Five Things You'll Love About Urban Plates + #GIVEAWAY

What mom doesn't want a delicious made from scratch meal she didn't have to prepare and she gets to eat HOT and not 20 minutes after the meal has ended and everyone has left the table? Ooooh! Me! Me! That is exactly what you will find at Urban Plates. You get high quality proteins paired with delicious fresh produce in a fast-casual dining experience that will leave you coming back again and again.

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I recently had the opportunity to attend a lunch with friends hosted by Urban Plates in Aliso Viejo and I am sharing five things you'll love about this urban-chic restaurant and I'm throwing in a giveaway so you can check it out for yourself!!

{1} ORGANICS ALL THE TIME
People want to know that the food they are eating is not only good for them, but
that it was grown responsibly without harsh chemicals and pesticides. I love that
Urban Plates has a big sign that greets you as you come in to let you know exactly
what is organic all the time. 

{2} FOOD MADE FROM SCRATCH

You literally watch your food being prepared in front of you. You want the delicious Antioxidant Salad? Well, it's not even being started until you walk up to the counter and tell the chef that you want him to make you one. And you can fully customize your food choice because you stand there and watch them assemble it. 

{3} DELICIOUS SIDE OPTIONS

If you're tired of your only side options to your protein at a fast casual restaurant being french fries, fruit or kettle potato chips, then you will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all the amazing side options that Urban Plates has to offer. The sides are seasonal so as to be using organic ingredients that are locally sourced and fresh for you. As of right now, Urban Plates in Aliso Viejo has sixteen side options including SESAME BROCCOLINI and RAINBOW CARROTS with BEETS.

{4} A KIDS MENU THAT ROCKS

It's really not my favorite when I go into a restaurant and they have high quality food on the "grown-up" menu and then crappy out of the box mac'n'cheese for the kids I'm like - "Really, I just paid $8 for you to eat box mac'n'cheese?" Totally not my favorite. There is none of that at Urban Plates. The kids get the same fresh, organic ingredients that are prepared from scratch. BTW: Their mac'n'cheese is the bomb.

{5} DESSERTS, DESSERTS, AND MORE DESSERTS

The desserts at Urban Plates are NO JOKE! My friend says she sneaks over to Urban Plates with with her youngest all the time just to grab a Chewy Molasses Cookie. In keeping with its scratch-cooking commitment, Urban Plates has in-house pastry chefs that create more than 20 different kinds of desserts each day. They are all delicious. They even have seasonal dessert items. Right now it is taking all of my willpower not to go to Urban Plates immediately to try the NEW Fresh Apple Caramel Cake. If you win the giveaway, please have a slice for me!

{MORE THINGS YOU'LL LOVE ABOUT URBAN PLATES}

I know we already counted down THE FIVE THINGS YOU'LL LOVE ABOUT URBAN PLATES, but I just can't help it, there are more things that I have to share with you! So, let me give you a few more reasons to spend your next lunch with friends at Urban Plates.

{6} LOTS OF YUMMY DRINKS
There are so many yummy things to drink at Urban Plates. Some locations - like Aliso Viejo - have their own signature Urban Coctails. I'm non-alcoholic as far as beverages go, so I love their Urban Replenishers and Natural Sodas sweetened with organic cane sugar

{7} GRASS FED AND FREE RANGE

Not only are the veggies and produce organic, but the protein options are also high quality. You can tell their beef is grass fed and their chicken is free range because it is so flavorful!

{8} EVERYTHING IS SO PRETTY

The food and the restaurant are just so pleasing to the eye. I love the colorful plates with all the fresh veggies and the ambiance of the restaurant makes you want to hang out with friends. The Aliso Viejo location has a fabulous patio that makes dining al fresco a fabulous experience.

{GIVEAWAY}
Now that I've given you FIVE (plus) reasons to go to Urban Plates it's time for you to head in and find out what you love best about this fabulous restaurant. I'm giving away a $25 gift card to one lucky winner. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Miguel's Jr. Now Open in Huntington Beach + #GIVEAWAY

Disclosure: I was invited as media to attend a media tasting. All opinions are my own.

The city of Huntington Beach just got a whole lot cooler with the opening of the
newest Miguel's Jr. location. This family owned and operated restaurant has
been serving up high-quality and delicious homestyle Mexican food for over
40 years. The Huntington Beach Miguel's Jr. is the brand's 17th location and is
located inside the Newland Center at 19620 Beach Boulevard in
Huntington Beach, California.

 The newest Miguel's Jr. location not only has amazing dine-in counter service -
I can personally attest to the fact that the staff is amazing!!! - but it also has
what every busy mom loves - a DRIVE-THRU! As a mom with three kids I
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE when my favorite fast-casual restaurants have a drive-thru
option. It is so easy and convenient on those busy nights when we need to grab
something delicious for dinner on our way to our next adventure.

We attended the media preview and the ribbon cutting ceremony and it was so
fun to meet President and CEO Javier Vasquez and founders Mike and Mary
Vasquez. I told you the restaurants were family owned and operated!

