July 11th

Meh

Some dinners stand out as spectacular and wow you with their complex flavors.  Some dinners are disgusting and over cooked or have flavors that don't work well together.  Some dinners are just "Meh".

Chicken with Feta Cheese Sauce
recipe from: https://www.garnishwithlemon.com/chicken-with-feta-cheese-sauce/

Please ignore how disgusting this looks in the picture, because even though it was just a "Meh" dinner, it wasn't that bad.  I made a mistake with this one of not fully reading the blog and I missed the part where it said to grate the feta cheese.  I used feta crumbles and they did not really melt in the sauce so there were big chunks of cheese it it. 
From looking at the ingredients and thinking about the semi-strong flavor of feta cheese, I thought this dish would have a lot of flavor.  But the main thing that came to mind was bland.  Maybe if the cheese had been blended in better it would have had more flavor.

Grades:

Megan - C (It wasn't bad, it just needed more flavor and I wished the cheese was more incorporated into the sauce.)

Noelle - D+ (Noelle apparently agreed with me and did not think this looked very appetizing.  She would only eat it after I took all the sauce off.  Then she happily ate the plain chicken.  I kinda don't blame her.)

July 10th

Who Knew?

Who knew that french bread comes in a can in the refrigerated section and you can unroll it into a flat dough.  Maybe that's obvious, but I had no idea.  It sure made this sandwich easy to make!

Ham And Swiss Stromboli
recipe from: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2016/03/ham-and-swiss-stromboli.html

This was so, so easy and pretty tasty.  The canned french bread baked up really nice and crisp on the outside.  I think I'll have to use that stuff again sometime.  I liked the flavor the green onions added and the swiss cheese was delicious.

Grades:

Megan - A (Basically a melty, crusty, ham and cheese sandwich - you really can't go wrong!)

Noelle - A- (Noelle was having conflicting thoughts with this one.  When she first tasted it, I think she was a little surprised by the swiss cheese taste and said she didn't like it.  She also was a bit suspicious of the green things in there.  After a bite she told me, "I'm thinking about just eating the bread."  I said ok and she proceeded to try to eat the bread around the sandwich.  However, in the meantime she was getting bits of the rest of the sandwich in each bite which I think got her used to the flavor.  She then commented, "It's a good sandwich." and ate the whole thing even though she "didn't like it.")

July 9th

Fresh From the Wick Farm

I have never planted a vegetable garden before, but I have a small one this year and I love it!  There is something special about eating a vegetable you grew and picked yourself.  As I said before, I planted a zucchini plant just because I wanted to eat the blossoms.  Our zucchini plant has gotten huge, taken over the garden, and given us lots of nice blossoms to eat!

Zucchini Blossom Quesadillas

So these are just cheese quesadillas with chopped squash blossoms inside.  I used chihuahua cheese and put a tomato, onion, and lime juice pico de gallo on top.  They tasted great because quesadillas are delicious, but I was disappointed that I couldn't really taste the blossoms.  I think the other ingredients over powered them since they don't really have a strong taste. 

Grades:

Megan - A- (Like I said, they tastes good, but I couldn't taste the blossoms which made me sad because I felt like I wasted some of our precious blossoms.)

Noelle - A (Noelle loves quesadillas and since the blossoms didn't really chance the taste, she acted as if these were any old quesadillas and ate them all up.)

July 8th

A New Doug Favorite

Even though Doug isn't grading the dinners anymore, I had to share his opinions about this dinner.  Usually he eats dinner with no comment on whether he likes it or not.  Well with this dinner, he couldn't stop raving about how good it was.  He said he definitely wants me to make it again.  I wasn't as in love with it, but I did think it was pretty good.

Crunchy honey Garlic Pork Chops
recipe from: http://skinnypoints.com/2016/10/26/crunchy-honey-garlic-pork-chops-and-you-can-use-chicken/2/

I thought I might have burnt this because it got so dark, but it didn't taste burnt at all.  It just got nice and caramelized and sweet.  The pork had a really good crispiness to it too.  Like I said, Doug loved it so I guess I'll be making it again.  Let me know what you think if you make it!

