our sweet summer is gone

one week from today school will start for the younger kids and then it will be the back to a more structured and scheduled life.  we have taken advantage of every moment that this summer had to offer.

 baseball camp

 rockstar camp

and band camp

between water polo and band, jordan didn't have time to miss notre dame.

an amazing adventure

filled with beautiful memories of

trying new things

hanging out in the car with these three

roosters

and sunsets

drinking lots of iced coffee

enjoying the fruits of the garden

meeting new people

getting our free slurpees on 7-11

breaking in new running shoes

and new trails

reconnecting with friends

growing like crazy.

taking selfies

a trip to disneyland

and another to a museum

lots of good food

fireworks from the balcony

baseball games

a gig

and a pig

a movie night birthday party

and time with family

an ice bucket challenge (and one still to come)

beach days

letting their hair grow

then cutting (and shaving) it off.

laughing, relaxing, and loving together.

"our sweet summer is gone... but we'd do it all over again."

2014 menus | week 35

bang bang shrimp, grilled baby bok chou with balsamic.

this week marks the last full week of summer for us and the last week of our whole30 program. the kids still have a week and a half left before school starts.  they are making the most of sleeping in, coloring, watching clone wars, and finishing up their summer reading.

bobby and i are comfortably in the paleo mode.  we had a few challenges this weekend and stayed on program one night but decided to make the best of it yesterday at the dodger game.  we may have enjoyed some mimosas at lunch.  i am seeing another whole30 in our near future, maybe after we get back from toronto.

one thing that is keeping us excited about the program is that i am cooking new foods everyday,  visiting new websites, going to different stores, trying new ingredients. we've even started eating red meat again, and so far so good - really good.

weekend eats
saturday: turkey hot dog salad at my nephew's movie night birthday
sunday: stadium club buffet at the dodger game - lots of salad and fruit, chicken, roast turkey and sausages

making this week
monday: cobb salad
tuesday: albondigas soup
wednesday: cracklin chicken, grilled veggies
thursday: seared ahi tuna salad with wasabi mayo
friday: turkey burgers and sweet potato fries - first football game of the season

so no more slacking on the back to school shopping.  hope target still has school supplies and backpacks.  also doing some planning for our trip to toronto, our fantasy football draft on sunday and our last summer trip.

some things | 8.22

carpenteria farmer's market

something to read - food labels. this whole30 challenge really has us rethinking what we are eating.  it has changed us in so many good ways.  first and foremost being aware of what we are eating.  i cook healthy food, pack healthy lunches and try and balance the treats for everyone.  but when i started reading labels and realizing that food, real food, isn't found in a box, filled with ingredients i have no idea about, and preserved with sugar, it was an eye opener.  at least now if i read the label and eat the food i will know what i am putting in my body.  and that awareness is priceless.

something to make - mayonnaise.  ok that's kind of a weird one.  but i made some and it was gross (to make) but good (to eat).   it taste so much better than the kind you find on the shelf.  and it's got four ingredients - egg, oil, lemon and salt.  not interested in eating raw egg? make your own salad dressing, pancake mix, or ice cream.  it's so worth the work.

something to watch - top chef duels.  is anyone else watching?  talk about inspiring, innovative, and beautiful.  these chefs are true creative geniuses.  i am in awe of what they can put on a plate in 20 minutes. and to have it taste good, wow! also watching the knockout on bravo tv dot com.

something to do - i have a list going of all of the restaurants in our area state owned by a top chef and i'm planning to visit all of them as many as we can. first stop black market liquor bar in studio city.  antonia is one of my favorite chefs and it's so close to us.  also on the list, ink by michael voltaggio, and playa provisions by brooke williamson.

something to eat - i made the bang bang shrimp this week and it was amazing.  i used my homemade mayo for the sauce, served it on butter lettuce with some cherry tomatoes and a side of grilled baby bok choy with balsamic vinaigrette .  it reminded us of the shrimp we had from the deli in kauai. one of the best meals we've had in the past 22 days.

something to try - grilled peaches.  i bought some beautiful peaches at the farmer's market in carpenteria yesterday and i can't wait to grill them.  my favorite is to slice the peach, wrap them with prosciutto and then grille them. serve on a bed of greens with some pistachios, olive oil and balsamic. so, so good.

something to inspire - bon appetite's picks for america's best new restaurants of 2014.  love the videos that go along with the articles.  i saw the video for the grand central market in los angeles and now am inspired to take a culinary field trip when the kids go back to school.  pupusas, the egg dish at the egg restaurant (sorry this is a family blog), and that pizza - oh that pizza.  looks like i may need to make several trips.  