All of the delicious food are based on Mary's recipes. They use only premium
ingredients like Haas avocados, all natural and hormone free poultry,
pasture raised Midwest corn fed beef, 100% stone ground tortillas and
tortilla chips, as well as daily fresh-made salsa and hot sauce.

They recently expanded their beverage menu and it now features new fresh 
squeezed, all-natural lemonade and house-made horchata featuring 100%
natural pure cane sugar. We are big fans of both! They both hit the spot on a hot
day and I love that they are made fresh.

The new Huntington Beach location features this great enclosed patio that is the
perfect place to enjoy your favorite Miguel's Jr. burrito. I love the El Potato with
either chile verde pork or carne asada. I've heard that the Garbage Burrito is also
a favorite - I'll have to try that out sometime! They also serve up a delicious
breakfast menu and if you order before 8:00AM Monday thru Friday you can
get your favorite breakfast burrito for half off!

{{{GIVEAWAY}}}

It's time for a giveaway! If you want a free burrito and a gift card to buy yourself

some horchata or lemonade, then head over to THIS FACEBOOK POST and

enter! It's easy! Just like the post for one entry, comment for an extra entry,

tag a friend for another entry and SHARE for one more!

Hurry! The contest ends September 15, 2017 at 11:59PM PST!

TRADE Food Hall in Irvine: So Many {Delicious} Options, So Little Time

How would it be if eight delicious food eateries all opened in one convenient
open air location near John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Irvine where seating
was plentiful and the food was amazing? Well, that's exactly what has happened
with the opening of TRADE Food Hall in Irvine!

It features a beautiful vertical garden, a great open air patio, and crisp decor -
not to mention all the delicious food options! You'll find so many yummy choices
you won't know where to start and you'll definitely have to come back time and
time again so that you can try everything that your tummy desires.  Whether it's
seafood, fried chicken, vegetarian, vegan, poke, burgers, mac and cheese, waffles,
or milkshakes that you're craving, you'll find them all at TRADE.

Ok, let's run down each of the fantastic eateries at TRADE and the fabulous

fare they have to offer your palate. WARNING: Salivation may occur!

{TWO BIRDS}
Cluckin' good chicken is their tagline and they are serving up the AMAZING
BIRD IN THE HAND sandwich. It combines a cornmeal bun, pickle slaw,
and tiger sauce with your choice of crispy or grilled Jidori chicken.

They also have amazing MAC N' CHEESE that is topped with Fritos! My kids

were all crazy for it - even my picky middle child.

{PIG PEN DELICACY}

This pork-haven eatery serves up MacAttack Burger that has a fried mac n'

cheese bun, all beef patty and candied bacon. The Pork Belly Fries with their

crispy pork belly and creamy cilantro sauce are a nice addition to your burger.

{PORTSIDE}

Did someone say Cali Shrimp Burrito? Oh, they didn't? Well, they should 

because this baby is amazing! Don't forget to try out the Fish Tacos!

{DOS} CHINOS

Have you been on the hunt for some fantastic Latin Asian grub? Then, Dos

Chinos has got your back! They've named their proteins after some of my 
favorite cities in SoCal. I've had the Dos Chinos Asada and you can bet I'll be
back for the Westminster Carnitas and Irvine Shrimp tacos!
Don't forget the fries!

{MEGADON}

Build your own FABULOUS poke bowl? Yes, please! They even have

great vegetarian options and SPAM!

{SWEET COMBforts}

Home of the Waffle Pop and once you go Waffle Pop you never go back.

Seriously, my kids are like - why isn't my waffle rolled in cinnamon toast

crunch and drizzled with chocolate? And please don't forget the 

Cookie Monster Shake. Your blue tongue will thank you!

You'll also want to check out:

{BUTTERLEAF} 
The new vegetarian. Serving up the Signature Butterleaf Burger.

{GYRO KING}
Mediterranean fare. Serving up the Gyro.

TRADE Food Hall 
is located at 2222 Michelson Dr, Irvine.
Hours vary by for each spot, so check them out
before visiting!

Why You Need to Go On a Tanaka Farms Strawberry Tour + {GIVEAWAY}

Disclosure: We were hosted by Tanaka Farms with other media for a watermelon tour. All opinions are my own.
 

If were ever a kindergartner in the Irvine Unified School District, then you've 

probably been on one of the fun tours at Tanaka Farms. I love that the kids can

see how produce is grown, harvested and sold locally. It is a great source of 

fresh produce that is picked daily just down the road from me. We've been on a

Watermelon Tour at Tanaka Farms and so we jumped at the chance to go on a

Strawberry Tour with friends!

When you arrive at Tanaka Farms you head to the Farm Tour Check In desk

to check your party in and get your stickers! I put Grace's red sticker on her

back so that she wouldn't be able to pull it off and lose it - mom hack! 

You'll want to arrive at the farm 20-30 minutes before your tour begins to make

sure you have ample time to check-in and get ready for your tour to depart. They

leave on time, so if you're late, you'll get left behind! And you wouldn't want that

because then you'll miss out on all the red, ripe strawberries! 

