Archive for "Family"
Ching Gets Good Karma
Posted on July 29, 2012 by Ching under Family, Food and Drink.
Brian and I were at MIF Deli again yesterday. Post-workout trips to MIF are starting to become a Saturday thing for us. We shouldn’t really be eating out, but it could be worse. We could be eating Super Sonic burgers with extra mayo after each workout. You think I’m joking, but it’s what I used to do after my workouts back in the day. You don’t get 36% body fat without trying. LOL. Okay, maybe I wasn’t really trying. I’m good at gaining weigh though, despite all the workouts. If gaining weight were an Olympic sport, I’d be a gold medalist.
Anyway, the combo platter with all grape leaves is a must for us every trip.
We ate too much last time, so this time we decided to just split a chicken gyro. The gyro portions at MIF are plenty to satisfy the appetites of two hungry adults who just finished working out. Of course, the appetizer we always share helps to fill us up too.
While we were eating our lunch, I overheard another couple tell the server how they didn’t like the stuffed grape leaves at Fresh Market. There must be something wrong with me because I felt compelled to butt in between bites of my gyro. I reassured them that the grape leaves at MIF are fantastic, pretty much single-handedly talking them into ordering it.
When we were done eating and it was time for us to pay, I couldn’t tell if they liked the grape leaves and felt bad that I pushed them toward ordering it so I asked the server to put their grape leaves on our check. Brian thought that was nice. I told him that people have been nice to us and so I felt like we should pay it forward. Plus, in the event they didn’t like the grape leaves (which I doubt because the grape leaves at MIF are fantastic, but just in case) at least they didn’t have to pay for it.
After lunch Brian and I went home for a quick shower before going to pick up Logan, who was to spend the weekend with us. On the way home from picking Logan up, Logan and I decided that we wanted something to drink. I suggested that we go to Sonic because I felt a strawberry limeade craving come on just at that moment. As we were about to turn the corner on 21st and Greenwich, I saw a couple of guys holding signs that read “FREE DRINKS AT SONIC 2-4 PM” and trying to get our attention. I smiled and waved back. What luck!
I wasn’t sure if limeades were included in the free drinks offer, but we gave it a try anyway. We figured that they would tell us how much we owed after we placed our order. Brian and Logan both got medium Cokes, while I got a medium strawberry limeade to satiate my craving.
“How much did they say?” I asked.
“They didn’t,” Brian replied.
“What did they say then?”
“It’ll be right up.”
“Hmm… That’s weird. I guess we’ll find out when they bring the drinks up.”
They didn’t charge us anything, but Brian gave the guy a couple of bucks. Not bad. Either “The Secret” is strong with me (I thought “I want a strawberry limeade” and the universe delivered) or it was my good karma coming back. Whatever the reason, I was happy. LOL.
If you missed out on the free drinks today, don’t fret. Epic Church is sponsoring free drinks again from 2 to 4 PM on the final Saturday of August (August 25). Brian isn’t a huge fan of Sonic food, but I actually like it so I’ll probably go back. It can’t be that bad if you limit it to once a month, right?
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Logan’s Birthday Dinner
Posted on July 14, 2012 by Ching under Family, Reviews.
Here are a few pictures from Logan’s birthday dinner at Kobe last night.
We had a wonderful dinner at Kobe. The Cannadys bought our dinner, which I felt bad about. We tried to pay our bill, but Jen quickly snagged it. At least we were still able to use our Groupon so our check was only $16 after gratuity. Neither Brian nor I drank last night so that helped to keep our bill to a minimum. Besides that, I think the prices are Kobe at pretty reasonable. I certainly think the restaurant offers a better value than Sumo. The only downside is that they no longer serve sushi. They offer a variety of appetizers, but no sushi. Maybe there just wasn’t enough demand for it in Derby. Who knows?
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Eli Finds His Way Home
Posted on July 14, 2012 by Ching under Family, Videos.
We met up with the Cannadys, mom, dad, Jenni, and a few of Logan’s friends at Kobe for Logan’s birthday dinner last night. Logan is growing up so fast. The days of Chuck E. Cheese birthday parties are long gone. He’s at that age now that he just wants to hang out with his friends. He’s still very polite and he is a well-behaved, well-mannered kid, but he doesn’t want as much to do with Brian and me.
Lucky for us, he has two younger brothers for us to dote on. Eli is at that perfect age. Young children between ages four and nine just adore Brian. Maybe because mentally they’re all the same age? Who knows?
Last night Eli wanted to sit next to Brian. We remember when he was a baby, up until the age of two or three, he wanted nothing to do with us. At dinner, he asked to sit next to Brian and still moved next to him after we played musical chairs with Jenni. It was so sweet.
Anyway, we were talking about having the boys over one weekend and he seemed to love the idea. So I jokingly asked if he wanted to spend the night at our house that night. Uh oh. Boo boo on my part, because that started him begging to stay with us. His mom explained that it’s Logan’s birthday and they were having a sleepover. He was getting pretty persistent and I was getting really worried that I was in trouble with his mom and dad for giving him the idea, but he eventually came to his senses. He asked his mom if we could at least give him a ride back to their house. He came up with that compromise on his own. None of the grownups suggested it. That’s one of the things I love best about the Cannady boys. They are smart. Kudos to the parents for raising such reasonable kids.
The drive from the restaurant to their house was quite entertaining. We wanted to test if Eli could find his way home so we let him sit in the front passenger seat and navigate us. I’m so glad I captured it in on video. We are going to enjoy this for years to come. (Sorry, Eli, but you are just too cute.)