2014 weekly menu | week 34

sweet potato, bacon & sundried tomato hash with egg and basil.

i was not in school mood this morning when we got up.  but like it or not jordan had his first day of school today and he needed breakfast and lunch.  luckily there was a juice box in the fridge, fruit in the basket and a pad thai in the pantry to get him through today but i need to get to the store for sure.

working through our third week of whole30.  i'm looking forward to changing things up.  can i just have some oatmeal for breakfast?! but i'm not missing the carbs or the sugar - unless you count wine. it's definitely something that we will continue to do after the challenge is over.  it's all about balance.

weekend eats
saturday: chipotle - the carnitas salad is on program without the cheese, beans or rice and no corn in the salsa.
sunday: ate out while shoe shopping

making this week
monday: minestrone soup
tuesday: bang bang shrimp, stir fry vegetables
wednesday: damn fine chicken, roasted green beans
thursday: eat out
friday: grilled flank steak with cilantro balsamic marinade, salad, roasted potatoes

have a great week!

around here | august

we finally made it to the baseball exhibit at the ronald reagan library a few weekends ago.  such cool memorabilia including gloves, bats and the rarest baseball card.

we imagined sofia as the POTUS. 

and bobby catching snowballs with the gipper.

we had lechon at a friends' party.  they grill a pig every christmas but made a special summer one for those that can't make it over the holidays.  the meat was so juicy and tender.

photo credit: band mom laura w.

jordan has been at band camp for the last two weeks.  he is finally playing the snare (that's him in the red shirt on the right). he was excited to see his friends again and play the nd cheers.  we are looking forward to football games and parades.

someone else is learning to play the guitar.

we're eating organic eggs, avocado oil and sugar-free marinara and sausages and discovered some tasty food.

saw this on our run last week.  lucky for us it was in the parking lot on our way out.

she made strawberry and yogurt popsicles.

they played last weekend at amplify in hollywood and sounded better than ever.  looking forward to their next gig in september.

the club was across the street from our old workplace.  brought back so many memories of life as newlyweds wearing polyester suits, working tv show tapings and giving studio tours over 20 years ago!

patiently waiting for these to turn red.  trying not to water as often.

i got all 3 kids in to see the dr. for their check-ups before school started.  they are all growing way too fast.

unbelievably sad about his passing.  mork & mindy was a not-to-miss show for my sister and i. dead poets society came out when i was in college and inspired me to read leaves of grass and believe in my creative voice. bobby and i started dating after seeing aladin. he was on the paramount lot filming birdcage and would come out and harass our tours as we walked by. he was iconic and genius and will be missed.

enjoying 2.5 more weeks of summer with the littles.  getting ready for jordan to start his sophomore year next week.  getting haircuts and backpacks and school supplies for everyone. planning our trip to toronto. helping out the new pto and band boosters. going to the beach with friends. doing research for a fantasy football draft. visiting family. getting through 15 more days of whole30 eating. 

have a great weekend.

2014 weekly menu | week 33

are you sensing a pattern here?  weekly menu now on wednesdays. not motivated on monday to get this posted. but maybe midweek will inspire some good cookin'.

i've been so focused on the dietary changes that we are making that i feel like food is all i think about.  i haven't shared what we're doing because, to be honest, i wasn't sure if we could stick to it.  but we are two weeks into it and we're hanging in there.

b and i cut out all added sugar, gluten, dairy, processed food, and ALCOHOL!!  sound crazy?  it is.  it's a 30 day challenge and then we start adding some of it back slowly. you know what?  we feel great, sleep better, and  can see the physical changes already.  but it takes a lot of work.

hopefully we can make it to august 30.

weekend eats
saturday: lechón at our friends' house
sunday: leftovers

making this week
monday: roast chicken and vegetables
tuesday: pork chops, asparagus with prosciutto
wednesday: pasta (zucchini for us) with turkey sauce
thursday: salmon with mango and pineapple salsa, green beans
friday: burgers and oven fries

2014 weekly menu | week 32

all of my favorites from our favorite sushi place in fullerton - sushi momo.

it's midweek and i'm just getting around to posting our menu.  i guess it's been busy around here.  i am changing up our diet quite a bit; reading labels, putting things back on the shelf and eating a lot more fruit and vegetables and a lot less crackers and cookies.  more info on our dietary changes later.

this week jordan is at band camp all day.  so tiring for him.  the kids and i are hanging out at home, going swimming, reading, making popsicles, visiting our family, and enjoying the last few weeks of summer.

i am doing a lot of cooking right now.  eating fresh takes a bit more work.

weekend eats
saturday: late lunch and then leftovers
sunday: chipotle salad

making this week
monday: turkey and vegetable chili
tuesday: turkey dogs and kale chips
wednesday: carnitas and rice
thursday: caldo de pollo
friday: pistacchio crusted salmon, roasted green beans and tomatoes

happy hump day.