pop-we Dinner Club Reviews Summer Kitchen Cafe

Sugar Cookies.

I had a game plan for this population-we™ (pop-we) Dinner Club outing. Knowing going in this cafe is all about comfort food, I had chosen to pick this Saturday night as my cheat night. At Summer Kitchen Cafe, temptation meets every patron at the door. The Omaha, Neb, restaurant has a full blown bakery counter. The smell of a bake shop engulfed us immediately. The counter had cakes, cookies, muffins, pecan rolls and pies. I snapped a picture of some sugar cookies and would decide later if that would be my dessert.

There are three locations in Nebraska: Omaha, Bellevue and LaVista. Each cafe offers catering and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Summer Kitchen is named after the gathering place where women would gather before the days of air-conditioning to: bake, cook and preserve produce. Having a separate building meant the women would not have to heat up the farmhouse. It also became the gathering place where family and guests would meet. The cafe website reads: "So, with that in mind, don't heat up the kitchen in your house tonight. Head out to the SUMMER KITCHEN. We'll be waiting for you with a big plate of something good to eat."

Most readers are aware that last year Brian and I joined LA Fitness (formerly known as Urban Active Fitness) and found a great personal trainer (Mike Good). As a result, we've turned a 180 in our lifestyle choices -- our exercising and eating habits have changed the most. When you've lost as much weight as we have you look at food in a much different way. That is why I decided this night, I deserved some down home cooking.

Waiting for the others to arrive in our party (one of those being my husband), I glanced over the menu. I immediately noticed a roast turkey & dressing meal. My mind was made up...or was it? I also noticed a southwest chicken quesadilla with a side taco salad. In all my days, I'd never seen a taco salad accompany a quesadilla. Now, I was torn, eat comfort food or a healthier alternative. Text messages went back and forth, and Brian finally announced he would not attend. He was clear across town at his friend's house for the guy's annual movie day/night. Later, he would tell me they watched '80s flicks until the wee hours. Now, I'm dateless, too! So, that turkey meal was looking very tempting.

Frustrated Mr. Brown stood me up, I was in even more a quandary. So, I borrowed a trick from my dad's eating out playbook and asked the waitress which she preferred: the turkey or quesadilla? The verdict was the southwest chicken quesadilla. She sat the dish in front of me and liked promised it came with a side taco salad. The chicken was tender, veggies still had a crunch to them; and the pepper jack cheese oozed out of the flour tortilla. It was tasty! The bonus was the side taco salad. Its crisp Romaine Lettuce, spicy meat, beans; and shredded cheese topped with a dollop of sour cream, was refreshing.

We had a small showing; there were seven of us in all. However, everyone was in agreement it made the evening nicer for visiting; since, they sat us at a round table. No gravy or sugar cookie for this gal tonight! I would indeed eat healthy and get to pick another cheat night. Thanks Caryn for a wonderful outing at Summer Kitchen! This evening, the Summer Kitchen is still a gathering place, which offers a big plate of something good to eat.

After compiling the surveys from the other foodies the pop-we Dinner Club gives Summer Kitchen: 4.42 star average on a scale of 1-5.

Atmosphere/Decor – 4.57

Southwest Chicken Quesadilla & Taco Salad.

Cleanliness – 4.42

Wait Staff – 4.42

Menu – 4.42

Food Presentation – 4.57

Food Portions – 4.42

Food Taste – 4.42

Cost (was the cost worth meal?) – 4.28

Noise Level – 4.28

Overall Experience – 4.42

For more information regarding directions or Summer Kitchen's menu, visit their website at http://www.summerkitchen.net/home.html.

Fellow population-we™ readers, if you've been to the Summer Kitchen leave us a comment and tell us what you thought?

Want to do this yourself? To review how to start your own dinner club, visit our January post about doing just that. Remember it is a template; tweak it to fit you and your friends’ tastes. pop-we Dinner Club: good food…good friends…good times.

-population-we™ blog post by Becky Bohan Brown

© 2013 population-we, LLC 
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Spring Garden Plan Available from Better Homes and Gardens

Like most novice gardeners, I can't wait to soon feel the sun on my face and earth beneath my fingers again. With that said--only two days remain (March 20) until spring--which means it's time to plan your garden. By no means am I a master gardener. All I've learned is what I've picked up gardening alongside my mother. A couple years ago we moved into a brand new house so when it comes to gardening we are starting with a clean slate. Intentionally, we've waited to plant around the foundation to allow the ground to settle. Yippee -- it's finally time! The general rule my mom taught me is to wait and plant until after Mother's Day. However, that doesn't mean we can't start planning now. This year, to help do so I've relied on Better Homes and Gardens' garden plan finder. Better Homes and Gardens is offering it free to online readers at http://www.bhg.com/gardening/garden-plan-finder/.

My plant selection.

At this site, get garden plans that meet your specific needs. Better Homes and Gardens offers two plans: a flower or a vegetable garden. You will need to know what United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) zone your state is in as well. Just click through the questions. You can fill it out as many times as you like. I originally picked a small garden and decided to do it again with a large garden plan, too. The final product includes a down loadable PDF of proposed flowers and a diagram showing you exactly where to plant each flower.

Be prepared to answer the following questions. No worries, it's multiple choice!

• How much time do you hope to spend in the garden each week?
• How much light does the garden site receive?
• Would you like a produce garden -- one that includes fruits and vegetables?
• Where do you live? (You have to know your zone here read below for details).
• What is your favorite plant from this list of beauties?
• Is your garden site small or large?
• How long have you been gardening?
• Is rainfall plentiful in your region or is a drought-tolerant garden the way to go?

On the very final question, they do ask if you want any of Better Home and Gardens' newsletters delivered to your in box, too? You can pick "no thanks" and opt out of course.

The USDA Hardiness Zone Map divides North America into 11 separate zones. Don't know what planting zone you reside in? Go here http://www.garden.org/zipzone and enter your zip code to find out. We live in Nebraska, which is 5A. Since we live in the Midwest, frost is a constant enemy to gardeners in our region; especially, early on in the planting season. I just follow my mom's rule and plant after Mother's Day. The Better Homes and Gardens' plan helps you determine the best plants for your landscape, sun, shade and climate needs to ensure success with every planting. My free plan came with an illustration of the garden, a detailed plant list and an easy-to-follow planting guide. This season thanks to my plant list, I'll plant a Sun-Loving Garden for the North, courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens. Good luck planning and planting your gardens this spring!

-population-we™ blog post by Becky Bohan Brown
© 2013 population-we, LLC 
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