We like going to Chick-fil-A because nobody looks at us funny if our kids are screaming or knocking over their lemonades or crying because I wouldn’t buy them an ice cream. Our local restaurant is always full of families and the kids love it. We also go to Chick-fil-A because we like the food – and these new salads look like they’re going to be great options for healthy eaters!

My current favorite salad at Chick-fil-A (Chicken Fruit Salad). I can’t wait to try the new ones!

The new salads are the Asian Salad, the Cobb Salad, and the Grilled Market Salad.

The Asian Salad combines two cups of hand-chopped veggies, mandarin oranges, and hot chicken.

The Cobb Salad includes hard-boiled eggs, cheese, and tomatoes…and is recommended paired with the new Avocado Lime Ranch dressing (YES, please).

The Grilled Market Salad looks like it might become my new favorite – it has blueberries, strawberries, and pecans…and a new dressing to go with it, too (Zest Apple Cider Vinaigrette).

Do you want a chance to try these new salads for yourself? Five lucky readers will win a gift card good for a salad each month for the next three months – get a Grilled Market Salad in May, a Cobb Salad in June, and a Asian Salad in July.

Chick-fil-A has given us five gift cards to give out to readers. You must be at least 18 years old and a US resident to win.

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Win a Gift Card to Try the New Salads at Chick-fil-A appeared first on DFW Mama.

Texas Food Truckin’ Fest, April 26 & 27 in Arlington (Photo courtesy of TFTF Facebook page.)

Thankfully, Experience Arlington, U.S. Foods, and the Texas Rangers have partnered up to create the upcoming Texas Food Truckin’ Fest, April 26 & 27! It’s a Texas-sized food truck festival with the best of DFWs food trucks lined up around Ballpark and Nolan Ryan Expressway for one delicious weekend! Best of all, you can put the kids in the stroller or bring a blanket and enjoy some of the most delicious foods on four wheels (or more) can deliver!

Food trucks participating include:

• My Cupcake Garden
• Yellow Belly
• Rockn’ Rick’s
• The B.L.T. Bacon Lovers Truck
• Nammi Truck
• Simply Dosa
• Bombay Chopstix
• Cravetopia
• The Guava Tree
• The Butcher’s Son
• What’s Cook-N Chef
• Jolly Trolley Express
• Eat Jo Dawgs
• Doughboy’s Pizza Truck
• First Bite Gourmet
• Empanada Armada
• Cup Cakin Machine
• Four Seasons
• Short-N-Sweet
• Aunt Sweet Tooth’s Kitchen
• OinknMoo BBQ
• Maui Wowi
• Taste of Cuba
• SweetieV’s
• Gorgonzilla
• Gandolfos
• Salsa Limon
• Parrot Ice

Just make sure to bring more cash to purchase the food!

Texas Food Truckin’ Fest
Benefiting the American Cancer Society
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
April 26, 2013 (4 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and Saturday, April 27th, 2013 (11 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
Adults: $10 one-day pass; $12 two- day pass; $5 – Kids 12 and under; Free – Kids under 32 inches
Price includes parking!
Website

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Looking for More Family Fun from me on Today’s Mama? 

Choo-Choo! Promo Code for A Day Out with Thomas in Grapevine

And make sure you check me out on MamaChallenge.com! 

The post Food Fantasy: Texas Food Truckin’ Fest appeared first on DFW Mama.

Experience a theatrical performance just for the kids of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr. at Taste Addison 2013 (photo courtesy of Town of Addison.)

In a magical kingdom fathoms below, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. But first, she’ll have to defy her father King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula and convince Prince Eric that she’s the girl with the enchanting voice. Adapted from Disney’s 2008 Broadway production, Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID JR. features the hit songs “Part of Your World,” “She’s in Love,” and the Oscar-winning “Under the Sea.”

Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Taste Addison
Produced by Genesis Theatre
Saturday, 1:30 PM & 4 PM at the Kid’s Stage/Sunday, 1:30 PM & 3:30 PM at the Kid’s Stage
Play is free with Taste Addison admission, $0-$15
Discount tickets available at Albertsons
Website

Disclaimer: I am part of the PR team to promote events and activities at Taste Addison. 

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Looking for More Family Fun from me on Today’s Mama? 

Choo-Choo! Promo Code for A Day Out with Thomas in Grapevine

And make sure you check me out on MamaChallenge.com! 

The post Introduce Your Kids to the Arts with Disneys The Little Mermaid, Jr. appeared first on DFW Mama.

Five places in Dallas you’re likely to dine and then fall in love all over again. (Photo: Facebook.com)

In efforts to re-create your fairytale relationship this Valentine’s Day, here’s 5 places in Dallas you’re likely to dine and then fall in love all over again.

