Friday, March 31, 2017

Meal Plan: April 1st - 6th

Review from last week:

We tried Munchery and it was okay.  A friend of mine loves it a lot, so I think it was more about the dish I ordered than the actual quality of the food.  It was nice not having to cook though!


Rosemary chicken salad.  A favorite.


The "pesto" pasta from Blue Apron last week.  Not a great one either.
 

I ended up making these Turkey Taco Spaghetti Squash Boats and I loved the recipe!!


Butter chicken.  YUM.






Plan for next week:

Saturday: Planning to see Beauty and the Beast at McMenamins and grabbing dinner there.

Sunday: Burgers with caramelized onions over greens

Monday: Mandarin Orange Chicken (Trader Joes)

Tuesday: Blue Apron Meal: Seared Salmon & Seasoned Labneh with Freekah, Kale & Dates

Wednesday: I have a work dinner.  Ben and Greg can make: Steak Frites with Arugula Salad & Creamy Mustard Sauce

Thursday: Blue Apron Meal: Peruvian Roasted Turkey with Carrots, Quinoa, & Chimichurri Sauce

Friday/Saturday: I'm heading out of town for the weekend so Greg is in charge of what the boys eat :)

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Hip Hop Dance Class

Ben has been attending hip hop dance classes for about a month now on Mondays after school.  The class takes place in a studio where it's nearly impossible for parents to watch, (we wait in the lobby) but last night the teacher let us in for a sneak preview of the routine they have been working on.  And it's the cutest thing ever!!!

Friday, March 24, 2017

Meal Plan: Week of March 25th - 31st

Review from last week:

Chicken in Chipolte Sauce with Avocado Crema.  This one is one of my favorite dishes to have as leftovers for lunch.


Catfish, jasmine rice and cabbage.  (Blue Apron).  I've loved all of the catfish meals I've made so far.  Should consider looking for that at the store sometime...


I absolutely loved the pork and black beans dish created by Chef Brooke (Top Chef winner)":

And my moment of Instagram fame (completely kidding), but Brooke liked it too!



Plan for next week:

Saturday: Rosemary Chicken Salad with Avocado and Bacon

Sunday: Dinner at the Cougans!

Monday: Got a deal to try Munchery so we are having that for dinner

Tuesday:  Paprika White Wine Bucatini

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Kale-Style Chicken Caesar Salad

Friday: Butter Chicken

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Week in Photos: March Madness, Happy Hour and One Day of Sunshine

March Madness has been really fun and eventful in our house this year.  Michigan has made it into the sweet 16, resulting in Ben (who filled out his very own bracket this year, and picked Michigan to win it all), is currently in first place in his league of 150+.  I'm married to a superstitious person so I won't comment about how likely this is to continue after tonight's game against Oregon, but it's been fun and hilarious watching the majority of Ben's picks (including several upsets), continue on through the rounds.

Additionally, we have discovered lately that Ben has QUITE a memory.  We knew he had a knack for recalling the scores of various NFL games (mostly Seahawk and Steeler games), but he surprised us over the past week by rattling off not only the ENTIRE Seahawk season of games/scores, but also being able to recall several of the final the scores and match ups throughout this college tournament. 

So either he is a genius just has an amazing memory, or he has been spending a little too much time on his ESPN app ;)  

Showing me their picks:


Ben's bracket at the top (listed under Greg's name, in case people think kids gambling is wrong) ;)

Final round of gutter cleaning:


Selfie while watching Ben play at the Children's Museum.  We purchased a membership again this year and we have already gotten our money's worth - we have gone at least every other weekend since we bought it in late January!


We had a beautiful sunny day last Sunday, so we (along with EVERY OTHER FAMILY in the area) hit the parks!


Vitamin D!!!!



Ben at school.  Also known as the day he LOST HIS SHOES at school?  Still can't find them...



My friend Shauna who does does events at Woodhouse Winery in Woodinville, aka our favorite winery, recently designed the menu and cooks at their Wednesday night HH events!  We went to check it out with Kristin and Craig this week and enjoyed delicious wine and flatbread pizzas!




