Category: Cheat Day
Diet Friendly Dining & Bluewater Grill’s CUT Fitness Menu Review
| March 25, 2016 |
Going out to eat is one of my favorite things to do. Most people have a weak spot for a particular food or place; my weakness is restaurant dining in general. But when you’re on a diet, eating out can be devastating to all your hard work if you don’t make the right decisions.
This weekend I tried the new CUT Fitness Menu at Bluewater Grill in Tustin, CA. The menu was designed in partnership with Tamra Judge from Real Housewives meant for the restaurant diner looking to order something that fits within their personal diet or fitness goals.
Before any food ordering comes to play, we ordered drinks. Sure the healthiest drink is water, but if you’re trying to have a fun cheat day, what’s the harm if you don’t overdo it? Just know that cocktails are usually higher in calories than a beer or wine, and a blended drink is usually higher than cocktails.
I ordered the cucumber mojito. What caught my eye was that it’s made with VeeV Açaí Spirit. If you haven’t heard of Veev, it’s a spirit made of the Açaí berry which is thought to be one of the world’s super fruits with an incredible amount of antioxidants. Are those same antioxidants present in the spirit? I don’t know, but if there’s a chance this alcohol is better for me, I will happily order this over another drink.
The cucumber mojito was so light and refreshing! It wasn’t overly sweet and you could barely taste the alcohol. Also, how could you resist anything served in a mason jar with the lime and cucumber on top? It was picture perfect.
My boyfriend ordered the bloody mary. Since Bluewater Grill is known for their seafood, having it garnished with a shrimp was the perfect touch. Personally, I hate bloody mary’s… sorry world. So yes I tasted it; but no, I will not tell you what I thought because my answer will be the same same for all of them: gross.
But the shrimp was good! It was a cold cocktail shrimp. Also, my boyfriend is a shrimp nazi; aka prior to eating any shrimp, he inspects the hell out of it to make sure it was cleaned properly because the vein grosses him out. He said it was the cleanest shrimp he’s ever seen! That means a LOT coming from him.
Looking at the CUT Fitness menu, the first thing I noticed was the way they added commentary-type descriptions to the food. They didn’t focus on the calories like other restaurants. They listed “Good For: …” This made it really easy to order. For example, I eat a balanced diet of carbs, fats, and proteins; so anything that said “Good For: Low-Carb Diets” I stayed clear of.
Between my boyfriend and I, we ordered:
- Appetizer: Oysters on the Half Shell – “Good For: An Aphrodisiac”
- Appetizer: Ahi Poke Lettuce Wraps – “Good For: Building & Repairing Muscle”
- Entree: Herb Free Range Chicken Breast – “Good For: A Well Balanced Diet. Proteins, Carbs & Healthy Fats”
- Entree: Grilled King Salmon – “Good For: Strength & Muscle Building. High in Protein”
Oysters are a great appetizer option because even if you add the sauces to them, they will always hands down be better for you than any dip or creamy soup. This is one of those things that people often buy when they want to “splurge” because yea, a cup of soup might be cheaper. But by “splurging,” you’re actually ordering healthier. So indulge away!
When you order this at Bluewater Grill, you can pick what oysters you want on the platter. We ordered the sampler which had two each of Hood Canal from Washington, Chef’s Creek from British Columbia, and Sol Azul from Baja. The Hood Canal oysters were my favorite. They was the largest of the oysters and had a mild flavor. They weren’t overly fishy or briny. The Chef’s Creek oysters were my second favorite. They were very similar to the Hood Canal except they were slightly sweeter. If they were larger, those would have been my favorite… I like them large, haha. The Sol Azul oysters were more briny than I would like.
The Ahi Poke Lettuce Wraps were amazing. One bite and I was sold on these. They were a little messy… but they did give us chopsticks and we completely forgot they gave us those. They used romaine lettuce as the “shell” of the taco. It had ahi, avocado, cucumber, and cilantro inside. Ginger, sesame oil, and Bragg’s aminos were used to create the sauce. It was mildly sweet with a salty kick. The flavor was less intense and had more depth than a soy sauce. I could eat those all day! I’m definitely going to re-create that sauce and use it in my own cooking.
