A December to Remember

WOW! I'm alive, and I've made it through 23 days in December...and what a December it has been.


The first week of this month, we said goodbye to our first apartment and hello to our first home. Its amazing how much you accumulate in such a short time. We filled a large moving truck and took 8 van/jeep loads full of our things. With the help of Mighty Moose Movers (no lie, that's what they're called, and I highly recommend them) and our family members, we managed to set up shop in short order. 


Then, I got sick. I spent seven days flat out on the couch, about to lose my mind since I couldn't do anything in our new house. I spent a fortune at the local pharmacy and have made friends at the nearby clinic. Apparently its funny that I work with kids, since that's the reason why I ended up with daycare diseases : strep throat and pink eye (ew.) Its interesting, I spend my days helping kids learn to take turns and share-yet when it comes to germs, they are more than willing to pass them on!


The third week we spent getting this house in ship shape order BECAUSE we were super ambitious and decided that we would like to host 30 of our close friends at a Christmas Open House. This involved one evening entirely spent buying a new couch for my "vintage room" (post on that someday soon), hauling it in a van, not being able to lift it since it gained 1000lbs on the ride here (I promise you it was the heaviest couch ever), having an angel neighbor stop to help, taking two doors off their hinges, and who knew couches could also grow an inch and therefore not fit but get stuck on an angle in the doorway of the room. In spite of this, the open house went wonderfully! 


This wouldn't be a post without pictures of the food I served. Thank you to my mother-in-law who reminded me to take pictures!!

For savory food we served: Sausage and Crackers, Hummus and Pita Chips, Vegetables and Ranch Dip, Nachos and Mexican Dip (recipe to be shared another day), Meatballs in BBQ sauce (see previous post). At the end of the table we also had a chocolate dipping station for fruit or anything you like to eat coated in chocolate!

For dessert we served (clockwise from the candy canes) my new experiment: chocolate saltine toffee bark (in milk chocolate and semisweet flavors), pretzels to dip in chocolate, my aunt made her chocolate drop cookies, sweet and salty popcorn, store bought cream puffs, a friend brought chocolate dipped pretzel sticks with toffee and sprinkles, my mom made dutch cookies, and friends brought a chocolate cookies and cream pizza we chopped into bite sized pieces

Check out this blog I found on pintrest with the recipe for the Saltine Cracker Toffee bark: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/03/saltine-cracker-toffee.html

To drink we had Champagne with cranberries as a garnish in the glass, coffee, teas AND two holiday drinks: spiced apple cider and eggnog!

For the spiced Apple Cider, I bought jug of apple cider at my local grocery store. I heated it up in a pot until it was simmering. Then I added two cinnamon sticks. I also placed 2 tsp of whole cloves and 2 tsp of whole all spice into a coffee filter and tied it at the top to make a little pouch. I let the pouch simmer for about 20 minutes to add flavor, but then took it out so that the spices wouldn't be too strong. Later on when the guests arrived I added whole cranberries and thin slices of oranges to garnish the drink.

For the eggnog, I bought 2% eggnog from our local grocery store, and placed it in a glass bowl over a bowl of ice. Eggnog should always be served chilled and kept cold. Then to add garnish and flavor I grated some fresh nutmeg on top!

To set the mood I decorated the whole place for Christmas, made sure to light candles and Matthew made a Christmas music playlist that was on in the background all night. Everyone seemed to have a good time, the place was filled with boisterous laughter and the holiday drinks ran dry.

I'll save the second half of the month for another time. Just wanted assure you that I'm still alive and well!

Holidays, here I come!!

Restaurant Review: Fratelli Pasta Grill

At the beginning of the month, my husband and I relocated from Old Riverside in Windsor to a cute home in Tecumseh Town. The move was crazy, but the house is worth it! 


After a few days of unpacking we agreed it was time to celebrate this new town we lived in (regardless of the 15 minute distance we were from our old place). Our good friends Natalie and James decided to show us Tecumseh, and decided on a newly opened restaurant just around the corner: Fratelli Pasta Grill

taken from Fratelli's Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fratelli-Pasta-Grill/168899966528013

As soon as we walked in the door, I knew we had found a gem of a restaurant. A waiter saw to us right away and then the restaurant owner approached us to engage us in some light conversation before we were shown to our table. The staff was engaging and served us well the entire night. 


