Mountain House Inaugural Global Food Fair

October 15, 2018 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored conversation, in collaboration with Mountain House Developers. All opinions are my own.

In the beginning of October I attended a delicious food filled day at the Inaugural Global Food Fair in Mountain House, California. Mountain House is located in Northern California, just outside of the Bay Area – just east of Livermore. Mountain House is small close-knit community that’s split up by “villages”, with each village having it’s own school with beautifully landscaped parks and picturesque sidewalks. One of the things I appreciate most about Mountain House is how diverse it is, and that is actually one of the biggest draws to the area from new residents.

On any given day in Mountain House there are soccer/football/basketball games, annual community events for each holiday like the Easter Egg Hunt, Witches Ride or the kite run. You can often find group gathered for boot camp style workouts at one of the parks, and there’s a weekly Farmer’s Market as well. The community atmosphere is so ideal for families, which is why the Global Food Fair was planned. With a community as diverse as Mountain House, it’s a way to celebrate the different cultures in the area and really bring neighbors together to mingle and bond through (free) food!

Mountain House Global Food Fair – Community Event by Mountain House Developers

Saturday, October 6th 2018 was the date of the Inaugural Global Food Fair in Mountain House from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM. It was a beautiful day for some fun in Central Park, Mountain House’s large community park with a splash pad with interactive fountains, playgrounds, picnic tables and sports facilities. This is the largest park in Mountain House and it’s strategically located in the heart of the town, so it’s typically where the larger community events happen. The Global Food Fair was nestled in nicely between the sports fields and the splash pad.

Food vendors included:

Amazing Kitchen (Chinese Food)
Dhaba Indian Cuisine (Indian/Pakistani Food)
El Toro Food Truck (Mexican Food)
Mazaa Kabob House (Halal/Afghan/Mediterranean Food)
Mountain House Pizza Company Food Truck (Italian/American Food)
The Guys Tri Tip & BBQ Food Truck (Barbecue/American Food)
SweetArts Bakery (Desserts/American Food)
Tracy Harbour Fish & Chips (Seafood/Filipino Food)
Yafa Hummus (Mediterranean/Greek/Halal Food)

Family Friendly Entertainment:

MoonShine Crazy Country Band
Face Painting
Balloon Artists

Amazing Kitchen was serving Chicken Fried Rice, Orange Chicken and Crab Puffs.
Dhaba Indian Cuisine was serving Butter Chicken, Palao Rice and Veggie Samosa.
El Toro Food Truck had choices between tacos (asada/beef, pastor/seasoned pork, carnitas/shredded pork, pollo/chicken), quesadillas or carne asada fries.
Mazaa Kabob House served Chapli Kabob which is a grilled ground beef sirloin patty with white rice and chutney or the vegetarian Daal Challow served with tomatoes and white rice. Both choices came with fresh naan.
Mountain House Pizza Company was serving slices of your choice of Cheese Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza or White Mushroom Pizza.
The Guys Tri Tip & BBQ Food Truck was serving “The Big Guy” Sandwich loaded with marinated tri-tip and lettuce or “Bangin Blue” Tri Tip Sandwich with horseradish mayo, grilled onions, lettuce and blue cheese. Sides included their Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.
SweetArts Bakery gave cupcake choices in flavors of Lemony Lemon, Vanilla, Strawberry or Caramel Bliss.
Tracy Harbour Fish & Chips was serving Pancit Malabon and Lumpia.
Yafa Hummus served Falafel, Hummus and Mediterranean Salad.
*There was also complimentary Fruit & Herbal Infused Water, Iced Tea and Classic Lemonade

This event was fully sponsored by Mountain House Developers, which allowed all of the vendors to serve free bite-sized samples. A fun fact is that all of these vendors are actually all local, family owned restaurants and food trucks from the Mountain House and Tracy area. I love that the smaller locally owned places were chosen to be a part of this event, it really affirms the sense of community and supporting local business and went along with the neighborly vibe of this event for me. Since I’m a bit more local to the area I was familiar with many of the vendors, but some I hadn’t had a chance to try just yet and I was excited for the opportunity.

I also need to make note: this event advertised bite-sized samples, but many of them were full on meals! That was a nice surprise and everything was really amazing. Some of my personal favorites were the Caramel Cupcake from SweetArts Bakery, the Crab Puffs from Amazing Kitchen, the Lumpia from Tracy Harbor Fish & Chips, the Asada Fries from El Toro Food Truck, the Hawaiian Macaroni Salad from The Guys Tri Tip & BBQ Food Truck, and everything from Yafa Hummus! I could honestly keep going, but I’ll probably name everything that was served! It was seriously all so good and I love that there were options for those that are vegetarian or gluten free too. Many of the vendors use locally sourced ingredients as well, which is important to note.

A lot of locals were in attendance, and even some families came from the bordering cities. It was great to see so many families of all backgrounds and ages together enjoying their day over good food. Honestly, my favorite part of the day was just walking through the park seeing everyone eating, chatting, dancing, and generally having a relaxing and fulfilling afternoon. Mountain House is definitely a community that is tight knit and I believe it is because of community events such as this. Wouldn’t you love to have this within your own community?

Click the links below to find out more about Mountain House

Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Download the Mountain House App to stay up to date on future events.

Behind the Scenes at Sprouts Farmers Market

November 30, 2017 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

This post, as well as the travel involved, were sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market. As always, all opinions are my own. #HelloSprouts

If you love Sprouts Farmer’s Market, then you’ll really enjoy the inside scoop and behind the scenes action that I have for you today! For the past year I’ve been partnering with Sprouts Farmers Market creating delicious recipes using their signature line of products and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with their stores and so many of their products. You can just imagine my excitement when I was invited to the #HelloSprouts Influencer Retreat in Arizona back in August for three days of food, friends and fun! The itinerary was packed full of adventures that gave us the perfect peek behind the scenes at Sprouts. I went into this experience, not quite sure what to expect, but excited and willing to learn.

We visited the corporate offices and one of the stores, participated in fun challenges, visited a dairy farm and learned about Sprouts presence in the community. We also attended Sprouts Fest 2017, which is a huge educational summit where Sprouts vendor partners and designated team members from each of their stores come together and learn about store products and listen to industry leaders share their knowledge. A large part of Sprouts Fest is also the tabletop shows, where you can sample goodies from each vendor (there was over 500 vendors at the show!). Last, but not least, we met with many of the brilliant folks that keep Sprouts going. There was lunch with the marketing team that was focused on connecting with the customers. We met with the brains behind The Butcher Shop at Sprouts and had a fun dinner with that team, then a lunch with the Culinary Director as well. During our sustainability store tour, we met with the team responsible for the innovative ideas for sustainability at each of the Sprouts stores.

