OMG! Is that a vegetable!?

Ahhh yes, the return of the vegetable!

Does anyone else feel like during the holidays vegetables and fruits somehow fall to the wayside?

I know my daily veggie servings were replaced by casseroles or decadent holiday dishes. I’m not complaining because all the food I ate was beyond delicious, but it’s time to give the ol’ bod some much-needed nutrients.

Along with a simple cheese sandwich (Colby jack cheese on a whole wheat Arnold sandwich thin), I enjoyed steamed broccoli and baby carrots.

Monday's Lunch

Love That Cheese

Tasty!

Dinner Plans

I am hoping to sneak some veggies into my dinner tonight, too. Ryan and I have plans for a double date with our friends Ryan and Jenessa who are in town from North Carolina.

Ryan was a groomsman in their wedding back in May of this year and our friend Ryan will be one of my Ryan’s groomsmen!

I took the picture below of the happy couple on their big day.

Ryan and Jenessa

How cute is this picture!?

Here’s a flashback picture of me and Ryan at their wedding at the Duke Gardens in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Me and a Foxy Groomsman

We’re meeting Ryan and Jenessa at my favorite restaurant, Season’s 52.

The restaurant serves healthy dishes, with nothing on the menu above 475 calories. The best part? It all tastes amazing!!!

According to the Season’s 52 Web site:

“We promise our guests the freedom to indulge while simultaneously eating well and feeling good about themselves by featuring foods that are thoughtfully prepared and in appropriate portion sizes, with no item on the menu above 475 calories. This enables our guests to indulge in a complete dining experience, including our custom flatbreads and signature mini-indulgence desserts, while still feeling good about themselves and their dining choices. We use natural cooking techniques such as wood-fire grilling, brick-oven cooking and caramelizing vegetables to let the natural flavors shine through. We do not use any fryers or heavy cream sauces, which hide the authentic flavors of food. And we execute precision seasoning flavoring, and oil with control and care to ensure just the right amount is used to bring out the great flavor profiles. The result… great tasting food that just so happens to be good for you!”

Sounds pretty wonderful, huh?

I’ve never left this restaurant disappointed and I’m hoping to have another fantastic experience there this evening.

Back to Business

After four glorious days off work, it’s back to the grind today. Fortunately we’re easing our way back into the work week since we are only working four days as New Years Day falls on a Friday this year. Yay!

Today started off like a normal Monday with a good workout and a nice walk with Sadie. Ryan was able to join me and Sadie on our morning walk since he has the whole week off of work. Lucky boy, huh?

Meringue Breakfast

I was anxious to break into one of the three boxes of  Divine Meringues I received for Christmas, so I jumped at the opportunity to incorporate them into my breakfast.

Meringues

I opted for vanilla bean  meringues and crunched them up to stir into my Greek yogurt.

Yogurt with Vanilla Meringues

I also enjoyed a clementine that I swiped from my parents’ house. 😉

Monday's Breakfast

Clementine

Foodie Gifts

I got several yummy food-related gifts for Christmas this year including:

• Merinuges
• Soup mix
• Atkins chocolate caramel bars
• Peanut butter M&Ms
• Ferrero Rocher chocolates
• Reese’s peanut butter cups
• Grapefruit knife and spoons
• Food processor (!!!)

Delicious Hazelnut Chocolates

Did you get any foodie gifts this year?