Boombalatti's Pizza Co.

I like to believe that I have always lived a healthy lifestyle--making good food choices and staying active. Since I was little, I was always riding my bike around town, playing volleyball, basketball, and softball, and I loved to dance, both classical ballet and competitive poms. Even after my sports days ended with high school, I continued to stay active with bike rides and I even added running/jogging into the mix. But the older I get, the easier I find it to fall into really poor habits and it's a lot harder to keep the weight off.

My love affair with the gym is one of epic proportions and probably something to discuss on another post. In a nutshell, I have joined and cancelled multiple gyms in the past 15 years and hopefully this time around, I have found the commitment to stick with this one and keep going.

But staying active is only half of the challenge--you can workout all you want and burn calories, but if you go home and chow down on unhealthy options and eat more calories than you burn, it's all for nothing.

Right before I met my husband, I had found a solid routine that balanced healthy eating and working out regularly and I'm aiming to get back to that lifestyle (but I know it won't be easy).

I fall victim to carbs all too often. I am a girl that loves bread, pasta, potatoes--if its a white carb, I love it. And I have had fears that I will never be able to break the habit. But I am also someone that knows I can't go extreme or I will fail. Everything in moderation is ok.

Cue in Boombalatti's Pizza Company -- I first heard of the company from an article in the Waukesha Freeman introducing the company as a low carb/keto-friendly pizza company and I was instantly intrigued. The business utilizes the kitchen at the Easter Seals building and provides fresh pizzas (and a few other goodies) to take and bake at home.

My husband and I are finishing up our "Biggest Loser Challenge" this month. It consisted of changing out lifestyles however we each wanted to be supportive of each other's choices. I increased my activity level and shrank portions, and my husband has cut his ties with the vending machine at work to provide ourselves with a healthier lifestyle.

I ordered from Boombalatti's and got a sausage, black olive, and green pepper pizza for us to try. The pizza is a 10' round, which doesn't sound that large, but let me tell you it is. The owner makes her own crust and sauce from scratch and loads up the pizza with plenty of toppings. Cooking instructions are provided and it's no more difficult that making a Papa Murphy's.

Once out of the oven, the pizza looked and smelled just like a regular pizza. Though the crust didn't get nearly as crispy as my husband likes, I thoroughly enjoyed the pizza. To me, it wasn't too far from a regular pizza in flavor, and knowing I was enjoying fewer carbs made it even closer to regular pizza for me.

Boombalatti's is growing in popularity and offering more days to for pickup during the week. How it works is that you order in advance before the pickup day, pay online, and then come during the pickup time window and your pizza is ready for you.

I have had a few conversations with the owner and she is experimenting with more varieties of pizza and food options and has a very solid following for those looking for gluten-free/keto-friendly food options that are fresh and local. I see good things in her future!

Pairdd - A Gluten Free Option

I was contacted by Pairdd  a few weeks ago and asked if I was interested in trying out one of their Gluten Free meal delivery options. I was very humbled that someone found my blog and was very excited for this opportunity!

I knew nothing of Pairdd, so I Googled them and found out they are quite awesome. Pairdd is a Milwaukee-based meal delivery service that has gluten free options for you to make at home. Everything is pre-portioned out for you and ready to eat in less than 45 minutes from unpacking to plate.

The Pairdd box is delivered to your doorstep on a Tuesday and as long as you get it in the fridge within hours of delivery, you are fine. The box has two very solid ice packs inside of an insulated bubble wrap bag, keeping the goodies nice and chilled. I received Rosemary Salmon with a Kale/Quinoa side salad.

I received a large recipe card to use while making the meal and a smaller one to keep handy for future reference. One suggestion to Pairdd regarding the packaging is to make sure the enlarged image has better clarity. The image looked great on the small card.

All of the food was labeled nicely with green stickers - great branding and no chance for a mix up.

I invited my friend Kacey to enjoy dinner with me. He has Celiac Disease. I thought it was be great for him to see other meal options that are out there.

This meal came together with ease - my only issue was that my oven took a really long time to heat up to the 500 degrees for broiling the salmon.  This is my issue to deal with - definitely thinking a new stove is in order for Fall :)

Anyways, while the salmon was in the oven with the rosemary sprig on top, I followed the rest of the directions and put the salad together very easily. It was nearly efffortless - boil quinoa, chop kale, add together with chickpeas and Craisins- voila! Who would have thought that combo would taste so amazing together?!?!

I did cook the salmon just a little longer than suggested because I wanted to be certain it was the correct temperature (Yes. I'm still getting used to my oven.)

