What Once Was Hot, Now Is Cold

Many things that were once hot, are now, um, not so much:

• Scrunchies
• Slap bracelets
• Pogs
• Hooked on Phonics
• Super-Soakers
• Tamagotchis
• Beanie Babies

I think I dabbled in all of the trends listed above, especially Beanie Babies. My mom, sister and I had more bean-stuffed animals than anyone in their right mind should own.

Hey, Baby

I am deathly afraid of needles (I don’t even have my ears pierced), and as a reward for not hyperventilating at a doctor’s appointment when I was younger, my mom would give me a Beanie Baby. I wish Beanie Babies still had the same calming effects on me!

Lunch

My lunch today contained something that was once hot, but turned cold, kinda like a skip it.

Broccoli florets –>Tossed in olive oil + garlic salt –> Roasted at 400 degrees for 20 minutes –> Chilled in the fridge for four hours

Cold Salad

Cold roasted veggies are the jam!

They add so much flavor to salads, sandwiches and side dishes.

Today I made myself a salad using the cold roasted broccoli as the base.

Into the mix went:

• Cold roasted broccoli
• Thawed frozen sweet corn
• Cucumber
• Goat cheese

Eat Me!

I planned to toss the salad in a light olive oil and balsamic dressing, but nixed that after realizing the broccoli and goat cheese made the salad extremely flavorful.

On the side I enjoyed a cup of Greek yogurt for some filling protein and a Sargento Colby-jack string cheese because string cheese = fun to eat.

Yog

Cheeeeez

All Together, Now!

Questions of the Afternoon

Were you into any of the no-longer-hot trends listed above?

What is something you used to think was hot, but now is not?

Please don’t say Jessica Simpson, because I love her. 😉

Loaf Lovers

Remember the healthy BBQ meatloaf from last Monday?

Well it was so darn tasty that Ryan and I decided to make it again. We’re celebrating the one week anniversary of this amazing meatloaf recipe. 😉

BBQ Meatloaf Recipe

 While I added all the spices to the lean groud beef, Ryan chopped the onion since onions make me cry.

Choppin' Onions

Pre-Mixed Meatloaf

As the meatloaf was a-cookin’, we leashed up Sadie for a walk around the lake near our apartment. The city of Orlando put white Christmas lights up in the trees around the lake! It was one festive walk.

When we arrived back home, the smell of BBQ in the air was mouthwatering.

I quickly prepared broccoli for roasting using a recipe I found on Tina’s blog. I was intrigued by this recipe since it called for tossing the broccoli in  sugar before roasting. Who doesn’t need a little more sweetness in their life?

After tossin’ the broc in sugar and olive oil, I broiled the florets for approximately seven minutes, until they were slightly brown and a bit crispy.

Steaming Sweet Roasted Broccoli

Tina wasn’t lying, this really is the best roasted broccoli recipe! I am obsessed. Please note the obnoxious amount of broccoli on my plate as proof of my love of this recipe.

My Plate

The Best Roasted Broccoli Recipe (from CarrotsnCake.com)

Ingredients:

• 2 large heads of broccoli
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

• Cut broccoli into florets
• Toss florets in olive oil and sugar
• Cover baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or tin foil
• Spread broccoli florets on baking sheet
• Broil for 5-7 minutes until edges of florets turn brown and crispy

Giveaways to Come

One of my favorite things in the world awaited me when I got home from work today: a package! Oh how I love big cardboard boxes full of goodies!

I was really delighted to receive this box of Pop Secret popcorn and 100 calorie packs of Emerald nuts to use for giveaways on this blog.

The Goods

Yay for Packages!

Ann, who sent me the box, also said I could keep a few to sample myself. Yippee! 😀  

Stay tuned for several fun giveaways featuring these goodies.

Popcorn and Nuts

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