mamachallenge | Real Solutions for Real Parents | Dallas Blog
Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo
For more of the recipes from Good Morning Texas:
Grilled Watermelon with Blue Cheese and Prosciutto
For other watermelon recipes, see MamaChallenge on Good Morning Texas!
Grilled Watermelon with Blue Cheese and Proscuitto
I’d like to think I’m a fashionable girl…
Actually, I guess I’m not as fashionable as I just hope that Cosmo doesn’t profile me on the back page on “How not to Wear” with a big black Sharpie over my eyes.
While I may not look like a fashionista, I at least like to know if the skinny pant or the trouser look is in for the season. Being at least in the know is a preresquite of a Dallas dame to get her Big Hair license.
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That’s why I was thankful that THE Mrs. Arlene Goldstein, VP of Trend Merchandising and Fashion Direction for Belk made a stop this week at Galleria Dallas to share a little fashion styling for Fall 2014 with the lowdown of the Women’s Most Wanted List for Fall. While she shared the list for the boys too, let’s be honest: it’s the list for the girls we really want to know, right?
When I think of comfort food, I think of Lasagna.
There’s something so perfect about the delicious combination of meat, pasta and cheese layered together for the ideal bite each and everytime. Apparently I love lasagna A LOT since I’ve shared many recipes on mamachallenge.com including my Christmas Eve Lasagna and Spinach Lasagna Rollups.
To celebrate National Lasagna Day on July 29, BRIO Tuscan Grille at Watters Creek in Allen will offer dishes of their famous Lasagna Bolognese Al Forno recipe at half-price.
Lasagna Bolognese Al Forno is a classic Northern Italian, oven-baked dish, layered with a three-cheese blend of Alfredo, Ricotta and Mozzarella, along with Bolognese meat sauce.
BRIO will offer a generously full-sized portion of lasagna for $9.08 at both lunch and dinner on July 29
This delicious post is sponsored by P.F. Chang’s, but my opinions are all my own.
The destination for Asian flavors in a beautiful, yet homestyle atmosphere, P.F. Chang’s is rolling out their new menu with hand-rolled sushi as well as inventive small plates and handcrafted cocktails. First and only in Dallas!
The original home of the lettuce wraps, I’ve always been a fan of P.F. Chang’s. However, it had been a long time since I had eaten there. I mean a LONG time. But with a new menu full of hand-rolled sushi, several shareable small plates and craft cocktails, what a great reason to see what we’ve been missing!
While choosing what we were going to enjoy for dinner we ordered two of the NEW premiere specialty craft cocktails: the Red Sangria with Absolut Mandarin Vodka and merlot mixed with fresh fruit (like strawberries, oranges, and a cherry) and a Twisted Whiskey Sour with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Cointreau, orange juice, honey with blood orange bitters. As we sipped, we pondered our dining selections.
Always up for trying a little bit of everything especially an Asian take on tacos, I had to experience the Jicama Pork Tacos with lemongrass seared pork, topped with a refreshing tropical pepper slaw served in jicama “shells”. A little spicy for the kids, I cleaned house on these three hand “tacos” that gave you the same crunch of a tortilla but made with jicama.
However, the superstar on the menu was the Ahi Tartare with Avocado! Every bite of the diced sushi-grade tuna was perfect with cucumbers, scallions, citrus soy sauce and sesame seeds over sliced avocado with crispy wontons and the creamy, spicy sauce that dotted the plate. (We actually discussed ordering another plate!)
Other yummy new small plates featured on the new P.F. Chang’s menu:
Thomas & Friends has a new engine in town…Logan! This limited-release engine is introducing the new Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway, a whole new line of Thomas & Friends products! Little engineers (and their moms and dads) are invited for a free, fun welcome party (completed with activities, prizes and more) on August 23 at The Toy Maven in Dallas.
Everyone knows that we are HUGE fans of the #1 Blue Engine, so even though my little man had started shifting from Thomas-everything to a little more LEGOS, he was so excited to open his box of goodies and find an engine named after his mama! Within seconds, we had created a track for the engine and a tunnel, part of the double-duty of the personalized book!
What’s even more exciting is the new line of personalized engines, storybooks and track sets that comes with the new Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway available only only through catalog, 20 Thomas & Friends Official Specialty Stations like The Toy Maven across the U.S., and online.
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Can’t wait to see what’s available? You can go online at www.ThomasWoodenRailway.com to purchase your new personalized engines!
Welcome Logan Celebration
Dallas Launch of Logan and Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway
Saturday, August 23, 10 am – 2 pm
The Toy Maven
6025 Royal Lane, Suite 223
Dallas, Texas 75230
Free
www.facebook.com/ToyMaven
My son and hubby are counting down the days until Disney’s Planes: Fire & Rescue opening in theaters this Friday on July 18 for their Boys Night Out!
Planes Fire & Rescue is the next Planes story about second chances, featuring a dynamic crew of elite firefighting aircrafts devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from raging wildfire. When world-famous air racer Dusty learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. (And you can’t argue that a little Brad Paisley ain’t so bad either!)
As a little pre-party, we visited our local Disney Store to participate in their free Planes: Fire & Rescue activities – happening at local Disney Stores everywhere! Kids ages 3 and up can train to become Aerial Fire Fighters! Along with learning about the characters and story of Planes: Fire & Rescue, training will include Parachute manipulation, Rescue and Fly Low!
