Old MacDonald Had an Organic Farm...

A few months ago, I asked my friend Jim (the mastermind of Thames River Wine and Spirits) if he would recommend some good restaurants in our general area of Connecticut. I'd tried pretty much everything in New London and Groton, and while I found a few I definitely liked, I was still waiting for a real stand-out. Jim has never steered me down the wrong path when it comes to wine, so I trusted his opinion when it came to dining.

Jim's immediate recommendation was the River Tavern in Chester. I was fortunate enough to attend a wine dinner prepared by one of River Tavern's two executive chefs, James Wayman, and thought the food was out of this world. I decided it was definitely time to try the restaurant itself. Luckily, I made a new "food friend" at the wine dinner, and Loree (a friend of Jim and James) was more than willing to indulge my desire to eat at the River Tavern (FYI - Loree gets photo credit for every picture used in this post).


When Loree called to make a reservation, however, we found out that the River Tavern wasn't open for their regular dinner menu last night. Instead, they were doing a special prix fixe farm dinner to promote their "Dinners at the Farm" series. Loree and I had heard great things about this series from Sarah and Meredith, two of the River Tavern staff who happened to attend the wine dinner with us.

Dinners at the Farm is a project started by chef/owner Jonathan Rapp (from River Tavern) and Drew McLachlan (chef/owner of Feast Market). The dinners are cooked on-site at local farms (they are cooked on the back of a truck, actually) and use all locally farmed ingredients - including local meats and local wines. The whole idea is to connect fresh, delicious food with the people and the environment it comes from, plus it supports the local farming community. In addition, the Dinners at the Farm are benefit dinners for several causes, including City Seed, Connecticut Farmland Trust, Shoreline Soup Kitchen, and more.

The truck that hauls and cooks the food.

The dinner Loree and I attended last night was at the River Tavern, not on a farm, but all the food was still provided by local farmers - many of whom will host one of their series this summer - and most of it was prepared outside the restaurant by Jonathan, standing in his truck bed.

Jonathan Rapp grilling on his truck bed.

We were greeted with complimentary cocktails and pass-around appetizers when we walked in the door. Should you find yourself at the River Tavern for drinks, do yourself a favor and order a Ginger Blossom. A simultaneously soothing (from the warmth of the white rum, fresh ginger juice, and honey) and refreshing (shaken in a cocktail shaker with ice and strained into a martini glass) beverage, it will awaken your tastebuds with the bite of the ginger and the zing of the rum (the honey tempers it a little rather than really sweetening it).

The pass around appetizers included (and remember, these are all locally farmed ingredients) crostini topped with turkey, pickled cucumbers and grainy mustard; crostini topped with creamy fresh goat cheese and herbs; samosas with hunks of steamy, soft potato and green, green spinach; and - my personal favorite - a "crispy egg" - half of a farm-fresh egg (we literally saw a farmer carry these in) with a warm, runny yolk encased in a cooked white shell in a crispy coating, drizzled with warm Parmesan vinaigrette and house-made prosciutto. I do not know how they managed the logistics of this appetizer, but I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best hors d'eouvre I have ever eaten in my life. The warm, eggy yolk with the creamy vinaigrette married perfectly with the crispy coating, and the saltiness of the prosciutto enhanced all the flavors.

Eventually it was indicated that we should sit down. We took our seats at the front of the restaurant and listened as Jonathan introduced the farmers that provided the ingredients for the meal. Our local farmers had provided everything from several kinds of meat to hydroponic greens. All the seafood had come fresh off the Stonington docks. The wines being poured were all selections from local wineries.

Jonathan introducing the farmers before the meal.
Unfortunately, not all the farmers fit in the frame.

The menu was five courses, not counting the appetizers and desserts. We would start with scrambled eggs with lobster, topped with an aoli made from lobster roe. Second course was monkfish, third course was a crispy bass in a green curry sauce, fourth course was a sausage made with fresh ground turkey with apples and potatoes, and the fifth course was lamb with greens. I am sorry I don't have a more detailed menu - I should have taken notes (it was not written down anywhere).

