Rain Ain’t So Bad

Maybe it’s because I was born in April (April showers bring May flowers, after all), but I’ve never minded rainy weather. Something about the pitter patter of rain drops on a rooftop and the cloudy skies make me feel comfortable and relaxed. 

Plus, whenever it rains, I get to sing my “Ducks Like Rain” song to Ryan.

Ducks like rain,

Ducks like rain,

Ducks like to widdle wobble in the rain

Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack…

(Anyone else know that song? If you’re in the mood to learn this totally fun and 100 percent obnoxious song to sing when it’s rainy outside, click here! )

Though I like the rain, little Miss Sadie does not. When it’s raining outside that means she can’t do any of this…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

… and that makes her very frustrated, so she puts all of her energy into annoying me and Ryan. It’s a treat! 😀

Dinner

Since we couldn’t take Sadie on a walk after work today, we enjoyed an early dinner. I prepared broiled salmon and roasted Brussels sprouts (Yes, they actually were Brussels sprouts this time… Great catch last night to quite a few of you!), while Ryan chased Sadie around the apartment.

I really need to take a video of Ryan when he messes with Sadie. They both run circles around this one wall, trying to sneak up on each other. It’s hilarious and Sadie’s getting pretty good at it!

Within 15 minutes our dinner was ready for eatin’.

The fish looks burnt, but it was just really crispy on the top. The fish itself was really tender and moist.

Before broiling the salmon, I seasoned it with a spice blend we received from Ryan’s dad a while ago.

The spiced added a nice sweet flavor to the savory salmon.

Now I’m off to make myself a mug of hot chocolate and do some wedding-related tasks. These wedding to-dos seem to keep piling up! I guess that’s what happens when you’re just about a month out from the big day!

Question of the Evening

Do you like rain?

Mother-Daughter Movie Night

Tonight my evening was spent with a fun guest…

Just the Girls

My mama!

My mom is staying with me and Ryan for the evening because she has an appointment in Jacksonville early in the morning and our apartment is much closer to Jacksonville than my parents’ house. I’ll take any excuse for some extra time with my mom!

Eclipse

My mom had the excellent idea of going to see Eclipse, the latest Twilight movie, when I got off work today.

Eclipse

Seeing a movie on a “school night” felt like such a treat!

I’ve read all of the Twilight books and enjoyed them quite a bit, though I think the movies pale in comparison. To be totally honest, in both the movies and the books the main character (Bella) really bothers me because she seems like the kind of girl who will just drop anything for a guy.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Ryan and would do anything for him, but I’m not about to live and breathe by his every action. When I read the books, I thought about all the younger girls who were also reading the books who might look to Bella as an inspirational character or a role model. That’s where I started to get a little annoyed with her. I wanted her to be her own person and a stronger woman. Just my two cents! Twilight fans feel free to ostracize me! 😉

As far as Eclipse is concerned, my mom and I both enjoyed the movie and the quality mother-daughter time.

Dinner

When the movie was over, we came home to make dinner for ourselves and Ryan.

I was hungry!

For dinner we enjoyed baked salmon with roasted broccoli that I sprayed with cooking spray and sprinkled with garlic salt before roasting in the oven at 415 degrees for 15 minutes.

Baked Salmon

Dinner

Such an easy and delicious dinner!

New Page Added

I added a new page to the ol’ blog today! The new Favs page includes links to my favorite posts, blogs and foodie finds.

I’ve moved my blog roll from the right-hand side of my blog to this page, so if you’re looking for links to some awesome blogs, be sure to check it out.

Question of the Evening

What books did you enjoy reading as a kid?

I was a huge fan of The Boxcar Children, Bobbsey Twins and Babysitter’s Club series.

2x

Fish two times in one day? Holy omega-3s!

I think the American Heart Association would be proud of me. They recommend eating fish at least two times a week to get the adequate amount of the essential fatty acid in your diet.

It’s only Monday and I’ve already done it. Say goodbye to heart disease! 😉

Tonight’s fish dish was salmon, which I dusted with lemon, basil and thyme seasonings before broiling it for approximately 10 minutes until the fish flaked with a fork.

