2 Teaspoons, Meet Joe Black (and my peanut butter cookies)

So I watched Meet Joe Black for the first time ever tonight (how did I miss this film??), and among other exciting moments, we see Brad Pitt discovering peanut butter. Which of course makes one want a spoonful of peanut butter right this instant.

Fortunately, I had the last three of these no-bake chocolate and peanut butter oatmeal bars in the freezer. I recommend "blending" the peanut butter layer ingredients in the food processor -- it may take away some of the oatmeal texture, but it made the process super speedy. Storing in the freezer has two benefits: 1, it ensures non-melty chocolate and 2) it keeps the bars semi-hidden, and therefore they last longer.

Super easy to make. Ideal for peanut butter lovers. You hear that, Brad?

Garden Party

I thought nothing would grow -- as new homeowners, I feared we'd turn the front yard into a wasteland of wimpy carrot tops and inch-high broccoli.

Apparently I was wrong. The garden's far from perfect (I wish I had more variety, and more of everything), but it's definitely growing. The last two weekends I've filled the Yard Waste bin with heaps of who-knows-what, enormous weeds that sprouted up uninvited and threatened to take over the "real" vegetation.

The actual foodstuffs: We have enough chard, lettuce, and arugula to actually eat regularly.

The fennel (top right, in collage below) is growing successfully -- which is great, considering I stuffed it carelessly into a broken pot in the corner of the garden and then forgot about it. The broccoli is mostly huge leaves, but seems promising.

We ate all the radishes before I thought to plant more, and I accidentally "weeded" the beets (oops). But the carrots might be fabulous -- they're teeny, but I needed to thin them and the few I pulled out were barely bite-sized.

Last year's enthusiastic gardener left us blueberry and strawberry plants, each with more teeny fruits than I expected. The one red, ripe strawberry mysteriously disappeared -- I suspect squirrels or the newspaper delivery person.

Tomatoes are what I really want. My six plants should be more than enough, but they're slow to grow. I realize it's only June, but I'm impatient. I want last year's surplus.

Brightly-colored Thai beef salad

I meant to blog about this dish when I first made it, but now that I've tried it twice I can assure you it was no fluke the first time. I could make this once a week and be happy with it. And, I think it would be great for an outdoorsy potluck. Come on over. I'll make it for you.

Also exciting: we have enough lettuce in the garden to make an entire salad! Plus lots of arugula, and radishes, cilantro, fennel, chives, scallions (or something oniony I've been using as scallions -- whatever the old owner left us).

Pardon the bloody beef pics, you vegans and vegetarians. Marinated tofu would be great instead, though I can't imagine a comparable vegan substitute for the fish sauce in the dressing.

And for future reference: fish sauce is a questionable predecessor to whipped cream. Tonight we had this before strawberry shortcake. Although Brian said both were delicious, I think I'll opt for a mango sorbet or something more Thai-appropriate next time. (As if I really plan my dinner along with coordinating desserts.)

Thai beef salad

From Everyday Food, May 2010

For beef:

• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 12 oz flank steak (8oz is plenty if you're making this for two people)

Combine and marinate overnight in the refrigerator or for ~15 minutes on the counter. Heat a heavy pan over high, place steak in and turn to medium. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, for medium-rare steak. Let rest while you prepare the salad.

For salad, toss:

• Enough lettuce to make the size salad you want, of whatever variety you want. The magazine says 2 heads of bibb lettuce. I used a large bowl full of assorted Very Fancy Raven's Garden lettuce.
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 carrots, shaved with a vegetable peeler
• 1/4 C fresh mint + 1/4 C fresh basil (or whatever herbs you want. Cilantro? Fennel? Sure.)
• Oh, I also used about 1 C shredded red cabbage the first time I made this.

For dressing, stir together:

2 tsp fish sauce

2 tsp toasted sesame oil (which I bought only for this, but is amazing)

2 tsp sugar

1 T minced fresh ginger

1 small minced jalepeno (I used less than half and it was plenty)

2 T lime juice.

Toss dressing with salad. Slice rested steak thinly, then add to salad. Eat.

Saturday toast and jam

Proof that the grass is always greener on the other side: Friday, I wished I could work from home. Saturday, I'm electing to spend 1/3 of the holiday weekend in my office finishing a paper.

But I have a little french press and a cute teacup, plus toast with homemade jam, so maybe the grass is pretty green over here.

Now ... where did I put my motivation to write a long paper?

Take Your Baking To Work Days: Part II

As a Morning Person, I usually hop out of bed to greet the sunshine, then prance around the house singing happy morning songs. I am not a fan of sleeping in. This does not mean I'm excited to go to work.

So, after my prancing and singing last Monday, I stalled going into the office by baking banana bread. I used the recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, below -- I think the first thing I ever baked, and probably the thing I've baked most.