Food Friday: Cumin-Cilantro Sauce

We first had this amazing sauce while on vacation in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. The restaurant where we sampled it wouldn't give the recipe to us - a bit of experimenting solved the mystery.

Enjoy it on pasta, fish and poultry. YUM.

Cumin-Cilantro Sauce

• 1 c. honey
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 t. cumin
• 2/3 c. chopped pecans
• 1 bunch cilantro

Combine ingredients. (I got to use my new handheld blender. Yay!!)

Blend until smooth.

Serve and enjoy!

Getting Our Landscape in Order

We've finally done it - we have a landscape plan for the front yard!

It will be a few months before we have the cash in hand to pay for the work that needs to be done -  removing our trees, tilling the yard, repair/install the irrigation system, installing sod and installing the new decorative landscape.

I.Can.Hardly.Wait.

In the meantime, we've taken advantage of warmer winter days and cut down a bunch of the trees and shrubs in the backyard that need to go. While it will be a while before we have a plan designed and installation done back there (no one can see it in its pitiful state, thank goodness!), the trees were harming the foundation and the shrubs were half-dead. By removing them ourselves, we've saved quite a bit of money in the eventual project.

Dinner at Whiskey Cake

I love Whiskey Cake - both the dessert and the restaurant where I first enjoyed it. After I had lunch there for the first time several years ago, I knew I had to come back with Kelly.

It's just a shame that it took four years to find a time to go together!

The menu changes seasonally:

But it always features delicious cocktails.

We ordered fried green tomatoes and mesquite-grilled mussels as our appetizer. Both were delicious but Kelly and I agreed that we'd happily order the mussels again, but add a salad to make it a stand-alone meal.

We split the OMG Burger - Onions, Mushrooms and Goodness. They brought it to us on separate plates, very convenient. The house-made potato chips were amazing.

We finished with an order of whiskey cake - get the whipped cream on the side and dab the amount you want as you go.

In case you're wondering, it tastes like this. (This is a very happy satisfied over-the-moon face.)

We also had a bit of fun with the general manager, Tanner, comparing a couple of bottles of classic whiskey. The Colonel Taylor is surprisingly excellent!

Tanner, you're excellent.

Kelly agrees.

At this rate, we almost missed our movie. Almost, not quite.

Speaking of excellent, our server Chad was great. Ask for him when you go in for brunch, lunch or dinner. He knows the menu inside and out and is just a really nice guy.

Kelly couldn't believe we waited so long to go for dinner. It's now on our rotation of places to enjoy around town!

Food Friday: Gluhwein

We were first introduced to glühwein while at Fritzl's for dinner with friends. It's essentially a German mulled wine.

I'm sure every family has their own version - here's what we now make at home.

Glühwein 

Original recipe here

• 2 medium lemons
• 2 medium oranges
• 10 whole cloves
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1 1/4 c granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 c water
• 2 (3") cinnamon sticks
• 2 (750 ml) bottles dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Beaujolais Nouveau
• 1/2 c brandy

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemons and oranges in wide strips, avoiding the white pith. Place the zest in a large saucepan. Juice the lemons and oranges and add the juice to the pan. Place the cloves and cardamom in a small piece of cheesecloth, tie it tightly with butcher’s twine, and add the bundle to the saucepan. Add the sugar, water and cinnamon sticks, place the pan over high heat, and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by about one-third, about 20 minutes. Add the red wine and brandy, stir to combine, and bring just to a simmer (don’t let it boil). Remove from the heat and remove and discard the spice bundle before serving.

We kept our glühwein warm all day in the crockpot and enjoyed a steaming mug-full as we snuggled on the sofa watching holiday films.

How to Donate a Tube TV

Slowly but surely I'm clearing the game/craft project room - it's lived the past 4 years as a dumping ground. For a woman who is anti-clutter, it's a downright embarrassment.

I'm not going to post a photo of the room. Not happening.

Anyway, one thing that I determined must go was our old tube television. We replaced it with a nice flatscreen soon after we moved into the Hayley House in 2009. We kept the old television upstairs, unsure if we were going to do something special with that room that could use the television.

