the radish : restaurant review

on friday evening jared and i went to the radish in grimes.  i've wanted to visit this place for a long time as it is on the top 100 list but i always thought it was too far away.  turns out it is only thirteen-minutes from our house.

we were greeted right away at the door by the owner.  we had a short wait but i absolutely didn't mind. the place was packed and i loved seeing all of the dishes coming out of the kitchen.  i overheard people raving about how great the prime rib was and how it was the best in the des moines. apparently the chef and owner use to be the head chef at the savery downtown and left to open up this little gem in grimes.

after hearing all the fantastic reviews on the prime rib i decided i had to order it...all twenty ounces.  it also came with a salad served appropriately garnished with a radish, garlic mashed potatoes and fresh veggies.  when this perfectly medium steak along with fresh horseradish showed up in front of me i felt like fred flintstone.  i guess i didn't realize how big twenty ounces actually was.

it turned out to be a great choice, it was absolutely delicious and juicy.  i loved every bite.  i am sad to say i didn't finish it all but felt like i put forth a good showing leaving about a quarter or so of it.

as i was leaving the owner stopped me to ask me how everything was and let me know that if i ever had any specific requests to give him twenty-four hour notice and he'd make me whatever i like.  for example next weekend he was making red velvet cake for someone and seafood bisque for another patron...pretty good service if you ask me.

looking forward to my next visit!

weekly menu posting

happy monday everyone!  here is my menu for the week, i'll let you in on a little secret...it is my birthday week. i would like to think of it as national holiday of sorts so you'll see some of my favorite places and recipes below.

sunday: monterrey -- we only got chips, salsa and queso along with a margarita so i really don't count this as eating out for the week.

monday: shrimp lo mein with peanut sauce -- i love peanut sauce so instead of the sauce that was listed in the recipe i made my own with peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, rice wine vinegar and water.

tuesday: slow-cooker spaghetti bolognese -- i've never made spaghetti sauce in a slow-cooker but this sure seems easy enough.

wednesday:  baked spinach and pea risotto -- this is my favorite recipe from 2011 so it is making my birthday week menu. i could eat this recipe once a week, i love it that much.

thursday: easy chicken cordon bleu with fresh broccoli  -- i've never attempted chicken cordon bleu but i found this recipe on pinterest and it looked delish.

friday: jethro's -- my family is coming to town and i have a couple projects lined up for my dad and the only payment he requests is to be paid in jethro's...i think we can handle that.

saturday: simon's -- it is my birthday so it is my pick of where we get eat and of course i have to pick my favorite restaurant.

girl scout cookies

tis the season for girl scout cookies.  it may come no surprise to you that i was a girl scout back in the day.  and not only was i a girl scout but i was also the top seller three years in a row (i still have my badges to prove it.) when i was selling box after box i thought it was so much fun and then it came time to deliver them...not so much fun.  we had cases of girl scout cookies stacked all over our house for weeks. 

my all-time favorite cookie is the samoa or caramel delite as they like to call them these days.

what is your favorite girl scout cookie?

s'mores

well today was food day at work and i just love those days. it is so fun seeing what everyone else brought in and snacking on all the goodies throughout the day.  i decided to try out a new recipe today, chocolate dipped s'mores. it is definitely not camping season but these were almost as good as the real deal and super easy.

here is the recipe if you're interested:

graham crackers (one box if you want to make plenty)
semi-sweet chocolate chips (9 per square)
marshmallows (did you know they make flat marshmallows just for s'mores these days?)
almond bark (1 block)
sprinkles

preheat oven to 400 degrees. place graham crackers on sheet, one half gets chocolate, the other half marshmallow.  pop the baking sheet in the oven until marshmallows turn to your desired shade of doneness. smush together the chocolate side and marshmallow side to make a sandwich.  put in freezer five-ten minutes.  melt almond bark.  partiallly dip s'mores and cover with sprinkles.  enjoy!

the assembly process

i could have eaten them just like this

the delicious finished product

weekly menu posting

hello friends, here is my menu for the week.  i won't lie i went over my $50 grocery budget for the week...the salmon alone cost me just under $11. oh well, i'm sure it will taste fabulous. as you read the recipes below i'm sure you'll figure out the theme for the week (hint: you come home and your meals are ready to go.)

