Love, love, LOVE having fresh food in the house

Lately, I've been grocery shopping each week specifically for fruit and veggies. We don't seem to eat through the other food fast enough to shop every week. That could be because we usually make those food runs at Costco. Regardless, I have been loving the weekly fresh veggie and fruit fill ups. As soon as I get home I cut everything up and put it in glass containers so they stay as perfectly fresh as the day I bought them until we eat them all up. With the fruit, I wash everything and Brando makes his famous fruit salad. All week we have fresh veggies and fruit to nosh on that takes absolutely no effort to eat. Love that!

Today, I made the usual run and picked up some delicious looking wheat tortillas with garlic and herb, fresh Boar's head hickory smoked turkey, and cucumbers. I already had roasted red pepper and garlic herb goat cheese at home which I am in LOVE with, so I used those for the spread and layered the cucumbers and turkey over it,then wrapped it all up. Delicious and oh so healthy!

Real Life Friends

Saturday I met Linda from Curious Notions and Girl Eats World. She invited me to a foodie event at Manny's Uptown Kitchen. I'm so glad she did! I've been meaning to meet up with her for at least a year now, and finally this was the perfect timing and opportunity. The foodie blog post version of this will have to wait, because meeting Linda was the highlight of the event.

The thing about meeting bloggers for the first time is you're never really meeting them for the first time if you read each other's blogs. It's more like meeting up with an old friend that you haven't seen in awhile, where you can't stop talking for the next three hours straight. Especially if you've already emailed and commented back and forth quite a bit. What I didn't expect was to laugh so darn much. Along with the non-stop laughing, we never once ran out of things to say. I'm pretty sure we scared our table partner a little bit with our rabbit trail conversations that covered everything from cow parks to the benefits of wearing makeup. At one point we were stifling our laughter as the judges were making their comments on the reuben sandwiches. If I didn't think we would've been kicked out of there, I wouldn't have tried so hard to be quiet.

It's bad enough I was sneaking out my barely eaten leftovers for Brando (sorry, Manny's! But my nephew who we forgot to cancel as a babysitter and who showed up to babysit when we'd already dropped my son off elsewhere loved it so THANK YOU) and got strange looks on the way out as we weren't allowed to take leftovers. Who knew Reuben's were so filling?! Although I still think I gained ten pounds just eating the half Reuben I did.

Besides stifling our laughter and sneaking out leftovers, I'm pretty sure we built a repertoire of inside jokes in only two hours. Two hours which absolutely flew by, that is. Speaking of inside jokes, we were having fun too much fun to take pictures, but I found these two similarish pictures of us instead.

I feel so fortunate to have found a new friend, and such a real, down to earth one that's gorgeous to boot, and can't wait to see her again and conquer feeling too shy together at the next Ladies who Lunch.

Summertime Mealtime

After having Brando's friend Big Shawners grocery shop for us, then come home and slave in our kitchen for four hours making three delicious meals for us that lasted us all week, and then hearing Allison rave again about her delicious meals made in advance for the entire week, I finally decided I would do it myself. After Big Shawners wasn't available to come over tonight and do it again, that is.

So, tonight, Brando and I grocery shopped and slaved for four hours to make three (hopefully all) delicious meals that will hopefully last us the week. Grocery shopping together was a BLAST, especially sending the boys in all different directions to get ingredients (out of the whole list, I'm pretty sure Brando and I only got two items ourselves), coming home and all four of us putting all the ingredients together - washing, chopping, putting together, all the while I was making the ingredients pretty in their own individual bowls whilst Brando made fun of me,

and then finally, FINALLY eating my delicious plate of chicken, red pepper, and onion kabobs marinated in soy sauce, honey, and olive oil with fresh green beans, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and basil.

