Broom's Bloom Dairy (AKA "The Ice Cream Farm")

This post takes us back to 2007 when we were new parents enjoying our first spring during our tour in Aberdeen, Maryland.  Since it was Kyla's first Mother's Day, I wanted to make sure I fixed something special for dinner that night, which involved an extensive search for good meat to grill and something sweet for dessert.  Based on a tip received from a coworker, I decided to head to a lonely stretch of road that housed a local dairy farm known as Brooms Bloom.  Advertised as providing "Harford County agricultural product as well as some specialty items in addition to our own old fashioned hand dipped ice cream made right on the farm," I thought this would be a great source for a special Mother's Day dinner - and was right!

Kyla and 8 enjoying the backyard flowers for their first Mother's Day

Just so you know, I do not posses the sweet tooth in our relationship, and was quite frankly more interested in the local meats than the ice cream when I arrived at Broom's Bloom.  There was a small selection of meat in the freezer, which yielded a couple of nice (albeit expensive) rib eyes for the grill, but the real treat was with the ice cream.  I always suspect that Kyla is really the alter ego for Betty Crocker so in addition to the meat, I decide to come home with a pint of graham cracker cake batter ice cream that was served with fresh blueberries after dinner.  My steaks were forgettable, as evidenced by what we both remember most from that first Mother's Day - the incredible ice cream!

The flavor and texture of the graham cracker cake batter ice cream was so mind blowing, we found ourselves heading back up Highway 543 early and often that summer, often as a Sunday treat after church services.  The various flavors of ice cream were the grand prize, but we were also pleasantly surprised by the quality of food offered for lunch in the afternoon.  There are a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, and quiches available for lunch, all of which are delicious.  If you find yourself in the area, we recommend going with one of the combos.  My personal favorite is the Cowman's Repast, which is a cup of soup, stew, chili, or mac n' cheese; sandwich; and ice cream.  I can't remember ever ordering anything else during the family's many trips to Broom's Bloom, and was particularly fond of the cream of crab soup with the pulled pork sandwich. Maryland crab soup is already a local delicacy, but the way Broom's Bloom fixes it with cream provides a special twist that is hard to beat with a sweet and tangy punch.  If I knew a trip to the ice cream farm was in the works for the weekend, I would always get antsy about getting the girls out of the house early since the cream of crab does sell out - and once you've tasted it, nothing else would suffice.  In fact, cream of crab soup is one of the things I miss most about Maryland.

As good at the lunches are, they were always a precursor to the ice cream.  Every time you walk into Broom's Bloom, you'll see a chalkboard that list the day's flavors.  There are some standards that you could expect to find just about every time (chocolate, vanilla, cookies and cream, etc), but there are also specials that come and go with the seasons.  Kyla's personal favorite was the dirt ice cream, and we'd usually find ourselves going home with a pint of dirt after our lunch.  I tried to experiment with new ice creams to make up for the fact that I always ordered the same soup and sandwich for lunch. Some of the more memorable flavors were chocolate cake batter, cranberry walnut, cinnamon honey vanilla, and sweet corn.  I know, sweet corn sounds like a weird ice cream flavor, but they had it and I tried it.  As a matter of fact, you can try any flavors you want before committing to a full bowl, and I always took advantage of that opportunity.

In addition to the incredible lunch and ice cream, Broom's Bloom was a fantastic place for a family,or even a few families dining together, to hang out.  There is limited indoor seating, but plenty of room outside to eat at a picnic table, or even to set up your own picnic on the lawn.  Our church group's favorite meeting place was Broom's Bloom since the ample outdoor area allowed our toddlers room to burn off energy.  Even after we transferred two hours south to the Washington DC suburbs of Virginia, we would still find reasons to make a pilgrimage to Broom's Bloom for a picnic topped off with ice cream.  Kyla had even convinced our new church group to take a trip to Maryland for lunch and ice cream, with a few parishioners headed south with a pint sitting under some dry ice in a cooler.

Church group toddlers and moms enjoying the outdoor dining

If you're looking for a great dining experience in Harford County, Broom's Bloom Dairy fits the bill nicely.  The only drawback is the dining can be weather dependent with the limited indoor seating.  Even when the weather turns south, you can still pop in for a quick pint to go - and even pick up some locally produced meats, vegetables, and cheeses for your own meal at home.  Though don't be surprised if your own cooking prowess gets overshadowed by the pint sized frozen treat from what we affectionately call "the ice cream farm."

Round Rock Day

Today is Memorial Day. I always get a bit weepy this time of year because way back in 2004 I was in Iraq in the Army with the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division and my battalion lost 10 heros. I considered two of the guys good friends. I miss my Army Brothers. So while this weekend no longer just means the unofficial kick-off to summer to me as it did before 2004, I do believe they would like us to take a moment to remember them, the good times we shared, and then get on with it.

