Jazz Fest in Murfreesboro

One of my favorite local events is Jazz Fest. The Murfreesboro square, a historic area that was once the capital of Tennesee, is filled with the sounds of America's most significant contribution to the world of music: jazz. Bands from near and far take turns on multiple stages while vendors sell deep fried, chocolate covered, fresh squeezed fair food.

I love the music; I spend the whole festival alternating between tapping feet and swaying hips. I love a wailing sax, a loud guitar, and a drum solo so hot it melts my face off.  But I would be lying if I said that I wasn't just as excited about the food. When I think about Jazz Fest, two words pop into my head. Funnel. Cake. Deep fried, golden brown, lighter than air cake batter served on a paper plate with a thick dust of powdered sugar covering the top. Yes.

Here are a few glimpses of Jazz Fest Fun

The courthouse surrounded by stages on the east and west, vendors and inflatables on the north and south. Before there was a building here, the center of the square was used (by Andrew Jackson and his cronies) as a cock fighting pit. 

This is where we got our funnel cake...

We were very excited that the MexiVenn food truck was there. We purchased our lunch - tamales and horchata from our favorite Mexican/Venezuelan eatery. (BTW, the red thing on Stone's arm is because he donated blood at the Red Cross before Jazz Fest; what a great guy!)

The backstage of a local school show; Stone and Simon enjoying some music.

Alas....now I have to wait a whole year before enjoying more Jazz Fest fun.

Now, dear blog readers, I have a question for you. Generally, I post recipes with Weight Watchers Points Plus applied. I assume that most people are visiting my blog so see those recipes. So, when I write a post like this one about Jazzfest, or professing my love for big greasy burgers, or singing the praises of my favorite pizza joint, I wonder if they are incongruous when the rest of the site. I have been pondering whether it would be preferable to have two separate blogs: one for recipes and one for travel and restaurant reviews. The wisest people, of course, to help me make that decision are my readers. So...

Are posts like this interesting/relevant/good for this blog or should I take them somewhere else?

Stir Fried Broccoli - 1 point

I promised you this recipe a few days ago, when I did my resolution round up! Here it is....

Stone and I went out to eat at our favorite Chinese restaurant, Bo Bo Chinese, for Valentine's Day. This was thanks to his parents who slipped us some cash after finding out we had used our Valentine's money to take Simon out for reward pizza. (It is nice to be in love with someone who has lovely parents.)

While we were enjoying our meal, a couple walked in and asked the hostess, "Do ya'll have a buffet?"

"No," she replied, "We have a menu. Would you like to see it?"

"No thanks," said the man, "We really want a buffet." The couple turned and walked out. Stone and I looked at each other with eyebrows cocked.

I am not disparaging the buffet, but it was a bit of an eye opening moment. Stone and I used to go to buffets - whether it be pizza or Chinese or southern style food. We would load up plate after plate of food and leave feeling miserable. Now, I look back and wonder at the fat that I would consume in that one sitting. I have no problem with indulgence now and then, but this was a frequent occurrence.

My eating has changed so much - my whole lifestyle has changed. There is a part of me that misses the buffet - the multitude of dishes laid out for me so that I didn't have to make a choice about what I wanted. I could have it all. The bigger part of me is thankful that I am not doing that to myself anymore; I am healthier and happier.

Here is a lovely bowl of hot and sour soup that I enjoyed that day...

Here is a recipe for stir fried broccoli that will taste much better than the wilted stuff you would get off a buffet.

Stir Fry Broccoli
1 lb broccoli florets
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup onion, chopped

1. Combine soy sauce, water, and bouillon cubes. Set aside.
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add onions, saute until transparent.
3. Add broccoli and stir fry for three minutes.
4. Add sauce and reheat.
5. Yields 4, 1 point servings

Meanwhile, I am still enjoying smoothies.... Temporary crown goes on tomorrow!

Simple Fish with Tomatoes and Onion - 4 points, Date Night

First, a simple but delicious recipe for fish.

