God is Great, Beer is Good, and People are Crazy!

I forgot to blog about our breakfast from yesterday. Me and Huck went to Suzy Q's Cafe in Downtown Abacoa. We enjoyed our breakfast outside on the patio. I ordered the Greek Omelette with Hashbrowns. My omelette came with spinach, onions, and feta cheese. I enjoyed every bite of it. It cost $7.99, but I think there was $4 of feta cheese inside of it.

Huck ordered the Spinach Benny, Eggs Benedict with spinach. His was really good, as well.  

We will definitely be going back in the future. 

For dinner last night, I simply marinated some pork chops with my usual, Fat Free Italian Dress, Salt and Pepper, and Ground Red Pepper Powder. I served them with broccoli, rice, and cheese. Next time, I will top the rice with cheese and cook it under the broiler until the cheese is melted and golden brown. 

I peeled the broccoli stems and chopped them to add to the rice too. The outside of the stems can be tough, so I recommend peeling if you use them. 

One month down 

I really can't believe today is the last day of January 2012! We have done so many great things this month. We explored more of South Florida, enjoyed great food, cooked even better food, found out my recipes are going to be published in the paper, and of course the best part, Huck asked me to marry him!!  I can't wait to see what February has in store! Hopefully a visit from my family and Jennifer!   

Gators, Waiters, and Cheese Oh My!! Part 2

We headed back to the house and got ready for dinner at Downtown Gardens. I wanted to go to The Yard House for dinner, but after someone said they wanted Mexican, we went to Cabo Flats. The nightmare of a dinner started when our waitress dropped our waters all over Huck and some on me. As he was getting up to move from all the water, she dropped her tray on his foot. He was wearing flip flops, by the way. 

We moved to a different table and ordered dinner. Me and Huck split The Mexico City and he ordered a bowl of Enchilada soup. It was a sample of Enchilada Queso, Steak Burrito, Chicken Tamale, and Carnitas. The steak burrito and tamale were so so, the enchilada queso was OK, but the carnitas was awesome.

Nathan's lady friend ordered the enchiladas and asked for chicken and cheese. The enchiladas they brought out where just chicken. When she asked for some cheese to sprinkle on top, they brought out a bowl of half melted cheese. It reminded me of the cheese I use to make when I was a kid and would microwave shredded yellow processed cheese stuff to make what I thought was cheese dip. There was always that gross layer of grease on the top.  

When see asked for shredded cheese or something she could pour, she was told it would cost extra. She asked to speak to the manager. The front of house manager was walking around talking to all the tables in the restaurant, but ours. He wouldn't even look at our table. If it was my restaurant, I would have followed up with a table after my waitress split water on everyone. After waiting 10 minutes or more, another man came over to our table to see what was wrong. After complaining about our whole experience, he agreed to bring her out another plate. The next order that came out looked nothing like the first one. This one had cheese and sauce on top and cheese and chicken inside. After seeing the first plate, it seemed the kitchen got lazy and just throw something together the first time. It made me wonder what our meal was suppose to look like. 

We were surprised/happy they only charged us for half of our meal, but with the lack of customer service and kitchen problems, I am sure we will not be going back again.    

After dinner, we walked across to the Yard House, where I originally wanted to go. We sat at the bar and Huck ordered a beer. They have 130 beers on tap in the center of a wrap around bar, and the waiters were so nice and took our order right away. Should of had dinner there!

Me and Huck talked about marketing ideas for our future brewery, and the teenagers that stayed with us this weekend were in their own little make-out world. I told Huck I wasn't going to talk about them in my blog... I lied!

Bored playing with the camera. Sorry for the horrible picture quality. 

We came home and watched My Name is Earl on my computer in our room, while the teenagers made-out on our couch... I lied again!

After an eventful weekend, I am ready to get back to normal and have our house back from the 32 year old teenagers. 

Gators, Waiters, and Cheese Oh My!! Part 1

Sunday morning, I got up and decided to use the leftover blueberries to make a recipe I seen on Skinny Taste for Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins. I followed the recipe from Gina's website, but used 50/50 AP Flour and Whole Wheat Flour.

See all those Blueberries! So GOOD!

This recipe was just as easy as one of those boxed muffin mix, but with a lot more blueberries and a lot less sugar. 

For lunch, we stopped at CG Burgers. I ordered the California Burger. It was a beef hamburger with avocado, sprouts, and tomatoes. I had them add pepper jack cheese. It was a really good burger. I would say it was an awesome burger, but I tried a bite of Huck's Napa Valley Burger and mine just didn't compare. His came with goat cheese, arugula, and a balsamic honey mustard. He added bacon and mushroom It was the best burger ever! I was so sad when I had to go back to eating my crappy hamburger. (It really was good. Just not as good as his). CG Burgers is only 1/2 a mile from our house, so I am sure it will become a regular burger place.

