Food Carts

Matt & I spent a much-needed day together, doing normal couple things--running errands, a stroll in the park, and running into a local food and music fest at the outdoor shopping center. Okay, maybe that doesn't happen every day, but it sure is fun when it does! We love unplanned, free, local, artsy events. And when we turned down a corner and saw this,

we were quite excited. The Food Trucks in Dallas are sometimes hard to spot, or they are regulars in spots  where I can't reach very often (like downtown on weekday lunch break). So, to see a bunch all lined up right there in front of us(!), is happytown USA.

From The Butcher's Son, Matt ordered aThe Southern BellChipotle Mont. Jack Chicken Sausage, Fresh Onion, Cheddar & BBQ sauce on a Brioche slider roll.

From Cajun Tailgators, we ordered hot, delicious beignets. Mmm...no honey needed.
















So, if you see a food truck down the street, flag it down(!) and eat. Lots.

Happy eating!
Laurel

A Cool Saturday

Happy Saturday, friends!

It is amazing how a stressful day can become so much less stressful when...

1) you can work in your pajamas
2) you can eat pancakes
3) you can take a break by walking your dog around a sunny park.

It's all about those little, wonderful things that add up to be really big, wonderful things in life.

Ever since Matt's brother and family visited, I have taken advantage of the park across our street. I didn't know how great it was! There is a large pond (lake?) with at least 100 koi and 30 ducks (of different varieties). Squirrels are brave, and all of those animals are very well fed by us neighbors who bring them carbs and produce whenever we visit. It's really fun to live in an environment where so many people are running/walking/biking/golfing/baseballing/working out all in the same area. I'm so glad we live in this area.

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the weather, even if it isn't the most beautiful. Fresh air is always good...just don't get raindrops up your nose. That hurts.

Happy eating!
Laurel

A Birthday to Remember

My birthday was February 24th. It is now almost mid-March. I'm well aware.

You see, friends, it's been a little busy. But don't worry, I've still been eating, learning about cooking, and cooking all of this time.  My last two birthdays were good--and Matt was so sweet in planning the days--but I still had to work and school and do all of that. Last year, I remember standing at work at 10:45pm just willing the clock to get to 11pm so I could go home and celebrate my birthday with my hubby. School and work for 15 hours straight all to come home tired and not in the most celebratory mood. Not this year.

Matt and I intentionally cleared our schedules and spent the day together. And it was on a Friday...bonus. There is so much to do here in Dallas, we had a hard time narrowing things down. But, true to Laurel form, the day involved a scattering of desserts. It was lovely.

Thursday night: Mini pastries from Whole Foods~lemon-filled and iced cakes, key lime cheesecake, and an eclair. So cute and tasty!

Friday morning: Silly Lorax bfast from IHOP (free for my bday). Green eggs (spinach-filled) and ham...I didn't partake of the ham, but it was really cute. IHOP is special on birthdays because my group of 4 church girlfriends growing up started a tradition. We used to "kidnap" the birthday girl from her house and take her to IHOP--messy hair, PJs and all. We started it in jr. high and continued it until we all started moving to different states. Maybe again sometime soon...

And a pancake in a cone, filled with blueberries...can you find even one negative with this? I think not.

Dinner at Fadi's: I loved this place growing up in Houston. However, I never tried the "Veggie Plate." Fadi's gives you a sampling of 14 (fourteen!) salads and sides for $11. Insanity! The plate looks messy and colorful, but it was truly delish. And, of course, I had to have some pistachio baklava for fun.

Not pictured: Paciugo Gelato
Paciugo was started by Ugo Ginatta, his wife Cristiana, and his son, Vincenzo. After moving from Torino, Italy to Dallas, Texas the Ginatta family opened the first Paciugo gelateria on West Lovers Lane in Dallas, Texas on September 9, 2000. It was an instant hit within the community and by the end of 2001 the Ginatta family had opened two more Paciugo stores in Dallas.
So, apparently, Matt & I visited the original Paciugo without realizing it. It was delicious! Def a place we'll go again...and take friends and family to. For this day, we tried...

Chocolate Orange Saffron
Rich chocolate gelato with candied orange zests and Italian saffron, eggs, milk and sugar. Saffron is a very fine, dark red aromatic from flower stigmas. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world.


and...


Pistachio Almond

A combination of pistachio and almond, this pairing results in a slightly sweeter tasting pistachio gelato.

It was funny because we went by Paciugo after a bit at an Irish Pub (I had the Priest's Collar...mostly cider with a 1-inch ring of Guinness at the top. Loved it!). Matt vehemently said he did not feel like another sweet. Once I ordered, his tastebuds changed their mind, and we shared a small gelato with smiles and wide eyes. It was so delicious and much lower fat/calories than its American ice cream counterpart. If you aren't familiar with gelato or haven't had it in a while, grab some fresh at your nearest shop. Mmm, mmm. I know fro yo is the latest trend in suburbs across the nation, but there's just something so lovely about gelato. It's tradition, Italian, and made with a lot of pride. You really can't go wrong, you just cannot.

