Cooo-kies (the quest to find the perfect GF cookie)

Where has the time gone? Looking back, it seems that I haven't posted in over a month...Oops. What having I been doing all this time? I have been looking for the perfect gluten free cookie. That's a good excuse right? (I might have gone on a little bit of a cookie binge.) The good news is I have stumbled upon the most delicious cookies over the last month and am sharing my favorites with you today. Lucky you; no web scouring necessary. 

Runner up #2
Snickerdoodles by the Urban Poser These are really delicious. They are soft, cinnamon-y and perfect for any occasion and when you don't want chocolate. (When would you not want chocolate?? blasphemy.) These were Mr. FFF favorites overall.

Runner up #1
Soft & Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies by PaleOMG Wow. These are amazing. As long as you have the right kind of almond butter in the house (I used Justin's) they are also the easiest to make and therefore consume. I really thought I had found the best chocolate cookie here...

 

I took these pictures at night. So, this is not the prettiest picture,
please refer to London Bakes pictures for a more appetizing looking cookie. 

Winner!!!

Flourless Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies by London Bakes Whoa chocolate! One little bite into this cookie and you get the perfect amount of salt, sweet, bitter (from the chocolate) and the perfect amount of chewiness. You really couldn't ask for a better cookie. 

I did do a few things different from the recipe but really not anything that would change the overall outcome.
* I didn't have brown sugar so I used Coconut Palm Sugar which is darker and has certain richness to it. I think it is easy substitute for the dark brown sugar (which is white sugar with molasses).

* I didn't use dark chocolate, I didn't have any. What I did have was the Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips, which are soy free... The cookie might have been a little bit better with a darker chocolate. I guess I will have to make them again and again... and again just to find out. 

* I didn't wait the whole hour to chill the dough. I mean it was 9 pm and I wanted a cookie! So I couldn't possible wait until 10 pm just to make them... These are real life problems people. I decided to only chill the dough a little bit, like 20-30 minutes. I figured what could go wrong? Either the cookie will just be a bit flatter which doesn't really bother me OR the batter would melt off the cookie trey, into the oven and burn. Smelling up my house of inedible burnt cookie dough. So I took a chance. After the half hour, I took the batter out and used my handy dandy cookie scoop, I let the dough naturally flatten and stuck the cookie sheet in the oven. Viola. They came out great!

For all of these cookies since you are no using traditional flour or any flour at all you will need to patiently wait for them to cool entirely before removing from the parchment paper. 

I suggest when you get home today to make these. Although do not, I repeat, DO NOT make these if you have no milk in the house. In fact go buy a quart of milk on the way home just to make sure. According to Mr FFF, you are going to need it.

 "These are great but you need a half glass of milk with each cookie." 

A Change Will Do You Good.

Over the last 18 months I have managed to move my two person family to a more Paleo or Primal lifestyle. I first read about Paleo October 2012 which is weird because I heard about it at least six months prior and I usually try to check out these new "diets" to see what they are all about.

My first encounter was through co-workers who briefly explained they were only eating natural items like nuts, and vegetables and agave/honey instead of sugar. At least that is what I got from their explanation. During this time I was still trying to eat a low carb/fat or South Beach type of fare. It might be that I was not ready.... OR that I saw them chowing down on processed foods (bags of chips, "natural" packaged cookies) and eating items in general they had told me were not in the "diet". I immediately took this diet as a joke and blew it off. Who wants to diet anyways? Don't get me wrong- over the last ten years or so I have tried and been successful at Weight Watchers, South Beach and Lo Carb in general. I have cut out pasta, then potatoes, then bread; I have been to the gym (mostly) regularly for the last seven years. Because of this I have had a natural progression from the prepackaged food of my college days to completely homemade meals of today.

Today's frozen food were last weeks left overs.

In 2012 one of my girlfriends was losing weight; every time I saw her she looked healthier and healthier. She was positively radiant. When prompted, she briefly mentioned that she was cutting out legumes, sugar, alcohol, dairy and grains. (I am sure I gave her a crazy "O-Kay" look because it sounds like a lot of items, I mean dairy!!!) She followed up with "You know like the Paleo diet?". This was the second time I heard about PALEO so I immediately went home to check it out. I obviously wanted to lose a tiny bit of weight so that was one reason I needed to look into Paleo plus eating on a South Beach like menu was leaving me not satisfied. I found myself straying from what I thought was ideal and feeling like I was "cheating" far too many times. I also started to think "what is the meaning of life with out good food"... sometimes I am so dramatic.

