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Hello!

Well I mentioned it this morning, but tonight I’m kicking off a week-long, Summer Inspired Dinner Series! With bright mornings, warm nights and carefree summer days coming to an end, I thought, what better way to wave goodbye to summer than with a week of dinners that are easy, fresh & celebrate my favorite summer tastes?!

Up first: Baked Tilapia with Grilled Asparagus & Wild Rice!

YUM!

The tilapia was my second mystery item from Costco My Mom and I split a big pack for $5 each! I’ve mentioned this before, but Costco is a wonderful place to buy fresh seafood if you live in the Midwest, like me.

I really love the fresh, light flavor of Tilapia so I simply seasoned my filets with an Old Bay inspired mix. I combined:

• Dried basil
• Lemon pepper
• Garlic salt
• Cinnamon
• Onion powder
• Red pepper
• Ground ginger
• Paprika
• Ground mustard
• Salt & Pepper (unpictured)

Feel free to add or delete any spices. I just looked online to see what was in Old Bay and used whatever I already had on hand that matched. I combined everything in a seasoning shaker I just happen to own:

Next I seasoned each side of the Tilapia filets with the mix, placed them in a non-stick sprayed oven-safe dish, and topped with a few, wee pats of butter. Then I squeezed a wedge of lemon over everything and put it in the oven at 375 for 25 minutes, or until it was flaky.

Meanwhile, I cleaned up some asparagus and fired up the grill. Hello! Fresh asparagus + grill? Totally summer!

I let these babies char and rolled them every couple minutes, until they were done.

Finally, I took some help from Uncle Ben and popped a Wild Rice packet into the microwave to heat up. Easy!

When I assembled my plate, I couldn’t help but smile. Easy, breezy dinner for an easy, breezy summer night. Perfect!

I’m so glad I simply seasoned my Tilapia filets instead of breading or sautéing them in oil. It was the perfect amount of spice, and I could taste the fresh fish.

I served lemon wedges on the side for squeezing

The grilled asparagus were smokey and perfectly cooked. I like my asparagus a little crunchy. How about you?

Wild rice, Ben’s request, was a perfect side dish. This particular product didn’t have a lot of preservatives or funky ingredients. Plus, it was ready in 90 seconds!

Now…what would a good summer dinner be without a perfectly summer dessert?? Nothing! That’s why I made Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert – wheeee!!!

I just grilled fresh pineapple until they were slightly charred and while we ate, I put them in a gladware container with a lid so they could steam and get soft.

When it was time for dessert, I dished out some vanilla ice cream and placed my pineapple around it.

I don’t think you need me to describe how incredible this was…cool, creamy ice cream + sweet, smokey pineapple…WOW!

Well – I am a FULL and HAPPY lady The Summer Inspired Dinner Series is off to a good start if you ask me! Tonight’s dinner met all the requirements: fresh ingredients, insanely easy preparation and TOTALLY the taste of summer!

