Hey everyone! Hope your almost-Friday has been bueno 
I feel like a million bucks. Even though I felt a little blah from our Vinoyoga (not because I drank a lot, but was up wayyyyy past my bedtime), a facial and massage were just what the doctor ordered. It was my first time getting a facial—I’m weird about my face being touched—and I loved it! It was so steamy and glorious and my friend Ashley used a honey almond scrub on my face that smelled unbefreakinlievable.
After my little pampering sesh, I came back to the casa to make some juice to take to work:
Cucumber, mango (which does NOT have a lot of juice—I should have eaten it plain), an orange, two apples and 1/2 bag carrots)
The plan was to add some kale, but I just couldn’t do it. Kale smells so stinky to me!! Even after I rinse it in veggie wash, it smells like sweaty gym.
Here’s the cucumber orange mix:
Carrot, mango, apple mix:
All together now:
I sipped on that at work and also had one of my favorite bars ever:
Work was exciting as ever standard, and I came back to the puppies and two packages on my doorstep!
A new dress from VS –their bra top dresses are pretty inexpensive (especially considering the awesome quality) and I love them for summer!!! I have quite a few different styles and colors because I’m so crazy about them!!! There’s a coupon code that lasts until the 19th—25% percent off one order!! The code is 25SAV 
Bella approved
Also, some goat cheese from the lovely people at Ide De France!
Saweeeeeeet You know how much I love goat cheese!
I’m off to get ready to teach step, then coming to PACK! We’re going to Orlando this weekend- I can’t wait!
Peace out, bloggies <3
Gina
Two things!
1) I’m in need of recipe ideas for a baby dinner to take over to our friends’ house tomorrow— in the squadron, when a wife has a baby each wife makes turns making dinner for the family so the new mommy doesn’t have to cook. I was thinking stuffed shells?? I dunno. Usually it’s a good idea to make something that can be easily frozen or reheated. Enchiladas are usually my standard but I was thinking of branching out. Any ideas would be so appreciated!!
2) You’ve got one more day to win some Stonyfield Swag! Keep those comments and quizzes comin’
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Adorable dress- perfect for summer! Your enchiladas always look amazing- I would bring those!
Thanks for the coupon code!!!! That dress is so cute!
I just watched Giada on Food Network do a show on Baby Shower foods.. you might want to check that out.. she had some great healthy & easy recipes!
Take care!
I have got to get me a juicer!! Yours always looks so delish and healthy!!
Geeze thats a ton of goat cheese! lucky girl!
Have a good rest of your day!
HOORAY for feeling fabulous and for your new dress and cheeeese
I second ElleMigliore (above) about Giada’s recent baby shower food episode!!
adorable dress, now i need to do some on line shopping now!
I think the shells sound like a great idea
Other possible ideas:
- Soup w/ bread
- Lasagna and salad
- Baked Ziti
- Any type of casserole
- Baked mac and cheese
- Egg frittata w/ cheese and veggies
- Breakfast type foods the new mom can freeze: waffles, pancakes, muffins, etc.
I guess we are all Giada fans!
Not too long ago she did a show on meals that freeze well and one of them was turkey and artichoke stuffed shells with arrabbiata sauce. You can find the recipe at foodnetwork.com. It looks like a makes a lot of food so your friends could always eat half and freeze half to have at a later time!
pretty dress!
Gina, do you know anything about the benefits of fruit/veggie juice instead of smoothie? I mean when you make juice, you through out all the fibers or dry parts.. I’m just wondering!
I second the lasagna and quiche ideas.
Quiche/egg casseroles are great because they can work for whatever meal.
I love your new dress…that color will be gorgeous on you!
oh, i love that dress!
-lasagna
-baked ziti
-baked spaghetti
any type of baked pasta or mexican-ish casserole dish usually freezes well.
Ok…..oh MY gosh! Seriously- the best cookie I have EVER had! I did a little dance on my front porch when I saw your package there. Before I could even take a picture, I found myself ripping open the bag and eating a macaroon! SO moist SO delicious! I am thrilled! Can you freeze these? I want to savor them forever and eat only a few at a time! Let me know. Thank you thank you thank you thank you! You rock….
Oh and that dress is super cute
I made stuffed shells with turkey and artichokes for some friends who just had a baby. It was a Giada recipe off the Food Network site. I split it into between 2 8×8 pans, so they could freeze one. It was a hug hit!
Sorry I should have read down- same ones that Jerilynne is refering to.
Super Cute dress! Rachael Ray just did spinach-artichoke stuffed shells on her show that looked delicious! It’d be a nice little spin to the normal stuff shells
http://rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2708
That dress is too cute!
I think the enchilidas are a great idea because I’m sure she’s going to get alot of the standard big italian dishes.
