It's Not Too Late - Ann Arbor's First Dodgeball Competition

A friend of mine is chairing Ann Arbor's First Dodgeball Competition to benefit Skyline High School's Crew Team.

Teams of 6-10 people can compete for a trophy, prizes and most of all, bragging rights, while playing one of the best games ever!

Registration deadline: Saturday February 5th
Event: Saturday February 12, 2011, 12 noon to 9:00 pm
Location: Skyline High School, 2552 N. Maple Road, Ann Arbor

For all the details, see http://www.annarbordodgeball.com/

Questions: skylinedodgeball@umich.edu

Can't wait to see who wins the best team costume!

Astrid

Ann Arbor Turkey Trot

At the finish line!

We woke up early this morning to run a local turkey trot, benefiting local animal shelters.  The weather was a bit overcast and chilly but it wasn't feezing or raining.

A good time was had by all - thanks Craig for driving, taking pics, and holding our gear.

Remeber a few weeks ago when we started our training? see story here http://carfreeinannarbor.blogspot.com/2010/09/training-started-tonight-for-turkey.html

Thanks every body for coming out and participating.

Now time for a quick shower, prepare a feast, and enjoy a little family time.

Astrid

Ayse's Courtyard Cafe

I had lunch with a coworker at Ayse's Cafe on Plymouth Road.  Ayse's features Turkish home cooking.  See menu pdf here http://aysesturkishcafe.com/menus.htm

Ayse’s Café has been serving the Ann Arbor community for over 20 years.  Ayşe (pronounced “Eye-shah”) started a catering business in 1986 and Ayse’s Courtyard Café opened in October 1993. The restaurant underwent an expansion in 2004, adding on the adjoining unit and doubling dining capacity. Ayse’s brother-in-law Hasan joined the business in 2007. The food served has remained traditional Turkish home cooking.

Our emphasis is on fresh, seasonal cooking and we try to use locally produced ingredients as much as possible; our menu revolves daily to reflect this and the rich diversity of Turkish cuisine. We have numerous vegetarian options and can provide gluten free and vegan options as requested.

We are thankful for the business of our many regular customers who we have come to consider part of our family and always look forward to welcoming new ones.

When we got there about 12 noon and there was only one other couple.  The day's menu is on a white marker board over the counter.  Orders are taken at the counter and brought to whereever you've chosen to sit.  The daily menu was not as extensive as the online menu.

Turkish coffee and pita bread

Since I'm a huge fan of coffee/caffeine, I ordered my first Turkish coffee.  I had to check with Wiki to see what this is - water boiled with ground coffee beans with a bit of sugar.  The name describes the preparation, not a specific coffee bean.  See article here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_coffee  The coffee was served in a lovely little demi tasse cup.  It was strong but not bitter, very tasty.  After my reading on wiki, I knew to avoid the sludge at the bottom of the cup.  From the same article, the more foam at the top the better.

With all that lamb at home in the freezer, I decided to order a lamb dish to get some more ideas.  We still have 89 pounds of lamb in our freezer from our recent bulk purchase.  According to wiki, lamb is not consumed in Turkey as much these days as in the past.

In some regions, meat, which was mostly eaten only at wedding ceremonies or during the Kurban Bayramı (Eid ul-Adha) as etli pilav (pilaf with meat), has become part of the daily diet since the introduction of industrial production. Veal, formerly shunned, is now widely consumed. The main use of meat in cooking remains the combination of minced meat and vegetable, with names such as kıymalı fasulye (bean with minced meat) or kıymalı ıspanak (spinach with minced meat, which is almost always served with yogurt). Alternatively, in coastal towns, cheap fish such as sardines (sardalya) or hamsi (anchovies) are widely available, as well as many others with seasonal availability. Poultry consumption, almost exclusively of chicken and eggs, is common. Milk-fed lambs, once the most popular source of meat in turkey, comprise a small part of contemporary consumption. Kuzu çevirme, cooking milk-fed lamb on a spit, once an important ceremony, is rarely seen. Because it is a predominantly Islamic country, pork plays no role in Turkish cuisine.

I choose the lamb kofte served with potatoes and rice pilaf.  This came with lentil soup or salad and I went with soup as today felt too dreary for a cold salad.  My companion ordered zucchini-lentil stew and salad.

lentil soup

The restaurant was slowly starting to fill up and inversely, service was becoming slower.  At one point after our soup/salad was served, I was sure the rest of our meal was forgotten!  But it came eventually.  This is not the place for a quick lunch.