Simple Fish with Tomatoes and Onions
1 large onion, sliced
2 large tomatoes, sliced
4 fillets tilapia, 4 oz each
seasoning salt to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place onions in the bottom of a cast iron skillet or baking dish. Place in a 400F oven for ten minutes.
2. Layer tomato slices, salt, and pepper on top of onions. Return skillet to the oven for ten minutes.
3. Top tomatoes with fish fillets and seasoning salt. Place in the oven for a final bake of 10-15 minutes, until fish is cooked through.
4. Makes 4, 4 point servings

Now...for date night. Last night Stone and I had a night out. We took the short trip to downtown Nashville. Our plan was to go to a great little cafe for dinner, but they were inexplicably closed. So, we stopped by freshii instead. You won't see me talk about chain restaraunts often becuase I much prefer to patronize independent restaurants where the personality of the chef can truly shine. However, I do love freshii and their fab commitment to the environment. So, I will show you my bowl of delicious rice noodles, grilled tofu, chopped almonds, bean sprouts, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, and spicy lemon grass sauce:

Stone's wrap of romaine, Buffalo chicken, diced tomatoes, celery, carrots, jack and cheddar, and low fat ranch dressing:

And our frozen yogurt with granola and reeses pieces:

That is, by the way, the best frozen yogurt in the world. Super tangy, fat free, probiotic yogurt.

Then we hopped on over to the Ryman (former home of the Grand Ole Opry) to see Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith - a present from my parents.

Yup, that's all we did.

But, wait, you say to yourself. In the picture where Stone is holding his wrap, is that a ring on his left ring finger? Did they possibly also stop by the courthouse? Do their friends and family think that they are completely insane? Have they known each other for fourteen years and think that they know what they are doing? Are they over the moon happy in love? The answer to all of those questions is...yes.

Ahart's Pizza Garden

My favorite pizza and my favorite cheesecake can be found at the same wonderful restaurant - Ahart's Pizza Garden. While many of my old favorites are now big diet no-no's, I can still enjoy Ahart's without guilt. The pizzas are all made with thin crust, they have a plethora of veggie toppings to choose from, and the delectable cheesecake is sugar free! Yay for Ahart's!

Because Simon has been very good and has done all of his chores, Stone and I took him out for a special snow day lunch at Ahart's. He was so excited to get his very own pizza!

I was a bit naughty and got a pizza with a few more calories than I normally get. But, I have plenty of extra points and have been doing aerobics for at least 1/2 hour a day, so I do not feel guilty. Here is my choice, The Garden Pizza: spinach, artichoke hearts, avocado, red onions, green peppers, black olives (none for me), and ricotta cheese. Please forgive me for being out of focus, I was snapping quickly with my flipcam and attempting to avoid the attention of the other diners. Next time I will take my regular camera and not care who is watching.

 My pizza was made with their thin white crust, special tomato sauce (in which you can see actual herbs, unlike most chain places), mozzarella and provolone. The same basics were on Simon's pepperoni and cheese pizza.

Stone ordered Lisa's Favorite: extra sauce, green and red bell peppers, avocado, Cajun spices, grilled red onions, and grated Parmesan (no other cheese).

 For dessert, we chose the Oreo cheese cake. In Simon's words, "It was yummy! I no make a mess, I just eat it!"

MexiVen, JoZoara, and Dating!

So, I started my day with a lovely Hummus and Tomato Pizza for breakfast. I enjoyed the reception at church without overindulging (veggies and fruit only) and returned home to reward myself with a warm bowl of Chicken Paprikash accompanied by a savory, delicious Roasted Cauliflower. A full day of YUM.

Tonight was best friend night (per my New Year's Resolution to have a night out with best friend Stone once per month).  I had a bunch of points saved up for this night, as Stone had chosen two of our favorite noshing locations for the evening.

First, we started at MexiVen, a fabulous restaurant run by a couple who are from Mexico (him) and Venezuela (her).  This hole in the wall eatery serves some of my favorite foods, like papusas, tortas, and fish tacos.  They also make fresh, fruity drinks that taste like tropical island getaways.