Stay tuned tomorrow morning for a fun announcement – until then, have a super night!

~~~~~

Do you ever cook fresh fish?

This was actually my first time cooking white fish and it seriously couldn’t have been easier…it was actually easier than cooking chicken because you don’t have to trim it, you can tell when it’s done, etc. Loved it!

Happy Monday! Ready to start your week? Who’s starting school back up today? Good luck if you are

Well – put it in the books – this is the first morning since Spring that I’ve had to wear pants on my morning Mom walk!! It was a nippy 55 degrees this morning…ice cold. We heated up soon enough though and it’s supposed to be in the low 80s today, so all is not lost!

Last night I made an overnight Green Monster with some spinach that I picked up at Costco yesterday (item #1!). This morning I whirred that baby up and devoured!

I literally have 1 scoop of almond butter left! Ben is heading to Chicago this weekend though, so I have a list of things for him to pick up at Trader Joe’s

Is your Green Monster ever too thick? Add a splash of water. Overnight green monsters get suuuuper thick from the oats absorbing the milk, so I add a splash of water in with the ice and banana, which gives me the perfect consistency!

Today for lunch, I packed a: Spinach Salad, Blueberry Yogurt & an Orange.

In the salad we’ve got:

• Spinach
• Feta Cheese
• Chopped Celery
• Dried Cranberries
• Cherry Tomatoes

Look at these beauts. Fresh from the vine!

Sir, I think you could use a haircut…

Love the salty feta with the tart cranberries.

While I don’t eat oranges a lot, they are actually a really good snack option. After you peel them, it takes awhile to remove each section and eat!

Finally, one of my faves – Blueberry Buckle Yogurt. Sweet and creamy!

Today’s Running Tips

Monday’s running tips are from the “Advanced Running” section of the 101 Greatest Running Tips list. Don’t let the advanced name scare you – again, these are tips that I pulled out of the list of 101, that I thought were applicable for runners & athletes at all levels!

Tip #37. Go with mind over grind: "Any idiot can train himself into the ground; the trick is doing the training that makes you gradually stronger." –Keith Brantly, U.S. Olympic marathoner

- I’ve mentioned this in the past, but I think it’s important not to go from 0 to 100 when you first start getting into running, or are getting back into it from a break. If you go too hard too fast, you’ll likely get super sore, which can be discouraging. My advice would be to ease into a running/exercise routine and slowly increase time and miles.

Tip #44. Rest assured: "Back off at the first sign of injury. Three to 5 days off is better than missing a month or two. Take regular rest days." –PattiSue Plumer, two-time U.S. Olympian

- We touched on this in Tip #16. It’s really important not to push through an injury – you’ll likely make it worse! Taking rest days is important too – your body needs time to recover from heavy exercise and runs.

Tip #45. Divide and conquer: "Pick one thing each year that you need to improve, and work on that. It might be improving your diet, getting more sleep, or increasing your mileage. You can’t work on everything at once." –Bob Kennedy

- This is my favorite tip of the day. I think getting into a healthy lifestyle is daunting for a lot of people because they think ‘Oh, I have to be perfect. I have to workout, eat right, drink lots of water, sleep 8 hours a day, etc., etc.’ Be easy on yourself – again, you can’t go from 0-100 in one day. Baby steps! It’s ok!

Alrighty friends, off to begin another week! Check back tonight for the start of a week-long, end of summer dinner series. Tonight’s going to be a good one!

~~~~~

What did you have for breakfast today? Do you typically go for a “healthier” breakfast on Monday’s?

Heeeello, hello!

Lunch at my parent’s house was FAB, as usual! We started out with a Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Salad, drizzled with an olive oil based dressing. SO fresh and summery!

My stack of salad with some Sweet 100 tomatoes from my Mom’s plants!

Our main dish was Chicken Parmesan with noodles & extra sauce.

Mmmm…cheesy, saucy deliciousness…what’s not to love??

Dessert was a Homemade Peach Tart. This was fresh peaches, spices and a crunchy almond topping, all wrapped in a golden-brown pie crust.

Go Mom! This had so many wonderful flavors and textures – from the sweet peaches and fragrant nutmeg, to the flaky crust and crunchy almonds. AMAZING!

After lunch my Mom and made a Costco run where I picked up some additional supplies for meals this week – all to the tune of $10. If you’re debating on joining a Costco or Sam’s Club – I’d definitely suggest joining with a family member or friend. That way you can split the cost of the yearly fee AND split some of the big bulk groceries. My Mom and I picked up two things (to be revealed later this week ) and split them both. Win-win!

By the time I wrapped everything up, it was dinnertime! I wasn’t super hungry (thanks Costco sample day!) so I made myself a big Mixed Fruit Bowl for dinner.

We’ve got:

• 1/2 a banana
• Cantaloupe
• Peach
• Apple

This filled me up, without weighing me down. Know what I mean?

Oooo boy, I am not ready to go back to work tomorrow – it was so nice having a three day weekend! Labor day, labor day, labor day… This will be the mantra that I keep repeating to myself for the next two weeks!

