Where did the weekend go? I’m sorry I seem to ask this every weekend, but it’s true! I’m sure you all feel the same trying to get every precious amount of ‘free’ time in to get everything somewhat caught up.
Well, this weekend was a ton of fun! Here’s to a little re-cap, some good eats, fun times with friends + a nice long bike ride . . .
Friday night started off pretty swell when I came home, took a shower, took a 20-minute nap, and then got dinner started. But first I had to have a little caprese appetizer. I made these with dakota bread cut into fourths, some sliced heirloom maters and fresh mozzarella from TJs + some amazing basil from the farmer’s market. omg I love this combo! It would also be great drizzled with balsamic reduction 🙂
I’m not loving the time change because it tends to keep me up later since it stays lighter, but I’m absolutely lovin’ that extra light for food pictures again, yay!!! Sunlight + food pictures makes me happy 🙂 oh the little things . . .
For dinner I whipped up some simple Chicken Sausage & Broccoli Pasta and I also added some morel mushrooms from the farmer’s market mmmm I think I really like these! They sure look funky though
Next we hit up the Atomic Testing Museum near UNLV to see our friend’s artwork at an exhibit called Cloud 9. It was pretty neat because the theme was based on the 1950s and everyone was dressed from that time-period.
Remember duck and cover?
I think this one about Operation Cupcake was my favorite of course! But we got there a bit too late to sample one of their cupcakes. Pretty neat what you can do with PhotoShop 🙂
Afterwards we were in the mood for some fro yo and went to a place called Islands, but it seems no one has mint 🙁 I think that should be a standard flavor! Every time we go I usually get a little bit of vanilla, cake batter and peanut butter, then top it with berries, mochi and a few pieces of Reese’s.
Saturday, during the day wasn’t all that exciting. I got some things done around the house and a few errands. Breakfast was some yogurt mixed with chocolate whey (I can’t believe how well it mixes!), topped with cereal and fruit with a applesauce spice muffin + pb on the side.
Lunch was a simple WW wrap stuffed with turkey meat, muenster cheese, roasted kabocha (love this!), spinach and a dollop of cottage cheese on the side.
I’m also so sorry to say that we had to take Emma back 🙁 Buster was not getting along with her, was being very aggressive and we felt it would be best for both of them. I felt terrible though 🙁
Chris and I spent a good amount of the afternoon going to several bike shops near us because I am seriously thinking about getting a new bike!!! Well, maybe a used one too. I’ve had my Giant bike for about 9 or 10 months now and I just think and feel it’s time for an upgrade. It’s pretty heavy, not responsive and doesn’t feel quite like a glove. I have a baseline model and don’t want to have to keep upgrading frames. I’d like to get a full-carbon bike, but those usually run about 2.2k at the lowest : / I usually make my best decisions when I really think it through and go through all the options I have. I’m going to start saving and looking because I feel it will be worth getting a fairly good one, rather than keep going for mid-grade and wasting more money upgrading. It’s always a good idea to go for a great frame because you can always upgrade the components.
After that it was time for Kristen’s Birthday Party!!! We started out with dinner at Macaroni Grill and of course breaaaad! I love their bread dipped in balsamic and a dip of olive oil.
I ordered the build your own pasta, but they messed up my order. So imagine this one sort of, but with spaghetti 🙂 by the time I got mine everyone else was practically finished so I had to scarf and yes I ate the whole thing! It did look a little smaller than this one I swear 🙂 It was ok, but nothing I couldn’t make better at home and at $13 I was very unimpressed.
The company was much better!
And of course there was a lady who came by to sing happy birthday 🙂
Happy Birthday Kristen!
After dinner it was time for cosmic bowling!!! I haven’t been bowling in ages and it was a ton of fun! I actually bowled a 105 and 134, which is pretty good for me.
Of course there was beer, but I opted for water instead since I was going to be riding the next day. My Nalgene is practically an extension of my arm 🙂
But of course I couldn’t resist one of these! Kristen’s mom made some killer vanilla cupcakes with strawberry frosting mmm
Overall it was a great night! I went home and crashed 🙂
Sunday was spent mostly on the bike. I slept in till 7am!! woop! I wanted to make something that would fill me up for a longer ride and french toast is just the thing. We like to make waffled french toast and press it in the waffle iron. I also topped it with some peanut butter/nutella mix, naner slices, strawberries and greek yogurt. Chris made an omelet on the side. I think this was at least 900 kcals.
I’m soooo excited for strawberry season!!!!
