Project SLAW - Sharing Lunch At Work

Happy New Year 2012 from Team SLAW.

2012-01-06T16:11:00.001-05:00

Yes we are still here and thinking of ways to get Project SLAW back on the Map. Office lunched were fun, we starting with 4 times a week Nov 2010, went to 1 time a week in Jan 2011 and had barely done many since August 2011.
Laziness and Excuses.... Laziness and Excuses. Well no more. Especially since I started 2012 with a quote from Mark Twain.

"The Secret of Getting Ahead is Getting Started",

Starting Jan 2012, per Cash's recommendation we are moving to SLAW Monthly.
Here is our schedule for Jan-Oct.
Jan – Cruz
Feb – Spa
Mar – Mr. X
Apr – Cash
May – Cruz
Jun – Spa
Jul – Mr. X
Aug – Cash
Sep – Cruz
Oct – Spa

We will still call our blog SLAW Weekly. Weekly postings will be about stuff happening to team SLAW while 1 week will be a write up about our office lunch.

So thanks Cash and MT (I am guessing its a cooler way to say Mark Twain).

We are BACK!!!

Episode 46: Cash gives Mrs Cash a short warning; Spa derails Marrakesh Express.

2011-09-24T23:39:00.000-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF
Published: September 24th, 2011
It was Tuesday September 22nd, a grey cloudy day in NYC. I arrived at SLAW and saw neatly wrapped sandwiches sitting on top of paper mats, napkins and a big bag of potato chips wide open. Cash did a good job. GOOD JOB!!!
Spa and Mr X joined us shortly. Everyone commented on what a great job Mrs Cash did with the presentation, all sandwiches wrapped individually in wax paper like a professional deli would do especially because she had to prepare these the very morning.
The sandwiches were triple layered delights filled with cole-slaw. Cash, Mr X and Spa had ones with ham and I had one without (thanks Mrs Cash) since I don't ham. The last time we had these was during "SLAW on the road" episode dated December 22nd 2010. You can read all about Episode 18 here [Link to Episode]

Cash played the Art lecture but we soon discovered that no one was paying much attention so he stopped it and started discussing about Spa's trip to Morocco which at this point is only 1 week away. We also discussed a situation where Spa entered Cash's office one morning and called him a name, completely un-provoked. Let us pretend that name rhymes with shopping bag. Cash demanded SLAWpology and Spa ignored the request.

Spa started talking about her trip to Morocco again. I think Cash prompted her with a song and Spa taking the bait started singing "Marrakesh Express" by Crosby, Stills and Nash. The singing was so off that it made Cash jump up and put the song on youtube so we all can hear the difference.

Great food, music, "shopping bag", SLAWpology, Spa's singing and Cash's rapid fire jokes made this a very good SLAW.

Editor's Note: Mr X to the rescue, SLAW needs to get more healthier.

2011-09-24T22:50:00.001-04:00

As I was diving into a bag of potato chips that Cash brought for Episode 46th, Mr X calmly asked me if I was "bulking-up". That made me realize that I was starting to eat unhealthy again.
Project SLAW was founded on the belief that by eating home-cooked lunch during a work day we can save money, eat healthy and enjoy office lunches.
That made me re-design our logo for SLAW Weekly and gave me an idea for my next turn at bringing in Office Lunch. Sorry Cash but I must.
Here's to a NEW Start at SLAW, a healthier SLAW.
(Lets see how long this lasts, I would give this one a week)

Episode 45: The un-official weekly SLAW introduces SLAW Art Lectures

2011-09-24T22:36:00.002-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF
Published: September 23rd, 2011
I accidentally stumbled into SLAW area during lunch hour one day and saw Cash, Spa and Mr X watching Art Lectures while eating lunch. Then I find out that they have been doing this for a while and were already on lecture 5.
WHAT!!!
I know I have been busy at work and not much time to take lunches but I missed out on four excellent office lunches and some interesting lectures. Not to forget all the comments they probably made during those lectures. The fun stuff!!!

