Ideas for eating out. . .

I enjoy cooking. My opportunities are few and far between now that I have a one and a half year old playing "tunnel" between my knees and throwing balls at me while I try to chop veggies and open the oven faster than he can get to it. Someday in the near future, I know I will once again be cutting out recipes and experimenting with glazes, pies and homemade soups. For now, we eat in a rut--many of the same fast, easy and simple dishes each month, and we eat out a lot on the weekend. I LOVE to go out to eat, especially when I don't have to pacify a toddler on a date night. So, I thought I'd share some great restaurants I enjoy. I've lived in South Orange County my whole life, except for the six years I was in Los Angeles for school, so I have been to many of the places around this area. Lately, however, it seems like more and more new places are popping up that I haven't tried, so please add your thoughts and favorite restaurants in the comment section.

Kid friendly, casual options:

California Pizza Kitchen (Mission Viejo)--Literally five minutes from our house, this is a fun place with yummy salads and pizza for me. Carter enjoys eating the crayons, dining on black beans and avocado and looking at all the people. I like that I can order a half salad and still feel full. It is always crowded, so be prepared to wait.

Wingnuts (Aliso Viejo)--Very kid friendly! We get 3 tasters from the appetizer menu (baskets of wings) and then get a side of chips. This is enough for Ryan and I to share with Carter. After eating, we always go play by the fountain with Carter. Parking can be pesky, so we always just go straight to the parking garage and walk.

Daphne's (Aliso Viejo)--If you don't go on a Saturday at 6:30, you can usually find parking directly behind the restaurant. We love to eat there and Carter can make noise! He loves the Pita bread, and I enjoy thinking of our trip to Greece . . .

Pei Wei (Lake Forest)--Fairly new, this is a fun place if you like PF Changs without the wait and want to pay a little less money. Carter likes playing with the chopsticks, and I like the lettuce wraps and honey chicken.

Ruby's (any of them)--Okay, these are the easiest kid places EVER! Carter loves the trains going around the ceiling, and the kid's meals are great. I love the diet cherry Cokes, and, if I am splurging, a yummy milkshake. The Mission Viejo Mall Ruby's is closest to us, but I always enjoy going to the one in San Juan Capistrano and then walking to the Zoomar zoo afterward or looking at Los Rios street.

El Molino de Oro (San Juan Capistrano)--It's like being in Mexico. It is a little "order at the counter" Mexican food place, with an attached panaderia and pinata store. There is always Futbol on the TV (soccer) and spicy food on your plate. It's very affordable and right by USA Baby if you need to go shopping for your little one.

Rainforest Cafe (South Coast Plaza)--Well, it is really made for kids. The food is okay, but the ambiance is outstanding. Carter--who needs a lot of stimuli--can stare for hours at the fish, animatronic animals, waterfalls and foilage. He likes to watch the balloon lady make animals and gets a little scared when the thunder rolls and the apes make noise. Overall, a great place to take kids!

BJ's Pizzeria--Laguna Beach or Laguna Hills--Always crowded. Always yummy! The chopped barbeque chicken salad is sooooo good. The pizza is soooooo tasty. Very kid friendly and a lot of sports TV's to appease your sport loving hubby. Ryan loves to gnosh on a Pazookie (cookie with ice cream) for dessert.

Casual to Nice Datenight:

Mario's by the Sea (Dana Point)--This place doesn't have outstanding ambiance, but the food is out of this world. It is a small bistro type place with a small patio. The pasta a la vodka sauce is sooooo yummy! It is a little pricey, but date nights seem to be rare these days.

Cheesecake Factory (Spectrum or the Mission Viejo Mall or any of the millions of other locations)--Always insanely good food. It isn't new, but it is outstanding. The service can be slow and the wait is always long. However, you give me a bite of Spicy Cashew Chicken or a french fry dipped in their amazing Ranch dressing, and I've forgotten about holding a pager in my hand for 45 minutes.

China Moon (Laguna Niguel)--I have loved Chinese food since I was little. I love spicy food, and I love sweet food. Here you have the two combined. The sizzling rice soup is a favorite of mine, but you must try the cilantro chicken. Yum! There is a Tepan grill side and a restaurant side. Stick with the restaurant. It is in a strip mall and a local favorite.

Javier's (Spectrum)--I used to go to the Laguna Beach restaurant, which had a local flavor to it. The one at the Spectrum is fancier and always has a wait. Sit on the barside patio--which is sooo nice, and eat chips and guacamole while peoplewatching. I love the shrimp enchiladas!

Thai This (Dana Point)--I haven't been here in ages, but it used to have great Thai food with a fun environment. I loved the green curry chicken at the time, but the menu might have changed over the years.

Fisherman (San Clemente)--Go sit on the deck during happy hour and get a bread bowl of chowder while you watch the sun go down! It's cheap and romantic. Ditto on the Wind and Sea (Dana Point Harbor--happy hour snacks while watching the boats sail over the water).

