Pineapple Infused Tequila Margarita
Mixologist Molly and Mommy Bistro are taking a week off, my friends. Yep – you heard it. I am leaving on a jet plane! This will be our first family vacation in almost two years. Yes, we’ve camped, had mommy/daddy weekends, visited my paretns, etc. But this THIS will be our first family trip since our last time to Cabo in September of 2008. AND! This will be wedding Numero Uno of the three we have this year. My kick-ass girlfriend, Kim, who I’ve known since preschool is getting married! She’s an Ironwoman, a triathlete, a health food guru who literally has pasteurized egg whites in a huge bottle with a pump on top that takes up most of her fridge. I shit you not.
Angry Mac N’ Cheese – Vegas Style
Forgive me cooking gods, it has been weeks since my last post.
See, this little thing called “life” caught up with me. And by “life” I mean this: I was sick. The girls were sick. I was sick again. Sprinkle in two bachelorette parties in Vegas and three bridal showers and you can see why I honestly haven’t had a moment to catch up on sleep, laundry, bills, sleep, grocery shopping, health, sleep and immunity.
The Wedding.
Hi folks! I am reposting this because my macarons were featured in an article over at Style Me Pretty! To read the article, click here!
Wow. I made it. There were moments there that I wasn’t quite sure I would actually make it to the other side of Sean and Annie’s wedding (Henceforth known as Seannie). It all started off with the macarons. Oh, how those lovely little sandwich cookies kept me up nights pulling my hair out by the fistfull. But, alas!! They were finished on the morning of the un-rehearsal dinner. I packaged them up and sent those complicated little bastards back to the fridge to wait to be delivered to the wedding, the next day.
Heirloom Tomato Stack
Phew. What a week! I know I fell off of the radar for a while. A week ago today, my parents sent me a video of their house showing no less than four feet of snow. With blue skies and the flexibility in my schedule to pack the kids in the car with our “snow clothes crate” and go enjoy a few days in the snow – I jumped on it (ha!). Unfortunately I was also sick as dog. No voice, totally congested, achy…YUCK! I warned my mom and dad that I was SICK. They didn’t care. And neither did I. I just knew I had to do it because it would be my only chance this season to play in the snow with the girls. So, I picked up Pixie from school, loaded up the car and off we went! The girls were so stinkin’ excited.
A few hours later, the girls ripped themselves out of the car as quick as they could and dove face first into the snow. Snow bibs? Who needs ’em! Gloves? Naw! They played for about an hour and when the jeans were too wet and the fingers bright red, we retired inside for some cozy clothes and movies.
The next morning my mom had to head back to Los Angeles to work so my dad gave her a ride down the mountain to the main center in their community. As he was walking her to her car to make sure she could get out….he fell. On black ice. HARD. He came back up to the house limping and barely able to sit down in a chair. CRAP. (Side note- it occurred to me that had I still been nursing, a Boppy would make a wonderful “donut” to cushion one’s bruised tailbone)
Smoked Gouda and Drunk Onion Quesadillas
These quesadillas were another huge hit at every party we catered. They are so easy and so, so, so good. People would ask, “how do you get the onions to taste so sweet yet savory.” Our answer? Get ’em good and drunk! Add half a bottle of wine and boil the hell out of ’em.
Raspberry and Goat Cheese Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette
My hubby is awesome. Sometimes, he really plans out thoughtful and fun presents for me. My absolute favorite musical instrument is the cello. I love the deep, passionate, resonating sound it makes. When we got married, I walked down the aisle to Jeux D’eau which is a song from the Cirque de Soleil show, “O.” About thirty seconds in, a cello starts and it’s one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard.
Back when we still lived in Sherman Oaks, he rented a cello for me and got me private cello lessons. I LOVED IT! It was so much fun to learn – it was a LOT of work. I never realized how difficult it was. The funny part is, I guessed what he had planned for me. I wrote it down, brought it with us and showed it to him when we pulled up at my first cello lesson. He was gobbsmacked. Totally speechless. Honestly could not believe that I had guessed it.
Nut Crusted Halibut with Lemon Aioli
Crap!! I meant to post this one months ago! It somehow slipped through my butter covered fingers until I made it again this past weekend. See, now that I have a “blog,” I just use my “iPad” in the kitchen to “Google” my website and pull up my recipes. Sidetrack for a second. Do you remember that Friends episode when Joey didn’t know how to use air quotes? That show “was” so perfect. And Jen Anniston is still perfect. How in the world is she so beautiful? I still haven’t gotten over her break-up with Brad. Okay – TANGENT. Focus Jessica!
Mommy Bistro Kids: Pizza Roll-Ups
My new goal is to release one kid friendly recipe per week. I am sure I am not the only mommy out there who is frustrated on a daily basis with the near impossible task of getting her darling little kiddos to eat their dinner. When Buggies and Pixie were babies, they ate everything I put in front of them. As they have gotten older (and more independent), I feel like I’m losing the food battle. I insist on vegetables with their meals (fruits are easy peasy to get these little monkeys to eat). Even if it is just one bite, it’s a step in the right direction. On the other hand, I’ve never met a 45 year old man or woman who only eats mac n cheese. Which makes me feel like there is a ray of sunlight at the end of the tunnel.
Hubby’s Note: When it comes to our kids, my wife is the Food Whisperer. If I am left in charge of dinner for them, it’s gonna be Mac N Cheese, or eggs, or snacks. Or Del Taco. I’m not ashamed of this, I’m just a realist. I know my limitations.
Chipotle Cornish Game Hen Chicken Tacos
Wednesday is our busiest day here at the household. Pixie has school and Buggies and I go to a Mommy and Me class. But today, being February 1st, also means that enrollment for the next school year has begun. Here in California, our school systems have decided to align the age/start date for school with the rest of the country (it’s about time!). But rather than change that date from December 1st to September 1st in one fellow swoop, they have decided to pull the band-aid off one arm hair at a time. Starting the 2012-2013 school year, the new cut-off for starting Kindergarten is age 5 by November 1st. My sweet little Pixie turns 5 on November 2nd. Awesome. The district then announced that they would have a “transitional kindergarten” just for the little monkeys who fall between November 2nd and December 1st. I’m sure you see where I’m going with this….
Chicken Chutney Tacos
I’m living with a terrorist.
She’s about 3 feet tall, has blonde pigtails and responds to the A.K.A. of “Buggies.”
Toddlers are like little terrorists or drug addicts. Happy one second, hysterical and jones-ing for “insert-anything-from-Goldfish-to-favorite-blankies-here” the next; ready to blow the roof off my house if I don’t allow her to have a “nack” an hour before dinner.