Date night: Royal Mile and Creme Cupcake

We are very fortunate to live close to family. We are very very fortunate to live close to family who like to watch our children. Because of this, we are the lucky ducks who get the opportunity to have a date night once a week. I believe that time away from your kids and an evening among adults is okay. Necessary even. The few hours away help us recharge. We're actually able to hold a conversation without interruption. No diaper to change, snack to get, toy to help find while we're in mid-sentence. Of course, the conversation almost always ends up being about the kids but there isn't any interruption from the kids. The time is good and restorative.

And delicious.

We headed to The Royal Mile for fish and chips because it was Friday and that's what you eat on Fridays during Lent. Duh. Other Catholic folk got the memo it seems because the fish were flying that night. We love ourselves a fish fry, we do.

Back in our DINK days, we would end our nights at The Royal Mile. I hated it because the place was so dim and where was the Justin Timberlake or inappropriate rap song with extremely loud bass? If I was going to be up that late-early then there should at least be dancing! Now in my old age, I can appreciate the place and I can especially appreciate the food.

A few suggestions if you need them--if fries aren't your thing, first of all, why not??? But if they aren't, Josh gets the peas instead. I think he would serenade those peas, he loves them that much. Also, you should make room for the banger and cheese chowder. On our non Lenten visits here we always start with a cup. Super good! And finally, I don't know my way around a beer menu so I asked for something wheaty and our waitress brought me an Ayinger which was on point.

And part two of date night featured this beauty at Creme Cupcake. 

This is the tiramisu. We also got the fried ice cream Creme brûlée. I can say with supreme confidence that it is a very good thing that I am still in my maternity pants because whoa. Probably should've just ordered one to share but really, what's the fun in that? Date night is no time to hold back, people! The night is ours!

Father's Day Weekend

Hello, friends! Thought I should pop in with a little Fathers Day weekend action before it gets too far away from me. Joshie and I had the chance to go on a date on Friday night. A real live date! We haven't been on one of those since February, people. Very exciting stuff.  So off we went to happy hour at The Continental where we enjoyed a tasty fried cheese plate. The gruyere puffs were my favorite. After that it was off to Zombie Burger. I swear I could eat my weight (and yours) in fries. Skinny fries preferably.

I tried out a zumba class with a friend at Gray's Lake and then we hit up the Farmers Market on Saturday. Dexter tried to wear this white hat with pink flowers that he found at Lolo's house to the market. And Josh in his infinite father wisdom, told Dexter that "we don't wear hats to farmers markets". Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies. And shocker, he actually listened and left it behind in the car! Mini donuts all around! Victory!

Then the skies turned a little gray so we headed home. We binge-watched the third season of Game of Thrones since it was HBO free weekend. The Red Wedding was particularly stabby. And when we had our fill of wildlings and Unsullied, we went to Target because we hadn't been in at least five days. We got the itch. We picked up a few necessities and a boatload of luxuries including this hat which is much better than that doll hat he tried to rock earlier if you ask me.

And then it was Father's Day and we decided that brunch was a lovely idea. As I write this, I'm thinking good heavens, all you do is eat! Days are distinguished by meals. Indeed, this is how we seem to operate around these parts. So brunch! Brunch is a great idea for toddlers because you don't have to order and wait for your food. But hold up, what about the wait to get seated, you say. Sunday brunch on Father's Day, there surely has to be a wait, you say. Ah, yes, there is a wait, friends. And my advice is as follows: if the wait is less than 30 minutes, if the sun is smiling upon you, if there is a sidewalk to explore, if your child has had a small Baggie of Cheerios on the way there, then brunch shall be yours. The outdoor waiting area is your new promised land.

Once our bellies were full, we stopped by Lowe's because that's what you do when you're getting ready to sell your house.

We spent the afternoon at Lolo's house to cap off the day. He treats Dexter like a little prince, which I suppose is what Lolos are for.

