Mitaki Restaurant, Long beach CA

Mitaki Restaurant
200 E 4th St
Long Beach, CA 90802-2485
(562) 432-3220
menu

We were hungry and out to escape the 106 degree weather. The restaurant looked pretty cool outside. Inside it was not unlike a lot of the noodle places we visit. Basic tables and chairs and place your order at a hectic counter. There was a good selection of menu items. GP had the Yaki soba bowl & GM the Chicken salad. I shared a Chicken Teriyaki/California Roll bento box with Miss 4. We also shared an Avocado Roll.

The dishes were fresh and tasty. The grilled chicken salad was huge (though mainly lettuce) and topped with Avocado. GP enjoyed the gingery tastes of the chicken and veges in the soba noodles. It was, however a bit spicier than expected (especially as we had asked specifically for it to be a mild version). The chicken teriyaki was very nice -not too salty and not drowning in sauce. The California roll got a thumbs up from Miss 4. The little I tried (before it was inhaled by my sushi princess) was great. The bill came to $24.
This was a good quick filling meal and handy to our next stop for vacation supplies...Walmart.

Clubhouse grill at Holiday Inn, Downtown Long beach

After not checking until 3pm we really did not like the idea of going too far for dinner. This small casual bar and grill is actually in the Holiday inn so it was very convenient. Adding to the appeal was the fact that kids eat free when you are staying in the hotel.

Miss 4 insisted on the Mac and cheese with fruit or veges, I was trying to decide on a grilled chicken sandwich and fruit or Carribean Pulled pork and mango salsa sandwich.  I opted for the pork.
I want to be able to rave about the food because the waitresses were sooo nice and even went out of their way to return a toy (to our room) my daughter had dropped.
but...the pork sandwich was not really my thing -kind of dry rather than the more wet BBQ pulled pork I had been craving. The mangos were alittle under ripe. Miss 4 loved the Mac and Cheese (no surprises as it was the typical kraft boxed type that all kids seem to love). What was great was the value of the kids meal. $4.89 for dinner ($3.89 breakfast) included a drink, the kids entree and a dessert. Miss 4 chose the Apple pie which was very yummy.
So overall not the best I have tasted but super convenient and great service and for $13 + tip I can't really complain.
I couldn't find a website for the restaurant itself but here is the hotel link

Jet Blue Flight -good service, good value



So we are on Vacation in SoCal this week. After the usual flight searches on my faithful friend priceline we ended up with a Jet Blue flight into Long beach. I had never flown them before but I was willing to try if it meant we could avoid the crowds at LAX. The deal I got was awesome -just under $900 dollars for two return tickets and a 10 day minivan rental.
The recent Jet blue Flight attendent drama came after my booking. Rather than be put off, I was secretly hoping to get the guy on our flight. Ok so not the most P.C way of dealing with the passengers but anyone who as worked in customer service has felt like that right?

So anyway everyone from Check-in, to gate check and Flight crew were great. There was lots of leg room, leather seats and monitors in all the head rests. The flight was only an hour so we didnt get to watch alot of the direct TV channels but it was a god-send for keepig Miss 4 busy. Thankfully Miss baby slept most of the way and I could enjoy my drink and cookies (yes they still serve food and don't charge for bag checking!).
Miss 4 loved her little juice and the wings the flight attendant gave her.
So overall I was very impressed and hope to have a similar experience when we return home.

Great Pacifica TV stand deal at Sears 80% off

Today at my local Sears I found a lot of the pacifica brand furniture on closeout. This TV cabinet we got for $29.99. Yesterday I saw the very same thing on Sears.com for $99.97 (clearance).

They were running around $250 so pretty good SCORE! Better hurry  to check out your local store.

$10 Tinkerbell & the great fairy rescue Blu-ray/DVD Movie coupon

$10 Tinker Bell & The Great Fairy Rescue Coupon from Disney Movie Rewards

The coupon is redeemable at participating retailers only. This title is expected to be released on September 21. Exp. October 3.

UPDATE: Miss 4 was thrilled with the FREE Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue mini eStorybook I could download after joining Disney Movie Rewards to get the aforementioned coupon (it’s FREE to join)

Possible scenarios:

Target Blu-ray/DVD combo pack on sale (in ad from 9/21) for $22.99. less coupon =$12.99

Toys R us are offering a $10 gift card for preorders and then you also get $10 off with the coupon

Walmart.com has it listed for preorder at $21.96 but there is no mention of the instore release price.

