Eat/Drink/Be Merry
Showing posts with label Eat/Drink/Be Merry. Show all posts

I Am a Cheater and a Quitter and What We've Been Eating Lately


Enjoying gazpacho
... and pickles!
Back in June I decided to do the Whole 30 program. I wasn't trying to lose weight but mostly press the restart button on my eating habits, so to speak. I hadn't been going crazy with the sweets, but I wasn't being careful about my sugar intake and I wanted (still want) to keep my insulin levels at bay. I am not diabetic, but my fertility issue has to do with excess insulin, and if we're going to be blessed with another baby in the future, I am to get back on track.

I was doomed from the beginning. With Father's Day in the middle of the month, I went into the whole thing allowing myself one "cheat" that day to celebrate. I had a small piece of cake, and then went back on track. But it was around that time (after 2 weeks on the program) that I started getting pretty annoyed that I wasn't feeling any different. Maybe it had to do with not exercising (if you don't count running after a toddler exercising -- I really don't). I thought, with all this healthy food, why don't I feel amazing? Other than the no exercise issue, the one theory I had was that since I was generally very good at eating healthy meals before starting the program and most of the foods I was cooking were recipes from my normal repertoire, there wasn't a vast enough change in my diet to make a marked difference in my life. I am sure there was plenty of good going on inside, I just didn't notice it. By day 26 or so, I had cheated again, eating a burger while out with my family. By day 28, I had quit.

Even though I have proven to myself in the past that I have very strong willpower when it comes to food, why didn't I have enough discipline to finish this program? Well, I think it has do with lots of things. Firstly, motivation. When I gave up soy/dairy/gluten/sugar/alcohol/caffeine for five months, I was motivated by the idea of conceiving a baby. Now that I have a child, that motivation is not as strong. Also, I went into the program thinking it was a sort of cleanse and that I would more or less keep up the discipline even after the program ended, so it really felt like there was no end in sight. 

The whole program just felt too restrictive. No beans? I mean, that month was so EXPENSIVE because of all the meat. I think a couple of bean-based vegetarian meals per week are harmless. Also, on my get-pregnant diet, I was "allowed" gluten-free grains and seeds like oatmeal, quinoa, and kasha. Those grains add bulk and variety to meals, and to not have them during Whole 30 really messed with me. Not that I missed those foods, but I just felt so, well, restricted. I think gluten-free grains are fine in moderation. I think the same could be said for lots of foods. 

I don't eat cake, donuts, bread, or other baked goods every day. Maybe once a week. I do, however, eat the frozen yogurt bars from Costco almost every day, so that's going to have to stop. I will go back to no soy/dairy/gluten/sugar/alcohol/caffeine starting September 1, so I will have some restrictions for sure, but just knowing that beans, regular potatoes, and oatmeal is OK makes me at peace with it all. ;)

Despite quitting Whole 30 at the end of June, we've still been enjoying some delicious, fresh, unprocessed or minimally-processed meals with a focus on seasonal produce. Here are some of our no-cook or minimally-cooked lunch and dinner favorites on rotation this summer: Gazpacho, Greek salad with grilled chicken, and pinto bean corn tostadas topped with sauteed cabbage and onion. For breakfast we've enjoyed Birchermuesli, bacon and sweet potato hash (I took this recipe and swapped out the apples for sweet peppers, but come fall I will use apples again), and celery root "hash browns." As for dessert, we've enjoyed lots of cantaloupe, honeydew, and piel de sapo melon! Yum!

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First Birthday Party: Farm or Barnyard Theme Menu

Food Tent Cards by Three Little Monkeys Studio
I enlisted the help of Grandma and Grandpa Wallis (my mom and stepdad) as well as my sister to help out with the food, so first, a big thanks to them!!

Here is what we served at Hunter's party:

Snacks
Cheese "Degustation"
Sample five different unmarked cheeses. Number sheet 1-5 and guess the name of each cheese. We offered Manchego, Gruyere, Jarlsberg, Cheddar, and Gouda. This was more for the adults, and I am kind of disappointed that more people didn't participate. Maybe living in Switzerland made us cheese snobs (OK, it did).

