#8 Journey to a new me!

Yesterday I made something different. I got the idea from Cooking light book, but I put my own twist.
I roasted beets with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Jack (my husband) said he doesn't like beets.
I persuaded him to eat one bite. Guess what? He liked it. I told him because he's probably only tasted pickled beets, he agreed. Well, I let the beets cool, after I ate 3 or 4 pieces, and then made a salad. Beets, red onion, orange segments and thinly sliced fennel. Then I made a vinaigrette with Dijon mustard, fresh squeezed lemon juice, a little honey, salt and pepper and added some fresh parsley. I really don't know measurements, just taste as you go. The beets and oranges are already sweet, so I used very little honey. I prefer savory over sweet.

I am really just winging this. I want to learn to eat fresh ingredients, less fat and try and stay away from sugar as much as possible. This morning I'm having Quiche. Yes, there's eggs and milk, but I used low fat ricotta cheese, turkey bacon, mushrooms, red bell pepper, red onion and fresh spinach. I didn't add any butter. The trick, I think, is moderation, portion sizes. I don't want to limit myself to not having foods I love. I want to find ways to have the foods I love without all the fat that is usually used to make them.
I'm still learning. Such as never ever eat anything that has Trans fat. Tran’s fat is the worst kind of fat. And try to stay away from saturated fat. There are a lot of things that have fat that is not only good fat but fat your body needs. Nuts, Olive oil, Avocado, just to name a few. Without some good fat, your body will not function correctly; you're doing more harm than good.

Oh No, What did I do? #7

Let me start by apologizing for it being so long since I’ve blogged. I went out of town to Naples. I had a wonderful time. Obviously too good of a time. I really thought I was careful about eating. Yes, I did eat things I shouldn’t have. Starting with Pizza on Friday night. Let me start by saying it was one of the best pizza’s I‘ve ever had. I’m not sure if it was the pizza or that fact that it’s been a while since I’ve had pizza.  Saturday morning was a huge breakfast, but I think I was pretty good. I only ate the eggs, one little turkey sausage patty and maybe two tablespoons full of hash browns with cheese.  I had to try them, they looked so delicious. We went to the pool. I stayed active in the pool even doing some water aerobics. We went to a wonderful restaurant for appetizers. I ate sautéed veggies (asparagus, broccolini, and red peppers) Tuna Sashimi and Carpaccio. Everything was delicious and really tried to stay healthy.

I made up my own drink (a martini) and the bartender was trying to think up a name for it. Someone finally came up with the name of Spicy Di. It was cucumber and lime infused Vodka with a splash of club soda and freshly squeezed lime juice with jalapeno garnish. I loved it and it didn’t have any sugar in it which was my goal. We went and say Bad Teacher at the movies. Pretty funny, but just wait till it comes out on DVD.  The movie theatre was awesome. Huge soft leather seats with an ark rest that is about 8 or 9 inches wide to hold your popcorn. Very Comfy. Sunday we went to the pool again, more exercise and then Jack and I walked to the beach which was about ½ mile away. I thought at the least I was going to maintain the weight I lost. So when I got on the scale Monday morning, I was very depressed. I gained most of my weight back. I couldn’t believe it. I was trying to be so careful.  Yes, I was depressed but to be honest with you, it was worth it because I had a wonderful weekend with people I love. You can’t put a price on spending time with the ones you love. Anyway, I think I was embarrassed to blog about my weight gain. But I guess I’m going to have to tell about the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Since then, I’ve lost back two of the pounds and I am not going to give up, I promise.  Anyway, I now have a goal in mind. September 29^th I am going to New York to the Wine and Food Festival and I want to lose at least 30 lbs. by then. So keep cheering me on and pray that I have the strength to keep up the exercising and eating right even when I don’t feel like it. Blog you Later!

More weight loss #6

WooooHoooooo, I lost 2 more pounds. 169 was the weigh in. That means, I loss 6 lbs. in one week.

According to my brother, not you Bret, Not you Lawson, that weight loss is equivalent to throwing a lounge chair off of the Titanic. Lucky for me I know he's a jokester. Funny, Funny!!

I'm still riding the bike every day. Trying to move more. Instead of printing out documents at my desk, I print them out at the shared printer down the hall. Takes more time, but I have to get up and walk to the printer every time instead of sitting in one place. It's a start. Instead of calling people on the phone when I need to talk to them, I walk to their office. Not every time, but for the most.

I've been eating very healthy. I bought groceries, finally. My Refrigerator looks like "The biggest Loser" refrigerator, which is a good thing.

Sunday for Father's day we had Prime Rib. I know, I just had a little, and with no fat on my piece. Roasted root vegetables, Broccoli and Cauliflower, fruit salad which looked awesome, but I didn’t have any because it looked like it might have some kind of sugar in it. And bread which I had none. For appetizers which I made, was Skewers of watermelon, cherry tomatoes and basil, drizzled with a balsamic glaze. Also, potato salad bites, which was a low fat potato salad that I made, inside the red potato halves that I had baked. 50 calories and 1 gram of fat, which might not have been because it called for real mayo and I put low fat mayo and only 2 tbls for all 24 of them. I'll tell you about last night’s dinner, tonight when I blog again.  I'm going to try and find a way to put recipes separate from the actual blog so you can print them out. Tonight that will be my mission. That way I can blog about the food without having to actually give details of how it was made. Be patient with me. I am a blogger in training. Gotta go, blog you later.

