I had black bean cakes with 2 eggs and potatoes, but not many of the potatoes made it into my mouth. My sister had the egg sandwich, which had bleu cheese and bacon on it, and my mom’s eggs and brioche came with a beautiful bowl of fruit:
We then went to an amazingly gorgeous garden store up the street, and the most remarkable thing was that things were green and blooming! I took a bunch of pictures that I just have to share. There are a bunch, so I made an album. Feel free to use them as computer wallpaper!
Then, we went to Fresh Market! There’s only one in the area, and after reading about it on Jenna’s blog, and my mom RAVING about it, I was so excited! First, we hit the produce section, and my sister and I built some apple sculptures with the various sizes of apples:
Those apples on top were “normal” sized. The others were freakishly large! Fresh market also had a fresh almond butter machine, so I got a POUND of fresh almond butter!! They also had a beautiful bulk section where I got some green bean snacks for Adam:
I headed home after that, and went to Jazzercise… and somehow managed to burn 755 calories!!! I told my teacher
about the blog tonight, so HI CHRIS if you’re reading!
I made a simple dinner of sweet potato fries and sesame coated baked tofu, using the same recipe I usually do, but I sprinkled some sesame seeds on top before baking. They added a great crunch, and more deliciousness. Sweet potato fries were, in the words of Miss Veggie Girl, oh so very SWEET POTATO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m calling this a square meal because look! Tofu is kinda square, sweet potato strips are kinda square… its a fairly balanced meal… ok, I’m now a joke explainer, which is lame.
Now, as promised, I have a guest post for you! My friend Jessica (a different one than Tuesday) has been a fantastic friend over the last couple years. I met her first on the WW message boards very early on in my weight loss, and then she was assigned to me as my WW secret Santa. I sent her some Penzey’s hot cocoa mix, and she emailed me to thank me. We started chatting on Yahoo about a year ago when I was going through some scary medical stuff that she too had gone through, and she was an amazingly supportive friend. When I brought up the concept of a guest post, we both had a similar thought as to what it should be about, so without further adieu (and cheesiness) I bring you Jessica:
Adventures in Dating and Eating Right
Much like my fellow guest-poster, Jessie, I am single and dating up a storm (kissing LOTS and lots of frogs!). This, of course, entails lots of eating out. As much as I adore eating out and trying new restaurants, it’s a challenge eating out so often and trying to maintain my weight loss.
One of my biggest issues with eating on dates is that I hate to be “that girl” who is so concerned about her weight, that she will only eat salad with dressing on the side. I’ve read multiple articles where men complain about this. While of course it is healthy to want to make good food choices, I do agree that it isn’t necessarily the sexiest thing on a first date to be counting calories and figuring out what you’re “allowed” to have that day. So to avoid that perception, when eating out on a date, I typically suggest sushi.
Sushi is great for a date for so many different reasons. It’s very good for you (if you choose the right kinds, of course!); it’s often cheap; it makes for good conversation; and it’s a great food for sharing—you can order several rolls and split them, kind of romantic and communal. I also find that while most guys eat and enjoy sushi, they often are not very familiar with the different types and what’s good, giving me an opportunity to be a little bit of an “expert”. If the guy happens to not enjoy sushi or hasn’t tried it, there are usually a few menu items that are cooked and a little less scary to the sushi newbie, like a noodle or stir fry dish. Best of all, you can enjoy a full, healthy meal, while not coming across as a high-maintenance “diet” girl.
My typical go-to items at my favorite sushi restaurants:
- Miso soup
- Edamame
- White Tuna sashimi
- Yellowtail sashimi
- California roll
- Tuna roll
- Japanese bagel roll—higher in calories due to the cream cheese, but not bad to share
I personally am kind of a wimp when it comes to more adventurous items (octopus, sea urchin) and there are lots of other probably yummy items that still give you a good bang for your calorie buck.
WHERE was this post when I was dating? I can’t even tell you how many bad-for-me meals I ate while trying to not be that “salad girl”!
Did you all see my guest post at Love of Oats today? What did you think?
ALSO! The lovely Rose is giving away one of the amazing Quaker Gift Packs here. Just look. Don’t enter. I want it!
Signing off now to watch The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, and Private Practice. Have a great night!











{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I LOVE M. Henry!! It is probably my favorite brunch spot in Chicago!
Glad you enjoyed the Fresh Market. I don’t have a Whole Foods or anything fun by me, so TFM is my go to for “fancy” food. I like to stop by once a week after work to find something special for dinner.
