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What a long weekend.

Not what a long weekend, but rather WHAT a long weekend. One solid track of celebrations, complete with copious amounts of cupcakes, decent amounts of dancing, and devilish amounts of drinks (Slight exaggeration. It was all good times but all decently tame. I’m too old and crotchety for that party animal lifestyle! Har Har). Something about long weekends that just makes everyone want to nonstop celebrate.

 

Thursday there was a night out reunion with a group of old high school gals. We’ve lived in different cities for school but they’ve all finally trickled back in for the summer and it was time to reconvene. Drinks and singing along to cheesy Glee tunes beforehand; drinks, dresses and dancing at a bar to finish it off.

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I rarely actually drink fruity drinks but they sure do look suave.

Friday was a buddy’s birthday, complete with breast-studded cupcakes delivered in a shoebox to his delighted hands. There were several big hungry men at this birthday and they were all more than excited about the brownie-bottomed treats, topped with chocolate womanly bits. The way to a man’s heart…

Said birthday began at the house, then continued on to two different bars. It was a Bud Light and antojitos (Stuffed with MANGO. Absolutely delicious) kind of night.

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Saturday was the craziest one yet! Okay…no it wasn’t. Highlights included going to work, running, eating a salad and a lot of bean salad, updating my Ipod and going to bed early. Hey, I needed a break! I told you, old and crotchety.

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Sunday was good for some tame tanning time during the day (I got some nice colour and a good dose of the natural Vit D) and some retro moves and grooves at a bar at night. The best thing about going out on a long weekend Sunday is running into faces you rarely see. I love my long-lost acquaintances.

 

A whole weekend of late nights left me run right down though. I actually half napped today and I NEVER nap. It was lovely.

 

Aside from cupcakes, non-fruity beverages and low levels of sleep, how else did I fuel this long weekend?

A LOT of greens. Green smoothies are my breakfast of choice these days, now that the weather has really warmed up.

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ONE of these was stuffed not with spinach but with collard greens. It needed a bit more sweetener but I kind of liked the slightly earthier taste the collards added.

Considering how darn cool it is to blend your spinach into your smoothie… how about topping your spinach with your smoothie?

Yup, I did it.

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Yup, I ate it.

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Yup, I ate it all.

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Creepy? Weird? Unnecessary? All of the above. But it wasn’t half bad. And I’d do it again.

I also ate a lot of salads. What else is new?

Salad topped buffalo-chicken style (cooked chicken;dressing of light source cream, dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar; Frank’s buffalo sauce)

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Salad topped plain style – veg and honey mustard dressing with rye and cottage cheese on the side.

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Salad topped taco style – seasoned ground beef, bean salad, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, cheddar

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Salad topped tuna style – tuna mixed with sour cream, dijon mustard, worcheshire sauce and pepper

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And some odd balls

Italian "Pizza Cheese” made with cashews

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Chicken-stuffed Enchiladas. Hideous but delicious.

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Red fiesta with red peppers, red salsa on crackers, red ketchup on egg whites

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Collard greens, broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms stir-fried in a curry mayo sauce (light mayo + curry powder + splash of milk) with a side of mashed cauliflower

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Strawberries topped with coconut/cocoa powder yogurt and sesame brittle

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More berries

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And more berries

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And even more berries – accompanying leftover carrot cake of course.

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And to wash it all down? A nice big glass of Crystal Light blended with water, carbonated lemon water, ice, frozen raspberries and frozen mango chunks.

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SO. Refreshing.

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And now I just got asked to go out AGAIN. This long weekend is over, how do people do it? And more importantly, why am I actually considering it? Oy vey!

A chilly, rainy weekend we’ve had at my neck of the woods. Upset, however, I am not as I’m soaking it up with stretchy pants, a muffin and a mug of hot tea.

Would someone care to join me?

How about Amanda and Heather, since they’re the winners of the Lipton Tuesday Tea Giveaway! Congrats Gals! I’ll be emailing to get your info.

Thanks to everyone who entered! A spot of virtual hot tea to all of you.

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The few days preceding the weekend were hot and sunny. Perfect conditions for smoothies, salads and shopping.

