August 6th

Go Cubs, Go!

Doug and I went to a Cubs game this afternoon and it was so much fun!  It was great to get to spend time with each other, see the amazing new things in the ballpark, eat some good baseball food, and watch the game (even though the Cubs lost).

Hot Dog, Pretzel, Popcorn, and some Shaved Snow
Wrigley Field, Snow Junkie

So we ate a lot of yummy ballpark food at the game, which I secretly admit is my favorite part of going to a baseball game.  The game was good and it looked like the Cubs were going to win until the end when they lost.  Oh well, there's nothing like being at a Cubs game.  I wish I went to them more often.

Then after the game we stumbled upon this little shop called Snow Junkie and wandered into wonderfulness.  They have two different menu items: shaved snow or Eggettes.  I got the shaved snow and Doug got the Eggette.  Ok...they both were ridiculously amazing. 
I'll start with the snow.  Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of mine.  I don't really know what shaved snow is, but whatever it is, it is sooooo good.  Not like a sno cone...gross, I don't like sno cones.  This is soft, creamy, flavored, shaved ice.  Almost like ice cream, but different.  You get to choose your snow flavor and I chose pina colada.  Then you chose your toppings.  I had strawberries and coconut.  Then you choose a drizzle.  I had condensed milk.  You guys...this was amazing.  My mouth is watering thinking about it and I wish there was a shaved snow place closer to me! 
Doug got the Eggette.  It is basically a puffy waffle that they can fill with different toppings and then they wrap it up with ice cream and stuff inside.

He had an original Eggette with vanilla ice cream, cinnamon toast crunch, a macaroon, and chocolate drizzle.  It was also amazing.  I'll have to make my own Eggette concoction next time!

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I got a little sidetracked from writing about the game with all this snow and Eggette talk, but I figured you all know what a ballpark hot dog and pretzel looks and tastes like.  It's not every day you get to hear about shaved snow and Eggettes.  Seriously though...if you're in Chicago, go to a Cubs game because the Cubs are awesome, Wrigley is awesome, and there just no experience like it.  Then stop by Snow Junkie and experience this crazy deliciousness.  Just be warned...these things are seriously hand crafted and take some time for them to make, so you might have to wait a while.  We did, but it was worth it!)

Noelle - Noelle was not with us, but I need to take her to Snow Junkie because I know she would be obsessed like me!

August 5th

In the Company of Cousins

I went to dinner tonight with my sister and a couple of my cousins.  It was so nice to get out, catch up, and try a delicious new restaurant!

Mediterranean Tapas
Ema
Chicago, IL

I love tapas because you get to try a little of everything.  This was different because it wasn't traditional Spanish food, but was Mediterranean tapas.  The food was great and the cocktails were amazing!  Here's what we shared:
Hummus
House made Stracciatella
Sweet corn and bulgur risotto
Brussels Sprouts
Crispy Halloumi and Dates
Seared Scallops
Roast Pork Shoulder

We sat outside which was lovely.  I'd recommend this place for something different and delicious.  Bring lots of friends so you can try lots of things!  The meat and seafood dishes were good, but it was the veggie dishes that really shined!

Grades:

Megan - A (I loved it and would go back!)

Noelle - Noelle was not in attendance at this dinner, although I probably talked about her way too much! :)

August 4th

Scrounging Up A Salad

Sometimes you have to just scrounge through your fridge to find things you can throw together to make a dinner.  Tonight Noelle ate dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, but since I am trying to eat healthier, Doug and I just had a drink at the restaurant and waited till we got home to eat dinner.  I have to say, I made a pretty good salad for just scrounging things up!

Egg and Almonds Salad

Sorry - I forgot to take a picture.  But I'm sure you can envision it.

This salad was really simple and really good!  It would be perfect for a quick, easy, and healthy lunch.

Ingredients:

• 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• lettuce or spinach
• almond slices
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1.  Mix the olive oil, balsamic, and salt and pepper together in a bowl to taste.  I like mine pretty vinegary, so I don't add much oil.
2. put the lettuce, almonds, and eggs in a bowl and pour the dressing over the top.

