Chicago in Tulsa!

Hi Friends! Christina here! 

Last Sunday my sisters and I, along with my mother and my Aunt Patie went to see Chicago at the PAC. I did not walk in having high expectations, and I was blown away. I thought it was fabulous! Like with anything there was need for improvement, however, over all it was amazing! 

Let me give you a quick run down of the play. 

In the mid 1920s in Chicago... 

Roxie has killed her lover and convinces her husband Amos that the victim was a burglar, and Amos cheerfully takes the blame. Roxie expresses her appreciation of her husband's thick skull. However,it's not long before Amos detects the truth and realizes that Roxie has been fooling around on him. Roxie is arrested. She is sent to the women's block in Cook County Jail, inhabited by Velma and other murderesses  The block is presided over by the corrupt "Mama", whose system of mutual aid perfectly suits her clientele. She has helped Velma become the media's top murder-of-the-week and is acting as a booking agent for Velma's big return to vaudeville.

Velma is not happy to see Roxie, who is stealing not only her limelight but also her lawyer, Billy Flynn. As Roxie's fame grows, Velma's notoriety is left in the dust and in desperation, she tries to talk Roxie into recreating the sister act, but Roxie turns her down, only to find her own headlines replaced by the latest sordid crime of passion. So Roxie pull a little trick out of her hat, and creates the lie that she is with child. Getting her back on the head lines.

Amos continues to help Roxie excited about becoming a father. The trick works. Roxie is found not guilty and wins her case. Amos extends his hand for Roxie and her unborn child to come home, that is when Roxie comes clean and Amos finds out there is no baby. 

Fast forward to the future, Roxie and Velma team up for a duo act.  

Review

I loved it! I think I enjoyed the show equally as much as I loved watching my mother and Aunt Pattie giggle all through the show. Especially their reaction to the roll of Mary Sunshine, played by Sam Briggs. He was amazing! The rest of the lead cast was great too. 

Roxie - played by Blythe Nelson. She did a good job. Vocally she was wonderful. I just felt like she was missing some edge. 

Velma - played by Sara Wilemon. Sara was maybe lacking some vocal experience, however what she lacked vocally she made up with stage presence. Plus she had the best costumes of the show. She was my favorite!

Mama – played by  Mattece Mason. She was not in as many scenes as the two mentioned right above, but she also was fantastic. Her voice was on point! 

Obviously there was more to the cast, but these were my favorites. Like I said before there are some areas needing improvement, Velma's vocals, some of the choreography was shaky at best, and the boys.... Where do I begin with the boys. As some of them were talented, I just left the theater with the impression that casting had slim pickings with casting these rolls. These men were supposed to be HOT and they were more like luke warm. No shade! I am just calling it like I see it. 

Over all it was a great show! 

Laissez les bon temps rouler! // A Gumbo recipe

Hey y'all!

I'm not sure if it was from hearing about Mardi Gras last week, watching Harry Connick Jr. on American Idol, or maybe just the cold weather, but I had a hankering to make a big ol' pot of gumbo last weekend!

I had never made gumbo before, but I wasn't too worried, as I found a great "easy" recipe after searching the web for "easy gumbo".

Now, was this "easy"? Yeah, pretty easy. 

Did it take 30 minutes? No way.

Here's why it took more like an hour (or maybe a little longer) to prepare:

1. There's a lot of chopping! I actually enjoy chopping, so this was not a problem for me - I just want you to be prepared in case you decide to make this recipe.
2. On my grocery shopping trip last week, I was trying to stick with my monthly grocery budget (it's always hardest at the end of the month! Eek!), so I went to ALDI. Now, ALDI has great prices on frozen shrimp; however, the only raw shrimp I spotted were not peeled or deveined. Again, not a huge deal, especially at the price I paid, but it takes a bit longer to prep.

So, give yourself a little extra time for chopping and peeling/deveining. And maybe make it for the first time on a weekend, so you're not stressed by how much longer it may take than you originally plan for.

But, alas, it was a great recipe, one that I'll file away for future gumbo-hankerings. Plus, Ryan ate two bowls the night I made it, and the rest was gone in a matter of days. I had originally planned to freeze the leftovers (there were a TON!), but we ate it (it was also great for lunches - quick, simple, delish!). Jett didn't choose to try this meal, though... too "weird". Maybe next time?

Oh, and one other thing... Instead of using quinoa like the recipe calls for I just used some rice I had on hand.

Here are some pics of the gumbo making fun!

Chop to you drop!

Okay, this was part of a set I received for Christmas - Are they the cutest little measuring cups EVER? I'm obsessed. You can find them here if you so desire.

Gumbo is so prrrrrrrrretty and colorful! (It smells pretty, too!)

The finished product...

And... done.

