Dallas Archives - Page 5 of 10 - mamachallenge | Real Solutions for Real Parents

Messina Hof Grows to Grapevine with New Urban Winery in Fall 2014

August 5, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo 2 Comments

My French manicure may still have a purple hue, but a return to the salon is completely worth the trade for my incredible evening trek to Messina Hof for the Moonlight Harvest kickoff 2014 on Friday, Aug. 1.

While I have enjoyed sipping wine in Napa Valley, Tuscany, and recently around Grapevine, I had never been to Messina Hof. Unfortunately I also had never had the privilege of stomping grapes, part of the evening’s agenda, as well as several other surprises in store for the media and special guests from Austin, Houston and DFW that met at the Bryan winery.

I was in for more than a memorable evening, but actually history in the making for the winery that released its first vintage in 1983.

The Harvest Festival celebrated its 37^th year with its traditional picking, blessing and stomping of the grapes, but this year with a very big announcement made by the family and Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate (seen below): Messina Hof is set to open its third location with an urban winery at the Wallis Hotel in historic Grapevine, Texas.

The idea of unity flowed throughout the evening just like the relationship between the award-winning winery and a community dedicated to the future of Texas wines. With the rich wine heritage of Winemaker Paul Bonarrigo (see the adorable gentlemen with the undeniable style below) dating back six generations to Messina, Sicily and Merrill Bonarrigo’s family originating from Hof, Germany, together the couple has pioneered the Texas wine industry in creating premium wines of distinction and a landmark wine country destination.

Enjoying a wine tasting on the way to the winery, upon arrival, we learned a little about the history of the vineyard and how to properly eye the “Big Kahuna” and select the right grapes for cutting from the vine. Then all the guests took their turn stomping the cold, juicy fruit between their toes before being “breaking bread” for a delicious feast featuring wine, cheese, and some of the best mushroom soup rich with Messina Hof wine.

While we all have to wait for Messina Hof to come to town, you still have the rest of August to experience the Annual Harvest Festival at the Bryan winery each weekend in August and followed by the 2nd Annual Harvest Festival at the Fredericksburg winery the last weekend of August.

The annual event celebrates the bounty of the vineyard, in a public harvest setting similar to European harvesting practices of centuries past. Patrons, friends and family near and far congregate in the pursuit of grape picking, stomping and wine tasting/dining. Eight specialty dinners punctuate these four weeks on the grounds of the winery and the only Four-Diamond resort in the Brazos Valley, the Villa Bed and Breakfast.

Get your tickets now for the Harvest Festival at Messina Hof and view the schedule here.

Host Your Own Outdoor Movie Night with Starlight Productions

July 28, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo 2 Comments

North Texas was blessed by Mother Nature a few weekends ago with a beautiful, perfect and mild 70-degree Saturday evening. It was absolute heaven to get to outside and enjoy the outdoors without drowning in your own sweat and being eaten by mosquitoes. With such a fabulously rare July evening, we wanted to take advantage of the summer’s delight with a fun outdoor evening under the sky.

So off to Roanoke we went. I mean all good nights start with THE Babe’s Chicken, right?

If you haven’t ever made it to the first Babe’s Chicken, considered the best fried chicken EVER, you are missing out. Found in “The Unique Dining Capital of Texas” Roanoke, Texas, you can find a little bit of everything from BBQ straight from the grill to a slice of apple pie you’ll be drooling over after just one bite. But what’s on the list no matter what you ate for dinner? Hey, Sugar!

In addition to being every kid’s fantasy and every adult’s memories, Hey Sugar is a candy shop, ice-cream parlor (serving Beth Marie’s), old-fashioned soda and homemade sweet treats destination. And for the summer, the sugar mecca invites everyone to its open lawn for a free outdoor movie! Families bring out their blankets and chairs and plant themselves in front of the “big screen” for a fun evening of music and movie memories. And we were in luck…tonight’s film du jour? The Little Mermaid – my princess’ favorite film!