Grades:

Megan - A (yummy and simple - just the way I like it!)

Noelle - Noelle had a delicious restaurant meal because she's so fancy.

August 3rd

Is A Brat A Brat?

Is a bratwurst just a bratwurst?  I say no!  All brats are different.  There are different flavors, different types, and some are more authentic than others.  So, yes I had Brats again for dinner, but I have not had this type of brat yet this year.

Sheboygan Bratwurst
Jewel Brand

I think I have had every kind of brat available to me now, and I have to say...I think this Jewel brand brat is the best.  It has a great flavor, it's juicy, and it has a crisp skin.  I'm sad that my bratwurst season has come to an end.  Until next year brats...

Grades:

Megan - A (I highly recommend these.  Make sure you get them nice and charred on the outside - that makes them taste extra good!)

Noelle - A+ (As you know if you read this blog, Noelle loves bratwurst and this one was no exception.  She's like an old time circus exhibit.  You know...the bearded lady, the man who breathes fire, and the toddler with the bottomless stomach.  The amount of bratwurst she can eat never ceases to amaze me.)

August 2nd

Mind Your Manners

I am constantly trying to teach Noelle how to have good manners while we are eating.  Tonight, she might not have wanted much dinner, but she did a great job using her manners! :)

Brown Butter Scallops with Parmesan Risotto
recipe from: http://pinchofyum.com/brown-butter-scallops-parmesan-risotto

 

This might look strange, but it was quite good.  It was supposed to have sea scallops, but holy cow!  Sea scallops are expensive!  So, I used bay scallops.  I actually like them better anyway.  So, the scallops were good and the spinach was fine, but you guys....the risotto!  OMG, it is so good.  I would use this recipe just for the risotto part alone.  It turned out creamy, rich, cheesy, flavorful, and there's a brown butter drizzle over it, so you can't go wrong there!

Grades:

Megan - A- (I gave it a minus because I didn't get a good sear on my scallops.  I think I didn't dry them off enough.  But the risotto by itself would get an A+.  Mmmm)

Noelle - D (So I thought Noelle would love this because the last time I made scallop pasta she was obsessed with the scallops.  This time, not so much.  Like I said, I didn't get them cooked quite right, so I kind of don't blame her.  She took a bite of this and said, "No thank you, I'm not interested." It was so funny...and so sad she didn't want to eat any more.  

I have been trying really hard to teach her manners at the table.  I also have been trying not ask her "Do you like it?" while she's eating [it's hard not to ask that!] because I found that if I ask her that, it gives her the thought of "oh yeah, I just have to say I don't like it and then I can stop eating."  Instead, I ask her things like, How does it taste? or What does it taste like? or Is it cheesy/crunchy/chewy [insert adjective here]?  Of course she still sometimes says, "I don't like it."  And, it might seem silly, but I have been telling her we don't say I don't like it because you never know, next time you try it, you might like it!  Instead I tell her to say, "No thank you, I don't want anymore."  This way, she knows that she will try it again sometime, and she realizes that her tastes can change.  

So tonight she wasn't interested [LOL], but she ate the risotto two other times on other days without the scallops and LOVED it!  See...try it again another time and you might like it!)

August 1st

Another Casserole

There's something about casseroles that I love.  Maybe it's the fact that they are pretty easy to make.  Maybe it's that they are usually delicious.  Maybe it's nice that they don't make a lot of dirty dishes.  Maybe it's my midwestern-ness shining through.  Whatever the reason, I love them.

Vegetarian Black Bean Enchilada Casserole 
recipe from: http://www.aberdeenskitchen.com/2015/07/vegetarian-black-bean-enchilada-casserole/

I really liked this one and didn't miss the meat at all.  The only difference was that the recipe says to use just a tablespoon of the El Pato, and I used the whole can.  I like things spicy! 

