wet paper towels. Repeat this process for the other 15 wrappers. These rolls can be made about 4 hours in advance without worrying about browning or wilting of the ingredients. I stored them with wet paper towel over the plate and wrapped that with plastic wrap or put in Ziploc bag.

- What should I dip them in? Since it was an impromptu recipe, I used a really good quality pre-made dipping sauce - a Sweet Chili Sauce - from a company called So!Go. It's a bit pricey but that's what you get for not being prepared. I have also used Tyler Florence's dipping sauce recipe in the past, which is easy to whip together and waaaaaay cheaper. You can find that recipe here. Enjoy!

back in the thick of things

It's tough getting back into the cook-whatever-you-want mode after our Eat on $30 challenge last week. When we went to do our shopping for the week (which included getting provisions for our fund-raising party we had Sunday), it was hard to focus and just shop. Everything I bought I looked at the price of it. I found myself putting things back because they were "too expensive" even though I didn't have to.

One of my tactics during the challenge last week was to buy produce that was "on sale" at our farmers market. This usually means its wrapped in a plastic baggy and marked with a discount sticker. You don't have as many days to use it before it goes bad but it's still in good condition at time of sale. I was wandering up and down the aisles and saw some eggplant marked 20% off. I said what the hell and threw it in the cart.

Eggplant is a veggie I don't cook with very often. It's one of those things I'll eat if prepared for me but I don't buy it often. I've made caponata and spreads like babaghanoush before but that's the extent of it. I also find that it takes a lot of work and/or some heavy spices to make eggplant TASTE like something. When I ran across Hubert Keller's recipe for eggplant caviar, it seemed like a light recipe that still managed to pack a flavor punch.

My version is based on this recipe but editorialized to use what I had on hand. I used it as a guide for prepping the eggplant and for the addition of basil and chives stirred in at the end. In true thrifty form, I used some roasted red peppers, green onion and garlic left from my party supplies. My parsley is thriving again so I threw some of that in there at the end with the basil and chives. It's a delicious, flavorful and - to my surprise - not unattractive as many mushed eggplant things can be. Served with some warm pita or spread on toasted baguette and it's divine - it would also be a good base for a Mediterranean panini or sandwich. 

Herby Eggplant Caviar - loosely based on this recipe at Food and Wine - serves 4 as a light app

• 1 large eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, white and green parts chopped
• 1 large roasted red bell pepper, chopped. You can roasted your own or use one good quality jarred/tinned pepper.
• 2 tbsp. chopped flat leaf or curly parsley
• 1 tbsp. basil, chiffonaded 
• 1 tbsp. chives, chopped
• juice and zest of one large lemon
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Drizzle cut sides of  eggplant halves with 1 tbsp. olive oil and place them face down on a cookie sheet. Roast for about one hour or until the outside skin gets puckery and tender. Allow them to cool completely. 

- Heat remaining tbsp. of olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add chopped green onion and cook for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add garlic and continue to cook for 1-2 more minutes - you want the garlic cooked, not brown. Add in chopped roasted red pepper and continue to saute. With a spoon, scoop out the cooked flesh of the eggplant halves and add to pan. You can break it up as it heats with your spatula or a wooden spoon. You don't want it smooth but you don't want enormous chunks, either.

- Heat the mixture through until soft but not mushy - 4 to 5 minutes. Put mixture in mixing bowl and add lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, chives, and basil. Taste and then add salt and pepper to your liking. Place in covered container to chill slightly - I would say 30 minutes to overnight. If you store this mixture overnight, allow to come up to just below room temperature. Serve with toasted bread or pita points. 

Eat on $30 - Days 6 & 7 - The wrap-up post that almost wasn't.

