The Cheeze Factory Restaurant

Last month, my guy and I took a long weekend to Wisconsin Dells. It was relaxing and just what we both needed. Besides the boat tour being the number one favorite thing we did, The Cheeze Factory Restaurant experience is definitely right up there.

I was contacted by The Cheeze Factory Restaurant a few months ago and offered the opportunity to dine "on them" and see what they are all about. The Cheeze Factory has recently gone 100% vegan with their menu. Vegan is something that I had never experienced before, but I'm always up for new opportunities. My guy was a little less excited of eating vegan food, but said he would do it for me.

The Cheeze Factory is located right on one of the main drags in Wisconsin Dells, right next to The Wilderness Resort. After our really long hike in Devil's Lake that morning, we arrived to the restaurant very hungry and ready for the experience.

The interior is a combination of up north cabin, cafe and diner. I loved the black & white tiles on the floor.

The restaurant has plenty of seating for groups of all sizes and swivel stools at the counter. We chose a table in the corner by the windows and started perusing the menu.

 There were a lot of options to sort through and figure out what we going to want to try. Fresh squeezed lemonade called my name right away, so we both got a glass of that. You could definitely taste that it was freshly made. It was so good.

 I saw this sign on the table while we were figuring out our meals. I appreciate they share they kitchen practices and let you know how things are going to be prepared.

 I selected the Mushroom Lovers Goulash and Gnocchi. I was very excited about the five types of mushrooms in the dish and the fact they are locally-grown was an added bonus. This meal was wonderful. I don't know what the "sour cream" was derived from but you could barely tell it wasn't real cream. The gnocchi was amazing. They were soft but held together in the sauce. The only part I wasn't a fan of was the pepper on the top, that I easily put to the side. Peppers and I sometimes don't agree with each other, so I tend to avoid them.

And let me tell you about the salad that came with the entree, it was heaven. I loved the picked carrots and parsnips and couldn't stop eating it. The salad had a light dressing on it and was created with kale and other greens. This entire meal was absolutely amazing for me.

My guy was a little leary with what to pick that he was going to enjoy. But he finally decided on the Asian Medley dish. This was a really unique combination of a chinese and indian meal with the use of coconut milk in the dish. I really liked his meal and he couldn't stop eating it. He tried the tofu and decided it wasn't for him, but kept on eating the rest of the meal. I tried the tofu and liked the nice char on the pieces. It was very good.

Our meals were so good, that we both decided to pack up some so we could eat it later. I didn't expect my guy to take home vegan leftovers, but he was the first one to say that if I could figure out how to make that meal, he would eat it all the time. Of all the places that we went to eat, and we ate out a lot, this was the only place that we chose to bring leftovers home because it was just that good. (The leftovers were devoured that evening while we watched a little TV - they reheated awesome and were the perfect, no guilt, late night snack!)

We were told from the start of our meal to save a little room for one of the heavenly desserts. It took us a while to decide on what to get and relied on the amazing descriptions from our server to help us pick one from our top choices.

We decided on a piece of the key lime "cheezecake." It was made with cashews and it was absolutely fantastic. The crust was very nutty, but delicious and you would never know that it wasn't cream cheese. I actually think I preferred this over regular cheesecake (and I love cheesecake). I wish the piece was bigger but we decided to share just the one and not over indulge too much. 

The entire experience surpassed any expectations I had and while walking to the car after the meal, my guy already said the next time we were in the Dells, we should definitely come back. I even considered stopping the next morning to bring back some desserts, but we didn't really have a cooler and knew we were going to make a few stops on the way home. 

My entire concept of vegan food has changed, and changed for the positive. I realize now that it's not just a bunch of beans and lettuce and really wonderful entrees can be created from natural foods. I hope this place continues to thrive and I urge everyone to check this place out the next time they are near the Dells. 

I thank The Cheeze Factory Restaurant for this amazing experience. Though they provided the meal at no cost to us, the opinions are completely my own. 

Healthy Living & Setting Goals

My weight hasn't always been an easy topic to talk about. In grade school I wasn't overweight, but I was an "athletic girl" and even throughout high school dancing on the very competitive Poms Squad, I was known for my powerful legs. Those legs did bring us a first place ribbon for an 'all-kick routine.'

1999

I have never aspired to be a skinny super model but I always wanted to be comfy in my own skin. 

