Chefs de France

We took a nice leisurely stroll over to the world show case.  We saw this unusual bird on our way.

We had dinner reservations at Chefs De France.

This is a bistro like restaurant full of hustle and bustle.  There are lots of large windows and the tables and snug.

If you come at the right time you just might get a visit from Ratatouille.  

I couldn't hear what he was saying but the kids thought he was really sweet.

Unfortunately I don't have many photos of dinner.  Ian, Brian, and I all decided on the three course meal.  Lobster bisque is what Ian and I choose, it was a red base with nice pieces of lobster and absolutely delicious.  Brian had the french onion soup and said it was excellent.  For our main courses Ian had the Macaroni baked with cream and gruyere cheese.  He really liked it, even though it was not like typical mac and cheese.  Katie had the Seared Scallops and Shrimp served with mushrooms and potatoes cooked in a lemon broth with bacon, carrots, and coriander.  She said it was the best thing she has ever eaten.  Brian and I had Broiled Salmon with smashed potatoes with butter and chives served with a tomato and red pepper sauce.  We both agreed this was the best salmon that we have ever had.  Then for dessert Katie had creme brulee, Ian had chocolate mousse, Brian and I both had Puff Choux with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.  Yum Yum!

We loved this restaurant!  The atmosphere was exciting, the service was excellent (our waiter spoke in French to Katie), and the food was out of this world!  We would definitely go back and would highly recommend it.

Happy Monday everyone!

xoxo

Rachel

Honey Mustard Dressing

I sent Mr. Young back to work this week with salads full of all sorts of fresh veggies, spinach, croutons, and chia seeds.  My problem was I needed to come up with salad dressing that wouldn't offend his co-workers (death breath).

Honey mustard sounding like a good option, and I found Alton Brown's recipe.  This recipe is really good plus it is super, duper easy!  You can use this on your salads or use it as dip for chicken.  If you are going to use it as a dip you may want to cut back on your vinegar, so you end up with a thicker dressing.  I hope you love it friends!

xoxo

Rachel

Honey Mustard Dressing

5 tbs. honey

3 tbs. of your favorite mustard

2 tbs. vinegar (something light like rice wine or apple cider)

1. Combine all of the above ingredients in medium size bowl and whisk until everything is well combined.  Serve immediately or store in a jar in the fridge for about a week.

Citricos at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Disney World

This is the Grand Floridian Resort in Disney World.  We did not stay here (wish we did)!  It is a gorgeous hotel.  This is Disney's description of the resort, "Victorian elegance meets modern sophistication at this lavish bayside Resort hotel. Relax in the sumptuous lobby as the live orchestra plays ragtime, jazz and popular Disney tunes. Bask on the white-sand beach, indulge in a luxurious massage and watch the fireworks light up the sky over Cinderella Castle. Just one stop to Magic Kingdom park on the complimentary Resort Monorail, this timeless Victorian-style marvel evokes Palm Beach’s golden era."

Everything about this resort is elegant and detailed.  

Even though we did not stay at the Grand Floridian we did dine here on two separate occasions. On the evening that we arrived we had dinner at Citricos.  Here is Disney's description

 "Savor vibrant Mediterranean-style dishes in this lively, inviting restaurant.

Wrought-iron railings resemble vineyard grapevines, while Old World furnishings and mosaic-tiled floors contribute to the warm décor. Some tables look out onto the manicured courtyard of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, while others let you peek into the bustling onstage kitchen.Fresh, seasonal ingredients influence the oft-changing menu. Begin your meal with crispy risotto, sautéed shrimp and a sharply dressed charcuterie plate. Then, delight in mouthwatering specialties like braised veal shank, pan-roasted chicken and oak-grilled filet of beef.For a sweet ending, indulge in such decadent desserts as warm chocolate-banana torte, cheesecake and tropical fruit crème brûlée."  

Citricos is considered a signature dining experience, this basically means that it is fancy and you need to be a little dressed up (business casual).  I love how they personalized the menus for us, such a special little touch.

We had a great table front and center to watch all the action in the kitchen.  There were always a number of chefs back there.  I think the Chef in the front on the left was the head honcho.  He said hello to me and welcomed me to the restaurant.  Later he gave Katie a little wink.  The Chef on the right also seemed in charge.  He came over to our table and asked if he could take our family photo.  How sweet is that!  We didn't ask or anything.  That is the kind of service Disney gives.  These two were making sure everything was perfect that was coming out of the kitchen before it arrived at the tables.

Ian and I both had the Oak-grilled Swordfish with roasted fennel and vermouth risotto with a black garlic aioli and fennel pollen.  This was out of this world delicious.  The swordfish was cooked perfectly and the risotto was so creamy and had such a wonderful flavor.  Ian also really enjoyed this meal and said that this was one of his favorite restaurants.

