The Elusive French Dip Sandwich

Several months ago, I got this craving for a good French Dip sandwich. This happens to be my favorite sandwich, but one I do not get to eat very often. It is rare for a restaurant to have one on the menu that isn't all fancied up.

I've loved French Dip sandwiches since I was a kid. Part of having a roast, meant having this yummy sandwich as left overs. I love the crispy bread, warm roast beef, and salty dipping sauce. When we were first married I would make a roast for my husband and I and then enjoy the leftovers the next night. Unfortunately, my husband gave up red meat years ago and since then, I have very rarely made a French Dip sandwich at home. There are already too many meals I make where each of us is eating a different protein, that I gave up on this one.

It wasn't a big deal until about November when I had a serious craving for this sandwich.  One day, I called my husband at work and asked him to search for restaurants with this sandwich. Hoping to find a yummy sandwich at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. With good news he told me that The Barking Dog had a sandwich. Yum, I love the fries there, and it was a small restaurant so I took the boys out to lunch.

Once we had driven to Ballard, settled into our booth, figured out what they would eat, then turned to order my meal, devastation struck.  They were out of roast beef. I was in shock.  I quickly weighted my options, stay eat something else, or load up both kids drive home and make lunch. So I ordered the fish and chips. It was fine, but not what I wanted.

A few weeks later I was still wanting this sandwich. One day I was grocery shopping by myself, which is always a treat, and I decided to ask the deli if they made a French Dip sandwich. They did! I was so excited. I ordered it, waited forever, and finally was given a lovely box with my sandwich and au jus read to go!  I drove to a park, got out my book, and took my first bite of sandwich. YUCK! It was seriously disgusting. I'm not sure what their au jus was but it wasn't French Dip, it wasn't salty, or even good. I ate the sandwich but was not able to dip it, which is kind of the point.

Fast forward to February. We are in California, visiting family and we watch this show Man Vs. Food. Never had seen it before, but it was quite funny. We watched the Seattle episode, Portland episode, and finally the LA episode. Guess what was featured in LA?  Yep, the place where French Dip sandwiches were created. I watched them make the sandwich, dip it in the juice and I almost died.  My husband looked at going to LA to eat this sandwich but it was an extra 2 hours South. When you are trapped in a car with a 4 year old and a 2 year old, an extra 2 hours is not going to happen.  That was okay but it sparked the craving once again for my sandwich.

Last Thursday it snowed. Totally random, and the only school district that closed was mine, and on my one work day.  The stars were aligned, I called a friend who lived in Ballard, and asked her to meet me at The Barking Dog. I was going to get my sandwich!

I was so excited all the way there, I did not even really care that the boys are not big fans of this restaurant, I was giddy.  My friend also ordered the same sandwich and after the first bite said "Oh, this is really good". Yay! I take my first bite and think "What?? This isn't right!" The bread was soggy, the roast beef had cheddar on it, and the au jus was not salty!  It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either.  

Ugh! I think I have given up. The only place I have found this sandwich is Maggie Bluff's.  I like it but we only tend to go there in the summer.  Maybe for my anniversary this year my husband will take us there for dinner.  Either that or it is time to break down and make a roast for myself. Actually, come to think of it, I believe I have a roast frozen in the freezer. French Dip goodness, here I come. 

Valentine's Day

This year I am trying to not buy most things new. I don't say 'any' thing because I have decided that is not realistic, but whatever I can buy used or find around the house to re-purpose is my goal. So far I have managed to get clothes for my husband and I, toys for the boys, and even make a curtain for our bathroom, without buying anything new.  

Then comes Valentine's Day. I would go buy a box of cards, but I know I have construction paper at home. I had hoped to find some heart stickers in my scrapbooking materials, but no such luck.  So, instead, I had to be creative.

Step 1: Paint with watercolors

Step 2: Cut out construction paper hearts and cut out hearts from previous painted paper. Glue together.

Step 3: Add a short Valentine's message, because these are for 3 year olds after all.

Step 4: Make a special one with airplane stickers for the teacher.

