All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel
Peach, Blueberry, and Blue Cheese Summer Salad is wonderful with its fresh fruit, salty cheese, & sauteed chicken sausage. It’s like summer in every bite.
Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE
Change up your typical salad and add some fresh summer fruit! The fruit in this Peach, Blueberry, and Blue Cheese Summer Salad gives you a fun burst of flavor that will make dinner tonight rock!
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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SmithfieldFlavors #RealFlavorRealFast #CollectiveBias
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with a Summery Peach and Berry Salad is a wonderful way to have a flavorful dinner while keeping things light on a hot summer night.
Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE
We have just 2 more weeks left of school!!! I’m so excited about having some summer fun!
I’m hoping we get to enjoy going to Disney, plenty of trips to the beach, the library for story-time, lots of afternoons hanging out at the pool. It is going to be a jam packed fun summer. We need to load in the fun before Autumn starts Kindergarten.
What do you have planned?
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This Grilled Chicken Fall Salad is the perfect dinner for those busy nights as you ease back into the back-to-school routine. It comes together so quickly!
Crunch. Munch. Chomp. Chew. The Dinosaur Dance is starting now.
Oh, ooph. My mind wandered there for a second.
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So I am the most awkward person ever.
Let’s start from some funny/horrible things that happened recently.
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We’re having a stay-cation this weekend!!!
Since moving to the Tampa area in mid February (Price arrived mid March), we haven’t done too much exploring of the area. We have certainly enjoyed our time here with busy weekends at the pool and beaches, but we haven’t explored Tampa itself. In fact, aside from the walk to the parking lot to my office and my office to my favorite lunch spot, I haven’t been explored the Tampa area. I couldn’t tell you what is out of a 3 block radius from my office.
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As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!
Bamboozle Cafe is one of my favorite lunch time spots to give me a chance to escape the clutches of my desk and have a great lunch. I am additcted.
I first visited Bamboozle when I interviewed in Tampa last September. I needed a place to grab lunch and was encouraged to check it out as it’s a local favorite. As soon as I dug into my Tofu topped Noodle Salad, I was hooked and have been a fan since.
My favorite dish is the Noodle Salad. It’s a ginormous salad that is packed with green leaf lettuce, Vermicelli noodles, thinly sliced cucumber, pickled daikon & carrots, fresh mint, bean sprouts, crushed roasted peanuts, roasted shallots and a side of our zesty chili dressing. All of that together is amazing with the different flavors and textures.
The zesty chili dressing is s packed with flavor. It has fish sauce (no vegan!) so it has a nice salty umami flavor profile to it.
I typically get the salad with their lemongrass tofu or their lemongrass beef. I love the lemongrass marinade. I swear I would eat a shoe if it had that on there. Okay, I wouldn’t but you get the point.
The Cafe Salad is just as good as the Noodle Salad, but a bit lighter and with some flexibility. You get to select 3 of their freshly prepared veggies to add to bed of green leaf lettuce, cucumber, carrot match sticks.
Personally, I suggest getting some fruit like mango in there to have some contrast in flavors in there.
If you love super fresh, delicious, large Fresh Rolls, then you have come to the right place. I swear that that they are all so good.
They have several rolls that you can just pick from, like their BBQ Pork that is stuffed with picked daikon and carrots, cucumber, red bell peppers, and fresh cilantro. Or their Lemongrass Beef that is accompanied with red bell peppers, cucumbers, jicama, and roasted shallots that is served with a soy sauce vinaigrette.
Or you can just pick your protein and pick whatever 4 veggies you want to add to your roll. When you have options likes mango, jacama, Thai basil, pineapple, and chives, and cucumbers, the possibilities are endless!!
All of their rolls are served with various dipping sauces like their zesty dressing and peanut sauce. So good.
Don’t feel like a salad? Then get a Banh Mi Sandwich!
