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Tuesday, May 30, 2017

May 28th

I Miss You Buffalo Chicken

Doug and I were talking about how we felt that less restaurants have buffalo chicken sandwiches on their menu than they used to.  I love a good buffalo chicken sandwich and it was Sandwich Sunday, so here we go!

Buffalo Chicken French Breads
recipe from: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/12/serious-buffalo-chicken-french-breads/




The only thing I changed in this recipe was that I didn't use the ranch dressing because I didn't have any.  It would have been delicious on it though.  I think blue cheese dressing would work great too.  I love blue cheese, so I sprinkled lots on top of mine.  Doug hates it, so he didn't have any.  I made the buffalo sauce with a recipe I found online and it turned out great.  (here's the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/219109/buffalo-chicken-wing-sauce/)

Bonus Gardening Tip:
While I was making this, I thought I'd share my green onion secret.  Typically recipes call for just a few green onions.  But, you always have to buy a huge package of them and then they just go bad in my fridge.  I found out that you can cut the green part off the green onions and keep the white part with the root on it.  Then put the roots either in a vase with water, or plant them in dirt.  Green onions will grow, you can cut them off, and they will grown again.  You will have an endless supply of green onions!  I planted my little roots in my herb garden and now I have green onions ready for me all summer long!

Grades:

Megan - A (This sandwich was so good.  Cheesy and spicy and gigantic.)

Noelle - B (Noelle didn't have a buffalo chicken sandwich because I think it would be too spicy for her.  She just ate the chicken from the sandwich without buffalo sauce.  I tried to tell her it was chicken nuggets, but she didn't buy it.  She liked them anyway.  I also gave her some of the carrots and told her they were "carrot fries."  She didn't believe that either.  She said, "I just want you to take the carrots out so they are just fries.  Not carrot fries."  I guess I should stop trying to trick her.)

Monday, May 29, 2017

May 27th

Backyard BBQ

We had a barbeque at Doug's Dad's house for his birthday.  Doug and his brother did the grilling and his stepmom got all the sides.  All I had to do was show up and eat, which was perfect!

Potato Salad and Corn on the Cob
Doug's Dad's House

So I kind of had a dinner of side dishes tonight.  I had half of Noelle's bratwurst, but I'm not going to count that as my brat for the year.  Most of my food consisted of potato salad, corn, and chips.  Delish!

Grades:

Megan - A (I got to have all the things I usually don't get to have.  Sometimes I like the sides better than the main dish, so a dinner of sides it fine with me!)

Noelle - A (Noelle had a bratwurst, chips, and fruit.  She literally was saying "Mmmm" the whole time she was eating her bratwurst.  She loved it and ate a lot.)

May 26th

Salads Are Not for Fridays

I was planning on making a healthy salad for dinner.  However, it did not sound like a delicious start to Memorial Day weekend.  Then my sister mentioned she was having sushi for dinner.  That was it, I wanted sushi instead of salad.

Philadelphia Roll & Godzilla Roll
Sen Sushi
Oak Park, IL

I had never eaten from Sen Sushi.  We ordered delivery and I would definitely do it again!  Their sushi was great.  I enjoyed it so much more than a salad.

Grades:

Megan - A (I love Philadelphia rolls and order them every time I get sushi.  This was a good one.  The Godzilla had shrimp in it and avocado I think and some other stuff I can't remember.  It also had a yummy sauce on it.)

May 25th

Frustration Level = High

I had all intentions of cooking dinner tonight, but I needed groceries.  I got Noelle in the car, drove through annoying traffic to the grocery store, got Noelle out of the car, walked in the store, went to the front so Noelle could have her "special cart" with a tv in it and realized I didn't have my wallet.  I told Noelle we had to leave and she started crying.  We drove all the way back home through the traffic and had no groceries for dinner.  After all that, I was not going back to the store.

Bagel with Butter

So, since I didn't go back to the store and we had no groceries, I had to scrounge something up to eat.  I found a plain bagel, toasted it, and buttered it.  It was delicious.

Grades:

Megan - A (It's not really a dinner, but I love a buttered bagel.  It tasted really good.)

Noelle - Noelle had a real dinner.  Not a bagel.

Thursday, May 25, 2017

May 24th

French Street Food

Not all French food is fancy.  This new restaurant has French "street food".  It's more like casual French food that French people might eat in their everyday normal lives.  Not fancy.  Very simple with very few ingredients.  However, those few ingredients are high quality and they stand out with the simplicity of the dishes.

Mushroom Tartine
Lea French Street Food
Oak Park, IL

I had a tartine which is basically an open-faced sandwich.  Mine was a crusty toasted piece of bread with mushrooms, brie cheese, and chives.  It was simple, but the ingredients were quality and I could taste it.  We also shared an eclair and a chocolate croissant for dessert.  Both of them were incredible.

