A foodie tour of Vegas

Well, perhaps it's not much of a tour, but here's are a few of the culinary highlights from my recent trip to Sin City.

Dinner at Vic & Anthony's in the Golden Nugget was AMAZING!!! Excellent service, mood lighting and the classic crooning of Frank Sinatra in the background set the mood for a top notch meal. You may not think that a hotel in old town Vegas would boast some serious cuisine, but Vic & Anthony's did. I indulged in roasted salmon stuffed with smoked gouda and jumbo lump crab, served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. I washed dinner down with an amazing glass of wine and we also polished off a complimentary flourless chocolate torte (we were celebrating a birthday).

Of course while in Old Town, we also had to indulge in one of the trashiest (in a good way) and most calorie-laden treats ever... deep fried Twinkies and Oreos. Lucky for us, Mermaid's has an assortment of deep-fried wonders for cheap. After guzzling a liter of bad daiquiri, almost anyone would think these were delicious. The consensus in our group was that the Oreo's were best after being dunked in batter and hot oil and covered in powdered sugar.

Another highlight meal of this trip was brunch at Hash House A Go Go in the Imperial Palace. Eating meals in Vegas can be a daunting and expensive endeavor. This restaurant was featured on Man vs Food, so we knew it would be good and we were right! The food was tasty, fresh and affordable. I had a scramble made with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and fresh basil. Annie ordered the S'mores Mocha, which was as rich as any dessert, but oh-so tasty!

Who doesn't love a chocolatey mocha smothered in marshmallow creme?

Have you been to Las Vegas? What were some of your favorite meals?

Almost 2 months!

Wow everyone! How time flies when you're insanely busy. I can't believe it's been 2 months since my last post. Here's to hoping that I have more time to blog in the near future.

Family reunions are great, aren't they? My mom's side of the family had a mini reunion on Lopez Island last weekend. If you've never visited Lopez Island (or any of the other San Juan Islands), I highly recommend it. Talk about one of the most relaxing and beautiful places in the Northwest.

The whole crew outside of Holly B's Bakery!

One of our family traditions is to host a cooking contest. Well, it's not a contest so much because no one wins or loses, but we all gain about 5 pounds. This year's chosen ingredient was avocado. Yum! We had shrimp and scallop ceviche with avocado, grilled avocado and cheese sandwiches, roasted veggie tacos, spicy fish tacos and avocado bean dip. AMAZING!!! Everything was so tasty. There were only so many lunches and dinners, though, so I volunteered to take breakfast. Besides the obvious avocado on toast, I wasn't sure how to use avocado as a breakfast ingredient. I decided on eggs benedict with avocado hollandaise and fruit salad. The hollandaise turned out more solid that sauce-like, but it was delicious and a real success. Here's the recipe:

Vegetarian Eggs Benedict w/ Avocado Hollandaise (serves 4-6)
2 medium-large ripe avocados, pitted and out of the skin
1 stick salted butter, melted
The juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

6 English Muffins, halved
3 Tbsp butter
6 slices of deli sliced Field Roast
6 eggs, poached (I'm not going to write instructions on this because I didn't handle the egg poaching)

Put the avocado and lemon juice in a food processor and process until it starts to smooth. While the food processor is running, drizzle the melted butter in. Add the cayenne pepper at the end. You should have a perfectly smooth, whipped avocado puree.

(You can either have someone poach your eggs while everything else cooks, or you can poach them a few minutes early, remove them from the water and then submerge them again the hot water directly before serving.)

Heat butter or oil in a large skillet and add the Field Roast slices until they are heated through and slightly browned on both sides.

While the Field Roast is browning, spread each English muffin half with butter. Place muffins butter side up on a baking sheet and broil until heated through and starting to brown.

To serve, place an English muffin on a plate, top with a slice of Field Roast, a poached egg and a dollop of avocado sauce.

Enjoy! I hope your summers are all yielding fun times, good food and more sunshine than we've seen in Seattle. Good thing I jet-setted off to Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago to get my vitamin D (photos coming soon!)

The sister and I are definitely up to no good.

Days 3-5 of the food diary challenge!

As I reflect on the past 5 days, I realize that this may not have been the best week to post my food diary. However, acceptance is part of the exercise, so I'm going to move into this week with the knowledge that this was a really fun (albeit somewhat unhealthy) weekend.

