On the radar
Hey friends! Hope youโve had a wonderful day <3 Thank you so much for your amazing comments on this morningโs post- Iโm glad that it could help some of ya as a reminder to take it easy on yourselves.
Today ended up being a low-key day. It was an easier day at work than I anticipated โI taught one class and assisted the rest- so I have lots of energy to burn at Zumba tonight ๐
Some eats:
Open-faced eggwich
[The eggs and hot sauce almost camouflage with the plate and placemat]
Quite a few of ya ask why I always have egg whites and not the yolks. I eat at least one yolk per day, but never seem to blog them! Eggs make appearances at least a few times everyday, so Iโll have one yolk during the day โthe nutrients are in the yolk- but whites the rest of the day for a little bit of protein. Every two days or so, I have to go to the store for two things that I run out of all the time: organic eggs and almond milk ๐
Lunch:
Grapes, vanilla sheepโs milk yogurt (loved it as much as the goatโs milk yogurt!), a Pure bar and a Sunshine burger in a teff tortilla
Smooooooothie
-organic cherries, almond milk, Sun Warrior, spinach, banana, cacao powder, and foodgasms
Caveman cookie, smeared with peanut butter
{An equal cookie-to-peanut butter ratio is always nice}
At work today, I noticed a People magazine on the floor, with the book review section facing down. As I looked to shut the magazine and put it away, I saw the cover for this book:
along with an incredible review.
Hereโs the synopsis from Amazon:
When Princess Diana died in Parisโs Alma tunnel, she was thirty-seven years old. Had she lived, she would turn fifty on July 1, 2011. Who would the beloved icon be if she were alive today? What would she be doing? And where? One of the most versatile and bold writers of our time, Monica Ali has imagined a different fate for Diana in her spectacular new novel, Untold Story.
Dianaโs life and marriage were both fairy tale and nightmare rolled into one. Adored by millions, she suffered rejection, heartbreak, and betrayal. Surrounded by glamour and glitz and the constant attention of the press, she fought to carve a meaningful role for herself in helping the needy and dispossessed. The contradictions and pressures of her situation fueled her increasingly reckless behavior, but her stature and her connection with her public never ceased to grow. If Diana had lived, would she ever have found peace and happiness, or would the curse of fame always have been too great?
Fast forward a decade after the (averted) Paris tragedy, and an Englishwoman named Lydia is living in a small, nondescript town somewhere in the American Midwest. She has a circle of friends: one owns a dress shop; one is a Realtor; another is a frenzied stay-at-home mom. Lydia volunteers at an animal shelter, and swims a lot. Her lover, who adores her, feels she wonโt let him know her. Who is she?
Untold Story is about the cost of celebrity, the meaning of identity, and the possibilityโor impossibilityโof reinventing a life. Aliโs fictional princess is beautiful, intrepid, and resourceful and has established a fragile peace. And then the past threatens to destroy her new life. Ali has created a riveting novel inspired by the cultural icon she calls โa gorgeous bundle of trouble.โ
Sounds amazing, right?? Iโm downloading it on the Kindle for tonightโs pre-sleep reading. [Just read the reviews on Amazon and they were horrible, so weโll see what happens haha]
Itโs been a little while since Iโve read a non-baby, non-inspirational, non-geeky finance book, so Iโm excited for this one. The last *fun* book I read was Violets of March, which sucked me in entirely. It was fantastic ๐
The monsoon already started over here- love it ๐ And Iโm on car wash strike until monsoon season is over ๐ The Pilot got his car washed today. Heโs an Arizona rookie.
Off to booty-shake!
xoxo
Gina
Something to think:
"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Something to read:
–Get more out of your breakfast
–Using cash could lead to healthier eating habits
–AMA discourages altering of photographs
I am a firm believer that an equal ANYTHING-to-peanut butter ratio is always a requirement ๐
I love everything Princess Diana.. you will have to let us know how the book is!!! I was in a trance when she died and when I went ot London I spent SO much time looking at everything Diana related!