On Friday September 16th, I had a 50 minute break between meetings so I went out with Spa and Cash to EAT on upper east side. We all got soups (perfect for a rainy cloudy NYC day) and headed back to office.
Cash called Mr X to join and we started our first lecture. Today's lecture was Lecture # 5: Ancient Near East and Islamic Art. The lectures are 1/2 hour each which is perfect for work lunch and are available on DVD under series title Museum Masterpieces. Professor Richard Brettel picks a few art object from a specific period and shares some key facts and observations. I found this interesting and educational.
Since this is a blog about office lunch I will mention that soups from EAT although expensive ($9 for a pint) were very good. That didn't stop me from eyeing Mr X's leftover lunch which looked pretty good. http://www.elizabar.com/-C25.aspx
The lecture was interesting but some of us started to do other things towards the end.

Episode 44: SLAW comes back with Biryani and a lesson on Murga Punishment from South East Asia

2011-09-24T21:43:00.002-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF
Published: September 23rd, 2011
Sorry for not posting any new blogs. It has been 2 months and I am happy to report that Project SLAW is still on.
Team SLAW met on Tuesday September 6th and it was my turn. It had been a while so I brought in some Paki comfort food, yup Beef Biryani (Layered Spicy Basmati Rice with Potatoes and beef) with the usual side of cucumber yogurt. Since its been couple of weeks, I hardly remember what we talked about. Mr X had a day off which I didn't realize so I had brought his portion. Oh well, more for me. Besides Biryani I brought Gulab Jaman, a deep-fried ball of flour and sugar/honey and Halwa for dessert.

Spa was excited about her upcoming trip to Paris and Morocco, Cash was cash and I explained to them about a punishment that most people who grew up in South East Asia receives some time during their lives. Its called "Murga" position which literally translate to the rooster position. If you get caught doing anything you are not supposed to like talking in class, or breaking a traffic rule, well you are bound to be converted into a Murga for atleast 10-15 minutes if not half hour. Both Spa and Cash were fascinated. Wikipedia has an entry on it as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murga_punishment

Spa even attempted to try it but couldn't really make her arms go under her legs and bring them up to her ears. Enjoy the pictures. :)

New Episodes Coming Tuesday September 6th 2011

2011-08-23T00:29:00.002-04:00

Our Office Lunch Blog Reaches 6000 Views!

2011-07-19T21:34:00.001-04:00

It took only 1 with a vision, 4 willing to participate, 8 months of effort, 43 episodes, 40+ amazing office lunches, we have reached

6000 Views

Episode 43: Shortest SLAW ever, Waiting for Mr X, Spa and Cruz chats Morocco

2011-07-19T20:15:00.001-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF
Published: July 19th , 2011
To date, this was the shortest SLAW since we started sharing lunch at work November of 2010. We started 12:10pm and I was cleaning up by 12:25pm.
Because of just insane hot weather in NYC, I decided not to bring lunch from home and bought is frmo our Staff Cafe. I went with
- Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Hot sauce, Blue Cheese, Carrtos and Celery.
- Mrs Vickie's Potato Chips
- Madeleines Petite French Cakes (from Starbucks)

Cash ate his half of Buffalo Chicken Wrap, I offered him another half and he politely declined. I also offered him dessert and he declined that as well. Mr X was busy with a meeting and since we were done in 15 minutes, he missed SLAW. Spa and I discussed her upcoming vacation to Paris and Morocco. For the record, Spa did really like this wrap.
And there you have it. The Shortest SLAW in the history of SLAWs.
I left Mr X's meal (I did cover it up though). He called me when I was back at my desk to thank me since this is his most favorite thing from our staff cafe.

Episode 42: Mrs Cash on Vacation, Spa/Mr X help out and Cash invents SLAWPOLOGY.

2011-07-19T20:00:00.001-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF
Office Lunch Occured: July 5th , 2011
So Mrs Cash is on vacation. Mr X/Spa helped out Cash (who is quite busy at work) and ordered a Pizza Pie from City Market Cafe, a deli close by. The deli is so-so although they do make pretty good pizza. For lunch we had:
- 1 Margarita Pizza Pie
- Salad with Mushrooms, Cranberries, Almonds, Tomato, Lettuce in Balsamic Vinigrette

All of us are super busy at work these days so not much time to eat.

It was a quick lunch, 25 minutes at most and SLAW was over. We did notice Spa adding salad to her pizza slice, kinda a pretend healthy pizza :)

Its been a week since this last SLAW so it is hard for me to remember what we talked about except that our discussion ended abrubtly. In short some of jokes heavily targeted one of the members of Team SLAW. To de-sour and sweeten Team SLAW, Cash invented slawPology. (SLAW(Sharing lunch at Work + Apology).

