Oui, Vino

This weekend once again brought wine club ... our adventure took place at Meritage, a little French restaurant in St. Paul. The restaurant, owned and operated by the Chef Russell Klein and his wife is situated in a beautiful section of St. Paul. (Then again, I love St. Paul ... there's something about the city that makes me long to live there ... it's quiet, quaint and peaceful ... the roadway/street system needs some work, but that's okay, nobody's perfect.)

The ambiance was nice, the way the tables were situated, where we sat seemed intimate, as though we were transported to our own private restaurant. Our waiter was pleasant ... vaguely familiar feeling ... but attentive in a French way ... in no desire to rush our dining experience and leaving us alone for most of the evening. (In fact, the entire wait staff was truly excellent, explaining each dish as they brought it to our table with flourish.) I'm sort of a pain where I often ask my server recommendations, and the man who assisted us tonight was clearly up to the challenge.

I started my dinner with a lovely white asparagus soup topped with house made pancetta, asparagus salad and almonds. It was a very smooth soup that slid down my throat and warmed my stomach. It was welcoming to a dining experience and warning me to enjoy every bite. No need to gulp down my food. (And seriously topping soup with pancetta ... I think it would be hard to go wrong with such a delightful move.) The flavor of the asparagus was delicate ... not overpowering (probably because this was made from white asparagus ... but in this instance ... subtlety was good thing.

After a lovely foundation, I decided to sample the plat du jour. Which was a beautiful duck from the Wild Acres Farm. It was done to perfection (I hate to admit it, but I do like my meat with a little red juice coming from it.) It was accompanied by a lovely quinoa in duck jus and what I think the server said was a scallion puree. It all came together very nicely on my plate. The layer of flavors complementing each other elegantly, as if saying to each other that they could take turns taking center stage. There was no competition here ... everything melted in your mouth like a sweet symphony.

Evidence of the perfectly done-ness of the duck. The fat on the meat was done to such a perfect crispness. I don't know if I've actually had duck before tonight ... but if I have, I don't think it would have compared to this plate of divinity.

I ended the evening with a strawberry souffle glace which was atop a dark chocolate cookie with rhubarb marmalade and a hazelnut biscotti:

As you can see ... it was a very nice way to end the meal. It was like capturing the first days of summer in your spoon. Of course, the only bad thing was that I could only eat about half of it. Ever since I cut back on sugar, I've learned my tolerance is very low before I start to feel sick. So, while I envied my companions who enjoyed all of their desserts to the last bite ... I knew leaving half of mine still at the table was the best choice for me in the end. But it was the perfect bookend to the evening.

Once again, a new restaurant a new adventure. The company was amazing, the conversation always intriguing and I felt like I had a mini vacation for a few hours. I always enjoy these monthly ventures ... and I'm super excited for next month as we dip our toes at a Latin American restaurant.



Entering the Madness

Every summer for the last four years that we've lived here ... we've avoided it. The "it" I am referring to is the world's largest soccer tournament. It takes over the city for a number of days and makes what is typically a quick trip to Target a painful endeavor (that would be because Target just happens to be across from some of the main fields.) This also means that soccer teams who have downtime use the Target as a playground. In fact, last year, I decided to drive to the next down and do my grocery shopping there ... all to avoid what we fondly coined "soccer-crazy-madness."

This year ... we will be part of "soccer-crazy-madness." Yes, that is right, K has two soccer games and D is coaching them (I told him it wasn't going to be just one game he would coach this year when he agreed to be assistant coach.) So, we will be embracing the parking craziness only to fight crowds and try to make sure we show up at the right field. Oh, and because D will be busy coaching ... I will need to entertain O (and let's be honest, an 18-month-old is not too interested in the soccer game.

And the weather here has been a bit on the chilly side, so I think I'll need a thermos of coffee to help carry me through the day. I'm super excited that K gets to play a game that is not butting heads with his bedtime, and he's so excited that he is playing soccer. So, I'm going to embrace the madness gladly and cheer on my boys. Here's to fully immersing myself into soccer-mommy-hood.

