Fish Tacos

Cost: $10

Prep: 30 minutes

Yum! Was this ever a good meal. It took Matt and I a while to make this, and it would have taken a lot longer had I done it all on my own.

Matt dealt with the veggies. I wanted to fresh salsa, one of my favorite things Matt makes. Tomatoes, limes, onions, and cilantro. Sometimes he put jalapenos in it, but since Charlie now dines he left it out. Matt wanted coleslaw: carrots, red cabbage, green cabbage.

These became the toppings for the fish tacos.

Making the salsa

I, meanwhile, fried up 600 grams of cod. Broke it up small, and served it plain. We ate the fish with sour cream on tortillas (wheat because Superstore didn't have corn and the corn ones at Thrifty's are awful). The little tortillas were surprisingly good and only 70 calories each.

The salsa

The coleslaw

The distractions

The fish

The ingredients

Bebe gourmet

Crack on the Cobb

Cost: $7

Prep: 30 minutes (but I was multi-tasking)

There comes a time in every boy's life where he hits an important milestone. Driving a car, going on a first date, eating his first corn on the cob.

Okay, well, maybe that last one isn't such a big deal, but it sure was cute.

Charlie got to eat his very first corn on the cob tonight. We broke the ear in 1/2, and he did great, especially considering he only has 6 front teeth (and 4 back teeth).

"Hmmm, what is this?"

"Let me just try a little lick."

Piece one: complete

The corn, which turned into the main event, was intended as a side-dish. We bought groceries today at Superstore, and we risked trying the $0.48 an ear corn. I know it is usually pretty bland at this point in the season, and the sign gave no indication of where it came from, a thought I had mid-eating. We decided to give it a go mostly for novelty, and it paid off, as this corn was really good. Charlie ended up eating a full ear, the same as me.

The corn was paired with turkey burgers from Thrifty's that we froze last weekend. Wow, are these ever good. Turkey, cranberries, and stuffing. I melted mozzarella over top. Matt ate his with a bun and the burger fixin's. I went bunless. Charlie ate a few bites of ketchup covered bun on the side.

We also bought some of that toxic coloured green coleslaw. Matt and I both like it. Charlie was not a fan, and I am sure most people would support him in that decision.

Goldstream Cookout

I don't have much of a post about dinner last night. Our nutritional intake (all-day) was not very good.

My family goes to Goldstream Park often to partake in cookouts. We met up with my parents and brother, as well as a bunch of friends, last night for a nature walk, fire, and weenie roast.

Charlie began the evening by burning calories. I did not, since I end up walking very slow as we look at every rock, stick, plant, puddle, and leaf that we attempt to pass. Charlie was fascinated by this big fallen tree. Because he has no fear, he ventured inside despite me telling him there are monsters in there (just kidding).

We then returned back to the fire site. Charlie began with a few cheezies and water. I had a few chips, which were luckily a variety I didn't like, and some camp-fire tea.

For the main course, Charlie ate some more cheezies and a few pieces of a turkey hot-dog. I ate a turkey wiener sans bun. I also had Caesar salad, which Charlie helped himself to a bit of bacon and the croutons from. Charlie and I shared two very small backed potatoes with sour cream (full fat). He did great with that.

For the finally, Charlie ate a few bites of two different Digestive cookies, although both times it fell in the dirt before he could fish.

I had a s'more made with a SUPER jumbo marshmellow the size of my fist, and then one more small marshmellow. Just one, but only because it was then time to go.

Weekend Treat: Sidney Bakery

Calorie-wise, today is a write off. We went to go for breakfast, but kind of got lost finding the place. We ended up eating McDonalds breakfast. It was almost 9:30, and I had done my insulin at 8AM, we had to have something.

We were out in Sidney taking Charlie to his favorite place, the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre. Of course, if it is open, we always have to get some lunch at the Sidney Bakery after.

It is my favorite bakery. We did NOT make healthy choices though, but we did try to pace ourselves with our treats.

As our "main", Matt and I had a pepperoni-cheese stick. Charlie had a plain cheese stick, but helped out with all the pepperoni. These are so fresh and soft. Yum.

Then came the desserts. We got 3 x2 (starting from top):

1. Apple fritter: we always get these. So yummy because soft inside and crisp outside. Very little glaze, which I prefer.
2. Chinese chew: new to us, a chewy cookie which seems to use a lot of brown sugar. Large pieces of date inside.
3. Chocolate mound: THE BEST treat in THE ENTIRE WORLD. Okay, well, maybe not the far, but it is fabulous. A giant macaroon covered in chocolate.

