San Antonio - Yum!

As I mentioned, my husband and I went to San Antonio last week. We had a great time, sans one small incident. But I won't talk about that other than to say that 30-23 in OT is much closer than it looks, folks.

We did the good touristy things like going to see the Alamo. In fact, we managed to spend almost three hours there. I think I absorbed pretty much all the Alamo history that I'm going to. If anyone wants to ask me about Clara Driscoll or the Battle of San Jacinto or how much it cost for an acre of land in Mexico, I'm your girl!

We originally tried to go on Monday before the game, but the line was incredibly long, wrapping around the block. We decided to go instead on Tuesday, when we figured most people would have gone home. Unfortunately, the line was still almost as long as it was the previous day, but that's ok. We waited, and it wasn't too bad.



Imagine that. Another picture that I'm not in.



We also saw the Tower of the Americas, but only from the ground. As best I can tell, it's kinda like the Space Needle in Seattle. With a restaurant on top. And an observation deck. Considering that I turn down opportunities to go in the Sears Tower and had a huge claustrophobia issue when my husband made me go up the St Louis arch, we decided to skip it. It was a cool picture at least.

Ostensibly, we went to see the Alamodome.



Or at least the inside of the Alamodome and a particular team who was playing football there. Unfortunately, it didn't quite go our way. Northwestern didn't quite have enough to finish off Mizzou, and that's all we'll say on that topic, thank you.



And now that this part is complete, we'll talk about the part of the trip that was most enjoyable. We spent a lot of time on the Riverwalk. At Christmastime (the only time I've been to San Antonio), they put up cool Christmas lights on the trees around the river and on the boats that go around on it. My husband thinks they should be there permanently, since they add so much to the atmosphere.



Yeah, ok, so my picture turned out horribly. I actually took a bunch, both with and without flash and at varying levels of focus but couldnt' figure out how to get the lights to show up right. (Irene? What am I doing wrong?)

So why hang out on the Riverwalk? Why enjoy San Antonio? Because of the food of course!

Our first stop was Rita's on the River, where we had some rocking margaritas. And I had some great tortilla soup, while my husband enjoyed his nachos. This ranked as the second best margaritas we had on the trip. And yes, this is how I tracked it. This was just our late lunch though, as we needed something to eat but it was too early to really have dinner.

When we finally ate, dinner was delicious fortunately. We had dinner at Ibiza's, which is part of the Hilton, but it's not your typical hotel restaurant. The food was excellent, and their margaritas were the best we had. By far, which shocked me. I had the most tender filet that had a fantastic side with asparagus and fried onions which doesn't sound nearly so good as it was.

The next morning, we went to El Mirador, which is a restaurant in Southtown away from the Riverwalk that a friend of mine who did her residency recommended. Vicky gave me tons of great recommendations, and she insisted that I have a margarita or two on the rocks there while enjoying brunch. So I did. They were the third best margaritas, and the food was fantastic. And surprisingly cheap. I'd definitely return to this one. We actually ate late enough that a) we missed brunch and had lunch instead and b) we didn't really need to eat again until dinner.

We did have a little snack, though, but for the life of me, I can't remember where. It obviously wasn't memorable, as I did a pretty good job of tracking where we ate.

That night, we ate at Boudro's. Oh. My. God. It was the best guacamole that I'd ever eaten. They make it tableside there, which is kind of fun anyway. It cannot possibly be built up too much though. Literally the best I've ever had. I watched carefully to see how much of what they put in so that I could recreate it at home. I've made it twice since I got back late Wednesday night. Guess what Tasty Tuesday is this week! Sadly, I can't remember what my dinner there was, although it was good. Their margaritas were way down on the list though. The prickly pear margarita was fine and interesting but tasted more like it came from a mix than anything else. My husband got a regular one on the rocks and was even more disappointed than I was. I'd go back in a heartbeat for the guacamole though.

The next day, we went to Mad Hatters for breakfast, which was another of Vicky's recommendations. They're a really cute little place that specializes as a tea house in addition to the sandwiches and more that they serve. I had a chicken salad sandwich on sourdough. The bread was disappointing, as it didn't have any of the kick of sourdough that I love, but the chicken salad was truly unique. It had spinach in it, which I would never have thought to add. And of course I had some tea. I had a really hard time deciding what tea to get. A really hard time. If it weren't such a long walk from my hotel, I'd have gone back for more kinds of tea. I ended up with a mango ceylon tea, but so many others I could have chosen. And the sandwiches were huge, almost Perry's (downtown Chicago -- and a place I really miss having lunch at) big!

Again, that was mostly our lunch. However, we decided to have a snack before walking over to the Alamodome for the game. So we went back to Boudro's. Just for the guacamole. Now, had Boudro's and the guac not been a Vicky recommendation, I probably would not have gotten it. Really, do I need $8 guacamole? Yes. Yes, I do. In fact, when we went for our umm snack... my husband and I each got our own order. It's really that good.

