Baby shower cake!

Here is the adorably cute baby shower cake that Monica made for my sister!  It was almost too cute to eat....almost!

Wedding Food

I just realized I haven't posted any photos from our wedding day!  We had some delicious food provided by the Petroleum Club of Houston.  Everything from the salad to the cakes were delicious!  (Our cakes were made by our good friend Monica).  Normally wedding food is horrible, but I was pleasantly surprised about how good it actually was!  Here are some pics, including our martini luge!

Thai Food In San Antonio

So this weekend I went to San Antonio for my sisters baby shower.  As soon as I got to town she said I hope your hungry!  I was, as usual  :-)  She took me to her favorite Thai restaurant, and we gorged on food!  It was so good!  You can order the heat anywhere from 1-10, I did a 7 on my dish, the beef and noodles, I should have went for the 10.  Little did I know they have a competition there where if you eat a dish with a 50 heat or higher you get your picture on the wall!  I so would have done my own episode of Heather vs. Food!  Next time!
We started our meal off with the Thai Beef Jerky

Next we shared a flaming bowl of  Tom Yum Gai

Next came all of our meals. I had the beef and noodles.

My sister Sonya had the Pumpkin Curry

Our friend Bao had Lemongrass Chicken

My sisters husband John had the Glass Noodles with beef and chicken

And for dessert, Fried Ice Cream!!!  So delicious!

So needless to say I waddled out of the restaurant that night!

Buckhorn Exchange, Denver

I was in Denver for work for a few days and we decided to try out the Buckhorn Exchange.  If you arent a meat eater then you can go ahead and stop reading this post!  From the moment you walk into the restaurant all of the walls are entirely filled with stuffed animals, from monkeys to rabbits to elk....anything and everything!  There were several types of meat on the menu that I havent tired before so I went for the sampler plate.  It included elk, quail and buffalo.  All of the food was so good.  I would definitely recommend the restaurant if you are ever in Denver.

Cheeseburger Pizza

So I really think that when you ask for anything ham in Spain, they use pork, whether you order a hamburger, or a cheeseburger pizza!  What we thought was beef, just didnt quite taste right. The pizza was good, dont get me wrong, I just have a sneaking suspicion that they are sneaking more "Wilbur" into my food than I want to know about!

Brined Chicken and Brown Rice

I had been marinating chicken all day in a nice spicy lime and jalapeno mixture.  Apparently that wasn't appetizing for Greg, so he decided to make dinner.  He brined the chicken (which I have never had before).  He said its supposed to keep it moist, which it really did.  Thats one thing I hate about chicken, it gets dry too quickly.  We pretty much only eat white meat chicken breasts, even though I love a good drumstick!  When we are on the health kick its white meat only Blah!  For the brown rice he mixed in a yellow bell pepper and some seaweed seas alt he made (he had to make it for himself after we got back from Japan and they served it at a restaurant).  It really does give the rice a nice flavor.  Just blend some sea salt with pieces of seaweed in a chopper and then lay out to let dry over night, and voila, seaweed sea salt!

Turkey Meatballs with Wheat Penne Pasta

We are back on our super health food kick again, so Greg made several dishes to kick start the month of health lol!   I love ground turkey, but it always seems to dry really quickly.  With this dish he mixed the turkey with onions (which I hate) and several secret spices....I say they are secret because I didn't watch him put them in the meat :-)  He made homemade tomato sauce, which consists of whole canned tomatoes, basil, oregeno, bay leaf, and tomato paste, blended up with a stick blender.  He quickly seared the sides of the meatballs and then added them to the boiling sauce to continue cooking.  This should keep them nice and moist!  Cant wait to add them to the pasta tomorrow and have the dish for lunch!

Protein Pumpkin Muffins

About a year ago we went to the Institute of Eating Management to talk to a nutritionist.  We came away with a great nutrition plan and some really good healthy recipes.  I have a huge sweet tooth, so anything that I can make that's healthy and delicious I am down for! I top mine with a bit of sugar free cool whip!  Here is their Protein Pumpkin Muffin recipe.

