A Beautiful Dinner at Romano's Macaroni Grill

Located in Aliso Viejo, near the movie theaters

First, let me start by saying this post is completely uncompensated and is my honest reflection of a really wonderful dinner.

My husband and I were lucky enough to get an entire Saturday to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary this weekend.  We almost never get to the movies or a grown-up dinner, so we opted for both and decided to try go to the Macaroni Grill.  We had not been there in many years and I was a bit concerned that a chain restaurant would not be up to snuff for excellent food.

The restaurant is in Aliso Viejo and they were really being hit by the heat wave this summer.  We were happy that the inside was cool, but a bit crowded and loud.  Instead, we opted for the patio seating, which was awash in lovely Italian style music and an early evening breeze.

13 years and counting!

We received some really good news when we sat down.  All wines are 1/2 off this summer!!  This includes wines by the glass or by the bottle.  We started with a bottle of Chianti and two tapas.  The first was prosciutto wrapped around cheese and then baked and covered in red sauce with a cracker-like bread for dipping.  The bread was terrible.  A cracker-like bread is not ideal for sopping up sauce of any kind.  Instead, I opted to use the delicious foccacia that was already on the table.  The prosciutto was too crispy and really not tasty when it is overcooked.
However, we very much enjoyed the goat-cheese stuffed peppadew peppers that were baked and topped with balsamic vinegar reduction.  I would definitely get these again as those sweet peppers literally bursted in our mouth with the melting goat cheese.

Opt for the stuffed peppers on the right from the Tapas menu

My husband ordered the Lobster Ravioli and I ordered Carmela's Chicken, which is a rigatoni pasta with wild mushrooms, carmelized onions and a marsala cream sauce.  WOW!  Mouth buds in heaven with this one.  Great mouth feel and the sauce wasn't too heavy or over-creamy.  The combination was hearty and sweet in every good way possible.  My husband really enjoyed his ravioli.  Unlike other raviolis he has tried, he could actually taste the lobster in every bite.  The ravioli were large and topped with a slightly tangy creamy lobster sauce.

At this point, a very nice young lady came out to sing for us.  We were so flattered and really dropped our jaws to the table when we heard her singing a lovely opera piece in honor of our anniversary.  That was a perfect way to feel on our special night.  Thank you Megan!

Finally, the waitress (who was excellent, but I didn't get her name) served us a chocolate lava cake with a side of warm chocolate sauce and a vanilla cream on the side.  I swore I was full, but I did manage to get a fair share down.  That is the perfect dessert to share and we loved every bite.

Warm chocolate cake with warm chocolate sauce and vanilla cream

Overall, only one miss on the food part.  The service was excellent, attentive but not annoying and the atmosphere on the patio was outstanding.  We were more than pleasantly surprised at the excellent experience we had with this chain restaurant and we look forward to coming back soon!

No-Bake Energy Bites That The Kids Will Love! GF Friendly!

Yummy after-swim snack!

With summer upon us, the kids are home more and I have less excuses to not make some delicious and healthier snacks for them.  We are still in the middle of a crazy heat-wave and we are trying to keep the oven off as much as possible.  This is a great recipe that uses things I usually have in the pantry.  Aside from the 30 minute set up time, it is super quick to put together.

I have had this recipe for over a year and I have to confess that I have NO idea where I got it from.  It is kept on a printed sheet of paper with remnants of honey and peanut butter on it.  So if you are or know the origin of this recipe - let me know and I'll give full credit.

No-Bake Energy Bites

7 ingredients, but no baking!

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2/3 cups coconut flakes (toast quickly in dry pan on stovetop and stop when light golden brown through most of coconut)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I use low-fat or all natural)
• 1/2 cup wheat germ or flaxseed (great choice for gluten-free)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips - optional (ha ha - so not optional in my house!)
• 1/3 cup honey (hint, spray a little non-stick spray in measure cup before measuring)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Stir all ingredients into a glass or stainless steel bowl.  

It makes more, mine were stolen!

When mixed thoroughly, cover with wrap and place in fridge for 30 mins.  Then roll into balls (I make mine about the size of a large Whopper candy).  These are a bit hard to roll, but if you take that non-stick cooking spray and really spritz up your fingers it is much easier!
Store in airtight container and KEEP REFRIGERATED!  Refrigerate for at least a few hours to firm up.
They say they last around a week...mine never last that long!

WANTED: For Grand Theft Snacks

Creamy and (low calorie) Homemade Dressings!