Grades:

Megan - A- (Simple and delicious.)

Noelle - She missed out on this one.  She was already in bed and there were no leftovers.

May 23rd

Umm...I Only Eat Anchovies From Italy

So this is a ceasar salad and we all know that ceasar salad traditionally has anchovies in it (if you didn't know that, you do now.)  Usually you can't taste them, but I've heard you should still put them in because they add some secret hidden depth of flavor that you would otherwise be missing.  Well, I put them in this dressing as directed and I tasted them, which I did not like!  As we were eating it, I told Doug, "I only eat anchovies from Cinque Terre, Italy." We had them there and they were fresh and amazing.  Otherwise, no thanks fishy little fish.

Chicken and Avocado Ceasar Salad
recipe from: https://cafedelites.com/2015/03/10/skinny-chicken-and-avocado-caesar-salad/





I made a critical mistake when making this and forgot to add the cheese.  Despite that, it was still pretty good.  The only issue was that some bites were kind of fishy, which is not something I want in my salad.  Next time I would add less anchovy or maybe none at all.

Grades:

Megan - B- (This  was good and would've gotten a higher grade had it not been so fishy.  Doug claims he couldn't taste any fishiness, but I think I'm more sensitive to it than him since I don't really like fish.)

Noelle - No trying salad for Noelle.  I did give her some of the chicken though and she really enjoyed that.

May 22nd

Grilled Cheesus

Grilled Cheesus was an old episode of Glee where Finn thought he saw Jesus in his grilled cheese.  There were no Jesus spottings in our house with this sandwich, but we were pretty gleeful. 

Green Goddess Grilled Cheese
recipe from: http://www.tastespotting.com/features/green-goddess-grilled-cheese-sandwich-recipe





I think I may have went a little overboard with the goat cheese on this one, but really, is there such a thing as going overboard on goat cheese???
This sandwich was garlicy, creamy, and cheesy.  Basically it was perfect. 

Grades:

Megan - A (This sandwich is delicious.  The Green Goddess pesto takes it to another level with all the garlic.  The avocado makes it extra creamy.  And don't worry, I don't really think you can ever have too much goat cheese.)

Noelle - D (Noelle was excited to hear she was having grilled cheese for dinner, but when I presented her with this I could tell it was not what she was expecting.  She has recently become weary of green things resembling spinach so that was the first thing wrong with this sandwich in her mind.  She was excited that there were avocados on it and asked me to take the avocados out for her to eat.  After that she said, "I don't want goat cheese on here.  I just want grilled cheese on my sandwich."  Sorry Noelle...you need to up your grilled cheese game.)

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

May 21st

Tell 'Em Joe Sent You

If you are ever in the Chicago area and are looking for a great pizza place, Aurelio's is it.  You can't go to any Aurelio's location though, because they are not all created equal.  I am fortunate enough to have grown up where the original (and best) location is.  So if you can go to the one in Homewood, you should do that.  Otherwise, I've hear the south loop location is good too.  But, if you go to the Homewood one you can see little baby Noelle's picture hanging up!

Mushroom, Green Olive, and Giardiniera Pizza
Aurelio's Pizza
Homewood, IL

I just recently found out about putting giardiniera on pizza.  If you aren't from Chicago and have no idea what giardiniera is, it's a pickled hot pepper/vegetable condiment commonly put on Italian Beef sandwiches.  Whether you know what it is or not, you should try it on your pizza.  It's delish!

Grades:

Megan - A+ (Nothing beats Aurelio's.)

Noelle - A+ (Noelle loves going to "the pizza restaurant" as she calls it.  She knows exactly where her picture is hanging and will happily show anyone who is interested.  She ate a lot of pizza and was introduced to the arcade area where she won some fabulous prizes.  Her love of Aurelio's is already huge.)

May 20th

Frenchy-French

I made goat cheese and leek crepes before and they were so good I decided I need more crepes in my life.  They are so delicious, and not that I am perfecting my crepe making abilities, pretty simple to make.

Ham and Gruyere Crepes
There is no recipe for this, but I got the crepe batter recipe from: The French Kitchen Cookbook (search crepes on my blog and look at my previous post for the recipe.)






These are super simple.  Just make the batter, add some shredded Gruyere and ham and eat!

Grades:

Megan - A- (I thought these were good but just a little too simple.  It basically just tasted like a ham and cheese sandwich.  Nothing wrong with that...I just have had better crepe fillings.)

Noelle - B (Noelle called these quesadillas throughout the whole dinner no matter how many times I corrected her.  I can't fault her because they did look like quesadillas and were full of meted cheese like quesadillas.  She ate a little of it, but didn't seem too excited about it.  I think she was weirded out by ham being in her quesadilla!)

May 19th

Cream Sauce Always is a Good Thing

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that the creamier something is the better.  Or the cheesier the better.  Or the butterier the better. 