Tuesday morning, we had brunch at a restaurant near our hotel, The Original Blanco Cafe -- because I guess there were imitators. This was much more of a local hangout, and as usual, we didn't get our acts fully together until it was almost lunchtime, so it was more like lunch than anything else. I was disappointed, as my food was really not at all flavorful, but let me clear Vicky's name and tell you this wasn't one of her recommendations.

Dinner that night was with some friends from home who arrogantly wanted to meet for dinner on Tuesday so we could celebrate the Cats' victory. Yeah, not so much. Pesca's on the river was quite good though, although I was disappointed by the service. As in they forgot to take my drink and dessert order and neglected to serve me any wine. Here I strayed from my ways and got a raspberry lemon drop. Both the other woman and I were not impressed. The food, on the other hand, was fantastic. I had a seared ahi that was meaty and perfectly served, if a bit salty. Everyone else enjoyed their meals, as well. Dessert was iffy though. Like I said, I got skipped over in ordering, but that turned out ok. Their chocolate cake... well, no one ate it. It got passed around to all six of us and finally the fourteen year old boy finished it. The apple galette was equally blah. And the creme brulee was incredibly eggy, with bubbles evenly dispersed throughout like an omelette. It wasn't bad, but I'd definitely never order it again. Fortunately, the cheesecake was decent with a really thick crust, but I can only eat a bite or two of cheesecake because it's too rich for me.

Our last meal in San Antonio was breakfast the day we left. I asked Vicky for another recommendation since we'd used up all her breakfast recommendations already and our going it alone didn't turn out so great. Both she and MaBunny's MIL came up with the same recommendation: Mi Tierra. We headed over there to get some pastries, and I was shocked for a couple reasons. First, I'd been there before. When I was in San Antonio the last time, we'd eaten here for lunch one day (and I saw my mom drunk for the first time ever, which was highly entertaining) and we'd liked it so much that we went back for breakfast another day. Second, they had hardly any of their pastries in at 8:30. I settled in with a cherry turnover to hold me over, as I wanted to take something for the plane ride and layovers that wasn't airport fast food. Yum. But too crumbly to take on the plane. Luckily, I also remembered that they had fantastic Mexican hot chocolate, so I had a cup of that, too. Yum! Before we finished our breakfast, they replenished their stock though, and we got a few Mexican goodies to take on the plane. Phew! This is one that I want to go back to and have a real meal, as I remember it (and the margaritas) being quite good.

And that's my summary of the important part of my trip. Where's the best food, and who has the best margaritas. I'm trying to figure out what that says about me! In any case, we had a ton of fun, and I hope we go back to another bowl there -- this time with a different result.

Oops.

I told y'all about my issue with sunglasses awhile ago. You understand why I don't buy the expensive ones.

Yesterday, we had a minor miracle around here. Chicago -- in the middle of winter, people! -- saw the sun. In fact, there was enough sun to necessitate wearing sunglasses, and I don't mean they were required only for certain people who may have wimpy eyes that need sunglasses even when the sun in ninety-five percent of the way set.

I put my sunglasses on, and all was right with the world. I walked into Target to return a couple of books Mister Man got for Christmas and exchange them for something he'd like better (other books, mind you). Once inside, I was able to safely take off my sunglasses.



See how the lens popped out there?

Yeah, it wasn't really just the lens popping out. The metal frame actually came apart. It opened up and twisted off when I removed the sunglasses. As I tried to figure out if this was irreparable damage or not, the left half broke off from the right half. I guess I'm not wearing these ones again.



On the plus side, Target does have an awfully nice selection of sunglasses. I was able to find a replacement pair.

Then again, this is nothing compared to what my husband did. You'll have to wait for that post though!

How's Your Luck?

Yet again, lots of peoples are having fun contests out there in bloggy land. My luck is rotten, but hey -- if someone I ummm know wins, then it makes me feel better right? I know exactly where to go to track down the prize and return it to its rightful home. Don't let that scare you off. Really.

Angela is hosting her first ever contest (yay, Angela!). She's giving away a ton of fun scrapbooking supplies. All you have to do is visit her post and comment before January 15. And don't be like me and procrastinate and forget about it.

Kat is doing her final giveaway. I umm accidentally neglected to give her props on her most recent contest. It ends like umm now. Ok, I just checked and it already ended, so you missed your shot at all sorts of family game night stuff. BUT this final week has prize overload. I can't even list all the items, but suffice it to say that she's put together the best of from all nine weeks into one lovely package. Comment there between now and January 9 at midnight. Phew!