Six-and-a-half years later, we paid off the house and were still storing a tube television. Enough was enough.

So I started exploring how to get rid of it. 

I tried giving it away on Craiglist. The television stand garnered plenty of interest but the television didn't.

I thought about throwing it away, but it's against the law to put it out for trash collection as the tube is an environmental hazard.

My city allows for electronic recycling, but there was a $25 fee associated with the recycling. The fee isn't outrageous - I'm sure it's applied towards the cost of mitigating the hazard.

What I noticed, however, was that there was a free option: Deliver the television to one of the city's approved recycling partners. In Plano, that was Best Buy.

I didn't want to pay a fee - I was trying to rid myself of the thing and didn't feel predisposed to pay for the privilege - so I opted to take it to Best Buy.

I'd forgotten how heavy tube televisions are. Oh my gosh. It was a chore to get it downstairs. The thing was heavy, awkward to carry and our home has pre-installed furry cat trip hazards. 

Once I got it downstairs and into the car, the next hurdle was getting it out of the car and into a shopping cart at Best Buy. I recommend using the pallet carts instead. I used the "Find a nice strong man walking by in the parking lot to help you" method, which worked well for me but that's not always convenient.

From there, I just took the television inside and a helpful clerk took the television from me at the door. Easy-peasy, recycling complete!

My recommendation is that you carefully research your municipality's guidelines for disposing of a tube television. There's nearly always a free option if you want one.

For You, Taste of Poland

Who knew that Polish food has so many commonalities with German and Russian food?

(Maybe anyone who thinks carefully about the back-and-forth history of Eastern Europe.)

Even so, I found the food at Plano's For You, Taste of Poland to be both delicious and familiar - just what I like in homestyle comfort food.

But on an even more "who knew" front, did you know that I'm now writing monthly for Plano Profile magazine? Each month, a colleague and I visit one of Plano's "Hidden Gem" restaurants. Our goal is to showcase the wide variety of food available in Plano as well as the many different cultures that call the city home.

Check out our review of For You, Taste of Poland in the January issue of Plano Profile by clicking here.

Road Food: Kellys Family Farm Stand

Grass fed beef is really good for you. Finding it is a bit more of a challenge.

When I learned that a local family not only sells grass fed beef, but also sells burgers out of a trailer on their ranch, I knew we had to stop.

Kelly Family Farms is about 20 minutes from our house (and less than 15 minutes from our offices - dangerous!). It's little more than a wide spot on the side of the road, but there are plenty of picnic tables and places to park.

If you choose to stay to eat rather than taking to go, each table offers a good view of the countryside. In a growing metroplex, that's tough to find and makes eating there a better choice nearly all the time.

You can have a burger or you can have a cheeseburger. I like keeping things simple. You can also get onions and jalapenos - and you can choose to have those fresh or grilled. I like having options. And by the way, you should always choose to grill if you can...much more flavor that way. But if you don't, I won't judge you. (Too much, anyway.)

There are even "facilities" on site if you need them. Ahem.

Kelly Family Farms was a super fun stop for a burger and we're happy to have a nearby location to buy ground beef when we need it. That's a win-win in our books!

The Long-Awaited Visit to Off-Site Kitchen

We finally found time to stop at Off-Site Kitchen for a burger. I've wanted to go forever, but parking at the original location (little more than a shack near downtown Dallas) was tough.

Backgrounder: Off-Site Kitchen (OSK) started as an off-shoot food stand associated with the meat prep facility for a locally owned restaurant chain. The burgers served were soooooo amazing that the owner decided to move into a new location in Dallas' hip Trinity Groves restaurant development.

(Side note: We totally need a Trinity Groves type development in Plano. Someone work on that, ok?)

When we first tried to go for a burger, OSK wasn't open yet. Fast forward four months and we finally found ourselves downtown with time available for lunch.

The vibe is cool. I didn't take any photos outside because it was windy and cold, but there are picnic tables and a variety of outdoor games.

Inside...cooler after cooler of beer, with el cheapo options as well as local varieties.

Plus a cooler full of fun canned soda and cold candy bars. Just like you might keep them at home back in the day.

The drink station has handmade labels and options from the standard Coke to locally made Oak Cliff sodas.