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day. A day where many honor the dads in their life with well wishes and tokens of affection. I have a great dad. Granted, my dad is the kind of man who would have been more comfortable with sons ... instead he ended up with three daughters. Of course, we girls adapted ... we went hunting, fishing and camping. We were the best "sons" we could be (and I have now completely reverted into the girly girl that I was not raised to be ... and not quite a complete girly girl as I am trying to finesse aging into a sophisticated woman.)

So, his next hope was that we would marry men like him. The standard Midwestern hunting, fishing, watch sports on the telly-type of guys. Sorry dad. I think you're going to be 0 - 3 on that one. Well ... at least D fishes and while some sports he enjoys, he can pretty much watch any sport and go along as though he was a fan. So, I guess it's not completely 0 - 3. My sisters' significant others may fish (I'm not 100% sure) and M's boyfriend does enjoy sports. But when it comes to hunting ... that's where he struck out.

He did luck out with two grandsons (who are absolutely delightful if I say so myself.) But of course, me and D are raising them ... so I can sometimes see where he (and my mom) are confused with the way we raise them. Why did we let K choose soccer over baseball? (It's what he wanted ...) Of course, I've seen him warm up and come to accept me and D as the parents and that our choices are just that ... our choices ... for raising our boys. Which brings me to the other important father in my life. D.

D is an amazing dad. Sometimes he's a bit more militant when it comes to discipline, and I think I overcompensate and have become a super-softy. But, for the most part, I can tell K and O respect him. They listen to him. Better than they listen to me, actually. And even when K is upset with something D may have done, at the end of the day, he can't go to bed until daddy comes up and gives him a kiss goodnight. And O, well, daddy is his world. (It's one of the sad residuals of having a stay-at-home-husband ... the attachment that often is connected with babies and mommies shifts to babies and daddies.) D went to the movies with a friend on Saturday and O was devastated that he left. And today, D went out to grab lunch and once again, O was beside himself with sadness that daddy had left. The attachment can make me a bit jealous at times (and makes the snuggles I do get from O all that much more precious.) However, I wouldn't change it for the world. I am glad that my boys have such an amazing dad in their lives.

Here's to great dad's everywhere. Any man can father a child, but only truly amazing men can be great dads.

Exasperated

'Nuf said.

Future Athletes of America

The first half of my summer is peppered with soccer games and practices. K was given the choice between t-ball or soccer and he chose the latter. I would have been happy with either, but I will confess, soccer is a tiny bit more fun to watch (I prefer games with time limits as opposed to the opportunity to last for hours ...)

The first two games his team played, they won. In fact, the first game they played they stomped the competition (D would probably attribute it to his coaching as he stood in for the normal coach.) This week was a little different. The opposing team was like a bunch of 16-year-olds in 5-year-old bodies. They were fast, they were coordinated, they were focused. It definitely made our little team look a little like the Mighty Ducks  or Bad News Bears.

And ... clearly ... the parents couldn't handle it. (Now, let me just state for the record, as far as I can tell, no one keeps track of the score except for the parents ... oh, and did I mention ... they are 5?? The parents on the sidelines were yelling and coaching. And D was very much in the action. I had mixed emotions, yes, I want my son to learn the fundamentals of the sport and be able to feel confident about his playing ability ... but I also want him to have fun.

So, I guess it didn't bother me as he was running down the field with a huge grin on his face without a care in the world ... until he heard his dad yell "focus, K ... focus on the ball." It broke my heart a little. I loved that the pure pleasure of the moment was right on my son's face and I could vicariously experience his joy. Of course, when he was jerked out of his daydream he gave a tiny scowl and then got back in the game.

