Colette's Food Resolutions

Hey Everyone! Colette here. I can't believe we're already 15 days into 2013...I fear this year is going to go by just as quickly as 2012 did.

We asked you about your food resolutions last week, and today I'm going to talk a little bit about mine, as well as share what I've been doing to get moving on them.

1) Eat breakfast everyday.

I'm really terrible about breakfast, especially during the week. I usually make myself grab a banana or apple, but then I'm hungry again within an hour or so.  And I'm really terrible about budgeting time in the morning, because I usually have a zillion other things to do before I head out the door, so blending up a smoothie or cooking an omelet just isn't going to happen. Oh, and I hate oatmeal and am not too fond of yogurt, which seem to be everyone else's go-to easy breakfasts. So, in the past my solution was "eh, just skip it." Not this year.

I recently discovered VitaTops (shown above in Banana ChocoChip). These are small, microwavable pastries that ring it at only 100 calories. So far I've tried four flavors: the above Banana ChocoChip, the CranBran, the Double ChocoChip, and the Apple Crumb. I also tried the Special K Flatbread Sandwiches (I get the Egg with Vegetables and Pepper Jack Cheese) -- another light, easy, microwavable product. They might not be the all-time best solutions, but for now, they're getting me eating breakfast regularly. I'll expand my repertoire later. (Oh, and I also still have my apple or banana).

2) Drink less coffee and Diet Coke and more good stuff (like WATER!)

As you can see in the picture of my breakfast, I start every morning with a cup of coffee. Only it's usually not just one cup...it's usually 2-3. And then another (or two more) in the afternoon. And then usually 2-4 Diet Cokes. And that's it. It's not good.

When I started back at work in January, I brought my favorite tumbler with me. It's 24 oz. I've made sure that I drink 3 of those tumblers full of water every day. I've also replaced anything beyond my second cup of coffee with green and/or herbal tea. Doing all that has actually made me not want Diet Coke as often, so I'm down to only two per day (and that's not even every day). 

3) Bring lots of little things in my lunch bag so I can eat throughout the day.

On a normal workday, I eat lunch around 12:00 pm...but work doesn't end until 6:30 pm. That's a long stretch to go without snacks! I used to eat everything in my lunch bag at 12:00; by 3:30 or 4:00, I was hitting our break room in search of chips, cookies, leftover pizza...whatever I could get my hands on. Now I make sure to pack smaller snack items, like Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges and an apple, to keep at my desk for my mid-afternoon hunger attack.

4) Stick to my plan!

If you've ever been to my other blog, Caffeinated Conversations, you know that I'm a member of Weight Watchers. I joined in August of 2012, but I yo-yo'd with the program for, well, all of 2012. I've recommitted to the program, and one way I'm doing that is being very vocal about the fact that I'm part of it. The more people know, the more I feel accountable...and it helps me figure out who is a supporter versus who is a saboteur so I can prepare myself better for if/when I have meals with them. I also made myself this little visual motivator that I found on Pinterest:

So those are my food resolutions for 2013! My blogging resolution to to make sure we're over here at least once per week, sharing food and drink ideas and stories with all of you, of course!

*Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for mentioning these products or writing this post. These are actual items I purchase and use on a regular basis. Also, I am a paying Monthly Pass member of Weight Watchers. All opinions in this are mine and do not reflect these retailers.

Happy Tuesday, and Happy New Year!

Hello, fabulous foodies! It's Colette here, wishing you a very happy 2013!

As you've probably noticed, our little blog fell by the wayside as the fall and winter months got busier and busier and busier...we're sorry, and we've missed you! But don't worry - we've been cooking (and eating!) plenty, and are working on posts to share with you in the coming weeks.

In the spirit of the New Year, we'd also like to hear from YOU! Do you have any food/drink-related resolutions? Anything you'd like to see from us in 2013? Share in the comments below!

Here's to another great year full of great food, great drink, and great memories!

Taste and Tattle: Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING!

Hi everyone, Colette here!

Has anyone noticed that there's Pumpkin Spiced everything these days? Seriously, every time I turn around this month, I'm presented with another pumpkin-flavored something. Pumpkin coffee, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin gum (no joke), pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin coffee creamer, pumpkin donuts...the list goes on forever.
I can get behind the pumpkin craze to a degree. I'm a fan of using canned pumpkin as a substitute in baking. I love pumpkin pie and pumpkin seeds. And I have three pumpkin spiced products that I do look forward to every year (which I'll show in a second). But do I really need a pumpkin scone and a pumpkin biscotti to go with my pumpkin spiced latte while I'm putting on my pumpkin eye shadow (did you think I was kidding)?

