Sundy Brunch

When my Dad & Stepmom invited me to go to to brunch with them at the Sundy House in Delray Beach to celebrate their anniversary, I knew I couldn't pass it up! I've heard so many good things about Sunday brunch here...I couldn't wait to try it for myself. Let the gluttony begin!


The restaurant was pretty full, even though it never seemed crowded. They have several different rooms for seating, plus outdoor seating at the garden. Near the front of the restaurant are the stations for the cold items and dessert. In the courtyard area they had omelette and carving stations, plus the hot items.


I decided to start with some cold items first. On my plate was a cheese danish, a mini croissant (I put brie in it which was a great move), pesto pasta salad, mango coleslaw, and salad. They had some great salad toppings...like shaved red onions, feta, and a variety olives. My favorite on this plate was the pesto pasta salad. The penne was perfectly cooked and the pesto tasted so fresh! Another highlight was the mango coleslaw...they use mangoes fresh from their garden!


My next plate was for hot breakfast. I tried a little ham, bacon, and sausage. I also had crepes and a mini belgian waffle. I loved the crepe and waffle station. They had a variety of fresh berries, plus the best topping ever...bananas foster! The waffle and crepes were cooked really well. I know waffles on buffets are pretty iffy...but they pulled it off. The texture was perfect. The waffle with the bananas foster was my fav on this round.


My last non-dessert plate consisted of some of the things I missed that I had really wanted to try.My last non-dessert plate consisted of some of the things I missed that I had really wanted to try. On my plate was some steak, pork tenderloin with mango chutney, curried pasta salad, hummus & pita, and shrimp cocktail. The only thing on the plate that was just ok was the bowtie pasta. The pasta was overcooked, but the flavor was good.


Now for dessert...the best part! They made a special plate for their anniversary and brought it over. It looked incredible. The executive chef, Daniel Ramos, explained all the treats we had. There was home made coconut ice cream, a molten chocolate cake, an apricot mousse vol au vent (made with local apricots), coconut snowballs (which were like a combo of a macaroon and cookie) and a banana chocolate bar. My favorite had to be the banana chocolate bar. They make it with bananas that are grown on their property. It had great flavor and a creamy texture with a delicate crust.


After are tummies unraveled for a second, Danny took us on a wonderful tour of the gardens. It is so beautiful! They have over 500 species of plants and a self sustaining, all natural pool. One of the highlights was seeing the jackfruit, a basketball sized fruit. Danny said it was an acquired taste, kind of similar to bubble gum, with a gelatinous texture. It sounded really interesting...hopefully I'll get to try it one day. They are also many other edible plants on the grounds...most of them they use in their menu or for specials.


Our experience at Sundy House was fantastic. Pretty much everything on the buffet is house made. Plus, they always use local ingredients whenever possible. The food was superb and the service was great. Our servers were usually right there to clean up extra plates and pour us Mimosas or Bloody Marys (which are included with brunch). If you're a local or tourist...you gotta go to Sundy House Sunday Brunch! The food, atmosphere, and service can't be beat. It's definitely the best brunch buffet I have been to in South Florida. I hope to go back soon and try dinner!

Food: 5 out of 5
Service: 4.5 out of 5
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5

Food Fact Friday: I Heart Key Lime Pie!

We're now in the beginning stages of summer, so I thought I'd talk about my all time favorite refreshing dessert...Key Lime Pie! I'm not a fan of lemon or orange desserts, but Key Lime Pie is definitely in my top 5 all time after dinner treats. It's a staple on a lot of menus here in Florida. I've heard that quite a few people are a little scared to make it, but it's so simple! It's honestly one of the easiest desserts to make. Click Here for a really delicious and simple recipe.

The key lime tree, which is native to Malaysia, probably first arrived in the Florida Keys in the 1500s with the Spanish. The rumor is that the Key Lime Pie was started in the mid 1800's, by Aunt Sally, the cook of Florida's first self-made millionaire, William Curry (his mansion in Key West, Curry Mansion Inn, is being used as a bed & breakfast). When a hurricane in 1926 wiped out the key lime plantations in South Florida, growers replanted with Persian limes, which are easier to pick and to transport. Now, key limes are found mostly in backyards of the keys, or a few commercial outposts in the Miami area. In 1965, Florida State Representative Bernie Papy, Jr. introduced legislation calling for a $100 fine to be levied against anyone advertising Key Lime Pie that is not made with key limes. But the bill did not pass. Finally, in 2006, the Key Lime Pie became the official state pie of Florida.

Key Lime Rule: NEVER use green food coloring in Key Lime Pie. key lime juice is not green!


- how a Key Lime Pie should look, with a fresh graham cracker crust & lots of whipped cream on the side...yum!

