Ohhh my gosh! I went into the Kettlebell workout knowing that I was going to be worked hard but ouch! I was exhausted, sweating and shaking. I think I did pretty well for my first time. The instructor, who is also a coworker, said that I just give up on myself and that I need to push myself harder. Ok, that I can do. I also had a hard time getting my butt down and kept using my back. I’m worried I’ll be feeling that tomorrow. Overall, I thought it was a great class and I’d try it again!
When I got home I had dinner with my family which we haven’t done in awhile!
Started off grilling some veggies.
And some grilled chicken!
My delicious plate!
Grilled chicken with spinach, roasted red pepper and mozzarella on an Arnold flat.
Grilled zucchini. Simple and flavorful.
Salad with mozzarella, artichoke hearts, cherry tomato and salami.
And I also had half an ear of corn :D
Everything was so delicious and summery!
Tonight I ran some errands with my mom to get some last minute things for my trip! I can’t wait :D
Because I stayed at Jay’s last night I wasn’t able to make an as interesting breakfast. I knew it was going to have to be something quick and easy.
Starbucks to the rescue!
I’m sure there are better and cheaper choices for breakfast when you aren’t at home, but I had to think quick and Starbucks was on my way to work. If anyone has some good on the go breakfast ideas I’d love some suggestions :)
Fresh fruit medley.
What I did notice is that Starbucks has now printed this on their napkins:
Real Food. Simply Delicious. We’ve got good news. We removed the artificial trans fats, artificial flavors, artifical dyes and high fructose corn syrup. Now your food not only tastes better, it is better. We hope you enjoy the difference.
Now why they included all these terrible things in their food in the first place is kind of questionable but I’m glad that I’m eating healthy food :)
Yogurt parfait! Yum :) Maybe not the healthiest parfait in the world but it was tasty. I actually avoided the fruit on the bottom because it was all mushy and I ate the fresh fruit instead.
And ah, my saving grace in the morning. I really need to learn how to make good coffee so I don’t have to buy it all the time!
Happy Anniversary, Jay :) Sorry I didn’t get a chance to post last night! When we got back from dinner it was late and then Jay’s internet wasn’t working.
Tonight we celebrated by going to one of our favorite restaurants, Limoncello, located in West Chester, PA. It is the cutest Italian place ever and their food is phenomenal! The decor is simple but elegant and it is really cozy.
I studied abroad in Italy and I can say that this place resembles a restaurant that you’d find in good ole Italia.
I started off with a glass of white wine. It was a pinot grigio/chardonnay blend. Very light and refreshing :)
They give you complimentary bruschetta and since Jay doesn’t like it, I got to have both pieces :D I also had a piece of undocumented bread with olive oil.
Prior to my main course I had a baby green salad which included mixed baby greens, cherry tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives, cucumbers and feta cheese. I’m not normally a fan of feta, but it complimented the salad components perfectly :D The dressing that came with it was balsamic dijon and I asked for it on the side.
For my meal I ordered the eggplant rollantini. Being the huge eggplant fan that I am, I ordered the Rollantini di Melanzane. It was eggplant stuffed with parma prosciutto, ricotta and tomato sauce served with gnocchi. I was under the impression that it would be rolled eggplant pieces with the ingredients stuffed inside, but it was still delicious! The portion was huge!
Jay had chicken parmesan and he said it is the best chicken he has ever had!
We were too stuffed for dessert but enjoyed the complimentary shots of limoncello! How appropriate :D
I did manage to snack on some coconut M&Ms on the way home to satisfy my sweet tooth ;) These are awesome if you like coconut. They are kind of like coconut butter meets M&M!
While we were walking I told Jay to snap a picture of the back of my dress because I love the way it looks :)
Jay wanted one of the back of his outfit too, what a dork :)
Cards to each other ♥
It was an excellent way to celebrate and neither of us can believe it has been 4 years!! Jay and I went to high school together and he actually dated one of my close friends. I was often the third wheel - haha! He was a senior at the time and we were only sophomores. After he graduated high school and they broke up and I didn’t see him for almost 4 years. On Fathers Day, 2006 we both attended a party where we “re-met”. He mentioned that we should hang out but I thought me meant the group of people we used to hang out with when he was dating my friend! A few weeks later we started talking and he asked me out on a date. I went into it thinking that we were going as friends but the chemistry was just there. The rest is history! We’ve been through some rough times and amazing times. I can sincerely say that Jay is one of my best friends. He knows me inside and out and still loves me. He is patient, kind, caring, smart and understanding. He knows how to cheer me up on bad days and crack me up when we’re having fun. I’m glad that Jay is a part of my life and I know he will be for many more years. I love you Jay, Happy Anniversary!
In true meatloaf memory fashion, I had to have a leftover meatloaf sammie the day after having meatloaf for dinner. It just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t!
Growing up my mom would put the meatloaf on white bread with ketchup. But I decided to go a little different and have it on a seeded bun with mustard.
Oh yeah, good choice.
I also packed some of the amazing breaded zucchini. I also packed some dip!
A little messy but oh so good!
Today marks 4 years that Jay and I have been together so we are celebrating by going out to dinner…I can’t wait!
Those chocolate covered pretzels have got me addicted! I just can’t seem to get chocolate off my brain.
But I decided to go a more healthy route…
Vanilla yogurt topped with half of a chocolate Vita Muffin, some coconut butter and strawberries. Decadent!
Although these muffins taste great when they are heated and the chocolate chips get all melty, I also like them cold because you get a nice chomp on the chocolate chips.
I’m pretty sure strawberries and chocolate are a classic combo, at least in my book.
And I am only eating half of the muffin so I have a little snack later in the afternoon :D
I did take some photos of the strawberries up close and personal but for some reason they disappeared?!
Yes, I just quotes A Christmas Story. Hey, Christmas in July is quickly approaching, no?
For some odd reason I was craving meatloaf today. Maybe it was the craving for comfort food. Maybe I needed to protein. Maybe I needed the deliciousness!
No, this isn’t your Mama’s meatloaf!
I found the inspiration here. Mine kind of turned out to be a layered veggie/meat stack because the filling was just spilling out! Inside the meatloaf was spinach, onions, garlic, Italian bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, egg, ketchup and roasted red peppers.
I actually roasted the pepper on the grill myself. What a great decision! It was so stinking good. I’m definitely going to do this more often.
Believe it or not, meatloaf was once my favorite food. Every year on our birthday my mom has us pick our favorite meal and mine was always meatloaf and cheesecake as my birthday cake. So maybe I’m just converting back to my roots.
This bad boy was juicy, flavorful and deeeelish!
I also made some Freakishly Fantastic Faux-Fried Zucchini.
These babies are crispy and moist at the same time. Is that even possible?! Oh yes it is. Dipped in some grainy mustard.
Overall, I was totally digging this meal.
And then at work today one of the owners slapped these bad boys on my desk. I looked at him like, are you kidding me!? Are you kidding me because they look so delicious and are you kidding me because I am really trying to not eat stuff like that!!! So I treated myself to one pretzel, gave a bajillion away and then put the rest up at the front desk. I just can’t deal with temptation.