Want to get close? Get ready to spoon at:

DISH
4123 Cedar Springs Rd, Suite 110, Dallas, Texas 75219
214.522.3474
http://www.dish-dallas.com

Considered a fun mainstay with Sunday “drag brunch,” Dish is laying giving you all you can handle with a simple Valentine’s Day menu that’s loaded with more than delicious flavors, but creative eats that aren’t defined by steak and potatoes.

Jumping right in to the good stuff, highlights from the three-course menu offering includes:

• Jumbo Diver Sea Scallops with Sweet Corn, Bacon, Poached Egg, Pearl Couscous
• Lemleys Tomato Sugo, Spaghetti Squash, Pressed Tofu, Grilled Okra, Kale Chips
• Grilled Cauliflower Steak with Cipolini Onions, Baby Kale, Calabrese Peppers, Black Radish, Golden Raisin, Brown Butter

Don’t forget the Bleu Cheese Mussels with Smoked Bacon, Danish Bleu, White Wine, Texas Toast…these are sure to get the fire going in both of you.

Perhaps when you’re done at Dish, you’ll go home and spoon.

Seeking a fresh perspective? Do:

BOLSA
614 W. Davis Street, Dallas, Texas 75207
214.367.9367
http://www.bolsadallas.com

This farm-to-table hotspot has become the cornerstone of the Bishop Arts cuisine scene and one bite and you’ll know why people are willing to stand in line for hours in hopes to snag a spot for dinner (no reservations accepted.)

So appreciate the time you have together to catch up and try something different like:

Veal Sweetbreads with escabeche peppers, golden raisins, pine nuts and country ham
Duck Egg Custard with black truffle, kabocha squash and pomegranate
Foie Gras Torchon with apple butter, cocoa nib and pecans

After all the worldliness this place has to offer, you’ll be planning your next romantic trip together.

In a rut?  Branch out to:  

OAK
1628 Oaklawn Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75207
214.712.9700
www.oakdallas.com

Go out on a limb (tee-hee) and try one of the most-acclaimed restaurants in Dallas – Oak. Described as an experience of global cuisine from a medley of cultures wrapped in a comfortable, modern design that is spiced with a sexy, avant-garde soundtrack, sounds like the perfect intro to “Let’s Get it On.” For Valentine’s Day they are hosting an $80 per person/$40 additional wine pairing dinner starting with an amuse bouche (that’s basically like a little four-play before they bring out the meal.)

Get things cooking with these picks sure to make your evening sizzle:

• Diver scallop carpaccio with smoked egg, passion fruit, celery
• Beet fettuccini with lobster, black trumpet, turnips
• Seared foie gras with hazelnut, pear, sauternes
• Venison with red cabbage, brussels sprouts, chestnut
• Kabocha squash ravioli with winter squash, fennel pollen, sage butter

Dream of that perfect kiss? Go French at:

BOULEVARDIER
408 N. Bishop Ave. #108, Dallas, Texas 75208
214.942.1828
http://www.dallasboulevardier.com

Nothing is more romantic than an evening eating things you can’t pronounce, but taste heavenly enough you don’t care to know what it is or how to say it. Look lovingly in each other eyes and feed each other a little sample of the richness that makes your knees knock and your eyes bat a little harder.

The formula for love must include the basics of good French:

• Crawfish Beignets with smoked pimento aioli, house pickled barking cat farm sweet peppers
• Tasting of Foie gras with torchon and seared, ginger snap cookie, sweet potato with a lingonberry emulsion
• Ox heart tartare with fresh grated Horseradish, poached farm egg yolk and red beet reduction
• Bouillabaisse lobster with saffron broth, mixed seafood, shrimp, clams, mussels, baby octopus and rouille
• Lobster pappardelle with hand made pasta, black truffle, leeks, champagne and fines herbes
• Cast iron duck breast “a l’orange” with hedgehog mushrooms, crisp tuscan kale, cardamom and a sweet potato purée

You might not know how to pronounce the menu, but you’ll get bonus points if you learn to say “je t’aime” appropriately.

Feel on top of the world already? Then just celebrate the occasion at:

RISE nº1
5360 West Lovers Lane Suite 220, Dallas, TX
(214) 366-9900
http://www.risesouffle.com

Congratulations if your man will agree to go to here, so no doubt this relationship doesn’t need much help. Rise no. 1 takes the art of creating soufflés to the next level with delicate entrees that will guarantee that your spirits aren’t the only thing to rise…but perhaps your blood pressure, too!

Souffles for Valentine’s Day include:

• Crabmeat & Boursin Cheese
• Truffle-Infused Mushroom
• Jambon & Gruyère
• Southwest Chicken
• Cauliflower & Brie

Can’t get enough? The best pair for your entrée soufflé is a dessert soufflé with:

• Grand Marnier Soufflé
• Chocolate Soufflé
• Bread Pudding Soufflé
• Strawberry Soufflé

Better make your reservations now, before everyone else has your spot for Valentine’s Day. However, these places always have a great menu, so you can get your fire started on any day!

