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Monday, May 7, 2012

Recap of the Weekend!

Happy Monday Lovlies!
How was everyones weekend?  Did you enjoy some Cinco De Mayo festivities?

I know we did! 
I had a full weekend, but a good one! 
Friday was low key.  I met up with some friends for drinks at a local downtown bar.  
It was nice to just sit and enjoy each others company! 

Saturday I enjoyed a very lazy morning.  The weather was overcast and left me wanting to sit in bed with a cup of coffee!  And that is exactly what I did!  I did manage to hang a few pictures!  I also ran my first 4 mile run since recovering from my ankle stress fracture!  The run felt amazing! We decided to run downtown instead of driving out to the lakes, and the trails around downton Minneapolis were perfect!  I enjoyed being able to see Minneapolis in a whole new way!  We ran down by Target Field where the Minnesota Twins play, 
(source, This picture was painted by a local artist Michael Birawer)
and ran by my old Ballet School! 
The run brought back a lot of memories, and made me fall even more in love with my city! 
An afternoon Margarita at Crave kicked off or Cinco De Mayo celebration and had me ready for our Cinco De Mayo get together! 

On our Cinco de Mayo Menu:
These Cranberry Pomegranate Margaritas! 

I ended up making just a straight pomegranate margarita, and boy were they good! 
We also enjoyed these chicken burritos! 

Instead of sautéing the chicken, we grilled the chicken! 
The results were amazing!   I picked up spinach tortilla's from Trader Joe's and thought they complimented the flavor well!  I will for sure be making those chicken burritos again! 
Dessert was a Banana Fosters Chimichanga!

Delicious!
It was a perfect evening full of food, laughter, drinks, friends and games!  Great Saturday night!
Sunday was low key with church and a very very lazy afternoon!  But sometimes you just need one of those days!

So tell me how was your weekend?  Do anything fun to Celebrate Cinco De Mayo, or the Kentucky Derby?

I have this weeks menu/pin challenge coming to you tomorrow!  Stay tuned!


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Saturday, May 5, 2012

Thats A Wrap

I love Saturday mornings that start with a good cup of coffee in my Pj's.  Those mornings where you can slowly start your day and not worry about where you have to be!  Those are the best!  That is exactly the type of morning I am having right now, and if I could have some Mango Waffles from Victor's I would be one happy camper! 
Did everyone have a good week?  Have fun plans for this fine Saturday?
My week seemed to fly by!  I feel like since moving the weeks seem to pass with the blink of an eye!  I guess that means I am just enjoying my life and the city!  They say time flies when your having fun !

I wanted to wrap up this weeks pin challenge and share some highlights with you from this week!  A major highlight this week was it was casual dress all week!  Since my company turns 50 this year we have a total of 50 casual dress days!  I see a lot of shopping in my near future!   Another highlight of the week was getting to see Nora Jones perform... at my office!!  Nora Jones came and put on a private concert for my company this past Tuesday! 
How cool is that!  It was hard to see with so many people but still cool that I get to see Nora Jones performed at my office! 

And finally check out this neon pink dress I found yesterday shopping!  I am completely obsessed with this dress, I just love the neon pink color!  
The picture does not do it justice for how bright/cute it is thats why I am sharing this lovely picture with you !
Please excuse my awkward facial expression...
I plan on belting the dress and wearing this dress today for Cinco De Mayo!  The color is perfect bright and fun! 

Alright now we can focus on some recipes!   
Lets start with the alright and work our way to the best! 
These Italian Chicken Wraps were a bit of a bummer! 

(This is the picture from Taste of Home, my pictures of wraps never turn out well)!
I had high hopes for them.  They just did not have the flavor I desired.  The filling to be honest got a little lost in the tortilla!  I even added extra spices.  I am now on the hunt to find an amazing wrap recipe!  

Next up the Black bean and Guacamole Burrito! 

Delicious!  I have been obsessed with avocados lately, I could eat them every day!  This was such an easy dinner to make, I actually had it two nights in a row it was that good!  I did not make guacamole though, I simply just mashed avocado and a bit of salsa together!  Still tasty though! 

And finally we come to a veggie packed flat bread!  
Mine seriously looked like a  salad on a tortilla, but man was it good! I added some fresh cilantro into the spinach, and left the parmesan cheese off!  This little flat bread would be a great week night dinner because it is quick!  I am thinking next time I will add some beans or chicken for a little protein kick! 

