Swim your way down to Squidfire's 10th Art Mart

Well, I hope we literally don't have to swim to Fells Point tomorrow morning but the forecast does call for some early morning thunderstorms (that I would normally say are quite romantic if I weren't peddling my prints) and a wee bit o' wind. I'm not made of sugar, though, so why don't you join illegible ink and 50 other local and regional crafters at Squidfire's 10th Art Mart from 11am-6pm in Fells Point?

Hey Mom, do you want me to add anything else to my list for you on Mother's Day?

"It's just another Meatless Monday" Month

When I saw the headlines this morning that Mario Batali was going meatless, the foodie in me was immediately intrigued. I mean, this culinary giant was once photographed with sausages draped around his neck like a chic scarf and his father owns a world-renowned meat-curing shop in Seattle! Had he decided to put the veal chop down for good? Well, not exactly, but Mario Batali is the latest voice joining the Meatless Monday movement.

According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health (a Meatless Monday educational partner), going meatless may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel. It seems like a pretty good compromise even for the strictest of carnivores.

So each Monday, every one of Batali's 14 restaurants will serve at least two vegetarian options (specially designated as "Meatless Monday options" to promote awareness). The like-minded chef said, "Asking everyone to go vegetarian or vegan isn't a realistic or attainable goal. But we can focus on a more plant-based diet, and support the farmers who raise their animals humanely and sustainably." (See the full article from Chris Elam here.)

After several hours of investigation on the internet and talking with a few folks at the office about some of their favorite vegetarian recipes, I started to think about the results from my Thirty Days of Grilled Cheese Challenge and decided I could easily do It's just another Meatless Monday Month. (And if I "meat" the month-long challenge, maybe I could even commit to the entire summer? Baby steps, baby steps - just as long as The Bangles aren't continuously stuck in my head.)  

Mr. illegible ink is probably going to raise his eyebrow when he hears what I've signed him up for but I think I can convince him to try at least two vegetarian options each Monday this month. (It's not like I've asked him to jump into Thirty Meatless Days & Nights, right?)

The Godfather of Grilled Cheese

It's hard to believe that today, the Thirty Days of Grilled Cheese Challenge has come to an end. And what might be even harder to believe is that I actually ate 30 grilled cheese sandwiches throughout this past month and *so far* have yet to experience any strange side effects. (Although, I haven't really had my cholesterol tested or bothered to step on a scale lately.)

With all the excitement and anticipation leading up to the end of April, I knew today had to be an extremely special, culminating grilled cheese experience. What better way to celebrate National Grilled Cheese month (as well as beating this challenge) than to get a grilled cheese sandwich from the newly opened, Catonsville restaurant, Grilled Cheese & Co. Their slogan (and website domain) is "I love grilled cheese!"

So, with this final sandwich under my belt (pun intended), I declare myself the National Grilled Cheese Month Champion with my final sandwich: The Fredo, a whole milk mozzarella with hand pinched Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions and topped with marinara sauce. I may not eat grilled cheese tomorrow but I can promise you I'll be heading back to the Grilled Cheese & Co. for another one soon!

Many thanks to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and The Grilled Cheese Academy for recipes and the amazingly delicious basket of fresh cheeses. My appreciation also goes to Cuisinart for making the Griddler - an appliance I couldn't have lived without while testing all of these new recipes. And of course, a final shout out goes to Mr. illegible ink, who ate almost as many grilled cheese sandwiches this month because he loves me. (I promised him even though May is BBQ month, we'll take a break before our next food challenge.)