MOMICABLOG

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The Dinner Station November 14, 2007

Filed under: food and wine — admin @ 9:45 pm

LOVE this place.  I started going when I was 8 mths pregnant with my second baby.  I saw an ad for the dinner station in a local parent magazine and made my appointment within a week!  I was so looking forward to having meals prepared and ready to go when the baby came.  My first 2 (Ava and Aden) are only 13 mths apart…so I had NO idea what it was going to be like with Aden, Ava and dinner time!  They have some pretty good meals…when you break down the price per meal, and the fact that they do all the prep work and clean up work….it’s worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

www.thedinnerstation.com


holiday wine trail October 21, 2007

Filed under: mommy stuff, food and wine — admin @ 10:06 am

I’m so excited, finally have been able to get a couple girls together for a fun getaway weekend!!!  We are going down to Fredericksburg, TX for the Holiday Wine Trail.  We get one wreath and an ornament from each winery we visit.  Our package at the hotel includes a massage too!!!  WOO HOO!!! 

http://www.texaswinetrail.com/index.html


Asparagus Spaghetti and SunDried Tomato Pesto Pasta September 6, 2007

Filed under: food and wine — admin @ 10:21 pm

2 recipes that use the same ingredients…  Asparagus and spaghetti 1 bunch asparagushalf a box of angel hair pastahalf a carton of sliced mushrooms (the ones that are clean and ready to use)5 sun dried tomatoes (in olive oil)6 oz of thin prosciutto

8 oz mozzarella (I didn’t use smoked moz – just regular, and I could have done with out the cheese…didn’t seem to make a big impact on the taste.  Maybe the smoked moz would)

a palm full of fresh basil

4 tbl olive oil

4 cloves minced garlic 

Cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a spider or slotted spoon, remove asparagus from boiling water to a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking. When cool, strain, cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, and set aside. Return the water in the pot to a boil, adding additional water, if necessary. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, prosciutto, and basil and sauté all together.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the pasta, and if needed, some of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat. Add the mozzarella. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.
I changed up the original recipe, the prosciutto was a little too raw tasting to me, so I sautéed it all.  here is a link to the original recipe.http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_26145,00.html?rsrc=search 

sun dried tomato pesto and pasta

the second one I used the left over sun dried tomatoes and basil from the above recipe.  So buy a 10 oz jar of sun dried tomatoes and a package of basil in the deli section if you want to make both recipes.  Also I sautéed chicken and the rest of the mushrooms from above recipe to this one.  Are you ladies confused now?!?!?!?

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_27248,00.html


yummy meatloaf!

Filed under: food and wine — admin @ 10:15 pm

I half’ed the recipe… and it fed us (me, Ron, Ava and
Aden), my brother and Debbie!  SO GOOD!  I got the recipe from my Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) book but you can also find it on the www.foodnetwork.com website
 

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
5 pounds ground turkey breast
1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
3 extra-large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup ketchup
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature. Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.


Kids Eat Free (in Dallas area) September 1, 2007

Filed under: mommy stuff, food and wine — admin @ 3:08 pm

A friend sent this to me.  I’m not sure who pulled it together or if it was published any where, but it’s great info (especially when I’m feeding 3 kids now)!

 Monday
Margaritas - kids eat free all day
Hangtown Grill - kids eat free all day
Gattiland - moms eat free
TGI Friday ‘ s - kids eat free and get free animal balloons
Texadelphia South - kids eat free
Zuzu - kids free after 6:00 p.m.
La Salsa - kids eat free after 4:00 p.m.
Double Daves Pizza - kids under 5 eat free
Serranos - kids eat free
Joes Crab Shack - Kids meal $0.99 up to two meals per paying adult

Tuesday
Spaghetti Warehouse - kids eat free at night
Fazoli ‘ s - kids eat for $0.99 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Kerbey Lane - kids eat free all day
Denny ‘ s - kids eat free from 4:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Chick-fil-A - kids eat free after 5:00 p.m.
Bennigan ‘ s - kids eat free after 5:00 p.m.
Zuzu - kids eat free after 6:00 p.m.
La Salsa - kids eat free after 4:00 pm
McAllisters - kids eat free
Double Daves Pizza - kids under 5 eat free
Central Market - N. Lamar kids eat free
Joes Crab Shack - $0.99 kids meals up to two per paying adult
Wednesday
Luby ‘ s - kids eat free after 4:30 p.m.
EZ ‘ s - kids eat free all day
Moe ‘ s Southwest Grill - kids eat free after 5:00 p.m.
Central Market - kids eat free after 5:00 p.m.
Zen - kids eat free after 5:00 p.m.
La Salsa - kids eat free
Double Daves Pizza - kids under 5 eat free
Joes Crab Shack - $0.99 kids meals up to two per paying adult

Thursday
La Salsa - kids eat free
Double Daves Pizza- kids under 5 eat
Joe ‘ s Crab Shack - $0.99 kids meals to two per paying adult

Saturday
Luby ‘ s - kids eat free all day
Texas Land & Cattle - kids eat free from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Sunday
Souper Salad - kids aged 3-5 eat for $0.50; kids aged 6-12 eat for $0.99
Zen - kids eat free all day
Texadelphia - kids eat free at certain locations
Dickey’s Barbeque

All Week
Cici ‘ s Pizza - kids under 3 eat free
Fresh Choice - kids aged 2 and under eat free; kids aged 3-5 eat for $.99; kids aged 6-8 eat for $2.99
Denny ‘ s - kids eat free on their birthday
Pizza Hut ‘ s lunch buffet - kids eat free


best broccoli ever!

Filed under: food and wine — admin @ 7:49 am

This is my version of Racheal Ray’s chili-garlic rosted broccoli.  Even the kids like it!

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, eyeball it
1/4 tablespoon kosher salt (a little more if you like salt) 
1 tablespoon Mrs Dash (origianl blend)
1 large head broccoli, cut into thin, long spears (I’ve also used the ready to use florets in a bag) 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place extra-virgin olive oil, salt and Mrs Dash in the bottom of a large bowl and add the broccoli spears. Toss to coat broccoli evenly then transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet. Roast the broccoli until ends are crisp and brown and stalks are tender, 17 to 20 minutes.

instead of salt and Mrs Dash, Racheal Ray’s recipe is:

 5 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend

 ENJOY!