Victoria´s last blog post..Hot Potatoes
thanks for the office reminder!!.. it totally slipped my mind!!
What a fun day you had. A whole pound of almond butter!!! YUM!!
Great guest post over at Oats!! : )
Melissa´s last blog post..An award and samples!!!!
i was there!!! so cool.
Fabulous dating advice. How much I have eaten on dates!
I love your dinner. Aren’t veggie fries the best??
Breakfast also looks scrumptious. And that market! I’m glad you’re enjoying a little break. Definitely keep living it up!
Erin´s last blog post..A Sunnier Day
Fabulous breakfast, fabulous freak apples, fabulous guest post! I love sushi and wish I could enjoy it with the hubster. He is a wuss and wont even try it.
Elizabeth (thelongweigh)´s last blog post..A Day of Deliciousness.
My best friend lives in Chicago (I don’t think I ever told you that) and works at a flower shop. I wonder if it’s the one you went to? Probably not, I mean Chicago being a kinda big city and all
but still.
I loved your Love of Oats post and Jessie’s post as well. Is it sad that I can’t remember what I used to order when out on “real” dates? I think I too ate more than I normally would to avoid being a “salad girl.” But some guys do too…when I first met my BF, he was on a low-carb diet (but didn’t tell me, of course), and where did he take me on our first date? Italian!
Hallie´s last blog post..Maple-Date Bars: Look Ma, No Mixer!
That is some good lookin’ eats!
inadobo´s last blog post..Sinigang na Baboy
this guest post is so great! sushi does sound like a great choice for dates – of course, i’m kind of japanesey-biased
te fresh market sounds fabulous – a pound of almond butter! yes please!
mi´s last blog post..running in the rain, thursday brunch & date
awesome breakfasts! I’ve never heard of that place.
great guest posts this week!
brandi´s last blog post..“I Love a Good Quitting Story”
how do you do this day in and day out? the lovely pretty posts which SHOW HOW BUSY YOUR LIFE IS TOO?!
(uh, that’s not really rhetorical either
)
MizFit´s last blog post..ChickDowntown.com giveaway.
Great guest post on Love on Oats. That was a really good topic to post on…definitely inspired me to be more creative with my cooking! Thanks!
Sounds like a fun day! Great breakfast eats and neat sounding market! SCORE on the pound of fresh almond butter!!
Krista´s last blog post..Can’t Dream Up A Good Title!!!
Thanks for linking back, Mara
Rose´s last blog post..Giveaway: Quaker Robe + Slipper Set
I have much to say about your post!! First, I miss the Fresh Market SO much. I was a loyal shopper in Williamsburg while in law school, but there isn’t one near where I live now. I miss it terribly! They had great coffees, I loved the bulk items, they carry my favorite Bruce’s sweet potato pancake mix, and the plants and produce were always gorgeous. They also have excellent cookies in the bakery section.
Second, I love the album. I believe the pink flower is a ranunculus? At any rate, it’s gorgeous. Thanks for sharing them!
Finally, I’m starting to go on more dates lately and the food thing stresses me out. That post was quite timely! I’m going out this evening on a second date, but my date has made a reservation at a place that is going to be a surprise. Fun… but I’ll have to wing it. I’m just glad to know that I’m not the only one who feels challenged not to look like the salad girl. I managed to avoid eating altogether on date number one since dinner wasn’t the main event. Tonight, I’m just going to try to make reasonable choices and enjoy myself. We’ll see how it goes. I second the sushi idea too. I often suggest that when getting together with friends. It’s easy to stay on track and I love it!! White tuna sashimi is like my form of crack.
I enjoyed this post so much! Have a great weekend, Mara!
Nicole (Sweetie Pie)´s last blog post..Zucchini and Cookies
I’ve never been to that restaurant before, or Fresh Market, I’ll have to check those out!
Excellent work out!
And even though I have been married for 14 years, its still great to get advice on eating healthy while dining out!!
Jennifer´s last blog post..Chicken tortilla soup #2/Avocado salsa!
Yummy food!
Gorgeous flowers!
Great guest post!
Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food)´s last blog post..New Arnold Bread Contest
tell me what happens in grey’s anatomy!
and awww what a great post!
Pearl´s last blog post..Morning
The Fresh Market looks awesome!
p.s. great guest post on LoveofOats
Have a great weekend!
Shannon (The Daily Balance)´s last blog post..Fashion Friday – OK, who wants a prize?
All looks delicious!
wow all of your eats look fabulous!!
not to mention that your pictures are gorgeous!
Clean Veggie´s last blog post..Recap!
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