There's something yummy in the backyard

We have a small garden in our backyard, which I thought would just be a fun project for my kids to do with my husband.  But it really has turned out to provide some benefits.  It is hard to get my kids to eat a lot of vegetables.  Occasionally, they will go crazy on the salted cauliflower hearts or roasted brussel sprouts (I know, odd preferences), but generally it looks like torture when they eat vegetables.  However, when I tell them to go to the backyard to get some herbs, they eat them by the hand full.  They think it is so fun to eat plants that are growing in our yard.

Basil

Oregano

Herbs are actually even more nutritious than spinach.  They are packed with vitamins and antioxidants.  So, my kids just eat all of their green vegetables out of the garden now.

Farmers Market

It's that time again.  Fresh organic food coming to a parking lot near you. 

I really like being able to talk to the people who grow and produce the food and to hear their passion about the taste and quality of what they are selling.  My girls especially love the ice pops from Wholly Pops -

They have a lot of interesting flavors filled with real fruits and vegetables -

While they were occupied with their ice pops, I bought some cauliflower at Owl Pine Farm and some ground beef and smoked ham from Greendale Farm. 

Last week, we made hamburgers out of the grass-fed beef from Greendale, and I really do think it tastes better than regular beef.  It is twice the price of regular beef, but I think it's worth it.

Along with the healthy stuff, I have been craving baked goods.  I keep intending to make something at home, but I never get around to it.  So, we indulge in bread and pastries from the Best Bread Baking Company -

This week, we purchased personal size bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes.  I am not really a cake person, but these are delicious (and I can't resist chocolate chocolate chip anything) -

The full size cakes are even more elaborately decorated - 

Next week, we need to get there earlier before it gets so hot.  There is always good music -

And some cute style -

We're hooked.

Fun day

I know I've been seriously introspective this week, so I decided to do something a little fun today.  I planned a date with my youngest daughter.  I needed an outfit that was appropriate for a restaurant lunch and the park, so I thought about this photo -

I am sure we all have button up shirts and pullover sweaters.  I looked through my closet and came up with this combination that I have never worn before -

When you start trying to put random shirts and sweaters together, the combinations could be endless.  You could even be bolder with the colors and patterns, because it's such a preppy look.

Dressed in our nice but comfortable outfits we headed off to lunch.  I know I've shown you this place before, but I have really been wanting to go back -

It's Flip Burger.  And it's nice and empty at 11:00 on Friday.

Of course, we had to start our meal with a Nutella and burnt marshmallow milkshake.

It gave my daughter a stomach ache.  Bad mommy.  We moved on to our meal.  I ventured into strange territory with the chorizo burger, which comes with hash browns and fried eggs on top -

It was so good.  The fries were useful for taking the edge off the spice -

Then I had to let my daughter run off her sugar high, so we visited Chastain Park, which is where I used to go as a kid.  It's much nicer now.  The trees are amazingly huge and gnarly.

Now it's time for a movie.

Brussel sprouts

I have to share these with you, because they made my day -

These are the brussel sprouts we had for dinner.  I couldn't stop eating them.  The little burnt leaves taste like candy.  This is how you make them -

Cut the ends off each sprout then cut them in half
Toss them in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper
Spread them out on a pan
Bake them in the oven at 350 until you can smell them

Delicious!

A little inspiration

I love that my girls are getting older and turning into little people that can have their own personalities and creativity and inspiration.  Last week, my oldest daughter was inspired by the recently concluded season of "Top Chef Masters" as I was catching up on the episodes on my DVR.  She got so excited about cooking and asked if she could cook dinner on Saturday night. 

She wanted to serve fish.  So after talking her out of the farm raised salmon (that had a sign on it stating it had been given special food to make it orange), she chose the wild halibut.  $41.97 later (seriously!) I told the girls they better eat all of this fish. 

My daughter decided on a simple flour, salt and pepper coating -

To balance out the delicate flavor of the fish, she sauteed pieces of Italian sausage and served them elegantly on toothpicks -

She also prepared her "famous salad" (as she calls it) -

It consists of spinach and cabbage mixed with olive oil and salt.  She said you are welcome to use her recipe.  The first time she ever made this for us, I could hear Gail Simmons (Top Chef judge) saying, "This needs some acid."  But the cabbage brillantly adds a little twang which makes up for the lack of acid in the dressing. 

She also taught my younger daughter how to make her cheesy Cheez-it's -

Sprinkle cheese onto Cheez-its.  Bake until cheese is melted.  A big hit with younger foodies.

Everything was surprisingly delicious together -

We had to include olives in the meal, since my youngest loves those "little oval things" -

In addition to cooking, she loooooooves to explain and teach.  So, you may see this face (and the cheesy Cheez-its) on a cooking show one day.

Top Chef fans, guess who I met tonight?

On the way to my high school reunion on Friday, I felt nervous and bored at the same time -  a very odd combination.  There were maybe 2 people that I really wanted to see, and I could probably arrange to see them at another time.  But I ended up having a really good time and talking to a lot of really interesting people.  Hopefully, by the next reunion I will have the perfect camera equipment that will enable me to take beautiful pictures at night.  (However, by then we may not want pictures of ourselves posted on the internet.)

My family felt that I should have a real birthday celebration, so my parents came into town and took us out to dinner tonight.  We went to Flip -

And guess who was there?



Richard Blais!  Recent winner of Top Chef All Stars and owner of Flip.  After cheering for him on so many episodes, it was surreal to meet him.  It made me feel like I was on a reality show for a minute. 

That's my dad.  (I bet he never thought he would make it onto my blog.)  In the reflection of the silver lamp shade you can see my husband, me, my daughter, my mom, and a blur of my other daughter.

And this is why we come to Flip -

Nutella and burnt marshmallow milkshake.  As you can see in the next picture, I finished my dessert before my meal -

It was an altogether satisfying experience.

Springtime in Paris

Atlanta has been experiencing some nice Spring-like days lately.  On one such day, I went to lunch at Cafe de Paris (in Marietta, GA) with my friend Natalie.

The interior evokes the feeling of a Parisian cafe.

The shrimp wrap with cilantro dressing was deliciously spicy. 

And look at Natalie's cute shoes -