Late this afternoon, Sadie and I accompanied Ryan to Red Bug Park to watch his soccer game. We arrived a good 30 minutes before his game was scheduled to start, so Sadie and I went on a walk to explore the area.
Truth be told, I just had to get her far away from Ryan as he warmed up because she wouldn’t stop lunging forward, trying to get to her dad.
Doesn’t she look bored with my love? Playing soccer looked like so much more fun than playing with Mama. Apparently I don’t take puppy rejection very well because her blasé attitude only encouraged me to be extra loving. “You will love me back, dog!”
Eventually Ryan’s game started and we settled in under a shady tree.
Sadie didn’t miss a play. I took the opportunity to multitask and caught up with my friend Michaela on the phone while simultaneously cheering for Ryan.
Unfortunately Ryan’s team lost by one point. We headed home feeling a bit discouraged, but bounced back after enjoying a yummy dinner.
The base of our meal was whole wheat penne pasta that we topped with roasted cauliflower and homemade cheese sauce.
I made the cheese sauce by following this recipe while Ryan showered and got cleaned up after his game.
It was great and very filling!
Off to catch the latest episode of America’s Next Great Restaurant! I love watching people brainstorm restaurant concepts and come up with fun foodie ideas.
Question of the Evening
- If you opened your own restaurant, what type of cuisine would you serve?
I’m going to bypass the whole restaurant thing and say I’d open up my own sweets shop. I’d sell frozen yogurt, baked goods and homemade candies and live life on a sugar high!
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Homestyle!! Cowboy diner with good home-cooked food and great coffee and lots of pie and fresh produce. :))
I love that show! They are going to open the winner’s restaurant in Minneapolis so I can’t wait to try it out!
I know my dog loves my husband more than me. It’s sad, but I get through it. 🙂
Looks like a lovely day! I’ve never seen America’s Next Great Restaurant but it sounds like something I’d love! I’m pretty sure that if I opened one, it would be a cafe-style restaurant with sandwiches, wraps, massive salads and smoothies.There’d also be tons of vegetarian and vegan options, and everything would be super fresh. And now I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! Maybe I should build it on to that massive blogger office building we were talking about!? 😛
Breakfast + Dessert most definitelyyy
but all with healthy twists 😉
My husband dreams of opening a small Italian restaurant, specializing in simple pastas and pizzas, all made with our family’s secret recipes…which have been passed down for over a 100 years. 🙂 I’d love to work with my hubby, so I’d be all over that!
Live life on a sugar high – I think I’ll join you! Sounds like a great idea for a new shop! Looks like you and Ryan had an awesome day! 🙂
I’d love to do a chocolate-only restaurant- but think of fun new ways to use it, like savory cocoa mole dishes, healthy chocolate smoothies, and of course, the usual decadent, over-the-top desserts!!
One of my best friends wants to open a bakeria — a pizzeria and bakery under one roof! 🙂
First may I start by saying how jealous I am of your GORGEOUS weather! Up here in Canada its a little chilly, and needless to say shorts and flipflops are definitley not in the picture….yet!
As for A.N.G.R, I love watching that show as well! So many great ideas and definitely got me thinking about what kind of restaurant I would open if I had the chance. I think I’d go with a coffee specialty shop that sold healthy treats!
Man, your pooch has a seriously long tongue! Hehe. Sadie is soooo cute 🙂
mmm homemade cheese sauce! 🙂
we had wonderful weather here also. Gosh having worked in the food industry it’s weird that I dont know what type of restaurant I would want to open. Maybe veggie centered comfort food with an eye toward health. 🙂
This show is pretty good, better than expected! But for sure I would open up a restaurant with all the down home comfort food classics/staples but all with Healthy twists on the dishes…get the comfort but with out all the calories.
My sister and I love to bake together and somewhat jokingly say we should open our own bakery some day-I would love that! Cupcakes, cookies, brownies, all that sugary goodness!
I love finger foods, so I would have to go with a finger food restaurant where you could order a platter to share with all of your favourite little starters on there.
I would call the restaurant “A Touch of Elegance” because each meal is just a touch of a meal (instead of quiche – mini quiche, or instead of pizza – gourmet mini pizza) and it would be more elegant than frozen sausage rolls. It would be all fresh and homemade and a little fancy to give it the elegant aspect.
i love how sadie loves watching soccer!
i think i’d open a dessert and coffee shop! =)
i’d definitely have a bakery! so fun!
I have no idea! Ha Seriously!
The foods I like the most are Italian, French, and Mediterranean so, I’m not sure! 😀
Your dinner looked good though! SImple, and fast, but I am sure quite yummy!
That second photo is so gorgeous!!!! I love the way the sky is reflected onto the water. Very preeetty.
When I was little I wanted to open up a restaurant that served only green beans prepared in different ways. Weird. Not sure what I would do now……Hmm.