Day #3 (The Birthday Party)
B: Plain, nonfat yogurt w/ flax, pecans, jam and fresh strawberries + 1 piece of Ezekiel bread, toasted w/ peanut butter, cinnamon and sugar
S: Carnation Instant Breakfast w/ 1/2 frozen banana and soy milk
L: 3 oz salmon on 1 piece of Ezekiel bread w/ hummus, avocado and caramelized onions + 1/2 cup ice cream
D: (At Julia's on Broadway) 3 pieces of pita w/ baked goat cheese, a lot of sweet potato fries, 3 pieces of vegetarian pizza, a few bites of strawberry shortcake and carrot cake + 1 shot (see below) and 2 mixed drinks.

Day #4

B: Carnation Instant Breakfast w/ 1/2 frozen banana and soy milk + 1/2 cup Frosted Mini Wheats

S: 2 pieces vegetarian pizza, 1 apple

L: (At Green Festival) samples of energy bars and fair trade chocolate + 1 mango coconut Soy Joy bar + a few crackers w/ hummus

D: 2 slices homemade pizza on whole wheat crust (thanks to my sis!), a handful of tortilla chips, 1/2 cup homemade lime sherbet (also courtesy of Ro)

For any kids who may be reading: these are apple juice shots.

Day #5

B: Carnation Instant Breakfast w/ a whole frozen banana and soy milk + a Soy Joy bar and 1/2 Tbsp of peanut butter

S: 16 oz soy latte 

L: Trader Joe's masala veggie burger on a sandwich thin bun w/ hummus and caramelized onions + 4 banana Now-n-Laters

D: 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli w/ lemon juice and olive oil + french fries and a chocolate shake from Dick's Drive In + a handful of Whoppers

Why, you ask, did I have candy, fries and a shake today? Well, it's because I spent the afternoon doing this (see video below) and was quite hungry. Note: I also had 1 1/2 hours of ballet before heading to the barn.

Have any of you tried keeping a food diary? Remember that this is not an exercise in guilt, but rather a chance to be more present at mealtime.

Day 2 and a case of the evening munchies

Today was less than stellar for a number of reasons, but the biggest of which being that it was sunny and beautiful outside and I was stuck in an office. Bummer. I firmly believe that this is why I came home hungry and proceeded to eat whatever I could find before changing out of my work clothes.

Breakfast:
1 cup soy milk
1/2 frozen banana
1 packet chocolate malt Carnation Instant Breakfast
1 piece of toast with peanut butter and jam (Trader Joe's honey apple butter- yum!)

Lunch:
3 oz salmon, 1/4 avocado, BBQ sauce and sauteed onions on a sandwich thin roll
3 cups green salad with bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, tomato and light Italian dressing
5 bite sized coconut cookies

Dinner:
1 cup leftover green salad with feta cheese
1 Trader Joe's masala vegetable burger patty with sauteed onions (so tasty I didn't even need a bun!)
a small handful of Wheat Thins with peanut butter and jelly
1 1/4 cups organic frosted mini wheats
1/2 cup soy milk
5 Swedish fish
1/4 cup Thin Mint ice cream

Dinner of champions? Doubtful, but they sure are tasty!

What's your favorite food to have after a rough day?

A lesson in accountability

Accountability: An obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions (Merriam-Webster.com).


There are times when I (and I'm sure many of you, too) feel like I'm eating without thinking about it. I'm not listening when my body says it's full and I'm eating a lot of foods that aren't all that healthy. These are the times when a little accountability can help me get back on track. This usually means that I write down what I'm eating for a day or two. The simple act of writing down everything I put in my mouth, makes me pay more attention. I find that I try to eat more healthfully. This time, however, I'm going to hold myself accountable to you! Everyday for the next 5 days, I'm going to write down what I eat and post it here. Today's post is a little premature seeing as I haven't finished the day yet, but I do know what I'm having for dinner (no cheating this afternoon!).

This is also an opportunity for me to answer the question that I get asked so often "Do you eat really healthy?".

I don't know. Do I?