Second course: Monkfish

The fresh eggs with the lobster were more rich than you would think eggs possible to be. They were almost creamy in texture - not runny, just silky, smooth, and not at all overdone. The lobster had the borderline-sweet flavor that only extremely fresh shellfish can claim. The monkfish was served in a deliciously fishy broth ("fishy" being a compliment - I for one love the taste of fresh seafood.) The bass was a stunning standout - cripsy on the outside, flaky white on the inside, served with a amazingly flavorful (spicy but not hot) green curry and topped with a thin slice of grapefruit, providing an unexpected burst of bright citrus that added to (rather than distracted from) the savory curry spices.

James Wayman's "mushroom guru" Harry
(or it could be Gary or Carey - Loree and I are not entirely sure)
discussing the bass (foreground)
with Pauline Lord of White Gate Farm.

The turkey sausage of the fourth course was as flavorful as any pork sausage I've ever had. It was plump. juicy, and perfectly seasoned. The apples and potatoes were cooked to a great soft - but not mushy - consistency that seemed perfect with the texture of the ground turkey in the sausage. I would eat that sausage every day if I could.

The lamb we had last was cooked to perfection - slightly brown near the edges and very pink in the middle. It was served with fresh greens. Unfortunately, I was still in a daze of happiness from the turkey sausage and did not pay as much attention to the lamb course as I should have.

The lamb dissapeared so fast
that Loree did not even get a photo!

Dessert was a true treat. I have never had a taste for overly sweet things, and so far the River Tavern has not disappointed me in that aspect. We were served an absolutely amazing cornmeal cake - the cornmeal is from a special type of Indian corn that can only grow near the coast. The cake did not have the dry texture of cornbread but did have a similar density. However, it was very moist. The cornmeal cake was served with a house-made honey and calvados ice cream and drizzled with honey - a slight sweetness that set off the amazing flavors of this more savory-minded dessert.

Possibly even better than the food was the company. Lorre and I ended up at a table that included several farmers and local-food enthusiasts. We had Harry/Carey/Gary, who teaches James Wayman about foraging for mushrooms, and his companion Chris (who used to live in Detroit!) We also had Pauline Lord from White Gate Farm - a very classy-looking lady that you would never believe raises chickens (among other things) until you hear her talk about going to buy some Rhode Island Reds. Rounding out our table were Nunzio and Irene Corsino from Four Mile River Farm. The Corsinos raise beef and sell it at many local markets as well as supply the River Tavern. They were amazingly nice and interesting people.

Harry (we think!), Chris, Me, Loree, and Irene

All in all, this was an evening not just of amazing food and company, but an evening that really put into perspective where your food comes from. I'll be honest - it is more convenient to go buy a steak at Stop & Shop than to seek out an open farm market. However, after tasting these truly fresh ingredients and talking to the people who cultivate them, I can't imagine doing that right now (maybe next week, but not right now). And while the chefs and guests are reverent of the farmers, the farmers are equally appreciative of the chefs: as Nunzio said, you can know you're raising a good product, but it's not until you put it in the hands of a someone who knows and appreciates what they are working with that it realizes its full potential.

I can not wait until summer when I can attend these dinners on the farms themselves. My mouth is watering already.

Planting the Seed(s)

After reading the This Young House post on seed-starting, I decided to be brave this year and try it myself. Last year was the first year I had a real garden (growing more than just container herbs) but I started with plants - well, except for the out-of-control tomatoes - those technically started with seeds of tomatoes I had let rot there the previous summer.

The seed starter greenhouse kit

Watering the starter and sowing the seeds

Anyway, I figure if the seed thing doesn't work out I can just buy some plants later. For $10 ($6.99 for the greenhouse; $1.50 per packet for the seeds) I don't think it is too painful an experiment. And hopefully this will be the result:

Last year's cucs and peppers;
started from plants.

Turning Japanese

In an act of charity on Thursday night, Noe invited me to dinner with him and his former lab mates from Pfizer. It turns out his friend Ryan had won a ton of money (over $1000) in a Super Bowl Squares pool and had finally received the cash and wanted to go out and celebrate. Being boys that like to eat a LOT, they picked Koto in Groton as the spot for their celebratory dinner.

