Costco Product: Dim Sum

Mommy loves Costco and loves trying new products that Costco offers. On my latest trip there to pick up milk and bananas (stuff I always get) and some lunch appetizers (samples), I was checking out the Costco kitchen prepared food. This is the refrigerated section next to the rotisserie chickens where they have sandwich platters, soup, pasta salad, etc. Anyway, I saw Dim Sum. I'm not Chinese, but I do love going to Chinatown for dim sum. The stuff looked pretty fresh and authentic. It contained 21 pieces of shrimp dim sum. Looked like 7 shrimp siu mai, 7 shrimp pot stickers, and 7 shrimp har gow. There was a soy based dipping sauce container in the middle and microwave instructions on the label. It was only $9.99, which would be cheaper than schlepping to Chinatown, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Fast forward 90 minutes later to me in my kitchen. I don't want to heat up all 21 pieces, because I was eating alone. I put one of each kind of dim sum on a plate and nuke it for one minute. I open the soy-based dipping sauce and try it. Ewww. Okay, maybe not so fresh. And this sauce is nasty. I grab a jar of hoisin sauce from my fridge and resort to dipping the dim sum in a little bit of that instead. Well, props to Costco for making an all shrimp product. As Emeril would say, though, "pork fat rules". But there was no pork or beloved pork fat in any of these dim sum and, that, is what gives lots of yummy dim sum from Chinatown that lovely flavorful, fatty, indulgent, taste. These were good for what they were, but I'm not really rushing to heat up more right away. Even at dinner time, my husband and oldest son, who do love pot stickers, were not really enthused by these. They thought the Ling Ling, or whatever that brand that Costco carries, of frozen chicken and vegetable pot stickers was better than these. I agree. Better yet, my son's all time favorite is the Trader Joe's chicken pot stickers. Hmmm, I think I'll go to Trader Joe's tomorrow -- we're out of those!

Bottom line, these are a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. It's nice that they are fully cooked and you just have to warm them instead of fully steaming/cooking them like the frozen ones. Flavors are okay, sauce is horrible.

Have any of you ever had the Costco sushi? These are comparable in terms of quality and authenticity. (BTW, I hate the Costco sushi. dried out rice, dried out fish, yuck.)

TV Show Review: The Real Housewives of Orange County

The Real Housewives of Orange County
Check bravotv.com for showtimes.
http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county

Okay, Mommy isn't going to recap each episode here. Bravo replays these episodes so much, Mommy usually catches them when on the elliptical machine at the gym or when cooking dinner. Mommy just wants to make some observations.

• Mommy wishes she could have even half the disposable income of these housewives. Yes, I know I could work like a dog like Vicki, but I'm a mommy right now and I can't!
• Mommy likes the OC housewives the most. Yes, they may have botox and fake boobs, but they are more down-to-earth and less "social climber"-ish than the NY and Atlanta housewives.
• Is it me, or are the OC housewives more attractive overall than all of their children? Other than Jeana's kids, I don't think the other offspring are all that attractive.
• Is Lynne's daughter, the 18 year old, spoiled or what? Okay, she's not even that cute. What the heck is she doing dropping out of college the first year and then just hanging out at home? Daddy can't support you your whole life. For all you know, Daddy invested his money with Bernie Madoff and you have nothing coming to you, honey! I feel sorry for her future boyfriends and husbands.

Restaurant Review: Frankie's Scaloppine

Frankie's Scaloppine
Shops at 900 North Michigan
900 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 266-2500
http://www.leye.com/restaurants/directory/frankies-scaloppine

Frankie's labels itself as a "neighborhood Italian restaurant". It is part of the Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises restaurant group. This location used to house a different LEYE restaurant, Tucci Bennuch, which I used to frequent quite a bit. I've visited Frankie's a few times now, for lunch and dinner. My waiter told me that the management and the chef is the same from the old Tucci, which is great. Since it's also a LEYE restaurant, I think they'd probably share the successful recipes from their other Italian restaurants like Maggiano's or Scoozi. Anyway, the Frankie's menu seems a little smaller than the old Tucci menu, but the basics are still there. They have appetizers, salads, pasta, and then their entree section is titled Scalloppine. They kept a bunch of the menu favorites from Tucci but their focus is on their scaloppine dishes. I tried a chicken scaloppine on one visit and it was excellent. I had fish and a few of their pasta dishes, and they were all very good. I'm no Giada DeLaurentiis (I'm not Italian), but I think the sauce/gravy is a little better at Maggiano's. Can't place my finger on what is really different about it, but I think their gravy is a little too sweet.