My new iPhone has a "portrait" setting that Greg modeled for me to test out:

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

The Herbfarm



Greg and I were given the most generous, surprising gift from my parents this past Christmas - a gift card to the Herbfarm!  We have had this place on our bucket list now for at least a decade.  If you are in the area, you may be familiar with this place.  It's notoriously $$$, but from what I've heard also so worth it.  We had always said that "someday" we will go for a special occasion.  Having a gift card that covered a good chunk of the cost and an offer to watch Ben overnight, we decided it was time to just go for it!

They have themed, coursed meals that change every month or so.  We decided on the "Super Cattle in Seattle" theme (because, beef), and made our reservations.

We started off with drinks at The Barking Frog right across the parking lot. 


We arrived at the Herbfarm about 30 minutes before we were scheduled to be seated.  They let us all wander around the place (wine cellar, library, etc) until they gathered us all together for a "garden tour".  They decided to conduct it indoors since it was pouring rain outside at the time.  The owners walked us through the herbs from their garden and how they would be using them in the meal that evening.

When it was time, they opened the doors to the dining room and showed us to our communal table.  We were at a table of 8, all people similar in age to us, with kids around Ben's age, who all love food.  It was such a fun experience to share this 5 hour meal with others who appreciated it (and appreciated a night away from their kids, too) ;)

Every course was perfectly paired with a different wine - and all of the wines were poured into a unique TYPE of wine glass - taking fancy to a whole new level.  Bonus - throughout each course, they continued to refill your glass with whatever wine was paired until the next course/wine arrived.  


The first course was beef.  Painted Hills Oregon Pastured Black Angus, 50-Day-Aged Prime Snohomish Valley Grass-Fed Angus Beef, Snake River Farm Idaho Wagyu Coulotte, and Quiche of Dungeness Crab & Over-Wintered Calcots with Lemon Thyme.  Paired with Treveri Cellars Sparkling Gewurztraminer, Columbia Valley.

Between the first and second courses, the Sommelier and the head chef came out and spent about 20 minutes speaking to the dining room about each course, where they sourced the ingredients (ahem, cows) and the background on wine selections (down to how the grapes were grown and who the wine maker was).  Foodie heaven.


Course two was Tempura of Vinegar-Marinated Beef Cheek, Pink Scallop Sauce, Green Chili Sauce, Black Garlic Sauce and Radish. Paired with 2014 Savage Grace Gruner Veltliner, Underwood Mountain.


The third course was a Wood-Roasted Whole Rex Sole, Wild Nettles, & Green Garlic, which the chef walked us through how to filet!  (Also why you only get a picture of the bones).  #nailedit  Paired with 2014 Walter Scott Chardonnay, "Cuvee Anne".


Course four was Grilled-Rare Pure Magnolia Wagyu, Spring Shoots & Seeds.  Paired with 2012 Designee Cabernet-Franc, Conner-Lee Vineyard.


Course five, perhaps my favorite, was Ember-Roasted Wagyu Short Rib, Preserved Lemon Sauce, Braised Cabbage & Leeks, Oregon Black Truffle Agnolotti.  Paired with 2013 Gorman Cabernet Sauvignon, "The Fog", Old Vines, Red Mt.


Course six was Beef Bone Stuffed with Mousse of Jacob's Blue Cheese, Grand Fir Powder, Preserved Raspberry Juice, Beef-Fat English Muffin.


Course seven was a Macaron Sandwich with Fennel Frozen Yogurt, Toasted White Chocolate, and Rhubarb Gel.


Course eight was Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding, Olive Oil Caramel, Chocolate-Rye Sourdough Ice Cream, Oregon Olive Oil & B.C. Balsamico, with Olympic Peninsula Saffron Salt.  Paired with 2012 Brian Carter Cellars Barrel-Aged Opulento.


The evening ended with them bringing out their coffee and tea menu - at least 10 different types of coffee and tea.  We each selected what we wanted (I went with one of their coffees) and it was brought to us in our own individual mini french press and then served in the most adorable china (of course).

Such a fabulous evening!  One we will never, ever forget.  If you ever wish to splurge on a great meal and experience, this place is not going to disappoint you. 

Thanks again, Mom and Dad!! 

Friday, March 17, 2017

Meal Planning: March 18th - 24th

Review from last week:

This gyro meat over lentils dish is one of our favorites. 
 


