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Archives for 2011
Review: Red Mango
Today is my Mom’s birthday.
She was born in Paris.
On Bastille Day (the French version of Independence Day).
So every year on her birthday, they set off fireworks.
Pretty cool, right?
Happy Birthday, Mom!
After I picked up Madeline from camp, we headed down to join my Mom for lunch and a frozen yogurt. One of my co-workers, Jaclyn, has been raving about this new place that opened up near my parents, Red Mango. I remember seeing the “coming soon” signs, but never having been to a Red Mango before, it didn’t really mean much to me.
Apparently I was about to be schooled.
Jaclyn had gone to them a bunch of times in the city, and in the past week has driven 25 minutes one way just to go to this new (and much closer) location. They’re that good, she said.
All self-serve. All natural. All non-fat.
When you walk in, you go to the back of the store and choose your container. The sizes are big and very big. A slick marketing ploy to get you to really load up, if you ask me. You know, since they charge by the pound on your finished concoction.
They had some 7 or 8 different flavors. I immediately knew I was going for: Light. Refreshing. Tropical.
The fact that I spied coconut frozen yogurt, along with pineapple, certainly helped steer that choice.
Then you pony up to the toppings bar, and that’s where the fun begins. And where you can go really wrong, making something seemingly healthy into a gluttonous mess. Everything from M&Ms and gummy bears to chocolate chips, fresh fruit and nuts. All their fruit is fresh, never frozen.
I went with raspberries and pineapples, and then added their granola mix.
Madeline went with dulce de leche and strawberry frozen yogurt, topped with sprinkles, M&Ms and gummy bears.
My mom went the chocolate and heath bar route….
Summer 2011: Six Flags Safari
Warning: Picture overload. If you know me and the kids and how much we love animals, then you’ll know that the 30+ pictures below show great restraint on my part.
When my sister and I were kids, summers meant one thing: a trip to Six Flags/Great Adventure with my Dad and friends. We’d leave the house super-early to make sure we were at the park gate when they opened, and spend the entire day riding the rides, doing the loop-de-loops and sustaining ourselves with hot dogs and sodas. ‘Tis just the type of adventure that cherished memories are made from. Of course now that I’m a full-fledged grown-up and pretty chicken-sh!t about rides, I no longer do anything that goes upside down, super fast, defies the laws of gravity or vows to make me sick.
Although the safari has been there seemingly forever, I have never been. The kids actually went last year with The Ex, but after our visit this weekend, I think it’s safe to say they’d go again and again. So would I. It was on my Summer Bucket List last year, but we never made it. This summer, I was determined.
Billed as the largest drive-thru safari in the US, it’s four-and-a-half miles of jungle goodness. You pay per person ($21), and can drive at your own pace. It tickled me to see the giraffes and bears just ambling up to the cars like it was a completely normal occurrence. Why of course the giraffe is eating off the top of my car, why wouldn’t he be?
We entered the safari with six pictures on my camera card. Nick checked when we left, and the total was up to 511. Yeah, we took a few pictures. On the way home, we talked about our favorite parts and we all agreed: the giraffes, the bear cubs and the baboons. I totally just typed baboobs there first. Oops.
Love this photo because it reminds me of one of Madeline’s favorite books, Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree, and of course, her nickname, Monkey. Even if these are baboons.
We could have watched these bear cubs for hours. They alternated between playing with huge sticks and logs and cleaning in between their toes. Too cute.
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Next Steps: Meeting the Parents
When I was single (the first go ’round), I brought a few boys home to meet my parents. I think four total, but one wasn’t because it was serious, it was just happenstance. The three that I brought home actually all ended up proposing to me. I accepted the third one. I didn’t bring home a stream of people that I dated, just the ones that I was more serious about. My sister brought one boy home to meet our parents. And she married him.
