Beltway Bambinos

(re) discover Washington DC through the eyes of your children

Holiday tea for families in and around Washington, DC

Holidays are a time for creating memories, whether it be continuing a family tradition or beginning new ones. I’ve been lucky enough to go to a few high teas; my favorite was at The Plaza Hotel in New York City with my best friend followed by a Holiday Tea at the Willard Intercontinental with family. For those of you looking to take your Bambinos {or go without kids} here’s a list of some venues in our area where you can enjoy tea and crumpets; most with a holiday theme and following covid guidelines.

Photo: Pentagon City Ritz Carlton Kids Tea at Fyve

The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City is now offering Afternoon Tea, bringing a time-honored tradition at an affordable price – all with safety and the health of guests in mind. Offered in their fyve restaurant, the hotel’s Afternoon Tea service is available at three price points, including a Teddy Bear Tea for children. It’s the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion or for those just looking for a weekend respite from the day-to-day. The selection includes:   

  • Teddy Bear Tea
    • Selection of Children’s Tea Sandwiches
    • Chef’s Sweet Plate
    • Hot Chocolate or Tea

Afternoon Tea is currently available Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Starting November 12, tea will be offered Thursday- Sunday, 12:00pm – 3:00pm. Come December 3, tea will be served every day from 12:00pm – 3:00pm. guests can make a reservation at (703) 412-2762. 

Served Saturday & Sunday, 12:00pm to 4:00pm, as part of the regularly served Afternoon Tea. Enjoy the Ritz-Carlton Tea experience with your young ones with a menu especially designed for guests ages 12 and under.

They offer a Kids Dessert Tea Tour as well as high tea and various other kids events.

The Willard’s Holiday Afternoon Tea is one of the hotel’s most cherished holiday traditions. Seated in the grandeur of Peacock Alley, among the festive decor and elegant sounds of the harp, guests can enjoy a tantalizing array of festive teas, sandwiches and seasonally inspired pastries. Holiday Afternoon Tea is offered Seating Time: 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. (90-minute dining restriction) Offered:  Friday – Sunday, December 4-20, 26th.

The soothing sounds of local musicians fill the room, as you enjoy Afternoon Tea in the cozy atmosphere of The Shapiro Music Room at Strathmore. They do hold special events around various holidays so check their schedule to plan ahead. Charles Dickens’ Tea and Mrs. Claus Tea are a few of the popular holiday teas.

Not holiday specific. Seating is limited, so reservations are encouraged. $28.50 per person inclusive of tax and gratuity.All tea sandwiches and pastries are served family-style. 

Creativity is called for every Christmas season.  This year it is especially important to create good times and fun memories for all. Joyfully, in the past years, Mrs. B and St. Nick often sat together for a private tea party to review the ‘naughty and nice’ list of little children. Now Mrs. B invites little ones to join her and Santa for a special event. This is the 9th year for them getting together for tea and you are invited! Please join in what promises to be a merry and memorable time for you and your children.  It will be a festive party as only Mrs. B can create with her team of hard working little elves who love Christmas time.  All ages are welcome but children under 4 years old are required to have a parent in attendance. Tickets are limited to children only. Each and every child will have professional photos available for downloading to share with family and friends, far and near, the week following. This holiday season will be so special by starting it with Mrs. B, Santa Claus and her merry team of elves.

Enjoy a special dining experience with a variety of dainty tea sandwiches and assorted sweet treats. Several dates for Holiday Tea and Santa events. Situated within Tyson Corner Mall with access to Santa, an ice skating rink, Pottery Barn Kids, the Disney Store and over-the-top holiday decorations! See a guest review on an afternoon at Tysons.

Other establishments that offer tea service, not all with a holiday focus but some with children in mind:
The Tavern at the Henley Park Holiday Tea
Children’s Holiday Tea at The Mandarin Oriental
The Jefferson
Tea Cellar in the Park Hyatt Washington
The St. Regis

The Lodge at The Yards socially-distant outdoor dining experience

Following the sold-out success of Glamp Yards in October, The Yards, DC’s most exciting waterfront neighborhood for living, dining, shopping and relaxing, is bringing back the socially-distanced curated dining experience with a new twist. While it may not be cold enough to ski, The Yards will host a socially-distanced après ski-themed area called The Lodge at The Yards, which will accommodate 2-4 guests each. Similar to Glamp Yards, the instagram-worthy individual areas will feature alpine-chic decor and cozy seating in an exclusive section of the Sun Deck. Special snacks and drinks only available for Lodge patrons from several of The Yards’ restaurants will round out the rustic experience – no skis, boots or lift passes required!

