Eat Like a Rabbit

My unplanned last full week at work, a new Jimmy John's about a mile from one of our offices brought us free samples of their subs. Jennifer, our front desk queen, remembered that I was a vegetarian and selected a sample for me. When I was done with patients, I trekked on back to our kitchenette, and despite the depressing looks of the sandwich, pregnancy had me hungry enough to taste it anyway.

The sandwich was almost inedible--which I should have known based on the looks. I'm not a fan of slathered mayonnaise. And, the sandwich had a minimal amount of other ingredients of value (like veggies). I noticed that the small copy of the menu that came with the samples said there was another dip--avocado, I think? I don't remember as I threw the menu away and too much (unplanned, again) time has passed since I read it. Anyway, my thoughts are, if you are going to offer a sample, it should at least have the same ingredients involved as you claim the sandwich has on the menu. Seems to me that shows an automatic lack of attention to detail and little desire to make a good first impression.

Just to prove I'm not being overly picky, my EMT said his sandwich was edible. Then, he added "Sure, slices of ham and layers of mayo on white bread sounds good, but it's not a healthy meal you should want to eat.

"Wasting" time before a concert that we were accidentally an hour early for thanks to the time change (and our not being diligent about changing all the clocks in our house) we took a side-trip to Whole Foods. We rarely shop at Whole Foods because a) of its reputation as "Whole Paycheck" and b) it really isn't near anywhere we go regularly. Strolling down one aisle just for kicks, we came across a few varieties of Joe's Oat's organic soy- and gluten-free burger mix. It was expensive. Over $1 a burger! But, we thought it would be worth a try because as I've mentioned before, we do know people with allergies to wheat and always appreciate knowing of delicious dinner alternatives. We also acquired some mini-pitas (whole wheat) from the bakery that were quite yummy and were a perfect size for the burgers.

The burgers themselves were really good. A big selling point is that I could read and even have in the average kitchen every ingredient on the list. Unfortunately, I thought the directions for cooking weren't very clear. It's definitely a good idea to read the entire label before starting the cooking process. Hot water is required. I don't recommend a broth because it adds additional sodium, but I can see adding some onion and garlic powder to the water. Also, I highly recommend greasing the skillet before cooking up the burgers.

This is an absolutely ingenious way of doing two things. Firstly, I traditionally do not like having more bread than sandwich, which is why I often don't purchase whole wheat buns because they are actually larger than hamburgers and sliced veggie-meat. Size here is perfect. Secondly, I love opportunities to reuse items. This round bread recycles cans.

The Sudduths have been baking for years. Originally, they sold their goods as a side business to help them send their kids to a private church school. When the kids were out of school, they just kept baking and gave away what they made. I'm grateful every time we go to visit Paul's folks because there are either some great whole wheat baked goods stored in the freezer or the Sudduths bring some over. Their sweet rolls with pecans have been known to not even make it 24 hours in the Martin household. We are truly blessed to know such kindness.

Metro is very special to us. It is the restaurant where we ate just after Paul proposed. One thing I love about Metro is that it is in a building with its back to Lake Eola. You can't see the lake while dining, only the street, which can be entertaining enough. But, I love to park half way around the lake and walk to Metro to take in the beautiful sights of the fountain, swans, and owners walking their dogs.

I was nervous that Metro would be feeling the crunch of the economy. I don't think we have been to Metro this year because we no longer live downtown, but five exits or so up from the street leading to the lake and to the restaurant. But, I was happy to see that, if anything, the economy has not hurt the family-owned-and-operated restaurant. In fact, I think it was the busiest I had ever seen it. There wasn't even room for us to eat at the tables outside.

Exactly a week ago, we attended a wedding at the Omni Resort in Champions Gate, Florida. We loved the wedding and are so happy for Sarah and John, but more importantly, we enjoyed this (see photo) particular menu item so much that the efforts of a duplication will likely be part of our menu this week.

I have fallen off the wagon of my menu plan to eliminate unnecessary stress in my life the last couple of weeks due to friends and family visiting, which throws off my schedule a bit. (I'm a creature of habit.) But, I'm back on this week!

Menu for Week of June 1

• Cold Wild Rice with fruit and nuts salad, veggie-meat
• Open-faced grilled cheese with aged white cheddar on dark wheat bread and mixed green salad
• Pizza on Flatbread with veggie-chicken spinach, and zucchini
• Cereal or Smoothies and Sandwiches
• Corn(?) and. . .

I have purchased fresh corn on sale at differing grocery stores for the last two weeks. It's a great summer treat and so inspiring because the fresh flavors make you want to do something just as fresh to go with it. We've already eaten this week's supply of corn, and I hope to acquire more on Thursday or Friday when I do my big bi-weekly grocery shopping.

Harmoni restaurant and market in College Park, Florida was one of the first posts on Eat Like a Rabbit and has been one of the more popular posts ever since. In the Sunday, March 22, 2009 Orlando Sentinel, I came across an interesting addition to that post in the Dining section.

This is a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant with a Mediterranean food store attached. It has a Greek menu and has been voted Orlando's Best for a few years, with framed advertisements above the cash register. However, when you look at the plastic table covers with pictures of different kinds of pasta and the "silk" leaves and plastic grape clusters hanging from the ceiling, you might get slightly confused. Paul had a falafel sandwich in a great thick bread wrap. I had the hummus and tabouleh sandwich. Both had lettuce and tomato added with a creamy cucumber dressing coating every bite.

When so many fresh ingredients are at your fingertips (especially during the winter time) it makes so much since to create a fantastic sandwich that mixes them all together. I enjoyed this so much because it was a fast creation and the flavors were fantastic.

This restaurant is consistently good. It has a menu rotation for every season and has a nice selection of teas. It was a tad warm this fall day; so only Gerald selected a warm tea. But everything was good. Paul and I absolutely loved our sandwiches. IF I could only make them like that at home! Surely it can't be that hard!

Guacamole is a favorite for us. However, we tend to differ on how to make it. Fresh cilantro is better than dried cilantro. Lime is better than lemon. And never use mayonnaise!

This could very likely be my favorite restaurant in all of Orlando. It sits on Central right next to Lake Eola and has a very special place in my heart because it is where we had dinner with my parents and Garrett Nudd after Paul tricked me into a photo shoot/wedding proposal. The food is consistently fabulous, and the staff is always kind, smiling, and fun.

For an all-girls mini party, I needed a simple mid-afternoon snack to be more of the main dish for a small group. I already had some crackers made of a variety of seeds--flax, poppy, sesame,etc. The crackers have a great and unique flavor. I simply wanted something to add to them. I then selected a plain, but well seasoned hummus and a medium salsa as dips.

I must confess, every time I buy a carton of eggs, I wish I won't use them quickly so I can have an excuse to make egg salad. I learned sometime somewhere to eat sprouts instead of lettuce on my egg salad sandwich, and now I prefer it 100%. Fresh tomatoes and good wheat bread make the sandwich look and taste gourmet.

Don't let anyone ever tell you sandwiches are only for lunch and are not elegant. Sprouts and avocados can be quite elegant because they are "adult tastes". Sprouts are stringy and often odd to kids. Kids may eat guacamole, but without all the additional flavors, avocados can taste rough. When at peak season, with red tomatoes and fancy bread, such a meal can be very good. And let's face it, counselors on weight loss and proper digestion would recommend lighter compared to heavier dinners because people often get home late and generally have larger entree meals for lunch.