Wegman's in Syracuse, NY, Yellow Squash, Darien Restaurants, IS Foundation and CSA

Hi Everyone!

This will be a quick one this week. I am currently traveling, but I wanted to drop a note anyway!! I am in Upstate New York—Syracuse to be exact, and I have to tell you I MISS MISS MISS the best grocery store in the world by living in Chicago.

Some of you may have heard of them...Wegman's. This store is great. A couple of months ago I spoke with a produce worker there and not only was she completely forthcoming with information, etc., they are exactly what a grocery store should be. They get their produce from local farmers 98 percent of the time, and they receive it every day. Every package is properly marked, and the produce is fresh. Oh, and did I mention the prices are competitive as well? We NEED a Wegman's in Chicago...namely the suburbs...specifically Darien. :)

My garden looks GREAT! We harvested our first yellow squash. As a note, we found out from the guy who runs the CSA where we get our vegetables bi-weekly that you should pick the yellow squash when it gets to 5"-6"...just as it is turning a dark yellow. If it gets any bigger or darker not only does it affect the taste, but the nutrients as well.

Cut it up into cirlces (or strips if you fancy) throw it in a pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Add some butter, agave syrup, cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg, clove and a couple tablespoons of brown sugar and bake covered at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. After about 15 minutes take the cover off and let the top crisp for the rest of the time. AWESOME!!!!

When I return from Syracuse (my home town!) I will be harvesting my dill and basil. I will put them (separately) into the food processor and fill ice cube trays with the pesto-like product. Cover the trays and freeze. And VOILA! You have a great way of saving your herbs for later use and convenient storage. I also take some whole basil leaves and freeze them in a plastic bag filled with water. Keep in mind when you thaw these (not "dethaw," Lad) the leaves will be a bit soggy. Still good enough to throw in soups, etc., but a bit soggy.

OK...a note about local dining. My daughter, husband and I like dining out. NOOOO secret there. We had three separate but significant "instances" this past week before I left that I wanted to comment about.

First: Chipotle. I have to say as many times as we have been here, we have consistently received great service and fresh product for our meals. The food is always worth the money and the workers always friendly and personable. If you look at their menu and information you will see they are very health conscious and well as eco-conscious about their food. They use the finest ingredients available and their chicken and beef are from humanely raised farm animals. Check them out. You will be glad you did.

Secondly: I go to this small Chinese buffet in the plaza that has the Dairy Queen and QuikMart on Clarendon Hills Road and 75th. It is $5.99 for the lunch buffet. Most of the time the food is OK, nothing fabulous, but for that price you get a nice little buffet. This last time, however, it was terrible. I was there at noon (hours 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.), so the food should have been plentiful and fresh. It was neither.

I had gotten a plate and before I even sat down with it the waitress dropped off my check and told me to pay upfront. BIG pet peeve of mine. To me, that signals that I will not see her again. And guess what? I did not. I went up again hoping they had filled it out a bit more—but nothing. I was disappointed.

When I was asked at the cash register how everything was, I told the gentleman the problem. And his response? There wasn't enough food for YOU to eat? I mean...WHAT??? And he gave me a "look"...looked me up and down. Now, I'm not the thinnest person you will ever see. I readily admit to having to lose some weight, but THAT was rude. And he did nothing. Did not apologize or even offer any kind of explanations. I will not be going back there again, and next week's blog will have the exact name of the restaurant. I discourage you from even bothering with this establishment.

The third place we went was TGI Friday's. To make a long story short, my daughter got a dish she has gotten since it came onto the menu, Bruschetta Chicken Pasta. When she got it, the pasta smelled like smoke and had a "funny" taste to it. Certainly NOT anything like it had tasted before. The server reluctantly took it away and had them fix another one (not offering something else) and you know what? It smelled exactly the same. Talked to the server AGAIN. She took it away and off the bill. The manager came over and apologized. Yadda Yadda Yadda...

The thing that I found disturbing is that each of three people we spoke with refused to admit that this dish tasted "off" or that there was some ingredient in it that was not supposed to be there or had changed. NONE of them would even entertain the idea that maybe TGI's was the problem and NOT my daughter's tastebuds!!!!!! Between the turnover at this store, the servers ineptitude and their refusal to take accountability for their problems, I am seriously considering taking this restaurant off my radar for a while...maybe give them a chance to work out their problems...

OK...enough complaining!!!!!! Want some inspirational stories, lines, lists to help you out? Check out www.tinybuddha.com. This site is an amazingly uplifting and fun site. And it has information for all areas of your life. We could all use a bit of positivity, right?

Again, check out the www.greenearthinstitute.org and look for the CSA farms around your area if you'd like to get your vegetables fresh from the farm!!

And lastly, take a look at the www.isfoundation.com. This is a GREAT new organization that is making huge strides in helping the earth and environment.

Have a wonderful week! Eat well and enjoy your food!!!

Nancy