After lunch we went to Canoe Outfitter to go kayaking down the river. For $25, you can rent a 1 or 2 person kayak or a 3 person canoe. Not a bad price for a whole afternoon of fun. We rented the 2 person kayak and headed out for a 3.5 mile trip down to river. 

Me and Huck were upset we did not get to see an alligator.  

18% Alcohol... This is going to be a bad day!

Saturday we got ready and made our way to Downtown Abacoa for the 6th Annual Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival. We were provided a sampling cup as we entered Roger Dean Stadium. There were over 55 tents set up, and each tent had between 2-6 different kinds of beer. I originally thought I would not find a lot of beer I liked since I have only worked up to fruity wheat and some pale ales style beers. I was wrong!

Almost every tent had a wheat beer. With so many breweries and some many different kinds of beer, I lost track of the ones I actually liked. While talking to the guy at the Dogfish tent, I told him I liked fruity beers. He recommended the Fort Beer. As he was pouring he told me it was a Raspberry Belgian Style Beer with an ABV (alcohol percentage) of about 18%! Wait... What? 18%? I held on to it for a few minutes before I took a sip. I finally decided to try it and realized it was worse then I originally thought. My stomach hurts just thinking about it. It was more like a Port Wine than a beer. I guess that is where the name Fort comes from? 

This was after I tried the Fort. The tree behind me got the rest. 

Me and Huck spent most of the weekend together, just the two of us. We realized we could have went to the beer festival together and had just as much fun.

This was my reaction as a lady with the baby walked by. Who brings their kids to a beer festival?

Around 4PM, I went to the bathroom and when I walked out, all the beer Huck had consumed caught up with him. He went for holding a conversation with no problem to what I call "Drunk Huck". He speaks slower and in very short phrases. There is no transition for Sober Huck to Drunk Huck. It comes without warning. Well I guess the warning is all the craft beer he was drinking. The day went well though. We both had fun. I'm sure he is going to get mad because I said that :) LOVE YOU BABY!!

After the festival, we walked across the street to Jumby Bay Island. After standing in the hot sun all day, I was hungry! Me and Huck split the Chicken Enchilada Soup and the Cuban Sandwich with Fries. I thought I took pictures, but I can't find them. The Cuban is huge. I was full after 1/2, so I'm glad we shared.

I think I'm retiring my Oakley's. They look way to big! 

Beach, beer, and fish tacos!

After some last minute cleaning, we left for the airport to pick up Nathan and his lady friend. I love the fact that West Palm Beach Airport is only 20 minutes away.

After picking them up, we enjoyed lunch at Dune Dogs. I ordered the regular cheese burger again. Then we came home changed and went out to the beach. It was 84 today (LOVE SOUTH FLORIDA!!!) We enjoyed a few beers before heading back to the house to hang out by the pool.

After my post from yesterday, me and Huck decided to make them. I used grilled fish instead of baked.

I like my new grill pan! 

This picture was taken with my nice camera too. Such a waste!!

I cooked seasoned the fish with salt, pepper, and ground red pepper. I cooked it in the grill pan for a few minutes until cooked through. 

I served my fish tacos with mango, purple cabbage, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. 

I also made Black Bean Soup from Skinny Taste. I just used canned black beans instead of dried. 

 

We have a big day planned tomorrow. In the morning we are going to the Burt Reynolds Museum and then Jupiter Brewers Festival. I don't know which one I am more excited about. :) 

Healthy Fish Tacos?

Today, was a busy day. We went to Miami this morning, and I spent the rest of the day cleaning and organizing the house. Maybe not a busy day, but it went by really fast.

We have a fridge full of leftovers and can't waste food, so we have enjoyed a week of lazy dinners and leftovers. I posted a recipe from my old blog to make up for my lack of creativity this week.

Now it is time for bed. I have a few more things to do in the morning before we pick Nathan up at the airport.

Fish Tacos 


I used Sweetwater Sch'Wheat Beer for the batter. My fish is battered and bake in the oven instead of frying in oil. I only used a little cooking spray on the oven rack to prevent the fish from sticking. This is my attempt on healthier beer batter fish tacos. Enjoy!

   Sch'Wheat. My favorite beer. It adds a mild beer flavor. Not to over powering.

The beer batter with cumin, ground red pepper for heat, and chili powder.

The pieces of fish cooking in the oven. I used Mahi Mahi (it is firm and was on sale :)

Ingredients for my lite avocado cream sauce.  

Topping for tacos. I used the skin of the avocado to serve sauce. 

