Where to Eat: Gobble

I love turkey and mashed potatoes. It's one of those classic home-cooked meals that warms your soul as it fills your belly. And yet, it seems we only have the full-blown turkey dinner a few times a year on holidays, most likely because of all of the work involved.
A few months ago, a friend of mine told me about a small restaurant in Woodinville - Gobble - that served delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings. As I looked up the menu online, I saw they also offered lighter options like turkey sandwiches (leftover-style of course), pot pie and several other items that had my mouth watering. I had to give it a try. Last week, as Ella and I met my husband for lunch, we picked this spot. Between the three of us, we were all super impressed with the quality of food and the exceptional service. We're already planning a return visit!

The Breakdown
Location: 13300 NE 175th St Woodinville WA 98072
Must-eat: Turkey platter with stuffing and potatoes - get the smaller portion unless you're starving
Dress code: Casual
Ambiance: Home-style cozy
Price: About $10 per person

I loved how cozy the inside seating area was. There was even a fire-burning stove in the corner with antique signs and decorations. Drinks are served in adorable mason jars. There are even shelves of books and games to keep little ones entertained while they eat.

The turkey was absolutely delicious, the potatoes tasted completely homemade, not resembling a cafeteria in any way, and that stuffing! I had to show how deliciously textured and flavorful it was. Even the pot pie was completely hand-crafted to perfection.

If you live in the Seattle area or are planning a trip, add this one to your list to try!

Date Night: First Date Repeat

Nine and a half years ago, a cute boy took me on a date. He had trouble finding my house (pre-phone GPS days...are we that old?!) and had me come outside while he honked the horn of his car to see how close he was. After the weirdest game of "hot or cold" ever, we set out on the last first date I would ever go on.

Matt took me to a yummy Italian restaurant (Mamma Melina) which used to be tucked behind a small theater in the U-District of Seattle. It was family owned and operated, had live entertainment, and was super romantic. While the location has changed, the same brothers continue to run the restaurant and have managed to maintain a cozy vibe with their sleek upgrades. We love to grab dinner here on a night without our kids, not only for nostalgia sake, but because the people and the food are top notch.

TJB Guide: Seattle's International District

One of the best parts about traveling is the exhilaration of discovering something new. When I recently toured Seattle's International District (or the ID), I realized you don't always have to go very far to feel that thrill. It was actually kind of revelatory to see how close to home completely new experiences can be.

I was lucky to have an incredible tour guide. My friend Benjean knows the ID like the back of her hand and showed me all her favorite spots. Most of these places I would have driven by without a second glance, which just goes to show that the most wonderful treasures are often hidden in plain sight.

The Itinerary
Four Seasons Farmer Market - 2119 Rainier Ave S
Thanh Son Tofu - 1248 South King Street
Saigon Deli - 1237 S Jackson St
Saigon Bakery and Bubble Tea - 1200 South Jackson Street
Uwajimaya - 600 5th Avenue South

Four Seasons Farmer Market
If you love farmers' markets but can't bear paying $7 for a pint of raspberries, you will die at Four Seasons Farmer Market. I was hyperventilating over the piles of gorgeous produce at rock-bottom prices ($.79/lb for Honeycrisp apples!). I left with 3 bags stuffed with goodies from pea shoots to baby bok choy for less than $20.

Around Chinese New Year, you'll see vendors advertising "Mandarin with Leaf" because the leaf represents prosperity. Throw some in a glass bowl for a beautiful centerpiece.

Where to Eat: Molly Moon's

Ice cream. There's nothing like a delicious, creamy scoop in a fresh waffle cone. Now, I know you're thinking it's a bit unorthodox to be talking about a frozen treat in the middle of January, but bear with me here. The unique flavors, nostalgic ice cream shop environment and generous portions (more dessert!) make Molly Moon's a must-visit, even in the winter.

There are six Molly Moon locations around Seattle. I like to visit the U Village location because of the convenient parking. (And because I love to pair one of my favorite restaurants with a trip for ice cream.) The company uses fresh, local ingredients in their ice cream where possible and partners with organic, fair trade suppliers when products can't be sourced nearby.

I love this sign hanging on the wall. "Sundae night, every night." Amen to that. The shop sells yummy toppings and pints of their ice cream to keep the ice cream party going at home.

There are about ten classic flavors that can be found year-round. Then four more flavors are added seasonally to keep you coming in for more. At least one flavor is always vegan which is great for people who have dietary restrictions or allergies.

I like to get a waffle cone with a single scoop. You can ask to have your single scoop split into a couple of flavors (yes, please!) since the amount of ice cream you get is plentiful. My go-to flavors are scout mint (sweet mint ice cream with pieces of Thin Mint cookies) or salted caramel. Last summer one of the seasonal flavors was a toasted marshmallow which I'm praying returns later this year.

