Weekend in the Hill Country

This weekend to celebrate my 30th birthday, D was kind enough to reserve a cottage in the Texas Hill Country with our friends the Andersons and the Mizes.  This is probably our last weekend to get away and it was absolutely perfect.

Our Bedroom

The grill and firepit, where we cooked s'mores under the Texas stars.

 D was sweet enough to roast me a marshmallow and I made myself a PERFECT s'more with a Ghirardelli mint chocolate square.  Not diabetes approved, but it was my birthday weekend and I only had one.

Front porch for relaxing

Gourmet kitchen where we all cooked dinner together Friday night.

The cottage was set on 34 acres and had two horses, one was a mini-horse.

Janet and the mini-horse

Christine and Janet with the not-so-mini-horse

Interesting story about the horses.  We got there super late after dark and wanted to build a fire in the outdoor fireplace after dinner.  After a lovely night, we finally turned in.  Around 7 AM I woke up with a leg cramp (yay pregnancy ailments) and walked into the kitchen to walk it off a bit and get a look at our surroundings once the sun came up.  Much to my surprise, staring in the living room window at me were the horses.  I got D out of bed and asked if the horses should be this close to the house and he said that the corral was probably close to the house, to which I replied, "No, they're standing next to the hammock, THAT close?" 

He jumped out of bed and we realized that the gate we had gone through the night before to get the firewood (and had left open) was the gate to the horse corral.  Thankfully, we had secured all the other gates on the property, so they couldn't escape, but D still had to herd them back into their corral.  The mini-horse wasn't having it and freaked out and started running around the house, which in turn got the bigger horse all riled up.  So there we are, in the middle of no where, with 2 horses in our front yard and no idea what to do.  Thankfully they decided to return to their corral on their own, after which we secured the gate (um, hello, if you're going to rent out your cottage maybe LOCK THE HORSE CORRAL GATE or perhaps LABEL THE GATE or better yet DON'T STORE THE FIREWOOD IN THERE???)

After D was done playing horse whisperer, we collapsed back into bed for a couple more hours.  The horses were super friendly to everyone else later that day, coming over and letting everyone pet them.  Everyone but D.  The horses had already decided that he was not cool.

Later that morning, Christine prepared a delicious diabetes friendly breakfast for us and we headed into Fredericksburg for some shopping while the boys went to the Admiral Nimitz museum.  I found some yummy smokey salsa and white truffle oil for D and I to enjoy at home and found some dog treats that looked like s'mores for the pups who were spending their weekend at the kennel.  That night we headed to dinner at the Cabernet Grill.

D and I before dinner

The girls before dinner

After an amazing dinner I got my long awaited slice of chicken fried pecan pie with a scoop of Jack Daniels ice cream.  While I wanted to wolf the whole thing down, I shared it with D since I wasn't really supposed to be eating it at all.  He was happy to oblige, for the good of the baby of course. 

We spent that night playing games and laughing so hard I was sure I'd pee my pants (thankfully I did not).  The next morning we packed up and stopped at the Herb Farm in Fredericksburg on our way out of town for a delightful brunch and then headed back to Austin. 

Non-Alcoholic Alcoholic Beverages

Since I'm pregnant and have been majorly missing my occasional beer, wine, or cocktail, I've been exploring a few low-alcohol options.  Let's start with the beers, shall we?

First, I tried the old stand by, O'Douls.  I drank this in college when I had to give up the hooch while recovering from hip surgery (took 9 months, not my first dry spell, I've done this before).  D thought it was weird that I awkwardly told the checkout girl that I was only drinking it because I was pregnant.  I can't have someone thinking I would actually drink that crap normally, okay?  I like beers, good beers, legit beers, like Young's Double Chocolate or some other hand crafted microbrew that makes me seem all awesome for liking it.

It's probably the easiest one to find out at a bar, I've ordered it a couple times on 6th street.  Not as good as a Dos Equis (which is what I try to pretend I'm drinking when I drink it) but it scratches the itch.  The thing I've found with most of these non-alcohol (or low alcohol, less than 0.5% by volume) is that they don't go down as smoothly as their alcoholic counterparts.  Mostly, you have one and then you're full, do yourself a favor and switch to water. 

This weekend I found Kaliber at Spec's.  Kaliber is made by the same people that make Guinness.

