White Fence Farm

I know I've been taking a lot of photos of food lately, but I'll take a break from that today even though this blog is about a restaurant.
This Sunday, we took our second trip to the White Fence Farm. Last time we went was in January so it was a bit too cold to enjoy the outdoors, so instead, we stayed inside and enjoyed the fabulous fried chicken.
This time, we enjoyed the fried chicken again, however, we were able to spend some more time outside and see the cool attractions.
Outside, they have a petting zoo, playground, and a pond with ducks; all perfect for those with little ones.

How do I turn this thing on?

This one doesn't move!

KISSES!

Inside, they have all the gift shopping you could ask for; they pretty much put Cracker Barrel to shame!

My food reviews = Fried Chicken is YUMMO! I am also a huge fan of the kidney bean salad. Who knew that kidney beans could be so good?
Porter's food reviews = "Look Mom, there are ducks outside"

Overall, it is worth the drive to go and spend a few hours browsing the large grounds. Kudos to the White Fence Farm for making a place that is truly enjoyable for the entire family!

Safeway Select Slow-Cooker Sauce (Alehouse Braising) with Pork and Squished Spuds

So, the other day I found something that looked really yummy at the store and looked perfect for the slow cooker - Safeway Select Slow-Cooker Sauce (Alehouse Braising). On the bottle, it boasts, "An American take on a Belgian pub classic, this braising sauce perfectly blends the flavor of beer with caramelized onions and spices." So there I am, in the grocery store, all excited because I was hopeful that I had found a cheat recipe for Belgian Carbonnade. I've attempted the homemade way of making Carbonnade and had always been pleased with the couple of recipes I've used. But now, I was all excited because I had hopefully found something I could put in the slow cooker, go to work, and come back to a 5 star meal. *fingers crossed*

Here's what I did -

• In the slow cooker, I put the entire bottle of sauce and 3 large pork cutlet
• Turned the slow cooker on low and left for work
• When I returned, I boiled up some potatoes and a sweet potato (I prefer a sweet potato over regular, however, my husband prefers the normal potato - things can never be easy)
• I mashed both potatoes, separately, and served the pork on top with the sauce

My review -

• I didn't get the flavor of beer at all (maybe they didn't use a nice dark beer?)
• The sauce was lacking in a hearty flavor that I'm used to when making it homemade
• The pork was tender and absorbed some of the flavors from the sauce, so it was not bland
• This was not a Belgian Carbonnade, but was acceptable as a "sauce" for pork. To be fair, the bottle DID say it was an "American take on a Belgian pub classic"

What I would do differently?

• Add some beer with flavor, like a Chimey or Aventinus
• Add more garlic and onion
• Find a way to actually braise it AFTER the slow cooker part...that braised, caramel flavor is what was needed

Would I buy it again? - YES. The price was right and everyone ate it with no complaints. For me, that's a win!

Easter Eggs - Take 1

So, this was the first time dying Easter eggs with Porter. I took helpful hints from my sister on how to limit this mess; put down LOTS of newspaper! Also, I needed to lower my cleanliness settings in my brain. I kept panicking because Porter would drop the eggs into the dye and the dye would splash everywhere - GAH - my brain just had a hard time with the splashing. My sister was quick, and calm, to remind me that this is why there is newspaper everywhere.

 Maybe I should line my entire house with newspaper?

Porter learning how to "tie dye" and egg. Notice the GIANT bottle of booze in the background? That was for my nerves :)

E-bug and C-dog showing us how it is done!

Careful!

Dad showed up to "help", too. He was a bit of a Baby Charlotte hog, but who can blame him??? It is so nice to see him and the kids have fun together.

 Now, I just need to get more airline miles so that I can come back and visit more. 

I love you crazy cats!