"Rabbit Food"
Arrange veggie sticks in cups (candy cups form Michael's). Serve with hummus.

"Chicken Coop"
My mom made these deviled eggs that look like little chicks. She cut up black olives for the eyes and carrots for the beak. How cute is that? (Idea from here.)

Savory
Grandpa Wallis's Chili
The main dish was my stepdad's "signature" chili that he loves to make, and which he lovingly served to our guests. 

Caesar Salad
I so wanted to make little "stand-up" salad bundles like the ones I saw here, but I could not get the darn green onions to tie. Some things you've just got to let go when you're doing them an hour before the party starts ;)

"Silo" Wraps
We served vegan, veggie, gluten-free, and turkey options. Easy to make and so much tastier than store-bought. Sample assembly: Pre-cook mushrooms, zucchini strips (thinly sliced length-wise), and radicchio in coconut oil. Spread plain hummus over spinach gluten-free tortilla (Rudi's Bakery). Arrange a radicchio leaf with some mushrooms on top and two slices of zucchini. Roll up the wrap, and slice! (Idea from here.)

"Chicken Feed"
I wanted to serve a gluten-free grain, so I went with quinoa. I sauteed celery in some coconut oil, and then tossed it with raisins and cooked quinoa. For the dressing I mixed orange juice (1/2 orange), lemon juice (whole lemon), mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Sweet
"Horse Treats"
Sliced green apples (drizzled with lemon juice to keep from browning) with paleo "caramel" dip. (The only thing I did differently is soak the dates overnight before removing the pit and processing them with the other ingredients.) Oh my goodness, that dip is the best dip ever. Better than actual caramel.

"Hay Bales"
These are healthy rice crisp treats made with brown rice cereal, brown rice syrup, coconut oil, and almond butter. (Based on this recipe with some omissions and substitutions.)

"Cow Pies"
These gooey candies are made with vegan carob chips, almond milk, dates, and coconut chips. (Based on this recipe, and I left out the almond slivers.)

I maybe had a little too much fun planning this menu. Can you tell? ;)

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Party-Planning Tips

Details: Borrowed teacup and saucer, vintage floral napkins my mom made, and food tent labels from Paper Dime Design
I hate to get all "first-world problems" on the blog, but I have to vent a little. And also record some notes-to-self for future party planning. People who do event planning for a living must really be organized/have patience/love what they do.

So, as you may have noted from this post, my sister's bridal shower was just lovely. And I am pretty sure that every bridal shower that ever was ended up being just as lovely. It's because it is such a happy time that even if everything isn't perfect, the guests will still have a good time, and the bride will still get showered with gifts. I know it's silly to dwell on "what went wrong" because in the eyes of the guests, everything went right.

The guests rarely ever notice that the handmade paper bunting that you spent all morning cutting out of scrapbook paper never actually got assembled or hung, that the crepe paper photo booth backdrop you planned on never came to fruition because the crepe paper got lost in the post, or that the tulle pompoms you finished that morning didn't get placed where you had asked the very helpful people you delegated to hang them, and you felt bad having them redo it so you just left it. 

In fact, I really should just give myself a high-five that the whole thing came together despite the fact that my baby was running a fever and had to see the doctor that morning, I still had a batch of quiche cups to make, and I didn't arrive at the party house to set up until an hour before the shower. Thank goodness for all the helpers. We couldn't have pulled it off without them. I spent that hour barking out commands left and right, worried about my baby, and hoping my sister would love her shower. And because it was everything she wanted it to be despite any hiccups, all that stressing added nothing to my life. To avoid putting myself in a stressful situation like that again, I thought I'd give myself a few tips for next time.

1. Always buy extra balloons. Helium tanks can be unwieldy, and balloons break. If you have a vision of what you want the balloons to look like, don't get just enough balloons to make that happen. Get a few more just in case. Same goes for forks and plates (but I was on top of that). You can always stash this in a box with party extras and use them in the future.

2. Don't leave major projects for the morning of the party. Only things that can be easily delegated to others should be left for the day of, like picking up flowers or food. 

