Foodspotting & Friends Weekend

Another play-it-by-ear weekend, which turned out to be fun-filled with good food, friends and puppy love.

Friday:

We did our usual Friday date night ~ dinner and drinks followed by a relaxing night at home with movies...

And, of course, snuggles with Lola. Our new slogan for her is "that tongue tho"

Saturday:

We took Lola to her puppy training class and then I headed to the hairdresser to get my hair done. I decided to add a burgundy/purple streak in my hair just for fun!

On Saturday night, K and I went for dinner at an Asian tapas restaurant which was amazing! After dinner, we met up with my "Emily-squared" girl friend for some drinks and to plan out the details for our trip to Vegas this summer.

Sunday:

We went to my favorite brunch spot downtown with friends and brought the pups along to play.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Always Welcoming the Weekend

Happy Friday lovelies!

Other than busting my ass at work, this week was pretty uneventful but I guess that's not a bad thing. I actually feel well-rested despite increased work hours + unruly cute puppy that's potty training + rain & fog causing my commute to almost double (don't even get me started on stupid drivers). Either way, this weekend will be used to sleep in and de-stress with a small chance of productivity.

I'm know I'm late to the party but I signed up for a free trial of Amazon Prime this week. I've obviously been in the dark about everything this membership comes with (other than 2-day shipping). I'm still figuring out all the perks but I'd love to hear from those that use it, mainly:

(1) What do I need to take advantage of during this 30-day trial?
(2) What really makes continuing with the $99 membership worth it?

 Joining the lovely Amanda and Tif for their Friday linkups. 

Favorite Accessories:

My growing Alex and Ani bangle collection. It's been fun customizing my collection around the things I love and being gifted some new beauties from K & friends.

Favorite Recipe:

This healthy Chicken Chickpea Salad from Ambitious Kitchen looks amazing!

Favorite Fashion & Hair Looks:

Favorite Funnies:

 

Have a great weekend!!

Sushi Hot Spots in Orlando

Shari Sushi Lounge
621 E Central Blvd
Orlando, FL 32801

Shari is my #1 pick for sushi restaurants in Orlando. I've been frequenting Shari for over 5 years and it's a great spot for girls night out or even date night. Their rolls are delicious and the best part is they have happy hour 7 days a week from 5 to 7 pm offering their specialty rolls for only $4.25 along with select wines and cocktails. The volcano roll and JB roll are a must try!

Sushi Pop
310 W Mitchell Hammock Rd
Oviedo, FL 32765

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Kabooki Sushi
3122 E Colonial Dr

Orlando, FL 32803

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Amura Japanese
55 W Church St
Orlando, FL 32801

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Seito Sushi

4898 New Broad St
Orlando, FL 32814

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Izziban

1700 Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32809

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Sushiology

6400 International Dr, Ste 130
Orlando, FL 32819

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Giveaway Winner: Bose Headphones + iTunes Gift Card

Sarah and I are excited to announce the winner of our Bose SoundTrue Headphones + $25 iTunes Gift Card Giveaway randomly selected by the Rafflecopter below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We will be in touch with the winner today to get your prizes on the way! You will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.

Thank you to everyone who participated!

 

Crockpot Skinny Chicken Pot Pie

Skinny Mom posted this Slow Cooker Pot Pie recipe late last year and I just had to try it. I love making use of my crockpot plus finding ways to cut calories in hearty recipes such as this one is always a win. I made a few small changes to the original recipe but overall I give this recipe 5 stars for being super delicious, fairly healthy (other than the biscuits) and easy to whip together.

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless skinless, boneless chicken breasts
7 red potatoes, peeled (optional) and cubed
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chicken stock/broth
1 small yellow onion
2 cans Campbell's 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
1 bag Birds Eye Frozen Mixed Vegetables
1 cup celery, diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp dried parsley
Black pepper (to taste)
Red Cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 can Pillsbury Flaky Biscuits (optional)

What To Do:

1. Place the cubed potatoes at the bottom of crockpot and layer chicken breasts on top.
2.  Evenly layer diced onion, celery and minced garlic over chicken.

3.  In a bowl, mix together the soup, milk, water and chicken stock. Stir in spices and seasonings and pour over the celery, onions, chicken and potatoes. 

4.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours (or high for 4 hours).

5. 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and shred with fork. Return to crockpot and stir in mixed  frozen vegetables. Cook for an additional 30 minutes.
6. Optional: Make biscuits according to directions on the package.

Enjoy!

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January Weekending

After the busyness of the holidays, quiet weekends in January are always welcomed. Time to take the holiday decorations down and snuggle up at home to unwind. 

On Friday night, K and I went to Bonefish Grill for some dinner and drinks. Eating out on Fridays is something I always look forward to since we cook healthy dinners at home during the week.

On Saturday, we took Lola to her first puppy training class which went well. She learned different commands and caught on quickly but she was definitely the most rambunctious in her class which had a pitbull and two miniature collies.

We went for lunch after training at a dog-friendly restaurant and enjoyed sitting outside on the patio in the sunny 60-something weather.

Saturday night was spent at home watching Taken 2 and snuggling with Lola. Since Taken 3 just came out, I wanted to get up to speed before we go see the newest movie.

On Sunday, we headed to a friend's baby shower to celebrate the soon arrival of her son. It was a fun afternoon spent with friends and showering the mom-to-be.

The baby shower had a Dr. Seuss theme with green eggs & ham and lots of Dr. Seuss food and decorations and of course, she got tons of amazing gifts. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Weekly Roundup and Friday's Favorites

Happy Friday!

I have a fairly low key weekend lined up and looking forward to taking Lola to her first puppy training class tomorrow. My toes and furniture will thank me later!

Last night K and I went to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate his promotion at work. The manager came over and ended up comping our dinner since their restaurant and K's company do business together. Win win!

Late photo recap of NYE night because I just received these photos from a friend's camera. We're a classy but more so, a crazy bunch. 

Linking up with the lovely Amanda for Friday's Favorites.

Favorite Recipe:

Chicken and Asparagus Stirfry

Favorite Gift:

Kate gave me this cute bulldog magnet as a birthday gift and it's now up on my fridge. I definitely agree life has been better since we got Lola!

Favorite Seasonal Beer:

Blue Moon Mountain Abbey Ale

Favorite Giveaway:
Mine & Sarah's of course! Enter now and daily (until next Wednesday) for additional chances to win an awesome set of Bose headphones and a $25 iTunes gift card so you can load up on your favorite tunes for 2015.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Favorite Funnies:

 

 Also linking up with Tif, Caitlin, Katie and Della for their new High Five for Friday linkup.