Starlight Productions has partnered with Hey Sugar to create this perfect family weekend outdoor movies throughout the summer. Locally based Starlight Productions does everything to produce the perfect outdoor movie experience – the screen, the sound capabilities (they even can do surround sound!) and if you want, they can DJ music before the event as people are getting set up! The kids loved this part and couldn’t keep still! It really made that “waiting time” easier as we waited for the sun to go down and get ready for showtime!

From the Starlight Productions Facebook Page

While this was a fun event for the whole community, I’m now planning to do an outdoor movie for my daughter’s upcoming birthday! Since she’s such a fan of Ariel, we’re setting up some fun water activities, grilling with friends and family and watching The Little Mermaid for her “Under the Sea” themed-party. It should be lots of fun and super easy for me with Starlight Productions!

If you are looking to try out Starlight Productions outdoor movie fun, I highly suggest you check them out in Roanoke! They go everywhere you need them to in DFW, but Hey Sugar is such a free family fun experience. On August 2 & August 15 Hey Sugar and Starlight Productions will have another “Movie Under the Stars.” Check out Hey Sugar’s Facebook for more info!

More About Starlight Productions

Starlight Productions provides indoor and outdoor cinema production services for Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding areas. We feature commercial inflatable screens from Open Air Cinema in three sizes: 12’x7′, 16’x9′ and 25’x14′ with digital HD 1080p projection and JBL professional grade audio including subwoofers. They also offer the capability to connect Playstation, XBox and Wii consoles for gaming on a grand scale.

Want to book your own party? Call them at (800) 267-8026 or email Rentals@starlightproductions.us!

Brio Celebrates National Lasagna Day

July 21, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo 3 Comments

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

And to celebrate National Lasagna Day in a BIG WAY, you can win a $200 Gift Card to Brio Tuscan Grille (DFW locations only!) (Winner will be announced on July 29!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.F. Chang’s Rolls Out New Menu – Only in Dallas

July 18, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

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.

Their new P.F. Chang’s Sushi and Maki offerings included:

Tempura Shrimp Hand Roll: A sesame-soy wrap, hand-rolled with crisp tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber and Japanese rice
Dynamite Scallop Roll: P.F. Chang’s signature California Roll topped with lightly seared scallops, finished with a creamy sriracha sauce
Spicy Tuna Roll: Rolled-to-order Sushi-grade Ahi with cucumber, daikon sprouts, sesame-seasoned rice and a dash of sriracha
Cucumber Rolled Kappa Maki: Fresh sushi-grade Ahi tuna, salmon and kani kama rolled with avocado and mango, wrapped in cucumber served with sweet and spicy glaze
California Roll: Rolled-to-order with kani kama, crisp cucumber, avocado, sesame-chive rice and sweet soy sauce

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:

Edamame Hummus: P.F. Chang’s twist on hummus is a signature blend of fresh edamame, sesame seeds, ginger and a hint of chili. Served with house-made crisp plantains
Saigon Summer Rolls: Lemongrass chicken, julienne carrots, celery root, cilantro, peanuts, Thai basil and mint wrapped in cool rice paper with a sweet chili dipping sauce
Asian Carnitas Bao: Carnitas with an Asian twist. Seared chili marinated pork stuffed in soft steamed pillow bao buns, served with a fresh pineapple salsa

And while we couldn’t squeeze in anything else, I definitely know we will be back to P.F. Chang’s when they launch their new Wine & Food Pairings on Wednesdays starting next week, July 23!

Finally! Make Your Own Thomas & Friends’ Engine

July 17, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo 1 Comment

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.

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

Celebrate The Best of Texas at Market Street, July 12 -13

July 5, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Disclaimer: I’m thrilled to be partnering with Market Street to highlight features, deals and more each month! #MarketStreetTX

I might not like to shop for clothes, but grocery shopping is a whole “other ballgame.” As long as I’m without a kid to speed me through the process, I like to take the whole thing in; a sensory experience from the moment the sliding doors open welcoming me in to want to touch, smell, eat and of course, BUY everything I can get my hands on.

