Sunday, November 20, 2011

Taco Night

by Meghann on November 20, 2011

Maddie is wiped.

We dropped her off at doggie camp yesterday morning and she could barely keep her eyes open when we picked her up earlier this evening. The good news is she came home with top marks on her report. Apparently she’s a good eater, plays well with others, and easily bonds with every counselor. I’m so proud.

Tacos were on the menu for dinner tonight.

Part 1: Veggies

Carrot
Onion
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Taco Seasoning (chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, pepper, salt, oregano)

Part 2: Cold Bean Salsa

Black Beans
Frozen Corn
Red Onion
Tomato
Salt & Pepper
Chili Powder

Part 3: Tortillas

(I picked these up today, but wasn’t a fan. They fell apart before either Derek or I had a chance to take our first taco bites. eh.)

Part 4: Cheese

Done. It was a veggie heavy meal, which is exactly what I was going for.

My mind was dead set on Monica’s No-Bake Protein Pie for dessert. It’s hard to say no to a 4-ingedient pumpkin pie recipe with ‘no-bake’ in the title.

Only I added chocolate chips to mine. It needed a little somethin’-somethin’.

Mmmm…. pumpkin pie.

I was impatient and didn’t let it refrigerate first, so my piece wasn’t the prettiest coming out, but that didn’t stop it from being tasty.

The texture and flavor reminded me more of a pumpkin pudding pie than anything else. It was good, but still missing something. Maybe more chocolate drizzled on top?!

Derek and I just started Captain America. I’m crossing my fingers Chris Evans keeps his shirt off the entire movie. A girl can dream, right?

Good Night!

{ 16 comments }

Universal Detour

by Meghann on November 20, 2011

I need to do a mini-review of the Homewood Suites we stayed at off of International Drive last night. Basically, it rocked. The standard two-room suite was such a great deal for the price. The rooms were large and clean, the mini kitchen included a fridge, microwave, and stove top, it was within walking distance of Howl at the Moon, AND there was a complimentary hot breakfast in the morning.

Everything I look for in a cheap hotel room and more. Score.

We took advantage of the free breakfast this morning and filled our plates up with eggs, pastries, and fresh fruit. I was really eyeing the waffle station, but stuck with the eggs. The extra-crispy piece of cinnamon raisin toast took care of my carb-y cravings.

The hotel was right across the street from Universal and it seemed silly not to stop in for a short visit. Our Universal passes are set to expire in April and we have no plans to renew them, so we have to take advantage of them while we can!

Plus, I was really hoping to see all the Grinchmas decorations. I’m admittedly obsessed with all things Christmas related at the moment. Thanksgiving? What Thanksgiving?

I LOVE how they transform Seuss Landing for the holidays. Holiday cheer EVERYWHERE!

Oh, we rode some rides too.

We have Islands of Adventure and Universal down to a science with getting in and getting out in a couple of hours. First we take advantage of all the rides with short waits.

Second, SINGLE RIDERS!

Hulk and Spiderman each had 30+ min waits, but we walked right on via single riders. Harry Potter is another great single rider ride. I’ve never waited more than 10 mins for Harry Potter (even when the line is up to 120+ long) thanks to the single rider option. If you ever go to Universal, don’t waste your time in the regular line, use the single rider option and thank me later.

We were in and out of Universal before noon. Derek and I made a mini pit stop at Whole Foods for lunch. I’ve been seriously lacking in the veggie department lately, so I filled up with almost every veggie option at the hot bar and shared the 2+ pounds of food with Derek.

Mmmm…. veggies.

We also made a mini pit stop at Starbucks in Plant City. BOGO holiday drinks anyone? I tried my first Skinny Peppermint Mocha and was impressed with just how deliciously sweet it was. I’m in love.

Now we’re home and gearing up for a little Sunday cleaning.

CONGRATS to all the marathon and half marathon finishers today!! I LOVED watching my twitter stream blow up with so many early morning accomplishments. You guys ROCK! Seriously.

{ 19 comments }

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

November 20, 2011

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… I know it’s only November, but I can’t help but dive head first into the holiday spirit. I already have Christmas music uploaded to my ipod, several Christmas movies saved to the DVR/ Netflix instant queue, and have purchased a gift or two for friends and family. more »

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