Visiting my Army Brother's final resting place in Arlington, Memorial Day 2013, pictured with my oldest daughter. 

This morning I had to get my 2007 minivan it's 100,000 mile service! Yes, this military life has moved us coast to coast and now in the middle. My mom-van has served me well and is still going strong. As a reward for having to get up early on a no-school/work day, we decided to play tourist and head to Round Rock Donuts.

Round Rock Donuts neon sign by the registers.

I first heard about Round Rock Donuts when I attended a taping of the Jimmy Kimmel Live show in Austin this March. Then my spin instructor brought up that she got a "Texas Sized" donut from Round Rock Donuts for her birthday and she made us burn the calories for her. So today was the day to try these world famous donuts.

We drove up and were a bit surprised that the road was a weird left turn that kinda looked like a fork in the road, the road less traveled because just beyond the shop the road was blocked due to road construction. It didn't slow the traffic down at all. The parking lot is miniscule, with maybe 20 parking spaces. There is a drive thru that constantly has at least 10 vehicles waiting for their orders.

We parked and walked in. Amazingly we started to wait in line inside the doors. The good news is that the line moves quickly. The line moved so quickly, we didn't have much time to ogle the variety of donuts. We decided to get everyone a maple glazed and a chocolate glazed donut. The girls each got a chocolate milk that I wish we had glasses to share one, because neither one of them finished their milk. Tim and I got coffee.

The selection of donuts in the case with the Texas sized donuts. *They were similar in size to the Monterey Donuts which will be an upcoming Throwback Thursday post.

After placing our orders, there was barely any room to wait to pick up our orders. I'm not a fan of crowds, so I sent the girls and Tim outside to get a table while I waited for the donuts. It wasn't an overly long wait, but still felt long since I constantly felt I was in the way, but then again, so was everyone else.

Our family with our donuts. A nice lady who was sitting in that empty chair didn't want to photobomb us, so she volunteered to take our picture!

I finally got our order and joined the family outside. The donuts were obviously made fresh. They were very doughy and soft. Even under the chocolate and maple glazing, there was an odd orange colored glaze. They were a bit messy, especially the maple glaze. Their website says the orange or yellow color is because they use fresh eggs while hand making these donuts.

Six getting really messy with her maple glazed donut, plus some of the road construction equipment behind her.

While the donuts were delicious, I don't know if we'll be back any time soon. We have a few donut shops a lot closer who also make fresh donuts daily, with a lot less traffic and crowds. We might be back to order the Texas sized donuts for birthday breakfasts for the girls.

As we left, the traffic was just as bad and the line of people to get in the donut shop was even longer. Since it started to rain, we were happy to make room for others.

A horrible picture of the lines of vehicles coming and going from Round Rock Donuts.

As an added bonus, when we had to pick up my minivan from it's completed service, we decided to have burgers for lunch. So we headed to Mooyah.

We had decided not to review chain restaurants, because we usually avoid chains in favor of supporting local restaurants and businesses. Someday we may own our own restaurant or business, and we'd like all the support we can get! However, we didn't realize this was a chain, because it's only a Texas chain, like HEB the grocery store.

The burgers and hotdogs can be ordered with all kinds of toppings for free. Only cheese, bacon and avocado costs extra. You can also order salads here.

The rain was coming down hard and the restaurant was loud, so I had to repeat myself a few times. We did have a friendly chat with the gal working the register about Jimmy Kimmel and Vulcan Video that her friends own, and was featured on the episode I was there to see taped in person.

The girls were entertained by the big wall of chalkboard and chalk.

Our shakes came out first and mine was missing. Eight got cookie dough, Six got peanut butter cup and Tim got chocolate. I ordered an Oreo shake, but when it was delivered to me, it was peanut butter cup. Good thing I'm not allergic to peanut butter. It did have candy crushed on top, so I was warned it was not what I ordered, but I decided I didn't care enough to send it back. I was disappointed that the last third of my shake had no candy blended in, just vanilla ice cream.

My very disappointing and completely wrong milkshake.

Our food came out and it reminded me of Five Guys burgers. Five Guys happens to be my favorite fast food burgers, so this is a glowing review of their burgers from me! The one thing this place has over Five Guys is Sweet Potato Fries! Six was apparently not in the mood for her hot dog. She called it "spicy" but Tim tried it and he said it was delicious. We were filled, mostly enjoyed our food and didn't mind the wait as a huge storm moved through the area.

The rain falling in sheets as we waited to find a good time to drive home.

It was a blessing in disguise that we were stuck at Mooyah for awhile waiting out the storm. We drove home in the thunderstorm and torrential rain. A few minutes before we got home, a funnel cloud was spotted near our house. The storm has passed by now and we are all fine, still in our watertight house.