3. Take photos of your decor design ideas so that others can help recreate it. Many people asked me over the phone what they could do to help while they waited for me to arrive, and I had a hard time describing it, so they just ended up waiting for me to get there...

4. Keep things in perspective. I recognize that I should count my blessings. For some families, it's just not possible to go all out for things like wedding showers or first birthday parties. I feel blessed that we are able to celebrate life events in this manner. Remember that these occasions are supposed to be celebrations, not reasons to go crazy making everything perfect. As long as there is food, booze, and good company, it will all turn out great!

Got any other party-planning tips for me?

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Let the Wedding Festivities Begin -- A Bridal Shower!









My baby sister is getting married!

This past weekend both families hosted a Parisian-inspired vintage floral tea party (minus the tea party) bridal shower for the lovely bride. We wore hats. We ate French macarons out of teacups (and because of the heat, we did not end up drinking any tea out of the teacups). We played a couple of games (a hat contest, a quiz about Paris, and a poem inspired by this Pinterest pin). We ate sweet petit fours (that my mom baked! in an oven in a house with no air conditioning! in this heat!) and yummy tea sandwiches (that my sister's in-laws prepared). We drank Perrier, Kir Royale, and pink lemonade margaritas (because it's not a party for my sister without tequila). It was fabulous.

Next up, I'm planning the bachelorette party. There will be Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" and some Soul Train involved...

Photo credits: my mom and my aunts! 

Photo details, from top: my awesome aunt in the gift area; the patio with belly bars and balloons (I love balloons!); the bride loaning me her lip gloss; preparing the drinks; my momma in a vintage hat with the bride; the bride with her momma-in-law; my cousin's daughter and my grandmother; and various details, including cupcakes in the shape of a wedding gown, elephant ears, tarts, vanilla bean sablés, roses in teacups, and aqua-colored macarons with white chocolate ganache from this bakery.

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Best Ice Cream Shops in Central San Diego

Niederfrank's shop and factory
If, like me, you grew up with trips to the golden arches on special occasions, then you know all about nostalgia for those tiny soft-serve cones. Maybe your mom even let you flag down the ice cream truck to get an Orange Creamsicle. Unfortunately, those cheap treats have somehow lost their allure. These days, I crave real ice cream made with a list of ingredients that don’t include HFCS or carrageenan. And since I like supporting local businesses, here are my San Diego picks for that down-home ice cream parlor experience. Plus, lucky for me and my no-dairy policy as of late, each spot offers tasty sorbet options.

Don’t let the sometimes shady zip code deter you from trekking to this spot, the original factory since 1948. Here, the owners do things the old-fashioned way by handcrafting their ice cream in a giant 10-gallon batch freezer with only the purest ingredients: whole milk, sweet cream, and natural flavorings. What about the fudge in that scoop of Double Fudge Chocolate? It’s made in house. For the adventurous, try the Avocado or Lemon Custard.

726 A Avenue
National City, Ca
619-477-0828

OK, we get it. The owners love The Beatles, tie-dye, butterflies, and non-violent protest. Apparently, they also love making really good ice cream. Once you look past all the hippie memorabilia at this Normal Heights establishment, be sure to try the Cookies & Mint or classic Butter Pecan. Don’t forget to put your wooden spoon in the compost bin!

3450 Adams Avenue
San Diego, Ca
619-284-5197

It’s just like that one place that puts ice cream on a cold stone and you get to add your favorite mix-ins, only better! Plus, their flavors are made from scratch and rotated daily for freshness. My favorite is Cheesecake with crumbled graham crackers. YUM!

Two locations in Coronado, Ca:

1500 Orange Avenue (in Shops at the hotel) 
619-435-6611 

1025 Orange Avenue
619-435-2422
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Indulgences

Fig Pizza and Classic Margherita Pizza from BLAH
Mac and Cheese Burger from Small Bar
FATwich from JFAT
Eggs Benedict from JFAT

After sticking strictly to a gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and caffeine-free diet for five months, I learned that I have a lot of discipline and self-control when it comes to food. Well, that is when I have a motivating factor or goal in my mind. That goal was pregnancy, so now that I am pregnant, I find that any foods I eat that used to be big no-nos are not just treats but true indulgences. I don't feel guilty about eating these foods, but I am aware of how they are not necessarily the best food choices.

