Wining and dining

HAPPY WEEKEND, YAโ€™LL!! ๐Ÿ˜€ Iโ€™m SO GLAD Friday is finally here!

Last nightโ€™s girls dinner was ahhhhhhhmazing.

Just check out Jeniโ€™s table setting:

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My friends and I like to wine and dine each other ๐Ÿ˜€

I brought over my favorite Tuscan white bean dip:

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Along with some Mary’s crack and some roasted ratatouille veggies:

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(I half-roasted them before I got there and finished them in Jeniโ€™s oven so they were ready with the meal)

Jeni made some INCREDIBLE shrimp scampi with wheat pasta and we also had salad with walnuts, green apple, dried cranberries and balsamic, unpictured bruschetta with goat cheese and vino ๐Ÿ˜€

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It was unbe-freaking-lievable. You girls know I love my shrimp ๐Ÿ˜‰

For dessert, I brought over some of the Super Charge Me cookies I made earlier:

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And Jeni made the fluffiest, lightest cheesecake Iโ€™ve ever had. It was like cheesecake meets angel food cake:

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With fresh berriesโ€ฆ.. Mmmmmmmโ€ฆ..

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We had a lovely meal and lovelier company as usual ๐Ÿ˜€

Iโ€™m pretty excited to report that I didn’t have nightmares from the wine last night!! I think a huge reason for this was that I started drinking earlier in the evening (at 6:30), was classy and sipped it instead of gulping it down, and only had a glass and a half. I had quite wonderful dreams and slept like a baby. So bring on the vino! Haha.

To rewind to yesterdayโ€™s lonchi, I made one of Gena’s recipes: Raw Creamy Zucchini Soup

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I loved how green it was!!!

I altered it quite a bit by adding a clove of garlic, used flax oil, dried dill, sea salt and pepper, and about quadruple the miso it called for, and it was GLORIOUS.

So creamy and delishโ€ฆ

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Well Iโ€™m off to finally catch up on your blogs (mayjah apologies from slacker over here), clean the upstairs, hit up the gym, train some peeps, and then who knows ๐Ÿ˜‰

Have a happy Friday!

xoxo,

G

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38 Comments

  1. Laura W on July 31, 2009 at 9:15 am

    You girls certainly know how to throw a dinner party! My dinner last night wasn't so pretty… I made some of my "I can't believe it's 8:30 and I'm just getting home from happy hour" pasta! lol

    So glad that it's Friday… enjoy tax-free wkend!

  2. Anna on July 31, 2009 at 9:15 am

    Aww beautiful table setting- I love "dating" my friends! It's so fun.

  3. Erica on July 31, 2009 at 9:20 am

    WOW! Your girlie dinner looks fantastic- especially that shrimp. I still have to try making your awesom bean dip. Enjoy your Friday

  4. CaSaundraLeigh on July 31, 2009 at 9:22 am

    I love the sound of your girly dinners–what a great time! And that cheesecake does look divine; do you by any chance have the recipe?!

  5. Hilary (Red Head, Yellow Dog) on July 31, 2009 at 9:26 am

    holy lord that cheesecake/angel food cake looks delicious!!! wasn't yesterday national cheesecake day too?! very nicely done.

    and I'm with you on the shrimpies! love love love em!

    have an awesome Friday!! woohoo!!

  6. Hilary (Red Head, Yellow Dog) on July 31, 2009 at 9:27 am

    holy lord that cheesecake/angel food cake looks delicious!!! wasn't yesterday national cheesecake day too?! very nicely done.

    and I'm with you on the shrimpies! love love love em!

    have an awesome Friday!! woohoo!!

  7. eatingbirdfood on July 31, 2009 at 9:29 am

    Your wine/dinner parties with the girls always look fun. Totally reminds me that I need some more girlfriends living nearby.

    An angel food like cheese cake sounds amah-zing. Regular cheese cake is so rich, but that sounds perfect. And, Gena's Zucchini soup looks so vibrant and yummy. It makes me want some pumpkin pie in a bowl. ๐Ÿ™‚

    TGIF

  8. Anonymous on July 31, 2009 at 9:34 am

    Hi Gina,

    Have really been enjoying you blog! I was wondering if you had approximate recipe for your Tuscan White Bean Dip? I was planning to make this weekend and was going to kind of wing it, but if you could give me ballparks as to qty that would be great.

    Thanks so much!
    Jonna

  9. shelby on July 31, 2009 at 9:34 am

    That soup sounds so luscious! I love how it is like neon green! Yummy.

  10. Thinspired on July 31, 2009 at 9:35 am

    What a fun night, Gina! All the food looks fantastic…and I'm glad you got to enjoy your vino ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. K from ksgoodeats on July 31, 2009 at 9:38 am

    You know, yesterday was national cheesecake day – how appropriate! That whole spread looks incredible!

    YAY for no vino nightmares ๐Ÿ˜€

  12. Mrs. LC on July 31, 2009 at 9:39 am

    I'd like to request Jeni's fluffy, light (beautiful) cheesecake recipe, please!!

    Sidenote: Last Friday I was driving back to FL from NC and stopped to get gas in Valdosta – totally thought of you/ the pilot when we passed through Valdizzy!!

