City Chicks

Invariably when we mention to anyone that we have chickens in our back yard, we're asked, "oh, so you live out in the country?" No, people. We're in the burbs and there's nothing weird about having hens up in here.

Both of us had grandparents who raised chickens when we were children. Not all of these were country folk either so we had the opportunity to experience backyard chickens as a normal part of home life. Reflecting on her time spent picking eggs at Chicken Granny's house, MomNextDoor decided last year that the time had come. She drew up a rough sketch of what the perfect hen house for our back yard might look like and the gentlemen of the house set to work. With about $250 and a lot of muscle, their masterpiece was completed in a weekend.

We headed over to North Haven Gardens to pick out a couple of young hens. Farmer Dan from Bageniece Farms was there with a selection of his finest. Talk about a knowledgeable, nice guy - Dan can answer any chicken question you throw at him, he's super supportive if you have any questions once you get home and he didn't even mind that a lady came to spend the day observing and taking notes to learn more about keeping chickens. Keep an eye on NHG calendar - Dan teaches lots of workshops as well.

We wanted hens than would be good layers and that would also be friendly with the kids. At Dan's suggestion, we chose a Barred Rock and a Buff Orpington.

The Buff is named Taco - trust us, you don't really want to know why. Her sister is named Paco. Because it rhymes with Taco and because it's a silly Pixies reference.

Our city ordinances only permit us to have two hens so our house is modest in size. It's designed to have great circulation but also to keep the girls safe and comfy inside through all seasons. We do have a small fenced-in run area for the ladies to stretch their legs but when we're home they have free run of the yard. This means they spend a great portion of each week munching on sunflower seeds the birds spilled from the birdfeeder, scratching up worms from the flowerbed and napping in the cool shade under the boxwoods. Then when the sun begins to set, they simply head inside and hop up on their roost for bedtime.

They started laying when they were close to 6 months old. We generally get about a dozen eggs a week, which is plenty for us. They have the most beautiful golden yolks and mild, buttery flavor. They're actually one of the kids' favorite after school snacks. We have teenagers so they're big enough to fend for themselves. They often come home in the afternoon, let the girls out into the yard, pick the day's eggs and bring them straight inside to wash and cook.

Of course you just can't beat a poached egg for weekend brunch. One our all-time favorites.

Are they expensive to keep? No, they're cheaper than the cats. Are they messy? A little, but less than a dog - especially easy since the poopy junk gets dumped into the compost bin right next to the hen house. Are they loud? No, we have hens only so they're WAY quieter than our neighbor's barking-ass dog. Do they get along with other pets? We wouldn't let them play with dogs if we had any but they hang out with our cats just fine - one of them even accidentally had a sleepover with them in the hen house one night. Are they friendly? Yes, they come running like puppies when we step outside and call them.

Any other questions?

Food Memories

I have these food memories that I associate with special people in my life. Every time I make a certain dish I remember those specific people and how they made me feel as a child. Is that strange or does everybody have that?

Without fail, when I make a brisket I think of my paternal grandmother's big family dinner table. The creamy lusciousness that is chicken tetrazzini will always remind me of my maternal grandmother's hugs. Roasted chicken makes me proud of the time and care my mother put into nourishing our growing bodies well.

For the past several days I've been thinking of my Aunt Debbi. Maybe she's been on my mind and I'm subconsciously choosing to make foods that remind me of her. Or maybe somewhere in there I just have a need to feel those things she makes me feel. She's one of those amazing people who you can trust with your life and your best secret. You always know you could tell her anything because no matter what, she loves you just for who you are.

Cold weather just sings "sweet potatoes" to me and I love few things more than a simple baked sweet potato. Deb shares my sweet potato adoration and for some reason I always just assume she'll be bringing them to any holiday dinner we have. I laughed about that as I nommed on one last night as the snow started to fall.

For as long as I can remember, Deb has always made the most amazing candies and cookies. In my mind, there just isn't a better confectioner to be found. I won't even pretend to attempt to make her pralines because there just isn't any way to do them justice. I also do not bake.

I've been tormented this past week trying to come up with some sort of sweet treat to take to the office Valentine's sweet buffet tomorrow. I simply cannot deal with the shame of showing up empty handed. So this weekend I closed my eyes and thought back to all the tasty things Deb made when I was growing up, trying to find something that I might possibly pull off with some degree of dignity. Suddenly it hit me. Those simple magic cookie bars always rocked!

They may not be trendy or extravagant but they're a damned tasty morsel of sweetness. My coworkers won't all appreciate the love and magic that's always gone into those treats, and mine certainly aren't as pretty as hers, but I'll have warm fuzzies at work tomorrow remembering Aunt Debbi's awesomeness.

