Today I went to the store to stock up on Salad-ness. I sat frozen amongst all the lettuce types, and then suddenly got a hot flash. Hot flash because of Don Draper. Hot flash because of iceburg lettuce and a bygone era called "the 60's".



If you haven't heard of Mad Men, then you live in a cave. If you haven't yet watched it, then you are totally missing out. The attention to detail the cast & crew have paid towards this series has won them awards, and when you watch it you'll see proof that other planets exist not only miles away, but decades as well.

In this other planet called Mad Men, chain smoking is the norm for perfectly coifed (and pregnant) females and a round of shots before noon hits the meeting tables at work. I finally figured out that this world was devoid of delicious and ethnic foods when Don Draper, the main character, travels to California and is introduced to the unheard of and interesting food fare called Mexican food.

Aside from that, you will often find these characters ordering "A Wedge" when they're not getting slammed with a vodka. Give me a Wedge with Bleu Cheese and out comes a quarter slice of iceburg lettuce drifting through the smoky haze of the 1960's restaurant.

So today, I thought I'd try "A Wedge". Check it.



What's even funner, I ate this puppy with a steak knife! One clean crisp slice, fork, and slam it into the ole gullet.

I do declare that a wedge is fun. Even funner is this ranch dressing I discovered:


It's yogurt based and so has half the fat and calories as the other ranch versions. Yippee!

So day 25 of this challenge, and I heard Costa Vida calling to me with their sweet pork salad. That was Monday. Since I didn't want to venture all the way across town, I went to Bajio's instead. BONUS: They sell a "small" which is a boon when you behold the many wonderful and fattening layers that usually prevail with the "regular size".

So I got a small, and here's my restaurant review: Costa Vida sweet pork totally kicks Bajio's tooshie. I heard the Vida cooks it in addictive caffeine ridden coke products besides. Damn them, I still am craving that thing and I'm not even a coke-head. Bajio's was still delightful, I should have gone with the chicken, but loved this nonetheless.



Yum. If I ate one of these every day, even the small, I'm sure it wouldn't be doing any favors to my Kim-Kardashian-gone-square-arse.

Tuesday finds Mrs. Olsen sleep-deprived since Buddha Baby chucked creamy curry carrot soup with a side of peas all over himself, Mrs. Olsen, and Mrs. Olsen's hair around 2:30 a.m. Round two came around 4:30. Point being that I am out of orange juice and am not going to the store. Otherwise, I wouldn't be going 2 days without a spinach smoothie.

Have you tried it yet?

So today I heated up leftover sauteed cabbage with browned onions and lots of salt. At this rate, I'll be rolling salad leaves around cheesecake and frying it for dinner. Or maybe cabbage is awesome. When's the last time you sauteed cabbage with a little spray butter and salt?

What's your favorite salad combo?

This week the proof will be out there, proof that I am eating fresh greens every day in 2010. So far so good! I have even prevailed amidst the challenge of sick, fevering, barfing, coughing, keeping me up and grouchy, sick, sick kids for a good 7 days this month. Before I start my weekly digest, I thought I'd share some salad thoughts here first.

A) Been defining my rules. The devil on my shoulder tells me to eat a side salad and then finish the meal with a big mac. Not really but you get the idea. I'll eat my greens and my calories too! so says my devil. So I am trying hard to have my salad be THE MEAL, and not add on other more fluffy, baked, or cheesy delights afterwards.

B) My rules also include my favorite spinach smoothie for a meal. I absolutely count that as a salad and love to drink it for breakfast.



C) Forget the Activia Challenge with their subtle arrows pointing down down down when Jamie Lee Curtis talks about "regularity". Ugh. Here's my subtle arrow. Eat a salad every day and your Weight Watchers, Atkins, or South Beach Diet will applaud your fiber increase for the day. Or just your mother. And definitely Mrs. Olsen.

D) Today of all days I expanded my rules to include a lunch of sauteed cabbage, with browned onions and muy salt. Am I being my own worst enemy here? Can someone validate my salad rule here? I want cabbage darnit!

Since late November, a white hen has been separated from the brood fussing about Bok Bok Cottage. The sickness in her lungs was obvious, gurgling escaped with each breath. Because we didn't want her illness to spread, we put her in the halfway house.

Dear Jenny,

Photo Credit: Jenny @ SimpleLifeLove

Dear Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm,

Dear 2010 Self,

Sometimes it didn't.

Apparently most people know this cleaning trick, since the previous owners did the stove shuffle when they painted an accent wall in the kitchen (red) which was then painted over by me (blue).

So shortly after this visit where I am the "teacher" visiting the woman who knows more than me...well, I pulled that sucker off the wall quite easily, I swept a load of crap in the the first picture, mopped the floor, and then wiped the food sweat from the sides of the stove.

I had a little helper. Isn't he cute? He's my official boyfriend.

Please remember to clean your stove. You never know what desperate consolation prize you need to cling onto when the new year rolls around.

Signed,

2009 Self