In my early 20s this came pretty easy and living with my cousin that was my same size proved beneficial. We ate the same meals and did workouts together so ultimately we had helped each other (and gained an additional closet of clothes!)

2004

Soon my metabolism and laziness slowed down and I wasn't able to keep my weight so steady. I began to enjoy the bar scene lifestyle and eating out a bit too much. It's amazing how quickly those pounds can come on but they definitely don't come off that easy! 

2007

I realized that hardwork and watching what I ate was the only way I would get back to where I felt good in my skin again. I joined Weight Watchers a few times and considered trying South Beach or the 48 Hour Hollywood diet, but in the end never committed to either of those. I joined a gym or two and never went regularly. Weight Watchers proved extremely beneficial when I was focused and worked at it.  But I will again blame laziness and a busy schedule in not being able to really make it work for me.

2011

Weight is just a number provided by a scale, and regardless of it's accuracy, I am someone that tends to step on it regularly to see where I'm at. Sure this is a horrible habit, but I don't get mad when I'm up a bit, because I know, especially in females, weight can fluctuate a lot.

My main test is how my clothes fit; seeing the number on the scale go down is just a bonus. 

After traveling to Las Vegas in June (in which I had plenty of time to prep for the trip and didn't) and not being comfortable laying by the pool, I realized I really needed to do something before I was standing up in a wedding a few months later. Not only that, but even if I wasn't going to be in a million wedding photos, I still wanted to feel better in summer clothes and not embarrassed by my legs, butt and belly. 

I will 100% admit that I'm really good at planning things out on paper but my execution sucks. And I decided that needs to change.

2014

I decided to take small steps and set really small goals. You always feel better when you can cross off more things on a list. For instance instead of writing a note that says Clean House, to me I feel more accomplished to break down the cleaning areas of the house that need to be done - kitchen, toilets, sweeping, and cross it off when each is complete.

My list started with a good day on the scale and realizing I was in a new weight decade (WW friends, you know what this means). I made a simple vow to myself to never see that decade again! (unless I am pregnant) That goal was started on June 25 and I am still holding to it and getting closer to another decade. 

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins - no oil or butter added!

Besides just stepping on the scale and hoping for the best, my next small goals are to walk more (when I can't go for a run) and watch my portion sizes.

Sausage Run 2014

I have been really good at watching the junk that I take in and literally don't take in much at all anymore. I don't feel good after eating junky food, so I don't really crave it much anymore. However, I will overindulge in a portion size of something healthier and that can add up too if you aren't careful.

Simply Irresistible Catering - Take n Bake meals

This is something that I am going to work at for the rest of my life, but I am lucky that I am not too picky of an eater and can enjoy just about anything, so I shouldn't get stuck in a food rut. But I think that before the time I am 35, I want to run a half marathon and not finish last. That is a mighty goal, that I understand is very intimidating, but I think that I have plenty of time to get myself ready for this and really get going.

Greek Chicken Salad

"It takes 4 weeks for you to notice your body changing, 8 weeks for your friends and 12 weeks for the rest of the world. Give it 12 weeks. Don't Quit!"

I'm not sure who came up with that quote, but it has definitely come true for me. My mom complimented me, my bridal dress was big and needed to be taken in again and I felt comfortable at the wedding celebrating with everyone and not feeling like the "fat" bridesmaid there to ruin all the pictures. 

With the Bride - Aug, 2014

The best compliment came from my boyfriend when after not seeing me for a few days said "You look like you have lost a sh*t ton of weight!" Sure not the classiest sentence that can come out as a compliment, but no guy is perfect as we all know ladies. 
 

The lovely Bridesmaids enjoying the fire after the wedding!

All of these things tell me that what I am doing is working and getting to where I thought I never could be again weight and fitness-wise is definitely possible.  

Healthy Living Week 5

Well, here we are just about a week shy of my finale of my Healthy Living experiment and I have to say that I am feeling really good about myself. Sure there are areas that I have not perfected and areas that I epically failed at (dang diet soda!) but I do think that I have definitely made a conscious effort to think before I put something in my body for nutrition reasons.

Besides eating two Doritos chips off my boyfriend's son's plate at a cookout, I have not had a potato chip since Lent began. And I can say that I honestly don't miss them. Tortilla chips are another story but even those I haven't indulged on :)

I have really worked to bring down my portion size and make responsible decisions when it came to what I have ate and drank in the last few weeks.

