Fabulously Fun Bistro Day Featuring "Mango Madness"

One day a year, I schedule a day of work to attend all of my annual doctor appointments so that I don't have to go through the trouble of making up time on many different days. Yesterday was that day. While a good chunk of the day was spent in waiting rooms and exam offices, I did get to have a little extra fun in my kitchen.

It worked out that my friend Anna and her Lab "Coco" could join Scott and I for an alfresco dining experience. For lunch, I prepared Rachael Ray's Tex Mex Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, which is always a winner. Homemade croutons and dressing adorn crispy romaine lettuce and avocado, and then it's topped with a chili grilled chicken. Very tasty - I do not adjust this recipe at all because I find it to be perfect as it is. I made a tremendous mess in the kitchen, but it was fun to get to prepare a healthy and delicious meal in the middle of a Tuesday. Scott's homemade Margaritas completed the dining experience.

Being the corny gal that I am, dinner had a theme - it was all about the Mango, hence "Mango Madness". Grilled Tuna steaks with a Mango Glaze and a mango and black bean salad, courtesy of Bobby Flay. I found a You Tube video about de-pitting mangos, which was very helpful (and entertaining). Since it was my first time preparing this meal, I followed the recipe to the letter. I was happy with it. We ended the meal with a mango dessert (I cheated on this one - bought it at Trader Joe's). Anna and her boyfriend Ray joined us on the deck - as you can see, Anna is a repeat diner at Chez Spence, and she's spreading the word!

All in all, it was a healthy, yet delicious day, and I had so much fun. Cooking as much of the meal as possible from scratch allows more control over the ingredients, and usually this means that it is healthier than what is ordered in a restaurant. I control the salt, the type of fat, and the portions. I notice that, when I cook at home, I eat whatever I want for the most part, and with the help of exercise, my weight stays under control. I mostly see unwelcome results after a restaurant binge - unfortunately food is often flavored with excess butter and salt, a double whammy on the waistline.

Finally, we had the kitchen remodel folks in yesterday for some final measurements and brain-storming. I'm crossing my fingers for the completion of the dream kitchen by the end of summer!

Hooray for Wednesday!