YIIP: Year In iPhone Photos

I'm crossing the halfway point in my YIIP project. I love taking photos with my iPhone and yesterday I got the new iPhone4 so I forsee even more photos in my future with its' much improved camera.



I love the daily challenge of getting that one fun shot. I hate it when I forget to get that one shot though. Just hate it.



You can enjoy the whole set on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/reebeckisupergirl/sets/72157623115649872/

Testing the Knit

Last week, ZigZagStitch asked for test knitters on her Twitter account for her newest project - The Red Collection.

I quickly leaped at the chance to test knit a few patterns and on Sunday I finished The Drifty Hat. I love this hat and *almost* wish it was cold enough to wear it. Notice I said *almost* because the weather has been spectacular around here and I don't want that to EVER END!



I am also a little proud of how great my floats look. I loved testing this pattern. It was so excellently written and such a great pattern.

Thoughts on "Eating Local" (the book)

Scott and I really enjoyed eating from "Eating Local" this week. There were many successes and only one "dud".



This is a cookbook that is destined to become the one I reach for when planning meals. I've added it to my kitchen counter cookbooks, that stack of books that sit all splattered with sauces and oils, marked with post-its and smeared fingerprint marks.



I am so looking forward to cooking more from this cookbook. I can't wait to use more fresh Farmer's Market fruits and veggies. I'm especially excited about the Fig and Lemon Preserves, I plan to make when Figs are in season later this summer.

Eating Local - Baby Greens with Fig, Blue Cheese and Walnuts + Grilled Flat Iron Steak

Tonight's dinner was another aim toward healthiness. I made the Baby Greens with Fig, Blue Cheese and Walnuts and added the Grilled Flat Iron Steak to make the salad a bit more substantial.



The beef was supposed to be marinated for 8 hours but since I didn't remember to do that before work, it ended up being marinated for 2 hours while I attended yoga class.



The salad was super easy to put together and the only change I made was to add some dijon mustard to the salad dressing. I believe dijon mustard makes any salad dressing even better.



I used dried figs since it is not fig season yet but I had to have them once I had spotted this recipe in the "Eating Local" book.

All in all, this salad was a win. It's one that I can see making again and again. Quite delicious!

Eating Local - Grilled Pork Tacos, Yucatan Style with Pickled Red Onions

It was Taco Tuesday and we always have tacos on Tuesday. Luckily Eating Local had a great Grilled Pork Tacos, Yucatan Style with Pickled Red Onions recipe on page 278.



The recipe calls for the creation of an achiote paste which requires annatto seeds. I searched high and low for those darn annatto seeds and even visited a Mexican grocery looking for them. Eventually I gave up and added some chilies in sauce to the marinate for kicks.



The tacos were spicy and tender though Scott did mention that he much preferred flour tortillas to the corn ones I served tonight. He said the flour ones don't fall apart as fast as the corn ones do and he does have a point.



The most surprising part of the meal for me was the pickled onions. Until about two years ago, I did not like onions but now, now I crave them. These pickled onions are pure crunchy delight.

Eating Local - Grilled Scallops with Wilted Spinach and Lemon-Caper Butter

I have to be honest here. Last night's dinner was a bit of a let-down. After our lamb heavy day on Sunday, I decided to lighten things up by making "Grilled Scallops with Wilted Spinach and Lemon-Caper Butter" on page 148 of "Eating Local".



Scott and I really enjoy our seafood but I just don't think that we love scallops. They tend to be bland and no matter how I cook them, they just don't retain any flavor.



Now don't get me wrong, the dish was super easy to make and the lemon-caper butter was divine. I just think if I were to make this again, I would substitute shrimp for the scallops and asparagus for the spinach, making an entirely different dish than this one.



I also decided to try my hand at the Vietnamese-Style Carrot and Daikon Pickle on page 142 of "Eating Local". I wasn't a fan of that either. I'm letting the flavors settle a bit before trying them again. I've never had Daikon and Scott said that it tasted like pickled Daikon. Maybe I'm not a fan of Daikon?



Well you can't win them all and these weren't complete losses. In fact, I suspect that other people would LOVE them. These recipes just aren't for Scott and I.