The chicken was recommended to me, which I why I ordered it. I was a bit hesitant initially because Bluewater Grill has so much great seafood, I didn’t really think chicken was the way to go. I was also hesitant because if you follow any meal prepper on Instagram, you’ll notice chicken with herbs is a stable. Why? Because chicken is high in protein, low in fat, and generally inexpensive so you can make it in bulk for cheap. It’s a go-to “diet food.”
But I gave it a shot and boy did I have it all wrong. First-off, this chicken was free-range which is not the cheapest chicken in the market. It was juicy and the herbs added so much more flavor than I’ve been able to accomplish in my meal prep.
It was served on top of a bed of locally grown spaghetti squash and sautéed brussel sprouts. I was shocked when they said it was local. I can expect a small one-location restaurant to use local ingredients, but I didn’t expect it from Bluewater Grill. I was pleasantly surprised.
As far as taste, I don’t know what they did to that squash but it was amazing. If you overcook spaghetti squash it can get mushy and be very watery. If you under cook it, it doesn’t come anywhere close to pretending to be real noodles. Not only was it cooked perfectly but the sauce or seasoning they had on it was rich and exquisite. The brussel sprouts were also heavenly and bursting with flavor. I cleaned my plate for all it was worth.
The Grilled King Salmon was what my boyfriend ordered. It was served with quinoa, asparagus, and a lemon that was grilled with paprika and some other form of sorcery. Again, if you’re a meal prepper or follow any on Instagram, the ingredients are pretty identical to what those body builders might eat. What made this stand out from what I would normally make when I’m meal prepping is the flavor. That lemon… the magic that occurred in the kitchen to that lemon was the key to this dish. Next time I’m going to ask for an extra lemon. Whatever they did to it, it was slightly sweeter than a normal lemon and it really was the cherry-on-top to the salmon. A good salmon doesn’t need seasoning or a dry rub. If made right, all it needs is some salt and lemon. It was textbook perfect and definitely the star of the dish.
Lastly, we finished off with some dessert. They did offer fruit and whipped cream if we wanted a lighter dessert… but I figured since we made good choices for the rest of the meal, indulge! Start my meal off with a cocktail; finish off with some dessert. The basic structure of a perfect cheat day.
We ordered the Chocolate Lava Cake which was served warm with a molten chocolate center that oozed out when we cut into it. It was plated with a berry drizzle that wasn’t listed on the menu, but a great addition.
Overall from this experience, these are the things I learned:
- Bluewater Grill has officially been added to my list of favorite places to dine out. Their regular menu is also pretty diet friendly since you pick the fish you want and how it’s prepared.
- When I meal prep, I need to channel my inner Bluewater Grill and step it up on my seasonings.
- There is a lemon god and he wants me to grill my lemon with paprika and put it on everything.
- Brussel sprouts can taste good if you prepare them right.
Things for you to remember when you eat out and want to eat healthy:
- Calories aren’t always the answer. The quality of ingredients used are just as important. Pay attention to the descriptions.
- Sometimes the items often overlooked are the healthiest options. Oysters at a seafood restaurant; ceviche at a Mexican restaurant; etc.
- If you order drinks or a dessert, just be conscious of your decision. Don’t go with the flow and let your regular restaurant routine take over. Think about your choices. If you choose to go for it, enjoy it! By thinking things through, you won’t regret the decision you make.
- Look over the menu before going to the restaurant. Take mental note of the healthier options so once you get there, you can easily decide what you want based off the list you mentally prepared.
Skinny Mac & Cheese
| March 6, 2014 |
Mac & cheese is definitely one of my favorite guilty comfort foods. It’s a funny story though, because generally a lot of comfort foods come from when you grew up with, but when I was little I LOVED the blue box mac & cheese and wasn’t the biggest fan of the home-made stuff.
When I was a kid, my Grandma would pick my sister and I up from school every Friday and we’d all have dinner together. When it first became a weekly thing, she asked my mom what my sister and I liked to eat. My mom said macaroni. My Grandma, being the AMAZING cook she is, made it from scratch. And of course, me being the child I was, I said it wasn’t the same as having the blue box mac and I liked “my mom’s” better. Although we all know “my mom’s” was really my way of saying I liked the boxed kind. To this day, I still feel a little ashamed because the next time my grandma made mac & cheese for us, she made it out of the box. Sure I loved it at the time, but looking back on it … I was young and ignorant … what can you do?
