Run, Food, Hike, Food!

Sounds like my kind of day, doesn't it?
Well happy Monday to you all!  I hope you enjoyed every last second of you weekend - I know I did!

Plus, let's be honest, any weekend that is filled with family, food, and a little bit of exercise (here and there) is right up my alley.

Yesterday morning, my dad and I suited up for a little jog-o-rama! Dad is signed up to run a half marathon in March (courtesy of Sister as a Christmas present!), so we both agreed it was time to take advantage of the weather and start training.

The thing about running with people?  Time just flies by!  after about 3.5 miles, Dad peeled off to head home and I headed out to finish up with 9 miles.  I actually ran without music for most of the way, which was a different experience.  Who knew I had thoughts to entertain myself?

We showered and zipped out the door to pick up one of my favorite meals: PHO NOODLE SOUP! I don't care how "unseasonable warm" 50 degree weather is... it's still cold.  and I want soup.

We started off with some Summer Rolls which come with this peanut sauce that is basically as good as crack - or any other drug that is equally addicting...

And then I got some Tofu Pho Noodle Soup which was bomb.  It came with two types of tofu, rice noodles, ands delicious light broth. I added some veggies for color and crunch :)

OH and Dad's been on my case about eating more meat (apparently I'm not carnivorous enough for the family...!) so I added some beef balls -- no clue if this is actual meat... but I figured it counts

After lunch, we threw together a snack pack and put on our hiking gear!  It's been super nice (for winter on the East coast) weather, so we headed to Great Falls National Park to get some exercise!

Nelly was the photographer... so you'll see a lot of ass pictures.
What can I say, she likes my behind...

So, funny thing.
We were pretending to hang off a cliff and take "help me I'm falling" pics... and then I actually got stuck.  The thing about posing for these cliff hanger pics?  You should probably make sure there is a ledge beneath your feet, otherwise this happens:

Dad to the rescue!

THE CLIFF HANGER PIC:

After our hike - about 2.7 miles??  - we made pit stops at Harris Teeter's and Trader Joe's to pick up some ingredients for a delish and healthy dinner.

We snacked heavy on freshly baked bread and 4 kinds of cheeses! before relaxing a little and then making dinner.  By "making dinner," I mean Dad and Nelly cooked while I napped on the couch.

On the menu:
Dad's Garlic and Ginger Shrimp with Scallions! sooooooo... soooo good. He's asian so he's got the Wok thing down pat.

Fresh Salmon with Cilantro -- super easy and always tasty.

Swiss Chard with Pancetta and Garlic.  YUM! Instead of boiling the swiss chard, Nelly broke out the Wok and steamed/stir fried it up.

Butternut Squash: we steamed it and then each of us prepared it on our plates the way we like it (they did Tumeric and I did butter and cinnamon)

TJOES Lentils - perfect.  Pick these up for easy, on-the-go dinners!

MY PLATE (one of like 10.. give or take)

Dad also mentioned that Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie is the best he's ever had...
And so we obviously had to try it out.

They weren't kidding!  THE CRUST ITSELF IS TO DIE FOR!

But the pumpkin pie filing was spot-on!  It was in the freezer section and I'm pretty sure I'll never try another pie again... well maybe I'll try them (I can't discriminate, this is an equal opportunity blog) BUT this is by far my favorite.

That was our fun and fit Sunday!
Hope your weekend was great too :)

Georgetown and Kids' Night

Hey guys!  Hope you're having an amazing weekend!
I know I am -- which is why I've been kind of absent.  It's been non-stop! Just the way I like it.


Let's just say my Friday involved Potbelly - only the best sandwich place ever - and outlet mall shopping, which is kind of the greatest thing ever invented.


Anyways, I've been eating my way through the East coast and enjoying some family time.


Before I fill you in on Georgetown and Kids' Night, I need to do some honorable mentions:
Dad's leftover Pasta with Duck L'Orange, Shrimp, Garlic, and White Wine.  

My dad is an excellent cook, and he's even better at revamping leftovers! I served a small portion on top of a huge bed of arugala and mixed greens - this is my trick for lightening up any dish.  The pasta acts as a great salad topper, and you won't feel weighed down from eating a huge plate of carbs !

New ankle boots - my latest obsession.

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GEORGETOWN!

Yesterday, I started off with a family-fun workout.  I went for an 8 mile run and then ran to the gym to meet up with my dad for a yoga session.  It felt great to get a good stretch!

