Here Come the Brides!

This weekend, my friend Maggie and I co-hosted a bridal shower for our friend and MCH-colleague Shannon and her fiance, Emily. Shannon and Emily are two of my very best friends in the Bay Area and I wanted this shower to really be something special for them! Most of Shannon's friends here are in our program, so we invited the whole lot of them plus Annie and Lauren, two other friends from school, and celebrated with a Cupcakes and Cocktails-themed fete.

My fabulous friend and neighbor Alyse came over in the afternoon to help me set up. We had a little station where guests could drop off gifts and write date ideas and family recipes for the brides. Then down below, we set up flowers, snacks, and the fire pit. The cupcakes and drink station were both inside the studio to keep away from the bugs! We set out champagne, red and white wine, and a make your own mojito station which I think was a big hit!

Annie made the most gourmet cupcakes -- lemon blackberry with a lemon curd filling and a white chocolate ganache (amazing, right??). Maggie whipped up some delish red velvet cupcakes with legit cream cheese frosting. Shannon, Emily, and I are all doing a nutrition challenge as part of our gym which "forbids" sugar, gluten, dairy, alcohol...all the good stuff. The cupcakes at the front are the ones I made and were challenge friendly: almond-orange base with coconut milk strawberry "frosting" (more like glaze). They were fine, but definitely didn't hold a candle to the other cupcakes! That's right, I obviously tasted everything.

We played some fun bridal shower games and talked until midnight. I never expected to make such wonderful friends in graduate school and am SO lucky to call these girls my pals. Tuck had a great time, too!! 

Congrats, Shannon and Emily! We love you!

Back...again

Well, after ANOTHER long absence, I am recommitting (again) to this blog. I really do love going through my old posts, so even if no one else reads this, keeping an online "journal" of my life is worth it for me. And with that in mind...

I'm sitting in the Dulles airport right now after spending the last few days in DC visiting two of my best friends from Davidson, Alex and Sara. Sara ran the DC Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon and so Alex and I, along with a gaggle of Sara’s other friends from high school, made signs and cheered all morning! Pretty sure our signs worked, since Sara crushed her previous PR and finished in 1:50. Yeah, she ran 13.1 miles almost 40 minutes faster than I have. Such a star!

We spent the rest of Saturday brunching and engaging in debauchery. Friday had been really low key (Sara and Alex both took Friday off of work, so we had lunch at Founding Farmer’s and then walked around the city) and so we had a lot of giggles to release.

Spending weekends with my best friends is such a weird mix of being so utterly happy to be with them and grateful to have them in my life, and feeling so sad that our lives are so far from one another. Twice yearly visits aren’t enough.

If only DC and San Francisco were squished together…

We did decide that when we “grow up,” we all have to buy a beach house together, so at least there's that.

I'm Baaaaaaack!

Dearest readers,

Apologies for my extended absence over the past...FIVE months?! There have been a lot of changes in my little food-loving life, most of which will earn their own posts, but to get you all caught up...

In May, I left my job and so many wonderful friends in Charlotte to return home to California. I'm starting a graduate program in Public Health at Berkeley in just under two weeks from today, and have spent the summer relaxing and unwinding in preparation for this new chapter. Rob and I drove from Charlotte to Santa Barbara in less than 4 days with Tucker in tow. That adventure kicked off a summer of change that I can't believe is coming to an end. Rob transferred to his company's office in SF which made both of our lives a little easier. We have settled into a little home in Oakland (more on that in a future post). My family took an amazing vacation to Turkey, which of course will get its own post.

For now, a couple of thoughts:

Change is hard, but I've found that it's most important to trust yourself when making big decisions that will shake up your world.

I was deciding between graduate programs in all different parts of the country, including one in the city where my best friends live; one just two hours from the life I had built in Charlotte and from where I thought Rob would be living; and one, Berkeley, that promised frequent visits to and from family in California. Over the past five months, I've made a lot of decisions with a lot of help from others, but ultimately, I had to learn to listen to myself and trust that things will work out. The best advice I've received all year is don't look back and regret your choices; instead, move forward knowing you made the best decision you could have at that time.

The last few months have left me feeling like a very lucky girl.

Toggy Tuesday: Where is spring?

We've had some crazy weather in Charlotte. It was 60 degrees on Friday (like, I ran outside in a t-shirt and shorts) and then snowed on Saturday. Since then, it's been windy, raining, and cold. This weather would have been welcomed with open arms for a three-day weekend, but oh wait, Rob and I both had to work on Monday instead of celebrating our Presidents. Bummer. We moped a little but had a really fun weekend anyway, full of delicious eats (pork banh mi at Peculiar Rabbit for all you Charlotte peeps) and beautiful friends.