Grades:

Megan - A (This had a really good taste, was hearty and filling, and made a ton so we could have leftovers!)

Noelle - I didn't even try to give this to Noelle because I knew it would be too spicy for her.  However, you could always make it milder by using a mild enchilada sauce and not adding any El Pato.

July 31st

Frozen Burritos to the Rescue

We had a condo board meeting tonight that ran pretty long.  By the time we got home, it was really too late to cook a big dinner.  Luckily we had some frozen burritos stocked up in the freezer.

Chicken Chile Verde Burritos
Trader Joes

We have had all the frozen burritos Trader Joes has to offer and I think these are the best.  They have a good flavor and are even better if you add a little hot sauce to them.

Grades:

Megan - B (These are good for frozen, but nothing compared to how good a restaurant burrito is.)

Noelle - Noelle had something else.  I'm sure she would think these were too spicy even though they aren't really very spicy at all.

July 30th

I've Got a Sandwich, Sandwich Full of Veggies

I've made this sandwich many times and it's always a favorite.  It seems like it wouldn't be that filling because it is all vegetables, but there are lots of them and it fills you up.

California Grilled Veggie Sandwich
recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/14504/california-grilled-veggie-sandwich/

I make a few changes to this recipe.  I always cook the veggies indoor in a pan because the grill is too annoying for me to get to.  I also have used a george forman grill to cook the veggies and press the sandwiches.  Also, this time I used goat cheese instead of feta because it was what I had and it was delish!  Any foccacia will do, but I like to use this tomato herb foccacia that I found at Jewel.

Grades:

Megan - A (The combination of the veggies, the super garlicy mayo, and the cheese with perfect crispy foccacia make this sandwich so, so good.  You really should try it!)

Noelle - B- (Noelle was excited about having a sandwich, but not so excited about the veggies inside.  She ate a little bit of the veggies but then had to remove them to eat just the bread.  She also was not excited about the goat cheese in it.  But, she was really happy that there were tomatoes on the bread!)

July 29th

Suburb Searching

We went out today to explore new suburbs in order to find out places we like and think we may want to live someday whenever we decide to move into a house.  It was a long day and we found an awesome Mexican restaurant at the end of it!

Salbutes 
Los Dos
Downers Grove, IL

This was a really good find.  The restaurant served authentic mexican food in a casual atmosphere.  I had Salbutes which are puffed taco shells served with chicken, cabbage, picked onion and tomato.  I highly recommend them.  I also had horchata and some yummy chips and salsa they gave us for the table.

Grades:

Megan - A (I would definitely recommend this place if you are in Downers Grove and craving some tasty Mexican food.)

Noelle - A+ (Noelle was in heaven eating all her favorite things.  She had a cheese quesadilla, black beans, and rice.  She ate a lot.  So much that I was worried she was eating too much (and she was taking FOREVER - she's the SLOWEST eater) so I told the waitress she could take the food because we were done.  Noelle gave a sad look and said, "why is she taking my food?" :( Sorry Noelle.)

July 28th

A Lighter Buffalo

Buffalo chicken is usually pretty unhealthy because it's on fried chicken.  This was a lightened up version for those days when you need something buffalo but don't want something fried.

Buffalo Turkey Burger
There's not really a recipe for this one....it's pretty simple.

For these I bought pre-formed turkey burgers and cooked them on the grill.  When they were done I dunked them in buffalo sauce (you can buy already made buffalo sauce or make your own.  It's pretty easy to make - I used this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/219109/buffalo-chicken-wing-sauce/)
Then I added a slice of mozzarella cheese and a bun.  They would be even better with blue cheese, but I didn't have any.  I served them with grilled pineapple.  If you have never had grilled pineapple you should try it immediately because it takes pineapple to a whole new level!

Grades:

Megan - A (You could put buffalo sauce on pretty much anything and I'll love it.)