Breakfast:

• 3/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt w/ 1 tsp ground flax, 1 Tbsp strawberry jam, 3 Tbsp chopped pecans, 1/2 cup sliced strawberries and 1/2 cup Kashi Go-Lean cereal.
• 16 oz drip coffee with 3 Tbsp half-and-half

Snack:

• 1 small orange
• 2 mini Reese's peanut butter cups
• 4 chips (tasting new products at work)

Lunch

• 3 oz baked salmon w/ 1 Tbsp BBQ sauce, 1/4 medium avocado, 1/4 cup sauteed onions on a Sandwich Thin bun (see picture below)
• 1 1/2 cups sliced cucumber and bell pepper
• 1 mini Reese's and 1 mini Snickers

Snack:

• 1 cup vanilla soymilk blended with 1/2 frozen banana and a packet of chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast

Dinner:

• 1/3 cup vegetarian refried beans w/ 1 oz cheddar cheese, salsa and avocado
• 15 Lundberg rice chips
• 3 cups green salad w/ lettuce, cucumber, carrot, tomato, feta cheese and pepperoncini, Italian dressing.

Snack/dessert:

• 1 cup Whole Foods version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch  :-)

Everyone needs a fancy sandwich container!

I encourage each of you to hold yourself accountable for what you put in you body. This should not be a depressing or stressful exercise, but rather an opportunity to reflect on the foods you're choosing. What are you doing well and where is there room for improvement?

A salad that keep you going (in more than one way)

Fiber is a hot topic these days. We see it all over television commercials and in the grocery stores. Food companies are even adding it to foods that don't normally contain fiber. But how many of us actually know what fiber does? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is found in foods like oats, nuts, beans, peas and some veggies. It absorbs water during digestion and helps to slow the whole process down, in turn keeping your blood sugar at a more consistent level and making you feel full longer. Soluble fiber also may help lower cholesterol levels. Insoluble fiber is found in whole grains and vegetables. This is the type that keeps you regular.

High fiber foods get a bad rap for causing gas and it's true, they do. However, the alternative (nothing moving through your system) is probably not too comfortable either. The trouble with many of the fibers (like inulin and chicory fiber) that are being added to processed foods from yogurt to granola bars is that they often cause even more gas and they may not have the same benefits as naturally occurring fibers.

Here's one of my favorite salad recipes to help you meet your fiber goals (~30 grams per day for adults).

Italian Black Bean Salad (serves 6-8)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn (or 1 can), drained
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
3 stalks green onion, diced
1/3 cup light Italian dressing
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Feta cheese and avocado for garnishing

Mix the beans, corn, bell pepper, artichoke hearts and onion in a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and toss with the salad. Top with feta and avocado (because everything is better with feta and avocado). Serve cold.

One serving contains approximately 210 calories, 8 grams of fat, 30 grams of carbohydrate, 9 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber.

Have you tried any of the foods with fiber added, like yogurt? What did you think?

I hope you're seeing more sun that we are in Seattle today. At least my backyard looked like this over the weekend.

You can't "beet" these blog additions!

In case you haven't noticed, I've added a few details to the blog, including a few of my favorite blogs and a link to the Vesta Nutrition website. Woohoo!!! There isn't a whole lot there yet, but it will be complete within the next few weeks (thanks to the hard work of my graphic designer at Flying Eye Design). I've also added a page view counter and check out that number... >2800 views! I may only have 17 "followers", but it looks like Emmy Eats gets a few more hits than I thought. Thanks to everyone who's passed this blog onto friends. Once Vesta Nutrition's site is up and running, there will be a blog there as well. I will, however, not be posting about my burlesqapades (Pretty sure I just made up a new word there. Burlesque + escapades = burlesqapades. Get it?)

In celebration of my fabulous, sparkly new hobby and the impending launch of my new website, I made this tasty beet dish. (Actually, I made it because my beets needed to be eaten, but that's not nearly as fun).

Roasted Beets with Apples and Onion (serves 6)
4 medium beets, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 large Fuji apple, cut into large cubes
1/2 large white onion, cut into large cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the beet, apple and onion with the olive oil (note here that the beets take longer to cook than the apple and onion, so they should be cut into slightly smaller pieces). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread into a baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

One serving contains approximately 150 calories, 9 grams fat, 16 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein and 3 grams of fiber.

What blogs do you follow (besides mine, of course!)?