Summer Eats on a Winter’s Day

As I mentioned earlier, my office was on a 2 hour or so delay this morning. As I spent a lazy couple of hours with the pups and some blogs waiting on the world to thaw out the hubs was hard at work de-icing our sidewalks, porch, and driveway. He went all “Knight in Shining Armor and a Dallas Cowboys hat” and scraped the wonder-bug for me. It was all warm and ready to go when I finally headed out.

To reward my sweetie for his efforts I decided to make a dish tonight using one of his favorite ingredients, coconut. I don’t love coconut so I don’t cook with it very often. However, after making this dish I might need to rethink that philosophy.

I spotted this recipe while watching Rachael Ray last week. She had a show highlighting her ten most downloaded recipes of 2010. One of which happened to be Coconut chicken cutlets. You can find her recipe here. My hero RR gets full credit for this gem of course but I had to change it up just a tad to meet our needs. Here is what I did.

-Trim up some boneless skinless chicken tenders and pound them until they are your desired thickness. Salt and pepper the chicken to taste. Hopefully you will have a tenderizer and not have to improvise like I did!

-Set up a 3 step “dipping station”. The first container will have flour, the second an egg beaters/water combo, and the third an unsweetened coconut/ panko bread crumb combo. (1/2 cup of each)

-After dipping your chicken tenders, place them in a hot skillet liberally drizzled with olive oil.

-Serve with dipping sauce and veggies.

I may tackle her glaze next time around but tonight we paired these tenders with a light honey Dijon sauce. Yum!

What is your favorite coconut recipe?

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Where Did the Weekend Go?

I took a couple of unintentional days off from the blog (a hotel without wireless these days? Really!?!?!). However, the hubs and I are back in town after a really fun weekend getaway to Williamsburg, VA. I am beyond sleepy tonight but check back tomorrow for a weekend recap, a Sara Shops segment, and a fitness update! In the mean time in between time (yeah thats right I just busted out a “The Party” album title from back when.  Bonus points to anyone else who even remembers “The Party”. I was a HUGE New Mickey Mouse Club fan back at the tender age of 12). Anywho, in the mean time- here are a few sneak peak photos.  Enjoy that hour left of the weekend!!

 

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Tis the Season…Well Almost

I am a huge fan of this time of year. I love all of the decorations (even if they are out way too soon), hot chocolates on cold days, and general happiness that comes with the holiday season. No matter what your religion, there is something lovely about winter and the holiday season in general. One of the things I adore is Christmas shopping for others (and myself, who am I kidding) on a gorgeous fall/winter day. I could not have asked for a more perfect setting for my date with the hubs this weekend.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early for a trip to Short Pump shopping center in Richmond, VA. After a quick breakfast of Eggs in a Nest we packed up the hubs SUV and headed on our way.

Although the drive was around two hours we could not have asked for a more gorgeous day. The sky was a perfect blue and we spent the drive chatting and singing along to old songs on the radio. It was possibly the shortest two hour drive ever.

When we arrived, we made a quick stop at The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. We only eat here once or twice a year due to the insane calorie content of the food. However, Saturday is my flex day so the extra calories were planned for. I ordered a lunch portion of the crusted chicken ramano of which I ate about half. The star of the meal was of course the slice of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake I split with the hubs.

The hubs and I spent a great day walking around, snapping photos, and shopping (read more in my first ever upcoming Sara Shops segment). We even took a little break in the afternoon to see the new Harry Potter movie. Anyone else out there LOVE Harry Potter as much as we do?? I was pretty much completely excited to see this movie and *no spoilers* it definitely did not disappoint. After we got our Potter fix it was back to shopping. There was plenty of ground to cover since this outdoor “mall” is two floors and gigantic.

We ended a great day with vanilla lattes, a revisit to some of the stores where I had passed up items earlier in the day, and of course a visit to the huge Christmas tree. The hubs and I are of different religions (perhaps a blog for another time) so it meant a lot to me that he came along for one of my favorite traditions. He also makes a fantastic guest photographer for the blog, don’t you think??