Noelle - A- (Noelle had just a turkey burger with no sauce because I know she would've thought the sauce was too spicy.  She liked the burger even though I could tell she wasn't enjoying as much as she does with a beef burger.  Also, she loves pineapple, but was not really a fan of it grilled.  I guess she's a purist when it comes to her fruit.)

July 27th

Maybe Brazilian 

I have loved pretty much all the Brazilian food I've ever had.  Most of it has been at Brazilian Steakhouses where they bring out tons of delicious meats.  I have to say, tonight was nothing like that, but it was still good.

Brazilian Skirt Steak with Golden Garlic Butter
recipe from: http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/brazilian-skirt-steak-with-golden-garlic-butter

So, this dinner was delicious.  However, I'm not quite sure what makes it Brazilian.  I basically was just a steak with garlic butter poured over it. There's nothing wrong with steak soaked in garlic butter.  I like to think I made it more Brazilian by adding the fried plantains with it.

Grades:

Megan - A- (It was really garlicy, which is right up my alley.  The plantains were so good too!)

Noelle - C (I really thought Noelle would be a fan of this one.  She LOVES bananas, so I thought she'd love plantains too.  Nope.  I think she was expecting a banana taste and when it was totally different that she was expecting she was a little put off.  She did ask me if there were bananas in the plantains.  Even when I told her there were (oops...a little lie), she still wasn't eating them.  More for me!  I thought the steak was well cooked, but Noelle said it was chewy.  She still ate a bit of steak anyway.)

July 26th

Cousin Time

Tonight I had a much needed night out and met up with my cousins for dinner.  We had good conversation, good drinks, good food, and got to try a new restaurant.

Fish Tacos
Obsessed Kitchen & Bar
Oak Park, IL

These were not any old fish tacos.  They were crispy fish tacos with black bean, sweet corn relish, guajillo gastric, and candied lime.  They were quite fantastic. 
It was my first time at this place and I would go back for sure.  The fish tacos were amazing, but we also shared a couple appetizers that were equally as good.  We had Parmesan truffle fries (yum!), and crispy brussel sprouts.  I'd recommend getting both of those.  I was surprised by the brussel sprouts because they were shaved rather than whole, but they were so crispy and roasted to perfection with an amazing sauce.
I also had an "Obsessed Fashioned" which was a delicious drink.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (Loved it and will be back!)

Noelle - Sometimes I need a Noelle-free night and this was it.  Don't worry...Noelle was fed dinner.  Just not at a restaurant.

July 25th

So Into Salads

Lately I have really been into the weekly salad dinners I've been making.  They are surprisingly filling and mostly healthy.  I always kind of dread having them for dinner, but then every single time I'm actually eating it I think, "Why was I dreading this???  It's so good!"

Chicken Fajita Salad
recipe from: https://www.mynaturalfamily.com/recipes/paleo-recipes/paleo-chicken-salad-recipe/

This is healthy, Paleo, easy to make, and packed full of flavor!  Try it tonight - you will not be disappointed!

Grades:

Megan - A (All these ingredients come together to make a perfect salad.  The chicken is so flavorful and tender from the marinade, you barely even need any dressing!)

Noelle - Maybe I'll start serving salads to Noelle next year.  For now, she's still working up to eating a salad for a meal.

July 24th

Branching out

The only crepes I have ever made at home are goat cheese and leek crepes because that's what I have a recipe for in my cookbook.  Today I decided to expand my crepe game and try a new flavor.  There's a place in Manhattan we loved called Vive La Crepe and one of my favorites there was a goat cheese, spinach, and mushroom crepe, so I thought I'd give that a try.

Goat Cheese, Spinach, and Mushroom Crepe
I made this recipe up, but used the same crepe batter that was previously featured on my blog here: https://dailydoseofdinner.blogspot.com/2017/05/may-20th.html

These turned out really good even though they don't look like pretty, restaurant crepes.  I'm still getting the actual crepe technique down, but I've got the flavor for sure!  All I did was make the crepe and then sprinkle on some goat cheese, spinach, and mushrooms.  I served it with some fresh Michigan corn and crispy squash blossoms from our garden - yum!

