Happy Meatless MOANday

Halloween and Meatless Monday are happening on the same day! I'm off to the store to see what sorts of ghoulish dishes I can whip up for dinner. I'll post them later.

Have a safe and happy Halloween! Booooooooooooo!

Restaurant review: Gaga over Carrabba's

Fried zucchini. FRIED ZUCCHINI. Battered, fried zucchini straws. Do I even need to say how delicious that was?! It came with a creamy dipping sauce that reminds me of the sauce served with crab cakes. That was delicious too, but the zucchini certainly did not need any dip--it was awesome on its own.

Then I ordered a salad with artichoke, roasted peppers, and OMG marinated, grilled eggplant (still warm) with a medallion of goat cheese in a hazelnut crust (also warm).

I am actually having difficulty writing this post because I am at a loss for words. So good.

Plus, I am thrilled to be able to order items on a restaurant menu without having to ask the awkward questions about hidden meat. It was apparent these were vegetarian items.

Verdict: Great!

Butter the size of an egg

Right now the sky is gray, it's raining cats and dogs, and it's chilly--that damp sort of cold that seeps into your bones.

I'm making some really old school apple crisp with some delicious apples I got from a local orchard. It's not the traditional crunchy topping. It's a very old recipe that calls for "butter the size of an egg" and has a batter-like topping.

I've entered it into recipe contests and was surprised it didn't win. My guess is, the odd ingredients made it sound unappealing. The ingredients list reads more like a recipe for cookie dough than a traditional fruit crisp.

Except it's sooooo goooooooood. It's light and crispy on the top, warm and soft on the inside. Heaven. Nirvana. Shambala. Whatever name you use for "awesome".

(Yep--there's no beans in this one!)