XO

Pizza!!! Pizza!!!

Trey and I ventured to a part of town that holds many great memories for us. Our destination is located in the exact building that one of our favorite watering holes used to be. Tiny Lounge, was a great bar, filled with too many amazing memories to count. But now, it is home to a pizza joint named East Village Bohemian.

We walked in, and were promptly greeted by the staff, then the manager, who told us there was a 30 minute wait. Totally understandable due to the place being so small. That meant for us, a prompt visit to one of our favorite places. Hodges Bend is a craft cocktail bar with an amazing wine list located across the street. We each had a cocktail while waiting for our table. If you have not been to Hodges yet, I highly recommend it. 

After finishing our drinks, we walked back accross the street for dinner. We were shown to our spots at the bar. To our surprise, we were sat next to the bartender that use to work at Tiny lounge and his beautiful wife, setting the mood to spend the rest of the evening strolling down memory lane. 

Let's get back to Bohemian.... 

Sitting at the bar in my opinion is the best seats in the house. Max the bartender is AMAZING!!! The food was good too. But honestly I feel like it was Max's hospitality that shined through for us. 

My husband and I both chose beer to drink. You can't get better than a beer when you are about to have pizza. We each got Dead Armidillo Amber to start off with. 

We also shared the hummus. Which got a B+. 

Then we shared the Bohemian Veggie. I will give the pizza a B-. If I am going to be honest, my husband makes the best pizza I have ever had in my life. Next would be Andolinis. 

Over all I highly recommend EVB! The pizza is cooked in a beautiful wood fire oven. The spot is small, but so cute. Once spring hits they will double their capacity with their patio. 

So recap, the food was good, the ambiance was good and the staff and service was GREAT! So head downtown to East Village Bohemian, sit at the bar and let Max take care of you, relax, order a beer and eat a delicious pizza. 

Eat here: KEO

There are definitely a couple things I'd like to share before diving into this post:

1) When Ryan, Jett and I moved here in April 2013, a friend gave us this completely wonderful list of local places she knew we'd enjoy (which deserves a post of its own since it was such a nice thing to receive after moving to a new city!). This was one of those places on her list!

2) I'm all about not trying to have too high of expectations. You see, when you've lived in a certain city (like Nashville, where we moved from) for quite some time, you tend to develop your favorite spots in that city. So, when you move, naturally you'll try to fill the hole left behind by those spots with restaurants in your new city. This ain't happening, people. I've tried it, and it just leaves me sad. So, instead of comparing, I've learned to look at things from a fresh perspective. And yes, the first time we tried KEO, I was trying to fill a void, and left not completely satisfied. But I've been back twice since, and have developed a love for the place all of its own.

KEO is a local Tulsa restaurant that opened around 2007 and now has two locations in the city. And judging by the activity on Friday night, it's well-loved around these parts. And for good reason.

One of the things I truly enjoy about the place is that it's a little upscale, a little laid-back. It's the kind of place that you can go to enjoy the dim lights and a nice glass of wine but also bring your young child and not feel out of place (they have a kids' menu as well as a supply of high chairs). As a parent of a toddler, I have come to absolutely love places like this, as my child is (mostly) well-behaved, and we love to bring him with us when we dine.

Another cool thing about the place? Free edamame. KEO looks at edamame like Mexican joints look at chips and salsa - everyone should have a little when then sit down. The first time we went, I told the server, "Oh, we haven't ordered edamame yet" as he placed the overflowing bowl between Ryan and me. He just smiled and told me it's complementary. I bet they get that a lot. But don't be like me, folks. Just gracefully accept the edamame!

The last thing I'll mention before showing you what we had is that right now, there's a Groupon for the place (the south Tulsa location) - be sure to grab one while they're available!

Here's what we had on a fine chilly evening...

Of course, the complementary edamame...

And then some yummy calamari, which Jett was SO weirded out by (texture!)... The spicy dipping sauce was devine though.

I have a hard time deciding what to order for Jett at Asian restaurants, as he doesn't tend to like rice, and only sometimes likes noodle dishes. This time, I opted to order veggie spring rolls (which Ryan and I ended up eating. Jett had a cereal bar. He still doesn't like "weird" things.)

I had the pho, which was wonderful. I just love adding in all the options and making it super spicy!

Ryan had the short ribs, which he found to be delicious, he said, but mentioned that he could've eaten twice the amount.

And that's it! We had a lovely time at KEO and can't wait to go back, as always. Oh, and I have also had the ahi tuna burger during a previous visit, which I also recommend! 

Enjoy! XO

1 FISH, 2 FISH, 3 FISH. BLUE FISH!!!

Christina here!!!
Vivian and I are a part of a mommy play date group, started by my friend Francie. The mommy group gets together once a month on a Sunday and meet up somewhere fun for the kids. This Sunday’s adventure was the Oklahoma Aquarium. It cost me $15.95 to get in and 2 and under are free. 