I like Guinness and I saw another preggo buying it, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  It wasn't great, it really had a strong molasses taste.  D said it tasted like they'd poured syrup into water and encouraged me to not feel bad about tossing the whole six pack.  This is a normal reaction I think from someone who can actually drink real beer.  Good beer.  When your options are crap or crap, you learn to be less picky.  Note that they store a lot of gluten free beers in the same refrigerator unit at Spec's as the non-alcoholic.  D had to point out to me a number of times that I had an armload of gluten free beer that would indeed, still get me drunk.  But if you don't do gluten, rest assured, there are options out there for you apparently.

Christmas eve I tried Sutter Home's alcohol removed bubbly from their Fre line of wines.

It didn't taste anything like a brut sparkling wine I'd ever had, but I tolerate the sweeter sparkling wines quite well and it was nice to have a bit of bubbly in my hand all evening and I bet it would go nicely in with some orange juice for a faux mimosa.  Again, doesn't go down as easily as the real thing, I can easily toss back an entire bottle of champagne by myself, but slogging through an entire bottle of this was a bit much.  That being said, I still like this better than say a bottle of sparkling apple cider, though, any bubbly port in a storm. 

Finally, for New Year's Eve, I found Ariel Wines at Spec's.  I'd read about these wines, they seemed pretty legit and I was excited to try them. 



I bought a bottle of chardonnay to have on my birthday in a couple weeks and a bottle of the sparkling for NYE.  I ran into the same issues with Ariel as I did with the Fre, too sweet (but the Ariel was less sweet), didn't go down too easily, but I think it was better and I'd prefer to buy Ariel than Fre in the future.  I haven't busted open the chardonnay, my big 3-0 is in a few weeks and I'm saving it for that. 

So if you can abstain from drinking for 9 months, great for you, I on the other hand, occasionally need a virgin margarita at happy hour, a cold alcohol removed brew at the end of a hard day at the office, or a little something bubbly in my hand at parties to make me feel like my old self again.  Or at least like one of the big kids.  I don't miss feeling hungover though, that is one thing I've decided, is totally played out.  I want to snuggle my adorable baby girl once she arrives more than I want to spend the day lying in bed with a headache.

Best Birthday Week! Or Why I Will Need Bigger Pants In the Near Future

This week I celebrated one of the best birthday weeks on record (and certainly a Foodie's dream birthday week).  Sunday, I met up with Elizabeth a la The Waspy Redhead for brunch at Olivia.  She had the the corned beef hash and eggs, you can see below her photographing her meal, which I stole a bite of, it was fantastic.  We both had blood orange mimosas.





I had the south Austin croque senora.  Basically a sandwich filled with slow roasted chicken, prosciutto, and cheese, served with a fried egg and gravy and a boatload of fries.  I can't believe I ate the whole thing.  Then we shared a bread pudding for dessert.  The best friends are the ones that are already full to their eyeballs, but then agree to share bread pudding with you anyways.  Could not have had a more delightful meal with a dear old friend.  I can't believe we've known each other for 10 years!




Monday was fairly uneventful, I made shrimp masala and D and I went to the gym.  Tuesday I went to dinner with Christine at Gloria's and had their trio of ceviches.  Wednesday was my actual birthday and my parents sent me these pretty flowers at work and D had his own waiting for me at home.  We didn't get to go out to celebrate because I had a client in town, but my client is extremely pleasant, as are my coworkers, so it was hardly "work" to go out with them.  And I was able to convince them to go to Fonda San Miguel where I had my favorite margarita in all of Austin, the Silvercoin Margarita made with watermelon infused Patron Silver, Cointreau, and lime juice.  For dinner I had zucchini stuffed with corn and cheese and smothered in red sauce and for dinner we all shared some of their amazing Tres Leches.





Thursday we had dinner with some of Darryl's coworkers and their wives.  We grilled steaks and had shells and cheese and a spinach kiwi salad and lots of good wine and conversation.  I really enjoy hanging out with this group of people, they're all really smart and funny and the food is always GREAT!  Friday night I picked up something on the way home, but we ended up meeting 2 other couples (including Christine) at the Daily Grill  for late night happy hour in honor of my birthday.  These 2 couples are definitely 4 of my favorite people, I was so glad the 6 of us were able to spend time together.  I specifically only invited them because I wanted to make sure to have lots of time with them.

