Veggie Update

thank you all for your suggestions in the veggie department. I broke out my juicer the other day and decided to try carrot/apple/orange juice on Jack. I juiced the carrots before he came in the kitchen and as he walked in was putting the orange in the juicer. He immediately wanted to help so we juiced together. He was so excited that he drank his juice right up. Now, I need to get some good recipes for veg/fruit combos. Anyone have any suggestions to offer? I am still serving veggies on his plate every night. I will win this battle!!!!

The Latest

We had a fun day today. I went to my parents because I had a gift card from Old navy that I wanted to use.Jack, my mom, and I went to get a few things. It was really hectic there because they are having a HUGE sale. It is so funny to see summer clothes when you are freezing your ass off in 12 degree weather. I also noticed the new trend with teens , not wearing any kind of winter gear at all! I at least wore a coat when I was in my teens! Jack started to fuss while we were in line so I told my mom to meet us at Petco. It happened to be adopt-a-pet day there so we were treated to an array of dogs and cats. I am always saddened when I see these animals without loving homes. We adopted our dog from the humane society and wish we could adopt more. We unfortunately cannot because we don't have the space or the time to devote towards new pets.





The restaurant has been doing very well since our great review from Sylvia rector!! We are going to send her a Thank you card this week! It is incredible how much business has increased since her column. I stopped by the other day to get a carry out at 2 pm and the whole restaurant was jam packed so I decided to go to my parents for a bite. I did not want to bother Jeorge while he was busy!! I saw some old friends from Seaholm( Matt Pollard and Brian Pistor) that I had not seen in yrs. It was great to catch up and hear the latest on some other people.

Bob's 60th

Susie Weed ( my 2nd mom) asked if we would have Bob's 60th bday at our restaurant and we were delighted!! Jeorge brought his A game to the menu and everything was divine!! He made chicken skewers with a peanut sauce and crab stuffed shrimp with a thai chili glaze. We had amazing tomato gorgonzola soup and a beautiful green salad with an array of veggies and toasted candied pecans. The main course was Chicken Piccatta with fresh asparagus or Salmon Rockefeller ( spinach, bacon, breadcrumbs and crab baked on the fish) with fresh asparagus!! Everyone had a grand time!!!! Kelly's husband Erik took some beautiful photos that show the inside of our place!! I liked the one of our mixer so I added it on there too! I added it twice by mistake but too much of a pain to delete it!! Thank you Weeds, we love you!!!

On a side note.... I lost the superbowl in my fantasy football league:(

Free Press Article

We are very excited because we got some more press!!!




ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Maple Leaf Café
***
out of four stars
297 E. Maple, Birmingham
248-723-1222
Fare: Creative, hearty, comfort-food breakfast and lunch dishes prepared from scratch with organic and natural ingredients. Good value. Vegan-vegetarian friendly.
Scene: Local flavor and retro touches create a friendly, off-beat atmosphere in a tiny place with an open kitchen just inside the door. Extremely casual.
Service: Friendly servers make you feel at home.
Price: Breakfast mostly $5.50-$8.95. Lunch $7.25-$9.95.
Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m-3p.m. Sat-Sun
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Entertainment
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Dining Out
Maple Leaf Café is all about creativity
Chef cooks from scratch at 40-seat Birmingham restaurant
January 3, 2008
BY SYLVIA RECTOR
FREE PRESS RESTAURANT CRITIC
You don't usually expect the chef to greet you when you walk in for breakfast.
But at Maple Leaf Café, Jeorge Swanson often does, saying hello from the tiny open kitchen just inside the front door.
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His new breakfast and lunch place on Maple Road in downtown Birmingham is quite simple and small -- just 40 seats -- with an attitude that's more cool than quaint.
The oilcloth on the tables is retro green. The white walls are hung with enlargements of old Birmingham streetscapes and high school teams. And the clear resin countertop, which Swanson made, enshrines an array of collectibles, from Three Stooges and baseball cards to political buttons and Scrabble pieces.
But what really sets the Maple Leaf apart from dozens of other small cafés and diners is its fresh, interesting, from-scratch menu, created with almost all organic or natural ingredients.
The meats and poultry are naturally grown without hormones, Swanson says, while the eggs, dairy products, multigrain bread and as much produce as possible are organic.
The sweeteners for coffee are natural, and the beans used to brew it are fair-trade organic from the Rainforest Alliance. The sodas are all-natural, too; you won't find any Coke or Pepsi products here.
You will, however, find a varied collection of appealing dishes, served in Midwest-sized portions and loaded with flavor. The menu may be socially conscious, but that doesn't mean it's boring, bland or skimpy.
The breakfast lineup features a dozen creative entrees.
Among the sweet choices, my favorite was the wonderfully light and fluffy sweet-potato pancakes ($6.25), topped with a scoop of pecan-laced honey butter and served with a side of real whipped cream -- a dreamy combination.
If eggs are more your style, order the Apachee ($8.95), a three-egg scramble with Southwestern spices, peppers and Jack cheese and an unusual but memorable side of spicy rice cakes -- moist and creamy inside with a crisp, crumb-coated exterior.
The delicious crab cakes topped with poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce with a side of excellent house potatoes is the most expensive breakfast dish at $13.95 but worth the price.
The fluffy three-egg omelets -- served with toast, homemade jam and those tasty spuds -- are a good value at $8.95 with your choice of three fillings from a list of 20.
Lunch offerings range from sandwiches on thick, fresh bread to juicy half-pound-plus burgers and four hot entrees.
The aptly named Five-Star Meatloaf ($9.95) is sliced, grilled and kicked up with a sweet, peppery barbecue sauce. Fresh broccoli and smashed redskins, deliciously laced with green onions and cheddar, come on the side. For meatloaf fans, it doesn't get any better than this.
The Gold Medal Grilled Cheese ($7.50) will appeal to grownup tastes with its combination of provolone, Gruyere and feta cheeses, baby spinach, red onion, toasted almonds and lemon-oregano aioli on thick slices of grilled challah bread. It's one of the restaurant's several hearty, well-conceived vegetarian options.
And the extra-large, juicy burgers made with Certified Angus Beef come with generous toppings and some serious fries ($8.25-$9.25).
The Maple Leaf is Swanson's first restaurant but clearly not his first kitchen. His resume includes top jobs at Sweet Lorraine's and Lily's Seafood.
This little place won't impress you with expensive décor, but if you appreciate good food, you'll like its style.
Contact SYLVIA RECTOR at 313-222-5026 or srector@freepress.com.