And a host of other drinks - regular and sweet tea, lemonade, punch and more.

The kitchen is open so you can see everyone at work.

We also spotted three frozen drink machines tucked away - full of frozen adult beverages. We couldn't resist the frozen bourbon coke. Or the Oak Cliff Root Beer. Both were delicious.

And the food. OH YUM.

I only ordered one side of fresh cut russet potato fries. That was a mistake that I won't make again. They were flavorful, crispy, not at all greasy with just the right amount of salt.

I ordered the Green Chile Bacon burger. The meat - 1/3 lb - was amazing. In addition to the bacon and green chile, it came with carmelized onions and muenster cheese.

Kelly ordered the Locals Only burger. It came with mustard (no mayo), American cheese, bacon and jalapenos. He was very very happy.

Now I'm super sad that OSK doesn't have a location further north. Maybe that will change someday soon?

Food Friday: Cinnamon Chip Bread

I had time on my hands one Saturday, so decided to make some yeast bread. (It takes several hours to make a proper yeast bread, with the prepare-rise-punch down-rise again-bake series required.)

I've been on a bit of pantry-clean out of late. The discovery of 4.5 bags of cinnamon chips hiding in the refrigerator was definitely a trigger for this sweet bread.

And sweet it is - think of it as a delicious breakfast bread. It would also be nice for French toast. 

Cinnamon Chip Bread

Source

• 2 1/4 t active dry yeast
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 c warm water
• 1 c warm milk
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 c cinnamon chips, no more

In a large bowl combine yeast, sugar and warm water and allow to sit for 5 minutes. It should be bubbly and frothy - start over if it doesn't. Add milk, oil and egg, and combine. Slowly add 2 cups of flour, mix and then add the salt. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. The dough will be very sticky (note from Shannah: This is an understatement - it was extremely sticky!!), but the softer the dough the lighter the bread will be. Use the least amount of flour you can handle.

Add the cinnamon chips and mix just until incorporated. Since the dough is slightly warm, the chips will melt everywhere if you mix it too long. Transfer the dough to a greased mixing bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size. Punch down dough and divide in half. Form each half into a loaf and place into two greased loaf pans. Allow to rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. 

I baked these in small loaf pans and got 4 loaves out of the batch. The bread freezes well.

Dive Expedition: Fish Shack

If a little tiny local place that you've driven by for years is named "Best seafood shack outside of New Orleans," you have an obligation to try it out.

At least that's what I think. So that's why Kelly and I went to the Fish Shack in Plano for dinner.

It is tiny and the lines can get long - always a good sign. And there are signs telling you not to grab a table until after you order.

Tables are simple, no frills. Paper towels, every different condiment that you could want - from standard hot sauce to Tabasco to malt vinegar. Plus saltines. Nice.

We ordered a fried basket to share. The fried goods were crisp-tender and not greasy. Yum. The tarter sauce, always an important element for me, was delicious. The fries were ok, but not a style that I prefer. I like thin-crisp fries, these were fat-tender. To each their own.

We also ordered a side of hush puppies. Yum-o. I'd order those again.

Would we go back? Yes - even though street construction in front makes it extremely difficult to get into the parking lot.  Fish Shack isn't the place to go for Cajun cooking, so it's not the best seafood that I've had outside of New Orleans.

However, it is a great place to get a good order of fried catfish and hushpuppies...East Texas style. We've had a hard time finding that since our favorite place in Noonday, Red Acker's, closed. Problem solved. Thanks, Fish Shack!

Feeling Crafty: A Running Toolbox

Back for a second project designed to get the Dallas Galloway running group a little more organized.

Last season, our medical supplies were tossed into a box.

And our medical supplies were pretty basic: Advil, band aids and a bottle of insect repellent. Hardly as thorough as we would have liked.

So after the season ended, I picked up an inexpensive storage box (just $4). I went with red because that's a universal first aid color.

Then I filled it with all types of things that come in handy during the running year, from avoiding chafing to fixing ripped clothing, and from cuts and scrapes to depleted electrolyte levels.