So, Saturday rolled around.  Note that I have only been to the gym once this week.  Yes, it's time to ring the fatty alert again because Saturday night we had dinner at Vespaio.  Darryl had the filet mingon with pancetta mashed potatoes and broccoli and I had the seafood mixed grill which included grilled shrimp on cheesey polenta, a crab cake with an arugula garnish, and a grilled fish on a broccoli cheese casserole.  For dessert I had espresso and tiramisu.




Darryl had a molten chocolate cake with chocolate gelatto.  Everything was absolutely amazing! 



A bit of advice if you want to have a fabulous date with your honey at Vespaio on a Saturday night.  Get there EARLY!  They don't take reservations, so we got there at 6:30 and were told we'd have a 45 minute wait.  Even though we arrived so early, we snagged the last 2 seats at the bar.  Their food really lived up to the hype.  Often times we go to these fancy pants restaurants and Darryl moans and groans because he claims he could get just as good of a meal at the Outback Steakhouse and can't see paying that much for food.  Vespaio was totally worth it, I heard nothing but good things from his side of the table.  By the time we left at 8:30, the wait for a table was over 2 hours long. 

And thus, I ended my birthday week un-freaking-believable food binge.  Now, with my friend Janet's wedding in 2 months (and me in a bridesmaid dress) it's time for major healthy eating and exercise.  It's okay, I had a GREAT week of last meals!

Weekend Recap

Friday
Spent my lunch break with my coworkers delivering for Meals on Wheels.  Afterwards we grabbed a bite at Tam's Deli.  They're known for Vietnamese cuisine and are very affordable.  I had some yummy vegetarian curry, an egg roll, and one of their famous cream puffs for dessert, totally worth the hype.  After lunch my husband called to tell me some good news he'd received at work (what news he got exactly is private, sorry readers, not my news to tell) but I was so happy for him!  Friday night I came home and freshened up my hair and makeup and then headed downtown for a sweet dinner with my husband at Parkside on 6th street.  I've always wanted to try this place and we were meeting some friends at a bar for a birthday party and had intended to just stop for a slice of pizza or something on our way there, but I saw that there was no wait for a table so we went in!  I tried their Tex and the City cocktail, which was a mix of whiskey and jasmine liquor served up.  We shared some lump crab fritters and I had a Cesar salad for dinner and D had a cheeseburger and fries.  I totally recommend this place for happy hour.  Afterwards we headed up to the Treehouse Pub for a fab surprise birthday party for a friend.  We had a blast chatting with everyone and playing Foosball.  But I had to get up early the next morning so we left early.

Saturday
I met some friends at the Natural Gardner for an organic vegetable gardening class.  I learned lots of good information, I've realized how much I do wrong, no wonder my gardens are so "meh" each year.  I shall sally forth fortified with this new knowledge.  If you live in Austin I cannot say enough good things about the Natural Gardner, it's the only nursery I regularly visit and if you get there early on the weekends, the staff is super happy to chat with you about what you have going on in your garden and help you troubleshoot.  Afterwards I came home and worked in my own garden and planted leaf lettuce, carrots, and onions.  I added compost and a mineral mixture I got at NG.  Unfortunately while I was listening to the class (which was outside and surrounded by cedars) dust clouds of pollen were blowing all over me.  I had noticed problems Friday while we were doing MOW, but I was able to shake it off without medicine.  Saturday afternoon I felt so terrible, even after taking medicine, that I had to cancel my evening plans.  The idea of getting off the bed and getting dressed up was too much for me.  I took a shower, did laundry, and just laid in bed.  D had some friends over and made fajitas for dinner, I wasn't that hungry but he makes such good fajitas I couldn't resist having one.  Saturday was lame, I went to sleep super early while all my friends were at a fun birthday party, sad panda.

Sunday
We woke up at 5:30 AM because our power went out and our house alarm gets all angry when that happens.  I had slept through the huge storm, but I was glad that we got so much rain.  New seeds need to be watered 2x a year and rain water is the best water you can provide!  The garden seems to have survived the storm very well.  Now my challenge for the rest of the week is to keep my beds covered with ground covers and to keep the soil temperature above 35 degrees.  Also, I totally want a soil thermometer, I wonder if I could use something else around the house to the same end? 

