Ray's Steak and Cheese, now @ Ray's to the 3rd

Well the time has past on Ray’s Steak and Cheese joint. As quickly as it came, it went. The steaks were delicious and I wish I could kick and scream to bring it back but I have a feeling I don’t have much pull. I am however excited that Ray, has decided to keep his most awesome sandwich on the Rays to the third lunch menu so that we can continue to enjoy it for years (hopefully) to come.

They offer their sandwiches with American and provolone, lettuce, tomato and your choice of mixed greens or fries. Several toppings including onions, peppers and mushrooms can be added on for an additional charge. I have never been to philly and I didn’t have my first cheese steak until I was in my 20s but let me say that since then I have become quite the convert and this one definitely ranks up there for me.

Behold its deliciousness:

As far as family friendly goes I think this joint has it down. Its just classy enough to have table clothes but totally has the family feel. While we were eating lunch several other tables with small children came and went with everyone looking like they enjoyed themselves. There were several high chairs (with working safety belts) but I will say that I do not remember seeing a changing table in the bathroom. If I am wrong definitely let me know.

Holiday Card Displays

Snail mail makes me happy. Especially around the holidays when we are getting all sorts of fun cards in the mail. Don’t get me wrong, I love the convenience of electronic mail, invitations etc but there is just something so fun about actually receiving and opening an old fashion letter. Its totally a dieing art but one that I support with all my heart.

Since someone obviously took the time to create and send their holiday wishes I am always looking for new ways to display and use the cards we receive. This year we did a photo montage on our kitchen cabinets which was super easy and has provided hours of fun for little B to entertain himself with. All you need is a roll (or two) of your favorite holiday ribbon, scissors and tape and you are in business.

If we had a larger house I would totally do a Christmas tree decorated with just lights and holiday cards next year. How fun would that be!

Taking it a step further, save your holiday cards and and turned them into a “who loves baby” or “babies first friends” photo album. Pick up a cheap dollar store photo album and place each photo card in a slot with the names of your little ones friends and family under the pictures. You may have to trim the cards to fit them but it makes an adorable reminder to keep around for the whole year. Little B has several books like this that he adores looking through on a daily basis.

Thai Curry Basil Beef

During the last trimester of my pregnancy I was a Thai eating machine. I probably ate Thai at least twice a week and a majority of it was curry. I ate red, yellow, green and panang. I ate it with chicken, beef, pork and veggies. The hubs actually got so tired of our usual place that we branched out and began to make our way through all the Thai restaurants on the Washingtonian best bites and cheap eats lists.

Since my love affair with curry has continued post pregnancy it only makes sense that I have learned a couple of good recipes for it. This basic beef recipe is one of my favorites since I tend to go for rice when I have a choice I was surprised to find out how much I really enjoyed the noodle version as well.

Curried Beef Noodles
1 lb boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1/2 in thick strips
2 T canola or veg oil
2 t red curry paste (I use the Thai Kitchen brand)
3/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t ground pepper
1 pkg of linguine (I usually use whole wheat)
1 can coconut milk (I use the light)
1/2 t sugar
1 c loosely packed basil leaves (or more if you have it)
lime wedges
2 T soy sauce
1/2 onion thinly sliced
add any other veggies you like (I usually add peppers, spinach, eggplant something like that)

Place steak in 1 T of oil, curry paste, salt and pepper in bowl and marinate in fridge for at least 20 min up to overnight.
cook noodles in boiling salted water until al dente, drain and set aside
Heat 1 T oil in wok or skillet over medium high. Add onion  and stir fry 3-4 min. Add steak and stir fry until browned all over 2-3 min.
Reduce heat to medium, stir in coconut milk, soy sauce and sugar; bring to a simmer. Add other veggies and cook until sauce thickens (2 min give or take). Stir in noodles, basil and Spinach (if you are using). Simmer for 30 sec and serve with lime wedges and sriracha.

More Choo Choo: Union Station Holiday Trains

As promised, a little more info for our model train enthusiasts in DC. Since we are between class sessions right now and desperately needed a way to let off some steam B and I headed over to Union Station to check out their holiday train display and grab some lunch with friends.

Union Station has two different displays set up, one that is set up on the floor with plexiglass around it that is perfect for tiny tot viewing and another larger display that is up on tables and protected by a gate. The lower level display featured four trains circling through the mountain tops and towns and the larger table top display featured another five or six trains circling around towns. The displays also offered a good amount of reading material for older children and adults and even offered information on where to purchase some of the models. Another highlight of the day was enjoying the view of the trains arriving and departing from the windows next too the parking deck. Who would know sitting in the freezing cold could be so much fun. The holiday display is free and open to the public through January 2nd. There is plenty of parking (although it is costly) so a cheaper option would be to look for limited street parking or take the metro in.

