Date Night with the Hubby

It is rare that we are able to go out without Madison, but last Friday and Saturday, Tyson and I were able to spend some quality time together. We had dinner at Lucas, an Italian restaurant downtown. They have these amazing zucchini chips that we couldn't stop eating. I ordered the swordfish, which tends to be on the dry side if overcooked, but this was cooked perfectly and so moist. Tyson had the Cioppino. He enjoyed it. Afterwards, we went to the Dessert Diner, which was Tyson's request. I was trying to be good, but could not resist the selection of yummyness that was in front of me. I ended up getting the Banana Chocolate Cheesecake and Tyson had the Peanut Butter Chocolate cake.

I tried not to take a bite before I snapped the picture, but I couldn't help myself:-)

  There was this homeless man outside of the diner when we walked up asking people for change. I never carry cash so I didn't have anything to give. We went inside, got our food, and came outside to eat. Why did this homeless man whip out his cell phone and was chatting away. Didn't this fool just ask for some money? It was a nice phone too! I just shook my head...

  The next evening, we decided to go and play Bingo. One of Tyson's co-worker had been begging us to come out. He calls the numbers there. The jackpot the first Bingo round was $2000 and the Jackpot for the second Bingo round was $7500. Unfortunately, the second bingo round ended at 2AM and that is way past my bedtime, so we stayed for the first round. Tyson and I were so lost.  Those people spend a lot of time in the Bingo hall. The early games started at 4pm and people were staying for both rounds. That's 10 hours of sitting! Unbelievable! We didn't know what we were doing, but we had plenty of laughs and a great time.

To Live and Die in LA

  I feel so rejuvenated after my long weekend in LA. The drive down wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's a little over 5 hours, but even if it was 8 hours, it was worth it to spend time with family and friends. The trip was almost like a food adventure. We started by going to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffle, almost as soon as we hit town. Oh my goodness! That combination is deadly. Their waffles are so tasty. Later that night, we went to my favorite Cuban Restaurant, Versailles. I have been going to this restaurant since my first trip to LA back in 2000. I ordered my usual roasted chicken, rice and beans and it was just as tasty as I remembered.
  Saturday morning, I thought it would be a good idea to get a workout in. My brother suggested doing the Santa Monica stairs. I crawled my way through it, but was able to finish 5 sets. Of course, this worked up an appetite, so we went to the Blue Plate for breakfast where I had an omelette with chicken sausage and goat cheese. Later, my family and my cousin's family drove around Beverly Hills and Hollywood to see the sights. My husband and my cousin was on the hunt for a hotdog from Pinks, but when we arrived, the line went all the way down to Palm Springs. Are people really that crazy for a hotdog? Luckily, the Kogi Food Truck was still in Koreatown.  The food was sweet and spicy and delicious. I ordered the Sweet Chili Chicken Quesadilla and it was yummy. If you go to LA, please don't sleep on the food trucks. For dinner, we went to STK, which is one of my favorite restaurants. I ordered their snapper, which is to die for. They have this little mushroom and artichoke sauce underneath. I don't know what they put in it, but it has to be similar to crack cocaine.
   Sunday, Superbowl Sunday, we woke up early and went to see the freaks on Venice Beach. Madison wasn't feeling the icy temperature of the Pacific Ocean. As soon as the water touched her feet, she was done! LOL! My cousin fried fish for breakfast. I know it sounds unusual, but it's a Florida thing and, yes, it was yummy. Afterwards, we returned to my cousin's house where we watched the Superbowl and ate bbq. I was sad that my beloved Patriots went down in flames, but, there is always next year:-(
  Monday, we ended with breakfast at the Hyatt with a long time friend that I hadn't seen since I was pregnant with Madison. It was the perfect end to a great weekend. I have a food baby reminding me of the weekend:-)
   I don't eat meat, but I try to cook it for my husband. He especially likes lamb chops. Here is a quick and easy recipe for grilled lamb chops. Enjoy!
   
Grilled Lamb Chops

4 lamb chops
2-3 medium sized mint leaves, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons of coriander
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
Salt
Pepper

   Season lamb chops with salt and pepper. Place chops in a freezer bag. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour the mixture into the bag, making sure it covers every inch of the lamb. Place it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least an hour. Heat grill until hot. Grill lamp chops for 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chop. Serve with cous cous or rice.