Pre-Dinner Milkshake

What better way to kick off the weekend than with a McDonald’s triple thick pumpkin milkshake? How have I never tried this shake before???

Pumpkin Milkshake

Ryan and I split this shake after taking Sadie on a nice long walk. Since it’s ridiculously hot in Florida right now, a milkshake sounded perfect! Oh-my-gosh-this-was-too-tasty! We both fell instantly in love. It almost made me forget how yummy McD’s shamrock shakes are… almost.

After our lil’ treat, we cooked up a slightly more nutritious dinner.

I chopped come brussels sprouts and tossed them with olive oil, salt and pepper before roasting them in the oven at 400 degrees for 12 minutes on one side before flipping them and roasting them for another 5 minutes on the other side.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

While the lil’ brussels were roasting, I tossed a salmon burger and some onion slices on the griddle and toasted a whole wheat Arnold’s sandwich thin. I topped the bread with light mayo, dijon mustard and dill and slices plum tomatoes.

Dinnah!

Dinner was quite yummy (but the milkshake was yummier). 🙂

Now Ryan and I are having quite the hot Friday night full of laundry, cleaning and packing! As one of my gifts to Ryan for his birthday, I booked us a weekend stay in Ft. Lauderdale and we’re leaving early in the in the morning. I can’t wait! We’re staying in a boutique hotel right near the beach. It’s our first vacation as an engaged couple. Woop, woop!

Our Hotel

I’m bringing my camera and computer along in hopes of making a blog post over the weekend, but I make no promises! 🙂 Happy Weekend!

14%

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 14 percent of American adults eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Health experts recommend five servings of fruits and veggies a day.

I try to sneak fruits and veggies into my main meals, such as today’s lunch… a big fat BBQ chicken salad!

Veggified

Many people find other foods more convenient and easier to eat, allowing fresh fruits and vegetables to fall to the wayside. It’s easy to grab a granola bar, pour a bowl of cereal or cook up some pasta.

Chopping, roasting or sauteing veggies seems like work! To me, the extra effort is worth it, and doesn’t really feel like work at all anymore. Sure dicing up the veggies for my salad wasn’t amazingly fun, but with Ryan in the kitchen quizzing me on questions out of the 1,000 Questions to Ask Before You Get Married book (a lovely gift from my friend Laurel), it didn’t seem so bad.

I like to incorporate veggies into my meal staples… adding strawberries or fresh fruit to my Greek yogurt enhances my morning breakfast. Adding tomato slices, spinach or broccoli slaw to a pita pocket or wrap makes my lunch more filling. Enjoying roasted brussels sprouts, spaghetti squash or steamed green beans adds beautiful color and taste to my evening meal.

Today’s salad was full o’ veggies! I topped a bed of broccoli slaw and fresh spinach with diced carrots, celery, plum tomato and leftover BBQ chicken from last night’s dinner.

Gettin' My Servings

The serving size for most fruits and veggies is a half of a cup (or a piece of fruit), or one cup for leafy greens such as spinach or lettuce.

This salad probably contained almost a full day’s worth of veggies! I had two cups of broccoli slaw as the base for the salad and with all the other veggies as my toppings, hitting the recommended serving of veggies wasn’t too hard.

My salad was topped my salad with balsamic vinegar (love this stuff) and I shook it up so everything was evenly dispersed.

All Dressed Up

I love a good veggie-full feeling. There’s just something about knowing your belly is full of fresh, healthy and nutrient-rich foods.

Don’t worry, I didn’t neglect my fruits today.

I added some fruit toppers to my mid-morning Greek yogurt snack.

Fruity Greek Yogurt

I topped the thick yogurt with strawberries, Brothers-All-Natural apple crisps, honey ‘n’ flax Pumpkorn and slivered almonds.

Apple Crisps

Tasty!

Also, in case you were wondering, Washington, D.C. residents apparently eat the most servings of fruits and veggies while poor Mississippi ranked last for produce consumption. Eek!

Question: What are your favorite ways for sneaking fruits and veggies into your diet?

Apples, PB and a Survey

On Wednesday, Orlando reached a record high temperature of 93 degrees. Ninety-three degrees… in October… in the middle of fall. C’mon!

I’m determined not to let this ruin my autumn cheer and started the day off with an apple in honor of this season’s most loved fruit.

How 'Bout Them Apples?

(Yes, I definitely did put the apple in my left hand to highlight my engagement ring… I’m still ridin’ the proposal high!)

Eat 'Em Up!

I sliced my Jazz apple (delicious!) with a wonderful apple slicer that my Aunt Laurie gave me when I moved into my first apartment after graduating college. This is one fantastic invention and makes slicing an apple perfectly an easy task.

Slice!

Of course my intense love for peanut butter warranted using the creamy spread as a topper for this crisp fruit.

PB for Me!

Sweet and Salty

I served my apple slices and peanut butter with a big ol’ cuppa coffee from my gym’s free selection. I combined Barnie’s French vanilla, hazelnut and cinnamon butter cookie coffees in my tumbler for a nice hot drink.

Friday Breakfast

Yummers.

After checking in on one of my favorite blogs, Carrots ‘n’ Cake, I decided to steel the survey she posted for some Friday fun! The only rules are you must answer each question in one word only. Heeeere we go!

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse

2. Your hair? Blonde

3. Your mother? Wonderful

4. Your father? Loving

5. Your favorite food? Ice cream (oops, two words… but it’s my favorite!)

6. Your dream last night? None

7. Your favorite drink? Cocoa

8. Your dream/goal? Family

9. What room are you in? Office

10. Your hobby? Fitness

11. Your fear? Death

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy

13. Where were you last night? Apartment

14. Something you aren’t? Angry

15. Muffins? Nutty

16. Wish list item? Boots

17. Where did you grow up? Illinois

18. Last thing you did? Breakfast

19. What are you wearing? Jeans

20. Your TV? Old

21. Your pets? Joy

22. Your friends? Awesome

23. Your life? Amazing

24. Your mood? Excited

25. Missing someone? Fab5

26. Vehicle? SUV

27. Something you’re not wearing? Socks

28. Your favorite store? Grocery (Love my food!)

29. Your favorite color? Pink

30. When was the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? Wednesday

32. Your best friend? Ryan

33. One place that I go over and over? Gym

34. One person who emails me regularly? Laurel

35. Favorite place to eat? Season’s 52 (two words, I know… one restaurant though!)

Bloggers, let me know if you post this survey, too! 🙂

I leave you with this pic of Sadie giving me her sad puppy eyes this morning. Can you see why it breaks my heart a little every time I have to leave her???

"Don't Leave Me, Mom!"

Happy, happy Friday!