Working with Sprouts over the past year and already shopping with them as a customer, my opinion has already been favorable of their stores and products. Between the friendly staff, the product quality, the variety of seasonal flavors and the beautiful and bright layout of their stores, I didn’t think they could wow me any more. Boy, was I wrong! Being behind the scenes really showed me just how much Sprouts does for their community, their vendors, and their customers.

This retreat included 9 other influencers that have also partnered with Sprouts, so we had a great time connecting and getting to know one another while learning about one of our favorite stores! These other influencers are also phenomenal food bloggers and dietitians and we had a wonderful time experiencing these three days together. This group really represented everything I’ve experienced while working with Sprouts, genuine, inspiring, friendly and full of knowledge. I love that Sprouts has found influencers that really embody the reputation that Sprouts has built.

Behind the Scenes at Sprouts Farmers Market AD #HelloSprouts | Mama Harris' Kitchen

(From left to right) Dixya from FoodPleasureAndHealth.com, Shashi from SavorySpin.com, Erin from TheSpeckledPalate.com, Katie from MomsKitchenHandbook.com, Abby from TheSoulOfHealth.com, Marisa from MarisaMoore.com, Emily from ZenAndSpice.com, Suzanne from CherryCreekNutrition.com, Joanna from BakedByJoanna.com, and me – MamaHarrisKitchen.com!

I love that everyone chosen for this trip from a variety of backgrounds and come from all over the country. It was the perfect sized group to experience this journey with, and in no time flat we were laughing together and chatting it up like old friends. We participated in a few competitions and challenges, separating into small teams, and by the time the trip was over we were sad to see one another go. Everyone was all smart, down to earth, helpful and generous, and it was a pleasure to have shared this experience with them.

I’ve been to quite a few conferences and expos, but starting our trip with Sprouts Fest and meeting all of the vendors at the tabletop show was such an overwhelming and enlightening experience. I tried ghee for the very first time, and got to see new products from some of my favorite brands. I also got to see and learn about so many new products from brands that I wasn’t yet familiar with, with tons of goodie bags full of samples for me to fall in love with (I really loved the crunchy chickpeas from Saffron Road). It didn’t stop at just food either, there were also beverages, bath and body care products, hair care, vitamins and so much more!

Sprouts Fest is held for team members and vendor partners to learn what’s sold in the stores and aids in the development of relationships between the two. In addition to the tabletop shows there were informative sessions from speakers that are passionate about our health and our planet. We got to sit in on sessions regarding brain health – the link between microbiome and the mind – and including foods like turmeric, blueberries and even whole coffee to aid cognitive functions and brain health. There was another discussion regarding soil health and how important it is for things like tea to be grown organically, without a cupful of chemicals.

Not only did I get the insider scoop on all of the wonderful brands that Sprouts sells in their stores, I also got to learn even more about Sprouts In-House Brand. Did you know that Sprouts has over 2,000 store brand products? There’s an entire team of in-house brand specialists that are on the lookout for all of the latest trends and sourcing the finest ingredients for their products. 74% of the packaged Sprouts Brand products are non-GMO and/or USDA Certified Organic, and in 2016, all of the Sprouts Brand eggs transitioned to come from cage-free or better than cage-free facilities.

When shopping for groceries, I choose stores based on a just a few things. For me the price point and ease of shopping are most important. I like stores that are no-hassle; easy to find what I need with an engaging layout, and affordable prices. I found out from the leadership team that the customer experience is really important to Sprouts too, and they are constantly figuring out ways to make the shopping experience easier for the customer. They’re so focused on the customer experience that if you are ever curious about a product, you can request to sample it, free of charge. Now that’s great service!

Speaking of the stores, we actually got to do a store tour during our trip where we were shown how much thought and care goes into what Sprouts calls “responsible retailing”. Responsible retailing to Sprouts is operating their business so that it still respects social and environmental well-being. When asked why this was important, they responded that it’s just the right thing to do.

Something that I’ve always loved about Sprouts is the stores are set up in such a way that you feel warm and welcome. I discovered a big part of that is the fact that they try to utilize natural lighting as much as possible by installing skylights. I hadn’t noticed before, but it makes perfect sense! Sprouts is in the process of converting all of their stores to 100% LED lighting, making their stores significantly more energy efficient when combined with the skylights. On sunny days the LED lights are able to turn themselves down and use sunlight instead. Not only are they responsible, they are innovative as well!

(Learn even more about Sprouts’ Responsible Retailing here.)

The energy conservation doesn’t just stop there. Cooling curtains are used at night on the open refrigerated sections to help keep the cold air in and to reduce the energy used by up to 50%. The coolers are monitored regularly to ensure the products aren’t blocking airflow through the grates. Stores are also stocked during the day rather than at night in order to minimize after-hour energy use. Produce suppliers are also required to comply with Good Agricultural Practices like limiting water usage and enhancing employee safety and hygiene.

With over 275 stores and still growing, Sprouts is known for setting up stores in neighborhoods that might be passed over by some higher end markets. They believe that healthy food should be affordable and available to everyone, not just the people in the fancy neighborhoods.

Making sure families have sufficient food is a cause that is close to my heart. Not surprisingly, it’s actually something I share in common with Sprouts. During our store tour, we were able to go in the back of the store to the stocking room. Here, we saw the boxes and bins labeled with items going to their Food Rescue Program. Sprouts donates any grocery items that are not marketable, but still edible, to local food programs daily.

This means that just because the produce might be bruised or otherwise have imperfections, it’s still available for consumption! There’s plenty of produce that goes through the daily quality check in the distribution center that doesn’t pass, but is still perfectly edible. Those items are also donated. In fact, 50% of the donated food that comes from Sprouts is their produce! Since the program began in 2013, Sprouts has donated more than 43 million pounds of food!

By adopting a full commitment to reach a “zero waste” threshold by 2020, they’ve created a way to partner with local hunger relief agencies in their communities. Food retailers are responsible for nearly 42 billion pounds of the almost 133 billion pounds of food wasted every year in the US (that’s almost 40% of the food supply!). In 2016 Sprouts was able to donate more than 15 million meals with the 19 million pounds of fresh food that they donated to these programs.