Perfect combination! We’ve been all over the nutella lately.
Before the ride I had about 1/2 L of water. I wanted to be prepared, so I brought all of this pictured below, but only had 1 packet of Luna moons, energy ball and 1 L of water with a few chugs of Gatorade during the ride. After the ride I had about 20 oz of coconut water mixed with 3 pinches of salt.
Overall it was a great ride and fairly flat!!! I need to work on keeping with the group because pace lines make all the difference in keeping speed while not having to over-exert. It’s really amazing, but I tend to lose them on the downhill and poof! they’re gone, but oh well 🙂 I wanted to try a take a picture while riding so bad, but I just can’t, especially since we were going pretty fast with a little headwind.
- Time: 2:52
- Distance: 49.5 miles!! We’ll just round it up to 50, right? 🙂
- Avg: 17.1 mph Max: 29 mph
When I got home I made a refreshing recovery smoothie. This definitely hit the spot! Chris shared about 1/4 of it with me and I had the rest.
- 1/2 cup NF milk + 1/2 cup water
- 2 scoops Recoverite
- 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 3 handfuls spinach
- 1 cup frozen strawberries + 1/2 cup frozen cherries, blueberries and raspberries
- 1 tsp of chia + 1 tsp of hemp seeds
- topped with Kashi Crisp and TJ’s frosted shredded wheat
Later on I had a handful of nuts and 2 dates . . . . cycling makes me HUNGRY! Now it’s time for dinner 🙂 I think we’re going to make some grilled pizza with roasted veggies, yummers.
So I’m going to keep dreaming of carbon and hopefully I’ll be able to get a spiffy bike soon 🙂
Did you have a nice weekend? Is there something you dream of having someday?
Haha, I dream of having a mansion on the water someday- but I think you’ll get your bike first 🙂
I totally ask where did the weekend go every Sunday! It’s impossible not too, weekends go by SO fast!
Comment by Kelly — March 21, 2010 @ 5:53 pm
Sounds like a fun weekend! I saw a lot of “ooh that sounds good right about now” photos in this post 🙂
Comment by Nutritious Foodie — March 21, 2010 @ 6:06 pm
What a weekend! I can see why it went so fast. You did a ton! Looks like you had a great time and some tasty eats.
Comment by Lori — March 21, 2010 @ 7:45 pm
such a wonderful weekend, so many wonderful eats and companies! 🙂
Comment by coco — March 22, 2010 @ 3:21 am
Sounds like a fun weekend and great ride! Yes totally round up to 50 miles. I’m taking your advice and just going for the bike ride to work tomorrow and Thursday! One day may be rainy but I’ll just have to deal, when is it not rainy in Washington??
Comment by Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather — March 22, 2010 @ 5:12 am
I’m stealing that chicken sausage and broccoli pasta recipe too, that looks wonderful (and easy to make).
… and how do you get the nutella and peanut butter to drizzle on like that? I swear there would just be huge glops if I tried 🙂
I wouldn’t remove aluminum from your choices just yet — the high end aluminum frames are better than the lower end carbon. The Cannondale CAAD9 and Cervelo S1 are both high end aluminum frames and perform very well. You’re going to ‘feel the road’ as expected on the aluminum frame but not bad at all since they have carbon seatposts + forks. I’d take one of those frames with Ultegra+ on it over a low end carbon frame with 105. Team CSC used to ride the Cervelo S1 on their training rides and I believe even raced on that frame over the carbon models.
In other words, I recommend checking out a top alu frame with good components if you’re price conscious. (And you don’t have to be as afraid if you wipe out!)
Comment by Sean — March 22, 2010 @ 9:37 am
Sean, thank you so much for your comment! I’m fairly new to this whole cycling thing and love hearing other opinions and suggestions. You also bring up a very good point, and I have even more to consider! I actually thought Cervelo would never be an option because they are so pricey, but I didn’t know of the S1 (excited!). I’ve been looking at specialized, BH and Giant’s TCR, but I’m trying to decide if I want a ‘race’ or ‘endurance’ type bike? I will have to look into these as well. Now if only I could get dura-ace 😉 Do you know of a good dealer in case I can’t find certain ones in town? Thanks again!
Comment by Kristen :) — March 22, 2010 @ 2:26 pm
Glad you had fun! You are such a good bowler, I swere! You beat us all. haha.
Nutella and peanut butter sounds like the best combo ever!!!