A couple of the seasonal flavors coming up looked too good not to share. Check them out next time you have a craving for something sweet!

Where to Eat: Din Tai Fung

The Breakdown
Locations: Bellevue and Seattle, WA; Arcadia and Glendale, CA; International
Must-eat: Juicy Pork Dumplings, Garlic String Beans; Spicy Pork Wontons; Chicken Fried Rice
Dress code: Casual
Ambiance: Modern ambiance with Asian flare
Price: Entrees between $8.50-12.00; Family-Style about $15 per person

There's really only one place in town that I will tolerate a two hour wait for dinner. That's right...two hours. The reason? Din Tai Fung. On a Friday or Saturday night, anything less than a 90 minute wait time is lucky. But people (myself included) wait because the food is that good. The Bellevue location opened in 2010 and with it's wild popularity, expanded to Seattle last year. Both are located with prime shopping nearby to help the wait go by a little faster. Because trust me...it's worth it.

Right next to the entrance is a window to the kitchen showing how the dumplings are made fresh.

Even the bar area has sleek, modern decor to keep a cool ambiance.

When we first started coming here, Blake was a baby and constantly broke their ceramic plates and spoons. Now, they've stocked cute plastic plates and bowls to be more kid-friendly. Drinks are even serves with cute and colorful curly straws.

These are some of the only green beans I can, not only stomach, but inhale like candy. Their crispness and delicious flavor make this something even my daughter will eat.

The vegetable and pork wontons in spicy sauce are a winning combination. As a bonus, try pouring some of the spicy sauce on fried rice. Yummy.

And these little juicy pork dumplings are as absolute must. The wrappers are the perfect thickness, and the flavor inside is terrifically tasty.

To eat these yummy morsels, pick up with chopsticks, dip in dumpling sauce, then place on the spoon. Bite a small hole in the wrapper to sip the broth outing cool the dumpling down a bit. Then, devour the rest.

If you're a seafood fan (which I am alone in my family as not being one), there are several shrimp options that are big crowd pleasers. My family loves these shrimp and pork shao mai dumplings that have the pork on bottom and minced shrimp nestled on top.

This food is lick-your-lips good! To avoid the crowds, try going in the afternoon (3pm-ish) or mid-week. They do also offer take-out but the food gets cold pretty quickly so be sure you'll be able to eat soon after pick-up if you go that route. If you live in the Seattle or LA area, put this one on your list to try soon!

Game Day

Game day is no time for subtlety. So this weekend, as you watch Russell and the Hawks crush the 49ers (yeah, that’s right), let your fan flag fly with football favorites customized to celebrate our reigning Super Bowl champs. (Don’t worry, if you root for one of those other teams or want to cheer for your favorite school instead, these ideas can be tailored to fit your needs too.)

Up first, pizza. Rather than try to go way too fancy with a main dish that nobody wants to eat, stick with this safe staple that can easily be customized to show a little game day spirit. My family is picky with pizza toppings so I stuck with a plain cheese but you can easily use veggies and/or meat toppings to make your pie one-of-a-kind.

Ingredients

1 Pizza Crust (I like the Target or Trader Joe’s pre-made crusts)

1 Jar Pizza Sauce (the zestier the better)

2 cups finely shredded mozarella cheese

Toppings of your choice

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425. Spread the sauce on to your crust with a spoon - be sure to spread all the way to the edges. If you want to use a stencil (team logo, etc) press it in to your sauce now. Sprinkle cheese around your stencil. Use a straw to outline your design before removing the stencil. Fill in with sauce, toppings or leave as is. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

It wouldn’t be a game day party without chips and dip. Switch standard tortilla chips to blue corn with classic green quac and you’ve got a winning combination - fit for the Hawks. You can even add a little spirited flag in your dip for extra team spirit. My husband and his friends really appreciate that. [Sarcasm]

Guacamole

Ingredients

¼ cup minced onion

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ jalapeno, minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 ripe avocados, diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Directions

Mix the onion, garlic, and jalapeno in a medium bowl (always use a slightly bigger bowl than you think...it makes it easier to mash the guac). Add ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of lime juice and mix well. Add the avocado and mash until well combined but still a little chunky. Stir in the additional ½ teaspoon of salt, the additional 1 tablespoon of lime juice, the pepper, and the cilantro.