12 egg whites
2/3 cup uncooked oatmeal
2/3 cup of Go Lean high fiber cereal
1 cup canned pumpkin
dash of vanilla extract
1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
10 packages of Splenda
1 oz raisins

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a blender mix the egg whites, oatmeal, pumpkin mix, vanilla, spice, baking soda, baking powder and Splenda.  Fold the Go Lean high fiber cereal into the batter.  Line the muffin tins with aluminum cupcake liner (effects the consistency) and spry with Pam.  Pour the mixture into muffin tins.  Top each muffin with raisins.  Bake for 30 minutes.

These muffins have 18 grams of protein!

Sea Bass in Scotland

When I was in Scotland I went between Edinburgh and Perth (yes there is a Perth Scotland, everyone seemed to think I was in Australia), which would have been better since I was there in December!  Perth is a tiny town with lots of quaint restaurants.  I really enjoyed the seafood while I was there, so my dinners were mainly pubfood or seafood.  This one doesnt look the best, but the flavor was excellent, very light and subtle. 

French Toast along Pikes Peak Market

I am a HUGE breakfast person.  I can eat pancakes and french toast for every meal!  So when we were in Seattle I saw someone eating their french toast at brunch.  I immediately ordered it!  It had baked apples, whipped cream, pecans and powdered sugar cover it.  It was so good! I'm not a huge fan of sausage links, more of patties type of girl, I know I'm weird like that, so I could do without those and just add on a few more pieces of toast! :-)

Mixed Paella

So I attempted to make my very first Paella last night.  I got the recipe from the Food Network, Perfect Paella by Rachel Ray.  I made a few modifications to make it just a little healthier.  First thing I did was go to the grocery store to get my meat selection.  The first question I asked the seafood person was, are those shrimp deviened.  His answer, oh yes!  I get home and OH NO they weren't!  I didn't realize this until it was pretty much time to add them to the rice, so make note, check your shrimp to make sure they are cleaned!  The recipe was pretty easy, I would add some extra spices to give it a bit more flavor (maybe that's what the chorizo would have done).  All in all everyone seemed to like it.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, (I used one instead of 3)
  
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups enriched white rice
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 quart chicken broth or stock
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into thirds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 pound chicken sausage, (I used this in place of chorizo)
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, 24 shrimp
• 18 green lipped mussels, cleaned
• 1 cup frozen peas

Directions:

In a very wide pan or paella pan, preheated over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,  crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, add rice and saute 2 or 3 minutes. Add saffron threads, bay leaf, broth, and thyme and bring liquids to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with lid or foil and reduce heat to simmer.
In a separate nonstick skillet, over medium high heat brown chicken on both sides in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add peppers and onions to the pan and cook 3 minutes longer. Add chorizo to the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.
After about 13 minutes, add shellfish to the rice pan, nesting them in cooking rice. Pour in peas, scatter lemon zest over the rice and seafood, then cover the pan again. After 5 minutes, remove cover or foil from the paella and discard any unopened mussel shells. Stir rice and seafood mixture and lift out bay and thyme stems, now bare of their leaves. Arrange cooked chicken and peppers, onions and chorizo around the pan. Serve with wedges of lemon and warm bread.

La Rambla street Barcelona

There is a fabulous market off of La Rambla in Barcelona Spain.  They have everything from chocolate,  meat,  wine, cheese, nuts, eggs, you name it they have it!  I took so many pictures of the market that I could make a book out of them.  Here are some of my favorites. 

Seafood in Barcelona

I speak a little bit of Spanish, enough to get me around the city.  We went to dinner at a seafood restaurant that our cab driver recommended. When we got there no one spoke English.  I could read the main courses on the menu but couldn't determine what they served with or how they prepared.  So we went with the appetizer that the waiter recommended.  All I knew was that it was going to be friend seafood.  We were not prepared for the head on full fried mini fish that we received.  I have an aversion to eating the head of animal, I just cant do it.  The fish was delicious, but you see we left the heads for someone else to enjoy lol!  For my main course I ordered the fish of the day.  It was huge, enough to feed 4 people!  It was delicious though.  I love eating seafood in countries where it is so fresh.