Wrap Addict!

Today seemed like a long day! I didn't get to work out in the AM because I couldn't fall asleep until 1am! I think it's because I didn't have my Shakeology on Wednesday, hehe. Well, at least I finished my book, the Life of Pi. It was a really great story. I woke up at 7:30 ish in the middle of a dream. Then got ready, made my shake, and took off.


My morning snack was the last few strawberries I had with 2 sticks of reduced fat colby jack. This snack is great and only had 180 calories!


Lunch was some gazpacho with fat free chobani and a wrap with laughing cow and ham. I can't get enough wraps! I eat them every day without fail...I don't know what I'd do without one.


My snack was my last Caramel Nut Detour Bar. At least I can think I'm having a candy bar...it's similar to a Snickers.


I did my ChaLEAN Extreme then was craving some breakfast! So PB&J toast and some sausage sounded perfect. I had 2 1/2 pieces of Ezekiel. The 2 had PB2 and Polaner black cherry. The 1/2 had laughing cow. The Jimmy Dean turkey sausage was tasty too. Breakfast craving satisfied!


Total Calories: 1,274
Calories Burned: 378
40% Carbs 29% Protein 31% Fat (Pretty close to the Zone! woohoo)

Fried Food Beware!

After an amazing dinner of fried shrimp & hush puppies at my Dad & Stepmom's house on Tuesday night, it was time to get back on track!


Today was a non-Shakeology day since I spent the night at my sister's house (I think I'm going through withdrawals!). So as soon as I got to work this morning, I had some Chobani fat free yogurt and strawberries.


For lunch I had a La Tortilla wrap with a Laughing Cow and ham. I munched on some peppers and hummus as usual! But this week I'm back to my fav hummus...Sabra! It's soooo good, much better than I can make at home.


I was craving chocolate as usual at 3:00 so I had half of a Chocolate Chip Caramel Detour bar. I like these because they kill my chocolate cravings, and are low in sugar and high in protein. Perfect to fuel my workout!


When I got home from work I did Chalean Extreme of course! Today was Burn Circuit 2. Man..it was tough since I increased the weights. I'm doing 20 lbs on most lower body only sets, and 10 lbs on most upper body. But the movements are so slow that it feels even heavier!


After catching up on some of my blog buddies, I was ready for dinner! I had some gazpacho sprinkled with reduced fat Feta and a Cluckphrey patty. It was a perfect healthy meal to combat all the fried food I ate yesterday! For dessert I had some baked plantains with cinnamon. It satisfied my sweet tooth for sure.


Total Calories: 1,158
Calories Burned: 328
38% Carbs, 32% Protein, 30% Fat

Summer in a Bowl

It's really summer now here in Florida...a great time for good Gazpacho. I don't usually order it when I go out to eat, because I'm not a huge cucumber fan and I think most gazpachos have an overwhelming cucumber taste. I like to make it at home so I can control the ingredients to my tastes. This is very easy to make and makes about 8 cups, so it's enough for you and your family to enjoy for a few days.

Tomato Gazpacho
2 tomatoes
1 small cucumber
1 small red onion
1 green bell pepper
1 small jar roasted red peppers
3 cups low sodium V8
1/4 cup EVOO
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic, minced

Roughly chop the veggies. Combine half the vegetables, 1 cup of V8, salt, hot sauce, and garlic in a food processor. Process until the veggies have become very tiny (like the consistency of a finely minced garlic). Pour in a large bowl. Then process the other half of the vegetables and 1 cup of V8. Pour into bowl with the rest. To the bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, and remaining cup of V8. Stir until well combined. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours so the flavors meld. Serve cold. If you'd like, garnish with a dollop of light sour cream or fat free Greek yogurt.

I Finally Put it Together

It was so nice to have yesterday off! I got alot of things done and got to enjoy some sun time. But first was my workout with Chalean Extreme, which was great! I increased my weight on each set and I am sore today for sure. Then I had my yummy Shakeology. I mixed it with PB2 and Almond Milk...very tasty!

I went to Fort Lauderdale beach to catch some rays. The beach was packed! I guess because...1. It was Memorial Day and 2. It had been raining non-stop on Saturday & Sunday. On the way home, I stopped at Whole Foods to get some veggies and to grab a quick lunch. I had the Sonoma Chicken Salad Wrap with some Pirates Booty. The chicken salad was good...but I had to add some salt. The Pirates Booty was awesome as always. If you haven't had them you need to try some. It's like a healthier version of cheetos. I ate about half a serving.

Now it was time to make my gazpacho so the flavors could have a chance to meld before dinner. I haven't made this stuff in about a year...I don't know why? It's so good and easy! It makes enough servings to last me about a week. I'll be posting the recipe tomorrow.

