WIAW: Quick Trip & Summer Staples

Hello, August! My you came quickly. I'm blogging from Chicago, where I'm visiting my good friend Jessie for the day/night! She's working on her MBA, and finished her last final Monday night. Since she has a few weeks before fall classes resume, it was the perfect time for a fun night away.

Sorry about fuzzy self-portraits!

I've been dying to check out RPM Italian, but never seem to get a chance because I'm usually in town for specific events. Jessie suggested we walk there for a drink since it's only a few blocks from her place. I happily agreed, and we tried the "G-Rizzle." It's not on the menu, but I follow Giuliana Rancic on Twitter, so I knew to order it. It was delicious! Lime and ginger combined for a perfect summer cocktail.

After our drink we decided to walk to Portillo's - my favorite! - to get chopped salads to go for dinner. Not only did I save money, but I loved every bite of my salad. It's so good!! It's probably good I don't live in Chicago anymore or else I might have a bit of problem. We ate our salads at Jessie's apartment, and spent the rest of the night watching the Olympics. It was a perfect night with an even better friend. To top it off? I get to have lunch with one of my best and oldest friends before I head back to Indy!

Honestly I was too busy having fun with Jessie to be good about taking pictures, so my WIAW post is a bit different this week - in case you didn't notice already. ;) In honor of this month's What I Ate Wednesday theme, "Summer Staples," I've included some of my favorite new recipes of the summer in this post! Thanks to Jenn for the suggestion - and for hosting!

Seared Scallop Salad w/ Orange Champagne Vinaigrette

This was absolutely amazing! I saw a recipe for a seared scallop and grapefruit salad from Skinnytaste, and I knew I wanted to put my own spin on it. The hubby and I aren't crazy about grapefruit, so I substituted oranges, and even found an orange champagne vinegar at Trader Joe's to use for the dressing. This is easily my favorite new salad. {Recipe coming tomorrow!}

Creamy Smoothies

I've been going crazy combining various flavors of Chobani Greek yogurt with fresh ingredients. My favorite combination has to be Strawberry Banana Chobani + 1 cup fresh strawberries + 1 frozen banana + freshly squeezed juice from 2 oranges + a handful of spinach + chia seeds. When I gave the hubby some of it he exclaimed, "people would pay for this!

BBQ Chicken Salad with Lightened-Up Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Another great summer salad, especially if you are able to grill your chicken. This salad has so much flavor and is a really filling and easy meal. The dressing complimented the veggies and chicken perfectly. John and I love this for dinner on a beautiful summer night. {Recipe here}

WIAW: Anniversary

It's been awhile since I've done one of these! These eats are from yesterday, also known as John and my second wedding anniversary. While much of the day was rooted in routine, we managed to spend some extra time together, and had a wonderful day. Thankful for another year with my hubby and ready for even more memories together.

As always, head over to Jenn's blog to see more foodie fun or to link up yourself!

Breakfast: Anniversary Egg Sandwich

John made me his specialty - and my favorite! - open-faced egg sandwich. Trader Joe's sprouted 7-grain bread + reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese + an over easy egg = a perfect start to our special day - especially when I'm not the one doing the cooking! ;)

Snack: Gatorade G Series Energy Chews in Cool Blue

Thanks to Ashley's giveaway a few weeks ago, I scored a free box of these. I had a packet before I headed to the gym for some cardio, this arm workout and a few leg and ab exercises. I've had some before my last few workouts, and I've really liked them!

Lunch: Loaded Turkey Santa Fe

My goodness was this tasty. I made Loaded Turkey Santa Fe Baked Potato Skins (recipe coming tomorrow!) the other night, and fortunately we had leftover filling. John put some in a tortilla to make a wrap, and I ate my in a bowl with a fork. Delicious! I will definitely be making this for school lunches this year.

Celebratory Champagne Toast with our Wedding Flutes

Cheers to two married years! :)

Dinner at Harry & Izzy's downtown

John and I splurged and went to one of our favorite downtown steak houses for our anniversary dinner. Since we had a glass of champagne at home, we skipped wine at dinner, but we did enjoy the famous shrimp cocktail, filets with blue cheese and roasted asparagus. Everything was fantastic! I even saved half my 8oz filet to bring home. I love leftovers!