Thanks to Matt for the loveliest of days!

Thanks to mom and dad for sending goodies (including $$ for my caps and gowns for graduation, woo hoo), Pat (best MIL ever), Meliss (who called a few days before my bday to let me know she was "really glad I was born."), and to others who made this day and every day so special. If you think it's strange or selfish to celebrate your own birthday, get over it. :) This is a time for people to show you that they care about you, and it is your duty to do the same for them when their birthdays roll around. And, really, aren't you glad you were born? I am.

Happy weekend and most happy eating, friends. Do watch for a brunch special coming soon.

Laurel

To Savor the Day

Good morning!

Yes, I'll admit it. I woke up at 9:30. Mmm, nice. I'm leaving with a group from my internship tomorrow to go to the Dominican Republic. I'm excited! The flight's at 7:30 in the a.m. And I'm also a little sad. I'm going to miss Matt and Sam, since this is the longest Matt and I have been apart (8 days) and certainly the first time we haven't been in the same country. But adventures make you stronger and will get us excited to see each other again. (Pathetic? Possibly.)

We had a day together yesterday and enjoyed every minute of it...shopping, lounging, eating and playing with Sam...it was a good day. We also tried out some fun places, too!


 Dillard's Clearance Center

We didn't really know what to expect when we pulled up to an abandoned mall (named Six Flags, ha) with a giant Dillard's attached and the only mall shop with its doors still open. But, oh Lordy, it was like a giant clearance clothes party! Technically, they have men/women/kids' clothing, shoes, and housewares, too, but who's counting? We entered through the men's clothing doors, and my dorky laughing ensued as we passed racks and racks of Dillard's markdowns...not like one rack of polos for guys but 6 long aisles. For places that lack a lot of men's clothing variety (20% of the store for men, 88% for women) :), this is the place for guys to feel important, style-wise. I kept giggling during our entire time there, referring to the "men's swim trunks room," the "women's scarves room" and the "women of the night shoe rooms." (Sorry, the last one is only inferring that ladies parading under the moon have steel ankles that can handle 8-inch stilettos.)

Cowboy Chicken
I was craving some comfort food, which I know is equivalent to "not healthy." We don't really cook this kind of food at home (mostly because I rarely buy real butter...Paula Deen has just gasped) because it's just not that great for you. But it was fun to indulge this once. Cowboy Chicken, a Dallas chain of rotisserie chicken happiness, was where we went. It was DELISH! They roast hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken, so I enjoyed it thoroughly. For $16, we got a whole rotis. chicken and two large sides. We chose twice baked potato casserole (oh, yessss) and creamed spinach (Matt adored it, very cheesy). And we went all out with a large peach cobbler on the side...it tasted so much like my Aunt Helen's cobbler...cinnamony, soft peaches, buttery soft crust, and a brown butter/caramel top. Mm-hmm.

So now it's time to go and enjoy the day with my hubby, two days in a row! No recipes today, but I promise to put up lots of pics from the DR next week. Happy weekend and Joyful Living!

Moving Musings

We'll be moving twice this year, one down and one to go. The first was from Waco to Dallas, and the next will be...well, who knows?

I'm not a great mover. I like new adventures and all that, but my massive amount of stuff is an inevitable fact when I'm trying to box it all up. Despite this annoying fact (and totally self-inflicting), there are some really funny things about moving. We snapped a few pics on our first night here. I mean, come on, how can you not laugh?

So we ran to the grocery store because we had only pantry-type food and no clue where our pots were. We grabbed frozen dinners only to realize we had no clue there the utensils were...why not giant wooden spoons?? Yes, we actually used these and felt like cave men/women.

And no can opener in sight...but we had a bottle opener!

 Moving didn't faze Sam...he got a squeaky "cheeseburger" toy for his troubles. Sam, AKA "the great destroyer," promptly held it in his front paws like a human, and chewed it to pieces in 5 minutes flat.

 Perhaps my favorite picture of this week. We live near a pretty awesome mall (I know, a mall...) with some fun food.
Tin Star Taco Bar is a fun, casual little place. I've been eating almost 100% vegetarian outside of cooking at home because of my stomach's weirdness with meat lately. Getting the traditional veggie _____ at a restaurant can be really boring, and I feel for veggie heads everywhere who do this all the time. Restaurants often concentrate so much on the prep and quality of meat dishes (b/c we Americans eat a truckload of it compared to produce & rice/legumes) and, therefore, vegetarian options are on the back burner. Not at Tin Star!!
These veggie tacos are sliced, grilled portabello mushrooms, grilled corn, a spicy sour cream, cilantro pesto, grilled bell peppers & onions, and "sweet potato straws" on top. Yum! The tortillas and salsa are quite awesome, too. Cheap, tasty, quite a few locations in Dallas only. Come visit.

Okay, that's all I've got for today. Happy Saturday!!