Lil B sporting his Santa’s little train conductor look

The display is not nearly as exciting as the one at the botanical gardens but if you have a little one who is into trains and you are looking for an outing you might consider taking the metro to Union Station, going to the gardens first and then walking back to do the Union Station display and lunch before heading back home.

Slouvaki Chicken Salad Pitas

Right after I gave birth to our darling baby boy, my good friend Amber set up a meal delivery schedule for us through takethemameal.com. I know I have posted about how wonderful it was to not have to worry about our meals during those first few weeks but what I have not posted about is how great it was to also get so many new meal ideas from my friends and family.

This recipe is a version of the super yummy chicken salad that my sister-in-law Jess brought us. I have made her version (which I will post below) several times but since I am still on mission clean fridge I made several deviations this time.

1 cooked chicken breast (I used one breast from a whole bird I roasted today)
½ c Dill dip (recipe to follow)
½ lemon (juice only)
Small handful of dill, basil, chives (chopped)
1 shallot finely chopped
1 c bell peppers chopped
1 c grape tomatoes chopped
1 c cucumber chopped
Fresh ground pepper
Flat breads

Place chopped chicken, veggies and herbs in a mixing bowl. Mix in dip, lemon juice and pepper until it is completely incorporated. Serve or refrigerate.

Tonight I served the chicken salad on warm garlic nan bread with melted dill Havarti, lettuce and globs of hummus. As a side I roasted cauliflower from the veggie tray sprinkled with paprika, curry powder and a little bit of EVOO. B ate globs of chicken salad, and dipped chunks of cheese and cauliflower in hummus.


Jess’ Original Version
~1/4 cup EVOO
1 clove garlic grated
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
S&P
1 cup reduced fat or fat free Greek yogurt
A small handful each of finely chopped dill, parsley and chives
A few dashes hot sauce
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded or 1 lb. cold cooked shredded chicken
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/3 cucumber, chopped
2 ribs celery from the heart, thinly sliced
2 plum tomatoes, diced
flatbread

In a large bowl, combine EVOO, garlic, lemon, vinegar; season with S&P. Stir in the yogurt, herbs, and hot sauce. Add the chicken, bell pepper, onion, cucumber, and celery; season with S&P. Top the salad with tomatoes and serve with flatbread.

** I actually made a dairy free version of this recipe while I was a dairy-free nursing mom. To do this replace the Greek yogurt with So Delicious Plain Coconut Yogurt. The result is a slightly sweeter and lighter version of the original but delicious all the same.

Holiday Handprint Art

When it comes to holidays and religion we probably fit best into the suma category. Some of this, some of that. My Japanese mother grew up in a Buddhist family, my mid-western father grew up in a Presbyterian household, I identify myself as Christian but I didn’t form that identity until I late in high school. To throw another ingredient in the mixing bowl of life I went ahead and married a wonderful man of eastern European Jewish descent and created a beautiful baby boy who is going to be one confused little cookie when he is asked to check boxes someday.

I tend to get myself in a tizzy trying to think of creative, crafty and yet not tacky ways to decorate my home for the holidays so I was super excited to try out my newest hand print art idea to represent the holidays that represent our family this time of year. They were both super easy, and fun and would make great family gifts “painted” onto cards, in frames or even on shirts for a loving (and not embarrassed grandparent) 

Behold, B’s tubby little hands (and finger tips) as a lit Hanukkah Menorah

and again, as a Christmas wreath. (this one did NOT photograph well)

Meatball Subs

Who doesn’t love a nice warm Italian style meatball sub? This is one of the best ways to use your extra meatballs in a new way.

Meatball Subs with Peppers (onions and cheese)

1 small baguette (I used a pretzel baguette)
Meatballs and sauce (enough to fill each sandwich)
bell peppers, sliced
onion, sliced
Cheese slices
EVOO

After our spaghetti and meatball dinner on Sunday I froze the leftover meatballs and tomato sauce in a quart size ziploc bag to make sure they would stay fresh. I threw them in a saucepan on medium heat to defrost waiting until the sauce was boiling and the balls had separated. While I was waiting I chopped up a handful of the peppers and a quarter of an onion and sauteed them in a pan with a little EVOO. I placed about half the balls on each sub, covered with peppers onions and cheese (only peppers for the hubs) and then drizzled a bit of the extra sauce across the top. I actually threw mine in the microwave for 15 seconds to help the cheese melt but the smarter way to do that would be to put it in the toaster oven. B got his share of meatballs, peppers and bread, he is really into deconstructed meals these days.

Chicken, Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

Winter puts me in a soup mood. Having just made that awesome sweet potato minestrone, I happened to have a couple extra sweet potatoes laying around and since I am trying to empty the fridge I thought I would see what else I could whip up. I traditionally make a super yummy chicken corn chowder that is laced with bell peppers and I figured since I had the sweet potatoes I would sub them for the yukon gold ones I traditionally use. The result was a sweeter version of my traditional treat that I will definitely be making again.