Grades:

Megan - B+ (I thought it was good, but it wasn't anything special to me.)

Noelle - B (Noelle seemed to have similar feelings about it as me.  She ate it and seemed fine with it, but she didn't really seem to love it that much.)

July 7th

What is That, Tofu or Something?

After eating this salad Doug asked in a somewhat disgusted voice what the white squares in it where.  He thought they were tofu, but it turns out they were cubes of feta cheese.  That news turned his frown upside down.

Blueberry Feta Salad
recipe from: http://www.lemontreedwelling.com/2016/02/blueberry-feta-salad.html

I had high hopes for this salad because I love blueberries and it sounded like such a great combo.  The salad was good, but it was a little lacking on the blueberry flavor.  Also, I guess my feta didn't have much flavor since Doug thought it was tofu.  Like I said, I liked it, but the blackberry salad I made earlier this summer was better.

Grades:

Megan - B  (I thought it needed more blueberry flavor.  Maybe adding blueberries or blueberry jam to the dressing would help.)

Noelle - Noelle loves blueberries, but she doesn't love salad, so she was not forced to try this one.

July 6th

More Variety

I'm having brats again, but don't worry - these are different than all the types I've had before.  And while it's true that I am stretching it, every brand and type of brat is different.  They're not all created equally.

Johnsonville Cheddar Brats

I remember as a kid eating cheddar filled hot dogs and they were just amazing with cheese oozing out of every bite.  I had the same hopes for these brats, but unfortunately they fell a little short.  There definitely was cheese in them because I could see it, but I couldn't really taste it much.  I really wish the cheese had a stronger taste.  That being said, they still are bratwurst, so they still were delicious.

Grades:

Megan - A- (They got the minus because I wish there was more of a cheese flavor.)

Noelle - A+ (As I've said before, Noelle loves bratwurst.  Apparently she also loves cheddar brats.)

July 5th

Put An Avocado On It

Some people might think all things are better if you "put a bird on it."  I say all foods are better if you put an avocado on it. 

Honey Lime Steak Tacos with Avocado Crema
recipe from: http://www.foxandbriar.com/honey-lime-steak-tacos-with-avocado-crema/

These might not have turned out looking nearly as pretty as they did on the blog, but they sure tasted good.  The marinaded steak had a great flavor, the jalapenos added a nice little spice, and the avocado crema was delish.  Perfect for a taco with a twist!

Grades:

Megan - A (I loved the flavor from the marinade and made sure to add lots of yummy sauce to mine.)

Noelle - B+ (Noelle liked the taco a lot and ate it all.  She surprisingly did not like the avocado crema.  She loves avocado and usually likes limes, but I think she was just too surprised by the tart lime flavor mixing in her precious avocados.)

July 4th

Happy Independence Day

We flew back from Canada tonight and got in around dinner time.  After picking up Noelle we stopped at the Wendy's drive through for dinner because nothing celebrates America like a fast food drive through burger with bacon on it.

Bacon Queso Burger
Wendy's
Homewood, IL

I usually always get a spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy's, but I already had that this year.  They were advertising this new burger and it looked pretty tasty, so I decided to give it a try.  It was pretty good, but nothing beats the spicy chicken sandwich.

Grades:

Megan - B+ (I don't know if I've ever had a fast food burger I really hated because they're all delicious.  This one was special because it had bacon and cheese on it.  It was pretty good.  I'd get it again if the spicy chicken sandwich wasn't an option.)

Noelle - Noelle had already eaten dinner before we picked her up and surprisingly didn't beg for our food while we were eating it in the car in front of her.

July 3rd

Apres Ski Sun

Mont Tremblant is a ski resort in the winter and every ski resort MUST have a fondue restaurant.  Well, fondue happens to be my favorite food, so even though it was summer, we had to go.  They also had Raclette cheese, which I have been wanting to try for a while.