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Care for a little behind-the-scenes peak at smoothie making in action?

Lately I’ve been putting Barley Grass powder and cinnamon in almost all of my smoothies. An extra nutrient kick? Why not.

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We haven’t reached the part where it looks appetizing (or even drinkable) yet.

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How about now? Is it strange that I’ve considered topping a bowl of spinach with a spinach smoothie? I honestly don’t think it would be that bad…I’m now probably going to have to prove myself right. Stay tuned…

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Voila. Alright so it’s still not exactly beautiful but at least it looks drinkable.

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I also savoured a bowl of overnight oats one day in amongst the smoothie drinking – 1/3 cup oats, 1/2 cup almond, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, frozen banana and frozen peanut flour chunks.

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C’est l’amour du jour.

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Sometimes I eat cabbage slaw salads in the backyard while still rocking my flannel pant pyjamas, no big deal.

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And sometimes I spare the neighbours and keep my consumption indoors.

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Salsa has also been making frequent appearances as my all-star condiment this week. What can’t it go on? (Maybe bananas. Or ice cream)

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There’s that salsa again, alongside some tofu shirataki noodles I found hiding in the back of the fridge. If you rinse them well you can eliminate almost all of the fish smell. If you coat them with a mixture of hummus and pasta sauce, fish smell be gone.

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You could also try coating them with avocado, though the sliminess of the tofu noodles paired with the creaminess of the avocado was almost too much even for me, and I’m all about the creamy.

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Just make sure to have extra fresh and crunchy vegetables on the side to balance out the creaminess.

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I eat my veggies, but I also never forget my fruits.

Especially when they’re berries, the most beautiful, juicy, sweet, flavourful fruits out there. Delicious on their own but decadent when paired with raspberry yogurt mixed with coconut flour and cocoa powder.

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Dessert is served – strawberries, blueberries and blackberries topped with Greek yogurt and muffin slices.

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I also mentioned having done some pre-weekend shopping. I saw a flyer for a big six-day sale event at a local arena and, being the sale junkie that I am, I obviously had to check it out.

Loaded with reduced price perfumes, makeup and beauty products, jewellery, household goods, candy and shoes, I was in my element.

I came home with a few goodies:

Genisoy treats

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It didn’t take me long to dig into the Chocolate Mint Sweet Crisps. Minty, chocolate-y and crunchy, they get my compliments.

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Revlon Nail Polish – I have a slight nail polish addiction and when you put large bins of nail polish bottles at 3 for $5 in my face, I am guaranteed to leave with a handful. Side note – I own a ridiculous number of pink shades.

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Guess shoes – There was a rack of them for $40 each. The catch? Size 6 only. My feet are small but not that small. Luckily they fit quite nicely into this open-toed, open-backed pair.

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A quick stop on the way home at my favourite home goods store, HomeSense, found me walking out with a bottle of Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, “a convenient, versatile alternative to whole vanilla beans.” I’ve seen it make a few appearances around the blog world (I know Janetha’s raved about it before) and I’m looking forward to giving it a try, especially since it’s apparently comparable to real vanilla beans, which I have yet to try out. Ever tried it? Any must-try ideas?

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After all of the above was said and done, the sun faded, the weekend hit, and the clouds rolled in.

What else is one to do on a rainy Saturday than head to work to staple, stamp, and eat Pita Pit?

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Whole wheat (6 inch) ‘Petita’ with babaghanoush, honey mustard and a garden-load of vegetables = Lunch of Champions.

The rest of Saturday continued without a hitch, leading into sleep, wake, eat, run, eat, blog –> You Are Here. Now I’m still sitting, soaking up the rainy day in my stretchy pants, with an empty tea mug at my side and nary a muffin crumb in site. This scenario shall eventually conclude with either another round of sleep or a night out of dancing. I’m on the fence with this one, as I feel I’ve pretty much outgrown tonight’s site of choice. Decisions, decisions. Only the next few hours shall tell.

But first?

Dinner time.

Happy Sunday to all, and to all a good night.