-MomNextDoor

Dallas Bicycle Cafe

We heard the new Dallas Bicycle Cafe opened this weekend and decided to pay a visit since we were stopping by Dallas Bike Works anyhow and hadn't eaten.

While we can't say we'd likely stop by for dinner, this is a pretty cool little spot for a nice coffee and healthy breakfast, brunch or lunch. For our brunch this time, we each got a Slick Tire capuccino and we shared a chicken quinoa bowl.

This was really the perfect brunch for the two of us. We can't imagine one person eating this whole bowl without exploding. Can't beat 15 bucks either. We can't wait to try the tacos and French press coffee next time. Who knows, we might even decide to sit at the bar for beer and wine and nom on chips, salsa and guac instead.

As a matter of fact, we will probably ride White Rock Lake and park our bikes in the special bike parking out front. There are some really beautiful lockers and whatnot in the back but we don't generally roll like that.

Our only criticisms this visit were that the kitchen was a little too slow and sugar for the coffee was sort of hidden. We figure this was just because it was opening weekend though. If they can manage to pick up the pace it makes our favorites list. It's so refreshing to have a place serving something other than burgers and tacos.

Fajita Junkies Indeed *CLOSED*

There is a little hut in the middle of a shopping center parking lot not too far from our house. Ordinarily it wouldn't be someplace we'd bother trying. Somehow the name was just intriguing enough to draw us in - Fajita Junkies. (Updated 11/12/12 - Sadly, Fajita Junkies has closed.)

O.M.G. Tasty good meat was a great surprise. The seasoning on the steak plus the slow-cooked mesquite smokiness rocked, not to mention it's tender awesomeness. We had the steak tacos this time & cant wait to go back for the brisket. We went around 11-ish for an early lunch and the brisket just wasn't quite ready - it hadn't had enough smokey love just yet. The kids also enjoyed the chicken quesadillas.

Pricing includes two toppings, with additional toppings available at a small upcharge. They dished up a really nice salsa which we could only presume was made in house. Wonder if they sell it by the jar??? Not sure if they have corn tortillas or not. We're planning to ask next time since we prefer corn over flour for tacos and fajitas.

Three of us had a nice lunch for about $12 which you just can't beat. The only understandable excuse for choosing either the nearby Taco Bell or Fuzzy's over this place ever is if you happen to be brain dead.

Sign posted stated they were discontinuing breakfast & extending evening hours. We think that's a great thing. Of course, being a little hut and all, there is no seating. Take it home, whip up a pitcher of margaritas and pig out in privacy.

The owner was working the window the day we visited. He's a super nice guy sharing his gift for making addictive fajitas. We're definitely fans of local small business.

Unfortunately we were hungry and the aroma was too much to resist. We inhaled our lunch before we thought to take pictures for you. Ah well, guess we'll just have to go back!

New Date Night Fave - Restaurant AVA

We were shocked to find such a gem less than 15 minutes from home. How is it possible this was our first visit here after all these years?! Because we're snobs and we never really expected much in Rockwall apparently.

The parking situation is sort of a pain in the ass. As far as we could tell, we were supposed to park behind the restaurant. Since it was rather chilly NYE Eve, MomNextDoor was not hiking her happy self all the way around to the front door. Enetering through the back and passing the kitchen toward the hostess stand just felt a little intrusive. But we'd do it again.

This place has a really warm, cozy vibe while still maintaining a sense of upscale class. The dining room has a really intimate feel. Not wanting to disrupt that intimacy, we left our flashes off so these pictures are pretty crappy and don't do any justice to the care and attention put into presenting the dishes.

Our first measure of any restaurant is the martinis. We certainly found no fault with the AVA bar on this visit. To start, we were brought house made sourdough and cornbread. Both were tasty yummy but the cornbread was a little sweeter than we typically prefer and the sourdough a little less funky. Actually, we thought the breads would rock our socks as a dessert course since we don't typically eat sweets when we go out.

Clearly the chefs take great pride in choosing the best possible local, seasonal ingredients. In fact, they share information about their sources on the first page of the menu. For us, this isn't so much of a selling point as the house made items, creativity of the dishes and incredible taste.

So far as we can tell, it's darned near impossible to choose a bad dish at this place. This visit we enjoyed the calamari - loved the salty, thin slices but liked the leggy bits slightly less due to the clumpiness of the batter. The squash soup was fantastic as was the perfectly dressed pear salad.

We've never enjoyed a more tender pork chop as this.This bone-in chop was literally butter knife tender and juicy to perfection. The delicate smoky flavor went so well with the fruitiness of the garnish. That schmear of sauce is just the cherry on top.

The beef tenderloin was cooked and seasoned to perfection and was melt-in-your-mouth tender. The smashed potatoes and mushrooms were delish but incredibly rich and, when combined with the roasted cauliflower, were a little heavier than we prefer. We perhaps would have enjoyed the dish even more with some sort of fresh or acidic component.

