Weekend reWind_9.30.13

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My big brother had a big birthday this week! We did a lot of celebrating (and I took minimal pictures - always happens when I host a party). That being said, you know you're busy having a good time when the night ends and there aren't any pics on the phone. My mom, sister, and I wanted to make sure that we had all of Brett's favorite things at the party so we had photographs from his life hung from ribbon around my condo (Brett is a photographer), his favorite foods (swedish meatballs, antipasto, dips), drinks, and cookies (mom's ginger cookie recipe is the best)!

Party planning is a lot of work, but, I really enjoy it. I took quick pictures before the majority of guests showed up. To me, it's all about the details... bar essentials, candy in little bowls, cheese in every room, flowers to brighten, and appetizers that are quick to serve. You don't want to spend your time in the kitchen for the entire party - being able to enjoy the company is essential!

Setting up a self serve bar is key. I had this little setup in the kitchen, red and white wine in the living room, and beers in a cooler on my deck. Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves and Brett said he had a great time.  That's what really matters! A success - thank goodness!

 

The next day we met up and went to Ella's soccer game and hung out with these little munchkins! 

Sunday night arrived wayyy too quickly (doesn't it always?). Until next weekend... here's my motivation for the week: This 'quote of the day' showed up in my email last week and I read it aloud to my coworkers. We're approaching our busy season so it was very timely and appropriate. It can be applied to so many situations... patience with projects at work, patience with yourself in efforts to be 'better', patience with others in line at the grocery store, patience for the weekend to arrive again ;). I must say that as I approach my, cough, thirtieth birthday this year... the one thing that I've worked on throughout my twenties is my patience. I used to be extremely impatient (especially with myself), but, I'm not nearly as much as I used to be. Trust me, it took a lot of work and I still get pretty impatient on the road and in traffic (that may never go away - ha!), but, overall it's soooo much less stressful to not be so freaking impatient all the time.

I'd love to know... on a scale of 1-10, how patient are you?! Something to think about.

Have an awesome week! xo

Crispy Eggplant Provolone

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First, I love eggplant. 

Second, I had no idea how good this meal was going to be until I took my first bite.  Perfectly crispy on the outside and really juicy on the inside. It tastes so unhealthy... but it's nottt! Yum. (yeah, there's grilled chicken there too, but, the focus is on eggplant tonight)

This is easyyy... and could definitely be made as an appetizer instead of an accompaniment to a meal... either way!

1. Slice eggplant into 1/4 discs and then in half, then drizzle with extra virgin o/o.

2. Dip and coat in egg. 

3. Mix together panko and herbs de provence (these should be an herb staple in your house). I used whole wheat panko and white panko. The whole wheat version is actually super bland so if I go to use it - I always mix it with the white. White is FINE if that's all you have!

4. Coat the eggplant in the panko mixture and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. 

4.   Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes, flip them and bake for another 7 minutes (can drizzle a little more extra virgin, if necessary) then take 1-2 slices of provolone, tear it into pieces and place on top of eggplant. Bake for another 3 minutes.

(So, I broke the rules and used Provolone instead of Parmesan on my eggplant, don't be afraid to break the rules!) 

While the eggplant's bakin' and the chicken's grillin'... mix up a pesto-like mixture in the food processor: basil, garlic, parmesan, feta, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and salt is what I used tonight. Classic pesto would also be good. Mix it up and lightly pour it over the top of the entire meal ( a little goes a long way).

Serve it up and you're done. This would be a great vegetarian meal (sans the chicken), a great app with the pesto dipping sauce, or as I had it tonight, as dinner! 

Have a great weekend! xo

FenwaYoga presented by New Balance

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When I was asked if I wanted to participate in the FenwaYoga event, I pretty much leaped at the opportunity. It's been a while since I've been a regular at Yoga class, but, I still really appreciate the practice and try to incorporate one short session at home, once a week. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times... it's important to mix up your workout routine, AND, incorporating yoga or Pilates into the mix can alleviate muscle strain, increase flexibility, and improve posture (among other things). Plus, for me, it provides for just the right 'balance' (no pun intended) to running and my vigorous boxing classes.

This event, presented by Equinox and Anue by New Balance  benefited two of the Red Sox Foundation's cornerstone charities: the Red Sox Scholars Program and the RBI Youth Baseball and Softball Programs. The Red Sox Scholars Program provides college scholarships, tutoring, mentoring, and enrichment programs to academically talented, financially disadvantaged Boston public middle school students. The RBI Youth Baseball and Softball Program serves more than 2,000 inner city teens each summer using the sport to promote healthy choices and valuable life-skills

Here's what I saw when I first walked in: 

Whaatt? So cool. Don't worry... I felt pretty confident in my anue by New Balance yoga ensemble. I ended up going with the one on the far right, majority vote. It fit perfectly and didn't budge during all of the movements!

Scenes from my mat: 

The Yoga Instructor, Rebecca Pacheco, aka @omgal did an awesome job! Not only is she a master level Yoga teacher, she's also a marathoner and sports lover. (Which was totally obvious because she made us say Om for the Red Sox and send them good vibes). I liked her. Cool that they had the instructors on the big screen, right? It really helped!

Side plank - nailed it!

I think I was in shoulder bridge when I thought to myself, 'how many people can say they laid down in the middle of Fenway park and looked up in the sky?' 

Look - New Balance!

And a couple scenes from dusk...

I'm sold. I need to start incorporating a more solid Yoga practice into my fitness routine more often. Plus, I can still nail a head stand so I feel like that is something I need to do on a weekly basis.

What are your favorite Yoga studios in the Boston area?

Have an awesome week... namaste! xo