Beef Cooked in Red Wine Fondue and Raclette Cheese
La Savoie
Mont Tremblant, Canada

I really wanted to get the Raclette entree where they bring out a huge wheel of cheese and a warmer.  Then as the cheese melts, you just scrape the ooey cheesy goodness right on top of your food.  However, the food that came with the cheese didn't sound quite as appealing and it sounded like an awful lot of cheese.  So, we opted to get the raclette appetizer which came pre-melted on a plate for us to eat with bread.  It was so good!  The perfect stinky French cheese. 
For our entree we had beef fondue, but instead of cooking it in oil like we do at the place we like in Chicago, we cooked it in red wine.  I honestly couldn't taste the wine and think I prefer the oil.  It was still really, really good though with lots of different sauces to dip the meat in.  Check this place out if you like fondue.  It's a little pricey, but it was worth it.  And it would be absolutely perfect in the winter after skiing.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I got to try a new cheese and eat my favorite thing - fondue.)

Noelle - I missed Noelle on our trip but was reminded of how easy everything was before having a kid and loved every second of just being able to go out wherever we wanted.  Plus, I knew she was having a great time and was in good hands.

July 2nd

Mont Tremblant

After visiting Montreal, we rented a car and drove about an hour and a half to the mountain resort town of Mont Tremblant.  It was beautiful, fun, and relaxing.  I would highly recommend taking a side-trip here if you are in Montreal.  Great summer activities (hiking, luge ride, birds of prey show, kayaking, gondola rides) and skiing in the winter. 

Tuna Tartare
Le Q.G
Mont Tremblant, Canada

I pretty much only felt like eating various types of tartare on this trip and since it was so Frenchy-French, there was plenty of it available.  This place specializes in all different types of tartare, so it was right up my alley.  I would recommend it for the tartare, but if you don't really like tartare they had a great menu of cooked dishes.  I thought the food was great and loved the atmosphere.  It would be such a cozy place in winter because it had a woodsy, flannel, lodge atmosphere.

Grades:

Megan - A (I loved the tartare, the pitcher of beer we got...because vacation.  The atmosphere was great too.)

Noelle - I think Noelle was eating something tasty at my parent's house at this point.  I know she was having a great time without us.

July 1st

A Little Italian in French Montreal

We ate quite a bit of french-style food while in Canada and tonight, we opted to go a different route and try out their Italian food. 

Marghertia Pizza & Rosata Con Prosciutto E Funghi Pasta
Bevo Bar & Pizzeria
Montreal, Canada

I was a little leery about trying pizza in Montreal.  Being from Chicago and having lived in New York, I am spoiled by having had really good pizza.  This place pleasantly surprised me though.  I would recommend it if you're in the mood for Italian.  It has nice outdoor seating as well if you happen to catch a day with good weather in Montreal. 
It also was directly across the street from our favorite speakeasy bar in Montreal - Coldroom (check out the link here - it was awesome...super hidden door with a doorbell you have to ring.  Then someone lets you in and leads you downstairs and through a refrigerator door into the bar.  https://www.thecoldroommtl.com/   We had the Grandpa's Cough Medicine, the Whiskey Smash, the Fashionably Early, and the Spanish House G&T - they were all great!)

Grades:

Megan - A (We split each dish and the pasta was good and the pizza was great.  It was nice sitting outside.)

Noelle - Even though Noelle is very well behaved in restaurants, it was really nice having a relaxing dinner without her for a change of pace.

June 30th

Montreal

Doug and I took a 5 year anniversary trip to Montreal and we ate some awesome food!  Montreal is a cool city.  If you haven't been then you should go.

Beef Tartare, Brie, and Oysters
Mimi La Nuit
Montreal, Canada

If you are ever in the old port of Montreal, I would recommend eating at Mimi La Nuit.  It seems to be mostly a bar, but they have a food menu and the food was amazing.  It was my favorite dinner in Montreal.  We opted to pick a few small plates and share and I just loved every last bite.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (Before I ever tried beef tartare I thought it sounded disgusting.  But, after trying it, I am officially addicted.  The same goes for oysters.  I think I really love raw foods.  And of course, you can't go wrong with brie.)

Noelle - This was a Noelle-free vacation.  She was with her Aunt Kate having fun and probably eating delicious food.

June 29th

¡Yo Quiero Taco Bell!



