February 25, 2013 · 8:57 pm

WOD did I get myself into?

I’ve been in somewhat of a workout rut lately. When I get my butt to the gym, I feel unmotivated and like I’m just going through the motions. I think this stems from how tired I’ve been lately. I’ve been way more focused on school and work than working out, and it’s been making me very sluggish.

Last week I actively woke up trying to change that and ended up having a really good run. I felt energized and determined to keep the momentum going. Last weekend at the gym, I got overzealous and thought I would try a 10-rep Crossfit workout that Paula recently posted that I had saved. Minimal equipment was required and I knew how to do all the moves, so I could focus on form.

I should pause to admit that I have never done a Crossfit style workout before in my life, and the idea of attending a Crossfit box petrifies me. I’m easily intimidated, and I hate group fitness. This workout looked harmless enough. Halfway through I was cursing Paula, then I was just cursing myself. I finished in about a half hour, which I’m sure is a glacial pace.

But it actually felt pretty amazing to finish.

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I looked like hell afterwards. I was dripping with sweat, red and puffy, but I felt pretty accomplished. I can see that high that people get when they’re done. You really feel strong. I can also see how someone would want to eat an entire extra large pizza afterward.

My entire body was sore a couple days later, but I can’t remember the last time I had such a good workout in a half hour. I can see how people could hurt themselves when they get focused more on time and less on form, so it would be good to have a trainer when doing more complicated exercises.

The workout definitely kicked my butt and got me out of the slump. Let’s just see if I can stay out.

What are your thoughts on Crossfit?

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Filed under Fitness

February 19, 2013 · 9:12 pm

Wedding Recap: Photography

Guess who got professional wedding photos? Let the wedding recaps commence! I figured I would start with photos since I have been so excited to see them. When we first started wedding planning, Kevin and I mentally ordered all our expenses starting with the most important. Since we decided not to hire a videographer, photography ranked pretty high on our list. We met with a few potential photographers and decided to go with KWU Weddings.

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Kellie, the owner and primary photographer, uses a second shooter at all her weddings, and I really liked that her photography is candid and simple. We were more interested in photojournalistic style photos as opposed to a bunch of posed photos. Also, her packages were very reasonably priced, and we own the rights to all our photos. We first shot our engagement photos with her back in May, which gave us a chance to get comfortable with her.

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When the big day came around, I discovered that pretty much all of our vendors had worked together: the sign of a great team. The photos came out great and perfectly captured the day. I often look through them and all those feelings from our wedding day just come rushing back. Here are some favorites. More photography to come in future wedding recap posts.

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All photos courtesy of KWU Weddings

Food and photography were our two most important wedding details that we were willing to splurge on. What wedding details do you pay the most attention to?

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Filed under Wedding

February 13, 2013 · 9:29 pm

The Greek Corner

Last weekend, we took advantage of the great weather and grabbed lunch outside with Kevin’s boss, husband and adorable daughter. We settled on The Greek Corner, a small authentic Greek in Ivanhoe Village. They have a nice outdoor patio for us to soak up the weather.

I had a craving for stuffed grape leaves, and I was pretty excited by the large portion that came out.

The Greek Corner-Dolma Thakia

I loved the savory lemony rice with the texture of the grape leaves. I could munch on these all day.

The Greek Corner’s menu is kind of limited, but they did have a lot of tasty looking options. (Although they didn’t have falafel, which I had a craving for.) I usually opt for the gyro when eating Greek but decided I was craving a slightly lighter protein so I ordered the chicken souvlaki.

The Greek Corner-Chicken Souvlaki

Holy tzatziki! The pita came overflowing with grilled chicken onions, tomatoes and plenty of tzatziki sauce. Sometimes tzatziki sauce just tastes like sour cream or yogurt, but their sauce was really flavorful and tasted homemade. I ended up dipping my fries in some of my excess sauce. It was addicting. The chicken was also really well seasoned and moist.

Not only is tomorrow Valentine’s Day but it’s also my last evening with Kevin for a few days. I’ll be gone this weekend celebrating one of my best friends Sarah at her bachelorette weekend festivities. She was one of my amazing bridesmaids, and I’m so excited and honored to return the favor.

