Posts Tagged ‘family dinners’

Daily Delish – NAYA take 2

Remember the yummy restaurant I recently raved about? Well, my parents and I paid it another visit this past weekend.

Just like last time, the soup selection spoke (er, bubbled?) to me! But this time around I tried something new — red lentil soup.

red lentil soup

This was phenomenal! So flavorful and chock-full of fresh ingredients! I spotted: potato, a leafy green (kale, maybe?), carrots and of course red lentils. This was one of the best soups I’ve ever had — it rivals my own recipe!

To round out my meal, I ordered the fattoush salad, which included radish, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, black pepper and feta – it was incredibly crisp and refreshing! Perfect way for my mouth to cool down after the spicy soup ;)

salad

Just as I said before, I want to go back to NAYA ASAP! There are so many wonderful looking things on the menu — how boring am I for getting soup and salad?

I’ve been eating out a lot lately! I’m lucky to have such generous parents who treat me to yummy meals ;) The Mister and I are trying to cut back on our spending by eating in more often, though – so my fancy eats may die down a bit. However, we have three dinner dates lined up, so that plan hasn’t worked out too well ;)

How often do you eat out? Special occasions? Multiple times a week? Lots of takeout? Share!

‘Make it’ Monday – Mom’s Home Cookin’

Remember the delightful dessert my mom made me before I left for San Francisco? Well that was the perfect ending to a spectacular main dish, of course!

Scallops with Chipotle-Orange Sauce

You’ll need:

  • 2 tablespooons butter, divided
  • Cooking spray
  • 12 Large sea scallops (about 1 1/2 lbs)
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt divided
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

1. Melt 1 T butter in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over a medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with paprika and 1/8 t salt. Add scallops to pan, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove from pan, set aside, and keep warm.

2. Add orange juice and chiles to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, cook until reduced to 1/4 cup. Add remaining 1 T butter and remaining 1/8 t salt, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Serve with scallops, sprinkle with onions.

Yield : 4 servings, each 218 calories.

Spicy scallops

Spicy scallops

Close up

Close up

This was so delish! I loved he kick of the chipotle peppers! For a little wimp like me it was a bit intense, but for those of you who like to spice things up, you’ll LOVE this!

This dish seems super fancy and elaborate, but it is not the case! Look for frozen scallops on sale to save some money — they are just as tasty, but often times half the price!

What types of meat/fish do you normally buy frozen? Do you find it saves you money?

Daily Delish – Because I would look really cool in a pink floppy hat

Good morning! (Note to new readers: WELCOME! Just wanted to let all of you know that the site makes a lot more sense if you start here and read a bit about me.)

For those of you who are super perceptive, you’ll notice that I FINALLY added a link to my RSS feed. You can find it under my search bar. Also, I’ll be updating the ‘Featured Recipes’ section of the blog, so be on the lookout for that!

OK, now onto the fun stuff! Since I’m leaving for a week (San Francisco readers — let me know if you’d be interested in a meet-up!), my parents had the Mister and I over for dinner last night. My mom, knowing me oh so well, put together a delightful treat (she must want a shiny souvenir!) that made me want to tap dance.

…or ride a giant strawberry.

Strawberry Shortcake

Yep, she made… strawberry shortcake! And since this is MAMA Daily Balance after all, you KNOW that is was healthified! (and now you get the pink floppy hat reference ;) )

Strawberry shortcake parfait

Strawberry shortcake parfait

Strawberry shortcake

Goblet contains: Angel Food cake, strawberries, low-fat strawberry cheesecake frozen yogurt and all-natural whipped cream. In the words of my dear friend, VeggieGirl — HOLY YUM!

I’m off to get this crazy day started! See you all later for ‘Work It’ Wednesday!

Daily Delish – Mom’s home cookin’ :)

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but my mom is a 4th grade teacher. Which means for about 80 days a year, I hate her guts I’m so happy for her that she gets holidays and summers off!

This week, my mom was on spring break. Now, while many teachers take this opportunity to relax, unwind and spend the day in their PJ’s, my mom is a tazmanian devil. Scratch that, shes a tazmanian devil on speed.

This week she has:

  • Rearranged the furniture in their entertainment room
  • Recovered 4 kitchen chairs
  • Created a new cushion for a bench
  • Redecorated the kitchen
  • Cleaned out the garage (TRUST ME, it’s a task)

And that was just Mon-Wed. I’m sure she’ll remind me of a few things I’m forgetting. Anyway, since she has the week off, and more time to cook a nice meal, she offered to have the Mister and I over for dinner last night. I know, she’s awesome.

The spread:

  • Parmesan salmon
  • Pesto Basil cream sauce (fat free — I’ll feature the recipe soon ;) ) on top of whole wheat pasta
  • Fruit cup
  • Salad
  • Whole Foods SEEDuction bread – BEST. Grocery Store. BREAD. EVA. (must purchase if you have a Whole Foods near you!) — I enjoy dipping it in Annie’s Naturals olive oil
Parmesean Salmon

Parmesan Salmon

Parmesean Salmon - close up

Parmesan Salmon - close up

Fresh salad - those croutons were AMAZING!

Fresh salad - those croutons were AMAZING!

Adorable fruit cup ;)

Adorable fruit goblet ;)

My plate - with pasta ;)

My plate - with pasta ;)

Warmed Whole Foods Seeduction Bread -- doughy goodness ;)

Warmed Whole Foods Seeduction Bread -- doughy goodness ;)

Dipping Oil

Dipping Oil

This was the perfect way to cap off a busy day. Relaxing with the fam, enjoying an amazing meal cooked by my Mom! Thanks, mom – you rock! ;)

Do you still go over your parents for dinner? How often?

Don’t forget about our Fashion Friday Contest! Remember, there are prizes at stake! Email me (info@thedailybalance.com) your photos by midnight tonight! Also get your questions ready for ‘Solve it’ Saturday (click the link for details) ;)