I am blessed there are so many innovative grocers in my area, but one of the ones that is near and dear to my heart is Market Street. Growing up in my small hometown, United was the only grocery store in town. At one time my mom worked there, my friends worked there and of course, many holidays were first celebrated with a couple of runs to United. However, just like me, United has grown up, added more stores and brands including Market Street, the experiential marketplace that allows customers to touch, feel, smell and taste their household needs, but still with that hometown hospitality it’s always had.

Continuing to celebrate that local pride, Market Street will host the BEST OF TEXAS, JULY 12 AND 13, 11 am – 5 pm throughout the store. To support Texas growers and suppliers who share our dedication to excellence, the stores will be sampling a huge number of Texas products, so it’s an ideal time to come in and shop! Of course, Market Street always features Texas products like wine, beer, beef and produce. You can see the extensive list of sampling opportunities on the website, but the Olli Wild Boar Salame, Llano Wine & Mom’s Strawberry Cake are high on my target list!

If you’ve never shopped Market Street before, make sure to sign up for their Rewards Program to save on the Texas grown watermelon and cantaloupes you’ll be buying. A completely digital program, coupons are automatically loaded to your account and all you need to do is type in your phone number and you save on the items you buy most! Even the kids receive a free cupcake or piece of fruit on their birthday! Get started on saving money by signing up today!

For the last few weeks, the constant chatter among moms has been “Where are your kids going this summer?”

While there are TONS of fun ways to do summer in DFW for kiddos, many of them also fill up quickly in early spring. However, that doesn’t mean that all the good ones are taken! So I did my research and found a few of the coolest ones I came across that were still accepting registration. Each one varies in cost, age requirements and dates, but they all look fun to me!

Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com

Hopefully you were able to check out this segment on Fox Good Day I did on May 31, but just in case, I have the list of the camps I featured as well as a link to get registered. My one recommendation? You better do it quick!

BAKE AND PLAY CAMP – Summer Camp

Ideal Age: Preschool age

Fun camps with cooking, crafts and lunch!

Half Day: 9 a.m. -1 p.m. or Noon – 4 p.m.

$40 per session per day pre-purchase a 5-day pack for a free day – $160

Lakewood

www.bakeandplaycafe.com

SPANISH SCHOOLHOUSE – Summer Immersion Camp

Ages 2 years – Kindergarden

Spanish immersion with fun themes! Perfect for kids with no Spanish language experience or Spanish-speaking parents.

Two week sessions for 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. and extended stay is $145-$294 for two days to five days June and July.

13 locations throughout DFW

http://www.spanishschoolhouse.com

DALLAS ZOO – Wild Adventures Zoo Camp

Ages Preschool – 12^th grade

Single-day camp or week-long camps from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. with before/after camp options. Campers

enjoy tours, games, arts and crafts, and up close animal encounters.

Dallas/Oak Cliff

http://www.dallaszoo.com

TEXAS RANGERS SUMMER CAMPS & CLINICS

Ages 4-12 years old

There’s nothing like learning from the big league! Learn the basics for your little rookies or for your more advanced player, refine and perfect their skills with several different times and times available throughout the summer.

Arlington

http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/tex/fan_forum/camps.jsp

YMCA SUMMER CAMPS & SPORTS CAMPS

Whether it’s weekly Summer Camp for teens, Summer Day Camp for school aged children, Sports Camps or Half-Day Summeer Camp for younger children, the Y can help you and your family have a fun, safe summer!

While you don’t have to be a member to participate, when you are, you can even get the half-day camps FOR FREE (with your $19 weekly supply fee.) That’s awesome. Period.

Multiple locations across the Metroplex

http://www.ymca-arlington.org
http://www.ymcadallas.org
http://www.ymcafw.org

LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER DFW in Grapevine – Summer Sunny D Lego Camp

Ages 6-11

Four-day camps throughout the summer from 8-11 a.m. for $125

Four sessions in LEGO bricks through interactive team build with FREE Annual Pass and special goody bag with t-shirt.

Grapevine

www.LEGOLANDDiscoveryCenter.com/dallasfw

What cool camps do you know of or are your kids participating in this summer?

Pin This!

Pictures Say a 1000 Words

mamachallenge

Follow Along!