Overall I thought it was a good week for recipes!  
You have to have a dud recipe every now and then, right?
Now if you will excuse me I have some party prepping to do! 
I hear one of these calling my name! 

Happy Saturday/Cinco De Mayo! 
Have a fabulous day, and I highly recommend enjoying at least one margarita! 


  












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Thursday, May 3, 2012

Thoughts for Thursday!

Roof top bar, beautiful view of the city, wonderful people and beautiful weather!
Since the weather was beautiful yesterday a group of us ventured into a part of Minneapolis called uptown! We enjoyed the wonderful weather at Stella's Fish Cafe, Stella's has a wonderful Roof Top Patio! I could have sat outside all night! Lucky for us we didn't get rained on!

What do you like to do with friends when the weather gets nice?

And just a little inspiration to get us through the rest of the week!
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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Drum Roll Please!

Good Morning Lovelies!
Did everyone have a splendid Monday Morning?

I have some pictures to show you today, they are a long overdue! 
I just hadn't found the time to actually take them!
Can I get a drum roll please?
Hello big girl apartment!
Kitchen/Living Room
(some little details)
More pictures to come!  
I feel like I have a long ways to go decorating wise!  I am just not sure what all I want yet!  I would really like to find a coffee table or some sort of ottoman!  I saw this palette coffee table on Pinterest and fell in love with the idea!
(Source)
What do you think?
For now I will get by with what I have until I find decorations I absolutely love! 

Now how about some new pinterest recipes?
I wrapped up last weeks pin challenge by making Spaghetti Squash Sesame Noodles with Edamame!
Prepping the squash the night before had my dinner on the table in less then 20 minutes!  Gotta love that!  I thought the flavor of this dish was amazing.  The combination of sesame oil and cilantro was delicious!  I added some black beans to my serving for a little extra protein!  This recipe is for sure a keeper!  Don't like spaghetti squash?  Go ahead and sub in whole wheat pasta noodles, thats what my parents did!

Now here is the weekly menu/pin challenge recipes!
I was all about quick and delicious this week!

Alright how about some breakfast for dinner?
Asparagus and Blue Cheese Frittata from Eighty Twenty

Frittatas remind me of brunch, hence breakfast for dinner!  I am going to sub in spinach for the asparagus, I think it will be delicious!

How about a spinach flat bread pizza?

3 Cheese Spinach Flat Bread Pizza from Green Little Bites

Wraps are always easy and delicious, and the leftovers are great to take for lunch!

I thought these Italian Chicken Wraps from Taste of Home sounded like a winner to me!  Can't wait to enjoy them after an evening run around the lakes!

And last but not least a few recipes to get in the Cinco De Mayo Mood!
I think these Chicken Burritos from Zoom Yummy will be perfect for a little Cinco De Mayo get together!


They are loaded with tons of great flavors, and I love all the vibrant colors!
Or how about some Black Bean Guacamole Burritos from Naturally Ella?

I know for sure I will be enjoying one of these on Saturday!

One Cranberry Pomegranate Margarita coming right up!
Is it Saturday yet?

Happy Tuesday Lovlies!

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Monday, April 30, 2012

Updates

Happy Monday Everyone!
Can you believe that the month of April is almost over? Crazy right?
I have to say I am looking forward to May.  Minneapolis seems to come alive in the spring/summer time, and this city has so much to offer!  I cannot wait for Farmers Markets, 
Long runs around the lakes, roof top happy hours, and sunshine!

Now lets talk about the weekend! 
Did everyone have a great weekend?  Do anything fun?
I hope so!  My weekend was low key, but fun!  And the days went by way to fast!  
Friday night I was exhausted after a long training week, but I perked up with a little sushi and good company!  Have any of you ever heard of Redneck Life?  
The game is similar to the game of Life!  Only the person with the most teeth at the end of the game wins!  And with 12 teeth left at the end of the game guess who won?  ME!!  I don't think I have ever laughed so hard playing a board game before!  Seriously, check it out!