I found a fun little article in my school newspaper a while back –

Foods that mirror the body parts they nurture

- a list of foods that look like the body part they’re good for. Some might be a slight stretch but it’s a pretty clever memory aid if you just can’t seem to remember exactly how that eg. glass of red wine is doing good things for the bod.

 

A summary of the newspaper article:

Carrots
Resemble: an Eye when cut crosswise.
Nurture: Their beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A, which maintains eyesight and decreases risk of macular degeneration (and is also good for healthy skin, growth, and infection resistance)
I feel like I eat carrots like they’re going out of style. In this case I should have some pretty spectacular eyesight. For the record, mine is only mediocre.

Spot the Carrots

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Walnuts
Resemble: the Brain.
Nurture: Their omega-3 fatty acids support brain function and development (They are also one of the best plant sources of protein, rich in fibre, B vitamins, magnesium and antioxidants)
Apparently I need to eat more walnuts!

Celery
Resembles: long lean stalks = long lean Bones
Nurtures: Rich in calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, which all lead to optimum bone health (also contains Vitamin C, folate, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6).
Not the biggest fan of celery. I’ll stick with dairy for my bone health for now.

Avocadoes
Resemble: bulb-like = Uterus
Nurture: Full of B vitamins and folic acid, they support reproductive health and pregnancy (and also have 60% more potassium than bananas).
<3 avocadoes. Yeeeeah sushi.

Clams
Resemble: Testicles
Nurture: Their zinc and folic acid are good for male sex organs and improve semen quality.
Guess my very low (aka zero) clam consumption is not of personal concern.

Tomatoes
Resemble: Sliced open, the inner chambers resemble the Heart
Nurture: Their lycopene has been found to reduce heart disease (and prevent oxidization of LDL cholesterol, thereby preventing plaque formation in arteries that can lead to heart attacks).
Just had some with dinner. My heart feels super.

Spot the Tomatoes.

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Red Wine
Resembles: Blood
Nurture: Its phenolic antioxidants, including resveratrol, increase HDL cholesterol to prevent blood clotting. Its flavanoids help prevent blood clots and plaque formation in arteries.
I don’t drink a lot of wine. Maybe I should try choosing red over my fruity sparkly (wussy?) wines next time.

Ginger
Resembles: the Stomach
Nurtures: Ginger promotes secretion of enzymes that neutralize stomach acid, and its phenols relax stomach muscles and increase movement through the intestine, leading to increased digestion, a soothed stomach and reduced nausea.
Another frequent sushi partner? Clearly SUSHI is the ultimate healthy body food!

I spot avocado AND ginger.

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Sweet Potato
Resembles: Pancreas
Nurture: Again with the beta-carotene, which protects all body tissues, including the pancreas, from cancer and aging damage. Consuming 5 portions/day of highly protective foods (which include sweet potatoes) reduces pancreatic cancer risk by 50%.
Who doesn’t like sweet potatoes?

Hmm… how about some buttercup squash instead?

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I may not eat a lot of the foods featured in this particular article on a regular basis but I’m pretty confident that I’m getting plenty of body-nurturing nutrients in among my other foods… even if those don’t happen to resemble my body parts.

 

Nutrient Overload!

Lots of fishy Omega 3s

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(this one was mixed with light cream cheese and Frank’s buffalo sauce. SO good)

Greens and proteins

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Berry Goodness

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(we’ve been buying a lot of strawberries lately…)

 

And of course there’s always room for the…ehem… less nutrient-bulging bites?

Topping cereal with fruit totally makes it a nutrient powerhouse.

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Chocolate eggs a little less so but there’s always room for those too.

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Now I’m off to spend my Saturday night… studying for my final two exams on Tuesday and Wednesday. Most exciting Easter Weekend to date, by far…sigh. But they’re almost over so I’m sucking it up. And there’ll be some good eats tomorrow to look forward to…after plenty more studying. Heck yeah.

 

What is your favourite food off the ‘Foods that Mirror Body Parts’ list? (Recap: carrots, walnuts, celery, avocadoes, clams, tomatoes, red wine, ginger, sweet potato)
I’m going with sweet potato based on deliciousness, but carrot based on frequency – I eat them EVERY day.

 

Happy Easter Weekend!

 

 

 

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