Salad dressed with oil and vinegar

The soup was a vegetarian lentil with what tasted like a tomato base.  There was a sprinkle of dark spice on top.  The waitress said it was sumac.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumac  Wiki says sumac is used to add a lemony flavor to middle eastern dishes but to me it tasted more like paprika, sort of smokey/earthy.  A nice start to the meal along with the Turkish coffee.

lamb kofte with potatoes and rice pilaf

The meal eventually arrived and looked beautiful and well prepared.  For $11.95, I had expected a bit more on my plate.  I can't say that there was anything really special about this lamb dish that was out of the ordinary or would prompt me to come back.  It was freshly prepared.

lentil zucchini stew

My friend was pleased with her meal - she enjoys vegetarian food that is flavorful but doesn't leave her feeling full.  Her criteria was met.  I was looking for something different or interesting that I could try at home so my criteria was not met. 

I took half of my meal home to share.

Turkish coffee dregs

The flowers in vases around the restaurant are nicely displayed, including the roses on the counter.

Astrid

The New Governor's Commute

Exterior front view of the official residence of the Michigan governor, photographed in Lansing, Wednesday, June 8, 2005. (REGINA H. BOONE/Detroit Free Press)

The Michigan Free Press report today that Michigan's Governor-Elect Snyder has chosen to commute from Ann Arbor to Lansing instead of residing at the recently renovated governor's residence in Lansing.  See article here http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101118/NEWS06/11180479/1001/rss01&template=fullarticle

As I was reading this article, I was finding myself conflicted from the point of view as a working mother and environmentally conscious individual.  Please note, this blog post has nothing to do with political views - it's my opinion about life's choices.

His reasons for staying in Ann Arbor is to keep his teenage daughter in the same school instead of uprooting her.  OK, I can relate to that, transitioning to the 9th grade is difficult.  On the other hand - it's a 70 minute commute each way in good conditions along the US-23 corridor. 

After some consideration, I've chosen to disagree with his decision. 

He's a millionaire in his own right and he choose to run for the Governorship position, presumably to do good things for the voting public of Michigan. He's not recovering from a recent job layoff and relocating to a new job, trying to make things work for his family.  His situation is a little different than most of us.

I don't see how his spending 2.5 hours on the road everyday makes sense for an elected official serving in a high capacity position. Let's assume it's roughly 70 miles from Ann Arbor to the Governor's office in Lansing or 150 miles round trip every day for 200 days a year, plus Michigan State Police escort.  That is a lot of gas and expense.

If Gov.-elect Snyder cared that much about maintaining his daughter's current education, he should not have run for the elected office.   President Obama brought his 2 daughters to the White House from Chicago and his girls started at a new school.

It remains to be seen how Gov-elect Snyder will balance his job and family life but right now it seems we've elected a part time governor.

Astrid

Lunch at Argiero's

Saturday lunch

After a hard morning of biking through town, listening to a physics lecture and buying treats at the Farmer's Market, we stopped for lunch at Argiero's.

Fun wall paintings

We arrived closer to 1:00 and the restaurant wasn't busy so we had a nice large table for the 4 of us.  We ordered a bunch of food (yeah for leftovers!).

Bread, butter, and olive oil while we waited for our food.

Child's portion of pasta with meat sauce

Chicken strips and fries

Lame sandwich

Large sausage pizza

It was nice to sit and have a relaxing lunch in town but it wasn't really worth $50.  We all have salt hangover's.  It was a very slow ride home!

My bike with left over pizza strapped to the back basket

Astrid

Checking-out the Competition Part 2

Zingerman's Next Door, pastry case

Today, we moved another step closer to a decision about a small family business.  See Thursday's post from Part 1 here http://carfreeinannarbor.blogspot.com/2010/11/checking-out-competition.html.

First up was a lecture on hybrid fusion-fission energy supplies for the year 2050 at the University of Michigan.  The best part of the lecture is the bagels and donuts.

Cake donuts from Washtenaw Dairy, courtesy of Saturday Morning Physics

Then a short hop to the Saturday Farmer's Market.  I particularly wanted to speak to the Market Manager and sample some baked goods from local sellers/bakers.

There are several stalls that always seem to be there plus some that come and go.  Grandma's is always there.  I was under the impression that she was from Kalamazoo or someplace in Michigan, a little ways from Ann Arbor but her commercial bakery is located in Delta Ohio.

Grandma of Grandma's Kitchen

Jake picked out Gingersnaps - 6 large cookies for $5.  Flour, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, molasses, ginger, cloves, slat, soda, cinnamon, margerine.  Commercial baking space, nothing organic.