My main squeeze Caroline

  

Snowy Charlotte

Homemade pizza (whole wheat dough, fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes) with balsamic asparagus

Now on to better and brighter things...this weather makes me crave spring and summer. I love bundling up and drinking tea and making fires, but I'm so ready for summer weather. Sorry for the overly optimistic list below, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for warm days ahead!

1) This American flag bikini from Target. Every girl needs one, and no girl should have to pay top dollar for something she'll probably only wear for Memorial Day Weekend and Fourth of July. This is the perfect middle ground.

2) These new Lululemon headbands: I think this thick, moisture-wicking headband will be perfect for the sweaty summer weather. I love the colors (especially bleached coral) and am most definitely going to buy one next time I head to the mall.

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3) Summer salads. I love Pinterest for a lot of reasons, but today I love it because it's getting my excited for all the light and delicious food I'll be eating when it gets hot outside. How delicious does this look?

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4) I'm sure some people think these are dumb, but I adore these little state necklaces. A bunch of friends here have North Carolina ones, but I'm a little partial to this cute California one from Etsy.

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I also think these from Nordie's are super cute!

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Weekend in Raleigh

This past weekend, I headed to Raleigh with ma girl Ashton to visit our wonderful friend Erica (and to meet her very special boyfriend, Parker).

We arrived Saturday morning just in time for brunch. Parker and Erica took us to a chicken place called Beasley's. Now, normally I wouldn't order fried chicken, but they swore it was delicious and I can't say no to two people convinced this place is delicious. I got the Chicken Biscuit (fried chicken on a homemade biscuit with pickled green tomatoes and spicy mustard) and a side of beets in a citrus vinegar.

Erica and Parker both got a brunch special that they said was delicious - fried chicken on a biscuit with queso and a fried egg. Parker also got a block of pimento cheese mac n' cheese. Aren't they adorbs?

After brunch, we headed back to Erica's house and napped for a few hours. I awoke to the sweet sound of a chip bag opening, and we happy houred with some guacamole. After primping for the night ahead of us, we picked up Ali and Austin and headed to Centro for dinner. Centro is a very cool Mexican place in downtown Raleigh.

We started with a pitcher of delicious, fresh margaritas and I ordered the stuffed poblano pepper with rice, mint, and plantains on a bed of black beans. It was verrrrry delicious and the perfect dinner before a long night of beers and celebrating Marshall's birthday.

The next morning was a bit of a struggle, but we headed out for one last meal together. Erica and I split a frittata with avocado and tomatoes and an omelette with spinach, tomatoes, ricotta, feta, and mozz. Cheesy goodness. The home fries were amazing, as was Parker's outfit.

Sadly, upon my return to Charlotte, I came down with the stomach flu or some stomach virus that left me totally incapacitated for about 36 hours. My eats yesterday consisted of a piece of toast, a bowl of rice, and a popsicle, but I was just relieved to be able to keep any food down. Very happy to be on the road to recovery!!

Can't wait for Parker and Erica to make it down to Charlotte so Ashton and I can take them on a food tour of the Queen City.

Weekend Update!

This three-day weekend has been absolutely perfect. Friday night, I was totally exhausted (and so was Rob -- congrats on finishing his first full week!) so we ate in and watched Safe House with Denzel and Ryan Reynolds. Ehhhhh....decent movie.  For dinner, we had super easy chicken tacos. If you have a slow cooker, make this. It's cheap, foolproof, and delicious. Basically, put chicken breasts (or thighs) in the slow cooker with a jar of salsa. I used spicy salsa verde but any kind of liquid-based sauce will work. Then, we warmed corn tortillas in the oven and piled the tacos with black beans, spinach, tomatoes, Greek yogurt, and guacamole.

Saturday morning, I woke up and made oatmeal pancakes. No pictures, but they were decent -- just mix 1 banana, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oats, 1/4 cup almond milk, vanilla and cinnamon together and cook like a pancake. Rob had to work, so I went to FlyBarre and then bought some new curtains. I guess I'm spoiled by Hilliard, but FlyBarre was not challenging whatsoever which was kind of a bummer. Then, we headed up to Davidson for lunch with Hilary and Collin at Tenders!

Vanilla milkshake for the win

Grilled chicken sandwich, fries, and creamy garlic!

After lunch, we swung by F to see David Levintow who is finally graduating this spring after a tumultuous freshman year plagued by a broken ankle and pneumonia! Yayyyy David! Then we went to the McKillop's house before the game for a beer and to hang out with Brendan's niece, Maggie. She sat behind us at the game and it was the first time Rob has spent more time with his attention focused on a girl instead of the game -- he and Maggie are best buds.

Sunday, I went to FlyWheel in the morning which was an amazing workout. It was a 45 minute spin class that tracks your distance, calories burned, resistance, speed, etc.....I have a bunch of free classes and can't wait to go back. Rob spent the afternoon making three pizzas - Mexican with the leftover salsa chicken and black beans, pesto, and just a plain cheese. They were all amazing. We took them to his co-worker's house around the corner and watched football all afternoon. So sad for Tony Gonzales, but excited to see the HarBowl in two weeks. 

