Thoughtful Thursday - Another Year Wiser

Sometimes the most simple things in life bring you pleasure. Take these rather tart Early Blush Fireside Apples I bought at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago.  

Munchkin was satisfied to eat them as is. He loves every kind of apple, whether they are more tart or sweet. I had elaborate plans with what to do with them & tonight instead just tossed them with some Turbinado Sugar & Penzeys Spices Chinese Cassia Cinnamon to put over a scoop of ice cream.  

My mother, who I adore, was not the best baker in the world. She used to make my favorite dessert, fruit crisp, with canned Wilderness Apple or Cherry pie filling.  I loved eating crisp, but my favorite part was the crunchy oatmeal topping.  I used to dream of making the perfect apples for crisp, but from scratch. The canned filling was always much too sweet. I craved the taste of the fresh apples, slightly tart and slightly sweet.  My parents always gave me free reign to experiment with my baking in the kitchen & I love to cook today because of it.

This week I turned one year older and another year wiser. I find myself appreciating the more simple joys in my life.  Taking the time to cook more from scratch is one of those things.  The best compliment was my hubby shoveling big spoonfuls of the apples into his mouth, straight from the baking dish.  He told me how his Mom used to make apples for them that tasted just like these.  Too bad my Mother-in-Law wasn't right there to hear it! It was delicious indeed.

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Food Truck Tour Stop: Hola Arepa

Hola Arepa is the fourth Food Truck I've visited this Summer.

They describe themselves as: "A food truck bringing delicious, mostly sustainable Latin cuisine to the streets of Minneapolis." 

A couple of weeks ago my coworker mentioned that she really wanted to try the Arepas at Hola Arepa & I was like: "the what?! What is an Arepa?" You too? Ok, now I don't feel so bad!

So the cornmeal they use to make the patty seems to be a white cornmeal, which I love - I may be totally wrong, but for those of you who need to eat Gluten Free, it's a great way to enjoy a "sandwich" without the traditional bread. It's also a great vegetarian option.

 

So they will take your order & give you a playing card - when the number & suite on your card is called - it's to to eat. Easier than butchering a bunch of strange names.

 

My girlfriend had the Pulled Chicken Arepa, which I was instantly jealous of because the pickled cabbage looked like it could have been pretty tasty. She also chose a side of chips & salsa.

 

Pulled Chicken Arepa - Kadeyan Farms Chicken, Black Beans, Tomato, Salsa Verde & Pickled Cabbage

I tried the Slow-Roasted Pork Arepa with a side of Guacamole.

Fischer Farms Pork, Black beans, Cohja cheese & Special Sauce (I think!)

The juices from the pork oozed out as I went to pick it up to take a bite. I had drizzled a small amount of the med-hot red salsa & I immediately thought I should have added more - I love spicy food. The combination was so very flavorful.  I added another layer by squeezing some of my guacamole over my sandwich as if it wasn't messy enough to eat.

I highly recommend you bring a fork, otherwise you'll be doing a lot of finger-licking as I did.  Grab lots of napkins too. So to no surprise I went back for more the very next day.  It was still hopping - they had brought down an extra person, so they were still turning out orders pretty fast, but there was a line.

This time I tried the Black Bean & Queso Fresco Arepa with tomato & pickled cabbage (yes, I had to try it), then ordered the Chips & Salsa (They had run out of guacamole by the time I arrived.) 

They give you two little cups to hold the salsa, but there was really only room in the little tray for one - I doubt that I would have made it back to the office without a second getting dumped all over my clothes.

It was surprisingly filling for there being no meat.  It was still pretty messy to eat because of the juice in the beans. If I have to choose a favorite, however it would be the Pork. The Vegetarian option could have used a couple more ingredients to add to the layers of flavors. Next time I will add some of the pickled cabbage & a lot more salsa in lieu of the guacamole on top.

I do recommend that people give Hola Arepa a try. It's something totally out of the ordinary & very flavorful.  For the guys you may want to try two Arepas to feel totally satisfied.  For more information, follow them on Twitter or check out their website at http://holaarepa.com.

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Wordless Wednesday - Patience Reaps Reward

From humble beginnings

Some of the varieties I'm growing, besides the big cherry tomatoes include:

• The Big Rainbow, a sweet, mild & gorgeous, pictured above with striking yellow and red streaked flesh. 

