Of course I'll have another cheddar biscuit!

RJ finally finished up his finals this past Wednesday, so we were well overdue for a good date night! It was his turn to pick the restaurant and he was in the mood for some seafood. So, Red Lobster it is!!

Before we left, I perused the menu online and saw their new Lighthouse Menu. It lists a number of dishes that are 475 calories or less with 750 grams of sodium! I ordered the  Lighthouse portion of tilapia with double broccoli for my sides. I also got a salad with my meal, but I didn't eat most of it because I was full. The tilapia was perfectly grilled and had a fantastic grilled taste!

The infamous cheddar biscuit!

He enjoyed his shrimp :)

After dinner, we made our way downtown for some dessert. I was in the mood for ice cream, so we went to Ben & Jerry's! I ordered Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup (obviosly) and RJ got a scoop of vanilla...boring I know but the boy is obsessed with his vanilla!

Overall, a great date night with wonderful company :)

Where was your last date night?

Sneakers, and presents, and energy bars, Oh My!

I hope everyone is had a fantastic Saturday!! My day was very mellow, I did a little shopping with my mommy for her mother's day breakfast and dinner I will be making her for mother's day (so excited!)

I have a new delicious snack to tell you guys about! I was in Costco the other day and I stumbled across these Sunrise Energy Bars. The ingredients are all recognizable, which is a nice change for bars like this. Usually, they are packed full of chemicals to keep them from spoiling. Sunrise bars have rolled oats, cranberries, raisins, dried apples, etc. I have been eating them all for the past few days and I am in love!!

This week RJ starts finals and for those of you who attended college, you know what hell that whole week can be. To make his week a little better, I made him this quick little care package to make him smile :) I packed it full of his favorite snacks, a coffee drink, and some coupons for some fun things to look forward to after finals (like a dinner out on the town). I dropped off at his house yesterday and he absolutely loved it! He said it was very thoughtful and he will definitely be eating all of his snacks this week! 

This is a great gift idea any time someone you love is going through a stressful time whether it be a test or just a rough week at work. 

 Oh, before I go, check out my new babies!!!! I finally bought these new sneakers on sale at City Sports. They were originally $115 and I got them for $88. SCORE!! They are amazingly supportive and really help my knee feel better during my cardio workouts!

What's your favorite thing you've purchased recently?

A Day of Cooking

Happy St. Patrick's Day, all!! I have spent most of my Sunday in the kitchen, preparing a delicious Irish meal for my friends. I wanted to make something traditional and warm, so I decided on an Irish beef stew. I found the recipe on EatingWell.com and made some adjustments based on what I had on-hand.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (I used chunks of beef)
• 1 3/4 pounds white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 large leeks, white part only, halved, washed (see Tip) and thinly sliced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
•  (I used reduced sodium beef broth)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped 
• ( I omitted this)

PREPARATION

1. Combine lamb, potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery, broth, thyme, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker; stir to combine. Put the lid on and cook on low until the lamb is fork-tender, about 8 hours. Stir in parsley before serving.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. | Equipment: 6-quart slow cooker

• Tip: To clean leeks, trim and discard green tops and white roots. Split leeks lengthwise and place in plenty of water. Swish the leeks in the water to release any sand or soil. Drain. Repeat until no grit remains.

Cooking Away...

As you can see, this recipe is easy as pie. Just literally throw everything in the slow cooker and go about your day! And it smells heavenly- I am sniffing as I write this post :)

Along with the stew, I am serving fresh ,multigrain bread and a bundt cake for dessert! I dyed the cake batter green with some food coloring to make it  a bit more festive. 

Shamrock green!

I will take pictures of the finished project and do a recap post tomorrow! Now I am off to play with these two little buggers: 

Enjoy your Saint Patrick's Day!!

My (Belated) Valentine

As all of you know, yesterday was Valentine's Day, the day of kisses, cuddling, and all around mushy feelings. Since I didn't get a chance to post yesterday (long story, involving curry noodles and a quest for baked goods...don't ask) , I decided to do my valentine's post today!


Oldie!

In December 2009, I met a boy. He was a friend of a friend of a friend and we met at a hotel party in my hometown. It was winter break between my freshman and sophmore year in college and I was in no way looking for a relationship. I had just gotten out of a not so nice relationship and I found out later that this boy had been dating someone for the past two years. After that initial meeting, we remained friends, however, and by the time summer rolled around a few months later, I was ready to have a carefree break with no worries and just have some fun. Life had some other plans.


Ash and Pikachu :)


He was newly single needed a friend. I happily accpeted and we became closer as the summer wore on. Then the relationship turned flirty. I was his "wifey" and he was my "squirrel" (don't ask where I got that from, I can have a strange mind..) The flirting turned into cuddling when our group of friends were watching movies. Cuddling turned to holding hands.

One night, A group of us couples, there was 3 of them at the time, went to a small carnival nearby. We walked around playing games and eating fair food and someone mentioned going on the ferris wheel. We got on and I sat with him in our own car. I was nervous. I knew he was nervous. The moment was upon us. He kissed me. My heart was racing and I knew I was in trouble. So much for a carefree summer eh?
A week or so later, he asked me to be his girlfriend and I happily agreed. Three years (two of them in a long distance relationship) later, we are still going strong and I could not be happier. When we met, I was heavier, and he taught me that I was beautiful, just the way I was. He is my rock and my stability. He keeps me sane when I want to pull my hair out. He is my heart.

Oh, and by the way, his name is RJ :)

Happy Belated Valentine's Day, babe! Can't wait to see you tonight :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did you spend your Valentine's Day?