Valentine's Day Weekend

Happy Oxymoron Day!

Hopefully you are enjoying all of the benefits of a 3 Day Weekend:

• sleeping in
• doing nothing
• watching Netflix
• eating healthy, yummy, takes a while to make breakfast :)

I'm doing 2/4 of these things.  I'm eating my fave breakfast (oats, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and blueberries sans Whole Foods organic peanut butter) 

Is it bad that I'm counting down the days until Lent is over because I miss PEANUT BUTTER MORE THAN SWEETS!? 

Yup you read that right, this sweet tooth is missing her pb more than chocolate/candy/sweets/cake/brownies etc.  

I've also noticed that without pb in my oats I'm STARRRRVING by 8 am.  

Anyway, back to the weekend recap...this isn't a post dedicated to my love of peanut butter...

This weekend was a great one!  It was crazy/hectic/busy/full!  

This was a 4.5 day work week-4 days of work .5 days of professional development.  Since it was a short week, the weekend technically started on Thursday night with a Scandal viewing party.

Life Advice!!

Friday was PD.  Confession time:  I still get lost EVERY SINGLE TIME we have PD in the high school.  Most of our PD is held in my district's high school and I still can't navigate the building.  I swear the stairs change like Hogwarts. 

Friday was a half day, which usually means that the rest of my afternoon will be crazy busy!  This one followed suit.  We were done at 1, but I went back to school to get some work done.  After that I ran to pick up movie tickets for The Choice and then I headed to the gym.  After the gym I had to go pick up my usual Friday salad from Seasons 52.  I had to get the Sesame Salmon salad because it's a Friday in Lent.  Don't worry BBQ Chicken Salad no seeds sub goat cheese, we'll be reunited in April!     

Deb and I went to see The Choice on Friday night.  It was all the things Nicholas Sparks movies should be: romantic, tragic, set in NC, and have row boats.  

Saturday was spent with a gymstravaganza then grocery shopping blitz followed by babysitting.  I was finished babysitting by 5:15 so I went to Whole Foods for dinner (Here's looking at you Chana Masala and vegan chicken salad) and laminated my booty off.  I watched Madoff and was just mehhh.  I liked it, but I wasn't hooked.  

Sunday aka Valentine's Day, I was supposed to take a barre class with a friend, but I couldn't find the studio.  Womp Womp.  I went home, headed to mass, and then ran errands.  

Attention Teachers:  BareMinerals give a discount!  Who KNEW?!

I know I'll instantly regret buying these buzzers for my class

Why do I bring Daddio with me?  

I made Valentine's Day dinner after a super schweaty gym session.  I made baked eggplant part goat gouda with brussel sprouts.  

Before 

After

Vegetarian Valentine's Day for the WIN!!

Recipe:

1 eggplant sliced to your preference  (throw away ends)

1 28 oz. Glen Muir fire roasted tomatoes  

4 cloves of gahhhlic (unless you don't like it gahhhlicky than use 2)

Italian seasoning, rosemary, and oregano to taste

2 TBSP whole grain bread crumbs

6 oz. goat gouda sliced/cut/grated (whatever makes your heart happy)

4 TBSP EVOO

1 bag frozen spinach

Slice eggplant into your personal thickness preference 

blend tomatoes, garlic, and seasoning until smooth (I used the pulse 5 setting on my Vitamix)

Combine EVOO and seasonings in a bowl.  

Brush mixture on both sides of eggplant slices and place in bottom of baking pan

Add one layer of sauce and half of the spinach

Repeat eggplant brushing and add another layer of eggplant/spinach

Cut/chop/grate the cheese and put that on top of the eggplant/spinach

Sprinkle whole grain bread crumbs on top

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Brussel Sprouts:

Place sprouts in a bread pan

Cover with EVOO, Balsamic vinegar, garlic, and seasonings to taste

Stir with a fork until coating is even

Bake at 400 for 45 minutes

I hope you all had a blast on Valentine's Day!  

I spent it watching The Bachelor At 20 and drinking some Menage Trois Silk.  It's a red blend and I highly recommend it!  I'm not a red girl AT ALL...but I loved it! 

How beautiful did Jade look?  OMG she's beautiful.  Tanner looked so cute, too!  Ever since 27 Dresses,  I always look at the groom when the bride walks in because I want to see his reaction.  It was so sweet.  I melted a little bit...okay a lotta bit.  It was so good to see all of The Bachelor alums.  I feel like I've been there since the beginning and I have to ride out this crazy roller coaster until I die.  

P.S. Ashley I...Jared still doesn't love you.  I'm sorry, honey, but it's true.  

Love and Hugs,

E