After the gazpacho, I decided to put together my Ikea bookshelves. They were a steal at only $15 each. I've had them stashed away for about 3 months. They only took me about 15 minutes to put together luckily. I wish I would have done them sooner. Now I have a great place for my plethora of cookbooks!

For dinner I had a huge bowl of gazpacho...it really hit the spot. After my burger eating weekend my body needed some fresh veggies!

Two Weeks Down!

Click here to see a clip of Chalean Extreme

I'm 2 weeks through ChaLEAN Extreme. Today was Burn Circuit 1. I went heavier on all the weights this time. I did manage to get at least 10 reps of each exercise, but there were a couple that were super tough (like the Chest Fly).


I really like this program so far. Chalene is a great motivator and really pushes you to push hard! I'm almost always in a state of mild soreness, which is probably a good thing. I'll be taking my measurements and Day 30 pics on June 9th! So stay tuned.


Some info on the weights I use: I bought Reebok Speed Pac adjustable dumbbells at Target. They were on sale for $59 each. It seems a bit pricey but it's a good investment. The weights go in 5-lb increments from 5 - 25 lbs. It would be more expensive to buy them all separately. If you can afford it, Chalene uses Bowflex Selecttech Dumbbells, which go up to 52 lbs each and have a lot of variation in the amount of weight. But those run about $400/ pair.

If you have any questions about the program, please shoot me an e-mail! I'd love to help! fitfoodie@beachbodycoach.com

Buy Chalean Extreme Here!

A Real Breakfast

The fam stayed over Saturday night...so of course I had to make a yummy breakfast for everyone. I threw some Ezekiel bread in the oven, along with some Jimmy Dean's turkey sausage patties. While those were getting all hot & bothered...I made some scrambled eggs.


I'm a little egg-phobic. I eat scrambled on occasion, but absolutely hate any other kind of eggs. I had a horrible experience in preschool with a hard-boiled egg. Lets just say I had a bite of one and ended up in the bathroom for a while. It's pretty sad that I was only 3 but still remember it! I have only recently made my way to scrambled eggs. But I have to say...this batch was the best I have made. I added about 1 tbsp of half & half for every 2 eggs. I cooked them on low-medium until no longer runny, then I set them aside, topped them with some low fat cheddar, and covered it for a couple minutes to melt the cheese. I added some Frank's red-hot to my eggs. I have to have hot sauce on my eggs! The sausage was great too! It's the best tasting turkey sausage I've had in a while, I'll be buying this again for sure.


My sis and I did Chalean Extreme together after breakfast. We did Burn It Off and Recharge. We were both huffing and puffing through Burn It Off. She couldn't believe she got such a great cardio workout in 25 minutes. All that jumping around does a body good!

I decided to have Shakeology for lunch. I am really getting hooked! This time I blended it with ice, almond milk, and 1/3 of a packet of sugar free pistachio pudding mix. The pistachio was definitely evident, but subtle. I will be adding this to my repertoire for sure! Now off to do laundry...and dinner!

Lunch at Le Tub

GQ Voted Le Tub the best burger in America. This little hole in the wall in Hollywood, FL has received a lot of attention since then. It's definitely in my top 5 list for sure. My sis and mom were visiting me for the weekend, so I thought this would be a great place to take them. Who couldn't love a place with toilets and bathtubs everywhere?


We got there right at opening time and were told it might be a wait for our food since they were just starting up. Le Tub only has 1 grill about the size of a small picnic table, so when the orders start pouring in it gets backed up. They have other things on the menu besides the burger, but the place is famous for them! Is there really any other choice?


The 3 of us split 2 sirloin burgers and a large order of fries. I wouldn't normally allow "splitting" of burgers...haha...but they are a HUGE 13 ounces. The burgers took about 20 minutes, not too bad. They had a nice char on the outside and were cooked perfectly. I love the poppy seed buns too. They are soft and delicate, they let the fresh burger really shine. The fries are amazing too. The fries are all different shapes and sizes, but are all super crispy on the outside and soft in the center. Le Tub fries them in peanut oil, which I'm guessing is a reason for their deliciousness. I really wanted to try some of their famous Key Lime Pie, but was way too full. Next time...I will definitely save some room.


I always hear that Le Tub is "overrated" and the service is "rude" but I have never had a bad burger or bad service. I love this place! It's a great place for locals and tourists alike.

Food Fact Friday: BBQ Part 2

Here is part two of my mini BBQ history. This is just a brief overview of the different styles. I haven't been to Kansas City yet, but the barbecue in Texas is great! I had some great Brisket there...the most tender I have ever had. Hopefully one day I can sample the famous Kansas City ribs.