I love a restaurant that gives importance to the decor and atmosphere. The restaurant was busy and buzzing when we arrived. The colours are warm and contemporary and the lighting makes the place sparkle. I loved the wall of mirrors! 

taken from Fratelli's Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fratelli-Pasta-Grill/168899966528013

As it was a Friday night, we made reservations, and I would highly recommend doing this. The restaurant is casually elegant, and you could go a little dressed up or in business casual clothing and fit right in. 

Now on to the good stuff, the food! Here is what we ordered:

Natalie and James started off with an appetizer of Parmigiana di Melanzane which is eggplant with roasted tomato sauce and mozzarella.

For dinner Natalie ordered the Salsiccia Rapini: a pasta with grilled sausage, roasted garlic, broccoli rabe and sundried tomato & evoo.

James ordered the Mare Monte: pasta with shrimp, mussels, squid, mushrooms, grilled tomato and evoo

My husband Matthew opted for the special of the day which was a NY Strip with gorgonzola cheese topping, garlic mashed potato and salad 

I chose the Filetto Di Manzo: two beef tenderloin medallions with a chianti wine reduction, garlic mashed potatoes and ratatouille 

The verdict: I can only speak for the flavors of my meal, and I can truly say they were dancing in my mouth. The steaks were grilled to perfection, and the wine reduction was a lightly sweet and savory partner. The potatoes, though strangely colored, were rich and delicious. 

Everyone else around the table agreed that the food was delicious. The flavors were well balanced and you could tell that the chef put much thought into what went on the plate. 

As for cost, the pasta dishes ranged in the high teens and twenties, and my steak was 28 dollars. Matthew's special of the night cost a whopping 40, which was a bit pricey, but not typical of the menu offerings. 

Fratelli's also offers lunch, dessert, a gluten free menu and a takeout menu, which I will have to explore at another date. 

Overall the restaurant was a big hit from the moment we walked in the door, to the moment we left. Great food, lovely atmosphere, good service. I highly recommend giving them a try!

Website: http://www.fratellipastagrill.com/

Restaurant Review: Tecumseh Roadhouse

Last  Saturday, my Hubby and I made desperate calls to our two younger sisters. We asked them to be our little worker elves, and in return we would feed them. So after a long day of packing and lifting boxes, we decided to head to Tecumseh Roadhouse, and we were famished!

We have been to Tecumseh Roadhouse a few times since it opened a few years ago. It is located on County Rd #42, so its not in the heart of the city, but if you are looking for some good Southern BBQ, its worth the drive. 


Historically, I have ordered the Uncle Dave's Buttermilk Fried Chicken, which is probably not the healthiest choice: but its oh so good! The seasoning on the chicken is more than just salt and breading, it has a mixture of some spices that kick up the flavour. Sadly, its no longer on the menu, which has forced me to branch out and order other things. 


Since the four of us were pretty hungry, and it was a busy night at the restaurant when we arrived, it took a good 45-50 minutes to get our food. It was worth the wait, but we did have to raid the pickle bar for something to nibble while our stomachs growled. 


This is what we had to eat:

My Husband ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich, which comes with two choices of sides. He selected the fries and mac and cheese. He reported all three to be delicious, and a sampling of the pulled pork confirmed that for me. It was warm, tender and smokey. What you see drizzled on top is one of the 5 homemade signature sauces...mmmmm mmm good!

My sister-in-law ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with coleslaw and fries. She said that the chicken was spicy, but she liked it, and ate the whole thing up! 

My sister and I chose to share the "Create Your Own Combo", which gives you two entrees to choose from a list and two sides for $18.99! The price was right, and we both were craving ribs, so we each had a half rack with fries and potato salad (not pictured). The ribs were very smokey, tender, and fell right off the bone.  We each doused ours in one of the signature sauces. We both agreed that it was enough food to feed us both. Delicious!

The exciting ending for us was the Tootsie Rolls that came with the bill; forget the Plain-Jane Mints, bring on the Chewy Chocolate!

Overall, Tecumseh Roadhouse is a nice place for friends to gather to enjoy a hearty BBQ meal. The menu is diverse, and is reasonably priced. Be careful if you go on the weekend, because the place tends to fill up quickly AND for your information, they are closed on Mondays.