Grades:

Megan - A (I love crepes, especially when they have goat cheese in them.  These will be made again sometime.)

Noelle - D+ (Noelle used to love goat cheese but has recently been protesting it.  When she took her first bite she said "why is there goat cheese in there?"  After that she would only eat the crepe after scraping off all the filling.  Just plain crepes for her tonight.  I may or may not have eaten all her filling :)

July 23rd

Back to Reality

It's always hard to get back to the daily grind after a vacation, so I was pretty proud of myself that I just jumped right in with dinner tonight after we got home from Michigan.  The fact that it was a delicious sandwich may have made it a little easier.

Chicken Pesto Panini
recipe from: http://www.yummyhealthyeasy.com/chicken-pesto-panini/

I used chicken lunch meat in this and store-bought pesto, which made this recipe super simple.  I also do not have a panini press, so I just grilled it in a pan as you would do with a grilled cheese.  It's really simple, but has such great flavor.  I think I should start using pesto on more of my sandwiches!

Grades:

Megan - A (I love the pesto flavor with the super melty cheese.)

Noelle - A- (I'm writing this a while after I made it, so it's hard for me to remember Noelle's exact reaction, but I know she liked it.  I think she was a little weirded out at first that it wasn't what she was expecting.)

July 22nd

Dowagiac Gets Busy

We went out for dinner on our second night in Michigan and my grandparents couldn't get over how crowded the restaurant was.  I guess they typically go on weeknights when there aren't many people up at the lake.  On the weekends it's hoppin'!

Margherita Pizza
Woodfire
Dowagiac, MI

I have never had the pizza from here before, but I figured that since they are named after their woodfire grill, the pizza must be good.  I was correct!

Grades:

Megan - A (My pizza was delicious and huge, just the way I like it.)

Noelle - D (Noelle chose macaroni and cheese for dinner, which she usually loves.  The waitress warned that it wasn't Kraft, but it was a homemade cheese sauce.  I said that was fine because Noelle usually has more homemade mac and cheese than Kraft anyway and loves it.  However, she was not a fan of this.  I tried it [and ate quite a bit of it] and it was pretty garlicy.  She likes garlic, but I don't think it's what she was expecting in her mac and cheese.  So, she had some of my pizza and I had some of her mac and cheese.  I think that's a fair trade.)

July 21st

When Grandad Cooks

We were in Michigan for the weekend and my grandad made dinner for all of us.  It was really delicious and wonderful that I didn't have to do any work in the kitchen!

Pork Tenderloin with a Garlic-Orange Marinade

I don't know exactly what was on the pork, but I know there was garlic and I think there was an orange marmalade.  There were other seasonings too, but when my grandad cooks, he prefers everyone else to stay out of the kitchen.  I'll never know exactly what was on it, but it was tasty.

Grades:

Megan - A (Tender, juicy, wonderful garlicy taste!)

Noelle - A (Noelle happily ate almost all of her dinner)

July 20th

Pick Up Quick

Tonight was another of my dad's community band concerts, so we decided to pick up sandwiches for a picnic dinner at the concert.  We got Panera and let me tell you a secret.  If you are getting Panera to go, order it online!  You can place your order, specify what time you want to pick it up, and pay for it.  Then when you get to the restaurant it's all ready for you sitting on a shelf.  All you have to do it pick it up and go.  So fast and so convenient!

Frontega Chicken Panini
Panera Bread
Homewood, IL

Of all the sandwiches I've tried, this is my favorite at Panera.  It has thinly sliced chicken, onions, cheese, and some kind of sauce all on a crispy toasted focaccia bread.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (Give this sandwich a try - you won't be disappointed!)

Noelle - A+ (Noelle had mac and cheese which is part of a kids meal that comes with yogurt as a side/dessert.  She loved it and ate it all very quietly and quickly.)

July 19th

A Yummy Combo

If you didn't already know, cheddar cheese and apples are a pretty yummy combination.  It sound's strange, but it's good. 

