Steak

I have nothing interesting to say about this. Really. Nothing.

I am thinking that I will no longer blog about EVERY dinner. I really want to just review restaurants and talk about interesting things we cook. Seriously, does anyone want to read about the fifth time I make tacos from a box?

Anyway, this was steak. Look at the size of the steak Matt made me. I didn't eat most of it, and we are off for three days tomorrow. I hate to waste, but it looks like I will have to.

Teeny-Weeny Quesadillas

Cost: $5 (or less)

Prep: 15 minutes

This was an easy meal with the purpose of using up leftovers. Some of the quesadillas had steak from our patio night and some had chicken from fajita night.

We used very small tortillas, and each little segment is about 2 or 3 bites. I think this would be a good little contribution the next time we go to a potluck.

Giant Steak and Mushrooms

Cost: $10

Prep: Quick

BBQ is key. It means matt does more of the cooking.

Matt did the giant steaks (there was A LOT of leftovers) while I did the mushrooms (soy sauce and butter), potatoes, steamed broccoli, and fresh chives from our out-of-control herb garden!

The best part, however, was Charlie's Charlie Chaplin mustache.

Bbq Steak

Cost: ?

Prep: Quick

We skipped a meal today because of our brunch at the Fernwood Inn, so we made up for it by having a rich dinner.

We had a decent, thick cut of steak. Matt marinated and barbequed it. I made the side-dishes: our usual steamed brocoli and tiny new yellow potatoes. These were the highlight. Charlie loved eating the little potato "ball".

Matt often has trouble cooking my steak how I like it. This was just a little on the rare side, but still good.

"Dinner" Steak

Cost: $5

Prep: 30 minutes

We broke out the barbeque for the first time today! Summer is approaching!

Charlie spent most of the prep time watching Dad out the back window and trying to climb onto the table. Yes, he can do that now. No, I do not like it.

I bought these very thin steaks, and Matt marinated them overnight in barbeque sauce before slapping them on the grill. The cut was not specified; it was simply labeled "dinner steak". Considering the price, it wasn't terrible, and a quick barbeque was a great choice.

I made the sides: baked potatoes and steamed broccoli, and when that was enough, I whipped up some more garlic toast (super easy: margarine, crushed garlic, oven, done).

3 Awful Things Together on a Plate

Cost: $10

Prep: 10 minutes

Another sucky dinner. What is wrong with me?

It had to be quick, as I had yoga, but these 3 lame things together made a lame dinner.

We had lame bagged salad. Too lemony.

We had lame steaks. Too tough.

We had lame pasta. Too soggy.

Th pasta was the biggest problem. It was supposed to be spinach and cheese tortellini, but while it was cooking EVERY SINGLE pasta spilled its contents, filled itself up with water, and became awful.

See that plate? That is what I DIDN'T eat.

Beautiful Weather/Beautiful Food

Ah, Victoria! Thanks for bringing us the summer weather in May.  We took Charlie to Cadboro Bay/Gyro Beach. He's an odd duck, and seems to feel no cold, so he kept walking into the water fully clothed. The finale was when he walked into the water, sat down, and started playing.

We had no extra clothes, no extra diapers. Luckily, we were headed to dinner at the in-laws, and Grandma always keeps spares. But he still had to have a naked car ride there!

Once there, he took the opportunity to do some more pantless gardening. Norm, the dog, took the opportunity to do some unhindered baby-bum-sniffing.

Matt's parents made dinner and plenty of it. There were a lot of things to choose from (and I remembered to snap pictures for once).

Matt's dad barbecued some steaks. He remembered I like mine rare! The steak was a little much for me though, probably 10 ounces or so, and I couldn't finish it even though it seemed like a great cut (but what do I know about that?).

The other sides including fresh bread, carrots, mushrooms, green beans. coleslaw, and these potato/sweet potato thing that Matt's dad makes that are really special.

For dessert, Matt's mom made strawberry shortcake--as in, actually made the cake, not just bought those cup things. It was awesome! If I hadn't had eaten so much steak, I may have had more!

Charlie also ate some of the chocolate cake he brought Grandma. But what happens at Grandma's, stays at Grandma's.

Sauce (the Restaurant, Not the Topping)

This is not a mixed review of Sauce. It is a past and present review.

Until recently, we hadn't been to Sauce in years. We figure the last time we were there was about 2005. We went with a large birthday party, and when we remember it now, 2 things stick out in our minds. The first is that it was crazy dark, as in "I can't tell what I am eating" dark. The second is that it was incredibly loud, as in cannot-hold-a-conversation-with-people-at-your-table loud. I also remember the food being unremarkable and overpriced.