My husband and I have always wanted to open a bakery/cafe. Evan LOVES coffee, and I love to bake – so it’d be perfect! 🙂
haha, I know how you feel when the dog is looking for affection from someone else. hahah
I think if I opened a restaurant it would be a sandwich/coffee shop. There is something about the atmosphere in places like that. I just love it.
My best friend and I have a pipe dream of opening a bakery together. We’ve gotten some rave reviews on the crazy cakes we’ve made…even only being 2 years out of college, the way the “real world” job is going so far, I’d LOVE to spend my days up to my ears in flour and sugar 🙂
Oooh, I love the cauliflower + macaroni idea. That sounds fabulous! Your beautiful FL weather always makes me envious 😉
I would want to open a cafe of some kind that had great sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Desserts would also have to be included! 🙂
Cheese sauce + pasta is my ultimate comfort food! Looks delicious!
Since college, I’ve been dreaming of combining my two loves–frozen yogurt and coffee–and opening a cafe called “Froyo and ‘Joe.” 🙂
I’d open up a breakfast diner:)
Looks great— how do you roast your cauliflower??
Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 for 20 min.
I’d open a nut themed shop with lots of different nut butters and candies and goodies made mostly with nuts and nut butters. I’d call it, “Slightly Nutty”
I will definitely be making that cheese sauce for my roasted broccoli & cauliflower very very soon!! Yum!
I love America’s Next Great Restaurant also. I actually tried out for it! I have had an idea forever to open a restaurant that serves “the best parts” of food- like muffin tops, pizza crusts, etc. Needless to say I am not on it but whatev, it is just such an amazing opportunity for whoever wins.
I would make a vegetarian friendly restaurant just because there’s not very many in the Houston area that I know of. Too bad I’m not much of a chef but that’s what your blog inspires me to do (cook & be fit!) =D
I would have some type of coffeeshop/bakery!!!
And I love that sadie wants to join in on the soccer fun… it’s that endless energy!
i was just watching that show! id go with froyo too. yogurtland franchise so i wouldnt have to be creative and think of anything except how much profits i could literally eat.
I love how attentive Sadie is, she’s way too cute!
If I opened up a restaurant it would be focused around anything “dough” related…cookie dough, cake batter, brownie batter, etc. Super healthy, huh?
I’m there!
Love America’s Next Great Restaurant. What a show! I love cupcakes, and I like when they’re not so SINFUL. So my idea is to open up a lowfat cupcake shop. The types of cupcakes I get her in NYC are ridiculously horrible but I love me some cupcakes. How great would it be if I could healthify them?!
Looks like a lovely day to watch some soccer! That blue is a great color on you and miss sadie is pretty as always! If ya wanna sound like you know all about soccer you should say ryan’s team lost by one “goal” instead of “point” 🙂 No big deal, just thought I’d share the soccer terminology!
Haha thanks for the tip! We were warching the Masters yesterday and I kept saying the score was “negative 12.” Ryan was like, “It’s minus 12… no one says ‘negative.'”
I’m from the Northeast, so I would definitely come up with a restaurant chain that served lobster rolls and clam chowder! I think it would be a huge hit. 🙂
You know I’d come in a heartbeat!
Ohh i want to make the dinner now–thanks!!! 🙂
I’d like to have a food store that sold all my favorite foods. yeeeeesh, I’m selfish!
I bring in baked goods at work and one of my managers says I should open up a bakery. Or at least have a stand at a farmers market. 🙂
I think a farmer’s mkt stand would be so much fun!
I’d open a Parisian style wine bar that serves mini desserts like cake pops and mini cheesecakes…and tons of fancy chocolate!
I do the same thing with my cat and after giving her so much love that she can’t handle I convince myself that she does love me but she doesn’t show it as me……:”>
Exactly! Sometimes they like to play hard to get. 😉
I live for breakfast so I would love to only serve breakfasty foods all day long! Otherwise opening a sandwich shop with a twist would be cool e.g PB&L sandwiches (peanut butter & lobster)
Whaaaat!? I’ve never heard of pb & l sandwiches!
Oh wow! That pasta looks AMAZING!!! 😀
I would either do an all day breakfast place (breakfast only, no burgers allowed! 🙂 or a sweets place with an emphasis on chocolate 🙂
Love the pic of you and Sadie! The sky looks amazing in that one pic too!
I have always wanted to open a froyo place and have a million toppings galore to add on the froyo!!
My fiance and I keep talking about opening a fro-yo shop! It would be fun! Except for the part when I gain 100 pounds 😉
I need to move to FL ASAP…the weather is gorgeous! If I had the chance to start my own restaurant it would most def. be an Indian American fusion type place. YUM-O!
Ooh, I would do flatbread sandwiches and salads–maybe a Greek theme? Or maybe that’s my idea today because I am craving feta and cucumber sauce like whoa! 🙂
Aw! I love the picture of you and Sadie. She is such a cute dog! I love the Next Great Restaurant! I liked the grilled cheese concept. I was so sad when he was kicked off. I would love to go to grilled cheese fast food restaurant! 🙂
Thank you SO much again for posting about the contest the other day. I really appreciate it, Julie! 🙂