Watching Vivian have such a great time made me so happy! Her eyes got real big when we turned the corner to the first section of tanks filled with all of the colorful fish. 

Her favorites were, the sea urchin tank and the Sting Ray exhibit. Both because they were more hands on exhibits. 

They also have a massive Bull Shark exhibit. It took Vivian a minute to warm up to the sharks. At first she told me she was scared. Which I think was because she heard a little kid next to her mention to his mom that sharks were scary. But once we walked around and in the tunnel she was back to her happy curious self. She kept asking “mommy, that”? OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!! 

LOL But I would not have it any other way! As much fun as the Aquarium was, I don’t think the fish are what made her so happy. She had such a great time with all of her friends! 

So the Oklahoma Aquarium has the Winkle stamp of approval. However, I do feel really bad for the fish, and feel that some of the tanks are entirely way too small. It is such a difficult subject. Do fish have feelings? Are they sad due to a life of captivity? 

But all and all we had a good time with GREAT Company! 

On a side note the Oklahoma Aquarium is in the process of expanding their exhibit to include two Loggerhead Sea Turtles, but are still requiring some much needed funding. 


Oklahoma Aquarium
300 Aquarium Drive
Jenks, Oklahoma 74037
918-296-3474
http://www.okaquarium.org/

Meal Planning // The "Before"

Today, let's talk about meal planning.

Here's what I'll do:

First I'll tell you how I believe I SHOULD meal plan. 

Then I'll tell you how it actually goes down.

See, I'm not perfect. 

Actually, I am in awe of people who meal plan. The name itself implies such a high level of organization and got-it-together-ness!

It's almost you can look at some women and think, "Oh, I bet she meal-plans! Maybe even for the entire month!" So jealous.

All kidding aside, there are a few things I know:

1) Meal Planning means something different to everyone, as we all have our own family size, schedule and other considerations.

2) It takes a little trial and error to finally craft that Meal Planning system that works for each of us. (Hence the title of the post - I'm still in this trial-and-error phase).

Currently, my very loose meal planning system looks something like this (or this is how it SHOULD look):

• My current work schedule allows for Fridays and Saturdays off, so I generally do most of my planning and shopping then. Throughout the week, I'll scour my sources* for recipes I'd like to try, and then finish up my recipe round-up by Friday-ish. I love to keep in mind what I already have on hand, as well, so that I can use what I have as much as possible (I hate wasting food!). One of the hardest things for me is finding recipes that all three of us will enjoy, as my husband "needs" meat and my toddler doesn't want anything "gross / weird / dirty / etc." Le sigh.
• Anyway, after I find the recipes I'd like to try (I usually find at least 2 or 3, which leaves room for a couple days of making quick quesadillas or pasta tossed with olive oil and a simple spinach salad. It also leaves room for a little spontaneity so that we can hit up fun new restaurants at least a couple times a month.), I jot down my list and check gather money from our "groceries" fund so that I'm ready for the store. The list I use isn't extremely practical, but it's cute. If you like it too, you can find it at Urban Outfitters. They have all sorts of things you don't need but like the looks of.

•  And then, it's off to the grocery store. In a perfect world, I guess I could plan the meals on Friday, and then shop on Saturday, but it usually all falls on Friday. Oh well - that's subject to change, I suppose.
• I should probably mention here, that the photos below are from my first venture to ALDI. Have y'all been? I had read some blog posts recently about the bloggers' love for the place, so I figured I'd check it out. I mean, it's owned by the same folks as Trader Joe's, so why not?

• My opinion was that it was awesome. Well, mostly awesome. You see, there is very little choice at ALDI, so you are kinda stuck with one brand (theirs) for each item. Which is good and bad, I suppose, as some things are great. I mean, they have many organic products even, so I was pleasantly surprised to be buying my organic salad mix and organic grass-fed beef at unbeatable prices. But when you're shopping to buy ingredients for a recipe that calls for basil, yet the only fresh herb they have is cilantro, it can be a little bit of a bummer. 
• But I digress. I mean, look at these prices for their brand of pureed fruit pouches (pictured below)! 
• Oh, and this place is NOT Trader Joe's, but I will say I saw one of my fave TJ's items in the ALDI form, so I figured I'd try it. And I can tell you that the dark chocolate sea salt caramels are legit. That alone might make you want to check out the place!
• Plus, don't you think it's awesome to have a wide range of stores you frequent? I love Whole Foods, Sprouts, and now, ALDI. Balance, people.