I can confidently say that my palate has gotten a lot better (and I no longer prefer boxed foods, haha). But either mac & cheese recipe, blue box or from scratch, can put a damper on the diet.
Mac & cheese is full of fat and carbs. But I wanted to make a skinny version that didn’t just replace everything with fat-free labels. Can anyone honestly say that fat-free cheese is better than the real thing? No.
I wanted to keep the essence of mac & cheese intact by not touching those two ingredients. I used full fat cheeses and normal pasta (because I’m also not a fan of wheat pasta) but just replaced the heavy cream and butter with cauliflower. With the added fiber, it’s definitely more filling than the heavy buttered up mac. Not to say this is an every day “healthy” meal, but it’s certainly better than the traditional recipe, twice-baked with bread crumbs on top.
The serving size is for a full bowl of mac, so if you want to indulge without using this as a cheat meal, eat it as a side dish with some chicken and spinach. Who says macaroni has to be a main dish?
Side note: This recipe passed the boyfriend test. I gave it to him and didn’t tell him it was cauliflower. About half way through, I asked him what his opinion was and told him it was cauliflower. He didn’t taste it until I told him. #winning 🙂
Skinny Mac & Cheese
Makes 4 Servings ~ Macros per serving: 28g Fat, 68g Carbs, 34g Protein
- 3 cups uncooked pasta of choice
- 1 small/medium head of cauliflower
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to tast
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pour in your favorite pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Personally, I like to go for the fun kind like fusille (spiral) or farfalle (bow-tie, although it technically means butterfly in Italian). Radiatore pasta is what can be seen in the photos.
While the pasta is cooking, cut cauliflower into florets. Place cauliflower, garlic cloves, and chicken stock into a covered pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let steam build in the pot. Cook until cauliflower is tender (about 5 minutes depending on the size of florets).
Drain pasta and set aside.
Pour cauliflower, garlic cloves, and chicken stock into a high-speed blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Pour back into the pot used to cook the cauliflower. At medium heat, slowly stir in the cheese until melted smooth to create a sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Gently stir sauce and pasta together. Depending on your pasta and how well it absorbs the sauce, you might have extra cheese sauce. Add it in slowly and put any extra sauce in a tupperware. (You can use it as a sauce for veggies, chicken, etc.) Serve immediately.
I topped mine with a little cayenne (optional!) for an extra kick, but feel free to add your favorite topping. Some tasty ideas: bacon, green onions, jalapeño, diced ham (probably not all these ingredients at the same time)
Play around with different cheese options. They all have different nutritional value to them so have fun experimenting. For instance, the parmesan was lower in fat and higher in protein than the cheddar. I added it to balance out the fat content so there would be more protein than fat per serving.
New Year, New Goals (and why have I been MIA?)
| January 2, 2014 |
I know I have been a little MIA the past few months… let me explain. The past few months I have been on a roller coaster. One minute I am super motivated and eating right and the next I am picking up old habits and saying things like “tomorrow I will go to the gym” and “tomorrow I will be more strict on my diet” … but waiting until tomorrow is the oldest cliche in the book.
Yes, every day is a new day and new opportunity to start fresh and make good decisions, but every time you take another bite is a decision. You don’t have to wait until the next day to make a change. Why not start (or re-start) with the next fork full of noms?
I know very very well how temping the gooey artichoke dip can be or happy hour at the local sushi place. Trust me, I will admit that in the past 3 months I have gained 10 pounds. I felt like I couldn’t preach to the blogging world about my weight loss journey when all I was doing was gaining – sitting on my couch while eating Thai take-out. That’s not a positive journey at all – a journey to the dark side. I was feeling so guilty about my new habits but didn’t have the motivation to do anything about it. Even my trainer started to get more on my back about what I ate and my lack of exercise because it was noticeable.
So what happened? I had the right mindset and I was on top of my game…. life happens. No one said it was easy. If it were easy, there wouldn’t be so many people out there struggling with the same things I am. You have to make time for your goals because no one is there to micromanage your every decision.