Lodge seating is available by reservation only and can be reserved for 90-minute windows for the evening on Friday, November 20th and during the day on Saturday, November 21st and Sunday, November 22nd. 

On Saturday and Sunday mornings from 10:00am-11:30am, Lodge reservations will be kid and parent-friendly with safe, socially-distanced activities for young ones within the Lodge area. Now the whole family can enjoy a cozy outdoor experience with no waiting in line for ski lifts!

Reservations include snack boxes and drinks from a variety of restaurants in three different tiers: 

  • Trail Run (serves 2 guests) – $50 
  • Back Country (serves 4 guests) – $100
  • Double Black Diamond (serves up to 4 guests with additional exclusive treats) – $150

At the time of your reservation, you will pick up drink and snack boxes from your restaurant of choice and head to your Lodge seating area to relax and enjoy. Guests can also purchase items from other participating restaurants from The Yards via QR codes at their lodge site. 

WHEN: Reservations can be purchased (TODAY) Monday, November 9th at 10am on Tock while they last! Lodge seats are reservation-only for all seatings and can be reserved for 90-minute windows with 30 minutes in between reservations for sanitization. The Lodge will be open from:

  • November 20th
    • 4:30pm-10:00pm
  • Saturday, November 21st
    • 10:00-11:30am for families
    • 12pm-9:30pm 
  • Sunday, November 22nd
    • 10:00am-11:30am for families
    • 12pm-7:30pm 

WHERE: The Yards Sundeck, located between Ice Cream Jubilee and District Winery. Directions can be found here. The Yards is metro accessible via the Navy Yard Metro on the Green line and Capitol South Metro on the Orange/Blue line. Parking is also available on The Yards’ surface parking lots. The Lodge is rain or shine.

HOW: Reservations are open beginning Monday, November 9th at 10am via Tock. Reservations include snack boxes and drinks from the restaurant of your choice are available for $50, $100, or $150 per group. 

SAFETY MEASURES: Guests will have their temperature taken before they enter the Lodge area and each space will be sanitized between service. Per DC COVID-19 mandates, guests will be required to wear masks anywhere outside their designated seating area and the Lodge will not exceed 48 people at any given time. 

Get in the spooky spirit with COOK KITZ

This Halloween season certainly is different and while some may be carrying on with traditional trick or treating others may not. We want to highlight a local business that can help you celebrate Halloween in the comfort of your home.

COOK KITZ

COOK KITZ was featured last month on our blog. We loved the curated box that arrived at our doorstep which had step by step directions for baking. This month you can get a Halloween themed box! This KITZ includes all the ingredients and supplies for the spider web cookies, edible slime and 3 interactive games. It does not include ingredients for the spooky lunch menu, however we share a grocery list + recipes if you choose to make this optional activity.

COOK KITZ delivers weekly themed cooking boxes to your doorstep

COOK KITZ delivers all-inclusive, educational and delicious family cooking projects to your doorstep for all ages. What began as a way to keep your family deliciously occupied during quarantine, has now become a household staple- there’s always a reason to have a COOK KITZ on hand!

Each themed KITZ provides “choose-your-own-adventure” elements that teach basic cooking techniques paired with culinary imagination and recipe versatility! This service provides a fun, family activity that does not require any pre-planning and is fully curated, scripted and totally flexible for when you need something to do!

Each delivery includes all pantry and fridge ingredients, detailed instructions and overviews for each recipe and any specialty tools or equipment needed for the project. You also have the option to pickup the kits.

Past KITZ have included; Go Crazy for Cookie Dough, Popsicle Party, “Grow’ Your Own Focaccia Garden and more.

This fall, COOK KITZ launched their first 4-in-1 KITZ series in partnership with Creative Enrichment. The series gives kid chefs an inside look at the baking process and how using different ingredients impacts rise, taste and texture of baked goods. Click here to purchase a kit!!

My kids made the current KITZ which is biscuits + strawberries + cream. What I loved about this box was that there were instructions for each age group. My nine year old could make the recipe by himself while reading through it with his younger sister who also was a part of the cooking. The instructions are age appropriate and easy to follow with just the right amount of information. We will definitely be ordering from COOK KITZ as a way to intertwine math, reading, cooking and togetherness this school year. The best part is, I get to reap the benefits of this tasty new service.

