Avoiding the Post-Birthday Blues

This may be the first year of my life where I’ve managed to avoid the post-birthday blues. 

On the day after my birthday (or a big holiday like Christmas), I inevitably feel a little sad that the fun is over! 

But today I felt a little different. 

When I got to work this morning, I had to take down the decorations several coworkers put up for me yesterday, and even that didn’t get me down. 

B-Day Decor

Dare I say I think it might have had something to do with the yoga class I took this morning??? 

The class was so calming and for once I felt rejuvenated when I left, not frustrated or annoyed like I usually do when I leave a yoga class. I think I finally found a winning instructor and a type of yoga (power yoga) that I enjoy. Woohoo! 

Goodie Bag 

I actually felt like my birthday was prolonged a little bit thanks to Janetha, of the fabulous blog Meals & Moves. 

Apparently I was the 15,000th person to comment on her blog, and she sent me one heck of a goodie bag! 

Goodies!

From Miss Janetha

Among the goodies she sent me was a cute mug that you can write on with chalk! Naturally I had to write her a little message… 

I ❤ Janetha

Sadie really enjoyed the treats Janetha included for her in the goodie bag as well! 

Nom, Nom, Nom

Dinner 

Dinner tonight came together quickly once Ryan set out to grill some eggplant. 

I covered sliced eggplant in balsamic vinegar and Ryan grilled ’em up to include in a eggplant and goat cheese sandwich. 

Dinner

My sandwich included grilled eggplant, light Miracle Whip, goat cheese and spinach. 

On the side we enjoyed roasted broccoli and eggplant, sprinkled with garlic salt. 

Roasted Veggies

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich

Dessert 

Dessert was a bit of the chocolate bar sent to me by Janetha. 

Lindt Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt

Sea Salt + Chocolate

The salty and sweet combination was tasty! It reminded me a bit of the chocolate-covered movie-theater popcorn I love!

Do you prefer salty or sweet foods?

I’m a sweet-lover, no questions asked! I can pass up a bowl of chips without a problem, but put a platter of brownies in front of me and you better watch out!

50 Best Restaurants in the World

Sometimes the simplest lunches are the most delicious.

I am not a fan of regular hummus (it’s too bland for me), but roasted red pepper hummus is a whole different story.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus = Yum

I first discovered roasted red pepper hummus when the lovely free sample lady at Publix offered it to me on a pretzel chip.

It was like a flavor explosion!

(Side note: I would love to be the free sample lady as my retirement job one day.)

For today’s lunch, I smeared the hummus on a toasted sweet wheat Alternative bagel and topped the other half with roasted zucchini which I had leftover from last night’s dinner.

Hummus + Zucchini + Bagel

Lunch Time!

On the side of my hummus and zucchini bagelwich, I snacked on a bag of Brothers-All-Natural apple crisps.

Apple Crisps

My friend Minda gave me a bunch of these a while ago because she wasn’t a fan, but I think they’re light, airy and delicious.

Plus, I love the ingredient list!

Only One Ingredient

Sweet deal, huh?

50 Best Restaurants in the World

Today CNN released a list of the 50 best restaurants in the world.

The restaurants that made the list include:

1) Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)

2) El Bulli (Roses, Spain)

3) The Fat Duck (Bray, England)

4) El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)

5) Mugaritz (Errenteria, Spain)

6) Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy)

7) Alinea (Chicago, Illinois)

8 ) Daniel (New York)

9) Arzak (San Sebastián, Spain)

10) Per Se (New York)

11) Le Chateaubriand (Paris, France)

12) La Colombe (Cape Town, South Africa)

13) Pierre Gagnaire (Paris, France)

14) L’Hotel de Ville – Philippe Rochat (Crissier, Switzerland)

15) Le Bernardin (New York)

16) L’Astrance (Paris, France)

17) Hof Van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium)

18) D.O.M. (São Paolo, Brazil)

19) Oud Sluis (Sluis, Netherlands)

20) Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)

21) Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)

22) Vendôme (Bergisch Gladbach, Germany)

23) Chef Dominique (Helsinki, Finland)

24) Les Créations de Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)

25) Mathias Dahlgren (Stockholm, Sweden)

26) Momofuku Ssäm Bar (New York)

27) Quay Restaurant (Sydney, Australia)

28) Iggy’s (Singapore)

29) L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Paris, France)

30) Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland)

31) Le Quartier Français (Franschhoek, South Africa)

32) The French Laundry (Yountville, California)

33) Martin Berasategui (Lasarte-oria, Spain)

34) Aqua (Bath, England)

35) Combal Zero (Rivoli, Italy)

36) Dal Pescatore (Montava, Italy)

37) De Librije (Zwolle, Netherlands)

38) Tetsuya’s (Sydney, Australia)

39) Jaan Par Andre (Singapore)

40) Il Canto (Siena, Italy)

41) Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athénée (Paris, France)

42) Oaxen Krog (Oaxen, Sweden)

43) St. John (London, England)

44) La Maison Troisgros (Roanne, France)

45) wd~50 (New York)

46) Biko (Mexico City, Mexico)

47) Die Schwarzwaldstube (Baiersbronn, Germany)

48) Nihonryori RyuGin (Tokyo, Japan)

49) Hibiscus (London, England)

50) Eleven Madison Park (New York)

Have you been to any of them? What restaurant do you think should be included on the list?

I haven’t been to any of them. Something to add to my to-do list, I guess! 😉

31-Cent Scoop Night at Baskin Robbins

Are you an ice cream lover like me? If you are, then you might wanna venture over to Baskin Robbins tonight from 5 – 10 p.m. for 31-Cent Scoop Night!

Yoga: I Actually Enjoyed It

Something amazing happened this morning.

I took a yoga class and actually enjoyed it.

Yogi Julie

(You have my permission to point and laugh at the above picture. I posted it solely for your enjoyment. 😉 )

In the past I have not enjoyed yoga. At all. Not even a little bit.

I’ve tried to get into it, but I have a hard time keeping my mind quiet and enjoying the poses and stretching. I’m sure the fact that I’m terribly inflexible doesn’t help, either.

In past yoga classes, I feel like I’ve always been next to someone from Cirque du Soleil or something. Of course their extreme flexibility makes me feel insecure as I wobble around and strain to simply touch my toes.

Today’s class was different.

I took a power yoga class and before the class began, I approached the instructor to express my concerns about yoga, but also my desire to incorporate more stretching into my fitness routine.

In my previous attempts at yoga, I’ve tried to blend into the class.  This time, however, I found that talking with the instructor ahead of time made her more aware of the presence of a “beginner.” Throughout the class she offered modifications to the more difficult poses, which I really appreciated.

I left the class feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and even elongated. My back and hips really appreciated the extra stretching!

Namaste

(Thanks, Mama, for my new green sweater!)

BodyPump

I actually took my typical BodyPump class before yoga this morning, which was a great start to the morning. After only a week off from the class, I am already feeling more sore than usual. There’s no substitute for the ‘Pump, I guess!

Breakfast

Breakfast today was a W-I-N-N-E-R.

I started by making French toast strips by tearing apart a Joseph’s Lavash Bread and dunking it in a mixture of egg whites and cinnamon.

French Toast Strips

I warmed up a sliced Gala apple in the microwave to add on top of the French toast strips for a fruity punch of flavor.

Apple

After layering the French toasts strips with the apple pieces, I topped everything with nutmeg and syrup.

My Plate

Come Closer!

The addition of nutmeg really made this dish for me. I flippin’ love that spice!

Question of the Day

Do you enjoy yoga?