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Sarah and I at my bachelorette party

I can’t wait for a fun girls’ weekend!

What are your Valentine’s Day plans? Kevin and I are pretty low key for V-day every year. I’m sure we’ll enjoy a relaxing evening in.

4 Comments

Filed under Greek, Ivanhoe Village, Lunch

February 11, 2013 · 6:38 pm

Pho Hoa

I know crazy snow storms have been hitting the northeast, but the weather here in Central Florida has been peaking in the 80s everyday. Despite our lack of wintertime, my friend Sarah and I got together for one of my favorite cold-weather treats: Vietnamese. I love a big bowl of pho, Vietnamese noodles in broth, when it’s cold outside.

We headed to Pho Hoa and started out with some tea and shrimp summer rolls.

Pho Hoa-Shrimp Summer Rolls

I actually thought the summer rolls were pretty mediocre. They could have amped up the basil and shrimp ratio for some extra flavor.

For my main dish, I decided to bypass the pho and ordered stir fried tofu with curry.

Pho Hoa-Stir Fried Curry Tofu

The curry was sweet with a little spicy kick and went great with all the aromatic vegetables. I loved the chunks of onions and mushrooms.

Pho Hoa-Stir Fried Tofu with Vegetables

Sarah ordered the stir fried tofu with vegetables, which came in a brown sauce. It also looked really delicious. It seems as if our coldest days may be behind us, but hopefully the temperature will dip a little bit in the near future so I can get my pho fix. I really enjoyed Pho Hoa. The service was really friendly, and the food was tasty.

Poor Kevin’s been sick so he’s been drinking plenty of soup regardless. I guess it’s possible to catch a cold when it’s not cold outside.

What is your favorite meal when it’s cold outside?

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Filed under Uncategorized

February 5, 2013 · 9:27 pm

Whose Birthday?

Saturday was my dad’s birthday and we happened to go out to celebrate at my favorite restaurant. I talk about my love of The Ravenous Pig often, so I’m sure I subliminally convinced my dad that he needed to try it as well. I love that The Ravenous Pig always serves very savory dishes and they put very interesting twists on everything (especially their drinks).

We ate way too much as I typically do when going out to eat with my family. My dad loves food as much as I do. We started out with gruyere biscuits, smoked salmon and a charcuterie platter comprised of house-made meats and paired cheeses.

The Ravenous Pig-Smoked Salmon

The Ravenous Pig-Charcuterie and Cheese Platter

Instead of ordering one of their entree selections, I decided to order a salad and one of their pub fare options. I ordered the farmer salad, which had tons of house smoked bacon and a soft boiled egg.

The Ravenous Pig-Farmer Salad

I love my runny eggs. It was like breakfast in a salad form. I also ordered the shrimp and grits from the pub menu.

The Ravenous Pig-Shrimp and Grits

The Ravenous Pig’s menu changes often, and the shrimp and grits dish has a habit of reappearing. It’s one of my favorites when it’s available. My sister who claims to hate grits even took multiple bites. They’re rich and savory and unlike any typical breakfast grits. It’s topped with corn, tomatoes and chutney, which makes the grits taste so fresh and bright.

Kevin ordered the steak frites, which comes with truffle fries, another one of my Pig favorites.

The Ravenous Pig-Steak Frites

For dessert, we ordered their banana cream pie in a jar, nutella bread pudding and pig tails (fried dough with espresso chocolate dipping sauce). Why choose just one? The pie was by far my favorite. It was topped with marshmallow, and the banana flavor was nice and strong.

The Ravenous Pig-Desserts

My family really seemed to enjoy their meals, and I was excited to share my favorite restaurant with them while celebrating my dad.

28-Day Blog Challenge

Today as a part of the 28-day blog challenge, I finally cleaned up my Google Reader. I had been needing to transfer it to my new email address (that reflects my married name), and in the process, I unsubscribed from all the wedding planning blogs I had been using as well as blogs I no longer read. While I’m at it, here’s a shout out to some of my favorite blogs!

What is your favorite way to celebrate? Going out to eat is usually involved for me. That and sleeping in.

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Filed under Special Occassion, Winter Park