Koto is a hibachi-style Japanese steakhouse in the vein of Bennihana (only less cheesy). While not quite as good as my personal favorite hibachi restaurant, Champion House (in Ann Arbor), Koto is a fine place to spend an evening.

The thing about hibachi dining is you are at the mercy of your tablemates and your chef. A hibachi table fits about ten people around one grill, so unless you are with a large party you are most likely going to end up sitting with strangers. Luckily, our tablemates were great - a nice and friendly but not overly chatty family with two well-behaved children. The chef is also a factor - hibachi restaurants are partially about entertainment, after all, and a boring chef can take something away from the experience since the chef is the one serving you, practically speaking (there is a waitress, but she's really only there to bring drinks and take the initial order so the chef knows what kind of meat to bring to the table).

We got a very outgoing and entertaining chef who was more than happy to oblige our wishes to see him throw knives, juggle eggs, and toss bits of food into our mouths (note: hibachi dining may not be for you if you are shy or self-conscious). The chefs at Koto are also fond of offering "tastes" of sake - and by "taste" I mean they squirt sake into your mouth until you can't swallow anymore. Strangely enough, boys seem to love this (go figure.)

Ryan drinking sake as Marc-Andre looks on in awe.

Although I am a wine drinker 70% of the time and a gin and tonic drinker the other 30% of the time, there is something about a Japanese steakhouse that compels me to order colorful drinks in frou-frou glasses with multiple fruit garnishes. My current favorite at Koto is the Mt. Fuji, a pleasant blend of rum and several fruit juices topped with club soda - fruity, but not cloyingly sweet. (Koto also has a selection of Japanese beers, hot and cold sake, as well as a traditional cocktail menu.)

Marc-Andre and Noe with fruity drinks; Ryan with a Japanese beer.

All hibachi meals start with soup and salad. I know this soup is probably loaded with MSG and I jsut don't care. I could drink that clear, onion-y broth with the scallions floating on top and the shaved mushrooms suspended in the liquid all day. But my real love at any Japanese restaurant is the ginger dressing they put on salads. While I tend to favor the chunky rather than creamy dressings, Koto's is the exception to the rule. It looks like Thousand Island, but it tastes like pure ginger.

Salad with ginger dressing;

soup with scallions and mushrooms.

As the soup and salad bowls are cleared, the fun begins. The chef rolls out his cart of meat and cooking implements and begins his show. Most chefs start by getting the vegetables - zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions - going first. While the veggies are grilling, he fries an egg and prepares the fried rice or noodles. Then comes the good part: the meat.

Noe can't resist sneaking a few bites of rice
while the rest of his meal is cooking.

Most Japanese steakhouses have combination meals (choices of various types of meat, seafood, and chicken) on their menu as well as straight steak, chicken, or seafood options. While I have a hard time resisting hibachi shrimp (the shrimp they use at Koto are large and extra-sweet), I went with steak and chicken (Marc-Andre promised me his two appetizer shrimp that come with every meal, so I was able to eat four shrimp anyway). Noe chose the same as me, while Marc-Andre chose steak and salmon and Ryan chose steak and lobster tail.

Our chef hard at work.

Another note: if the site of fairly large quantities of butter disturbs you, you may also want to steer clear of hibachi dining - butter is used liberally, as is salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sesame seeds.

I asked my steak to be cooked medium rare and it came out perfect. It was red in the very center, pink throughout, and had that nice sear that only a really hot grill or pan can give. The chicken, flavored with teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds, was moist and delicious. Koto gives you two sauces with your meal: a ginger sauce intended for seafood and a mustard sauce for chicken and steak. I ended up eating most of the steak sans sauce, and in all honesty, eating about half of the sauced portion with the ginger sauce (I think I am addicted to ginger).

A full plate: veggies, chicken, steak, rice.
My shrimp had already been consumed.
The brown sauce is ginger (seafood);
the yellow is mustard (steak/chicken).

We were much, much too full by the end of the meal to even consider dessert (although not too full for beers at Hanafin's at the St. Patrick's Day Parade fundraiser). Granted, if I had won a thousand dollars and wanted to go out to dinner, I probably would have chosen some place like Craftsteak in the casino...but if three boys want to take me out for hibachi, I'm game any day.

