General Bistro’s Orange Chicken
I just spent the day with twenty kids under the age of six. We went on a field trip to one of the parks here and I had no less than 1,000 heart attacks. There is this pretty large sized lake within the park that is a beautiful shade of toxic green. The ducks enjoy swimming in it as well as some fish and I was actually surprised none of them had an extra head or wing.
Bourbon Chicken with Caramelized Shallots
Sometimes I forget how to be an adult. I forget how to talk about life, love, and fears outside of them being associated directly with my children. You see, the moment Pixie was born my life changed forever.
Mommy Bistro Kids: Baked “Fried” Lemon Chicken with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
I had a horribly epiphany over the weekend. I realized that in about three years time, my girls will be off to school all day long. Which means they are growing up tooooooo fast for me. I want them to stay little and cuddle with me and still need their mommy. I know it sounds crazy, right? Three years is a long time away! But then I think about Pixie turning FIVE this year and it makes me realize that time is literally moving in fast forward for me. And school is really long. They will be in school for the next 18 years of their lives! I know we all did it but I’m just having a hard time letting my girls get so big. I’m sure our parents felt this way too. But they’re my BABIES!!
Sigh…
Curried Chicken Sliders
Pay no attention to the little Meatball Slider next to the Curry Slider. He will be the star of his own post. I figure it’s a “he” since, you know…he has balls.
This past weekend I spent a whole day with my sister-in-law and my mother-in-law. We had lunch, tackled some wedding stuff (for the S.I.L.), had pedicures, taste tested cupcakes and window shopped for hoochie dresses for Vegas. Yeah, you heard me right. We shopped for totally trashy dresses for our upcoming trip to Vegas…with my mother-in-law. And I mean sequined-gaudy-barely-covering-your-butt dresses.
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….
Kitchen Sink Crock-pot Soup
WARNING: The above picture was taken on the hubby’s iPhone. My camera was indisposed taking pictures of the newest little angel, Sweet Baby Jane, which let’s be honest – is MUCH more important than taking pictures of my soup. Proceed….
Last year we got home from a trip to warm and sunny Cabo San Lucas, only to be welcomed by pouring rain, cold wind and an even colder house. We landed at LAX and the girls and I were still wearing our swimsuits and shorts when Mother Nature turned reality back on with a giant slap to our goose-bumped keesters. We were cold and grumpy and ticked off that we weren’t on the beach anymore. Of course, after being gone for a week, our fridge consisted of a jar of pickles, some sticks of butter and coffee creamer. Unless you’re pregnant – that ain’t dinner. So, I rummaged through our pantry for a bit….
Fried Chicken
It’s January 10, 2012 and here in California it has been between 75-90 degrees for the last two weeks. I’m not gonna lie – it’s been really, really nice to have a summer break in the middle of winter. I’m sure some of you are thinking of stabbing the computer with butcher knives reading this as you shovel your driveway for the umteenth time this week. But here’s the deal: us Californians are accustomed to nice weather for most of the year. So when it is raining, windy and cold; we are grumpy, short tempered and cold. In addition, studies have shown that 90% of California drivers are incapable of driving in any weather other than bright and sunny. Seriously, most of us just can’t do it. We freak out. Of course now that I’ve put it out in the universe that our weather has been nice, it is going to start raining immediately. Quick, knock on wood! (Hubby?)
Thai Red Curry Chicken
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In 2003, on a beautiful afternoon in the middle of California’s Indian Summer, I married my hubby. We said our vows in blistering heat with sweat dripping down to you know where and we sealed our commitment with a kiss.
And then we partied.
We danced and drank mojitos and visited with (almost!) every single one of the 200 guests. We fed each other cake and I was a good sport when he dolloped some on my nose. We watched a dear friend of ours (who is now an ocular plastic surgeon) try to smoke a cognac dipped cigar while four inch flames leapt from it as two other friends (mere feet away) tried to relay a sincere message to us on our wedding video.
It. Was. Perfect.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwiches
Yep. I must be sentimental this week. NO – I am most certainly NOT pregnant. But a lot of people around me are so maybe that’s it? It’s also Pixie’s FOURTH BIRTHDAY in a few weeks so maybe that’s got me all mushy. Regardless, fifteen years ago (yes, you read that correctly. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO) I worked as a hostess at Doc’s Brewpub in Simi Valley. They served pub food, kicked up a notch. And they brewed their own beers. Not that I was drinking the beers. I was only 17. Okay maybe I had a few. But don’t tell my kids. Repeat after me, “Do as I say, not as I do!” Right?
Anyway, the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwich was one of my absolute favorites at Doc’s. If I knew what the chefs name was and how to hunt him down, I would – because I want this recipe! I’ve been trying to recreate it for years and after much trial and error, I think I’ve finally gotten close. It’s a lot of ingredients and stuff you may not use all of the time but I think it is well worth it. This is comfort food at it’s finest.
Hubby’s Note: I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…The Panini Press is the single greatest invention of the 20th century. Not the Internal Combustion Engine. Not the Internet. Not the Refrigerator or the Electric Light. Heck, not even the Contraceptive Pill—wait. Scratch that. The Contraceptive Pill is the single greatest invention of the 20th century. A close second would be the Panini Press. And this chicken recipe makes an amazing Panini. I highly recommend adding Avocado and dipping the sandwich in the Caribbean Sauce. Hubby Recommended!
The Great Caperless Piccata
I love salt. So, why don’t I like capers? I have no idea. But I love a lemon, wine, garlic sauce so I still do love the Piccata. I’ll tell you what – if YOU want to add capers, be my guest. But this recipe will be without those salty little morsels.
Hubby’s Note: I want to bathe in a lemon/wine/garlic/butter sauce. Seriously. Add onions or shallots in to the mix, and I honestly don’t think there’s any better combination of flavors. I’ve suggested to my wife that there are many uses for such a sauce. She keeps telling me that those uses are best kept to the kitchen. I’ll leave that fight for another day, because YES, this dish rocks. Fry the chicken a little bit and add this sauce, and it’s GAME ON! Well, at the dinner table anyway.