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Thinking Out Loud: Feelin’ Hot Hot Hot!

Posted on May 8, 2014 by kissmybroccoli

Good morrrrrrrrrrning, ~~Vietnam~~ Blogworld!

And yes, I’m fairly certain that I’ve aged myself with that greeting, but I don’t really care because it’s Thursday (which is my Friday) and you know what that means…time for another round of Thinking Out Loud!

First and FOREMOST, I want to say a big thank you to each and every one of you who left a comment on last Thursday’s post on Dieting PTSD. Like I said, that was not an easy one to publish but the amount of encouragement, support, and empathy you guys gave leaves me feeling empowered, humbled, and teary-eyed.

Oh my gosh, I love you guys!

You know what else I love? Pretty flowers! Last weekend, I went on another hike…this time on the trails over near my house. You know, the ones I always get lost on? Well, this time I did NOT get lost…exactly. I knew precisely where I was when I came out in the middle of a nearby neighborhood…that was four miles away from home!

Yep, one day I’ll learn, but until then, I’ll just keep losing my direction while picking flowers and stalking adorable little tree frogs! 😉 You guys should know that this pic was taken with my still NEW iPhone on FULL zoom…that little guy was about the size of a quarter!

We had some amazing weather last weekend and it has continued on into the week…every day it’s gotten up to at least the high 70’s…and it only took until last night for me to finally realize that the ceiling fans were NOT cutting it and turned on the AC! The deciding factor may or may not have been me sweating while trying to put on my makeup for work…oh yeah, all my ladies know what I’m sayin’!

As warm as it’s been, you’d think it only would have taken a few days for my homemade kombucha to finish brewing…but at day seven, a taste proved to still be too sweet for my liking. Baaaaaa-UT? At day ELEVEN she’s PERFECT!! Now it’s time to get to flayyyyyyy-voring!

*fist pump*

Another fist pump moment…I’ve been sleeping like an absolute ANGEL! Perhaps it’s because I’ve finally been feeling like myself again after two weeks of being “off”, perhaps it’s because I’ve been busier than a one-armed bandit at work each night, or perHAPS it’s because I’ve come to the realization that if you stack the liquid AND pill forms of Benedryl, you end up in pure slumber BLISS!

After a WHOLE MONTH of dedicating all of my ~~sweet~~ sweat time to my yoga mat, last Saturday, I made it to the gym for the first time! Endurance? What’s that?! Five minutes on the elliptical and I was already dripping from head to toe! And I totally went back yesterday for more!

Oh and I had a proud (non-masochistic) moment yesterday! After being kinda how-hum on the veggie front for the last week or so AND being that it is the time of the month where the only color I want to eat is ~~brown~~ CHOCOLATE, how about I ran to store for lemons and came out with…

Snap peas, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes…and bonus points for not forgetting the lemons! 😉

But don’t you worry, I made sure to balance out all that healthy shit with a bit of “summer” indulgence! 😉

Now hop on over to Spoons and see what everyone else is thinking about today!

Tell me, what’s on your mind this week?

How’s the weather been?

Posted in Randomness, Thinking Out Loud | Tagged chocolate, hiking, iPhone, kombucha, night shift, park, sleep | 24 Comments

Will Work for Wine!

Posted on May 5, 2014 by kissmybroccoli

Hey hey HEYYYYYYY!

I hope you guys had a fantastic weekend! Mine was full of a little of this and a little of that, but the highlight? The most MARVELOUS part was most definitely getting together with the besties for A Toast to Tennessee Wine Festival on Saturday!

We got all gussied up and made the trek to Nashville for a day of fun in the sun that started with wine glasses hanging from our necks (seriously, whose brilliant idea was THAT?!). The event was held at Nashville Shores waterpark and with over TWENTY Tennessee wineries represented, we knew it wouldn’t be long before…well, I’m sure you can guess! 😉

Our sweet, angelic PRE-buzz faces!

What goes well with wine? Cheese and crackers of course…even better when they’re FREE (samples)!

Yup, totally need one of these at my house!

This was right after we found the tent serving up the “healthy” pours…and then proceeded to taste everything they had on the table! 😉

Break for food!

My French fries were obviously so good they deserved a close up! 😆

And what happens when you get a bunch of winos together and a DJ puts on The Cha Cha Slide? Yeah, you better BELIEVE I was right there next to those girls after I stopped long enough to ~~secure some future blackmail~~ snap a picture! 😉

For the record, we DID have a DD (thanks Ms. D for putting up with all our crazy drunken antics!) and also for the record, we are already planning our trip for next year! Oh and check it out, I actually practiced some restraint with my “souvenirs”…

Let’s just hope the Cajunfest is as good as I “remember” it being 30 minutes before we closed down the park! Lol

The day was absolutely perfect…warm and sunny with just enough of a breeze to keep us cool while we were shaking our groove thangs! So many laughs and even MORE memories made with my two favoritest women in the whole world! This is seriously going down as one of the best days EVER!

Oh and I just have to share one more little snippet from the day. A conversation bestie #1 (the blonde) had with a complete stranger:

Bestie: “Oh wow, I really love your dress!”
Stranger: “Oh, thank you!”
Bestie: “I’d totally get one of those if I had the boobs to fill it out.”
Stranger: “Oh, well, /mine are fake”
Bestie: “Seriously?! But they look SO real!”
Stranger: “You bet! Wanna feel?”

And the rest folks, is Facebook friend history! 😆

Have you ever been to a wine festival?

When was the last time you boogied down? 😉

Posted in MIMM | Tagged cheese, fun, samples, the besties, weekend, wine | 34 Comments

Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Avocado Sauce

Posted on May 2, 2014 by kissmybroccoli

Incredibly filling, this spaghetti squash dish, topped with creamy, garlicky avocado sauce, is ready in 30 minutes or less…and you’d never guess it’s VEGAN!

What’s that? A SAVORY dish?! I know, I know…I was a bit surprised myself when I first concocted this rich and creamy sauce. I was not so surprised, however, that after my first taste, that I wasted ANY time hunting down a spatula to scrape the blender clean!

This meal is perfect for those nights when you come home from work and all you want is a quick and easy dinner you can ~~put on the table~~ eat in your lap while you sit with your fuzzy slippered feet up.

Precook your spaghetti squash at the beginning of the week and it can be even easier…all you have to do is heat it up! Or you could be ~~lazy~~ strange like me and eat it cold! 😉

Either way, this recipe NEEDS to be in your regular menu rotation!

A great source of healthy fats and protein, with enough veggies to please any volume eater, this gluten-free dish is sure to satisfy! And if your meat-eaters still think something lacking, just top it with some grilled chicken or shrimp!

Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Avocado Sauce

by Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: microwave food processor blender entrée dairy-free gluten-free grain-free vegan vegetarian avocado spaghetti squash #strangebutgood

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 medium spaghetti squash
2 cups mixed vegetables, like peas and carrots
1 large avocado
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons favorite salt-free seasoning
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook spaghetti squash in the microwave according to these instructions.
2. While the squash cooks, combine remaining ingredients (except for the mixed vegetables) in a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings as necessary.
3. After the squash has finished cooking, fluff with a fork and then add sauce and vegetables and serve in the peel.

Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Avocado Sauce - www.kissmybroccoliblog.com

Who needs to dirty up dishes when your food comes with its own disposable bowl?! 😉

And just because this recipe makes me think of sunshine and warm weather (which I’m hoping we get this weekend), I’m busting out my spring-ified logo!Be sure to head on over to Sprint 2 the Table to see what other #strangebutgood creations are being linked up this week!

What is your favorite way to eat spaghetti squash?