I was talking to a friend of mine on new years eve who recently lost 50 pounds. There are no miracle diets or workouts any one person can do that works for everyone across the board, but the true secret to her success was and is her mindset. I know it sounds cliche but even I have said that in the past (when I was on my weight loss streak). She told me that every day she took some “me” time to keep her on track, just thinking about the future.
This leads me to my new year’s resolution:
I will wake up every morning and stretch. Side Tangent: I am not a fan of yoga. I’m going old school with traditional stretching because if your muscles are tight, you have a far higher risk of injury when working out. While stretching, I wont think about my scary long to-do list. This time is for reminding myself who I want to be. Where do I see myself next year and how do I get there? I am the only one holding me back from my goals. This year will be a year of change.
Also, from now on I am counting macros (macronutrients). So all my new recipes will have the fat, protein, carbs and fiber listed (throwing in fiber for good measure). My trainer Emily Mraule thought it might be easier for me and my creative cooking to calculate my macros rather than just tell me what to eat. So I am keeping a food journal to keep me on track. Too bad I didn’t get that food scale I wanted from Santa this year, haha.
Did you make a plan-for-sucess to keep you on track for your new year’s resolution?
{Gluten-Free} Soft Lemon Snowballs
| December 11, 2013 |
It’s that time of year again – The Food Blogger Cookie Swap, hosted by my friend Julie from The Little Kitchen and Lindsay from Love & Olive Oil! It’s only my second year participating but definitely a holiday treat to look forward to.
All food bloggers are invited. Basically, after registering with your donation to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, you get the names of 3 food bloggers that you will be sending cookies to, and 3 food bloggers have your name. So just after Thanksgiving, before Christmas, you start getting cookies in the mail. Who doesn’t love getting packages?
Last year OXO was the sole sponsor and I got a cute “Be a good cookie” spatula in the mail. This year, OXO returned as a sponsor along side Gold Medal Flour, Dixie Crystals, and Grandma’s Molasses. Julie and Lindsay were able to raise $13,778.40 for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer this year thanks to these sponsors and all of the bloggers that registered to bake! Congrats guys!
I always try my best to make a healthy or skinny cookies that everyone would love. No one wants a “diet” cookie. This recipe definitely took some testing. I failed a few attempts at first but I finally got the recipe just right AND it’s super easy to make. You don’t even need a fancy stand mixer or anything! (Although I do like to take advantage of any chance I get to pull out my KitchenAid.)
These are not your traditional snowballs. Firstly, they are soft. The almond flour gives the cookies a moist and soft texture. I started with coconut flour but the cookies were horrible, so don’t try subbing the flours unless you plan to modify other aspects of the recipe too. Secondly, these are lemon.
… what kind of Disney fan would I be if I didn’t throw in a Disney gif right here?
Diet tip!
Between this cookie swap, my family’s annual cookie party, and other holiday parties I am around A LOT of cookies during December. One of the best ways I found to curb my cookie nomming is planning. Before a party, I tell myself how many cookies I will allow myself to eat and I usually pick a number between 0 – 4 depending on my fitness level that day and how well I had been following my diet that whole week. When you bring cookies home with you, pre-package your cookies into snack baggies with 2 in each bag. That way it’s easier to take them for lunch and limit how many you eat versus keeping them all in one cookie tin and allowing yourself to munch on them late at night.
{Gluten-Free} Soft Lemon Snowballs
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg white (beaten)
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- powdered sugar to coat the cookies in
Mix all the ingredients together, excluding the powdered sugar, using a spoon or spatula. The “dough” should be the texture of grits or thick oatmeal.
Refrigerate the mixture for minimum 2 hours. Overnight is best.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into little balls, just under one inch in size. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the bottom of the cookies are golden.
Let them cool for a few minutes. Then roll them into the powdered sugar while the are still warm. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe makes 12-15 cookies.
**Paleo Hack: Swap out the sugar for raw honey. Add an additional 1/3 cup of almond flour and 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut. When they come out of the oven, drizzle them with more honey instead of rolling them in sugar. Thanks to Nom Nom Crunch reader Tony for the recipe hack!
Check out some of the cookies I got in the mail! Click the photo to go directly to the recipe!
