Daily Dilemma - I Don't Want to Sacrifice My Feet on Date Night

I used to wear heels all the time...but now that I work out like crazy I have started to be much more aware of my body and how the heels mess up my spine (particularly, putting added strain and pressure on my lower back).  So most days I stick with sandals and flats and sneakers.

But you can't always wear sneakers on date night...or can you?

Jacket - lululemon,
top - Express,
skirt - Express,
socks and running shoes - Nike

 Fancy bobby pin from my wedding...

Program from the show

Seriously, give it a try sometime.  Makes strolling around before and after the performance a lot less painful and a lot more romantic.

7-8-9 + 2 = Amazing

Happy Anniversary, Dearling!



Daily Dilemma...I Don't Meal Plan

Are you one of those people with a calendar and a grocery list and a slew of good intentions who always winds up at 7pm saying, "Crap - what are we going to eat for dinner?"

You are not alone.  (I mean that in a supportive, not creepy, way.)

The awesome thing about having a bunch of fresh produce on hand is that - provided you aren't too picky - you can throw together random food that will still taste great with minimal planning and effort.

Add a glass of wine and a library copy of Real Simple and you are set.

Lazy Fish

What you need:

• Whatever fish happens to be in your fridge or freezer
• Capers
• Lemon juice
• Canola or olive oil
• Black pepper
• Chips or crackers

What you do:

• If the fish is frozen, put it in a ziploc bag and stick it in a hot but not boiling pot of water on the stove for about 15 minutes
• Put oil in a frying pan and heat
• Add fish and capers
• Add lemon juice
• Grind pepper on top
• When fish is opaque, serve with chips on the side (we're eating Olive Food Should Taste Good chips...which we don't really like but accidentally bought so decided to finish them off)

Lazy Salad

What you need:

• Purple/Russian kale, or whatever kale or spinach you have on hand
• Blackberries, or whatever fruit is handy
• Havarti, or other cheese in the fridge (notice a trend in the laziness?)
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice

What you do:

• Rinse and tear up kale (don't chop...chopping means knife and cutting board that have to be washed after) and put in cute bowl
• Rinse and add blackberries (chop fruit only if absolutely necessary)
• Break up and add cheese
• Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice
• Grab two forks and eat out of the serving bowl

Meghan and the Five Dollar Tomato

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Meghan, who loved working out and eating fresh, healthy food.  One fine spring day, Meghan decided to walk around at a local farmer's market, looking for produce to use during that week's meals.  She bought cilantro and dill and a large bunch of rainbow chard...and then she saw it: a booth full of all kinds of wonderful, multicolored tomatoes!  It was like walking into a vegetable production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

The most fearful point of our tale comes when Meghan nearly collapsed from the agony of choosing just which beautiful tomato to take home.  Rest assured, dear readers, she struggled bravely on and finally made her choice: a large Pineapple Tomato in vibrant yellow.  She picked it up, sacrificed her five dollar bill, and gently placed the rescued P.T. in her reusable shopping bag.

And they lived happily ever after.  THE END

Farmer's Market Tomato and Rainbow Chard Salad

What you need:

• Rainbow chard
• Pineapple tomato
• Olive oil
• Brown sugar
• Balsamic vinegar
• Black pepper
• Sweetened dried cherries
• Pumpkin seeds

What you do:

• Cut your tomato into pretty slices
• Chop up rainbow chard (raw for optimal nutrient value) and put into bowls
• Arrange tomato slices atop chard
• Mix about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• Add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and freshly ground black pepper
• Drizzle dressing on your salad
• Add a handful each of pumpkin seeds and dried cherries
• Round out your meal with cilantro steak tacos

Giveaway Results/Art of the Sweataway - Part II

First...congratulations to the great USA on reaching her 235th birthday!  I would post some cool historical stuff, but I know some of my readers will complain...

Second, congratulations to "walkingintherain" for winning the giveaway!  Let me know whether you want Health or Fitness this year and I'll have the subscription coming your way.

Third, here's some more tips for planning your romantic sweataway:

• Rent a bike or two and go for a ride
• Whip up some fresh, easy Italian food (prosciutto with cantelope or real mozzarella with basil, tomatoes and vinegar are super fast and taste phenomenal)
• Make snacks fun and filling...get a whole wheat tortilla, some chocolate or hazelnut spread, peanut butter, almonds, and a banana.  Wrap and devour.  (As a plus, these travel well and don't need to be kept cold.)

Have a healthy, relaxing Independence day!

newnew lulu

There are some women who need no extra motivation to workout...

Like Dara Torres and Serena Williams.

For the rest of us, there's cute workout clothes.

Top: lululemon, pants:

lululemon, shoes, Nike

Yay ruffles!!!

Three Day Weekend...

Looking for an amazing lazy breakfast?  (Obviously my question is rhetorical since I know you'll all be sleeping in past 6 for the next 3 days in a row.  Past 6 is utterly incredible...keep in mind I'm a West Coast gal living on East Coast time.) 

What you need:

• Fresh mango
• Fage greek yogurt (the 2% kind with no funky flavors or sugars)
• Walnuts
• Flaxseed
• V8 Peach Mango Fusion (not the "lite" kind...since "lite" is apparently code for "not 100% fruit anymore")
• Plain Talking Rain or soda water
• Mike's hard strawberry lemonade
• Gideon's New Testament w/Psalms and Proverbs

What you do:

• Peel and dice the mango...or pull out the leftover diced mango that was sitting in your fridge (my personal lazy morning preference)
• Add 1/2 c. greek yogurt, a handful of walnuts, and a sprinkling of the flaxseed
• Fill roughly half your glass with V8 Fusion
• Add Talking Rain and Mike's to taste
• Sit on the porch and read the Psalms and think about how awesome God is

Have a great weekend celebrating life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Don't forget to checkout the giveaway!