So excited for beef bourgouignon with red wine, carrots, and onions,

asparagus with fresh squeezed lime and garlic,

rosemary potatoes,

and goat cheese, basil, and bread crumb stuffed tomatoes.

ph. by Brando (except for the 3rd ph.), unedited because I stole them too quickly

Gorgeousness that is a true Farmers' Market in Texas

Who knew Cedar Park would be the first one in all of Austin where I would see something that actually resembles a REAL Farmers' Market? One that actually has tables laden with colorful vegetables, flowers, fruit, and music. Don't get me wrong, there is a particular little Farmers' Market in East Austin that I ADORE and have yet to post on. However, it is missing the quintessential ingredient for a farmers' market that I so loved about California: loads of produce. Cedar Park Farms to Market has this aspect down spot on.

Enjoy the splash of colors and pray that they find a spot soon, as 1890 Ranch shopping area has kicked them out of their parking lot (intimidated by their 3000 visitors on the first day much? Too bad those same clients also patronized their stores and no longer will when the market has to move elsewhere). I'm thinking Cedar Park Event Center would be absolutely perfect!

Sweets from Sweetish Hill Bakery are the perfect way to start off a farmers' market morning, even better when you can grab it straight from the Farmers' Market itself

along with a fresh baked loaf of sprouted wheat bread.

How beautiful are those green onions!

Herbs and flowers - unfortunately, the name of the booth slipped by me

I wasn't even sure Texas was capable of producing this much variety and color of produce. From the adorable family at Two Happy Children Farm in Taylor, Texas.

Liberty Oak Farms produce-rich tables

and they have a horse farm in Liberty Hill as well. How fabulous!

The nectar of many local Austinites - Round Rock Honey

My precious little man and I having a Mommy and Shawners day.

He adores marigolds, so of course we had to get some of the gorgeous ones they had - wish I had taken better notes of the different business names as I missed this one as well!

Hairston Creek Farms and their beautiful red organic strawberries from Bertram, Texas

Tecolote Farm's abundance of organic goodness from Manor, Texas

After all of that beauty, of course I couldn't resist spending on all the pretty things. We came home bearing bundles of cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, sprouted wheat bread, cinnamon rolls, bear claws, and marigolds, to plant the marigolds in our potted garden and enjoy a delicious cucumber, tomato, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and herb salad that evening.

Update on April 30, 2011: They found a new location in the Lakeline Mall parking area! Though I have yet to visit their new location, I really cannot wait. They seem to have only gotten bigger and better since I last posted this.

Austin's Tasty Up Trailer Tour

Because it's rainy and ugly, and I want it to be the weather where I could do this again right now.

Jackie and Ryan joined the four of us for Austin's Tasty Up Trailer Tour,

the brainchild of Addie Broyles and Jodi of Tasty Touring. In the spirit of the latest and greatest craze of delicious and local food, the Tasty Up is a fabulous concept involving under $3 menu choices at some of the most delicious trailers tour stops around Austin. As a result, allowing one to try way more than one trailer on one budget, and one tummy. Our first stop was La Boite

for our nametags

and free french press coffee

starting the tour off right. Their concept of french pastries makes me excited to try them again.

This was the absolute fabulous scene that greeted us and made my heart smile.

Our boys joined us for this event, and surprisingly buried themselves in books

while we enjoyed our coffee then waited at our infamous second stop.

Our second stop was The Texas Cuban, a hot pressed sandwich joint that reminded me of a bbq joint mixed with a little international flair.

Unfortunately a forty minute wait ended with a refund as they were totally unprepared for the crowds that awaited them and started giving out refunds by the handful.

Hope they took me up on my suggestion of announcing via twitter another day where you could obtain their Trailer Tour specials to make up for it. Unfortunately, I'm not aware if they did. Their one redeeming quality was their Dr. Pepper with Imperial Sugar.

Quite a treat for my boys who are normally denied soda by Mommy.

Our third stop was Odd Duck farm to trailer, a fabulous concept of small plates of gourmet food, headed up by Bryce, former sous chef of Cafe 909 in Marble Falls, who also happens to be the son of the owner of Z'Tejas Grill. Fortunately we were fourth in line because the line quickly grew.

Shawners was fascinated with the cooking process,

as was I last time I came. The choices this time were equally amazing.