Thanks so much Monica (Dainty Morsels), Sunshine (Crave Local Orlando), and Amy & Laura (The Table Blog) for the amazing cookies!
Santa Barbara Wineries & The Ranch House
| October 1, 2013 |
My boyfriend Graham and I celebrated our anniversary this past month and took a day trip to Santa Barbara to visit the wineries. We were looking for a fun and unique experience we could do in a day without putting a big hole in the wallet.
We started at the Fess Parker Winery and took a tour of the property. Tours are available at most wineries but have very limited schedules. If you are interested in tours, be sure to check all their websites for the offered times and call ahead to reserve your spot.
Note: When the wineries say “tour,” what they mean is a tour of the facilities where they make the wine – which most often does not include the vineyards.
All the wineries have a tasting menu and they are all very affordable – between $5 and $15 average per tasting. A great way to be able to sample more places is by sharing the tasting menu. Most of the local wineries pour you a little more than a small sip, plenty enough to share.
Graham definitely seemed like he knew what he was doing, clearly by looking at the photos. And there I was drinking away, only spitting it out when I didn’t like it. Check out this article to learn the how-to’s on wine tasting: http://www.winemag.com/how-to-taste-wine/
At Fess Parker, a local restaurant set-up a BBQ and cooking station to prepare small meals for guests. Although, the restaurant didn’t have any business cards or fliers with them so I don’t remember who they were (marketing fail!). But they were seriously lifesavers because none of the wineries we visited had actual food other than cheese and crackers to buy and were very overpriced. We did not come prepared at all. I was so jealous seeing some of the veterans, with thier picnic baskets full of fruits, cheese, and meats. Next time, packing a picnic is a must!
We stopped at the Curtis Winery and I tasted the best dessert wine I think I have ever had. At this winery, the server asked what types of flavors I like, so of course I told him I have a sweet tooth. My favorites are Riesling and Moscato. He told me he had the perfect wine and bet on his job that I would love it. Boy was he right! It was like drinking syrup. I was not going to leave that place without a bottle of my new favorite: Curtis 2012 Viognier.
After we were all wined out (yes – it can happen), we left and headed to The Ranch House in Ojai for dinner. I’m not going to lie, I was really worried about this place because Graham had shown me the website and it looked like they hadn’t updated it since the 90s. Also, looking at the map, this place was far out of the way. Not to say I didn’t believe Graham when he told me I’d love it, but between the drive and the outdated website, I was worried.
We drove up and the outside did not impress me at all. Walked inside and the first thing I saw was a super outdated looking bar (also not impressed). When we walked outside where all the tables were, I was shocked! It looked like it was straight out of Pinterest! There was a cute little garden and the tables were arranged in a tier overlooking the garden and other tables hidden in their own little nooks to create a very romantic and private setting. Being in the middle of nowhere (at least that’s where I thought I was), no way did I ever expect a restaurant like this. I was in such awe, enjoying the whole thing I barely took any photos (for being a food blogger). Lesson learned: you can’t judge a restaurant by their website or street view.
While we were deciding what to eat, the chef came out from the back and started picking a few herbs from the garden to cook with. Again, I was very impressed.
What I ordered: Potato Soup, Grilled Diver Scallops, and the New Orleans Delight
The scallops were probably the best scallops I have since Graham and I’s first anniversary (we were celebrating our 7th this year). I had to order them because on the menu it said “The best thing I ever ate.” -Cat Cora. The scallops certainly exceeded my expectations.
To finish off the night, we had the New Orleans Delight. It was very good. Four out of five of the regular dessert options had coffee in them which is a bummer for anyone that dislikes coffee – so it was a good thing I’m a java lover.
I would definitely recommend taking a trip to The Ranch House. They value fresh, local and sustainable foods with their beautiful garden and free-range Chicken Chevrie. Just be sure to make reservations in advance. This place is very popular so walk-ins are often not able to be accommodated.
Cheat Day at the OC Fair
| July 23, 2013 |
We all need a cheat day in our lives every so often. I’m not going to lie and say I ate healthy at the OC Fair. And while I thought it would’ve been a cool idea to scope out the healthiest fair food, let’s be honest – when you go to the fair, you want to eat those once-a-year treats. (And I sure did enjoy the occasion!)