I got in a 2 mile run last week Thursday. It was a little brisk, but I had to take off my gloves by the end as my hands were overheating. It wasn't a speedy run, but a run is still a run.

Friday I tried to make some Vegan Pumpkin muffins and banana bread to take to my boyfriend and his kiddos and had some pretty epic baking fails. Completely cooked on the top, raw on the bottom.Waaa. waaa (sad trumpet)

My mom and I deduced the cause to be that my oven only has one coil on the top and so the bottom of my oven doesn't warm as evening. So I'm essentially baking food from the top down instead of evenly around. We are going to work on some things to divert the heat better in my oven so I can bake some yummy treats and not waste food. Otherwise, I'll be in the market for a new oven soon if this doesn't work.

Saturday I met my boyfriend's kids for the first time and we started the day getting his middle kid fitted for a batting glove and baseball mit. Then off to Chuck E Cheese's where we all acted like a bunch of kids. I did enjoy a piece of pizza but mainly stuck to the salad bar. His boys actually eat rather healthy too and wanted salad instead of pizza. Some pizza was even leftover because they all liked salad so much. I got schooled in basketball against Tim's oldest but it was still a fun time. 

Sunday I came home early because Tim got called into work. I decided to try out protein powder pancakes and was a huge fan. A few different blogs that I follow (Run, Eat, Repeat and Blogilates) have talked about how yummy protein powder pancakes are but I was skeptical.

Besides the fact that the mix is rather gooey at first, these were delicious! I used 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder and 1 egg. I added just a bit of water and this made three nice sized pancakes. I added chocolate chips to the last pancake and the only issue is that the pancake starts out rather thin and eventually puffs up when you flip it. So the chocolate started to melt in the pan before the pancake was done. No syrup necessary, just a little bit of margarine and they were sweet enough. Highly recommend making these!

And now for the main event meal of the week - Mojito Shrimp tacos! I found the recipe a while back on Pinterest, but it's really from this blog.

Here are my modifications to the recipe: I used precooked shrimp, so I had to make sure I didn't turn them into chewy rubberbands by overcooking them on the grill. They really just need to get heated through.

The tortillas I bought didn't work, so I threw together some jasmine rice, salsa, cumin and onion to make Mexican rice and served it over that. It was really delicious. The mango really added the sweet flavor that I was looking for to make this meal different than other Mexican dishes.

And lastly - I have continued my "Oatmeal in the morning" routine and have almost finished all of Katie's Gourmet Instant Oatmeals. Just in time for me to get more at the Farmer's Markets. More on her oatmeal soon on the blog :)

Healthy Living Week 4

This week was a lot better for me. Though I did have one quite indulgent meal, I really was very well behaved for the rest of the week. I really watched my portion sizes and made sure that I knew exactly what I was putting in my body.

Friday night, my guy and I attempted to check out Tubby's outside of Whitewater. We pulled into the lot and already realized we were going to be waiting. We got inside and it was very crowded and we just decided to go somewhere else as we were starving. 

He suggested the Duck Inn and not being familiar with the area, I agreed. He used to be a bus boy back in the day, so I figured he knew what he was talking about. The place is a really cute old supper club style place with a very warm and inviting atmosphere. I'll do a full review next week, but we did enjoy ourselves.

Relish trays scream supper club in Wisconsin! Veggies with house made buttermilk ranch and two types of cold press cheeses for the cracker and breadstick basket. I sampled but didn't indulge.

Cashew Crusted Duck and T-Bone steak - Both were DEEEEE-lisious. Highly recommend ordering either. Full review to come. I only ate one piece of duck and that was plenty after filling up on the salad.

Saturday was Grill Day for me - I was so excited to get the grill and so thankful for my handy guy to put it together with a little help from the directions interpreter. Seriously Brinkman, I understand you provided multiple languages, but one of them written clearly would have sufficed.

Side note: Make sure the grill is going to fit in the vehicle before purchase. We had to take it out of the box to fit it in his Passat, which I would call an average size car. How to people buy larger things without owning a truck?

Anyways, She (I will have to name my grill soon -suggestions?) lit up just fine and grilled up some awesome bacon wrapped fillets, cheddar brats and pineapple. See the pineapple chunk under the grate - first fail by the operator of the tongs (yep that was me!)

Grilled veggies also accompanied the meal and I tried to fill up on those. They were spectacular. I am so excited to make many more meals on the grill.