So last October when I ran into this video- it spoke to me OR at least made me do more research.

Throughout this journey I realized that I don't want to diet, I want to have a healthy lifestyle- and what I think that looks like has changed over the years. I am still not a perfect Paleo/Primal eater. It has only been a year people! You can't change your whole lifestyle in one year but I have been working my way there. I am lucky that unlike the majority of people who have switched to this way of eating, I do not have an illness or autoimmune disease (at least that I have noticed). Since I am overall pretty healthy (I know I am lucky!) I do sometimes find it hard to not eat foods my friends or family and the general population of America consume. Eating this way has done several maybe-not-so-noticeable-to-others things for me. I do generally feel better about myself. I have reduced those afternoon cravings/ hunger pains. I don't have to snack, although sometimes I do. I do not all of a sudden get hungry and in the *kill-all-things mode. (Seriously, there was a time when I was like a ticking time bomb and would suddenly get really hungry and grumpy at the same time. Mr. FFF always was a little bit afraid during this time. But this doesn't happen anymore. Thank goodness.) I get to eat real bacon, but try to only do it once a week. I can maintain my weight more easily and not feel deprived.

For me, these things alone are worth the change. 

I do still drink (its soo hard to give up craft beer), eat something on the no no list if it is a special occasion IE in a new town, new restaurant, or in general when I really really want too. I also go on little spurts of time when I am very strict just to keep myself accountable and as a reminder why I have aimed to change. Everyday Is a new chance to reinforce my health and fitness goals. Always aiming for a better me! Isn't it great to have goals?

 What motivates you? Are there certain foods that make you just cray cray? 

Or are you a only live once type of person?

Need a little more info? Here are my favorite Paleo/Primal resources:

Overall best researched and well explained:

Mark's Daily Apple
Whole 9

Best overall Paleo recipes:
Nom Nom Paleo
PaleOMG (Juli has a lot of cheat recipes so be careful if you are being strict)
The Clothes Make the Girl

Best Paleo baking:
Elana's Pantry 
Against All Grain

*Lingo downright stolen from Melissa of Whole9.

My love affair with food.

The other day I was talking to a girlfriend about the pictures (a.k.a. food porn) I post on social media. "Your food always looks so amazing. I wish I could make those things." After thinking her for the compliment, I began to pour out the passion I have for all things food. I guess I had known these things about myself for a quite a while but I never really went all out and said it aloud. This one simple moment in time was my AHA. Enlightenment. Here is what I discovered about myself. 

I have always been interested in learning how to make food. I like to know about the history of food. I want to know the traditional ways to prepare food. I am on a quest to master food and make it taste as good as possible. I have a thirst to understand the nutrition of food and the human body.

I have always been interested in learning how to make food. For a few years when I was little, my dad would take me out to dinner every weekend when my mom was at work. The much cherished daddy daughter date. He introduced me to German, Italian, Cuban, and Greek. If anyone is to blame my expensive tastes or need for trying new and exciting foods- it's him. (Thanks Dad.) I was crushed when he told me our dates were at an end when I was 7 or 8. Turns out we had to help out family financially and couldn't spend money on going out for a while. As an only child (at the time), my memory serves this as my first lesson in self sacrifice. It was a sad day. The natural progression once we stopped going out was to start cooking at home. I am sure we cooked on week days before this time; I just don't remember it.  My parents both let me be "hands on" in the kitchen with them from an early age. I got to help them crack an egg, slice the tomato or stir the pot. We made new recipes frequently. There was a time in the early 90's that dad was very into the low fat health craze and working out. He cooked  us spinach linguine, lentil soup and other things that were usual to my friends when they joined us for dinner. These were strange times indeed. Once my sister was born and my mom was staying at home, she became the maker of necessary meals (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner) and my dad was the creator of fun meals/treats. Even to this day they work really well together in the kitchen. He bakes a cake, she decorates it. 

I like to know about the history of food. I want to know the old-fashioned or traditional ways to prepare food. I think that this started around the time Food Network first aired on cable TV. Shows like Iron Chef America, Paula's Home Cooking, and especially *Good Eats fulfilled and fueled my quest for knowledge of all things food. I couldn't wait to see what the secret ingredient was each week, how Paula makes her grandmas Red Velvet Cake that has been passed down from generation to generation, and to discover the science behind why Alton thinks that a brined bird is best.