It's now been three days since Eat on $30 ended...and I haven't been able to write a wrap-up or put down my conclusions about the challenge until now. The story of the last two days goes: for us, the challenge ended on Saturday with not so much a bang but a whimper - and that would be me whining. We spent Friday evening (after a trip to Trader Joe's for pasta, sausage, canned tomatoes, and cheap wine) at home enjoying our most luxurious meal of the week - sitting down with protein and a bottle of wine was quite the luxury. Saturday morning, we woke up at 5 am to help out at Mike's company flea market, where I had the OMG of allergy attacks. I sneezed and blew my nose for 4 hours and felt generally horrible. Let's not even talk about the free chicken biscuit I got...which fell in my coffee cup and was deemed too soggy to eat it (but I actually considered it for a second - that's Eat on $30 for you).

The rest of our day was spent at the farmers market and at home readying ourselves for the party Sunday night, climbing up and down ladders, hemming curtains, mopping the loft. Arduous physical work all day...and only eating a piece of bread with butter and leftover lentil soup. The day continued like this until around 10 pm when, after 15 hours of going and doing, I called the challenge. We sulked over to our neighborhood place where I ate the best tasting-most poorly cooked burger ever, washed it down with a glass of red wine, and went to bed. Not exactly the ending I had planned. I was riddled with guilt and felt like a failure for not making it those last two hours...but fatigue trumped guilt in the end. Before our late dinner, we were coming in UNDER budget by about $2. 

The next morning...we really didn't eat anything. At all. We were head down getting the loft and all the food ready for folks coming over. For those that didn't know, we had a "break the fast" party Sunday evening...and asked people to donate $10 per person, all the money going to Project Open Hand, which I talked about it a previous post. I was disappointed that more of the Eat on $30 crew wasn't there...but our friends turned out and were so generous with their donations. As people noshed on gravlax crostini, BLT deviled eggs, Mike's famous latkes (rosemary ginger version this time), Jen's insane ginger chewies, and Betty Joan's pumpkin cupcakes...the pitcher we put out for donations began to fill. It was a great evening filled with  lots of laughter and good conversation. I had more wine than I did food - neither of us ate much at all Sunday being focused on the party. We have raised - including donations from folks via PayPal that couldn't attend the party - somewhere close to $300 just by having a cocktail party. I'm getting choked up about it now as I did when I made the toast to everyone at the party on Sunday.

Those are the logistics. So what do I have to say about the challenge? I've come out of this week pissed off. Angry. Incredulous. Disappointed. Enthralled. Energized. Motivated. We talked some at the party about how doing this challenge changes you. You don't look at food the same way. You don't shop for groceries the same way. Something in the back of your mind is making you account for what you buy. Not waste food as much. Let me tell you...it doesn't go away. This challenge has inspired a lifestyle change by both Mike and I. Cooking at home more. Saving bones and veggie scraps for stock. We've been good about tallying our budget. It's changed me forever on a personal level...and I'll be doing this challenge again soon.

What about beyond that? I've made it a point to do whatever I can to help give back to the community I live in and focus on hunger issues and charities that deal with them. I'm determined to educate myself - and by association, those around me,  about hunger issues on a larger scale. Being a "foodie" is a privilege of the middle to upper class and does not excuse me from knowing about the struggles of the rest of the world. Just because I *can* go into a store and haphazardly throw anything I want into a shopping cart doesn't mean I should...and it doesn't mean others CAN. Ignorance is something I can remedy and I can't choose to ignore it anymore. We folks here in the food world - and especially bloggers - live in a world that few get access to. Let's not forget that as of today, ok?

This challenge would not have been possible without the other bloggers that took part. They've done a really wonderful job about chronicling their experiences, being honest on how it made them feel, and how this week has changed them. There have been many really thoughtful posts and my heart is full because you took the time to do this with me. Please visit their blogs, get involved in the dialogues there and see the changes their making:

• Carrie Neal - also from Atlanta - is blogging at carrienealland and tweets under@carrienealland
• Susan is our newest participant! Her blog Doughmesstic is just great. She's on Twitter - @doughmesstic
• The amazing and fabulous Jen - who blogs from Colorado at Use Real Butter - can be followed @userealbutter
• Paula of the gorgeous blog bell'alimento is taking part! Follow her on twitter@bellalimento
• The Broke Socialite of the eponymously named blog can be followed@brokesocialite
• Betty Joan is a fellow Atlantan who blogs at Trouble With Toast . She's actually been doing it THIS week but will be posting about her experience while we're all doing the challenge. You can find her on Twitter @bettyjoan.
• Atlanta food blogger Jimmy of Eat It Atlanta will be taking part in a crash course week before a wedding he has to be in. Follow him @EatItAtlanta. 
• Robert - @rdyson on Twitter - is also taking part from Atlanta. Check out his bloghere. 
• Mike - who took part last time and made a blog especially for the challenge - will be doing it again. You can also follow him @boutte. 
• Zach is kicking off a new blog with this challenge - Mise en Face. Follow him@drzachary.
• Kristina will be taking place from Tennessee via her blog TNLocavore.com and@TNlocavore
• Another Susan, this time of Frugal Hostess, tweets @frugalhostess
• Diana of  A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa is on Twitter @dianabauman
• Hailey of Hail’s Kitchen blogs and tweets from Utah -  @hailskitchen
• Joining the party today is Maybelle's Mom who blogs at Feeding Maybelle. You can find her on Twitter @feedingmaybelle
• Also newly taking part is Atlantan Biz, who blogs at Wisfulfillment.

Since I said earlier in the week that I'd post my lentil soup recipe, here it is. The photo is definitely from the "looks like crap, tastes like delicious" files. What can I say? You eat a lot of brown food during Eat on $30. This soup is a lighter version of lentil soup than you're used to and could be made year-round. 

Lemon and Rosemary Lentil Soup - makes 6 to 8 servings 

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup lentils, uncooked but sorted through for stones and broken pieces, rinsed and drained
• 6 cups water
• 1 large rosemary sprig - half of the leaves removed, chopped and reserved
• 1 lemon, cut in half, juiced but fruit & juice reserved
• salt and pepper, to taste
• garnish ideas: olive oil, parmesan cheese, chopped herbs, green onion

- In a large stockpot, melt the butter. Add garlic and saute until cooked but not brown - 2 minutes or so. Add lentils, water, chopped rosemary and sprig, lemon juice and the juiced lemon halves, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours - cooking time will vary depending on your lentils. Remove hard rosemary sprig and lemon halves. Once cooked, taste your soup and season again if necessary. If you want your soup thinner, you can add more water or some stock and heat through. You could also puree this soup if you like it that way. I garnished mine with a little Parmesan cheese and chopped green onion. Serve immediately. 

Day 5 - Eat on $30 - This is my brain on $30 a week.

Day 5 really isn't any big deal, food wise. After a half day of thinking I was having an aneurysm from the caffeine withdrawl, my trusty sidekick Abby came to the house bearing some coffee beans in a plastic bag - I traded these for her paycheck so I think I'm still in the black. Outside of that, eating on this budget becomes pretty routine. The sweetie has been taking big turkey sandwiches and hearty soups. I made another gratin, which I ate half of for lunch and we split it for dinner with the leftover chicken thighs from earlier in the week. No big deal - we even still have cookies to bake for after dinner treats. Dare I say I'm probably gonna come in UNDER budget? 

It's not so much the actual PHYSICAL part of the challenge that is the tough part for me. It's amazing how you adjust to a food level after just a few short days. For me, the rough patches have been the emotional ups and downs and the lifestyle and personal philosophy changes that are hard. All I've done for the past week is think about how I take food for granted. I think about the produce that goes to waste in our house because we get lazy and don't cook. It's even prompted us to set a food (and going-out-to-dinner) budget that is a dramatic departure from where we were before this challenge. There's a spreadsheet and everything, I tell ya.

You know what? This challenge is EASY for me - no doubt about it. I get to live this life for a week - or however long i CHOOSE to - and go back to whatever life I want after this. I have the tools to cook - times 10. I have the KitchenAid, the immersion blender, the good knives, the proper containers for food storage. I'm also armed with the knowledge of basic cooking and the art of improvisation with food. I can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, as they say. I also have the luxury of TIME. Hours to prepare sauces, soups, separate proteins into portion sizes, make chicken salad from leftover roasted chicken. I have easy access to the Internet so if I don't know how to do it, I can find out.