Katie and Brian both had the Pan-Seared Florida Black Grouper with fresh tomato and Egg fettuccini in a tomato water, blistered heirloom tomato and basil.  Katie said this was the best food ever!  Brian also loved the fish, but he wasn't as crazy about the pasta.  I had a bite of the fish and oh my goodness, melt in your mouth! (Photo taken by Katie with her phone).

Katie and Ian both had the Tasting of Gelato.  Cappuccino, vanilla bean, and raspberry.  Again, out of this world both kids were in love and speechless.

I had the tiramisu.  It was good, but not the best I have ever had.

Brian got the granny smith green apple sorbet (sorry no photo).  It had a good flavor but the texture was a bit different.

There are a lot of really good restaurants at Disney World.  I am happy to say that Citricos is one of our new favorites.  We all loved the atmosphere and our dinner.  The service was also wonderful.  If you like fine dining, I would recommend you try Citricos you won't be disappointed.

xoxo

Rachel

My new Favorite Blueberry Muffin

Here's another great recipe from the archives.
I hope you are all doing great!

To say that my children love berries would be an understatement. I rarely get the opportunity to actually make anything with any type of berry, because my 2 berry monsters devour them before I get a chance. Well, last week I intentionally bought two packages of blueberries so I could make these muffins.


I was initially drawn to this recipe by the beautiful photograph of these muffins. They had a beautiful golden brown color and were studded with gorgeous purple berries and were crusted with white sugar. The recipe came from the Penzey's 2003 summer catalog. If you were wondering...yes, I held onto this recipe that long and finally made it. I'm sure glad I did, because it will become a permanent part of my recipe collection .

As you can tell, these are not your ordinary blueberry muffins. These muffins are not an overly sweet cupcake with a few blueberries. These muffins are more berry than muffin. The muffin is also not cake-like, but more dense. Really the purpose of the batter is to showcase the berry. The muffin is also not too sweet, the vanilla sugar is just the right touch and does not over power the blueberry flavor.

I made them for Saturday morning breakfast, but they are so pretty I think your company would be totally blown away by them. If you really want to be impressive make a batch, put them in a basket and take them to your children's school. I'm sure your teacher's will appreciate them.

Happy September!

xoxo

Rachel

Blueberry Muffins

As I a stated previously, these muffins are not too sweet. If you like your muffins on the sweeter side and your berries are not very sweet you might want to increase the sugar in the batter by a tablespoon.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

2 Tbs. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

3 eggs slightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

5 Tbs. butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 Tbs. Vanilla sugar

Pre-heat your oven to 425. Whisk the flour, baking powder, 2 Tbs. sugar, and salt in a bowl set aside. In another bowl mix the eggs, milk and the butter until blended. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Place muffin cups into a 12 cup muffin tin. Fill the cups to the top with the batter. Sprinkle generously with the vanilla sugar. Reduce your oven to 400. Bake on the middle shelf for 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, serve warm.

Easy meal ideas for your summer days

I love cooking and baking, but let's be real.  I live in the tundra. I don't get very many warm sunny days.  Those few beautiful days I do get I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

So I created a board on pinterest with some quick and easy summer meals.  Maybe you will get some menu inspiration too.

Check it out here.

xoxo

Rachel

Neapolitan Sundae/Roasted Strawberries

I love ice cream and really I always have. If you want to read a funny story about me, my middle sister and ice cream when we were little girls go here.

I usually only stock vanilla in our freezer, because I know that will make everyone happy.  Brian and I both love neapolitan ice cream, but I hardly every buy it.  A couple weeks ago, I actually had some chocolate in the freezer leftover from a dinner with friends.  I also had some strawberries and thought I would make my own neapolitan sundae.  These sundaes were really simple to put together and tasted fabulous.

If you have leftover strawberries you can stir them into your favorite yogurt for breakfast or put them in a smoothie or just eat them as is.  Yummy.

xoxo

Rachel

Roasted Strawberries

This is just a guide so adjust to your tastes.  I would recommend placing a piece of parchment on the bottom of your sheet pan for easier clean up.

1 pound of strawberries cut into quarters 

honey

orange juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the cut strawberries onto the sheet pan.  Splash on a little orange juice (start with a couple of tablespoons and stir the strawberries.  Drizzle on a little bit of honey (a teaspoon or two).  This will depend on how sweet your strawberries are to begin with and how sweet you want the final product to be.  Stir everything around until well coated.  Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes.  Remove the strawberries and place in a small bowl until ready to use.

