International Dinner

Morning everyone!

Thanks so much for all of your sweet comments!  I’m loving that it’s easier for everyone to say something 🙂  Helping facilitate community is a HUGE part of what this blog is about!

Last night I stayed late to put some orders in for work, and my stomach started growling!  I had this cherry pie Larabar (FAVE) for a snacker:I really REALLY love the tartness of this flavor!  Sooooooo good, and the chunks of whole cherries + almonds….mmmmmmmm 🙂  It’s a good thing I ate this, too, because on the way home from work I stopped at Safeway to rent a Red Box movie!  We got My Life in Ruins, the new-ish movie from Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding).  NOT a great movie at all; in fact, it was so bad that we just laughed our way through the badness!  At least it was relaxing, eh?

Anyway, for dinner we had grilled porkchops (grilled with just salt + pepper), with cacio e pepe orzo (Italian), carrots + sugar snap peas (Asian), and sweet potato fries (with Mexican spice!)  It was simple, easy, and delish!

Cacio e Pepe Orzo

Boil 1/2-3/4 cup of orzo pasta (no salt) until al dente.  Drain immediately.  Pour hot pasta back into dish, and add 1/4 cup of milk, about 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, and a TON of fresh cracked black pepper.  Stir until cheese is melted.  MMMMMMM 🙂

Sugar Snap Peas + Carrots

1 cup each (at least) sugar snap peas and carrots (I found a pre-washed bag at my local grocery store in the produce section)

Soy sauce, pepper, garlic powder to taste

1 tsp brown sugar

Heat a pan over medium heat and saute veggies for about 2 mintues.  Add soy sauce, sugar, and spices.  Reduce heat and cook until al dente.

Sweet Potato Fries

I found a bag of pre-cut fries in the produce section, so these were super easy.  Just spray with non-stick and sprinkle with your favorite spices – I used some Julio’s that we bought in Lubbock.  Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400, turning once in the middle of the cook time.  Serve!

The puppers were jealous of our feast, so I gave them a biscuit 🙂

Dessert was a chocolate chip/coconut 3-minute cookie with PB on top:

Like I said, the movie was horrible, but just what I needed to relax and unwind after a hard day at work!  We ended up going to bed around 11:30 or so…a little later than I wanted, but better than Sunday night!

This morning I woke up and did the Namaste Yoga show on Fit TV again.  I’m excited because we’re changing to Direct TV with DVR soon, and I’ll be able to record a LOT of free workouts & do them whenever I can!  SCORE!

I also forgot to mention yesterday that I’ve started (yesterday was day 1) the Whittle My Middle 2 workout from Oh She Glows.  SO AWESOME!  My abs were quivering, and I feel stronger already!

Breakfast was a larger cookie per yesterday with half of a banana on top:

Perfect way to start the day!  I’m so glad that I’ve made it past Monday 🙂

What’s your favorite international dish?  Or, if there are too many choices, what is your favorite international cuisine period? Mine’s Italian, hand’s down!

Also, make sure you check out TotalFitGirl’s Crofter’s Giveaway!  But don’t win, because I want to 😉