Long Weekends and Workouts

Happy Saturday! Have you entered my Chobani giveaway yet? I mean really, who wouldn’t want a free case of Greek yogurt?!

I hope you had a great 4th of July and got to see some awesome fireworks. Nathan and I met up with some friends at Gordon Biersch for dinner and drinks by the water and were able to watch the fireworks from our seats at the restaurant. Yes, it may have been through some trees, but they are city trees so they’re little 🙂

Cashew Chicken Salad

I had the day off yesterday so I took that time to sleep in [all the way until 8:30!], get in an awesome workout, and run some very important errands.

I was way past due to get my nails done and for a haircut! Really, it was more of a chopping.. a little shorter than I expected and prefer, but I’ll get used to it. And it’ll grow. I think I’ll need to invest in some wider headbands though because there is no way I’m going to be able to put my hair back for workouts! Any recommendations are welcome 🙂

And speaking of workouts, bootcamp this week was rough! Part of what I love about it is having the ability to scale the workouts to your own level. This week, two of the workouts concentrated on heavier weights and less reps and I really took advantage of that. My hands were red, my arms and legs were shaking, and it hurt so good. These are the workouts that give you real results [and I’m clearly proud of that.. #noshame].

These are the workouts that helped me to get wedding ready and they’re also the workouts that keep me going back for more. The constant changes in routine and moves keep you and your muscles guessing. It also doesn’t hurt that I don’t have to think about what kind of workout I want to do each day! And I’m definitely appreciating my rest day today.

It’s so nice to still have a full weekend ahead of me. We got early and went to breakfast at one of our favorite spots right down the street, Spoons.

Break-ing-fast Burrito with egg whites, black bean chili, spinach, and salsa verde

We went there the day before the wedding for a little breakfast escape. It’s one of the only places where I don’t get eggs benedict for breakfast. Their homemade black bean chili has a nice kick that has just the right amount of spice. I totally converted Nathan too.. he got the same breakfast with added chorizo. Good thing we’re so different, right?

I’m sure we’ll be running around the rest of the day today and tomorrow morning we’ll be up early again to grab some fresh fruits and veggies from the farmers’ market. My fave! Enjoy your weekend!

Food for Thought

What kind of workouts are your favorite? Are you a gym rat or do you prefer running or playing sports?

Do you have any fun plans this weekend?

What I Ate Wednesday #45: The Wedding Food

Nathan and I took the wedding menu very seriously. Very seriously. My family and friends always refer to us as the foodies so we knew that we couldn’t go with the typical “chicken or steak” option. We searched high and low for the right caterer [really.. ask my mom ;)] and decided on Chef’s Expressions. They were the most creative and had the most exciting ideas. It also didn’t hurt that we had been to a wine dinner they had a couple years ago so we knew the food was fabulous.

My dad said during the whole planning process, “all you really need is good food and good music.” And it’s true, the comments about how wonderful the food was were just flying in!

Butler Passed Hors d’oeuvres

Crispy Peking Duck Chopsticks
Thin spring roll wrapper surrounding five spice glazed duck with a smokey candied ginger hoisin.

Roasted Beets
Chopped with shiitake mushrooms and finished with a meyer lemon vinaigrette, served on a silver spoon.

Kimchee Dim Sum
Spicy napa cabbage and bok choy wrapped in a dumpling, steamed and served on a bamboo steamer with a sweet carrot and mirin dipping sauce.

Gunpowder Bison au Poivre
Tenderloin of bison, quick sauteed in green peppercorns and cabernet, served on a crispy crostini with a dollop of caramelized onion confit.

Grilled Tuna
Loin of tuna grilled and served on a silver fork with mache and sweet pickled cucumber.

Chicken and Waffles
Crispy chicken bites served in a thin waffle cone, drizzled with honey mustard dressing.

The beets and kimchee dim sum were definitely my favorites. They were full of flavor and so different from the typical vegetarian options you see. Nathan was all about the chicken and waffles. It was an idea that I’d seen on Pinterest [thankyouverymuch] and I knew it would be perfect for him!

Dinner is Served!

First Course
Poached pear filled with farmers cheese and orange segments, sprouting a mix of fresh baby greens, and a side of sweet spring pea and mint soup topped with creme fraiche.

Second Course
Roulade of Mid-Atlantic turbot filled with diced vegetable confetti, with roasted asparagus, coconut sambal sauce, and a tempura battered scallion.

Entree
Grilled black angus loin in a chimichurri sauce with a potato and herb rosette and broccolini and plum tomato brulee.

The poached pear and soup were incredible. We had so many comments about the pear in particular and I was more than happy to see that we had a few to take home with us 😉 The coconut sambal sauce on the turbot was also outstanding. It was chock full of flavor and, again, nothing like you would normally get at a wedding! The steak was perfectly cooked and deliciously tender. Overall, a fabulous meal and I would highly recommend Chef’s Expressions to anyone looking.