  13. Devon on July 31, 2009 at 9:41 am

    Wow, everything looks so delicious! I'll have to make that tuscan white bean dip!

  14. The Rest is Still Unwritten on July 31, 2009 at 9:56 am

    your girls night dinner looks amzing!

  15. Amanda (Panda) on July 31, 2009 at 10:10 am

    Looks like a fun night. I made that raw zucchini soup recently too it was so good! I would LOVE the recipe for that cheesecake if you've got it!! It looks absolutely heavenly. Happy Friday!!

  16. Holly on July 31, 2009 at 10:27 am

    OMG that meal looks amazin'! i love dinner parties with the gals – so much better without da boys.

    glad you had fun, and would jeni mind sharing that cheesecake recipe because i just drooled on my keyboard. i would like some to actually eat ๐Ÿ™‚

    happy friday!

  17. VeggieGirl on July 31, 2009 at 10:47 am

    What a stellar meal with great company!!

  18. roseyrebecca on July 31, 2009 at 11:03 am

    Wow, all of your food looks so good!!

    Glad the wine didn't give you nightmares!

  19. Mandy on July 31, 2009 at 11:27 am

    Dinner looks ah-mazing!!!!!! That cheesecake… YUM!

  20. allijag on July 31, 2009 at 11:27 am

    MMMM, that dinner looks unbelievable! ๐Ÿ™‚

  21. ttfn300 on July 31, 2009 at 11:37 am

    looks like an incredible dinner party ๐Ÿ™‚

  22. janetha on July 31, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    how fitting~yesterday was national cheesecake day! the dinner looks extravagant and delicious!!

  23. megan on July 31, 2009 at 12:11 pm

    Wow, that cheesecake does look like angel food cake. Do you have the recipe by any chance?
    I am so glad y'all ladies had a great dinner party ๐Ÿ™‚
    Happy Friday!!

  24. Gabriela on July 31, 2009 at 12:11 pm

    I've been reading your blog for the past few days and I love it! I'm also a health and fitness fanatic, and your posts are an awesome inspiration to try new workouts and recipes ๐Ÿ™‚

  25. Kristi (sweet cheeks) on July 31, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    Wow, everything looks amazing!! That cheesecake looks sooo so so good!

    Hope you have a great friday!

  26. She-Fit on July 31, 2009 at 12:18 pm

    Cheesecake + Angel food cake sounds great! YUM

  27. cassi rash on July 31, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    Wow…I'm officially starving. Everything looks amazing! Have you put your SUPER charge me cookie recipe on here before and I've just missed it? I tried to link back, but didn't find the recipe.

  28. Island Girl Eats on July 31, 2009 at 1:06 pm

    What a nice looking dinner you had. I love how fancy the table looked!

  29. Julie on July 31, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    the green soup is SO cool ๐Ÿ™‚ glad you had such fun with the girlies!!

    yay for no bad vino dreams ๐Ÿ™‚ have an awesome day!

  30. buffmuffy on July 31, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    The dinner looks great.
    Zucchini soup is so pretty!
    -muffy

  31. Jen Papaya on July 31, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    those shrimpies look deLISH! Anddd so does that cheesecake. You girls look like you have some fun dinner parties!

    Enjoy your weekend!

  32. Ada on July 31, 2009 at 2:13 pm

    I'm glad you had fun at your dinner! That's a smart idea to half-roast the veggies!I love the combo of the shrimp scampi with that beautiful salad, it looks delicious:)

  33. Diana on July 31, 2009 at 2:23 pm

    Yeaaaaah Imma have to move that soup waaaay up on my list of raw stuff to make soon…as in tomorrow.

  34. BOBBI McCORMICK on July 31, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    GINA those veggies look amazing!!! How did you make them?!!!

  35. Kaitlyn on July 31, 2009 at 3:26 pm

    Hi! I've been reading your blog for a while now and am interested in becoming a fitness instructor myself…I was wondering if you could give any insight into which are the reputable accreditors…AFPA, AFAA, ACE, etc? Thanks so much and keep up with the great posts!

  36. Carrie on July 31, 2009 at 4:15 pm

    Wow that cheesecake looks delicious? I wonder what recipe she used…:)

  37. Fitnessista on July 31, 2009 at 4:34 pm

    bobbi- they were super easy.. just chopped up eggplant, yelloq squash, zucchini, onion, tomatoes and added minced garlic, evoo, sea salt, fresh rosemary and pepper. they were roasted for 15 minutes at 475 and 20 minutes at 350

    kaitlyn- i have afaa certification and absolutely love it. i love that it will be accepted anywhere we have to move and the variety of classes and workshops is amazing. hope this helps a little!

  38. Averie on August 1, 2009 at 8:34 pm

    Gina, your post reminded me of many a night where my husband called to say he was going to be home on time, or even early, and I canceled other plans, only to find myself in your position: alone at the casa. Going from having two sets of plans to zero. That sucks…but here's the bright side: if you and The Pilot ever plan to have kids, you will look back on a Friday night alone, with crackers and vino as a gift better than a new Louis Vuitton or a new Vitamix. In fact, you will wonder if you will ever get any Alone Time before the year 2020. Hugs ๐Ÿ™‚ I just blogged on my blog about your Weird Food Question you posed, btw.

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