Steak Enchiladas with Jalapeno Cilantro Cream Sauce
recipe from: http://www.willcookforsmiles.com/2014/09/steak-enchiladas-jalapeno-cilantro-cream-sauce.html





This is a good one.  The sauce is nice and creamy and has a good flavor.  The only thing I would change is maybe to make more sauce because I wished they were a little more soaked in it. 

Grades:

Megan - A (I will definitely be making this one again.  It's not that complicated and really tasty.  You should try it.)

Noelle - F (I really don't know why Noelle didn't like this.  Maybe it was the cilantro flavor or the jalapeno flavor.  She didn't even want the steak out of it which was surprising to me.  She was asking me what the tortilla shells were and I told her they were the shells.  She said, "No mommy!  We don't eat shells!  They're just seashells.  We don't eat those!"  I explained to her that these were a different kind of shell, but I guess he just couldn't get over the thought of eating seashells.  This is pretty gross, but I told her she had to take another bite before she could be done and she actually made herself gag and throw up over that last bite. Despite that horrible endorsement, I would still say you should make these.  She's crazy for not liking them.)

May 18th

Some Things Are Better Left Alone

I am a firm believer that most store-bought items can be made fairly easily and much more healthily at home.  I'm not sure this is one of those things.

Chicken Kiev
recipe from: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013





Chicken Kiev was always a go-to dinner in my house growing up.  Gotta love those Market Day chicken Kievs.  I still like them, but haven't had one in so long.  I found this recipe for them and decided to try it.  Mine turned out ok, but nothing like the Kievs I remember.  Also, the butter leaked out of mine and I really missed that special moment of cutting into the chicken and having the butter pour out.
I changed a couple things...I didn't make my own bread crumbs but used store bought ones.  I also think I added too much tarragon because it was a pretty strong flavor. 
I don't think I would try this one again.  It's much easier to buy the frozen ones even though they probably are much less healthy.


Ingredients
HERB BUTTER
    • 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 tbsp minced shallot
    • 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
    • 1/2 tsp minced fresh tarragon leaves
    • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • 3/8 tsp table salt
    • 1/8 tsp black pepper
    •  
    • CHICKEN
    • bread crumb coating
    • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts tenderloin removed
    • 1 cup AP flour
    • 3 large eggs, beaten
    • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

    Preparation
    1. For the Herb Butter: Mix ingredients with rubber spatula until combined. Form into a 3 inch square on plastic wrap; wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour. For the Chicken: Adjust oven rack to lower middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Pound the chicken between two sheets of wax paper until 1/4 inch thick. Unwrap butter and cut into 4 rectangular pieces. Place chicken breast cut side up on work surface. season both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 piece of butter in center of bottom half of breast. Roll bottom edge of chicken over butter, then fold in sides and continue rolling to form neat, tight package pressing on seam to seal. Repeat with remaining butter and chicken. Refrigerate uncovered to allow edges to seal, 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate pie plates or shallow dishes. Season flour with salt and pepper, season bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Add mustard to eggs and whisk to combine. Dredge 1 chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess, then coat with egg mixture allowing excess to drip off. Coat all sides of chicken breast with bread crumbs, pressing gently so that crumbs adhere. Place on wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Repeat flouring and breading on remaining chicken breasts. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes on wire rack before serving. 

    Grades:

    Megan - C- (The chicken tasted fine and was well cooked but it didn't take me back to the deliciousness of those frozen kievs that I wanted.)

    Noelle - B (Noelle ate this chicken just like she would any other chicken.  Nothing special, nothing bad.)

Sunday, May 21, 2017

May 17th

Better Than Expected

We have had this spinach and mushroom frozen pizza in our freezer for a while.  Usually a pizza wouldn't last that long, but this flavor just didn't sound great.  I finally decided to make it because I really didn't feel like cooking and didn't have anything to cook.  It actually was really good.  I would buy it again!

Spinach and Mushroom Pizza
Signature Selects Jewel brand frozen pizza

So I undercooked this pizza because for some reason I am not good at cooking frozen pizzas.  But, even though it was undercooked, it was delicious.  At least I thought so.  Doug wasn't a fan.

Grades:

Megan - A (I liked the garlicy flavor and the creamy sauce.  I just should've cooked it a little more.)

Noelle - A (I could tell that at first Noelle was torn with this one.  She has decided lately that she doesn't like spinach so when she noticed that there was spinach on her pizza she immediately started trying to pick it off.  However, after I told her she couldn't pick it all off and needed to try it, she realized that it was delicious and quickly ate it all up, spinach and all!)

May 16th

Potchos

I heard that the White Sox Baseball field (I don't know what the name of it is nowadays) serves totchos which are tater tot nachos.  I thought that sounded amazingly delicious, so when I saw this recipe, I thought I should try it.  My name for this dish isn't great...it could be a little misleading. 