When it comes to getting feedback from my parents, it’s important to me. Although it pains me to admit it, they have been pretty good at judging boys and relationships in the past, so their opinion holds quite a bit of weight. I’m sure they’ll be surprised to learn that, because I’m also pretty stubborn too, and as history has proved, just because they say something doesn’t mean I’m going to listen to them. But as I near 41 in a few weeks, their seal of approval, or lack thereof, is not necessarily a deal breaker either. I obviously want them to like and get along with whomever I’m with, but I have to make my own decisions too. That being said, I can tell you from experience, it’s heaps easier when it’s a giant lovefest. We’re a pretty close family, and spend a lot of time together so if someone doesn’t fit, it can be awkward.
It kind of feels really weird to do the whole meet-the-parents thing at this stage in my life. Like I’m in my 20s again. But then again, dating has largely felt like that too. In some respects, it feels like a huge step backwards. In some ways, it’s felt kind of fun.
Today Mystic met the parents. Another hurdle passed. Heck, after getting our combined five kids together on many occasions over the past several months, including parents in the equation is a breeze. Well, almost.
So what does one serve for such a fete? Ignoring the soaring 94 degree temps today, I decided to heat up my kitchen for a solid two hours and went with Cristina Ferrare’s Roasted Chicken, a shrimp salad and a new side dish. Chocolate Decadence for dessert.
On Monday, one of my co-workers admonished me for not checking my mailbox. She had stuck a new recipe in there. A “must try” she said. When I was trying to figure out what to serve tonight, I had already decided on the chicken, so her new recipe for roasted vegetables was a natural accompaniment. Of course, it might have been more ideal for Fall weather, but I have never been one to cook by the calendar. Why start now?
I texted my co-worker, Jill, midway through the recipe to complain about the amount of chopping. Ten Yukon Gold potatoes. Two sweet potatoes. A pound of green beans. She told me to quit whining. It honestly only felt like a lot of chopping because I was in a bit of a race against the clock. Which I’m sure had nothing to do with the fact that I dumped a carton of eggs on the kitchen floor midway through. Cracked eggs have to be one of the worst kitchen spills to clean up. Like ever.
Anyway, the vegetables? Make them. The fresh dill. The delicious roasted garlic. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes. All ’round goodness if you ask me. I added a touch more salt and Parmesan cheese, but otherwise would totally make this one again. It got a thumbs up from the table. Well, all except Nick, but that was to be expected. And Madeline wasn’t the least bit interested, but she stuck with Cheerios for her dinner of choice. We’re in a bit of a phase. Chicken nuggets for lunch and Cheerios for dinner. Nick, on the other hand, has taken up the appetite of a college football player. God help me and my grocery bill.
Oh, and Mystic? Totally survived the dinner with the ‘rents. And lived to tell about it.
July 12, 2011 – Bonus Photo
Picked up this print a few weeks ago from Etsy. Love it.  Great parting words as we leave the house in the morning. I traded dinner over the weekend for getting it hung on the wall. I need to stop handing Mystic a hammer every time he walks in the door.  He might think that’s the only reason I’m keeping him around.
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Review: Tom Douglas’ Lola in Seattle, WA
When Sarah and I arrived in Seattle for our May trip, we finally got to the hotel around 9 pm. We hadn’t had dinner. We checked in quickly, dumped our luggage in our rooms and headed out in search of a bite to eat. The first thing we learned about Seattle? It’s hard to find a restaurant open at 9 pm on a Sunday night. The city all but rolls up the sidewalks after dark. Something we East Coasters weren’t used to.
Our driver had suggested a few restaurants within walking distance of our hotel, and after we found the third one closed, we ended up back at our hotel, taking our last choice, Lola. A Tom Douglas restaurant, Lola is inside Hotel Andra and let me tell you now … it should never be your last choice.
We took a seat at the bar, ordered our obligatory Diet Cokes and looked over the Greek-inspired menu. Everything looked amazing. One of my favorite things about eating with a fellow foodie is that we order a variety of things and share. Simply the best way to sample the most amount of food for the least amount of money. And hanging out with a fellow foodie (and I know how much Sarah hates that word, so forgive me) who also totes a camera everywhere? I feel way less obvious once the Nikon comes out.