Kacey arrived just as I was lemon-ing the salmon and getting ready to plate it up. He thought the salad was spectacular and just wished there was more of the whole meal. (Side note on Kacey - he eats multiple servings of everything!) He made sure I finished all my salmon and salad and said that he would have never thought of making that salad. It was an excellent combination of flavors. He is now aware of more options for himself. And I have a option  of getting him a gift card to Pairdd for his next birthday. Thank you for the recipe and gift idea Pairdd!

The portion was the perfect size for me and I am so glad I was given the chance to try it. The salmon had great flavor and was nice and flaky. The salad was really a good combo of savory and sweet.



Pairdd has different weekly options on their menu to give their subscribers many choices. An order placed by noon on Sunday, will arrive on Tuesday. Let Pairdd do all the shopping and prep work so you can come home and spend just a few additional minutes finishing the dish.

At first, I did think the price was a little high, but then after careful consideration...If it saves me time, and I know I'm getting a nutritious and tasty meal, its price is right! And aside from great taste and healthy food combinations, I also want to consier that shipping is included (so I don't have to shop), the prep is done by Pairdd (so I have more time to enjoy pre-dinner conversations) and I'm heating at home in my new place (so there's no need to tip). Plus, this is a guaranteed Gluten-Free option. For some people with severe allergies, going out to eat or splurging on a meal, isn't always an option because their choices are limited or they may not want to risk the chance of an allergic reaction due to a mix-up in the kitchen. Pairdd seems to have thought of everything.

And about the shipping process, I wondered if Pairdd had any sort of collection of recycling of the ice packs, bags and containers. they are just too nice to toss. Well, low and behold, Pairdd has a program for that too -- yay for a smaller carbon footprint!

So I suggest you all try Pairdd for a quick, easy and healthy meal delivered to your doorstep.

Pairdd is even more amazing because they are offering my readers 30% off anyone's first online a la carte order until the end of April using this code FOODFUN.

Generations at 5 Points

Last week, my mom met me for dinner after her conference in Pewaukee. I got to pick and chose Generations at 5 Points (that is literally right on the 5 points in the middle of downtown Waukesha). It has been over a year since I have been there, so I was definitely due.

I scoped out the December menu before we left and picked out a few things I liked. I like that they change the menu monthly. Some items stay each month, but seasonal creations are added and they are usually really creative.

We got there shortly after 5 and the place was empty. They said another table had just left so we had perfect timing to keep the flow going. We chose a high top across from the bar and were greeted by our server quickly. We each ordered a glass of wine and studied the menu. A few more couples came in and then a party began to set up in the back of the restaurant.

I decided on the cranberry cream cheese crusted pork tenderloin but to my disappointment, they were out of that. I selected the basil pesto pasta and my mom chose the pan seared duck breast. 

I understand that tapas restaurants serve portions that are meant to be shared and maybe we should have said something, but we ordered our tapas as perfect sized entrees seeing as it was just the two of us. We just wanted something light. (It says right on their website tapas don't come out at the same time) My pasta came out a good 10 minutes before my mom's duck. They explained how food comes out of the kitchen (when it's done) but this still bothered my mom a bit because if I waited for her to get her duck, I would have had cold food.

We did share bites from our entrees and everything was absolutely scrumptious. The fresh basil in over the pasta (homemade noodles?) really pulled the dish together and made it something I would recommend to everyone. And look at that fresh Parmesan cheese!

Ever since I had duck on a flatbread at Bernie's, I have looked for it on other menus to try it other ways. And because my mom ordered it, I got to try it with a wine sauce. It was really good over the edamame and wild rice salad. We weren't expecting the rice and edamame to be cold, but the food paired together really well.


We will definitely return after the New Year, but maybe with a larger group to try more of the tapas and maybe with more dishes, there won't be such a large gap in between plates. I know there are a few things on the December menu my dad would just love so I hope they return in the New Year so he will try the place (keep the butcher chop chili around!!)

Generations is very reasonably priced for the quality of food that comes out of the kitchen and is a great addition to downtown Waukesha. Tuesdays is 1/2 price bottles of wine night. They have lounge chairs in the front, live music on the weekends and a great selection of martini's. It sort of reminds me of Splash in Oconomowoc that I recently visited.

They have a lot of gluten-free and vegetarian options which is great to see that more restaurants are aware and making dishes for those with allergies. I definitely recommend bringing a few friends with you and checking it out.