Not everyone's life is like this...and I know it. I am spoiled by all the things I have and all the things I know.

The average person who receives financial assistance in Georgia - which is 57% of working families in this state - doesn't have the luxury of time and skill. How do we encourage people, some of whom don't have stoves in their homes, to eat healthfully? How does someone working two jobs - or one full time job with one or more children - have the energy and resources to do this? As I said in an earlier post, the effort it takes to plan meals, shop in advance and know where every dime goes is so overwhelming, it's no surprise that many people resort to the Value Menu. 

This campaign I've taken on here at RWT is just the tiniest little whisper in what should be a crowd of voices trying to help people get basic cooking utensils, extra produce leftover from CSAs and markets, and arm them with the basic knowledge that boxed food isn't better and that they CAN feed themselves and their families in a more nutritious way. How do I, just one frustrated and (feeling a bit) helpless person, make this happen? I'm not sure - this challenge for me doesn't end on Sunday morning. I continue on thinking about these issues and doing whatever I can - in however large a way is possible - to make improvements. 

The photo from this post was taken by my dear friend Tony Clark and MacGuyvered up by yours truly for a magazine editorial a few years ago. I still love this photo. 

Day 4 - Eat on $30 - Hump Day and a gorgeous gratin...

As those of you who have been following me on Twitter, I've been a grumpy mess. The lack of caffeine - I'd rather spend money on food this week than coffee - is starting to get to me. I've actually turned to Goody powders to knock out the withdrawal headaches. No sign of a problem there, eh?

Day 4 was another toughy for me. My sweetie has been going to work with lunch and drinking free coffee in the morning so he's been doing good - no more raw pasta doggy bags. I've been at the homestead trying to manage meals and put thought into what food is going where. I'm going to touch on this tomorrow in an emotional purge of a post but...DAMN this takes a lot of work. The path to McDonald's and chicken nuggets is suddenly clearer - the value menu is easier than cooking food with value at home. You have to be PREPARED with time, cooking knowledge and skills to cook healthfully and stretch a budget as far as possible - something many people these days are short on.

Lunch for me was a lemony-rosemary lentil soup - I'll post the recipe tomorrow. We've lucked out (so to speak) in Atlanta that the dreary weather has called for hearty soups and veggies. It was the perfect, filling lunch with a piece of warm bread and butter.

For dinner, well...here's the thing. I always have dinner with my friends Martin and Susy on Wednesdays. We watch Top Chef (go Team ATL!) and cook a communal meal. There is wine and good conversation. We come together over food. This time, I didn't have much in the budget to participate so I threw this gratin together using stuff we got on our initial shopping trip - it's based on a version over at Andrea's Recipes. The total cost of the gratin - including a grating of Parmesan I had in the fridge - was about $3.00...and it was delicious. They made me a piece of fish and I had a little wine. At first, I felt really guilty about it. Then, I realized, we should ALL be doing this more. Communal eating, conversation, spending time with friends - those things don't have to be done over a fancy dinner out. The meal was very simple but it was a joy to be a part of. I hope I get to do this every Wednesday - and I hope you do, too.

Zucchini - Tomato Gratin - based on the original recipe found here at Andrea's Recipes - serves 4 as a small side

• 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced into half moon shaped pieces
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 medium to large (mine were about 6 inches long) zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 large roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
•  basil leaves, 3 cut in chiffonade and 3 left whole - these came from my herbs I grow outside!
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

- Preheat your oven to 350°F

- In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil. When shimmering but not TOO hot, add onions. Saute the onions until translucent - 3 to 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes - do not let the garlic burn. Take off heat and set aside.

- Drizzle and brush the bottom of an shallow, oven safe ceramic baking dish or tart pan (I used a 9" tart pan) with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Arrange an initial layer of zucchini in the bottom of pan. Sprinkle chiffonaded basil over initial layer of zucchini. Tuck in slices of tomato and then top with more zucchini slices. You can alternate slices if you have enough to do so - however you think looks best. I salt and peppered in between layers - the veggies can take a little seasoning. Tuck in whole leaves in random places - it just infused it with basil taste and smell

- Spread your onion and garlic mixture evenly across the top - this is rustic so don't be fussy about it. You just want it evenly covered. Grate Parmesan cheese (or sprinkle pre-grated cheese) evenly across the top - this is going to give you a little bit of a "crust". Drizzle with last tbsp. of olive oil.