#5

So, here I am on Day four looking in my kitchen wondering what am I going to eat. I know I'm not doing this right yet, but keep in mind, I'm going to the grocery store tomorrow. So If I have had to be bored with my food, so be it. It was worth the four pounds not to give in to all the fattening options I could have had in this house. I had brown rice, again, with a little chicken. That was breakfast and lunch. I ate around 10:30am. And then I treated myself for dinner. Not fattening, but something I love. I had sushi and Miso soup. And for dessert? The qtr of an orange that they decorated with. And water to drink.
I went to Mom and Dad's today and I did something I shouldn't have done. I weighed on their scale.
I should stick to the one scale. It showed that I lost another pound. I hope it isn't giving me false hope.

Okay, everyone, I'm going shopping in the morning. Now is the time if you have any ideas. Think Low fat, low calories and good energy, not to mention, lots of flavor. My mommy wrote on my blog. She is the comment on #4. Time to get on my Bike. Blog you later!

#4

I just want to thank all of you for participating. Thank you for all your ideas. Keep them coming.
With all of this support, how can I not succeed? It's Thursday. So this is mine and Jack's date night.
Sooooooooooooooooo, Blog you later!

Getting healthy Foodie Style #3

I got to make this quick. But I weighed this morning, and I wanted to share with everyone because I was so excited. New weight? 171 lbs. I lost 4 lbs since Monday morning. Not bad right? I will be weighing every Monday and Thursday mornings. Yesterday Food was boring, nothing to talk about. Jack (my husband) grilled chicken. I took off all the skin and any fat, dipped in hot sauce. It was yummy, thank you honey! And green beans. Exercise? I was disappointed because I couldn't go as far on the bike as the day before. At one mile I was feeling it burn. I guess I was sore from the day before, just didn't know it until I got on the bike. Anyway I pushed and pushed and I got it up to 3.6 miles. Did it hurt? YES. But when I got on the scale this morning it was all worth it. Thank you everyone for all of your support. Thank you Nathan for calling me last night. That was very sweet. Gotta go! Blog you later!

My Journey to a healthier me, Post #2

So, it’s day one of my journey. First I want to thank everyone for all the support and well wishes.
Second I'm going to do what I promised. Report my weight. Are you ready? I don't think I am, but a promise is a promise. Oh my gosh, here it goes. This has got to be one of the most humiliating, not to mention embarrassing things I've ever done. This is the most I have ever weighed in my whole life. I weighed this morning and it was one hundred and seventy five pounds. WOW, you didn't have to make such a horrible face. Now get over it and let's talk about what I ate today and never mention that weight again. NEVER. Oh, I was told by my brother that I need to tell my height. I'm 5'0". GET OVER IT!!!!!
Let's move on.

So, my husband went shopping the other day, before my revelation of changing. So I am basically stuck with what I have in the house until the weekend when I go shopping again. You wouldn't believe what I ate for breakfast. This week will be way different from next week when my groceries will be appropriate for my mission. So, breakfast, Soup 180 calories. No snacks (didn't have any healthy snacks) A diet soda, for the caffeine (I know you're not supposed to, but I did. Again, get over it) It's better than the 4 or 5 diet sodas that are the usual. One cup of Black coffee and water (not enough water, but I'm trying). Lunch, I had a Jenny Craig Frozen Pizza that I had in the freezer from when I bought a sample package to see if I wanted to do JC. 230 Calories. Honestly? Picture the worst frozen pizza you've ever had, now times that times 5. That's how bad it was. But it satisfied my hunger for the time being. This week, that's what it's all about. I don't have the tools (food) to make food fit for a foodie.
But wait, there's still dinner and it was yummy. My husband made me grilled fish (Tilapia), you know at the same time he grilled his hamburger with blue cheese, mushrooms and onions, on a white bun with mayo, ketchup and mustard. That's what I would have had, had I not made this commitment. Not to mention the fried french fries. I made my side dish. Brown rice with mushrooms, asparagus, shallots, garlic, Chinese five spice, a tbls of low sodium soy sauce and a dash of fish sauce, and a little lemon juice. Now don't be haters. If you don't like any of those ingredients, substitute with what you like.

My sweet daughter tried long ago to get me to eat brown rice and whole grain or wheat pasta. I tried it back then and didn't like it. But let's be honest I tried it with the attitude that I wasn't going to like it, and without butter? Are you kidding me? Well, my sweet Kimberly, I have one thing to say to you. I was wrrrrrrr, what? Oh, gash darn it, I was wrong, okay? You were right! It was delicious. All together, approx 600 Calories including the fish (I'm figuring high.) So for the day, 1010 calories. Not bad. And I'm full. If I can stay under 1500 calories a day, I'm happy. But wait, there's more. I came home, I couldn't sit down, and I know me. I change my clothes and got on my stationary bike. This may not seem like a lot to many of you, but I went 4.5 miles. To me that was awesome. I pushed myself to get there. Probably pathetic, but not to me. Next time my goal is 5 miles. So stay with me everyone. I need you, I need you all. Not fun writing to myself. And don't forget to place comments. Until tomorrow!

