Choose Your Egg.

"Cage Free", our eggs of choice.

Choice is a good thing. And while we don't believe Americans necessarily need 67 brands of candy bars to choose from, we do appreciate our various options for eggs:  free range, cage free, vegetarian diet, organic, grass fed, brown, white, large, jumbo, 6-pack, dozen, 18-pack...just to name a few.

Price used to be our only determining factor when purchasing eggs. But after watching "Food Inc.", we've modified our thinking. And while it's still tough to sort through all the marketing and buzz words associated with today's foods, we think shopping at a reputable grocery store may be the ultimate key.

Our supermarket of choice is "Whole Foods". Specializing in natural and organic products, they put our ethical shopping radar system at ease--so we feel good about the groceries we buy (especially eggs!).

We want to hear what you think about eggs. Does free range, cage free, organic, etc... matter to you? Where do you buy your eggs? White or brown?

Going Local.

South of the James Farmer's Market, Richmond, VA.

It seems as if farmer's markets are cropping up everywhere. Even my conservative hometown of Richmond, VA now has several thriving farmer's markets. My family and I recently perused the "South of the James" market last weekend. We picked up some artisan pasta, homemade blueberry bread, some yummy coffee and a load of other goodies.

We want to know--do you frequent your local farmer's market? If so, what do you buy? How much do you spend?

Dreaming Of Cookies.

Chocolate peanut butter creme "cookie-wiches", from Tookies.

Spice Cake: Mouth-Tingling-Delicious.

As with anything that's delicious, butter is the key.

My mom (a white Southerner, by way of Alabama) has perfected the art of the Indonesian spice cake. Not your typical Southerner cake of choice, I might add. However, my dad is Indonesian--and this particular recipe from his native land, has become a family favorite.

A delicious concoction of mouth-tingling spices (cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon), lots of eggs, some sugar, flour, and oh yeah, a crap load of butter, are the keys to a beyond-yummy spice cake. You'll also need some patience, as each layer of batter is cooked under the broiler for 1 minute and 10 seconds (my mom is a tad precise). And there are typically around 30+ layers in your typical spice cake. You do the math.

By the way, the final product is ridiculously amazing. In fact, I may need to jab my fork in to the computer screen after this post!

To The Extreme.

Are you an "extreme" grocery shopper? (image from TLC)

We were perusing Re-Nest this morning and ran across an interesting phenomenon, "extreme couponing", based on the TLC show of the same name. While we're not fans of stockpiling unhealthy foods (cereals, sodas, boxed snacks), we're definitely fans of saving cash. And that makes "extreme couponing" an interesting shopping tactic.

Are you patient. Are you thorough? Are you...extreme!? Well then, "extreme couponing" may be for you. Read more over at Re-Nest.

The Last Supper.

Can you guess which items contain some form of pork?

The Memorial Day lineup:  pork ribs (a hunk 'o' pork), green beans (cooked with bacon), beans (also cooked with bacon), grilled broccoli (thankfully, no pork), mashed potatoes (with a heavy dose of sour cream) and deviled eggs (not pictured, and no pork). Southern-style overeating at it's finest.

"We cannot be defeated." -Ribs.

The infamous "pork and beans".

Yesterday wasn't the first time I've overeaten. However, it may very well be the last. Don't get me wrong, the food was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, I find myself hating myself this morning. Pretty sure my stomach wants to punch me in the face. I'm sorry stomach--so, so sorry...

You see, this Southern boy turned semi-vegetarian (thank you, Seattle), has grown accustomed to what most might refer to as a "healthy lifestyle". Think fish instead of pork ribs, free range lamb sliders instead of Costco value-pack burgers and grilled potatoes instead of potato salad.

My vacation ends tomorrow, and I'm more than anticipating a return to my healthy ways. No doubt, I'll miss the flavors and tastes of the South. But after a 2-week barrage of meats, fats and starches, I won't miss the calories.

Off The Bone.

Best ribs in America? (photo from the ABC News Blog).

If you're a fan of ribs (like me), this story, will make your stomach grumble. Ron Claiborne, from ABC's "Good Morning America" has been searching for the best ribs in America. It appears he may have found a winner.

"Dinosaur Bar-B-Que", from Syracuse, New York, was recently crowned the winner of ABC's "Best Barbecue" contest. According to John Stage, owner of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, "straight-up hickory" is the key to their success.

Hankering for some ribs? Check out Dinosaur's award-winning recipe, here. (Story, images, video courtesy of ABC News/Blog).