Rainy Thursday

Clouds and rain set the tone for Thursday and it was definitely one of those mornings where you wanted to stay in bed forever. Isn't Hurricane Earl the craziest thing? My husband is in awe that it's the size of California right now and is glued to The Weather Channel.

Anyways, here we are at Thursday and college football kicks off tonight. I'm holding out to celebrate until Saturday. To me, that's the official day and I'm going to be cheering on my Michigan State Spartans WOO HOO! More about that later this week. What plans do you have coming up this extended holiday weekend?

Today for breakfast I was craving my open fruit sandwich with chia seeds. This dish is so simple and filling, I seriously can't get enough. I've only made this with a banana and strawberries, so I went that route again today. The cantaloupe was a bit weak, so I drizzled some agave nectar on top and that definitely did the trick! YUM!  It's a nice switch from honey and with far less calories.

Since the week is winding down, so is the food in my refrigerator and pantry. I decided to keep things simple and use up any perishable items for lunch. I grabbed some Bumble Bee albacore tuna in water and the last of my cucumbers and cherry tomatoes from my Green City Market trip, and voila: Lemon Dill Tuna Salad! Sometimes simple gets the job done right, right?

I also had a nectarine, as I'm trying to squeeze in these seasonal fruits before fall arrives.

As I sifted through email and readied some job applications this afternoon, I snacked on a Frigo part-skim mozzarella string cheese and some cherries.

For dinner, I met my friend, also a fellow Spartan and longtime Chicago resident, Sarah at Rios D'Sudamerica for Peruvian food. What a GORGEOUS restaurant! The South American accents and paintings were eye-catching to say the least, and their virtual tour on their website is just a glimpse at how truly cool this place is. The quality of the photos are slightly dark as the lighting inside went for the ambience factor. Can't blame them.

Sarah and I shared Empanada al Horno y Chimichurri, which is a light Argentinian pastry filled with a mixture of beef, raisins, olives, and onions, with chimichurri drizzled on top. I cannot tell you how great this was, seriously! We also had some freshly baked bread with jalapeno sauce.

For the main course, I was in a seafood mood and ordered Arroz con Camarones, otherwise known as rice and shrimp cooked in Brandy, green peas and peppers. FAB-U-LOUS!

Sarah says "cheers" to Rios D'Sudamerica! You can never go wrong with good friends and good food!

I almost forgot! I've made a comeback in the exercise department this week and completed 45-minutes on the elliptical trainer earlier this afternoon. I'm three for three this week and plan to kick it again on Friday and Saturday. So much better than the last two weeks of August.

Thanks a mil for reading Fighting the Pudge and for your support as I continue to chase my goals in getting fit and healthy. xx