Define a good weekend.
For me, it means a relaxing 2 days filled with friends and good food. Throw in a hair cut and some killer workouts and I’m a happy girl.
Confession: I didn’t do a good job of eating clean… but I did do an excellent job of eating delicious. 🙂
1. A+ Restaurant Dining, Vegan-Style
A family friend was passing through town and treated me to dinner at Empire State South. This is one of Hugh Acheson‘s restaurants. The Executive Chef, Ryan Smith, was recently nominated for Food & Wine’s Best New Chef).
The win happened when I scored a custom vegan meal thanks to the sage advice of Heather and JL, and the talent of Chef Smith. Knowing ESS to be meat-heavy (their charcuterie is amazing), I called ahead to make reservations and ask if they could accommodate a vegan diet. They could, and did! It was better than previous meat-filled meals I’ve had there!
First, the wine: 2004 Angelo Sassetti “Pertimali” Brunello di Montalcino.
2004 was a great year for Brunello and this was no exception – light and plummy, with a little earthiness on the end. Perfect with my veggie-based meal!
First custom dish of the night was an app that I couldn’t get enough of. This was a dish of seasonal mushrooms, fried wild rice, pickled sunchokes, roasted and pickled beets over a schmear of peanut puree.
My main was equally good. There is no way I can remember it all… but it was a roasted brussels dish with farro, mustard seeds, carrot, pea shoots, roasted garlic, and a ramp jam.
2. Dessert Happened (second helpings happened too)
Dinner at mamma’s house with mixed company meant 2 berry pies were made – one vegan and one “regular.” Both used a vegan pre-made pie crust, mixed berries, and an oatmeal-granola topping.
My vegan pie had xylitol mixed in to sweeten it, and the other had butter and regular sugar in it. No one could tell the difference. 🙂
3. Cheap Affordable, Delicious Wine
This wine was a hit at mom’s dinner party. The Epicuro Aglianico is an el cheapo bottle from Trader Joe’s. Well, originally it’s from southern Italy but you know what I mean. This is the best under $10 bottle of wine (it’s $4.99) I’ve had in recent memory!
4. New Hair
Getting my hair cut/colored is my favorite thing in the world to do. This is shorter than I’ve ever had it… I’m still shocked every time I look in the mirror! Holla to the rockstars at Lava Hair Studio.
Karen (stylist-wizard) and me
5. Romance Rekindled
Don’t get too excited. I’m talking about my love-affair with Dulce Vegan, a local vegan bakery and cafe. It’s on the other side of town… meaning it’s a whole 15 minutes away and I’m usually too lazy busy to drive there.
Between CrossFit and softball practice yesterday, I made the trip and indulged in a helluva TLT – tempeh “bacon,” arugula, and tomato with chipotle aioli on house-made millet bread. It was as delicious as it sounds. Especially that bread – OMG.
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CrossFit has been SO much fun. Totally intimidating, but fun. I leave workouts starving – an increased appetite must mean I’m working hard! I’ve amped up my protein shakes and become religious about eating every 2 hours. They preach the paleo diet, which I’m not into… I’ve even been craving MORE carbs since starting. Good or bad, I’m feeding my body what it wants!
Workout Recap (3/5 – 3/11):
- Monday – CrossFit, This Pinterest workout (5x)
- Tuesday – CrossFit, This BodyRock, 100 push-ups
- Wednesday – CrossFit, This BodyRock (weighted part 2x), 100 push-ups
- Thursday – Yoga, This workout, 100 push-ups
- Friday – Tris/Chest, 100 push-ups
- Saturday – This BodyRock (with 20 reps on weights)
- Sunday – CrossFit, Softball practice, Bike intervals
***
I didn’t have to change my bedroom clock for daylight savings time… because I never changed it last fall…
What is your definition of a good weekend?
Do you crave more carbs depending on the type of exercise you do?
Yep. Sounds like a killer weekend to me for sure! And they do do your hair up nice there. I always think you have such great hairstyles! I just checked out their site and am seriously considering switching to them. I can’t find a good stylist for the LIFE of me!
Adding that I’m even more sold after seeing that they are up not too far from my neck of the woods! Score! We should have “hair dates”.
Not to sway you from Laura’s people, but I love my stylist too – Roxanne at Cortex in the highlands. She’s the best!! Not sure if it’s any closer, but just putting it out there in case! 🙂
She is wayyyy up there. The good news is that you an go outlet shopping while you’re there! Let me know if you do go to Karen – I’d definitely come crash that party. 🙂
Love the new hair!
Thanks Matt!
Fab new hair!! Love it really short, so cool! Sounds like a great weekend! I have spent the majority of mine hungover. Seriously what is with these 3 day hangovers?! :/ Even reading about your wine picks made me feel a little ‘funny’ eeshh! I need to man up a little methinks! Ha!
Haha – I’ve been there! Drink some kombucha. 😉
Your hair looks so cute.
Your bedroom clock has been wrong since…whenever Standard Time was? That would drive me nuts. Although, something is wrong with the clock on our oven and as much as you set it, it just changes to some random time and I got used to it.
Thanks!
Yup – it has been wrong since this fall. Originally I just wanted it to scare me into getting up on time… then I just got used to it.
LOVE the hair girlie….totally awesome – like you! 🙂
xoxo from Trinidad
YUM! Tempeh bacon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And LOVE the hair cut! HUGS! and happy Monday!