If for some crazy reason you’re not rooting for Seattle, you can still get in on the color-coordinated chip-and-dip idea:

• 49ers: chipotle salsa with fritos
• Cowboys: sour cream onion dip (try Trader Joe’s!) with blue corn chips
• Patriots or Bears: pico de gallo with blue corn chips
• Broncos: queso with blue corn chips

Every special occasion needs a signature drink. I like to make these 12th man mocktails for every game. Depending on how fancy you want to go, you can easily find a drink in your team colors that can be used as is or added to a basic pop like Sprite, Ginger Ale or Fresca. Garnish with a coordinating color and you’ve got a drink that’s worth toasting your victory to.

Sherman Sure-Thing

Ingredients

Welch’s Passion Fruit Juice

Fresca

Blue Food Coloring

Lime

Directions

Mix together juice, pop and about 5 drops of food coloring. Pour into martini glass and garnish with a lime twist.

Since my husband tends to drink a lot while he’s watching the game, I keep some blue gatorade on hand (pictured with a lime wedge on the right) for his refills so I can enjoy the game too. As an added bonus, he stays hydrated as he paces the floor when the game gets too close.

And for dessert, man-size chocolate chip cookies. We swapped out the chocolate chips for blue and green M&M’s and instead of mixing them into the dough, we couldn’t resist putting our favorite jersey numbers on top of some of the cookies.

We’ve included one of our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes, but any cookie recipe will work.

Manly M&M Cookies

Ingredients

½ cup butter (1 stick) at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup sugar

2 large eggs

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2¼ cups flour

1 cup oatmeal

Approximately 1½ cups blue and green M&M’s

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, cream together the sugars and butter for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Add the eggs and beat on high for 3 minutes, until the batter is light and fluffy. Add the salt, baking soda, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add the flour in two batches, mixing until just combined. Add the oatmeal and mix briefly to combine.

For each cookie, put about 2 tablespoons of dough on the cookie sheet. Press together and flatten into a disc. Decorate as you like with the M&M’s. These are big cookies and they’ll spread as they cook, so leave plenty of space between them (I cooked 4 on a sheet at a time).

Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool briefly on the cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 1 dozen big cookies.

And you're ready to go! Let's go Seahawks!!

Where to Eat: Blazing Bagels

The Breakdown
Locations: Redmond (6975 176th Ave NE, Suite 365); Bellevue (555 108th Ave NE, Suite C); Safeco Field (1250 1st Ave S, Seattle); SODO (1911 1st Ave S, Seattle)
Must-eat: Salt bagel with chive cream cheese, raspberry bar, Irwin Itzakoff turkey sandwich
Dress code: What dress code?
Ambiance: Warehouse-y, but pleasant and kid-friendly
Price: Under $10 per entrée, $1.15 per bagel

When you have a super picky eater, finding something (anything) they’ll actually eat is like winning some crazy-hard strategy game (you know, one of those awful ones with multiple expansion packs). After weeks of cutting sandwiches into truck shapes or trying to figure out how to invisibly sneak vegetables into a bowl of noodles, you stumble onto an item they deem worthy of their finicky little taste buds. Victory in the form of calories!

And then everyone in your house ends up eating a lot of oatmeal. Or sweet potato fries. Or peanut M&Ms. Lucky for me, my picky eater’s latest obsession is one I can totally get behind:

Blazing Bagels.

Pretty much any weekday between 11:45 and 12:30, there’s a good chance you’ll find me chowing down on a salt bagel with cream cheese and guzzling a Diet Pepsi, while picky eater/construction vehicle enthusiast Max enjoys his plain bagel, ripped just-so into little pieces.

Located in a rather unattractive office park, the Blazing Bagels in Redmond is truly a hidden gem and from the outside, doesn’t look so great.

But inside, it’s a temple of carbs.

The place is super casual and friendly and the concrete floors make it easy to clean up the spills that are an inevitable part of meals with kids. The sandwiches are delicious (and all have rather delightful names...the Samuel Slutzky is my personal fav).

But for me, the salt bagel with cream cheese can’t be beat. Both are made in-house, and I love that when you order a bagel with schmear, they really load it on. There are tons of bagels, from sweet to savory to super cheesy, and almost as many cream cheese flavors.

And as a connoisseur of Seattle area fountain pop machines, I can say without hesitation that Blazing Bagels Redmond has the best Diet Pepsi mix I’ve ever found (plus free refills). Do you like the halo of light shining on my DP? Rather fitting.

Don’t miss the sample baskets. I’m a bit of a germaphobe, so usually communal food containers in public places sicken me, BUT the raspberry bars and apple crumb cake are so delicious, I make an exception. The treats here are worth the splurge. They also make great challah bread (which makes the best bread pudding and French toast).

Blazing claims to make the best bagels east of NYC...and I think I have to agree. Have you been? Tell us what you think.