MMMBop & MMMTasty

I'm beginning to think I have an obsessive personality. Mostly in terms of entertainment, but nonetheless obsessive. It all began with Hanson in the 4th grade. Taylor Hanson's high tenor had me hypnotized at the first "MMMBop. I had a pile three feet tall with every issue of Teen Bop and Tiger Beat that those three heads of luscious blonde locks ever did grace. I knew all of their birthdays, favorite colors, favorite foods. I knew more about Hanson than they knew about themselves. My greatest possession was a gigantic, wall-sized poster of the trio, which served as my audience while I danced and sang along to all of their songs. But the greatest testament of my love was the not one, but two Hanson concerts I went to, after which I cried for days because I was so devastated that it was over. I wasn't your average teeny bopper, I was dedicated to the core. I lived and breathed Hanson.

While that enormous poster has been rolled up in the attic for some time now, I've found other outlets to latch my obsessive tendencies onto over the years: NSYNC, Britney Spears (still pretty obsessed with her), Harry Potter (also still in love with him). And most recently, The Hunger Games. As my friends and I waited inside the theater at 8:45 PM for the midnight movie debut, I actually had butterflies in my stomach. I was so overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation. Would it live up to the hype? What if I left disappointed? It was the same sort of nervous-excited I remember feeling at my first Hanson concert. To my stomach's relief, the movie was all that I'd hoped it would be and left me wanting a loaf of bread kneaded by Peeta <3

The only thing that could make Hunger Games week even better was... MAD MEN!!! Another current obsession of mine, and probably the most age appropriate. So to top off such an epic week, Elana and I decided it was totally necessary to make a Mad Men themed feast to celebrate. Complete with deviled eggs, homemade onion dip & Peeta chips (sorry, had to!), mint juleps, and a funfetti cake. I really couldn't have asked for a better way to sign off the weekend. Well maybe with Peeta and/or Don. And a little MMMBop in the background.

Cilantro garlic pita chips, recipe at Epicurious 

Caramelized onion dip, also Epicurious

Deviled eggs, recipe adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen

Mint Juleps - Epicurious 

Funfetti - greatest ever boxed baked good

What does your cereal say about YOU?

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am not a spontaneous person. I do not live by the seat of my pants, but by schedule. I like routines. I like making plans. "Spontaneous" for me is sleeping until 9 A.M. on a Saturday and splurging on a bagel instead of my usual Kashi cereal. In fact, my brother and I were joking the other day about what kind of cereal we would be. We said he'd be Coco Puffs and I would be Bran, because I'm always regular (hehe). So that's me. A big bowl o' reliable Bran.

My need for a routine and structure translates into my eating habits as well. I always eat three square meals a day, and of course a snack and dessert (or two). I really do not understand people who just "forget" to eat a meal, or somehow manage to stave off hunger all day simply by eating a banana or yogurt. Not only do I get irritable like a 5 year old if I've gone too long without eating, but what I eat is all I think about. All. Day. Long. Thinking about food (and of course eating it too) is what makes my world go round. A life without breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert(s) is simply a life not worth living.

People always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And while I agree that nothing beats a big bowl of cereal with cold milk, I do think lunch gets shafted. Lunch is sadly an afterthought for many people in the busy working world. Scrapped for time, some people will just grab a so-so sandwich or soggy salad at the corner deli. But for me, planning my lunches every week is like a secret drug. Picking the recipe, making the shopping list - it's a Type A's dream. As soon as I get to work every morning I start counting down the hours until it is acceptable to eat lunch. If I didn't have a delicious lunch to look forward to, what would be the point of getting up every day?

Here I bring you my lunch for the week: wheat berry salad with figs, golden raisins, celery and red onion. Stirring the pot of wheat berries this weekend, all I could think to myself was "I cannot wait for lunch on Monday". I know I sound crazy - a compulsive planner with the mentality of a morbidly obese person - but you should trust me on this one. This salad is good. And totally worth a little compulsive planning.

Wheat Berry Salad adapted from The Kitchn
makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups wheat berries
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tbs honey
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried figs, finely chopped
1/2 medium red onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
1 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
Handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

1. Cover the wheat berries with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and partially cover the pot. Cook 45 minutes, until the wheat berries are tender and chewy.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the rice vinegar, orange juice and honey together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the raisins and figs. Turn off the heat and let the fruit steep in the liquid.
3. When the wheat berries are ready, drain and add to a large bowl with the celery and red onion. Toss with olive oil and lemon zest. Add the vinegar and juice mixture, with all the fruit and mix. Stir in almonds, parsley and salt. Season with pepper as desired. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.