Oven Baked Beer Batter Fish Tacos

• 1 lb. Fish (Firm white fish)
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup beer 
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 1 Tbsp Chili powder
• Ground Red Pepper to taste.
• Corn Tortillas
•  Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Avocado Sauce (see recipe)
• Pepper Jack Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees
2. Mix 3/4 cup of flour with spices and add beer. 
3. Toss fish in extra flour. 
4. Coat fish in batter and remove excess. 
5. Place battered fish on a lined cookie sheet (I cooked mine on a rack but even with cooking spray they stuck.)
6. Cook for 10 minutes or until fish flakes and batter is crispy.
7. Serve on corn tortillas with sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Black bean or rice make a nice side dish.   

Avocado Cream Sauce

• 1 Avocado
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 Lime
• Cilantro
• Jalapeño (I used two but we like our food hot)
• Salt to taste

 Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Serve in the empty avocado shell.

Calories 
One serving 370 calories
One serving: one taco with one Tbsp sauce, one ounce fish, one corn tortillas, one Tbsp pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup black beans (black beans 1/2 cup 110 calories). (This is an estimate)

I hope you try this recipe. It is really good!! Goodnight!

What did you eat Wednesday??

A blog that I follow, Pea and Crayons, does a thing called What I ate Wednesday. I enjoy see what people post each Wednesday, and I find a lot of new ideas for healthy meals and a lot of new blogs to follow. I decided since I had pictures of my lunch and breakfast, I would participate this week. It is nice to find websites with other people with the same interest, and do not find it weird taking pictures of everything they eat!!

Breakfast

I layered Greek Lemon Yogurt, 1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunchy Cereal, and 1/2 cup blueberries. I ate an orange in the car on the way to work I forgot to take a picture of.

When I had to be at work at 6:45AM and drive in Atlanta traffic, I would make breakfast the night before and eat in the car on the way to work. Now that I work 10 minutes away, I have time to sit down and enjoy breakfast before walking out the door. I do not feel so rushed in the morning.

Lunch
After a VERY VERY stressful day and a half at work, it was nice surprise when a Drug Rep ordered lunch for the office. Lunch came from Field of Greens in Palm Beach Gardens. I ordered the Santa Fe Wrap with black beans, corn, chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, and a BBQ ranch sauce.

I really enjoyed my food and would love to order from them again, but a few people at work, including the doctor, were complaining for stomachaches after lunch. I may be hesitate to order from them again.

After a few more crazy hours at work, I could not clock out fast enough. I just wanted out of that place.

Dinner
I was really hungry when I got home and Leftover Spaghetti  made a quick dinner after a long stressful couple of days at work.

This was my first What I Ate Wednesday! I hope you enjoy! Maybe next week, I will actually cook something for WIAW though. :)

I am so happy today is my Friday, and I am looking forward to this weekend. Nathan and his "very new" lady friend are coming down for the Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival and we have a few other activities planned for the weekend. We are so excited to have visitors. It is going to be a very interesting weekend. Stay tuned!!

Oh and I can't forget the Oopie and Dummy pics of the day...

Yes... He is sleeping like this!! 

He is mad I woke him up! Really it is a dogs life!!

Lazy Dinners

The past two night I have been pretty lazy when it comes to dinner. I have been hungry early the past few days and didn't feel like cooking anything fancy. Last night, we had blackened fish with yellow rice and broccoli.

I seasoned the fish with a Cajun spice blend and cooked in a pan sprayed with cooking spray. The broccoli was steamed in the microwave for 5 minutes.

Tonight, dinner was even easier! After me and Ginny got back from our run, I made spaghetti and salad. I cooked Ground Turkey Breast with ragu pasta sauce (our favorite) and spaghetti. Dinner was ready in less then 15 minutes. 

My eyes were bigger than my stomach. 

I also added the leftover mushrooms to the spaghetti. I think it is safe to say I am not allergic, but I'm not sure I like them. I need to experiment more before I know for sure I do no like them. 

Work Update

I thought after a few weeks, my job would get better or at least more tolerable. Well it is only getting worse!! Ewww. Thankfully it is only 3 days a week. I'm 1/3 of the way finished with my work week. Maybe my blog will become really popular (VERY SOON) and I can become a professional blogger! A girl can dream right?? 

Red Mangos

Today, was a nice lazy Sunday. Huck was working, and I pulled out my sewing machine, I received for Christmas, for the first time. I bought fabric last night that looks like the background on my blog and wanted to made a computer bag out of it. After spending HOURS cutting out all the pieces from the pattern I bought, I was ready to sew. I set up my sewing machine and placed my fabric in and started to sew. My needle went down in the machine but never came out. I removed the bobbin and realized that the thread was tangled in the machine. After removing all the thread, I tried again. Same thing happened. I know how to set up a sewing machine. I have used one countless times. I watched the video and looked at the users manual that came in the box and was doing everything right. I'm still confused why it was not working properly. I tried a few more times and just gave up.