Fast-forward to the days of Groupon. Months ago, there was a deal: $20 for lunch, $30 for dinner. We took Charlie for lunch four or so months ago, and we were both surprised that it was good. More than good. The Groupon was awesome. Any two lunch entrees. Matt had two pieces of fish and chips (and so did Charlie). I had the tuna steak sandwich. It was FANTASTIC.

So, tonight, Matt and I went on a date to use our other Groupon that expires in 6 days. We dropped Charlie off at Grandma and Grandpa's, and headed for an early dinner so we could check out a movie after.

We arrived at Sauce around 5:30-45ish. Although we did get a window seat, I am pretty sure we are the last couple who got one with a reservation. The waitress was very friendly, and the entire restaurant seemed to have an appropriate number of staff on (3 waitresses, a busboy, 2 "manager" types, and a bartender on the floor).

The Groupon was an awesome deal. $30 for any appie and any 2 entrees. We started with the Artisan Plate. We were torn by this and the calamari, but to take advantage of the deal, we decided to go with the most expensive. It was very good with a variety of treats: marinated mushrooms, olives, smoked provolone, brie, chorizo, prosciutto, apples, strawberries, crustini, a baked garlic bulb, and red onion relish. Sorry about the lame picture. We had, as usual, eaten the majority before I remembered to take a picture.

For our entrees, we again took advantage of our Groupon. Matt ordered the most expensive steak on the menu: a 12 ounce NY strip-loin. I know nothing about cuts of meat, but to me, it seemed like there was a lot of fat and gristle. From my sample, I agree that it tasted nice, but I wouldn't order it again. Almost $30 for a steak that is 1/3 inedible? No thanks. It was also a bit over done, but I later heard the waitress explaining something about the steaks, and she seemed to be saying that the steaks are usually more well done than ordered.

I ordered the beef ribs. I had no idea what this was going to be, but it was tasty. Very tender beef, but with a huge chunk of fat (which is expected in ribs). The best part, though, was the onion ring.

The potato today was a mashed-something-complicated-yummy stuff. We both ate all that. Matt ate most the veggies from both our plates though. They were sauteed in too much sauce for too long for me.

Sauce has improved since our university days. The food and service both were better than average. After visiting both with the baby and without, I would vote that this is more of the "without" kind of place.

We probably will go back, but the Groupon made these two visits especially worthwhile..

The Keg

It was really an accident that we ended up here. Truly. It was. Really...well, sort of.

We had a 1/2 used up gift card, and we also forgot to take our pork chops out of the freezer today, so we decided to go out ONE more time.

I am often disappointed with the Keg. The last two times have been especially bad. It is never the food, but the timing of the kitchen. We go to the Keg for a nice, multi-course dinner. The last two times we were there, we had our first three courses plus bread on our table within 5 minutes. This left us trying to scarf down the appetizer, while watching our salads as our steaks cooled. I think this is an inexcusable sin of nicer dining establishments. Maybe I have some false beliefs about the Keg left over from my childhood; it used to be a fancy place. Now, I even saw people in sweats.

BUT hold the phone! Tonight, the Keg fixed their problem with timing. Our meal was timed perfectly. We did not wait too long between courses, maybe a few minutes, and no courses arrived at the same time.

Of course we started with a nice loaf of bread. I love how it is warm, but it is no longer served in a basket wrapped up in a cloth napkin, so it didn't stay warm as long. I am not a fan of the butter they use, but that is probably for the better anyways. Charlie loved the bread. He ate a TON. Actually, he ate so much that we asked for a second loaf for him, and the staff was very quick and accommodating in this request. Actually, the staff we encountered were very accommodating for the baby. I did not think of the Keg as such a family friendly place, but it really is. They have kid's menus, crayons, lots of high chairs, etc, etc.

We did not intend to order from the Dine Around menu, but it really is a good price, so we couldn't refuse. (We both normally order the Teriyaki Classic with the spinach salad instead of the Caesar), which is about $26).  We went with the $30 menu, but there was steak and lobster on the $40--very tempting and, from what I saw on the tables around us, was a huge portion.

Instead of a salad, we both had the Baked Garlic Shrimp. This was a much better idea than a salad, not for nutrition, but for how full we were at the end. I have never finished my meal, until tonight that is. I am sure it was because of the smaller appy. We have had the garlic shrimp before, and I am not the biggest fan, but Matt is and, honestly, I just ordered it because it was the most expensive on the regular menu...It is tasty, but I am glad we didn't spend $8.95 on it. I do like the new addition of the little buns with it for soaking up the butter. Charlie was in love with the cheese on top.