If you prefer the regular DVD format

Target $16.99 (from 9/15)

CVS  $19.99 + $5.00 ECB (from 9/15)

disney.com pre order (by 9/20) for $19.99, get $5 off your next purchase

 also pay S&;h ($2.85) and get a tinkerbell charm and charm bracelet.

Not sure which deal I will be going for yet. The bracelet would add to Miss 4's b-day presents but the target combo deal is pretty darn good too...

Baberoos: A cheaper alternative to Trumpettes

My great find: Baberoos

I managed to get some trumpette toos socks at Target for Miss baby a few months ago on clearance. I really hoped that Target would restock them but it looks like they are not going to carry them anymore :-(
The sock were so cute, good quality and stayed on well. For anyone who hasn't seen them they look like your little one is wearing socks and shoes but it is really only a sock!

This past week I looked online for Trumpettes and discovered they are around $25 for 6 pairs. It's a bit hard to justify that price when I regularily find that one has disapeared.

Today I was in the Pleasant Hills Marshalls looking for Homewares for the new apartment (didn't find anything). What I did find was Baberoos Organic cotton socks which are very similar. According to the label these usually retail at $10 for 4 pairs but they were $6.99 at Marshalls.
I got the mary jane style but there were also a variety of ballerina slipper styles and Boy designs.

Looks like target are carrying the Trumpette Toos (3 pr for $8.00) online only & the Baberoos (4pr for $10)

Trumpette Toos

Healthy Kids snacks at Starbucks

I spend alot of time at Starbucks. For me it is something constant in our changable surroundings. Starbucks looks the same in LAX, Texas, Chicago, Palmerston north, Wellington, Auckland and Norcal. I am sure it looks the same in Toronto but all I could find anywhere was this brewed coffee knock off called Tim Hortons -don't get me started. But I digress...
Miss 4 recognised the Starbucks logo at 18months so it would make sense she also enjoys tagging along for 'coffee with Mama'.

Today it was pointed out to me by Miss 4 that they have snack trays for kids.
We were running between errands so I agreed to get one as a treat after being pleasantly surprised by the contents.

For $3.45 you get a single serve pack of Annies Organic bunny grahams, a cheese string, half a cut up apple and a box of raisins. Miss 4 ate it all -even the apple. She announced that she wanted to save the raisins for later (but they disappeared on our way back to the car). While it isn't something I would want to purchase very often, it is nice to know that there are now healthy options available for the little ones.
Only thing missing was a toy (but it's not as if I needed someting else to pick up)
the offical info and nutrition details can be found on the Starbucks site

Allgauers Grill: Lisle/Naperville Hilton Hotel

Tonight we decided we should try Allgauer grill in Lisle, IL. It was in the Entertainment guide with a BOGO offer and the reviews looked good. It ended up being more ($50 incl Tip) than we usually like to spend, but (what the hey) it was a good meal, great service and in a lovely setting. The restaurant is set inside the Lisle/Naperville Hilton. It is upscale but not uncomfortable.
DH ordered a soft drink; in this heat I just wanted water as did Miss 4. We enjoyed a lake view while eating Parmesan pesto bread and pretzel rolls. For the appetiser included, DH ordered chicken tortilla soup and I had the house salad with raspberry vinaigrette (with real raspberries –yum!). Our entrees took abit of time but were worth the wait. I had the pork tenderloin with sweet potato and bacon hash. It was perfectly cooked and the sweet potatoes went well with the saltiness of the gravy. DH ordered the potato crusted Halibut which was a huge fillet. He loved it and the piece I tried was very tasty. Miss 4 is still raving about her chicken tenders. Chefs had taken the time to prepare these in house and serve them with homemade honey mustard. I also appreciated the option to have fruit or veggies as a side with the children’s meal.

3003 Corporate West Drive, Lisle

Sweet Tomatoes

One place we like to eat at is Sweet Tomatoes. This place is so much more than a salad bar. It has something for all us and better still we can usually eat there for around $20 if we use one of the regular coupons from the Sunday inserts. DH loves the different soups and trying the obscure veggies (Jamica?), Miss 4 actually tries different veggies here too but is a fan off the Mac and cheese and foccaia breads. My favorites depend on my mood but the broccoli salad and Wonton chicken happiness are always on my plate.