This is all you need to know: 







Crunchwrap Supreme



I
remember going to taco bell when I was a teenager and ordering 6 tacos
that came in a cardboard container resembling a beer holder.  I would
easily eat all six and still be skinny as a stick.  I could probably
still eat 6, but it would not have the same effect on my weight anymore.
 

I haven't had Taco Bell in soooo long. 
We were going to watch my dad play in his community band concert and
Taco Bell was our picnic food of choice.   You can't go wrong with a
crunchwrap.  They have a little bit of everything; a flour shell, a
crunchy corn tortilla, beef, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, nacho cheese,
and sour cream all wrapped up in an easy to eat pouch.



Grades:



Megan - A (Gotta love a crunchwrap...and any business represented by a little chihuahua.)



Noelle - B-
(Noelle experienced Taco Bell for the first time and had a quesadilla
which she usually loves, but I didn't realize it would come with a sauce
on it.  She said it was too spicy.  She also ate some rice which she
loved.  Next time I'll have to remember to order her quesadilla plain.)

June 28th

Blossoms

I planted a zucchini plant in the spring solely for eating the blossoms.  That being said, we have not gotten any zucchini.  But, we have been enjoying a lot of squash blossoms.  If you've never tried them, you should because they are amazing.

Blackberry Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad with Crispy Fried Goat Cheese
recipe from: http://www.closetcooking.com/2016/07/blackberry-balsamic-grilled-chicken.html

This was a good one.  Instead of using fried goat cheese, we had a few zucchini blossoms ready to harvest.  I stuffed them with goat cheese and fried them up.  They were perfect with the salad and I loved how creamy the goat cheese was with the crisp lettuce.  If you don't have blossoms, it would be just as good with the fried goat cheese like the recipe calls for.

Grades:

Megan - A (Healthyish, creamy, sweet, and perfect for a hot summer day)

Noelle - Noelle still isn't a fan of salad so I didn't give her this for dinner.  She is getting better though and will now ask to try some of my salad.  After a bite though it's still a quick, "no thank you, I don't want any more."

June 27th

Fail

Ok, so the whole year I really have not eaten the same meal more than once.  I have done so well with my challenge and stuck to it.  However, tonight I ruined it all and failed the challenge.  We were in Michigan and my mom made pasta with chicken and asparagus, which I have already eaten this year (on April 22nd to be exact).  It was either go hungry and be a weirdo sitting there not eating, or fail my challenge and eat the pasta.  Plus, sometimes when you're at someone else's house you don't want to be rude and refuse the dinner they make you.  So, I ate it and it was delicious.  But, with every bite I felt a little disappointment in myself.

Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus
recipe here: https://dailydoseofdinner.blogspot.com/2017/04/april-22nd.html

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes, so at least I was destroying all the hard work I've done with something I love.  I'm going to continue the challenge...even though I already failed it.

Grades:

Megan - A- (The pasta was so good.  I had to throw in the minus for the side of disappointment I felt in myself while eating it.)

Noelle - A (Noelle loves this pasta and didn't care at all that she had already eaten it once this year.)

June 26th

Pure Michigan

Noelle And I went with my mom to visit my grandparents in Michigan.  We went out to dinner at the best restaurant in the little town of Dowagiac.

Spaghetti Carbonara
Woodfire
Dowagiac, MI

There aren't many restaurants near my grandfather's house in Dowagiac, and many of the ones that are there aren't very good.  However, this one is delish.  I've only been there twice and both times I had this pasta.  They are a little pricey, but they give you a TON of food.  As a matter of fact, my grandpa and I split this entree and it still was almost too much pasta for me to finish. 

Grades:

Megan - A (They do a good job with this pasta dish and everyone else's dishes looked good too.)

Noelle - A (Noelle had pizza and it was about two dinners for her and one for Doug.  The pizza was gigantic. She seemed pretty happy with it.)

June 25th

Belated Father's Day

We had some of Doug's family over for a belated father's day celebration.  It was our first time having a barbecue in our back yard.  Although our yard is small, I still think everyone had a good time!

Burger with Swiss

As I said earlier, I may have had a burger before this year, but never one prepared the same way with the same toppings.  This was my first swiss cheese burger of the year and I must say, swiss cheese is a good cheese.

