Valentine's Day

Last week was Valentine's Day and my wonderful mother sent me 2 dozen cookies from a company called Monica's Gourmet Cookies. The cookies are so delicious and so rich and decedent, and way more amazing than any other homemade cookie I've ever had.

The next day I receive another box of cookies, this time addressed to my sister Erin (but at my address). I called my mom to tell her and she said just to keep the cookies, and they were remaking Erin's cookies to send to her.

So now I have 4 dozen cookies to eat up. I froze most of them since I didn't want any to go bad, but I will be eating cookies for the foreseeable future.

Long Weekend

This past weekend was a long weekend (I got off Monday for President's Day, but the boyfriend did not). Friday we just had a relaxing night in, Saturday we watched the Arsenal game, went to Target and I got a few household items I had been wanting, including a vacuum, and we saw the new Die Hard movie. Sunday I had soccer and Monday night I had my old roommate over for dinner.

All in all it was quite fun and a good mix of productive and relaxing. Also, having Monday off means its already Tuesday and after that there's only 3 more days until Friday :) This makes Ethan (my teddy bear - wearing my glasses) very happy!

Weekend Update: A Real Adult

This weekend was lots of fun! Friday the boyfriend and I just stayed in and relaxed. Saturday we spent all day cooking and cleaning because we invited the boyfriend's co-worker over for dinner. The boyfriend mainly cleaned and I mostly cooked, and we made a great team. My apartment looks better than ever!

For the dinner, I made:

Herbed Ricotta Bruschette
http://www.goop.com/recipes/antipasti/herbed-bruschette
This turned out really well, and was super simple to make. I bought fresh ricotta from Whole Foods - wasn't even going to attempt to make my own

Balsamic Zucchini, Artichoke & Chèvre Focaccia
http://www.goop.com/recipes/lunch/balsamic_zucchini_artichoke_chevre_focaccia
This was only ok. I made it a few hours ahead of time and it was tasty then, but by the time I served it it was bland and dried out. Best to serve right away, but only ok overall.

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs
http://www.goop.com/recipes/dinner/turkey-meatballs
This dish was the main dish I served and was super tasty. Took kind of a long time to make, but it made a ton of food so definitely worth it! Delicious and healthy.

Molten Chocolate Cake
http://www.goop.com/recipes/dessert/molten-chocolatecakes
This is what I was most nervous about making because I had never made anything even close to this before but it was very easy to make, only needed a few ingredients and was absolutely delicious! Plus, you can easily skip the white sauce you pour on top, making all the ingredients probably something you already have on hand.

All of the recipes are from the site goop (goop.com) - if you haven't checked it out yet you should. It also has way more than just recipes!

After the dinner guest left, it was late and I was tired, and I fell asleep watching tv. Meanwhile, the boyfriend cleaned up, washed all the dishes, and took a panoramic picture of my apartment. Isn't he the best!

Sunday we went to the Auto Show with my friend from college Michelle. It was really fun to look at all the nice new cars I will never buy. We also got some freebies which I always love to get.

Gift to Myself

Last week I received my year-end bonus from work. I am saving most if it, but I wanted to buy myself a little treat for working so hard. I decided to splurge on a Nike Fuel band. My sisters and I bought my Mom one for Christmas - and after hearing about how cool it was, I decided to get one for myself.

The fuel band is a band you wear on your wrist (it's kinda like the Livestrong bracelets but sturdier) and it tracks your movements throughout the day. It will tell you the time, your fuel (how much "fuel" you have "burned" throughout the day), how many calories you have burned, and your steps (just like a pedometer).

So far I'm loving it! It makes me realize how much and how long I just sit in my chair at work. My only complaint is just that I'm not used to wearing anything on my wrist (watch, bracelet, etc.) so it's just taking some getting used to.

Weekend Update

This weekend consisted of happy hour after work on Friday, shopping in Georgetown on Saturday afternoon (where I bought this pillow for my chair), dinner at Ping Pong Dim Sum for Jesica's birthday followed by her birthday celebration at Big Hunt, which was themed Rednecks and Tiaras (think "Toddlers and Tiaras" and "Honey Boo-Boo"), soccer on Sunday morning (which was covered in snow and yet we still played - the ref brought a shovel to clear the lines off with!), picking up a mirror I bought from a friend who is moving and walking it home, and then lots of Super Bowl, cooking and eating for the rest of the day.

All in all it was fun and relaxing. Plus, I got some new things for my apartment, which is always fun!

Healthy Goals

So far February hasn't been very busy for me at work, and since I'm not used to having downtime, I've needed something to occupy my time with, so I've been making some goals for myself.

I feel as though I am good at saving my money, but I could be better - especially with eating out. I'm going to try and eat out for only one meal for Monday through Friday (no rules for Sat/Sun). This will not only help me save money, but will also help me eat healthier too.

Since I will be eating out less often, I also plan to cook more. Last night I made a delicious and healthy meal for the boyfriend and I (he helped) consisting of spaghetti with chicken sausage (which I bought from Whole Foods).

Lets hope I can keep this up for the rest of the month!

Weekend Update: Miami Adventures

The long awaited trip to Miami finally arrived! The boyfriend and I left Thursday for our flight, and met up with our friend Jeet at the airport in Miami. My cousin Jenny's flight was supposed to arrive then as well but she encountered some delays and arrived later that night.

We cabbed from the airport to our AMAZING apartment we had booked on airbnb. The place was huge, super modern, and had spectacular views.

Friday morning we walked around a bit, ate brunch outside, and then headed to Miami Beach for the expo. The expo was so much fun - free stuff everywhere! After that, we headed to Ocean Drive and then the beach. I could not believe that it was January and I was in the ocean! We met up with 2 of Jeet's friends who were in town for the race as well for dinner.

Saturday we got a ZipCar and drove our to Key Biscayne to go to the beach there. The weather was great (again) and it was a blast just being so carefree. That night we stayed in and I cooked a spaghetti dinner for the runners. It was so nice having a full kitchen while on vacation!

Sunday morning we got up SUPER early for the race. Jeet ran the half while Jenny and the boyfriend ran the full (the 1st for both of them). I saw them off at the start, and then walked to mile 14 to see them there. It was fun cheering everyone on, but I couldn't believe how few spectators were out! After I saw them both at mile 14, I headed to mile 25 to see them again. My parents - who were in Florida for a conference and drove up to see the race, - arrived just in time to see the boyfriend finish. Then Jenny came by and they ran with her for a bit.

After the race, we all got lunch and sat outside and talked and relaxed. Then my parents had to drive back, and the runners were all sore and tired so we watched tv and they recuperated.

Monday morning we left for the airport to fly back home. When we left DC, it had been snowing. Today the high is 70! The weather has been crazy warm, but I'm certainly not complaining!