Last week was difficult to get through, to say the least. I think the week compounded by some crazy work drama that I was NOT expecting. You know the old saying, “When it rains, it pours!” right? Well, someone forgot her umbrella last week so I was drenched by the end of the week.
photo cred: tumblrgifs.com
I was completely over myself, so Friday night we had “family movie night” and watched “Raiders of the Lost Arc.” I then proceeded to have an extra couple glasses of wine, LOL, which led to an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Something I haven’t had in weeks. I woke up with a purpose, and that was to SMILE as much as possible over the weekend.
Here are my reasons to smile over the weekend, via photos.
lunch with my daughtersWe found a new dress for our Chicago staycation weekend next month. We’re going to see “The Lion King” and S wanted a new dress! 12 bucks at Once Upon a Child! Score!Because wearing deodorant for the first time warrants a pic, at least according to her, LOL!!Back at it with my planking after a few days off.
And this:
My heart is full, indeed.My new wrap bracelet, and daily reminder.
Thanks to my friend Teri for getting me up and out the door on Sunday morning. We ran at a nice easy pace and both got a lot off our chest. Having felt pretty alone the last few weeks this is JUST what I needed. 6 miles later, and we were both smiling.
How was your weekend? What do you do to make yourself smile during tough times?
What a weekend!!!! After hearing the news that my good friend’s Dad passed away, I felt my work week ending with a very heavy heart on Friday. But I am blessed with some pretty darn amazing coworkers, and welcomed their invite to go for a drink after work. You’d never guess what an hour and a half, and a Bloody Mary will do for the mood. Trust me on this one.
Saturday I was able to meet up for a long run with my super cool ultra runner friends. I love the fact that I can just run, chat and have fun with no worry about time or pace. I set out to do 6-8 miles, but muscle memory kicked in and I felt like I could run forever. We were running at a nice and easy 11:30-12 mm pace, so I ran 10 miles to round it out. MORE winning in regards to my daily mantra, and I left a lot out there on the trails.
They even convinced me to drink the Kool aid, or orange soda in this case. It was SOOOO good after years of NOT drinking soda, and extra refreshing after 10 miles of running.
Cheers!
After paying my respects at my friend’s Dad’s wake today, I decided to dive in to Sunday Supper. The pork roast is one I’ve done many times, simply season with a good BBQ rub, sear on all sides and slow roast at 225 degrees until the internal temp is 152 degrees. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10-12 minutes.
Risotto with mushrooms and peas
8-10 cups of unsalted chicken stock heated on low on the stove top
1 package of risotto
2 large shallots, diced
8 Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup diced chives-green parts only-set aside
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup Grana Padono cheese
1 cup of frozen peas
Truffle oil-to dress right before serving
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
You will need two pans for this, one with a deeper edge. In a non-stick fry pan sauté the mushrooms until caramelized. While you are doing this, heat the deeper pan to medium high heat, and add in the diced shallots. Sauté for 2-3 minutes and add in your rice. Gently stir, until the rice becomes slightly translucent. Next, slowly start ladling in the chicken stock, two ladles at a time. Stir until absorbed, and repeat the process. Cook for about 30 minutes until the rice is al dente. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to your taste. Lastly, add in the butter, caramelized mushrooms, frozen peas and cheese. Stir well, and dress with chives and Truffle oil before serving.
I try to limit my starch and carbs, but once a week I allow myself a treat. THIS my friends was a huge hit, and had my husband drooling!
Dinner is served!
While the weekend had some dark moments, I will say that I learned a lot about myself this weekend. I learned I need to cherish life even more than I thought I did, and I need to take time for things that make ME happy, too. So I held on a little tighter when hugging my family and friends, and did so many of my favorite things this weekend to celebrate life.
How was your weekend? Run any training runs or races? Did you try any new recipes?
