It’s been a very quiet day in the life. After running and breakfast, I contemplated how to spend this beautiful day off. I thought about all sorts of things, but nothing sounded better than sunshine and a good book in my own backyard. Lovely!
After lounging and reading for a couple hours, I prepared a nice lunch by mixing leftovers.
I tosssed whole wheat couscous, grape tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, and grated parmesan in a homemade white balsamic vinaigrette to create a satisfying summer salad. My salad was delicious, but I was craving a sweet treat. I convinced my mom to venture into Providence for my beloved Juniper frozen yogurt. It’s the only true tart frozen yogurt place in the area and I love it!
FAIL! Juniper was closed for Memorial Day. What?! I wish I had a picture of my face as I stared at their sign. Business would boom during the unofficial first weekend of summer. I’m disappointed in you, Juniper. Luckily, our old friends Ben & Jerry came to the rescue – waiting just around the corner with their very own frozen delights.
I had a kiddie cup of Half Baked FroYo. Everything from Ben & Jerry’s is so decadent and delicious. This more than made up for Juniper’s absence. What a great afternoon treat!
I actually had to attend calling hours tonight. I thought it ironic that I was going to calling hours on Memorial Day, but I believe it is really important to be there for the people you care about in their time of need. Such events always leave me feeling slightly introspective and incredibly grateful for everyone that I love and all that I have. It really brought the true meaning of the day to light.
I decided to cheer things up by having some fun with fries for dinner!
These nut butter fries have been lurking around the blog world for a little while now. Angela first posted about them and they’ve traveled from there. Bloggers have proclaimed, “they will change your life!” I had to see what all the fuss was about.
To make my fries, I peeled and cut two large parsnips. I coated them in a mixture of 1 T. crunchy peanut butter and 1 T. canola oil. The fries roasted at 425* for about 25 minutes until they reached crisp perfection.
Disclaimer: I have a mutual obsession with nut butters and homemade fries!
They lived up to the hype! I dipped each crisp fry into BBQ sauce and savored the blend of sweet, salty, and crunchy goodness. I can see myself getting hooked! It love meals like this because they are super easy to portion out for one when the family isn’t joining me for dinner. Quick, easy, and tasty!
For some green power, I added a side salad to my dinner.
It’s great to pair a fresh, crisp salad with a heavier food – like fries! Maybe they weren’t fried, but the salad was still a nice complement to the entree.
Lucy is pacing between me and her leash. I think she is trying to tell me something….I’m going. I’m going!