While I’m not going to preach to you about eating healthy at the fair, I’ll give you some other great tips about cheat day survival at the fair. And of course – what I ate!
Firstly, if you haven’t been following your eating plan very well, it may not be the best time to put the OC Fair cheat day into your week. Before you nom on all the fair goodies, prepare yourself by strictly following the diet or eating plan you’re on and be sure you didn’t cheat on your fitness regimen. I would also not suggest doing any sort of juice cleanse to prepare either. Just stick to your normal diet. If you try a cleanse leading up to the cheat day and then feed your body the absolute opposite right after, you might end up with an upset stomach and it’ll ruin your day.
Next thing to do is get your metabolism in check. It’s always good to start the day off with a little fitness, but on a cheat day it’s necessary. You want your body burning all day to minimize the damage to your your dieting efforts. Wake up and go for a run or hit up one of the classes at your gym.
Now for my cheat day! The OC Fair has a “Rise and Shine” discount for $3 entry before 11am on Saturdays and Sundays, which I took full advantage of. The fair can get expensive when you add it all up. If you don’t work Fridays, they have a “Taste of Food” promotion from noon to 4pm where many of the food vendors offer a smaller portion of one of their menu items for $2. This would have been a great way to sample everything. I did this last year and would highly recommend it.
If you are like me and can’t make it out for Friday lunch because of work, what my boyfriend and I did was share everything. Every drink to every meal – this is how you can try more food places without eating 6 different meals in one day.
We started off with the FryBQ Ribs from the diet-ruining-famous Chicken Charlie’s. I had been wanting to try these forever! They were very good. You’d think after being fried that the meat would be pretty tough, but it was surprisingly tender. The sauce was also good. It had a little more tang to it than other BBQ places at the fair, similar to a St. Louis sauce. Really, my only complaints are that you can’t order the ribs by themselves. You had to buy them with the fries which puts you over $10. Also, the sauce was like finger paint on your hands. It dyed them red like Flaming Hot Cheetos do.
We walked around a bit after foodie adventure #1. There are a TON of great things for foodies at the fair. This year there were so many more demos and chefs to talk to and watch. We stopped at Chef Ray Duey‘s booth where he was demonstrating fruit carving. There wasn’t an official demonstration time because he was just there for the majority of the day so you could walk up and just start talking to him while he carved. (Hopefully he was carving a new food fountain because the one on display was starting to stink.)
Next up we stopped for some drinks (shared of course). We ordered the Lime-A-Rita at a small beer stand. It was $12 and much larger than the sugary frozen margaritas near the Hanger. Still pretty sweet so if it’s sugar you are trying to escape, good luck.
We made our way to the farm animals which was a slight disappointment for me. There were so many animals and competitions but they had signs everywhere that were “farmer’s market” themed. So the whole time I was there I was thinking I was going to get to meet some farmers and network some contacts that I might be able to purchase grass fed beef and pasture raised chicken. Wrong! Wishful thinking. Shows you were my mind was… burgers.
We played some games (which are harder than they look) when I saw someone walk by with chicken teriyaki served in a pineapple. First thought in my mind was, “I need that!” So of course, we scoped it out and found Pineapple Express. We came to find this lovely cheat day item was also owned by Chicken Charlie’s. They originally gave the pineapple to us in one of those flimsy paper nacho cups but we lost a huge chunk of chicken on the ground. When we went back and told them we dropped a bunch of chicken, so they gave us more chicken (how nice of them!) and they put our pineapple in a larger brown box so if anything fell, it fell into the box. But I wonder why they didn’t serve it like that in the first place… The chicken was way too salty for my taste but I am not sure if I just had a bad batch or if it’s consistently just a salty recipe. I wouldn’t order that again.
Although I personally opted for the less healthy options and ate the greasy foods, if you’re looking to enjoy the fair in a healthier way, try some of these items. These are general items you can find at almost any fair.