Full and happy!

Groton "Townies"

I love "fancy" food. I also love breakfast. Sometimes I like to combine the two, but sometimes I really just want a plain old cheap diner-style breakfast. As much as I love classy brunches and and a bloody Mary, there are other times when cheap coffee and value combos really hit the spot.

Noe and I normally hit the Broken Yolk when we're looking for eggs and toast or an omelet. We can easily walk to the Yolk, since it is less than a mile from our house, and the food is really good. But we're always up for trying something new, and today we decided to actually cross the bridge (gasp!) and meet some of our Groton friends at the Groton Townhouse.

Crossing the bridge!
I hardly ever go over to Groton.

Appearance and atmosphere-wise, the Townhouse is pretty much the opposite of the Broken Yolk. The Yolk is in the middle of our neighborhood, looks like an old house, and is extremely small with only several booths and a counter wrapped around a giant grill/kitchen area.

Groton Townhouse, by comparison, is located on a major road, is rather generic-looking newer-building, and I couldn't see the kitchen from any vantage point in the huge dining room. This is not to say there was anything unwelcoming about the Townhouse's appearance - there wasn't. It just has a kind of generic Denny's look, that's all. The upside to the generic diner decor is that they A) actually have booths bog enough to fit six people ( the size of our group) and B) those booths are comfortable (Sorry, Broken Yolk, but your narrow, straight-back booths are NOT one of your high points).

We settled into our big round booth (if you go as early as we did - 9:30 - it seems you can get a pretty good table, even with a large group...probably because the Sunday church crowd hasn't drifted in). We were immediately given waters and a waitress came right over to get a drink order, which already meant the service factor surpassed several "nicer" restaurants I've been to in the area.

The coffee was drinkable - not "cooked down" or bitter-tasting - and the large juices and milk ordered by our party came in actual large glasses, a pleasant surprise (we all know the normal "large" for a glass of juice is actual pretty small in most restaurants).

The menu looked was pretty extensive, with several pages of breakfast options. We all ordered standard diner staples - combos of eggs, pancakes, and meat for three of our party; a Belgian-style waffle for one; eggs, toast, meat, and home fries for another; and for me, eggs Benedict (I couldn't resist - I had to compare).

Our waitress - who was in a very good mood despite the fact she probably got to work around 7:00 AM - kept our coffee warm while we waited for our food. It wasn't a very long wait at all. A food runner brought our plates to us, another sign that Groton Townhouse knows what kind of crowd to expect for Sunday morning breakfast and staffs appropriately.

Everyone who had ordered eggs received them exactly the way they had ordered them (scrambled, over hard, over medium, etc). A bite of Noe's pancakes proved them to be nice and fluffy. I did not try Brandon's waffle (I don't know him THAT well!) but it looked thick, with deep wells to soak up the syrup. When I asked him how it tasted, he said "fantastic" so I assume it was slightly crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, like all good Belgian waffles.

My eggs Benedict passed inspection as well - perfectly cooked eggs and just the right amount of Hollandaise sauce. The only thing I would have done differently is toast or grill the English muffin just a bit more - I like them a little crispier to hold up to the egg yolk and sauce. However, this is a minor criticism.

The home fries were delicious - they had a sprinkling of scallions on the top and I definitely picked up a slight onion-y flavor and some light seasonings. The potatoes themselves were the perfect consistency for mashing with a fork - firm enough to hold shape, but not mushy to the point of dissolving in your mouth. In short, delicious. I wish I had been hungry enough after the eggs Benedict to eat more of them.

Perhaps the best part of the meal was the bill. For six of us, all with full meals and beverages, we came in around $55 - less than $10 per person. That's definitely Denny's-type prices with better service and quality.

I do feel compelled to give our server one more compliment - even after she brought the check and we paid it, she kept coming around with the coffee pot and clearing our dirty dishes. We were lingerers this morning - people who sit at a table chatting long after they finish eating - and our server never once gave us the impression that she'd like us to leave and free up the table. In fact, it was the opposite. We may have left earlier if she hadn't kept coming over with fresh coffee.

