VLOG City Life: December 2018 Winters Second Chance Fashionablefoodive x Green Chef + LOTS of Christmas Stuff in Tampa + Hauls + Gluten Free Home Meals

December was an amazing month and I am so happy to have had so many great experiences. The one experience that stood out the most for me was actually my helicopter ride because I was so afraid (I don't like flying), but I did it anyway. I know I have spoken in some blog posts about several of my Christmas holidays being ruined from fighting with. my family members, to being burglarized and having all my Christmas stuff stolen two weeks from Christmas, to last year's disaster which was finding out my husband had to go on a business trip a week before Christmas. He set out to make sure that this year everything was perfect for me all month long and it truly was. I can't believe I have to wait a whole year to feel the Christmas cheer again!

I hope you enjoy this month's recap and I will be back with more.

XOXO

Snowfall at the International Plaza & Bay Street

Holiday pop up shop at the Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas 

Curtis Hixon Park

Chick Fil A

HAULS:

Set c/o Fabletics it will be in the February showroom

Candle day haul- Bath and Bodyworks

Black Friday haul

Glam can c/o Juno Co
Contains makeup remover, 2 makeup sponges made of microfiber for a flawless finish, and a sponge holder.

C/o HelloMD
VBD oil vape pen, cream, and topical drops.

Scented candle

DATE NIGHTS:

This month was a fun month, almost all new restuarants to check out in Tampa. As usually, I am the guinea pig so I tested out which are truly up to the task of being accommodating  for those with Celiacs Disease and unfortunately one did not make the cut. Finding new fun places is what I do for fun, but also as a food blogger, and as a Celiac. I can't wait to see what new places I find in Tampa in 2019.

Bulla Gastrobar- Soho

Anis Global Gastropub-Downtown Tampa

The C House- Seminole Heights 

Thee Treehouse- formally Platt Street Burough

Flemmings Tampa

Watervue Grille- Warning this restaurant glutened me, I was sick for 9 days due to their neglagence.

Eddie V's Prime Seafood

* ALL GLUTEN FREE FOODS COOKED BY MYSELF: RECIPES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST IF NOT LISTED

This month I partnered with Green Chef to try out their delivery service of prepped meal boxes. The boxes contain the recipes and all of the ingredients needed to make a perfectly portioned meal. They do advertise 6 meals per box, you get three and it serves two people. You have the choice of Gluten Free, Keto, Vegan, and.

All of the products needed for BBQ Pork Chops

Chicken Pistou 

The second recipe that I cooked was chicken Pistou which was listed at a 35 minute cook time. That cook time would be higher because they list to only cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side and then place in the oven to roast. I skipped that and went straight for the roasting. This is a recipe that I was side eyeing because it had a lot of ingredients that I don't usually eat like dates, fennel, and Swiss chard. All in all it was a really easy recipe, it did not take more than 45-50 minutes to make, and it looks way more fancy and intricate than it is.

I enjoyed the blend of flavors that this had especially the white rice Pistou sauce concoction and I plan on making this again, but with kale. I will note the rice they provided cooked up perfectly- none stuck to the pot and usually I always have a little that does. Green Chef sent me the Gluten Free box and I made whatever necessary changes so that it was also keto for hubs so you will see 2 variations below.

Recipe deviation: I cooked my chicken completely in the oven

The finished plate. This one is mine and has the organic long grain rice

This is my husbands finished plate. I made him cauliflower rice since he is on a keto diet and reserved half of the ingredients to mix in with the cauliflower rice, he couldn't even tell the difference.

The keto version for hubs: features a mixture of butternut squash and zucchini zoodles

The meal as described with gluten free brown rice noodles

White fish with a avocado salsa crude

White fish with a corn salsa crude

Roasted Branzini

prepped

I have never cooked a whole fish with the head on before. I actually bought this and froze it a few months ago from Whole Foods and totally forgot until I defrosted it and unwrapped it. My prep was simple, I preheated the oven to 400 and put my fish in the cast iron. The butcher at Whole Foods had already sliced it down the center. You can cook your fish with any seasonings and herbs. I chose to keep it simple with:
salt
pepper
garlic powder
fresh herbs
evoo
Kerry Gold Butter
Sliced white onions

Fully cooked

Let it cook for 20 minutes and check to make sure it is fully cooked and remove the herbs and plate.

Plated- dinner for two