Now, before you judge, we did not finish these treats until breakfast this morning, but when prices are as good as they are at the SIdney Bakery, how can you resist? Everything was only $10!

Fujiya

We have been getting take out from Fujiya since we were in university. When Charlie was tiny and always sleeping in the car, one of us would often run in and grab some so we could eat in the parking lot.

On Friday, we took Charlie to visit his newest little friend, 8 day old Sebastien.

On route, we stopped and bought him a California Roll as we knew we would be visiting over the meal time. We did offer to bring for our friends, the new parents, but they had plans for eating, so Matt and I each grabbed a roll and goyza for later.

I think Fujiya has really gone downhill. They have raised their prices for sure. I had a Fujiya Roll, which I love because I hate avocados and it has lettuce instead (with shrimp and crab). Yesterday though, it was SO mayonaisey. I looked through all of the rolls, and I picked the one that appeared to have the least, but it was still too much. Oh well.

We are in no way done with Fujiya. It still has a few more chances with us, but when we get 3 rolls, all very simple, and 10 pieces of goyza for almost $25, I wonder why we aren't just going out for fresher sushi.

Simple Salmon

Cost: $6

Prep: don't remember

This was Thursday night (it is Saturday). I don't remember much about it, but here is the basics.

Veggie: broccoli. Steamed, then quickly tossed in a pan with some soy sauce and olive oil.

Rice

Salmon. Frozen. Mild Chipotle. Very uneven portions. I am glad we only have one child who is not a big eater, as one piece was the size of a tube of lipstick.

Date Lunch: Little Thai Place (Royal Oak)

Matt and I went on a lunch date in the middle of the week. How crazy is that?

I had a doctors appointment at 1PM so I couldn't sub the afternoon, and Matt had a funny schedule, so it just worked out. I met him near his school to eat at the Little Thai Place in Royal Oak.

We love the Little Thai. We have been to every location and started when it was only the one (way back when we were at UVic).

We don't usually go for the lunch specials, and today was no exception.

I ordered my favorite dish, the #75. I have no idea what it is called, but it is so yummy. It is chicken, red peppers, green peppers, baby corn, carrots, onions, cashews, and these weird little raisiny things in a sweet, tangy sauce. Matt ordered a small (large) rice with it, but I could go without.

We also ordered a Pad Thai (and ate 1/2 before we took the picture). I like the way they do their Pad, but I know others don't agree.

Anyway, efficient, great staff, quick, good quality, and very child friendly (even though we didn't bring ours, he is a big fan of the tofu in Pad Thai). The only things I cannot speak highly of is the pre-packaged meals. We tried one not long ago. Skeezy. I am sure they are giving them away free now because no one is willing to buy them.

Pizza

Cost: $7

Prep: unsure

I'm so so so sorry. It has been days and I haven't posted. Things have been busy, and blogger finally changed my interface to the new one, and I hate it.

One night we had pizza. I don't even know what night it was. We bought the crust at Costco, and it is much cheaper than the ones that always mould from Thrifty's. These one are 4 for $7.50 and include a bag so we could freeze the extra two.

Sauce (the Restaurant, Not the Topping)

This is not a mixed review of Sauce. It is a past and present review.

Until recently, we hadn't been to Sauce in years. We figure the last time we were there was about 2005. We went with a large birthday party, and when we remember it now, 2 things stick out in our minds. The first is that it was crazy dark, as in "I can't tell what I am eating" dark. The second is that it was incredibly loud, as in cannot-hold-a-conversation-with-people-at-your-table loud. I also remember the food being unremarkable and overpriced.

Fast-forward to the days of Groupon. Months ago, there was a deal: $20 for lunch, $30 for dinner. We took Charlie for lunch four or so months ago, and we were both surprised that it was good. More than good. The Groupon was awesome. Any two lunch entrees. Matt had two pieces of fish and chips (and so did Charlie). I had the tuna steak sandwich. It was FANTASTIC.

So, tonight, Matt and I went on a date to use our other Groupon that expires in 6 days. We dropped Charlie off at Grandma and Grandpa's, and headed for an early dinner so we could check out a movie after.

