Weekend Eats

Last weekend I made bran muffins. I took the recipe from the bag of Bob's Red Mill Wheat Bran in my cupboard and added a few things, to make them into certified health bombs:

1 cup of wheat bran
1.5 cups whole wheat flour (I had whole wheat pastry flour, so I used that.)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk (I used skim.)
1/2 cup molasses or honey (I combined these because I was running out of both of them- it was about 1/2 blackstrap molasses and 1/2 honey, and I fell a little short of the 1/2 cup. No big deal.)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbs oil
2 eggs, beaten

I also added a tbs of whole flax seeds, 1/2 tbs of cinnamon, and a good shake of ginger. I think I would add more cinnamon (because I love it.

Combine wheat bran, flour, baking soda and baking powder. 
In a separate bowl blend applesauce, milk, molasses, oil and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Spoon into greased muffin tin (or paper muffin cups) and bake for 12-15 minutes at 400. 

This morning I ripped the top off one of them, smeared peanut butter onto the bottom, then put the top back on. Halfway into my commute I started eating, because I needed my coffee to cool off so I could enjoy the two of them simultaneously. These are super healthy and Lent-compliant for those of us who gave up added sugar.

On Saturday night I went to have dinner with my hugely pregnant friend. She made chicken chili and I brought fruit salad. I like to fancy my fruit up with a little pomegranate seed, a little drizzle of olive oil, and the lightest pinch of Maldon sea salt. Trust me.

On Sunday afternoon I had a meeting with a Junior League friend at Schuler's. I was starved and ordered the grilled cheese and tomato soup special. The sandwich bread was great. The soup was blech.

Saturday lunch was at Meat with my favorite cousin. The food was incredible, which I expected after my last visit. I had the sandwich special, brisket, blue cheese, and buffalo sauce. The hot garlic sauce has been taken down a notch so I was able to squirt it onto every bite I took. I was thrilled that they hadn't run out of the potato salad, but disappointed that the potatoes seemed to be just short of fully cooked. Al dente potatoes aren't good.

We both demolished our plates. But the services, THE SERVICE, was atrocious. We ordered, then we waited 40 minutes. Everyone around us, including much larger parties who had been seated after us, were eating as we were still waiting. The waitress was actively avoiding me until I flagged her down, looked at my watch, and gave her the universal shrug with hands in the air that means "what the hell is going on here." She said "I'll check with the cook" and returned immediately with our food, which had obviously been sitting. No apology. Not a word from her. No refill on my one glass of water during the 1.25 hours we were there, either.

Furthermore, she never brought a check to our table. When I finally approached the counter, she slapped the bill down without asking me how I wanted it- together? separate? I slid it back across the counter and asked her to divvy it up, but you would have thought I asked her to lick the bottom of my shoe.

I have her a $1 tip. I. Was. PISSED. The food at Meat is out of this world, but if I'm ever treated that way again, I will never go back.