I am happy to announce that I’m feeling better! Not 100% but most definitely getting better. All my forced rest is paying off. Thank God. The last time I was sick I tried to do too much and just made my situation worse. Learning my lesson, I spent a lot of time embracing the great indoors this weekend.
I was able to hang this fun garland over our windows. Thanks again to my friend Liz for surprising me with this for my apartment :)
There’s been a lot of things I’ve wanted to do- like read, make some new iPod playlists, make Valentines, update my resume, and various other shenanigans- but I kept sidelining them to take part in adventures in the city or just to be out and about not in my apartment. If my congested head wasn’t enough reason for me to stay inside, the chilly temps here in DC convinced me that it was finally time to tackle these projects. There’s a part of me that hates how much couch time I clocked in this weekend but there is another part of me that really enjoyed it. Hey, gotta give the body what the body wants, right?
Any time I did leave the apartment this weekend- it was for food (big surprise). Being sick kind of took away my desire to make myself food. Friday night I was able to grab Pho, Vietnamese noodle soup, with my friend Liz at a place nearby us called Pho 14. I had never had pho before but I’m happy to report- it’s delicious. The hot broth was everything my head cold needed. I got their To Noh (regular bowl) with Bo Vien (meatballs). Pho comes with a plate of rice noodles, bean sprouts, hot peppers, lemon slices, and fresh basil that you can add to your bowl at your leisure. So many aromatics to clear my head! Not to mention they have a big ol’ bottle of Sriracha on the table!
Then on Saturday, Will and I got food for lunch at the Pleasant Pops store near us. We’ve gotten their popsicles many times but this was the first time we went there for a meal. Their main mission on their website reads:
At Pleasant Pops, we support our neighbors, source locally, say please and thank you, and look forward to seeing you soon.
They sell everything from homemade pickles to quiches to bread (all made by DC folks and businesses) to locally grown groceries. They’re all about healthy eating, organic eating, and using local resources. In essence, they’re pretty awesome.
Will and I wanted to try a little of everything so we got their Brussel Sprout Salad (shredded brussell sprouts, parmesan cheese, walnuts, dijon dressing) to share, Chickpea Kale Soup (kale, onions, chickpeas, carrots, paprika, lemon), and I got a Pear Butter, Goat Cheese, and Arugula panini on sourdough bread.
While the sandwich was sweet and tasty and the soup great (especially for a sick washingtonian), I was most impressed with the flavor combinations in the salad. I highly recommend it! Will agreed with this assessment.
While we were there, I also picked up some GrohNola. I had seen it featured on the DC Fit Crasher’s blog and was DYING to try it. So when I saw it on the shelves I kinda freaked out a little bit (ask Will). They have lots of cool flavors like sour cherry and blueberry but I kept it simple and got their original kind.
This morning I had a bowl of greek yogurt, GrohNola, banana, sunflower seed butter, and cinnamon. YUM! This granola is definitely Wicked Healthy Washingtonian approved.
Gooooood morning to me!
And then for dinner, Will and I went to the French place, Bistrot de Coin. Every weekend my counselor and R.D. give me a food challenge. This weekend it was to go out to eat but have Will pick the place and keep it a secret from me. I have a bad habit of reading menus online ahead of time and trying to figure out what I’m going to order. Usually when I go somewhere- I already know what I’m getting. To get me out of that habit and to loosen the reigns of control that food has over me- my support team gave me this challenge. Will led us to this French Bistro! I was excited because I have never been to a French place. Crazy, right? There are a lot of them in D.C. but I’ve yet to try one. I ordered their pan seared salmon which came with quinoa and haricot verts (French green beans). Dessert was a chestnut mouse- different but sweet and delicious!
After checking out their website today, I learned a little more about their origins:
The origin of Bistrot is Russian. In Russian Bistrot means “Quick”. That’s why a guest can expect to get fast service. The color of a real Bistrot is pale yellow to brown (otherwise known as Bistre) because in French cafes the walls get dirty quickly from nicotine. Bistrot du Coin means a neighborhood Bistrot.
Anything Russian related or in origin- I’m in. The service here was ridiculously fast. We had to wait a while for a table but our food came out in lightening speed.
After a day of eating out, it was nice today to prep my kitchen for the week. I love going out to eat and it’s my goal to try as many places in my neck of the woods as possible BUT I also love making my own food. Sunday is always a big ol’ veggie roasting, veggie chopping, and meal prepping day.
I did a lot of the usual- making some veggie and hummus snack packs to bring to work during the week, chopping up some cucumbers and onions and mushrooms so that I can add them quick to salads, and cooking up chicken breast and dividing it into easy access 4 oz. portions.
This week I have some spaghetti squash recipes on the books so I cooked up a big guy and it produced A LOT of “noodles.” I kinda forgot Will won’t be here this week to help me devour all the squash. Looks like someone is going to have to be a spaghetti squash monster this week. (Here’s my post from when I made spaghetti squash for the first time)
Spaghetti squash will never cease to amaze me.
So much spaghetti squash!
I also roasted up some eggplant to add to salads and other meals during the week.
I cooked these guys a little bit too long and they’re almost more like eggplant crisps! I would say “whoops, my bad” but I think they’ll still be tasty.
I cut up a grapefruit for breakfast tomorrow (using instructions I found on this site)…
I need all the vitman c I can get! Get outta here, illness!
The last (but definitely not least) thing I whipped up was Tina’s Loaded Baked Potato Chicken Salad. I saw this on her blog a while ago and have been meaning to try it. I cut her recipe in half and made a batch for me to eat for dinner tomorrow and lunch the next day. Talk about productivity. The recipe calls for a lot of cooking so I knew I would need to do a lot of it ahead of time or on a day where I had lots of spare time.
It requires roasting brussell sprouts, red potatoes, and chopped onion.
Mixing up the veggies with mayo (I used greek yogurt), dijon mustard, and minced garlic.
I divided this mixture into two tupperware containers and added two slices of chopped bacon to each along with 4 oz. of cooked chicken. I mixed em all together and put them in the fridge for tomorrow and Tuesday. I did a sneak preview test bite and it was YUMMY so I cannot wait to have it tomorrow for dinner.
Alright, folks- now that I’ve updated you on my eats this weekend, I must sign off. It’s time to cap off the weekend with more rest and relaxation while watching the Super Bowl with Will before he starts up his NYC stint again tomorrow. Boo.
Currently I have the Puppy Bowl on- featuring the Kitty Half-Time Show (the second best one going on tonight after Beyonce) and it’s great.
I’m hoping to wake up tomorrow feeling even closer to my old self. Rest is great and all but man I miss working out and I can feel it in my bones how badly my body wants to recover. Tonight it will be early to bed (seeing as early to rise will happen all too suddenly tomorrow… it’ll be rough) and tomorrow will be full of nutritious foods to help my body get over the being sick hump.