Steak and Potato Nachos
recipe from: https://www.buzzfeed.com/robertbroadfoot/nacho-gods?utm_term=.lw3dKMd9r#.bxpPlZP7n





Things that made these good:

  • lots of cheese 
  • steak
  • nice roasted potato slices (are nachos healthier with potatoes than tortilla chips??)
  • sour cream
Things that would have made these better:
  • nacho cheese sauce instead of shredded cheese
 If you like to sound fancy, you might say something like, "Oh, I prefer my nachos with real melted shredded cheese on top." But if you are being realistic, you should just admit that nacho cheese sauce is far superior.  Who cares if it's not real cheese.  It's delicious.  And one thing you might not know about me is that I despise shredded cheese on nachos.  It doesn't melt well, and it gets all hard and greasy and weird.  Once I ordered nachos and they came with melted shredded cheese and it actually made me cry! Ok - there were some other reasons for the tears too, but the cheese put me over the top. Everywhere should try to stop being fancy with their real cheese and use the sauce!

Grades:

Megan - B+ (These would've been an A if they had nacho cheese sauce.  They tasted like a loaded baked potato and tricked me into feeling healthy because there were no chips in my nachos.)

Noelle - D (I thought Noelle would like this one, but she'd been picky lately so who knows.  She ate a little of the steak but really was not interested in the cheesy potatoes.  I even tried to tell her they were like fries, but she wasn't buying.)

May 15th

A Baby in the Oven

There's no bun in my oven, but there is a Dutch Baby.  Prior to making this I had never heard of a Dutch Baby.  But since then, I had learned that it is a German pancake and is usually sweet and served for breakfast.  This one is savory and we ate it for dinner.  I think it would make an excellent breakfast though.

Dutch Baby Pest Breakfast Pizza
recipe from: http://hostthetoast.com/dutch-baby-pesto-breakfast-pizza/






When my friend Belinda sent me a link to this recipe (thank you!) on Instagram, I knew I had to try it.  Not because it had great ingredients (which it does), but because it looked so beautiful in the picture.  Mine of course didn't turn out quite as great looking as the one from the recipe, but I think it still looks pretty. 
This Dutch Baby puffed up like crazy and looked really strange when it was cooing in the oven.  But, after it cooled it went down a bit and looked more like a pizza crust.  It did not taste like a pizza crust though.  It was very eggy - almost like a quiche. 
Everything would've been perfect with my version of the recipe except that I over cooked the eggs on top so my yolk wasn't runny.  That runny yolk would've been amazing with this and I really missed it.  So, don't let the eggs trick you.  They don't look done, but they are.

Grades:

Megan - B (I thought this had an interesting texture and a good herb-y flavor.  The prosciutto and asparagus on it were great.  I would've probably given it a higher grade if it had runny eggs.  I also would really like to try the sweet version of this!)

Noelle - This goes against everything I always say, because usually I make Noelle try everything, but I didn't even attempt to have her try this one.  There were too many components that I know she doesn't like (asparagus, bacon/proscuitto, herbs).  I should've had her at least try a little because maybe she would've surprised me and liked it.  Oh well, she'll try the next one.  And since she didn't have any, it left more for Doug who was kind of in love with this little Dutch Baby.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

May 14th

Mother's Day Part 2

Today was actual Mother's Day and we had dinner at Doug's mom's.  Again, me not cooking = amazing Mother's Day.  As a bonus, the food was incredible!

Salmon Pasta and Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
made by: Laurie Rago

Sorry, I don't have any recipes or pictures.  But, this food was really good.  The pasta was a cream sauce with yummy salmon pieces throughout.  And if you read this blog, you know about my love for prosciutto.  I found out tonight that if you wrap it around asparagus it's unbelievable!

Grades:

Megan - A+ (Yum!)

Noelle - A (Noelle ate some grilled chicken, a lot of bread, and a little salmon.  She thoroughly enjoyed it.)

May 13th

Mother's Day Part 1

Tonight we went out to dinner with my mom, dad, sister, and her family to celebrate Mother's Day.  I picked the restaurant and I think I made a good choice. 

Maya Del Sol
Oak Park, IL

In my opinion, Maya is a little overpriced.  However, that being said...the food has never disappointed me, the drinks are delicious, and their outdoor patio is amazing.  I was happy with everything we ate.  Here it is:

appetizers:
- sampler platter with beef nachos, ceviche, and a cheese tamale
- Avocado Relleno which was kind of like tuna sushi without the rice and seaweed, but wrapped up in a cucumber instead

my entree:
- fried fish tacos

my drink:
- pepinito - this drink was so, so, so amazing.  There was a place in NYC right by our apartment that had a drink almost exactly like this that I loved and I'm so happy to know I can get it close to home now too.  It is a spicy cucumbery drink.  It's ecto-cooler green and delish.