Maite Zubia of Maitelates bakes traditional South American chocolate dipped cookies.  I've always walked by her stall reading the boards but wondered about the actual product as the cookies are packaged like little bars of soap.  See webpage here http://www.maitelates.com:90/maitelates/index.htm

Alfajores Maitelates - Argentinian chocolate dipped cookies

Maite was standing near her stall today and said she uses a commercial kitchen in somebody's basement.  She sells her cookies at the Farmer's Market, Zingerman's and through her webstore.  Jake picked out a Strawberry cookie for $2.  The chocolate coating is Callebaut but none of the ingredients are labelled organic.

There's another bakery table that is always there, right at one of the main market intersections near the Office.  She sells pie-type goodies. 

We talked this morning and she's been selling at the Market for 30 years.  She said that selling retail was too expensive.  She has a commercial kitchen in a retail strip mall and sells lots of pies during the holidays.  Jake picked out a Cherry Pie Bite for $1.

This baker only listed the name of the product on the label and the ingredients were taped to the table.  If you zoom close in, you'll see that the baked goods contain corn sweetener and some preservatives.

The Market Manager, Molly Notarianni,  was in and we chatted for a bit. 

The exclusion that I had heard about earlier this week is known as the Cottage Food Law of 2010, which allows individuals to manufacture and store certain type of foods in an unlicensed home kitchen.  There are some caveats and provisos.  I can bake and sell DIRECTLY to consumers, up to a maximum gross annual sales of $15,000.  I cannot sell to a store or through the internet. This exclusion only gets me out of using or licensing a commercial kitchen, I still need to follow packaging rules, setting up a business name, and state and federal tax rules.  Not having to use a commercial licensed kitchen while I figure things out in the beginning is a huge deal.

Molly said that there was stall space available over the winter but applications are strictly reviewed, details are important.  The idea, I suppose, is to make sure that there is an adequate mix of products for sale.  Space in the Spring and Summer are booked.  There were lots of stalls with table decorations today.

So....I"ll need to double check my homeowners association bylaws, double check business licensing requirements, and state/federal tax rules.  And then apply for a Saturday Farmer's Market stall for a Saturday near Christmas and see how my oatmeal bars are received.   

After looking at the Farmer's Market today plus Zingerman's, Sweatwaters and the locations last Thursday, there aren't oatmeal bars like mine for sale.  And nobody seems to sell a mostly organic product.

Onward and upwards.

Astrid

Evergreen Restaurant

Since 1992, we have consistently served Ann Arbor with delicious, gourmet Chinese cuisine.  Specializing in Mandarin, Sichuan, Hunan, Shanghai and Taiwan styles of cooking, Evergreen promises only the most authentic flavors with the freshest ingredients, and always at a affordable price.

EVERGREEN RESTAURANT                               

Lunch menu http://www.evergreen-restaurant.com/Evergreen_Restaurant/MENU_files/evergreen%20L.pdf

I met a friend for lunch today at Evergreen.  I have an on-again-off-again feeling about this place.  Sometimes it hits the spot and other times it just seems like a bad version of American Chinese food. 

Menu and hot tea

Today I ordered the spicy hunan veggies and tofu, the lunch special No. L44, which comes with white rice, choice of soup, spring roll, and hot tea.  All for the low low price of $6.49.  My friend had the hunan beef, same dish with veggies except substitute beef for tofu.

Today was one of those so-so days.  I'm pretty sure the soup was just tap water with bits of minced green salad floating on top with a grey wonton on the bottom.  As my friend said, "it wasn't even warm!".  The salad was a little bowl of wilted iceberg lettuce.

Spicy hunan tofu

On the plus side, the hunan tofu came with lots of crisp-tender veggies covered in spicy brown sauce.  I haven't mastered "fried tofu" at home so I like to order it at a restaurant to get my fix.  I like the tough-chewy texture and on this cold and blustery day, hot, chewy tofu smothered in spicy sauce was a perfect choice for me.  The hunan beef was deemed delicious too.

Using a little self/portion control, we both left with containers for later.  Neither one of us could stomach the soup, I saved my spring roll and both of us had about half of the rice and entree left over.  I'll probably go again (not any time soon though) since the place is just down the street from where I work but it's not like I'm having a serious hankering, an unrelenting need, for one of their dishes.  There's definitely a trade off between quantity versus quality and this meal fell into the quantity camp.

Dinner

Astrid