Day trip // Juniper // Fassler Hall

Hey, y'all! Danielle here.

On Saturday, I experienced not one, but THREE new Tulsa-area spots! It was my sister's 30th birthday extravaganza, and an extravaganza it was!

Our first stop of the day was The Canebrake, which is a resort / restaurant / spa that's less than an hour drive from Tulsa.

Sound random? Well, it might be, but after my sister mentioned it, I noticed a rave review in Edible Tulsa, and the people over there seem to know there stuff! Also, it's nice to feel like you're "out of the city" even if it's just a teeny-tiny road trip.

The restaurant was great, and even better was that not only are the adults pampered (I'm talking champagne cocktails while tranquil spa-like tunes fill your ears), but the kids also are, with a special kids' menu.

I had the chicken club, and while it was good, I just kept thinking, "But where's the BACON?!". You don't forget the bacon, people.

If I could turn back time, I think I'd order what my sister's boyfriend enjoyed - the corned beef sandwich on soda bread, which was the special. We all enjoyed what we ordered, but he was especially thrilled.

After lunch, we had planned to enjoy the lovely outdoor area at Canebrake, as there are many trails and other activities that would've been fun, had it not been rainy. Instead, we enjoyed the comfy lounge area while my sister had her massage (which she said was also great!).

Later that evening, we met up with Linny and her friends at Juniper, which is a cozy little restaurant in the Blue Dome District in downtown Tulsa. I had heard wonderful things about Juniper, so I was quite excited to go!

And let me tell you folks, it did not disappoint. Atmosphere, food, service - All were A+. And the first-rate experience actually began with the reservation, as Linny said they were extra accommodating, asking if we'd need a high chair, or if there would be a birthday cake, and if we'd like them to help with cutting and serving of said cake!

Ryan and I split the pork belly for our first course, and it was obviously so good that I forgot to take a photo until we had already devoured half. This was truly one of those dishes were it's all chewing-"Mmmmmm"-ing-chewing-"Oooohhhh"-ing.

For my main, I enjoyed the gnocchi and Ryan the short ribs. Were were both extremely happy with our selections. The perfectly pillowy-yet-firm gnocchi was nestled in some yummy veggies that reminded me of spring (even though this was from the winter menu). And if that sounds too healthy, don't worry... The buttery sauce delivered just the right amount of decadence.

Oh! And I can't forget to mention that it was Pi Day! So they were serving complementary chocolate pie, which was just divine.

After dinner, we went next door to Fassler Hall, which was another place I had been wanting to check out. Fassler has a lot of cool going on... Part of it feels like a rustic beer hall in Austria, but then you hear "Uptown Funk" three times in a row and think, "Wait, we're not in Austria!"

All in all, it was a great evening! All three were great experiences and I think my sister had a most excellent birthday extravaganza!

XO

The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!!!

Hello friends!

Christina here. 

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the 8th annual Quinn/Rucker MOW in the Green Gala! Okay okay I attended because I worked it. I don't know if many of you know but I work at Meals on Wheels and last night we had our spring fundraiser. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!

It was a night filled with fun, friends, money and drinks! We had such an amazing turn out. So many people I love were there. We raised so much money for such an amazing cause. Meals on Wheels effects so many lives, recipients and volunteers. 

We had a silent and live auction. We had bag pipers, an Irish band named Cairde Na Gael (my favorite) and Irish river dancers. On top of that we had great food and Irish beer. I can't think of another gala that sounds more fun than that!!! 

The best part of the night was knowing that this amazing party will benefit so many people. So the point of this post is to hopefully get more people involved with MOW. You don't have to attend our next gala if having a good time is not your thing, ;) there are many ways you can help make a difference. Volunteer your time or send in a check. 

Even if MOW is not your preferred charity, find one that's.  It is so rewarding! 

CHEERS! 

A week of slow cooking // Non-mushy recipes

Hi friends! Danielle here.

Let's talk slow-cooking.

Mushy. Bland. Boring. 

These are words I do not want to use when describing what I've made in the slow cooker.

And yet, I've made a few recipes that were just that. Was it my fault? I don't know, but I honestly just think that there are a lot of slow cooker recipes that turn into what I'd call slow-cooker-sameness. You may have made a few recipes like that, too! Hey, it happens to all of us.