How do you like to kick off the holiday season?

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Disney Trip Re-Cap Final Day

The hubs and I were up reasonably early (10ish) despite not making it to bed until after 4:00a.m the night before. I was incredibly sore and incredibly hungry so the hubs and I headed to Downtown Disney so I could stretch out my legs some, and we could grab lunch. We decided on Earl of Sandwich (yup again) where we both got hot clubs. This was almost as good as my favorite sandwich- The All American…almost

After lunch the hubs and I did some shopping. I picked up a Minnie Mouse case for my sunglasses, a hounds-tooth print Mickey Mouse (who now sits in my living room), some Mickey Halloween votives and of course our piece of glass. This time I chose Belle and Beast. We also got silly at World of Disney and tried on hats. I am pretty sure it is time for me to upgrade to sparkly ears!

After some shopping we decided to head over to Ghiradelli. We split a hot-fudge Sunday even though I am sure I could have eaten a whole one on my own. This is one of those moments where I am proud “could” did not equal “would” and I was able to indulge without having a total calorie fest!

After snapping some photos we went back to the hotel to rest a little before our night out.

The hubs and I have several pals in Orlando and we made a date to meet up with Mark and Mandi at Universal Studios City Walk. The hubs and I arrived early and looked in a couple of stores before heading over to Margaritaville to meet up with our friends.

Even though this Margaritaville was not quite as much fun as the one at Myrtle Beach it was still a really nice time and cool atmosphere. I had a couple mango margaritas (frozen-the best!!) with my dinner and was feeling pretty fabulous by the time we left.

We spent the rest of the evening talking, laughing, snapping photos and catching up. Seeing old friends is the best, It’s just hard to always be saying good-bye.

The next morning the hubs and I headed to the airport to get on standby for earlier flights home. We made it on the second flight out and before I knew it my Disney weekend was over. I cannot wait to get back to FL in February. It’s been almost a year since I have actually been to a park (besides running through them or the Epcot after party) so I am ready for some Magic Kingdom fun! (and some Islands of Adventure/Harry Potter and Animal Kingdom fun and Hollywood Studios fun..just saying)

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Three Cheers for Friday!!!

Cheer 1: My New Netbook. After work the hubs and I were running errands and moseyed into Best-Buy. We had talked about getting a netbook for traveling purposes (plus I had total netbook envy in Chicago!) and while I was in LOVE with a pink one by HP the hubs was trying to get me to settle for one that was a little more practical. However, today he came to the understanding that the heart wants what it wants (hehehe) and I am the proud owner of a new pink netbook. Woohoo! (Thanks hubs. I heart you!) Writing Running in Pink Project on a pink computer-how perfect is that?

Cheer 2: Date Night. While I love running errands with the hubs (looking at you Target, Groomer, and Bank!) it is always nice to have some one on one time that is just for fun. Tonight the hubs and I had date night on the cheap and went to the dollar movies (yup it’s really a dollar-isnt that awesome?!?!) to see Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. As you can see the movies are a little older but sometimes we just wait it out. I mean it’s a dollar-come on! When the hubs and I watch previews we look at each other and will either say “Real Movies”, “Dollar Movies” or “Not Interested”. It’s a foolproof system for the most part though Dinner For Shmucks did trick us into paying full price. Ha! Anyway, tonight’s movie was really fun and we finished off the day cooking dinner at home. It was very relaxing and much needed.

Cheer 3: Weekend Kick Off. Frankly this cheer is attached to every Friday but I am especially excited for this weekend. My oldest (in years not age) and best pal Tiffany is throwing a birthday party for her little guy. He turns 1 this week. So the hubs and I are headed up to Richmond to get our party on Elmo style. I am excited to catch up with Tiff, Robert and their families and hold some precious babies. Good stuff! Also on tap for the weekend: some craving curbing (burgers), a movie (Step Up 3D or The Other Guys), and some fall wardrobe shopping on Sunday.  You all know how I adore some shopping and as an added bonus it gets me out of seeing Piranha 3D (true story) with the hubs and some of his pals.