Have a good night everyone!

~~~~~

What’s your favorite pie? Do you prefer cream based, or fruit/berry based pies?

I’ve got a soft spot for Dutch Apple Pie – love that crumbly crust on top!

Good morning all!

Yesterday was one of those absolutely picture-perfect, must-be-outdoors kind of summer days! I think this view pretty much sums it up!

I spent the day outside tidying up my gardens, playing tennis with Ben (and losing miserably,) grilling some perfect steaks (my camera ate the pictures!!) and ended the day with seeing Inglorious Bastards.

Oh boy… Hands down, goriest movie I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Like, picture the goriest movie you’ve ever seen and then multiply it by 10. Nay, 100. Aside from the gore – Quentin Tarantino once again delivered a quirky, unique movie that I really enjoyed. I actually feel twisted saying I enjoyed it because of the gore, but again, aside from the gore – it was awesome!

This morning I woke up sore as H – thanks tennis! – and hobbled to the grocery store, where $51.75 bought me all of THIS:

We’ve got the fresh stuff:

• Pineapple
• Broccoli
• Bananas (btw, thanks to a couple of commentors, I now know that bananas last longer when you don’t keep them in a bunch!)
• Cantaloupe
• Watermelon
• Potatoes
• Salad
• Blueberries
• Peaches
• Mushrooms
• Green Apples
• Celery
• Lemon
• Onion
• Asparagus
• Zucchini
• Braeburn Apples

And other/husband stuff:

• Eggs
• Yogurt
• Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Crunch – aka organic Cinnamon Toast Crunch!! (thanks Lauren for the rec!!)
• Wild Rice
• Skim Milk
• American Cheese slices
• Brat & hot dog buns
• Whole Wheat English Muffins
• Cheddar Cheese slices
• Turkey slices
• Hot Dogs

All for $51.75! I’m telling you – buy in-season and on sale, and you will never go wrong! The most exciting purchase of the day was the Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Crunch, which was on sale, plus I had a $1.00 off coupon. Yes!

Not part of the total bill was a Starby’s Lite Caramel Frappuccino, which I treated myself to after grocery shopping. Which I also sucked down before I even got home! I can’t help myself with frozen, blended beverages…they go down so quick!

After I got all my groceries put away, I munched on some of the Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Crunch cereal. For a cinnamon-sugar addict like myself, this is a TREAT!

Here are the nutrition labels for Cinnamon Toast Crunch vs Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Crunch.

As you can see, the nutritional stats stats aren’t too different, except for the ingredient list. Cascadian Farms is all organic, where Cinnamon Toast Crunch is not. This is probably more than you ever wanted or cared to know about cinnamon-sugar flavored cereal, I just thought it was interesting!

So ANYWAYS – I nibbled on a small bowl when I got home

Just amazing

Ben and I are heading off to my parent’s house in a couple hours for lunch, then the rest of the day is completely open!

~~~~~

How much is your typical grocery bill?

Good morning everyone!

Last night Ben and I went to dinner at one of the best little restaurants in town: Cafe Su.

I always forget that it’s here and that makes me sad because this place is incredible! It’s a Chinese cafe with funky decor that plays music like Norah Jones. Totally random, eclectic, unique and you really feel like you’re having an “experience” while dining here.

There were pink roses on every table and on the windowsills. Very sweet

We started with what may be my favorite item on Cafe Su’s menu: Crab Rangoon. These rangoons are the size of my hand, pillowy soft, and bursting with savory crab filling. Heavenly!

For my main dish, I ordered a Vegetarian Garlic Stir-Fry.

Broccoli, water chestnuts, onions, bamboo shoots, snap peas, baby corn, zucchini and mushrooms in a garlic sauce. They even let me sub out the carrots & celery (I hate cooked carrots & celery) for more broccoli. Score!

Umm I could have drank this sauce in a glass – it was SO good!! Perfectly light and the garlic wasn’t too overwhelming – it was exactly what I was looking for. Cafe Su knocked it out of the park with this dish!

Served with some fluffy rice.

And how can you not love a restaurant that not only gives you fortune cookies at the end – but gives you chocolate covered fortune cookies at the end?! These tasted like Kit Kat bars and were key.

His & Hers fortunes

As I mentioned, we were going to go hit up Inglorious Bastards after dinner, but Ben wasn’t really in the mood for a movie, so we came home and watched the Vikings play. Now, I moved to Minneapolis right when the whole “boat” incident happened, so I didn’t get the best first impression of that team, if you know what I mean… Either way it was fun to hang out with the husband. We had a great night!

This morning I woke up pretty hungry, actually! I popped some bread in the toaster, smeared it with some almond butter & sugar-free raspberry jam, cut up a peach and called it breakfast.