Grades:

Megan - A (I would give it an A+, but I think it's a little pricey.)

Noelle - A (Noelle had some ceviche for an appetizer and liked that.  Then she had quesadillas with rice and beans for her dinner and loved them.  She ate an incredible amount of food for her size.)

May 12th

My KIND of Dinner

I occasionally like to cook.  However, when you do it every day it becomes a chore.  My kind of dinner is one I don't have to cook.  When Doug called and said he had food leftover he could eat for dinner if I didn't want to cook, I was pretty excited.  Even if it meant my dinner would just be a couple KIND bars. 

KIND Bars

I started out my dinner with a dark chocolate salted caramel KIND bar.  Then for my entree I had a dark chocolate sea salt one.  They were perfect because they required no cooking.

Grades:

Megan - A (These are delicious and not too unhealthy.  Do they make up a great complete dinner, no.  But they are easy and sometimes that's what you need.)

Noelle - A (Noelle did not have these for dinner.  However, she did sample them at Costco when I was buying them.  She seemed to really like it and said "it's chewy."  I never knew someone could get so messy from eating a small sample of one.  Her hands and face were covered in chocolate from it, which is why she won't be having another one soon.)

May 11th

When You Love A Salad

There are many foods that I love, but salad doesn't typically fall on that list.  When you love a salad, you know it must be something special.  And as a bonus, this one actually is pretty healthy...no bacon fat dressing or huge amounts of cheese!

Blackberry Honey Walnut Salad
recipe from: http://carlsbadcravings.com/blackberry-honey-walnut-salad-easy-blackberry-balsamic-vinaigrette/





I think the key to a good salad is having a lot of stuff in it.  This one is packed full of stuff.  I have to tell you...I was not looking forward to eating salad for dinner tonight, but after I started eating this I was so happy!  It was SOOOOO good!  Like restaurant salad good.  I want to eat it again ASAP. 
The only things I changed were that I used honey almond slices instead of walnuts because I bought them by accident.  I also omitted the cucumbers because Doug hates them.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (You should make this.  Just do it.  You will feel so happy and healthy while you are eating it.)

Noelle - Noelle hates salad, so she has no grade because I didn't try to give it to her.  However, she would give the blackberries an A+.  She ate them for breakfast the next morning and was just as excited about them as I was about this salad.

May 10th

The Fastest Dinner Ever

I am always saying dinners are so fast and easy to make, but this one is for real.  I think it literally took me about 3 minutes or less to prepare.  And it tasted and looked like it took a lot longer.

Pesto Parmesan Pork Chops
recipe from: http://reallifedinner.com/pesto-parmesan-pork-chops/


These look kind of strange and un-appetizing in the picture, but in real life they looked pretty delicious.  The author of the recipe suggests serving them over pork or potatoes.  I didn't do that in an attempt to be healthier, but it would've been so good.

Grades:

Megan - A (I'm not the biggest pork chop fan, but I loved these.  They were the easiest thing ever and had so much flavor.  The pest gave them a great flavor and the salty baked cheese on top was perfect and crusty. I will be making these again for sure.)

Noelle -C+ (I was surprised Noelle didn't love these.  I tried to feed them to her for two separate dinners.  She ate a little and didn't seem to hate it, but definitely didn't love it.)

Thursday, May 11, 2017

May 9th

You Can't be Poor to Eat Here

I went out to dinner with my cousins tonight.  The restaurant is called Poor Phil's, but I find them to be kind of expensive.  Definitely not for those lacking money.  However, they have an amazing drink selection, good seafood, free popcorn, and boozy milkshakes.  Um, yum.

Shrimpy Boy
Poor Phil's
Oak Park IL

This was a shrimp po' boy with fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato, and a spicy mayo.  I also had a couple drinks and a lot of delicious popcorn.  Oh, and some tater tots of course.

Grades:

Megan - A- (I thought it was good but I wish the sandwich had a little more of the mayo and a little spice in the shrimp batter.)

Noelle - Noelle was asleep for this one

May 8th

Quiiiiiiiche!!!

Quiche is usually served for breakfast or brunch, but we like to have it for dinner.  This is my mom's recipe and it is delicious!  Breakfast for dinner is always good!

Quiche Lorraine
recipe from: Maureen Konieczny





 This is one of our favorite dinners and I messed it up!  Ugh...now we can't eat it again the rest of the year!!  I didn't cook it quite long enough so the inside was runny.  The recipe says 30 minutes, but it really needs to bake for 40-60 minutes.  The top should look darker than in my picture.  This still tasted good, but was so disappointing because we were really looking forward to it.  Also, I never make the crust.  I'm sure it would be great made from scratch, but buying a pre-made crust is good for me.