Banh Mi’s are a classic Vietamese sandwich that is served on a toasted baguette. That bread is slathered with mayo and topped with green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, pickled daikon & carrots, jalapeno, cilantro. Traditionally it is served with pate, which they offer, but you can get it with tofu, beef, chicken (pictured), or pork.
I am always so amazing with how fill the sandwiches are packed! I think it would be great to shared a Banh Mi with sides of soup or srring rolls with a friend.
There are a few sides that you can get to that are great to accompany your meals, if you have room. Both the Baked Vegan Spring roll and the Baked Chicken Spring roll are great. I love how they are so crisp even though they are baked. They have a great crunch to them.
I swear, no matter what you get you will love stopping in to dine in the dark, mellow restaurant, or at the outdoor seating
Their Pho Soup Boat is one of the most comforting soup I have ever had.
How can you resist a warm, soup that is has a broth that is made from slowly simmering star anise, cloves, and other spices for hours? That is then packed full of the protein of your choice, rice noodles, thinly sliced red onions, and cilantro, with bean sprouts, a lime wedge, slices of jalapenos, and basil on the side. And don’t forget the hoisin & sriracha sauce!
Like the other dishes you can enjoy this with Chicken, Beef, or Tofu. My favorite is the tofu as I love the texture and flavor of it. The tofu version is vegetarian and vegan. There are so many vegetarian and vegan options for people!
Please try to say Pho correctly. I know it’s tricky since you want to say it like Faux but imagine you are about to swear F!$& but don’t say the CK at the end. Got it!?
If you happen to want to add some heat to your dishes, then try out the different sauces they have to offer. I love a lot of heat so I will add so much that sometimes I will actually sweat from it. The heat is addicting.
If you are looking for something great to eat in Downtown Tampa, then check out Bamboozle Cafe. And be sure to let me know so I can meet you there since I will never turn down a chance to eat there. YUM!
516 N Tampa St
Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 223-7320
This Grilled Steak Fajita Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette will satisfy your steak cravings while serving up zesty, bold flavors in the form of a great salad.
I am equally a meat and potatoes girl, a salad lover, and a taco addict. This Grilled Steak Fajita Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette satisfies all those cravings at once! Horray!!!
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I am documenting my second Whole 30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come from my first Whole30 (Feb 2015) to this one (April 2015). Plus, I don’t want to fall into any food ruts. Hopefully this will keep me inspired through the whole process. I’m looking forward to the transformation in how I approach food, cook with it, and enjoy it. Check out all my Whole30 related posts HERE from why I did my first Whole30, why I am doing this one, and food diaries.
Monday, April 13th, 2015
I forgot my phone at home today!! It was terrifying. I realized it when I got on the bus and there was nothing I could do about it.
Breakfast
Lara Bar- Cherry
I really, really like Lara Bars. I am so thankful there is a good, affordable option for a snack or as a replacement to a meal that I was too rushed to make.
Lunch
Salad- mixed greens, veggies, homemade vinaigrette
I enjoyed my salad just as much as this woman was enjoying her’s.
Dinner
Ground Pork Stir Fry mixed with Broccoli Slaw in a Coconut Curry Sauce
This was a ‘I don’t give a crap about cooking right now’ dinner. I threw together some broccoli slaw with pork (that I was originally going to use for breakfast sausage)
Tuesday, April 14th, 2015
Price had a sleep study at night so it was weird to sleep alone, as well as have dinner alone. I def missed him. I probably would have mindlessly had dessert or wine without him, but Whole30 reigned me in. yay!!
Breakfast
2 over easy eggs, diced sweet potato with salsa and Frank’s Red Hot
I made sweet potatoes in advance and it was awesome. It made breakfast (and lunch) so much easier. I am doing to make a big batch of roasted sweet potatoes again soon.
Lunch
Leftover pork stirfry (from the night before) with 1/2 a sweet potato and 1/2 a slice of tomato, pistachios
It was a little bit of everything! It was fine, but not very satisfying.
Dinner
Salad with mixed greens and veggies, topped off with pulled pork tenderloin
Price was not at home for dinner so I only had to worry about throwing something together for me. It’s not to say that I really worry about making a grand meal for us but I care so much less when it’s just me. So I whipped up a salad and tossed some slow cooker pork tenderloin on there and ta-da dinner!
Wednesday, April 15th 2015
HALF WAY DONE!!!!!!
Breakfast
Since I was solo for the morning routine, I didn’t have much time for breakfast (or lunch prep) so I just threw together some left over sweet potato, 1 link of chicken sausage, and roasted broccolini. Then I got 2 over easy eggs from the cafe in my building.
It was a really good breakfast, and huge. It was so filling that I wasn’t too hungry for lunch for a long time.
Lunch
Cashew Cookie Lara Bar and Pulled Pork (not pictured)
How many Cashew Cookie Bars can I eat while doing Whole30? Not enough!!! It’s really my favorite one. I think I could eat one for B.L.D for all 30 days. (I should try that next time… jk…)
I took a photo of my pulled pork tenderloin, but it was super blurry and looked gross, but it wasn’t. It was super yummy. Plus, I might have put some leftover homemade ranch dressing on it. OMG. I loved it.
Dinner
Mushroomy, meaty sauce on cauliflower rice, string beans
The leftover sauce from a few days prior was perfect on cauliflower rice. It basically resembled chili it was such a thick, hearty sauce. It was really good. I made us so green beans too just to add a veggie, not like cauliflower isn’t one…
Great Moment
I made this cake for my coworker’s birthday and I didn’t even have any. No accidental licks of my fingers. Nothing. And damn, it smelled awesome.
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What are your favorite Whole30 recipes? Please share!
Are you considering doing Whole30? Give it a try!
I am documenting my second Whole 30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come from my first Whole30 (Feb 2015) to this one (April 2015). Plus, I don’t want to fall into any food ruts. Hopefully this will keep me inspired through the whole process. I’m looking forward to the transformation in how I approach food, cook with it, and enjoy it. Check out all my Whole30 related posts HERE from why I did my first Whole30, why I am doing this one, and food diaries.
Friday, April 10th 2015
I went to the gym in the morning. It felt good to go. I signed up for the abs class but got a more in depth training session with the trainer as I was the only one who showed up. Yay me! It felt good getting a lesson on arms and abs. And then I was sore.
Breakfast
2 over-easy eggs with homemade bacon and guac (store-bought), then a clementine & some berries at work
Friday’s are tough as it’s Pod Breakfast Day at work and it’s typically a sea of bagels, muffins, and donuts. Thankfully, I made breakfast at home and found some fruit to snack on once I got at work.
Lunch
Watercress and Fig Salad from Cocobeet, Kale Chips from Cocobeet
I love Cocobeet!! They are $$$ but the quality of their juices and food is so damn good. I miss going for their breakfast bowls when I wanted to treat myself to a healthy, hearty breakfast. (I miss you quinoa!!) And their Chia Pudding is the best. THE BEST.
But I found a few things that are whole30 complaint. I grabbed one of their salads and boxes of kale chips. It was my first time trying kale chips & nutritional yeast- so good!
Dinner
Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausage with roasted broccoli, served with mustard
I was tempted to make a meat and mushroom sauce over butternut squash noodles but I was burned out. So it was a simple dinner kind of night. I cut up 2 crowns of broccoli and tossed them with some olive oil, garlic, and salt & pepper on a baking sheet. I tossed it under the broiler. After a few minutes I added the sausage links that I sliced up on a diagonal. A few minutes later it was all done. Divide up and drizzle with mustard. Done!
Saturday, April 11th 2015
I spent a good chunk of the day at work catching up on things there while Price and Autumn ran lots of errands. They even planted flowers. So cute. It was a good day, not much to say…
Breakfast
Eggs with potatoes and bacon
When I was growing up my dad would make ‘potatoes and eggs’ on the weekends. I loved it. I like my do my potatoes the same way but slicing them on a mandoline and putting them in a skillet to ‘fry’ up. I only used about a tablespoon of oil on the whole batch of potatoes- not too bad! It just another way of making home fries.
‘Lunch ‘
Kale Chips & some pistachios
I finished off the kale chips while I was at work for the afternoon. I wasn’t really hungry from the big breakfast.
Dinner
Meaty mushroom sauce on butternut squash noodles
Our butternut squash was a dud! It was soft in the middle (like seeds in the long part, weird) so we had to chop it up to spiralize it. It made our noodles tiny and annoying, but dinner was good overall.
Dessert
Cocoa packed chia pudding (chia, compliant coconut milk, cocoa powder)
I wanted to try something new so I made this chia pudding quickly on Friday night. It was a big dud as the cocoa made it pretty bitter and thickened it up too much. Blah. Live and learn.
Sunday, April 12th 2015
The weekends are so hard for me to stick to Whole30. I just want to make waffles to enjoy and to get food while out running errands. Or get take out. I’m starting to feel less committed to this Whole30, as compared to the first one, and Price feels the same way. We will stick it out to accomplish it but my heart isn’t into it like the first one. Hoping that feeling changes soon.
Breakfast
Eggs with potatoes and bacon
I’m getting tired of eggs.
Lunch
Cashew Cookie Lara Bar (1pm) & salad (3pm) made with mixed greens, romaine, sprouts, tomatoes, cucumber, and almonds with a homemade ranch dressing
I grabbed the Lara Bar while I was shopping at Trader Joe’s. I was so hungry after our busy morning together shopping so I inhaled it in the car. It tasted like it was was best food on earth. ha!!
Once we got back home and I got Autumn down for a nap I made Price and I salad that we enjoyed sitting on the back porch. I can’t wait to get our patio table up to use!
Dinner
Chicken (Organic, free range) with roasted tiny potatoes and broccolini (8.30pm)
Dinner was awesome. I loved the tiny potatos and broccolini. I’m already thinking about my next Trader Joe’s trip and when I can get more.
I’ve been having a FB msging convo with Rachel about quality of chicken. While we would love to buy organic free range chicken (and other meats) for our families we’re running into a budget problem. It’s so easy to grab store brand chicken at $2.49 a pound compared to $6.99 a pound (like what I bought a trader joe’s). So we have been talking quality in terms of taste and processing. I did notice that I really enjoyed some air chilled chicken that I recently bought. I need to remember the brand and where I got it (Market Basket?) to get it again, and check and see if it was organic or not and how much it was a pound.
Dessert
Chia pudding (complaint coconut milk, cocoa powder) with a sprinkling of unsweetened shredded coconut
I was so excited about the unsweetened shredded coconut that I picked up from Trader Joe’s. The chia pudding was still blah, but the coconut was a nice add to it to jazz it up.
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What are your favorite Whole30 recipes? Please share!
Are you considering doing Whole30? Give it a try!
I am documenting my second Whole 30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come from my first Whole30 (Feb 2015) to this one (April 2015). Plus, I don’t want to fall into any food ruts. Hopefully this will keep me inspired through the whole process. I’m looking forward to the transformation in how I approach food, cook with it, and enjoy it. Check out all my Whole30 related posts HERE from why I did my first Whole30, why I am doing this one, and food diaries.
Wednesday, April 1st, 2015
Here we go again!!
Like last time, the first day didn’t seem like it was such a hardship and I still felt normal. I’m awaiting my slump coming up in a few days. But the first day went perfectly. It felt great to start again.
Breakfast
Spinach and Mushroom Crustless Quiche and Homemade Bacon
I couldn’t resist making bacon to kick off this Whole30. And damn, was it good!! It was filling after I ate it and kept me satisfied for a long time. Of course,
Lunch
Simple salad with a sauteed pork cutlet. A Fruit bar
The greens for the salad were from a bag from Trader Joe’s, but it had butter lettuce in there that was really nice. I threw the salad together quickly so I forgot to put cucumber in, Bummer! But I took the time to make pork cutlets. We shared 1 large chop for our salads.
