Putting on the feedbag in San Diego

As you noticed, I’ve been too busy to blog here at This Mama Cooks! lately. The reason? I went to San Diego for a blogger event. I have a theory that if you spend X days away from home you spend twice that time packing, unpacking, and making up for all the work you missed. I did work while on the road – from the hotel, the library, Starbucks, and the airport – but not as much as I usually do. That’s because I spent most of my time eating.

Here’s the slide show:

I was staying at La Valencia in La Jolla, one of my family’s favorite places to eat. I can remember the exact table in the Mediterranean Room where I had a big fight with my dad. Talk about a culinary trip down memory lane.

The food and service are still spectacular at La Valencia. It’s pricey, but it’s worth it – especially for the gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. For dinner I had the La Valencia Bouillabaisse. For lunch I had the Paella Valencia – delicious and hot enough to steam up my camera. At breakfast, I ate the most marvelous sausages. I couldn’t get enough. Did I mention the chocolates and fruit that were delivered to my hotel room?

One evening my group had a meal at Azul, down the street from La Valencia. I had the Main Lobster and Artichoke Risotto, some wonderful appetizers, lots of wine, and a white chocolate cheesecake. No wonder I passed out in my hotel room before 10 p.m.

Then the real eating began! I went to stay with my mom and her husband, Joe, over the weekend. Mom mom loves seafood, sushi and vegetables. Joe is a steak, potatoes and dessert kind of guy. They’re so different in their dining preferences that they almost never cook at home. (My mom is a fabulous cook, but Joe complains she uses too much seasoning.)

To prevent culinary calamity, they go out to buffets. Between the casinos like the Barona Valley Ranch, and the local Asian restaurants, there’s lots of buffet dining going on in San Diego. In fact, I was so busy “buffet-ing” that I never had time to go to In ‘N’ Out Burgers or Roberto’s. I was too full to care.

So now I’m back home, feeling HUGE, and trying to get back to my good eating habits. However, when your body gets used to having chocolate, wine, and rich seafood dishes every night, you go through withdrawal. So it’s been tough. Yet, I’m determined to get back to losing weight, working out, and fitting back in my clothes that feel a little smug these days.

After all, I have a goal. In July, I’m speaking at BlogHer. It’s a little embarrassing showing up looking chunky when you have a diet blog. If that doesn’t motivate me, I don’t know what will.