It was sooooo good! Better than my attempts at tempeh bacon. 🙂 Thank you!!
Rockstar hair! I want some of that berry pie please!
Thanks! That pie was ridiculously simple – you could make one right now!
YOUR HAIR IS AWESOME. Seriously, I wish I had the balls to cut mine!
And man- the workouts!! Do you ever take a rest day? (I should talk- I FORCE myself to, even though it always involves either yoga or dog-walking).
All the food and wine looks so wonderful… weekends are the best (and what I live for!).
Thank you!! It’s crazy what happens you you walk in and say “do whatever you want.”
The yoga day was a sort-or rest day… I always mean to take one and then end up getting restless.
love the bold new do 🙂
Love, love, love the new hair – I sometimes wish I could pull off short hair like you! =) And your meals looks awesome this weekend, so excited that you are having a great vegan month – and now I have to try Empire State South and Dulce!
Thanks! You would LOVE Dulce. They have some crazy good scones and cinnamon rolls too.
Okay LOVE your hair. And.. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again all your eats look so great. I would really like to come over. 🙂 Oooo… and that wine. I need to try that one. Glad you had a good weekend!
I LOVE the new hair! Seriously wish I could pull off wearing hair like yours. It’s so spunky and fun!
OK first, your hair looks amazing!! I want to see it in person (lets hang out!). Your weekend sounds amazing. And I am REALLY impressed with how much you’ve been working out lately. I wish I had the stamina for that. I get burnt out if I do more than about 6hrs a week. How is your knee feeling? Since I’m sort of getting a little faster, maybe we could run together a few times before the race if it is feeling better? I’m still slower than you, so maybe running slower would be easier on it! My favorite kind of weekend is filled with relaxing (aka naps/reading good books), a few glasses of wine, some time with family and friends, and getting lots of stuff done so I don’t have to deal with it during the week! And these days, a good long run. Though sometimes I don’t look forward to that part too much! LOL
Thank you! Let’s do hang out soon. 🙂
My knee is STILL hurt. It’s so bad I can’t do the short runs at CrossFit (I jump rope instead). I cannot wait until I can go running with you!
Way to work it with the new hair- looks GREAT! Our idea of a good weekend are in sync: good food, good workout (s) & good company! And my cravings definitely change with workouts: more weight lifting almost always translates into extra protein cravings!
For sure! I need to do a better job to tracking protein intake, but I have noticed wanting (and eating) more.
Sounds like a great weekend! Love the new do!
$4.99 eh? I think I could handle that! 🙂 Your vegan dinner looks great. I should ask restaurants for more favors.
That definitely looks like a good weekend! And if you aren’t going to eat super clean, at least you make sure it is going to be super delicious! (Which, by most standards, that was very clean!) Yum.
Your hair is awesome and looks so beautiful on you!
Anytime you can mix in a bottle of Brunello followed by a few bottles of palatable cheap wine…now that is a killer weekend or evening. 🙂
Riiiight… start out with the good stuff and then move to the “affordable” wines. 😉
Your hair always looks amazing – you’re so brave! Craving a tempeh – L – T right now – I like to add avocado, too! 🙂
Thanks! Avocado would have been a great addition! Especially with the slight sweetness of the tempeh.
ummm- YEAH! I would say it was a good weekend. I’m kinda jealous in fact. Love the hair! Your so pretty!
You’re so sweet to say that – thank you! 🙂
Sounds like an excellent weekend! LOVE love LOVE your hair!
Thank you! I’m loving how fast it is to get ready in the morning.
You make me ashamed of the fact that it’s almost a year since I went to the hairdressers. Darn you and your rockstar looks! 😛
I would like that pie, yes indeedydo.
A year?! I couldn’t do that, but you long hair people can. That would save so much money… LOL!
Never been to Dulce Vegan, I’ll have to put that on my list of places to try! (It’s a VERY long list 🙂 )
I have one of those lists too… it’s kind of insane. 🙂
Pickled sunchokes?! Those sound so interesting! Love your hair by the way 🙂
They were fantastic! I can’t believe I’ve never thought to do that before… I need to start pickling everything!
Running makes me SCARF the carbs!!!
Love your hair! Normally I go short too but letting mine grow for my summer wedding week!
side question: do you take a rest day from working out or not?
side question # 2: what makes that bread so amazing? can I procure myself some or is it a Hotlanta special??
My “rest” days are active. Like on this week I’d consider Thursday a rest day since I did yoga and a quick, easy workout. I sit at a desk all day, so if I don’t get some movement I get too antsy!
The bread: I love the crunch from the millet and the slight sweetness. Also, the crust was crunchy, which I LOVE as a texture person. It’s from a local shop in ATL… I linked to it here. Not sure if they’d ship, but always worth an ask!
Love the haircut!
My goodness your hair looks awesome. I can’t carry off something like that…just not cool enough (or too old…who knows).
Glad you had a fantastic weekend and good idea to call ahead about vegan accomodations, seems so simple yet I would never have thought of it.
Thank you!!!
You are so right about calling ahead seeming obvious… yet I didn’t think of it until Heather pointed it out. It certainly paid off!
Sounds like a perfect weekend to me! Reading your posts always make me miss living (and eating) in Atlanta.