Mmm, this has been a kind of wonderful summer Sunday!
I slept in later than normal, which is always nice. I think this new bedroom is working out very well for me. I had oats with yogurt, AB, blackberries, and bananas for breakfast. I love the combo of yogurt and almond butter! I wish I would have tried this a long time ago.
I decided to take Preston with me to the gym because they have child care, and I figured my mom would like the break while someone else entertained him. But he wanted to go the second I mentioned it. That was fine, because it kept me from lazing around!
I wanted to leave him in the Kids’ Corner for under an hour, so instead of doing cardio and practicing tennis, I just did an extended cardio session. I bounced around to the different machines to keep things interesting and definitely got my heart rate up. Two interesting things happened to me at the gym: first, I fell in love! Well, not really, but I saw someone crush-worthy. The upside was that I saw him as I was walking toward the locker room, so I wasn’t “glowing” yet. The bad part was it was 9 AM so I hardly looked like someone you’d want to make glow. But he smiled and said good morning, I batted my eyelashes, and then did a “Where have you been all my life?” turn around after he passed (shameless, I know). I honestly think working out in the morning is hindering my chances of seeing guys like him every day!
It was only after ten punishing minutes on the StairClimber that I realized he was back out on the cardio floor. I hope he’s into ponytails and persperation….
The other semi-interesting thing that happened was that I forgot my ipod. I tend to do that. I’ll leave it sitting on my computer because I was just uploading songs, and then I’ll get to the gym, pumped for my new music, and realized it’s still sitting on my laptop. Annoying! The good thing is, I discovered a solution to this problem, and the fact that sometimes your MP3 player likes to die the second you shut your locker. You can download a Pandora app for Blackberry! (Pandora is a music Web site. You type in the name of a song or artist, and it generates a custom radio station that plays similar songs. We used this a lot in my old office–the girls and gays love the “Britney Spears Station.”) I am so glad I figured this out (probably much later than most, but I have only had a non-work BB for a month) because it worked perfectly today. I plugged into my “Justin Timberlake/Timbaland” station and was all set!
After that, I picked up Preston and we went to get flowers and a card for my grandma and then picked up Panera Bread for lunch (which I apparently had promised at some point last week…children have miraculous memories). They finally had black bean soup!!! It was so creamy and good. I had that with the turkey cafe sandwich on rye and a big green apple.
After reading the new “Fitness” magazine (which doesn’t suck at all, and Fitness can tend to suck), browsing for new workout gear online, and catching a few episodes of “Law & Order: SVU” (which I can now fearlessly watch since I’m no longer living on my own in NYC), we decided to take a family tennis outing to the park. I went with Preston, my mom, and our bucket of balls. I played with Preston for a bit and then he went to the playground and I kept practicing my serve.
There’s something really therapeutic about just serving one ball right after another. I find that I do best when I completely clear my mind and zone out all my thoughts. I love how it’s both invigorating and relaxing. Also, by the end, my abs felt like they had been really worked!
I also discovered (yup, six years behind everyone else, like so many things in my life) that I love visors. Hats don’t look that good on me (you have to have a very specific style of ponytail to pull them off), but lately when I’ve been outside, I’ve wanted one. I’ve worn visors before, but they’ve gotten exponentially cooler in the past few years, so this is going to be my go-to for summer workouts. My face stayed nice and shady the whole time I was out.
Then it was time to come home and get ready for the birthday dinner. I was kind of bummed because my aunt had to work and my uncle and cousins all came down with colds. Because of that, it was just a little dinner.
I hadn’t been sure what to make, but when I found this super simple recipe for herbed grilled chicken, I knew it was the one! All you need is chicken, olive oil, salt and pepper, balsamic, herbs de Provence, and blue cheese.
Herbs de Provence is a spice blend that combines herbs native to Provence, and since I want to be European, I bought right into that. Most major grocery stores carry it, so don’t be intimidated, because it’s a great find! I read on Wikipedia that without lavender, it may not be considered as authentic, so I spent an extra $2.50 to get the ones with lavender. The blend smells great, and not like anything I’m used to cooking with lately. I can’t wait to try it in other recipes.
For the chicken, you simply create a marinade with the ingredients listed, grill, and then top each chicken breast with a half ounce of blue cheese (a few minutes before the chicken is done, so it melts). You can also garnish with some walnuts and cranberries for a little more sex appeal. For the side, I baked asparagus with olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. And I picked up a French baguette from Panera, so we were all set!
The meal came together in under 15 minutes, and I think it was a perfect menu for my grandma’s birthday. Rich enough to be elegant, but not at all intimidating. I would definitely make this for that cute guy at the gym when we get to that level.
Everyone liked the chicken, so I was pretty happy about that. Personally, I loved this meal. I felt very “French Women Don’t Get Fat” when I was eating. But even though it felt indulgent, there was no butter or cream or anything (I used EVOO on my bread). It’s actually 100 percent diet friendly!
And then it was time for the dessert: the surprise birthday cake! I was amazed that Preston didn’t give it away and that my grandma didn’t see it in our second fridge, but we pulled it off!
(There were no French inspired candles, unfortunately.)
Slicing into the cake was pretty damn dreamy. I would probably let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving if I made it again, but it was fine colder because the frosting is so good when it’s cold.
It’s nearly impossible to cut a small slice from this baby, but I tried my best.
It was a really nice dinner and I’m so glad I could cook the meal. I like making celebratory meals that aren’t all-you-can-eat excuses to go over the top. Healthy food, when well prepared, can turn out beautifully and keep us all kicking for 67+ years!
I’m off to watch a movie. I want to watch “Benjamin Button”…I have for months actually…but I don’t have the patience to watch a movie for three hours! So instead I’m watching “He’s Just Not That Into You.” I saw it in theaters but let’s be honest…I need the reminder not to be “that girl” every now and then! And you can’t beat the male cast members. Oh MY, Bradley Cooper just entered the picture. Peace out!!
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