Ingredients:
Pastry: (or buy store bought pastry crust)
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 3 tsp very cold water

Filling:
  • ½ lb ham, cut into small pieces (I use a little more)
  • 6-8 pieces of bacon, cut into small pieces - then fry and drain until ready to use
  • ½ lb Swiss cheese, grated
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup cream
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 tbs flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 tbs butter, melted

Directions:
For the pie crust:
  1. Sift flour with salt into a bowl.
  2. With wire pastry blender or fingertips, blend butter into flour.
  3. Stir in egg yolk and water.
  4. Form the pastry into a ball.  Wrap in wax paper and chill for 30 minutes in refrigerator.
  5. Knead pastry on a lightly floured board for 8 minutes.
  6. Roll out and fit into a 9 inch pie pan (deep dish is better) or in a quiche pan if you have one.

For filling:
  1. Add diced ham, grated cheese, and cooked bacon to the uncooked pastry shell.
  2. Whisk eggs, flour, milk, cream, salt, and pepper together.
  3. Pour over the ham, bacon, and cheese.
  4. Gently pour melted butter over the whole top (do not stir into the ham/cheese mixture).
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until golden brown and egg is set.  
  6. Let sit on a trivet 10 minutes before serving.

Grades:

Megan - B (This would normally be an A+, but since I didn't cook it enough and it was a little runny, it got knocked down to a B.)

Noelle - C (When Noelle sat down she said, "ham!" and proceeded to eat all the ham cubes out of the quiche.  After that she wasn't really into and was also trying to wipe the quiche off of the ham cubes before she ate them.)

May 7th

Do the Dip

I love dips.  Appetizer dips, sauce dips, and this beef broth dip.  The more dip the better.  I like my sandwich soaked!

French Dip Sandwich
no recipe...pretty simple stuff





This is easy and tasty.  I just bought some rolls, and used store-bought and sliced roast beef.  I added some provolone cheese which I don't think is traditional, but it was good on it.  Then I bought a packet of Au Jus mix and voila a simple supper.  Some people like to just do little dips.  I like huge dips to make my bread sopping wet.

Grades:

Megan - A (The sandwich was good, but the dip made it an A.)

Noelle - A (Noelle didn't have any dip with her sandwich because I didn't really feel like dealing with that mess.  Instead I just poured a little sauce on her bread.  It was still super messy but she loved it.)

Monday, May 8, 2017

May 6th

The Celebration Continues

There's nothing I love more than drawing out my birthday celebrations.  Tonight we went out to dinner with my sister and her family for a belated birthday dinner and it was excellent.

Strip Steak Hibachi
Shinto Japanese Steakhouse
Naperville, IL

I love hibachi restaurants.  The food is always great and the show is just as good.  I would have never thought of taking kids here, but it really was the best restaurant for kids!  Noelle loved looking at their fish tank and was amazed by the show.  She also really enjoyed the food.  I felt the same as her.  So good!

Grades:

Megan - A (My steak was so tender and flavorful.  The shrimp were amazing, the soup was great and I got a special birthday song and dessert. )

Noelle - A (Noelle was awestruck by the tricks from the hibachi grill cook.  She loved the fire, the onion volcano, and watching us catch broccoli in our mouths.  She ate a lot of food and especially loved the soup and beef.)

May 5th

Ay Caramba

I was going to make some yummy steak enchiladas for dinner (they'll still be coming soon), but I got home really late and thought, "we'll just order mexican food because it will be quicker."  Boy was I wrong.  I knew places would be busy for Cinco De Mayo, but this was ridiculous.

I ended up waiting 2 hours from the time I ordered for our food to be ready.  I don't think I have ever waited for food that long.  Ever.  I would have just said forget it, but I ordered online, had already paid, I really wanted those tacos, and if I didn't get it we'd have nothing to eat.  Plus after I had already waited a while I felt committed and like I had to stick it out.

Steak and Chicken Tacos
La Parillita
River Forest, IL

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this restaurant.  It has the best tacos and the best horchata I have ever had.  I did not love it tonight.  My food was still great, but the wait and the way they handled the wait was no bueno.  I was told when I walked in that my food would be ready "in a few minutes."  an hour and forty minutes alter, I finally walked out with my food. 
I would still recommend this place, just never on Cinco de Mayo.  I have been there multiple other times and the food has been quick with incredible service.  I'll be going back, and if you're in the area, you should try it too.
Thank goodness Doug had a margarita waiting for me when I got home.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I'm going to grade on the food and the service I usually receive rather than the service I received tonight.  This place is top notch.  Just don't go on Cinco de Mayo.)

Noelle - Noelle was long asleep by the time our food finally arrived, so she did not have this one.  But, she has eaten there before and loves it too.)

May 4th

You'll Have to Make it to See It

This is the first time I forgot to take a picture of something I made.  It's too bad because it was delicious!  You'll just have to make it to find out.