I would love to say what a great craft/bonding experience this was for my boys and myself. But, alas, that was not the case. The painting went mostly smoothly, except for Micah eating the paint and painting the table. The glue/cutting was mostly a disaster.  Between Micah, again, eating the glue, Jack trying to glue the table and steal the scissors, plus attach stickers to his face. It was over in 5 minutes. It may not have been the most meaningful mother/son time, but it didn't cost anything and the cards that will end up in the recycle bin (I hope and not the garbage!) as soon as the day is over, make my son happy. 

Scarface

Showing off the latest injury

Trying to get a close up of the cut, not easy with an ever-moving toddler.

I'm afraid I am going to have to wrestle him down and put neosporin on it. I do not want it to scar!

Uh-Oh, Micah!

We just went to the doctor today for an injury. Micah fell about 3 weeks ago and scratched up his hand. The observant parents we are, we just realized this weekend that it looked like there was something still in the wound. It had healed and the skin had grown over the wound but it was hard and black. So, off to the doctor we go. It was determined that, yes, there was something there, what it is no one is sure, and it isn't infected, so best course it to leave it alone.

Hmm, this reminds me of the tongue episode. Tongue bit nearly off, nope, nothing they will do. That is okay because I do not relish cutting into my child, or trying to stitch a tongue, but I am beginning to think that maybe Micah and doctors are not a good mix. It doesn't seem to matter what he does, he is just fine, no treatment needed.

That is good, since tonight, right before bed he climbs up onto a little red wagon, falls, hits his face on the trunk and cuts his cheek. By the time we get upstairs he is bleeding again.  Put a little band-aid on his face and call it done.  

Boy or girl, please let this next one be a quiet, calm, cautious, baby. I'm not sure I can handle another fearless baby boy!

Laundry Day

What do you do when you have started your cycle of laundry, only to find out after washing a load, that your dryer is broken?

Hang your clothes in your still unfinished main floor bathroom.

Just move the empty boxes, dog food, bike stand, and new bike out of the way so you can open the door and stand in the room.

Then hope that your Mr. Fix-it husband, can fix the dryer so you can start washing clothes again. With two little boys in the house, my hampers are overflowing!

Snow Day

For those of you who were wondering if we had fun on our almost-annual Amici Snow Day. Here is the proof:

Hope to see more of you there next year!

There Goes My Plan

Today is the first day of our new childcare/work schedule.  In theory, it seems like a pretty good plan.  I leave for work before the boys wake up and Brandon stays home with them. He takes Jack to preschool, has some time with Micah, picks Jack up, makes lunch, then heads into work himself. The boys are not left alone, but my sister comes down and babysits them until I get home from work.  Brandon is happy because he doesn't have to work from home for a full day, my sister is happy because she doesn't have to rush to Seattle, and gets the best part of the day with the boys - nap time!

I have been looking forward to the idea. Knowing, Brandon wasn't going to be home until after the boys go to bed gave me a different mind set. We had an early dinner, nice playtime, got ready for bed, did our bedtime routine and were in bed by 7:00. Now it was my time. I can sit on the couch with my blanket and computer watching trash TV without a running commentary from Brandon. I have been looking forward to the next hour or so all day. This was going to be my alone time - something I very much crave.

Jack gets into bed and snuggles in, Micah starts looking at books in his crib. All seems good. Before I go, Jack wants to be snuggled. I lay down facing him, our noses touching, breathing softly on each other, and I think - this isn't so bad.  A sweet kiss from my boy and I am off. I shut the door and head downstairs. 

Umm, 20 minutes later I am back upstairs because Micah is still crying.  Not winding down, I am getting sleepy, crying. But crazy, mad, come get me, "MAMA" crying.  Back in I go and sit down to rock Micah.  After more crying, lots of rocking, I finally hear deep breathing. I look down at my baby and he is asleep. I don't remember the last time I rocked him to sleep.  With the boys sharing a room they have always had a routine and then been put to bed awake. I rocked him for a few more minutes, kissed the top of his head, and put him in his bed.

Now I am back downstairs, computer on lap, TV on, and probably another 20 minutes before my husband is home. Not quite the night I had planned, but that is okay, in the ups and downs of our days, it was nice to have a brief moment of sweetness with each of my babies.  

Uh-oh, I just heard the garage door, that means my husband is home.  Alone time is over.