Muffins & More

Cheerio Sizzlers! I am leaving day.after.tomorrow. get. excited. As for me, I've been busy as a fox in a henhouse trying to get everything ready for my departure. However, I am stopping to take a breather and share some nomtastic recipes with you. 

As summer comes to an end (kind of but we all know in Houston it's going to stay hot till November) people start to get tired, worn out and weary from the heat. That's why it's important to feed yourself healthy #nomz to keep you up and running. 

Recipe Número Uno- VEGAN BERRY BANANA SORBET

So the heats got you hotter'n a hen in a wool basket; before you stick your head in the freezer, stick your hand in and grab some of this here sorbet. It's so easy to make and quite healthy. 

WHAT YOU NEED:

-1-2 Bananas. I change my opinion on whether or not I like bananas pretty much every full moon or so. Use 1 if you aren't feeling banana-ish, use 2 if you're super excited. 

-3 cups of your berries of choice. You can use frozen berries, but I used fresh cherries, blueberries and strawberries. 

- 1 can of coconut milk. Not coconut water, ya hear?

- I added a dash of rose water because I was feeling adventurous but you can skip this. You can also add cinnamon, vanilla extract, or whatever little add in you choose. 

WHAT YOU DO:

-Put everything listed above in the blender. It should be pretty thick. If necessary, add a little more coconut milk (I keep 2 cans handy just in case I get too excited and add too many berries.)

-Blend it. 

-Pour it into a container. 

-YOU ARE DONE. 

-Give yourself a hug. Put it in the freezer. Check on it. Check on it again. Make sure your freezer is frozen. Ok, finally. Dig in. 

Easy as pie. Except it's sorbet. 

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Recipe Deux- POWER MUFFINS

I love muffins. But I don't appreciate a muffin top. So, I decided to make these little treats to eat for breakfast, or for dinner if I don't feel much like eating. 

WHAT YOU NEED:

This recipe makes 12 muffies. 

- 2 cups of dry oats

-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder. (I went to the store and just bought a little pouch of Source of Life energy powder. In my opinion it tastes great and has extra nutrients that keep you bouncy). 

-2 bananas

-4 egg whites (I was naughty and used the whole egg. I'm not into wasting half of the egg)

-1 tsp baking soda

-1 tb vanilla extract

-1 tsp cinnamon

-Optional: I added some fresh halved cherries, but you can add nuts, raisins or whatever else your little heart desires. 

WHAT YOU DO:

-Pre-heat oven to 350 

-Mix all your stuff in a bowl 

-Divide mixture into your muffin pan

-Bake for 12-15 minutes. 

-Muffin miracles. You're done. Hug yourself again because you made some tasty stuff. 

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And there you have it folks. Tasty, healthy and EASY. 

Tomorrow I'll be posting another recipe and some restaurant recs. Peace out for now!

Scallops and Lobsters and Oysters, oh my!

Cheerio Sizzlers! I hope this finds you well, I'm chugging along these days, counting down the minutes for my trip! We're currently at the 6.5 day countdown. 

So I need to let you in on a new place in Houston that you should hopskipjump on over to. Like...now. 

If you like delightful cocktails, particularly of the Julep persuasion, and if you're a lover of all that comes from the sea, or a bay, or a gulf, river, stream etc, then you must try Julep. Don't mind the fact that I'm a bit biased since one of my close galpals is dating the Chef. Bias or not, this place is great. Adam and Lauren handpicked the cutlery, plates, stemware and helped customize each tiny detail.

I'm not typically a fan of anything on Washington Ave. Like...anything. But alas, Julep was a refreshing break from the hair gel, Ed Hardy and untz untz untz clubs that have taken over that stretch of Houston. 

So let us begin. Girl's night at Julep started with a cocktail and ended in a gluttonous seafood festival. (Not pictured were the amazing hand cut fries, fresh hush puppies and East coast oysters). 

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I arrived parched and ready for a bev, so I opted for the "Sparkling Julep" which is garnished with mint and a lovely sprig of berries. This one is all the umph of a mint julep with some prosecco added for some fizz. 

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My personal favorite from the night: Creme fraiche topped with smoked bluefish, farro, butter braised radishes, a lovely arugula salad with vinaigrette and ever so thinly sliced beets. This picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice. 

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Another highlight were the bay scallops served atop a mint/pea puree, and topped with speck and microbasil. The scallops were juicy, sweet and ever so tender. Chart topper. 

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Because what's a meal without the mandatory artsy intagram shot? We were anxiously awaiting our seafood tower and all we knew is that if clarified butter was an option, this would be gooood. 