After officially issuing the first ever slawPology, we all felt quite sweet and averted the end of SLAW for now.

Behind the Scene: Spa, Cash and Pretzel Hotdogs!

2011-07-08T18:02:00.002-04:00

If you are wondering what we eat on NON-SLAW days*, this is the right post to read.
* Refers to days where we don't share lunch at work and eat separate, well not all of us apparently.
I stopped by Table SLAW during lunch hour and saw Cash and Spa fine-dining on Prezel Hotdogs and Pretzels.
A total Carb Calorie Fiesta Frenzy!

Spa gave me a piece of the soft pretzels and they were DELICIOUS!

Episode 41: Spa Slathers, Cash Flirts, Mr X Talks Hair and Cruz Leaves with Leftovers

2011-07-05T18:29:00.002-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF
Published: July 5th , 2011
Welcome to our first July episode of SLAW Weekly, where 4 of us spice up our office lunch once a week, most weeks. Its Spa Day and based on texts and e-mails received from Spa yesterday, i knew what was coming our way. Well, it was that and much more. Slaw started on time, and by the time I reached SLAW table, everything was setup nicely.
Spa brought:
MAIN COURSE: Grass Fed Boneless Rib-eye marianated in Slatherin Sauce (Original)
CHEESE: Prairie Breeze Cheddar
SALAD: Tossed Salad with Tomato, Red Onion, Cucumber, Mushrooms, Dried Cranberries, and Sliced Almonds.
DESSERT: Red and Blue Cookies (in honor of 4th of July)
Here is what I saw when i walked in. Lunch ready!

Lunch was DELICIOUS and HEALTHY. Less on carbs and high on protein and taste (ignore those cookies for now). Now here is why lunch was delicious. First of all everything was hand selected or prepared by Spa. She put alot of thought into it. Starting with sauce for the rib-eye. It was Slatherin Sauce and like they say Slather it on. http://slatheriton.com/

Second, Spa prepared the steak on 4th of July. She went to her local butcher in Brooklyn and consulted on meat. Once home, she prepped the meat and took pictures (posted on this blog yesterday). After hours of cook time, Rib-Eye was ready to be sliced up. To ensure perfection she even ate some of it last night. Now that's some dedication.

On to Cheese. The Prairie Breeze Cheedar was delicious. Milton Creamery gets two thumbs up from Team SLAW.

Besides food, our in-house DJ Cash mixed up our office lunch with some 80's tunes. Today's song was Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime) by The Flirts. Link: http://youtu.be/Kohs_nlQzpM

So there we have it. An office lunch with great food, good music, company and the best part, Spa loved doing all the prep and cooking. Although if I somewhat quote Cash, this SLAW would be perfect if there was atleast one more cookie each and a cup of coffee. Maybe next time Cash.

Almost forgot, Mr X did describe how Mrs Cash did her hair back in the 80's (this while we watched the Flirts sing JukeBox). Front straight up (thinking gel) and back buzz cut. And yes yes, I as always happily took away the leftovers as my pre-dinner snack. Good stuff.

Spa prepares for SLAW & Happy 4th of July everyone.

2011-07-04T21:36:00.001-04:00

First of all

Second of all I know Spa has been quite busy today preparing for SLAW tomorrow. To prove, here are some images from her SLAW prep.
Message received from SPA at 12:02pm

E-Mail received from SPA at 6:16pm

Can't wait for our Office lunch tomorrow!
Good Job!!
Good Job Spa!!!

Episode 40: Mr X's 10:00pm Taquitos, Pitmaster Lost Forever and What to do With Wide Open Walls.

2011-06-29T00:30:00.004-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF
Published: June 28th , 2011
Welcome to Episode 40 of Weekly SLAW where 4 hard working people share office lunch in order to save $ and time. I can definitely say we save time but not sure if SLAW saved us any money, if anything some of us spent much much more.