sunday: ham and corn chowder and homemade chocolate pudding and whipping cream -- l&g came over for dinner and i threw together this soup, i'll make sure to post the recipe later this week.

monday: maple glazed salmon with roasted brussels sprouts -- i found this recipe in real simple magazine but can't seem to place it online, so i'll have to follow up and let you know how it turns out.

tuesday: slow-cooker open-face pulled-pork sandwiches with tangy broccoli slaw -- can't wait to try this recipe out, i just love pulled pork.

wednesday: slow-cooker soy-glazed chicken with stir-fried veggies -- who knew slow-cooker recipes could be so much more than a soup?

thursday: gusto -- i have to bartend so this will be the perfect quick meal before i have to head to work.

friday: slow-cooker bean and spinach enchiladas -- i'm a little nervous about the idea of cooking enchiladas in a crockpot but we'll see how it goes.

saturday: dinner out -- location TBA.

americana : restaurant review

i experienced my first americana bombshell brunch this past weekend and wow was i impressed.  for $22 you can eat all you like and access the unlimited blood mary and mimosa bar. and if you're not interested in the drinks it will only cost you $14.00.

when it comes to the food, they have just about everything you'd expect when it comes to a brunch but in my mind it was at a different level.  i'll try to list off some of the favorites i had:

bacon -- i could probably stop here
fresh salad with blue cheese dressing
ham with a pineapple glaze
raspberry yogurt with a yummy crumble topping
biscuits and gravy
macaroni and cheese
sweet potatoes with roasted marshmallows
mini cheesecakes

 a lot of people go gaga over their customized grilled cheese station.  i thought it was just an average grilled cheese but they were also out of the tomato soup which i'm sure would have made it much better. you can also dress up your bloody mary and mimosa however you like with a variety of toppings and purees.

on a completely side note, there was a crazy cowboy birthday party going on while we were there.  i am certain they didn't go to bed from the night before. they were a fun time, all decked out in cowboy gear, pajamas, sunglasses and hats. 

already looking forward to my next visit but as a warning you might be in a food coma the rest of the day.

spices 101

a coworker of mine forwarded this article to me yesterday and i found it super fascinating.  i often wonder when i open my spice cabinet "are these even good anymore?" some of them could very well be five years old plus.  well this handy dandy chart provides some insight to the life span of your spices along with some fresh tips on the aroma, color, storage and handling.

hopefully you will find this as useful as i did! 

pinterest weekend

i have fallen in love with pinterest.  it is so easy to click through and get inspired by everyone's creativity.  on saturday i decided to try a couple ideas i had found for myself. 

the first was a soda can cake.  it is quite simple, all you do is replace the oil and eggs with a can of soda.  i went with a lemon cake mix and a can of cranberry splash sierra mist.  it was super easy and i thought it turned out great.  i am excited to experiment with other flavors...maybe chocolate cake and cherry coke?

the second recipe i attempted was a peanut butter banana smoothie. four simple ingredients and voila you have a nutritious, delicious snack.  and even better, i always have all the ingredients on hand. 

cake and soda flavors of your choice

replace the eggs and oil with a can of soda

the final product

peanut butter banana smoothie

happy birthday MLK!

"Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land . . . So I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. - "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, April 3, 1968 (the day before his assassination)

can you imagine being that faithful? whoa. now that takes some guts. i would like to just have an ounce of his courage and bravery.

happy birthday martin luther king, jr.!

planning ahead

i thought the idea of a slow cooker meal for tomorrow night was a great idea until i realized how much prep work was involved.  i figured i would have to get up at least twenty-minutes earlier to get this in the crock pot and still make it to work on time.  i know...it is just twenty-minutes but i am definitely not a morning person and wasn't looking forward to setting my alarm any earlier.

i figured why not do all the chopping tonight and just throw it in the freezer, so that is what i did. tomorrow morning all i have to do is pop this in the crock pot and throw the soup on top.

done and done.

weekly menu posting

sunday: americana bombshell brunch -- for $22 you can eat and drink until your stomach is content.

monday: spinach lasagna rolls -- these were on the menu last week but when i went to make them i was out of mozzarella so we had to improvise.

