Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Devon Horse Show

This evening, I went to the Devon Horse Show with my friend Maggie. It's the largest horse show on the east coast, and just around the corner from us!


Though I haven't been on a horse since my days at sleep-away camp in middle school, Maggie still rides frequently and loves it. Watching the jumpers was definitely cool, even if I didn't have a clue as to what was going on.


I wanted this guy to win because he looked like Prince Harry. He didn't :(


We also saw the sidesaddle competition, which was pretty neat. I can't imagine being in a wool skirt on a 90 degree day, though!


We didn't take a photo together tonight, so here's one from when we went to the Grand Prix together a few years ago. (Sorry Mag, I had to.)


* * *

Before leaving for the show, I wolfed down a quick dinner: a peanut butter sandwich on sprouted bread, along with an apple and cherries.


Dark chocolate was also had, of course:


And I'm currently snacking on mixed nuts and more cherries. I almost bought something to eat at the show, but it was just too hot to really want anything but cold water.

Sooo tired tonight. I think the jet lag is finally catching up with me- hopefully I'll sleep past 5:30 tomorrow morning! Goodnight, everyone!

Have you ever ridden a horse or been to a horse show? I rode for about a second as a kid. As we know, I dabbled in just about everything at one point or another...

Scallops 'n' Strawberries

Apparently this morning was everyone-Gabriela-knows day at the gym. I saw four people I knew, all of which I haven't seen in forever. I guess that's what happens when you come back to the community YMCA!

Thankfully, I saw everyone within 15 minutes of arriving there, so no one witnessed the sweaty mess I was by the end of my workout. I started by doing the birthday girl's 20 minute elliptical HIIT workout, then moved onto lower-body strength training. I did 3 sets of 12 reps of each of the following exercises:

  • dumbbell squats, 15 lbs
  • plie squats, 15 lbs
  • dumbbell lunges, 15 lbs
  • straight-leg deadlifts, 20 lbs
  • angled calf raises, 10 lbs
  • hip extensions, 5 lbs
  • planks, 30 seconds (regular and side)
The squats especially killed me. As I've said before, I tend to get paranoid and not really push myself during squats, so I can always feel it when I'm really working to my full potential. Stairs might be difficult tomorrow.

* * *

For lunch a few hours later, I tried a new-to-me product from Trader Joe's: New England Jumbo Sea Scallops.


I crave seafood frequently in the summer, and scallops are probably my favorite shellfish. (Clearly, Maggie likes them too- see her nose?) I pan-seared them in a little olive oil, then added them to a spinach salad with tomatoes, carrots and Trader Joe's balsamic vinaigrette. A slice of bread rounded out the meal.


I've never cooked scallops before, but these were surprisingly easy: I just defrosted them in a Ziploc submerged in room temperature water, then cooked them on the stove. I'm easily intimidated by foods that need to be cooked through before eating!


After my salad, I had a huge bowl of fresh sliced strawberries topped with a big blob of PB&Co.'s Dark Chocolate Dreams. Strawberries + peanut butter may seem a bit unconventional, but you can put this stuff on anything, I swear.


Oh, and before I go, here's the winner of my British Bar Stash giveaway:



#67, Lisa! Congrats! Please send me an email with your shipping info and what kind of mix-ins you'd like in your Super Charge Me cookies!

Time to go do the adult errand thing: the bank, post office and grocery store. Meh. See you later!

Is there anywhere you frequent that you're practically guaranteed to run into someone you know? For me, it's my parents' gym and the nearby King of Prussia mall. I feel like I run into someone every time I'm in either!

A Popular Day to Be Born

Maggie says good morning!


Someone had fun playing in the sprinkler after her morning catch session. I don't blame her- it's been insanely hot here the past few days, and today promises to be another scorcher.

The perfect weather for summer fruit like cherries!


Breakfast this morning included a heap of sweet cherries alongside a thick slice of Ukranian bread topped with Trader Joe's flax seed peanut butter, dry roasted sunflower seeds, dried berries and a bit of agave.


My mom bought this bread at the grocery store and while I'm not exactly sure what makes it "Ukranian," it sure is delicious- soft, doughy and studded with seeds.


This morning when I woke up I logged onto Facebook (at 5:30 AM, no less...still fighting off that jet lag) and noticed that eleven of my "friends" have birthdays today (including Janetha!). Apparently June 1 is a popular day to be born. If it's yours, too, then happy birthday...you're in good company :)

Are you good at remembering birthdays? And do you share yours with anyone you know? I have a ridiculous memory for things like birthdays, anniversaries and events, so I know most of my friends' by heart. No one I know has a January 27 birthday, though...do any readers?

PS- Just a few hours left to enter my snack bar giveaway!!