Wonderfully Exhausting

This picture pretty much sums up the week/weekend I just endured. Last week was a complete whirlwind, I had something to do every single day after work! There was not a single night that I got home before 7:00 pm. Needless to say, come Friday I was completely exhausted. However, did my day slow down....of course not! I left work and immediately drove 45 min to meet my mom so Luke could spend the weekend with his PaPa and Boopi! Then as soon as I got back to Norman I changed out of my work clothes and met my sweet friend Lori who flew in the night before from Florida. As soon as I walked into the restaurant and greeted her with a hug, she holds up her left hand........her fiancé just popped the question 1 hour prior to dinner!!! So excited and happy for them I forget the fact that I was exhausted. After an evening of dinner, drinks, and a little dancing I finally get home at 1:30 A.M!

Finally the weekend, time to relax right?!?!? Wrong....true to form I wake up at about 7:30 (which is sleeping in for me). After about an hour of tossing and turning in my bed trying to force myself to go back to sleep, I give in and just get out of bed. I went into the kitchen and made some breakfast, coffee, and watched a little television. I then precede to start a load of laundry and also decided to go for a workout. After my workout I came home, had lunch, and even contemplated taking a nice little Saturday afternoon nap......but then my phone rang. It was Lori inviting me for afternoon drinks with her, her fiancé and a couple other friends, of course I say yes! Now it's 2:30 and I arrive at the restaurant for drinks and to watch some college basketball. Then we all get to talking and decide to head to Bricktown to watch the Thunder game at another restaurant. Watching the Thunder game was a complete blast, had soooo much fun! We then move on to a bar in Bricktown and continue to have an awesome time with each other. But by 11:30 my tank was on empty! I had exerted every ounce of energy I had and was ready to call it a day! Right before I leave Lori pulls me to the side and says she has a question for me...."would you like to be a bridesmaid in my wedding?" OMG of course!!!! I was completely honored and delighted to hear this from her, not to mention the fact that 1 week prior to this I was also asked by my amazing cousin Bailey to be a bridesmaid in her wedding!!! I cannot explain how blessed and loved I feel to be a part of 2 very special individuals big wedding day :)

Just to give you some background on these 2 amazing women.......My cousin Bailey and I have been extremely close since we were very small (have so many hilarious stories together). So to be a bridesmaid in her wedding will be an extremely special moment to say the least! Lori is my sweet friend I met in graduate school. She and I have gotten very close over the past 2 1/2 years and I am again completely honored to be a part of her day as well!

Sunday I actually slept in till 9:00, that's huge for me! Then I went on a movie date with another great friend I met in grad school, Lyndsay who also recently got engaged! I know something must be in the water......expect the water that I'm drinking apparently ;). She is my saving grace during the work day (we email each other all day with funny stories, talking about food, wine, shopping, etc). After the movie I ran by the grocery store and then met my Dad to get Luke back. So even though I felt like I had been stretched to my limit this past week/weekend.....like every other moment in life, it was well worth it! But I did save the absolute BEST moment for last! Last night just as I was falling asleep, I hear Luke sneaking into my bed. I didn't say anything because I was just on the brink of falling asleep. Once he got nestled into my bed I felt him pull my arm over to him, then he hugged my arm and held my hand as he fell asleep (sigh, tear)......I'll tell you what, this made my heart absolutely melt! I almost got teary eyed just now thinking about it. He and I definitely butt heads a lot but it's moments like these, that are there to help remind us how much we mean to each other! He is my Wonderfully Exhausting little guy that I would not trade for the world! Here's to another work, Happy Monday!

Simply Sweet,

Jennifer

Oh the Weekends!

I had a very good/much needed weekend, so I wanted to give it a special shout out! I've been very busy this past week, busy at work and busy at home! I was soooo ready for this weekend on Friday, I had a very hectic work week and going home was no easy task this past week either. This weekend got me thinking of how much I appreciate the weekends now. Don't get me wrong, in college I loved the weekends as well, but now working 40 hrs/wk makes the weekends that much more special :-)

I was able to do several of my favorite/simple things this weekend which included: reading, listening to music while cleaning, cooking new things, having dinner with friends, and watching movies on the sofa. I also joined a gym this weekend, and got in my first workout in the past 4 months! Today I prepared 2 meals I have never had before and both turned out great! So I thought I would share them with you .


Luke and I slept in a little this morning so I didn't really have much of a breakfast, 2 slices of toast with cinnamon and a cup of coffee. But then lunch rolled around and we hadn't gone to the store yet so I went scavenging throughout my fridge and cabinets. Luke opted for mac and cheese and chicken nuggets, while I decided to make eggs. While I was getting the eggs out I remembered I had a bag of fresh spinach and tomatoes....this got me to thinking of making scrambled eggs with spinach, tomatoes, and cheese. And it turned out delicious!



