LOCAL WEDNESDAYS*: A STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE DISASTER

    Do you start your week off organized with your head on straight then somewhere it all gets thrown out the window? Every Sunday I clean my bedroom, do laundry, get everything ready for the week, then by Friday my closet looks like someone ripped everything out with a rake, I can't find anything to wear and I am lucky if I bring my trifecta with me out the door: keys, wallet, iphone.
     Not only do I feel like a disaster, I know I look like one. Monday I have mascara on, some lip gloss and cute earring, by Friday I'm lucky if I'm showered for work. 
    My eating habits take this cliff dive somewhere, too. Usually after a weekend of eating like a pig, I swear that I am going to eat better, lots of greens and grains, a glass of red wine with dinner, then the weekend comes and I let it all hang out: cocktails, fried food and dessert. And the cycle continues.

     Follow me on this journey. I started off the week neat and healthy. I went to EAT with Amy, a wholesome farm to table restaurant in Greenpoint. Try it! Its cheap and delicious and BYOB. Amy is my restaurant adventure partner. We always try new places together that we go back to, like Rye. I was feeling great and inspired

    After I got my big vegetable share I made a Local Spelt, Red Bean and Spinach Salad with Thyme (and bacon), similar to a dish I had at EAT, plus a Red and White Radish Salad with Spring Garlic and Dill from the garden.

    I was still on track when I visited  the parent's the following evening but guess what Mommy did? She made the most delicious Strawberry Shortcake with strawberries from our fruit share. MOM! And Rocco doesn't skimp on servings and I was all, "This is way to much, I can't eat all this." And I kept saying that until it was all done. One serving of Strawberry Shortcake is okay. But wait, it gets crazy.
    It was one of those weeks when my running routine just barely evened out all the very fat things I ate. Don't get all, "Come on!" You know I am not a dieter, in fact I encourage overindulgence. You only live once, but sometimes I need to check myself. I guess the one redeeming fact is that it was all local. So even if I am destroying my "figure" (what a silly thing to say) I am not killing the ecosystem.
    By Thursday it was a visit to Paulie Gee's. He has Bacon Marmalade Pizza with Egg on the menu. Get it! Pizza is not bad, but when a mistake pie ends up in front of you are heading for disaster. At this point things aren't totally out of control.

     Saturday was the Belmont Stakes. Deviled eggs and Fried Green Tomatoes. Not so bad, except when two people consume a half dozen eggs after a double egg and potatoes breakfast. Sorry, Mr. Cholesterol. Did I mention there are eggs in the batter for the tomatoes? As in the batter I used to fry the crap out of them. This is where I take off in the wrong direction and don't look back.
    I don't know how the Southerner's do it, in fact I never had a "real" fried green tomato as in one made by a Southerner, but am I right in saying they need something? Like a dip or sauce. I whipped up a funny sweet and sour sauce: ketchup, hot sauce, honey, soy sauce.

    A bike ride sounded like a good idea. To the best local Old Fashioned Ice Cream joint Eddie's Sweet Shoppe in Forest Hills. The place is a mess; its run by teenagers. The cups are piled to the ceiling and it looks like they had a sprinkles fight. It doesn't stop us from getting a Banana Royale. A Banana Split has two scoops of ice cream. Thats not enough. We needed a Banana Royale: three scoops, a pound of whipped cream, chocolate sauce, nuts, sprinkles and the cherry on top of course. Markus pointed out the "responsible" one cup servings the other patrons at the bar had enjoyed, then we returned to our double wide, double decker royale and could only shake our heads in shame, because our mouths were filled with ice cream! How we rode home is a mystery.
   
Sunday was (re)spaetzle time. Check out the first spaetzle success. At Prime Meats with Jules we had the most licking-the-plate-clean delicious Spaetzle with Mushrooms and Bacon. So Markus and I tried to mix it up a bit. We used the new spaetzle making tool Santa gave Markus, which is basically a potato press. It was faster than cutting each individual piece of spaetzle into the pot, but it just made giant globs of spaetzle dumplings that Markus later suggested we mold into a meatball then deep fry. Why do I like that boy? Oh, thats why.
   The addition of the mushrooms into the classic spaetzle recipe was another major success. And the little gruyere we topped it with had a nice stinky cheese flavor that we enjoyed. Next time we should stick to the old method and send the press back to the North Pole. Stupid Santa.
   The week isn't over. It comes full circle. Remember the Strawberry Shortcake? Now every time I visit my parent's house there is Strawberry Shortcake happening. Its totally crazy. I was just picking up mail and before I knew it I was doubling up on cream and berries. I felt like I had been drugged and woke up with dessert in my mouth. Heavenly dessert.
   So its a new week, a new start to get things together and eat better. It won't last, who am I fooling? The first inkling: on the way to picking up our share this week, which happened to include strawberries, Rocco got a curious call to pick up some heavy cream and lemon juice on the way home. I wonder what that is for? I am steering clear of that house ... well at least until the weekend.

*All ingredients from this post are local.