I ran over to the Domain and checked out the sweet sale at Sur La Table, if you love cooking of just cooking gadgets, you should run over there and stock up, I came away with all sorts of goodies.  I did my grocery shopping and came home and whipped up some raspberry lemonade popsicles a la Waspy Redhead.  I deviated from her recipe a bit, so I hope they turn out well.  Next I made some dough for these cookies I saw on Smitten Kitchen.  The dough is currently chilling in the fridge, I have to let it chill for 3 hours?  I die.  I'm planning on filling them full of raspberry preserves.  Next I started a pot of beef ragu from this month's issue of Real Simple which I plan on serving for dinner tonight over pappardelle.  It's simmering on the stove in my favorite Le Creuset dutch oven and sipping a beer by the fire (I'm a tiny bit spoiled, no?).  Unfortunately, for the life of me, I cannot get the bowl of my electric mixer off the base.  This is a reoccurring problem and D has to pull it off for me every time after watching me groan and grunt and strain to try and get it to unscrew.  So there it sits still on the stand, full dough residue.  I was hoping to whip up some Parmesan and thyme crackers tonight to serve with some blue cheese butter along side my pappardelle, but alas, that will require me to remove the bowl twice and D is out until dinner time.  Maybe later in the week?  Hope you had a fab weekend!

Night At Gold Class Cinema

Darryl and I had the pleasure of joining another couple who we are friends with for a night at Austin's new Gold Class Cinema last night to see Inception.  First you check in at the hostess stand and pick up your tickets (I preordered online).  Then she will take your credit card and open up a tab for the entire time you're there.  Then she seats you in the bar area where your server greets you, gets you started on a cocktail and takes your order for the entire movie.

Here we are waiting for the movie to begin right after we were seated.  The chairs are big and comfy and they'll bring you a pillow or blanket if you want.  Your table has a button on it that you can push while the movie is running if you need anything.  I had the hubs use it to order me a fresh glass of chardonnay.

For dinner, we weren't super hungry because I'd made some minestrone soup before we went, but we still had an appetizer and a dessert which we split.  The appetizer was the crispy spinach, artichoke and Gruyere petite croquettes with a marinara dipping sauce.  The appetizer was good, but I thought the filling could have been more flavorful.  The dessert was the house made beignets with a raspberry and dark chocolate dipping sauce.  I LOVE to get these at Taverna so I had great expectations.  These were not great, they tasted burnt, so I didn't even fight Darryl for the last one.  I'd say the food was unimpressive and in no way compares to the Alamo Drafthouse, but it wasn't terrible either and I thought it was forgivable given the luxurious ambiance.  I mean, if the food was stellar, I'd be going nuts trying to go back.  But given the total price tag of the night, I think this will be for special occasions and out of town guests only. 

However, if you want to make the most of the experience, here are some tips:

• Join the members club, it's free and your tickets are $7 cheaper, plus you get a free ticket on your birthday.
• Mondays your first drink is free.
• Tuesdays there are special members only pricing on food and drinks.
• Arrive 30 minutes early to get your first cocktail and place your dinner order, though I thought ordering just the first course and the last and having a light supper at home was a genius way to save a couple bucks. 
• Reserve your seats in advance, this theater sells out on the popular movies.  I thought this place would tank since it's so expensive but we had a hard time getting tickets, especially on the discount nights!  Plan ahead!

My Favorite Things Today

• Tomunchi on Parmer Lane.  Today after our workout, the hubs and I stopped in here.  I got a mix of fat free taro, pistachio, and low fat cake batter yogurt and topped it with diced mango (and possibly a smattering of gummy bears and mini M&Ms, I just came from the gym, I don't need your judgment, I was loading up on casein post workout, it was totally healthy, true story).
• Redemption Song by Bob Marley-I've had a hell of a week and it's only Tuesday, which is frankly terrifying.  Heard this song yesterday and it nearly made me stop and cry (btw, what's that about, hormones much?), it was so perfect and brought me such peace.  I'm now listening to it like 4 times a day, mellows me out every time.  Love Bob Marley.

Sirloin Stockade-Tales From the Road

Tonight we ate dinner at the Sirloin Stockade, true story.  If you know me in real life, this is rather shocking.  When I'm in Austin, I demand only the best sushi and steaks, I am a big time foodie.  When I'm in south Texas, I'm just happy if I don't throw it back up 10 minutes later, or roll around all night with indigestion.  I wish that was an exaggeration but it's not. 

