Spring Top Five's and My Go-To Lunch

Happy Thursday!  It is finally feeling like spring here in Minnesota!  It is in the 60's for the first time since last fall!  Yesterday on the radio they were talking about spring and someone said, "What does spring mean to you?"  This got me thinking and I decided to make a list of 5 things that spring means to me.

1. Being active outside.
       -I love to ride my bike, to go for walks and to just play around outside and after a hibernation-like winter I am ready to get out and enjoy the great outdoors once again.

2. Grilling!
       -There is probably nothing that I love more than grilling food on the grill outside.  All of the delicious veggies and lean proteins that I am going to make this spring/summer.  I can't wait!

3. Spring cleaning.
       -So, it is that time again to spring clean.  I am a relatively clean and organized person, so my house isn't usually too messy, but this year it is an absolute disaster!  I debated whether or not to show you pictures because it is that bad and I decided to show you so that you can see the kind of craziness I am living in right now and to also give me a push to get it done!

Entryway filled with boxes.

Dining room table filled with everything.

Wine rack covered with mail and a peek into the dreaded living room.

Piles of stuff to sell on craigslist/pack up.

What we have packed so far and things that are waiting to be packed.

Yikes!!!  I need to get my house back to normal!

4. Losing weight!
       -The winter is filled with cold and dreary weather.  It is dark when you leave for work and even darker when you get home.  It is hard to find motivation.  It is filled with holiday's and food.  It is bad my waistline and bad for my overall health.  I always find it easier to lose weight in the spring and summer because I am just so much more active and the food choices are lighter and more healthy.

5. Moving!
        -I was asked to compile a list of my past addresses for 10 years.  It turns out that I have lived in 8 different places in the past 10 years.  That translates to a lot of moving.  Usually I dread moving, but this year we are moving to our first house and I am overjoyed.  Even if it means that my life is pretty stressful and my house is a total mess!


On that note I am off to have lunch.  I am eating my standard go-to lunch today.  It is a half of a turkey sandwich with a half slice of mozzarella cheese.  An apple, 14 carrots and 25 baked cheetos.  What is your go-to lunch that you always like and eat when you're not feeling adventurous or creative?

My lunch with a giant glass of the good stuff... H2O!

Yummy!

Have a happy and healthy day!  I am making spaghetti quash for dinner!  Pictures will come later.

Farmer's Market and Dinner Plans

So, it is gloomy here in Minnesota today and there is a rumor of snow coming on Sunday, but somehow it just can't bring me down from my spring has sprung mentality (I think it is because I can't see out the window right now).  Spring makes me excited to clean and to get outside and work out.  It also makes me excited about the beginning of Farmer's market season.  We have markets all over the place in the Twin Cities, but I love to walk down to Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis on Thursday's and pretend like I am in the open air market's in Europe again.

Look at all of that healthy deliciousness!

I started to think about how great Farmer's markets are for my wallet an my waistline and my community and I decided that I wanted to make something new for dinner tonight.  I started to look online and came across something that looks super yummy and healthy.  My fiance Ron is a pizza-holic and he is always wanting to order a box of the greasy, cheesy goodness.  He knows that I have been working so hard with eating well and exercising that he would never suggest sabotaging my lifestyle to indulge in some traditional pizza, but I figured I would try and make something pizza-esque with a healthy twist that won't leave either one of us with a belly ache later.  So, I am making a Southwestern Pizza tonight courtesy of Fitness Magazine.

Southwestern pizza deliciousness that I will accompany with a side salad and a side of fruit for dessert.

What are you Making for Dinner?

Go to the Fitness Magazine website and check out their featured article about healthy meals in under 20 minutes!

For some reason I can only type in the middle of the page now (yes, I have tried to change the alignment).  So, tonight's post will be pictures from dinner, pictures of the house we're buying and some pictures of my chaotic spring cleaning and packing life.