My New Life Mission - Get Healthy, Foodie Style

I know it's been awhile since I have posted to my blog. I could make up a million excuses, but the truth is I've just been lazy. Why? I'm just totally exhausted all the time. When I come home from work, I really just don't feel like doing much of anything. It might have something to do with carrying an extra 50 lbs of weight around. YOU THINK? I mean yes, I've had some health issues. AGAIN, It might have something to do with carrying an extra 50 lbs of weight around. YOU THINK? I know it does. Losing weight may not cure my health issues, but it will certainly help me feel a whole lot better. Enough of being hard on myself, let's get to the inspiration behind all of this. Besides feeling better, let me tell you the reason behind this mission. I am dedicating this journey to my mom. I am doing this for her. She has enough to worry about without worrying about me too. I want to do this for her. They say you can only lose weight or better yourself if you are doing it for yourself. WRONG! I've tried doing it for me. It's so much easier to let myself down than to let my mom down. How can I not stay true to the journey that I have dedicated to my mom? So here it goes, let me explain my new mission.

I consider myself a foodie. Why? Because I love food. Not just eating it, but cooking, preparing and learning about food. Once I got this passion to cook? I've tried to soak up as much knowledge as I could. I'm still learning. If I hear about any ingredient or dish that I've never heard of, I look it up. Obviously I'll be learning for the rest of my life, because there is a lot of food. Luckily, I like almost everything, there is very few things that I do not like. Previously, that has not been good because I'll eat most anything. But think about this. Since I like so much, I can find plenty of ways to make food that is good for me, yet I'll still enjoy it. I like veggies more than meat. I love fish, cooked and/or raw. I'm going to experiment. Try and flavor my food with seasonings and fresh herbs instead of butter and other fats. So I am going to share my weight, my food and my daily exercise with all of you. I welcome anyone to come on this journey with me. Share on my blog, recipes, inspiration and goals you have met along the way. This is NOT a diet. This is a new way of eating and living to become healthy and happy.

I am not going to lie to you. I know there are going to be bumps along the way. That is life. I am not going to deprive myself from eating out or going to a food and wine festival. I'll try and make good choices when I eat out and work extra hard to burn off the guilty pleasures. Tomorrow I will weigh myself. And as much as I hate to, I will let you know what that weight is and give updates to my weight loss. I promise to try and make this blog entertaining. And I will try and give as much information I can about what is working and what is not. I'm going to do this for you Mommy!

Scrubby's BBQ

We had a family get together last night at Scrubby's BBQ in Davie. I-595 and Pine Island. There were 15 adults and two children. Last time to see my two sisters and brother-in-law before they head back home after my niece's wedding. It was Scrubby Tuesday's Night. The special was the baby back ribs dinner for $9.99. Can't beat that. It comes with your choice of baked potato, fries or sweet potato and it also comes with baked beans and coleslaw. I got the sweet potato. But first my husband and I split a fried corn. That's corn on the cob which I believe is deep fried. I get it every time. I happen to love the sweet taste with of the corn with the slightly crunchy texture from being fried. My husband prefers the regular corn on the cobb. He says it's softer and sweeter. That's why there are more than enough choices on menus, because every one's different. We also tried the fried okra and the corn fritters. The okra was crunchy on the outside, with the soft texture and earthy flavor of the okra on the inside. It came with two dipping sauces. Ranch and honey mustard. If you like Okra, you'd love their fried okra. The corn fritters came out piping hot. So hot that I couldn't tell you what the first one tasted like. I was too busy trying not to burn my tongue. Don't say anything, I know you've all been there. It was comical. My brother and I were looking at each other trying not to laugh, we were both going through the same thing. So we let those beautiful fritters cool off a little. They had a nice soft crunch on the outside and a "slightly creamy" consistency on the inside. Sweet with whole kernels of corn in a breading that was worth the wait. They came with the same condiment that comes with the sweet potato. A creamed butter with brown sugar & cinnamon. Dip and enjoy. If you prefer them savory, you can either eat them plain or with a little salt. Either way, delicious.  We got our meals. Most everyone got the special. I mean, why not? It was an awesome deal. It came with a full rack of moist, fall off the bone baby backs. They were so good that it actually got a little quiet in our group, besides the ummmm, these are good comments.  Sweet potato? It's a sweet potato, natures gift. The baked beans are really the best baked beans I have ever had at a restaurant. They are thick and sweet. The beans were cooked properly, soft but not mushy. They didn't use to come with the dinners, you had to trade out the coleslaw for the beans. And then you got a bowl that was too much to eat. They really made a good decision of giving you both beans and coleslaw, just in smaller portions. That's good because then you get their wonderful coleslaw also. It's sweet and savory with a creamy and crunchy texture. There is only one other place that I like their coleslaw more than Scrubby's. Where is it? I'm not telling. But maybe I'll go there again and blog about it. We didn't get dessert, although my two grand kids got Scrubby's new frozen bananas. It was a whole banana on a stick, dipped in chocolate and rolled in sprinkles, then frozen. My sweet granddaughter gave me a bite. Hers was a dark chocolate. Not sure if they come in Milk chocolate, I didn't check. It was good. I happen to love dark chocolate. Oh, and drink? Wait for it!!!!!!!! You won't believe, I ordered Ice Tea. No alcohol involved, just good food, good company and good price. Till next time, Bon Appetit!