Providing food to local agencies is just one component of the zero waste initiative. Sprouts stores provide food for feed which enables them to support local farms to feed animals. Whatever can’t be used as feed is actually sent to composting facilities to enrich soil with nutrients.

As of now, 60% of the total waste that’s generated in every store is diverted from landfills. Even though I think that’s pretty incredible, it’s still not good enough for Sprouts. Their goal is a 90% diversion, and another large chunk of that is done through recycling. Sprouts actively recycles and has recycled 70 million pounds of cardboard and half a million pounds of plastic, to date. Stores that will be opening in the coming year are set up with recycling in mind and older stores are being updated as well. Sprouts also teams up with their producers to find packaging materials that are more sustainable. Plastics can also be brought in by customers to add to the plastic bags and film that the store already recycle. Customers are encouraged to bring in their own reusable shopping bags, and they sell quite a few cute designs of their own in store.

Each Sprouts store sources from local food producers when they can. This includes dairy products, produce, meats, and even beer! The meat and chicken are hormone free with grass fed and organic options, and always affordable. I also love that they actually assist their brands with ways to improve their product lines. We visited a local to Arizona dairy farm that was using artificial coloring for their flavored milks. Sprouts partnered with them and helped them convert to natural ingredients to benefit everyone, especially the consumer.

We got to taste some of the Sprouts meat from the Butcher Shop when we met at the Sur la Table cooking school and had a presentation by the culinary director. We learned that the beef and chicken in the Sprouts Butcher Shop is fresh, never frozen. The butchers are always ready to help answer any questions special cuts or meat types. You can even request your own custom cut meat at any time or ice with your purchase!

In addition to our dinner at Sur la Table with the culinary director, we also got to sample a large assortment of the newest seasonal grab and go deli meals from the Market Corner with him. The items we sampled are listed below and pictured above. At the time of sampling these options were not yet available in stores.

Golden Beet and Kale Salad
Heart Harvest Salad
Fall Chopped Salad
Paleo Kaleo Slaw
Lemon Pesto Chicken Panini
Vegan Pakora Wrap
Buddha Bowl
Za’atar Chicken Bowl

We had a little taste of everything, with my favorites being the Lemon Pesto Chicken Panini and the Fall Harvest Salad. These recipes are developed with distinct goals in mind; reasonably priced, nutritious and delicious are the primary focus. Let me tell you, these meals are filling and so delicious! They’re perfect for lunchtime or even a light dinner and the goal when creating each item is keeping them affordable at the $7-9 price range.

This trip was really so full of fantastic insights and delicious food, peppered with good times with some really great people. I arrived in Arizona already a fan of Sprouts Farmers Market, but left really impressed and inspired by this company. This experience really showed me that Sprouts isn’t just talking the talk. They are 100% committed to their customers, their communities and the environment. It shows in everything they do, from their company culture to the recipes they create that are sold in store. I love that with everything they do, they are still able to make healthy and delicious food affordable and available, and they’ve inspired me to make changes of my own at home.

One of the highlights of the trip for me was during a lunch with the folks that run Sprouts, we discussed easy ways for store employees to get a conversation going with customers. They wanted something more meaningful than “How’s your day going?” or “Is there anything I can help you with?” and they came up with just asking “What’s for dinner?”. I love that! It’s so simple, but opening up about recipe ideas or ingredient lists can instantly put folks at ease. Food really does bring people together and the love of good tasting and wholesome ingredients is really what Sprouts is passionate about. Being able to deliver that to the communities through their stores while also benefitting those areas is really such an inspiring business model.

Even if you don’t have a Sprouts Farmers Market near you yet, they’ve recently partnered with Amazon Prime for delivery service. Through Amazon Prime, you can now get your entire grocery shopping list including fresh organic produce, meat and seafood from Sprouts Farmers Market delivered right to their door with one hour ($7.99) and free two-hour delivery between 8 am and 10 p.m.

Do you already shop at Sprouts? What inspires you most about the company?

Join Chef Marc Forgione at Macy’s in San Francisco for Game Day Tips!

January 25, 2016 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This year the Big Game will be held right in my own backyard, in Northern California in the heart of the bay area.

It’s going to be such a huge experience and I’m already feeling the excitement and nervousness ripple through my hometown. If you’re a foodie and will be in town for Game Day or are a bay area native, you can’t miss the events that Macy’s will be putting on that weekend! They have tons of fun times planned for all sorts of sports fans – both young and old!

There’s a cooking demo from Chef Marc Forgione that you can RSVP for free, you can also enjoy some family time, meet with my favorite childhood actress and watch a gorgeous fireworks display!

One of the very first professional chefs I ever met was Chef Marc Forgione. I truly enjoyed his cooking demo and he was full of fun facts and interesting cooking tips. I love attending these cooking demos because you get so much knowledge packed into an energetic demo as well as some pretty tasty treats. I can’t wait to see what sort of goodies Chef Marc has in store this time!

Meet Macy’s Culinary Council Chef Marc Forgione for a Game Day Cooking Demo

Learn from the master chef as he prepares some of his award-winning dishes and get tips on making your viewing party a gourmet “bowl” of its own. The best part? There’ll be plenty of scrumptious samples to enjoy!

When:
February 6, 2016 at 1:00 PM

Where:
Macy’s Union Square
Culinary Kitchen, Lower Level
San Francisco, CA

RSVP for free:

marcforgionemacysusq.eventbrite.com

Plus with any purchase of $35* or more in the Home department, receive a $10 Macy’s gift card**, a special game day gift, and an opportunity to meet the chef and take a photo with him.

Event subject to cancellation or change. Seating is first come, first served.

*Purchase must be made on Feb 6, 2016 at Macy’s Union Square only.
**One per customer, while supplies last. Gift card and special gift will be distribed on February 6th. Macy’s gift card valid February 6th and 7th only.

Learn more about the Council and upcoming events by logging on to macys.com/culinarycouncil and follow us on Twitter & Periscope.

For a complete schedule of events including dates, times and more, visit macys.com/endzone.

