Month: March 2019

New Dishes

Ryan and I will be celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary in May. And after 18 years, and a family of seven using the original set(s) of dishes we received as wedding gifts, our plates and bowls were looking a bit…worn. Chipped, scratched, pieces lost to breakage, leaving us short on bowls like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve been kind of half-heartedly looking for new place settings for a while. I thought maybe I’d like to go with Fiestaware, and let every family member pick their own color. Until I realized how heavy that many settings of Fiestaware would be, and how much space they would take up. So I abandoned that idea. I did know that I really wanted square plates if at all possible, because I’ve been admiring the way they look whenever I’ve encountered them for years. And then I discovered that Pfaltzgraff, the maker of our original, everyday dishes, had square plates. In our original pattern (Filigree).

In the end, I didn’t even have to wait too long for a sale that made them cheaper than the original place settings we bought such a long time ago. Being older and wiser, I realized that we didn’t need more mugs and saucers, so we just ordered dinner plates, salad/dessert plates, and bowls. Plus one new serving bowl, because I always seem to run short of those. I love that I found something so similar and familiar, yet with an update I really wanted!

We’re all really excited about using our new dishes, but I have to wonder…who will be the first to break one?

2018-19 School Year–Week Twenty-Seven

We have one week of school left before our spring break, and I’m feeling a little burned out, so I’m going to hit the bare minimum as far as highlights of this week’s work.

Turkey and Bunny graphed parabolas in math. They read about the Vikings and the early kingdoms of England in history. Ladybug learned about different breeds of horses in science. She also learned about medieval west African kingdoms (Ghana, Mali, and Songhai). Chickadee moved on from just counting money to adding it. She continued to try to read everything she encountered…and was successful a lot of the time! We didn’t get to play tennis this week, because the weather was just too gross…maybe next week.

We just have to make it through five more days of school, and then we can take a break…and if we’re lucky, maybe we’ll even have some spring weather to go with it!

Tasty Tuesday–Texas de Brazil

Ladybug and I have been planning to go to dinner at Texas de Brazil in the St. Louis Galleria for almost a year…Saturday was finally the day!

As soon as we walked in, we were impressed…there were color-changing lights behind the bar, which looked really cool through the various bottles!

The table was super fancy, and Ladybug was shocked by the napkin service, which is something she had never encountered. Not only did they place our napkins in our laps when we sat down, they refolded them every time we got up from the table!

If you’ve never been to Texas de Brazil, here’s how it works. After you’re seated, you can visit the salad bar. There were so many delicious options! (But watch out for that plant…it attacked me several times!)

In addition to the cold offerings, there are also some heated options, including their famous lobster bisque, Brazilian black beans, rice, and moqueca (fish stew):

At your table, you’re given a “coin.” One side indicates that you would like the waiters to stop by with whatever carved meat they’re carrying, and the other that you are content with what you have (at least for the time being!):

There are so many meat options, from all of the main meat groups…beef, chicken, pork, and lamb (plus the fish family at the salad bar…I tried all five kinds of meats!). Some are wrapped in bacon, some are seasoned with parmesan cheese, and all are delicious. In general, the meats are prepared medium-rare, but you can request more or less done options. And watching the waiters carve the meat table side is quite a treat!

In addition to the salad bar offerings (both cold and hot), a few side dishes are brought to your table, including garlic mashed potatoes, sweet fried bananas, and Brazilian cheese bread (Pao de Queijo), which I’ve actually made before!

We enjoyed everything we tried, from the drinks (Ladybug had a Brazilian soda, and I had their signature drink, the Caipirinha), to the salad bar (the pineapple carpaccio, couscous salad, and giant capers were some of our favorites!), to the meat (I was so happy to see so many rare options, including filet mignon and plain old steak):

And then the desserts. There was a tray with some of their offerings, including Brazilian cheesecake, carrot cake, and key lime pie), but they also have other choices including Brazilian flan, Crème Brûlée, and Brazilian Papaya Cream.

Ladybug and I both chose the chocolate mousse cake, and we were definitely not disappointed…it was AMAZING!

This was a very fun and special evening. I wish it was a place we could all visit someday, but it’s not practical for a large family. I do hope that I’ll get the chance to go back with somebody someday, though, because I had a great time, and really enjoyed my meal!

Sartorial Saturday–Mary Blair Meets Magically Made

Mary Blair March is finally here!

I’ve been working on a way to combine one of my Mary Blair pieces (my clown print Natalie swing dress) with my Magically Made Celestina reversible capelet from Pinup Girl Clothing:

I love how well these two items go together! The reversible yellow side of the capelet is the perfect match for the yellow in the dress.

And this yellow starburst brooch from Luxulite goes great with both pieces!

This whole look just makes me happy!

I’m so excited to find more new ways to wear my favorite Mary Blair prints this month!