Gourmet it isn't, but if you are looking for an inexpensive place to have a good-quality diner-style breakfast with a group of friends, Groton Townhouse is a good bet. I'm sure we'll be back.

A Riesling For Living

I realize I am going to sound like a spokesperson for Brie & Bleu and Thames River Wine and Spirits, but I promise that it is just coincidence that they figure so heavily into two blog posts so close together.

Although I have been on a cheap eating kick this week (trying to use stuff that has accumulated in my refrigerator, cupboards, and freezer) I could not resist when my friend Jim - my main source of wine recommendations - informed me about a wine dinner he was putting together at Brie & Bleu on Wednesday (last) night. Winemaker Konrad Hahn, proprietor of Von Schlenintz Vineyards in Germany(left), would be bringing an array of wines (including a sparkling Riesling, a pinot noir, and some very rare eiswien) and they would paired and served with a meal prepared by James Wayman (below right), one of two executive chefs from the River Tavern in Chester. The menu consisted of the following:

• Foie Gras & black truffle custard
• Thai summer roll with shrimp, sweet chili & peanut
• Lob Gai: Thai chicken salad with toasted rice powder, Thai basil, mint & chili
• Baeckoffe: Alsatian braised pork with potatoes, carrots & Riesling - served with mustard
• Sable cookies, Stilton cheese, marcona almonds

I was essentially powerless to resist this combination. For $65 plus gratuity, I thought it was a phenomenal value. (Five courses and wine! This is a steal, people.)

As much as I was intrigued by the wine, the food was what really persuaded me to open my wallet. I have heard nothing but good things about James, and the menu seemed like such an interesting combination of sort of heavier, decadent dishes (the foie gras; the braised pork) and lighter, Asian-influenced dishes (the chicken salad; the summer roll).

The minute I walked into Brie & Bleu, Jim handed me a glass of Von Schlenintz Sekt, a sparkling Riesling. It tasted so fresh and dry and just so clean (for lack of a better flavor descriptor) on my tongue. I sipped the Sekt as I mingled with the other guests (a small and eclectic group, all very personable) and found my seat.

The set-up for these dinners consists of about 12-14 seats arranged around a group of small tables pushed together to form one large-ish table. The seats are limited in order to allow everyone to listen and participate in the conversation. The conversation was definitely quality as Konrad Hahn, seated directly across from me at the far end of our rectangular arrangement, described the Riesling grape and how his vineyard cultivates it to make such distinctly different wines. He passed around large color photos of the vineyard, showing the grapevines planted on steep slopes overlooking the river. We discussed Riesling's reputation in America as on overly sweet grape as we tried wines that proved it has versatility as a dryer beverage as well.

Drinking such well-crafted wine while discussing how it was made with the person who made it is a mind-blowing experience. And Konrad was extremely warm and inviting and very encouraging of questions. I think a person who had absolutely no wine knowledge whatsoever would have appreciated the dialogue as much as an experienced sommelier. In fact, I found myself regretting that Noe wasn't with me - he is not a wine drinker but I think he really would have enjoyed the conversation about how the grapes are grown and harvested.

James came out to talk about his menu as we were finishing our sparkler. Actually, James came in - he had been frying shoestring potatoes to top the foie gras and truffle custard out on the deck. He told us the custard was an "experiment" but it was one that the entire table was in agreement had worked. I've had foie gras before and think of it as kind of heavy - I have trouble naming a specific flavor, but the word rich is what immediately comes to mind. Somehow James' custard captured the richness of the foie gras along with the subtle truffle flavor and incorporated it into a creamy, lighter confection. All the decadence minus the heavy feeling - in short, magic.

The next two dishes - the summer roll and the Lob Gai - showcased an incredible understanding of how to use herbs. I immediately detected the mint when I bit into the shrimp and veggies of the summer roll - not overpowering mint, but just a hint of freshness that accented the crispness of the vegetables and the clean ocean-y flavor of the shrimp. The chicken salad had a great contrast of peppery spice and cooling cilantro (at least, I thought I tasted cilantro). (I sort of imagined that these two dishes would be what Jeff from this season of Top Chef would have made were he in the kitchen last night).