Very Nice Datenight:

Ti Amo's (Laguna Beach)--This place can be casual/nice if you order pasta and don't go overboard on items. However, I prefer to dress up, go sit upstairs (you need reservations) and listen to Andrea Boccelli as I have several courses. It doesn't look like much on the outside, but the inside is dripping with romantic decor. Candlelight, etc. If you are looking to be extra romantic, reserve a table by the fireplace upstairs.

French 75 (Laguna Beach)--Choclate Souffle, need I say more? Romantic and pricey. I recommend inside dining. The outside "tent" is on the street and is really just a glorified patio. Inside you get live piano and candles. Once we sat in the bottom room next to the fireplace. It is quieter and quite cozy. I don't know if that room is always open. Make reservations!

Luciana's (Dana Point)--Tiny, cute Italian food place on PCH. I'd go to Ti Amo's first, but Luciana's is a close second. To really add spice to your romantic night, stay a night at the Blue Lantern Inn and walk over to eat at Luciana's. Fireplaces, piano music and waiters with Italian accents. It's all there. I recommend reservations.

Dizz's As Is--(Laguna Beach)--I haven't gone here in awhile, but it is a cute little shack turned into a restaurant. The environmnent is casual in a trendy, expensive kind of way. The menu is new each night, and you get several courses with your dinner. Come early to enjoy a beverage on the outdoor patio. Inside you have a small restaurant with piano music and quirky decorations. Reservations needed!

Charthouse (Dana Point)--I have so many memories here. My younger sister, Christa, got married here, and I came here all the time in high school for dessert. Six of us would split one dessert. I'm sure the waiter loved us! I still recommend dessert over the dinner (mud pie). If you love seafood, it is great for dinner, but I am not a fish lover. I'd rather have a nice dinner elsewhere and come to share a mudpie while looking at the twinkling harbor lights at night. Reservations recommended.

Jake's (Del Mar)--Right on the water in Del Mar, Jake's is worth the drive. Make reservations! The seafood is great (though I always get steak). The Kona ice cream pie is delicious, and a walk on the beach is always a perfect ending.

El Nito (Rosarito Beach, Mexico)--Okay, I know everyone goes to get Lobster in Puerto Nuevo, but this is an amazing restaurant. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sit in the atrium area and listen to birds under the canopy of trees. Watch the women make homemade tortillas. Every meal comes with a salad (which is safe to eat), homemade bean soup, hot tortillas and salsa. Come to sit and relax for awhile. We go down for the day and always stop here. If you want to have a cheap, romantic one night stay, book a room at Las Rocas Resort and Spa (a few miles south) and be prepared to just relax. Ole!

Well, that sums up what is coming to my mind right now. Of course, I couldn't mention all the places we eat--Island's, Lucille's, PF Chang's, In-N-Out, Claim Jumper, etc. However, this is a good start. I'd love any input or ideas you have. As I said, eating out is a favorite hobby of mine, so I'd love new places to try! Let me know your favorites . . .

Psalm 101 is a lesson in Righteousness 101

I was reading Psalm 101 several days ago for our church's read through the Bible in a year program. (You can find the schedule for reading at http://www.compasschurch.org/.) It is a short Psalm, packed full of important examples and lessons for us.

David begins with praise for the Lord and a promise to study his own heart and behave wisely "within my house". David knows that God cares most about us examining our own hearts and behavior. We cannot deal with others' sin without "cleaning house" in our own hearts first. As it states in Matthew 7:5,

"Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you
will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

David promises God to deal with his own behavior first. Verse 3 of Psalm 101 states,

"I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall
away; It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from
me; I will not know wickedness."

These are strong promises. He says he will set nothing wicked before his eyes. How does this apply to us? We have to take notice of any wickedness in our TV shows, in magazines, books, computer sites, and hobbies. There should be no trace of wickedness before us. David doesn't say he'll be careful to not follow wickedness or not be tempted by it when it is in front of him. He says he will not even put wickedness in front of his eyes. Wow! That takes discernment, sacrifice, a setting apart and a commitment to God.

After dealing with his own habits and behavior, David turns to his kingdom. He states in verses 5-8,

"Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a
haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure.

My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me.

He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.

Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, That I may cut off all the evildoers
from the city of the Lord."

David certainly took sin seriously. Of course, we are all sinners and wicked in God's eyes without the salvation of Jesus Christ, so David was referring to those who rejected God's commands and continued in habitual sin. David was personally aquainted with the disgrace of sin and the need for atonement! David knew his kingdom needed to pursue righteousness in order to succeed and be blessed. I love that he states "early" as the point in when he deals with the stubborn sin around him. He doesn't hesitate to act and cut off the cancer of wickedness that is in the land.

Do we cringe when we see sin and wickedness? Do we deal with it immediately, or do we shake our head later and click our tongues from time to time without action? We need to abhor sin as if Satan himself were handing it to us from his hands. When we become complacent or allow subtle nuances of sin to permeate our lives, Satan gets a foothold.

Take a lesson in righteousness 101 and deal with sin in your life and in influences around you. Flee from sin and seek holiness.

The Cockatoo

Well, my husband and I joke about it, but our son, Carter, is accident prone. He is an adventurous boy with a serious case of curiosity. Ryan was gone this weekend on a backpacking trip, and I spent each day with parents and in-laws, trying to pass the time more quickly.