Contents: 

• KT Tape
• Bandaids
• Non-stick gauze pads
• Non-stick medical tape
• Advil
• Electrolyte pills
• Personal-sized anti-chafing lotion (for the days that runners forget!)
• Vasoline
• Insect repellent
• Safety pins

Now we've got everything we need in one handy small container. More importantly, our runners know exactly where to look if they are in need of emergency supplies.

Feeling Crafty - And Organized

We've learned a lot after our first season leading the Dallas Galloway marathon/half marathon training program.

One thing I learned was that I needed to be a bit more organized with our running supplies.

First up: Organizing the piles of training shirts that our runners receive at season kick off.

To keep the process simple, I purchased several self-seat laminating pouches - the kind you would use to create a quick and easy luggage tag.

Then I used Canva to create tags for each type of shirt. The photo is one our runners took during the running season. I just changed the color overlay to blue for guys and pink for gals. That way we can tell at a quick glance which is which.

Tags go into the laminating pouches, press to close and attach a hanging strap. Very easy!

I fastened each tag to a separate bag of shirts - no more fumbling to find the right size when we're distributing shirts next season!

The Holidays in a Cup

It's an indescribable sadness to arrive at the gelato shop on a 80F Christmas Eve only to find out that they closed 5 minutes before you arrived.

But if you're determined, you'll regroup and return the day after Christmas for a bite of seasonal sweetness...

In our case, that was Paciugo's eggnog gelato. We also tried the peppermint (excellent and highly recommended) for a holiday flavor explosion.

It was worth the return trip. 

The Word for 2016 | Transformational

Our word for last year was "Overcome." When I wrote of selecting that word, just over a year ago, I said:

I think we're entering a season of overcoming what was and beginning to dream about what can be. ... I can't wait to look back on December 31, 2015, to see all the ways we experienced God's promise that we are overcomers.

So what did we see in that look back?

We were overcomers - in ways we didn't expect.

• We paid off our house 5.5 months early.
• I landed in the job of my dreams.
• We dealt with the loss of our beloved Ben and a change in dynamics of adding two new kittens.
• We started work on long-awaited renovations to the Hayley House.
• We met with our financial adviser to have our first-ever "What's next" discussion instead of  a "When we" discussion.

It's crazy.

So when Kelly and I sat outside on Christmas Day (an unbelievably 80F gorgeous day here in Texas, y'all), I asked him what might characterize 2016.

We decided that 2016 will be Transformational.

While we expect a transformation in basic things:

• The look of the Hayley House as we cash flow renovations.
• Our fitness level as we return to our old strength+cardio routines.
• A better life-work balance as we continue to adjust to life-and-work for both of us in Plano.
• An approach to rest, as we start to take vacations again now that the house is paid for.

It's the transformation in other areas that we're curious about.

• How will our level of generosity change? (Being generous - beyond the tithe - is a choice.)
• How will our family reinvent itself?
• How will our connection to community change?
• How will our friendships evolve?

Based on past experience, we know that we can't even begin to imagine what the future will hold - though it's still fun to guess, to dream, to hope and to plan.

2016...We're ready for you.

Hayley Year-in-Review

We're continuing our unintentional tradition of creating a digital year-in-review holiday card rather than sending a printed card to everyone on our address list.

Maybe one day we'll get better about doing that. 

Probably not.

Best wishes to you and yours in the 2016!

Dive Expedition: Mumtaz

Kelly's been craving Indian food.

Craving in a must-get-some-soon-or-life-might-end kind of way. 

I didn't want to drive to Richardson (egads...a whole 15 minutes south from Plano!) to our old standby, Kebab and Kurry, so we tried out a new-to-us place that I'd heard good things about, Mumtaz Indian Restaurant.

They have a good-sized buffet table with a good selection of dishes, from sweet to spicy, vegetarian to traditional meats (goat and/or lamb).

Everything was super fresh and flavorful. What's even better is that they offer a buffet at lunch and dinner, weekday and weekend. Tuesdays offer a lower price-point, making it a great day to get your spice on.

But we haven't let a day of the week stop us - we've gone three times now and have been impressed with the variety each time we've been. 

Looks like we don't have to make that drive to Richardson anytime soon...!

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright