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Beach Break Cafe Review

June 25, 2011

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve been back home from my extended weekend trip to California, and I’m still thinking about Beach Break Cafe!  On our way to take me to the airport, we stopped in for a late breakfast/early lunch and we can’t believe it took us so long to eat there!

We happened to be at Beach Break Cafe on the last day of school, and this was apparently THE go-to spot for happy high schoolers who were eager to celebrate their freedom with an awesome California-style meal.  HayHay saw oodles of kids he knew.  We had to wait for a table for 15 or 20 minutes, but it was well worth the wait.

Even before our food came, we were loving the cafe.  The service was friendly and efficient.  The decor and vibe was very beachy-cool, and fun.  We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the fresh air and people watching.  This is our kind of place!  You can keep your fancy fah-fah-fah restaurants.  Give us a laid back hole in the wall cafe and we’re happy girls!

Being vegan 99% of the time, my food choices were somewhat limited as usual, but I did have options.  Take a look at the menu.  I was dying to try the legendary crispy hashbrowns, so that’s what I had, along with sliced tomatoes, biscuits and coffee. There was no way I was going to be virtuous with oatmeal or fresh fruit on this trip!  I wish I’d gotten the fresh-squeezed tangerine juice that LilSis tried.  It was pure California gold in a glass!  Beach Break also offers fresh-squeezed grapefruit and orange juice.

Here’s LilSis’ meal before she tore into it.  Check out those crispy golden hashbrowns!

Beach Break LilSis

LilSis' plate at Beach Break Cafe

Check out HayHay’s plate.  You can’t even see the 2 ginormous slabs of sourdough toast on the side!

Beach Break Chicken Fried Steak

Beach Break Chicken Fried Steak

You see that hand on the right of the photo?  It belongs to a 17 year old surfer and it’s holding a fork.  You know what that means? It means in 10 minutes flat you have this situation:

Beach Break Empty Plate

Beach Break plate after HayHay attack!

I guess he was too full or the garnish would have been history too!

We’ll definitely make breakfast at the Beach Break Cafe a regular stop when I’m visiting.  The whole fam damily is hearding out to Californie later this summer after my new great nephew is born, so Beach Break better get ready!  We’ll need lots of those delicious hashbrowns!

 

~BigSis

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Low fat fruity breakfast muffins

March 12, 2010

You know the old saying, “looks can be deceiving”?



This muffin almost looks tasty, doesn’t it?

In the close up, you can see all the yummy fruit. These were loaded with carrots, zucchini, raisins, and even some canned pumpkin with some coconut on top.

But these glompy, globs of fruit didn’t turn out quite the way I had planned.  They look more like a preschooler’s art project gone wrong! I decided to suck it up and show this photo. Aren’t they horrid?

Yesterday I was disappointed and pissed off, but today I just think it’s pretty funny. I wasted about two hours yesterday morning making these and cleaning up. I did try one and I’m not saying that they are inedible, but I won’t eat another one. Way, way too heavy and glompy, or as HayHay called them; groddy! (I don’t even think that’s a real word but it did describe them pretty well.) Each muffin weighed about the same as a hockey puck.

Hmmm. That just gave me an idea. I could probably let the kids down the street use these as hockey pucks. I haven’t thrown them out yet but I know that no one in this house is going to eat them! Not even HayHay, my 16 yr old garbage disposal. :-)

I was trying so hard to come up with a really healthy breakfast muffin that I got a little overzealous and made too many changes. I could ramble on and on about what I did wrong, what I shouldn’t have substituted, and what I would do if I ever tried this recipe again, but it would just be a waste of time. I’m not going to try them again.

There are several reasons why I’m not a good baker and why I don’t enjoy baking BUT I’ve finally narrowed it down to only one reason.

  • I don’t like to follow any recipe to the tee.
  • Never.
  • Ever.

That’s my problem and I can’t really ever see myself changing. I can’t do it. I love the creative part of cooking and not the precise measuring and science that is a requirement to be a good baker.

When I cook, if a recipe calls for one garlic clove, I’ll use three. Or if it calls for an onion, I’ll use shallots instead. Or maybe I’ll throw in capers or artichokes in a recipe just for a little something extra. Whatever. You just don’t have that freedom with baking unless you REALLY know what you’re doing.

I know that there are very experienced bakers out there that know exactly how to adapt a baking recipe. Some of my favorite blogs are written by some amazing bakers and I totally enjoy reading them and am always amazed at the talent it takes to be a good baker. I admire those of you that know “your stuff”! I really think you’ve either got it or you don’t. And, I don’t.

I’m not saying that I’m giving up forever, but I’m going to put myself out on a limb and say that, for now, I’m leaving the baking up to BigSis. And, I wish that someday we could get SisMama to do a guest post here on BigSisLilSis. Our Mom is an amazing baker and can whip up a cake, cookies or pie from scratch without even thinking twice or looking at a recipe. BigSis got lucky and got the baking gene from SisMama, not me.

Anybody know of a great healthy breakfast muffin that I can buy at the store? :-)

~LilSis

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How to Make Dairy-Free Almond Milk

September 17, 2009

I can’t start my day without my morning fruit smoothie.  I’ve never been a milk drinker because of the lactose, and I’m not a fan of soy milk.  That leaves a bunch of great nut milks to choose my smoothie base from, and my favorite is Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla.  I add a splash of juice to it, plus frozen berries, vitamin powder, coconut oil and flax seeds.  Whiz it all up in my pink Kitchenaid blender, and away I go to work with all kinds of nutrients zipping around in my bloodstream.

So, I go through a lot of almond milk, and it’s not terribly expensive but if I make it at home, I can choose  the ingredients that go into it and save a little money too.  How difficult is it?  Not difficult at all, in fact, it’s pretty darn easy:

  1. Buy raw almonds from the bulk section of your local store.
  2. Soak a cup of them in water for 8 hours, or less if you don’t have that long. I think the milk is creamier with longer soaking.
  3. Rinse and drain the soaked almonds.
  4. Blend them with 4 cups of water.
  5. Drain the pulp out.  I use a couple of coffee filters in a strainer over a tall bowl.
  6. Add flavorings and sweetener as desired:  vanilla extract, cinnamon, maple syrup, agave nectar, honey, or anything else.
  7. Chill and enjoy within 3 or 4 days.

Voila!  That’s all there is to it!  You could use macadamia nuts or cashews instead of almonds.  I don’t know if you could use pecans or walnuts successfully, but it’s an intriguing idea.  I like to add the flavorings after I strain the pulp out so that I can use the pulp in a savory way if I choose.  Adding lemon, olive oil, garlic, salt and dill to it makes an awesome spread for crackers.

Remember this milk is dairy-free, but it’s not just for vegans.  It’s great for anyone who is allergic to milk or lactose-intolerant, or who just wants a healthy tasty beverage.

If you’d like to see photos of the process or learn more, go check out Gina’s awesome blog at Choosing Raw.  That’s where I learned to do it, and I’m glad I did!

~BigSis

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Healthy Breakfast Choices

September 10, 2009

Now that Labor Day has come and gone, all the kiddos are back in school and moms across the country are breathing a big sigh of relief. Am I right? :-)

Our son started back on August 27th, so he’s been back for a couple of weeks now but we’re still trying to get used to the morning routine again. It’s not like we ever got to sleep in much during the Summer because he always wanted to be at the beach surfing before 7:00. He’s definitely not as excited about getting up for school as he was when he was waking up to go surfing, so our mornings are a little challenging right now.

I’m a HUGE breakfast person and have pretty much drilled into my kids’ heads that it IS the most important meal of the day and NO MATTER WHAT, they don’t leave the house without eating breakfast. (I’ve been known to go running out the door after them with a banana in hand if they ever manage to escape without eating breakfast.)

During the week, I keep our breakfasts pretty fast and easy. I’ll make either a fruit salad, a wheat English muffin with peanut butter and banana, a egg bagel sandwich, a bowl of oatmeal, yogurt and fruit, or maybe a bowl of cheerios.

We’re so lucky to live within walking distance to the high school so during the week, we always have breakfast at home. But, sometimes on the weekend, we drive through somewhere quick and easy for breakfast, while out and about. It’s definitely hard to make good choices at most fast food places, but I’ve been on the lookout for some better choices and have found a couple that I really like.

My favorite so far is the Starbucks Egg White, Spinach, and Feta Wrap. It was full of flavor, thanks to the spinach, the feta, and the tomatoes and was actually so filling that I didn’t finish the other half. It’s a little high in sodium for me to treat myself to one very often, but in a pinch, this is a great choice.

Starbucks egg white wrap

PER SERVING (1 wrap): 280 calories, 9g fat, 1,140mg sodium, 35g carbs, 8g fiber, 4g sugars, 19g protein

And another great option from Starbucks is their Perfect Oatmeal. You have a choice of three add-ins: a package of brown sugar for 50 calories, mixed nuts for 100 calories, or dried fruit for 100 calories. I choose the mixed nuts but just used half the package. This was really good and very easy if you’re in a hurry.

Perfect Oatmeal

PER SERVING (1 container, nothing added): 140 calories, 2.5g fat, 105mg sodium, 25g carbs, 4g fiber, 0g sugars, 5g protein

Dunkin Donuts is supposed to have a good Egg White Veggie Flatbread, but since we don’t have Dunkin Donuts around here, I won’t be trying one of these until we go back to Chicago. (They love their Dunkin Donuts in Chicago!)

Dunkin Donuts Egg White Veggie Flatbread

Dunkin Donuts Egg White Veggie Flatbread

PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 290 calories, 9g fat, 680mg sodium, 39g carbs, 3g fiber, 4g sugars, 11g protein

This might not be quick and easy to grab before school or work, but I just heard about the IHOP Spinach, Mushroom, and Tomato Omelette from the IHOP For Me Menu. HayHay is always wanting me to take him to IHOP for the Grand Slam, so I’m happy to hear that they have a healthy choice for me.

This is made with a fat-free egg substitute and is stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, onions, and swiss cheese. I’d have to take the onions off but this sounds really good! We’ll try this some weekend when we have a little more time.

IHOP Spinach, Mushroom, and Tomato Omelette

IHOP Spinach, Mushroom, and Tomato Omelette

PER SERVING (1 order): 330 calories, 7g fat, 660mg sodium, 37g carbs, fiber n.a., sugars n.a., 30g protein

I hope you can make time to start your day off right and have a healthy breakfast; whether at home or on the go! At least now, if you’re in a hurry, it’s easier than it used to be to find something that’s at least halfway healthy.

~LilSis

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Potato Ho Down: Breakfast Potato Pancake

June 15, 2009

This past week, we had a big fresh fruit salad every morning. If you’ve been reading, you’ll remember that I talked about SirHoney’s doctor wanting him to go on the Dash Diet Eating Plan to try to lower his blood pressure. So, I’ve been buying a ton more fruit and making a variety of fruit salads every day.

I decided since we’ve been good all week, it wouldn’t hurt to have a little treat for Sunday morning breakfast. So, I started with a traditional Potato Pancake recipe and tweaked it a little. This is what I came up with.

breakfast-potato

Potato Ho Frosty Gay’s Breakfast Potato Pancake
(adapted from Williams Sonoma Everyday Roasting)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil
5 large russet potatoes
12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c. grated cheese (I used a light 3 cheese blend from Trader Joe’s)
coarse salt to taste
ground pepper to taste
small bunch chives, cleaned and snipped
sour cream, optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Oil a ceramic quiche dish with a teaspoon of the olive oil. Grate potatoes into a bowl, working as quickly as possible to prevent them from turning brown. (You can put the grated potatoes in a bowl of cold water while grating the rest, but be sure to dry really well.) Transfer half of the shredded potatoes to the prepared dish. Sprinkle with some of the coarse salt, a few grindings of pepper, a few drizzles of olive oil, half the bacon and half of the cheese. Put the remaining potatoes in dish and repeat the salt, pepper, olive oil, bacon and cheese.

Roast until potatoes are dark brown and crisp on top yet soft inside, 50-55 minutes. If the potatoes begin to brown too quickly, as mine did, reduce oven to 350 degrees.

Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes, sprinkle with chives, then cut into wedges. Serve immediately. I couldn’t resist adding a big dollop of sour cream to the top!

I’m submitting this recipe to this month’s Potato Ho Down.

potato-hoYou can check out the full roundup of this month’s Potato Ho Down hosted by Krysta at Evil Chef Mom on Wednesday, June 17th.

~LilSis

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blOg yOur Omelet

May 18, 2009

blogyouromelet_small

I recently entered my Garden Omelete recipe in this blOg yOur Omelet event.  If you like omelets as much as I do, be sure to check out the final roundup today on Spanish Recipes. With a total of 33 entries, there’s an amazing variety of omelets, frittatas, and quiches in this roundup.

I’ve loved omelets for as long as I can remember. When eating out for breakfast or brunch, I almost always order an omelet.

On my little R&R getaway this weekend, I ordered a very simple bacon and cheddar cheese omelet from the restaurant at the club house. Normally, I like some veggies thrown in there, but since I was in vacation mode, I guess I didn’t want to think too much about it and the first thing that came to mind was bacon and cheese! It was perfect.

For Mothers Day last Sunday, BigT, HayHay and I went to the local spot at the Harbor for a full blown all you can eat Sunday brunch. BigT was being good, so he only got a small plate. HayHay, on the other hand, managed to consume three gigantic plates of everything from ham, roast beef, eggs benedict, sausage, bacon, potatoes, pancakes, biscuits, waffles, and chicken. He even ate something on his plate that BigT asked him what it was and he didn’t even know. It turns out that it was some sort of fish. (Ahhh! To be 15 again!)

I, of course, ordered an omelet. I ordered a bacon, mushroom, spinach, tomato, and cheese omelet and I was a happy little camper. I’m pretty easy to please. If someone else is doing the cooking and cleaning, it’s all good!

All this talk about omelets is making me want one! I wish I could twinkle my nose and have a nice garden omelet appear in front of me right now! :-)

~LilSis

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Garden Omelet

April 30, 2009

One of my favorite spots for Sunday Brunch used to be Charlie’s by the Sea.  It was one of the most beautiful spots right on the sandy beach in Cardiff. We used to go there quite often. We would let HayHay surf right out in front where we could watch him while we leisurely enjoyed our brunch on the patio. And, we always took our out of town guests there. Unfortunately, they closed their doors last year. I haven’t found another spot like it since.

One of my favorite things to order from their Brunch menu was their Garden Omelet. I was really craving one this past Sunday, so I decided to make one for myself. Since the guys were golfing,  I actually got to make something for just me, myself, and I!

I must admit that it turned out pretty darn good. It was very similar to the one that they used to serve at Charlie’s by the Sea, except I think I used more veggies!

omelete-closeup1

Since I used three eggs, I cut the omelet in half and hid the other half in the fridge for my breakfast the next day. (At my house, if you want to guarantee that your leftovers are still around the next day, you have to hide them.)

Here’s what the yummy inside looked like as I dug into it.

omelete41

The quantities of  the ingredients in this omelet are approximate. You could add more or less of any of these ingredients or substitute any one of them for your own favorite veggie! (That’s why I’m better at cooking than I am at baking. I really do NOT enjoy having to measure every ingredient and I have no clue when you can and can’t substitute in baking.)

Garden Omelet

1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 c. asparagus, cut into pieces
1/2 c. baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c. fresh spinach, torn into pieces
1/4 c. petite diced tomatoes
3 large eggs, beaten (I put a dash of Frank’s Red Hot in the eggs)
1/4 c. shredded cheese (I used Sargentos 4 Cheese Mexican)
salt and pepper, to taste
a few snips of chives
Frank’s Red Hot, to taste

I start off my omelet like a frittata because I like my veggies all mixed into the eggs, not just tucked inside the omelet. Begin by sauteing the asparagus tips and the mushrooms in the olive oil for about 5 minutes or until the asparagus softens a little. Then toss in the spinach until it wilts. Next, add the tomatoes and stir just until blended in with other veggies. Now, pour the eggs over all the veggies. Cook until the egg sets well enough to flip the omelet. Once flipped, I sprinkle on the cheese and fold over. Sometimes, I might flip it again, if I want to brown both sides a little.  Slide onto a plate, add a dash of salt, pepper, a few snips of chives and top off with some Frank’s Red Hot, to taste.

I hope you enjoy this omelet recipe or your own version of it.  I change mine up almost every time I make one. I think I enjoy making them so much because they are quick, easy, and can be pretty healthy as long as you don’t load them up with massive quantities of bacon and cheese. (which I also love, by the way.)

I’m also entering this recipe in the BlOg yOur Omelete event.

blogyouromelet_small

You can read more about this fun blog event here on Spanish Recipes. Nuria from Spanish Recipes will be accepting omelet recipes until May 15th so it’s not too late to get your recipe entered! The full roundup will be published on May 18th.

~LilSis

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Spinach & Ham Frittata

March 3, 2009

Hot off the Skillet

Hot off the Skillet!

I absolutely love breakfast!  During the week, we all have pretty quick breakfasts, but on the weekend, I like to make something a little more special. A great omelet is probably one of my favorite breakfasts.

On Sunday, I decided to make a Frittata, an Italian omelet, for a change. I really wanted to make one with asparagus, but I had spinach on hand, so I used that instead. I started with a basic Frittata recipe from Bon Appetit, but I changed it up a little to suit my taste. I really liked the addition of the Rotel diced tomatoes. And, next time, I’ll add mushrooms and maybe some crispy bacon! Overall, I was pretty happy with the way this Frittata turned out.

HayHay couldn’t wait for it to cool a little, so this is what it looked like after I cut a slice for him.  Ahhhh! Have I mentioned that I LOVE cheese?

Can you tell I like cheese?

And here’s a perfect little slice.  I managed to get a teeny tiny piece while it was warm. I actually wanted a second little piece, but when I returned to the kitchen, the entire thing had disappeared. So, it was definitely a hit with the guys!

frittata-slice2-1

Spinach & Ham Frittata

3 T Olive Oil
1 garlic clove, minced
10 oz. package frozen spinach
4-5 oz. ham, diced
7 eggs
3 or 4 teaspoons Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilis, drained
ground pepper to taste
5 or 6 oz grated cheese (I used Trader Joe’s Shredded Three Cheese combo of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Mozzarella)

Heat oil in heavy medium nonstick skillet over low heat. Add minced garlic and saute about a minute or two. Mix in spinach and diced ham. Add the Rotel tomatoes and chilis on top of the spinach mixture. Whisk eggs, add ground pepper, and pour over spinach mixture. Cover skillet and cook until eggs are almost set, around 8 minutes. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle frittata with the cheese and place under broiler until cheese melts and bubbles, just about a minute or two.  Serve warm.

~LilSis

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Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day

January 19, 2009

Thanks for the info about the MAC free shipping offer, BigSis! I probably shouldn’t order anything this time since I just paid a visit to the MAC counter. (That’s going to be a real test of willpower.)

Back to your question about breakfast. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and has been for as long as I can remember.  I’ve never been crazy about pancakes, donuts, or french toast type breakfasts. BUT, if calories and fat grams were not a factor in choosing my favorite breakfast, I’d have to say that it would be something like the huge bacon and cheddar cheese omelet served with crispy shredded hash browns like I got at the restaurant in Vegas on your birthday! (I’m purposely not naming the restaurant since we won’t be returning to that hotel.)

Unfortunately, my favorite spot for Sunday Brunch down on the beach in Cardiff had to close it’s doors last year. My favorite thing on their menu was a Garden Omelet. It had spinach, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, and just a little provolone cheese in it! That was such a perfect omelet!

