All the rice you can eat ?!
My Step-Daughter Shannon “let” us babysit for my granddaughter starting at 6:30 am today. The little one is oh so cute and really easy to watch except she bosses all of us around. (it’s still adorable but ask again in a few years) She sat on my lap to watch her TV shows and had a special eyes in the back of the head sense that knew when I was trying to close my eyes….Like I said…6:30am! Her mom works and goes to school so we don’t get to see her as often as we’d like but today we got a special treat. I got a phone call later in the day asking if we’d like to go to the Chinese Buffet with them. Heck yeah, No need to ask twice. The boys had never been and I’m sure believed Chinese food only gets delivered in little white boxes. When I told Ian about it he said…Rice? As much as we can eat? Whoo Hooo!!!!! Rice? the poor boy. I have deprived him. If you haven’t been there….The Chinese Buffet is warehouse sized. There must have been at least 7 double sided buffet lines and people scampering everywhere to make sure they are well stocked including a fresh sushi bar. I told the boys to try anything and everything they ever wanted to. We had a lot of firsts on our table. Hayden ate lots of crab legs, and Caleb finally tried sushi (hated the sticky rice..ended up trying to flick it off his fingers like a….well…like a….he said booger ewww I know but it was funny). Ian, well, Ian came back with something different every time. No food was wasted as they ate like they had been starving. One of my highlights was when they kept sneaking back to the table with a fortune cookie…They really thought they were sneaking…I had to remind them it was part of the buffet and paid for….The floodgates were open on the fortunes after that! The night began with rubbing Buddha’s belly for luck and ended with wishes in the koi pond. We had a great time and they have declared this their new favorite restaurant. One more new experience down…a million and two to go!
“Fine” Dining Out ?
The kids and I had an occasion to eat at Beggar’s Pizza (a casual family pizza place) last night with my mom and my sister Lucy. We took the largest table next to the biggest screen playing the NCAA Kansas vs. Iowa game. The ambiance of the place, if your not familiar, features a Hobbo/Beggar for the logo, is decorated with NASCAR digital clocks, and posters for beer and sports. The waitress took our order for oversized slices, curly fries and garlic bread as we settled in for conversation. Hayden, sitting next to Aunt Lucy, said…”Is this a fancy restaurant?” My sister replied…What? No, Why??? He said…”Well, I was wondering because they have forks here.” She just did the slow turn and looked at me. I had to laugh…really….FORKS??? I have to stop taking my kids to fast food places.
Beggars Pizza 3277 W. 115th St. (Chicago) Merrionette Park‚ IL 60803
Human’s and Hot Dogs at Fat Tommy’s
Fat Tommy’s is a local restaurant we were introduced to via a hot dog wagon at football games. I promised the boys we would eat in after the last game and we did. It’s a little, very casual, family friendly place where the drinks are in a glass cooler behind the counter. The owner happened to be serving that day and asked each child in turn what he would like. Hayden chose a cheese dog smothered in bacon and a Coke. Caleb chose a foot long hot dog, ketchup only, and a lemonade. Ian…well, Ian asked for a beef sandwich and a “human.” I kid you not. The owner looked at me and I shrugged. I had no clue…Ian said..the Human! The Human!… fully expecting that pointing and repeating would make it all clear. It took a minute but we finally figured out that he wanted an Arnold Palmer Lemonade Tee drink. It had a picture of him on the can. Not the “guy drink”, not the “picture drink” but…the human one. Oh Boy. It was a new one for us all and I will have you know that in our house it’s been the “Human Drink” ever since. Caleb ordered a foot long with ketchup. It arrived plain except for this note on the bun alongside the dog. The rest of us laughed. Caleb was mortified. For those of you outside of Chicago this might seem a little crazy…but in this city there is an unspoken law. “NO KETCHUP”. It’s on the table if you must use it, but they will not put it on a hot dog for you. (he did)
I made the mistake of telling the boys they could order whatever they wanted and they took it to heart. The servings were more than generous but these are growing boys. I ended up buying two more beef sandwiches and another hot dog before we left there. I promised next time we could order the pork chop sandwiches they are famous for. They take a half an hour to prepare so I’m not doing that unless I call ahead. I love hanging out with my crew…but hungry, waiting in a public place…yikes. Shivers just thinking about it.
Fat Tommy’s- 3256 W. 111th Street Chicago, IL 60655
Are Fries Still A Vegtable?
I always order our fries well done when we go to a fast food restaurant. Who doesn’t love crunchy fries? I’ve found that when you special order them they are always hot and fresh and not the soggy things they leave under the heat lamp. Ewww We have a rule that each of us has eat at LEAST one fry in the car before we get home and if it doesn’t burn your fingers it’s just not as fun.
Well, ordering them this way leaves them hard and crunchy (little resemblance to the vegetable they once were). Yesterday while eating fries (in the car) Ian took a bite and looked inside the fry itself with a confused look on his face. He looked at me and said..”Momma, this one has mashed potatos crammed inside it. How did they stuff that in there?” Oh boy? Did he really not know that they are French Fried Potatos? I forgot for a minute who I was dealing with. Maybe I just need him to cook with me a little more often instead of ordering from a drive thru. Nah…
Skittles???
We have on occasion veered from the family favorites to introduce new foods. I love casseroles as you’re able to mix everything in one dish and it’s good to go. One night a few years past…I tried a new recipe for tuna noodle casserole. It was the standard fare..Noodles, Tuna and Peas..etc…My son Hayden, Normally not adventurous when trying new dishes, dove right in. At first he was shoveling as fast as his spoon would allow…He slowed to a bite now and then and ending with his head on the table and pushing the food around on his plate…I asked..Don’t you like it honey?…His response…He picked up a pea and said…”What the hell kind a skittles is these!” My oldest son laughed so hard he fell off his chair. I had to turn my back..trying not to laugh at the swear (not allowed) or the look on his face…OMG…Sometimes I soooo love my kids.