Macy’s and LIDS Present a Meet & Greet with Alyssa Milano

Meet Actress and Philanthropist Alyssa Milano at the Locker Room by LIDS™ shop on the 4th floor. Be one of the first 100 customers and receive an autographed photo of Alyssa Milano. Minimum purchase of $50 required.*

When:
February 6, 2016 at 2:00 PM

Where:
Macy’s Union Square
Women’s Building, Level 4
San Francisco, CA

Event subject to change or cancellation.

*Limited to the first 100 customers in line who have made a qualifying $50 purchase beginning one hour prior to the event, numbered tickets will be distributed. No personal items or memorabilia will be accepted or signed. While time permits.

Macy’s Presents Fun Kids Activities

Join us as we prepare for the Big Game with a morning of fun for the whole family! We’ll have face painting for your favorite team, Big Game tattoos, football themed crafts, plus goodies for all!

When:
February 6, 2016 at 11:00 AM

Where:
Macy’s Union Square
Kids Dept, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA

Event subject to change or cancellation.

Macy’s Fireworks (January 30th & February 5th)

Macy’s is bringing their world famous fireworks to the West Coast! On Saturday, January 30th, in conjunction with the grand opening of Super Bowl City and the historic relighting of the Bay Bridge, Macy’s Fireworks will light up the sky in show-stopping style as the grand finale of this milestone day. If you can’t view the fireworks from Super Bowl City, watch KPIX 5 at 7pm to see the whole celebration with their live “Countdown to Gold” special! And again on Friday, February 5th, Macy’s will treat Super Bowl City to another Fireworks Spectacular live at 10pm.

Join Chef Rick Bayless at Macy’s in Walnut Creek!

November 15, 2015 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency; as always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Are you a foodie located in the Northern California Bay Area? I’ve got an awesome treat for you!

On Thursday, November 19, 2015 Chef Rick Bayless will be at the Macy’s in Walnut Creek showing off his cooking skills during a live cooking demo during the Macy’s Walnut Creek VIP Preview Night. During this session he will cook four of his delicious recipes and you will get your own scrumptious sample of each one! You get to learn from the master as he shares tips on how to prepare some of his award winning dishes.

Chef Rick Bayless is most well known as the winner for “Bravo’s Top Chef Master” with his authentic Mexican cuisine. He is also a recipient of multiple awards, including “Midwest Chef of the Year”, “National Chef of the Year”, and “Humanitarian of the Year”. He and his staff began the Frontera Farmer Foundation in 2003 to attract support for small Midwestern farms which helps capital improvement for the farmers and their families.

I love Rick’s approach to Mexican cuisine. Being that I live in California where Mexican food is plentiful, it’s great to have a chef that shows you how to make flavorful and delicious Mexican cuisine that also tastes authentic and full of flavor. Not only that, his recipes have a quality to them that makes them seems attainable without being overly complex. I do love that, whether he’s creating tacos or a salad the ingredients are simple, fresh, and attainable.

The Details:

Macy’s Walnut Creek VIP Preview Night
1301 Broadway Plaza
Walnut Cree, CA
Thursday, November 19, 2015 – 6:00 PM

RSVP for free:

walnutcreekvipnight.eventbrite.com

Plus with any purchase of $35* or more in the Home department, receive a $10 Macy’s gift card** and a copy of Rick’s cookbook, Frontera or Everyday Mexican**, which he will sign for you after the event.

Seating is limited to a first come, first served basis.

*Purchase must be made on Nov 19 at Macy’s Union Square.
**One per customer, while supplies last. Gift card and book distribution on Oct 3rd, 2015. Gift card valid Oct 3 – Oct 10 only.

Join Chef Cat Cora at Macy’s in Union Square!

September 28, 2015 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency; as always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

For my readers in the San Francisco Bay Area that love food, I have a treat for you!

On Saturday, October 3, 2015 Chef Cat Cora will be at the Macy’s in San Francisco presenting a live Q&A session along with co-host Liam Mayclem. You will hear all about Cat’s no-holds-barred memoir on Southern life, Greek heritage, and the meals that have shaped many of her memories!

If you’re not familiar with Chef Cat Cora, or your memory is fuzzy, here’s some more details. Cat Cora was the very first Iron Chef on Food Network and also co-hosts Around the World in 80 Plates on Bravo and is the author of the memoir, Cooking as Fast as I Can. One of my favorite recipes of Cat’s is her Halibut with Pepitas, capers, cherry tomatoes and basil. It’s delicious without being super fancy and unattainable, which I really like. Her cooking style is simple, yet sensational using a “work with what you have” ethic that I use in my own recipes. Cat is also heavily involved in philanthropy work, donating her name and her time to a handful of charities close to her heart.

The Details:

Macy’s Union Square
Culinary Kitchen, Lower Level
Saturday, October 3, 2015 – 1:00 PM
San Francisco, CA

RSVP for free:

macyscatcoramemoirs.eventbrite.com/

Plus with any purchase of $35* or more in the Home department, receive a $10 Macy’s gift card** and a copy of Cooking As Fast As I Can**, which Chef Cora will sign directly after the event. ***

Event subject to cancellation or change. Seating is first come, first served. *Purchase must be made on Oct 3 at Macy’s Union Square. **One per customer, while supplies last. Gift card and book distribution on Oct 3rd, 2015. Gift card valid Oct 3 – Oct 10 only. ***While time permits.

Adventures in Detroit: Food, Farmers Markets and Entertainment

February 23, 2015 by MamaHarris 2 Comments

As a travel writer, my adventures lead me to so many unique places. Recently I took a trip to Detroit, Michigan- the comeback city. Due to recent events, there wasn’t a lot of information coming out of the city aside from the economy or lack thereof. Leading up to my visit I made the decision to tune out the negative and focus on clues that would lead me to valuable experiences that I could share with everyone else. Looking back, I am so glad I made that decision as there is plenty of life left in Detroit that unfortunately is clouded by a system that failed its residents.

Food, Food, FOOD!

What does one eat in Detroit? There were so many moments in food, I had a hard time picking just one. American, Brazilian, or Greek- the choice is yours and then some. Now, if you are like me you are bored with American food or you could be totally in love with it and choose not to venture out your comfort zone. Either way, Detroit has some damn good “All-American” food that renewed my faith in beef and potatoes.