Dear, Dexter, you have some good men in your life. We are so very lucky to have this Grandpa (who was sunning himself in Florida on Father's Day, lucky duck!), this Lolo and this Dada.

Over the weekend: Breakfast and bullies

Hello! So I spent the second half of last week exhausted by the information overload from the first few days of my new job. There's a lot to learn and I just wish that this newbie part would pass quickly. Being the new kid just isn't all that fun.

I had a chance to decompress with breakfast at La Mie with my former movies and always friends. I tried out the French toast with peanut butter, bananas and bacon which turned out to be a sound choice. The hot chocolate that I ordered with it just reaffirmed that my decision making skills were on fire that morning. As usual, the restaurant was packed to the gills. We accidentally stole a booth from a family. We sat at a tiny table at first and then a booth opened up so we carpe'd diem and left that poor family in the dust with our tiny table. Low point. So a word of advice from me to you. If you intend on finding the table of your choice at La Mie on a Saturday, show up earlier than 8 am. Or maybe the lesson is to be aware of your surroundings and young families in crowded restaurants so that you don't steal their table like a big selfish jerk face? I don't know, you pick.

Joshie and I headed back out to run errands after I got home from breakfast and we ended up taking Dexter to the mall. We checked out the waterfall and then the playplace. The playplace started out okay but got ugly when this little girl shoved Dexter down the slide. I witnessed the whole thing. She said, "just go already!" and pushed him! The nerve, am I right? I looked up to see if her mother was going to dash over and correct her but nothing happened. And that there is the thing that truly pissed me off...where is your mother? The mall playplace is not the time for laissez faire parenting, friends. Figure. It. Out. I don't fancy myself some rockstar super parent with all the right answers but I'm fairly sure that I'm well within reason to ask you to watch your kid. Mmmkay?

So now here's the question that I raise to you--would you correct someone else's kid? A stranger's? An absent stranger clearly, but a stranger no less. I will confess I didn't. I did mean mug that little girl though. Oh, did I mean mug. An icy withering stare was doled out. But after that this mama bear whisked her cub right out of there. And back to the sweeter, gentler waters of the mall waterfall.

Over the weekend: Fong's and Flying Mango

We had big plans to go to brunch with Nick and Amy without the kids but alas it wasn't meant to be as the sitter got the days mixed up. We've been talking about hitting up the brunch at Americana for a good long while and it looks like we'll have to keep talking about it for just a little bit longer.

Instead of brunch, we stayed at Nick and Amy's, hung out with the kids and ordered in pizza from Fong's since they just opened back up recently. The Crab Rangoon pizza still remains as a top contender of favorite quirky pizza pies, the Fongolian Beef, not so much. It's a too many veggies, not enough sauce situation in my opinion.

They say cousins are your first friends and they speak the truth.

Joshie and I also had the chance to sneak out on a date to Flying Mango. My goodness, that place is amazing! We haven't been in ages and it was just as good we remembered. There was a wait and since the restaurant is more or less inside a house, there isn't much of a waiting area. We were elbow to elbow with other waiting diners and got a front row seat to the grill. PS I took these pictures while we were waiting and told Josh I was going to live tweet our whole date. Because now I can! Yay, smartphone!

The only other thing you need to know about our dining experience is this. Cornbread. Mic drop.

    

A post about food from someone who doesn't cook but knows how to eat

Print can be found here

 

How was your weekend? I felt like we spent most of the weekend at the grocery store. We went to Whole Foods on Friday to select meat for Meatfest (P.S. this is not a real festival, just an excuse to prepare an obscene amount of meat with your family), and then headed to Hy-Vee on Saturday morning to get the ingredients for peanut butter and chocolate pie and Filipino eggrolls, which is what we'll be contributing to Thanksgiving this year. You're welcome.

A word about the origins of Meatfest: Amy and Nick texted us about doing dinner with them and we said, sure, what do you have in mind? And then the return text basically read something like "a plate of meat". And thus, Meatfest was born. After visiting with the meat counter guy at Whole Foods, Josh selected the hanger steak tenders.

