back at it.

This week I've really gotten back into my routine of clean, healthy meals and daily workouts (I've really been slacking the past couple of weeks....). In turn, I've also gotten Tony and the kids back into healthy eating :) This week I tried two new recipes - one from a blog I follow and another from Bon Appetit magazine online. The first was inspired by a recipe I found on "Everyday Meg", a blog by the beautiful and creative Meg, with great recipes including what I made, the Grapefruit Avocado Balsamic Salmon Salad. The one thing I changed was, instead of a grapefruit/lemon balsamic dressing, I used a raspberry walnut vinaigrette. This was mainly because I was out of balsamic, but it turns out I think I liked the vinaigrette better! It really brought out the flavor of the toasted walnuts and kept the flavor of grapefruit from overpowering the other ingredients. Below is the recipe, including my own tweaks (and my mom's, we made this salad together), as well as some pictures of our process and the delicious, final result:

 

You'll need:

-3 cups fresh, de-stemmed baby spinach

-1 peeled, pitted and chopped ripe avocado

-1 sliced, red grapefruit

-2 salmon filets

-2 tbsp toasted walnuts

-2 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled

-3 tbsp Newman's Own Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

"Cooking" instructions:

-Broil salmon for 8-10 minutes, flipping each filet halfway through

-Peel and chop avocado, and take out pit, and set aside

-Peel grapefruit and slice (we cut each slice in half to make smaller pieces, and snacked on some along the way....)

-In medium saucepan, toast walnuts on low-medium heat for about 3-4 minutes

-Pour dressing in bowl first, then top with spinach and avocado and mix well

-Add flaked salmon and grapefruit, and again, mix well

-Finally, top with crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts

Pour a nice glass of white wine (Pinot Grigio, perhaps?) and ENJOY!!

 

AND PART TWO OF THIS BLOG POST.....

Last night I made Scrambled Eggs, Avocado and Salmon toasts from Bon Appetit magazine. Here's the original recipe below:

Tweaks I made:

• I had a leftover salmon filet from the salad I had made the night before, so I used flaked salmon instead of thinly-sliced smoked salmon
• I opted out of the creme fraiche
• Three eggs instead of six (loser, table for one!)
• Two slices of Italian bread

I followed the instructions exactly the way the magazine said, and topped the finishing result with crumbled goat cheese (clearly I'm on a salmon and goat cheese kick this week)

No wine this time, just some guava-flavored coconut water and a magazine :)

What new "clean-eating" recipes have you tried lately? I've been feeling very adventurous, and have been cooking up a storm, so I'd love to hear all about them!

Happy Wednesday :)

 

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march.

Yesterday was the first day of March, and that excites me because there are so many wonderful and fun things happening this month (and next which is now just one month away!!). This month I turn 27.5 years old (creepin' up there...), St. Paddy's day falls on a Sunday so myself, Tony, and all of my friends who have had to miss it in the past can actually go to the parade and celebrate, and I get to celebrate one of my very best friends' birthday and bachelorette party all in the same weekend! Tony and I may also be getting out of this still snowy St. Louis for a weekend in Memphis, but that is still yet to be decided. So as you can see, very busy/fun and exciting month ahead!! But since none of this has happened yet, I'll just show you some pictures of my snowy lunch date with the man yesterday :)

don't you hide from me...

old-fashion sodies are the best.

tilapia-avocado dog. #lent

if only.....

 

Happy Saturday!!

 

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a snow day.

Well, after a bit of a hiatus, we have returned to "our old, familiar place"! Oh, how I've missed you all so. Long story short, due to two job transitions and Tony and I deciding to co-habitate (WOOP), I have been quite preoccupied and therefore did not have a lot of time to blog :( but now that things have finally calmed down (not ever completely, though, of course) and I am starting to feel settled again, I couldn't wait to get back to blogging!! And what a perfect post to plunge myself back into it: chronicling our beautiful, yet slightly scary, snow/ice day! Luckily we were expecting it and were therefore prepared with all of the essentials: cookie dough, popcorn, movies, fire and breakfast for dinner (with champagne to accompany). Even though it was super windy and cold I was able to make it outside to snap a few street shots, in between the baking, dressing up the pugs, and general couch-potatoing, of course. There's nothing I love more than candid pictures of snowfall :) Were you snowed in today?? How did you preoccupy yourselves on this beautifully snowy/lazy day??