Love Pure Bars, too! Have one packed for a post workout snack tomororw ๐
I have been in arizona during monsoon season and it is CRAZY! Wow the weather gets so intense but I kinfd of love it because I’ve always been a fan of rain! Especially at night…its like your own personal sound machine!
Have fun at zumba!
I lahhhhve pure bars! Camouflage to the max.
We’ve been getting monsoon weather here in Colorado too! It’s crazy — hardly rains for long here, but it has been pouring inches, literally. Nice to cool off a little though! ๐
Monsoon season in AZ?! never heard of it!!! ๐ this can only be 1 or 2 rain showers, right? ๐
I have eggs multiple times a day too many days a week. They just are too good!
I’m sure you know…I just learned that choline in the yolk helps your baby’s brain development—how exciting that what you put in your mouth is nourishing another human being ๐
yes, some women actually take choline supplements ๐
Bahaha, the pilot needs to learn the perks of a free car wash!
for realz
The red and white them with the eggs/hot sauce, placemat, and dishes is going strong. Love it!
And egg yolks are one of the BEST first foods for babies. I see Lisa above me just wrote that too. I skipped the rice cereal 100% and went straight for avocados (fats) and egg yolks, and just did the BLW (baby led weaning) method and skipped the mush stage for the most part. But a Vita does come in handy for making your own food in 11 seconds flat. I digress ๐
That book…wow, sounds amazing! Keep us posted how it is. I’ll never forget where I was when I learned of Diana’s accident….memories…
Oh man, I am a Utah newbie and I am so confused by the weather right now! Severe thunderstorm warnings in July? What’s going on?! I am going to AZ in a little less than two weeks for the first time for work, should be fun!
I just finished Violets of March too. I absolutely loved it! Let us know how Untold Story turns out!
That book looks so interesting! It has been an extremely long time since I have read a non health, nutrition, school, geeky book. I honestly can’t even remember what it was. Let me know what you think of this one!! I love the equal peanut butter to cookie ratio! My life motto is, “The more peanut butter the better!”
Ohh, can’t wait to hear what you think about the book. I was obsessed with Diana after her death. I can so distinctly remember sitting in the Minneapolis airport at 15 when she died on my way to a soccer tournament with my team at the time. I was glued to the tv for weeks after that with the coverage.
I tried the whole goat milk yogurt thing, and I can’t stand the taste. I wanted to like it, though.
That book does sound interesting — too bad the reviews were not so good — eek!
I love eggs — and I always use the yolks because I hate to just throw them away.
Mmmm…peanut butter. I have a love affair with that stuff. I also eat a whole egg once a day, usually with lunch, and then egg whites throughout the day. YUM! I would like to try the goat milk yogurt….but I have a dairy sensitivity. However, I’ve heard that goat’s milk isn’t as bad as cow’s milk?
I love your smoothie concoction!! And I’m definitely an egg eater. ๐ (Stealing the smoothie recipe!)
And the quote is so true…I love it.
That cover alone would make me buy that book. It’s beautiful! Hope you are feeling well, lady!
Your plates and your Table cloths are so pretty! Where did you find them??
world market ๐
Your plates and your Table cloths are so pretty! Where did you find them??
I love Thich Nhat Hanh quotes, thank you so much for including one today! ๐ Your eats, as always, look divine. Hope you had an awesome Zumba class! ๐ xyx
all the yumminess lies in the yolk!…been crazy about yolks since i was a lil’ kid.
My heart feels heavy every time i hear/read about Princess Diana.
Great quote, Gina.
That book does sound amazing! I think I’ll have to see if I can get hold of a copy here in the UK.
My mom and I visited Paris and saw that underpass where she died. It was pretty breathtaking. Might have to get that for my Kindle, also! ๐
That picture of Diana is so gorgeous
That’s not Diana. They couldn’t have used her image anyway – I think it’s protected under her Memorial Foundation, in terms of making a profit from it.