Apple, White Cheddar, and Spinach Salad with Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette
recipe from: https://www.averiecooks.com/2015/02/apple-white-cheddar-spinach-salad-honey-apple-cider-vinaigrette.html

How could a salad not be good when it's covered in all that cheese?!  The only thing I changed was that I used regular dried cranberries instead of orange flavored.  I'd recommend this for a hot summer day.  Or fall when apples are in season!

Grades:

Megan - A- (I thought the apples added a nice crunch and tartness.  The cranberries added a nice sweetness.  And the cheese brought it all together.)

Noelle - We'll nickname her "No Salad Noelle"

July 18th

Sometimes You Just Don't Like Something

With Noelle, I always have her try things over and over, even things she doesn't like because they say that if you try things multiple times, your tastebuds could adjust and you will end up liking them.  Well, I do believe that is the case for most things.  However, sometimes no matter how many times you try it, you just don't like things.  And that is the case with me and fish.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
recipe from: https://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/parmesan-crusted-tilapia

So this one looks pretty appetizing, but it really wasn't (to me at least).  I guess if you like fish it might be pretty good...Doug and Noelle both seemed to like it.  I might be finally giving up on making myself like fish.

Grades:

Megan - D- (This didn't get an F because I was able to eat some of it.  I just don't like fish.  This wasn't even fishy tasting fish and I still don't like it.  Oh well, I tried.

Noelle - B+ (Noelle ate all of her fish, so I guess she liked it.  I didn't say A though because even though she ate it all, she didn't seem overly excited about it.  She also kept calling it chicken.  I told her it was fish, but if she wants to think it's chicken that's fine by me.)

July 17th

You Can Never Have Too Much of a Good Thing

Our zucchini plant has been doing exactly what I hoped it would do and has been producing lots of blossoms.  You can never have too many zucchini blossoms (who needs the zucchini?).  Doug was out for dinner today, so I decided to treat myself.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
recipe by: me :)

I've tried a few different ways of preparing the zucchini blossoms and I think this is my favorite way (and probably the least healthy way).  A bonus is that you don't use much beer in the batter, so you get to drink the rest of the beer while you enjoy the blossoms.

Ingredients:

• squash blossoms
• goat cheese
• flour
• beer
• oil
• salt

Directions:

1. Clean the blossoms.
2. Stuff each blossom with some goat cheese.
3. In a bowl, mix some flour and some beer (it should be about the consistency of pancake batter, but could be thicker or thinner depending on how heavy you like your batter)
4. Heat vegetable oil on high until it is very hot.
5. Dip each stuffed blossom in the batter and put it in the oil.
6. Cook until lightly golden, flipping to the other side halfway through cooking.
7. Remove from oil, salt, and enjoy!

Grades:

Megan - A+ (These are so, so, so good.  I've tried several different types of beer with them and I think lighter beers work best.  Wheat beers are good.  I've even used a fruity beer and that was great too!)

Noelle - D (Much to my dismay, Noelle has decided lately that she doesn't like goat cheese anymore.  Don't worry...I'll get her to like it again.  Since these are full of goat cheese, she wasn't into them.)

July 16th

Deconstruct a Sandwich

We were supposed to have a sandwich today, but we got home late and weren't super hungry, so instead of having the sandwich, we just ate a couple of the ingredients that were supposed to be in the sandwich.

Brie and Proscuitto

You know I love prosciutto.  And if you don't already know, I also really love brie.  So this was the perfect dinner for me.

Grades:

Megan - A (Maybe this technically is more of a snack than a dinner, but I could eat it almost any day.)

Noelle - Noelle had a real dinner.

July 15th

What Attorneys Eat for Dinner

Tonight we had a dinner party for Doug's work.  It was at one of the partner's homes and was a casual summer barbecue.  It was lovely.  The attorney had a beautiful home, delicious signature cocktails, yummy barbecue and amazing homemade cherry pies!