Key Westconsin For Lunch

Image courtesy of Key Westconsin

I just had to take in the beautiful weather on Friday, because it might be close to one of our last beautiful Fall days in Wisconsin. I decided I was going to multi-task on my lunch by placing my lunch order, getting an errand done and then picking up the lunch, all while enjoying the colors of the trees, the warm sunshine, and the awesomeness that is downtown Waukesha.

I chose Key Westconsin for lunch as the lobster rolls that I feasted on last time popped into my head last week and I decided it was time for them again.


I checked out the lunch menu and decided instead of just Lobster rolls, that I was going to try two sliders. I got one lobster roll and then a crab cake on a pretzel bun.  I chose the potato salad as my side because I remembered it to be quite creamy and very delicious. The cool thing was that when I placed the order, the server was nice enough to ask if I needed anything prepared gluten free. They have an entire gluten free menu and really strive to serve those with allergies to food the best they can.

I hopped out of work, ran my errand, snapped a few Fall pictures in Waukesha and walked into the tropics.

Image courtesy of Key Westconsin

Key Westconsin has a great theme on the inside that really brings the "Keys" to Wisconsin. A sunset is painted on the walls with palm trees and very tropical colors in the place make it lively and fun.

I was greeted by Rita, the owner, and she enthusiastically brought me my food and told me I was going to really enjoy it. I saw a few other entrees coming out of the kitchen while I was paying and everything looked so tasty. The place smelt really good too!

I got back to work and popped open the box to reveal the lobster roll, crab cake slider, potato salad and a lemon wedge.

I started with the crab cake as I knew I was going to like the lobster roll (just in case I was saving the best for last). However, the crab cake outdid the lobster roll but not by much. The cake is pretty much all lump crab meat with a little lime aioli. It was outstanding. It was moist and went perfectly with the pretzel bun.

The lobster roll was excellent again, overfilled with lobster, a little mayo and celery to add crunch. And the toasty, butter roll it was on just finished the sandwich off perfectly.

The potato salad was just as creamy as I remember with red potatoes, a little onion and celery for crunch.

I highly suggest you check this place out for lunch or dinner or whenever. I have had the fish fry, seafood casserole and scallops and I loved every dish. The shrimp cocktail even comes up in a martini glass - so classy! So with the cooler days coming our way, step into the tropics and try out Key Westconsin.

Wauk Wednesday: Key Westconsin

Have you ever watched Today's TMJ4's Dirty Dining? Courtny Gerrish checks in on local restaurants and reports on failed health inspections and looks for answers as to why the business isn't cleaning up its act.

BUT she also hands out Blue Ribbons to restaurants that come through with "sparkling" inspections!!!! Waukesha's very own Key Westconsin was just awarded a Blue Ribbon in March. In fact, they had clean health inspections two years in a row!

I have eaten at Key Westconsin quite a few times and it's a shame that for some reason, I have never blogged about it. Well here I go! My first experience there was right after it opened with my friend Tiffany. We love trying new places and we weren't disappointed. The decor is very warm and inviting. You really think you have been removed from Wisconsin and put in a beach side restaurant! Don't believe me? Check out the images on the Facebook page.

NOTE: Almost the entire menu at Key Westconsin can be prepared gluten-free - love restaurants that take into account those with allergies!

I'll share about my most recent visit and then recap the others below:

A few weeks ago, the weather finally hit above 30 and got sunny so I decided to do a walk around town. The first place I passed was Key Westconsin and I remembered my friend sharing that they had Lobster rolls on the lunch menu. I instantly looked up the number (while still walking) and placed an order for pickup. It was going to be ready in about 15 minutes to I did a lap around downtown.

Passed the Rotunda and headed down South Street

Headed down South to Clinton and looped back to Key Westconsin. 

Owner Gary was working behind the bar when I walked in and gladly helped me with my order. It was all bagged up and ready, so I paid and was back on my way. 

And here is what I saw when I opened it up at work--Heaven in a styrofoam container! :)

I have never had Lobster Rolls before but watched something recently on the Food Network on it and for me, you can't go wrong with lobster salad on a toasty buttery bun. 

It was definitely something I wish I would have split with a friend. Even though they are slider size, they were filling. I did eat both, but almost immediately fell into a food comma for the afternoon of work. It was delicious. Cold lobster salad with great spices on a soft, toasty roll. 

Key Westconsin will now stay on my radar for all its slider lunch options as it's super convenient to get to from my job. BONUS: In summer it has outdoor dining. 

Previous visits:

Tiffany and me: The shrimp cocktail served in a martini glass was right on - perfect spice in the cocktail sauce and presented beautifully. I had the seafood casserole and Tiffany had the scallops. My meal was rich and creamy and I loved it. The garlic bread was a wonderful addition to each meal. Tiffany loved her scallops - nice and tender, no rubberband texture.

