Some Quick Highlights

I'm back from my fun (but short) cruise to the Bahamas! I had lots of fun and lots of mediocre food, haha. I'm gonna post tons more details tomorrow but here were some of the highlights...


My sister and I had SO much fun on the Yellow Bird Party Boat! That rum punch was pretty strong ;)


A delicious Onion Soup at Le Bistro, which is a $15 pp upcharge from the regular cruise dining. But so worth it. There was tons of melty Gruyere!


Finding a baby hermit crab on the private island, so cute!


The best dessert of the cruise...an ultra creamy Creme Brulee which was also at Le Bistro.

More pics tomorrow!

Sailing Away!

Hi Everyone! I know I have been majorly M.I.A. lately, but I will be back soon. I've been amazingly busy lately and let my blog slip...not a good thing.

I'm leaving today to go on a mini-vacation, I'll be on a cruise to the Bahamas and I get back on October 5th. I'll be back in action that day on the blog, so stay tuned for all the fun cruise details! Have a great weekend :)

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: An Evening with Sra. Martinez

Saturday was my second time at Sra. Martinez, an amazing tapas restaurant owned by famous chef, Michelle Bernstein. This time around I took my sister along for the ride. She lived in Spain and loved all of the food there. We were all so excited to try some new spins on Spanish tapas, plus some innovative small plates that are inspired from around the world.


We arrived right on time for our reservation and were quickly seated. The place was packed! My sister picked out a great Rioja, a 2001 Arviza Crianza. It was lush and earthy.


The menu has so many amazing options so it's difficult to choose. Most are Spanish, and some are very innovative, like the famous Uni Sandwich (which I would have loved to try but they didn't have it available that day). We decided to get 6 total tapas between 3 of us. We new it would be the perfect amount so we wouldn't feel too full.


We were immediately served bread with olive oil. The bread was good but not great. It was a little too tough for me, but the olive oil was unbelievable. It had so much flavor, I've never had an olive oil that good before.


1st Plate: Cobia Ceviche with toasted garlic, tomatoes, and popcorn
Yes...popcorn! This ceviche was amazing. There were large chunks of cobia swimming in the delicious citrus marinade. The popcorn added a great saltiness and crunch to the ceviche. It's such a simple addition to the dish but makes such a huge difference.


2nd Plate: Croquetas with Serrano Ham and Manchego Cheese
This was my favorite dish of the night. These are without a doubt the best croquetas I've ever eaten. They are super crispy on the outside with a melty middle teeming with serrano and manchego. It is perfectly complemented with fig marmalade for dipping. There is nothing better than the sweet and savory combo!


3rd Plate: Untraditional Patatas Bravas with huancaina sauce and jamon
This was a very interesting take on traditional patatas bravas (Spanish for Angry Potatoes), which is fried potato pieces coated with a spicy aioli. These were more like fried potato cups. They were filled with huancaina (a spicy South American sauce) and topped with bits of fried ham. The potatoes were perfectly cooked and the sauce had great creaminess and spiciness.


4th Plate: Pork Belly with watermelon and peanuts
Another home run! But I can't expect any less from Michelle Bernstein. If you've never had Pork Belly, you need to try it. I never thought pork fat would taste so good. The pork belly was served on top of watermelon pieces and topped with finely chopped peanuts. I don't even like watermelon, but its refreshing crispness was amazing with the richness of the pork belly.


5th Plate: Lamb Kafta with quinoa and tzatziki sauce
This was a great dish with amazing Greek flavors. I have had quinoa before, but never this good! It tasted a lot like cous cous, but heartier. The sauce and the lamb worked brilliantly together.


6th Plate: Rabo Encendido with trophie pasta
My sister was really looking forward to this dish because she had this all the time in Spain. It's braised oxtail, which is amazing when cooked well and has a strong meaty flavor. I was expecting it to be separate from the pasta, but it was served mixed together. The oxtail was tender and the pasta was so fresh. The sauce had an intense beef flavor, and the freshly grate cheese really added a great bite to it.


Dessert: Dark Chocolate Cake and Espresso Martini
We knew we had to save room for dessert and an after dinner drink. The martini tasted so good, you couldn't even tell there was alcohol in it. It was not as creamy as I thought it was going to be, which was a good thing. It tasted like a gourmet iced coffee. The cake was a perfect ending to the meal. It was moist and filled with chocolate flavor. The only thing I would do to change it would be to add more icing.


I love the whole experience at Sra. Martinez. The food is amazing and the service impeccable. Also, the menu always has new additions so you can never get tired. Michelle Bernstein really knows how to prepare innovative dishes that are simple, yet have complex flavors. I can't wait to go back and try even more of her delicious creations.

P.S. Sra. Martinez is also participating in Miami Spice, a wonderful annual event in which Miami restaurants offer discounted pre-fixe menus for the months of August and September. It’s a great way to try gourmet restaurants at lower prices. Lunch is $22 and Dinner is $35. Click here to view the menu for Sra. Martinez. They offer this menu on Mon – Fri and have tons of selections!

Shakeology Obsession

I'm so glad my first batch of Shakeology recipes was such a HUGE hit! I've developed a few more, and I'm scared I might run out of ideas soon. But I love Shakeology SO much I'm sure I can do some more experimenting.

Shakeology is very chocolatey, but is SO good for you! It has protein, antioxidants, and probiotics. It's 100% natural and sweetened with Stevia instead of sugar. They also have a Greenberry flavor, which I hear is great mixed with fruits and juices (I'll be making Greenberry as soon as they come out with individual servings, in September). For all the nutritional information and benefits, go to http://www.shakeology.com/

Here are 3 tips for creamy shakeology!
1. Use 1 tbsp of sugar free instant pudding mix (my fav is Cheesecake)
2. Use frozen bananas instead of ice
3. ALWAYS use cold liquids

Buy Shakeology Here.

Chocolate Bananas Foster
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 cup skim milk (or water, nut, or soy milk)
1/2 cup frozen bananas
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp rum extract

Black & Blue
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 cup skim milk (or nut or soy milk)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries and blackberries

Cinna-Mocha
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 cup skim milk (or nut, or soy milk)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp instant coffee
Ice to taste

S'mores
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 cup skim milk (or nut or soy milk)
1/2 a graham cracker
Ice to Taste
Top with 2 tbsp of Marshmallow Fluff after blending!

Nutty Banana
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 cup skim milk (or water, nut or soy milk)
2 tbsp PB2
1/2 cup frozen bananas

Chocolate Covered Strawberry
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 cup skim milk (or nut or soy milk)
1/2 cup frozen strawberries

Malted Peanut Butter Cup
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 cup skim milk (or nut or soy milk)
2 tbsp PB2
2 tbsp Malt Powder
Ice to taste

The Inferno

1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology

1 cup skim milk (or nut or soy milk)

1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3+ dashes of Cayenne Pepper

Ice to taste
(OK, sounds weird...but so good! You get pure chocolate goodness, then an intense tingle in the back of your throat from the cayenne. Great for spiciness lovers.)