Hansel and Gretel ain’t got nothin’ on this kid. Who needs bread crumbs when you can memorize the bumps on the road?
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4th of July Feast by Chef Sonnie Jay
Posted on July 6, 2012 by Ching under Family, Food and Drink.
My cousin Reuel’s wife Sonnie Jay, who is a trained chef in Norway, prepared a scrumptious feast for us on the 4th of July. I think this had to be the fanciest prepared meal I’ve had all year.
Sonnie Jay made ceviche with mangoes, ginger, and bass. I don’t really eat ceviche so I didn’t have any, but mom and Jenni both said it was very good. She prepared it the night before so the fish cooked in lemon juice overnight.
She also made glazed whole carrots and steamed asparagus.
The pork chops, which marinated overnight, were the most flavorful pork chops I’d ever had. I didn’t really get to eat much of it for dinner that night because I was still full from stuffing my face at Abuelo’s, but I had some for lunch the next day at work. It was even delicious microwaved. So delicious that it made me wish I could go back in time and eat two whole pork chops at dinner the night before.
Sonnie Jay also made a couple of dessert dishes, the first of which was a fruit merengue made with fruits that mom already had. Sonnie Jay was actually going to make whipped cream from scratch until she realized that mom bought pre-made whipped cream. Way to ruin it for the rest of us, mom! LOL.
The second dessert she was leche flan. It’s the Filipino version of the popular Mexican dessert. Mom didn’t have vanilla extract, so Sonnie Jay improvised by using lemon zest. She couldn’t flip it over because the glass baking dish was too big and we didn’t have anything large enough to transfer it to, but the flan turned out with perfect consistency. No bubbles or air pockets. It was dense and delicious. The lemon flavor actually worked well and gave the flan an unexpected twist. Possibly the best flan I’ve ever had, hands down.
Later that night, Brian, Reuel, and Sonnie Jay tried their hand at flying dad’s foam RC plane. Having spent some time flying RC planes with dad on this trip, Reuel was starting to get the hang of it. Sonnie Jay, on the other hand, crashed the plane several times. LOL.
When it got dark, we had an excellent view of the fireworks that everyone was blowing up. The fireworks were going off all around us, in Derby, Haysville, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Wichita, etc. We had 360 degree views. Well, almost. Mom and dad’s house and the trees beyond their house were kind of in the way. There were fireworks everywhere you looked, though. We got to enjoy watching everyone else’s fireworks and didn’t have to buy any of our own. It worked out perfect! Looking forward to doing the same thing again next. Hopefully, Sonnie Jay and Reuel can come visit again. It won’t be the same without her delicious food.
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Taste & See with the Family
Posted on July 4, 2012 by Ching under Family, Food and Drink.
When we found out that mom, Jenni, Sonnie Jay and Reuel were having lunch at Taste & See on Tuesday, Brian and I immediately checked our calendars to see if we could join them. Why? Because we love, love, love Taste & See and I figured mom was buying. I take free food whenever I can get it. LOL. Although, even free food is never free. You pay for it by getting fat. Blech. I’m going to have to hit it hard at the gym after today.
Anyway, I’m sure you’re looking for food porn so here you go…
This is my chicken pabellon wrap.
Sonnie Jay’s Philly is on the left and mom’s SSB is on the right.
Brian’s hamburguesa, which looks so yummy I wish I could reach into the computer screen and take a bite. I didn’t get a picture of Reuel’s Cubano, but you all have seen what those look like. It’s what Brian usually orders when we go.
Jenni had a Philly also, but they put it in a to-go box. She arrived late and mom didn’t know that she had taken the afternoon off. Mom thought that she’d have to immediately return to work and wouldn’t have time to eat lunch with us. Thus, the to-go container.
For dessert we had a couple orders of noodlini, which threw me for a loop because it doesn’t look like noodles at all. I’m not sure who came up with that name. LOL. It’s basically a deep fried banana spring roll, kind of like the Filipino turon but with a twist.
We also had cuatro leches cake, which I could eat an entire pan of in one sitting if left to my own devices. Brian would never allow that, though. Cuatro leches is like the tres leches dessert that you get in many Latin American restaurants. It’s almost a dessert staple or must have on your restaurant menu because people will inevitably ask for it. Anyway, Chef Jason uses cuatro not tres leches because he just has to one-up everyone. Ha ha ha ha!
I’m really glad that Sonnie Jay and Reuel got to experience Taste & See because it is one of our favorite places to eat in Wichita. Plus, every trip to Taste & See is an experience because of the whole open kitchen concept and the TV screens all over the place that show the chef’s every move. The whole Taste & See concept is so perfect for Chef Jason’s personality. He is a natural showman.
Sonnie Jay said the concept might not fly so much where they’re from in Norway because most chefs like their privacy. Not Chef Jason, though. He enjoys being the center of attention. You can’t hide this guy in a closed kitchen. It just wouldn’t happen.
Anyway, from what I’ve heard of Scandinavian food they cook pretty weird stuff like antelope and horse and other things that I wouldn’t even think of eating. I’m not sure I really want to see those dishes prepared. LOL. Perhaps a closed kitchen is the best way to go for some cuisines.
Mom, thank you for buying all of us lunch! It is always appreciated. And thank you to Chef Jason for making such delicious food! Brian and I will be returning for dinner sometime soon for sure.
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