I then had the apple and strawberry Fruit Bar. yum!
Dinner
Beef with roasted fennel, onion, and tomatoes
I had to go back to work to get some stuff done so I focused on making a quick dinner. I did the roasted veggies as they are pretty easy to prep and taste really good. The beef was just reheated from a bag I got from Costco when I went shopping on Sunday. I love that as it’s a quick complaint option for busy lunches or dinners.
Late Night Snack
Since I was awake and (mentally) active later that normal I had some nuts as a snack. I had about 20. I love pistachios!
Thursday, April 2nd, 2015
Today felt good. It felt good that I was already 1 day into Whole30. I like mentally crossing them off the calendar. Getting through each day is a great accomplishment.
Breakfast
Spinach and Mushroom Crustless Quiche with Roasted Veggies
I ate this at work and it worked out well. I really like to eat breakfast there. Anyway, more quiche with leftover veggies from the dinner before. Really good!
Lunch
Salad with a hard boiled egg, roast beef, & guacamole
It was a big salad. I think all salads should be big salads. It was nice and filling from the volume of it and protein in it. I used up the leftover beef from the prior dinner. I heated it up since cold meat on a salad gives me the willies. I love fresh avocado on a salad but I didn’t have any at home so I used a 100-calorie cup of Wholly Guacamole. So good! I don’t like the yolk in a hard boiled eggs so I only eat the white park.
Dinner
Sauteed fish (seasoned with Adobo) with garlicky asparagus and tomatoes
The fish was from a Trader Joe’s. I don’t remember the kind, but it’s from a blue bag. It’s light in texture, and thin, allowing it to cook quickly, which is great for our busy schedule. I peeled the asparagus and then put it in with the fish so it was a 1 pan dinner! I added the tomatoes just a few minutes before the fish was done to heat up enough to just burst.
Friday, April 3rd, 2015
Today was the toughest so far, and it honestly wasn’t that bad. I wasn’t really craving anything but I was hungry. Very hungry.
Breakfast
Spinach and Mushroom Crustless Quiche with slices of Homemade Bacon, Smothered in Frank’s Red Hot
We finished up our quiche by having a slice each. And I made the rest of the bacon too (divided up between breakfast and lunch). The morning was rushed so I basically ate my bacon while showering- no joke. ha!
I honestly think I couldn’t survive Whole30 (or life!) without Frank’s Red Hot. I buy it in bulk from Costcos!
Lunch
Salad with homemade bacon and hard boiled egg white, a clementine, and mini Cashew Cookie Laura Bar (not pictured)
This was a damn good salad. Good flavors and textures. I loved the crunch from the bacon (leftover from what I made in the morning) and the softness from the egg white. Dressing was quickly thrown together with a complaint herb seasoning packet. It was pretty good! And I had a 100 calorie Cashew Cookie Laura bar. It got me over the hump that I was feeling about 45 minutes after eating lunch.
I focused on staying hydrated at work so I had a black coffee, water, and iced tea. Staying hydrated just helps me feel good, but helps with hunger too!
Dinner
Thick cut pork chops (cutlets?) with roasted veggies, served with whole grain mustard
I don’t know the difference from pork chops and cutlets. I should look into that. Anyway, these were really thick – about an inch! – boneless chops/cutlets. I seasoned the pork with Adobo and used the leftover bacon fat from the bacon I made in the morning to cook these bad boys. They were super thick so they took awhile, but I multi-tasked well and talked to my dad (feel better from your eye surgery!)The flavor from the bacon fat was so good!!
For the veggies I cut up fennel, onion, and kale sprouts. I got the Kale Sprouts from Trader Joe’s. It was the first time I had them so it was fun to try something new. Rounded out a really good dinner.
