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The Quintanas, Week 25: The Buffet Comes After Us, and We WIN!
Filed under: Healthy Families Challenge
Last week, my family was able to enjoy our first full vacation in more than six years. Sure, we've had a few weekends away here and there, but not like this. We spent eight glorious days in beautiful Savannah, Georgia.
Beth, my oldest daughter, turns 15 in May, which is like a sweet 16 in our culture. Instead of the big party, she opted for a trip, so off to Savannah we went. Thanks to the Healthy Families Challenge, we left prepared to do battle against unhealthy vacation carrots. Although there were a few dangling vegetables (and much worse) along the way, we came out of it pretty unscathed.
David, my husband, drove with a gallon of water by his side to avoid the soda pitstops, and we brought bottled waters, and almonds and cereal bars as snacks, for everyone.
The next morning in Savannah, we woke up to what would be our daily continental breakfast. If this was a movie, you would now hear that dreadful music that lets you know someone might be in trouble ...
It's true, I did just recently write that I would stay away from buffets. Of course, this was an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, starting with coffee and juice, and ending in cereal. In the middle, there was french toast, eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, danishes, and all kinds of bread items, including a waffle maker turning out crispy goodies. Actually, there were two waffle makers, one that made four baby waffles, and another that made a gargantuan waffle.
David and I found it safest to stay away from the monster waffles. We opted to share the baby waffles, and eat them with sugar-free syrup. That was pretty much what we ate every morning. David also indulged in biscuits with gravy, since they are his ultimate favorite and not commonly found in Miami, where we live. The older kids, Aaron, Beth and Christian, each had one ginormous waffle every morning. My youngest, Chloe, who likes cereal, would have a small bowl of Special K with 2% milk and two baby waffles with syrup.
What a Trip! Credit: Nory Garcia
In Savannah, there really is no option downtown other than to park and walk. And walk we did. We were missing our classes back home, but we did not lack for exercise. We figured we managed to walk, at the very least, 10 miles over the entire vacation.
The next day, things got dangerous. Beth wanted to have a birthday lunch at The Lady & Sons. This restaurant belongs to southern chef Ms. Paula Deen. Once again, we were faced with a buffet, this time all down-home fixins. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and it goes on. I'm proud to say I chose the asparagus sandwich on rye, while everyone else bolted to the buffet. The famous southern fried chicken was the unanimous favorite. I was impressed with my vegetarian meal, as a lot of restaurants don't include us.
The rest of the trip was pretty safe, though with quite a few small snack-sized meals at fast-food places with healthier options, including Taco Bell's fresco menu (they call it a "Drive-Through Diet"), Subway's "Jared" Menu and Arby's turkey on wheat or lean roast-beef sandwiches.
Back at home, we discovered that David had gained four pounds and I had gained two. Not to worry. We're already back to the gym! I started boot camp at The Doral Vineyard and have attended yoga at Pranoga twice.
And I am already down a pound.
David and the kids are stoked about getting to American Top Team of Doral to start training with the new head coach, Thiago "The Warrior" Silva, a UFC light heavy-weight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. And Chloe is back to her class at the Little Gym of Doral.
Buffets, you don't scare us a bit.
Who's the rest of the competition? Check out all the challengers' latest updates here.
Check out how the other families are doing!
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 2)
4-03-2011 @ 6:04PM
Pauline said...I love southern style food as I grew up on it. As for buffets anyone can be sensible there if they want to be. Shoot, on a one week vacation I never worry about my meals - I can get back on my regular meals when I get back home. What's wrong with that? As for Paula Deen, I used to like her but when she made it her signature to say "ya'll" with every breath she takes I turned her off. I don't know of anyone where I live saying that 20 times in an hour. It gets nauseating. It's kind of ironic that in her vidoes from about 5 years ago she doesn't sound near as southern as she does now. Sugar does sell though doesn' it - you all?
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4-03-2011 @ 4:43AM
GINA said...i would never eat anything paula deen makes her cookin is nausea like she is ..... its no wonder they even allow her cookin time on tv .
