Fort Worth's Finest

Fort Worth has so much to offer from the new restaurants and nightlife that takes over the newly renovated Sundance Square. Take a short drive south to the Hospital District and there will you find a sweet little spot off Magnolia called the Bearded Lady.

Over the past couple of weeks I visited the Bearded Lady and had a blast! The atmosphere in this renovated 1950’s brewpub is so friendly and comfortable. It feels like home and that makes me want to stay longer and come back often- and that I did!

At the eclectic bar is a super selection of beers on tap that come from local breweries like Revolver Brewing and Martin House Brewing Company and various other breweries. 

Not only does this pub offer craft brews, but it has a wonderful menu full of tasty items like fried okra, hamburgers and fries and my favorite, fried green tomatoes! The tomatoes and not soggy like some other places, but rather firm with a hint of tanginess. They serve this greasy gems with a side of spicy ranch dip that makes them shine.

I ordered the "BBB" sandwich and I can't wait to go back for another round. The "BBB" is a sandwich with toasted, buttered sourdough bread with brussel sprouts, boursin cheese, crisp bacon and tomato. Y'all, this sandwich is unreal...

We were able to talk to the owners of The Bearded Lady, Eric Clayton and Shannon Osbakken. They said that the pub was decorated with fun finds from the flea market, garage sales and local artistry shops. 

During the warm months you can enjoy yourself on the large patio while listening to whatever has been selected on the jukebox inside. 

Check out what other people have said about this place on Yelp. 

What are some of you favorite places to go and grab a good beer??

Revolver Brewing

Last weekend I went to Revolver Brewing in Granbury, TX for a friend of mine’s birthday. She was turning 28 and wanted to celebrate with good beer! Sounded good to me..

The brewery was so much fun. We were able to enjoy wonderful beers that we haven’t had before, as well as the ones we have had. But that was fine with us since Revolver's Blood and Honey is so gooooood!

You pay only $10 for four decent sized samples of the brews on tap, you get to keep the sweet little pint glass with the Revolver logo on the front, listen to good music and get a guided tour of the brewery.

I have to say that the hour’s drive out there was well worth it but I was slightly disappointed that there were no food trucks. Although, there was a small setup of chili dogs, fajitas and Frito chili pies to hold over the hungry group for $5 a plate.

It was our first time out there so we didn’t know that you could bring your own food and chairs. Next time we’ll know!

The crowd was loud, fun and growing as the time went by. The more the people were drinking, the more fun they were having with the games of corn hole.

This place isn’t only for adults. There were children running around and playing games of hide and go seek. The open field sat next to an area with horses, so there were many visits to pet them.

People brought their dogs and kept them on a leash. It was just a nice little spot to go with friends and family. A place out of the city and into the country.

After I left the brewery, I stopped at the grocery store to buy a six pack of Revolver’s Blood and Honey. I made chicken enchiladas with guacamole and chips. The beer went so well with the flavors. It was sweet and spicy with hints of citrus.

Seems like I can’t get away from the brewery scene around here. I’m okay with that.

Here is a little video I made for my experience at Revolver. I really had a wonderful time here and the people that work/volunteer couldn’t have been any nicer.

Have you been to any breweries? Which one is your favorite?

Tuesday Night Chicken

Family dinners are important around here. 

We celebrate every holiday together which gives us great excuses to use the new recipes we have been wanting to try!

But, having dinner with the family doesn't require a calendar to be marked for a special occasion. Sometimes, we get together just to enjoy the company and catch up. Telling stories of work, school, goals, etc.

This past Tuesday, I offered to make dinner for my Mema and Uncle Red. He meets my Mema every Tuesday and they get to eat dinner together; whether it be at Mema's house or a local restaurant. This is their time to spend together as mother and son.

Well, Mema doesn't enjoy cooking so much lately because she gets tired and worn out. Cooking is exhausting for her, which means more often than not, the two eat out.