Neapolitan Sundae

Roasted strawberries

Chocolate ice cream

Vanilla ice cream

Spoon one scoop of chocolate and vanilla ice cream into each bowl.  Pour over a few spoonfuls of roasted strawberries.  Serve immediately. 

Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos

Mr. Young typically makes these tacos for us.  He has been making this recipe for quite some time and some how or other it hasn't made it on the blog.  I would ask him to write this post up, but he is really busy at work this week.  This is a really simple and easy recipe to put together for a week night meal when you don't have a lot of time or don't want to spend a lot of time preparing dinner.  It is really nice in the summer months too because there really isn't any cooking required. I hope this becomes a family favorite for you too!

xoxo

Rachel

Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup of olive oil

2 canned chipotle chilies in adobe, finely chopped (add more or less depending on how much heat you like)

1 bag of coleslaw mix (found where the salads are in the produce section)

1 small red onion finely chopped

1 1/2 cups of shredded chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken

1 large ripe avocado cut into small cubes

1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Warm taco size flour tortillas

1.  In a large bowl mix together the vinegar, olive oil, chipotle chilies, and kosher salt.  Add the coleslaw mix, onion, and chicken.  Toss everything together and let sit for about 15 minutes.  Taste and see if it needs additional salt.

2. If you would like, transfer the salad to another bowl add the avocado and sprinkle on the cheese.  

3.  Bring  the salad to the table with warm tortillas.  Dinner is served!

Source: Rick Bayless, Mexico one Plate at a Time

Blueberry Crisp for Two

Mr. Young refers to Fridays as "our" day.  I always chuckle at this because when I think of "our" day, I imagine walks around the lake or snuggling under a fuzzy blanket and watching a movie.  You get the idea. The reality is he works from home and I work at home.   We do try to have lunch together.

Mr. Young is not a big breakfast eater during the week.  So in an effort to get him to eat breakfast and spend a little more time together on "our" day I decided to make this blueberry crisp inspired from Bread and Wine.

I know you are probably thinking crisp for breakfast? This is a little more of healthy recipe, something you can serve for breakfast or dessert. This recipe comes together really quickly and if you want you could make up the crumb topping the night before.  And you don't need to convince me to have dessert for breakfast.

xoxo

Rachel

Blueberry Crisp for Two

2 cups of frozen blueberries
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup of pure maple syrup
1/8 cup of canola oil
pinch of kosher salt
Greek yogurt (optional)
honey (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the frozen blueberries into a small oven proof container.  Mix together the remaining ingredients and sprinkle on top of the fruit. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
Place 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt in each bowl and drizzle with honey.  Place crisp on top and serve warm. Enjoy!
Source: Adapted from Bread and Wine

This recipe shared with Tidy Mom, 

Mexican Charred - Corn Dog

Before we get to this delicious recipe...a poem.

FAMILY

My family is the best

And does not rest

We have lots of fun

While eating hot dogs with buns

Mom likes to bake

We love what she makes

We like to eat strudel

And also noodles - Ian 

We actually don't eat a lot of hot dogs, but when we do I like to get the good ones from the butcher shop.

Sometimes in the summer when it is just waaay too hot and the last thing you want to do is cook dinner.  Hot dogs can be a good option and it's kind of fun to add some unique toppings.
If you're looking for a way to jazz up your hots give this a try.

Mexican Charred - Corn Dog

2 cups of corn ( I use frozen, thawed)

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 green onions sliced

Salt and Pepper

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 teaspoons lime

4 grilled hot dogs

4 buns

 Crumbled feta cheese

Chili powder

1. Cook corn in a dry skillet until brown.  Add the olive oil and the white parts of the green onions cook until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

2. Stir the mayonnaise and lime together.

3. Place the hot dogs in the buns add the corn mixture and drizzle lightly with the lime mayo. Sprinkle on feta and chili powder.

Source: Martha Stewart

This recipe shared with Walking on Sunshine recipes and Foodie Friends Friday

Turkey sloppy joes

A few weeks back I had planned on making turkey sloppy joes for dinner. As I was about to get dinner ready I realized that I was short on buns...shoot!!  I didn't have time to make buns or run to the store, so I had to think quick.  I came up with these cute little open faced sandwiches that turned out great!  The next time you find yourself short on buns or you just want to shake up your sloppy joe recipe give this a try. I bet your family will love them!
xoxo
Rachel

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Recipe for Turkey Sloppy Joes

4 Buns

1/2 cup Grated cheddar cheese

Spicy pickled peppers, peppadews, jalapeños, banana peppers (optional)

1. Cut the buns in half and toast them in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.

2. Divide the sloppy joe mixture among the buns.

3. Place a few peppers on top of the sloppy joes if you are going to use them.

4. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and place in a 350 degree oven until melted.

