FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

A Good, Good Friday

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So my first week of Birthday Bikini Challenge has been a whopping success!  It’s barely the weekend and I’ve already fit in five workouts, a gazillion fresh meals and snacks, and a spotless house.  All of this made for a good, Good Friday!

After a few failed attempts at finding a hiking partner, I decided to brave the newness of the Barton Springs Greenbelt solo.

I’m so glad I did!!

I put on Adam’s playlist (which is my go-to playlist for everything), popped in my headphones, and began exploring.  The trail was a little confusing and there were times when I thought my two hour adventure was turning into a five hour disaster, but everything worked out in the end.

Ninety minutes and 5-1/2 miles of mostly walking, a dab of train running, and a ton of Instagram action was the most ideal way I could have spent my lunch break.  I’m totally addicted to this trail and look forward to taking each an every one of my future visitors here!

Happy Easter Weekend!

Sick Girl Seasonings

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Holy SXSW recovery!  It turns out the reason why Ariel and I were so achy was because we caught some sort of mini-flu that knocked us out for a few days.  But now that I’ve found my way out of a sloth-like state and back to the kitchen, it’s all good.

Joy the Baker’s Spicy Lentil Soup seemed like the right, hearty choice for my first home-cooked meal in ages.

I followed Joy’s recipe almost to a tee.  Even though I’ve been venturing into the meat scene on occasion when I dine out, I’m still keeping a mostly veggie kitchen at home.  I subbed chicken sausage with Smart Sausages and quadrupled the crushed red pepper (addiction?).

From what my stuffy senses can tell, this is a darn good soup!  The kick and texture are a far cry from the mushness that I remember lentil soup to be (mom, why was your lentil soup so mushy??).

And then…  I headed to my first ballet lesson!  The class was so great that I found myself asking “whyyyyyy??” when the instructor announced it was time to pack up.  That never happens.  Perhaps I enjoyed my time suited in ballerina gear so much that I forgot I was in “class”?

Black Swan, In Pictures

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Breakfast:  Fage Greek Yogurt with Blackberries

Lunch:  Curry & Coconut Oil Acorn Squash with Garlic Knots

Yoga!!!

Post-Yoga Snack: Watermelon

Dinner:  Roasted Tomatoes & Portobello Mushroom with Garlic Knots

I’ve had my eye on Black Swan Yoga since the moment I figured out which area of Austin I wanted to live in.  The studio is steps from my apartment, they offer more classes at more times than you could ever imagine, and you can tell just by reading their website that the vibe is spot on.  When Andrea suggested meeting up for another workout after last night’s boot camp class, I had my fingers crossed she’d want to check out Black Swan.  Finger crossing was unnecessary as she was already a fan.

The power class was great!  It ended up being the perfect amount of strength and stretch for our already aching tush and thighs.  I haven’t been this happy with a studio since YogaSport in Dallas.  Yay Austin!!

Bayshore And Dinner?

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I’ve created my own tradition of totally cheating on the last day of a cleanse.  I’m “good” all day and then dinner-time comes around and I just know I deserve sushi.  Today was no exception.  Right after work, I texted Robbie “Bayshore and dinner?”.

We walked a chilly four miles and then headed to Soho Sushi, which was wayyy too crowded, so we headed to The Rack, which was also way too crowded.  Thursday night at The Rack is $20 all you can eat sushi (select rolls), random American food, and all you can drink.  Despite the crowd, we found an empty table in a dark, dark corner.  So dark we needed the flashlight app to read the menu!

Robbie did the twenty dollar deal and I ordered the same exact thing as the last time: the avocado tuna dish and the veggie delight roll.  And no beers for me, just lots and lots of water.  Why is it so much easier to chug water at a restaurant than it is at home?  Is it the straw?  The ice?  The lemon?

I couldn’t tell whether the portions were larger this time or my stomach had shrunk after days of juicing, but either way I went to town on my meal.  Dee-lish.

And when the check came?  $20.12.  I smiled and scribbled my name, knowing this is going to be such a good year!

Do little “signs” like this make you happy?