I am on a quest to master food and make it taste as good as possible. I may not eat biscuits **frequently but I need to know how to make them. I don't know why. There was a time right after college that I made every baked good until it was admired by all or got the thumbs up from Mr. FFF. (You don't get the nickname "the Cupcake" from co-workers for nothin'.) I do not have a fear of The Apocalypse (or a Zombie attack) but I do feel the need to know how to make something in case...I don't know what? In case I have to  make it without a recipe one day. This is not rational but it is true.

I have a thirst to understand the nutrition of food and the human body. This is a more recent obsession. I think once you realize that you are nearing your thirties, you are not as invincible as you once thought, you see loved ones get sick or worse passing on. It strikes you that maybe you should start to really take care of your body. (Now that I think of it maybe this was the same reason for dad's health craze of the 90's- I guess the apple doesn't fall too far.) I have been on a quest to lose weight or get toned for years but now I want to make sure that I don't just look good on the outside. I want to reprogram my genes for myself and for future generations. I want to be the best me; to stay healthy for as long as possible. I want to avoid cancer which runs in the family, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and whatever other diseases lurk around the corner. All of these reasons and more is why I have gradually switched to a REAL FOOD life. I don't want to be S.A.D. I want to live a long healthy happy and fun life. Over the last year, I have read alot of about nutrition and I am on a quest for more. Weekly, Mr. FFF says "don't you already know everything you need to know about [book i am reading at the time]."


So that's a little about me. What about you? Do you think that we are more food aware than past generations? I really feel like having a whole network dedicated to food has shaped a greater percentage of our generation into foodies. Or was Julia Child alone enough inspire those of past generations with foodie tendencies?  Doubters need to check out this awesome video below.

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"Learn how to cook -- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun." - Julia Child

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* Good Eats is still my all time favorite food show. A.B. is so awesome. He currently has a podcast, the Browncast that airs weekly. I haven't missed an episode of that either!

**I miss eating you wonderful biscuits... oh the memories. 

The Long Awaited Trader Joe's

I love living in Florida. What is not to like? I've been to the beach in January, 70% of my weekends a year can be spent outside, and the cost of living is pretty darn good. I mean the weather right now is out of control amazing!

On the not so bright side, Florida doesn't tend to lead in health trends, hip stores, or innovative products... but we do have the ability to create some *big time chain restaurants and are in the national news frequently (both of which might be considered a bad thing). Somehow along the way I had learned of Trader Joe's, so way back in September 2012 when a Trader Joe's opened in Sarasota (which is 50 plus miles south of us), we heard ALL about it. Apparently people were very excited and pledged to make frequent trips to the store. This is a grocery store people- with a 70 minute drive! I really didn't understand but when the time came to build a Trader Joe's here in Tampa (mere minutes from my home) I did get a wee bit excited I mean it has to be good since everyone is so stoked about it. Only 5 days after our newest TJ's opened, I decided to trudge through the traffic and crowded mess just to find out what all of the fuss was about. You see the things I do for you?

First this store is tiny so the amount of people was massive compared to the amount of space. I realize that this is part of their business plan and maybe it'll get better with time but  I for one do not like crowds when shopping. It actually makes me spend less. (And this is one reason I do a lot of online shopping) Although I love it (hello I am a woman) I don't do tons of shopping so when I do I want to enjoy it; I do not want to be elbowed. Yes, this applies to grocery shopping as well. There are only 60 parking spots. Should it really be necessary for a grocery store to have a traffic cop? Ok how about 2? They had two! This seems excessive but on the bright side parking was relativity easy considering I had to drive past the store, make a u turn and wait in line to be allowed in the parking lot. All on a Wednesday afternoon.

Once I stepped in the store I was immediately reminded of Whole Foods with the fresh beautiful flowers- only cheaper. Then I was overcome by the amount of people in my view. I wandered around the store aimlessly. Then I started over; now that I knew where everything was located. I made sure to pick up TJ's brand olive oil, and several different varieties of their wine. Which I feel like they can no longer call Two Buck Chuck since the price is $2.99. (Dear Trader Joe's, I would accept  the name revision of Three Buck Chuck.) I also picked up their brand of olive oil potato chips. This potato chip victory was a pretty good one since Rolling Oats and Health Village Market are the only stores that carry potato chips not made with rancid vegetable oils  and I don't frequent these too much. Unless the need for chips arises.

