Hi! Happy weekend! It is an insanely gorgeous day in Charlotte. It was very cloudy on Saturday and rainy Saturday night but I’m grateful that front brought us this sunshine and cool weather. Today is the first day of fall and I can’t imagine a more perfect day!
I was working on this post after dinner last night in the midst of the downpour (it was quite cozy) when the power went out. I took that as a sign that an early bedtime was just what I needed and got over nine hours of sleep last night. It was pretty great.
Here’s a look at some photos from the last couple of days.
Friday lunch was a salad (per usual). Salads can be really boring but good toppings make all the difference!
I met up with a friend for a glass of wine early Friday evening and then whipped up one of my favorite dinners. Seared tuna with wasabi aioli with sushi rice and sauteed baby bok choy and mushrooms on the side. I’ve been making this dish for years and it’s always delicious!
I was all up and at ’em on Saturday and headed over to Metro CrossFit for the 8 a.m. class. We had a very tough girl WOD programmed for the day, Eva. You can see the workout above. My shoulder was acting crazy last week so I subbed the pull ups for v-ups and went light on the swings. I did four runs and three rounds of v-ups and KBS in a little over 30 minutes. I decided that was enough and stopped there so I could get some squatting in. I did three sets of 10 back squats at 85 pounds.
And then I went to yoga! I told y’all I’ve been motivated to workout lately which is a welcome change from the general lethargy I had about working out most of the summer.
Lunch was a sushi selection which I wasn’t super excited about since I had all the tuna the night before but sushi is never a bad meal.
Saturday afternoon was more yoga…I taught a private for two friends and then subbed a class. Between my private and class I stopped by Starbucks and got a tall plain nonfat latte with one pump of pumpkin spice. Last week I learned that traditional PSLs have 300 calories and 49 grams of sugar. That’s equivalent to 12 teaspoons of sugar. I can’t say that I’m a big fan of PSLs to start with but I liked this latte with just a hint of pumpkin.
I got showered after yoga and went to Rooster’s for dinner. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte. Their food is amazing and the atmosphere is warm in inviting. We started with beef carpaccio.
The best thing about Rooster’s is their big open kitchen with seating around the kitchen. I love watching everything that is going on.
Rooster’s doesn’t really offer traditional entrees where a protein is served with sides from the kitchen, instead you order from a selection of proteins like grilled fish or steak or their signature spit-fire roasted chicken or pork. We went with the duck breast, cauliflower gratin and mixed mushrooms.
This was definitely one of the best meals I’ve had in months. I can’t remember the last time I ordered duck out and it was seasoned and cooked perfectly.
I’ll catch y’all up on Sunday later. Off to enjoy the first day of fall!
How are you bringing in fall? I baked Paleo pumpkin apple muffins today!
That food looks delicious!! I am bringing in fall with snuggles on the couch, some long walks with my dog, and lots and lots of coffee! 🙂
I made a huge pot of Veggie Bean Chili today to freeze for later in the week! Bring on the comforting soups, stews, and chilis!
Oh goodness! all of the food looks SO wonderful! Where did you find your paleo muffin recipe and were they delicious? I’m looking to do some fall baking myself. 🙂
That sushi looks amazing!! And so does your dinner at Rooster’s!
I’ll probably be bringing in the fall by making a nice, hot bowl of pumpkin oatmeal topped with peanut butter of course 🙂
Cannot wait to see the recipe for those muffins! Sounds fabulous! I cannot believe how much sugar in those pumpkin lattes. That’s kind of ridiculous and I’d rather eat a big cupcake instead. Just saying…It was beautiful here in Houston today and Kala and I made sure we enjoyed every single moment. XOXO
Would you be able to share your recipe for the seared tuna and aioli? It looks great
I hope you’ll share the muffin recipe 😉
I like your faux PSL. Good idea to cut down on the sugar. I’m going to try that!
Looks like an awesome weekend 🙂 I do love PSL, but my secret is to order a tall nonfat cappuccino with a pump of the Pumpkin Spice syrup….the foam adds a nice creaminess to the coffee and it saves a TON of fat, calories, and sugar. I swear you won’t taste the difference 🙂
love it! thanks for the tip. that sounds yum!
I used to love the PSL’s too until I found out just how sugary they are. Now I get a nonfat misto with one pump pumpkin. It’s just enough. 🙂
Happy Fall Jen! Best time of the year.