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For more fun with Autumn, visit her daily at mamachallenge.com.

The post 5 Dallas Restaurants that Can Fix Your Love Life this Valentine’s Day appeared first on DFW Mama.

My birthday isn’t until next week, but that doesn’t mean I can’t start celebrating now.  According to my calculations, I can eat free every night for the next few weeks!

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s plain and simple.  Go to your favorite restaurant’s website (or even one you really not like all that much), and sign up to be on their mailing list.  Yes, you will absolutely get a bunch of spam, but to me, deleting email after email is worth it about once a year.  Now, not all places will give you a free meal, some will do a free desert, while others a free appetizer.   The Melting Pot will give you a free box of chocolate dipped strawberries.  No complaints here.

Free from the Melting Pot for your birthday! Sweet!!

So, if you have a birthday of your very own coming soon, sign up for newsletters.  The best part is when you first sign up, within a day or two, some places will give you free stuff just for saying “Thanks!”

Happy eating!!

Gotta love free stuff:

How to Score Free Weekly iTunes Downloads

Free Starbucks Coffee

The post It’s My Birthday and I’ll Eat Free If I Want To appeared first on DFW Mama.

Kids Valentine’s Cookie Decorating Class

Calling all kiddos!  Be creative and decorate your own Valentine’s cookies on February 9 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. with the help of Executive Chef Nick Amoriello.  $15 per child.  Fee includes hot chocolate and apple cider as well as a dozen of your decorated sugar cookies to take home and enjoy.  Please call 214-219-8282 to reserve your spot today.

Valentine’s Day Dinner

Celebrate Valentines Day with a special romantic four course pre-fixed menu with choices from Executive Chef Nick Amoriello.  Presented in addition to the regular All Day Dining menu, the Valentines Day menu is priced at $55 per person and $75 per person with wine pairings.  The Front Room is sharing the love with their guests this Valentines Day with a complimentary glass of champagne.  Reservations are recommended.  Make a night of it and book a room at The Lumen, a Kimpton Hotel with rates starting at $149 by asking for the LOVE rate.

Valentine’s Day Menu

The Kiss

Oysters on the Half Shell with Rosewater and Champagne Mignonette

Oysters on the Half Shell with Pomegranate Horseradish Mignonette

Foreplay

Roasted Chioga Beet, Honey preserved Figs, Sherry Walnut Vinaigrette, with Fennel and Lavender Goat Cheese

White Asparagus Salad, with Black Truffles, Citrus Cured Salmon, Blood Orange and Sabayon

Hot and Heavy

Red Snapper, with Caviar Vinaigrette, Scarlet Carrots, Vanilla Parsnip Puree, and Watercress

Filet of Beef, Seared Foie Gras, Blue Cheese Potato Gratin, Baby Leeks, and Port Shallot Demi Glace

Lust

An assortment of Valentine’s Day Chocolates and Confections

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Gold Leaf and Raspberry Sauce

White Chocolate Covered Strawberry Nougat

Mint Infused Rose’ and Black Currant Gelee

Chocolate Covered Flavored Marshmallows

Cutest Couple Facebook Contest

If you and your significant other would make even Saint Valentine blush, then be sure to submit a photo of the two of you for a chance to win “dinner for two” at The Front Room.  Whether it’s you and Fido, the kids, or that special someone – any couple is welcome!  Simply just post your picture on our Facebook wall starting Feb. 1 through Feb. 12 by 5 p.m. and be sure to also tag The Front Room.  A winner will be announced on Feb. 14.  You can find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheFrontRoomDallas.

The Front Room, a Kimpton Restaurant, is located in Kimpton’s The Lumen Hotel at 6101 Hillcrest Avenue, Dallas, Texas.  For reservations please call 214-219-8282 or visit www.TheFrontRoomDallas.com.

The Front Room on Facebook

For more posts written by me, visit my personal blog, I Believe In Love. For more Valentine’s Day posts, visit…

Mailboxes For Valentines Day

Valentines Day Card Ideas And FREE Printables

Valentines For Teachers–Fun Ideas to Make at Home!

The post Valentine’s Day Activities for Adults and Kids at The Front Room appeared first on DFW Mama.

Since I’m all about SHREDDING the weight, I’m craving everything I’m NOT supposed to be eating like pizza, cake balls and Chinese food. So in efforts to satisfy my urges without caving, here’s this fabulous list of fun food apps made for kids, but will keep you (and your waistline) happy.

Get your slice of pie virtually with Pie Maker and these other apps. (Photo courtesy of Pie Maker.)