Chili Lime Chicken Salad
recipe from: http://houseofyumm.com/chili-lime-chicken-salad/

There's great pictures on the blog where the recipe is from.  Sorry I forgot to take one!

When I was making this I thought, I don't really think marinades make the meat taste that much different than when you don't marinade it.  I was wrong!  This marinade gave the chicken such an amazing lime taste.  I would make the chicken again to eat by itself or use in other dishes. 

The dressing was also really delish!  It's actually a creamy salsa that is being used as a dressing, but it's so easy to make and perfect for salad or dipping chips in!

Grades:

Megan - A (The chicken was super flavorful and juicy.  The dressing was perfect and I topped the salad with ripe tomatoes and avocados which was the perfect final touch.)

Noelle - A (Noelle didn't eat the salad because - lettuce.  But, she did eat the chicken and loved it!)

May 3rd

Just Add Cheese

Anything is better with cheese.  The more cheese the better.  And if it's goat cheese, that's even better. 

Eggplant Goat Cheese Sandwiches
recipe from: http://whatdidyoueat.typepad.com/what_did_you_eat/2007/07/whb-eggplant-an.html





These are basically eggplant Parmesan with goat cheese in the middle.  When I shopped for these I thought we had tarragon at home and we didn't.  I really wish we had, because I think the tarragon would have added a nice new dimension. 
However, even without the tarragon they were delicious!

Grades:

Megan - A- (I think I made my sauce too oniony and I missed the tarragon.  Still, they were very good and the goat cheese made it perfect.)

Noelle - D- (I thought Noelle was going to like this because she loved when I made eggplant parmesan and she likes goat cheese.  However she was not into these.  She was grossed out by the cheese.  I got her to eat a few pieces without the cheese, but not much.  I'm going to blame it on her being sick because it was delicious.)

Friday, May 5, 2017

May 2nd

Easy Peasy

There aren't too many dinners that get easier than this.  Just throw everything in a skillet and voila - dinner is done.  The author of the recipe says she even uses jarred minced garlic and onions so you don't even need a cutting board!

10 Minute Beef Teriyaki Skillet
recipe from: http://www.theseasonedmom.com/10-minute-beef-teriyaki-skillet/





I served this with some rice and I also added a bag of stir fry vegetables that was not originally in the recipe.  I feel like the veggies added sustenance and some nutrition.  I used Trader Joes Soyaki sauce and it worked great.  I'm sure regular teriyaki sauce would be even better!

Grades:

Megan - B (I liked this and really liked how easy it was.  I thought it was a little salty though [I think due to the sauce I used] and I have made a korean beef dish before that is very similar to this but spicy and I liked that one better.  Search for it on the blog if you want to see more.)

Noelle - D- (Noelle was ok with eating this even though I could tell she didn't like it very much.  She was eating the beef and the rice.  She said "the rice is my favorite."  Then I got crazy and asked her if she wanted to try one of the crunchy water chestnuts in it.  She was all excited...until she put it in her mouth.  She started gagging and literally almost making herself throw up from it.  A little dramatic, huh?  After that I was mad at her for her crazy reaction and she did not wan any more.  Dinner over.)

May 1st

May Day the Italian Way

Happy May!  Now if the temperatures would just start feeling like May!

Chicken Caprese
recipe from: http://www.dinneratthezoo.com/chicken-caprese/





This was quite good, even though as I was eating it I said, I'd rather just have a regular caprese salad.
I didn't grill the chicken because even though it's May, it's been quite cold and rainy over here.  Instead, I just cooked the chicken in a skillet.  I'd make this again.
Just beware....the recipe writer warns about the vinegar smelling really strong when you make the glaze.  I made it before Doug came home and when he walked in the door he was disgusted by the strong vinegar smell.  It didn't bother me though, and the vinegar definitely tasted way better than it smelled!

Grades:

Megan - A- (This was good and the balsamic glaze was delish!)

Noelle - B- (Who knows...Noelle is so congested from being sick I honestly doubt she can even taste anything.  She ate a bit of this and seemed ok with it, but she's too stuffy to tell.)

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

April 30th

A Birthday Sandwich

Today was my actual birthday and there's nothing I love more than a good sandwich, so it worked out perfectly that it was Sandwich Sunday!

Avocado, Tomato, and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese
recipe from: http://www.eatandexercises.net/avocado-mozzarella-and-tomato-grilled-cheese/





You don't really need a recipe for this one...the title is pretty self explanatory.  However, I made some baked sweet potato wedges with a garlic-avocado aioli dipping sauce to go with it and those do need a recipe (you can get it here: https://cafedelites.com/2015/06/05/crispy-sweet-potato-wedges-with-garlic-avocado-aioli/).  I think I over-cooked the sweet potatoes a little, but they still tasted good, were well seasoned, and were perfect with the garlic-avocado aioli. 
As I was eating this, I had a genius idea...next time instead of just using slices of avocados on the sandwich, I would spread this aioli on it to add flavor to what otherwise is a slightly bland sandwich.