Happy anniversary to us!

Dessert: Fresh Strawberries (unpictured)

Whoops! Forgot to take a picture. John and I shared a bowl of fresh strawberries as we relaxed and enjoyed the rest of our evening. I couldn't ask for a better anniversary or hubby!

Anniversary Fashion:

Top: BCBG, via BCBG Outlet (vacation find!)

White stretch skinny jeans: Hudson, via Nordstrom Rack

Shoes: Calvin Klein, via Bloomingdale's Outlet (another vacation find!)

WIAW: Disney Edition

Hi, friends! So I am so beyond exhausted right now. We've been go, go, go ever since we got here. John has bruises on the bottom of his feet - crazy, right?! - and I have legs more sore than any workout has ever produced.

I didn't really focus on this month's theme of "Healthy Snacking", as I didn't do much snacking at all. Instead I focused on eating (fairly) healthy while on vacation. Head over to Peas and Crayons, hosted by Jenn, for more good eats. I plan to sneak in a few during long lines! ;)

We've been having the best time here, and I'm not complaining a bit (okay, besides the crazy humidity). So, my What I Ate Wednesday, is going to be short and simple.

Breakfast at The Grand Floridian Cafe: Lobster. Eggs. Benedict. 

Need I say more? Two poached eggs + hollandaise + tomatoes + lobster hash (lobster, onions, asparagus, potato shreds). Absolutely delicious. Although, what lobster dish isn't amazing?

Snack: John and I split an Edy's Strawberry Fruit Bar...

...while waiting in a 1 hour and 45-minute long line for the Jungle Cruise. I also wrote a blog post, while waiting in the longest line we've experienced this whole trip.

Lunch at Frontierland Cafe: Salad + chicken + drizzle of ceasar dressing; strawberry yogurt.

As part of our meal plan, we have one "quick service" meal a day, which includes an entree, dessert and drink. This means a limited menu and cafeteria-style food. With all the walking (and running!) we were doing, I knew I needed something healthy yet filling. And I found an option to suit my needs! Who says you can't eat healthy while on vacation?

Dinner at Portobello, an Italian restaurant in Downtown Disney 

Our table (John's parents, sister and the two of us) split some awesome appetizers: calamari and mozzarella-stuffed rice balls with marinara, plus bread with roasted garlic and olive oil spread.

Honestly I was skeptical of the rice balls, but they were so creamy, thanks to the rice being risotto and the addition of fresh basil. I loved these! I had half a rice ball plus a few pieces of calamari, both dredged in marinara. I finished it off with half a roll + roasted garlic spread.

My entree certainly did not disappoint: mahi mahi with polenta served over tomato sauce.

The polenta was creamy, and the mahi mahi was cooked perfectly. The sauce was an excellent pair to bring out both flavors. Add some zucchini on top, and this is a recipe I must recreate!

Dessert (two-parts!): I had a few bites of John's creme brulee (my favorite dessert) at the restaurant (unpictured), plus a piece of chocolate left on my pillow at the hotel.

I may not be commenting on your comments or emails right now, but I promise you I am reading them. I so appreciate them! I'm doing my best to conserve battery life on my phone during the day, and comments fail on my blogger app. I will respond soon, I promise!

Now, I crash. Must be rested for my last day at Disney. Wish my legs luck!

WIAW: Nearing the End

Haaaaaapy Wednesday! 

In case you missed it, my weekend updates included Couples Night Out (the ladies of WIAW Girls Dinner dragged the boys out!) and JB Graduates! 

It's official: Tomorrow is the last day of school. I am in such shock over this. Honestly this year has flown by, and I can't believe I only have one more day with my kiddos. I love those little ones so much!

Anyhoo, as has become typical, these are my Tuesday eats. I didn't really get the memo that it's about showing sensible snacking, so you're just in for some regular eats.  For more great posts, head over to Jenn's blog and check out all the other link ups!




Breakfast: I'm back to my favorite breakfast sandwich made by my wonderful hubby! Yesssss! On the sandwich: two slices 7-grain bread (toasted), one over-easy egg, one slice fontina, plus some organic reduced sugar raspberry preserves. In a word: YUM. It keeps me full all morning, and limits my dangerous snacking habit.