Street level entrance of Roast restaurant in Detroit - Adventures in Detroit: Food, Farmers Markets and Entertainment

Image via Michael Symon’s Roast – Detroit facebook

Let me suggest Michael Symon’s Roast (1128 Washington Blvd Detroit, MI 48226). Currently in its 7th year of operation, the steakhouse has earned its reputation in serving up some of the best steaks in the Detroit area. When perusing the menu the one of the many things that stood out and turned me completely on was the Jerk Spiced Pork Belly. Roast does classic American food well with a side of adventurous. Your taste buds will thank me later.

Image via Michael Symon’s Roast – Detroit facebook

Farm Fresh Produce and Artisan Goods

Saturday’s in Detroit are meant for trolling the Farmer’s Market.

Image via Detroit Eastern Market

The Eastern Market has been serving the community of Detroit since 1891. In addition the main day, there is also various seasonal and themed days such as the winter market, or the Sunday thrift market. Regardless of what day you attend; I can guarantee that you will bring back key ingredients, handmade goods, and/or memories from your trip to the market that are worth 100 years of history.

Image via Detroit Eastern Market

Let Detroit Entertain You

There are a ton of things to do in Detroit that didn’t initially stick out in my online search prior to my visit. While putting together an itinerary, consider attending a sporting event such as the Detroit Lions, Tigers, or Pistons game. I had the pleasure of catching a football game while in town and it was great to see the city come out in full support. Detroit is also home to three casinos: MGM Grand, MotorCity, and Greektown. They reminded me of old school Las Vegas, although I didn’t win any money I certainly had a good time.

Image via MotorCity Casino

Planning Detroit travel certainly has it challenges, but so worth the visit. I suggest connecting with locals prior to your trip in order to get the maximum level of experience. You will learn during your stay that although the city is going through a rough patch, it still thrives on through its culture, food, history, and morale.

This article was written by Kitty Bradshaw | Website | Instagram | FaceBook | Twitter

Miami Culinary Tours – South Beach Food Tour (REVIEW)

July 14, 2014 by MamaHarris 9 Comments

Back in May I headed to Miami for a popular food conference that I was attending and one of the first things I did while I was there was go on a food tour. My friends and I had been planning the trip for a few months, and as we counted down to Miami time the excitement grew! We came across the Miami Food Tours by Miami Culinary Tours during the planning process, and they offered us a complimentary tour that we could review. We thought it would be a great way to kick off our Miami trip, so we scheduled it for the first day we were there before the conference began.

We were staying in downtown Miami, so we grabbed a cab to head over to South Beach to begin our tour. This is where we met Mirka (who I quickly discovered shares the same last name as me!) and she led us on our journey while we ate our way through South Beach.

Miami Culinary Tours - South Beach REVIEW

Meet Mirka, she’s a passionate foodie who taught us all about the Miami food culture.

The Meeting Place

Our first stop was at Bolivar Restaurant while we waited for the rest of the people that would be touring with us. This is where we met one another, chatted, discovered where everyone was visiting from and got to know who we’d spend the next 2.5 hours with!

Bolivar Restaurant
661 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139

As soon as we walked in, I loved the funky, colorful and vibrant mood that this restaurant provides.

The mood is fun and funky here!

While we waited, we were served a Refajo Colombiano – this drink is made with Colombiana soda and Aguila beer. The soda is similar to a cream soda and combined with the beer this is a crisp, slightly sweet drink with a fun fizziness. I actually really enjoyed the drink and plan to make it at home.

The delicious Refajo Colombiano.

Once everyone arrived and we all met and exchanged pleasantries, we were served our first bites of culinary excellence. It was Passion Fruit Ceviche and a Beef & Potato Empanada with a spicy ahi sauce.

Passion Fruit Ceviche and a Beef & Potato Empanada with a spicy ahi sauce.

The ceviche was surprisingly un-fishy tasting, and the passion fruit gave it an entirely different flavor. The empenada was out of this world delicious, and had a wonderful crispness to it thanks to the corn based batter. The ahi sauce was spicy as it had a habanero base, but it was a great fusion of flavors that all complimented each other very well. What I learned here, is that the food itself is full of delicious flavors, but Colombian food is served with the spiciness on the side. Loved it!

This combination is amazing.

I really enjoyed this little restaurant. The vibe was eclectic and funky, with a lot of bright colors as well as a full selection of wines to choose from that were available for purchase.

Plenty of wines to purchase.

There was space to be seated at the bar, and the restaurant is cozy in a lounge sort of way. I’d love to visit again on a Friday night for a few drinks and to explore the rest of the menu.

Quick Stop for Sweets!

Once we were full off of the delicious Colombian food and drinks, we took a stroll to a fun little Argentinian cafe called Manolo‘s.

Manolo’s
685 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139

Here we did a quick run inside just to grab the best Churro’s I’ve ever had in my life. You know, no big deal, right?

The best churro’s I’ve ever tasted in my life.

These churro’s have just the right balance of crunch and softness, and they are filled with delicious Dulce de Leche. So amazing!

These churro’s were AMAZING!

I was still munching on mine as we left to head over to our next stop. Plotting how to go back and get more!

The Scenic Route

While we finished our delicious churro’s and walked off the food we had consumed so far, we strolled through Washington Avenue and headed over to Collins Avenue and peeked inside the Essex House Hotel.

We left the Essex House and strolled over to Ocean Drive. The weather during that particular weekend was filled with rain and storms and even some flooding, thankfully on the day of our tour it was just slightly overcast with some sprinkles.

I was dying to get on that beach though.

While we were on Ocean Drive, learning about the popular architecture and popular art deco style of most of the buildings in Miami, we strolled passed the famous Versace Mansion which has now been turned into a boutique hotel (The Villa by Barton G).

The famous Versace Mansion is a popular tourist attraction.

We continued our walk down Ocean Drive which led us to our next stop..

Crossing the famous Ocean Drive in South Beach, even the streets are colorful.

Mango Margaritas

We stopped at the beautiful The Tides South Beach Hotel where we enjoyed delicious Mango Margaritas at The Tides Restaurant and Terrace.

The Tides Restaurant and Terrace at The Tides South Beach Hotel
1220 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139

This Tides Restaurant and Terrace is lovely, the perfect place for brunch or a nice lunch. It’s beautifully lit with many windows and a gorgeous beige and gold color scheme that gives an elegant feel without going overboard. I found myself drawn to the dining area with the beautiful tables and gorgeous chairs.

I loved the dining area.