Saturday was spent relaxing, and celebrating!  
My best friend Katie was up in Minneapolis celebrating her 25th birthday, and other wonderful life happenings!  Her and her husband are expecting their first little one! I could not be happier for her and her husband, they will make wonderful parents!  Shopping, cupcakes and a pasta dinner from Broders Pasta Bar was all on the list for celebrating!
Broders Pasta Bar was recently featured on Diners Drive-In's and Dives, and I can see why!  
The food was delicious and the atmosphere was cozy! 
 We got take out, but I cannot wait to go back and dine in! 
Sunday was spent playing catch up!  A lazy relaxing morning followed by errands and cooking made for a perfect weekend wrap up!  

Now, shall we look at a few of last weeks recipes?
First let me start by saying I loved every dish!  Especially the Tilapia and the Zucchini Enchiladas!  

Delicious, I thought the sauce was delicious and flavorful!  The dish came together in  a snap, which was a good thing because I was starving after a beautiful walk around Lake Calhoun!  
This dish got a thumbs up from my taste testers! 

Up next, our veggie packed Greek Quinoa Salad from Eclectic Recipes.

I thought this salad was good, but could use a little more flavor!  I wish I had the greek seasoning my dad always uses!  Grilled chicken would pair wonderful with this!

And the final recipe I tried this week was Skinny Tastes Zucchini Enchilada's!
My good friend Brielle came over and I made these for her!  She absolutely loved them. We used greek yogurt on top of ours in place of Sour Cream and the yogurt added the perfect amount of tang!  I didn't grate my Zucchini I simply just chopped it up!  Also added a bit of cumin in there for a kick of flavor!  Make these, my entire family (my parents and sister) made these as well this week and they got a huge thumbs up from all!  

I am making the Spaghetti Squash Sesame Noodles with Edamame tomorrow!  The squash is already prepared!  I will have the review on that tomorrow as well as a new line up of recipes!  I have a great recipe I cannot wait to try out for Cinco De Mayo!  Stay tuned!   
Have a fabulous day everyone, and Happy Monday! 







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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Love

Good Morning!
Happy Hump Day!  
Can you believe that it is already the middle of the week?  The weekend is going to be here before we know it!  Anyone have any big plans?  My best friend Katie will be up here celebrating her birthday!  I cannot wait for a lovely weekend with friends!


This week I have been super busy at work.  I am still in the training process so most of my day is spent in training classes.  But I am loving every minute of my new job, I have met some wonderful people this past week and a half!  I feel as though I am slowly figuring out where I belong!

So what else am I loving this week (seems like ages since I have posted about what I am loving)...
I am loving that this is what I get to look at while I work out in the morning!
Ah I love the city!

I am loving that I get to spend some quality time celebrating with this lovely lady!

I love that I finally feel like all my furniture is in the right place!
I may or may not have rearranged my living room furniture 4 times!

I am loving that the weather is beautiful!
Yesterday was a lovely 73 degrees! 
Perfect weather for a leisurely walk around Lake Calhoun!
I feel like I could go on and on about the city!
But I will stop there for the day!  

What are you loving today?
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!






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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Back in the Swing of Things-Meal Planning

Happy Tuesday Lovelies! 
Is everyones week off to a wonderful start?  I hope so!
The weather here in Minneapolis has been beautiful, makes me want to be outside 24/7!
I am in love with my morning/afternoon walking to and from work work, gives me a little extra time in the beautiful weather!

Since I am now living on my own I have to get back in the swing of cooking for one!  This means smaller portions (making half a recipe), and eating leftovers!  But don't worry I am still doing the pin challenge!  I actually send my weekly meal plan to my parents and my sister, complete sometimes with the grocery list!  

This week I am focusing on meals that will be easy to pack in my lunch box!  I also realized that I picked a lot of meatless/veggie packed dishes!  Most of the recipes I picked for the week you could add in your choice of protein if you want a little extra! 

So lets kick it off with Zucchini Enchiladas from Skinny Taste!

I have been wanting to make these forever!  They just sound deliciou, and spicy food is what I have been craving recently!

Salads are an easy lunch box staple for me!  So this week I thought why not make a huge quinoa salad to have on hand!  

Next up how about some spaghetti squash?

I love baking my spaghetti squash ahead of time!!  This helps cut down cooking time, because the last thing I want to do after work is wait 45 min for my spaghetti squash to bake!  

And last but not least how about some fresh fish! 

I am thinking of serving the fish over a simple green salad or some brown rice!  Either way I think this dish is going to be delicious!  

Any recipes catching your eye this week?
How do you cook for one?





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