So, those are a couple of my favorite breakfasts. Honestly, if I could, I would probably eat a big fat Sausage Egg McMuffin and hash browns from McDonald’s every day, but since we are trying to eat healthy, I don’t indulge in those!

450 Calories and 26 grams of fat

450 Calories and 26 grams of fat

This may seem pretty boring, but I don’t ever get tired of it. During the week at around 6:00, I have either a bowl of nonfat vanilla yogurt with a sliced banana and berries or a bowl of McCann’s Irish Oatmeal, sprinkled with a little cinnamon.

berries-with-yogurt

That is followed by my only caffeine of the day, a Diet Rock Star. After a few hours of work and my exercise, I’ll usually take a break around 9:30 or 10:00 and have a one egg omelet cooked in just a tad of olive oil for second breakfast.

So, that’s it in a nutshell.  And you’re right about someone cooking breakfast for you! I love that! It doesn’t happen too often around here, but when it does, I definitely enjoy it!

Is anyone already bored with trying to plan a weekly menu of healthy recipes? I know I am. I am trying to change things up a bit and surprise my family with something that they don’t have every week or so. Tomorrow, I’m going to share some of my favorite cookbooks that I like to peruse for healthy recipes.

~LilSis

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Breakfast of Champions

January 18, 2009

Whether you call it a resolution or a goal or whatever, I know that many of us – most of us – are trying to eat better this New Year. I certainly am trying to. I wonder how you’re all doing so far now that we’re a little over 2 weeks into January?

For me, the first step toward a healthful day of eating is a great breakfast followed by a second great breakfast! First breakfast on weekdays is always a 6 am smoothie made with vitamin powder, ground flax seed, unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, a splash of juice (orange or cranberry usually), and frozen blueberries and strawberries. That’s it. I whip it up in my new pink KitchenAid blender and I’m set for 3 hours.

Second breakfast is around 9 or 9:30 and is a serving of McCann’s Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal nuked in the office microwave. I do splurge and put a pat of real butter (gasp) on it. I heard from our Aunt C that her daughter-in-law puts a drizzle of olive oil on her oatmeal, so I tried it today, and it wasn’t bad!  It needed a dash of salt, but I think I could get used to it.   Weekend breakfasts may have a little more variety since the time crunch isn’t in turbo mode. I might skip the smoothie and have a banana, and then later have a couple of scrambled eggs on wheat toast. No matter what though, I never skip breakfast.

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I totally believe that to be true. Without a breakfast of some kind to get your body going and rev up your metabolism, you start the day out sluggish and droopy. It’s been shown that kids who eat breakfast do better in school and tend to be healthier overall. And did you know that eating breakfast will actually help you lose weight? We might think that skipping a meal saves those calories and that we’re ahead of the game, but that isn’t only untrue, it has just the opposite effect. Want more info? Check out this WebMD article on losing weight by eating breakfast.

I hear all of you out there saying “I’m not hungry in the morning so I’ve never been able to eat breakfast.”  I found some interesting info on WikiHow that will tell you how to change that, and show you how to feel like eating breakfast.  Just because you haven’t been a breakfast eater in the past doesn’t mean that you can’t become one!  Maybe the solution is something as simple as changing what you perceive breakfast food to be.  You don’t have to eat cereal or eggs; anything that you enjoy for dinner or lunch can become breakfast.  I went to RecipeZaar and searched for breakfast, and found 1970 recipes!  There has to be *something* there that you would enjoy eating in the morning!

Vegetarian Big Breakfast (Flickr photo by Ellesil)

Vegetarian Big Breakfast (Flickr photo by Ellesil)

LilSis, I know that love of breakfast is something that you and I share, along with Big T!  I still remember that great breakfast he made for me and SisMama and all of you when we were visiting last June…biscuits, roasted potatoes, fruit salad, and eggs with mushrooms and asparagus!  There’s something really awesome about someone making you breakfast, don’t you think?  What’s your favorite breakfast, LilSis?

~BigSis

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Meet BigSis & LilSis

We’re sisters and we love to talk. What do we like to talk about? Plenty!
Read more about us…