Kids will receive a certificate and Party City Planes: Fire & Rescue balloon upon completion of their training. The last “training” happens this Saturday, July 19 at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, and 12:30 pm, so make sure check your local store for more information and confirm event times!
Make sure to get their early before your store opens for a little Disney Magic for opening ceremonies! It’s a free and easy way to see “where the magic begins!” My friend at MilkandCuddles shows the fun in her recent post! If you don’t have time to preparty, then you can download the new Planes: Fire & Rescue app!
Disclaimer: I was provided a Camper’s S’mores Grill from Coghlans for purposes of this review. However, all the comments and photos are my own.
Yesterday I was reminded of the fun my son and I had on our recent vacation at the JW Marriott San Antonio making smores together. There’s just something so wholesome and sweet about it. And of course, there’s the whole chocolate and marshmallow thing that just makes it good. So we we decided it was time to make them at home (and by that I mean not in the microwave like normal.)
However, I’m lazy and hoped we could just make these babies in one step. And that’s exactly what the Camper’s S’mores Grill does. Able to make three smores at a time, this paddle-shaped, chrome-plated steel grill let’s your put together your component pieces, take it straight to campfire or fireplace and then in no time, have a perfecly cooked s’more – in one step!
While a little Hershey’s, Honeymaid and Jetpuff s’more cannot be replaced, every once in a while you want to change it up a little. So here are a couple of ideas to changes up your recipe for s’mores.
PB& J S’mores
Graham Crackers
Berry Jam (your favorite)
Chocolate squares or Nutella spread
Peanut Butter
Elvis S’mores
Graham Crackers
Sliced Bananas
Chocolate squares
Peanut Butter
Rocky Road S’mores
Graham Crackers
Thinly sliced almonds
Chocolate squares
Peanut Butter
“Let it Go” is always the theme for our birthday parties!
I love the whole production from concept to thank you notes and my son has now gotten in the act with me.
Last year was pretty hard to beat when two weeks after we returned from the most amazing trip to Disney World to hand deliver an invite, he “returned” to see us in Texas for a fun Mickey Mouse birthday experience where he joined in all the fun.
At the entrance of the driveway we made white snowflakes, taped them to dowel rods and placed them up to the entrance of our own little “Arendelle.”
, tablecloths and napkins as well as this cute Olaf the Snowman Balloon (that I accidentally over aired and popped so that’s why he is on the wall!) Apparently you can’t get this Olaf balloon hardly anywhere so I highly suggest ordering it early! 
Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Activity Table:
Using the fantastic download from HappyMoneySaver.com, I was able to print out these wonderful labels and bundle up our own activity packages.
and froze them in a round ice tray like this. During the party we placed them in the bowl and the kids were able to pick one, melt it in their hands and then get a ring! (Of course, there was lots of trading, so it was lots of fun!)
This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and BJ’s Restaurants, but all my opinions are my own. #DineInOrderAhead #pmedia http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
Before kids, my husband and I enjoyed dining out often. We loved celebrating with friends and family as well as trying out new hot spots.
After kids, our dining out moments as a family are few and far between. Not because we don’t have life moments to celebrate, but more out of the whole chaos that comes with going out to eat – keeping the kids patience while we wait in line, taming the hoodlums while we get something ordered and to the table and by the time we actually get the entrees to the table, my hubs and I are so ready to pack it in that we get our food to go, while holding on to whatever we have left to keep the kids maintained until the check comes to the table and we can rush out the door.
Not really worth all the effort, right?
However, after four LONG years of law school, my hubs FINALLY received his graduation ring, the moment needed to be celebrated. But was the effort going to be worth it and would my honey wish we’d just stay home when it was all over with?
I was determined to make it a nice evening; it would just need a little preplanning.
Enter: BJ’s Restaurants New Mobile App! Available on both iPhone and Android. This new app did everything I’ve always wanted a restaurant to do and didn’t even know it! By opening the app and using the Dine in Order Ahead feature, I was able to not only order our food in advance, but as soon as we checked in and seated at BJs Restaurant, they would already start our food!
Our reservation even let me include it was a special night, so they seated us in a big booth for fun! In less than 15 minutes, we had drinks and appetizers. The kids didn’t even have time to complain or ask for mom’s reserve snack stash (I always have to bring something when we go out to eat just in case, but with the BJ’s Restaurant Mobile app, I didn’t need it!)
In less 25 minutes, dinner was served just as ordered! I couldn’t believe it! Normally at a restaurant we would be hitting that moment where the kids are starting to get fidgety, but everyone was happy and just enjoying the moment. AHA moment, really. I took a breath at this moment to appreciate a happy dinner out!
And no experience at BJ’s Restaurant would be complete without a Pizookie, right? The perfect gooeyness, warmth, sweetness and chocolate, we all scooped up our bites and somehow mustered up the strength (or lack of willpower) to finish almost every bite.
After around 40 minutes and close to bedtime, we didn’t want to let a good thing go bad, so as we finished up what we could (with the generous portions that BJ’s Restaurant gives, we had leftovers), we were ready to go. However, we didn’t have to wait for our ticket or our waiter/waitress to come over, take the card and return with the final receipt. I just went to my now favorite Bj’s Mobile App, opened up Mobile Pay and, viola! our ticket was already waiting for me to type in my payment! And even better – they already calculated several levels of gratuity so I could tip our waiter! One, two, click and done!
Don’t think there won’t be more nights with the BJ’s Restaurant Mobile App to create a great family dinner out with no regrets!
Now why didn’t I think of that?