ZED 451 in Boca Raton

I know, I know it's been awhile since I've blogged and I have so much to blog about. But I couldn't wait to tell you about my experience at Zed. I didn't want to forget a thing. First of all, I had a margarita. No premade maragarita mix here. This was fresh squeezed margarita with Grand Manier instead of triple sec (at my request.) If that wasn't enough, it was rimmed with a spicey chipotle salt. Can I get a two yums up? Heck yeah! Alright on to the food. I want you to know that there were 4 of us and we all tried everything. There were forks a flyin in every direction.  So there is a lot to talk about, lets get going. Appetizers, Crab Napoleon, Lump crab meat, wakame (a slightly sweet seaweed) with a wasabi aioli (green horseraddish garlic mayo.) The crab was fresh, the flavor was a bit subtle for me even with the aioli. Was it good? yes, was it great? Not in my opinion. Hot Crab Dip with crostini, hot creamy, cheesy fondue with lumps of crab meat you dip onto garlic crostini. It was delicious. If I didn't know there was so much more to come, I would have eaten a lot more than I did. Ancho BBQ Ribs, Pork ribs that fell off the bone into your mouth, so tender and delicious with crispy onions. Just the crunch you needed after those tender ancho bbq, melt in you mouth ribs. Calamari Fries? What, no rings? I know, but I tell you, rings are 2nd class after the fries. Strips of calamari, breaded fried and glazed with an orange chili glaze.  Crispy, chewey, slightly sweet, dipped into a creamy chili aioli, I was in squid heaven. Go away little rings, go away.

Ahhhh little break until the salad comes. Another Margarita please. So let me tell you a little about the restaurant. ZED 451 is in the SW corner of Mizner Park in Boca Raton. They have an extended wine selection a Rodizio menu,a Harvest table, small plates menu, really too much to go into. Look it up.

The Salads, I'm not going to waste too much time. The Caesar Salad? It's a caesar salad. Spinach and Strawberry Salad? A huge mound of fresh spinach, cut strawberries and candied walnuts with a citrus dijon dressing. I thought it was really good, then I tasted my husbands ZED Wedge Salad. Bib Lettuce, blue cheese, crisp bacon and roma tomatoes. Sounds normal, right, like big deal! Well, I don't know, but I just thought it was phenominal. There was something about the thick bacon and the blue cheese that was different. Maybe it was because it looked awesome to begin with. Obviously it couldn't be that I was famished, LOL. Anyway next time, ZED Wedge it is for me.

So now it is on to the small plates. First up? Seared Rare Ahi Tuna with a miso vinaigrette. Perfectly seared and presented beautifully. Nothing special, but did not disappoint. OKAY, here it is, the highlight of my night, my new love in the food world. Probably the worst thing I could fall in love with. Asian PORK BELLY. Oh my goodness, even as I start to type this, I'm just hoping I can contain myself. Until you try it? You will have no idea why I can't stop talking about it to everyone I know. I don't know how they prepare it, but I am guessing because of it's tenderness and depth of flavor it must have been braised. Coated in chinese five spice and hoisin sauce. It literally melts, and I mean melts in your mouth. Meaty and fatty and undescribably delicious. If the words have been taken out of my mounth, I want it to be because ZED's pork belly went in. I think that is description enough, don't you? Can you believe we haven't even gotten our entrees yet?

Entress. Grilled Prawns and Diver scallops with homemade basil oil and summer ratatouille. The prawns were full of flavor, cooked to perfection. The scallops on the other hand were disappointing. No sear, a mushy texture because they were a little undercooked. The ratatouille was uneventful but not a disappointment.  Double-Cut Lamb Chops with citris-rosemary seasoning. Two out of 3 that tried them, me being one of them thought they were very good. I personally would have liked a little more seasoning, but they were cooked a perfect medium rare and did have good flavor.  New York Strip, prime aged, hand cut. Cooked to a perfect medium rare. Full of flavor, tender and juicy. Pleased my husband who is a hard sell. I mean, a hard sell. Don't believe me? Go out to dinner with us. Braised Beef Short Rib, bacon wrapped. So I have to admit, I did not try the short ribs. Hello!!!! Desert was coming. But the ones who did, said they were absolutely delicious.  And I haven't even mentioned the side dishes we all shared. Roasted Corn and Brandy Bacon. Delicious, sweet roasted corn and bacon? What more could you ask for? Smoked Gouda Mashed Potaoes. Creamy, cheesy, a little crunch on the top, also fantastic. Fire Roasted Vegetables. I only tasted my favorite part which was the asparagus. As full as I was, I ate two or three of them. They were also cooked to perfection with what I am guessing was a seasoned olive oil dressing. YUM!!!

So now desert. Butterscotch Bread Pudding. Buttery brioche soaked in rich butterscotch. Anyone that knows me knows if it's not chocolate, WHY? But I have to admit it was pretty good. And the others who actually like that kind of stuff, loved it.  S’more Pie. Sour cherry filling, rich chocolate ganache, cheesecake ice cream, maraschino cherries, toasted coconut, shaved chocolate & pecans. Need I say more? Yes, because it's my food blog. It was everything you would want in a desert. Creamy, crunchy, sweet, sour, chocolate, and can feed up to 4 people if you ask me. One more thing, we are pretty sure that the lemonade my husband ordered was freshly squoze lemonade. It was so good. So all in all, I hated the place. Just kidding. I loved ZED 451. I will be back and if they ever take Pork Belly off the menu, I will set up a protest outside till they bring it back.

Blog Reader Participation

Ok so here is the question. What food is it that you thought you would never eat. And then you tried it and turns out you loved it. Tell me what it is, in what way was it cooked or served, if not cooked. And if you have tried it prepared in different ways. If you have read all my blogs, you know that there are two things I mentioned. Do you remember what they were? I will be blogging about a few more restaurants in the next few days. Meanwhile I would love to hear from everyone to answer the above questions.