The bartender was waiting for us, and he prepared plenty of mango margaritas for our visit.

Plenty of delicious Mango Margaritas.

The Mango Margaritas were delicious, not overly strong OR sweet,which is important!

Delicious Mango Margarita in a beautiful restaurant.

We finished our drinks and prepared to head over to our next adventure.

Next Stop, Cuban Food

Cuban food, it’s what you expect when coming to South Beach. Our next location did not disappoint. We stopped at Polo Norte Restauraunt which was in the middle of a name change (to Habanos Cafe) the signs were actually in the process of being switched that morning!

Polo Norte Cuban Restaurant (Habanos Cuban Cafe & Pizza)
1200 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139

Here we had a large basket of Mariquitas con Mojo (Plantain chips with “mojito” a tasty garlic sauce) waiting for us. I’ve tried plantains before and didn’t particularly care for them, but these Plantain Chips were great! These handcut chips were crispy without being too hard and the sauce was delicious.

Mariquitas con Mojo (Plantain chips with “mojito” a tasty garlic sauce)

We got to sit down at tables and mingle while we waited for the next item to be served, the Pan con Lechon Sandwich. This is a Mojo-roasted pork sandwich with sauteed onions. It was delicious! The bread was firm without being crispy or hard and the pork was juicy, which can only be expected when it’s been slow cooked to perfection and marinated in olive oil, cumin and garlic. I know it doesn’t look like a lot of food, but that sandwich was actually pretty filling!

Pan con Lechon Sandwich (a Mojo-roasted pork sandwich with sauteed onions).

Headed for the Mother Dough

Next up on our excursion was a stroll further down Washington Avenue. This time landing us at Blocks Pizza Deli, home of the Mother Dough.

Block’s Pizza Deli
1447 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139

This tiny space holds the recipe for the Mother Dough. Described as a 300 year old recipe, the yeast for this dough was kept alive by adding water and flour on a daily basis and never missing a day. For authenticity to it’s origins and recipes, Block’s uses the “Mother Dough” for all of it’s recipes. In addition, Block’s Pizza is all about freshness. They use only natural ingredients, and none of them have been dried or frozen.

More about the “Mother Dough.”

Needless to say, I was excited to try the food!

Just a sampling of the block pizzas served.

Everything looks so delicious!

Fresh & Delicious!

A combination custom order, everything looks so fresh!

Shortly after we arrived and learned the history of Block’s Pizza & Deli, our sampling was ready for us to try. We had the Sundried Hippie Panouzzo with spinach, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, feta cheese and homemade pesto.Sundried Hippie Panouzzo with spinach, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, feta cheese and homemade pesto

Sundried Hippie Panouzzo with spinach, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, feta cheese and homemade pesto.

It was every bit as delicious as it sounds. I have to admit I wanted to try some of the pizza though, but that’s just me being greedy!

Quaintness with Gelato

Once we were all done stuffing our faces, we headed out for a walk down the quaint streets of Española Way, it felt like we were in Italy with the little streets and the gorgeous scenery.

The quaint streets of Española Way.

I just loved this part of the tour, because we were taken away from the busy hustle and bustle of South Beach to this adorable little section that seemed like an entirely different city. Here is where we stopped at Milani Gelateria for some authentic Gelato.

Milani Gelateria
436 Española Way
Miami Beach, FL 33139

Once inside, you can see the spinning gelato display. This keeps the gelato at the ideal temperature (just above freezing) so it’s perfectly creamy without being solid or icy.

The spinning gelato display case.

I ordered the cream caramel and pistachio. Unfortunately I took mine outside and it began melting immediately. No worries, it was still amazing. I loved the pistachio flavor.

There is also another stop for Cuban coffee, but we had to duck out early in order to get back in time for other obligations.

Miami Culinary Tours – my final verdict

I had an amazing time on this tour, and it was actually one of the highlights of my trip. It was the perfect way to begin our stay in Miami and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone heading out for a visit. Here are all the tours available:

Art Deco Breakfast Tour
South Beach Food Tour
SOBE Cocktail Tour
Wynwood Food Tour
Little Havana Food Tour
Private Group Tours
Wynwood Graffiti Tour

What I also liked about the tour, is that they provided special accommodation for dietary restrictions. So if you are a vegetarian or a non-drinker, just let them know ahead of time and they will do their best to accommodate your needs. For more information on their tours or for any questions, head on over to MiamiCulinaryTours.com.

Also, Mirka was a wonderful guide. She was informative and friendly while still not allowing us to get too off track. She also kept us safe while crossing some of those busy streets and I can tell she loves what she does. I’m now inspired to see if there are these types of tours every time I travel, and even in my area.

Have you ever been on a food tour?

2014 Mitsubishi Lancer GT Review

January 14, 2014 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

Disclosure: I was provided a vehicle for one week to review. I was not compensated for this post.
All thoughts are my own.

In preparation of the face-lift that will be coming soon to my site, I’m so excited to share with you a new series that will be starting up. Big G will be getting a bit more involved with a new section I’m adding entitled “Travel”. This will cover vacations that we are planning, conferences, and any other fun events. What I’m most excited about is that we will also begin doing car reviews!

The Backstory

Recently we went back to being a single car family. Big G had a car that was just too old and getting fixed far too often and we ended up cutting our losses and selling it “as is”. Until we figure out what kind of car we’d like to purchase next, currently our only vehicle is a big over-sized SUV that seats our whole family. It’s like a house on wheels!

Last month we received our first car to review for a week, and I was ecstatic that our first car review would be for this fun and super cute 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer GT! It was perfect for me to zip around town and run errands with the kids without worrying about fitting our big car in parking spaces while out grocery shopping.

We loved the contrast of the black leather interior against the “Wicked White” exterior.

The drivers seat was comfortable and inviting.

More than enough space in the trunk!

Mama’s favorite features

To be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect. You know the feeling when you rent a car for a few days, you know the size you’ll be getting but you’re hoping for something cool in a fun color? That’s how we were feeling. I wasn’t too familiar with the Mitsubishi Lancer, but when it was delivered I was instantly impressed. This particular model came in “Wicked White” with black leather interior. It was the GT model with the touring package, and I had some instant favorite features.