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4-03-2011 @ 6:16AM
Al Schrader said...My oldest sister,Cynthia, went on the Paula Dean Reality Pilgrimage Bus Tour to Georgia. She paid a considerable sum as well as the others on the bus. It took her to a lot of hick places in Georgia including Paula Dean's church, every place Paula Dean ever went. Finally, they took her to that Two Guys & a Dame Paula Dean restuarant where they fed them black eyed peas & corn bread. I can tell now why someone threw a ham at her. I want a slice of that Paula Dean red velvet cake made with two pounds of butter. You gotta love Paula Dean.. Hey don't talk with your mouth full...Alfie-
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4-03-2011 @ 7:52AM
lynden said...Are you kidding...have you seen Paula and her family? They are all fat and no wonder everything she cooks has butter, sugar or shortening. Ick....have a salad! Her food is greasey.
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4-03-2011 @ 8:37AM
jdymes101 said...Lady and Son's is overrated. there is probably 100 better places to eat in downtown Savannah than that!
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4-03-2011 @ 8:47AM
Beni said...Well said Alice, lighten up people, enjoy vacation. Just don't go crazy. When will you go to lady and sons again? I would have enjoyed it!
To those that made comments about Paula Deans cooking. Why do you care? Don't eat it, don't watch her and be quiet. I watch sometimes, I cook some of her recipes. I use my brain.
Come on, the reason you don't eat butter is because of Paula Dean, Paula Deans cooking has killed more people? What are you people thinking?
Not the many stops a week at fast food joints, not the
kitchens stocked with snacks? Not the gallons on soda you drink? Not the sitting and playing computer games and not out and about moving? Right, only her cooking? It's called America - you have a choice. No one wants to take responsibility only blame someone else.
Hated the videos, they were all over the place and a loud mess, thankful for pause and dials on speakers!
Off to cook with some butter and garlic. LOL
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4-03-2011 @ 8:58AM
Pat said...It's so funny reading all these blogs. All the comments about Paula Dean and her cooking.
There is a small long box that came with your TV. It's called a remote. It's used to change the channel.
So... if you don't like how she talks. You don't like her cooking. You don't like her looks. You don't like her. Then pick up that little rectangle box and press the up or down arrow, it makes the channels move to another one.
And DON'T WATCH HER.
HELLO?
looks like we have a lot of angry people out there hating to see someone that enjoys life. ... how sad.
Paula, continue loving life.
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4-03-2011 @ 9:39AM
Tammy W. said...It's not Paula Deen, the use of butter, or anything or anyone else that makes people gain weight or develope poor health due to poor eating habits....it's that person's lack of self-control & not respecting the rule of portion control. You are in total control of what you stick in your mouth....you decide where you're going to eat & how much you're going to eat. I happen to love Paula Deen & I have a great deal of respect for her & her family. Yes, butter is a key ingredient in her cooking Julia Child loved using butter as well but then again who doesn't love butter.....it's not the butter that makes you fat...it's your lack of responsiblity for using portion control when eating. All great pastry chefs & cooks use butter in the baking & cooking along with garlic & other yummy ingredients. So I think it's really unfair of people to blame people Like Paula Deen for thier poor eating habits & choices....it's time to grow up people & starting taking full responsiblity for your eating habits & choices & stop blaming everyone else.
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4-03-2011 @ 9:37AM
Hattie Crabtree said...I was in Hilton Head Xmas week of 1997.We drove to Savannah for the day.I don't think Lady and Sons was open then?We ate at some place called the Pirates Cove and the house was over 100 years old.We ate from the small buffet but it was mostly seafood.I went nuts for the fattening sherry crab cheese casserole.As for the stupid comments about Paula Deen,most likely comments made by dang Yankees.:)Yes,Paula is the butter,mayo and sour cream queen but she became rich coz of it.People can eat what they want.No one is holding a gun to your head to make you go to the buffet line.Yes,southern people ate this kind of food long time ago but they were outside working alot,not sitting at the computer or watching TV all day.I've lost some weight recently coz I cut back on carbs.I love walking and its been so nice and nippy but I'm dreading the summer coz it'll be so hot.When I am on vacation as well at at home,I only eat one big meal per day.
I rather meet Paula Deen anyday than that snobby kid hating Ina Garten who is now getting bad PR ( which she deserves ) for refusing to meet the little boy ( that loves her show ) with cancer.
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4-03-2011 @ 10:00AM
Louis said...Paula Deen is so cute! Her idea of buttered popcorn is a pound of butter on top of 3 kernels of popped.