Chili's Bar and Grill, East Pembroke Pines-Margarita Heaven

We went to the Chili's located just north of Pines Blvd on University Drive in Pembroke Pines, FL. We were greeted by the host who when we told him we were going to be 4, not 2 he took us to the already seated couple  who we were meeting there. Chili's is a fun and friendly place to go to with friends. I was immediately told about their specialty margaritas. They all sounded delicious, it was hard to decide. I ordered the Platinum margarita and my husband ordered the Tropical Sunrise Margarita. They were two of the best margaritas I have ever had. And I got Beads for ordering a margarita, I didn't even have to flash my boobs like people do in New Orleans. I am going to try and upload the picture of the Tropical Sunrise. It was layered with 3 different colors, just beautiful. We both loved them so much, we ordered another when our food came.Okay appetizer, we had the new nachos. I highly recommend them. Ground beef on tortilla triangles with green onion tomatoes cheese and a drizzzle of sour cream. They were a really good way to start the meal. I ordered the new Asian salad with steak. Oh my gosh what a wonderful new addition to the chili's menu. With edamame, cilantro, green and red peppers, onion, a peanut dressing, with perfectly grilled skirt steak. Crunchy. sweet, refreshing, It definitely did not disappoint. I was pleased with my decision. My husband got the steak fajitas. Let's just say he did more eating than talking. And if you knew my husband, that's not easy to do. He loves his food, but he also loves to talk. He said it was really good. The other couple had the shrimp fajitas and the new shiner bock ribs with loaded potatoes and corn on the cobb. She said the shrimp were really good, cooked perfectly and she really enjoyed the fajitas. The ribs were awesome also along with the sides that they came with. Our experience at the East Pines "Chili's was a good one. Great Service, excellent food, awesome Margaritas and good company. If you want to have a fun and friendly experience with great food at a reasonable price, I think Chili's provided all of that.

Wasabi Japanese Restaurant - East Pembroke Pines

I went to The Wasabi Japanese Restaurant located at 10032 Pines Blvd. Located on the southeast corner of Pines and Palm avenue in Pembroke Pines, FL.I stopped there for a to go order. I went in, looked at the menu and had a few questions. They were very helpful in answering the questions I had. I decided on the Sashimi combo which consisted of 15 pieces of sashimi (raw fish) conch and ocotpus. Ten years ago, I couldn't imagine myself eating sushi or sashimi, and especially octopus. I believe that by watching the Food Network and seeing all the different foods, It has opened up a new horizon for me. I made a promise to myself to always try everything at least once.If you don't, you are really limiting yourself to the culinary possibilities of the world. Even the thought of raw fish was just crazy to me. But I stayed true to myself and tried it. Guess what? Now I crave it, and when I do, I go to Wasabi in Pembroke Pines.
So back to my visit. I knew I was in the mood for sashimi, but wasn't sure about my husband so I ordered him the seafood tempura dinner. With tempura style shrimp, scallops, crab and veggies. While I waited for my order, I ordered a Kirin Lite beer, which I love and sat at the sushi bar. I like watching them perform their japanese chef magic. Those chefs are amazing to me. While I waited they gave me a complimentary salad it was fruit and cucumber with a little kimchee sauce, rice vinegar, a touch of sugar. It was a crunchy cold and refreshing salad with a slight spice and very slight sweetness. I couldn't be happier at that moment. If no one was looking, I would have picked up the bowl and drank the juice remaining. If that wasn't enough, they then brought me a dumpling with a mixture of 3 sauces poured over it, The presentation was beautiful with this one lone dumpling looking like love and compassion was put into making it. It was cooked perfectly, tasted wonderful, again with a slight spice, salty and slightly sweet. It was warm and delicious. I'll be honest I'm not sure what was in it, I know veggies. I was just thankful to have it. By then my to go order was ready. I finished my beer, paid for my order and was walked to the door so he could open the door for me. They are so friendly and generous there. I got my food home, opened everything up and with a big smile on my face started enjoying the lovliness of it all. The sashimi was so fresh, tuna, salmon, whitefish. All delicious in their own way. The crunchiness of the conch and the octopus in between the sashimi was a good contrast. They noticed that I really loved the kimchee sauce, so to my delight they included some with my order. How thoughtful is that? My husband's tempura dinner was delicious. The crunchy batter with the sweet goodness of the shrimp dipped in the kimchee sauce which added the spice was just crazy good. Not to mention the scallops, the vegetables the miso soup and the salad. All of which were equally good. This is my point. When you go to a resataurant and they treat you like you are so special, even when it's a to go order and on top of that gives you food that lives up to your every expectation, maybe even more. It's not "what's not to like", It's "what's not to LOVE." I loved everything from the people down to every last bite of the delicious food they gave me. If you love Japanese food, I highly recommend, Wasabi's.

