Pink Julep Grab Bag

I needed a new pair of workout shoes. A few weeks ago, I got the most adorable red retro style Nike's for casual walks and sightseeing days, but they wouldn't cut it for any heavy amount of exercise, so I got these black and pink New Balance 760 Lightweight Trainers from Amazon.co.uk and I love them!!! They are not running shoes. Running shoes are specifically designed for forward motion. These trainers are great for stationary aerobic activity, walking, dance aerobics and anything else I would be doing regularly.

I have really been enjoying my Dyptique candle! I love to burn it when I am getting ready to go out!

I picked up a copy of Whitney Port's book the other day... I didn't even know it was out yet. This should be interesting to read this summer...

I also grabbed this adorable Rob Ryan water bottle. In case you aren't familiar, Rob Ryan is a famous cutout artist.

I am proud of what I had for lunch yesterday so I thought I'd share. It was Meatless Monday and this week is the first time I've successfully gotten through a whole Monday without meat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This southwestern rice dish was really easy to make. I kind of made it up so I thought I'd share. I only ate about 1/2 of this, so I would recommend the recipe below for 2.

Ingredients:

Long grain white rice (1 cup measured when dry)

Juice of 1 lime

1 to 2 Tblsp Olive Oil

1/2 cup boiled water

Frozen sweet corn

1/2 Can of Kidney Beans (I used organic, but any will do)

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 package of powdered fajita mix

Salt & Pepper

Crushed chillis

Method:

1. Boil the rice according to package directions, strain and return to the pan. Cover to keep warm if rice is done before topping.

2. In a frying pan or wok, heat enough Olive Oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and stir on med-high heat until tender and starting to brown. Pour in Lime juice. Mix well. Add powdered fajita mix and boiling water. Add corn and kidney beans. Mix well and bring to a boil. Salt & Pepper and add a small sprinkling of crushed chillis. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until desired thickness.

3. Serve beans and corn over rice with chips and salsa on the side.

We also had a lovely dinner last night for Meatless Monday! Penne with Edimame! It was delicious, super filling and probably just about the greenest dish that's ever reached my table, since I have the taste of a 6 year old. I got this recipe from French Women For All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano. The recipe calls for farfalle (bowtie pasta), but I didn't have any and penne worked fine! I found the recipe on the authors website, so you can find it here.

I've implemented Meatless Monday (or at least one meatless dinner per week - usually more) in our routine because I've read such great things about it. By going meatless for 1 day per week, you can reduce your carbon footprint, improve your health, and reduce your risk of cancer and other ailments. I'm now trying to be completely meatless one day per week (i.e. no meat for breakfast or lunch either) and even though I don't really like vegies, it's actually not that difficult! For more information on Meatless Monday, click here.