- Bake for 30-40 minutes. I set a timer for 20 minutes and then baked an extra 10 minutes from there. Cooking time depends on the thickness of your veggie slices and the depth of your baking pan. As Andrea said in her original recipe, it makes its own herby juice/sauce which you can spoon over it if you like when serving.  Allow to rest for 5 or so minutes then serve immediately while it's still warm!

As I've been saying all week, please visit the blogs and Twitter feeds of all the other people participating in Eat on $30. They're doing some great posts and some great budget cooking:

• Carrie Neal - also from Atlanta - is blogging at carrienealland and tweets under@carrienealland
• Susan is our newest participant! Her blog Doughmesstic is just great. She's on Twitter - @doughmesstic
• The amazing and fabulous Jen - who blogs from Colorado at Use Real Butter - can be followed @userealbutter
• Paula of the gorgeous blog bell'alimento is taking part! Follow her on twitter@bellalimento
• The Broke Socialite of the eponymously named blog can be followed@brokesocialite
• Betty Joan is a fellow Atlantan who blogs at Trouble With Toast . She's actually been doing it THIS week but will be posting about her experience while we're all doing the challenge. You can find her on Twitter @bettyjoan.
• Atlanta food blogger Jimmy of Eat It Atlanta will be taking part in a crash course week before a wedding he has to be in. Follow him @EatItAtlanta. 
• Robert - @rdyson on Twitter - is also taking part from Atlanta. Check out his bloghere. 
• Mike - who took part last time and made a blog especially for the challenge - will be doing it again. You can also follow him @boutte. 
• Zach is kicking off a new blog with this challenge - Mise en Face. Follow him@drzachary.
• Kristina will be taking place from Tennessee via her blog TNLocavore.com and@TNlocavore
• Another Susan, this time of Frugal Hostess, tweets @frugalhostess
• Diana of  A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa is on Twitter @dianabauman
• Hailey of Hail’s Kitchen blogs and tweets from Utah -  @hailskitchen
• Joining the party today is Maybelle's Mom who blogs at Feeding Maybelle. You can find her on Twitter @feedingmaybelle
• Also newly taking part is Atlantan Biz, who blogs at Wisfulfillment.

...and the winners are....

Yesterday at 5 pm, using a very scientific Random Number Generator supervised by Charlie, two people won the $25 Macy's gift cards: comments 5 and 30. That means AMY and HALEY are the winners of the cards. Problem is...they were two of the only people that didn't leave an email address or website in their comment! If you are one of the winners, please leave a note here or me at runningwithtweezers@gmail.com. If I don't hear from the winners today, I will redraw for two new winners on Friday morning. Congrats, you two! 

UPDATE: One winner, Amy, came forward and claimed her GC. Unfortunately, Haley did not. I waited until 10 am Friday morning to draw a new winner...which was comment #36, Alice from SavorySweetLife. Congrats! 

Day 3 - Eat on $30 - Ups and Downs...

One last reminder: Winners of the two $25 gift cards courtesy of Macy's will be chosen at 5 pm today! If you haven't entered to win, visit this post and leave your best budget shopping or cooking tip in the comments. Winners will be chosen at random this afternoon. 

Day 3 was a tough one, I have to say. Not so much on the food front - we have a good bit of food left and about $13 to supplement what we have for the weekend. It was hard because I had doctor's appointments and errands to run..and I just wanted someone to make me something yummy for lunch to comfort me. That started the cravings, which I couldn't give in to...which sent me into full on whine mode. Add to that that I haven't had coffee since Sunday morning and you've got a little bit of a monster on your hands.