We arrived at Sauce around 5:30-45ish. Although we did get a window seat, I am pretty sure we are the last couple who got one with a reservation. The waitress was very friendly, and the entire restaurant seemed to have an appropriate number of staff on (3 waitresses, a busboy, 2 "manager" types, and a bartender on the floor).

The Groupon was an awesome deal. $30 for any appie and any 2 entrees. We started with the Artisan Plate. We were torn by this and the calamari, but to take advantage of the deal, we decided to go with the most expensive. It was very good with a variety of treats: marinated mushrooms, olives, smoked provolone, brie, chorizo, prosciutto, apples, strawberries, crustini, a baked garlic bulb, and red onion relish. Sorry about the lame picture. We had, as usual, eaten the majority before I remembered to take a picture.

For our entrees, we again took advantage of our Groupon. Matt ordered the most expensive steak on the menu: a 12 ounce NY strip-loin. I know nothing about cuts of meat, but to me, it seemed like there was a lot of fat and gristle. From my sample, I agree that it tasted nice, but I wouldn't order it again. Almost $30 for a steak that is 1/3 inedible? No thanks. It was also a bit over done, but I later heard the waitress explaining something about the steaks, and she seemed to be saying that the steaks are usually more well done than ordered.

I ordered the beef ribs. I had no idea what this was going to be, but it was tasty. Very tender beef, but with a huge chunk of fat (which is expected in ribs). The best part, though, was the onion ring.

The potato today was a mashed-something-complicated-yummy stuff. We both ate all that. Matt ate most the veggies from both our plates though. They were sauteed in too much sauce for too long for me.

Sauce has improved since our university days. The food and service both were better than average. After visiting both with the baby and without, I would vote that this is more of the "without" kind of place.

We probably will go back, but the Groupon made these two visits especially worthwhile..

Broccoli Alfredo Linguine with Scallops

Cost: $10

Prep: nearly 1 hour

There are two problems with making things from scratch. The first issue, or the last depending how you look at it, is being dealt with in the kitchen right now: the giant mess. The second issue is the time. I was in the kitchen for a loooooong time tonight.

I started by making an alfredo sauce from scratch. Well, it was going to be alfredo sauce, but something else happened. I was looking at a recipe, and the first step was melt butter. I completed this with ease. Then, I got bored and ignored the recipe. I then melted 1/2 a cup of chive and onion cream cheese in the butter, then mixed in a large cup of homo milk. To that I added an entire broccoli crown with the florets shredded and the stalks chopped finally. I tasted the sauce at this point, and it was bland, so I added a bunch of salt, pepper, garlic, and parmesan.

I cooked up a box of Catelli Smart linguine. The final cooking step was to heat the scallops. I melted butter, then added the scallops, a finely chopped tomato, and garlic to the pan. I had forgot to dry the scallops though, so they didn't get to absorb much flavor.

Anyway, for the final step I put the pasta in bowls, added the sauce, and the scallops.

I served this meal with foccacia bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip in. Charlie was a little unsure of that at first, but by the end he was dipping every bite of pasta in the mix.

It was a bit too heavy of a dinner, but Matt and I both agreed it was good enough that you would not be disappointed if this is what you ordered in a restaurant--and it had more scallops.

Deluxe Burgers

Cost: $5

Prep: 25 minutes, but hard to say as Matt and I did it together.

Today was shopping day, and we scored on some marked down pre-made fresh burgers. Thrify's makes very nice gourmet burgers (another kind will make an appearance later in the week). These were beef burgers with bacon and cheddar cheese immeshed.

We grilled these up on the griddle, not the George Foreman. The GF is put away and is a pain to take out. It lived on the counter previous to us buying a Tassimo, and it was utilized constantly. Now, it has scarely made it to non-cupboard air since Boxing Day.

As our side-dishes, we made yam chips and salad. The yam chips are delicious, especially with the chipotle aioli from Costco, but I rarely make them because they are a lot of work. If I had a mandolin, it would be easier to cut them, but I don't so I refuse. Matt had to do all the cutting to be able to eat these this time. We decided one yam was enough, but honestly it looked like it was going to make much more before the yam was cooked.

Once the yams are cut, it is an easy dish to make. I put olive oil on a pan and spread the chips out in a single layer, and then lightly brush the tops with olive oil again. Then, I broil for 5 minutes, flip, and broil a few more minutes.

There was also a large side salad, but I am still really not feeling lettuce, so Matt and Charlie "ate" it: ie Charlie sucked the dressing off and gave all the lettuce back to Matt.