I didn't have work today, so I saw The Impossible (emotionally draining), made some healthified banana bread muffins, and cooked an easy and pretty healthy dinner: spinach fettucini with roasted red pepper sauce and an arugula salad. 

Red Pepper Chicken Pasta

Sauce:

Broil two red peppers lightly coated in olive oil until slightly charred 

Slice the peppers and add 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt, 3 Tbsp of goat cheese, 2 cloves of garlic & salt to a food processor or blender and mix well

Chicken:

I marinated the chicken in lemon, olive oil, balsamic, rosemary, and mustard. I just cooked it on the stove, but you can bake it if that's easier.

Cook the pasta and then mix it all together! I also added portobello mushrooms for some extra oomph.  Nom nom.

Thoughts for a New Year

I don't want to write a "New Year's Resolution" post, but I've spent the last week and a half trying to reset my bearings and start this year off on the right foot. Four things I want to focus on this year:

1) Be a better pup-mom: I am so lucky to have the best dog in the whole world (unbiased opinion), but I know I can do better. I want to spend more time with Tucker this year on walks, at the park, and with training. This means being stricter in some arenas (no, Tucker, you can't roam freely on all the furniture and sleep under the covers every night) but I think it will ultimately make him a happier pup.

Less "Sad Tuck"

More "Happy Tuck"

2) Part of making Tuck happier is spending more time with him at night, which means I've been getting up between 5:15 and 5:30 to get my workouts in before the sun comes up. This way, I have pretty much all night to hang with the pup. Speaking of workouts, I've started going to Hilliard Studio Method - a Pure Barre / Bar Method type workout, but a lotttt harder. Basically, there's no downtime for stretching or resting. At HSM, a standard plank or normal push-ups are considered recovery. Needless to say, I definitely take my fair share of unprescribed breaks, but I really like the women who own the studio and look forward to the workouts.

I also re-joined the YMCA and have been going there a few times a week for classes or just to run. The Cherry Blossom 10-miler is the first weekend of April (whoooo hooo can't wait!) and Emily and I are trying to find a good half to do this spring.

3) Make good food choices: I know that eating well makes me feel good and tons of gluten, grease, and refined sugar makes me feel bad. Nevertheless, I also know that totally eliminating food groups doesn't work for me. Paleo? Tried that, but I love pizza too much (and so does Rob). I just need to get back to eating good, whole foods in normal portions. More of this and less pizza:

Oatmeal with bananas, blueberries, and a little peanut butter

Salad at work with chicken, avocado, and sweet potatoes & organic balsamic

Spinach, sweet potato fries, and homemade buffalo chicken bites 

4) Make time for the things that matter: I want to make sure I'm calling the people I love but don't see enough to catch up on everything. I want to make sure and see Hilary at least twice a month -- we probably won't be living 30 minutes from each other next year and she's my favorite little sis. 

I also want to focus on being present and not stressing out as much about things I have no control over. Rob will be working some crazy hours for the next three months, and then two months later, I'll probably be moving somewhere pretty far away, sending us back into a long-distance relationship. Instead of stressing about what's to come, I want to spend the next 5-6 months enjoying the time we actually get to spend together. I'm pretty sure he's a keeper, so even if we only get ten minutes together in the morning before work, I want to make them count.

And for those times when he's not around, I'll just throw on my favorite pair of his sweats and pretend like he is.

New Year

Well, it's been nearly a month since my last post. The holidays have come and gone and all of a sudden, it's 2013. I spent a week in New Jersey with Rob and his family for Christmas and the time went by too quickly.  We visited Gillian one afternoon in Bethlehem and it was so nice to drive through a town that I spent so much time in as a young girl. Being there made me miss my grandmother more than usual, but the timing was right - Christmas was a holiday we spent with her, and it felt good to be in a place full of memories of such a wonderful woman.

Christmas in Bethlehem

Good old days with Grandmommy

Christmas Eve

Rob and I came back to Charlotte on December 30. He's all moved into our apartment now, which is exciting and somewhat scary - when did we become adults? We spent NYE at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille with a bunch of our friends. It was very crowded and the night is somewhat of a blur (oops) but we all had fun. 

Yesterday, we saw This is 40, were involved in a hit and run (everyone is fine and so is Rob's new car, miraculously!), and had a yummy chili dinner with Brett and Joe. In 2013, I want to focus on just being healthy and happy. 2012 was such a great year and I have high hopes for the next twelve months - hopefully I will spend more time with my family (and less money on clothes). I'm a lucky girl with some amazing friends, an adorable pup, and a guy who supports me no matter what. Here's to 2013!