Someone shared this on facebook - the funnel cloud we missed as we were driving back from Mooyah, as seen 3 miles from our house.

As an added bonus, here is a link to the episode of Jimmy Kimmel I watched on March 16, 2015! Here's what I wore, matching my sister so we could find ourselves in the crowd. Amazingly Jimmy talked to us during a commercial break and we became known as "The Sisters" and got called out all evening walking around Austin that night! There's my 15 seconds of fame!

Throwback Friday

Okay, so I know that "Throwback Thursday" is more traditional, but I'm typically a day behind.  Plus, I happen to have today off, which made Kyla and I nostalgic over the Fridays we had together while I was in grad school in Monterey - when the girls were in school and we had the morning and early afternoon to ourselves.  Those Fridays typically resulted in some sort of gastronomical adventure in the Monterey area, often ending with us walking the kids home from school with wine on our breath.

This week's memory posting is one of our favorite little cafe's in Monterey, Louolu's Griddle in the Middle.  I say little because the restaurant is easy to miss being near other larger establishments, and the indoor seating could barely fit twenty people.  Despite the diminutive size, Loulou's is still a local favorite and a must visit for any closet foodie looking for a good meal in a quirky environment.  Part of the quirky charm is Lulu's location, which is right in the middle of the Municipal Wharf adjacent to Monterey City beach.  For newcomers and visitors to Monterey, do not confuse the Municipal Wharf with the Fisherman's Wharf.  The Municipal Wharf has working fish vendors at the end, and you could often see trawlers offloading their catch of calamari or sardines that will end up in markets or restaurants within the day. Fisherman's Wharf, on the other hand, is a tourist trap with a bunch of crappy, overpriced places to eat and souvenirs shops devoted to separating you from your money.

Loulou's Griddle in the Middle - Better than any tourist trap on Fisherman's Wharf

Most of our trips to Loulou's involved a wait for a table, owing to the restaurant's popularity and small size. With its location, we'd often walk along the wharf, watching people fish, or watch the numerous birds, harbor seals, sea lions, and sea otters play in the surf.  Since there isn't a whole lot of room to sit and wait at the Loulou's (have I mentioned it's a small cafe?) the staff will take down your cell number and text you when your table is ready, giving you plenty of latitude to walk on the pier or even get your toes wet on the beach while waiting for a table.  If you're not into waiting, I recommend going during an off peak time, but not to wait too long.  The restaurant is closed from the mid afternoon until the dinner service to allow the chef to prepare his nightly dinner special.  And if you plan on dinner at Loulou's you can call ahead for your table.

Sea otters near the pier

Once seated, you're in for a treat from chef Benito.  I highly recommend getting a seat at the counter where you can watch Benito work and interact with the kitchen staff, who are very friendly.  I don't think I ever ordered straight off the menu, since Benito's specials were always the most intriguing offer of the day.  On "normal" days, the special was often a specially prepared fish with salad, with the fish coming straight from the bay to the table.  Our favorite times to head to the pier were the special theme nights Loulou's would have, such as Buffalo Night, Crab Night, or Abalone Night - with the themed nights normally coming on a Thursday or Friday.  These evenings were definitely a treat, with generous portions of buffalo ribs and chili, steamed dungeness crab, or fried abalone sliders expertly prepared and filling my belly.  Our oldest child was a fan of Benito's specials, whereas our youngest was a bit pickier.  Even though Loulou's does not have a dedicated kids menu, Benito was more than happy to prepare a hot dog, grilled cheese sandwich, ladle a bowl of his award winning clam chowder soup, or make sure the kids mugs were always filled with the locally produced Sparky's Root Beer for children of more discerning taste (i.e., picky).  Aside from the adventurous cuisine, the breakfasts at Loulou's were also a hit with the kids, especially the pancakes that were as big as the plate.  Finishing the pancakes was always a team effort for the family, but well worth it.  

Oldest daughter with the dungeness crab special  - and yes, she finished it!

Loulou's isn't special for the great food, local ingredients, or generous portions though.  What kept us coming back was the welcoming atmosphere and friendly service.  We were always greeted by the same people, who were always happy to see us, and especially happy to see our girls.  When we were fortunate to get a seat inside, Benito would pay special attention to the girls and make sure that their dining experience was special.  We did eat outside fairly often since those would be the only tables available, and with the central California weather being what it is, the staff was always prepared with a blanket for patrons who hadn't figured out that sweaters and/or jeans were a necessity during  a Monterey summer.  If you happen to find yourself in the beautiful Monterey peninsula, there are a plethora of dining options available.  You would do yourself a favor by going slightly off the beaten path and taking a stroll to Loulou's Griddle in the Middle on the Municipal Pier.

The Hollow

Tonight the girls' gymnastics studio was doing a Parent's Night Out - 4 hours where they feed our kids and let them play for the low call-ahead price of $35! Sounded good to us! Now where to go for a date?