Now, I know my family....  We like to eat home-cooked meals. So, I offered to make them a home- cooked meal in exchange for a seat at the dinner table. It was a deal!

I made them the baked rosemary-garlic chicken with lemon that I made for my dinner party. I also made a side of pasta and marinara with mushrooms.

Y'all, this chicken is such an easy and simple meal. The chicken comes out juicy and tender with a great crispy coating. The rosemary and garlic brings a depth of flavor that remind you of Fall and the lemon freshens the whole dish up and makes you think of Spring, (which will hopefully come soon!)

Pair this chicken with a side of pasta and/or veggies. It doesn't get any easier than this.

I would like to express the importance of seasoning your food as you go. In other words, when you have your line up of flour, beaten egg and Panko bread crumbs, season each of these components with salt and pepper. This will ensure that the chicken is well-seasoned and not lacking in flavor.

It was so nice to eat with my family this past Tuesday. It is important to make time for your family even if it's just for a couple hours. These are the moments you will remember later in life. :)

Go check out my twitter @milogales #familydinner for videos of Mema and Uncle Red's opinions!

What kind of stories does you family tell around the dinner table?

Say CHEESE!

Shopping for cheese is just difficult.

There are too many to choose from! I want to buy them all because my mind goes wild with all kinds of crazy recipes to put them in.

I went to the Fort Worth Central Market Cheese Event today and bought some goodies to celebrate my tasty adventure. When Central Market holds their events, you leave satisfied. As in, "I just stuffed my face full of samples" satisfied. It doesn't matter how much you spend because you ate half your total in free food! My kind of grocery store.

When I got home I couldn't wait to sample what I got at the store and I broke open the brie, sliced the baguette and toasted it in 400 degree oven until CRISPY, and broke up the chocolate. I poured a nice glass of the cab and relaxed/enjoyed.

Lately all I want to do is put stuff on crunchy, crispy, toasted bread. Give me cheese, tomatoes, chocolate, ANYTHING. And I'm not a bread-eater. Who knows? I go through phases...

Did you know that today is National Pasta Day? Well, there you go. What goes better with fresh pasta than a nice creamy, salty cheese? Exactly.

What do you think I will be having for dinner tonight? YES.

When I was at the cheese event earlier I met two women who were the sweetest little grocery shoppers. They had been friends for over 50 years and were shopping for some Gouda and pepper jack.  They were nice enough to stop and talk to me about their experience at the cheese counter and show me around the store. It was nice, even though I had been there 327 times. That's fine.

To listen to their story and read about my time at the event head over to my Twitter @milogales #saycheese.

What's your favorite cheese?

Dinner Party

This past weekend I hosted a dinner party for seven people and I took one picture.

Can you believe that? I can't. I was disappointed at the end of the night when I looked at my camera and said to myself "Oh. I didn't even touch that thing." Ugh. So, I wanted to give you a run down of how it went. 

Here is the table. The one picture I took.

My guest showed up at 5:30. I had Mexican popcorn ( I added cayenne, a garlic powder and black pepper), sun dried tomato and goat cheese with toasted baguette and fried onion dip served with salt and pepper chips, celery and carrots.

This was our cocktail hour and we spent it drink Cabs, Shiraz and seasonal beers while sitting on the patio. It was 75 degrees in Texas; how could we not?!

We talked about weddings, moving to Austin and getting promoted (all of which I have nothing to do with but wish I did!). We caught up, listened to Fleetwood Mac and enjoyed the view of the pond with handfuls of popcorn. Don't be scared to serve the Mexican popcorn for cocktail hour. It was a total hit!

At 8, dinner was served. Y'all, I was so proud of this dinner. I have never served this many people and cooked this much food by myself but I have to say I LOVED IT.

I could host dinner parties every weekend.