To get some veggies in, I loaded my burger with onion and tomato. The burgers also made a gourmet relish, spicy mustard, mayo, and pickles. One burger this size and no sides in enough for me. It was the first time Charlie was served his own burger, and you can tell by his face that he was not so sure what to make of it. He did end up eating most of it, but like all foods, he dissected it first.

Cold-Stone Creamery

Three of us followed our dinner with ice cream at Cold-Stone.

The have a promotion right now (until today) where any "Love-it" (aka medium) size is $2. The other girls went for cheesecake, but this girl was craving chocolate, so I went for the Founder's Favorite. This was supposed to be Sweet Cream ice cream with pecans, brownie, caramel and fudge. It is important to note that they permit you to swap out any mix-ins you want. So, mine was pecans, brownie, Snickers, and Skor. Yum!!!

I actually think the medium is a bit too big, but who would order a small when it is the same price? (The answer is the idiot behind us I guess).

I am sad that we do not get to take advantage of this deal again.

Green Leaf Bistro

Tonight was the monthly (attempted) meeting of the Ladies' Dining Club I joined. The selected location was the Green Leaf Bistro by Centennial Square.

Th location is interesting. This was not an area you would want to be in after dark when I was in my teens, but it has improved and is not nearly as sketchy. There are a few restaurants now on this side of downtown, and up from Chinatown, and there are definitely perks, like being able to have our pick of parking spots at 6PM on a Saturday.

The decor of the "bistro" is very nice. I liked the green colour pallet, the tasteful Vietnamese decor, and spacing of the tables. However, it was FAR too hot, especially for the multiple members of our party who are expecting. My other complaint about the decor was barely noticeable, but whatever tile the have laid is really slippery, and I almost bailed twice (once going to the restroom and once leaving).

Now, on to the important part, the food!

We shared two appetizers. The first was the salad rolls. As far as salad rolls go, these were pretty standard. The cost was $5.95 for two rolls and a large bowl of peanut sauce. I wasn't really a fan of how they left a giant piece of lettuce sticking out of the ends, but I guess this is what makes them a "bistro"? The carrots inside the salad roll also were soaked in vinegar, which I really enjoyed, but they used that weird pressed pork deli-meat stuff instead of real pork (the only place I have had real is Pho Galaxy in Chilliwack). I would order these again.

The second appie we shared were the deep-fried spring rolls. These were fantastic. They were very crisp and not at all greasy. I am pretty sure we ordered meat filled ones, but other than that I have no insight into what was inside. The chilli-sauce it came with was also a little different it seemed. It did not seem like it was as sweet as the stuff that comes in the giant bottles (which I am not a fan of).

For our mains, the majority of our party went for the Bun.

Diner 1 had the Lemongrass Chicken. She spoke highly of this dish.

Diner 2 had some sort of Bun with vegetarian spring rolls.

Diner 3 had another Bun with prawns and chicken, I think. (Laura, you will have to correct me if I am wrong). The look of this one gave me food envy.

Diner 4, me, went for Pho. I figured that since I want to be able to compare this place to other Pho places, I need to stick to what I normally order: Pho with rare beef slices.

Now, my first step of comparison is price. This same dish (size regular) ranges from $6.95 to $7.95 else where, but here it was $8.95. Not that it was important, as it is always too much, but the portion was smaller. It was served with all the fixin's: lime, jalapenos, basil, sprouts, and a large serving for sure.

People on Urbanspoon are all on about how fantastic the broth is, but, honestly, I didn't really notice a difference. There was a decent sized serving of beef though. Really, I wouldn't put this bowl of pho above any other bowl of pho.

One thing I noticed on the menu were "family-style" meals. And the menu was huge. I'm not sure if I will be back, but our experience was definitely a good one.

Dad's Dinner

Baby cheesies: a pre-dinner snack.

Matt cooking

Cost: $7

Prep: 45 minutes

I am very proud of my husband tonight. I am on my way out with my Ladies' Dining Club, and generally that means the boys will be eating frozen pizza. Tonight, Matt stuck with the meal plan I had designed at the beginning of the week and made the stir-fry was tonight himself!

So, as I am leaving, the boys are eating REAL food with MULTIPLE food groups. Go Daddy!

He made teriyaki sauce himself (a little too much corn starch).

He used some teriyaki beef from the freezer (even if he forgot to defrost it).

Udon noodles, which are easier for baby to eat

Lots of veggies

Ready to eat!