We got a new toy, our Ninja Kitchen System. What that means is, that we search for recipes to make in it. Not only do we frequent the Eating Well website, but the commissary actually carries monthly copies.
We made a southwestern type of salad with black beans, cherry tomatoes, corn, avocado, and chicken.
I followed the recipe for creamy cilantro-avocado dressing from the magazine, which I also found here. I used Greek plain yogurt instead of just plain yogurt. The cilantro flavor was the most prominent in the dressing; I would've liked a little more of the avocado to come out.
The salad was super healthy, and tasted that way! Some cheese would've been a good addition to the salad. The salad was incredibly filling, plus it's always fun to use the Ninja!
About a month ago, while we were flipping channels we came across an infomerical for the Ninja Kitchen System 1100. At first, I thought it was the infomerical for the $500 blender, the Vitamix which I've seen demonstrations before at Costco. But Justin noticed it was a different because the price was way cheaper! While this is not the infomerical we saw, here is a short clip about the Ninja.
We do have a working blender, but it's not the best nor top of the line. But I still couldn't justify spending money on a new one. I was sold when I saw the food processor attachment, because we had been just talking about investing in a food processor to help reduce chopping time. I didn't instantly jump on the phone and order one though. We debated for a few days, and I was determined to find a promo code to get a discount. After several tries I finally found a coupon code good for almost $24 dollars off. So I bought ours for $135 instead of the $159 price!
Shortly after I placed the order, I received a confirmation email. I didn't even realize the company that makes the Ninja Kitchen System. It is made by Euro-Pro. Not ringing a bell? They make Shark products! Remember my love for my Shark mop? (found here)
Today I organized our tiny pantry shelves to make room for our Ninja Kitchen System.
So far we've tried a few things in the blender. We've made a smoothie, some salad dressing and fruit salad. Unfortunately we haven't tried the food processor attachment yet, but when we do I'll definitely let y'all know how it works. I bet it will make the guacamole process a breeze! There is also an attachment to make dough. This part may require some extra work to find a good GF recipe for bread.
The system even came with a cookbook. The first recipe we tried was the apple, cranberry, and gorgonzola salad. Of course I couldn't throw a whole apple into the blender, so I had to cut up the apple and cucumber a little first.
It finely chopped/minced the apple and cucumber.
Then I added some dried fruit mix of cranberries, blueberries, cherries, and prunes. It also calls for walnuts, but we decided not to use any.
I rinsed the blender and made the dressing mix. It was composed of 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/4 cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of milk, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
The apple mixture gets served in a cucumber thinly sliced the long way. A dollop of the gorgonzola dressing tops it off! Doesn't my presentation look superb? It only took me the whole cucumber to cut two good slices for our meal. We served this as a side with some tilapia.
The recipe says it serves four but it seemed like it made way more than that! We ate up the left overs, but just served them in a bowl.
We love to eat portobellos, but often find ourselves making repetitive recipes. (Like this one here.) When we were at the store last and decided to pick up some portobellos, I slightly remembered this recipe for cheese and spinach portobellos. I've expressed my love for Eating Well before, and can always find some inspiration there. I followed the first part of the recipe by roasting the mushrooms in the oven for 20 minutes.
I warmed up some Classico roasted garlic sauce in the microwave and spooned some on the portobellos, similar to the recipe. The rest of the topping was my own combination. I was going more for a lasagna-like taste. I didn't really measure anything, but can give you some estimates. I used about a half cup of ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of fresh parmesan, and a sprinkle of italian seasoning. I mixed it all together and spooned on top of the sauce. Then I popped the portobellos back into the oven for about 10 minutes.
What a great meatless, noodleless version of lasagna. Our only complaint was that we both thought we could eat another one!
For the last ten posts, I had been counting down to get to my 100th post. Yesterday I was still blogging about our anniversary. Right after I hit "publish" I thought, "Oh, no!" I missed the 100th post. I contemplated going back and changing it, but decided to highlight my 101st post instead.
I know I didn't start blogging right after my diagnosis, but when I did start to blog I found it to be gratifying. The first couple months were the hardest and I felt so many different emotions from relief, to anger, to confusion. Writing about eating gluten free has helped me grow. Plus, it's really fun and something I look forward to. It's a release (similar to how working out can be a release, if that makes sense).
Baking has been a challenging endeavor for me. I was a wonderful baker of gluten-filled treats. Baking GF is a completely different make up. It took me a while to even get back into the kitchen, but I baked! I'm taking steps, trying different recipes, and products. I hope to be as good as the Little Aussie Bakery some day...
I'm currently taking a baking step that I didn't even take while baking with gluten! I am taking Wilton decorating classes at Michael's. I'd been wanting to do it for years and my friend from work asked me to sign up with her, so it was the perfect opportunity.
This past Monday we had to bring a cake, so I made it easy on myself by using the Betty Crocker yellow gluten free cake mix. I didn't want to try a recipe from scratch and it not turn out. I figured I was concentrating on the decorating not the cake. But let me tell you, I was a little disappointed in the cake, you could tell it was a box cake. The next class we need to bring cupcakes, so I'm going to make some from the Amsterdam's cupcake cookbook.