Mason jars are easiest for mixing and storing dressings

I love to lose weight, but I hate to diet.  I love to eat salads, but I find them so bland without a really creamy ranch or creamy Italian dressing with it.

I want to share the two best "low-cal" dressings I've found that are really easy, quick and my entire family loves.

Just three ingredients!

Real Ranch Dressing

• 1 cup non-fat greek yogurt, plain
• 1 packet of Ranch dressing (this is the dried seasoning packet)
• 1/2 cup of 1% milk

Simply add all of the ingredients into a mason jar.  Get your arms work-out in by shaking vigorously for about a minute.  This tastes best after at least 30mins in the fridge.  

Creamy Italian Dressing (courtesy of Weight Watchers)

A little more effort, but so worth it

• 1/2 cup reduced calorie mayonnaise
• 6 Tbl. 1% or 2% reduced fat milk
• 1/4 water (I leave this out to thicken it up a little more)
• 4 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp sale
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Add everything into the mason jar and get another great arms work-out.  You can easily double this recipe (without water) to fit into the mason jar.  Be sure to let the flavors come together in the fridge for at least 30mins before serving!

The Italian is on the left and can easily double

1st Grade Harlem Shake

Just a short video showing the adorable 6 year olds at the end of their performance.  It was a wonderful show and I loved this surprise!

Intergalactic Nemesis

The stage is set for a Zygonian invasion!

This past Sunday, I scored some major kudos for taking my husband and son out for a uniquely creative live show at The Segerstrom Center for the Arts called Intergalactic Nemesis. A live performance/radio/graphic novel presentation.

Let me start off by saying this show found its core audience with this family.  I'm an amateur old movie buff with a love of movies from the 1930's-50's.  Hubby is an avid comic book collector that started as a young boy.  Together, with our love of science fiction, we created "the perfect storm" in our boy.  Our son shares in all of these passions and was born to love shows like this.

The setting is 1933 and let's just say the main characters are a newspaper reporter, her intrepid assistant, a mysterious librarian, an Algerian freedom fighter, a powerful mesmerizer, a robot world and space aliens.  Yeah...it's pretty awesome.

This live show features three extremely talented voice actors, a wonderful sound effects artist, and an amazing live pianist who perform, in real time, a high adventure graphic novel with the comic panels being displayed on a giant screen behind them.  Together, all of these players weave a mesmerizing performance that will have you watching the real people as much as the colorful panels on screen.

The actors all perform multiple voices, and it is beyond impressive to see how quickly they can change those voices.  You can't believe that you are "hearing" a conversation between two people, that is being spoken by only one actor!  They all had impeccable comic timing and it was fun to watch them act out some of the more outlandish characters, like Mysterion.  My love of classic old movies made me partial to the lovely Danu Uribe, who channeled a seriously awesome version of Hildy Johnson from His Girl Friday. (it's on Netfllix.  Seriously...go watch it).  I loved her mix of moxie-crime-fighter meets no nonsense independent female.

Is this how they make it rain?

The show was family-friendly and fun from start to finish.  We got there a little early and were able to play around and try out being foley artists ourselves.(foley artists do many of the sounds you hear on TV and film).  The very funny foley artist in this show was just a hoot to watch.  We made a game of trying to figure out what each item would be used for in the show.  The hypnotizing sound made by swinging around two plastic tubes over her head, was just hilarious to see her make.

Meeting show creator, Jason Neulander

We loved this experience.  The great news is there is a Book #2 out and a Book #3 on its way.  The actual graphic novel of the show was for sale, by the shows creator, in the lobby.  I mean, who meets and greets fans at the souveneir table?  Jason Neulander does!!!  The show did so well out here, that they ran out of Book #1.  We bought Book #2 and he promised that the entire cast would sign it after the show and he promised if we ordered Book #1 off the website, he would personally inscribe it and send it out.  It was incredibly refreshing to meet an engaged, appreciative and fun show creator.  The cast was just as sweet and appreciative too.

This cast knows how to have fun at an autograph session

How rare is it to find a show that is fun and entertaining for kids and adults?  Too rare.  That is why we are already planning on going back for Book #2 this November at Segerstrom Center.  My son I told you about earlier, is now Intergalactic Nemesis' #1 fan, and going to see Book #2 in November is all he wants for his 12th birthday.  And this time, we will bring Book#1 with us to have the cast finish signing it.

To learn more about this one of a kind show:
http://www.theintergalacticnemesis.com/about/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Intergalactic-Nemesis/23079773438?fref=ts

Fighting over their autographed copy?