I am getting down to the bottom of my Trader Joe’s Almond Butter and am slightly freaking out…

The rest of today’s agenda includes:

• Post office run
• Maybe grocery store run
• Maybe cleaning? (didn’t get to it yesterday…)
• Hit up neighbor’s garage sale

I’m off to seize the day – have a great one yourself!

~~~~~

What’s your favorite Chinese food dish?

Hey Buuuuudies!

I have had the best day. I got all my errands done, organized my entire office, filed some pictures away and organized ALL of my bills/important docs/receipts, etc. I keep an expanded folder for each year that have slots for categories like:

• 401k
• Insurance
• Receipts
• Bills
• Mortgage
• Important Docs

Up until now my 2008 docs were combined with 2009 docs, and that just wouldn’t do. Today, I finally had the time to separate everything out and gave 2009 its own, green folder. Ahhh, everything is right in the world How do you stay organized?

After mission organization was complete I snacked on an Orange:

A ChocChip Trailmix PURE Bar:

This bar has raw cacao nibs in it, which I was totally craving today. The crunch of the nibs remind me of the crunch of hazelnuts…that’s the only way I can describe them! Well, I can describe them as tasty, too

And some Popcorn! I have not had p-corn in ages…it is so delish!

Oooo look what I got at the store today – facial cleansing cloths!

Fun fact about me: I absolutely hate washing my face. I seriously don’t know how to do it without getting water all over the bathroom and it’s just a mess and not fun. Therefore, if I don’t shower after working out in the afternoon, more often than not I don’t wash my face at night. I know. Trust me, I know.

Anyways, I’m SO excited to use these!! I almost tried one out when I got home, then decided that having to re-apply my makeup would not be so fun. Tonight though for sure!

Speaking of, I think Ben and I are going to do a dinner + movie date night tonight. Movie = Inglorious Bastards. I have not been this excited to see a movie in AGES. I love Brad Pitt when he’s playing slightly “off” characters and BJ Novak is hysterical. Plus Quentin Tarantino (the director) is one of my absolute faves – Kill Bill I & II are my favorite movies! Should be a good night!!

~~~~~

1. What are you doing tonight?

2. What kind of face wash & lotion do you use?

I use Oil of Olay face wash and Neutrogena Sensitive Skin lotion. Love ‘em both

So the people at PURE Bar are spreading the word about their faaaaab products on a Summer of PURE Love Tour! Among other things, they are driving a sweet, tie-dyed van around Cali, handing out free PURE Bars and displaying some wicked dance moves. Check out their schedule to see if they’ll be in your area and sneak a peek at what they’re up to:

Hello!

WOW I’m so refreshed! I slept until 9:00 today – unbelievable! I stayed up a little later than usual last night watching Project Runway and a new show right after it that’s about the models of PR. It was dece!

You know what I was thinking yesterday? There are hardly any “shows” left on television. Gone are the days of Seinfeld, Friends, Mad About You, Full House, etc. You know, the ones with a live studio audience? Now it’s all reality shows, all the time. Which is fine – I actually happen to like reality shows – but it’s just funny what 10 years can do to television!

Anyways – the Fall weather continued through the night and into the morning…so guess who made a comeback? OATS! It’s actually been so long since I made oatmeal, that I had to consult my own How-to Stove Top Oatmeal directions because I had forgotten how!

I dug out my dried fruits, spices and old fashioned oats to make Fig & Apricot Oatmeal.

In the mix:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
• splash of cinnamon & vanilla
• 1 banana
• 3 dried figs
• 3 dried apricots
• drizzle of sugar-free syrup

Oh how I have missed you, oatmeal!

The sweet, creamy, comforting, warm bowl was just what I needed on this chilly morning.

I sure did miss the pOp of those fig seeds too

I may not be thinking clearly because this bowl of oatmeal was so satisfying and the current temps are so cozy, but…I can’t believe I’m about to say it…bring on Fall! Bring on the football games, crock pot dinners, apple picking, hoodies, leaf raking and everything else that comes along with my favorite season!

Here’s the rest of today’s agenda:

• Catch up on emails
• Go to bank
• Go to drugstore
• Work on blog (ch-ch-ch-changes are in the works!)
• Vacuum & dust
• Relax with trashy day-time television

Sounds good to me!

~~~~~

What’s your favorite part about your favorite season?