Grades:

Megan - A (Doug cooked my burger to perfection and the cheese was nice and melty.)

Noelle - A (Noelle had a burger with cheddar and ate it all even though it was gigantic.  The girl just loves cheeseburgers!)

June 24th

A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Olympic Weightlifting

Tonight we had a dinner with Doug's friends from Sayre Park weightlifting.  I think it was the first time I've gone out with a group of people who's goal was to gain weight.

Beef Brisket
Bub City
Rosemont, IL

I had beef brisket, a chopped salad, and some amazing brussel sprouts.  It was the first time I have been to Bub City.  The food was good and the drinks were great.  They had live music, but we didn't stay late enough for that.  The place was super crowded.  That little plaza in Rosemont is really a happening place!

Grades:

Megan - A (I liked the food, the drinks, and the atmosphere.  The company was good too!)

Noelle - Noelle was fast asleep and didn't get to experience our night out.

June 23rd

OMG I actually Cooked

You might have thought I forgot how to cook.  Or maybe you were just starting to think about how lazy I've been since I have not truly cooked something from scratch in sooooooo long.  But, tonight I did it.  I'm slowly getting back in the saddle and getting re-acquainted with my kitchen.

Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake
recipe from: https://lilluna.com/creamy-swiss-chicken-bake/

This was one of those really easy recipes that you can just pop into the oven.  The swiss cheese and the creamy mixture on top of it had a lot of flavor and since the chicken was covered by all that creamy cheesy goodness, it stayed moist in the oven.

Grades:

Megan - B+ (I thought it had good flavor and liked the creaminess of it.)

Noelle - B- (Noelle ate the chicken and some of the cream, but seemed slightly unimpressed.)

June 22nd

Costco Saves the Night

Another place with really good refrigerated/frozen entrees is Costco.  Since it seems like I'll never cook again, we'll just continue with heating up something someone else cooked.

Pot Roast
Costco

Costco sold me on this one time after I sampled it there.  It's pretty inexpensive and all you have to do is microwave it for about 10 minutes.  It comes out juicy and tender and really tastes like a pot roast you would have spent hours making.  It even has a gravy in it too.  I serve it with some veggies and it's great for when you want a meal that tastes like it took hours to cook, but don't want to spend hours cooking (or heating up your house).

Grades:

Megan - A (Easy, delicious, and requires no stove in this hot summer weather sounds perfect.)

Noelle - A (Noelle has had this pot roast a couple times and loves it.)

June 21st

Trader Joe's Saves the Night

In my opinion, Trader Joe's has the best frozen foods.  We used to eat pretty much only frozen meals from there when we lived in NYC, so I have tried most of them.  One of my favorites is this Mushroom Tarte.

Tarte Aux Champignons
Trader Joe's

This is like a very thin crust pizza bunt instead of a red sauce it has a creamy white sauce and lots of flavorful mushrooms.  It's so good.  I'm really sad I won't be able to eat this one again till next year.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I love the flavor.  It's just perfect.)

Noelle - Noelle has never had the opportunity to try this because she usually eats the leftovers the next day (since she's in bed by the time Doug and I have dinner) and there are never leftovers of this.  Sometime I'll have to make it for her.

June 20th

Relaxing Lakeside

We were still at the lake and Doug grilled another delicious dinner for us.  I have really gotten used to this no cooking thing...

Johnsonville Beer Brat

Just like I'm stretching it with the burgers, I am also stretching it with the brats.  I have had bratwurst this year (in fact it was just the other day), but traditional brats with sauerkraut are really quite different from this.  Different flavor/variety= different meal in my mind!

Grades:

Megan - A (Brats are one of my favorite summer foods.  They're just so good.  Especially when they're beer brats.)

Noelle - A+ (You know how I said in the last post how much Noelle loves cheeseburgers?  Well, she loves bratwurst even more.  I don't know if I have ever seen anyone love brats as much as her.)

June 19th

Living That Lake Life

Continuing on our little trip through the eastern midwest, we drove to Doug's grandparent's cottage in Lake of the Woods Indiana for a couple days.  It was great to relax, spend time with Doug (who usually never has time off), and be by the lake.

