Spring has arrived!

Heya,

How was your weekend??? Mine was pretty great. Good food, friends, and run makes a bueno one in my book ;-)

To stretch the weekend extra long, I'm currently sitting on the couch with Kels (sis), watching Titanic, sippin' some of this:

^Sangria (Cabernet, splash triple sec, splash OJ, teeeny splash-o-lime, frozen fruit, dash stevia)


Oh, and hanging out with the guy:


^Our new pup, Michael

So a little rewind to the beginning of the weekend. Friday night I was completely exhausted after the week. Kels and I decided to have a sistah night....You know--wine, dark chocolate, and movies. Twas glorious. We feasted on this deliciousness:

^TJ's broccoli soup w/ diced tofu, broccoli, peas, carrots, and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is amazing. It's supa good for you and has an almost nutty/buttery flavor. I love it on popcorn, toast, eggs, and anything you want a cheezzzzy flavah.

Saturday the Manfriend and I headed out for a bomb workout sesh. I tricked him into running a 5 mile loop (hehe, sorry Seth), stairs, and some yoga. It was a beauuuuutiful day!

Running along the Potomac river (Watergate on left, Kennedy Center on right):

Endless flowers....Ahhh, spring is here:


Mile 4, ran some stairs:


Did some yoga (yeah he can do this without a SINGLE day of yoga in his life--very unfair):


After a great run we lounged by the Georgetown waterfront for a bit:


The perfect Saturday afternoon.


Later in the evening I met some friends for Indian Food. If you live in the DC/MD/VA area I highly recommend this place. Its vegetarian and most dishes can be made vegan or gluten-friendly. Also, it's family run and they are so nice.

^My meal: Veggie Vindaloo (spicy red curry)



^Kels' meal. Nuts.


After that amazing feast we headed to a friend's house-warming partaay. Was a great evening.


This morning I slept past 12 (again, heh) then made a BOMB powder breakfast. Let me just tell you, I'm obsessed with chia seeds (thank you, thank you Jean and Gina!)....Have you tried them? They're supa nutritious (high in omaega 3's, calcium, and fiber).

^1/4 cup oats, 1tbsp chia seeds, 1/2 scoop protein powder (I use SunWarrior vanilla), 1/2 mashed banana, 2 tbsp egg whites, 1 tbsp Cinnamon swirl PB, H20, cinnamon, stevia, dash sea salt. Holy amazing. The seeds give a little extra crunch and have a great taste even on their own.

Tip: soak the oats and seeds overnight in water (or milk) and then add rest of ingredients. The seeds absorb h2o and make the concoction supa thick n' creamy. It's bomb, I swear. I've been experimenting quite a bit with different chia recipes (pudding, smoothies) so I'll be posting some pics/recipes soon....don't cha worry. Seriously though, buy some. I won't steer ya wrong ;-)

After digesting that deliciousness I headed out for a glorious 11.5-miler among the blooming Cherry Blossoms. In case ya didn't know, Washington DC is known for their beauuutiful Cherry Blossoms that bloom in late March/early May. There is a festival every year and it's by far the best time to visit (imo).

Japan gave 3,020 cherry blossom trees as a gift to the United States in 1912 to celebrate the nations' then-growing friendship. These trees famously line the shore of the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC., and the gift was renewed with another 3,800 trees in 1965. In Japan cherry blossoms also symbolize clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse, besides being an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. Cherry blossom is an omen of good fortune and is also an emblem of love, affection and represents spring. Cherry blossoms are an enduring metaphor for the fleeting nature of life, and as such are frequently depicted in art. Source

Here are some Cherry Blossom pics:

^Capitol


National Mall:



Washington Monument:


And a few more pics from the run.....

^Reflecting pool


Base of Washington Monument. Supa windy:


WWII Memorial:




Detour run through the Sculpture Garden:



US Supreme Court:



Well following this little guy, I'm off to bed. xoxoxox


Question: What's your latest food obsession???

xx

Lauren