- Grilled Kebabs
- Giant Pickles
- Corn on the Cob (skip the butter)
- Frozen Bananas
- Fresh Fruit
- Peanuts and Jerky
After the pineapple, I was on a mission. Whether my boyfriend knew it or not, the whole day I had plans to hit the Vitamix booth. Slowly but surely, we went from building to building with the intention (or my intention) to end at the wonderful world of blending. We got there and I got straight to it – how much does it cost? what are the specials? Being the foodie that has watched their demos with googly eyes time after time for years, they didn’t need to sell me. I think my mind was already made up before I even got there, although I did take time to walk around the building again just to be sure. It is a pretty pricey blender after all.
Comparing their deals to the ones you normally see at Costco – they were similar. At the fair they were only selling the 5200 classic model but said you can pretty much order anything with them. What I DIDN’T know was that you can buy reconditioned models. The reconditioned models are the blenders that have been used for demos at expos, fairs, and Costco locations, etc. so they have not been used for more than a month or so but many have only been used for a few days straight. Also, they gut the whole blender so really the only used part is the motor. They also offer an extended warranty, more than the online reconditioned warranty. (Yes! You can buy the discounted refurbished ones online too!!!)
Obviously, with all my refurbished Vitamix excitement, you can probably tell that’s the option I went for. But other deals that were special to the OC Fair (and probably your local fair if they are there) is they offered the Dry Grains container free as a bonus with your purchase. This offer wasn’t valid for the reconditioned buyers, like myself, but it was a very tempting offer. Also, whether you are buying a recon or a new one, they offer a 5 month payment plan. The interest only came out to about an extra $20 bucks for me. That alone was well worth it. Especially because at Costco you have to purchase it using a debt or cash which is definitely a damper on the wallet. I’m a credit card girl all the way.
Anyways, on my way home I stopped by the market and decided to BLEND EVERYTHING! So expect a bunch of smoothie, soup and sauce recipes from me 🙂
PS – No really. I even thought about blending the tamales we have and making tamale soup. Let my Vitamix addiction begin 🙂
Stacked: Food Well Built
| October 1, 2012 |
Everyone has a weak spot. Mine is burgers. I can’t seem to get enough. Well I thought maybe I’d send some love out to one of my favorite burger places and give you some dining out tips.
Customization is everything! Whether you’re at a place liked Stacked where the whole concept is about customized burgers or you’re at another joint that is a standard order-from-the-menu type place. Always think about what goes into the dish. Did you know that you can cut out an average of 100 calories (depending on the location and type of cheese) by opting for hamburger over the cheeseburger?
Now let’s talk about Stacked (one of my favorite burger places). First things first, you place your order on an iPad! Being an Apple loyalist, I was sold before I walked in. But where they get their tagline “Food Well Built” comes from this iPad ordering system. It’s a build-your-own type concept that as you add things to your burger, you see a visual of what toppings are on your burger…pretty cool.
Now for the food. I didn’t really order that healthy this time around but I think I can enjoy a binge every here and there. What I ordered: Whole Wheat Bun, Angus Beef Patty, Pepperjack Cheese, Iceberg Lettuce, Chipotle Mayo, Roma Tomatoes, Pickles, Bacon, Avocado, Caramelized Onions and Roasted Poblano Peppers. Came to a pricy $10ish dollars but you get what you pay for. It was worth every penny.
Their gluten free bun is probably the best I’ve ever had at a restaurant. It doesn’t fall apart or mush like many other places. One of the tricks to a filling burger is making sure you top it with plenty of veggies (or fruit if it floats your boat). I always add extra lettuce for a good (nom nom) crunch and always get extra tomatoes on the side. The more veggies you get onto your place, the more full you will feel. If you finish off a well stacked burger here, you really don’t even need to order a side of fries. (But if you do, I highly suggest the sweet potato fries. Yum yum!) Anything creamy you should stay away from if you are looking for healthier options…Or do what I did and run a 10k the next day so you can enjoy the aioli with minimal guilt. But seriously, the best thing to do is stick to a mustard and maybe ketchup. Mayo, Thousand Island, or any special sauces should be avoided if you are eating light.
Stacked isn’t just burgers. You can also build your own salads, pizzas, and if you want to be really bad, try a build-your-own milkshake! Sorry non-SoCal fans, Stacked is still growing but for now there are only 3 locations. For more info on Stacked, visit their website.
**This post contains my own opinions. I was not compensated in any way by Stacked. (Yup, I paid for that $10 burger and I liked it.)