We ended up ordering two different kabobs off the dinner menu. One with Haloumi cheese, figs and a balsamic glaze, and the other had assorted mushrooms and roasted garlic. I have tried figs on two occasions and haven’t grown to like them. All that stopped that night. Something about the combination of the Haloumi cheese (the first time both of us had had it) with the reduced balsamic vinegar, and the sweetness of the fig spelled nirvana.
We also ordered the anchovy cauliflower spread. I will be the first to say that I hate anchovies. The Ex Husband and my dad both love them. No thank you. But I don’t mind them one bit once they’re cooked (or in a caesar salad). Once the anchovies are heated, they melt into nothingness and just leave a wonderful salty flavor behind. Hello Salt, my name is Cate. That anchovy cauliflower spread? To die for. I don’t think we licked the bowl, but we came awfully close (and we also left that night with two recipes). The spread came with the most fabulous warm pillowy soft pitas you’ve ever tasted. Divine.
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Summer Bucket List 2011
So this is what happens when you have kids helping you with the Summer Bucket List. I mean, they have to help, because it is a joint effort and all, but then I get two entries repeated on the list, and I forget one. Oops. The sliver of perfectionist in me is likely going to rewrite the whole thing so it’s done right, but for tonight, and in the interest of saving time since I’m late with the list, this will have to do. Some things are carried over from last year. Some are repeats of favorite summer activities. A ton of them are free. A few are not. They all mean pure summer to the O’Malley household. We have actually crossed a few off the list already – more on that in coming posts. What’s on YOUR summer bucket list?
A few extra bonus photos tonight for you (and Kris!) since I can’t go through all 600 (!!) pictures we took over the weekend. I’m going to separate them out in a few upcoming posts, but know this … perfect summer weekend. Mid-afternoon yesterday, Madeline proclaimed it was “the best day ever!” And last night, on the way home from the shore, as Nick inhaled his Sonic buffet spread out in the way back seat of my truck, he said he was “so loving today.” I love that little things add up to big things for them.
Sunsets and sonic. Fireworks and family time. Swimming and diving. Animals and animals and animals. Pure unadulterated bliss. Hope your weekend was just as awesome!
July 8, 2011 – Bonus Photo
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Recipe: Marshmallow Frosting
When I was planning the desserts for our recent End-of-School Year Rainbow Cake party, I added cupcakes to the list because, truth be told, the rainbow cake is not the easiest thing to cut, and I would need at least two or three of them if everyone had a slice, so cupcakes are a perfect additional dessert. Last June, I made rainbow cupcakes, and loved them. The problem? They were just a little too labor intensive this go ’round since I had a long list of other things to make for the party as well.
What to do?
I remember seeing a picture somewhere of cupcakes that had a rainbow on top of them, using the Airheads candy as the rainbow. Brilliant! And super easy. Bonus? That I found packages of the Airheads in Target’s Dollar Spot the week before our party. Two packages were enough (with leftovers) for 36 cupcakes.
My cousin, Alexandra, was staying with us the party weekend, so I set her and Nick to work on making the frosting and putting together the cupcakes.
If you make these cupcakes, I have two notes for you. One, be careful if you’re using the frosting in warm weather because it gets real soft real quick. And two, the Airheads tend to be a little floppy. Originally we snipped the size we needed and inserted the ends into the frosting. Once I saw how floppy they were, for the remaining cupcakes, I made a small slit in the top of the cake and slid the end of the Airheads in for a little more stability. You may discover an even better way.
Beyond that, have at it! This frosting is super simple to make and perfect for fluffy white clouds on your rainbow cupcakes. Or any other cupcake or cake, for that matter. Enjoy!
July 7, 2011 – Bonus Photo
Spied a little glitter on my co-workers’ nails this morning – love this trend!