• Djena Lee's Golden Girl (orange), also pictured above, which we ate too fast to take a picture sliced.  

• The Black Krim Heirloom Tomato, a "medium-sized, very dark maroon beefsteak, with wonderfully rich flavor." 

• The Rutgers Heirloom Tomato, pictured above - a "legendary 'Jersey' tomato, introduced in 1934: a cross between J.T.D. (an old New Jersey variety from the Campbell Soup Co.) and Marglobe. Its flavor, both for slicing and cooking." 

Hope you are enjoying fresh Summer treats from your garden as well!

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:  Lunch via Vellee Deli or Minneapolis Loves A Good Food Truck Vendor

Lunch via Vellee Deli

For lunch the other day I ventured the 3 blocks over to Marquette & instead of my old faithful spot, I thought I'd try out one of the newer Food Trucks that serve downtown Minneapolis.   Parked between 5th & 6th Street on that day was Vellee Deli. They call themselves creating food that is a fusion of Asian & Mexican.

I had heard that they served fish tacos, but did not have a clue what to expect.

For $7.00 I tried what they call The Kraken which is 2 "tacos" - a beer batter fish filet topped with shredded red cabbage & pico de gallo, served on a couple of cold corn tortillas.

 

They all wore tee shirts that said on the back:

"it's not just good...it's VELLEE GOOD! "

My verdict?!

The portion size was small - I almost wished I would have ordered something else to go along with it.  The presentation was good, however I would have preferred to have it in a box that I could close for the walk back to the office.  Onlookers jealously peered at it as I walked back up the street.

The crunch of the battered fish was a nice contrast to the cold corn tortillas & the toppings were surprisingly flavorful, enough so that I though a portion size of 3 tacos would have been perfect for lunch.

I may have missed the boat with my order because as I stood waiting for my lunch a number of dishes quickly sold out: The Dragon Melt ( a Quesadilla), one of their Burritos, and one of the Baugette sandwiches.

It peaked my taste buds enough to go back another day & give one of the other dishes a try as you know a woman can not nosh on Lobster rolls alone!

I did appreciate that they made their social presence known with the Twitter & Facebook buttons on their truck. If your are interested in viewing their menu - click Vellee Deli & check out their website.  I'm following them on Twitter & you can also @VelleeDeli.

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Minneapolis Loves A Good Food Truck Vendor

@Smack_Shack was one of only eleven food-truck vendors allowed to operate in Downtown Minneapolis last year.

This was last year's @Smack_Shack location on 1st Ave. N. & 4th St. N. in the Warehouse District of Downtown Minneapolis, quite a long haul from my office so I only made it there once :  (

Needless to say that virgin taste of the Lobster Roll, filled with a quarter-pound of fresh, shelled lobster & a bit of cucumber left me wanting more...

 

New expansion approved by the Minneapolis City Council allows food to be sold curbside in pre-approved locations. When Spring came & @Smack_Shack began to tweet about their trip out East to sample foods & get ideas for new menu items I was filled with anticipation for them to announce they would open soon.

Their current location is between 6th & 7th on Marquette outside the Wells Fargo building. So convenient... perhaps a little too convenient!

A very happy customer who didn't wait for her friends to get their orders before digging in right there on the sidewalk!

I ventured over too late on my 1st trip of the Spring & they sold out of the $12 Lobster Rolls before I arrived, so I tried a Shrimp Po'Boy instead. I've been a shrimp addict almost since birth or as least for as long as I can remember. This version of a classic Louisiana sandwich truly hit the spot. Their seasoned fries are also very good & $2 gives you a generous portion you can share with a friend.

My 2nd trip of the season was with a blogger friend. We knew to get there early so we arrived 30 minutes after opening. They still had plenty of menu selections left, so I enjoyed a Lobster Roll. It is one sandwich they serve on toasted bread instead of a French bread roll.  (Don't ask me why... not really sure, but it was delicious either way.) 

Everyone raves about the large chunks of lobster meat & lack of needless fillers, plus they wouldn't think of saturating it with a ton of mayo.  It's a beautiful thing really.

 

Trip number three! - There was yet another new waitress braving the elements to take orders. My luck each time I've visited there has been a brisk chill in the air & you are standing outside waiting for your order to be made for a while. (So worth the wait!)