I totally agree with you about the mango – we just finished our box and won’t be getting them again to juice. Red peppers surprisingly have a TON of juice. I hate kale in real life, but love it in juice. The smell bothered me a little bit at first, but I’m completely used to it now. It’s worth a shot! Do you have a 4-cup pyrex measuring dish? When we had the Lalanne we used one and it fit perfectly under the spout.
Cute dress! I love VS for simple cotton dresses and terry suits. Their terry tracksuits fit a lot like the more expensive juicy that I can’t live without! For the meal idea….I LOVE stuffed manicotti. You can make it really healhty with cottage cheese instead of rictotta (I did this prevegan days) or use a tofu ricotta mixture. Fatfreevegan has a really good tofu spinach ricotta recipe she uses in her zucchini lasagna (which is another good idea) I’ve served it to guests and they have no idea it’s vegan or healthy!
Cute dress!
One interesting baby shower idea – make pink or purple smoothies and pour them into individual shot glasses – everyone gets their own mini smoothie.
Love the VS dress! All of my ideas for a dinner have been posted already so hope you figured something out
Cheese in the mail!? I am jealous!
Cute dress!
I have mixed feelings about kale. Sometimes I don’t mind it, and sometimes I think it’s the most foul and bitter vegetable on earth. I’ve used it in smoothies before, and honestly couldn’t taste it. It’s probably good in juice too.
Have fun in Orlando!
I have been eyeing that dress since they first came out with it! I love love love the strip of yellow on the bottom! Also, yoga and wine drinking from yesterday looks like a TON of fun! And for your recipe: I think a nice hearty meat-free chili or veggie lasagna would be delicious! But those are just two of my favorite things!
Uh oh…I have an addiction to online shopping, especially at VS! Oh well, now I have a coupon so it’s all good =)
I want to echo Danielle who reckoned that the new momma will likely already be getting plenty of the big italian type meals. I’d go for a quiche or two. They freeze so easily and you can make them with pretty much any flavor. Salmon corn chowder quiche is good, and I love to make “quiche” with egg whites, salsa, onions, peppers, etc. Quiche is also nice b/c you can go all out comfort (crust, butter, cheese, etc.) or really healthy (just egg whites, veggies, no crust or a brown rice crust or an oatmeal crust, etc.).
P.S. Would you call me a liar if I told you that my weight fluctuated 16 pounds today? I can fluctuate up to 8 pounds in one day, but today’s numbers had me running to put some weights on my scale to make sure it wasn’t broken. What gives? Is that even humanely possible? Maybe if I was a lion who just ate an elk, but to be a little girl who just ate normal, albeit high water content, foods and drank a ton of h20, etc?!?!
I can’t figure out where the 16 pounds went on my frame?! It’s really weird. more generally, even my daily 8 pound fluctuations I find rather extreme, esp b/c I have a small frame, am female, and also because i can weigh myself at night and then in the morning and (unsurprisingly) i weight less in the morning, but it’s BEFORE I go to the bathroom even and it can fluctuate radically. so, i wonder where literally does the mass go?
Hi there!
I just wanted to let you know that I’ve recently stumbled onto your blog and I am fully enjoying your page.
You have some amazing fitness tips and wonderfully inspiring advice. Thanks so much for sharing with the blog world and I look forward to reading more!
Take care!
I am loving that dress – looks like I am going to have to put an order in!
Have fun in Orlando! We leave for Mexico this weekend. Perhaps we can compare tans
thank you so much for all of the recipe ideas!!
andrea- no, we only have the 2 cup one… looks like i’ll be going shopping this weekend
thanks for letting me know! i might juice a bell pepper tomorrow too 
suzanne- a quiche is a lovely idea– i’m looking at recipes riiiiight now. i have NO IDEA why your weight would fluctuate that much! my only guess would be a problem with your scale…. my advice: throw it away
lauren- thanks so much for reading and stopping to say hi!! i hope to see you around here more often
I’ve heard this is a great recipe to take… great as leftovers! http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/last-minute-lasagna-10000000610496/
finsmom- it’s ON! haha
I just blended up a mango with a splash of water tonight – it was HEAVEN…sooo thick and creamy!
Hi! I remember you once talking about how you didn’t see results until you increased your calories. Lately I’ve been so hungry! Its hard for me to just listen to my body and eat, but I’m thinking it might have to do with my increased strength training. How did you figure out what was a right amount of calories for you? thanks!
