{date day}

Hi all.....
Instead of shopping on Black Friday, my husband and I went up to Saugatuck for the day!! We had a great day! Sometimes it's nice to have a date day.
Plus, you know how I feel about winter in the Midwest, but this year I have decided to get out there and try and enjoy it.....as best I can:)
We started off at this super cute little bar..

I just love this place!! We come here a lot in the summer and usually this area is open to the outside...but you can see they put up walls!
Here's my husband....hoping I don't talk to much during our "date day!!!" I always talk a lot....mostly because I am just so happy and I want to make everyone else happy too:)I had a little glass of this....Next, we headed over to this cute little place...It was so festive in there...Then we walked around and checked out all the cute shops...Who cares if we had to dress like this for our date day~
Trust me....I would rather be walking around the beachy areas in Florida or anywhere else that warm. But this is all i've got and I am determined to take better advantage of it in the winter!

And guess what.....we had just as much fun as we do there in the summertime:)

Here's what the water looks like in the winter...yes...it does make me want to cry...but, again, I am determined to remain positive:)Even in the winter..you can still find things to be happy about..

like this bench! I don't know why but it made me happy!! I just so colorful and pretty!

Our last stop was this place...Along the way to walking here we saw a couple more happy things...

A front end loader with twinkle lights!! How cute Saw this cute little reindeer...
and I finished up with this....

you know I love my red wine:)

All in all...I am so happy we bundled up and went out and did something fun! Sometimes you just have to bloom where you're planted!! Yes, I would love to live somewhere warm and sunny...but I don't. I don't want to wish my life away and from now on am going to try my BEST to get out and enjoy what we have here:)

Have a warm and cozy Sunday~

"We are so often caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet on the way. Appreciation is a wonderful feeling, don't overlook it." unknown

{Fresh Friday}

Happy Friday to everyone:)
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving....
Ours turned out really nice~
I actually got my husband to wear something a little nice~

I got to wear something nice...I was pretty proud of this outfit. I just got back into these pants after they haven't fit for a long time. BUT by the end of the evening I popped the button and had to use a safety pin:) Darn rolls!

Ruby tried to behave...

but as you can see.....she likes to jump on people and give them kisses! At least this time it was just my husband.

Our dining room table looked more like Christmas because I has already decorated for Christmas....Owell....it was still pretty~I made all the usual Thanksgiving suspects for everyone....but I made my Butternut Squash Lasagna for myself. Here's my plate.....Nevermind I went back for seconds and maybe even thirds~I also made this tasty salad.....pomegranates, figs and walnuts! At least I had some greens in my day~

ALRIGHT....enough of that....Now it's time for Fresh Friday and I am so happy because I actually took the time to measure out every little ingredient so I can give you a REAL recipe:)
see....
I made
~Spicy Black Bean Baby Cakes with Guacamole and Tropical Salsa~
First...the Guacamole
~2 large avocados
~1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
~1/4 cup chopped white onions
~1 Tablespoon diced jalapeno
~1/4 cup loose packed cilantro
~juice of 1/2 a lime
~1 teaspoon minced garlic
Throw all the ingredients in the food processor
and waa-la...
Tropical Salsa
~1 can tropical fruit salad (in it's own juice) chopped
~1 Tablespoon diced jalapeno
~1 teaspoon chili powder
~1/2 teaspoon cumin
~1 /4 cup loose packed chopped cilantro
~1/4 c. chopped onion
Throw it all in a bowl
It's just that simple and the possibilities are endless for this salsa! Sometimes I even put black beans in it and use it with tortilla chips...Or you could serve it atop fish or chicken~
Now the
Spicy Black Bean Baby Cakes
~1 can black beans
~1/4 cup corn
~1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
~1/4 cup corn
~1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
~1 teaspoon chili powder
~1 teaspoon cumin
~juice of 1/2 a lime

mix all ingredients, except the corn, in the food processor
take out and mix in the corn and form into patties
cook in a 400 degree oven about 8-10 minutes on each side
take out and let cool

These ROCKED!! I served it all atop a bed of lettuce....but you could make sandwiches out of these too!

yummy.....yummy.....yummy

That's all I can say:)Ok....well I am off to the gym to try and work off some of those rolls I ate yesterday! And then we are going to Saugatuck for a Christmas lighting Ceremony. I'll share that later!!

Have a Happy Friday~

"There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama & the people who create it & surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard you forget the bad and focus soley on the good. After all, life is too short to be anything but happy." unknown

{Happy Thanksgiving}

Good Morning Everyone~

I had high hopes of going to the gym this am and doing an awesome workout....but sometimes the best laid plans just DON'T workout and that's ok!! Instead I am about to begin the days festivities of cleaning and cooking......

Sometimes I feel torn between pushing myself to get a workout in and still trying to enjoy the holiday! This year...I decided to just take a moment to BREATHE and actually try and enjoy the day. I find I secretly like to try and cram too many things into one day but then utimately end up feeling stressed and unable to be present in the moment! SOOO....here I am NOT going to the gym or running in the race I was thinking of doing and not feeling a tiny bit bad about it...ok maybe I am feeling a tiny bit bad about it!! But one or two days never set anyone totally off track!!

Anyway....today is a day of THANKS and I am going to take a little minute to relax, enjoy every minute of it and be THANKFUL:)

1. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Hash, 2. Roasted couscous salad with favas and grapes, 3. Pumpkin Spice Bread, 4. Rustic Bread and Eggplant Lasagna, 5. Liars Dice Zinfandel, 6. Pumpkin Pie, 7. Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary (large), 8. sauteed mushrooms, 9. Pasta with Arugala, Yellow Squash and Herbs

And I am going to enjoy LOTS of yummy food!