To be fair, this is not a great picture. I actually had to take it of the reheated soup since I got that nasty 24 hour stomach bug going around the day I made it. It did however taste great reheated.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 c chopped tomato (I used our grape tomatoes)
1 c chopped bell pepper
1 stalk celery chopped
½ small onion, chopped
1 c corn (in the summer I use fresh corn, the rest of the year I use frozen)
3 c chicken stock
1 c whole milk ( or an additional cup of stock if you are dairy free- I did this when I was dairy free)
2 chicken breasts cut into small pieces
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
⅛ tsp hot sauce

Chop all the vegetables and chicken and place all ingredients (except milk) in the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add the milk before you serve to make the soup creamier.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies

My dear friend Naomi turned me on to the wonderful world of cake mix cookies a few years ago. They are super easy to make and they are oh so YUMMY! This new version takes 5 minutes (plus cooking time) and might be my best yet. If you like pumpkin, and yes, I know its a bit behind the season, you should definitely try these out!

 
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies

1 box of yellow cake mix or spice cake mix (if you want a pumpkin spice cookie)
1 can of pumpkin puree
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix ingredients, spoon out cookies on to tray and bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies

My dear friend Naomi turned me on to the wonderful world of cake mix cookies a few years ago. They are super easy to make and they are oh so YUMMY! This new version takes 5 minutes (plus cooking time) and might be my best yet. If you like pumpkin, and yes, I know its a bit behind the season, you should definitely try these out!

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies

1 box of yellow cake mix or spice cake mix (if you want a pumpkin spice cookie)

1 can of pumpkin puree

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix ingredients, spoon out cookies on to tray and bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.  

MYO Stock

Since I just did a post about cooking whole chickens I thought it would be the perfect time to chat about some chicken stock. It’s nutritious, delicious and super easy to make, store and use. Chicken stock can replace water in almost any recipe to increase flavor and calorie intake for your little ones.

The traditional way to make chicken stock is to boil off a chicken carcass in a large stock pot filled with water and other aromatics which is great when you have the time on a weekend to devote 4-8 hours to letting something boil on your stove, but lets face it, we are busy people. My new and improved way rocks the house and can be done overnight while you are sleeping or during the day when you are out and about. Lets call it Crock-Pot Stock

 

What you need:

Chicken bones

Water

aeromatics: onion, garlic, lemon

Vegetables: the holy trinity of cooking: onion, carrot, celery

Spices: S&P, herbs of choice

Since I had two chickens I added the birds (still fully stuffed) to my crock-pot, added several cut carrots, a couple stalks of  chopped celery, a tsp of herbes de Provence, salt and fresh ground pepper. I filled the crock-pot with water leaving an inch or two of space at the top of the pot for space to boil and turned the pot on low and let the stock cook overnight. The next morning I strained out the chicken and vegetables from the stock and used half for a chicken and orzo soup (Ill post more about this later) and then poured the rest into ice cube trays to freeze for later use.

If you are going to take the time to make a whole chicken there is not that much more work needed to make your own stock. Homemade stock is much more flavorful than store bought versions, you have the comfort of knowing exactly what is in it and it can be frozen into small portions to limit your waste. I definitely recommend trying it out since it is also helps me feel like I am stretching my money a bit further when I really use every bit of my bird. 

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Arlington Kid Friendly

Arlington Kid Friendly posts will focus on fun family friendly activities and restaurant reviews in the area.
We are an active family and are always on the run. Before our son was born the hubs and I dined out... dined often and dined deliciously at some of the DMV's best eating establishments. As self-proclaimed foodies we are determined to find and share information on great restaurants that are willing and able to cater to the family friendly crowd.
Family friendly activities are also always in the forefront of my mind. I am a member of an active playgroup and several DMV area organizations that help me keep up to date on activities and events in the area. It is my hope that this blog will be a platform for me to share this information with others.

Feed Your Family

Feed Your Family posts help me to share my love of cooking, entertaining and of course eating! I am a self diagnosed "foodie" but not one of those pretentious ones who thinks loving food means all meals must be expensive. Our family dines everywhere from food trucks to some of DC's finest (and most expensive) restaurants. My family is somewhat food obsessed and to this day I still see the kitchen as the most important room in the house. I hope that the majority of these posts will help to get others exciting about cooking and provide helpful information on:

1. Yummy, nutritious and hopefully aesthetically pleasing meals for the whole family.
2. Create seasonal menu items featuring locally available produce, meats and other items.
3. Emphasize lowering food costs (not quality) and provide time saving tips.

Kick Off

Welcome to (703) mommy and me! I lead an active life in the DMV and I am always excited to share my adventures with others. I am a self-proclaimed foodie, a Martha Stewart wanna-be and avid runner. Its my belief that while we all must grow up... we are never too old to have a little fun.