We ordered the grilled half quail with sweet potato puree, pecans, and sage,

the carrot soup shot with paprika,

and the gulf shrimp with citrus marinated cauliflower.

The only item I wasn't a fan of was the shrimp, with it tasting a little fishy to me, but the rest of the group loved it. The carrot soup shot was absolutely amazing. Shawners had his first quail ever in the form of a tiny drumstick, and wanted more when he was done. I had to have a picture, but he was very upset about that.

Our fourth stop was Gourdough's.

Delicious yumminess in the form of doughnuts - and in this particular case, five donut holes. If I remember what all they were - Flying Pig, bacon with maple syrup icing, Slow Burn, habarnero pepper jelly with cream cheese icing, Miss Shortcake, cream cheese icing with fresh cut strawberries, and Coco Loco, coconut filling with cream cheese and pineapple icing.

I wish they offered these on a regular basis because it's all I can handle of the overboard calorific deliciousness. As a side note, a doughnut from there does last me five days.

Our fifth stop was Austin Daily Press, a hot bed of panninis, only on crispier, crunchier, yummier bread.

Oh. my. goodness. My favorite stop on the trailer tour at this point.

I ordered the Mozzarello, Roma Tomato, and Balsamic Pesto,

and Jackie ordered the Meatball, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Marinara, both which came in their adorable and ecogreen wrapping.

Both were amazing, although I preferred mine. Especially because I gave my square of the meatball to Brando since he couldn't eat the pine nuts in the pesto.

The setting here struck me the most

with the fire pit

next to the babbling brook,

the painted spools to gather around, eat, and talk on a warm summer night,

and the fun little kid toys my boys had way too much fun with.

They have this location on South 1st during the day and are open in the parking lot of the Mohawk at night for a healthy late night alternative when you've had too much fun watching live music and drinking good drinks at the Mohawk, Stubb's, or Emo's nearby.

Our sixth stop was the much talked about G'raj Mahal, an Indian food trailer with a totally unexpected outdoor seating area

and even more unexpected art.

Even though their undeveloped website makes me giggle with! the! exclamation! marks!, I don't really think Indian food sits well with me at all. This is the second time I've had it and the second time I wasn't impressed. The first time Brando had a major allergic reaction (apparently they use a lot of pistachios in there sauces, the nut Brando happens to be allergic to most - who knew?). The second time neither of our throats or stomachs sat well afterwards and all we had was a samosa.

Also, the Kulfi was not a hit with even our most ice cream loving man, Shawners. As I read the description now "pistachio-cardamom kulfi" I'm realllly glad Brando didn't eat it. The rest of our group seemed to enjoy their samosas though.

Our next stop was not on the trailer tour, but a pleasant little surprise nonetheless. Town Market serves as a teeny little two story

natural convenience store for the apartment building above it and around it. Their selection gave you a healthy array of plenty of quick meal and snack options

and their bread display was enviable with a view of the lake on one side and a view of the high rise condos on the other.

Tiny, but adequate, we spent a good fifteen minutes in here chatting with the guy running it,

who informed us the store was an offshoot of Cissi's Market, another local favorite.

Our final stop was on the east side and involved parking a ways down the street as we attempted an unsuccesful stop prior, but the walk was enjoyable and much needed for our full tummies. I love the feel of the east side and the unique character in the buildings.

Also, I love that Mai joined us for a moment on her last day before heading off for tour for way too long.

Trailer Perk turned out to be my second favorite of the day,

with their half price coffees

and hot chocolates for the boys suckering me in,

and their way too fresh and delicious Kasey Shayne sandwich with roast beef, provolone, fresh tomato, and chimichurri.

This was my first time tasting chimichurri, which appears similar to pesto but is made of fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and it was oh so delicious. As our last stop we stayed, chatted,

and rested (notice Brando in the back)

for a bit.

We were exhausted after our last round and all too content to go home full and happy. The way to our hearts was definitely through our tummies that day, and I can't wait to eat at the majority of these places again.