Proof and Cooper

This year's criteria for a pumpkin patch was: "nice potty"! Last year we took the kids to Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls. We had been going there for about three years. They had a lot of fun until my then three year old needed to use the bathroom. Of course there was no bathroom so we had to use the porta potty. Of all the fun they had, this was the ONE thing she remembered! As soon as I mentioned we were going to the "pumpkin patch like last year", she started complaining that she "hated their potty!" I refused to deal with fussy toddler after driving such a long distance so we opted for somewhere nearer and had a good bathroom!

So here is Proof and Cooper. It is located only 30 minutes away AND it was actually a restaurant - therefore, "nice potty"! Located on Hamilton Pool Road, this little gem had a little pumpkin patch on its backyard. They had indoor and outdoor seating and served alcohol so off we went!

They serve lunch, dinner, brunch, beer and cocktails. I ordered the homemade fried chicken (old-school Texas recipe dredged and fried in-house. Crispy, spicy and slightly-sweet crunch). It came with biscuit that was drizzled with sweet honey, and I chose the house salad for my side dish. The chicken was delicious but my favorite was the biscuit! It was moist and the honey just made it even more scrumptious. The house salad however could have been better. It was just plain greens and some tomatoes and the basil vinaigrette that I selected was dry and tasted old.

My kids ordered just regular cheese burgers with fries. They didn't have a healthier side option like fruit or veggies. It was either fries or potato chips. 

My husband ordered Chicken Fried Steak with sautéed greens (kale) and mashed potatoes. It was great! Our order took quite some time, about 20 minutes. They were so hungry by the time our food arrived, I didn't get a chance to take photos of their meals! 

We then head out to the back for the pumpkin patch.

There was a magician up on stage when we got there, which the kids enjoyed. He was probably around 12 or 13 years old and I must say he was pretty entertaining. Hootie the Magician was his name. Then a band played right after. I'm not a country music fan, but they got some people up and dancing.

They had games for prizes to the side which cost $1 per ticket. Most games required at least two tickets.

 

There was a small area to pet some animals. The younger one did not want to try it.

Overall, the place was great! The pumpkin patch was a little smaller than I expected but we found our pumpkin to carve and some pumpkins for the husband's yearly pumpkin pie. The activities are geared toward smaller children though. This would be a nice go-to place for those who do not want to drive out too far to enjoy a pumpkin patch. Or for those who have kids who are very particular about having clean bathrooms! :)

By the way, the four year old did not even use the bathroom once the whole time we were there! Oh well! :)

Be More Pacific

New Filipino-American restaurant in town! The little girl and I tried it there today for lunch and so far oh so good!



Since having kids, it is always important for us to find places that are kid friendly! This restaurant had both - a kid menu and an open space for the kiddo to burn some energy. She had the Adobo Chicken (chicken braised in a tangy savory marinade of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper) served over steamed rice, garnished with green onions and also served with two slices of  fingerling potatoes. She said "Thank you for ordering this, it's good!". Kids are picky eaters in general, so if she likes it then it really is good!

I ordered the Tosilog (combination of sweet and savory pork, garlic rice, green onion garnish, and egg). This is one of my all time favorite dishes in the Philippines so I had to try this one first. All I can say is two thumbs up! The bowl was huge so plus points for that! I still have half of my meal to savor again tomorrow.

There are currently only two items on the dessert menu for lunch. So I went with Ube Ice Cream. Ube is otherwise known as purple yam and is a popular delicacy in the Philippines. It can be eaten on its own or made into different forms of dessert from cakes to candies, etc. So this ice cream was a must try. It is specially made by Amy's Ice Creams and it definitely did not disappoint! It is served with homemade purple yam. I had to race eat it with my little girl because she was way too fast! 

There is a famous spot in Austin called the "I love you so much" wall. You can read about it here. Having drawn inspiration from that wall, the wall below is the first thing you see as soon as you enter the restaurant. The saying on the background "mahal kita" is the filipino translation of "I Love You". Pretty awesome wall I must say! Perfect for pictures! Definitely going back to try more dishes from their lunch menu, take more pictures of the place because I missed some pretty cool spots, and to try their dinner menu!