This is my decorated cake...a fish cake! I think I did pretty good for my first try, but I know I have a ways to go.
Another angle
Complete with strawberry filling
I also need to play around with the frosting more, because I followed the Wilton recipe so it would be the correct consistency. The butter cream was too sweet for my liking, but I'm going to try to add some different flavors.
I'm also excited because my hubby insisted on buying me a new camera! I was torn for so long on what to get because I liked various features on different cameras. There wasn't one camera that had everything I wanted. I ended up getting a completely different camera than I was even looking at. My new prized possession is a Nikon Coolpix S8100. I hope I love it, (so it could possibly make my favorite things list.)
*Please note the above pictures of the cake were taken with my old Sony. The pictures below are from my Nikon.*
I've been practicing and playing around with the features on who else, but Iivana!
Check out her new dress!
I'm impressed my camera caught this action shot of her running.
I can't believe I'm still updating about our weekend. It makes me realize how much there is to do close to home. Saturday night we switched things up and stayed at a different hotel, Hotel Indigo. It was a block from the Alamo.
I loved the wood floors and new updates.
Yet, the hotel was filled with original things...like safes.
And a mail drop to the first floor. We dropped a post card in to send to ourselves and it worked!
The halls were so wide, and check out that marble on the walls.
Saturday night I booked us dinner reservations at Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse. I had heard most of the meats and salad bar options were gluten free. When we were seated, I asked our server about what was GF and what to avoid. I wanted to verify my research and make sure it was still current. He was a little unsure, but sent the manager over.
The manager was awesome and knowledgeable. Much of what he told me was what I had researched, but it's always a good idea to double check when you're there. In fact, he did point out a few more things I should stay away from.
Overall, he said all the cuts of meat were GF, except the chicken legs and sausage because they were marinated in beer. On the salad bar, he told me not to eat the bread, the green beans with sesame seeds, and he was unsure about the salad dressings. If I can eat all that meat, I don't need salad! He did say there was olive oil and lemon juice though, in case I did want salad. After coming to our table, he checked out the salad bar again to see if there was anything else he missed.
He also said the cheese rolls that are served to us are GF because they use yucca flour. I did read somewhere online that a different Fogo de Chao restaurant added wheat. I would check with the manager to make sure. I did not have a reaction and ate like 5 of these because I could!
The salad bar is incredible. It puts all other salad bars to shame. I skipped out on actual salad, but found tons of other options. I tried to be minimal, because I wanted to save room for the meat.
The meat!
I know it looks a little gross all cut up on my plate, but the meat was so succulent. My favorite was the top sirloin and house special. I wonder how many pounds of meat Justin and I consumed.
After eating at Las Canarias and Fogo de Chao, we had a new appreciation for food. Both restaurant provided us with positive and fulfilling options! I would recommend both of these places.
All the savings from Groupon, helped us be able to afford more expensive restaurants (normally I would be too frugal to go to) that offered gluten free dining. I did research and read reviews before the trip on urbanspoon, yelp, and Alamo celiac websites. I made a note by one restaurant to go at lunch because it is much more affordable. When Saturday afternoon rolled around, I suggested Las Canarias to my hubby.
Before we were seated, I asked the hostess if it was true that they could accommodate gluten free diners. He checked with the chef, no problem! When we were seated, I scanned the lunch menu and felt a little antsy. Most of the options were served on bread! Here we go, I thought, another bunless sandwich.
When the waiter asked if we were ready to order, I told him about my special dietary needs. He told me I could order pretty much anything on the menu and the chef could change it up to be GF. In all honesty, I was thinking this could not be true. I figured I was dealing with someone who was not educated about GF eating. He proceeded to tell me one of the chef's wife has celiac and so he understands! I began to feel at ease.
We decided to start with an appetizer, Proscuitto Wrapped Articokes. To be sure when ordering, Justin said no ciabatta.
I don't think I have the ability to express in words how amazing this lunch was! Hands down, this was the best meal of the weekend...maybe even ever. There was so much flavor; and combinations I've never had before. All the ingredients were fresh and succulent. The asparagus wrapped in proscuitto was my favorite. Even the arugula was cleaned off the plate. The garnishes were not only beautiful by tasty as well. The tomatoes made my taste buds dance. Ah, my mouth is watering now.
Some wonderful things happened at this restaurant that gave me a wonderful peace of mind. When I ordered, I asked for the American Kobe Beef Burger with fries. First, the waiter came back after the order and said I wouldn't be able to have the fries, how about a salad. This would not be a burger wrapped in lettuce, they had gluten free bread too. Next, the chef came out to personally talk to us! He said he was going to make it into two smaller burgers because the GF bread is smaller.
I wish I would've taken a better photo, but I was just too excited to try it, especially after the starter.
Justin ordered the Creekstone Farms Beef Panini, which came with a fried egg on the top. He got his GF too. Since both of ours were split into two sandwiches we were able to share. It was perfect, I gave him one of my burgers and he gave me a beef panini.