Make no mistake about it folks, our plates were clean. We will certainly be back often.

Happy New Year Cocktail

We're avoiding amateur night, as per usual, making our own little NYE celebration at home. Snuggled on the couch with Depeche Mode tunes and Thai red curry chicken, we must kick off the night with a celebratory cocktail.

We have no idea what the hell this is but it's amusing. It appears to be some sort of white trash cross between a martini and an adult pineapple float. Cheers to the new year - may you always be amused!

CoupleNextDoor WhiteTrashTini

Place a small scoop of pineapple sherbet into a martini glass
Add a few glugs of vodka
Squirt with a swirl of homemade grenadine
Float a few glugs of sparkling wine on top

Winter Solstice Supper

Nothing suits a cold, damp evening better than piping hot pots of soup. We ushered in this dark winter solstice with our interpretation of caldo de pollo.

There isn't really a recipe so much as a process. That's the way Granny does it, y'know. It always starts with some sort of bone-in chicken. On occasion we use a whole chicken and then de-bone it before adding the veggies if that's what's on hand. Our preference, however, is to use a combination of legs and thighs or leg quarters and then just leave them bone-in.

We dump the chicken into a pot and cover with water. Then we season generously with salt, a good amount of chili powder and garlic, a fair amount of cumin, a bit of cayenne and sometimes a bit of oregano. That simmers gently until the meat is tender and the kitchen smells good.

Large chunks of whatever veggies are handy get dumped into the pot at that point. Usual suspects at our house are potatoes and carrots. Once those are tender, we usually turn off the heat and drown small cabbage wedges into the broth if we have any in the fridge. By the time it's cooled just enough so the kids don't get scalded, the cabbage is done.

We dish it up in wide, relatively shallow bowls. Everyone chooses from diced onion, chopped cilantro, avocado chunks and rice to spruce up the basic soup according to our own preferences and then squeeze limes over the top.

Warm up some corn tortillas and dinner's done.

Just A Light Lunch

Listen up all you ladies who lunch. We totally get it that you'd just want a small salad, minding your girlish figures and all. But when you dump a shit-ton of ranch dressing on top it ceases to serve said figure sparing function. This is particularly true when you wash it down with a Jack in the Box-esque deep fried Tupy Taco.

If you're headed to a Mexican joint, we surmise it would be much more enjoyable to drop the delusions. Jump right in with a margarita and savor the salty rice, borracho beans, grilled meaty goodness and nice warm corn tortillas. While you're at it, leave the funky fried tacos to all the drunks hitting up Jack in the Box after midnight.

Steamin' Hot Dumplings

MomNextDoor is a self-admitted dumpling slut and DadNextDoor would give it all up for the perfect bowl of soup. We were giddy with excitement last week when we enjoyed brunch at Jeng Chi Restaurant in Richardson. This glorious hideaway is the perfect place to indulge both our vices. 

The hot & sour soup was the perfect balance of flavors and the broth wasn't laden with thickener like many Americanized places can tend to serve. Tender tofu and crispy vegetables provided a great texture contrast. The dark broth beef soup was both rich and at the same time refreshing. The chewy, tender beef worked well with the wilted greens and complex broth.

                                                                                       Onion Pancake


The most perfect accompaniment to our soups was the onion pancake. This was our first experience with this amazing treat and we were anticipating something more along the lines of a crepe or tortilla. These wedges of goodness are crispy on the outside and oh so chewy in the inside. Dipped in our hot, salty and spicy broth, the scallion pancake was nearly foodgasmic.

Finally, to finish us off, we doubled up on dumplings. One cannot skip the juicy steamed dumplings. These bundles of goodness have a flavorful pork filling, bathed in salty broth, all embraced by a fluffy steamed dumpling. They are the perfect bite all on their own. The pork and napa dumplings rocked our socks too but they definitely benefited from a generous lather in the ginger vinegar dipping sauce.

                                                                  Juicy Steamed Dumplings


We were stuffed and spent at the end of our Sunday brunch, our wallet only about $25 lighter. We have temperamental tummies which showed no signs of MSG induced crankiness.

This unassuming little family restaurant, tucked away at the back of a shopping center at Greenville & Apollo, is one of our new favorite gems. Can't stop thinking of all those steaming hot morsels ... thinking we'll find ourselves there again this weekend.

Thankful for Cocktails

You guessed it - time for holiday cocktails! We're imagining we're somewhere in the Caribbean this week, with rum of course.

Mom's Mai Tai

     Stir with crushed ice:

     3 oz sweet & sour mix
     1.5 oz light rum
     3/4 oz triple sec
     3/4 oz amaretto
     Juice of 1/4 lime

     Float 1-1.5 oz dark rum on top after stirring