The STRAWBERRY TOURS are offered daily at various times, 

depending on the day March through June. They last about and hour and 

they end with taking home a one pound basket of delicious strawberries!

You'll have a fabulous tour guide and a driver that will take you on guided

wagon ride around the 30 acre farm. I grew up in Iowa and I often miss 

 the wide open farm lands living here in Orange County. It's good for the

soul to just look out over the farm as the tractor bumps along and have a rural

experience that's hard to find when you're living a suburban life.

We enjoyed listening to tour guide tell us about the land, the different types of 

crops they grow, why they rotate crops, how they use the same products 

and natural methods as certified organic farms to keep the pests from eating all 

the delicious produce instead of harmful pesticides, and how they are growing

some of the strawberries hydroponically.

And I know that it's called a strawberry tour, but it's really about more than

that. Along the way you will stop and try some of the delicious FRESH 

produce they grow at Tanaka Farms. Our tour guide invited all the kids to join 

the "Try It All Club" and they all raised their right hands and took an oath to try 

it all! And they did! We tried bok choy, snap peas, carrots, lettuce, and celery.

Have you ever had celery that has been picked right out of the ground? 

It has so much flavor!! 

Your last stop will be the strawberry fields where you get to pick your own one

pound basket of the biggest, ripest, juiciest strawberries you have ever had. Oh,

my goodness! They were so good! You can eat while you pick and Grace took

full advantage of that. I had to help her pick her strawberries because she was

too busy eating to be bothered to put more than two or three in her basket.

After you've filled up your strawberry basket to the brim (the only rule is that the
lid has to be able to close), then it's time for the group to load back onto the
trailer and head back to the beginning. Be sure you hang on to your sticker
because it's good for $2 off a purchase of $10 or more at the farm stand. They
have so many yummy things - more fresh produce, chips, salsa, breads . . . I
guarantee you'll want to take something (or things) home with you.

The strawberry tours at Tanaka Farms should be on everyone's spring bucket
list. On the weekends the tours happen every half hour starting at 9:30AM
until 2:30PM and don't require a reservation. Tours on the weekdays only
happen three times a day and may require a reservation. Be sure to check
the Tanaka Farm Calendar of Tours to see what is happening the day you're
interested in attending. You can also call the farm for group rates and
reservations.

If you want to pick strawberries without going on a tour you might be able to to
do in the Strawberry Garden behind the Market Stand for $5/lb. These
strawberries are grown hydroponically (without soil! in coconut husks!) and are
not eat as you pick! If you want to do that, then you need to get in on one of
the tours.

{STRAWBERRY TOUR PRICE BREAKDOWN}

Adults and Children 3+ - $18

Children 2 and under - FREE

Group Rates 10+ children - $14/child, $7/adult

Group Rates 15+ combo children and adults - $14/each

Group reservations can be made by calling (949) 653-2100 ext. 204

{GIVEAWAY}
The rad Tanaka Farms has given me a family 4-pack for the strawberry tours!
This is a $72 value, but a priceless life memory value, so be sure to enter so
your kids can pick and eat their own strawberries. Yes, please!

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Ruby's Diner at Promenade at Downey Debuts Table-Top Ordering Technology

The Promenade at Downey is now home to the newest Ruby's Diner! This 

newest location opened its doors March 1, 2017 and is located in the heart of 

the popular Promenade at Downey. However, this isn't just any new Ruby's 

Diner location - it is the first location to roll out table-top ordering technology. 

This means that for the first time, you can order your favorite burger, fries, and 

shake through the touch of an easy to use digital menu that is conveniently

located at your table!

I had the chance to attend the media night and try out the new table-top 

ordering technology and it is so easy to use! I found it easy to navigate and

I had no problem locating our family favorites, adding them to "basket" and

then sending our order to the kitchen. It was so easy to customize our order -

like removing the mayo from my Fresh Roast Turkey Breast Sandwich or

adding cheese to Grace's Kid-sized Beef Burger. My server was always close by

to answer any questions I had or to help me find what I was looking for.

Don't want to use the new table-top ordering technology? No problem! Ruby's

full-service team members will still be ready and waiting to deliver the 

traditional level of personal service that you've come to expect from Ruby's 

over the years. 

The new Downey location not only has the new table-top ordering technology,

it also has the all-new breakfast menu that Ruby's unveiled January 23rd.

Believe me, you're going to want to check out the delicious new breakfast

menu items. The Southern Fried Benny is amazing!

The Downey Ruby's Diner will be open Sunday-Thursday 7am-10pm

and Friday-Saturday from 7am-11pm. It is conveniently located in the

heart of the popular Promenade at Downey across from the Cinemark

Theaters. 

The Promenade at Downey is located on historical ground with

roots in aerospace and film. The decor of the new restaurant is a nod to

Downey's aviation and aerospace history. If you have a airplane lover in

the family - they will love the ambiance of the newest Ruby's Diner.