MFP Week Challenge: Day 4

Today was good.  The morning started off with the typical inner monologue about whether I really wanted to take the time to wash the blender and make a smoothie.  Then I got a Facebook comment from a friend (hi Bon!) asking me about my favorite smoothie recipe and what equipment I use.  While I was commenting back, I realized once again just how simple the process is for a yummy and fulfilling payoff.  Turns out I had all the ingredients, and I made sure to wash the blender immediately afterwards.  It was my old routine, and it was easy peasy.  I lasted until 12:45 before I ran out to grab some food.  Ok, so I wasn't perfect with the planning, ha.

-My old smoothie standby is (in order): Silk almond milk (today was an almond-coconut blend), Natural Factors French Vanilla whey protein, chia seeds, half a frozen banana, frozen strawberries, spinach, and 1 tbsp of peanut butter.  It felt good today.

-Went to The Fresh Market for food, decided to try their sushi.  I normally hate supermarket sushi (even Wegmans!), but this was delicious.  I decided to eat it outside at a picnic table.  You don't even know what a big deal that is for me. 

  

-Dinner was just a mishmash of leftovers.  Could've thrown a veggie in there.

-Could've left off one of the snacks, but I don't think it will hurt anything.  Not hangry, not craving another snack, drinking water.  

Today's shoutout goes to my dear friends who have shown me the value of good food and cooking.  Ash and Ian love cooking and baking together and are those awesome people who bring home cooked food to a party or whip up a quick and delicious meal for you in their wonderfully comfortable kitchen.  I always feel like anything is possible after spending a weekend with them.  He often chats about just how simple and necessary it is to know how to cook certain foods and be able to prepare yourself a meal.  I actually bought 2 cookbooks this year and became obsessed with the show Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel thanks to them.  

What I love is how Ash and Ian don't go for super complicated or ridiculously frilly and trendy food.  They stick with quality ingredients and cook for taste, enjoyment, and practicality.  Meanwhile, getting takeout is one of my biggest downfalls.  I really like cooking but am very lazy about the cleanup.  Again, this is a routine I need to establish.  I wish they lived closer so we could have those fun weekends more often, but it makes it all the more special when we do see each other.  And believe me, we still have our Shake Shack and Meatball Shop outings!  However, I'm definitely going to start integrating their awesome kitchen habits into our everyday life.