Overall, Trader Joe's has a decent price for sprouted bread, bulk nuts, dairy products and organic produce. I don't know what I was expecting but I was surprised by how sparse the shelves were, the overwhelming TJ's brand items available and the lack of specialty items. They do have tons of frozen meals, processed foods and snacks galore. I now see why the general public loves this store so much. This store would really be good for someone who lives alone and doesn't cook or throwing a party cheaply/ last minute. This girl is a homemade, making things from scratch, pre-planning machine so I don't see much need for it.

UPDATE: After consuming all the items I bought, I will go back and get the wines, olive oil and the **chips from time to time but I am not on the Trader Joe's BANDWAGON. It was good but I didn't drink the cool-aid, just the wine.

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* Your welcome <Outback/Carrabbas/Bonefish/Flemings/Roy's/IHOP/Applebee's/Olive Garden/Red Lobster/LongHorn Steackhouse/Bahama Breeze/Seasons 52/The Capital Grille/Benihana/Village Inn/Anthonys Coal Fire Pizza/Hooters/Shula's/TooJay's/Wendy's/Burger King/First Watch/Checkers/Smokey Bones/Pizza Fusion> lovers! (Just to name a few)

**Honestly, I wish I could just find Jackson's Honest Potato Chips locally.

Organic Veggie Options

Since we bought our house way back in December 2011, I have been trying to get Mr. FFF to help me build a garden. I researched EVERYTHING from which veggies we would grow, to the best location in our yard, to how to grow organically. At first, we needed to spend our money and more importantly our time on other more essential household projects instead of my garden. Then I realized a year had passed. I started to get discouraged and thought he would never help me so I changed my game plan to see what other options we have around town. I was surprised by how many organic vegetable choices we have here in the Tampa area.

THE GROCERS
Weather it be Fresh Market, Whole Foods, or Publix Greenwise, we have plenty of grocery stores in the area that carry organic vegetables. Whole Foods is perhaps the most expensive but they have a diverse selection of veggies and are always fresh. Fresh Market is lower on the price scale but the quality of the produce is hit or miss. They also do not have a wide selection- just the standards we all expect. Although they do have some really great deals throughout the summer season on greens and berries. Publix Greenwise is by far the best of both worlds. They often have twofers (you know, two for one) and buy one get ones. Even on the vegetables! Just two weeks ago I got a B1G1 on Fennel... pretty good deal.

PROS: One stop for all groceries is so convenient. It is open every single day with the exception of some big holidays. You don't have to guess if they are going to have [insert produce here], they almost always have it in stock.  

CONS: Has anyone noticed how expensive organic produce is? The Cilantro at Publix used to be 99 cents but now is over $2 per bunch. I used to buy this herb every week but I am thinking that north of $100 a year is just too much! How long did it take them to get those avocados from California to our fair state of Florida? The perfectness of the produce does cause me to be suspicious...

THE FARMER'S MARKET
We have several Farmer's Markets in the Tampa area but not all of them are good. Fresh Market in Hyde Park and Saturday Morning Market in St. Pete are the most popular. "A farmers' market (also farmers market) is a physical retail market featuring foods sold directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets typically consist of booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, where farmers sell fruits, vegetables, meats, and sometimes prepared foods and beverages." - Wikipedia  

PROS: Hands on picking of fresh veggies and being outside with friends or family in the community. Helps you to eat only in season produce and support local businesses/farms. 

CONS: You get there later in the day and the zucchini you wanted is already gone (or worse-it's wilted). Open only once a week and some markets are only October thru May. What do you do the rest of the year? Sometimes they switch vegetable vendors without notice- sometimes they are organic and sometimes not... Make sure you ask. 

THE C.S.A.
"Community-supported agriculture (CSA; sometimes known as community-shared agriculture) is an alternative, locally-based economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA also refers to a particular network or association of individuals who have pledged to support one or more local farms, with growers and consumers sharing the risks and benefits of food production. CSA members or subscribers pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest; once harvesting begins, they receive weekly shares of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme."- Wikipedia  

PROS: You know where you food comes from. You know the farmer, and the people working on the farm. In fact, you often have to work a few hours on the farm as part of your membership. You can try out new vegetables so that your routine doesn't get boring. You will get a good amount of veggies each week. Bulk price for the season so you can pay at once and not worry the rest of the year- November thru May for our best local CSA, Sweetwater Farms, which is about $36 a week for a full share of the 23 week season.