Comment by Kristen (swanky dietitian) — March 22, 2010 @ 9:58 am
Wow everything looks so tasty those cup cakes are so cute and that waffle breakfast yum! x x
Comment by Tamizn — March 22, 2010 @ 10:08 am
Beautiful waffle and I love the heirloom caprese. Good luck on the bike shopping and saving up for. It is important if you are serious about it that you feel comfortable and right on the bike. That is so sad about Emma.
Comment by Melinda — March 22, 2010 @ 11:22 am
what a fun weekend! lots of fun…..oooooh i am getting a new bike too! i sold my giant and am getting a carbon torelli 🙂
Comment by kalli@fitandfortysomething — March 22, 2010 @ 11:38 am
kalli, Hey! Yay!!!! so jealous, can’t wait to see it!!! 🙂
Comment by Kristen :) — March 22, 2010 @ 2:27 pm
What an AWESOME ride! And your weekend looks like it was a blast!
Comment by Kelly @ Healthy Living With Kelly — March 22, 2010 @ 12:40 pm
Happy Birthday to Kristen! I love that you 2 get to see each other all the time. I’m totally jealous 🙂 Your weekends do go by fast — you’re always riding! That’s a great way to spend the weekend, in my opinion! And a little fun mixed in there! Sorry about Emma. It’s hard to be an only dog and have someone new added to the mix. Lily loves dogs, but I don’t know how she would feel with sharing us. She’s rather spoiled 🙂
Have a good weekend, Kristen!
Comment by Nicole, RD — March 22, 2010 @ 12:41 pm
Ooh! your Heirloom tomatoes are gorgeous!
Comment by BroccoliHut — March 22, 2010 @ 1:22 pm
OH HOLY moly this post knocked the ball out of the park. OH GOSH I”m soooo drooling after reading this…as if the applespice muffin smeared with nut butter wasn’t enough, but you had to show the cupcakes and the OMGEE waffle. I die I die!!!!
Comment by Michelle — March 22, 2010 @ 1:47 pm
OMG that nutellaaaa and waffle combo, I have no words for that! it looks SO good!! the heirloom tomatoes with the mozz are beyond beautiful! i want a bite right now!!! 🙂
so much good food and great times!
Comment by Naomi(onefitfoodie) — March 22, 2010 @ 2:43 pm
oh my goodness! I went to bowling tooo… my brother’s girlfriend celebrated her birthday by bowling ( and it was my friend’s birthday too) ! I went to cycling class today. We must be on the same wave lengths or whatever.
I wish I was going to the SCAN symposium this weekend…Next year I will be there… Are you going ?
The experience is never that great when they mess up your order the first time- it just makes it so hard to enjoy with everyone else scarfing down ya know. Congrats on the 50 mile ride!
I feel like I’m never going to graduate!
Okay, sorry for the randomness of this comment.
Comment by bhealthier — March 22, 2010 @ 7:02 pm
This was so much food I dont even know where to start!
faves
1) nutella (HAHA I don’t ever buy nutella anymore, it’s too dangerous)
2) the froyo. man i could go for a froyo, yo.
3) that second pasta dish.
GAH Im hungry.
Comment by Kelly at Local Foodie Fight — March 22, 2010 @ 8:15 pm
I can’t wait for strawberry season either — they’re still too expensive and not juicy enough yet though. I think I’ve found my waffle-loving twin — mmm, my mouth is watering.
Comment by Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] — March 23, 2010 @ 11:12 pm
What a weekend! Fun and good food! Those waffles look so good!
I love restaurants with good bread. My meal can be unimpressive, but if they serve warm doughy bread, I am a happy girl (and am guilty of going off my gluten free diet for a night!)
Congrats on another great bike ride!
Comment by Shannon — March 24, 2010 @ 4:37 am
We have a long way to go before strawberry season here in Boston! I’m a big fan of morel mushrooms- I actually ate them in Julia Child’s kitchen in the early 90s when she lived in Cambridge and I was working with a chef who cooked a lunch for her and a dozen guests. Amazing!
Comment by Meal Makeover Mom Janice — March 24, 2010 @ 10:07 am
Janice, wow, what an experience!! What did the chef make with them?
Comment by Kristen :) — March 24, 2010 @ 10:39 am
@Kristen 🙂, Ha! This was close to 20 years ago- I’m lucky I remember the morels, never mind the dish they were in! I do remember nibbling a few right out of the pot on Julia’s stove. She was so kind and came back and chatted and had photos taken with the kitchen crew. She was one of a kind.
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