tuesday: crockpot ham and potato casserole -- tuesday has officially become slower cooker night because i'm doing a work out class and then a class at our church so we are strapped on time.

wednesday: french dip crescents -- i found these on pinterest last week and have been dying to try them.

thursday: italian wedding soup -- in college i worked at a coffee shop and this is one of my favorite soups we served, i'm excited to try it at home.

friday: smokey corn and black bean pizza -- another recipe i found on pinterest, i think i'm officially obsessed.

saturday: breakfast quesadillas -- how good do these look?

out to dinner -- the holtgrewe's are in town for the weekend,  not sure where we will end up for dinner...maybe simon's or jethro's?

best.cookie.ever.

one of my very favorite things in the entire world are my grandma pat's chocolate chip cookies.  i can't think of too many things that are much better.  i would like to say they are just your basic chocolate chip cookie...but they are so much more.  they are the perfect combination of soft and chewy.

when i went off to college every time i would come home my grandma would have a bag of cookies, crispies (that's a blog for another day, but essentially they are rolled out cinnamon roll that are cut thin and baked until crispy) and a roll of quarters for me.  well i am long out of college but my grandma has continued providing cookies to jared and me every time she see us.

it would be very easy to sit down and eat all the cookies in one sitting but i try to savor them for as long as possible by storing them in the freezer.  i'm sad to report my christmas stash ran out last night.

i think another reason i love these cookies so much are because they remind me of one of my first memories in life. growing up whenever we would have a family gathering, i so looked forward to it. but one of the best moments was when it came time to leave.  my great grandpa floyd would hand each family their own ice cream bucket full of cookies with everyone's names sharpied on it. they were the best cookies and i'm so glad my grandma has continued on with the tradition (except the ice cream bucket has turned into a ziploc.)

i wish i could share the recipe but i have no clue what it is. she tells me there is nothing special to it, so it must be the two scoops of love. 

go to snack

my new snack of choice is a simple one, blue cheese and honey on a water cracker.  so easy and so good.

the first time i had this was at maytag dairy farms in newton. it was one way they were showcasing their delicious blue cheese and they hooked me.  it is the perfect flavor combination and such a great snack.

it might sound strange, but don't knock it until you try it.

resolutions

i know i'm about a week or so late for sharing my new year's resolutions but better late than never.   i really have never done a resolution before but thought what better time than now to reevaluate and focus on a few things, so here it goes.

1. love more -- there is always room for improvement here and i'm no where close to perfect.  i could do a better job of showing my family and friends that i love them. but where it gets a lot harder is when it comes to complete strangers and people who drive me oh so crazy.

2. get more involved in my church and community -- i go to a big church and live in a big city.  it can be easy to sit back and not get involved.  but no longer, i'm ready to jump in and give back.

3. learn something new -- i'm not talking about random factoids, i want to learn something completely brand new.  not sure what it will be yet but i will make sure to report back. 

happy twenty-twelve!

weekly menu posting

the focus for this week's menu is healthy eating (minus the jethro's.) i think we do a pretty good job of watching what we eat but decided i would go out of my way to find some healthy recipes. hope you enjoy. 

sunday: jethro's -- we attended a surprise party for nicole.  great food and great company. 

monday: greek lemon-dill grilled chicken salad -- i found this on pinterest and thought it looked super easy. 

tuesday: crock pot chicken enchilada soup -- we're on a tight time frame so it will be great to have this ready to eat when we get home.

wednesday: spinach lasagna rolls -- i found a pasta recipe that shockingly isn't that bad for you.

thursday: beef and broccoli stir fry -- it is crazy how many calories you can save by making chinese at home instead of going for take out.

friday: dinner out -- location TBA

saturday: tomato-mozzarella pizza -- i love pizza anyway i can get it and this is supposedly a "healthy" version.

maintain, don't gain update

after 8 weeks or so the numbers are in for the maintain, don't gain challenge. i don't know if i should be happy to announce it or not but my weight stayed the exact same. ha. i guess that was the name of the game, but i was hoping to shed a few pounds.  since starting at nw, i've gained 7 pounds, how...i have no idea?!