Burger with American Cheese

I know I'm kind of stretching it with the burgers, but I still have not had a burger with the same toppings all year, so I'm counting that as different enough.  This was my first burger with American cheese and really I think American cheese is the best for burgers (and grilled cheese).  It melts perfect and just gives it that classic taste I am used to from growing up.

Grades:

Megan - A (Doug grilled these to perfection.)

Noelle - A+ (This girl loves cheeseburgers and always eats more cheeseburger than I think could possibly fit in her stomach.  I think she also enjoyed seeing Daddy cooking :)

June 18th

Ann Arbor

We decided to continue our little midwest road trip by stopping for a night in Ann Arbor.  Doug has always been a fan of the University of Michigan and wanted to see their campus.  It was only about 40 minutes from Detroit so it worked out perfectly.
The campus was really nice even though the main thing we wanted to see (the law quad) was closed for construction.  It was relaxing just walking around and reminiscing about how easy college life was.
Ann Arbor is a super cute town and I would definitely go back (I even said I would live there!)  They have a really nice downtown full of tons of restaurants, bars, and shops.  We went into a shop that sells all Michigan cherry food items and I think it was Noelle's favorite part of the trip because they had tons of samples out to taste.  We got some cookies there and some granola, both of which were really really good.

Traditional German Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and Spatzle
Heidelberg Restaurant
Ann Arbor, MI

It was Father's Day so Doug got to choose the restaurant and he was in the mood for German food (and a boot of beer).  This restaurant had typical traditional German food and beer.  I liked it, but I wished they had live music like the German restaurant we used to go to in Chicago. If you ever happen to go here, get the pretzel bites for an appetizer.  They were unique and delicious.

Grades:

Megan - A (I LOVED the pretzel bites and also enjoyed my main dish.  You can't go wrong with classic German food.)

Noelle - A (Noelle liked the pretzel bites a lot too.  Then she shared some of Doug's Weinerschnitzel and some of my bratwurst.  She wasn't a huge fan of the schnitzel, but loved the bratwurst.  The waitress also brought her out a bowl of homemade apple sauce that she really enjoyed.  She really was confused by the fact that Doug was drinking out of a boot and thought it was hilarious.)

June 17th

The D

We took a mini vacation/roadtrip to Detroit for the weekend.  One of Detroit's many nicknames is the D.  I don't think the D stands for Detroit though, I think it stands for delicious!
We had never been to Detroit and honestly I didn't have very high expectations for it since I know it is a city that has fallen upon hard times.  However, we heard Detroit is on the upswing and thought we'd check it out.  I was pleasantly surprised!
The city felt deserted at times and there are definitely many run down homes and buildings, but there are also many new restaurants and stores which were fantastic.  I was happy we made the trek out there and most likely will visit Detroit again in the future.

Shrimp Tacos
Batch Brewery
Detroit, MI

Detroit is full of hip, new breweries.  This one was great because they had a fantastic outdoor and indoor seating area.  They had great beers (we did a flight, so I can't really remember all the ones we tried), really good food, board games, and even beer slushies (Sounds weird, but Doug had one and it was really good!) If you're in Detroit, I would recommend it for sure!

Grades:

Megan - A (My beer was great and my tacos were fantastic.  Although it was more like shrimp batter tacos since I took almost all the shrimp out of the spicy batter for Noelle to eat.)

Noelle - A (My tacos were to be shared with Noelle but they ended up being quite spicy.  So, I took the shrimp out of the batter in the tacos and gave them to her like that.  She loved it!)

June 16th

Frozen is Fast

When you're getting ready for vacation and you don't have groceries and you just need time to get everyone packed, frozen food is the fastest and best option.

Chicken & Cheese Burrito
Red's Organic

I bought a box of frozen chicken burritos from Costco and they were about the only option in our house for dinner tonight.

Grades:

Megan - A- (These were quite tasty.  I only wish they were slightly larger.  It's like one isn't quite enough for dinner, but two would be too much.)

Noelle - Noelle didn't have a burrito and I'm sure she's happy about that.

