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Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

Mixin Up Fall Flavors with Milagro Tequila {Recipe}

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There’s a lot more to appreciate about a margarita than whether its frozen or on the rocks. 

However, when you say tequila, most people either think of it as the main player in a margarita or their shot choice when they started a bad night at the bar. However, tequila is a complex and dignified spirit that, like wine, is highly regulated worldwide to ensure the quality of tequila is first-rate. 


I was so excited to be a part of a recent special mixology class at Bolsa Mercardo presented by tequila leader Milagro with brand ambassador Juan Pablo “JP” de Loera, a certifiable tequila expert (with two Tequila degrees from the University of Guadalajara in the Cultural and Technical development of Tequila). 

Providing us tools, fresh ingredients and a lot of guidance, we spent the evening mixing up tequila into delicious, unique cocktails featuring different styles of tequila to celebrate the fall. Paired with some amazing dishes from the beloved Bolsa Mercado, it was definitely a night to remember. 

One of my favorite parts of the evening was learning a little bit more about bitters from this guy (see below.) This wealth-of-knowledge is Ian Reilly, the creator of Dallas-based Temperance Bitters. While you can find him most days as the bar manager at Chino Chinatown, he has now developed a complex line of bitters with wild herbs, roots and barks. The one I had the privilege to taste was actually inspired by an experience he has at Dude, Sweet Chocolate. Mark my words, you’ll hear more from him soon as part of the Dallas culinary scene.

While most people have heard of bitters, they actually don’t have a clue what it is. Considered a “digestif,” bitters was created as a cure-all “medicine” in the early 1800s, however, now these alcoholic concotions are used for cooking and mostly for enhancing cocktails. I have to admit I’m a little more excited to use them now that I know what they are…

Now equipped and a little more educated, I was ready to get to mixing. 

Using fresh ingredients like cranberry juice, star of anise, and my new favorite, pumpkin syrup, we enjoyed cocktails that embodied the flavors of fall. And considering so many upcoming holidays, I know I will using these easy recipes to entertain and enjoy this season. 

 Click here to Dallas Food Nerd to get these featured recipes from Milagro. 


Thanks Milagro a wonderful evening and the perfect start to my favorite season, Autumn!

 Salud!










Gotta Whole Lotta Love for Bread Zeppelin

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Food Fridays:

Disclaimer: I enjoyed two sandwiches courtesy of Bread Zeppelin for purposes of this review. And they were good, so read on. 

Oh, how I love a sandwich. There’s just something so perfect about getting all these great ingredients and putting them between two pieces of bread…of course that is until they fall out or I accidently eat all the cheese and am left with nothin’ but a little lettuce for my last bite. Epic failure. 


 These same traumatic experience happened one time too many for Troy Charhon and Andrew Schoellkopf, so they created the Zeppelin. Bread Zeppelin to be exact, the new salad innovative ffering in Irving. Using fresh baked artisan bread from Dallas’ own Empire Bakery they core/hollowed out right before serving. So you get fewer carbs without sacrificing the crunch or you can always choose to just make it a salad, but why? 

The Bread Zeppelin concept offers 40 ingredients, 20 dressings and loads of suggestions to create the perfect masterpiece. After choosing from the list of fresh ingredients, they chop it up, dress it up and serve it up to you in bowl or in a Zeppelin. 


Leaving it to the professionals, we ordered up a NOLA and a Southwestern to try for our first time. The NOLA mixed up fried shrimp, tomato, red onion, some other fixins and dressed it with a zesty French remoulade. The Southwestern paired by favorite black bean and corn flavor along with avacado and cojita cheese. 


Both sandwiches were packed with flavor and large bites of meat, cheese and/or veggies. I’ll admit order up the sandwiches added some bulk to your bite, but by ordered up a coup of soup to go with it, you had the perfect amount of bread to tear off and dip into the soup and eat your sandwich. While the innards of these babies may not pretty when you chop them in small, bite-size pieces, remember, it’s this new sandwich-technique that gets you a shrimp in the whole sandwich, not just the first few and then fall out around your zeppelin. I could continue to “Ramble On” about the Zeppelin, but I think it’s just something you should try for yourself.
It may not be the “Stairway to Heaven,” but it makes worth waiting for in the meantime.

