Broiled Cod with Slow Roasted Onions

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As I mentioned yesterday, I might start copying Sarah & Jimmy on their nightly meal plans. Last night, I made a quick list of what my meals could look like this week. I think it's already going to get thrown off on Thursday since now I'm going out for Yoga with my girlfriends (which means we'll probably get wine and apps after). That being said, so far so good! Anyway, last night's dish was inspired by Joy the Baker's Roasted Onions that she posted on her instagram last week and has had me craving them ever since. 

RECIPE

She was right, my house had THE BEST aroma throughout.

During the last half hour of the roasting process, I sliced purple sweet potatoes into fry-like strands and tossed them with evoo, cayenne, salt, pepper, and paprika.  I threw them in the oven which was already at 400 degrees, then after about 15 minutes I tossed them and set them back in for another 10-15.

During the last 15 minutes of the roasting process - I turned on the broiler and put the fish on the top rack. It was drizzled with evoo, lemon, salt, and pepper.

On top of the stove - I cooked the green beans and topped them with a little grass-fed butter and chopped almonds.

The fish got topped with the roasted onions. I made a dipping sauce for the "faux fries": 3 parts yogurt, 2 parts mustard, 1 part mayo, cayenne pepper, salt, and 1 part maple syrup.

The onions were definitely the star of the show here. They were so soft and almost spreadable, just like butter. They have such a sweet texture that I really enjoy (I actually greatly dislike raw onions - cooked is where it's at). I'm also still obsessed with purple sweet potatoes. They are just incredible!

Here's the plan for the rest of the week!

Looks like I need to buy broccoli. Also, I know that my hand writing is HORRENDOUS.

Do you plan out meals?? Do you meal prep on Sunday?! Tell me about it...

Have a great Wednesday! xo

Weekend Sunshine_XX

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Goooood evening, my friends! I hope you all had a fun weekend! As previously mentioned, Rob and I headed to Maine with Molly, George, Sarah & Jimmy. Let me just start out by saying that Maine is really good for mental health! After the hectic holiday season and the slow, almost sluggish start into the new year... a relaxing weekend away with good friends is exactly what was needed. It didn't hurt that Molly & George were the most incredible hosts. Lots of delicious food, great wine, outdoor activities, shopping and most importantly... a whole lot of laughs! I'm kicking off the week feeling revitalized and refreshed!

We spent some time talking about our 'weekly routines' which I always find so interesting! I have to say that I was really inspired by Sarah & Jimmy's routine of writing out their daily dinners at the beginning of the week. I've mentioned before that I don't necessarily like doing a 'Sunday Food Prep' because 1) I enjoy cooking at night and 2) I like to eat what I am craving. What I like about what Sarah and Jimmy do is it's more open to modifications. So for example, if I'm planning on making fish and green beans, I could make potatoes OR quinoa to go with it. I think it also forces creativity in the kitchen, ensures all produce and meats are being used (instead of wasted), and of course, ensures a healthy meal every night. I think I might give it a shot! Stay tuned for an update later this week.

So, as you may have seen on my instagram, the two couples were instantly greeted with these incredible, monogrammed totes from L.L. Bean (FUNFITFLAVOR YEAH!!! #FFF). Molly went above and beyond - it was an incredibly warm welcome and as Rob says "Great, now you can cut back from 3 bags to just 1!" Score! As the night progressed, we ate pizza, drank wine/beer and caught up on life.

I'm kind of obsessed with Hinkley.

The next morning, we were incredibly balanced by eating chocolate croissants and going for a hike in the freezing cold! (unbeknownst to me that it was cold as I completely overdressed in fear of freezing)

We came back, showered, and got ready to go to lunch and hit the outlets then Maine Beer Company and then back to the house for an EXTREMELY DELICIOUS dinner.

Life chats by the fire.

And I even made my step goal! All about that balance, about that balance.

We had another great brunch the next morning and then packed up to go home and watch the PATS! The weekend was pure perfection. Huge thanks to Molly and George for hosting us in the most relaxing place in Maine!

Have a great week! xo

AMRAP & Protein Energy Balls

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So, I've mentioned before that I typically like to save Thursday as a 'rest day'. That didn't work out today because we are heading up to Maine tomorrow (yay!) which means that I likely won't get much of a workout in over the next 2 days. Tonight, I needed to pack and make some treats so I wanted to do something quick. I don't "do/take" crossfit, however, I do like some of the body weight AMRAP workouts that I see posted. I think they are effective since you end up pushing yourself pretty hard for a short amount of time. It works for me because I have a # of reps that I want to get in, in my head so I tend to push it. I modified one that I saw on Pinterest. And, as mentioned on fb, my main goal was getting a good workout as quickly as possible so I called this "Get-this-workout-over-as-fast-as-possible-so-that-I-can-finally-have-a-glass-of-wine-AMRAP". 

After I finished this, I quickly posted it on facebook and marched into the kitchen to make protein balls. We MAY go hiking on Saturday, so I think it'll be a fun treat to have. Plus, this recipe was stupid-easy.

I subbed in maple syrup for honey because that's what I have in my kitchen AND maple syrup has more anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties than honey so I think it's a better option. 

As stated, mix the almond butter, cocoa, vanilla, and maple syrup.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix it all together. I only needed 1 tbs of warm water.

Refrigerate for an hour and then roll into balls. Place into a sealed container and refrigerate again. Done and done!

These have a nice chocolatey flavor that isn't too sweet. The ingredients are awesome! Anti-oxidants, fiber, protein, vitamin E, omegas, etc. Much better and cleaner than buying a protein bar at the store! Enjoy and have an AWESOME weekend!

xo