Restaurant

Birthday Celebrations!

/ runningchickago / Leave a comment

I’m officially 22!   How exciting!  Now I can do…everything I’ve been able to do up to this point.

Although it seemed like this would be the first boring birthday, the day proved otherwise.  I had a great day being productive in the morning, and enjoying time with my friends and boyfriend in the evening.

My lifelong friend, Elise, came in from a nearby school and it was such a treat to see her on a Monday! 🙂

Elise and I at Destihl

After checking out the menu online, I had decided to go to Destihl for dinner.  The menu is huge (which I love for group dinners) and always filled with delicious options.  I ordered the watermelon and feta salad as a “small plate” and loved it.  Thankfully, my friend Nicole reminded me to take a picture of it just before I took the last bite.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

This “salad” was incredibly light and fresh.  I will definitely be making this at home, as it consisted of: watermelon, feta cheese, kalamata olives, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.  The greens they included were hardly necessary, in my opinion.

For dinner, Elise and I split a huge jalapeno-bacon cheeseburger.  It came with potato wedges that tasted fantastic dipped into the chipotle-espresso-barbeque sauce.

Hello, delicious.

Dinner tasted fantastic, and it was so fun being surrounded by friends.  I guess turning 22 isn’t so bad after all.

Nicole and I

Shanny, Me, and Linds

Birthday Girl and Joe

Sorry for all the pictures today! 🙂 I’m too excited not to share them.  Anyways, today’s not really a fantastic food advice/running advice post!

But maybe you’re looking for some advice from the birthday girl?  She is another year older, and thus wiser, after all… 😉 If so, here are some tips!

“Enjoy each day- even the ones you think won’t be especially exciting.”

“Splurging is okay sometimes.” – I usually try to split things (like the burger), order things that taste great but that are on the healthy side (watermelon salad), and just enjoy small amounts of other things (like the ice cream I had after dinner at Coldstone, and the cocktail I had at dinner).”

Cool & Refreshing

Cheers!

Questions for you:
What’s your favorite cocktail?
What do you like to do to celebrate your birthday?

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BYOB

/ runningchickago / 3 Comments

Hey there!

Today was one of those days.

The days were you have to just take a break, curl up in a blanket, and watch Ellen. And laugh like crazy when someone’s dance moves look eerily similar to your mother’s.

The days were you decide to skip making dinner and use that birthday coupon you got from Noodles & Co.

Birthday Coupon

don't mind if I do, Noodles & Co.

I usually order the Chinese Chop Salad but with my long mid-week run tomorrow (9 miles!), I figured the Penne Rosa was the way to go!

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It was so, so delicious. The free part didn’t hurt either.  But wait, why am I showing you pictures of pasta and bread…when the title is BYOB?

Well, I have a confession to make.  I love veggies.  A lot.  I wanted to incorporate more veggies into my dinner so, before I headed out to Noodle’s, I steamed some broccoli.  I had planned on getting Noodle’s to go…but instead I decided to eat in the restaurant. Yep, BYOB means Bring Your Own Broccoli. Awkward and embarrassing? Yes. Too embarrassing to not eat it? Well…

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…busted 😉

Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.  For me, that was making sure that I ate the carbs & veggies I need to help fuel my run.  It’s really important for runners to make sure they are eating the items their body truly needs.  Pasta, bread, and other forms of carbohydrates truly help to make runs “easier”.  I have learned (numerous times) how terrible it can be to not fuel your body correctly.  Eating too much food, eating oily or greasy foods, or both, will not help you out the next morning.  After eating too much of my favorite dinner on Friday, and being forced to take breaks on my Saturday run, I’ve realized it’s better to stick with average-sized, nutrition-packed entrees instead.

As my roommate and long-time runner always says, “Food is fuel.”  Try your best to fuel your body correctly with healthy and nutritious foods and your body will thank you during your runs.

Have a good night!