Street Market in London

I was in London for work, right across the street from the famous Girken tower. During lunch I would either shop or eat :-) One day a week they have a street market with a variety of foods to choose from. The day I went they had some delicious olives and mini quiches!  So good!

Tapas in London

My friend Naheed that lives in London told me that I had to try the tapas in London.  I was unsure of what I would get, they were different than standard Spanish tapas, but they were actually really good.  They were all served on a tiny piece of baguette.  There were countless choices, but I choose two types of bacon, pancetta, goat cheese and asparagus.  I could have ate them all day they were so good!  But really can you go wrong with bacon and cheese :-)

Profiteroles in Paris

Profiteroles are one of the most delicious desserts I have ever ate, and believe me I have tried my fair share of desserts!  I will choose them over "real" food any day.  The pastry outside was fluffy and light, one was filled with ice cream, the other with a light cream filling, drizzled with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar.  I am hungry just describing them!

Do not eat the Mexican food in Scotland

I knew it was going to be bad going into the situation.  Mexican food in Scotland, that just doesnt even sound right!  And boy, was I right.  It was possibly the worst Mexican food I have ever had.  I was with a group of people, half from London and a few from Greece, they all loved it.  I, being from Texas, couldnt even finish half of my meal.

Gelato In Rome Anyone?

Oh my gosh, Rome has the BEST Gelato I have ever tasted.  I guess you would assume it would since it is Italian!  Heres a little pic of my favorite one!

Curry in Scotland

As you can tell I ate out a lot the two weeks I was in Scotland, every day actually, so there are lots of food to share!  Here is the only Indian food I had while I was there.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The curry was extremely spicy!

Haggis

I took a trip to Scotland and was leery about trying their Haggis, but I was told that I had to if I wanted to get an authentic Scottish experience.  Well on my final night there I did, and I wish I had tried it sooner!  I loved it.  If only I had tried it sooner.

Venison and Mash

Another delicious dish from Scotland!  Venison and mash.  I love venison but rarely get to eat it in, unless my dad is cooking it for me!  I was able to get my fix here!

Shrimp at Pikes Market Seatle

I wish we lived in Seattle just for Pikes Market.  They have everything from seafood, to hand blown glass, to the most gorgeous flowers I have seen in the states.  Dont you just want to take pounds of these shrimp home with you!

Seafood Soup in Seattle

After a night out walking the streets in Seattle we decided to stop by a little seafood restaurant near our hotel.  I am so glad that we did.  This seafood soup was so delicious!  This was also the night I found out that Greg was no longer allergic to shellfish, as he grabbed a shrimp and ate it to my horror!  I was waiting for his throat to swell and for him to break out in hives....turns out he was only allergic to uncooked shellfish. Great way to start out our first night in Seattle!

Sushi Samba in Chicago

Every time we go to Chicago we go to Sushi Samba.  They have some really good sushi and some interesting river crabs.  The first time I tried them I really didn't like them, they tasted just like hard outer shells.  The second time I enjoyed them more.  I wouldn't say I recommend the crabs, but I do the restaurant!

Meat Pie anyone?

Walking along Pikes Place Market in Seattle we looked into a little window and saw what we thought was meatloaf.  Upon further inspection we realize it was a meat pie.  Now I'm somewhat adventurous when it comes to trying new things, but hearts and kidneys, nope couldnt do it!

Blood Sausage in New Orleans

We went to New Orleans for the Voodoo Music festival and decided to try one of John Besh's restaurants while we were there.  I'm always up for trying new things, but the thought of the blood sausage kind of made me a little squeamish.  I went ahead and ordered it, and to my surprise I LOVED it.  I would definitely recommend it!