Today was Mr X's turn and he brought
- Beef Taquitos
- Sour Cream
- Newman's Peach Salsa with Tostitos Crispy Round Chips

Mr X brought his home-made Taquitos back on March 10th 2011 in Episode 27 although he had Newman's Pineapple Salsa with Tostitos home style chips. Link to Episode 27 from March 10th
[Editor Thinking Out Loud] ~You know writing about office lunch can get a little draining, especially 8 months into Project SLAW and by the time I come home from work, eat, watch TV I normally forget most of what actually happened during our office lunch~
Cash asked Spa about her Pit Master, her reply
Pit Master is gone.
Spa enjoyed her time with him although she never made it to the Pitmaster's BBQ cook-off. Oh well on to bigger and better things. ;) [Pitmaster was part of Episodes 32, 33, 34 and 39]
Lunch started few minutes early. Spa confirmed her upcoming trip to Morocco then discussed an issue she was having on Facebook with one of her friends. Her Bottom line: everyone has a right to say what they want on their own page. She wasn't feeling well and said that her nephew might have 102 degree temperature which she might have gotten. Her statement was a cue for Cash to start singing a song from the 70's (Hot Blooded - Foreigner) which then turned into a cue for Spa to bring out her 70's dance moves. Its always a scene at SLAW... Talking about that, right before all this we had a inquisitive visitor come check us out. She had heard about SLAW and peeked in to see how its done. (PS: All visitors are welcome although come at your own risk)

Walls are wide open?!?!?
Towards the end of our lunch, Cash said "My Walls are wide open right now". His house is under renovation and there was a discussion on whether to install wiring for surround sound system. I voted a HUGE YES although he decided otherwise. I guess I voiced a lot of excitement cause I was getting my mini HDTV for my bathroom today so any home tech talk is exciting for me.
Nothing like watching Good Morning America while you hmmmm brush your teeth or shave.
SLAW ended 20 minutes early. Food was delicious, company was good, music was lively, some discussions were even more livelier. That wraps up our Episode 40 of SLAW Weekly.

Episode 39: Spa in Morocco, Cash Cherry-Pick Cherries, Mr X Bites a Mango.

2011-06-15T20:34:00.001-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF
Published: June 15th , 2011

Welcome to Episode 39. The episode that broke No Rice or Pasta rule quietly. It was my turn and I kept it the usual with a Beef Biryani (white rice, potatoes, spices, plum pits) with cucumber Yogurt dressing, For sweet, I brought Mangoes. Cash helped me by adding some organic corn chips and Cherries which was hand selected for Spa (aka leaving her with all the deformed yet still delicious cherries).

Corn chips added a nice crunch to Biryani. Soft rice and crunchy chips. Like Spa pointed out, adding carbs to carbs. Even it that was a crime, it was a delicious Carb on Carb crime.

SLAW lunch was mostly about MOROCCO. More specifically Spa's potential upcoming vacation to Morocco. Looks like she has a few places in mind, friends lined up for the trip, good connection with a hotel owner, room picked out and everything. While Spa was talking about her trip, Cash started singing "One Night in Fez" which was taken from "One Night in bangkok" by Murray Head.

Here is a little video of our lunch. You will notice Spa breaking out her dance moves. And thats not why i cut the video... I swear.

For every SLAW there is a lot of prep and hard work. In today's episode, my mom was up early cooking, cutting and mixing away. Interesting thing about Project SLAW is that we do setup, eat, laugh, try to dance and cleanup under an hour which is why SLAW has lasted as long as it did. Even on a day when its my turn, our office lunch lasted 45 minutes, and blogging about this including posting pics was an hour in the evening while watching TV.

SLAW WORKS. BELIEVE IT.

Episode 38: [Special Investigation] "No Sauce for you" - Team SLAW's undercover mission to capture Flo

2011-06-11T13:22:00.007-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF
Published: June 11th , 2011
June 9th 2011 was a very hot and hazy day in NYC. Team SLAW was at a special location (for work). At lunch time, Spa and I went to get lunch. Since this area doesn't offer many lunch choices, we decided to head back to Nathan's. Now for new SLAW readers; Nathan's is the place where Cash met his evil arch nemesis FLO back in Episode 8 posted Dec 1st 2010. [Link to full episode here]

In short, Back in Dec 2010 Cash upgraded to 5 piece chicken tender meal instead of 3 piece. Now common sense would say that with 5 piece meal, you will two sauces but Flo refused and offered Cash to buy his extra Ranch sauce for additional 51 cents. Since then she was added to Team SLAW's List of Meanies

Now we were going back there after 5 months. Has Flo changed? Is she even there? Well she was there, meaner than ever. Spa and I were in line. Spa, risking everything including lunch decided to take the very first picture of Flo. She lifted her blackberry and I pretended to read an e-mail off of it. This is how we captured Flo, the meanest, most reclusive and demanding fast food cashier of all time.

