Meals and Fitness for the week 2/23

Hello lovelies!

This week is a little rough - I am trying to finish assignments before heading to Mardi Gras and I have a final paper due right when I come back. Here are my meals and fitness plans for the week:

Weekly Workouts

M - Rest 

T - 3 miles, easy pace, and abs. 

W - 5 miles, 3 miles at pace

Th - 4 miles, abs, and legs 

F - Rest

S - 8 miles

S - Walking through parades in NOLA :)

Weekly Meals

M - Roasted garlic mushrooms with parmesan polenta and green beans 

T - Slow cooked black eyed peas with turkey bacon, brown rice, and salad. 

W - Baked potatoes with broccoli and grilled chicken. 

Th - Leftovers

F - In LA at AR's mom's house

S & S - NOLA

Notice 2 new recipes on my list? I am so excited to try the roasted mushrooms for meatless Monday and I always LOVE black eyed peas, but have never made them in my crock pot. I will let you know how they taste!

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Five on Friday: Prepping for the Weekend & Confessions

Helloooooo Friday! I love a weekend and I love 5 on Friday, so we are in a good place. Thanks to Natasha and the other lovely ladies for hosting. 

I am also linking up with Blonde Ambition for a few confessions. I love this blog and am excited to be joining the link up this week :) 

1. As you read this... I am in an interview.

And I confess that I am so nervous! I have 3 interviews today for summer internships. Wish me LUCK!! I am hoping to have my internship settled by the end of the month and really excited about some of the people I am seeing today.

2. I confess... That I am as pale as they come. Like the color of printer paper.

I am heading to NOLA for mardi gras next week and I am so excited. I've never been to mardi gras, but I love New Orleans, so this is going to be so much fun.

I'm trying to decide between getting a spray tan or working the Jergens. Thoughts?

I need a little color before I go, and heaven knows I don't get near a real one. Besides, I usually have sad running tan lines (shorts and a sports bra, anyone?), so a fake tan helps even it out a bit. I just don't want it to go badly.

3. I confess that I have a nail polish addiction.

I love Essie polishes and colors, but I don't find that they last the best. I was picking a new light pink/neutral at Target the other day and got a L'Oreal polish. These seem to last the longest for me. Have you tried them? I have several and they haven't let me down yet. And it is $4.99 a bottle.

I do top my color with the Sally Hanson Diamond Flash top coat. It dries in like 2 seconds and it so shiny. It is a must!

4. I confess... that I have some strict standards for professional dress.

We have had several formal events at the law school this week, and I have some friendly advice to pass along.

You can be beautiful, your dress can be beautiful, but if it doesn't fit, it is not beautiful. I've seem way too much these last few days.

5. I confess... that my weekend is empty!

After a day of interviews, I am meeting a friend for drinks (it is me: this should be 1/2 a drink). AR and I have NO plans for the weekend, which I love. Do you get excited over that? I do. I've already come up with a top of things to do: new bread recipe, new coffee shop to visit, curtains to hang,... looks like we have something to do ;)

Enjoy your weekend!

Hannah 

Valentine's Day Weekend Cooking Class

Valentine's Day weekend has passed... *tear*. I have no more excuse to wear red and pink together and draw hearts on the calendar.

On Friday night, AR worked and I studies until around 7pm, then we headed to Whole Foods to pick out things to cook dinner with. I know, we are so romantic ;) But after the whole snow storm and AR being stranded in DC, a night in was perfect for us.

The menu: Sriracha glazed salmon, Roasted asparagus with lemon, and Baked potatoes. Served with a wonderful white wine, paired by the helpful staff at Whole Foods.

On Saturday morning, our actual celebration started. We went to a brunch making class, taught by Cynthia Graubart, author of Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking. The class was taught at The Cook's Warehouse in midtown.

We learned to make Shrimp & Grits Custards with Green Sauce, Bacon & Onion Pie (mine was without the bacon), Sausage & Apple Casserole, Sweet Potato Ginger Tea Loaf, Cream Biscuits, and a Champagne Cocktail.

AR got his inner chef on to decorate the plates for us.

The class was 3 hours long and so much fun! They served coffee and appetizers at the beginning, then we all sipped cocktails and enjoyed tastes of the foods. The instructor was so good about explaining things and taking through why things may not have turned out correctly.

My grits. After the photo, I pulled all the shrimp off and gave then to AR. lol.

My favorite dish was the grits custards with green sauce. We eat a lot of grits, and i love the idea of doing something a little different with them. The green sauce also brightened up the flavor of the dish, which was filled with goat cheese and fresh herbs.

AR loved the bacon and onion pie. We tried two varieties and liked the kind with a milder onion over the one with a red onion. I am just not much for a strong onion flavor. I plan to remake this at home with a vidalia onion and turkey bacon.

This was such a fun way for us to celebrate and learn something new. Thanks to my older brother, who discovered this place all the way in London and sent me a giftcard for my birthday. We are already picking another class to take.

Sunday afternoon was full of studying, HGTV (Yay for House Hunters!), and a 7 mile run. I had to burn off some of those cocktails ;)

x0x0, 

Hannah 

5 on Friday {LOVE}

I'm late. My coffee was just too good this morning and i lingered. I'm not apologizing for it ;)

Thanks to the lovely ladies for hosting 5 of Friday. As always, love them and YOU, so please comment so I can read your blog!

1. Team Teddy
So happy to raise awareness for this sweet family. Read more about Teddy here. Wishing this family the best Valentin'es Day and sending lots of love.

2. My Valentine.
AR made it home last night. One the ONLY flight from DC to ATL. Praise the lord.

He has been working in DC and his flight kept getting canceled. I thought he was never going to get back after this snow storm, but he made it and knocked on my door at 8pm last night. I was so excited.

3. These cookies are amazing and oh-so-perfect for today!

Source

I made these yesterday with dark chocolate valentine's day colored M&Ms and they are adorable. I even brought some to friends at school today (don't you wish we were friends?)

If you are looking for something a little healthier, try my 3 ingredient PB cookies. AR said they were the best he has ever tasted. Yumm!


4. LOVE This lip product.

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Lovesick 020

Yesterday I finally ventured out of my apartment and into the real world. Where did I go? Target, obviously.

I bought this lip stain and am IN LOVE. It doesn't feel dry, like most stains, and really seems to last. I also love the bright color. I'm probably going to buy 5 more in the next few weeks.

5. Valentine's Day Date
Tonight it is just dinner at home. Tomorrow we are taking a cooking class and I cannot wait. I even have a new apron for it. hashtag cooking obsessed.

NOLA Last year :)

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies.

All the peanut butter goodness I love. And only a half of a cup of sugar.

Yum. 

Fresh from the oven, these are a crisp on the outside, and creamy on the inside. They are incredibly rich, so I am satisfied with just one. With only a few simple ingredients, they are a perfect kitchen staple!

Gluten-free Peanut-Butter Cookies

Makes 2 dozen 

Ingredients 
1 c. peanut butter (I don't recommend natural/homemade. Use something like Jiff)
1/2 c. sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350*. Mix peanut butter and sugar until well blended. Add egg, baking soda, and vanilla, beating until well blended. The dough will be thick and slightly oily.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on greased baking sheet (or use non-stick). Cookies will spread slightly, so place 2 inches apart. Using a fork, make a marks across the top. Bake for 8 minutes, remove from over and let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet. Then transfer to a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Hannah