Monday, I tried to copycat the Pairdd  meal. The salad turned out fantastic and my guy liked it too - he was skeptical at first but I got him to eat more than I thought he would. The salmon I made on the grill and I overcooked it just a little bit. It was still really tasty, but I think the Pairdd salmon was of higher quality and I will take that into account the next time I cook on the grill.

Do you like my new plate to display food on? That is compliments of my mother and my trip to IKEA on Sunday after my cousin's bridal shower. I think it makes my food stand out much better than my burgundy plates.

And now I'm back on my flat bread kick. This was an asparagus, onion, kale, spinach, pub cheese and mozzarella flat bread. I was trying really hard to get the flavor from the duck confit flat bread at Bernie's. This was my closest attempt yet, but still not quite there. And I didn't get the middle of the crust to crisp, even on "holy aluminum foil" Regardless, the flavors worked really well and I like the combo of kale and spinach a lot.

Yesterday I checked out my neighborhood and bit and found this nice trail to walk to get to Pick N Save.

When I got home, I was starving and realized a flat bread was again in my future after going down the frozen pizza aisle at the store and seeing some yummy DiGiorno crispy thin crust pesto pizzas. I had some pesto in my fridge, so I put a thin, very thin layer of pesto on the crust. Then I loaded it up with tomatoes, onion, spinach, mushrooms, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. I put the flat bread right on the rack this time and guess what....success! A deliciously crispy, crunchy flatbread in just 7 minutes!

So now that I have found the walking path and have found my love for veggies again (I haven't had meat in two days and I don't miss it!) I'm thinking week 5 is going to show some great progress. I just have to not eat the whole flatbread (whoops!). Probably would help if I only cook half the crust at a time.

So cheers to a new month being here already and warmer weather is coming, it just has to right? Let's keep up the good work together and Happy Eating!

Healthy Living Week 3

Week 3 has been a real battle. I tried hard to not let the mind win, but I'm in need of great support to get back on track. My back pain has been a set back and I'm trying to learn to deal with it, but it makes working out very difficult. I know there is some level of working out I can do and I just have to do it.

Plus not all weight loss happens from working out - you have to work on what you are putting in your body. 


I will say that my clothes are fitting a bit better, even though the weight loss isn't significant. Sometimes it's not all about the number on the scale, but for me, I have to keep that in mind so I keep trudging forward.

I did go to Chicago this past weekend for a friend's birthday and although I did allow myself to indulge, it could have turned out a lot worse.

One slice of deep dish (how can you not), some fried chicken (a little too indulgent) but a very healthy breakfast. I did limit my alcohol intake to help cut down on empty calories and we walked a lot.

All in all, the scale was only up .5 after the weekend so I was proud.

I made a wonderful lasagna for me and my guy on Monday night and it turned out scrumptious. Though it was a bit richer, I know every ingredient I put in it and used low-cal, low-fat when I could.

So my goal for this next week is to really get back on track and work my hardest to get to my goals. Small steps begin with the first step, so it's back to veggies and salads for lunch and portion control. 

 

Here is my best guess at how I made mine. I really just threw it together.

Throw It Together Lasagna
Sauce:
1 lb. Italian Sausage (Italian turkey sausage could have been used but the store was out)
1 jar Rinaldi Spaghetti sauce
3 tsp. minced garlic
1- 14. oz can diced tomatoes (drained)

Brown Italian sausage. Drain off the grease. Add the garlic, sauce and tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. 

9 lasagna noodles, cooked
4 oz. finely chopped mushrooms
1 cup Italian cheese blend shredded cheese

Filling:
6 oz. onion and chive cream cheese (couldn't find a low fat option)
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 Tbsp. pesto (Classico brand was what I had at home)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian cheese blend shredded cheese

1 tsp. onion powder
dash of salt
few cranks of pepper

Use a hand mixer to combine the filling together into a consistent mixture.

Put half the sauce into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 X 13 pan. Then lay down three of the noodles. Put half the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles and top with half the chopped mushrooms. Then put half the remaining sauce down. Add another layer of noodles, top with remaining cheese mixture and remaining mushrooms and add the final noodles for the top. Cover with sauce and remaining cup of cheese. Place in over at 350 for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with garlic bread.

It's even better the next day! I let my guy take some of the leftovers so he had lunch for work and his coworkers were jealous.