Good evening! How’s the weekend treating ya so far? 
Life’s been pretty good over here!
I finally got some much needed relaxation this afternoon– in the form of laying out by the pool! It’s been REALLY HOT here this week, so I had to cut my sun-session short… but it was still just what the doctor ordered. Getting my daily dose of Vitamin D always makes me feel better!
Another thing that turned my day around? A new pudding variation:
I found a bag of organic frozen cherries during my trip to Whole Foods, and have been dreaming of eating my Cherry Chocolate Bomb Pudding ever since! But this time, I added a secret ingredient:
Okay, so maybe it’s not-so-secret. 
If you ask me, Pure Almond Extract makes EVERYTHING taste more gourmet!!
I added a 1/4 teaspoon to my Cherry Chocolate Bomb Pudding recipe , and it tasted like a dream:
This flavor combo was so rich and exotic! It reminded me of a gourmet-flavored scone you might find in a “fancy-schmancy” bakery–> only this version won’t stick to your hips later!
The best part of making this pudding? Definitely licking the food-processor bowl:
I like to set my pudding in the freezer for about 10-minutes before eating, so that it gets icy-cold –> so licking the mixing bowl keeps me occupied while I wait!
Mmmmm…. chocolate-y goodness.
This stuff doesn’t last long in my presence!
–
I’m actually praying that these avocados ripen overnight so I can eat this pudding again tomorrow:
I’ve heard that placing avocados in a paper bag with an apple is the fastest way to make them ripen! Here’s hoping it works!! Any other tips out there for ripening avocados?
After lunch, I picked up my bridesmaid dress from the tailor I found on Yelp this week. I am SO HAPPY with how my dress turned out! Whew, that’s a relief! With that off my shoulders, I spent the rest of my afternoon with my sister-in-law and baby niece. That sweet little baby girl just makes my day!
Tonight, I met up with my friend Teija for some dinner and shopping at the Americana. The weather was GORGEOUS, so we ate outside!
I had the Thai Ginger Salad for dinner, with avocado, mango, and various fresh veggies–> it was out of this world!
Along with a side of grilled veggies:
So good.
We walked off our dinner with some shopping! Check out the awesome deal I got at Home Goods:
A pack of 2 bamboo cutting boards for $10!
Previously, I have only used plastic cutting boards in my home, because they’re just so easy to clean in the dishwasher. However, I recently learned that many plastic cutting boards have BPA in them! [check out this article for other sources of BPA in your home!] With everything else I try to do to keep my home reasonably chemical-free, I figured this was a good time to trade-in my plastic cutting boards for some wooden ones! I know it’s best to wash these by hand, but I’m lazy and will probably wind up throwing them in the dishwasher– and at $5 a piece, I can afford to replace them if they wear out!
I also picked up a couple basic tees and tanks at Old Navy– they’re having a pretty good sale on that stuff right now! I love their tanks for working out!
Okay, I’m off to relax a little more tonight… I see a few of these in my immediate future:
Along with a little self-pedicure! (my toes need it!!) Sounds like a pretty good night, eh?
Hope you all are having a great weekend!!
–
Something to Do: Have you all signed up for Groupon yet? (or a similar discount program?) I finally jumped on this bandwagon, and am LOVING the deals that are delivered to my email box! Yesterday, I got $50 worth of merchandise from The Gap for only $25!! Score! I know there are some great deals on local restaurants out there, too. Whoever came up with this idea is GENIUS.
Good evening! How’s the weekend treating ya so far?
Life’s been pretty good over here!
I finally got some much needed relaxation this afternoon– in the form of laying out by the pool! It’s been REALLY HOT here this week, so I had to cut my sun-session short… but it was still just what the doctor ordered. Getting my daily dose of Vitamin D always makes me feel better!
Another thing that turned my day around? A new pudding variation:
I added a 1/4 teaspoon to my Cherry Chocolate Bomb Pudding recipe , and it tasted like a dream:
This flavor combo was so rich and exotic! It reminded me of a gourmet-flavored scone you might find in a “fancy-schmancy” bakery–> only this version won’t stick to your hips later!
The best part of making this pudding? Definitely licking the food-processor bowl:
–
I’m actually praying that these avocados ripen overnight so I can eat this pudding again tomorrow:
I’ve heard that placing avocados in a paper bag with an apple is the fastest way to make them ripen! Here’s hoping it works!! Any other tips out there for ripening avocados?
After lunch, I picked up my bridesmaid dress from the tailor I found on Yelp this week. I am SO HAPPY with how my dress turned out! Whew, that’s a relief! With that off my shoulders, I spent the rest of my afternoon with my sister-in-law and baby niece. That sweet little baby girl just makes my day!
Tonight, I met up with my friend Teija for some dinner and shopping at the Americana. The weather was GORGEOUS, so we ate outside!
Along with a side of grilled veggies:
We walked off our dinner with some shopping! Check out the awesome deal I got at Home Goods:
A pack of 2 bamboo cutting boards for $10!
I also picked up a couple basic tees and tanks at Old Navy– they’re having a pretty good sale on that stuff right now! I love their tanks for working out!
Okay, I’m off to relax a little more tonight… I see a few of these in my immediate future:
Hope you all are having a great weekend!!
–
Something to Do: Have you all signed up for Groupon yet? (or a similar discount program?) I finally jumped on this bandwagon, and am LOVING the deals that are delivered to my email box! Yesterday, I got $50 worth of merchandise from The Gap for only $25!! Score! I know there are some great deals on local restaurants out there, too. Whoever came up with this idea is GENIUS.