Steph is giving away two PSP games, Scooby-Doo and Hot Wheels. This would be a "her loss is your gain" kind of contest, as she accidentally bought them for the wrong game system. But hey, do me a favor and tell her I sent you, wouldja? You've got until Jan 2!

Veggie Mom is also hosting a giveaway starting Sunday. Obviously, since it hasn't started yet, I can't fill in the details, but go visit her site and see what umm popping! She usually has great contests giving away Pop'rs, which are delish -- as the wee ones can attest!

Over at Outnumbered2to1, she's still giving away four tickets to Disney On Ice in Milwaukee for February 5 at 7pm. It's open through January 23 yet. Just got visit her post, and tell her who your favorite disney character is. Easy enough, right?

MOST importantly of all, Manic Mommy's doing her virtual blood drive again this year. Donate blood between now and February 28 and get a picture of you doing so. Send it on over to you, and there are tons of really cool prizes. You could win gift certificates of all shapes and sizes, and the grand prize is -- get this -- a six day, five night vacation to the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort! If that's not motivation to go save some lives, I don't know what is.

Have fun -- and good luck!



PS I know "most importantly" isn't a real phrase, and yes, I did it on purpose.

High Fashion

On New Year's morning, I was a little tired. I was trying to sleep in. And by sleep in, let me explain that I meant keeping myself unconscious past 7am.

I failed miserably, as Mister Man came bounding in long before 7am. He crawled atop me and gave me a hug before sitting at the foot of my bed, doing who knows what. I tried to pretend he wasn't there and go back to sleep. Within a few minutes, I heard Little Miss fussing that she wanted to wake up.

Logical solution? I sent Mister Man to go wake up Little Miss. Within moments, I felt Little Miss climb onto the bed to give me a hug. I hugged her back and felt something different. I half opened my eyes only to realize that she had on a nightcap.

Huh, I thought, in my sleep addled brain, Grandma must have gotten her new pajamas that have a matching cap. That's weird. After all, the wee ones had spent the past five days with Grandma and Grandpa while my husband and I were in San Antonio (I know, rough life), and Little Miss was wearing pajamas I'd never seen before.

Cute, isn't it? Oh. Wait. The pattern doesn't quite match, does it?

Then I looked a little closer. Nope, that wasn't a nightcap. Not even close.

Fortunately, that is clean underwear on her head at least and not something that had been previously soiled in any way.

I'm still not quite sure what she was thinking. Said underwear is now safely back on Snowy (her teddy bear). And yes, we do have a teddy bear in our house who wears nothing but Little Miss's underwear and some old infant socks. Oh, and a bow tie. Welcome to my life!

Sorry, Mom!

I look around at Little Miss sometimes, and I know I'm in for it.

I've known this for years. Literally. At ten months old, she was walking. Ok, running. She would pick up one of Mister Man's favorite toys. Once she'd caught his attention, she'd hold it out to one side. If he ran towards the toy to get it, she'd clutch it to her chest, turn the opposite way, stick her elbows out and run like a star running back with the football who just deked out the defense. Ten months, people.

It hasn't really gotten much better. I describe her as having a lot of personality. She's quite the spitfire. This will definitely get her far in life, but I know I'm in for it. I'm really worried about her teen years. I never snuck out. I never drank in high school. I got straight As. My mom never had to worry about me.

People always say that your children are getting you back for what you did to your parents. Well, I was a good kid, so how is Little Miss retaliation for what I've done to my mom?

I had to think really hard about it.

I think what drives my mom the most nuts is that I want to raise the wee ones differently from how she raised my sister and I. She feels like I'm repudiating everything she does and that I don't like her or respect her. It isn't true in the least, and I feel badly that she feels that way. I've tried to explain it to her, but she tends to be a bit of a martyr. She sees what she wants to see.

She worries that by working I'm not spending enough time with the wee ones. She was the one who really pushed for me to quit my job when the wee ones were younger. She quit her job when my sister was born (15 months after I was) and stayed at home. It drives her nuts that staying at home wasn't enough for me. To be honest, I'd be ok with staying home now, but given the economy, I'm not giving up my paycheck while I have the option!

And my mom goes nuts about sleeping. There wasn't much research done on sleeping when I was a child. Sleep is important and all, but you made do. I, on the other hand, am a firm believer in sleep -- and a lot of it -- when it comes to the wee ones. It's when their brains develop, and I can see a vast difference in their behavior when they have enough sleep versus when they don't. I am constantly asking and telling my mom to let the wee ones sleep more. She doesn't believe they need it, and she hates that I question her "parenting" of my children. My parents just watched the wee ones for five days and not a single nap was taken.

And I think it really drives my mom nuts when I cook. My mom was never really a cook. She doesn't really like food and eats purely as fuel. Growing up, we'd have a gallon sized Ziploc of cooked spaghetti in the fridge that we'd eat for dinner for days on end. I cook. And I enjoy cooking. I tend to do it from scratch because I like it, and my dad I think likes much of my cooking better than the same versions that my mom makes. And yep, it drives her crazy.