Instead of cheating, which I really thought about doing for a split second, I made lunch. The clouds broke for a bit here in Atlanta and it was really lovely for lunch outside. I threw together a big ol' BLT with ingredients in the house: 4 slices of turkey bacon, one sliced Roma tomato, half of a roasted red pepper, mayo, and a small handful of arugula. The cost of my sandwich (including the mayo, which was already in the house so I'm charging myself $.20 for it) was around $2.00. The foundation of my sandwich was made with items that were on sale at the store AND i had a coupon for them - both the turkey bacon and the bread were around $1.50 each once I got the discounts applied to them.  

Dinner for us was a big, veggie filled frittata. I used the rest of the kale, 6 eggs (my eggs were 99 cents a dozen!), some green peas, and a green onion. For a meal that cost less than $2.00, it was scrumptious - we ate the entire thing between us. No photos of that one but I'm sure I'll be making another one this week - such an easy way to throw together bits and pieces of ingredients lying around and make something good out of it!

Since I don't really have a recipe this post for my BLT (i'm gonna assume you all know how to make one!), I thought I'd take this time to talk about my favorite charity here in Atlanta. While companies like Macy's are attacking the issue of hunger on a very large scale, Project Open Hand is a local Atlanta charity that does some amazing things out of a very small facility. I have been working with Open Hand for a while, mainly delivering meals through their Meals on Wheels program. It's been emotional, touching, eye-opening, heartbreaking and inspiring all in one day...every time I volunteer. 

Started in 1998 by one person who, with 14 of his friends, cooked meals for people he knew that were too sick to care for themselves. Now, as per the latest stat on their website, Project Open Hand has prepared over 13,000,000 meals (that was a number they reached in 2007 - imagine how many more they've done now). The meals go to senior citizens and those who - for medical or financial reasons - need meals to supplement their diet. The program is powered by volunteers, both in the kitchen and driving delivery routes. 

In this tough time here in the US, Project Open Hand is short on volunteers to drive routes - I guess people are working other jobs or more concerned with what's happening at home than with other people. They can also ALWAYS use donations - believe me, the operation they run there is remarkable considering their facilities. I encourage folks here in Atlanta to get involved with Open Hand...or some other organization addressing hunger issues. To learn more about Project Open Hand, visit their website. You can sign up to get infomation about volunteering and donate via their site. 

Also, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE support the others doing Eat on $30 this week. They've been great communicators and dedicated to getting the word out. There's also always lively debate and discussion on Twitter so join in!

• Carrie Neal - also from Atlanta - is blogging at carrienealland and tweets under@carrienealland
• Susan is our newest participant! Her blog Doughmesstic is just great. She's on Twitter - @doughmesstic
• The amazing and fabulous Jen - who blogs from Colorado at Use Real Butter - can be followed @userealbutter
• Paula of the gorgeous blog bell'alimento is taking part! Follow her on twitter@bellalimento
• The Broke Socialite of the eponymously named blog can be followed@brokesocialite
• Betty Joan is a fellow Atlantan who blogs at Trouble With Toast . She's actually been doing it THIS week but will be posting about her experience while we're all doing the challenge. You can find her on Twitter @bettyjoan.
• Atlanta food blogger Jimmy of Eat It Atlanta will be taking part in a crash course week before a wedding he has to be in. Follow him @EatItAtlanta. 
• Robert - @rdyson on Twitter - is also taking part from Atlanta. Check out his bloghere. 
• Mike - who took part last time and made a blog especially for the challenge - will be doing it again. You can also follow him @boutte. 
• Zach is kicking off a new blog with this challenge - Mise en Face. Follow him@drzachary.
• Kristina will be taking place from Tennessee via her blog TNLocavore.com and@TNlocavore
• Another Susan, this time of Frugal Hostess, tweets @frugalhostess
• Diana of  A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa is on Twitter @dianabauman
• Hailey of Hail’s Kitchen blogs and tweets from Utah -  @hailskitchen
• Joining the party today is Maybelle's Mom who blogs at Feeding Maybelle. You can find her on Twitter @feedingmaybelle
• Also newly taking part is Atlantan Biz, who blogs at Wisfulfillment.