Bread Zeppelin
6440 N MacArthur Blvd #140
Irving, TX 75039
469.359.2661





Go Red, White and Blue with Kenny’s Blue Cheese Potato Salad {Recipe}

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Food Fridays:

 One of the great things about my job is that I get to work with some pretty amazing chefs and restaurants. This means most the time I’ve gotten to sample their menu or at least several different offerings. However, it doesn’t mean that I’ve tasted it all. So this week I was elated to finally get my hands on menu items I’ve described at Kenny’s Smoke House, in Plano but never had my taste buds get in on the fun. 

I will admit – BBQ is not my first food pick. I can enjoy it, but I don’t normally crave for it. But my hubs does, so we make our rounds to the BBQ joints. But I will tell you that after biting into one of the juicy brisket slices, I was pretty well on my way to BBQ heaven. It was good, flavorful, juicy and just the perfect amount of fat and meat. And it smelled SO good. 


 But I had to move on to try more- the smoked turkey. Unfortunately by the time I got to the turkey, there wasn’t any left. (I had two kiddos chow down and finish it in a matter of minutes.) While I was dissapointed, I still had one more thing to bite into – Blue Cheese Potato Salad. 



 A great play on the classic recipe, this was my kind of potato salad, featuring the pungent flavor of blue cheese, bacon and red potatoes. Just looking at the bowl, it screamed “this is July 4th.”  And did I mention I took down the whole bowl? 

 So using my “insider connections,” I was able to get the recipe. Which is good because I needed to make more of this stuff and being that next week is Independence Day, now was the perfect time. And now I’m sharing it with you. 


Kenny’s Smoke House Blue Cheese Potato Salad

4 Lbs Red Skin Potatoes (Chopped, 1/2 Inch)
2-1/2 Cups Blue Cheese Dressing (Favorite)
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tbs White Sugar
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbs White Vinegar
1 Cup Bacon, Cooked, Chopped
1 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbles

 Place cut potatoes in boiling water and boil until soft (approx 15 minutes).

 Drain potatoes and let cool.

 In a separate bowl, combine all other ingredients except bacon and blue cheese to make dressing. Mix well with whisk.

When potatoes have cooled to where they can be touched (still warm) combine with dressing and mix well. Crush some potatoes so that it comes together and is not too soupy.

Refrigerate until chilled.

Garnish with bacon and blue cheese.

Enjoy! 

Date Night: Party for Two at BJs Restaurant

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Want-it Wednesdays:


Something I’ve wanted for a long time and don’t get near enough of are meals with JUST the two of us. Between our busy schedules and two kids under 5, dinner is normally at home, in a rush and only about 15 minutes long or when the 18-month old rises from her seat and begins to touch her dirty hands all over the kitchen. So when we had the chance to score a DATE NIGHT with just the two of us at a local BJs Brewhouse in Arlington, I was thrilled (even if that meant “date night” was an early dinner before the kids got from school!) 

Since we felt like we were sneaking off during a school night, we wanted to go somewhere casual and could suit both of our taste AND our budget, so BJs was a great fit. We hadn’t been there in ages, so we figured it was time to try it out. We were greeted by a friendly staff and a warm atmosphere, helping us to relax and enjoy this special moment even if it was only going to be about an hour. After springing for two handcrafted beers (I couldn’t resist the sound of the Brewmaster’s Reserve Blonde Lager), we took on the huge menu to figure out “What’s for dinner?” 

Being that we were on a “date,” we figured we’d go all out and try the Party for Two, an appropriate choice for this party of two – complete with two soups or salads, any medium signature pizza and a “pizookie.” Sounded like a plan that could make us both happy!