Menu: Oven fried chicken with rosemary and lemon (I followed other reviewers instructions and cooked the legs at 400 degrees for an hour = PERFECTION)
I made a pasta dish (penne) that had cherry tomatoes that I pureed into a sauce, sauteed zucchini, and ground chicken sausage. Topped it all off with shaved Parmesan and a side of lemon wedges for the chicken.

For dessert: Cinnamon sugar donut ice cream. Did you get that? Seriously. This was absolutely, positively, the best ice cream EVER. I incorporated chopped up cinnamon sugar donuts from Dunkin Donuts and it gave the ice cream another dimension in texture. Geez. I'm in trouble.

Well, there you go! Next time I will take the time to use my camera so you can see everything.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Some of you guys have requested that I make some gluten free recipes so, I made you Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies. What better gluten free recipe to post than the classic dessert that is the chocolate chip cookie?! That's what I was thinking too..

Here is a little photo/video with the recipe and instructions on how to make the cookies:

 * Sorry y'all, I forgot to show that you'll need 3 cups of almond flour/almond meal. I get mine from Trader Joes.

These little gems are incredibly tasty even if you don't like your CC cookies modified.. like me. But, these are different. The texture is soft and chewy, taste is delicious annnnnnddddd they are HEALTHY!!

I have this thing/rule about healthy treats: you can eat as many as you want. You should adopt this rule too :)

I make these cookies about once a month when I am craving sugar, chocolate and I pretty much turn into The Cookie Monster; crazy eyes and all. I make them because I know that I can have more of them and not feel guilty. They satisfy my sweet tooth and that's all that matters.

I have eaten like 6,  I lost count, and won't even gain a pound or a zit.. My kind of cookie!

This recipe is from a Paleo cookbook I found in the bookstore. It is called "Practical Paleo" and she has a ton of wonderful dishes that have been modified for those who are on the Paleo diet. I have tried a few Paleo recipes from her book and I have no desire to switch back. They're absolutely delicious.

This woman  is a genius when it comes to adapting recipes to suit the Paleo diet as well as covering exactly what the diet entails. She covers it all with great simplicity and clarity. She's good like that. 

So, these cookies are best when warm and served with a tall glass of cold coconut milk. 

Have you ever tried a Paleo recipe? If not, start out with this one. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

In my family we celebrate birthdays like they’re going out of style. The family takes great pride in making special foods for the “Birthday Boy” or the “Birthday Girl” and planning the perfect day to celebrate.

This past weekend my uncle celebrated his birthday. His 55^th birthday! My oh my where has the time gone? Well, back to the party- he requested that we (my grandma and me) make his favorite Chinese dish; sweet and sour chicken with fried rice and egg rolls. Yeah..

When my grandma came over we were in the kitchen in no time. She started on the egg rolls (family recipe i'll share in another blog post) and I got to town on the chicken. 

I don't know what it is about vinegar but when it is cooking, I can hardly breath. My eyes start watering and I can't see. It's one of those smells that you hate but like? Is it just me? I'm sure..(read: tangent) I say this because with the chicken, you put vinegar in the sauce and when I take my chicken out of the oven to toss, I start yelling "whooooo!!!" because of the overwhelming eyes scorching/sinus clearing. It gets annoying. 

This was such a super simple meal to make but wow, did it deliver on flavor! I found the recipes on Life as a Lofthouse and I am sure many of you have seen this recipes plastered all over Pinterest. 

The chicken cooks for an hour in the oven but amazingly doesn't dry out because it's cooking in the delicious sweet and sour sauce which keeps it moist and tender. And the fried rice is JUST like the rice you get in the cute little Chinese food containers that are delivered to your door. And who doesn't like that?! 

When it comes down to it, family is the best company to have sitting around the dinner table and celebrating your birthday. For my family it is just another excuse to be able to see each other and eat a good meal. 

PS. Take a look at my dog. Look at how long her tongue is! She gets excited when the family comes over. 

What is your favorite Chinese foods? What are the worst ones you've had?