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Le seafood tower. Holy mackerel. Littleneck clams in white wine parsley, gigantic prawns, another serving of the scallops, but this time they were raw and perfectly seasoned. Dipping sauces included a house made mignonette, and two others that I was too excited to write down. 

The crowning jewel. Lobstaaaaaah. I can eat lobster all.day.long. 

Not pictured was the top tier which had fresh East coast oysters. Delightful

All in all, Julep is destined for greatness, and with Chef Adam Garcia in the kitchen, you know it's going to be an experience. 

So, mosey on over to Julep, have yourself a cocktail and slurp down some oysters. You can thank me later. Happy Friday dears, hope it's a great weekend!

Doggie Bags & Breakfast for Dinner

It's almost the end of the week!! Which means my trip is sosososoclose. 

So I'm not sure about y'all but I love the occasional breakfast for dinner. Because sometimes after a long day, I don't feel much like cooking, and breakfast food has a sort of comfort to it. Last night, I hovered over the kitchen sink wolfing down a sweet potato for dinner. #pathetic. However my appetite was a little skimpy since I had just come from a yoga class where the girl next to me dislocated her shoulder (poor thing). I'm a tad squeamish so this was rather off-putting. 

A few weeks ago, I had a near empty fridge, some delicious whole grain bread, an avocado and some eggs. And while I know this is such a simple combo, it was just what I needed. Perfect dinner, not too much, not too little. I toasted my bread, scrambled my eggs with Celtic Sea Salt and a dash of fresh cracked pepper and sliced an avocado. I had a little bit of leftover green salsa, and voila....dinner was served. 

So if you're stumped on dinner, low on provisions or just not in the mood to put together a feast; look no further than some ole' fashioned eggs n' bacon. 

Sidenote: 

Doggie bags. Or rather, dogs in bags. 

Meet Sushi, my living and breathing stuffed animal. 

I'm a firm believer that if you have a well behaved dog and you're a good dog parent, you should be allowed to take said dog with you to human establishments. Sushi (my dog pictured above) is a great companion. She never complains, always is happy to see you and knows her table manners. I honestly can't say I've ever heard her bark in public. So, she's a perfect candidate. 

She's also recently become a huge fan of the "puppy latte" at Starbucks. I know. I've created a monster. 

Have a great weekend y'all, stay cool, stay fun and come on back later on for more #nomz, recipes and adventures. 

No, You Can't Read My Poker Face.

Bonjour! I hope San Diego part 1 was satisfying to your soul, but if it left you wanting more, then more you shall receive. We really had such a blast in SD, and I was reminded that there are actually parts of the world where cool, arid temperatures reign, and hair does not fall victim to humidity and constant rainstorms (ahem, Houston). Nevertheless, aside from the incredible weather, we packed in a lot of adventuring during our short stay. 

Our group rented a quaint little beach house in Mission Beach. The morning after our steak smorgasbord, MainSqueeze and I ventured out for some breakfast and bicycling. I can honestly say this was one of my favorite days ever. 

We started out walking to breakfast at The Swell Cafe. I was craving something sweet, and MainSqueeze is a fan of Mexican style eggs, so he went the savory route. We sipped on delicious vanilla lattes as we waited on our food. I'm no stranger to a latte, and these were superb, I liked them a ....latte. (I had to. I just had to). 

#nomcity

Strawberry Banana waffle. Yes please. 

Cali Scramble

Now that we had sufficiently re-fueled, we were ready to cycle. We rented some rad cruisers at a local shop and started our day. I haven't ridden on a fixed gear bike since fannypacks were in style, so I had a minor incident on the road which involved me not braking in time, jumping off the bike and darn near zooming into traffic. Phew. Crisis averted. 

Once I got the hang of it, we biked up the coast, all the way up to La Jolla. We stopped to look at the amazing views and walked down to some tide pools where I was delighted to see tiny little crabs scuttling around. 

amazing.

La Jolla should maybe sometimes be called La Hilla, because those hills had our legs screaming on the bikes. We parked it in a little cove and ran into a local "brah" and asked if he had any recommendations on where to whet our whistles. We ended up ducking into a surf shack type spot and ordered some refreshing cocktails. 30 minutes later, we were playing poker. You just never know what to expect around us!

The luck of the draw...

By this time, we had worked up an appetite, so we zoomed across the street to this amazingly awesome spot that also doubles as a catering company, The Promiscuous Fork. We split an appetizer of lamb lollipops and went on our merry way in search of our next adventure. 

We ended up at a beach side bar, dancing and then once again attempting the lift move from Dirty Dancing. It went really well, and ended in hilarity as I fell on the concrete and dissolved into peals of laughter. Needless to say, we had not a care in the world, and we were loving life. 