Cutting the Cake

Full Moon
Bourbon Madagascar vanilla and real vanilla beans.

Brownie Sundae
Brownie cupcake with vanilla bean and chocolate icing, topped with a cherry.

Apple Crostata
Apple pie a la mode in a cupcake.

Banana Pudding
Scrumptious banana cupcake with homemade vanilla custard filling and bruleed meringue frosting, topped with a mini nilla wafer.

Bananas Foster Cake Topper
Bananas foster sandwiched between two layers of banana cake, wrapped in vanilla bean frosting.

Cupcakes won our hearts from the very beginning and Midnite Confections Cupcakery has the best. It was a really tough job choosing flavors; we were constantly trying new flavors of cupcakes and they were all so delicious.. what a life! It took us a good month to choose our final 4 flavors and then we had to decide on our custom cake topper, but after having the Banana Pudding cupcake, we had a pretty good idea. The cake topper was perfect; so much so that with a full mouth at the wedding I yelled “THIS IS AMAZING!!” I have no shame.

Everything was absolutely perfect. I can’t imagine a better menu or execution for my wedding and I’m so pleased with the way everything turned out.

Food for Thought

If you’re married, was food a big decision in your planning? And if you’re not married, do you plan on putting a lot of effort into your menu?

*All photos courtesy of Artful Weddings by Sachs Photography. Another highly recommended wedding vendor!

Foodie Friday: Curried Golden Raisin Hummus

I’m sorry, I totally left you high and dry this week but work has been cuh-ray-zee! [That’s crazy.. if you didn’t get it.] Luckily, I did get to make a delicious hummus over the weekend that I’m psyched to share with you!

Nathan and I are in love with Baba’s Kitchen, a Mediterranean restaurant in the city. Every month they have a specialty hummus which I usually pass on because their baba ghanoush is so fantastic, but I couldn’t pass on the Curried Golden Raisin Hummus. It was equally as delicious as their baba ghanoush and I had been craving it since! I knew I had to figure out a recipe..

Veggie pocket platter over quinoa @ Baba’s Kitchen

Curried Golden Raisin Hummus

Makes fourteen 2 tbsp servings

Ingredients
– 1 tsp honey
– 1/4 cup water
– 4 tbsp golden raisins; divided
– 4 dried apricots; chopped [I prefer Sunsweet, they’re nice and soft!]
– 1 can garbanzo beans; drained and rinsed [I use reduced sodium]
– 1 tbsp + 1 tsp mild curry paste
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
– 1/4 tsp paprika
– 1 tsp kosher salt
– 1/4 cup EVOO

Directions
In a small bowl, microwave honey and water for 10 seconds. Mix together and add 3 tbsp of the raisins and all of the chopped apricots. Let the dried fruit reconstitute for about 10 minutes.

While the fruit is soaking, add the beans, curry paste, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt to a food processor. Start processing and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. As everything starts to come together, add the fruit and honey water mixture. Process until smooth. [Feel free to add more water to adjust consistency to your liking.]

Once you’ve reached the desired consistency, stir in the remaining tbsp of raisins. Serve with chips, veggies, or smear it onto a sandwich. And if you didn’t eat it all in one sitting, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator 😉

Nutritional Stats
Per 2 tbsp serving

81 Calories  /  5g Fat  /  9g Carbs  /  3g Sugar  /  2g Fiber  /  2g Protein

Food for Thought

Have you ever made your own hummus? Have you ever tried different flavors of hummus? What is your favorite flavor?

P.S. GO ORIOLES!! Happy opening day to my favorite team 🙂 O-R-I-O-L-E-S!

What I Ate Wednesday #40: Passover Fail

I tried really hard. Really, I thought “Passover will be so easy.. I’ll just continue to eat exactly how I always do!” I had recipes ready to go, I had food prepped, and then I realized I forgot about legumes. Ok, no big deal. And then I realized I forgot to read a list of ingredients.

So I’m not perfect.. but I’m doing the best that I can! I mean, it has been a whole day and a half.

[Breakfast]
Slimmed down sweet scramble topped with my homemade maple cinnamon walnut butter, cashew butter, and walnut butter quinoa granola. Success! A delicious, Passover-friendly breakfast.

[Lunch]
Kale salad with lots of veggies, buffalo sauce, and a Savory Mushroom & Roasted Garlic No Bull Burger. Sounds like it should be good.. and then I realized I didn’t read the ingredients on the burgers. One ingredient is lentils; alright, legumes aren’t the end of the world. Oh, how about the barley and spelt? Whoops! Good thing I have the rest of the week to make up for it, right?

[Dinner]
Leftovers! My family always does 2 nights of everything. Seriously, I thought there were 2 nights of Thanksgiving growing up and I didn’t understand why other people didn’t celebrate the second night.