Later in the afternoon we made a trip to the grocery store to get things for the week. I have been wanting to make a few recipes I've found on Pioneer Woman website, so I picked out a couple I want to try this week and bought the items needed. The one I decided to go with tonight was the mini meatball sandwich! These were incredibly easy and incredibly yummy! Items needed: 1 lb hamburger meat (I use 97/3%), garlic salt, pepper, 1 jar of marinara sauce, provolone cheese, and dinner rolls. All you do is make meatballs (about the size of 1-2 tbsp, brown meat in saucepan. Then add marinara sauce and let simmer for 20 min. Cut open a dinner roll, add provolone cheese, meatballs with sauce, and Enjoy!

Simply Sweet,

Jennifer

A Day on my Plate

Well the holidays are over, the decorations are down, and everyone is getting back to their "normal" lives. Every year when I take down my tree it does make me a little sad. I love Christmas decorations and for several weeks after taking them down, I feel like my house looks so bare! While I do love the holidays and seeing family and friends, it is also nice to get back into the swing of things. But I have to admit, the only time I really do appreciate cold weather, is during the holidays......so needless to say, by late January I am already starting to get the itch for spring! I often find myself believing that I can wish away winter (haha) I believe I can do this by protesting to wear a coat at times or starting to wear more spring-like colors! As a matter of fact, I have noticed that the past 2 days at work I left for lunch without my coat.....take that mother nature! While it might not be proven to be effective, it makes me feel like it's getting closer to spring.

Onto my next topic, I've noticed that since becoming a Dietitian, people often ask me what I eat....so, thinking about this gave me an idea for a blog topic. I plan on (at least once a week) posting a pic of everything I eat that day. That way others can see how I typically eat. Hopefully the more I do this the better pictures I will take, so bare with me until then :)

Breakfast: Everything Wheat Bagel Thin with whipped Cream Cheese and 1 cup of coffee with Peppermint Mocha creamer.

Lunch: Grilled chicken, baby carrots and tomatoes and diet coke from Sonic.

*as a side note, I want to apologize for this picture. I ate lunch in my car while running errands

and realized as I was sitting at sonic ordering my drink that I had not taken a picture of my food yet....sorry guys.

Dinner: 90% lean hamburger meat with Ragu Garden Vegetable pasta sauce and pasta noodles. Carrots and broccoli for my side of vegetables (these are frozen vegetables that you can heat up in the microwave...so fast, simple, and I love them (just be cautious of ones that are in a butter or cheese sauce, the more natural the better)

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve celebrations are always made out to be a big fancy event with food, drinks, party hats, fireworks, midnight kiss, etc. I however, have not really experienced it that way before. True to form, last night I was in bed by 11:00 and brought in the New Year fast asleep! Although, I was slightly awaken every now and then from text messages from friends between the hours of 12:30 and 1:30, but I didn't mind, at least that made me feel a little more cool. I've also never really been one to set a New Years resolution, and I don't think I am setting one this year either. I sound like quite the party pooper don't I! haha Don't get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with setting a resolution....so if you set one this year more power to ya!

In my last blog I promised a nutrition break down of a yummy recipe. However, due to unforseen pure laziness on my part, I did not post it yesterday like I said I would......you have my dearest apologies ;) So this morning I woke up, made some coffee and sat down at the computer (no excuses now). The first recipe I want to share with you is one I adapted from cooking light. It is a yummy yummy pasta dish that is super easy to make and tastes great! So I bring to you......

Lasana Rolls

I've made this dish many of times, and it never disappoints me, I hope you enjoy!

What you need:
8 uncooked lasagna noodles
4 tsp olive oil
1/2 c finely chopped onions
1 (8oz) sliced mushrooms
1 (6oz) baby spinach-fresh
3 garlic cloves, minced (sometimes I skip this, up to you)
1/2 c part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tbsp minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

(the recipe from cooking light has you prepare your own sauce from scratch, but I just use marinara sauce...shhh)

How to prepare:
1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add onions, mushroom, spinach, and garlic; saute for about 5 min.
3. Remove from heat and add cheeses, basil, salt, and crushed red pepper.
5. This step is where you make your sauce, but since I just use marinara sauce, I simply heat it up on the stove...done and done!
4. Place cooked noodles on a flat surface, spread 1/4 cup mixture over each noodle. Roll up the noodles. Place rolled up noodles (seam side down) in a shallow microwave safe dish. Pour marinara sauce over the top of the rolls and microwave on high for 3-5 minutes.

Nutrition Breakdown:
Serving size: 2 rolls
Calories: 393
Fat : 11.7
Protein: 19.3
Carbs: 58.3
Fiber 5.9

Now sit down at the table and enjoy this light, healthy, and yummy meal! If you have any tips, suggestions, etc please let me know!

Simply sweet,
Jennifer