 

 

 

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California Adventure - San Diego/Coronado Bay (and final) Chapter

Back again for the last chapter chronicling our California adventure!  Yes, this was back in the middle of June so thank you for your patience while I posted about other things in between.  I absolutely LOVE San Diego and Coronado Bay.  It seriously may be one of my favorite places ever.  It's so beautiful, peaceful, serene, etc., you just kind of forget where you are when you're there.  Unfortunately due to travel schedules we were only able to spend half of a day and one evening on Coronado Bay, but we certainly soaked up as much of it as we could in that short time!  As soon as we checked in to the beautiful Hotel del Coronado we threw our bags in our room and headed straight to the gorgeous beach.  P.S. the Coronado happens to be a haunted hotel, and not only were we in the haunted (old) wing, we were on the haunted FLOOR (dunt-dunt-DUUUHHHHHH)!  Yep, I'm a firm believer in all of that so needless to say I was freaked beyond belief, couldn't sleep at all/stayed in the same, awkward position the whole night, and due to that came home with that horrendous neck injury (mentioned in this post here) that put me at the chiropractor's office three times the week after we got home.  Was it worth it, though??  ABSOLUTELY!  To find out more about the ghost that roams the old wing of the Coronado be sure to check out the history tab on their website and read about "The Ghost of Kate Morgan", still a mystery today (oooooooh spooky).

We were so sad to leave California, it was such an amazing, adventurous, luxurious, peaceful trip and we cannot wait to go back.  Cali, you never disappoint.  'Til next time!

i do this same kind of picture everywhere with anything i can find.  makes me feel like a giant.

hubba hubba.

photoshoot on rocks?  NO THANKS!

dinner under the lights of the Coronado tower  : )

California Adventure - Palm Springs Chapter.

Back again for more California trip fun!  P.s. I promise you only have to hear about one more of these.....After spending some time in LA, Laguna and San Clemente the man-friend and I headed off to hot, hot, HOT (but beautiful) Palm Springs.  Has anyone ever been to the desert?  Well, I had not, and despite everything Tony told me, I was not prepared for the combination of intense heat and dry, desert air that seemed to smack me in the face every time I walked outside.  HOWEVER....I must say, regardless of the fact that it was 110 degrees, Palm Springs is absolutely breath-taking.  I never knew the desert to be such a gorgeous and scenic place.  Tony actually lived in Palm Springs for a good portion of his childhood so luckily he really knew his way around!  He showed me his old elementary school, his bike-riding routes, the grocery stores and movie theaters, etc. he went to, and three of his old houses - he must have had the BEST parties!  Except not considering he was like 5.  Okay 12 but whatever.  Anywho, along with an exciting trip down memory lane, Tony took me on a morning hike, treated me to a BEYOND delicious lunch at In-N-Out Burger, and took me on a gorgeous drive up and down and all around the mountains.

One of Tony's childhood homes - we found it!

'bout damn time.....ten days in California and I didn't get my Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf until day 8!  not right....

cue the drool.....

the hotels on this trip just got better and better....one of my FAVES!

yesssssss, claw-foot tub.

Like I said, just ONE more post chronicling our Cali adventure.  Next (and last), San Diego!

Don't lie....you'll be sad when these are over.  

Tootles!

California Adventure - SoCal Chapter

Back again for more California fun!  Last Cali post chronicled our wine country days in Napa and Sonoma, which we followed up with a quick flight towards the more southern points in California.  Our next stops, or what we call the midsection of our trip, included two days in L.A., a day exploring Balboa Island and Laguna Beach, and then an evening/overnight stay in San Clemente.  As much as this girl loves her vino, I have to say that this was my favorite part of our trip.  I'm pretty sure 99% of people would say they love the beach and the sun and what not, and of course I do as well, but I have honestly always been more of a city girl, loving the fast-paced hustle and bustle of noisy, busy streets.  After visiting Balboa Island and Laguna/San Clemente I can officially say, for the first time EVER, that I could live in a beach town.  These places were absolutely gorgeous but still full of normal, everyday life (a.k.a. not just vacation-ers).  Our time in L.A. was fun and fast-paced complete with a taping of the Jimmy Kimmel Show, a visit to Clayton Moore (the "The Lone Ranger")'s grave site (that one was for my Dad!), drinks at Rainbow Bar and Grill (no sitings of rock'n roll legends : ( ), a game at Dodger Stadium, and lots of shopping!!  Out of everything we did/saw/visited during this portion of the trip I have to say that my favorite was our time on Balboa Island. Anywhere that requires you to put your car ON a boat to get to is my kind of place.  It didn't hurt that a gorgeous beach, a mini ferris wheel, and some of the best custard ice cream was also awaiting us on the other side  : )  Enjoy some pics below and see it all for yourself!

not at all creepy......RIP, Lone Ranger.

Balboa Island

we're buying this one......

car on a boat!

one of my faves  : )  look how turquoise the water gets as you look further out!

Laguna Beach

looking for seashells for the kiddos

view outside of our room in san clemente

i love my liiiiiife!!

As usual, more to come soon!  Only a few more posts left of our Cali adventure....yes, I still miss it  : (  Hope you all have been able to relax and have a vacation of some sort of your own this summer.  Feel free to share your stories!