My next time, I went with my mom and she ordered the crab cakes and I got the scallops (Tiff's looked too good to resist ordering). My mom thought the crab cakes were loaded with crab and not filler which is awesome, and the scallops were seared perfectly. Again, no rubberband situation going on.

The Family: We then brought my dad for a fish fry one Friday and we were all members of the clean plate club again. Not to mention the fish fry is really reasonably priced.

Pin-It Tuesday: Cheesy Garlic Bread

A few weeks ago, I headed up to Appleton to visit my cousin/best friend and celebrate the 4th birthday of her amazing son, Landon. This boy stole my heart the first time that I met him, and we are best buds every time I come for a visit. I love that he calls me "Auntie Sarwah" and asks me to come to things with him and play toys with him.

For his 4th birthday, Landon wanted a "rockstar" party (wockstawr - I love that little lisp) and his mom found some really fun decorations and figured we could make some more. Since Landon's favorite color is orange, we had orange cups and plates, and "Auntie Sarah" did her best to be artistic and create some fun tablecloths. Landon helped by adding the stickers.

Auntie Sarah's freehand guitar

Music notes tablecloth - can't believe I remembered the clefs!

We had pizza, fruit salad, veggies & dip, chips and garlic bread (which I was in charge of). I could have just taken the easy route and bought frozen, but what is the fun in that? I decided to go all out and base my garlic bread off this recipe I found via Pinterest. But because we were going to be eating and snacking throughout the night, I didn't want the bread to get all stuck together. I decided to just buy a loaf of bread and then slather it with a garlic butter concoction similar to this also found via Pinterest. (Can you tell I love pinning things?)

Anyways, I stopped on my way up at Walmart to get some black frosting to decorate the cake as well as french bread and some seasonings. Silly Auntie Sarah left her entire tube of black glitter frosting from Halloween at home :(  (Sidenote: Did you know that not all Walmart's sell the same products and if you don't have a receipt, they won't even give you store credit if they don't carry it? Why can't they be more like Kohl's and take everything back?)

cheesy garlic bread ingredients

I started by softening a stick of butter a bit in the microwave - not melted completely but definitely mixable with a spoon. I then guesstimated on seasonings and cheese to taste. We then slathered the mixture onto the bread and wrapped it up and put it in the fridge until ready to bake.

BIG MISTAKE!!!! It didn't even click at all that the butter would glue the bread pieces together and make it almost impossible to get apart (we didn't think to put wax paper in between). We tried putting the whole thing in the oven for a bit, but the bread was browning before we could pull them apart. I ended up slicing it again down the middle which meant one side had double butter and the other none! Luckily I could quickly whip up another batch of butter and spread it on the now vacant side.

If you want cheesy garlic bread, you can put cheese on top of the butter spread before cooking.

I then put it in the oven at 375 for .....? this is where I'm not really sure. We were cooking Aldi's Take 'n Bake pizzas (amazing!) at the same time, so I know that if I said 10 minutes, you could end up with burnt bread and no one wants that. I guess cook it until the cheese is all melty-gooey-yummy and just starting to brown. Pull it out, let it sit for a few minutes and then hack it into slices like (Toppers' stix)

Cheesy Garlic Bread

My mistake ended up turning into great ooo's and aaaah's at the party as everyone loved the double butter side, even though it's really rich and indulgent. Extra laps around the park for everyone! Yep - not a healthy recipe folks! But definitely delicious.

Rockstar Cake

We then had birthday cake with chocolate ice cream (what do you think - should I become a cake decorator with my mad skills?). Landon is on a gluten-free diet so his mom got him a GF chocolate cupcake with naturally dyed orange frosting from Happy Bellies Bake Shop. I bought some almond granola while I was there because it was just that scrumptious!

Happy Bellies Bake Shop (black star added by Auntie Sarah)

Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe
(best guesstimates that I can come up with but do it to taste)
1 loaf French Bread - sliced lengthwise down the middle to create two even halves (like a sub sandwich)
2 sticks butter or margarine
3 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese (shaker style)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt

1.5 cups grated Italian blend cheese (or any favorite cheese)

Put sticks of butter in microwave for 15 sec. stir a bit. Then micro for 10 more seconds.  Add the seasoning, garlic salt and Parmesan and stir. Consistency should be like sour cream.

Spread half the mix on one half the bread and do the same on the other. Then, sprinkle half the shredded cheese over half and do the same to the other. Bake at 375 (until done)

Take out and let sit for 5 min before cutting sizes to your liking.