xmas 07

It is hard to believe Christmas has come and gone already. It always seems to creep up on us and then disappear in the blink of an eye! We had a superb Christmas this year. We spent Xmas Eve with my parents and Erich and Tonya. I am happy to report that we did not have a table catastrophe this time around. I was nervous taking a picture of the table before we ate because of what happened on Thanksgiving! If you have not read my blog before, refer to Thanksgiving massacre! We were spoiled by both of our meals on the eve and Xmas day. My mom made Halibut with a buerre blanc sauce, fresh steamed asparagus, and lemon rice. Jeorge decided to do Xmas dinner this year at our Restaurant and we had a FEAST!!My dad thought we hired servers because he saw my sister in law Tammy in her Xmas apron. I have included a pic of my sister in law's in their Xmas aprons. Jeorge mastered his craft as usual, and to our stomach's delight served us Crab stuffed shrimp, clam chowder, garlic mashed potatoes, cole slaw, salad, gourmet mac n cheese with cheddar, Gruyere, Swiss, and feta with baked breadcrumbs, and the main attraction standing Rib roast with Au jus and for extra love horseradish cream sauce! Thank you jeorge!!! After all of that food I was not able to fathom eating dessert but there was a spread waiting for us at my brother and sister in law's house. We had a gourmet chocolate cake, white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, brownies, cookies and anything else you can think of. I was a good girl and only had a very small brownie:) We all had a blast opening presents! We all gathered in the living room and a person was assigned to pass out all the gifts, and then it was a free for all. All you could hear was the wrapping paper crackling, thank you and I love yous and laughter. It is always a fun time and the kids love all the excitement! Thank you for your hospitality Sammy and Jeff!!

On a side note, I am looking forward to this weekend! My team The Beer Goggles has made the Superbowl in Fantasy Football. I could make history in our league if I win. It will be the first time anyone has won twice! Please wish me luck! Have a wonderful New Year!!!

xmas tree fun

We decorated our tree tonight and it was a lot of fun. Jack was very animated and kept saying "Our Christmas Tree is Beautiful"!! We were sad because our angel from last Christmas was lost. Jack told us that we could just reach up in the sky and grab a star. James was mesmerized by the tree and could not keep his eyes off of it! We decided to just put a wreath outside this year to conserve energy. Jeorge is cooking Xmas dinner at the restaurant for our family and it should be delish!!!

Random

Things are good at Chez Swanson. I was treated to a cut and color from my parents this week and decided for a new color. I have had the same color scheme practically my whole life and decided it was time for a change. I went for an auburn and have included a pic of james and I. In other news, the restaurant is doing well. The free press was there taking pictures for our review that comes out next week in the food section. Now for my geek side, I am very happy because my Fantasy Football Team snuck in the playoffs. GO BEER GOGGLES! We hope everyone has a great Holiday season.