I've been there lots of times with my children, and they do have a kids menu. Items are between $4.95 and $5.95 and come with a soda or juice. They give kids a menu/placemat with a four-pack of crayons to color it with. The tables are covered in white tablecloth but they have brown butcher paper on top in case your kids want to color that too or, like mine, spill pasta and juice all over it. The noise level is not too loud, which is good because little ones can be heard and Mommy won't get a headache from all the noise. However, I had to hush my kids a few times because my son decided he wanted to sing songs from school and the tables around us weren't expecting live dinner entertainment. We didn't get any dirty looks or anything, the place is pretty casual, I just don't like to be a problem-maker.

Here's my likes and dislikes of Frankie's:

Likes:

• Kids menu available (buttered pasta, pasta with marinara, pizza)
• Give kids drinks in plastic cups with bendy straws
• Give kids crayons and menu/placemat to color
• Food is reliable, good, and affordable
• They validate parking in 900 N. Michigan garage. 900 N. Michigan garage charges $6 for parking if you enter garage after 5pm and leave before 2am. With the Frankie's validation ticket they gave us, though, we only had to pay $5.
• The mall setting is good to give you a break from your shopping. Mall setting is also good for kids to walk around if you're waiting for your table or to burn energy after their dinner.
• They have a takeout window in case you want to bring something home.

Dislikes:

• Not the best Italian food, not the worst.
• Kids menu could be a little more robust.

10 Easy Ways For Mommys to Save Money

Here are ten common sense, but easy ways to save money.