As a side note, I think it's quite endearing the way the Thiessen men talk about their food. They are a passionate people. Dexter and I were standing off to the side and I could see Joshie nodding his head and using emphatic gestures while visiting with the meat guy about the tenderness and flavor of the hanger steak. His dad is the same way; uber-detailed discussions of shrimp have happened. I'm telling you, it's a very lucky thing that I married into this family. They care about their food. A carefully crafted delicious meal from Joshie is like the Sistine Chapel and let me tell you, the Sistine Chapel is tasty.

Well, that was one helluva side note, right?

Anyway, verdict is that the hanger steak is worth pursuing. Josh marinated half of it in a sauce that is similar to the ginger sauce from Ohana's and half without a marinade and both were excellent. Flavorful and tender as promised by the meat guy. Nick and Amy used a Pioneer Woman's recipe for short ribs and I believe the judges (that would be the four of us) decided that it tasted like a roast and the ribs were considerably fatty. Also, I think that we are in agreement that Amy makes up a mean batch of mashed potatoes.

And if that's not enough food talk for you, we went for Thai food at Lemongrass in West Des Moines for my dad's birthday. The verdict there is good food and OMG, toddlers are terrible dinner guests. That's a side note for another day though.

Over the weekend

We are beginning to get to a new normal around here. We spent the weekend with family and friends, getting the first taste of winter weather while walking the Farmers Market and checking out Market Day-so cold!, getting hot dog-blocked by the mass of Color Runners on our way to lunch at Capital Pub & Hot Dog (seriously, did everyone and their mother run that race?!) and watching the Bears game.

There was also a turkey without the Thanksgiving and smores without the fire. Coupled with friends and family, sometimes food is the best remedy after a tough week.

to eat, to listen, to wear

Happy weekend, friends! This weekend is the World Food Festival in Des Moines. We've never had the chance to attend so that may find its way on our agenda. I know the whole point of a festival like this is to try food from other cultures but quite frankly, if we go you'll probably find me at the Filipino food stand because I know that I like it. Stick with what you know and you'll never be disappointed, kids.Yup, that's how I do.

To eat:

I have every intention of making these dark chocolate chip and sea salt cookies this weekend. I've really been into the whole salty and sweet thing (salted rice krispies, salted fudge brownies) so hopefully these will live up to my expectations.


To listen:

I like this version of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love". I'm just such a sucker for a piano and a pretty voice.



To wear:

So now that I'm officially growing my hair out...I think. I decided to see if I could pull off a sock bun. And I did for approximately 3 hours. Hooray. I used this youtube tutorial.

On my 29th name day

Do you feel reflective on your birthday? I've spent a little bit of time today thinking about where I've been and where I'm going but honestly the way that I prefer to celebrate another passing year is through food. And so I ate. I chatted with my coworkers over a Captain Crunch roll at Waterfront for lunch and sat on the patio at Jethro's with my family and dined on brisket doused with Carolina BBQ for dinner. I traded bites of the amazing mac and cheese from there with Dexter and sipped on a 312. Josh brought me down a mugful of Whitey's Mississippi Mud ice cream while I curled up on the couch to read my blogs.

But if I must reflect on what this year has brought me, then I will say, happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, joy...

Today though on my birthday, I feel full.

   

to eat, to watch, to listen

Happy Friday and three day weekend! Woo, get crazy! We'll be spending time with family and friends this weekend. I plan on rocking every one of my favorite summer outfits. I hope that treating this as a final hurrah for summer will entice the heat to break. It was a whopping 100 degrees today! I hate the winter snow and ice but this heat is a little ridiculous.What are you up to this weekend?

To eat:
Josh whipped up a batch of homemade donuts last Sunday using a roll of the Pillsbury Biscuit dough we had hanging out in the bottom of our deep freeze. Good grief, I love this guy.I ate them for breakfast the rest of the week.