I told Darryl about it and his response was, "yeah we didn't like it last time we went there, did we?"  We?  Who is this we?  I haven't been to one of these places since the 80s. Werid.

Terraburger Review

Sunday night, the hubs got a hankering for a burger. In an effort to make good choices, I suggested we try out Terraburger, not because I'm particularly sold on organic foods, but because they offered healthier options like turkey burgers and veggie burgers. So we schlepped on over to try it out.

My Order:
-veggie burger with jalapenos (forgot to say no mayo, oh well)
-sweet potato fries

His Order:
-Hill Country Hickory Burger
-regular fries

First, let me start out by saying our bill (note we didn't even order drinks) was OVER $17. Holy hell Terraburger, you sure are proud of your food. The veggie burger was good and very satisfying, the bun was delightful, just how it looks in the photo. Darryl's burger was a saucy mess, but must have been okay because he ate it all. The fries were disappointing, their quantity was a bit too large (let me save a buck and get half as much, gosh!) and they were soggy. A $17 drive through burger meal should not have anything soggy. Period. They should have probably cleaned our windshield while they were at it. Not a fan, would rather head to Phil's or Mighty Fine in the future.

Weekend Recap

After a less than desirable return trip home (the airplane broke down so I didn't get home on Friday until 8 PM), I finally touched Austin soil. During my furlough at Bush Intercontinental in Houston, I wandered into l'Occitane in Terminal E and bought myself a couple of treats, honey and lemon lip gloss and a small hand cream for my purse. So now when things get craptastic, I open my purse and apply these babies and things suddenly become more tolerable.

Once I got home D and I went to Origami in Round Rock for sushi. We took the Central Market sushi class from the chef there this winter and everything we ordered was phenomenal. I especially liked the volcano roll (so spicy!) and the hamachi nigiri, it melted in our mouths.

Saturday I had a meltdown of sorts, I was just very overwhelmed with all I needed to accomplish this weekend, there were tears. But we managed to pick up the last of our silverware from Crate & Barrel, setup an iPhone appointment at the Apple store, have lunch at the Steeping Room, clean the house, get my car washed, make the grocery list and go grocery shopping, and get a pedicure. Darryl was very helpful around the house, mostly because he was adamant that I stop crying.

Sunday I drove up to see my friend and MOH Marion to have lunch with her and then celebrate her baby shower. We went to Taverna in Ft. Worth and I had the BEST wheat spaghetti and turkey meatballs with $5 bottomless bellinis and mimosas! Can't wait to go again in Austin!

The weekend got off to a shaky start, but all in all, it was pretty good, can't wait for the 4 day work week!

Weekend Recap

Friday
After work Darryl and I had a late dinner at Jeffrey's, a place I've been DYING to go for years and years. It received the AAA 4 diamond award and is known as Dubya's fav place to eat in the ATX (we won't hold that against them). I put on my super hot little black dress and we went out for a night on the town. We did the 5 course tasting menu with wine parings, however, the waiter was a little heavy handed with the wine pours and 5 half glasses were more like 5 whole glasses of wine. By the time Darryl helped me out of the restaurant, I was rapping Asher Roth ("time is not wasted when you're getting wasted"). I would say I made a spectacle of myself at the nicest restaurant in Austin, but they had blue toilet water in the ladies' room. Check and mate, Jeffrey's, we. are. even.

Saturday
We spent a lot of time merging financials, going to the bank, making a budget, etc. The pic above is from Saturday night at the Broken Spoke. We met up with 2 other couples and enjoyed their chicken fried steak and pitchers of Lonestar (a far cry from Friday night) and took some country dancing lessons. I got lots of invitations to dance from the older gentlemen, which Darryl didn't mind because he got to sit and relax.

Sunday
Sunday was a day of chores and swimsuit shopping (I cannot tell you how hard it was to go into JCrew and attempt to stay focused, OMG and there are No Iron shirts at Banana, I die). Sunday afternoon we had pool time with friends at D's old pool, as usual.

Next weekend we're looking forward to a trip to the Salt Lick with friends and more pool time!

Weight Watchers Wednesday

I am stuffed beyond belief (and WW standards) and thought I'd share my Mexican Fiesta.