We braved the 97 degree hot humid weather and came back with not only some delicious yummy oily and fattening fries and burgers and chicken but also a picture of Flo. For those who have never had Nathan's, its delicious atleast when you are hungry and eating it. Their fries are some of the best thick-cut you can buy at a fast food chain and probably will beat Chick-fill-A's waffle fries in a taste test.

Next morning, Mr X picked me up for work and we decided to go to McDonald's drive thru close to my house in Bayside, NY. As we were waiting for our food, I noticed that McDonald's has a SAUCE POLICY. You get more sauce when you order more chicken, 1 sauce for 3 pieces, 2 sauce for 5 pieces - proving even more that Cash was right all along. Take that Flo!

To add to all of this, when we went back to Nathan's on Friday, there was no Flo. And without even asking, we got 2 containers of sauce with our order. Also, For those who have never met Flo, well just imagine the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld but a bit more meaner (See video clip below)

NO SAUCE FOR YOU, COME BACK 1 YEAR!

Episode 37: Mrs Cash Taco Salad A HIT, Spa Compares Rice to Donuts, Mr X Posts Mr Weiner.

2011-06-07T20:06:00.004-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF

Published: June 7th , 2011

SLAW started with one thing in mind. Healthy eating. Seems like everytime we have our shared office lunch, Team SLAW kicks it up a notch. For the past 2 weeks spa has been super good, keeping Carbs away from her and eating good. I witness one such lunch event last week when i saw her having a Cottage Cheese and Peach lunch.

Based on no rice or pasta rule, Cash brought a lovely make your own
- Taco Salad with Beef
- Lettuce
- Shredded Cheese
- Cheesecake factory Ranch Dressing
- Salsa
- XOchitl White Corn Organic Chips
- Onions, Cherry Tomatoes and Olives. (Thank you Mrs Cash for the onions, CRUZ-BIG FAN)
- Home Made Fudge Brownies (Extra were sent for Me and my Family, Take note MrX and Spa, take lots of notes)

When I got to SLAW Table, Cash was busy prepping everyone's Salad. Pictures below show him working on his masterpiece. Then everyone got to customize their own lunch with toppings. It was actually fun to see how we all created our salads differently.

SLAW highly recommends XOCHITL whote Corn Organic chips. and that Cheesecake ranch dressing. Yum.

Lunching while we have the NO RICE NO PASTA sign overlooking SLAW for any outlaws. There was no sign of rice or pasta anywhere but we were still surrounded by large amounts of cream.

Here is a picture of everyone's plate. I think mine looks the best although Mr X decided to create a sculpture, Cash layered it for maximum effect and SPA, well she was half done by the time I took the picture.

Our dessert started with delicious home made brownies and we were glad that they were neatly wrapped. If they were open, I doubt I would be able to take couple of them home for my mom. We had to so we did brought up Anthony Weiner in our office lunch. Overall discussion was around why would someone at that position do something like this.

Mr X ran and got his NY Post and we all had a nice time reading some of the editorial and article headlines. Then we started talking about food and carbs. Mr x wondered if we can allow rice at SLAW again and Spa compared white rice to deep fried donuts.

Just like our last SLAW nothing says THANK YOU CHEF (in this case Mrs CASH) like a picture of empty containers and wanting more. I was pretty full by the end but as I write this post 8 hours after lunch,

I wish...

I had a plate of taco Salad in front of me now.

Spa introduces no Rice or Pasta Law

2011-06-06T22:45:00.002-04:00

Spa introduces new rule. No Rice or Pasta dishes can be served during office work lunches going forward. Rule only applies to our Tuesday SLAW.

Because of this strict rule, we will attempt to paste this sign on or near our weekly lunch table.
(Please note that word attempt is underlined)

Episode 36: Momma Slaw adds "Easy Elegance", Ultimate SLAW Organizer "SPA" and expanding Mr X.

2011-05-24T23:59:00.005-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR in CHIEF

Published: May 24th, 2011
The SLAW to beat hands down. Spa organized an excellent meal fit for a proper Office lunch. Spa's mom was visiting town and generously volunteered to make an excellent meal for our team SLAW. Not only that, she picked out a name for herself and added couple of more meanings to SLAW.

"Skip Lunch and Walk"

"Skip Lunch and Work"

As for her name, she picked SLAW but team SLAW officially named her

Momma SLAW.