I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way! There are slow cooker recipes that are actually delicious and - dare I say - fresh!

It honestly just takes a little trial and error.

A couple weeks ago, I chose a few recipes that looked interesting, and I'm happy to say, they're all worth posting! Each recipe did require a bit of prep (browning meat, sautéing onions, etc.), so keep that in mind when you're planning your recipes.

Recipe 1: Real Simple's Slow Cooker Pork-Stuffed Cabbage.

Not only did I like the flavors in this recipe, I also loved the texture of the cabbage - it softens, naturally, but sill maintains some firmness.

Recipe 2: Cooking Classy's Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

I love a good broccoli cheese soup, and this one is great! It's also great for leftovers (I actually froze quite a large portion to enjoy on a rainy day).

Recipe 3: Neighborfood's Slow Cooker Beef Brisket French Dip Sandwiches

I saved the best for last, y'all! 

These little sandwiches (as seen at the top of this post) were excellent! It was requested that next time, I double the recipe so that we have leftovers!

One thing I might try to do differently next time is to thicken the au jus a bit. It had a nice flavor, but I think it could've benefitted from a little stove top reduction (and possibly a bit of added cornstarch).

Also, this would be a great one to freeze individually so that you could grab a couple for a quick (and delicious!) lunch.

Enjoy! XO

A wee bit Irish at the Winkles!

Hi friends! Christina here.

With St Patricks day approaching very quickly and I am getting excited! It is one of my favorite holiday ever! It always has been. Green has been my favorite color ever since I can remember. So as a little girl I was so excited to go to school and see a sea full of green. It was mandatory to wear green. It was amazing. Lol. I know I am a nerd... But seriously I love st patricks day! 

Most of you have heard of an Irish Coffee before, yes? If the answer is no, I am about to introduce you. But let me warn you. I make a traditional Irish Coffee. If you were to order this in a restaurant most likely they will take the easy way out and give you coffee with Irish Creme.

Here are the ingredients. 

Coffee

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Sugar

Whipped cream  

Okay here we go. Make your coffee. My husband is a bit of a nerd when it comes to making coffee. He requires a scale for exact measurements. 

Vivian loves the smell of coffee. She always request to smell it before we pour it into the French press. 

While your coffee is steeping pour the remaining hot water from your kettle into your mugs. This warms the mug but also when you pour the water out and add the whiskey, it will also heat up the whiskey. Add an ounce and a half of Jameson. 

Add your sugar. Traditionally speaking three sugar cubes are required. But this is where I switch it up. I use one teaspoon of brown sugar.

Stir the sugar as you pour your coffee. Then at last add your whipped cream. I cheated tonight because the store just around the corner of my house did not have heavy whipping cream. So I just settled for the stuff from the can... :( 

But there you go that's it. Oh and a side note, check out my beautiful mugs my sister made for me. It was our Christmas gift this past year. She is so amazing. 

  

Get your kicks! // A Route 66 diner experience

Hi friends! Danielle here.


I hope you guys had a fabulous weekend. Springing forward can be rough (6am came extra early on Sunday!), but let's just focus on the longer / sunnier days ahead, shall we?

We had a rad weekend - we took a minute to check out a diner on Route 66, and enjoyed another First Friday Art Crawl in the Brady District.

First, the diner.

And I'll be completely honest about how I found out about this place.

Do you know who Taylor Hanson is? Right, right... I knew you would.

Well, he's one of our local celebrities here in T-town. So of course I follow him on Insta. Every now and then, he'll post a pic from a local restaurant, etc., and last week he posted a pic from Tally's Good Food Cafe . After checking out the review of Tally's on Yelp, I figured it was worth checking out.

*** Side note: If this was some other celeb, like Ryan Adams, I know this would all seem a little stalker-like. But I swear, I'm not a Taylor Hanson stalker - I just want to find more 'where the locals eat' kind of places. Haha.

And, thank you, Taylor Hanson. We enjoyed it.

Here are some pics from the fun little diner on Route 66:

Regulars or just passin' through on Route 66? 

