Hey friends! I haven’t done a what I’m loving lately post in awhile so I thought it might be fun to kick off the weekend with one since I have a random variety of topics for you all today. 🙂
1) DC Cherry Blossoms!
Obviously the cherry blossoms win #1 spot for things I’m loving lately. 😉 So gorgeous! If you missed yesterday’s post with all my sunrise cherry blossom running photos, go look!
The ladies and I are doing one last long run tomorrow in preparation of the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (<—last year’s recap) next weekend, and we might try to swing by the tidal basin again to see how the blossoms are progressing. We’ll see – I’m sure it will be a mob scene by late morning, though!
I really hope some of the blossoms stick around for the race!
2) Dining al Fresco
Being able to eat outside again lately has been amazing – and it’s also amazing that my dinner photos won’t be dark and yellow-y anymore!
Last night, Matt and I made a delicious salmon Blue Apron dish (recipe: Sumac-Spiced Salmon and Labneh with Freekeh, Kale, and Almond Salad) and it was still light enough by the time we ate around 7:30 that we could sit outside!
I think Matt is really starting to come around to salmon – he enjoyed this as much as I did! I loved the freekeh (fun whole grain – have you tried it?) and the kale and almond salad, too – we added some arugula we had on hand that was on its last legs to amp up the veggie quotient even more.
Speaking of salmon – how good do these Almond-Crusted Salmon Nuggets from fellow RD Lindsay sound? Genius… must try that recipe ASAP! Reminds me of my old fave Almond Crusted Tilapia – we haven’t made that in way too long!
And speaking of veggies, we also did our usual trick of snacking on veggies while cooking! Love doing this – easy way to get more in! We ate some carrots and also had a sliced cucumber with some olive oil, balsamic, and spices.
Also, for my DC friends: I tried a new-to-me place earlier this week for lunch with some of my co-shared office buddies: Yafa Grille. Have you guys tried it? It’s a fast casual type place – kind of like a Middle Eastern Chipotle – where you create your own bowl. I went for half salad, half brown rice, chicken, hummus, and tons of veggies with yogurt sauce. It was DELICIOUS – and they have outdoor seating which made me happy. 🙂
3) Getting Stronger
I had another session with Paul from Capital Energy Training this morning (more on our partnership in this post) and I’m really excited because our efforts are starting to pay off! As usual, today we worked on mobility and muscle strengthening, specifically focusing on my hips, glutes, and posterior chain. Today I graduated from doing this move on the ground to doing it on an unstable platform. 🙂
My right hips and lower back are starting to feel a LOT better which is awesome – before we were working together both were bothering me a ton but I hardly feel them anymore now. Interestingly, my right side is way stronger than my left – basically overcompensating – and as a result that’s why it is way tighter/less mobile. One of the big things I’ve learned from our sessions, though, is that I need to focus more on form vs. just doing something. I’ve realized I tend to let my body do an easier but less correct variation of poses in classes or on my own, but nothing gets by Paul. If I’m phoning it in, he notices – darn! 🙂
We also did some warm up movements today with this cool flexible stability ball – he had me do motions like I would normally do with a foam roller but with that ball instead, since it was right at the start of the session. Nice way to ease into it since I was feeling tired/tight when we started.
4) Easter-inspired recipes/tips! Lots of great ones floating around the web:
- Healthy Deviled Eggs
- Cheesy Egg & Apple Breakfast Bake – love the savory/sweet combo – sounds amazing! I’d just use full fat cheese – y’all know how I roll 🙂
- Easy Smashed Potatoes – anyone else obsessed with smashed (vs. mashed – way more fun texture!) potatoes lately?! These would make a great Easter dinner side!
- How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally (no food coloring or store-bought kit necessary – all the tips use real food!)
- Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs – pictured below – this recipe is a great use for leftover Easter ham!
5) Posts worth a read:
- Hating Yourself Doesn’t Make You Thin, Just Like Loving Yourself Doesn’t Make You Fat – amazing post from my friend and fellow RD Kylie
- 50 Life Lessons Learned on the Run – absolutely love this
- Why You Should Throw Away Your Scale (oldie but goodie)
- How Giving Up Sugar Made Me Fat – great post from my friend Monica on why moderation is always the best approach – and the biggest reason that I never place foods off limits (unless medically necessary) for my AnneTheRD clients – if you aren’t allowed to have something, you just want it way more. See also: How to Get Rid of Sugar Cravings
Matt and I are sticking around town this weekend and looking forward to some outdoor adventures thanks to the lovely weather forecast! Have a great weekend, my friends – see you next week! 🙂