So tell me:

What are your weekend plans?
And
What are your “must have” clothing/accessory items for fall?

I leave you with a photo of my precious pup right from the groomers so fresh and so clean! Have a Happy and Healthy Weekend!!!

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Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses

After a little confusion (IE: the hubs giving me the wrong dates for our trip to the beach) it turns out we are leaving tomorrow morning rather than Sunday. The good news is we have an extra day at the beach. The bad news, well there really isn’t any. I managed to get everything done today (and lived to blog about it!)

I started my day with some peanut butter toast and skim milk. (not pictured). I had to go do my long run today since tomorrow I will be in the car from 5:00am on. Since I was pressed for time I just dashed over to my gym to get in a fast 5 miles. I went a little faster than normal which made my stomach ache. This was the first time this has ever happened to me. I am blaming the skim milk and will likely skip that in favor of a banana and water next time.

After my run I showered and left my house sans make-up (gasp!) to make my appointment at Ageless Organic Spa in Lynchburg, VA. The spa was “no frills” in terms of its decor but the services were great. The girls there use organic products for manicures, pedicures, massages, facials, waxing and hair services. I got a manicure and pedicure for $25.00 (a steal right??). They were also nice enough to give me a couple of products to review (more on those later).

My very first organic manicure (even the polish was organic!)

I heart my pedicure in "For Audrey" blue.

After getting pampered I raced over to meet the hubs for lunch. He was working today so I just happened to finish up right in time. We decided to have lunch at Hickory Farms. And, no we didn’t just have beef stick samples and crackers! (Ha!). It turns out you can get wraps in there and they are really good. I chose turkey, cheese, and loads of veggies. I also grabbed a bag of chips and a diet black cherry soda. I ❤ Black Cherry anything so I was pretty excited to find this.

The rest of my afternoon and evening were less than exciting. I paid bills, ran errands, paid more bills, ran more errands and bought all of those random last minute “oh yeah we do need one of those before we leave” items.  The hubs joined me and we finished up the night spending WAY too much at Target. While we were there I decided to get Loreal foundation instead of buying department store foundation for like the one month I am tan (tan is relative in my world. We shall just say I am not see-through at the moment. hehehe.)  I will switch back to Mac in the fall. What is your favorite non-make-up-counter makeup?

After the errand running we stopped for a quick dinner. I picked up 1/2 sammie and chicken tortilla soup. I am just trying to maintain my 35 lb loss while on vacation so I am not stressing too much about food. My plan is to pick whole grains, veggies, and proteins, get in some workouts this week,  and only have a couple of indulgences while at the beach. When I get back I hope to be will be in the mindset to resume my weight loss journey. The mental aspect is more than 1/2 the journey. It’s taken me a while to accept that.

I hope to get in a little beach blogging this week and I will miss you all bunches! You can keep up with my vacation happenings through my twitter feed on the right of this page! Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses are coming my way!

Have A Happy and Healthy Week!

PS: You should totally enter my Delicate Soles giveaway. I am picking a winner when I return from the beach. Extra entry if you post the giveaway on your blog or facebook page!! xoxo

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The Cure For Anything Is Salt Water- Sweat, Tears, or The Sea

I found the quote in my title today and it sort of sums up how I am feeling tonight. Tonight I am getting a little more personal with the blog. For weeks now I have struggled with a plateau, a lack of drive (in many ways), and a plummeting attitude as a result.  I have thought a lot about it and sometimes it feels like that’s all I do. I think, I plan, I talk, and nothing is really getting done.

I’ve decided to use vacation as a time to rejuvenate and re-motivate. I am not going to try to lose any weight while I am at the beach. I do however plan to continue to maintain my 35 lb loss while I am there. When I get back I will be ready to take on the weight loss full force. I am just sick of trying and I am ready to do no matter what it takes. I am ready for the sweat and the tears. I am certainly ready for the sea. Sometimes all it takes is a little change in perspective to get us on the right path. I am going to lumber along until I find my path this week.