Blue Apron Pork Tacos.  The Pineapple salsa really made this dish!


I loved this miso-soy chicken and sauteed carrots/kale dish - Greg thought it was just okay.  
 


 Cod, roasted potatoes and arugula salad.
 

Plan for next week:

Saturday: Out to dinner


I'm also planning to make some lentil soup for the week.

Monday: Grilled burgers, caramelized onions, feta over greens (our new go-to meal)!


Wednesday: Out for pizza and wine

Thursday: Very excited to do Blue Apron this week as the Top Chef winner created this dish: Spice-Rubbed Pork with Sweet Red Onion & Black Beans

Friday, March 10, 2017

Meal Planning: March 11th - 17th

Review from last week:

Korean beef and broccoli:



Cod and cabbage slaw:


Clam spaghetti - still an all-time favorite.  Bonus: Greg has decided that he can now tolerate mushrooms, which of course means I tripled the amount of mushrooms this time around because I knew I wouldn't have to watch him pick them out :)
 

Grilled chicken quesadillas and kale.


Plan for next week:

Saturday: Pizza!  Greg has a beer/pizza groupon that he needs to use so we are planning on that this weekend.

Sunday:  Gyro meat over lentils

Monday: Leftovers

Tuesday: Blue Apron Meal: Smoky Seared Cod with Roasted Potato and Dates

Wednesday: Blue Apron Meal: Pork & Cabbage Tacos with Pineapple and Pickled Jalapeno Salsa

Thursday: Blue Apron Meal: Miso-Butter Chicken with Freekah & Sauteed Carrots

Friday: Chicken Kale Caesar

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Week(s) in Photos: Valentine's Day, A Haircut, and a few Selfies

Love finding selfies on my phone from Ben:


A few pictures from Valentine's Day:



Ben requested a "special Valentine's Day breakfast", so I cut strawberry hearts and threw them on a waffle.  It passed his test :)


In addition to Ben's "all things sports" obsession, he also seems to have memorized a random set of facts relating to which teams played each other, when, and what the final score was.  One day he was talking non-STOP to me about various games, and he said:

"MOM - do you remember when the Panthers played the Seahawks"?

Me: Um, nope.

"The score was 40-7 and the Seahawks won"!!

Me: Seriously?

So I asked Siri and SURE ENOUGH, he was right.  I'm impressed!  I told him he should be a sports broadcaster one day :)
 

Gymntastics play date with Freya:


Being cute in his monster towel:


Being less cute:


Accidentally almost blinding him with the flash:


Menchies night!


Selfies with one of the teachers at school:


Our Hamilton tickets for SF arrived and my mom and I are SO EXCITED for our upcoming trip!  (A little back story on these: the online ticket purchasing for these babies was INTENSE.  First, you had to be online RIGHT when the tickets went on sale.  Then, you were placed into a random queue to wait in line for your turn to buy them.  I signed in on three separate devices to increase my chances for getting a good spot in the line.  One one, I was 80,000ish in line (not a chance in hell), on another, I was 40,000 in line, (also unlikely), and in one I was 2,435ish in line (DEFINITELY GETTING TICKETS)!  After a 45 minute wait, I was allowed into the site and had exactly 15 minutes to find my tickets and purchase them.  I figured I would be able to select 2 standard seats for one of the dates of our choosing and buy them, however, after a few minutes it was proving to be a challenge to buy 2 standard seats!  The only ones that were coming up on my search were the PREMIUM seats - orchestra center and more than I intended to spend.  After about 10 minutes I started to freak out, thinking if I didn't just choose some seats and buy them, my time would be up and I would be kicked out.  I wound up with 2 sets of 2 PREMIUM seats ($$$$) and hitting purchase.

Within hours, the entire run in SF was sold out completely and I had 4 hot tickets in my hands.  And luckily (and not surprisingly), I managed to sell 2 of them on a third party ticketing site for a price that essentially pays for our entire trip: Hamilton tickets + hotel and then some.  


Ben, adorably, asked me one day (after we had let his hair grow a little long and crazy): "Could I please have a hairstyle"? :) So a  hairstyle he got.