Kyla posed the question in our new hometown Facebook forum. We got most answers of "eat on the Square, walk around, drink a beer, hold hands" for what to do on a Saturday date night.

Yes, we currently live in a sleepy little town. We like it!

So, we dropped off the girls and walked around the town square. It was voted the "Most Beautiful Town Square" in all of Texas and after visiting a few towns, we agree!

We have a few favorites already. (We only moved here in January.) But in the quest to find somewhere new, we decided to go to The Hollow American Brasserie. Find it here, not that we looked it up before we showed up: http://thehollowbrasserie.com/

We arrived right after EVERYONE ELSE. Lynda offered to let us wait at the bar and find us a table after a few couples had left and the kitchen had a chance to catch up. We decided to wait at the bar.

Kyla scoured the wine list and found a Sonoma County Pinot Noir. Our last duty assignment was in Monterey, California and we were spoiled being in wine country with wine tastings as our dates. Tim went for a bordeaux. We were both happy with our wines.

The decor, if you've ever been to Monterey, is a cross between Lalla's and 1833. For those who haven't been there, it had original paintings on the walls, painted deer heads with antlers on the walls, old wood details and corrugated metal. Kind of a rustic chic. There was an upstairs that looked cozy and quiet, but we didn't go up to investigate.

As we sat at the bar, we saw a few lamb dishes served to the people on either side of us. It smelled and looked good. We learned the chef is Jacob and he seasons everything well. You will not find salt or pepper on the tables. If it's not seasoned to your liking, he requests you tell him, and he will season the rest of the food. Seth, the guy at the bar who likens himself to Norm from Cheers, gave the example of soup, that was "complained about" and was on the menu the next day and was better with the salt addition.

Kyla finished her first glass of wine by the time the table had been turned over and was ready for us. We got our official welcome from our waitress who explained the menus are new everyday. She pointed to the bottom right corner to show us which farms provided the food for tonight's dinner menu. Every day it is fresh farm to table food, served in new imaginative ways.

After a bit of reading the imaginative menu descriptions, Kyla decided on "The Pig is a Drunken Master" a pork dish that was marinated in a local brewery's beer with red cabbage. Tim had a duck dish with the clever title "What the Duck". Plus a small plate of bulgogi with "pickled things".

We were given bread that was baked fresh today with three types of butter, Beet, Herbed, and Honey Smoked Paprika. The Honey Smoked Paprika butter was our favorite as it was smoky on the first bite, but a honey smoothness on the way down.

The small plate came out next. It was DELICIOUS! So good, we are now in the mood for a whole plate of bulgogi and other Korean food.

Kyla's pork was so good she had to call it food-gasmic! It was a huge portion of pork with a generous helping of cooked red cabbage. Tim's duck had a crispy skin and moist meat that was fantastic, plus roasted peaches that were incredibly delicious!

Not only was the food good, but the staff friendly and helpful! Turns out Lynda recognized Kyla from her Facebook forum question. Yes, she uses her real picture as her profile picture. Our waitress checked on us as often as we expected/needed.

This place is expensive for Georgetown, but it's appropriately priced for a gourmet farm to table date night dining experience. We will go back! We may even use it as bait to make our children do our bidding for awhile. The girls love fine dining with us and have better table manners than some adults in restaurants. (We once got them to do chores for a whole year, by dangling a family date night to the Sardine Factory. It worked!)

We opted not to go for dessert. We wanted to try ice cream at the store next door. But that store closed at 6 pm. So we raced across the Square for cupcakes, but our favorite cupcake bakery closed at 8 pm. Since it was 9 pm, everything was pretty much closed. Did you forget about the part where we said we live in a sleepy little town? Sometimes we do.

We have arrived!

Really, we've been around, but figured it was time to make a food (etc.) blog. What makes us qualified to write a food review blog? We have taste buds and opinions. Isn't that enough?!

A little background: we are a military family. Hubby (Tim) is still Active Duty. Wife (Kyla) completed her obligatory time in the Army (yes, that's where we met) and decided not to continue, instead becoming Household 6. We have two beautiful daughters whom will be referred to as their ages. So Eight and Six, along with a polydactyl cat round out our family. As a married couple, we are living in the 7th state the Army has deemed worthy of us living in the past 11 years.

We had a fabulous date night dinner tonight and after two glasses of wine each, we decided to write a blog. We'll try to post twice a week. Once will be where we went out to eat that week, because let's face it, we do. The other post will probably be a memory of somewhere we've eaten before.

We will review anything. We've lived the gamut from the fine dining known as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese to The Penrose Room at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and from Ramen noodles to The Sardine Factory in Monterey, California.

So far, no one is paying us to do this. We're writing this because it's fun! Enjoy the ride!