And as if that wasn't enough to satisfy the junk food monster in me, I tried the cake balls at Creme Cupcake and they are life changing, friends. Do it.  

To watch:

I spotted this trailer on Cup of Jo last week. Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones? Good call!




To listen:

Maybe I've been living under a rock or something but I totally didn't realize that Scarlet Johansson had such a good voice. Was that a backhanded compliment? Anyway, I've really been loving this song. Brought to my attention from this blog and now here for your listening pleasure.

to eat, to read, to watch

 Print from this etsy shop

Happy Friday! It's been a week of highs and lows for me mostly involving work. But this isn't the place for that, this is a happy place I declare! Josh is running a 5k and one of his old coworkers is having people over for a BBQ on Saturday and we'll round things out with a trip to Target (maybe head to Bed, Bath and Beyond, I don't know if we'll have enough time).  Hows about you?

To eat
So I haven't tried this yet but I starred it in my Reader. I do a lot of that, star it to remember and then forget. We ate the plain old out of the box toaster strudels a few weeks ago and I forgot how awesome they were so I imagine homemade ones would be pretty excellent also.

To read
My brother-in-law is reading the Game of Thrones series and Josh just finished the first book so I hopped on board that train and have been working away to catch up. I love me a good series.

To watch
Geez, I love So You Think You Can Dance. And geez, I really like this song.

To eat, to drink, to listen

Happy weekend! I had a lovely day off with Dexter yesterday that included running errands, a trip to the park and getting ready for our next summer o' fun adventure...the zoo! It's going to blow his freaking mind I think. Those lions in your books, they do exist, buddy. Get ready. Hope you have something mind-blowing planned this weekend too!

To eat:

I have yet to get to our OP in Des Moines. I don't know what I'm waiting for. Ha, yes, I do-our bank account to look a little less like I work at a non-profit and more like I'm growing a money tree in my backyard. I'd settle for a money bush. When that happens, breadsticks and taco subs for everyone! A summer o' fun is awesome but I tell you it sure eats up your cash money.  


To drink:
Speaking of throwing away money, the fair starts next week! I've been craving a good fair lemonade. I used to go to Walt's Lemonade on the main concourse upon the recommendation of my sis-in-law but I searched the catalog of vendors for this year and didn't see them! Gah, do I need to find another go-to? Let the search begin!



To listen:

Before we were married but after we graduated from college, Josh and I went on a road trip to Omaha with our friends and saw the Cold War Kids. It was probably one of the first shows that I saw with Josh. And oh how the basement of that venue smelled. Hot and sweaty. So very sweaty. Despite that (or maybe because of it?) it was a great show. Even if I was the only one dancing. What is up with these hipster concert goers being too cool for school to dance? Anyway, Florence and the Machine's version of one of the Cold War Kids' songs popped up in my Pandora and I am in love.

To eat, to drink, to listen

Happy weekend! This weekend is especially special because it's Bix! Huzzah and three cheers! And now I present to you to eat, to drink, to listen-Davenport style-

To eat:
Josh is running the race which means tonight we get to feast on Grinders. The ravioli is the go to when a seven mile race is calling your name, however I do feel it's worth mentioning that if you are a simple girl looking for a no fuss sandwich then the Gondola would be an excellent choice. I had my first gondola when my sister-in-law took me there before their wedding and it was life changing. For reals. The bread's sweetness adds a little something extra.

To drink:
Have I mentioned that Davenport is a place where it seems no one is married or has kids and everyone is out until the wee hours of the morning? You could call it Neverland. The Las Vegas of Iowa, as Josh aptly named it during our last visit. So at some point during this weekend, we will likely be out with the rest of the revelers trying to prove that we are indeed one of the natives and pretending that we aren't keenly aware that there is a little boy at home that doesn't care how late we were out. And so, while doing as the Romans do, it is likely that a Nancy Reagan (Soco and lime-I think our friends named it?) will land squarely in front of one of us.