We had a quick lunch (egg & canadian bacon sandwiches plus leftovers!) and then headed out to Georgetown to walk around and enjoy some super warm weather!  60 degrees in January?!

I love the vibe of the city!  There were tons of younger folk running around (seriously, tons of runners out there!) and there was a cool mix of high-end shops and old vintage boutiques.

I could definitely move here...
Especially since there was frozen yogurt involved and a trip to Dean and Deluca's!

We stopped to refuel with a sandwich and some coffee!

ALSO, I got a present: The Athlete's Palate!
If any of you read the column in Runner's World, it features tons of great recipes that target an athlete's needs - specifically for training and for recovery.

The recipes come from some super famous chefs too AND are low in calories but high in nutrients!

Yum, huh? I can't wait to dig into this.

Anyways, as soon as I got home, I was off to pick up my cousins and head over to Austine's (our other cousin's) apartment for some Kids' time -- fun without parents! Austine is RECENTLY ENGAGED and she's kind of a blast to hang out with....

We snacked on veggies and yogurt dip, then ordered Domino's while watching Despicable Me!

I went for a piece of the thin crust and then finished off a Trader Joe's salad and tons of kettle corn and alphabet cookies... what can I say, they're addicting.

Then we busted out the Dance Kinect and worked up a major sweat.  Um, we're a competitive group.  There was trash talking involved.  We take dancing very seriously.

Of course, a kids' night out wouldn't be complete without a trip to get FROYO!
Pinkberry happened...

Mine would be that odd concoction with fruity pebbles and cap'n crunch cereal.

Oh yeah, it was definitely a crazy night :)
It's always fun when you get to have family time without the "adults" -- although half of us could probably qualify as adults now :(

Great Saturday night!
I have a run and a hike planned for today!  Keep you updated!

Mushy Arms and Moo Shu Pork!

Good morning!! 

And happy almost FRIDAY! 

Yesterday was definitely filled with mushy arms and moo shu pork... let me tell you. 

FIRST, it was filled with that weird yogurt/cereal with almond milk combo I've been eating non-stop. 

By the way, how are we liking the new camera resolution?  Nice, huh?

My breakfasts/snacks/ and part of my lunch have all included this combo:

- 1 cup of Trader Joe's Multigrain O's

- 1/2 cup of greek yogurt

- blueberries

- almond milk

I decided not to battle the 20 degree weather OR the wind and I headed to the local gym instead.  I was planning on hitting up the tready (which I despise with a passion) but then, I saw that Body Pump was being offered!  SCORE. 

BODY PUMP is an hour-long class that focuses on each major group of muscles for some hardcore strength training.  It's set to fun, upbeat music and the moves are choreographed to the tunes.  

It's okay that there were only 4 of us and that our instructor (and the other 3 ladies) were all pushing 60... I still got a killer workout :)  like, I still can't feel my arms and I had to hobble around because my arse feels a little more than sensitive.  

By the way, I haven't lifted weights in months.  

ouch. 

I spent the rest of the day running some errands (at whole foods! my favorite kind of shopping is, in fact, grocery shopping...) and doing some research on internships - ugh - then Sister and Dad came home and we bolted out the door to dinner! 

We went to our favorite Asian restaurant for some big bowls o' soup. 

Combination Noodle Soup with fresh veggies, chicken, beef, shrimp, and homemade noodles

Moo Shu Pork -- which is the best at this place!! I'm a lover of all things moo shu, but this place has some killer pork.  Top a tortilla with plum sauce and I'm in heaven.

Dad also ordered some Fried Pork Dumplings because he has that I-want-to-order-everything disorder we were talking about... but, hey, I like dumplings.

Sister and I walked right next door to Baskin Robbins for some dessert.
Did you know they started selling soft serve?!?!?! WHAT?

I got a Vanilla Soft Serve with Almonds and Oreos.

It was amazing.  Mostly because it was thick and creamy like ice cream - not frozen yogurt. 

Of course, Baskin Robbins will always mean "the best mint chocolate chip ice cream ever," but the soft serve reallyyyy is delicious. 

I got a text from my aunt about today's running weather... 

apparently it's "warm" -- although I'm skeptical of our definitions of warms... -- so I might jog on over to their house to say hello!  

Enjoy your THURSDAY!