My Weekend: A Photo Journey

Ryan and I spent this past weekend down in The O.C. with our friends, The Kelso Family. We went to the beach, relaxed, and ate lots of yummy food. I thought I would share my experience with you, through a photo journey. 

Hope you have a creative & inspiring week. 

♥,

Monika

                                                [The amazing view from the Kelso’s deck] 

                                            [Fresh and delicious vegetables for grilling!] 

                                      [Nothing brings people together like great food & drink] 

                               [It was cool enough in the evening to enjoy a fire in the fire pit]

Sushi With The Newlyweds!

    Last night we had dinner with our cute newlywed friends, Brad & Kristi. They were in LA on their way to Hawaii, for their honeymoon. We met down on Melrose avenue and had dinner at a little sushi restaurant, Kazuyo Sushi & Sake. We were unable to make it to their Florida wedding, so it was great getting to catch up and hear all about it. Kristi was just the most beautiful bride.

All in all, it was a fun night out with friends! ♥ 

Weekend Adventures

      This past weekend was wonderful. It’s been a while since Ryan and I had a proper night out, so Friday night we went out on a date. He took me to dinner at Mexicali Cantina, a delicious Mexican restaurant here in Studio City. Then we went downtown to see God of Carnage, which was absolutely amazing. We were cracking up the whole time – the cast was so so good. Then yesterday we decided to go check out the Melrose Trading Post flea market, which was super fun. Lots of cute vintage clothes, books, and knick-knacks. We will definitely be going again soon!

Hope you have a fun & inspiring week! ♥ 

Quinoa

Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is really important to me. One thing I usually do not get enough of is protein. Quinoa [pronounced KEEN-WA] is an excellent source of complete protein [contains all nine essential amino acids], and is also vegan friendly [for you vegans out there]. You can read more about it here.

I usually cook it in a saucepan following the directions on the label, and then add grilled veggies and seasoning. I’ve also made it before with sautéed peas and onion, which was really good. Serve with a salad and some warm bread for a complete meal!

Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

I used to eat popsicles all the time growing up. They remind me of hot summer days as a kid – swimming & playing outside in the Florida heat. Now that I’m older I rarely eat them, but decided to make a healthy homemade version for a special treat. All I did was blend together a couple handfuls of sliced strawberries, fresh lemon juice [about half a lemon], and a few teaspoons of extra fine granulated sugar. Then I just poured the mixture into my popsicle molds and let them freeze for a few hours. The end result was delicious & refreshing. I cannot wait to experiment with different flavors!