Banana Bread, a.k.a. "Love Bread"

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is trending in our house this year.  A day is not complete without watching it and reading storybooks featuring the characters.  Several episodes/stories featuring friendly Baker Aker making awesome treats inspired our little guy to want to bake.  In one particular story, Daniel and his dad make banana bread in the shape of a heart for Mom Tiger because it's her favorite treat.  So we got ourselves a heart-shaped pan and decided to give it a whirl!

This Betty Crocker Banana Bread recipe is so simple it's crazy!  

 

The best part about the process is that it's very kid-friendly - lots of tasks they can help with like mashing bananas, pouring wet and dry ingredients, and mixing.  A super fun activity for a day inside!  And the final result is delicious. 

  We enjoyed making this banana bread so much, we actually made it again just one week later.  Looks like we'll be keeping this recipe in the repertoire for a while.  

Thanks for the inspiration, Baker Aker and Daniel!

July 4th LOBSTAH FEST: Fresh Salt at Saybrook Inn

For the July 4th holiday week, we wanted to take a mini road trip to enjoy a quiet New England beach town.  Using his excellent travel research skills, DJ found the quaint Saybrook Point Inn in Old Saybrook, CT.  Located right on a marina, this super kid-friendly place boasts lovely views of the ocean, a spa, and both an outdoor and indoor pool (in case of a rainy day).  It wasn't quite as close to the beach as we expected (driving distance rather than walking), but we loved hanging out at the pool and enjoying the serene view from our window.

An unexpected bonus: during the days we were there, it was Lobster Fest at Fresh Salt - the fabulous restaurant connected to the inn!  AND, you could get anything from the menu through room service.  AND, you could add lobster as a topping to any of their salads.  A total win: we could just relax in our bummy clothes and let the toddler run free in our room while enjoying some awesome meals.  Over the course of our stay, we ate so much lobster we agreed we probably would not crave it for the rest of the year.  Totally a splurge, totally worth it.  

TREAT YO SELF: Lobstah Edition

Quintessential Lobster Roll

Lobster Mango Salad

Lobster over Heirloom Tomato Salad

Rhode Island Clam Chowder

Fried Seafood Platter and Sriracha Calamari

Scallops with Caesar Salad

Berry Burrata Salad with Steak

Berry Burrata Salad with Lobster

Jersey Exploration: The Corner in Montclair

Our friends Rachel, Mark, and their son were headed into Jersey to visit some folks in Montclair for the afternoon.  Since distance makes it hard for us to see them very often, they offered to hop over the bridge from Queens a little early so we could hang out for breakfast.  Their friends suggested a popular spot for Montclair locals:  The Corner.

The place itself is very quaint, and the location - quite literally a busy corner - is ideal for a group with two little boys who love to watch all vehicles and traffic action.  Free entertainment so we could eat in relative peace!  Score!

The waitress recommended sharing the pastry plate, which included a birthday cake scone, croissant, and jalapeno biscuit - all baked on the premises.

 The scone even had sprinkles INSIDE?!?!?  #MindFireworks  Worth going back just for these pastries.

Mel had the smoked salmon on toast with tomato.  The drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and capers was a nice touch.

 The Primost crew got eggs and shoestring fries - delicious!

 

Last but definitely not least, DJ decided to try the pancakes.  These were possibly the best pancakes we've ever tasted.  Usually Mel's not a fan because they're so dense and land in the stomach with a thud.  But these are extremely fluffy and dare we say light - practically melt in your mouth.  Everyone at the table agreed they're much better than your average pancakes.  Totally worth a visit to The Corner just to give them a try.

We're so glad we had a chance to see the Primost trio and enjoy this awesome Jersey restaurant.  Will definitely keep it on our radar for when we're in the mood for great coffee (the Cortado = phenomenal!) and fantastic baked goods.

Jersey Exploration: The Office Beer Bar and Grill

Deep was in town for the weekend and popped over for an afternoon visit.  Originally we were planning to grill, but the weather was not cooperating so we decided to venture to a restaurant we've been meaning to try:  The Office Beer Bar and Grill.  This place is right by two of our favorite restaurants in Summit (Due 360 and Piattino), and it always seems to have a good crowd with a casual pub vibe. 

We started out with hash browns with truffle oil.  They were tasty, but pretty heavy so we wound up only eating a few for fear of losing our appetites.

Then Deep tried out one of the brunch pizza specials...

DJ tackled the chicken and waffles...

and Mel got one of the monthly specials: a salmon roll.

As you can tell from the pictures, the serving sizes here are HUGE.  We definitely did not finish any of our plates.  And the food itself falls well into the category of pub food:  tasty enough to nibble on while you chat with friends, but not necessarily something you'll be craving and running back for anytime soon.  Their beer menu is pretty extensive though, and we didn't really have a chance to sample it.  So perhaps we'll keep it in mind for football season when we're in the mood for a few good pints with a side of wings.

Jersey Exploration: Jose Tejas

If there's one type of cuisine that DJ craves more often than others, it's good spicy Mexican food.  Unfortunately, we had yet to find a Mexican restaurant we really like in our area.  One of DJ's old coworkers who also lives in Jersey suggested Jose Tejas, and it looks like the search may finally be over!

Technically, Jose Tejas is not a Mexican restaurant; it's "authentic tex-mex and cajun cookin'".  But after being in Jersey for a few years and being woefully disappointed with most of the Mexican meals we've tried, this place will fit the bill just fine when we want to enjoy some chunky guac and flavorful meat/rice dishes.

The atmosphere is kitschy, which can be a lot of fun when you're in the mood for it.  Lots of hot pepper lights and tongue-in-cheek signs. 

It's also extremely kid-friendly: crowded and loud with lots of lights = muted cries and distracted eyes - score!

Even though we were there during the lunch rush on a Saturday, all the servers were extremely friendly, courteous, and FAST!  Within minutes, our food came out piping hot and fresh.

DJ tried the chicken enchiladas with jambalaya.  He could tell immediately that the chicken was marinated well so every bite was flavorful.  And it had the perfect amount of cheese and sauce so the tortilla and rice were not too dry.  He would order it again for sure.

Mel decided to try the crawfish etouffee from the cajun part of the menu.  It was fabulous!  They did not skimp on the crawfish, and the sauce had just the right amount of spice to pack a punch but not catch your mouth on fire.  The little piece of sweet cornbread on the side provided a great balance to the saltiness of the fish.

Even though Jose Tejas is a bit far from us, we actually think it would be worth the drive next time we have hankering for such flavors.  Hooray for finally finding a place we know will not disappoint!