Wedding Cake: The Selection Process Begins

Today’s lunch took me out of the office!

Several of my coworkers and I headed to Dexter’s, a cute restaurant in Thornton Park, for make-your-own sandwiches!  (You may read about my past lunches at Dexter’s here and here.)

I ordered a roast beef sandwich on whole wheat bread with all the veggies and Dijon mustard. I didn’t snap a picture of my meal, so please enjoy this replica from a past lunch at Dexter’s when I ordered a turkey sandwich!

Replace the Turkey with Roast Beef in Your Mind!

The whole wheat bread at Dexter’s is delicious and has lots of seeds throughout the slices which gives it a nutty texture that I adore.

A Peek Inside

I ate every last bite! 😀

Though I typically prefer to each lunch at my desk to save moo-lah, it was really nice to get out of the office and chat it up this afternoon!

Wedding Cake

I am unbelievably excited for this weekend!

Ryan and I have some seriously fun wedding-related appointments on the agenda, one of which is tasting and selecting the design of our wedding cake!

There are so many different cake designs to choose from. One thing Ryan and I know for sure is that we want a tiered cake with only white icing. I think cakes with colored icing can be adorable, but we both prefer a simple, color-free look.

I would love to incorporate some beautiful flowers from our florist into the cake, preferably on the top, as I think flowers on a wedding cake can add a pop of color and a romantic, feminine look which appeals to me.

I am pretty much obsessed with Jessica’s wedding cake…

The "How Sweet It Is" Wedding Cake

Isn’t it amazing? (Aside from looking breathtakingly beautiful, it also had a chocolate fudge center. Heaven.)

Though Ryan and I were asked to select several cake flavors to try during our tasting this weekend, we selected only one (red velvet cake) and told the pastry chefs to “surprise us” with the other flavors by selecting popular flavors people seem to enjoy.

I’m excited to see what they have in store!

Blowing Out the Candles on My Red Velvet Birthday Cake

Side note: If you are a red velvet cake fan like we are, definitely try making these red velvet cake brownies. SO tasty!

Question of the Afternoon

• What was the flavor (or flavors) of your wedding cake?
• If you’re not married, what flavor wedding cake would you like for your big day?

Blind Date

At lunch today I went on a blind date.

Before you throw eggs at me and send hateful thoughts my way for betraying Ryan, I should probably tell you that the date was with the fabulous Tina of the blog Faith, Fitness, Fun. 😉

Bloggers Unite!

(I guess it wasn’t technically a blind date since I knew who I was meeting, huh?)

Tina is staying in Daytona Beach for the week with her family and drove to Orlando to meet me for lunch at Dexter’s, a restaurant and wine bar located just outside of downtown Orlando.

Though we’ve communicated through our blogs frequently, I’ve never actually met Tina in person. Fortunately I recognized Tina and her adorable baby-bump right away (She’s currently expecting baby number two!).

Tina has the most welcoming smile and we hit it off immediately.

After chatting for a bit, it was time to order. The last time I was at Dexter’s I opted for the create-your-own-sandwich option which was delicious and perfectly filling. I decided to build my own sandwich again and ordered smoked turkey on whole wheat bread with lots o’ veggies and creamy Dijon mustard.

Turkey Sandwich

Bread + Meat + Veggies

I had it pressed, Cuban-style, and loved every bite.

By the time our lunch was over the weather took a turn for the worse and we got soaked running out to our cars. 😦

Returning to work with wet hair was more than worth it though since I got to meet Tina!

Of Possible Interest

• 10 Healthy Ways to Jazz Up Your Yogurt (FitSugar.com)
• How to Make the Perfect Smoothie (Fitnessista.com)
• The Best Move for a Flatter Tummy (Health.com)

Question of the Day

Have you ever been on a blind date? Would you ever go on a blind date?

I’ve never been on one but I think they sound kinda fun! (Of course I won’t be going on any now that I have some bling-bling on my ring finger. 😉 )

Catching Up with Former Coworkers

I’ve never been one to go out to lunch during the work day. I always bring my lunch to work, mainly because it saves a lot of money. I also genuinely enjoy preparing a healthy and delicious lunch.

That being said, whenever I do go out for lunch, it feels like a special treat and a little vacation from my typical work routine.

Today I met my friends Ryan and Ashley for lunch at Dexter’s, a casual but trendy restaurant located in Thornton Park.

Dexter's

I worked with Ryan and Ashley for a little more than a year at the Orlando Museum of Art when I first graduated college.

The three of us comprised the museum’s marketing and public relations department (Ryan was the manager, I was her assistant and Ashley was the graphic designer).  Ryan and I have both since left the museum and Ashley is finishing up her last week there, but we all fortunately still live and work near downtown Orlando, so we try to meet up for lunch to keep in touch every so often.

Lunchin' Ladies

(You may see recaps of our previous lunch dates here and here and pictures from Ashley’s wedding in January here).

I arrived at Dexter’s planning to order a big salad until I remembered that they offer a “create your own sandwich” option that I adore.

I opted for a sandwich that included:

• Turkey
• Whole wheat bread
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Onion
• Sprouts
• Cucumbers
• Dijon mustard

Make-Your-Own Turkey Sandwich

I had it prepared “Cuban style” (pressed) because I was in the mood for something warm (which is odd considering it’s in the 90s today…).

Lots o' Veggies

I ate every last bite!

Along with my sandwich I enjoyed several handfuls of sweet potato chips that Ryan ordered for all of us to share.

Sweet Potato Chips

I definitely had my fair share of these bad boys. I ❤ sweet potato chips!

All in all, lunch was great and so was the company. There’s never a dull moment with these two ladies!

Question of the Afternoon

• Do you stay in touch with people you used to work with?