Lunch: Leftovers from last night! I made a new type of frittata (recipe coming tomorrow!) and I brought a slice for lunch. It includes lots of goodies, like spinach, zucchini, onion, tomato, bacon and parmesan. Ohhhh boy, is this delicious and super filling. I had some organic strawberries on the side, and I was a happy girl.

Just one slice for lunch! Couldn't decide on the picture, though ;)

Snack: I had half of a small pastry (I think it was cinnamon?) that was in the office (from Panera). It was super sugary, so I just had a couple bites. I also threw some almonds in there, as I got ready for my End of Year evaluation with the academic dean and head of school.

Woo hoo! My meeting went fantastically (is that even a word?)! I really am so blessed to work at my school, and I am so grateful for such a supportive administration. Yay for looking forward to another wonderful year at my school!

Once I got home, I planned to relax before heading to the eighth grade graduation. Welp, I fell asleep instead, and I woke up at 8 p.m. I think we'll mark that one as a bit of a fail. Oy vey.

Dinner: I had this one all planned out (score!). The delicious Crispy Salmon BLT Sliders with Chipotle Mayo (I had two, and made them with whole wheat slider buns this time), with a salad on the side. The salad included romaine, spinach, orange and yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, pine nuts and fat free feta. The dressing was made using olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and dijon. Aaaaaamazing.

ONE MORE DAY OF SCHOOL! Eek!

WIAW: Girls Dinner!

Well it's safe to say that I've been pretty absent from my normal weekly posts, including What I Ate Wednesday and my Fit Fridays post. If any fellow teachers are reading this, you probably understand my lack of time has been due to all the crazy end-of-the year events and projects to finish. We're done a week from tomorrow, but I feel like there are a million things to do before then - field day, 8th grade graduation, report cards, curriculum orders, class lists...I could go on.

Anyway, I thought I'd jump back on the bandwagon so here goes. This is from yesterday (as most my WIAW posts are from my Tuesday eats). If you're looking for more good eats, head on over to Jenn's blog and see some of the others!

Breakfast: I was dragging this morning. Like whoa. So, I didn't get a nice egg sandwich. Instead I grabbed a yogurt on my way out the door. It was tasty as always, but I've become quite attached to my egg sandwiches.

Lunch: Thank goodness for leftovers! Lunch was a breeze to grab since I already put leftovers together from dinner last night. We had some rockin' salads, with lots of goodies. The salad included: baby spinach, romaine, tomatoes, bell peppers (red, green and yellow), avocado, cucumber, pine nuts and feta. I topped with my favorite homemade dressing (olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic & dijon mustard), and it was just packed with flavor. I had some sliced strawberries on the side to satisfy my ever-present sweet tooth.

Snack: Grazer alert! I had a handful of pretzels and almonds sometime after getting home from changing my blow out of a tire. I will post a picture soon, but right now it's not on my computer, and I'm too tired to find it!

Dinner: One of my favorite nights of the month! My Indy girlfriends (and sorority sisters) get together once a month for a "girls dinner." We rotate hosting duties each month, and a different girl brings sides, dessert, appetizers and/or wine/beer. We talk, eat, laugh and have a blast together. It's one of the highlights of my month! Love, love these girls!

Ally hosted tonight's dinner, and it was a fabulous spread. You can see all I noshed on, plus her amazing decorations and hosting skills at work. So grateful for my wonderful friends!

appetizers! boursin + gouda + table water crackers | cucumber + feta + deliciousness wraps

Beautiful table spread!

The fabulous dinner! Chicken (will make and post recipe ASAP!) + roasted potatoes + sauteed veggies |
plus salad with homemade greek yogurt dressing...and the CUTEST owl salt and pepper shakers!
Ally loves salt and pepper shakers ;)

some of the lovely details

girls!

Jourdan's delicious strawberry shortcake!

WIAW: Hubby Cooks!

Happy Wednesday, friends! Last week I skipped What I Ate Wednesday, hosted by Jenn, because I completely forgot to take pictures of my food. That, and, I was totally engrossed in my books for about all of free time. Anyhoo, I'm back to sharing and linking up with this fun little group.