The fourth course was Baeckoffe, a departure from the lighter, Asian-themed second and third courses. This was more of a country dish: braised pork with potatoes and carrots. The pork was so tender that it more or less fell apart when I touched it with a fork. The vegetables were perfectly cooked - not underdone, but not at all mushy. This was paired with Konrad's lone red wine, a Pinot Noir. This German Pinot Noir was fairly understated - the color was a light ruby, and it tasted like it looked - not heavy at all. That is not to say it had no flavor - indeed, it had an almost slightly tart, cranberry-esque fruit with a smattering of what I think of as the typical Pinot Noir "spice". It was described by a member of our party as "the perfect red wine for white wine drinkers" and I couldn't agree more.

For dessert, we had the pleasure of drinking true Ice Wine (made from frozen grapes and very rare) alongside Sable cookies, Marcona almonds, and quite possibly the most divine wedge of Stilton on the planet. The cookies were buttery and much softer than they looked. It is a good thing they put a set number of almonds on each plate, because I would be a truly opportunistic feeder if a jar of Marcona almonds were set in front of me. There is something about those little golden nuts tossed in oil and sea salt that I can not resist. The Stilton was the crowning glory of the plate, brought to room temperature and the consistency of butter. I would take cheese over chocolate for dessert any day.

There were so many high points to this evening that it is hard to pick what was truly the best part, but I think it may have been how well these wines paired with the food. Eric (the importer) and Konrad explained why Riesling was such a good food wine, and every carefully selected dish prepared by James backed up their point. There are wine and food combinations that are good together - or at the very least, don't fight each other - but these pairings were truly complimentary.

All in all, the food and wine highlight of my time in Connecticut thus far...at least until the next one. Now that I know what I've been missing, I'll be trying very hard to make sure I don't miss any more.

Cheap Eats, Day Two (or Three)

Back in November of 2007, when I didn't know anyone in town, I signed up to go to an Italian wine and cheese pairing seminar at Brie & Bleu. I was apprehensive because at this point I didn't know how much I would come to love Brie & Bleu and Thames River and had no idea what I was in for. I needn't have worried - not only did I get to drink some really fabulous Italian wine and eat fresh mozzarella and poached pears and gorgonzola, I also met some nice people (and Joanne, one day we will meet up for that drink!)

Flash forward a year and several months, and here I am, trying desperately to make a week's worth of dinners out of stuff already in my cupboards (spurred on by $700 worth of car repairs). You would not think that Brie & Bleu's Italian wine and cheese seminar would immediately come to mind under these circumstances. Yet...that is exactly what happened.

I was staring at a package of organic spaghetti and a jar of Newman's Own vodka sauce in a very uninspired manner when I randomly remembered eating spaghetti at the Italian wine night. Even better, I remembered it being described as a "dish you make when you have nothing else in the house." So I dug through the old wooden Drambuie box I use to hold my cooking magazines and computer print-outs of recipes until I found the notes from the wine seminar.

There it was. Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano cheese and fresh cracked pepper. Three ingredients, all of which could be found in my kitchen at that moment.

The technique was simple: put some water in a pot on the stove, salt generously, bring to a boil. Throw in the spaghetti and cook until al dente. While the spaghetti was cooking, I used a hand grater to grate a mound of cheese. Drain the spaghetti and let sit for a minute - the sitting is important, because you don't want the cheese to melt (which it will do if the pasta is too hot), but rather to cling to the pasta. Toss the pasta and grated cheese together, add a LOT of fresh cracked pepper, toss some more, and put on a plate with some garlic baguette. YUM.

So simple, yet so incredibly delicious. And I was using a hunk of cheese from the supermarket cheese counter - I can only imagine what this would have tasted like if I had a higher-quality piece of cheese to work with. Don't let the fact that there's only three ingredients and no sauce deter you - this dish is not bland. Resist the temptation to add olive oil, butter, or pasta water - it will interfere with the way the cheese and pepper cling to the spaghetti and mess with the overall texture. The dish is not too dry, I promise! (Plus, you can always pour a glass of Inama Soave to help it go down.)

