Thursday, February 4, 2010

Family Celebration and Lots of Carbs

One of hubby’s uncles turned 70, and we had a big family celebration at a Chinese/Korean restaurant over the weekend. It was really nice to catch up with everyone (although a bit difficult at times as the toddler was a bit wild).

The food was pre-ordered and served family-style to each table. I enjoyed it very much and especially liked that I got to try some things I wouldn’t normally order.

My favorite dish was the first course: Shrimp in spicy red pepper sauce with fresh cucumber slices and cilantro. Here is my portion:



There was also lots of kimchi. I told you the restaurant was Chinese/Korean… :-) Hubby’s family is very picky when it comes to their kimchi, but everyone liked this one…



Then there was duck. I would normally never order duck.



With the duck came plum sauce and scallions.



I actually made myself a “duck sandwich,” and it was really good. And luckily, my gallstones didn’t complain either. I was a bit worried as duck is pretty fatty, and I didn’t take off the skin…



There was also a shrimp dish with walnuts. I had only one of the walnuts. It was delicious.



There were about five more dishes, but I didn’t want to be rude/weird and take too many photos…

Here is a photo of my main course meal: rice, kimchi, veggies, shrimp, and octopus.



You may wonder what the toddler was eating. And the answer is: white rice!!! And lots of it!!!



He ate soooo much white rice that night and just a few veggies and a little bit of chicken. Actually, that’s not completely true. He also ate the buns for the duck sandwiches…



I think he ate two buns. Yes, I know, that’s a lot of carbs and not a very balanced meal. But I honestly let him enjoy what he wanted to eat that night. He had eaten a healthy breakfast and lunch, so I figured why not let him enjoy some a lot of white rice with a side of carbs. I never make white rice at home, so it’s a special treat for him, hubby, and the teenager. I’m not a big fan of white rice, but as you can see above, I ate it nonetheless… :-)

Question: Do you ease up on your “eating/nutrition rules” a bit during special gatherings? If so, how? Where do you draw the line? I usually allow myself one special “treat” that I normally wouldn’t eat/drink, such as a second glass of wine, some bread and butter, or some dessert. For me the key is not to choose all of them at once and thereby go overboard…

Finally, have you entered my giveaway yet? The Body Fat Solution is a great book. You can get a total of five entries to win a copy.

Be well,
Andrea