On Saturday, we took Carter to the San Juan Capistrano Zoomar petting zoo with my parents, my younger sister, Christa, her hubby and her kids. It was delightful. The minute we got there, Carter yelled, "mow-ney! mow-ney!" (translated pony). He loves to take the pony rides and jumps up and down until it is his turn. Of course, the minute he gets on the horse, he becomes stoic and serious, to the point of no responses or smiles. You can see this in the picture.

He also adores the choo-choo train they have there. Again, he yells, "choo-choo," until I march him over to the line, but his face turns deadpan serious in concentration once he perches in one of the train cars. He gets to ride by himself, which I think is exciting for him. It's hard to tell by his expression.

Anyway, the story begins at the end. We were close to leaving, when I took Carter for a quick look at the birds. He loves birds. We got to the Cockatoo cage, where he quickly pointed at the bird, sticking the end of his left pointer finger a few centimeters into the mesh cage. Before I could react, the aforementioned Cockatoo had firmly grabbed Carter's finger in his beak and had no intention of letting go. I was helpless and could not get past the mesh cage to confront the bird. Carter just had shock on his face and didn't make a peep. As I watched the beak sink deeper into his nail and finger, I decided I had to intervene. I grabbed his finger and yanked it out of the bird's beak, taking the top half of his nail with it and much of the skin off the top of his finger. As soon as the finger was free, the screams began.

I was a mess--emotionally teary eyed and covered in blood from the finger he wouldn't let us touch. We were able to wash it and dab some Neosporin on the wound. It looked fairly bad. Carter was puffy faced from screaming and crying for about twenty minutes, and his shirt had blood from the finger he held in the air like an Olympic torch. It was not fun.

After much deliberation, we skipped the Urgent Care and watched the finger closely for infection. It healed very quickly, and he has a nice scab covering the wound now. The lessons I learned were never trust a petting zoo (we found out later the bird bites a lot, and there is no sign), be faster than a Cockatoo and always have a first aid kit on hand when Carter is your son. Oh, the stories I'll have to tell him when he is older . . .

Slave of All Part II

This is a quote I read today in Helper by Design, a book I am reading by Elyse Fitzpatrick. It speaks to the submission and humility that I discussed a few blogs ago in Slave of All. She poinantly said,

"Do you have Christ's attitude? He taught, 'A slave is not greater than
his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him' (John
13:16). At heart, do you believe that you ought to have rights that
the Son of God declined?"

That last sentence is a hard one to swallow. It made me think about all the entitlement I expect, and how silly and vain I appear in the light of Jesus. Try asking yourself that question if you dare.

Build One Another Up: Ryan Hawley

I know that much of what I have to say in blogs is introspective on what is wrong with society and how far I am from where I hope to be in my Christian walk, but I thought it might be nice to have a weekly post where I encourage a person in my life and let everyone know specifically how they are a blessing to myself and others. I Thessalonians 5:11 Tells us,

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you
are doing."

Of course, I must begin with a man who is the dearest person in my heart--my husband. Ryan was a blessing from the very moment we met. In my human plans, I had always thought I'd get married no later than 25 years old and have kids around 28. God had different plans. Every serious relationship I had in my 20's didn't work out, and I didn't see God's
plan. I was discouraged and stressed.

I understood why He wanted me to wait when I met Ryan Hawley. I was 26--almost 27--when we met at church. Ryan was a confident, funny and sweet-natured guy. What first impressed me was that, on our first group date at the Spectrum, he was so good-natured and friendly when talking to shop sales people He seemed to always get a smile out of everyone. Perhaps it is part of the midwestern charm he picked up from living in Ohio. People enjoyed talking to him because he was not pretentious and was always joyful.

Ryan also wanted to please God more than anything and was forthcoming on his areas of spiritual weakness. More than anyone before, Ryan also was truthful with me in a LOVING way, but he always stressed my strengths and minimized my shortcomings. It melts my heart when he tells me I'm perfect for him. I know we are "perfect" for each other, because God planned our marriage and brought us together.

We were married when I was 28, on December 28, 2002. Since then, I have seen Ryan grow in his spiritual walk as he continually seeks the Lord. He has always remained the thoughtful, giving person that everyone loves. I joke about his energy and his love for laughs, but those are important reasons why he is special to me. He is a terrific daddy to Carter, and he makes it easy to submit to and respect him. He is a role model to me in my spiritual disciplines and always meets weekly with me for an hour or more to talk about what we are learning in my quiet times, recite memorized scripture, pray together about answered prayer and requests.

Galatians 5:22 tells us,

"the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Ryan has a knack for all these areas, but claims particular strengths in love, joy, patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. Looking at this list, my weaknesses are joy, patience and self-control. God knew I needed a husband strong in these areas to encourage me to be obedient. As you can probably tell, I love my husband exceedingly, and I don't think a blog could ever express what a wonderful man he is to me. Thank you, Ryan, for all you do for our family and for loving God so much. Carter and I think you are wonderful!