On the move...Roadtrip!

We just heard that DH is needed in another state. So it looks like we will be making a road trip in the near future. So for now we are doing a lot of packing and trying to get to a few places we wanted to check out in the entertainment guide before we leave.

Lafitte's Restaurant, Schaumburg, IL

This New Orleans’s style restaurant is featured in this year’s West Chicago Entertainment book. Looking at the original Lafitte’s website we were expecting a very festive Mardi gras style theme with a lively, exciting atmosphere. This particular restaurant is located in the Embassy Suites, Schaumburg and is more like a regular hotel restaurant setting. While it wasn’t a great setting for children, Miss 4 and baby were made very welcome. In fact the manager asked after dinner if Miss 4 would like an ice cream because she had been so quiet and well behaved!
The bread was freshly baked and so nice I had to position the basket at the other end of the table from me. The entrees came with a basic house salad with a great ramoulade dressing.

I ordered the ‘chicken stacker’. Jerk Chicken layered with Garlic Mashed potatoes (to form a mini tower) topped with onion frits. DH ordered BBQ shrimp, with a side of sweet potato soufflé. Both entrees also came with stir-fry veggies. We both enjoyed our entrees (as did Miss 4 who didn’t want anything off the kids menu!?) the chicken had a great flavor and I love mash potatoes. The shrimp was something new and DH loved both their size and flavor. The sweet potato side was not very popular as it was very sweet. However adding sugar and cinnamon to sweet potato is still a bit weird to this kiwi –give me a few more years…

Using the buy one entree get one free deal this very nice dining experience cost us $29 including a 20% tip (on the price before our discount was taken).

Embassy Suites Schaumburg 1939 M.Meacham Rd
lafittesneworleans.com

Snikiddy 'Baked fries' review

I had signed up for Snikiddy emails a while ago and was sent a coupon to try these free. We finally used the coupon at Jewel Osco. Miss 4 and DH really liked them. Up until now the only cheese snack in the house for special occasions have been baked Cheetos. The baked fries aren't as salty (or as orange) as Cheetos. DH pointed this out but Miss 4 didn't notice and was just as happy to eat these. I liked them also (still more of a potato chip person myself though) and appreciated the fact they are not made with any artificial nasties. We will definitely purchase these in the future for a family treat.

Want to try them? You just need to register your email with them here and they should email a coupon. While you are there fill out a survey and go in the draw to win a gift basket and a variety pack of their other product 'Peeled snacks'.

I was not in anyway compenstated for this review.

Herb Coated Fish Fillets

Thanks to my Mum for this recipe which will come in handy with the Market Pantry frozen Swahi I intend to pick up super cheap this week from Target. It is $2.99 this week after the $1.00 off MP Frozen seafood coupon.

1/2 lb frozen Fish fillets, thawed
Juice & zest of a lemon
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
3 tablespoons pesto
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh or dry parsley
8 cloves garlic
olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 190ºC. Place fish on a foil-covered tray. Squeeze lemon juice over each piece of fish. Mix crumbs together with seasoning, pesto, walnuts, lemon zest and parsley. Press down lightly into fish pieces.


Spray each fillet with a little oil. Cook in oven for 20-25 minutes until fish is tender and golden.

Noodles Pho U: healthy and cheap

After a hectic couple of hours at the Doctors office the last thing I wanted to think about was cooking. We felt like something with plenty of veges and the kids just wanted to go home. So we grabbed takeout at 'Noodles pho u' on Main St and Roosevelt (Lombard).web site
For $18.43 we got a large Broccoli Chicken  & Marinated grilled Pork & Shrimp \\ over vermicelli noodles.
Pretty good price considering the servings are big enough for DH to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

The Grilled Pork and Shrimp Vermicelli is one of my favourites. It is served with shredded lettuce, a sweet and tangy sauce and bean sprouts and you just kind of mix it all up. DH is not a fan of this as he considers it a salad. Miss 4 However loves the noodles and pork. DH liked his Broccoli chicken although (as he reminded me as he opened his order) he is not a fan of the way they steam rather than grill the chicken.

Over all the food we have tried at Noodles pho u is fresh and tasty without all the fat and saltiness usually associated with Asian food takeout.