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4-03-2011 @ 10:51AM
dfb5555 said...1. Another example of AOL creating a "headline" to catch your attention when in fact Paula Deen had little to do with this story
2. If you are watching your calories, why go to a Paula Deen buffet in the first place? Duh, did you expect Lean Cuisine?
3. And what's up with the Biscuits and Gravy, now that's very figure friendly?
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4-03-2011 @ 12:40PM
Catherine said...Are you kidding me? Paula dean DID NOT "MAKE" anyone eat her food... THEY DID! If you're on a diet, stay away and have the dicipline not to go in.. it's the family's fault--not Paula Dean.....This is the way the country has gone. Blame the one who makes the product... Blame someone else..But in no case, put any responsibility onto yourself. GOOD GRIEF!
No, it's the family's fault.
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4-03-2011 @ 12:33PM
Silvana said...My vacation is the last on my mind to go on a diet. In fact I always watch what I eat and walk about 5 miles a day, BUT when I go on vacation I try all foods and eat everything on my plate. Its my time when I indulge from everything. I know how to "play" with calories, if I eat a little more at lunch I cut dinner in half and share and the other way around. Dont wait until pounds pile up. I eat from chocolate, to ice cream, to any food available, any given day. Healthy soups and salads but mostly chicken when it comes for meat. Also, MODERATION!!
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4-03-2011 @ 8:45PM
okgirl said...I went to Paula Deens Buffet in Tunica Mississippi. I was excitted about going to the buffet because I have loved watching her cooking show. I could not wait to try some of the recipies she made on her show. I have to say I was sadly dissappointed. The cost was just way to high. $17.99 for adults and $9.99 for my 5 year old who eats like a bird. $70 for 2 adults one teen ager and a todler. The food was ok, but to me there was nothing really special about this buffet. It was a typical one. Honestly I think Golden Coral is much better and at almost 1/2 the price you get steak. Next time we go to Tunica we will not be going back there.......
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4-03-2011 @ 1:06PM
Julie said...Oh, good grief! Paula Deen is such a phony with that fake corn pone accent of hers. I can't stand her personality. She has a lot of people snowed!
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4-03-2011 @ 5:28PM
Hattie Crabtree said...And she is one of the most popular cooks around honey.:)Her shows at fairs sell out in minutes.Her TV show has been on the air ten years or less.I admit I liked her better when she first started out but she has gotten used to being around people and is more outgoing.Her bio explains of how she was afraid to leave the house and do things.I have two cookbooks of hers and I rarely buy them.A lot of her southern recipes were not used in my family either.My Mother wasn't that great of a cook.
4-03-2011 @ 1:09PM
a said...Oh, I know all about Jenny Craig. I got it first hand from Kirstie.
All of this is giving me a little appetite. I just want a little something. A carrot stick, yeah. Oh, and some of that Paula Dean potato salad, and a drumstick of her fried chicken, and a couple of Bar B Que ribs, and a thick slice of that Paula Dean meatloaf with gravy, and heaping mashed potatoes, and Paula Dean Georgia Peach Cobbler with butter crust & heaping whipped cream, and a slice of that Paula Dean mile-high Peach pie with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, and I'll wash it all down with a half gallon pitcher of Paula Deam Mint Julip AHHHHH!!!Somebody stop me!!! Hey, got a napkin ?
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4-03-2011 @ 2:32PM
Richard said...No Paula Dean is not a chef. She is a cook. She is not cooking for Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. She makes fine tasting, mouth watering meals loaded with butter, sugar, and calories. RECOGNIZE THIS when you start using her cook books or eating her meals. If you have a weight problem, you need to discipline yourself to push that plate away, and lay off the junk that is putting on weight....and EXERCISE beyond just a walk to the mail box or casual stroll around the corner. I would love to have a plate of country fried steak with gravy and biscuits...but I stay in training and keep my weight within 3 lbs up and down of my limit.
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4-09-2011 @ 10:31AM
David Quintana said...Wow some people are so angry... I have read some of the funniest posts here. You guys who are all about the food are missing the point. This is not a diet or even a lifestyle but a CHOICE. A choice to live a better healthier life. To leave a legacy to your loved ones... Not about fried food or homegrown food... Big whoop
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