The Outback Steakhouse, Davie FL

My mom and I went to the Outback Steak House in Davie located at Griffin and Volunteer Road. We got a seat right away. I ordered a pomegranate martini and my mom a glass of white zinfandel. The martini was okay, it was a little bit sweet for my preference but that's just me. Our Waitress was very friendly and funny, we really liked her. I believe her name was Stefanie. She brought us warm pumpernickel bread to start and took our orders. I was torn between the Rack of Lamb and the beef filet with crab stuffed Shrimp. I asked Stefanie and she said she hadn't tried the lamb yet (she's new) but she did try the filet and shrimp and she loved it. I went with her suggestion and got steamed broccoli as my side dish. My mom ordered the prime rib with a loaded baked potato and mushrooms. It was really nice going out to dinner with my mom. We don't get to do that very often, but I think I'm going to change that. It's funny how life sometimes gets in the way of doing the things we live for, spending time with the ones we love. It takes a little effort and planning, but it's worth it.
So, we got our entrees and I was quite pleased. The filet, were two slices of about 1/4 inch thick, maybe thicker. They were very tender and flavorful. I ordered them medium rare. They might have been a little more on the rare side, but I like rare, so to me they were perfect. The shrimp were stuffed with a crabmeat stuffing and broiled. They were delicious; you could actually see and taste the crabmeat. The only thing I would have changed would have been to have had some more texture. But they were cooked and seasoned perfectly. And you could say, broccoli is broccoli, but not really. You can over cook broccoli and it changes everything. It changes the texture, the taste and the presentation. And I happen to love broccoli. And to my pleasant surprise, it was cooked perfectly. I know it sounds crazy, but that isn't often done in restaurants, I can't tell you how many times I have gotten overcooked broccoli and vegetables. My mom said her meal was good, but I let her taste mine and she wished she would have ordered what I ordered. But she had no complaints about her own. We were both stuffed, so we skipped desert. I would say our experience at the Outback was a good night out. Good food, good service and I got to spend time with my mom. YEAH!!

Family day at my Brother's House

It's Sunday morning and I am here with a smile on my face thinking about yesterday with my family at my brother's house. Besides getting to spend time with my family which was awesome in itself, We also got to partake in some really great food. To say we have good cooks in my family would be an enormous understatement. Our family get togethers never lack the quantity, the quality or the taste of magnificent food. Let me try and shorten this blog up by just getting to the explanation of just how incredibly good it was. We started out with spinach, artichoke and crab dip on toast crackers. The addition of the crab meat into the dip was an unexpected pleasure to the warm creamy delicious dip we all all used to. We also had stuffed jalapenos. Stuffed with fresh bell peppers of different colors, sliced mango to give it a little more sweetness and topped with cheese. Both of which my niece made. Of course, in the mean time we had beer and wine and conversation as we wait for the culinary goodness of the meal to come.

The salad was baby spinach, with shallots, goat cheese, praline pecans and topped with a 20 yr old balsalmic vinegar. You had the creaminess of the goat cheese the sweet tanginess of that awesome balsalmic with the sweet crunch of the pralines and the bite of the shallots all put together with perfect baby spinach. YUM! The veggies were unbelievable. Roasted root vegetables. Turnip, parsnips, potatoes, carrots with herbs, spices and olive oil. All tossed into a pan a roasted on the grill. They were absolutely delicious and if that wasn't enough, we had the most fantastic filet of beef rolled in multiple herbs and spices cooked on the grill to perfection. But wait there's more. My mom brought a mandarin orange cake that was to die for. And I must say, I usually do not waste calories on a desert that is not chocolate, but who could resist? It was so moist and yummy. The only way I could describe it, was the orange's answer to the carrot cake. Come on, what would you prefer in your desert, a fruit or a vegetable? I think you know the answer. So you would think that that would be enough, right? No, it wasn't! My brother (You know, the one that likes the Pub) he brought the ingredients to make a chocolate soufle. WHAT? Could it get any better? I didn't think so, but it did. So he and my niece made the most decadent chocolate souffle I have ever had. They cooked it perfectly. It was chocolate heaven. And when they brought it out of the oven, I was standing there with my hands reaching out for my piece of goodenessbut I had to wait, there was one more step. They opened the top and poured this warm orange creme anglaise sauce into it. To describe this rich chocolately warm desert to it's fullest? I would have to change this blog into, WARNING, this blog contains adult content.  So, I think you know just how good it was. It was especially nice to see my sister-in-law and her two grown girls working in the kitchen together to create such a beautiful meal.The day, from start to finish, was simply delicioso!

Prelude at the Adrienne Arsht Center

Sunday I went with a bunch of friends to Brunch at Prelude and to see the broadway show Wicked. This was at the Ziff Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. First I will talk about brunch at Prelude by Barton G. At first, we ordered drinks. My friend wanted the Coopertini, their signature drink for the menu. I really wanted a spicy bloody mary. The Waiter told me, once my friend orders a Coopertini, everyone is going to want one. He said I should try it. So I took a shot at the Coopertini. I was not impressed, neither was anyone that I could see. It was Belvedere Vodka with Pomegranate juice and pear nectar ($14.00). I wished I had stuck with my Bloody Mary. It really did not have much flavor. Almost as if it had been watered down. Not the Vodka, but the juices. Next was the food. Let me tell you how it works. You get an entree, a desert and coffee or tea. It's $23.00 plus tax and gratuity in which they added, I believe 20%, which was fine and deserved by our waiter. Now here's the thing. You can get one entree and 1 desert or two entrees or two deserts. Pretty cool huh?

