The tooth fairy comes!!!

M & G's Burgers

We went on a family outing this past Sunday to Marin and stopped off at M & G's Burgers in Fairfax. We were intrigued by the old look of it, plus we were craving some fries and a good milkshake. I always judge a diner on the milkshakes....I want them thick and creamy. This place had a sign up that said something along the lines of bragging about their milkshakes...so I was excited. The milkshake was awful! Thin, icy, and they served it in a freaking Pepsi paper cup with a flimsy straw. Blah! It was disappointing to say the least, however Bella said she liked her chocolate shake, but she is 5 and likes anything that tastes like chocolate.

Besides that bad dining experience, we had a great day together as a family. We walked the rest of the downtown area in Fairfax, then headed to downtown San Rafael for a latte. Family days are the best!

Kinda off the subject of cooking BUT.....

Bella lost her first tooth! And we got a visit from the tooth fairy last night!

Sandwiches

Bella wanted to do a blog post today a poem about food called "sandwiches." Here is what she has to say about them.....

I want to eat a sandwich.

I want to eat a hotdog.

I want to eat a banana.

I want to eat eggs.

I want to eat yolks.

I love you.

by Bella

Well, we picked the right time to start growing our own strawberries...this is outrageous!

Farmers planting strawberries and other crops in California will soon have to contend with cancer-causing poisin instead of bugs, worms, and fungus if regulators get their wish.

We went to France last night!

On the menu for dinner last night was some potato and leek soup (potage parmentier) and onion and bacon pie (Flammkuche). It was cold yesterday so we were craving some warm, yummy comfort food!

Potato and Leek Soup (Potage Parmentier)

1 lb all purpose potatoes, peeled and diced

1 lb leeks, trimmed and washed well, thinly sliced

8 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp salt 2 tbsp minced parsley

2 tbsp unsalted butter

4 tbsp heavy cream

1. Combine the potatoes, leeks, broth, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 40 min.

2. Mash the potatoes and leeks against the side of the pot with a large spoon. Taste and add salt if necessary.

3. Before serving, stir in parsley, butter, and cream.

Onion and Bacon Pie (Flammkuche)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

3/4 c warm water

6 slices thick cut smoked bacon, diced

4 tbsp unsalted butter

3 lbs onions, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup creme fraiche

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. In separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and oil in bowl. Once yeast is dissolved, pour into bowl with flour, salt and oil. Knead dough for about 8 min.

2. Place the dough in a large greased mixing bowl. Cover and let rise 1 - 1 1/2 hours until it doubles in size.

3. Prepare the filling while the dough rises. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over med. high heat until the fat is rendered but not browned. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Add the butter. When melted, add the onions and cook until soft and golden, about 20 min. Remove from the pan to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, draining away most of the fat. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool for 30 min. Stir in the creme fraiche.

4. Punch down the risen dough. Lightly flour and roll out into a 12 inch circle. Place on a pizza pan. Spread the onion mixture over the dough. Scatter the bacon on top. Let rise 30 min.

5. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the flammkuche on rack and back for 30 min. or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 min.

It was a little time consuming, but well worth it! To save time, you could always buy pre made pizza dough.

Bon Apetit!

Dump Whatever You Have on Hand in a Pot Pasta Sauce!

I felt like getting crafty for lunch today...because it's saturday, we're bored, and we're hungry! So I decided to make a big pasta dish because I had a few veggies on hand I really needed to use before they went bad! You can mix this recipe up with whatever veggies you have on hand. Here is what I had:

1 Bunch Carrots chopped

8 Roma tomatoes chopped

1 onion

1 clove garlic

1 package mushrooms sliced

1 handful basil chopped

long drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper

1 lb bowtie pasta

Directions:

Cut up all the veggies, dump them in the pot, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn stove burner on medium low and stir in a long drizzle of olive oil. Let simmer about an hour.

Cook the pasta and throw in the pot when it's done and you're ready to serve. I also had some broccoli on hand today so I threw that in the pasta water and let cook about 2 minutes, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Yummy
Yummy