So, now that I've told you how it SHOULD look, what I actually do looks more like this:

• Scramble for recipes 5 min. before leaving for the store.
• Jot down what I need to grab (sometimes on the cute list, sometimes in my iPhone notes app, sometimes I just take a screen shot of the recipe - gasp!).
• Rush to the store, spend more than I had planned.

There is definitely room for improvement, but I'm okay what that! Let's grow together, friends!

*Sources:
Here are some of my go-to sources when it comes to finding recipes:

• Cooking Light and Real Simple magazines - I know there are many, MANY awesome cooking mags out there, but these are some of my current faves.
• Pintrest - During my "free time" (ha!) I sometimes love to check Pinterest for not only photos of dream kitchens and claw-foot tubs, but also recipes I think my family would enjoy. I simply stash these on my pinboards for later reference, and I also have a "tried & true" pinboard where I keep recipes I'd like to reference later.
• My collection of cookbooks and other handwritten / torn-from-magazines recipe collection, which probably doesn't get as much love as it should. More on that another day.

XO

THE DAY OF LOVE!

Hi friends! Christina here. So in the spirit of our most recent holiday, I just thought I would share with you how our little family celebrated the day of love.

First Vivian and I had a photo shoot. It was so much fun. We made some heart streamers together then went outside and just started clicking a way. Here are some of my favorites!

Trey and I also had a Valentines dinner to go to. It was hosted by two of my most favorite people, Brad and Jamal.  Their dinner parties are always spectacular, darling.  (said in my horrible attempt of a British accent) Brad usually takes care of dessert, however, it was my turn this time. One of our friends is allergic to dairy, so I had to think outside of the typical cakes, cookies, pies, etc... So instead I made.... DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!! A mixed berry mint sorbet! It was so much fun to make. And if I must brag, it turned out great. Mainly just because it was not a total disaster. And it helps that it was edible.

Here are the steps that I followed.

1.) Put your 9 inch cake pan in the freezer.

2.) Put your frozen fruit and your mint in a sauce pan. Put on medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, just long enough for the fruit to get heated through and soft, and also to allow the mint to infuse.

3.) Blend your fruit/mint mixture in your food processor. This is when you add your sugar. For every four cups of fruit at one cup of sugar.

4.) Take the fruit/mint mixture and strain it through a sieve                                                                     strainer. what is left over is your sorbet.

5.) Pull your cake pan out of the freezer and pour in your sorbet. Put in the freezer on a shelf.
There you go!!!

Here are some photos of our dinner party. We had such a great time!!!

Hi, friends!

I'm Danielle. 

Here's the thing:

I moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma from Nashville, Tennessee a couple years ago with my husband, one-year-old son, dog and cat. Yep, that's right - we loaded up a (extra large) U-Haul and drove some 500 odd miles west to this place we now call home.

And home it is. You see, I'm a big believer that home is where your people are. Where your heart is, so to speak. 

After moving to Tulsa, I quickly learned that I would definitely be able to find my places. Within the first week alone, I made a few quick discoveries: the River Parks Trail (I was training for the Nashville Rock & Roll Half Marathon, needed a place to train - STAT - and was pleasantly surprised when I found the wonderful trail system that continuously motivates me); Coffee House on Cherry Street (CHOCS, I later learned, is what the locals call it); and The Yoga Room (I was first introduced to the live music Wednesday sessions by my husband's aunt, which was so needed and welcomed at that time in my life). 

After discovering those first few things, I was ready to learn more. I wanted to find my places... My people. 

Well, easier said than done. 

Here in the mid 2010s, we are so accustomed to Googling any- and everything, so naturally I searched for a blog similar to one that I checked out at least weekly in Nashville (eat-drink-smile.com). I believe I actually started searching for said blog before we moved to Tulsa - that's just how much I had come to rely on my Nashville blogs to find new restaurants, the latest happenings around town, etc.

Well, friends, I couldn't find a blog like the one I was looking for.

So, I posted something about it on Facebook. And then my cousin-in-law Christina mentioned her interest in a similar blog, and here we are!

Our plan is to post on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and here's what you can expect from us:

A little of this:

(What we cook. We are both passionate about food, and not only do we love to cook, but we also have a myriad of appetites to cater to (we are both mommas to toddlers!) 

And of course, a little of this:

(We love Tulsa, and we love fun events! The above was taken at the most recent First Friday Art Crawl in the Brady District.)

Definitely, some of this:

Not only is Christina's husband a chef at a popular Tulsa restaurant, we both love to explore fun / delicious places around town! (The above was taken last week at Moriscos El Centenario - OMYum!)

And probably a little of this, too:

We both love projects, whether it be homemade Valentines (like the above) or DIY projects around the house.

So, that's basically it. Please join us, friends, and let's create a nice community where we can all share and inspire! 

XO