 However, since pumpkin is all the rage right now (it is October after all!), I thought I'd share my three favorite Pumpkin Spiced items on the market right now.

(1) The Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. It's the classic. It's what I blame for the pumpkin spice ALL THE THINGS trend we've got going on. And it's orange (a fact I only recently discovered since I normally get these bad boys hot and never see the liquid...),

(2) Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale. I'll admit, I'm not a big flavored beer fan. Beer is beer; let's leave it at that. But this is like a stereotypical autumn night in a bottle. Even if you're a SoCal native like me and the closest you come to fall foliage and hay bales and actually needing a scarf is a trip to Julian (where, admit it, you're still mostly faking it), this is everything that's promised on TV holiday specials.

(3) Eggo Seasons Pumpkin Spice. The item that made me go "seriously? are we going to Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING now" and that I threw into my cart as a joke (they were on sale that year) is now the must-have, can't wait until I see it in the stores "Fall treat" that I long for every year. But feel free to ignore the eggnog ones at Christmas. Those are gross.

So what about you? Are you crazy for the Pumpkin Spice trend? Ready for it to go away? Wish there was a different flavor that was sprinkled into everything this season? Share your thoughts with us!

Taste and Tattle Tuesday: Restaurant Review - Tango

Hey, Foodies! It’s Lauren this week. Today, I’m tattling on a local restaurant. My husband and I recently visited Tango, a semi-new restaurant in Escondido, CA. We heard some good things about this place, and once we reviewed Tango’s menu, we found ourselves making a reservation. 

http://www.tangoongrand.com/

Here’s a quick overview of the place. Tango is part restaurant and part lounge. The lounge side has a beautiful bar, amazing cocktails, and a live pianist reminiscent of a downtown piano bar. The piano even functions as a table, so there are seats at the piano. You’re encouraged to sip your cocktails while you sing along with the pianist. While they were getting our table ready, we tried some different martinis in the lounge. We tried a pear martini and a pomegranate martini; you could taste the fresh ingredients in both. I would go back just to try more martinis. Also, they had a substantial bar menu, but we were there for dinner, so we didn’t get to taste any of it. 

At dinner, we ordered three appetizers. We ordered: lobster risotto, duck confit, and bone marrow. 

The lobster risotto (Main lobster, Arborio rice, truffle oil, local oyster mushrooms, and chives) was cooked perfectly, but I could have done with a tad less salt. It was the first time a restaurant hasn’t overcooked lobster in a while, so I was happy. 

This was my first experience with bone marrow. I see chefs on television use it all of the time, so I was desperate to try it. I wasn’t disappointed, but I suspect there’s better quality out there. I only say this because there wasn’t much marrow in the bones. With that said, it was delicious. The caramelized onions and Dijon mustard sauce rounded out the dish nicely. There was a nice balance of savory and sweet, to me. 

This was also my first experience with Duck Confit (Duck confit, seasonal jam, toasted nuts, baby arugula, goat cheese, and a vinaigrette). Confit is when a meat is poached or cooked in its own fat. I’m sure I gained a few extra pounds on this dish alone, but it was well worth it. The duck was tender, and it paired nicely with the goat cheese and jam, again blending savory with sweet. 

For our entrees, we ordered a grilled meat plate and pasta with frutti di mare (fruit of the sea). 

My meat plate had some skirt steak, lamb, and a small filet. It came with some veggies and a fried piece of polenta (yum!). The flavors were great and everything was seasoned well, but I suspect my dish was ready before the rest of our table’s entrees because the meat was a little cold, which I hate, and the veggies were a tiny bit undercooked. 

My husband’s pasta dish was just as flavorful but much warmer. It’s in a loose saffron tomato sauce reminiscent of a cipollini. It had fish, mussels, shrimp, and scallops. I would go back just for this dish! If you love pasta and sea food, this is your meal!  

 
 The couple we went out with had the sea bass in a miso broth and the chicken, which is wrapped in bacon. They had good things to say about both dishes.

Lastly, we had dessert. Often, I pass up dessert because I’m simply too full; however, when crème brulee is an option, I always make room. It was an amazing brulee served with some fresh fruit. Next time, I’m cutting back on the appetizers and ordering two crème brulees.

 

Overall, I would recommend this place, and I know we’ll be back. They’re reasonably priced, and they have a variety of dishes and drinks If you visit Tango, please let us know about your experience. We’d love to hear about what you tried and how you like it!