Aside from the OpenSky store that I have been talking about this week there are still more changes coming to the blog. Some of these changes are going to help this process along and in my opinion are long overdue.  Thanks for sticking with me.

I can’t be too down on things. Today was great. It was my last workday before leaving for vacation. I officially have 10 days of pure blissful freedom in front of me and I am excited! I am kicking off my vacation tomorrow with a great workout, a mani/pedi at an organic spa, and dinner /drinks with some friends at one of my favorite local places. Then, Saturday will be all about packing and buying those last minute vacation items and finally Sunday morning we will be on our way to South Carolina.

Thankfully tonight is our last night of operation “eat random items in the house”. You can’t hate too much on frozen pizza though I will be glad to get back to actual fresh food while we are on vacation.

I  did a pain free three miles for my training run. I think I was just too excited about vacation to care about the heat or the tiny lizards running around on the trail. Also, it was so crowded this afternoon. Sometimes that annoys me but tonight it felt like a kinship of sorts- a group of grumpy sweaty runners and cyclists brave enough to face the heat and humidity. 😉 Even though I am painfully slow I like being included in that group. People have been surprisingly supportive of me. There are a few jerks (always are right?) but for the most part I have felt welcomed in this community. I think it is more natural for someone to want to share his or her passion so in a way it makes sense. I was just finishing up as the sky opened up and it poured the rain. I smiled because I knew that somewhere out on the trails my hubs was getting drenched too!

I was also sure to get in my huge serving of water today. I have been feeling a little bit gross (yes that is the technical name for it) lately and I think it’s because I haven’t been drinking enough water. I think this ginormous pink container took care of that!

I finally finished up my list for the beach today. Are you a list maker? We always forget something when I don’t make a list. It’s one of life’s little necessary evils for me.

Tonight I am staying up late, watching cheesy movies and snuggling up the hubs and the pups. I cant think a of a sweeter way to start my vacation.

Have a Happy and Healthy Thursday!

PS:  Click HERE to enter my Delicate Soles giveaway for some fabulous rollable flats

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Paninis and Theft on a Friday

Isn’t there just something about a Friday? Even when I have a full day at the office like I did today there is still just something magical in the air when Friday comes around. It is like some collective consciousness of freedom and fun is just all around you. This Friday, like so many before it, definitely did not disappoint (well for the most part).

I started off my Friday super excited with my newly cut and colored hair. I saw my hair guru Caleb Thursday night at Anthony and Company in Lynchburg and he did a great job touching up my “Killers” hair cut. I also decided to wear the cute Elle cream t-shirt I picked up at Kohls a few weeks ago. I paired it with black pants, gold Jessica Simpson flats, and a lavender COACH bag. I also grabbed my second biggest pair of gold sunglasses to complete the look.

I completely forgot my breakfast this morning and I was stuck at the office all morning with no way to run out and grab a meal/snack. I thought that eating something was better than nothing so after inspecting my options (cookies, chips, Doritos..you get the idea) I settled on a bag of Sun Chips. Not the best breakfast obviously. But, there was some whole grain and fiber involved and only 3 grams of sugar. So I counted my 210 calories (or 4 points) and went on with my day.

The office was really quiet today. I think a lot of people are using flextime or vacation days to get a head start on the weekend. (Smart move!) But a quiet day also means a day of getting things done. I have to earn my keep after all!! 😉

I did manage to sneak in some hubs time during my lunch break. We headed over to The Depot Grill for an early (and quick) lunch. I decided on an awesome grilled summer veggie sandwich. There was a spinach and artichoke base topped with grilled onoins, squash, carrots and peppers, then topped with havarti dill cheese and sprouts. YUM! I made it about 1/2 way through my plate but it was so good.  We also sat outside which was SO incredibly nice in this weather.