1. Skip the weekly or bi-weekly mani/pedi and do your nails yourself. No matter how cheap the local nail salon is, 30 bucks is 30 bucks. Or 50 bucks or 70 bucks or however much you pay. I compromise by treating myself to a mani/pedi before going on vacations or before formal events or the holidays. The upkeep of my cuticles and nails myself isn't so bad when I still go every couple months. I treat myself to a new bottle of nail polish or new nail tools at Ulta and it's still much cheaper than paying someone to do my nails for me!
2. Reduce the dry cleaning visits. Now that Mommy stays home with the kids, I don't have to wear most of my "dry clean only" wardrobe. However, the things you still wear, re-evaluate what really needs to be dry cleaned and what can pass for being hand washed and dried flat. I also really like using Dryel (home dry cleaning product) for sweaters, scarves, etc. The dry cleaner is soooo expensive and not environmentally friendly either!
3. Eat at home more. No doubt, eating at home saves money. If you're not the greatest cook, just think about your children and your family's health and how much healthier home cooked meals usually are. For a family of four to eat in a typical McDonald's, it costs about $20. A loaf of bread, lunch meat, and condiments would be under $10 and would last for a few meals. Mommy likes to keep things interesting by buying fresh French bread or putting different cheeses or veggies (slices of avocado, tomato, cucumber) on homemade sandwiches. Yummy and cheap!
4. Pack snacks. Remember how newborn babies feed like every two or three hours? I think toddlers and kids are still the same way! If we're taking a trip to the zoo or the mall, I bring my own snacks. Be inventive and bring things they would like as much if not more than that pretzel at the mall. Mommy likes to bring the Halloween/Christmas/Easter/Birthday Goody Bag candy.
5. Pack drinks. Mommy brings reusable water bottles for the whole family whenever we go in the car or for a walk. It's so much more environmentally friendly and cheaper than buying a bottle of water when you're out.
6. Brew your own coffee. Yes, Mommy LOVES Starbucks. But Mommy can't justify buying a $4 latte every day. If you can't brew your own coffee because of your schedule or whatever, you can still save money by (a) buying a smaller size than your normally do, (b) skip the latte and just get brewed coffee instead. Get a shot of flavored syrup if you want to treat yourself. (c) Downgrade from Starbucks or whatever premium coffee shop you go to and go to Dunkin' Donuts or McDonald's instead. Yes, I know some people don't like anything other than Starbucks, but we're all trying to save money here.
7. Get your hair cut less frequently. Mommy has longer hair, so it's easier to get by with this one. If you can increase the time between your hair cuts by a few more weeks, you'll save money over the course of the year -- especially if you go to a high-end salon. Follow this rule with your children too (easier with girls than boys). My husband also started cutting our son's hair because the kiddy hair cut place that we used to take him to never did that great a job and he had to fix it at home with his clippers anyway. It took some getting used to on our son's part, but he's too big to be sitting in the fake airplane/chair thing they have at the kid's haircut place anyway.
8. Skip the day spa or reduce visits. Mommy LOVES being pampered. Unfortunately, I didn't marry a sugar daddy, so with all the kids' expenses and the economy the way it is, I have drastically cut down my spa visits. For waxing, try it yourself! For eyebrow waxing, try to pluck stray hairs as they grow in. Mommy gets salon eyebrow waxing or threading done every once in a while -- like before vacations and special occasions. That way, I can still get a professional to shape them for me and then I just think of it as me doing upkeep in between. If you wax your upper lip at the salon, try tweezing or using an at-home wax kit at home. It really doesn't hurt that bad doing it yourself! If you do bikini waxes, Mommy can't wax herself down there -- that's just torture! Try extending time between your visits or using a bikini shaver. Mommy likes the Philips/Bliss bikini shaver a lot. If you love massages as much as Mommy, keep your eyes open for spa specials or coupons.
9. Use your customer loyalty cards and read the sale ads before you buy. Whether you're buying a gallon of milk or your Thanksgiving turkey, it doesn't hurt to take a scan through the ads in the Sunday paper or the grocery store ads that come in the Wednesday paper. (Don't go out of your way too much and negate the savings you get by spending more gas or wasting your time.) Don't forget your grocery store loyalty cards if your local stores use those (the two major chains in my area do). If you forget yours, cashiers are often forgiving and will scan a courtesy card for you to get that week's special prices.
10. Research online before buying. Whether you're just shopping for the latest movie out on DVD, or if you're shopping for a new stroller, it doesn't hurt to do some online research. Check out a shopping bot to compare prices on an item. If you get on different stores mailing lists, you'll get emails throughout the year with notifications of sales or special coupon codes for people on their email list to use.

Sick Kids

Of course you should follow your doctor’s orders and follow your school or daycare center rules in keeping your child at home. Here’s some advice to keep your kid comfortable, but entertained when they are sick. My kids could watch TV all day if I let them, but the guilt in me tries to limit TV time. They usually have to stay away from other kids. I know it’s hard if they have siblings. Just do your best. If you have more than one child, it’s highly likely that they’ll all get sick. And you too!

Sick Kid Activities

• Coloring
• Play dough
• Puzzles
• Reading books
• Games
• Baking cookies (even the break apart ones are fine! Kids love the sense of accomplishment that they "made" something.)
• "New" toys. I like to "hide" some of their Christmas presents and birthday presents that they've opened but may not have cared for as much as whatever their favorite thing that day was. Then, I take things out one by one when they are sick, having a bad day, or when they've been particularly good.
  