Our final days in SD were spent cycling, sunning, watching MainSqueeze and #Guau get housed by the waves and we threw in a couple more delectable nomz. 

Breakfast at The  Mission. 

I'll spare more "you had to be there" stories. But the following images will speak for themselves. We had a lovely girl's lunch at La Valencia Hotel while the boys golfed at Torrey Pines, sunset cocktails at George's at the Cove, and a splendid afternoon at Neptune Beach. 

Lobster Bisque at La Valencia

Lunch at La Valencia...with a view!

Cocktails at George's on the Cove

Hamachi Sashimi at George's on the Cove

Neptune Beach, La Jolla

And there you have it amigos. Our San Diego trip in a nutshell. We had a blast, everyone finished the race, we ate ourselves silly and had adventures I'll never forget. 

I actually almost went to college in San Diego but my instincts told me I'd flunk out, become a surfer queen and maybe not have a job. SO I went to Nashville. A decision I'll never ever ever regret! 

Next on TheSizzle, recipes, TV interviews, doggie bags and more! Happy Hump Day!

Huffing & Puffing & Hobbling. The Half Marathon.

Well, here we are again and it's been a while...again. I've been neglecting TheSizzle in favor of Body Pump class, sunbathing, work and Skype. I'm also leaving in 16 days (not that I'm counting or anything). 

I digress. I promised y'all San Diego, and here she is. 

SAN DIEGO PART ONE:

MainSqueeze and I hopped on a red-eye flight from Honolulu to LAX, then squeezed into what I was certain was Amelia Earnhardt's first prop plane for the short ride to San Diego. I hadn't slept, and we were supposed to run 13.1 miles the next morning. Riiiiiiight. 

In true Sizzle form, I pinched myself and went on a hunt for some caffeine and got the spring back in my step. We had a great brunch at Café Chloe. Mimosas happened, and all was right in the world. Except I still needed to sleep. 

That night I whipped up a pasta primavera of sorts with linguine, fresh basil, blistered cherry tomatoes, olive oil, lemon, prosciutto and blanched asparagus; topped with some reggiano cheese. It was a great "carb load" meal. 

After MainSqueeze forced me to drink 13123423 bottles of water, it was bedtime (he worries about my hydration. But he'll be very proud to know I currently have a 1.5 litre Nalgene of water on my desk that I have dutifully been chugging as the day wears on).

We were up at 3:45 am for the race. As we shuffled around that morning looking for shoes, shorts, lucky rabbit feet (just kidding) and bibs, we made it to the start line. Before the race, I spotted "Teddy" the mayor from the TV show "Nashville" and made a fool of myself. He got a laugh and I walked away feeling awkward. 

ANYWHO. The race was great, I finished with an OK time considering I hadn't trained like I planned on. I'd like to run another and really push myself. Remind me to tell you the story about our friend #guau accidentally putting a popsicle stick with a glob of vaseline in his mouth during the race. I still laugh. every. time. 

Post race, we rehydrated by way of margaritas on the rocks and fish tacos at a local spot Downtown in the Gaslamp that I do not recall the name of. Probably because the food was unremarkable and I was covered in a thin layer of salt and grime and my joints were about as stiff as a poker. #runningproblems

HOWEVER. That night we had reservations at Cowboy Star, a well reviewed steak house in town. Now, you put 9 red blooded Texans in a California steak house and...well. It was surprisingly decent. 

Amouse Bouche.

We obviously wore our race medals to dinner, and so this deserved a complimentary amouse bouche to start the night off. MainSqueeze and I ordered a nice red (it's good for post-race muscle soreness...or something) and others around the table ordered more wine and various cocktails as we perused the menu. 

pardon the funky photo.

I was immediately drawn to their asparagus salad. I have to say it's one of the most interesting salads I've had to date, and the asparagus were cooked perfectly. 

Grilled asparagus, pro blanco, grapefruit, cardamom-lemon ice cream and Thai Basil. 

The salad was the highlight of my dinner. Being the carnivore that I am, I ordered a  NY Strip steak medium rare and it was a tad overcooked. Honestly, I was so tired that I didn't even care. I usually have a minor conniption if a steak house can't get a steak right, but I figured I'd give these Cali folk a break and suck it up. I didn't have the energy to throw a hissy fit, and hissy fits aren't really my style anyhow.