After wrapping up my day at the office I headed over to the groomer to drop off my first “born” Carrie for a cut and bath. She needed it. BADLY! Isn’t she cute so fresh and so clean sporting her most prissy puppy pose??

The hubs and I decided on a quiet date night since things have been so hectic lately. The most recent annoyance being someone opening our fenced in yard, breaking into our shed, and stealing the hub’s custom mountain bike. We live in a good area so we are pretty upset about this.  After calling the police and our insurance company we went to Panera to grab a quick dinner. I had a ½ size serving of soup and a 1/2 size bacon turkey bravo.

I am extra excited for a girls’ day out tomorrow! Stop by to see the adventures of two grown women drooling over Eclipse (and some food and shopping fabulousness too!) It is Running In Pink Project Eclipse Additon!

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Weekend Eats (and fun in the sun)

The weekend has been full of some great workouts and physical activity but also full of great food. Since food is a part of the fitness, food, fashion, and fun that is my blog I thought I would highlight some of my favorite weekend “eats”.

Friday night the hubs took me to dinner at Water Stone in Lynchburg, VA. Water Stone is a trendy and fun “fire roasted” pizza eatery in downtown Lynchburg. Water Stone is great because it is this little gem nestled in between all of these random old buildings. Plus once you go inside it has a very laid back ambiance and feel. They have tons of local beer, some of the best specialty martinis ever (Dirty Shirley is the best!) and great pizza. The pizza’s are some of the best I have ever had as they start with a vegan thin crust and top them with super fresh ingredients like spinach, fire roasted tomato, goat cheese etc etc. During our date we chose the fried green tomato stack: 3 slices of fried green tomato on a bed of pesto with fresh mozzarella and grape tomatoes topped with a balsamic vinaigrette and a blackened chicken pizza with spinach, sliced tomato, red onions, and red pepper flake. It was perfect! A great way to get your pizza fix without being stuffed or downing a million calories.

After the race on Saturday we headed over to spend the day with the hub’s family. I have a little family so I really lucked out marrying into a HUGE family.  Friends also stopped by too and it was a great fun in the sun kind of day.

Bryan and I headed over right after the 5k. We were apparently both feeling the plaid since we both ended up wearing it. I had to smile as I thought last summer I could barely cram into those shorts. I am talking lay down on the bed to zip them kind of cram. This weekend I could take them on and off without unbuttoning or unzipping them. Another 5 lbs and they wont be wearable at all. 🙂 I guess I need to go plaid shorts shopping!

I love love love a cookout. grilled meat and veggies could quite possibly be my most favorite thing to eat. There is just something about the taste of grilled food. Can you pick out my organic chicken amongst the burgers and hotdogs? If you are in doubt, take your own stuff. People won’t mind making it for you. Honestly, your family and friends will get used to it and it will be just another item to throw on the grill.

I sampled several things (I heart a pot-luck type event) but didn’t take a ton of any one thing except… Except for my veggie pasta salad. I knew it was super low calorie. This is the easiest thing to make for cookouts. Plus its mayo free so that is a bonus. I  stole borrowed this recipe from my friend Kristen. You make a bag of the “wacky mac” veggie spiral pasta as directed. Cool the pasta (you can run cold water over it) then toss in 1 packet of zesty Italian dry seasoning mix and 1 bottle of fat free Zesty Italian salad dressing (the liquid kind). Stir and put in the fridge until cookout time. Yum!

Also, since Saturday is my dessert day I had some fantastic cake (not pictured). I LOVE a cake with fresh strawberries. The weather was gorgeous for a cookout. Pretty blue skies and white fluffy clouds.

In order to burn off some of that awesome food there were tons of games set up: Volley Ball, Badminton, Ladder Toss, and this fabulous little gem of a game that I am becoming quite skilled at…

What is your favorite cookout game? We were there from 12 until after dark. I have to say a great day of good games/fun/food/family makes for a very tired Me!