Now don't go thinking that this growing fetus is doped up on Pizza Hut, ok? If I do indulge, I make sure that my other meals are full of the wholesome goodness of yore. (And yes, I have had Pizza Hut twice during these 24 weeks, and OK, they just so happened to be during the last 2 weeks.)

So, what has my appetite been up to? Besides this, last week we walked to our favorite local restaurants for the last time as residents of Normal Heights: Blind Lady Ale House and Small Bar. For brunch on Sunday, we drove down to JFAT in Point Loma (where every brunch entree is served with tater tots, except for the creme brulee French toast, which is heavenly).

From this list I have yet to indulge in cheese fondue and raclette. When it finally cools down a bit, I will be sure to indulge in these favorite cheese dishes.
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Snippets From the Weekend

This weekend consisted of hikes, food, eating, walks and food. Not necessarily in that order.

Sweet drinks to go with lunch at the Cheese Shop (which I've mentioned in a previous post)
Isaiah's drink tasted like Apple Pie. Reed's uses real sugar not HFCS.
My Oogave drink was sweetened with agave!

Dutch Baby Pancake for Breakfast (Isaiah's new obsession...)

Served with Cherry Puree

Pizza and Salad from Napizza -- a new favorite featuring organic ingredients. Yes!

La Jolla Shores -- to walk off lunch

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Green Things: Nepitella and Gremolata

Uh, what? We've been ordering from Naturally to Your Door for about three months now. The green things that come in the box have been pretty standard: kale, arugula, bok choy, celery, butter lettuce, spinach, green garlic, rosemary, thyme and basil. 

This week we received a little surprise gift just for being a customer: a small package of Nepitella. I had never heard of this herb, so the attached description was quite useful. It is something of a cross between mint and oregano and grows wild in Italy. One suggestion was to serve it with mushrooms, so I tossed it in with this black bean and millet bowl recipe with maitake mushrooms, instead of the shiitake ones the recipe called for. Nepitella has a great fresh flavor, definitely more mint than oregano.

Some other green things that come in my produce box, that I usually discard, are bunches of carrot tops. Each week I get something like five medium-sized carrots, but the green tops are about two feet long and take up so much space in the box. The company suggests storing root veggies like carrots and beets in a bowl of water in the fridge, which means I usually have to trim off all the excess greenery so the carrots will fit in my fridge. Well, the other day I came across this recipe for carrot top gremolata. Follow this link, and I'll let sb&gb explain...


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Easter Meal with Dietary Restrictions

Got to use my vintage Pyrex dishes!
Since cutting out soy, gluten, dairy, refined sugar, etcetera, I've only had to endure two holiday meals: Christmas and Easter. Christmas wasn't that bad because our family serves tamales, which are gluten-free, and other finger foods, so the only thing I had to steer clear of was the dessert table.

This year for Easter, we kept it to a small gathering which meant we had a lot more control over the foods on offer. My mom is following a diet similar to mine to help her rheumatoid arthritis and my sister has been watching what she eats in general. The guys, well, they don't seem to mind all the health-nut stuff we've been feeding them. At least not too much :)

Here was our Easter menu, buffet-style:

We ate the Easter Bunny!
Conejo en Salsa de Chocolate (Rabbit in Chocolate Sauce -- the rabbit was Isaiah's idea! Twisted?) **The "sauce" didn't turn into the gravy we thought it would. It was more like a brothy gravy, still good, but we need to work on thickening it up next time. (We didn't follow the recipe exactly.)

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The Pearl: Hotel and Restaurant


I just love the look and feel of this hotel/restaurant/lounge in Point Loma (San Diego, CA). It's vintage yet modern. It's intimate yet lively. AND every first Sunday of the month you get $10 off their bottomless mimosa brunch when you ride your bike there. So ride our bikes we did. All the way from Normal Heights to Point Loma then through Ocean Beach and back home. After bottomless mimosas. Ha!