To listen:

Lest we forget the true meaning of Bix, here's this:

To eat, to drink, to listen

To Eat:

Horseradish cheese. Have you had it? It's so good. If you're into horseradish that is. I didn't think I was...until I had this cheese. So maybe scratch that, it's for horseradish lovers and those that want to convert. We went to this cheese house while on vacation and purchased a block. We ended up with leftovers and brought them home and Josh told me that I could have the rest of it but I said that I didn't want to because then it would be gone forever and that would make me so sad.

P.S. I did end up eating all of it.

To Drink:

pic from here

Also, while on vacation my sister-in-law, Amy filled a pitcher with one can of frozen limeade, one can of beer, one can of tequila and one can of water, stirred it up and voila Beer Can Margaritas (also know as your next hangover). It's got a kick to it and will warm your soul.



To Listen:

I had to drive to Fort Dodge for work and cranked up the volume to an obscene decibel level when Fun's new song came on. It's the kind of song that I can picture myself taking up a lot of room to dance to which is definitely a requirement of a good song in my book.

A recap of the weekend through food mostly

It all started on Friday, as most weekends typically do.

We got Dexter to bed on Friday and decided to watch Drive on Netflix. Holy buckets, it's kind of a creepy love story? Say whaaa? I had no idea. Also, hello, gory lose your brain scenes (yes, scenes plural)! Again, I had no idea! Josh asked if I thought it was going to be more like Fast and the Furious and the answer is, yes, yes, I did. Or maybe Point Break? Fool. Note to self: a little research into a plot synopsis prior to viewing, not a bad idea.

After sleeping that off, we headed out to the Farmers Market on Saturday morning. And now, my latest advice to you market goers on a budget. At least advice in regards to food stands that give you more bang for your buck. I know nothing about produce, maybe ask Josh. If you find yourself with an appetite and only $3 in hand, then go to the West Des Moines Rotary stand on the south side of Court Ave. closer to 3rd St. and purchase yourself a slice of breakfast pizza. Josh and I shared the sausage kind (they also have ham) and it was a generous size. Now, if you have another $3, go ahead and treat yourself to a fresh squeezed OJ from the same stand. Joshie gave it a thumbs up. Me? I prefer to take my $3 and wash it down with a cup of homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream from Sweet Treats which is on the north side of Court Ave. closer to 2nd St. Heaping portions. Dexter prefers to do the same.

Saturday afternoon gave us a trip to Bass Pro Shop in preparation for our big family vacay to Wisconsin. We already purchased Dexter a lifejacket from Costco on Friday so Josh was scouring the aisles for various fishing related items during this trip. Dexter and I looked at the big fish tank. He was unimpressed and was more into the people watching. I hear ya, kid.

The biggest Dexter powered discovery of the weekend is that he loves cheap Mexican. We took him to El Rodeo for dinner on Saturday night and he was in heaven. The music moved him and he wiggled around in his high chair dancing. And the food, oh the food. He ate almost an entire cheese quesadilla and waved his hands in the air after every bite of rice and beans.  He's quite the ham, or should I say jamon?

Sunday, Father's Day Sunday. Josh and I wrestled with Dexter in church in the morning. Then, grilling with family for lunch. Bulgogi, which I'm sure I'll never tire of. Also the raspberry ice cream dessert turned out! Huzzah and three cheers! This photo makes it look orange but it's definitely pink as seen here. I fully endorse putting it in the freezer for the less pudding more ice cream texture. And man, I tell you everything should be made with a graham cracker crust! Internally, I was doing Dexter's happy rice and beans dance.

If you're wondering what Dexter ended up getting Joshie, more of that in a separate post.

Brussel sprouts and their sweet redemption

I didn't think that I liked vegetables for a loooong time. For the first 18 years of my life I considered myself a strict carnivore. Then Joshie said, "Stop being a baby and try mushrooms/peppers/broccoli/asparagus." Actually it was more like, "eat this or starve, weirdo." And that is how I tiptoed into one of the major food groups.