Fun from home: 5 ingredient healthy popsicles

Our fun from home series has given you an easy and quick slime recipe, directions to make a bird feeder with a milk carton, a recipe for homemade ice cream without a machine as well as a mesmerizing cloud dough recipe. Today we will give you a quick, 5 ingredient healthy and refreshing popsicle recipe for these summer afternoons.

Need popsicle molds?
Silicone molds with various shapes (zombie, penguin, tiki, monster, dino and sword)
Stainless steel mold
Ice cream cone mold
Standard mold with wooden sticks

Popsicle molds linked above

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup of a liquid (for a creamier popsicle use yogurt or fruit juice for a more traditional popsicle)
  • 2 1/2 cup of any fruit (berries, pineapple, mango, peaches, pineapple)
  • 4-6 tablespoons of honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions:

Step 1: Mix ingredients in a blender until smooth
Step 2: Pour into six popsicle molds and secure the sticks and lids
Step 3: Freeze for 8 hours or overnight
Step 4: Release from the molds by running warm water over the mold. Do not keep the popsicles in the mold.  To freeze for later, once the popsicles are removed from the molds place them on a baking sheet to flash freeze them for 30 minutes and then store in a container or ziploc in the freezer until you are ready to eat them.

Recipe makes 6 popsicles

Inspiration for eating dinner at home: week 3

Hopefully your family is staying healthy and you are starting to get into a better routine. Our family made the decision to support DC’s restaurants once a week and order from a place that was offering contactless or curbside pick-up. We’ve been using some tips we have read to minimize any spread of the virus when ordering take-out. You can find our family meal plans from week 1 and week 2 of quarantine. If you are prepping for Passover, here is a list of to-go options.
A local resident started Feed the Fight which sends meals to those on the frontlines if you are interested in sending a meal.
Lastly, The Defined Dish has a Quarantine Meal Plan worth checking out for your meal planning purposes.

Dinners
Day 1: Quiche from Delish {throw in veggies that may be going bad} with our new go-to Winter Crunch Salad from Bon Appetit.
Day 2: Frozen burgers we had on hand because in our Imperfect Box this week we ordered hamburger buns. We made sweet potato fries with sliced sweet potatoes that were also delivered in our Imperfect Box.
Day 3: Fusilli & Roasted Cauliflower with Capers from Melissa Clark {HIGHLY RECOMMEND}
Day 4: Celebrated my husband’s birthday with dinner from Rose’s Luxury.
Day 5: We did the 2 night dinner option from Rose’s Luxury so we enjoyed another night of delivery, contactless dinner!
Day 6: Harissa Chicken with Leeks, Potatoes and Yogurt from Melissa Clark {HIGHLY RECOMMEND}

Desserts
Chocolate Babka from Dinner with Julie
Peanut Butter Cheesecake from Bake or Break

My kids were the chefs again when it came to the desserts. I’ve decided baking is a time I let go and allow them to measure while making a mess and be in charge of adding the ingredients while reading the recipe. They are then in charge of cleaning up the mess and after-all it just killed 30-45 minutes of time! These knives have worked great for our kids in the kitchen.

Drink
For those of you wanting to get some alcohol delivered to your door, this article showcases many ways.

Past posts:
Connect virtually with friends & family
Friday freebies #1
Friday freebies #2
Best places to see cherry blossoms to avoid crowds
Virtual weekday adventures
13 kid-worthy podcasts
20 classic outdoor games to introduce to your kids
Hour by hour weekday live streaming events and activities for kids
Sample schedules and ideas for the week
Educational resources at your fingertips

Inspiration for eating dinner at home: week 2

Below are the dinners I made over the course of the week for the entire family. I thought this week was going to be more difficult to make fresh meals because I wasn’t going to the grocery store. However, we ordered our weekly box from Thrive Market which supplied us with all the produce we needed and we ordered from Instacart and lucked out with them providing us with most of what we needed. We are also fortunate to have a small market in our neighborhood that we have popped into a few times. If you are in need of more recipes that use pantry basics this is a great resource from Bon Appétit. These meal planning pads from Rachel Rosenthal have been so helpful. We complete it each week and hang on or refrigerator to ensure we are using all of our fresh foods.