Laying out everything for my bag. 

Frustrated with the sewing machine and Huck burnt out on work, we decided it was time to get out of the house and enjoy the beautiful weather. Yea High 80's, today!!  

I had more fruit. It just fall down the sides :) 

Ice Cream sounded nice on such a hot day, so we made our way to Red Mango. OMG That is all I can say. It is my new favorite place!!! I was confused at first with how it worked. The lady behind the counter gave us a few sample cups and instructed us to pick our flavor from the wall. The wall had over 20 flavors. All frozen yogurt. There were traditional flavors like vanilla and chocolate and other flavors like pomegranate, pineapple, and raspberry. I picked the pineapple. It really is amazing!! After picking your flavor, you then get to pick your toppings. They have a huge selection of candy toppings, but I do not really like things like gummy bears in my frozen yogurt. As I walked down the topping bar, I found the good stuff. REAL FRUIT. Not fruit in syrup claiming to be real fruit, but real pieces of fresh kiwi, mango, strawberries, star fruit, ect. I loaded up on mango, pineapple, and strawberries. 

The price is $0.49 per ounce too. I originally thought it was $0.49 per topping.  

Huck got Pomegranate frozen yogurt with raspberries, pineapples and mango. The best part is all the flavors are 100% natural and between 20-30 calories an ounce. No reason to feel guilty after!  

He is asleep like this! How is this comfortable?? 

BBQ Quesadilla

After completely forgetting about going to the Community Garden Event today, me and Huck rode our bikes to the bank and grocery store. I blame Pinterest and wedding blogs for not going. After seeing pictures online from the garden, it seems to mostly family and kids. Kind of glad me missed it! Screaming kids at 9AM doesn't sound like much fun!

I wore jeans and a black shirt to Publix and it was sweating by the time we got there. It was around 80 and super sunny today, by the way. (HAHAHA) 

I was really proud of us for only going over our Food Budget by $1.50. We bought lots of fresh veggies, fresh fruit, and steak for dinner tonight. I can't wait to share my recipes with you guys for the next week. 

Riding home was interesting with Huck carrying a 12 pack of bottle beer and trying to keep balanced while riding through the parking lot dodging cars. Huck bought a basket rake for his bike, today, so we will not have this problem again. I'm still searching for a basket for mine. It just looks like a basket kind of bike doesn't it? 

Me and my awesome bike with the cold groceries. Helped to keep my back cool on the way back  

Huck with the other half of the groceries and beer. 

For lunch, I used the Leftover Pork to make BBQ Quesadillas. I chopped up some onions and peppers and topped a corn tortilla with shredded pork, onions, peppers, and cheese. I toasted each side for a few minutes until the cheese was melting and tortillas was toasted. We dipped them in the BBQ Sauce, which was the best idea ever!! 

A few grape tomatoes made it a complete meal. 

Doesn't he look like a toddler? :) 

This is one happy Yahoo!

This is not! 

"Really. Really!! I have to wear this hat for you to take a picture... Again? How many pictures do you need!!" 

Huck marinated our steaks and we went to town for a grill pan and dog food. We also found a Jo-Ann Fabric Store. This was a huge mistake on our part. I now have 50 different things I want to make. I can't wait. 

Huck wanted to look for fabric to make side bags for his bike. Huck originally picked out a Camo pattern, but changed his mind last minute. We are going to look online for something, but I think a army green canvas fabric would look great. 

I was overly excited to find fabric that looks like the back ground on my blog. I plan to make an overnight bag with it. Pictures to follow soon! 

I started dinner as soon as we returned home. I made smashed red potatoes and steak with mushrooms and onions with a red wine sauce. 

Smashed Red Potatoes

• 1 lb Red Potatoes 
• Salt and Pepper
• 2-3 Oil
• Cook potatoes in microwave until tender. 
• Lay cooked potatoes on cutting board and flatten with hand. Be careful not to burn your hand. I used a towel so the steam did not burn my hand. 
• Heat oil over medium high heat. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper. 
• Cook potatoes until golden brown and flip. 
• These are nice because the inside is tender and the outside is crispy. 

Mushroom and Onion with Red Wine Sauce

• 1 cup Sliced Mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Sliced Onions
• 1 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Red Wine
• After removing steaks from the pan, deglaze the pan with the water stirring to remove all the brown bites on the bottom of the pan. 
• Add mushroom and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add wine. Be careful when adding wine because the wine could flame up brief. If this happens, place a lid over the pan to kill the flame. 
• Reduce sauce down by half and serve over steak.    

Flatten potato before crisping in oil. 

Potatoes cooking in oil. 

Crispy Potatoes! Nothing better!! 

Enjoyed with a glass of the same wine from the sauce. 

Tomorrow, will be back in the 80's again. WOWHOO!!!