CONS: You have to work on the farm as part of your membership! Yes, as part of the community supported agriculture you have to put in a little bit of your time and be a part of the community. What are you going to do with Mizuna? Or Choi? (it is a type of mustard green and bok choy respectively) Point is you HAVE to make use of the vegetables that you get in your box weather you like them or not. Bulk price for the season, so you have to pay it allll at once then you have to buy your veggies someplace else during the summer. You have to pick up the produce each week during specific times slots from the farm itself. 

THE BUYING CLUB
Annie's Buying Club looks pretty legit and is a club that operates in a lot of locations in the area. "Buying Clubs are groups of people, usually from multiple households, who pool their time, resources, and buying power to save money on quality healthy foods. Buying Clubs order in bulk must be able meet UNFI’s order minimums. Buying Clubs are encouraged to order monthly, however we do service clubs who order bi-monthly." -United Buying Clubs 

PROS: Support organic farmers. Meet people with similar interests in your community. Get access to food from trustworthy sources. Get in season food on a weekly basis without having to go to different places: one stop shop. Can pause your membership at any time. Affordable- weekly prices. 

CONS: You have to be a part of a system, including working in that system in some small way. It is a very involved; more like a community- some people don't like that. Again you have to make use of the vegetables that you get in your box weather you like them or not. 

THE HOME/COMMUNITY GARDEN
 Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture. In gardens, ornamental plants are often grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants, such as root vegetables, leaf vegetables, fruits, and herbs, are grown for consumption, for use as dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use. Gardening is considered to be a relaxing activity for many people. A community garden (the term favored in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) is a single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people.^-Wikipedia  The Temple Terrace and the Tampa Heights Community Garden are both well run community gardens in Tampa.

PROS: Food grown by you! You know how it was produced, cared for and what all went into making it. You need a vegetable for dinner? Just go outside and see what is ripe and available. Grow and use only what your family uses and don't have to mess with any strange veggies. You can create relativity low maintenance garden as long as you install a drip irrigation system. 

CONS: Having to take care of it daily. It may just be 10 minutes of watering or a few minutes of sprucing and pruning but you do have an ongoing project to take care of so vacationing might be hard. If your green thumb is good you might have to deal with an abundance of food and may have to freeze, or master the lost art of canning it. This is too much involvement for those with busy work or family schedules. 

So you can see that there are many different ways to get your organic veggies in our area of the sunshine state. The good news for me is that this past October we finally built a garden in our back yard!!! In the near future I plan on sharing with you my very recent gardening experience. 

What plan is best for your family?

 Would you on consider getting involved with a CSA or Buying club?

No Noodle Butternut Squash Lasagna

This lasagna came about because I had some homemade ricotta in the fridge and I couldn't wait to use it for something.  What else do you use ricotta for except lasagna? (I have since found other uses for it.) We don't do pasta around here so I took inventory of what produce we had on hand. My goal was to make something without having to go the store and I think we can call it a success! I had one butternut squash, pork defrosted, swiss chard from the garden, homemade ricotta, some goat cheese... After a quick internet search I didn't like any of the butternut lasagna recipes I came across. Why do people have butternut squash lasagna with pasta?? That just seems too much to me.

Ingredients: 

* 2 tbsp. of  ghee or coconut oil

* One large onion, diced
* Butternut Squash (medium with a long steam)

* Swiss Chard, one bunch cut up in strips

* Mushrooms, 5 or 6 chopped

* 1 lb. Italian Sausage (or Pork)

* 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

* 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomato

* Red Wine

* 1 tsp oregano

* 1 tsp garlic

* Ricotta, about 1 cup

* 1 egg

* Basil, 1 tbsp. chiffonade (I took 6 leaves from the garden)

* Goat cheese, 4 oz.

Preheat your oven to 350. First dice your onion and set aside half for the sauce. Melt your fat over medium heat and add half the onion. While it is sautéing, dice your mushrooms and add them when the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Cut up your swiss chard in strips and add to the pot. Sauté until the leaves are starting to wilt, about 5 minutes. Once the greens are just cooked (but not overcooked!) remove to a bowl and set aside for later use. Scramble the egg and then mix in ricotta, basil and salt/pepper.