Kansas City:

Henry Perry, a Tennessee native who moved to Missouri, is said to be the father of KC BBQ. .Perry served slow-cooked ribs on pages of newsprint for 25 cents a slab. Kansas City uses a wide variety of proteins, but the signature ingredient is the sauce. The meat is smoked with a dry rub, and the sauce served as a table sauce. Kansas City style sauce is thick and sweet (with significant exceptions such as Arthur Bryant's, which is significantly less sweet than others in the region) based on tomatoes and molasses. This is perhaps the most widespread of sauces, with the Kansas City recipe K. C. Masterpiece being a top-selling brands.

Kansas City is also known for its ribs. The ribs used are mostly pork, but also come in beef varieties and can come in a number of different cuts. Burnt ends, the flavorful pieces of meat cut from the ends of a smoked beef or pork brisket, are a popular dish in many Kansas City area barbecue restaurants.


Texas:

East Texas barbecue is an extension of traditional southern barbecue, similar to that found in Tennessee and Arkansas. It is primarily pork-based, slow smoked over primarily hickory wood. The sauce is tomato-based, sweet, and thick. This is also the most common urban barbecue in Texas.

Central Texas was settled by German and Czech settlers in the mid 1800s, and they brought with them European-style meat markets, which would smoke leftover cuts of pork and beef, often with high heat, using primarily native oak and pecan. Traditionally this barbecue is served without sauce, and with no sides other than saltine crackers, pickles, and onions. This style is found in the Barbecue Belt southeast of Austin.

West Texas barbecue, sometimes also called "cowboy style", uses a more direct heat method that other styles. The main wood used is mesquite, and in addition to beef, goat and mutton are also cooked.

The border between the South Texas and Mexico has always been blurry, and this area of Texas, as well as its barbecue style, are mostly influenced by Mexican tastes. The area was the birthplace of the Texas ranching tradition, and the Mexican farmhands were often partially paid for their work in less desirable cuts of meat. It is the cow's head which defines South Texas barbecue, called barbacoa. They would wrap the head in wet maguey leaves and bury it in a pit with hot coals for several hours, and then pull off the meat for barbacoa tacos.

Join the Club: The Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS), with over 10,000 members worldwide, is the world’s largest organization of barbecue and grilling enthusiasts.

Double E

That stands for double exercise! hehe... My plan was to play racquetball with my coworker this afternoon, so I had to get my Chalean Extreme on in the morning! I woke up at 6:40 ish and put on my shoes and went to town. I did the first 30 minutes of Burn Intervals. I skipped the last 15 minutes because of the time issue (plus racquetball), and decided to do Ab Burner. These are both really tough workouts! My abs were on fire after 10 minutes! They're definitely not my strongest muscle...but I hope they will be in 80 days.


I got ready for work in a hurry so I could make my shake. I concocted a great one...my best one yet! The title says it all. It's a perfect breakfast at 210 calories and 18 grams of protein.

Mocha Cake Batter
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 tbsp instant coffee
1 tbsp Jello sugar free cheesecake pudding mix
1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Milk
3 - 4 ice cubes


My shake was kicking in, and I was ready to rock & roll! Too bad I had to go to work, haha. My tummy was rumbling at 10:30...so time for mini meal #2, my Banana Nut Clif Bar. It was yummy as always. Lunch today was the last of my Asian Peanut Noodles. I ate it with a Cluckphrey Patty. I definitely need to make more of the noodles soon...they were really tasty.

My afternoon snack was a FiberPlus bar....I was so close to eating my yogurt. But a 3:00 pm chocolate craving was kicking into high gear. It satisfied my craving and I was ready to kick some booty in racquetball! But nonetheless, I lost both games. Oh well...at least the last game I was only down by 1 point.


Time for dinner! I was famished. The days I work out hard I'm always more hungry. I had my Shepherd's Pie and some hummus and peppers.


Since I worked extra hard today... I had my treat...a chocolate chip cookie! Now time for some reading. I'm about half way through with Life of Pi. It was slow at the beginning...but I'm hooked now!


Total Calories: 1,524
Net Calories: 1,098
48% Carbs, 23% Protein, 29% Fat

Eat Some Dice

Here are some handy comparisons for getting the right portion sizes. Most of us miscalculate what we eat every day. A scale is a great tool to use, but if a scale isn't handy or you're dining out, here is a great way to eyeball your portions!

3 oz. meat: size of a deck of cards or bar of soap
3 oz. fish: size of a checkbook
1 oz. cheese: size of 4 dice
Medium potato: size of a computer mouse
2 Tbs. peanut butter: size of a ping pong ball
1/2 cup pasta: size of a tennis ball

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