Click on picture to enlarge

Back to Spa's organization, coordination and imagination; She pulled an awesome office lunch together. Main Entrée was cooked by Spa and Momma SLAW, side was outsourced to Cruz's mom (thanks mom), while desserts and salad were supplied by fine stores located on Madison Ave (graded A and B respectively by the City of New York)
Spa Brought:
1. Chicken Florentine
2. White Basmati RIce
3. Mix Salad with almonds and cranberries (From City Market Cafe)
4. 1/2 lbs of assorted Cookies from William Greenberg Desserts
We are known to eat quickly but today the main entrée was served and gone in record time.

Spa scraped dried cheese/spinach and Mr X gladly took it like it was Foie Gras. Speaking of Foie Gras, Mr X added one more member to his lovely family. A Pekin Duck. He was also starving and had more than normal cookies which is why I referenced him in the title, the expanding Mr X. (Editor's Note: I should start a comic book called the Expanding Mr X, kinda sounds like Plastic Man from 1941 but different) Now back to the blog.

Cash talked about re-designing or changing his house layout (he is "expanding" his house and shrinking his cash simultaneously).
This lunch brought back memories of the 50's, a real home made hearty American meal, "elegant but easy". Mr X seemed very touched by the whole affair. Cookies were delicious, side of rice was good (complimented the Chicken Florentine) and salad made me feel that the whole thing was super healthy and diet friendly.

I would like to pass thanks to all mom's of team SLAW. For this episode, special thanks goes to Spa's Momma SLAW and Cruz's mom. Hours of effort, usually scarfed down in minutes but we all really appreciate it. I guess the best thank you to any chef is this picture below...

In a behind the scenes SLAW fashion, I am sharing an e-mail written from Momma SLAW to Spa earlier today about the cookbook and recipe for the delicious and nostalgic Chicken Florentine.
"The cookbook is THE ELEGANT BUT EASY COOKBOOK by Marian Fox Burros and Lois Levine. Published by Maximillan Company, NYC in 1960. It was my entertaining bible, lots of make ahead recipes and guidance on planning a large dinner party (what day of the week to shop, set the table, cook etc.) Their most optimistic advice for the hostess is to "keep a few practically cooked meals in your freezer so you can never be caught short" when hubby brings the boss home unexpectedly for dinner. All you have to do is put your make-up on and take your apron off. a long, long time ago in a kingdom far away. love, mama"
You can pick up a copy of the original on Ebay. One from 1967 is currently available, only for $8.98.
http://cgi.ebay.com/130520376888

Editor's Note: By the way, I had posted the blog and was in bed when I realized that I may have spelled momma wrong since Spa's mom wrote mama and not momma. Since all artwork is done, I am hoping this is OK. (See, I even Googled the word)

SLAW Idea: Spring "Office Lunch" Picnic

2011-05-20T02:18:00.003-04:00

By CRUZ | EDITOR With IDEAS

Published: May 20th, 2011

Went to Staff Cafe with Mr X today to grab lunch and on the way back he commented on how nice it is outside, blue skies and great weather. Instead of eating out, we went back to my dark office. That gave us an idea, why not schedule a SLAW Weekly episode outside. In the sun and have some fun.

Trick would be to pull it off in an hour or less. Just an idea right now, lets see what Team SLAW thinks about it next Tuesday.

Episode 35: Mr X. e-mails "Pizza?" Spa Replies back "BRING IT!"

2011-05-18T02:24:00.000-04:00

By CRUZ

EDITOR With REQUESTS

Published: May 18th, 2011
SLAW started Monday when I had the nerve to request Mr X to make soup. Tsk Tsk...
Mr X changed his plan to make Enchiladas then changed it again to get Pizza from a beloved place close to our work. Note: the unspoken rule of SLAW. You can't request. (hear that Spa, no more Plum Pit Bombay Biryani for you)

For Lunch Mr X brought:
Margarita Pizza
Lemon Squares
SLAWFACT: This is the second time we had pizza at SLAW. The only other time was during holidays of 2010 when Cash ordered 2 pies and Spa was on vaca.

We talked about work, work and work. SLAW was really a working lunch. Cash and Spa provided entertainment as usual. Spa had a big announcement. Next week we will introduce our very first Guest Chef.... (Drum-roll please....)
Its will be Momma Spa. (Note: This is not her official SLAW name, well not yet at least)

Spa told us that when getting coffee today, she witnessed a kid getting waffle with a smiley face on it. She asked the kid if she can take a picture of it and the kid (feeling threatened probably) said yes.