To start, my husband opted for Clam Chowder and I ordered the Tomato Mozarella Salad. Both were delicious and made me crave the next course even more. But we were going to have to agree on a pizza – at least we thought. While our helpful waiter let us know we could choose to order our pizza half and half, we both eyed one of the new flavors, the Spicy Meatball – complete with meatballs, jalapenos and Italian sausage. I knew he was really craving it, so I conceeded (or at least I let him think I took one for the team.) 


Mama Mia! The Spicy Meatball did not disapoint at all and I even ate one more slice them him. We would have eaten it all, but decided to box it up for later if there was anyway we were going to eat this PIZOOKIE thing. I had heard about it, but to be honest, it just seemed like a warm chocolate chip cookie and ice cream (a relatively normal desert), so why did people rave about it? 

I was about to find out why. 

There were actually like seven different Pizookies to choose from, but since this was our first one, we went for the original Bj’s Famous Pizookie. A few minutes later when it arrived at the table, we dove in like two kids on the playground. 


…And we finished that baby up in no time flat. It was honestly one of the best desserts I had devoured in a long time. It was just simple goodness without too much of the “other’ stuff. I mean when something is perfectly good, you don’t need anything else to make it better (although I will be back for the Pizookie Trio so I can decide that statement is true this time for myself!) 

When the check came (after we let a button out on our pants), the look on my husband’s face was priceless. “Wow, did they forget something on here?” 

Curious I took a look and everything we had ordered was there – it was just that for for the Party for Two and our two beers we had ordered (as well as the handcrafted rootbeer I had to take home), was just around $30. Now THAT is budget-friendly. And to think, if we hadn’t splurged for beers, we would have spent around $20 for a delicious three-course meal, great service and somewhere we look forward to frequenting again – soon. 

Maybe this time we will bring the kids…maybe. 


Remember, the PARTY FOR TWO for only $19.95 is available NATIONWIDE now until April 29, so you need to make plans now to visit your local BJs Restaurant to score this great deal!

Find your closest BJs Restaurant location, menu options and more here: 




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. #pmedia #Bjsrestaurants http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO. 

Food Fridays: Wiener Power at Hoffman Hots {Review}

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Food Fridays:

First of all, I’m not a wiener-kind of girl…

WAIT – Let me rephrase – I don’t really like hot dogs. I’ll score one at a Rangers game about once a year and then I’m good until next season. However, when I asked my son lately where he’d like to eat BESIDES Chick-Fil-A, he responded with “hot dogs.” Since he loves going over “The Big D Bridge” (Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge) and I couldn’t bare the thought of hitting up the Sonic, we made the best of both worlds work and hit up Hoffman Hots.

I’ll tell you I wasn’t quite sure what to expect since I had done no research except what Google had done to get me there, we parked in the dirt parking lot of the up-and-coming (still very much coming) Trinity Groves and made our way in.


Wow – it was crowded and only on a Tuesday at this kitchy,  little diner spot. But we bellied up to the line and made our way through to make our first order for a Oreo Milk Shake (we decided if we were going to enjoy this experience, it was going to include the whole enchilada.) We then checked out the creatively concise menu and chose to get a little of it all:

  • Asian dog
  • Sweet and smokey dog
  • good ‘ole plain
  • mac n cheese
  • tator tots
  • asian slaw 
  • Triple XXX rootbeers
  • Totalling around $40 (these better be good dogs!)
Seating did not come easy and thankfully, I had only the four-year old who could sit on the stool booths along the wall we’d claimed (babies in carried or boosters, this might not be the place for you). It didn’t take too long and we had our food. Let the fun begin. 

All in all, it was good. My son was excited to eat the mac, which tasted like a run-of-the-mill Velveta kind of stuff, classic tator tots and an ok Asian slaw. The dogs were the standouts in the lineup and they should be – with the Sweet and Smokey claiming the prize for the reason I’ll go back to this place #1. Made with a kielbasa, their proprietary bun like you’ve never had, a sweet glaze and a gouda-pimento cheese with bacon, it was really good stuff. Like the kind of stuff you drive to when you want to be really bad and eat a good hot dog. 