June 15th

Needing an Update

Tonight we took Noelle to Rainforest Cafe for dinner.  I remember going as a kid and being amazed by the animatronic animals and the periodic storm that rolled through the restaurant.  I'm pretty sure everything in there is exactly the same as when I was a kid.  Noelle still loved it, but I think the animals could use a little updating. :)

Guacamole Burger
Rainforest Cafe
Chicago, IL

The food was decent.  I wasn't expecting much since I know the restaurant is basically a huge tourist trap.  My burger tasted good.  It was overpriced, but again I expected that.  My biggest disappointment was that I always remembered Rainforest Cafe having waffle fries and tonight it was just regular fries.  Maybe my memory is wrong, or maybe they changed the menu in the past 15 years since I've been there.  But, it got me thinking...why doesn't everywhere have waffle fries.  In my opinion they are far superior to other fry types.

Grades:

Megan - B+ (My food was good, not great.  The best part was seeing Noelle's excitement about the restaurant.)

Noelle - A (Noelle had pizza which she loved.  She also really enjoyed looking at the animals and the storms.  And she loved seeing the person dressed up as a big frog walking around.  However, her favorite part was when a balloon animal guy came to the table and made her a turtle balloon.  She really loved that balloon.  She was super careful with it everyday because she knew it was fragile.  It had a prominent place on her dresser where she would put it every night when she went to bed.  Sadly, after a while the balloon turtle started to deflate and had to be secretly thrown away.  Luckily it was replaced by something new she got from a different restaurant, so she didn't really notice.  Whew!)

June 14th

This is Getting Ridiculous

At some point I really need to start cooking again.  It's just been hard because we've been out and about and we're also getting ready to go on vacation so I don't want to stock up on groceries that will rot in the fridge while we're gone.  Anyway, my not cooking and making excuses led to this dinner...

Toast with 4 Berry Jam

Yes, I had toast for dinner.  It wasn't nearly substantial enough, but it was delicious.  The jam was from an orchard we recently went to for strawberry picking (Knudson's Family Harvest). 

Grades:

Megan - A- (It only gets the minus because it really wasn't a filling enough dinner.  It was delicious though and just reminded me of how much I love toast and jam.)

Noelle - Noelle has something much more substantial and healthy for dinner.  I'm sure she probably wishes she had toast and jam though!

June 13th

Leftovers Again

We spent the day and night in Aurora visiting my sister.  We had really good Chinese food for lunch and there was so much food that we had it again for dinner.

General Tso's Chicken
Lucky Panda
Aurora, IL

This was good fresh and leftover.  General Tso's Chicken is always one of my go-to Chinese food items.  I love the sweetness and spiciness, and hello...fried chicken is never bad!  We also had crab rangoon at the restaurant and it came with fried rice.  All of this was incredibly cheap lunch special.  If you're ever in the area, I'd recommend Lucky Panda.

Grades:

Megan - A (Loved it fresh and leftover!)

Noelle - C (Noelle had chicken fried rice which she usually loves, however today she really didn't want to eat anything.  She liked the crab rangoon a lot and loved the sweet and sour dipping sauce even more.  I think she was mad when I told her she couldn't eat any more of that and protested by not eating the rice.)

June 12th

Leftovers

I guess I'm never cooking again...leftovers for dinner tonight!

Tofu Alfredo
Noodles and Company
Oak Park, IL

As if leftover alfredo doesn't sound bad enough, these weren't even my leftovers!  They were my sister's leftovers that she left at my house.  Anything to get out of cooking dinner I guess! :)

Grades:

Megan - B (So leftover alfredo isn't the greatest because the sauce kind of separates.  And tofu probably wouldn't have been my choice.  However, the tofu was crispy and surprisingly good in the pasta.  I'd actually probably order it again because I'm sure it would be even better fresh.)

Noelle - A (Noelle didn't have the tofu alfredo, but she did have her leftover macaroni and cheese.  She enjoyed her whole meal, but I think her favorite part was that it came with an applesauce pouch.  She loves anything in pouches since she doesn't usually get them.)

June 11th

Christmas in June

We went to Santa's Village today and grabbed a quick dinner afterward before heading home.  It was a great hot, Christmas-y day!

