The city of Kalamazoo, Michigan, being a college town, is known both for its very expensive places to eat, as well as its budget-friendly restaurants. There are places to go if you do have a bit of money to spend, such as Websters--which I don't advise you to go to unless you have a lot of money--or Sol's, a breakfast buffet, also located in the Radisson Hotel--which is also kind of on the expensive side, as is Zazio's.
Our entrees arrived as we were finishing the last bites of brie. David's macaroni had a sharp flavor from the Guinness and Irish cheddar cheese. Unfortunately, perhaps because of the Guinness, the sauce was runny and almost seemed soupy instead of the more traditional gooey slow cooker mac and cheese with cottage cheese. He still enjoyed it, but it left something to be desired.
There are some steadfast rules when it comes to crockpot cooking. Some meals require ingredients to be added in stages. Most stews require the macaroni cheese for a crowd to be cook for a few hours before firm vegetables are added.
Be sure to plan on lots of outdoor activities for your august birthday party. But make sure you've got some structure. A dozen children running around your house and yard is not an ideal situation for anyone. If sports are not on the agenda maybe some fun contests finger painting or even a small petting zoo if your budget macaroni cheese allows can make your august birthday a hit. Make a note on your birthday invitation about your plans so kids con come dressed in appropriate attire.
And not just because it's so much fun. This is advice you've heard, but it works. Sneak veggies into otherwise favorite, non vegetable bearing entrees. Do you have a kid who will eat nothing but slow cooker mac and cheese and cheese? I suggest you try dicing up carrots very small (or buying them diced up into small pieces) and mixing them into the mac and cheese. Corn works well too. Inconspicuous choices work best. Green vegetables are easily worked into tomato based sauces. It's amazing what you can work into spaghetti sauce, when it's diced up small enough. Put bananas in the cereal. Make "French fries" out of sweet potatoes (but by all means, bake them, don't fry).
Once you have each of the items ready, just put them in a 3-4 quart crockpot. Cover and prepare dinner on Lower temperature for 8 hours. Serve it with rice or pasta together, and you'll have a satisfying food.
His Group of Friends. - The entourage that he rolls with; who do the consist of? Are they high school friends, nearly exclusively? Or is it a pretty good mix of people from various stages of his life? If he keeps the company of the people that he's known since high school (aka forever) then he may have issues with trust and/or could be averse to change or stepping outside of his comfort zone. This could also indicate a strong sense of loyalty. If his circle of friends has a large variety then, yeah, that's someone who's not afraid to mix things up and probably open to newer experiences and offers something new more often.
I ended the night with a signature cocktail, I can't even explain other than it's sort of a cross between a Cosmo and a Kir Royal, pretty pink but not too sweet.
For breakfast, try Victory's Banner on Roscoe St. I love home-made French toast as do most kids and this one is really yummy and tastes like it has lots of nice extras. The omelets are really delicious too. If your family likes a little more ethnic foods, there is the Julius Meinl Cafe on Southport that features sausage favorites, tortes and awesome coffee. And if you really like pizza, you will want to try Pizza Rustica on Sheridan; I love the fresh tomatoes good crusts.