Stone ordered a grilled chicken torta, a fish taco, and a glass of horchata. Here is his plate:

My plate looked almost identical, since I ordered a grilled beef torta, a fish taco, and a glass of mango juice. (I got a ground beef torta, but that is my fault because I would insist on trying to order in Spanish even though my Spanish sucks.)

After we finished this completely amazing meal, we moved on to dessert at JoZoara, a funky coffee shop that sells handmade crafts, free trade coffee, pastries, and delicious lunches.  We split a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll because A) we ate a lot of food at MexiVen and B) I am a teacher and he is a librarian, so we are not rolling in cash.

It was over this warm, icing drenched pastry and bold cup of joe that we decided we are done with being friends. We have decided to date:)

Julia's Homestyle Bakery

Here is something I love about Weight Watchers: I can still eat cake! Now, I completely agree from a nutritional standpoint that the majority of my points need to go to lean meats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. I also agree that my extra points are best used for high point healthy fats like avocado and almonds. At the same time, I have been on diets that never, ever allowed me to splurge. I was miserable and grouchy and the diets didn't last. Weight Watchers is a lifestyle, and it is a realistic one. Which means, if I understand how to balance out my eating, I can still have my favorite high fat, high sugar foods every now and then.

Last week was Alanna's birthday, and I didn't get to celebrate because I wasn't feeling well. She came by today with a box from Julia's Homestyle Bakery containing the following items.

Chocolate Truffle Cake (for Alanna, my sister)

S'mores Pop (for me)

And a frog cookie (for Simon)

Oh, Julia's, I love you! But only every once in awhile;)

Julia's Homestyle Bakery

I am having a love affair with little pink boxes. I dream of them, I smile when see them, I want to wake up with one next to me everyday.

This is the box...

That's right, it's a bakery box. More specifically, it is a box from Julia's Homestyle Bakery in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In my humble opinion, Julia's makes the most sinfully delicious, beautifully decorated, sweet scented cakes and cookies in the world. Since tomorrow morning is my weigh in day for Weight Watchers, I decided to get a moist, scrumptious cranberry muffin from Julia's to have a celebratory breakfast after - hopefully - losing weight. (I also got a longjohn, which is similar to an eclair but made with doughnut batter, for my best friend and a cookie for my nephew).

My nephew made up a song about this cookie. I goes like this, "Bon appetit, bon appetit, bon appetit." I could not have sung it better myself.

Merridee's Sticky Buns

In the continued spirit of Christmas overindulgence, it is my feeling that Christmas breakfast should involve a pastry so saturated with delicious glaze that one must use a fork.  My Grandma used to get up at four in the morning to make sticky buns for us on Christmas morning. The whole time we were ripping into our presents, we could smell the unmistakable aroma of yeast dough rising. As we played with our toys (or were forced to clean up the wrapping paper), we could hear Grandma in the kitchen putting the rolls in the oven.

When the rolls were finally ready, displayed on Grandma’s best Christmas “China”, our eyes would fairly pop out of our heads at the sight of caramelized sugar dripping off of coarsely chopped pecans. Not much was said at those breakfasts; we were far too busy savoring each heavenly morsel.

We don’t go to Grandma’s for Christmas anymore; she has since passed on.  No one has yet volunteered to get up at 4 AM to start cooking. So, we do the next best thing. We plan ahead and get our sticky buns from Merridee’s Breadbasket on Christmas Eve.

If you don’t live in the Nashville area, you should drive here – right now –and go to Merridee’s. I have to eat there at least once every six weeks or something goes awry with the universe.  Every magazine that has covered it or TV show that has featured it has mentioned that Merridee’s makes some of the best desserts you can get. We’re talking mint fudge brownies, chocolate chess pecan pie, Italian cream cake, key lime bars, bear claws, and peanut butter fudge. We’re talking melt in your mouth, so good you’ll slap your mama kind of cooking.

I could keep writing, but a picture is, after all, worth a thousand words.