Here's a fun thing about Tally's: You can get breakfast all day (score)! So I enjoyed a veggie omelet. And I figured I was being healthy-ish, until I realized it came with a choice of potatoes AND pancakes or biscuits and gravy (All for $7.95, no less!). And covered with cheese. Oops! #sorrynotsorry

Jett didn't appreciate waiting for me to take pics for this post... (He had the kids' pancakes.)

And a few pics from the First Friday Art Crawl: From top to bottom - Philbrook Downtown, 108 Contemporary and the Woody Guthrie Center (which we didn't make it to last time, but I'm glad we did on Friday - way cool!)

XO

Winter weather with the Winkles

Hi friends! Christina here!

This Winkle family has been enjoying a little winter fun! As I am sure most parents of daughters are very familiar with the movie Frozen.... My daughter is two, and obsessed. In fact we have recently hidden it from her. Don't worry grandparents we will give it back soon, Mom and Dad just need a little bit of a Frozen break. Now with that being said, she has been begging to build a snow man ever since her first introduction to Olaf. So when we got some decent snow last weekend she and I ran out side to play in the snow.
She looked so cute in her new snow suit.

I bought it a size larger than what she is wearing now, in hopes that she can wear it next year too. Once we were outside I quickly realized that she and I did not have gloves to build a snowman....

 I know I failed!  But we did play in it at least! Vivian would not stop eating the snow. She also kept trying to put it in her pockets... We had a blast! After our frozen adventure, we came in and had a snack, took a nap and woke up refreshed and ready to take on the world.

So we decided to paint! It is a new hobby of ours. I have always wanted to be a painter... As silly as that sounds. I have always been jealous of those artistic types. LOL. But recently have been given great advice by my friend DD. She said it's all about putting your creativity out on the canvas. Not about the final product. I am highly critical of my work, but I am trying to forget about that, and just PAINT! Vivian loves to paint. She is very speedy too. She finished 8 paintings before I could even finish mine.

   My happy little painter and her long line of art drying on the counter!

And here is mine. Not a fan. But my husband likes it. I don't know if that is him just being a supportive husband, or if he just has really bad taste in art... j/k he is amazing!  

Weekend Agenda // First Friday Art Crawl

Hi friends! Danielle here.

I don't know about you, but I love a new month. Especially a new month that promises a new season! A new month means new possibilities, new plans, new hope and, with this month, all those fun things that come along with Spring (aaaaaCHOoo!).

A new month also means a First Friday Art Crawl in the Brady District here in Tulsa. This month's event is scheduled for Friday, 6-9pm.

In the words of Stefan, this event has it all - glass blowing, wine, free gallery admission and sometimes even a knitted Batman suit.

It's an event that the whole family can enjoy - Last month, The Gathering Place brought along a sneak peek via their Park Pod (Jett really enjoyed it!), which I hear will be making an appearance on Friday, as well.

So, do it! If not just to get out an about and walk around the lovely Brady District for a bit. Last month was our first time to enjoy the art crawl, and we left wondering what took us so long to check it out.

Here are some photos from last month's art crawl:

To be honest, the first couple galleries we stopped in were nice, but they were quite crowded and a little difficult to maneuver through, especially with a stroller. But alas, we trekked on. And I'm glad we did, as the next stop was super cool: Tulsa Glassblowing School. First of all, they were in the middle of a demonstration, so that was exciting (FIRE!); Secondly, the space itself is fun/inspiring. Definitely stop by this Friday when you're making your way through the art crawl.

Here's a shot from inside the Park Pod which is called an "immersive multimedia experience" by the Tulsa World, that "gives visitors a panoramic view of plans for the expansive community park. The virtual tour of envisioned park spaces provides visitors a glimpse into the future as to what the park will look like once it is completed in late 2017."

You might notice a few people laying on the astro turf inside the Park Pod. We were chillin' in the bean bag chairs, taking in the panoramic views and Beatles tune. So psychedelic. 

So, this was at the Philbrook Downtown (another must on your list of galleries to visit this Friday). Very weird, but Jett was super intrigued. 

More from the Philbrook Downtown...

At 108 Contemporary (our last stop of the evening - be sure to stop by there, too!), Jett saw his kind of art...

... Which was for sale! I think it was listed around $3,000, if you're interested.

Enjoy! XO