To end this on a health/eat smart note. I try to be good at work. Replacing most of my junk with fruits and vegetables. Yes, I keep fresh cucumbers on my desk to keep my craving in check.

Cheers and see you next week with our Guest Chef! Leaving with a note from our Pizza box...

"Find Our OOPS!" Challenge from Team SLAW

2011-04-28T23:40:00.003-04:00

Our readership is up 1000%. Partly because I am reloading our home-screen as much as I can while watching TV or commuting and partly because I have auto-subscribed most of my family and some co-workers to this blog. (sorry)
More blog readers = more critics. So we are starting a challenge. If you find a mistake or what we call "our oops" in the blog, we will write about it, give you your very own SLAW nick name and logo.

To start the challenge, we have a reader who wrote to me earlier this week about Episode 33. Episode 33: Cash Shares History and Matzah

" The blog is really clever and funny, I love it! I started reading other entries and caught a mistake. Matzah is unleavened bread, not leaven bread.

Leavening agents such as yeast makes things rise. So unleavened bread, like matzah is flat." - Signed by <reader>

Dear reader,

We accept your "Find our Oops!" Challenge. I was wrong about Matzah. Wikipedia confirms that it is unleavened. Since you are our very first winner, you get your very own SLAW Weekly name and logo.

Welcome to SLAW Weekly and enjoy your logo, free of charge for now.

- Cruz

Editor in Mistake, SLAW Weekly Blog

This challenge is just another way to get more readers hooked on this blog so we get more page views. We will do whatever it takes to get more page views.

Episode 34: Mr X discovers, Spa flicks, Cash drinks. All this causes Cruz to Sweat.

2011-04-26T21:00:00.135-04:00

By CRUZ, EDITOR in CHARGE of SLAW WEEKLY - PROJECT SLAW
Published: April 26, 2011

Our office lunch started rough. I ran out of my signature paper plates. Thankfully Cash had a stash. We started lunch at 12:15 and ended in 40 minutes. Mr X was the first one to notice "stuff" in his plate. Once he got new plate, we started only to stop when Spa flicked rice on the carpet. Yup more stuff. Thankfully team SLAW was nice and we moved on <<insert dreadful horrible feelings here, and that was just me>>.

After all these "technical difficulties" we started our SLAW.

For lunch, I brought

1. Basmati Rice with Sweet Pea and Cumin
2. Beef Kabab in tomato/onion sauce
3. Cucumber/Yogurt dressing
4. FAGE Greek Yogurt (Fat Free or 2% with Honey or Cherry)

Mr X asked Spa if the food was spicy and without loosing a second she replied "YES, what do you think"? Besides clearing sinus, spicy food is very good for Cash. He drank 2 glasses of water and you know you gotta drink atleast 4-6 glasses of water a day.

Spa told us that the PitMaster was back from the dead. (She killed him in Episode 33). Which means we will be hearing more adventurous stories about him and his pit. We also talked about pools, roller coasters, China, Italy and food. Actually we mostly talked about scheduling lunch and dinner while we were eating lunch.
That's Team SLAW for you!

Continuing with our Healthy Office Lunches, I brought Greek low or no fat yogurt for everyone. I got the 2% with Honey, Mr X and Cash got 0% with Honey and we saved Cherry for Spa. Spa was shocked to see how I ate my FAGE. FAGE (Pronounced "fa-yeh") is now Greece's biggest dairy company and started in 1926 as a small dairy shop in Athens.

Spa was shocked to see how I took out and mixed my FAYE (see how to pics below). Her original method involved fishing for the mix with her spoon rather than just tilting the little container.

We all had our FAGE but Spa saved her Cherry Greek Yogurt for an afternoon snack. All about portion control and timing your smaller meals. - Team SLAW

GOOD JOB SPA!

We finished our office lunch with me, the Editor in Command, the blogger, the photographer, the writer, yes me, cleaning and taking the trash out.

New Episodes will return May 10th as most of Team SLAW is away next week. Till then, share some lunch at work.

Share Eat Enjoy = SLAW

Breaking News! Spa caught, Public in shock.