even though i didn't lose any weight it did get me in the habit of going to the gym on a regular basis.  and now that the challenge is over i have decided to keep myself more accountable by attending a fitness class twice a week.  the first one starts tuesday and it is a mini boot camp...this should be interesting.

el chisme : restaurant review

last night some of my friends and i hit up el chisme in valley junction for dinner.  before anyone calls me out for not following through on my menu we had the sesame chicken for lunch today.  as for our dinner, overall it was a disappointment.

when we sat down i wished i would have brought a coat, a scarf and maybe even mittens. i honestly think they forgot to turn on the heat.

one reason i like el chisme is that they have something for everyone.  their menu consists of pizza, pasta and mexican...my top three food groups.  after finally deciding on what to order (i went with a veggie quesadilla) we waited well over an hour for our food to arrive.  and when you wait that long in the cold,  it is hard to be impressed by whatever comes out.

my last beef with the the place is their prices. they are overall too high and make absolutely no sense. and after looking online it looks like their prices are all increasing by $.75 and they are just waiting for their new menus to be printed up.   

i think it will be awhile before my next visit and i'll have to remember to dress warm.  and maybe i'll be brave and order the "Chef's Special- A creation that is a surprise to not only you, but also the chef. $29.75."

winter warm up

the past few days have been so nice i almost forgot it was winter.  i haven't been wearing a coat or socks and even treated myself to a couple "summertime" drinks.

some are super disappointed in the warmer temperatures and lack of snow but for me i'm enjoying every moment!  what a nice way to bring in 2012.  

caramel frapp from starbucks

an icee from walgreen's -- it had been years and it tasted oh so good

movie marathon

 i spent most of my christmas break relaxing and watching quite a few movies.  here is the list of all i saw:

a christmas story -- the last one on my must-watch list of christmas movies and i couldn't wait for the TBS marathon to start.

young adult -- charlize did a fantastic job per usual but it was very awkward watching her try to break up a marriage. 

the help -- nicole and i went and saw this one in the theater but i couldn't wait to watch it again on dvd with my family.

the girl with the dragon tattoo -- a great suspenseful story but way too graphic and disturbing for me.

my week with marilyn -- amazing acting and i felt like i went back in time for a couple of hours. not super thrilling but worth seeing.

midnight in paris -- i will admit i had not even heard of this movie until the golden globe nominations came out.  it was an interesting story but overall i found that it moved at a super slow pace and never got going like i thought it would.

dan in real life -- jared got this for me as a christmas gift and it continues to be one of my favorites.   

i also rented my first red box movie over break...i know i'm two years behind.  it was a pretty easy process but unfortunately i didn't get to watch it. one, we "pre-ordered" our movie to be picked up in indianola via the red box app since we were in town visiting the sievers' but forgot to get it on our way out of town. oh well, i decided just to eat the $1.00.  we then found the same movie at the closest red box to our house, brought it home and it was so scratched up it skipped nonstop. guess it wasn't in the cards, maybe next time red box.

alternative workout

while home for christmas break there was a lot of eating that took place and very little exercise. which could prove to be problematic when i have to weigh in this week for the maintain, no gain challenge.

but i did get one workout in that was unplanned, just dance 3 for wii.  oh my gosh, such a fun game but it definitely kicked my butt.  i could barely move the next day. another reason i liked it so much is because for three hours i actually thought i was a really good dancer.

if you're looking for a way to switch up your exercise routine, check it out.

#iacaucus

tonight i participated in my first caucus and what a thrill.  we arrived an hour early and volunteers were still hanging signs and handing out pamphlets encouraging you to vote for their candidate of choice.  there were reporters from everywhere ranging from japan to CNN.  rick perry even showed up at the last moment to encourage voters to back him. as i cast my vote the person monitoring the ballot box said "smile you're on international news."

i was fortunate to hear most of the candidates speak in person at work including: bachmann, gingrich, perry, santorum.  it was a great experience to listen to them all and even meet some of them in person. i am grateful to work for a company that encourages its employees to be involved and provide a platform for the candidates to make their case.

what made the event even more exciting was following the #iacaucus on twitter.  i just loved refreshing my twitter feed and seeing all the tweets revolve around an event so close to home.  it made it all much more real and entertaining. 