It created quite the dialogue between D and I later in the evening. Me defending the free spirit, he's just 5, let him have fun argument. D explaining that the reason we have him in sports is to learn focus, teamwork and hone his gross motor skills. We both were right ... and we acknowledged we were both right ... but how do you compromise? I'm just hoping maybe the focus on some of the foot control skills and kicking at practice ... I could use a less dramatic game next week.

Delicious Flavors Bursting on the Tongue

This weekend was really all about amazing food crafted from my own two hands.
On Saturday, I needed to use the rhubarb that I purchased from the farmers market the weekend before. I knew a strawberry rhubarb crisp would be my best bet. The boys would eat it, and I like the way strawberries balance out the tartness of the rhubarb. But who's to try? There are so may options when you search on sites like Food Network. So  I decided I'd go to the queen of comfort food ... Ina Garten.

Ina's Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp did not disappoint. It had more orange in the recipe than the other ones I had reviewed, so I wasn't quite sure how it would translate. It also took a little longer to cook. It was worth the wait.

The orange was an extra layer of flavor I had never anticipate and the crispy time was buttery and crispy. I could have eaten the whole pan. I didn't, but I could have. This is the flavor of late spring/early summer and a perfect way to celebrate a great farmers market treat.

Today I decided to tackle my June recipes from Food & Wine. After last month's chicken disaster, I decided to play it a tiny bit safer. I took on two recipes, but I thought both would be easy to execute. First I took on the Georgian dish called lobio (aka as Green Beans with Eggs, Chiles and Cilantro.) You can serve the dish hot or cold, so I decided to serve it cold. It would allow me to make it first and then focus on the main course of dinner. I will admit, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, mixing scrambled eggs with green beans. And I will also confess, for the last part where you chop the garlic, chiles, cilantro ... I whipped out my Magic Bullet. It made it a much easier job than me hand mincing everything.

I put the dish in the refrigerator as I set to tackle my next item: Cheddar and onion smashed burgers. Okay, I know ... how hard can a burger be. So, I upped the ante on the burger by selecting a local grass fed ground beef. Thank you Thousand Hills. I'm always in search for how to perfect my burger game and I was not surprised when Food & Wine exclaimed that burgers on griddles are juicier and more flavorful than those on the grill. That might be hard for summer grillers to take ... but grills allow the fat and juices to drip down. This recipe added a new technique to my repertoire. First you have to roll the meat into balls and sear them for 30 seconds, then smash them flat.

Of course, D was concerned that they just be cooked thoroughly (I'm one who enjoys a little pink in my bigger ... but I have to respect his wish for a well done patty.)

The burgers were relatively quick to cook (another nice thing about grass fed beef ... it cooks more quickly ... meaning dinner is on the table faster!)

The burger was perfect, the cooked onions that were smashed in it were so yummy. It brought back memories of me just eating cooked onions as a kid. (Of course, K picked out his onions, but one day, he'll like them.) Even O enjoyed his burger and bun. The surprise of dinner however was the green bean dish. It was amazing! The flavors were fantastic. I was hoping it would just be edible, but I cannot believe how much I loved it. I was excited to see that there was just enough left over that I could take it to work the next day for lunch. Even D raved about it. This may become a new summer staple ... particularly when green beans start arriving at the farmers market.

June was a success! I cannot wait to see what treats will be featured in July's issue.

Hitting the Pavement ... Again

So, after taking the winter off (and okay the winter/spring that we had in Minnesota) ... I tied on my running shoes and hit the pavement today. The weather was perfect for it, just cool enough to break a good sweat. It's kind of funny, I dread going out and running, but as soon as I am about ten minutes in, I find it peaceful. Of course, that's when the endorphins kick in. But I wish there was something that could just give you that push right at the beginning, then maybe I'd be all over it before I even started.

Last fall and early this spring, the city put some new running paths adjacent to our neighborhood. Today I tested them out. I have to say, I really don't think I can make any excuses now until it snows (and if they actually clear the paths ... then my only excuse will be sub-sub-zero temps. I do find it a great stress relief when my feet hit the pavement and my mind begins to wonder. And now, knowing that I don't have to worry about a car coming up behind me, the running is even more carefree.