The brunch portions are not huge, leaving room for lots of OJ and champagne. However, note: If you are like me and need lots of food energy to make a bike go, do not order the french toast. It's delicious, yes, but I found the portion too small. Next time, I'm getting the steak and eggs.

P.S. Although the menu is generally not very budget-friendly, after the $10 discount, $12.50 (plus tax + tip) for food and bottomless mimosas is a steal!
P.P.S. The Pearl is actually promoted as a boutique hotel with a budget-friendly price tag starting at $99/night.
P.P.S. On June 25 the hotel will be hosting a vintage prom benefit. How fun is that?


Parcheesi Anyone?

More Retro Games for Guests' Enjoyment


Empty Glasses Means It's Time to GO!

For Your Rolodex:
1410 Rosecrans Street
San Diego, CA 92106
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Sicilian Festival 2011, San Diego, CA

May 22, 2011

The food, the music, the atmosphere: nothing says summertime like a good street festival. This year's Sicilian Festa did not disappoint. Held annually in San Diego's Little Italy, this year visitors got to squish grapes (with their feet!), savor arancini, and discover a bit of San Diego Harbor's Sicilian heritage. 

As a special treat, Giada De Laurentiis made an appearance to sign copies of her latest cookbook and do a cooking demonstration. 



Don't forget to enter my giveaway. One more week to go!
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Fair Trade Spotlight: Cafe Virtuoso

The Coffee Bar
Serving up house-roasted, organic Fair Trade certified coffee is virtuoso indeed.

We stop by every two weeks to pick up our beans and get a free 12 oz. cup of whatever's brewing.

We sit around, munch on bagels and cream cheese, and chat with one of the proprietors, Laurie.

She gives us something new to try.

We take our beans home, grind 'em up, and put 'em in a stove top coffeemaker.

When we buy the Amaro Gayo kind (not Fair Trade but certified by Women's Alliance), our coffee smells and tastes like blueberries. 

We ought to try one of their teas next.

Roasting Machine
In Stock
Beans from All Over the World
Teas
Green Beans!

For Your Rolodex:

Cafe Virtuoso
1616 National Ave
San Diego, CA 
(619) 550-1830

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I Miss My Local Swiss "Konditorei"

There is a long list of Swiss stuff I miss. Treats from the local pastry shop (Konditorei) like this chocolate-covered banana are right at the top of that list! Every time I describe this treat to friends, it just sounds a bit dirty. So I'll let the photo speak for itself. (See how the banana rests on a cookie bed and stays in place with a bit of sweet cream? Yummy!)

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Happy Easter!

On this rainy, lazy Sunday, we're thinking of our loved ones near and far. We wish you a wonderful Easter holiday and hope you're getting your fill of chocolate eggs and bunnies. By the way, how cute are these milk chocolate lambs? Not just adorable, they're made with delicious alpine whole milk. It wouldn't be Easter in Switzerland without some serious chocolate treats.

What are your plans for the holiday?


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Sicilian Treats: Savory and Sweet

Prior to our trip to Italy, I did a bit of research on typical Sicilian foods and found out about some fried rice balls called arancini. These rice balls are generally filled with meat sauce, mozzarella, and peas, and then they're dipped in bread crumbs and fried. YUM!

Although we planned to cook most of our meals on a camp stove, arancini seemed like the perfect lunch on-the-go. Even before arriving in Sicily, Isaiah had a chance to try one out for lunch on our way to catch the ferry. (And subsequently, we ate them every day for like five days straight.)

Now, at this particular place, you pay for your items first at the cassa and then hand your receipt to the clerk behind the counter who reheats your food and hands it over. So, the problem is the name arancini comes from the Italian word for orange, arancia, because they look like oranges. Also, an orange drink is called an aranciata. And another thing, sometimes you'll see the plural word for this treat as "arancine" (feminine plural) or "arancini" (masculine plural) -- this place used the feminine plural, which really screwed me up because that makes the singular "arancina." When I ordered for us, the man at the cassa must have thought I said aranciata because the man behind the counter looked at my receipt and then look at me kind of funny.

"Allora, vuoi una aranciata?" (So, you want an orange drink?)

"No, no. Ho sbagliato..." (No, no. I made a mistake...) I say, eying the arancine.

