Back in the swing & the ring...

Hi everyone!  Sorry I've been MIA for a few days.  Katie had been under the weather towards the end of  last week and apparently she had no interest in me blogging and NOT watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with her.  The nerveJ  So I'm back today with a quick recap of my weekend!

Saturday night was spent at the Brazilian steakhouse Fogo De Chao in Philadelphia to celebrate our friend's birthday.  Have you guys ever been to one of these things??  HOLY MEAT!

You start off with their extensive salad bar (a bowl of roasted garlic, anyone?) before you flip the coasters on your table from red to GREEN and that signals the chefs to stop at your table with meat, meat & more meat.  Filet mignon, rib eye, lamb, sausage, flank steak...your head was just SPINNING from all the options.

And EVERY piece we tried was sooooooo good...but let's not even start about our love affair with the man bringing around the bacon-wrapped filet mignon & chicken.  It was...WOW.

Besides the fabulous meal, the staff at Fogo was INCREDIBLE!  Before you could even THINK about something you needed, they were there with drink refills, new plates and of course MORE MEAT.  An excellent, excellent dinner and definitely a great dining experience!  (ps-those last 2 pics were actually from when we visited similar "Chima" a few years ago...hence why my blonde friend has on 2 different shirtsJ)

Yesterday, however, was a bit of a lighter day....but with still a few Sunday treats thrown inJ

9:00am:  Breakfast:   Pumpkin scones & coffee

1:30pm:  Lunch:  Green Monster

Oh, it has been so VERY long since I've had one of these and this one was DYNAMITE!!

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 tablespoon coconut butter
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 cup almond milk
• 3 handfuls spinach

WOW...SOOOO GOOD!  And it was the perfect thing to have after.....drumroll.................

MY RETURN TO BOXING CLASS YESTERDAY!!

I had been waiting WAY too long thinking my stamina wasn't going to be up to par to get 'back in the ring', but I held on JUST FINE!  Even with 3 minute power rounds at the end of class...PHEW!  Exhausting.  The only trouble?  I couldn't find my old hand wraps before running out for class and after a few round with JUST the gloves, I remembered why the wraps were so important... 

Oh well, my knuckles will heal before I head to class next Sunday...WITH wraps in hand, mind youJ

After lunch, we gave Katie & Penny some fresh air and headed to the park.  I may not love spring, but I do LOVEEEEEEEEEEEE the beautiful blooms on the trees.  I wish they stayed like that straight through to foilage seasonJ

4:15pm:  Snack- Low fat cheese stick

6:00pm:  Dinner- Arroz con Pollo 

And despite the fact that I was REALLY hoping for a vegetarian dinner last night, we happened to have the ingredients for this dish on hand AND I had been wishing for it for a couple week.

Pulled chicken nestled in a spicy, savory tomato sauce served over a bed of carrot & pea studded brown rice....super quick to throw together in the slow cooker & then dinner was ready in no time!

7:30pm:  Dessert- Banoffee "pie"

I always love a homemade & unique dessert on Sunday night...despite the fact that I usually remember this tidbit of info around 7:28pm Sunday night when we're settling in to relax & watch our 'night show.'  ("Ridiculousness" is our favorite lately!)  But after boxing and walking yesterday, I scurried right into the kitchen to whip up this no-bake English dessert... 

Graham cracker crust, a layer of homemade toffee, homemade whipped cream mixed with bananas and topped with MORE toffee "sauce," this dessert puts the D in DECADENT!  And because I like to try things, but not have TOO much laying around, lately I've been halving or even quartering recipes to help eliminate an abundance of leftovers.  Which is why I made our portions in a few small ramekins rather than a whole large pie, so we can have our share without overindulging and then come next Sunday I can try out something new.   (How else am I going to get through my whole DESSERT board on Pinterest??J hahahhaahhahaha)

Well, that wraps up my weekend.  Hope you guys had just as much fun!  I CAN NOT believe Farmer's Market weekends are starting up again in a couple of weeks, and that is ONE THING I do look forward to in the spring/summer:  CHEAP & DELICIOUS PRODUCEJ hahahahhaa

Have a good Monday!J