Old -Fashioned Banana Bread

Here is another recipe from the archives.

This is the first banana bread recipe I tried, and despite the others that I have made I always come back to this one. This is my Mom's recipe. I'm not sure where or who she got it from, but it is the one she always made and the one I fell in love with. Sure you can add chocolate chips or nuts to it, but I like it without any distractions. Make sure you have all of your ingredients at room temperature, before mixing.This recipe is easily doubled, and I frequently do just that. Freeze the extra loaf or give it away to a friend, she'll thank you for it.

Old -Fashioned Banana Bread

3/4 cup butter 

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup mashed bananas

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk or *sour milk

Heat the oven to 350. Combine the butter and sugar mix well. Blend in the bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Sift together the flour, soda, and salt. Add alternating to the creamed mixture with the buttermilk. Blend until well combined. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 50-70 minutes depending on how large your pan is and how hot your oven runs. Check with a skewer, and it should come clean. I usually tent my pan with foil about half way to keep it from getting too brown.

*sour milk: In a measure cup put 1 tbsp. vinegar and a little less than a 1 tsp. vanilla fill with milk to 1/2 cup.

Source: Kay V. (My Mom)
This recipe shared with Foodie Friends Friday and Walking on Sunshine Recipes

Iced Chai

My Mom makes amazing chai.  I wanted a recipe for an iced version, and this is what the two of us came up with.

Iced Chai

8 cups of water

12 tsps. black loose tea

1/2 cup honey

1 stick of cinnamon

1/2 inch fresh ginger peeled and rough chopped
4 whole cardamon pods

First put the ginger in a saucepan and mash it up slightly with the back of a wooden spoon. Put the remaining ingredients except the tea in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down and add the tea, simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and strain into a heat proof pitcher.  Chill until cool.  When ready to serve put equal parts milk and chai in a cup. If you like add ice as well.  If you are planning on sipping over a longer period of time you may want to omit the ice as it dilutes the drink.  You can keep this in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Source: Young Adventures

xoxo

Rachel

Butterscotch Tart

I first heard about butterscotch pie when I met Brian's family for the first time.  His Dad had picked us up from college and we were going to spend the weekend with his family.

We were almost there and they had some sort of radio thing in their car where they could communicate with whoever was at home.  These were the days before cell phones.

I'm not sure who called who, but the conversation turned to food.  Brian's Mom was on the other line and asked him "guess what I made you for dessert?"  He said "butterscotch pie."  Well, it was actually apple but the meal was delicious.

So apparently this pie was his favorite and I had it couple of times with his family.  I thought it was pretty good.

I'm actually somewhat surprised that Brian loves this pie, because it is really pretty sweet.

So for Father's day I wanted to make Brian this pie, but I needed the kids to like it too.  I decided I would make it with a graham cracker crust in a tart pan.

Honestly, I wasn't crazy about this.  The kids loved it and Brian thought it was pretty good. Even though he didn't say it, he missed the pie crust.  I think next time I would try a chocolate crumb crust, but the kids can't understand why I would do this, because in their minds it was perfect.

Butterscotch Tart

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs yolks, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked
• 
  MERINGUE:
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 
  
• 1 graham cracker crust

• 
  
• • In a saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from the heat; add flour and stir until smooth. Stir in brown sugar. Return to heat; stir in milk and salt until blended. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir about 1 cup hot filling into the egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in vanilla. Pour into graham cracker crust.

• For meringue, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a small bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.
• Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers

Source: Taste of Home

Have a great week!

xoxo

Rachel

Watermelon Mojitos

It's cool and rainy here, but I know for many of you it is hot and dry.

One of our local grocery stores has had whole watermelons on sale for the past few weeks.  Brian loves watermelon so we have had A LOT of the juicy stuff here.

In an effort to use some of it up.  I remembered this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, and decided to make it last week for date night.

This is the perfect drink for a hot summer night.  Cool, fruity, and refreshing.  Mix up a batch, and enjoy.

Watermelon Mojitos

We like our drinks really cold.  I keep my simple syrup in the fridge and rum in the freezer before I make start the recipe.  This makes about 3 drinks.

15 fresh mint leaves

• Watermelon, seeded, rind removed and cut into chunks (enough to make one cup of puree)
• 6 ounces light rum
• 1/2 cup simple syrup
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 
• ice
• Sprigs of mint (optional)

Place the mint leaves in a pitcher and crush with a wooden spoon.  Put the fruit into a food processor or blender and puree. Pour the watermelon, rum, simple syrup, and lime juice into the pitcher and stir to combine.  

Place ice cubes in 2 glasses and pour the mojito mixture into the glasses. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint. Serve ice cold.

Source: Barefoot Contessa

xoxo

Rachel