20 April, 201721 April, 2017

Our San Diego Food Finds

When we travel, one of the first things I do is figuring out where and what to eat. I couldn’t be more excited to share with you some of the places we tried in San Diego during Spring Break. Although we’ve been in San Diego many times before this was our first time exploring some ‘ecliptic’ places to eat with our kids. I can tell you how proud I was when my picky eater gave braised rabbit pie a thumbs up– clearly, she didn’t know she was eating rabbit until after she finished it. Oh the horror!!!

Here are some of the places we ate at and loved in San Diego.

Puesto

Delicious tacos, great cocktail menu and the best Palomas I have ever tried.

Oh…the pickled mezcal watermelon is a must!

Donut Bar

This donut on the left corner is their famous Big Poppa. Get this: It has an entire homemade blueberry Pop Tart in it!

The Lion’s Share

Maybe not the best place for kids but we took a chance and we were one happy family–especially after the first set of hand-crafted cocktails.

The menu included the braised rabbit hand pie I mentioned earlier and this lean but creamy and 100% deliciousness bison tartare.

Gelato Paradiso

How can something so creamy taste so light? Arguably, one of the best gelatos around. I had the most delicious chocolate hazelnut (Bacio) and my daughter’s strawberry gelato was to die for.

Four amazing days celebrating family and spring in sunny San Diego! It was the perfect SoCal ‘staycation’ with special eating bonus. San Diego left me hungry for more! Until next time.

20 January, 201720 January, 2017

When your kid’s homework is to cook dinner for you!

I’m pretty sure he would have rather spent his Saturday evening playing Call of Duty but he had an assignment for his Life Management class; cooking dinner. And by dinner the teacher meant an appetizer, a main dish, a dessert and a drink.

I was so surprised with his level of enthusiasm. He planned a menu. He shop for ingredients we didn’t have. He prep. He cooked. He set the table and he served dinner. Of course I supervised and help! But only with verbal instructions. I did not touch anything but my glass of wine!

The menu: Caprese salad; Carbonara pasta; Brownies and sparkling wine (which he opened on his own.)

Nathan had already helped me a lot in the kitchen before and learned basic safety rules, like not leaving the room when a burner is lighted, and how to hold his fingers when chopping. He had mastered making a few dishes from scratch before like this Thai Curry dish.

I admit it was a heartwarming (and heart stopping at times) mother-son bonding experience. I am pleased to report that there was no house fire and all fingers are accounted for. We had some yummy A++ home-cooked meal. And, best of all, my boy was proud of his handiwork.

13 January, 201718 April, 2017

The ‘Deal’ About Kale!

Kale is one trending vegetable. Even if you’re not a foodie or health conscious, it’s been hard to avoid it for the past 3, 4, 6? years. I’ve seen kale T-shirts, books devoted to kale (Fifty Shades of Kale? seriously), hundreds of Instagram images and entire Pinterest boards dedicated to this cruciferous (I had to double check the spelling on that!!!)

Some say kale is good for you. Same say it can be bad. I’m not here to debunk kale myths or reinsure kale benefits. I like kale. My kids like kale. Like any other food, we eat it mindfully which is hard to do when you come across a deal like this one above! (today at our local Sprouts!)

I got excited and probably bought more kale than my family can handle to eat! At the risk of having my kids convert to non-kale-lovers, I’m going to make a whole lotta of kale this weekend.

Below is our family kale favorites but I would LOVE to hear your favorite kale recipe, kale dish from a restaurant or any kale sugestion.

#1 Kids kale dish: Kale Chips (pump up the volume and click on the link!)

#2 My favorite way to eat kale: Kale and Quinoa Salad with Spicy Citrus Dressing

#3 Breakfast kale fix: Sweet Potato & Kale Hash

#4 The family pleaser: Kale Caesar salad

22 April, 201622 April, 2016

New York City Spring 2016

Our New York City family trip this spring break was by far one of the best experiences we had as individuals and as a family. Sure, the pizza was great and the skyline incredible but what really got me about New York City was the people.

New Yorkers are not rude. They may be abrasive but they are also helpful and kind. They are constantly moving, molding and holding on a little tighter and a little closer. No matter how crowded the streets, the subway or the coffee shops are…in New York you find a spot. You get where you want to go.

We got to see all the main ‘touristy’ attractions we planned to visit. The Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial and Museum and Central Park were the highlight of our trip. We took pictures. We got souvenirs. We made memories. But it was the chat with the gentleman at Central Park; the unsolicited help that a total stranger gave us at a subway station—despite my defensive attitude–; the smile on the kids faces when they tossed a dollar to the acapella singers on the subway car; and randomly seeing friends from back home at Times Square busy subway station that really showed us what New York City seems to be all about.

Some of our NYC favorites:

Don Antonio by Starita

Lombardi’s Pizza

Dough @citykitchen

Bill’s Bar & Burgers Irish Coffee Shake with Jameson Irish Whiskey

Dealicious Cooking

Family

When your kid’s homework is to cook dinner for you!

The ‘Deal’ About Kale!

New York City Spring 2016