Heated front seats
Navigation system
Rear view camera system
Latch system for child seats
Sirius satellite radio
Keyless ignition
Amazing Quality Speakers
Tons of trunk space
Handsfree Link System

The heated seats had to be my favorite feature.
The week I had this car the mornings were as cold as 28 degrees, I’m not used to that in Northern California! These helped warm us up quick, and the added bonus is that it helped my lower back pains too!

The rear view camera system is a wonderful feature, perfect for navigating busy parking lots.

Of course, I like cars for convenience and comfort on long trips. I look at what works for the family, and the fun features that make life a bit simpler.

The boys were happy and comfortable in the backseat with their car seats.

Big G’s Quick Review

The 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer was a good running, decent vehicle – especially for the price. For an economy car it had pretty good get up and go. Handling was pretty good for an all wheel drive vehicle, the gear shift paddle on the steering wheel was a great feature. The touch screen stereo was a favorite. The engine ran well, shifted smoothly. Another good feature was the remote locator being close enough to the steering column. If the remote was too far from the vehicle, it wouldn’t start so that’s a great safety feature. I could appreciate the 10 inch woofer in the trunk, and the speakers in general were a great addition.

The touch screen navigation system/stereo system was helpful as well as easy to use.

The steering wheel paddle shifters give added control over the drive.

The keyless ignition and remote key was an innovative addition.

The speakers in this vehicle are impressive!

Final Impressions

We were pleasantly surprised with this vehicle. With a family our size we don’t usually drive smaller sedans very often, but this vehicle fit two full size car seats comfortably in the back seat with leg room to spare, the trunk space was out of this world, and the car itself was zippy and fun. The speakers and sound system definitely added to the fun part, but the safety features definitely made us feel secure. The sticker price for this particular model comes in at an attractive $27,390, and it has a combined fuel mileage of 26 MPG! When the car was delivered to us it had a full tank, I put a total of about 90 miles on this car during the week I had it and the gas gauge went just under half a tank by the time I was done. Our 14 year old, Lil G, now wants this to be his first car! We had a lot of fun with this vehicle and I would definitely recommend the 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer GT if you’re on the market for a fun, zippy commuter car that’s great on gas.

The interior lights are so pretty when they’re all lit up.

In addition to great safety features, this car is CUTE!

It even greets you hello and goodbye. “See you!”
Too cute!

Chorizo & Egg Breakfast Pockets: Behind the Scenes at Pillsbury

November 20, 2013 by MamaHarris 13 Comments

Last month Pillsbury gathered together a group of bloggers to bring out to the kitchens located at the General Mills Headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. If you happen to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook then you probably knew that I was one of the nine bloggers in attendance!

We had a busy schedule that included background information on how Pillsbury has become what it is today, how they develop their recipes, current food trends and, our main subject, easy weeknight dinners! Pillsbury tries to create their recipes with easy ingredients, keeping the list of ingredients short. (Salt & pepper and water don’t count as additional ingredients!)

There was a demo that included 3 easy recipes to create fun family dinners with Pillsbury Grands Biscuits and Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Then, later in the morning after a tour of the kitchens, pantries and prop closets, we’d be pairing up together to create a dish of our own!

All nine bloggers that attended this event. From Left to Right.
Emily from Busy Mommy, Amanda from Amanda’s Cookin’, Jill from Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons,
ME, Sara from Sensibly Sara, Rachel from Rachel Ferrucci, Dorothy from Crazy for Crust,
Carrian from Oh, Sweet Basil, and Angela from About A Mom.
(Photo credits to Jill From Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons)

This would be the lovely kitchens we would be working in, each including their own fully stocked station. I loved the lighting in this room and the large work space. This is where many of the recipes on the Pillsbury website are tested again and again before they get published!

Just a (very) small portion of the supplies located in the closets.

There’s many closets, with many dishes, linens, and anything else you could possibly think of.

I wanted to bring my shopping cart and just collect a few things!

See? Dishes, pots and slow-cookers galore!

Soon enough we were back in the test kitchens and ready to be paired up. The rules were that we had to create an easy meal using anything on this table. It was only to include five ingredients or less, with one of the ingredients being a Pillsbury dough.

I was partnered with Emily from Busy Mommy, and we sorted through many ideas before we found the chorizo chub and quickly decided to make a chorizo and egg pocket using Pillsbury Grands Biscuits.

Look, I know it was supposed to be easy weeknight meals, but in our house our kids love when we switch it up and make breakfast for dinner. And really, this pocket can be eaten any time of day, it’s so delicious! Here’s our five ingredients:

Chorizo & Egg Breakfast Pockets Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chorizo
3 large eggs + 1 egg white
1/4 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 canister Pillsbury Buttermilk Grands refrigerated Biscuits
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
a few pinches of salt

Directions:

Begin by opening up the chorizo chub and spooning out the uncooked meat.

In a medium skillet, brown the meat, no oil necessary.

Whisk the three eggs together and add them to the skillet once the meat is browned.

Here’s Emily and I cooking in the Pillsbury Test Kitchens!

Add the diced bell peppers to the egg and chorizo mixture and continue to stir every so often until the eggs are scrambled and there’s no excess liquid.

In the meantime, flatten out the biscuits so they’re flat like a pizza dough.

Place a flattened biscuit on a cookie sheet. Fill with 1/4 of the filling. Sprinkle some cheese on top.

Place another flattened biscuit on top, then press edges together with fork.

Once complete, brush egg white across the tops and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Bake at 350 for about 23 minutes, or until tops are golden.

Place on cooling rack for a few minutes, once cooled cut each cooked pie in half to create a pocket.

We served it with a spiced up sour cream to dip the pockets in. This was just sour cream with some cayenne pepper mixed in. These were easy, and so good!

Each of our groups got to present our creation to the other bloggers and many of the Pillsbury staff.

Everyone did so good, and it was fun to see the different creations that were made in that time frame.

After our lunch we got to take a tour of the rest of the General Mills building. We checked out the photo studio and got some great photography tips. All of the photos taken by Pillsbury and General Mills are all edible. They don’t add anything to make it inedible, matter of fact they had just eaten a salad they’d photographed right before we arrived.

The prop rooms were my favorite. There was just anything you could possibly imagine needing. There were so many different wood panels for a table appearance in photos.

Just stacks and stacks of everything. Items are picked up from yard sales, thrift stores, you name it!

I loved the varieties of cake dishes!

There was so much that we learned and I had such a wonderful day.

Thank you Pillsbury for the opportunity to come out and spend the day with you!