Regardless, the second night of Passover we had some leftovers and some new additions. Salmon, Bube’s brisket, roasted broccoli and sweet potato, and some fabulous charoset which I will be sharing the recipe for very soon! [Figs, orange, and dates! OH MY!]

[Snacks]
Apple.
Carrots with baba ghanoush and curried golden raisin hummus. Gotta work out a recipe for this hummus!
Mini carrot cake cupcake and a piece of dark chocolate covered matzah. Those paleo cupcakes were a huge hit! Glad I doubled the recipe and made minis!

No more No Bull Burgers for me this week.. back on the Passover wagon today. I promise! [Except for the beans in my sweet potato burgers.. ohh legumes, you get me every time!]

Food for Thought

Have you ever failed on day 1 because of minor oversights?

Does your family have any traditions like my family’s two-night celebrations?

What I Ate Wednesday #39: A Weekend of Good

I’ve been loving having the past few weekends free of wedding planning. It has definitely been nice to take my good old time with everything and not have to make it to 100 appointments; plus I actually get to spend time with Nathan! We’ve been taking this time to take advantage of some of our favorite restaurants around town too which is one of my favorite things to do with him. Highlights to follow..

[Friday Night]
Thai Arroy. If you like Thai food, this is the place to be. Their food is authentic and always delicious. It’s also not too expensive [$11 for a chicken hot pot with leftovers!] and to top it off, it’s BYOB. You can’t go wrong with good food and wine.

[Saturday]

Lunch
I’m still not sure how I did it, but I convinced Nathan to stay home for lunch on a weekend. And I made myself an epic kale salad. Seriously, there were so many awesome veggies, a sweet potato quinao bean burger, homemade dijon vinaigrette, and avocado. Everything is better with avocado!

Wedding Research
We’ve been in the market of tasting cupcakes to choose the perfect flavors. I have to say, we might have found our chocolate! The salted caramel cupcake was incredible too, but so close to the vanilla that we’re going to have to find another. Such a tough life..

Dinner
…and a movie! The most important part of the night was the pitcher of white sangria we shared during the movie. Wonderful.

[Sunday]

Breakfast
A lineup of a chocolate Shakeology protein shake, water, and Lamplighter Triple Espresso Blend from my Relay Foods order were the highlight of my post-workout nourishment. I can’t speak highly enough about this coffee; it’s so tasty!

Brunch
Lebanese Taverna. While I love this restaurant to pieces, I should have stuck with what I knew. My poached eggs were not quite what I was expecting. Nor was the fruit parfait. Still, I devoured some of their amazing bread and baba ghanoush so I was a happy camper!

We spent the rest of Sunday grocery shopping and cooking up food for the week, including Spaghetti Squash Kugel and Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bark. I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend with my fiance!

Food for Thought

What is your favorite weekend activity?

What I Ate Wednesday #30: Changing It Up

It may have been an icky, drizzly day, but I thought Sunday was wonderful. Maybe it had something to do with the gross weather and wanting to relax hibernate. Maybe it had something to do with the amazing Ravens victory that occurred on Saturday. Seriously, did you see that game?! Whatever it was, it was refreshing and much-needed.

These are the kind of days that I enjoy some nice, comforting meals. It was nice to change it up a bit.

[Breakfast]
Toasted coconut overnight oats. All I can say right now is YUM! If I had to trade the sweet breakfast scramble for anything, this would be it! And I’ll be sharing the recipe on Friday. Just you wait!

[Lunch]
We ventured out in the drizzles down the street to a little local bar called Porters. We’ve been there a few times before but it’s been a good 7 or 8 months since we’ve been. Every time before I’ve gotten the salmon sandwich but I decided to be adventurous and try the portabella mushroom sandwich with grilled red peppers, mozzarella, fresh basil, and homemade scallion aioli. Let’s just say we’ll be heading back there soon!

[Dinner]
Pinterest is my best friend. Especially when I get something that isn’t chicken breast. Last week I came across Mini Mediterranean Turkey Meatloaves from Iowa Girl Eats. But knowing that Nathan and I rarely like to make an entire pound’s worth of the same burger or, in this case, meatloaf, I recalled having pinned Thai Turkey Burgers, also from Iowa Girl Eats.

Well thank goodness for that! I turned the burgers into mini meatloaves and we had a few flavors to choose from. We both chose the Thai meatloaves for dinner on Sunday and Nathan whipped up a broccoli pineapple slaw to top. And I, of course, roasted some broccoli. Because how I could have dinner without roasted broccoli or brussel sprouts?! Exactly. I can’t.

Sunday’s meals weren’t too far out of the ordinary, but just enough to make it feel like I was treating myself. And I have been happily able to treat myself to mini meatloaves all week!

Food for Thought

Are you a creature of habit when it comes to your meals or do you prefer to change it up day by day?