This Weekend

This weekend, my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and family friend were in town.  Saturday morning, I went for a quick run and then met up with them to tour a few properties near the beach.  The market is so good now, it is always enticing to see what's out there in terms of vacation beach rentals.

 

Afterwards, we went for a nice walk along the coast.

 

 

 Followed by lunch- Fresh Capris Salad and Gazpacho.

Yes, my mother-in-law is amazing!  Her cooking is delicious!
We finished the night at my relative's house for dinner.

And the star of the show: Key Lime Pie from "The Upper Crust" bakery!

On Sunday, I slept in til 10am, then started with a beach run along the coast

After a quick 30 min jog, I met my family at a beach café for brunch.

Followed by a trip to the green market and trip to a turtle aquarium.

 After a fun day of adventure, we came back to my mother-in-law's condo and relaxed for a bit.

I ended the weekend with a dinner date at Panera with Bryan followed by attending the night service at church.

It was so nice to get in some quality time with family. I am so refreshed and ready for work today!

 



 

Questions:
How was your weekend?

Mom weekend!



Me and my beautiful mom

My mom came to visit over the weekend!  Its funny how we always seem to plan a weekend get-together in spring. 

She arrived early Saturday morning just in time for brunch at my favorite spot- Paris Cafe. It is a local favorite to many palm-beachers and it was a gorgeous day to grab an outside table on the sidewalk.

Paris Bakery and Cafe

I ordered my favorite: the Moulan Rouge made with fresh spinach, goat cheese, pistachios, cherry tomatoes, and avocado.  It never disappoints. 

My mom got the Quiche Florentine with a fresh spring mix salad and their famous tarragon dressing.  We both rounded out the meal with fresh french bread, soft goat cheese, and homemade strawberry jam.

After brunch we walked down to the green market to see and taste locally made baked goods, gourmet olive oils, and view the gorgeous display of orchids and herb plants.  If I only could keep it alive, I would have bought one!

West Palm Beach Green Market
Source

 As always, my favorite thing at the green market is the olive oil tastings!

Source

After browsing around downtown, I decided to take my mom on a tour of the island of Palm Beach.  There is a beautiful chapel overlooking the inter coastal waterway that I have always dreamed of getting married in.  Of course I had to show her that ;-)

After time on the island we decided to give our legs a little rest and got some cold vitamin waters to nourish our thirst as we drove up to Juno Beach.

Juno always holds a special place for us both.  We used to go there all the time the first year we moved to Florida back in 2007.  It is so refreshing, lined with tons of natural sea shells.  The beaches in South Florida are way different than those in Central Florida where my parents now live.  Though the sand isn't as soft as New Smyrna or Daytona, the beaches here have a natural beauty to them.

After some much needed beach time (Thank GOD for warmer weather again!), my mom and I headed to the Gardens Mall to get in a little shopping :-) Girls Weekend + Shopping + Starbucks = HAPPINESS!!!!

After one of this...

Venti Zen Tea with steamed Soy

I was ready to roll! My mom and I stopped at Macy's first since we both have the Macy's credit card (I know.... trouble!) and had some extra 20% coupons to use up.  I ended up getting a cute maxi dress in aqua and yellow stripes, a short red dress for work, and a few cute tops.  Love Macy's!!!! :-)

After some relaxing shopping and browsing we headed back to my condo for the last hour before my mom had to head back up to Orlando. 

I showed her our view of the intracoastal since she hadn't seen it yet.

Balcony view

Final pic before she had to leave! sniff sniff

Mom weekends are sooo needed, even if they only last for 6 hours!  It was so refreshing to catch up with my mom and share some quality time bouncing around South Florida for a day. 

Question:
Do you get to see your family often?  If so, how often?
Since my family is 3hours away, I usually see them once every 2-3 months.  Its good but I always wish I could see them more ;-)

A Peachy Evening

Yesterday I spent a full day out West for work. As a rep for a medical company, I frequently find myself in far away places enjoying a new adventure every single day. One thing I noticed was the large availability of fresh produce at ever corner. From peach stands to strawberries, the town I was in had lots to offer. By the time I got home from work, after fitting in a 5 mile jog, I was starved for something fresh. Thankfully I had loaded up on fresh veggies and peaches at the Green Market last weekend. Starting with a few sliced carrots and garlic hummus as my appetizer, I began figuring what I would have as my main course.

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It was one of those nights, after working and running- I was not about to go out again to the grocery store. I decided to check my pantry for a quick dinner. I am a true believer in having lots of color at every meal- encompassing fruit, grains, protein and veggies as much as possible. One look at what I had on hand, I decided to make fresh corn tortilla burritos with a side of carrots and celery. It was the simplest dinner- but ever so tasty and healthy!


Preheat oven to 350 F. Place 2-3 Corn tortillas on a pizza pan.

Spread a thin layer of refried beans on each tortilla. Then bake for 8minutes. Once hot, sprinkle a small amount of cheddar cheese one each one and fold tortilla in half. Delicious!

After a healthy dinner, a refreshing shower, and a phone conversation with my boyfriend, I curled up on the couch with a good book and a freshly sliced peach. A perfect way to unwind, if only every night were this relaxed.. ;-) Then again, I like my busy life too... Balance in life is what keeps me rejuvenated.

(source- cheddar)
(Source- Peach)

(Source- Carrots)
(Source- Hummus)
(Source- beans)

(Source - tortillas)

West Palm Beach

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This is a picture of where I run most evenings of the week. It is truely gorgeous! A fun fact is that I ran along this waterway all 4 years of college with the girls from my cross country team. Running is something that gives me strength.

West Palm Beach is such a community city. From the Green Market Saturday mornings to Clematis by Night on Thursdays with live music and food vendors, to the Sunday lawn concerts at the Meyer- there is always something bring the community together.

I love that I can walk downtown, grab a starbucks, and soak in the WPB coastal breeze. Everytime I need motivation one glance outside gives me instant energy to go for a run.

*** Photo credit: http://www.elitetraveler.com/news_detail.html?nid=1330
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Question to Consider:
What do you love about where you live?