As I think more on it, maybe Little Miss is payback from what I'm doing now and will do in the future to my parents -- especially my mom. That or I've really blocked out a lot of my childhood. Nahhhh! It couldn't be that!

So what did you do to torture your parents? What drove them crazy?

Mom, You're Worth It!

Hey Moms, this is for you. Read this all the way through. Really.

Think about what you've done so far this morning.

Did you make sure you got your children up this morning? Did you get them dressed? Fed them a nutritious breakfast? Did you make sure their teeth were brushed? Did you find something fun for them to do, making sure they're entertained and happy?

On school days, do you pack the lunches, get out the boots and mittens and hats and coats? Do you make sure that all the homework was done, permission slips signed, and paperwork dealt with in the backpack?

Before they go to bed tonight, will you read to them? Play with them? Make sure they've eaten a well-balanced diet, as much as a struggle as that might be? Were baths taken, teeth brushed again, all loveys accounted for and tucked in? Will you help with homework? Will you cook a dinner you know they'll like?

Now let's think about what we've done for ourselves, shall we?

Huh. That was a short list, wasn't it?

If we're lucky, we took a shower. Hopefully, we got teeth brushed, and maybe we threw on a little makeup. I skipped breakfast because I didn't have time. How about you?

When was the last time you read a grownup book for fun? Was the dinner something you relished, or was it something that you knew your kids would eat? Other than rushing from place to place playing the chaffeur and running errands, did you get anything done on your list of things you want to do?

I know I didn't.

Then I look around the house, and I look at me. I'm frazzled, and I'm tired. And I can feel that I'm starting to get cranky. Raise your hand if you make a great parent when you're tired, frazzled and cranky. Me neither.

I think I'm starting to find the solution, and I hope you'll join with me. Today, I'm going to do something for myself. Maybe I'll paint my nails. Maybe I'll have a glass of wine and take a bath. Perhaps I'll sit down when the wee ones are playing and read a chapter -- just one -- from a book I've been waiting awhile to read.

It doesn't have to be a big thing, and it certainly doesn't have to be expensive. The important thing is that I've done it for me. And I'll feel happier and more relaxed afterwards. Then I can go back to tending the wee ones and running the household as I normally do. And I'm a better mom for having done so.

Today is New Years Eve. It's tradition to make a resolution, and I think I know what mine will be next year. Every day, I am going to do something for myself. Just one little thing. And more importantly, I will not feel guilty for doing so. I'm hoping that this is a resolution that will be far easier to keep than the more typical one of losing weight. I know it will definitely be more fun.

So who's with me? What will your resolution be this year?

Tasty Tuesday!

I'm a little late with this particular recipe, but I'd really had no intentions of sharing it. This isn't because it's a special recipe, nor because I didn't want to share it. I simply thought that everyone had this recipe already and that it was something everyone did on a regular basis.

When I told my husband what the wee ones and I were planning to make for Santa's cookies, he gave me a blank look. He had no idea what I was talking about with holly wreath cookies. When I described them to him, he confirmed that he'd never had them nor seen them before. That was when I decided that I needed to make sure everyone was aware of these easy, yummy, fun cookies

Holly Wreaths! The wee ones helped me make them, and it's possible they also helped me eat a few!

You'll need:
1 stick (8T) of butter
30 of the big marshmallows (this is not quite a whole bag in case someone needs to taste one or two of them)
7-10 drops of green food coloring
2 t vanilla
4 c Corn Flakes
Red M&Ms (or, traditionally, red hots except that we don't like red hots in our house)


Put the butter and marshmallows into a pan and heat on medium low, stirring occasionally until they're all melted and combined. Remove them from the heat and add the vanilla.


Add the green food coloring. You'll want to make it a bit darker than you think, as it will look much lighter once it's thinned out amongst the corn flakes.


Add in the corn flakes and very, very gently stir them together. If you do it like you're folding in eggs, you'll break fewer flakes which is really the goal.


Very quickly, you'll want to use a spoon to scoop out the mixture to make small "wreaths" and place them on waxed paper (or in my case, a silpat). Again, working quickly, place the M&Ms (or red hots) on top of the wreaths to make the holly berries. If you let the mixture cool before putting in the M&Ms, they won't stick.

If you're doing it, you'll want to make sure the M on the M&Ms are facing down. If you're letting small children do this, trust me when I say that explaining this concept just doesn't work.

When you're done, you'll have things that look like this:


It makes about that many -- I think I count 31 cookies. If you make your wreaths bigger or smaller, you can adjust the ratio of chocolate to marshmallow to suit your taste.

Enjoy!