Dinners
Day 1: Cheesy Chicken Pasta from Inside Bru Crew Life {quick and delicious recipe for any leftover chicken} with Bibb Salad from Defined Dish
Day 2: Spaghetti Squash and ground chicken meatballs from Real Simple
Day 3: Crockpot Chicken Taco Bowls from Defined Dish {used veggies we had that were going bad}
Day 4: Ordered and picked up from Anju and made a batch of bone broth that I froze to make a soup with later from Defined Dish
Day 5: Bowtie Pasta from Magnolia Table with Kale Salad from Bon Appetit
Day 6: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes- here is a recipe but we just use what we have. This week we used beans, ground turkey, cheese, avocado, bacon and corn.
Day 7: Celebrated our 10th anniversary by picking up food from The Dabney and the kids made homemade pizza.

Desserts
Vanilla Cupcakes from Food Network
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins from Danielle Walker {froze the remaining zucchini as well as half of the muffins to defrost at a later time}

My kids were the chefs again when it came to the desserts. I’ve decided baking is a time I let go and allow them to measure while making a mess and be in charge of adding the ingredients while reading the recipe. They are then in charge of cleaning up the mess and after-all it just killed 30-45 minutes of time! These knives have worked great for our kids in the kitchen.

Drink/Breakfast
Smoothie bowl- We freeze Stasher bags of washed kale, mix in frozen fruit {1/2 cup of mango and a banana typically}, a scoop of protein powder, a scoop of peanut butter and about 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk for more sweet and less think we use flavored coconut water. We add toppings and eat with a spoon. Some favorite toppings include coconut chips, chia seeds, berries, sliced banana, a scoop of peanut butter and/or dried fruit.

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Hour by hour weekday live streaming events and activities for kids
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Inspiration for eating dinner at home

Social distancing has meant we’ve all been eating at home now {and for my husband and I– we are now making coffee} for a week. I’ve always enjoyed cooking dinner and recipe planning but part of of that process is physically choosing food; touching it, reading labels and smelling produce at the store. We’ve lost the ability to do some of that– in my case I’m choosing not to go into a store right now, so I am relying on what a delivery service has to offer. Cooking at home is an added task we are all taking on now. We can handle it but it is no longer my favorite meal of the day. Prior to this virus, dinner was a time to connect and learn about each others days and well, we know how everyone’s days were because we’ve been isolated in a house together ALL DAMN DAY. So the time around the table has taken on new levels of communications– how are you feeling about being home and not at school? What do you want to learn about tomorrow? I digress….as dinner and meal planning are the least of our concerns, I am aware! In an attempt to make meal planning a bit easier for everyone, I will share a weekly roundup for you all. Would love to hear what you’ve made in the comments.

Below are the dinners I made over the course of the week for the entire family. Insert a tiny positive outcome from this virus– I am no longer making a kid meal in addition to an adult meal– Mama don’t have time {or patience} for that! Keep in mind these meals were made when we had the freshest ingredients as well as the opportunity to meal plan. This upcoming week, we will provide you with more meals that use pantry and staple items. If you like myself are avoiding stores, these are where I have been placing orders from: Thrive Market & Imperfect Foods. Thrive has a 10 day delayed shipping time while Imperfect delivers weekly. You can also order from Amazon Fresh or Amazon Whole Foods.

Dinners
Day 1: Ordered from our neighborhood spot joint Comet Pizza
Day 2: Defined Dish- Baked Mongolian Beef {we used chicken} Meatballs
Day 3: Delish- Ramen
Day 4: Food & Wine- Pesto Lasagna {we used plant based ‘meat’}
Day 5: Put in an order with a neighbor and devoured {picked up curbside} from Emmy Squared
Day 6: Barefoot Contessa- Crispy Mustard-Roasted Chicken
Day 7: Defined Dish- Whole 30 Steak Frites
Day 8: Defined Dish- Crunchwrap Supreme

Desserts
Smitten Kitchen- Brown Butter Rice Krispies {There is NO better recipe}
Cooking with Coit- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

My kids were the chefs when it came to the desserts. I’ve decided baking is a time I let g o and allow them to measure while making a mess and be in charge of adding the ingredients while reading the recipe. They are then in charge of cleaning up the mess and after-all it just killed 30-45 minutes of time! These knives have worked great for our kids in the kitchen.

Drink
Restaurants in DC can now deliver and do takeout alcohol, so long as you purchase one food item. Washingtonian has put together a list of options for you! I LOVE eating out, supporting our community, trying new cuisines and new restaurants while socializing and I miss that so much and it’s only been one week. So we may try this option at some point.

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