So my entree was the seared salmon. On the menu it said with asparagus, shitake mushrooms, Israeli couscous with corn jus. Sounded yummy. Well the waiter told us that the seared salmon is different. It comes with marinated roasted brussel sprouts, grape tomatoes and button mushrooms. I still ordered it with the Crazy about chocolate desert. The salmon was cooked perfectly and layed on top of those delicious roasted vegetables. The brussel sprouts were probably the best I've ever had. The marinade had a mild lemon taste that was just delicious. I was very happy with my choice as was others who ordered it. I can't speak for everyone, but those that ordered salads were not so happy. If we were to judge by presentation alone? A+. The platters and extraordinary serving pieces that every dish came out on were just over the top. At the end, I'll give you their website and you'll see what I mean. My friend Pam ordered the Skirt steak Caesar Salad. They said it only comes medium to medium well. What? Why? What chef in his right mind does that? It looked like it had been precooked and way overcooked to put it mildly. The romaine lettuce was in tact with the end of the leaves cut off. In the words of the Food Network chopped judges, "If I can't eat it? It does not belong on the plate." She shouldn't have to had work for her salad. Chop the lettuce already. And give steak that is edible. No one at my table enjoyed their salad. Then came desert. OMGoodness that chocolate cake with chocolate ganache was incredible. But I wanted to put a little tweak on it. I asked the waiter if the chef had sea salt? And could he bring me some? Here me out people. We had just had a discussion about how salt and chocolate is awesome. One of my friends said, to quote her, "You're scaring me, salt on chocolate?" I needed to show her just how good it is. I topped my cake with sea salt, gave her a bite and she is now a believer. Try it, you'll like it. Sea salt is my favorite, but kosher salt will work too. Just sprinkle it on. Not a lot! So the cake was moist, yet dense and rich with chocolaty goodness. The Ganache was sweet and made perfectly yummy. It was served with what tasted like freshly made whipped cream and a chocolate stick to top it off. One friend got the custard Quintet, 5 custards. She was not impressed. I think the comment was, "Not worth the calories."
The presentations were as usual, awesome. The Caramel sundae came with a small caramel apple on a stick upside down on the top. Soooo cute. The atmosphere was nice and comfortable. Pretty and eclectic. I really liked the restaurant and my food. I will go again. I think the concept is great. Brunch or dinner before the show. You're right there in the same building. It's a brilliant idea. I wouldn't want them to change their presentations, I would just like for them to use the same over the top ideas with the taste of what is on the plate. And to our wonderful friend Jen who planned this wonderful day, BRAVO! I will talk about the show WICKED, in my next blog. Here is the website to the restaurant. www.arshtcenter.org/prelude/

Ingredients from The Fresh Market

As promised, I said I would let you know what I made with the ingredients from my Fresh Market visit. Before I start, let me tell you about fennel. I personally was so afraid to try fennel. I really do not care for licorice. So when chefs (on the food network) would say it has that kind of taste, I just wouldn't try it. The thing is, I've just seen it used over and over again. And my motto is, try everything at least once. So, I tried it, I loved it. I can see where it might not be for everyone. My daughter does not like it at all. I think you have to try it prepared in different ways. I tried roasted fennel, not for me, at least not the way I prepared it. I will try it again. My favorite is raw. Let me tell you what I mean. This is how I used my ingredients.

I made a simple fennel salad, set on top of arugula, topped with a lemon Dijon vinaigrette.

The bulb (white part) of fennel Chopped into small bite size pieces
Mandarin oranges, peeled apart and each segment cut in half
Apples cut into bite size pieces, I used red delicious
Red Onion chopped (not too fine)
Cilantro (rough chop)
Fresh mint (fine chop)

Vinaigrette
Fresh lemon first zest and then squeeze (I squeezed 2, zest of 1)
1 Tbls Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
mix together and slowly add EVOO to consistency right for you.

Pour that over salad mixture above and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour.
You can put as much or as little on your salad as you like. You don't have to worry about setting your plate down in front of the Iron Chef and/or Chopped judges. Do what you like.

I served over a bed of arugula. We ate our salad with seared scallops on the side. Not your normal meal, with rice or potato or veggies. But hey, we're at home and we eat what we eat.

By the way, the peppered goat cheese, peppered salami, both went on the onion pocket rolls for a sandwich. I added a little mustard, on the salami side of the sami. It was good, different, but good. I'll have it again.

Today I am going with friends to Brunch and the Broadway show Wicked. I'll get back to you on what I thought of both. Till then, happy cooking, happy eating, happy Day!