Not just for eating

We never really utilized the formal dining room unless we had guests over. We end up eating at the breakfast area most of the time. With two little kids, it has become a toy storage area too at one point. The kids are now bigger and we have a rule of "no toys downstairs" in place. It has given me much order and peace lol! 

So I decided to convert it into a space where we could use it more often. I've seen dining rooms with book shelves on Pinterest. So I thought I would try it. It is now a dining room / library / game room. We have enjoyed nights playing board games here with the kids. And on of my counter tops in my kitchen where my recipe books used to sit is now nice and blank. These IKEA book shelves used to be in my office. I have lots more space now there too.

This table from West Elm is perfect for this room. It seats eight people and is made from reclaimed pine. We fell in love with it the moment we saw it at the store. Plus it was on 20% off sale. We LOVE sales! However, the only thing we didn't like is the shipping cost - $229! There was no other option around it either. At least they assembled it and placed it where I wanted it.

We found the chandelier while walking around the huge Restoration Hardware store (or building rather!). Sputnik was its name. Again it was on sale for 55% off. Perfect! But like the dining table, the shipping cost was $200! It arrived assembled so the box was GIANT! It fit like a glove through our front door.  It didn't take much to install it (thanks to the hubby by the way). All the bulbs were included however one of them was defective and blew out as soon as we turned it on. The replacement bulbs sell for about $15 on their website. However, I found the exact same bulb on Amazon for only $8. It lights up the whole room perfectly. I must say though that all those bulbs can make the room a bit warm. Perfect during the colder months!

ALWAYS hungry

The one thing good about being pregnant is you can EAT without feeling guilty. What I don't like is feeling hungry ALL THE TIME. You feel there is no longer space in your stomach and yet the feeling of hunger is still there. At 31 weeks, my doctor tells me I need to gain more weight. Ummm, okay! I guess everything I am eating is going to the baby. Which is not such a bad thing. But I do feel tired all the time. Food is the remedy.

I posted about this restaurant in Austin called Chez-Zee not too long ago. Their brunch is one of the best.

The pear mimosa is new on their menu and too bad I couldn't have some. My hubby did say it was good.

On me

Sweater: Old Navy (old) , halter dress (old), sandals: Ross (old), Black tote: Zara (old), Sunglasses: Ray-ban New Wayfarer

On Little S

Hat: Janie and Jack, Dress: Old Navy, Boots: Target

Soleil

I have been in a rut lately. I need motivation to get my photography cells going. I am going to make an effort to bring my camera more often when I am out and about. There. That is why this blog has not been updated for a while.

We went out for dinner last week for a change. If you live in Austin, you may know this place. If you are visiting or live here and haven't tried it, I would recommend it. The Soleil is located right beside a very popular tourist spot - The Oasis. They are ALWAYS full on weekends especially for dinner. It is a great place to watch the sunset, however I am not exactly fond of their food. We ended up in Soleil on one of those crowded days. Good thing we did because it is now one of my favorite places. The ambience has a beach kind of feel to it. Just perfect with a lake view and the sunset.

They have developed the area which now includes a variety of gift shops, restaurants, coffee shops and the like. This is one of the shops, intriguing name for a candy and chocolate store. :)

While waiting for our meal...

Our dinner was awesome. From the appetizer to the main course to the dessert.

Our appetizer: Seared Sea Scallops

Beef Short Rib with sauteed spinach (which had a sweet taste that I really liked), and caramelized leek mashed potatoes. The meat just fell off the bone. What else can I say?? :)

Mushroom Fusilli with tomatoes, leeks, tarragon, fontina & marsala pesto.

I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the dessert! We had the red velvet brownie sundae. And yes it was good!

The famous Oasis.

A Texan's Map of the United States.

And there she is, my little girl. Yummy dinner = happy toddler.