Countdown...(an update)

We rarely have gotten any updates about the progress of our condo but the other day I got an email from our builder with the adjacent photo. Although, I must admit, the condo complex does have a nice view of DC - this picture is way too zoomed in and are the fireworks really THAT big? Regardless, it will be a perfect place to watch fireworks next year...if we move in by then! It's nice that they are attempting to throw us a bone.

Latest update for move-in: mid to late November. I guess we'll be getting our Thanksgiving meal from a Chinese restaurant since we'll be living out of boxes at that point...I can only pray for such a scenario :) Please let it stop being so hot so those workers can finish up our building!!! I'm tempted to take some lessons on putting up dry wall and bricklaying.

Mozzarella, tomato and arugula sandwiches

I'm home today studying for my mid-term exam which is tonight. So naturally I'm home taking pictures of my lunch and blogging about it :) However, I must give myself a bit of credit...I did manage to get in several good hours of studying as well.

We are trying to be more budget conscious and, in doing so, we are trying to bring our lunch to work more often. It's easy to make a crappy lunch that by the time lunch rolls around, you really don't want to eat. So I really wanted to find a good recipe that I would not only enjoy but could happily eat for multiple days in a row. When I worked/lived in Crystal City, I used to go to Au Bon Pain and get their Tomato and Mozzarella sandwich at least once every week or two. So I decided to replicate the sandwich but replace arugula (a typically more expensive ingredient) for the romaine and bring that for lunch this week. I'd like to think that making your own sandwiches is always cheaper but the math geek inside me decided to prove this theory and calculate out how much I'm actually saving...


For my sandwich:
$1.29 for the Giant brand french bread loaf - $0.33/serving
$3.99 for the Sorrento brand fresh mozzarella - $1.00/serving (on second look, I realized I said the wrong brand - now corrected)
$1.99/pound for the vine-ripened tomatoes - $0.50/serving
$1.99 for Giant brand baby arugula and lettuce salad mix - $0.25/serving
$3.49/jar for Classico brand pesto sauce - $0.35/serving
Total for sandwich - $2.45


Sandwich at Au Bon Pain:
MOZZARELLA AND TOMATO (V)
Mozzarella, Tomato, Romaine with Basil Pesto served on a Baguette - $4.59


My sandwich is almost half the cost and just as tasty!


I watch Good Deal with Dave Lieberman on occasion and he always claims to make gourmet meals for a fraction of the cost...however, annoyingly, he usually would fail to substantiate his claims! So I felt this burning desire to actually prove that something like a gourmet sandwich can actually proven to be cheaper.

One more thought...The nice thing about this sandwich is that it does use good quality ingredients that can easily be incorporated into other lunches or dinners. So if you really don't want to eat these sandwiches for 5 days in a row, you could make a pesto dish for dinner one night with sauteed tomatoes and topped with fresh mozzarella or make a nice hearty salad.

Ok, I suppose I should study some more...

Countdown...

We drove by our condo today to check on its progress with the guise of going to Target. Here's some pictures we took from the road:

We marked our condo with an arrow - if you couldn't figure that out :) From what we are told, we are going to move in late this year..whatever that means. And how is this related to cooking, you may ask? I can't wait to cook in that kitchen!!! :)

Zola's Coca-Cola Cake

I had the honor of making my good friend, EF's, birthday cake for her 30th birthday party this weekend. I am not much of a baker but I was willing to give it a shot since I love her so much! This recipe was passed on from EF's mother...Thanks, Mrs. Frownfelter! The cake turned out SO moist and the coca-cola gives it a nice kick! I will definitely make it again :)

Here's the recipe:

Mix in a saucepan and bring to boil:
1C coca cola
1 stick margarine + a tad
1/2 C oil
4 T cocoa

Remove from stove and add:
1 1/2 C small marshmallows to hot mixture and let melt

Pour this over 2 C sugar and 2 C flour

mix well and add 1/2 C buttermilk
1 t baking soda
2 well beaten eggs
mix well!

bake in greased 9X13 pan
40-45 min @ 350 degrees

Coca Cola Frosting:

3 T cocoa
1 C nuts (pecans- chopped up)
6 T cola
1 stick margarine
1 C small marshmallow
1 t vanilla
1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar

mix cocoa, cola, butter, vanilla and marshmallows.
put on stove and let come to a boil. Pour over sugar and beat with mixer until smooth. Add nuts and pout over warm cake in pan.

I just added the powdered sugar to give it a nice effect in the photo...really not very necessary.

Singapore Curry Noodles with Green Peppers and Shrimp and Curried Cauliflower

For the 4th of July weekend, two friends from high school came to visit. We had a whirlwind adventure visiting NYC for two days and then driving back to D.C. to go to the zoo and see the 4th of July fireworks on the mall. On a quick side note, we saw Avenue Q on Broadway; if it comes to your city - go see it, it's hilarious. My two friends love to cook at least as much as I do so we had discussed ahead of time what recipes we were going to cook up during their trip. My friend brought this cookbook and we decided on the noodle dish and my other friend decided to make her curried cauliflower dish to go with it. I have to give them credit - they did all the cooking but I did set the table! I LOVE this cookbook - we made two recipes from there for our 4th of July picnic - a curried chicken salad and a curry yogurt dip. If anyone is thinking about getting me a random gift anytime soon, here's a worthy present! :)