Dinner with the Fam!

Good morning!

First things, first...yesterday I actually wore this to run...

Yes!  It was HOT enough to trek out in a sports bra and shorts.  LOVE!

Plus...I made the Oiselle Racing Team board for the first time after this past weekend's race...

It was exciting for me to be listed with all of the wonderful ladies of Oiselle!

Ok, on to dinner...

For the first time in a week, we had a nice dinner together as a family of four.  My husband was away for most of last week acting as the announcer for the Pennsylvania swimming championships at Bucknell University so we were finally all in one room for a sit-down dinner.

To start, Fred and I had some leftover cheddar infused with stout beer (a St. Patty’s Day special from Wegman’s) along with a glass of Pinnacle Ridge Traminette.

I know, the cheese looks weird, but it tasted delicious!

On the dinner menu…

Marinated steak sirloin

Brown and red rice medley with multi-colored split peas

Mache Frisee salad with cranberries, shaved Irish cheddar and pistachios

Fresh fruit

On Sunday evening, I made my own marinade and I usually use a lean cut of sirloin for this meal. 

Marinade: (~ measurements)

½ cup oil (vegetable, olive, canola…it doesn’t matter)

½ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons McCormick steak seasoning

Splash of lemon juice
Couple cloves garlic, minced

Mix the above ingredients together in a gallon-sized plastic bag.  Add meat and refrigerate at least overnight.  Prior to grilling, pull out of the refrigerator and let meat come to room temperature (about 30 minutes).  

When grilling, cook to a medium-rare and let sit for about 5 - 10 minutes before slicing.

Salad Dressing: (~ measurements)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 cup white wine vinegar (or any vinegar)

Pinch each of salt and pepper

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey (for sweetness)

Handful of fresh basil, cut (or any fresh herb)

Mix together in a small blender (such as the Magic Bullet) or a regular blender.  Pour over salad.

I like to make all of my own salad dressings using most of the ingredients listed above.  The beauty of homemade dressings is that you can combine any items you have on hand to make a fresh, vibrant creation.  

This dressing topped a Mache Frisee salad with cranberries, carrots, cheddar, and roughly chopped pistachios.  

Note my salad on the side for lunch...

The rice was another medley package from Wegman’s that included both red and brown grains plus split peas.  I added two beef bouillon cubes to the water for added flavor.  

Finally, the fresh fruit was tossed with strawberries, raspberries and red grapes.  

The plated dinner...

And for dessert – my Dad’s leftover birthday cake.

It was such a nice night spent together.  To round out the night...Dancing With the Stars!

Have a great Tuesday!

Tracy