The Pub in Pembroke Pines

So we went to THE PUB, a British restaurant located in The Shops at Pembroke Gardens for my father's birthday. There were 13 of us. So let me start by saying, this is my brothers favorite place to go. He has his own mug there, you can purchase a mug and they keep it there with your number your spot, no one else can use it. So, my sweet brother, you might want to stop right here. Well, we waited approximately 45 minutes for a table which was not a problem. Once we got seated is where the problems begin. Our waiter, if you can call him that was to say the least, entertaining. I say entertaining, because we got a laugh out of just how bad he was. We heard stories about his fight with his mother, keep in mind this waiter was approximately 60 yrs old. How another party was having a 2 yr old's B-day party there. In his words, "Who does that? And they're not even drinking." So first he ordered an extra cocktail that we didn't order. He couldn't believe it was his mistake. He kept asking us if we were sure. The appetizers were good. We shared Pub wings (8.95), British dip platter (15.95), and Fried Calamari (9.95). I would say, all were good, nothing special. To describe them would be boring except to say the calamari were fat strips not rings which was fine but the breading was soft, not crunchy at all. My husband who is a lover of fried calamari, was not a fan. I can't go through every one's meal, so I will tell you about mine and the few comments I heard from others. First of all, all of us who were supposed to get a fried pickle on our plate, did not. Our "waiter" wanted to sell us an appetizer plate of fried pickles instead of bringing us the ones we were missing. Surprising he wanted to sell up, when later at dessert, he sells down. I ordered the goat cheese and red pepper burger (9.25) with an agreement with my niece that we would split. She ordered the fish tacos. Good move for her, bad move for me.
My burger: Besides the burger being overcooked, which was the same for everyone else that ordered a burger, the flavors were awesome, the red pepper was sweet, the goat cheese was creamy with just the right balance of tanginess (I describe goat cheese as a cheese that tastes a lot like sour cream but with the consistency of cream cheese.) The fries were fries, I think I ate two. The fish taco was uneventful except for the conversation of how they were not good. They were dry, the fish had no flavor. If I were on a deserted Island and I needed to get something in my stomach I would eat them. But if I didn't need them, I would not waste the calories. The fish and chips were also, okay, not great. The Fish sandwich came with lettuce, tomato and nothing else. She said it was dry and without taste. The shephard's pie didn't come with several of the ingredients that it described on the menu. In the mean time, our waiter was taking up drinks before people were finished, losing another table's credit card, and keeping people waiting too long at other tables. Now on to dessert. We wanted a full Jamaican cheesecake. He said he couldn't do that. My other brother (I have 3) said, just charge us by the slice, there are 8 slices.
He went away and came back and said he couldn't do that, why don't we get one of each dessert, which is 5 and they will give my dad his for his birthday. We said okay, whatever. They ended up being out of the bread pudding, so now 4. I have to say the chocolate cheesecake was awesome.chocolate cheesecake infused with a port wood scotch., YUM!
I have been to The Pub before. If you are going to sit at the bar and drink, it's a good atmosphere and the drinks are good. And if you are my brother, and you own the mug and frequent the place, you are treated like British Royalty. But for me, I will go there and meat him for a drink, but that is the extent of it. If I ever go to Great Britain, I will not pack clothes, I'm packing food.LOL

The Fresh Market, Pembroke Pines

On my way home yesterday, I stopped at The Fresh Market on Flamingo Road and Sheraton in Pembroke Pines. Is it my imagination or does someone else besides me think they have invisible elfs in there that are constantly straightening up their produce? I don't care what day, what time or how busy they are, their produce always looks like there is nothing out of place. Anyway, I stopped there, not because I needed anything, but because I was going to be passing right by.
When you walk into the Fresh Market, the first thing you see are those beautiful flowers, so you have to smile, then the produce, smile again. I picked up some fennel, arugula, mandarin oranges (which they call cuties, I have to agree.) Why did I get those items? Because I can't always get them at the regular grocery store. Good reason right? Yeah I know, a little crazy, but I will find something to make with them because I love them all. Next I went to the seafood. They had Fresh Florida shrimp that were pretty big (20-24 per lb.) for $8.99 a lb. I had to get them. And then sea scallops, they were a little small, but I got them anyway. I want to make a risotto with seared sea scallops. The man behind the counter was very nice and helpful. I picked up some onion pocket rolls (you know why, heehee) then I mosied on over to pick up some smoked mozzarella. I didn't see any so I asked the girl behind the counter. She said it was there. I know my eyes are failing me these days, but I was pretty sure they weren't. I was right. But instead of her just saying they were out, she was kind enough to ask me to wait and she will go check to make sure they didn't have any in the back. They didn't, but I appreciated her going the extra mile. So I got peppered goat cheese, peppered salami and proceeded to the register. What I like about fresh market is, you feel like the people who work there have pride in their store. They're friendly, helpful and maticulous about keeping the store clean and pretty. Also, for some reason, no matter what I buy, I always feel when I leave there that I have bought healthy.

Introduction to my Food and to Me

I really enjoy food. Not just eating it, although that gives me great pleasure, if it's good of course. I enjoy cooking for friends. I love watching them enjoy my creations. And if for some reason my food isn't up to par, I even enjoy the feedback. I love to learn about food. Whether it's from my mistakes or from the many cooking shows I watch.
My name is Diane, you can call me Foodie Di! I own approximately 300 cookbooks, maybe more.
I know that's a bit obsessive, but I can't help myself. I love Cookbooks. My husband cringes every time he sees those brown cardboard book shaped boxes in the mailbox. I don't blame him. But I can't help it! REALLY! This is where the obsession annoys him. When I want to make something or try to figure out what to make. I get out a bunch of those books, look through them and put them away. He asks, "Didn't you find anything?" And I say "yeah, lot's of things." So why did you put them away?
This is why, because, I go to them for Ideas and then I just wing it from there. I make it my way, with whatever ingredients I like or whatever I have on hand. "Don't try that for baking, baking is a science." It's like what Rachael Ray says. She gives you a method and you use whatever ingredients you want for your taste.

Now for the other Foodie in me!
I love to eat out. My husband and I are trying to eat every ethnic food available to us. Now we live in South Florida so we have every known food to man available to us. So as we continue on our journey to taste not only the world but the many flavors of our own great country, I will report back to you. I will try and be as descriptive as possible, but remember, I am just a normal person (well, mostly normal, LOL) trying to communicate with everyday people wanting to know about South Florida Food and Drink experiences.
But don't forget, you need to sign up and follow my blog. If you do it will give me encouragement to continue my journey on this great big communicator called the world wide web.
Till then, happy cooking, happy eating!