Breakfast: John made me my favorite breakfast - his famous egg sandwich! Oh boy, it is the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had, each and every time. Toasted 7-grain bread + an over easy egg (still runny once you bite in!) + fontina cheese. It was a perfect way to start my day since I was up and out early to vote in the primaries before school.

Lunch: That sandwich really tied me over, but I was super excited to try out a new-to-me lunch. I had some leftover quinoa sitting in my fridge, and I decided to dress it up a bit. I added chopped red, yellow and orange bell peppers, black beans, avocado, garlic salt, lime juice and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. I heated it up for about a minute in the microwave, and let me tell you, it was divine. I ate it with a nice side of fresh strawberries. Mmmm.

Snack: I had a meeting after school so I nibbled on some baby carrot sticks before it started.

Snack 2: After my workout I couldn't resist a few handfuls of Cheeze-Its, which the hubby bought on a whim. He ate most of the box but I had no problem polishing it off.

Dinner: John cooked!! I told him to use this super easy recipe for Ahi Tuna, and he did the whole thing on his own! Normally he sticks to mac 'n cheese and cereal, so I was quite proud of him. Not to mention it is a delicious meal. Have your hubby make it for you! We served it with some steamed edamame on the side and it was perfect.

Apparently all that cooking really wore John and the pup out... ;) He and Hoosh napped for a solid two hours while I did laundry, cleaned and caught up with my sister. 

Dessert: A couple hours later I was craving something sweet, so I toasted a mini whole wheat bagel and topped it with cinnamon and splenda (don't judge - I'm using the last of it before trying the ever-popular stevia!).

All in all a great day! How was yours?

WIAW: Feeling the Burn

Happy Wednesday, friends! I hope your week is off to a great start and that the prospect of the weekend - and being halfway through the week! - has put you in a good mood today. I am super excited for the weekend because my good friend Deborah's bridal shower is this weekend! I haven't seen her in so long (hello, NYC-dweller!), and I'm really looking forward to spending time with her and my other sorority sisters who will be there.

Anyhoo, thanks to Jenn for hosting another great What I Ate Wednesday. As you'll see, these are fairly Asian-inspired dishes. I don't know what's gotten into me, but I've been having some rocking meals, so I'm not complaining. Not to mention, two of the dishes are new-to-me recipes this week. I love sharing those with you guys, especially when they are as delicious as these!





Let's get down to it, shall we?

Breakfast: Spoiler alert! This is nothing new. I am a creature of habit, that is for sure. A strawberry Greek yogurt from Trader Joe's. Definitely not as good as Chobani, but I was all out so this made do.

Lunch: Leftovers! I love when I cook a great meal that can be an equally great lunch the next day. I had leftovers of Quinoa Chicken Fried Rice (adapted from Jenn herself!) with some sliced strawberries and splenda. Yummy! Note: this is not the picture of my lunch...it looked so pitiful in my tupperware that I had to share the picture from the previous evening (when I had it for dinner). Trust me, you didn't want to see the other picture.

Snack: I grabbed a fruit strip and some celery and peanut butter. Please note, I never put peanut butter in baggies...but I went on a field trip to the Zoo with the kiddos Monday, and we had to bring disposable lunches. I ended up not eating my celery and peanut butter then, and fortunately it fit in my purse. Hello, tasty snack!

My snack helped me get through an afternoon with meetings at school, and a tough workout at the gym. I started with 30 minutes of cardio, and then did Courtney's "Feeling the Burn" workout plus an ab circuit. Let me tell you, as I type this, my shoulders are definitely burning. It was a tough but awesome circuit. You know I love maximizing my workouts!

Dinner: Another new-to-us meal! Seared Scallops with Orange-Soy Glaze (recipe coming tomorrow!). These were soooo tasty. Light, crisp, fresh and packed with flavor. I had my favorite Teriyaki-Roasted Green Beans on the side, and I was feeling quite satisfied by the end of the meal.

Post dinner, I took a few taste-test bites of guacamole and quinoa to go with my lunch tomorrow - sweet potato + black beans + guacamole + quinoa (inspired by a lunch Ashley made a couple weeks ago). Also, I may or may not have jumped around dancing to the Glee Whitney Houston tribute episode, in lieu of folding laundry...I mean....it's Whitney!

Don't judge me! (For the Glee dancing or the excessive use of exclamation marks...!)