After steak and sampling the variety of sides we ordered (sweetbreads, mushrooms and some sort of mac and cheese concoction) I obviously had to satiate my hankering for dessert. 

deconstructed cherry pie

I love cherries. I currently have 2 bags of fresh cherries in my kitchen and have made several delightful treats (recipes coming soon). My Dad and I used to hole up in the kitchen on Thanksgiving and make about 10 pies. One of his specialties was a cherry pie that would have you licking the pie pan. Literally. So MainSqueeze and I opted to share their "deconstructed cherry pie" and it was eh. Good but not something to lick the plate over. 

Our good amigo who we will call #guau ordered some bread pudding of sorts as well. Please note that we really did wear our medals our in public. The more laughable thing is that we were all gussied up for dinner, and I was literally HOBBLING everywhere. I don't know why I thought wearing wedges was a good idea, but other diners sure got a kick out of watching me hitch and totter in and out of the restaurant. 

bread pudding something or other and a MEDAL.

After dinner, we all struggled to keep our eyes open and I dragged myself up the stairs to bed. We were truly a sight to be seen. 

Next on TheSizzle, I'll tell you about one of my favorite days ever, spent in the sun with MainSqueeze, rented bicycles, a near death experience, impromptu poker games in the sunshine, cliffs and coves, choreographed dance moves and a coconut margarita that changed my life. 

Until then my friends!

A Tropical Storm called Life...

Aloha amigos. So here we are. Life is a series of twists and turns, ups and downs, forks and narrows; and it's a beautiful thing. There has been packing, unpacking, repacking, transitioning, staying put, and moving forward. And this is all good. So I hope you're all good too. 

But let's get back to what TheSizzle is really all about. Really good thangs. Food, tunes, treats, surprises, trips, adventures and the ever so random post. 

About a bajillion years ago, I brought you Hawaii Part 1. Well folks, it's time for Part 2. And so we begin:

Hawaii Part Deux:

My mind was already blown from the absolute perfection I experience at Ono Seafood. I still crave that Poke on.the.reg. But MS had more in store for moi. We lazed on the beach in Waikiki, had a few cold cocktails, and watched the world go by. But then it was time. For SASABUNE. 

I'm a sushi person. And I feel like a lot of people say that, but I think my appreciation goes a little deeper than the average bear. 

MS and I decided to walk to our dinner destination. We found a groovy little spot on the way, stopped and had a cocktail to rev up our appetites. Pint + Jigger was a great place, low key vibe with #nomz that looked quite tempting. But we pressed on and refused food to save room for sushi. 

MS had made a reservation at Sasabune and we decided to order "omakase" style. Where you sit, and they bring you food. Forever. And you want it to stop because you're so full, but you don't want it to stop because it's just UNreal. 

COURSE 1: Albacore Tuna Sashimi Style. Creamy rich albacore served in a delicate, light ponzu sauce. I'm hooked already. 

Course 2: California baby squid stuffed with blue crab. Tender, sweet, NOT chewy WHATsoever. The dream continues...

COURSE 3: Toro. What else can I say other than it's a fatty part of the Tuna that literally melts in your mouth. Divine. There were two sauces glazed on top, but my eyes were totally glazed themselves and I couldn't type it into my notes fast enough (cold sake wasn't helping my motor skills much either...)

COURSE 4: Halibut and Red Snapper (from left to right). Fresh, light, incredible. Again, I couldn't type the sauce quickly enough. So feast your eyes....

COURSE 5: Hamachi 2 ways. Whatever ways these were, these were one of the highlights of the meal. Perfectly creamy and buttery. I'm pretty sure the left piece had a ponzu ginger concoction but I was having a hard time keeping up with the amazingness. 

AND THEN MY PHONE DIED. I'm not kidding. And we needed to conserve MS's battery to get us home. SOOO......I didn't take any more pics and I decided I really just wanted to enjoy the experience and enjoy the company. Amazing. 

If you get to Honolulu, you've got to try this place. It's small, unassuming, and only takes reservations. The waiters know their stuff, and they take their sushi seriously.

FOR EXAMPLE:

At one point, I was getting so full, that I was about to pull the fish off the rice, and go riceless. The waiter SWOOPED over, and said "Maa'm, please do not upset the chef. Eat the whole piece, it's an insult." So I felt silly and wasteful, and put the whole thing in my mouth and thought I was going to burst. But it was worth it. Later on, we had South African Rock Lobster, sweet Japanese shrimp, hand rolls, and more incredible culinary delights.

MS and I left thoroughly impressed, full as ticks and already looking forward to doing it all over again. 

Next on TheSizzle.... Hawaiian Delights, sneaking into state parks, and being rrrrreally awkaward around a (notveryfamous) celebrity right before running 13.1 miles. Oh and some pretty #nomtastic San Diegan (is that a word?) meals....Until then, adios amigos.