What a weekend! Over the past few days, I've been busy, but not in the aspect of daunting to-do's and undesirable appointments. More like hanging out with friends, eating amazing food, and soaking up every single moment of this sensational summer weather.
No small talk tonight, I'm just going to dive right in.
Friday
All week, I had been contemplating making a trip down to Towson but I didn't really have a particular reason other than to visit the beloved Trader Joe's. Then, I remembered a friend of mine had just recently moved to the Baltimore area so I decided to email her to see if she would be interested in meeting up. She didn't have any plans so we made a date!
Megan from MegaNerdRuns moved here from Orlando a few months ago and ever since, we've been talking about planning a time to get together. I've been following Megan's blog for a few years so we felt like we already knew each other.
We met for dinner and drinks at The Cheesecake Factory. First, we started with drinks….
We both agreed that big salads were the way to go with our entrees. I had the Carleton Salad which consisted of pears, oranges, dried cranberries, feta, pecans and grilled salmon.
Megan and I had the same idea. She went for the Herb Crusted Salmon salad which looked equally delicious.
After dinner, we took a quick tour of the mall. Megan had never been to Towson and wanted to check out some of the sights.
Somehow, we found chocolate along the way.
We ended our night with a quick stop in Trader Joe's. We said our goodbyes and promised we would do it again soon. Such a great night!
Saturday
I made it back from Towson a little late, but I still managed to get up bright and early for my 7am Spin Class.
Breakfast first…..
I picked up some of Trader Joe's almond butter realizing, I had never tried this kind. It's very good, but I thought it could have used a little more sea salt. I could barely taste the saltiness.
I had my usual pre-spin workout fuel…
English Muffin with Almond Butter, 1/2 smashed banana, pinch of granola
Fruit
Spin was great as always and I followed the workout with an incredible Body Pump class. It was the launch of the new release and it kicked butt! I contemplated staying for Body Attack since it was also the new release, but after such an intense spin and strength workout, I had zero energy left.
I came home, showered and visited one of my favorite people….my hairstylist.
She not only brightened my hair, she brightened my day. Love the feeling of a fresh look.
I was starving after my appointment and grabbed a smoothie for lunch from the health food store right around the corner.
Apple Juice, Banana, Veggie Protein, Almond Milk, Spirulina
A few more errands and I finally made it back home just in time to get things ready for a little dinner party we were throwing. Our friends were coming over for a BBQ so I got to work on the meal. Fish tacos were on the menu.
Grilled Corn Black Bean and Mango Salad
Grilled Fish and Shrimp
Grilled Zucchini and Squash
If this wasn't enough, I even pulled off dessert. A fantastic dessert at that!
Vegan Peach Crumble Pie
I know, I still can't believe it. Granted, I did use a store-bought whole wheat crust, but other than that, this was all me.
We ended up chatting the entire night away over a few bottles of wine and had a fantastic time.
Sunday
Thank goodness for Sundays and sleeping in. I slept well past my normal wake-up. 8:30am is a rarity for me.
After a heavy night of food and drink, Toly and I both opted for a light breakfast.
Yogurt, Berries, Granola, Almond Butter
We were going to spend the afternoon tubing with our friends and it was the perfect day for it. That is until this happened…..
I'm still not sure how it happened. I was cleaning the table and lifted a large heavy vase. In a moment, the bottom of the vase gave out and the glass went through my left pointer finger. To be honest, it didn't hurt that bad but I knew it needed stitches right away. Toly rushed me to the ER and four stitches later, I was repaired. Obviously tubing was out of the picture though.
So that kind of put a damper on my day, but I guess it was nice to just relax. Dinner was a bit of a challenge tonight, but I managed to pull off a little something.
Grilled Teriyaki Salmon with Peach, Apricot Cherry Salsa
Salmon:
- 3 oz of Salmon
- 2 T Teriyaki sauce
- 1 T soy sauce
- 1 T honey
- 1 T Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp minced garlic
Season the fish with salt and pepper and prepared marinade. Pour marinade over fish and let sit for a few hours in the fridge.
Salsa:
- 2 Peaches
- 2 Apricots
- 1/4 C chopped cherries
- 2 T Lime Juice
- Fresh mint and basil
Dice fruit and place in a bowl. Add lime juice and chopped herbs.
I had my salmon on a salad with cucumber, goat cheese and grilled asparagus.
I may be wounded but I'm not dying. A good meal is always obtainable if you have enough desire.
That concludes another incredible weekend. So far, this is shaping up to be one phenomenal summer.
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