Busy as a bee!

It's been a busy few weeks since I've posted.

I went to Rhode Island for my best childhood friend's wedding (June 17). We left Thursday (after I got off my crutchess!!!! wooohoo!) night at 10 pm and arrived (after too many bathroom breaks) to Coventry, Rhode Island at 8:30 am. We took a nap, then headed to 1st beach in Newport. Even though it was chilly, I was determined to wear my new bikini I bought for the very first time! After the beach, we grabbed dinner and spent the night in having a few drinks and playing some games at my friend's house. I didn't go to sleep until late, but had to be up early because we had plans to help decorate the ranch for the wedding on Sunday. We had such a great day decorating and exploring around the area a bit. Saturday and Sunday nights we had a hotel so we were out of the bride's way, they had a bunch of people staying there, so 5 of us got a room - we were a little squished, but we made it work! The wedding was a beautiful Sunday afternoon wedding. We sang, danced a bit, and ate a lot. The wedding was over early, so we went to the beach for a bit since we don't get to the beach too often living in Pa. We checked out on Monday morning around 10 am, and didn't get home until 12:30 am Monday night (or Tuesday morning..) - too many pee breaks, we stopped at some outlet shops, and got some grub (Mad Mex in State College!!!).

I was exhausted upon returning home; luckily one of my clients was on vacation, so I only had to squeeze one client's worth of hours into Tuesday through Friday. Tuesday, my boyfriend got into town to hang out for his weekend (his 'weekend' days off are Wednesday and Thursday.. grrr) and Wednesday (June 20) was my birthday. When I got home from work on Wednesday, my boyfriend had decorated my room with princess crowns, 23 foil balloons, and he had blown up 50 latex balloons. It was so sweet (he got me some other stuff too, but this was the most noteworthy!) For dinner, most of my family got together for a hibachi dinner and then my boyfriend and I went to Shaffers for ice cream!

My boyfriend left Thursday night, and my friends arrived on Friday evening. 2 of my friends got here in time to go to dinner, so we got Rey Azteca (DELICIOUS Mexican food) and then came back to my house for a game/drink night. My other friend got here just in time to start playing Quelf (such a fun game - if you've never played it, go buy it!!). Saturday, we spent the day at my aunt's pool drinking and eating tons of yummy food, then my family had a cookout for me! Another friend had come in from Harrisburg at cookout time. We went back to my house, cleaned up, then headed down to Thunder in the Valley where we ate more and drank some buuuuurrsss.

It was a fabulous few weeks filled with so many friends, family, and love and tons of food.


Needless to say, the number on the scale has gone up a few pounds from all the eating I've been doing and the lack of exercising. I have been back to the gym 2 times since I got off my crutches, but I do have to be careful I don't injure myself again. The doctor told me things like the stationary bike, elliptical, and swimming were good, so I've been doing those in moderation.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, my boyfriend (who doesn't cook) decided he wanted to make me dinner. Not just any dinner - spanakopita. Now, I don't know if you've ever had that before, but it's a DELICIOUS greek dish that's a phyllo dough filled with a spinach and feta mixture. It's an easy dish, but a decent amount of work goes into prepping it. I was a little skeptical that he wanted to make it, but he did a fabulous job. (I do have to admit, I helped him out a little, but it was only because he was in a time crunch...). Anyway, click on the picture to get to the recipe, or head to the recipe tab! :)

Peace, Love, and Happiness. xo

Summer Salads

One of my favorite things to eat in the summer time is salads. Fresh crisp greens, with some nuts, a little cheese, and occasionally, some fruit (strawberries, grapes, raspberries...) The possibilities are endless. One of my all-time favorite salads is Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing.

When you think of salad, most people think 'low cal! Let's do it!' when in reality, salads can easily be 700 calories before you know it. Just think about it, dressings, such as ranch and caesar, can be approximately 75 calories per tablespoon. When pouring dressing on your salad, I would bet that you're putting more than a tablespoon on. Then comes the cheese. Who doesn't love cheese; but at about 100 calories for 1/4 cup, it adds up quick.

So, here are some tips to avoid turning a healthy choice into a calorie and fat laden lunch or dinner.
1. Start off with a lettuce that will give you some nutrition - spinach, romaine, spring mix rather than iceberg, which is tasteless and hardly worth eating
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2. Choose a lean protein - grilled chicken strips, sliced turkey, tofu, even a small amount of black beans or chick peas add a lot of flavor.

3. Add a few tablespoons of cheese - feta is always delicious, cheddar, whatever you like. Believe me, a little bit goes a long way.

4. Nuts are a good option for salads, but again, the calories add up quick, so choose a nut that has a big bang for your buck. Candied nuts are okay occasionally, but add extra fat (not the good kind) to your salad. A few tablespoons of toasted almonds or walnuts are a good choice.

5. Slice up some strawberries or whatever fruit makes you happy.

6. Choose a dressing that will give your salad a flavor boost without adding a TON of calories. I generally like to use about a tablespoon of balsamic (olive oil is good too because it has healthy fats, but at 120 calories per tablespoon, I generally save that for sautéing veggies, and not weighing down my salad). Other choices that are light and refreshing are fresh salsa (I'm not talking about the stuff in the jar - ew!) which you can make yourself at home or get in the vegetable section of the grocery store, or lemon juice and some herbs and spices.

Salads can be delicious and fun. I'll probably post some recipes over the summer as we start grilling out more, but for now, here's my all time favorite. Click on the picture for the recipe!

Peace, Love, and Happiness. xo