Most recently, I tried brussel sprouts. They are a serious veggie in my opinion. Broccoli is child's play compared to brussel sprouts. They are the veggie that you are conditioned not to like when you're a kid. You never heard any kid say, "we're having brussel sprouts tonight, yahoozie!" And then one day not too long ago, there they were in our kitchen, tossed with walnuts and bacon and smelling kind of good. And then there they were on my plate getting pushed around by my fork while I braced myself for a "green" taste. And then I speared one and took a bite and it was crunchy and not green tasting at all. It was good, like "Perhaps you are not a vegetable at all, dear brussel sprout, and what a shame you were misclassified!" good.

And now I can say, "we're having Brussel sprouts tonight, yahoozie!"

And now you can too, here's the recipe.

Brussel sprouts with bacon and walnuts
as prepared by Joshie and adapted from Muscle & Fitness magazine

1 lb. Brussel sprouts
4 strips of bacon
1/4 cup of walnuts
Salt and pepper

Fry bacon and walnut pieces together in ovenproof skillet until browned. Remove from heat and set aside in bowl. Remove stems from brussel sprouts and cut in half. Place brussel sprouts in same ovenproof skillet and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Add bacon and walnuts to sprouts and bake for additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Happy Fat Tuesday

My Fat Tuesday treat. One Smokey Row Shake. Yummer. Maybe I should give up ice cream for Lent?

Just when Josh finally got his hands on that Ube ice cream though? Tough decision.

 "Soda, OJ, purple stuff"

A few happy things

These pants, boots and stripes.

This baby clapping as I laid him down for bed last night. He's in his carseat in this photo, but do you honestly expect me to take a picture of him right before bedtime? Please.

This treat.

Nobody's home

For all you Des Moines-ians, we ventured to Southridge Mall this weekend and it was depressing and eerie. Empty storefronts, small crowd of shoppers, vast parking lot. Josh wanted to go to the Filipino store to see if he could find Ube ice cream. They didn't have any. It seems even the dessert has deserted left the shopping center. This is probably the first time in a decade, maybe two, that I've been inside Southridge. It was the mall of my childhood before we moved to fancy schmancy West Des Moines. What a sad state to find it in nearly 20 years later. I suppose it was appropriate timing for me to pay my respects this weekend since they are about to undergo a huge remodel. So long old Southridge, may your new adventure be your best!

A practice cake

This is a practice cake. If there was one thing that I wanted to happen for Dexter's birthday, it would be a made from scratch yellow cake. Since I'm afraid of my kitchen, this one simple act of domesticity is a big deal for me. So big that I felt it necessary to practice before the big show which is over a month away. It took forever because I move at the pace of a three-legged turtle when I'm in front of ovens and wielding measuring cups. I referred to the recipe a bajillion times to make sure that all directions were strictly followed. I let out an exasperated sigh when the mixture didn't appear to be pale and fluffy as indicated on the recipe. And when Josh came in to help with the frosting, and I accidentally hit his arm with a steaming bowl of chocolate, I yelled at him and said "I don't know why you're in here anyway!" Good wife, Lora. So this is my practice cake. When the real deal is dished up for you, please remember the tale that I've just spun for you, smile sweetly and between bites tell me it's amazing. Thanks.

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Her's looks way more amazing than mine.

But it's so pretty

This Skittles infused vodka showed up on Pinterest and I am quite curious. Josh said he tried it at our friend's wedding a few months ago and it was not the bees knees. I tried to say that I'm going to make it and prove him wrong because how can something so pretty not be the bees knees? Taste the rainbow, man. 


 Okay, truthfully, I will probably not be mixing up a batch because the girl that only has a couple beers every once in awhile probably doesn't have a need for infused any-cohol in her fridge. But if you're so inclined to try it and want to save me a sip, here's the how-to.