on a side note, did you know they serve up nachos at these things?  there was seriously a concession stand selling snacks. i saw a man being interviewed on national news with a plate of nachos in his hand...you know this clip will end up somewhere. sir for the love, please put down the chips; at least for the interview.

no matter what your political preference may be, the caucus is an opportunity to showcase our great state.  #proudiowan.

starbucks christmas

i received a couple more even after this picture was taken.

some people get a lot of dvds, clothes or books for christmas but for me i always hope for starbucks gift cards.  sounds strange, yes i know.  i enjoy going to starbucks but always feel a little guilty for spending so i always ask for gift cards for christmas.  

this year jared got a couple starbucks gift cards as well and shared them with me because i always buy his coffee. i'm sure he'd like me to point out his coffee is $1.50 while mine is $3.98, details.

every year i look forward to walking into starbucks and cashing in all my gift cards and receiving the grand total.  the person behind the counter always says,"these were all holiday gifts?"  and i just love saying, "yes!" 

well the grand total for 2011 is in...$170.00!  woo-hoo, thanks everyone!  this will last me at least through january...just kidding.

weekly menu posting

now that vacation is over, it is time to get back to reality and back into a routine.  here is this week's menu, enjoy! 

sunday: casey's pizza -- enjoyed some casey's taco pizza with the sievers' fam

monday: broccoli and cheddar baked potatoes -- i loved baked potatoes and i don't eat them very often.  this was such a great meal for a lazy day around the house.

tuesday: smokey row -- we are in need of a quick meal and i have a groupon that expires on tuesday (win-win if you ask me.)

wednesday: slow-cooker sweet potato and lentil soup -- i'm going to try and utilize my crock pot as much as possible this winter season, i just love coming home and having dinner done. 

**apparently it is national spaghetti day so i have decided to switch it up and have spaghetti instead!**

thursday: slow-cooker chicken tikka masala -- i'm not super familiar with indian food but thought why not give it a try?
  
friday: sesame chicken with broccoli stir-fry -- a stir-fry is one of my favorite meals, you can make it with whatever you can find in your kitchen.

saturday: open-face philly cheese steak sandwich -- i can't find the recipe online to share with you but i promise no cheese whiz is involved.

a year of new recipes

in 2011 i really focused on eating more at home and trying out new recipes.  i went through my blog and pictures i have taken and thought i'd be fun to share my favorite from each month with you.

january : homemade pasta : last year for christmas i got a pasta machine and couldn't wait to try it out.  it was definitely a fun adventure but still think for a week night meal that a box is easier.

february : fresh pasta rollatini with spinach and ricotta :  probably the most labor intensive dish i made all year but so worth it.

march : feta-stuffed chicken breast with lemon and tomato white bean spinach salad : this dish was super simple and i just love feta cheese.

april : baked spinach and pea risotto : this dish is by far my favorite from the entire year.  it was absolutely delicious and can be made in one pot.  if you're looking for a simple, tasty meal pick this one. 

may :  ginger-marinated steak and noodle salad : probably one of the most unique dishes i made from the past year.  it was full of flavor and even though it has noodles and steak it was still a surprisingly light dish.

june : creamy avocado chicken salad : this dish was so easy and i almost always have all the ingredients in my pantry.  this was the perfect summer dish, very refreshing. 

july : honey soy grilled salmon with edamame : i love summer because of the many things you can just throw on the grill, including fish.  this dish was full of so many of my favorite asian flavors.

august : chicken gyros : great summer dish that provided a ton of leftovers and to make it even better i served it with grilled corn on the cob.

september : salsa verde pizza with goat cheese and bacon : this recipe is from my favorite chef, rick bayless.  might sound like a strange combo, but don't knock it until you try it.  i also cheated and used a pre-made pizza crust instead of making homemade dough.

october : tomato soup with roast beef, cheddar and horseradish panini : it is hard to beat soup and a sandwich.  i loved the flavor of the homemade soup, definitely worth the extra effort.

november : pork-sweet potato quesadillas : who knew a sweet potato would be good in a quesadilla?  it was a great change up from the typical cheese version.

december: my mom's lasagna : not a new recipe but a classic. a great meal to serve for a group of people because it makes a ton and it is a piece of cake to make.

i am looking forward to trying even more in 2012 and cannot wait to share.