2011-04-25T23:10:00.013-04:00

By CRUZ, EDITOR in CHIEF of SLAW WEEKLY - PROJECT SLAW
Published: April 25, 2011

NEW YORK. It is Monday April 25th and Spa was caught eating a healthy lunch. Around 12:05pm, a reporter from SLAW Weekly was walking by and spotted Spa sitting in her office eating Healthy!

SLAW Weekly photographer was granted permission to take a single picture as evidence. Spa told our reporter/photographer that Chobani Mango Low-Fat yogurt was the best tasting yogurt on earth. When pressed for more information, she refused to comment and the reporter was kicked out.

Eating healthy at work is possible.

For SLAW weekly this is Cruz reporting (not so) Live from the scene. (And yes if you are wondering Cruz is the editor, reporter, photographer, blogger, graphic designer & volunteer - doing all this on his own time & dime)

Episode 33: Cash shares history and Matzah, Spa kills then spills, Cruz and Scarlett Johansson play with Five Fingers!!!

2011-04-19T23:58:00.003-04:00

It is Tuesday 4.19.11 and Mr X is away on vacation. Its Cash's turn and he brought traditional Jewish food from Passover for our office lunch:

  1. Brisket (Beef cooked slowly with onions and stew)
  2. Kugel (Made with egg noodles)
  3. Matzah (Leavened bread)
  4. Butter
  5. Macaroons (from William Greenberg Bakery-Upper East Side, NY)

We started our office lunch around 12:10pm. Cash enlightened both Spa and me with Jewish history. From start to where Moses parts the Red Sea. It was very enlightening and we realized how similar this one story was among the 3 big world religions.

Then (without much thought) I asked where brisket comes from in a cow. Spa looked horrified but Cash explained that its a certain part of cow slow cooked in stew which makes it tender etc. Late in the day I got an e-mail from Spa with a wikipedia link. Ahhhhh so this is where Brisket comes from (only 4 feet away from Fillet Mignon)

Since Mr X was away and Maddy the motivational Speaker couldn't make the SLAW, we enjoyed our Macaroons. No fruits or health talk today but I did share a tip on tightening up before a special event. Two days before a beach day or a date, go on a Sweet potato only diet. It acts as a sponge and absorbs all water.... yup this according to our Health Bible, US Weekly.
Spa Kills the Pitmaster Its over folks. No more Pit, No more master. Just some memories about BBQ talk and the Cosby Show. (Editor's Note: I am sorry but I can't give out any more details on the PitMaster, his connection to Spa or to SLAW)
The Beautiful Scarlett Johansson At this point I decided to show off. I took out US Weekly magazine to show Cash and Spa that Scarlett Johansson and I share a fashion trend (yup let that name sink in, very cool... I know). The uber trendy Vibram FiveFinger Shoes. She is jogging in LA, I am hanging out in Key West, just a matter of time now. Scarlett Johannson Cruz. Just perfect :D

As I put the magazine on the floor to continue with Cash's Kugel and Matzah, Spa very carefully spilled her seltzer on the magazine and the carpet thus shattering my dreamy state of mind. That's me holding my still unread but very wet copy of US Weekly and Spa cleaning Cash's Office carpet with Seltzer water.

- Cruz

Share | Eat | Enjoy
SLAW Weekly Blog's Editor at Home

Lost Episode from SLAW Archives: On Dec 29th 2010, Cash orders in Serafina, Mr X holds his PB&J and Cruz was leaving for a cruise

2011-04-15T23:50:00.005-04:00

LOST EPISODE FROM THE ARCHIVES OF PROJECT SLAW 2010

On Dec 29th 2010, Cash ordered in a Pizza from Serafina for our normal office lunch. The boxes came with interesting quotes. This one below says "Don't Shake me, Don't Turn me upside down, Just Treat me Nicely. Then Eat me"

The Pizza was actually very delicious. Mr X wasn't officially part of Project SLAW yet which explains the Ziploc with the PB&J (Where Jelly is sugar free). Cash had his Pellegrino, I had my Heaven Nector Diet Coke and Mr X had his Mug O' Water. Another Pizza box had "Make Mama Happy, Eat Pizza".

SLAW was quick and delicious. We questioned whether sharing lunch at work will continue into the new year (Hint: It did, at least as of April 15th 2011) and remember, BAD BOYS LOVE PIZZA!
This was a good SLAW, esp this being the last 2010 SLAW and I was about to head to Caribbean for 8 days cruising and more good food.

- Cruz
Project SLAW & SLAW Weekly's Editor at Home