Late Night Snack
I was busy working on my laptop from having to leave early to get Autumn and I was crashing around 9.30pm (2 hours after eating dinner) so I had a heaping spoonful of crunchy almond butter. I started to feel better about 10 minutes later and go through my work stuff!
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What are your favorite Whole30 recipes? Please share!
Are you considering doing Whole30? Give it a try!
I am documenting my Whole 30 journey to help me see how far I’ve come and to keep me inspired through the whole process. I’m looking forward to the transformation in how I approach food, cook with it, and enjoy it. Read why taking on this challenging dietary adventure is so important to me HERE.
Sunday, March 1st
It was a good/bad food day. Good in that it was Whole30 foods, but bad in timing of eating. I grazed most of the morning and early afternoon picking at a recipe I was trying to develop for the blog. At least dinner was awesome.
Brunch
(Failed) sweet potato waffles with a berry sauce (no sugar!)
I was trying to make my waffled hashbrowns but with sweet potatoes and it just didn’t work out well so we ate the waffles that sorta survived.
Dinner
Salad with steak, with a homemade mayo based ‘ranch-y’ dressing, topped off with salsa and guac (Holy Guacamole)
This was so good, and not just because it was delicious, but because we all sat down to dinner together. It’s pretty rare for us to eat with Autumn as she eats so early (5.30) but we get out act together today and had an early dinner together. So nice. I really need to put that effort in on the weekends. Plus, she loved the steak. kept asking for more and more, as well as humus. Adorable!
Monday, March 2nd
In the home stretch! I felt good all day and then crashed and had a banana at night as a snack/dessert. It was really good then but annoyed with myself later. I need to get better about fighting urges like that. Blah.
Breakfast
Eggs over a potato hash with salsa and guac
I overcooked my eggs and was pissed so I made myself new eggs. Annoyed to waste food, but I should at least be able to enjoy the eggs I am eating, no?!?!?
Lunch
Salad (romaine, carrots, tomatoes) with some yummy leftover steak, with EVOO & vinegar dressing. Almonds.
Awesome salad. I got the almond from a job walk through. They were giving them out to promote heart health instead of junky snacks. Love that.
Dinner
Leftover Roasted Chicken with potatoes and green beans
We finished up the chicken from the Mayo Crusted Roasted Chicken that I made on Saturday night. It was basic but quick and it works some nights just to get dinner out of the way.
Dessert
Banana with some almond butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon
Super hungry. I shouldn’t have given in but I’m all over the place with being hungry/not. In a moment of weakness I grabbed the banana. Kinda pissed about it but I have been weird/blah/whatever since getting my period post-baby & post-breastfeeding. My body is just freaking out some days. AHHH!!!
Tuesday, March 3rd
It’s our last day!!! Kinda exciting, kinda bittersweet. I know I can extend it but I need to take a break from it to test things out and just have a damn cookie. It was a crazy busy day but a good one.
Breakfast
Egg scramble with mushrooms, topped off with salsa and guac
I’m tired of eggs, I don’t care anymore. I am very thankfully for picking up the organic salsa from Costco though.
Lunch
Mixed greens salad with berries and prosciutto, EVOO & vinegar dressing
This has to be my favorite salad, at least currently. I freaking love the berries in the greens. Nice mix with the salty prosciutto
Snack
Cherry Pie Lara Bar
Lunch was great but it left me hungry. I need to up the protein in my salads.
Dinner
Chicken skewers with mixed veggies (peppers & mushrooms) in a sunbutter sauce
Price made this as I was at a planning board meeting (my first one!!) so he made dinner for us. He was bummed he didn’t make a dipping sauce for the chicken but I was starving after the meeting and going to Trader Joe’s (for Autumn’s goat milk). It was really good. I can’t wait for all the snow around our grill to thaw and for Price to start grilling again!
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I’m so proud of us for doing Whole30 and that we did it together. I know that this experience has taught us both about our eating and drinking habits. It’s been very eye-opening. I’ve noticed changes throughout the process about cravings,
I’ll do a follow-up with our lives post Whole30 soon!
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