Pizza Crazy Chef by TabTale

What kid doesn’t love pizza? This creative app from TabTale taps into that insatiable enthusiasm for everyone’s favorite food. Put on your apron and get baking! Make the digital dough, create the sauce and then go crazy with toppings. Choose from more than 100 toppings ranging from tried-and-true to downright wacky. Bake your creation, slice the pizza pie in your own pizza shop, box it up and send it for delivery. Or, sit back and eat your pizza creation after setting the table with a variety of colorful napkins, drinks and straws. Want to share a photo of your pizza pie? You can serve it up and send it on to your family and friends.

Chinese Food! by Crazy Cats

Wok on over to your mobile device and break out the chopsticks. We love this Chinese food app because you can fry your own noodles and rice and create the dishes you love. Customize your own Chinese dishes, create your own crazy fortune cookies, and even share your creations in classic Chinese take-out containers. This app is almost as good as your favorite local Chinese food joint.

Cake Pop Maker by Bake More Cake Maker

With cake pops literally popping up in sweet stores all over, kids can learn how to make them digitally. This delicious food maker app lets you create the ingredients, stir the flavored batters, bake your pops, and put them on colorful sticks. Once you’ve baked your creation, it’s time to decorate your pop and add toppings. Give your pops some sprinkles, a face, or make them into cute animal friends. This app is popping with more than 4 million people playing this delicious game.

Cotton Candy by Bluebear Technologies

Kids love fairs for the rides, the games, and of course, the food! With this app kids can make the best fair food of all: cotton candy. First, choose your candy sugar, mix it up and spin the cotton candy in the machine. Once you’ve made your creation, decorate it to your heart’s desire and add even more flavors. Not only can you make cotton candy in this app but it also has a hungry chef game where you move the device to feed the chef—just make sure he doesn’t get hit by a frog pot!

Pie Maker by Sunstorm Interactive

In this delicious app, choose your pie crust and custom fillings, and then mix all of the necessary ingredients to make the best pie in cyberspace. The number of options in this app are great—the fillings range from blueberry to banana cream and kids can create their own pie party at a custom-set table! The only downside to this app? Your realistic looking custom-made pie will leave you dying to take a real bite. With additional games like “top chop” and “food challenge,” this app has it all.

Looking for More Family Fun? 

Get Hooked on Fishing and Trains, Jan. 19 in Keller and Hurst
Enjoy Super Soups with Empty Bowls 2013

The post Dieting? 5 Food Apps To Satisfy Your Craving Without the Calories appeared first on DFW Mama.

Raising more than $10 million for local charities across the U.S., IHOP gives you every reason to have pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner (just make sure to leave your donation for the Children’s Miracle Network.

National Pancake Day
IHOP
February 5, 2013
Free short stack of pancakes with a donation to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
For More Info

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Looking for More Family Fun? 

Get Hooked on Fishing and Trains, Jan. 19 in Keller and Hurst
Enjoy Super Soups with Empty Bowls 2013

The post Get Your (Pan)cakes and Eat Them, Too at IHOP National Pancake Day, Feb. 5 appeared first on DFW Mama.

Get a copy of "The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking: 80 Low-Carb Recipes that Offer Solutions for Celiac Disease, Diabetes, and Weight Loss" when you take one of his classes. (Photo courtesy of Amazon.com)

Menu includes:

• Double Cheese Focaccia
• Toasting Bread
• No-Cornmeal Hushpuppies
• Sweet Pecan Almond Bread
• Almond Coconut Biscotti
• Pecan Sandies

Gluten Free, Sugar Free Baking
January 26-January 30, 6:30 – 9:00 PM
DFW Central Markets – Southlake, Dallas Lovers, Fort Worth and Plano
$75 includes teaching and a copy of his cookbook
For more Information/Registration

The post Go Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free with Best-Selling Author, Jan. 26-Jan. 30 appeared first on DFW Mama.

And to really pile it on, you have two events to choose from or go to both!

(While kids can attend, this is one of those special “ladies that lunch” opportunity, so it’s worth the sitter if your kids aren’t in school!)

Enjoy lunch, feed a bunch at Empty Bowls 2013! (Photo courtesy of Tarrant County Food Bank.)

14th Annual Empty Bowls
Presented by Kroger benefiting the North Texas Food Bank
March 1, 2013, 11 – 1 PM
Meyerson Symphony Center
$35 in advance, $45 at the door and $100 VIP
More Info

11th Annual Empty Bowls
Presented by Tom Thumb benefiting Tarrant Area Food Bank
Mar. 28, 2013, 11 – 1 PM
West Room, Amon G. Carter Exhibit Hall at Will Rogers Memorial Center
3401 West Lancaster
$45 in advance only and $125 individual sponsors with 30-minute advance entry
More Info

The post Enjoy Super Soups with Empty Bowls 2013 appeared first on DFW Mama.