For our mains, we both had the Pecan Top Sirloin with twice-baked potato. The steak has goat cheese and pecans on top, which was a nice addition. I loved those additions, even though C ate almost all my cheese. The twice-baked potato was very tasty, but the veggies left a little to be desired. The red pepper was well cooked, but the asparagus was under cooked and too tough at the bottom (needed more trimming). I also was NOT a fan of the garlic/wine au jus that was served with it--the last time we had our usual there was a gross sauce with it too. I'm not sure what the sauce was for, but the food was good enough that it really didn't need it.

For desert, we shared the the creme brule and cheesecake. Both were tasty. The creme brule was HUGE, the biggest serving I have ever seen. The cheesecake was interesting, but different. It was very soft and creamy, maybe too much so. I really enjoyed their cherry-pie filing though.

We left the Keg very satisfied. It was a good dining experience for our family, especially with a bill totaling only $67 + tip (and then our gift card paid for most of that). The service was good, the food was tasty, the timing was great, and the ambiance was warm. We will be going back for sure (which was not my sentiment the last time we went). It was a leisurely dinner, and I am stuffed.

Celebratory Steak Night

And that, my friends, was some unexpected expert alliteration. Follow that with that fantastically fancy consonance. Look at this roll!

Back to the blog. You may be wondering whaaaaaaaaaat we could be celebrating. Well, we are preemptively celebrating that the public is going to have teachers' backs. This blog is not political, but with both Matt and I employed as public school teachers, we have had a hard week. Since this is my only platform to organize and express my thoughts, I need to seize this opportunity. If you are insulted, skip to the first picture and ignore this, but I urge you, what I say is important.

We have had a hard time with our contract negotiations for a variety of reasons, but my biggest insult has been the media. Every time I hear about the collective "us", I am told we are "striking" for a 15% wage increase. This is not the case AT ALL, and is, frankly, a fraction of truth spun so far, it is simply a lie.

Yes, a wage increase of 15% is part of what we asked for in out contract NEGOTIATIONS that were the equivalent of trying to bargain a rock or sharp stick out the baby's hand (also the equivalent of bargaining a steak out of a dog's mouth, also the same as bargaining with said steak, stick or rock), but that is such a small part. Right now, I am fighting for my rights as an employee, and the rights of YOUR children and MINE. If a parent doesn't know what is happening at his or her child's school, he or she can simply log on to the school website or pick up the phone. And if he or she is not receiving marks sent home directly by the child's teacher, a phone call or email will rectify this. We must be one of the only professions that is in the midst of strike action and ends up doing MORE work than previously.

I love my kids (ie students). LOVE. But there are certain aspects of my profession that I am not willing to just roll over and give up. It hurts me that the public, parents specifically, would believe a liar like George Abbott. My eyes are tearing just thinking about this. How can people not have our backs? How can people believe the untruths he spews? The fact that some people side with him and this terrible example of a union-busting government makes me feel like a failure as a teacher. Clearly, we are not teaching critical thinking as well as we think and hope we are.

All this being said, if certain things are stripped from our contracts, I will find a job and leave this profession, as it will simply be turned into another job--although, really, how many other jobs are out there that have no consideration of seniority? I could work at The Bay, as another teacher pointed out, and still be given shifts based on how long I have been there.

Anyway, anyway, I digress. I am emotional over this. I feel our livelihood, and therefore, our small, young family is threatened.

The smallest member of my family in disbelief over these "negotiations". 

So, we are celebrating. We are celebrating a clean, happy, fair end to these negotiations. Are we hopeful this will happen? Yes. Yes, because we have to be. What else can we be?

Cost: under $10, believe it or not. Here's to sales!

Prep time: like teachers, minimal. Here about 45 minutes.

We ate steak. What kind of steak? It was flavored. "Marinated" flavor. Just kidding. It was a burgundy pepper marinated steak. Very tasty, although I am not sure of the cut and also not willing to search the garbage for the package.

I, in a decidedly advanced move, made twice baked potatoes. We had green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and about a table spoon of shredded cheese (keeping it healthy on accident!). I didn't mash the filling much; my arm was tired and if you wanted it smoother, you should have done it yourself, and it was good anyways, so whatever, Complainer, whatever.

For the veggie, I steamed asparagus, then sauteed it in garlic, pepper, and butter. How much butter? The amount that got stuck on my knife three times. Measure that, sucka! It was delicious.

Deliciousness cooking.

So, here's to hope! And here is to the last time in a long while we are able to afford steak.