inspiration

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 3 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to East Charlotte to Mily & Lalo Peruvian Restaurant. 

Mily & Lalo Peruvian Restaurant


The last time we visited a Peruvian restaurant, we really enjoyed the food, so it was an easy choice to try another one. We weren’t disappointed.

Inside

Dora here. The empty seats alarmed us, but we visited on Sunday after our early church service, and figured we beat the crowd for lunch.

For starters, all guests receive a complimentary basket of Yuca bread. This bread was great, much like a yeast doughnut without the sweetness, very light and melt in your mouth.

Yucca Bread

Dora here. Yuca bread? What a surprise! We’ve eaten Yuca on several occasions and especially enjoy it fried like french fries. Loved it served this way. But see that sauce? Mercy! That fire burns all the way down! Don’t dip your bread in that sauce. Phew.

For my meal, I chose the Arroz Con Mariscos, yellow rice with seafood and a blend of spices, sometimes called Peruvian paella. This dish was very good with just the right amount of spice and loaded with seafood. Adding a gravy for moisture would’ve nudged this dish to great.

Arroz Con Mariscos

Dora here. The Milanesa de Pollo…Yum! The fried chicken breast, tender and moist, takes up plenty of real estate on this plate, doesn’t it? I didn’t touch the fries, tucked under the chicken, and only nibbled on the rice because I ate every bite of that juicy chicken! Even if they served gravy or butter and brown sugar on their rice like I prefer, I probably would’ve skipped it in lieu of the chicken. Delish!

Milanesa de Pollo

All that food (with leftovers!) and the bill was less than $28, including tip. Definitely budget friendly, and the service, attentive and quick.

We rate this restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.

What’s the most unusual bread you have you tried?
What’s the last food you were surprised to find out what was in it?

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Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us not far from home to On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina in Concord.

According to the restaurant, “Border-style means mesquite-grilled meat, fresh ingredients, hand-pressed tortillas, and sauces made in small batches.” 
Dora here. Definitely a kid friendly establishment. Visitors to their tortilla prep station at the back of the restaurant receive a ball of dough to take back to their table. Great strategy to entertain the kiddos.
Kiddo friendly
I was looking forward to tasting the Grilled Mahi Tacos. A few minutes after ordering, though, the manager approached the table and informed us that they were out of Mahi. She apologized and offered the fried fish or salmon as a substitution. Salmon tacos? Hmmm. No thanks. I opted for the fried fish. 
Fish Tacos
The fish was good, crispy on the outside. The cabbage and red chile sauce complemented without taking away from the flavor. I liked the crunch of cabbage over ordinary lettuce. I’m on a healthy kick, though, and would’ve preferred the grilled Mahi over the fried alternative, but appreciated their coupon for a bowl of queso for the inconvenience.

Dora here. Good thing they had my Brisket Tacos. I didn’t have a Plan B. 🙂

Brisket Tacos
Pretty, right? Just invites you to dig in. I don’t know what’s going on with hubby’s plate, but they lost points for presentation.

My brisket was tender. The onion strings added a great textural element and the jalapeno in the BBQ sauce a little kick. The vegies were firm and colorful. Overall, I enjoyed the fresh, vibrant vibe, and I didn’t leave stuffed like some Mexican restaurants. Maybe that’s because hubby sampled one of my tacos? 🙂

We rate this restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.


What’s your favorite Mexican dish?

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5 Tips to Restore Your Balance when Your World’s Off Kilter

/ Dora Hiers / 12 Comments
Two days and three nights. That’s all it took for five-year-old Little Man and Teen Girl to hurl my organized world into an alternate universe.
By Monday morning when the alarm blared at 5:30, I was whipped, and I still had one more day and night to go. Usually, I shower and dress, and then leave the bathroom for the big guy while the dog and I head downstairs. The dog doesn’t say much, and hubby knows not to ignite any worthwhile conversations until I’ve consumed one cup of coffee. But the miniature chatterbox? He didn’t get the email.
Just hook me up to a caffeine IV!
I’d lost my equilibrium, my patience, and yes, my sanity. Even the dog scouted out a dark, quiet space, away from flying objects, runaway bikes and thousands of Lego pieces.
He’s ignoring me.
 God bless daycares and the kind souls who work in them.
It’s not like we hadn’t kept the grandkiddos for an extended period before, but this time prior commitments kept hubby busy, away from home, and red ink splattered this particular chunk of time across my calendar. Two of my books just released, three more scheduled to release from July through October, and one more in December. Did I mention that the October book, Roping the Cowboy, is my first self-published venture? Neck-deep in edits and cranking up a new business, exhausted was too mild an adjective.
But life doesn’t always cooperate, does it?
Whether you’re a new caregiver or hurled into a temporary situation, here are a few tips to restore your balance:
Pray. Before you crawl out from under the sheets, pray for strength and fortitude. And buckets of patience. 
Don’t slap the snooze. I could’ve slapped the snooze button or shoved hubby out of bed first, but I craved those few minutes alone and the comfort that comes with routine more than sleep.
Exercise. The Mayo Clinic lists seven benefits from exercise, like weight control, improved mood, energy boost, and…improved sleep? Ha! Who needs help improving sleep with a five year old around? But, the energy boost I could use and there’s something about the peace of an early morning walk that calms an anxious spirit. 

Adjust your schedule. How can you maximize your efficiency? Arrange your day/week/month accordingly. My creative muse comes out to play in the mornings, so for me, this meant working primarily on non-creative writerly tasks for a couple days. What could you give up to make the day go more smoothly? Scale back to the bare minimum. Don’t stress yourself by worrying about tasks that aren’t important in the overall picture.
Caffeine. A giant cup in the morning chased by another in the afternoon provided just enough juice to power through without making me jittery.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What tips would you add?