Grades:

Megan - A- (I thought the sandwich was a little bland.  Put the aioli on it and it would be perfect!  Otherwise I think some pieces of fresh basil would be great on it too.)

Noelle - C- (Noelle loves grilled cheese.  She loves tomatoes.  And she loves avocados.  I thought for sure this would be a win in her book.  Instead, I think she was a little weirded out by them all being together in a sandwich.  Also, she was still sick, so who knows if that had anything to do with it.  When I realized she wasn't going to eat her whole sandwich, I took the other half she hadn't started eat yet, because hello...deliciousness [me eating her dinner in addition to mine is probably why I can never lose any weight].  When I started eating that half she just kept saying "Mommy, I want yours!"  I explained to her that it was exactly the same as she was eating, but she just couldn't shake wanting the half that I had instead.  I didn't want to let her have a bite because of those sick germs she's got, so I didn't share my half and apparently her half just wasn't as good.)

April 29th

70 Years is a Crazy Long Time to be Married!

We had a 70th wedding anniversary party to attend tonight for Doug's great-aunt and uncle.  70 years is impressive...maybe if I live to 100 I can have a 70th anniversary!  The party was beautiful, but unfortunately Noelle was sick, so we were not able to stay for long.

Cheesy Garlic Bread
Giordanos Pizza
Oak Park, IL

The party had much fancier and more delicious food than cheesy garlic bread, but since we had to leave so early due to Noelle being sick, we didn't get to try it.  I did have some appetizers there and they were so good!  I'm sad we couldn't stay and celebrate at the party, but 'tis the life of a parent I guess.
Since I hadn't planned anything for dinner, I ate the leftover cheesy garlic bread from Noelle's dinner the night before.  It was good, but I was still missing that party food.

Grades:

Megan - A- (The garlic bread was fine, just not nearly as good as what I should have been eating.  It also probably would have been better fresh and not re-heated.)

Noelle - Noelle ate this the night before when I wasn't home, so I don't know what her grade was.  I'm assuming it was an A.

April 28th

Birthday Dinner

Tonight we went out to celebrate my birthday!  I didn't have to cook, I got to eat delicious food, and have spectacular drinks with my husband.  And I didn't have to help feed a toddler while I was enjoying it...perfect!

Slagel Farms Burger
Citrine
Oak Park, IL

Citrine is a restaurant that we have been wanting to go to a while now and we finally pulled the trigger.  It's definitely a treat since it is an upscale restaurant and is pretty fancy (and expensive). 
The atmosphere is beautiful and it really has a "city feel."  Our service was good and the food was fantastic.  I'd recommend it for a special night out.
 I had the Slagel Farms Burger which has Gruyere, Garlic Paprika Aioli, Zucchini Pickles, Lettuce, and Tomato.  Yum - I consider myself kind of a burger connoisseur because I order them a lot and love them.  This is the best I've had in a while!
Doug had the rack of lamb which also came with Merguez sausage and a parsnip puree.  He said it was very good.  It looked like a little small of a portion, but maybe that was just compared to my gigantic burger.

Grades:

Megan - A (My burger was perfectly cooked and had really great seasoning.  The fires were also delicious.  The restaurant called them "Kennebec fries" which I guess is a certain type of potato.  They tasted like they had some kind of cinnamon seasoning on them though.  It was a unique and delicious flavor.)

Noelle - Noelle was at home enjoying pizza with her Uncle Mike and Aunt Katlyn.  Thanks for babysitting guys!!!

April 27th

Artichoke Dip Minus Artichokes

Everyone loves a good spinach artichoke dip.  This recipe is basically chicken stuffed with spinach artichoke dip...or so they would let you think by the title of it.  However it doesn't have any artichokes in it!  So, I guess it's just spinach dip stuffed chicken.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bombs
recipe from: https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/spinach-artichoke-chicken-bombs?utm_term=.qcvZmaggv#.tlN2dOZZK


As I was making this, I realized I accidentally bought chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts.  Oops...chicken tenders are way too small to stuff.  Instead I just rolled the stuffing up inside of them.  I thought it would me a mess, but it worked surprisingly well!

Grades:

Megan - B (I liked the idea of this, but it fell a little short on flavor.  I think they could have used more stuffing [which was partially a problem because of the tenders], more salt and pepper, and more flavor in the dip.  Actually, it would probably be better to just buy spinach artichoke dip already made and stuff the chicken with that!)

Noelle - B (Noelle wasn't feeling well, so it was hard to tell whether she actually liked this or not.  She ate quite a bit of it despite feeling bad, so I think she liked it.)