Making them comfortable

• Give lots of fluids. Doctors say to give them lots of fluids when they’re sick. If they’re sick of the normal milk, juice, or water, try some new beverages that they’ll be willing to try.
• Cold beverages may feel good on a sore throat. Try popsicles and ice cream or sorbet, too.
• Warm beverages or soup can also feel good on a sore throat. Try the old standby chicken soup or some hot cocoa.
• Lemonade. If you don’t have a lemonade mix, just make your own. I microwave some sugar in water in the microwave to melt the sugar. I then add ice and lemon juice. We love the volcanic lemon juice from Costco.
• Fruit and yogurt smoothies. I just mix up whatever fruit I have on hand with yogurt and ice. (Try two parts fruit, one part yogurt, one part ice. Can also add fruit juice or ice cream. Yum!)
• Try mixing different fruit juices together or buy one of the combo juices. My family’s favorite is Whole Foods’ Orange Peach Mango juice.
• Hot cocoa
  

Eating
Kids are usually picky and often lose their appetite when they’re sick. Don’t resort to giving them all their favorites if their favorites are junk food. Try to balance things out so they eat but eat something healthy. If my kids don't eat some fruits and vegetables, they get constipated, which turns into another big problem!

• Grilled cheese sandwich
• Chicken soup
• Macaroni and cheese
  

Sick kids aren’t in the mood to be trying new foods, so give have low expectations if you’re introducing something new to them.

Sleeping
Some kids nap, some don’t. If yours doesn’t or won’t at least make them like down quietly and rest. This can be a challenge if they’re insisting on watching TV or playing. Be strong and be firm. Tell them resting is for their own good so they can play with their friends again.

Infant Earrings/Toddler Earrings

Many parents want their little girls to have pierced ears very young for cultural or aesthetic reasons. If you decide to do it, our pediatrician advised to wait until after our baby received her first two tetanus shots (so after about four months, if your pediatrician follows the same immunization schedule). Our pediatrician offers ear piercing as a service (not paid for by insurance, because it’s a cosmetic procedure). We were happy to pay him the $75 to do it, which is more than the teenager at the mall would charge, but, yes, my piece of my mind for extra cleanliness is worth it with my baby!

Mommy thinks you should leave those little gold studs that the piercing gun puts in her ears for as long as possible. They tell you to leave them in for at least 30 days, I think, and then that she should wear only 14K earrings for the first year that she has pierced ears (so 17 months old for my daughter since she was five months when she was pierced). Okay, after your little angel discovers her beautiful earrings, she is going to want to play with them and yank them out. Of course you need to be careful for the obvious choking hazard of little earrings in her mouth.

Mommy has had a helluva time finding 14K infant/toddler earrings that will stay on and are affordable. Target sells little girl earrings in their jewelry department and they are the most affordable I’ve found outside of bidding on random things on eBay. Look for the ones that say “safety back” on them. These push on (good for the squirmy little girls) but they have to twist them off. And, oh yes, a curious toddler WILL twist them off. This is very entertaining to them when they’re trying to put themselves to sleep. Mommy also likes the little gold hoops that don’t have a poky earring back to bother her and remind her that she has earrings on. Problem is that those chubby little toddler fingers can fit into the little hoops and pull them out. *sigh*

Mommy had the most luck with these little gold studs found on ebay that screwed on, but the back was a teeny tiny little ball. So the thing looked like a little gold barbell with a tiny gold stud on each side. It took forever to put them on, though, because the teeny tiny little ball back kept slipping out of my fingers. But my little girl had those suckers in for at least six months before her determined little hands was able to figure out how to twist them off. Lots of the little girl earrings I found on eBay were expensive compared to old standby Target which doesn’t charge for shipping. But, of course, eBay inventory changes constantly, as do prices, so good luck and keep searching!

Since it's been over one year since my daughter's piercing, I don't have to put the gold ones in all the time anymore. Last time I was at my local mall, I broke down and went into Claire's and bought some cheapo studs. I know, I know, we all think "only the best for my baby", but you know, after she loses another earring every couple days, I need to start budgeting for cheaper earrings. I think I paid $9.50 for a card of nine pairs of earrings. I bought ones from the "sensitive solultions" line and they look like a steel post with the decorative stud.

About Mommy

Mommy is a mommy of three great children, lives in Chicago, and is happily married. Mommy's opinions are based on those of Mommy and her friends and family. Be smart and take all of Mommy's opinions with a grain of salt. Mommy is not your mommy and is not a medical doctor or an expert. Mommy is just a mommy with a lot of common sense, good taste, and an eye for value and the environment.