Anyway, I know I have been doing a lot of food blogging lately, but my cheap supper last night was so easy and so good I just had to share. I hope you will give it a try!

My mind on my money and my money on my mind...

With all the depressing economic news and awesome things like pay cuts and job losses going on all around us, Noe and I have obviously been looking for some ways to save money. Seems like money saving is all the rage right now - every day on CNN or MSNBC there seems to be an article from a financial expert of some kind telling us how to cut costs, protect our savings, etc.

I did a post a couple months ago on cost-cutting and money saving. In it, I mentioned Noe and I carpooling to work. That has indeed proved to be a money-saver and we have kept doing it, even though Noe is no longer working, because it's still only a two-mile drive and it's more worth it for him to get up and drive me than it is for us to lose the $55/month (particularly after my pay cut). The good news is the job I am starting in a couple weeks is even closer to my house and it's almost warm enough/light late enough to be bike riding weather.

The never-turn-down-free-money-by-contributing-to-the-401K plan proved to be successful for several months, until our company match went away. Now there is no free money, just my contribution. Luckily, after several months at the new job I'll be eligible for another plan with a match again.

I started using Mint.com recently to track my spending and maybe help me budget a little bit better. Mint is a great website that pulls info from all your accounts (you can have it pull any checking/savings data; 401K and investment account data; credit card accounts; student loans, etc). Because it is pulling data directly from your accounts, any bills you pay automatically or any check card purchases are categorized and accounted for with minimal work on your part (sometimes you may have to re-categorize, as Aaron Beiber and I figured out - A&P was getting categorized as 'groceries' when Aaron and I both knew it was booze being purchased there). This lets me see very clearly the appalling amount I spend in bars and restaurants (and grocery stores) as well as how little money I actually have, and offers suggestions for allocating and budgeting the funds. It also breaks it down by month so you can see spending trends, etc. I have always kept a very balanced checkbook, but being able to see all this data and break it down into charts, graphs, etc is much more helpful in my mind.


So, once you see where you are spending, it becomes time to find places to cut. Noe and I both liked the This Young House (great blog; check it out!) "Dollar Dinner" suggestions. At any given time we have cheap items like boxes of spaghetti, jars of Newman's Own sauces, and packages of hot dogs and biscuit dough in our cupboards and refrigerator. We figured we could easily adapt one night as "dollar dinner" night, or simply "make dinner out of stuff I already have" night. Part of the reason I spend so much on groceries is I tend to spend the day dreaming up some elaborate dinner and head straight to the store after work to buy the ingredients. I don't mean to imply that Noe and I are wasteful with food - we are not. We always eat our leftovers and use the things we buy eventually. But we definitely plan on a one-meal-at-a-time basis, and if we cut just one or two of those out per week...you catch my drift. By just using leftover stuff or stuff we already have one or two nights a week, we could probably save some dough.

In fact, I'm going to be ambitious and do a little experiment: I am going to attempt to make EVERY dinner this week out of stuff we already have in the house (this has more than a little to do with a car repair bill that unexpectedly set me back almost $700). We started last night by making homemade chicken noodle soup in the crockpot. Here's the ingredients breakdown:

• Carrots and Celery - leftover from bolognese sauce (almost to the point of wilting, but since we were cooking them for eight hours, we used them anyway)
• Half a White Onion - leftover from Pork Adobo
• Two Chicken Tenders, cut up - unused from Friday night's Chicken Cutlets Meuniere
• Six or so cups of Chicken Stock - leftover frozen stock from when I roasted a chicken a couple weeks ago
  
• Cup or so Egg Noodles - left over from some casserole LONG time ago
• Various herbs and spices from the spice cupboard

The result? Pretty decent tasting homemade soup. I'll probably make simple drop biscuits tonight and Noe and I will finish this up for dinner (he has basketball, so I wouldn't have made a super-elaborate meal tonight anyway). I'm thinking tomorrow's dish may be spaghetti with fresh cracked pepper and lots of grated Parmesan (leftover from bolognese and alfredo sauces). I'll keep you posted on how my week of economical eating progresses!