It is a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it!

Eating Out!  It is a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it!  We rarely eat out, because A.)  I love to cook; B.) I feel like the portions are huge and wasteful; C.) Children can make it difficult.
But, when special friends come to town, eating out is, ocassionally, just what the doctor ordered.  Recently, one of my dear friends came to town with her children.  I so appreciated her making the drive.  My darling hubby agreed to watch our children for us to have a girls' day out.  We ended up at a restaurant in Fairhope that I've never been to and had the yummiest fresh food!
We started with the Antipasto platter which consisted of cantaloupe, salami, fresh mozzerella with pesto, marinated tomatoes (fresh and sundried), fresh baked bread with olive oil.  Yummy!
We shared a tomato salad...scrumtious!  Then, she had a seafood stew and I had eggplant parmesan!  It was delish!
A few things I try to remember when I'm out to eat:
1.  Portions are huge, so share if you dare!
2.  Remember the season and order accordingly (don't order oysters in hot months, order fresh vegetables when they are ripe in your area, etc...)
3.  Try something different...if you find yourself always ordering the same thing no matter where you eat, challenge yourself to something new!  Remember our kids take their cues from us! 
I so love my girl time and yummy food is the icing on that proverbial cake :)

I know! It is crazy how much I love food.  I mean, I blog about it!  But, mostly I want to remember new recipes and document my kitchen fun with my family and friends.

Speaking of family:  my oldest child starts kindergarten on Monday!  I'm so not ready!  Tonight I'll be making one of his favorites:  Spaghetti Carbonara!  I'm a sucker for "that's my favorite" from my babies!  As the fall approaches, I'm reminded of how busy we will be with soccer, ballet, college football, and holiday events.  It is during the busiest seasons of life that meal planning is most important.  One less thing to think about!

Tomorrow, I'll be writing about meal planning based on what you've got in your kitchen.  Americans are the professionals at going to the grocery store when it is not necessary!