This morning the hubs made breakfast (not pictured) and we headed out to see a dollar movie. We saw Bounty Hunter which was totally adorable. I always forget how much I heart Jennifer Aniston. When we got home we decided on peach yogurt, granola, and water for lunch.

Tonight’s dinner was organic tacos on whole grain shells with a side of sliced pears. Tonight’s snack a most fabulous 3 WW point treat…a peppermint patty. I heart those!! I hope you had as fun of a weekend as I did and a happy and healthy week ahead.

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The Yin and The Yang

I was SO looking forward to my full day on Sunday and I am happy to say it did not disappoint. I was meeting a friend really early so I grabbed a super quick breakfast of a Whole Grain English muffin with organic peanut butter and some V8 fusion. I decided my fabulous day warranted a fabulous glass for juice drinking!

After breakfast I got all packed up in the Wonderbug to head to Roanoke, VA to meet my friend Kristen for a girly day of fabulousness.

Our “main event” for the day was seeing Sex and The City 2 but we figured it would be almost against the law to see this movie without some shopping first. Now let me just say on the days that Kristen and I go shopping with no plan we end up just buying a little bit of everything. That is why normally we pick a store or a mission like shoes or dresses but Saturday was a super fantastic day of shopping bliss! Do you prefer to shop with pals or alone? I definitely prefer shopping with friends! Here are some of my favorite finds:

new gray shades

love the side detail

We moved on from sunglasses shopping to housewares and I got some fantastic coffee mugs and a matching serving plate.

Next we moved on to my personal favorite.. Shoe Shopping! I had some Macy’s dollars from an unfortunate run in with a rude sales person a few weeks back so I was looking for some fabulous finds.

Lucky Brand "Birna" flats in dusky citron. I have been stalking these all Spring!

Love the detail!

I also got these vintage collection 9 west flats for 1/2 price. I cant wait to wear these this fall with a fabulous gray dress and some tights!

I also picked up an embellished cardigan…

Finally, I picked up a couple of  dresses. The dark pink is very casual and I have plans to pair it with a black cropped cardigan, some chunky jewelry and some random flats or wedges in a totally different fun color. The second dress is my husband’s fave. I have big plans to wear it with some Steve Madden stilettos that I am currently stalking. I was also stoked that the second dress had 86.00 on the tag but came home with me for 9.99!! It was marked down twice and half off. Its one of my favorite styles. So classic and I ❤ the color combination!

After shopping the rain came. Fast and furious and out of nowhere. Thankfully Kristen had a huge golf umbrella and the only casualties were her soaked jeans and our hair. We managed to fight the storm and made it over to Panera for a quick lunch. The storm made me want something cozy so I got some potato soup and 1/2 chicken panini.

We loaded up the car and headed over to see Carrie and the gang in Sex and The City 2!!

Having always loved the show I of course loved the movie. I thought it was really fun. Some of my favorite parts without giving anything away….

• The “take a sip” conversation
• The gold sparkly shoes
• The “Single Ladies”
• The Dior T-shirt outfit
• Aiden (helloooo the hotness)
• A dog in a top hat
• The “Jude Law”

What was your favorite part?

After the movie it was back to the house for an absolute flip-flop for a night of urban camping.The hubs wanted to have the guys over for some camp fire/drinking/smores kind of night. I of course did not want hot dogs cooked on a stick so I had sushi and martinis.  I thought the sitting in nature thing warranted a martini!

Our make shift camp site

Carrie was jazzed for camping!

The hubs making a fire

My kind of camping dinner!

Harlow keeping us all safe!

smores -yum!

NIght Night! (No we didnt sleep outside after all but I gave it a good try)

Weight Watchers was closed today so next Monday will have to be the May wrap up. I think after the weekend of slightly overeating, having too much salt and too much alcohol this is probably a good thing. I have been drinking water today like it’s my job.  It’s funny how things have changed. I am actually looking forward to getting back to working out and clean eating tomorrow. I can tell a HUGE difference in my body when I overindulge. I like the person Im becoming. 🙂 I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!!

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