Seasoned Salmon

I absolutely love the crisp crust that occurs on the top of fish when it’s broiled. To me, the most flavorful bites are the ones that include a bit of the charred top of the fish.

On the side, I enjoyed roasted yellow squash and zucchini which I tossed in olive oil and garlic salt before roasting at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (flipping halfway through).

Roasted Zuc + Squash

This was quite the colorful meal, huh?

Dessert

Dessert was portion-controlled ice cream.

The old favorite…

Oreo Klondike

“What would you doooo-oo-oo for a Klondike bar?”

How good are Klondike bars? They were buy-one-get-one-free at Publix yesterday and Ryan couldn’t resist, which means I cannot resist them sitting in the freezer.

Tonight

It’s about that time… The Bachelorette is on in five minutes!

I’m soooo ready for Ali to eliminate Justin. He’s beginning to bother me almost as much as Kasey did. Okay, that’s a blantant lie, but still. I’m off to guard and protect my heart and get sucked into girly television! 😀

See ya in the mornin’ pretty ladies (and maybe a couple o’ guys).

Odd Combo

I opened a can of garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) to use in last night’s dinner and had several servings leftover since I only ate a cup with my salmon and broccoli.

A salad seemed like the easiest way to incorporate the beans into my lunch, so I threw together leftover roasted broccoli, salmon and grape tomatoes and included several handfuls of the beans in the mix.

Salmon + Broc + Chickpeas + Grape Tomatoes

Fishy Veggies

Pink Salmon = Pretty

Simple but tasty!

Lettuce-Free Salad

Side Order

Though this salad was pretty large, I knew I’d feel unsatisfied after lunch if I didn’t include a side of something sweet.

With another cup of garbanzo beans remaining in the can, I decided to toss them in cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice and roast them for 25 minutes last night. Inspired by Angela, I topped the cinnamon-roasted beans with Crazy Richards chunky peanut butter and stirred the beans and pb until every last chickpea was covered in the creamy nuttiness.

Cinnamon Peanut Butter Chick Peas

I then popped the cinnamon and peanut butter-covered chickpeas in the fridge overnight and by lunchtime rolled around today, I had a cold, sweet and nutty treat!

"So Check Me Out"

Odd combo? Sure. Tasty combo? Definitely.

Cinnamon Peanut Butter Chickpeas

Ingredients:

• 1 c. canned chickpeas
• 1 tbsp. peanut butter
• Cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice to taste

Directions:

• Toss chickpeas with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice until fully coated
• Roast chickpeas on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray for 15 – 25 minutes at 375 degrees
• Remove chickpeas from the oven and place them in a bowl
• Top the chickpeas with the peanut butter and stir until the peanut butter covers all of the cinnamon-roasted chickpeas
• Enjoy hot or refrigerate for a cold treat
• (Note: You may want to add honey or maple syrup to the peanut butter before tossing if you desire a sweeter taste, though I thought it was delicious without any sweeter.)

I’ve successfully included peanut butter in both my breakfast and lunch so far today… Let’s see if dinner can complete the trifecta!

Simple Salmon

Last week after I made trout for dinner, I realize two important things:

1. Fish is tasty
2. Fish is super easy to make

I think fish will begin to surface in my evening meals with more regularity because of these two lil’ factors.

Salmon

Tonight I prepared salmon by sprinkling the fish with a mix of lemon, basil and thyme spices before broiling it in the oven for about 8 minutes, until the fish was flaky and cooked through.

Fishy Fishy

Along with the fish, I enjoyed roasted broccoli and organic garbanzo beans.

Roasted Broccoli

Garbanzo Beans

My Plate

I love how broiling fish creates an almost crusty layer  on the of the top of the fish.

This entire dinner was ready in 15 minutes. Love that. 😀

I’m off to flip through some bridal magazines and wait for Ryan to arrive home from his motorcycle class. (Ryan is taking a 3-day motorcycle license certification class. No, he does not have plans to buy a bike. He’s just doing it for fun. Boys will be boys. 😉 )