My parents church does this my mom alternates between stuffed shells (good one!), lasagna and veggie filled pot pies. She does that because they can all be frozen and just as good the next time. She usually delivers it par-cooked too because she knows that often families have so much food they won’t actually be eating what she made that night. If they are then it’s all ready to pop into the oven. She also includes a big salad, a loaf of fresh bread and a healthy dessert, like fruit salad, since new moms often want to eat healthy but don’t have the time to plan anything
april- having my heart rate monitor helped me to gauge how much i needed to increase my calorie intake. for example, on wednesday when i teach two classes i usually burn 1000+ calories so i need to eat a LOT more that day. on my off days, i don’t eat nearly as much because i don’t need it.
rebeca- thank you so much for the ideas! whatever i end up deciding, i’ll definitely include a salad and a healthy dessert
Thanks for the coupon code! Can you subtly speak to the supportiveness of the bra in the dress for a non-flat chested lady?
omg that is my favorite Clif bar too. BEST FLAVOR EVER!
I loved your Vinoyoga post! That sounds like such a grand idea – now if only the gym would hop on board ;o)
I’ve never had kale, so I had no idea it was so stinky! I might need to steer clear!
Love your VS dress! I’ve bought clothes from there before – they are definitely good quality at a great price!
Yum – goat cheese! Have fun in Orlando this weekend! As for the meal for the baby dinner…I like your idea of something that you can freeze or reheat, so pasta/stir-fry comes to mind first!
Glad you had fun with the vinoyoga Gina….haha, that’s such a cute name for it!
Maybe just try making a different enchilada recipe! Then you can still whip up some tastayyy guacamole and salsa!
My mom always makes this amazinggg vegetarian lasagna whenever she has or goes to dinner parties…she makes it w/ tofu, veggies, cottage cheese, whole wheat noodles, a roasted garlic tomato sauce, etc…oh it’s so good!
I love love LOVE goat cheese! It’s definitely one of my favorite cheeses.
What a cute dress too. I’m going shopping this weekend, and I see some new dresses in my future. Bring on the summer clothes!
You could always make a big pot of chili or stew that would freeze well, and then take some bread and cheese to go along with it. The chili/stew could be frozen and the bread and cheese could be enjoyed with whatever other things show up on their doorstep. I just wouldn’t make anything with potatoes in it. I haven’t had the best experience with those after they thaw.
As far as the dinners go I highly recommend you make something on the much healthier side because most all of the dinners people bring won’t be the healthiest, at least thats what I’ve experienced. Have a wonderful weekend in Orlando!!
LOVE that dress–so summery and perfect. Gotta love VS!
oh yeah, another idea is to bring breakfast instead of dinner. Hey, moms are busy in the morning too! Something like an oatmeal muffin. something quasi healthy and easy to grab and go. Or you could do a savory muffin.
Another bonus of a muffin/baked good (but like a substantial baked good, if that makes sense), is that it’d be really handy to grab for snacks or to eat quickly in the middle of dippie changes, etc.
haha, i loved your ditch the scale advice overall. I was just so shocked at a 16 pound fluctuation! I weighed two diff places, so it was accurate.
And c’mon Gina, picture of the dress on the floor? you should have modeled it of course!
have a great day
http://rhodeygirltests.com/2009/02/05
/eggplant-spinach-rollatini/
MAKE THE EGGPLANT SPINACH ROLLATINI- LINK ABOVE!
OR A ZUCCHINI AND SPINACH LASAGNA WITH WHOLE WHEAT LASAGNA SHEETS.. NO ONE CAN EVEN TELL! VERY EASY TO FREEZE AND REHEAT
http://rhodeygirltests.com/2008/09/22/
zucchini-spinach-lasagna/
I would be more than happy to get enchiladas! I think more people would make an italian dish, so she might get a lot of italian.
Gina,
I can already tell that dress will look awesome on you! Perfect color.
As for the baby meal-how about soup? If you dump it in a freezer bag soup lasts FOREVER. Toss in a loaf of grainy bread and maybe some Trader Joe’s gourmet frozen veggies and she can have an awesome meal anytime.
With Love,
Emily
Hey there!
I am trying my hardest to eat healthy but i have this crazyyyy sweet tooth for CANDY or GUMMIES mmm….just finished a little baggie of shark bites
I would like to start juicing to take to the gym with me. My question is I am allergic to mangos what can I use to replace the mangos of your combo here?
also I bought chocolate protein powder to use in breakfast cookie (thanx for that btw) what else can I use this powder in? I am not into experimenting so I’d like to know what you’ve done thats delish!
have fun in orlando…I love that my home is a vaca/get-a-way spot! Nike outlet is having a huge sale every 50bucks you spend get 20 nike bucks back (the prime outlets on I-drive) I went crazy with that!
thanks
jess
hey jess- thanks for letting me know about the nike sale! i’ll DEFINITELY hit that up!!! for the mangoes, you don’t need to replace them with anything! i hardly got any juice out of them anyway
you can use the protein powder in smoothies, mix it with plain fat free yogurt and stevia to make a protein pudding, sprinkle it on popcorn (after spraying the popcorn with nonstick spray) or throw it in your oatmeal.