... Now, when I returned home, what did I do? Whip up Ina Garten's rhubarb strawberry crisp (so maybe in today's cause running was  pre-emptive measure to what I will be treating myself to later. It's in the oven, and I'll take a pic to add to here later. Tomorrow I tackle my recipe from the June issue of Food Wine. I will confess, due to the disaster of May's recipe, I am playing it safe this month. I am tackling two recipes, but I feel like both are not pushing my culinary boundaries very far. As long as they turn out tasty though, that is all that will matter. Stay tuned for a report tomorrow.

Teeth Cleaning

It happens twice a year ... and I look forward to it never. My dental cleaning. I don't have the best teeth ... I always have dental problems ... just bad enamel and lots of bacteria. No matter how well I do the whole dental hygiene routing, I cringe for what my dental cleaning will result in. My last dental cleaning resulted in me needing two crowns and one filling (due to my apparent clenching of the jaw.)

And of course, this time it was time for x-rays, which always spells trouble for me ... because goodness knows what is lurking below the surface. So, I braced myself as K danced around the office (because he felt like he needed to tag along, and I'm certainly not going to deny the pleasure of spending more time with my precious baby.)

I was waiting for the news of more dental work, more bills and more pain (because let's face it, what I dread the most is the pain and the hours spent with someone working in my mouth.)

The hygienist commented that my teeth looked great and my gums looked really healthy. So, then I held my breath waiting for the dentist. Because he certainly would bring the bad news. Dr. C checked out my teeth, asked me how the crowns were feeling and then said, "well, everything looks great, keep up the good work and see you in six months."

I couldn't believe it, was I really getting out of the dental chair without a follow-up appointment needed? All I ask is that this becomes a trend for all my future dental visits.

Getting Older and Older and Older

When it comes to feeling my age ... this has not been a good week. Not only did a notice what must be a new crop of gray hair emerging from my scalp ... I've noticed the wrinkles around my eyes are not disappearing as quickly as they have in the past. In addition, I have this crazy weird sciatic pain if I sit too long (which, just for reference, my 45 minute bus commute in the morning is considered too long by my body.)

My body is cracking and squeaking in ways it never has. I'm not even near what is considered mid-age. In fact, I'm still on the lower end of the 30s decade ... so what in the world is happening. Did I enter some crazy time warp last month that has progressed my aging into some fast forward insanity?

To aide my "aging gracefully" I realized I now put a total of four (yes, four) concoctions on my face at night ... well, I guess one is technically a cleanser ... so I wash off the day and then put a three potions to work. I make myself feel better because these potions are from "eco" beauty brands ... so I can tell myself I'm not layering on some crazy chemicals that will be found to cause cancer in three years ... but the question is ... is it working? Are my wrinkles fading away ... and what in the world is my problem with growing older? My birthday was months ago, so shouldn't I have had this freak out then?

All I know is ... I think I made the decision about hair color ... gray, grays will need to go away ... now I just have to decide when to get it done and what to get down.

Summer is Officially Here!

It's hot, it's humid ... as soon as I walk outside I start to sweat ... it's disgusting ... because I don't really like the summer ... but after a winter that dragged on and on forever ... I'll take it!

Last weekend, we planted our first garden - yay! I was so excited. I wasn't thrilled about lugging 1200 lbs of soil to put into my garden boxes, but I did enjoying planting my beautiful heirloom tomatoes and squash plants. And I cannot wait until they start growing. My herb garden is looking amazing and I just love tearing off a piece of rosemary and smelling it between my fingers ... it's heavenly. I cannot wait to make my first Caprese salad with tomatoes and basil from my gardens.

What was even more fun was that both boys wanted to help plant and get their hands dirty. It was fun to watch them so interested in helping make vegetables. I think it will definitely play a huge part in continuing my boys love of vegetables. So, once again ... here is to summer!