I like to say "I am about to get involved in a food festival" and NOT feel guilty about it~

Oh and you know i'll probably have just a little too much wine! Owell...it keeps things interesting with family:)

I am thankful for so many things in my life that I couldn't possibly list them all here! I truly feel blessed and thankful to simply be the person that I am...

We all have things that we would like to change about ourselves but overall I am happy with me:) And I am super thankful for that:)

It's a great life and remember we only get one go around so we better be thankful for every moment we get~

Hope you have a GREAT Thanksgiving and enjoy every bite you eat today! Most of all remember to be THANKFUL:)

"Life is so brief that we should not glance either too far backwards or forwards...therefore study how to fix our happiness in our glass and in our plate."Grimod de la Reynière

{Happy Monday}

Happy Monday to you all!!
Had a great run outside and then came in to do a little
p90x!! It's still 50ish degrees outside and so I try and soak up every little bit I can get! :)
Running outside beats the treadmill ANYDAY....woohoo~
This past weekend I started doing a little Christmas decorating.
Is it WRONG that I listen to the 80's hairband station while i'm doing the decorating?!?!? I am SURE most people probably listen to Christmas music....but then I have never been accused of being like MOST people~

I'll give you just a little sneak peek. Turquoise, silver and glitter is the theme this year~

Of course, you can never go wrong with twinkle lights either! I love them and they make me feel super happy~I am NOT afraid of silver paint and glitter! I just love these little reindeer....they were just the brown paper mache reindeer that I spray painted and sprinkled glitter on! Simple and cute.
Oh and I did add a little Amy Butler fabric scarf to keep them warm and toasty.
The little tree on my bar....I know you are shocked to see wine corks on it:)The dining room table so far......
I enjoyed a MOST delicious dinner there this evening. Stay tuned because i'll be sharing the recipe on this Friday's Fresh Friday post! Oh and you'll be so happy to know that I actually took the time to measure out all the ingrediants I used so that I can give you an ACTUAL recipe!
I promise you won't be dissapointed! Or at least I hope you're not:)

Hope you have a super wonderful evening:)

"Take into account that great love & great achievements involve great risk" dalai lama

{wheat grass}

NO...not this kind of wheat grass~ OR...this kind of wheat grass~
I am talking about THIS kind of wheat grass! :) Pure health in a can. It's a super easy way to get a nice dose of greens for your day~

I make a healthy shake in the morning with a little bit of this....and whatever else I feel like throwing in!

Lately my shakes have been.....wheat grass, plant fusion, blueberries, half a banana and some ground flaxseed!! What a GREAT way to start the day:) Go ahead and whip one up yourself! You WON"T be disappointed~

These shakes make me really feel like i'm doing something GOOD for my body~YUUUMMMMM~~

Have a HAPPY sunday~ :)

PS....how are your Thanksgiving Day plans going?!?!? I can't believe it's just around the corner! Geesh....where does time go?

{Fresh Friday}

Breathe....just Breathe...it's FRIDAY!! I never thought it would get here.....
Hi all...
Glad you enjoyed my yoga post and even more importantly....happy to know you think i'm flexible!! :)
As always I appreciate all the comments, they always make me smile~

flickr
Well...it's Fresh Friday and time for another installment of something super healthy to make!
This time it's .............
~Tomato Pesto Soup served in a Squash Bowl~
triple times five super yummy:)
I don't know...just a silly saying I always say! :)

Anywho...first roast a garlic clove~ I could live on roasted garlic but my husband doesn't always appreciate it.
Then chop some kale and saute it in a little vegetable broth or olive oil if you prefer~
After all that's done....throw a can of diced tomatoes, a little pesto and some soy milk in the food processor...oh and make sure to throw in the garlic and kale!Oh...I almost forgot to mention...when you put the garlic in the oven....throw in half of a cleaned acorn squash.
I'd say about 425 for about an hour...give or take...depending on your oven~ When everything is done just pour it into the squash and ENJOY! Kind of like a bread bowl but without all that bread:)Notice I also had a little pizza with mine! I just used the whole wheat crust I make from scratch and keep in the freezer. I threw on a little pesto, some tomatoes and onions! Put it all in the oven on 450 for about 12 minutes! It was fabulous~

I always roll the crust super duper thin....so that I feel like I am getting a lot of pizza, when really it's not all that much! More pieces of pizza...but less crust and thus fewer calories= I am happy:)Healthy Eating....

Just today I was at work and someone brought in some pomegrantes, so I was talking about how good they taste and how good they are for you! Well, someone said "so how many of those do you need to eat in one day to be healthy?"

Woah....hold on just a minute!

It often seems that people have the notion .... if one of something is good for you than 50 must be better!

I said "it's not about eating 50 pomegrantes in one day, it's about eating more fruits & veggies overall and really mixing it up."

So the point is....if you want to start getting a little more healthy and fit...eat more fruits and veggies and DON'T be afraid to try new things! Eating carrots everyday of your life isn't BAD but what about sweet potaotes, orange peppers or the many kinds of squashes there are!!?!?! I find that if I get bored with what I am eating...I tend to get off track...that's why I love to mix it up and try new things!! Plus every fruit or veggie has something different to offer your body! But overall I do try to eat a ton of fruits and veggies everyday!

I have found that I can incorporate them in interesting ways....like adding sauted kale to my tomato soup or serving my soup in a squash bowl.... you get the idea:)

I am not a nutrtitionist or a doctor ...... just a real girl trying to get real fit and learning along the way! Hopefully along my journey i'll inspire another~

Happy Friday and I hope you all have a super {fruits and veggies filled} weekend:)

"Whatever you want to do, do it now. For life is time and time is all there is." Unknown