You can follow Pillsbury on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Be sure to search for the hashtag #MakeItTonight and you can locate all the updates from that day!

Stay tuned, I have more fun with Pillsbury coming soon!

What are your favorite recipes that include Pillsbury products?

McDonald’s Bay Area Field to Restaurant Tour

October 14, 2013 by MamaHarris 7 Comments

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for McDonald’s. I attended an event to facilitate my review and received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

When I was growing up it was a rarity to eat fast food. That’s not to say that we ate healthy home-cooked meals every night, but the only times we really had fast food were when we drove on a road trip or had a coupon. If you fast forward a few years to my teens and twenties I was a huge fan and many breakfasts, lunches, or dinners were spent at a drive through in my busy life on the go. At that time, there were a variety of fast food restaurants I picked my food up from, but there’s something about McDonald’s that makes it the ultimate in fast food. Of course, since the golden arches are one of the first things one thinks of when it comes to fast food, McDonald’s has also received a lot of negativity in recent years regarding their food and ingredients.

A few weeks ago I was invited to attend an event where we could see first hand where McDonald’s received all of their produce and the process it goes through in order to get it to your fast food tray. We also had an opportunity to attend a Q&A session with other McDonald’s suppliers about what they are doing to incorporate healthier options for McDonald’s restaurants nationwide. It was set to be a jam-packed and informative day, concluding with a delicious gourmet meal at the end! I was intrigued to find out more since I’ve noticed in the past few years McDonald’s has made some changes in their meal options in order to bring healthier meal options to the public, so I wanted to see firsthand what goes into this so I could share with you!

“McDonald’s Nutrition 101”, presented by registered dietician Cathy Carmichael.

Our day started bright and early at a McDonald’s restaurant in San Jose. We were fed the McDonald’s breakfast of our choice and off we went in a comfortable bus to Taylor Farms in Salinas. During the bus ride we met three of the owner/operators of some local restaurants and we also met with one of McDonald’s own registered dieticians. She spoke with us about the steps McDonald’s has taken to supply quality choices and also some requests we can make when ordering our meals to suit or specific diet or lifestyle choices. For instance, when ordering a happy meal you can request a second order of apples instead of fries. You can also remove some fat in your Big Mac by ordering it without the special sauce, or on your salad by using only part of the dressing provided.

Our group in the fields of Taylor Farms.

We arrived at Taylor Farms in Salinas and were instantly impressed. The entire operation runs so smoothly and efficiently. The standards are impeccable, as soon as we unboarded our bus we were required to remove all jewelry and put on hairnets and gloves. If you did not you were not allowed to step foot on the farm! I appreciate the standards being so high, as to avoid any possibility of food contamination. We got to walk through the fields of beautiful romaine lettuce and learn how it’s grown, harvested, cut, washed and packaged. It’s a very quick and efficient process, and those fields smelled so fresh and crisp! Taylor Farms recently implemented a machine that speeds up the process as well as saves workers backs, it was fascinating to watch!

The triple washing process at Taylor Farms Processing Plant.

Once we wiped the mud off our shoes and rid ourselves of our hairnets and gloves we were off to the Taylor Farms Processing Plant. Here we were able to see the triple washing process that all of the lettuce receives before it’s sent off to McDonald’s as well as many of your local grocery stores. We also learned that within six days of harvest it is at the restaurant ready to be implemented into your meals. In addition, romaine lettuce has a shelf life of 14 days, but once it’s gone past ten days McDonald’s won’t use it. This means that often the lettuce you purchase in your McDonald’s meals can be even fresher than what you can find in your grocery store!

Q&A session with McDonald’s Distributors.

After the informative tour of the processing plant, we sat down for a Q&A session with some of McDonald’s distributors. The companies represented on the panel were ARYZTA Fresh Start Bakeries, Cargill, Chiquita – Fresh Express, Crystal Creamery, and Taylor Farms. We learned that the distributors work with McDonald’s to find new and innovative ways to tweak some of the menu items so that they are healthier choices. For instance, all of the Egg McMuffins are made with whole wheat English Muffins. In addition, the hamburgers are made with 100% USDA-inspected beef with no fillers. The Chicken McNuggets are made with white meat chicken and do not go through any mechanical separation processes. They also use all white chicken meat in the Premium Chicken Sandwiches as well as the Premium Salads. McDonald’s is a leader in food safety and quality control standards as noted by organizations such as the USDA and FDA. Their Environmental Scorecard is used to measure supplier performance in the areas of water conservation, energy efficiency and waste management to ensure compliance to its stringent standards. McDonald’s and their distributors are constantly looking for new ways to satisfy their audience, so if you have ideas or opinions let them know! They are listening and doing what they can to remain a leader in the fast food industry. McDonald’s impressed me with their commitment to environmental responsibility and sourcing. For more information about McDonald’s “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices” you can visit McDonalds.com/Changing.

The talented duo, SakaBozzo.

After such a jam packed and informative morning we were all ready to eat! Fortunately there was a fabulous three course meal prepared just for us at the beautiful National Steinbeck Center. We were served delicious food masterminded by the chef duo SakaBozzo. These two were the most adorable gentlemen that call themselves twins separated at birth. They’ve been featured numerous times at the Gilroy Garlic Festival among many other appearances and also have their very own cookbook, called “Any Bozzo Can Cook”. These two were thoroughly entertaining, and the food was ah-mazing! We discovered a little surprise after we’d scarfed down all of our courses. Everything on the menu was created using all of the food from McDonald’s!!

The menu for our delicious three course gourmet meal, all made with food found on the McDonald’s menu!

French Onion Soup and Mini Mac with Chipotle Aioli. The Mini Mac was one of my favorites of the meal!

Green Salinas Valley Salad with Stuffed Chicken Breast. That chicken was to die for!

Chocolate Espresso Cake (Gluten Free). This was so rich and delicious!

Once the day had ended I walked away from this experience with a new understanding of McDonald’s as a company. I appreciate the fact that they are working so hard to change their menu to suit the changing lifestyles of their customers. I like that they are a company that listens to what the consumer wants and does what it takes to achieve and satisfy their lifestyle needs. McDonald’s has taken it upon themselves to be environmentally friendly and with a company as big as theirs it really does make a huge impact. I feel that I left this day with a bigger appreciation for McDonald’s as a company and I respect the changes they are implementing and the strides they are taking to be the best that they can be!