Beef and Cheddar Croissant
Portillo's
Downer's Grove, IL

The only things I ever get from Portillo's are their cheeseburger and hot dog.  I love them so much that it's hard to try anything new.  However this croissant sounded great so I decided to branch out and give it a try.
It was good...because how could you go wrong with beef and cheddar on a croissant?  However, I still prefer the cheeseburger or hot dog. 
It was basically like Italian beef with shredded cheddar on a croissant.  I wished that instead of shredded cheddar it had more of a cheese sauce, like the cheese on nachos. 

Grades:

Megan - A- (I liked it, but I think I'll just stick with my classics next time.)

Noelle - A (Noelle has become a big fan of Portillo's since we go there for lunch quite often.  She had a hot dog and ate it all.  Portillo's is one of the few restaurants she recognizes and gets really excited when we go.)

June 10th

Happy Birthday Doug!

Tonight we went out to dinner for an early birthday celebration for Doug.  He chose the place and we took a nice little family walk to the restaurant.

Boar Bolognese
Citrine
Oak Park, IL

I have been to Citrine before and LOVED their burger.  I really, really, really wanted to order the burger again, but I stuck to my challenge with this blog and ordered something different since I already had that burger this year. 
I was limited in my choices to something without too many crunchy things in it because you know...wisdom teeth healing.  I opted for the boar bolognese because it sounded interesting and I've never tried boar before.  It was very good, but I was still missing the burger.

Grades:

Megan - A- (The pasta was good, just not as good as the burger.  I feel that Citrine has a nice atmosphere and a great patio which is where we sat.  However, every time I go there I feel it is a bit overpriced.  The burger is a good deal and delicious.  Go for that!)

Noelle - A- (Noelle loved the bread and olive oil dipping they brought to the table before dinner.  She had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and liked it.  She loved that she got a scoop of ice cream at the end of the meal!  And sitting outside was very entertaining for her because she loved watching the trains go by as we ate.)

June 9th

Food For Days

Another dinner brought to you by Costco.  This was a huge pan of lasagna.  I think we probably got like 10 servings out of it!

Beef Lasagna
Costco

This was another buy and bake item from costco.  It was really good.  Probably not as great as homemade lasagna from your Italian grandma, but better than any lasagna I've ever made.  These Costso meals are making me wonder why I ever cook...they are so easy, good, and inexpensive!

Grades:

Megan - A (I thought the lasagna had a good flavor and loved how easy it was.)

Noelle - B- (Noelle ate some of this but she was a little suspicious of it.  You know...too many things mixed together.)

June 8th

Big, BIG, BIGGER

I went shopping at Costco in a search for pre-made, easy dinners that were soft enough for my healing wisdom teeth.  I got some delicious things that are huge enough to feed my family for days.

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Costco

If you've ever wondered how Costco's ready-to-cook meatloaf is, it's really good!  I would definitely buy it again.  The meat was juicy and tender.  The sauce on it had a good flavor.  And the potatoes mush have been packed full of butter or something because they were SOOOO good!  Just make sure you either have a big family or are ready to eat meatloaf for days.

Grades:

Megan - A (I'm not even the biggest fan of meatloaf, but I loved this.  And it doesn't get easier than just popping it in the oven and waiting for it to be done!)

Noelle - A (Noelle loved that the meatloaf had "ketchup" on it, even though it wasn't really ketchup.  She happily gobbled up the meatloaf and the potatoes!)

June 7th

Still Recovering

I still have to find semi-soft foods to eat while recovering from my wisdom tooth removal.  I can't wait to get back to normal food!

Plain Mini Beef Sliders
Fat Duck
Forest Park, IL

I love the burgers and fries at Fat Duck.  They have so many varieties and all the ones I have tried have been delicious.  However, I couldn't have any of them because they all had things on them that were too crunchy, so I had to have plain mini sliders.  They were super plain, but still tasted pretty good.

Grades:

Megan - B (I wouldn't have ordered these if they hadn't been the only thing I could eat.  They were fine, but they were super plain.  I would highly recommend going to Fat Duck for burgers and fries, but get one of their specialty burgers!)