For starters, Baked Tostitos and Ana's Salsa (in the produce section). Then I whipped up some Hungry Girl Enchiladas. I added some chopped up crimini mushrooms to the onion saute because I had them on hand. The hubs prefers meaty dishes so I nuked a frozen chicken breast for him, chopped it up, added that and some fat free sour cream to the mix.

For my sides, I served the leftover fat free refried beans and then made up a Spanish rice mix in the rice cooker. I used 2 cups of brown rice and filled the cooker to the water line with chicken broth. Then I added a packet of Sazon, some chopped pimentos and their juice, and some mixed vegetables that I had in the freezer (green beans, lima beans, corn, etc). I had a tomato I should have chopped and thrown in but I didn't think about it until it was too late.

For dessert I had a No Pudge Fudge Brownie (in cappuccino) and washed it down with a MGD 64. I'm not going to lie, I feel really freaking satisfied.

Now I'm recovering from my big day of working, swimming, running, and training with the Traininator by kicking back in bed with my fave Tyler candle in Kathina (also love High Maintenence and Sugar Cookie) and watching some Saving Grace. Can't wait to have me a crazy Holly Hunter body!

Foodgasm and WW Wednseday

Tonight for dinner I made Giada De Laurentis's version of Turkey Bolognese (recipe below). I made a few small changes, I reduced the amount of oil because it seemed excessive, I used lean ground beef because that's what the hubs preferred, and used Rozoni Smart Taste spaghetti because it is both high in fiber and calcium. I also used fresh basil from my garden and chopped all my produce on my new fantastic butcher block with our mind blowing Calphalon knife set. A new knife against butcher block is like a DREAM. I die.


1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 pound shredded cooked turkey (preferably dark meat)
3 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan


Directions
Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and saute 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, stirring often. Stir in the basil. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cool the sauce completely, then transfer it to a container and freeze for future use. Bring the sauce to a simmer before using.)
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten as needed. Serve with the Parmesan.

Dessert was a variation on Rocky Road Fudge by Hungry Girl (see recipe) and they're only one point! I've been a Hungry Girl fan for years and am even more so lately since she and WW have a partnership. I haven't dug into this yet, it's still cooling on the stove, but I have great expectations from the looks of it. I'm only sad that D is working late and couldn't enjoy this with me. However, I'm sure he'll appreciate the leftovers since he doesn't have time to run out for lunch much these days.

VS Fashion Show and Fondue

I kind of live for the VS Fashion show every December. I typically curl up with some Godiva hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps and watch it in HD on Darryl's projector so the models are practically life sized. This year is a little different. D's projector is no more, but I still had a nice sized flat screen and my doggies to curl up with. I feel like the show this year was disappointing. Not as much color, no Giselle (yes she's been gone a while, but I miss her) and no Tyra. I can't stand Heidi Klum so I mostly fast forwarded through her parts. Even the million dolallar bra was a yawn.

Here is Ginger doing her best impression of a mink stole....
For dinner I made us a Coq au Vin broth fondue, something that Darryl did not enjoy, but I though it was a genius diet move and I got to use our new fondue pot! You're basically feeding yourself boiled meat and fish, but disguising it as a fun French meal. Plus it forces you to eat s l o w l y. I carefully selected a few sauces and measured them out so we wouldn't be eating too many calories. Here's what I did:

• 1 small sirloin steak, cubed and marinated in teriyaki sauce
• .75 lbs of pink Key West shrimp, peeled and deveined and lightly sprinkled with Cajun seasoning
• veggies including cauliflower, broccoli, squash, and mushrooms
• sauces including BBQ, teriyaki, peanut satay, and green goddess

My broth consisted of some lightly sauteed garlic (3 cloves), plus beef broth, red wine, and a package of dried wild mushrooms which I brought to a boil and then allowed to simmer for 15 minutes before serving. I will admit I kind of wished it was cheese fondue, but it did our bodies good.

My next meal aspiration is to attempt chicken tikka masala in my crockpot. I bought a jar of the tikka masala sauce at Central Market while doing my fondue shopping, but am contemplating its fat and calories. I'm thinking of serving it over brown rice (carefully measuring out the sauce so I don't drown it in extra calories) plus a side of curried green beans? What do you think? Diet friendly?