Barbecue Beef Sandwich

This sandwich was so good.  Tender barbecue beef and the most amazing cornbread pudding as a side dish.  Plus the pies were homemade and incredible!

Grades:

Megan - A (Amazing food and I got to socialize with other adults while eating it = perfect!)

Noelle - This was an adults only soiree, so Noelle ate something delicious at her aunt's house instead.

July 14th

Joyeux Anniversaire

Today was our 5th year wedding anniversary.  One of the dinner options that we had at our wedding (which both Doug and I ate) was chicken piccata and asparagus.  It was so good then and is still so good now.

Chicken Piccata
recipe from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-piccata-recipe2-1913809

So this is probably Doug's favorite dinner that I make.  I really have pretty much perfected it.  And even though it sounds pretty impressive and tastes amazing, it actually is a really simple recipe. 
Oh, and can you tell I love capers?  I can never have too many capers on my piccata!

Grades:

Megan - A+ (This recipe is so good.  I'm really self conscious about cooking for other people other than Doug and Noelle and usually don't do it, but I would make this meal for others.  It's that good.)

Noelle - C- (Noelle disgusts me with this grade.  It's one of out favorite dinners!  How could she not give it an A??  I can't wait for her to try it again because I really think she would like it.  She's had it before and liked it.  She likes chicken.  She likes lemon.  She doesn't like capers, but I didn't give those to her.  I think this might have just been a fluke that she didn't want it tonight.  We'll see next year I guess :)

July 13th

The Fanciest Picnic

We went to my dad's community band concert tonight and decided to have a picnic dinner.  My favorite sushi restaurant is right across the street from the concert lawn, so it was the perfect opportunity for some amazing sushi.  Sushi might not be the food you think of when you think of picnics, but it actually was quite perfect.  It's cold, so you don't have to worry about your food staying hot.  And it comes in a nice little tray that is convenient to eat out of on a picnic blanket.  And it's just so much more delicious than most other picnic foods.

Spicy Soft Shell Crab Roll
Asian Harbor
Homewood, IL

I LOVE Asian Harbor.  I think I could eat there every day.  I have pretty much only ever had their sushi, so I can't speak to their other foods, but the sushi is sooooo good.  I have had sushi all over the country and this is my favorite place.  The fish seems fresh, the flavor combinations are awesome, and they put lots and lots of sauce on their rolls.  Some people might think that they put too much sauce, but I love it - the more sauce the better!

Grades:

Megan - A+ (Their Spicy Softshell Crab roll is my favorite of the ones I've had there.  I guess I should branch out and try some new rolls.)

Noelle - A (Noelle had beef fried rice because even though I think she might like the sushi, I worry that it will be too hard for her to chew the seaweed.  She loved the fried rice and ate quite a bit of it.)

July 12th

Grill Yo Fruit

Grilled fruit is so good!  Ok, I've only really tried grilled peaches, pineapple, and watermelon, but all three of those are amazing grilled.  It really brings out the juices and the sweetness.  The best is if you get a little caramelization on the fruit.  Try it - it's so easy and really amps up your fruit.

Grilled Peach and Berry Salad
recipe from: http://www.homemadeinterest.com/grilled-peach-berry-summer-salad/

This salad was great.  It has a little bit of everything - grilled fruit, berries, cheese, and a yummy dressing.  It was really summery and perfect for when those juicy peaches are in season.

I grilled my peaches on a skillet on the stove because I didn't want to walk down 3 flights of stairs, turn on the grill, wait for it to heat up, and then wait for them to cook just for a couple peaches.  I'm sure it would've been even better on the grill because it would have had that nice charred taste.  But, they turned out pretty great on the stove too.

Grades:

Megan - A (I loved the taste of the grilled peaches with the salad and the creamy goat cheese almost gave it a peaches and cream type of flavor.)

Noelle - I still have not attempted to give Noelle a full salad because even though she's working her way up to it and will eat a couple pieces of lettuce now, I know she would never eat a full salad.