In the same pot, add some more fat and sauté the remaining onions. When translucent, add the sausage and cook until browned. (I didn't have sausage on hand but I used really good quality pork. Just prior to cooking the meat, I folded in 1 tsp garlic,  1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp. dried parsley, 1 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp salt.) When the sausage is nice and brown, add the garlic for about a minute. This is just enough time for you to open a bottle of wine. Add the wine, I free hand poured but I would say about 1/2 cup. Once the alcohol has cooked off, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened. 

In the meantime, you will need to cut the butternut squash into lasagna like pieces. You can do it in strips like me or you can do rounds whatever is easiest for you. I chopped off the round part of the squash with the seeds and set  it aside for another meal. Then I peeled the tube like section and got out my mandolin. I set it at the thinnest setting possible and sliced noodle like pieces. This is easier said than done- it took a little bit of muscle. You could also take a very sharp knife and cut thin slices I would say about 1/8 of an inch or less.   

Let's put this dish together! Add just a bit of sauce to the bottom of your Lasagna Pan to keep it from sticking. Put one layer of  butternut squash to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Spoon out half of your meat sauce and spread evenly. Add another layer of squash. On this middle layer add the greens, spread evenly and then dot the ricotta over the greens. Add the last layer of squash, top with the last half of the meat sauce. Crumble the goat cheese over the whole pan.  

 Cook in the oven for 30-45 minutes. It's done when you stick a fork in easily. Broil on low for 3-5 minutes to get a nicely browned top and then let rest for at least 15 minutes so that it is not too loose when serving.

Enjoy! I hope you love it as much as we did. And remember that just because you don't have a dinner planned doesn't mean it can't be FABULOUS. 

How good are you at making meals without a plan?

How to Survive the Airport

Spoiler Alert: The only way to survive the airport is to plan.

We recently went to visit family via plane and it was my first airport trip in a while. We decided on the much much cheaper flight and had to drive 2 hours to the airport instead of the one 15 minutes from our house. (I know! If it wasn't more than double for the trip, I would have just paid the extra.) How on earth was I going to be able to eat the way I wanted, drive AND fly during lunch time? So I did what any normal over-the-top control-freak would do. I over planned my snacks and a meal for the trip.

That is it. There is no creative crazy tip out there that you didn't know. You just have to plan. Here is what was in my carry on (actually my husband carried my pink Lily since Allegiant Air has a one purse/personal item rule. Boooo).

Snacks:
* Paleo Simplified- Nutty Fruit Bliss
* Handful of Macadamia Nuts in a snack ziptop bag.
* 2 apples
* A packet of Justin's Almond Butter
* 12 oz. of Against All Grain's Paleo Vanilla Granola 
* A few different Tea Bags
* Bare Fruit Apple Chips

Lunch for 2:
* Half Red/half Yellow peppers, in strips
* One very large cucumber, peeled, cut in slices and in two snack bags
* Handful of olives
* Two Bubbies Pure Kosher Dills
* Deli Tuna Salad (my most used Well Fed 2 recipe, packed in two snack bags

As we were driving to the airport (2 hours away instead of the one right next to us)  I told Mr. FFF the plan. "I have packed that delicious tuna salad that we like and we are going to eat it on the plane for lunch so that we can have a yummy healthy meal and not pay for expensive fried food." I thought that I was speaking his language (read: cheap) and it was a foolproof plan.  He told me that "under no circumstances was he eating tuna on a plane", that I was "worse than a terrorist" and "subjecting my fellow passengers to the smell of tuna (no matter how yummy) in that small of a confined place was inconsiderate and rude". 

Good thing we arrived to the airport and through security with more than enough time to eat our lunch. TSA did take another look at my bag after it went through the machine- I guess tuna in snack bags looked odd on their monitor. Also the agent that handed me my bag back did look at me a little funny when I over-explained that I wanted a healthy option for lunch instead of airport food. Not sure if he was weirded out by the tuna or healthy food....

Once we were in the waiting area, we bought two waters and sat in the cafe section. I got two cups, forks and napkins. Lunch is served. *How easy was that? After lunch we were so full so we saved the remianing snacks for the stay at our family and the trip back. And that my friends is my airport adventure! 

Fortunately for others but unfortunately for me, I did have to buy breath mints since I didn't plan for tuna breath after lunch. So maybe Mr. FFF was right about the smell after all... Let's not tell him. 

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* Don't you just love Ina Garten?