Weekend Fun and Weekly Meals (September 7)

Andy and I started the long weekend with an early morning hike on Friday. It was a great way to start the weekend!

Instagram photo 

The kid had a sleepover on Friday night, and Andy and I went on a date night at Yucca De Lac in Stanford Mall. We hadn’t had a date night in months, and it was really nice to catch up and relax.  We sat in the outside lounge area, which is relaxed and super comfortable - perfect for a casual date night at the end of a long week! 

Andy got a beer, and I got a class of prosecco. 

We also split a few dishes from the dim sum menu.

The fried tofu was crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside - different than we had expected but super tasty with a nice spiciness. We would definitely get it again. The chicken satay was great, too. It was served on a pineapple slice that was cut into pieces so we could eat them.

Finally, we finished with an amazing dessert: Red Bean Tapioco Creme Brûlée. I love creme brûlée and usually get it when it’s on the menu and I have budgeted calories for dessert… The creme brûlée was definitely the highlight of the meal! The top was perfectly caramelized, and the inside had great flavor and texture from the red bean paste and the tapioca. Delicious!

 

I also hunted for some flare jeans and fell in love with the first pair I tried on (unfortunately you can’t really see them in the pic). I grew up in the 70s and was never a fan of 70s clothing, but lately I am really intrigued by it. Look for the jeans to make appearances (hopefully so that you can see them better) in the next few weeks on Instagram and on the blog.  



And on the way home, there was a beautiful sunset.  



A great date night!

The rest of the weekend was spent with my in-laws, more hikes, at the pool, and getting ready for a new week. I’m glad that today is an extra day to relax!

Here is what’s on the menu this week:

Meal 1: Carrot Ginger Soup over rice and a salad.
Meal 2: Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Andy and I will use gochujang - spicy Korean pepper paste - as a condiment; the kid will probably stick with less spicy salsa)
Meal 3: Creamy, bacony pasta with mushrooms and peppers - I have been making versions of this recipe for 20 years, and I love the unexpected, simple, yet amazingly delicious marriage of bacon, green onions, and cottage cheese. Unfortunately, I can’t handle the gluten in the pasta anymore (and I haven’t found a gluten free pasta that works in this dish), so I’ll eat a salad and some protein (probably tuna).
Meal 4: Spicy Salmon Cakes on a salad - I’ll use gluten-free crackers so that I can eat the salmon cakes as well.

Questions: What was the highlight of your weekend? What meal that you are planning to make this week are you most excited about? 

Be well,
Andrea