Now I know what you're thinking, Karen doesn't like eggs. But O-M-G, the beef panini with the egg was awesome. It was melty and decadent. The Kobe Burger was juicy and what quality meat! I know it might look like a regular burger on bread, but it was so much more.
Did I mention when our food was brought out the chef came out AGAIN? He told us that he personally prepared all the food. I could eat in complete confidence that I would not get sick. We repeatedly thanked the chef, our server, and other workers. We were so grateful for this restaurant experience. Justin and I promised ourselves we would make trips downtown during lunch on Saturdays more often to eat here.
The lunch prices were not that bad at all either. Our lunch with a starter was only $34.
This picture is a little hard to see, since the sun is setting. (Plus, I've been looking into buying a new camera, that takes good low light shots.) But I'm standing in front of the Tower of Americas on a segway! We bought Groupons to take an hour segway tour downtown.
I don't think we would've done a segway tour normally, but the Groupon deal made it happen! I never realized how you ride a segway either, but it's by your hip positioning. It was more complicated than I had originally thought. It was awesome though! I'd definitely recommend trying it at least once, especially if you get a deal for half off :)
The Savings
One hour tour for $25
Originally $50
Times 2 people
It was like buy one, get one free!
We spent $50
And saved...$50!
After the segway tour and some debate, we made our way to the Iron Cactus (unfortunately sans Groupon!) Why there? Because I knew they had a GF menu...I'd been there when my sister, Julie, visited. (You can view a better version of the GF menu here.)
We had a late lunch at Little Aussie, so we decided to order some drinks and appetizers. I was craving chips and was hoping they had a dedicated fryer. The waiter checked and confirmed, yes! We were able to enjoy:
Chips and Salsa
Table side made guacamole
Our guac
And chile con queso!
My favorite was the queso. It was cheesy, thick, and flavorful. Plus, it didn't stick to the pan! The chips were, decent...a little greasy, but I loved the fact that there wasn't cross contamination in the fryer. I personally think I make better guacamole, because Justin and I add tons of garlic to ours.
The best part of the meal appetizer feast was my frozen margartia! We'd been outside in the heat for the segway tour and decided to dine outside on the Riverwalk. The margartia was refreshing and smooth tasting. It hit the spot!
Saturday afternoon we were able to enjoy some more savings at the Tower of Americas. Did you know the Tower of Americas is 87 feet taller than the Seattle Space Needle? I scored a Groupon for two to go to the top for 11 bucks. The admission also included a 4-D movie about Texas.
View from the top!
Justin with San Antonio below him.
Another city view. If you see the block of trees, that's where the Alamo is located!
The Savings
Original cost for two people $21.90
I paid $11 for two!
Savings of almost $12
In case you were keeping track, or well wondering what the total of Groupon savings was for the weekend:
With our anniversary approaching this week, Justin and I spent the weekend celebrating with some help from Groupon! We stayed in San Antonio but became tourists in our own city. Justin and I decided to stay downtown on the Riverwalk, partake in tourist-like fun, and try exceptional restaurants with GF options.
The first stop took place on Friday afternoon at the Little Aussie Bakery. Of course we had a Groupon to use for $25!
We broke the rules and ate dessert first, while our lunch was being prepared! The cakes are truly my favorite thing at the Little Aussie Bakery.
I devoured a strawberry sponge cake slice. Their cakes are so moist and the frosting pairs perfectly. The frosting isn't too sweet either.
Justin knew first thing while looking into the case that he wanted the tiramisu. He also sipped on hot coffee that matched the cake exquisitely.
I ordered a personal pizza with chicken, bell peppers, and mushrooms. I've had the pizza here before, the crust is crispy, yet fluffy. It's good, but I honestly wouldn't call it the best crust (Guido's in Okemos was better.) None the less, when you want a pizza, it will fix your craving.
Justin ordered the Big Bloke Sandwich, which is basically roast beef and cheese on a GF bun. He enjoyed the sandwich, and said the bun was good.
The Savings
Spent $10 on the Groupon originally
The Groupon was worth $25
Bill total: $28
28 - 25 = $3 paid at register
Original 10 + 3 paid = Total lunch cost $13
(of course plus a generous tip!)
The next Groupon savings was for our first night hotel stay at El Tropicano. It was featured as a Groupon Getaway! They only had a room available Friday night, so we had to make other arrangements Saturday night.
The hotel had a toucan, some sort iguana, and a turtle!
The hotel Groupon also included parking and breakfast for two on Saturday morning. The breakfast was a buffet, which consisted mostly of toast, pancakes, breakfast tacos, cereal, muffins, and oatmeal. My options were limited, but it was included in the price! I stocked up on fresh fruit and coffee.
The Savings
Spent $73 on El Tropicano Groupon
Valued at $146
146 - 73 = 73 dollars in savings
Free breakfast for two - $25 value
Free parking - $18 value
We had to pay taxes, which were $8
73 + 8 = Total stay was $81
I have sooo much more to write about. Not only do I have more Groupons to write about, but some of the most delicious meals we've ever eaten! Stay tuned this week to read more about our weekend away (well sort of away!)
To wrap things up, let's see how much we saved through Groupon so far...
