As promised...

Amazing recipes!

Chicken Salad with Yogurt-Dill Dressing

{in a mason jar!}

Pesto Crusted Halibut

The others are coming soon... still haven't tried them :) xo

Sunday things

So, I have successfully been a waste of life so far today. It's 3:00 pm and I'm still in my sweatpants {note: this is somewhat appropriate given the conversations of last night. The age-old question was posed over a plethora of TABs... which is actually better: sweatpants, or no pants?}

It has been a great extended weekend. Although my Red Sox pretty much laid down to the Yankees on Friday night at Fenway, me and tt still enjoyed our night away. The plethora of TABs really began upon arrival in Beantown. If you know me, you know I don't truly love beer, but can't say no to Boston Beer Works Blueberry. I actually went in a different direction this time {gasp!} and had Watermelon instead. And that was quite the delight to start my evening off right. La la la. It was packed by the time we got there, since of course we didn't leave the house when we initially anticipated, since of course I didn't leave work when I initially anticipated. Why I bother with half-days I will never know- I have such a hard time leaving! In any event, we ended up having plenty of time to walk around at Fenway and peruse. I really wanted to find a Boston Strong t-shirt but was unsuccessful. I let myself take an evening off from the Weight Loss Challenge, because really you can't go to Fenway Park and not enjoy a hot dog. And beer{s}.

The fun continued yesterday, even after our return to the lovely state of Connecticut. I missed our company party since we were away, but we were able to meet up with all my peeps afterwards at my friend Erin's house. We stayed a little too late, which leads me to my current state of sweatpants and couch-dom. tt went golfing, and so I'm biding time before I have to leave to pick up Cecelia from the "spa" and have been spending my day perusing the internet for honeymoon ideas {we actually might have made a decision!! eek!} and recipes for this week to get me back on track. I have found, as always, if I can cook, I can try to stay within the diet walls. If we go out, all bets are off. 

I have found a few really exciting new ones for this week that I am eager to try out. Red Pepper Pesto Halibut; Lemon Chicken with an herb salad; and crock-pot Buffalo Chicken lettuce wraps since I am working out of our other office on Wednesday and need something easy. And I found a new stackable salad that I can make in my mason jars for lunch that includes a Coriander-Yogurt dressing. Umm...YUM! It will be a nice detour from the usual tuna salad that can get ever so boring week in and week out. 

That being said, I'm skipping a recipe post today, but will def get the above recipes posted this week once I can give my own little wisdom. Also, I plan to start getting better about photographing my recipes, so any guidance on this would be helpful. I know that there are tons of tricks and lighting things that I need to learn, but I am thinking that overall, having good photos would this little blog even more enjoyable for you, my foodie readers! xx

Weight Loss Challenge{s}

The girls at work and I have started a weight loss challenge! I am so excited about it, although I am starting at way too high of a number. The best way to go is down, and I get by with a little help from my friends. The basis of the challenge, is to lose the largest % of weight by the end of the year. That gives us five months to rock it.Seeing as we are all in sales, and we are all extremely competitive and motivated by money, that seemed the best option for prizes. SO each month, there will be a small prize of $20 to the winner. THEN at the end of the challenge, after that last week, the overall winner will become the champion, and get a $150 prize for new clothes for their hot bod! So exciting. 

This challenge comes with challenges, however. The summertime is the hardest time to lose weight, I feel. All I want to do is sit on my deck, eat yummies from the grill and drink TABs in the beautiful weather. WRONG. I also have reviewed my calendar, and face an evening at Fenway Park this coming weekend, along with a variety of other fun days that include eating and/or drinking, and will wreak havoc on my dieting strategy. Once we get through the summer, it's on to the holidays. Eek!! At least this will motivate us all not to get as tubby as Thomasina the Turkey at Thanksgiving, nor find ourselves too jolly during the most wonderful time of the year. No sugarplums will be dancing anywhere in my world this holiday season! 

That all being said, I am psyched. Good luck, chicks. Let the odds be ever in your favor. {or something}

Recipe of the day

Chia Seed Pudding | Spiced Blueberry

Friendship musings

WARNING: I am feeling particularly sappy this evening, so don't read any further if you're feeling easily nauseated.

Friendship is a wonderful thing. Really, having a friend is one of the best things. And I am so very lucky for the friendships that I have in my life and consider myself lucky to call these women my friends. Near or far, new or old, we have found a way to maintain such close bonds that I would not trade for anything. 

The last few years have proven very fruitful for me, especially when it comes to maturity, wisdom, and life lessons. In five years, I have found myself married, divorced, dating, and now engaged again. The ups and downs that I have seen, have really shown me a lot about myself, no doubt. But also about the people that I have chosen to keep in my life. I have always felt strongly about having the right people around me, and I have worked very hard to get myself to a point where I can honestly say that I do. Through that, I have learned a few important lessons about people and friendships and time. 

The first thing I have learned, is that in many cases, someone is meant to be in your life for a period of time. For a chapter in your book, shall we say. I have had people come and go out of my life, especially over the past few years. As an adult, you need to put it all into perspective. Many times, you need something from someone, or vice versa. Or this person fills a hole, a void, that needs to be filled at that moment. There's nothing wrong with this, especially not at that time, but this is not a lasting friendship. Sure, you may get along well and laugh and have fun, and find them as someone you can confide in at the time. But then one day you wake up and you have moved on. And that's ok. I think making yourself ok with it is the hardest part. 

The second, simply put, is:

Who cares how many friends you have?!! It is really just about who matters. And who you matter to. I tend to have very high expectations of people. The way I look at it, is I have high expectations of myself, especially when it comes to how I treat people I care about. I hold myself to a very high standard, and I truly expect the same in return. I have walked away from many friendships because I did not feel that efforts were being reciprocated. It's sad, and it's hard, and it is never an easy decision to make {ok sometimes it is}.. And this definitely sounds cruel reading it back. But wouldn't the world be a happier place if everyone surrounded themselves with good, real people? And said "to heck" with the ones who aren't?

That's not to say there haven't been ups and downs with the friends I do have. No one's perfect, not even me. But knowing that we have the foundations that make the ups so up, and the downs worth getting back up from is what matters. I find it refreshing to know that no one in my life is not supposed to be there. Everyone has their purpose, their special place in my life. Some I don't get to talk to nearly enough. Some I don't get to see nearly enough. Some have been around for ever, some have entered my life more recently. Each relationship is different. Each relationship has grown in its on way, changed and developed through out the course of time.

These people are just so special and really can make me see my own worth more than anyone else can, and I am truly blessed to have such amazing women in my life that I am lucky enough to call my friends. This is a time when it makes me sad that I will not be having a bridal party to stand by my side. I can't thank my girlfriends for all that they do in my life and ask for the honor of having them as bridesmaids, standing with me as I say "I do". Hopefully, they all know who would be up there, and they know what they mean to me.

Love you, bitches. © That is all.

Recipe of the day

Roasted Cauliflower