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Wordless Wednesday
A few pieces of chalk from Target’s Dollar Spot. The setting sun. My littles with a few of their favorite things. Perfect opportunity for a mini photo shoot to commemorate this moment in time.
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Summer Reading: It’s Fundamental
For as long as I can remember, reading has been a huge part of my life. Growing up, having a tv in our bedroom was not allowed. But more often than not, you could find me in my bedroom, door closed, lying on my bed, completely engrossed in a good book.
The Trixie Belden series.
Nancy Drew.
Beverly Cleary.
Judy Blume. Who could forget being forbidden to read “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret?“
The Sweet Valley High girls.
I dove head first into The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and the rest of the Narnia world. Escapism at its best. And without a remote.
Roald Dahl and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Followed by James and the Giant Peach.
How to Eat Fried Worms. Which was more recently turned into a fun movie that I introduced the kids to.
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Photos in Review: Celebrating Fourth of July {2011}
Recipe: Giada De Laurentiis’ Nutella Fudge
One of my co-workers mentioned that she stopped reading my web site months ago when I “started cooking healthy.” Jill, this one’s for you.
Fudgy. Sinfully sweet. Nutella. Giada De Laurentiis. How can you go wrong?
This recipe is super simple to make and will take care of your sweet craving very nicely. Especially if you happen to have a jar of Nutella taking up real estate in your pantry. I was first introduced to Nutella when I was a kid and we lived in England for a few years. To this day, my favorite way to eat it is from the jar with a swipe of my finger a spoon. Which is precisely why I hide the jar in the back of the baking cabinet. So I don’t get tempted by it. If you’re not a purist, after making this fudge, these self-frosting cupcakes are another good way to indulge in your Nutella fantasies.
Surprise Saturday post – happy weekend!
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Madeline: What I Learned in Preschool
Since I started this “interviewing” tradition with Nick, I, of course, have to do it with Madeline too, however interviewing a three year old is far greater a challenge.
What was your favorite part of school this year?
Playing with my new friends. Oh and our play (the end of the year Jamboree).
What was your least favorite part of school?
Banjoes (more on this below).
What will you miss about school over the summer?
Playing with my friends.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A teacher, a mommy and a doctor.
What are some things you learned this year?
How to make fishes, how to do coloring and learning my letters.
What excites you about the next school year?
Doing big kids’ stuff .
For her school’s end of year celebration, they had a Jamboree, with the kids dressing up as cowboys and cowgirls. A week before the event, the director cornered me.
“I need Madeline to wear a white shirt and jeans. And her hair in pigtails.”
Have you not met my daughter?
She laughed. “I know, but please? Can you see what you can do?”
They had decided to make her Jessie (from Toy Story, which means nothing to me because we’ve never seen it. I know, shocking). I promised to do my best. The morning started in tears, of course, because Madeline wanted no part of wearing a shirt that didn’t have an animal on it. Or wearing anything besides shorts or soft pants. We settled somewhere in the middle with a white shirt with a cat on it. I knew better than to attempt to pigtails at home, but instead, dropped her off with ponytail holders for her teacher to put in right before showtime. As you can see from the picture, they didn’t win that battle either.
The night before the concert, half of our dinnertime conversation was about how much Madeline hated the banjo. She didn’t want to play it. Or hold it. Or have anything to do with it. So you can imagine our surprise when Nick and I saw her strumming it during the whole concert. She completely got in characters, sans pigtails, and we were seriously amazed. As Nick put it, “our little girl is growing up.” Case in point: Last year, when we went to Hershey Park over Labor Day weekend, she rode the carousel countless times, but my little fearless dynamo wanted me standing next to her, holding the horse the whole time. Tonight, the kids went to the carnival without me for a bit, and The Neighbor Wife was texting me pictures of Madeline on the carousel by herself (with Nick and Payton, just no grown-up). A lot changes in a year. Even with our little firecracker.
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