Switching to English, "Eh, you want-uh a rice-uh ball-uh?"

"Yes! I want a rice ball, please!"

Arancino filled with mozzarella

By the way, another yummy fried treat we loved was the rizzuola (rizzuole is the plural form) we had in Corleone. Try it!

As for sweets, oh there weren't enough hours in a day to try all the yummy typical desserts of Sicily. We tried a cannolo, babá (a cake dipped in rum sauce), bigné (sweet ricotta cream puff), and diplomatico (another sweet ricotta pastry/cake).

Ricotta Cake
Pistachio Cake

The pistachio cake we had one lunch wasn't my favorite -- it tasted like too much pistachio. Luckily, many Sicilian desserts share a similar ingredient: ricotta. The ricotta cake shown above was the standout of the bunch we had a chance to try.

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Mosterei Kobelt and Co.

Ever a proponent of purchasing homemade and locally-crafted goods, allow me to introduce you to a family-owned and operated gem tucked away in my neck of the woods: Kobelt and Co. Mosterei and Brennerei (Cidery and Distillery). Prominently located on the main road cutting through the village of Marbach, in the Rhine Valley, Kobelt and Co. proudly produces a line of elegant brandies, liqueurs, Süssmost, Apple juice, Apfelschorle, and more.

I had tried their signature Süssmost before as a guest in a friend's home, but until recently I hadn't realized that I could pick up my very own case of it so close to home. What exactly is Süssmost? According to one of the proprietors, Ruedi, "It's the Swiss name for sweet (unfermented) cider, or Apfelsaft." And Apfelschorle? Karen, co-proprietor and Ruedi's wife, explains that theirs is 60% Süssmost and 40% top-quality sparkling mineral water from Appenzell. Although I still have a bit of trouble understanding the differences between all the apple beverages Kobelt and Co. has to offer, one thing is for certain: they are wonderfully tasty and worth the trek out to the Rhine Valley! (If you are unable to come have a taste for yourself, you can visit their website, place an order, and arrange to have it shipped to you.)

Over the weekend, at the company's yearly "Open House," I had the pleasure of trying some of their new Edelbrände: Vieille Abricot and Vieille Poire, or apricot and pear brandy. Sipping my glass in a tasting room surrounded by family heirlooms (an impressive collection of weaponry), I couldn't help but feel like I was discovering some secret place known by very few people. It's true that Kobelt and Co. is not a mainstream label, but it certainly is no secret. Just ask any true Marbacher, or Rheintaler for that matter, and you'll find they keep at least one Kobelt product or another stocked in their cellar. (Even the local castle serves Kobelt beverages!)

Ruedi and Karen Kobelt in the tasting room

Part of the "Open House" festivities included dining on sausages cooked in one of the stills, atop grape seeds and skin like those used for making grappa, and homemade potato salad. (Yum!) Gathered with friends, eating Treberwürtse, drinking Apple Champagne, and enjoying the atmosphere made for one of those nights here in Switzerland that I'll never forget.


Another part of the "Open House" is browsing the display of gift-ready bottles in the Torkel (pressing room), perfect for the holiday season. Although I didn't take home a bottle of pear brandy with a whole pear trapped inside, I did walk away with a six-pack of their refreshing (hard) cider known as "Bartli's." Each bottle features either a classic photo of previous generations of proprietors (Ruedi is the fourth generation of Kobelts to continue with the company) or the face of a farmer whose fruits have contributed to the success of Kobelt and Co. This year, Ruedi and Karen bought fruit from 180 farmers throughout the Rhine Valley, Appenzell, Wallis, and other areas of Switzerland.


Curious to know more about the distillation process at Kobelt and Co.? Feel free to contact Ruedi or Karen to request a tour of the facilities. (Saturdays are best for visits.) Ruedi would be glad to share with you the care that goes into choosing each fruit before producing a top-notch bottle of brandy as well as other steps to yielding high-quality products. According to Ruedi, most of the process from pressing to bottling is completed in-house, including bottle fermentation in their cellar, so customers can rest assured they are purchasing an excellent product made with passion and attention to detail in a little Swiss village called Marbach.

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