I'm committed to eating my way through the menu at this point. I heard on Twitter they sold out of a new sandwich option which they were trying to decide whether they should keep on the menu, I of course was curious.  

Within 45 minutes on Thursday they sold out of the $12 Soft Shell Crab Po'Boy, so of course the next day I had to go check out what the fuss was about.

If I had to rank the three sandwiches I've tried so far it would go:

#1 - Lobster Roll

#2 - Shrimp Po'Boy

#3 - Soft Shell Crab Po'Boy

however, I encourage you to go & check them out for yourselves. You'll be happy you did.

Update: June 18th

 

Here is an alternate location near Target Headquarters where on Thursday mornings they also sometimes serve breakfast.

Update: July 9th

I love that Smack Shack continues to try new things on the menu to keep the lunch options fresh for those willing to stray from the lobster roll.

It was pretty good - slightly different texture - not at chunky, but still full of flavor.

The next day they decided to improve upon the crab roll even further...

Giving me yet another reason to visit!

To find more out about them, visit their website at http://smack-shack.com/.

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Happy Mother's Day To Me!

MuddyPawsCheesecake.com

For weeks I've been meaning to pay a visit to the best Cheesecake Bakery in town: Muddy Paws Cheesecake. This morning I wasn't going to be denied.

I chose a sampler: 1/4 Raspberry Swirl  

(Strawberry Swirl was sold out already when I arrived), 

1/4 Caramel Swirl, 1/4 New York & 1/4 Key Lime.

 

 As soon as we got home, I couldn't wait for it to thaw out & had to try the Key Lime first.

Munckin wanted to sample the plain New York. 

Going...

Going...

Gone... 

So decadent, so smooth, so sinfully delicious. No Guilt whatsoever. 

Happy Mother's Day To Me!

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Not so Delicious After All

I hadn't paid much attention to Social Bookmarking Services in the past, but that all changed on Friday. Social Bookmarking been around for several years, however I've been very happy with the "old fashioned" & private way of just creating folders of bookmarks on my PC. I haven't seen a need to make my library of web resources public. But there are many people that do & rely on this resource which can be readily retrieved from anywhere ~ especially when you're on the go.

But seriously hard core Delicious users are suddenly shopping the competition & rushing to move their libraries of data to a more reliable source.

Competitor Diigo is already capitalizing on the rumors of the future of Delicious being in flux:

 Just in case you're not familiar, here's a quick & dirty download on some of the Diigo features including:

• "My library" for doing web research, sharing on-line content & collaboration
•  The ability to annotate w/highlighting, highlight & clip images, and even a "post-it notes" tool
•  Use of a cloud online archive so you don't have to worry about web pages or .pdfs not being there when you use traditional bookmarks to find them again
• Ability to download content for off-line browsing
• Means to organize data w/multiple tags or lists which you can elect to share with others
• Multiple back-ups of your online library
• "My Network" - the means to create personal learning networks
• Option of establishing group collaborative repository networks
• Accessibility via mobile with ease

Instapaper is also a more simple option, without all the bells & whistles of a Delicious, Evernote or Diigo. According to the site FAQ, "Instapaper isn’t optimized for keeping track of thousands of pages. This isn’t the right tool to collect, categorize, tag, filter, and search the contents of every web page you’ve ever found."

Evernote is a recommended Delicious alternative as well for capturing organizing & finding saved items you're looking for fast. With this service it's not quite as easy as downloading a toolbar, you're downloading a desktop client application.

My question is does it make sense to have all your treasured bookmarks in one basket? Redundancy may be the sensible answer - although it's time consuming, it may be better than stressing about the what if scenarios of the future. It would be nice if someone could come up with a self hosted alternative that allowed you to back-up your library to your own personal cloud - perhaps even to the same place that you store your personal files like MozyHome.

In a volatile economy, especially one where in the same week Yahoo announced 600 layoffs, nothing is certain & no product is guaranteed to last forever.  Instead of sweating the possibility of being a victim of circumstance - get your disaster recovery plan in place & stay proactive with your options.  You'll be glad you did.

More posts inspired by Delicious Paranoia:

Web Uproar As Yahoo Shuts Down Delicious

Delicious is Dead. Now What?

17 Reasons Delicious.com Users Should Head to Diigo

10 Alternatives to Delicious

Yahoo Claims It’s Not Killing Delicious

What's next for Delicious?

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