I saw the review of Untold Story, too and I’m intrigued—but I wonder if it’s only going to make me angry! Haha. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
This is totally random I guess, but I always felt a connection to Princess Diana. My mom got sick at 39 and died at 42, and I always felt like her story and Princess Di’s were similar. Lived (like a princess), short life, blonde. I also remember very clearly my mom ironing sheets while watching Princess Di’s funeral and sobbing. My mom would have been 52 this December… crazy how time passes.
<3
That book DOES sound good…maybe the reviews are wrong! haha
I actually have Violets of March on hold at the library to read next! I’m glad to hear it was good! ๐
That book sounds awesome. If losing yourself in a cheesy chick book is wrong, I don’t wanna be right!
That book does look good. She was a wonderful woman who had a terrible fate.
she certainly was.
Can’t wait to hear about how you liked the book – I love fun reads. Wah! So jealous of the monsoons! I live in N.M. and here in Albuquerque we haven’t had a drop of rain since… October maybe? It’s soooooo dry. They say there’s a pretty good chance that OUR monsoon season is really going to kick off tomorrow. Fingers crossed, I love the rain!
That book looks really good! Excited to hear if it is or not ๐
My friend who lives in Phoenix was just talking about how she made the mistake of washing her car yesterday and I had no clue what she was talking about…now I guess it makes a little more sense! haha
at first glance, i totally thought that rolled up tortilla in the second picture was a baguette! i was really confused about why you would take a whole, plain baguette for lunch, then started thinking maybe you would dip it in the yogurt, maybe a pregnancy thing (??). THEN i realized it was not, in fact, a baguette, and had an “ohhhhh i’m an idiot” moment. i am also extremely jealous of your arizonian weather. it feels like 200% humidity in nyc today. =(
buuuuut you can get one lucky duck raw ice cream ๐
hey gina – not sure what you’re planning on wearing once your bump pops further, but i love this website (it’s not my own) – she posts sales and cute things – http://www.pregnantfashionista.com/. she mentioned isabella oliver clothing – it’s all from the UK, but seriously, the best maternity clothing ever. it’s on the expensive side but is so well made. like i said, none of this is my business/website, just something i loved when i was pregnant : ) i’m actually still wearing some of the IO dresses 5 weeks post-partum!
i just checked it out and LOVE it so much! thank you!!!
That book does sound awesome. I love anything historical!
Also? Cookies smeared with peanut butter may just be my favorite thing ever ๐
I love The Violets of March as well! (And it was also the last book I got sucked into.) Isn’t Sarah Jio great? Maybe I’ll check this book out too.
YES. she is amazing ๐
I love how you are always willing to try something new! I am inspired by your life daily (which leads to my own little adventures ๐
Between yours, Jenna’s and Caitlin’s blogs…my summer reading list is turning into my 2011 reading list. I was obsessed with Princess Diana after her death and now I MUST read this book. There’s nothing I love more than a book that you can lose yourself in for a couple hours. I’ll be excited to know what you think of it! And also, I experienced my first dust storm the other night in Phoenix. It was crazy!!! But I also thought it was really cool. ๐
Hey I have a good rec for using the sardines! It sounds kinda funny, but I swear it’s good (maybe it’ll be a perfect weird combo as you’re preggers). You need: one can of sardines packed in olive oil, a small avocado, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, gf bread and parsley. Drain the sardines, but reserve the olive oil and brush over one side of 2 pieces of gf bread with a pastry brush. Pop them in the toaster oven and put any remaining oil into a bowl with the sardines, a handful of chopped parsley and apple cider vinegar to taste (you actually want a little more than you think b/c the avocado will cut the taste of it). Then mash up your avocado and add a little salt. Once the bread is done toasting, spread a thick layer of the avocado on each slice and then spoon the sardine mixture on top. Serve/munch open faced (no pun intended:)). I like to add coarse sea salt to the top for a little crunch. This is pretty easy to make and surprisingly delicious and filling.
I think you’d enjoy The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. Love your site, and am an avid reader!