When we return I can’t wait to try out the outdoor benches and perhaps a real beer and maybe just the big kids next time. It’s fun and worth the drive to see and taste where Dallas is going in the future!

Hoffman Hots
340 Singleton
Dallas, Texas 75212

(214) 760-9977
http://www.hofmannhotdogs.com

I Want Some More Please: 4 Super Soups to Satisfy and Minimize

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Food Fridays:

I have a confession. 

I’m slightly obsessed with soup. I mean really. 

Getting the soup monkey off my back with Corn Chowder at East Hampton Sandwich Co. 

While some women will go in the middle of the night for a preggo food fit, I’ll drive hours away to score the perfect bowl of soup. And compound that with my pregnancy there’s nothing stopping a good soup stop. At my OB/GYNO, there was this little cafe called Alonti and they served the most amazing “Italian Wedding Soup.” While not a traditional recipe, but one with chicken, cream and wonderful goodness. So much so, that when I was pregnant with my second, it continued to be a part of my routine: first go to the appointment and then followup up with a big cup of the soup. 

And then one day, I went and it was gone. Closed down. Finito. (Good for my waistline, bad for my craving.)

So I went to the internet to scour for the recipe, but I quickly discovered this was going to be like trying to find the formula for Coca-Cola. I did get close with the photo below from a blog called “Cookinginflipflops.com,” but unfortunately, the website doesn’t work anymore. I was able to find a photo and filed it on Pinterest in hopes to at least remember what it tasted like and maybe one day get a recipe. 

Oh woe is me as tears of chicken broth come down my cheek. But then Pinterest came and brought me a kleenex and a recipe for it. While it was a close second, it still doesn’t cure the sickness that ailed me (but it’ll work in fix.)

While this photo is from cookinginflipflops.com, the site seems to have bit the dust, but has the most hits and photo links back to the soup. Coincidence? I think not. Alonti’s not sharing.
While that soup will continue to be on my list of must-find must-haves, there’s another “Italian” soup that makes me happy, especially when it’s cold and gloomy (like the best day ever for soup): Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscano. With the ideal combination of greens, italian sausage, cream and spiciness, this soup is what makes their soup and salad lunch the best deal ever (for me, not them.) Again, through the magic of Pinterest, I also found a recipe for this stuff. Can’t wait to make it soon to see how close it is.
Unfortunately, just because soup is liquid doesn’t always make it lowfat. (Have you checked out the fat count for the Tomato Basil Soup at La Madeleine?  – don’t.) However, there are some soups that can help you do exactly that – lose weight. Which is particularly good when you’ve been eating either of the soups I’ve covered, you’ll need something to help you knock off that extra few pounds you’ll gain after bowl #10. 

And since it IS February, I’ve actually been divulging more HEALTHY soups.One of those you must look at is the Fat-Flush soup. It’s a whole diet plan, but even if you don’t care about the fat flush part, it is a great winter soup recipe!

Source: fatflush.com via Desiree on Pinterest

And I don’t think talk about lowfat soups without including one of the biggest soup fads, the Cabbage Soup Diet. Again, I’m a little hesistant to eat anything consistently for 1 week, no matter how good it is. But you have to admit, it’s a keeper. 


After making up gallons of soup like the Cabbage Soup, you’ll be eating on it for days. So I was uber excited to find the ideal accessory for a soup-obsessed fan like myself: The Lunch Pot by Black+Blum. 

It’s multifunctional and travel-handy with two bowls that come adjoined with its own little spoon. Also, if you  just want to use one of the bowls, it can fit inside each other. It’s looks kinda like something IKEA would make and it sure is conveneient and works really well. And like all their stuff at Black & Blum, everything looks as though it belongs in an art gallery. 

Of course, with all this talk about soup, I’d be remissed to not bring up my favorite spring event, Empty Bowls, a soup fundraiser in Dallas and Fort Worth for the local food banks. It’s a must go, so learn why here!

DISCLAIMER:
I received one or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC’s 16 CFR Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)




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